Changing World- The Beginning

by Sergei Katz

  We had already walked for almost half an hour in the desert and hadn’t encountered anything dangerous yet. We had no idea what to expect, or what kind of creatures we might have to fight. This fact was keeping everyone in suspense.

  — Alder, look to your right! — Alex suddenly shouted.

  I jumped back automatically and only then I saw our first attacker. We were facing a huge scorpion the size of a tank.

  — Split up! — I commanded, and tried to get out of its way.

  But, as luck would have it, my leg got caught up in a bush, and I lost my balance. The body of the huge monster literally flew at me. But I didn’t feel a thing. I was undamaged, and the scorpion had disappeared.

  — Where did it go? — Alex asked, surprised.

  The Phasm, who had managed to transform into a copy of my Copper Wing, descended to the ground and, taking on its usual form, started looking around. It appeared to have been a mirage, but it had been so realistic.

  — Stay aware. Perhaps this is a trick, and the monster is still nearby, — I warned my friends. Half an hour passed by, and we still hadn’t been attacked. We saw monsters on several occasions, but they all turned out to be mirages.

  — This is a very unpleasant and peculiar place, — I muttered. — My nerves are constantly on edge even in the daytime, but what will it be like at night?

  Then we were attacked by a real monster for the first time. It was a strange tortoise with shark-like teeth and a razor-backed shell. The fight was not easy. The tortoise was in its element and attacked me out of nowhere. It’s a good thing that I noticed a sharp movement from the corner of my eye and moved a little from the place where I had been standing, otherwise the fight could have ended quite differently. Together, of course, we killed it, but we all took knocks.

  — Now, at least we know what we'll be dealing with in the future, — the boy smiled through the pain of his wounds.

  — I agree, next time it will be easier. We already know what this tortoise is capable of, so there will be no surprises next time, but we better avoid fighting two of those at the same time.

  — I totally agree with you, — Alex shuddered, imagining such an encounter.

  My Phasm was cured faster than the rest of us, and started playing in the sand afterwards. Suddenly, an incredibly pretty white butterfly landed on his nose. My pet couldn’t believe such impudence, and he fell onto his butt. Alex, my Copper Wing and I froze for a second, fascinated to see what would happen next. Getting his act together, Morph quietly grew a long tail and slapped the place where the butterfly was sitting. My prediction was justified: the tip of the tail struck the Phasm on his own nose, and the butterfly was able to dodge it, flying above as if nothing had happened. The offended Phasm began a desperate attack on the harmless insect, employing his tail and paws. Morphy even tried to bite the offender by jumping into the air, but it dodged all of his attacks.

  Afterwards, as though it had enough of this game, the butterfly started flying off. Ignoring our cries, Little Morph rushed after it. I didn’t know why, but we all rushed after them as well. We were rushing around like a bunch of crazies, and suddenly everything stopped. The butterfly had disappeared, and before us - as if a veil had just been torn from it - an oasis with a huge baobab tree and a small lake appeared. I stood there in disbelief, rubbing my eyes.

  — That’s not possible! — I heard Alex's dumbfounded voice behind me.

  I just nodded silently in agreement, then carefully went down to the water. It was real all right. I cupped my hands together, scooped up a little and tasted it. It tasted delicious and, judging by the fact that I didn’t get poisoned, it was quite drinkable. A rustling sound came from the direction of the tree. I went closer and took a look: huge grey goats were grazing among the leaves. I had to rub my eyes for a second time. I even pinched myself on the hand to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming.

  — What are these goats doing in the tree? — Alex asked.

  The answer didn’t come from me, but from somewhere near the tree. The speaker’s voice sounded as if whoever had spoken was more accustomed to bleating:

  — They are grazing, of course! And the only place around here where they can graze is on this baobab.

  A Satyr landed on the ground next to me:

  — Let me introduce myself, my name is Pan.

