"So the festival has us start at the bottom of the mountain, from which we then ascend its great height before we somehow find a shrine containing a chunk of thunder-gold?" I repeated to Torque as I looked up from the diagram he had been drawing to supplement what he had been explaining as well.
"Basically, yes, you shall be guided on instinct and your knowledge of the land."
"One of which I lack." I point out, something which bothered him a lot.
"There are no rules against just following the others. Even with what has happened recently, you... Maelta is not hated by the village."
"Right..." I let out as I try to differentiate my life from that which this girl had experienced.
"Perhaps it would be best for you to go and play with my granddaughter's friends? Thurge and Bolunch."
"Thurge did give me an odd look when I came to be here." I recall as the boy in the tree briefly crossed my mind.
"I suppose it works out as well if my presumptions about who this 'Thunder' is are true." he let out with a clap. Something I found myself smiling at.
"So... Any idea where I might find either of them?"
"Thurge has a reputation of apathy. He's a rather passive child that does little but gaze aimlessly at his surroundings. Bolunch, on the other hand, could not be more different. Out going and adventurous. A dangerous combination to be mixed with my granddaughter. But, I made myself uninvolved when it became clear to me why Bolunch wailed the way he did."
"Can you explain, at least a little?" I asked him, confused as to what it was he was getting at.
"Bolunch is a natural leader. His voice wailed because it was to be heard by all. And while I do not think he'll take my position, I know he'll become a core part of our community. In a way, he already is, amongst the young anyway."
"N-Now... I know this might sound odd, but... Your granddaughter didn't have any...?" I nervously started to ask before Torque smiled. His joy was genuine as he looked at me.
"They were good friends is all I know, but I am sure she'll be confused either way when you leave us, Einervaene."
"Play it safe, okay." I mutter, not sure if I should breathe in relief or shiver with uncertainty.
"You best get going, though. If I know Bolunch as well as I do, he'd be heading out on a hunting trip about this time of day."
"Someone as young as him hunts?" I question as I tried to guess what sort of age Maelstra, Thurge and he must've been. If they were all in the same birthing ceremony or whatever it was, then it must've been that they were all equally young.
"He's old enough to handle a spear and hunt delicious game." Torque answered with a shrug before he began to gesture for me to go on ahead.
"Should I call out for him?" I asked myself as I walked on my lonesome down the path Torque had taught me to use. However, I decided against just shouting for the boy as I didn't like the idea of that. So I was hoping I could find him at that same place Thurge lived.
If not, it shouldn't be too hard to find a contradictory pairing in the forest, no? Though in quickly thought up retrospect, I shouldn't have thought about that. My life has expanded far beyond the scope I previously thought of. But that kind of worrying was not made for this moment.
A different kind was for right now and it was the dreadful sensation of awkwardness that overcame me as I stepped into this blacksmith's shop. And the woman who I gave quite the clawing was the one who stepped out to see who it was. The feeling between us seemed to be mutual as well. But, it was clear she was mature enough to let it slide.
"Thurge went out that way, if you're looking for him." she tells me as she moves her head out towards the backdoor I once ran out of.
"Thank you." I say as I head for it slowly before I pick up the pace to get it over with.
"Are you feeling better?" she then asked as she hid the marks on her arm.
"I'm not sure..." I answered honestly as I headed out. Though, I was not answering what she was probably asking about. I was just using it as an excuse to get other things off of my chest. All of this craziness has gotten to me, I had to admit.
To say nothing of my worries for Brewbrt who I last saw charging to intercept some kind of attack... I wanted to hope that he was okay. Though, I suppose right now he was, as he had yet to even be born. But that didn't stop me from being aware of the time I spent talking to Lightning...
He would've either taken that attack or stopped it or something! I would never know for the moment. It was an unfortunate situation. So all I could really do was pray and somehow hoped that sort of stuff applied across time.
I had to admit as well, I was in complete awe whenever I even slightly thought about it. Lightning's power was so great he could send me back to the distant, ancient past to save someone! And although he did it by supplanting me in someone else's body. It was still something!
Quite something!
"Oh, if only Vadei would ever believe me about something like this..." I complain as I try to find some happiness within the confines of my mind. Fictional, imagined scenarios that offered little comfort other than a mood-raising chuckle.
However, when something suddenly snapped its jaws behind me and snorted aggressively. That good mood was quickly wiped out. And, frightened by it, I turned to face it. However, aware of my lost abilities, I was frozen by the fear that had awakened inside me.
"STAY STILL!" someone's voice suddenly boomed before a sharp whistling noise shot past me. Loud, violent screeching then filled the air as the animal suddenly backed away in pain. A long, firm shaft of wood stuck out of it as it violently bled from the javelin it had just received.
"Maelta, over here." Thurge called as he held out his hand while giving me a mostly blank stare. However, when I delayed, he just suddenly grabbed it and pulled me aside before that creature could attack him.
"S-Sorry!" I let out as I stared down at him. The suddenness of it all having thrown me vastly off balance.
