We returned to camp with proud strides. Our short foray into the forest bore fruit, and Sparrow was eager to share with the pack. Approaching the den, I saw Dan sleeping as the pups played around him. At the arrival of food, the pups began dancing around me, jumping and pawing the air. It was adorable to watch them play and jump. I placed the large rabbit onto the ground, and the pups sat, salivating. The elders strode forth, ripping the carcass into pieces and distributing it. The puppies were significantly less cute as they danced in the gore of the slaughter, gnawing at bones and chewing away all flesh they found.
Silva emerged from the forest a moment later, a squirrel in her mouth. She tore into it separately, and none of the others bothered her. It was strange how the others avoided her. Even Dan seemed to be a little afraid of her. She caught my staring gaze in her icy eyes and I looked away. Creepy.
I spent the afternoon testing my environment. I knew the basics of how Ancient Realms operated, but experiencing the rules of this world firsthand would be a whole new beast. I started killing things around me, smushing ants and uprooting grasses. No souls were awarded.
“Seems like I need to kill things with more mental capacity,” I muttered to myself.
“Yeah. The stronger the creature you kill, the more the soul will weigh.” Kent helpfully interjected. He had been hanging out somewhere in my ribcage, which tickled every time he moved. I made a noncommittal sound.
“Do you think I can gain a herbology skill if I pick enough grass?” Kent laughed at my suggestion.
“Not unless you can identify it or something. But a higher rarity identification might be necessary to manifest the skill.” Kent reclined on my shoulder blade.
“Do you see how helpful you can be when you’re in a good mood? “ I poked the reptile gently.
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An afternoon of picking random weeds and grasses as Sparrow watched confusedly had not yielded a harvest in any way. I sighed and went to the den as the sun plunged.
“Howdy Nate!” Dan strolled over to me. He prodded my still broken rib without invitation, examining the jagged break. At least it didn’t hurt. “So you ain't healing over time, are ya?” He gave me a smile through his dark beard. “I know just the thing. When darkness settles, you and I will go on a little adventure.”
After an hour, Dan came to find me. My magical skeleton vision pierced the blanket of darkness shrouding the forest, which was illuminated only by a crescent moon. “Let’s get going.” He led the way through the increasingly familiar trees. I brought my spear just to be safe in the depths of the forest. We slunk for about an hour, deep into the night, until we reached a sudden absence of trees. Specks of orange light in the distance and tall blocky structures told me what we were in. This was a sizable village, cleaved into the forest on the banks of a river.
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I was jolted by a grunt from my side. Dan’s back was arched as he groaned, the groan quickly turning into a growl. Black fur sprouted from his torso, his hands widening into clawed paws.
“Let’s get going. Follow me” I stared owlishly at Dan, whose top half was replaced by a humanoid wolf. his canines glimmered as he spoke. “We can talk about this later,” he looked down at himself and grinned sheepishly. “The apothecary is this way.” I nodded and followed.
Dan led me through the pastures, filled with cattle, goats, and other meaty morsels. Toward the center of the cleared land stood the buildings, constructed of cobbled stone and wooden beams. Dan stopped at one of the smallest buildings. Dan bit and pulled the lock holding the door shut, and with a metallic crunch, the lock ripped open. Dan carefully entered the building, the wooden floorboards creaking under his muscled weight.
“Smells like old feet and bad cough drops,” Dan whispered, wrinkling his canine nose. Shelves of jars lined the walls, and herbs were strung up to dry across the ceiling. The workbench at the far wall caught my attention, cluttered with rows of vials, potted plants, and assorted tools. Dan began examining the jars along the wall.
“Cold medicine, rat poison… and here!” Dan pulled a ceramic jar from the shelf. “We have some time, grab something else if you want. I nodded with a little excitement. Most of the items on the wall were mundane materials and medicines, but a certain glass jar caught my attention.
[Jar of Pitch (10 oz): A 10-ounce jar filled with smelly black tar. Handy for waterproofing a basket, making a torch, as a general construction adhesive.
Quality: Common
Durability: 20/20]
I decided this might be the most useful of the materials here, and took it. We crept out the door, closing it slowly behind us.
“Stop thieves!” A voice shouted not too far away. Dan and I froze for a moment as if the voice could be referring to someone else. A human was running towards us from another building, a sword in his left hand and a lantern in his right. We turned tail and tailbone respectively and bolted. Dan was much faster, easily keeping pace just ahead of me.
My joints clattered as I ran, and we sprinted full tilt into the treeline, crashing through the branches and leaves. More voices and lanterns gathered behind us, but they slowed as they tried navigating the woods. With Dan leading the way, he and I easily cut through the thick brush. After running for what must have been the good part of an hour, we returned to the den. Dan panted and collapsed onto the grass, regressing into a muscular human.
“Take this,” he ordered, holding up the jar with a grin.
[Jar of Healing Salve (10 oz): A ten-ounce jar of slimy healing salve. Applying it directly to wounds will stimulate the healing process. Each one-ounce dose heals up to 25 health. Also functions as a disinfectant.
Quality: Uncommon
Durability: 30/30]