Kai stared at the sunny wheat fields that towered before him, the strange wheat whistled when the wind caressed the flute-like tips. This was where Matt had led them, saying his home lay within. It looked different from what he’d seen in the sky when all this had started. Kai was on edge as they made their way through the wheat fields. He couldn’t see past the dense wheat, or tell which way he was going and part of him expected raptors to jump out at any moment. He glanced at Matt, who didn’t appear worried at all as he led them through.
“How can you t-tell where you are going?” Matt paused, opening and closing his mouth several times. “The sound of the wheat. Elder forbid I say more.”
Kai listened to the wheat whistling in the wind as they trudged on, but the soft chimes while pleasant indicated nothing to him. It was not long before Kai spotted a giant tree. Though now that he was closer, he could see he had been mistaken. Hundreds of white mushroom stalks as thick as trees led his awe-struck eyes into a canopy of hundreds of mushroom heads that drooped like pancakes. The sun laced through them like apricot jam and dappled the forest floor below in warm colours and shade.
When he exited the rustling wheat fields Kai saw the Rakin village. Wheat fields surrounded the small mushroom village protectively, the village’s wood and wheat homes were built into the mushroom stalks like they were part of them. The Rakin were garbed in colourful clothes and milling about. Blue mushrooms were littered around the village that reminded him of upside-down umbrellas, clear water held within, probably from rain. However his eyes were drawn to the central stalk the village had been built out from. It was as thick as a whale and had strange leaves the colour of blueberry jam.
“We call the big one in the middle the Hearthshroom!” Matthias said, pointing and beaming with pride.
Every Rakin had paused their work, and in the case of the children, their pranks to stop and stare at the three of them with curious expressions. Kai turned his attention to the small contingent of Rakin approaching them with spears and held up his hands in a gesture of peace.
“Matthias! Where have you been?” shrieked a Rakin with a hat that reminded him of a tea-cosy, triangular ears poked through slits on the sides.
“Denmother!” Matt said, excitement fading as his eyes shifted to the nearly empty burlap sack by his shuffling feet. “I was out with Ruawen.” After a moment he looked up, his bravery only betrayed by the quivering of his lip.
“He… he didn’t make it.”
Matt pointed to Kai and Algrom.
Kai tensed in apprehension as butterflies swarmed his stomach.
“They saved me,” Matt said.
Kai let out his breath, relaxing.
An elderly Rakin half his height sauntered up to him. The black stripes of her fur faded from age. Leaning on her gnarled wheat staff, she craned her neck upwards, squinting through bushy eyebrows. She smacked her lips together, as if she was preparing to deliver a speech or a lesson.
Kai knew the look well.
“Staring up hurts my neck!”
Kai’s cheeks flushed as he sat crossed legged on the sun dappled grass, eye-level with the elder in respect. It was familiar and he didn’t think much of the gesture.
Something cold and sharp pressed against his skin. The elder held a bone knife to his throat. His eyes widened in shock, his senses now on full alert.
“Welcome, stranger,” she said in a raspy voice, as she pocketed the knife. “You should be more careful, things aren’t always what they seem. I will give you this lesson freely.”
He recognised it for what it was, a threat to not take them lightly, a thinly veiled lesson.
“Gratitude for aiding young Matthias. It would be ungracious of us to not return the favour. Unfortunately we have our own problems to deal with—”
Kai observed an absence of armed Rakin. Those he saw looked injured, possibly the reason she felt the need for a display of strength.
“—But, we can offer food and shelter for a time, if you require?”
Her nose wrinkled as she turned from him. “But first you bathe.”
“Thank you, I would ap-appreciate that,” Kai said. Okay the next person who tells me how much I stink is getting punched. Forgive me for not carrying spare clothes in case there was an apocalypse and I got trapped underground fighting for survival!
Kai wasn’t small enough to bathe in the blue umbrella mushrooms like the Rakin, so he used it as a bucket and with a sponge managed to eventually scrub himself clean. Dried filth and blood washed off like layers of mud to reveal lean muscle beneath. Scars had collected like faded stars all over his body. He ran his hand over each one, each reminding him of a story, a story that said he survived.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Kai stifled a chuckle as he watched disgruntled Rakin carry away several mushrooms full of grime. Any sense of feeling bad was washed away from the heavenly feeling of fresh water on his skin as he bathed. He also shaved his hair and trimmed his beard using a dagger Algrom lent him. He nicked himself once or twice, noticing his body barely bled from small scratches anymore.
The Rakin provided him with a fine wheat kilt to temporarily wear while they washed his fur pants and the shirt Algrom had given him. He suspected the kilt was a rushed conversion from a carpet or a curtain to fit his size. It was itchy and uncomfortable.
After he was done bathing, Matthias guided Kai and Algrom up wooden stairs that circled a white mushroom stalk. The three now stood on a wood deck beneath the expansive mushroom canopy on the outskirts of the village.
