Chapter 300: The Borders of Faith

Ophelia bent to help him up, but Mentz got there first with his hands open.

"Forgive me, Lady Ophelia," said Mentz. "Forgive the discourtesy. I did not know you for the envoy of the Bear God."

"Easy," said she. "You serve the Bear God the same as I do. There is no need for this."

"Take it easy, Mentz," said Kellar. "From now on she will help us with everything to do with managing the population, and she will spread the blessings of the Bear God across the whole territory."

Mentz’s mouth hung open a second and then he came to his feet in a bound.

"I understand, Great Shaman," said Mentz. "I will gladly explain our territory to her."

He crouched and began drawing in the dirt with his finger.

The village took shape on the ground, off to one side, beside a long line that was the river.

"Our village is here, right on the bank," said Mentz. "To the south there is an enormous forest, the way you came in. We have no defense there at all, so the patrols watch the south the whole time. We have cleared almost twenty kilometers inward and found only weak monsters, so it has been no trouble."

Ophelia followed Mentz’s finger with her face turned toward it.

"To the east," Mentz went on, and drew another line, "is the stretch of forest that joins the wind mountains. We call them that because there is a vein of wind stone there. It used to be the eagle king’s nest. Now Little Green lives there. When she is not with us, she spends her days on the peak, strengthening herself."

"I see," said Ophelia. "So the territory of that great green eagle is there. And right now she is fighting a black bird."

Kellar straightened and triggered the Eyes of the Tribe Lord.

The valley opened to him in layers. He found the peak to the east, and Little Green, and the enormous black bird circling her.

"Why did you not tell me?" asked Kellar.

"The great condor came back, master," said Little Green. "But all is under control. This is how we speak to one another. I am persuading him to join us."

"If anything happens, tell me so I can support you."

"No trouble, master. Leave him in my claws."

Mentz scratched the back of his neck.

"All well, Great Shaman?"

"Yes, all well," said Kellar. "Little Green is getting us a new subject."

Ophelia gripped the staff with both hands.

"Let me support her," said Ophelia.

And she began to pray.

"Oh, great Bear God, grant her your power and your strength. Let the blessing and the courage of the bear come down upon your servant. Let her claw not tremble and her wing not tire. Let the one who stands before her know the weight of your name."

On the peak, the great condor laughed.

"And that is all you have?" asked the condor. "Without that white thing that helped you last time you are nothing."

He circled in the air, slow, unhurried.

"And on top of it, Little Green. Is that what you are to them? Is that the pride of a great emerald eagle? You are a disappointment to your race."

Little Green did not answer.

And then, from the skies, a pillar came down.

It was black, ringed in purple with a burning golden edge. The condor threw himself aside, but the pillar was not for him. It fell squarely on the eagle.

Little Green’s aura rose like a sea surge. The green feathers darkened from her breast outward. Her claws grew. And into her eyes went purple and golden lightning that did not blink.

Little Green lifted her head to the sky and let out a long screech that bounced off the rocks.

The condor looked her up and down.

"So that was your secret weapon," said the condor. "I do not know what it is. But it will not help you."

Little Green vanished.

She appeared in front of him, so close the condor had to throw himself back on pure reflex, and her claw passed a finger’s width from his breast.

"Shit! How did you do that?!"

Little Green launched again. The condor went serious and came apart into shadows that lashed out from every side at once, in a fan.

The eagle spun on herself and loosed a rain of wind blades in every direction. The shadows shredded in a second.

Little Green launched again, but a little slower. The condor dodged without effort.

"I see," said the condor. "That borrowed power does not last long. What will you do when it runs out?"

The pillar came down again and refilled her energy in one blow.

"Shit," said Little Green. "Seems it will not be so easy."

The condor broke away east. Little Green hurled herself after him.

"This time you do not go far!"

They crossed the edge of the territory and left the green zone.

The moment the green fell behind, Little Green’s aura went out.

Seeing she had lost her strength, the condor launched.

The eagle fled, and the condor came after her.

"You did not feel so brave!" shouted the condor. "Come here!"

Little Green crossed back into the Overlord tribe’s zone and the blessing returned to her in a rush.

The condor slammed into the edge and braked. He did not pass.

The two of them hung there, staring at each other, each inside his master’s zone.

Kellar, who saw it all from the rise, went still.

"This is interesting," said Kellar. "That blessing only works inside my territory."

Mentz looked at him without understanding a thing.

"But how did you do that Ophelia, I have not added any blessing."

Kellar opened the Religion tab.

The first, second, and third slots were full.

[Tribal Blessing: Bear’s Fury]

[Tribal Blessing: Bear’s Endurance]

[Tribal Blessing: Bear’s Vitality]

Kellar stared at the three names.

"One moment," said Kellar. "Those are the blessings I made last time?"