The Way of Things: Forest Friends Freak Out

“Lowchief, come look! Somethin’ strange’s happenin’ in the forest!”

That was Follo, wasn’t it? I reluctantly dropped my scroll and stretched. It would do me some good to get some fresh air. Plus, I would take any excuse to escape my father’s workload. How did he do it? I couldn’t last an hour without itching to swing from the trees.

The bright sun was high in the sky as I left my tent. Children ran around playing, some of their parents joining in on the fun. I could see Enfla at the entrance of a nearby tent, tending to an elder’s back. The sudden shift to hard, rocky terrain hadn’t gone well for the older folk.

Enfla met my eye, so I quickly turned and jogged off to find Follo. Nervous? Me? How silly. I was Lowchief! The only thing that made me nervous was scrollwork!

I was not sweating!

Follo was waiting near the boulder that marked the camp’s entrance. My old friend nervously glanced toward the forest and seemed relieved when I finally jogged up.

“Finally! Look over there, Feltan! Look!”

“Manners, Follo. I am Lowchief.”

“Whatever! Look!”

Follo was rarely this excited. What could be getting him so worked up? He was posted here as a guard, but I knew he spent most of his time looking over the forest and daydreaming. I scowled as I gazed over the forest some distance away.

Or rather, what was left of it.

Two weeks. It had been more than two weeks since those bastards destroyed the entire forest with their fire and eerie weaponry. Two weeks since we had to flee to the mountains in the east, given no warning by the humans about what they were about to do.

Two weeks since mother…

I shook my head. These thoughts were unhelpful. Father was still alive, even given his state. Follo and Enfla had escaped unharmed. But even still.

The once lush greens replaced by black and gray. The ever-present gloomy cloud hovered over the forest, unmoving and unraining. The crystals that stuck above the tree line were disgusting. Those multicolored, unnatural things were yet another product of the humans’ brutality.

“Yes, I know, Follo. The shamans are working on the rain as we speak. On that note, do you happen to know where Elofan is hiding? She’s overdue for a report on the shamans’ findings on that odd cloud….”

“Not that, berry-brain! The shroud!”

Berry-brain? That was an insult for children. We were no longer children!

“What could possibly be wrong with the shroud? Those blasted vu-“

I froze. Where was the shroud?

“You see? They’re gone! How are they gone?!”

This made no sense. The shroud never left the forest’s skies. It had briefly moved during the humans’ attack but quickly returned to where it belonged.

“This is impossible. The shroud has covered the forest since the time of the third Highchief!”

Nearly one-hundred-fifty years, the shroud had hovered there. It occasionally thinned or moved, but it never disappeared.

“Do ya think the humans destroyed it? They couldna killed it, right?”

“I… I don’t know, Follo. I must report this to my father. He may have some idea.”

My brain was a whirlwind, trying to imagine the implications. I quickly activated my Enhancement Ability to reduce the distance between the boulder and my father’s tent and began to run on all fours. This was monumental news. With the shroud gone, who knew what would happen? Would the humans try to claim the forest? How had it disappeared at all?

If something had made it vanish… What sort of horrific entity could have appeared in our forest?

Enfla looked at me questioningly as I dashed past, so I sent her a thought. An urgent matter had arisen, so as an influential figure, she should join me. She caught up and began running alongside me.

“What’s the deal, Feltan? You look spooked.”

“Lowchief,” I mumbled, “And yes, I am spooked. The shroud has disappeared.”

She nearly tripped when I said that.

“The shroud? Gone? That makes no sense.”

“I know.”

She quieted, becoming deadly serious. It was so cool when she did that, going from lighthearted and happy to serious and thoughtful. Yup, just cool. I wasn’t sweating!

I could feel Enfla sorting through her thoughts, digging through her predecessor’s memories. I had to say, she had filled the role of Record Keeper better than anyone had expected. Good thing I had recommended her for the position.

