Lydia- Awakening

by Grey Arney

  You have completed the quest: Fix Up the Faerie Fountain

  By volunteering your time and effort to help a girl of stunning beauty, you have shown magnanimous character. You are blessed with the Faerie’s Kiss.

  - Unlock new ability

  - +10 to luck for 24 hours

  - + 2,500 experience points

  You have leveled up! Level 5. You have new skill points to spend.

  Magnanimous character? The quest prompt sounded almost sarcastic. Still, it seemed that since the goblins had been unwilling to help, he was the one to benefit. Maybe it was virtuous to stop and help a beautiful woman, even if you were motivated by foolish fantasies.

  You may unlock any of the following Faerie Abilities:

  - Water Magic

  - Earth Magic

  - Teleportation

  “Can you tell me about these three abilities? I’ve been given a choice to learn Water Magic, Earth Magic or Teleportation.”

  “Of course, handsome. Water Magic is the native magic of faeries. It lets us create illusions. It can be used to breathe underwater. Manipulating water is incredibly powerful, and includes some offensive spells.

  “Earth Magic is slower and a bit more subtle. You can learn to reshape the earth and grow anything that lives on it. It can sometimes be used to attack enemies, but that’s not its main purpose.

  “And Teleportation is just what it sounds like. It’s a wonderful skill, and by far the rarest, but the distance you can travel is determined by skill level, and even the most skilled users can only teleport short distances.”

  His first impulse was Teleportation, which had an irresistible appeal. But he suppressed this temptation and chose Earth Magic, which he judged to have a more long-term reward.

  You have learned a new skill: Earth Magic (Level 1)

  Earth Magic deals with the manipulation of the soil and all that grows in it. It can be subtle, as is the growing of plants, but it can also be much more profound. Mastery of this magic will allow you to reshape the very Earth around you.

  Arcturus was starting to sense that the manipulation of magic offered some of the highest potential rewards for his character development. He was beginning to consider spending all of his attribute points on intelligence and wisdom, but he decided to continue hoarding them for the time being.

  But he did have a small problem. Although he had unlocked Earth Magic, he didn’t know how to cast any of its spells.

  “Thank you. You are so kind,” said Arcturus, recovering his wits. “I now have Earth Magic, but I don’t know how to use it. Are there any spells you can show me?”

  The faerie covered her teeth with her hand as she grinned at his naiveté. “You don’t need a spell to use magic. A spell is just a recipe that lets you make the same magic again and again. It’s sometimes helpful to follow a recipe. But sometimes it’s better to improvise.”

  The faerie led him to the edge of the clearing where a sapling sprouted. At its current life stage, it was little more than a weed.

  “Touch this, and help it grow,” she said.

  Arcturus held his hand out and touched the young tree. At first, nothing happened. But then he thought of how he felt when using Burning Touch. And he found that his Earth Magic was like a new limb bound to his body, as if he suddenly had a third arm, and he was becoming aware of it for the first time. Using his magic, then, was like using his muscles. Not conscious, not even unconscious, but pre-conscious.

  As he flexed this new magical muscle, he felt his mana flowing into the tree. There were no fancy sparks, but the leaves of the tree spurted out as it grew just a little bit.

  You have improved Earth Magic (Level 2)

  Your spells of this school are stronger, have broader effect, and use less mana.

  “If you practice, you may also discover some spells this way. But remember that you don’t need spells to use magic!”

  “Thank you so much for everything. Can I visit again?” asked Arcturus, sensing that the faerie’s affections for him were dwindling now that the quest was complete.

  “You’re always welcome. Just be ready to help with the yard work!”

  ***

  It had grown late in the day, and Arcturus was headed back to camp for the night. The humidity that had swelled at high noon had begun to ebb away. The screech of cicadas droned in the distance.

  Although there was no trail connecting the Faerie Spring and the old campsite, Arcturus and Lyle made quick progress there because of the relatively straight path through the forest.

  On the way to the campsite, the pair heard a disturbance. Activating Stealth, Arcturus cautiously advanced forward to investigate. Up ahead was a wolf struggling to free itself from a hunter’s trap. The iron jaw had dug into its leg, nearly cutting it off clean. Its fur was stained crimson with blood.

