He looked up at the tower. It stood on metal supports standing at least twenty or thirty feet in the air. Metal stairs led up to a wooden building. Completely enclosed with a four sided sloping roof, the walls were all glass, giving whoever would be inside a good view of the surrounding land.
Little River Stone had thought to climb the tower to see that view. It would have been difficult, the stairs and heights of the landings not made for one of his size. He was also concerned with the weight. The tower and building didn’t look that fragile but he was on the larger side compared to humans. It wasn’t worth the risk.
He wasn’t sure what the tower was for. There were signs but he couldn’t read them. He did recognize symbols for fire. Was it some kind of tower meant for fire watching? That would make some sense. In a world without Spirit granted Abilities and Skills, needing a high perch to watch the hundreds of thousands of acres of forest would be vital. Little River Stone had seen a forest fire rage unchecked once on a world far distant from Earth. The flames had not left much behind. It had been pure devastation.
Those had been Spirit assisted flames, much worse than natural. But in a world like Pre-Connection Earth, natural flames would be just as bad.
Other signs had indicated this low mountain as being called Blue Job. He didn’t understand the significance of that name. He had followed the sense of magic for miles and days ever since leaving Lochlan Brady, the Unfettered. For a time he had thought his first responsibility was to report back to his people that he had found the Unfettered. But the existence of the Si-Te-Cah changed things. He managed to pass along a message and then set out to hunt down the Si-Te-Cah.
Which is how he found himself below the tower.
The Si-Te-Cah had been easy to follow. He had picked up the trail at the remains of an old survivor camp. One of Lochlan Brady’s new clan members had come from that camp, had watched the Hillgrowl Giants destroy it, slaughtering dozens. That man had not seen the Si-Te-Cah but if the giants had been there, the Si-Te-Cah would have as well.
Neither had stayed at the camp for long.
Giants left an easy trail to follow. Broken trails, pavement and houses were markers of their passing. Little River Stone had thought they would head to the southwest, toward the Clanhold. But they had not, instead moving more northeast.
Being over a couple weeks, if not more, behind giants he was concerned that he would be too late. Whatever they were planning would have happened or whatever they were looking for would be found. The possibility existed that their goal was far to the north, taking them and him a good distance away from Clan Brady.
For Clan Brady as it was now, that would be a good thing. But it would not be a good thing for the future survival of the Clan or of Earth itself.
Little River Stone was surprised the giants had left the tower alone. Their trail of destruction had gone by not more than ten feet away from the metal supports. Anywhere else along their almost straight path through the forests, not following the roads, a house or building that close had been destroyed for no reason beyond it was there.
The giants didn’t follow the humans trail from the road to the Blue Job tower, neither had Little River Stone. He was not worried at being seen. The giants were so far ahead and had left no rear guard. But even if they had, they would not have seen him.
He was a Sasquatch. The woods were his home. Not even the Si-Te-Cah would sense or see Little River Stone if he was within the woods. That was the native power of his people, something they had even before becoming Adapted and part of the Connection. He moved through the woods, almost gliding, slipping between the trees with barely any sign of his passing.
After years of wandering the worlds of the Connection, Little River Stone had learned how to see where a planet’s Worldcore had increased the size of the world. It was subtle, a slight change in the Spirit, but Little River Stone could sense it. Following the giant’s trail he saw many such spots, some incredibly wide. Dozens of feet of new world added by the Worldcore.
More trees and grass, an increase in nature and not the steel and glass of the human’s old world. It was a world that the Sasquatch favored. A better environment for them to live. But they hated the way it was created.
The Worldcore took from the planet. It’s people and things, turning those into Spirit that then was used to create new earth. Both the planet and the ground. New trees, bushes, grass and creatures. But it wasn’t brand new. The Worldcore took what existed and duplicated it. The trees it created were real but copies of others. Over and over it did this, not creating from scratch but copying. Even the trees and structures that it increased in size. It was not new, but just the same tree scaled up.
Little River Stone thought the Worldcore a cheat. It didn’t create, it just borrowed. Dungeons were created by the Dungeoncores, given access to a piece of land to create the entrance portal and whatever mass the Dungeoncore used to surround the entrance. A cave, castle, door, anything.
The walk from the tower to the end of the trail had once been much shorter. Not even a mile. Now it was three or more. Little River Stone did not mind. He could lose himself in the walk. The sounds of nature around him. Animals moving through the branches and undergrowth. The wind through the trees. It was music to him.
