He made his way back to the large pine tree he'd whittled the femur bones at and settled in amongst the foliage. He could have slept in the open atop a hillock of snow, but he liked the enveloping darkness.
He awoke to the sound of other Walkers. Ankou was wrapped around him like a cocoon. Snow had filled in the space between the pine branches, blotting out the light.
"I can't fucking believe that!" The voice was high pitched and irate.
"Chill, L. Jeeze." Another voice, this one deep and masculine. It was accompanied by the clunk and rattle of metal.
"Hey, you two. So are you going to light this up or what? I'm literally freezing my stones off over here." The third voice was nonchalant. It was another masculine voice.
Then there was an explosion. Concussive heat and light flared all around him. His eyes couldn't adjust in-time, and he saw spots dancing amongst yellow-white. His eyes found their place, and the flare subsided to a bright bonfire. The snow in the tree he was sleeping in was melting, but he still had to bore a hole through with a finger so he could see what was going on in the clearing.
It made sense that the Walkers had chosen this place. It was the same reason he'd chosen it. This was the best protection from the elements and was the most defensible within an hour of [Iron Tooth]'s cave.
A large boulder had been melted to slag. It oozed orange heat in waves as it bore a hole through the snow and frozen ground.
"There. I did my job, now you do yours Alexster. How did someone beat us here?" L asked. This was the female voice.
"Let's wait until Tahtania is finishing scouting the area. There's still a few leads to pursue."
———
Back within the bough of one of the huge pine trees, with the snow beginning to melt in earnest he whispered, "That ain't possible." He was only half listening to the conversation. He was more concerned about the Circle of Walkers finding him.
"They are beyond you as you are to a mouse," Ankou whispered back. The crackling roar of the molten slag of stone covered the minuscule sound Ankou used to whisper into his ear.
"Never seen such." He shook himself, pulling Ankou over his head. "I was a fool to sleep here." The snow was receding, making huge gaps in the foliage all around the clearing. "Need to get home before I'm killed. Do you think there's already a bounty out?"
"Yes." Ankou fluttered out against the branches before retracting tight around his body. "Be cautious child. There is a Magus named Leila, she spoke first. Templar named Erix spoke second. The Slayer spoke third; his name is Alexster. The Skald is in leathers, named Joff. Slayer Alexster will be able to notice your movements. Any of them alone could kill you even with my aid."
"Four?" He continued to watch the quad. "Da said they always hunt in threes."
"Upon ascending to their level, they expand their [Circle] from three to five."
"Five?" He looked around through the growing gaps in his hiding place. His hatchet was in his hand; his other reached for one of the spare femur bones. His eyes saw a dark shadow peel away from a few trees over.
The panther was sleek and feral with gleaming silver eyes and finger long fangs. It's tail swished as it padded over the snow, swinging its head from side to side. It's eyes seemed to take in everything. It settled near the other four [Walkers] and bared it's fangs at Alexster the Slayer.
"Oh give it a rest, Tata," Alexster said with a yawn. "No one is impressed by your theatrics."
The body of the panther rippled and contracted. Black fur outlined a much smaller, feminine body. The fur receded, and a girl emerged. She had a panther's head for a helmet that kept dark purple hair from spilling out. Her skin was dark walnut wood, and her eyes two silver orbs.
"Someone tagged the mob before we could. Smelled like a native. Used local fauna called 'holly' as a poison, reminiscent of Alexster's alchemy. Impossible to track in the blizzard. Mob went over the side half a klick from it's spawn point. It'll be another day before it respawns," Tahtania the Dusk Elf said. "And my panther form is not cut out for this Osz damned snow. Why did it pick this for the expansion?"
"Aww, regret not buying the snow leopard skin when the xpack unlocked?" Alexster said, twisting his face into mockery.
"No, I regret ever sullying myself with humans." Tahtania the Dusk Elf said. "There has been no greater punished meted by our Administrator."
———
Back behind the snow and pine branches, he whispered, "Osz forsake me, I never thought I'd see a [Dusk Elf]."
"The fifth," Ankou whispered, squeezing tight around his body until it was a second skin. "We are doomed if they notice us."
