It makes sense that I’m taking the first watch and doing it on my own. I didn’t lose any health, and I don’t have Essence that needs to be regained, so no one else should stay up if they don’t have to. That said, it’s my first time keeping watch on my own, and it’s a little nerve-wracking as every sound conjures images of some creepy creature out to eat our faces off, or some crazed cultist looking to use us in a ritual to restore life to a long-dead evil dragon. What if one of the goblins escaped and brings more? What if there are undead somewhere in the woods?
I glance at the hourglass—called a time keeper in Qethian—to keep tack of the “bells.” I initially forgot to set it for who knows how long, so I’m going to maybe be a little groggier than I usually would be, but that’s okay. I’m sure adrenaline will kick in at some point tomorrow.
Another reason for taking watch on my own is that it enables me to level up without being interrupted. Once I’m satisfied that the perimeter is quiet, I pull up my [Personal Status] just to take a look.
> [Keira, Hunter Elf: Urban Ranger]
> [Level: 4]
> [Reputation: Noted]
> [Defense: 13]
> [Hit Points: 51 / 51]
> [Experience: 2200 / 4000]
> [Stamina: 150 / 150]
> [Essence: 0 / 0]
> [Stats]
> [Abilities Menu]
> [Skills Menu]
Even now, at [Level Four], most of it is the same as it was: [Reputation], [Defense], [Stamina], and still that zero on [Essence]. My [Hit Points] have increased another twenty-five percent, which seems to be the default setting for leveling, which is good to know, and breaking fifty feels like we’re getting into respectable territory even though I’m sure I’m still the weakest of the team.
Actually, I don’t know that. Sorcerers aren’t known for being especially beefy, but Flynt also looks the way he does, and he has his part-orkish constitution helping him out, so I imagine he’s got more than I do.
I glance over at our partially-open tent where everyone is sleeping. We set up our own rather than use one that saw such grizzly murder, and everyone is arranged in the usual sleeping order, with Tyrus on one end spooning Jonas, who in turn is snuggled next to Meg, while Flynt sleeps on his side on the end. My empty bedroll is arranged right between Meg and Flynt, just like the last several times we’ve camped. It should be awkward. It’s really not. Not yet, anyway.
Sighing, I skip the [Stats] and [Abilities], knowing that they’re going to be the same—there’s no leveling up on those again for a while. At least, not [Stats]. I guess I’ll see on [Abilities]. I go, instead, straight to [Skills].
> [Skills: 3 points remaining]
> [Long Bow: 5 of 10]
> [Magicked Arrow: 0 of 10]
> [Locked Skill]
> [Dagger: 0 of 10]
> [Light Armor: 1 of 10]
> [Locked Skill]
> [Ranger: 3 of 10]
> [Locked Skill]
> [Locked Skill]
> [Locked Skill]
I put two points into [Magicked Arrow] and one point into [Ranger], mostly for the [Hit Point] increase but also because I’m hoping it will reveal at least one of the [Locked Skills]. No such luck, so it must need another point. I debate putting one of the [Magicked Arrow] points into [Ranger] instead to get that five, but decide against it. That can be next time.
Paging back, I pull up [Personal Status] again.
> [Keira, Hunter Elf: Urban Ranger]
> [Level: 4]
> [Reputation: Noted]
> [Defense: 13]
> [Hit Points: 64 / 64]
> [Experience: 2200 / 4000]
> [Stamina: 150 / 150]
> [Essence: 60 / 60]
> [Spell Book]
Sixty points of [Essence]. I have no idea how much that equates. Is that one shot? Two? More? I doubt Flynt is thinking about it in absolute numbers, so I can’t ask him. I’m going to have to experiment. Judging from where I started with [Hit Points], however, I doubt it equates to very much.
I mentally select [Spell Book], and a screen pops up.
> [Select Arrow Enhancement (1 of 2)]
> [Acid Arrow]
> [Arrow of Enfeeblement]
> [Arrow of Paralysis]
> [Fire Arrow]
> [Force Arrow]
> [Ice Arrow]
> [Poisoned Arrow]
> [Arrow of Area Effect]
I frown at it, considering. I know we’re going to be going up against undead—at least, that seems to be where the journey is taking us—so what would be best against that? Probably fire, right? Poison would be good against many living creatures, but I doubt it will have much effect on zombies or other undead. I wonder what [Force Arrow] is, but nothing comes up to explain. A more reliable help system would be lovely, but the [Interface]—whatever it actually is—has certainly proved to be a little unreliable.
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The first one I select is [Fire Arrow], because I figure that can be useful against most things. Nothing really likes fire except for maybe fire-based creatures, and considering most of the things we’ve run into so far has had some kind of ice motif, it doesn’t feel like we’re going to be running into too many of those in the near future (which, maybe I shouldn’t have put that thought out into the universe).
The same screen pops up a second time with the [Fire Arrow] option removed. I frown at it again. [Acid Arrow] maybe? Or I could take my chances with the [Force Arrow]. I’d love to have an area effect option, but I’m not sure how often I’d really be able to use that given how close Meg and even Tyrus get to the things we fight. I’d have to be very, very careful with how I deploy it.
