TLDunn213

I finished just before sunset, well pleased with the results. Once the basic spell was in place on the orb in was really a rather simple matter to reverse the basic light spell already on the crystals and link it to the Orb. A small tweek and the Light crystals were also absorbing a bit of ambiaent Magic to keep the whole thing going. I was a bit surprised at how easily I was able to do this. Mage work was not part of my basic Grendel programming nor did it feel like a part of my former life as a Ranger. And yet here I was planning to add all sorts of tweeks and extras to the Spell Web I was weaving. This was a thing to Meditate on at length once I could find the time. I was just settling down to test out the quality of my work when I saw the wagon coming up the road. It seems I had finished just in time. Ishmael was driving with Elizabeth sitting next to him. Isaac was in the back talking to an older woman who I later learned was Helga, Elizabeth's "nanny/chaperone/traveling companion/servant and dear friend" as Elizabeth put it while explaining things over dinner. It was my great good fortune that the Wave Runner had been late in arriving so that introductions and so on had had to be rushed and the wagon driven fast enough to greatly limit conversation along the way. If whatever god of luck was responsible made his/her/its self known to me I'd've become a worshiper on the spot. But no supernatural beings appeared to take me up on the offer. So, either no god was involved, or my gratitude was worship enough.

It has been said that I should have made note of the Wylding's Cloak at some point in these writings. And this is quite true, given that the Cloak is part of the Wylding's innate magic and an iconic tool. The Cloak is a part of the Wylding and takes effort to separate from themselves. So they are careful about who they loan them to. And only under extreme conditions will they bestow one. Of course during a war extreme conditions happen rather a bit more often than otherwise. Which is where the common misconception that Wyldings need the Cloak in order to transform. They don't. But the loss is still an inconvenience and creating a new Cloak takes quite a bit of time and effort. Now one upon whom a Cloak has been bestowed is dependent on the Cloak in order to transform. At least until they can find a Druid or Shaman to preform the Wylding Ritual. Assuming that they want to become a true Wylding of course. Once a Cloak has been bestowed it is linked to the new owner and what happens to the Wylding who gave it no longer matters. This is of course not the case with a Cloak that has only been loaned. If the link is broken the Cloak will lose its powers. Although a Shaman or Druid of sufficient skill can restore the Magic; at least in most cases. Assuming that not too much time has passed. And there have been reports of Loaned Cloaks becoming Bestowed upon the death of the Wylding; a dying wish effect as it were. It likely goes without saying that Cloaks of this sort can't be stolen. At least not stolen for use. They can be stolen and destroyed or magically bound. Assuming such action is taken quickly. As a Wylding can call the Cloak to themselves by a simple act of will as long as the Cloak is within a few miles.

The thunder of galloping hooves cut off further conversation as Tanis draped her cloak over Tom and spoke a Word. A second harsher Word sent the bespelled horses galloping off to the North. And a moment later Tanis was dropping to all fours next to Tom. "* We'll wait until they've passed, then head southwest*" Before Tom could reply one of the pursuing Naazz raised his arm and spoke a Word. A bolt of dark energy shot skyward bursting into a rain of smoking arrows forming a net in front of the bespelled horses. "*Run!*" Tom didn't waste any time on questions he ran, and soon found that his new form was in far better shape than his old one. "*Speed and distance will buy us some time. But we need a place to hide and work. Are there any towns big enough to fend off this many Naazz ?*" Tanis ask after they'd been running for about 10 minutes. Tom thought for a bit, "*Maybe Bristol, if we can reach it. It's most of a day's travel from here even at this pace. Assuming we can keep this pace for that long.*" "*Bristol, sea port, shipyard, Magus training school. Yes; that should be enough to give them pause. And give us the time and cover I'll need to turn this mess around.*" "*I'm a bit slow at the magic game; what have we stepped in, and how deep is it ?*" "*Not sure. They caught the horses while my spells were still fresh. They can use that to track me. Any magic I do now will be like sending up a firearrow. We can use that to lead them into a trap, if we can get enough of a lead on them to have time to set one.*" "*Head a bit more south then. And we'll reach a stretch of ground that'll slow them up quite a bit. Slow us a bit too, but a cat will still make better time than a horse and rider. Couple of places they'll have to get off and lead the horses or risk losing them.*" "*purr-fect.*"

