Hadespera
The 1st of Elaphebolion
The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals
He found himself being poked and prodded at by an elven woman who clearly had no interest in the concept of personal space. All the while, she berated him in the language of the elves. At first, he had tried to apologize for the inconvenience, but upon the first syllable, she lightly smacked him on the cheek with the back of her hand, so he decided to take the beratement in graceful silence. Or, at least, as graceful as he could manage with spindly fingers poking him and a notched cord examining his every measure.
When the torment was over, he breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground near a wall. The elf woman whisked off to attend to matters completely foreign to him. Lyssa, on the other hand, had apparently recovered from whatever had bothered her and her eyes shone with mirth as she looked upon his misfortune.
“At least one of us enjoyed that,” he said with a scowl.
“Navinia takes her craft seriously, but she and many others here have no love for humans.”
“So I’ve heard. You’ll have to tell me why, some time.”
“Let’s find out if you live first, Greenstick.”
“Fair enough.”
Before long, Navinia had returned with two bundles of clothes in her hands. She handed both to him.
Dawnwood Linen Shirt
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 1
Durability: 15/15
Weight: 0.3 kilograms
Comfort: Soft
Armor Type: Clothing
Dawnwood Linen Pants
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 1
Durability: 15/15
Weight: 0.6 kilograms
Comfort: Soft
Armor Type: Clothing
Dawnwood Leather Boots
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 3
Durability: 20/20
Weight: 1.5 kilograms
Comfort: Good-Fit
Armor Type: Light
Dawnwood Leather Jerkin
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 7
Durability: 45/45
Weight: 4 kilograms
Comfort: Good-Fit
Armor Type: Light
Dawnwood Leather Greaves
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 4
Durability: 25/25
Weight: 1.4 kilograms
Comfort: Good-Fit
Armor Type: Light
Dawnwood Leather Vambraces
Rarity: Common
Quality: Excellent
Defense: 4
Durability: 25/25
Weight: 1.1 kilograms
Comfort: Good-Fit
Armor Type: Light
Focusing on each item gave a prompt, asking if he would like to equip the item. He accepted each and was soon wearing an outfit that looked very similar to Lyssa’s, though hers was clearly of much higher quality. The cloth shirt and pants he’d worn were relocated to his inventory, but Navinia held out her hands for them. He handed them over without complaint and the elf woman walked off, muttering disdainfully.
He turned to Lyssa; arms held out to either side.
“How do I look?”
“Like a babe in his father’s shoes.”
She must have seen his deflated expression because she laughed. The sound didn’t last long, but it was surprisingly pleasant.
“You’ll get used to them, Greenstick. Now, are you ready for weapons?”
“Weapons?”
“Of course. This isn’t some romantic walk through the woods or whatever your human women do. There will be danger and fighting.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he nodded and let her lead the way. They walked down a long stairway until they reached the ground, then Lyssa led him to a training area. A score of archery targets were set at varying distances, some so far away that he had to squint just to find them. Several elves populated the area, practicing with swords, pikes, axes, and a variety of other weapons that he couldn’t put a name to.
“I take it you’re unaccustomed to such things,” Lyssa remarked.
“I’m unaccustomed to everything,” he said absently, spinning in slow circles and trying to take everything in.
“Let’s see how you do with a bow.”
He was led to one of the archery stands and a shortbow was placed in his hands. The wood was smooth, but the weapon felt odd in his grip. Archaic.
“Do you know with which eye you focus? Beginners always have one or the other.”
“I don’t. How do you tell?”
“A simple trick, hold on.”
She backed up until she was about five strides away.
“There, now put your hands together like this.” She placed her hands in front of her, arms outstretched, such that her fingers and thumbs interlocked to form a small triangle. “Hold it out so that you can see me through the gap, then bring it closer to your face, keeping me in sight the whole time.”
He followed her instructions until his hands were resting against his face, his left eye completely obscured by his hand.
“There, you’re right-eyed. That means you’ll want to hold the bow in your left hand, like so.”
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Lyssa drew her own bow and stood so that he could see exactly how she held it.
“Put your feet like this, stand sidelong your target, place the arrow such that the third fletch points away from the bow, pull to your cheek, breathe, release.”
She narrated each of her actions in turn. The closest target, which was twenty paces at a glance, was left unmarred as the arrow soared over it and hit the target placed seventy paces away, neatly pinning the bullseye.
“You hold the bow in your other hand,” he pointed out.
“Keenly observed. Unlike you, I’m left-eyed.”
“But you just shot with your right eye.”
Lyssa patted him on the head and gave him a pitying smile.
“Because I’m not a beginner, Greenstick. Now, no more blabbing. Time to practice. Shoot until your arm hurts, then we will run you through swords.”
