Eli retreated back into the woods, only stopping when the ground started to soften under him again. Considering his options, he figured the easiest would be to stay hidden and let them pass. It was always possible they had some way to detect him within the trees, but if his invisible ring did what he suspected, he didn’t think that very likely. Violence was also on the table, but he didn’t want or need to pick a fight here. Their abilities were unknown, and one of them might have some powerful gift that could take him out. Plus, after a bunch of glowing pink dirt nearly got the better of him earlier, he wasn’t in the mood to take unreasonable chances.

Wanting more information before deciding, he cautiously moved towards the road, keeping low this time just in case. He crawled under a tree limb hanging near the ground, peering through the bluish needles while focusing on the approaching group. At first, it was hard to see them with Manasight since their few lights were drowned out by the thousands of colors glowing around them. Luckily, his normal vision had no trouble keeping an eye on the group as they approached.

The four were walking in a diamond formation, with one guy in the front, a man and woman meters behind him, and an exceptionally broad third man with a giant backpack bringing up the rear. All were armed in some fashion, the man in the lead resting his hand almost casually on the sword hilt belted at his side. It moved like an extension of his body, his hand unconsciously guiding and balancing the weapon with each stride. The guy walking beside the woman also had a sword, but the way his sheath kept bumping against his leg indicated far less familiarity. The large man with the backpack and the woman seemed to only have the same ubiquitous belt knives that nearly everyone seemed to wear in this world. Of course, with magic, they didn’t need obvious weapons to be dangerous.

Their outfits were quite different from the bandits, too. The swordsman in front had no apparent armor, instead garbed in pants and a long sleeve top. The way the fabrics were tied close to his body at wrists and ankles, he could probably move fast without worrying about any loose clothing getting in the way. The other two men and the woman had on pale leather armor, but it looked to be of much better quality than the unknown watchers up north.

Considering their pace and direction, Eli figured the foursome would run across those folks in maybe an hour. The new group could be with them, but what if they weren’t? Did he want to warn them? At least based on what he’d seen so far, they looked like nothing more than a traveling couple with two others acting as a guard and baggage carrier. With that, how would he feel if he found out later that they were innocent travelers? Could he really watch this group walking to their potential capture or death?

Fuck.

Shaking his head at his potentially stupid choice, he eased slowly into the tall grass near the road while keeping a close eye on the group. Once he’d picked a good spot well hidden by a couple of bushes, he simply waited as they approached.

***

Bearach grunted as he readjusted the group’s pack. With his Lurrasar ability, carrying enough supplies to last all of them five days wasn’t too bad a job. Unfortunately, he hadn’t checked the pack thoroughly enough when he’d been preparing in Bishal and missed that one of the straps had frayed. By the time he’d noticed yesterday, the team had been well outside the city, and he’d had to suffer all the way to Osky. Since the loose buckle was still digging into his lower back, last night’s patch job obviously hadn’t worked.

He glanced up at his companions, wondering if he should say something or wait for their next break. Gifted Malitea was clearly in a hurry, and she’d already urged them on more than a few times that day. Talent Earnan wouldn’t care as he was already happily basking in Malitea’s presence, filling the hours with his inane chatter. Luckily for Bearach’s aching back, Malitea’s dionadar, Talent Fasuto, insisted on stops every couple of hours, and they were due for another one soon.

“Of course, Gifted Malitea. I’ll ask my mother about looking into that troublesome issue. Now that you’ve explained the problem, it does sound like something she’d be interested in.”

Bearach kept a straight face at overhearing Earnan’s unctuous tone. The lickspittle hadn’t stopped trying to ingratiate himself with Malitea since they’d set out from the city yesterday morning. But then, his mother was on the Bishal Council. Even if he was still only a Talent like Bearach, he had access to resources that would probably help him break through into the Gifted’s ranks. With the man’s good looks and syrupy voice backed by that disturbing gift of his, he’d almost assuredly take his mother’s seat on the council when she inevitably moved closer to the capital.

Recognizing the ugly thoughts for what they were, he took a calming breath while trying to distance himself from such envious feelings. His grandfather often said jealousy was simply the gateway to further bitterness and anger, a never-ending cycle that had to be broken at the root. Instead, he focused on his family, knowing they’d be proud of him working for the Temple, even if it wasn’t as glamorous as they might imagine. Of course, he wouldn't be out here if it wasn’t for how well they paid. He had his eye on a particular elixir in the Temple reward vaults, and with his little sister’s upcoming Gifting day, he’d surprise Jasamin with it. Just picturing her shocked expression was enough to brighten his mood.

“The Temple thanks you, Talent Earnan,” Malitea said, her Capital accent adding a subtle undertone that shifted the meaning of her words.

