Kris had a magical compass that didn't point North. With the planetary ring visible almost anywhere on the surface, compasses are rather useless. A glance at the sky and you knew where North was along with the time of the day.
Outside the city gates, I marked the direction the compass indicated on my map. It would be impossible to triangulate without the expensive and accurate one. Most travel maps only showed major roads, landmarks, and locations roughly on the same scale. They took some creative liberties with positioning to better space elements that were too close together or were too important to overlap.
We walked down the main road for about two kilometers before we attempted to do another reading. The compass was pointing in almost the same direction. Frowning, I calculated an estimated distance.
“The source of the snowstorm is around three hundred kilometers from us. With an error margin of forty kilometers.”
It also pointed to the Northwest, the same region Alice had forbade me from going.
“That's bad. How fast can we get there?”
“If nothing blocks our path, we would need a week each way. The terrain is rough and the cold will slow us down. We might even find an obstacle that impedes our way forward.”
I had food for two weeks. With some luck, we could catch something edible to complement our diet and stretch these rations into a month. Water was another thing but the forested north had several streams and rivers.
“We need to stock up and get more supplies. I wasn't ready for such a prolonged outing.”
Especially arrows. I knew the ammunition I had with me wouldn't be enough. If only Haru had found an enchanted quiver…
“Then, let's make haste and return to town. Each day we delay this expedition is another day people will suffer under this cold. Lead on, George. You may go at full speed. I have an alacrity spell that will let me match your pace.”
Even so, I couldn't dash at my full speed as the road wasn't empty. It was illegal to go so fast that one would raise a dust cloud and become a nuisance to other travelers.
*
*
Hours later, we were on the dirt road to the northern farms, the same we took on our Wolfertinger hunt. Kris bought enough dry rations to last us a month and a half. He was forced to reveal he had a dimensional storage item, a ring.
I also went back to the Guild and got express permission from the Deputy Guild Master to ignore Alice's orders. She didn't like it but the alternative was that I would ignore Kris’s quest and go scout for trouble in the rocky south.
A third reading near the farms improved my estimate. The source of the odd weather was two hundred and eighty-five kilometers away, deep in the wilderness. The dangerous, temporarily un-forbidden wilderness.
MC Donovan's farm was abandoned. I guess the old farmer cut his losses and moved out. We used the same path taken by Hector's caravan but when we got near the fairy woods, I decided to make a detour.
“Those tall trees to the west are trouble. We are going around them.”
“I can fight whatever threat lies in there,” Kris boasted.
“It's not a matter of danger. We will respect claimed lands if we can,” I stressed out. “Those woods are off-limits for us.”
Kris acquiesced. “You are correct. Lead on, George.”
I didn't want to mess with the fey. Nothing good came out of such conflicts and they had a really long memory. We were lucky they were content to just watch us fight the Wolfertinger male.
*
*
On the third day, we found our first sign of trouble. William went still and I felt his worry through our bond. I signaled to stop immediately.
“Trouble?” Kris whispered.
I closed my eyes and focused. There. Some growls coming from the south of our position.
“South. I need to see what it is.”
I drew three arrows and told William to stay next to Kris. Sleepy’s carrier was tied on top of the arrow bundles. Forward I went, looking for what startled William.
We were upwind from whatever prowled these woods. Our scent would reach them, making stealth difficult. I heard movement and stopped. It was more than one creature. A minute later, I saw four big Wargs move between trees in the distance. Moving backward, I glimpsed another three. Each of the monsters was bigger than a horse and they were starving. I could see the ribs on the weakest of them.
The Wargs sniffed the air and growled. They knew something was in their territory. With a good grasp of their numbers, I returned.
“Adult Wargs, a pack of seven,” I reported. They got our scent and are coming here.”
The pack would first make sure they knew where we were and then send some Wargs to circle around. It was basic wolf pack tactics but Wargs were more vicious and more intelligent than normal wolves.
The books classified them as evil monsters. They intentionally caused suffering. Even if they weren't hungry, Wargs would go out of their way to kill and maim.
They could be tamed, though. Best as infants but even adults would submit to a strong master. The tamer needed to dominate their Wargs with an iron fist.
The wind picked up around Kris. I grunted. Was this Mage so inconsiderate to use wind magic next to an archer?
The woods around us growled. I couldn't see the Wargs but a cloying, oppressive presence fell on us. William bleated in defiance.
“Would you mind if I cull their numbers?” Kris asked.
“You can slay all of them as far as I am concerned.”
The Mage glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. “One would assume you would like to earn some Experience points.”
Oops. Almost revealed too much. I have to keep that in mind.
“I can hunt stuff anytime I want. We need to reach the source of this disturbance fast. I am not so sure I can face a Wargs pack while protecting my beasts.”
“A wise consideration. Very well.”
Leaves and twigs lifted in the wind and circled us. Yet, not a single strand of hair on me moved. The debris accelerated as the wind picked up speed, and then tree branches creaked.
“Got you.”
As the wind suddenly doubled in speed, trees ten meters from us were uprooted, and a wall of flying earth and loam blocked visibility. But not the notifications.
> A level 24 Warg has died. +1 Dexterity.
> A level 21 Warg has died. +1 Dexterity.
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> A level 27 Warg alpha has died. +1 Endurance.
> A level 18 Warg has died. +1 Dexterity.
> A level 21 Warg has died. +1 Wisdom.
> A level 22 Warg has died. +1 Dexterity.
> A level 23 Warg has died. +1 Wisdom.
> A level 24 Warg has died. +1 Endurance, +1 Dexterity.
