The three girls walked off to the nearest town from the wright family estate which caused many people to stare at them as they walked around since it was a small town and all three of them were unknown travelers coming from the estate.
grey was on Terra's shoulder scanning the area with his echolocation as lily was running around like a prisoner that was finally set free. she went from shop to shop like a kid looking at all the things for sale from silk gowns and silver armor to foods baked by a pro. grey and to leave her shoulder as all her constant back and forth movement was making him nauseous when he was scanning the area making rest on the slow but calm terra.
after grey made sure the area around them was clear his attention was grabbed by the bakery the passed by causing him to stare at the divine smelling blueberry pie by the window.
terra kept grey from hopping away as sky was making sure lily didn't spend all their whole budget in one go. she grabbed lily's collar and mocked her "For a spoiled rich girl you're acting like you haven't ever been outside.
lily looked down in slight shame "This is actually my first time out of the mansion and woods near it; my father has always been overprotective since my mother died and even more so when the aby- I mean entity attacked me. But I want to enjoy this newfound freedom no matter who's watching and judging me." lily had a resolute expression on her face which seemed to calm sky's irritation greatly.
sky let out a deep sigh of resignation before so spoke again " look we are here to protect you, and I don't mind you exploring but please in the name of the holy ten stay nearby and stop wandering off alone." lily could feel the concern in her voice so she meekly nodded and then dragged sky by her hand to explore
"I don't think I've asked but what do elves and humans use to trade?" grey asked looking at terra.
terra quickly covered greys mouth and looked all around them before going to a nearby wall that was out of sight. "Listen here little rabbit! you can't speak outside of safe spots as summoners are more hated than spirt mages so don't speak and act like a spirit."
grey made sure they were alone before speaking again "I thought I was a spirit since I'm from what you guys called the spirit plane? am I missing something?''
Terra's ears transformed into blonde furred rabbit ears that stood fully erect and her legs transformed into blonde furred rabbit feet before she jumped along the walls and found an empty roof for them to speak on. "They really didn't tell you anything?"
grey thought back to what Hugo had said a while back "blah blah blah spirit blah blah blah keep safe and pay attention!"
"Nope they never told me a thing." grey lied as naturally as he slept.
terra de transformed as she faced palmed "Ok listen here spirits are nonphysical creatures born from pure energy in all four realms. this is the earth realm where the residents are usually solid and temper themselves into stronger creatures but has strict rules or laws of nature like gravity. while your realm the air realm is filled with freedom and chaos, like creatures that have gone extinct or don't exist yet live there as the evolution there is less strict and you are all connected to an element by birth and only a rare few don't awaken in your realm but here it's the opposite few awaken."
"I see why they could tell I'm not a spirit, but why do I have to hide it?" grey was genuinely puzzled when an idea from one of the memories he saw from the lion came to his mind.
"Look I know this is confusing but the only way to cross realms is with a space rune or something equivalent, and most fear summoners since the something has been hunting them and anyone with space like powers." terra said with a tone that made grey feel like she had seen it firsthand.
grey nodded as his mouth opened but no sound came out but the next moment, she heard a voice whispering directly in her ear "is this fine?"
terra was shocked but quickly remembered this move "yes just use your lost whisper to speak to us when people are around." she turned around to jump off and grey quickly followed after her resting on her shoulder.
using his lost whisper, he asked her again "so how do you people trade for food?"
terra walked around as grey pointed her towards sky and lily with his ears so she whispered so low only he could hear her "well the beast kin and humans trade stones and foods for other stones and foods but the dwarves use gold coins filled with charged magic crystals called crystal coins and elves use a type of magic bean called soul beans for every trade."
grey was genially curious now "are these soul beans tasty or just valuable?"
terra chuckled at that "from what I hear both they use these soul beans to boost crops, forge tools, eat and even use high tier beans to boost their powers. however, they are difficult to grow so most don't eat them unless they are really hungry or they match their attributes as elemental beans can give someone with matching elements a permeant boost and a new ability."
they soon arrived near enough to see lily and sky stuffing their faces with multiple stalls treats which caused terra and grey to complain and have them share.
sky and lily counited their shopping spree while terra and grey stayed behind. "So why don't you go shopping with them? aren't all ladies the same liking shiny and odd things?" grey questioned her.
terra just shook her head with a slight disgust "elven materials is very pretty yes but they also brake very easily so there is no point the only thing I can agree with them on is their food which taste as good as it looks."
