Moral Stand (Aether’s Revival Book 7)

Gregory’s other stops while in Icelake didn’t cause problems. He stopped by the best clothier to order thirty-eight winter jackets— they’d be fur-lined and oversized so they could be worn over armor. His talk with Commander Trida went well, and afterward, Gregory spent hours going over previous magi guard unit reports.

The men continued to only visit the Groomed Mane whenever they were in Icelake. It was quickly becoming their favorite tavern since joining Gregory’s unit. They even got used to Gregory swinging by for a short visit on the first night, none of them taking it badly.

~*~*~

On their trip back to Coldwood, another instance of trouble popped up for them, so Gregory ran foresight three times to find the best route to deal with it. The one that worked would not make his officers happy, but it would keep his men unharmed. With his solution ready, Gregory meditated, trying to simulate the fight to make sure he was as prepared as he could be. His aether couldn’t help, though, as it’d never seen an opponent like the one he’d be facing later.

Fourth bell brought Gregory from his meditation. Standing up, he left his room to find Rafiq and Basal chatting. “Rafiq, today, you’ll have notes to take.”

Rafiq glanced at Gregory. “Another bane beast attack?”

“A bear this time. I believe it’s hoping for more food before hibernation.”

“Dangerous… you’re planning on fighting it alone?”

“The men can’t help with the power it has. It’ll fling them around like rag dolls. Even when their armor holds up to its claws, the impacts will still cause excessive injuries.”

“But sir, that’s suicide, isn’t it?” Basal asked.

“No. I can manage it. It’ll probably tax me to the brink, but I can wear it down enough that it dies without the men being injured. I’ll be letting Davis and the sergeants know after breakfast. It’ll be an hour before our normal camping spot.”

“Hmm… I will have to document it if I see it,” Rafiq nodded. “All I should be able to note is you used your magic when fighting it. I haven’t noted your use of foresight to know about the attacks ahead of time.”

Gregory bowed to him. “My deepest thanks, Rafiq.”

“I can only document what I personally see,” Rafiq smiled. “Thank you for splitting the jerky with me.”

“You need it as much, if not more, than I do.”

“True, but it is still something I should thank you for.”

“Friends help.”

“And anyone you call a friend is blessed to be known as such.”

When the trio left the tent, Gregory pulled it into his ring. “See you at the table. I can start collecting tents.”

~*~*~

The command staff was not entirely happy with Gregory’s plan for the bane bear, but they also didn’t want their men dead or maimed. With Gregory’s reassurance that he’d be fine, they didn’t argue. Some of the men, however, were upset— they wondered if Gregory felt they weren’t capable until the sergeants explained what the casualty rate would be.

Gregory got off Legacy as they got close to the marker the bear would be near. Handing the reins to Dot, Gregory jogged ahead of the unit, summoning his naginata. He’d put on his full armor after breakfast, knowing the fight was going to happen. His foresight had shown him that he’d need it if he wanted to not suffer deep lacerations.

Just past the marker indicating that they were an hour from their normal camp, the underbrush went flying and the bane bear surged into the open. It was huge, massive in breadth, height, and muscles. Where most bears topped out at ten feet standing, this one was well over fifteen. Its roar echoed off the trees, the aether behind it forcing the closest men to their knees.

Gregory let it wash over his resonance, triggering foresight as it did. Not cowering the way most prey would, he instead rushed forward to meet the beast. The bear growled as it dropped to all fours, lunging to meet him. One massive paw came in with a quickness that most would never expect from the massive creature, but Gregory knew it was coming. He shifted just enough that he could redirect the swipe with the haft of his naginata before cutting a gouge into the bear’s back leg.

Spinning with a nimbleness that wolves would’ve envied, the bear brought its maw into play. The crunch of the naginata’s butt meeting one oversized tooth was loud as Gregory danced back, spinning his weapon back into ready position while the bear drew up short with a cracked fang.

Red fire burned in the bane beast’s eyes. Gregory was moving before the bear even shifted; he wove around the attacks like a river, landing cuts before the pair finally broke apart again. The wounds were bleeding, but they wouldn’t stop the bear nor even slow it. When they separated, the beast was growling, shaking its head side-to-side, puzzled at how its meal was still standing.

Gregory grimaced, knowing what was coming next. His choice was which attack he’d let land. He chose the least dangerous, darting to the side as the bear charged him. Earth spears shot up, impacting his armor. One of them struck his thigh guards— what should’ve crippled or killed him only left a bruise from the force of the attack.

Spinning back, expecting its prey to be bleeding on the ground, the bear wasn’t prepared for the flurry it suddenly faced. Growling and snapping its teeth, the bear backed away as the naginata cut and gouged its muzzle. It let out a howl of pain when one of its eyes was blinded. Lunging forward, it tried to bury the man attacking it with its bulk.