He had nothing to add, so he kept his feelings bottled up. He didn't even dare considering them, as his father had warned him powerful Walkers could feel it. His right hand held the hatchet, and his left clutched a jagged femur bone. The Circle of Walkers had a panoply of ancient arms and armor. The worth of any one item could feed his entire village for a year.
"Are the names of all Walkers so easy to know? I was afraid to [Consider] them," he said.
"They tear at the fabric of reality, if you can read such tears you need not [Consider] them," Ankou replied, squeezing him tight. "Now hush and make no movements, child, we must not lose you."
———
The heat of the burning stone had melted a globe of snow large enough for the Circle to spread out comfortably. It also exposed the ground which was wet and soggy from the melting snow. Over head the fat snow flakes falling down melted into rain before landing in the clearing.
"Executor Tahtania?" Leila said, "If you'd grace us with Respite?"
"Of course Sudo Leila." Tahtania gave the smallest of smiles, which did nothing to make her face less creepy.
Tahtania activated [Grove of Respite]. It took ten ticks and considerable concentration judging by the scowl on her face. Trees burst from the soggy, bare soil. They weren't native of the area, instead they were young cherry trees in full, heart aching blossom. He's never seen anything so beautiful.
The cherry trees were spaced roughly a foot's length apart, enough to make it possible to squeeze through but not enough to prevent access. A small stream of water curled around the burning slag of stone, which the members of the Circle took their time drinking and cleaning up. A variety of different fruits burst from the branches of the trees, swelling and filling the air with a perfume fragrance that he'd never smelled before.
It wasn't the most defensive position. Due to the snow being about waist high the entire glade was lower than his current position, which made it easier for him to spy on them. The burning rock made it easier for him to see in, and should make it harder for them to see out in the darkness and blizzard.
It struck him as incredibly arrogant. They were like gods who knew nothing nearby could harm them, so they frolicked in bliss in their grove of springtime.
Erix the Templar was next. He lifted his golden, two-handed sword into the heavens. Golden circles manifested and slithered like snakes into glyphs that settled around the spaces between the trees before fading away.
———
It was hard for him to understand what is was but Ankou whispered, "They are [Glyph of Warding], a powerful defensive array. See how the Circle works in harmony to enhance their overall effectiveness?"
He grunted, because there wasn't any words that he could form. At first, he was too overawed and then too angry. "People like this make me sick. If even one of them came to my village none would have died or been forced to sell themselves to merchants to feed their families. Why do they do nothing for us? Why was my pa unable to help our village?"
"Walker's are primarily driven by greed for wealth and power. They trade this for privilege. Some tire of it and attempt to retire and lose themselves amongst the Children of Osz. In time they become akin to the Children of Osz. They are also most powerful when they form a Circle. Alone creation can easily crush them."
"I hate them."
"As you should, ours is the desire to kill what must be killed. The hard choice is often to turn away from fame and glory. To live outside and away from all the animus of a species." Ankou caressed him in something like a cold, slithering hug. It was tender in a way that he couldn't describe.
He was torn between waiting for the Walkers to leave and leaving before the Walkers found him. They had powers he lacked. His only advantages right now were the cold night and the blizzard. Ankou was black, which would be easy for anyone to see come sunrise.
"Ankou explain what Excutor Tahtania meant when she reported to Sudo Leila."
"[Plane Walkers] are [Outsiders] who use odd idioms or slang unique to their homeland. She was referring to [Iron Tooth], whom we had slain previously. It will reincarnate tomorrow after midnight. They then plan to slay it and hope to gain similar rewards as you received. Based upon what you received they must be looking for the [Iron Skin Coat]. Such protections against cold are rare and vital. They will slay it over and over again until the whole Circle has such."
He grunted. "I reckon so. Before it would have been enough to claim local privileges over our tribe and none would say otherwise. Pa could have fed the entire village if he didn't have to worry about the cold."
Silence grew between them as he watched the Circle frolic in the grove. They were having a great time between swimming in the water, eating the various fruits, and even singing by the fire. He found his hand white knuckled around the [War Forged Hatchet]. They were going to treat [Iron Tooth] like sport. They would pillage what had robbed him of his whole life like a game. Wear it in mockery of everything he and his people had been through, and he would not stand for it!