The spears cold tip touched my throat, if I had blood most likely there would be drizzle of it running down my neck, cold sweat was running through my forehead, the beard he had was big, he even had pointy ears, as I took in his appearance, I did not know if I should answer his questions, I didn't even feel whatever he did to get so close to me so suddenly. as I was thinking through my next actions the halfling gritted his teeth, before saying. "Answer me." in a calm voice, normally such an action would have felt like the halfling was in a disadvantage.
The constrain that grew over time around me told me otherwise, it felt eerily similar to the 'mountain', I stated to truly feel terror, however the constraint stopped growing long before it felt like that, I still knew that the halfling in front of me cold crush me barehanded with me in armor.
"I'm just an innocent spirit, I didn't want to do anything to your farm, just find any civilization." I hastily answered the farmer, because my mana sense was screaming at me. I don't know if saying that I was a spirit was a good idea, but something told me that he would be able to know.
"..., Okay sorry for that." the farmer easily accepted my answer, I was confused, was the guy stupid or was it something else. Before I could even think of asking he answered. "No, I'm not stupid, I hav'a skill that let's me know if the answer I got is false... No, I can't read minds just faces, yours specially easy."
So a skill, that is... scarier then he being stupid and powerful, but... "You're not surprised that I'm a spirit?" I blurted out, I could not hold it in.
"O' course I could, ya' didn't even bother to hide ya' hair." My hair? pulling it down I could see that it was silver, but there was something more, the best way I could explain was, it glowed very faintly, but it was also transparent. The halfling looked at me with intrigue before asking. "When were ya' born? not more then a few weeks ago right?" he was dead-right, I was born at most a week ago.
"Yes, I was born just a week ago. Right in that direction." As I pointed towards the yellow lands the bearded fellow followed my hand, before looking back at me with something resembling pity. Then asking 'How did ya' managed to survive?' the question took me by surprise, it took me a few moments to find an answer. "Well the hardest thing I met was a Sun Wort-Bull, so I don't understand the concern?" It was the turn of the halfling to look confused.
"Wha' about the Yellow Buggers? Wait... don't answer." The man looked to be thinking about something. "Ah, that's right, it isn't that time of the year, sorry about that, ya' must not know 'bout it, but once 2 months a lot of them are born, a mountain of the little shits." A mountain of murderous bug is not something I ever want to see. "Ya' had luck, would've died in less time then a dragon can fly around a mountain. No reason to think bout it you're here, sorry bout that thing with the spear, the villagers kids come to cause mayhem, sometimes spirits. Want to eat something, I know ya' don't need it, just as an apology." I saw no reason not to, so accepting he forced me outside the fence jumping over it himself, saying something about me losing myself in the middle of the white flax. After circling the fence there was an entrance, a simple one, just an opening on the fence. turning to the entrance I could see the road... only the road, anything further was to far to be discernible, the only good thing was that only one side was the white flax, on the other there were trees, I could not see any fruits though, a lot of flowers, very big ones. I could only guess what it could be, I had no memories relating to this, besides the fact that the flower would become the fruits. The though had passed away over my head, but now it circled back and came in with full force. I can't see the end of the road, the velocity this guy came at me was astounding, unless he was in the middle of the field when he sensed me... I vowed not to make the guy angry, because he clearly is fast beyond my thought speed.
"Wha' ya' doing." I stopped looking at the clouds. "Nothing, just thinking." I hastily answered. "Well, we're here." I could see a house, there was a windmill to one side. What was on the other was what surprised me, I was very modern, a glass tower with something weird on top. "Surprise aren't ya', can answer you over a cup of coffee so come on enter." He started going to the big cottage, I followed him inside. First food then questions.
Stubs was a surprisingly good cook, I had asked for his name as he cooked, he simply answered 'You may call me stubs.', it's a weird way to give ones name, but I didn't question the mode, but the name. "Really, Stubs?" I should not have, I could feel his mood sour, though it passed rapidly, he simply said 'when'a halfling gives his nickname don't question it. Names are sacred." I didn't question further.
Back to the food, it was amazing, I'm not a critic so don't ask me for a better description, after the meal he gave me a cup after asking if I wanted milk and sugar, I took both, I just knew I couldn't drink black. "So... what's that tower?" I asked the thing I was most curious about right away.
"That's an old relic, from before the oblivion. It makes anything in its range to grow much faster then normal." The answer didn't surprise me that much, What surprised me was the oblivion part. If I remember right it means the forget something. That got me curious so I asked about it. "Yeah forgot you're young, the oblivion, it's not known much, but it was the fall of everything before. the most advanced civilization fell, only a few places survived, this is one of them, a high spirit like you must be the revived spirit of many of the old ones."
