The essence wars an envi.., p.2
The Essence Wars--An Envious God, page 2
Braegor’s hackles rose. He didn’t growl, but his body stiffened with the quiet certainty of a hunter being hunted. Another predator was in play. And not just any predator. This one was tracking the same prize. But how? How could a hound take down a Telisian Elk of this size? Even Braegor, for all his strength and speed, understood this elk was a creature he could not bring down.
And then, as though a thread had snapped, the first scent to the left of them pierced the air. It was stronger, closer, unmasked. Human.
Braegor’s head jerked back to the left, his amber eyes narrowing as his instincts wrestled with the confusing mix of scents. His breath quickened, and this time, a low growl rumbled from his throat.
‘Braegor,’ Maerwyn whispered, her voice a barely audible hiss as she released the bowstring and slowly lowered the Soulpiercer. Her hand moved to her companion’s shoulder, her fingers pressing lightly into his fur, grounding him, willing him to be still.
The elk, blissfully unaware of the growing tension, dipped its head to graze again, its velvet nose brushing the berries scattered across the forest floor.
Maerwyn clenched her jaw. The hunt was so close to being over—so maddeningly close. Scaring the elk now would mean hours, if not days, of tracking it again. Even with her blistering speed, finding it after it bolted into the endless expanse of the forest would be nearly impossible. They had already spent two days in these woods, and the thought of spending two more hauling an elk’s carcass out made her stomach churn, let alone two more days of hunting the elusive beast.
‘Not now, Braegor,’ she thought desperately. ‘Not now.’
Her fingers tightened slightly on Braegor’s shoulder, her breath slowing as she tried to steady him. The scents lingered, thick and confusing, as though the forest listened with unseen ears.
Braegor growled again, low and guttural. This time, the elk froze mid-motion. The forest fell into a suffocating silence, the kind that stretched endlessly. Even exhaling felt like betrayal. All that remained was the faint, rhythmic pulse of Maerwyn’s heartbeat in her ears.
The elk’s ears swiveled toward them, its head jerking up sharply. It hadn’t seen them yet, although something had unsettled it.
Then, in a blur of motion, the underbrush exploded. A massive gray wolf leapt from the shadows, its lithe body surging with raw power. It landed less than a yard from Braegor, its amber eyes flashing with primal intensity. Before Maerwyn could react, the wolf lunged again, crashing into Braegor. The two animals tumbled across the forest floor, a storm of claws, teeth, and snarls.
Maerwyn sprang to the side, her mind racing. How had this creature gotten so close, undetected? Her gift should have warned her. She should have sensed it. But there was no time to question now.
Braegor let out a savage growl, his chest suddenly glowing with an ember-hot light. A searing vapor erupted from his throat, striking the wolf’s head and forcing it to recoil with a sharp yelp. Braegor scrambled to his feet, his massive frame braced for another attack as the wolf circled back.
Maerwyn, lightning-fast, readied the Thunderbow. The string drew back silently, the bow wood flexing with the faintest hum. She tracked the wolf’s movements, her gift locking onto its every muscle impulse, calculating its next step.
The wolf darted left, just as she predicted. She released.
The thwack of the Thunderbow filled the air, a sound like collapsing thunder folding inward on itself. The bowstring vibrated with harmonic resonance, the fibers of the Grwentree amplifying the shot. Condensation burst in a brief haze as the arrow tore through the air, its steel tip cleaving the forest’s stillness.
But it missed.
The wolf evaded, impossibly quick, and in an instant, its jaws clamped around Braegor’s neck. Braegor roared, his paws igniting with fiery heat, his gift of the Essence bursting in defiance. The wolf flinched as the scorching flames seared its fur and skin, but it held on, relentless.
Maerwyn’s grip tightened on the bow. She had already nocked a second Soulpiercer, but her chance at a clear shot was gone. The two creatures were locked together, their movements chaotic and brutal. Braegor twisted and slammed his massive paw against the wolf’s flank, pinning it briefly to the ground. A pained yelp escaped the wolf’s throat, and it thrashed violently, breaking free.
The wolf staggered back, its body tense, the pain evident in its trembling limbs. For a moment, it turned its back to Maerwyn.
