James woke to the sound of his mother calling for him and the smell of her famous oatcakes floating up the stairs. He bolted upright in bed. Today was the day! He threw on some clothes and ran down the stairs, skipping the last 4. He found the kitchen filled with people.
"Happy birthday!" They all shouted.
James grinned. Today was his 18th birthday, the most important day in his life. Today he would find his compass treasure, the guiding direction for his life.
"Well? Come on! Check!" His brother Jordan called out.
James smiled and opened his menu. It showed up as a small table in the corner of his eye.
James Boksae
HP: 100/100
STR: 8
CON: 10
DEX: 13
Compass pending
It looked the same as last night, except for that last line. He grinned as he announced it to the room. "Compass … pending!"
The room broke out in cheers. It was extremely rare that someone didn't get to find their compass treasure on their 18th birthday, but it had happened. But now that his compass was pending, he was definitely going to do his compass challenge today.
The compass challenge was the transition from childhood to adulthood. Once you had your compass, you could join the village meetings, you had a vote in the running of the village, and you were considered an adult. The challenge was the same for everyone. You went into the forest by the village totally alone, and you came back with your compass treasure. Or not at all. Most people wouldn't talk about their challenges, but James had heard a few.
The village apothecary said she had been terrified to enter into the woods. She had found a rare herb within minutes. Rumor had it she'd never left the village again, but there was no better apothecarian within 100 miles. James hadn't ever heard her tell anyone what benefits her compass gave her, but everyone said her products had a bit more oomph than they should have, and they always seemed to be exactly what you needed.
The village blacksmith had planned to be a warrior, but as he walked through the forest looking for something noteworthy to fight, he saw a small diamond sitting slightly in the rock. Knowing the value of even a small diamond, he slowly chipped away the rock around the gem until he had freed it completely. As he freed the diamond, there was a small chunk of ore that dislodged with it. The blacksmith swore that at that moment, the metal in the ore looked more beautiful than the diamond he had just freed. He also swore that once he picked up the ore, the diamond disappeared, but he never could explain how he had the money to build the best smithy within a week’s ride. Nor could he explain the wizard who came a few weeks later and scoured the forest for any more of the precious gems, just to leave empty-handed. Again, James didn't know what benefit the blacksmith gained from that little piece of ore, but the things he crafted always seemed to stay a bit sharper or last a bit longer than things from other blacksmiths.
The only one in the village who knew everyone's compasses was the chief, and he used them to help assign tasks to the villagers. Each treasure gave some kind of benefit to the person, and the village chief was in charge of maximizing the benefits to the village, while still letting the villagers primarily run their own life.
James didn't know what his father’s compass was, but he wanted to do the same thing as his father. Hunting in the forest to supplement the village's meat supply. He had been going out with his father since he was small, and he knew the forest well. Their family also had a small farm, but James enjoyed his time in the forest much more than the time farming. He knew all of the best places to find the deer in the forest, and he had made his own spear. That was one of the rules of the compass challenge. You could only take things you had made with your own two hands. Anyone who disobeyed that rule … never returned.
All of this rushed through his mind as he went to sit down and eat. Everyone dug into the meal his mother had cooked. It was as delicious as always, and James mouthed a quick "thank you" to his mother where she stood by the stove, before he started joking with his friends who had come to celebrate his special day. Most of the jokes and comments pertained to James' soon-to-be-revealed compass.
"I bet James gets a bird feather! When he runs, he practically flies!"
"No, he's going to get a tuft of squirrel fur! Remember the other day when he climbed the tree?"
"You're crazy! It's going to be a wolf claw. Remember when we tried to hide from him in the forest? He found every one of us!"
"No, it will be a panther fang! When James tries to be sneaky, you never even hear him coming!"
James smiled as his friends argued about what his compass would be. He was one of the fastest in the village with a dexterity score of 13, so there was a good chance it would be something like they were guessing. With a below average strength of 8 it likely wasn't going to be anything involving strength, but you never knew. Sometimes people came back with a compass that surprised everyone. And, usually, no one ever actually knew what you came back with. It was frowned upon to share what you had gotten for a treasure, and sharing the boost it gave you was practically as bad as running through town naked. No respectable person would do so. Still, despite the fact that James likely wouldn't share what his treasure was with almost anyone there, they all joked about what it was going to be.
