The journey to the Glen began uneventfully enough. I was annoyed with myself, but that didn’t stop me from paying attention to my surroundings. And not just because of the potential for danger; being out in the woods never got old.

The forest was vigorous with new life. The early bloomers already had their flowers out—the maples with their modest blossoms unfurled from the tips of their branches and the willows’ fuzzy catkins sprouting wild. The elms, oaks, and birches weren’t far behind either. The tree species were well into budding and leafing by this time of year. Their spirits awake after finishing their winter slumbers.

Being one with the land, I didn’t disturb their important work nor the goings-on of all the small creatures that made the woods their home. The birds were lively, calling to each other among the branches. They were joined by bushy-tailed gray squirrels scurrying along the lengths with acrobatic ease, while down below chipmunks darted in and out of their burrowed homes.

The streams had iced over during the winter, but they were clear and running now. Occasionally, I saw the gleam of fish scales in the water.

A pair of hawks soared overhead, and I shifted my attention upward, tapping into the silver filaments running along my spine. One with the land and one with the sky, I felt the raptors’ wings brush against my awareness. The air above them was being drawn eastward toward where a gentle rain fell over Voorhei.

Snow walked beside me, alert to our surroundings. The same held for Yuki, their tendrils extending to sample the nearby qi. Both were good company as we hiked home.

I breathed easier by the time I’d climbed halfway into the hills leading to the Glen. Being among the green and wild things, there was only room for the present—the here and now. The forest bath had washed away my anxiety, my disappointment in myself for not recognizing a pattern of avoidance that I’d thought I’d already dealt with.

Life happened at its own pace. Buds opened when they were ready.

Inside me, Yuki shimmered with pride at my somewhat-belated epiphany.

You could’ve told me, I thought.

‘We could,’ they replied, ‘but then you would’ve tried to force things. Sometimes—'

—you need to let things happen in their own time. Okay, yeah, I get it.

###

A pond lay tucked between the hills east of the Glen. About forty yards across, it was fed by a short waterfall spilling over a limestone shelf and was maintained by a beaver dam built from stone, wood, and mud at the northern edge.

I sometimes came here to fish. Today, it looked like a chliapp lion had had the same idea. There were the remains of several bass and perch along the shore close to the dam. The lion himself was there too, but distracted by something farther to the north. He hadn’t noticed my approach, and I paused to crouch among the underbrush to take a closer look.

The beast had the look of a mountain lion—the lean, athletic build and the tawny hide—but with five tentacles undulating in the air, emerging from a pronounced hump between his shoulder blades. Each was tipped with a dark claw.

> Chliapp Lion (Animal)

> Talents: Sharper Than Average, Sensitive Senses

Snow had tensed at the sight of him, but nothing about the chliapp lion seemed unusual. While his muscles rippled under his fur and those claws looked wicked sharp, he didn’t inspire a desire to absorb his light. He’s not that powerful, I thought, an animal that’s chosen not to grow, content to be ordinary.

Well, there was one way to test that hypothesis. I slung my bow and brought my spear to the ready, nudging Yuki at the same time. They snickered in response, and I felt the anticipation suffusing their qi.

A huff from Snow signaled that she’d recognized our antics. A quiet pop followed, and she blinked elsewhere, our connection indicating a tree limb on the other side of the pond. She’d pull me out of danger if anything untoward should happen.

Once we were all ready, I stepped clear of the underbrush, let one with the land fall away, and the chliapp lion instantly spun toward my direction. Before he even saw me, he growled and his tentacles fanned outward in a threat display.

Then, he did see me, and it took only a moment for the tentacles to fold away back along his back. The chliapp lion dipped his body low to make himself seem smaller, and he carefully began to back away. He didn’t turn until he’d gotten some of the underbrush between us, and then he darted eastward.

The big cat had sensed that I significantly out-leveled him, and I grinned at seeing him run. The sight really didn’t ever get old.

There’d been a time when I would’ve shot and killed the chliapp lion. He would’ve been too dangerous to leave alive, plus his light would’ve fueled my growth. These days, though, I recognized that a healthy forest needed predators.

