Not a single word is needed between us. Our tacit understanding during a hunt has not deteriorated even though this is the first time after a long time.
Closing my eyes, I don't realize the black color of hair ebbing away as I listen to the whole forest around us. I take out Father's mask and wear it like it's some sort of ritual. However, Obrecht's quiet breathing suddenly feels nearer that my attention is halved.
Focus. That's not a prey you're looking at, that's a predator. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Detecting many breaths all around, I judge each one's strength. I estimate their body size and weight by the sound and interval of their footsteps and the reflected sound waves bouncing off their body.
I stand up. Obrecht is alerted. Very soon, we start our hunt.
There are a lot of beasts in Jurell Forest. The deeper you go into the forest, the more likely to encounter enlightened beasts are as smart as normal humans. The beasts Obrecht and I hunt are in the lowest class. Our efficiency is enough to hunt three medium-sized boars and two slightly smaller critters.
At the edge of the river, we wash and prepare the meat of our catch.
"..." Can we really finish all of these meat?
"We can take smoke dry the meat and carry half with us", Obrecht suggests after noticing my concerns.
"..." But aren't we already carrying a lot?
A rustling sound reverberates somewhere a bit downstream. I speed up cleaning the meat in my hands and toss it to Obrecht. We should've hastened our actions. The river has always been the point of convergence of most beasts, and the bloody smell just attracts the carnivores and the omnivores. Additionally, only the high ranking beasts tend to dare to steal the catch of others.
"Obrecht", I call.
"Hm", Obrecht hums. He quickly wraps the meat one by one and carrying all of those heavy things on his shoulders and arms.
While he's ready to escape any time, I control my shadow, spreading and ready to create multiple spikes. This wouldn't be the first time beasts tried to snatch our meat. Compared to the beasts on the surface, those in Inferis are just plain daredevils. That, or they're just starved gluttons who don't care who they attack as long as they're fed.
The scent of blood enters my nose, different from our prey. I smell it before I see the large body emerging from the thicket of trees.
An adult wounded saint edaine.
The slits of its eyes are narrowed to an extremely dangerous point. It's still in the state of high battle agitation. Its previous fight has just probably ended, and seeing how it's still proudly standing upright, it must've won.
If I were to compare, a saint edaine beast is like a dragon. They're both rare and give birth only to one or two every few centuries. But whereas the usual dragon, except for earth and water type, is the ruler of the sky, the saint edaine beast rules the land. They're a match to earth dragons in terms of strength.
That, and it is asexual. When they give birth to a cub through an egg, they are both the cub's mother and father. This is what usually separates them from the rest. But it is said that saint edaine meat has both healing properties and can promote a person's cultivation. This is also the main reason why they're hunted by both man and beast.
It inches forward, jerking me out of my thoughts. It growls threateningly before bellowing.
Who are you bellowing to?
We are currently at a stalemate; the beast doesn't move, and nor do I. Now that I get a good look, this saint edaine seems very familiar to me.
Ah. Aren't you the same beast I found roaming around near my house?
I draw a few speculations. Only one really jumps out, and that it's most simple but probable reason why it wandered so far in search of a safe place. To nest. In other terms, isn't this saint edaine bellowing to its cub?
Then, the wounds on its body are probably from protecting its cub, isn't it?
"...Ob."
"Yeah?"
"Can you give me one of the boars we caught?"
Obrecht doesn't object, nor question me. He simple takes one and slowly hands it to me in front of the beast's watchful eyes.
Holding the meat in front of the beast, it does not change its stance. I take a few steps forward, making the muscles on its back tenser. A saint edaine may not be scary-looking with its beautiful feline face and adorable feathers on the head, but there is no doubt about its power.
Slowly, I lift my hand to my face and remove the mask. I can fleetingly see a hint of surprise in its eyes as we continue to stare at each other.
It's good to know that you still remember me.
Putting down the meat on the ground, I back up until I'm beside Obrecht once more. With one boar gone, he has one hand free and it snakes its way into my waist.
"..." Are you gonna carry my like boar meat? Do I really look like prey that much?
I stare at my slim arms, and then at Obrecht's biceps. I really want to bite it in anger, but this doesn't normally show in my face.
