Matthew’s POV
The forest was alive with sound, as the various woodland creatures were slowly awoken by the oncoming dawn. Matthew studied the land from a distance, noticing the open fields that swayed in the morning light at the bottom of the mountain. He could just barely make out some smoke in the air, and wondered if anyone was living down there, amongst the grasses.
Either way, it would be a journey to get to the base of the mountain. They weren’t incredibly far up, but the slope was gradual, and covered in thick forest. Matthew wondered if the deer had any memory of the forest that could help him navigate. The deer did not respond with a vote of confidence.
New place, the deer told him.
Matthew sighed through the deer’s body and stepped further into the forest. The bat still flew above them, hovering. It seemed a little aimless or confused, not moving further than Matthew and the deer.
Aren’t bats nocturnal? Matthew thought. He looked up at the bat and its silhouette lit up in blue. Cave Bat: LVL 2 (Contracted)
Do you wish to end contract with Cave Bat (Lvl 2)?
YES NO
Yes, Matthew thought. The bat hovered for a few more seconds. Right when Matthew was about to move, the bat turned around and dipped into the cave, likely to return to its family. The blip that had been somewhat in the back of his mind dissipated and the bat was gone.
Huh. Well that was interesting.
They pressed further into the forest. Under the now-morning light, the lush land revealed itself. Towering oaks hung overhead, keeping them in the cool shade as they travelled. The earth was damp and covered in fallen leaves. Insects buzzed around them, and the deer occasionally swatted at them with its antlers. Above, the various songs of birds, some Matthew didn’t even recognize, flooded the treetops.
It was peaceful, a welcome feeling after the chaos Matthew had just experienced. He didn’t even know how much time had passed. How long ago had it been since he had passed from the last world to this one? Since he had lost everything? How long had he been a crystal shard, waiting in a cave for a creature to come and find him?
The pain was still there, the anger was still there, but Matthew had neither the time nor the energy to feed it.
Jack and Alice would have loved this forest. It was filled with all sorts of different and lush plants. There were flowers and bugs and all sorts of other small things he could see them putting in their pocket, knowing that their father would have to confiscate them before they got back in the car. All this place needed was a clean walking path and Matthew would have no problem envisioning his kids running up and down the mountain.
They hadn’t been able to go on a family hike in awhile, too busy with family stuff and the holidays. Matthew’s heart twisted in regret and pain.
What would he give for another day like that with his kids again?
They had been growing up to be such adventurous, smart kids, and Matthew had been so, so proud of them. How could all of that energy, all of that curiosity, just disappear from the world in the blink of an eye, in the jerk of a steering wheel?
His mind briefly flickered to the angel. The divine being had chosen to spare him, if being fused to a deer in an unfamiliar world could be considered mercy, but refused to do the same for his family. The being had brushed him off, ignoring his grief and confusion and throwing him into a world without not so much as an explanation.
How could you ignore someone who needed your help? How could you ignore kids in pain, in danger? Especially Jack and Alice. How could they be ignored and yet he was chosen?
Weren’t angels supposed to help people? Wasn’t their job to keep stuff like this happening in the first place? Weren’t they supposed to be comforting guardians that watched over you and made you feel safe?
Matthew wondered if it was watching him now.
Something rustled in the bushes nearby, and the deer jumped. Quickly, Matthew tried to get control and react. The deer tugged in the other direction, trying to run further into the woods. Matthew did everything he could to keep the deer from bolting into the bramble, and he strained the deer’s muscles in the other direction. They remained like that for a moment, each fighting the other’s command before the deer gave in and Matthew was able to force the deer’s body to look in the direction of the sound.
A small, russet-furred squirrel emerged from the bush. Its tail twitched and it cocked its head to study the two of them. Gray Squirrel: LVL 3. Matthew took a step towards it, and it quickly fled back into the bush and darted up a tree. He could just barely make out its form from a branch above.
The deer calmed down after a moment, and Matthew felt comfortable enough to share command once more. They travelled in as straight of a direction as they could, though Matthew yearned for a map or a compass of sorts to guide them. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in these woods, especially if there were more wolves. He didn’t think he and the deer could handle another onslaught, especially if the wolves came in the numbers that he had seen through the deer’s memories.
He could understand the deer’s jumpiness, but it was hard to reign the creature in when it came to a dangerous situation. What if that squirrel had actually been a wolf? The deer was fast, but it had been heading right into the bramble, where they would have scratched to pieces by thorny branches, if the wolf wasn’t able to catch up with them first. And they’d be defenceless locked up like that, frozen and just practically begging for an enemy to attack them.
You have to trust me, Matthew told the deer.
The only response he got was apprehension.
