Death swept over the darkened forest on silent wings—an owl invisible to all except for my spirit eyes. With a tilt of his wings, he landed on the strongest branch of the oak across the glade from me. Finally, we’d lured him out. It was our second night waiting for him.

Giant Owl (Animal, Dusk)

Talents: Shadow Wings, Hidden Hunter, Grab ‘n Go, One with the Night

The pale spirit light of the tree’s branches obscured my sight, but I caught a glimpse of the owl’s head swiveling to examine the area. The open space in between was filled with dried grasses rustling on a windy, autumn evening, and I stood at the glade’s far end, pretending to be unaware of the owl’s presence. Behind and around me, a team of hunters lay in waiting.

It was a tactic from the bishkawi playbook: stick a member of the troop out in the open—preferably one who appears weak but is actually strong—while the rest hide and prepare to ambush the intended target. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable feeling being used as bait, but I couldn’t complain since it’d been my idea.

The damn owl had been overflying my home, the Glen, for the past week, and he needed to permanently go away. He hadn’t grabbed anything or anyone from within the territory yet, but it was only a matter of time. So, I’d asked Mumu for help, and she’d agreed.

The hunt for the giant owl had even been sanctioned, becoming a part of the Hunter Lodge’s biweekly efforts to reduce the number of threats to Voorhei. We were farther west than we normally culled, but as the lodge master, Mumu was able to grant permission, and her mentor Kesa agreed.

The first day of the hunt, we’d found a glade northeast of the Glen, and set up the ambush. When the owl hadn’t appeared, we rested during the day, and tried again the next night.

My team alone should be enough to take down the owl, since most of his abilities seemed to be related to going unseen and unheard. I couldn’t help but worry about “One with the Night,” though. My Status camera didn’t provide helpful tooltips, so it was up to me to interpret others’ talents based on the names. Odds were that the owl was skilled at hiding at night, or... Maybe he’s a blood drinker, and the name is a vampire movie reference? What do you think, Yuki?

The uekisheile nodded in reply, the qi equivalent, anyway. Or it’s like Ikfael’s talent for merging with water and stone.

That’s... well, that’s a terrifying thought.

I licked my lips as I noted the owl’s attention beginning to focus, narrowing to the tasty tidbit out in the open field. A chill ran down my back, as if death were behind me.

You’d better signal Snow, just in case. Let her know I may need saving.

Done. She’s hiding in the grass with the other hunters, and says she’s ready.

I hadn’t felt Yuki's attention shift to the blynx. With their Multi-Threaded talent, they’d become increasingly adept at thinking one thing while doing another. I, on the other hand, was pretty much stuck tackling tasks one at a time. While Yuki had been casting Iron Heart and Collaut’s Hide on my behalf, I gathered my mana and brought to mind the runes for the Spark spell. I let myself fill with the feeling of potential, just waiting to be released out into the world. I held onto it, though, and let it build until my body-heart-spirit was nearly full.

Suddenly, the owl launched into the air, and for a second the pale light of his wings covered the moon. My breath came faster, but I held myself still. I was the hunter here—only pretending to be prey—and I had my allies with me: Yuki, Snow, Mumu, Haol, Tegen, and even Teila. They were all present, and ready to defend me.

From one moment to the next, the owl dove. I only had enough time to get a word out, “Now,” before the owl filled my sight, his claws in front, aiming to grab and lift me away. All around, qi swirled as the waiting hunters prepared their attacks. My mana connected to the Spark runes and shook—the potential turned into a glowing brand of skyfire and I pointed it at the owl towering over me. I closed my eyes as the world turned briefly light. Then, the air cracked with the sound of multiple Spiral Pierce spells, and I heard the thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk of arrows hitting following after.

I opened my eyes to see the owl shuddering on the ground. He was visible now; the Spark spell had stunned and disrupted his abilities. More qi swirled, as a second and third round of arrows punched into his body.

Inside me, Yuki let go of Collaut’s Hide and cast Dog’s Agility in its place. The spells were incompatible, and speed was more important now that the owl was grounded. I snapped up my spear, pushed qi into a fast Spiral Pierce, and thrust. The spearhead penetrated the feathers over the owl’s breast, sinking about a foot deep. Then, the owl batted his wings, and I was buffeted away. Arrows dotted his body, but he continued to flap in an attempt to take off.

