“I changed my mind, I hate flying,” Jinx said, true fear creeping into her voice.

  “I’m sorry, it’s our best option right now,” Luke said as the runic heli banked and dove. “We wouldn’t be using it if we had any other choice.”

  He did feel bad for her. The runic heli didn’t have much space and the two in-line seats weren’t designed for animals. Only the fact that she was a cat allowed her large bulk to squeeze into the seat. Luke had realized that the viscount was pulling out all the stops to get him, and had the resources to get dozens of people looking for him. Apparently nobility came with a serious amount of pull. The only way to escape the swiftly closing net was to leave the city now, while the mana storm was preventing hover vehicles from following him.

  Not that it was safe for him and Jinx to be flying in a summoned vehicle in a storm that disrupted magic, but needs must. Luke had instructed the Greater Machine Soul to stay low to the ground so that Jinx and him wouldn’t fall far if multicolored lightning hit them. Again.

  Jinx still didn’t like it. They wove through the buildings, avoiding crashes by only a few feet. Luke hoped that they would avoid searching eyes by doing it that way. It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the city. They flew off and dropped suddenly. The pillars that held the city above the ground were several stories tall, so the runic heli falling to the ground was enough to make Jinx yowl again.

  He apologized once more, but was focused on the surveillance screen the soul was providing. This was the dangerous part. They were traversing several hundred feet of barren ground before they entered the forest surrounding the city. It was the section they were most likely to get hit by lightning or worse, spotted.

  For once, Luke’s luck held.

  No lightning came down like the hammer of god to destroy the runic heli. No one happened to be looking their direction as they entered the forest. It almost made him suspicious.

  Once within the trees, they had to slow down considerably. The redwood-like forest had thick underbrush and grasping branches in the canopy. Luke instructed the Greater Machine Soul to stay inbetween the two dangers and fly as fast as was safely possible.

  It would have been much faster if they flew above the canopy, but then their chance of getting hit with magic lightning increased exponentially.

  “Oh, hey. Machine soul. I’ve never asked. Do you have a sense of continuity? If I summon you, give you instructions, and then summon you again the next day, will you remember?”

  Yes, as long as I was the one to receive the instructions. I remember everything you have ever said to me. Each Greater Machine Soul is unique though, so if you talk with one of the others, I won’t know about it.

  “Huh. I kinda thought you were all the same. What happens if the machine you are piloting gets dispelled?”

  I am destroyed and a fresh soul is created.

  “That’s a pretty casual way to discuss your own demise.”

  I am not a person, I have no emotions or desires. My only motivation is to fulfill your commands.

  Jinx squirmed around to look at Luke in the seat behind her. “I don’t like it when you talk to your machine like that. I can only hear half the conversation and it makes you sound insane.”

  Luke laughed. “I’m sure people think the same thing when I talk to you. Our bond makes it so I can understand you, but no one else can. It makes me sound insane then too.”

  She grumbled. “I suppose you are right. You are insane. I’m not sure how I got saddled with you.”

  “Just lucky, I guess,” Luke said with a smile. “I’m lucky to know you too, Jinx. Thanks for being my cat.”

  She chuffed wordlessly and turned back to face front.

  Luke turned his attention back to the Greater Machine Soul. This time he thought in his head instead of speaking out loud so Jinx wouldn’t be annoyed. “Alright, since you are unique, let’s give you a name. I’m thinking... Alpha. Every time I summon you, tell me your name is Alpha. Also, whenever possible, preserve yourself by returning before the machine you are piloting is dispelled or destroyed.”

  Alpha hears and understands. I will do as instructed.

  Luke nodded to himself. Even though it said it was basically just a bit of magical programming, he was starting to sense a bit of personality. Maybe. Humans did tend towards personification even when dealing with inanimate objects.

  A short while after that, Luke instructed Alpha to land and return to his core. Then he dispelled the runic heli and they got to walking. Jinx complained bitterly, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. The new skill was faster and stronger than the one it replaced, but Apex Machine had such a high mana upkeep cost that he couldn’t keep his summons up for very long.

