Chapter Seventy-Five — Flower Picking
Chapter Seventy-Five — Flower Picking I woke up to something pushing my chest in a very rude place.I would have dismissed it, but whatever it was was warm and moved a little, and it was very distracting. So I slid one eye open and took in the interior of the tent. The walls were painted in splotches of bright blue where the morning sunlight beat against the canvas, and as I came awake, I noticed the happy birdsong of a forest coming to life.Then my eyes focused and I noticed the prompt hovering before me.Congratulations! Through repeated actions your Friendmaking skill has improved and is now eligible for rank up!Rank C costs one (1) General PointHad that levelled while I slept?How?The warm weight on my chest shifted again and I looked down. Awen was hugging me. One arm over my chest, with a hand pressed up on my tummy where my shirt had ridden up and her head was using me as a pillow.It was kind of cute. That was, until her mouth worked and I saw a line of drool leak out to stain my shirt.I giggled, then giggled harder when the noise made Awen smile in her sleep. The poor thing must have been having a nice dream. Determined not to wake her up, I shuffled to the side, carefully extricating myself from her grip with what little agility I had so early in the morning.When I finally stumbled out of the tent it was to find Amaryllis sitting by the burnt out campfire, a pen in one talon and a metallic tablet on one leg and Orange lounging on the other.“Morning,” I said.“You managed to pry her off you,” Amaryllis asked as she finished writing a line down on the paper before her. She signed her name at the bottom with a flourish, then blew across the page.“Hmm,” I said. “Yeah. I guess she’s not used to sleeping with people and glomped onto the warmth.”“Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what’s happening,” Amaryllis said. She folded the page carefully, then scribbled something on the back.“What’re you writing?” I wondered as I turned around and snuck back into the tent. My armour was laying off to one side where I had chucked it off before bed. Once I retrieved it I could start dressing again.“A letter to my family. I keep them informed.”“Of our adventures?”“Amongst other things.” She disappeared the letter and her writing into her ring and then stood up with a groan. Had she been sitting there all throughout her watch? “Hardtack on the road?” Amaryllis asked.“Sure.” It wasn’t exactly a five-star breakfast, and maybe Awen would be a teensy bit disappointed, but it would allow us to make a bit more headway on our trip.According to Awen a caravan from Rosenbell to Greenshade took four to five days. On foot, it would take us a bit longer, though it was possible we could take shortcuts where there were no roads.Once I was all armoured up, we set about cleaning the camp, picking up our things, and generally getting ready for the day until the last thing left to stuff away was the tent and the equipment within.I crawled under the flap and found Awen curled up in a little ball under a pile of blankets. I almost felt bad for waking her up, but she had gotten her eight hours and then some. “Awen?” I whispered as I shook her shoulder.She made a little whining noise and shifted to be deeper under the blankets.I laughed. “Awen, wakey wakey, no eggs and hardtack.”I wasn’t good at rhyming.Awen opened her eyes and looked around before locking onto me. “Miss Broccoli?”“The one and only,” I said. “We’re going to be leaving soon and it wouldn’t do to leave you behind, would it?”“Awa,” she said as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Okay. Let me get dressed and I’ll be with you.”I grinned and stepped out.A few minutes later, Awen was ready to go, the tent was packed away and poofed by Amaryllis and we were off. Pushing through the bush was annoying for a little bit, but as soon as we hit the road it became a whole lot easier to travel.We set an easy pace at first, just a fast walk that took advantage of the slight incline in the terrain to keep us from getting tired. Awen’s sore feet didn’t make a return that I could tell.Once we were through the forest the world opened up into another huge plain that stretched out far to the west. The grassy land slowly turned yellow near the horizon. “Is that the desert?” I asked.“The sand,” Awen said. “It gets kicked up by the wind and covers parts of the plain. The actual desert is farther away, I think.”“Neat.”Bored with just walking normally, I started to push mana into my hands, varying the ebb and flow of it, while also making it spin this way and that. It took a bit of focus, but after nearly an hour I had figured it out a little.My dad had taught me that when you were learning something new, at first you would improve a whole lot in a short while. Then you’d start to learn slower and slower as you perfected what you learned.I imagined that magic was similar, especially when skills came into play. Initially there would be great leaps in ability and such, but eventually you’d hit a point where learning more took more and more time and effort.It was something to think on, but not really a problem. I was so close to the very bottom of that learning curve that every hour spent practicing probably increased my ability exponentially.“Hey, Amaryllis, how do I make Light aspect mana, and what’s it good for?”Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.Amaryllis eyed me for a bit. She had seemed happy to see me practicing earlier so I didn’t think the question would bother her. Also, there was nothing else to do. “Light aspect is one of the stranger ones,” she said. “It’s conceptually simple. Make your mana brighter. At some point you’ll have light or near-light mana.”She raised a hand and a ball of mana formed in her palm. It crackled and snapped and hummed, but that subsided as the ball began to glow brighter and brighter until it was almost hard to look at.Amaryllis dismissed it with a wave of her talons. “As for its uses. The obvious ones are all utilitarian. Most harpys have worse night vision than humans, or so I’ve been told. There are some creatures that will be hurt by light mana, but they’re uncommon. At higher ranks light magic can be devastatingly dangerous though. But for all of the speed and accuracy and power of high level light magic, you’re usually better off just calling down lightning on whatever you want to kill that badly.”“I sense a bias,” I said.“I notice a lack of practicing,” she snapped right back.Snorting, I got back to it. Light was... bright? I fiddled with my mana, pouring more into my hands, shifting it this way and that. The light it emitted was bright, but not as Amaryllis’ had been.Was I meant to think bright thoughts? Maybe I had to think like a photon or something.I really wish I had access to Google. My last physics class was a few weeks in the past, which was plenty of time to forget a lot of the stuff I had known about electromagnetic spectrums and such.I could have asked Amaryllis for more help, but I had time to figure this out on my own, and maybe magic was like drawing, where if you spent enough time figuring it out without too much help, you’d learn to develop your own style.If I couldn’t get my mana to be light mana, then maybe I could at least try something else.I started to move my hand in the air while pouring out thin streamers of mana, kind of like how Raynald had done, but with none of the grace he had. It kind of worked, and felt more natural besides.Pushing the mana out into a more complicated shape while gesturing also felt better and easier. I cupped my hands together by my side, gathered mana within in a swirling ball, then shoved my hands out before me.A teeny tiny fireball leapt ahead of me and dispersed in the air some dozen meters away.That had been a lot easier than making it from scratch.Physical ManakinesisF — 35%I hummed, then waved my hand in the air in a cutting gesture while firing a burst of cleaning magic. It swept out and pushed against the top of the nearby grass.I tried the same with fire aspect mana. It wasn’t quite right, and all I did was waste a lot of mana and warm the air up, but it felt right. Not a spell, not really, but pure elemental mana pushed into the world to do something.Physical ManakinesisF — 38%And it seemed as if I was on the right track, more or less. “Neat,” I said.“Figure something out?” Amaryllis asked.“I think so. But magic is complicated.”Amaryllis snorted. “Idiot. If it was easy everyone would be using it. I’m impressed you’re even trying, you strike me more as a ‘hit things hard’ kind of person than a ‘light them on fire’ sort.”“Awa, I don’t think Broccoli is like that.”“I don’t want to light people on fire,” I said. Just the world around me. “I should learn more defensive magic, just in case though.”“There are spells that create bursts of blinding light with light aspect mana. Or you could learn some earth aspect spells for defensive uses, but you’re on the far end of that spectrum with your cleaning focus. I’m afraid that most of the aspects that will be easy for you to use are more intangible.” Amaryllis hummed. “Maybe water? There are some shield spells that use natural water. And air aspect has a few interesting spells that can deflect arrows or weaker blows. It’s not adjacent to cleaning but near enough.”“That sounds brilliant,” I said.I bet that air and fire combined really well too. It would be hard to justify using thermobaric spells in the cause of making friends, but I’m sure the use would come up eventually.“Awa, miss Broccoli, look,” Awen said, neatly cutting off all my glorious daydreams of mushroom clouds.I followed her pointing finger to a distant patch of the prairies to the west that were covered in colourful flowers. It was a little spot between two hills, protected from the wind coming from the west and probably a nice place for water to gather.“We should check it out!” I said.Amaryllis sighed. “It’s not too far out of the way,” she admitted.“Good eye, Awen,” I said.“It, it was nothing?” the girl said.I eyed the ditch on the side of the road, then decided that I ought to help Awen across. So with a grin I scooped her up in a princess carry and hopped over to the other side before she had even finished squeaking.“Moron,” Amaryllis said as she took a running leap and flapped her arms twice before landing by our side.“I would have gotten you next,” I said as I lowered a red-faced Awen. Poor girl, she must have been embarrassed that she needed help. I would need to tell her that I was always there to help if she needed it, and that she didn’t need to fuss over it.“The day you carry me like that is the day I clip my own wings,” Amaryllis said. “Now, let’s go pick some flowers.”
