The Third Red 1: The Enemy Within

Chapter Sixteen: AppeaEric awoke to a ten-year-old girl running across his bedroom.

“Wake up! Wake up! You said you’d take me riding on your dragon and teach me to fight!” Myra screamed eagerly as she jumped on his bed.

Eric awoke to her voice and groaned at the impact. She got off him as he yawned and felt a tug on his arm.

“Myra! Give me a few minutes,” Eric grumbled.

“Oh no! Grito kodu suprere muscon!” Grant me superior strength!

“Whoa!”

Eric felt himself getting pulled out of the soft feather bed by a girl half his size. He grunted and looked at Myra. Her arms glowed blue as she used her Greater Body to increase her strength, she still wore her nightgown, her hair loose and not in pigtails. Eric then noticed his room was still dark, the sun had not yet risen out his window.

He got to his feet and looked at Myra.

“What’s the idea getting me up so early? You should be asleep.”

“You promised you would train me more,” Myra reminded him. “My parents are asleep, so this is our chance to do it!”

Seeing it would be futile to resist, he gave in. “Fine.”

He retrieved his training swords from where they stood against the wall and put on a pair of boots. He then led Myra down the tower to the second floor, they stopped as Eric heard the sound of armored feet below.

“We need to-

Eric broke off as Myra walked past him in the direction of the armory.

“What are you doing?” he asked in a hurried whisper.

“I want to try something,” she said.

Myra walked into the Soron Seclu, the place where the Yagaros kept their enchanted items. Lighting a ball of magic from her hand, she allowed them to see the room full of metal suits, shields, and weapons. It was much like the armory which had similar weapons, but these were all enchanted. Myra made her way to the back of the room where the enchanted jewelry was kept in display cases. Each case bore a symbol that told which power it held. There were so many of them, no doubt the Yagaro family had had ample time to collect or make them over the millennia since Rayzar had put them in power.

“I want to try using Beast Sorcery,” she told him.

The symbol of Beast Sorcery, or all three symbols; a clawed paw, fin, and wing were all at the top of one of the display cases. Inside were three rectangular wooden cases with twelve rings in each. Each case had one of the symbols affiliated of beast sorcery to mark which year they bore, Land, Sea, and Sky. Beside each ring on the case was the carved head of an animal.

“Let me see, ah there’s the elephant ring!” Myra said. She opened the cabinet and reached in, pulling out the ring beside the elephant head.

Eric chuckled at her. “We need to have these things locked more securely, this is too easy to retrieve.”

Myra put the ring on her thumb, it was too large for any of her other fingers. They walked back to the staircase. Eric still heard the metal clad footsteps, which seemed to be getting closer.

“We need to get past the guards if we’re going to get to Rubara’s island,” Eric informed the girl.

“I can make myself invisible,” Myra reminded him in a whisper.

“No way I’m carrying your dress down!” Eric told her. “They’ll see it for sure! I don’t have anything to hide it in!”

“I don’t need to take it off anymore!” Myra told him proudly. “I can make my clothes invisible now too!”

“Oh well that’s good. Uh-oh!” Eric took her hand and pulled her back into the Soron Seclu.

“What was that?” a voice not too far asked.

“Sounded like it was upstairs! Let us check!”

Eric shuddered. “Oh Panarus! We’ll be caught!”

“Not if I can make us both invisible!” Myra said, squeezing his hand. “Nay viset corpala e silcala.” Do not see body and clothes.

Eric looked at her, and then she vanished, body and nightgown. He looked down where he felt her hand grabbing three of his fingers but saw nothing, neither of her nor himself. His body had invisible too! Soon a pair of Yagaro guards came up the stairs behind him. He turned and saw them looking into the armory, straight at them.

“I could have sworn I heard something,” one guard said.

“Me too, let’s check over here.”

The two turned toward the children’s rooms and headed that direction. Eric and Myra waited until they were out of sight before moving, staying invisible in case they ran into any more. The cousins went down the stairs to the ground floor of the Lord’s Wing and out onto the courtyard. Another pair of guards stood in front of the stairs, Eric and Myra tiptoed past them, onto the moist grass. Eric’s boots kept his feet dry, but Myra walked barefoot.

