Chapter 23 – Wilderness

A path went down from the far end of the plateau, winding its way through the lower reaches of the mountainside till it met with the river far below, then following alongside it. Rachael couldn’t see much of the land outside the area though, both the plateau and the river below nestled within the craggy rock somewhat like it was a canyon, only allowing the view of the sky above and the hint of some greenery once she managed to make her way out. From here the river looked smaller than what she had jumped across in the cave system, but she assumed that it was fed by the waterfalls in the water temple. Perhaps each waterfall fed its own river? It was possible.

Rachael had briefly contemplated if she had wanted to try eating the meat from either of the creatures, but not really feeling any form of hunger yet and also lacking any of the appropriate tools she had discarded that idea. Whoever had built the camp here had taken everything with them bar the huts themselves. The river down below would provide her with a source of water, so she wasn’t worried about that side of things. She was curious as to how they had found this place in the first place, as it seemed really out of the way.

“Are you within signal range of Odinsphere now?” she queried of Kitsune.

‘I can pick up a faint signal, but nothing that I can utilize. It does confirm that we are still in the Outerlands though as you assumed.’

“And which way it is?”

‘That I can’t tell you yet. The terrain doesn’t allow me to triangulate the signal. But once we’re moving I should be able to work it out based on the varying strength of the signal.’

Not that they really had any options of direction at the moment.

Rachael took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. “Right, let’s continue on then,” she stated, then headed over the edge of the plateau and down the mountain path.

It was a fairly easy walk all things considered. The path was wide and well formed, solid without much loose stone, and not too steep. Not quite suitable for running along at this point unfortunately, but she was able to maintain a good pace, and Kitsune was easily able to keep up with her. The temperature dropped when the path went into the shade, but it was still comfortable enough. As she got further down, a few bushes started appearing at the sides as the path widened, hardy mountain plants that didn’t require much dirt in order to survive, and once she was closer to the river, moss also started to appear on the rocks at the sides of the tracks. She did not however see any signs of any more creatures, which she was a little disappointed about. Surely monsters were meant to be more common than that.

Once the path had reached the river she stopped for a drink, the water clean and refreshing, though frigid. Even at this point it was still fast flowing, a large volume of water rushing through a relatively small channel, but if it did widen out once it got out of the mountain she was hopeful that she might be able to catch some fish.

“How fast can you move?” she asked of Kitsune.

‘If you’re offering me a ride I will take it.’

Picking up the small cat-fox, Rachael placed it on her shoulder, her hair flowing around it. Her hair had been drying when the Core had taken her away, so she was lacking in any form of hair tie. Something that she’d need to rectify when she was able to do so. Summoning her magic again, and letting a small amount of it flow through her body, infusing her muscles, she broke into a run. The path was now suitable for it, and given that she was capable of doing so she saw no good reason not to do so.

The terrain flowed past her, the run effortless and Kitsune able to hold on with ease. The path left the river for a while as it went underground again, instead going through some narrower passages of rock, the path not quite as friendly as it had been but still suitable enough for her, before then dipping down again and opening up once it rejoined with the river. The bushes and moss became more frequent, and she started to see some other life as well, insects hovering above the water, the occasional bird of prey flying overhead, and lizards scuttling around the rocks. She also passed a few areas where the path had widened up enough that there was evidence of it being used as a resting or camping spot, but she paid them no heed and continued on, only stopping briefly when the sun was at it’s highest for another drink of water.

‘I’m impressed at your ability to use your magic.’ Kitsune commented as Rachael ran, taking the twists and turns in the path with ease and little loss in speed. Rachael chuckled. She’d had plenty of experience at using it after all, just not necessarily so freely.

It was early afternoon by the time the terrain opened up enough that Rachael was finally able to see where they were heading, grasslands opening up beneath them, the river that she was following snaking its way through it, as well as the other branch of it, which appeared to be flowing away from the mountain in a completely different direction. Where it had emerged from the cave system she had no idea, but obviously not as accessible at this part of it. Small clumps of trees were scattered across the grasslands, which stretched as far as she could see. Civilization was probably out there somewhere, but as always, just out of reach.

