Wood, Stone and Bone

by Ian Rodgers

  After I woke I looked around the tent, checking to make sure nothing had gotten misplaced in the night, or that any rain or mud leaked inside.

  I was pleased to find my spells had done their job in preventing the tent from becoming wet, soggy, or blown around. Which was nice. I didn’t weigh much and my biggest worry for storms was getting thrown about in gale force winds.

  I chuckled as I remembered the first time I had tried to go camping during a fierce thunderstorm. After being hurled through the sky like a fabric comet for hours I ended up in a barn’s loft ten miles from where I’d originally set up my tent.

  Ah, the faces on the farmers when they found me trapped in a pile of hay!

  Once I had donned my disguise I exited my tent to greet the day. I winced as I looked over the field we had camped in.

  Mud seemed to be overtaking the grass in several spots, and branches littered the ground. A few unlucky tents had been speared by these errant sticks and I had no doubt the occupants were wet and unhappy.

  One of the wagons was buried up to the tops of its wheels in mud, having sunk deep into the ground over the course of the storm. Another had flipped over, and an angry Torren was furiously ordering his men to gather what could be salvaged from the wreckage.

  Other adventurers had emerged at some point earlier and were helping with the clean-up, grumbling in annoyance as they trudged through the muck.

  “Whoo! What a storm,” Yorrik exclaimed as he looked over the devastation. “The Lord of the Dullwilds must have been angry last night!”

  “Lord of the Dullwilds?” I asked from the entrance of my tent.

  “It’s an old story, about how a great beast resides in the deepest, darkest parts of the forest, allowing no entry. And if anyone angers it, then a great storm sweeps across the land,” the Ranger explained.

  “Intriguing. What kind of monster is it?” I inquired. He shrugged.

  “Who knows. Could be a dragon of some sort. Some tales mention it as a scaled beast, but there are a lot of creatures that fit the description of ‘filled with primal fury, clad in scale untouched by blade, and armed with claws to rip and rend,’” the B-ranked adventurer said as he recited a portion of the fable.

  “Anyways, time to get a move on. We need to get the wagons clear of the mud before noon, or else the ground will harden too much.” The Ranger walked away after delivering his instructions and I nodded in acknowledgement.

  I glanced down at the ground, decided I didn’t want to get any of the brand new mire on my boots or robe, and held out my hands.

  “Harden and strengthen, let no softness remain. Mud to Stone!”

  Instantly my spell raced out and began to dry out and harden the ground so it could be walked on. A large patch of dried ground appeared around my tent, and several people looked over at me jealously. I began to cast the Earth Element spell around, creating a path to the wagons.

  Rosa nodded in approval at how well I was pulling off multiple Earth spells. Ever since I had made the fun-loving Carbuncle my Familiar I had gotten much better at utilizing the Earth Element. Acid was still my go-to type for combat but I could pull of simple things like Mud to Stone, which was useful for making a path to walk on over muddy wet ground, and even create pitfalls and simple earthen spikes.

  “Jellik, would you mind standing at the front of the convoy for today?” Torren asked as he spotted me casting spells as I walked over to the convoy. “I need you to harden the ground so the wagons can pass over them without issue.”

  “Certainly,” I agreed, and the merchant nodded happily.

  I turned back to the rest of the campground and helped by making dry soil to stand on. Many thanks came my way. My illusory face had a pleasant smile as I moved from tent to tent, making patches of solid ground around them.

  As I approached Katherine’s temporary dwelling I held back a strangled laugh at the scene in front of me.

  The young maiden was completely bedraggled and soaking wet, and stared angrily at her collapsed tent.

  “Oh my gods, what happened to you?” I asked, trying desperately to contain my mirth. Even Rosa was trying to be polite for once and managed to choke on her giggles for now.

  “You may have waterproofed my tent, but you didn’t do it for the ground around it!” she growled as she turned to face me. “One of my spikes got dislodged from all the rain and then a gust of wind flipped that side of the tent over!”

