“Hail, flesh ones. I seek your aid in a matter of mercy. Just upstream, a fawn and its mother have become trapped at the river’s edge. The fawn has fallen in, and its mother followed to help it out. Through unfortunate circumstance, a number of logs had already floated in, on their way to the downstream mill. They had formed a pre-existing jam at the shore. The two deer have been captured. The fawn is injured. My partner and I have been unable to clear the logjam sufficiently to free the two. It would take us many hours on our own.”
“Would you good beings be willing to help? Two of you are middlings, I know, but I believe the six of us should be able to free the deer and get them to shore. After that, should you have time, we would appreciate your assistance in clearing the logjam entirely.”
Asha looks at us. “Although you are not guardsmen, it would be quickest to enlist your aid. Can you all swim?”
Arrjee and Mom acknowledge that they can, and they will be happy to assist. I have to say, “Not exactly. I could swim well in my former life, but it will take a few minutes for the nascent skill to actualize here. I believe I could manage, though, just as I could run yesterday before gaining the actual skill. What is the current like?”
The elemental answers, “Thank you all. The current is mild and the water is not deep. You can still stand several meters from shore. I am called Glimmering Splash, and my partner is Burbling Brook.” We start to head upstream at a quick pace, not actually running. As we walk:
Glimmering Splash has invited you to join their party.
Do you accept?
“Yes.” A party interface window appears. It is fairly large, but I can zoom, resize, and reposition it mentally. I see I was the fifth person to join, followed by Arrjee. GS and BB (as the party interface identifies them) were the first two. I am thinking they probably had formed the party before GS began looking for assistance.
Quest: Save the deer (0/2)
Clear the logjam (5/47)
Build goodwill with water elementals
Reward: 1 River Stone
Do you accept?
“Yes”. I know this will push me way past the Level 2 threshold, but I recognize that is of minor concern at the moment. The quest becomes integrated into my party interface, which explains the “5/47” count for the logjam.
BB: Please hurry. The fawn cannot keep its head above water by itself, and I am focused on supporting it while mollifying its mother.
GS: I found three Covargh and a Human to help. We will arrive soon.
We start running, but I quickly fall behind. I’m sure the other “flesh ones” are all at least at Rank C. Glimmering Splash, though faster than I, cannot keep up either, and it (?) heads to the river. Once immersed, it moves faster than all of us.
AY: Be aware that a logjam is very dangerous. Do not position yourselves downstream of its body.
GS: If any of you find yourselves in difficulty, let us know. The logs cannot hurt us in the water. We should be able to easily drag one of you to shore should you encounter difficulty. Our problem with the deer is the number of logs which have encased them.
I see the logjam ahead, and everyone but me is already there. They are stripping, I guess to prevent water from getting into their armor and hindering their motion. As I continue to run:
Achievement: Running, E
Achievement: Level 2
Gifted Skill: Claw Strike, F
Gifted Skill: Bless Blood, F
Yeah, that would be annoying if every single bit of xp popped up as its own notice. But right now I am excited to see these. The skills, one for each class, I will check later. I mentally select Running and Interface pops up a summarized window with the information it knew I would be interested in.
Running … Rank E values:
Speed: 5 - 11 miles per hour
Efficiency modifier: -40%
My maximum has gone up by 1 mph, and I’ll waste less energy. No complaints here! Wow, I realize I have gained in all my attributes as well. I feel better in just about every respect.
----------------------------------------
I have reached the others, and begin stripping as they had. The deer are bleating in distress, particularly the fawn. The party is working on separating the logs from the deer, pushing and wiggling the logs away. It is not easy, because of the way the jam is structured. From inside of the jam, many of the other logs interfere with the one you want to move. The shore itself is another impediment to moving log substructures within the interlinking mess.
I step into the water and begin assisting. Burbling Brook is coordinating us vocally. Now that we are all together, speech is more convenient. Mom had apparently already identified the others. “And this is my son, Forrest.”
GS: “FR”, not “FS”?
RS: He is adopted and chooses to use his original last name, Rhodes.
GS: I hope I have not offended you. It was just curiosity, expecting a Forrest Silverstone. I am not well versed in Covargh customs.
FR: You have not offended. Please be free to ask us anything that puzzles you.
Since that conversation was driven by the abbreviations used by the party interface, it just was natural to “talk it out” there.
Meanwhile, we had been inching the logs away from the deer. They are no longer hindered from heading to the shore. The fawn cannot make it on its own, and its mother is still cramped and unable to help. The elementals must have some sort of empathic ability, because on Earth deer would have been afraid, uncooperative, and fighting everything someone tried in assisting them. These two were afraid, but they were not fighting us.
I am still closest to the shore, though none of us are far. Burbling Brook has been supporting the Fawn this full time. Glimmering Splash and my mother gently assist the doe out. I move out of their way, into the opening left behind. We now have more room for us to carry out the struggling fawn. Arrjee and I move to assist. He helps support its weight in front, and I was going to do so in back. Unfortunately I see a vicious wound in its hind quarter, and its rear leg closest to me is possibly broken.