By late afternoon she finally broke out of the mountains and into the grasslands, another camping site set up at the entrance to the mountain path, this one complete with a couple of huts, probably the staging point for the initial expedition. Now feeling hungry and seeing it as a suitable resting place, and with the river having widened out quite considerably, she stopped.

“Can you have a look around and see if anything is amiss?” she asked of Kitsune as the cat-fox jumped off her shoulder and onto the ground. It had said it was built for reconnaissance, so surely that would be right up it’s alley.

‘Sure,’ Kitsune agreed, making its way to snoop around the huts first.

With the day still quite warm she stripped off all of her clothes, giving her exercise gear and undergarments a wash in the river before then laying them on some large stones on the shoreline to dry out, which wouldn’t take long. While running was good for getting somewhere faster than just walking, it did have its associated drawbacks. Attempting to keep her hair out of the water as much as possible, she then waded into the river herself, both to give her sweaty body a rinse and also to hopefully catch some food. Under normal circumstances trying to catch fish with your bare hands in a fast flowing river would be a fools errand, but with her magically heightened reflexes she was pretty confident that she would be able to do so. In this particular case she was indeed correct, and after a few failed attempts she then managed to land a couple on the shore.

‘Nothing amiss as far as I can tell. It’s been abandoned as it was no longer needed it appears, rather than for any other more sinister reason,’ Kitsune informed her as she came out of the water. That of course was a good sign. She’d make camp here tonight, and then head out into the grasslands tomorrow.

Once her clothes were dry, and herself as well, she got dressed and went about collecting some wood. Handily there was still some left in one of the huts, including some that were long and thin enough to be used as skewers for the fish, the previous residents likely having the same idea. Rachael then built a fire a little way from the tents, getting it started with her magic, one of her oldest abilities, and set the fish up to cook. She would have gutted it had she the tools and the knowledge, but she was going to make do with what she had. She then sat back and watched the fire, turning it frequently.

She certainly missed civilization and the conveniences that came with it. Already prepared fish, pre cooked even, would have been so nice now. Even pizza. She wondered if things like that even existed now. At least the water was good.

Once she was certain that the fish was cooked, possibly bordering on overcooked as this really wasn’t one of her strengths, she went about trying to eat it, picking around the bones, scales and innards. While she wasted a lot more than she ate, once she had been through both of them she did feel satisfied and she tossed the remains into the fire itself before topping it up with more wood. She wondered if anyone would spot her fire, but somehow doubted it. She then sat by the fire, soaking up its additional warmth as the sun disappeared out of sight and the land started to get dark.

She liked her clothes, but they weren’t really suited to combat, in that they might not survive so well, and she suspected that there would be a lot more of it in her life now, if the day had been anything to go by. Not that she was complaining about that. Kitsune had given her an idea however. Not directly, but more from her makeup. One thing that Rachael had always done was modify her clothes with her magic. Sometimes it was just as simple as changing it’s colour and markings, or it’s size so that it fit better. Occasionally she would also mess with the material as well, though that was a bit more difficult but still doable, as long as she had a good understanding of the makeup of the fabrics in question. She had ended up doing quite a bit of side study on that to make the process easier. Mostly she had done it to save money and so that she could have what she wanted, but sometimes it meant that she had been able to ‘acquire’ something that she wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