I’d known that already in the context of my old world, but I’d come to appreciate how the principle applied to this one too. So, I left alone any low-level creatures who didn’t exhibit signs of desiring to grow more powerful. The only exceptions were if I needed the resources they could provide—meat, hides, bones, etc.—or if they looked like they had a troubling interest in the Glen or Voorhei.

That didn’t appear to be the case this time, so I just watched the chliapp lion run off. Although… the direction he took was curious. I understood why he hadn’t gone west, that was the silver wolves’ territory, but the lion looked like he’d threaded a needle between me and whatever was to the north. Something just as dangerous as me likely lay in that direction.

Better be careful then, I thought, and immediately slipped back into the land.

The forest’s spirits did seem to be more active out that way, so I made my way around the pond toward where the chliapp lion had been standing. Then, I slipped through the underbrush to see what was on the other side, but the foliage was too thick this close to water. My normal, human senses weren’t up to the task.

‘Scout?’ Snow offered through Yuki.

But anything that could spook a chliapp lion had the potential to be seriously dangerous. Without the rest of my team to help cover her, I preferred to do it myself.

Magic first, I thought in reply.

Hawk’s Eye wouldn’t help unless I got closer, so I turned to the lodge’s journeyman sensory-enhancement spells instead. The spells cost both qi and mana to cast—about four points’ worth of each—so they were middling expensive. Under the right conditions, though, they were priceless. Plus, I had Yuki to help bear the costs. The uekisheile typically used their qi and mana for these kinds of spells, reserving my tanks for the path spells only I could cast.

The forest was full of sounds too quiet for humans to hear, and Owl’s Ears let me scan among them. The feeling was so weird; it was like being in my old world, turning the radio dial and searching for something good to listen to.

The spell conjured a rich and vibrant soundscape. There was the waterfall of course, as well as the rustlings of green things and small animals living their lives. Then, in the midst of it all, I heard the murmur of human voices—one, two, at least three. Maybe more.

I also smelled too their sweat and leather and iron. I sniffed the air, then opened my mouth so that I could taste it too. There was something different about the sweat. Like someone had eaten a lot of garlic, but it wasn’t garlic; I hadn’t been able to find any since coming to this world.

There was at least one person among the group who’d eaten a spice or herb that wasn’t readily available in Albei or any of the villages around it. In all likelihood, the people to the north were pilgrims heading to Ikfael’s shrine. We’d gotten quite a few over the years, some of them even having searched her out for the Healing Water spell.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

There’d also been cases, though, where people had come to Voorhei and Ikfael’s shrine to snoop. Sometimes they’d been obvious to spot—if you had a talent for being a Natural Spy, that was going to give you away. But other times, I had had to depend on what I’d glimpsed of their spirits. Let me tell you, some of those people had hidden their intentions really well. They’d given nothing away and hadn’t had to be dawn or dusk to do it.

These spies and agents had seemed to represent prominent families, interested lodges, and the land knights of places like Sugrusu Hakei and Ganas Hakei. Some had been from places even farther afield. I hadn’t been able to pin down from where, though. They’d looked like everyone else, but something about their spirits was nathlein, outside of the local culture.

Let’s check on these visitors, shall we? I thought. But then asked Yuki to contact Mouser to let the silver wolves know that a situation was developing. The reply was that the pack was ranging to the south, but they’d cut their hunt short to return to the Glen.

Through Yuki, Snow nudged again, offering her eyes, and I weighed the risks. Since it was people, she should be safe in the trees. Snow could blink faster than most archers could shoot, and mages were exceedingly rare.

Okay, go, I thought.

The sense of Snow’s presence disappeared from the west and reappeared in the north. Then there was another shift to an elevation higher up. ‘Come-safe-see,’ she sent.

So I merged with Yuki, and we focused our combined consciousness on the portion of us inside Snow. The blynx had taken a precarious position in the branches of an oak tree. As high up as she was, the limbs were thin and uncomfortable, but she’d spread out across several so that they’d hold her weight. The tree’s canopy was still filling in, but there were enough leaves unfurling to mask Snow’s position while also providing gaps to look through.

