First fist book 2 conflu.., p.30
First Fist Book 2: Confluence of Fates, page 30
His disciple nodded, eyes flicking up and to both sides behind Luca. Dark shadows fell across Bodo’s face, accenting several changes that had occurred since he’d joined the sect. Sinuous muscle and etched bone had emerged from baby fat, and his eyes now spoke of a deeper understanding of life and loss. Strange to notice them now of all times, but Luca had to acknowledge the fact as it was.
Bodo had become a man.
Luca wanted to both celebrate these changes as well as mourn them. There was a place in this world for innocence. His sweet friend, however, would never know that bliss again.
Walking slower, they dove deeper into the woods, leaving Corbin’s Meadow behind. The bounding hooves of a herd of deer interrupted their progress once, but most other creatures kept well away. A chorus of birdsong filled their ears, the cries creating a tapestry of sound more vibrant than any he’d encountered before. It made him wish he’d acquired an Aspect to enhance his senses. More advantageous, of course, would be the ability to filter the racket and make sense of it. As it was, there was simply too much ambient noise.
He trusted his gut and weaved through the trunks of great trees, heading due north toward the green circle on the map.
They would have their chance to kill the third lion tomorrow. Luca hoped the hunt would be swift, leaving them time to get closer to the Nature Node.
Along the way, Luca stumbled across two boons that eased his anxiety. The first was a wild hedge of Citrine Berry, an inedible fruit that nonetheless had its uses. He signaled Bodo to keep eyes on their surroundings while he himself harvested a few handfuls of the small, yellow berries, stuffing most into his pack.
The rest, he split into two small piles. Using Divine Sight, he checked to see if the plant had magical properties.
Disappointed by the lack of a response, he took a handful and showed Bodo how the Mindean infantry used them while in the field. He rubbed the berries into his hide trousers, working slowly and taking care to cover as much of his armor as possible. He even coated the loose sleeves of his tunic. The berries left a bright and ugly stain, but safety was a greater priority than appearances.
When he’d finished, he gestured to Bodo to do the same.
Bodo squinted, waving his hand before his nose.
Luca grinned at him and gestured again. “Do it, lad. And do it quick.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two were coated in sticky, pungent slime. It would give off a strong odor while it dried, effectively camouflaging their smell for a few days.
Soon after, Luca found an ideal shelter. A thick limb had broken on a nearby rowan tree. The dense branches and leaves were still alive—a sign that enough of the limb remained attached to give it life. Luca ordered Bodo to first clear out a small patch on the forest floor below, then prepare a cold meal.
Meanwhile, he scouted in a circle around their shelter, making sure no dangers were close by. Then he hauled a few large branches, creating piles of debris on either side of their shelter to block them in. Only then did he relax, considering the day’s work finished.
He and Bodo ate and drank in silence, then crawled into their bedrolls as the voices of the forest changed with the coming night. It grew quieter, but the birds and beasts continued their incessant song.
Bodo rolled over and locked eyes with him. Luca could see a hundred questions floating around in Bodo’s dark eyes as the last light of day faded. He spared the lad a smile, then whispered, “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you in four hours.”
Bodo didn’t take the order easily. The young man was simply too curious. Yet, to Luca’s approval, he refrained from saying anything beyond a muted, “Goodnight, Luca.”
Finding himself alone in Irilay’s Wood comforted Luca for some reason. His guard passed quickly, and while the night wore on, he practiced Exile’s Gasp. The technique proved to be infinitely more challenging without the benefits of Focus Point Clarity. Only once could he complete a full cycle, which refilled but a portion of his depleted core.
Luca didn’t mind. The practice was invaluable.
Finally, feeling his eyes burning with fatigue, he nudged his disciple.
Bodo sat up and rubbed his face. He opened his mouth but quickly set aside the urge to speak. They’d gone over this enough times already, and so Bodo took the offered waterskin. Luca also gave the lad a pinch of Skald Weed to help clear his mind of fog.
Luca observed Bodo as the young man sat up, chewed the Skald Weed, and gripped the haft of his spear. Then he nodded to Luca, who finally lay down and closed his eyes.
