Chapter 8:

3 Days Before Winter’s Beginning

203 Days After The Ra’tok Attack Amia Village

The Valley of Ivory, Tarna

Talri Clan, Mess Hall

I listen to the chatter around me in the mess hall. It is just dawn, and everyone has gotten their meals before heading to training.

“-beasts. He said that two hunters also went missing a week back.” A man says a table down from me, he is talking with a few other people.

“It’s probably just the winter. Some creatures move out of the valley during this time of year,” Another man says, he takes a bite of bread. He has a large beard specked with gray, a guard.

“Yeah. But how do you explain the two hunters going missing?” The first man says.

The guard shrugs, “It’s not too uncommon. They could have gotten lost or maybe they just ran, I can’t blame them for it. With the state of the Empire, things are looking grim.”

The first man shakes his head, “I think there’s something in those woods. Maybe a beast, or even the Tulnar. They could be scouting out the territory for the rest of their army!”

I take a bite of my chicken, following it with a cup of water.

It’s a coincidence. It can’t have anything to do with my dream. Though if it is the Tulnar, I need to work harder.

Shaking my head, I finish my meal and leave the mess hall. I stretch my muscles, limbering up for my morning running.

Taras has been working me to the bone this last week. He is now making me run with a weighted vest, adding some forty pounds. He also makes me run with a stick, two 10 pound weights strapped to the ends.

He calls it strength and endurance training, but I still doubt it. I have seen his grin, he likes to torture me.

Grabbing the vest, I throw it on my shoulders. Gripping the mock, weighted spear in my hands, I start running around the training yard, send a few drops of Gray into my body. I have to do 20 laps and that's sometimes not enough for Taras.

My muscles have certainly become more defined, though it is not much. I am surprised to have any at all. They feel like mush more often than not, but I can say that I have definitely improved.

Once I am finished running laps around the yard, I approach Taras. He stands looking at his disciples, scanning over them. Looking for any possible flaw in their technique.

The man demands perfection in every movement, not just that, he also wants you to plan ahead in combat. To know your opponents next move, and how to counter it.

He looks me over. His hand tightens around the two wooden spears in his hands.

My hope for an easy day slowly skids to a stop, curling up and withering to dust with a whimper.

Taras doesn’t even have to say anything. I catch it in my right hand, my black bandaged hand tightening around the shaft. He tosses me the staff, I catch it in my right hand, my black bandaged hand tightening around the shaft. We square off, facing each other.

I make the first move, rushing forward in two strides, jabbing at his head with my spear.

Taras easily blocks it, bringing his spear down to hit my hand. I twirl, swinging my spear at his thighs.

He can’t jump this, so instead blocks it.

I push Gray katra into my right hand, activating the bandages. They uncoil, moving along my spear and entwining Taras’s spear, trapping it.

He jerks and nearly gets his spear out, but I command my three tendrils to curl up his left forearm. I send a drop of Gray katra into my body, strengthening it.

Taras jab out with his right hand, I twist my torso to avoid it. I grab the wooden knife in the sheath on the back of my belt. I jab out, stabbing his arm.

He kicks his foot and forces me to disengage.

Leaping back, my black cloth tendrils let go of his arm, but keep a grip on his spear.

Taras grins happily, and then twirls his spear, forcing off my grasping tentacles. He stands upright, looking somewhat proud. “You’ve still got a ways to go, but you’re making great progress. And no cheating next time, you’re forbidden to use that Artifact in our next spar.”

My cloth bandages coil back around my arm, the katra flow I sent them stopping. I bow my head and say. “This one tha-”

Taras whacks me on the head with his wooden spear, “I said no doing that! You’re a warrior, there nothing wrong with a little respect, but you need to show backbone! Now get back to your training.” He waves a dismissive hand in the direction of a open spot to the back of the group of children. They are still doing their forms, but many are doing it slowly, looking in shock at my spar with Taras.

It was the first time I have hit him, and I can feel pride beaming in my chest.

Though I bring myself back down to earth with the thought that he was holding back, that wasn’t even a fraction of his strength.

I bring up my spear and start working through the forms I have memorized.

***

I punch, unconsciously feeding Gray katra into it.

My fist hits air and I can't help but feel confused. Looking around, I am in my room.

It was another weird dream.

I was still the weird monster, running through the treetops and hunting. Killing and eating animals, absorbing their katra.

