Weaves of Ashes

Chapter 104: Chapter 99: The Forgemaster’s Flame (Part 1)

Location: Forest Hunting Grounds & Yinxin’s Cave

Time: Days 512-513 | Telia: Days 3-4

Realm: Telia (Lower Realm - Feudal World)

Day One: The Hunt Begins

Dawn broke over the forest with the kind of gentle beauty that made Jayde’s chest ache. Golden light filtered through the canopy, turning morning mist into something almost ethereal. Birdsong filled the air—not the harsh cries of Dark Forest predators, but actual melodic singing.

(It’s so peaceful here. So different from home.)

Target acquisition: Large game hunting. Priority: Sustained nutrition for recovering dragons. Secondary objective: Maintain cover—no spatial ring usage in visible proximity to cave.

Jayde stood at the forest edge near Yinxin’s cave, stretching muscles that finally felt rested after yesterday’s long sleep. Reiko paced beside her, his dark form practically vibrating with hunting anticipation.

[Ready?] she asked through their bond.

[Been ready since you woke up,] he replied, tail swishing. [Tianxin wanted to come, but Yinxin said wyrmlings need to stay in the cave.]

Behind them, from within the cave, came a plaintive chirp. Then another. Then an indignant little roar that couldn’t possibly sound threatening from something so small.

Jayde smiled despite herself. ”She really doesn’t like being left behind, does she?”

[She thinks she’s a great hunter already.] Reiko’s mental tone was fond. [Yinxin had to physically pin her down with one claw to keep her from following us.]

(She reminds me of myself. Always wanting to prove something.)

Assessment: Wyrmling displays healthy aggression and confidence. Recovery progressing ahead of baseline projections.

”Come on,” Jayde said aloud, adjusting the crude hunting pack she’d fashioned from plant fibers. No spatial ring meant doing things the hard way—carrying kills back manually, processing them on-site. Like primitive humans used to do on old Earth. ”Let’s find breakfast for our dragons.”

They moved into the forest with practiced silence.

***

The Albatross-Bighorns weren’t hard to track. Jayde found their trails within an hour—deep hoof prints in the soft forest floor, stripped bark where they’d rubbed their antlers, scattered droppings that were still warm.

Target species: Cervidae equivalent. Approximate mass: 400-500 kilograms per individual. Herd animals, likely 6-12 members. Combat capability: Minimal threat to cultivator, but antlers can gore if cornered.

They were magnificent creatures. Nearly six feet tall at the shoulder, with coats that shimmered between gray and brown depending on how the light hit them. Their antlers curved backward in graceful arcs, each tipped with what looked like bone that had been dipped in bronze.

Jayde counted seven in the clearing ahead. Three adults, two juveniles, two yearlings. Grazing peacefully in a meadow where sunlight broke through the canopy in golden shafts.

(They’re beautiful. I don’t want to—)

Mission requirement: Dragon family requires 150-200 kilograms of meat daily minimum. Sentimentality is a luxury. Target the adults—more meat, established population can sustain loss.

(I know. I just... I wish there was another way.)

But there wasn’t. Yinxin needed to eat. The wyrmlings needed to eat. And Jayde had promised to help.

She nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring back slowly. The bow was good quality—taken from her spatial ring while still in the cave, away from prying eyes. Regular wood and string, nothing magical, but well-crafted.

The arrow flew true.

The lead buck went down instantly, arrow through the heart, dead before it hit the ground. The herd scattered in panic, crashing through the undergrowth. But Reiko was already moving, a shadow among shadows, herding them back toward Jayde’s position.

Second target: Pregnant female. Will provide maximum nutrition for recovering dragon.

Another arrow. Another clean kill.

The herd split. Half fled west, the rest east. Jayde sprinted after the eastern group, Reiko matching her pace effortlessly. They cornered a juvenile near a creek—young enough to be clumsy, old enough to provide decent meat.

”I’m sorry,” Jayde whispered as she drew her blade.

The kill was quick. Merciful.

Three Albatross-Bighorns. Probably 1,200 kilograms of meat total, maybe 800 after processing.

(Enough to feed dragons for three days if we’re careful.)

Adequate. Proceed with field processing.

***

Processing three large carcasses without the convenience of a spatial ring was exhausting work.

