By the time Sarah finished donning her boots and belt, and had used the privy, the farmer and his children had returned to the house and sounds of excited chatter were rising up the stairwell from the main room.
She slowly made her way down the stairs, realizing as she did so that her injured leg seemed much farther along in the healing process than she would have expected after a single night’s rest. Not only that, but she'd noticed during her morning ablutions that all her bandages had been either replaced, or even outright removed in cases where the wounds were nearly healed.
The farmer must have given her some medical aid, either while she was unconscious the first time around, or while she slept the second time around (she hadn’t noticed the state of her bandages the first time she was awake.) Either way, she was grateful for the help (one more debt she would have to repay) and wondered if it had anything to do with the increased speed of her healing.
Did these aliens have access to the System? The messages from the Builders had made it clear that the System was designed specifically for humanity, so it wasn’t like the various peoples of the Sanctuary worlds would already have it, right?
It would, however, make sense for the Tutorial to simulate an environment where everyone had the System, human or otherwise, Sarah decided. If only humans had classes and Skills, it would be too tempting to think of the aliens they encountered in the Tutorial as the digital creations they were, instead of treating them as real people.
That might not be a problem for people in the survival- or combat-focused Tutorials, but for people in the Integration one…it would be challenging to become a functioning member of society if she couldn’t get past seeing every other member of that society as nothing more than an NPC. Maybe other people could do it, but she couldn’t. She hoped everyone here had the System; it would put them on an even footing, make them equals in a way that could only aid in immersion and her goal of integration.
Besides, she had no idea how much time had, and was, actually passing in the real world while the collective minds of humanity paddled about in virtual reality. She also had no idea what kind of technology the Builders had for long distance (aka interstellar) travel and long range (again, interstellar) communication. Or how quickly they thought and made decisions.
For all she knew, sometime between the first messages she’d received and the actual start of the Tutorial, the Builders had decided to go ahead and implement the System for all their little Sanctuary worlds. Maybe the flesh-and-blood counterparts of the Tutorial aliens were even now undergoing their own Integration Tutorial; maybe with A.I.-simulated humans!
Sarah suddenly realized she had reached the base of the stairs several minutes ago and had been staring blankly at the door to the main room while lost in thought. She gave herself a mental shake. Speculation on the nature and content of reality – virtual or otherwise – was all well and good, as long as it didn’t interfere with actually living in said reality.
She had soooo many questions, but if she focused on all the things she didn’t know, she’d never be able to move forward. She had to deal with things as they came up, or at least focus on those things that were most urgent first.
As her dad used to say, back when her endless curiosity would wear him down on a regular basis, “All you have to do, Sary, is pay attention and be patient. Most answers don’t need to be hunted down; they’ll come to you on their own in the normal course of conversation and observation.”
There were, of course, exceptions to that little gem of wisdom, and in every conversation there were inevitably a few Urgent and Important questions that couldn’t wait for the flow of time (“Where is the toilet?” being a universal example) but Sarah did eventually find that, often enough, a little patience and open-ended conversation worked far better than a barrage of questions.
Now, the important thing was…actually, Sarah shook her head in disgust, the really important thing was that she was still standing there, staring at the door like a dullard, while cheerful voices and very appetizing odours were emanating from the room beyond.
With a firm mental reminder to focus, Sarah opened the door and walked through.
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Despite her determination to make her dad proud by being patient and paying attention, Sarah did still have a mental to-do list, and the first item on the list was paying her debts. Since she wasn’t sure how to communicate the idea of labour for food, she resorted to her backup plan. She still wasn’t quite sure she was getting through to them on the idea that she was offering her foraged valuables from the day before in trade for their generosity, but she certainly enjoyed their reactions.
At the sight of the unassumingly labelled [Mushroom], both children squealed with delight. The farmer accepted it with a grin and a nod, then swiftly diced the colourful fungus and added it to the lunch pot. Sarah wasn’t sure what was cooking in that pot but the already savoury smells increased four-fold soon after the addition of her offering.
The distinctively coloured mushroom may or may not have any significant nutritional value, Sarah reflected, but if it tasted as good as it smelled, it was no wonder [Keen Eye] had pinged. Although, she did find it a bit odd that the thing was so aromatic now but she hadn’t detected any odour from the fungus – fair or foul – when she picked it. She quickly shrugged aside the thought, concluding that the heat of cooking probably brought out the aroma. And if it was something more complex, well, it wasn’t immediately relevant.
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After the excitement caused by the mushroom, Sarah wasn’t sure what kind of reaction to expect when she pulled out the body of the [Horned Fox], but it wasn’t what she got.
