Chapter 20: The Journey South
Lady Akari Tsukimori looked appreciatively at her cup of tea before setting it back down on the table.
The manor's drawing room was a comfortable, elegantly furnished space, with tall windows overlooking the gardens and polished wooden floors partially covered by thick, intricately woven rugs. Several cushioned chairs and sofas were arranged around a low table, where a silver tea service sat alongside a selection of pastries.
The walls were paneled in richly polished wood, their natural grain forming beautiful patterns beneath the warm glow of enchanted lamps. Shelves held books, small sculptures, and keepsakes collected over the centuries. Above the fireplace hung a large, ornate wall clock, its carved wooden frame decorated with leaves and flowering vines.
“This tea blend really is quite lovely. Please express my gratitude to your father again for the gift when you return to your coastal home next week,” Akari said.
“I will, my lady,” Lady Nerina replied, setting down her own cup.
“Yes, I believe acquiring a sizable supply of this tea for myself will become something of a priority in the coming days,” Lady Sylvara admitted. “To think it's grown by your father's subjects. This is much better than the tea we trade the Elves for.”
She turned toward Kylie.
“Lady Kylie, since you'll be accompanying them, perhaps you could see to that for me?”
“Certainly,” Lady Kylie said, dipping her head slightly to the Dryad Elder.
Ren, who was resting comfortably on her lap, shifted slightly at the movement to maintain his position.
The original plan had been for Nerina and Ren to remain in Glenhaven while they worked toward gaining another ten levels beyond Level 10. However, after witnessing how extraordinarily well the pair fought together in the Crucible, those plans had changed.
It had been decided that returning to the coastal regions would be best for their continued development, with Lord Riversong, Nerina's father, personally supervising their training.
Lord Riversong's reputation as a Tamer was widely known throughout the Dryad Forest. There was little doubt that he was the best person to ensure this remarkable pair reached their full potential.
The ornate wall clock began to chime, its clear, melodic tones filling the drawing room.
Eight o'clock.
As the final chime faded, Akari cast Analyze on the two younglings once again, this time for the sole purpose of examining their titles.
STATUS SCREENName: Nerina RiversongRace: NaiadSex: FemaleLv.: 10Class: TamerAffinity Types: Water (Primary), Psychic (Secondary)Weapon Specialty: Wand
TITLES:
Lesser Noble (+5 Charisma)
Prodigy (+10 Intelligence)
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 8
Agility: 11
Constitution: 20
Stamina: 20
Intelligence: 23 (+10 Prodigy)
Willpower: 22
Charisma: 20 (+5 Lesser Noble)
Spirit: 20
Title bonuses are already included in the Attribute values shown above. Parenthetical bonuses identify the source of those points and are not added a second time. If a Title is lost, any Attribute points granted by that Title are also lost.
ABILITIES (Slots Used: 10 / 10)
Wand Proficiency (Weapon Proficiency) — Lv. 1 — Provides increased proficiency, control, and effectiveness when wielding a wand.
Taming (Psychic Spell) — Lv. 1 — Allows non-sentient creatures to become permanent familiars. Requires ten Willpower per tame to maintain the bond. Adds familiars to combat and utility roles. Cannot permanently tame sentient beings. Can temporarily overcome sentient Willpower. Success is based on Willpower + Charisma vs. Target Resistance. Moderate mana cost.
Familiar Communication (Psychic Utility Skill) — Lv. 1 — Enables mental communication with bonded familiars. Effectiveness improves with bond strength through Taming Skill level improvements.
Water Manipulation (Water Spell) — Lv. 1 — Allows Nerina to summon, shape, move, and manipulate water. Water can also be rapidly frozen, allowing Nerina to create simple ice structures and barriers.
Ice Lance (Water Spell) — Lv. 1 — Forms a dense lance of ice and launches it at high velocity, dealing heavy piercing damage to a single target.
Ice Shield (Water Spell – Defense) — Lv. 1 — Rapidly freezes water into a defensive barrier capable of blocking incoming physical and magical attacks. The barrier breaks after absorbing sufficient damage.
