Chapter 29: Speculation

“How are they?” placed Anya a cup of hot tea before Xendar who was sitting in his study, reading different reports from the scouting parties.

 

“The kids or the reports?”

 

“Both.” smiled as she sat down into his lap, leaning against his chest 

 

“The kids are fine, that little imp we made has too much energy, after a bath and food she was up and running again like nothing happened.”

 

“Ahaha, she reminds me of somebody~”

 

“Yeah, yeah. They became strong, we don’t need to worry too much. The only question is what will happen with their tribulation.”

 

“Hopefully it will be fine.”

 

“Knowing Ren, it will be.” chuckled Xendar, putting down the papers, holding his wife closer 

 

“And the reports?”

 

“Bad. I called back everyone immediately but still, we already lost two scouting parties who were deep in the forest. No contact with them for days now, probably they are dead and whatever killed them is coming this way.”

 

“Is it the horde that we are expecting?”

 

“No. I don’t think so, if it would be, we would’ve lost all scouts without ever having a chance to have contact with them. This is probably a reaction to me squashing that bug. I expected that much. The question is, which tribe is it and what countermeasure we should take.”

 

“We can defend this position pretty well, we just need to hold out.”

 

“That is the easy route. I’m thinking more along the lines of “How could I turn this into our advantage?”. 

 

“You want to exterminate them?”

 

“That would be ideal. This is probably one of the more hot headed tribes' reactions. We could set up a perfect trap, luring them to where we want, then striking them down.”

 

“But it will be a bloodbath. The tribes further up the north are strong. Their evolved species easily put up a fight with you or could outnumber you.” 

 

“I won’t worry about that. Those are experienced demons, they won’t act like this, they learnt a lot from us and act more or less like we do. Feynor is right, with those kinds of people we can reason with. The others… are a hindrance to both of us and to them.”

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

“Not just me. Feynor and Dermitos have the same line of thoughts and I completely agree with them. It was more than two millennia ago when they started to grow and evolve. They reached a point in civilization when they are ready to take those steps we did four or five thousands of years ago.”

 

“Are you saying they are on the verge of forming their own, real civilization?” 

 

“Probably already did that hundreds of years ago. Now they are trying to see who comes out on top. For one part, it’s pure speculation, but still, it has logic behind it and would explain a lot of behavioral changes… and it’s my gut feeling.” said as he aid out a map, showing the Swordscar Pass with red circles drawn on it at different points “We destroyed seven bridges. All of them were guarded by the same scorpion-like demonfolk that Ren’s team encountered. One of the bridges was already built from stone and guarded by three, it was only successfully taken down when Ultar personally intervened, still two of the three escaped. The whole operation was clearly planned and organized by scorpions. Or it seems at first. Was it their own idea or did they follow orders? We don’t know yet, but the materials used were determined to be from the Wall of the World. It’s too far away so probably, it was mined and processed by other demonfolk, transported by another tribe here, then built by the scorpions. Or were they only responsible for guarding it? We won’t know.”

 

“So they have some kind of civilized structure.”

 

“I would bet my life on it. My guess is that there are stronger tribes who took control, going by the animalistic nature, they should not have an empire like structure yet as we do… but probably the more evolved tribes have cooperation instead of killing one another while pressuring smaller ones into servitude. It’s just unknown if there was a decision already which tribe will come out on top, unifying the whole area or they are still in the fight for total control. We don’t even know how many tribes there are.”

 

“Going by your logic Dear,” said after a long silence, thinking it through while Xendar took small sips from his cup “the previous raids by lower level demons were some kind of special culling? Isn’t that what they always do? Numbers swell, they trim it by sending them in droves against us, humans.”

 

“I would call it, “removal of the enemies.” The lesser tribes, those who are big in numbers but not evolved yet, like the bugs. They had big numbers yes, but small and relatively weak, stupid, evolved leaders. Or like those who are seemingly coming for us, the aggressive kind that acts before thinking… Aren’t these kinds of species standing in the way of progress?”

 

“So they are using us to weed out their inner opposition? Is that what you are saying?”

 

“Probably. They are using those tribes as cannon fodder which could pose a hindrance towards their goal of unification. They can preserve their own forces while weakening their opposition and in the meanwhile they exhaust us. It’s a perfect outcome, no matter how you look at it.”

 

“Aren’t you giving them too much credit?”

 

“Don’t look down at them. Never do that. They are strong and intelligent, they are not inferior to us in any way. What we encounter here at the edge are the lowlifes. It would be like if you form an opinion about the capital by only visiting the Cheese District’s brothels.”

 

“Idiot…” giggled Anya pecking his lips “Just so you know, your daughter unified that district.” 

 

“She did? Why didn’t you mention it before?”

 

“Because she only made it possible, not doing it herself. Anyway, that girl who follows her around is the adopted daughter of Boursat and now he rules the district with an iron fist. The crime rate has fallen so low, people are starting to move in with their own violations, bringing some business too to the inhabitants.”

