An excitement that could almost be considered child-like springs you out of the bed that half your body was hanging off of. You almost wished you could continue sleeping. You wanted to keep replaying that magical moment where Watame gave you your first kiss again, and again. You would need to put that all on hold for now. The morning meant that it was finally time. Time to leave to venture to new lands, and to finally get back into your normal clothes.
The tailor was kind enough to find you last night and leave you with your fully repaired outfit. If you were sober at the time, you might have changed as soon as you got them, but you were having too much fun to care about the slightly revealing outfit that marked you as a hero of Bjornholm. Now, your inhibitions restored, you find the nearest bathroom in the longhouse so you can quickly disrobe, and get your familiar garment back over your body. With your arms and legs fully covered, you feel more like you and then some! You wash some of the tiredness from your face and fix your hair as much as you can.
As you head back to the guest lodgings, you spot Undine looking around the various depictions of Ursol and Ursoc that are displayed throughout Nene's home. Is she always up around the same time you are because of your link? Or is she also just an early riser?
"Morning Undine!" you happily greet as you join her to observe the rather elaborate picture of two bears standing proud side by side against the setting sun.
"Good morning summoner. I see you are already back in your original attire. Do you feel better now?"
"So much better. I can't believe how much I missed having sleeves."
"I see. Are you sure that's the only reason you are so happy?." Undine says with a small smirk on her face.
"I don't know what you're talking about…I normally feel this good." you try to save face.
"There are a few particular moments from last night that tell me otherwise." Undine's smile grows a little wider. "Shortly before Watame joined me and the others, I felt something especially interesting from you. I have to admit it was almost overwhelming. It was so powerful."
"Y-Yeah…w-well…" you start, as you try to keep yourself from living that moment again in your head, which would be playing right into the water spirit's hands.
"And afterward, when we were at the small archery display they had set up. Flare was helping you to better your stance and aim, and I felt something very similar when she leaned up against you. You both were practically cheek to cheek. And then on the way back here-"
"Alright alright." you cut her off. "You caught me. That may be part of why I feel great, but I'm also really excited to start traveling again. With any luck, Flare and I can start getting better at wind magic, and then we can find one of your sisters."
"I have to admit, your wanderlust is starting to infect me as well. I am looking forward to our next destination." Undine says with a warm smile, and was that a twinge of excitement in her eyes?
"Let's not wait another second! Let's wake everyone up and get going." you exclaim.
"You'll have to at least wait for the others to finish getting dressed." Flare's voice comes from down the hallway.
"Morning Flare." you greet as she walks up to you and Undine. She is back into her normal clothes as well, she must have taken your absence as an opportunity to change. "Kinda surprised you're up already to be honest."
"You're not the only one excited to go see something new, you know." Flare playfully retorts. "I want to find this Talonclaw tribe Nene told us about as soon as possible."
"Afraid I might find a way to do wind magic myself before you can?" you grin. "The right inspiration could just come to me after all. Maybe even a specific clump of dirt, or a leaf on a tree will give me the answer."
"Not a chance. In fact, I bet I'll be able to make a full spell during our next session." the half-elf fires back.
"Let's put that confidence of yours to the test then? Whoever manages to make a fully working wind spell first will have bragging rights over the other…for at least a week." you say smugly.
"I already have bragging rights over you when it comes to spells, Anon." Flare says, her own smugness extinguishing yours like a wet match. "Why would I play for something I already have? How about this? Whoever makes a functioning wind spell first, can make a no questions asked request from the other. Now that sounds like a prize."
A free request from this girl could certainly be dangerous. There's no telling what kinds of things she would subject you to for some laughs at your expression or discomfort. On the other hand, the risk could be worth the reward. Being able to master an element before Flare was satisfying enough in its own ways, she's the goal you've been trying to strive for, a measuring stick for your own abilities and growth. You can't really think of anything you would request of her at the moment, but that doesn't mean you won't later.
"Alright! You're on!" you say as you extend your hand.
"No complaining when you lose okay?" Flare says with a grin as she takes your hand and shakes it.
"I was just thinking the same thing."
You feel an even more powerful drive to learn wind magic as quickly as you can. Not only for the sake of being able to form a true connection with the wind spirit, not only to improve yourself, but to blow this half-elf's mind with your ability to learn magic. A free favor is pretty enticing too, you'll have to focus on coming up with a good one, after you win.
After your friendly wager is set, you wait outside while the rest of your friends get ready. All of the arrangements from yesterday's celebration are still set up, you even spot a few people drinking whatever mugs might be left out.
"Morning Anon!" Watame's voice grabs your attention as she and the rest of your friends come from the longhouse.
While you might miss the way the Bjornholm warrior's clothes looked on the sheep, as well as the rest of your friends, nothing compares to the originals.
"Morning everyone!" you greet back.
With your traveling group packed and ready, Nene's parents escort you to the edge of the village. Brann and Aldreha both wrap their arms around their daughter and hug her tightly.
"Watch over your friends, my daughter." Aldreha says softly. "And should you ever need guidance, we will always be with you in your heart."
"That's right. Now go, see the world. Be the person you are meant to be, Nene." Brann adds, fighting off tears.
"Nene…Nene will! Nene will do great things! Help friends change the world! Make Bjornholm proud!" Nene begins to say through her own sobbing.
As you watch Nene and her parents share their tearful goodbye, you see Harold walking up to you with Uisce in tow.
"Guess this is it huh, kid?" Harold says to you somberly.
"Yeah, for now." you say. "Don't look so down old man. You know this ain't the last time you'll see us."
"Yeah we know. That doesn't mean we still won't miss you. It's not every day you meet your mother-in-law and her tied at the soul human. I was just about getting used to you too." Harold snickers.
"We'll miss you too Harold, Uisce. I'll be sure to write though." you say, as you decide to stop fighting the urges and give your newest family a big hug.
"You better kiddo." Harold says as he slowly returns the hug. "I can't wait to hear what trouble you get into next."
Letting go, you let Undine give them a hug next. You take one last look at the pair and give them a wide smile. This isn't goodbye forever, just for now.
After everyone else has a chance to make their own farewells, it is time to put your boots to the ground once more. You all walk through the peaceful forests of Bjornholm eastward.
It feels good to be traveling again. Your experience in Bjornholm was life changing in a few ways, but you are happy to see that some things stay exactly the same. Watame looks around, wide eyed with wonder at anything she spots as pretty. Flare and Polka walk leisurely while engrossed in their own conversation. Undine is back in her spirit floating beside you, but there is one new addition that you think you enjoy just as much.
As you get further from Bjornholm, Nene becomes enthralled in all the new sights, sounds, and even smells. You can't help but find it adorable how she and Watame bounce back and forth, showing each other any particular thing they notice, and then promptly ask you to come look next.
After a while, you all take a break for lunch next to a flowing river. The sound of the water rushing to wherever it wishes to go is music to your ears. As you and Flare both finish your food, you look at each and instantly come to an unspoken agreement. It is time to start your magic exercises for the day.
The two of you find a flat patch of dirt not too far from the rest of the group, and sit across from one another. The look in the half-elf's eyes is fierce today. She just may want to win the bet as much as you do, maybe even more if she already has some specific request in mind for you already.
Today you start off with the basic exercises as a warm up; forming your mana of water, willing it to actually become water, and then shaping it into a sphere between your hands. Flare opts to practice with ice, probably hoping to intimidate you in some way, throw you off your game. You happen to have a newer element you can practice with now too.
As you let the ball of water slowly drip apart into the dirt below you, you focus on changing your mana to form starlight. It takes a little more effort than water, but the bright white mana begins to glow and surface within your hands. You begin to wonder what exactly you can do with this type of mana. Gildmoore was able to create beams made of light that could hit you in all directions. It almost seems like a waste to try and use your own mana in a similar fashion, the spells from your book more than cover that. Perhaps this type of mana is best used for mana coats, it saved you during your first fight with Chloe after all.
