The Traveler: Martial Druid

Chapter 8

*Splash*

Katsuo was standing under a waterfall with weights tied to his appendages in a horse stance. He didn't know if this training method had an effect but he had seen it on Samurai Jack so it should definitely work... it will probably work... it had a possibility of working?

He hated the cold water in this season, but today he decided to take on this challenge because it was a special day. Today was the day Granny Scarlet's friend was coming to visit her so he needed to look presentable.

The snow around the forest was already melting so they were about to enter spring.

Such an apt season for the beginning of his new life!

"Done!"

As soon as his training was done Katsuo escaped from the waterfall. 

*Brrrt*

It was really cold despite the air getting warmer, the water was still cold.

Katsuo threw down his makeshift weights and put on his fur clothes. He didn't really like them but this was the best he could craft with his given skills. His fur shirt looked more like a fur poncho and don't get him started on the pants.

He also tied his hair in a ponytail. It had been almost nine months since he had gotten a hair cut so it was starting to get out of hand.

Though not everything was going swimmingly in Katsuo's life. After what happened on his birthday he hadn't seen the grey blur again so he thought he must have broken its heart. 

He tried to apologize but since he had never seen it again he wasn't able to. That was why his life had become too dull. He bothered Granny Scarlet whenever he was bored but she had threatened to hang him off from her branches if he kept being annoying.

But his suffering was going to end today!

"Granny!! Are they here yet!"

Katsuo ran towards the scarlet tree that was blooming in all her glory despite the season. Honestly, it was a pretty magical sight to see during winter. The whole jungle was covered in white but there wasn't a speck of snow on Granny Scarlet. It was also warm around her so hanging around her during winter was one of Katsuo's favourite things to do.

"...No... patience..."

"Of course! After all, I can finally leave this jungle and make it back to civilization!"

Katsuo climbed to the treant's branches. Once he sat down the branches morphed to be more comfortable for him to sit.

According to him, Granny Scarlet was a tsundere. She always told him how annoying he was but she kept taking care of him silently.

"So when will they come?"

Katsuo was like a little kid who was about to go on a school trip. He couldn't wait for them to come. Also, what would they look like?

According to Granny, they were supposed to be druids. So were they also dressed in animal fur like him? Or did they not wear anything at all? Maybe they would arrive in animal form.

It would be quite a sight to see a bunch of different animals run here. 

Or maybe they would all shapeshift into the same animal like a wolf and come here like a pack!

"Don't... know..."

So Katsuo waited.

***

It was already evening but no one was in sight. Granny Scarlet said she didn't know when they would come so Katsuo was doubting whether they would come at all. Maybe Granny had mistaken the dates? Maybe they would arrive tomorrow?

As he was thinking the treant's branches handed him an apple-like fruit which Katsuo took naturally and started eating.

He was really disappointed. What if something happened to them? What if all of them were dead? I mean Katsuo didn't know what was going on outside this jungle. So what if there was a war and all the druids were dead? Then did that mean he would be stuck here all his life?

No!

He could still train. Maybe he can get strong enough to defeat that despicable black panther and leave this forest?

He had a system so there shouldn't be any walls on his growth. He could just train until he became strong enough to defeat Relsai but he didn't even know how strong he should be.

"Can I have one?"

"Sure"

Maybe he could ask Granny for help in his training?

She was a ruler of this jungle so she should be one of the strongest existences inside this jungle. Maybe if he can become strong enough to stand up to her he should be safe.

No, he was forgetting about the elemental powers. 

He didn't have any mana so he couldn't use spells and whatnot. He should still be able to defeat Granny Scarlet since she was a tree and he could rip apart her trunk and branches with his bare hands but how could he stand up to Relsai's lightning?

Maybe he can try to get a lightning resistance skill?

But how do you even get that?

By training?

How do you even train lightning resistance?

Get struck by one?

Is that even possible?

"What are you thinking about?"

"How to beat up Relsai"

"Hmmm, that's gonna be hard without any mana"

"That's exactly what I was thinking. I thought maybe I could get struck by lightning to develop some lightning resistance"

"Would that even work?"

"I don't know but... WAIT A MINUTE WHO ARE YOU!?"

When he realized that he was having an actual conversation and not just talking to himself Katsuo almost fell off the tree. He should have known when it was a feminine voice instead of the usual gruff one. 

He turned to see a young silver-haired woman sitting next to him, casually eating the apple-like fruit which Katsuo handed her.

She had a simple getup, she was wearing a purple dress. She had porcelain white skin, amethyst eyes and most importantly pointy ears.

An ELF!

He was talking to an ELF!

"Oh, sorry. I came to visit a friend but saw you thinking hard to yourself. Wanted to know what it was about since your expression looked grave" the elf replied casually as she wiped her mouth with her sleeves.

"...Aranel..."

"Hi, Scarlet! How are you? Your leaves are as vibrant as ever!"

The elf ignored Katsuo and Hugged the trunk of the tree.

"Wait, wait! You are a druid, right? Can you take me out of this forest please?"

"What's this kid talking about?" 

"He is... stranded... here..."

"Is that so? But I have come here to have a holiday so I have no intention of leaving anytime soon" Aranel leaned on one of Scarlet's branches without any care for Katsuo's fate.

But why?

Weren't all elves described as benevolent in literature?

They weren't always on friendly terms with humans but they would always help lost travellers out of the forest. Shouldn't she be the same?

"Can you really not help me? Please!?" Katsuo went on dogeza and started begging for her help. He needed to get out of here. He couldn't stay in this god-forsaken place for one more second.

"Smell... him..."

Scarlet hinted at something which finally piqued Aranel's interest.

"Smell? Come here"

Aranel waved her hand a gust of wind carried Katsuo up to her branch. Then she started to smell him. It was a good thing he had a bath today. That way he would not smell like some sort of wild animal.

The elven druid frowned. 

"...What are you?"

In the end, she asked the same question every being he had met asked.

"A human"

"Don't toy with me. I am on holiday right now and I dislike bothersome things"

"Wait, you didn't let me finish. I am a human from another world?"

"Another world?"

Seeing Aranel's reaction Katsuo started to talk about his journey to how he ended up like this.

The elven druid didn't interrupt him once and listened to him carefully. Then once the story was over she threw him off the branch. She needed to think. Think about what do to with this knowledge. 

Maybe this was a sign from the goddesses that something ominous was about to come.

And if it was THE Goddess herself who despised nonhumans like her... she didn't even want to imagine the trouble that would crop up in the future.

But why this boy?

Why a Black Star of the Void?