Gregory dove to the side, coming up and spinning away from the earth spikes that followed him. A back leg grazed him, sending him stumbling into a tree, but Gregory used the tree to steady himself before rushing back in.

Slack-jawed, everyone watched the fight in awe. Not only was the bear a bane beast, but it could also use earth magic. The few men who’d wondered why they shouldn’t help before understood why now. Fighting a magi was bad enough, but a bane beast with magic was even worse.

Gregory took a few more hits from the earthen spears during the course of the fight, but he never got bitten or hit with a paw. He dodged and shifted, landing more and more cuts that slowly bled the bear, taking its other eye as the fight wound down.

Blind and hurt worse than it’d ever been before, the bane bear tried to flee. It had an advantage over most blind creatures, as it could use its magic to guide it around obstacles, but the magi never stopped hunting it. More earth spikes were summoned, but they were weaker and weaker, just like the bear. Tired, injured, and spent, the beast slumped to the ground, letting out a pitiful growl.

Gregory wasn’t in much better shape. He’d spent aether like he had a fortune, even using the majority from his ring. Panting as he approached the slowly-dying beast, he felt a little sorry for it; it was just trying to survive. The fact that it’d tried to kill him dampened his sympathy, but he understood why it had. Letting go of foresight, he walked closer to kill it quickly.

“You chose poorly. I’m sorry,” Gregory said. He raised his naginata to deliver a death blow, which is why the spike from behind caught him by surprise. It barely had enough aether behind it to move him an inch, but it meant his first attempt missed the mark. He quickly pulled back and delivered the killing strike.

He had to wait for the bear to fully die before he could put it into his ring. Once he could, though, he summoned a clean cloth to wipe his weapon down as he walked back toward the trail. He’d gone well off it to hunt the beast down. He hoped his men were still waiting for him, or he’d have a lonely hike to camp.

He felt eyes on him after a few minutes, so he paused. Looking around, he opened aether sight, but didn’t see any aether being used. Shaking his head, he let go of his aether and kept walking. “I should be paranoid after the bear…”

A minute after he walked away, a pair of yellow eyes rose from the scrub they’d been mostly hidden by. The magi had almost spotted them, which would’ve meant a fight. Something about this magi felt different, different enough to cause them to slip away rather than trying to kill him.

~*~*~

“I’m glad you’re all still here,” Gregory said when he got back to the trail. “I have the bear to deal with in Coldwood. Should be a small bump next payday.”

“But we didn’t do anything,” one of the men said.

“You followed orders,” Gregory replied. “I know some of you really wanted to help. As your sergeants doubtlessly told you, that would’ve been bad. Besides, most of the bear will be turned into jerky for Rafiq and myself. It won’t be a big bonus, but I’m sure the parts and pieces will still get you an extra mug or two.”

“Your horse, sir,” Dot said, handing him the reins.

“Thank you, Dot.” Gregory smiled, then climbed up onto Legacy. “Come on. One more hour of marching, and then I can rest.”

“If any of us need it, it’s him,” Davis said. “Move out.”

Rafiq came up to walk beside Gregory. “It is unusual for a bane beast to have magic other than physical enhancement.”

“I was going to ask,” Gregory said. “On the plus side, I’m glad it only had earth and not physical enhancement.”

“No. You misunderstand, Gregory. It had both. That is why it was as fast as it was. All bane beasts have physical enhancement. If they have another magic, it’s in addition to that. The bear having earth magic is rare, so its core will be… exceptional. Have it set aside for your friend Ling. It will be of use in enchanting.”

“Oh… uh, sure,” Gregory said. “On a different topic, about the scroll you lent me on the spirit path? It says that it’s normally masters or grandmasters that can manage it. Is it only them, or can it happen before that?”

“Very rarely has it happened for magi before master tier. It is one of the hidden bonuses of walking the spirit path. A few have suggested that that is why the empire frowns on that path specifically.”

“I can see why…” Gregory murmured. “I haven’t noticed anything like it in my aether cavern yet, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on it.”

“When it happens, it will be obvious, at least from what Sarinia has told me.”

“She’s spirit path?” Gregory asked.

“I cannot say,” Rafiq said, bowing his head.

“Oh, no, that’s fine. I’m sure that shouldn’t be talked about.”

“I’ve told you of my path, and that is already more than any of the archive would ever admit to a magi.”

“With good reason,” Gregory grunted. “Can you assist me later?”

“With?”

“Refilling my ring?” Gregory chuckled softly. “I used most of it.”

“Gladly. Your being able to see the future keeps us all safer.”

“Thank you, Rafiq.”

“Friends help, as a good friend once told me.”

Gregory laughed, grinning down at the smiling archivist.