The Grand Weave

Apparently, my new nails were sharp enough to pierce the pig's hide. Since I had absolutely no idea how to properly dress a kill, I simply cut off some meat from the belly.

Not wanting to waste our only food source, I stored the body back in my dimensional storage. Strangely, I didn't feel as squeamish as I thought I would. The closest thing I've ever come to seeing a dead animal were rats caught in traps.

It brought to mind what Sam said about how differently we acted in the void. I should have been hesitant about cutting into anything alive or dead. And Sam was never this excitable. We were city folk through and through. Being eager to hunt something down and smash its skull in was not normal for us.

My concers were erased as I smelled the pork roasting over the fire. It smelled like bacon; juicy, delicious meat that made me drool. Our stomachs roared in protest as the meat cooked.

Finally, after an agonizingly long wait, Sam pulled the meat skewers off the fire. They were too hot to eat, but we didn't care. I bit down and chewed. Eventually, I swallowed and sighed.

"It's not as good as it smells," I said.

Sam lowered her stick and glared at the offending skewer. "It's better than nothing, but this isn't bacon. This world better have spices."

It was honestly not the best bacon I've ever had.

Without the seasoning or curing process that would be typical of store-bought meat, it had a gamey taste that was just slightly off. None of that mattered much when, at that moment, the charred pork belly filled our stomachs.

After a reluctant wash in the river, we resumed our usual routine, and I went to sleep first. Despite finally being around wildlife, nothing disturbed us during the night. We did what morning ablutions we could and continued our long walk through the forest.

The only amount of excitement that day was when a bird the same size as me showed up. With vibrant yellow feathers and menacing black stripes, the giant bird froze us in our tracks. It cocked its head, but it must have deemed us unimportant because it flew off in the next moment. I shared a look with Sam, and we decided to be more discreet as we trudged through the undergrowth.

When we camped for the night, we discovered silver-scaled fish swimming in the river. As much as I wanted to try grabbing some, we didn't have any tools to help us catch them. Sam briefly entertained the idea of spearfishing with a sharpened branch, but we just ate some more meat from the pig. It tasted worse the second go around, but it kept us full. Although, I did notice the faint hint of spiciness now that I was able to slow down and chew the meat properly.

After washing up and adding more sticks to the fire, I leaned back and stared at the sky. The canopy above blocked the sky, but the moonlight bathed the area.

Turning my head, I saw Sam sitting down while staring into the distance.

"Did you ever think the start to our new magical lives would just be a brief camping trip?" I asked.

She refocused her attention on me before giving me a small smile.

"No, I don't think I would have predicted this. But it's nice. I always wanted to go out and hike up a mountain somewhere and camp. Maybe take a flight to Alaska and enjoy some cold air," she said. Sam took in a deep breath before spreading her arms wide. "I don't regret growing up in a city. Yet, this is a dream fulfilled so far. I'm finally able to explore a world through my own eyes instead of through a laptop screen."

"I'd at least like a tent or something. Sleeping on the ground is too much for frail old me," I complained.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll look back on this and say that it helped build character."

I glared at the blue-skinned woman before letting out a short laugh. If living in this world meant I had to learn to rough it, I wouldn't complain too much.

Well, perhaps just a little. Grass and dirt just aren't the same as my old bed.

In the morning I stretched and took care of buisness. As we prepared to start the day, two shadows came rushing out of the forest. I only had enough time to yell at Sam before I was knocked off my feet.

A small scream escaped my lips as a sudden sharp pain shot through my left arm. I stared at glowing amber eyes that glared at me as the creature bit down harder.

The beast looked like a cross between a ferret and a wolf. I couldn't examine much else as it continued to draw blood from my limb. There was a small yelp of pain to my right, but I wasn't able to pay it any attention.

There was nothing around me that I could turn into an improvised weapon. There was no time to think. I used the only thing I had available to me. The beast was angled just far enough that I couldn't shove my fingers into its eyes, but I managed to bring my nails down its snout.

