Chapter 5 "Unexpected encounter"
The sun was beginning to set when Damon and Elias stepped away from the inn's entrance, the last rays casting long shadows on the dirt road. The innkeeper had graciously provided them with a single night's stay, but as Damon had already predicted, their funds were running low. Even after scraping together what they had, they couldn't afford another night under a roof.
"Back to sleeping under the stars, I guess," Damon grunted, shouldering his pack.
Elias smirked. "What? Missing the comforts already?"
Damon shot him a half-amused glare. "More worried about you, kid. This isn't exactly the lifestyle most folks grow up with."
Elias shrugged, looking almost excited. "There are worse things than camping. You forget I'm from a pretty small village."
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but from what I've seen, that village probably didn't make you hunt your own dinner."
Elias smiled mysteriously. "You'd be surprised what I can handle."
They moved out of the village, taking a trail that led deeper into the nearby woods. With the forest quickly swallowing the fading light, they eventually found a small clearing. Damon dropped his pack to gather firewood, then turned to Elias, pointing a thumb towards the edge of the clearing.
"Start clearing a spot for the fire. I'll grab something to eat."
"Anything specific in mind?" Elias asked as he knelt, clearing leaves and brush.
Damon grinned, cracking his knuckles. "You'll see."
---
The sound of Damon crashing through the undergrowth grew fainter as Elias settled himself by the newly-cleared fire pit. He sat cross-legged, focusing on a technique he'd been trying to master: drawing in magic from the air around him. He breathed deeply, sensing the faint traces of magic in the atmosphere. It wasn't much compared to his past—his body felt different, more fragile, as though trying to hold water in cupped hands that just couldn't seal tightly enough. He'd have to adjust.
Suddenly, a gust of magic backfired, creating a small shockwave that sent leaves spiraling into the air.
"Trying to put on a show?" Damon's voice cut through the forest, and Elias looked up to see him emerging from the trees with an enormous wild boar slung over one shoulder.
Elias looked from the beast to Damon's smug expression. "Show-off."
Damon tossed the boar down with a laugh. "Beats whatever you were trying to do. Looks like your 'show' needs a little work."
Ignoring Damon's comment, Elias watched as Damon swiftly set about skinning and preparing the animal, his movements fluid, focused. It was easy to see the natural instinct behind each gesture, as though some ancient, animalistic part of him was guiding the motions.
Within minutes, the fire crackled as meat sizzled, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
"Guess the beast takeover magic really does make you a natural hunter," Elias noted, observing the practiced efficiency in Damon's actions.
Damon glanced up, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "Guess you could say it's a... family thing."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Family thing?"
Damon hesitated, shrugging it off. "Long story. Besides, didn't you have some fancy tricks up your sleeve? Like maybe how to control magic better so you don't knock over half the camp?"
Elias snorted. "Give me a few days; I'll have it figured out. Not all of us are born with hunting instincts, you know."
Damon laughed, tearing off a piece of roasted meat and handing it over. "Then start learning fast. Unless you like relying on me for food."
They ate in companionable silence, the firelight casting flickering shadows around them. Afterward, as they settled in, Elias noticed Damon watching the stars, his expression contemplative.
"Thinking about something?" Elias asked, stretching out on his blanket.
Damon shook himself from his thoughts. "Just... thinking about the past, I guess."
For a moment, they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Damon broke the quiet, his voice low. "We'll need money if we're going to keep moving. I've been thinking... if we hunt magical beasts, especially near the overflow zones, we could make a fortune. Magic crystals, hides, bones—there's a market for all of it."
Elias gave him a skeptical look. "Hunting magical beasts? And I'm guessing you think I'll be helpful in that?"
"Who said you'd be fighting them?" Damon grinned. "You can gather stuff from the beasts while I handle the dirty work. You're basically a one-man team's backup at this point, anyway."
Elias rolled his eyes. "And what happens if you... you know." He didn't need to say it—if Damon's beast takeover magic ever triggered like it had during their last fight, Elias would be as much in danger as anyone else. "We'd need backup for that. I'm not enough if things go sideways."
Damon's face darkened at the thought, but he nodded. "True. But no one's going to replace Ivor or the others. That's not happening."
Elias thought for a moment, then spoke quietly. "I'm not saying replace them. But, maybe along the way, we can meet people who could join us. Like... a new team."
