Capítulo 61: Into the Woods

Hours after most had gone to bed Janus swung the practice sword, took another step, and he didn't stumble. I looked around to see if anyone else saw it. Sid gave me a nod. Janus tripped over his feet on the second swing, but he'd made some progress.

I got up off the log I sat on and stretched. Gwen wanted a bear skin blanket and Doppel probably wanted it too. A quick hunting trip would help me sharpen my skills. I rolled my shoulders.

Ping!

Mage lvl90

New Perk

Instructor – +100% learning speed to students.

That was impressive. Just by teaching I could impart knowledge twice as quickly. Maybe I should roll for a teaching job. That would really help out my next student. Janus was getting the short end of the stick in that regard.

"What can you tell me about abominable bears?" I asked the priest.

The man tugged at his beard in thought. "I'm no hunter but I've heard a few stories. Their large enough to be mistaken for small hills at a distance. Some are said to leave no tracks in the snow and they're silent." The priest paused. "Do you think it likely we'll encounter one?" Priest Margos asked.

I scratched the side of my face. Scaring the poor man wasn't my intention. "No, I doubt one would be brave enough to attack a group. We have more than a few sentries and the fire still roars strong." I pulled my sword from the wagon and placed it on my back. "I plan to hunt one tonight."

A shocked expression appeared on the priest's face. "Foolish, there are more than bears in these woods. Why risk yourself to hunt such a beast?" Priest Margos said.

I shook my head. "I'm fast, if a bear is nearby, I'll kill it and begin tanning the carcass before first light." White aura surrounded my body along with flecks of gold. "Don't worry aside from that titan not much in these woods is a match for me."

"He's doing it at the behest of Gwen and Doppel." Janus tattled. Gwen glared at the boy. I gave her a disapproving look. Gwen crossed her arms and leaned against Doppel. The priest saw the interaction and narrowed his eyes.

"I thought you were a kindred spirit, but I was mistaken." He glared at the two monsters. "If you are still here by morning and Jacob hasn't returned, I suggest you flee." I let a sigh as the priest left.

Janus lowered his head. "I understand if you don't want to train me, but I had to help you." I grunted at Janus's words.

"Get some rest, I'll wake you on my return for an hour of training before we head out." I said.

I shook my head as the boy sealed himself in his bedroll. Gwen's expression remained sour. "If you keep sulking, I won't get you the bear hide." I threatened.

Gwen looked up at me and her eyes softened. "I'm sorry, I'm tired of choosing between my stuffy shield and freezing." I nodded and looked out in the distance. I had about six hours before I needed to return.

I stepped through the wards and dashed into the dark woods. The hot breath of beasts seemed to breath down my neck while I ran. Every step was too light to leave a track. My aura pushed my body up through the trees while I searched for my target.

On reflexed I blasted a javelin and leaned to the side. An ice blue arrow struck a tree freezing the bark in a layer of ice. I heard a scream and cursed myself for breaking character. At the time, I hadn't given my auto fire a second thought. If someone fired an arrow at me, I returned fire. Still, I was being watched. Two familiar blood auras covered an owl and a bat high in the air.

When I found the one that shot me pinned to a tree and struggling, I was half relieved. The ringed mail of her coat was slower to rot than its leather and fur. I reached down and picked up my attacker's dropped bow.

A shrill female voice screamed at me. "That's mine, you can't have it." I quirked an eyebrow and pulled back the string. It was a little light. I'd have more luck chunking arrows than shooting them with this bow. There wouldn't be any easy fixes for my ranged needs.

I pulled one of her arrows from its quiver while she slashed at me with a drawn dagger. "Why did you attack me?" I asked.

After turning the arrow over a few times, I marveled at its craftsmanship. It was leagues ahead of the arrows I'd built in the junkyard.

"You're a human I'm what your kind calls an Abominable Werewolf." I raised an eyebrow and tossed back her hood. Her eyes were a wild ice blue with an eastern slant, and her hair was a blonde color that bordered on moonlight. Her eyebrows were a little thick but otherwise her face was obviously human. I cocked my head to the side.

You don't seem very wolf like to me. She growled fiercely at me and snapped her teeth. I wasn't a human and despite what little human DNA was within me, I was certain I had nothing to fear from the werewolf curse. I reached in around her collar and felt under her arms.

"What are you doing?" She shrieked.

"I'm trying to find the difference between a werewolf and a human woman. So far you both shave your armpits." The supposed werewolf opened her mouth before closing it.

"Fine let me show you." She snarled, her eyes glowed blue, and frosty aura like a blizzard began to erupt from her.

I powered up my aura and smashed down against hers. The woman's eyes widened when her aura was shoved back beneath her skin. Hair that had sprouted across her face fell away.

Fighting her wasn't what I was here to do. Killing her wouldn't further my goals and I had no desire to fuck in the snow. That's why I yanked my javelin from the slowly rotting tree.

"You're letting me go." The statement came as a surprise. There wasn't a need to kill her. Even if her transformation increased all her parameters by 10 times it wouldn't be enough. She wasn't even worth the xp.

"On one condition. If you're really a werewolf you must have a good sense of smell. I need you to track something for me." I said.

"My packmates aren't far, if you just let me go, we'll forget any of this happened. Our Alpha is strong and very territorial. If he thinks you attacked me, you won't get off easy." I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She was barely six feet tall and was barely above a human in strength. What aura I sensed from her was uncontrolled. I could only conclude that werewolves naturally cultivated to some extent.

"Your pack isn't coming. If they were, they'd be here by now." Her eyes widened before she took a step back. When she bumped up against a tree, she had nowhere else to go. She stared at me before lifting her throat.

I let a sigh escape my lips. "What happened to them?" I'd already concluded that they had either abandoned her or they were killed. From the way she reacted there wasn't much in between.

"They're dead an abominable bear killed them. It was the strongest thing I've ever seen. Just after the storm it emerged from its Den and killed Henry, and Sven first. Mary our head bitch had her belly split open, Cindy swift paws died to a caved in skull, and our Alpha Randolph was eaten alive defending the pups. I wasn't there." I measured this girl's aura and did some quick calculations. The bear might be a bit stronger than I thought.

Ping!

Quest: Slay Abominable Bear

Reward: +15 DEX +15 STR

I picked her chin up. "You were lucky to survive. How did you manage it?" A tear fell down her face.

She sniffed and turned away. "I hid while he killed them. He made me listen while he ate the children." The girl was about to say more but I put a finger to her lips.

"I came out here to kill an abominable bear. Lead the way and I'll put it down." Bears have excellent senses of smell and hearing. It either filled up on the pack and let this girl get away or she wasn't telling me everything. It could all be a lie. I've seen better actors. A sudden breakdown when cornered isn't unheard of. It all depended on how close the incident was.

I wanted to believe her, but something didn't add up. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Mahina, I came from a different land." I nodded slowly.

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