Chương 186: 10. You've Got a Bad Habit

We've gone through a lot of jarring environmental changes since we arrived in this world. From the frigid depths of the convergence point to the sweltering heat of the rocky mountain outside, from that dry and barren wasteland to the lush oasis near the river, from the sandy deserts of the mainland to the wetlands Degala calls home.

You would think that the transition from swamps and floodplains to a mountain rainforest wouldn't make it to that list, but the danger is in assuming that the two wet biomes had anything at all in common aside from moisture. Even that feels like a naive comparison. The wetlands were humid, yes, but the air here isn't damp or moist—it's wet, and no other description suits it.

The mist we saw clinging to the mountainside from a distance is thick and pervasive, rendering any thought of evaporation little more than idle fantasy. While the fog is slightly cool, it's not nearly enough to make up for the muggy heat that's followed us since we started hiking through the forest. The air here has an almost palpable weight to it—thick, heavy, and difficult to breathe. Our hair is soaked through, and the high ponytail that I've tied it into isn't helping much.

It's been growing faster since Maggie started her experiment with borrowing Nipper's traits, and I'd cut it short again if I didn't think Allie would cry. The accelerated growth is slightly concerning, and Maggie's reassurances of "don't worry about it" don't give me much confidence, but the benefits seem to outweigh the risks, for now. After all, we also heal faster and tire slower, and I've felt my exercise showing results much faster than it would have back home.

Attributes don't make fitness irrelevant, I'm pretty certain. If anything, I suspect that they act as a multiplier on what's already present—an idea that's supported by the training Draga taught me, and as good as confirmed by Talla when I ask her about it.

"The Power attribute has a measurable effect on physical strength," she explains as we trudge through the thick, muddy understory of the forest.

"But it isn't a perfect measure of strength by itself. As you've guessed, larger and more active people will get more out of the same value."

"Though I'm guessing that having a class with a high Power attribute involves a lot of physical activity anyway," I add.

"Usually," she agrees.

"Still, you're right not to neglect your fitness." That might at least partially explain why most Fa'aun are so lean. Even Rara's softer physique is a long way from anything that I'd call "fat." There are definitely chubby Fa'aun out there, but it's been surprisingly rare.

"Not that it's helping out here," I complain, stopping to catch my breath and fruitlessly swipe at the moisture clinging to our body. Talla stops as well, waiting patiently for me. She's not as bothered by the thick air—maybe a consequence of being nearly a foot taller than us and having larger lungs—but she's suffering in her own way. Her white fur is plastered to her body, giving her a particularly miserable and pathetic appearance, even if she hasn't actually complained.

I can see why the Degala tribe keeps theirs trimmed so finely.

"We should probably make camp soon," she muses.

"I'd like a shelter up before it starts actually raining."

"Already?" I ask, surprised.

"It's only been an hour or two since we left the boat." Pulled onto shore and left upside-down under a bush. The Degala tribe warned us that any attempt to moor a rowboat for an extended period of time would pretty much guarantee that it was underwater when and if we ever found it again.

"This isn't going to be like the trip back from the convergence point," Talla warns me.

"Sagaa's riverbanks are among the most hospitable places in the world, so all we had to do was find some flat ground and set up tents. Making camp here will be a lot more difficult." I nod along, happy to defer to her expertise as a ranger.

"What do we do, then?"

"Let's make a clearing first," she says.

"Somewhere flat, without too many large trees."" Make a clearing?"

"A forest this dense isn't likely to have a convenient one on its own," she explains.

"We'll need to clear a space for ourselves." Following Talla's instructions, we get to work. Finding a suitable location isn't too difficult, as we're still mostly at the foot of the mountain and don't have to worry about slopes or cliffs. The biggest challenge is finding a spot that's both flat and dry enough without being completely crowded by trees. Once we do, Talla and I spend most of the remaining daylight clearing away any shrubs, small trees, vines, and other hazards from our small campsite. Then we dig.

So. Much. Digging. Since rain is all but guaranteed in a rainforest—it's in the name, after all—Talla and I have to dig out small trenches to divert water away from where we'll be sleeping. By the time we're finished, the sun has already disappeared behind the mountain—not quite night, but still dark, especially beneath the thick canopy of the rainforest. And we still haven't even started gathering firewood.

"It will be hard to find anything dry to burn," Talla laments.

"Especially now that it's already getting dark."

"We don't necessarily need to," I point out.

"I have a spell that can seemingly burn anything." Including water and sand, both of which are typically used to put fires out. Dry, dead wood is ideal for burning, but what good is magic for if not breaking rules like that?

"Is that the same one you used to blow up one of the ships chasing us out of the city?" Talla asks nervously.

"It's not usually that strong," I tell her.

"Here, look." With a gesture and a thought, I cast [Firebolt] on a small patch of empty ground, where it sizzles and steams in the mud for a moment before stabilizing into a steady flame. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Wait, that's the spell you used?" she exclaims.

"I thought it was a different, more powerful spell that you'd also overdrawn on." I scratch the back of my head bashfully.

"Nope. I'm not usually very good at overdrawing, but I was particularly, er, inspired." I'm not above admitting that I was filled with indignant, murderous rage at the time—at least, not to myself—but saying out loud that I burned dozens of people alive in anger kind of hurts. Even if it was also self defense.

"You realize," Talla says, her voice pained, "that you are describing what is probably the most dramatic example of overdrawing a skill or spell ever recorded as something you are usually bad at."

"It's not a representative example," I insist, feeling a little awkward.

