Chapter 37
Jito was recovered by noon the next day. At least he was recovered enough to keep up, if not in fighting condition. I wasn't sure if my session with Myta the night before had quite the effect I wanted, but at least it had the effect that she'd wanted. She seemed a bit more relaxed at least, and the one time I'd praised her with a 'good girl' out of sight of the others showed that at least some of my commands stayed with her. I admit, watching her swoon with nothing but a couple of words was a stroke to my ego.
The other hunters returned near noon as well, reporting similar findings to Denu. At that point I saw no real alternative, I needed to go examine the warded areas myself.
"Why is it so important that you take the lead, master? Just feeling a need to run headlong into potential danger?" Myta asked me.
"If there are sorcerous traps laid, or clues to be found, I am the only one with the skills to identify them." I replied. "You learn quickly, but you don't have the experience I do with such things."
She snorted, smirking just a little. "You can look through me easily enough, and my aspect is better for getting out of harm's way. I'd rather have you in a safer spot in any case. No one else here has more than the most basic healing skills."
I couldn't fault her logic, though it galled me a little to let others take the risk on my behalf. I grinned however, as a sudden thought struck me.
"What?" She asked, seeing my expression.
""I think that's the first time you've argued with me, and you were correct. Well done, my flame." I leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Good girl."
Myta went rigid, letting out a sound like a hoarse hiccup as the wave of pleasure took her by surprise. She steadied herself by grabbing my shoulder as she swayed for a moment, then let out a shuddering breath.
"Wicked master," she murmured, glancing around quickly to see if any of our companions had seen. "I think that was stronger than earlier. Did you do something different?"
"No, but it's been less than a day." I mused. "The changes probably just haven't finished yet."
"So it might get even stronger?" Her voice rose in pitch a little, sounding mildly panicked. But there was a smile on her lips. "Best not do that when I'm fighting then.
"I won't."
We headed to the warded area, and I was firmly in the middle of the group. Myta led the way, and Ket trailed behind. For once the spirit was keeping us appraised of her position, and she'd told us that, while she couldn't find her way into the warded area on her own, she would be able to follow us. I'd suspected for some time that the leopard had some kind of spiritual tether attached to me. How else could she communicate with me over long distances? And despite my inability to find any such link this all but assured me I was correct. Whatever the link was, she must be certain that it would guide her through the ward's interference.
As Myta had suggested, I followed her senses as she passed through the sorcerous barrier. It wasn't as though I were there, precisely, I was sorting through her impressions second hand. I couldn't really 'look' at anything she wasn't already paying attention to already, but my vas was observant, and I could also nudge her where needed. She and the rest of the vanguard swept through the area quickly, so I wasn't waiting long in any case. As Denu had already told us, there was nothing obviously out of place, no signs of recent habitation. I did find traces of sorcery, however. Traces that were tantalizingly familiar.
"I think I know what this is, though I hope I'm wrong." I said to Myta. "Just give me a few minutes to confirm, and have your men keep their guard up." She nodded, and gave out some terse instructions, infected by my tense mood. I closed my eyes to better focus on the mana around me, tracing out the edge of the warded area. As I'd feared, it was perfectly round.
Almost all wards were spherical, extending from a central point that was some form of enchanted object. But wards weren't generally static things. They flexed and rippled at their edges like curtains caught in a gentle breeze, yielding to stronger flows of mana before directing them away. I only knew one kind of ward that didn't show this effect, and they weren't created by anyone living. Myta gave me a worried look as I cursed aloud, but followed silently when I made my way to the exact center of the area. There was a large boulder, sitting at the edge of a small clearing. It was covered in moss, and looked natural enough at a glance, but I knew better.
"They're hiding in a ruin of the ancients." I said to my vas, as well as the small group that had tagged along after me. "There's an entrance here," I pointed to a spot in the ground. "We can use this stone to open it."
Look of curiosity and understanding passed across the faces of the group, in nearly equal measure.
"You have experience with the ruins of the ancients?" Hati asked the question they were all thinking, and I grimaced at letting slip one more secret.