Purifier and the hunt

Two days has passed. Lex has been building the purifier, Siel'Kel does what he always does, I've been training in the forest for a change and Aktor is still sleeping. Yesterday was the final day I let Aktor be before going in and talking to him again. Today I will go back to Aktor's dream and pull him out.

I walked towards the soultree and asked Siel'Kel to bring Aktor's body back from hibernation. When Aktor's body is on the ground, I decided to slap his face and say to him.

- Don't make me come there and drag you out old man!

As expected, there was no response. So I have to go in his dream again. When I get in Aktor's dream, I see a small hut on the hill with forest surrounding us. There is a small girl who has fox tail and ears, so she's a beast folk. She is playing around with a dog who is as big as her. Then I see Aktor coming from the forest with what looks like a boar. The little girl starts running towards him and jumps to hug him. I hear her yell.

- Big brother, big brother!

I start to slowly walk towards them until Aktor notices me and tells to the girl.

- It looks like we have visitors. Can you go and make us some tea?

- A guest! Haven't have one since Neil. Tris and Rex left. Sure I go make us some tea.

The girl runs to the hut to make us tea and I walk closer to Aktor.

- So she's the one.

- Yes, it's her.

- How long does she have from this time to that time?

- 22 years.

- So she did end up growing to adulthood.

- Yes, she did.

- Why is she a beast folk while you're human?

- We have different mothers.

- That makes sense.

The girl comes back with the tea surprisingly fast.

- Here! This is for big brother and this is for mister.

- Thanks, you were quite quick.

- You see, my brother Rex is the best magician in town and has teached quite a lot. I even know more than brother Aktor now.

- Is that so. Perhaps I should come later when Rex is around to teach me some. This tea is quite good by the way.

- Thanks. I'm the best when it comes to making tea.

- That is quite a bold claim. Perhaps I should bring a connoisseur next time.

- What is connoisseur?

- A person who knows lot about things such as tea.

- Then bring it on. I will be sure to amaze whoever you bring next time.

Aktor then says.

- Thanks for the tea. As always it was delicious. You can go now and play with Bolt.

- Thanks. I go do that. Bolt!

The dog comes running after the girl who is also running.

- I suppose it's time for me to go now. Isn't that right?

- Yes, it's been two days since I last came.

- Huh.

We watch for a while when the girl plays with the dog. Until Aktor says.

- Let's go.

- After you.

We then wake up from the dream. I see Aktor sitting next to me and says.

- Good morning world.

- It's almost midday.

- I know what I said.

- Still, glad you woke up.

- Still got lot on my plate.

We then go to see Lex who is writing something on what looks like a magical stone. Aktor then says.

- What's up?

- Oh, you finaly awake. Took your sweet time.

- It's not like my absense slowed you down now. Or did it?

- Of course not. The purifier is almost complete. Just have to add few more things and it should be done.

What we see is a huge glassy contraption.

- You build this all by your self?

- While I would have liked to leave such a menial task to someone else. I saw it best for me to do it myself.

- Why is that? I thought you hated this type of work.

- It's not that I hate it, it's just that usually I don't bother with this kind of work. As for why I did it myself, the whole proses of adding the aetherium coating on the insides of the purifier can't be done with just anyone. I don't know anyone who can make aetherium become a liquid in such a way that it could be used here. I would have had to put in every time they would have been ready with one part and apply the aetherium to it and then immediately to the next part. It would have been exhausting so I just build the purifier with my magic.

- Okay, then do you still need to get Stoor's digestive fluid?

- No, I got it myself while waiting for you two to finish with whatever you were doing. I stored fluid inside a special container that doesn't melt and is sealed so it doesn't smell.

- Then what else do you need?

- Nothing realy. Only if you can put the guiders in place to make sure the digestive gasses and destructive gasses don't go to the philosopher's stone's chamber together. In simpler words, to seperate the two gasses that come out of the reaction.

- I'm fine letting you do it yourself.

- Good, I wouldn't have let you done it either way. You might break something.

- Right, then what else can we do?

- Well, you still have some fragments to gather.

- That reminds me, is the big fragment from Dia going to fit.

- Oh that. We are going to let it be.

- What? Why is that? Aren't we supposed to gather all of the fragments?

- First, the fragment in Dia is beneath a volcano. Taking it would require us to drain the magma from the entire volcano. Second, the volcano is spiritual spot for demons so taking it would be desecrating their sacred place. Third, it is simply so huge that we couldn't melt it even with all of Stoor's digestive fluid. Do you see now why it's imposible?

- Yes, that cleared a lot. Then where are we supposed to get more fragments.

- Well there is Kiat.

- I rather not go there. I think he is plannig something.

- I think so as well, but eventually we need to comfront him in one way or another. While it would be wise to go there now, I think you should gather more strength. Go to the realm of the hunt, Skog. Realm ruled by Jeger, the lord of the hunt.

