Gustav departed at dawn, the Eastern Wilds map spread across his pack as he followed the aura compass northward. The terrain shifted quickly from familiar ironwood forests to open, wind-swept plains, where tall grasses bent under gusts that carried the sharp scent of rain and ozone—signs that stormpetal flowers, his target, were near. The compass pulsed with a steady, electric warmth, its brass face glowing with a faint purple light as it locked onto the high-concentration storm aura that nourished the flowers.
For hours he trekked across the plains, navigating around rocky outcrops and shallow ravines carved by seasonal floods. As the wind picked up, dark clouds gathered overhead, and distant thunder rumbled across the horizon. Torvin's map marked the Stormspine Hills as the prime habitat for stormpetals—towering ridges where the flowers grew in clusters on wind-facing cliffs, their petals absorbing energy from lightning strikes and storm currents. Gustav climbed the hills carefully, his hands finding purchase in cracks of granite as he ascended toward a ledge where the compass's glow intensified.
When he reached the ledge, he paused to catch his breath—the view stretched across miles of rolling plains, with storm clouds casting moving shadows over the landscape. Below, nestled in crevices of the cliff face, grew the stormpetal flowers: vibrant purple blooms with thin, needle-like petals that shimmered like captured lightning, their aura crackling with gentle static. Torvin had warned that stormpetals were volatile—harvesting them without stabilizing their energy would cause them to disintegrate into sparks, leaving nothing behind. Gustav pulled out his aura-harvesting tongs and the portable aura cooler, channeling his Gastronomic Aura into a stabilizing field that wrapped around each flower like a soft blanket.
As he began plucking the petals, a sharp cry echoed overhead—a stormwing hawk, its feathers striped black and silver, its wings spanning four feet, circled the ledge. The bird was known to guard stormpetal clusters, attacking anything that disturbed their growth. Gustav remained calm, mixing crushed embercap mushrooms (for warmth) and starfall grain (for celestial balance) into a small pile, offering it to the hawk. The creature swooped down, sniffing the blend before eating it, its tense posture relaxing as the balanced aura soothed its instincts. It perched on a nearby rock, allowing Gustav to continue harvesting until his pouch was full.
Just as he sealed the pouch, the wind shifted, carrying the sound of boots crunching on gravel. Rook emerged from behind a boulder, flanked by eight Black Spoon members—this time, they wielded aura-suppressing rods, devices that emitted waves to weaken and disrupt surrounding energy fields. "We've been waiting for you," Rook sneered, activating one of the rods. Gustav felt his Gastronomic Aura flicker, the stabilizing field around his pouch wavering. "Hand over the stormpetals, and we'll let you walk away—this time."
Gustav stood his ground, his mind racing. He tossed a handful of stormpetal petals into the air; their volatile energy reacted with the storm's static, creating a burst of purple sparks that temporarily blinded the syndicate members. As they stumbled back, Kael emerged from behind a ridge, tossing a rope lasso that tangled around Rook's aura-suppressing rod, yanking it from his grasp. "Thought you might need backup against their new toys," Kael shouted, as he kicked aside another member's rod. Together, they pushed the syndicate toward the edge of the hill—Rook swore vengeance once more before leading his men into retreat, disappearing into the tall grass below.
After Kael vanished into the wilds, Gustav checked his supplies—most of the stormpetals remained intact, their energy stabilized by the cooler. As he descended the hill, a woman in worn leather gear emerged from a nearby thicket, her face weathered by sun and wind. "You handled Rook well," she said, extending a hand. "Name's Lena—I'm a forager who knows these wilds like the back of my hand. I saw you harvesting stormpetals—trade me a handful, and I'll show you where aura-fanged fish spawn in the nearby Lightning River."
Gustav agreed, handing over a small portion of the petals. Lena led him to a fast-flowing river where the water sparkled with faint aura, pointing out deep pools where silver-scaled fish darted beneath the surface. "They feed on stormpetal pollen that falls into the water," she explained. "Their flesh is infused with storm energy—perfect for dishes that boost speed and reflexes." Gustav thanked her, noting the location on his map before heading back toward the city as the storm clouds began to clear.
He arrived at the Outer Market as evening approached, finding Mara arranging a display of shadowgill caps and embercaps. "Stormpetal flowers!" she gasped, her eyes wide as she examined the glowing petals. "These will sell to warriors and hunters who need to enhance their reflexes. I'll trade you a waterproof aura pouch—it keeps aquatic ingredients fresh even in heavy rain." She handed him a sleek, sealed pouch, and Gustav tucked it into his pack alongside his other tools.
Next, he made his way to Torvin's workshop, where a crowd of chefs and even a few aspiring hunters had gathered. "Today, we'll create stormpetal tempura with embercap dipping sauce and shadowgill rice," Gustav announced, laying out his ingredients. He demonstrated how to channel Gastronomic Aura into the tempura batter, using it to stabilize the stormpetals' energy so they wouldn't ignite during frying. The finished tempura glowed with a soft purple light, its crust crisp and golden, while the dipping sauce balanced the petals' sharp, electric taste with the embercaps' warm, earthy flavor. The shadowgill rice added a cool, calming base that rounded out the dish.
As the attendees tasted it, they reported feeling their reflexes sharpen—hunters noted they could track small movements more easily, while chefs said their hands felt steadier as they worked. Gustav spent the rest of the evening guiding them through the process, explaining how to adjust aura flow based on the amount of storm energy in the petals. By the time the workshop ended, Torvin presented him with a storm aura detector—a small device that pinpointed areas with high storm energy, making it easier to find rare ingredients like stormpetals or aura-fanged fish. "This will help you plan your hunts even better," Torvin said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Back at his shelter, Gustav spread out his map and updated his training log: "Today: journeyed to the Eastern Wilds' Stormspine Hills, harvested stormpetal flowers, calmed a stormwing hawk, fended off Black Spoon's aura-suppressing ambush with Kael's help, traded with forager Lena for info on aura-fanged fish, acquired a waterproof aura pouch and storm aura detector, and taught storm energy-infused cooking at Torvin's workshop. Aura stabilization and combat adaptability have improved significantly. Two and a half years until the Hunter Exam—planning to head to Lightning River to hunt aura-fanged fish next."
He held the storm aura detector up to the window—it glowed faintly toward the northeast, the direction of Lightning River. He imagined the fast-flowing water, the silver fish darting beneath the surface, and the new challenges that awaited, already preparing his waterproof pouch and fishing tools for the journey.