Music that changed as new sounds were added. Grunts and cursing. Deep voices. The falling of trees. Sounds Little River Stone did not like.
He could see the sun and blue skies ahead where the trees stopped, a gentle slope of exposed stone visible. The rise was enough to block his view beyond the treeline, making him pause to consider his next steps.
He could walk up the stone, but possibly be exposed at the top as there were no trees. Or he could work his way around and stay in the trees. From where he was, Little River Stone couldn’t see how long the rocky hill was. It could take him a long time to work his way around and then he might miss what he was looking for.
Little River Stone didn’t think of himself as impatient, even though his Elders might have thought otherwise, but at that moment he wanted to satisfy his curiosity quickly. He wanted to return to Clan Brady, there was much to learn and observe there. He had been tracking the giants and Si-Te-Cah long enough. That had not even been his task.
The sounds were still far away, brought on the wind. It should be safe enough to stand atop the hill for a quick look. He could disappear back into the trees quick enough. Little River Stone chuckled to himself. When had he become this impatient? The humans must be rubbing off on him.
Was that the correct saying? He wasn’t sure.
Hunching down as low as he could, Little River Stone walked out of the trees and onto the stone. Small bits of rock slid under his feet but his balance was secure. There was not much that could knock a Sasquatch off balance especially when their feet were touching something connected solidly to the earth itself.
His head crested the rock. All he could see was more rock. Off to the sides and in front, sloping down only to rise again. A broad expanse of uneven bare faced rock. A higher ridge rose up in front, blocking his view.
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Sighing, Little River Stone climbed onto the first ridge, walking down into the gulley and back up the next slope. The sounds were getting louder. They seemed to come from lower down. Slowly he made his way up the next slope, rising just enough to look over the top.
More expanse of stone spread out, sloping down with some cracks and ridges, but mostly flat. Forest spread out beyond, still sloping down. He could see mountains in the distance surrounding a large tree filled valley with some clear spots that he assumed were ponds and lakes. The bottom of the slope, beyond the rock and the trees along the hillside, was the source of the noises.
Giants were knocking down trees and digging trenches in a wide area. They had already cleared a lot of land, pulling up stumps and rocks. The ground wasn’t flat, they had yet to fill in the holes where the stumps and rocks had been removed, but Little River Stone could see where some of the smaller giants were starting to fill those in with smaller rocks and dirt taken from somewhere he couldn’t see. Some of the logs that had been removed were laid together to form yurts, animal hides stitched to make larger pieces draped over the frames.
It was a lot of animal hides, a huge pile of them off to the side with a couple of female giants stripping a large pile of dead animals. They threw the bloody carcasses to the side where another giant was cutting the meat from the bones.
There was a lot of activity. Little River Stone quickly counting out almost three dozen giants. Not the full Hillgrowl Clan but it had to be all that they could conceivably send through the portal, even with the help of the Si-Te-Cah.
The Hillgrowl were setting up a camp. They were there to stay.
But why? Why this area?
It wasn’t defensible. There were better places along the route they had taken to get here. What made the valley beyond Blue Job so special? There had to be a reason the Si-Te-Cah brought the giants there.
Little River Stone walked back to the trees, wondering what he should do.
***
“You’re a beaut aren’t ya,” Liam said.
The horse neighed, raising a leg and stomping the hoof on the cracked pavement. Little bolts of lightning shot off as the horse tossed its mane.
SHADOW STORM STALLION
Liam’s Evaluate told him the horse was strong, much stronger than he was. He’d learned to trust what the Skill told him. Even without the Skill, just looking at the horse in front of him told Liam all he needed to know.
It was not an animal to mess with.
The stallion was as big as a Clydesdale but still resembled a quarter horse. Brown, a single white forelock and a long black mane. Beyond the size, nothing else looked different about the horse. Except the eyes. Looking at the jet black orbs, Liam could see bolts of lightning flickering in their depths.
Liam looked past the stallion at the other half dozen horses behind it. There was a mix of breeds, two of them were mares, and one was even bigger than the Storm Stallion. That one was jet black, with thick tufts of hair at its feet and a long wild looking mane. Liam was surprised that one wasn’t the leader of the small herd. It had the size, but instead it hung in the back. Kind of like a bodyguard. Looking at the Storm Stallion, Liam could feel the power coming off it. So maybe it wasn’t that surprising.