  As Arcturus slowly advanced, he spoke soothing words to the wolf and examined it more closely. It was from the Blackfang Ridge, the pack which had made him an honorary member.

  Although a wild wolf would be totally feral if approached in such circumstances, this wolf recognized him. Arcturus prepared the Soothing Chokeberry salve, and before he even tried to remove the trap, he spread it generously all over the wound.

  That turned out to be a wise choice because as soon as Arcturus pulled the jaws of the trap open, the wolf darted around in a wild frenzy, ignoring the terrible state of his foot. The salve worked quickly, and the limping wolf soon had a healthy gait.

  Without anything resembling gratitude, the wolf ran off in the direction of the den to the southwest.

  In another twenty minutes, Arcturus was back at the campsite. Just as he was arriving, he saw a new notification, probably coinciding with the injured cub’s arrival back home.

  You have forged an alliance: Wolves of Blackfang Ridge (Level 2)

  The friendship of man and canine is immortal, but for you, it is something even more. Your Wolf-Blooded trait has allowed you to bond with this pack. You are welcome in their lair, and they will come to your assistance when you are in need of aid, provided that you are within six miles range.

  Once at the campsite, Arcturus carefully measured out some dry food rations for himself and the dog. Without the means to prepare foodstuffs, it would be unwise to waste the shelf-stable rations. The inside of his bag was some sort of time stasis, which would prevent spoilage. But he didn’t imagine he’d be happy to fill it full of raw, dripping meat, either.

  Starting the campfire was much easier this time around. He gathered some nearby pieces of wood, splitting them with his kukri. With a gesture, his Burning Touch engulfed the logs in an enormous flame. It was better than rubbing sticks together.

  Lyle was happy to sit under the tree. After a while, he stood up and began sniffing around. He recovered the bone he had been given on the first meeting with his master, and resumed chewing on it.

  Arcturus investigated the perimeter of the campsite and found that it was poorly defended. Although surrounded by tall trees, enemies could approach from any side. Lyle would likely warn of approaching intruders, but that may not provide enough notice to escape an ambush.

  His investigation also turned up more Soothing Chokeberries near the streamlet and more of the Purple Toadstools growing on a rotting pile of logs underneath a boulder. He gathered them and put them in his bag.

  There were still a few hours of daylight left, so he decided to experiment with his Earth Magic. Starting at the boulder, he approached the tree on one side and touched it. The tree was healthy and mature, and he dumped twenty mana into it with little effect. He could see it sprouting new branches and leaves, but that wasn’t what he had in mind. As he considered this, he noticed there was a vine curling around the base of the tree. He picked a leaf and examined it.

  You have found: Clutching Vine Leaf

  This common leaf can increase the potency of certain alchemical ingredients.

  He touched it and poured ten mana into the vine, watching it grow magnificentl
y up the trunk of the tree. He uncurled some of the shoots that had climbed up, and slowly pouring mana out, he guided the vine to the next tree. After pausing to eat a Purple Toadstool, he found that the vine was happy to continue its growth towards the next tree. He also noticed that he could guide the vine by touching different parts of it to direct the flow of mana. After a minute or two, he held a strong webbing connecting the two tree trunks, and it was about six feet in height. If he continued like this all the way around the campsite, he would be able to construct a veil of vegetation that would at least help to conceal him, and slow down approaching enemies. His Earth Magic skill had already improved, too.

  You have improved Earth Magic (Level 3)

  Your spells of this school are stronger, have broader effect, and use less mana.

  Arcturus was able to connect the vine to a third tree before he ran out of mana. Looking in his pouch, he counted 40 Purple Toadstools, and each one could replenish 35 mana for a total of 1,400 mana. He had already spent his 50 mana, but the Purple Toadstools would allow him to refill his mana 28 times. By then, the vines would cover only about 25% of the camp’s perimeter. It would be a sizable portion, but not very effective to conceal the campsite.