I have been having this same dream every time since the first night 2 weeks back. Every time, I am the creature, but I’m bigger, growing stronger.

It doesn’t make any since. Does it have to do with my Gray katra? What exactly does it mean?

Shifting my mind’s eye inwards, I look at my Gray covered core. It is still covered in the weird shell of katra.

I start my cycling technique.

Time creeps by, the pressure from cycling there, but it stays at an even level. I no longer need to stop like with my first technique.

I stop when I feel a fuzzy sensation in my core. Looking at it with curiosity, I take in a surprised gasp of air.

Am I… ranking up? That should be impossible!

I have only ever ranked up once, and that was when I got to Lowbronze.

The katra is my core is full, pessing against the sides. I have finally filled my core, after nearly 2 weeks. From what I can see it is bigger, deeper, than before. It has more capacity, but not to much more.

What tells me I’m ready to rank up is the vibrating of my core. It is barely noticable, but I can still feel it.

Drawing out all of my katra, I command it to compress my core. At first, it resists. Then it starts to slowly shrink, the outer shell of Gray staying in place.

I force all my concentration into compressing my core, pushing and pushing.

As my core gets smaller, pain clumps up inside me, around my heart. Where my core is.

Pushing through, I can feel something snap in my core. Then the pain fades, I gulp air like a fish on land.

When I have composed myself, I look at my core.

It is now smaller, but more defined. The edges are no longer as fuzzy, more crisp. When I go inside, I still have the same capacity as before.

What confuses me is the outer shell. It has thickened, now filling the gap between my core and itself.

Withdrawing the Gray katra outside, I send it back into my core.

Opening my eyes, I can’t help but smile.

I am Highcopper! It shouldn’t be possible, but I did it!

All the vital aura I must have taken in had to have helped speed along my progresion. Before I couldn’t take any in, but now I could absorb it safely.

I fight back tears, I never thought I would get to this point.

But I still should be a long ways off from ranking up. Is it the Gray katra that did this?

I look at the shell around my core, inspecting it with a critical eye.

Looking into the many crags that mare it’s surface, I can see my core if I go far down enough. It pulses with the dim, light of Gray katra.

As I project my mind onto the surface, looking at it, I watch as gray dust is kicked from the ground by the wind. It spirals in the air, settling back down in a new position.

The crust is a stoney hue of gray, no other color that I can see.

It all feels very… lifeless.

Wait. Wind?

I watch as the wind picks up more of the dust and sends it from the small hill I stand upon into a ravine.

There shouldn’t be any wind here. This is my core, not the real world.

Confused by this, I retract my mind.

I am not sure how to digest this, or even what it means. I mull over it for a while, but can’t conclude on anything. Whatever this Gray katra is, it is building odd things in my body, and I’m not sure why. Or what they are for.

Taking a deep breath, I start my cycling again.

***

I look at Taras with suspicion, but he keeps a wide grin upon his face. In his hand is a bag, a knife strapped to the back, and a plain spear.

It is morning, and I have just finished my breakfast.

“It’s been about a month since Elder Vicar told me to get you schooled in the basics, and I can say with pride that you learned quickly. You are now passable in the Spear Forms and the Dagger Forms. You now know how to fight without instantly killing yourself.” He claps me on the shoulder.

I bow my head, “Thank you, sir. It has been an honor to train under you.”

His grin vanishes with the breeze, he scowls at me. “Did I say you were done?!” He shouts in my face.

I recoil and feel dread dissolving my elation at being done training.

A grin snakes it’s way along his face, a predatory and sadistic one. “If I am to pass you, I want to make sure you are ready. You will spend a night out in the forest, and I want you to bring back one of the beasts, body and all. Doesn’t have to be a high rank, but I am more inclined to let you pass if it is.”

Blinking, I can feel my resolve harden. I survived for four months in the Jungle of The Gods, this should be nothing.

I nod to him, “Yes, sir. When do I start?”

“Right now!” He tosses me the leather backpack, spear and knife, “There's food in there for about a week, I hope you don’t need it.”

“I’ll escort you to the edge of the forest,” Taras motions for me to follow him out of the training yard. He leads me off the property of the Talri Clan and into the streets of Tarna.

He doesn’t speak, just slowly walks down the main street that leads to one of 3 gates main gates in the town. I watch idly as carts and people walk past, going about their daily business.

We quickly reach the gate, Taras nods to the guards stationed there. He puts his hand on my shoulder and leads me out, through the throngs of people.

