Xing Lei casually munched on the fish as Alustriea glared at him, secretly he was surprised she had found him, out here in the wilderness he likely expected her to get kidnapped by bandits or attacked by a flock of angry ducks or something equally ridiculous, at one point or another she had needed rescuing and for the first time she seemed competent... or was he just that distracted? Continuing to eat he waited for her to speak but she instead stared at him in this angry and awkward silence.
Polishing off the skewer he tossed it aside and looked at her evenly, "So, what magic did you use to track me down? Don't tell me the elves have already tamed and trained a beast capable of tracking?"
Frowning she shook her head, "A simple clairvoyance spell, I've been following you since you left the city."
"And your escort?"
Alustriea frowned, "I brought none, I wanted to see you myself Xing Lei. I want to know why you made that wish, why you are so indifferent to everything. No sane person should be able to sit down calmly like you do and casually talk with those that sought your life! So explain to me just who you are and what sort of demon you are. There's no way you're anything but a devil or demon in mortal form."
Xing Lei sighed and leaned back casually, "We had this talk Alustriea, I told you then you just were not ready to understand it, you still aren't. You've gained certain realizations and have vague conjectures but the fact you casually label me devil or demon just shows you don't understand any of it."
Xing Lei tapped his snout in thought, then shook his head, "I want to explain but we do not speak the same language to understand it, better to accept I am not some noble hero and move on from there."
"Then you are a villain..." Alustriea started but Xing Lei raised his hand to stop her, "Is your existence naught but black and white? Surely there are existences that are neither or both..."
Alustriea frowned at this, she had to admit there was a middle ground of being strictly good or evil but at the same time wanted to deny it based solely on not letting this kobold talk in circles. Frowning she shook her head, "Why did you leave Osilliaice behind?"
"She can grow stronger with your people and won't be at risk of assassins there. When I'm strong enough I'll go take her from your father."
"Is it really so simple to you? Do you not worry that she'll be mistreated by my people?" Alustriea frowned and asked.
"So what if they do? Cultivators practically have to cut the throats of their own siblings to rise up in a family, expecting outsiders to be lenient with you shows nothing but weakness. Fleet Spear is stronger than your few egotistical nobles, she'll get through it and likely step on a few idiots to do it." Xing Lei shrugged unconcerned, caring for his mate did not mean he wanted to protect her from the trials of getting stronger, if he coddled her she would not be able to be with him later.
Looking to the fuming elf he waved his hand, "I need rest, so make your judgement. Attack or do not, I will walk my path regardless." Rolling over he laid facing away from her, the casual arrogance in the belief she'd not act against him made her eyes blaze, her hands lifted ready to cast when she saw the glint of a yellow reptilian eye, trusting her with his back? Hardly. If she wove magic to harm him again he would forget past friendships and bury her by the river.
That simple glance struck her like a boulder. He would really do it. Her hands fell to her lap watching as his cocked head laid down, his chest rising and falling steadily. For the night she watched him part in fear that he could so easily, without any hesitance, determine her friend or foe. Unlike her own emotional conflict in the city, that simple side long gaze had told her at her core if she completed her spell she MIGHT hurt him.
But he would definitely kill her.
Yet still, she envied him. His resolution to his path was sort of envious, he walked it, alone or with others, it didn't matter ultimately as long as he moved forward. Sighing to herself, she gazed at the flickering fire and thought about her choice come the morning. The night passed slowly, the lazy trail of the moon illuminated the two figures camped at the side of the river, one curled up constantly while the other sat up tending the fire, every now and then the tender would raise her hands towards the 'sleeper' but each time those hands dropped unable to go through the motions her mind screamed at them to do.
When Xing Lei awoke he looked to the haggard Alustriea, barely propping herself up. The mental trauma of starting to cast only to feel like some wild beast was eying her every nerve had rattled her throughout the night, while he had indeed rested everytime he felt her killing intent rise he let her have a taste of his, the difference was gut wrenching for her. Barely able to sit up Xing Lei reached over and dropped a hand on her knee, the simple motion, the contact it gave her made her jump and fall back on her rump, those cold reptilian eyes stared into her emerald gaze, "Your choice?"
Alustriea swallowed, cold sweat ran down her back. The touch of his hand and that imposing intent had badly shaken her. Closing her eyes she slumped back, "I'll go home."
Xing Lei nodded and rose walking past her, dropping a hand to stroke her hair, "Watch out for Fleet Spear if you would, I'll see you in due course." Striding forward he broke into a run to launch himself over the chilly river. Her eyes followed his back as he walked off in the direction of the rising sun. She did not need to ask where he'd go, his choice to go east spoke of his destination clear as the day itself. When he finally vanished over a hill she slumped down on the ground taking deep breaths trying to come to terms with what she had felt before sleep claimed her, much like she had thought way back when, she wondered about her choice had she had the courage to reach for him.
In the distance, Xing Lei walked on, even had she chosen otherwise he would have denied her company. He'd spent two years mixed up in the political mire of the human and elf situation, dragging her along would bring no benefits except perhaps a companion that might seek his embrace at one point or another, while like back in the kobold village he certainly would not deny a chance of bedding the beautiful elf, he would have to provide for her both in daily living and cultivation materials and that would limit himself again, better to scare her home now than have her tagging along and questioning what he might or might not do.