“Uh! Wet!” She whispered to him as she walked on the grass, clinging to Eric’s waist.

“Here!” Eric whispered as he bent down.

“What?” she asked, unable to see him.

“Climb on my back!” he told her a bit loudly.

She did so. But in the brief moment she let go of him, they both became visible again.

“Halt who goes there?” one of the guards at the doorway called leveling his spear.

Myra spoke the incantation again and they became invisible once more. But too late.

“There is someone here! I saw them! Just for a second but they were there!” the guard said.

“I didn’t see anyone!” his partner guard. “Maybe we should call a sight sorcerer.”

Eric’s heart leapt. Sight sorcerers would be able to see their sorcery even if they were invisible. He broke into a run, making his way out of the courtyard to the gap in the west side of the castle between the long Lord’s Gallery and the bathhouse. Carrying Myra on his back slowed him down a bit, but he made it through to the outer wall where the barracks, stables and kennels were located. He waited, to his relief, no guards followed.

Eric sighed and turned west toward the beast kennels. Myra didn’t climb down for fear of accidentally lifting the spell again and exposing them to yet another soldier. As Eric walked by the kennels, he saw some of the animals were awake, a dog growled, looking in their direction. Myra yelped and tightened her grip on Eric’s throat, choking him for an instant. Fortunately, there weren’t any guards past the beast kennels. They made their way into the deserted tourney grounds. Finally, Myra got off Eric and stepped onto the dirt covered trail.

“Uh! Now I have muddy feet!” She cried.

“That’s what you get for not wearing any shoes!” Eric told her.

His boots were muddy now as well. He’d have to switch into another pair later.

“So, what do I have to do for beast sorcery?” Myra asked.

“Well…” Eric was unsure what to say. He was still not very experienced at beast sorcery himself yet. “It’s not very good for combat purposes by itself, but it can be helpful for increasing senses like smell or hearing. Can you hear anything that’s far away right now?”

She closed her eyes. “Yes, those guards are talking, one’s accusing the other of seeing things,” she laughed. “And telling him not to make up stories!”

Eric chuckled then thought of something. “Hey, have you ever undone a sorcery suppressor?”

“Yes,” Myra said.

“Well, you mind doing it for me?” Eric said. He lifted his nightshirt, the mark where he’d blocked his sorcery glowed on his left side.

“Why do you have your sorcery suppressed?” Myra asked.

“I didn’t want to take the chance Clauwing would take over while I was asleep.”

“Who’s Clauwing?”

“The beast inside me. Don’t you have one now that you’re wearing that ring?” Eric asked.

Myra looked at the ring. Her eyes widened.

“It’s like someone’s speaking to me! And I felt… scared when you carried me by the kennels.”

“Prey instincts,” Eric guessed aloud. “You’re an elephant so you’ll acquire traits of them if you have beast sorcery, though that will probably be gone when you take the ring off. Now can you take this off?”

She looked at the hand mark on his side, her hand glowed blue and she touched him, pulling the suppression spell off like a bandage. Eric flinched as his sorcery began to flow through him again. His nose caught a scent, an animal scent mixed with a human’s. But it wasn’t his scent. It was Myra’s. Her scent was different than he remembered, she smelled like an…

“Elephant!” Clauwing’s voice suddenly sounded in Eric’s head. “Breakfast!”

Before Eric could react, his hand moved, swiping at Myra. The girl fell with a cry. Clauwing squawked with Eric’s mouth, baring down on the girl.

“Eric what are you doing?” the girl’s voice filled with fear as she looked up at him.

Eric wanted to tell her to run but his entire body was no longer under his control, he could see with his eyes but that was it. His arms, legs, even tongue were not under his command. His legs bent down, his mouth opened and bit the neck of the little girl.

“Arrgh!” Myra screamed. “Get off me!”

“Leave her alone!” Eric screamed mentally. You won’t hurt her! I won’t let you!”

He focused with all his might, his will spread back over his body and found the opinicus’s. Eric wrestled with the beast for control of his body. It felt as though he were buried alive, but he managed to dig himself out somehow. He pulled himself off Myra who looked up at him in fright as he flailed about.

