He hadn’t been sure before, but now he was certain. Somehow, Leto was stronger than before. It had happened quietly, after he had defeated Cheeroonear and his pack. Somehow he had gained strength he didn’t have before. In the aftermath, he hadn’t noticed it being so exhausted. The stress of the battle, then pulling his friend deeper onto the island, burying him, and trying to find a place to rest had exhausted him even further. But now, hiking up the edge of the crater he felt fantastic. Reaching the top, he looked back on the path he had taken. Down through the awful forest, past the site of his battle, across the new land bridge. The hike up the side of the crater took longer than that whole first part combined, but he was barely winded. His mana ocean, if he could call it that looking at its new size, had nearly doubled. If anything he had been splashing around in a pond like a big, unable to see its edge and called it the ocean. He felt good, strong, now seeing a path before him. Tim had told him to get stronger and he saw the way forward. A tear rolled down his cheek as he turned his back on the island , on Cheeroonear, on Tim, and he took his first steps forward. 

 

The forest outside the crater definitely was closer than it had been before the apocalypse. He remembered driving through about a mile of near empty land before reaching the edge of the crater before. Now it ringed the edge, looking deep and impenetrable. Forward was the way through and forward he would go. 

He didn’t make it a hundred yards before something attacked him. The forest had been eerily quiet, the only sound were his steps over the dirt packed floor. There was no old growth here, which didn’t surprise him. These trees had grown overnight, but they towered over his head like skyscrapers in a big city. Stopping to study one, he heard a crack within the forest around him. In an instant, he had his back pressed against the tree and his shield out in front of him. There was nothing he could see. 

Another crack rang out, and then another. A loud bellow shot through his surroundings, and allowed him to narrow down the source. Three soft steps to the left, and another five steps forward he saw it. Leto was a nerd about lots of things, but animals were not one of them. That was his sister’s domain, and he recognized it from one of her long rambles about the local wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, though just barely. It was a Roosevelt Elk, at one point at least. Its shoulders stood at nearly seven feet, and upon its head was a tangle of antlers so mixed and sharp that he could swear it was wearing a bramble bush on its head. The antlers were wedged between two trees, a paste of fur and blood between them and the trees. Roosevelt elks weren’t the most aggressive creatures, but this one had splattered something against the bark of a redwood. 

The elk grew still for a moment, before its eye found Leto in the distance hiding behind the shield. He had hoped the brown and green colouration would have given him a little bit of camouflage, but it was not to be. The elk’s eyes rolled, more bellows ripping from its throat as it tried to pull itself from the trees. Blood coated its hooves, matted its fur and almost concealed the fact that it was horribly deformed. One of its legs had talons growing from the hoof, and a large section of its ribs seemed to swell and pulsate, way too large for the already overly large animal. Listening, Leto could swear he could feel pain in the noises it let out. The animal was clearly insane, but it was stuck for now. Pity welled in his chest and he pulled out the atlatl and a few spears. Mercy was the best course of action he could think of, and he let one of the spears fly. While not as fast as Cheeroonear’s had been, it flew much faster and more accurately than one from his own hand could have. The atlatl really was a remarkable tool for early hunters. It thudded into the tree about a foot above the elk’s shoulder, and it stopped, before letting out a screech that should not have come from an herbivore. Leto could feel a pulse of mana through the air and heard a much louder, deeper crack than before. It was knocking down the goddamn tree. 

Panic filled him, forcing another spear onto the atlatl and letting it fly, this time scraping against the elk's torso. It screamed and thrashed, and a massive groaning filled the air. 