He paused, an arrow on its way to his bowstring from a standing quiver nearby.
“You mean through the exercises, right? You’re not actually going to run swords through me…right?”
Lyssa did not deign to respond, instead she stood in the archery line next to him and sent arrows downrange. He sighed and tried to draw the bowstring. The arrow felt wobbly, as though it was about to fall off the string. He fumbled his hand position as he tried to get his fingers in the right position.
“Stop, you’ve loaded it wrong.”
He hadn’t noticed that Lyssa had stopped shooting to start critiquing him again. She took the arrow from him and placed it on the other side of the bow, the far side from him.
“If it stays on the close side, you’ll have to adjust your hand after you nock it or turn your hand upside down as you draw, which is too advanced for you at this stage. That wastes time. Nock it to the far side of the bow and you’ll be able to draw it in the same motion. There, now keep one finger above and your other two below. Your thumb should stay out of the way, or it’ll knock the arrow off its path. Some methods use your thumb, but again, they are too advanced for you at this stage.”
He paused and held up a hand.
“What about my pinkie?”
“Your what?”
“My little finger.”
Lyssa stared at him, then brought her own hand up to show a thumb and three fingers.
“I…didn’t know humans had another finger. What do you need four fingers for? Three’s the perfect number for firing a bow.”
“I don’t know. To hold things? To stick out while drinking? I don’t…I don’t know why I just said that, actually.”
“Just keep it out of the way. If you’re being taught by an elf, you’ll learn like an elf. Since you can’t have the decency to possess a proper number of fingers, we’ll see if we can still make a decent shot out of you.”
He pulled the string back to his cheekbone, which was apparently too high as Lyssa grabbed his elbow and lowered it until his hand was resting against his jaw.
“Now aim. At your height and at this distance, you’ll want to aim for the top circle of the target, or else your arrow might snag a worm as it skips over the ground.”
He let out his breath and released the string. The arrow wobbled a little in flight but sunk into the very bottom of the target. It was well outside the target lines but he was thrilled to have hit something at all. A notification appeared.
You have learned a Skill.
Archery — Level 7
Defeat your foes at a distance or dazzle your rivals by shooting them through their axes.
Each level in this skill will improve your ability with ranged weapons of all kinds.
+2% Damage with Ranged Weapons (+14%)
+2% Accuracy with Ranged Weapons (+14%)
+1% Range with Ranged Weapons (+7%)
Instruction by an Adept Archer has improved your starting level.
His jaw dipped a little further with each word he read, still trying to comprehend what it all meant.
“I learned a skill,” he said absently, still reading through the notification.
“As well you should have,” Lyssa replied. “Most things you do will result in skills. The higher you level the skill, the better you are at the task. Sometimes the requirements for learning a skill are tricky to discover, but once unlocked, the task itself becomes easier. My own ability with the bow should have helped, what level did you start at?”
“Seven. My notification also called you an ‘Adept Archer,’ what’s that mean?”
“Seven? Not the highest it could have been but at least you were paying attention. Every ten levels of a skill are given a rank to identify your relative skill-level without giving away your direct abilities. ‘Adept’ means that my level is in the seventies.”
His eyes widened at that. “That must have taken a long time to get so high. What’s the highest?”
Lyssa shrugged. “A couple centuries. Progress slows the higher you get, but some dedicated individuals can reach the rank of Legend, levels ninety through ninety-nine. Some tales tell of great heroes that could increase their abilities past that, but no one knows how or if it’s even true. Right now, you should worry about trying to get your skills to at least level ten. That will break you from Beginner and put you into the Novice ranks. Should take a few hours, with instruction.”
He looked down at the bow.
“Thank you. I doubt I have any real idea how valuable your instruction is but I am grateful for it all the same.”
“The more detailed instruction I give, the more it increases my own Teaching skill, as well as a small bonus to the relevant skill being taught. I’ve heard some create institutions where they teach as many people as possible to try to increase their own abilities. If you ask me, it’s just to line their pockets. Humans especially will pay exorbitant fees for the promise of faster progress. Fools. You won’t learn without doing and experimenting. No more talk. Practice.”
He drew another arrow from the standing quiver and was shocked at how much more natural the motion felt. The arrow felt right in his hands and the bow held firm. As he nocked the arrow to the string, he drew the bow up level and pulled the string back to his jaw. He let out his breath and released, taking care not to nudge the arrow as he did.
It flew and landed in the outermost ring, well off to the right of the bullseye, but he was ecstatic.
“I hit it! Did you see that?”
“Indeed. Next time, see if you can work it toward the center.”
Three hours passed at the archery range, with the only breaks being when Lyssa critiqued his form and when they stopped to drink from a refreshment table set up nearby. When they had finished, the sun was nearing the horizon and his archery skill had increased up to Level Ten. It came with an unexpected bonus.