Sleep took him quickly.
He’d hoped for a black and dreamless rest. Instead, he drifted through a sea of blending images and emotions. Distantly, he was aware he was sleeping, yet he remained powerless to settle in and relax.
Seemingly hours later, a deep calm settled over him at last. Then awareness shook him with a firm hand, forcing his eyes open.
Luca marveled at the starry sky above. It was so clear that the shimmering lights stood out in stark relief. Dew had already settled on his cheeks and brow. Must have drifted off, he thought, slowly recalling where he was.
Falko chuckled. The bastard was well into another story of debauchery. “I know, Luca. Believe me, I know how it sounds, but that’s what happened. She said… and I swear on my grandfather’s fucking name… there’s more than one way to kiss a girl.”
“Ballum, save me,” Luca grumbled as he rubbed his face. “Will you ever shut up and let me sleep? You know I don’t want to hear it.”
The man snickered in the dark beside Luca. Not heeding his request for an instant, Falko continued, “Then she hikes up her skirts, as if she’s done it a hundred times before, and crawls up over me like a prowling mountain cat. Had I known a woman capable of such an act, believe me, I’d have asked sooner,” he whispered in delight.
“You’re depraved.”
“Some men might have shied away, but not me. Not in my fucking lifetime. I tell you, Luca, if you listen to one thing I say, it should be this.”
Luca laughed. “He says for the hundredth time.”
“A man that fears a woman’s whims is a man who misses out,” Falko said, his tone humble and earnest. “Just let ‘em show you what they have in those pretty little heads, I tell you. If you do, Luca, you’ll discover a trove of magical things.”
Luca enjoyed the way Falko spoke. The way he said tings instead of things, how every phrase felt like a secret passed down through time. Falko was full of shit—there was no doubt about it—but an enchanting storyteller nevertheless.
“Sick in the head,” Luca quipped, keeping up with their usual arrangement. “Literally, your mother should have scrubbed you out in a wash bin and saved this world a heap of trouble.”
Falko elbowed Luca playfully. “Easy, now. Give the woman some credit. She tried to do just that. I was simply too handsome and stubborn to be rid of.”
Again, Luca laughed.
Someone coughed nearby, and another man snorted. Falko wheezed in the dark, fighting to keep quiet. They’d been caught chatting like this before, and if it happened again, they’d no doubt be scrubbing dishes for a week. Their squad leader slept like a log had fallen on his face, though, so it wasn’t likely to happen.
Recovering, Falko nudged Luca. “What do you think, Luca? And don’t you dare fucking lie, ‘cause I’ll know. Tell me—you’d ‘ave done the same, wouldn’t ya?”
“I’m not going to answer.”
Falko sat up on an elbow gasping. “Wait… say it ain’t so. Have you never kissed a girl between her—“
“Falko,” Luca growled, “I’ve done everything a man and a woman can do. Unlike you, I’m simply blessed with modesty. Now, shut your trap and get some sleep.”
The young man giggled beside him, drawing a hissed “keep quiet” from a nearby soldier. They were likely the only two awake at this point, other than the guard.
The sun would rise in five hours.
Ballum knew they needed the rest, too. Their company was a half-day’s march from the hill tribes, and Luca suspected they’d all paint their swords crimson in a day or two. He, for one, wanted to be rested before coming face to face with an enraged warlord. Some soldiers were dumb enough to dismiss the hill tribe warriors, but they were fearless, their leaders experts in combat.
At long last, Falko gave up on his chatter. Sighing, he weaved his fingers behind his head and settled in.
Luca closed his eyes and tried to find sleep.
Just as he was drifting away, Falko whispered, “If you haven’t tried it, Luca, there’s no shame. Some men are born faint of heart.”
“You don’t shut your sodden mouth, I’ll offer you up for a double shift of night guard tomorrow,” Luca growled in response, making his threat clear. “Hold your tongue and go to sleep.”
For once, Falko didn’t respond.