Jayde skinned each animal carefully—the hides would be useful for the village later, if she could figure out a way to tan them properly. She removed the organs, separating the edible ones from waste. Cut away the meat in manageable sections, wrapping them in large leaves to keep them clean.

Reiko helped where he could, his strong jaws and sharp teeth making short work of breaking down the bone structure.

By midday, they had three neat piles of wrapped meat, three folded hides, and a collection of organs that Yinxin would probably appreciate. The antlers Jayde buried—too distinctive, too obviously from game hunting. Better not to leave evidence.

Transport logistics: 800 kilograms across 2 kilometers. Multiple trips required. Inefficient but necessary.

”Should’ve brought the pack animals from the village,” Jayde muttered, hefting the first load onto her shoulders.

[Next time,] Reiko said, carrying a smaller bundle in his jaws. [We’ll plan better.]

(Next time. Like this is going to be a regular thing.)

But maybe it would be. For the next few days at least, while she waited to return to Tardide for the feast. While she made sure Yinxin and the wyrmlings were stable and safe.

The walk back to the cave took an hour. Then another hour to return for the second load. Then a third trip for the final portions.

By the time Jayde carried the last bundle through the cave entrance, the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, and her muscles were screaming.

Yinxin looked up from where she’d been watching the wyrmlings tumble-play in the cave’s central chamber. Her golden eyes widened at the sight of all the meat.

[You... you brought all this?]

”Fresh kill,” Jayde said, dropping the final bundle with relief. ”Albatross-Bighorns. Should be enough for a few days if we cure some of it.”

The dragon’s eyes shimmered with emotion. [Child, this is... this is more meat than I’ve seen in months.]

”Then eat.” Jayde smiled tiredly. ”All of you. You’re recovering. You need the nutrition.”

Tianxin’s squeal of delight echoed through the cave. The little wyrmling launched herself at the nearest pile of meat, tiny jaws snapping.

[Meat! Real meat! Not just broth!]

Shenxin and Huaxin were more cautious, but their hunger was obvious. They approached the meat slowly, sniffed it carefully, then began to eat with surprising delicacy for creatures with claws and fangs.

Yinxin watched her children feast for a long moment before moving to the meat herself. She ate slowly, savoring every bite, tears streaming down her scaled face.

[Thank you,] she whispered between mouthfuls. [Thank you, thank you, thank you.]

Jayde settled against the cave wall, exhausted but satisfied. Reiko curled up beside her, his presence warm and comforting through their bond.

(This is good. This is really, really good.)

Mission parameters satisfied. Dragons stabilizing. Contractor merit accumulation pending.

(For once, can you not think about merits? Can we just enjoy this?)

The tactical part of her consciousness went quiet.

And Jayde watched her strange, impossible family eat their first real meal in far too long.

***

Day Two: Family Bonds

The second day dawned with Tianxin using Jayde’s stomach as a launching pad.

”Oof—”

The wyrmling chirped happily, tiny claws digging into Jayde’s tunic as she scrambled up to lick Jayde’s face with an enthusiastic tongue.

[Play! Hunt! Fly! Food!]

”All excellent ideas,” Jayde wheezed, gently extracting small claws from her clothing. ”But maybe without standing on my internal organs?”

[Sorry!] Tianxin didn’t sound sorry at all. [But you were sleeping and sleeping and I’ve been awake FOREVER.]

Reiko’s mental laughter echoed through their bond. [She’s been awake for approximately seven minutes.]

”Seven whole minutes.” Jayde sat up, running her hands through hair that probably looked like a bird’s nest. ”The horror.”

Yinxin watched from across the cave, her expression amused. [She has decided you are her secondary parent. After Reiko, of course.]

[Of course,] Reiko agreed smugly. [I’m clearly the favorite.]

Tianxin abandoned Jayde to tackle the shadowbeast, and the two of them rolled across the cave floor in a tangle of scales and fur. Shenxin and Huaxin watched from their spot near their mother, making soft trilling sounds that might have been laughter.

(This is what family should look like. This playfulness, this joy, this safety.)

Observation: Subject displaying increased attachment to temporary contract holders. Recommend emotional distance to prevent complications during departure.

(No.)

Clarification required.

(No emotional distance. These three days are all we get. I’m going to enjoy every minute.)

For once, Jayde’s tactical consciousness didn’t argue.

