Pag yawned wide as he waited behind the others to receive his hot meal, work tools and field rations before they were sent out into the dancing tendrils of mist and shadows of the forest. He glanced at his HUD, looking over the available information of the other three players who had been assigned to party with him. Well he assumed they were players but there was honestly no way to be certain unless he asked. Jonn was a broad shouldered plain looking man with a thin beard was a level 12 human arms-man, Tomas a level 11 wiry human hunter with thick black hair and clean shaved face, and Gene a level 15 half human muscular pugilist who still insisted on wearing nothing more than a loincloth despite their impending trek into an area that was allegedly dangerous.
Pag had hoped to have had a choice in who he partied with but the warden had laughed and handed him a small wooden quarterstaff with iron caps on either end reminding him to avoid using magic. He scowled, rubbing the back of his neck. He had wanted to play a magic class for a reason and he certainly didn’t have the stats or skills to be a martial fighter of any sort. While he only had a small number of fruit he would need to collect he would need to stay with the rest of his party until they had gathered their fruit or until the end of the shift. No doubt that and the fact they were all melee based classes was why he had been paired with them. The least any of the others would need to gather was ten, the greatest twenty. Pag was unsure how difficult it would be to find and gather the fruit, though given his luck it likely wouldn’t be as easy as picking blackberries from along the road in the country where the bushes could be spotted without difficulty as you drove down the dirt road then reaching them was as easy as walking through some underbrush as you crossed a shallow ditch and all you had to worry about was keeping an eye out for snakes.
A guard grunted at him to get his attention before handing him a large bowl of a thin stew that looked more broth with scant few pieces of stringy meat. The next guard handed him a small pack that would hang in the small of his back from a strap that encircled his waist. Pag took the pack, gulping down the broth, then chewing on the meat and few vegetables as he handed off the bowl to the third guard who offered him a chunk of dry bread and weak steaming tea in exchange. He glanced through the pack noting the gloves, scissors, roll of bandages, canteen of water, trail mix, jerky, and odd metal disk. Pag furrowed his brows as he looked at the disk.
“That's a single use ward. Tap that bit there and it will produce a small field of protection from most of the creatures in the forest while notifying the guards of your location if they become too overwhelming or if you get separated from us for some reason. Careful not to touch that unless you need it, and don’t lose it. you only get the one and they can come in handy. There was a guy that accidentally activated his before he ever left for his shift and they didn’t replace it. Ended up being sent to re-spawn.” Neal said, nudging Pag in the ribs with an elbow.
“Good to know.” Pag said gingerly, putting the disk back in the pack. Cocking his head to the side he also shoved the bread in for later before downing the tea and putting the pack on.
A guard took his cup then handed him something warm and wrapped in waxed paper. He peeled it back and arched his eyebrows in surprise, pulling it close to his nose and inhaling. Mouth watering he glanced around to see the others peeling theirs open and eating the fist sized sweet bun studded with dark berries that was dripping in sugary icing.
“We don’t normally get these unless we’ve completed our sentence and being released.” one of his other party members hissed in surprise.
“Hush, don’t question it.” another hissed around a mouthful of bun.
Pag peeled the paper from the bun, pulling out the dry bread to wrap it in the paper before putting it back into the pack and biting into the bun. He bit back a groan as the flavor exploded across his pallet and fought to chew it slowly only to find that he was already inhaling the last of it and licking the cooling sugar from his fingers.
“If any of you thought that was good then just imagine what you will get for locating the plant and returning with your required fruit. Don't disappoint me, id hate to eat all of your rewards myself. The missus is already complaining about how tight my uniforms have been getting, something about the tightness being in undesired locations.” The warden called out with a chuckle at all the comments the other guards and prisoners called out mocking his thin wiry frame. “Now, go on. Get to it. Try not to get injured or killed. Experience losses and debuffs are doubled if you get sent to re-spawn in the forest. Stay aware, don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
Pag took a deep breath then moved to follow the other members of his party, grimacing at the view of Gene sauntering and tried to keep his eyes off the sight of the oiled muscles rippling in front of him by scanning the forest as they entered and checking the mini-map. A curse slipped from his lips, his brows furrowing as the mini-map suddenly went blank as they crossed the boundary of the prison camp. He took a step back and watched as the mini-map went back to displaying the information of the camp, then he took a step forward and the information vanished.
