With that cooking in the oven, I went to clean up the aftereffects of the creature and after that, I planned on talking to the wolf to see if this is an abnormal or common occurrence. This kind of stuff is normally very difficult to remove and even if you do manage it leaves the equivalent of a large stain in the area. That Is with normal cleansing methods though, my usual course of action was to siphon it into myself and eliminating or containing, if I have plans for it, within my body where I have the most control. It's not really a time-consuming process so I got it done relatively quickly and afterward, I began a search for the wolf, but quickly abandoned it when I noticed she was purposely staying hidden.

I don’t like it when people barge in on me when I don’t want to be disturbed so I don’t do it to others unless absolutely necessary. I went back to the shack and lit up a cigar while closely scrutinizing the aura I had gathered, it felt malicious and it was familiar, oh so familiar. How did it get here, why was it here? I was slightly pissed at the implications of its presence; someone was probably messing with something they really shouldn’t. It was problematic that my array of magic was not able to pick up on the death miasma and aura, so I turned my attention to the magic circuit which was more than likely at fault.

I warped the surrounding forest so I would appear in front of a large boulder engraved with powerful symbols and a mesmerizing interconnected web of circles and deep lines. On the side facing towards the sunset three hearts were seemingly fused with the rock in a triangle-like shape. Despite being separated from their owners they still had life and beat rhythmically in a circular pattern, and with each beat, a black crimson liquid flowed along the engraved lines powering the powerful web of runes and symbols. This was the circuit of my own design, created to coordinate all the wards and act as an anchor between this realm and the spirit one. I made it to operate and protect my territory when I’m not available, a habit I kept after all my years of combat.

I looked the boulder over for any nicks or mistakes but found none so I let it run at full capacity to see if anything popped up. The ruins that were painted on began to rapidly change with every full circulation of the hearts and found the problem, for one reason or another the detection ward was not being directed to me but the defensive spatial control ward. Not a big issue and a quick fix, I actually liked the idea of the ward trapping intruders so I kept it, but I needed to increase my alertness in case it started to attack anything that enters my territory.

With that situated, I moved to search for the origin of the creature and eliminate it, no matter what “it” is. With a piece of aura procured, I could track down the source with spectacular accuracy. I began to prepare for battle by gathering several herbs and creating certain concoctions and potions. I also prepared certain weapons and oils in case I meet any annoying creatures with annoying abilities. I had given most of my bounty to the werehyena tradesmen but kept some things just for this kind of occasion. I was still missing some key components for the truly powerful stuff though, but I can make that up with my own power. Along with the physical objects I prepared several very potent and fast-acting curses that could act as a large group attack or against a single target.

I may have been a bit paranoid with my setup, but my usual items were missing upon my awakening and I also can’t be too careful in a new world mostly unknown to me. I gathered my power and directed the circuit to conceal my activity and performed a spirit jump to the approximate location of the aura. I didn’t perform any divination or scouting beforehand because that can be detected if said person was powerful enough and I would rather not give them a heads up. There could also be people in this world that can innately see magic like the false “saints” and the many others before them. If I was caught, I would just unload everything I have in a blitz and retreat if needed.

The usual increased distinction of colors and the flashing of lights occurred as I passed through the spirit realm with astonishing speed. With a soft hum, I appeared near the base of a decently sized mountain and right beside a deep valley. I quickly checked for enemies and found none so I took the time to check meticulously for any traps or wards. Finding none I morphed into a small fox and scurried into the nearby foliage, I was on high alert and took each step carefully and made sure each breath was perfect and each heartbeat just like a fox. I hated mimicking hearts, but I made the exception of my usual rule of just mimicking one with magic. I scoured the large mountain base acting like I was tracking down some prey and found several masses of twisting flesh of what I assume used to be communities of animals. Soon I couldn’t stand the sensation of a heart anymore, so I dispelled it by latterly coughing It up. With a wet slop, it fell out of my mouth and rapidly began to decompose. Why is my body telling me to eat it?

Despite my extensive preparations this first outing is supposed to be nothing more than a recon mission to find out what I’m up against and what measures should I take. The piles of writhing flesh gave me an even better idea of what I was up against, but I was still going to confirm the source. There was limited protection in the area, but they were mostly designed to conceal the area from scrying and divination. I decided to wait around for a while and rest under some shade since it was still daylight out and I also wanted to see what was causing the leaks in aura I have been feeling all this time. I found a fox den which was perfect for my current form and I hunkered down for the day.