The sun was kissing the horizon as Kopius and Cici exited the far side of the Hall of Dashwrath. They trekked down a steep incline, navigated some dense brush and found themselves at the bank of the Dinoson. The river was roughly forty feet across, running at a slight downhill angle to the north. To the south the river hugged the mountain range that made up Joatsu, until running out of sight.

Across the timid rapids that made up the Dinoson was a lush forest. The trees had the look and height of charred redwoods but without the needle like leaves. Instead the trees had cone shaped leaves that ranged in color from a deep green to a deep, almost black, blue. Besides that small adjustment to reality, the forest had all the sights and temperament of northern California terrain.

Vibrant orange and red hues painted the sky as dusk took over; the duo moved downstream towards an ad hoc bridge made from two felled trees. Occasional gusts of wind would bring the forest to life and Kopius did his best to keep his imagination in check. After what he had seen in the lobby at the Original Jabit's, he was keenly aware of the dangers that roamed the woods. That didn't even account for any wandering band of cutthroats or a troop of goblins–and everything else he couldn't think of.

"You guys got goblins in Metem?" Kopius asked as they approached the river crossing.

"That we do my friend," Cici answered. "Not the sorts I would collaborate with though. Being sociable; don't think it's in their blood."

"Hostile?"

"When they have the advantage, I suppose." Cici stopped at the downed trees and turned to regard Kopius. "Have you seen something?"

"No," Kopius replied with a short laugh. "Just wondering what we might run into."

"Well," Cici said with a scratch of his beard, "the woodlands here have a few predators but nothing that could creep up on us."

"Anything we saw at Jabit's?"

"More than a few; big and small," Cici replied with an encouraging pat on his shoulder. "We'll be fine."

Cici climbed on top of the two wide trees and started to cross the river. Kopius gave a final look around his side of the Dinoson, mounted the logs and followed his companion. As he navigated the somewhat slippery, barkless tree he had to rely on the few remaining branches to stay vertical. Falling into the water wouldn't hurt, but ping-ponging off the two trees on the way down would. It did not take long to cross.

"What do our sleeping arrangements look like?" Kopius asked after setting foot on the other side.

"Tonight," Cici answered, waving a hand down stream. "There is a spot by the falls we can perch on. After that, well–" Cici reached out and gave Kopius's cloak a tug.

"Ok," Kopius nodded, understanding the meaning. "Falls; like a waterfall?"

"We're on the top side, but a waterfall nonetheless. Quite the view."

"You know," Kopius perked up, "video game logic says there is a secret cave behind the waterfall."

"Ah, there it is," Cici replied with his pleasant accent, "Haven't heard this tune in a while. Secret you say?"

"Yep."

"Where's the secret if you know it's there?"

"It's not always there," Kopius clarified defensively. "Just–mostly."

"You can give it a look when we get there," Cici said with a smirk. "Might be difficult to navigate."

"Fair enough."

***

The last vestige of sun dipped below the skyline by the time they reached the waterfall. Over the past hour or so Cici had explained how this was a commonly used route back in the day. Goods on boats would be sent down the Dinoson to waiting caravans that trek around Joatsu. The caravans would take the goods and the boats would be pulled back up stream by capable labor animals. It all came to a screeching halt when Twelve Days March was finished–that and the angry mountain spirit.

They had journeyed past the remnants of the docks that used to port the boats. Only a few pillars remained erect, the rest lost to time and nature. Kopius could see where the trail away from the river was, though it was long overgrown. All of everything was forgotten when they stepped towards the waterfall and what layed beyond.

'Quite a view,' as Cici had put it, was complete and utter bullshit. After Kopius convinced his vertigo to chill out, he was able to take in the majesty that was Novakian Vale. At an elevation to rival Angel Falls, the waters of the Dinoson rushed off the cliff and nose dived roughly three-thousand feet to a basin below. Past that was the continuation of a forest, if not the same forest they had next to them now.

The river continued down through the landscape below like a curvy blue line, only to disappear by a small mountain range to the far north. Looking even further out Kopius could see what he knew now to be StoneClaw Mountain. Even at this distance, the peaks looked tall, crooked and snow capped. Thankful for the little remaining sunlight, Kopius was able to sit and appreciate the scene before him. He looked out over until it was a dark mass of moonlit terrain.

Camp was set up a few hundred yards away from the river, atop a short butte, where a tree leaned against it like an impromptu ladder. A top the rock were three other large logs arranged around a black pit of old soot. Kopius walked to the log nearest the valley's edge and was thankful for the barrier. He'd use it to lean against while sitting and as a wedge so that he wouldn't roll off in his sleep and plummet to his death.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Dinner was quick and painless. Cici, who now had all the edible items after Kopius rearranged his inventory, had made use of the carrots by spicing them with seasoning and then eating them raw. They made a small fire with the intention of brewing a tea and then letting it smolder out. Though their position above gave them a certain amount of safety, they didn't want to be a beacon of curiosity either.

"What are your Drills again lad?" Cici asked while laying next to the embers.

"Parry, Block, Counter, and Feet."

"Feet!" Cici snapped his fingers."That's the one. You'd think I'd remember that one, it's basically dancing." The big man pretended to dance from his prone position, eliciting a laugh from Kopius.

"I don't think I'll be practicing tonight," Kopius replied, gesturing towards the valley. "Besides, it's time."