The steady thump-thump of steps came from my right, and I glanced aside to see Tegen charging in, his legs pumping. His spear punched through the area where the owl’s left wing connected to his body. The owl went sideways in response, partly from the force of Tegen’s blow and partly from the right wing’s frantic efforts to flap.

The hunters in the grass must’ve shifted position, because their arrows shot in from a new angle. I held myself back while they peppered the owl with arrows. His feathers protected him more than I’d expected, so I waited for a weak spot to emerge. Tegen’s spear was firmly lodged in the shoulder area, so the owl wouldn’t be going anywhere; I had time. Meanwhile, Tegen retreated briefly to retrieve another spear.

Haol used the opportunity to shift into high gear, and I heard the tell-tale staccato of his rapid-fire, Dog’s-Agility-and-Spiral-Pierce-fueled shots. The owl moved unpredictably, so the arrows didn’t hit all in the same place, but enough clustered in the breast to create the opportunity I was looking for.

I cast Bear’s Strength, and the qi within me spun near-instantly through the requisite patterns. My muscles bulged with lightning-aspected qi. Then the spell’s scent doubled as Tegen re-joined the fight. A quick look told me that he’d borrowed Haol’s spear, and with a nod to each other, we charged.

Tegen wasn’t able to run three spells at once, so I slowed my Dog’s Agility to match his timing, and our Pierces were just about to hit when the owl suddenly shrieked... and vanished. Not just from regular sight, but my spirit eyes too.

All the arrows that had previously pierced his body, as well as the spear that had been lodged between its wing and sternum—they all fell to the ground, almost as if the owl had teleported. There’d been no mention of a blink-type ability among his talents; Yuki must’ve been right in their interpretation of the One with the Night talent.

“It’s a transformation ability,” I yelled out.

Tegen and I moved back-to-back to watch each other’s blind spots, and my spirit eyes revealed Mumu and Haol standing over Teila to protect her. There was no sign of the owl—not until I looked up. He was in the air spiraling out of control, trying to fly with a damaged wing but not succeeding. He seemed to be aiming for the trees opposite our location.

“There,” I said, pointing, and then started to run.

This time, I didn’t wait for Tegen. There was no way I was letting the owl get away. Meanwhile, Mumu had the Night Eyes spell, so she responded immediately to my callout. Arrows flew past me as I ran. The dried grasses shook behind me as all the other hunters followed.

I’d only used one mana spell so far, and my tank had enough for five more, so I called the Spark runes to mind again. The lightning responded and illuminated the glade with the bang bang of two spells cast consecutively. The owl dropped from the sky.

I didn’t want to let go of Spark runes, so I thought to Yuki, “Spiral Pierce,” and they spun qi around my spear in response. The resulting thrust penetrated deeply into the owl’s breast, but when I tried to set up another attack, my spear was caught inside. So, I let go and shot the owl with Spark once more—bang—and the spell was immediately followed by Tegen barreling into him.

The impact shoved the owl back a good ten feet. He shrieked again, but didn’t vanish this time. I cast Spark again, though, just in case, and the spell seemed to daze him. Which was when Mumu and Teila came running out of the grass; they drove their Spiral-Pierce-enhanced spears into the owl. A cluster of four spears stuck out of his breast, and that was apparently too much for him, because his spirit dimmed and his ghost disconnected from his body, moving to the side and floating there.

I thought I might need to say a prayer then to move him along, but the owl’s ghost shuddered as if heaving a great sigh and vanished. His body, meanwhile, lay still on the ground. We’d killed him.

Haol moved into view with his bow drawn, covering us in case the noise of the fight drew anything to the glade. The other hunters all retrieved their weapons and watched the area as well. I couldn’t pry my spear loose from the owl’s body, so I pulled a hunting knife while we waited.

"Injuries?” Mumu asked.

Starting with Teila, the hunters reported their condition. No one was hurt, and everyone had held back enough qi for one more spell. I was the only exception: “I’m fine, with enough for one mana spell. I have plenty of qi, though, since it was Yuki doing most of the casting.”

Snow’s fine too, Yuki said. She almost jumped in when the owl took to the air, but you Sparked him before she could.

“Looks like we’re all good,” I said.