The ferret-wolf didn't release my arm and instead clamped down harder. I managed to get another swipe across its face before it yanked me forward. It started to shake its head like a dog playing with a chew toy.

"Aaagh. Let go!" I shouted, attempting and failing to dislodge the beast.

My arm felt like it would rip apart if I didn't do something soon. Salvation came in the form of a very sudden and meaty fist rocking the wolf's ribs. The beast released me as it shrieked in pain.

Unlike the pig, there was no instant kill. I stood up quickly as Sam circled to the beast's right.

It stared at the both of us, eyes darting between its targets. It leaned away, looking ready to run now that it was outnumbered.

As much as I wanted nothing more than to slit the creature's throat, I was inwardly relieved when it turned around and dashed into the brush. My legs collapsed and, and Sam followed suit. Looking over, I saw that she had claw marks crossing her calf, but other than that, she was no worse for wear.

"You okay, Cy? Your arm looks like it went through a shredder," she said with concern as she stared at my mangled arm.

I merely grunted before I channeled my mana and summoned Áine. Thankfully, I didn't it wasn't as painful as it looked. A burst of green energy and everything was as good as new. It seemed to take her slightly less time than it did when she healed my burns. After giving me one last inspection to ensure she finished the job, Áine flew over and began using her glowing hands on Sam's leg.

"Whatever the hell those things were, I'm going to come back and hunt them until they're endangered," I growled.

I glanced at my arm. Even healed, the blood remained as did the bits of dirt I picked up from flopping to the ground. "If my arms and hands being damaged is going to be a reocurring theme, I'm already tired of it."

Standing up and testing her newly healed leg, Sam walked over and offered me a hand up.

I reluctantly accepted, not quite ready to go back into the forest. We made our way over to where the other wolf creature's corpse was. Much like her previous use of her skill, the skull was smashed in.

Kicking the corpse, I turned towards Sam. "Why didn't you use your skill when you punched the one attacking me?" I asked her as she examined the damage she inflicted.

She grimaced. "Not sure, to be honest. I tried using it again and felt the cold feeling you get when you channel your mana. But it felt like I twitched and messed up somehow. I think I could have, but I must have flubbed it. Sorry, Cy."

She looked like she felt bad about the whole situation, which was silly. I shuddered at the thought of the creature managing to tear my arm off. There was no telling if Áine could fix missing limbs, and I really didn't want to tests those waters.

I put a hand on Sam's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Don't be dumb. If it wasn't for you, I might have remained a chew toy. Besides, you're doing pretty well on the whole, protecting my squishy butt and whatnot. Just, continue being my mean, blue wall of muscles."

She smiled back. "Fine, I can do that. So, you want to pocket the body and continue on?"

"You don't want to put it into yours?"

"Hell no, first of all, it's weird to carry dead animals around." She then held up two fingers. "Second, your little dragon buddy can just suck them up like a vacuum. You don't have to touch it if you don't want to."

"Fine, more loot for me anyways," I grumbled.

Before I could summon my scaly storage creature, we turned around and heard a soft thud. Áine kicked the second corpse a second time before landing on its nose. She gave it one last stomp before crossing her arms and flying up back to eye level.

"Everything alright there, Áine?" I asked the small, angry fairy.

She merely nodded before uncrossing her arms.

"Well, if you say you're doing alright, I'll trust yah. Thanks again for healing us. It's nice to be able to keep my arm."

Áine proceeded to boop both of our noses before giving one last glare towards the wolf and returning to inside my body.

"Gotta say that was kinda cute. At least you know your summon cares for you," Sam said.

I nodded in response. Knowing that my familiar liked me enough to get angry for me was comforting.

Activating my skill, the little dragon inhaled the wolves into its mouth and promptly left. There was something to be said over the fact that I was already getting used to the bizarreness of it all.

We bathed again to get rid of the bloodstains and quench our thirst. After, we made our way cautiously through the trees. Our terrible morning start must have been an omen because, within an hour, it started to rain. At first, the canopy of leaves above our heads protected us. But the further we continued, the smattering of raindrops turned into a downpour that soaked our bones.

