It’s the final day of the Festival. Tomorrow we’ll be leaving to travel back to our village. I’m definitely ready to go.

  This has been an interesting time, for sure. I’ve had more experience with politics than I ever thought I would – and I’ve found that I definitely don’t enjoy the careful double-speak or use of correct traditional phrases which it involves. I’ve got better at it, though – I’ve had fewer foot-in-mouth moments in the last three days for sure. I’m starting to perhaps understand why I never got higher in my department than I did – only now looking back at it, I suspect that there was just as much politics there as here, and I didn’t even realise it then.

  Besides, since her Evolution, all the villages we’ve visited have been far more interested in Windy than in me. That’s had two positive consequences: I’ve been able to become more of an observer than a participant; and Windy has felt as important as she likes to be. The acclaim she’s received from the other samurans – of our village or not – has done a lot to assuage her bruised feelings about the events immediately following her Evolution and the fact that I maintain leadership of the village – to the bafflement of the other villages.

  I feel like we’ve told the story of our Hunt a hundred times, but it’s probably not that many – there aren’t enough villages at the festival to justify it. Then again, it’s not only been at ‘official’ village meetings – I’ve come across Dusty animating the story of how she seized control of the water from the fellapodil, surrounded by a group of spell-bound Warriors, Yells explaining how she helped me make the earth move and melt beneath the fellapodil’s feet to another newly-Evolved Earth-Shaper, and even River demonstrating with Catch’s aid how they used poison to help take it down to a group of herbalists.

  Personally, I’ve stayed out of most of it. I’ve spent quite a lot of time outside the Festival grounds with my core non-samuran Bound, actually. I wanted to help Daphne and Ivor turn their gains from the fellapodil’s death into healing for their internal matrices, with good results. It was interesting, too, joining Kalanthia in watching Lathani experiment with her new abilities.

  I’ve also done my best to use the time wisely on my own behalf. I feel like I’m almost there with Wind-Shaping, though I suspect Water-Shaping will take a while longer to grasp. Windy has been surprisingly obliging in demonstrating for me to observe – I think it’s mostly the opportunity to show-off which she’s enjoyed. Maybe once I’ve got Air-Shaping, I might be able to explore lightning magic….

  Out of my weapons Skills, I’ve managed to get Blunt Weapons up a level due to a few spars with Warriors I was able to convince to work with me. I’ve also been testing my new Skills a bit – Lava-Shaping is already up to Beginner three and Transformation is up by a single level to Beginner two.

  I’m going to have to do a lot more work with both of those, though. Lava-Shaping is just so mana intensive that I can’t do much with it before I run out with mana – Yells’ help with enhancing the effect of my mana and offering me hers really made all the difference in the battle with the fellapodil. Perhaps seeking too many new types of magic isn’t such a good idea – I won’t get any of them up to higher levels if I’m spread too thinly. On the other hand, I only got Lava-Shaping because I already had Fire- and Earth-Shaping. Who knows what else might be waiting as combinations?

  My experiments with Transformation have proven that it’s definitely promising. All I’ve managed to do with it so far is to transform the tips of my fingers into talons like on Bastet’s feet, but that’s already proven to be far easier to do with the Skill than without it. Best of all, I’m correct that the Skill helps me keep a ‘memory’ of my true body, easing the transition back. Of all my Skills, this is the one I’m most eager to explore more of.

  But even if all that could be done wherever I am…I miss home. I miss my den with its higher Energy density – I’ve only managed to make two percent progress to the next level in the last three days. I miss the rest of my Bound, Hades and Persephone in particular – I’m looking forward to hunting more with them again. I can’t wait to see how the farming is getting on – with Tarra and Flower both here at the Festival, those back at the village are charged with testing different techniques and trying different non-magical solutions.

  As a result, I greet the descent of the sun on the shortest day with relief, an emotion which I only seem to share with my non-samuran companions. The samurans are filled with a mixture of longing, disappointment, sadness, and excitement.

  As the sun slips towards the horizon, we all head down to the pools fed by the overflow of the crater-lake. Bastet and Lathani join me out of curiosity but the rest of my non-samuran Bound remain at the campsite, either wanting to guard it – Fenrir – or wanting to rest before tomorrow’s journey – everyone else.

  The occasion is a solemn one. Not a word is spoken, not even when we join other village groups. We end up surrounding the pools below the crater lake, looking up at the four Tribe leaders who are the only ones standing in the water. They’re knee-deep in the main stream which runs out of the lake to feed the pools next to which we are standing.

  As usual, I realise that positioning is key as I see which villages are closest to the leaders, and which are furthest away. There’s no squabbling over position – all of that has already been worked out over the Festival. Our village ends up being about three-quarters of the way up, higher than I was expecting – I have to guess that that is due to a combination of factors, but Windy’s Evolution is probably a big one. I hope it’s not arrogant to think that the superior gifts we’ve offered other villages might play a part too.

  The eerie silence continues even as we are bathed in the blood-red light of the setting sun. Once in place, we turn to watch it go down over the other side of the valley, the position we’re in with a good view of it setting in the v-shape between two mountains, due to disappear in the saddle between their peaks. Already, its lowest edge touches the earth.

  Little by little, it slips further down, its speed of descent deceptive. Almost, it seems not to move at all, but then I look away and return my gaze to see that another sliver has vanished.

  The orb is cut in half, and then into a quarter. A sliver rests above the earth, and then even that is gone, the last glimmering light of day vanishing below the mountains.

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  “The Great Egg has been eaten,” says one of the tribe leaders and we all turn to look at her. “May the ancestors will it that it will be laid once more by the Long Night.”