It was a crisp autumn night with a hint of frost in the air and an almost full moon to light my way. I would have been happier with less light as I didn't need it and would have been better hidden by more darkness. Even so, I made the trip quickly and without incident. The hints of coming Winter in the air also gave me the beginnings of an idea for how to befriended my hosts before fully revealing myself. Sooner or later they were going to notice that someone or something was lurking about better therefore if that unseen presence proved to be helpful and protective. And the spy eyes and ears I was planning to setup would give me an easy way to know of things they were needing or otherwise concerned about. Now I just need to find a crystal of the right size and shape. This proved to be more of a challenge than I had expected. Which lead me to wonder just how the Yuun-Xi had guarded the complex back in the day. I wondered, but no answers came, and it wasn't worth taking the time to meditate on just now. My searching did lead me to the discovery of a small but well equipped workshop that I had overlooked before. And that solved my crystal problem quite nicely. Glass while not exactly a crystal is close enough for quite a few things, including the spell I was planning to setup. The spellbook had even mentioned it as an option. Crafting the glass ball I needed, along with a few other items that could prove useful later, took longer than I had expected and it was almost sunrise as I headed back to the cabin. My hosts would be back before the end of the day. So, like it or not I was going to have to setup my spy net during the day and just hope no one was around to notice.

Tanis looked down at the Naazz, whose throat she had just cut, and then at the blood on her dagger as it flowed into the Runes. They started to glow. A quick look to see if Tom had lead the horse far enough away. He had. Pointing the dagger at the fallen Naazz she spoke a harsh guttural Word of Power. Greenish Flames leapt from the dagger to the fallen Naazz. Engulfing the body in an instant and racing outward along the lines of magic leading to the other Naazz and their master. "That should get their attention." She said with grim satisfaction. "What did you do?" Tom ask as Tanis walked over. "Psi-poisson. They'll likely see it coming and block it, but it should still get them riled up. And, an angry foe is a stupid one." "Aye. And I'll gladly take any advantage we can get. Now, what's yer, plan for these horses ?" "Decoys. The more we can split them up, the better our chances of getting away." And with that said Tanis walked slowly around the first horse chanting words of Power and tracing Arcane symbols in the air with her dagger. After the first circuit there was a hazy form taking shape in the saddle. By the end of the second, it was recognizable as the fallen Naazz. And by the end of the third, Tom was forcing his hand to let go of his swordhilt. Tanis took a small vile from her cloak and poured the contents over her dagger as she headed to the second horse. Tom opened his mouth, then closed it again. Tanis gave a small nod."Blood Magic. Nasty; but effective." Tom waited for her to finish with the horses, keeping a close eye on their back trail. When she was finished "And while they're chasing the horses we'll be...?" "Sneaking away through the underbrush in cat form." She said taking off her enchanted pantherskin cloak. "We've been lucky to take down three of them. I'm not going to push it by trying for four; at least not today."

Garm lay under the enchanted wolfskin cloak with the stones of the not quite dry streambed pressing into his belly. Which helped distract him from the feel of Anna's body pressing into his back and side. Now was not the time for that sort of thing. Not with a Naazz, cloaked and mounted, scanning the landscape for you less than fifty yards away. Taking out the one at Old Tom's cabin had been a mistake. But how was he to know that there was a whole Fist of them out there. Only eight of them left now; and he longed to make it seven. But that was Tom and Tanis' job; leading the Naazz away. As if in answer to his thoughts, the Naazz jerked in his saddle and galoped of to the northeast. "Now's our chance." He said scrambling out from under the cloak and quickly settling it on Anna's shoulders. A Word of Power, and she was dropping to the ground on all fours. A moment later and a pair of gray wolves were bounding away to the South.

