Opening Kiera's door, Rue shook all the snow off his body before he stepped inside the warm log home. Shiny quickly leaped from his shoulder, landing on a nearby shelf.
From behind, the goat slipped through the door, the snow covering its fur beginning to melt from the heat.
Rue stared at the creature dumbfounded.
Kiera, still sitting in front of the fireplace, snorted as she glanced up from her book. "I hate to tell you, but a Vield Wisp is a flower, not a wet goat." She chuckled, a particular teasing look in her eyes.
Rue rolled his eyes, grabbed the sack of Vieled Wisps from his hip, and threw it into the old hag's lap. "It just followed me here. I tried getting rid of it, but it wouldn't budge."
Kiera raised an eyebrow, "Interesting. It looks like an Ibex of Premutation."
Sitting on his rocking chair, Rue asked, "What is an Ibex of Premutation?" Nearby, the Ibex lay behind Rue's rocking chair, blocking him from rocking back and forth.
"baaaahhhhaaahhaaahh"
Rue pouted.
Kiera responded, "An Ibex of Premutation is a common creature. They naturally have affinities with Snow, Ground, and Growth. People often seek out these creatures because of their Affinity for Growth, harvesting their coats, even if the Affinity is weak." Glancing at the Ibex, she added, "It looks like this one in particular lacks that Affinity. Most Ibex's coats change based on their food source, taking on those attributes. Yours has the natural coat of these creatures. That means this Ibex has never eaten anything or lacks the attribute that gives its species relevance; Growth."
Rue frowned, turning to look at the Ibex, who was now looking around the room. "Why would it follow me though?"
Kiera shrugged, "I'm not an expert, but it may have been kicked out of its herd. It has been lucky to survive until now."
Rue's heart dropped. He knew that animals always died; natural selection had its hand in everything, killing creatures that were not fit to survive. But clearly, seeing it happen to the stubborn white-furred Ibex reminded him that life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. He was in a world that so far felt peaceful, but after the spider and now this, he began to realize that wasn't the case.
Sighing, Rue stared Kiera in the eyes, "Can we help it?"
Kiera shrugged, "Creatures who do not awaken their species' specific affinities naturally do not possess the affinity."
"Species specific?" Rue pointed out this was the first time he had heard of that.
Kiera nodded, "Yes, some species have latent affinities that they naturally awaken as they develop."
"Do humans have latent affinities?" Rue asked, curiosity lacing his voice.
Kiera shook her head, a reluctant light in her eyes. "Humans do not, but some species that used to be human do."
Rue's eyes widened, his face covered in shock, "Used to be human? What do you mean?"
"This is a conversation for another time." Redirecting Rue's attention, Kiera pointed at the Ibex, "First, we should deal with the newest member of your herd."
----------
Jerimiah sat cross-legged, his body covered in light armored padding, a clear picture of a pine tree on his chest. Nearby, his teammates wore the same. Today was a big day; today was their first Griffle game.
Cain walked into the room where they were all waiting. He wore the same outfit as the rest. He could play if needed.
The few people in the room silently looked at Cain. Cain cleared his throat, staring at the 6 people before him. "Now, I'm not very good at these kinds of speeches, but I do know that you have all put in many hours of hard work. Each of you has improved far more than I thought possible. Work together, and we can win. Griffle is not a one-man show. Let the people watch; let them see how hard we have worked."
Motioning for everyone to raise to their feet, Cain brought them into a huddle, his gaze momentarily staring into each of their eyes. "Now, let's go out there and show those Meadow bastards who's boss!"
"YEAH!"
From behind them, a wooden door creaked open. An official signaling them it was time. Hugging each one, Cain took the front, his gaze fierce.
Stepping out the door, they were met with resounding cheers. From the sidelines, wooden stands rose from the ground, hundreds of adults and children stood up as an announcer above the stands declared the entrance of the first team.
"Welcome everyone to the first-ever match of the Pine Forest Griffle League!" Drumming up the anticipation, the announcer paused before beginning introductions. "On one side, we have the Evergreens from Verdant Hamlet! On the other is the Bulls of the Meadow Hamlet! Everyone, show them we are excited to be here!"
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The crowd's noise level rose several levels, with supporters from both Hamlets screaming their heads off. Several hundred people were from other nearby Hamlets, either coming to watch for fun or to scout the competition.
Lining up on the sidelines, Cain pumped up the team again. "Let's kick some dairy cow ass!"
Several of their faces noticeably softened, a smile replacing their stressed faces.
Taking a deep breath, Cain ordered out the first team. "We are playing balanced. Jared and Margaret as defense, Ethan, you play both defense and offense. Jerimiah and Keller, show them what a true pitch and Ace working together can accomplish."
Each of them nodded. Huddling once more, they all grabbed each other's hands. "We are VERDANT! We are EVERGREEN!"
Breaking from their huddle, Jared, Margaret, Ethan, Keller, and Jerimiah stepped on the field.
Across from them, 5 others stood. Their padded armor was identical to their own, and their chests bore a picture of a horned Bull.
Their opponents consisted of 3 men and 2 women. Both the women looked identical, most likely twins. One of the men was a giant, well into the 7-foot range, only losing to Jared, a midget who was merely 4 feet tall and an older man sporting a long gray beard.
From the looks of it, their team was diverse and not to be trifled with. Standing in the center of the field, a ref motioned for the Ace's to step forward from both sides.