  Luke was almost as miserable as his cat even if he wasn’t complaining. The fancy robes he wore to the Shuffle were great for socializing, but terrible for trudging through the forest. He was soaked through in minutes. The only silver lining was that the stolen bag was waterproof, and kept his supplies and runic combat book dry.

  There weren’t a lot of other bright points though. He had a few fish snacks for Jinx, but no other food or water. He had no tent or sleeping bag. His only weapons were all dependent on his too limited mana.

  “How much longer do we have to tromp through the forest like common animals?” Jinx asked without looking back.

  “I was just thinking about that. I don’t really know. My mana will be back up to full in another twenty minutes, but only if we don’t run into monsters before then. Until the storm is over, it’s gonna be slow going. After the storm, we can go faster above the canopy, but I still don’t know how long it’ll take. The train was slower, but it kept going even when we were sleeping. I think the main factor is how many monsters we run into in the wilds. If there are a lot of them, it will really slow us down.”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “You’re terrible at reassuring people.”

  “Sorry. I can do better.” He stood up straighter and said, “We are going to absolutely rule this forest. They aren’t going to know what hit them. The Terror of the Night named Jinx and her trusty companion will make these monsters and men tremble with fear.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. Which he found rather impressive because he hadn’t been sure cats could do that.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  ???

  Luke crept forward, dusting off stealth skills he hadn’t used in years. The gargoyle was just ahead. It looked big enough that it must have killed and eaten all the nearby monsters. Once he killed it, this area would probably be safe to sleep in.

  Now that he could talk to Jinx, they could take turns standing watch while the other slept, but Luke didn’t really trust his cat not to fall asleep. It was her favorite activity. There was also the fact that she didn’t really seem to be scared of any of the monsters out here.

  She could phase through most attacks and was quick enough to avoid the rest. Danger wasn’t as immediate for her as it was for him. Earlier, they had escaped a titan Fire Lion by the skin of their teeth and her only comment was to complain about the smell.

  Luke was having a much worse time. His robes were torn, he was dirty, bloody, and tired. They had left a temperate forest and were now in the Kalibutan version of a jungle. The rain had stopped, but he still felt wet. Insects were rare on this planet, but what few there were had managed to find him and take a bite out of his exposed skin. He just needed a break.

  He checked his mana. 14 points left. That should be enough to take out this monster and then he could rest.

  He gripped the stun baton tightly in his right hand. He couldn’t afford to lose it. Without the baton’s central tube, he couldn’t use Variable Ammunition. It needed a barrel for the skill to activate. Since Apex Machine was a mana hog and slow to activate, Variable Ammunition was his only remaining way to kill monsters. He vowed to never let himself be separated from his mech again as long as he was on this planet.

  The gargoyle shifted. Luke froze in place, not even breathing. He needed to get closer for his plan to work. The hulking monster looked strong enough to tank a hit or two. An ambush was the only way to reliably take it down.

  The monster’s stone-like face scanned the jungle and then settled back in. It was bipedal with bulging muscles and gray armored skin. It had a beak and horns and it wrapped itself in large bat wings. It was sitting in a large hollowed out section of a giant tree, big enough to keep itself dry even when it stormed. Luke was approaching it from the right, sneaking up along a nearby tree’s enormous branch. The gargoyle was about a hundred and fifty feet above ground and Luke had made it up about halfway so far.

  He needed to get closer, but there weren’t any branches between here and there. The gargoyle had chosen the tallest tree in this part of the jungle for its roost. Luke took a look around and decided it was go time.

  He created a Blink Ball in his right hand and hurled it at a branch about thirty feet away. The gray and violet ball spun through the air with a whisper. When it hit, there was a faint sound, like a bubble popping, and then Luke was within twenty-five feet of the monster.

  The gargoyle instantly turned and focused on him. Even though he had been quiet, this monster had gotten to the top of the local food chain by being strong and perceptive. Its eyes started glowing bright white and it unfurled its wings.

  Another Blink Ball formed in his hand and he tossed it at the monster. Its eyes glowed even brighter and then a flash of scintillating bright light vaporized the ball. Luke swore and ducked down while raising his stun baton.

  At the same time, Jinx phased through the tree above and slashed her claws across the gargoyle’s left wing. She landed in the alcove and kicked the monster out at the same time. The Light Gargoyle flared its wings instinctively, which only caused it to spin midair.

