Chương 30: Distractions

Esha meditated beneath the enormous red tree that Joe had left in their care. For months, it continued to grow larger and larger until, one day, it suddenly stopped, though that was fine, as the tree was already impossibly tall. Then, the first leaf fell. Normally, such an event would go unnoticed, but a young child picked the leaf up and showed it to Esha. It was completely black. From that day forth, leaves began to fall in increasing numbers each day, leaving nearly all the branches bare.

Esha guessed that the final leaf would fall sometime that day. She had contacted Samira and Drishti to inform them of the events, but they were far away and preoccupied with their duties. In the end, only Esha would witness the last leaf's descent. A pang of sadness surged through her. They had tried everything to save the tree; they gave it the best fertilisers and kept it well-watered, but nothing worked. It was a strange, magical tree not of this world, so how could they possibly know what it needed to survive?

None of the other trees Joe had grown showed any signs of dying; they remained as full of life as when they sprang up. Esha couldn't understand what this decay signified, so she sat and waited to see what would happen. She didn't have to wait much longer; the last leaf fell to the ground just as the sun set. Esha remained still, waiting, yet nothing happened. An hour passed in silence. Finally, she rose, perplexed, and began heading back toward the village.

She paused, sensing a faint pulse directed at her, and turned to look at the tree. Its branches swayed in the wind gently until, with the loudest sound she'd ever heard, the enormous trunk snapped cleanly down the middle. She jumped back, panic rising. Was the tree about to fall? If it did, it would crush everything nearby, risking the entire village. Just as she was about to run and warn everyone, a noise halted her. She turned back toward the tree.

Her mouth fell open as a bright, shimmering image appeared within the cracked trunk, a beautiful red-skinned woman with long, pointed ears. Then, suddenly, the image faded, and something started crawling out of the broken trunk. It was a red dog-sized lizard, no, a Salamander. Its tongue flicked through the air as it glanced back at the unstable trunk, which still threatened to fall at any moment. The tree vanished instantly in a swift motion, with a graceful swish of its tail.

Esha blinked in disbelief; the disappearance was so sudden that she could hardly comprehend what had happened. The Salamander then turned towards her and moved in her direction. Overwhelmed, Esha fell to her knees. She knew who this was; Drishti had mentioned her name. As the Salamander reached her, Esha spoke first.

"Veda, welcome back," she said reverently. The Salamander gazed at her, and then, in a blur of speed too quick to follow, it leapt onto her shoulder and gently wrapped itself around her like a shawl.

"Esha, my dear, be a good girl and take me somewhere warm. My body is terribly cold." Its voice resonated directly in her mind.

"Of course," Esha replied, making her way back to the village and toward her house to build a fire to warm the red Salamander. __ Drishti received news of the tree's disappearance two days after it had happened. Alarmed, she was packing her belongings before heading to Camp Jahanabad to investigate. It was still early in the day, but she was quite a long way from the village; she knew it would take the whole day to reach the camp, so she had to ensure she had everything she needed.

Just as she was about to leave her house, a knock at the door made her pause. Opening it, she found Esha standing there, draped in a large robe.

"Esha, when did you get here? I was just about to head out. Come in," Drishti rushed the woman inside.

"Aren't you hot in all those clothes? Would you like a drink?" Drishti watched as Esha removed the baggy clothing, revealing what lay beneath. She was shocked when her eyes met the gaze of a beautiful red Salamander draped over Esha's shoulders.

"This is Veda," Esha said simply.

"Place your hand on her back." Drishti was at a loss, Veda? She is alive? She couldn't believe it. A tear formed in her eye as she placed a hand on the Salamander's body.

"Drishti, you are just as beautiful as I imagined," the words flowed into Drishti's mind, filling her with elation.

"Veda, it is so good to see you. How did this happen? Is this why the tree disappeared?" The words tumbled from Drishti's mouth.

"One question at a time, child." Veda's sultry voice flowed into both women as they looked at her.

"The tree was a tree of rebirth, and I was quite surprised by its presence here. Usually, the system would not allow such a thing to exist on a non-integrated world. So, I am pleasantly surprised I am even here talking to you both. Drishti, bend your head a moment." Drishti complied, bending forward slightly. Suddenly, Veda appeared around her shoulders, surprisingly light. Drishti's mind still swirled with endless thoughts, trying to grasp the situation.