As they continued to explore, Matthew was getting more and more used to the interface? pop-ups? visual hallucinations? that appeared as he interacted with the world. When his eyes settled on a creature, or a type of plant, it would light up, and tell him what it was. Bluebirds, snakes, nettles, violets, thorn bushes, all of them revealed themselves to him. Some of the plants were even labelled with their healing or poisonous properties. At some point, Matthew even stumbled upon a berry bush that was labelled with healing properties. He was hesitant for a moment, but the deer seemed to recognize it, or at least know it was safe. It stripped the berries off the branches, and Matthew watched as the deer’s vitality increased, though it was only by a few points.
While there wasn’t a lot of information, some plants drew blanks or were unknown, Matthew didn’t feel like he had to worry about poisoning themselves. Not only that, but the deer seemed rather confident when it came to foraging, much more familiar with this world than him.
The deer stopped in a clearing. The sun lit up the verdant grass, and butterflies waved in and out of sunbeams, the light catching their vibrant wings. Large, moss-covered boulders stood, rooted deep in the earth. Some towered almost as high as a few of the trees, and others only came up to the deer’s knee.
Why’d we stop? Matthew asked the deer.
Learn, the deer responded, giving Matthew the reigns.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Matthew floundered for a moment, wondering what the deer meant, until he felt the magic buzzing in his veins once more. He looked to the rocks, and they became highlighted as his gaze flickered to each one, revealing themselves to him as targets. He took a step back, and let the magic form above his antlers.
This time, he saw a pop-up that he hadn’t seen previously. In the right corner of his vision, he saw a little box. Burst Attack (15 Mana). Next to it was a bar that appeared to be charging.
When the bar had completely filled in blue, Matthew could feel the ball of magic fully formed above the deer’s head. It glowed and writhed, waiting to be released. Targeting a tall, rectangular boulder, Matthew concentrated and let the beam of energy go. It collided with the rock, a little aways from where Matthew had intended it to hit. Either way, the stone crumbled, cracking from the force of the impact. It didn’t go completely through the stone, but a good part of the boulder was blasted away.
What happens if I release it and it isn’t at full charge, Matthew asked, preparing another Burst Attack. He was now able to see his Mana, and keep track of how many spells he could cast. It was a relieving to see it, as now he didn’t have to worry about running out mid-battle without knowing about it.
Weaker, the deer replied. Death,
Matthew let the spell go at half charge, aiming it for the tip of another boulder. The burst seemed a little more wild, missing the boulder completely. The light was less brilliant too, and the spell completely died out before it could make contact with the treeline.
Alright, that would make sense. The less time preparing a spell, the weaker and wilder it was. Now how long could you hold a spell?
Matthew charged up a Burst Attack to full, and then left the writhing energy crackling between the deer’s antlers. The repeated use of magic had brought back the black veins and antlers. Matthew could feel the core bury itself further into the deer. He knew that slowly, the more he and the deer interacted, the more the deer was changing, turning into some amalgamation of the both of him. In the back of his mind, the deer was sending waves of anxiety.
After the thirty-second mark, Matthew noticed his mana depleting as magic was poured into the attack to keep it alive. Not wanting to use it all up, Matthew let it discharge. It wasn’t any stronger or bigger, despite the added mana.
Well, at least he didn’t have to worry about a spell discharging because he had to hold it.
He moved closer to the boulders, hoping to replicate a few of the other spells cast. With hopeful curiosity, he tried to envision vines bursting from the ground. Black liquid pumped through the deer’s veins as he strained to pour magic into the spell.
Spell Locked
Matthew made a noise of frustration. Okay, no cool vines. He remembered the slamming spell the deer had done when surrounded by wolves, and tried that one too. He didn’t receive a pop up, but the spell didn’t seem to work.
Maybe that one had been a fluke, Matthew wondered. He remembered the deer’s surprise when it had been casted.
Lower than he wanted to be on Mana and not wanting to be caught unable to use magic, Matthew stepped away from the boulders. He could feel a little bit of exhaustion, but not enough to where he couldn’t continue their journey. It was a pleasant kind of exhaustion, still holding the giddiness of casting actual magic. The deer pushed him further down the mountain, and Matthew followed.
They exited the clearing, but just as Matthew and the deer broke through the treeline, red text appeared in front of him.
— ERROR EXPANDING DUNGEON —
Must Create Dungeon in Order to Expand. Suggestion from collective dungeon knowledge - The wondering must end.
Matthew stopped in his tracks, confused. What did it mean by a dungeon? They hadn’t stumbled across anything Matthew would describe as a dungeon. Weren’t those usually filled with monsters and stuff? Were they getting this popup because they were near one, also what the hell is up with this wondering business? Matthew didn’t really feel up to fighting through a whole dungeon, not after experimenting with spells and using up Mana.
He questioned the deer about it, hoping that it would maybe have an answer considering it understood more of this world than he did.
Confusion, the deer responded.
