Quin was the first to break through inside the cave. Thorin succeeded after him, then Clay followed soon after. The rest too had their breakthroughs as the end of the mana surge approached. Iver remained in the same layer but carried a contented smile. They watched the milky fog wane and fade away. The spell array died off after a flicker. But his smile remained on his face. He’d probably gained a random boost in his stats during the tide, Thorin reckoned. If not that, he’d at least gained something through the last week to warrant the grin. Nonetheless, it wasn’t his place to question or worry about that. He and his cousins had gained much from the cave, and it was now time to say their goodbyes.

  “Well, good luck to you three,” Iver said, shaking Thorin’s hand then Clay’s and Quin’s after exiting the tunnel. “Be safe out there.”

  “You too,” Thorin said, squinting from the glare of the sun. They were in the dark for too long. His cousins nodded in response as well. They even exchanged an amicable enough farewell with Wolf and Casper and let the bad blood stay buried inside the tunnels.

  “Things were hectic in there,” Casper said. “We were all on edge. So, I apologize if we came off a bit hostile.”

  “A bit?” Quin retorted with a chuckle, but Clay slapped his back with a click of his tongue and silenced him.

  “It’s alright,” Thorin said, shaking his hand too. “We understand. Water under the bridge.”

  “Still, here’s something as a token of apology,” Casper said, handing him a thin booklet. “There have been many Shepherds lingering around the street markets in recent years, hunting beginner Magi. This will help you guys out if you happen to meet them. This has their details.”

  “Thank you,” Thorin said, smiling.

  “Alright, we’ll take our leave then,” Iver said. “Please remember your promise to Granduncle Ray.” He left the sentence behind for Thorin and walked off with Wolf and Casper.

  Thorin and his cousins left too after getting their bearings. The exit of the tunnel put them a good distance away from the street market. They were far from the area where the two guilds waged war. They’d even left the territory of the Direwolves behind. Still, the dense woods ahead carried risks. Like Casper said, Faes weren’t the only ones hunting in the forest. If they happened to meet their old acquaintance, it would have to be a life and death battle. Magi and Shepherds were like oil and water after all.

  “What’s in the booklet?” Clay asked as the three threaded through the dense vines and woods, their footfalls crushing the grass and leaves beneath.

  “Some details of Shepherds,” Thorin said. “It lists their usual spells, methods, and even some weaknesses. One part is circled in red. When a Shepherd deploys his shield, he can't move until it vanishes, it says.”

  “Yeah, why don’t I believe it,” Quin said, clearing the path ahead with a machete.

  “Treat it with caution,” Thorin said, shutting the booklet and throwing it in a corner of an isolated inventory after wrapping it with a layer of his mana. Just in case, if there was a problem with it.

  “I don’t trust that bastard,” Quin said. “He could pit us.”

  “Whether he did or not, it’s better to be careful,” Thorin said. “Let’s memorize what’s written in the book then compare it with our own experiences.”

  “But we haven’t fought a Shepherd so far. Properly, at least,” Quin grumbled. “What experiences? We just got our asses kicked the last time we fled from him.”

  “We will, though, eventually,” Thorin said.

  “This silence is creeping me out,” Clay said, frowning when he looked at the woods around.

  “It is indeed quiet,” Thorin said. The insects’ chirps, the birds’ calls, and even the distant howls had abandoned the forest by late afternoon. There were no Ghosts hiding in the cracks of the shadows either. The sunlit woods carried a depressing gloom in the absence of life and movement.

  “The war might’ve affected the Faes around,” Quin said. “They might’ve all fled already.”

  “It’s still a bit too much,” Clay said. “This reminds me of the quiet when that Shepherd chased us.”

  The three brothers halted their steps when Clay finished his sentence. They looked at each other and confirmed the suspicion in the reflection of their eyes.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Let’s hurry and leave this—” Thorin stopped short as the sight ahead narrowed his eyes. Where their path should have continued stood the silhouette of a giant formed from ebony hair. It was the Hair Golem. But this time, it had no confusion or curiosity in its eyes. The sheen of the black beads reflected the three brothers, and the Golem looked for their blood. It roared and launched at them.

