Fay didn't remember how he had fallen asleep—all he could recall was how he had been awakened. The sound of wailing and crying echoed from outside the cave.
Sunlight poured in, revealing the devastation across the village. As Fay stood to look, he saw that the palisades were gone, the tents broken and scattered, some barely standing in the distance.
Vultures circled overhead, and far off, smoke rose into the sky.
Fay couldn't understand what the catfolk were saying, but it was clear from their tones that it wasn't good. The chief stood near the entrance, issuing commands to warriors who rushed to carry them out.
As Fay approached, the large sabertooth leader, Nahrin, looked back at him and gave a nod. But Fay didn't dare get too close. His head throbbed, his cough still lingered, and his nose felt itchy.
[Young summoner, go get cleansed. The village shaman will help you. She is outside tending to the dead with a ritual.]
Fay heard the guide's voice and turned back to see Mira still sleeping.
He didn't want her to get sick. It was probably better if she underwent the cleansing as well. She might have already been exposed just by being near him, even if she hadn't shown symptoms yet.
If there was one thing he had learned from the shelters, it was that contagious diseases were never to be taken lightly. When something was incurable, sacrifices where even made back in the shelters.
"Mira, we have to go. Get up or I'll leave you behind." Fay shook her awake.
The little girl looked healthy but groggy, letting out a sleepy groan.
"Come on, help me out. I'm sick, and I don't want you getting sick too. Just follow me."
Fay didn't intend to hold her hand. He didn't know what kind of magic would be used or whether it would heal them quickly, but he wasn't going to risk her catching anything from touching him.
After more groaning and several minutes of rubbing her eyes, Mira finally followed. She whined and pouted along the way but kept up.
The walk was long, and the heat was already growing strong, but they reached the shaman after a few minutes. The woman looked to be in her late forties, possibly early fifties—one of the oldest in the village. Few here ever reached sixty or seventy.
[Child, we meet again. Thankfully, I stored herbs in high places and have enough for the ritual your guide suggested. As one of our best hunters, I will perform the first cleansing free of charge.]
Fay didn't even know why he was being charged in the first place, but he nodded. There was no gold or currency used within the village—only bartering for meals, food, or items of equal value—and today, he had none of that.
Still, his growing reputation was enough for the others to let him borrow.
"It's fine. Today I'll give you a portion of my hunt, ma'am."
He wasn't sure if luck would favor him, but he needed to recover if he wanted to hunt again.
[We will begin, then…]
The elder catwoman picked up some leafy branches and began lightly slapping him with them. He had no idea what the purpose was—until the scent from the strange herbs made him start sweating almost immediately.
[Don't be scared now… my little one will help with the rest.]
She sprinkled powdered stone over him for some reason, then summoned a small, round, transparent blob with no face or form. The creature seemed to detect the powder and rolled toward Fay with surprising speed.
[Relax. He will eat away the sickness. Just hold your breath for a few seconds while he finishes.]
Fay didn't like the idea of something "eating" him, but wherever the creature touched, warmth spread through his body. The pain dulled, his muscles relaxed, and a strange sense of clarity returned.
"What is this?" Fay asked, astonished that such magical creatures even existed. He was glad he had Jolt, and even Grin—though he still didn't know what kind of magic the hyena could use. But this blob… it was incredibly useful.
He crouched lower, allowing the creature to envelop more of his body. It felt like being submerged underwater for a few seconds before the creature pulled back and shrank to its original size.
After all that, he felt refreshed—his skin even seemed to shine.
"That felt nice… do you think my sister Mira can have the same done?" Fay asked, pointing toward her.
[Twice the payment. My powder is rare and hard to find here, so I will make this exception once…]
The elder, who looked to be struggling to maintain the creature, repeated the ritual for Mira. The little girl watched the slime with wide eyes, reaching out to poke it just before it enveloped her as well.
"Relax, Mira. You'll be released in a few seconds!"
Fay was about to rush in and help when he saw his sister struggle a little, but instead of panicking, Mira giggled inside the blob. A moment later, the creature finished and shrank back as the elder called it away.
[That should be enough… at least for harmful ailments. Now for my payment—make sure it is on time, young one.]
With a few deep breaths, the elder returned to her task of sending off the dead. Many around them were still mourning, so Fay chose not to intrude. Instead, he joined those moving supplies and picking through the remnants of ruined shelters.
Before long, everyone stopped. The village leader let out a roar that echoed through the air.
[We will leave this place. We have been struck twice in a short span by Sumarg. He will return soon, and next time, he will destroy us. We shall move to the east. There, we can avoid his gaze beneath the thick canopy of trees—but we will also be close to the lands of the Huma.]
Everyone turned to Fay and his sister.
"What is a Huma?" Fay asked, confused by the sudden attention.
[The ones who resemble you, young one. We are wary of them. They hunt us for slavery. But we cannot stay in these open plains much longer. Next time, Sumarg will not stop.]