  Luke used Variable Ammunition to create and fire a phantom shot at the falling monster. The magic bypassed the monster's unusually strong skin and reduced its health points directly. The gargoyle, who had been roaring in confusion and anger, suddenly changed to a yelp of pain.

  The monster continued its fall, a hundred and fifty feet down to the jungle floor. With only one wing, it was a quick trip. The impact finished off what the previous two attacks started. It was dead.

  Figuring out that he could create a phantom shot with Variable Ammunition was a source of pride for Luke. He had discovered that the new skill could replicate any attack he had personally used, including past skills. So even though his stat screen didn’t show an interdicted skill, he could still use the terrifying attack, as well as many others. As soon as this business with the viscount was taken care of, he would be able to interact with high society in Kalibutan and still have a powerful last resort skill.

  “Good job, Luke. When you go down to harvest the core, will you bring a wing back? It looked tasty.”

  “Why do you think you can order me around?” Luke replied.

  She gave him a flat look. “Only one of us has teleporting powers. Unless you really think I should spend another ten minutes carefully climbing this tree?”

  Luke grumbled but said nothing. She had a point, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. He created a Blink Ball and dropped it down to the ground. As it fell, he realized he had been an idiot earlier. He totally should have thrown a Blink Ball out the castle window instead of jumping. At least he looked cool while he was being dumb.

  When he reappeared next to the body, he fired off an ice ball to make the harvesting easier. Once it was fully frozen, he smashed the monster’s chest and pulled out the tier four core. He stuffed it away with the others. He was getting quite a collection. Not that it was worth it. He was also so done with the wilds.

  It was the end of the first day, or rather, sixteen hours after he started fleeing. The Kalibutan sun still stood high in the sky. That whole time he had either been flying at top speed a few feet above the forests, or trekking through those same forests on foot while his mana recharged. He hadn’t had much to eat all day, only nibbling on one of Jinx’s snack fish. Reluctantly, he grabbed both gargoyle wings and returned to the roost with two more Blink Balls.

  He found Jinx cleaning up the tree hollow and smoothing out the floor with careful magic claw swipes. When it was comfortable enough for her tastes, she flopped down and started cleaning herself with her tongue.

  Luke showed her the two monster wings and said, “Do you want yours cooked or uncooked?”

  “I may be new at this, but I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to light a fire in a tree,” Jinx said.

  He shook his head. “I won’t be lighting the tree on fire, don’t worry. I’ve got a rock for the base and if I char the rest of the spot first, the fire won’t spread.”

  “If you say so,” Jinx said with a dubious chitter. “I’ll take mine roasted if you are successful, charred if you start to burn down the tree.”

  Luke chuckled. “You’ll see.”

  He set down the flat rock he had brought along and then fired a few fireballs at the surrounding wood. The magical attack charred the wood, but Luke made sure to extinguish any flames. Once it was completely out, Luke evened out the carbonized layer of soot as a layer of insulation.

  Half remembered boy scout training helped him build a fort of twigs and he pulled out his stun baton. He focused on Variable Ammunition to produce a jet of flame instead of a full blown fireball. He was rather pleased with himself when that worked.

  That was one nice thing about this miserable day, it had been punctuated with repeated skill up notices. He would be shocked if his skills weren’t all over level twenty-four by the time he got back to Earth.

  Roasting the wings took longer than he expected, maybe because of the monster’s natural armor, or because he didn’t really know how long it normally took. Either way, he eventually gave Jinx hers and bit into his own.

  It wasn’t very good.

  It was edible. Soon enough Luke had a full belly. He took the first watch and Jinx zonked out. He found himself wondering if Viscount Osifo had given up yet. They hadn’t seen any sign of pursuit yet, but that didn’t mean much. An offended noble could certainly afford to hire a few people with magical tracking skills. Then again, why would Osifo bother? Luke had offended him by winning the tourney, but it wasn’t like he had insulted the man or injured his pride. He had just touched a glory trophy.

  A frown formed on his face. Maybe he shouldn't assume elves wouldn't care about glory. Maybe he should assume that the viscount was still after him.