"Thank you, Esha; Drishti will take over carrying duties," Veda spoke through her tail to the woman as it touched her arm.

"Shall we sit before I continue the explanation? Esha, if you have somewhere you need to be, Drishti can catch you up later." Esha looked relieved at that.

"I would like to inform the town leadership that I've arrived; they will be expecting me to do so," Esha said.

"Esha, why are you speaking like that?" Drishti blurted out. She had never heard Esha speak so respectfully before. Veda giggled on her shoulder.

"Oh god, I don't know," Esha replied, throwing her hands up as she gradually returned to her usual self.

"I was caught up in the moment of Veda's rebirth, and I couldn't stop." She slapped herself." Okay, I'm back and off. See you both later," Esha added, waving as she set off. Drishti laughed as she watched her go.

"I like her," Veda purred.

"Too bad she has such bad taste."

"Bad taste?" Drishti asked.

"Ignore my ramblings. Where was I? Oh yes, as I was saying, the Tree of Rebirth is an extremely rare existence. I am lucky to be back, a gift I will not squander. So Drishti, Esha informs me that a certain Mr. is not currently in India. Do you know where he is?"

"I'm sorry, Veda. Communication is still minimal at the moment. I have no idea where he is currently. All I know is he is on a quest, and it is going well," Drishti replied. Veda snorted.

"That man will be the death of me," Veda said.

"Tell me, before he left, did you and he sleep together?" Drishti coughed in shock and blushed a bright red.

"No, of course not. I would never," Drishti stammered.

"Oh, child, why not? I am sure he would not have said no," Veda retorted honestly. Drishti simply looked at her with no idea what to say. Veda added, "I could feel your desire for him when you picked me up." Drishti held her face in her hands, wishing she could disappear.

"Ah, I see now." Veda chuckled.

"I didn't realize you were so innocent. When we find that boy, I will have words with him; I will make sure you both share a bed as soon as possible."

"No, please," Drishti begged.

"I don't want that. I mean, there is an order to things. I mean, oh, Vishnu. I don't know," Drishti sighed.

"I'm kidding, child," Veda laughed heartily.

"Probably," she added.

"Returning to important matters. I would love a drink of your best tea. Then, I will be taking a nap, so I will need a hot fire to lie beside. Then, you will gather Esha and Samira, and your training will begin tomorrow." Drishti blinked. She rose and headed to the kitchen to make some tea, wondering what she had just gotten herself into. __ Joe sprinted through a forested area in southern Hungary, a pack of sixty enormous crocodile-like beasts in hot pursuit.

He was currently questioning himself, what had made him think he could dash across Europe and return home? Did he really believe it was remotely possible? Shaking his head, he leapt aside as one of the Beasts snapped at his ankles. Of course, they weren't crocodiles; they were called 'Oval Porosomouphes'. He wondered who named these things; was it the system? Were they real Beasts or mere creations for the integration? A movement to his right pulled him back to reality.

Oh yeah, he was in the middle of something, wasn't he? [It's asking if we want to claim it?] - Dominik asked over the party chat. [Click yes.] - Joe. Turning his head, he aimed at the Oval furthest on the right of the pack and fired a small mana blast, just enough to knock it off balance and send it tumbling away. Soon, three women and one man pounced on it. He was in the middle of some power levelling. [Are you sure?] - Dominik. [Oh, Dom, I'll do it then.] - Hajina.

She was standing next to Dominik by the City Pillar. She then reached out and claimed ownership of it. Global System Message World 43's sixth City Pillar has been claimed 6/10. [Hajina! Why did you do that?] - Dominik. [Because, Husband, you were taking too long.] - Hajina. Joe stopped looking at the chat box. He was used to their marital bickering and knew nothing good would be said in the chat for at least the next hour.

So he turned his attention back to knocking Ovals out of the pack for the rest of the party to finish off. Normally, he'd just eliminate the entire pack in a couple of minutes, but these people needed experience killing for themselves. Teach a man to fish, and he will feed his family for a lifetime. He smiled as he continued running. Joe slowly continued to travel across Europe, helping people along the way. Two weeks into his journey, he arrived in Frankfurt, Germany.

