Chapter 79: Chapter 79: To See Without Deception

Everyone sat around the fire with their wood plates of Frost Cat Chops, roast potatoes with crystal berry jam and a winter green salad sprinkled with olive oil and vinegar. Nom had conjured his table of alcoholic refreshments and everyone seemed to be going for the Cthonic Cider.

Nom held up his bottle. “To a group of mighty hunters and to new abilities!”

They all clinked their glasses to the toast and took a swig from their ciders. The Cthonic brew, basically conjured drink by Nom, tasted delicious. Much like a crisp apple cider but there was an earthiness to it that made the drinker think of dark and hollow places that existed at just at the edge of sanity.

She cut herself a piece of the Frost Cat loin, which looked like a juicy pork chop. Browned to perfection. She also used the fork with the piece of meat to stab a roasted potato and she dipped the big bite in a bit of the crystal berry jam. Blue motes corkscrewed off the Marrow. For a moment, it was as if the camp was visited by blue fireflies.

Then she lifted it to her mouth, the fragrant food making her salivate. She stuffed it in her mouth and began to chew. There was a burst of sweet and savory from the Frost Cat loin. The bit of roast potato smoothed it out and the crystal berry jam enhanced the sweet flavor with fruity notes.

For a second, she was hit with a series of images. Stalking elk through a series of switch backs. Pawing trout out of a stream. Biting into a rabbit. Memories of the Frost Cat hunting and feeding.

Around her, everyone let out little noises of pleasure and gratification as they ate the Marrow.

---

[Marrow Consumed!]

[Loin Marrow of the Blue-Spotted Frost Cat]

[Would you like to unlock Marrow Ability for Tongue of the Hierophant]

[OR]

[Bladegland of Icescythe]

[Choose one]

---

Nay chose the Bladegland of Icescythe tree.

---

[Opening Delicacy Tree]

[Marrow Abilities 6/12]

Opening Ability Tree for the Delicacy: Bladegland of Icescythe.

---

The image of the rotating ability cubes appeared in her mind, next to the display of a digestive system. Four of the cubes were filled with icons representing the Marrows that had already been integrated into the tree.

You have eight open slots in this Ability Tree. You have consumed Loin Marrow of the Blue-Spotted Frost Cat. It has syncretized into the [Stealth] ability. Would you like to use slot for [Stealth] [Y/N?]

She pulled up the ability description.

Stealth. The Blue-Spotted Frost Cat stalks its prey from the shadows, remaining unseen until they are ready to attack. This ability allows you to do the same. Conceal yourself from plain view with the powers of the shadows. While in [stealth], you’ll move at 50% movement speed. Effect wears off when cancelled, discovered or when you attack. Cooldown: 3 seconds.

Nay smiled. What a perfect ability to pair with her knife skills. She could stalk and even get close to a target unseen before attacking them. That is if they had no ability that would expose her to their sight.

That was the thing about her combat tree. It worked best when she was up close and personal, giving her fighting style a deadly intimacy. She mentally hit ‘Yes’ and a star of warmth formed inside of her as her spirit veins and her vigor network upgraded itself with the ability.

She laid in the snow and stared up at the stars through the tree branches, winking above the mountain peak. Nom and Tuk-Tuk laid next to as the Marrow worked its magic.

Ilyawraith handed them all green cheroots and lit them. They laid there, enjoying a cheroot after a great meal and another Marrow. To Nay, the cheroot looked like a green twig. The smoke was nutty and tasted of cherries.

“Where do you get these things?” Nay said.

“San Leone,” Ilyawraith said. “A city on the Southern end of the Peninsula, right on the tip. I developed an affinity for them in my youth so I have crates of them at Ianthe.”

“What are you gonna do if you run out?” Nay said.

“Send my pupil into the city on a stealth mission to procure more crates for me,” Ilyawraith said.

She seemed to always be able to read Nay and know her abilities. That little reference to stealth meant she knew.

“You mean stealth like this?” Nay said.

Everyone turned to regard her and she disappeared in front of them. As Stealth activated, the world around her took on a gray hue. As if a shadow filter was put over her world. Not only that, but she had a bit of an out of body experience. She suddenly had a third-person view of herself from behind, so she could see herself in stealth mode, laying there in the snow. As if she were playing a videogame where she had a third-person view of the character she controlled.

It was disorienting and off-putting at first. But it also afforded her a greater view of the world around her. She could see how useful it would be while stalking targets and navigating through the world.

Nom’s Cyclopean eye grew big when he saw her disappear. The same with Tuk-Tuk and Lain. Ilyawraith still stared straight at her, she merely smiled. Quincy, although Nay wasn’t sure if he saw her, he also didn’t seem to be surprised.