Mumu sighed, and I saw the tension leave her shoulders. “I don’t like being surprised. How did the owl vanish like that?”

“I misinterpreted something I saw in his spirit,” I said. “I thought it meant one thing, but it turned out to be something else.”

“Something like your Blink spell?” Mumu asked.

I didn’t hear any recrimination in her voice—just a desire to know. She was responsible for the wellbeing of Voorhei’s hunters, and learning about the dangers posed by unusual talents was part of her job.

“Functionally it's similar, but the way it works is different. Blink is a straight-up teleport, but the owl’s ability let it transform into the night, effectively becoming incorporeal for a time.”

That seemed to shock everyone present; all the hunters reacted.

“Such a thing exists?” Tegen asked.

“We saw it in action,” I said.

Mumu shook her head. “We were lucky, then. If we hadn’t stunned him at the beginning and hurt him enough to cause him to flee, the owl could’ve toyed with us.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “It just didn’t occur to me that he could take on the qualities of an abstract concept. I mean, I’ve seen others turn into water, stone, and even qi, but the ‘night?’ ”

“It is more than passing strange,” Tegen said.

Mumu nodded along. “I don’t remember anything from the lodge’s records, but I’ll check when we return to Voorhei.”

None of the hunters seemed upset with me, but I was pissed at my lack of imagination. This world had turkeys in it who shot heat beams. There’d been a musk ox with the power to fill his enemies full to bursting with blood. There weren’t really any limits to what was possible—at least not any I’d seen.

Mumu must’ve read my expression, because she patted me on the shoulder. “Now we know, and we’re alive to share the knowledge with our brothers and sisters. That’s enough.”

She didn’t say anything after that—none of the hunters did; just kept an eye on trees until enough time passed that we were sure no creatures had been drawn to the area. Altogether, it was about half an hour of quiet surveillance.

Afterward, Teila and I assembled a travois and began to dress the owl. As big as he was, he had enough meat to make it worthwhile to transport him back to Voorhei. It was a chilly evening, so the body should keep okay. The plan was for us to overnight at the Glen and head to Voorhei early in the morning. We’d smoke the meat once we were back at the village.

As we worked, Tegen quietly explained that the eyes were the most prized parts of giant owls, followed by the skull, and then the claws. Apparently, some people used the bones for wind instruments, but the market for them was much smaller.

He was interrupted by a soft whistle.

Mumu whistled in response, and Kesa’s team walked out into the open. They must’ve been successful in their hunt too, because three of them had a couple of fire badgers each, tied together and draped over their shoulders. Their clothes were singed in places, but I didn’t spot any injuries.

I looked questioningly at Ben, the healer on their team, but he responded with a quick shake of the head. They were all right, then, with no additional help needed.

Mumu and Kesa huddled for a few minutes to share information, but nothing got passed to the rest of us. We were effectively done for the night.

###

We had a decent moon in the sky—waxing about half full—as we traveled to the Glen, but shadows covered everything under the forest canopy. A couple of lanterns lit the way for those without magic. Inside each was a candlestone, and shutters limited the amount of light spilling out.

The wind rustled through the leaves, and sometimes the bushes shook as something small scurried nearby. Whatever the creatures were, they didn’t disturb the forest spirits any, nor did they seem interested in us. On occasions, we paused to make sure it wasn’t anything dangerous, but nothing hostile came into view.

The spirits in this part of the forest were quiet, although not sleeping, mind you. While they sometimes seemed to drowse, spirits never slept. Instead, they watched us pass by with a sort of detached interest, like we were a curiously shaped cloud or a distant memory half-remembered. I examined them with a good bit more interest, since my team now relied on me being able to spot disturbances before they became visible in the material world.

The spirits illuminated the landscape, lending a pale glow to everything around me. In the season since the kalihchi bear hunt, I’d grown accustomed to the view, and didn’t need the help of Dog’s Agility to process the sights, emotions, and memories my spirit eyes brought me.

Particularly dense experiences were still easier to handle when my consciousness was merged with Yuki’s, but for the most part, I didn’t stumble or wobble anymore when I had my spirit eyes open. And my team had learned to trust in them, as well as in Snow, the blynx having become the unofficial mascot of the Hunter’s Lodge.