With his unintended escort sent on her way, his journey continued but what struck him as odd was that the fields of wheat grew rather than shrank. Once he even reached out to see if the plant would crumble like ash but found it whole and hearty. If he were nearing undead lands should not the vegetation get more sparse? Curiosity now drove him forward, could it be the tales of undeath were a myth? Yet Alustriea seemed completely convinced that the lands to the east of the Ironhand Kingdom were a corpse sects dreamland.
After several days, Xing Lei was even more certain he had left Ironhand behind, while everything was vibrant the occasional villages had gone missing, the fields of wheat grew tall and wild drowning him in a flowing sea of the plant, it reminded him of the savage lands grasslands. Yet he trekked on looking for signs of habitation, or at least, signs where he could hold up. Yet rather than villages or ruins of such, there was just more fields.
At one point Xing Lei stopped and listened, the sounds of the rustling wheat surrounded him, the solitary sound lent further testimony this land saw no people, yet who planted and maintained these fields? The tall stalks crowded him, choking off all sight for one of his size. Calming himself he began to run forward, his clawed feet churning up the earth, yet never did such damage inconvenience the wheat. He was almost tempted to ignite the area, to let a cleansing fire sweep out and consume everything yet something gnawed on his consciousness.
Gritting his teeth he began tearing at the wheat, his claws lashing at the stalks to clear the area around him, yet the wheat bent under his attacks, springing back up to enclose on him once more, even bringing out one of his drow weapons and slashing until the thing disintegrated in his hands he did no damage. Breathing hard he looked around, Xing Lei now knew the field was not real, it was an illusion, but how badly was he trapped in it? How long since it had drowned his senses? Snarling in frustration he drew in a breath and exhaled a plume of flame, turning in a circle to lash at the surrounding plants, flame washing over them as if they were made of stone, refusing to even singe.
Panting softly he dropped to the ground studying the softly blowing wheat, the healthy stalks lightly bending under a breeze he now realized he could not feel. As he caught his breath an aged voice asked from one side, "Are you quite finished mortal?" Xing Leis head snapped up to view an aged human, watching him from amongst the stalks, the man was not overly tall, just shy of six feet, once lavish robes adorned his body yet here and there holes and tears spoke of a life time of wear unravelling the once fine clothing.
The man stood with arms behind his back, his eyes a milky white yet they followed the kobolds movements with some amusement, Xing Lei sighed and inclined his head, "Are you the creator of this formation?"
The mans head bobbed slightly, "Years ago, fearing the greed of man and the arrogance of elves I had these special fields planted, they border my domain keeping the unwary and unworthy from trespassing into my lands."
Xing Lei glanced around, "If I am unwelcome then allow me to depart."
The aged figure shook his head, "You have trespassed, surely the invader does not think he need only ask for release to be granted it."
"Then you mean to imprison me here?"
The figures head shook, "I am no jailer, I'll not restrict you over much, feel free to roam and explore my home as you please, since you have come I will play host and welcome you."
"You speak in riddles, I have offended and cannot request to go but you also welcome me about your home. Which is it?"
"Both, naturally. As I have stated, you have trespassed thus requesting to leave won't do, so I welcome your stay in my lands, for good or for ill, I'll be your host." The man spoke, a jesters smile crossing that age lined face as he stared at the kobold with intent.
"So, as long as I roam your lands I am welcomed as a guest but should I leave your land I will be treated as an intruder?"
"Now you're catching on! While it has been some time since I last entertained one of Destorianaxe's brood, I am sure I remember how she preferred her brood be treated when they wandered out this far." The man took on a pensive pose, appearing to be in thought.
"Destorianaxe?"
"Ah yes your kind call her the Mistress, silly title for a black dragon if you ask me. As I told her a hundred years ago I'd not broach the invasion of her brood after the last time but in your case I'll make an exception, it's not every day a fellow reincarnated makes their way here, actually it was about three thousand years ago if my memory serves, charming lass, not all there upstairs though, kept screaming about some place called Japan like our old selves mattered in this world." Shaking his head sadly the old man grinned, "How about you little kobold are you also from earth or some other physical realm?"
Xing Lei blinked, he was not unique? Staring at the old man in disbelief his counter part smirked. "What you really thought you were special? The powers that be have been chucking loose souls across the place for ages, hell I'm not even the oldest of us, one of our peers is actually a god now, lucky prick rolled dragon and became head of his own pantheon. You seem to have come up snake eyes getting kobold, a variant sure and from the looks of things bringing a crap ton of knowledge but here you are caught in a simple illusion unable to free yourself. Have you even bothered to acclimate with this world? Its powers are just as potent as whatever shit show you lived in before."
Shaking his head the old man turned and walked off muttering, "Kids these days, all the better you don't leave, powers only knows what chaos you've been causing relying solely on your old bullshit."
Watching the departing back, Xing Lei stared stunned in place not even realizing when the wheat crumbled around him, the fields of wheat becoming a gray bleak landscape. Even the dirt beneath his feet seemed to drain of all color matching his mood, for the last few years he had seen himself as a wolf amongst sheep, he could sup at his leisure. Yet now that belief had taken a fatal blow, he was still a wolf, but now he knew out there in the wilds there was also bears, tigers and more, many who already achieved the apex if the tale of a god was to be proven true, yet he drifted with the wind and was as weak as a newborn thinking he already ruled the realm. If the mad kings words were true and not mad ravings...
... then the wolf wasn't hunting alone and now he knew it.