Run Myra! Eric thought, still wrestling with the other being in his mind. Get away while I’ve got him!

She did, sobbing and getting to her feet, running back the way she came. Eric was left there, soon the pain in his head subsided as Clauwing relented. He lay there, his heart heavy with remorse over what he had done. He let out a deep sigh of regret and waited.

Soon a group of guards appeared.

“There he is! Grab him!”

“Grab him? He’s heir to the Castle!”

“He attacked a little girl! We’ll see if he remains heir!”

They brought Eric to the Courtyard in the middle of the castle. Chosan came out yawning.

“What is the meaning of this late night wake up?” Chosan asked.

Vikal pointed at Eric. “He attacked my daughter Lord Yagaro!”

“What?” Chosan exclaimed, looking at Eric dumbfounded. He looked from his nephew to Myra.

“The girl came running up to me!” one of the guards Eric and Myra had sneaked past said. “She said he hit her then bit her in the neck! I didn’t want to believe it but then I looked in the Jousting Grounds and found him there.”

Chosan gaped at Eric. “What were you doing in the Jousting Grounds at this time of night?”

Eric faced his uncle. “Myra asked me to train her.”

“Train her?” Lorala repeated.

“In the way of the sword,” Eric verified.

“Swords?” Lorala repeated, looking at her daughter. “You know that swords are not for you, young lady! They are for strong men!”

“Never mind that!” Vikal yelled. “Did you hurt my daughter?”

“Y-yes I-I did,” Eric admitted with a heavy heart full of remorse.

“Eric! Why? What could Myra have done to provoke this! You seemed to get on well with her!” Chosan asked.

“She didn’t do anything,” Eric said.

“Then why?” Chosan asked.

Eric didn’t answer right away. It didn’t matter that he’d been possessed, he was at fault. He should have been able to stop it.

“It was Clauwing. I couldn’t stop him.”

“Your inner beast?” Chosan asked.

Eric nodded.

“So, you were possessed?”

Eric nodded again. Chosan was silent for a moment, stroking his beard.

“Well, we need to do something about this inner beast of yours. We must make sure that it doesn’t attack anyone else, human or animal!”

“How are we going to do that?” Eric asked.

“We need to speak to it,” Chosan said. “Can you speak to it now?”

Eric thought, Clauwing you there?

No response. The opinicus had retreated deeper into Eric’s mind. He shook his head.

“It seems we’ll need to go into your mind and find it, then speak to it there,” Chosan said. “Troubling. So much for a good night’s rest.”

“Allow me to do this my Lord!” Orvalor said coming forward. “Tis my duty to protect you and my kin as well. Though I think Myra should come along as well.”

Chosan yawned. “Very well… Orvalor. I’ll leave this too you then. Well… I’m tired. Going back to bed.”

Eric frowned at his uncle’s laziness. He watched as Chosan walked back up the stairs of his tower to go back to bed and leave things in Orvalor’s hands.

The old knight pointed with both hands, one at Eric and the other at Myra. Eric’s vision began to turn white. The courtyard vanished. Eric didn’t know what to expect as he entered his mind. Upon entering he saw Orvalor and Myra who still frowned at him. Taking a breath Eric looked around and saw they were at the top of a tower like his room at Soyagone. Though this one was wide open and had no doors, just a stone path leading down to a jungle on the ground that reminded him of Dragoran. The sky wasn’t the usual blue it was in the physical world, but a bloody red, the same as Eric’s first sorcery core. In the distance Eric saw dark clouds and lightning flash.

“So, what do we do now Orvalor?” Eric asked.

“We have to find your inner beast,” the captain said without anger of any sort.

“Hmph!” Myra said, her arms crossed.

They climbed down the steps into the jungle and made their way through the many trees. Eric wondered for a moment if there might be other animals living in this jungle in his head. He pictured those he’d seen on Dragoran; buffalo, deer, boar, monkeys, elephants, lions. Then a sudden sound pierced Eric’s ear. He jumped as he recognized a lion’s roar and wheeled around to see such a beast chasing all the other animals he’d thought of. Myra screamed at the incoming stampede, they stepped aside to get out of the way of the large herbivores. Eric watched the lion chase its potential prey, desperately hoping it wouldn’t turn around and decide to come after them instead.

