Chapter 33 (Early Version)

Chapter 33 - Interruption

Too much of any one thing can lead one down the path of the many-coloured myriad loss.

- Well-known Qisnian aphorism


Something was applying pressure to my arm, moving it to the left and right, up and down slowly in more forceful motions. I opened my eyes quickly thinking that it was Kidu trying to wake me, only to find to my horror that a beast had begun to worry my arm. Screaming in shock rather than in pain, I saw that it resembled a six-legged furred creature that looked like a cross between an angry wolverine and a warthog. Two savage tusks continued to gore my arm, while sharp canines pierced my skin, as my Health steadily dropped. I punched the creature savagely between the eyes, striking reflexively with all of my might. This caused the beast to just savage me further so I quickly drew upon a Power Strike, increasing the force behind my blow dramatically. It was a clean hit, forcing the creature to let go of my arm.  It backed it off a few meters, beady eyes still hungrily eyeing me.

Bleeding profusely, my Health dropped below eighty percent and a world of agony filled my arm. Screaming again, I closed my eyes in pain holding my bleeding arm with my other hand. It was all the opening that the creature needed; it charged me again like an enraged bull who saw the matador’s cloak, almost leaping through the air with its animal speed. It slammed into me damaging my Health even further, but its mouth filled with jagged canines did not seek to bite me. It was then I noticed a knife had sprouted from its neck, blood pooling around the wound.

Turning around to confirm who threw the knife, I saw Elwin give me a faint incorrigible smile from within the hollow. Weakly he raised his hand in a thumbs-up before blowing a raspberry in my direction. A notice filled my vision as the creature finally died.

You have slain ??? 35 experience gained
You have gained 1 Strength
You have gained 1 Dexterity

“What was that thing!? Thank you, thank you,” I said in equal parts incredulity and appreciation as I cast Heal, pleased that the gains to my attributes had gone a little way to mitigate my recent losses. As I focused silently, the golden energies slowly filled my arm. They soothed it with a warm balm that banished the pain and knit torn muscles, ligaments, and tendons back together. I marveled at the wonder playing out before me, healing that was much more than anything that had come from my own world.

“That thing will probably make good eating,” the Rogue added, intruding upon my thoughts, “but could you possibly be a dear and get me my knife back? I feel a little naked without it.”

Hands still shaking a little, I gave a mocking salute and went to retrieve the weapon that might have just saved my life. Ripping the dagger out of the creature’s neck I took a moment to study the body. Beady eyes, now glazed in death, were set in a long bestial porcine face. But unlike a hog, it had a small black whiskered mustelid’s nose, and its ears were short and triangular. From its savage mouth, two pairs of yellowed ivory goring tusks protruded. Its hide was of a thick mottled brown with bristly fur that was growing cooler to the touch. Three pairs of small yet muscular legs were tipped with claws that looked useful for both savaging flesh and climbing trees. From its nose to its short stumpy tail it was roughly the size of a large alligator. I doubt I could have fended off such a beast in my old world.

Just as I had finished my observations I asked Elwin about the beast, “What is this creature? This is the first time I’ve seen its like.”

“That’s a Tree-Laur, a juvenile male by the looks of it. Probably just left its nest a few months back. I best be about dressing the kill. Did you know that you scream like a girl child?” Elwin jibed with an annoying sigh.

I fought back a sliver of annoyance, smiling weakly in return and giving a perfunctory chuckle, before asking “How are you feeling?”

“I can remember my own name, remember your name too. The taste of my first hunt. My first lay with the village trollop too! Bah, she was a fine one. Safe’s to say I am further in your debt after getting brained by a caru nut.  Pah, my luck’s turned since I met you!” he laughed. His mirth was now infectious and I joined him.

Just as we started to laugh, our recent trial by nature bonding us in deeper camaraderie, Kidu burst into the glade bestial and wild. He locked eyes with me for a moment before running to us, noticing the corpse with a casual glance.

“You are well I see, Elwin, Gilgamesh,” he said nodding to us both, kicking the corpse of the Tree-Laur absent-mindedly. “It seems that things have been exciting since I was away and you saved me the trouble of hunting something down,” feigning annoyance in his deep voice. Kneeling down beside the corpse he gestured for me to hand over the knife, which just drew a shrug from Elwin who was probably glad to be free of an arduous chore.

He dressed our kill cleanly and efficiently, like a workman who had done the same job countless times before. He separated the cuts of meat, offal, and bone onto large freshly cut green leaves. I learned something new this day, the large nut that almost killed my companion was called a caru. I left him to his industry as I felt a call of nature take me and excused myself from my companions.

After I returned from the bush, wishing for nothing more than the luxury of toilet paper, I saw that Kidu and Elwin between them had created a construct of wood and sticks to dry or smoke the meat over a crackling fire. How they started the fire was a mystery to me, I was after all a man of modern times and I had never started one before in my life.

Kidu was busy scraping the fat from the Tree-Laur’s pelt over a broad tree root with his spearhead, while Elwin was trying to hone the edge of his knife on a stone. If we were not all escaping from a system of slavery and blind and bladed insect-like monsters, it would have been the picture of a typical campfire scene from a cheap fantasy novel.

“Good afternoon to you, sleepyhead! Took a long time in the bushes, was about to go track you, make sure the beasts from around these parts didn’t get to you,” greeted Elwin, looking up from his ministrations.

