The Spirit Bear closed the distance before he could return, its enormous furry white body filling up his vision, right before a paw the size of a buckler impaled him on its many claws. The last thing Terran saw was the dark shape at the center of the star wound before his consciousness was ripped from him.
You have died!
Chapter Nineteen
Terran respawned in the middle of the hollow in the Mother Tree, lying flat on his back, body aching everywhere. He had forgotten how painful death was in the game. He felt like someone had taken a hammer to his head while his limbs were being stretched on some kind of torture device. His dry mouth tasted like it was coated in metal, and his shoulder still burned as he lay on the ground moaning.
Luna was on her side next to him. "So much for the idea that cats always land on their feet," she moaned through clenched teeth. "Remind me to refuse next time you suggest I be the bait. That bear is fast, and I was distracted by seeing it impale you right through the middle."
Terran rolled to his side and pushed himself up into a sitting position then rubbed his temples. He sat with eyes closed, taking deep breaths waiting for the pain to pass. When he was finally able to move, he opened his eyes and stretched his limbs.
"Petram," Terran called out as the shaman walked past the tree.
The elf startled and turned towards Terran. "I didn't realize you were back. From the look of you, it didn't go that well," he said, eyeing the pair.
"The bear sensed my trap and avoided it. Right before he impaled me, I noticed a star-shaped scar on its shoulder that is somehow connected to the tree. I think whatever it was helped me track the bear and we are somehow connected," Terran said, rubbing his aching shoulder.
"Perhaps you'll need a different strategy," Petram said with a shrug. "There is a seed ready to be planted if you're up to it."
Terran rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "Sure. At least there's some good news."
Petram led Terran and Luna to a seed attached to a large branch extending from the Mother Tree. The weight of the seed pulled the branch towards the ground as it swayed in the breeze. Where the seed was connected to the tree it was a deep green color, but further out from the connection it took on the gray hue Terran was used to seeing. He reached up to pluck the seed from the branch, but it fell into his hands before he even touched it. Immediately it lost all green coloring and began to harden in his open palms.
"Where should we put the leaf armory?" Terran asked, looking around the glen.
"Ara will need sunlight to speed up the drying process," Petram said, pointing to a sunny spot in the clearing on the other side of the Mother Tree.
The other elves gathered around as Terran planted the seed in the hole Luna had dug. Even though this was the fourth seed he had planted, growing a new tree continued to amaze him. The elves sang their song and the tree quickly sprouted into another building. This one had branches extending out like many clotheslines from two sides. Inside there were several large storage bins and a working surface around a central fire pit. Without everything in place, it was difficult to tell what the leaf armory was going to look like once Ara moved in, but the 20% increase in defense for the settlers that the building provided was a boon. Like the other trees there was housing for six above the main floor.
A sense of pride erupted from Terran's chest as he looked around the growing settlement. It was starting to look and feel like a real home for everyone. The gray stone trunks provided a sense of sturdiness and protection, while the green leaves and fruiting trees made everything feel alive. Ara was busy giving directions to elves that were helping her set up the armory. Terran smiled when he saw Lhoris and Chanterelle sparring together at the edge of the orchard.
"She has really improved," Petram said with a huge grin as he patted Terran on the shoulder, interrupting his thoughts.
Terran's face flushed as he nodded. "Yeah. Too bad Kumotake is still angry."
"He may yet come around," Petram said encouragingly.
When Ara noticed Terran outside the armory she came to talk to him. The slight elf moved gracefully on her long legs, her brown hair swaying behind her. Terran knew that she was considered old for an elf, but she looked to be about thirty in human years. Her friendly smile and sparkling brown eyes put Terran at ease. He had heard the term MILF before, but Ara was at least a great-grandmother.
"I want to take some measurements of you. As the chieftain you should have the first set of armor that I make. Do you have a moment now?" she asked.
Terran's cheeks turned pink. "Of course."
Ara spent several minutes taking various measurements as she instructed Terran on how to stand. Arms out straight, arms to the side, legs slightly apart, back straight, don't suck in your gut, and so forth. Terran obediently moved his body with each instruction she gave. He felt a little uncomfortable as she got her hand a little too close for comfort near his crotch while measuring his inseam. She winked at Terran as he shifted his weight nervously.
Finally she finished. "Thank you, sir. I should have armor ready for you in a couple of days."
Terran shuffled his feet. "Please, just call me Terran. I'm no knight."
"Yes, sir...Terran," she replied with a quick nod.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Terran asked.
Ara rested her hand on her chin. "Hmmm. I suppose you could help me gather leaves. Come by first thing tomorrow morning and we can start. I need to get this space sorted out before I can do much," she said, sweeping her arm around the room.
The next morning Terran awoke from a restful sleep feeling invigorated and excited to help Ara make armor. He grabbed an apple off a tree in the orchard before heading into the armory. Overnight the space had taken shape. The walls were lined with various tools, including awls, chisels, mallets, and punch kits. It looked like a stone mason and a leatherworker had set up shop. There were two large empty bins both with drains in the bottom along the far wall and a large workbench lining the opposite wall. In the center of the room a cauldron boiled over hot coals from last night's fire.
