The next few weeks at the house had been the most enjoyable time for Tabs since her escape. They had everything they needed. Tabs had butchered the Elbou after it had been left to hang for a couple of days. It had been a challenging task as she was not a skilled butcher, but she had managed to cut a substantial amount of meat from it and triggered the cooking sub-skill Butchering level 1. She had also kept the fur, which had been dried out, stretched on a frame that they built and scraped it. The fur was luxurious and warm, and it was now the main blanket they used on their bed.
Kyto had cobbled together a smoker out of the stove in the kitchen and an old oil drum, which they had set up near the back door of the property. They had managed to ruin the first batch of meat they tried to smoke. The flame had been too hot, and it had burned. Eventually, they worked out the process, which became a fine art to dry the meat. It looked very similar to the dried meat rations that Kyto used to buy from the trade posts cut into long, thin strips. Once the meat had been smoked, they sealed it in plastic containers from the house to keep it fresh and away from moisture.
Their nicest meal was the fresh meat they cooked immediately after the butchering. They cooked now using the pans they had found in the house, and Kyto loved the pan with ridges running along it and was the pan he used for frying. They were massive upgrades from the travelling pot that he had always used. He had been able to cook the meat to perfection. The meat had been so tender and juicy, and the Elbou mixed wonderfully with the spiced berries that grew abundantly in the woods. They had food, water, and shelter in their haven. The only concern was that the Elbou who came and grazed had yet to return to the clearing since their initial hunt. Not that they needed any more meat yet. It was just concerning if they may have to hunt more traditionally, tracking down Wild Ones rather than being able to use the hide.
They would forage, prepare food daily, and spend the evenings learning to read and write. Kyto had also taught Tabs how to reset the snares, although they still had not captured anything. Her language skills had increased to level 2, and she could now read and write basic sentences.
The season had started to turn, and the days were getting shorter. This also changed the weather. The wind was now coming from the North, and the temperature had dropped. The trees had become a multitude of autumnal hues, and the crisp, peaceful mornings were only broken by the occasional Wild One calling. It seemed that many of the Wild Ones had migrated from the woodland. Most mornings were greeted with a heavy mist and fresh dewdrops clinging to the grasses.
They had spent a long time chopping and preparing wood for the fires, knowing they would be restricted in what they could do when winter came. Winter always came with a vengeance, as it seemed to do every year, and with it came the challenges associated. It was not just the bitter cold but the regular heavy rain and then the deep snowfall that, when it came, could last until spring.
Kyto was annoyed that he had never managed to get the heating or water running due to the broken pumps. Still, the lighting had been amazing, with them being able to sit up late into the evenings without worrying about candles or a fire for light. They had blown a few of the bulbs since the power had been returned and ran out of ones they could switch to. Also, the oil level in the tank had been dropping steadily due to the generator running.
They had become a partnership, and even though it had not been spoken about, they were in a relationship. They did everything together, spending the daytimes foraging and preparing and preserving what food they could, and every evening, they would settle together on the sofa reading to each other. Tabs improved daily, and she was getting more confident with her language skills increasing. Kyto no longer had to explain how to pronounce words when she read or spell simple words when she wrote. She had found a book called Moby Dick in the office after they had finished reading the Hobbit. Tabs loved the story and characters. She was now reading Moby Dick by herself, with Kyto offering minimal guidance only when she asked.
Tab’s foraging skill had reached level 5, and as per Kyto and his learning skills, she had been informed that this was the highest level the skill would reach.
Foraging level 5 – Your proficiency in foraging cannot be surpassed. Your devotion to this skill allows you to identify all flora and fauna uses and understand long-term preservation. You can make the most of your forging activities and now know how to store them indefinitely.
She had been excellent at foraging previously, but her skill improvement had added various new tastes to their culinary pallet.
Kyto’s foraging skill had triggered quickly and reached level 2 due to how often they foraged. Considering they usually spent four or five hours each day foraging, he was not surprised.