“Oh fuck. Ohhhh fuck.” One of the trees, the one the elk had impaled another woodland creature against began to fall though thankfully not in his direction. That was the least of his worries, as the elk tore itself free and bellowed at him. In a moment, it was charging at him, yards of space swallowed in an instant as it made its attack. Leto stumbled backwards, his instincts telling him to run, barely keeping his feet. Then the elk was upon him and he braced behind his shield. Another cracking sound rang through the space, though this time it was not wood but bone. Leto was thrown several yards, his arm that held the shield shattering from the force. It swung loose at his side as he flew through the air, his mind overwhelmed by pain. Something tickled his senses, and he activated Swiftstep. Time seemed to slow and Leto could feel the air parting around him. In midair, he swiveled and rolled as he hit the ground, coming to his feet in a single breath. Pain still rocked his body, but Swiftstep seemed to help him keep his mind clear. He activated Infernal Vitality and could feel the heat immediately pour out of his arm. His eyes locked on the elk, beginning another charge. So he did the most sane thing he had since coming across it. He ran. 

The shield went across his back, the atlatl and remaining spear he had drawn were stored in their bag. As he ran, he felt like a spirit of the forest, narrowly dodging trees and brush as he evaded his pursuer. Angry screeches and breaking undergrowth followed him as he stayed just barely ahead of the elk. Every so often he changed directions abruptly, making sure that it was never quite a straight shot between them so the elk couldn’t make up ground. 

“Come get me you overgrown doe!” Leto laughed, the fear starting to leave his body. His arm was far from healed, but with Swiftstep he felt confident about staying ahead of the beast. He bounced off of trees, using Wild Strike to give a little boost to each launch as he moved. For nearly ten minutes they ran loops around the forest. This was long enough for Leto to realize he wasn’t gaining ground, just staying ahead. He needed a way out, and he had no confidence in taking the elk down. Pushing mana into Twilight Sight, he studied his surroundings. Off to the north, the forest was thicker, more tangled, more places for the elk to get stuck. Shifting his position, he took off in that direction. It was a risk as it took him back across the elk’s path, but it was going to be worth it. Having its prey coming back at it was not a circumstance it had expected and barely had time to lunge at Leto before he tore through its path. Underestimating its reach, the awful antlers scraped him down his side, and he deactivated Twilight Sight to push more mana into Swiftstep. He could tell he was pushing the edges of backlash, but he had to keep moving, and faster. 

The elk was getting closer, but so was the dense forest. He didn’t change his direction as much, having his destination in mind. Reactivating Twilight Sight, he saw a wall of redwoods, literally trunk to trunk going off into the distance. Angling his path, he aimed toward the edge that was close to him. If he could get around the wall, it may just be enough to get the elk off his tail. As he got closer to the wall, the trunks of the redwoods grew tighter and tighter. Just on the edge of the wall, he slipped through two that were just two feet apart and rolled to his feet.

Around him was a clearing that Leto was positive had not been on the other side of the trees. The tree line was thick all around, and there was only one true opening. Down the length of the wall, about a hundred feet away, there was a second wall that ran perpendicular to it, with an opening about the size of a small person. The branches even curled into an arch, giving off the sense of a constructed building. Every instinct in his body told him to avoid it, but he wouldn’t have much of a choice. A section of the treeline crumbled, the elk walking through the collapsing trees. The madness in its eyes had only grown, literally rolling in their sockets. The elk breathed deep, fangs showing in a mouth they should not have existed in. 

“Okay you fucking monster,” Leto started, “Lets see who…” his taunt was cut short as the clearing around him wavered, and trees began to flicker in and out of view. Every breath, new trees appeared and disappeared. He was distracted just long enough for the elk to charge at him, pushing through illusionary trees and never losing sight of him. Leto turned at the last moment, seeing nothing but antlers fill his vision. It struck nearly every inch of his body, breaking bones and tearing skin. Again he was thrown far, bouncing off the ground every few feet and scraping along the dirt. Rocks and sticks cut his skin further and only furthered his pain. When he tumbled to a stop, his ribs compressed his lungs to the point of being unable to breathe properly.  