During that time, a seventh Pillar had been claimed, and now Joe sat atop a building overlooking Rebstockpark, observing Pillar number eight. Frankfurt was in relatively decent shape for an abandoned city. Nearby, a Beast resided, sitting right next to the pillar. According to what Joe had heard, the Beast was not sapient and showed no evidence of being able to speak. Still, it was among the brighter ones of its kind. Joe peered at it. There it was, just sitting there.

It resembled a man-shaped shark with four legs and hooves. He had identified it but couldn't decipher its name; it was nothing more than a jumble of letters. It was only level fifty-two. A woman approached from behind, placing a hand on his shoulder. [Scouts just returned, all clear, no other Beasts inside the city.] - Emilia. [Great, what's your plan?] - Joe. This time, he had found a highly competent team in Germany, already working on taking the City Pillar.

They had engaged with the Beast twice so far, but could not take it out. They had lost two team members during the battles. Despite that, their strength and determination had not wavered. Joe's arrival brought new hope that they could finally dispose of this Beast and break the stalemate. [Anselm and Bernard will engage from the north, drawing the Beast away from the lake. Hannah will provide range support, staying north of their position. I will lead a four-person primary team from the southeast side, just past the lake, attacking from range and out of sight.] - Emilia. Joe nodded. The plan sounded good. He was no strategist, especially when it came to groups, but these teammates had stuck together during the tutorial and had all survived the same Gate. He trusted they knew what they were doing. [I'll support the tanks.] - Joe. [I'll jump in if needed. This is your fight. But don't be shy; say the word, and I'll take a more active role.] [Thank you, we will see how it goes.] - Emilia finished as she moved off. Joe set off to join the two men north of the park. Anselm and Bernard were as different as night and day. As expected from a warrior Class, Anselm was tall with massive arms and carried a large shield, clad in the standard plate mail he'd received in the tutorial. Bernard, however, was a small, spindly man, shorter than most of the women on the team.

His class was Walled Soldier, and Joe had heard he was virtually unmovable once his skills activated. He carried no shield; he didn't need one. The strike team, hiding just south of the lake, led by Emilia, consisted of two mages, an enhancer, and two sharpshooters. They all had excellent skills for disengaging and keeping themselves out of danger, which, combined with Bernard's taunting abilities, ensured their protection.

Their usual problem in battles was that things went south quickly when the two men tried to disengage, a weakness that had already cost them two lives, including their only healer. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. [In position, ready when you are.] - Emilia. [Engaging now.] - Anselm responded as he and Bernard entered the park. As soon as they stepped into the park, Joe saw the red dot of the Beast beginning to move. [It's coming, move fast.] - Joe.

Both men immediately burst into a run. Their discipline was excellent; this group had a lot of potential. Joe was there solely to ensure there were no casualties today. Jogging a fair distance behind them, Joe watched them move in unison through the park. In moments, they confronted the Beast head-on. Bernard took the lead, halting abruptly to activate his massive shield skill. The shark-like Beast smashed into it headfirst, then flipped upward, soaring briefly above Bernard.

Anticipating the move, Anselm was already airborne, meeting the spinning Beast with a well-timed punch from his shield that sent it crashing to the ground ahead of Bernard. The Beast regained its footing and charged at Bernard again. Now glowing red from his activated taunting skill, Bernard captured the Beast's full attention. It slammed into his skill-projected shield once more, forcing Bernard's feet to sink slightly into the ground from the impact.

The Beast held its stance and continued pushing against the shield when suddenly an arrow whistled above Joe's head, landing just short of the Beast as it swerved to avoid it. It was Hannah's arrow, the support behind Joe. Joe kept his focus on the two men ahead. He noticed Bernard beginning to sweat from the effort while Anselm stood ready beside him to take over. [The first volley is out.] - Emilia. Joe looked up and saw a barrage of projectiles, a mix of magic and arrows, flying overhead toward the Beast.

Still, the creature continued slamming against Bernard's shield, unaware of the explosive attack about to crash down upon it. In a cacophony of violence, the Beast was flattened to the ground as the projectiles exploded around it. Capitalizing on the moment, Bernard dropped his shield and stepped back, allowing Anselm to take his place. Joe watched as Anselm activated a skill, his size doubling in mere moments. The Beast quickly recovered and resumed its attack, this time targeting Anselm.

