Mr. Dervish hadn’t stopped smiling since Kaden shared the system logs. The sheer number of Messenger Birds he’d sent didn’t do anything to assure him, either, but eventually, the giant saw fit to explain. “[Binding Mark]. We know Treadle used demon essence to modified the binding. We can use this to study how it works. How to break it. And there’s folks who would pay to study that skill.”
Sara had fetched map projector and turned the table into a map. “Where, exactly, are you sensing her?”
Kaden knew the location instinctively. “Remember the cultist town? You will find her in your past. She’s there. I don’t know why, but she is. I emptied that place. I looted everything that wasn’t tied down and broke loose a bunch of stuff that was.”
“Ilusions.” Eve spoke up. “I didn’t have [Gaze of the Ancients]. I remember I couldn’t see the FarPortal here before you granted me permission, there’s no telling what all you didn’t loot because you didn’t see it. The Demon’s Daughter there had to be summoned somehow. I never saw a summoning circle.”
“Right.” Sara went silent for a moment. “Mom had the Guild mark it for resettlement, but it’s not on the list anymore. That’s odd, because there’s no record of it being recovered. Who knows? Maybe Mom took it off the list so she could produce Mana Dust there.”
Mr. Dervish rumbled like he was going to yell, but when he spoke, it was soft. “First off, you mine mana ore from a vein and dust is a side product. Secondly, I’d rather have the addicts coming to Jackie than getting it from people who will want favors over gold. Last, I’d rather know who’s using and how much and if it was dealt on the street that won’t happen.”
“Easy for you to say,” Sara spat. “You didn’t grow up listening to how evil it was. How awful it was. And yet not so evil she couldn’t be bothered to sell it. Not so evil she wouldn’t supply the very people she warned me about. Fine, so it’s not a drug factory. What do you think is happening?”
“Same demons, different day. I think you go running in, you wind up dead. I think your Demon done gathered cultists. She’s disowned, right?”
“Definitely.” Kaden wondered if Naski could feel the Binding Mark when it activated. He hoped so.
“Then I’m damn sure what her plan is. Get some followers. Make a sacrifice. Bring another low level Demon Lord over. That’s a Daughter’s job. Make way for the Daddy.” Mr. Dervish turned to Sara. “You want to be a leader, you got to lead. I just offered you a Quest. Read them details.”
“What?” Sara asked. “I’m barely level twenty five. You can’t possibly expect me to arrange the purge of a cult. Where am I supposed to find two level forty adventurers? What’s my timeframe? How do I make connections? How do I convince people?”
“Work with a broker for the Faction. Get ‘em to do it. It’s optional. I could shout at the Guild and probably someone else wants the opportunity, if you don’t.” He looked over to Kaden. “Your Demon’s trying to please a new Lord of Hell by opening a portal for him. She wants to get her place back. She’ll have gathered cultists, maybe powerful ones. Seems like you can handle this Naski. You’d be in trouble against a [Demonic Mage] or [Demon Summoner].”
Ashi’s scoff drew all their attention. “Any [Mage] who must stoop to Demonic Mana is an insult to the Class. I would welcome the chance to cleanse this stain.”
“Ain’t saying there is one. I’m saying there could be. I got my own problem to deal with here. Someone removed that town from the list. Someone in the Guild. That is my kind of problem.” Mr. Dervish stood. “Don’t go rushing. Don’t be stupid. Plan and succeed.”
On the way out, he put a hand on Eve’s shoulder. “Good call. Keep making ‘em.”
The silence in the Farmhouse was deafening, so quiet Trinity’s low growl could be heard everywhere. Of course she could sense his emotions via [Beast Soul]. He put a hand on her back and willed her to be calm. If anyone was going to be angry, it would be him. “So. You didn’t think I could handle a demon, and you didn’t think you could talk to me. Anything else?”
“Yes.” Sara faced him. “If you wanted to succeed, you’d want all the help you can get. You’d be sending a bird to Cutter. You’d be visiting the druids, heading to the [Ranger] Encampment. What’s more important to you? Finding the missing piece to breaking that Obedience binding? Or being the hero?”
Anger tangled into a knot in his chest. “You have no right to—”
“I have every right!” Sara shouted. “You talk about how much you love Trella, but love would be patient even if it took years. You talk about how you would do anything to get her back, but you won’t do the simplest things to make sure you succeed. If you’re happier without her and don’t have the guts to say so, burn the corpse and move on.”
“Get out!” Kaden shouted. “Leave now. I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t even want to see you.”
“You know I’m right.” Sara said, heading out the door.
Kaden looked to Ashi and Eve. “Either of you want to leave, too? Eve?”
“I don’t, but I don’t want to stay in your company.” Eve rose and headed up the stairs.
