Chapter 3

Several weeks passed, Alec relaxed into his new role as clerk and apprentice alchemist. Each morning, he would wake up, ensure the shop ready for the day, and begin his lessons with Master Swanson. The focus of his study was herbalism. Alec was forced to read from a giant book containing every herb known to the kingdom. There were detailed drawings, descriptions, and notes on how to properly harvest, store, and grow each herb. He would be given a set amount to learn each morning and quizzed on them that night. He put one of his three available points into intelligence, bringing it up to ten. He could feel his thoughts clear just a bit and memorizing his morning herbs became slightly easier. It was said that on or around 50 intelligence, one would be able to remember anything they gave their full attention to. He doubted his would reach that height anytime soon, but it would be useful right now.

In the little free time he had in the early to midafternoon, he had come up with a plan to start gaining experience points in order to try out his trait’s other functions. He had gone to the local smith, a man he had done work for in the past and asked for any junked weapons that the man would offer in trade for some work. After a few hours of working a bellows, he was given a dull, slightly rusted short sword with a worn handle. It had been in a pile of scrap weapons and metal being torn apart and melted down. He then went to the leather worker who had sent him to Argie when he was looking for a shop to apprentice at.

“Good afternoon, Master Fenham!” Alec greeted the man, who was sitting at the counter repairing a set of black leather gloves.

“Alec!” He replied. “Good to see you. I’ve heard that things are going well enough with you and Argie?”

“As well as can be expected when it comes to Master Swanson.” Alec grumbled. While his master was fair, he was also hard, temperamental, and more than a bit curmudgeonly. Alec liked the old man well enough, as his Master did seem to genuinely care that Alec was properly taught. If he were honest with himself there wasn’t much more he could really ask for in a master. Outside of lessons and chores, Alec went his way while the old man went his. Some masters would work their charges from sunup to past sundown, squeezing every bit of effort from them in exchange for teaching them. This relationship fit Alec perfectly well, especially right now. If he were under another master, he wouldn’t be able to enact his current plans. “I’m actually here about something else though. I am going to be sent into the forest soon to collect ingredients for my master. I would like to be prepared on the off-chance I run into anything larger than a fox.” Alec was pushing the truth, but only a little. While he would be sent to collect herbs, it would only be as far as silvertip grass grew. He wouldn’t get within fifty feet of the forest’s edge unless he chose to himself.

“Armor isn’t cheap my boy. Full coverage for a someone your size would cost 30 silver on the low end.” He thought for a second. “I tell you what. I do have a few pieces I was going to toss, as I wouldn’t be able to sell them. With a little love, they could be patched up and made…well not presentable. Best I can do, though, Ill give you them and some patches for a week’s worth of work when you aren’t with Argie. What do you say?”

“I say deal.” It was more than Alec had hoped for. Anything he could get was leagues better than what he had on him.

-----

It all came together for today. Master Swanson felt that Alec had reached the point in which he needed some field experience. He had spoken with the hunter’s guild, and they agreed to allow Alec to follow a group to the edge of the forest. Once there they would leave Alec and continue their patrol into the forest. Alec would gather silvertip grass and anything else that he found and return on his own. It was as safe a trip as anyone could possibly expect. Unless he really went out of his way, Alec wouldn’t have to deal with being attacked. He dressed in his now patched shoddy leather armor, short sword belted at his waist. It had taken quite a bit of elbow grease, oil, and an old whetstone to get his sword into a usable state.

//Rusty Iron Short Sword

Rarity: Common

Condition: Worn

Durability: 4/10

Damage Type: Slashing, Stabbing

Damage: 4

Material: Iron

Weight: 2.5 lbs

A short sword made of iron with a worn leather-wrapped handle. Though it is slightly rusty and well-used, its edge has been recently sharpened.//

His armor had taken a week of his time, as he had to cut off sections of the armor to ensure the patches fit properly. Punching holes into and sewing leather was not an easy task.