"Good morning," Ara's cheery voice came from behind a wall. "Make some tea for us. The water should be ready. I'll be out in just a minute."
Terran grabbed two mugs and the tea leaves he found in the kitchen area. He carefully ladled water into each of the mugs and sprinkled in the tea. While he waited for the tea to steep he admired all the tools.
"What is this for?" he asked, picking up a strange comb when Ara appeared.
"Shaping and smoothing the sheets of leaves," Ara said with a warm smile, handing Terran a mug. "The first thing we have to do is collect the leaves. I'll show you after we finish our tea."
As Terran sipped the hot liquid, Ara busied herself gathering buckets, shears, and a hollow metal tube about nine inches long and an inch around. She whistled a cheerful tune as she fluttered around the shop, long brown hair dancing around her. Terran couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he watched her—the joy was contagious.
"Okay. All set? Grab one of these buckets," she finally said.
Terran obeyed, and the pair made their way to the Mother Tree laden with supplies.
When they reached the tree, Ara grabbed a mallet and the hollow pipe from her bucket. Terran watched as she held the pipe to the tree trunk and gently tapped it with the mallet. When the pipe was buried an inch into the tree, she took two big swings with the mallet, tapping it firmly into place. The pipe had a notch across it, which Ara used to hang her bucket. She stood for a moment, surveying her work until a tiny trickle of green sap dripped into the bucket.
"We have to coat the leaves in the sap as soon as we take them off the tree, otherwise they will turn to stone. The sap keeps them pliable until I can mold them together to form the armor," Ara told Terran as they watched the bucket slowly fill with the bright green ooze.
When the bucket was about half full Ara replaced it with an empty one. Carrying the sap they had just harvested, she moved to a low growing
limb, motioning for Terran to follow.
"We are looking for the leaves that have reached their growth potential. They need to still be attached to the tree so they are still malleable, but we don't want to take new growth," she began instructing as they reached the tree. "Like this one," she said, snipping off the leaf and dunking it into the sap.
When the leaf was fully coated she showed it to Terran. The thin layer of sap preserved and hardened the leaf, removing its brittleness. It retained all of its original color, but now shined with a wet look. Terran touched the leaf thinking it would be sticky, but it felt slimy like the inside of an aloe plant.
"See how the leaf is still green, but the stem that attaches to the tree has this tiny brown spot? That's what you're looking for," she said, holding the leaf close to Terran for inspection.
She snipped off another leaf from the tree and dipped it into the sap to help compare. "This one is too young. See how the stem is a brighter green without any brown?"
"Yeah, I see it now," Terran said, examining the leaves. He surveyed the branch then snipped off a leaf, dipped it into the sap, and showed Ara. "Like this?"
"Exactly. Now fill up your bucket. Just make sure to spread out where you take the leaves from and gently coat each leaf without breaking it," she said, dropping the two leaves she was holding into an empty bucket and handing it to Terran.
As Terran went to work, Ara continued to monitor the dripping sap. When a second bucket was half full she began collecting leaves as well. The pair continued working for about an hour until Ara stood back, surveying their work with her hands on her hips.
"That should be good for now," she said, setting down her bucket full of sap-covered leaves.
Clustered around the trunk were six full pails. Three were filled completely with sap and the rest overflowed with the coated leaves. Ara gently pulled on the tap, releasing it from the trunk. She softly sang a song as she caressed the hole where the tap had been. The hole shrunk in on itself like the closing of a lens until Terran could no longer tell where the tap had been.
Terran picked up a bucket in each hand. "Back to the lab?"
With a blank look Ara grabbed two more buckets. "The lab? Is that what humans call my armory?"
"No, but it seems fitting I suppose. Really it's just a saying meaning time to get to work," Terran answered.
When they reached the armory Ara set her buckets down and set to work. She filled one of the empty bins along the wall with the sap from her buckets and instructed Terran to dump his leaves into the other. She took all the buckets over to a sink for washing.
"Could you please go get the last two?" she said over her shoulder.
When Terran returned with the last of the buckets he dumped each one into the proper bin then brought them to the sink and washed them out. Ara sat at the workbench, laying out leaves. Each leaf overlapped others like scales on a fish, forming a wet-looking sheet. Her alto voice sang what sounded like a battle preparation song as she worked. Gently she ran a finger around the edge of each leaf she added to the growing fabric. When she had a tapestry of leaves about three feet square she hung it on one of the lines outside to dry. She worked like this until all of the leaves were used and she had six squares of the strange fabric drying on the lines outside.
While washing her hands she said, "Those will take a few hours to dry. Then I have to soak each piece for about ten minutes in the bin of sap before hanging them out to dry overnight. I'm going to keep collecting leaves in the meantime. I have a settlement full of elves to outfit. You're welcomed to join me if you want, but I assume you have other matters to attend."
"I do have some things I need to do. Thank you for teaching me," Terran said.
"Come back in the morning and we'll get you fitted," Ara said as Terran turned to leave.
As Terran left the armory, he spied Chanterelle going through drills with Lhoris. He didn't really have other things to do, but after seeing her working so hard he decided that it wouldn't hurt for him to try to increase his skills as well. Terran found Luna lounging by the central fire and motioned for her to join him.
