"You're doing what?" Chiko asked in shock. It was the next morning and Tanu was saddling up to get on the road again, Chiko standing nearby.
"Can you imagine the power? Barely anyone holds that privilege in their blood anymore." Tanu retorted. Chiko looked dumbfounded; this petite half-elf girl claimed she was doing a ritual to summon the Horned God Elbruis in order to gain the boon of lycanthropy.
The only people who conjured creatures from Elbruis were battlemages and foolhardy magicians, not horny women. She guessed she had simply never considered the possibilities, as making deals with deities was regarded as extremely dangerous, for good reason.
"Sure, sure, I've heard all about it. Well, I need to come with you. To chaperone." Chiko stook up straight, showing her full height and build, pointedly flicking her tail.
Tanu laughed, "I've done worse than this, I don't need a chaperone. Don't mistake my size for incompetence."
With that, Tanu swung herself over and onto her horse, directed it toward the gate, and trotted off. Once she was outside on the road again, she guided the animal into a gallop, appreciating the wind carrying her hair back and the steady jolt of riding.
She'd found her steed in an abandoned farmstead, the only survivor of a dragon attack. She was impressed with the horse's strength and ability to be ridden, so she decided to keep it and name it Biddy. Her former horse, Nutmeg, tragically fell down a cliffside that Tanu was attempting to scale.
She was forced to slow down as she entered a wooded area, but soon reached the plains. Only an hour later and the Standing Stones rested before her. It was an ancient site, nicely hidden away by a few trees and some precarious boulders. This was the traditional ritual site for communing with Elbruis.
The morning was beautiful and crisp, the sky clear and blue. The moon tonight would be a marvel.
Tanu spent her day gathering wood to make a fire for food later, as well as sharpening her knife. She had inherited it from her grandma, who was a bit crazy herself; a chief for the hunter's guild in Bernard.
The knife was simple steel with a green leather handle, a single gemstone embedded on the hilt. Her grandma nor her parents knew what type it was. The blade was connected to a chain, meaning it was no ordinary weapon.
The way Tanu fought with it was not only sticking and stabbing, but throwing as well. She could tie the chain to her wrist and maneuver it like a flail. She learned those methods from her father, who in turn learned it from his mom, and so forth. It was a surprisingly efficient way to cut someone up quickly.
After erecting a basic camp, Tanu cut her hair short with a small, sharp knife. She was getting tired of how long it was getting and thought it may be more practical for future fights. Tanu then made her way through the woods tracking animals. Wolves, to be exact.
I'm not going to spend two gold pieces on a bunch of brittle wolf bones, watch me
, she thought.
Tanu closed her eyes, focusing her energy. When she opened them, she beheld glowing green paw prints in the undergrowth. Detect Lifeform always did the trick, it was one of the first spells she ever learned.
She tracked the predator to a den, where four wolves layed around in the shade. One looked to be on the younger side, and the leader lay in a position allowing him to be wary of his surroundings.
Tanu took out her staff and cast a ball of red at one of the adults. The wolf became paralyzed. The other wolves quickly scrambled to their paws and ran away, not knowing their friend was unable to join them.
Tanu leapt out from the bushes and took out her knife, looking down at the poor canine. It looked terrified, all left alone.
With a simple stroke, the wolf lay dead, ready to be harvested for ritual parts and food for later that night. She hefted it onto her shoulder and slowly walked back to camp.
* * * * *
How long had it been since Tanu contacted the energy of the moon?
