Within a few days, I had spent at least ten hours following the flow of air. Meanwhile, the structure of this world became more apparent. During the day, most predators were asleep, no doubt saving their energy for their nightly hunts. I found it strange seeing that there was an obvious balance. It was rare to see those large wolves roaming outside of their den. I saw a bear the size of an ambulance before, however, it paid no mind and instead stripped a bush of its fruit.

‘I wonder if the size of these animals is based on the influence of nature’s spiritual properties.’

To start with, the larger an animal is, the more it had to consume to sustain itself. Meaning that the population of dire wolves which seemed to be no less than a hundred strong had to mean that there was a larger number of herbivores present, else they’d starve pretty quickly. Ignoring the possible influence of humans, nature itself would be balanced.

‘Though, if human expansion increases the natural order would shift.’

It would take years for the effects to be meaningful, so I could ignore it. Especially as there was nothing the current me could do. Even though I bore the Spirit of Nature, the time where I could interfere was far off.

With a deep exhale, I returned to my daily meditation. I needed to understand the element of wind better. As a breeze brushed against me, I did my best to measure its place in the world.

When meditating, the small intricacies of nature were more apparent. The importance of even the slightest gust of wind while unintrusive was not to be underestimated.

Wind shaped the land. I could its subtle influence everywhere the more I immersed myself in it. The ever-shifting landscape would be changed as nature dictated. Whether tremors split the ground and created ravines, or a fire turned it into a dry plain, even a powerful storm could uproot everything.

To understand the various small parts that created the chaotic order of nature. Where happenstance and seemingly well-calculated phenomena clashed.

I inhaled.

The air was pure.

I exhaled.

A six sense started to form a few meters around me. Even with my eyes closed, I still felt as I could vaguely locate things in my immediate surroundings. My mind navigated through this fog of sensory stimulation.

The peculiar sensation evaded my grasp the moment I felt it become clearer. Just like that, I was awakened from my meditative state. I furtively grasped at the odd sensation, but I ultimately failed to get a hand on it.

It didn’t seem as if I could just force it to happen, so I decided to be satisfied with a clear sense of progress, as slow as it may have seemed.

Turning my attention to the other matters, I felt into a herd of Bloodhorn Elk who grazed without reserve. The tall grass was cut down to a tenth of its height and it didn’t seem as if they’d stop there.

The Male Bloodhorn seemed extremely aggressive if approached without care. Within the huge herd, certain males lead their own group and didn’t allow any transgression. I watched many fights occur due to daring young male bloodhorn attempting to earn a place in the grand scheme of things.

Some older elk were stripped of their titles as leaders and some upstarts failed to accomplish anything, either way, the loser usually walked away with broken horns and shattered pride. While a few ended up dying, suffering a fatal kick to the skull, overall, full-grown Bloodhorn were sturdy. A few hundred kgs of muscle and fat dispersed the would-be deadly impact of a head-on collision.

I kept that tidbit in mind for any confrontation. I had no interest in taking part in the brutal “courting” rituals, choosing to consume as much vegetation as possible in order to supplement my growth.

When I didn’t eat, I meditated, falling into a rhythm that went uninterrupted during the day. During the night, I sought out steep hills and hid, using mud to cover my scent as much as I could. I gained a few hours of meditation in between the faint sounds of stampedes that occurred every few nights though the safety of the daylight proved to be more fruitful.

…

A week passed with little uproar. Just staying alive was enough for me, so I didn’t complain about the lack of excitement. In fact, the feeling of meditating among the calm of peace didn’t leave much to be desired.

In that little time, I felt that, more than anything, I had grown as a being. The hours I spent in contemplation had served to temper my patience. My understanding of the wind had reached a tipping point, but I didn’t pursue enlightenment.

‘Whenever it happens, it will happen,’ I thought, recalling the unpredictability of nature.

While bearing the Spirit of Nature offered the opportunity of control, at the moment, I needed to accept my place in the flow of events.

To gain a beginners insight into the understanding of elements, the following is needed:

-93/100 hours of meditation (Air)

-15/200 hours of meditation (Wood)

-7/200 hours of meditation (Earth)

-0/500 hours meditation (Water)

-0/1000 hours of meditation (Lightning)

-0/5000 hours of meditation (Fire)

-0/5000 hours of meditation (Metal)

Necessary hours are based on your current affinity with each element. Locations that are related to a specific element will drastically increase the rate at which you gain insight. To commune with Spirits, you must gain insight into at least 2 elements.

I had tried to gain an understanding with the three elements I was most in tune with but attempts to spread my focus weren’t useful. It reinforced the idea of remaining even-tempered toward growth.

As I descended from my outcrop, I returned to the protection of the herd and trekked in some uncertain direction. We grazed in an almost mindless manner, but I couldn’t help but feel something was off.