Luca wanted to go back to sleep, but his friend had done this before. He would wait until Luca had relaxed, then poke him with another comment or joke. “Falko, do you hear me? Sergeant Higgins put me in charge of you, and I can do it.”
The cold wind alone answered, its voice faint as it poured through the crags of the Ballum Mountains.
Luca rolled onto his side. The form beside him was silent and still; Falko had thrown his arm over his face as if he’d been shielding his eyes from the moonlight. “Falko?”
Luca tugged at Falko’s sleeve, and the man’s arm rolled free, exposing a pale face. It swiveled toward him, eyes wide and frozen in death. Then his friend’s mouth moved, releasing a rasping voice. “Every forest has its wolf, Luca. Best fear its fangs.”
Fear lanced through Luca’s heart. The ground beneath him crumbled away, sending him falling backwards into darkness. Then he was standing in a grove of trees, a dense fog creeping in all around him.
The same vague and shapeless fear gnawed at his very soul. He clutched his chest as if to quell the pounding of his heart. Here again. Sodden hell, but these visions will kill me.
Unable to wake, he surveyed the landscape. What can I learn from this? What is this fear trying to tell me, and what the fuck was that about a forest and a wolf?
As if conjured by his thought, a howl split the stillness. It echoed in the eerie forest. Rather than fade, the sound grew louder and louder until Luca’s ears ached, pressure building inside his skull. Luca screamed in agony.
He woke in a start, body cold with sweat. Then he sat up, tugging free his belt knife.
“What is it, Luca?” a quiet voice spoke in the dark. “Did you hear something?”
It was a younger voice. It was Bodo, not his old friend.
Falko was dead.
Luca had been dreaming of… When was that? Eight years ago? Ten?
He sighed, releasing the tension in his arms and sheathing his knife. “No,” he said plainly. “Sorry, Bodo, I’m fine. How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy,” Bodo admitted. “I’m well, though. Go back to sleep, Luca. I can finish the watch. Can’t be much longer now.”
The morning was still another hour away, yet Luca knew he wouldn’t be able to calm down again—not after the twin visions. Fear still echoed in the chambers of his heart. That howl, he thought. Will we come across a wolf in these woods? Strange to consider when I’m hunting a sodden lion.
Luca had a lot to think about, and not a shred of sleepiness remained.
He sat up and shook his head. “No, I’ll take watch. Too stirred up to relax again.”
Bodo let out a faint sigh. Luca couldn’t see the young man’s face clearly, but he heard the concern in his voice when he asked, “Are you well, Mr. Luca? You seemed—“
“I’m fine. Just a dream is all. No need to worry.”
The lad paused for a long while, perhaps thinking about challenging Luca’s demand. Bodo must have gleaned that his master was in no mood for argument, though, for he slipped into his bedroll without pressing the matter. Within moments, his breathing deepened.
Luca leaned against the trunk of the rowan. He thought of the woman who’d gotten her name from such a tree. He thought of his visions, of Leshra and the insights she’d given them all regarding cultivation. But mostly, he thought of his friend Falko.
He let his mind work through the tangled mess of emotions until first light brightened the depths of Irilay’s Wood.
Luca shook Bodo awake when it was light enough to travel. They broke their fast and packed up, plunging deeper into the forest a mere half an hour after sunrise.
Luca checked the Sanctum Map periodically. They’d entered the green circle that indicated the presence of the third lion. It was a wide swath of forest, so Luca was concerned they might simply pass by the beast without notice. They could wander around for days without finding their prey—something he refused to do.
He couldn’t help but think of the shimmering lion he’d hunted in the rift. Such a small area, comparatively, and yet he’d failed to kill the creature on his first attempt.
Soon, the dense forest yielded a little. The trees became less tightly packed, and occasional clearings made their travels quicker. Here and there, they encountered small spring-fed pools, which gave Luca hope. Any of them would be attractive to a lion.
Adjusting his course, Luca began leading them in a wide, weaving path. This would allow them to cover most of the green circle on his map while also taking them toward the Second Node. Sure, they’d lose some time. If he could accomplish both tasks in one go, however, Luca would consider it time well spent.
