They’ve been travelling for around a day now. In that time Margaret had seen many things and discovered so much. It truly was more challenging outside the temple; winter still hadn’t ended and she was truly grateful everything was relatively calm.
She walked for what seemed like hours before her fatigue was starting to catch up. The sun was still high in the sky so she had enough time to rest and gather more supplies before she went off to find shelter for the night.
They were nearby some mountains so there must have been a few caves they could make camp in for the night.
Of course there was still the danger of bears. Or wolves for that matter.
Margaret had only seen those beasts in documentaries but she would never underestimate how ferocious they were. One wrong assumption and she could find herself and her daughter in mortal danger.
Thankfully, the snow wasn’t falling on that day and there weren’t signs of any sort of storm but she couldn’t be too sure just yet. They took shelter under a large formation of rocks just big enough for them to sit under and make a small camp.
Asha was still burning up but her fever was getting better. She wasn’t delirious and talking in her sleep anymore. Her dreams seemed more peaceful, like she wasn’t afraid anymore.
The words of that figure still echoed inside Margaret’s mind. Those flying pages and those figures….
She desperately wondered what it could have all meant. Wished there was more time to search for more clearer answers in that blasted place. Her mind did wander back to the temple. How could it not? For a time, she almost resigned herself to living inside of it forever.
Yet, outside of those old stone walls, never-ending corridors and mysterious places, underneath the endless sky with the scenic view of the mountains and what was beyond it, was freedom.
No longer just a thing to yearn for. But one that was within their grasp. They just needed a to push a little further.
Determined, Margaret laid Asha against the wall to rest while she started a fire to keep her warm. Years of cooking in a medieval kitchen had honed Margaret’s abilities and resourcefulness. Making small fires like these were not as difficult as they used to be.
It provided them a small comfort while Margaret thought about what to do next. She feared what would come at night. This makeshift shelter was fine for the time being but being exposed to the elements like this where large wild animals could come across them did so little to ease her nerves.
Dinner was another problem. Asha was recovering and Margaret would have to make her a warm and filling meal so her health would keep improving. Which meant meat. And there was only one way to get it.
Margaret, ever cautious, made sure to take every precaution there was when it came to the possibility of hunting. Which included using a small knife she placed in her rucksack to sharpen a long and fairly wide stick she had found around their small shelter.
It was very rudimentary but it was better than nothing.
She knew nothing about hunting wild animals and had never taken a life before.
It was easier on her conscience when the animal was already dead and skinned, ready to cook when they were sold at the markets.
So, when she crouched down and hid behind a berry bush, poised to attack the unassuming rabbit in front of her she couldn’t do it. She stumbled and it ran away.
“So much for that.” She sighed and dug her spear into the ground and ran her hands through her hair wildly in frustration.
When she was a girl scout, she was one of the best girls in her troupe when it came to catch and release. Back then she was more than capable of catching lots of small critters by making traps or and waiting for the right moment like how their troop leader showed her.
Maybe it was just…. different this time, now that she had done it with the intention take a life. No matter how small it was.
While she was wallowing, she heard a familiar sound and a saw floating window appear just a few millimeters away from her face.
She recoiled in surprise and fell backwards into another pile of bushes. The red juice of its berries stained her clothes while its frozen twigs poked her in the face.
Margaret’s eye twitched in annoyance. She could have foraged those berries.
“Alright already, honestly you-”
She was this close to cursing at it when instead of just one, several windows appeared in front of her.
image [https://i.imgur.com/gAMPx57.png]
Unlocked new achievement
Incredible Odds
Description: Defying the whims of fate has never been easy, especially for mere mortals. Having the strength to defy destiny is a feat only few can ever claim. Such bravery deserves to be commended.