As James was laughing with his friends, he noticed his father standing on the stairs. His father smiled and beckoned for James to come upstairs with him. James quickly excused himself from the table and hurried up to his parents' bedroom. His dad was sitting on the bed, and patted next to him. As James sat down, his father put his arm around James and smiled. "Nervous?"
James nodded. "A little bit." After all the time in the forest with just the two of them, they had both gotten very good at picking up on when the other was tense. Which was good when one of them spotted a deer and the other immediately stopped, but it also meant his dad had instantly picked up on James’s hopefully well-hidden nerves.
"I know a bit of what you're feeling." James' dad smiled. "Have I told you the story of my challenge?"
James shook his head. He'd wondered for a long time, but his dad hadn't ever even given any hints during their long trips in the woods.
His dad's eyes got the faraway look they did when he told a story. "When I was your age, I was a cocky little bugger. I just knew I was going to grow up to be a great warrior like those in the stories. As added incentive, I had a girl I needed to impress." He winked at James. "Your mother was just as beautiful back then as she is now, and talking to her was one thing I never had the courage to do. I figured if I came home as a mighty warrior she would definitely take notice and I could start talking to her. I crafted a spear, just like you, though mine wasn't as well built. I wanted to fight a wolf, bringing back its fang or claw as my compass. I was sure I was ready, but I still had the biggest butterflies in my stomach you can imagine."
James and his dad both laughed. "I was pretty nervous. Still, I had your mom to impress, so when the time came, I walked straight into the forest, brave as brave could be. At least, on the outside. Then, as I got out among the trees, I started to relax. I started just enjoying my time out in the forest, walking on the same paths I'd wandered so many times before. The weather was perfect, and I had a bit of a walk before me to get to the place I was hoping to find a wolf."
James could see in his mind's eye his father softly walking through the forest, enjoying the weather.
"I spent the afternoon traveling in the forest, spent the night in an abandoned cave and ate some berries I'd found as I was walking. At this point I was mostly just enjoying my time in the forest. I kept walking towards the place I'd heard you could find wolves. As I was walking through a clearing, I heard a small growl off to the left. Instantly alert, I spun around, pointing my spear at the sound.
"Slowly, out of the shadows of the bushes at the edge of the clearing, crept a massive wolf. It was an alpha."
James’s eyes widened. An alpha would be stronger, faster, and harder to kill than a normal wolf.
"I knew I wasn't going to be able to outrun it, and it was clearly not about to let me go, which left me with one option. I was no longer so excited about getting to fight a wolf. I kept the spear between the wolf and I until I had the perfect shot. I stabbed, aiming for the eye! The wolf snapped its head around and caught my spear in its mouth, snapping it with a firm twist."
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By this point, James was sitting on the very edge of the bed, eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"I knew I was dead. I was left holding a stick about the length of my forearm. The wolf started walking toward me, when suddenly a blur flew past its head. It snapped at it, but then quickly refocused on me. Again the thing, which I could now see was a forest bluebird that had been following me for a few hours, attacked the wolf, distracting it. Again and again the bird attacked, getting the wolf completely distracted from me. As I backed away to the edge of the clearing, all thoughts of a compass treasure forgotten in hopes for survival, the inevitable occurred. The wolf managed to get a blow in on the bird, pulling out some tail feathers. Steering compromised, the bird crashed into a bush. By this point the wolf had completely forgotten about me.
"Still, as it stalked toward the bush, I knew I had to do something. After all, any good deed should be repaid in kind."
James realized that was where one of his dad's favorite phrases came from.
"I knew my flimsy stick wasn't going to do anything to a wolf of this size, but as I looked at it, I noticed a large rock. It was just the right size to fit in one hand. I picked it up, and as quietly as I could I snuck towards the wolf. It was so preoccupied with the bird that had so irritated it that it had forgotten all about me. As soon as I got close, I leaped!"
At this point James was barely even sitting on the bed, he was basically standing as the adrenaline from the story rushed through him. His father was an incredible storyteller, and this one he did even better than most.
