It took a while for things to calm down, but eventually, people broke up and headed to prepare their living spaces. A handful, however, remained behind to ask questions. Since several of them were curious about Niphru’s history, he offered to expin it ter in the evening once everything had bee up. He didn’t want to interfere with preparing the camp, after all.

  By the time he had answered the quicker questions, Morris had already fihe wall fag the forest as well as half of one of the other walls, while several tents had gone up. Several of the other students had also been w together to put up eartheers. It was iing to observe so many people w together.

  First, water ah magic were bio mix up a bunud, which was then moved into pbsp; Following that, it would be held stable with earth magic, then scorched with fire until it hardened. After several repetitions, this resulted in a stable structure, though Niphru was unsure exactly how durable they would be.

  He shook his head and headed to where Dawn was setting up their tent to assist with moving their belongings inside. A tent was just fine for resting, in his mind, and he didn’t have to worry about poor stru burying him. He had to admit that a burrow was nice as well, and now that he could move things with his magic, he would even be able to tidy up and furnish ohese days.

  Sihey had already finished up, those who had arrived first headed into the nearby forest, having remarked that they would hunt for food while everyone else finished up. This was a wele surprise, as most had bee tired of preserved travel rations during the journey from Arrival.

  A few hours ter, earthen walls surrouhe camp, unbrokehey faced the forest but with small openings to each of the side walls. A much rger opening faced back towards the rear, blocked by a rge pit where the material for the walls had been acquired. Several people, including Dawn, had also produced long-sting light spheres. These hovered around the camp, lighting up walkways betweeents and huts, as well as illuminating the gaps in the walls.

  Unusually for a camp, however, there was no fire, with no one having ao chop up firewood, nor was anyone fing branches. After a moment of thought, however, Niphru realized he was still thinking as if this was a gathering of non-mages. They had plenty of people capable of fire magic, so there was no need for a mundane fire. Keeping one going fnifit periods of time would simply require siphoning ambient mana and occasionally switg due to mental fatigue.

  He figured it might be different if they were not camped on the edge of the wilds, as there was a much higher density of mahan elsewhere. This would also aid quite a bit in their expeditions to find and hunt twisted beasts in the ing days. It did feel odd, having gotteo there being little mana outside the spire they had been living in.

  After some time, those who had been huntiurned with several smaller animals, as well as a boar and a deer. From their description of the trip, they had apparently surprised the boar while chasing the deer, and it had attacked them. Fortunately, the man it had charged was able to avoid it, leaving it an easy target as it slowed down. Iingly, the deer had a long gouge along its side, rather than any burns or pierg wounds.

  Curious, Niphru queried how that was caused, and the only woman in the group expihat she used air magibined with metal fragments she carried in order to produce a shredding disk of wind. Apparently it was difficult to recover the fragments, however, which art of why they took so long to return.

  As others prepared the meat, Niphru offered to assist with the cooking. He could, after all, keep his fmes burning without any real effort. While he also had fire magic, he had to admit it wasn’t as useful due to requiring active focus to use, as well as draining mana. Eventually, he hoped to discover how his foxfire funed, though he was happy that it seemed to be ‘free’ when he was healthy.

  Si would take a while to properly cook the food, he asked those who were curious about his history to join him by the fire. Apparently, they had spoken with others, as there was a much rger crowd than he had inally beeioned by. He did not mind, though, as it didn’t take any loo speak to more people.

  Once he had finished expining his time at Blightfall, there was a surprising ck of questions. He assumed this was because more people had lived iowns and cities than in the vilges. Simirly, not many people spent signifit amounts of time in the wilderness. It leasing to find so many were ied in him, as he had expected more dislike or hostility than he had received so far.

  Eventually, his story was fihe food had been cooked aen, and it was time to rest before the challenge of dealing with the wilds began. Sihere were less rules out here, and those who attacked him did not, he offered to take the first shift of watch, wanting to have some free time while most people were asleep. Once finished, he walked until he was out of sight of everyone before cloaking himself in illusion to hide his presence.

  Having paid attention earlier, he knew where his targets were. He approached the first, using another illusion to hide the tent opening as he entered. Sure enough, they were sound asleep. It was an easy task to find the man’s belongings, as he had tossed his clothing atop them. With a mischievous grin, he picked up several small but easily identified objects with his force magid left, heading toward his other attacker’s location. It was quite simple to hide the items amidst those already present.

  Having finished his bit of trickery, he returo the tent he shared with Dawn aled in to sleep, looking forward to the m.

  Sure enough, there was quite a otion once he awoke, one man acg the other of theft, as he tried to defend himself. While he cimed he had found the items and goo ask if anyone knew who they beloo, the other cimed it was an excuse to try to get out of having stolen them. After a fair bit of shouting, it devolved into a short brawl, leaving both with several painful-looking bruises before they were stopped by their mentors.

  Grinning at getting back at his attackers, and perf a bit of trickery, he felt quite a bit more rexed. He was curious, however, why he felt the o mess with other people, as it had been slowly wearing at him both at the vilge, as well as the spire. It was said that foxes were tricksters, so perhaps it was just his nature, in the end.

  Shaking his head, he joihe gathering at the ter of the camp, excited to head into nature once again.

  Shard