“Is it normal for the mini-map to go blank?” Pag called out to the others.
“Oh that? Yeah, if you leave a safe area or go into a dungeon or wilds area you actually have to explore. Even the information in cities are just the basic general stuff and isnt always 100% accurate. Information gained and displayed will depend on how much you explore the area and relevant skills like cartography or perception. First time out of the cities?”
“No, just the first time I’ve tried to use the mini-map, much less outside of a city. I’ve too busy running for my life and trying to figure everything out.”
“Well I suggest getting some mapping skills and work on perception, otherwise you will literally have to comb every inch of the land outside of the cities if you want a half decent mini-map.”
Pag nodded. “Noted. I'll just follow you guys then.”
Gene shook his head as he padded over to Pag. “No, I think it’ll be best if you walk in the middle of the group rather than the back. We’ll worry about navigation and fighting if you carry the fruits. Most of these fruits are no bigger than a melon so they aren’t too heavy and should be manageable even for someone more focused on casting. We’ll grab all the fruit, then try take a look around for the plant that injured the boys last night. If we don’t find it in a decent time frame then we’ll head back for rest. I have no intention of taking an unnecessary risk no matter how great the alleged rewards.”
Pag eyed Gene as he moved to do as he had suggested.
“It’s an act. The way he acts back at the camp. He isn’t really like that, really good leader and fights like a devil but he makes the guards think he’s a slothful fop so they don’t look too close. Its why they took his clothes from him” Jonn said with a snort seeing Pag’s expression.
“Come on, lets get moving. Keep conversation to a minimum, no need to attract attention. Remember, watch your step. This forest isn't like the forests back home that have been plagued with invasive species of other plants and worms. The underbrush will be thick and easily conceal fruits and enemies.”
Pag’s brows rose but didn’t speak as they began to push deeper into the clinging underbrush of the forest. Gene was definitely a player and apparently had some knowledge of ecosystems. The cool air was still as they trudged through the underbrush and curling tendrils of mist for untold time leaving Pag feeling as if he were walking through a dream until they finally came to a silent stop in a small clearing. With quiet hand gestures Gene indicated they a short water break while he looked around. Pag leaned against a tree, pulling out the canteen and taking a few slow sips before closing it and putting it back in the bag. Jonn nudged him then handed him a small berry before tossing a handful of trail mix into his mouth and washing it down with water as he padded off. Pag frowned as he tossed the berry into his inventory without a second glance, maybe Jonn just didn’t like them. Either way, Pag was going to hold off on eating anything else for a while longer since there was no guarantee on when they would be finished.