  “May the ancestors will it,” intones everyone around.

  “We come together to celebrate the Long Night,” she continues. “As individuals, as villages, as Pathwalkers and Warriors, as leaders…as a People. We have mated and made merry, shared carcasses and conversations, challenged and been challenged. As the Great Egg is laid once more by the Long Night, we ask the ancestors for their blessing on our own eggs, that many strong hatchlings may be born to our villages to support us and, perhaps, one day, to join our numbers.”

  “May the ancestors will it,’ rumbles around me again.

  “To invoke their favour, we sacrifice an object of power which we have gathered in the great cycles preceding. Yet this Festival, we have also had a Hunt. Pathwalker Tamer, Pathwalker Flying-blade, you were challenged to each outdo the other in finding an object of power, but also to find something greater even than the one we had previously prepared for this ritual. Pathwalkers, bring forth your offerings.”

  That’s obviously my cue. I head up through the mass of other samurans. On the other side of the pools, I can see movement as Flying-blade does the same. I’ve been warned not to step into the water itself, even if that would be the quicker and easier route. In the end, we get there at much the same time.

  Flying-blade eyes me with resentment from across the separating stream. She strongly suspects that she’s failed, that the blood and pain she’s very obviously undergone have all been for nothing. Her face when she first saw Windy upon her return earlier today was a picture. Perhaps it’s unsporting of me, but I wish I’d had a camera which worked at the time.

  We each hand our object over to our closest Pathwalker. Mine is obviously the bright blue Core from the fellapodil; Flying-blade’s appears to be a Core too, but it’s smaller and its brown shade is darker.

  Flying-blade glares even more strongly, her teeth gaping open in threat. She’s not happy at being so obviously out-classed. Though it still remains to be seen whether what we’re offering is better than what the strongest villages had gathered previous to the Festival.

  The four Pathwalkers don’t spend very long contemplating the Cores. That the leader of the red tribe looks disgruntled when they reach a decision is more evidence that Flying-blade’s offering is deemed the ultimate loser. But since the blue and yellow tribe leaders are the true judges, her view is probably irrelevant.

  “We have examined the three offerings,’ announces Air-shaper. ‘The offering of Flying-blade is impressive for the fact that this was a Single Hunt, yet it is the weakest of the three. Her village therefore bears the stain of this loss and loses reputation with all other villages. You are hereby required to move to the bottom-most pool.” The judgement is expected; the consequences and following outcry from her village are not. I half expect the other Pathwalker to leap across the gap between us or throw something at me as she snarls angrily across the water. She does not, instead pushing her way angrily through the crowd to go and join her village, who are now being forced to trickle down the slope by the samurans pushing upwards.

  Clearly, the consequences are worse than I thought they were for a loss. I wait, suddenly a little nervous about how our Core stacks up against the one gathered by the leaders.

  “The offering of Tamer is significantly more powerful than that of Flying-blade’s. It is also slightly more powerful than the object we had gathered to fuel this Long Night ritual,” she continues, and I relax in relief. I made the right decision to go for the fellapodil. “We thereby proclaim Pathwalker Tamer as the winner of the Single Hunt. That said,” she continues contemplatively and my heart skips a beat, “during your fight for this object of power, one of your village managed to break through the barrier and become Enlightened. We humbly ask that she might lend her power to the ritual to strengthen it. It would bring honour to your village if she does.”

  I don’t even need to check with Windy – the excitement and vindication which I feel go through her at the invitation is enough to know her response. Anyway, even without being asked she was going to offer to lead the ritual – it’s evidently a position of honour which she now feels she merits.

  A current of wind sweeps through the mass of samurans as Windy makes large bounds through the air to join us, the current of wind she’s controlling giving her buoyancy and allowing her to travel further with each leap than she otherwise would have been capable of. It’s also extremely flashy. I suspect she’d have liked to fly, but hasn’t had enough time to work that out yet.

  “I offer my power to lead the ritual to seek the blessing of the ancestors,” Windy answers slightly pompously. The lead Pathwalkers look at each other, then tip their chins slightly to Windy.

  “Enlightened one, we welcome your power and thank both you and the leader of your village for your offerings this night. Your village has gained significantly in reputation and are hereby invited to join our villages at the top pool.”

  I feel the excitement and pleasure spill from all of my samuran Bound as they quickly make their way up to the top pool. Bastet and Lathani join them, both now practically invisible in the darkness. I do notice the leader of the green tribe sending them a sharp look, but she evidently decides not to raise it.

  Why is this such a good thing? I ask my Pathwalkers silently as they get closer.

  The closer to the ritual, the more benefits we get, explains Joy, the first to respond. Flying-blade’s village probably won’t get anything, down at the bottom pool as they are.

  I want to ask what the benefits are, but my attention is drawn back to the events as Windy wades into the water to join the lead Pathwalkers. She takes the fellapodil’s Core from Water-caller and stands in front of the four leaders, excitement and joy dancing through her spikes.

  Brothers, sisters, we celebrate the Long Night, she says, her voice practically shaking in excitement. We bring our offering to give to the ancestors and ask for their favour. All step into the water with us.

  Take your foot-coverings off, advises Tarra as she follows the instruction. Or you will not absorb the benefits.

  Following her advice, I pull my boots off and then step into the edge of the pool, wincing at its heat. I’m tempted to control the fire-magic within the water as I did before, but not knowing what’s about to happen, I decide not to risk it. Instead, I just send flesh-magic down to my feet and ankles to keep healing the scalded flesh, using Sensation Management to dull the pain.

  Hopefully I won’t have to stay here too long before the start of whatever is supposed to happen.

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