System Break

Chapter 110: The Forest is my Home

I am Benzhi and this is my home. Dark Bear had grown and he thought he was quick. I was teaching him some humility by leaving him in my dust. He knew where I was and followed me as best he could. He was big and strong but heavy. What he lacked in dexterity he made up with strength.

I ran along the wide branches and the forest spoke to me, telling me the best path. When to go up and when to fly. I leapt, glided and landed on a wide branch. I ran and leaped again, this time onto the forest floor.

I jumped a stream and wondered if it flowed into the river. I knew the east end of the forest better than the west simply because that's where all the threats had been.

Dark Bear needed time to catch me and I told him to come to the stream while I investigated. The west end was hillier than the east and the stream navigated its way through the valleys to the river upstream of our landing and future plans for docks.

I wondered if Redmond would need the river for his crafting. I had thought to build an outpost outside the forest to the east, closer to the mine and the Reach but with the forest at his back. Somewhere men could come without trespassing.

I sipped some water and ran back to the needy, whiny bear.

"When will you grow up?" I teased him and then scratched under his chin. He told me he still had growing to do.

"Really? How big?" I asked and he boasted he would be twice my size and then I would learn humility.

I laughed. He even copied my words. "You may be big, but you're still a baby,"  I teased. He roared and we wrestled. I seriously had to use my qi techniques to avoid being ripped to shreds.

He eventually tired and surrendered with excuses coming out his ass.

"I don't care if you ran all day. I rowed all day. You lost, admit it like a grown bear, or are you still a baby?"

He whined like a baby.

"Baby," I said, "Let's go home." And I ran like the wind. This time I kept to the forest floor and picked my way through the trees. "Let the trees guide you," I told him. "They know the best way."

"You listen to them idiot bear. No, not with your ears - with your heart. Look you're supposed to be the mystical creature, work it out."

The sun had set before we arrived in the glade. The torches were lit, and the folks gathered around the willow. Gisael and Reyas were waiting but Ailen was still a long way off with Kysandre.

My antler mask sprouted proudly from my head and Dark Bear followed me into the glade. I walked towards them and was assaulted by the children. There was a dozen now, children of the artisans and gatherers. 

I picked up the bravest and put him on the bears back. Then they all wanted to ride.

"Okay, okay," I said. "How many can you take?" I asked Dark Bear. He told me all of them and I laughed at his bravado. I piled them all on until they were falling off for lack of room. It was pandemonium as I kept picking them up and putting them back on.

"Run Dark Bear. No don't complain you said you could handle all of them."

The bear walked slowly around the glade while children continued to fall from his back. One hung on by gripped his fur and dangled on his side. I picked her up and put her on my shoulders as a reward for her bravery and skill.

Gisael bared her teeth at me. "Mother is waiting."

I laughed. "She won't care, she's not serious like you."

Talila chirped at Gisael. "He is back for a moment, and the glade is already in a furore. I can see your steady influence has been successful like you said."

Gisael cast an annoyed glance at Talila who laughed at her predecessor's expense.

Dark Bear was worn out from all the running he'd done today, and I picked the children off his back. "Okay enough. He needs to rest. He's very unfit and can't handle children after running a few miles."

Dark Bear whined in protest. I scratched under his chin and warned him. "Tomorrow we begin training."

As I walked to Gisael the people greeted me. They were respectful and softly spoken which was their way. They were either fierce, playful, or polite and Gisael had fierce covered enough for all of them.

"Where are your spears?" Paphyra asked.

"The Dokkalfar will have them for another month before they're ready."

She frowned. "They work too slowly."

Elred greeted me. "Sit, we've been listening to the stories about your travels."

I sat with Reyas as Gisael weaved the story. She was surprisingly good at it. Especially the gory parts like when I ripped people's heads off.

Reyas leaned into me as we listened and when she finished Mother called on me. 

"What have you discovered in your travels?"

I spread my arms wide. "A lot Mother. I hardly know where to begin."

"Begin at the end," she said. "The river, the boat and new friends."

"She'll be here soon. Her name is Kysandre and she was one of the bluecloaks, a protector for the city of men. But she is not like the others, she hails from the fisherfolk. The ones who brought us here directly."

"She will stay for a while, treat her like an honoured guest because there is much I can learn from her. New friends are important in this world. This island. We need allies to dissuade the greedy. Allies make us stronger and too hard a target. We should build a dock and maybe even a ship. For this we will need wood and artisans. The shipbuilder we can hire."

"There are five new recruits, like Ailen and Sakaala. We will take them in also and begin training in earnest. I have learned that relying on the old ways, on the easy innate abilities is not good enough. Like the forest, we need to be green and growing. I will train all the guardians and adventurers in my way."

Mother beamed a smiled but then strangely she cried. Everyone was silent as the tears streamed down her face. 

After what felt like an awkward eternity she said, "I knew you would. You are just like him."

"Who?" I asked.

"The Qi Sage."

The people echoed her words reverently. "The Qi Sage."

"Who the hell is the Qi Sage?"

Mother smiled patiently. "She comes. We must keep this a secret because it will change everything if others find out. I will tell you the story another time."

I sighed in frustration. Just like Mother to drop a bomb on me and then leave me hanging. But she was right, Ailen and Kysandre arrived at that moment. This Qi Sage was a big deal and she didn't want Kysandre to know about it. Or was it Ailen as well. Either way. There was only the people in the glade when she mentioned it.