Bloodflowers Bloom (The Astral Wanderer Book 2)

large knife to sever their heads. “I suppose they are in one piece, though, albeit charred and crumbling a little.”
“It’s fine. We only need proof,” Jazai responded as he and Asla lifted the alpha’s head and placed it on the cloak. “Do you need another bag?”
“Yeah, throw it to me,” the swordsman instructed. “Showoff,” he muttered when his friend took one out and blinked it to him. He chuckled as he snatched it out of the air and placed the final burnt head inside it. As he checked to make sure the four bags were secured, he paused and frowned when a rustling from above caught his attention. He looked up quickly and moved one hand to his sword while the other held his dagger. It was unlikely that the noise had been an animal as they hadn’t seen a single one other than the flayers since they entered the forest.
A moment later, a thought occurred to him and his caution turned to annoyance as he sheathed the dagger and shook his head, “Mr. Lebatt!” he shouted into the trees.
“Vaust?” Asla questioned as she tied the cloak over the alpha’s head. “Is he here?” She stepped beside Devol as Jazai opened his tome.
“I heard something,” the swordsman stated gruffly and his gaze scanned the trees. “I thought it was too good to be true that they would leave us to deal with this alone.”
Asla sniffed the air. “That flayer’s miserable stench is still obscuring my sense of smell, but I have not detected any familiar scents since we began our journey.”
“It isn’t surprising,” the diviner said as he strolled up behind the two, his gaze focused on his tome. “It stands to reason that anyone who has been training with you has a very good idea how to get around your senses. But this one, in particular, would be an expert at it.”
“So someone is here?” Devol grumbled and earned a nod from the scholar.
“Yep, and he is super proud that his pup is becoming such a fine warrior,” Jazai said teasingly and looked at Asla.
“Pup?” she demanded before her eyes narrowed and her hair stood on end. “Freki! Get out here!” she yelled.
Another rustle issued from behind a tree across from them. The three looked in that direction as the wolf wildkin strolled casually from behind it. He smiled and waved sheepishly. Devol and Asla snorted annoyance and Jazai merely chuckled and shut his tome.
“Haven’t I apologized enough, Asla?” Freki asked with a whine as his apprentice continued to give him the silent treatment. The group now walked along the path toward the anchor point that would return them to the Templar hall.
“Yeah, keep crying Freki,” Jazai muttered and adjusted the large bundle on his back that wrapped the alpha’s head. “I’m sure that will make her come around.”
“It wasn’t my decision. I trusted you and your partners completely,” the wildkin Templar explained with a touch of desperation. “I was told by the grand mistress to accompany you.”
“And as no one thinks to gainsay her, the excuse works well,” Jazai remarked with a snicker.
“Why do they keep sending you guys to shadow us?” Devol asked with a glance at Freki, “I suppose I can understand the first mission as it was our first time together and we did not know what could happen. But we’ve trained and have run smaller quests on our lonesome. There should be some trust now shouldn’t there?”
Freki sighed and when Asla continued to ignore him, he turned his attention to the young swordmaster. “There is. That’s why I did not intervene, although I was about to when that monster had you pinned.”
“I…appreciate the thought,” he responded dubiously. “So you were merely on standby?”
“I was to be an observer,” the wildkin said and folded his arms.
“Observer? What were you watching us for?” Jazai questioned with a baleful glance at the hunter.
“I cannot say,” he stated, which of course earned him another look of ire from his ward.
“You should answer. I am curious as well,” she said, albeit quietly and in a monotone that suggested she wasn’t as curious as she was annoyed.
“Asla!” Freki exclaimed, thrilled that she’d broken her frosty silence, but she turned away and resumed her sulk. “I truly can’t. The grand mistress asked me not to. I have probably already said too much but I’m sure she plans to tell you once we return.”
“I’m beginning to sense that Miss Nauru is more mysterious than she lets on,” Devol commented as they walked up a hill to a large tree stump.
“It comes with the title, I guess,” Jazai said as he shrugged his bundle off and walked to the stump. He began to extend his hand but paused and looked at Devol. “Hey, do you wanna give it a try?”
The swordsman nodded, “Sure. I have it down now, I think.” He placed the four bags on the grass and approached the stump, rested his hand on the top, and released a thread of mana. Several runes appeared on the wood and he immediately pointed to the one that would provide access to the Templar Order hall. He connected his mana to the rune and let it coat the symbol. As soon as he filled it, a small portal appeared and he continued to let his mana seep into the rune so the portal grew wider. He began to raise his hand slowly but maintained the connection so the portal would remain.
“Not bad,” Jazai conceded with a pat on his shoulder. “At least you don’t have to use your sword anymore.”
“It was awkward using it as a giant key,” he admitted as he picked the four bags up—a little tricky given that he still had to control the gateway, and the group hurried through. It shut as soon as he walked through and left no traces of the magi as the fields fell silent once again.

Chapter Six
“Hey, guys, welcome back!” a joyful voice called as Devol exited the portal. He looked