Ritual Site B: A Partner To See The Wide World With! (Improvised)

Physical Description: A strange, four-sided pyramid made of stacked watermelons.

Kanae's Description: An opportunity to stand side-by-side and see the world next to the one you're fated to be with! Two souls staring out into the unfiltered world--it is sure to ignite their wonder and awe! Yes, in Drollfall, the two would have been standing on a cliff on the surface, but as we couldn't do that here, we needed to improvise and just make something that was slightly higher in elevation! In that regard, that pyramid of watermelons is as perfect as it is mysterious! Regardless, the effect will be the same!

***

Kanae put away her notepad and nodded at her co-conspirators with a wide smile.

"I don't see why we're doing this," Elma said. "Why not just have them climb a tree?" Elma studied the pyramid from behind their new bushy cover. "Surely a tree would be better than a stack of watermelons that is barely 10 feet high."

"I don't know how to climb trees," Kanae replied, matter-of-factly. "Especially not the gargantuan trees of this Jungle. I cannot guarantee that they would be suitable."

"But the stack of watermelons is?"

"How could it not be--ahh! Look! Our couple approaches!"

The three spied on Fainn and Dorthaunzee intently.

Fainn chuckled as they walked up to the pyramid. "Wow! Who did this? This is funny, isn't it, Dorth?"

Dorth nodded many times in response.

"I wonder if Svilran is hoarding them for some project."

Svilran stifled a giggle as she swayed. "Aww, Fainn, I'm not so industrious," she said, lovestruck. "But I could be if you asked."

"Come on, Dorth... come on," Kanae said, biting her thumb. "Notice that this is Ritual Site B..."

As Kanae was saying that, Dorthaunzee sneakily pulled a note out from her jacket's pocket and read it while Fainn was marveling at the pyramid.

Elma smiled smugly. "And that's why women should always have clothing with pockets."

Dorthaunzee nodded to herself many times and hid the note. Then, she took Fainn by the hand and pulled him toward the pyramid.

"Huh? Oh! Do you want to try climbing the pile, Dorth?"

Dorthaunzee nodded happily, her eyes shimmering.

Fainn studied the pyramid with a skeptical eye. "Are you sure, Dorth? Melons are known to... roll. It could be risky."

Kanae let out a heavy breath from her hiding spot. "Obviously! Nothing promotes children-making like a danger to your fragile existence! Come on, Fainn, where is your survival instinct? Climb the pyramid, fear for your life, and spread your seed!"

Elma held Kanae back. "Okay, buddy, let's not lose the plot. You're at 150% right now."

Back at the couple--

"Okay, sure, Dorth. But let's be careful. I don't want you to have to heal me again."

Fainn stepped forward, still holding Dorthaunzee's hand. He placed the first cautious step on the pyramid.

"Oh, it's a little more stable than I thought... Dorth, make sure you don't lose your balance, okay?"

The two climbed up the pyramid, with Fainn chuckling every other step and Dorthaunzee's lantern shining brighter than ever before. There were a few times when the pyramid wobbled, but the two took it in stride, smiling with every wobble and playing up how they were about to fall.

"Oh, they're getting higher," Elma said as she pulled Svilran and Kanae lower into the bushes.

"Okay, now we must compromise the integrity of that pyramid!" Kanae declared.

"What? No," Elma replied.

"Yes. This is essential. Without the threat of falling, this is nothing more than climbing a pyramid of watermelons."

"What about wonder and awe?"

"Everyone knows that peril multiplies wonder and awe by a factor of a lot."

Elma raised her brow and looked at Kanae like she was a little insane.

"Why do these plans require the 'threat of falling so much,' Kanae?"

"Because 'falling' is the only 'threat' I would ever willingly allow children to experience."

"Girls! Look! Fainn's doing something!"

Back at the couple--

"Whoa, whoa, what is this?"

Dorthaunzee peered down at her feet as Fainn crouched down. He put his hands on a melon at the top of the pyramid and pulled it out.

"It's off-color," he said as he pulled out an orange melon with slightly darker orange stripes. His eyes went wide. "Oh! This is the fire charge--oh, dang it!"

Fainn lost his balance as the pyramid wobbled. Dorthaunzee, sensing it was all about to come crashing down, latched onto Fainn's side as he kept a grip on the melon.

The melons slipped out from the pyramid and the pyramid collapsed.

"Hold on, Dorth!" Fainn said, laughing, as the two slid down the pyramid with the rest of the melons.

The two slid for a little atop the melons before finally coming to a stop and sitting among watermelons.

"Wow!" Fainn said. "That was exciting, huh?"

Dorthaunzee, happiness flowing from her heart, nodded many times. She twiddled her fingers for a little, noticeably more bashful than before and unable to make eye contact with Fainn.

"Dorth? What's up?"

She looked at him and then timidly pointed at her lantern as her cheeks heated up.

"Oh! You want to shroom me up? Yeah, please. It makes it easier to understand!"

Dorthaunzee lit up and let the lantern's spores out onto Fainn's hand.