As though sensing his fear and thoughts, the big cat turned and looked at them. It growled and charged. Both Eric and Myra screamed. Eric thrusted with his hands to cast a spell at it. But no sorcery flew from his fingertips.

“I can’t cast!” Eric screamed before he turned and ran.

That was no good. The lion was too fast! It was only a few strides away. Go away! Eric thought as it leapt at him!

There was a flash of light and the lion was gone.

“What in Panarus?” Eric stopped and looked back in astonishment.

“You made it disappear,” Orvalor said. “This is your mind. Your thoughts control this place. They can make things appear or disappear like those animals.”

“Well thank you! You want to think of anything else to get us eaten?” Myra asked with a voice of sarcasm and anger.

“Myra don’t make him angry! He might think of something that could do that…”

But Eric wasn’t angry, the girl’s words dug deeper into the horrible feeling in his chest. It felt as though he’d had a hole blasted through his torso. Then a shadow suddenly fell over him, he looked up and saw the dark storm clouds were directly over him, rain poured.

“I’m starting to hate my mind!” Eric said as drops hit his head. “Let’s find that opinicus and get out of here!”

They broke into a run. Eric thought back to his failure to cast a spell, what was he going to do if he found the beast and it decided to attack? Without sorcery he didn’t have much of a chance, if only he had something. A sword maybe.

Ahead of him he saw something flash and a sword appeared sticking out of the ground. Eric let out a breath of relief and pulled it from the dirt. It was an arming sword just like his new physical one. Eric lifted it up and felt a surge of power in the weapon.

“Ah, thought up a sword for yourself. Good idea!” Orvalor said from behind him. “Always best to be armed! Pity I am not wearing my armor and carrying my sword.”

Eric looked at Orvalor.

“Hmm. Maybe I can give them to you in here.”

Eric focused, thinking with all his might of an image of Orvalor. An image of a Soron Knight clad in full armor with a sword at his hip. Moments later they appeared on Orvalor’s body.

“Oh! Thank you!” he chuckled.

Eric looked at Myra whose expression had softened as she looked at her grandfather suddenly back in his armor, and Eric’s mind flashed back to what he’d done.

A scream suddenly sounded nearby, causing Eric to jump. He knew that scream. It was Myra’s. But it didn’t come from her, it came from above. He looked up at the dark cloud, it now showed that very memory. Him attacking Myra, he saw his hand striking her, heard her cry in pain, and then the dialogue in his head between him and Clauwing. The dialogue Myra had been unable to hear.

Leave her alone! Eric’s voice sounded from above him. It was his thoughts while trapped in his body as Clauwing controlled him. You won’t hurt her! I won’t let you! Myra, get out of here while I’ve got him!

Myra looked at Eric. “You stopped it from hurting me more.”

Eric nodded, looking down at the jungle floor. “I only wish I’d been able to stop it altogether.”

“He is not to blame Myra,” Orvalor said. “People who are possessed by a spirit have no control over themselves.”

Eric saw a pair of feet come forward and felt arms wrap around him.

“It’s alright,” Myra said as she hugged him. “It wasn’t your fault. You did what you could. Now let’s find that beast and teach it a lesson.”

Eric patted her head, relief filling him. “Alright. But first I think I’ll give you a gift as well.”

He looked at the girl, he thought of her in a dress of chainmail like the one his mother wore during her battle with Corgo. Myra’s body was covered like her grandfather’s and a sword appeared on her hip as well. Though she was so short the tip of the sword touched the ground.

Myra grinned in awe as she looked down at her chainmail dress.

“Thanks Eric! Do you think I could keep this?” Myra asked.

“If only thoughts could come out into the real world,” Orvalor said. “But perhaps we can make you some armor later.”

“You’re willing to do that?” Eric asked, surprised.

“Certainly. She might be a lady, but she should have something to wear for protection. We cannot always rely on others to fight for us. We have to be able to defend ourselves. That goes for women too.”

They continued through the jungle. The rain stopped, like Eric’s sadness. The sky grew clearer, a bit of sun shined through.