  ……

  [Iver]

  “Why did you give them that booklet?” Iver asked with a scowl as he led Wolf and Casper through their usual trail.

  “Why not?” Casper asked back with a chuckle.

  “Iver, you’re sympathizing with them a bit too much,” Wolf said. “They’re not your responsibility.”

  “We promised Granduncle Ray we’d take care of them,” Iver said. “Even if we didn’t do that, at least we shouldn’t harm them.”

  “There was no harm,” Casper said. “Just some outdated information. If they’re lucky, it won't affect them much. If they’re dumb enough to believe whatever information they get at face value, then they deserve some pain. This is the least amount of compensation we can get for what we lost. It’ll also teach them a valuable lesson.”

  “The mana tide was supposed to be our opportunity,” Wolf said. “But we had to share it with them. Forget about the potions, we couldn’t even meditate in peace because of them. Because they couldn’t keep the Faes at bay properly. If you didn’t occupy yourself with them, you might’ve broken through as well.”

  “I never intended to break through here,” Iver said. “My job was to oversee the supply route and protect you two during the mana tide. I did that. On top of it, I even gained a boost in my vitality. You two broke through as well, as you’d wished to. We didn’t lose anything by bringing them in.”

  “You can think so, but I disagree,” Casper said. “If not for them, I would’ve broken through way before the last day and even have some leeway to push my spirit up a little after that.”

  “Regardless, their youngest is the one who Granduncle Ray picked for Avril,” Iver said. “If anything happens to him, or if our relationship sours because of what you did, you’ll answer to granduncle. I won't shield you two.”

  Wolf chuckled. “Who even knows where that little girl is now? Maybe she’s already dead.”

  “Don’t let Granduncle Ray hear you say that,” Iver said, glancing at him. “He’ll beat the shit out of you. Even your dad can't protect you then.”

  “The Aether House is no more,” Casper said. “Why does he care so much?”

  “Whatever his reasons are, we’re not in a position to question him,” Iver said. “And who knows, maybe it’ll come back from the dead one day.”

  “I seriously doubt it,” Casper said.

  ……

  [Thorin]

  Whips of thick, woven hair scarred the earth as the Hair Golem thrashed around, lashing out at the Aether brothers. Because the mana tester had only showed a faint red, they risked the fight without fleeing. After all, a frenzied escape from the Golem could result in attracting unwanted eyes.

  Thorin’s chained blades took to the air and plunged at the Golem as the frozen paper-blades skimmed the grass, striking from below. Steel and spell sheared away a chunk of its hair, but more grew back at once, sealing the wound before its howl could even echo. Still, the blades had done their work. The regeneration slowed, unstable now. Even so, the golem remained a headache to fight.

  Quin stayed on defense, his claymore ringing as he turned aside each strike and forced the golem’s focus onto himself. Clay worked from the side, his blunt blows doing little, save for , which still bit into the golem. Thorin had become the main offense with his chained blades, but he too struggled with the straightforward approach.

  Blades were the Golem’s weakness. But if he only relied on cutting it, he would never beat the giant. So, Thorin started looking for different combinations that could boost the damage.

   could work, but the spell would nearly empty his mana vessel. Not yet. The thought circled his mind as he hooked a tree with his chained blade and vaulted across the field, evading a mountainous punch. The rest of the blades danced with the chains on the Golem’s back and sliced its hair apart. Before it could recover, Thorin hurled a salvo of at its injury. The Golem howled and writhed in pain. The withering damage worsened its wounds, but it did nothing to slow down its regeneration.

  Papervine: Icesnakes!

  Thorin cast as he shuttled around. The frozen paper vines wrapped the golem, slowing it and turning its hair brittle, just as Quin deflected a whipping strike aimed his way. The ice damage made it much easier for the chained blades to shatter the frozen hair. Yet, it still regenerated from the damage. Nothing was working.

  “Is it immortal?” Clay howled in despair. “Can it regenerate endlessly?”

  Can it even die?

  ?