Chapter 11

“You did what? That was one hundred and twenty gold! Bring my beast back right this instant, Xavi!”

After Antony had left to return to the rebel camp, Xavi refused to explain what he had done with the muskox. He only stated that they needed to travel back to the lakeside before he would tell them. After a heated argument between the two, Xavi finally conceded the fact that the cart would not make the journey but they would.

Silas and Kara followed the imp through the winding stream, barely speaking until they reached the lake. They ended up in a sizable clearing at the water’s edge in the same spot Silas had entered. The large roots of the tall trees that claimed the area reached out into the lake as if they were stepping directly from the moon-drenched waves.

Silas breathed in a deep, calming breath, the aroma of the damp wooded waters filling his lungs. Before he could completely compose himself, his newest companion spoke first.

“Please, explain what you did again, Xavi. And this time, please leave nothing out,” Kara nodded excitedly.

Xavi smiled, making his needle-like fangs shine in the moonlight, “See, she respects me, master.”

“Xavi…”

He let out a deep sigh, “Oh, fine, fine. You’re no fun anymore. As an imp from my plain, we have innate abilities specialized to our race. Stories say our gods bestow these abilities on us at birth to help us survive. It is essentially the same as evolved animals in your world but much more spectacular. With my kind, we have an insatiable need to collect. This can be oppressive at times but manageable. One of the abilities our gods granted us is a dimensional storage inside our core that is connected to our realm to counter this. Whenever I like, I can pop any object I desire into my core and hold it in stasis. It’s amazing for food during long bouts of famine as objects hold their freshness far longer than normal. I have found no end to the space in my many years of life.” Xavi proclaimed proudly.

“By the gods! So, you can hold, store, and return any object you wish, big or small, at a moment's notice?” Kara covered her mouth with her hand, restraining a gasp. “The possibilities are endless. You could sneak anywhere, take whatever you like, and no one would know a thing. You would make us richer than even the Crown.” She began fanning her face, “Holy hells, I need to sit down.”

“So you’re a thief,” Silas said flatly.

“Oh yes, master, I have stolen a great many things since we met,” flapping his wings excitedly as he hovered above the ground, “especially in the merchant district and the mage district while under invisibility—a great many things. The only catch is that I cannot maintain invisibility for more than an hour and can only access my core storage once daily. Through our bond, once I teach you how, you will have full access to my storage as long as we are within a certain proximity.” The smile that had been beaming from his face quickly turned to suspicion as he growled under his breath, “you will not take my shiny.”

“Oh, I love this imp. You are truly amazing, Xavi.” Kara clapped her hands with a laugh.

Silas pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, “You’re not helping.” He took another deep breath before he continued, “Xavi, bring back my transportation and supplies. Now.”

“Ugh, fine. Stand back, master and human female.”

Xavi stretched out his hands and closed his eyes in concentration. The next instant, a portal appeared in front of his hands. The portal was the size of his chest and blacker than the darkest, starless night. When Silas tried to peer into the void with his mana sense, he found nothing. It felt as if it didn’t exist at all.

Slowly, the portal grew from the size of his torso to a horizontal, oblong sphere spanning fifteen feet across at the tips. When the bubble reached its climax, it released an audible pop, leaving behind a smoking beast with the cart still lashed to it in its place. Immediately, the muskox started to panic as it came out of status.

“Oh, hells. That doesn’t seem right.” She said.

“Xavi! Why are they smoking? Are they hurt?” Silas rushed to the muskox, quickly assessing it for injuries and settling his animal. He found none, and after a minute, it began grazing again.

“In my world, it is much hotter than this frigid abyss you call home. They are fine, master.”

Kara leaned over to Xavi, “Can I try?”

“I suppose… if you don’t mind mind-numbing heat with the inability to move or have all functions of your body respond while having the sensation of boiling alive in utter agony until I see fit to release you,” He said nonchalantly.

“Xavi!”

“Joking, master!” he turned to Kara and mouthed, “I’m not,” with a wicked grin.

Kara crossed her arms over her chest and looked away wide-eyed before taking two steps back from the imp.

Twenty minutes later, after Silas was satisfied there was no harm to the muskox or the cart, Antony returned. “Oh, a muskox. I didn’t know you had one of those. I love them. Wonderfully loyal beasts and far sturdier than their namesake. A great asset to anyone traveling long distances. What luck.” Antony looked over to Silas, who was storming around setting a camp for the night, and Kara, staring off into the distance like she had seen a ghost. “What did I miss?”

The following day, they headed out before sunrise. They decided, with the guidance of the twins, to take the eastern route around the lake. This path would eventually meet the crossroads that would take them north, avoiding Holmberg. From there, Kara said they would pass through a small hunting village where they could rest or regather supplies. Next, the road would turn further northeast, leading them deep into the mountains. That was where they would find the hidden remains of the ancient city where they had retrieved the soul stone.

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The twins agreed it would take them three days at their current pace to reach the hunting village and two more until they reached their destination.

They stuck to the small, weathered, washed-out roads to avoid unwanted attention as they left the lake area. The clouds had rolled in as the sun rose, threatening rain, but so far, none had come.

“So, where are you two from originally?” Silas asked as he bounced along in the rear of the cart's bed.

“A little gutter-stain of a town far on the south coast named Spirit Storm. It’s one you’ve never heard of that is owned by a local lord you’ve likely never heard of either.” Antony said from the driver’s bench. “The nearby city is called Stormspirit, and it is ruled by the same fanatical lord. And before you say it, I know, very uncreative. How about you?”

“I don’t know, honestly,” Silas said as he looked off at the storm clouds that continued darkening above them.

Kara shifted in her seat to get more comfortable, “How do you not know? Oh, wait, let me guess, noble’s curse?”

