Trout's Landing.

"You wanna what?" Jeb asked as he and the others settled down after coming back from upriver.

"You were interested in learning magic weren't you?" The Chief asked.

"Well yeah, 'specially somethin' that can help keep trouble away without you lot gettin' in the crossfire." Jeb explained.

"Well, while I can conjured shields, or used to at any rate, the only thing that I can think of that would match what you want would be Illusion magic."

"Yeah, I uh, kinda had someone teachin' me that. But we kinda had a bit of a... fallin' out." Jeb said.

"Oh?! Well what have you learned so far?!" The Chief asked excitedly.

"Well. I learned to 'expand' my mind. Or awareness. I'm not entirely sure which it was. Anyway, from there I can 'feel' most things within a fairly decent range." Jeb explained.

"Fascinating! What else?!"

"That was kinda it. Had the fallin' out before I could learn much more than that."

"Well. It's a start. What do you know of Illusion magic?"

"That it's basically that. Illusions, phantoms, things that don't actually exist but meant to seem like they do and use it to wear out or misdirect folk." Jeb explained what he could recall from Anna's teachings.

"Great! So why don't we get started!" The Chief exclaimed.

"Get started doin' what?"

"Learning! Expand your mind or awareness and tell me what you sense or feel and we'll go from there!"

"Do you know anythin' about Illusion magic?" Jeb asked warily.

"Nope! Only that it's supposedly not well regarded among the other schools of magic. Didn't find out why before the master ate the wizard I was speaking to. Quite a nice and curious young human he was. Oh well." The Chief sighed.

"Uh huh. And are you sure you wanna play Guinea pig?" Jeb asked.

"What's a gy-ny pig?"

"A small fat rodent."

"Why is it called a pig then if it's a rodent?"

"No clue. But that's not the point. Are you sure you want me to be practicin' magic on you?"

"Well, I am the most experienced with magic in the tribe so I can at least give you SOME idea of what to do or not to do. And it's Illusion magic, no harm should come to either of us!" The Chief explained.

"If you say so." Jeb replied uncertainly.

With a bit more assurance from the Chief, Jeb took up a meditative position below the sycamore tree. He closed his eyes and began to steady his breathing. Then he felt his mind/awareness expanding. Rapidly. Too rapidly! He choked back his lunch and leaned back against the tree.

"Are you alright Master Jeb?" The Chief asked.

"Yeah. Just forgot about that part. Just give me a second." Jeb replied as he took a few steadying breaths before cracking his neck and giving it a second try.

Unlike back in the forest where they were fairly alone, he was now in the center of the kobold tribe and got feedback almost immediately! He also got that strange tingly sensation he got when he sensed Anna's spider hive. Which was weird as he still couldn't tell where it was coming from. Focus Jeb, he thought and shook his head before trying again. This time he pumped the breaks expanding his whatever. It was like trying to force your eyes closed while not being sleepy. It was slow and annoying. But it was either this or getting a headache and throwing up.

He could feel Anna's spider hive. He was going so slow he was actually able to pinpoint where it was coming from! A small spider hiding under his collar! What the hell was it doing there and how long had it been there for? He resisted the urge to smack at it as well as shake his head. He had to focus right now.

Pushing the small spyder to the back of his mind, Jeb continued to focus. His awareness expanding more and more as he did. He could sense the Chief, Ruby and the eggs below him, the salamanders, and the tribe nearest to him. Everything was dark except for what he could sense. The 'bolds and salamanders were like glowing purple flames in the darkness. The small spyder was like staring at static on the tv. The eggs of him and Ruby however were more blue than purple like the rest.

Then he started sensing thing that he couldn't see with his own eyes. He could 'see' the wicker constructs that patrolled the edge of the lodge in search of any otherworldly threats, or awaiting his call. He could even sense the charms placed around the lodge as well! They all crackled and burned with balefire enchantments.

He could also sense the ghostly wisps of Dan and his friends and... a few others? Where did they come from? He couldn't tell who, or what, they were from since they were just wisps to his vision, or whatever it was called. Some of them had vague shapes to them, but it was like trying to tell the difference between a zero and an eight while being piss drunk.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

God he missed being able to get drunk, Jeb thought before shaking his head again and focusing. He could also see lines leading from the 'bolds towards himself.

"Huh."

"What is it?" He heard the Chief's voice call to him. It sounded like he was in another room though. Like talking through a thin wall.

