Trail 69: Distractions, Enchantments, And Beasts

--- Jon Whitaker ---

"You okay there kiddo?" His Ma frowned about half way through their usual warm-ups.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, yeah, I just… I just didn't sleep right last night." He admitted, what little sleep he'd gotten being more from his mind shutting down after staring at Pix's dormant cocoon all evening.

The fact that he'd woken up laying on the floor and half slumped against his bed frame did not help the way he was feeling mentally or physically.

His Ma stared at him with a fair bit of concern. "You sure kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm just… I'm just having trouble focusing is all, I'll- I'll be good once I actually wake up." He tried to reassure her, not wanting to see her worried about him.

His Ma continued to stare at him for a moment before shaking her head and pulling him into a half hug. "How about we call today's training early? And if you're still not feeling good in a couple of hours then… Why don't you call in from school too? I don't want you getting sick or feeling worse when you don't have to."

"I…" He opened his mouth to try to argue, only to feel his Ma's reassuring weight against his shoulders as he finally let out a reluctant, "Maybe…"

Scene Consequences

- Jon's head is not in a good space. Passive training gains negated.

---

Having way more time to think than he wanted, he decided to try and take Miss Edna's advice about keeping busy, and took out his magic supplies to try and work on something. Only to pause as he spotted Pix's cocoon glowing while surrounded by blankets, pillows, and muffins in case she woke up early and was hungry. (I… I'm not going to be able to focus here…)

Which is why he made his way out of his room with his supplies under hand.

"Uh, what are you up to there, kid?" Miss Edna asked as he passed her by, before glancing down the hall towards his Ma's room. "I thought you were trying to keep the whole 'magic' thing a secret?"

"I uh, I am but I, uh, I couldn't… Not right now in there… and…" He stumbled through his words with a grimace knowing he wasn't getting this out right.

Miss Edna watched him for a moment before nodding as she pulled him into a hug. "Alright… I get it. Why don't we uh, why don't we make our way to May-may's?"

"Okay…" He nodded, not really seeing a point in arguing.

"Do you want to… walk or teleport there?"

"I… don't really care…" He admitted, he just wanted to get out of here.

"Right. Then uh, walking it is." Miss Edna told him, with a gentle hand to his back. "Let me just grab your bag real quick."

"Okay…"

He… didn't really pay attention to the trip to the Witch's Wares, just barely noticing how Miss Edna was beside him for the entire trip.

Even then he only really noticed they were at their destination when Samantha tried to greet them, only to frown when she caught sight of him. "Is… he okay, Aunty E?"

"He's… had a rough month…" Miss Edna eventually answered. "We're just going to borrow a back room, cool?"

"Yeah, of course." Samantha nodded.

Once alone in one of the store's workrooms Miss Edna took a look around the room as he almost mechanically pulled his things from his bag, only to accidentally pull out one of his silver rings and let it roll across the table.

Miss Edna caught the ring before it could roll off of the table, instead holding it up for a moment. "Hey, I've got an idea for something we can try working on?"

Scene Consequences

-Parry Ring (D-Rank) Created

--Thanks to Core Concept's relation to Jon's Secondary Affinity Enchantment has been upgraded by 1 Rank.

--While equipped anytime Jon parries a Melee Attack, reflect back up to 2 Damage of the same type as the initial attack.

-Thanks to using two concepts at once for the first time gained 1 bonus Enchantment XP.

---

"Well, it's not quite the protection ring I was going for, but slipping that Reflection concept from your [Moon] affinity was kind of neat." Miss Edna offered after a moment.

"I guess…" Truthfully he'd been trying to mimic the effect of the protection rings, but hadn't really been paying attention when Miss Edna explained it to him and so had instead improvised.

"There you are." A voice chimed.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"You can't go back there!" A second called, drawing his attention to Felicia as his Malcontent cousin made her way towards them glaring at Samantha with a middle finger raised.

"It's fine, Sammy." Miss Edna sighed, while waving her niece off. "This is Jon's cousin, Felicia."

"Who just spent the last hour tracking you down because you're playing hooky and not back home where Aunty M said you were." Felicia half growled as she turned her glare onto him, only to tilt her head and bluntly inform him that, "You look like shit."

"Kind of feel like it." He confessed, pawing at the faint ache behind his eyes before something occurred to him. "How do you finding me by the way?" The fact that she'd found him at DeSade's as well made the fact she'd followed him here feel like a common thing.

"Drank your blood when we were kids and slapped a pack mark on you. Not quite as effective as if you had Malice in your blood, but still good enough to follow you." Fe shrugged as if she hadn't partially cannibalized him.

"What?" Samantha blinked, looking several different kinds of concerned.

"Oh, yeah. She's also a, uh, Malcontent." Miss Edna noted while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So she… eats people?" Samantha frowned, a bit of magic beginning to flow in her hand.

"If they piss me off." Felicia glared once more.