Activating Infernal Vitality and Swiftstep, he pulled himself up as far as he could, and leaned against a tree. A tree? He looked around, realizing he was now up against the perpendicular wall he had seen earlier, and the entrance was only a few yards away. He shot a look off to his left, trying to find the elk among the illusion filled clearing. It moved quickly, starting to charge him once more. Scrambling to his feet, Leto pushed himself forward toward the arboreal arch, his only way out. One step after another, each giving him more speed although every other step sent him limping and stumbling. Time slowed as Leto approached the door, the elk’s hooves beating the tempo of war drums into the ground as it charged toward him, bellowing in anger as it could see the death of its prey in the near future. Pushing as much mana as he could into Swiftstep, Leto crossed the last few feet into the arch. The whole wall shook for a moment as the antlers struck it, loud screeches and bellows following as it struck it again and again. Fear and relief were the only things Leto could feel, so Infernal Vitality was less effective. He collapsed, huddled beneath his shield and shivered as pain wracked his body. 

 

↞↠

 

Noah was seated at a terminal in their private office, pristine white walls covered in documents and artifacts. Being alone, they had dropped the human form and wore their original homunculus body.  A holographic screen scrolled in front of them, showing progress reports from the first few days of the tutorial of Earth. They stopped it on a brief report on Safe Zone 17e. An image of Elijah and several other humans wielding weapons and fighting off system creatures took up the top half of the report. Brief statistics of each member of the hunting party were listed, but a bold note at the bottom of the report caught their attention

 

Pioneer Elijah Callahan has not shown any further sign of producing fate affinity mana. Other members of his arrival group have been tested and watched thoroughly, and a few have tested positive, but in nearly unnoticeable numbers above baseline. 

 

Hypothesis 1: Fate mana remnants from exposure on planet Earth. Person/place/thing? Further interrogation of subject suggested

Hypothesis 2: Current tutorial status unable to stress subject to a degree in which he would trigger fate mana production. Suggest increasing tutorial difficulty around Safe Zone 17e

 

Noah sighed, erasing the interrogation suggestion before greenlighting the report and sending it to the proper department. 

 

Number A4. You do not approve of interrogation.

 

Noah winced, though they had long since gotten used to the Ark Spirit appearing in any quiet moment.It existed everywhere at once and could communicate with any homunculus at any moment. That suggestion had been a test. Noah should have suspected, after being back in the work flow for the first time in centuries.

“I think interrogation at this point would only serve to draw suspicion of our motives. During our brief exchange, I got a good read on the boy. He seems genuine and generally trusting, but if we come at him he will only lash out and resist any attempts to get information on the Fate Source.” Noah leaned back in their chair, staring straight up at the white void above them. 

“If my intuition is correct, he will also be a good fit for Foreman on our return to Earth.”

You think highly of the subject. You are positive that it is not the Fate Source. 

 

Those were not questions. The Ark rarely ever asked questions when it spoke to Noah. It knew their mind far too well for them to ever lie or keep something from the Ark. 

“I don’t know if highly is the right word. But with his affinities, personality, and relative distance to a Fate Source before Initialization, he has great potential. But no, I do not think he is the Fate Source. I was the one who interviewed the last one we met. You don’t forget the magnetism that having a fate affinity has on those around them. With my connection to my mana and Soul Construct, I felt it clearly then. Around Elijah, I felt none of that.”

 

You see a need for a Foreman on our return.

 

“Obviously. You left too many behind for us to not need one.”

 

You do not have faith in the Hunters

 

“Once they land and lose connection to you, their combat capabilities drop off tremendously. Any properly evolved creature, human or otherwise, will be able to deal with one. A Foreman will expedite our processes upon returning.”

 

These are within my calculations. Continue NO. A4

 

Noah closed their eyes. How long had it been since Ark had called them anything besides their designation?

 

↞↠

 

 Leto had drifted back from unconsciousness a few hours earlier, every bone and muscle in his body ached and fought his every attempt to move. Cycling mana through Infernal Vitality for a few hours brought him to a state where he could stand and limp where he wanted to go. Not that he knew where that was. 

