Chapter 62

  Paw Patrols

  Jimmy stirred, awakening from a curiously funny dream of jesters, dancing all about.

  “Odd,” he grinned, trying to remember the details.

  "Mornin’ sunshine," Dan said, kicking his shoe.

  "You've been out for four hours—that's all you're going to get.”

  His gaze swung out over the mountains.

  “We need to know where these fuckers are coming from."

  “The jesters?”

  “Exactly– wait what? Worgs Jimmy. We need to figure out where the worgs are coming from…”

  He eyed his friend carefully,

  “Whattchoo–ahh, what you got going on there?”

  The Archer stretched, yawning, eyes clearing.

  He nodded.

  "Agreed. I can cover the rough ground quickly, and my senses will confirm the den location.”

  His eyes glinted at the thought of more resources.

  “I will keep my eyes out for loot as well."

  Dan gave him the side eye.

  “What were you.. whatever.. just make sure you don't get blinded by something shiny, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  Jimmy nodded absently.

  “Damnit, Jimbo, don't be a loot goblin!”

  He moved quickly to gather his bow and arrows.

  “I do not know what you are implying.”

  The Loot Goblin moved out.

  Channeling trace Light Qi lightened his steps, adding effortless grace.

  He stretched his legs, moving higher into the dense mountain peaks.

  That beast was genius.

  He attempted to replicate the intricate manipulation required for projected illusions.

  He shook his head.

  Frost and Moonlight..

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  Assuming somewhere high and cold.

  Analyzing the lay of the land, he followed the more easily navigable ridgelines, trying to deduce their path traveled.

  He focused his Molecular Sensing, attempting to grasp any hint in his surroundings.

  As he peered deeper, head throbbing, clues began to appear.

  Not of the worgs, but of the universe itself.

  Qi is everywhere.

  Faint swirls on gusts of wind, tiny bursts from crushed rocks.

  “All around us, all the time… interesting.”

  Can we harvest it? Consolidate it?

  Do we even need to kill?

  “It feels so weak though, will the ambient Qi vary with the environment?”

  His head snapped up.

  In the wind, he suddenly sensed a different note.

  It was faint, but a bare sliver.

  Sharp. Penetrating. Cold.

  Bingo.

  He hiked for three hours, following the frigid, crystal notes carried in wind.

  Tucked high into a shadowed ridge, there was a jagged triangular opening into the mountain.

  With the moon rising behind the frosted peak, the sparse trees and boulders cast confusing shadows.

  If you watched closely, you could occasionally see a dark form slink.

  The shadows are vigilant.

  A distant howl echoed–answering his thought.

  Jimmy carefully retreated, finding a concealed spot to observe.

  Time stretched.

  Lean muscle was tense, expression blank, waiting for the inevitable howl or snarl announcing his discovery.

  On instinct, he shunted light away from him, deepening the shadows.

  He mentally groaned at the immediate headache caused by the chaos of diffused light particles.

  As his vision faded to grayscale, the pain was immediately forgotten.

  I did not realize I could do that..

  Did it by feel..

  No fangs gleamed in the night.

  He released a small breath as tension eased.

  His senses expanded slowly, as delicately as possible, trying to tease out any information.

  Soft and delicate.. like light..

  He spent thirty minutes slowly permeating the area.

  He could sense the distant, steady Frost.

  The steady hum– definitely the natural treasure.

  A crooked smile appeared as he felt the radiating power.

  Definitely stronger than our water node.

  The other he was struggling to make out.

  He froze, pulling back slightly, realizing the scale.

  Oh, shit.

  His burning greed flickered and died, replaced by cold dread.

  He reeled back as swiftly as he dared.

  That would be the true alpha.

  The wind whistled through the swaying and creaking branches.

  Something disturbed a rock, causing it to tumble with a small clatter.

  Every noise triggered a small twitch, his shallow breathing misting in the cold air.

  A visualization of the crosshatching from a chessboard overlaid the terrain, as he quickly and meticulously mapped the location.

  Jimmy shivered, from more than the cold.

  That thing is a monster.

  I have to get back.

  He spotted a couple frost-laced stones, pulsing with power.

  …Just not empty handed.