Edan touched his nose gingerly. It had healed. Mostly. Something he was glad for. After his incident with the tree, Edan's beloved sniffer had been little more than a pancake and he’d struggled to breathe past the blood and snot.
Tali had laughed and advised him to play to his strength. He didn’t have the raw strength or mass to do what she did. Not yet, she said. As punishment for not using his head, though Edan argued he had used his head, literally, Tali had made him complete the run.
What had been fun turned into a nightmare as Edan huffed along, taking great gulping breaths through his mouth as he spat out his own blood and phlegm as it leaked down his face.
The camp was situated next to the grass banks of a pool fed from a small waterfall. A large tent was strung up between two trees, with a ring of stones and wet clumpy ash marking the firepit. A log had been placed beside it as a makeshift bench and it was on this that Edan sat.
Tali had wandered over to the pool to fill up a pot with water. Edan watched as she returned.
Fiddling with the firepit, a white stone appeared in her hand. It looked like marble and she set it down in the center of the stones. Ash smeared dark streaks across its surface. Putting the pot over it, Tali covered it with a lid and settled back on the log beside Edan.
“What's that?” he asked.
“A hot stone. For when you need to cook but the wood is wet.”
“Useful.”
“Wasteful,” Tali said and laughed. When Edan looked at her she waved a hand in the air. “According to my father. Enchanters are rare among Titans. There are the Rune Marked Titan’s followers, but theirs are runes of war and devastation. Enchanted items such as that stone are incredibly expensive. I have more than enough cooked food in storage and you will find the higher your level the less you need to eat. A hot stone at my level is unnecessary and wasteful.”
“Then why have it?”
“I enjoy camping and there is peace in cooking,” Tali said simply, her eyes on the pot.
“Well, you obviously haven’t seen Reema or Sanik cook.” Edan joked.
A wooden board appeared between the two, balanced on the log. Next, an old knife appeared on it followed shortly by a lump of meat. The board tipped, about to fall and on reflex, Edan snatched at it. Vegetables began to appear and Edan had to juggle it all to keep anything from falling.
“Good, you are trusting your stats.”
Edan scowled at Tali but the Titan simply laughed and directed him to chop it all up. Into the pot the ingredients went, followed by a pinch of seasoning from Tali. Her fingers weren’t small and the pinch wasn’t inconsiderable. Edan’s mouth watered as he picked up the smell of the soup.
Tali stood. The heavy rain had turned to a light shower. Motioning for Edan to follow she moved a bit away from the cooking meal and gestured for him to stand beside her.
“I will teach you The Dance.” She said by way of explanation.
“Uhh, thanks, but I’m not really a great dancer. I’ve never had much interest.”
“It is not that kind of dance. Watch.”
Edan remained silent as Tali began her dance. She began with slow, steady movements, almost swaying as her arms slowly rose up her body. There was an instant where she froze before her form blurred with speed and she was in another position a step away from Edan. She turned and skipped, then twirled, raindrops flying from her as her robe rose and snapped. She gradually slowed down again. Edan thought she had frozen but noticed her feet shift slightly. Tali blurred again, her form twisting and whipping as she twirled about the clearing.
It was violent and beautiful and Edan was left sure of one thing.
“That’s not a dance.” He said when Tali had finished.
“It is not a dance,” Tali agreed. “It is The Dance.”
“Why is it a dance?”
“I cannot tell you. You must find out for yourself.”
“And if I don't?” Edan wondered aloud.
“There is always an answer to be found, and when you do,” Tali said, once more standing beside him. “The Dance will become yours.”
"Now come," She motioned for him to stand beside her. "I will show you the beginning, that which we teach to our children."
Tali took him through the first few steps, stopping occasionally to check on the soup. The movements she showed him were basic but she was an exacting instructor and pointed out every flaw. If he stepped forward and his balance shifted off by the smallest degree she would have him begin again. If he raised an arm and it went an inch too high, she would have him repeat it.
Learning the moves became secondary to controlling his frustration. Just when he thought he would snap, Tali called him over for breakfast. Or Lunch. Edan had lost track of time and the gloomy sky didn’t help much. Pulling up his system he saw it was closer to lunch.
The meal was hot and the morning's activities had left Edan starving, making it taste all the better. He groaned when felt the Vitalis leak into his body and slurped greedily at the soup.
“The meat,” Tali said, watching Edan eat. “It is from a graded beast. You will be responsible for getting more.”
“You mean…”
“Yes, you will hunt. These woods have much that you can eat, and much that will try to eat you.” Tali watched him over her own bowl, steam rising like smoky fingers from its surface to caress her face.
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“I’m looking forward to that,” Edan said, and he meant it.
“There is only one rule to follow, Emge. Never attack those weaker, unless attacked first.”
Edan nodded his agreement. He wasn’t interested in those weaker than him anyway. He remembered the thrill of fighting against his higher-ranked classmates, and the hound in the dungeon.
“I understand,” he said at last.
“Good.” Tali put her now empty bowl down and stood to her impressive height. “I will be back for dinner. Tomorrow you must hunt, but today…you can rest if you wish.”
Walking off at a leisurely pace, Tali disappeared into the woods, her direction taking her deeper into the wilds.
Suddenly alone, the sounds of the surrounding forests seemed amplified. The buzz of insects and chirps of birds mixed with the now familiar roar of the waterfall. Edan shifted, uncomfortable sitting with his back to the woods.
Collecting the bowls and the pot, Edan quickly washed them in the pool, before propping them up on each other to dry.
“She didn’t even leave me my bag,” Edan said out loud, laughing to himself.
Edan had been putting off meditation for the last couple of days. In part because he hadn’t been in the right mind space, but also because he didn’t really know what to say to Kiba.