The wooden hallway around him was just that. A long hall where he could leave the way he came, or just go deeper in. He was tempted to turn back and leave however, a crash and a loud bestial cry resounded from the clearing herding him deeper. 

 

“Um. I guess I’m going down the spooky tree hall.” Leto chuckled to himself “No more deer hunting for me today.” Slinging the shield onto his arm, he tightened his grip on his club. There was no way this place was friendly. 

He walked nearly a mile before the hall changed, and even then it only turned off to the right. Leto could no longer see the entrance when he looked back, just a dense screen of wood. Pulling his club over his head and shoving his shield forward, Leto braced for an attack as he took the corner. Ready to strike he tensed…and stopped. There was nothing here. 

“Huh. If this was a game that would have been a great ambush spot.” He moved on, quickly coming to another right turn, and then a third. When he came around the last turn, a realization fell over him. 

“It's a goddamn maze.” Stretching out in front of him was a three way intersection, each with a hall that stretched further than he could see. Along each were countless gaps in the trees that must have been other turn offs from the main paths. 

 

“Fuck this. I’m not Theseus, and I am for sure not fighting a minotaur.” Turning back, he took a left and then another. When he arrived at what should have been his original turn, there was only a wall. Panic began to build in him and he turned back, to find the intersection he had just run from stretching out in front of him. An intersection that had definitely been several turns away a moment before. 

“Well where the hell is a greek princess with a ball of yarn when you need one.”

 

↞↠

 

The maze was definitely fucking with him. Any attempts to backtrack brought him back exactly where he came from. The tree branches grew thicker when he tried to climb the walls, and any attempt to cut through one was quickly repaired when he blinked. After wandering for a few hours, he began to get hungry. When he discovered the elk’s antlers had cut into his bag and only his food had fallen out, he started to find vines of berries growing along some walls. 

“Those are definitely evil berries.” he said to himself. They were huge, and a deep red, with a soft skin like fist size cherries. He cut the vines down and stomped and clubbed the berries, but would find larger ones around the next corner where he would continue his anti-berry rampage. The destruction only stopped when a berry the size of his head fell from a tree less than a foot from his face. His club and knife hand both raised up as he turned in a circle slowly, talking to the maze.

“Okay Mister Maze, I won’t kill any more berries. Please don’t OG Donkey Kong me with fruit.” Around the next turn, the berries returned to their fist size. 

Minutes after finishing the last of his water, a small creek appeared. It ran diagonally between two corners of the next intersection, seeping between the trunks of two trees and disappearing into the ground. When he found this, Leto set his bag down and began to contemplate his situation. 

“What the hell is this place? Is it trying to kill me or not?” It had given him fruit when he was hungry, and water had appeared when he was thirsty. 

“Okay, probably not kill me. But it still doesn't make sense. Why not let me go?” He surveyed the tree tops as if they were going to answer him. Stars glinted in the sky, and clouds roiled overhead. The stars surprised him as he realized he had unconsciously had Twilight Eyes active the whole time he had been in the maze. Pulling mana away from the skill, the maze dimmed around him. More than that, a soft fog blinked into view around him. His skill had been filtering out details of the maze the whole time. The fog wasn't enough to obscure his view much, but it gave off a weird feeling. To have been surrounded by something for hours without realizing it creeped him out. 

Leto settled on the ground, sliding down the trunk of a tree as emotions from the day hit him. He hugged his bag as panic, pain, and anger flowed through him. He had woken that morning with hope of the future, only to be hunted by what once was a prey animal. Then trapped in a maze that acted like a passive aggressive partner with attachment issues. Emotionally and physically he was wrung out, on top of his mana being low. Keeping Twilight active all day and cycling Infernal off and on had drained him pretty thoroughly. Tired, hungry, and thirsty, the conscious world faded from his eyes as he searched for the peace of sleep. 