Restorative Waters (Water/Taming Spell – Healing) — Lv. 2 — Channels restorative water through Nerina’s bond with a familiar, healing injuries sustained by that familiar. Cannot heal Nerina or creatures that are not bonded to her.
Mind Shield (Psychic Skill – Defense) — Lv. 1 — Creates a passive mental barrier that increases resistance to mind control, compulsions, psychic intrusion, and other effects that attempt to influence or override the user’s will.
Flash Freeze (Water Spell – Control) — Lv. 1 — Rapidly freezes water around a target, dealing cold damage while restricting the target’s movement.
Enchanting (Crafting Skill) — Lv. 1 — Allows Nerina to create and apply basic magical enchantments to suitable items and equipment.
STATUS SCREEN
Name: Ren TsukimoriRace: Kitsune (Spirit Fox)Sex: MaleLv.: 10Class: TricksterAffinity Types: Spirit / PsychicWeapon Specialty: Shuriken
TITLES:
Noble (+10 Charisma)
Bond-Mate (Nerina Riversong) (+10 Spirit)
Prodigy (+10 Intelligence)
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 10
Agility: 25
Constitution: 21
Stamina: 14
Intelligence: 20 (+10 Prodigy)
Willpower: 10
Spirit: 41 (+10 Bond-Mate)
Charisma: 20 (+10 Noble)
Title bonuses are already included in the Attribute values shown above. Parenthetical bonuses identify the source of those points and are not added a second time. If a Title is lost, any Attribute points granted by that Title are also lost.
SKILLS (Slots Used: 8 / 10)
Now You See Me (Psychic Skill) — Lv. 1 — Conceals Ren's presence, making enemies less likely to notice him. Toggle ability that continuously consumes Spirit Energy while active.
Celestial Bite (Spirit Skill) — Lv. 1 — Infuses Ren's bite with Spirit Energy, increasing its damage.
Spirit Claws (Spirit Skill) — Lv. 2 — Channels Spirit Energy through Ren's claws, enhancing his melee attacks.
Shuriken Proficiency (Weapon Skill) — Lv. 1 — Improves accuracy and effectiveness with shuriken. Cannot currently be used in fox form.
Foxfire (Spirit Spell) — Lv. 2 — Conjures supernatural flames infused with Spirit Energy. Particularly effective against cursed and undead enemies.
Phantom Doubles (Psychic Illusion) — Lv. 1 — Creates one illusory copy of Ren that mimics his movements and distracts enemies. Each additional skill level allows one additional copy. Illusions cannot inflict physical damage.
Mirage Veil (Psychic Illusion) — Lv. 1 — Distorts Ren's apparent position, making attacks more likely to miss or land as glancing blows. Toggle ability that continuously consumes Spirit Energy.
False Identity (Psychic Illusion) — Lv. 1 — Makes one enemy appear to look like anyone Ren chooses for 10 seconds. Touching or attacking the affected target immediately breaks the illusion.
Something new was happening here. Something Akari had never seen or even heard of in all her long years of life.
Not only had Ren gained the Prodigy title, the same title his bond-mate possessed, but his fur had changed color.
Gone was the familiar reddish-orange coat of a Kitsune. In its place was a beautiful icy blue, remarkably similar to Nerina's long hair. His chest and muzzle remained their familiar creamy white, while his paws and the tips of his oversized ears had darkened to a deep midnight blue. Even his single fluffy tail had changed, its icy-blue fur fading into white near the tip.
The transformation had occurred when Ren reached Level 10.
He was still unmistakably Ren, but there was something almost magical about how perfectly his new coloring complemented Nerina's.
And if Akari was being honest with herself, she was jealous.
In just the few days since they'd bonded, these two had begun sharing things that shouldn't have been possible.
And Ren looked absolutely adorable.
So adorable, in fact, that Akari was once again entertaining the idea of finding herself a mate and having another litter of kits.