His defensive style was different to Bernard's. Where Bernard was an unmovable wall, Anselm focused more on parrying and knocking the Beast off balance. Another volley rained down onto the Beast's back and its surroundings. The aim was impressive; none of the attacks came close to Anselm. However, the Beast was not caught off guard; it managed to roll and dodge most of the attacks, taking only a few hits. This sequence repeated three more times before Anselm began to show signs of fatigue.

Meanwhile, the Beast sustained barely any damage and attacked at full strength. Joe wondered how tough this Beast really was. The attacks looked strong, and enough had hit where he expected the damage to slow it down, yet it kept battering Anselm's shield without faltering. [Something is off. It's not taking much damage.] - Joe. [I agree, it usually would slow down, but this time is different.] - Bernard. Then he switched places with Anselm, who took over, distracting the Beast.

Joe considered stepping in but paused for a moment. He activated mana sight, peering closely at the Beast. What he saw surprised him. The Beast was coated in mana, resembling the effect of his own Mana-coating skill, but there was more: a thick mana thread extended from the Beast toward the distant lake. When a new volley of attacks rained down, the mana thread swelled and pulsed, absorbing the impact from the attacks. [There is something in the lake defending the Beast. I'm going to check it out; stay safe until I get back; keep attacking.] - Joe. Joe dashed to the lake's edge and, within seconds, stood there peering down. He followed the thick mana thread, straining to discern what lay beneath. At the bottom of the lake, he noticed a strange glowing pattern, a large circle formed by odd shapes, from which mana flowed outward. [It's some kind of mana circle. I'm going to break it. Hold the next attack and be ready. The beast will probably react badly as soon as I do.] - Joe.

Reluctant to get wet, but unsure if his Mana Blast could reach the circle from afar, Joe dove into the lake. He swam swiftly to the circle and raised his hands, hoping his plan would work. Activating his Mana Blast, his mana surged forth and slammed into the mana circle. The resulting explosion was far larger than he had anticipated. He barely had time to send one last message before the monumental blast engulfed him. [Move back now!] - Joe. BOOM!!

__ Emilia reached out, grabbed Anneliese, and stepped back as soon as she read Joe's message. Before she could even fully move, an explosion rocked everything. The force sent her flying, and she crashed near a building south of the park. She barely had time to cushion her careening flight with her best defensive skill. She blinked and coughed a mouthful of dust as she glanced around; her ears hummed, leaving her momentarily deaf. At her side, Anneliese lay unconscious.

Lina was nearby; however, Liselotte was nowhere in sight. Gazing back into the park, Emilia saw a scene resembling a nuclear detonation, with dust and debris falling everywhere. __ When Bernard saw Joe's message, he activated his biggest defensive skill and moved before Anselm to protect him from whatever Joe had triggered. The entire lake exploded in the most powerful explosion Anselm had ever witnessed.

The Beast that had stood between them and the lake had been sent flying into his shield; it bounced off and tumbled away into a building to his right. Every tree near him had been torn from the ground and flung into buildings nearby like spears. The lake had been turned into a crater, and everything inside, including the water, had vaporised. A giant cloud of dust and dirt buffeted Anselm. Yet he held firm, his skill protecting him from serious harm, even as his mana dwindled.

He marvelled at how anyone could possibly have survived that explosion. __ Joe opened his eyes. He had passed out briefly. Where was he? The air was rushing around him; he was in the air. He turned his body; he was high above the now-destroyed park. He saw a giant crater where the lake had been, dust and rubble everywhere. Looking at his mini-map, he saw seven dots for his party members; everyone was still alive. He also saw the dot of the Beast tumble into one of the buildings.

Joe's upward propulsion finally stopped, and he descended back down towards the park. He turned his body, facing down. Movement to the east and west caught his eye as he fell. He peered at something running between two buildings. He panicked when he realized what he was looking at. One was an orca-shaped man jumping along some rooftops, and nearby was a dolphin man who bounced along a street. Both were heading straight for his party members. Joe turned his fall into a dive. [Everyone, run! Two more Boss Beasts are coming!] - Joe. Where the hell had they come from? He needed to fall faster! Joe saw Bernard and Anselm dash towards Hannah's position, the Dolphin Beast heading straight for them. It would be on them in moments. He glanced at Emilia, who was carrying someone, with Lina running beside her; they were heading towards the last member of the team. Her dot wasn't moving, and Joe couldn't see her from where he fell. However, he saw the Orca, which would reach her position before Emilia did.

