Puella didn't really know this Jay person, but she thanked her profusely anyway as she followed TK in again. She watched nervously as they each lifted the stone...well, about as far as they could go.
But she'd come at least a little more prepared this time around. Puella had tied a little kerchief around her face so that the fumes weren't nearly as nasty. She was slowly realizing, as it neared her turn, that it also meant she was having a harder time breathing. She massaged her arms gently anyway though. That'd help them, um, not be sore, right? She took a deep breath in...well, as deep as she could get, anyway.
Then she took the stone from Jay and began to lug it. It had a long journey to go, but she had to admit that everyone else had, well, done most of the work already. Surprisingly enough, though, it was easier to carry the giant lump the second time around. Maybe it was just that Puella's muscles were a little more accustomed to it. She certainly hoped so. She counted to ten as she took each step, ready to pace herself. Hey, no one had ever said that Puella lacked strategy! Just an attention span.
Still, though. There wasn't much to pay attention to, when they were in this volcano thing. She just had to grit her teeth and keep going. Why was it so heavy again? And...oof, there it was! The familiar heat of the volcano was bearing down on her again. She was glad she'd gotten at least a bit of a rest between attempts to push this thing out of there. She did wish she had someone to talk to, though. It was...a little exhausting, doing this all alone. But TK and Jay had both wisely left when they were done, to avoid getting lightheaded themselves.
That was okay, Puella decided. She still had a bit left in her.
She was jerked out of her reverie when she realized her foot was teetering over something that was not...completely solid ground, and she shrieked when she looked down and realized that beneath it was
magma. She quickly put her foot back on safe ground and looked for somewhere else to step. Wow, you really had to be careful in a place like this. Okay, so that meant she had to focus on the ground, too, not just carrying this thing.
That would've been good to know a couple seconds ago, she sulked briefly. Oh well. If only there were a shortcut she could use...or something she could carry this stone on? But she didn't want it to fall, and illogically she trusted her puny arms more than she trusted any vehicle she might use to carry it. They could be flammable, right? Or
break?
...maybe she should've gotten someone else to do it for her. She was pretty sure her sisters would've done that. It was a little silly, though: that wasn't really
Puella's way.
Ahead of her was a bit of a gorge, and, biting her lip, Puella vaulted over it with the stone in tow. It nearly slipped, but the important thing was that it
didn't. Ha! Who was good at this now? That had added at least a foot to her trip, and she could definitely see the window to the storm clouds outside. She was almost there!
She thrust it out ahead of her for the remaining six inches and then followed as quickly as she could. Her soles were beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, after all. "I...I did it," she said, dumbfounded as she stared at the powderstone that was now
hers to take around. It was a worthwhile, if hefty prize. "I did it!" she cheered, waving at TK, wherever he was.
With any luck he was within walking distance. Puella had a bit left in her, but she was still pretty beat.