“Got it in one,” Silas chuckled. “I have occasional flashes of memories but nothing more. I will say, though, Stormspirit does sound familiar for some reason.”

Kara shrugged, “It has been a long time since we left home. Maybe you’re from a family there?”

“It is possible. Or I could have been from a neighboring kingdom and learned of it through schooling. Who knows. When one is bestowed the noble’s curse, they are taken to the capital of the Crown to be released upon awakening. I could be from anywhere. I could have passed through my home during my travels and never known it. The uncertainty of it all is sometimes torturous, but it has been many years since I awoke. I hold very little hope of finding out, but in the end, I did find what I was searching for, so I take solace in that.”

Kara gave him a weary smile, “Hmm, I suppose you should. I wouldn’t have wanted to return if I were in your position. If they hadn’t cared enough before, then why would they now? You have freedom and your life. Someone once told me, ‘Your past made you what you are today; it doesn’t tell you who you will be tomorrow,’ be who you want as long as you’re happy. Don’t let your past consume you and miss the future.”

Silas sat a long moment mulling over those words. “Thank you. Those might be the kindest and most helpful words anyone has spoken to me.”

Before they could continue, Antony stood up holding the reins, pulling them to a stop.

“What is it, brother? What do you see?”

“Shh, give me a moment.” his right eye flashed orange as he activated a skill. “There’s smoke on the skyline roughly ten to twelve miles away, directly in our path. It could be some woodsman living out here, but it’s hard to tell. We will be hard-pressed to pass them unnoticed. How would you like to proceed?” Looking directly at Silas.

“How much detail can you see this far away?” He asked.

“In these conditions, very little. My Keen Eye skill is at maximum distance, and I only see the smoke. I would guess a small fire, enough for a few people but not enough for a large gathering. I would still recommend caution. No one should be out here as few could survive for long without the strength to do so. We should be cautious.”

“I could scout ahead of you like. See what I find,” Kara offered.

“Even with her skill, I would be the most likely to return unnoticed master. I could return within the hour with my findings.”

Silas considered the options. As a rogue, Kara had the skill set for this and would have no issues doing the reconnaissance. On the other hand, Xavi has the invisibility spell he hadn’t used in a while, so he should have the full hour before it fails and the cooldown period begins. They were far enough away from civilization, so that shouldn’t be a hindrance. Plus, they could communicate long distances. ‘If there is a fight ahead of us then that spell could be pivotal.’ He decided to take a risk.

“Go ahead, Xavi. Return with what you find. Do not attack anything unless you have no other choice. We will slow our pace further to give you more time. Be safe.”

“As you wish, master.” Xavi lept in the air and flew off. He activated his spell once he was half a mile away, and they lost sight of him.

They slowly continued down the washed-out road on edge. Antony kept cycling his Keen Eye skill in an attempt to glean more information with little success. Kara held both swords, shifting nervously, constantly surveying the surrounding woods.

After thirty grueling minutes, Xavi finally spoke, “I have arrived, Master. It is bloody. Six men are dead, with no sign of survivors. It appears something unknown came through and slaughtered them while they slept. Only two have weapons drawn by their corpses, but they are unused. Whatever it was that came through, it was quick and efficient. The first few died quickly, but it toyed with the others. They have several strange wounds covering them, but only a single was fatal on each. One would have to have incredible knowledge of anatomy and killing to have this level of precision. Whatever did this took pleasure in these kills. No human weapons did this, master. It was definitely an animal. I have seen many creatures capable of this feat, none of which are ones you’d like to encounter.”

Silas told the others what his familiar had found.

“What are they wearing? How are they dressed?” Silas relayed Antony’s question.

“I believe the human male was correct in his assumption. I believe this group was foresters by trade, not warriors. I see only minor leather armor and felling equipment in the area. Their camp is more of a permanent setup but hastily made. Possibly created for a long job. As far as I can tell, nothing has been taken, not even their flesh. Whatever did this killed just to kill. Maybe over territory?” Xavi speculated.

“Return immediately. We will need your eyes while we pass through this area. We will assume that you are correct and that this is the claimed territory of a creature.”

Silas turned to the twins and explained what transpired during their mental conversation. “Prepare yourselves. We will be defending our lives shortly.”

“Does anyone have any theories on what this creature might be? It would be helpful knowing at least possibilities,” Kara asked.

Antony looked to his sister with a shake of his head, “Without seeing a corps or at least their wounds, it is impossible to speculate. However, no animal or evolved species native to this area should be capable of this. We must be extremely vigilant.”

“Hold a moment,” Silas reached out to his familiar through their connection, “Xavi, before you go, are there any distinct features to the wounds? Is there anything special or specific to the fatal wounds over the superficial ones? Smells, shapes, mana, anything you can see or sense.”

“I will check, master. Give me a moment.”

While they waited, the three checked over their gear in preparation for a fight.

“Oh, now that is interesting, master. The first four victims show signs of necrotic poisoning in their wounds. It is only possible to see it now that the corpses have cooled. That type of naturally occurring poison is scarce and highly sought after.”

“The last two are different, though. There is mana in the fatal lacerations that is not present in the others. It is a strange mix of nature, metal, and death mana. Nature and death mana should not be able to exist together as they are on opposing sides of the spectrum. Several beings are known to have combinations of nature and metal or metal and death, but never death and nature. Whatever this is, it should not be able to exist, master.”

Silas looked out at the treeline in the distance in thought while the rain began falling around them. He told the others of Xavi’s findings.

“By the gods, what could it be?” Antony asked, worry growing on his face.

Silas pulled his gaze away from the trees and looked at the twins with a slight grin, “Only one way to find out.”