- Demon prince of hunt, huh. I wonder why there is such a thing.

- Well, my brother went to all kinds of moods when creating the demon princes. There is also demon prince of blood, control, alcohol and alchemy.

- Control, alcohol and alchemy? I don't get it. Aren't demon prince's supposed to be evil or something?

- No. As you saw with Oblew, not all bear hostility to mortals. Even Rahasia, while making deals that may bring ruin to people, doesn't hate mortal reces. Most of them seek to just find enjoyment in their immortal lives. Sometimes commiting evil deeds, but also doing some good in the world. Some do more than others, but you get the point. My brother wasn't an evil being, his sphere was only just destruction.

- You said something similar once. I get it. But I just had a thought. Why have demon princes retained their power and you haven't?

- It has to do with how they exist in this world. With bit of my help, Destruction made the demon princes reside in their own bubbles, meaning their realms, that exists within the space between the stary sky and the edge of Norbul. There they can always regain their power after they use it on the overworld and always continuing to produce power within sertain limit. While the gods retain their presence by the planetary objects in space as a anchors to this world while existing outside of Norbul in the origin or what some call void.

- So the demon princes continually produce power and never run out, while gods exist in place outside of Norbul and get their power through the void around them. Am I understanding this correct.

- That is the basics of it, yes.

- Well then, with that knowledge. To the realm of the hunt we go. Let's go find Siel'Kel.

We leave Lex to do his purifier and go to Siel'Kel to get transported to the realm of the hunt. There I asked Siel'Kel to explain the future sight thing to Aktor and all that he said was.

- I see. Didn't expect that.

Then we asked Siel'Kel to transport us to Skog and we were soon off. Immediately we saw a giant boar charging right at us. Bouth of us dodged and watched it charge of to somewhere else. We soon saw buch of people chasing the boar with bows and spears in hand. Then Aktor said.

- Interesting. Now I'm in.

And started to go after them. I didn't know what else to do but to follow him. I noticed that we were in a forest with large trees all around us. People we saw were jumping from one branch from another.

I somehow managed to catch up to them. The boar was faced with tall cliff it couldn't climb on. So it started attacking the other hunters. Aktor and I watched not far from where it was happening. Some hunters were able to stab the boar with their spears and some arrows were cought by it skin. Most of the hunters were now on the ground since the boar had fought back and attacked them instead. When the hunters were catching their breaths, the boar charged to the forest and tried to escape. Then Aktor made a dash from the bushes and plunged his spear right through the boars neck. The boar fell down and died soon after. Aktor found the spear near some tree.

The hunters who came running at us were angry and told us we stealed their prey. Saying things like.

- You should have stayed out of this!

- We almost had him!

- How does it feel to have taken someone else's kill?!

Then they left angry saying.

- It's your kill so you own the catch.

We just looked confused a bit and started skinning the thing and eating it. When we were eating, we heard a voice coming inside of our heads. It was telepathy.

- Well done fare hunters! Though it disapoints me that the others didn't partake in the spoils of the hunt. But you landed the finishing blow, so they think that you should have it. Werry well then.

I ask.

- Who are you? Where are you?

- I'm standing on the air on your left.

As it said, we saw a moose like creature that was standing in the air like it was nothing. It had green fur with yellow and violet stripes sideways on it's body. It had long feathers coming from back of it's neck and the antlers on the side were glowing on blue on the tips. It also had a small horn on the middle that glowed red.

- So now you see me hunters. Behold the presence of the king of this forest. A ruler of this realm. For it is I, Jeger, who has come to congratulate you for successful hunt.

- You are Jeger then. Great timing. We are looking for fragments of destruction from each demon prince. Would you be willing on givin it to us?

- So you are on the hunt for these fragments, I see. I shall give it to you, but only if you earn it.

- Then how would we earn it then?

- There is a beast in these woods called alcotarus. If you manage to hunt this beast, consider the fragment yours.

- Alcotarus. Got it. What does it look like?

- It got huge body a size of a big boulder, two huge antlers, spikes running from it's back, a face of a goat, six eyes, sharp fangs and a tail like a lion.

- Huge thing with antlers, got it. Where should we head out?

- It is somewhere in this forest. Part of the hunt is finding the prey in the first place, so I shall not tell where one is located. Good luck, my hunters!

We split up and communicate through the rings Lex gave us. We spent roughly two days trying to find one with no luck. Another two days passed and thanks to Rin, we found tracks that match the description Jeger gave us, so we followed it and found a cave.

In a cave we saw this beast sleeping. The air starts to feel a bit chilly. Then Aktor taps me in the back and says.

- I let you handle this one. I already beat one once so I don't need the experience.

- You, but...

Then Aktor disapears. Fine I'll do this with the help of Rin.

