Chương 53: Welcome to the Team

Evan and Oliver quietly unsheathed their swords. Evan widened his stance, just like he'd practiced during the lessons with Alex. He stared into the shady forest, prepared to parry a surprise attack. Maybe he would get to use his new [Super Nova] ability sooner than he'd thought. The bushes in front of them rustled ever so slightly. Probably not a large monster then, although that didn't mean it would be any less dangerous.

After studying his guild-issued monster guide, Evan had learned that size didn't always correlate with a monster's rank or threat level. His heart started beating faster. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Luca slowly moving backward, getting into a safer position to play his support role. Something light-green appeared between the bushes.

"You can lower your weapons. It's just me." It was Catriona, wearing a light-green tunic secured with a leather belt around her waist. Her bow was slung over her shoulder. Evan let out a sigh of relief.

"Catriona, you scared the shit out of me. I was ready to use my Super Nova on you."

"Thanks for the restraint," she said, fully appearing from the vegetation and walking toward them. Oliver slid his sword back into its sheath with a laugh.

"You're really good at sneaking up on people, I'll give you that." The compliment drew a half-smile from her.

"My affinity is Forest, and I got some camouflage abilities early on. Most of us get those first. Makes it safer to roam the Old Forest." Oliver pointed at the bow hanging from her shoulder.

"You have some ranged attack skills, too, I bet."

"I do, but most of them enhance my bow and arrow. A classic archer build is what I'm going for." Jasper made an impatient expression.

"At any other time, I would love to discuss skill builds, but we're on a tight timeline. We want to get to the Vason Estate before the sun rises again." His voice had an unusual sharpness for the otherwise soft-spoken man. Evan could tell he was on edge. Catriona pressed her lips together and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"About that…" Her fingers traced the edge of her bow as she searched for words. Jasper furrowed his brows.

"Anything you want to tell us?"

"More of an ask than a tell," she said reluctantly.

"Just spit it out then," Luca said with a grin.

"We outsiders don't bite. Ask Ailie." Catriona shot him a sharp look before she continued speaking, her body language still tense.

"I want to ask… I want to… join your party." Jasper's eyes went wide.

"What? That's impossible!"

"Yeah, true," Evan said, "I'm the party leader and I'm only rank 4, so we're limited to three people right now, but—""No, not that," Jasper said. He was staring at Catriona like she was about to explode.

"Evan, you don't understand. She can't join us. She can't even leave the Old Forest without special permission from both the Patriarch and the Matriarch of her tribe." Evan rubbed the back of his head.

"I thought you said the Matriarch was away?"

"She is," Catriona admitted.

"So you don't have the tribe's permission?" Catriona hesitated, biting her lip. Her gaze flickered through the forest, unsteady, before settling back on Evan.

"No, I do not. No one knows I'm here. Not even Patriarch Lamont. I… I snuck out."

"What happens when your people find out you left?" Luca asked, sounding intrigued. Catriona swallowed.

"They will expel me from the tribe."

"Forever," Jasper added.

"She can never return. And she can't join any other Forest Folk tribe either. She will be an outcast." Evan blew out air.

"Wow, Catriona, that's… are you sure you really want to do this?"

"Would you have me? Would you let me join your party? As soon as a slot frees up, of course?"

"Yes, of course," Evan said. He didn't know any details about her skill set or even her rank, but from what he'd seen so far, she seemed very competent and level-headed. And they didn't have a long-range attacker in their line-up yet. She would be more than welcome, especially considering they were about to face a much stronger foe, but what would that mean for Catriona?

"Why, though? Why do you want to leave your people? I only met a few members of your tribe, but they seem like decent people."

"They are," she said quickly.

"They really are, but living in the tribe, in the Old Forest, just feels so stifling. I know every nook and cranny of our territory. I know every tree, every rock, every damn hump in the ground. When I was younger, I loved to explore the forest, but now it feels more like a prison cell that I can't leave. I want to know what lies beyond the Whisperleaf territory. I want to see more of the world, meet new people, learn new things." Love what you're reading?

Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Oliver nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"I grew up very secluded as well. I understand the feeling of wanting more than the tiny, restrictive world you grew up in." Catriona returned his smile, although she still looked very anxious.

"Why us?" Evan asked.

"Why our team?"

"That's easy to answer. You're my only chance," she said.

"Wow, you really know how to butter someone up," Luca quipped. Evan understood, though.

"I guess not many outsider mana user teams pass through your neck of the woods, huh?"

"No, you're the first outsiders I've met in years, and all the ones before were merchants. So yes, if I want to join a party and go adventuring in the world, you're probably my only chance before I'm too old for it."

"Fair enough."

"And you seemed like good people," she added.

"You want to fight those criminals and help their victims, even though it means risking your own skin. That speaks of honor and bravery. Qualities I was raised to appreciate." Evan exchanged a quick look with both Oliver and Luca. He could practically feel the disapproval radiating off Jasper, but for once the more experienced man's opinion didn't matter much to him. This was his team, his party. All that mattered was that his two friends were on board before he gave his approval.

Oliver gave a little nod, and Luca just grinned.

"Okay," Evan said, "if you've really thought this whole thing through and are absolutely certain you want this for yourself, you're in." A smile lit up Catriona's usually stern face, making her look even more like the supernaturally beautiful elf Evan had mistaken her for at first sight.