“It’s important that we keep this fire going at all times, lest wild beasts come to investigate the scent of blood. Man has taught the wild to fear fire,” Kidu uttered in a low worried tone, “though I fear the smoke may draw the attention of a different kind.”

I settled next to the crackling fire, too tired to notice the delicious smells of cooking meat, but feeling safe in their companionship. Smiling wryly at them I added, “Let me do what I can for you both, I was never one to see a job only half done.” And with that I began to cast Rust again, drawing worried looks from Elwin as he closed his eyes, a Pavlovian response to the dark words and strange mystic hand gestures that tickled at the limits of mortal comprehension. Kidu on the other hand continued with his work without a care, stretching out the pelt. The dark and alien energies filled me, and I resisted the urge to unleash the full power of the spell on my companions, allowing only a trickle when it demanded a flood. I could see that the roiling black lightning had eaten into their collars, no doubt weakening them, and I began to feel the effects of Mana Sickness as I bottomed out my reserves. This time the effects were not nearly as debilitating as they were on the first try, now more a feeling of drowsiness with a need to rest.

As my head began to fall I said to my companions, “I think I need to rest once more to gather my energies… so sleepy.”

They both simply nodded to me as the overwhelming need to rest took me, the battle rush of adrenalin having long left and Mana Sickness flooding my system. I didn’t even take the time to remove my helm and gloves as I faded off to sleep.

It was evening as I awoke, a distant beast's call waking me from a blessedly dreamless sleep. Almost instinctively I checked my Status, feeling a little alarmed at how easily I had accepted the realities of this world. I was completely full of all my physical and magical resources. Looking around I saw that Kidu was on watch, facing outwards from the fire, looking and listening for threats. Elwin was tucked up in a ball sleeping quietly by the fire. The big man noticed me and greeted me with a silent nod before speaking, “Are rested and well?”

“Yes, Kidu of the Three Bears. Thank you for taking this watch,” I said in almost mock formality.

He didn’t seem to notice or simply chose to ignore my tone, before explaining, “Elwin and I will take the watch tonight, this will allow you to focus your energies on restoring us,” pointing at his neck and slave brand.  “We should not let spear plow the field.  But first, you must be hungry,” he finished as he offered me a portion of meat wrapped in a large leaf.

My stomach rumbled audibly, which drew a small laugh from the massive man. Though cold now, the meat from the Tree-Laur was delicious, if a little tough and stringy. Several times I had to spit out giblets of indigestible flesh. After finishing my portion, I wiped my oily hands slick with fate and grease on my dirty tunic before focusing on what I had to do. With half a mind bent on procrastination, I looked around the camp to notice that Kidu had placed our Zajasite stones strategically to help dismiss some of the deeper shadows. Yet despite these precautions, I couldn’t help but feel that something sinister was watching us.

Focusing on the present I realized that Kidu was correct and I understood the wisdom behind his words. You needed to use the right person for the right job, and I had to do what only I could for our little team. Drawing in my reserves I cast Rust in succession on the pair, waiting for the roiling energies to subside between casts before repeating the spell. Eventually, Kidu sensing that his collar had weakened enough, tested his strength against the corroded metal. With a great snapping sound, he twisted it off his neck, small fragments of iron flying into the night. Waking Elwin to start his shift, Kidu unceremoniously snapped off his collar too, much to the Rogue’s great surprise and jubilant appreciation. On zero Mana again I tried to meditate to see if it could improve my Mana Regeneration skill. What surprised me was that now even on zero Mana I felt little of the effects of my earlier “mana sickness’. My efforts at meditation just led me to fall asleep sitting, the task of clearing my mind of all thoughts proving too arduous in these troubled times.

Elwin awoke me a few hours later when the fire had grown low and the forest a deeper dark. We added more fuel to the fire before he asked me if I could repeat for him what I had done for Kidu. He didn’t need to ask twice; I was more than willing to erase all marks of our previously suffered bondage.

Rolling up my sleeves I decided to experiment. Holding my hands over Kidu, who was snoring loudly, I began to cast the Greater Heal spell, but this time without the singing and chanting. The magic resisted me greatly, and I had to create a mental image of me casting the spell as I forced the divine energies to come forth. In the depths of my mind, I could hear the song of angels sing in triumph, though it felt odd and distant casting it in this way. The magic was slow and lethargic in emerging to do my bidding, but I was determined not to be denied. My will was iron. The golden energy flowed into the massive man, running across all over him. I could see small scars across his face and arms that I had never noticed before begin to fade, as the slave brand on his arm began to heal. The mark that was once an angry red, grew to a healthy pink before settling down to his natural skin color, completely vanishing. The spell had taken a long time to complete, far more lengthy than if I had cast it conventionally, but I still was able to finish it. At a rough guess, the whole process had taken over a minute or two. Would raising my Silent Casting improve the spell's speed when cast in this way? Despite having to add another question to my growing list I thought that all in all my recent experiment was a success. In the glowing firelight, I swore I could see the hint of a bearded smile on Kidu’s face as he slept.

Wanting to regenerate my used Mana before dawn broke, I asked Elwin to continue his watch, explaining that I would need to gather myself if I was to be of more use in the morning. The Rogue nodded to me, his attention focused completely on sharpening the knife he got from the tunnels, treating it like a prized heirloom. Adding another piece of gathered wood to the small fire, I settled down to sleep once more, waiting to face yet another day on the morrow.