Taras waves at a old man standing next to a wagon, parked off to the side of the gate.

“Luran! Good to see you’re still here,” Taras says as he reaches the old man. He pats the man on the shoulder and gestures at me, “This here is Kardin, Kradin, this is Luran, former Armsmaster. He’s an old friend, who has helped me out in the past.”

Luran takes of his straw hat, his face is wrinkled, weathered and deeply tanned. He has a few scraps of white hair combed over his head. He holds out his hand, on it is a Diamond Sign. The Sign looks exactly like a Talri Warrior’s, except his glows a aqua green. “It’s nice to meet you, Kardin.”

I take his hand and shake it. I feel a warm, fuzziness travel up my arm. I quickly retract my hand and glance at it, it looks fine.

Must have been my imagination.

I bow my head, “It is an honor to meet you, Sir Luran.”

Luran chuckles, “No need for that. I am no warrior anymore. I’m ready to go when you are.”

Taras nods and hops into the back of the wood wagon. I follow after him while Luran gets into the driver’s seat. He whips the reins and the mule the wagon is tethered to starts moving down the road.

Looking at me, Taras says, “Luran and I will wait for you at the edge of the forest today and tomorrow. If you do not return, I’ll assume you died or failed, and leave back for Tarna.”

I nod. I can’t fail this, if I am to ever learn how to fight well, then I need to succeed this.

“What kind of animals are exactly out there?” I ask, curious of what I might run into.

Taras smiles, “There are few hostile beasts here. Maybe one or two to keep animal population down, but not many. Though the herbivores are another matter, many have developed horns and tusks. They can be quite defensive, some even aggressive.”

“Sounds like I’m going to have my work cut out for me,” I say, thinking about some of the creatures I have seen in the Jungle of The Gods.

Luran laughs, “He’s trying to scare you, lad. Most of those animals are near the edges of the valley. The hunter’s are careful to keep the population stable, and drive off any stronger beasts.”

Taras makes a disappointed sound, “Your taking the fun out of the only joy in life I get! Scaring the new trainees is one of the very few times I get a good laugh.”

Luran chuckles, “From what I have seen, he is a special one. A prodigy, perhaps?”

I shake my head, then realize he’s not looking at us. So I say, “I am hardly a prodigy, I’m a cripple and was only invited into the clan based on my past achievements.”

“Those must have been some mighty achievements, then.” Luran falls silent again.

I watch idly as the fields of crops slowly move past, farmers harvesting them before winter comes.

Winter here was warm, only becoming slightly more cool. Crops are grown in rotations, on different fields. I know this because I often helped farm around Amia.

When the sun is high in the sky, we reach the edge of farmland and the start of the forest. Luran steers the wagon off the dirt road and into the small clearing between the crops and the forest.

“This is where you start and where you should return. I want you to bring me back a beast of at least Highbronze, you will them deeper into the forest. I think it should be an easy enough task,” Taras says as we get out of the wagon.

I look at the forest and the bag in my hand. I look at Taras, “Doesn’t this trial seem a little… easy?”

Taras sighs, “I don’t have enough time to set up a proper one, and I’m trying to go easy on you. Now start running or I’ll make you!”

I hitch up my bag and start into the forest. I look back to where we are, memorizing it’s location.

Taking my knife out, I scratch a X every in every couple of trees, so I don’t lose my way.

Back at it again, it seems. This shouldn’t be as hard as the Jungle of The Gods. If I can survive there, then I can survive anywhere.

I slowly make my way deeper into the forest, looking for a Highbronze beast.

***

Crouching down, I look at my prey.

It is a snake. A large one. It’s entire length might be about 20 feet, but I can’t be sure. It’s scales were thick, like interlocking, tiny, plates of stone. It’s head was crowned by to short horns, eyes glowing red.

It is curled up inside a small burrow in the ground.

I’m pretty sure that it is over Highbronze, maybe it’s a Steel.

Regardless, it is just about the only high ranking creature I have seen so far. I found it slightly unsettling that there weren’t many animals around in this thick forest.

Shifting my spear, I go at an excruciatingly slow pace, watching where I step. As I approach the snake, I raise my spear, preparing to stab.

When I’m about a foot away, I look for it’s head. Positioning my spear, I send a spark of Gray into my body, empowering it. I stab downwards.

My spear hits right where it’s head meets its body.