"Hmm? OH! before I forget how do your blood scions work exactly? he said while staring at a rabbit tattoo on the center of her almost covered by her long black hair and her leather wolf armor that had padding around her joints. "Why do you ask?" she questioned him back.
"well, you transformed into an rabbit kin a peak form for my people and that forms hair was blonde, but your natural hair is black so I'm curious, and I can do something similar with my chimera powers so I just want to see if it could work for me too."
terra smiled at that "well its something the orc of chaos taught my tribe a few generations ago so can you set up a barrier around us. grey was very interested, so he quickly deployed his mute zone around her body which was a barrier the only blocked sounds. she waited till she heard his voice directly in her ear to confirm it before she continued.
"This a something the orc of chaos gave my tribe in return for shelter and food when my grandfather was still a child. back then we were only physically strong but had no powers like every other race besides never giving up, it's a power from the goddess of blood and chaos that allows us to take another's bloodline and have it physically imprinted upon our skins like fake runes."
"Wow that's so awesome can those bloodlines still evolve or are the stuck forever at that level and how many can you hold." grey asked with sparkling eyes.
terra was visibly happy to see his enthusiasm for her clan's greatest power "technically we can still evolve the bloodlines but it five times harder for us and unlike runes there is only four stages of evolution and most can hold only one or two and the max is six for anyone."
grey thought about that for a moment basically it's like having six beast runes that maxes out halfway but can still evolve to help the host making them very powerful among the low tiers and average against really powerful foes which was still great. "So? what are these four stages? and what bloodlines do you have."
she smirked smugly as she puffed out her small chest "Listen closely the first stage is beast enhancement which allows use to boost our body's depending on the abilities of the beast like a rabbits hearing, instinct and speed. the second stage Beast form lets us partially transform parts of our body but some powerful elders I know can fully transform into that beast, this stage allows us to bond with nature as we can bond with animals as if we were their own even when not transformed."
she said the last bit giving grey a knowing smile. it was only now that grey realized that he has spent almost all day talking with terra instead of lily "so elves and humans can make animals feel at east? that doesn't seem fair to the animals you hunt?"
terra laughed "life isn't fair get over it, anyways the third stage is the Blood spirit stage we can summon the spirit of the beasts we killed and gain its power only if its willing and at this stage we can transfer the scion to another with the spirits consent. And the final stage has two parts blood forge allows us to form a weapon with our own flesh and blood that has the powers of all our scions allowing us to use them all at once like a chimera and the second is the blood rage it burns our own blood for a massive power boost."
grey was shocked that the final stage seemed to kill or injure the user for power, but it made sense as nothing come without a cost. "But wait you didn't answer what your runes are or how many you have?"
she lost her valor at that "well technically I have four and a half a rabbit and a wolf... ill just leave the other two as a mystery until later." she soon caught up to the other to at a cookie stall and refused to answer anymore of greys no matter how he asked so he dropped the barrier and wandered off on his own.
he was left with his curiosity as to what she meant by half and what the other two scions could be when his ears twitch and he heard someone in an alley not far off from them.
"Hey that's the chick, the one with green hair she has a bounty not just any bounty a black bounty we are going to be rich boys! I believe she is the one from the mansion, right?" one guy said who sounded like a leader.
"Boss you know those black bounties are for summoners right she might bring about a rampaging beast in the city?" one guy with an annoying voice said.
there were a few murmurs of agreement before the boss spoke up "we will wait until they leave, gather the others we will follow them then we can have fun with the other elf and sell the human."
grey watched them split up with his echolocation before he used his lost whisper on sky and terra we are being followed by some guys after something called a bounty for lily and having fun with sky and selling terra... how do elves react to killing their own kind?"
sky's white hair of clouds turned grey as a lightning bolt cracked in it causing her to stop and take a deep breath as her hair slowly returned to its natural blonde.
terra clenched her fist but didn't react she kept walking as she used her rabbit scion to scan the area.
lily came up to her with a worried tone "are you ok? what happened"
sky gently rubbed her hair "it's fine I just stubbed my toe give me a minute ill catch up.
terra and sky walked behind lily as they whispered to grey in synch "Tell me everything!"
"They said they are gathering allies and will attack you guys once you leave, I don't know what the mean by bounties or fun, but I know what selling live creatures is like."
sky and terra looked at each other and nodded which left grey confused because earlier they didn't like each other.
sky spoke up first "she is a young girl who just got outside so we will kill them outside before she can notice but next time we won't hide it. can you and terra silently take them out? grey appeared on Terra's shoulder and nodded in synch with her.