While navigating a series of pools, Luca heard a loud splash nearby. He froze in place and crouched. The surface of a nearby pool rippled. Something had fed, he suspected, or attempted to. There were plenty of insects and the occasional dragonfly the size of his hand flitting about.
After a minute of silent waiting, he signaled for Bodo to stay put while he stalked closer to the waterside. About ten feet out from the edge, Luca spotted a pair of dark eyes floating above the surface. Whatever body the creature had was concealed beneath the murky water, yet he knew it was big enough to pose a threat, for the unblinking globes sat a full foot apart.
They reminded him of a frog’s eyes, all black but for a thin golden ring around the iris. No frog he’d ever seen was that big, though.
Luca shuddered. Sodden hell, but I don’t have any love for slimy creatures. Please don’t let us get attacked by a swarm of these things.
He cautiously retreated, working his way through the pools with more care than ever.
The two traversed the section of forest in this manner for another hour or so. They made good time despite slowing down whenever they came across the pools of water. Finally, their journey came to an abrupt end as they encountered a small lake. Luca scanned left and right, unsure which route would prove faster for circling the water.
He chose left on a hunch.
Almost immediately, however, movement ahead caught his eye and brought him to a halt. Instinctively, Luca dropped to a knee and held up his fist. He heard Bodo do the same a moment later.
Patiently, Luca scanned the wood line ahead. His gaze searched between the twisted trunks for half a minute before he found it: A squat, deer-like animal was stripping bark from a sapling a hundred feet ahead. The branches shuddering with every bite had drawn Luca’s attention, not the animal itself.
Activating Divine Sight, Luca was pleased to see it was a true Mana Beast.
Mana Beast Name: Irilay Faun
Description: These tiny Mana Beasts are plentiful in the dense forests of Irilay’s Wood. Their diminutive stature and powerful legs make them well-suited for diving into the dense underbrush. This grants the beasts an advantage against the many predators that lurk in the shadows. Though they appear docile, when roused, the Irilay Fauns are quite capable of defending themselves.
Elemental Expression: Nature
Ascension Level: First Sphere, Steel
Luca wished Talia was with them. The woman could easily hit the deer from this range, giving them a fine dinner and pelt to boot. The white stripes running down its tawny back would make for an attractive vest.
He weighed his options. It would be hard to sneak up on the creature. Had it not been for the burbling stream feeding the nearby pond, he doubted they would have gotten this close in the first place. The sound of the water and the animal’s feeding had concealed their movements.
That didn’t mean they lacked other advantages, of course. A near complete lack of wind meant their scent wouldn’t reach the beast’s nose, and the Citrine Berry musk coating their armor would further obscure their presence.
Still, Luca didn’t feel like throwing his new boar spear. He doubted he could sprint close enough with Uncanny Step to attack with melee, so his options were limited. Throwing any weapon was a great way to damage it. When will I gain a ranged Aspect? He thought of those offered by the Strafe Mantis, the mana beasts he’d slain to clear the Wind Node. He’d still have chosen his wings, but damn, if blasting the little deer with projectiles wasn’t tempting now. Leshra, remind me next time I have a choice to take ranged no matter what.
The goddess sniffed in his mind, her presence as faint as it had ever been. You’ll end up choosing the boring one even if you do. Always pragmatic. Always dreary and dull.
Luca adjusted his grip on the spear. He would do his best and approach slowly, seeing how close he could get. If the deer spooked, he’d let the beast go. No point in chasing after it when two more important quests remained at hand.
Luca tensed his legs, but just as he was rising, a blur of motion zipped out of a patch of underbrush and streaked toward the deer.
Despite the incredible speed of its movements, Luca could identify a cat when he saw one. The sleek predator sped toward the quarry they’d been hunting. It was by far the smallest lion he’d encountered so far. Short and squat with a long, thin tail, it reached the faun in two seconds flat.
The deer jumped in the air, the singular reaction all that it could do before the lion was upon it. A flash of light sparked between the faun’s stubby horns. Whatever ability it had been readying failed to finish, however, as the lion triggered one of its own.