Bearach tried not to snort, amused at the Gifted subtly reminding Earnan of his place. But when the priestess twitched her head as if to look back at him, he realized he’d overstepped and slowed his pace to increase the distance between them.

Silently berating himself for his foolishness, he promised to practice his quintessence exercises when they camped that night. He’d always struggled with controlling his Cluintin gift and the sharp hearing it provided, especially when he was overusing Lurrasar at the same time. But since he needed it to carry their supplies, he was stuck overhearing much of what was said around him, whether he liked it or not.

His thoughts were interrupted as a giant form suddenly stood up from the tall grass and bushes growing beside the roadway. Following the training his aunt had drilled into him when encountering an unknown threat, Bearach pulled on the release strap across his chest. The weight dropped from his hips and shoulders, the pack hitting the stone road with a thump, and he was already turning to grab the axe he’d left strapped to the back.

“One threat, front-right! Bearach, check our flank!” Fasuto barked.

But Bearach was already looking south, his single-bladed axe now in hand. “No threats, no threats,” he yelled back, the road behind them clear. Trying to ignore his racing heartbeat thundering in his head, he quickly expanded his search into the nearby woods. There was still nothing. “Flanks clear,” he continued, still facing south in case someone was waiting for him to look away.

“Hey there,” a male voice said behind him. “It’s just me out here,” the voice continued with a slight accent, one Bearach was sure he’d never heard before.

“State your intensions,” Fasuto snarled.

There was almost an itch in Bearach’s back, making him want to turn around to see how his companions were doing, but he didn’t dare. Still, there was nothing on his side; the road and area remained clear.

“My intentions?” the stranger repeated back with laughter in his voice. “I just wanted to warn you that some people were watching the road up north. I didn’t want you stumbling into them like I almost did. Plus, I was hoping to get a little information on the road south.”

“Who are you? Why were you hiding there?” Earnan asked next, his suspicious tone unable to hide the strange thrum as his gift infused his words.

Even though he wasn’t the target of the ability, Bearach was turning before he could help it. He managed to suppress the urge to answer, only to pause in surprise at getting his first good look at the stranger. The man was truly a giant, and with his size, he’d probably fit in well with the Eternal Shields in Galdish. Of course, with him wearing a poca, the cheap shirt that only a Bound would wear, he was more likely some escapee from a nearby estate. His pants, though heavily stained, were at least something any moderately successful Common would wear. Though more strange than his clothing was his complexion; he was unusually pale like he’d barely seen the sun. Combined with his shorn hair, perhaps he was one of the condemned, forced to work the nearby mines? But then, who would stick a giant underground?

“My name is Eli,” the giant answered in the wooden voice of someone under Earnan’s influence. But then he blinked a couple of times, shaking his head as if confused by something. A frown grew as his eyes narrowed on Earnan. “And as I was saying, I’m hiding because I already almost walked into an ambush. I saw you four coming down the road and wanted to warn you, but only after seeing you weren’t dressed like them.”

Remembering himself and his duty, Bearach turned away again, but there were still no threats. Before he could say as much, Malitea’s high speech cut through the thickening atmosphere.

“Hold there, Bound, and await our words,” she said in her cultured voice.

“Excuse me? Look, if you don’t want to tell me about the road, that’s fine. I’ll let you continue north while going my own way.”

“You heard her, Bound. Wait there!” Earnan commanded, again infusing his words with power.

Hearing their approach, Bearach turned, lowering the axe he’d been holding at the ready. Seeing their questioning eyes, he shook his head. “There’s still no sign of anyone nearby,” he said. His gaze moved beyond his companions to the giant named Eli standing in the grass beside a few bushes more than a dozen meters away. The man simply stood there, his pale muscled arms crossed, a slight frown creasing his face.

“Thoughts, Fasuto?” Malitea asked.

“He’s no threat, mistress. I sense no power, and if anyone else is out there, they’re smart enough to stay well hidden.” The dionadar’s words were quiet without inflection, simply stating the facts as he saw them. “I’d recommend sending him off with a command to return to whatever estate he escaped from, and we can continue with our mission. As to his words, they match well with our intelligence. We were going to stop soon anyway, so this would be a good place to set up camp so I can scout ahead.”

“If I may, Gifted Malitea?” Earnan cut in almost rudely, but she simply nodded for him to continue. “Given his size and appearance, could he actually be a thuard? He’s dressed as a Bound, but perhaps he’s a spy from the north? He’s already implied he came from that direction.”

“A thuard?” Malitea mused, again looking at Eli with narrowed eyes. “I’ve seen the exhibits in Galdish; outside his height, he doesn’t match their appearance. His features are too similar to our divine form, without the wide nose and bony forehead ridge the thuards are known for.”