  Then he was struck by inspiration. If his mana could be used to grow plants, couldn’t it be used to create more of the Purple Toadstools? He ate several of the mushrooms, and then returned to the spot where he had found them underneath the boulder and started to pour mana into the mycelium. New Purple Toadstools began to emerge! After expending all of his mana again, he had grown many more mushrooms, worth more than 1000 mana. However, they would only grow on the decomposing material. He wanted to expand his mushroom farm so that they would grow in the entire area of shade underneath the boulder. That would give him an endless supply. So, he gathered leaves and rotten strips of bark and mulched another area with a thin layer of rotting material. Then he poured a little bit of water over it from the streamlet—a laborious task without a bucket. As he activated his Earth Magic, the mushroom mycelia began reaching out, like tiny little arms, until they had grabbed hold of the wet, rotting material. He was able to double the area that the mushrooms grew on.

  After more than an hour of working in this way, Arcturus was covered in sweat, and he was tired. He looked with pride at his growing mushroom farm, which now extended all the way under the boulder. As long as he was at the campsite, he could eat however many mushrooms he wanted and refill his mana. As long as he didn’t spend more than 60 mana per minute, he would never run out because the Purple Toadstools allowed him to replenish 1 mana point per second.

  At this point, most people would call it quits and rest for the night. But as anybody who has been captured, beaten and almost eaten by goblins knows, there is no resting as long as the possibility of being carried off into the night by little green men remains. Now that he had the means to do it, Arcturus was determined to create a secure position for himself, even if it took all night.

  Thankfully, the work wasn’t physically exhausting. All he had to do was walk the perimeter of the campsite, clearing the occasional obstacle, and extending the vines. He carried many of the Purple Toadstools in his bag and ate them almost constantly. His Earth Magic level continued to improve, and every time it did, his pace got faster and his mana use lessened.

  He found that if the distance between the two trees holding the vines was too great, they would sag in the middle, refusing to take hold of the new tree trunk. So occasionally he had to stop, prepare a wooden stake out of a tree branch, and shove it into the ground to act as an anchor to support the vines.

  If it weren’t for this, he might have finished within an hour, but it took closer to two hours to surround the entire perimeter. Now he was in a giant cocoon, and the only way for him to get out again would be to hack through the vines with his kukri. Inconvenient, but better than creating an inviting doorway for enemies to come stumbling through.

  Now his mana output was much more efficient for manipulating plants, and his Alchemy skill had also improved from tending, harvesting, and eating the mushrooms. He reviewed his skill notifications once more.

  You have improved Alchemy (Level 7)

  Consumed herbs and potions have a stronger effect. Your chance to identify and collect alchemical ingredients increases.

  You have improved Earth Magic (Level 6)

  Your spells of this school are stronger, have broader effect, and use less mana.

  While he worked, he had also noticed some edible plants, including a blackberry bush on the far side of the boulder, and he had plans for it for the next day. He also found some wild garlic, and harvested two small bulbs.

  It was dark when he prepared to tuck in for bed. He had been working by the dim light of the bonfire for some time now. However, his wall of vines wouldn’t do much to conceal his position as long as a fire burned within, so he put the fire out and then returned to the large tree where Lyle was. Arcturus curled up to sleep there. Thankfully, flying pests such as mosquitos are extremely rare in Lydia, making it possible to sleep in the open. Lyle looked at him for a moment, then got up and came closer to his master, resting against his side. The two slept until morning.

  ***

  Upon waking, Arcturus set about finishing the previous day’s work. The first thing he did was cut a small hole through the vines in order to retrieve part of the blackberry bush. He carefully tilled into the soil and removed a full section of the plant, taking care not to pierce himself with the thorns. Once back in the camp, he grew the vines again to cover the hole he had made. Using the hilt of his kukri as a trowel, he dug into the earth and placed the blackberry there. As he poured mana into it, the roots burrowed deeper. Many small green berries formed, and as he pushed more mana in, he found he could cause them to ripen immediately. The shoots advanced in all directions, but he found he could guide the bush along the vine wall he had made the day before. Thankfully, blackberries do well in shady areas, and within about twenty minutes, he had a ring of the bushes inside of his vine wall. Any creature that got inside would have to deal with one more obstacle. He took care to leave two openings for himself to move through the patch of thorns as needed.