“May I hold my nephew, please, dear sister?” Akari asked, already holding out her arms in anticipation.
She watched as Ren shot her a look before turning toward his mother.
Oh, stop it, she sent. I promise not to squeeze you too hard this time.
Akari heard her nephew sigh.
Okay, that wasn't fair. That face. Those colors. That expression. It was almost impossible to resist the urge to jump across the table and snatch Ren straight out of her sister's arms.
She might have done exactly that, but Ren reluctantly hopped down from Lady Kylie's lap and walked over to her.
The instant he was within reach, Akari scooped him up. She tried to keep her promise. Judging by the way her nephew immediately began squirming in her arms, she'd failed rather spectacularly.
Sorry, she sent, loosening the bone-crushing hug she'd just inflicted upon him.
She placed a kiss on his head. One kiss quickly turned into a dozen. To his credit, Ren simply sat there and accepted the inevitable.
“Sorry,” Akari said to the group, who were all now watching her.
Eager to get the attention off herself, she turned toward Nerina.
“So, my sister tells me you plan to tame a Riptide Ursan when you return home, Lady Nerina?”
“Yes, my lady. There's an island to the north where they can be found. My father has already sent word that he's making arrangements for the trip.”
“I haven't heard of many Tamers with a Riptide Ursan as a familiar, let alone many who have even attempted to tame one. Are you certain you're up to the task?” Akari asked.
“It's true that they're extremely difficult to tame, but after seeing what Ren can do now, I believe that with his help, I'll be successful,” Nerina replied.
Riptide Ursans were a species of extremely aggressive, large bears that had to be dominated in combat before they could be tamed. From Akari's understanding, the chance of successfully taming one was less than ten percent under normal circumstances. However, if a Tamer could thoroughly dominate a Riptide Ursan during an engagement, that chance could rise as high as seventy percent.
“After seeing the two of you in action, I have little doubt you'll manage it,” Lady Sylvara said before taking another sip of her tea.
Akari was about to ask another question when one of her Fairy maids hurriedly opened the door to the drawing room where they were gathered.
“I'm sorry to disturb you, my ladies, but the Voice of—”
The maid never got the chance to finish. Michael pushed past her and into the room.
“Have you had any word on the Princess?” he asked, sounding a bit out of breath.
“We talked to her this morning before she left for the Elven capital,” Sylvara replied.
“She already came back from hunting and left again?” Mike asked. “Did something happen that forced them to come back sooner than planned?”
Michael looked horrible, more dead than alive. Judging by how much he was swaying back and forth, he was on the brink of collapsing.
Akari spoke up.
“Michael, please have a seat. You look as though you're about to fall over dead,” she said, gesturing toward one of the two remaining open seats at the table.
To her surprise, he didn't argue and did as he was asked.
He is tired.
Akari turned her attention to her maid, who was still hovering by the door.
“Miri, would you be so kind as to fetch Lady Sylvara's assistant from the study? I believe Watch Commander Kael is in there as well waiting to give his evening report. Please have him join us.”
“At once, my lady,” the fairy said before zipping off to do as she was asked.
“Would you like some water, Michael?” Akari asked her friend, already reaching for an unused glass.
“I would prefer some coffee, if any is available. I need to leave right away and catch up to Princess Jamie.”
“Michael, let me be clear so there are no misunderstandings. You are no longer in any condition to do anything but get some rest. After you tell us what has you so upset, you will be escorted by Miri to one of the guest rooms, where you will get some much-needed sleep.”
Michael was in the middle of protesting when Jared, Sylvara's assistant, and Watch Commander Kael walked into the room.
“I'm sorry to trouble the two of you, but I think the Voice is about to tell us some troubling news,” Akari said, cutting off Michael's poor attempt at convincing everyone he was fine.
“I'm afraid there is only one open seat, so the two of you will need to decide who gets it,” she added, motioning toward the last remaining chair.
“I'll stand, thank you, my lady,” both of them said together.