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Chapter Seventy-Six — How Droll
Chapter Seventy-Six — How Droll I stopped at the first flower that caught my eye. Or, well, the first flower that caught my eye and that was well within reach.The valley was filled with them, as if someone had planted a wonderful garden in this corner of the world where only the observant and lucky would find it.A healthy Zoro Aster.“Hrm,” I said as I gave the purple, star-shaped flower a sniff. It smelled nice, and looked nice, but that’s all I could really say about it. “I’m going to look at a few of these flowers. Amaryllis could you mark the area on a map? I think that was part of the mission too.”“Sure,” Amaryllis said. She took a deep breath and let it out as a contented sigh. Even my prickly bird friend couldn’t resist the allure of so much prettiness in one place.Orange took three steps forward upon landing on the ground from her perch on Amaryllis shoulder, then she flopped onto her side.I dropped my backpack down, fetched my herbology book and fell onto my knees next to the patch of flowers.Zoro AsterAn uncommon flower found in large patches, usually near other flowers and in areas with potent life mana. The Zoro Aster has few uses, though its flowers can be used to make a potion that cures one of the afflictions caused by negative or so-called evil mana. The flower is otherwise harmless and is prized in some areas as a sign of peace and fertility.“Cool,” I said as I set the book aside. Reaching out, I rubbed one of the flowers, then gave the plant a hearty pat. “I’m just taking the one flower, okay?”When I had a sample placed away I moved on to the next flower.“Awen, Amaryllis, you two can explore or whatever,” I said. “I don’t think this place will have any mean plants.”“Awa, o-okay,” Awen said. She stepped up, looked at the sea of plants around her, then with her fists clenched and her bravery shored up, she pushed forward and started looking around.She squeaked when a bee buzzed by her head, but other than that, she seemed to have the hang of if. More or less.“I’m going to go keep an eye on her,” Amaryllis said as she got up and poofed the notepad she had been scribbling in.“That might be for the best,” I agreed. Awen was adorable and she had the makings of a truly great friend, but she was a bit... unprepared for the great outdoors. We didn’t need her having a panic attack because she saw a wasp. Even if wasps were evil.I moved over to a patch of yellow flowers growing on tall stalks. They had strange pointed petals, like a daffodil, but a little longer and spikier.“Hello pretty,” I said. “Insight?”A daft o’ dill in full bloom.I snorted at the name and looked through my book until I found a page with a drawing of the plant in question. There was more than one name for it in the tome.Daft O’Dill / Yellow MoronA common flower of the Amaryllis family of plants. These perennials grow in early Spring and late Autumn and produce beautiful and fragrant plants. Prized by many for their resilience and ease of care, they are nonetheless a minor threat and nuisance to the unwary. The flower produces a sweet, tasty nectar around a seed that will attract small animals. The flower spreads by germinating wherever the eater excretes the seed post-consumption.The nectar of this plant is a non-lethal poison that will cause a sharp decrease in the consumer’s mental faculties for a short period of time. Feelings of confusion can last for up to a day, depending on the amount of nectar consumed.A common ingredient in many tinctures and poisons meant to incapacitate.I slapped a hand over my mouth to hold back a giggle. I had to show Amaryllis the entry about this flower.Careful not to get any on my hands, I put some nectar on a piece of paper, then folded it up into a small envelope as a sample for later.I was moving over to the next flower when I heard a call. “Broccoli!” It was Amaryllis’ voice, and she sounded as if she might be afraid.Picking up my shovel and tossing my backpack back on, I ran through the flowery field in search of my friends.They weren’t difficult to find. The two of them were taller than most of the bushes around and Awen was waving at me to come closer.I hopped over some flowers, because trampling them would be too rude, and landed near the girls with my shovel ready and my senses primed for trouble. “What’s going on?” I asked.Then I saw it.There was a small pond here, probably because this was the lowest point between the two hills flanking both sides of the valley and this was where any rainwater would naturally gather. Next to that pond, resting on a little pool of blood, was a body.No, not a body, I realized as I saw the faint motion of a chest moving up and down with in-drawn breaths.Amaryllis turned the person over and I gasped.They were small. Only about as tall as my waist, with a fur-covered body, except for its big, very human ears and a round patch over its exposed tummy. For all that it was small, the creature was obviously muscular, with bulging forearms and skin that was taut over its exposed calves. They were wearing some clothes, but it was very basic. Pants made from some sort of leather and a jacket with a bunch of crude pouches on it.They looked vaguely dog-like, with an elongated snout and a very boopable nose, but when they opened their mouth to wince in pain it showed off twin rows of crookedy sharp teeth that looked like they belonged more on a piranha than a dog.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.