System Break

We carted the qi core away and they buried their dead. The eyes of the mountain men hardened, and their expressions were stern. They did not appreciate the boon of the meat when we took the qi and the skin would be made into leathers for us.

They were not like the Svartalfar, we fed out qi core to the land. They would have gorged themselves on it and become stronger and they had never seen such a bounty. And this bounty rolled away before their eyes.

The mountain men looked at a qi core like the way men from my world looked at gold. But it was more than wealth, it was power.

I couldn't shake the feeling that in this world power corrupts; qi corrupts. And the jealous stares were that corruption in action.

We travelled for half a day before we rested. We cobbled together a harness for the qi core so we could lower it down the mountain and drag it across the slopes.

I glanced at Reyas who was the strongest besides me. "Do you think the alliance will hold?"

She huffed. "Father is good to his word." She looked over her should back towards the ravine where the battle took place. "But I don't know about the others. I do not like the feeling I have."

I watched the emotions run across her beautiful face. Her luscious lips stretched, and her brow furrowed making lines where there were none. "I have this feeling too. What will you do if they turn on us?" I asked the hard question.

"It will not come to that and if it did, I can speak to the shaman."

"For guidance for you or them?"

"Both," she said. "But it won't come to that. Father is honourable, in all my life he has never broken his word. As long as we stick to ours - nothing bad will happen."

"And we will. But you know I will kill any who attack us."

"I know," she sighed sadly. "I hope they do too."

I tried to laugh. "Let's not dwell on it. We should be happy. We killed a fucking cave troll. That thing was massive. I can hardly believe our luck."

They were all listening in on our conversation, we had nothing to hide. And my closing statement brought smiles and a round of banter.

"How did you know you could stand on your spear like it's a branch?" Gisael said.

I shrugged. "I didn't. That was a happy accident."

They all laughed.

"So, you admit, you're not a genius, you're just a lucky bastard," Ailen said.

I nodded. "I never claimed to be. Have you met me?" I looked to the left. "The demon bird says left."

Ailen laughed. "And now we follow a demon bird."

"When will it have a proper name?" Gisael asked.

"Demon bird is kinda growing on me and he doesn't like any of my other ideas."

Reyas looked up at the sky. "He might have a name already. Did you ask him?"

"No, he was a baby when I found him. Still floundering in what passed for a nest."

Gisael nodded, "It may be reincarnated. It may have a name it remembers from a previous life."

I walked in silence for a time and communed with my bird. "No. He says he's not reincarnated he said he's risen from the dead? He makes no sense and he says he has no name; I just have to find a better one."

"Risen from the dead?" Gisael said. She sounded scared and nothing scared her.

"A mystery," Sakaala said and exchanged a glance with Ailen.

My bird was showing me images of his first memories. "He had no egg. He was born from a carcass."

Ailen scoffed. "I knew your bird was strange, but geez Benzhi, that's some dark shit."

The conversation about the bird's origins brought back a sombre mood and we travelled in silence until the sun set. We kept pushing until twilight was exhausted.

We made a fire and huddled together for warmth. The demon bird perched up high on a rock and kept watch over us. He hadn't slept since his meal of boar entrails and he was not happy that I didn't allow him to eat the troll's gizzards.

We woke with the first rays of light and I was glad the mountainfolk did not try anything stupid. I disentangled myself from the limbs of Reyas and Gisael and we began to move down to the warmer climes.

We decimated a swarm of spiders in the hills and demon bird was able to feast to his hearts content.

Reyas gazed into the sky. "The purple clouds are gone."

Ailen placed his hand above his eyes and scanned. "Maybe they ran out of juice for the time being. The gigantic boar and the cave troll fell from the sky."

I inspected my broken spear as they discussed the sky. I had two longer pieces and a short one. I put them back in a sack with some spider cores.

Reyas began to pull the sled again. "The portal storms are much more frequent this year. Before they were rare, it may be things are returning to normal."

I ran to her side to help. "Don't count on it babe." We kept moving and the bird kept eating spider guts until he fell asleep.

When we entered the forest and relaxed. It was good to be home. We were met by a couple of gatherers who fed and watered us. But I did not give up our burden of the qi core, we would see it to the glade.

On the fourth day we arrived at the glade and were welcomed home by all.

Mother inspected the core and sighed. "This is much. The concentration is already high." She looked at Elred and he nodded.

"We should invite more of the people," Gisael said.

"The forest can grow," Elred said. "Slowly this time."

"We are already growing slowly," Mother said, and she stared at Elred. "We should consult the forest."

She made a show of feeding us all a small portion of qi from the willow before she began to add the qi core from the cave troll.

It took her a day too add it all and Elred left for that time to walk the forest and listen to the trees.

He returned and talked with Mother while I trained with Gisael and Reyas.

When they were done, they beckoned me to join them.

"Benzhi," Mother said. "Show me your spear."

I retrieved my broken spear from the tent. "Paphyra is making me spears Mother. You need not tax yourself, she seemed very happy this one was broken."

"Renewal is the way of the forest," Elred said.

Mother held out her hands and I placed the broken pieces in them. "Turn your arm,' she said.

She put down all but one piece and grabbed my wrist. "Be ready for some pain," she said and proceeded to make me cry. She pierced my arm and shoved the length into my wrist and up my arm. It was excruciating and I cried out in surprise and pain.

I was bleeding until she ran her hand up and down my arm smoothing out the lump and my skin closed over.

She picked up the other length and asked for my other wrist. Fuck I didn't want to give it to her.

But I did, I didn't want to look like a pussy in front of everyone. She repeated the process while I breathed short shallow breaths and shut my eyes tight.

"Sit," she said after smoothing my arm. She sat also and began to run her finger over the last length. I swear if she tried to put it in my dragon I was going to run away.

She made thirty small splints out of the smallest piece. She then took my right hand and began placing them in my fingers. One splint for every joint. It was painful but compared to the large shaft up my arm it was nothing.

"It will take time to heal," she said. "The living tree is now inside you. Giving your arms and fists the strength of the forest."

"So, I can hit harder?"

She shook her head. "Not you will not be hurt easily. Your bones will not break as they once did. And in time you may learn to use the living wood in other ways."

"Thank you, mother, but next time, ask first."

She smiled sweetly and threw one of my favourite phrases back in my face. "Where is the fun in that?"

Elred had sat quietly through the whole ordeal. He didn't give me any sympathy either. "We will call more guardians so you can travel the lands without worry. Gisael asked for this and we agree. The forest will call its own protection, be wary of newborns in the forest. They will not be like the bird; they will be creatures of the forest."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "We will see who answers the call."

"Who?"

"A powerful creature will talk to us. It will be like a member of the clan."

Mother touched my cheek. "Will we ask the gatekeepers for another outsider?"

I held up my hand and turned, "Ailen." I yelled. If he did not hear me someone would fetch him.

A few minutes later he arrived and bowed. "You called."

"Yeah, do we want any more outsiders?"

He titled his head and thought for a minute. "I have a friend, but he wants to be a crafter. He's always a crafter. But …, yes ask for the gatekeepers to bring one and I'll take care of it from the other end." He looked at Mother. "Is it okay if he is not a Svartalfar?"

She looked at me and I shrugged. "If Benzhi says yes, the answer is yes."

"Yes, I guess. An ally is an ally, he is trustworthy?"

"He is," Ailen said.

"Good, I'd hate to have to kill a friend of yours," I said and laughed.

Elred looked confused and Mother patted his leg in reassurance.

"Rest," Mother said to me, "Do not train more today."

My arms were itchy, and I nodded. Sex wasn't training, I could do that instead.