Kyto had continued to tinker, gradually dismantling everything he could in the house, and alongside his free-thinking, improving his engineering skills had increased further through the books he had found. He had managed to study both amplification level 1 and modulation level 1 and had been ecstatic when his communication systems level 1 skill had been triggered. The skill tree he had been presented with now opened a new direction for him to study concerning networks and digital transmissions. Still, an even more significant implication of his skill progression had evolved.
Congratulations, you have achieved a total of 25 skill points in engineering. Few have succeeded in studying the expertise you have gained across such a broad level of engineering topics. This achievement allows you the option to select one elite skill of choosing. Elite skills have specific requirements to be able to trigger their use. These requirements are unknown:
Synthesis – create one whole
Mechanisation – mechanical characteristics
Actualisation – the appearance of reality by mental acts
The descriptions had left Kyto needing clarification. They gave him no real context over their actions or how he could trigger them. Even though he was excited by the option of an elite skill with no known process to trigger it, he needed help deciding what to choose. He had sat for a long time staring at his display, trying to comprehend what the skills may do. He had ideas, but with no concrete information, there was nothing that he could guarantee. He had even looked in his dictionary at the words to check their definitions, and even though they were suggestive, without knowing the trigger, it could be fruitless. He chose Actualisation as he was always thinking and trying to compose designs from his tinkering. He hoped that this may support some of his inventive thoughts becoming a reality.
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Congratulations, you have learned the Elite Skill Actualisation. There are no known paths to enlightenment currently.
Kyto had been sorely disappointed and hoped that more information would be available by accepting it, but nothing had changed on his display. He checked his character sheet, which now just stated an unknown trigger next to the skill.
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Kyto had finished studying all the engineering books in the house, and if he were ever going to progress further now, they would have to leave their safety and security at some point in the future.
The one success of Kyto’s learning skill development supported him in finishing repairing the portable radio. They could now pick up more frequent conversations. The transmissions were still broken, but they believed they occasionally heard conversations between two townships. Kyto was now aware that even though the radios transmitted in all directions without a significant power source, they could not transmit very far, limiting what communications they could pick up. It was nice to know that they were in the range of at least two areas with radios, even if they did not know where they were located. Hearing another human’s voice comforted them, knowing they were not alone in the world.
∆∆∆
Autumn soon turned into Winter. The temperature had steadily continued to fall, and the first signs of a frost had begun to appear. They knew it would be soon that snowfall commenced. The sky was now permanently varying shades of grey, and with a cold, blustery wind driving from the North, the joys of being outside were waning. Going to forage or even spending time outside chopping wood was no longer the pleasure it had been. It was as though the life had been sucked from the clearing and its beauty replaced. The skeletal remains of the deciduous trees now replaced the summer vibrancy and stunning autumnal hues. There were a few evergreens whose tops could be seen from the balcony dotted amongst the trees. They appeared like sentries in the changed woodland surrounding the house. The house and its surroundings, which had been so warm and appealing, now had a sense of foreboding and darkness.
Throughout Autumn, they had harvested what foraging they could and had an ample supply of nuts, dried berries, and several different plants. The meat from the kill was running low. They had to dispose of a couple of the containers they had stored the meat in; after opening them, they discovered the meat was spoiled.
As winter set in, the oil had drastically reduced due to the time the lights were being used, and they agreed to restrict their use. They started to sit most evenings reading by firelight. They also wanted to save the chopped wood. They decided that keeping the bedroom warm was the priority, so rather than staying downstairs into the evenings, they would go up to the bedroom every evening and sit by the fireplace on piled blankets. The house had become their home, but now winter was upon them. It felt cold and damp inside, but the fire made the bedroom area more appealing.
