The Connected System

Harper kept low, extending her Shadow Sense out into the area around her. She couldn’t sense anything besides trees and underbrush. Not even Elora. The elf was just that naturally good when in a forest, a benefit of her Deep Ranger Class and years of experience. She probably hid better than Harper could, even using the shadow Abilities her Class gave her.

Of course the elf was just better at everything.

It wasn’t that Harper was jealous, at least she hoped it didn’t appear that way, it was just that Elora Seedspear was nearly perfect. She was beautiful and exotic. Her elven features drew the eye. As the only one in the Clan, she stood out. Everywhere she went, everything she did, was under the eyes of watching humans. She bore it with grace. Or appeared to.

Every movement the elf made was graceful. Harper knew she had grace when she walked and fought, but it was different with Elora. It was more natural. Harper had worked hard to get to where she was with her body control and movements. Elora, as an elf, was born that way.

She was the better fighter, in a similar style as Harper. There were differences, a result of their different Classes, but overall they fought in the same way. A lot of moving, quick strikes and darting away. Always shifting and sliding, their defense more about not being where the enemy thought they would be. There were jumping and sliding, dancing as Harper thought it. There was a lot Harper could learn and needed to learn. The fight with the gaunt Shaman had shown her the disadvantage of her fighting style.

She relied on Shadowskip too much. When she had lost access to the Ability, it had put her at an extreme disadvantage. Elora didn’t use Abilities, at least none Active. Harper had to learn how to fight without Shadowskip and maybe she could learn from Elora.

Elora stepped past a tree about ten feet from Harper, a spot Harper would have sworn the elf hadn’t been a second ago. Her stealth was insane and Harper had no idea how it worked. Her own stealth was based on the shadows. She blended in with them, becoming almost invisible. Footsteps were quieter, not completely soundless but close. Elora didn’t use the shadows, she just disappeared and walked across the forest floor full of twigs and leaves without making a single sound. Harper still had to be careful where she walked.

At least I have Shadow Skip, Harper grumbled as she scanned the forest around her.

She didn’t know what they were looking for. Something had kept the Coyote pack stealthed and completely invisible, even from Elora, before they had attacked. When the pack had ambushed them, her father ordering her and the other high Levels to not attack, and when she had realized that it had come from Elora’s side of the road, Harper had felt a bit of a thrill that the elf had messed up.

She’d quickly quashed that feeling. It made her feel guilty. People could be hurt and there were always surprises in the Connection. No matter how powerful, no one could ever completely rest. Something was always out there, just waiting for a mistake. Harper knew that she would have done the same as Elora, not detecting the Coyote pack. It wasn’t Elora’s fault and the moment of glee that Harper had felt made her feel sick now.

The elf was working hard to prove herself to the Clan and Harper’s father. It wasn’t her fault that she was the only elf or that her race was just naturally gifted. She had years of experience and had been higher Leveled before renouncing her old Clan to swear an oath to Clan Brady. Elora had given up a lot for a shot at a new and better life.

Harper knew she shouldn’t be mad at the elf.

She just couldn’t help it.

The elf was just so good at everything and looked good doing it.

At first Harper had been worried that Elora might try to take their mother’s spot. If their mother had died, it still would have been too soon. And their mother was alive. Somewhere. Harper knew it. But Elora had quickly shown that taking the place of their mother wasn’t her agenda. She’d sworn an oath to serve Harper’s father as a Bannerman, a warrior and bodyguard answerable only to the Clanchief. Still not sure what exactly a Bannerman was, Harper was now sure that Elora had no intentions on their father beyond serving him.

And the elf was showing some interest in Drew and he was showing some back. Harper had seen the two talking quietly together at night. At first it had been about fighting techniques but it had become something more. Harper tried to respect their privacy but she had to make sure Elora wasn’t after her father and then it just became curiosity. Not that she’d had much of a chance to pay attention to anything. She and Davis had their own talking to do at night. Harper just wished that her father didn’t pay as much attention to them as he did.

She scanned the ground, not finding anything besides Coyote prints heading toward the road. The tracks were easy to follow. There were a lot of them and the animals hadn’t tried to hide their movements. They stopped twenty or thirty feet into the woods.

