Ike and Wisp ran through the woods. The two of them exchanged a glance, then ran on, faster now. Ike nodded at her. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Dangerous.”

“Are we just doing this to have the justification to kill a bunch of dudes?” Ike asked.

“You might be. I don’t need any justification to kill some humans,” Wisp returned.

Ike snorted. He thought to himself for another few seconds. “I figured it out. What’s bothering me about this.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to help the girl as much as that fake hunter guy pissed me off. I don’t really give a shit about her, but I really want to punch that guy.”

“Reasonable,” Wisp said.

Ike looked at her. “I feel like you don’t understand my moral dilemma.”

She met his eyes. “I eat people.”

Ike opened his mouth, then shut it. You know what? I don’t know what I expected. Why would a spider-beast understand human morality in the first place?

The forest flashed by. Ike dodged around trees and darted past bushes. Shawn clutched tight to Ike’s shoulder. Shawn patted his arm. “They’re close.”

“Mmm.” Ike activated Ice Armor. A thick coat of ice raced over his body. His mind flicked to his desired Storm Clad again, and he grimaced. I really need to absorb that wind skill. Soon.

Ugh. I’m hesitant because it makes me helpless. Because I know it’s not well suited to me, and I’ll have to focus everything on it when I absorb it. Because I could die.

I need to find a safe place. Somewhere I won’t be interrupted.

“What about me?” Shawn hissed. He patted Ike’s Ice Armor, which didn’t cover him in the least.

“You’re dirt. You’ll be fine.”

Shawn grumbled something vile under his breath.

“Why, hello there. Where are you going in such a hurry?” The hunter from earlier stepped out from behind a stand of trees. From the front, the wolf pelt flew back, revealing Ike, so he was in the man’s full view.

Beside him, Wisp subtly adjusted her pelt to better cover the woman.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The man’s eyes raked over Ike and Wisp. His gaze rested on the shifting invisibility of the wolf pelts. “What are you hiding?”

How did he get ahead of us? Ike raised his brow, hiding his surprise. “Do I need to explain myself every time I go on a brisk jog through the woods?”

“Only when it’s suspicious,” the man countered.

“Since when have you become my keeper?”

“Keeper? We’re just two friendly acquaintances who met in the woods.”

As Ike drew up alongside the man, the man’s hands blurred. A dozen bright-red birds shot from his sleeves and swarmed at Ike and Wisp.

Ike punched. Green shockwaves knocked the birds out of the air. Wisp simply flicked her finger, and white thread swallowed up the swarm. It hit the ground, knocking around inside the cocoon. She swiped it up as she passed and swallowed it, cocoon and all.

Ike braced himself for another attack as they ran past, but the man merely fell back, watching them. Ike grimaced and sped on. He’s just testing us. Trying to draw out our skills, so he can kill us easier later. More than ever, he found himself wishing for a truly ranged skill. A lightning strike from afar, that didn’t require him to build up lightning in the heavens first.

He glanced at Wisp, who nodded, already understanding.

She pulled close to him. “Split up? Stick together?”

“Stick together. He’s not alone. If we split up, we risk one of us getting mobbed. Better to get mobbed together,” Ike said.

Wisp chuckled, but didn’t argue. She fell back, letting Ike take the lead.

“What do I do?” Shawn asked.

“What can you do?” Ike returned.

Silence. At last, Shawn tried, “Throw stuff?”

“Don’t throw my stuff, but feel free to throw whatever you have on you,” Ike said.

Shawn hesitated again. He moved around, searching in his robes. At last, he clung upright again. “Right.”

“You don’t have anything, do you,” Ike muttered.

“Maybe not.”

Ike glanced back. The man lingered, fading into the forest. Ike whipped back around just in time to dodge a branch. He cursed, smacking stray leaves out of his hair.

“I bet he planned that,” Wisp commented.

“You could’ve warned me.”

“I thought it was funny, too.”

He shook his head at her. As he ran, he lifted his hand. He called aether to his palm and circulated it between his fingers. The energy crackled as it spun, already energetic even without any structure applied to it.

Ike called forth the structure of Lightning Grasp. The energy instantly coated his hand, transforming from aether to lightning. He frowned. No, that’s not what I want. He forced the aether back out of his hand, hovering it in his palm instead. It coalesced there, circulating in a small ring of lightning. As it circulated, it weakened. Lightning struck from the ring. Every time it landed on his fingers or palm, the ring lost energy. He was able to absorb some of it as aether again, but the rest was lost.

In a few moments, the ring had lost enough energy that it could no longer keep its form. It collapsed in a final bolt of lightning. A shock ran up his arm, and his hand trembled from the bolt’s force.

Ike shook out his hand. It hurt. Pins and needles shot up his arm. But it didn’t hurt enough to stop him with adrenaline running. Nor did it disable his arm.

I need a stronger bolt. More lightning. More power. He clenched his fist. His mind rolled. He drew the construct forth in his mind. How? Here? What do I add? What do I remove?

“Heads up,” Shawn called.

Ike put the thoughts to the back of his head. He brought Lightning Clad to the surface, ready to activate it at a moment’s notice. He glanced left and right, checking the trees. Dark shapes moved here and there. Branches cracked. Leaves crunched.

“All enemies of the New Republic must die!” With a shout, a man leaped at Ike.