Shit, how can he fall faster… He held his hands out, facing the sky and activated two Mana Blasts. As they exploded from his hands, Joe's freefall became a missile strike heading towards the Orca. He had but a moment to regret his choices again as he slammed into the ground inches before the Orca, which charged towards his party member. BOOM! Joe passed out from his foolish actions for the second time in less than a minute.

__ Emilia had no time to react when something slammed into the ground fifty metres from her position. The ground shook, and she fell to one knee. [What was that?] - Emilia. [Something fell from the sky.] - Lina. [It landed next to one of the bosses. I see Liselotte!] Emilia got back up to her feet, following the woman. They soon found Liselotte lying unconscious next to some trees that had been flung from the earlier explosion.

Lina picked her up, and both women, carrying their other teammates, turned and ran into the city. [We have Liselotte and Anneliese. Where are you, Bernard? Has anyone seen Joe?] - Emilia. [The other boss just charged Anselm; he is holding it off. Hannah is with us. We need help. I think that was Joe who fell from the sky.] - Bernard. That was Joe? Everything was going wrong. They were now all separated; Joe was in who knows what condition. Two of them were unconscious. The others were in trouble.

Emilia cursed this damn city and that damn boss. Everything had gone wrong since it showed up. __ Joe awoke with a start; he jumped to his feet. He had slammed into the ground. He looked around and saw the Orca on the floor, bleeding near him, one of its arms severed from its body. He saw the chat box; the others were in trouble. He decided to rush and help them; as he dashed forward, he saw Lina emerge from a corner. He pulled out some healing pills, throwing them in her direction. [I'm on my way.] - Joe.

He jumped up into the air, heading towards the three dots, which now had two red boss dots engaging on them. As he rose into the air, he caught sight of both Boss Beasts; he raised a hand and sent a Mana Blast at one; it caught one off guard, knocking it off balance, causing it to crash into a pile of rubble instead of Bernard and Hannah. He turned his attention to Anselm and the shark; Anselm's shield was flickering, and he was in bad shape. Joe landed just behind him and dashed forward.

He saw Anselm's shield fail. As the Beast pounced, Anselm hunched over from exhaustion; Joe raised a hand. He had to be fast. The Beast's hooves were inches away from smashing into Anselm's head. Joe fired off a Mana Blast just in time to knock the attack off course, making it miss. The Beast roared angrily, glaring at him; Joe was still moving forward, and he dashed a few steps more. He landed above Anselm, between him and the Beast. He struck out with his hands, punching the shark back.

Stepping forward, he followed up with a spinning kick to the Beast's side, trying to send it towards the other one that was again charging Bernard and Hannah. His aim was true, and the Beast's slammed together, sending both sprawling. This gave him time to pop a healing pill into Anselm's mouth and move over to Bernard. [Get Anselm, and move away. I've got these two.] - Joe dashed at the two Beasts back on their feet. With a flurry of strikes and close-range Mana Blasts, he assaulted both at the same time.

They were tough, incredibly so. Their skin was rough to the touch and hard to break. He pressed on. Rapid strikes, followed by another Mana Blast. He stepped back and sent seeds flying towards one of the Beast's eyes. They pierced one in an eruption of blood but missed the other. Perfect, moving into its blind spot, he smoothly glided between attacks, planting seeds while delivering punch after punch. He caught glimpses of the chat. Emilia and Lina were being chased by the one-armed Orca, leading it into the park.

[Bring it straight north.] - Joe added as he ducked an attack from the Dolphin. He kicked out, sending it flying. He dashed after it, the shark boss hot on his heels. Both left trails of blood as they moved. His constant attacks finally broke through their tough skin. He saw Lina and Emilia's dots closing on his position. [Are you sure about this?] - Emilia. [One hundred per cent.] - Joe. The Orca was now in sight; both women ran up close to him. The shark turned towards them.

"Got 'em," Joe said as he activated Seeds Will Grow. Vines sprang up around the shark and Dolphin, trapping both and halting their movements. Lina and Emilia saw this and changed direction, running off towards Bernard and the others. Joe sent out more Mana Blasts at the two trapped beasts, keeping their attention focused on him. They freed themselves and charged. The Orca was also back in the fray, charging him in the opposite direction.