Pouring more focus and mana into your hand, the white layer of mana begins to slowly crawl up your right arm. In the moment of battle, the most you usually manage to cover is just your fist and maybe a little past your wrist. If you want to better protect yourself from now on, you'll have to learn how to expand your mana coats faster.
Through some strained effort, you manage to make a mana coat of starlight reach up to your elbow. You're actually quite proud of yourself. Flare clears her throat to get your attention as you are admiring your own progress. She looks at you with that familiar smug smirk as she flexes her arm to show a thick layer of icy mana covering the entire length.
"Very cool warm up, Flare." you scoff, trying your best to hide your jealousy. "At least you'll still have the mastery of ice after I take wind."
"My offer is still on the table to teach you ice. All you have to do now is forfeit the bet, and I can start teaching you right now." Flare fires back with a happy grin.
"Nice try, but I'm not passing up the chance to finally learn something before you. Let's just pick up where we left off."
Even in the serenity of nature, the aspect of wind seems to escape you both. Another session filled with failed attempts to create wind from your own magic. You're sure you have enough focus on what you think wind is to you. How wind is something supportive, it supports the very life of everything that breathes, it supports the waters on their boundless journey. Also like the sea, wind can also become unruly, forceful, unrelenting. What could you be missing?
"Maybe there's something within ice and fire I can use…" you hear Flare mumble to herself.
"Yo. Flare. We should call it for today. We got ground to cover after all." you say as you get up slowly to let the feeling come back to your legs. "We'll just keep trying. We gotta be getting closer."
"I'm starting to think so too!" Flare says as she takes your hand to let you pull her up to her feet.
That smile looks way too confident, even for her. Was she closer than you are to creating a wind spell already?
As if seeing the wheels in your head turning, Flare gives your hand a playful squeeze before letting go and strutting past you with a smirk on her face. She's bluffing. Probably.
With the late afternoon sun peaking through the thinning forest as you all walk, Nene takes the opportunity to talk to you one and one again. You really hadn't had a chance to talk to the girl personally since HoloX interrupted you. She is the most curious about how it feels being connected to another being like Undine. You still are not sure how to properly explain it to someone else. How do you describe how it feels to have a separate source of feelings and consciousness that you can reach out to, but not directly control? You somehow get the feeling that any explanation you could give would fly right over Nene's head. She seems like the type to better understand through feelings and action anyway, so you pose the question of what she feels like when she uses the power of Ursol. It is easily not a direct comparison, but you have to imagine that the blessing of some higher being makes you feel something.
She takes a long couple moments to think about it, like she had never been asked this question before. You can't say you would be surprised how no one in Bjornholm would bother to ask such a thing, whatever Ursol and Ursoc are to them, just are.
"Nene feel…strong. When Nene use Ursol's blessing, she also feels…different. Different, but still Nene. Like something deep inside tells Nene how to move and fight." she finally says.
"Well Undine certainly makes me feel strong." you say, happy to find a potential similarity that Nene might be able to understand. "She kinda tells me things sometimes too. It's not just limited to fighting either. Like you, Undine is one of my good friends. Friend? Yeah I think that's actually the best way I can describe it. Being connected with her is like always having a friend nearby. Deep inside I always feel the feeling you get when you're with your friends. Does that make sense?"
"Yes!" Nene chirps. "Undine like friend that live inside Anon! That mean, when Anon become husband, wife gets Undine too!"
As you recover from the shock of how Nene somehow pulled that from what you said, Polka and Flare burst out laughing ahead of you. Watame looks back along with Undine as both give you a small giggle. You suppose it's not exactly that far from the truth. Undine, and any other spirit you make a pact with, will be with you wherever you go after all. That's something you don't think you'd ever want to change either.
"They sure will!" you spring back confidently. "I guess from here on out, I'm a package deal."
"Careful Anon~" Polka calls back. "Someone might just try to sweet talk you to get to Undine. She's got looks that could make a girl question themselves if you know what I mean."
"That might be going a little too far. Don't you think, Polka?" Flare playfully joins in. "Imagine poor Anon, being left alone on his wedding night. The girl he thought he would spend the rest of his life with in love, only wanted Undine the entire time."
"Oh, ha ha." you sarcastically say.
"Even if such an event were to occur, summoner." Undine starts. "The orchestrator of such an elaborate ruse might find themselves disappointed, as I would not allow you to be left out in such a manner. I would insist that-"
"Nope! Just stop right there! This is nowhere near the time or the place for this talk." you adamantly interject. "That goes for you two as well! One more word outta you like that Polka, and I'll drench that tail of yours so bad, it won't dry for days."
"Scary~" Polka giggles along with Flare.
Thankfully, that seemed to stomp the current conversation out, despite Nene being genuinely confused as to what had you so worked up in the first place. It still baffles you how this girl was so eager to jump into marriage with you, when she doesn't seem to have a clue exactly what that entails.
Nene then seemed content to ask you less complicated questions. Things like how you learned to fight, what's been your favorite drink so far, what your dad is like. After that, the questions started getting more random. What is your favorite type of bug? Have you ever ridden a horse? What's it like having an old man as a brother? That last one definitely turned some heads. You have to assume Harold was blabbing to Nene at some point last night about your new found familial recognition of each other.
"It's actually pretty simple. Uisce is Undine's daughter. Undine and I have become family through our pact. Harold is married to Uisce, so that makes him related to me…he just decided to call himself my brother since it makes him feel younger." you explain.
Satisfied with your answer, everyone continues to walk until the descent of the sun indicates that it's time to set up camp for the night. Watching Nene look on in wonder as Polka pulls out a colorful tent from her hat and walks inside was certainly a treat. If she thinks that's impressive, she's seen nothing yet.
While the six of you sit around the roaring campfire, you take out your spell book and flip through its pages. Still nothing readable aside from the six spells you know so far. Your mind unwillingly thinks back to Koyori and when she had you shackled to that operating table. She was so intent on learning how the book works. You shake the thought away and put away your spell book. No use dwelling on that now, not when there's a brand new land to see tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, as you head to the tent to turn in for the night, Polka suddenly stops you and you are forced to wait outside while the girls go in and do…something. The stars above keep you good enough company until Polka undoes the zipper of the tent to indicate you are now allowed to come in.
Knowing Polka, it could be anything. At the same time, it could be nothing; the joy of watching you be apprehensive and curious was its own reward to her. When you head inside the tent it looks…exactly the same, except for the addition of a section for Nene next to Polka's. Your eyes continue to scan around for something you might have missed, until they hone in on Watame sitting on her knees in her section of the tent, wearing blue and white striped cotton pajamas.
Everyone else is wearing similar style clothes now, all sporting a specific variation of Polka's normal attire palette. Even Undine was wearing them, you didn't even know that dress she always wears came off. You just assumed it was part of her being.
"So everyone just had to change?" you ask, as a sudden thought hits you. "Polka…where did everyone get these?"
"Can you seriously not tell that I made them?" Polka asks innocently.
"Oh I know you did." you say, your anger rising slightly. "How long have you been able to do something like this?"
"Probably since I was five."
"Of course…" you mumble as you turn the fennec, who is desperately trying to not make eye contact with you while holding in laughter. She knows exactly why you're mad. Two nights in a row you were forced to sleep in that cold outfit. You were constantly afraid of coming undone in the middle of the night. She wants to see you flustered to know she could have fixed that for you at any time. You won't give her the satisfaction though, not this time.
"That's great." you say, forcing yourself into an instant calm. "Do you have one more for me? While I'm happy to sleep in my normal clothes again, those look particularly comfortable."