“This could take forever!” Eric said. “If only Granny Ruby were here, she could fly us, wait!”

Eric thought of his grandmother. To his amazement, the red dragon who’d been with him all his life appeared in the sky above. Not the real her but an image that Eric hoped they would be able to ride.

“Come little one!” she said, landing on the ground.

Eric, Myra and Orvalor climbed on the thought made Rubara’s back. She flapped her wings and rose up above the wet jungle.

Where are you? Eric wondered looking at the ground as well as the sky for Clawing.

They flew out of the jungle, above a blackened area that looked as though it had been through a fire. An enormous dark tree rose above the others in the jungle.

“What is that?” Eric wondered aloud as he saw the scarred land in his mind.

Orvalor looked. “That’s a dark thought area where your bad emotions dwell.”

Eric looked at the scarred land. That had to be where he would find Clauwing. The thought conjured Rubara went down for a landing and vanished once they got off. Eric, Myra, and Orvalor walked around the ruined place, finding nothing but blackened trees and dirt. Then they saw something, a pair of large bonfires at the base of the great tree.

“The fires are things you hate or make you angry,” Orvalor said, looking up at the roots of the tree.

Sure enough, within the flames Eric saw more images playing out. One was Corgo throwing a spear of dark energy at Margery. The other showed Taro Volk and a broken sword hilt, the symbol of dishonor. It was the two people Eric hated most, his mother’s killer and the one who’d labeled her as a traitor. Both of them would pay someday. Eric would kill Corgo. As for Taro, Eric wasn’t sure what he would do with the Volk Lord if he ever got the chance. He’d like to punch Taro in the face, but did he deserve to die? Maybe not.

True, he was fighting against the Demorians but the way he did made him as bad as them. He’d almost killed Onro who had been taken prisoner as a child. Not long ago, Eric had agreed with the practice to dismember those that didn’t take their own lives to avoid serving evil. But he felt a child who had not yet sworn any vows to do so deserved immunity in his opinion. But Taro would have executed the man regardless. The thought of that made Eric sick as he looked at the image of Taro in the flames. Then something caused him to jump.

A loud screech sounded from above. Eric looked up and saw Clauwing. Like Rubara, his inner opinicus nearly blended into the red sky which he flew through. Eric had never seen Clauwing’s true form before. Like Rubara, he was mostly red, but much smaller and with feathers instead of scales. His eyes, claws, wingtips, beak, and a few feathers were blue. It seemed he’d inherited his coloration from Eric’s first two empowerment cores. Such a color combination wouldn’t exist in a physical opinicus.

Clauwing spotted them and landed on the ash covered ground nearby.

“Well, well Eric. You’re here for once,” he said. “And you brought the elephant smelling girl with you.”

Myra took a step back behind Orvalor as Eric’s inner beast looked at her with hungry eyes. Eric meanwhile took a step forward, grasping his thought forged sword, ready for a fight.

“You’ve possessed me for the last time, Clauwing! You made me hurt Myra!”

“She smelled tasty,” Clauwing said.

“Well, I won’t have you preying on her, animals, or anyone else from now on!” Eric said. “So, I’m telling to STOP!”

“Why should I obey you?” Clauwing asked.

“Because- because this is a human body!” Eric said after a moment’s thought. “I’m the human here so I’m alpha!”

“You’re alpha?” Clauwing laughed a squawky laugh. “You still depend on others to feed you like a baby bird to its mother! You’ve always let that dragon you call a grandmother hunt for you while we were out in the jungles! Now we’re living in a human made cave where you are given prey already cut up. Well, I’m tired of being handed food like a hatchling! I want to hunt for myself as a grown beast would.”

Eric hesitated. Unsure how to respond.

But Orvalor spoke, “You want to hunt for yourself? We could give you a chance to do so. But only if you agree to stop going after domestic animals and people!”

“Wait, I thought we were going to fight this beast?” Myra asked.

“Some enemies are better to make peace with my dear,” Orvalor told his granddaughter.

“Well, I’m not making peace with this animal until I have some retribution for attacking me!” Myra shouted as she charged forward with her blade raised.

