"Thank you for coming all here. The rumours that the beasts are moving about again seem to be true. In the jungles of Transnu, there is a beast that we cannot take on." The village leader said, waving his hand at the depiction behind him. Continuing, "The Brealk normally stay away from this of the jungle, travelling separately unless there are newborns. This one", smacking the painting behind him "has grown highly aggressive, and with that adjustment with size." Pointing to a line at the bottom "That is the height of a normal person, compared to him."
Norbert's eyes widened as he stopped listening to the man speak. The line only went up to the bear's knee. Doing a quick math, the bear elk, the Brealk standing in the picture, would come up to nearly ten meters. The antlers on it add an extra couple as well. Wondering how exact it was, Norbert wondered how something that large would even fit between the trees of the jungle.
"For taking it down, I will leave that to you. We will all be open for your stay, and we recommend sleeping in the trees at night. That is all. May Arzemit assist you on your hunt." The villager finished with a salute, hand high in the air with the index finger up. Everyone else copied, moving away from the door to allow the villagers to leave.
Norbert moved to the side as the villager passed, wondering what would be expected of him on his scouting around at night. Remembering the warning not to sleep on the ground at night, thoughts of the creatures that might roam around on the jungle floor at night. Still standing at the entrance, Norbert heard Dousan call out, "We will spend the day finding a place and talking with the locals. No night scouting for now, Norbert; we shall follow the support of the locals here. For now, find places to sleep, places to put the gear on and for the tents to go out. Rest up and prepare for tomorrow." Dousan finished off.
Everyone gave the appropriate salute as Norbert walked out of the entrance, looking out at the village within the trees, wondering what he would be doing for scouting, wiping the sweat from his brow again, staring at the villagers not even a drop of sweat on their bodies. He knew his first task would be a way to stop himself sweating so much.
On the other end of the walkway, looking around at the village up high. Everybody else fanning out this way and that doing what was instructed of them. Spotting the mess tent already going up, items taken out of storage and enlarged. Wondering what the next place he should go. Standing there trying to decide, he felt someone tap his shoulder and turned around, smiling as he saw Azalea standing before him.
"Thought we could use this time to review some studies since it's been some time. To make sure you're not that rusty." She explained to him.
Norbert nods, forcing himself not to use the pendant by thinking of speaking in Morenasian. "Sounds good." Azalea, leading the way, made turns this way and that across the village among the trees. As he navigated his way across, he saw plants being processed, husks ripped off and stored away, and the waste kept there to be thrown off the edge. Looking down at the base, spotting people moving the bi-product to other places in the forest.
As he continued moving, he spotted one group digging it back in random places. Shaking his head, knowing there must be a system, he kept walking, stopping when he heard his name being called out.
Turning around, he saw Azalea sitting at the platform's edge, the building behind her. Dangling her feet over the edge with her pack by her side, Norbert walked back to her. "Sorry about that; I just didn't see you stop." Norbert explained to her.
With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the excuse, keeping her hand open as she stared at his chest. Reaching under his clothes, he took off his pendant, handing it over to her. Holding the device in front of her head by the chain for several seconds, she examined it, watching it spin around and bundling it in her hand; it rose higher until the pendant was within her hand. Closing her eyes, she spoke to it.
Underneath her hand, Norbert saw ash for a moment, seeing the light now visible again. Leaning backwards slightly, she unclasped her hand and put her weight on it; turning to look at Norbert, she asked, "So, what did you do for your week in Alasium?"
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Thinking briefly about what to say, Norbert realised this was a test. Reaching into his backpack, Norbert took out his helmet, the two pieces separate, and the disposable mask, still having it because he never knew when he would need a second one on hand.
Combining the two pieces, forming the mask in his hand, he passed it over to Azalea. "Got this from a smithy named Beckia, told by Nancy to go there." Reaching into it, he showed some other clothes he had bought on his shopping trip. "Nancy also helped with these." Norbert said.
Azalea just smiled as she nodded, turning the helmet over. Looking inside, Norbert heard her gasp while tracing her fingers over it. Eyes closed, Norbert saw she was concentrating, mouth moving up and down as she silently talked to herself.
Moving away from her, he looked down again, seeing the forest floor far below. As he saw the people move about, he was reminded about the plateau he started in. Wondering what beasts would be out here, Norbert took out the bestiary, flipping to the back with the appendix, searching for the Brealk, hoping the surrounding pages would have beasts also in the area.
Finding the reference, he flipped over to the page, examining the picture depicting it, half the page being taken up by the artist that did this. The other half of the page is about information on the beast. Skimming through it, Norbert whistled to himself, not believing what he was reading. "Normally found within the jungles of Transnu, they have been heard to roam around to other places, depending on factors. Territorial creatures that will leave you alone if you do not threaten them. Setting up settlement in their territory is not advised as they will become aggressive. The average standing just taller than a man, with the antlers on top adding another half-man in height. They draw their power from the plants around them to remove these creatures. Best recommend to use fire on the surrounding nature."
The rest of the passage talked about the claws and teeth, not wanting to get swiped, and no variants have been found of the creature. "No new variants, my ass," Norbert said as he looked at the picture, trying to imagine what this oversized one would look like. Would it be able to touch his feet with them dangling off?
"Anything interesting about the Brealk?" Azalea asked him, his helmet wrestling by his side.
"Not much, no known variations of this one, normally bigger than a man, not including the antlers. Territorial creatures and to exterminate with fire, and lots of it." Norbert explained to her.
Azalea just nodded back. Handing the helmet back, Norbert packed that and the book back in. Azalea pointed towards the helmet. "That's a nice piece you have there. What's the point of having the mask if you have something like that?" she asked him.
"Well, it's for the other thing that I did on my break, which resulted in me getting grounded by Martitia," Norbert said. As he started to explain his journey on the docks, the task was skipped over the details of who gave it to him. He ends by resting at the temple district with the priest who talked to him that night.
"Sounds like you had quite the adventure last time as well. What is with you? Always getting in trouble. Maybe you should learn to keep your head down for once; it could save your neck." Azalea said as she got onto her feet, standing above Norbert. Holding her hand out, Norbert gripped it as he felt himself be pulled up.
Handing back the pendant to Norbert, he took it from her, seeing it was once bright again. "Your mathematics, reading and talking skills are now up to par. I have taught you the basics. So, for questions in the future, you can find them yourself without being reliant on others. Congratulations, Norbert, and don't die too soon." She finished.
Turning around, Norbert just stared, watching as she walked off. Standing there with his mouth open, Norbert wondered what to do. Knowing he needed to say something, do something or lose his chance, Norbert rushed forward. "Wait, that's it. What about what you said before about after being a tutor/tutee?"
Red-faced, he stared at Azalea, who smiled at him. "One step at a time, big boy. One step at a time." She said as she stepped away, Norbert just standing there wondering what he should do.
***
Night having come, Norbert sat down again, looking down at the jungle floor, Obsius standing on the ledge as well, listening as Norbert explained his woes to the bird.
"Any advice on what to do, Obsius?" Norbert asked the bird.
The white speckled, blending in with the forest around, just chirped once. Norbert shook his head. "Does it matter if I'm asking a bird what to do? Just shows how desperate I am, that's all." Norbert said back.
Leaning backwards, his back on the wooden floor, he stared up at the canopy above him, the stars unable to reach through the canopy. Closing his eyes, he heard Obsius twitter back to him.
"Just be me, and if she likes me, then great; if not, it would never work out." Norbert repeated Obsius's advice. If only life could ever be that simple.