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It was just a few hours before dawn. The air held a chill as the heat of the previous day had faded away over the night. The sky, clear and bright, now revealed two moons near the horizon. They sat next to each other, one only about half the size of the other. As Gage double checked his pack he looked up, “I didn’t realize there were two moons,” Awe in his voice as he spoke.
Elfric looked up from his own pack. “It is weird. I have never seen so few before.”
Pausing, Gage looked up. “Wait, what?” He was in the middle of hoisting his pack onto his back. “You had more than one?”
Elfric adjusted his pack, his shield strapped to it. His axe was now at his waist, within easy reach. “Of course. The Shield Maiden and her Sisters. There was Te’tch, the Forge Fire.” He started checking off fingers as he spoke, “Then there was Olan, the Ocean Current as well as Doit, the Mountain Root.” With a glance toward Gage, “Finally, there was Ko’ik, the Gilded Leaf. It looked like Ko’ik last night, but those do not have the same… light.”
Gage watched the moons for a moment. “I wonder who these will be,” he muttered under his breath. He looked down to Eshu, who sat next to him as Ma’tuk floated around his head. Then, turning, the four of them started north.
The pre-dawn went quickly as they traversed the open sands. Eshu trotted diligently along with them while Ma’tuk stayed near the dog. Elfric and Gage conversed as they traveled. The former had been a bit short with his responses at first, but as Gage kept up the questions about the elf and his home, Elfric began to slowly open up to him.
His village had been a smaller community. It had been nestled in a small valley, high in the mountains, and had been divided between three different clans. Each clan had a sort of specialty that provided for the village and brought it some prosperity with its neighbors. The Eirilvængë, which translated to ‘Brazen Wings’, were the craftsmen. They were known for their wood and metal workings.
The second clan had been the Göltorundel, who were named after the beasts they tended. The creature was known as a Göltroxi, which from the description sounded like a mix of a boar and an ox that excelled at labor in rough terrain.
The third and final clan was Elfric’s own, the Spring Snow. They had been scouts, huntsmen, and foragers. His family had been a smaller branch of the greater clan. Elfric himself was a warrior, taking after his mother. While his mother had been quite apt with a spear, Elfric used his axe and shield to draw the attention, and the blows, meant for others.
It was then that the sun started to crest the horizon. Together they found a decent sized dune and began to set up camp on the shadier side. They set up the tent before packing away their gear. Over and around the tent they hoisted a few blankets on some extra rods in an open pavilion style.
Gage looked around at the little camp and was satisfied. The awning hung low, but they were expecting to take the day easy anyway. Eshu had already found a nice spot to plop down and was snoring softly.
“This is quite excellent, Gage’kin.” Ma’tuk bobbed around and dipped under the makeshift awnings. “It shall keep things nice and cool for the three of you.”
Elfric nodded along, “I agree with the floating ball. This shall be a nice reprieve from the day.”
“Thank you both, but I doubt it would’ve been as nice on my own.” Gage found a comfortable spot to sit. “Remember, pace your water throughout the day. I’ll provide some for Eshu later when he wakes up.” With that, each of them settled in to wait out the day.
As the day passed, Elfric had found the deepest shade in the pavilion and fallen asleep. Gage had taken Eshu out to make his mess away from the camp, then fed the dog some food and water. Even Ma’tuk had taken shelter from the sun, burying himself beneath the sand.
…
Later, as the afternoon heat hit, Gage was the only one still active. He pulled his pack closer to himself. On the side was a netted pocket where a water bottle would normally sit. Instead, the spare bottles had all been rolled up inside the blankets and strapped to the packs. From the pocket he pulled a wrapped bundle. He set it in the sand and gingerly unwrapped it, revealing the dead bug.
A shiver ran through Gage as he looked at the bug. He took a deep breath and pushed that feeling aside, before he began inspecting the insect. It seemed he had gotten a pretty good impression of it the first time around, when it had lay dead in the room. It was roughly about a foot long, with the front end being about as thick as a golf ball. By the time the body stretched back to the rear, it had doubled in thickness. Its shell was solid with a rough texture. The color of it almost blended in with the sand.