“What's new? Nothing, just been a whiny little bitch.” wasn’t exactly the update he wanted to give.
Now or never.
Finding a nice spot near the pool, Edan settled down with his back to it so he could see if anything snuck up on him from the woods. The ground was soaking wet and he felt it seep through his pants. The discomfort was almost laughable when he remembered all he’d been through.
Closing his eyes, Edan fell into his SoulScape, hoping he’d be conscious enough of his surroundings to not become a quick snack for a monster walking past.
-
Tali stood hidden in the tree line along the cliff face up behind the camp. Off to her right the stream of water poured over the side in a small but powerful waterfall. Below, she could see her tent and the small clearing where she had shown Edan The Dance.
She watched as he cleaned the plates and set them to dry near the campfire. And she smiled when he settled down to meditate.
Tali had purposefully left with his gear. She did not want him setting up a tent and hiding inside. He must become used to hostile environments and being on alert, even when resting.
Edan had shown good instincts. Choosing a position that was defensible. Keeping his back to the pool stopped anything from circling around him easily.
Tali was also pleased with how he didn’t shy away from sitting on the wet ground. It was a small step, but it was important. Edan had been coddled too much by his parents. They treated him as if he were a child, in need of protection.
She didn’t blame them. Part of her was jealous of Edan and the open love his parents showed him. But that very same love would do him no more favors in life. Tali had seen the fire in Edan’s eyes when he’d told her he wanted to win the Proving Tournament.
She had seen the same fire when he had stood before his class and prepared to fight them all.
Tali picked up a stone, bouncing it in her hand, before throwing it down towards the woods next to her tent.
-
“Hey, Kid, been a while!” Kiba called out as Edan appeared next to him.
“Have you even moved?” Edan asked. The other man was lying in the exact same position he had seen him in last.
“Nope. Why would I? Where would I go? The other side of this hill?” Kiba laughed, his eyes flickering through a wide range of red hues.
Edan opened his mouth to retort when he heard a crack of splintering wood. It took him a second to register that it wasn’t coming from his SoulScape.
“Be right back!” He called to Kiba as he regained consciousness.
Remaining still, Edan looked towards the woods. Turning his head slowly, while trying to appear nonchalant about it, he let his eyes slide over the shrubbery lining the clearing. He knew better than to look for anything in particular. Instead, he looked for movement. Movement was easier to see.
Nothing jumped out at him but he remained vigilant. For the next five minutes, he sat still, his eyes half closed, as he pretended to meditate. Nothing changed in his surroundings and eventually, he allowed himself to drift back to his SoulScape.
“All good, kid?” Kiba asked. He was sitting up now, his knees bent in front of him as he leaned back on his arms.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’m actually out in the wilds so I’m just being a bit careful.”
“Ahhh, good to see you’re taking the whole ‘getting stronger’ thing seriously.” Kiba patted the grass next to him. “Have a seat kid, fill me in.”
Taking him up on the offer Edan sat down and explained the last couple of days, trying his best to glaze over the top of his foul mood. Kiba didn’t seem particularly interested in that part, but he perked up when Edan mentioned Tali.
“So you are apprenticed to a Titan,” Kiba said, sounding impressed.
“She calls me her Bwaka. Is that like an apprentice?”
Kiba see-sawed his hand back and forth. “No one but the Titans themselves would know exactly what it means and they’re a secretive lot, but from what I know, Te'Roro Bwaka literally translates to Age of War. I know they call certain warriors by that title as well so I could be wrong about the translation. Bwaka would then mean war, or maybe ward? Ward during war?”
Kiba looked at Edan out of the corner of his eye. “How’d you get apprenticed to one, kid?”
Edan scratched the back of his head. “Dunno, she kinda just…chose me, and I figured it was worth it to get strong. She mentioned my blood if that helps?”
“Blood, aye? I know they have a boosting skill that requires they burn the Vitalis in their blood, she could be interested in that. I wonder,” Kiba tapped his jaw with one finger, a strand of red hair falling across his forehead. “Did your strange blood have anything to do with how you survived in the pool?”
“How would we tell?” Edan asked, interested.
“Not a clue. My true body may know a way, but as I am now?” Kiba held his hands up in the universal sign of a shrug. “What's your Titan’s name?”
“Tali.”
“Tali what? They usually have a tribal name as well.”
Edan wondered if she’d ever said what it was.
“No idea, unless it’s Genesis? That's the only extension of her name I’ve heard. Tali the Genesis Titan.”
Kiba whistled, looking impressed. He clapped Edan on the back.
“You, kid, are one lucky sunnovabitch.”
“What? Why? You’re a bitch!” Edan said the last part was more reflex than conscious thought.
“The Titan race isn’t very large. Their cultivators rarely leave their home world except on their pilgrimages, but in all the realms they stand near the top. This is for one simple reason, out of all the factions, it's the one that produces the most Major gods. There are some Titans who, when they birth their system, create a Legacy specifically designed to evolve them to godhood.”
Edan listened quietly, hiding his shock. It was the first time he had heard the term Major god but he’d ask about that later. The mention of Legacy though was very interesting. Edan remembered his own.
“I don’t know the details of the Legacy. It's one of those secrets they kill for. But I do know there are never two of the same type of Major God at a time and that they give up their tribal name in honor of their path."
“Rune Marked Titan,” Edan muttered, remembering what Tali had said around the campfire, and then it clicked. “Holy shit, Tali is the Genesis Titan!”
“Exactly kid, something about you caught the attention of a Titan that's destined for godhood,” Kiba laughed. “And your SoulScape is strong enough to contain the remnants of a Primordial. Kid, just what are you?”
