I used to get so annoyed, being woken up at the crack of dawn by the incessant high-pitched chirping of various feathered creatures. Made a good alarm clock, but mostly just disturbed my morning lie-in. Now, imagine this. I am able to sleep through birds chirping, dogs barking and cats meowing, yet in their absence I am unable to catch a short nap without feeling that the silence is oppressive. Part of it is just the suddenness of the change, the sort you adapt to quickly enough, I can cope with that. What concerns me greatly to the point of not being able to sleep for an entire night is that I don't know what threats are out there.

Yesterday taught me a lesson; unlike the first battle which I foolishly threw myself into, the second one was an unprovoked attack. Well, there might have been territory issues, predators often do, but after piecing together the fragmented memories of the initial engagements I can only come to one conclusion. Both those vines were hunting, albeit in alternate ways.

The Toltec Rubber Vine located itself near a plant it knew affected people’s minds, and waited patiently for its prey to weaken and effectively deliver themselves right into an eager mouth. The Thornstorm Rubber Vine though, was seeking out its next meal in an active manner. That or it was watching that particular stretch of path hoping to catch the unwary traveler. The overall conclusion? Staying out of troubles way won't cut it if I am to survive the next two days until the Inn. Because trouble will come and find me; I'll have to be extra cautious. But that in itself is near impossible while forcing myself to stay awake through willpower alone.

And what about the future supposing I manage to reach the Inn? It's not like everything will suddenly be perfect, and my funds are as limited as my rations. I should probably be thinking up a plan, but knowing so little my current train of thought involves becoming an adventurer. Pretty typical, I know. Defeat the monsters and selling the drops gathered is the modus operandi of quite a few of the novels I've read, I'm just not sure how it will pan out when I am the one putting myself in danger day after day.

Healing is out of the question, at least until I can drastically improve MP consumption/reserves and my overall repertoire. I mean I'll ask about the prices charged by healers, but it took an age to cure the relatively deep cut on my thigh - small heal having to be cast countless times. Unless healing is seriously rare and lucrative I won't be able to eke out a living. And even then I don't want to be living day to day! I like financial security thank you very much, and some degree of comfort in my daily life. Like a soft bed... I want a soft bed I can curl up and sleep in. So tired...

Fighting back the urge to close my eyes - that patch of grass looked so soft and inviting - I continue to walk. And come to the conclusion that no mini-map is complete without the ability to show enemies positions on it. That's right, as if a monster a day isn't enough combat, two monsters appear at once. At least this time I had advance warning, I could hear their heavier than normal footsteps some distance off. Though this could be bad - if they are that heavy then, well I'd say I'm in trouble but quite frankly I've told myself that so many times it's lost some of its effect.

Spin around, draw sword without fumbling, and succeed in positioning myself defensively. Or at least semi-defensively, since all of my knowledge is largely theoretical. I know from fight scenes that I need to 'keep my guard up' and 'not leave any openings', but fantasy books don't exactly provide step by step instructions on how to fight. No, they focus on the thrilling bits, leaving me with general tips which I have absolutely no knowledge on how to implement. But standing with my legs apart for better balance and holding the sword in the stance I saw in a movie is better than nothing. Even if it is the opposite of good, and is actually detrimental to my chances of survival, at least I feel more confident, not to mention secure having a sword between me and them.

Speaking of which I can see them clearly now. The good news; the attackers are both normal human sized, the heavy footsteps were clumsiness. The bad news; they are terrifying. Ragged black tatters are insufficient to cover their straw and wood frame. Scarecrows. Mobile scarecrows with pumpkin heads and a fire burning within, causing their eyes to glow. Scary... I really don't want to know whether they can breathe fire. The first priority is, however, to not get within reach of the enormous scythes they carry.

But how can I defeat them? Not with the sword, that much is guaranteed. With the scythes handle being over two meters long I cannot get within hitting difference without risking a blow. They come as a pair as well, even if they aren't faking and their approach really is slow due to low maneuverability, I can't hold out. Wind magic it is, though why have they paused as soon as I begin my chant? I get the feeling this is vital information, but if I stop now I'll have wasted a good chunk of MP. Please, please, please don't let this be a trap I won't be able to escape.

"Magic merge with wind and meld unto. Arc over the skies [Wind Arrow]!"

At exactly the same time a fireball launches from the cut out mouth of one while the other shuffles towards me, scythe swaying back and forth due to the uneven gait. Remembering a trick used in the middle ages I swing my sword, not at the pumpkin headed monster, but at the handle of the scythe. Clang! The sound of metal hitting metal resonates, and I take a step backwards, arm throbbing with pain. It was supposed to have a wooden handle, one that I could cut through! That attack was going to have removed the mid-range threat from one of them at least, not leave me with my arm, my dominant arm which I use to wield the sword at that, out of commission.

