Lydia- Awakening

by Grey Arney

  As he prepared to head off again, he paused and examined the head of the boar. The tusks caught his attention, and he worked one free with the knife.

  You have found: Boar Tusk (average)

  Boar tusks are extremely hard. They have uses in Crafting, and can even be fashioned into weapons.

  He harvested the other tusk and tucked both of the curved objects into his belt. He set off with the bloody carcass and pelt over his shoulder.

  He reached the clearing in a short enough time, and his arms were extremely sore. He set down the animal carcass and looked around. There was a massive boulder with a large tree in front of it. Around the tree were five rocks big enough to serve as seats. The area had clearly been used as a camp before, as indicated by the remains of a fire that had burned there in the distant past. A narrow streamlet flowed past the meadow, offering a welcome chance to drink fresh water.

  Arcturus set about gathering some wood to rebuild the campfire. First, he stacked logs lengthwise, and then crosswise, repeating until he had four layers. All around the wood he spread thin leaves and tiny twigs to serve as tinder, with bigger twigs for kindling. Then, he used his dull knife to hack a branch down the center. Peeling away one half of the branch, he shaped it into a spear point, and rubbed it rapidly against the wood. Smoke started to curl up from the wood debris, slowly at first. He breathed gently on it, and then put some brush on top and blew on it more. The smoke grew bigger and bigger and after a long while he was rewarded with a flame, which he placed on the pile of tinder underneath the wood.

  He had no idea how he knew to do this, but it was second nature to him.

  While the fire was building, he prepared a wooden spit out of a long branch. He then anchored it into the ground with two Y shaped branches that he plunged deep into the soil with the force of a heavy rock. With great effort, he skewered his carcass upon the massive spit and set it over the flame. It would take hours to roast the pig, so he set about sharpening his knife on a rock. He wet the weapon in the river, then ran its edge over the smooth stone, repeating on both sides. When the knife was sharp enough to easily cut through a leaf, he took out the boar hide and used it to further hone the edge. He was able to polish most of the rust off with the moistened bark of a nearby tree.

  Your Rusty Iron Dagger (Attack 2-3) has become Sharp Iron Dagger (Attack +5-7)

  This simple dagger has been carefully sharpened and now bears a deadly edge.

  You have learned Crafting (Level 1)

  Crafting allows you to create and improve items, weapons, and armor.

  Now that he had made some progress on food and weaponry, Arcturus set his mind to one of his biggest problems: footwear. While drops of fat dripped off of his downed hog and sizzled in the open flame, he walked around the glen looking for something to protect his feet.

  There were fibrous stalks of plant growing by the streamlet that might make a suitable cord. He could also use the boar’s hide in his pack. But he would need something hard to make an outsole, and he had no way to bind these things together. He peeled the bark off of a nearby tree and it crumbled in his hands. He examined another tree, with darker bark, and pulled out his knife to pry off a piece. The bark held fast!

  Intrigued, he ran his hands around the tree until he found a small section of the bark soft enough to work his knife into. After carefully prying, some of the dense material came off.

  You have found: Ironwood Bark

  The bark from this tree is incredibly strong, making it a useful material for Crafting.

  After harvesting several patches of the bark, Arcturus moved over to the stalks he saw growing by the river and cut one free.

  You have found: Cat’s Tail

  This plant has multiple uses. Parts of it may be edible or useful in medicines. Other parts may be used for Crafting.

  After cutting down several more, Arcturus sat on one of the flat stones by the tree and got to work.

  Two hours and many failed attempts later, Arcturus had fashioned the materials into something wearable. It was a laughable solution to his problem, but it would have to do. A strip of Ironwood Bark was cut into the shape of his foot, and he had tied cords around it so that he could attach the sole to his foot like a simple slipper. Finally, he had cut strips of hide that he wove into the chords, both underneath the outer sole and on top of it, over his foot.

  It looked like he had shoved his foot into the business end of a beaver until it came out of the pleasure side. However, the crude slippers would stay on his feet if he walked carefully, and would protect him from sharp objects.

  You have crafted Slippers (Crude)

  These slippers are of extremely poor quality, and they are unlikely to last long before falling apart.

  Satisfied at his creation, he donned the slippers and walked over to the campfire to poke at the pig. He sliced a rent through its haunch, cutting deep into the meat, and found it was still a dark red color even after being cooked for nearly three hours. He was able to carefully carve off some of the outer meat that had cooked, blowing to cool it off before eating it with his fingers. It was noon now and he couldn’t leave the area until he had finished cooking, so he attempted to take a nap. He laid against the tree and closed his eyes. Despite feeling very alert, he fell asleep quickly.

  Hours later, he woke to the sensation of something warm and wet on his hand. Somebody was licking him, greedily lapping the salt off of his fingers. Frozen with terror, he opened his eyes slightly and saw a young adult wolf, with silver fur crowned around a long white snout. Its icy blue eyes peered at him. Perhaps it thought he was dead. His knife was in the loop of his pants pocket, and he feared that reaching for it would spur the creature to attack. So he did the only other thing he could think of.