"I can see lines, or strings, connectin' you all to me." Jeb explained as best he could.

"Oh?! What do they do?" The Chief asked in an excited tone.

"I'm not sure." Jeb admitted.

"Well touch one."

"What?"

"Touch one and see what it does."

"But for all we know that could kill you!" Jeb replied.

"Or it may do nothing at all. That is why I volunteered." The Chief replied resolutely.

Jeb sighed and glanced at the line or string or whatever all this hoodoo was between him and the Chief. Here goes nothing, Jeb thought as he brought his hand up and gently tapped the connection between him and the Chief. Startling Jeb as the Chief let out a chuckle.

"What? What happened?!"

"Oh nothing. Just got a tickle is all." The Chief explained.

"A tickle? That's it?" Jeb asked.

"Yes. Did you do something?"

"All I did was touch the string/line/thing between me and you." Jeb stated.

"Interesting. What else can you do?"

"Really? You want me to keep messin' with it?" Jeb asked.

"Well that's what we are learning isn't it?"

"Fine." Jeb sighed and went back to examining the link between him and the Chief.

He sure as shit wasn't going to cut it, he already figured the Chief would get more than a tickle if he did. But he still poked and prodded it as gently as he could. Earning little chuckles and giggles from the Chief as he did so. Then he decided to pull, gently, on it. Earning a surprised warble from the kobold that caused Jeb to snap his eyes open.

The Chief was now on his side as if he had been thrown! Or pulled, Jeb thought.

"Are you alright?!"

"Yes yes I'm fine. A little tumble is all it was." The Chief explained and waved Jeb off.

"I think I might've done that."

"Oh?! How?!" The Chief asked, more excited by the discover and not the fact that Jeb could probably force pull him.

"Well, I just pulled on the connection. Gently! I pulled on it gently!" Jeb stated.

"Oh?! Do it again!" The Chief replied excitedly.

"What?"

"Do it again! We must test what all you can do with this connection!"

Maybe he should just make amends with Anna, Jeb thought before shaking his head and resuming his lesson. With the Chief's encouragement, Jeb manipulated the connection as carefully thorough as he dared. He was able to make the Chief laugh by poking the connection. He could even inflict pain if he jabbed it hard enough, which he already guessed but actually found out at the Chief's insistence. He still didn't dare try cutting the connection, something the Chief supported after learning just jabbing it hard enough would feel like a gut punch.

Other than that, Jeb mainly just moved the Chief. Pull the connection right, the Chief stumbled right. Move the connection left, he stumbled left. Nothing too surprising. Though he was about fifty-fifty on if tugging the connection up would make the Chief jump or briefly levitate. Doing so... didn't really answer that question as the Chief fumbled into the air and Jeb nor he were sure if he had jumped or not.

Oh well, Jeb thought as the Chief insisted on continuing.

"Now try to focus on me."

"Focus how?"

"Well, focus? Uhm, focus on my mind." The Chief replied.

"Ok?" Jeb said and tried his best to focus his focus on focusing.

Which felt like trying to stop a overflowing toilet with paper towels! No matter how hard he tried to pinpoint his whatever towards the Chief it always seemed to snap back to giving him an almost third-person view of the lodge.

"I can't. It's like fightin' against a river."

"Well, maybe try manipulating the connection?" The Chief suggested.

"That... might work." Jeb replied.

Maybe he wasn't force pulling the Chief, Jeb thought. What if he was just giving him suggestions and his body followed. He recalled when Anna had done something similar when trying to lead him through her labyrinth. His body following what his mind wasn't entirely aware of. So this time, instead of just plucking or pulling the connection, he grabbed it. Gently.

"Do you feel anythin'?" Jeb asked.

"No really." The Chief replied.

Jeb hummed as he thought how best to do this. Then he felt something coming from the connection. Jeb focused on that something and got some sort of vague want! Hunger!

"You hungry?"

"A little bit. Why?"

If he could get feedback through the connection, maybe he could give it as well, Jeb thought as he pushed a feeling back into the connection from his end. Not like the actual pulling and pushing he did before, this was more an actual feeling of something. He recalled Anna mentioning illusionary food during their lesson.

Through his awareness/whatever, he could see something beginning to form in the Chief's claw! Jeb focused more and more on it, trying to get what he could in terms of details wise. Scales, fins, succulent meat. His head was sweating by the time he could see what appeared to be a fish! Or some ghostly shape of a fish.

