Chapter 65: Smell Like Blood and Death

Chapter 65: Smell Like Blood and Death

As Terry took off, Tala held on tightly, finding that the magical collar was a great thing to grasp. He clearly knew where he was going, crouched low to give power to his driving run. Even so, he was having to move slower than on his chase after her, given that he couldnt teleport with her atop his back, lest he leave her behind.

Tala, for her part, was huddled low, head hunched in close to Terrys neck in an attempt to get some shelter from the wind caused by their speed. Her blanket was tucked tight around her, and her feet were quickly warming under Terrys wings, though they were prickling painfully at the returning heat.

Terrys running had a rhythmic cadence that was hard to fight, and Tala felt herself begin to slip several times before she was able to bring her mind back under control and force herself to stay awake.

She did everything she could to maintain her focus:

She moved through mental puzzles and riddles, searching for new solutions, or new ways of looking at the problems.

She focused on her breathing and balance. Her posture was shot, but that wasnt a primary concern at the moment.

She attempted the meditative techniques found in Gredivs advice for Masters and magelings books.

She reviewed the information shed been reading and did her best to extrapolate the answers shed been seeking, as well as construct deeper questions, to help expand her knowledge when she again had the ability to read.

When all that failed, she began at her feet, silently naming each facet of her anatomy and describing what purpose it served and how it functioned.

Theyd been traveling for what felt like days, but was likely closer to an hour, when something caught Talas eye. A column of power, flaring within her mage-sight, having just come into passive range.

Terry? Can you go that way? She lifted one hand to point, and Terry complied.

Less than a minute later, Terry slowed, and Tala climbed off his back.

They were beneath the snowline, now, so cool grass flexed softly beneath her feet as she shook out her legs and walked to the crest of a hill.

In a valley below, a storm of lightning swirled around a single, discrete point. The column that shed seen was hidden to normal sight behind the rise and the trees covering this portion of the landscape. That probably means it is hidden to most peoples mage-sight, too.

Most mage-sight inscriptions didnt allow for the penetration of mundane matter, after all.

To Talas mage-sight, it looked like nothing so much as a gate, ripped out of a Mage and fixed in place. There even seemed to be something like inscriptions drifting around the gate, drawing power and enacting their purposes. Material Creator scripts, focused on lightning? They actually reminded her of Renixs spell-forms, to an almost disturbing degree, though they were twisted and changed, as necessary given their change in medium and construction.

Thankfully, for the small part of her that had immediately begun to worry about Renix, these seemed to have come from a smaller person. Maybe a woman? But she was assuming that it had come from a Mage, somehow, and that was probably wrong.

Tala stood, examining the anomaly for a long moment. What is it?

If it was a gate, the keystone was clearly gone, and the inbuilt restrictions with it. Is this what happens to a Mage, if their keystone fails? No, that couldnt be right, or early Mages would all have ended up like this. Maybe this is what can happen without that protection. Even so, she still wasnt sure her guess was correct.

Whatever it was, it had clearly affected everything around it. Rather than scorched earth, grass grew right up to the fount of magic, electricity jumping between the slightly metallic blades.

Trees grew nearby, subtly glowing with their own internal magics. When she examined them with her mage-sight, every bit of power, below, was some variation of the source in the center of the little valley.

The air thrummed with power, and the ground did too. If it hadnt been so clearly elementally bound, it would have put Alefasts magic density to shame. As it was, the power seemed restricted, somehow. The concentration falling off precipitously with distance from the source.

As she examined that decline more closely, she thought she understood what was happening. Most of the power is being lost as it loses its bent towards lightning. It is increasing the power density in the land all around, but not nearly as much as if it were non-elemental power to begin with.

As she watched, an arcane rabbit, with obviously similar magics, zipped in from the edge of the valley and to the source. It seemed to draw on the power, there, briefly diminishing the surrounding storms by a minute fraction.

Instead of refilling the rabbit, like topping of a water-skin, it seemed to twist something within the tiny creature, and when the rabbit vanished out of the far side of the valley, Tala would have sworn that it had a new form of lightning magic coursing through its previously mundane ears.

