∼ Day 145 ∼

The many smells and noises that assaulted my senses as I stepped out of my abode were both irritating and pleasant. There was just something about not only knowing, but also being affirmed that there was progress being made on multiple other fronts. Only a day had passed, but the eager new arrivals and the mastercraftsmen had been positively itching to get started working on the paradise that was this basin.

Letting out a sigh as I stretched travel-weary muscles, I focused my gaze in the direction of today's first things on the agenda. As I had a great many things to see to and catch up with, I had my next few days cut out for me. But then again, I was also excited to see what had changed in my absence.

Just making my way down to the coast of the settlement had me accosted multiple times by monsters wanting to either greet and welcome me back or other workers wanting to ask me a multitude of various things that needed to be done here in the settlement. It was all quite overwhelming to the point where I just had to set my foot down and let my aura unfurl.

There were others I had hired to answer exactly such questions, and I couldn't be bothered the be stopped every other second to discuss why exactly we need this and that. While it might come off as rather arrogant, this was a strength-based society, and the monsters quickly learned to step back when it was not their place to went their frustrations.

I still had a long way to becoming someone who could sit atop such a kingdom.

Although I had been brooding a bit during my walk down to the coast, all those thoughts disappeared the instant I laid eyes on what I had come here for.

Swaying in the cool lake breeze were the intricately patterned branches lined with red and crimson petals that ran along their lengths. With a base and trunk, many times larger than I remembered it to be, and a crown of red, the Jubokko tree had become just that much more beautiful. I had never really been one to fawn over fauna and flora, but this was too magical for me not to be awed.

The tree somehow managed to change the entire atmosphere of where it rested, giving off sensations of calm and serenity; filled with life.

But then something that truly floored me happened.

"K-kee-per," A voice intoned in my head, the word somewhat broken. "Kee-per."

"Keeper?" I intoned to myself.

Shaking myself out of my surprise, I smiled and approached the tree.

"Yes?" I sent back gently, directing the mental thought towards it.

Instead of really sending anything coherent back over the mental link again, however, the tree seemed almost unable to restrain its joy as some of its small red tendrils shot up and wiggled with glee. The noises in my head becoming rather non-sensical, but clearly of joy.

It was obviously happy because its attempt at communicating with more than just intent had been successful, but for now, that seemed to be the extent of its capabilities. But nonetheless, I too was joyous at seeing it was steadily gaining its own sapience. Especially since I had formed a link with it that was truly unlike most others.

Laying myself against its trunk, I enjoyed the peaceful serenity that the tree created. I also fed it some of my blood seeing as the stores I had saved for it while I was off to Ebongrave had already run dry. So it was no surprise when the tree practically uprooted itself in joy as I fed it.

It was an odd experience having such a connection with a sentient tree, a relationship that I had no previous experience to compare it to, but I found myself rather... contented - happy really...

I could not dawdle around for too long as I had things that needed doing today, so after enjoying a brief mental conversation of intent and the occasional word with the clingy tree, I pulled up its status to see exactly the fruits of its growth.

Appraisal - Jubokko Sapling Information Attributes Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "???" STR 34 Skills 4 -Race- Jubokko Sapling "Blood Oak" VIT 95 Traits 2 -Sex- Female AGI 10 Titles 0 -Rank- E+ DEX 55 Resistances -Level- 32/35 INT 12 Health 895/895 CHR 10 Physical Resistance 18 Stamina 1020/1020 WILL 18 Magical Resistance 10 Mana 0/0 MAG 12 Mental Resistance 8

Its growth was astonishing, to put it mildly, especially considering the fact that I hadn't been here to personally nurture it for almost two entire months. So I told it exactly as such, with my emotions of approval, which elected the reaction I had been expecting from the happy-go-lucky sentient tree.

Barely avoiding the flailing roots of excitement, I patted its trunk.

There was one thing that weighed on my mind, however...

Casting my gaze outward towards the large but barren island in the distance of the lake, I frowned. I hadn't seen really anything to the mysterious and powerful beastkin in a while, not since leaving the basin at least. She hadn't even come to see what all the racket was about with me having brought back so many monsters.

It made me wonder what exactly she was doing over there, and what she thought about it all.

After all, I wasn't entirely comfortable not knowing the thoughts and intentions of a being arguably much more powerful than me even still at this point. As such, I decided to nip the problem in the bud.