“Very well.”
Turning her attention back to Michael, she gestured for him to speak.
“The Undead are going to attack the Princess,” Michael said.
Everyone but Akari shot up out of their seats.
“Ladies, calm yourselves. We need information before action,” Akari said.
Everyone sat back down except her sister.
“My daughter is in danger. We need to do something,” Kylie said.
“And we will, dear sister. After we know what the nature of the threat is,” Akari replied, motioning for her sister to sit back down. She gently patted her nephew on his cute little head, hoping to calm him down as well.
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Lady Kylie reluctantly returned to her seat. Once Akari was certain her sister wasn't about to run out of the building, she turned back to Michael.
“Explain, please.”
“I was in the Chaos Lands fighting a high-level Vampire Lord when, late into the fight, he told me, and I quote, ‘Isolated in that forest with only herself and three others. How long do you think she has before—’”
“Before what?” Sylvara asked.
“I'm not sure, but they clearly know what the Princess has been up to,” Michael replied.
He reached for his glass of water and nearly emptied it in one gulp.
“And you trust this information?” Sylvara asked.
“Yes. He only told me this information to save his life. I would have killed him otherwise.”
“What was a Vampire Lord doing in that part of the Chaos Lands? Did you head farther south than you swore to us you wouldn’t?” Akari asked.
“No, I stayed to the north. The Vamp was there to kill me. They knew I was coming,” Michael said.
“It's clear they have spies in the city, then,” Akari said.
Sylvara turned toward her assistant.
“What forces do we have close by that can cover enough ground quickly to catch up to the Princess's caravan?”
Lady Akari watched as Jared opened a ledger he'd been holding. After flipping through several pages, he lifted his head.
“Not a lot in the area. Most of our forces that meet those criteria are stationed along the southern and eastern borders right now. We have a reserve company of Goblin riders five miles to the west, in the town of Willowford. The only other units capable of covering a lot of ground quickly are the Sprite warriors inside the city, currently tasked with patrolling the safe zone,” Jared said.
“And how many of them do we have in the city?” Sylvara asked.
“Four full flights, so forty of them.”
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Lady Sylvara said, clearly shifting into command mode.
“Watch Commander, rally two of those flights for departure. We’ll have to make do with the remaining two flights patrolling the city and its surroundings.”
Kael nodded.
“Jared, I need you to find the quickest messenger available and send them to Willowford. Inform the company commander that this is an emergency and that he, or she is to gather their full force and report to Glenhaven with all possible haste.”
“Yes, my lady,” both men replied.
“Jared, what's your estimate on how long it will take them to get here?” Sylvara asked.
“Perhaps two hours.”
Lady Sylvara sighed.
“It will have to do. Both groups will leave together. I don't want the Sprites getting picked off in an ambush because there are too few of them.”
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
“Where are the Pixie Titans?” Michael asked.
“Vixen is with the Princess. Her other two are already at the Elven capital as a show of force,” Lady Sylvara said.
“And the other three?” Michael asked.
“All three are at Elderborough,” the Dryad Elder replied.
Elderborough had once been the capital of the Dryad Forest, home to nearly four hundred thousand Spirit-folk and the seat of the Elder Council. Its name came from the Elders who had governed the Forest from within its walls for generations.
That had changed seven hundred years ago, following a brief but bloody conflict with the Elves. With tensions threatening to erupt into another full-scale war, the Elders had made the difficult decision to relocate the capital to Glenhaven.
Over the centuries, Elderborough's population had dwindled to just over forty thousand. Though no longer the center of Spirit-folk government, the ancient city remained inhabited, a shadow of its former glory.
More recently, Elderborough had become the main concentration point for the Dryad Forest's growing army. From an initial force of just over twenty thousand soldiers, the military was undergoing a massive expansion, with the goal of reaching nearly sixty thousand.
Lady Sylvara sighed again.
“It was a mistake to keep all three Pixie Titans down there. Having even one stationed here in Glenhaven would allow us to send messages much more quickly,” she said.