"Of course I did." Polka answers as her composure returns as quickly as yours. "And don't worry. I pretty much copied how your normal pants fit, so everything down below fits as it should. Not that you had to worry about that the last few nights."
With that last attempt at getting a rise out of you, the fennec hands you a solid blue button up top, with solid black bottoms. Both feel extremely soft between your fingertips. She then directs you to a small free standing fitting room within the tent. With the red and white curtains concealing you, you quickly change into your new sleepwear.
You step out proud and comfortable. You half expected there to be some sort of catch, but you double checked every inch of what Polka gave you, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Polka and Nene greet you with a soft clapping of their hands. She was going to try her damndest to get a real rise of you, but she underestimates the comfort of her own handiwork.
You happily walk and take a seat on your sleeping bag that lies between Watame's and Undine's. They both look at you with welcoming smiles, as you return them with one of your own. With you being the last one situated, Polka dimmed the lights slowly until they went out completely. While it was exciting to be on your journey again, everyone was bushed. You ended up traveling farther than you anticipated in just one day. Hopefully you can reach the plains that the Talonclaw tribe are said to roam some time tomorrow.
You jolt upward at what is quickly becoming a familiar time in the middle of the night. What isn't so familiar however, are the beads of cold sweat that cover your face and forehead. This is easily the worst case yet. You tried not to think about the past few days, but it's become painfully obvious what, or rather who, has been making it hard to sleep through the night…Koyori. Images that were hazy, unclear, and forgotten as soon as you awoke before, are now suddenly vivid. Your mind was brought back to that horrific spot on the operating table. The sight of your own skin coming apart. The sensation of electricity surging through your veins. The fact that Koyori took your own blood for herself, and is still in possession of it. All that pain she inflicted upon you, all while she wears the maddest smile. It all makes you shiver.
"A-Anon…" Watame whispers sleepily. "Are you alright?"
Are you? Not particularly, you're scared. You shouldn't be though. HoloX is long gone for now, and you have the protection of your friends. But how does that damn coyote continue to haunt you like this?
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine…just gotta use the bathroom." you whisper back as you slowly rise to a stand. "I'll be right back okay?"
Watame nods at you slowly, but she doesn't lay her head back down. You slowly tip toe out of the tent to do your business. The cold night air feels a little frigid against your still moist forehead, but it is also strangely rejuvenating. Why are you having nightmares about what happened to you? It was horrifying in the moment, but you had no need to actually be scared anymore. You were able to beat back one of Koyori's own twisted inventions yourself in the end. Undine and you are even stronger together now. Everyone was stronger now.
So why was that maniacal smile able to make you tense up at just the thought of it? After shaking yourself, and then shaking the question away, you head back inside the tent. Watame waits for you to get back situated into your sleeping bag before laying herself back down. Even in the darkness of your shelter, you can still see that fluffy smile of hers, but you can also see some worry behind it.
"All better now." you say, trying to sound relieved.
Watame doesn't say anything in response, instead she slides deep into her sleeping bag, and suddenly rolls herself along with it until she bumps into you. You look down and see that golden head that just barely pops out of the top, giving you a proud grin. This fluffy sheep always knows how to pick you up when you're down huh?
With most of your anxiety quelled, you snuggle back into your own bedroll and give your friend a playful bump. Just take things one night at a time Anon. Who knows? Maybe this will be the last night you get woken up like this.
The next day, you all hit the ground running. A speedy change of clothes, breakfast, and cleanup of camp, and your journey continues. The space between the trees continues to grow wider and wider as you go. The ground itself is also becoming softer beneath your feet as the hearty dirt of Bjornholm that was rich with minerals, is replaced with plush verdant grass. Soon a break in the trees can be seen ahead, the overhanging midday sun shining brightly on your path.
Your pace steadily increases the closer you get to the edge of the forest. A whole new land, home to a whole new group of people might lie just ahead. All sorts of questions start to fire in rapid succession in your mind. What kind of animals roam open plains? Would you find other groups of people before the Talonclaw tribe? Do different types of food grow here?
"Is this the thing Anon does you told me about Watame?" Nene says as she quickens her pace along with her to not fall behind.
"Yup! Isn't the look on his face adorable!?" Watame chirps.
Although the sentiment makes you feel a little embarrassed, that's nothing compared to the excitement you feel to find another new place. Your grin grows wider as you speed up to a jog.
"Come on! The Talonclaw are nomads after all! We gotta speed up if we want to find them!" you say as your pace grows even faster.
Just past the forest's edge, are bright, grassy plains that stretch for miles in front of you. The blowing wind creates a cascade of shimmering green across the rolling hills ahead. It's all so open, so wide. Its majesty stops you in your tracks as you take in everything you can see. Small groups with no more than two or three trees are scattered far and wide, their height can easily match the mighty trees you saw in Bjornholm. Smaller rock formations and hills made of solid earth are speckled throughout the landscape.
"So what direction do we go in?" Polka asks. "Everything looks to be the same no matter what way we go forward."
"Nene's father said the people he told us about are never too far from the largest mountain in the region." Flare starts. "We should start heading in that direction then."
From where you are, you can just make out the top mesa that rises above all others far away in the distance. That's more than good enough for you. You want to see what that could look like up close anyway.
Taking the lead, you make your first steps through the breezy grass. Without the cover of the trees, the sun is allowed to bask you all with the full strength of its rays, covering you with a comfortable warmth as you walk. You look over to see Watame absolutely ecstatic to be in such an open and grassy area. She skips along with a smile that even puts the stars to shame. The light of the sun against the vibrant plains seems to put everyone in a brighter mood.
The peaceful stroll is interrupted by a fearsome roar that echoes through the air. Your hand grips your sword as you scan the area for the source of the noise. Flare already has an arrow locked to her bow as she runs forward to the top of the approaching hill. Down at the bottom of the hills you see a beast unlike any you have seen before, in pursuit of its prey, human prey.
A huge creature as gray as stone runs on all fours after a group of four or five humans. Its angled jaw is lined with spikes to match the gigantic razor sharp teeth that are bared and eager to rend flesh. A menacing orange glow radiates from the diagonal slits that make up its eyes against blackened skin that reminds you of plate armor. As if a monstrous beast that was the size of your house having its own set of armor wasn't bad enough, from the top of its head to all the way down its back, pairs of spikes protrude at regular intervals.
"What the heck is that!?" Polka yelps as she gets her first glimpse of the horned monster.
"I-Is that something from around here? Nene?" Watame asks next as the sight of a hungry predator awakens her sheep like nature.
"Nope. Nene never seen beast like that." Nene answers, not seeming to be intimidated by what is rampaging ahead.
Your body freezes as your mind starts to race out of control. Could this be Koyori's work? She could probably turn some little animal into this…thing that only knows bloodlust. Is she nearby? Has she somehow been following you?! What if this is a trap to draw you out? What the hell should you do?! Are you even strong enough to stop that thing?!
A panicked scream from a woman and child suddenly breaks you out of your own induced self panic. It doesn't matter. You know what you have to do.
"Who cares what it is!?" you shout as you take out your spell book. "It's gonna make a meal out of those people if we don't do something! Polka, we need an express trip down there as fast as you can make it."
The fennec's own indecisiveness vanishes as your call to action spurs her to go to work. With a reach into her hat for her baton, and a twirl from her hands, a colorful canon appears in front of you. You quickly hop in and prepare for your launch. Polka lights the fuse with a snap of her fingers and aims the canon downward toward where the monster is running to.
A blast of pressure propels you through the air towards the back of a razor backed monster. You open your spell book again and grip it tightly, you pour your powerful feelings into it. Sure, you're scared that this could be another one of Koyori's twisted traps, but that doesn't matter, not when there are innocent lives at stake. Lives you have the power to save. If the beast notices your approach, it doesn't seem to deem you worthy of attention over the scrambling morsels it is so close to obtaining. Time to change that.