The Naazz are the latest weapon/agent to be added to the Necromancer side of the Necromancer/Druid Wars. I say Wars rather than just War due to the common view that the war was won when the Yun-Xi were defeated with the help of the Wyrdlings. Which is true, as far as it goes. Necromancy became a hidden secret branch of Magic after that. Until the rise of the Litch Lords and the other free undead. Along with their newest servants, the Naazz. So, what are they already, you ask ? Well, they are to Litch Lords what Dracons are to Dragons. More or less. That is to say they are living beings bound to a powerful undead Necromancer able to partake of their master's undead nature and powers without the related weaknesses of being undead. Spells and Wards that work on Evil effect them normally, but Spells that target Undead specifically have little or no effect. At best their Naazz powers are suppressed and the mindlink to their master and fellow Naazz is blocked. Which is better than nothing but given that most Naazz are powerful spell casters and warriors even without the added benefit of their Naazz powers... As they have been compared to Dracons the question of whether they can go Ronan has naturally been raised. And so far there is no clear answer. There are no reports of Ronan Naazz and Undead Essence is not the same as Dragon Essence. But given that most Naazz are powerful Necromancers in their own right it is likely that they would be able to keep most of their Naazz powers even if their Master were destroyed or the Naazz Bond were broken in some other way. So far only the Litch Lord Angmar has produced Naazz in noteable numbers. The Bone Troopers of the Dread Emporior being a different sort of half-undead and so not useful for this line of speculation. We are left waiting for more information to become available.

It has been said that Wyrdlings were created as a counter measure to the Grendels; but this isn't really the case. Wyrdlings are reported in several places months before the first recorded encounter with a Grendel. This is not to say that Wyrdlings were not effective against Grendels; they were Very effective. And not just against Grendels. They were, arguably, the most effective countermeasure to the Yun-Xi weapons program as a whole. And one of the key factors in winning the war as well. For those of you who are not up to speed on all this. I'll cover Wyrdlings here, and you can learn about Grendels and the War as a whole from my other writings. The main reason for Wyrdlings was as a way to counter the Yun-Xi practice of making weapons out of our troops without having to take the time to train Spellcasters up to the levels needed for the most effective countermeasure spells. And yes creating Artifacts is one way to deal with that problem. And it was tried. But, Artifacts have to be recharged and repaired by trained Wizards; of a higher level of skill, than what is needed to just cast the spells in the first place. Living Artifacts; and that is what Wyrdlings are (as are Wyldings, Lycains, Grendels, and so on for that matter.) have several advantages over the regular sort. Being alive, their Energies renew over time. And if they fall into enemy hands they can attempt to escape before they can be studied or corrupted. And, given their powers it would be quite hard for the Yun-Xi to take a Wyrdling captive in the first place. First of all there is their Disruption ability. Which not only cuts off Undead from their environment but also blocks the Yun-Xi from using their Mind Web abilities. So the Yun-Xi troops have no way to get power or orders. This was totally devastating to the early types of Undead, which would collapse on the spot. Of course this lead to the Yun-Xi placing Rune Stones into their later types of Undead and Corrupting living beings. Of course this lead to the next Wyrdling ability, Restoration. Which does basically what it sounds like. Restoring the mind of a Corrupted being to it's former state. Of course this didn't always work on the Undead, as there wasn't enough mind left to be restored. And this lead to the Third Ability, Supplant Control. Which is exactly what it sounds like. And that is where the problems started, Wyrdlings ordering about enemy troops, both Undead and living including some lower rank Yun-Xi; lead some people to wonder if the Wyrdlings wouldn't become corrupted by the lure of Dark Magic. And, Sadly, some did. What most people don't seem to want to understand is that usurping control of someone or something that is already being controlled is much simpler than taking control of a free mind in the first place. Very few Wyrdlings were ever able to do that. And several of those that did played a key role in the winning of the War, by taking control of key members of the Yun-Xi Highcomand.

The gargoyle flew away before I could bind it again. As I was watching it fly away I spotted two Styx Gollums taking up position on the other bank. I put up a shield, for the little good it would likely be. I didn't think they could reach us with their spray at this range, but better not to take chances. The real question was; how to cross with them there. The Styx is tricky enough without being shot at while trying to cross it. Yerico looked like she was getting ready to try it anyway; as she already had Kabaru in the water and was calling for the rest of us to get on board. "What about the Golems?" I ask as I ran up the gangplank. "You'll see." She said pointing to a high window in the Fortress, as we shoved off into the current. It took me a moment, but then I saw her. Just as she let loose with a blast of draconic ice-fire turning one of the Styx's Gollums into an ice sculpture. I took out the other one with a blasting spell as it was turning around. And Latara launched herself out of the window. A large Tome clutched to her chest. Moments later, she was on the deck and we were heading back to shore.

