We stayed a bit longer in the tree resting. I finally cut us out as we needed to make progress. We didn’t want to spend another night here.

“As direct to the portal as we can, avoiding fights,” I reiterated. They all nodded.

We put on the ponchos, which looked a bit worse to wear after the ants. Saskia did her mirage thing as we set off. The Kais were out scouting. I was planning a ten-minute stop every hour but plans didn’t mean a lot here.

There was something big and stinky to the left, and we were going around when I heard noises coming from the right. I signalled the stop, and we hunkered down, and Saskia strengthened her image. The skill levelled last night, so she had more control.

A forest troll crashed through the bushes and then stopped and sniffed. It looked around, puzzled and then sniffed again. It knew we were here somewhere but couldn’t see us. It swept some bushes, obviously looking for what he could smell.

Forest trolls were strong, with lots of regeneration and more intelligence than most monsters. Sometimes, they used clubs, although this one was empty-handed. This one was big, maybe nearing two and a half meters tall. They had a tough hide, and I mentioned lots of regeneration, didn’t I?

We can’t take it in a fight. Jaha might be able to hold it, but we didn’t have enough damage to get past the regeneration. For this, you needed an affliction specialist to stack the poisons and keep on stacking them. We had nothing like that. You could decapitate this thing, and it would come back.

I was getting worried looks thrown at me, but they stayed where they were while the troll trashed around looking.

But we didn’t need to kill it. It would take a while to come back from a decapitation, and we would be long gone. Not that I thought we could decapitate it. Jaha might have been able to do it if she had her team. The hide is very tough.

Somebody is going to have to lead it away and then lose it, and I am the best person for that. There is a big risk of running into other monsters doing that, but it was not going to give up.

I signalled Saskia to lead them to the right as I went left. She looked very concerned, but what can you do? Unfortunately, she could not sense the Kais, so I couldn’t be long. If I didn’t make it back, they would not make it to the portal. Kai’s scouting has been the key to all of this.

I eased to the left and slipped off the poncho as I engaged Blend. I pulled three javelins from my Hunters Pack. I am getting low on javelins.

I also pulled out a pack of spices and put it on my belt for easy access. The Troll has a good sense of smell, and I will need to mask it.

Three, Two, One.

I let loose the first javelin with Quick Sharp and Mitghy Oak, aiming for the soft-ish stomach. It pierced the hide, so that was good. It meant I was noticed. He, and it was a he with big dangly bits I should have aimed for instead, he roared, and I took off as fast as Hunters Step would take me. He was coming after me fast. He wasn’t particularly fast, but he had a long stride.

I knew I was heading for another smelly monster this way, but I couldn’t send the others here, and the troll came from the other way, so it should be relatively clear. I zig-zagged around trees, and he crashed into them, which didn’t worry him at all. Then I found one and went up off the ground into the tree. I jumped to the next as he crashed into it, and it shook hard.

My being in a tree confused him, but he followed his nose to find me, and I threw a javelin into his nose with all the strength of a, small, Mighty Oak. The nose broke, and I followed up with one to his eye. I then followed up with the packet of spices all over his face.

I then jumped down from the tree, landing harder than I expected, and rolled in the dirt. I moved Quick Sharp out of his sight and went low and quiet. I could see his nose was almost healed, but hopefully, the spices would mess with his smell long enough for me to get away. We hadn’t come far, as I didn’t want to risk another monster.

The troll thrashed around, looking for me as I got further and further away. I was happy for him to trash around there as there was no one to find.

My leg twinged a bit. The landing must have been harder than I thought. I pulled out some snake meat to nibble at. Maybe I should have got more of that and less of the skin.

The others hadn’t gone far, as I had not been gone long. I tracked them by sound, and it was interesting to see the illusion from the outside. It flickered at times as the sync was out. I had a bit of hunting to do before I joined them, so I sent a Kai to Saskia to direct them away from monsters.

It didn’t take me long to find what I was looking for. I pulled out a sack and started picking the blue berries from the bush with the red flowers. I didn’t know what the berries were, and I assumed they were poisonous because I had never seen anything eating them, not that monsters eat.

Once I picked enough for everyone, I got out another sack and cleaned the rest of the bush. I will find out what they are, and they must be worth something.

I headed back and sped up when I heard the sound of fighting. There didn’t seem to be a panic, so I slowed and crept closer quietly. Everybody was bunched together and facing outwards. Then I saw their attacker. No, attackers. There were two bronze-rank flying squirrels. They were fast and not just bronze-rank fast. It looked like they had some sort of air affinity. Yes, there was a wave of cutting air headed toward the group. Akemi countered it with a water surge, but she barely had time to react. Her Water cloak partially protected her, although it wouldn’t stand up to bronze-rank attacks.

Jaha looked frustrated. The squirrels were too fast for her to reach with a sword, although one was limping, so somebody had gotten something to one of them.

Akemi sent off her own cutting water, toward where she though the squirrel was heading. The squirrel changed direction mid-flight on her, and she missed by a wide margin.

I assessed the others and Nassor’s arm was limp, and Melors cloth armour was ripped in multiple places, although it was self-repairing as I watched.

Saskia was standing behind Jaha and flicking out with her cutting light. It seemed to be the only thing that was faster than the squirrels, but her aim had to be precise, and that was the problem.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I focussed on the one with the limp, as it was the slowest. The leg did seem to be healing as I watched, though. I watched as it bounced off a tree trunk, and Melor’s needles stitched a pattern in the tree, just missing it.

I waited a bit, readying myself. I would have to be fast. I left my axe in my belt and put down my shield. These were bronze rank, and my claws were the highest damage I had. I finally decided where I thought the squirrel would land next and cast Hunter’s Tether, and launched myself at the spot at the same time. It was close to the tether, which caught it in the air and drew it towards the center.