I step forward to the alcotarus lair and begin my attack. It notices us and starts to get up and the air gets even colder. It chatges at us in faster speed that you would immagine and we dodge it. I slide beneath the beast and try to slice it's throat but the fur is too thick. I jump out and let Rin cast a lightning on it. The lightning gets deflected by it's fur. This is bad.

The alcotarus turns around and start to breathe extremely cold wind from it's mouth. I dodge at first but I slip on the ice that is forming on the ground and get blasted by exreme cold. It is not as bad as the winds of Ikujää, but it still stings a bit. Alcotarus stops it's breathing attack and charges right at me.

This time I dodge on the right and try to stab it with my sword. It pierces through alcotarus's fur and makes it in on the neck. I try to move it quickly but it barely moved. I take my sword out of the alcotarus's neck and move quickly out of it's way when it moved it's head violently at me.

Now I had a plan. I must stab the alcotarus somewhere vital and make Rin cast another lighning strike on it. Near heart would be good if it wasn't hiden beneath the large body. I didn't even know where the heart of this beast is. I could try one of the eyes, but they are so tiny that my sword might not stick. I also have to attack the alcotarus head on. While it is risky, I choose the eye tactic and inform Rin about my plan. Rin says that she understands and we get right on it.

Alcotarus starts it's breathing attack again and I decide to charge right at it. It was way colder than before, but I endured and kept running. When I was close enough, I jumped and stabbed it right in the middle eye on the left. Alcotarus starts to scream in pain and I gave the mark for Rin to cast the lighning. It hits and the alcotarus screams in even greater agony. It falls down on the ground and stoped moving. Is it dead?

I go and check if it's still alive. It was so I take my sword from it's eye and I start to cut it's throat where the first wound was. It took some effort but I managed to cut the throat enough for it to bleed to death. It was over.

Then Aktor comes from the shadows and congratulates me.

- Good job. I was bit worried that you couldn't beat it, but then you stabbed it in the eye and ordered Rin to shoot her magic.

- Would have been easier if you would have joined in.

- Think of this as training before we confront Kiat.

- If we go by that, then I must do all of the things.

- I'm here to back you up, if you are ever in a pinch.

Then we hear a familiar voice in our heads.

- Magnificent! You faced the beast head on and managed to kill it! A true hunter indeed!

- Thanks, now about the...

- It is a shame that these creatures are always hunted to extinction on the overworld when they are summoned there. Oh how much do the real hunters on your world miss by killing them too early. Nonetheless, it is always a great hunt when these beasts get to face a hunter in combat. Ah, so enjoyable.

- Great, now can you...

- For it is always great summoners who always summon these beast to aid them, but then their minds are baffled when the pet becomes a beast again. Truly fantastic sights to behold. They are truly one of my greatest beasts that I have made. No, it is greatest of all creations! You see, once when the alcotarus managed to roam the overworld, it saw a mighty dragon. That battle was truly one of the greatest.

- Can we...

- These beasts are alfa of this realm. No mortal can beat it with their bare fists. I have also many other beasts that you may hunt. There is the Locatrus, a flying beast that can hear a faintest heartbeat from 1km radius, should it choose to do so. And then there is crocstalt, a crocotile that has mastered the art of hidding in plain site. They can make their presence near invisible as well as snap their prey's neck in a instant.

- Are you done?

- What do you mean? There is plenty more beasts that I haven't described yet.

- I mean, you did promise us the fragment of destruction after we hunted alcotarus.

- Ah yes, I did promise that didn't I. No worries, I am a demon prince of my word and I shall give it to you in just a moment. Wait for me to fetch it.

A moment passes.

- Ah, here it is! Here.

He trows the fragment at us.

- Now, my part is done... wait a minute.

Jeger comes down and inspects the fragment.

- This can't be. Kiat, you cursed child! You told me you returned what you borrowed! You have managed to fool me Thrice now! You think you can hide it when it's on my possession. But when someone else touches it! Then the truth is revealed! You think you can give me a false fragment and get away with it! I shall come there and give you an earful!

Jeger suddenly dispears from our eyes and takes the false fragment with him.

A while passes as we wait until he returns with the real fragment.

- Now, take this.

He hand us the true fragment.

- By the name of our father, that child never learns. He always pulls tricks like this and doesn't learn from their consequences. He even tried giving me an excuse that it just broke for some reason. Then he tried to tell me that I was satified with it until now and just let it go, but I told him I have a duty to keep my promise and give it to you two as promised. He truly is troublesome that child.

- Thanks. Now that this is over, we will...

- And that one time he just came here in disguise and hunted all of my beasts, claiming to be my champion. I almost got fooled by him that time and gave him an earful back then as well. It took me weeks to get the Skog back in the way it was.

- We are just going to leave.

- And that one time when he...

We are then transported away while leaving a letter saying our thanks for the fragment and our apologies for leaving so suddenly.