She didn’t do much damage, being unable to call on her Greater Body while in Eric’s mind granted her only have the strength of an average ten-year-old girl. Still, Myra’s blow caused the opinicus to cry out in pain as she cut him on the shoulder. Eric too cried as pain shot through his shoulder. He looked at it, not seeing any blood spill, but something was pouring out, a trail of vapor that Eric knew was his soul.

Myra looked behind and saw her blow had hurt Eric as well. “Eric!”

“Look out Myra!” Orvalor yelled.

Clauwing swiped at the girl, who screamed. A large amount of vapor emanated from deep scratches on her chest.

“Leave her alone!” Eric yelled, charging.

“No, don’t! You’ll hurt yourself!” Orvalor called.

Eric stopped even as he raised the sword high. The tiny scratch Myra had given Clauwing affected him as well. He’d been wounded in the same spot, their souls were connected. If Eric killed his inner beast he would die as well.

He and the opinicus locked glares. Clauwing couldn’t hurt Eric without getting wounded, nor could Eric do so with Clauwing. But Eric wouldn’t move, he wouldn’t let Clauwing hurt Myra anymore.

After a while Eric asked, “If I go hunting will you stop possessing me?”

Clauwing nodded. “You have my word.”

Eric let out a breath of relief than bent down beside Myra who groaned and cried. He hugged the girl to comfort her as Orvalor approached them.

“Let’s get out of here,” the old knight said. “Take my hands.”

Eric and Myra did so, Orvalor uttered some words in Soron then they flew up toward the red sky from whence they’d dropped. Then they were back in the Courtyard of Soyagone. Morning had come, and Chosan and the other Presteegs waited. Eric looked at Myra and was relieved to see her physical body hadn’t been affected by the wounds caused to her spirit. Though he now had a slight ache in his head.

Myra groaned and put both hands on her head.

“Are you alright?” Eric asked.

She groaned once more than choked out, “I hate your inner beast.”

“Me too,” Eric agreed. “I just hope this works.”

“You spoke with the opinicus?” Chosan asked.

Eric nodded. “He’s agreed to stop trying to prey on domestic animals and attacking if I go hunting.”

Chosan put a hand to his beard. “Hmm. Well, we have enough meat for now. But the Carnos family is hunting today, you could join them.”

Eric frowned. “Morum’s family? I don’t like him. He called my mother a traitor!”

“You rather risk hurting Myra again? That’s the only experienced group of hunters going out right now that I’m aware of.”

Eric looked at Myra and sighed, “Fine. I’ll go ask them if I can join.”

Chosan nodded. “It’s too bad, I’d hoped we could have had some time together nephew. We could have made potions today after we pay the servants.”

Eric shrugged. He didn’t care much for the idea of counting coins and handing them to their vassals or servants. All that mattered to him right now was getting enough power to defeat Corgo.

Myra went to her room to rest. It would take some time for the headache she’d suffered from having her spirit torn to heal. Eric’s pain faded sooner since his was only a minor wound. But he had to hurry to meet with the Carnos’ before they departed on their hunting trip.

He ran to the stables after getting dressed and arming himself with his sword, shield, shapeshifting dagger, and the Heirs Heirlooms. He got a saddle on Snowshine and climbed on before snapping the reins. The white horse galloped toward Sortar with all haste.

Eric looked over the manors in Hero’s Home where the other noble families lived. Unlike the jammed lower-class sectors, these homes were few and well-spaced out with large gardens and walkways of fine stone. Banners showing family symbols were hung on walls surrounding them. He led Snowshine down the spacious area, past the Silver Plate inn, and finally saw the banner he was looking for.

The Carnos flag showed a circle of fangs surrounding a letter C that looked like a drawn bow and arrow. Eric turned to the open gate leading into the manor and saw a group of hunters assembled. Several of them were beast men, and others were Soron Knights.But they didn’t wear the thick metal armor Eric had gotten used to seeing. These Carnos knights wore light furs or leather, only keeping a metal helmet on their heads. As he got closer, Eric spotted Morum.