 

“Hah! Good!” laughed Xendar with a proud voice “It is the best if the home base is clear and safe while a storm is gathering in the north. It should still take years or decades or even centuries but the forest will unify one day… and when it does, we will have a powerful neighbor. As what it will bring to us… is still not clear. I just hope Feynor will succeed because if we can’t establish a good connection in time… and we speak with fists instead of words we could propagate who knows how many generations of conflicts.”

 

“Then why did you retake this fortress?” blinked Anya mischievously 

 

“We need good cards in our hands if we want to sit at the same table… also, doesn't this ensure my name in the history books? That's pretty good, no?”

 

“Bad boy…” sighed as she kissed his lips, slowly climbing on the top of him

 

“Who is the bad one here I wonder…” murmured while enjoying the soft lips, slowly pressing his hands under her blouse…

 

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“Wrong. Again.” came the commanding voice after a loud “whack” sound

 

“Uugh.. ookay…” murmured Ren who now sprouted a second bump on her head as she was wearing a training outfit, up on the top of the wall, practicing with a heavy spear that glittered in a metallic luster under the sun.

 

“You became sloppy with your movements, the thrusting motion is all wrong! Do it again!” landed the thick rod on her body again, correcting her stance, making Ren repeat it all over and over.

 

“Ahaha, it’s good to see the roles being reversed.” giggled Isha, who was sitting next to Zern who was still bandaged but with a healthy expression on his face 

 

“Now I know where Master got her training methods from.” nodded Poli

 

“You got it easy.” sighed Leinor, remembering their sparring sessions which at times left him with broken limbs 

 

“It looks painful… Why does sister Ren’s father hit her so much?” murmured Rem, who was with them, gently floating around, looking at Xendar with fear in her eyes

 

“Nah, don’t worry about it, this is how we train most of the time.” laughed Poli “The body remembers the pain more easily and if you wish to avoid being hit, just do it the correct way.”

 

“Hauh… human training is so scary!”

 

“How do you train?” asked Isha with a curious expression

 

“Um, we don’t. When we are young we just fly from flower to flower and dance without parents while playing! And… it just happens!”

 

“Naturally? Like, you don’t even cultivate?”

 

“The training… um… no, we are not… If we grow up we just dance with the young and with each other while playing! Having fun and friends are the best, why would we try to hurt others?”

 

Leinor only sighed while Isha gently pulled the small red fairy into her lap, stroking her head which she really enjoyed, happily squirming around, pushing her face against Isha’s palm. 

 

“Stop.” commanded Xendar, letting Ren rest a little 

 

“Haaah!” let go of the spear that with a loud thump landed on the ground, shaking the tiles a little, proving it’s heaviness. “That felt good!”

 

“How far are you?” came up Xendar, gently stroking the bumps on her head 

 

“Ouch, careful!” giggled while putting on a thinking expression “If i want to try it I could do it… it’s… I still have difficulties calling forth water, my mastery over the secondary affinity of mine is not perfect yet.”

 

“Then don’t do it yet. I also waited a few decades before attempting.”

 

“That's my plan, its… just…”

 

“Just?”

 

“The fights we had. We are strong, way stronger than others at the same level. Those who ascended at a low level also do not pose that big of a threat… yet still. Those wasps almost killed us.”

 

“They were outnumbering you. By the hundreds.” crouched down, smilingly wiping away the sweat from his daughter’s face “You were exhausted. Of course you couldn’t put up a correct fight, don’t stress out that much. What you can do is not something that anyone can replicate. Usually someone in the Body Refinement Realm can at most fight to a tie with someone in a higher realm… and they are geni level warriors. Your group already killed a demon folk who evolved. Survived combined attack of others. What else do you want? Don’t be greedy Ren.”

 

“You so easily destroyed them...”

 

“The chasm between realms doesn’t only apply to strength. That's why those who are at the ninth realm need to endure nine lightning strikes to ascend and if they do… their refinement is perfect. I am more attuned to the world than those who ascended only enduring four, five or six strikes. I can feel the energy around us, manipulate it smoothly and I tell you now, you and your friends are brimming with the same, wild and untapped energies as the tribulation itself. When you all ascend it will be a new era. I won’t stand a chance against any good and I can’t wait to see you grow stronger than your father!”

 

“Dad…”

 

“Just don’t rush it. Wring out every drop of potential, until the last drop before ascending because if you do, you will step onto a new level and there is no turning back, correcting mistakes.”

 

“I’ll do that! You will be proud of me!”

 

“Ahaha, that's what I like to hear! Now come, do another set!”

 

“Sure!” nodded with renewed vigor, grabbing the spear while Poli stood up suddenly

 

“I need to get my sword and get some practice in.”

 

“Wait, I’m coming too.” followed Leinor while Rem just blinked surprisedly 

 

“I-”

 

“Forget it, Zern. You sit right back. Your wound is still not healed. We take in some fresh air and take you back in, wash you off then you must rest.” commanded Isha, as Zern after a little hesitation just let out a small sigh

 

“Um, Mr. Zern, you should listen to your wife!” nodded Rem, saying with a concerned, innocent voice making both of them blush and Isha didn’t had the will to correct her

 

What they did not know is that the calm days only continued for a weekend or so before the storm clouds started to gather in the horizon.

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