“Uh,” I said.“Awa, it’s a d-droll,” Awen said. She shifted next to me, hands working open and closed with nervous energy.“Oh,” I said. “Um. Do healing potions work on them?” I asked as I shucked off my backpack and reached into my bandoleer.Amaryllis leaned over the droll and ran her talons over his side until she found a large gash cut into its side. It was a nasty looking cut and was still bleeding quite profusely. “We can try,” she said.I handed her the potion, my last one. She yanked the cork out with her teeth and spat it aside before tipping it into the dog-person’s mouth. When it was empty she tossed the vial up to me and I replaced it in my bandoleer.“Is it working?” I asked.“I don’t know,” Amaryllis said.The droll coughed, its stubby little arms-which I noticed ended in paw-like hands, curling over its stomach. It pressed against its side, dabbing at the blood there, but also revealing the healing wound.“Don’t move,” I said as I kneeled next to the little droll and held it down gently. “I’m going to use some cleaning magic on you, okay?”The droll nodded their head and locked brown doggy eyes with me.I pressed a hand against their fur and pushed some cleaning magic into them, focusing mostly on cleaning out their wound. It reopened some of it where there had been some scabs forming, but it was better than allowing an infection to settle in.“Awen, can you pass me a bottle of water please?”"Awa, yes!”I took the bottle from Awen and fell onto my knees next to the droll. Carefully, I helped them sit up and brought the bottle close to their lips. “There, drink. It’s just water, but it’ll help you keep your strength up.”The droll swallowed a few times, then stopped to pant in a very dog-like way. “Thank you, human,” he said. At least, his voice was deep and definitely masculine.I smiled. “No problem. How’s your HP?”He seemed to think about that for a moment, then his eyes glazed. “Seven paws,” he said.“Huh?” I said. It took a moment for that to register. He had five toes per paw, so that was... thirty-five? Or did drolls not count the strange big-toe? That would put him at twenty-eight health points. Neither option was very good. “Amaryllis do you have another potion?”Amaryllis nodded and poofed a pen and paper into existence from her ring and got to writing.“We’ll make sure you are nice and healthy,” I said. “Don’t you worry.”“Thank you, human,” he said.“I’m Broccoli, Broccoli Bunch,” I said with a beaming smile.The droll smiled back and I had to hold back a wince at how strange it looked. “Thank you, Broccoli. I am Barks at Squirrels.”I clamped my jaw shut to stop a very inappropriate giggle from escaping. “Ah, well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Barks... at Squirrels. Did you run into a monster?”The droll shook his head. “No.... yes. A monster, but not one that should be here. The scent, it’s become all wrong.”“What do you mean?” I asked.Barks at Squirrels’ answer was delayed as Amaryllis passed me a potion bottle that I handed to the droll. “Thank you,” he said before he drank the potion in one gulp. “The glass golems of the shard dungeon, they used to be dangerous, but they would stand their ground. They marked their territory and would stay in it. Now they are broken, and they roam around and attack. It is dangerous.”I looked up to Amaryllis. “Maybe we should keep an eye out for those,” I said.“For what?” she asked. “You’ve been growling and barking like a mad woman for the last few minutes. If you expect me to understand you then I’m afraid that your sense of observation is lacking. I’m a harpy, not a mutt.”“Oh,” I said. My translation thing must have kicked in.“Awa, it’s very impressive that Miss Broccoli can speak Drollish.”“Thanks,” I said. It was hardly that impressive. I never worked for that ability, so I couldn’t exactly be proud of it. “Barks at Squirrels here said that he was attacked by some sort of glass golem? They apparently used to be territorial, but now they’re roaming around?”“Ahh,” Awen said. “There’s a dungeon that has lots of glass things in it near the desert. It should be close by.”“Well, we’ve healed... Barks at Squirrels, here,” Amaryllis said. “We should be on our way.”I gave Amaryllis a look before turning back to the Droll. “Do you need help getting back to your home?” I asked.The dog’s eyes widened a little. “Would you do this for me?”“Of course we would. What if you got attacked again? We wouldn’t want to lose a friend.” I patted the droll on the head, then realized what I was doing and pulled my hand back as if I’d patted a stove instead of a fluffy head.Barks at Squirrels didn’t seem to mind. He groaned as he turned around and stayed on all fours for a long moment before pushing himself up to his feet. He was a little unsteady, and it was clear that his side still hurt, but he didn’t look that badly off. “I can make it. The pack is a quarter day’s walk desertwards.”I nodded. “Let me tell my friends,” I said before turning to the others. “He says that their pack is a bit of a walk towards the desert. That’s more or less the direction we’re going in, right?”“You’re going to make us help this mutt, aren’t you?” Amaryllis asked. She didn’t even wait for me to answer. “Of course you will. You moron. Awen, are the droll dangerous?”“N-no? They’re mostly nice. They might fight back, um, if you try to hurt them, but they’re mostly nice.”I smiled at Amaryllis until she crumbled. “Fine.”“Did you hear that, Barks? We’re going to bring you home!”
