Part 3

Night was falling. The forest, always filled with the sounds of insects, became more ominous as the light faded from the luminous stones up above.

It came alive. And in the small opening in the trees he had made himself home in, the sounds only carried further, rather than being quashed and dulled by the various brush and clutter left in the environment. No matter how far away one was, it was always eerie to hear the call of some beast out far out of sight, crying out before it’s death call was silenced. So, he chose to lay still, carefully stoking the fire as he prepared.

Night was dangerous, at least what passed for night in this place. A good night’s sleep had been nothing more than an hour or two on more than one occasion, not the least of which was due to same species of fae panther he fought above, the displacer beast. Morgan had still been with him then on that encounter, otherwise…

Peter shook his head. Thankfully, sightings of that sort were rare, given most stayed in the southern part of the forest but still, it only proved how woefully unprepared he was for such encounters.

A sudden, low murmur echoed out across the forest, as Peter haphazardly rubbed his stomach. After all his preparation… he somehow ended up going into another night with an empty stomach.

“Not again…”

Going hungry was not the most intelligent of options. It wasn’t as if he’d starve, but it undeniably made things worse on him the next day. Still, given the lengths he had gone to before, he had steeled himself against taking any offerings of free food from Grimal again. Going a night hungry beat out what could only be viewed as a cruel prank from the creature by a wide margin.

“Still, he eats all my food and leaves me with nothing but scraps, and then it takes him the rest of the day to return? Doesn’t he know that it gets dangerous at night? He has to know that much, given his lifestyle,” he complained silently.

He shook his head. No matter how bothered he was at his increasingly insistent stomach, that Drake had been gone for such a long time begun to worry him.

At heart, Peter cared, at least for those around him. Before the world changed, he had spent close to four years in the military. His time in such an environment had drilled into him a sense of what to do, and who to protect, even if that often put him directly in the role of a shield for those he considered his allies. Even though he had only known Drake for a few days at the most, he got along with him. Given the little imp at his side, and that was all the more reason to get along. An imp was an undeniable asset given the situation.

Fidgeting in place as he stoked the smoldering fire, Peter tried to calm himself by taking a breath.

More firewood will be needed soon… He thought.

That brief thought lasted only a moment, as his mind began to race once more.

Though they had just met, that was equally his source of worry. His frame of reference was just too different from Drake’s, all things considered. It wasn’t as if Drake was sparse on survival experience, compared to most others he knew. Rather, given how he had lived out his life after the world went to shit, he was unsure how to even broach the subject.

He… actually lived and got along with those that were responsible for the destruction of humanity. Moreover, it seemed as if he was in direct control of the same type of evil energy that was responsible for the widespread demise of others following soon after his own transformation.

The subsequent destruction and death of so many was only made worse by the sort of creatures that emerged from such areas. While his experiences were almost certainly new, it followed a pattern. The area they were in focused almost fully on creatures that fit the environment.

It made it easy, at least in a few ways. The Ground Dragons most of all, given that they seemed to prefer wide stretches of land with interlaced with plains and trees. They were perfectly suited to be a method of transport in the new world, given how loud and unreliable vehicles were without a continuous stretch of road. The so-called demons, however, were different. They originated in areas that, to his knowledge, used to contain life like any other. Now though, those inside raced across the land, causing all sorts of trouble, with little recourse available.

And now? Another such user of evil magic had appeared right before him, only he seemed as normal as could be, as long as he wasn’t in that lizard-like form. Pleasant, even.

“Haa…” He pushed away those niggling thoughts, as he stoked the fire once more. In the end, he could only chalk it up to his own insecurities.

He only wanted to distract himself. He was put in an impossible scenario of training to fight against a monster he could only imagine of taking down and put against it solo at that. That Drake appeared as he did was a blessing, at least in Peter’s eyes. It gave him someone to relate to, if only a small bit in the beginning.

Well, that, and he seemed bent on getting Peter more acquainted with the powers he was given. That was really just a bonus, all things considered, as it was all too obvious that Drake was much more experienced with the more mystical side of the world, a side was utterly locked away until only a week ago.

… now that he thought on it further, he was due to have learned more with crimson stone Drake had given him… Well, supposed to, seems more apt, given it had broken apart only a few minutes of practice. Dissipated into nothing more than black dust. Worse still, he didn’t even know what he had done to break it.

… ok, so he had some idea, but it wasn’t as if he could control it. He sure as hell didn’t mean to break it on the first go!

“Dammit. I hope he’s not too upset,” he muttered.

And worse still, it seemed as if he had underestimated how much wood he needed for the fire. He would need to get a few more sizable pieces to make it last the night, as least at the level he wanted.

“I wouldn’t worry too much.”

Peter jumped in place, almost falling off to small log he was situated on altogether. He spun his head around to the sudden voice behind his ear, only to be staring straight back at a pair of pleased, cat-like eyes. The Grimal had appeared behind him as it liked to do. He could only glare.