The young lion beast man saw him as well, his eyes narrowing. Morum didn’t have on his usual blue Castle Scholar robes. He wore a blood red shirt like Eric’s own, which had his own family symbol embroidered on it. His shoulders were protected by metal pauldrons. On his back Eric saw the handle of a weapon, in his left hand he carried a shield with a golden lion head in the center, hanging from his left side was a dagger like Eric’s. Though it had the head of a lion for a pommel. In the lion’s mouth was a yellow diamond.

The man next to Morum spotted Eric. “Well, seems we have a visitor.”

The group of soldiers turned and looked at Eric who walked past them. He guessed the man next to Morum was Gradon Carnos, the head of the family. He was the only one here who wore full metal armor.

“Sir Gradon I presume?” Eric asked.

“Yes, young Lord,” Gradon said. “What can I do for you?”

“I need help,” Eric told the knight. “My inner beast has been giving me much trouble lately. It made me attack a little girl in my castle this morning.”

“Oh dear,” Gradon said. “That is serious.”

Eric nodded, “Yes. I made a deal with my beast. It will stop possessing me if I start hunting on my own.”

“I see.”

“Well, you can just go hunting yourself!” Morum said. “We won’t have anything to do with traitors like your mother!”

“Morum! The sins of the parents have nothing to do with their children!” Grados shouted at his son before turning back to Eric. “I will be glad to help you with this, Lord Eric. We were just about to leave. But before we do… someone bring a good bow!”

A pair of servants that were standing near him ran back into the house. They returned a few minutes later with a fine oak bow and quiver full of arrows. Gradon took them and handed them to Eric. “Here.”

Eric accepted the gift, though he quickly remembered something, “I’ve never used a bow before.”

“No?” Gradon said. “Well, you can use your sight sorcery to see the path of the shot! That can help even a novice archer,” he pointed to the side where a pair of archery targets stood. “Go ahead! Take a shot!”

Eric turned toward the target, he focused, drawing sorcery from the headband, through his head, down into his eyes. He then spoke the incantation to see into the future.

“Viset fortua.” See future.

He drew an arrow and pulled it back, aiming. He could see the path the arrow would take if he released it in the form of a line going from him to above the target.

“Don’t use too much strength,” Gradon said. “Only a couple fingers are needed.”

Eric took all fingers but his thumb and pointer off the string of the bow. Now his sight sorcery told him he would hit the target high. He lowered himself slightly, until he saw the future pathway leading straight to the bullseye, he released.

Eric’s arrow struck true, hitting the yellow circle in the center of the target.

“You sight sorcerers make things look eyesy!” Gradon said with a chuckle. “Get it! Eyesy? Since you use eyes?”

Eric didn’t laugh, but some of the others did. Apparently, Sir Gradon liked to joke around. He didn’t find it funny though.

“Everyone mount up!” Gradon ordered.

Snowshine was nervous around all the predators as they made their way out. She shrieked in fright as they all ran past her and Eric nearly fell off as she stood on her back legs and flailing her front ones.

“Whoa girl!” Eric tried to calm his horse.

Snowshine refused to run alongside the predatory mounts the Carnos entourage used. She agreed to go so long as she remained behind them rather than in front. This assured her they weren’t coming after her. Ahead of Eric, Morum rode a large lion nearly as big as a horse. Gradon meanwhile, seated a very small dragon. Bigger than the babies Eric had looked after the night of the family reunion, but nowhere near the size of Rubara. A lesser dragon, one that didn’t get much bigger than a horse. They led the way back to the Safe Path and all the way to the south end. For the first time Eric left the city grounds of Sortar for a place that was not Soyagone, he ventured into the Gold Pine Wood.

They rode for a half hour until Sortar vanished amongst the trees which turned from gold needled pines to the more common green. Eric could smell many scents as they rode down the road. Soon the hunting party stopped and Gradon addressed them.

“We’ll follow our noses to whatever prey we can find and meet back here in an hour.”

The hunters split up, going after various fresh scents. Eric directed Snowshine in the direction of a deer scent. Sniffing, he followed the scent, blocking the incoming pine branches of the trees as his horse took him through the forest. Eric began to catch other scents as well, both old and new.

Let us get off the horse and find our prey! Clauwing said.