I kept my bow ready to be drawn and my attention on the wind wall. My ears popped as the air went still all of a sudden, dropping everything it had picked up. A cloud of dust spread out but not our way.
The effects were similar to whatever Alice did to the bandit woods but on a lesser scale. The uprooted trees were still in one piece, sans a few branches. The corpses of the Warg pack were in one piece though battered and bruised.
I saw a ninth Warg in the distance and shot my arrow. Then a second one not a second after. The first went through the side of its skull, barely slowing as it ate through the monster's HP threshold. The second one buried itself in the Warg’s neck. It was already dead.
> For killing level 17 Warg, you gained 64 Experience points.
I also gained six Attribute points from my bonds because Sleepy gained two levels. Two of these points were on Clarity. I asked the System to give me a detailed Attribute Window.
Soul Scout (rare) Level 20 Attribute Base Bonds Efficiency Total Strength 194 5 110% 218 Dexterity 148 7 130% 201 Endurance 144 8 130% 197 Intelligence 125 1 110% 138 Wisdom 146 2 120% 177 Clarity 15 4 110% 20 Charisma 26 1 110% 29 Health (HP) 220 653 Mana (MP) 60 72 Stamina (SP) 120 371
“Superb marksmanship. Congratulations, George.” Kris's genuine praise surprised me.
“Thank you.”
With another arrow nocked and two more between my fingers, I went to secure my kill. Meat was back on Sleepy's menu. Because I wasn't going to eat Warg.
*
*
We had another two rather uneventful days of hiking through heavy woods. We found some small monsters like the ever-present Al’Mi-raj, an earth boar, and some forest runners.
Forest runners were ground bird monsters with funny and exaggerated wattles dangling from their heads. They were freakishly fast when startled but didn't have much awareness of their surroundings. What was good about them was their meat. Forest runners were a rare delicacy.
We ate all of them, roasted over a campfire and seasoned with salt, pepper, wild onions, and herbs.
On the fifth night, the snow drizzle became a blizzard.
*
*
The wind woke me up. The tent rattled and any loose flaps flailed wildly. I turned on the magical lantern and checked my bonds. William was inside, staring at me with his square eyes. Sleepy was in his carrier, dozing without a care in the world.
Kris had his own tent. I had no idea if he was even still alive. I put on a heavy leather coat, oiled and waterproof. Out in the wild, we slept in our armors. At least those of us who bothered with it.
My enchanted cloak better deliver on that environmental protection magic.
I opened the entrance flap and regretted it. The winds carried a lot of snow and small sleet inside. Yet, I had to go outside.
Walking in the blizzard was hard. I went around the tent checking the pegs to see if any of them had come out with the wind. They didn't but some snow was piling up on one of the sides.
Then I checked Kris's tent. It was holding firmly.
“Kris!” I shouted.
The Mage answered after a while. “By the Triumvirate! A blizzard?”
“It's looking pretty bad. Are you okay there?”
“Yes, I am fine. But I fear we might get buried in the snow.”
“We still have two hours until sunrise. Do you have any spell to keep us safe?”
“My focus was on wind and fire magic, with a minor in force. But I suggest we wait. Is your tent okay?”
“That's what I came out here to check. Yes, it seems solid.”
“Then wait inside in two hours, if nothing improves, I will use a spell.”
“Okay.”
Mages had to be stingy with their MP. If we could endure the blizzard, then we would endure the blizzard and wait for better weather. I went back to my tent, then fought to shovel the snow out and close the flap.
At least the cloak kept me supernaturally warm.
*
*
The tent roof bulged inward as snow collected on top of it. The winds calmed down a peg but the downpour remained the same.
I sat with my back to William, my cloak covering both of us. Sleepy decided to wake up in his magical mansion, warm and a bit hungry. The enchanted pet carrier was even better at keeping its occupant warm than my cloak.
The little guy pawed the door, asking to be let out. I obliged. When he came out, I noticed two furry stubs on his head. Wasn't it too early to grow antlers?
I also noticed that Sleepy was bigger. In the last couple of days, he ate most of the Warg meat, raw. I picked him up and tried to estimate his weight. Fifteen kilograms? That was a lot.
Sleepy was twice as big as his siblings. He was slowly losing that chubby pup look as his snout became longer. His feathers, both wings and tail, were fully developed.
As he noticed my attention, Sleepy spread his wings. The dark gray and white contrasted with his light gray and white fur. But what impressed me was his wingspan. It was more than a meter wide.
"Come here," I called with my cloak raised.
Sleepy didn't feel cold. It was odd because even if William was slightly chilly. His nose was red.
I picked him up. Sleepy's nose was getting very red. As I inspected it closer, I saw that the nose was actually glowing red. What the hell?
The memory of the kidnapping incident returned with a vengeance. I couldn't lose him again… no. Sleepy was fine. It was just some odd light…
Despite my surprise and fears, the nose kept glowing brighter until it was as lit as hot embers. It was warming up the tent so much the snow near the entrance was melting.
I held Sleepy and touched his nose. Despite my gloves, I didn't feel any heat coming from him.
I tried to figure out the source. It could be either one of two things. Either some charm was placed on him or Sleepy picked a very strange Perk.
While I thought, Sleepy walked off my arms. To my surprise, he stood on thin air. No wings, no platform, nothing contacting him to the ground.
I grabbed him and pulled. Sleepy moved. So, not stuck to space either. The mystery only increased. The red glowing nose was almost blinding this close.
It had to be a Perk. Even non-sapient creatures knew how their features worked. I held him close to the tent floor and released him. Sleepy landed gracefully on the tarp. He went close to the entrance and drank the molten snow.