My eyes and the blynx were a part of my team’s trail discipline. While I kept watch for trouble in the spirit world, Snow ranged about twenty yards out on our left. Mumu, as usual, scouted ahead, while Haol trailed behind to cover our rear, and Tegen protected Teila and I in the middle.

Kesa’s team paralleled us to our right, using the same formation, although they didn’t have any apprentices to protect. They were all elders, and I thought it might be Ben who was the youngest—he looked to be in his late forties—although that might be a side effect of using magic. People able to manipulate qi or mana didn’t appear to age as fast. That might be true for body power too, but I didn’t know anyone able to use it, so there was no evidence for that yet.

The emulator Yuki and I had built to simulate body power didn’t count. Our experiments continued to be very, very painful.

Focus, Ollie/Eight.

I sighed at my lapse, and nodded in thanks to Yuki. We weren’t far from the Glen, but they were right—it was better not let my thoughts drift too much when away from home.

###

The outer walls of Ikfael’s shrine came into view, and I spotted Uncle Salle standing guard atop the gate. He was Aunt Tulu’s brother, a part of the family of builders who’d descended on the area, and he had the squarest frame of anyone I’d met in either of my two lives. Even more than Diriktot, which was really saying something, since the Fallen God of Order looked like a classic fantasy dwarf.

Uncle Salle’s spirit radiated watchful-apprehension-concern, at least until Mumu whistled to catch his attention. He’d missed her approaching the gate, and after a startled gasp his emotions settled into a glad-relief.

He’d been worried for us. That wasn’t a guess either, I saw the way his spirit’s attention eased as he counted the number of hunters appearing out of the surrounding trees. That ease turned into satisfaction as Mumu whispered up to him. They were too far away for me to hear, but she was likely reporting that we were safe and successful.

After a moment, Uncle Salle disappeared from view, and re-emerged as the gate swung open. Another of the builders was behind him: Slaevt, who was the family’s lumber specialist. The man was in his late twenties, and the complete opposite of Salle, thin where the other was thick. He could work miracles with wood though. Literal miracles. I’d watched fascinated as he used Hydromancy and Nature Magic to season freshly cut trees—about a house’s worth in just two days.

Of course, I’d asked about the spells, but they were a family secret. I was told I’d have to join for them to be shared with me. At which point, Slaevt introduced me to his niece, an apprentice a couple years older than me. When that didn’t work, he called over her twin brother. I still declined.

The hunters quietly streamed into the open area approaching the shrine so as not to disturb the builders sleeping inside. I wouldn’t be joining them, though, as I planned to sleep in my own bed in the Glen proper. I did, however, linger in order to check in with Mumu and Kesa. They had stayed at the gate to coordinate watches with Salle and Slaevt.

I was waiting for a break in the conversation when Yuki’s qi flared in alarm. Instantly, I dropped into holding the spear and searched the woods for threats. A ripple of ready-search-danger spread through the spirits of the hunters nearby. I heard the soft patter of footsteps running toward the walls.

Not here, Yuki said. The part of us in Voorhei, in Bihei.

The uekisheile’s main body was permanently attached to me, but they could segment off three pieces of themselves without compromising the integrity of their consciousness. One part was inside Snow to help us coordinate, and another got traded between Billisha, Aluali, and Bihei so that we could stay in touch.

I licked my lips, and gestured to the hunters: “All clear. No danger present.”

To Yuki, I said, What’s happening? What’s going on? Then I realized it’d be faster, just to see for myself, so I merged with Yuki, and we sent our combined consciousness outward to the part of ourselves currently residing in Bihei.

###

Through her eyes we saw the interior of the stable that once belonged to Ghitha. The stalls were long gone now, replaced by a single cage made of iron. The bodies lay on the ground. Bihei wasn’t a hunter, so she didn’t recognize the wounds on them. All she saw was that the bodies were mangled, but we understood how their bellies had been clawed open, their necks sliced, and their backs and limbs broken.

Blood pooled on the ground under them. It was splattered across the walls, and the coppery scent nearly overwhelmed her. She gulped, and pushed her way back outside, through a crowd of panicked villagers.

Koda was there. Dwilla too, as well as Musa the Dog Rider and Jesei his mount.

The village head was saying something, but the sound was attenuated in Bihei’s ears and hard to make out. She noticed us, however, and felt our concern and attention. Even before we could ask, she said, “It’s Borba. He’s escaped.”