Poundfoolish lurked in the hallway outside of the Wabe, at one with the darkness. It worked. The plan had worked. Zatar had gotten the Egg and hatched it. And now there was a Bandersnatch hatchling just waiting to be posisesed. Oh what a lovely deadly form to wear. Well, once it was a bit more grown up. But that would take care of itself. The real kink in the plan was that blasted Gargoyle. If only that dottering old janitor hadn't wandered into the Gribble pens before the spell had finished melting into the Portal. Ahh well. The rest of the plan had worked beautifully, and Zatar was enough of a showman to want to show off his new prize at some point. And then it would just be a matter of slipping in with the crowd. Maybe a Suggestion Shard to put the Gargoyle guarding the Gribble pens during the tour... Maybe. But a second Shard might remind Zatar of the first one and lead to his investigating things far more closely than would be safe. No, better to just watch and wait for now. And so, Poundfoolish settled deeper into the shadows to wait.

The egg rocked; lay still for a little while; and then rocked again, harder and faster. There was a crackling noise and cracks began to appear. Zatar opened his eyes to watch. The omen spell hadn't been able to give a hatching time closer than 48 hours. So he'd been catnaping in a recliner next to the incubator for over a day now. Sure he could have left Gus to watch the egg and all. But, being there for the first recorded hatching of a Bandersnatch egg... He checked the recorder. Running, having started as soon as the egg began to move. Gus entered the room with a breakfast tray just as the egg rocked again and split down the middle. "Ah, perfect timing." Zatar said as he opened the cover of the incubator "Now, let's see if these guys are enough like dragons to be impressed." Gus took the lid off a plater on the tray revealing a pile of assorted chunks of raw meat. Zatar took a chunk and dropped it into the hatchling's open mouth. The hatchling chewed twice and swallowed, then looked up for more. Ten minutes, and about half the pile of meat, later the Bandersnatch hatchling was curled up in a ball sleeping. "Did it work ?" Gus ask, settling himself in the other chair. "I think so. But it's a bit hard to tell. The bond isn't nearly as strong as what is reported for Dragons. And Rasputin was using spells, So, nothing there as far as natural bonding goes." "But he hadn't done anything to it's mind; so the mental strength rating should be about right?" Gus observed. "Yes. And it checks out, along with the expected emotions. All well and good as far as it goes; but we're about as far along as the notes go."

As we advanced through the graveyard the Styx's fog grew thicker and the grave markers loomed larger. Soon becoming full sized Gargoyles. One moved; and I threw a basic Binding Spell over it. A couple of quick spells later and we had a scout flying off into the Fog, as I fell back to the middle of our little group. Seeing through the Gargoyle's eyes would rather limit my ability to keep track of what was going on around me; but the tradeoff was well worth it. As I was able to take out three other Gargoyles before they even knew were there. There was no way of knowing who or what they were working for; if anyone. I hadn't found any spells on the one I was using. But still, better not to take chances. And then we were there. And right across from the island we were looking for. And there on the bank facing us was a Styx's Gollum. I cast a Binding Spell at it through the Gargoyle. Which it blocked with a spray of Styx's Water. Knocking it out of the air and wiping away my spells. But this distracted it enough for Targon to split it in half with that monster axe of his. So much for stealth. Someone, or at least some thing knew we were there. If we are lucky it is just the automated defenses from back in the day. But even then Some One could be on their way to see what had tripped the alarms.