The heavy rain forced us to slow our march, as the ground soon turned to mud. Every step was an act of resistance as our boots fought the suction of the wet ground.

Nothing else came to take a bite out of us, probably because they were smart enough not to walk through a muddy forest during heavy rainfall. While I was soaking wet, I noticed I wasn't cold. Looking at Sam, I saw she was covered in small scratches she had slowly accumulated during our hazardous walk. Looking back at my own body, there wasn't a single scratch. Inspecting a small area above my right knee, I noticed some blood hadn't yet washed away. The small cut on my pants revealed there was no scratch that indicated I was bleeding. Thinking back on my perks, I pulled up the description for Scion of Calstrax.

Scion of Calstrax:

You've become the adopted heir of the god Calstrax. With his blood flowing through your veins, you share some of his powers.

You have minor regeneration to most wounds

You have minor resistance to most common elements.

You have a higher-than-average mana pool.

Being adopted by a god had some benefits. I never noticed the regeneration before because Áine healed me whole sale whenever I got hurt.

Being able to heal even when I couldn't summon her was an amazing thing to have. I stared at the small abrasions on Sam's limbs before focusing on my steps. Even if she didn't have my perk, I doubt someone so attuned to the water element would be feeling cold over some rain.

Considering that she never shivered once, I was sure I was correct in my thinking.

Looking at the system time, it was about five in the afternoon before we started to see some lights ahead. Ten minutes later, we finally managed to emerge from the tree line. Ahead of us were stone walls that surrounded a bunch of buildings with wooden roofs peaking through the top. They were twice the height of Sam and were utterly smooth, made of gray stone.

To our right, a large wooden gate stood open.

Underneath what looked like a small tent were two men in leather armor carrying spears. Human. Not funny-skinned or horned like us. They stood in position guarding the entrance to the village and managed to stay out of the rain while doing it.

Sam met my gaze. We didn't say a word to each other. At this point, we both just wanted to get somewhere dry.

As we approached within twenty yards, the two guards finally noticed our approach.

"HALT! Who goes there?!" shouted the man on the left.

They lowered their stances and brandished their weapons.

We both stopped in our tracks and put up our hands.

"Just two people looking to get out of this cursed rain!" I shouted back, trying to be heard over the splatter of water.

The two guards shared a look before turning back towards us. The guard who spoke before lowered his spear. I noted that he still had kept his grip around his weapon.

"Approach slowly and keep your hands up, travelers. Make any sudden moves, and we will be forced to run you through," the guard said, waving for us to come closer.

As we got within five feet, we were made to stop. The talking guard nodded to the other man, and the other guard slowly came closer. "And who are you two? We have never seen you people here in the village before. Especially you," the guard said while pointing a finger at me.

"Why me specifically?" I said while narrowing my eyes at the man.

"I have never seen an elf with horns before, and especially not with eyes like yours," said the other guard with an increasingly deep frown on his face.

"Hey! We're just tired travelers who want to sit down somewhere out of this rain," Sam yelled.

She clenched her fists and was obviously in a bad mood. The guard, in response, took a step back before crossing his arms.

"Be that as it may, I will have to get the Captain before I let you in. While you haven't done anything wrong yet, letting two strangers inside, especially when one is a race we don't even recognize, is not how we manage to keep the village safe," the other guard said while scowling.

He proceeded to walk back into the village and disappear around the corner. We were left staring at the first guard while we continued to get drenched in the pouring rain. The man no longer looked like he was ready to spear us, but his eyes remained narrowed and suspicious.

A few minutes later, the other guard appeared, walking in front of a large man.

The man in question was, without a doubt, the guard captain. He was taller than Sam and equally muscular. His armor was metal, while the others wore leather. It was sleek silver, and on his right arm was a blue armband with a gold symbol stitched in. It was two spears crossing over what looked like a flaming tree.

With glowing red eyes and straight buzz-cut blonde hair, the man had a significant presence.