"Stellaruga!" you yell as the concentrated beam of starlight from your open palms slows your flight dramatically.
The beast is caught off guard as your attack collides with the side of its open mouth; stopping it from leaping toward a stumbling woman who clutched a small child to her chest. As you land on the ground, the spiked monster shakes the impact of your spell off and turns to you, its slitted eyes growing even thinner.
"That's right." you say aloud to help distract you from the fact that the gaze from this creature is unlike anything you've ever felt before. Even so, you can't let that keep you from moving. "Stay focused on me, I got something nice and bright to show you. Stellar!"
Another blast of starlight hits the creature dead between the eyes. The blast of bright light from your spell against its hard head creates a splash of illuminance to obstruct its view. From behind, you can hear the hurried footsteps of your friends as they come to join you. You speak out to Undine through your mind, telling her to get the people this monster hoped to prey upon to safety.
Undine answers your call by materializing back into physical form, and with a wave of her arm, a deluge of water rises from below the frightened innocents closest to the beast. Gently but swiftly, the water spirit wills her azure stream to carry them to her, before softly letting them down as the water vanishes.
After you give Undine a silent thanks, you focus your attention back on the beast that shakes off the minor disorientation from your attack. Its eyes squint as it observes you, a guttural growl rumbles in your ears. Your legs twitch, a flash of fear trembles through your body. Something tells you this is nothing like what Koyori warped that simple cave snake into. You feel something…foreboding, when you look at this beast. Not even the shadow beasts Hector created gave off this type of aura, you can only remember emptiness from them, mere puppets for the mad wizard's whims. Whatever this creature is, it's acting on its own desires, no matter how dark they may be.
"So now what, Anon?" Flare's voice comes to snap you back to the task at hand.
"What else?" you ask as you begin to make your spell book glow, the conviction in your actions giving it strength. "We slap this thing down so it won't try to hurt anyone else!"
"Nene like that plan!" Nene cheers as her own magic begins to form around her. The crackling yellow mana that borders on being uncontrollable, flashes and Nene dons her bear claws and ears. As you marvel at the transformation, you also notice something…wild in her eyes now.
"Alright, Polka, Watame, stay close to the humans." Flare commands. "I don't want this thing making a mad dash for them when we start giving it trouble."
"You too Undine!" you call back. Watame and Polka are strong, but you don't want to take any chances with whatever this beast is. With Undine helping to protect everyone, you can focus solely on the fight. "Setllaruke!"
The casting of your spell prompts the razor backed creature to leap toward the three of you. You quickly swap to your sword and jump out of the way alongside Flare before the monster's jaw collides with the ground. Nene can then be seen jumping from the opposite side onto its head, as she begins to ferociously slash at it.
Flare and you begin to launch your own attacks, the brilliant glow of blue mana forming around the tips of both your weapons. You let loose a series of slashes into the air, each launching crescents of water towards your foe, while Flare let's fires a flurry of arrows. All your attacks seem to just bounce off the armored skin of the monster, as it roars in annoyance at you. Nene's attacks are also proving to be equally ineffective, as her claws only scrape against skin that is tougher than metal.
The beast then shakes itself intensely, which lodges Nene from its head. The champion of Ursol only looks down in frustrated anger at her opponent, as she flies over its now awaiting maw. You make a mad dash forward, you will NOT allow your friend to become something's meal. You focus on the rage of water once again, you need its powerful torrents. From under its jaw that is open toward the sky, you fire a rushing burst of water from your open palm.
The unexpected pressure from below causes the beast's mouth to be forced to close early, just in time for Nene to land atop teeth that were half the size of her. You expect her to jump down, but as you continue to funnel water towards the beast, you can hear her let out a mighty roar as she begins to punch down at the razor sharp fangs.
As you begin to struggle to keep your own spell going, an arrow covered in sharp, golden mana strikes true into an area of softer skin at the creature's midsection. It roars in pain as Nene loses her balance and starts to fall toward the ground. Sheathing your sword, you sprint. The stellaruke spell gives you just enough speed to position yourself below Nene to catch her. With your friend safely cradled in your arms, you race back over to Flare who continues to give you covering fire.
"What the hell were you doing Nene!?" you scold as you run.
"Nene was smashing mean beastie!" she growls, which causes you to look down at her.
The once bubbly girl looks up at you with defiance, her eyes flicker with anger while her own teeth are bared at you. Electricity continues to spark around her claws, almost as if Nene could barely contain her own powers. Even if the blessing of Ursol makes her powerful, it won't do any good if she barrels straight into her own death. Was she this careless when she helped fight HoloX?
By the time you regroup with Flare and let Nene stand on her own, the monster is turned toward you all to block the half-elf from causing any more injuries. Its roar shakes the very air around you, and through half open eyes,you see Nene tense up to begin another charge at the monster. You quickly grab a hold of her arm, causing her to snap back and look at you with growing anger and confusion.
"Why you try to stop Nene!? Nene will smash ugly dog. Nene will protect Anon and people!" she growls again.
"This isn't something we can charge face first into, Nene." you plead, not sure if there is any reasoning with her at this point. The fact that her transformation could cause such a drastic shift in personality was concerning to say the least. "We need to come up with a strategy."
"Nene run and punch its teeth in using might of Ursol! Slap him down, just like Anon said!"
Flare's mind is racing between the pair of troubles you two of you face. In front of you, there is a rampaging monster with armored skin ready to charge at you again. On the side of you, is a friend who wants to charge into said monster head on, her reasoning seeming to diminish as her powers rise. You both know you don't stand a very good chance in a direct battle of strength with this demon, but she suddenly looks to get an idea in her head.
"Nene." she starts, turning the battle eager girl's attention to her. "You want to fight alongside Anon this time right? Show him how strong you are?"
"Yes! Nene want to show Anon she can protect him from anything! She can destroy anyone that wants to hurt him or what he likes." she says, a tinge of her normal disposition returning to her voice.
"I want you to stay close to him then." the half-elf continues. "Attack the same places he does, together. You both will keep that monster's attention on you, but don't let it hit you okay?"
"Nene understands. Stay close to husband. Hit bad monster only when he does. Smash anything that tries to hurt him." Nene nods.
"Anon, give me your spell book. For this plan to work, you need to be able to use both your hands."
You do as Flare asks and hand over the book. You're not sure what exactly her plan could be, but you know you trust her with your life. As you wait to hear your next instructions, the monster opens its maw as a barrage of spikes are hurled toward you, you push yourself in front of Nene and Flare and hold your hands in front of you.
"Stellashield!" Flare shouts in tandem with your thoughts.
The metal projectiles crash against your shield, the entire thing slowly cracks and crumbles in front of you as the pressure threatens to weigh down your soul. You and Flare fight on, pushing your inner strength even further to keep the shield intact. The beast then runs forward and with a mighty swipe from one of its front claws, breaks your defense into pieces, but you had already bought all the time you needed.
It was a strange sensation, not unlike how you can sense Undine's thoughts and feelings through your soul, you were able to hear Flare's thoughts while she uses the book. Using her heart, she told you exactly what you should do next, as you take Nene's arm and lead her toward the side of the beast. You position yourself directly in front of its foreleg and hold out your hand.
"Stellaruga!" Flare yells, causing a powerful beam of starlight to drill between the skin armor plates that cover the monster's leg.
Its rage building, the monster turns towards you and makes another swipe at you with its other foreleg.
"Stellaruke!"
With the veil of starlight covering you, you unsheathe your sword and run to meet the claw of the beast, with Nene by your side. With a loud battle cry, sword and bear claws meet the steel nails of a demon. With you both focusing your strength together, you are able to just deflect the slash that was meant to crush you both. The beast stumbles slightly before letting loose another roar in frustration.
