Chapter 62

Blessings of the Great Forest Spirit

What the Great Forest Spirit lacked in the ability to provide virtues and attributes were more than made up for in the fact that they understood what was truly needed. Nayali never having witnessed the power and glory of the great forest spirit was in awe when she saw the rapid changes taking place around the pillar.

The first thing to happen was the dim and overcast sky overhead began to clear, if only for their immediate area. The next thing to happen was all the energy that had been invested into the pillar was quickly absorbed by the land, the same way water would be absorbed into a harsh desert. There just like in the desert, the energy made an immediate outline in the ground, before slowly fading away.

Nayali was so entranced with holding Lykan in her lap, while watching the changes of the soil that she missed the moment when the corrupted dire-bear was removed entirely. Startled, Nayali looked around the clearing to see that the piles of bones and debris that had been littering the ground moments ago were also gone. They were all replaced by patches of freshly growing grass or in the case of the corrupted dire-bear, a sapling.

Even the air began to take on a more natural scent of fresh rain, even though no rain had fallen. She was so lost in the immediate changes happening all around as the power from the pillar slowly began to spread out in a large circle around the couple, that she missed the most amazing part.

There before her on the ground was a plate made of giant leaves that had delicately cooked portions of the cleansed dire-bear meat. Looking at the food she could see the simmering steam that showed the meat had been freshly prepared but was not so hot that it would cause her to burn her fingers upon touching. Just as she noticed the natural plate of food, she also noticed a giant flower that had grown into the exact shape of a cup. Inside the flower-cup was what had to be sweet nectar.

Carefully Nayali touched the cup, only to feel the presence of the great forest spirit brush against her mind.

Minor Blessing Received: Blessed Meal.

Blessed Meal (Common): This is a meal that has been blessed by a greater spirit to be free of corruption. May you eat it in good health and spirits.

Seeing the message in her mind, Nayali couldn’t help but feel at a loss. This was clearly the work of a spirit of the forest, one that Lykan no doubt had chosen. From their conversations she had heard of his past with the high wood elves. He even told her of the great meals that were provided by the great forest spirit by providing kills to the land. Looking around she couldn’t help but feel that this was some sort of test.

The Azani had always worshiped the one true God and would even go to war with sects over the pretext of worshiping a different god or deity.

Nayali wanted to protest, to refuse the blessing of the great forest spirit.

Rumble.

Her stomach and senses betrayed her conviction, as it had been a long time since they last ate. While they did have some dried rations, they were trying to conserve those for when times were desperate.

She looked down at the food that was still lightly letting off steam in the crisp air. With the steam came the aroma of meat and spices that smelled amazing.

Rumble.

Her stomach protested again. This time Nayali gave in to her hunger, quickly picking up the meat and digging in deeply. As her teeth entered the steak, warm juices rolled down her face. Normally such a barbaric act would cause Nayali to stop from embarrassment, but not today. Today she felt a deep hunger filling her as she tore into the slab of cooked meat. Each bite was a burst of flavor on her tongue.

In her frenzy to eat, a piece of meat became lodged in her throat. Fortunately, she managed to grab the flower cup and drank.

At first all she felt was the necessary lubrication needed to dislodge the chunk of meat. Only after the morsel was removed could Nayali finally relax enough to feel the glowing aftertaste of the nectar.

Then she took another sip and allowed herself to fill the full cleansing effect of the nectar. There were clearly some medicinal properties to the nectar for they helped to heal the wounds she had sustained from being attacked by the corrupted dire-bear.

Even internally she noticed a minor change in the way her meridians were able to hold and circulate mana. Feeling healed made Nayali feel confident in knowing that should any danger come, she would be able to protect her Lykan. While she was not completely healed, she felt well enough to release a few warning bolts of lightning to scare off any would-be predators.

Slowly Nayali managed to calm herself down a bit. She had gotten past the initial pains of starvation. While she was still hungry and thirsty, she forced herself to stop, knowing that Lykan too would need to eat and drink.

Looking at what was left, Nayali couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. She had clearly eaten more than half of the meat, and drunk over half of the nectar that had been provided.

She looked from the eaten food and drink, then back to Lykan and sighed inwardly at how selfish she had been and wished to make it right somehow. Remembering back to the stories Lykan told of his time as a youth, she was reminded of the story of how the elven priestesses would pray to the great forest spirit and the food for everyone would be provided.

Remembering this key detail, Nayali came up with a plan. It was foolish, especially as she didn’t know the true language of the high wood elves, instead she only knew Sidherthan, and Azani. Neither of which were on particularly good terms with the great forest spirit, at least not to her knowledge. Realizing the words of the Azani might come across as an enemy force, she opted to go with Sidherthan as the language of choice as she began asking the great forest spirit for more food for Lykan.