“It is a failing we will need to correct,” she admitted.
“Agreed,” Akari said.
Lady Sylvara turned to her assistant.
“Jared, please make a note to have one of the Pixie Titans stationed in Glenhaven as soon as possible.”
“Yes, my lady.”
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Well? Get going, you two,” Lady Sylvara said. “Time is short.”
Without so much as a by-your-leave, the Watch Commander and Lady Sylvara's assistant ran, rather than walked, out of the room.
“Lady Akari, Lady Kylie, you will go with them when they're ready,” Sylvara said, turning toward the two sisters.
“We want to go too,” Ren and his Tamer said together.
“No. The two of you will stay here with me and depart as we decided, the day after tomorrow. You're both far too weak for a fight like this, and I do fear this will be a fight,” Sylvara told them.
She must have seen the defiance on their faces because she added, “Do you not think I, too, want to go charging off to save them?”
“We all have our roles to play, and yours right now is to gain strength. Your day will come, and the Forest will need you at your strongest in the coming turmoil.”
“Do you understand? I need to hear you say it,” Sylvara said.
“Yes, my lady,” Lady Nerina replied.
Ren took longer to respond.
Yes, my lady, he sent reluctantly.
“Ren said he understands,” Akari told Sylvara.
Akari turned toward Miri, who had returned to the drawing room.
“Miri, see that Michael is taken to one of the guest rooms and make sure he falls asleep. Don't let him try to sneak out. Best to put a watch on him,” Akari said.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Michael, you're in bad shape. If there is something coming for the Princess, they'll likely have one or two high-level Undead with them. I need you at your best. I promise to have you awakened after you've had four hours of sleep,” Akari said.
“I'll be fine with just two hou—”
“No, Michael. You will sleep for four hours. We need you at your best,” Sylvara cut in.
“But the others will have already left by then,” Michael protested.
“And you'll catch up to them,” Akari replied. “You're faster than any of the forces we're sending. Even with a two-hour head start, they'll still be on the road when you pass them.”
Michael looked ready to argue again, but Akari held up a hand.
“You'll travel alone, just as you intended. Four hours of sleep won't prevent you from reaching the Princess before the others do.”
“And I'll have breakfast prepared for you to take along when you leave,” Akari added.
Michael reluctantly nodded.
As Michael stood to leave, he demonstrated just how exhausted he truly was. His legs nearly gave out beneath him, and Sylvara had to catch him before he collapsed onto the floor.
She helped Miri take him upstairs to one of the guest rooms.
As Akari gathered her things and prepared to leave, she offered a silent prayer to the Goddess.
Jamie was exhausted as she walked into camp with her team, but in a good way. The sun would be setting soon, and they needed to get some food in them and go right to bed. Tomorrow would be just like today had been. Travel with the caravan until around five P.M. and when Tovin gave the team the word they would split off from the main group and go hunting for more EX. Jamie could feel they had made the right choice to head back to Glenhaven.
The Journey south would take four more days to reach the Elf Kingdom’s border to the Forest and according to Tovin if things went their way, Jamie would have hit level 14 by that point. She was already level 12 now and Jamie could feel the next level was close at hand. Having Hope and Sentinel stay back with the caravan now made it possible for Jamie to level without any Experience penalties.
Jamie estimated if things went as well as they had today she would hit level 13 in less than two days. She looked over at her team. They looked every bit as exhausted as she felt, but their hard work was also paying off for them as well.
Ember had hit level 13 an hour earlier and both Tovin and Adelaide maintained their lead on Jamie. They were now both level 14, and the tired smiles that showed on their faces let Jamie know they were proud of their gains.
“You want me to grab your supper for you Princess and bring it to your tent?” Tovin asked.
“No, I’m capable of getting it myself, thank you, Tovin.”
“I’m sorry that was rude of me. I know they have you acting as my porter, but I would rather you focus on team actives and not worrying about my needs in camp,” Jamie said.