Now.
With blistering speed, Maerwyn darted to the right, her gift anticipating the wolf’s next movement before it could make it. She loosed the second arrow, and this time, there was no escape.
The Soulpiercer struck true. The wolf’s body jerked violently as the steel tip pierced through its thick hide and buried itself deep in its heart. Impact rippled through its flesh, and a resounding, wet thud echoed as the wolf collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest, heavy and absolute.
‘Braegor!’ Maerwyn shouted, her voice sharp with concern as she dropped to his side. ‘Braegor, my friend...’
The hound lay panting, his sides heaving, his golden-brown coat matted with blood. Maerwyn ran a hand over him, searching for wounds. Shaken but alive, Braegor gave a low whine before steadying himself, his powerful legs trembling as he pushed himself upright.
But something was still out there.
A sharp, audible gasp cut through the stillness, freezing the air between them. Braegor’s ears shot forward, and his amber eyes locked on a patch of dense forest to their left. Forty yards away, the underbrush shifted, branches swaying unnaturally as something moved through them.
Maerwyn didn’t hesitate. With lightning speed, she sprang into motion, Braegor charging at her side. There was no careful pursuit; branches whipped against her face, the sting ignored as they tore through the undergrowth. This wasn’t a hunt of silence.
This was a hunt for extinction.
It was only seconds into the chase when Maerwyn caught sight of the boy. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen, his wiry frame cutting a frantic path through the bush. His dark hair whipped across his face as he ran, his small sheathed hunting knife bouncing uselessly at his side. He was no soldier, no Westerner, no pirate. Just a boy, ill-equipped and terrified. This wasn’t a hunt anymore. It wasn’t even fair.
Maerwyn’s calculations were instant. With a fluid motion, she nocked a Soulpiercer and drew the Thunderbow, her sharp eyes tracking the boy’s every move. She didn’t aim at him, not at his height, not anywhere that could harm him. Instead, she fired low, the arrow screaming through the air, unerring and precise.
The shaft struck a tree directly in his path, burying itself at ankle height. It wasn’t the full power of the Thunderbow this time. She had tempered the shot so it wouldn’t pierce too deep, though the force was still enough. The boy’s foot caught the arrow’s shaft, and he stumbled, tumbling forward into the underbrush with a startled cry.
Before he could recover, Braegor was on him, his massive, bloodied form looming over the boy. The hound’s low, rumbling growl filled the air, his amber eyes locked on the boy’s every move. The boy scrambled to his elbows, kicking back instinctively, his voice breaking as he shouted.
‘No! Leave me! I didn’t do anything!’ he cried, his hands raised in frantic defense against the snarling beast.
Maerwyn strode forward, her steps deliberate, and yanked the bent arrow from the tree. Holding it just below the tip, she turned and closed the distance to the boy in a heartbeat. With practiced speed, she leaned down, forcing him back to the ground. Straddling his chest, she pressed the Soulpiercer’s gleaming tip to his throat, her dark eyes burning with intensity.
‘Who are you?’ she demanded, her voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. ‘What were you doing there?’
‘No one! No one!’ the boy stammered, his voice trembling. ‘I’m just like you—hunting elk, practicing my skills.’
Maerwyn’s eyes narrowed, her grip on the Soulpiercer firm. ‘You’re nothing like me, boy,’ she snapped. ‘You don’t have a gift. Now tell me the truth. Why are you out here?’
The boy’s face twisted in confusion, his mouth opening as if to argue, but he stopped himself. He hesitated, his breathing uneven, before finally answering.
‘Honestly... I was just watching you, ma’am,’ he stuttered. ‘I know who you are. You’re the God of Speed. I just... I wanted to see you in action, ma’am.’
She stared into the boy’s wide, frightened eyes, her expression unreadable. ‘That wolf would have killed you—or Braegor—if I hadn’t dealt with it. You’re lucky I was there.’
She left out the part that gnawed at her: the wolf had clearly been touched by Tripolism. Its movements and resilience made it unmistakable. If the boy spoke of it, if anyone knew she had taken its life, her position, her honor, everything she had built could crumble in an instant.
