The sun is setting as I gather materials for a fire. I pick up some rocks and place them in a circle. I grab some twigs and small dead branches from the ground to use as kindling. I break some of the larger branches I see into smaller pieces to use as firewood.

Now how did Survivorguy do this? I make a firebow using some of the thinner branches and a large piece of wood. I place some kindling on the wood and begin spinning the firebow. Nothing happens at first, so I continue to spin the firebow until a small amount of smoke forms from the kindling. I’m surprised It’s working and stop moving the firebow. The smoke stops of course. Ok, move the firebow faster. I spin the firebow faster and faster creating more friction. I keep at it for what seems like forever. My arms start burning from the effort but smoke starts to rise from the kindling and a small flame forms.

“Ugh, me make fire.” I grunt, doing my best caveman impression. Mary just smiles and rolls her eyes while watching what I do next.

I receive a notice but ignore it for now. I move the small flame to the pile of kindling in the stone pit. The flame increases. I add more twigs and eventually branches until I have a good roaring fire. With the fire going I look at the notices I received.

You’ve learned the skill [Firestarter]

By starting a campfire you’ve established a  [Camp]. Bonus to health, stamina, and mana regeneration while in camp. Current bonus: 5%.

Sweet. I get a bonus from building a camp. Wonder if better camps give better bonuses? Something to experiment with later. Let’s finish up this quest. I’m hungry.

Night falls as I spit the two portions of rabbit meat on some branches and arrange some wood so the spits lay above the fire without actually touching the flames. I can already see the meat browning and smell the delicious aroma. While the meat cooks I arrange the vegetables for the salad. I realize I don’t have any plates or utensils and decide to use the larger leaves as a sort of plate for everything else. I put the berries around the edge of my leaf plate forming a berry circle. Once I turn the meat over to cook both sides I take it off the spit. The meat has a nice caramelization on the outside and only a bit of char. The smell makes my mouth water and I see Mary follow the meat with large hungry eyes.  As soon as I place the meat in the middle of the berry circle I get a couple notifications that I ignore since the smell of the food is making my stomach growl. Mary looks at the food like she hasn’t eaten in days.

“Let’s dig in.” I tell her. We both eat the hot meat gingerly with our hands. I break up the meat into smaller pieces so she can grasp them with her tiny fairy fingers.”This is soo good.” Mary says through a mouth full of food. She’s right. The meat is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The salad and berries add some texture and fruitiness to the meal.

Even though Mary has to take each small piece of meat and berry with both hands to eat, she still finishes her part of meal before me. Where does she put all that? Finally my stomach is full and I take a moment to look at my notifications.

You've learned the skill [Cooking].

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You've made [Fire Roasted Meat and Salad].

Fire Roasted Meat and Salad

A well made meal of fire roasted meat and locally grown vegetables. When eaten, gain 10% increased health and stamina regeneration over 30 minutes.

You've completed the quest 'Make Dinner'. You receive 10 XP plus a bonus 5 XP for the quality of the meal.

I’m happy to see I got extra experience points. That means Mary liked the food. Wondering what bonuses I get from my new skills I bring up their descriptions.

Cooking

You can cook nutritious and delicious meals. Learn new recipes from experimentation, cookbooks, or from other cooks. Your meals may give a variety of bonuses once consumed.

Level: Novice 1 (1%)

Bonus: 10% less likely to burn or ruin a meal.

Firestarter

You are skilled in starting fires. You require less fuel and time to start a fire than others.

Level: Novice 1 (1%)

Bonus: 10 % less time and fuel required to start a fire.

Well, those are nice bonuses for things I’ll have to do anyway. Mary flies nearby and sits back on a log with a full stomach. “That was a good meal. I sure like giving that quest out.” she says with a grin on her face. “You survived your first day and finished your first quest. Good work. Time for me to count fairy sheep though. I’ll see you in the morning.” Saying this Mary flies off into a nearby tree and disappears.

I wish Mary a goodnight and decide to relax by the fire after such a busy day. Putting my hands up to the fire, I enjoy the warmth of the crackling flames. As I sit, I listen to the sounds of the forest at night. I hear the wind rustling through the leaves and the small animals moving at night looking for food. I think about all things that happened today and am kind of amazed. I made a spear with my own two hands and fought a ferocious horned rabbit that almost killed me. I also gained some nice skills for working hard and thinking on my feet to solve some problems. Maybe this world is a good chance at a new beginning for me.  I enjoy the fire for a while longer before I gather some leaves for an impromptu bed. As I lay next to the fire and drift off to sleep I can’t help but wonder what tomorrow will bring.