The Way Ahead

Time got away from Braxton. Vixen gave birth to a daughter. Braxton routine continued for months. He learned all the different creatures the other hunters had acquired skills from. The hunters had made drawings of them. It would be easy for Braxton to identify them if he saw one. The creatures with magical abilities did not have any specific type or anything that would mark them as special outwardly. The easiest way to find out if a creature might have magic was to simply watch them.

After six months the hunters became suspicious. Braxton had not sealed the deal with Markquise daughter. The other hunters started teasing him about it. He was a good hunter and many of heir kills had come from his arrow magic. Larken and the rest of his group defended him to a degree.

Braxton finally got sick of it after a week. He responded by whipping out his dick. Then he said "I have to be careful. Once I claim a woman she can't be with another. So be careful or I'll claim all of yours." They left him alone after that but, they talked behind his back about it plenty.

Braxton stopped joining the hunting party soon after. Larken tried several times to get him to join in again. He declined, opting to venture off on his own. He had not set aside any of the blood for Vixen during the last six months. He was able to kill more creatures faster without the other hunters too. His invisibility opened up a whole world of creatures they couldn't see. Braxton killed three creatures a day. Markquise family benefited from the increased meat supplies.

Braxton kept the parts he thought could be turned into weapons too. He took those to Ickthous one day. There were a few weapon ready made and he traded his vast collection of parts for a couple more.

For lack of a better explanation, the hunters had become lazy. They relied solely on their magic for hunting. They left useable body parts laying around that could've been turned into weapons. Braxton had taken them all. He had even found the porcupine quills and kept them to use in his crossbow.

He returned with ten completed weapons. They were gifted them to Markquise and his family. Braxton spent time teaching them how to use them. Then began to show them how to hunt. In a short period of time, the hunters noticed the people coming to get meat was less than there were hunters.

The hunters started to investigate where everyone was immediately. Markquise took them aside and worked out a solution that put him back in charge. It also put and end to the food for sex racket they had been operating. It had taken Braxton a lot longer than he expected to find a solution to that problem then he expected. After he had a daughter of his own it had bothered him more. Now the problem was solved and he couldn't learn much more here.

Vixen was getting anxious to return to the Blast Furnace too. Braxton had been telling her it would be ready soon. She knew enough to know, there was a reason he wasn't allowing her to return yet. He told her to give him a few more days.

Vixen replied "Just fuck the girl and move on already. I'm ready to get back in the fighting and adventuring." Then she walked away before he could reply.

Braxton stepped into the portal and arrived at the temple again. He told Markquise "I'll be moving on again. There are more things to see and find. I'll leave the portal up here and check in from time to time."

"Safe travels. We look forward to your return." Markquise replied.

"I have one gift to give your daughter. It may allow her to unlock some of the old technologies. Is it ok with you if I give it to her?" Braxton asked.

"That is up to Shana herself." Markquise stated plainly.

Braxton lead Shana up to the top of the Eastern most pyramid. It was a five mile walk there. Then climb up on the roof with her using the grappling hook. "I have something to offer you. Call it a parting gift. It is a jar of nanites. I can inject it into your body. It may allow you to awaken the old tech around this place. Would you like this gift?" Braxton asked hesitantly.

"I will allow it." Shana replied sweetly.

Braxton summoned the nanite tube and stuck her with it. The nanites went under her skin and swarmed through her body. She passed out for a few hours. Braxton monitored her health with the medical suit. Everything worked as it should. She woke up and asked "What happened?"

"Everything worked right. The nanites are a part of you now. You should be able to do more things now than you would've been able to without them. I brought you here to see if it would work. On the floor below is a plate. The nanites should unlock it. You will be able to explore them if my theory is correct." Braxton explained.

"Oh I thought you were talking about injecting me with something else. This should be interesting though. You will need to walk with me until I am safe and know I can use gates." Shana replied slyly.

"True if it doesn't work you might be stuck underground. Let's go." Braxton agreed.

They climbed down together and activated the elevator. Braxton walked the path with her. He learned much more on this trip. Knowing the language made it more edifying. At the bottom they teleported into the basement area. The nanites had the desired effect. Shana was able to travel the ruins via the gates. The two said their farewells physically. Braxton told her how to leave when she was finished. Then he returned to the top of the temple.

Braxton climbed back on top and summoned his sniper rifle. He surveyed the lands that lay ahead looking for anything interesting. The forests continued far to the horizon but he could see hills ahead without them a path lead east through much of it. He had learned much and traveled far. In front of him lay a road forward. His future was in the east.

He climbed down the pyramid and took his first step into the rest of his life.