"Thank you, Evan. This… this is life-changing for me. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." Evan quietly thought Catriona's addition to the team benefited them more than her, but if it made her happy, all the better. Jasper, however, didn't look happy at all. He rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head.

"I just hope this doesn't get us in trouble. They might blame us for snatching away one of their young warriors. This is a bad idea. A really bad idea." Evan looked at him sharply. He appreciated all the support and advice Jasper had given them so far, but the man was starting to get on his nerves.

"Listen, Jasper, she's a grown woman who can make her own decisions. So is the rest of our team. I would really appreciate it if you would stop treating us like unruly children." Jasper met his gaze with a frown. He looked a little offended at first, but then his expression softened.

"You're right. You're right, and I apologize. I guess I'm a little on edge. Alex tasked me with keeping you all safe, but I have to admit I'm in way over my head too. This quest has spiraled very far away from my usual line of work."

"We're heading into a really dangerous fight," Evan said.

"We need to have each other's backs."

"About that," Oliver said, giving Catriona a friendly clap on the shoulder, "we should probably talk about your skill set, so we can come up with some team tactics before we get to the Vason Estate." They started walking again. Catriona set a brisk pace, eager to put some distance between her home village and their newly formed group.

"I'm firm in my decision," she said, "but I want to avoid running into another Whisperleafe and having to explain myself. They'll all figure it out soon enough." The young woman navigated the tricky forest floor terrain with ease, born from a lifetime of practice and deep familiarity, but she soon realized the rest of them were falling behind. They couldn't keep up with her, so she slowed down enough to allow conversation.

"My first skill, the one I got when I bonded with my affinity crystal, is called Razorwing Swarm. I can unleash a swarm of butterflies that will attack the enemy with razor-sharp wings."

"Death by a thousand cuts," Evan said.

"I like it."

"As I said before, I got a camouflage skill early. It's called Forest Veil, allowing me to blend into the vegetation. It works with other environments too, although not quite as well, but I haven't had the chance to test it out extensively since, you know, I've spent all my life in this forest and there isn't a lot of different scenery to try it out with."

"That's about to change," Oliver said.

"But it's a useful skill either way, especially for an archer. You can rain down death on the enemy and they won't even know where it's coming from."

"My next ability is Thorn Volley. It splits my arrow into multiple arrows. They also grow thorns, which increases their damage. And then there's Sapping Arrow, which drains some health from the target it hits. Not much, but it keeps draining until the arrow is removed, so it adds up."

"Very useful," Luca commented.

"Anything else? You're Rank 4, right? Have you filled all your slots?"

"Yes, one more," Catriona said with a smile.

"It's probably best if I show you this one."

"In the middle of the Old Forest?" Jasper asked with furrowed brows.

"Is that smart? Shouldn't we avoid drawing attention from nearby monsters?"

"Oh, don't worry, this one is very… sneaky." Catriona slowed down and let out a long, soft whistle. Evan looked at her expectantly, and when nothing happened, he looked around, searching for some kind of environmental effect, but the forest looked completely ordinary. Well, ordinary by Old Forest standards at least. Until he spotted a rustling between the trees. A moment later, a fox emerged from the underbrush.

It had cream-colored fur and light green eyes, making it look more like an especially aesthetically pleasing Pokémon than a real animal. The fox's eyes fixed on Catriona, and then it started sprinting toward her. Catriona crouched down and opened her arms, catching the lithe creature in a hug. The fox cuddled against her body, letting its bright eyes wander over each party member as if it was studying them. Catriona stood back up, the fox still cradled in her arms.

"Everyone, meet Lys, my bonded familiar." Luca's eyes went wide.

"Wow, a familiar. Familiar gems are super rare."

"Not in the Old Forest," Catriona said, patting the fox's head.

"It caused a bit of a discussion, though. My teachers thought I was wasting a slot. Not all familiars are suitable for fighting."

"What about Lys?" Oliver asked, looking just as excited about the fox familiar as Luca.

"Can she fight?" He stretched out his hand to pat the creature's head, just like Catriona had done, but the little fox yipped and tried to snap at Oliver's fingers. Oliver chuckled.

"She's got fighting spirit, at least." Catriona gazed at her familiar with a proud smile.

"She can fight, but she's not very strong yet. She's not fully grown. Once she reaches adulthood, she'll be a force to be reckoned with, I'm sure."

"How big will she get?" Evan asked. He knew the size of a normal Earth fox, but this fox's unusual fur and eye color made him suspect foxes in this world might develop a little differently.

"I've heard some of them grow over six feet tall, although females tend to be a little smaller. It'll take years until she's fully grown, though." Evan looked into the fox's light green eyes. Catriona's familiar met his gaze, and the way she looked at him made him think she was not only larger but also much more intelligent than the foxes he knew.

"Well, Lys, welcome to the team." Despite Oliver's earlier failure, he couldn't withstand the temptation to reach out and stroke her cream-colored fur. He regretted it instantly when tiny fangs bore into his hand. Evan pulled his hand back with a yelp and rubbed the bloody bite marks. To his surprise, his health bar had lost almost ten points.

"That's a strong bite for such a small creature."

"She's a bit stand-offish with strangers," Catriona explained.

"Give her some time to get to know you guys before you attempt that again."

"I'll keep that in mind," Evan said. He lowered himself until he was at eye level with the fox.

"Hey, girl, sorry for getting all up into your personal space, but just so you know, teammates don't bite teammates, okay? Save that for the bad guys we're going to fight very soon."