Familiar

I watched her as I asked; this was something I hadn't questioned her about. It may have slipped my mind for a reason or another. Or maybe I wanted to avoid such topics; to me such topics were too personal.

She stood frozen as I looked at her and her eyes that had been drifting, finally focused back on me. I thought I already had my answer, as I looked at her. But before I could delve deeper, my danger presence went off.

What?!

My head whipped around as I tried to pinpoint where it was coming from.

*Puichi*

*Cough*

I looked down at my chest as something sharp and wooden protruded from my belly, I was dumbfounded as I looked at the almost harmless looking branch that was sticking out of me.

"Father!!!"

I heard Ella scream from a small distance away but my mind didn't register it well. I was concentrating on what was protruding from me. I had coughed up a mouthful of blood and reached for my sword as fast as I could.

I would not let this happen again!

I grabbed it as fast as I could and with deft movements swung it behind my back. I may have been restricted but I felt the sword go through something behind me.

*Snap*

Something snapped as I felt the force behind me come in for another attack. I couldn't dive to the ground with the branch still sticking out of me and could only turn around to face the threat.

Though I was stunned by what I saw in front of me. From the border of the forest that we were on, 3 huge tree like being stepped out.

Living trees?

I stared up at the hulking 4 meter tall stumps, as the branches and roots beneath them moved them forwards. I was dumbfounded for only a second though as I realized the danger. One of them was reaching out towards me with branch arms and was going for a swing. The branches were sharpened and deadly. They had been able to pierce my skin.

I swung my sword while grunting from my abdominal pain and managed to cut the branch that was closing in.

Ella was rushing in from the left and coming to help. I could feel her rage as she looked at the new intruders. Kuro who had been next to me backed up and got out of the way. At least she knew she would be a hindrance at such a juncture.

I backed up as I looked at the hulking figures.

How in the hell do I take them down?

I mean with, beasts or Humans, hell even infected I knew they had a beating heart, what the hell do pieces of woof have.

I used analyze quickly as they closed in. There big steps made it easier for them to close the distance.

Name: N/A

Race: Treant - Familiar

Sex: None

Level: 14

Attributes:

STR: 45

END: 39

INT: 6

AGI: 40

SPR: 32

Skills:

Regrowth (Innate) LV(Special Conditions) – When injured, body will regrow over time, with the help of nature.

Nature Blessing (Innate) LV( Special Conditions) – Blessed by nature, has an affinity with nature. Able to communicate with nature to find out information.

They weren't actually that strong; looking at them I was expecting them to be stronger. But they were actually weaker than the wolves we had just fought. The problem still held though, I wasn't sure if I could kill them.

Another interesting fact was, that they had 'familiar' next to their name. Were familiars not creatures that are bound to a person?

Meaning that these treants belong to somebody? I wasn't sure as it was a new idea and term for me. But there could be a possibility.

My eyes sharpened as I looked at the clambering treants and got ready to try. After looking at their stats, I knew that I would be able to take them; all I had to do was try now. It was better to take them out fast, especially if somebody was controlling them.

I stopped retreating and made my way to attack. With my aura locking them down, their movement went to a crawl and I could easily out maneuver them. Ella also joined in and started to tear their branches apart.

My spirit vision kicked in as usual as I looked at them and with the increase in my spirit stat, the vision I had now was much clearer. I didn't usually worry about it as it had become something I had gotten used to. It didn't help much in fight. But this time as I looked at the treats, I started to see a type of nervous system going throughout them.

There was energy running throughout their whole body!

It was like a normal nervous system and had to be what was making them move. I looked all over their bodies before finding the place where all of the pathways connected. It was centered where a heart usually would be and had to be what was powering them. From that heart shaped glow inside them, I could also see a small thread that went off in a westward direction.

It was a faint thread but all the treants had it, and they all went towards the same direction. If they were familiars, I would guess that their master would be in that direction.

Finding where there proverbial heart was made the fight so much easier. Knowing where it was, I quickly sent a message to Ella informing her of what was happening. And as she also shared spirit vision, she was able to locate their hearts.

With that the fight didn't even last a minute. We easily outstripped them in speed and made quick work of them.

By destroying the area that was covered the glow, coming from their chest, energy would start to leak out and fade into the atmosphere. The area was hardened to a certain extent, which showed the maker had wanted to protect such an area. But with Ella's power and my sword, we easily cracked them open.

As the last bits of energy floated into the wind, the strands that connected them to their owner were snapped and I stared off into the distance.

Did they mean to attack us? Or was it just a coincidence?

I would have to find out. The west direction was leading up the mountain and was exactly where I wanted to go, I would meet them in due time.

Looking away and back to the spoils of war we still had to get through, I sent Kuro who was still off to the side a look, but didn't follow up on the question. I think I knew by now, only at night would I be able to confirm for sure.

My eyes turned gloomy at the thought and I went off to make a fire. There was a lot of meat to eat tonight.

I had to become stronger, now more than ever.