They had sat down on the blankets by the fire and been through their usual reading routine. Kyto had been reading to Tabs this evening, and upon finishing a chapter, they had climbed onto the bed and snuggled under the blankets, pulling them around their chins cuddled together. They would often spend the nights cuddling up to each other and kissing before they fell asleep, but at no time had Kyto ever suggested making love. Tabs had been relieved, as though she had come to love Kyto. She was not sure that she would ever enjoy what should have been the pleasure of two lovers after what she had been put through in the past. They had eventually both fallen asleep as they did most evenings, now listening to the fire crackle and pop as it burned through the day's final log on the hearth.
∆∆∆
Tabs awoke to a burning smell. She opened her eyes, coughing as thick black smoke had started to fill the room. No windows were open due to the cold temperature, so the smoke had nowhere to go, clinging like storm clouds to the ceiling and slowly engulfing any fresh air. She looked towards the fireplace and saw that the piled blankets they sat on to read had caught fire. Bright orange and yellow flames were angrily growing and spreading around the room. Tabs shook Kyto violently, and he opened his eyes, startled. “Quick.” Tabs shouted.
They jumped off the bed and, grabbing a blanket, each tried to beat the flames into submission. The heat and warmth from the fire had kept the bedroom dry, and the furnishings were kindling for the flames. As they reached out and touched another item of furniture, they began to devour it quickly. The fire was growing and spreading rapidly throughout the room. Tabs ran and grabbed the bucket of water they had in the bathroom area and tried to douse the flames, but with no other water supply available, the tiny reprise it gave was soon lost, and they could not stop the flame's angry growth. The fire reached the wooden cladding on the internal wall, and with a whoosh sound, the fire erupted towards the ceiling, the flames flicking and sputtering across the roof, and they were encased in flames.
“We need to get out of here.” Tabs said, between coughs.
“Grab what we can,” Kyto replied.
They scuttled around the room, grabbing everything that they could: their spare clothes, boots and similar. Kyto went over to the balcony and threw the door open. This was a mistake; if only he had known better, the influx of oxygenated air into the room caused the flames to flare in glee. They flew across the room's ceiling as if running towards the fresh air coming through the doorway. “Shit” Kyto screamed as he ducked down as a blast of flame flew out of the balcony doorway. Kyto gathered himself from the floor and continued to scurry around the room, grabbing their belongings and ducking to throw items down to the ground below. Tabs followed suit, doing the same. They struggled to remain away from the flames as they grew more violent with the added influx of oxygen from the open door. They reached the bedroom door and escaped before the room was entirely taken. Tabs pulled the door back behind them as they coughed and spluttered down the stairs into the living room area.
“We need to get what we can from here,” Kyto said.
They could feel the heat of the flames through the ceiling above them and hear the floorboards groaning and cracking. They moved around the room, grabbing what they could. Most of their possessions were either in the bedroom, which many they had managed to save or in the living room. With no way to stop the fire spread, they knew they had no option but to allow it to take its course. They grabbed the backpacks they used daily when foraging and grabbed anything else they could to throw outside onto the porch area. The ceiling had begun to smoke, and they had moved outside at that sign.
“Shit,” said Kyto. Who turned and ran back into the house. He came out moments later with his radio.
They stepped back from the porch, collected their items, and looked at the house. From their bedroom balcony, the flames were now curling evilly out of the door, whipped up by the wind and creeping across the roof. Even though the building was brick, a lot of wood was used in its design, and wherever the fire found fuel, it burned. The hellish vision evolved as they stood back and watched. The flames were alive, moving, grabbing, consuming from one fuel source to the next, never giving up their thirst for sustenance. Thick clouds of dark black smoke were spiralling into the night sky, and the brilliant flames offered a stark contrast. As they watched, the inferno grew, windows cracking and popping at the intense heat and the flames erupting from other rooms. The fire was out of control and greedily consumed the property. A crashing sound and smoke billowed out of the rear door as they saw the bed fall into the lounge below.
They stood back from the property, clinging onto each other, their possessions lying at their feet, not speaking, just staring, the only visible emotion being the rivulets of tears leaving streaks down their soot-covered faces.