Arcane creatures get their power, here? She looked around and realized that the surrounding vegetation was soaking up the power. We just happened to come close enough to notice it How many such founts were there, in the wilds?

Did all arcanous creatures receive their abilities, here, or places like this? Why ever leave? Why not just cover yourself with more and more random inscriptions, Tala?

It was dangerous. Some probably died, and they likely could only return a few times.

She glanced towards Terry. Do you have to go to something like this? To renew your power?

He hesitated where he crouched down, curling up to wait for her. Finally, he shook himself, indicating the negative. Now that she thought about it, shed never taken the time to deeply examine Terry.

She focused, allowing her mage-sight to delve into the terror bird. She immediately had to turn away, blinking her eyes to clear her vision.

She returned her gaze to him more carefully, allowing her inscription-granted-sight to adjust.

Terry was a deep reservoir of power, and that power coursed through him like a force of nature.

Even so, it didnt have an underlying color behind the power. Hes not of an Archon rank, somehow. So, the progression wasnt just about a quantity of power, then

She looked through the maelstrom within Terry. She couldnt see a source for that raw power; like all arcanous creatures, he lacked a gate. Hell run out, eventually. She gave him a long look. You have to refill your power, somehow You said you dont need to come to a place like this Are you capable of converting food into power?

After another moment, Terry bobbed a hesitant nod.

She gestured towards the spring of lightning power, below. But the magics, themselves, were granted to you by a place like that?

Another bob, firmer this time.

What would a dimensional well, even look like?

He laid his head down back on his own back, closing his eyes.

Fair enough. You cant really describe it, can you. She felt herself grin tiredly. This probably isnt the best place to rest. She looked again, frowning. There are a lot of these, throughout the wilds, arent there.

Even though it hadnt been a question, Terry bobbed a nod, standing and moving over beside her.

Well, that helps explain why Ive never seen a gate within arcanous creatures. The beasts could draw on their own strength to power the workings, but these wells were likely the source of what amounted to natural, internal inscribings. With no need for re-inscription

She had a passing desire to walk down there, and get the natural inscriptions herself, but she squashed that as the foolishness it was.

The ancients must have known about these. She sighed. They must not work on people.

She gave another long look at the glowing valley, unable to shake how closely the fount resembled a Mages gate, to her mage-sight. What are you? Shed have to ask Trentor Holly. Someone will know.

She climbed back up onto Terry and settled in, deep in thought.

In this way, she passed what remained of the night.

With her weight, and their down-sloping path, Terry could not go at top speed. So, as dawn broke across the wilds just more than an hour later, Tala and Terry were only about half-way back to the caravans campsite, assuming Talas estimates were correct.

None of her defenses kept her muscles under her control, however, and she found herself temporarily unable to act.

Much too close for comfort, another terror bird released a screech of utter fury and rage. The near-deafening sound was undercut by the continued deaths around her, as Terry maintained his grisly rampage.

She internally thanked Holly for the ear protecting inscriptions, yet again, even as she regained a small amount of control over herself, allowing her to turn and face the bird who was, by its strong reaction, her previous victims mate.

Great

It stalked towards her, head down, eyes alight with malice.

Bad birdy. She held up both her weapons before her, protectively.

The bird crouched lower, then seemed to turn into lightning, streaking past her faster than she could track.

Tala gasped as the impact twisted her, even as it eviscerated her clothing on her right side from half-way up her ribcage down nearly to her knee.

The immortal elk leathers immediately began to reform, growing across her faster than rushing water.

Having spun with the blow, Tala was facing the creature when it reformed out of the lightning, turning slowly as if in triumph to survey its defeated foe.

It froze in obviously shocked confusion when it saw Tala standing, apparently unharmed.

She smiled. Yeah, I seem to have that effect on your kind. That would have been viciously effective against almost anyone Ive seen fight. Glad its me, here Her eyes flicked to where the last other opponent was beginning to drop, already dead. Thank you, Terry. Youre welcome to this one.

