The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 263 - ...And The Player That Hates Hungry Games

Chapter 263: Chapter 263 - ...And The Player That Hates Hungry Games

Their arc around the competition grounds had taken far longer than a direct route would have, but avoiding notice required certain sacrifices. They’d made it to the hidden camp without any eyes on them. Though she’d had to make them not see the one scout... whom she also made not see them.

Then there was her stomach that had started complaining an hour ago, shortly after starting the journey. Mint eyes fixed on a particular shrub tree as they entered the natural bowl in the earth. Without breaking or increasing stride, she reached up into a small hollow and extracted a wrapped package.

"Did you really... hide your food in a tree?"

Nohre’s question came out slightly strained. Not just from seeing her unwrap the waterproof layer and start munching on dried meat and fruit pulled out of foliage - but from the morning at large. Walking around and investigating, following their master’s warpath, and carrying her share of the cages.

Fusand was worse, but both disciples were feeling the burn of exertion.

"Of course not. I hid my food in *several* trees."

The brunette chucked the rest in her mouth while gesturing to a spot for them to set down their burdens. Her Skydancer had been on her shoulder, watching the rescued birds still despondent despite his assurances! They were really such a quartet of worrywarts, it thought.

"I also hid some in that rock formation, under those bushes, and... well, finding the rest can be your next lesson in observation. Just replace what you take."

She skipped to her lean-to for supplies, then popped a piece of fruit hidden there in her mouth before examining the Skydancers more closely. One was in an especially bad way, the tiny fractured bones working towards unsafe places. The damage done to all of their wings would require careful attention to undo without causing further harm.

It was easy enough to keep them slightly sedated like she’d been doing with her spirit. The rest was going to be more difficult. It would also make the disciples question things about her further... but the alternative was letting innocent wildlife stay victims of the machinations of arrogant humans.

"Of course, that’s not the lesson that I need one of you to focus on right now."

Her gaze shifted to Nohre, who was already leaning over the most injured one with the eyes of someone who wished they could do something. Her Synergy and Mend were both bugging her and insisting that the creature needed help.

But the braided haired teen girl didn’t even know if untying the silk binding was wise. She didn’t really know anything about medicine and healing, after only one intense lesson. Though Nohre had learned a fair deal about a human’s anatomy she didn’t know before... most of her knowledge would be useless to solve this problem.

"Wait for me as I prepare this healing space."

She produced a small knife and began etching precise sigils into a large plank of wood. It would serve as the operating table of a kind. In this case it would not be for scalpel and Negavigor tools... but one could say she intended to ’wield’ Nohre much the same.

’I suppose saying she is going to wield me is more appropriate to the truth, though less... pleasant to say, think, or feel.’

"What we’re about to attempt requires absolute discretion. As everything related to cultivation that I ever inform you of. When it is all through, as far as anyone is concerned the truth will be that these four were *always* completely hale."

She stopped her hands and looked over at them. Mint eyes brooked no argument. It wasn’t really a request, but an order. Both of them nodded quickly.

"After all, the Wing & Talon would be quite interested in someone who could heal up their prized specimens so thoroughly. Then so would every Guild. Truly, you’re someone that will start little political wars in the future, little water-deer. Enjoy peace while it lasts."

The words almost sounded sarcastic after the day she had. Green eyes fluttered after considering that if more just like this happened over and over, it might be like what their master meant. It sounded awful!

Sounds of the scratching knife paused as Elua extracted something from her satchel - a little box with a chunk of the crystallized amber shard. Fusand grimaced a little, remembering the difficulty of processing that in his gut. As well as how it still felt like the *reason* for his Plant Physique.

"This will provide them and you with the physical energy we need. It will be far more efficient than waiting for your Mend to process it naturally."

She began carefully breaking off small pieces and setting them aside on a kerchief.

"The birds will need to consume some, as will you. During that, I’ll use the doorway provided by your Synergy to guide your spirit through the entire process - you’ll just have to trust me and not fight it."

A grim expression grew on the orphans face. In her heart, she felt that she did trust Elua er Goltbred. The heiress had given them so much, taught them so much, and yet... they learned every day that they knew her very little.

It made her worried that her spirit would reject whatever was about to happen.

’Of course, I just told her that to make her think. It’s not like she could stop me from taking over and easing things along~’

"Finally, you must understand that no one can know the true extent of what this will show you’re capable of one day. Okay? Not even the Talcres. Not yet. Fusand is an unfortunate exception that you decided to make."

Her weighty monotone was meant as serious instruction rather than threat. After looking back and forth between them for a bit, she resumed carving. Each sigil placed on the surface hid a dozen carved with essence in the interior.

Some to promote smooth energy flow, to calm their minds, and tons of other little tricks that would make a small bubble into a quick and dirty cultivation room. When she woke up this morning, she really had no idea.

"Some capabilities draw too much attention. Invite too many questions. Coveted. Despised. They come in many forms."

The spirits of so many would have her Astralism touching so ’extensively’ today. So many that the ’too distant for her liking’ Qatrand kept being muted by the noise.

’Ah, I need to reroute that now.’

She made a little mistake on the plank... because not being there to see her beloved in person was kind of pissing her off, all over again.