"No time for catnaps, Luna. Let's go work on some skills," Terran said over his shoulder.
The lynx slowly stood and stretched, then followed after Terran. "What are we going to do?"
"I need to work on my spell casting, stealth, and Nature's Lore skill."
"Perfect, let's go hunt some lunch," Luna purred.
They spent the rest of the afternoon tracking and hunting small game, which Luna would devour. Terran would locate the footprints, try his best to sneak up on the prey, then hit it with rock shards. It was a slow process, and he was seldom able to be sneaky enough without Luna's help, but he was improving.
The sky took on a red hue as the sun set behind the mountains in the distance. Terran spotted a trail of rabbit footprints in the mud, and a string of notifications filled his vision.
[You have increased the skill Nature's Lore]
Skill: Nature's Lore 5 (INT)
You're pretty good at following animals as long as it's muddy out.
[You have gained the skill Stealth]
Skill: Stealth 1 (AGI)
Maybe a deaf person wouldn't hear you coming now.
You are now Level 6!
"Oh good, I was getting full," Luna said, indicating she knew Terran had leveled up.
"It's getting late anyway. Let me spend my points and then we can head back."
Terran opened his character sheet and put his points into Endurance and Intelligence before the pair made their way back to the settlement.
Character: Terran
Level: 6
Class: Earthen Mage
HP: 114
Mana: 230
Sta: 160
Strength: 1
Intelligence: 6
Endurance: 7
Cunning: 1
Agility: 1
Charisma: 1
Spells:
Stone Touch (unique)
Rock Shards
Rock Wall
Earth Geyser
Skills:
Improvisation (INT): 4
Commune with Nature (CHA): 2
Nature's Lore (INT): 5
Stealth (AGI): 1
The next morning Terran went back to the leaf armory as Ara had asked. It was impossible to tell that the armory had just been created two days prior. The bins of leaves and sap were each full, and new sheets swung in the breeze on the lines outside. Tools were scattered along the workbench. Ara was busy measuring and drawing lines on the sheets of leaves they had made the day before. It looked like she was making a pattern on each sheet using the measurements she had taken from Terran.
When she had a pattern drawn onto a sheet, she used a special rotary tool to cut it out. To Terran's eye it looked like she was making him a shirt. She had a front and back piece already laid out on the workbench and she was busy cutting out what he assumed were sleeves. She'd nodded when Terran had entered, but otherwise she kept busy singing while she cut out the pieces.
As she finished cutting out the last sleeve she sat back and sighed. "There. I'm all ready for you now. Come stand over here," she said, pointing to the floor next to her stool.
Terran moved next to her and his nose was filled with the sweet, sticky smell of sap from the Mother Tree. His stomach rumbled as he suddenly had a craving for waffles. Ara's matronly smile warmed Terran's heart.
"Sounds like we should do this quickly so you can get something to eat," she said.
Terran cheeks flushed. "I'll be fine. Just had a sudden craving for waffles."
Ara raised an eyebrow but set to work. She grabbed the front and back pieces off the bench and held them up to Terran. As soon as the sheets touched him they began shrinking onto his body, forming a fitted shirt. He felt like the armor was vacuum sealing his body as it shrunk around him like plastic wrap. Ara sang as she ran her fingers over the seams, joining them together. She then attached the long sleeves after
the front and back were secure.
Even though the leaves were dry, they retained a sheen, making them look shiny and wet. The various greens of the leaves shimmered, which Terran assumed would help camouflage him in the forest. He was surprised that none of his movement was restricted and the magical material was quite breathable.
When the shirt was complete, Ara started on the pants. Again the sheets clung to Terran and shrunk around his legs as she sang, securing the seams. When the process was complete, she sat back and smiled.
"Looking good! You could almost pass for an elf now," she said, winking at him.
"This is incredible," Terran said, spinning in a circle and waving his limbs about as a notification appeared.
You have obtained Rock Leaf Armor
10 Armor Class
+5 Stealth
Once per day: Hide in plain sight. This spell allows the wearer to become invisible for up to a minute. Aggressive actions will cancel the invisibility.
"You're amazing, Ara. Thank you," Terran said, grabbing her into a hug.
Ara laughed. "You're welcome, Terran. Now get out of here and go hunt waffles. I've got more sheets to create."
Terran almost skipped out of the armory. He felt somehow taller in his shiny new armor. He noticed Chanterelle and some other elves gathered around the central fire pit and ran up to them.
"I see Ara has been busy," Petram said as Terran spun around for inspection.
"You look incredible," Chanterelle said, then blushed as her sister poked her in the ribs. "I mean the craftsmanship is incredible," she stammered.
"You're starting to look like a real chieftain," Enoki said.
"Thanks, everybody," Terran said with a smile.
"The next seed should be ready this afternoon, Terran," Petram said.
"Good. It's time to plant a barracks I think," Terran responded, smiling at Chanterelle. "I'm sure you and Lhoris will be happy to have a real place to train, and the 20% increase in attack could be useful someday."
The Stone Tree: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 1) Page 13