Again, the beast bellows. The slits of its eyes expand, no longer in the battle or berserk mode that high ranking beasts have. I pat Obrecht's arm and he hesitantly lets me go while I eye the small white cub coming out of the bushes. Its shaky legs are proof in itself that it had just been born.
The adult beast nudges the smaller cub to eat the boar meat after sniffing it a few times. The starved cub immediately obliges.
"You can put those down", I tell Obrecht. We really haven't finished thoroughly cleaning the blood off the others. I urge Obrecht to clean himself too. Carrying the meat for a while made the blood drip all over him, and now he reeks of it.
A small unexpected harmony emerges. The adult beast lays down and licks its wounds while observing us. I continue rinsing the blood of the prey we caught on the riverbank. This time, I am at ease. The powerful presence of the adult beast, even if wounded, is still enough to pressure others to not come.
Nudge nudge —
I look down beside me. The saint edaine cub blinks at me. I blink right back. It takes a big sniff of me, again and again until its head is almost completely in my arms.
A hand suddenly stretches from behind me, hugging my upper torso.
"Mine", Obrecht growls.
The cub stiffens for a few seconds before it cautiously threads nearer to sniff at Obrecht too. The curiosity and dauntlessness of newborn cubs are amazing.
I flick Obrecht's forehead. "If you don't let me go, our catch is gonna drift downstream at this rate."
Reluctantly, Obrecht lets go. We finish up properly cleaning the meat this time. I take a look at the adult edaine resting as it watches over us and the cub playing tug of war and chase with Obrecht every now and then.
"...Obrecht."
"You want to heal that big one don't you?"
I nod softly. Obrecht knows a few healing spells. It's the first thing his Ama taught him.
"Are you planning on taming them", he asks. "They could be useful on our journey."
"No."
If I did so, I wouldn't be any different to Vaughn who merely sees things as tools. Besides, if I'm not careful, I feel like I can easily turn cruel anytime. While I can trust, I'll trust. While I can be kind, I'll be kind. Or so I say, but even with Obrecht and the twins, I struggle a lot.
"...We're just repaying it for not directly attacking us and warding off other beasts."
"Okay." Obrecht smiles at me.
"..." What is that smile for?
I decidedly turn around while Obrecht approaches the beast. It's smart enough to understand our intentions, and let's Obrecht get close, taking a whiff of his scent too.
I take a shadow vine out and tease the cub, popping it out before pulling it down like whack-a-mole. The cub's pupils turn into slits in excitement as it jumps and 'catches' the wiggly, annoying vine. Unfortunately, when it opens its paws, the vine isn't there.
The edges of lips curve, but I couldn't smile anymore when a bigger paw joins to pat the shadow vine down. I look up at the excited adult beast, and it stares right back at me.
Somehow, they're like Tukare, staring and staring to show affection, although I'm not sure if there's any affection in this stare. Aren't they eagerly staring at me so I'd bring out a toy?
I make a larger shadow vine and watch as one newly healed adult edaine and one smaller fussy cub, who's obviously dissatisfied with the parent stealing its playthings, interact.
We take leave soon after. I nod at the adult beast and it sniffs me in return.
It's better not to bring them in our journey. The adult beasts seem to understand my reluctance to get closer as we are, so it takes its cub despite its protests, and leaves as well.
The first thing I hear when we get back was Raguk saying, "You shouldn't underestimate the beasts in Lumea. I've hunted some at the surface, but they're not as powerful in offense as those down under."
Laris, "Is that so. You must have been bored hunting at the surface then."
Raguk, "No. They're easy to catch and the meat of the beasts here are more tender. I might catch a few to breed back home."
"You're back", Tukare interrupts them.
I nod at her, giving her our catch so they can cook it on the campfire. It's almost dark at this point.
"That smell..." Laris frowns. "Did you encounter a high-level beast?"
"Hm."
"Is that so."
Laris doesn't elaborate, so I don't ask further. Maybe I just smell like it a lot because the two of them kept sniffing and rubbing me like cats to catnip.
I stare at the fire for a while as the others busy themselves. Going on like this, our group travels for another five days following downstream, before we finally catch sight of the big mountains that protect Faerie Valley in the distance.