Joe had all three on him now; he breathed deeply, moving into the motions of Nature's Grace. He flowed between the three Beasts like water, dodging snapping jaws, hooved kicks and slashing arms. He couldn't avoid every attack, but he delivered three of his own back for every hit he took. The one-armed Orca was the first to break from exhaustion, falling back and crashing down to one knee. Joe immediately jumped onto its oversized shoulders and head, his palm pointing at its open, gasping mouth.

He sent a point-blank Mana Blast right into its mouth, which blasted through its head, and Joe saw the notification of the first kill of the fight. You have slain Orcaloss level 62 Ding! Class Farmer has reached level 43 - stat points distributed. Exp penalty in effect due to failure to protect innocents. Joe jumped to his right, barely dodging the snapping jaws of the shark Beast. He landed close by, kicking out and breaking an arm that struck at him. It fell back in shock, roaring in pain.

Joe focused on the shark pouncing at him. His fist slammed into its jaw as it tried to bite him again. He heard teeth shatter. He was no longer conserving his strength. His full-power, Mana-Coated blows were too much for the Beast; blood spurted with every crushing blow. He focused punches repeatedly on the same spot until cracks appeared on the flesh. One more rapid strike broke the skin cleanly on its side, and it fell backwards from the pain, roaring in anguish.

Joe gave it no reprieve; he blasted the wound with Mana Blast after Mana Blast. You have slain Alpha Odontoceti level 63 One to go. Turning to the Shark, it stood there, anger burning in its eyes as it stared at the two dead bodies around Joe, who stood staring back, waiting to see what it would do. Its eyes narrowed, and then it charged. Joe shrugged and met the charge; for a moment, he had thought it might speak, that it might have been hiding its intelligence.

But maybe it was only nearly sapient and not entirely. Whatever it was didn't matter anymore; the Beast had little of its life left. Joe sent a Mana Blast into its face, causing it to close its eyes briefly. Ducking into a blind spot, Joe repeated his focused attack strategy until a wound formed on the Beast's side. A Mana Blast up close blasted the Beast back into fallen-over trees. The battle was over now; it was done. Joe didn't like torture, so he finished it quickly with two more Mana Blasts.

You have slain Aggravated Selachimorpha level 63 Ding! Class Farmer has reached level 44 - stat points distributed. Exp penalty in effect due to failure to protect innocents. Joe looted all three bodies, making them disappear in puffs of smoke. He then sat down and sent out a message. [All clear, everyone okay?] - Joe. [Yes, thank you. Everyone is on their feet now; we are heading over.] - Emilia. Joe let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Phew, it was a bit touch-and-go. But everyone was alive.

Thank god. He thought. __ Esha slumped down onto her bed, exhausted.

"I'm going to kill that Farmer when I see him again," she muttered. She wasn't really mad; she was tired and sore. Veda's training regime had been brutal, to say the least. But she had to admit the results were beyond her expectations. Veda had lectured to her every day for the past month that footwork and combat style were more important than just pure levels and stat gain. She also made her focus a lot more on her profession.

Veda wanted her to reach level fifty in her profession before doing any more Class levelling, which was very hard for Esha to maintain. She enjoyed the thrill of battle a lot. She was currently at level sixty-five in her Class and thirty-two in her Profession. She had to admit that Veda was a genius. Though she also refused to explain what she was, where she came from, or how she knew what she knew. She was even worse than that damn Farmer with all his secrets and knowledge.

Esha got up when she heard a knock at her door. She opened it to see an exhausted Samira push her way inside and slump onto a chair.

"I can't feel my arms at all," Samira complained. Esha laughed.

"Tell me about it. So when are we offing the monster?" Esha joked. Samira stared at her in shock.

"Careful, what if she can hear us? Her hearing is unnatural," Samira replied.

"Who cares if she can. It's one of the things she likes about me anyway." Samira just shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Some tea?" Esha asked, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Please," Samira replied. Veda had taught them how to heat tea with just some mana. It was much faster than using small fires as they had been. A few moments later, both ladies sat with two hot cups of tea in hand.

"I heard that the boss quest is at forty-nine now. Veda thinks something big will happen when it hits fifty, so be prepared." How would she know that? Esha shook her head. Damn Salamander and her damn secrets. She was annoyed again.