Stone

Oskanas anger could not be satiated with just a few rounds of squabbling with other beasts or hunting prey.

He had fallen from the air and he didn't even know how or for how long.

In reality it was barely five minutes and he received more damage from the fall then the blast.

The skies are a blessing from Useja, a place where he reigned supreme from his first flight with his mother.

The shame and fury that coursed through his veins with every beat of his wings fueled him.

But alas it was not enough, the little mage with the artifact was nowhere to be seen.

Even the mana signature couldn't be spotted.

He tired himself after the first day of flying in arcs around the field of death.

Tilting right he lowered himself before diving, the unsuspecting prey was casually grazing in the west next to the water with its flock.

The large horned goat that is the size of a horse was dipping its head down to graze one moment and getting its neck wrenched as it rose from the ground in another.

Blood filled Oskanas wide mouth but filling his belly did little to quench the thirst for the little human who he was sure caused him to fall.

He fed quickly and got back in the air making sure to glide low and thoroughly scan the area.

He spent half the night searching for his prey with no luck.

He searches until his wings are sore from the constant flight.

Finding a tall landmass to land on he closed his eyes and took deep breaths trying to reign in his anger but he could not.

All he could think of was the little human that felled him.

'Soon that power will be mine' he thought to himself his greed doing battle with his fury.

The thought that a weak mage could have so much power irked him.

But in his hands who knew how much stronger the artifact can become.

The thought of using that power to defeat the 'Old One' and reign supreme throughout the Little Mountain could not be uprooted once planted.

Drinking his fill and washing the blood, tissue and bones down he rose once more searching for the prey he knew was around.

Unluckily for him the only thing moving are creatures too stupid to fear him.

He was sore from the fall, the wings on his back hurt and his anger are all being held at bay by his greed albeit barely.

Death was too kind for the human, he will keep it as pet for the next hundred years.

He gave the prey of the land no quarters.

He fed only once a day, keeping his meals small.

Yet after the third night nothing dared come out of it's cover.

On the third day his frustration creeped back, as he flew he resisted the urge to release a roar.

Lowering his altitude for some air would only tire him out further.

The circles he made from the sky became wider and wider, even hunting in the night he couldn't find a trace of the human.

It was as if it is a ghost, some sort of spirit causing havoc where it appeared and vanishing the next moment.

He had no idea how right he was.

On the fourth day his arc was wide and he circled into Druid territory.

It didn't matter how powerful one was, encroaching into Druid territory was something that was warned against by all of his ancestors.

The Druids are plenty.

Oskana nearly cursed for the hundredth time when he spotted nine flying mana signatures headed his way.

He turned tail and flew away immediatly, heading west where he knew they wouldn't follow.

Oskana is right, the mana signatures float in the middle of a lush forest which is the end of their territory.

If he wanted to reach his home he would need to head north and go around before making it to his cave in the Little Mountain.

It had always been this way, he wondered if the artifact he was searching for could tip the balance that had held for so long.

The fifth day of hunting and he made up his mind.

He would perch high above the land on the Little Mountains many peaks and wait for his prey.

If he couldn't spot him again then he is not fated.

Waving his large wings he moved north passing by the rivers.

He sees something with his keen vision and a smile reveals sharp rows of teeth that still had brain matter and bones in between.

Four Galley boats are on the river chasing after him, it was the Druids.

The strongest of them stayed and protected their territory, it is why none have ever set foot inside and lived to tell the tale.

They are the only ones intrepid enough to hunt his kind actively, the worst of it is that none of them are larger then five feet and that is a rarity.

The problem was they are so hard it would take days to digest them, days that they spent ravaging the insides with their silver weapons and ridiculous strength.

Even worse the songs of the Druids makes one mad even days after listening to it.

He continued flying, descending slowly as he moved north.

He skimmed the waters edges and catches himself an unsuspecting water beam.

Bending his head down and getting a good bite on the flailing creature Oskana jerked his neck stiffening the once proud predator of the waters.

Taking his time and drinking his fill from the flowing river he once again flew up into the air.

Just as he suspected the oars are steadily rowing in his direction.

Not tarrying any further he gathered his mana as he ascended.

The world energy was barely enough to fill his large frame but it would do for what he needed.

His disability that stunted his mana growth is why he was so interested in the demon.

Demons are created when one feeds the body with too much mana at one time, and in these times there is no such thing as too much mana.

His descent was quick, the moment he folded his wings speed was his only focus.

Every time he accelerated a ring of mana would pulse out and fade.

The druids are ready for him, the boats are separated and one lays out in the middle as a sacrifice, ready to take Oskana The Hated One to the grave with them.

***

"And the thing called a Frappuccino, the mint one where does that come from"?

"A place called Stardoe, it's a restaurant... that's a house of sorts and the owner will let you come in, eat and drink for a fee".

"That sounds amazing, when can we go"?

"I don't know, how do you like this fish though"?

I was eating a fish raw in the cover of the trees.

It was a blue and green three eyed salmon that I didn't hesitate to devour in the still of the night.

Hypothermia was about to kick in and I didn't want to deal with it on an empty stomach.

The cold water compared to the hot humid weather forced me sit cross legged underneath a tree and cycle the mana that had barely gathered due to the fear of being caught.

Small pulses left my mana core and dissipated before they reached the outer layer of my skin.

At this moment I noticed a phenomenon.

When I did this I got a general view of my body and my aura would stop rushing.

Only every other pulse or so but it was enough for me to understand the difference.

I had to do it in a way where the man rebounded off the bottom layer of my skin and continued to linger in my body.

My body warmed over the day, the process was uncomfortable and as unhealthy as it is dangerous but I refused to slip up and be sent to the blender.

This was a walk in the park in comparison to octillions of decades in ever increasing pain.

As for Ava.

My decision was made, I would taint this thing freely and let it lay waste to this world as it wishes.

It had nothing to do with me, I just wanted my answers and if it didn't hold the key it was damn useful until I was strong enough to find them.

I will eventually let her see everything, but not before I can protect myself from her potential madness.

I also want to make sure I have some direction into spiritual roots, souls and the afterlife.

'Hello can you hear me'? Ava asked strengthening her tendril of mana making it more noticeable.

'Watch your damn energy' I growled to her, half screaming in my mind.

I spaced out while she prattled on about the fish's eyeball being tangy.

I was able to get a perfect five out of ten with the mana pulses and when I did aura would leak out of my body like a mist.

My scent and mana signature are gone and I can manipulate the energy with mana pulses but I let it dissipate.

Inspecting the sky I let out a sigh of relief.

I scuttle back into the water hours after the sun set

Using mana vision I can make out only the things that emit mana, the moon could not penetrate the rushing waters.

It was at this point that something ran into me as I was moving through the rushing river.

It felt like a stone had smacked into me, but this stone had a hand and that hand gripped my elbow tight.