"Ok ill distract lily while you deal with them silently and leave no one alive" she whispered fiercely as she then caught up with lily and started directing the group towards the exit gate.
On the way out they passed a beware poster with the picture of two trolls which caught lily's attention. "Hey guys would this be a perfect chance to fight together and help this town? I mean they have been so nice to us right!"
this caused sky to smile at her words "great idea helping your fellow elves is a great reason to bond" her blonde hair transformed into clouds due to excitement, but her eyes narrowed with a vicious light.
"But you will fight on your own without grey for this." at sky's words lily was shocked.
"If you don't want to help others, just say so no need to make it difficult for others!"
sky shook her head "I already know how powerful grey and terra are, but I want to see how powerful you and your other summons are without help. if I know your strength better, I'll know what you can and can't do." she sounded like a teacher with years of experience.
"That... actually makes sense ok. LET'S GO SLAY SOME TROLLS!" she cheered whilst skipping off.
sky turned to grey and terra behind them "You two stay hidden and out of sight while lily is fighting unless it's an emergency." she said with a wink.
"WHAT! but i thought we wer--" grey immediately blocked Terra's mouth with his paw and suppressed any sounds she made.
grey nodded "sure I don't mind, this actually the perfect time for terra to show me how humans hunt since Adam wouldn't show me." grey said with an awkward smile on his face.
he quickly sent a private message to terra "We will hunt the elves after us but we can't have lily seeing what we are going to do."
lily stared at them intensely for a moment before she clapped in excitement "ok me and sky will go on a duo adventure while you two do the same and next time, I'll go on adventure with just terra."
they left the gate after the guards inspected their id's and gave them some directions to the next city; they gave lily a strange look when she asked about the trolls but gave it to her anyways after sky reassured him.
greys ear twitched causing him to pull Terra's shoulder a bit to stop her after they traveled along the road for a while "i can sense our prey nearby! this is where me and terra are going to hunt which isn't far from the trolls well catch up to you guys!"
lily looked at the map she paid for and saw the troll cave was still about four thousand meters ahead. they continued on as grey lead terra into the woods.
as everyone walked to their own destinations sky's hair returned to its cloud form only for her to rip off a piece and have it followed grey and terra from above to look after them.
"How a about little competition, the one who kills the least of them owes the other a favor?" terra said with a friendly smile.
"You're on, I got this new move I came up with earlier today grey said as he started slowing the vibrations around him stead of increasing it. as he did so his body slowly flickered in and out of existence as the low frequencies made illusions of him not existing.
[STEALTH] was all she heard whispered all around her when grey disappeared from view.
terra smiled as her hands transformed into claws and her teeth turned razor sharp and she became two sizes bigger.
grey and sky watched as she grew black furred ears and a tail and her eyes turned a bright blue. she stood in the middle of the woods unafraid and out in the open but a few moments later an invisible dome appeared around them the moment the elves came close enough to see terra.
terra counted one by one until all fifteen guys were ready to fight, a large skinny man approach with skin as grey as stone and eyes that glowed a dull white "well well well looks we got an expensive fool ready to deliver herself to by the others some time what a shame." he said mockingly as his hand pulse with white electricity around them.
the next moment a loud thunder strike sound rung out around them as greys kick out sent out a sound slash to five unaware guys lined up.
when the boss looked back at his men all he saw was five heads being sent flying and a strange batlike creature was biting another neck whilst draining all their energy turning them into a cold dried husk rapidly.
he used his lightning to dash at grey, but a clawed arm grabbed his leg midair and throw him into his other minions killing a few upon impact "that's three!" she yelled as
the boss sat there in shock as his brothers in arms blood and bones were covering his body "AAARRRRGGGHH WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!"
terra laughed with wild green glowing eyes while thorny vines grew around four more of his men draining them of blood and choking them to death at the same time when six distinct popping sounds rung out
they turned to see grey was standing on another corpse with all its limbs blown off and hole in the guy's chest that seemed to come out from within. "So that's what happens when i use someone else's body to channel my sounds instead of my own."
a wooden club with stone blades formed around Terra's hands as she turned human again. "Looks like you got the last one that just leaves the boss.
the grey elves knees were shaking but he did the most honorable thing he could think of, he slowly got up and charged his lightning around his body with more power while staring down terra and ran in the opposite direction into the woods at full speed.
terra and even sky's cloud were dumbfounded but grey was ready and gave chase after him.