***

The Bronze-Nosed Zorses were harder to hunt than the Albatross-Bighorns.

Jayde found the herd around midmorning—twenty individuals grazing in a wide meadow near a stream. They were smaller than yesterday’s prey, only about four feet at the shoulder, but they were fast. And smart.

Their bodies were similar to Earth horses, with powerful legs built for running and zig-zag stripes that made them difficult to track visually through dappled forest light. Their noses were indeed bronze-colored, gleaming like polished metal in the sun.

Target assessment: Equine equivalent. High-speed prey species. Herd intelligence observed—sentries posted at perimeter. Approach strategy: Divide and isolate.

”Reiko,” Jayde whispered. ”Can you circle around to the west? Push them east toward me when I signal?”

[Easy.] The shadowbeast melted into the forest like smoke.

Jayde climbed a sturdy tree overlooking the meadow’s eastern edge, bow ready. She waited until she felt Reiko in position through their bond, then sent the signal.

The shadowbeast burst from the western tree line with a roar that was pure predator. The herd exploded into panicked motion, streaming east exactly as planned.

Jayde’s first arrow took the lead mare—a clean shot through the neck. The second caught a young stallion as he tried to veer away from the rest of the herd.

But the Zorses adapted fast. The remaining eighteen split into three groups, each heading in a different direction. Smart. Very smart.

Strategy adjustment: Pursue largest group. Maximum efficiency.

Jayde dropped from the tree and ran. The chase lasted nearly an hour—the Zorses leading her and Reiko on a winding path through dense forest, over streams, around rocky outcroppings. They were testing her stamina, trying to outlast her.

It almost worked.

But Jayde had trained in the Pavilion for a year. Had hunted the Dark Forest’s Mid Ring for months. Her endurance was beyond human now, her body enhanced by both cultivation and bloodline awakening.

She caught up to the lead group at a box canyon, where Reiko had herded them into a dead end. Four more kills—quick, clean, efficient.

Six Bronze-Nosed Zorses total. Maybe 900 kilograms of meat.

(More than enough. Yinxin will have a feast.)

Mission success. Recommend return to cave before dark.

The processing and transport took the rest of the afternoon, but this time Jayde had learned. She cached the meat in three locations along the route back, making three shorter trips instead of two long ones.

Smart. Efficient.

By the time she delivered the last bundle to the cave, the sun was setting, and her arms felt like noodles.

But the look on Yinxin’s face—the joy in the wyrmlings’ eyes—made every aching muscle worth it.

***

That evening, after another feast, Tianxin decided that Jayde needed to learn how to play properly.

[You’re doing it wrong!] the little wyrmling declared, pouncing on Jayde’s outstretched hand. [You’re supposed to try to catch me!]

”I am trying to catch you.” Jayde made a grab, but Tianxin darted away with a gleeful chirp. ”You’re just too fast.”

[That’s because I’m an excellent hunter!]

[You’re an excellent something,] Reiko observed from where he lay watching. [Not sure hunter is the right word.]

[Reiko is just jealous because I’m faster than him.]

[You’re smaller than my paw. Of course you’re faster.]

Jayde watched them bicker affectionately, her heart feeling strangely full. Across the cave, Shenxin and Huaxin were attempting their first real flights—not just desperate flaps like when they were starving, but actual, intentional flying.

They only managed to get a few feet off the ground before tumbling back down, but the determination on their tiny faces was adorable.

Yinxin watched her children with obvious pride. [They’re getting stronger every day. Because of you.]

”They’re getting stronger because they’re dragons,” Jayde said. ”I just gave them the chance.”

[You gave them life.] Yinxin’s golden eyes were intense. [Never diminish that.]

(I’ve killed so many things. It feels strange to be thanked for saving something instead.)

Irrelevant distinction. Mission accomplished either way.

(Maybe to you. But it matters to me.)

Tianxin tackled Jayde’s leg, demanding attention, and the moment passed.

They played until the wyrmlings collapsed from exhaustion, curling up together in a pile of silver scales and soft snores. Reiko joined them, his larger body providing warmth and security. Tianxin claimed her favorite spot on his back, tiny claws kneading contentedly.

Yinxin lowered her great head to rest near her children, protective even in sleep.

And Jayde sat by the fire, watching her strange, impossible family, feeling something she hadn’t felt since before the fighting pits.

Peace.