"It is fine." he tells me as he looks past my arms as a fit young man suddenly rushes the dazed beast with what was probably another javelin. And with a hearty roar, he lodged it into the beast and knocked it on its side. Immobilizing it completely as he made a point of putting both sticks into its body more.
"Th-Thank you..." I say before the stronger of the pair looks up at me with an annoyed glance. And, if I was to guess, this was Bolunch.
"Maelta! We've been over this! Stop walking carelessly through the forest!" he complains as he pulls the weapon out of the beast. A red mess subsequently squirted out of it. Not that he really cared. I, however, found myself filled with grim curiosity.
"So that is what it looks like before it goes to a butcher." I quietly remarked as I started to think of raw meat of all things.
"Mountain boars are oddly quiet." Thurge then comments, seemingly in defence of me, or Maelta, rather. It was hard to tell with that blank expression of his.
"Squealed quite nicely just now." Bolunch shrugged as he swung his weapon around his shoulder so his arms could rest on it.
"D-Doesn't that spoil the meat...?" I then ask as I awkwardly try to think of something that at least might've sounded like Maelta. That was correct, wasn't it...? I remember men back home in my homeland talking about certain animals being too jittery most of the time. Something about making the meat taste different.
"I like it like that..." Bolunch explained with a slight frown as he narrowed his eyes at me.
"Of course!"
"You hit your head or something?" he then asked as he suddenly flicked a bit of blood at me.
"E-Excuse me!?" I let out as I made a point of wiping it off.
"She was acting odd you say?" he asked Thurge as he made a point of moving near the animal.
"I have been told so, yeah." Thurge answered as he looked off into the distance. And I tried to see if I could see what it was he was looking at. But his gaze just shifted around to nothing...?
"So... What are you two up to?" I awkwardly asked as I took note of how they had more on them than was needed for this single boar as they called it.
"We were going to head down and see what the path back up might be like." Bolunch explained as he hauled the boar over his shoulder.
"Isn't that a little risky?" I questioned as he headed on out without either me or Thurge.
"Need some food, don't we?" he said back to me with a confident smirk as he rolled the side carrying that ballish animal.
"You didn't bring anything with you?" I questioned Thurge quietly as I was not used to such an independent way of things. Even when we left Vadei's home, we made sure to stock up! Though, when I travelled with Nin to Suhurlodst for the first time... He and Baltanthan both made a point of gathering our food like this.
Our circumstances were a little different, then, though. These two had a home village right behind them and their plan was to just hunt something on the way? It seemed so stupid! Why would you risk your lives needlessly like that?
Better yet, why was Bolunch so keen on showing off how easy it was for him to carry it? Did Maelta, in fact, have a thing going on for him...? Would I need to fill in for her!? In order to not be caught out by Thunder, should he appear?
I honestly could not figure it out... Lightning hadn't warned me of anything. He just wanted me to win the festival. So wherever Thunder was, he was at the end of all of this.
"You're going to fall." Thurge commented before Bolunch suddenly stabbed his weapon into a nearby tree.
"Ouch..." I let out as I recoiled from the sudden pole to my gut. Though, I did not complain when I saw the sudden drop that had appeared out of nowhere.
"You two head ahead, this boar's blood still needs to dry out." my saviour remarked as he gestured towards a downward slope.
"Down lower..." I found myself saying as the details of that misty forest returned to me. When we found the ruined village, we had to climb for a brief moment. And now I was descending down into what might've been that same forest. I was pretty sure I could even see an open clearing.
Just like where that grave was found...
"Stay close, it is easy to get lost down here." Thurge explained before his point was made evident by how he suddenly had to turn another way.
"Has no one had a mind to just... Chop a path?" I asked in a rather blunt manner as we entered the plant-walled maze. With barbs of bark and wire made of sticks.
"We can get lumber from the trees that are closer." Thurge tells me as he points back the way we came.
"But if this way is the way towards this important festival, why has it not been cleared!?"
"Because what is at the end must be won with effort." Thurge explains before he briefly shows a display of uncertainness. He then glanced up at Bolunch as he came strutting down the path.
"You don't think you could do it?" I thought I would ask given the premonitions Torque spoke of.
"N-No... I don't even want to be here. But I want to make Dad proud." he quietly admitted. And unfortunately, I couldn't help but want to reject this information. It felt wrong hearing this knowing he was opening up to Maelta instead. However, the crude amulet he was now holding did catch my interest.
"A lot of people have those..." I remarked, not really knowing their significance.
"Yeah, you too." he seemingly pointed out as a joke before he longingly looked at Bolunch's. His in comparison might as well have been an authentic treasure! It shined bright and was finely crafted and decorated so well. Its beauty was a kind that felt homely as well for me!
What, with all the references it had to lightning and thunder and storms and so on.
"This way, head that way!" Bolunch suddenly called out to us as the emotion seemed to be struck from Thurge's face.
"He always knows the way." Thurge in turn commented.
"You know the path well?" I asked our animal-hauling lead.