Vip stayed behind, and came to sit at his feet. *Stay*
He hadn’t meant her.
Ashi wasn’t the least bit afraid. She headed straight for him. “I would not have said it so, but Sara is not wrong. Be angry if you wish. Be furious if you must. Rage will cool, fury passes like the storm. If you need me, you know where I will be.”
When Ashi left, the house was quiet.
The [Assistant] came floating down to zap a clump of bloody hair that had fallen from Mr. Dervish’s armor, then a blood stain, then a handprint. Kaden focused on it. “Can you fix the stones in the fireplace?”
It moved over immediately and hovered. Every few seconds, mana crackled from it like a lightning bolt. Great, he’d broken it. Broken everything.
The goal had been simple, hunting down Naski and avoid endangering anyone else. Nothing in the System is without risk. It had been his Dad’s saying. Kaden turned and headed out to the FarPortal, sending the [FalCrow] as he went so the Portal Mage would be ready. He stepped onto the circle, and ashes swirled around him as the FarPortal activated.
###
The Druid Grove was a hotbed of activity, as Beasts lumbered everywhere. The trees towered here, reaching so high only Queen BrownBeak’s tree in BirchHaven would have competed. And under it all, now, Kaden recognized the steady pulse of [ShieldTrees] guarding the heart of the grove.
Ravena and Olidar were nowhere to be found, but Kaden didn’t need to bother the Centurions with every passing transaction. The Druid’s representative this fine day was a young black man with dark skin and braided hair and a tunic the color of the first spring grass. He approached as Kaden left the FarPortal. “Kaden Birch, you’re on our registry of guests as a friend. Come to stay a while?”
Kaden produced the pollen he and Ashi had harvested. “I got attacked by some Moon Moths, and Olidar said next time, get the pollen there sooner. Nothing fancy.”
“Excellent, I’ll have it evaluated and an offer ready. In the mean time, you are welcome to commune. The Spirit of the Grove welcomes you. It’s fairly unusual for her to notice anyone.”
Kaden recalled the tree woman. “I’m actually looking for the [Ranger] Encampment. I’m planning on eradicating a cult and thought I’d talk it over with them first.”
“Let me summon you a wisp!” The young man cupped his hands and focused—and when he opened them, a soft pink globe hovered—then darted forward and back
[Wisp]
These creatures were once Beasts, then Mana Beasts, and now are little more than Mana. They still act as guides for adventurers, light in dark places, and hope for those who hope to be eternally lost in the woods. They love to be praised.
*This one is feeling glum that it has not received praise, led an adventurer to their doom, or received praise for leading an adventurer to their doom for days.*
Skills: Unfailing Guide
Talents: Ethereal
“I love that,” Kaden said, applying [Beast Taming]. It wasn’t even a question, the Wisp simply floated over to him.
You have tamed a beast.
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The Druid sighed. “You didn’t have to do that, these little guys will show you whatever you want if you just say something nice. Take him to the Encampment, Wisp #48,371. Remember, you’re one of a kind, just like every other wisp!”
The pink orb began to bob along, just a few steps ahead of Kaden, and slowly led him through the grove, then past a winding river, and from there into a low series of rocky canyons where the river had cut deep into the stone. Outside the canyons, a city of tents waited, and everywhere, [Rangers] stood talking, eating, and relaxing.
They took little notice of Kaden.
48,371 stopped at a junction and bobbed contentedly, its job done. No representatitive made it harder to get anything done. “Take me to whoever’s in charge of visitors,” Kaden said. “Also, I like you better than Wisp 48370. That Wisp is just the worst.”
48371 bobbed excitedly as if to say *You can’t imagine how true that is.*
That wasn’t [Beast Soul] at work, just Kaden’s attempt to assign meaning to the random movements of a mana beast.
You have made a mortal enemy: Wisp 48370 will see you dead.
You have received a Quest: Blinded by the Light - Do not let Wisp 48370 lure you to your doom. Reward: A Conspicuous Lack of Doom.
“How?” Kaden shouted. “How the hell could one wisp out of thousands even know I’m talking about it?”
48371 shook back and forth in a way best interpreted as *I thought you knew it was the worst,* then led him away through the Encampment. The further he went toward the edges of the canyons, the more sparse the tents became, the older and grayer the [Rangers]. 48371 stopped at the doorway to a tent, then dipped toward it.
“Yes, I understand. I can’t exactly knock.” Kaden said—only then noticing the small chime on the door, which he rang.
“What is it?” A man’s deep voice asked.
Then the tent door lifted up. The man who emerged was a foot taller than Kaden, broader, wearing armor literally woven from thorns. It constantly bloomed and then faded, shedding petals that disolved to Mana.