You dart forward with Nene close behind, your next target is the underbelly.
"Up there Nene!" you yell as you point to the more fleshy skin that covers the monster's belly.
Nene nods and with a pulse of her own will, mana forms at her feet and propels her jump to bring her close enough to slash the monster's flesh. The air shakes again from the pained roar it releases, but you can't stop now.
The veil of starlight suddenly disappears and you launch another stellaruga spell from your palm at the spot Nene had just drawn blood from. The blast of starlight digs and advances into the monster, the skin around the impact begins caving and tearing. After Nene lands, you again lead her away from your opponent, but not before the two of you make another slash for the unprotected parts of the hind leg you run past.
The monster hunches low to the ground as it hisses at both of you. Its penetrating gaze fixates on the two of you, you can't help but wonder if it's actually…thinking. In one fluid motion, it ducks its head forward, as its legs fold inward to change its shape into a giant armored ball…with spikes.
Flare looks just as confused as you are, was this purely a defense mechanism? As far as you can tell, there are no obvious weak spots left open. As you continue to observe, the blackened ball begins to move and rotate. The ground begins to break apart between the sharp spikes that tear through the earth with each completed spin.
Something sparks in Nene's eyes as she takes your arm in her paw and grips you tightly. Before you can ask her what's wrong, you see the beast getting closer. It was actually rolling, spikes first toward you. Nene yanks you both out of the way just in time to avoid a full collision. The monster's momentum and hard body crush the oncoming trees to bits, as it works to change its direction.
What now? That thing is somehow even more dangerous when it's not trying to use its teeth or claws. It will flatten us if we're caught in its path. Can we even break through that armor to stop it?
"Ekuseresu Stellar!" Flare's voice comes again, as you scramble to sheathe your sword to free up your hand to grip the bow of starlight that appears. You are unsure why Flare would cast the spell now, but you are soon guided by her thoughts as you steady your aim. You let your celestial arrow fly at the beast. Your spell grinds against the momentum of the spinning armor plates as it quickly dissipates into nothing.
Nene has to pull you out of the way once again before the monster that has become a moving boulder can crush you.. You watch the rolling monstrosity turn and start to build up momentum for another attempt at your life. You also can't help but notice that your bow is still in your hands, usually it disappears once the spell is finished, did Flare somehow figure out how to keep it active?
Flare casts the spell again, giving you another arrow that you release at the oncoming beast. Your spell ends with a similar result, a brief instant of resistance against the armored hide before it glimmers away into the air. The process repeats itself three more times, you shoot, Nene pulls you out of the path of the beast, it comes for you both again. Even though your spells hit dead on where Flare instructs, the monster is not slowing down one bit. In fact, its momentum is steadily increasing. The last two spells also felt weaker than the previous ones. Is Flare at her limit already?
Since your focus has been on the position of the monster the entire time, you didn't notice that you have come full circle, and now you and Nene are standing ahead of Flare. The bow in your hands disappears into the air which causes you to look back at the half-elf who gives you a confident smile. She's been crouched to one knee with one hand flat against the ground, and the other around your spell book. Your eyes widen in surprise and awe as the intent of her actions starts to become clear to you.
Flare has been slowly spreading ice over the ground all around her, and it continues to spread until it reaches your own feet. Would this really be enough to stop this demon's momentum? With the demon ready to accelerate toward you, you are about to find out.
"Nene! Anon! Get ready to stop that thing cold!" Flare commands. "Pour everything you got into protecting us, Nene! If this works, you'll be able to smash that beast all you want! I'm putting everything I got left into this Anon! The third spell! Stellashield!"
A radiant shield of starlight appears in front of you as the rolling razor backed demon collides with it. It takes all you and Flare have to keep it from shattering on impact. The beast skids and struggles to maintain its balance on the ice beneath you, but it still surges forward.
"Nene!" Flare calls out, giving the champion of Ursol her cue to step in front of you, claws primed and ready to protect everyone. "Charge!"
The shield is quickly dispersed and its light funnels into your hands, but before the demon can advance, Nene charges forward and brings down both her claws against the revolving armor. Sparks fly in the air from both the friction of her claws against the beast's hide, but as well from her own crackling mana that heightens to give her the strength to keep you both from being flattened.
As Nene continues to be pushed along the ice, you can't just stand there and let her try to stop this demon alone. You gather your own mana of starlight in your hands and push forward alongside your friend. The two of you struggle to keep yourselves standing as you slide backward. With each rotation, you can tell the beast is slowing, which surprises you. You figured its spikes would give it enough traction to maintain its speed, but then you notice something about the sharp implements only mere feet from your face. Several of the spikes that protrude from the back of the beast were chipped, dulled, and fractured. All those shots you made with Flare guiding you, they weren't meant to do any real damage. They were meant to grind down the sharp edges of its back so that it would definitely lose its speed on the ice!
"Stellashield!" Flare shouts again, creating an even larger shield of starlight in front of you.
The sudden appearance of the study defensive wall causes the monster's trajectory to shift as it bounces off of your shield. The behemoth bounces against the hard ice in front of you and lands on its back. It unfurls itself to begin to try and stand back up, but now its weak points are completely exposed.
Nene takes the opportunity to run around your shield and begins mercilessly slashing and punching the beast that struggles against the slippery surface. Its body convulses with each strike from Nene's claws. You rush to join the attack with your sword drawn as Flare commands your shield to channel its energy into your hands. The blade of your sword pierces the hearty flesh of the monster, your own mana radiating from the sharpened edge to give it more strength.
The fresh wounds make the demon howl in pain as it flails to bring itself upright again. In its frantic movements, Nene and you are swept aside by one of its claws and are sent sliding away along the ice. Even in a weakened state, the beast's strength was immense. Your whole body shakes as your muscles try to restabilize. You and Nene help each other to stand as the beast slowly rises to a crouch.
The girl next to you breathes heavily, you both have been pushed to your physical limits in this fight. The mana and energy around her is also starting to fade, could there be a time limit to her transformation. Either way, you need to find a way to end this. Polka, Watame, and Undine are still fresh, but you can't be sure there aren't more monsters like this around.
"Anon." Flare huffs, while she hands you back your book. "I'm all tapped out, but I got enough mana for one last spell of my own. So, how about we finally put that thing down for good?"
A small chuckle forces itself from your chest as you take your book from the half-elf. It's so bizarre. Fighting a demonic beast that could very well end your life and the lives of people you care about, but you feel so alive. Doing things like this, protecting people, pushing your bodies and mana to their limits, it gives you such a rush. When you look at the determined eyes of Flare and Nene, you know there is no possible way you can lose this.
"Yeah. Let's put on a flashy finale that will even make Polka jealous." you grin.
"Nene can still fight too! Nene thinks we get right under beastie, and hit him just like before!"
"Just what I was thinking Nene. Follow me guys!" you say as you lead your charge.
The demon roars at your advance and begins to madly try to find its footing as it fires another volley of spikes from its mouth. Flare makes another shot for one of its eyes, causing it to shut for an instant in an attempt to shield itself. You and Nene deflect spike after spike with your weapons. It takes almost everything you have to not be knocked over from their force. You feel the burning sensation of your skin being cut along one of your arms and legs, but you will not relent. You all continue to charge forward.
With your own building momentum, the three of you lower yourselves and slide along the ice until you are right under the monster. Nene digs her claws into the space between one of its leg armor plates, the last of her mana surging through them to cause the beast to halt its own advance.
Sliding along your backs, you and Flare aim upwards, palm open, and arrowed locked. You take careful aim at the spot you and Nene have been slowly chipping away at. An open wound along the beast's stomach drops with an eerie flow of deep crimson blood.