Her voice dropped, low and sharp. ‘How do I know you won’t go blabbing about how you ran into the God of Speed on your little adventure? Or about some rabid wolf?’
The boy swallowed hard, his lips trembling. ‘I... I wouldn’t, ma’am. I swear it. I won’t say anything, not to anyone.’
‘Swearing’s easy, boy,’ she said coldly, her grip on the Soulpiercer still firm. Her dark eyes searched his face, looking for any sign of deceit. ‘Words mean nothing to me.’
For a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath again. She could end this problem right here. One shot, one clean cut, and no one would ever know. Her hand trembled faintly on the arrow, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. Was this boy truly a threat? Or was he just a fool, awestruck and in over his head?
She exhaled slowly, letting the tension bleed from her shoulders.
‘Get out of here,’ she said finally, her voice quieter but no less commanding. ‘You didn’t see me. You didn’t see Braegor. And you sure as Tvaris didn’t see any wolf.’
The boy blinked, his mouth opening to respond, but she cut him off with a sharp gesture. ‘Go.’
Braegor’s growl rumbled softly as the boy scrambled to his feet, clutching his hunting knife like a lifeline. He nodded shakily, backing away before disappearing into the undergrowth.
Maerwyn stood there for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the place where the boy had vanished. Her hand lingered on the Soulpiercer, and her stomach twisted with the weight of what could have been.
‘That was mercy,’ she murmured to Braegor, her voice just above a whisper. ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come back to haunt us.’
She slid the twisted Soulpiercer back into her quiver, its shaft still warm from the tension of the Thunderbow. Without another glance at the boy’s retreating figure, she turned and began retracing her steps toward the wolf’s lifeless body.
Two arrows awaited her there, one lodged deep in a tree and another embedded in the heart of a creature that should have been untouchable. The memory of the wolf’s unnatural resilience flickered in her mind, and a chill ran down her spine. This wasn’t just any kill; this was a mistake waiting to unravel her life.
Her arrows were as much her trademark as her title, the God of Speed. Soulpiercers weren’t just weapons; they were distinct and unmistakably hers. If anyone found them embedded in a wolf with Tripolism, the consequences would be catastrophic. Her military standing, her reputation, even her place among her people would crumble.
Braegor padded beside her, his head low, his amber eyes scanning the forest as if sensing her unease. For a fleeting moment, Maerwyn wished she could dismiss the weight pressing on her chest, but the reality was inescapable. The arrows had to be retrieved, and the evidence erased.
They returned to the clearing, where silence reigned once more. The elk was long gone, its flight marked by trampled undergrowth and broken branches, but there was no sign of the wolf either.
Maerwyn’s heart sank. The wolf? The wolf? Her eyes darted to where it had fallen, but the bloodied body was nowhere to be seen. A faint trail of blood lingered for only a few yards, leading toward the boy’s path. Then, abruptly, it vanished.
She scanned the ground, her sharp gaze following every disturbance in the soil. One arrow lay embedded in the undergrowth, its shaft low and angled, perfectly aimed for the wolf’s heart. But it had missed.
‘Was this wolf able to mask its movements?’ she murmured, half to herself and half to Braegor.
The hound let out a soft whimper, his nose brushing the ground. He sniffed once, twice, but his amber eyes lifted to hers in defeat. The scent was gone.
‘How did this animal do that?’ Maerwyn muttered, her grip tightening on the Thunderbow. ‘How does it walk away from a Soulpiercer through the heart? Even in Tripolism, there’s no regeneration like this. Not that I’ve ever seen.’
Her voice dropped lower, the words bitter on her tongue. ‘What in the Anselis Yesdel is this?’
Braegor whined again, his tail wagging faintly as if in apology. He yawned, the gesture almost sheepish, then sat back on his haunches.
‘Can you pick up a scent?’ she pressed, crouching down beside him. Her voice edged with desperation now. ‘Anything, Braegor? Anything at all?’
The hound sniffed again, his nose hovering over the forest floor, but it was no use. Whatever trail had been left, the wolf had hidden it well. As good as he was, Braegor couldn’t track what no longer existed.
Maerwyn pushed out a breath through puffed cheeks, her mind a storm of questions and doubt. She slung the Thunderbow over her shoulder and looked back toward the boy’s path, the faint memory of his frightened eyes lingering in her thoughts. Whatever had happened here, it wasn’t over. Not yet.