"Not at all!" he laughed as the thrill of adventure shivered about him.
"Someone to blame, wonderful!" I sarcastically exclaim as I cautiously kept an eye out for anything red and green. However, there was no such thing, only small, skittish animals not liking the smell of our hauled-about bloody...
"Claws." Thurge suddenly pointed out as he tapped his foot on some narrow grooves in the mud below.
"A big cat." Bolunch answered with a nod as he began to methodically look about.
"Your idiocy better not cause us problems..." I warned him as I was once again faced with a dangerous situation where my trained reflexes meant nothing. Everything I had learned needed magic to work!
"Here bolt-kitty... Here now!" Bolunch started to coo as he carelessly waved the dead boar about. As if it were a piece of clothing at an undisciplined party... Then, his brash actions were met with a reaction.
"We need to go!" I hiss having heard that roar and the now rapid sounds of undergrowth moving.
"This way." Thurge let out, however, he was not guiding us out of here. He was just pointing out where it was coming from...
"You two!?" I let out louder this time.
"Syeow." a peculiar creature let out as its head suddenly stepped out.
"Oh, it was after something else." Bolunch let out disappointedly as he lowered the boar corpse back down over his bloodied shoulder.
"Hello there!" I found myself cooing as I kneeled down and reached for the creature. It was so small and adorable!
"Careful now, predator behind it."
"Then spear it like you did that!" I snap as I let the red-feathered creature hop into my arms. And while I personally couldn't keep it safe. I enjoyed how it seemed to feel safe in my arms.
"Bolt-cat." Thurge let out as he suddenly snapped off a large branch. And with a mighty snap of its jaws, this creature suddenly dove out of the wall-like forestry and stood before us. Its thin, jagged legs sprang with energy while its jaw slobbered and snapped.
"Here you go, now, shoo." Bolunch dismissively told the creature after he chucked the boar at it. However, that beast completely ignored the corpse and instead seemed to lick its lips at us.
"Here, back here." Thurge urged as he slow brought me back while Bolunch seemed to cackle with excitement. Both of his spears at the ready as the creature snarled on the approach.
"Bolunch!" I called out, concerned that this bravado would get me killed as well! And for the sake of someone that I did care about, I could not let this happen. But what could I do...!?
Maybe this branch Thurge snapped off had a purpose!
"Try and keep near mouth if it lunges at you." Thurge answered as he caught sight of my glances.
"That would mean letting i-" I began to say before the creature suddenly lashed out towards me. And like before, it found itself skewered by Bolunch on the approach. However, I couldn't help but stare at the creature's suddenly still jaw as it was brought away from me.
"Drop that bird, Maelta, you nearly got yourself killed." Bolunch shrugged casually.
"I nearly got myself killed?" I questioned as I got up, still holding the bird.
"Yeah." he said with a nod before a loud snap filled the air.
"Taking it on the chin ain't quite like that..." Bolunch replied as he rubbed his mouth while my hand stung from the impact. He had quite a firm jawline...
"Be more careful in future, you reckless fool!" I snap as I started to use the soft feathers of this peculiar bird to calm myself.
"Bolt-cats don't belong up here." Thurge then commented as he went past the dead animal.
"Who am I to complain about some more bone marrow?" Bolunch asked back with a huff as he picked up the other dead animal. However, not long after he did that. The animal I was holding suddenly scrambled out of my grip and disappeared.
"You did your job." Thurge told me as he patted my back once as I stared at the disappearing animal.
"Now I just feel used." I say, shrugging in disappointment as we moved on ahead again. And thankfully, there were no more disturbances. Even if the scent of blood made it clear as to why.
"That smell..." Bolunch lets out as he suddenly stops after a surprise wind suddenly finds us.
"Burning oil?" I question as I remember the foul odor Nin once told me about. During our travels back from his home following the wyvern incident... I just idly asked him about the strong smell those vehicles had in his homeland. But why could we smell it now?
Was what happened at Anvil-Peak rather recent? Like, within the time that Nin's home was still around recent? I know I could not really say but I've only ever smelt this scent once. I only had that trip to call upon...
"So how is it that you know what that smell is, exactly?" Bolunch questioned as he began to follow the smell. Something he found to be particularly foul yet it did not stop him from breathing in all he could.
"I have experienced it before." I answered honestly.
"Yeah, as if the High Priest's granddaughter goes out anywhere." he scoffed before he began to hack and cough at the smell.
"You can handle the smell of two corpses but can't handle this?" I ask him, slightly annoyed by his jab even if it wasn't meant for me. Yet, I had to agree with his reactions, it was a horrible stench.
"Machines..." Thurge then suddenly said as he began to cover our mouths. And while I had no problem knowing that, Bolunch seemed to be confused by it.
"Since when did a mill or a forge's air-pump smell like that?" he asked, clearly having a limited scope of technology. Not that I could blame them, this place was so isolated and out of touch with the rest of the world. Which, I suppose, only made it a more curious affair as to what was going on out there.
Then, we heard shouting further down...