Chapter 66 - A Road

Rowan glanced at Kai, his brows furrowed. “Do I… thank them?” he asked, watching as the dozen or so Mist Wraiths floated aimlessly around them.

His familiar tilted his head, hopping over to one of the monsters and pecking it.

The Wraith looked down, extended a hand, and ran an ethereal finger along his feathers. Kai trilled, shaking like he’d just gotten a massage.

This has to be in at least the top five weirdest things that’s ever happened to me, Rowan thought, watching the scene with an amused smile.

“Alright, alright, calm down will you,” he muttered, walking over to the little menace and picking him up. Kai settled on his shoulder, exuding an air of contentment.

The Wraiths were certainly an unexpected turn of events, but Rowan had a feeling they had something to do with the relative calm they experienced over the last day. In fact, he was rather sure of it. He’d spent the whole of yesterday lighting up the mountainside like a beacon, and still, no other monsters had come to accost him.

Their cooperation raised more than one question, with the only answer Rowan had being his new trait.

[Storm Touched] implied certain things he wasn’t ready to voice, with the Wraiths presence only adding to it. Rowan couldn’t be sure if they were here on the orders of the Elemental or if this was a natural occurrence for someone with this particular trait, but either way, he was glad for it.

His magic had grown by leaps and bounds, his efficiency too, and he had a sneaking suspicion his already monstrous potential had also been affected.

Turning a Murmur into a Chant isn’t something you can just do. At least not at my level.

Rowan was confident in his abilities, in his skill, and in his drive. Magic had come easily to him from the moment he’d Awakened—the same as to the rest of his lineage—but it was one thing for a Blue-Core mage or higher to accomplish what he’d just done, and another thing entirely for a caster barely on his second step to do the same. 

A month of peace, that’s all I need, he thought. To master more spells, work on advancing my Body and Core, and hopefully delve a bit deeper into [Immortal Soul] and [Storm Touched].

Rowan shook his head, not allowing frustration to grab a hold of his thoughts.

He’d spent more time than he probably should have trying to return to that strange island. But no matter what he did, nothing seemed to work. There was a barrier between him and his trait, one Rowan had a feeling wouldn’t be easy to tear down.

Maybe I should try and get myself killed. That seemed to do the trick last time.

He chuckled, pulling his coat tighter. But probably best to wait on that, he decided. It’s bound to happen sooner or later, no need to tempt Morrigan.

“I think it’s time we went on our way,” he said, scratching Kai under his beak. “It’s been around a week since we left Litwick, and that leaves us three more to find a settlement before the Grove arrives.”

Kai perked up at the mention of their team, excitedly flapping his wings.

Rowan smiled, his own excitement rising in turn.

I wonder what they’re up to, he thought, hoping they weren’t getting into too much trouble without him.

He doubted they were in any real danger, but it was still hard not to worry.

What he’d done during the battle bought a lot of goodwill among the other adventurers of Litwick. Not to mention Nemir’s heritage, Annie’s connection to the Guildmistress, and Zoe’s status as a Healer of Eldara.

No one is going to mess with them.

Rowan pushed those thoughts away. He had his task, and it didn’t involve worrying about things he couldn’t affect. The Verdant Vale was on the other side of the Kingdom, so unless he teleported back and trekked across it for who knows how long to get back to Litwick, they were on their own.

Kai nuzzled against his cheek, probably sensing what he was thinking about.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” he said, straightening up.

Pulling out the compass, Rowan watched as the needle settled on a direction and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a Wraith grabbed his arm.

His first reaction was to start circulation mana through his channels. As helpful as these spirits were, it would take a single second for them to drive a spell through his throat. Especially at such a close range.

But instead of attacking, the Wraith simply pointed in a direction slightly to the west of where his compass was indicating.

Rowan’s brows furrowed. “Are you telling me to go there?”

Slowly, the Wraith nodded, letting go of his arm.

I mean, ignoring them seems like an idiotic thing to do, he thought. The only thing they’ve done is help, and I don’t have a reason to think that’s going to change.

His goal was to get to a settlement as quickly as possible, but three weeks was a lot of time.

A detour shouldn’t hurt.

“Alright,” Rowan nodded back. “I’ll go check it out.”

All of the Wraiths turned to look at him. Their forms shimmered, the Mist seeping off their bodies mingling into a blanket that covered the earth.

Then, as one, they all bowed.

Rowan blinked, more than a little taken aback. 

“Definitely top three,” he muttered, unsure how to react.

After a moment's hesitation, Rowan returned their bows. Their reaction was immediate. The Mist Wraiths dissipated into ethereal smoke, blowing away on an unseen breeze. He stared at the scene in wonder, having a hard time comprehending what just happened.

Kai cawed in disappointment, slapping him with his wing.

“Hey,” Rowan chuckled. “How was I supposed to know they’d leave if I did that?”

His familiar looked away, obviously not happy about having lost his playmates.

“Stop pouting, will you,” Rowan snorted, scratching his beak. “We have a long few days ahead of us, and I need you focused. Not cranky.”

Kai still didn’t look at him, so Rowan resorted to something he knew would work. 

Bribery.