I got blasted with a lot of information, even one that was wrong. "But I'm an arch spirit? And what do you mean revived from the old ones?" I though for sure he knew, but his bulging eyes told me otherwise. apparently my race was more surprising then I expected.
"Yer serious, a blasted arch spirit, ye must be an old project of them then. For the revived part, every spirit is born from spirit, I know confusing, I also think there should be a difference in names, but explaining better a person has a soul, coated in spirit, contained in the body, when a person dies there is a chance that their spirit becomes a living spirit, with more powerful people having a higher cahnce of having their become living. but what is your aspect?"
"What aspect?" That, got him to also do a spit take, thankfully not to my direction.
"Ye don't have an aspect!? This will be worst then I thought. An aspect always appears as a prefix to the spirit, not having one means that you don't have difficulty learning any elements" he looked to his side with a very concerned look at his face, i worried me that someone that seems so powerful is worried, snapping back to me he went back to talking. "Ye will have a lot of problems on the future, it was bad with ye being a very weak arch spirit, but not having a prefix is very bad. Ye will die trying to get to the city. The next caravan will be only in a few months"
"Then can I stay on the village? I could help around for lodging, and train when I'm free." Before I could even finish asking he was already shaking his head.
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"The old folk here are paranoid beyond belief, with ye being a spirit it will be even worse, something bout 'The silver bringer of the end of the world' and no I know it's not you, a spirit, a very powerful one came and caused a lot of problems way back, the story became what it is today, they believe it is a prediction of the future, stupid I think, but the story is old. They also have it very easy due to an old artifact they worship, so they're weak and paranoid, still more powerful then you though."
"Then can I stay here, I can help around, if you'd have me" I bowed sitting as i asked, I felt like I could trust him somewhat, even if he greeted me with a spear, I was the wrong one in the situation.
"... Well, kay, you can stay around, I need some help with the white flax." The fast answer got me by surprise, that when I lifted my head he was at the door holding two scythes. "Come on, we don't have all day." I hastily got up and went to him getting a scythe. "... Aye, will need to teach ye how to use a scythe right?" it was not a question by his face, so a only meekly nodded.
It took me some tries to get it right holding the scythe, Stubs corrected me a few times before my muscle memory knew what was right and what was wrong when cutting white flax, apparently the plant wasn't just a white version of flax, but also very receptive to magic, though the receptibility had to be appraised by someone with qualified. We cut the plants until sundown, I couldn't see the end of this task, I even asked him when this ends. "Ye still aren't that good at cutting their stalk, so I's say 3 days." Apparently my help wasn't that much, I knew it to be the truth, because when I looked at the part he as cutting... Let's just say it was a lo more then mine.
Reaching the house he showed me where I would be sleeping, so i took my things from his house and went to the windmill, there was a bed inside, with a small table, it was quiet, though the windmill was not rotating. "After we cut all the flax I'll help ye to train, even if I can't help much." He said and went to his house, I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he had already closed the door when I turned around. So I did the only thing I could, and sat on the bed where I started to fell the pain of the work I did today. Being extremely tired I just went to sleep, where I dreamed of rivers and stars.
[You have gained 2 strength.]
[You have gained 1 agility.]
That took me by surprise, so I looked at my status.
Level: 16
Str(22) Agi(21) Vit(15)
Int(30) Wil(35) Pre(20)
Shouldn't I have more due to my levels? More things to ask Stubs, reaching to my bag after getting up I took my dagger, which promptly got to my waist, getting to open the door I could see the halfling with its hand balled into a fist, about to knock on the door. "Well, Ye an early riser? Good, won' have to drill that into ye." He handed me one of the scythes he had, then turning and going directly to the field.
"Well, since where here, may I ask a question?" I didn't want to bother him to much, I receive but a grunt of affirmation. "Why did my stats not grow with my level?"
He turned to me, confusion in his face, turning it back to his front before answering. "Why would it grow with yer level? the level only shows yer limit of growth, with a higher level it means that ye can train more, there isn't a standard way to count it, ye just know ye limit when ye hit it, meaning that ye have to increase yer level again, which also has a hard limit, what did ye do to increase yer level if ye don' mind me asking?"
"Well, a Sun Wort-Bull, about this height, level 37." I put my hand around my chest to show the height
"... Ye had luck, it must have been an outcast, before ye ask , it means that it was much weaker then it's brothers, which probably chased it out of the pack to avoid competition. If ye had met a pack of them ye'd be dead." After that we went back to cutting the flax, there was a surprise, once a very distinct and loud bird cry could be heard he said that it was time for a break, we went like that for the next day as well, with the same bird cry, I also got the same stats each morning.
on the morning of the fourth day I could only think one thing. "Finally training" not because I am a battle junkie, but because I wouldn't cut crops all day instead.