I needn't call out for her, nor would she be able to hear me from this distance. So I did something that would undoubtedly catch her attention. Walking to the waters of the coast, I unfurled my aura in a clear signal towards the island, however, as time went by, no response ever came. No giant shadow did ever suddenly appear behind me.

"Odd..." I couldn't help but mutter.

Although our interactions had been limited, Ursa had yet until now failed to respond to any of my calls. Groaning internally, I steeled myself for what I was about to do next.

I conjured my shadow wings and took to the air, hovering just above the water as I closed in on the barren island. There were barely any trees on it, odd rock formations jutting out of the ground and making both small hills and coves.

I had no actual idea why she lived out here as it seemed rather inconvenient compared to the coast filled with easy food and nice scenery. But that was a question for another time, currently, I just had to worry about not having me head torn off my shoulders by pushing her boundaries.

The only real caveat to our agreement of my people settling in the basin was that none of us were to set foot on her island. But it still made me anxious nonetheless from merely approaching as I did. After all, she had wiped out the previous clan for them initiating the construction of a pier that extended out towards her island.

While that was probably more so a misunderstanding on both sides having blown way out of proportion, it was still something I had to be wary of. I've grown confident in my ability to at least stave off the bear woman, but enough to actually beat her?

No, not yet.

The wind accompanying the large wings on my backs billowed out to ruffle the sand of the island's beach as I halted my momentum, still hovering right above the water, but not crossing the line.

This time, I didn't need to let out my aura. If she still was here, she already knew of my presence.

"Ursa!" I called out, glancing across the landscape of rock. "I wish to speak."

A long silence ensued, and just as I was about to call out once again, she finally appeared.

Stepping out from a particularly large formation that almost created a small hill as it jutted out of the ground, the amazonian beastkin in all her powerful glory made herself known.

"Elf man," She grunted with a frown.

Twitching involuntarily as her words reached me, I sighed.

"Xavier is fine," I responded, if not a bit defeated.

"What are you doing at Ursa's home?" She asked.

"I wish to speak with you, or at least see how things are doing between our agreement," I paused, glancing at the ground beside her. "Do you mind?"

She waited a bit, scrutinizing me with those black and bronze eyes of hers before she merely gave a curt nod. Dismissing my wings as I landed, I let out another sigh, this one of relief as Ursa still clearly didn't have any real enmity towards me. Otherwise, I doubted she would've even let me on her island, let alone speak with her.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked, not really meeting my gaze.

That made me pause.

Was she... uncomfortable?

She didn't seem shy nor did she seem afraid. Rather, it was almost like she wasn't sure how to handle this situation. As if she didn't know how to handle interaction with others when not in the proverbial seat...

I cleared my throat, ignoring the fact that her eyes seemed to be looking everywhere besides at me.

"We haven't seen to you in quite a while, even though the invitation to come to visit the settlement at any point has remained ever since we first spoke," I said. "I don't know if it is because you either do not care or if you disapprove of all the things I've done so far. If so, I believe this is something we should be discussing before things become too late, and the repercussions too large."

Now she was outright trying to evade my gaze, even as I tried to catch it.

"U-Ursa, does not mind." She said finally.

"Then why is it that you shy away to this lonesome island?" I asked.

She paused.

"Too many," She said. "Too many people."

Looking at the powerful and menacing woman that now all of a sudden seems so fragile, I rubbed the back of my head. Although I hadn't been expecting this exact answer, I had been expecting that something like this was the case.

The woman was obviously someone who had been abandoned as a child, having to survive on her own as nothing more than an animal. No wonder that despite her immense strength that she was incapable of handling or confronting most social interactions, after all, she must've lived up most of her life as a constant survive-or-die situation.

"Ursa, you do not have to be alone," I said.

"Ursa likes alone." She countered simply, the uncertainty in words showing faintly.

"That might be so, does that then mean do you no longer wish me to speak with you?" I asked. "If so, I can stop coming her-"

"No," She suddenly cut me off.

I smiled. I did not wish to patronize her, but I did truly feel sorry for her. She was no ordinary beast or monster that could simply survive and go on about their lives in the wilderness. For someone like her, for someones like me; no matter how strong we became, the lack of people to depend on would ultimately become our downfall in the end.

"Good, then how about I come over tomorrow again, then we can talk over some food. I have quite a lot to take care of today." I said.

"Ursa will wait." She answered, for the first time actually meeting her bronze-eyed gaze with mine.