[Ahsorn Winlock - Saint of the Forest]
Everything [Identify] added was garbage, and Kaden realized his mistake. “I’m sorry, sir. I asked 48371 to show me who was in charge of visitors and it led me here. I’ll leave you in peace—”
“Now? After you already broke my six month meditation?”
48371 froze, then circled Kaden to hide behind him from Ranger Winlock’s gaze.
*Doubt*.
Kaden laughed. “48371 doesn’t buy the six month meditation thing. But I really am sorry and I really will leave.”
“Birch. The one that walked into Hell with Viktor? Assmodeus? Any of this ring a bell?”
One thing Kaden liked about the [Rangers] was how they were mostly relaxed. “Yeah. I didn’t go with him to fight the Abyss Lord, I just took some corpses and ran like hell with my Party. I came here because a party mate took Archery and learned to use [Mana Quiver]. I thought you’d have an organization like the Druids.”
“Rangers do what Rangers do. We don’t have a leader, though we usually get along with Druids. They’re the one you want to bug for lessons. Got a bow?”
“Thorn Caster, a gift from Viktor.” Kaden produced it. “I won’t lie, I was planning on asking for help from the Encampment, too. I sort of convinced Assmodeus his Daughter betrayed him. He disowned her, now she’s gathering a cult, probably striking a deal with another Lord of Hell.”
“Again?” Ranger Windlock asked. “Sorry, not your fault. Probably the sixth Lord of Hell to try and manifest this year alone. Some decades are like centuries, I’m telling you. What do you need?”
“A couple of level forty adventurers just in case she does manage to bring over a demon lord. I wouldn’t say no to a Centurion.” If he was going to ask, he was going to ask big.
“Here’s what you do, Beast Man. Go back to the [Druids]. They love organizing. Put their people in touch with your people so they can talk to our people. But I can’t promise anything if there hasn’t been a manifestation. Seen a demon lord wherever she is?” Windlock’s tone implied there was a right answer.
“Not really.”
He sighed. “Have you seen something that could be mistaken for a Demon Lord? From a distance? At night? While you were drunk? Help me help you.”
Kaden swallowed the bitter taste of lies. “Yes, I entirely saw a Demon Lord.”
The Ranger’s eyes opened wide. “Really?”
“No.”
“Damnit!” Windlock shouted. “At least put some effort into it! Rangers don’t want to go kill some weak cultists. They want to punch the core out of a demon. They want to collect demon titles the way [Druids] collect deer antlers. Go get better at archery, they’ll at least respect that.”
Kaden summoned the [FalCrow] and dispatched it to a friend, one who would know how to convinced [Rangers], and then he let 48371 lead him back to the Grove, where a few silver got him range time, if not an instructor, and sent the [FalCrow] with contact information to Sara. That he couldn’t stand to see her didn’t mean he would ignore her help.
He hadn’t forgotten how the teachers yelled at Sara. That the [Mana Quiver] was a crutch that unlocked the skill. But Sara had several levels in [Mana Quiver]. Still, at tier two, skills were supposed to be more powerful.
He produced the [Mana Quiver] from Inventory and drew an arrow from it. The arrow was simple, wood, with a sharp point. Pouring twenty points into the Mana quiver got him an entirely different arrow.
Steel, smooth, with a glittering black head, it was fletched with white feathers, and when he drew Thorn Caster back, the mana stones stitched into his outfit buzzed slightly, like a dozen dagger wasps had landed on him.
The arrow flew true and speared the outer ring of the target, exactly as Kaden had intended.
Close to how Kaden had intended.
Better than not hitting the target at all.
This time, he poured a hundred points into the quiver. The arrow didn’t change, the head did, coming out shining onyx. This time, the stones sang as he drew the arrow, which nearly split the first arrow. He was consistent, even if it was consistently wrong.
Fifty points of mana got exactly the same arrow.
Kaden focused on the feeling, pulling ten point arrows. It was like Inventory, in a way. And he didn’t need to reach into Inventory, Mr. Dervish had drilled that into him. He should be able to—there. A solid arrow without reaching for the quiver. He tossed it away, and watched it bounce on the ground and then disintegrate.
Over and over, he practiced. Then put the Mana Quiver into storage.
Not thinking about how he didn’t have the quiver, Kaden focused on the memory. On the expectation, on how the arrows felt. There, when his fingers touched the string, he felt the slightest difference. Kaden pushed Mana and pulled the string—and dropped an arrow in the dirt.
“You are wasting time and producing weaker arrows.” The woman spoke.
Kaden almost dropped his bow. “Mara. Thank you for coming.”
“Don’t let me stop you. [Mana Quiver] is a critical skill. Keep shooting. Oh, and you don’t need to pour mana in. For practice, there’s no difference.” Mara pulled back her hood and came to sit on a stump near Kaden. Her reddish brown hair was filthy, her green camoflage cloak torn. “Ban’s at the temple, we had a bad run, he’s spending some time getting right in the head. And then this monster of a Messenger Bird showed up.”
