That evening I was scolded by Billisha, a long teary lecture on the importance of preserving my life, which in turn inspired Aluali to redouble his efforts to secure a promise from me to not take chances when hunting. Bihei didn’t add to their pleading, but the haunted look in her eyes spoke volumes.

The thing is: they knew it was impossible for me not to take risks. I lived--we all lived--in a dangerous world. There wouldn’t always be time to prepare for and minimize the dangers. I’d do my best, but life made no guarantees. Sometimes danger comes like a knife in the dark. There’s only the barest warning--a glimmer of moonlight on the blade--before one’s thrust into a life and death struggle.

The kids knew that too. It’s just that they’d been given a scare, and the pleading was their reaction. So I told them how much I loved them, and how much I’d do my best to keep coming home to them. I made no promise though. It’d be too hard to keep.

What I did do was introduce them to Yuki. Honestly, the decision was overdue. The kids were much more responsible than I ever was at their age. Plus, it’d reassure them to know that I was never alone when hunting.

Ah, the expressions on their faces. It was absolutely criminal that I didn’t have a camera. Gods, it was so satisfying, like there was a little dad engine inside me getting fed the best fuel.

Don’t worry, Yuki said with a snicker. We’ll revisit the moment in our dreams. They sprouted from my hands and waved to the kids and Bihei. May we?

I sent an affirmation, and Yuki separated a piece of themselves and approached the kids.

It was a measure of the kids' trust in me that they didn’t back away. “Yuki wants to say hello, but they’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

The kids looked at each other, doing that nonverbal communication thing they did with their eyes, but it was Bihei who stepped forward.

“I--I’ll go.”

Bihei made the most surprised face when she picked up Yuki, but then she softened. “Oh.” She bit her lower lip, and her eyes teared up.

What are you saying? I asked.

How much we--Ollie/Yuki/Eight--appreciate everything she’s done for the kids. How we considered her to be Family along with them.

Well, that was the truth, wasn’t it? She’d become a surrogate mother to the children, and while she was sometimes awkward with me, Bihei’s care was evident in the details, the neat little stitches that bound our lives together. There was no way I wouldn’t reciprocate.

After that, Billisha and Aluali wanted turns, and damn it: the wonder--the sheer amazement--in their eyes was such that I gnashed my teeth for want of a camera.

The dad engine blissfully hummed.

###

The next day, I went to check on my teammates. I stopped by Haol’s longhouse first, but his wife Dena let me know that he and Tegen were out hunting. Now that I was awake, the lodge planned a feast to celebrate the successful hunt, and fresh game was needed for the tables.

There was a ton of lightning bear meat on hand (literally), but it was being salted and set aside, some to sell in Albei and the rest to be stored for the winter. Apparently, the meat of dusk and dawn animals was more nutritious and kept longer.

I chatted with Dena for a while, and was glad to know that Haol was well. He came through the fight unharmed, enough so that he didn’t need magical healing. The same couldn’t be said for Tegen who’d had a collarbone and several ribs broken. He’d recovered well enough though, thanks to the first aid he’d received and his own Nature’s Spring spell.

Next, I stopped by Teila’s longhouse. She helped crew the first aid station, well away from the fighting, and yep--she looked fine from the way she ran out to greet me.

She wasn’t as strong as me, but Teila still managed to pick me up and spin me around. Then she lectured me for ten minutes straight about the importance of following the plan and sticking with the team and not running off on my own like Aku the Wild Child.

I tried to beg off when her grandmother came out to invite me for tea and a bite to eat, but Teila wouldn’t let go. I could’ve broken free, of course, but after seeing how worried she was for me, I caved and let myself be dragged inside.

###

After tea and corn cakes with Teila and her grandmother, I went to the Hunter’s Lodge. Villagers greeted me as I walked past. A few stopped to talk, but they were mostly the folks who I hadn’t run into yesterday.

At the lodge, Mumu was huddled with Uncle Kila at the Lodge Master’s desk, while Kesa and Inleio supervised the flensing of the lightning bear’s fur out back. A row of hunters carefully scraped bits of flesh and fat from the hide.

The bear’s fur was in terrible condition from the fight, but it was valuable enough to be worth the effort. Even if the fur couldn’t be sold, hunters would use pieces to warm their beds or to fashion clothing from it. Given that it was already a patchwork, they cut it up into sections to make the tanning easier.

I watched the work and did my best to contain my anticipation. With a quest complete, there should be rewards, right?

Kesa glanced my way. “Little Eight, if you sigh one more time, I’m going to--well, a hunter must be patient. The more you wiggle, the more I’ll delay handing over your rewards.”