Both Elora and Harper stopped, looking in all directions for the tracks which just stopped. Crouching down, Elora ran her hand over the ground, pushing aside leaves, looking for marks. She found nothing. Still crouched, she looked up at Harper, who shrugged.

“Did they just appear out of nowhere,” Elora asked.

“Is that possible?”

“Only by portal and there are some Abilities that allow an individual to teleport. That would make it look like they appeared on the spot, coming from nowhere. But aside from a portal, I do not know of anything that can teleport this many at once.”

She stood up, moving further into the woods. Harper stayed where she was, looking down at the tracks she’d been following. They just stopped. Just undisturbed forest beyond. Harper wished she had some kind of way to tell if there had been a portal there. She understood the idea, she’d watched the one in Johnson’s Field bring in gaunt after gaunt.

Something different was at play here though. That portal had done one at a time and then only a set number before it needed to recharge. Cerie had said that portals took a lot of energy and the more that were sent through, the more energy it took. There had been three dozen or more Coyotes. That was a lot to send through a portal. What could have had that much energy and why waste it on Mutated Coyotes?

It couldn’t have been a portal. Granted Elora had more experience with the Connection. She’d been born on a world already Connected for centuries. Elora should be able to figure it out but something she’d said nagged at Harper.

Some Abilities could mimic the effect of a portal.

Harper knew that, it was like how her Shadow Skip worked. When she exited the Shadow Realm, it appeared like she came from nowhere.

Activating Shadow Skip, the world around Harper turned shades of gray. She felt the chill ever present in the realm. Looking down at the ground she saw dozens of large paw prints. They led deeper into the woods. Smiling, Harper exited the Shadow Realm.

“Elora,” she called out, again looking down and not seeing any tracks. The elf looked at her. “It wasn’t a portal. They came from the Shadow Realm.”

The elf tilted her head, thinking. Harper waited anxiously, afraid Elora would just dismiss her observation. Instead the elf walked over, stopping only a couple feet away from Harper. She looked down at the space where tracks could have been.

“What did you see?”

***

The two women moved cautiously. Harper had her Shadow Sense activated. It had ranked up after the battle with the gaunts, now allowing her to see where things in the Shadow Realm touched the real world. At her new rank, it seemed to be limited to things that visited the Shadow Realm from the real world. The innate knowledge the Connection granted her indicated that when something from the real world entered the Shadow Realm, the Spirit in the creature’s or person’s core still had ties to the real world. It was how Harper could exit the Shadow Realm. That trace left a trail that Harper could now follow.

She led the way, moving through the woods, around trees. Whatever she was tracking, she couldn’t see it, just the traces left behind, it was large having to move through bigger gaps. The forest was thick, old growth, or it appeared to be. Harper had never been in the woods behind the old restaurant but from what she could see from the road, it hadn’t been this thick before. The loggers in the Clan would be able to gather a lot of wood.

If they could navigate it safely.

She and Elora had to remove whatever monster was able to command the Coyote pack.

Harper stopped, holding up a hand to Elora. She looked around, looked up into the trees. The trail had ended. Making sure the creature wasn’t in the real world, Harper Activated Shadow Step.

Something, an instinct she didn’t know she had, made Harper dive forward immediately. She landed in a roll, spinning as she popped up, glad her tonfas had already been in her hand. She held them with the blade along her arms. Rising them up in front of her, hooked end up, she searched the gray landscape for what had attacked her.

A long tail was yanked back, spikes pulling out of the ground. A large creature, owner of the tail, stepped out from among the gray trees. Harper took another step back, shocked by the creature. It was an odd monster, seemingly made of multiple creatures.

The head was that of a coyote, just larger, with front canines extending past the lower lip. Coyote neck changed to something else for the shoulders, but the front legs were still those of a coyote. Shaggy fur became more sleek fur, like that of a cat. That fur became scales for the rear, one leg scaled and ending in a three toed foot with thick claws, the other leg furred and ending in a large paw with small but sharp looking claws. The tail was scaled, topped with three large spikes. It whipped in the air behind the monster.

