Zeke's brows furrowed. What was he even supposed to say to something like this? Undeterred by his silence, the druid leaned over. His nose twitched like that of an animal as he took in Zeke's scent.
"Strange… truly strange," he muttered. "My nose is warning me of danger but my other senses tell me you are just a kid… It's almost as if you are a druid, but not quite the same… How curious!"
For some reason, Zeke was getting incredibly irritated. It was more than just how the druid had invaded his personal space — it was everything about him! His disgusting nose, his squishy skin, his pathetic excuse for fur, his tiny stature… truly a pitiful creature…
With a start, Zeke snapped back to his senses. Those thoughts had not been his own! With a growing sense of dread, he realized what was happening. It was the damn heart. Out of all the times to act up, did it have to be now? The amulet he was wearing could mask aura, but not scent.
Meanwhile, the druid had backed up slightly, staring right into Zeke's eyes with a curious expression. This was not good. Had his pupils shifted just now? Had the druid seen it? How much did he know? Should he run?
With an effort of will, Zeke forcefully calmed his nerves. Panicking would do him no good. He had to pick a course and stick to it — and fast. The longer he remained silent, the more suspicious he would appear. In this moment of crisis, Zeke managed a feat he had never known he was capable of. In a display of perfect harmony, his Blood and Mind Magic cooperated seamlessly to kick his brain into overdrive. It felt like time was standing still.
Whereas the world was in a frozen state, Zeke's own thoughts were crystal clear. In fact, he had never felt as level-headed and logical as he did at this very moment. He could not waste this chance.
His first action was to investigate his current condition. His calculations revealed that he could not hold this state for longer than three heartbeats before his brain would start to take damage. However, with his current perception of time, that was an eternity.
Next, Zeke reviewed the current situation. What was the best way to handle the druid? One thing was certain: the Irrochian could not be allowed to learn of his heart. Zeke only had limited information about the druids, but the few things he did know were highly disturbing.
First, the druids were Flesh Mages. However, instead of using their power to change into other humans, they turned into monsters. Compared to the stealthy approach of most of their kind, the Druids were fearsome warriors.
Second, the druids shifted more than their appearance. They were able to copy a monster's abilities when taking their form.
Third, and this was the part that worried him, druids consumed monster hearts. Zeke had limited information, but his current theory was that they performed some sort of ritual that fused their souls with that of a monster. This would explain why the man's body had diverged from his original human appearance. Even if the changes were slight, he couldn't be called a pure human anymore.
This third point was where Zeke's predicament stemmed from. If the druid learned of the Dragon Heart beating in his chest, Zeke would be in trouble. Where else would the druid find such a perfect present? Zeke had no illusion of being able to fight the man off for even a second.
Would the three Valorians protect him? Maybe… but then again, Irroch and Valor were neighbors. It was possible that their relationship was a lot closer than Zeke had originally thought. The druid had gone to war with them, after all.
Zeke had no doubt that the man would be killed before escaping Tradespire if he actually tried to eat his heart. But that was a weak consolation to a dead man. He couldn't and wouldn't risk betting his life on the bear-man's rationality. The druid had already proven that he acted more on instinct rather than logic.
Zeke realized that he was thinking about this the wrong way. It would be much easier to approach this situation from the druid's point of view and then decide on the best possible route. The question was, how much did the man know?
The druid had definitely been able to detect the scent of a monster. But he didn't seem to be able to pinpoint the type — only that it was something strong. He might have also seen Zeke's pupils turn vertical. And even if he hadn't, it was better to plan with the possibility in mind.
Was this it? If this was all the information he had, there were plenty of possibilities to escape this situation. What did the man say earlier? Almost like a druid, but not quite? He could most definitely work with that. As all the pieces came together, a plan started to form in Zeke's mind.
With not even half the time spent, Zeke exited his focused state. In the first moment after, a feeling of exhaustion and vertigo assaulted him. He tried to manage the physical impact with his [Perfect Body Control] and was barely able to stabilize his condition after a few deep breaths. It had been a good choice not to use all the time he had. Who could say how bad the backlash would have been otherwise? This was not the time to explore this any further, however.
Zeke focused his attention on the man in front of him, who was studying him curiously. Only a moment had passed in the real world, and the druid was still carefully examining him. It was time to put his plan into motion.
Zeke raised a hand, bidding the druid to stop. "Please give me some space, sir druid. My senses are sensitive." The man's eyes narrowed, but he still obliged for the moment and leaned back in his armchair. It was showtime.
"As you have undoubtedly realized, I am not fully human myself," Zeke said. "However… this is not something I want to discuss openly." He glanced meaningfully at the three Valorians who were still embroiled in a deep conversation. The druid followed his gaze and then slowly nodded.
With deep, long gulps, the bear man emptied his tankard and got up. He took a few steps before motioning for Zeke to follow. With a sigh, he got up as well. It would have been too easy if the situation could be resolved with just that.
Tristan paused his discussion for a moment as he saw him getting up, giving Zeke a questioning gaze. He appreciated the concern, but it was better not to involve anybody else in this. With a nod to signal that everything was fine, Zeke followed after the druid who had kept walking.
Even though the man didn't seem to walk fast, each step carried him twice the distance Zeke's steps did. Zeke actually had run in order to catch up. The man came to a halt a little ways off. It was one of the few isolated spots behind the manor. It was unlikely that they would be overheard here.
When Zeke caught up, he saw the druid tilting his head this way and that, as if listening for something. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction and returned his attention to Zeke. He was clearly waiting for the rest of the explanation. Before speaking, Zeke looked around conspiratorially. After not finding anything, he began his tale.