“You’ve been working the hardest of the four of us running around and scouting all day. I want to make sure you’re getting enough rest.”
“Having you fresh every day will do me more good than anything else,” she added.
“Okay. You all want to meet by the mess tent in fifteen minutes then?” Tovin asked.
“Works for me,” Adelaide, agreed.
“Don’t wait for me. There is something I want to check out first,” Jamie said.
“Sure thing, just don’t be gone too long,” Tovin said. “Early morning tomorrow don’t forget.”
“Got it,” Jamie responded.
What are we doing? Ember sent.
You don’t need to come with me if you don’t want, she sent back.
No, someone needs to keep an eye on you, she retorted.
Jamie shrugged. Suit yourself, but I think these two have that part covered.
She pointed to the two Sprites just hovering a few feet away. They had taken it upon themselves to be her guardians as far as one mile back after it was clear Jamie’s team was done hunting for the day.
I’m coming with you if that is alright with you Jamie, Ember sent with a bit of irritation in her sending.
Okay, sorry. Got it you’re coming with.
As Jamie and Ember walked the two sprites followed, but before they had gone less then fifty feet the two flew over to each side of Jamie and landed next the them and started keeping pace with Jamie and Ember on foot.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” the one on Jamie’s left said brightly.“Good evening,” the other one on her other side echoed, the timing so neat it almost sounded rehearsed.
Jamie blinked, then she stopped walking for a moment. Then she grinned.
“Okay,” she said. “Tell me honestly—how long did it take to get the timing that perfect?”
The sprite on her left laughed, white hair cropped into a sharp pixie cut that suited her grin. The one on Jamie’s right smiled, proud and precise, her longer pale hair pulled back into a high ponytail that didn’t move even as her wings adjusted.
“We’re twins,” the left said.
“Obviously,” the right added. “I’m Lyra.”
“And I’m Lysa,” the other said, flashing a grin beneath her too-cute pixie cut.
“Plus, we don’t need to practice, have a skill called Twin Sync,” Lyra added proudly. “It automatically synchronizes combat actions with our bonded twin. Works in and out of combat, as you can see.”
Jamie glanced between them. “…Soooo, you’re not doing this on purpose, Jamie asked. It’s because of some skill?”
Jamie cast Analyze on the Sprite on her left.
STATUS SCREEN
Name: LysaRace: SpriteSex: FemaleLv.: 30Class: Aerial WarriorSub-Class: Wind DuelistAffinity Types: Wind (Primary), Physical (Secondary)Weapon Specialty: Spear
TITLES:
Spirit Royal Guard (+5 Willpower)
Twin Blades of the Skies (+5 Agility)
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 22
Agility: 55 (+5 Twin Blades of the Skies)
Constitution: 24
Stamina: 30
Intelligence: 16
Willpower: 25 (+5 Spirit Royal Guard)
Spirit: 20
Charisma: 16
Title bonuses are already included in the Attribute values shown above. Parenthetical bonuses identify the source of those points and are not added a second time. If a Title is lost, any Attribute points granted by that Title are also lost.
ABILITIES (Slots Used: 10 / 10)
Spear Mastery (Weapon Skill — Core) — Lv. 4 — Governs thrusts, sweeps, and rotational strikes. Converts Agility (primary) and Strength into damage scaling. Eliminates accuracy penalties while airborne.
Aerial Dominion (Wind – Passive) — Lv. 2 — Maintains full combat effectiveness while airborne. Removes balance penalties in three-dimensional movement. Evasion scales directly with Agility.
Twin Sync (Wind – Passive, Bond) — Lv. 2 — Automatically synchronizes combat actions with bonded twin. Increases attack speed, reaction time, and coverage. Deactivates if twin is incapacitated.
Razor Cutter (Wind Spell — Active) — Lv. 3 — Launches compressed blades of wind targeting armor seams, joints, and spell bindings. Damage scales heavily with Agility.