  “As such, while the top of the tent was nice and dry the bottom – which if you’ve been keeping up was now pointed at the sky! – became very wet, and very leaky! And if that wasn’t bad enough the wind actually blew so hard that it tore the flaps open and let in all that lovely rain directly onto me!”

  I couldn’t help it. Katherine looked so damp and furious and yet so cuddly at the same time with her hair and leather armor sticking to her body I burst out laughing. Rosa soon joined me, and along with Tara the three of us howled with laughter at her misfortunes.

  Now, I’m not a vindictive man. Well, maybe if you hurt someone close to me I might be. But against someone who hasn’t done anything to me aside from act distrustful and wary? I felt bad for Katherine’s poor luck.

  Yet I could not help comparing her to a wet kitten with the way she was angrily pouting at her tent and at me. And after all the stress she had caused me it felt good to have some Karma-based payback, and to let loose like this.

  A few chuckles and guffaws came from nearby adventurers, as well, and Katherine began to fume.

  As my laughter faded to mere chortles I walked over to her tent and began to dry it off with a Cantrip. I then helped her fold it up and pack it away.

  “Sorry for finding your situation so amusing,” I apologized as I helped her out. I only got a grunt in response, but that was better than nothing.

  ~You’re too nice for your own good,~ Tara said, bemused at how I was acting so helpful to someone we suspected was after me in some way.

  ‘One of my many weaknesses,’ I said humbly. ‘Alongside salt, fire, water, excessive lightning, and my inability to hold a tune while singing.’

  The Spirit of Knowledge laughed and went back to puzzling out the spell Gaea had given me.

  The caravan was significantly delayed due to the weather, but after a few hours we were back on the road, with me at the helm casting consecutive Mud to Stone spells as we trudged on.

  “How are you not exhausted after so many spells?” Yorrik demanded after a few miles. He gaped at the displays of power I was casually throwing around. His incredulous and disbelieving expression was mirrored on everyone’s face. I think even a few of the horses were impressed, but I’m not too good with reading the emotions of non-sapient beings yet.

  “I was once told I have nearly as much mana as Headmaster Cantos,” I said blithely, hardening the ground a bit more. I ignored the shocked looks and kept my eyes ahead on the road, making sure it was safe to travel over.

  “You have as much magical power as an X-ranked adventurer?” Brent gasped, his voice a squeaky whisper.

  “So they say,” I replied. Despite my blasé responses I was indeed starting to feel the strain of repeated casting.

  One of the lesser known dangers of casting magic is that if a mage casts too many spells of the same Element in a short amount of time they run the risk of having their body reflect that Elemental affinity. Those who used too much Pyromancy would combust, a Druid could turn their limbs into bark and wood if they were not careful, and for someone like myself who used repeated Earth Element spells? Petrification was the threat.

  Most people didn’t have this problem though, as they lacked the obscene amount of mana to constantly cast magic. A-rank and higher, or those with comparable levels of magic like myself, could find this problematic, though, which was why inside of my body I was struggling to cycle my mana around to loosen the piling up of the Earth Elemental energy in my soul.

  I also was brewing and consuming Mana Potions inside my Dimensional Pocket at an asto
nishing rate in order to keep with the amount I was spending. It was only a stopgap though, and I was running out of ingredients. If I didn’t rest soon I’d lose all cohesion and revert to my true form.

  I started to pray to the Divine Family for the road we were on to be dry soon, or I’d have problems. Lots and lots of problems. B- and C-ranked problems, to be precise.

  After ten more minutes someone answered my prayers as the next stretch of road was nice and dry, the storm clearly having bypassed this region. I sighed with relief and slumped.

  “Take a break, kid,” Torren said, taking me by the shoulder and escorting me to one of the wagons. “Even if you have all the magic in the world you can’t erase fatigue.”

  “Thank you,” I mumbled, clambering awkwardly into the back of one of the covered transports. I nestled myself in between two stacks of wooden crates and wrapped my robe around me, lowering the brim of my hat. This way it looked like I was leaning up against the back and snoozing, while in reality I was back in my spherical form holding back the urge to scream as I fought off encroaching spots of petrification.