  “Hi there, boy,” he said in a soothing voice. The wolf lifted its head and looked at him thoughtfully. His head tilted at a slight angle, which anybody who had ever been friends with a dog would recognize as the universal canine body language for curiosity. “Let me get you some more of that meat. Would you like that?” He asked the animal, as he slowly rose to his feet.

  The lips of the wolf curled into a snarl as he backed away from the man and towards the campfire. But what Arcturus didn’t know was that it was a snarl of fear and not aggression. He slowly backed towards the campfire, pulling his knife out and carefully cutting more meat from the hog. The fire had almost completely smoldered out now, and the sun was beginning to set. A puff of wind brought a lonely chill to his bones. The meat on the outside had begun to cool. He knelt down and offered a piece to the animal.

  The wolf approached eagerly and ate the meat happily. The pair continued this ritual for some time, until the wolf seemed to have eaten his fill. At this time, Arcturus knelt down again and offered his hand. The wolf did not move. Arcturus inched forward. Seeing the lip of the animal quiver did not deter him. He rested his hand on the head of the wolf. The wolf calmed at his touch and closed its eyes. When they opened, they stared deep into his for the first time.

  You have found a new companion: Wolf

  The friendship of man and canine is immortal, making it easier for you to form a bond with this creature. Your new friend will follow you as long as you show that you are strong enough to protect him and loyal enough to feed him. Your ability to communicate with him and make use of his abilities will develop as your bond with him grows over time.

  “That’s a good boy,” said Arcturus, stroking the animal behind the ears. Slowly, its feral traits seemed to recede, and it began to behave more like a dog.

  “What should I call you?” Arcturus wondered aloud. A name sprang forth from his memory. “I know. Your name will be Lyle.”

  You have given your Wolf companion a name: Lyle

  +1 bond level: Follower (Level 1). Your dog will follow you, and happily eat any food you offer it. He’s mostly in it for the snacks.

  Arcturus carved the carcass, eating his fill of the meat. Before doing so, he offered a thigh bone to Lyle,
who grabbed it eagerly and took it to the safe spot underneath the tree to chew on. He held it between his front paws, grinding his teeth on the edges, all the while staring at his new master.

  Taking hold of the remainder of the meat, Arcturus headed back to the rock outcropping. He called for Lyle to come to him, and was pleased that the animal instantly heeded his call, appearing at his side.

  Back at the cliff outcropping, Arcturus was able to climb up with the boar on his shoulder, laying it out in front of his shelter. Looking back down at his new companion, he saw two eyes looking up at him in askance. Wolves are great runners, but rock climbing is not their strength. Hopping back down, Arcturus helped lift the animal up until its front paws were over the ledge. Then he pushed the wolf from behind, helping him climb up to the shelter.

  Although he wasn’t very tired, it was nearly nightfall. Wandering around the woods in the dark would not be a good idea. It was bad enough that he had brought the aroma of roast pig back to his shelter, but most creatures would not be able to climb up to his position. He curled up in the back of the cave, using some of the boar’s hide for a pillow. Lyle followed him there, and dropped into a ball down by his feet.

  The night passed in a fitful series of naps, punctuated by indeterminate waking periods of staring at the empty blackness outside. By the light of the stars, he saw shadows overhead. Unfamiliar noises came from the woods at seemingly random intervals. Neither man nor dog slept well, but both slept, for a time.

  CHAPTER 2

  Arcturus woke to a growling sound. Opening a bleary eye, he saw a green humanoid creature about four feet high, on its knees, ripping into the boar with gnashing, grayed teeth. A wisp of dark hair tore down its skull, cleaved by the pointy ear it was tucked behind. Using fingernails as talons, it tore pieces of meat from the side of the carcass, stuffing them into its mouth, and calling out gleefully. More voices called back from below, and he shuddered when he saw another green man pull itself up onto the ledge. Unlike the first one, who had failed to notice that the alcove was occupied, the second stared straight ahead at both man and growling dog, pointing a bony finger and shouting in some filthy-sounding language.

  “Nyak! Tak tak goo! Nyak!” Arcturus didn’t know what that meant, but he did know that he was cornered and that the little green men were a threat. He drew the blade from his pants. In a fight-or-flight calculation that happened so fast as to be unknowable to him, he decided to attempt to intimidate the diminutive creatures with a bluff. Both man and dog bared teeth at the intruders and advanced. The goblin-looking creature who had shouted was indeed intimidated by this, and jumped back down to the forest below. But Arcturus gave the first goblin no time to react. He rushed forward, and to his surprise he found himself laying on his back. The wind had been knocked out of him.

  The Green Goblin attacks. You have lost 20 hit points.

  He had underestimated the creature. Its strength was enormous with respect to its size, and it had tossed him like he was a scarecrow. Lyle was not so inept as to make this same mistake, and he was able to sink his fangs into the goblin’s calf. The goblin kicked its leg free, but when Lyle’s toothy grimace showed again, there was black blood all over his face.

  Lyle bites Green Goblin, dealing 29 damage.