There is resistance, and I have to lean on my spear before it penetrates the snake’s scales. The spear sinks in with a sickening crunch and pop.

The snake start thrashing, bucking wildly. I keep a tight grip on my spear.

Moving my left hand to my back, I grab the dagger out of its sheath. Holding it upside down, I aim for the snake’s eye.

My strike hit’s it’s bony brow and slices downwards.

Hissing, the snake tries to snap at me, but can’t reach because I have pinned it to the ground.

Holding it there, in the pit, I grit my teeth.

The giant snake tries many times to bite my legs, but to no avail. As time passes, it’s struggle become weaker and weaker, eventually stopping.

I hold it there for a minute, incase it’s still alive.

I guess not Steel then.

Twisting my spear, I pull it out of the snake with a squelch. Looking at the snake, and its size, I sigh.

Scanning my surroundings, this seems a good enough place.

Better set up a fire, maybe I can cook some of the snake and bring the rest back to Taras?

I start to set up a small fire pit, filling it with sticks and dried leaves. I work at a flint and steel that was in my bag, lighting the tinder. Blowing gently on it, I coax the flames to spread.

Once I’m sure the flame is good, I move to the snake corpse.

Taking out my dagger, I slit down it’s length. I cut out a large section of it’s meat, stabbing it on the end of my spear. I roast it over the flame, making sure it is evenly cooked.

Once I have finished off the snake meat, I go back to the corpse. Slowly and methodically, I carve out it’s heart. Once I have xtracted it, I slice it open and pull out the core.

The beast core is a jagged, misshapen shape. Bright red edges transitioning to a deep, dark red.

Looks to be a fire aspect.

Holding the core in my right, bandaged hand, I start draining some Katra from it. The katra is thick with fire aspect.

I start cycling it through my channels, starting up the technique in my core. The fire katra is quickly absorbed by my Gray katra, neutralizing in ill effects that might come of absorbing it.

I slowly absorb the katra from the beast core, growing my own.

My Gray katra seems to grow faster when I’m absorbing katra instead of making it.

I soon stop, exhaustion taking me.

Looking out at the forest around me, lit my the burning coals of the fire, I scan for anything out of place.

Laying down, I set my spear next to me. I clutch my dagger in my hand. Old habits die hard, but in this case, it’s useful.

I drift off into sleep.

My eyes snap open to the sound of rustling. I roll to my left, avoiding a possible stab.

Scrambling to my feet, I brandish my dagger, prepared to fight my attacker.

All that I’m confronted with is a unlit fire.

I look around, trying to find why I felt danger. I know I sensed something.

I creep to my spear, picking it up from the ground.

Then I see it, a flicker behind a tree, in the shadows. I put my guard up in that direction, ready to face whatever beast that decided to attack me.

A shuffling from behind alarms me and I dive out of the way, coming back up.

A hunched over figure greets me. It is covered by a hood, but a scaly, clawed hand hold a spear in it. A tail swishes behind it, giving it balance. Powerful legs, with bent back knees and clawed toes show.

A Tulnar.

What really catches my attention is that on the head of it’s spear is a bracelet, a small blue rock woven into it.

That’s Karla’s bracelet.

I knew instantly that this was the monster that killed Karla. A rage boiled up inside of me, slowly consuming me. It ate away at my insides, twisting them with anger and hate. Fear mixed in and I wanted to run, but I steeled myself.

I will get Vengeance. I swore this, and now’s my chance.

With a wild scream, I charge the tulnar.

It roars back at me, only it’s maw visible in the hood. It lets out a deep chuckle and meets my spear head on.

Deflecting my stab, it tries to slash me in the belly. I take a step back, stabbing with my dagger at the tulnar’s arm. My blade connects, cutting a thin line across it’s skin.

It’s tough, probably a Steel or Silver.

I pour katra into my body, empowering it with strength.

The tulnar advances, trying to slash me with it’s claws and impale me on it’s spear. I duck under it’s claws and deflect it’s thrust, returning it in stride with a stab from my spear.

The lizardman catches my stab before it can hit his chest. He stops the blow cold, not even straining from all the strength I put into it.

Giving a deep, throaty chuckle, he wrenches my spear from my hands.

I take advantage of the momentum and leap forward, stabbing the tulnar in the chest with my dagger.

The blade sinks a half inch in and meets hard bone, stopping dead. I push more of my strength into my arms and back, slicing downwards with the blade.

