Chapter 132

With a Wildness in Them

Abigail

I kept patient and watched the ships come and go through the Mist Hidden wall. It was the same two ships every time. Both of them, led by a small goblin on her boat of barrels. BarnacleEyes.

Each delivery was a celebration for the orcs and goblins. They celebrated with beer. With shouting. With fires upon their boats.

Every last day of the week was like this. For three weeks straight, though I caught on to the pattern early. The time and place was the same each time. BanacleEyes would come through the mist, lead the orcs and goblins through, and then lead them back out. Then she would return through the mist by herself.

So I waited another week for the next event. I prepared a few ales to help me along the way. Several Water Walk attribute beers. Speed attribute beers. Chameleon Stealth attribute beers using snake plant leaves with ground yellow topaz. One of my highest cost beers.

The week went by at a crawl. On the last day of that week, I packed my things and prepared myself. The sun arced through its zenith. The afternoon cooled off. And just before dusk, BarnacleEyes came paddling through the mist. She led the orc and goblin ship through and would not return for another hour.

During that time, I drank from my Water Walk attribute beer, walked out to sea, and sipped my Chameleon Stealth beer every few minutes. The stealth attribute didn’t last long, but I only needed a little to get close enough to the entrance location.

My clothes, my hair, my entire body was transparent. The edges of my body formed an outline, and only those who knew what to look for would see me.

After a time, BarnacleEyes came out of the mist, leading the orc and goblin ships. They sailed past her, toward the fleet. When BarnacleEyes began her turning circle, I drank from a Speed Attribute beer and raced across the surf of the sea.

She was just reaching the mist, just raising her Mist Hidden key beer up for a drink when I reached her. I stormed aboard her raft, charged toward her, and yanked the key beer from her lips, right before she drank.

The goblin went wide eyed and her mouth opened with a gasp. My Chameleon Stealth attribute ended. My form appeared with color. BarancleEyes and I locked eyes for an eternal moment while the raft bobbed on choppy water.

I sipped from the key beer.

BarnacleEyes snarled and said, “You crusty turd covered ass hair! Gimme that back! No!”

I backed off as she rose to her feet and brandished her paddle for a weapon. I sipped from my open Speed attribute beer and leapt toward the mist.

“No!” BarnacleEyes screamed.

I juggled my Water Walk attribute beer and took another sip of that. Then the Chameleon Stealth attribute beer. My leap had brought me at least a dozen feet further into the mist. I ran straight through, leaving the goblin locked out.

I followed a dark silhouette in the mist. Came to a dock and climbed up. I gazed back upon the bioluminescent mist.

I did it!

I felt eyes on me. I turned back around. Saw a monster on the shore. A slightly different monster than Thrush had been before, but I recognized him nonetheless. My hackles rose as he stared my way.

Apprehension froze me to the spot while my brain fired through a dozen scenarios. My best idea was to go around him, so I backed down the dock and lowered myself to the sea. Out of sight, I juggled sips and walked across the sea northward.

I took a chance and peeked over my shoulder at Thrush. He stood there eyeing the mist. As if expecting BarnacleEyes. Then he turned his head toward me. Blinked his gargantuan eyes.

I nearly added to the sea.

Part of me felt that he could see me. Part of me questioned whether he could. I slowly made my way north until Thrush was out of sight. I had to keep him out of sight until I found Hawkin. While few were a match for me in battle, Thrush’s abilities were an enigma. I didn’t want to risk battling him if Hawkin could call him off.

After coming ashore, I kept a Slow Time and Brewer’s Portal attribute beer handy. Slow Time wouldn’t work on Thrush—I knew that—but I had no idea what other monsters lurked about.

Hawkin’s base was bound to be huge. But the sea was an important resource, so my first assumption was that his residence mustn’t be too far from the sea. Likely close to port. So I angled back to port, but traveled eastward. Until I came upon a path. A well maintained path that seemed to indirectly wander through the land. A path that seemed to have been designed for sightseeing.

I uncorked a Brewer’s Portal attribute beer as I took the path eastward. I kept the lip of the bottle only a few inches away from my mouth. Checked over my shoulder every few moments as I went. Even glanced at the canopy. All I saw there was the end of summer.

Orange leaves fell.

I came upon a fallen tree. It had been cleanly lumbered. Several logs still lay in the woods, dragged off the path, clearly recently cut.

No monster did this. This was the work of an axe.

After a brief glance over my shoulder, I continued up the path. Nearly half an hour later, I arrived at a clearing. A large barn-like building was in the middle. Wide barn doors were open to reveal the contents. A few, large, rough pieces of brewing equipment were along one wall. Barrels filled the opposite wall and spilled outside to pile along one side. A small black barrel stood away from the others.

There were small gardens beside a tiny cabin. Against the cabin was a shed. Across the way was a firepit with large tree trunks horizontally laid around it. Beaten paths crossed from one location to another. At the edge of the clearing, away from everything else was an odd oven. Made of mangled metals. Clear-blue smoke rose from a pipe. The smell of fish and smoke pervaded the area. I wondered about the animals it would attract.

The cabin door swung open. A man emerged, propped it with a rock, and then he returned inside.

I recognized him. The face. Though the beard was short and clean, it was the man I’d been looking for. The same brown eyes with a wildness in them. His hair was much longer. But it was Hawkin. I found him.

I strode across the clearing with purpose.