"Stellaruga!" you shout.
The silver-white beam of starlight flies next to Flare's arrow that radiates with golden mana to create a vibrant swirl of color that pierces the monster's skin and continues to drill through its insides. You give everything one last push, giving the spell book all you have so that your spell may get a burst of energy to find its way through to the other side of this monster.
The beast lets out one last diminishing cry as yours and Flare's attacks complete their journey and leave through the top side of the armored hide. With your momentum slowed to a halt, you can only look up as the massive creature begins to fall from above you. You feel yourself sliding along the ice again. Nene is now behind you, as she pulls you and Flare by your collars to safety before the demon falls to the ground with a shattering thud.
You keep yourself upright for a moment, to really make sure that this monster was not going to get up again. As blood begins to coat the ice from underneath it, it feels as though the battle is actually over. The three of you let out an exhausted sigh when you all begin to realize the same thing. Nene's bear-like traits disappear with a flicker of light as she falls to her knees on the soft grass.
You lay on your back, while Flare lowers herself to the ground with her legs bent to one side. The half-elf holds an open hand in front of you, and the other to Nene. A wide smile stretches across your face as you slap your palm against hers. After seeing your example, Nene does the same excitedly.
Seeing that the battle was over, Polka, Watame, and Undine rush to check on you with the strangers you helped rescue trailing behind. The three look like they were in a battle of their own, although not nearly as intense as yours. While relief washes over her face, Watame quickly kneels down next to you and begins giving you a once over. She thoroughly examines you as her eyes narrow at every cut and bruise you earned from your latest victory. As her gaze meets yours, her worry seems to melt away as the smile you wear assures her that you're alright and more alive than ever.
"That was quite the beast you three have felled." Undine remarks with pride. "I knew you would be victorious, summoner."
"It sure put you guys through the ringer though." Polka adds as she begins to help with the wounds on Nene's arms with some of her own magic. "There you go, Nenechi. My healing magic is nowhere near as good as someone like Harold's, but it should be good enough for now."
"Thanks Omarun!" Nene chirps, happily wiggling her arms in wonder at the effects of the magic Polka used on her.
"Everyone's okay right?" you ask. "You all look like you had to wrestle with something yourselves."
"Mhmm!" Watame nods. "You were right to have us look after the people you saved. When we got further away from you, a couple scary animals that had eyes like the one you beat came after us."
"I have never seen or felt anything like them." Undine says with concern. "They couldn't have been bigger than a simple river beaver, but they were gruesome and filled with bloodlust."
"They had crazy long horns, razor sharp teeth, and a tongue that could reach past its whole body!" Polka adds next while mimicking gestures with her hands against her head to give you an idea of the shapes she was talking about. "Top it off with three creepy slitted eyes that glowed green."
"No need to worry though, Anon! Polka, Undine and I beat them together! We're all unstoppable when we work together!" Watame beams.
"When you're right, you're right!" you proudly agree. If there's more things like what you just fought out there, let them come. With your friends at your back, you can handle anything.
Watame helps you to a sitting position to bring your attention to a woman with a small child clung to her leg as they walk tentatively in front of you. This must be the pair that was almost food for that monster before you stepped in. Their clothing is rather simple, even by the standards set by the people of Bjornholm.
The long brown haired woman wears a simple cloth green skirt that reaches past her knees. A stitched pattern that looks to be the shape of a bird is sewed along one of the sides up to her hip. Brown arm warmers cover her wrists up to her elbow, as the rest of her arms are completely bare. A matching green top covers her from chest to waist. Beaded necklaces hang from her neck which then brings your attention to the green skin paint that seems to streak from her shoulder, to her neckline.
The little girl that stands half behind her, wears a very similar outfit, the only things absent are the necklace and possibly tattoos. She seems to sport her own set of jewelry however as small bracelets made of strings and stones cover both her wrists.
"Thank you for coming to our rescue." the woman starts with a grateful bow of her head. "I had thought we were surely to meet our ancestors once that fearsome monster started to pursue us."
"I'm just glad you're all okay." you reply. "Why was it after you anyway?"
"That beast along with the others just appeared a few weeks ago. Never in our people's history have there been stories of such creatures. They have been ravaging the nearby wildlife ever since. Unlike normal predators, they don't seem content to kill for food, they seem to delight in killing for sport. That is why we are this far from our settlement. While the beasts had not been spotted nearby for a few days, we were to travel to request the aid of our once neighbors in Bjornholm." the woman answers.
"Are there more like the ones we fought today?" Flare then asks.
"We can only hope not." the woman says. "But, I forget my manners. Allow me to introduce myself and my family. I am called Mayla. This is my daughter, Kerri. We are of the Talonclaw tribe."
"It's great to meet you both! I'm Anon, and this is Flare, and Nene. We were actually hoping to find your tribe. It's the whole reason we came east from Bjornholm in the first place."
"You were looking for us? You are also all from Bjornholm?"
"Only Nene is!" Nene chirps. "Everyone else come from across sea!"
"She's right. Flare and I were actually hoping that someone from your tribe could help us learn about the wind. It's kinda a long story, but the short version is, I'm a summoner, and if I want to reunite Undine, who you met already, with her sisters I need to learn how to use other types of magic. Wind seems like the next step for me, but we are having some trouble figuring it out. Nene told us about how an eagle god watches over your tribe like how Ursol and Ursoc watch over her people, so it made sense to try and find you." you add,
The woman looks at you for a moment, deep in her own thoughts, processing the seemingly fantastical things you just told her. She then looks to Undine, which seems to help her find the sense in all this that she was looking for.
"It would be a misdeed to not reward you and your companions for the bravery and valor you have shown today. If to learn of the wind as we know it, is what you wish, we will be happy to share with you our teachings. You should come with us back to our settlement. There, the elder can help get you started on a journey that all of my tribe take themselves when they come of age."
The promise of not only a next step in your magical knowledge, but also seeing how a group of nomads actually live, springs you back to your feet as you happily shake Mayla's hand.
"That's awesome! Thanks so much Mayla!" you cheer. "I also promise that we can take a closer look around for why these monsters suddenly showed up in your lands. I wouldn't want to leave just for more to come back and cause you more trouble."
"We couldn't possibly ask you to. Not after all you've done alread-"
"It's fine Mayla!" Polka interrupts. "Anon won't be comfortable until he knows you're all safe to roam again anyway. He's a very textbook hero like that."
"Teasing aside…Polka's right. If wandering the land is how your people live, I want to make sure it's safe for you all. No one should be kept from going wherever they want, as long as they don't have bad intentions."
The sincerity behind your words seem to convince Mayla to not try to dissuade you. She thanks you again and invites your group to follow hers back to the current home of the Talonclaw tribe.
On the way, you get to learn a little more about the nomads from Mayla and the other tribe members she is with. Their origins are thought to begin in a land to the far east, having migrated untold distances to where they are today. As a people, they make use of everything the land can offer them. Their eagle god has been said to guide their travels since ancient times, it would direct them to lands free of danger and hardship.
Although today they do not need to travel, as the rolling plains provide more than the Talonclaw could ever need, they honor the teachings of their ancestors and god. Traveling through the region, making new homes where there is room, and growing from the experience. You can definitely relate to that on a deep level.
Your trudge carries on for another hour, and while your legs are feeling the burn, Mayla assures you that you are getting closer. While the promise of being able to stop soon is good, other things fuel your legs to keep on moving. The answer to wind magic may lie just over the next hill. Not to mention maybe new types of food. After that feast in Bjornholm, you can't help but look forward to what other types of things different people make.