"Ahh, there's that familiar sensation." He looked at Dorthaunzee, a wide and clumsy smile on his face. He then scratched the back of his head as he chuckled. "You're pretty happy, huh, Dorth?"

{"I am! I really am!"}

"That's great... hey, wanna take a break and try this melon?"

Dorthaunzee narrowed her eyes at it. {"Are you sure? It doesn't look like the others."}

"I'm feeling some trepidation... I'm pretty sure it'll be okay, though... I'll try it first."

{"I could not allow you to risk your life just because of my cowardice--"}

"No, it's fine. I'll eat it first. Now, how to pop this bad boy open... I don't carry a knife with me--"

Dorthaunzee delivered a swift chop and the watermelon split down the middle.

Fainn stared at the watermelon as it split apart, unsure of what to make of the move.

"Wow." Then, he looked at Dorthaunzee. "Thanks!"

Dorthaunzee lit up again as she leaned forward. {"I've been practicing the art of watermelon splitting, My Savior! Anything to see your frightful and powerful jaw crush your meal and deliver sustenance to your body!"}

"Hmm," Fainn said as he rubbed his chin. "I didn't think I had such a strong jawline... Thanks, Dorth. That's a bit of a confidence boost. I'm going to take a bite of this."

Fainn bit into the melon as Dorthaunzee anxiously looked on.

"Hmm... taste like a normal melon--" His eyes went wide. "Oh wow," he said as he fanned his mouth. "That's hot. And not spicy hot--I mean like--I just drank some freshly brewed tea--hot. Wow. I can feel the fire."

Meanwhile, in the bushes of conspiracy--

"And so, I give you Ritual Site B," Kanae said, winking at empty space. "Our young pair, after enriching the souls with the majesty of their world, have come closer, and are now sharing a meal."

Elma, deadpan, responded with, "Where are you looking, and who are you talking to?"

"Never mind that; where is Svilran--"

"I'm over here," Svilran whispered as she crawled back to the girls with an off-color watermelon in one hand and a completely different outfit on.

"Madam Goddess? Your clothes."

"Yes, I figured out the perfect outfit," Svilran said, showing off her camouflage print jacket and pants. Of course, Svilran--ever unashamed of her figure--had the jacket undone enough that her cleavage and low-cut undershirt were visible. "Oh! I forgot!" She took her fingers and dragged them beneath her eyes, creating a black line beneath each eye. "There, I'm ready to keep sneaking," she said as she split open the watermelon.

Elma's eyes went to the watermelon. "Is that watermelon alright, Madam Goddess?"

"I think so. My intuition tells me it's safe," she said before putting a piece in her mouth. She then blinked many times. "Oh wow, it really is hot..." Svilran ate another piece. "Hmm... I taste 'fire element.' How strange... How did that get infused in here?"

"Hold on; one can taste 'elements?'" Elma asked.

"I mean, sort of. I think you need to have an affinity with magic to some degree. But yes, even on Earth there were many element eaters. And they wouldn't be eating elements if they didn't have some kind of novel 'taste,' in a way.

"Huh... Wow. May I have a piece?"

"Sure! Here's a very tiny piece. Just be careful; it's as hot as freshly baked bread."

Elma took the slightest nibble and fanned her mouth. "Wow, it really is!"

"May I have one too?" Kanae asked, curious.

"Of course!" Svilran sang.

Kanae took the piece and ate it in one bite. "Hmm, yes, I suppose it's a little hot."

Elma chuckled. "Only a little?"

"I find the flavor a little bland. I think I prefer the regular watermelons."

"Oh, that must be because Kanae has Blue Flame affinity! She must be able to perceive the taste a little differently."

Kanae studied the watermelon as she chewed on a fresh piece. "Can fruits be infused with my Blue Fire? I'd like to try them if so."

Svilran shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm not really sure how this sub-species came about, so I can't make any predictions."

"Hmm, interesting. Very well then, friends, we must continue to the next and final site!"

"Yeah, okay," Elma said as she nibbled on a piece of regular watermelon.

"Yipee, I'm ready!" Svilran snuck one more glance at the two. "Aww, Dorthaunzee looks so happy. This was a really great idea!"

Svilran, happier than ever before, started crawling away.

"Yeah," Elma said, a little teary-eyed as she sneaked glances at Dorthaunzee. "I'm not hooked up to her, but I can feel how happy she is just from seeing her eyes. I didn't think she could look so happy."

"Yes, and it's all thanks to your efforts, ladies!" Kanae followed. "Great job on the pyramid."

"Oh, I didn't do anything," Svilran said. "It's all Elma."

"Huh? I didn't stack those watermelons."

Svilran cocked her head in confusion. "I didn't either. I thought we were just going to a spot where a bunch of roots grew over top of each other."

They both looked at Kanae, who shook her head in response. "I didn't touch anything in here. I spent our preparation time gathering my stamina."

"Then... what happened here?" Elma asked.

Kanae shrugged. "Maybe Dorthaunzee prepared it? Or maybe it was a naturally occurring phenomenon?"

The girls, unsure of what to make of the pyramid, disregarded it a few moments after Kanae started hyping up the final step in the ritual.