I stood under an old maple tree across the road from the graveyard wrapped in my cloak of shadows waiting for the others to arrive. The first I spotted was Targon. He came walking down the road not even trying to hide. I thought about it for a moment and decided that in his case this mightbe the better option. After all if you are spotted trying to hide you are more likely to be remembered than if you're just walking along out in the open. When I looked back Hawk and Kain were standing by the graveyard gate and Yerico was stepping out of the trees by the corner of the wall. I pulled back my cowl and stepped forward to join them, thinking that Targon was sharper than I'd given him credit for. By walking openly down the road, not only was he likely to be only lightly remembered but the rest of us were all the more likely to go totally unnoticed. Hawk and Kain had seen me coming and had a brazier set up on either side of the graveyard gate by the time I reached them. I took my place in the center and began the Chant as they tossed incense on the glowing coals. Yerico was doing a lesser fog spell, but by tying it to mine the fog gained the memory clouding effects of the Styx's fog we'd all be dealing with once we finished crossing. A clever move on her part. Not only would this cover our tracks from any locals who might have been around, but it was also an easy way to check that our protective charms were working. The Smoke and Mist swirled together over the graveyard gate making strange complex patterns. I spoke the final Word of the spell and the magical smog froze in place overlaying the graveyard gate which swung open with eerie silence. The rest of the Styx's fog we'd created rolled and boiled around us as it flowed tword the banks of the Styx which now lay waiting at the far end of the graveyard.

Angry Flowers lie in wait Alluring scent, enticing bait Colors that beguile the eye All of it a cunning lie Angry Flowers lie in wait Toxic nectar dripping hate While spiteful thorns accentuate And joyful moods evaporate Flee before it is too late When Angry Flowers lie in wait. ******* Next line: Fairy Dust upon the wind

We spent the afternoon going over maps, both of the part of the Styx we expected to be going to and the local area between where we were and the Graveyard we were planing to use as our gateway. Which still left us with a few hours to fill before it was late enough to go skulking off. Kain, Targon, and Hawk spent some time sparing while the rest of us selected spells likely to be useful against Styx Golems and whatever else we might run into along the way. I prepared a couple of Sleep spells just in case we were spotted by any locals. A bit of a risk, as nothing along the Styx would be effected by such spells and they would be just taking up slots once we crossed over, but still...

A long shot I had no way of following up on just now, but still worth thinking about later. In the short term there were a number of spells in Isaac's book that were well worth learning. It took me longer than I would have liked to copy them into another book. But it was far safer to make the copy than just take the original. After all I didn't want my presence discovered before I was ready. One spell in particular could solve my observation problem; assuming I could manage to cast it. It was a lookout spell, used to allow the ship's captain to take a look at different parts of the ship without having to leave his cabin. Just the thing. And there was a second spell for talking to different parts of the ship as well. I'd need to be careful using that one, as the talking was two way. But that would be a minor matter. The bigger problem would be finding a crystal for the center piece of the spell. The light crystals I'd taken from the complex would be perfect for the "eyes". It was after dark before I set out to get all the things I'd need to get from the Complex. But, maybe that was for the best. After all there was no reason to assume that other people weren't around to notice me. And for now that was a thing I felt it better to avoid.

As I had hoped Isaac had been a ship's Magus and not only had he kept his log books but also his spell books. I hadn't even thought of those; but once I found them I saw that here was a possible answer to several minor problems. Gate spells and scrying spells being the bulk of a ship's Magus' duties; if I could master a few of these, then both my observation and coming and going issues would be solved. Grendels, may not have been designed to be spell casters, per say; but we had the ability. Or at least I did, along with some knowledge of the Art left over from my former life. I hadn't been a great spell caster before, and wasn't likely to become one now, but I could manage the spells I needed; with some practice. I was also in luck in terms of information about time. In his journals Isaac made several references to duties that were leftover from "the war". That he found irksome, and pointless, given that "the war" had ended over 30 years ago. So, guessing Isaac at around 60 years old now, and likely in his 20s then, I'd been down there for 70 years or more. Long enough that fear of the Grendels should have faded somewhat. Long enough that most of the people I might have known in my former life would be dead. But, maybe not all. If I had been a Ranger, then I was likely trained by Elves... A long shot, but a possibly.

I perked up at this news; my hosts were going away and would not be back until late the following day. This would give me ample time to set up housekeeping in the cave, and explore the house and grounds for a solution to my observation problem. And if the father, Isaac, had been a ship's Magus he might have journals that could give me a more accurate measure of how long I'd been down there after the Base had been abandoned. And the arrival of "Elizabeth" from foreign lands could also offer opportunities to learn about local history and customs. So much to learn. But, here was a wonderful opportunity; and all it required at the moment was patients. Which I found I had less of than expected. But, finally, they were on their way. I forced myself to wait a full 15 minutes after the sound of the wagon had faded, just to be sure they didn't return for some forgotten something or other. They were some of the longest minutes of my life. But the wait was worth it.

