I stopped and blocked out the sound of the snapping crocs. I wanted to get a feel for the forest with undistracted senses. I closed my eyes and let the damp metallic scent of the forest assault my nostrils first. It was humid and warm. I felt the sweat running down my biceps already. I smacked my tongue off the roof of my mouth I could taste a hint of mint and evergreen. I listened as I knelt down. Scampering of little creatures through the leaves. A cool breeze whispered past and something large brambled through the underbrush in the distance. I felt the vibrations of a larger creature out there. Large like a bear. Maybe bigger. I noticed something else as I squatted. The forest floor was rippling.

I placed a hand down and felt the ripples move my fingers like I was playing the piano. It was as if the forest floor were planted on a tarp and the tarp was covered in soil then moss and weeds. Then someone pumped water under the tarp. So, when anything moved in the forest it rippled out from them. I opened my eyes and plunged the sharp end of the Shade tail into the soil. Blood seeped up from the wound in the ground I had made.

I considered the blood for a moment. Why was the ground bleeding? Was the forest alive somehow? A living organism? I looked up at the trees. There were trunks as wide as cars. Vines looped down covered in moss. Flying creatures squeaked and swooped down from the heights. The trees stretched up and up for hundreds of feet. Little glowing eyes peered from branches and holes in the trunk.

A new scent hit my nose. That of skunk ran over and rotting carcass. I followed the origin of the scent and saw a shadow peering out from behind a tree. I stood to my feet and swelled up my chest letting the shade tail uncoil from my forearm and dangle near the ground. I turned my elbows out to appear more threatening.

The creature stepped out from behind the tree dangling something from its hand. It was short as a ten-year-old kid but strode confidently as a full-grown man. The moonlight cut through the leaves for a flash as it walked revealing thorns for eyebrows. At that moment I saw a long downward-pointing nose. Flesh that looked damp and slimy. Eyes pale as milk. The object dangling from the creature's hand was an old pocket watch on a chain.

The creature was scrawny. It looked like bones stretched over muscle. He had arms that reached the ground. His legs were bent backward, and his spine twisted unnaturally. He did not seem intimidated by my stance, but I did not deflate. I held his eyes until he stepped back into the blackness.

“I have not seen those before.” Tootsie said. She flew forward a bit then zipped back to my side. “It is kind of creepy. I felt like it could see even me.”

I kept my eyes on the area of the forest the creature had appeared in for some time. I felt like a mouse looking into the eyes of a snake. Whatever that thing had been it was confident squaring off against me and I was a massive orc. So it had seen my kind before and was unconcerned. It must not be an enemy of brute strength, I thought. The only element of surprise I would have against that creature may be my telekinesis. I had twenty-five soul points to spend. I mulled over whether I should spend the points on more spells.

“These woods feel like they are watching us.” Mia walked up unannounced and caused me to jump. “Woah, you feeling the same way?”

“Ah, I was just thinking.” I recovered.

“Do you want to push on till morning or make camp here?”

“I think we should shove on. Everyone keep an eye on our flanks though we don’t know what this forest holds.” I still hadn’t diverted my eyes from where the creature had stood.

“Any suggestions on how we should march?” Mia asked.

“Put those with night vision on the outside. Put Agatha and Millie at the back we will know if they go quiet. Whoever is in the center will hold the respawn blade.”

“You expecting trouble?” Mia followed my eyes into the darkness. I knew she likely could see better in the dark than I could so I turned to watch for a reaction but she did not seem to see what I had.

“Always in Lumiterra.” I answered.

“Tell her about the freak.” Tootsie offered.

“What about the centaur?” Mia asked.

I rubbed my chin a moment. I hardly knew what the centaur was capable of. I wasn’t even sure I had heard his name yet. “Put him out front with a torch, he will be easy to see and he can shoot. He can be our scout tonight.”

“Agatha and Millie will have a thing or two to say about that.” Tootsie giggled into her hand.

“And Shia?” Mia raised her brows and waited.

“Tell her to kill anything that moves,” I said.

“I will walk the opposite flank then. Don’t think I can’t hunt.” Mia growled.

“All the better then,” I said. “I think something is watching us.”

“Did you see something?”

“Yes.” Tootsie nodded her head vigorously.

“No, maybe, I don’t know. Just want to be cautious. Kill then inspect.” I coiled back up the Shade tail around my arm. “Let me know if you see anything we should be concerned about.”

Mia left and I looked over my options of Telekinetic spells.

Tier one Telekinetic spells;

Kinetic Wave: Throw back all opponents for three yards in circumference

Kinetic pressure: intimidate opponents with a menacing aura of heaviness within three yards

Kinetic sweep: Sweep the legs of all opponents within three yards of circumference

Kinetic gravity round: Throw a kinetic gravity grenade

All of them sounded great in the description. Each also cost twelve points to unlock. I wanted to spend some points on my attributes. Exercise and meditation were great but if I wanted true advantage I would have to harden and hone my body into a living weapon adept and adaptable. I decided I would only choose one for now and invest the rest of my points in eight points to attributes.

“Tootsie I want to know about the kinetic gravity grenade, is there anything you want to tell me before I use my points?”

“You can throw a ball of gravity from your soul into an enemy force. It will act as an immense gravitational pull within three yards. The mana cost will be fifteen points per use.” Tootsie answered as she zipped around the trees like an ADHD child. “Get it and we can see if it is useful against those things, maybe, maybe not.”

“You are a lot of help. Could you not once in a while tell me something useful?” I considered her brief elaboration. It could be used to buy time. Perhaps even control the numbers in an all-out swarm.

“Fine, you’re ugly and you look like a wild boar.” Tootsie stopped and tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Oh, oh and the bath you just received with the crocs has made you almost bearable.”

“Can I get a different guide?”

“No, but you wouldn’t like them anyway.” Tootsie said thoughtfully, “and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t like you.”

I hit the accept button on my data pad accepting the Kinetic grenade. It could save my skin in an encounter out of my element. Then I scrolled through my data pad to my attributes. My mana was way too low for a Battlemage so I invested four soul points into mana. I would need to meditate more often to be a successful battlemage. My mana was falling behind my strength by leaps and bounds. I would not let my strength stall either. I would carry that dingo to the end of the forest if I had to. I walked back to camp as the tribe argued rank and grabbed my dingo up with a grunt. I threw the dog over my shoulder too rough for his liking. He growled and I growled back until he went silent and lay his head on my shoulder. Then I led my pack into the unknown.