Rewards: Temporary attunement to ancient relics in possession, temporary status effect boost, unlock two base skills and one perk of your choosing
Status Effect: The ancient’s fleeting grace (plus one to all stats for the duration of 2 days, current time remaining 45 hours)
Leveled up stats, current level: 2
Unlocked Skills:
Comprehension: User will now be able to learn and speak the Makarian language over time
Human Nature: Able to progress at the same rate as the rest of the resident human species, stats will now level up at twice the speed (spd: 0.5 -> 1.0)
Current Stats:
Strength: 4 (+ 2)
Wisdom: 3 (+ 3)
Intellect: 5
Constitution: 2 (+ 4)
Dexterity: 3 (+ 2)
Charisma: 1
Choose new perk:
Hunter’s Instinct - User will be able to hone their instincts to stalk prey and gain better efficiency (+2) when wielding weapons during hunting
Survivalist - User will be able to grant the ability to create more accurate maps (precursor to the topography skill) and be able to scour the land and seek out greater resources
image [https://i.imgur.com/gAMPx57.png]
“Can actually be useful for once.”
Margaret hummed in astonishment. This…. system? Well, whatever it was. It rewarded her for her efforts and now offered her new abilities? Ones that she desperately needed to survive this tundra. However strange it was and how peeved she might have been at just discovering this when she and her daughter were struggling to survive in the temple.
Well, it’s better than nothing.
Margaret shrugged and decided not to question a good thing. Not wanting to take too long to mull on her decision with the threat of hunger and frostbite were near.
After a generous amount of consideration, she chose the Survivalist perk. Thinking their odds at survival were higher if they were able to find shelter and keep track of the area they were in. Maybe even find a settlement if they were lucky.
Surely there must have been people living nearby if the temple was anything to go by. A lush mountain filled with rabbits, foxes and other animals to hunt, possibly a large body of water not too far from here if they looked hard enough.
More humans, a village, or maybe a town? Hopefully a doctor of some kind.
She didn’t hesitate to make her decision and press the screen.
A strange tingling sensation washed over Margaret after she selected the Survivalist perk. The screen blinked out of existence for a while and Margaret waited for something to happen.
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Then it came all at once.
It started in her core and radiated outward until her entire body felt charged with a new kind of energy and awareness.
She gasped as shapes and lines began etching themselves into her field of vision, like an intricate map overlaying the landscape around her. The worn rock formations, scraggly shrubs, and towering pine trees became more distinct, almost glowing with vibrant green outlines.
Turning slowly, Margaret realized she could make out faint tracings in the hard-packed earth - animal trails, weathered nearly invisible to the naked eye. Her view extended for meters in every direction, allowing her to discern changes in elevation, potential hazards, and areas of interest with impossible clarity.
"Incredible..." She murmured in awe, her eyes drinking in all the new information. This ability, this level of perception, was almost overwhelming. But also exactly what she needed.
Spying a particularly dense thicket to the north, Margaret's eyes narrowed as her vision seemed to highlight an area just beyond the brambles, marking it with a pale golden glow. She spotted the arched indent of what could only be a small cave entrance, nestled into the side of a gently sloping foot hill.
Her heart quickened with renewed hope. A sheltered place to take Asha while she recovered, safe from the winter's wrath and the threat of predators. Perhaps even defensible if need be. With an urgency to her steps, Margaret hurried over back to Asha and carried her in her arms as they set off to inspect her findings up close.
For the first time since leaving the ethereal realm of the temple behind, the forest didn't seem quite so formidable. She was no longer a helpless outsider, blind to the secrets of this world. A warm feeling blossomed in Margaret's chest.
The cave's stony mouth opened up into a corridor that slanted gently downwards, the rough walls giving way to an expansive grotto. Margaret's boots disturbed loose pebbles as she ventured inwards, their faint clatters echoing into the depths.
She paused, straining to detect any signs of habitation - scurrying wildlife, a subterranean stream's gurgle, the draft of a connecting passage. Only an profound, almost reverent silence answered her unspoken questions. This cavern had gone undisturbed for untold ages.
A few more paces brought Margaret to the grotto's center. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the subterranean gloom, revealing soaring stone formations reaching up towards an unseen ceiling lost in inky blackness. Sweeping her gaze in a slow circle, she marveled at the display of nature's raw, primordial artistry.
Smooth columns, carved by the endless drip of mineralized water, rose like frozen fountains captured in a moment of crystalline suspense. Others knifed down from above in wicked stalactite daggers. More fancifully sculpted spires, curves, and whorls hinted at recognizable shapes - the silhouette of a rearing mare, the furled fan of a giant fern, the cresting ram's horns of some petrified leviathan.