We finally reached my father’s tent, and I ended my Ability. I didn’t want to disturb him too much.

“Father, there is new- Are you smoking lutice weed again?!”

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Mercborn: Mercs Mock the Manager

I couldn’t help but let a huge sigh escape my lips. The Rotor looked so calm, slowly turning in the breeze… The forest, on the other hand, looked uncharacteristically depressing.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I tried to pull my attention back to the manager’s red-faced screams, but my thoughts kept wandering to my room, where I could pat Dip’s great feathery back instead of listening to this stink-mind ramble.

Oh, he was yelling at me.

“For the love of- Wake up, Yelah! This is important!”

Was it, though? Well, I knew it was, but this guy was being seriously annoying. Like, even Grehn was thumbing his sword handle like he wanted to shut this guy up with a quick slash.

“Again! Important! The Lord is anxious to learn why the birds just up and disappeared! The Vultuous Forest is in a delicate state!”

Vlugh spoke up, “Eh, why do we care about the Lord’s wishes? Maybe he should’ve stopped those wackos instead of letting them just come in and destroy our biggest source of income.” He began to wail, “I mean, seriously! They even burned down our orchards! I haven’t had a good lemonade in days!”

Vlugh made an excellent point. No lemonade? I’d rather die than have to ask those weirdos in Lemonholm for fresh lemons.

“Who cares about all that! I’ll tell you why you respect the Lord’s wishes,” the manager smirked before slamming a scroll on his desk.

“This is a formal request! He knows you four are quite knowledgeable about the stupid birds, so he’s willing to pay handsomely!”

Reluctantly, I touched the scroll. A number flashed in my Mind.

Holy shit.

“Is this number real?” Grehn asked quietly. You said it, pal.

“Hold on,” Rette spoke up. She had been quiet for the whole meeting, but of fucking course, when money got involved, she was quick to talk. “Why would the Lord hire mercenaries? I know you gave the reasoning, but if he’s willing to shell out this much, then are there not better options?”

The manager snatched up the scroll and quickly tucked it away in his desk. Greedy bastard.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I know is that the commission I would get from this job would set me up to get promoted, and you lot would be rich. None of the other companies have gotten wind of this deal, so we must take it now!”

I highly doubted that. If that scroll had passed through reception, then Yoho definitely got wind of it. And if he did, there was no doubt he had already told his bosses at Yemonto Co.

The number rattled around my head again. So much…

“We’ll do it,” I finally said. Vlugh looked at me in shock, but the rest seemed pretty happy about my decision.

“Come on, Yelah!” he whined, “Were you really swayed by that huge amount of cash? Think of the message we could send! Lemonade!”

I ignored him.

Glancing out the window, I saw the Rotor again in my peripheral vision. Where the cloud of vultures usually flew was nothing. Our city on the forest’s western outskirts had always been under constant watch by those vultures, and many said that the day would come when the cloud of birds would descend on the city and swallow it whole.

Superstitious nonsense.

That said, it was unusual that the birds had disappeared. It was reasonable for the Lord to want to investigate, but that much money was definitely suspicious.

“Alright, you agreed, now get out! I’ve gotta fill out an MIS form for this payment. So much money~ The bosses would kill me if an official inquiry came down on the company, so get out! Out!”

The four of us finally got to leave that boring-ass meeting and head out of the company building. A journey into the forest would take preparation, even if the vultures weren’t looming overhead. For now, though, it was time to cuddle up with my Dippy-poo!

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War Fight Archives: Seasick Sailor Soldier

Wet. Salty. Windy. Most people might find this place relaxing or even exciting.

I was leaning over the ship’s railing and depositing my lunch into the sea. Ugh.

“You alright, soldier? Ah… it’s you, Miss Irika.”

A glance told me the voice belonged to Captain Ront, but I couldn’t bring myself to salute. The sea was clearly desperate for my stomach contents, and the cool metal railing just felt too good. Thankfully, Captain Ront was pretty lenient if my baggy uniform was anything to go by.