Taking a few hastier steps in order to complete my retreat, I can at least rest assured that the fireball launching one is in no position to attack. When our spells collided midair the momentum of mine must have been greater, that or the power. Because from what I can deduce the fireball was blown backwards such a way away that it wound up reversing its path and striking its own caster. Pumpkin head number two is flopping miserably on the path, by this point all of its body is ablaze.

I would take a moment to gloat, but pumpkin head number one is heading straight for me. Dodging the strike is not exactly simple, but I've endured worse. What matters is that the giant blade is almost halfway embedded into the ground, and its dry sunbaked mud, much harder than the turf on the side. So high strength, fire magic attacks and low speed. A ratio of two bad things to one good thing. Not really my cup of tea at all. Or kettle of fish for that matter. Stupid sayings.

Another direct physical attack would be impossible; magic will have to take its place in this round. And there is a perfect opening right now which will maximize the damage done. Since the scythe blade has gotten stuck - due to how deep it managed to bury itself in the earth, pumpkin one is slowly but surely pulling it out. A wind arrow is produced on my command, and drills right through the orange head, exploding it. Collapsing in a heap, that telltale glow indicated that this particular enemy is permanently taken care of.

Despite this I don't feel relieved in the slightest. I guess I've learnt the hard way about not letting my guard down even when supposedly safe. And that is nothing compared to letting my guard down when there is still an alive enemy to face. Gripping my sword awkwardly with my left hand, I maneuver so I can attack the smoldering pumpkin from behind. If it spits out fireballs through its mouth it could very well have prepared one in order to take me down with it. I've experienced that once already, and I know what is said about falling for the same trick twice.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

A few clumsy hacks and two aching arms in place of one later, it has finally perished. These things are oddly resilient, because even accounting for the use of my non-dominant hand it still took me an inordinate amount of time before I could kill it. Is the head a weak spot? Or maybe it's especially vulnerable to wind magic? I can’t tell without testing the theory in another battle. Okay, hopefully that is not something that is going to happen!

2 Hallowcrows: Level 1: Defeated

You have gained [Ordinary Pumpkin] x1

You have gained [Small Pumpkin] x1

You have gained 30 XP

You have gained 0.01 Character Points

Well, that's annoying, they were only worth half of the vines value in terms of character points. But at least I won't be starving anytime soon now that there's two pumpkins in my inventory. Blegh, pumpkin. Tastes horrid but is literally better than nothing. Speaking of nothing, why is there no progress in my level! Level 0! That's what it still says next to the experience count! And the status is working, because it shows I have 70 XP... maybe I have to get to 100 XP in order to level?

I simply don't know what to do. On one hand levelling up could give me an advantage not only on the road, but when I reach Yarrow. On the other I've had my fill of excitement - read danger - for now and could do with a trouble free finish for my journey. Actually I do know what to do, neither of those options. I'll continue travelling and if I encounter a monster, its fighting time regardless of what I wish. Simply don't go looking for trouble in order to level up faster. Knowing my luck trouble will come sooner or later in any case.

Finally, my arm is healed and pain free, I managed to walk the required distance today and best of all, I got to see a change in scenery! Not in the trees, though there might be some minor distinction in the various species that I haven't noticed, nor in the path, which is the same old dirt track it was at the beginning. What stands out as different from before is the presence of another dirt track which merges with my current one, increasing its width. Before a single car would be the only vehicle that could pass with any semblance of ease. The combined road, now large enough to be called as such, can accommodate two lanes of traffic. I'm guessing that it's one going each way but since there aren't any lines it could be that I'm in the wrong.

After another hour of walking I notice something, or rather two somethings. The first is that my feet aren't hurting quite so much, and have less blisters than on the first day, thank goodness. The second is the first sign of human life that I have seen with my own eyes. If you discount the mini-maps labels that is, which I for one do. A dot on a map is hardly comparable to actually being in a town amid the hustle and bustle of daily life. That is why the sight of wheel marks on the dampened ground of the river bank are a refreshing thing to note down. Upon closer inspection there are hoof prints as well.

I'm hardly going to catch up with a horse drawn cart or carriage, my legs can only carry me so far and I have limited stamina to consider as well. But the tracks are fresh so there might be another one coming along. Is hitch-hiking a common enough practice to chance trying to get a lift? Not really, stranger danger and all that is big enough in the modern world, let alone some fantasy one. I'd probably be mistaken for a highwayman, if what I recall of history lessons are correct. Didn't they use to stand in the middle of the road to get carriages to stop? Just the possibility of that misunderstanding is setting off my extreme risk radar like anything.