I could feel the wind gather to move the squirrel out of the trap, but I was already there, and I got one of my hand claws into it with Pierce. It might be bronze rank, but I still outweighed it, and it was in the air. I dragged it to the ground, and Quick Sharp got my other claws into it. I engaged Mighty Oak and poured all my Blessings of the Reaper into Rend and ripped it apart.

The other squirrel went mad and landed on my back, sinking its small claws in. The others couldn’t help, or they would hit me with their attacks. Ardisia came to my rescue, manifesting out of my back, wrapping it in thorny vines and holding it long enough for Jaha to arrive and stab it.

The others rushed over as I picked myself up.

“Shit, man, you literally ripped that in half. A bronze rank creature!” Nassor was babbling.

“How bad are you?” I asked, ignoring the babbling.

“Arm is shot.”

“Take a potion, and we will find somewhere to rest for a bit,” I said.

“What about you, Theo,” Akemi said, concerned. “It got claws into you.”

“They are not deep,” I said. “My fur blunted most of it.” I reached out, and Ardisia was reabsorbed. “Thanks, girl,” I muttered to her.

“Come on, let's step away from the bodies, they are about to turn into rainbow stink,” I said.

We did, and then they did, leaving two bronze monster cores. I added them to the sack that I kept everything in. It was surprisingly full, as Kai would appear every now and then with something in his mouth. Mostly, it was a few quintessences, but occasionally, it was an awakening stone. I really need the identification ritual. I might try to learn it during the break between semesters.

This time, I focussed Reaping Magic on making as much squirrel meat as possible, and then I got a bronze rank pelt.

“If the squirrels were here, then this should be safe enough for an hour or so. Let's use that tree there.”

We put the tree at our backs, and one of the Kais went up the tree to check it. Everybody concentrated on replenishing mana and healing. I got out the cooker and cooked squirrel meat.

“Where did the meat come from?” Jaha asked.

“My storage,” I said truthfully.

“You didn’t cook it before storing it?” she asked.

“I have eaten all my precooked meat.” It is important, to be honest, as that keeps your aura cleaner.

When the hour was up, Nasor had some movement in his arm, which was important for his pole weapons. We needed better potions, and the ironic thing is that we will be able to afford better potions after this. In fact, I will not need to buy any awakening stones, and I will have so much coin after this that I don’t know what I will do with it all.

Survival first.

“Before we move on, I want everybody to squash these berries and rub them on their outer clothing and armour.”

“What are they?” Akemi asked.

“No idea, but they are common around here, and they will mask your smell. The troll was hunting by smell, this will make us smell more like the local plants.”

Everybody rubbed the berries on the ponchos, and we started out again. Slowly and carefully. Step by step.

I was worried we wouldn’t make the portal before the next night cycle. We were coming up eighteen hours in this place, which was more than double the maximum expected already.

We were taking lots of rest, but it was draining. Kai was really the star of this show. Kai and I were getting much better at knowing what the other meant and wanted through the emotional link provided. It was more than emotional, but Kai thought mostly in emotions and wants.

We came to the river, and we would have to cross. It was about twenty meters across. I was not only worried about what was in the water but also that we were open to the sky here. Akemi is the quickest on the water with her Wave Rider skill, but she can only take one at a time.

We followed the river for a while, and it widened and narrowed and I stopped at a part where it was about twelve meters wide. Almost jumpable for us iron rankers. Jaha could jump it. We would struggle.

We created a bit of a hidy hole, and Saskia regenerated her mana while I watched the river.

There is definitely something in the water. I had Akemi come and watch with me as she is our expert in water creatures. I also watched the sky and the treetops.

“I can’t make it out,” Akemi said. “It is not large, but it is fast, and my magic eyes tell me it is bronze rank.”

I nodded. It was not unexpected. Fast meant it could jump. “Let's join the others.”

“Nassor, how is the arm?” I asked.

“Good now.”

“Excellent. I need your help with something, and everybody else needs to watch our backs. “Your mana good?” I asked Saskia. She nodded. “Come on then.”

I picked the smallest tree that I thought would hold out weight. I pulled a two-man crosscut saw from my Hunter's Pack. Axes would be too loud. Everybody who grew up in the logging villages knew the basics of felling trees.

I positioned the saw for the first cut and showed Nassor what to do.

“Will this saw even cut this, man?” he asked.

I nodded, “I might need to sharpen it a few times, but yes.”

As two iron rankers, we made the first cut halfway through the tree relatively easily. I sharpened the saw, and we cut forty-five degrees to remove a triangle notch of wood. This would help the tree fall in the right direction. Then I sharpened the saw again and had every one hide with Saskia poised to go. Nassor and I made the felling cut away from the riverside, and then when it started to fall, we went to hide.

Nassor joined the others. I climbed a neighbour's tree and sat on a branch to Blend in. The tree fell across the river approximately where I planned. The current caught the branches and swung it sideways a bit, but then it lodged and didn’t move.

The tree's fall caused quite a bit of comotion around, and a flock of parrakeet-type birds flew to investigate. They soon moved on. The water monster was not happy, and It was an eel-type creature with shark-type teeth.

Eventually, it quieted as well. I couldn’t tell if it was waiting underwater in the submerged branches of the tree, but I assumed so.

When everything had been quiet for a while, a small dark shape dashed out, up on the log and across the river safely. Kai must have been too small to have triggered the creature if he was waiting. I needed to know what was on the other side. We could be crossing into the jaws of a monster.

Still, we waited. If nothing else, the others have learned to be patient.

A second Kai then did the same and barely escaped the claws of a diving hawk. The claws raked him, and I needed to get to him so he could heal. I was right to fear the open. Now, I was on a timer, or he would bleed out.