Page 170 of Of Blood & Stone

“Oh, but youknowyou can’t just say things like that and get away with it.” He smiled.

She bit her lip. “What?I had no idea.”

It took every ounce of restraint in him to not fuck her this very moment. Judging by her smile, the thought burned in her mind just as brightly.

“Elnok, Sylzenya, if you both could please focus this morning, my ears would greatly appreciate it,” Kharis yelled from the center of their small encampment, putting out the last of the burning embers. Their breakfast had been berries, roasted squash, and ample dried meat.

Rolling his eyes, Elnok claimed her mouth again, filling his lungs with her before they resumed taking down their equipment.

Outside of Lhaal Forest, the same barren lands Elnok had left still painted the hills, mountains, and valleys. Every so often, Sylzenya, Nyla, and a group of five more Kreenas would disperse and use their magic to create grass, trees, and other spots of life.

Despite the continued bareness, they proved it could be revitalized.

“It’ll take a long time and a lot of work,” Sylzenya remarked as she took a long gulp from her waterskin. “But if enough Esteans can commit to learning how to harness their power and help the land, then we can at least start bringing it back to its original state. Perhaps even better.”

Elnok stared at her back, her Kreena cut a soft pink, the healthiest he’d ever seen it.

“What’s it like?” Elnok asked as they and their party walked between two cliffsides, “Creating without your cut opening and bleeding?”

She smiled, something she’d been doing often on this trip. “It feels… right. Like this is how it was always supposed to be. And yet, it still feels like something is missing.” She turned to him. “I grew so accustomed to the pain, it almost feels like the life I make is somehow unearned.”

Nyla jumped in between them, her black hair tangled and full of leaves. “Don’t listen to her, Elnok. She’s far too philosophical about all of this. How it actually feels isamazing. And way less messy. I mean, by the gods, we were bleeding constantly. It feels good to create without pain or blood. Although, I’m far more interested in learning how to harness my Dynami powers.”

Elnok laughed as Sylzenya shook her head, taking twigs out of her friend’s hair.

“You’d make quite the warrior,” she teased.

“Just you wait, Syl–Oh!We should create some trees over there, don’t you think?”

Sylzenya rolled her eyes, giving into her friend’s request as they rushed ahead of the group, creating a small ravine and oak trees next to one of the canyon faces. Despite her smiles, Elnok hadn’t missed the sadness in her eyes. She hadn’t talked about it yet, but he knew she still felt guilt for what their magic had done to the continent.

Suddenly, the ground started to quake.

“Serpentum!” Kharis yelled from the front of the line. “I’ll take care of it. Continue forward.”

Kharis rushed ahead of the group, his veins and sword aglow.

“Suppose Dynameis will need to keep vigilant,” Theraden said as he stepped next to Elnok.

Sylzenya’s father wore a plain white tunic and brown linen pants, a leather bag wrapped around his chest and hanging from his back. Gray hair tied in a small tail at the nape of his neck, he pointed towards Elnok’s whip, “Do you plan to help them rid the continent of the loose monsters?”

Elnok shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing after this.”

“My daughter will want to revitalize the continent,” he said, “she’s told me many times since we started the journey.”

“She’s told me as well.”

The man readjusted his bag. “While I want to spend as much time as I can with Sylzenya, I know she won’t want to stay in one place for too long. Her heart’s too large for that. Her ambitions will take her many places my body won’t be able to join.”

“You have a compassionate daughter, Theraden,” Elnok remarked.

“A blessing I don’t deserve,” he said, eyes glassy.

“Something tells me she didn’t get that particular quality from Distrathrus.”

A small smile spread across his mouth. “You love my daughter very much.”

Elnok laughed. “I fear I make that a bit too obvious sometimes.”

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