The table seemed to occasionally double as a kitchen counter and Sarah disliked the idea of putting a dead body on the same surface where food was prepared and served (true, [Dimensional Storage] seemed to preserve its contents in the exact state in which they entered, so there wasn’t any rot or decomposition present, but it was still a dead animal, and that was kinda…icky) so Sarah stood there for a moment of indecision, the weight of the fox’s limp corpse dragging down her arms, before she looked up and realized all three of her hosts were staring at her, their green eyes wide. Then, as one, the farmer and his children bowed. (Well, not quite as one…the little girl didn’t seem to quite understand what was going on at first but she was quick to follow the example of her brother.)
Sarah flushed with embarrassment. “You don’t have to do that,” she said, wishing desperately that they could understand her.
The farmer stepped forward and solemnly lifted the fox from Sarah’s arms. She sagged a bit in relief as she handed over the dead weight that had left her arms trembling after only a short time. She really needed to get some weight training sorted out, she thought, observing how easily the farmer handled what had been to her a great burden.
Her stray thoughts fled, washed away by yet another wave of embarrassment, as the farmer stepped back, bowed once more – even deeper this time – then solemnly paced to the door and walked outside.
Sarah was left staring awkwardly at the two children, who stood and stared right back. It was clear that both of the kids knew this was supposed to be a solemn moment, and they were attempting to school their faces accordingly…with mixed results.
After a short time (probably not more than ten or fifteen seconds, Sarah reckoned), the girl gave up. She started poking her brother and whispering to him, while casting longing looks over her shoulder at the pot simmering on the stove. The brother whispered back fiercely and the little girl pouted.
Though she couldn’t understand any of the words, Sarah suspected she knew just how that little conversation had gone. Probably somewhere along the lines of: “I’m hungry! When are we going to eat?” Followed by: “Shut up! This is important! Wait for Dad.”
It was all Sarah could do not to giggle, though she did lose control of a very tiny snort. The children looked at her in surprise, saw her twitching lips, and that was that.
When the farmer walked in a moment later, sans fox, the farmhouse was echoing with giggles. The children immediately stopped laughing but the farmer soothed their concern with a smile and a few soft words. He then walked over to the corner that Sarah had begun to think of as the kitchen, and took down from a high shelf a wooden box and a small wooden cask.
The box contained two small cups, nestled in layers of cloth. They were made of glass, and though it was a thick and cloudy glass – not nearly the quality Sarah was accustomed to from Earth – it was clear these cups were important and valuable.
The farmer poured a small amount of amber liquid from the cask into one of the glass cups, and presented the latter to Sarah, with a flourish and a solemn expression that didn’t quite hide the twinkle in his eye.
The children were quiet, even the girl, watching the little ceremony with a level of awe that told Sarah these cups and cask made only very rare appearances. She followed their example and set aside her earlier mirth. Was the dead fox really that enormously valuable, or was this a cultural thing that she had bumbled into unknowingly? Either way, she had no desire to offend these kind people so she reached out and took the glass cup with two hands, one to grasp it from the side, one to support it from the bottom.
She inclined her head, first to the farmer and then to the children, holding each gesture for a long second. She would have tried bowing properly like they had but didn’t think she could pull it off without spilling the drink. The deep nods seemed to be sufficient, however, so, formalities concluded, Sarah raised the cup to her lips and drained its contents in one gulp.
There wasn’t much liquid in the cup, barely enough for a single mouthful, but Sarah had only just managed to swallow before she was coughing and sputtering. The bite of alcohol was just as she’d expected, but it was mingled strangely with the thick sweetness of honey.
The children were giggling at her reaction so Sarah grinned at them in a challenging fashion. She held out the glass cup to them and cocked her eyebrow.
“Let’s see you do better,” she said.
The kids may not have understood her words but they clearly understood her body language and tone. Their giggles broke off abruptly and they cast worried looks at their father. He responded with a loud guffaw, grinning and shaking his head. The children breathed sighs of relief and Sarah, feeling avenged in that petty way that comes from putting children in their place, carefully handed the empty cup to the farmer.
The cup was cleaned with care, returned to its cloth nest, and box and cask were replaced upon the high shelf from whence they came.
As the farmer returned to the stove to rescue the now hard-boiling lunch, and the children began to lay the table with bowls and spoons, Sarah found herself distracted by the sudden appearance of a System message.
You have participated in an ancient tradition, and completed the guest rite of Meat and Mead:
By offering to the household meat procured by your own hand, you have indicated your willingness to carry out the responsibilities of a household member.
By offering you a taste of their mead, the members of the household have indicated their willingness to grant you the privileges of same.
For so long as you abide by the bond, you will be considered a member of the family and of the household, with all the privileges and responsibilities thereof.
Meat and Mead is a bond recognized by local law. You now have official standing within the community and you will find certain goals easier to achieve. You have a home, so long as you wish it, and the unconditional loyalty of your new household. It is a powerful bond, and cannot be broken without committing some great crime or betrayal; however, should you break it, you will find it to be as great a bane as it was once a boon.
Well, Sarah thought. That was unexpected.