Jerimiah calmly walked up, his ears drowning out the loud sounds of cheers and shouts, focusing purely on the game ahead.
From the other side, the older man with a gray beard strode forward, his movements much more fluid then one would expect for someone of his age.
Arriving at the center, the ref looked at both men and said, "Alright, let's have some fun." Pausing, the ref held the ball before him and said, "The game begins when the ball begins its decent."
Winding his arm down, the ref threw the ball soaring straight into the sky. All eyes were staring at the leather hand ball as it reached its peak.
Just as the ball showed hints of dropping, did the field spring into action. Keller, from behind, swung with all his might, creating a concentrated wind current to bring the ball over to their side. Jerimiah rapidly rose from the ground, riding a dirt wall into the sky; his arms reached out for the ball.
On the opposing side, the old man's eyes sharpened, and pale brown legs of energy formed around his own. Squatting down, the old man fired into the sky, his jump aiming straight at the ball.
Jerimiah responded with a kick, perfectly sending his foot into the old mans stomach, sending him flying back.
Reaching up, Jerimiah grabbed hold of the ball. In mid-air, Jerimiah flung the ball backward into Keller's grasp.
Keller gripped the ball tightly, slamming his other hand down on it, a look of anticipation in his eyes. "Let's do this."
Trusting in his team, Keller sprinted forward with Ethan. Creating a field of tall vines and grasses, they quickly disappeared from view, charging into the opposing team's side.
Not having any of it, one of the twins on the Bull's leaped into the air, their brown hair bursting into flames. Reaching out with her hands, flames surged, covering the field of grasses in an orange inferno.
The midget quickly reinforced their side. With a simple raise of his hands, walls of dirt and stone rose from the ground, their placement expertly thought out.
The opposing team's giant stepped forward into the burning field of grasses and vines, his head on a swivel as he searched for Ethan and Keller.
To the midget's dismay, he quickly called out, "They are under us!"
Countering, the midget kicked the ground, turning it liquid. Keller, Ethan, and Jerimiah rose from beneath, their bodies covered in dirt and pebbles.
They stood defensive, Keller at the back with Ethan and Jerimiah in front.
Surrounded, Keller narrowed his eyes. From behind, the old man charged, his hands now mirroring those of a Bareths paws. To his side, the twins and the giant stood, and at the front was the midget.
As the old man charged forward, a wall of earth blocked his path. Margaret from behind, straining but accomplishing her goal. With a brief moment of reprieve, Keller thought out a plan.
Cryptically speaking, Keller announced, "Eagle, Weeds, Dummy."
Ethan and Jerimiah narrowed their eyes.
The first to act was Ethan. Slamming his feet on the ground, large roots shot from the earth, searching to entangle the opposing side.
Jerimiah charged the goal, discreetly waving his hands. Approaching, he was met by the midget. Sending out a kick, Jerimiah attempted to punt the small guy away.
The midget was quick to counter, expertly creating walls of earth just strong enough to counter each blow.
Scowling, Jerimiah channeled his Beast affinity. Feeling the Aether rush through his body, a pair of claws formed on his hands, smashing the wall that attempted to block him, colliding with the midget, sending him flying several feet away. Now free, Jerimiah sprinted to the goal.
Arriving several feet away, Jerimah leaped up. Keller winded his arm back, ready to send it flying.
Soaring through the air, Jerimiah felt a large hand grab his ankle. Pulling him down, his face met the ground, giving him an excellent taste of the dirt.
The giant didn't let go, flinging Jerimiah back several feet.
Grunting, Jerimiah ignored his pain and waved his arm. From behind the giant, Billy emerged from a tunnel, his large form leaping into the air near the goal.
Finding his mark, Keller released the leather ball, firing straight at Billy.
The giant widened his eyes as he watched the ball soar through the air. Jumping, the earth under his feet crunched as his giant palm entered the flight path of the airborne ball. With his attention on intercepting the ball, the giant didn't notice the vines shooting up from beneath, grabbing onto his ankles.
Pulling down sharply, the giant was sent blistering to the ground.
With the flight path clear, the ball was caught in Billy's maw and tossed into the round goal.
"Goal for the EVERGREENS!" the announcer roared, followed by rounds of cheers and shouts echoing through the field. The audience was absolutely captivated by the unique applications of Aether.
"There will be 30 seconds until the next round; teams can make modifications as necessary. It is the Bulls ball."
Huddling up, Cain stared at his offensive team. Jerimiah was bruised, Ethan's hair was surprisingly singed, and Keller was fine. "Great job, guys. Now, let's intercept that ball. Here's the plan..."
The 30 seconds quickly passed, and the ref called the teams back on the field. The opposing team's composition had changed. They lacked the previous twins, who were now replaced by an average-looking man and a young female.
The Evergreens marched on the field with the same lineup. Everything had worked fine so far.
Jerimiah stared down the opposite team, his eyes on the average-looking man holding the leather ball.
The ref announced the start of the match, sending the field into play.
Not taking any chances, the giant strode forward. Waving his massive biceps, a bull summoned nearby, joining its tamer's charge.
Leaping on top, the midget rode the Bull, his eyes burning with revenge as he stared at Jerimiah.
From the sides, the old man and young woman flanked, and to Jerimiah's dismay, the average-looking man disappeared.
Jerimiah waved his hand, and Billy appeared nearby. "Find him, buddy, " he said, his legs flexing as he shot toward the charging bull.
A large smile plastered on his face, 'This is going to be fun!'