Silver Shadows rise and flow; In a Landscape they don't know. Where true love calls, and true love hears, and time is measured not in years. Where true love seeks, and true love finds; It is the Landscape of the Mind. They say a Thousand Years have passed, Since the day I held you last. They say a Thousand Miles divide, And yet we're walking side by side. In the Landscape of the Mind For Time and Space mean Nothing here; And True Love's Hope, Drives Out All Fear. It is a Place where Shadows Glow, and Love's True Face , You may safely show. It is the Landscape of the Mind; Where True Love Seeks, and True Love Finds. Where True Love Calls and True Love Hears; and True Love's Hope Drives out all Fears. It is a Place where Shadows Glow, and True Love's Light will clearly show; Heart to Hear, and Mind to Mind, It is the Landscape of the Mind, Where True Love Seeks and True Love Finds.

As I lurked in the chamber behind the wall of the larder I reflected on my situation. I needed a way to observe my hosts without risk of discovery until the time was right for revealing myself. Assuming such a time ever came. After all if my fellow "Grendels" had been in the service of the Yuun-Xi... Well, odds were good that normal humans would have good reason to fear us. So, back to the problem of observation. I closed my eyes and stilled my mind. And after a few moments found that I could hear the voices of the people in the cabin almost as clearly as if I were still just behind the larder door. "...is packed, except for those carvings that weren't finished drying." "Good, good. Now sit down and eat your breakfast. The WaveRunner isn't due to reach port until tomorrow morning; Ishmael. And we have a good half day of travel before us. If you must fret about meeting Elizabeth, do it tomorrow, when you are going to meet her." "It's not that, father. Well, maybe a little. But, Well, The Wave Runner is a good ship and all...But..." "...The sea is a dangerous place. I'll not deny it. That's why I'm Isaac the Farmer these days; where I can get by seeing with my hands rather than my eyes. But that was one mishap out of years at sea."

I had to abandon my "ideal" spy post almost at once as the cabin's inhabitants started going about their day. It seems the larder I was hiding in was more of an attached spring house and frequently used. I did make one useful, or at least interesting, discovery. I knew more than one language. The one I'd been thinking in and the one these people were speaking. Now that I knew to reflect on it the names of these tongues came easily to mind. The spoken language I was hearing was called the common tongue. Although it was heavily accented compared to what my former self had known. Whether this was due to geographic or temporal distance was a question I would need more information to answer. The other language, the one I'd been thinking in, and had likely been given, was Yuun-Xi. Which is also the name of the race that used it. So now I knew who my makers most likely were. This explained a number of things. The lack of shoes, for example. Seeing as many Yuun-Xi have no feet, and those that do are well equipped with naturally thick scales on the soles making further covering unnecessary in most cases.

Now that I was awake and fully rested what to do ? Explore. The people I assumed to be connected to the smoke I'd spotted earlier would likely be asleep now. So I should be able to find a good observation post without being noticed. And so, I packed up the things I should need for a day or two of skulking and spying. I wanted to know as much as possible about the people living here before revealing myself. It seemed likely that I'd been modified to be a combatant in some war, or the like. But as I'd been left on the shelf, as it were, the war could well be over. With the side that made me not having come out on top. So one reason to expect a hostile reaction. On the other hand I had no clear idea of how long I'd been left down there. The war I'd been made for could be so long ago that no one would even know what I was. By the time I'd finished with these cheerful, and largely pointless reflections, I'd finished gathering my supplies and set out. The darkness was no problem for me and nothing predatory took any notice of me. Likely the Slider Beast had driven off anything likely to be competition. And so after a long but uneventful hike; I found myself on the edge of the woods looking at a log cabin built against the side of a hill. Small garden patch off to one side, with a henhouse and an animal pen beyond. As it was getting close to dawn I reached out with some of the Slider Beast Essence and probed the hillside for open spaces large enough to hold me. It took longer than I would have liked, but I was rewarded with a chamber ideally suited to my needs. The builders of the cabin had blocked off part of a larger cave giving me a large room on the other side of the back wall of their pantry. A wall I could "slide" through when I wished. And the pantry door itself had a gap with its frame just at eye level which gave an excellent view of the entire cabin. And so I settled in to spy on my neighbors and learn what I could of them and the world in which they lived.