Gene stepped back into the small clearing with a wide grin as he waved for them to follow, mouthing the word fruits and they all rushed to see what he had found. They followed him for a few minutes before entering another small clearing, scattered bushes with glittering fruits ranging in size from thumb to fist sized peeking out from the leaves. Pag ran a rough mental calculation of how many they would need and grinned. They would need at least 46 fruits, from what he was able to see there were over twenty just in the few bushes here. Pag moved towards a bush to begin picking but stopped when Gene stepped in front of him and shook his head holding his hands out to tell him to wait. Pag opened his mouth to speak and Gene shook his head emphatically holding a finger up as he focused on a point in the air. Pag furrowed his brows before he realized Gene was looking at something in his systems. He silently waited then a moment later he received a message.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
< Ding >
Title: –
Pag blinked then nodded, pulling out the scissors to hand Gene then slipping his gloves on. Gene gave him a wide smile before padding over to a bush, slipping his own gloves on before he got to work. Pag let his eyes scan the area as the others reached into the leaves and snipped the stems connecting the fruits to the bushes to place the fruit on the ground and reach for the next fruit. Gene was the first to finish with his bush, padding up to Pag with an armload of the fruits and handing each of them to Pag with care until all seventeen were in his inventory. Gene gestured for Pag to take a short break for food and water while he watched the area for him before he went back to collecting fruits and Pag nodded pulling out the bit of bread and his canteen, shoving the dry bread into his mouth then filling his mouth with water to soften it. He chewed then swallowed, taking another sip before replacing the canteen in his inventory and nodding to Gene who returned the nod and strode over to the next bush. Jonn approached him a few minutes later with his own armload and handed all ten of the oddly shaped fruits to him one by one before motioning to ask if Pag needed to take a restroom break. Pag shook his head and Jonn nodded going to the next bush, passing Tomas as he approached Pag and handed him six of the fruit one by one then moved to stand beside Pag facing away so he wouldn’t need to keep rotating to keep watch. Pag watched Jonn and Gene finish pulling the fruits from the bushes as he continued to scan the forest around them. After what felt like an hour they both walked up with the last of the fruit.
Pag placed the last of the fruit in his inventory, the current count up to 33. Just over half of what they needed. Each of them took a moment to take another drink from their canteens and use the restroom if they needed to before they moved to move back into the underbrush. Pag bit back a yawn and winced as a thorn bush tugged at his arm when he pushed through it. His feet ached and the silence of the forest was only broken by the rustling of leaves around them and their breath. It made him want to howl and blather just to break the oppressive silence. Pag blinked and stopped mid step, Jonn nearly tripped as he avoided plowing into Pag from behind, nearly tripping over his feet. Gene and Tomas turned to look back at him, coming to a stop with confused expressions. Pag furrowed his brows and twisted to look around them while pulling up his stat sheet to see if he had accrued some sort of debuff. When he was facing forward again he saw Gene looking into his system again and Pag felt his eyes widen, cold sweat breaking out on the nape of his neck as his mouth went dry. With a sharp inhale he pointed behind Gene and yelled. “Dodge”
Gene blinked before twisting to throw himself into the underbrush to his left but Tomas was too slow. Pale chains of mist draped across his chest before drawing tight and yanking Tomas screaming into the forest by an ephemeral figure. Jonn shoved him hard from behind, sending him sprawling into the clinging brush before letting loose a strangled cry, branches and saplings cracking loudly as he was dragged off. Heat pooled under Pag’s skin as a cold sweat began to pool on his skin and soak his clothes. The sharp bitter taste of copper filled his mouth and he swallowed convulsively trying to bring a small bit of moisture to it as he lay there on the cool damp ground not daring to move or look up. Pag strained his ears to hear past his pounding heart, taking slow and even breaths to try to calm it. Faint rustling in front of him forced him to hold his breath unsure if it were another of the creatures or if it were Gene. The rustling slowly moved away from him until what felt like hours later Pag could no longer hear it and he slowly began to relax.
Pag glanced at his mini-map, looking at the path they had taken up to this point that was now filled in with information. Steeling himself he moved to push up from the ground, only to flop back into the dirt as a blood curdling scream echoed off the trees around him. The heat began to pool beneath his skin, cold sweat once again springing from him and the copper taste climbing back into his mouth as his heart clambered at his ribs seeking a way out with his stomach not far behind. Two more screams from two other directions echoed out, seeming to move farther away before going silent again. A small shudder ran through him as he tried to pull himself into a smaller target, wrapping his arms around his knees and squeezing his eyes shut so tight that white stars danced behind his lids focusing only on his breathing and the sound of his too loud heart that he was sure anyone or anything nearby could hear. A creaking groan tore his eyes open just in time to see the leaves of a tree above him shiver and tilt. Eyes widening he pushed himself from the ground, wind from the falling tree pushing at him just before shattered splinters and grit pelted him.