The browns, reds, and oranges were washed out of the world, replaced light, dark, and faded shades of blue and green with hints of yellow and purple melding into them. Other than the poor color perception, though, Snow’s vision was excellent at both capturing the broad scene and the sharp details within it.

Two men stood almost directly underneath us. Both were dressed well enough to be merchants—one younger than the other by a couple of decades at least. We caught the glint of shiny metal on the older one’s fingers and from around his neck. His clothes also draped more nicely, the material apparently finer.

At a distance, we counted five soldiers in brigandine standing guard, as well as four more of what appeared to be merchants resting nearby. This second batch of merchants was in robes, and once again one was dressed more nicely than the others.

Two or more merchant groups sharing the same guards? It was too early to tell, and we unfortunately couldn’t use Ollie/Eight’s status camera to learn more about their identities. The talent didn’t work while looking through another consciousness’ eyes.

What we did have was Snow’s excellent hearing. Her ears swiveled so that we could better listen to the conversation going on below us.

“You know what to do?” the wealthy one asked.

“Ask for the Healing Water spell; offer the silverlight in exchange,” the other replied.

“And if you encounter the one called Eight?”

“I gift him the second collection of silverlight.”

The series of questions by the wealthier merchant continued: “And if you are asked the reason for why you would do such a thing?”

The less-wealthy merchant replied, “I will say that it is in gratitude for Eight’s role in bringing the healing spell to the world.”

“You may see a blynx; do not be alarmed. The animal is a known companion to Eight. There may also be silver wolves. Do not make any threatening gestures. Simply back away, and head to the shrine. Do you understand, Sklein?”

The man whose name was Sklein replied, “I do.”

The other put a hand on Sklein’s arm. “Remember, you serve a greater purpose, a will greater than your own.”

“Honored, I know this truth. I hold m—I hold my zasha within me. My faith is unyielding.”

“All wise men are so,” the honored one said. “Now go. Follow the stream, and it will take you to Ikfael’s shrine.”

Briefly, we pulled away from Snow to check on Mouser. The silver wolves ran through the forest at their fastest speed, the trees streaming past them, their hearts racing. As quickly as they were traveling, it’d still take at least another ten to fifteen minutes to arrive at the Glen.

Send Moonlight ahead, we thought. Tell him he should keep Ikfael from accepting any new exchanges until Eight arrives.

The silver wolf alpha was Level 7 and faster than the rest of his pack. He’d make it in time, because whatever it was that we just saw take place, it was fishier than the bass and perch left behind by the chliapp lion.

We brought our attention back to Snow and found the two wealthier-appearing individuals conversing. The leader of the soldiers had also come to join them. They’d moved away from the tree we were in, so was necessary to hear them.

Yuki will continue to listen, we thought, while Ollie/Eight—My consciousness snapped back to my body—while I get eyes on these people to figure out who they are.

The cast times for Camouflage and Scentless Hunter were near instantaneous, so I was quickly moving through the brush, taking as straight a path as I could silently manage.

‘They’re talking about where to go next,’ Yuki said. ‘It was supposed to be the town of Huwata to the east of Voorsowen, but the other nicely dressed merchant is hesitant—something about the signs changing. The soldier wants to get moving and away from this place, but the honored one is definitely in charge; he’s holding them back until they know what direction to go. He seems to be counting on the fact that it’ll take time for Sklein to reach his target and for the exchange to happen.’

Nothing about this sounds good, I thought.

Yuki’s qi shifted in the equivalent of a frown, and I paused my approach as they sent me an image: on a chain around the honored one’s neck was a stone. It was hard to tell, since the colors were skewed by Snow’s eyes, but that looked like it could be—

‘An alarm stone,’ Yuki said.

I changed tack to head more northeast-ish. There was a stand of bushes there I could use for cover. My thoughts were quick, jumping from point to point. Eleven people, with none of them seemingly that powerful according to Snow’s senses. If we have to, we can focus on the leaders, guerilla-style. Assuming they’re up to no good; we’ll need confirmation. Anything yet?