"As I was flying through the air, the wolf finally realized something was wrong, but it was too late. My first blow hit the wolf right on the head, stunning it. I smashed the rock into its head over and over, until finally it was dead. Then a few more times for good measure. Certain it was no longer a problem, I went to check on the bluebird, but as I turned away, I noticed something. The wolf's fang was glistening a beautiful mother-of-pearl, and I knew it would be my compass treasure.
"As I went to check on the bluebird, leaving the fang for later, I found nothing. Despite the noises that had been coming from the bush just moments before that had covered the sounds of my approach, the bird was nowhere to be found. Confused, I turned back to the wolf, only to see something flutter to the ground from the corner of my eye. It was one of the bluebird's tail feathers, pulled out by the wolf. It also glimmered a beautiful mother-of-pearl, and I realized it could also be my compass treasure. I'd never heard of someone with multiple treasures, but then I realized. I didn't get both, I could choose. After all, we are the ones in charge of our path, even with a compass."
James noticed another of his father’s favorite sayings: "We choose our own path."
"I could take the fang, and return a great warrior, just as I'd desired. But having experienced an actual fight for my life, that suddenly felt far less appealing. And then I thought about the last two days. I truly loved the woods, and I got the sense that having the feather as my compass would lead me to spending far more time in the forest. I looked one more time at the fang, thinking of your mother, who I so desperately wanted to impress. But I knew what I wanted. I picked up the feather, and when I turned around, the wolf was gone."
James’s father pulled a small necklace from under his shirt. On the end of the necklace was the tail feather of a forest bluebird. "This is that feather. I returned to the village, and told the chief of my challenge, as you will to the current chief when you return. He looked at me and kindly said, 'My boy, you will spend your days in the forest hunting. However, if the time comes to defend the village, I know you will be ready to do what you must. Enjoy your time in the forest, my boy, and be ever prepared to defend what you love. My boy, today you have become a man.' From that time until now I have learned to hunt in the forest, and I have always tried to remain ready to defend the things, and more importantly, the people I love." He winked. "Not only that, but I somehow managed to get your mom to take notice of me! Sometimes the treasure you carry isn't as important as the person you are inside."
James sat staring at the feather dangling from the end of his father’s necklace. It wasn't what his father had been looking for, but it fit him so well. The freedom of a bird, and the courage of a forest bluebird defending its nest.
"Today, I know you have some hopes and dreams. But just remember that no matter what you bring back, we are proud of the person you are, and I'm sure we'll be proud of the man you become." He reached over and engulfed James in a massive hug, which James returned.
As they separated, his dad smiled and smacked him on the back. "That said, I know you'll bring back something impressive. You've prepared far better than I did."
He walked out, leaving James sitting on the bed, thinking about his dad's story. He did feel less stressed, but he still hoped he would bring back something that fit him as well as the feather fit his father.
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After a long relaxed breakfast full of joking and guessing about James' compass, the group filed outside to send James off. James grabbed his spear from where it was leaning next to the door. He felt the stone of the tip, then examined it.
Wooden spear
Durability: 15/15
Sharpness: 2
Weight: 5 lbs
James smiled. It had taken many tries to get a tip sharp enough to get a sharpness of 2, and he had looked for weeks to find the perfect branch to get a durability of 15. Most of his attempts at a shaft had durability between 5 and 10, and his first attempts at a spearhead didn't even have the sharpness property. He probably wouldn't need to make any more spearheads, but it was good to know that he could if he had to now.
As they walked towards the forest, his older brother slid up to him. "You'll do great." He whispered before he continued joking and laughing with everyone. James was glad everyone was so confident, because the more he realized that he was actually about to start his challenge, the more nervous he got.
They reached the edge of the forest, and James gave his father and mother a hug. As he tried to let go of his mom, she squeezed him one more time and whispered in his ear. "Go get 'em, buddy." James gave her a squeeze back. His mom wasn't usually very vocal around groups, but he knew she loved him and was proud of him.
He walked into the forest, adrenaline pumping. It wasn't even the first time he'd gone into the forest alone, but today just felt different. Then he passed the luck tree. It was a tree that they always passed on the way out of town and rubbed for good luck. They'd rubbed it so many times that part of the bark was worn smooth. As he rubbed the spot, he felt some of his nerves slipping away.