My eyes opened. The fire was just a bed of glowing embers now; but it had been a small fire to start with. So only a few hours had passed. Yes, it was still dark outside. Overcast, with the Moon somewhere close to new. How I knew that last bit I couldn't say as I'd had no clear view of the sky since my first awakening. Yet I knew it was true, just as I'd known which way was North while still below ground. It was around Midnight, both logic and my inner instinct told me so. What they weren't telling me was why I was awake. I listened for any sounds that might warn of impending danger... Nothing. So, why was I awake and feeling fully rested after only 4 hours of meditation; when I'd slept for close to 8 hours the night before ? Meditation; yes, and I'd feed by way of my Shadow Fire today; deeply. While the day before I'd eaten food and gone to sleep. My new nature vs my former life. My new self was made to feed by way of Shadow Fire, on the move with just a few hours meditation for sorting information and rest before moving on. My former self had lived as a trained Hunter/Woodsman able to eat on the move and sleep light. But my makers, (retoolers ?) had given me an upgrade beyond what training could provide. Had I volunteered for this, or been Press ganged into it ? Somehow the later seemed more likely, as it would be a reason for so little of my former life remaining in my mind.

I lit a fire. I didn't really need it for warmth as my body had shifted from scaly to hairy now that I was out of the damp. I didn't really need it for light either as my ability to see in the dark would doubtless serve me better on that count. But I wanted it, just to have something to focus on as I cleared my mind. And so seated on a bedroll with my back to the wall I gazed into the flames. My mind emptied. Then a map started forming. The cave, the woods, the pool where I'd killed the Slider Beast. Then the bit of stream coming down from the hills I'd noticed in the distance. Then the plume of smoke I hadn't noticed, coming from a point partway up that hillside. Small smoke plume, Small fire, and most likely People. Had they seen the smoke from my all day fire ? Very likely. Would they come to investigate ? Maybe, But unlikely. If they were going to they likely would have already. So traffic through here was common and likely somewhat erratic. But sooner or later someone would come. How would they react to me ? If hairy, I might be taken for a beast or a Wylding given that I was wearing a cloak and tunic. No footwear. Strange, now that I thought about it. Clothing had been left in the complex below, but not one bit of footwear; Strange. But not important at the moment. Scaly, Maybe I could pass as one of the Lizard Folk. Not much better. Most places Lizard Folk avoided the other races and were mistrusted by them in return. A problem, but not one I could do anything about just now. The map filed itself away in my mind for later study and my mind went blank as my need for rest overcame my desire for reflection and information.

As I had not planned on hunting, except for firewood, when I set out I had none of the things needed for smoking the meat I now had. And so I spent a few hours gathering those items and setting them up. I found an open space not too far from the cave that would allow me enough room to make a large drying rack over a bed of coals. The sticks and vines needed to make the drying rack took longer to find and put together than anything else. But by around midday I was ready to start tearing the meat into strips. As I progressed I realized I had no real plan for the rest of the beast. That is, the parts that would not yield enough meat to be worth the trouble it would be to try and strip it off as well as the bones, hide and so on. As I was pondering this it came to me that I could use my Shadow Fire on the leftover bits. Not a Magic or Life drain but something along the same line. Having learned to trust my instinctive impulses I ripped the skull free from the body and placed it on a nearby flat rock. Then began draining it with my Shadow Fire. As I did the term Essence Drain came to mind. Even as I felt the Essence coalescing somewhere within me. The skull was reduced to dust which blew away by the time I felt I had gained a full unit of Slider Beast Essence. I disposed of the rest of the nonfood bits the same way. And ended with about five units of Essence when I was finished. I wasn't entirely sure what I could do with this Essence but resolved to meditate on it before sleeping. Which I would be doing soon as drying the meat, and everything that went with it had taken most of the day. So that by the time I was done putting the meat and leftover firewood away it was getting dark.