Looking over his shoulder, he checked on his charges. A dozen people, two wagons pulled by two horses, a half dozen horses beyond those and two cows. It had been hard to keep the group together and alive the entire trek up Route 43 from Deerfield. Especially as they had started pretty far down the road, almost at the fairgrounds. Liam had almost headed toward the fairgrounds and maybe beyond toward Candia and eventually Manchester. But he always hated the city, Manchvegas as it was jokingly called. Instead he’d led the group north, intending to hit Route 4 and swing west toward Concord. They’d finally made it, ready to continue on, but finding themselves blocked by the Storm Stallion and the other horses.
The people behind him looked nervous, clutching at the spears and swords they’d taken from monsters they’d killed. Monsters. Liam still found that the craziest thing. Not for the last time, he wished to go back to being a simple hand at one of the local horse barns. There were quite a few in the area, but he’d found one he’d liked. A lot different from the ones he’d worked at in Texas and Montana, but at his age and after so many years, Liam found different to be better.
The Connection was too different.
The others looked at him, waiting for his command. Somehow he’d found himself in charge. He didn’t like it. Liam felt better dealing with animals than humans. He’d been dealing with horses for decades, sometimes also with cows, sheeps and pigs. There had always been dogs around. He loved dogs. Barn cats. His fair share of wolves, coyotes and bears when they’d menanced the herd animals. That was probably why he’d found himself with the Wrangler Class. It helped him herd and tame animals. Something he enjoyed doing.
Leading people was not something he enjoyed doing.
The plan had been simple. Head to Concord. Now there was a hitch in the plan.
The Storm Stallion and his small herd blocked the road. They were spread out across it, making it pretty obvious that they didn’t want Liam passing. It was pretty odd behavior for a horse.
“What do you think Tobias,” he asked, reaching a hand out to pat the neck of the quarter horse next to him.
Tobias wasn’t his horse. He had belonged to the farm’s owner, who had died in the days after the Connection’s arrival. Liam couldn’t just leave the horse, or the other animals, behind so he had brought Tobias. Now he figured Tobias was his horse.
Neighing, hoofing at the ground, Tobias lowered his head. The horse was almost bowing.
Surprised, Liam looked from Tobias to the Storm Stallion. The reaction was very surprising. Tobias, when Liam used Evaluate on the horse, felt pretty strong. Not as strong as the Stallion, but up there. And Tobias had always been full of pride and will. Not a horse that ever backed down to anyone or anything. But he was now showing a lot of respect to the Stallion.
“Huh, ain’t that interesting,” Liam said, turning back to face the Stallion. “Ol’ Tobias seems to respect you. I guess I will too, but you are in our way.”
The Stallion snorted, shaking his head. He stomped on the ground, tossing his head. It almost looked like he was pointing with his nose. Pointing east down Route 4 toward Northwood and beyond.
Liam looked north where the road continued. They could head that way for a bit and then turn around once the Stallion and his herd moved on. Or just take the very long way around through Pittsfield.
The Stallion chuffed. The big black horse trotted over to stand in the middle of the north road, blocking that route. Hearing more trotting, Liam looked south and saw two of the Storm Stallions’s herd had now blocked the southern route. It left them just one way to go.
“Why do you want us going that way,” Liam asked, not getting an answer.
He looked back at his people. No one said or did anything. Before he could say anything Tobias started moving. The horse turned to the east, the others in their small group, including the cows, started to move that way as well.
Liam watched, shocked. He turned back to the Storm Stallion, the horse now staring at him. Liam didn’t feel like the horse meant them any harm. If it had, the animal would have attacked already and Liam doubted they could have withstood that attack. Looking east he could feel something tugging at him. It was calling.
He shook his head, sighing.
“Guess we’re going east.”
“You’re letting a horse tell us where to go?,” Clyde asked from his position to the side of the wagons.
He had to move quickly out of the way as the wagon filled with tack, blankets, food and other supplies almost hit him with the two horses towing it cutting a sharp angle.
Liam shrugged.
“East is as good as west,” he said, following Tobias.
Without saying anything, the other humans in the group, including Clyde, started moving as well. East was as good as west. Liam didn’t look back when he heard the Storm Stallion starting to follow them.
He trusted his instincts and the Skills he’d gotten from his Wrangler Class. He didn’t think the Storm Stallion meant them harm. It had a reason for wanting them to go east. Liam had to admit he was curious.