She knew Lykan would not complain. First there was no way to know how much food had been previously available, secondly, he would never fault someone for eating when they were hungry. That was just who he was, selfless to a fault. Realizing that by doing nothing she would be taking advantage of his generosity and kindness, she decided to act. Knowing that at the very least she could say she tried. Wanting to be able to provide for Lykan, the same way his selfless actions had provided for her moments ago, she began to do something she never thought she would do.

She began to pray to a being other than the one true god of her people. Worse, she was praying to the great forest spirit, the one true enemy of her god.

Should any word of this get back to her god, Nayali knew she would never be allowed back to the lands of her people. That was okay, as she had already come to terms with the fact that her life was now and forever bound to Lykan’s. Even should he cast her aside, she would still follow this man. He had a destiny to him, one that was so dense that it was even shrouded by the gods, or maybe so dense that it was now shrouded from the gods. The full extent of his fate was unknown. What was known was the fact that she felt bound to him, and if praying to his god for a meal was all she needed to do to provide some measure of comfort for Lykan, then she would be more than fine with the degradation.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, she began. She didn’t know how the prayers normally went, or how such a prayer should go. Not knowing the true cadence, she improvised.

“Great forest spirit, I do not yet know you.” Nayali inwardly cringed at the way she had chosen to begin but decided to keep pushing through. It didn’t help that she was trying to translate all the words she was saying to a foreign language. Only Lykan seemed to have no difficulty switching between the different languages with ease. Shaking her head again, she tried to re-center her thoughts on her true purpose for invoking the name of the great forest spirit. “That said, I would like to. I have heard about your bounty that you offer. I have even tasted and enjoyed such bounty here myself. Though I feel I have eaten too much. Drunk too much. I wish to share this bounty with Lykan, the true provider of this meal.” Nayali paused for half a second as she tried to figure out how to end this prayer. Seeing no better solution, she decided honesty was the best approach, “could you please bless him with a similar meal?”

Sighing to herself at how terribly she had messed up the whole prayer. She decided that she couldn’t even tell Lykan that she had tried effectively. Oh, she had tried. Tried and failed.

Yet, even as Nayli was admonishing herself for her failure to express how much a meal would mean for Lykan she felt a warm glow begin from within her chest. Then she felt a portion of her mana fade away.

At first, she felt violated, that the great forest spirit had come in and taken a portion of her mana. This however was not the case. Well, it partly was the case, as a small portion of her internal mana had been taken, but then before her began to appear a second plate of leaves with another portion of cooked dire-bear meat. Then beside the second plate was a second glass of nectar liquid.

Seeing the second meal, Nayali let out a breath she did not know she had been holding, as the tension in her shoulders began to relax slightly. She knew they still had a long way to go. They had just started their journey together after all, but she felt relieved that she could at least provide this one meal to Lykan.

Then seeing Lykan’s meal the hunger that she had mostly staved off came back as she smelled the rising aroma of his freshly cooked meal. She thought about eating a bite, but then thought better of it. Instead, she turned back to her meal and began chewing at what was left lightly. She wanted to savor every bite she could, especially now that she knew there was enough that she didn’t have to share.

Taking a pause between bites, she let out a “thank you.”

The words were barely more than a whisper on the wind. At that exact moment a cool gentle breeze coursed through the clearing, almost as if the great forest spirit had heard the statement anyways and responded in her own way.

With all her basic needs finally met, she looked down to the slumbering form of Lykan. She watched as his muscular chest began to rise and fall gently with each breath he took. Looking at him, she could only think one thing to herself. You fool, what have you gotten yourself into? With that thought, she laughed as she couldn’t quite determine who the thought was directed at. Whether her thought was for Lykan, or herself she couldn’t determine. Lykan, if only for the fact that he had once again gotten hurt. Or herself, for finding her mind unable to think of anything other than Lykan.

Everything was going great, almost too great.

Almost as if on cue from reading her own thoughts, Nayali heard the rustling of bushes and the snapping of twigs.

Snap.

Something was coming, no doubt drawn in by the fresh aroma of gently burning meat. Instantly alerted Nayali looked in the direction of the sound. Prudence would dictate that she gets up and rise to her feet, she did. Her instincts told her that what was approaching was a predator, and not just any predator but a very skilled and talented hunter. She looked but could see nothing.

The last glimpse she had was of the bushes parting as an invisible stalker moved forward. Seeing, or rather not seeing, the form caused Nayali’s blood to cry out in fear. This was a Chamelovore, a legendary monster that was able to hide itself from both sight, and smell.

Thump.

The beast took one step forward, that much was clear as a giant paw print embedded itself into the soft grass.

Nayali tried to call forth lightning to scare the beast, but her meridians were still damaged. They were being repaired, but they were sore. She knew that at most she had but one strike.

Calming herself with slow breathing techniques she learned and practiced since she was young, she steadied herself to prepare for a killing blow.