Pressure Shear (Wind Spell — Active, Area) — Lv. 2 — Collapsing air pressure crushes enemies inward. Effective against undead and constructs. Can disrupt spell formations.
Windstep (Wind Spell — Mobility) — Lv. 3 — Instant short-range reposition using folded air. Does not break momentum. Can be chained mid-air.
Slipstream Bind (Wind Spell — Control) — Lv. 2 — Manipulates airflow around targets to disarm, destabilize, or pull enemies off balance. Effectiveness increases against slower foes.
Adaptive Flow (Passive — Efficiency) — Lv. 1 — Reduces stamina cost of movement and aerial maneuvers. Improves stamina recovery while airborne.
Second Breath (Active — Recovery) — Lv. 2 — Converts Spirit into Stamina. Clears movement fatigue. Cooldown reduced by Agility.
Aerial Threat Sense (Passive — Detection) — Lv. 1 — Detects hostile intent via air pressure disturbances. Functions while airborne or grounded.
“No. We’re definitely doing it on purpose,” they said in perfect unison.
Jamie snorted at that. She didn’t bother to cast Analyze on Lysa’s sister, already knowing their skills and stats would match.
“You know the two of you don’t need to guard me,” Jamie said. “I’m not going too far.”
“Oh, we’re not following you as guards,” Lysa said.
“Yeah, it looked like you might be getting ready to get into some mischief,” Lyra said. “We wanted to help.”
Jamie took a good, long look at both of them, trying to determine whether they were pulling her leg.
Oh, they’re for real.
Yes, I sense these two are trouble, Jamie, Ember sent.
“So, where are we going?” Lysa asked.
That reminded Jamie that she’d stopped walking. Getting her feet moving again, she said, “Just up the road. There’s an old tree by a stream that I wanted to check out.”
Jamie pointed, and the twins’ eyes followed.
“The willow?” Lyra asked.
“You know, if you’re trying to make some sort of magic staff, you don’t need to bother.”
“Yeah, we,” Lysa said, pointing her thumb at her chest, “happen to know where to get one,” she continued in a conspiratorial voice.
Where was that coming from?
“Not what I was looking to do, but thanks for the offer,” Jamie said.
They walked in silence for the remainder of the distance.
Jamie had noticed the sickly-looking tree on the way into camp, and something about it had called to her.
“I think it’s dying,” Lyra suggested.
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Jamie confirmed as she reached out with her right hand to touch it.
Upon contact, Jamie could feel the disease that ailed it. She closed her eyes.
This was wrong.
The tree was old, but it still had many years of life left to live. It made Jamie think back to her mom, how a disease had slowly, at first, begun taking away a woman’s vitality. She had been so lovely, just as this willow had been not so long ago.
Jamie’s instincts took control as she cast one of her skills.
Tree Singer (Dryad Skill – Nature Spell) — Lv. 1 — Greatly enhances plant growth, strength, and productivity. Low mana cost.
Jamie channeled mana from herself into the tree. She could feel the disease fighting back at first, trying but failing to maintain its grip.
Jamie doubled down, pushing even more mana into the tree.
The disease could no longer hold on, and she felt it fade from existence.
Jamie knew what she was doing. The organisms responsible for the disease were alive, or rather, they had been. But they had been stealing life to sustain themselves, to multiply.
Jamie had just killed one living thing to save another. And deep down in her soul, she was okay with that.
“Wow. Lyra, look at the tree.”
Jamie opened her eyes to look as well, even though she already knew what she would find.
As the last of the sunlight faded from the sky, it seemed to struggle to cast its warmth for a few more precious seconds to feed the tree. The new flowers that now covered every branch tilted their white petals toward that light.
It made for a breathtaking sight. The flowers and the sunlight made everything around the willow glow, as though this weren’t the end of a day, but its beginning.
Jamie could feel the leaves soaking in every ounce of that precious light as her hand remained against the trunk. The miracle lasted only a moment, but it had been enough.
No longer was the tree dying. It was now thriving with life.