So after a quick wash and refilling my water skin I continue walking until a gentle thudding makes itself known. Squinting into the distance reveals that something is approaching me from the opposite direction, too soon to tell what though. Apart from moving to the side of the road to avoid getting run over I do nothing else. As much as I would feel better having a sword in my hand and ready to fend off potentially hostile parties I also need certain bits of information. Like, is the language I gained comprehension in actually spoken here. And an idea of prices for various goods from a neutral perspective would always come in handy. Otherwise I could end up being scammed out of everything.

The distant object is getting closer, no dust cloud so it's not travelling too fast. Well, now I can see the reason for that, the wagon isn't overloaded but with only a single donkey pulling the entire weight... No, there is no way that is a donkey! The stocky build generally resembles a small horse, enough that I made the initial connection. But when it whinnies, long and lethal looking canines are revealed from a mouth which common sense says should not be able to open that wide.

Calm down, calm down, and take a deep breath. I’ve endured worse. Though… at least then I was expecting something different, something strange. Giving me a familiar animal and it turning out to be most likely a carnivore, from the drool dripping off of each fang is not playing fair. The driver is eying me now, the suspicious person walking casually along the road in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully it seems to be more of a vigilant look than a hostile one, and if he doesn’t initiate an attack I won’t either.

Their speed might be a total of 3-4 miles per hour by my standards, enough for me to outrun them temporarily. Then a picture of rhinoceros’ pops into my head, those things can charge much faster than you’d think. So nope, I’m not starting a fight anytime soon. It’s just I wonder, what's in those sacks? There has to be a few dozens of them. Not going to ask, that would be a very bandit like thing to do in order to confirm a prey’s cargo, but I’ll admit it, I would really like to speak to another human being right now. Plus, a travel time estimate from a local would be great.

Ugh, stupid sense of loneliness, it's overriding my common sense. Just… Timing, it's all in the timing. And attitude, can't forget the manner of speaking. It's now or never, they’ll pass me in a bit, so while still a fair distance away I call out to the wagons driver.

"How far is it to Yarrow?"

"…"

The ensuing silence is awkward, until I realize that the man has slowed the donkey-thing's pace to a crawl in order to answer.

"Three days on foot from here. Any monsters on the road?"

Ah, a trade of sorts. Good thing I remember the monster’s names.

"Encountered some Rubber Vines and Hallowcrows, but I took care of them."

His expression doesn't change. Good news or bad?

"Safe travels."

"The same to you."

And with that serving as a goodbye he prods the beast to plod along at its normal pace, clearly reluctant to linger. I'm satisfied though, the information he gave me about travel time matches the distance shown on the mini-map. Best of all is the fact that I had an understandable conversation with a local, so what if it was only a few words and sounded exactly like English to me? I can communicate! Wish it was this easy to learn French at school... not that my mangling of the accent that drove the teacher to despair matters here.

Though French did have one particular advantage I may not have here - the same alphabet. Which would be troublesome in the extreme, but not something to worry about now since it's not something I can deal with prior to reaching my destination. Time is passing by pretty slowly while walking. So boring. I didn't realize how much I needed to talk to someone until a short while ago, but because even that matter of fact exchange is a breath of fresh air, it's definitely the case. I've never gone so long without communication, even when holed up playing video games I had internet access and email/chat as a result. That's without including the wonderful invention called a mobile phone, which I'm guessing don't exist here if they are using horse, or donkey, or whatever-that-was-called power to get around.

The sky is getting dark now, another inconvenience from not having modern technology. No lampposts. I'd try to start a fire, I'm pretty sure I could by rubbing the sticks together. Then again fire safety in my school consisted on how to use the fire extinguisher and get away safely. Not once was how to make a safe fire in a forest that would not end up setting all the trees ablaze mentioned. So I'll have to make do without a light or a heat source. Except for the moon, which is full and somewhat luminous. But it's full too, and isn't that great! All those horror movies about werewolves spring to mind, and the shadows are starting to look decidedly sinister.

Flinching at what turns out to be another tree branch waving in the wind, I try to sleep. If a solo traveler can drive his wagon down the road alone then he's probably sleeping outside as well. He could not be, now that I give the matter some serious thought his pace is a lot faster than mine, and he could be headed down the other path, the one I originally found myself standing on. Hindsight - how I hate you! And my aching body, I promise that this will be my last time sleeping under the stars for now, tomorrow I will have food and a bed, and a lack of worry due to being in an actual building!

Wait? What was that?