Was I that transparent?

“Besides,” Kesa said, a corner of her mouth turning up, “we’re waiting on Imsiikila.”

On the other side of her, Inleio chuckled.

I felt restless just standing there, but my offer of help was firmly refused. The hunters told me that recovering after a big hunt was almost as important as the preparations leading up to it.

So the work continued until the furs were scraped clean. Then the hunters dumped the sections into a large tub to wash them.

That’s about the time Uncle Kila arrived. I’d been listening for his voice and heard him greeting Mumu inside.

“Imsiikila--”

“--is here. Yes, I hear him too, Little Eight.” Kesa shook her head, but she said, “Let’s go.”

I practically dashed inside to greet Uncle Kila. I wasn’t alone either. There weren’t many hunters at the lodge today--most were out in the forest hunting for the feast tomorrow--but those that were, gathered around.

Uncle Kila was in a jolly mood. He had a big smile on his face, and his shoulders shook when he laughed. His mood was infectious. The hunters smiled with him, and their eyes were eager. It was a good sign when the merchant representing your wares was in a happy mood.

Kila gave me a wink and told the hunters to sit and make themselves comfortable. He cleared his throat and said, “Now, I know you’re all in a hurry to hear what I have to say, so I won’t make a speech of it.” He pulled out a sheet of paper and read aloud the number and weights of various bear parts, along with their estimated value.

Not many of the hunters could add without using an aid, but they didn’t need to. The list was long, and the size of the numbers big enough that they knew the total would be impressive. It didn’t even include the value of the golden slumber--that would be determined in negotiations with the Alchemist’s Lodge.

“And,” Uncle Kila said, “because the teams from Albei ran from the hunt, their shares will be reduced. The same is true for their sponsor, Ghitha. The forfeited shares will be added to the distribution to hunters who continued to fight. The teams who fought the bear directly will be given a double share.”

Every hunter who participated in the hunt was already guaranteed a small gold coin from Ghitha’s pocket, and now there was this good fortune too? The hunters were all smiles.

No wonder Ghitha was panicked-angry. He’d counted on the eilesheile to fund the hunt, but in the unlikely event that he couldn’t find it, his sponsor’s share of the bear’s parts would make up the difference. Now that his share was reduced though, his remaining wealth would be wiped out. Banan’s team had sucked him dry.

“That’s amazing, Little Pot!” Mumu jostled me from my thoughts. “Five antaak, you earned five! What are you going to do with the money?”

What? Five?

Yuki filled in the part I missed. Half a gold coin for participating in the hunt. Another half for its success. Two gold for the sale of parts (a double share), and another two for landing the killing strike. That’s five.

Oh, that was good. Very good. Well, it’s not like I lacked for money, but this influx meant I could pay off my debts and buy the bear’s core. The core wasn’t cheap either. During his recitation, Uncle Kila told the hunters it was worth ten gold coins.

I’d be left with a single antaak, but that was a solid cushion until my share of the golden slumber money came in. Plus with the hunt over, I could start trading eilesheile in earnest.

I caught Uncle Kila’s eye, and he nodded. He tilted his head and directed my attention to a young man who looked like a smaller thinner version of him holding a strongbox. I gestured to the ritual room, and Uncle Kila nodded again.

###

Uncle Kila brought the strongbox and Mumu along with him. She seemed almost as excited as I was. And for good reason: the core inside the strongbox was enormous, the size of an American football.

The core’s surface shone in the fire’s light, dark with ribbons of silver gleaming. It was heavy too, but with a weight that wasn’t entirely physical. The core drew the eye and made it hard to look away.

The darklight had been treated to preserve it, but I smashed the core open and let the darklight dissipate. I heard pained gasps from both Kila and Mumu, but I knew that I didn’t want to participate in the darklight trade. There was too much potential for suffering in it. The eilesheile would be enough.

“I’ve never seen so much silverlight in one place before,” Mumu said, whispering.

You ready? I asked Yuki.

One moment, they said. Okay, go ahead. The silverlight wouldn’t affect my qi directly, but we hoped the bear’s experiences would inform our attempts to master lightning qi.

I picked up a thick chunk of silverlight, intending to take the pieces one at a time, but all the silverlight melted at once. A flash of frigid cold entered my hands and flowed into my arms and chest. An enormous, overwhelming pressure descended upon my heart, attempting to displace me from the seat of my own self.

The hunter in me rose to meet it, and I let slip a barking kind of laughter.