SHADOW TOUCHED CHIMERA PACKLEADER

Harper’s Evaluate wasn’t as high as her fathers, she didn’t get a sense of strength, just name. But she didn’t need it to know this monster was much stronger than she was. It was much larger, its legs having longer reach. Harper looked to the side, seeing a gray and faded Elora moving around, searching. People in the real world were just faded images in the Shadow Realm, just enough to see their location and move around them. It had taken Harper a long time to get used to that.

But being in the real world, Elora couldn’t see or touch the Chimera. And being in the Shadow Realm, the Chimera couldn’t touch Elora. It could touch Harper.

It tried, tail flashing out. Harper jumped back, avoiding the attack as the spikes dug into the ground again. She charged forward before the Chimera could pull the tail back. Leaping onto the tail, the Chimera growled in rage as the hooks from Harper’s tonfas dug into the scaled flesh. She ripped and tore, jumping back as a coyote leg slashed at her.

Rolling on the ground, she avoided another attack, springing up to block a third with her tonfas. The blow pushed her back. The creature was fast, maybe faster than Harper was.

It’s tail waved in the air, the tip hanging somewhat limp, blood gushing out from the wounds. The Chimera didn’t seem to care. It lunged at her, Harper diving to the side.

She had to get it out of the Shadow Realm somehow. If it was just her, she’d be in trouble. Being in the Shadow Realm, she lost her major advantage in combat. No Ability to Shadow Skip. Harper wasn’t sure that both of them could handle the monster.

Sliding one tonfa back into its sheath on her back, Harper took a throwing knife from her bandolier. Jumping back a couple of times, keeping some distance between them, she threw the knife. It cut through the coyote fur, but did little damage.

It did make the Chimera mad.

“Come on,” she said. “Follow me.”

Harper threw another knife, egging the Chimera closer. She deactivated Shadow Skip, disappearing from the Shadow Realm.

“Lady Harper,” Elora yelled, as Harper reappeared about twenty feet from where she’d disappeared.

“Incoming right there,” Harper said, throwing a knife.

The weapon soared through the air, looking like it was heading for Elora. The elf, for her part, seemed to trust Harper, setting herself and getting ready to attack.

The Chimera appeared between the two women, appearing as if from nowhere. The knife sliced across its back, the monster having shifted when it left the Shadow Realm. It lunged for Harper, forcing her to fall back. She landed hard, the creature leaping over her. It landed with a thud, already pivoting to attack Harper again.

Elora jumped over Harper, landing in front of the Chimera. Her blade slashed across, cutting into the forward leg. She pivoted to the side, avoiding the follow up attack. Harper Activated Shadow Skip, running around the monster.

Its head turned to follow her. Harper had wondered if the Chimera would be able to sense her tie from the Shadow Realm to the real world. It was a mistake. Elora darted forward, sword slicing into the exposed neck of the Chimera. It turned to thrash at her, giving Harper her opportunity.

She leapt out of the Shadow Realm, landing on the monster's coyote-like back, feet catching on the scales. Both tonfas stabbed down, electricity arcing across the blades. The Chimera roared in pain as sparks of energy flashed across its body. It bucked, shifting its rear but not its front, causing Harper’s legs to slide. She moved with its motion, using the momentum to launch herself off.

Catching a tree branch with one hand, she swung and landed on the ground, quickly turning and rushing back at the Chimera. The monster was wounded but that didn’t stop it. The coyote paws kept swinging at Elora, keeping the elf on the defensive.

Harper dashed in, slashing at the Chimera’s rear. The wail whipped out, Harper bending backwards to avoid it. She rose up, one tonfa held vertically to block the return swing of the tail, the other stabbing forward. It was a shallow wound as the whip-like tail pushed her to the side. She used the momentum and kept rolling, coming up and lunging forward to the Chimera’s unprotected side.

Tonfa stabbed at scales, skidding along the surface. Reaching rough fur, she felt the blade digging in. She stopped her forward motion, pivoting and ducking low as the monster turned, a paw slashing where she’d been. It roared, turning the other way as Elora attacked.

Together they kept the monster confused. Attacking and dancing away, constantly moving, making the Chimera circle one way then the other. It was fast, but they were faster. Harper knew that she’d be in trouble if she got hit just one time. The Chimera was the perfect blend of strength and speed. She saw the power when it struck a tree, splintering the trunk, gouging a large chunk. Harper was surprised it wasn’t falling. There was no way she would let that happen to her.