It had been your marker for your destination the entire time, the mountain that towered above all others that plateaus at its peak. Now with the sun finally beginning its descent, the base of that towering work of nature can be seen ahead. It was said that the eagle god, Ohn'ahra had greeted the migrating ancestors of the Talonclaw upon that very mountain, which made it a sacred place to their people. One of the male tribe members that walks with you, explains how they sought safety at the base of the mountain, and that they believed their god's influence kept the demonic beasts from advancing too close. You've watched a girl grow bear claws and ears at the flip of a switch thanks to one of these primal gods. It's perfectly reasonable to believe another could somehow ward off evil on its own sacred ground.
The current settlement of the Talonclaw tribe was unlike anything you've seen so far. Tents ranging from big enough for one to two people, to being able to easily contain over twenty people and their belongings, are scattered through the camp. Like the people of Bjornholm, the people of the Talonclaw like to conduct their work in the great outdoors. Tanning racks, roasting spits, weavers for cloth, and even a smithing forge help bring a sense of life and purpose to the outdoor dwelling.
Mayla and her companions are met with various concerned fellow tribespeople upon their return. Many had not expected them all back so soon, or at least, all back in one piece so soon. Rather than address each individual's questions, which would likely require her to repeat herself several times, Mayla asks that the elder Ruumal come speak with her. One of the tribesmen that has the build and look of a warrior, goes to fetch the elder while the rest offer to tend to their tired and worn kin.
Mayla takes you and your friends to a circle made of sitting blankets that holds an unlit campfire in the middle. Eager to finally be off your feet, you sit cross legged on one of the colorful and pleasantly supportive hand stitched rugs. A few moments later, the larger man returns with a much shorter and older man at his side. He holds a slim walking stick adorned with bird feathers near its tip, similar to the large headdress that hangs over his gray hair. A brown robe made from a thin leather covers his body to his ankles, patterns and adornments are stitched and placed throughout his attire.
Mayla rises to her feet and lowers her head to him while making a slow wave of her open palm across her upper body. The elder recognizes her greeting and nods back and repeats the waving hand motion. The larger man then does an identical motion and excuses himself, as the elder takes a seat next to Maya.
"I admit, I am surprised to see you back so soon, Mayla." his voice ripe with age starts. "But I would be foolish to say that I am not relieved. From the moment we had sent you for help, I prayed that the wings of Ohn'ahra would deliver you safely back to us. It seems that our prayers have been answered in the form of this group of strangers you brought back."
"They have been the change in the winds we have been waiting for, Elder Ruumal." Mayla begins. "These travelers actually challenged the razor backed demon and its spawn, and they were victorious."
The elder can hardly believe his ears. He looks to you and your friends with a puzzled look, and then back to Mayla who looks back at him respectfully but with certainty. The fact then seems to cement itself to him, but perhaps he has even more questions now.
"It really is true then?" he asks in a low voice. "But why would complete strangers risk their lives against such awful demons?"
"It seems to just be in their nature. It is how the wind chooses to carry them." Mayla says with a smile.
"So it seems. Allow me, on behalf of my people, to extend my deepest thanks for protecting the lives of my own, and for slaying the monsters that have been disrupting the balance of these lands."
"It was just the right thing to do." you say back. "Mayla told us how you aren't sure where those monsters came from, but I'd like to help make sure more like it don't come back to bother you."
"I cannot possibly ask more of you six after all you have done." the elder waves a hand. "While their origin is unknown, those were the only one of their kind we have seen as of late. I have to believe that is the last of them as well. However, if there is anything we can do to repay you for the deed you have done, simply ask."
"There is one thing we were hoping you could help with." you begin as you look to Flare and Undine. "Your eagle god, Ohn'ahra, would you be willing to share any teachings you have been given that involve the nature of the wind?"
Elder Ruumal looks perplexed at first, you suppose it might be strange for the first thing a group of monster slayers ask for is a crash course on your most cherished beliefs.
"You see, the person next to me is the ruler of the waters, the great spirit Undine. I'm able to summon her back into our world, and I promised I would help her reunite with her sisters. To do that, I need to have a true connection and understanding to the other elements. My friend and I have been doing pretty well learning magic together so far, but we can't seem to get a real handle on wind magic. I was hoping your beliefs might help us better understand the nature of wind."
"Perhaps the young man and the half-elf who wish to learn the wind as we do, could take part in the rite of ascension?" Mayla asks the elder.
"Perhaps. It would provide them with the answers they seek." Ruumal agrees.
"What kind of rite?" you feel the need to ask. While you haven't had an engagement thrust upon you yet, you want to make absolutely sure what types of foreign rituals you agree to take part in from now on.
"It is something every member of the Talonclaw tribe takes part in when they come of age. With a trusted partner, they ascend the mountain that protects us. Through this journey, they come to find a true understanding of the gift that allows all creatures to soar. It is at the very top, that all becomes clear. If you truly wish to understand the wind as we do, that is what you must do." The elder explains, before his expression grows considerably more serious. "But be forewarned, the path up can be treacherous. You will need to keep your mind open, and your senses sharp to make it to the plateau safely. Do you still wish to take part in this rite?"
A climb up the tallest mountain you've ever seen? If it's something members of this tribe do regularly, how dangerous can it be? If it can help you learn how to properly understand wind magic, you've got to try.
"I do." you say with conviction.
"I do too." Flare says after you.
"I suppose I should not be surprised by that answer. You young ones did challenge a four legged demon and lived to tell the tale." Ruumal laughs. "I suggest you both get plenty of rest. Mayla will see to it that you all get proper food and lodgings. For what you have done for my people, you will always be welcome under our wings."
The elder then rises from his sitting position with a gentle hand of help from Mayla, bids you farewell, and heads back further into the settlement. Once you are all settled and with a full bowl of food in front of the now lit campfire, you decide to ask one of your hosts more about this ritual.
"So what's this rite of ascension all about?" Flare asks, beating you to the punch as always. "Is the climb to the top really that intense?"
"Intense, I think is a good word for it." Mayla says with a hint of nostalgia. "There isn't much I should share about what you'll find, but I can tell you that the trust and bond you share with who you make the climb with, is probably the most important thing. It will be tough, but as long as you trust each other, you have nothing to fear."
"It will be no problem for you two then!" Watame chirps from her seat between you and Flare.
"That's right Watame! We've faced tougher things than some mountain." Flare beams at the two of you.
You can't help but feel confident as well. A ritualistic trial that's actually associated with the elements sounds amazing. The view from the top must be really something too. You would almost rather get started now instead of waiting until tomorrow, but your legs quickly remind you that would just be plain cruel to them.
"Do you think if you stay down here when I reach the top, you'll be able to stay in your physical form Undine?" you ask the water spirit.
"I believe so. Our own bond and your connection to the waters has increased dramatically since we set sail on the sea. While I am able to keep my form solid with the use of my own mana should you get too far away from me, the amount necessary to do so is considerably less than before. You will not have to worry about my presence being an unexpected third party on your journey meant for two." Undine answers with a proud smile.
"I don't know Undine…" Polka starts playfully. "Are you sure you can't keep an eye on those two? They might get up to trouble~"
"And what's that supposed to mean!?" Flare huffs.
"You and Anon have a habit of bringing a certain…something out of each other." Polka grins.
"And what something is that?" you cross your arms, feeling equally defensive as Flare is.
"I think Polka means that you two really like to encourage and motivate each other." Watame answers for the giggling fennec. "When the two of you talk about doing magic, and even when you're practicing, you both get really focused and competitive. The way you look at each other is cute while you have your lessons too. I kinda like how you bring that out of each other…"
The external declaration of these facts makes your cheeks flush a little, Flare's as well.
"I don't see why that would make us require a chaperone." you argue. "If it makes you feel better, we won't practice magic on the way up."
"Yeah. We'll be focused solely on the climb to the top." Flare adds.