‘They’re avoiding talking about their goals with any clarity,’ Yuki replied

The bushes that were my goal came into sight, and I paused to quickly and carefully apply poison to my spearhead and three arrows. The paste was a mixture of chishiaxpe and ant-killer hornet venom, kept in a tightly-stoppered wooden bottle. Then, spear stowed and bow in hand, I continued onward.

Slowly, I eased myself into position behind the bushes, step by step, testing my footing to ensure no sounds gave me away. One with the land, I continued, shifting one foot then the next until a single eye could peek… click, click, click.

> Theloc the Traveling Merchant (Human, Dawn)

> Talents: Natural Appraiser, Eye for Remedies, A Good Sort

There was nothing special about the honored one, now revealed to be named Theloc. And his companions weren’t any different. The captain of his guards, named Issa, was a natural swordsman, and the other nicely dressed merchant was a woman named Sulia with a talent for mathematics.

I worked my way through the other people present, and all the names and talents were innocuous. The only interesting tidbit about the entire group was that they had three dawn with them. That said, only Issa would be a threat if it came to a fight. Potentially. Maybe. Not likely. A group like this wouldn’t last long, even without guerilla tactics.

Still, it wouldn’t do to get cocky, and it was important to learn their intentions. I cast Prey of the Hunter on Theloc. The spell burned four points’ worth of qi and mana to mark the man so that I’d know the direction and distance to him for the next twenty-four hours.

My plan was to withdraw for now, intercept the one called Skein, and then decide what to do based on what I learned from him. If I had to, I could later track down Theloc and his group to… well, I’d do what I would have to.

Except, something was bugging me—a niggling sense in the back of my head. A slight warmth began to spread through my belly, a feeling I’d come to understand was my Taoism skill at work. I prodded it to see what, if anything, came loose.

> Taoism

> The Tao is formless and eternal, uncapturable by words, the gate to all mystery. Recognize what is and what is not. Inhabit the first but dwell in the other. These words are merely signs, the true path cannot be named, only experienced.

The tooltip remained as obscure as ever, but then that was the nature of the Tao. What I’d found over time, though, was that the skill helped me tune into the world around me, occasionally providing clues to the appropriate responses to things, especially those spiritual in nature.

And right now, the skill’s sensei was gently… gently urging me to consider… I slowed my breathing and settled myself into the land even further. My eyes were already mild—prey noticed when a hunter looked too fiercely upon them—but my attention shifted even more into simple curiosity.

The world in front of me was merely interesting: the people, their clothing, the trees and their leaves, the clouds above, the spring air, the way my armor hung on my body… all these details fit together into a complete and sacred whole. Except, that feeling at the back of my head continued. It was like I was picking at a scab on the skin of the world.

And then the scab fell away, the truth revealed. Where before, the people in front of me appeared harmless, I suddenly felt a weight from two of them. It was the kind of pressure I’d only experienced before from the land knight of Albei and the grandmaster of the Hunter’s Lodge.

Still simply curious, still absorbed by the land, the alarm deep within me was muted, yet I used my Status camera as was only right and proper in this situation. The talent screens I’d seen before faded away, replaced by new ones:

> Theloc the Philosopher (Human, Silvered)

> Talents: Treasured Alchemist, The World in his Hands, Sustained Amplification, Stabilizer

>

> Issa the Captain of Theloc’s Guard (Human, Silvered)

> Talents: Sword Supreme, Maltra’s Soldier, A Man of Action, Total Focus

>

> Sulia the Master Diviner (Human, Dawn)

> Talents: Master Diviner, Signs Abundant, Seeker, The Way Ahead

Not only were two leaders of the group silvered, but there was a master diviner and all the soldiers present were revealed to be dawn. Their talents had also been hidden, each of them a stage or two more powerful than what had been visible before.

More importantly. More importantly! One of the talents had given away the group’s origins: Issa the Captain of Theloc’s Guard was Maltra’s Soldier. These people were all agents of the Paramount Empire of Conjuncted Maltra, and they had designs on our Ikfael.