I suppose I should start addressing Walter as Watt, as that's his name ingame.

Despite the fact he doesn't even know it..

***

Watt laboured as he plodded down the street, shouldering the heavy bundle of wood and placing one foot forwards after another.

Traffic began to pick up as he grew closer to the city centre, however Watt didn't notice it as his mind was fixated on a single goal.

Remain standing, and deliver the wood. His stamina rapidly depleted as he continued to walk, however he didn't notice the blinking bar.

He didn't even know of its existence. His father had forgotten to tell him about it.

The longer he walked, the more he swayed and the further the traffic around him avoided him. A large swaying figure carrying a fat cord of wood doesn't look to be something you want to bump into.

As he walked, he slowly began to stumble and almost fall. And yet he carried on. His stamina almost depleted with his satiety bar rapidly being consumed.

He managed to walk past the centre of the city and traffic slowly began to die down again. Finally a message popped up.

STR +1

Watt ignored this and a few minutes later his stamina finally was empty.

Another message appeared in front of him

-  You are exhausted.

-  Strength left you because you haven’t rested for a long time.

-  Your Stamina, Strength and Agility attributes are reduced.

-  You are suggested to rest. If you don’t do it, you may lose consciousness because of exhaustion.

Watt suddenly collapsed unable to hold the cord of wood. The last sentence made sense to him, so lying facedown in the middle of the street, Watt took a nap.

A few people looked at him as they passed, however they hesitantly walked on as each offer of assistance met a mumbled "Don't worry. I'm just resting"

Watt lay there until he felt that he could move again. Another popup message had appeared. But Watt ignored it as he shouldered the cord of wood.

He slowly continued his way down the road, though he was surprised that the wood didn't seem as heavy as it had been before.

A small while later, he received another message

STR +1

The area he was walking through had gradually transformed from shops to houses, and now he was entering a area which had small plots of land between them.

He distantly remembered that the man had mentioned his goal to be in a place like this, so he looked carefully at each place as he plodded past them.

After what seemed to be a while, he stopped in front of a building. A fence ran behind it, painted red. With a large window facing the street with walls painted white.

A large open door faced the street with a sign hanging down from a post jutting from the building. The sign had a staff and bow painted on.

Watt walked to the entrance and noticing the lack of a door, he politely knocked on the doorframe.

After waiting a minute, nothing had happened so Watt carefully placed the wood on the ground and peered through the door.

Inside, he saw a long bench separating the room, a few staffs were also placed against the walls on hooks with another door in the back behind the bench leading to a courtyard.

It looked similar enough to a shop that he walked in. Behind the bench was another door which was open, and Watt saw a man standing at a workbench with his back to him.

The man was slowly working over a long piece of wood with a thin knife, shaving off thin pieces slowly and carefully.

Entranced, Walter watched the man as he worked. Eventually the man placed the wood down and moved out of sight. Watt hesitated. His chance had come and gone.

But to his relief, the man reappeared and noticed him.

"Hey there, how can I help?"

Watt pointed outside "I'm supposed to bring you some wood"

"Ah" the man nodded. He walked around the bench and stepped out the door outside.

He saw the wood and inquired "Not finished yet?" Watt shook his head "No. I still need to carry two more"

The man nodded. "Be sure to give me a yell when you are done"

Watt then turned around and started walking back. He wasn't afraid of losing his way, he'd always been good with directions and his sore legs remembered every step he took.

His stomach grumbled and he felt hungry. Luckily however, his father did tell him about this.

He is given a bottle of water and 10 pieces of bread. He then wondered where it would be..

Hunting through his pockets, he failed to find anything and groaned.

Looking around, he approached a small party of two boys and a girl and politely asked them "Excuse me, would you know anything about the food I should be starting out with?"

The party looked at him with growing disbelief and the smaller boy pointed at his back. "In your inventory?"

Watt frowned. His inventory? His confusion obviously showed on his face as the girl spoke up.

"Say open inventory"

Walter blinked. "Open inventory"

Images of a canteen and ten pieces of bread appeared in front of him. Walter was surprised, he reached out to grab the bread and much to his relief he grabbed the bread properly and took a bite.

He felt less hungry as he turned back to the party and thanked them.

He had no qualms about eating the bread, resilient and ugly as it was. Swallowing the dry texture down, he grabbed his canteen and in dismay realised that it was empty.

However he had seen a water fountain earlier in the city centre and had passed it.

Walking faster now that he wasn't carrying wood, he walked back to the place he received his quest from. On the way, he stopped by and filled his canteen with water after taking a deep drink.

Picking up the wood, he made two trips with two messages popping up during the trip.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

- STR +1

- STR +1

Thankfully, the last trip was nowhere as difficult as the first trip.

