Book 2: Chapter 17: Shaping

Book 2: Chapter 17: Shaping

In the days of yore, when our forefathers roamed the untamed lands, they were beset by trials and tribulations at every turn. Theirs was a state of perpetual loss and unremitting suffering, and yet it was in those primordial epochs that our greatest triumphs were wrought, for they were forged in the crucible of the world, and honed to a razor's edge by the very forces that sought to break us.

To walk the path of the sword is to subject oneself to the most grueling of trials, to cast off all that is superfluous and to lay bare one's very essence. It is to embrace the void, and to become more by becoming less, shedding all worldly trappings and vanities in pursuit of the ultimate truth.

- The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC.

We traipsed back and found Kidu looking pensive as he sat on his heels. He met us with a simple grunt. Bathed in the glow of the torchlight, he resembled an armored bear.

"Hail, Kidu the Raider!" I greeted, in a jesting tone, a friendly smile gracing my lips.

"I see you've returned with the spoils of war. Who did you spar with this time? Tested your deadly flail?" he retorted, his voice deep and gravelly.

"With coins, and I can only report that they had me at a disadvantage," I replied, "But I hope to gain something from my monetary loss, a most dire situation. Our young friend Larynda needs something to occupy her restless mind and body. Maybe learning a little of the path of the spear would serve her well," I chuckled, tossing him one of the staves.

Turning to Larynda, I noticed a hint of annoyance on her face, which coaxed a quiet chuckle out of me. It's about time you earned your supper, I mused, lobbing the other stave toward her.

Amon Vanes had significantly shaped my belief of not depending solely on magic. Focusing only on her magical prowess would not serve her well, as a degree of martial skill was necessary on the challenging road that we tread. Furthermore, with our team one man short, neither Kidu nor I could protect her all the time.

She fumbled for a moment, almost missing the catch, as if the shaft of wood was a live snake. However, she was finally able to tame the beast and shot me a petulant look, which I chose to pointedly ignore.

"I leave Larynda in your capable hands, Kidu. I need to discuss plans with the caravan master, both for the immediate future and for tonight," I informed the north man.

Without warning, he struck at the girl, but with none of his usual liquid speed. Larynda, to her credit, dodged the blow. I could see an intense look of concentration as she counter-attacked with her own practice staff. Kidu simply let her attack him, quick in his defense but slow in his attack, and soon the sound of wood striking wood began to pick up in its rhythm.

Seeing that my work here was underway, I turned away to see to my own business. I would have to remember to cast an Identify spell on Larynda later to see if one training session had been effective. Walking away from our wagon, I sought for the woman drudge, who had taken away my donkey, for information on where I could find Laes.

I found Patches a few minutes later, happily munching on what I assumed to be oats alongside some placid ankylosaurids. Fascinating creatures, I mused, truly marvelous. Save for the three pairs of limbs, the resemblance to the creatures from the ancient past of my world was uncanny. I simply couldn't resist casting an Identify spell on one of these six-legged beasts.

Xaraur - (Great Lizard lvl.10) Health 462/465 Stamina 65/103

Mana 2/2

The categorization of these creatures was shocking. Naturally. Of course this fantasy world would have dragons, I chuckled, a little bitterly, to myself. This new discovery only added to my general stress. If these were the 'lesser' and 'proto' versions, then I had no desire to face 'true' dragons anytime soon. Yet another peril to add to the growing list of things that could potentially end my life. Still, the people in this world somehow managed to survive, and I would do the same. On the bright side, they seemed to use these creatures as everyday beasts of burden, so there was some comfort in that.

I decided to travel around the circle of wagons, not wanting to bump into anyone, and to have a little time alone with my thoughts. I had been given so many things to think about today, so many things to muse and puzzle over. A long journey was ahead of us and I was as prepared as I could be. One thing was for sure though, I had to add yet another dangerous creature to this world’s growing bestiary - Sand Worms.