“This can be your room, you won’t really fit inside our homes,” Matthias said jovially. “Better hope it doesn’t rain.” Then with a grin Matt handed Kai and Algrom a delicious-looking cake. His stomach’s rumble was drowned by Algrom’s. Kai bit down, only to discover it was a well disguised wheat-sponge. The one he’d cleaned himself with.
Kai gave Matt a ‘what-the-hell’ glare as he spat it out.
“The one thing you don’t m-mess with is a man’s food!” Kai said, levelling a cold stare at Matt.
“Aye!” Algrom spluttered, his face red.
Honey? Kura helpfully chimed in his head.
Matthias scurried away. Not a moment later, raucous laughter echoed up the stairs. The scamp is showing off to his friends hey? To his credit, Matthias did return with three large pies and the three of them devoured the fresh pies in moments, leaving pastry flakes everywhere. Easily the most scrumptious mushroom pie he’d ever eaten.
Kai spent the rest of the day exploring the village and speaking with Matthias. The Rakin dreamed of becoming what sounded like a pirate to him. A treasure seeker with a wind-based aura. They discussed how one might understand air better and Kai freely shared what he’d learnt from the heritage crystal. Matt spoke excitedly while brandishing an imaginary sword and swishing wildly at the air.
The next morning the first thing Kai did was find and change back into his clean clothes. He hoped the rash from the thatch would disappear soon. After that he continued his physical training routine under the dappled shade of the mushroom canopy. He added water to his experiments now that he had access to some and grinned in satisfaction when a particular movement felt familiar. His palm uppercut the underside of a mushroom filled with water. He watched the water fountain into the mushroom canopy eighty feet above him, wetting the wooden deck as it sprinkled down.
Kai pumped his fist. “Yes!”
His cheeks flushed as he looked around to see if anyone had seen his emotional outburst. Algrom waved back at him while wiggling his infuriatingly thick—and wet—caterpillar eyebrows in a way that said: ‘I saw that’.
Kai rubbed his neck. Probably a good time to stop, my muscles are tired.
***
Algrom watched Kai train. The way the scruffy human flowed between forms reminded him of the legendary smiths back home when they sculpted molten sun-metal in the air.
He wasn’t sure if Kai would make a good harvest but he had watered the seed. The man seemed to be facing some internal struggle. Some people are lost in their fires, others are forged in them. He’d learnt from experience that nothing was stronger than a broken man rebuilding himself. Kai appeared to be going through this process. He looked out at the Rakin village; perhaps a nudge was in order.
Algrom sighed. Either way, he couldn’t put all his faith in one sapling. Under no circumstances could he fail his mission for the Gardeners again. He looked at his charcoal leg. He had to plant more seeds, even if he would never be able to sit under their shade. Time to leave, he thought sadly.
***
Kai watched Algrom stand up and stretch, the gold sun-metal in his beard jingled.
“There are some things I need to take care of,” Algrom announced.
Kai looked at him in surprise, “…what?”
“Just keep getting stronger before the first trial ends and focus on the bonus objectives.” Algrom made deliberate eye contact with Kai. “Trust me, you don’t want to fail. If all goes well I should return before the trial ends.”
Guess he figured out I’m in the trial. But what's his angle? I should be more careful. Kai was disappointed that Algrom wanted to leave. It wasn’t like they were buddies, but the company had been pleasant and he felt a kindred spirit in Algrom for some reason. There was still so much he wanted to ask. However getting stronger needed to be his current priority; every action he took increased his trial token total and thus his position.
Kai reached out his hand as Algrom turned to leave. “Wait…what actually happens if I fail to reach the top 3000?”
“Each reaping is different, but you will surely die and your immortal soul will be stripped bare before the infinite void and cycled into something else.” Algrom shivered.
Kai gaped at Algrom, things clicking into place. “Does that include Primals?”
Algrom nodded at Kai, an impressed look on his face. “Yes, souls of fallen hunters, driven mad from too many cycle rebirths.”
Kai nodded along. “So th-that’s what the grand order of the Infinite Void stands for?” The concept of an infinite cycle blew his mind, though what was the void part about?
“And it was different before this…collapse you mentioned before?” Kai said.
Algrom scratched his beard. “Supposedly, never met anyone who’s been alive that long.”
Kai wasn’t really sure if this information changed anything for him. Was it a good thing? A bad thing? Just the cycle of life? The reasoning of the system was beyond him, so he put it aside for now.
Kura, are you okay?
Yes yes! She sent him an image of her snoozing on piles of crystals and treasure. Maybe her sense of self would change as she evolved? Lost in his own thoughts again, he almost missed Algrom leaving.
Kai gave an awkward wave. “See you later and thanks for the shirt.”
Algrom waggled goodbye with his caterpillar eyebrows.