"Omarun shouldn't worry!" Nene says as she finishes her food. "Flare and Anon will protect each other. Just like Ursoc and Ursol do. Silly tall mountain is no match for them."
"How long does this trial usually take anyway Mayla?" Polka asks next.
"That entirely depends on the people making the ascension." Mayla answers through a content smile, no doubt enjoying the antics of your group. "It can take at most two or three days. With how physically able the two of you are, you should be able to reach the top before the end of the second day."
For some reason, this information paints an even wider smirk on Polka's and Watame's faces. You honestly don't know what about having to sleep outside on a mountain is so funny. Sleeping without Watame or Undine nearby is actually a little concerning for you, especially after last night's episode. You can't really risk an emotional freak out during a dangerous mountain climb. You will just need to push past this somehow, for Undine.
The rest of the evening is spent getting more familiar with the settlement of the Talonclaw. Like the people of Bjornholm, they are very welcoming to you and your friends. Some of course have questions for you and Undine. They did not assume at first that Undine was a water spirit, but they have enough perception to know that she is quite different from the rest of you. It is a rather fulfilling feeling, educating people on the existence of your dear friend and the gifts she has given your world.
As an equal exchange, the tribespeople teach you more about their own spiritual being. The more you hear of Ohn'ahra, the more you come to learn that he is more of an external guardian to these people. Where Ursol and Ursoc are more of a direct influence on the people of Bjornholm, where their examples are ones they strive to embody in their everyday lives, the eagle god is more of a giver of guidelines. Every person seems to interpret the teachings in their own ways, unique to their own experiences and journeys.
Although Mayla had promised to set up lodgings for your group, Polka insists that she set up the tent for you all. You know the fennec well enough by now to see that she just enjoys showing off sometimes. Onlookers are amazed that the circus fox is able to pull an entire tent out of her hat. Some go so far as to touch the fabric itself to confirm that it's real. This seems to please Polka even more, so she continues on to one of her likely smaller circus acts. Pulling all manner of colored cards, ribbons, and even birds from within her hat. With all the fighting and traveling you have been doing, you almost forgot that this is part of her dream, making people smile with her performances. Nene seems to be equally as captivated as the rest of the audience, and at one point, Polka even pulls her on her make-believe stage and does tricks with her. Nene is also a natural at group performances…not that you should be surprised at this point.
As this promises to turn into an even bigger group performance, you take the opportunity to walk more through the home of the Talonclaw with Undine at your side. This might be a good time to open up about your worries. You know Undine must be able to feel that something is a little off about you, but it also makes you happy that she respects your own privacy and will wait for you to talk to her about anything and everything.
"So Undine." you try to start off casually. "Can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course, summoner." she answers warmly. "I am always here to listen whenever you need me. What is weighing on your mind?"
"I'm a little nervous about this whole rite of ascension." you sigh. "Nothing really about the trial itself…but I'm worried that I might end up hindering Flare."
"Is this about your trouble sleeping?" Undine strikes at the heart of the matter.
"Yes…" you admit shamefully. "The images came back to me so clearly last night. It shook me up good. I feel so stupid for letting it get to me."
Undine stops you both with a gentle hand on your shoulder. Her eyes look deep into yours, there is concern, but also a little hint of reprimand?
"Never feel stupid for what you feel, Anon." she sternly says. "Your strong emotions are what give you the strength to protect what we hold dear. I know that not all feelings are pleasant, but like the ocean, the frightful and the calm are what make it whole. You are no different from the sea. You have hearts living with you that will help you weather whatever uncertainties swell within you. You merely need to look to their light for guidance."
Look to their light? You have been doing that already haven't you? Just only to Watame and Undine. Maybe she's right. I'll have Flare with me the entire time. Then why do I feel like my throat is in knots at the idea of opening up to her about this? What am I so afraid of?
"You're right, Undine…and I want to do that but…" you begin to say as you clench your fists at your sides, frustrated that you even need to have this conversation, but even more frustrated at yourself.
"You don't want to be seen as lesser in front of your friends. You don't wish to burden them with more worry. I must say, summoner, such selfishness is unbecoming of you."
This is the first time Undine has actually scolded you. Was what you were doing really that bad? Was it really selfish? This was your trauma to deal with. It didn't make sense to pull everyone else into your night terrors.
"Not sharing your pain with those that care for you will not make it go away any faster." Undine continues. "Do you really think that this is a problem you have to solve on your own? WE both know that is not what your heart truly knows."
And here you thought you made so much progress with expressing your feelings back in Bjornholm. You managed to say and recognize things you never thought you would be able to, and now you are almost right back where you started. Afraid to tell the people you care about how you really feel, and what might be wrong. Undine is right though, continuing on like this is not what your heart wants. You give the water spirit an affirming nod of your head.
"Perhaps Flare is the best person to help you as well." Undine says. "While the situation was not entirely the same, she has experienced something similar to you, correct?"
A flash of realization hits you like a crashing wave from overhead. How could you have been so thoughtless and stupid? Flare DID go through something a lot like you did. When those master mage nutjobs basically forced her into coming with them. Her mind was almost torn to shreds by Gildmoore. You cover your face in a hard slap to punish yourself for being such an idiot.
"Damn…you're absolutely right, Undine…Flare has just well…never stopped being her, since that night. I didn't bother to ask if it was really all behind her."
"Perhaps she was hiding it. Just like someone else." she says with a curved smile.
"I guess Flare and I are more alike than I thought." you chuckle.
"I would not need to be part of your soul to see that the two of you are kindred spirits, summoner. Use your time together as an opportunity to share your pains with one another, and maybe even more." Undine says with a playful tone at the end.
"Is this really a time for that kind of teasing?" you say, growing red at the implication you know the water spirit is making.
"It was not teasing of any sort. I was being entirely truthful. The types of things you feel when you look at her recently are not exactly a secret to me, or Watame either."
"What do-" you start, not really sure what part of this equation you should try to tackle first. The fact that you DO feel similar things for Flare as you do for Watame, or the fact that Watame might very well have those types of feelings for you as well.
"You are feeling apprehensive because you hold affections for multiple people, correct?" Undine interrupts.
"I guess? A little…what if I end up making things awkward and complicated?"
"Try your best not to worry yourself with such thoughts. Let whatever feelings you have flow forward. You know as well as I do that they will go where they want to go, just like water. I also cannot explain how I know, but I do not think you will end up complicating things in any way, regardless of where your feelings may take you. I suppose that is what they call, a woman's intuition." Undine says to you with a smile.
"There is a lot to unpack there…" you groan. "I don't know why I'm even worried about something like that happening right now anyway. Flare and I are going to be climbing some big mountain, so we can hopefully learn how to use wind magic. Not exactly a comfortable spot for anything like you're suggesting. But I will promise to open up to her about what I've been dealing with."
"Good. That will put my own mind at ease as well. Shall we return to the others? You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow after all."
"Yeah, I think I'm good now. Thanks again for talking with me, Undine."
"Of course, summoner. I am sorry if some of the things I said were a little cold, but they needed to be said."
"I think it was all exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks for setting me straight."
"I will always be here to remind you of the truths that lie underneath your surface." Undine says to you with a proud smile.
A day of new sights, people, and feelings. A lot of questions still go unanswered in your mind. Where did the demonic monsters come from? What challenges await you and Flare on your rite of ascension? Will Koyori continue to haunt your dreams? Can you ever block her out? Can you even find the right moment or the strength to share what you have been going through with Flare?
Despite all these questions, you can't help but feel a little excited. Climbing a mountain said to be a perch for an eagle god? Who knows what you might find along the way. You might even be able to see what your next destination is from the top. The idea of that view might make it hard to sleep tonight. You'll take losing sleep over fervent wanderlust over Koyori's twisted face any day.