"My mentor and I came up with a theory," Zeke said. "We thought that my Perfect Blood affinity would make me very compatible with other living organisms…"
The druid nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. So far, everything was going as Zeke had expected. This part of his story was true, after all. However, the person he had learned this from hadn't been Maximilian, but the dragon.
"We tried to fuse parts from different monsters with my body," Zeke explained, a pained expression on his face. "Our goal was to have my heart create Blood that was rich in Mana. We both believed that this would make my Magic stronger."
"Did it work?" the druid asked, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Zeke shook his head. "Partly, but not in the way we had intended. My Blood Magic didn't improve by a noticeable degree, but my body went through certain changes…"
The druid nodded as if he completely understood what Zeke was talking about. "Yes, the Soul-Melding can have that effect. It is not a pleasant procedure. However, what I would really like to know is how your teacher came to possess the ability to perform that ritual. We, druids, don't share our ways with outsiders."
"I cannot say," Zeke said with a sigh. "Maximilian was always very secretive when it came to that subject. It was almost as if…"
The druid waited for Zeke to continue, and got impatient when he didn't. "As if what, boy?"
Zeke looked awkwardly at the giant. "Maybe it's better if I don't say…"
"Out with it!"
Zeke started speaking hesitatingly. "It always seemed to me as if Maximilian was protecting someone. However, who that might be, I do not know."
The druids' expression turned thoughtful. Zeke had no doubt that he was mentally going through a list of people he suspected of divulging their secrets. So far, so good.
"Erm, sir druid," Zeke interrupted. The man's eyes refocused as he eyed Zeke with an annoyed gaze. "I-I don't want to get anybody in trouble… My mentor is already dead, after all. And he never taught me anything about the procedure. Can't you just let this be?"
The man considered his words for a long, drawn-out moment. His huge, unnerving eyes never left Zeke's for even a moment. "Fine…" the druid eventually said, causing Zeke to inwardly cheer. "…however, there is a condition."
Zeke saw a crafty glint in those bestial eyes, and his heart fell. What did the man want in return for his silence? He had bet on the fact that the druid wouldn't bother to follow up on this. Not now, with all leads long gone. Even if he chose to pursue this, there was no way he could find out anything. It was, after all, a made-up story.
"…What condition?" Zeke asked.
"Technically," the man said slowly, "you could be considered a druid. Despite not being able to assume monster form, as well as your faulty Soul-Melding, you still went through the ritual. And as one of ours, you have certain duties…."
Zeke didn't like the sound of that but didn't want to interrupt before knowing where this was going. If the man made any outrageous demands, he would simply refuse. His goal had been to make sure that the druid didn't catch on to the fact that he possessed a Dragons Heart. Now that the man seemed to have bought his story, most of the danger had passed.
Still, he would prefer to part on friendly terms with the Irrochian. Zeke couldn't deny that his interest had been peaked by their secret ritual. If his theory was correct, then their Magic was somehow linked to the soul. Zeke would love nothing more than to study it in detail. And this man might be his only way in…
"…And what duties would those be, mighty Archdruid?"
The man puffed out his chest and assumed a lecturing tone. "Well… we druids are wanderers and would naturally not restrict our members too much. There are merely three rules we are required to follow."
Zeke nodded, indicating that he was listening.
"Rule number one, a druid does not fight against other druids outside of sanctioned duels."
Zeke nodded. He didn't see himself conflicting with that rule anytime soon.
"Rule number two, a druid does not share our secrets with anyone not from the tribe."
Zeke nodded again. However, inwardly, he scoffed. What secrets? He didn't know any of them in the first place.
"Rule number three," the man said, his voice turning somber. "All druids must gather for the Harmony Eclipse Festival."
Zeke's brows furrowed. A quick check in his mental library revealed that he had not come across the term before. "The… what?"
The druid smirked. "I am not surprised you never heard of it. The Harmony Eclipse is an event where the boundaries between worlds are momentarily lifted. We, druids, believe that this connection between worlds is where the ancient races stem from. It has been our job for millennia to stop them from entering our world. It's the true origin of what we call the ancient races: Phoenixes, Titans, and Dragons…"
Zeke's heart hammered in his chest. His jaw was locked and his fist clenched so hard that he drew blood. This was not by choice. The Heart had gone out of control ever since the druid had started talking about the Harmony Eclipse. For some reason, the man's words had riled it up. Zeke thought he could even hear snarling from somewhere deep in his consciousness. All he could do for now was hold himself back from lashing out.
Luckily, the druid mistook his tense silence for something else. "Don't worry, young one. It is not full-grown ancients that we have to face during the festival. For some reason, only juvenile ancient beasts come through the portal."
Zeke managed a jerky nod. An impressive feat, considering how hard he had to focus to merely keep his body under control.
"So," the man asked with expectant eyes. "What do you say? Are you willing to join us druids, during the next festival and officially join our ranks?"
Zeke had so many questions. When was this festival? Where would he have to go? How dangerous was it? What was he expected to do? But right now, he could not utter a single word. In fact, he was afraid that the only thing that would be coming out of his mouth would be a guttural roar. Devoid of any other choice, he simply nodded again.
The druid's smile widened. With one of his meaty paws, he clapped Zeke on the shoulder, almost bringing him to the ground with the force of the gesture. "Excellent, excellent! Come, young one, we have to drink to this. From now on, you can consider us druids your brothers. We need to drink to this!"
His steps carried him back to the manor, his gait just as fast as before. Over his shoulder, he called to the still-frozen Zeke. "By the way, my friends call me Odir. What should I call you, little brother?"