“I told you not to do that, you damn cat.” He cursed to himself.

Shaking his head, he waved one hand angrily before saying, “That’s easy for you to say. Unlike you, I can’t just disappear into thin air like some magical Cheshire cat. I mean… all sorts of things could happen. The first night my group came down here, we were ambushed by Gnoll’s, for Christ sake! Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to see teeth that large from like five of those things?”

“I imagine it can be quite stimulating.” The Grimal said sarcastically, as it let out a small snicker before turning away from the wolf-kin. “You are very well capable of defending yourself now, aren’t you? My, I imagine one such as yourself could even take on a small pack of such beasts now, even unpleasant as they are.”

Another teasing laugh followed, as Peter gave a worried look. Surely that was just sarcasm. The camp wasn’t exactly extravagant, but that would still be close to seven or eight of the things.

Worse yet, the Grimal seemed to say it in an almost teasing manner.

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“… Just to clarify. That was a joke, right?”

“Hm? Well, of course. Do I seem to be the type to let something as dangerous as Gnoll’s simply wander this close without warning you?” The Grimal grinned.

“Given your attitude since Drake arrived, yes.” He said hatefully.

“Ah.” The Grimal gave a look of mock-outrage.

“How hateful. How foul. What did I do to deserve such treatment from my one and only companion? Ah…” The Grimal turned away, only for a snickering laugh to follow soon after.

Wait… Peter scrunched his eyes together in thought as the Grimal drew further away, before a sudden realization hit him. Dammit!

Peter quickly began to mouth an objection, only for the Grimal to quickly prance behind a small log that obstructed his vision, outright disappearing in its usual fashion before he could get a further word in.

“Gah! You damn cat, you can’t just run away!” He shouted indignantly.

He groaned. Well, that was more than a little worrying on his part… Sure, the Grimal was a bit of a dick at times, even if it meant giving him half-eaten scraps from God-knows-what on an empty stomach, but joking around like that, only to mockingly say he could take on near half a dozen monsters? It was out of character even for the Grimal. It typically took matters of his safety as an absolute.

“Yo! Peter! Guess whose back with food?”

“Drake?” He jumped at the familiar voice, as he quickly turned in place. And here he thought he would be going hungry. Not tonight! Tonight he would be…

Peter stopped completely, frozen in place by the second figure that was closely following behind him.

A girl? Why would… No. That’s… a Nymph! He stared in shock.

Drake sauntered forward with a playful look clear on his face, with what looked like a young girl not far behind him. The otherwise appealing look lizard that Drake had brought to be a meal didn’t even cross Peter’s mind as his eyes were drawn towards the Nymph.

“She’s…” Peter paused, his eyes merely taking in the sight in front of him.

To say that such a creature was beautiful would have been an understatement. She was appealing in ways he hadn’t even imagined a woman could be. Her long chestnut-colored hair flowed elegantly down her back, leaving flee-floating strands that drew his attention to her slender neck. Her outfit itself was elegant but simple, leaving much to the imagination, but revealing two long slits of open skin along both sides of hips. Her eyes were especially entrancing, as the deep green within them seemed to shine with unmistakable dignity and grace. As he stared further, Peter even felt himself physically lurch forward as if to get only an inch closer to the approaching Nymph.

No. Using a phrase like appealing was inadequate. She was perfect. Completely and utterly. It… It was almost inhuman how perfect the girl was.

No. It is inhuman.

In that split moment, Peter paused, his mind seeming to break with the thoughts that had overwhelmed him only seconds before. He felt himself shake involuntarily as a chill rang down his spine. A spell that he didn’t even realize had been cast upon him began to clear, and as if a fog had lifted, a particular warning of the species sprang to his mind.

If you believe a Nymph is nearby, your only choice is to run and pray.

The reasoning wasn’t exactly standard. It wasn’t as if they would spring onto you like a wild animal and rip you to shreds. Rather, stories made it seem like the exact opposite.

As a race, they were rarely seen, and for good reason. The few people he had heard of that had encountered a Nymph had resulted in over half the men in their group disappear overnight, only for them to re-appear in the middle of the road the group was taking several hours later, dazed and confused. They were left with no memory of what had happened while they had gone missing, and seemed more than a little worn out from the experience. What had happened to them was left to anyone’s imagination… but it was enough for the group to post double shift with the few women in the group to prevent such an event from re-occurring.

It was only the next night that they learned what creature was responsible, through a stray Identify from one of the female guards. A nymph, one of only three, if they had their numbers right.

Worse yet, despite their best efforts, the teasing laugher and suggestive voices that surrounded their camp once the Nymphs learned they had been discovered couldn’t be stopped. It lasted two more nights before it disappeared altogether, and only that ended due to their leaving the wooded area they traveled through.

They were innocent creatures, merely having their fun before returning the victims, but such innocence could easily lead to the ones ensnared in their spell to their death if the whimsical creatures weren’t careful.