“Drink some water, soldier. You’ve already been excused from duty for your seasickness twice. Unfortunately, I can’t allow a third time.”

“Just throw her onto the land, Cap!” someone shouted, “Let her fight on the ground like those Somuian chumps!”

“Yeah, I agree for once. Captain, she’s in no condition to be here. Why is she allowed to stay?”

Their words hurt, but Captain’s silence hurt even more. The murky depths of the sea stared back up at me. I knew they were right; as if seasickness wasn’t embarrassing enough, that pathetic display with the gun yesterday was just mortifying.

“If her skinny ass could at least hold a gun, then-“

“Enough. Weren’t you on swabbing duty, Cadet? And you, Lieutenant. You can discuss this with your Commander if you feel so strongly. I have explained to them already.”

That was Captain Ront. So nice, and for what? I was a lowly cadet, newly joining the fleet. And yet, he cared enough to ask about my condition and defend me. All because of Uncle.

“Cadet. Water. That’s an order.”

I managed to make a shaky salute before stumbling into the mess. Even I couldn’t explain why I was here. The Captain kept telling me it was because of my uncle, but I had my doubts. Sure, I had always dreamed of sailing with Uncle around the world, but I never thought of joining him in battle. I was skinny and weak. Uncle always said a strong Mind could overcome any sword, but he fought in a different time.

Funnily enough, I never got sick when I saw the bloodshed on the mainland. Maybe it was because our ships were safely offshore, but the slaughters on the Somuian side to the west, and the Alliance side to the east could still be seen and heard from off the coast.

Why were we even fighting in this war? Let the mainlanders fight their own battles.

“Hey, girlie, can you fire at the enemy next time?”

I didn’t even spare the voice a glance. Just another heckler. An all too common occurrence since I enlisted.

It was still hard to ignore the laughter.

“To arms! To arms!” A sudden shout and a ringing bell snapped me out of my groggy state. A barrage had been requested, and our ship was next in line.

I did my best to rush on deck, but the burly men and women dashing out of the mess nearly crushed me beneath their boots. Why did I keep trying? Why fight?

I had no idea. And yet, I tried my best to push towards the deck, grabbing one of the standard issue rifles.

“Wait, Miss Irika.”

“Captain Ront?”

My direct commander shouted at the other cadets to wait for the signal, but Captain Ront held me back. He seemed to wrestle with words, but I knew what he would say.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I’ll try my best to hold steady this time!”

“No, Cadet,” he sighed, “I must apologize. I have kept you here on account of your uncle’s wishes, but I’m wondering if it’s time to send you home.”

My stomach dropped. I knew he would say it, but something in me just couldn’t accept it. Some abysmal timing nearly made me throw up again as the ship turned, coming parallel to the mainland. My commander’s shouts to fire were drowned out by explosions and screaming. I could see the terrifying figures of orcs and the occasional troll fall in droves to our gunfire, cheering human soldiers charging toward the rest.

My uncle really had no idea what he was getting me into, did he? The guns of his time could scarcely reach the shore, even while the ships ground against the… ground. Our ships barely touched the mainland, casually floating in the steep depths next to the continent, and yet our guns fell entire hordes.

Why did the creatures insist on staying this close to the sea? Even after years of this slaughter, they refused to budge an inch from the warring border or the coast.

“…det? Cadet? Are you feeling alright?” I turned my attention back to the Captain.

“Sorry Captain, but I’m not quitting,” I said between the volleys. Why did I insist on staying? Wouldn’t leaving be everything I wanted?

“I admire your tenacity, Cadet. But you don’t exactly have a say in the matter,” he hesitated, turning to the land, “Tell you what. You get one more chance. Take a shot. If you don’t cause another incident, I’ll allow you to stay a little longer. I’ll trust in your strong Mind just as your uncle trusts me.”