  Before us was a one-and-a-half-meter peasant-looking man with large goat horns, quite smartly dressed. A green color of a rainbow was shimmering along his pants and robe, and all of this was set off by a piece of a chocolate-colored neckerchief.

  — And this, — he pointed to the tree, — is my battle fleece.

  A moment later, as if on command, thirteen horned heads appeared out of the foliage.

  — It's nice to meet you, dear Pan. — I decided to take a courteous tone and introduced each of us in turn.

  — It's nice to meet you too, although I'm surprised that someone could find the “Eternal Oasis” in the middle of the Desert of Mirages.

  — To be honest, we found it quite by accident, — I confessed. — My pet got carried away hunting for a white butterfly, and the chase led us here.

  — Young man, you are incredibly lucky that one of the guides of the desert took a liking to your pet. There are four guides in the Desert of Mirages, and all of them come in the form of different colored mirages. Red leads to adventure. Blue leads to something interesting. Black leads to danger. White leads to something hidden. You got a white one, and he brought you to the most secret hidden place in the desert.

  — Did the guide bring you here, too? — I asked curiously.

  — No, — the Satyr sighed. — I was travelling the world and tending to my favorite goats. One day in the woods, we came across this lake and baobab tree. My little pets liked the leaves so much that I decided to spend the night next to the lake. When we woke up, we were in the middle of the desert. We were trapped in a lonely oasis. I used to hear legends about an oasis that hates to be lonely, and so it lures travelers to visit and the traps them there. To be honest, until I got here, I just believed this to be a myth. Unfortunately, my goats won’t leave this source of food unless they are certain that they have enough food for at least one day ahead. Even my shepherd's skills and specialization in looking after goats hasn’t helped, because they are incredibly scrupulous in this matter. So now, without extra supplies of food and water we are here stuck forever.

  — I understand the water problem, as you need to carry water for fourteen beings somehow, but there is plenty of foliage on the tree. Why not get armfuls of it and strap it onto the goats’ backs - and voila, you are good to go.

  — Oh no, it’s not so simple, — the Satyr grinned sarcastically. — The oasis completely controls the number of leaves on the tree, and produces exactly as much as my goats need every day. I have no problems with water. — Pan produced a strange form of wineskin. — I can put twenty liters in it, and I also have room in my magical travel bag for as much as I need.

  — I see, but if you have enough supplies, will you be able to get out of here?

  — I think we could. During my time here, I've studied the desert and know roughly where the nearest border with the forest is. The oasis moves from one energy node to another, and just tonight it must jump again. If you are lucky enough, then it will jump in the direction that you and Alex need to travel, then it will save you almost the entire trip through the desert, so you’ll only have a couple of days left to travel across the desert.

  — Alex, did you hear that? — I turned to the boy.

  — Yep! — The boy was very happy to hear the news.

  — You don’t object to waiting until tomorrow, do you this time? — I asked sarcastically.

  — I deserved that, — the boy chuckled. — We will stay here, of course.

  — Well, that's great. I hope you don’t mind, do you? — I turned to Pan. — We don’t need food; we have our own, in fact even more than we need. You are welcome to share our meal with us.
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  — Of course, I don’t object! I’ve been feeding on these leaves for almost a year now, and I can’t bear to look at them any longer. My goats will eat anything, and they won’t object either if you invite them to join.

  — Can’t see why not. I’ll give them a treat as well.

  — That’s great! Alex, are you an archer? The Satyr pointed to the bow hanging from the boy’s shoulder.

  — I am indeed, — Alex agreed.

  — Could you train my pets please? They need training, and they need to learn how to deal with warriors from a safe distance.

  — Why not? I need some practice anyway. — Alex was happy to oblige.

  — Copper Wing, will you keep them company? — I asked.

  My Totem showed by his whole appearance that he would be happy to take part in such entertainment.

  — So, the only one who still has nothing to do, — I glanced at the Phasm, — is you, my friend.