  A second benefit of the blackberry bushes was that he was able to eat a sizable breakfast by harvesting them. He offered one to Lyle, but the dog licked it once and then walked away. To each his own, then. That meant more hunting. Motioning for Lyle to follow, he set out in search of game, first hacking his way through the vines and then concealing the exit again.

  Not ten minutes after sneaking through the woods to the north, the pair came upon several rabbits. Thanking his +10 luck bonus, Arcturus prepared an arrow and brought down a rabbit for his dog, who gladly took it raw. Lyle’s loyalty was assured for another day.

  Arcturus had visited most of the locations on the map that he had planned to, and still didn’t have much in the way of gold or valuables, and he would need something to trade with if he went to stay in Aurora. Both of the locations he had visited had been rewarding, though, and he decided to go to the stone structure by the lake. It was marked as “Dangerous,” but hopefully there would be something there of material value.

  The lake was over an hour’s trek east from the campsite. They encountered two goblin scouts that were easily avoided with the Stealth skill, but other than that, arrived with no trouble.

  CHAPTER 5

  After arriving, Arcturus felt a pressure building in his chest when he examined the foreboding stone structure. It looked like a tiny castle that had been built by the shore of the lake. He immediately understood why the elves had warned him of danger. He felt uneasy just looking at the place. He couldn’t make out much from the distance, but there were corpses from every race that were displayed all about, rotting in the sun.

  Asking Lyle to stay behind, Arcturus used his Stealth skill to explore the perimeter, taking great care to maintain an escape path to the woods at all times. Around the side of the structure, there were small wi
ndows with iron bars. As he approached one, he heard a great commotion inside. He stayed there for a long time, listening to the shouting and hoping to make out some words or sentences, but he could not hear clearly enough.

  All of his instincts told him that he should turn around and run back towards the woods. But he could not become a powerful character from slaying rabbits alone, so he forced himself onwards. He used Stealth to get to the courtyard, taking cover behind an abandoned two-wheeled cart.

  From his position in front of the courtyard, he was able to examine the gruesome trophies in gross detail. Ahead of him was a large wooden frame where some sort of gate had once stood. Festooned above the frame like Chinese lanterns were ghoulish human heads in varying states of decay. Ahead in the courtyard were bloodied bodies sagging from spikes. One was impaled on a simple spear, with its bowels flowing out from the front.

  There are many who think that the sight of such horrors is the most traumatic thing one can experience. But those people likely do not know of the smell such a thing can fulminate. When Arcturus had reached the cart, the fetid stench of rotting corpses overwhelmed him. He suppressed the urge to vomit, and felt a small amount of his stomach contents tickling the back of his throat. He swallowed it back down and steeled himself. Whatever was going on here, it was beyond his capabilities to deal with. Even from his position, he was overcome with dread and nausea.

  Arcturus sat there, frozen in terror for long moments while he tried to work up the courage to give up his concealment and flee to the safety of the woods. He was about to take the first step into the open when he was interrupted by an abrupt bang from the courtyard. The double doors of the main entrance were thrown open, and a scuffle ensued.

  Peering carefully around the cart, Arcturus saw a woman emerge, pursued by perhaps a dozen humanoid creatures. They had extraordinarily pale skin, and they appeared frail. There was shouting, and the people all piled onto the woman, beating her, slapping her, and screaming at her. Totally defenseless, she held up her hands in a feeble attempt to ward off the attackers. After she had suffered a great deal more abuse, one of them dragged forth a sizable cage, made of wrought iron bars. The door on the side was opened and the others tossed the weakened woman inside, closing the door and locking it shut with a thick padlock. A rusty chain was attached to the top of the cage, and then attached to the arch of the entryway, just a few hundred feet from Arcturus’ position behind the wagon. The people pulled together on the chain to hoist her up, in what seemed like a great effort. It seemed to Arcturus that just two or three men ought to be able to pull such a load, and he was surprised that the whole group struggled with it. When they had finally pulled her up to the same height as the severed heads, they anchored the other end of the chain on a spike embedded in the stone walls of the courtyard. From this distance, Arcturus was able to hear some of what they said.