The closer I moved toward fulfilling the requirement for insight into the element of air, the better I could track its flow. As a gust of wind blew past, rather than catch any strange smells, it felt… odd.

As wind traveled, its flow could be broken and altered by a variety of things. Cliff faces, mountains, trees, buildings, and if enough were present, people and animals. Though, with greater sensitivity toward its flow, I could faintly feel as if the wind was being altered by something.

I became suspicious, letting out a call of an alert through my nostrils which gained the attention of those near me.

‘Careful, guys,’ I said.

Whether they understood me or not was a different problem. Like a ripple, my slight paranoia spread over causing every elk in the herd to stand alert. Our heads swiveled at every crunch, tremble, or slight movement in the brush.

It felt as I stood among dozens of security cameras. The herd unknowingly relied on one another to provide a safety net, as the moment one ran, everyone else would join.

We stood, underneath growing tension, we remained stationary. The odd elk would lower their heads cautiously, gnawing on the plant growth. As the mood settled, it seemed as if we would return to eating.

The sound of rope or cord being retracted filled my ears as the herd broke into a sprint. Without knowing who or what was responsible, snares unfurled wrapping up unfortunate elk. They bucked wildly, inadvertently exhausting themselves in a fruitless struggle.

I sprinted for another direction and then I felt my legs caught. I collapsed to the ground before using my front legs to pull myself up only to see several humans hunkered in the grass, creeping toward me with braided rope.

‘Calm down,’ I told myself, searching for any sharp weapons but only finding tools for capture in their hands. Though, the blunt clubs they carried were less than comforting.

Human intellect reminded me of its advantage to me at that moment. I remained calm, preserving the energy I would need for a potential struggle.

“This one is easy, eh?” A rough voice rang out as they revealed themselves to me.

With rough clothes made from fur and linen, men who appeared almost nordic advanced slowly. They spread themselves thin, attempting to distract me or draw my attention, but I kept my eyes on the one with the braided rope in his hands.

My mind quickly raced, with two of my feet trapped, I wouldn’t be able to fight well. I glanced to my side where other Bloodhorn had thoroughly spent themselves in an effort to break free only to fail. Since our physical abilities were more or less the same, I doubted I would have any success.

‘I give in for now if I have to.’

I only needed seven more hours of meditation to achieve insight into the element of air. I had no notion toward whatever awaited me, but if my death wasn’t immediate, I had no choice but to bide my time.

I didn’t resist as the rope was wrapped around my neck which surprised them.

“A bloodhorn with no fight?! We have the luck of Gods with us!” One of them cackled, his crooked yellow teeth and horrid laughing brought me annoyance.

Remaining calm, I allowed them to pull me as more and more revealed themselves around the area. I was surrounded and with no hope of cooperation with my fellow captives, I could only wait.

Even with the danger, the tribe-like humans near me presented, I wasn’t disturbed after running from those giant dire wolves led by a single monstrous one. I settled my breathing which regulated my heartbeat, allowing me to concentrate on the flow of air.

For the moment I may be a captive, but I can free myself.

As I allowed myself to be pulled along, I looked at the men surrounding me, listening close as they spoke. Whatever language it was, I understood it.

“Can’t believe Jorgun wants a feast, even demanding fifty bloodhorn as tribute was pressing his look.”

“Aye, he’s still a boy looking to take his father’s place. Wasteful, that boy is. Oughta straighten him out if the elders didn’t dwell over him so fondly.”

“True enough, but he fights as wild as a bloodhorn that one does. He's more warrior than a leader, I say.”

“If he’s anythin’ like the bloodhorn we caught, won’t be much of a problem den’.”

They laughed as one prodded me, goading me to gore him with my horns, but patience was key.

‘Laugh all you want now,’ I thought coldly.

“Whaddya’ lookin’ at, beast!” Perturbed by my still gaze, one smacked me with a wooden stick.

I felt the sting of pain as a blunt object struck my snout which was the most sensitive part of my body. It hurt like hell, an ache throbbed throughout my skull. The pain drummed up instincts that collided with my sense of rationale, the urge to punish his arrogance was strong enough to disrupt my breathing.

‘Don't react yet, I just need to wait.’

I understood the source of my growing aggression which made it easier to control. I steeled myself against the abuse, knowing any time wasted fighting would lower my chance of escape.

“Aye, this one is the most cowardly bloodhorn I eva’ seen!” Another one slapped my side.

Once I got past my surge of anger, I began to look at these men like naive children playing near a fire.

‘Discomfort and pain breed caution and without caution, you act without knowing the potential danger that accompanies you.’

I felt no kinship with these humans around me and that was liberating because I knew when the time came, I would find no issue with hurting them. I committed their gloating faces to memory before returning to my meditation.

I felt a calm wind drift over me as we moved further toward an unknown location.