  It seemed that my Phasm had a sense of self-preservation, and he tried to disappear, but then, remembering that this trick wouldn’t work for him, he returned to the place where he had been sat before, with a sad look on his face.

  — Don’t be so afraid. We'll just try to help our new acquaintances, — I took out the saplings of the apple trees given to me by Martha. — Try to plant them around the lake.

  To my surprise, Little Morph liked the idea. I laid the saplings on the ground next to him. He grabbed one, and dragged it to the lake.

  — Is he an agronomist? — The Satyr was surprised.

  — Yes, and don’t even bother to ask why I need an agronomist; that's an ability he has acquired all by himself.

  — If he succeeds, — Pan said thoughtfully, — I'll be indebted to you for the rest of my life.

  — We haven’t done anything yet, so it's too early to celebrate.

  — Well, shall we start cooking? — The Satyr suggested.

  — Looks like you're very hungry, — I grinned. The answer was a rumbling from the Satyr’s belly.

  — Okay then, let’s get a move on. You get a good bonfire going, and leave the rest to me.

  Without even answering, the Satyr ran off to collect brushwood.

  CHAPTER 24:

  A HARD DAY

  The Satyr turned out to be quite a good company, and his wards were connoisseurs of delicious food, which I couldn’t have expected from such creatures. As it turned out, the herd fought together as a unit, due to the fact that they all shared the same mother. The Girgentana goats rarely ever produced more than one or two kids. However, if there were more than three of them, they would always be connected by a certain magical connection, and the more such sisters and brothers there were, the stronger their connection would be.

  A brood of thirteen, according to Pan, deserved a legendary status. This had never happened before and would probably never happen again. The Satyr was proud of his wards: they were incredibly capable and very quick to learn. In the few hours that I was preparing food, they managed to work out a strategy to fight Alex and the Copper Wing either individually or as a team.

  While I had some free time, I decided to reconfigure my growing Intuition ability. I wanted to take a look at my abilities, but it was this moment that the Satyr chose to speak to me.

  — My congratulation to your pet. Seven apple trees have already sprouted. They are all of different varieties, and as soon as they begin to bear fruit, I will collect them for storage. The Oasis will not be able to control what has not been planted by itself.

  — Tell me, — I turned to the Satyr who had finally stopped guzzling everything that was on his plate. — How do you manage them all? Does it require any talent, or does any shepherd know how to do it?

  — What are you asking me! — My companion bleated at me. — I am a Master Strategist or, to be more precise, I am one step away from being a Grand Master. Unfortunately, I need to defeat more opponents to progress further. The guys in my herd are pretty smart, — he stroked the nearest goat by its horns, — but like any team, they need someone in command. All the opponents they have come across so far are no longer a problem for them. When it comes to new ones, I develop tactics and give them commands, using different sounds. This is another of my talents, but I can’t use it on a regular basis. However, if strategies are what you want, then I can teach you. I am indebted to you: You fed us well and fixed the problem of how to feed my goats. Who knows, one day I might escape from here and become the world’s first Grand Master Strategist or, at worst, a shepherd.

  — Of course! — I was delighted. — Such a talent would be very useful to me. I don’t travel alone, and my companions are something of a motley crew ...

  — You aren’t kidding, — the Satyr grinned. — An archer-boy, a totem bird, the weakest pet in the world, and a Newcomer who hasn’t yet received a rune word. You are still without a class and path. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine anything stranger.

  — How did you know that I was without a rune word? — I asked.

  — Because I'm a Satyr, — Pan was surprised. — We are magical creatures, and I can sense the power of a rune word from a mile away, and you don’t even have an echo of one. So I took a guess. I have no idea why those iridescent fairy fools let you go without a rune word? You could end up dying here after all!

  — I'll die, — I sighed, — if I don’t find a rune word. — I looked in the corner where the countdown kept going, indicating how much time I had left. I felt my chest tightening up, and recently I had found myself wondering, what I would do if I once again found myself back in the old world where I was devoid of feeling even the most basic emotions.