Nay got up and navigated around to the other side of the fire. She cancelled Stealth, de-cloaking. “Surprise!”

But everyone was staring right at her, because they had been following her footprints appearing in the snow. Damn, she’d have to be more aware of things like that.

“Alright, Tuk-Tuk and Nom,” Nay said, “let’s see what the Marrow did for you guys.”

Tuk-Tuk stood to his feet. He walked up to Nay and said, “Strike me.”

“Are you sure?” Nay said.

Tuk-Tuk nodded.

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“Alright,” Nay said. And she put up her fists.

“No,” Tuk-Tuk said. “Use your weapons.”

Nay hesitated. “Yeah, I dunno.”

“Trust me.”

She shrugged and her blades appeared in her hand. She lunged forward with Thorn. Her dagger went right through him. But it did not pierce flesh. He smiled and he faded, disappearing.

Then his voice behind her caught her attention. “Well? How about that?”

She turned and everyone looked at Tuk-Tuk who was behind her. “What the hell?” she said.

“It was a deceptive image of me,” Tuk-Tuk said. “It was just my form without my substance.”

“A mirror image,” Quincy said. “That’s very nice.”

“Can you do that in bear form?” Nay said.

Tuk-Tuk nodded.

“Damn,” Nay said. She started to seriously consider getting a Delicacy that yielded a mobile form skill tree. It seemed like it could be so useful.

“That is very nice, as Quincy says,” Nom said. “But now try hitting me.”

“Seriously?” Nay said. “You can do the same thing? Create and cast an image of yourself?”

“Not exactly,” Nom said. “But go ahead, try and hit me.”

Tuk-Tuk drew his bow and fired an arrow at Nom. The arrow went through Nom and pierced the snow.

Except Nom was fine. He whipped out at Tuk-Tuk. The Tribesman tried to dodge him but instead Nom was somehow already on him, coiling around his wrists, pulling them together and making him drop his bow.

“I don’t understand,” Nay said. “That arrow went through you.”

Nom released Tuk-Tuk and dropped to the snow.

“Reach out and touch me,” Nom said.

Nay obliged and went to pat Nom. But her hand passed right through him. It was just a projection. It disappeared and Nom revealed that he was actually three feet back.

“There, I deactivated the ability,” Nom said.

“Displacement,” Ilyawraith said.

“What does that mean?” Nay said.

“It makes him appear in one place, but he’s actually a few feet off to the side somewhere,” Quincy said. “A trick of the light.”

“It’s an ability that bends light to make you appear in one place, slightly off from the space you’re actually occupying,” Ilyawraith said. “Another form of camouflage, but illusory in nature.”

Nay tried to wrap her head around it.

“It will make him hell to deal with in a tussle,” Quincy said. “Unless someone has the power to see through the illusion.”

“That seems kind of OP,” Nay said.

“OP?” Tuk-Tuk said.

“Over-powered,” Nay said.

“Only if one doesn’t have the eyes for it,” Ilyawraith said. “I’ve encountered others with this power before. Both beasts and men. While it can be quite deceptive, it does not make Nom invincible. He will still have to take caution and not assume that this ability will trick everyone and everything.”

“The same goes for all of you and your new powers,” Quincy said. “The moment you think you have the upperhand on an opponent because of an ability is the moment when you are most vulnerable. Always assume your opponent has a card up their sleeve to counter your powers. Do that, and the better your chances are at survival.”

“He’s right,” Ilyawraith said. “Just because we are Marrow Eaters does not mean that we are immortal or impervious to death and defeat. Gaining and consuming Marrows and Delicacies can be intoxicating. I’m not just talking about the food, but power. Getting drunk on our own power is folly and has been the fall of many powerful men and women. Always be on guard against such thoughts.”

“There is always someone out there who is more powerful,” Quincy said. “Or has an ability that is the antithesis of yours and can cancel yours out. A stalemate isn’t a loss. It’s an opportunity.”

“You all just got abilities that manipulate sight and light,” Ilyawraith said. “Remember there are those who might be using the same sort of manipulation against you. That’s why it’s important to use your vigor sight.” She looked at Tuk-Tuk. “My sect uses the True Eye method, I’m sure the Twelve Tribes has their own technique.”

Tuk-Tuk said, “Yes. Atuarpoq. The eyes of the Caribou Spirit. It is to see beyond the veil and to see things without deception.”

Ilyawraith smiled. “That is beautiful. To see without deception. That is what we must do.”

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