As he walked through the forest on the paths he knew so well, he started to relax and enjoy the good weather. He was glad he'd been born in the summer, those who were born during the winter had a much harder time during their challenge. He enjoyed the sound of the leaves swishing in the breeze, the birds singing in the trees, and the smell of the flowers he passed. As he walked, he remembered lessons taught by his father.
"Son," James remembered his father saying, "in the village we bend mother nature to our will, and she allows it. Here in the forest, we must follow her rules. To survive in the forest, you must become part of the forest. Listen to the birds. They each have something to tell you. Are they alarmed? Perhaps a predator is near. Watch the grass. Is it trampled? Is it tall and strong? Has it been grazed recently? Each tells a different story. When in the forest, you leave all other cares behind, and become a creature of the forest."
James listened to the birds. Those close to him were alarmed, most likely due to his presence, and those further away were acting normal. He studied the grass. It had been grazed this morning, and whatever had been grazing wasn’t in a hurry. He looked under the grass, parting it with a finger. The ground was moist, there would be footprints. He saw prints of deer, as well as fresher prints of a large elk. The prints weren’t made while running from a predator, so James was likely safe. Still, he remained alert as he traveled.
"Son," he remembered from his first lesson from his father, "the forest will always surprise you. Always be ready for anything." James thought about his father’s compass challenge, and wondered how much that fed into the lessons his father had taught him. It was good advice, and had served James well, so he intended to continue following it.
His first destination was a small lake a little under a day's travel from the village. As he walked he ate some berries he found along the path. It wasn't much, but he was still fairly full from breakfast that morning. He hiked all day, and as the sun was setting he climbed into a large tree and lodged himself between a few branches. He had long ago learned how to sleep without moving, so there was little chance of him falling out. He drifted peacefully off to sleep to the sounds of the crickets chirping.
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The next morning, James woke before the sun was up. He kept moving towards the lake, always keeping alert for signs of prey. He was feeling antsy again, but he wasn't sure why. He stayed low, pausing often to listen for sounds in the undergrowth. His father's story was in the forefront of his mind as he stayed alert for anything that might try to ambush him. Then he remembered another of his father’s lessons.
"The animals of the forest have far better senses than we do. When the animals act as though something is wrong, believe them. Prepare."
James listened to the forest. Nothing. Not a bird, not a critter, not even the crickets were chirping. James had never heard the forest this quiet. He thought back to his walk. He hadn't seen a hide or hair of a single animal all morning. He stood still, watching and listening for anything that could've scared all of the forest animals. Nothing. The underbrush was thick here, making it hard to maneuver his spear. He remembered a large outcropping of rock at the lake, which would give anything attacking him only one path, and no cover to mess with his spear.
He started walking towards the lake, but even more cautiously than before. He knew he could be walking right into an ambush, but the other option was to just stand there, and this way at least he had a destination. As he was walking, he noticed something else. The forest smelled different than it had the night before. He stopped and breathed in deeply, trying to pinpoint the smell.
Smoke! There was a smell of smoke in the forest that hadn't been there the night before. Was that the reason? Was there a forest fire? He thought back to the forest fire that had happened 3 years before. When that had happened, the animals all stampeded through the forest, not even stopping when they came to the village. They just wanted to escape the fire. That didn't match their behavior now at all.
The presence of smoke made the lake an even more appealing destination, so he kept moving towards the lake. As he moved, the smell of smoke kept getting stronger. Slowly the miles dwindled, the smell of smoke growing by the minute. By the time he reached the border of the forest by the lake, the smell of smoke was so strong it reminded him of sitting next to a big fire and the wind blowing suddenly in your face.
James crouched by a large bush and looked out over the lake. The outcropping was almost directly in front of him, and he couldn't see any smoke. Actually, he realized he hadn't seen any smoke all morning! He'd only smelled it. With how strong the smell of smoke was, it should've been getting hard to breathe, and he realized his eyes hadn't even been watering. Confused, he looked up over the lake to see if he could find any source of the smell. Nothing. Until suddenly the bush next to him burst into flames!