Eric would have been happy to simply stay on Snowshine, but he didn’t want to do anything to provoke his inner beast. This was about finally making peace with Clauwing. He dismounted Snowshine and told the horse to stay there.

“Yes sir!” the mare said.

Eric made his way out into a meadow where he caught sight of the deer whose scent he’d been following. It grazed on the grass of the meadow, completely unaware of his presence. He readied the bow he’d been given.

As he pulled back the arrow, Clauwing spoke,

Finally, we’ll get our first kill! Remember when we tried to get one on Dragoran?”

“You mean when you took me for a sleep hunt through the jungle,” Eric reminded him.

Yes, that was fun.

“As long as this keeps me from hurting Myra or anyone else, I’ll do it.” Eric channeled sorcery into his eyes, spoke the future seeing incantation again. “Viset Fortua!”

He pulled back on the string, adjusted the bow along the correct path… and shot.

The arrow flew through the air, finding its way to the deer’s heart. The animal fell with a cry. Eric walked over to it, drew his dagger and cut off one of its hind legs to leave as an offering to the vultures, as was the custom of beast sorcerers. Vultures would need meat to sustain themselves and continue to clean up the leftovers of other carnivore’s meals. After he managed to cut through the bone, Eric tossed the leg out a distance away, causing blood to splatter. He then touched the exposed bone and with a bit of magic closed the wounds. Healing was not his specialty, but his mother had taught him some just in case he ever got injured and there wasn’t a support sorceress around. Once the bleeding stopped, Eric lifted the remainder of the carcass on his back and turned in the direction of Snowshine.

As he neared the edge of the meadow, Eric caught a scent and heard two sounds. A roar and a horse cry.

“Snowshine!” Eric yelled, dropping the deer and running through the forest. Snowshine was not where he’d left her. He could see fresh hoof prints, and another footprint of something big with large claws. A bear!

“Oh no!” Eric yelled, following the direction of the tracks. He saw them up ahead, the white horse being chased by an enormous grizzly. Eric would never able to catch up with them… if only he had Greater Body.

But you do! Clauwing said in his head.

Eric had forgotten, now that he wore objects enchanted with other powers, he could access them. For once the inner beast had made himself useful.

“Grito kodu suprere velos!” Grant me greater speed.

Eric channeled sorcery into his legs and ran. His far too fast Greater Body power propelled him through the forest after his horse and her pursuer. Thanks to his sight sorcery still being active, he managed to avoid many of the trees he might have otherwise crashed into from moving so fast. He drew closer and closer, but the massive creature inched closer to Snowshine.

The bear bit the horse’s hind leg. Snowshine whined and struggled, she managed to yank free of the teeth but could no longer escape. The bear pounded her with its enourmous paw, knocking her down. It pinned her and brought its jaws to her stomach, ready to bite her as Eric had bitten Myra. But in the bear’s case, its teeth would pierce the flesh and tear the horse apart.

Eric got there just in time.

“Get away from my horse!” he yelled.

The bear growled, but Eric understood him perfectly. You get in my way I’ll eat you too.

The bear got on its hind legs and roared. He was easily twice Eric’s size, as tall as Corgo. Eric knew at once he wouldn’t be able to match such an animal in strength even if he possessed Greater Body. But there was no other option but to fight. Eric drew the sorsteel sword at his hip and moved to take his shield off his back.

The bear growled and charged before Eric could get the shield into position. It swung its massive paw and hit Eric. The young sorcerer grunted and fell back, there was a clatter from his sword and a soft thud from his shield as both hit the ground. He heard the bear growl, heard its feet moving through the twig covered ground. It was coming for him. He managed to look up and see it as it approached. Eric extended his hand to cast a spell, but the bear took hold of his arm with its teeth. Eric screamed and knew this was the end. He would not have any battle against Corgo, his life would end so that this creature would survive, as was nature’s law.

Then the bear let out a cry of pain and released Eric. The Yagaro heir could hardly believe his eyes as he looked at the person who’d saved him. Morum. The lion boy pulled his battle axe out of the bear’s head. He then turned to Eric, who tried to speak but no sound came from his mouth. His vision darkened and he barely felt his head hit the ground.