Kaden sat and relaxed listening to the music of the jungle being accented by the sound of gently running water. He had decided to take this tiny detour on his way back to the village to refill his water skin. There were many sparkling blue pools like this one hidden throughout the jungle and Kaden had learnt how to find them. It was one of the necessary skills everyone needed to know if they were to survive out here.

Sitting on the bank at the edge of the pool; his thoughts wandering. Kaden remembered one of Gion’s lessons, “The untamed jungle was a breathtakingly beautiful place, it could punish you cruelly for the slightest mistake or you could get lucky.” How true that statement was, how lucky he and Sofia had been with the Mothers-bane. Taking a deep gentle breath, Kaden pulled out the Grimoire from his pocket. It had a darker tint to it now that Sofia had absorbed the arachnids. “Wanna see?” Sofia asked.

“Huh?” he didn’t quite understand her question.

“You want to see, I made a few changes. It will be fun, promise” her voice sounding more cheerful.

“Ua sure?” at least she isn’t mad at me anymore he thought.

Kaden suddenly dropped the Grimoire and jumped back. “Thant’s not very nice,” Sofia teased. She had opened the cover and reviled a set of Spine-back teeth framed by a pairs of extremely sharp and menacing fangs on either side. The open Grimoire resembled a mouth of something that would only be seen in the worst of nightmares. “O come on and give me a kiss”, teasing him further.

“I am not coming anywhere near that thing”, a shiver ran down his spine.

Sofia further teasing him with a playful tone. “No! I am hurt. How about I come over to you then?” Eight spider legs encased in dark green scales bound by hide sprang out from each side of the Grimoire’s cover and started to run towards Kaden; fast.

“Keep away from me that is seriously creepy”, Kaden doing his best to maintain the distance between them. “Seriously, Sofia stop.”

“That is so hurtful Kaden, how could you. I thought we were partners?” Sofia teasingly replied pretended to be hurt.

Kaden now on a rock by the edge of the pool after Sofia had managed to corner him. “Don’t Sofia” his voice a little more serious.

“Don’t what?” She leapt towards him, mouth wide, fangs at the ready. Kaden was prepared to react at a moment’s notice but was caught off guard. She was even faster than the arachnid that originally owned all eight of those legs.

Sofia cut her jump short, stopping on the spot where Kaden was or would have been; if he hadn’t fallen backwards into the pool first. Kaden heard Sofia laughing as he lay in the refreshing cool blue pool of water; he was looking up at the sky through the jungle canopy.

“That is what you get for your stupid idea earlier” her voice had a certain smug but playful tone to it.

Kaden glanced at her as his mouth began to form a slight smile. Sofia took a step back, “O no, I know what you’re thinking.” Kaden had purposely thought out loud this time. Sofia started to move away from him but it was already too late. Kaden still soaking wet had entered the Grimoire and this time it was Sofia’s turn to scream, “No, keep away!”

Kaden laughed as he chased her around the target dummy, “It’s only water!”

“I don’t like being wet”, tipped over one of the target dummies towards him hoping to buy her some distance. Kaden easily avoided it and managed to tackle her to the ground making sure she was as wet as he was. “Noooooooo” she cried out struggling as he laughed; arms and feet around her.

A few moments later both of them lay on their backs laughing uncontrollably.

“I guess we should go dry up” Kaden thinking about starting a small camp fire.

“Speak for yourself” she snapped her fingers as the thin wet fabric clinging ever so tightly to her instantly dried up. “Being a magical Grimoire has some advantages” she winked.

“So does being the guy that created this place”, Kaden turned and snapped his fingers drying his clothes; he had gotten the idea after watching her.

The both of them had laughed some more before Kaden left the space and made his way back to the village.

Kaden found Padvor, Gion and Rakhail sitting together finishing their evening meal.

“Kaden, Where were you? Saba went looking for you when you didn’t come earlier.” Padvor questioned him.

“Going out to that den by yourself was very dangerous boy. What did you think would happen? At least you had the good sense to turn around” Gion’s voice interrupted as Rakhail smiled lifting his glass.

Kaden smiling handed Padvor several filled water skins and spoke with a casual almost nonchalant tone. “They are filled with a Saint-mother’s nutrient substance after being ingested by a couple of hungry Mothers-bane.”

A sudden silence filled the air as Rakhail dropped his glass and the three of them looked at him. Even Gion had a blank expression.

It took almost a full minute for them to recover before Rakhail finally spoke, “explain?”

Kaden took a moment to explain his encounter varying the details ever so slightly.

“Boy, let me understand this. You went out and hunted a Phinsis, used it to poison some of the discarded Spine-back remains and fed it to both of the Mothers-bane. You then drained both of them filling several water skins.” Gion spoke with a serious and disbelieving tone.

Rakhail broke in to the conversation, “When lying it is best to make it a little more believable. You want us to believe you killed a Phinsis. While you carried all these water skins and remains through a predator filled jungle without being attacked. To a cave of a Saint-mother but found two of something even more dangerous. You killed both creatures, removed this precious fluid and made it back here all in time for the evening meal. If I were you I would have changed the part about using the Spine-back remains to using something that was already caught it the web. It is far easier to believe and I would have returned to the village a day later.”

“…I will keep that in mind next time”, Kaden scratching his head reaching for a glass of water.

“Next time!” Gion’s voice furious, “Tell us what really happened before I beat it out of you and I want the full story.”

Padvor placed his hand up between them, “whatever he did, he did it for the village. The truth is that we now have a very good chance of getting away from the tribes’ hunters. This will help us reach safety of Quarter Point Fort and its garrison. Kaden has given us this precious gift and if he does not want to say any more then he does not have to.” Padvor ended the conversation.

The three of them thanked Kaden for his efforts. Before they parted, Gion reminded Kaden that the village was a family that supported each other; one that he was now part off. She didn’t want him acting alone anymore.

“Thank you for accepting me” he said to her before wandering back home. Kaden loved it here in this strange new world but for some reason was still having trouble accepting the community around him.

“She means it you know”, Sofia broke the silence when they were home.

“I know, it will just take time I guess.” He smiled slightly as while getting ready for bed. The fatigue from the day had suddenly crept up on him and he was looking forward to finally getting some rest.