Pag tore through the underbrush, jaw clenched painfully as some small voice in the back of his head noted he no longer held the quarter staff and how ragged his breathing was. Another tree in front of him gave a shiver and he jouked to the left to avoid it. Pag cursed silently as more vines bit at him and scored hot lines along his arms and legs, one vine slapped him as he rounded a tree leaving a gouge across his face that quickly began to feel hot and itchy as the blood welled up before running into an eye. Pag wiped at his face, still pushing through the foliage as he tried to keep his vision clear. His stomach pushed past his heart and up to his mouth as he stepped out into empty air, seeming to hang there for a moment before gravity pulled at him and he squeezed his eyes shut. Twisting he wrapped his arms around his head only moments before the first branch slammed into him and driving the air from his lungs. The second one punched into his knee, a loud popping noise heard over the crack of the limb as his stomach finally flew from his mouth dragging a ragged cry from him with it. He hit another two limbs in quick succession before slamming into dark icy water.
He hung there in the water, surrounded by violently raging bubbles that seemed to dance with the black spots that hovered in his vision until the burning in his lungs pulled his head from the groggy stupor. He clumsily flailed, the last of his air tearing from his mouth in a frothing spray of bubbles as his knee sent an electric pulse from the tips of his toes to the top of his head forcing him to struggle to the surface with his two arms and one good leg. The night air was frigid when he surfaced, shivers wracking his body as he heaved out the water between gasps of air and drug himself to shore with darkening vision where he lay in the muck.
Pag wasn't sure when he had passed out or how long he had been out as his mind surfaced from a deep dreamless sleep at a pace like cold molasses being poured. He lay there in the cold mud taking a mental tally of all of his injuries and thankfully noted his knee wasn’t broken, just dislocated but he did have at least one broken rib and a concussion if his debuffs were anything to go by. He sat up slowly, his stomach rising in the back of his throat as he did, the bones in his head feeling like shifting plates that ground against eachother. Pag grimaced as he pulled himself out of the mud before flopping back onto the ground, not sure when his stomach had decided to return but certain it wasn’t welcome. Maybe it’d be a little friendlier if he gave it something to eat. He pulled out the packet of trail mix and poured it into his mouth, frowning at the texture of the salty and soggy mix. He chewed half heartedly before swallowing and pulling out his canteen. He took a long gulp of the water then carefully sat up and refilled it with the water in the lake and put it back up before pulling out the jerky then arched his brows in surprise to find it dry. He inspected the package to see what was different about it and the trailmix finding an odd rune on the jerky pack but not the other. Perhaps it was a way of keeping out moisture to keep it preserved? Once exposed to moisture jerky had the annoying habit of trying to regrow fur but with nasty grey and green molds. He slipped the jerky back into the pack for later and looked around, eyes growing wide as he noted a bush weighed down by countless glimmering fruits not far from him.
Gingerly he pushed himself to his feet, the world beneath him seeming to sway as gravity took a very unwarranted interest in the right side of his face as it tugged at him with whispers of sleep while one knee decided that walking deserved waves of lightning and uncooperative muscles until he came to a stumbling stop in front of the bush. The ground beneath him bit hard into his knees in retaliation at some unknown slight, the knee that had been sending lightning through him and refusing to let his muscles work suddenly became more cooperative as it slid back home with a wet pop that seemed to reverberate through his body. Pag blinked away the sudden tears and ignored the dull heat that radiated from the knee as he reached out to the fruit, watching as the moisture on his gloves alternated between freezing and steaming for a long moment before plucking it. He tossed it into his bag then collected the others, each having its own odd effects that reached out nearly half an inch from the fruit itself. Tossing the last one into his inventory he stood and glanced at his HUD to get an idea of where he was in relation to the camp. Frowning, he expanded the map as far as it would go tracing his weaving path to the point he had begun to run, unable to see anything beyond that and tried to remember what direction the camp had been relative to where he had been at the time.
The ground shuddered beneath him and he let loose a silent curse slowly closing his eyes.
“Now what?” he asked dejectedly as he reached into his inventory and activated his beacon.