A beast pellet appeared in his hand, and Kai's head immediately snapped to it.

“You little glutton,” Rowan smiled, gladly paying the blood price for his transgression.

With that settled, there was only one thing left for them to do.

Rowan’s gaze moved to the direction the Wraith had pointed out. The spirit seemed intelligent—at least to an extent—so he was curious to find out whatever it was that lay in that direction.

Their course set, Rowan and Kai continued their trek through the Stormspire Heights.

.

.

.

The next two days passed in a blur of cold winds and narrow paths. The Heights stretched endlessly ahead, each ridge more jagged and unforgiving than the last. Mist rolled through the valleys, and Rowan found himself watching it with a curious eye. He half expected the Wraiths to return, yet if they were there, the friendly monsters didn’t show themselves.

He moved steadily, his sense on high alert throughout.

It took effort not to let the gains he’d gotten go to his head. Rowan felt equal to almost any monster that inhabited these mountains, and while that was mostly pride talking, it didn’t make it less true. Hunting a Gold-ranked threat wasn’t out of the question, and Rowan was eager to test himself once one decided to show up.

Only monsters like the Storm Elemental—with a Green-Core or equivalent level of strength—were beings he needed to avoid. On pain of being squashed like a bug. Because while Rowan might have been confident, he was far from stupid. Or at least he liked to think so.

The first threat came just after nightfall on the first day. A Shade Prowler, its stony hide nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding rocks lunged at them from a nearby outcropping. The peak Silver monster’s claws raked across the ground where Rowan had stood only seconds before, tearing deep gouges into the stone.

They dispatched it quickly—a single [Firebolt] enough to send it tumbling down the cliffside in a cloud of smoke and ash.

Not long after, a pack of Windfang Stalkers got on their tail. They tracked them through the mountainous valleys for hours, and Kai got so annoyed with their incessant howling that he forced them out of hiding.

The lean, wolf-like beasts were as fast as they were deadly. They darted in and out of the mist, their glowing eyes intensely focused as they tested them, probing for weakness with clever, coordinated feints.

When they finally grew bold enough to strike, Rowan met them with fire and brimstone.

For the first time since he’d gotten his new trait, he cast [Fireball].

The spell left a smoking crater in its wake, the explosion larger and louder than anything Rowan had cast before. Its sheer scope left him momentarily stunned, and he found himself glad that he’d aimed it far away.

His Chant wasn’t yet at the level of a Hymn—not truly—but it wasn’t far off either. If the fight between Tremil and the Warlock happened now, Rowan was sure this spell could affect the course of their battle. It wouldn’t win the fight, but it wouldn’t be something that could be ignored either.

Kai let out a triumphant caw, flapping back to his shoulder with a proud little hop.

The Stalkers that managed to live through Rowan’s redecoration of their surroundings scurried away. He thought about chasing after them but decided against it, instead focusing on leaving these godforsaken Wilds behind.

Rowan desperately wanted a bath, and he was ready to put his considerable talents towards making that happen as soon as possible.

The third encounter was different. Instead of being ambushed from behind, they were followed from above by a Hallowbeek Rook, a massive bird with feathers the color of storm clouds. It circled them for most of the afternoon, watching in eerie silence. Rowan kept an eye on it, wary of its intentions, but it never attacked.

Kai, growing curious, even decided to fly closer. Rowan’s first instinct was to stop him. That far up, there was nothing he could do to help if things went sideways. But Kai was a big boy, and seeing as he wasn’t all that worried, Rowan let him go.

In the end, they just circled around each other for a time. Playfully flapping their wings and maneuvering through the air. The Rook left them on the evening of the second day, when the mountains began to change. The jagged cliffs softened into rolling slopes, and patches of hardy grass broke through the stony ground. Trees appeared—gnarled pines clinging to the hillsides like ancient watchers.

Then, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, Rowan saw it.

The Imperial Road.

It cut through through the Wilds with unmistakable precision, its cobbled surface worn but sturdy. Moss grew between the stones, and cracks ran along its edges, but it still stood strong—a relic from an era long past.

Rowan stopped at the edge of it, his eyes tracing its path as it wound its way through the hills.

“Well,” he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. “I think those Wraiths just saved us a lot of walking.”

Kai trilled in agreement.

The road was a promise. A path toward civilization. Rowan felt a spark of anticipation rise within him, the uncertainty of the Wilds giving way to something new—a sense of direction.

Without hesitation, he stepped onto the road and continued forwards, the sound of his boots striking the ancient stones echoing through the gathering dusk.

There was a settlement at the end of it, and Rowan planned on reaching it sooner rather than later.

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AN: Next chapter, March 13th

Also, the news I wanted to share is that The Last Heir got picked up by Aethon! For those of you who aren't familiar with them they're the publishing house behind The Primal Hunter, He Who Fights With Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and tons of other dope series. So yeah, that's happening. It's gonna be at least 6+ months before the first book is polished and ready, but I felt like sharing this with you lot.

Once again, thanks for all the support!

Unrelated and slightly off topic, a few of you have subscribed through the patreon app on IOS. Just as an FYI, apple upcharges you 50% (15$ instead of 10$) when doing so and to get around it all you have to do is pay through a browser.