Beasts... this world abounded with them, strange mirages of familiarity nestled amidst the exotic unknown. Creatures bearing an uncanny resemblance to the animals of my old world, yet touched with an alien veneer. The horses and donkeys of this place echoed this eerie parallelism. Had they, like me, been abducted by time and space from our rightful home? Come to think of it, were the people of these wild and barbaric lands now the descendants of humans transported from Earth? Were these, this world's 'native' entities, these creatures with an extra pair of limbs, merely manifestations of an analogous evolutionary tale? Or was their existence just a testament to the relentless churning of cosmic randomness and just an example of, however unlikely, convergent evolution?

Going over Laes explanation, I posited that the green road was probably some sort of river that cut across the desert called the Whispering Wastes and would act as some sort of deterrent to the worms. Hopefully, these caravaneers knew their business and could make the journey safely enough and Laes seemed like a competent sort, I thought to myself. A memory stirred of a half-remembered fragment of a dream entered my mind from a time before I came to this strange and fantastical land. Of giant desert-dwelling worms and their awesome power.

Before I knew it, my feet led me back to the sounds of wood striking wood. The cadence of strikes had lessened and I saw Larynda huffing and puffing, her shoulders low with strain and exhaustion. However, this did not stop her from striking clumsily again at Kidu who deftly deflected each of her strikes, almost indifferently.

Moving slowly, so that they would not yet notice my presence, I cast Identify on Larynda to see if there had been any improvement.

Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 31/32 Stamina 2/22

Mana 4/19

It seemed that the training was working. Her current Status showed a small improvement of one point in her Stamina. How far could she be pushed, I wondered, with a little sadistic glee. We’ll make a little soldier out of you yet, I whispered to myself. I must admit, I was also a little interested in just exactly what her magic was.

Still, it was time to eat and I had to put an end to their training.

“Little one. Kidu,” I called out, which drew both of their attentions and earned Larynda a little rap on her arm, from the wild man.

“Ouch!” screeched the girl child, more in surprise than in pain.

To this Kidu simply added in his simple and terse manner, “Focus. No distractions,” finishing with his customary grunt. I detected, though, a hint - something had softened his gruff manner.

“I believe that is enough training for one evening. It is time to see what we can do for an evening meal. Let that be our next quest,” I said with a forced smile on my face, hoping against hope that perhaps I would receive a notification from the system. To no surprise, nothing was forthcoming and I could only sigh internally.

Larynda removed her headscarf and fastidiously wiped away most of her built-up sweat with a small towel. Kidu, on the other hand, still looked fresh.

Despite the inherent dangers on the horizon, I could not help but feel a sense of progress. I was growing, and my companions were growing. Of course, there had been Elwin’s betrayal, but in exchange, I had been all but gifted a young mage that could be shaped to my liking. It was always important to see the bright side in all things.

Locking our borrowed wagon, we let our noses guide us to a cooking fire burning brightly near the center of the camp. Already, the cooks had begun dolling out the evening meal in plain but solid wooden bowls. Spiced ground meat and fat over what was some kind of porridge was the main meal for the evening. A slice of purple-fleshed fruit was added as a dessert.

We joined the line of caravaneers, and after ten minutes or so we were served piping-hot portions. In fact, it was a little too hot for my taste, and I almost spat out my first bite once we sat down on the grass. Once cooled, I appreciated how the flavors melted in my mouth. Simple and filling, I thought to myself as I scarfed down my meal.

My companions and I ate in comfortable silence, yet listened to the sounds of mixed conversation from other groups, threading their way across the air. Larynda had lowered her scarf but kept it wrapped around her ears, sensibly concealing her heritage. I had seen other women clad in a similar fashion, so at the very least it would not draw undue attention to us.

A group of caravaneers hushed down when they realized they were in close proximity to us. They were talking in a language unknown to me, the clicking sounds and meter foreign and annoying to my ears.

My Identify spell would be working hard across this journey.