  ~That was insanely reckless, Jelly!~ Tara admonished. ~You didn’t listen to me earlier when I said this was a bad idea, and now you’re paying the price!~

  ‘Next time I promise I will heed your advice when it comes to magic,’ I vowed, fighting through the pain. Feeling your body shift between solid stone and soft goo is a sensation I hope no one ever has to experience. I can only imagine how much more agonizing it would be for a person with flesh and bone and real nerves and pain receptors.

  ~If you ever do something so recklessly dangerous I swear to Akasha herself I will find a way to manifest in the real world just so I can slap some sense into you!~ Tara stated, almost hysterical with her fury. Rosa nodded her head in silent agreement, equally as disapproving of my antics.

  And wasn’t that a kick in the gelatinous pants, being admonished by the most childish member of our odd little trio?

  I was lectured for the next few hours by the duo on the dangers of acting stupid when magic was involved. Rosa spoke of personal experience from when she lived among the Carbuncles, and Tara provided chilling reports about people who’d done the same as I.

  ~…and after the dust settled all that was left of the man’s arms and legs were puddles of salt water. And although he saved the city from the tsunami, he spent the last few months of his life as a total paraplegic,~ Tara said, her story about the mage who saved the city of Riggs from a massive tidal wave finally complete.

  I twitched. ‘Are you quite finished with all your cautionary tales, my dear Tara?’

  ~For now,~ the Spirit of Knowledge allowed. ~But if you do this again I will research even more gruesome and horrifying tales about idiotic and reckless mages.~

  Her threat – no, her promise – delivered, she sunk back into my mind to fume on her own, leaving me and Rosa to our own devices.

  I felt the wagon slow down and peeked outside the wagon with my senses. We were approaching a large building that was on the side of the road. It was two stories high with a patch of farming ground and a coop for chickens in the back. A stable was built onto the side along with a large annex building that could double as a rest stop for travelers, and which was apparently our camping spot for the night.

  Something was a bit unusual about the place, however, and I focused my senses on the Ambient Mana of the region.

  ‘Rosa, is it normal for there to be this much magical energy in a place that doesn’t have an entrance to the Aether?’ I asked, worried.

  The Carbuncle took a look at the area herself before nodding.

  (Everything is fine, the rest stop is just built over a minor intersection of ley lines,) Rosa assured me.

  I’d never seen a ley line configuration up close, and I peered closer at the flow of mana around us. Eventually I was able to make out the ripples and eddies of raw magical energy that were moving about like sluggish rivers.

  Two of these ribbons of natural energy had intersected and fused, creating a large puddle of bubbling magic over which the road stop had been built. It was harmless, thankfully, and I’d be able to recover my weakened mana here with greater ease.

  Relieved there was nothing potentially dangerous going on I waited eagerly for the caravan to come to a stop. I wanted to set up my tent in a spot close to the ley line nexus to receive the full benefits of the free-flowing magic.

  At last the wagons all came to a full halt and I eagerly resumed my Gel Doll form, jumped up, and darted to the exit.

  Unfortunately, I had misjudged the amount of power I’d lost so when I tried to move my ‘legs’ gave out under me and I stumbled out of the wagon in a graceless heap, rather than with the elegant leap I’d planned.

  Yorrik and another adventurer saw this and hurried over to help me back onto my ‘feet.’

  “Are you alright? You took quite the tumble,” Yorrik asked worriedly.

  “Thanks, but I’m fine. Just a bit weaker than I thought,” I said with a weak laugh.

  “I’m surprised you’re still standing. We all thought you’d be out of it for a while longer,” the other adventurer claimed.

  “Don’t worry, there’s a lot of Ambient Mana in the area here, so I can recover quicker if I sleep near it this evening,” I explained. Yorrik nodded in understanding and grabbed my pack.

  He then helped set up my tent in the spot best suited for a mage to regenerate their mana.

  “You just rest, alright,” Yorrik instructed, helping me into the tent. “Can’t have you passing out or getting sick. Besides, you feel all limp, so I doubt you could walk another step.”