Still. It might be nice to have as an option. Nothing says I would have to use it every time. It could maybe have slowed down some of the charging goblins from earlier, or made it harder for them to hit Jonas.
I select [Arrow of Area Effect] and the screen changes.
> [Select Arrow Area Effect (1 of 1)]
> [Arrow of Acid Splash]
> [Arrow of Fog Cloud]
> [Arrow of Ice Storm]
> [Arrow of Poison Cloud]
> [Arrow of Thunderclap]
I was hoping for more options, though as I think about it, I’m not sure what other options might be. Maybe they will open up as I get more [Essence] stores. Perhaps these are just the ones I can “afford” right now.
Sighing, I think about it for a while, doing another circuit around the perimeter as I decide. Any of these could be useful, and any of them could be useless. Flynt has a lot of force-type spells, which do prove useful, and it could be a good way to get things away from me quickly if I end up getting mobbed somehow. [Poison Cloud] feels like it could be pretty dangerous, though, and may do more harm than good. I’m not sure about [Ice Storm] the same way I wasn’t sure about [Ice Arrow] given our environment.
I end up choosing [Fog Cloud]. It’s more of a utility spell, but assuming it does what I think it does, I could see it potentially being helpful if we needed to make a hasty retreat or tangle the bad guys up.
The screen disappears and [Spell Book] comes up.
> [Spell Book]
> [Fire Arrow, Level 1]
> [Arrow of Area Effect: Fog Cloud, Level 1]
Okay, well, that’s that then, at least for now. I check my [Abilities] just in case, but as I suspected, there are no points to apply. So with that done, I spend the rest of my time practicing my stealth movement as I keep my senses open.
Everything remains quiet. Very quiet. It’s a little creepy.
When my time is decidedly up, I go and wake Tyrus, who grumbles groggily but drags himself out of his sleeping bag carefully so as not to wake Jonas. As he pulls on his boots and cloak, he scoffs slightly at Jonas’s arm thrown around Meg as he sleeps on his stomach and she snores softly on her back, and he nods his head toward the image for me. I smirk and shrug.
“We’re a close team,” I whisper.
“We’re all ridiculous is what we are,” he whispers back. “Sleep well.”
“Have fun.”
“Oh, sure, bound to be endless excitement.”
“That’s what we’re hoping for.”
“Too right.”
I settle my bow and quiver at the foot of my bedroll, near Meg’s sword, and I pull off my excess clothing: my boots and belt, archery bracers, my long heavy cloak, and the leather mantle I wear over my chest and shoulders that raises my defense from a natural twelve up to a thirteen. The knit hat stays on, though, and I tremble in the cold as I tuck myself into my blankets between Meg and Flynt.
It takes too long for my blankets to warm, so, wincing a little with the potential awkwardness of the move, I tuck myself closer to Flynt, leaning my back against his. Back home, I rarely got cold, but now that I’m an elf, I think I’m always near freezing.
I listen to Meg’s light snoring, to Flynt’s slow, steady breathing, to the quiet sounds of the night. It lulls me to sleep.
Speaking of fog cloud, though, one is rolling through the campsite when Tyrus wakes Meg. Her movement jostles both Jonas and I, and we groan and move away from her. I settle again next to Flynt, who is sleeping as soundly as ever in the same position I saw him last: turned away from me on his side. I don’t understand how he doesn’t wake up so stiff he can barely move.
“What’s with the fog?” I hear Meg whisper.
“Dunno,” Tyrus says, quietly. “Started rolling in a half bell ago. We’re coming up on dawn, must be coming down from the mountains.”
“I don’t like it.”
“No, neither do I. Should we wake the others? Get back to the road?”
She pauses for a long moment, and I roll over onto my back to look up at her. She’s turned a bit away from me so all I can see is her profile vaguely lit by the dwindling fire. Meg then shakes her head.
“No. We should all get as much rest as we can, especially Jonas. I don’t want us to get up and moving if it’s nothing.”
“What if it is something?”
“Then I guess we’ll learn how efficiently we rise to arms.”
Tyrus scoffs at that. “Too true. Should I stay up with you?”
“Even dwarves need their sleep.”
“Yeah, but I’m fine.”
“You barely slept last night either.”
Tyrus shrugs. “Life’s too big for sleeping too long. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Trust me,” Meg says. “Something happens, you’ll know. Get another couple bells of rest. I think we’ll be fine.”
“Careful,” Tyrus says, tone smirking. “You don’t want to tempt the wrath from atop the whatever.”
“Good night, Tyrus.”
“Night.”
The campsite grows quiet again, and I doze as I listen to Meg pacing the perimeter before finally settling down next to the fire. She’ll periodically get up over the course of her watch and walk it again, more active and diligent than the rest of us—though of course she would be.
In my half consciousness, the fog smells a little funny, though I can’t put my finger on what’s off about it. I almost swear I hear vague groaning in the distance, echoing off the trees, but Meg doesn’t sound the alarm. I chalk it up to paranoia, and slip off to a deep sleep.