He could see what appeared to be an outline or the fish the Chief was holding. Or appearing to hold. He could see the scales, the eyes, fins. But nothing else. He could sense the Chief turn towards the fish that had apparently appeared from nowhere, and took a bite! Jeb's illusion didn't hold up after that though. After the first bite the Chief could tell something was off and turned towards the fish.

"Oh?! You did it Master Jeb!" The Chief replied excitedly and blinked away the illusionary snack.

"Yeah. I kinda did I guess." Jeb replied and leaned back like he was ready for a nap.

"How did you do it?!"

"I could tell you were hungry from the connection, so I just pushed somethin' back through it." Jeb explained with a yawn.

"A fish?"

"Well yeah, sorry it weren't no Vegas all-you-can-eat." Jeb replied with a tired chuckle.

"Oh! It wasn't a criticism! I was just curious what made you think of a fish?"

"Well, you lot like fish, so I figured it was an easy thing."

"You did quite well! I didn't even recall getting a snack before biting into it and not tasting anything!" The Chief replied.

"Well. It's a start at any rate." Jeb replied sleepily.

"Yes it is! What else would you be able to do with this connection? Change emotions? Manipulate our physical form?"

"Don't know. Just wake me up in a bit. Gotta take the shipment of stuff to the trainyard for tools later." Jeb replied.

"Of course!" The Chief said and left Jeb to his nap below the sycamore tree.

-----

West Virginian Wilderness.

Gotta find master, Dougie thought excitedly. It had been a long while since he last saw Jeb. The last time was when he stopped the crunchy green thing from attacking him at the hole in the ground!

He liked the way their bones crunched. But they didn't really taste all that good. Not like everything else did. Like birds. Or mice. Or squirrels.

SQUIRRELS!!!

The wormhound stopped dead in its tracks at the thought of the fluffy-tailed rodents. The hair-like sensors on its back stiff and twitching as it measured the air for any sign of movement while its dozens of beady black eyes searched all around it for the tasty little morsel.

But no squirrel was to be found for the wormhound to snack upon. So Dougie shuffled in place as he tried to recall what he was doing out in the wilderness.

Master! That's right! The wormhound dug its thick claws into the soft undergrowth of the forest and darted to where he could sense master. Or something that he could sense was master but smelled different. He wasn't sure. He was bound to Master by Mistress when they were both small and weak. But now they were both big and strong!

He KNEW master was this way! He could feel him! He just wasn't sure if he would recognize Master when he found him. Mistress said he would change. Would have to change. Would NEED to change! So what did that mean for Dougie? He didn't know. He just hoped he and Master Jeb would recognize one another when they met again!

He missed him.

But not anymore! Now he could be with him and play catch the squirrels!

SQUIRRELS!!!

The wormhound slid to a stop. Its claws digging deep into the dirt as it stopped dead once more. It's sensor hairs stiff and vibrating to detect any such tasty treats nearby. Its worm-like head snapped around and its multitude of beady black eyes honed in on a small grey squirrel that just starred back at the eldritch dog.

Dougie let out a roar that shook the air before darting after the squirrel. His claws sunk deep into the wood and gave him easy purchase as he went after the small furred rodent! Who had the good sense to flee from the eldritch dog!

Dougie shot his long, thin, barbed black tongue at the squirrel like a cruel whip. Snapping branches and lacerating bark as he tried to claim the small rodent as a snack, or gift for when he found Jeb. The last one had digested too much and Dougie wasn't sure if Master Jeb would like what was left.

But now he could catch a newer, fresher, one!

Unfortunately for the squirrel, Dougie was a persistent wormhound. Well, they all were. Which made them excellent companions to the Cult of the Crone! Dougie's size not at all affecting his ability to give chase even up trees and through branches as he was dead set on getting the prize for him and Jeb!

The squirrel finally met its fate when it bounded over a gap between a pair of tree branches. Earning Dougie an excellent shot with his tongue. Skewering the furred tree-dwelling rodent on its vicious barbed tongue!

Dougie fell down with his prize and landed heavily onto the soft soil. He snapped up his treat and stood there basking in his accomplishment for a long moment before trying to recall what he was doing out here again.

Oh yeah, Master, Dougie thought before gouging out tracks of dirt as he turned around and made for the vague direction he could sense Jeb was in.