CHAPTER 2 – Whispers in the Forest
Late afternoon draped the sky in deep blue, wisps of cloud stretching like silk across the horizon. Maerwyn and Braegor moved east toward Kard’s River, where a vessel waited to carry them to Jonika, her birthplace. Though they had walked this path many times before, today the air carried a different weight. Maerwyn’s thoughts were elsewhere. If she had brought down the Telisian Elk, she’d be heading south to the windswept bays of the Melivelisha Plains. Instead, the wolf she had struck, one she was certain had died, was gone. No body. No trace. Unease clung to her, as though something unseen was watching from the deepening shadows.
For now, Maerwyn focused on reaching Kard’s River. Nightfall would come before she arrived, and she would need to set up camp along the way. The rabbits she’d snared over the past few days would keep both her and Braegor fed until they reached Jonika, though she was returning with nothing else to show for it. There was no shame in that, at least not openly. Hunters often claimed the animals they had tracked were Tripolistic, choosing not to take the shot out of reverence or fear of the consequences. Maerwyn knew better. Hunting had grown harder with every passing year. Expanding farms and swelling towns were pushing deeper into the forests, clearing the habitats where these majestic beasts once thrived. Hunting was no longer the proud tradition it had been; it was fading, like the old paths through the trees.
Yet the farms were thriving, and there was no denying the bounty they brought. Fields of grain, orchards, and pastures ensured that the villages, towns, and cities of the Eastern Union were well-fed. Trade flourished between the northern cities and distant regions, weaving a web of prosperity across the land. For most, this era of peace seemed like the start of something endless. But Maerwyn couldn’t shake the sense that this balance was fragile. Forests gave way to lumber, roads sliced through untamed lands, and every step forward carried the faint echo of something irreplaceable being lost. The Eastern Union had seen decades of growth, yet the deeper she walked through the woods, the harder it became to ignore what was missing. The quiet hum of life had faded, slipping away unnoticed, leaving only silence in its place.
Over the next two hours, Maerwyn and Braegor kept a steady pace, the sound of distant water growing louder as they neared the gurgling Kard’s River. The mighty waterway, fed by Lake Eldrith to the southeast of Gusia City, carved its way east before snaking north past Jonika and finally emptying into the vast expanse of the Ihrlime Sea. Maerwyn watched Braegor trot ahead, his nose brushing the ground as he darted from one scent to the next.
‘You’ll have your fill of rabbits soon enough,’ she muttered, more to herself than to him, though his ears flicked in her direction. The dog lifted his head at the sound of rushing water and barked once, tail wagging, before bounding ahead.
She couldn’t help but smile, though the sight of the river brought more than relief. Its course had long shaped the lives of those along its banks, and it had been many months since she’d traveled it this far south. The thought of Jonika tugged at her, the familiar docks and busy markets as clear in her mind as if she’d left only yesterday. The woods around the river were thinner now. Too thin. What once had been endless stands of oak and birch were now patchy and sparse, giving way to farmland. She frowned, watching Braegor dart through a stretch of tall grass as if nothing in the world had changed at all. ‘It’s still home,’ she muttered. ‘For now.’
The Kard’s River was Verdathisa’s lifeline, its swift currents carrying wealth and movement. Boats, heavy with goods from Gusia City, glided north with ease, riding the river’s natural flow. But the journey south was another story. Oarsmen battled against the relentless current, each stroke a test of endurance. Their destination lay in the shallower southern reaches near Lake Eldrith, where the river thinned and became impassable.
Beyond that point, at the border of the Melivelisha Plains and the narrow stretch of the Gainfolds, lay the beating heart of the Eastern Union. It was a center of influence for Maerwyn’s generation, where politics, commerce, and ambition intertwined.
Beyond the thinning trees, the river’s voice made itself known, giving way to open banks and damp air. Its familiar gurgle cut through the stillness of early dusk, soft and rhythmic. Maerwyn paused at the edge of the treeline, her gaze lingering on the water’s silvery surface. Tonight, it was simply a soothing companion, marking the end of her day’s journey.