"I couldn't do that again if I tried." She giggles and shakes her head.

"'Representative,' huh? Your vocabulary is getting better, Vi."

"Allie's not the only one studying, I'm just slower at it. Now are we going to get the tent set up before it's completely dark?" That part, at least, goes quite quickly. We got plenty of experience setting up and taking down tents on our journey from the convergence point to Sagaasi, and nobody ever ended up reclaiming the sturdy canvas tents we "borrowed" from the late Lady Kiera and her entourage. We've only bothered bringing the one, since it's big enough for both of us.

I'm sure Maggie's excited about that, but it's only practical—we're not planning to summit the mountain or anything, but it's still a long hike to get above the forest layer, and the less we have to carry, the better.

"Let's get that fire going," Talla suggests once the tent is all set up.

"I desperately need to dry off before we sleep, or my fur will reek tomorrow."

"I do still have that shaving razor," I comment, preparing a small pit for the fire.

"If it works for the Degala tribe..." She grimaces as she helps to fill the firepit with some of the dead wood we collected while clearing our campground. It's not dry, but Talla says that even if my fire burns without fuel it's better to provide some anyway. The magical fire will dry out the logs enough for them to catch so that more mundane fire can take over from there.

"Let's save that for a last resort," she sighs.

"I acknowledge the practicalities of Degala's style, but I still have my pride." I shrug. While I can't exactly relate, I get that it's the same as Allison not wanting to cut our hair short. Even if it's less practical, it's an important part of her self-image. One that she'll let go of if necessary, but only if necessary. Even with my magic, it's a little tricky to get the fire really going, but once we do I find that I appreciate the warmth.

It's properly night time now, and between the mountain's shadow, the canopy of trees, and the slowly fading rings as autumn approaches, it's actually pretty cold at night despite the oppressive heat during the day. Talla stretches her arms over her head with a satisfied sigh as she sits by the fire, divested of her cloak. While we roast some of the fresh fish the tribe sent along with us over the fire, she starts running a fine-toothed comb through the fur on her arms and legs.

It's a ritual I've seen her doing before, but she's more thorough than usual, meticulously squeezing as much moisture out of her fur as she can manage.

"Vi, could you do me a favor?" she asks, passing me a spare comb.

"I can't reach my back, and in this weather it's more important than usual that I keep my fur tidy."

"Sure," I reply, accepting the comb and moving around behind her. I shouldn't be surprised when she then casually strips off the loose undershirt she normally wears beneath her cloak. Fa'aun are much more casual about nudity than I'm used to, and Allison pretty quickly got accustomed to sitting naked in the drying rooms of the bathhouse back at Talla's family estate, chatting with the other occupants. It only stands to reason that Talla would dry off by the fire in the same way.

Without comment, I run the comb carefully through her fur, starting at the neck and shoulders and slowly working my way down, working out the moisture so that she can dry off more effectively. It's not all that difficult, since the fur on her torso is already relatively fine and short, if not quite to the same degree as that of the tribespeople across the lake.

It's enough that with her fur straightened out I can make out the definition of her back muscles—very similar to a human's, though with a few subtle differences in the exact shape. She's got a surprisingly athletic build, despite her scholarly mien. Then again, she's also a ranger who's spent years hiking through wilderness just like this and fought monsters alongside the likes of Draga.

"I suppose Maggie is going to be jealous," I muse as I finish smoothing out the last few stray tangles around her lower back.

"She really is quite smitten with you, I think."

"It hasn't escaped my notice," Talla replies casually.

"And this is the second time you've brought it up to me." I blush and avert my eyes as I hand the comb back and return to my own log next to the fire.

"She's not very good at expressing herself honestly," I sigh.

"I don't get along with her, but I don't want her to get hurt, either."

"What about you?" she asks.

"I was under the impression that you aren't as comfortable with nudity as Allie." Then why haven't you put your shirt back on? I want to ask. Instead I just sigh and shake my head, plucking the cooked fish from the fire if only to give myself something else to look at.

"I'm not comfortable with being naked," I clarify.

"And unlike some of the others, I have no interest in ogling. But I'm not going to let my own embarrassment get in the way of your health. If you don't dry off, your fur will get moldy, won't it?" She ducks her head in my peripheral vision and accepts one of the skewers when I pass it to her without looking.

"It will," she acknowledges.

"And I appreciate that, but you're allowed to tell me if you're uncomfortable. You've got a bad habit of putting your interests below everyone else's, Vi—especially those you share a body with."

"And you have a bad habit of dodging the subject whenever Maggie's feelings are brought up," I retort.

"Allie might be able to pick up on subtle cues, but I can't tell whether you're just humoring her, actually share her interest, or something else. And if I don't know, then Maggie has absolutely no chance. She won't know how you feel unless you tell her directly—anything else is just cruelty." Talla nibbles her food in silence for a moment, showing no obvious signs of what she's thinking.

"You really are protective of them," she finally says.

"I think I admire that in you, Vi. To be perfectly honest, I haven't given Maggie an answer because I don't have one myself. You are so many different things—and I don't just mean as separate people. A source of alien knowledge, innocents in need of protection and teaching, friends who keep my company despite my nobility rather than because of it. How do I distinguish the feelings I have for one from the others—much less each of you as individuals?" I chew on my own bite of fish as I consider it.

"I don't know," I answer honestly.

"Neither do I." We sit and finish our meals in a silence that rides the line between comfortable and uncomfortable, and with that the first day of our camping trip comes to an end.