As the last of the sun disappeared beneath the western horizon, Jamie released her palm from the trunk.
“Okay, not to boast. That was really cool and all, but I don’t think it’s on the same scale as making a few thousand undead crickets,” Lyra commented.
Jamie watched in confusion as Lysa jabbed her sister in the ribs.
“I’m going to assume this is something I should pretend I didn’t hear,” Jamie said as she turned to walk back to camp.
“What were you thinking?” Lysa hissed quietly at her sister.
“It was nice meeting the two of you,” Jamie called over her shoulder.
The twins were now wrestling each other on the ground, but they stopped fighting long enough to respond.
“You too, Princess!” That, of course, had once again been said by the twins in perfect unison.
The truce lasted only a moment before they were back at it.
As they walked back into the main part of camp, another argument caught Jamie’s attention.
“No, you were supposed to make sure the crate with the soap and shampoo was loaded onto the wagon,” the red-haired Fairy said, clearly upset, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
“No, I was in charge of food supplies, not hygiene,” the Fairy with long green hair shot back. “Hygiene was your responsibility!” she added, pointing an accusatory finger at the other Fairy.
We still have soap in our pack, right? Ember sent.
Yeah.
Is it bad if we keep that little secret to ourselves? Ember asked.
My dad always said to share and share alike. But he also said that if you fail to prepare, sometimes the best lesson is learning how to make do without, Jamie sent.
So that's a yes on keeping the soap a secret? Ember asked.
Definitely.
Wait, but won't everyone start smelling after a few days? Ember asked.
Good point. We'll share with the team.
It didn’t take long for Jamie to find her team sitting around a campfire, enjoying their dinner. Hope and Sentinel were eating alongside them.
Jamie and Ember walked over to a Goblin standing behind a large pot of stew.
“Good evening, Princess,” Mark said, handing her two piping-hot bowls with spoons already in them.
“Good evening, and thank you, Mark,” Jamie replied as she accepted the bowls.
Jamie had learned a lot about military life from her father, and one of the most important lessons he’d taught her was to always make friends with the cooks. And that lesson wasn't just about getting better food or larger portions.
One of her favorite war stories, which her father had told her many times, was about a mess cook who had helped defend their base during an attack.
The attack had begun with a diversionary IED explosion and mortar fire on the opposite side of the camp, drawing the Quick Reaction Force toward the initial threat.
The cook had been working in the motor pool when the attack started. Rather than stay where he was, he'd grabbed his rifle and rushed to defend the perimeter.
A lucky mortar strike had taken out the bunker responsible for covering that section of the base, leaving a dangerous gap in their defenses.
It was a gap the cook had filled. And defended from over twenty attackers trying to make their way into the camp. He'd held his position until more Marines arrived to reinforce him, preventing the attackers from exploiting the opening.
Her father had always credited that cook with saving a lot of Marines that day. The Marine had earned a Bronze Star for his actions, and Jamie's father had personally pinned the medal on him.
Jamie smiled at the memory as she sat down with her team, recalling the words her father always used to end that story.
You never know who will end up in the foxhole next to you.
After placing Ember’s bowl on the ground beside her, Jamie picked up her spoon and began to eat.
“Everything go well, Princess?” Adelaide asked.
Jamie got the impression her friend thought she’d gone off to do some girl stuff. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she went with her default answer.
“Yup.”
The team spent a while talking as they ate, discussing what to expect the following day.
“We’ll be passing through the village of Willow Glen, ten miles to the south,” Adelaide explained. “After that, we have another twenty miles to cover before we break off from the main group again to work on our levels.”
“That’s Troll country, so we’ll want to do our best to avoid them at all costs,” Tovin added.
“Because they’re too strong for us?” Jamie asked.
“Well, that, and because it’s Troll mating season,” Tovin replied.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jamie noticed Adelaide shudder at the mention of that.
Naturally, Jamie had to ask.
“And why is that bad?”
The looks she received from the others told Jamie she’d just asked the dumbest question they’d ever heard.