Margaret exhaled a ragged breath, her voice hushed in the oppressive stillness. "It's... beautiful."
Her boots crunched over a thick, undisturbed layer of what she initially took for gravel or shattered rock. A spark of recognition lit her eyes as she stooped to examine the fragments more closely. It wasn’t gravel at all, but tiny bones - remnants of an old hunters' feasts scattered in staggering quantities.
She shuddered in fear before realizing the quality of the bones. They were old, very old. These weren't merely animal bones from some recent predator's den. No, the texture and hue revealed their true age - these remains dated back untold centuries, perhaps even millennia. Mineralized and brittle, she was sure of it as it crumbled into chalky dust when she rubbed it against her fingers.
Feeling a sense of safety wash over her, Margaret began to inspect the cavern more closely. The discovery of the ancient bones reassured her that this place had been undisturbed for a long time. If creatures had lived here in the past without issue, then surely it could provide them with refuge now.
With cautious steps, Margaret ventured deeper into the grotto, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger or hidden treasures. She marveled at the intricate formations that adorned the cavern walls, feeling a sense of wonder at the beauty of the natural world.
As she explored, Margaret's thoughts turned to their immediate needs. Food and water were essential for their survival, and she was determined to find both within the confines of the cavern. Drawing closer to the walls, she noticed small rivulets of water trickling down from above, forming small pools on the rocky floor below.
Crouching down beside one of the pools, Margaret dipped her fingers into the cool liquid, bringing it to her lips for a cautious taste. To her relief, the water was clear and refreshing, free from any foul taste or odor. With a sigh of gratitude, she realized that they had found a reliable source of drinking water.
Carefully, Margaret filled their canteens and containers with the precious liquid, ensuring that they would have enough to sustain them until she could find a more permanent solution. As she worked, her mind raced with thoughts of their uncertain future. How would they survive in this strange new world? Would they ever find a way back home?
But with each container filled, Margaret felt a renewed sense of determination. They had made it this far, and she refused to give up now. With water secured, her thoughts turned to their next pressing need - food.
Gazing down at Asha, still sleeping peacefully by the fire, Margaret felt a pang of guilt. How could she leave her daughter alone in this cavern, even for a moment? But the growling of her own stomach reminded her that they could not survive on water alone.
The meager rations she had were enough to keep their stomachs full for now but Margaret wasn’t sure how long they’d have to keep travelling for. And who knows when the sun would set, staying out for too long trying to hunt could be dangerous.
But despite the risks it was worth a try. She knew better than to sit by and hope for things to get better. That was a mistake she wasn’t going to repeat any time soon.
With a spear in hand, Margaret went outside the cave and began to hunt. She scoured the land for any signs of prey and caught only with what she could manage. She was by no means a proficient hunter nor was she skilled with a weapon but she was able to catch something decent.
Alas, her poor aim that was supposed to strike through the rabbits head had landed in the rabbits foot instead. The poor creature was thrashing wildly and Margaret could only close her eyes as she ended its life as quickly as she could with a sharp rock.
She struggled to steady her breathing and push down the feelings of guilt before tying her fresh kill with a rope onto another stick to look for another. It wasn’t easier the second time or the fourth. She came back with a more bruises than she’d like too but in her mind it was only fair.
By the end of she’d she had around 2 squirrels one rabbit and a plump rat.
Hoping for more she tried using her ability again to see if there were any berries growing around this area like the one they were previously in but instead of seeing those vibrant outlines again she only saw flashes of red.
When she opened her eyes she saw another window blinking in and out in bold text.
Warning: Ability overuse, adhere to the cool down time of 24 hours (23 hours and 20 minutes remaining)
Margaret reluctantly acquiesced to the system's warning, realizing it was too risky to push her newly gifted abilities before nightfall. As dusk faded, she gathered her modest hunt - some scrawny squirrels, a plump rat, and the rabbit she had ineptly slain. The pale smoke from their campfire guided her back to the cave's sheltering mouth.
Asha was still sleeping soundly as Margaret laid out the game on a flat rock. With shaking hands, she took up her small hunting knife, bile rising in her throat. She had never butchered an animal before, and the visceral reality of slicing through fur, flesh, and offal proved significantly traumatizing
But she persisted, desperate determination fueling every clumsy sawing cut.
