Chapter 33

The beasts came on suddenly, leaping from the canopy as we’d feared. Some kind of lizard, each roughly the size of a smaller dog, each was perhaps five to ten pounds in weight. Individually they would be no threat, of course, but there were dozens flying from the branches above. Whatever aspect they had developed allowed them to share their mana, which made the swarm highly dangerous. Fortunately they didn’t seem terribly intelligent, or focused.

Had the creatures launched themselves at our **** en masse, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. Myta’s concentration would have broken, potentially shattering Hati’s spirit. As it was, five came leaping directly at us. Three were intercepted by our dedicated protectors. Their bodies falling in pieces around me, showering us in blood and rent flesh. A severed head bounced off my shoulder, smaller than my clenched fist. It was colored brilliant orange, frilled, and with protruding eyes like those of a chameleon. Its mouth gaped open in ****, with multiple rows of jagged teeth gleaming wetly in the emerald light of the forest. Jaws like that would make for brutal wounds, prone to infection and scarring.

Denu shot another of our attackers out of the air, either an incredible shot or an incredible stroke of luck. The last landed on Myta, and immediately latched onto her arm. Fortunately her armor resisted its fangs, but it scrabbled at her with its claws. Climbing up toward her neck and looking for a softer target. The other warriors wouldn’t be able to easily dispose of the creature, so I seized control of her mana, freeing her to defend herself.

I had to focus entirely on my spiritual sight, blotting out the combat entirely. Myta’s presence rippled a little as I took over, and then she was moving, struggling with the mana beast. Even though I was now the one controlling it, her presence still radiated from her body, which meant that every move she made dragged it unevenly about Hati’s **** form. For the sergeant’s part, I didn’t think she was even aware of the fight. Focused entirely inward, she was incredibly near to purifying her third node. When that was done, Myta and I would be free to act.

And so I danced, awkwardly, layering my presence over Myta’s. Pressing both in around Hati like swaddling. Myta’s flame to purify the larger woman’s anima, and my silvery mist to contain the discharges of decayed waste as it was cleansed. Only my long experience in manipulating my own presence allowed me to manage it, and even so only barely. I desperately wanted to release Myta’s mana back to her, but doing so before she was able to devote her full attention back to it was a recipe for disaster. When Hati finally finished, I knew that I gasped in relief, gathering up the last of her rejected anima, before releasing my vas. Myta’s presence raced away from me, and sweat stung my eyes as I blinked them blearily open, pulling my own presence in as well.

Fire flared to my left, as my flame surged into motion, her speed now multiplied by her sorcery. Mana beasts died with every thrust of her blade, and I let out my tension with a sigh, heaving myself to my feet. Too late, I realized my mistake. A garish pink lizard, with bright blue markings, launched itself from the nearby brush. How the brightly colored thing had passed into the central area unnoticed was a mystery, one that I didn’t have time to ponder as its shark-like maw snapped shut on my thigh, teeth tearing into the muscle just above my knee. I let out a short cry, unprepared for the tearing pain, or for the beast to try and consume my mana. My lancet flashed out three times, invisibly splitting each of the small creature’s nodes. I grabbed its head, holding its jaws closed and in place while the beast thrashed its remaining life away.

Myta screamed in rage, joined in chorus by Ita and Ina, all three of them sensing my pain and injury. Myta flared, a wave of flame that scorched the nearby vegetation despite its sodden state. Her anger was palpable, and what lizards remained shrieked in fear, fleeting back to the canopy. I suspected I would find some with broken backs, or impaled on goat horns later, as well. When my new accessory stilled, I pried its jaws open, assessing the damage. Fortunately, while painful, it was nothing a little time and mana wouldn’t clear in a few days. Assuming, of course, that I didn’t overwork it.

I set Myta to checking on her men with a thought, letting her know that I would be fine. I was more worried about the others. Hati had been left undisturbed, and was now sleeping. Though her sleep was more akin to hibernation, as her mana was so deeply depleted. Our defenders had suffered from the attack, however. Although their armor and coordination were good, their polearms were ill suited to fighting such small enemies, and their mundane short weapons had struggled to pierce the hides of the beasts. Only Denu had completely avoided injury, the girl being far more agile and canny than I’d given her credit for. She’d swiped a full quiver of enhanced arrows from our loot, and I saw her collecting them from lizard corpses all around. Proving that her shot earlier had been owed to skill, rather than luck.