A book appeared in his hand and his heart sighed; it was time to adult. Had he been more proactive with his time, Kopius would have been able to start using Shock Treatment yesterday. He would have been able to get a feel for it and avoid questions like:

"Is that your Branch magic lad?" Cici asked, pointing to the text.

Kopius took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Manabolism?"

"Manabolism."

"Well then," the big man said, turning to his side and covering with a blanket. "Off I go."

Thankfully Kopius had read about half the book and wasn't starting from scratch. He was two chapters away from the one on Branch Magic and he intended to get at least that far tonight. With his Night Vision skill, he had his own reading lamp, so the fire light was a non-factor. Kopius settled with his back to the log and dove into the chapter titled: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

***

Kopius snapped awake to the sound of Manabolism falling off his lap and slapping the stone. The night was still upon him and a quick look around relieved his startled nerves. He stood up and stretched. He took a few sips from his refilled waterskin and was about to spit some over the edge when something caught his attention deep in the valley below.

At first he rubbed his eyes as the faint objects might have been an illusion of lingering sleepiness. Yet, when he looked again, they were still there. Four tiny, fuzzy blue dots moved across the terrain, sometimes disappearing behind trees; other times like miniature satellites moving across the dark canvas of the night. Anyway he rubbed his pupils the four fuzzy blue dots remained.

Curiosity gripped him. Kopius could make out the direction they were headed, so he looked around for more. After a second thought, he moved over to check his own forest but no blue lights roamed about. Returning to the valley side he leaned on the log and noticed the blue dots had picked up their pace, moving in a north-eastern direction.

"You guys running or chasing?" Kopius whispered to himself.

It took a few quick glances across the terrain but he finally spotted it, a fifth fuzzy blue dot. This one was also moving at a fast pace but did a lot of pausing before speeding up again; like an animal lost or wounded. wtf are you guys?, he wondered. By the way things were looking, the solo blue dot was going to be caught up to in a matter of minutes.

It was like watching people holding an active flashlight at a far distance. So far, you can only make out the blur of the ball that is the light; there is not even a visible beam. What Kopius was watching was four blue blurry balls chasing a fifth blue blurry ball. A tongue twister for sure.

The four eventually reached and surrounded the one; all before pouncing. After that it was difficult to distinguish between the four aggressors and the blurry blue solo. Albeit, each time one blur was ejected from the cluster and then returned–well, that was one of the four.

A few ejections in and a blue dot didn't return. Then a second blur lay dormant outside the scuffle, then a third; leaving only the two dots who weaved in and around each other like two atoms attempting to merge. The commotion drew the two dots away from the other three, who began to move but slowly. Finally one of the blurs was knocked back and the other one retreated in the opposite direction.

The original three that had been slowed had recovered and navigated to the fourth entity. They surrounded it until it too was moving. The solo blue blur continued to create a significant gap from the others but then came to a sudden stop. What are you doing? You got away–keep going, Kopius thought with a frustrated shake of his head. He moved his hand at the solo dot as if he could push it along.

Meanwhile, the four aggressive blurs had picked up their pursuit, finding whatever strength they needed to continue. The speed was swift as they crossed the distance, a marked uptick from before. Suddenly they all came to a screeching halt and Kopius looked back for the solo. Instead of just a blurry blue dot, there was now a faint hue of pink growing right beside it.

The four dots, who had been–for the most part–running together in unison, now scattered in retreat. Kopius looked back at the solo to see only a pink blur emanating in the darkness, the blue part drowned out.

It wasn't bright like a beacon but was clearly growing in its intensity. He kept his head on a swivel, looking back and forth between the four dots fleeing and pink ball of growing fury.

Kopius dared not to blink. He knew at any split second that the little ball of pink chaos would explode in some grand fashion: he was rewarded. It wasn't an all consuming explosion like he had imagined but it was equally, if not more, impressive.

Four pink, possibly lasers–or a Metem laser equivalence–released from the built up ball of energy and went hunting. Leaving ten foot tails in their wake, the projectiles weaved in and out of the dark forest below as if they were racing Light Cycles across The Grid in Tron. Each laser raced after its own individual blur and within a matter of moments each found their target. One by one, the pink lasers struck their victims before disappearing and then the blue blur would fade from existence shortly after.

The solo blue dot was back when Kopius looked back but now remained still. Kopius let out a held breath, just now realizing how caught up he was in the drama. He watched the dot while absently using his hands to encourage the thing to go loot whatever the other things were. As the dot started to move away again, Kopius shook his head and stood.

"At least loot the bodies!" Kopius shouted down at the distant entity, to which he drew some mumbled ire from Cici about keeping it down.

"Sorry, mad bad," Kopius whispered.

He looked down in the valley to see that the blue dot had stopped again and that it had that little bit of growing pink-again. Kopius scanned the forest but did see any more threats. The pink disappeared and a chill grabbed a hold of his testicles. "No way," Kopius said under his breath as he caught a glimpse of a pink tail. "No fucking way," Kopius mouthed and then hit the deck behind the fallen tree because his life depended on it.

At first nothing happened and Kopius began to gauge his paranoia. A moment later, something hit the other side of his protection so hard that he was shoved away, sliding several feet across their camp site.

Cici immediately sat up and started pointing everywhere with an outstretched hand. He mumbled something incoherent, wiped at his face a few times and then layed back down. Kopius watched from his prone position on the ground, unwilling to show himself above the cover of the log.

His heart pounded as he laughed it off; because it was that or crying. He wanted to see what had hit the log but he wasn't willing to expose himself. Instead, he just calmed his nerves until sleep took him over.

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