  I chuckled nervously at his appraisal of my soft limbs, but allowed myself to be escorted to my bedding.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be close,” the B-ranker assured me.

  “You’re being rather accommodating of me,” I mumbled, tiredly crawling into my sleeping bag.

  “You’ve clearly never tried to travel on muddy roads with horses and wagons,” the Ranger said. “It’s not just slow going, it can actually be incredibly dangerous.”

  He sighed and stared off into the distance. “A horse’s hooves can easily slip, causing them to fall. A rider would be thrown, and if there was a cart attached it could flip, causing further damage. And on foot a person could get stuck and in some cases get smothered by the mud if you’re sleeping and the tent gets swallowed up.”

  “Many deaths involving novice adventurers are related to the environment rather than monsters of magical beasts,” Yorrik said sadly. “You potentially saved lives with your magic, both the night before and on the road today. Though it clearly cost you more than you’re even letting on.”

  He bowed his head in thanks. “None of us will forget this kindness. You’ll always have a spot in any group you decide to adventure with, and an open seat at any bar you visit with us.”

  I was touched by his sincerity and good will and inclined my ‘head’ towards him. Rosa smiled fondly at the Ranger, who smiled back and exited the tent leaving me alone. My Familiar then stationed herself at the foot of my sleeping bag and began to watch over me, acting as a vigilant guard against intruders.

  I lay down only after I’d set up a few privacy wards before reverting to my original form and letting myself curl up. I could feel the warmth of the Ambient Mana filling me, and I drifted off to sleep, utterly exhausted by the day’s trials.

  Tomorrow would certainly be better. The magic enveloped me, and for the first time in a long while, I dreamed.

  Chapter 13: A jiggly good time!

  Giggles were the first thing I heard as I woke. At first, I thought the sound of mirth had woken me, but I then dismissed that idea. No, I had been fully rested and recharged and the tingle of topped-off mana had already begun to drag me back to wakefulness.

  As I pondered what exactly had woken me I realized it was a difference in weight. I felt heavier, if only just. A quick look around inside me showed that I had not gained any wei
ght. Was it perhaps Rosa sleeping on top of me again? No, it was not just a single lump of heaviness, but multiple sources spread out around me.

  ‘Tara, why do I feel heavy?’ I finally asked.

  All I got was a snort of laughter from the Spirit of Knowledge.

  ‘Rosa? Did you decorate me with odds and ends you found around camp again?’

  (No, Jelly,) Rosa managed to get out in between fits of laughter.

  Annoyed, I decided to just open up my senses and see what was going on.

  When my ‘sight’ returned I had no words to describe the insanity around me. I just stared and, had I a mouth, its jaw would have been on the ground.

  Oozes. I was surrounded by countless Oozes. And in a rainbow of colors as well! Green Oozes were bunched up next to Stone Oozes and Water Oozes in a press around my form, while a group of Berry Oozes were perched atop my round body like a crown. I saw Bone Oozes and a rare Wind Ooze cuddled up next to me along with regular common Oozes. The entire tent was filled to bursting with their gelatinous bodies.

  ‘What happened?’ I demanded, absolutely gob smacked and befuddled.

  (Last night they started to appear around the campsite and snuck in,) Rosa explained after she wiped away a tear of mirth from her eyes.

  (They slipped through the privacy wards as if they weren’t there and at first I was worried, but they seemed harmless. In fact they began to share mana with you as you slept.)

  ‘They did what?’

  ~They performed some sort of magical reverse osmosis, expelling minute traces of mana from themselves which was then passively absorbed into you, drastically speeding up your recovery time,~ Tara explained. ~The process was really quite fascinating, and it showed that Oozes do have a sense of community. They could tell one of their own was injured and rushed to help. Simply amazing!~

  ‘I hope you took notes,’ I said, excited at the implications as well. Never before had anyone managed to prove that Oozes possessed even the slightest hints of animal instinct beyond eating, fleeing, and if need be fighting. But if they did in fact have bonds with each other like this…