I don’t know how to set a deer’s leg, so I hope my healing will be sufficient. “Hold one moment please. I can heal, possibly both its hind and leg. It is a heal-by-touch skill, so however you have kept it calm, please continue to do so. Brook and Splash manage an extra note of reassurance, and it appears as if the fawn is looking at me hopefully. Great, no pressure.
I decide to heal its hind quarter first. I hope its hip is not broken, but maybe my heal will be sufficient even if so. I gently place my right hand directly over the bloody area where the damage appears to be. Surprisingly, the fawn did not freak. That’s a win.
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“Interface, please bring up my statuses with numbers.”
What?! I see that all 3 values are significantly below max. Why are they all down like that? Oh; that’s right. I just leveled 10 to 15 minutes ago. They have not had time to fully regenerate to their new maximum values.
“Interface, please show level 1 and 2 max stats, and their regeneration rates.”
Note: Regeneration skills remain at Rank D. Their rates, however, have been boosted slightly due to Level 2 increases in their underlying attributes.
HP: 135 → 178. rate: 11.3 → 13.1 HP/hour
SP: 149 → 204. rate: 304 → 320 SP/hour
Ki: 152 → 208. rate: 123 → 139 Ki/hour
Yeah, I knew the controlling attributes would help the rates some. All three of my stats are yellow-green. HP is at 138, SP 191, and Ki at 186. My increased Ki already gives me about 4 seconds of additional Heal Other. I can do this, broken bones willing.
I picture the ki flow up my arm, into my hand and on into its body. I command healing to take place, and I feel the warmth. After about 8 seconds the process completes. I see that ki has gone down by 62, to 124. Probably 30 HP healed. Nice.
I move my hand down its leg, to see what I might tell about the break. Bone has not broken flesh, and I don’t feel any major misalignment. I decide to later study some animal anatomy, to be better prepared in the future. The fawn bleats woefully; I must have caused it pain.
“Sorry, girl. I had to find out what we were dealing with. It will be okay in a few seconds.” I begin the healing. This time it took about 6 seconds, for about 22 HP. I’ve got 76 ki left. The fawn has calmed but seems anxious to be free.
Burbling Brook carries the fawn to shore, with Arrjee and I making probably unneeded gestures to support it. Asha follows us out, and no one else is in the water. The elemental asks me if it will be okay to set the fawn down onto the ground. “I hope so. It should be. This is the first time I have healed broken bones though. It is also my first time healing an animal.”
It smiles at me. I think that is a smile. “May the gods be more confident than you, young wolf. I do sense that it is no longer in pain.” He sat it down and it stood just fine. She wandered over to her mother fairly steadily, and I saw no sign of a limp.
“She is tired. I believe she lost a lot of blood while in the water, but I expect her strength to come back over the next week.
Blood!
“Excuse me just a second. Just before arriving at this shore, I reached Level 2 and was gifted a new skill called Bless Blood. I have no idea what it does yet, but it might be able to help. I’ll bring it up and read the description aloud.
“Query skill Bless Blood.”
Bless Blood treats many disorders of any blood-bearing being, including yourself. It cures poison, counters bleed conditions, regenerates blood, and lessens the severity of blood curses such as cold, hot, and boil blood. It may be applied up to 4 seconds before a curse activates. Poisons are only affected if they had been carried through the bloodstream. Efficacy is dependent on skill rank versus the severity of a given condition, though equal rank effects will generally be cured outright. Multiple conditions can be handled simultaneously, though with lessened capability for each. You must be in contact with the affected being. Rank F values:
Ki rate: 8/sec
Efficiency: -60%
Recharge: 4 seconds
After sharing the description, “That is a long one! It sounds very useful to me, and was the most comprehensive description yet. And unlike my Heal Other, this can assist me directly as well as just about any other animated being.”
Glimmering Splash responds, “With a few notable exceptions. Try it on the fawn before its mother takes her away.”
“Sorry, I did not realize elementals had no blood. I have yet to be here for a full day.” I approach the fawn. The elementals must still be using their empathy, and it remains calm, accepting my presence. I place my hand on its head as if I were going to pet a dog. Then I focus the ki and imagine blood forming within the fawn. I feel a warmth similar to Heal Other’s, for about 5 seconds.
Its former bearer seems pleased. “The fawn feels much stronger now. Good job, Forrest Rhodes, and all of you.”
The calming hold which had been in place was released, and the two deer wander off unconcernedly.
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Burbling Brook reminds us that the logjam is still extant and requests we clear the hazard. Asha Yon suggests that he and the Covargh work from upstream, pushing individual logs toward the center of the river, where they will hopefully be able to reach their destination. No one counters him, and that is what we begin doing.
The elementals work as our troubleshooters and de-jammers, mostly from the downstream end. Their substance is not bothered by being smashed or squeezed between two logs. We spend about an hour eliminating the jam. Since I had been swimming some, I relearned my nascent swimming skill at Rank E. Finally I, and probably we, all received the message:
Quest Complete (2/2) (47/47).
We all went ashore. Burbling Brook speaks, “Very well done, you of noble flesh. You have acted with mercy on behalf of Nature’s own, and went on to clear the river hazard.