Yeah, Matthew was confused too, but he decided to keep pushing forward. If there was a dungeon around, it wasn’t like he’d stumble into it. There’d probably be another popup or he’d be able to see it. They needed water, and to get off the mountain, so Matthew would focus on that.
He tried asking the deer where to go, and he got faint glimpses of trees and bushes that matched the forest. The deer didn’t remember enough to guide them entirely out, but the forest wasn’t foreign. Some steps felt more familiar than others, some exactly reflected in the deer’s memories. It gave a weird sense of deja-vu, but both of them moved with a little more confidence. The deer didn’t show any memories of its family, and Matthew assumed that maybe they were a little too fresh to bring up.
As they pushed through the brush, the woods got thicker and thicker. The treetops were filled with singing birds. Matthew and the deer were constantly pausing to listen to motion around them, and at some point, Matthew even thought he saw a large snake slither past them, but he never got the blue highlight.
Not to mention that the air was thick with insects. Flies and mosquitos danced all around them, landing on various parts of the deer’s body and biting ferociously. The deer tried to flick them off, but the insects, visually highlighted in swarms, did not flinch. Many were attracted to the shining light in the deer’s chest, where the core sat. Matthew winced a couple of times when a large horsefly flew straight at the core. He was protected by the deer’s hide, but that didn’t stop the horsefly from biting in an attempt to get closer to the core.
In the thick woods, there was no clear way to tell your surroundings. He battled with the deer frequently on which direction to go, where to step, what plants to go around and which ones to try and step through. It made the walk even more exhausting.
But the worst part was the feeling of being exposed. Sure, right now the only thing attacking them were insects, but if something bigger were to sneak behind them, or flank them, Matthew wasn’t sure either one of them would be able to notice.
And Matthew was starting to wonder, with his luck, if they were even headed in the right direction.
Matthew wished he had some kind of protection, or at least, an extra set of eyes. Something that could get above the thick trees and scout for them.
The core swelled and sparked, light pulsing from the deer’s chest. The deer stopped as a ball of light formed, this time not from the deer’s antlers, but from in front of the deer itself. It was a small, glowing form that slowly gained colour. It began to move, almost hovering in place as it looked at the deer.
It was a small sparrow, greyish brown in colour, with accents of blue and black. Its eyes glowed the same blue as the core, and Matthew could make out the black veins pulsing underneath its feathers.
Dungeon Sparrow: Lvl 6
It flew around the deer and the core, catching a few bugs in its beak before landing on one of the deer’s antlers. It remained there, swallowing the insects before chirping contentedly.
It reminded Matthew of the contracted bat, but this one didn’t have an option to contract it, and Matthew wasn’t sure if he could control it. It had seemed like the creature had come from him, so he should have some connection.
Cautiously, he thought of the bird going forward.
The sparrow took off, and flew forward a couple of metres, stopping only for further instruction.
Controlling it was like controlling the deer, though the sparrow didn’t resist as much, if at all. He sent it up above the treeline, telling it to circle around to get a better view. Then, putting control into the deer’s hands, or hooves, Matthew tried looking through the sparrow’s eyes.
Suddenly, he could see the treetops he was walking beneath. The bird was flying high above the forest, circling as commanded. Matthew could see the clearing faintly behind them, and more deep wood in front of them. Matthew sent it higher and further, but the bird froze in place. He tried again, frustrated, but the bird couldn’t move.
He got the bird to fly as far as it could in every direction, both up and down, and ended up estimating a 30 metre cube extending from himself.
Keeping the limited range in mind, Matthew encouraged the sparrow to scout ahead of them, and returned back to the deer’s body,
They were in a different spot than they had been when Matthew had created the sparrow, the deer moving on ahead of them, but they still remained deep in the forest. The insects seemed to only get worse, many hanging on the deer’s fur and crowding around the core. Matthew tried to knock them off with the deer’s head but even when he succeeded, they came back in larger numbers than ever.
Matthew tried forming another sparrow, this one to hopefully keep the insects at bay. It formed in a similar way to the first, directly from the core , and instantly swooped into action. As they walked, the small bird dove in front of them, snatching up as many insects as possible from the swarm, before landing on the deer’s head to devour them and do it all over again. After that, travel got a little more bearable.
The sky had grown a little darker, and Matthew gave themselves maybe an hour before sundown. Anxious to find water, and a place to sleep, he spread out, and sent the first sparrow to the very edge of his range. They needed a river or something if they were to recharge from their journey and completely heal. Matthew hoped vitality and mana could both restore from rest. He didn’t think the deer had slept in a long time, as it had entered the cave the previous night.
Looking through the sparrow, Matthew saw a break in the trees, though it wasn’t a very large gap. Then, the sound of rushing water hit his ears.
Spurring the deer forward, Matthew headed to the river.