“Of course, Gifted Malitea,” Earnan said with seemingly all the charm he could impart, even bowing unnecessarily to emphasize his words. “Your wisdom has opened my eyes, though that might also lead to a different opportunity,” he continued, lowering his voice. “Consider, before us, is a Bound that has slipped its leash, is as naturally tall as a thuard but has the bearing of someone willing to fight. With all that, the game wardens would likely take him in a heartbeat. In fact, I bet I could talk with my mother and see about a special reward for finding something so rare.”

“Mistress, he did warn us of a possible ambush,” Fasuto said with the same calm voice, though his eyes were staring at Earnan as if wishing to flay the skin from his bones. “Would it not be better to let him go? Perhaps he’s only recently Unbound?”

“I agree,” Bearach added, his grandfather’s teachings echoing in his mind. His eyes returned to Eli standing off in the grass with his arms still crossed, though his frown had shifted into more of a scowl. With the distance and his lack of power, there should have been no way for the giant man to hear them, yet something about Eli’s expression said otherwise.

“You don’t get a vote, Bearach,” Earnan said with a sneer while also pretending he hadn’t heard Fasuto’s similar sentiment. “And if we’re wrong and someone claims him, we can say we were simply doing our duty by apprehending a suspected runaway from the Gods’ plans.”

Bearach’s following argument died as his mouth snapped shut. If he protested any further, the Temple’s eyes might settle on him for failing to honor the Gods. Even more, such attention would also fall on the rest of his family. Similar thoughts must have run through Fasuto’s mind, judging by the thin lips held tight under furious eyes.

If Malitea saw her sworn guard’s disagreement, she showed no sign. Instead, she slowly nodded. “On your head, Talent Earnan, but the Temple will want an accounting of this,” she said with finality.

Bearach was watching Eli when she said this and caught his narrowing eyes. “Earnan, before you-” he tried to say as a warning.

“Quiet,” Earnan snapped with a bit of power, and Bearach’s mind seemed to hiccup for a moment as he almost choked on his words.

Earnan bowed to Malitea again before bending over the group’s large pack, still lying in the middle of the road. After digging around for a moment, he stood up with one of the silvery restraints he’d insisted they bring. He then started walking towards the giant, hiding his hands behind his back as if the giant were a simpleton, unable to realize the danger.

“Stranger, are you a thuard?” Earnan asked as he closed in, his voice echoing with his power.

“Nope,” Eli replied with almost a snarl.

Something about the man’s response finally seemed to get through Earnan’s thick skull as he suddenly stopped only a meter from stepping into the tall grass. Instead, he snapped his fingers and pointed at a spot on the road in front of him. “Come here,” he commanded, the thrum more pronounced as if he were infusing even more power into his words.

“Nope,” Eli replied again before uncrossing his arms and squaring his stance as if preparing for a fight. “One more time, shithead. You go your way, and I’ll go mine. Final warning,” he finished, his voice dripping with heavy promise.

“Surrender,” Earnan commanded, now stepping into the grass, his earlier reticence apparently forgotten. “Get down on your knees, Bound!” Without waiting for a response, he was already swinging at Eli’s groin as if to hurt and humiliate the man for daring to resist him.

But the dishonorable strike never landed. Instead, Eli’s fist seemed to almost lazily move up to fully engulf Earnan’s smaller hand in midair. Everything seemed to pause for a moment. Then there was a strange shifting blur, the giant moving too fast to see, accompanied by the meaty smack of a hand slapping flesh. Earnan disappeared with a thump among the bushes.

Buzzing energy abruptly filled the area, and Bearach raised his axe to defend himself. Beside him, Malitea lifted a hand and pointed it at Eli, her other hand clenched into a fist as she prepared an attack. Fasuto had already stepped forward while bringing his sword around, putting himself almost physically between his sworn mistress and the giant staring murderously at them.

Eli’s hands were cupped before him, and a roaring inferno suddenly scorched the air, billowing out in a jet of orange and red flames. The swirling maelstrom shot over their heads, a shape forming within the chaotic currents, like something almost alive. But then the conflagration descended toward the group. They only had time to gasp before the roadway sizzled and cracked under the tremendous heat.

Bearach took a step back in shock, surprised that he and his companions were still alive. He could only stare stupidly at the stark line drawn across the roadway, just in front of where they’d been standing moments ago. But then, an overwhelming pressure seemed to descend on him, shoving him down into the stones with the weight of its power. Forced to his knees, his axe falling from numb hands to clatter on the roadway, he looked up to face his approaching death.

“Not another step, you dishonorable trash,” Eli said with cold precision, the previous fury gone from his expression.

Bearach shivered at the dreadful promise swimming in the giant’s eyes. He knew there would be no bargaining, tricks, or delays when facing such power, and he couldn’t help looking back on his life, feeling a shameful regret. With what he knew would be his last moments, he said a quick prayer to the spirits to hopefully shield his family from his crimes.