My foundation was solid, and even if it wasn’t, I had Yuki to remind me of myself. The two of us watched, amused, as the feeling of domination crashed against us. In its wake were left images of the forest, of driving its inhabitants out and taking their land to make it our own. We saw the sky on fire, and there was a fire within us to match it, the two in harmony. We were lightning and power, and we trampled everything before us.

The experience lasted a full two minutes, with alternating waves of cold and fire running through me. My body shook from the intensity, culminating in a memory. One it turned out I shared with the lightning bear: the leap from the top of the escarpment.

The two memories ran in parallel. From the bear’s perspective, we exalted as we subsumed ourselves in the lightning storm. From mine, the image of the bear amidst the lightning burned itself into my vision.

The bear made a breakthrough that day, and it spilled over into me and Yuki. Three different notifications popped up:

1575 silverlight gathered. 1418 absorbed. Congratulations. You have collected enough silverlight to grow in power. Nicely done. ;-)

My breath steamed as I sighed. I felt stronger, the energy inside me electric.

Yuki?

Instead of answering, they laughed (not quite maniacally, but damn close) and pulled lightning qi into my meridians. I started laughing too, as the energy spun fast--so fast!--through me.

Yuki snapped Dog’s Agility instantly into place. They dropped the spell and replaced it with Camouflage and Scentless Hunter just as fast. I let them go to cast Dog’s Agility. Then dropped it for Camouflage. I wasn’t as quick as Yuki, but it was still amazing.

All the hard work had paid off. The two of us had learned how to transform and manipulate lightning qi.

“Eight, is everything all right?” Mumu asked, her expression concerned.

“Never better,” I said. “I reached Level 4.”

“Gods in the earth,” Kila said.

“Oh, that’s incredible,” Mumu said, excited. “Congratulations! You must be the youngest Level 4 this village has ever seen. Do you feel any changes?”

“Let me check,” I said.

Nicely done. ;-) Well, you did it. That bear bastard won’t be bothering Ikfael anymore. Good job. I don’t have much to say beyond that, which is just as well--the closer you get to Level 5, the less room there is for poor little System-Eight.

Don’t feel bad for me though. It was a good run. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and that’ll be enough for me. Oh, and remember me every once in a while.

Well, I’m you, so that might be kind of weird, but you know what I mean.

I knew System-Eight’s time was limited, but his departure still caught me by surprise. I felt a sense of loss amid the elation. Having access to him and his insights helped me stay sane and navigate some critical decisions early on. Yes, he was a weird amalgamation of me, but I’d miss him anyway.

Thank you, I thought.

I took a breath, and let myself get excited for what came next. That’d be the best way to honor System-Eight and all he’d done for me.

Congratulations. You’ve collected enough silverlight to grow in power. You’re now Level 4. You receive a free Attribute point. Checking for new Talents. *Ding* Your hard work has successfully triggered a Nascent Talent.

Attribute and Skill gains have been finalized. Thank you for your hard work.

Agility 9 -> (10)

Spirit 15 -> (16)

Archery 9 -> 10

Diaksh 7 -> 8

Earth Magic 1 -> 3

Knife Arts 3 -> 4

Marksmanship 6 -> 7

Qi Body 9 -> 10

Qi Body Arts 6 -> 7

Signed Diaksh 6 -> 8

Stealth 7 -> 8

Spear Arts 6 -> 7

Spirit Arts 6 -> 7

Survival, Forest 9 -> 10

Strength 8 -> 9

The base benefits for Level 4 Young Forester are active: Attribute foci: Agility, primary Wisdom, secondary Spirit, tertiary Skill foci: Archery Spear Arts Survival, all Nature Magic Stealth Your capacity for silverlight has grown. Secondary attributes increase by an additional 20%.

Hit Points 12 -> 15

Mana 20 -> 24

Qi 35 -> 50

I couldn’t help giggling. It was just so satisfying to see the sweat, the blood, and the sheer effort poured into training pay off like that. The feeling was better than any Vegas jackpot.

Wait, my qi maximum jumping from 35 to 50 was more than a twenty percent increase. I brought up my Status to take a look.