Damon considered this for a long moment. "Maybe. Just don't expect me to go 'recruiting,' okay?"
Elias smirked. "Deal. I'll leave the heavy lifting to you."
Damon laughed, and they spent the next hour discussing basic hunting strategies, tossing around ideas on finding magical beasts. The night passed with the crackle of the campfire and the odd comfort of two strangers beginning to feel more like allies.
As dawn approached, Elias sat alone, watching the light seep through the trees. This path would be difficult, even dangerous—but with each step forward, he felt a sense of purpose guiding him, as if this journey was meant to unlock a truth even he didn't fully understand.
The next morning, Damon kicked dirt over the dying embers of the campfire, stretching and yawning loudly as he gathered his things. Elias was already up, leaning against a tree, lost in thought as he stared off into the forest. The golden light of dawn filtered through the branches, casting long shadows over the clearing.
"Come on, kid," Damon called. "We've got a busy day if we're serious about hunting. Overflow zones don't exactly come to us."
Elias snapped out of his reverie and nodded. "Right. You sure you're ready for this? I heard the creatures in those areas are unpredictable, especially with all that extra magic in the air."
Damon grinned. "Unpredictable, huh? You'd think I'd back out now?"
Elias sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, as long as we're clear that 'unpredictable' means they can be pretty dangerous. Not exactly the usual bear or boar you're used to wrestling down."
Damon just shrugged, hefting his pack over his shoulder. "Trust me, kid. You keep watch, I'll handle the beasts. All you need to worry about is keeping up."
As they trekked through the woods, Elias couldn't help but marvel at the sheer resilience Damon showed. For all his gruffness, Damon had an ease about him in the wilderness that Elias admired, a confidence that came not from bravado but from genuine skill honed over years of experience. It was like he could smell the magic in the air, sensing the faintest traces of it like a predator tracking its prey.
---
Elias trudged through the forest, struggling to keep pace with Damon, who carried a broad axe over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"Damon," Elias began, his tone mildly annoyed, "do you have to walk so fast? Some of us don't have legs the size of tree trunks."
Damon glanced back, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Didn't know you were this fragile, kid. Want me to carry you, too?"
"Hard pass," Elias replied dryly, pushing a low branch out of his way.
Just as Damon opened his mouth to retort, a faint voice echoed from up ahead. It was melodic yet strained, a hymn carrying through the trees. Both of them stopped in their tracks, exchanging a glance.
"Someone's singing?" Elias whispered, squinting into the distance.
"Sounds like trouble," Damon muttered, gripping his axe. "Stay behind me."
The melody grew louder as they moved cautiously forward, its haunting cadence weaving through the trees. It wasn't unpleasant, but something about it made the hairs on the back of Damon's neck stand on end.
"Who sings in a place like this?" Damon muttered, his grip tightening on the handle of his axe.
Elias shrugged, though his expression was thoughtful. "Could be someone from a village nearby. Or... something else."
"Something else?" Damon echoed, frowning. "You always gotta be cryptic?"
"Just keeping my options open," Elias replied with a faint smirk.
As they moved closer, the forest began to thin, giving way to a clearing. At its center stood an old, crumbling stone altar, vines snaking up its weathered sides. Kneeling before it was a man clad in tattered robes, his hands clasped in fervent prayer.
The priest's voice carried the same haunting melody, a hymn spoken in a language neither Elias nor Damon recognized. Around the altar, faint carvings glowed softly, their light ebbing and flowing in time with the hymn.
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's... unsettling. What's he praying to, exactly?"
Elias didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the glowing carvings. He could feel it—a faint hum of energy, ancient and unfamiliar. Not quite magic, but not entirely foreign either.
"Be careful," Elias said finally, his tone quiet but firm. "We don't know what we're walking into."
Damon snorted. "I don't need you telling me to be careful, kid."
As they stepped into the clearing, the priest stopped singing abruptly, his head snapping up. He turned slowly to face them, his sunken eyes wide and filled with awe.
"You," the priest whispered, his voice trembling. He rose unsteadily to his feet, pointing a gnarled finger at Elias. "You have come at last."
Elias blinked, glancing at Damon. "Uh... what?"
The priest stumbled forward, his robes billowing around him like tattered wings. "It is you. The light in the darkness. The savior foretold in the stars!" He dropped to his knees before Elias, bowing his head.