  Good boy! Arcturus thought to himself, already back on his feet. Before he could rejoin the fight, the goblin had picked up his pet dog by the fur and thrown him over the ledge. A yelp echoed from below, where more screaming could be heard. The goblin turned to face him, forcing him to pedal back into the darkness of the alcove until he felt the stone behind him press against his waist. There was nowhere to go and the goblin was still advancing. Raising a curved kukri machete, it prepared to plunge its blade into the human’s belly.

  Desperate to fend off this attack, Arcturus held a hand out to protect himself. Both man and goblin were shocked when burning flames burst forth from his hand, engulfing the creature before him and immolating it. Its loincloth had caught flame!

  You have learned a new spell: Burning Touch

  This simple but effective attack spell is often an adventurer’s first taste of magic.

  You cast Burning Touch on the Green Goblin, dealing 74 damage. The goblin is burning!

  The goblin turned and ran towards the entrance to the alcove, throwing itself off in desperation to escape and put the flames out.

  He heard more shrieking below, and then couldn’t help but smile at the next thing he saw.

  The Green Goblin has died. You earn 150 experience points.

  You have improved Fire Magic (Level 2)

  Your Fire Magic is now stronger.

  Wasting no time, Arcturus jumped down below to find his dog. As he landed, he saw the buttocks of a goblin fleeing into the forest, still screaming something about nyack nyack. The goblin he had burned to death was there at the bottom. Its skin was charred black. He called out to his wolf. “Lyle? Where are you?”

  Lyle came bolting out of the woods, having taken to the chase. The dog seemed no worse for wear, despite his tumble. Canines are tough. Lyle stared into Arcturus’ eyes for a moment, and suddenly his mouth opened and his tongue fell out, as his panting bloomed into a satisfied smile. He and his master had just delivered a hell of a beating!

  Arcturus began searching the remains of the goblin for valuables. He was, after all, bereft of the most basic supplies. Even his shoes would hold up no longer than a day or so.

  The goblin wore a gruesome necklace made out of teeth, bones, and an assortment of other trophies that were all strung together on a string.

  You have found: Bone Necklace of the Mudluck Clan

  This bone necklace is worn by scouts and warriors of the Mudluck Clan.

  While searching the goblin’s loin cloth, he made the mistake of removing it entirely from the body. The smell of broiled goblin had now fully overwhelmed his senses, and the loin cloth smelled of a diaper that had been smothered in mayonnaise and lit on fire. Unable to find the kukri, he lifted his head and searched until he saw it laying several feet away. He pulled it near.

  You have found: Steel Kukri (Attack +11-12)

  This curved machete can be used to cut animals, vegetables, and even some minerals.

  He also found a small bottle filled with bright red liquid the color and viscosity of paint.

  You have found: Red Potion

  Unidentified potion.

  The small phial of fluid and the necklace went into his pouch, which was now nearly full. He secured the kukri to his leather pants.

  Dawn had barely begun to break, but Arcturus decided it was time to move. For all he knew, those little green men were off to gather up some big green men and bring them back in search of some nyack nyack. His decision to bring back the boar meat had indeed attracted danger. His initial mistrust of the stranger Brook turned out to be a mistake. Now that he had seen the “hospitality” of the other denizens of the forest, he realized that he needed to seek the safety of numbers.

  Climbing back to his vantage point one last time, Arcturus looked out at the star-speckled sky. A small crack of orange sunlight poured from the horizon, like the opening to the gates of Heaven. To the west he could still see the shape of the river, and he remembered the point where had seen the campfire the previous day.

  Not one to spoil food, Arcturus shared the remains of the pig with his canine friend. They would have to leave the rest behind and focus on the hike ahead.

  ***

  The man and his dog had hiked for well over an hour by the dim morning light without incident when the man decided to stop to rest by the river, which they were now following northwest.

  The river water was cool and refreshing. Although it tasted as though it came from a pure mountain spring, Arcturus wondered if it was safe. Without a pot to boil it in, a filter to strain it through, and a vessel for transport, it would be impractical to sterilize water every time he stopped for a drink. He would just have to accept the risk. From his experiences so far, it seem
ed that food safety was the least of his problems in this world.

  After continuing north for another hour, Arcturus began to wonder if he might wander past the camp. It had been situated right next to the river. He had been trying in vain to picture the aerial view of the river in his mind and imagine where he might be upon it. While he entertained this thought, he suddenly had the sense that he was being watched. He heard the creak of wood and twine as an arrow was nocked and a bowstring was drawn.

  “Halt, stranger,” called a disembodied voice. Arcturus froze in place. “What business do you have here?”

  “I am looking for a camp. I met a man named Brook who said I could find him here.”

  There was a long pause as the invisible man considered this.

  “Well, why didn’t you say so?” he finally continued, “A friend of Brook is a friend of mine. Come along then,” said the voice, as the man stepped out from behind the tree where he had stowed himself.

  Arcturus scanned the man up and down.

  “Do you mean you’re not Brook? You do look quite like him.”

  The man smiled awkwardly. “We’re second cousins.”

  Arcturus’ dull gaze must have registered no sign of comprehension.