  — Don’t be sad, Alder. — The goatherd’s bleating had a strange effect on me. It seemed to banish all the bitterness. — As long as we are alive, there is still hope. I was same as you, I thought that we would die in this oasis, but you came, and now we have a chance. So let’s think about what we should do next. As long as there is still time, then let’s spend it wisely.

  Master Pan took you on as a student.

  — Well, we have less than a day left here, and I want to get a bonus for having my first student to reach the level of Craftsmen.

  — Don’t make me do this! — I begged!

  — What are you talking about? — My instructor blurted out in surprise.

  — I’ll do anything, but don’t make me do the crash course! — I begged him again.

  — Ah-ah, — a smirk appeared on the Satyr's face. — So you have already reached Craftsman level in one of your abilities! That’s even better. — Pan stroked his long goatee beard. — Then you know what to expect, and you'll have enough stamina to get through it. Call your pet, because he will also be useful to us. Don’t let him waste his time looking for worms when he can also be a formidable fighter.

  And then my torment began. Despite the fact that the oasis wasn’t very large - a couple of kilometers across – consisting of just the lake, the baobab and some trees that my pet had recently planted, the Satyr was able to come up with so many different battle scenarios that I was shocked. At first I thought: “Well, what can he teach me that I haven’t come across before? All we could do was run around like headless chickens change sparring partners, and that’s it.” However, things weren’t that straight forward!

  The Satyr’s fighting scenarios proved to be endless. To begin with, he pitted Little Morph against Alex and made me think of a tactic in which my pet could hit the enemy first. Alex was an excellent shot, his shooting speed was high, and unfortunately my pet wasn’t particularly fast on his feet. At first my Phasm was even enjoying the game but, having received a pair of arrows, he started looking at me with resentment.

  — What can I do? He’s stronger than you are, — I explained the situation to my pet. The Phasm indicated that he had got the message.

  — What advantages does your pet have? — The Satyr asked me.

  — He can change his form, — I said without hesitating.

  — Th
at’s true, — my teacher agreed. — So why don’t you use his strongest talent in this fight?

  Morphy, who had been trying to slide off the battlefield before, froze for a moment. I called him over to me. He looked at me with interest, as if to say: “okay let’s give it a go.” Curiosity overcame his reluctance to fight, and the Phasm quickly ran up to me. After a short discussion my pet, nodding happily, dived into the lake. Jumping high into the air, he dive-bombed into the water. Ripples spread out across the lake. Alex prepared his bow, and then began to scan the water in anticipation of when the Phasm finally reappeared and stuck its head above the waterline. Five minutes passed, and there was no sign of the Phasm. Alex, who had thought that my pet couldn’t last underwater for long, began to look around. Not observing any trace of my Phasm, the boy looked at us in confusion, and it was at this moment that Morph dived on the young archer’s shoulder from a tree, and gently pushed his claws into Alex’s shoulder blades.

  — How can that be possible? I was watching the water all the time!

  — Of course you did, — I grinned. — But Morphy was in the water all this time and waited for you to turn your back.

  — No one can hold out under water without air for five minutes, unless it’s a fish or has an unusual ability. Does he know how to breathe underwater or something?

  — Of course not, — I replied.

  My pet was joyfully galloping around the defeated Alex.

  — Morphy, show us what you did, — I asked my pet.

  The Phasm lengthened its nose, making a thin long proboscis.

  The boy was impressed:

  — I never thought that he can do that, — said Alex.

  — Great move! — Pan laughed. — And now it's time to do the same again, but this time with the Copper Wing.

  The pairs replaced one another, and after that they practiced in threes and fours. At a certain point, I also started participating in the practice fights. In addition, I had to lead my fighters during the battles. I found it very challenging to fight in a battle and lead my team at the same time.