Terry manifested behind this last enemy, towering over their foe, now much larger than before. His talons were already around his victim. With a slight flex of the muscles in his leg, he created five clean pieces letting them fall, squelching across the newly turned earth.

Lightning flickered out of the mutilated body, but like with the others, Terry barely twitched, seeming able to resist the cavalcade of power. Thank you, Terry.

Terry bobbed, quickly blipping around the area, devouring the often still twitching remains. Thats still a bit terrifying

She looked up at the sky. It was nearly noon. No time to harvest anyways. Eat up, my friend. We need to depart.

He complied with alacrity, soon crouching next to her, the perfect size to carry her once more.

Tala, for her part, had used the brief minute to drink deeply from her incorporator, and to wash herself from the little blood that had reached her skin, mostly on her face.

The sword killed surprisingly cleanly, leaving cooked meat and sealed off blood-flow in its wake. Good little knife.

As she climbed into place on Terrys back, she considered the weapon. You need a name, little knife.

Terry gave her an odd look, but simply shimmied slightly, shifting her weight to what must have been a more comfortable location. He then crouched down and took off at a run.

* * *

They arrived at the caravans campsite from the night before and found it predicably vacant. Even if they had looked for her, when they hadnt found her, they would have departed for Bandfast, hoping to reach the city quickly enough that the cargo could be unloaded before the scripts ran out.

Standard procedure. Still, it was a bit irritating. Theyre six, maybe eight, hours ahead of us? She grinned widely. I think we can catch them in half an hour or so.

Terry looked back at her, and she could feel his accusation.

Right, sorry. You are capable of catching them in about half an hour. Thank you, again, for allowing me to ride.

Terry bobbed, seeming mollified.

Shall we?

He leaned his head forward once more, launching back into a ground eating pace, as he followed the tracks left by the recently passed wagon train.

* * *

Tala peeked over a hill, looking at the back of the last wagon in the caravan, retreating away from them, Terry perched on her shoulder.

How should I even do this? Shed already considered riding up on Terrys back, but had dismissed that as foolish, even if Terry had been willing, which he didnt seem to be.

She could simply walk up behind the wagon, allowing the guards to see her catching up.

They shouldnt attack me. At the very least a guard or a Mage would be sent back to see what the humanoid shaped thing following them was.

Mistress Tala?

Tala turned her head in a startled jerk to see Rane just coming out from behind a nearby outcropping of rock.

Is that really you? His nose crinkled as he cautiously drew closer. You smell like blood and death and He hesitated. Well, you smell really bad.

She found herself grinning in relief. Well, thats one decision made. Hello, Master Rane. Permission to rejoin the caravan?

He gave her a searching look, and she could tell that he was examining her with his mage-sight. How can he look at Terry so easily? I guess that much of Terrys power is below the surface, so not viewable by most

You do seem to be you, strange and alien as always.

You just say the nicest things.

Rane smiled, having the good grace to look slightly abashed. His hand was still wrapped, but he seemed to be using it with a fair degree of ease. Good.

So can I rejoin the wagons? Id love to get a nap. Its been a long, night and morning

After a long moment, Rane nodded. Lets get you to the chuckwagon. They likely will have a means of getting you bathed.

She gave him a hard look. Youre jokingright?

No. You smell horrific. You might even scare the oxen.

Thats hardly fair. They dont shy from anything. Tala glanced to Terry, but the little bird was seemingly asleep, curled happily on her shoulder. Fine She sighed. Take me to a bath.

Rane smiled genuinely at that. I truly am glad to see you, Mistress Tala. We had no idea where youd gone. His smile lost a bit of its happiness. What did happen? Did you go off to find something? You promised not to do that, you know. No one could find you this morning. Den said youd never leave your bedroll behind, willingly, but we couldnt find any evidence of an attack, and none of the guards saw or heard anything.

After shed taken a moment to process the flood of words, Tala smiled. That, Master Rane, is an interesting story.