Kitsune’s hide was made up of thousands of tiny interlocking scales, smooth and warm to the touch, but still enabling free range of movement as well as a measure of protection. While she had stated that she wasn’t a weapon of war, Rachael had no doubt that the cat-fox would be able to take a hit or two without serious damage. Just because you apparently weren’t designed to fight didn’t mean that you weren’t armoured. She wanted to do the same to her exercise tights and top. The base material, being predominantly lycra, already had the flexibility. She just had to magically infuse it and create hardened scales. She experimented for a while, creating her own source of light once twilight took hold, manipulating the fabric against her skin, and after a couple of hours she was pretty sure that she had worked it out. Not only that, it appeared that the fabric, once shaped, also retained some of the magic, adding an extra layer of protection to it. Standing up, the details of the infusion firm in her mind, she sent her magic right through out the garments, tights then top, feeling the changes take place against her, an oddly soothing sensation. She then ran around the camp site a few times, testing the changes, and very pleased with the results. They still retained all of their previous attributes, but now had a scaly texture to them as well that would deflect or soften blows. They weighed a little more, but that was a small price to pay. They also looked cool, and that was important as well.

Happy with what she had achieved, she then went to have a proper look at the huts. They were empty, but provided some shelter, and the floor inside was dry.

“Do you need to sleep?” she asked Kitsune as the cat-fox followed in behind her.

‘Not much no, and I can probably do that while riding on you.’

“Good. You can keep watch then. Wake me in the morning, or if something hostile turns up.”

Lying down on one side of the interior of one of the huts, she tried to make herself as best comfortable as she could on a dirt floor, and went to sleep.

Dirt floor were so not made for sleeping on. That’s why mattresses and beds had been invented. Heck, even a foam mat or a rug would have been nice. Rachael stretched as dawn crept its way across the land, her muscles sore and achy. She had managed to sleep however, and it was nothing that a bit of exercise and magic couldn’t fix.

“Are we going in the right direction for Odinsphere?” she asked of Kitsune, who was sitting at the door of the hut.

‘Vaguely yes. The signal is slightly stronger, so I would say that it is somewhere south of this mountain range. More precise than that I don’t know.’

“That’s good enough.”

Rachael got up and joined Kitsune at the entrance to the hut, looking out into the grasslands as the river flowed into it, Her plan was simple enough – follow the river and see where it led, until a better option came along. Humans traditionally built settlements near a source of water, so there was a decent chance that eventually she’d find something, either that or she might hit a coast or lake, dependant of course how how large the land masses were. That it was in the direction of Odinsphere was a bonus, and over time as the signal got stronger they’d be able to refine their direction. Hopefully she found people well before then though, or at the least a method of transport, as she really didn’t want to have to run all that way. Yes, she probably could, but after a few days she would definitely get bored of it, and there was no way that Chris would be doing the same, which would just mean that they might be getting more separated. Not that she knew how far apart they had been in the first place though.

She focused on Chris for a minute and she could sense him, that he was well, and also incomplete like she was. As he now had a part of her life force, her soul, he would be able to use magic as well, but having the capacity to use it, and the knowledge to do so weren’t the same thing. If he hadn’t figured it out by the time she found him, she would have to teach him.

Something twigged in the back of her mind. Perhaps he had always had the ability to use it. She was certain that when they had fought the wolf creature in the Anchor Temple the sword he had been using had glowed. Without examining the weapon itself she couldn’t confirm if it was just an ability of the weapon or something haven awoken in a time of desperation, but it was certainly an interesting thought. Especially since magical weapons were almost non-existent as far as she was aware, unless the Core had been holding something back, which she wouldn’t put past it.

However she couldn’t tell where he was or how far. She was certain that she should be able to do so, like she could for Kitsune, given their bond, but something was either blocking it or he was just too far away. She’d work out which it was at some point, and as long as he was well she wasn’t too worried. She did miss him though.

Once the sun had risen up high enough, she headed out, her body enhanced with magic and Kitsune riding on her shoulder. She was only maintaining a low level of enhancement, enough to supplement her natural talents, ease the stress on her body and make sure that she didn’t tire out too quickly. She’d be able to keep up a consistent pace for most of the day this way, running somewhere in the vicinity of a marathon speed. While she could probably maintain a faster speed without too much extra drain, she didn’t think the terrain suited it, nor was she sure if there would be a side effect for keeping it up for long periods of time.