Harper’s foot slammed down on the ground but didn’t stay, just enough time to give her a boost as she leapt up, other foot coming down on the scaled side of the Chimera. It started to slide but held long enough for the boost needed to get on top of the creature. Elora appeared at the same time, the two having the same idea. Both trailed their swords, tip cutting through the hide of the monster. Harper’s glowed blue, leaving sparks of lighting. Elora’s had a soft white glow.

She had explained that her blade, one of the trash weapons given out by her former Silver Bark Clan, had a minor enchantment. It added +1% to attack. Harper wondered what other enchantments the Silver Bark Clan’s weapons had if that was considered a trash weapon. That didn’t bode well for if Clan Brady and the Silver Bark came to war. Not if but when, Harper knew but not liking it. Just like the gaunts, she knew Clan Brady and the elves would end up fighting. There were only a limited number of resources in the area and Clan Brady would naturally be growing and needing those resources, where the Silver Bark wanted them for their holdings on their planet and anywhere else. According to Cerie and Elora, the Silver Bark were a very large Clan. Very powerful with dozens of Holdings.

Luckily they were limited in what they could bring to Earth thanks to the Connected System’s Level caps and the amount of Spirit energy required to portal between worlds. If the Silver Bark could have brought their full might, they would control Earth already.

She focused on the battle, narrowly avoiding a swing of the Chimera’s tail. It slammed into the ground, pulling up clumps of dirt and leaves when it lifted up. Harper shifted, swinging her tonfa around so the hooked end was at the front. She bent down, digging the hook into the tail. She yanked, ripping large chunks of muscle. The Chimera’s body shook, the tail thrashing. Harper dove and rolled to the side, avoiding the wraithing tail. The monster whirled on her, eyes filled with rage and hate.

Standing up, Harper started backing up, swinging the tonfa around, beckoning the monster with the other.

“Come on,” she said to the enraged Chimera. “That’s it, just a little closer.”

Harper set her feet, shifting her stance. The Chimera growled, saliva dripping from the frothing wolf mouth, blood dripping from its many wounds. It charged at her, rearing up and swiping with a giant paw. She activated Shadow Skip, disappearing from view.

Everything took on the many shades of gray coloring, including the large Chimera that was moving so slow in front of her. It was easy for her to sidestep the attack, stepping to the side. She knew the Chimera could follow her but counted on it being too enraged to think of that. And the distraction that Elora was now providing.

The elf, coming up behind the Chimera, had used its focus on Harper to jump onto its back. Her sword, angled down, plunged into the neck of the monster. Harper left the Shadow Realm, both tonfas leading as she drove them into the underside of the Chimera.

She pulled her blades out at the same time as Elora. Sprays of blood filled the air as Harper dove to the side, the Chimera’s heavy body slamming down. It still lived, breathing hard as each breath pushed more blood out the many wounds. Its neck, both top and bottom, was a jagged mess with huge holes. One on top, two on the bottom.

Harper stepped away from the monster, joining Elora, blood dripping from all three blades.

“I have heard of Chimeras,” Elora said, calm and not even winded from the fight. “They have the ability to command others of the animals that make up the Chimera.”

“They aren’t all like that,” Harper asked, pointing at the still breathing monster with a tonfa, trying hard to not show how tired she was.

“No. Chimeras are varied. The name just means ‘mixed creature’. I do not think anyone has cataloged all the different types encountered or has yet understood how they are created. Every Connected just knows that they are dangerous.”

Elora walked forward, raising her sword. She moved close to the head of the Chimera. The monster’s eyes watched her. It tried to lift its head, to move a paw, but couldn’t. It let out a low growl, a weak sound as it coughed up blood. The eyes were still filled with hate.

Holding her sword in two hands, Elora swung it down into the Chimera’s neck, cutting more arteries. Or something vital. The monster’s body gave one last great shake and then lay still.

“We should go back to your father,” Elora said. “He will want to take the hide, meant and claws of the beast.”

“Yeah,” Harper said, amazed at the elf. “Let’s do that.”