Cindy was so excited. This was the first time she even thought she could do any real gathering. She was relying on just using the farms for everything that she needed. Sure it had slowed her down while she focused on hunting monsters and grinding for gear. Doing anything not to remember what had happened before Dad came.
Jubilantly she bought a bug net, fishing pole, and harvesting hoe. One thing caught her eye as she looked at the merchant. “Do you know how we can easily find bugs, fish, and herbs?” This was something she hadn’t ever taken the time to look into.
“Oh, here. Eyeglass of the Gatherer. Gives you Gatherer’s Sense level one skill. It makes low level gathering spots glitter to your eyes.” The merchant smiled at Cindy warmly.
“I’ll take them!” She squealed as she clapped her hands vibrating with excitement. As soon as the golden orbs hit her chest Cindy used her mind to equip the new goggles and switched her weapon to a big net for bugs.
“Wait, do you know how giants gather items?” Cindy looked at the merchant who just shrugged, shaking her wizened head. Cindy turned to her father and yelled up at him as he finally was kneeling to be close enough to the shop to use it. “DAD! THEY DON’T HAVE GIANT EQUIPMENT! DO YOU STILL WANT TO GO?”
Dad just smiled and nodded at Cindy and just as she was going to sprint off her caught her by the scruff of her clothes and picked her up with ease as she thrashed. “Slow down Badger. Where are we going?”
Giving up Cindy slumped in her dad’s fingers as he rotated her to look each other in the face. “There is a lake in the forest. It’s nearby the boroclops glade we hunted at this morning. It’s still noon and they won’t spawn. I got this neat item!” Cindy pointed to her new goggles and wriggled some more. “Lets go! What did you use to say, ‘Daylight's Burning’?”
With a heavy sigh Dad set her down and let her lead the way back into nature. The elizards seemed to have become docile as the sun rose. They slowly basked in the sunlight, their eyes closing as they absorbed the heat of the sun.
Cindy soon ran out of steam as she ran to the forest. Her feet slowed as she grew tired. Even at her fastest it was nothing to Dad’s massive gait. She bent holding onto her knees, her breathing was harsh as she looked at her stamina bar. The forgetfulness that sprinting drained the resource plagued her still. All the soccer practice had made her a much better sprinter and runner in the normal world. This magic inclined body wasn’t as robust.
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Dad stopped next to her and looked down. His smile was smug and met with a scowl from his daughter. “Are you willing to slow down now?” The deep thrumming of his voice vibrated the air as he fought off his own chuckle.
Cindy crossed her arms silently, stewing before she nodded. “I’ll slow down. Please set me down.” The sullen tone in her voice was amusing to Dad but he kept it from being in his voice.
They walked together into the forest and Cindy’s knowledge of the area soon showed itself as they approached a large pond. Dad stopped and took in the sight as the glimmering water shone from the sunlight through the dense trees. Wildlife like toads could be seen on the lily pads floating near the shore. Fish could be seen jumping for bugs flitting through the air, a tapestry of life.
Cindy gasped as she took it all in. Dozens of spots glimmered with ethereal golden light now that she had the new goggles and instantly she looked for bugs first. She burst with energy as she ran towards a large beetle on a tree. With one swipe the bug was in the net. In a flash it turned into a golden ball of energy and zipped into her chest. Bouncing from place to place she swiped bugs from the ground, air, and tree trunks as she vibrated with energy.
Dad instead looked at the water and curiosity. He approached the water and knelt. He put his hands in the water and looked on in wonder. “It is way warmer than most water back home. Do you think we could even swim? Would our clothes stay wet?”
Cindy stopped and looked at her dad. “I don’t know, it hasn’t rained since I got here. I never got to try and swim as I didn’t want to get my robes dirty and I don’t have a swimsuit I could equip in town and run out here with it. None of the villagers talk about swimming either.”
Dad dipped his hands in the water and kept it still until a fish was swimming in his palm. He raised it, closing his fist to catch the small creature in an attempt to get in on the gathering while Cindy was distracted.
Seemingly impossibly the fish wriggled out between his clenched fingers like it was just open to be free as it shot out into the water. The rules of this world reinserting itself and preventing him from going around it.
No longer caring that his clothes and armor would get wet Dad stood up and started to wade into the water. Fish scattered, frogs hopped away, The water rose slightly from the sheer volume of her dad walking into it. Then when he got to waist height he was at the deepest part of the water. Cindy watched as he dunked himself and stayed there for a moment.
What is Dad doing? Cindy asked herself.
A minute passed and her dad slowly stood back up. “My stamina drains while I’m holding my breath. And I can’t catch any fish. Can you?” He looked at her as the water quickly ran down his face and torso dripping as he dried far more quickly than he should.
Cindy swiftly switched to her fishing rod and ran up to the water scanning it for the glimmering area thanks to her skill. Dad’s eyes tracked her as she stalked around the lake in all seriousness now as she approached an area that had a bundle of fish in it.
Pulling back she inexpertly whipped the fishing pole out sailing the lure about halfway out to the glimmering spot. The water rumbled with her father’s laughter and soon enough she was sticking her tongue out at him. “I got it, just you wait!”
Two more casts and she finally landed it into the spot. She whooped and hollered in excitement as the pole jiggled in her hand. Then suddenly and without warning it yanked.