The tulnar roars and backhands me away from him.

I go flying through the air, crashing into the cold coals of my fire. Ash puffs into the air and I groan, holding my ribs.

GET UP!

I stumble to my feet, bringing my dagger up to face my opponent.

The tulnar stalks to the side. Growling and holding it’s spear in a loose hand. Blood drips down from the cut in his side, but he seems unfazed by it. The monster’s face is still covered by the hood, yellow eyes glowing from within it.

For a second, I flash back to my time at the Sacred Arts cart. The strange man, his image flickering from man to skeleton then back.

The tulnar lets out a roar, leaping at me.

I duck and roll to my right, bringing my hand up. I push katra into my black bandaged hand.

The ruins on it glow silver, the bandages rustling and uncoiling. They stretch through the air, wrapping around the tulnar’s legs.

He hits the ground and stumbles, I take advantage of this and run forward. I leap onto his scaly back, bringing my dagger down.

I stab into his shoulder, twisting my dagger. Then I pull it out and stab at his neck. Bringing my dagger in for a killing blow.

A clawed hand comes up.

My dagger stabs into the hand and meets hard bone, stopping my hit to the tulnar’s neck.

I scream my rage out, the bandages on my hand slither across the tulnar’s back, wrapping around his neck and hand.

The lizardman growl, tearing through my bandages. He swiftly brings a clawed hand over his shoulder and grabs my arm. Wrenching, he throws me off his back and into the ground.

I cough bloody spittal, looking up at the tulnar.

He brings his spear down, stabbing into my right shoulder. He twist the spear as I scream in pain.

The lizardman lets out another throaty chuckle, taking in my pain.

He stabbed me in the same shoulder.

The thought comes to me as my hands claps around the shaft of the spear. I send Gray katra to my arms and back, trying to pull the spear from my shoulder.

It is a fruitless struggle, the tulnar leans his weight on it.

I roar, sending katra straight into my right arm. I bring it up and I reach for the lizardman’s snout.

The bone gauntlet forms on my arm, clawed fingers sinking into scaly flesh. I rake my bone claws across it’s face.

The tulnar stumbles back, roaring at the pain.

With his weight off the spear, I pull it out of my shoulder. I can’t feel the pain, either it is from the pure hatred I feel or the my brain being unable to process the pain.

Stumbling to my feet, I face the lizardman.

He looks a me in rage, holding the left side of his bleeding face.

Opening his toothy maw, he charges me.

I run at him, twisting around his body and clawing his shoulder. I dig my clawed fingers deep into it, tearing a chunk of scaly flesh from it.

Ducking his swing, I jab my bloody hand into his stomach, worming my clawed fingers into it.

I let out a scream of rage, tearing a piece of flesh from the tulnar’s abdomen with a spray of blood. Stabbing it back in, I claw at his insides.

The tulnar lets out a choking gurgle, clawing at my back. He stabs his claws into my shoulders and wrenches me back.

Throwing me to the ground, he lets out a roar as he opens his toothy maw. He brings it close to my face.

I stab my claws into his throat, blood spraying my face.

That doesn’t stop the lizardman though. His snout snapss closed on my face.

I slit his throat with my gauntlet, spilling blood onto me.

Then everything stops. The pain fades. Darkness is all around me.

Did… did I die?

Looking around, all I can see is darkness.

I hear voices, two of them.

That's when I realize I have my eyes closed.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I open my eyes to look. Taras looks down at me with a beaming smile.

He says something, but I’m not listening.

What…?

Then reality seems to snap back into place.

“Kardin! Can you hear me?” He says, shaking my shoulder.

“Whats going on?” I ask, sitting up. I look around me. I am still at my campsite in the woods.

“Ahahaha! I knew you could do it! You passed Kardin, you passed!” Taras says with a smile, claping me on the back.

“I passed?” I ask confused, looking around.

The fire pit is lit and burning bright. Luran sits there, staring at the flames. His attention wanders to me. Looking at me, he says, “He’s confused Taras, are you going to explain or should I?”

Taras is still smiling, he looks at me and pats me on the back again. “You’d be the better one to explain, Luran.” He helps me stand and leads me over to the fire.

Sitting down, I look at Luran.

They did something to me. What happened to the tulnar? Did I kill it?

Luran smiles reassuringly. “You’re fine now, lad. You passed your trial.”

