The Primal Hunter

Jake had, in usual Jake-fashion, returned late to the center of the Mistless Plains. As there was no mist in the Mistless Plains – hence the name – it was easy to see everything, far and wide. He saw several basecamps scattered about, some of them even having tall walls and magical barriers.

Finding Miranda and company would have been difficult if he didn’t have a living GPS locator in the form of Sylphie. Jake made his way over, feeling many gazes upon him as he did so. Scouts from the myriad factions keeping an eye on his casual stroll, none of them approaching him or making him aware they had even seen him.

Oh, but someone did come to meet him.

A fluffy green ball of feathers soared through the plains right towards him with incredible speed, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. Jake opened his eyes as the small hawk barrelled into his chest, and he hugged the cute little bugger.

“You got faster!” Jake commented as he cuddled the bird as she nuzzled up to him. He kept walking towards the place where Sylphie had come from; his pace picked up a bit.

“Ree!” she heartfully agreed, proud of herself as she kept making screeching sounds and green apparations of wind narrating her adventures manifest around them as they got back to Miranda and the others. Jake didn’t even know she knew how to make those wind constructs and honestly thought they were kinda cool and very artistic-looking. Primarily due to their fluid forms, making them look very abstract. What he did piece together was that she had hunted down vampires and cursed armors like everyone else.

He did get a bit confused about the part with a giant bear-looking creature that Sylphie, for some reason, depicted as looking a bit like a cartoon bear that kept getting whacked around by a vampire.

She was still putting on her little show when Jake spotted Miranda in the distance, surrounded by quite a few people. He recognized them as ones associated with Valhal right away, including that Sven fellow and the woman Carmen whom Sylphie had been hanging with. He was a bit surprised not to see Sultan or Neil and his party, though. If they had left the Treasure Hunt or were still out there was hard to know. But, then again… did they need to return to the middle? They had their own stuff to do, and the event about to take place wasn’t anything they could affect.

“Lord Thayne,” Miranda greeted him with a respectful bow when he made his way to them, putting on her courteous persona in front of the onlookers. The aforementioned onlookers kept a watchful gaze, with Carmen staring at him with an odd look.

Jake nodded to Miranda in response. “Good job as always,” he said, not quite knowing what she did that was a good job. She had been part of getting a key, so she had done something good. Also… he was just happy she was still around, so he had someone to handle the talking.

Although… Nah, it was still too early to begin beating disagreeable people up and taking their stuff.

Dispelling his thoughts, Jake turned to Carmen. “Thanks for taking care of Sylphie.”

He had noticed that Carmen didn’t look weirdly at Jake alone, but also Sylphie. The bird had now climbed from his chest and shoulder to stand atop his head, establishing her dominance.

“So, the hawk is your pet?” Sven asked him as he saw the bird standing on top of Jake’s head. It was more a statement of fact than a question, as the man had made assumptions Jake quite frankly found insulting.

His response was to look at the people behind Sven as he asked. “So, are those humans your pets?”

Instantly the entire mood became weird, but Jake didn’t care. The guy had insinuated something Jake wasn’t cool with, so he pettily shot back in kind.

That the guy didn’t understand newer cultural nuances of post-system sapience and autonomy wasn’t Jake’s problem. In fact, from what Villy had told him… then a human having humans as pets was more normal than a human having beasts in the multiverse.

was a damn good one! Sometimes it bloody feels like it, them

laughing for a few more seconds, with Miranda smiling a bit uncomfortably as she stood beside the laughing woman. Carmen followed up with a question after she stopped laughing

she is the kid of some friends? So, kind of my niece? Not

soft feathers that sat on top of him,

him and shrugged. “I guess

the chance to redirect the conversation. “How did it go? Did you get the items you

shook his head. “Nah, the Holy Church got two and the Noboru clan three as far as I can tell. So

proudly puffing herself

asked. “I was told by Arnold he estimated you

On a side note, Eron is pretty much unkillable, so yeah, that’s a thing,” Jake explained, fine with the people from Valhal also hearing

right? Can’t you just wear

minding,” Jake shrugged in response. “Either way, if

and head from the rest of the body?” Carmen asked

blew up his entire body and reformed, so

trying to stop the conversation from derailing more than necessary. “As you have the keys, should we head for the center? It has already

began explaining about the placement of the altars designed for the keys. She made a construct of mana, showing the Mistless Plains and how they were spread in a circle around the center of the Plains. It all matched what the projection had told him so far, and it did look like they would open up some kind of

Noboru Clan, Holy Church, more people from Valhal, the Court of Shadows, and many other factions were present to see what would happen when the nine keys were brought together. Notably absent was the undead faction, but Jake didn’t consider it further. He seriously doubted they could

met up with a group of people that had clearly been waiting for them, making Jake feel pretty good about himself for wasting their time just a little bit. It was the pettiest of revenge, but

Saint and Reika together. At their side were Jacob and Bertram, as well as a few parties of decently powerful people. He saw his brother and his folk gathered a good distance away, Jake throwing him a nod before he went

conversation. “In the end, perhaps it was foolish for only two individuals

this but still smiled at Jake. “Nevertheless, despite the flaws, It appears I won. I possess five keys, and to

his way too cheeky smile. Patience, Jake, we got like three-quarters of

better

enough to win out over the power of nepotism,” the

until Reika broke it up. “Patriarch, should we

both agreed on the terms that I shall be the first to explore

at him as he reluctantly nodded his head, throwing Jacob and Bertram a look, with perhaps a bit of Gaze

input all keys at

those medallions, and when one of them breaks, all nine do,” he explained as Jake inspected the medallions, finding

as he tossed a medallion to Miranda and another to Carmen beside her. The last

be in position to insert the keys, I hope?” Jacob suddenly