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He rolled it over, taking a look at its legs. There were six, each having three segments. The appendage attached to each leg looked to be more a serrated claw than a foot. He frowned, as he counted. It looked like there was another set of limbs that tucked in between the legs. These little arms ended in little pincerlike claws.
Gage frowned as he sat back and thought it over. The head and large abdomen, as well as eight appendages. This was not an insect, but an arachnid. Interesting, he thought to himself. He did not suppress the next shiver. Its body had reminded him of a giant grasshopper, which he already had personal issues with. But now? Now he knew it was closer to a spider. He twitched with unease.
With a deep breath, he steeled himself and picked up the creature. Closing his eyes, he began to Breathe. In and out. He drew his Breath in and pushed it out. He cycled it with the beat of his heart. As he centered himself, getting into the flow of his power, he probed the dead creature. The pink light of his power bloomed and trickled into the thing’s body. He really had to find another way of describing his power, but that is what it felt like.
He bathed the creature in his power. As the energy flowed through the body it mapped out a mental image. The digestive tract from the mouth, esophagus, and two different guts. The respiratory system of the multiple trachea and layered lungs, which… was weird. Not to mention the reproductive and circulatory systems.
It was a lot of information to sift through. In and out, he kept his pacing. This is insane. I can just see this thing’s insides. The fact that it is dead, just seems easier than what I did with Eshu. Granted I am not trying to heal this thing, which is also different. He rubbed his thumb along its rough segments and a thought hit him.
They had been in the middle of nowhere, still were, and they had been attacked by a new animal. Thankfully Elfric had been with them and was able to handle it so quickly. What else could be out there? He had no weapons besides the hatchet, and he had never wielded it as one before. It was a tool for chopping wood, not heads. He had a very distinct lack of combative skill. I could learn, but can I learn in time for it to mean something? He idly ran his thumb against the rough exoskeleton once more, lost in thought. The shell? Defensive maybe the way to go. He let out a sigh and pulled his power back into himself. It would be something to think on.
…
Breaking down camp went just as smoothly as setting it up. As the sun went down, they were once again ready to begin their trek north. “How long,” Gage began, “have you been training with your axe?”
Elfric gave a chuckle, unhitching his axe to hold it before him as he walked. He smiled fondly at the shiny metal. “I have been working to master the axe since I was ninety-eight. I had been working with the shield since I was seventy.” The elf put the axe back on his hip, “My mother wanted to start me earlier, but my father compromised with the shield training to push back letting me use sharp implements.”
The elf had gone another dozen paces before he realized Gage was no longer following him. Gage stood, staring wide-eyed at the elf as he turned back about. He knew elves lived a long time from books and games, but he had not actually thought about it since meeting his companion. “Elfric. How old are you?”
He watched as the elf’s nose crinkled in confusion before responding, “Uh, well. I am two hundred and twelve, why?”
Gage took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Humans don’t live that long. The highest recorded age was, what? A hundred and ten, hundred and twelve? Something like that. I mean, I am only twenty-three.”
A twitch of Elfric’s lips drew Gage’s attention. He watched as the elf slowly shifted his facial expressions, trying to keep a straight face. He failed and Elfric was soon laughing fully. “I am traveling with a child! Ahahaha!” Eshu, sensing the joviality in the air, started jumping and barking around the elf.
Gage’s face flushed as he pursed his lips and glared at the laughing elf. Slowly he cracked and began to chuckle along. “Oh alright. I get it, I get it. I’m a wee baby compared to you.”
Eventually Elfric brought himself back under control. He seemed much more relaxed than he had been the last few days. “Perhaps by number only. It seems we are both about a quarter way through our lives.”
“So you live to about a thousand years?” Gage asked as he continued his pace to join back up with his friend.
With a shrug, “There have been those who have lived much longer, but that tends to be the natural end of most.”
As they walked, Gage began telling Elfric stories of the elves he had grown up with. Conversation only paused when they noticed the sky. Both had been so preoccupied with comparing human myths of elves with actual elvish societies, neither had noticed at first. Seven moons of various sizes were in the sky, in two groups. One of five moons, and the other being the two moons they had seen already.
They stopped to watch long enough to get the general paths for each group. It looked like they crossed paths in an ‘x’ shape, cut through by the path the sun seemed to follow during the day. They marveled together at the moon and stars for the rest of the night before setting up camp with the rising sun.