Most of the injuries were relatively minor ones, deep and jagged lacerations from the teeth and claws of the lizards. I could keep them from infection, and even prevent too much scarring. Jito was the worst off by far. The squad leader had one of the beasts land on his helmet, and it had taken a chunk out of the right side of his face. He’d gone into shock, and it took me an hour to get him stabilized. Treating to the damage as best I could. None of the breasts were advanced enough to become spirits, fortunately. But that meant that their anima needed to be cleaned up before their decaying spirit bodies attracted even more attention to us. After all was said and done, it was clear we would make no more progress that day.

Camp was a solemn affair, the foragers learned what had happened as they returned. Myta didn’t let it turn into a slump, however. As she’d been unaware for much of the fight, she had our warriors go over what had happened from their perspectives. They talked about the difficulties in facing the small, but powerful beasts, making plans for other such encounters. She offered some criticism, not harshly, but phrased as questions. Would doing this have served you better? What had your companion done differently that might have spared you that injury? And she was generous with her praise where warranted. Not too effusive, but stating it as simple fact. By the time she was done the mood had gone from grim and depressed to resolved, even proud. I was likewise proud of her, though I could feel the frustration and guilt she was bottling up.

Hati woke only briefly, long enough to eat and drink ravenously, and then fell asleep again. I was able to examine her spirit body carefully however, and was delighted with what I found. Despite my failure in planning, our ritual had exceeded my expectations. The sergeant’s anima, where it had been purified, was strong and clear. Her spirit had a rich umber tone, that pointed to an earth affinity even greater than I’d suspected, and her mana was recovering rapidly. Elation and guilt warred within me, but I set both aside as I lay down with my flame that night. Her emotions were far too raw for our normal nightly activities, so I simply held her close for awhile, letting my pride in her bleed over the bond.

“I’m sorry.” I said to her finally, once I’d felt her calm enough to hear it. “I should have recognized the dangers of our work, and planned ahead for them. I failed you today.” I wanted to pull her from her own guilt, guilt that was undeserved. My words were nothing but the truth. I was the expert, and her master, and I’d let her down.

“Will it happen again?” Her voice was very small, her face pressed to my chest.

“This, specifically? Absolutely not. I let my eagerness and pride get ahead of my sense. I will remember that when I am most excited is when I need to think things through most carefully. But will I ever fail you again?” I grunted, letting both my frustration and resolve bleed through. “Yes. Almost certainly. I am still only human. The best I can offer is to learn from my mistakes, and correct them as they come.”

For a moment, I felt her hovering over an emotional abyss, fear and uncertainty lurking like a whirlpool waiting to drag her under. And then, all at once, it passed. Washed away in a sudden flood of love and understanding. Both her guilt and uncertainty were buried by resolve.

“I understand, master.” She kissed my chest. “If we make mistakes, we’ll fix them together. Show me the path, and I’ll check our footing.”

I turned her face up to me and kissed her, nothing demanding or urgent, but firm and slow. Her tongue licked at my lips then, invitingly, and I followed her invitation. Her mouth was welcoming, as were her soft, pleased noises. Our mouths remained locked in a languorous embrace for some time, soothing our high-strung emotions with comfortable intimacy. When Myta’s hand wandered slowly below my waist, she found me only just beginning to harden. Our discussion and emotions were hardly the sexiest prelude. But I firmed quickly in her practiced grip, her strong fingers now well acquainted with what pleased me.

Once she had brought me to full hardness, my love brought her leg over to straddle me. Moving awkwardly, as neither of us wanted to break the kiss. Entering her was a comforting warmth, our joining a balm to the both of us. We rocked our hips slowly together, and finally our lips parted as she began to pant, moaning low in her throat. Slowly, ever so gently, our rhythm built in speed and ****, edging us towards climax.

She finished first, and at my encouragement fell back. Supporting herself with her hands on the ground, back arching down toward my feet as her belly undulated with the waves of her gentle orgasm. I was already close, the feel of her squeezing around me not quite enough to get me there. So when I stroked her pearl with my thumb her second, more intense climax pushed me over the edge. My own release came in long slow waves, and we fed on one another’s sensations, prolonging our shared pleasure.

I pulled her back down to lay atop me, and we fell towards sleep while still joined together. Heedless of the mess, unwilling to let go of one another.