Night approached. They had made good time, but the forest was immense. The mountains looked closer than they did before, and the teleportation map confirmed that the duo indeed had covered a great amount of terrain in a day of travel, but again, the forest was immense.

As they stopped to eat supper, Albert took out his rations while Kainen prepared to make a fire.

“Handy, that inventory of yours.” The man said, nodding at Albert. “How much food did you pack, anyway?”

“Uh, let’s see…” Albert said, examining the contents of the inventory and going over the food he had there. “Several hundred kilograms. Plus three tons of water.”

Kainen stared. “What?” He blurted out. “How much??”

“Yeah, it’s a lot, I know.” Albert did not mention that there was something like ten times more weapons by weight.

“You could literally kill someone with your inventory!”

Albert exhaled through his nose and smiled.

Kainen frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“I thought the same thing when I learned how truly bottomless this inventory is. But no, it actively resists being used as a weapon, believe me.”

“Too bad.”

As the conversation died down, Albert tried to meditate. It did not work. No matter how hard he tried, his mental state was diametrically opposite to the state he would need to be in to meditate.

He briefly considered playing the firelaser skill video he had been procrastinating for a while, but eventually just lied down in the grass while the meat cooked on the fire. There was a mix of wild boar and earthen rations being cooked, and the smell was quite pleasant. A cold wind had risen through the forest, but with the shield active, all that Albert felt was the pleasant chill of the night.

The moon also rose high in the sky, peeking through the canopy. Its silver light trickled down the crowns of the conifer trees, like little gems embedded in the great dark.

“I guess all habitable planets need a moon…” Albert mused.

Kainen looked up. “What are you on about now?”

“Just random thoughts. Most planets rotate too quickly when they form, and having a moon can help slow down their rotational speed. It’s also the source of the tides.”

“What, the moon?” Kainen snorted. “That’s the source of the tides?”

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Albert ignored the derision in his tone of voice. “It looks like Earth’s moon.” He squinted. “An awful lot like it, actually.”

He was about to get up, as if getting up would allow him to be close enough to better see the lonely satellite in the sky. But the rustle of leaves made his head snap towards the forest. Kainen, he realized, had been faster than him by a full fraction of a second, and was already leaping at the bushes.

He came out of the bush moments later, after having all but shredded the thick foliage. Carrying someone by the neck. The elf looked diminutive compared to the mountain of man and armor that was Kainen, and grunted when he was thrown to the ground very close to the fire. He recoiled, trying to save his blonde-white hair from burning.

“Fucking plight.” Kainen grumbled, then his eyes settled on Albert. “Kill him.”

Albert was taken aback by the command. Kainen was not the leader.

“No.” He said.

He pressed on the elf with his Telekinesis, trying his hardest not to injure him. He knew his control over the skill could slip, but he could always heal the elf should it happen.

Kainen went back to cooking the meal, watching Albert without commenting.

“Who are you? Why were you following us?”

The elf groaned in pain as he tried to break free and failed. Albert pressed down harder, feeling a bone break somewhere in the elf’s body. He felt it through the spell before he even heard the snap with his ears.

He crouched, and healed the elf with a touch. Then he pressed even harder, knocking the air out of the elf’s lungs and whispering in the elf’s ear. “Speak, or I will kill you.”

“Like you killed the other two!” The elf spat, groaning, and struggling. He screamed for a moment, and Albert distractedly noticed that he was dangerously close to enjoying the situation.

Refocus on the present. Now it made sense why the elf attacked them. A quick appraisal placed his level at around ten, higher than the other two but not high enough to break free of an evolved Psionic skill such as Telekinesis. Interesting information.

Albert deactivated the skill in a sudden cessation of pressure, more for himself than for the elf. He didn’t like how he was enjoying the torture. The elf shuddered and groaned, and for a moment it looked like he was ready to pounce on Albert. But he didn’t. He got up slowly, showing his hands.

“What now?” He asked, a manic grin on his face. “You letting me go? You know I will be back with more hunters.”

From beside the fire, a grunt from Kainen had the taste of an I told you so.

“But if you kill me, you only prove Arcane Equilibrium right, and we will send more hunters. What a conundrum, eh?”

Albert blinked. He sighed, and turned to Kainen who was laughing by the fire.

“Why are you all completely insane?”

“Well!” The man said, getting up slowly. He was still laughing. “Welcome to the new world, brat!”

Of course, Albert could use Psionic Suggestion, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Kainen. Not until he could trust him.

“Fine.” Albert said, staring at the elf in the eye. “Send more. Do whatever you want. I’m not killing you in cold blood.”

He took something out of his inventory. “Now, turn around and press your face against that tree.”

With the elf bound and gagged, then Albert and Kainen shared a meal in silence. Albert checked on the prisoner with his Perception skill, from time to time, to make sure the elf didn’t try something crazy. He was surprised when he didn’t, because despite all his grandstanding it seemed like the elf was more cowardly than he looked.

“What do you plan on doing? Leave him there like this?” Kainen asked as he ate the last of the cooked meat from the boar.

“No,” Albert said. “It would be the same as killing him, in this forest. I will teleport back once we are far enough away and free him, then dip out.”