“Drake…” He forced the name off his tongue, as he shook his head free of the spell. “What the hell are you doing? If this is your idea of a prank, you have some seriously messed up standards,” he spat.

That made Drake pause. He stared at Peter’s face, as he seemed to think it over. The Nymph behind him shrunk down even further, aware of what she unwittingly caused.

“A prank?” Drake laughed lightly.

He shuffled, scuffing at the ground as he scratched the back of his head. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t have any ideas, but that was just a fleeting thought. Just look at her again,” he ended quickly.

Keeping his eyes pinned to the ground, Peter said incredulously, “You have to be kidding right? I know that was a spell. She attacked me.”

Drake merely repeated himself, his tone shifting into a more serious tone. “I said look at her again. It’s not as if you went brain-dead at the sight of her.”

Feeling a sudden heat rise in his chest, he whipped around to Drake, only to see the enchanting face behind his shoulder once again. Only this time, he felt as if faint substance washed around his form, before dissipating altogether, leaving him to only stare dumbstruck at the two.

He had seen her again, but… nothing happened.

“See,” Drake smirked. “All things in balance.” He spouted off in a philosophical manner.

“Honestly though, did you really think an ability that strong would effect you if you could shrug it off more than once?”

“That…” Peter suppressed his anger.

Truthfully, that’s exactly what he thought. A broken ability, one that enslaved men at mere sight. He didn’t have any reason to believe otherwise. At least not from the stories he had heard.

He backed down, breathing out as he lowered himself down to the ground, only for a sudden shiver run down his spine. How did Drake act like this was all so natural? To joke about something as serious as him becoming nothing more than a puppet for a day.

Still, looking at the Nymph now, that’s all she was. No stronger than a normal girl. At least at second glance.

He sighed once more, before gesturing them both forwards.

“Come on in.”

He shook his head as he saw Drake walk forward confidently, with the Nymph not far behind him. It was unnerving. She seemed outright frightened of him for some reason, like he had threatened her or something. It was him who should be terrified of her, not the other way around.

He saw Drake laugh once more as he threw over a large, green lizard over towards the edge of the fire.

“Not the best way to start off down here, but it’s a start. Sorry again about the food.” Drake said apologetically. Raising one hand in an almost comic manner, Peter couldn’t help but smirk a bit at the display.

“Heh.” He shook his head lightly. Regardless, he was appreciative for the gesture.

“Took you long enough, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, but true greatness takes time. Anyone can just go out from the camp and get food.”

“You’re the one who left for food. You brought back a lizard.”

“And I brought back a gift.” Drake said almost indignantly.

“And besides, you’ll want to hear me out on this. This Nymph, she’s going to be your teacher.”

Peter went wide-eyed as the statement. How… What was going on in his mind to think that would even be possible?

“You’re kidding, right?”

Drake laughed.

“I can see why you’d think that, but nope. Completely serious.”

Drake dropped down to an overturned log to get more comfortable, with the Nymph seeming almost frightened by his sudden movement. She gingerly lowered herself down to the ground, keeping her eyes downcast as the fire slowly died down even further, the shadows stretching out on the surrounding canopy of trees.

“You see, you might not realize it yet, but you and she are practically the same, magically speaking. You can’t tell now, but just at a look, I can see that whatever training you did with the crystal I left you was successful. That holy aura coming off of you is stronger.”

Peter paused as he looked at the Nymph. They were the same? Sure, Drake seemed to toy around a lot more since he returned, but he wasn’t one to outright lie.

“And you say she’ll be able to teach me?”

Drake smiled. “Better than me, at any rate. Me and you clash just a little bit.”

Drake laughed again, the mischievous look in his eyes still clear as ever, although the smile on his face was genuine. He really did bring a Nymph back to help him. He was thankful for the gesture, but…

“Look… I’m just not sure.”

She wasn’t human. That’s what he wanted to say.

“Drake…”

“Sshh.” Drake put a finger to his lips, as he gave Peter a dead stare from across the campfire. One could almost see how Drake’s eyes narrowed as he attempted to listen to the surrounding brush around the encampment.

A sudden snap sounded off from the surrounding wood line. Then, there was silence.

Eyes scanned the edges of the tree line. The dimming fire only made the shadows play tricks, as the sounds of the night only grew louder in the distance.

Both the men looked to one another, one clearly nervous, the other determined.

Drake tilted his head ever so slightly as a decision seemed to overtake him. In a sudden rush of crimson mana, Peter looked on as Drake revealed his Draconian form once more, in all its horrid glory.

Then, not a moment later, a familiar voice made itself clear in Peter’s mind.

[Something is close. And it’s only getting closer.]

The words Drake transmitted to Peter were true. Something was indeed drawing closer to them, and, given his own limited telepathic sense, it was easy for Drake to imply that a group of at least half a dozen was closing in on them. However, in the moments before he prepared to release his mana, a light, but cautious growl made itself known from the confines of the shadows around them with a single word.

“Friend?”