The height of the grass varied a lot, some reaching no higher than her ankles, while in other places it came right up to her chest. The river bank, other than being muddy in patches, was relatively clear, most of the grass there being of the ankle variety, and in many places trampled. She could see evidence that animals came to the river to drink, but of those animals she saw no sign. It was likely that she was making enough noise to alert them to her presence and they were deciding to avoid contact, but that was fine with her. If she needed to be stealthy she could easily be.

The miles and hours rolled past, her shoes and tights now splattered with mud, but otherwise without incident. The sky was clear, a few streaky clouds smeared across it, the sun bathing her in its warmth. It was likely late spring or early summer she guessed.

‘Spring,’ Kitsune offered, still managing to stay on her shoulder. The cat-fox was surprisingly light.

She stopped late morning when she spotted a group of trees a bit further in from the river that looked like they could be fruit trees or something similar. Definitely keen for something to eat, she took a drink from the river (something that she had been pausing to do regularly, as she was well aware of how important it was to stay hydrated, not that it was strictly necessary with her use of magic, but the habit was a good one), and taking note of her bearing, headed towards them. It was much slower going wading through the tall grass, most of it of the chest height variety, some even tickling her nose, and if anything had been trailing her she would be easy to find with the noise she was making. Probably easy to surprise as well, but anything trying to do so would be in for a shock.

More of the colourful birds that she had seen on the mountainside scattered when she got close to the tree, while some small fuzzy bear like creatures hanging on the lower branches gave her no heed. It was nice to see some other wildlife finally, and know that they did in fact exist. She was disappointed to find that the trees did not bear any traditional fruit, however she did notice that they did seem to have what she would have pegged as nuts in various stages of growth, which the fuzzy tree-bears were eating. Clambering up the tree she picked some, and then finding a fork in the tree she sat, and peeled them.

“Any idea what these are?”

‘No clue. Probably eatable however.’

Rachael shook her head. “What kind of data bank did they give you?”

‘An incomplete one. If we were in range I could sync with the Ark for more data, but we weren’t meant to be out here...’

“Ah well. Lesson learnt I guess. And the signal?”

‘Still heading roughly in the right direction.’ That was good.

She cautiously gave one of the tan coloured nuts a try. It was a little oily, nutty (of course), with a sweet tang. Not too bad all things considered. A little like a cashew. She waited for a bit, to see if she would have any kind of reaction to it, not that she was concerned if she did as she was confident that her healing magic would help her there, and collected some more while she did so. With no reaction apparent she ate some more, and stashed some in her hoodies pockets. She then jumped down from the tree and returned back to the river’s edge to continue her run.

The rest of the day was unfortunately just as uneventful. She continued to run along the rivers edge as it wound its way across the grassland away from the mountain range, stopping early afternoon to collect some more of the nuts when she spotted another grove of the but trees. By late afternoon she had had enough, stopping at another grove of trees that grew by the waters edge. She bathed again and washed her clothes, caught some fish and collected some dry twigs and wood so that she could make her evening meal. She was careful and built her fire right by the waters edge, not wanting to burn the surrounding area as she had once done before. The fish and nuts made a satisfactory meal, but the loneliness was starting to sink it’s teeth in and she was hating it just as much as she had last time.

As the sun set she found herself a somewhat comfortable position in one of the trees that she was certain that she wouldn’t fall out of but knew that would still cause her to wake sore, and proceeded to experiment on her hoodie in the same way that she had her other clothes, eventually managing to give it the same scaly texture and defensive properties. She was quite pleased with the result, and the overall look that it gave her.

She may have cried a bit before she fell asleep though, not that Kitsune made any comment on it.

mogust

Ah, the more mundane side of exploration. But if the next chapter title is anything to go by (24 - Definitely not a Coincidence) it won't last long ^^

Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment.

Next chapter will be out later this week.