The mountaintop was gorgeous. Clouds caressed it in thick wool while the whispering wind played the hymn of heights.
When Tanuki climbed to the top, the cold sensation of heights met him with a chilling touch. Snow surrounded his sandals, small and fluffy, which his goblin friend met with amazed excitement.
"W-What is dat? Maduka has never seen anything like this!"
"You haven't seen snow?"
It took him a moment to realize how dumb his question was. Maduka lived her entire life in the depths of a dark hole. Her reaction was equal to a child of the desert meeting a polar bear for the first time.
"Ah, Nuki! Look!"
Maduka pointed toward a ghostly blue flower at the tallest peak of the mountain. It sat alone, the winds waving its thick thorny spine left and right.
For some reason, it seemed like its flower part was closed, the petals burrowing its head into a tight hug.
"That must be the "cloud moon" we were tasked to gather!"
Tanuki dug up the flower's roots and placed the whole inside of a jar carved from wood.
Maduka observed the operation with wonder.
"Why is da flower not blooming?"
"Given its name, I theorize it only opens its head when the moon shines."
Tanuki recoiled.
Something wasn't right.
When he looked up, the dim outlines of a moon were above him.
"W-When did a moon appear in my world?"
There was no moon the nights before. This was a new addition to the world, one that seemed both beneficial, while also rather dangerous. Just on the top of his head, he could recall five different monsters related to the moon.
Werewolves, bats, eldritch gods that have a fetish for blue lights…
"I must've earned a trophy when the rocky hills combined. When I get down from here, I need to check what new things I've unlocked. Speaking of getting down…"
Tanuki handed Maduka the flower, pulled out a handful of vines from his pockets, and began sewing at lightspeed!
"Uwaah! Nuki! What are you doing?!"
Maduka could barely dodge the vines whipping everywhere as her friend knit like a professional grandma.
"I'm putting the birds to shame! Tell me, Maduka, have you ever wanted to fly?"
"To fly? But that's impossible! You need to be a bird for dat!"
"Not anymore…"
He took Maduka's cape and bound all four of its corners and Maduka to his vine creation.
"This is what the people of my world called a parachute! It was used by soldiers back in the day, who infiltrated enemy land from above. Nowadays it's mainly used for entertainment purposes. However, it's going to serve as transportation for us!"
"So cool! And how can Maduka fly?"
"You run off of that cliff and jump!"
The smile on Maduka's face disappeared as she was left somewhat offended.
"W-What's wrong?"
"Ya' want Maduka to kill 'erself?!"
"What? No! That's just how it works."
"And if Maduka falls?!"
"You won't."
"How can Nuki guarantee?"
"I'm literally a god."
"A dumb god! Hmph…"
The wind picked up for a moment and the parachute rose above the ground. Maduka experienced a slight pull on her back.
"Weird…"
This made her remember something.
When she was still part of Soup's tribe and she herded the sheep, leaves would fall from the sky. They'd dance around the branches, falling with such slow speed that it can only be described as elegant.
Sometimes she'd lay under the falling leaves, having daydreams about flying like those oversized greens.
On the surface, this was just another childish thought of a goblin girl. However, deep down, this was her longing for freedom.
The delicacy of leaves kissing the winds as they turn to dance was beautiful because they were free to act as they wish, something that little Maduka could only ever hope to feel.
To dance carelessly, wherever the wind takes you…
Far from any problems and pain…
Maduka braced herself. She held tightly onto the flower and rushed towards the cliff.
Even Tanuki was surprised by her sudden charge.
"Huh?"
"Maduka wants to fly! Maduka will fly!"
She jumped off of the cliff with a determined frown. Fear rose in her heart as the ground below her feet disappeared, yet she refused to recoil. She let her body be one with the wind and as she did…
Her fall slowed down. The parachute towered above her vigilantly. It was the flag of courage, which has become an inseparable part of Maduka's heart.
"M-Maduka's flying! Maduka finally flies!"
It took her only a few seconds to learn how the parachute could be controlled. Then, she danced around the skies, playing with the clouds and high-flying birds.
Thus, she slowly disappeared from view.
Now, only Tanuki was left atop the mountain.
Or so it would seem. Yet, he had a pebble in his heart-sized shoes.
Someone was there with him, watching him from a hiding spot.
"Come out! I know you're here somewhere!"
The answer he got was silence.
The snow before him remained still and only the wind made any sound.
He walked around to observe every corner of the peak. He looked into every hole and he turned every stone. He left no chance for that mysterious other to remain hidden.
"You've been following us since the first time we've met in that cave. You want something from me, don't you?"
Something caught his eye. There was a large rock opposite to him, just before a pile of dirt. It looked unnatural, almost as if it was artificially placed.
Tanuki pushed the rock aside.
"Found you!"
Beneath the rock was a tiny hole, one that Tanuki could easily fit into. That being on his mind, he still wasn't expecting any humanoid to appear from beneath.
So, when he pushed the rock aside and a pair of pink human eyes met his gaze, he was both shocked and scared by his mysterious stalker…