48371 began to circle Mara, then zipped back to Kaden.
“I need to convince some [Rangers] to help take out a cult. They could have summoned a Demon Lord, we need at least a couple level forty Adventurers. Any advice?” As he spoke, he continued to shoot at the target.
Your skill with Mana Quiver has increased.
Finally, something to smile about.
“Look, in case you didn’t already figure it out, Rangers don’t follow leaders, exactly. We do what we agree to do. And the higher level we get, the more we do what we do.” Mara shook her head. “Stop thinking about the quiver. I swear I can see you pause to think about it.”
“Ranger Winlock asked me to lie about seeing a Demon Lord.”
Mara’s scoff drew his attention. “Of course you hunted down our Saint and asked him for help. Of course you did. He doesn’t talk to anyone, meditates on the Voice of the Forest for six months at a time. Tell me you didn’t break his meditation.”
Time to practice lying. “Did I mention I saw a Demon Lord?”
“You disturbed the Forest Saint’s meditation!” Mara swore under her breath and summoned her hawk, Gyre. She whispered to it, and then sent Gyre off sailing. “I’ve apologized for you. You are going to apologize, too. And why is that [Wisp] still hanging around?”
“I tamed it. Meet 48371. Call him 71 for short. He’s a great wisp, not at all like 48370. 70 is now, apparently, my mortal enemy.” Kaden shrugged. “Be careful. 70 might blink threateningly at you.”
Mara was very quiet for far too long. “How did that [Shadow Blade] not murder you in your sleep?”
Kaden couldn’t help flinching. “Sore subject right now. I just had it out with my Party Leader over trying to help Trella. I really can’t take more right now.”
“As a Party Leader myself, I’m tempted to take her side. Explain.” Mara raised her arm as Gyre landed on it, and stroked his head. “You want to convince a bunch of rangers, start by convincing me.”
Kaden explained.
About Naski.
About the [Hatred Mark] and how it had ‘malfunctioned’ to let him track her. And how he’d nearly killed Naski when he wasn’t even level twenty five. And then how Sara had acused him of not wanting Trella back. “I was this close to punching her.”
“I have a secret technique to pass on to you,” Mara said. “It’s an old [Ranger] skill, one I think your parents would have taught you. Learning it is painful. Using it is worse, but you need to learn it and level it because this may save your life.”
“Pain doesn’t scare me.” Kaden was ready.
“Just hearing the name will give you the skill. It’s called [Get Over It.] Far as I can tell, your Party saved you from a dumb move. I’m three levels higher and I wouldn’t go hunting a [Demon’s Daughter] on my own, not because I couldn’t, but because I know I shouldn’t. Be angry but be angry with yourself, not the people trying to help. Get Over It. Your Party Leader said something awful but she did it for the right reason.”
Kaden stood, completely dumbfounded. “I thought you would understand. Rangers want to kill demons. I want to kill demons.”
“I understand. I understand you’re doing your best to get killed. I’ll get you your [Ranger] when you fix matters with your Party.” Mara stood and brushed herself off. “Get Over It. Get it done. Oh, and you’ve been ready to actually use [Mana Arrows] forever. You have to want it.”
Gyre gave a short cry that [Beast Soul] didn’t translate and soared into the sky as Mara left via Portal.
Kaden put his anger into arrows, pulling Thorn Caster back as far as he could and feeling that moment when the arrow materialized. There was something there. A choice. Something he was letting slip like a bow string off numb fingers.
Not that Thorn Caster had an actual string, it formed one from pure mana every time Kaden picked it out of Inventory. But the feeling, that slip, that miss was right there. He had to want it? Of course he wanted it. He wanted to put an arrow through Naski.
He wanted to see fear in her eyes as he hunted her relentlessly. If she ran from him, [Thorn Caster] and if she ran toward him, [Rememrance of Battle]. And even if she did manage to close on him, Trinity would be happy to introduce her to a level of anguish Hell could only aspire to. Kaden ripped back the bow and fired, a bolt of pure black mana that exploded into the target.
He nearly collapsed. Two hundred points of mana had given him a single arrow, but that arrow had struck the target and flipped it all the way over. Two hundred points would let him shoot exactly one arrow per battle.
His nerves tingled up and his right arm where he’d drawn the arrow. But it was progress. It was growth. And one—Kaden’s attention snapped back as the target flipped over again, throwing splinters—and again.
Kaden understood the effect, Chrono Mana was known for odd time based effects, and Remembrance of Battle did exactly that. What set the delay? Or how many times it hit? How could he control it?
Kaden stopped as a glittering Messenger Dragon landed, and Ashi spoke. “Come quickly, there is no time to waste. I need you.”