 

Leto found himself standing at the edge of a circle clearing. A thick wall of trees enclosed it, just like the walls of the maze. Candles seemed to swing in the wind, floating around the enclosure. A long banquet table ran through the diameter of the glade, covered in plates of food. A covered cloche sat near the head of the table, obviously the main course for the meal. Who was the meal for? 

At each chair sat an anthropomorphic animal dressed in Victorian era clothing. A low murmur ran through them, many quiet conversations passing between them. A few shot looks over at Leto, but none lasted more than a moment. At the head of the table sat a woman with a thick white lace veil. She raised a hand and the voices of the animals quieted. 

“Friends, welcome our new guest. Join us young hero!” She clapped softly, and the chittering passed between the animals ceased before the soft claps of paws buzzed around the table. Leto moved forward, not realizing for a moment that he was doing so. Gliding across the clearing, he drifted into the only empty seat. He was only a few chairs down from the host, surrounded on each side by small woodland mammals. One was a badger of some sort, though he didn’t really know the type. The one on his right though was a Humboldt Marten, a little animal that his sister had a specific fascination with. It had been assumed extinct until the late 90’s. 

“Eat, friends, and enjoy the presence of our new guest.” The woman in the veil picked up a tea cup, dropped a sugar cube into it and began to stir it slowly. All along the table small animals served themselves small portions of food. Roast vegetables with rice and strange stews filled their bowls and plates. 

Leto put two small pastries on his plate. They were about the size of a macaron, with a thick red glaze on them. He made to take a bite of one, when he noticed the marten staring directly at him. Their eyes met, and the marten shook its head and pretended to drink soup from its spoon, but just put it right back in the bowl. It raised an eyebrow at him as if to say ‘Get it?’ Leto nodded and crumbled one of the edges of the pastry before setting down on the plate. He did this several times, but each repetition brought the scent of the pastry to him. Thick and sweet, and a strong scent of cinnamon poured from the crumbled edge, daring him to take a bite. Saliva filled his mouth, his previously fake swallows now carrying pools of the liquid down his throat. A fog was drifting over his mind, the rest of the table becoming a fuzzy blur. The pastry sat clear in his vision, a tempting red beacon that begged to be eaten. 

Gleaming silver light distracted Leto for a moment as the cloche on the main dish was lifted from its tray. The veiled woman stood, a carving knife in one hand and a fork in the other, and began to speak to the table. Leto tried to look her in the face, her slurring speech barely reaching his ears. From his angle, a big grin was wrapped around her face, and there was something wrong with her teeth. Shaking his head and licking his lips, he realized he was just so hungry. He grabbed the macaron, looking down to get a good bite of that enchanting little morsel. A flash of green distracted him, drew his gaze for a moment, and he locked eyes with something. In an instant, the fog was banished from his mind. He hadn’t locked eyes with the marten from before, who had now disappeared from its seat, but the main dish.

 Its green eyes stared into his, his green eyes stared into his. It was his own head, broiled and carved, with massive antlers growing out the top reminiscent of the elk that had chased him through the woods.

Now with a clear mind, his attention snapped back to the woman in the veil. Her grin, huge, sharp toothed, sat beneath the veil and several pinpricks of light glinted off of more eyes than she should have had behind it. She brandished her tools, wicked sharp and serrated, as her grin split open and mandibles pushed through the flesh of her cheeks.

In a single heartbeat, `Leto was out of his chair and running for the trees. The candles swung around him, not just floating but swinging on sticky strings that wrapped around him and restricted his movement. He struggled and swung his limbs and panicked as the woman’s voice rang out from behind him. 

“We’ll have you for dinner later little hero.”

He was wrenched from his dream, sweat pouring down his face. The everpresent fog still lingered in the maze, dense and cold. Peering through it into the branches above him, he could just make out thick spiderwebs coating the canopy.