He kicked his cousin's shin. "She drinks a blood slurry. Her aunt works at a clinic and swipes the bags they'd otherwise throw away."

Once more the glare was turned onto him. "I also eat people who piss me off."

"With all the fats, drugs, and sugar in people that sounds like it would hurt you worse." He admitted.

Felicia held her glare for a moment before admitting that. "Yeah, most people taste like shit… It's like they think drinking water will kill them or something… Blood at least has a semi-consistent taste."

"That's why it's best to just spit their throats out. You still have the taste in your mouth but you don't have to worry about rotten meat." He told her, earning an alarmed look from Samantha, a thoughtful look from Felicia, and he couldn't actually see Miss Edna's face with her hands blocking his view.

After a moment though his second parent took a deep breath and gave them all a smile as she said, "Hey kids, how about we quit talking about cannibalism and get back to using magic?"

"What kind of magic?" Felicia asked.

"Whatever kind kills the previous conversation." Miss Edna answered, smile stiff.

He considered that for a moment before thinking about his goal of murdering the Horror and pulling his axe out of his backpack before dropping it onto the table. "How about something with this?"

"Why do you have an axe on you?" Samantha asked, eyes wide.

"Might need to kill something." He shrugged.

Felicia nodded in understanding, before shoving her hand into a flaming portal and pulling out her flaming sword. "Mine's cooler."

He glared at his cousin. "Bet."

-Quartermaster's Axe has been enchanted

--Current Capacity: 10/14

--Thanks to Core Concept's relation to Jon's primary Affinity Enchantment has been upgraded by 2 Ranks.

--New Enchantment: Preferred Enemy: Magic (C-Rank)

---When targeting a unit capable of using [Magic] Base Damage and Crit Chance are both increased by 3. (Note: Damage Dice Explode on 3 or higher.)

Note: [Malice] does not count as [Magic].

Thanks to both Miss Edna and Felicia's assists overlapping…

-Quartermaster's Axe has been enchanted (Again)

--Current Capacity: 14/14

--Thanks to Core Concept's relation to Jon's primary Affinity Enchantment has been upgraded by 2 Ranks.

--New Enchantment: Preferred Enemy: Malice (C-Rank)

---When targeting a unit capable of using [Malice] Base Damage and Crit Chance are both increased by 3. (Note: Damage Dice Explode on 3 or higher.)

---

It was with a begrudging reluctance that he eventually found his way to a large warehouse, one that after banging on the door and being let in by some kind of horned feline person, he discovered to be a front for one of Tru's fight pits. This one looking less like a mix of nightclub and sports coliseum and more like a gym with several pits instead of boxing rings.

"Was starting to wonder if you were actually going to show up." Val admitted as she caught sight of him.

"What's this about exactly?" He frowned taking the place in. "All you said was to meet you here."

"Yeah, follow me. Come on, vámonos." She told him with a wave as she walked into one of the empty pits.

"What's this about exactly?" He could take a guess but (I'm really hoping this isn't a fight…)

He really did not feel like fighting without his little light with him. If only because while he wasn't scared of the Scarecrow, he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with him and Val without his own partner with him.

"I want a rematch." Val answered as she walked over to her bag and pulled out some sports tape.

"Normally I'd consider it but… Pix is… sick and-"

"No, no. I want a rematch mano a mano." Val told him, throwing a thing of tape at him. "No weapons, no magic, no partners. Just you and me."

He stared at the tape in his hands before giving Val a look and asking, "Why?"

"I like fighting." Val shrugged as she tied the tape off before giving a few test jabs. "Makes me feel good knowing I can cave a pendejo's face in if they fuck with me or mine."

"Okay… but why fight me without… anything?" He wondered. "I mean, you don't have your bat and…" He glared at the other teen's shadow. "You have him hiding."

"Because -based on what those chicas were yapping about- you're a good fighter with or without weapons and magic." The Scarecrow's Keeper explained. "And Mi Duende y Audrey are both shit without their magic. Only time I get a real brawl is when I wrestle Espanta or pick a fight here, and he holds back while most people here are too chicken shit to fight me now."

"Alright…" He could sort of follow all of that. (Then again aside from Ma who doesn't need it, everyone I spar with uses might and magic.) "But that still leaves the question of why I should fight you if I don't want to."

"Oh, that's easy." Val grinned as she patted his shoulder.

Seeing where this was going he began raising his hand to block her punch, only to feel her forehead slam into his nose first.

Val laughed as she stumbled back, faintly dazed by her own blow before she shook her head and took a stance. "You might be scared to fight me, but I ain't scared to beat you down, cazadorcito."

He glared at the other teen, wiping at his bleeding nose, before deciding (screw it.) And letting the beast out.

Val only grinned wider, a mad look of her own in her eyes just before the two beasts rushed each other.

Scene Consequences

-Grown a bit closer to Val.

-Gained 2XP to Beast's Claws

--*Skill Level Up* Beast's Claws Lv. 5 (0/12)

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.