Rain.

You awaken to the feeling of drops of rain falling through the canopy far above. Seconds after you rise to your feet the few drops becomes a powerful storm. Pulling your cloak over your head, after having to fiddle with your long top not of hair to get it inside of the cloak causing a bit of internal swearing, you soon realize the jungle floor is quickly becoming a lake. Pulling the tiny stone from your pouch, you hold it out and will it to activate. In the span of a heartbeat the small stone expands till it is a full sized horse, tall enough that you have to stand on your toes to see over it's back. Thankfully there is a saddle, bags, reins, and even better, stirrups. Pulling yourself out of the now nearly knee deep water you can't help but smile as you wiggle your dry little toes in your ever so soft boots and look up to get a face full of water, grinning as your magic piercings are keeping you rather comfortable. Looking around you have no real idea which way to go so you simply give the horse a kiss on the neck and say, “Go north.” With a little snort you can tell it not only understands you, but knows just which way to go and tromps off through the water now deep enough to occasionally brush it's belly. “Good boy.” You tell it with a little pat on the side, and ride off into the jungle surveying your surrounding.

A little more than an hour later the rain stops as fast as it began and you begin to hear all sorts of creatures all around, some sounding quite large. But sitting on the back of the massively powerful horse, and feeling the subtle strength of this new body of yours, you can't help but pay them no heed. Taking the little box from your pouch you spend the next hour calling forth all sorts of fruits and vegetables to snack on. From kiwis to watermelon, carrots to figs, the box seems to know more than you. As you trot on, chomping on a rather dry but yummy carrot, your can't help but think about how the former you simply chomped down that snake, and feel a bit of yearning for a nice medium well steak and a bottle of beer. “There is no way this slut lived on fruits and vegetables.” Thinking out loud you decide to give the book a look see. Thumbing through the pages while snacking on peanuts, shell and all after snarfing down a whole unpeeled banana with a snort of a laugh in a tiny mock impersonation of how she ate the snake, you finally give up, not wanting to simply try to summon some critter and devour it, and turn your attention to the jungle around you. As the day wares on you also find the lack of something good to drink a bit of a concern as well. “Duuh. The saddle has bags.” You say smacking yourself on the head and begin rummaging through the packs. You soon find a map, ancient looking compass, a small silver mirror, several pieces of what you hope is beef jerky, a loaf of hard bread, a leather sack of sorts full of water, a small wheel of cheese, and thankfully a bottle of what smells like brandy. Gulping down a welcome swig of the strong brandy you finally for the first time, as you look around and feel a bit teary eyed as you realize this is your new life, but you just might be ok.

The entire day passes with little change, the horse seems tireless but as the world around you begins to darken telling you that night is upon you, without warning the horse quickly shrinks down returning to it's little statue self. Thinking about it you realize that it seemed to last exactly 12 hours. Looking around you figure the last time the former you picked the spot she did so she could cast her spell and opt to use a similar idea for safety, simply not so high. Using the power of the ring you quickly scamper up a sturdy looking tree till you are about 15 feet up. Finding a nice thick branch you settle in, spread out your soft cloak, and lay down. Unlike the former occupant in this body, however, you don't strip completely, but you do take off the boots and gloves before you settle in for the night. “Good night forest.”

Then from an odd source you hear, “Good night.” Looking over you see a red and green lizard just over 7’ long. You can't help but smile, pull out your little silver box, and toss him a grape. Then after munching down a couple yourself you drift off to sleep.

Morning comes in a blink and you stand stretching and looking around, the soft warm breeze gently tickling your nearly nude body. The second day passes much like the last, albeit with a little less rain, and one brief bit of excitement as you give hunting a try and with a flick of the wrist, toss the dagger and pin a smaller roughly pig like critter. Gutting and preparing it is far more disgusting than you were planning, but after magically starting a cooking fire, and laying out your cloak, you spend the first part of the night chomping down on a rather delicious and filling meal.

Again morning comes in a blink, but as you once again stand, stretch, and give your long hair a little scratch, you decide you need a bath. You spend a little while looking over the map and compass after creating the horse, and soon know it will do little good as you have no idea where you are on the map, and have no way of finding any sort of water clean enough to bathe. Then an idea pops into your head. Stripping completely naked you neatly arrange your little silver “clothes” in a little pile. Walking a good 30' away you summon the 5 little steel balls you know are highly volatile. Then after a few moments of indecision, you say, “Fuck it.” And toss them into the air straight up. As you predicted they soon fall down all around you and you are immolated by the flames. “Yeouch!” You can't help but scream out as the fires rise around you and the heat increases, but as you hoped it never really hurts, and after your bath of fire, you find yourself to be rather clean. Well other than now being covered in a bit of soot in places, and you soon decide that while you have probably been sterilized, you are far from clean. “Uugh, I need a bath.” Is all you can say, and return to your things to get dressed.

Just then you are made aware of the possible folly of your action as you hear multiple footsteps in the jungle around you, summoned by the sound and lights of the fires. In an instant you are surrounded by what must be dozens of creatures, but they remain hidden apparently not sure quite what to make of you.