"These are the two strangers who want to enter the village, Captain," said the other guard while motioning towards us.

The Captain didn't say anything as he stared us down. Whatever he saw in his examination seemed to be enough because he turned to the two guards and told them to lower their weapons.

"Let them in. I recognize the shorter one. He is a Felkin, very rare to see around our side of the kingdom. Not surprised that you couldn't recognize him," the Captain said. He turned and examined the both of us again before turning back towards his guards. "Not sure what an Oni and a Felkin are doing here, but they look harmless enough. They don't even have any armor or weapons. I'll be back at the guardhouse if you need me for anything else."

The man promptly left and disappeared back inside the village walls.

"The Captain says you're good to go. Just don't cause any trouble in the village and you'll enjoy your stay here. If you're looking for a warm bed and a good meal, head over to Oleander's Inn. That's just down the road. Look for the sign with the pink flower," the guard said as the guardsmen resumed their watch.

We didn't bother asking the guard questions lest they decide we were being problematic and headed past the village gate.

The village itself looked decent enough. It was obviously not large, but I counted at least twenty different houses on our walk to the inn. The roads, despite being muddy, were mostly clean and even. Stone was the go-to material for building things around here. Every house used the same gray smooth stone that comprised the village walls.

"I'm surprised they look so uniform," Sam muttered.

"What?" I nudged.

"The buildings. The stone's smooth. Do you think they use magic?"

Now that she mentioned it, she was right. It wasn't just most of the buildings, but all of them. The same grey stone, smoothed down without blemish.

"Probably. I don't see any machinery."

It wasn't hard to tell which building was Oleander's Inn because it had a massive sign shaped like a mug of ale hanging in front accompanied by a bright pink flower behind it.

I hesitated to step inside when we were dripping wet, but the prospect of hot food and somewhere to sit was too enticing. Stepping inside, we tried to rub as much mud off our shoes as possible on the doormat in the foyer. Pushing the small wooden saloon doors open, we were instantly hit by the smell of freshly baked pie. It smelled like warm apples covered in cinnamon. We must have been drooling because there was a loud laugh before a voice called out to us.

"Come on in! Just finished baking a fresh hot pie!" came a cheerful, motherly voice.

Focusing on where the voice came from, a large woman was waving us in behind a bar counter. She looked three inches taller than me and had large, curly red hair. Her face was warm and inviting as we approached her slowly.

"Oh, you poor things, you look absolutely miserable, all soaked to the bone like that!" she tsked while shaking her head slowly.

"Come sit. We'll get you warmed up in no time and I'll have a hot meal out for you soon. ," she said while winking and preparing to head towards a door that probably led to the kitchen.

Sam and I sat down carefully, noting the empty room. I wasn't feeling the most comfortable about getting the bar stool wet.

"Uhm, as amazing as that sounds, we don't have any money," I said hesitantly.

Sam glared daggers.

The woman paused briefly before giving us another wink. "No worries, the first meal and drink is on me. You're obviously new here, and I'm not going to let some coin get in the way of fixing your miserable state."

Before we could say a word edge-wise, she turned and left while humming a tune.

We sat down, and I basked in the smell of the pie that still lingered.

Sam dropped onto her chair but not before smacking me in the leg.

"Hey!" she whispered furiously. "You didn't have to say that."

I smacked her back. "And I'm not about to get us thrown in jail just because your hungry!"

Sam grumbled but we settled in and rested my head in my arms.

In no time at all, she returned with two bowls of steaming hot soup and some warm loaves of bread. She quickly set down two large mugs filled with drink and handed us spoons.

"Now eat up!. When you're done, I'll grab you both a slice of my famous grimble pie," she ordered

All the trepidation I felt was soon washed away as the first spoonful of hot soup hit my tongue. It was deliciously spiced and instantly made the pig bacon feel like eating dirt by comparison.

The innkeeper's eyes twinkled as she watched us dig into the soup. Her eyes briefly turned into orbs of green smoke. "Don't eat too fast, or you might get sick."