Both Brook and Splash hold out their hands, to the front of each one of us. Brook continues, “These are River Stones, a token of our appreciation and respect.”
Mine is a deep, pure blue with streaks of green. It feels almost ethereal, as if not of this world. The other three are just as impressive, but lack the green element. I ask why mine is different.
Surprisingly, it is Asha who responds. “These are a form of soul stones that will bond with you. Not physically but no other may wear them. Burbling Brook has severely understated their value. Or perhaps we are expected to understand the import of their words. We have earned the respect and friendship of all water elementals, which we should indicate by wearing it openly, such as part of a bracelet or necklace. Other types of elementals will show us automatic respect, but not necessarily the same regard and friendship. In addition to this great honor, the stones, when worn or held, provide us with the ability to breathe underwater. I do not know why yours looks different, Forrest.”
Glimmering Splash completes the answer. “Forrest, your service to Nature has surpassed the rest, and even our own. None of us could have healed that fawn. We would have needed to lead it to its final rest. You had the skills and used them freely, not even understanding how they worked. I am sure if anyone else could have healed it, they would have. But the fact is, it was you. The green streaks provide you with a boost of two points to your luck, a boon granted directly by Nature.”
We all accept our stones. I felt a strong tingling sensation from my hand, along my arm, and splitting up and down into my head and heart. That feeling must have been its bonding process. The other three “flesh ones” appear somewhat glossy eyed, as I must look as well. We thank our new friends sincerely.
Being very curious, I command, “Query Luck.”
Luck: 8 (1 from River Stone)
Gaining Level 2, my luck would have advanced from 6.5 to 7. It appears the two points within the stone “only” enhance my luck by half of that, which I expected with the limitations to my charisma and luck. Still, I had hoped.
That thought thought, I say aloud and sincerely, “I humbly thank Nature for this boon.” There was no response, and I am not sure if I am relieved or disappointed. In any case, when a tornado comes, I expect that it will be smaller.
Brook tells us, “We must be off to attend to the waters. Our best wishes to you all. Forrest, I am not sure why, but Nature has asked that I tell you that water elementals will never ask tribute from you.” They enter the water and disappear. My party interface window also disappears.
At that, Arrjee can’t help himself and begins giggling. I feel the warmth and prickles in my face telling me I am blushing.
Mom asks him what is going on. He starts laughing harder and points at me momentarily. He explains intermittently, through his mounting laughter, causing everyone big smiles.
“Forrest,
when we first met
in the woods
said he was
on a walkabout.
But he had no pack.
As explanation he
speculated
that a
water elemental
may have taken
it as tribute
for bathing in the stream!”
He fell down on his stomach, pounding the ground until his laughter finally died.
He stood after several more seconds. “Wolf, I said you were the worst liar in the duchy. And look,even Nature herself needed to correct you! Also, never hold in a giggle for a day. You just saw what happens.”
During Arrjee’s fit, I wore a pasted smile. My hackles were fighting to rise, and internally there was anger fighting with the knowledge of my low temperament. I think my just-boosted charm and wisdom must have helped me avoid a blow up. By the time he gave his advice about holding in a giggle, I could return an honest smile.
“Arrjee, also never fall intentionally to the ground while all wet and naked. You’re a mess!”
He looked down and saw the dirt and grass clinging to his fur. “I guess I am. I’ll go for a quick swim in a minute. I apologize, Forrest. I was not making fun of you. Considering our whole time together, and then the sincere bearing of the elementals, and then their relay of what Nature told them – it all just hit me hard. Really hard. I didn’t fall to the ground intentionally, it was an actual collapse. I was out of breath, my jaw ached, as well as my chest and sides. I have never before laughed so hard.”
“Apology accepted. I understand why you had the laughing fit, and I hope I have an intense one like that someday.” At that, he heads back into the river and lets it wash away the debris. In just a minute he was back. “I tried breathing underwater. I had to force myself at first, but it works!”
Mom must have checked the time. “It’s almost 7. We should finish our run and return to the fort.”
Asha continues, “As we are still not dry, let’s bundle up our armor and carry it. By the time we get to the gate, we can dress comfortably.” We roll it all up, paying careful attention to our river stones so as not to drop them.
The remainder of our run was uneventful. We dressed on the path near the gate, again keeping conscious attention on our stones. I think we all sensed them to be near our most valuable possession. I asked, “What is going to be the best way to wear these stones? And will other people think we are showing off?”
Mom instructs, “It is up to each of us to decide how to display these. No, people will not think we are ‘showing off’. Anyone who matters will be happy for us. It would almost be an insult to the elementals if we do not wear them. They are made from their own bodies and souls. And since they are now soul-bound to us, they would be useless to anyone else. We do not need to worry about theft. It would not surprise me if such a thief ended up cursed. I think I will have mine mounted in a ring. But bracelet, necklace, armband – they are all good choices too.”
Asha said, “I will be going with a necklace usually wearing it beneath my armor to keep it secure. Now that we are back, we should report our extraordinary morning to Captain Pokka.”
We enter the fort. This time we were challenged, and Asha explained we had been on a run and had had an encounter with elementals. One of the guards bid us enter, and unnecessarily suggested we report to the Captain.