“What did you do to me?” I look at him with anger and curiosity. Did I dream that entire encounter?

The old man swipes his hair, his craggy face twisting somewhat. He holds up his hand, showing me the oddly colored Talri Diamond Sign. “I was young when I reached Lowdiamond. I had slain a Sacred Beast, one that could manipulate people’s fears through illusions. It was not of the Lightning aspect path, but that didn’t stop me. In my hubris, I bonded with it’s core, incorporating its power into myself. The illusion aspect melded with my own lightning, creating a off branch from the usual Talri warrior Path. I can still use lightning,” He sends a few sparks off his hands, “But it is far weaker than usual.”

I mull this over at a time, looking at Luran. “So, that was all an… illusion? I felt pain. It felt real.”

He looks at me and nods, “I can make it very real, even to the point of causing a person irreversible psychological damage. I tricked your mind into thinking you were in pain, in reality you were struggling on the ground, fighting nothing but air.”

I look at him in amazement. With that kind of power, I could be a force to be reckoned with, despite my crippled status. I’d never have to worry about fighting.

I suddenly felt a twinge regret for taking the Gray aspect instead of trying to convince Luran into helping me train with his aspect of katra.

He chuckles, looking me in the eye, “It does come with its drawbacks. It can take a toll on my mind as well.” He taps his index finger on his temple.

How’d he know about the tulnar? The thing I most hate and fear?

“How’d you know my fear?” I ask, trying to think of how he knew.

Luran motions with his Signed hand, miming a handshake. “I have to come into contact with my subject, and it takes time to formulate that fear into something real. Most of the time it is a fear I can’t do anything with, like a fear or heights or drowning. I can’t simulate those well. It also takes time to form the illusion, that's why me and Taras waited till you fell asleep.”

Taras adds, “Vicar told me about what you went through, and Luran’s power happens to match well with your experiences.”

My excitement at his power deflates some, but I can’t help but feel some awe for what he could do.

Taras offers me my canteen of water. I take it and gulp down the water inside. I look at him, “How’d I pass though? I’m pretty sure I lost.”

He snorts a little, “The test was not of you winning, but rather if you would run and fight your fear with high odds you would lose. That you wouldn’t give up, even when you died. And you killed it too! Though, you might have died in the process.” He smiles proudly at me, “You have the makings of a great warrior in you!”

I sit there as Taras and Luran start chatting about my fight with the imaginary tulnar.

Now that I faced my fear, do I still want to kill it?

I felt hollow, somehow. But I still felt the burning spark of fear and hatred for that tulnar, and everyone of them. For what they did to my village. I’m going to burn all that he holds dear to the ground.

I clutched that small ember and fanned it with my fears, hopes, dreams and desires. My desire to be strong. My lust for vengeance, my hatred of the Tulnar.

As I swim through my thoughts, my eyes wander to the snake. “So you were the guys scaring off all the beasts then? Is that why I saw so few of them?”

Both Taras and Luran turn to me, Taras says, “We haven’t been scaring off any beasts.”

“Then why is the snake the first one I have seen?” I ask, looking at the forest. I stand up, clutching my spear in two hands.

Luran and Taras stand as well, looking around. “What's wrong, lad?” Luran asks.

“Some of the guards and trainees were talking about people going missing in this forest. And now there aren’t any beasts that I have seen?” I say, thinking out loud.

“And If we weren’t the ones scaring them off, then there might be something here.” Luran finishes my thought grimly.

Could this be connected to my dreams?

I shake my head.

No, thats nonsense. It was just a weird dream, nothing more.

But what if it is connected?

I start to voice my thoughts, but Taras interrupts me, “I think it is about time we left. I don’t like the idea of staying out here with whatever is the cause of the missing beasts.”

I grab my pack and follow Taras and Luran as they start to trek back through the forest. I catch up to them and ask, “You know the way out of the forest.”

Luran nods, “You left Xs in the trees, very smart by the way. We also left markers…” He trails off as he comes to a tree.

The bark is clawed away.

It takes me a second to realize something, “I left an X on this tree.”

I look at all the trees around us, every couple of trees has a large claw mark in it, and some with Xs.

Taras bends down and holds up a two pieces of a stick. It is polished smooth, with a pointed tip on one end to put in the ground. A small white flag tops the other half. He says, “I think whatever scared off the beasts found us.”

“And it’s intelligent,” Luran finishes grimly.