Eight (Hidden Status, Oliver Michael Sandoval) Path of the Young Forester 4 Age 8 Silverlight 2934/6750 Soul Marks

God Touched, Spontaneous Formation, Memories of Another World, The Way of the Hunter Attributes 1 Free Strength 9 Constitution 10 Agility 9 (10) Intelligence 15 Wisdom 15 Spirit 15 (16) Charm 11 Luck 13 Hit Points 12/15 Mana 20/24 Qi 35/50 Talents Jack of All Trades Talent Scout Qi Sensitive Uncanny Tracker Multilingual Enduring Spirit Hunter Lightning Affinity Blessings Billisha Eightsward (Human) Aluali Eightsward (Human) Diriktot (Fallen Clockwork God) Helen Miriam Sandoval (Spirit) Ikfael Glen (Spirit, Temporary) Curses

Ghitha Woldecsbrotter (Human) Conditions

Occupied (Evolving) Skills Artisan Appraisal 5 Construction 8 Pottery 5 Woodworking 8 Domestic Cooking 6 Repairs 6 Magical Aeromancy 4 Geomancy 3 Hydromancy 4 Nature Magic 5 Qi Body 10 Qi Body Arts 7 Spirit Arts 7 Spirit Magic 2 Martial Archery 10 Knife Arts 4 Logistics 11 Marksmanship 7 Poison Arts 3 Spear Arts 7 Strategy 5 Mercantile Accounting 12 Administration 12 Barter 5 Scholarship Biology 5 Chemistry 4 Diaksh 8 English 13 Signed Diaksh 8 Spanish 8 Nonverbal Communication 6 Numeracy 8 Physics 4 Social Gaming 12 Relationships 9 Storytelling 10 Spiritualism Meditation 9 Taoism 8 Survival Caves 3 Forest 10 Ocean 3 Stealth 8

The first thing I noticed was that the amount of silverlight nearly doubled, and I was a decent chunk into fourth level now. Level 5 felt very far away though. Very far away. Like almost 400 bishkawi away. Or two more dusk lightning bears. What a terrible thought.

Hmm...there it was confirmed: a qi maximum of 50. But first, I had to take a look at the new Talent.

Lightning Affinity You were born under stormy skies and have an affinity for all things electric. Significantly increases the beneficial effects of electricity-based spells, while also reducing their negative effects. You receive a small bonus to Aeromancy and Geomancy Skills. Opens the path to Lightning-Touched.

Yes! I pumped my hands in the air. I surprised Mumu and Kila, but I couldn’t help myself. Victory! It wasn’t as good as jumping to Lightning-Touched directly, but I was still over-the-moon happy.

“Eight?” Mumu asked carefully. “Good news?”

“You could say that. Here take a look.”

I summoned the rune for Spark and let the electricity buzz and crackle in my hand. It felt like I was holding a live wire. Then the air banged and light flashed as I sent the Spark from one hand to the other. Goose pimples rose all over my body.

The streamer sucked qi like a pig, but I maintained the flow of electricity between my hands. A quick look showed that it was four points for the original cast and then a point per second. It was worth it though. The streamer wasn’t anemic like my first casts of Spark, but a thick, glowing tube of skyfire. I barely noticed Uncle Kila backing away.

“Is that?” Mumu asked, her eyes wide.

“A new Talent, yes.”

“By the gods, that makes six. Six Talents!” Mumu whooped.

I whooped with her, and the two of us laughed, drunk on joy. Even Uncle Kila’s eyes sparkled, pleased for me.

Eventually though, we had to calm down. There were more gains to explore.

“Anything else?” Mumu asked with a wide smile.

“A gain in Strength. A good number of Skill increases. And--”

Earlier, I’d figured out that the qi maximum was based on an average of Constitution and Spirit. There was a twenty percent increase at Levels 2, 3, and 4, plus a massive one hundred percent increase when Yuki and I refined my qi. That meant my new maximum should be 42. Unless--

The flavor of your qi is changing-condensing-thickening, but not slowing down at all. If anything, it’s getting faster. The meridians are heating up, so we’re draining the excess until they can adapt. Oh gods, it’s so delicious.

Waves of pleasure radiated from Yuki. They were in heaven.

“And?” Mumu asked after being left hanging.

“The well of my qi deepened. Significantly.”

“Can you sense by how much?” Mumu asked.

It looked like a fifty percent increase on top of the previous bonuses. “I should have enough to be able to cast Spiral Pierce twelve times in a row.”

The recovery rate has improved too, but we’ll have to test to figure out by how much.

Mumu shook her head in disbelief. “I’m so envious. Any hunter would be.”

“Your village grows stronger,” Uncle Kila said.

Mumu’s smile faltered. She glanced up, as if she could see through the ceiling to the hunters working on the lightning bear’s hide. To Inleio supervising.

“We have to, always and constantly,” Mumu said. She looked back at me, and her smile returned. There was light in it, but tempered by sadness. “And we will, all of us, grow stronger.”