Sweat soon beaded on Margaret's brow despite the cavern's chill, her recently enhanced constitution allowing her to work with a fervor she hadn't felt in ages.
By the time chunks of meat sizzled over the fire, Margaret was drenched in perspiration and her coat was lightly splattered with blood. With trembling fingers, she wrapped the designated rations in a scrap of cloth, tucking the bundle into a crevice near the fire to stay warm.
Margaret's stomach rumbled hungrily at the aroma of cooked meat after a laborious day. Before eating herself, however, she turned her attentions to Asha.
"Wake up, sweet girl," Margaret murmured, gently shaking her daughter's shoulder. "Try to eat a little something."
Asha's eyes fluttered open slowly. Though still looking drained from her lingering illness, the smell of cooked food seemed to rouse her. Margaret carefully tore off a small portion, holding it up for Asha to take a bite. Her daughter chewed slowly, weakly, having to muster what little energy she could to swallow the unfamiliar gamey morsels.
“Chew slowly," Margaret soothed, breaking off another morsel for Asha's next bite. She watched intently as her daughter painstakingly consumed the few meager chunks she could manage in her enervated state.
Only once she was satisfied Asha had eaten what little her body could currently tolerate, did Margaret finally allow herself to experience the rich, savory meatiness as well. She ravenously devoured the remaining chunks, licking the smoky drippings from her fingers when she'd stripped the platter clean.
As the evening began to fall, Margaret reclined with a tired sigh cradled Asha close to her, feeling the steady rise and fall of her daughter's chest against her own. The crackling fire cast shifting shadows across the cavern walls, illuminating their makeshift shelter with a flickering warmth that seemed to mock the icy chill of reality pressing in from outside.
It was strange, how it took her so long to start accepting the way things were now for the both of them. When they were away from the only semblance of safety they had…..
For so long, Margaret had clung to the fragile hope that this was all just a dream, a fleeting illusion born of exhaustion and desperation. She had convinced herself that any moment now, she would wake up in her own bed, the events of the past days nothing more than a fading memory.
But as the firelight danced and flickered, casting eerie patterns against the ancient stone, Margaret was forced to confront the harsh truth - there was no waking up from this nightmare. This was their new reality, a world of magic and mystery, far removed from everything she had ever known.
The realization washed over Margaret like a cold wave, stealing the breath from her lungs and leaving her feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty. No longer could she cling to the false comfort of denial, no longer could she pretend that everything would go back to normal with the dawn.
They were alone in this strange and unfamiliar land, facing challenges beyond anything Margaret had ever imagined. And as she looked down at Asha's sleeping form, a fierce determination welled up inside her.
She may be a single mother from another world, forced to start all over again with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the strength of their bond, but Margaret refused to be defeated. She would do whatever it took to protect her daughter, to ensure that she had a chance at a better life in this harsh and unforgiving world.
The gentle crackle of the campfire lulled Margaret into a light slumber. Her exhaustion from the day's harrowing journey and hunting efforts finally caught up to her as she sat huddled in the cave's depths with Asha cradled protectively against her chest.
As the fire danced in the darkness, casting flickering shadows across the grotto's ancient stone formations, Margaret's eyes grew heavy. The worries that had plagued her faded into the comforting warmth and soft sounds of the cavern. For this fleeting moment, she allowed herself to let down her guard and succumb to the desperate need for rest.
Margaret's head nodded as she drifted into a fitful sleep. Strange, fever-tinged dreams, whispers of that mysterious voice echoing through mist, pages from an unseen book flashing indecipherable glyphs and a tall figure calling out to her from the darkness.
“Ma….”
“Mama.” She could feel a small hand tug her hair as a hoarse voice beckoned to wake up. Margaret tentatively opened her eyes, still heavy, half lidded and battling the desire to fall asleep again.
It was only when her half-awake mind began to regain full consciousness that she realized who it was. Margaret scrambled to her feet, her eyes blown wide against her disheveled hair.
“I’m hungry…” Asha whined, her lips forming an impatient line.
“O-of course….” Margaret fought the tears of relief welling up in her eyes. She smiled warmly at her daughter before getting up to start breakfast.