Archery has increased to Level 10.
+2% Damage with Ranged Weapons (+20%)
+2% Accuracy with Ranged Weapons (+20%)
+1% Range with Ranged Weapons (+10%)
You have reached the Novice rank in Archery.
You gain 100 experience.
You have reached Level 2.
As a Human, you receive 5 attribute points to distribute per level.
A sudden glow enveloped him. He felt a wash of golden light as all the sweat and aches of the day faded away. Even his hunger, which had started to reach the gnawing point, was gone. His shock must have shown on his face, because Lyssa took one look at him and laughed.
“Hah! You really were a greenstick. Was that the first time you’ve leveled up?”
He nodded, too dumbfounded to speak.
“Well, don’t stand there slack-jawed, a bird will come roost in your mouth. We still have more of the day to make use of and you haven’t gotten to swords yet. You can adjust your profile tonight; I wager you’ll want to put some thought into where you assign your points.”
“What are the best things to invest in?” he asked, feeling completely lost.
“That’s entirely dependent on what you want to do with your life, though I would highly suggest paying close attention to the things that will keep you alive. What’s more, to help guide your choice, you can increase nearly all of your attributes through training in addition to leveling, but you won’t receive the bonus for those increases until after you sleep.”
“Thanks. I suppose I’ll need to give this some thought.”
“Don’t frown, this is a good thing, Greenstick. It means you won’t be a greenstick forever.”
“I do need to come up with a name, don’t I?” he said wryly.
“I don’t know, Greenstick suits you. It’s good enough for me at least. Let’s get some food. You may not be hungry anymore, but I’m starving. Swords can wait until after dinner.”
Dinner was held in a communal area high in the hanging village. A wooden platform had been built out of the convergence of three trees, leaving enough space for large tables to be laid out, buffet style. The food consisted mostly of salads and cooked meat, though he spotted some stews and soups among the mix as well. Several elves came and went; some grabbed food and sat down, often chatting amongst friends, while others picked up their food and left. He filled a wooden plate with salad and a large slab of steak, then sat down across from Lyssa at a table all to themselves. She made no objection, despite the dirty looks many of the other elves were throwing his way.
“I have some questions, if you don’t mind,” he said after a few bites.
“Ask them and see, Greenstick.”
A million questions ran through his head about the world and everything in it, but none of the most pressing questions passed his tongue in that moment. Instead, the one that came first was quite a bit more personal than he intended.
“Why don’t elves like humans?”
Lyssa’s face fell and her shoulders tensed. He backpedaled immediately.
“Sorry, bad question. You don’t have to answer that.”
Her face relaxed somewhat, but she was still tense, so he started searching for a new question.
“When I leveled up, I was told I got five attribute points to spend as a human. Do elves get a different amount?”
“Every race is different, and many subraces have their own natural specializations. Children of the Forest, like myself, get six points to distribute, but one is automatically put into Dexterity and Perception, so we have four to place where we wish. Children of the Stars, as another example, also get six, with one placed into Intelligence and Wisdom. Orcs generally get seven, with four points evenly split between Strength and Fortitude.”
“That’s fascinating. I don’t know what all of those are, but still. Can I ask you about the journey you’ve been tasked with? Since I’m to help you and all, maybe I should know something about what we’re doing.”
“Lord Cypress has sent me to check on a disturbance we’ve noticed. Dawnwood is our domain, but we’ve received reports of something sinister building outside of it to the west. My task is to find it, observe it, and stop it if I’m able.”
“He must have a lot of trust in you to send you alone to do such a thing.”
“He isn’t sending me alone. He’s sending you with me as well. Danger is inherent in Tartarus. No place can guarantee safety, only your own strength and the bonds you make can imply it.”
“So the reason you’ve been teaching me is…”
“Because not only will you be protecting your own life with the skills you learn, but you’ll be protecting mine. Don’t mistake this for trust, Greenstick, you haven’t earned that. However, you have done three things that work to your favor.” Lyssa held up her three fingers, keeping her thumb tucked in. “You showed wisdom and respect to nature by wanting to dispose of the diseased wolf.”
Lyssa dropped one finger.
“You showed respect to Lord Cypress.”
She dropped another finger.
“You have listened to my instructions without complaint or deceit.”
She dropped her final finger.
“Make no mistake, I’ll be watching you, and if you lead me to believe you’re a danger to myself, my people, or the Dawnwood, I’ll put you down like the wolf this morning.”
He put up his hands in mock surrender.
“You don’t have to worry about me. You saved my life. I haven’t forgotten. And I don’t have any reason to betray your people.”
“Good, now that that’s cleared, are you ready for your sword training?”
He pushed away his plate and stood up.
“More than ready. Shall we?”