Placing the wood on the ground, he stepped inside the shop and got the attention of the carver.

The man quickly stepped over and looked it over.

- Tring!

As the man inspected the wood, a message appeared notifying Watt of the quest having been completed.

It also mentioned something about some coins along with something called familiarity. Watt wasn't sure what that meant.

The man turned to Watt and looked him over. "Thanks for that, you are new around here aren't you. Have a fighting style yet? No? You may be able to use a staff.. Powerful heavy hits could easily be your style.."

Watt grimaced. He didn't particularly want to be carrying heavy things around and swinging them all day..

"I don't know.." he hesitated.

"Fair enough" the man laughed. "Want to give one a try?"

Watt did think he should try it at least once, so. "Sure"

"Follow me" The man stepped inside and made his way to the back of the store behind the bench.

As Watt walked behind him, he introduced himself "I'm Ronald, and you are?" "Walter" "Strange.. I don't see you as a Walter.." Walter hesitated. His name was Walter right?

Maybe when it asked for his avatar name it meant this? But he didn't give a name did he?

Ronald started looking around his workshop, looking for a staff that he thought Watt would be able to use. While doing so, he asked Watt a question.

"You ever tried a Bo staff before?"

Watt shook his head, Ronald turned away and grabbed a staff amidst a small pile.

Ronald spoke, explaining the characteristics of the staff, however Watt didn't hear him over the noise as the pile of staffs collapsed after being disturbed.

Watt anxious he missed something important, loudly asked "What?" as Ronald had finished speaking.

Ronald misunderstood, believing Watt had answered his earlier question.

"Watt huh? So that's your name.. Sounds more like it!" Ronald nodded with approval. "My name is Watt?" Walter asked puzzled..

Ronald looked at him incredulously. "You just introduced yourself as Watt didn't you?"

Watt hesitantly nodded. Ronald didn't look like he'd believe otherwise.. It seemed that he best introduce himself as Watt for now.

After looking at him strangely, Ronald re-explained bo staffs to Watt. "Take this and give it a few swings. Get a feel for it. Use two hands, one here and another here"

After correcting Watt's stance and ensuring that he held the staff properly. He showed him a few basic moves and stepped back.

Watt swung it a few times, but in his hands it felt awkward and he felt he would hurt someone else, or worse. Himself.

He handed it back to Ronald and apologised "Sorry, but I don't think I like to use this"

Ronald shrugged. "Its ok, not everyone is born to use one of these".

He turned back inside to look for another staff. Behind him, Watt spoke up. "Actually.. I don't think I want to use a staff at all.."

Ronald sighed. He was hoping to gain a potential customer as he was a carver. Staff's and bows were what he made and he didn't think Watt would work well with a bow.

People Watt's size rarely did.

But he wondered, where's the harm in having Watt try it?

He lifted a training bow from hooks on a wall and led the way back out to the courtyard. He also grabbed a bundle of wooden arrows.

Pointing at a wooden target in the middle of the courtyard. He handed Watt the bow and arrows and told him to try it.

Watt held the bow awkwardly, unsure on how he was to use it. Ronald hesitated again. This seemed like a waste of time. But coming this far..

He showed Watt how to hold the bow and corrected his posture. He then instructed Watt on how to hold the bow and how to notch a arrow as well as draw it back.

He then nodded and stepped back. Watt carefully aimed at the target and loosed his arrow. To Ronald's surprise, Watt almost hit the target.

This was a far cry away from people who fail to shoot, fail to shoot in the right direction and even fail to pull the bow back hard enough to send the arrow anywhere.

Watt seemed like he could easily be quite good at this. His aiming can easily come later.

Watt looked at Ronald, wondering what he should be doing next. He did like the feel of the bow, he also didn't think he'd have to be anywhere near the danger and thus could avoid the pain.

Ronald decisively nodded to himself, Watt seemed that he may be able to use a bow after all..

"Say" Ronald causally started. "If you do work for me, I can give you some training in archery. And when its time for you to leave. I could hand you a basic bow with some arrows"

Ronald planned to use Watt for grunt work, carting wood around, and seeing if Watt has any potential in carving wood.

Watt himself didn't have to think it over before making a decision. He had nowhere else to go in the city, and in his hands, the bow felt natural. Here he was being offered a chance to solve his problems in one fell sweep.

- Tring!

Watt nodded. "That sounds good"

- Quest accepted

---------------------------

Sorry about the long delay.

After I wrote this chapter's draft, I realized the importance of saving your work..

My editor magically closed before I saved the draft, and I didn't up to rewriting it.

Later I realized I had backups, so I got my draft back that way.

Then I couldn't find time to edit it from a rough draft to a readable chapter which actually took longest of all.