Chapter 305 (1/2)

Chapter 305

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of ht it forwardI had learned and relearned hoalk throughout the span of two lifetile step took more concentration than even the most intricate, multi-elemental spell that I had mastered with the use of mana

My heart skipped a beat in excite and provide me with updated information based on my new position

I prepared to take another step when a tap onstreae of chaotic inforainst the inside of my brain

“Gah!” I recoiled in pain, but the feeling of losing

“I was on roaned in frustration at Three Steps

Myout a paw

I pressedher ry atable to keep your concentrationBesides, the day is ending and my tribe me out a sigh that coalesced as a cloud of fog arounda sharp canine before she disappeared with a shadow stepI looked down to see her on a thin nose-shaped rock about a dozen yards below fro on

I ignited God Step once againIn that is within meHe had remained unresponsive no matter how much I called for himWhen I tried to eject hi himy senses on the streams of aether that had lit up around me, I appeared next to Three Steps with a crackle of aetheric electricity

Without pause,a dark blur before appearing another several yards belowravine

The two of us hadonly our teleportation abilitiesThree Steps had shared with e were sort of obstacle courses for the Shados to use for training

With how es and jagged peaks leading to the very top of this mountain, I refused to believe that this was one of the easier courses

I continued to follow after Three Steps down thea chilly trail down my face and back

With all of the unknowns insolely on trainingmyself over and over to see some actual results

I didn’t want to adcastle

My ic from Buhnd, Kathyln, Hester, and Camus back in the castleWe’d had fun thenKathyln and I had enjoyed listening to the elders coic had ever been more enjoyable

At that time, we’d been at war, yes, but there was still hope that we could winAnd I still had my father

I still had Sylvie…

Three Steps aiting forat s that I had noticed early on was how hyper-empathic Three Steps wasShe toldfor a deeper sensitivity of not only scenes shared between their tribe members but also the emotions that followed

When I didn’t immediately meet her paws, she frowned deeper and stretched her arm even closer towardto share these particular ht press the issue, but the cry of a bird high above us made her flinch and fall into a crouchShe stared upward, trying to see through the clouds

I followed her gaze, unprepared for her excessive reactionIt was only a bird cawing—

The black body of a human-sized bird, with a beak shaped like a spear, dipped below the surface of the white cloudsIt wheeled once around the mountain top, then rose back into the white sea and vanished

“A Spear Beak,” I said,away froround, the fur along her neck and back standing on end, her teeth bared in a silent hiss

I gently tapped my mentor’s arm and pointed to a shallow cave in the face of the mountain

After a h Three Steps never took her gaze away froainst the shallow cavity on the side of the mountain, I couldn’t help but wonder at the Spear Beak’s visitWhat would bring a lone e? A scout, perhaps, looking for Caera andat the Spear Beak weaving up and down the clouds, an idea struckshot, but I had been fortunate enough to receive a elcome from both their tribesIf I could provide at least a sht be easier for us to retrieve the pieces of the portal arch

With rabbed Three Step’s paw and sent her the ie, of our welco fedI only provided snippets of the conversation we had with Old Broke Beak, as I didn’t want to upset her

Three Steps pulled her paay fro at me with confusion, or perhaps concernThe Shados’ feline faces were still difficult forup a friendly sain

I wanted to share more memories, the moments I had spent with Swiftsure on our journey froan receiving one instead

~

In it, I was again with Spear RiderWe were a little older than before and this , sprinting along the snow-dusted stone, and froh Three Step’s eyes as I watched his back, I knew that their relationshi+p was far past mere friends

“Faster, Spear Rider!” I shouted as Spear Rider chased after a plump rodent the size of his torso

“What use is your three steps if it takes you so long to recharge!” he retorted with a playful growl just before his body flashed

Spear Rider shadow stepped right in the rodent’s path, startling it, but just as he swept his aetheric clan at our prey, the mole dipped under the snow and resurfaced several yards behind hihter as my life partner yelled in frustration

We had been chasing after this snow e and have a feastIt was rare to see one of these reclusive beasts, and even more rare to catch one, as they could burrow into the snow faster than even a Shado could get closeUnlike its brethren, thisdeep in the snohich had given us a chance

“This fearless rodent ht not to be so brazen,” Spear Rider hissed as he sprinted after it, withclose behind

“I’ve heard stories about how these beasts are able to feed an entire village twice over because of their ability to e,” I yelled, exciteine how proud Sleeps-in-Snoill be if we bring one back!”

Spear Rider looked back with an eager grin“Perhaps we’ll finally be allowed to train as pathfinders!”

The thought of being one of the coveted seekers of answers, traveling far beyond the safety of the village hoping to find secrets, made my heart pound even harder

Filled with determination, I shadow stepped mid-sprint just behind the plu on so

My moment of distraction allowed the rodent to dip back into the snow and reappear just off the edge of a ravine

A shadow flashed by and I watched as Spear Rider leapt froe and shadow stepped down into it and out of sight

“Spear Rider! Wai—”

My ears twitched at a sharp, wet thud and a pained grunt from below, just barely audible in the silence of the snowy landscapeThen the gut wrenching shriek of a Spear Beak’s battle cry resounded across the walls of the ravine

My vision swam as the blood rushed up to e of the ravine where I found a Spear Beak on top of my partner