A chance? I’ll take what I can get at this point. I hurriedly saluted and dashed to the line, garnering a few sideways glances. The cadets I stood next to noticeably shuffled away from me. Whatever.

Okay. Focus. Hold the barrel steady with your Mind. Just like in training… The metal of the gun was light, but it still hurt my arms to hold it up.

Weak. Frail.

I took aim, careful not to hit an ally soldier, and…

I couldn’t. I was frozen in place. The incident had been an exercise, nothing significant at the other end. But here, there were lives at stake. People. If I couldn’t hold the barrel in place, then…

“I’ll hold it. Go ahead and fire.” Someone startled me. Who the hell was this guy? A man I didn’t recognize smiled as he focused on my gun. The Captain was watching me intently. I couldn’t accept help with this last chance… right?

Oh, whatever. Might as well take the shot.

The barrel felt weightless and steady as I took aim. This guy had a strong Mind. I tried my best to use my own Mind to hold the gun in place, but it just never worked. My attention kept getting drawn away…

*BAM*

I fired. The force shoved me backward, the gun arm strap softening the blow just enough so my bones wouldn’t shatter. Urgh. I’m gonna be sick again…

“That’s bollocks!”

“Did she just do that? Wha…?”

“Is this a trick or somethin’?!”

What? What got them all excited? I stumbled over to the railing. No, not to puke, to get a better look. Honestly.

I saw it. The orc I had been aiming at was dead, dark red blood oozing out of a hole in its head.

“I don’t get it. What’s so amazing?” I managed to say. The Captain himself rushed over, eyes wide.

“Cadet! I was looking with Mind enhanced vision. You got three in one!”

Wait. Three? I looked again, and sure enough, three orcs lay lined up like toys, the same dark red pooling under their heads. Did the Captain really need Mind-enhanced vision to see them? Why was I thinking of something so random?

The guy who had helped me gave me a thumbs-up before pulling the Captain aside.

This time, I did lean over the railing to puke.

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Dams in the Morning: Dam Dangerous Direction

This strip could go here… ooh this piece of driftmetal would fit right there perfectly! The dam was coming along nicely if I did say so myself. A stray thought of the human village downstream entered my mind, but no matter. My dam took ultimate priority!

[The west is: Dam dangerous]

There it was again. A few days ago, this notification began to repeatedly show up in my Mind with no explanation. What did it mean? What did I care? The only thing to the west was a huge mountain range. I never saw a living soul besides weak creatures anywhere near my dam, and I lived pretty close to those mountains.

The only thing I could imagine was that something in the west posed a danger to my river and, by extension, my dam. My system only cared about those two things, after all.

Actually, that was a bit spooky. My river originated in those mountains. If something happened to the river’s source….

Eh, I’m sure it would be fine!

For now, my dam was in a good state. I could rest for today, then begin expanding it tomorrow.

Of course, as soon as I thought that, I felt a shudder. Ugh. Probably another one of those stupid bats trying to search for bugs in my dam’s branches. I peeked outside, and yup, a gigantic bat was perched on top of my beautiful dam. The thing was about as big as me!

Nothing personal, bat, but I need you to leave!

Before the thing could react, I burst out of the dam’s dark insides and slapped the bat with my thick tail, causing it to crash into a nearby boulder. Not allowing it a moment to recover, I sped over and slammed it again, crushing it between my tail and the rock.

Another bat down and another meal secured! Get absolutely destroyed! Man, this was all too easy.

The sounds of footsteps appeared nearby. Yup, I had to open my big fat mouth!

Those might be humans. This would be my first encounter with humans. Better to observe, so I hid myself under a pile of stray driftmetal. Not long after, as soon as I got comfortable, a whole big group of humans stepped out of the shadows and began pointing at my dam. I swear if these guys start trying to tear my dam apart…

Wait. Hold on. What were those… metal rods?

Oh, shit. This world had fucking guns!?