// Shoddy Thin Leather Armor

Rarity: Common

Condition: Shoddy

Durability: 3/10

Armor: 3

Material:Cow Leather

Weight: 9.7 lbs

Thin leather armor made from the processed hides of cattle. Provides weak armor in exchange for freedom of movement.//

He also had a large backpack given to him by his master that herbalists used to separate and store their materials as they gathered them. There was even room for several small plants that needed to be fully removed for transplantation. He had several healing unguents in his bag that were technically failures of his master. They wouldn’t increase the body’s healing by much, but they would stop bleeding. Eventually.

He grabbed the backpack and started walking toward the meeting point outside of the east gate. He drew several stares as he walked. He knew how he must look, his poorly sewn armor that was more patches than not. As he walked through the gate, he spotted a single group standing off to the side. Four teenage boys surrounded a large, scary looking man. As he approached them, Alec overheard the man giving last minute instructions.

“And Elsbeth, if you don’t pay more attention here than you do my lessons, I wouldn’t be surprised of you walked straight into an Acidfly nest.”

A boy snorted disdainfully, probably Elsbeth. He wore a full suit of shiny leather armor. Alec could here it creak with each movement the boy made. His bow looked as if it had never been strung, and a large house medallion hung on his chest. Alec wasn’t sure of the house, but anyone wearing something that gaudy wouldn’t be one to get on the wrong side of.

“I’ve been in the forest before old man. There’s nothing more than the occasional sleeping tegu this close to the city these days. I’m not concerned.” The boy stated. “Wake me when we get to see some real action.”

“As I told you before, you aren’t ready for any “real action” as you put it. If we run into any, you would be best off running and hoping you make it back to the city. And as for your past “hunting” trips, this time you won’t have half a dozen of your father’s guards saving you from every misstep.” From the tone of his voice, the man wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t before. The boy rolled his eyes and looked away, clearly done with the conversation. The others in the group were more alert, two of them standing close enough to whisper to each other, clearly excited about their trip. The other simply stared across the plain toward the tree line, anxiety clear on his face.

“You must be Alec. Now that you are here, we can begin our patrol. Stay behind us at all times. It’s only a thirty-minute walk to the edge of the forest. If you pass anything you want to gather, it will have to wait for your return trip. If you see anything threatening after we leave, drop your pack and run. Clearly you attempted to come prepared, and as much as the thought is appreciated, you have failed. Anything hungry enough to leave the safety of the forest for a meal will tear through that patchwork you call armor as easily as it would your skin. Also, unless you are opposite handed, your sword should be on the other side of your waist.”

Alec blushed as the whispering duo snickered at him. Elsbeth couldn’t be bothered to give his attention to someone so obviously poor, and the last teenager still hadn’t taken his eyes away from the forest. Alec unbuckled his belt, flipped his sword to the opposite side, and buckled it. Maybe this wasn’t as good of an idea as he previously thought.

As they approached the tree line, the older hunter pulled Alec aside as his charges ventured closer to the wall of trees. “Hypothetically, if a young gatherer were to enter the forest, it would not be the responsibility of the hunting team that he followed there when he was found mauled to death.” With that, he left Alec and took the young hunters into the woods.

Alec took in his surroundings after the party vanished. He needed to remember the area when he came across it again. This was the most well-traveled of the surrounding area. A worn-dirt path leading towards the forest. There was a tree, taller than the rest, standing alone roughly thirty feet from the forest’s edge. Most likely, it was a landmark for the hunting parties. He absorbed this knowledge and began to search for silvertip grass. It was prolific this close to the tree line. He planned on entering the forest in search of an easy source of experience but first needed to do what he was sent out for in the first place.

He knew the apprentice before him was a bit of a slacker so after several hours of gathering silvertip grass, he decided that the amount he had gathered was more than the other boy would have brought back in one trip. He made his way to the tree line, now several thousand feet away from where he had begun. He found a tree just inside the forest that would suit his needs. He attempted to climb the sturdy branches, made difficult with his heavy bag. He was unable to do so, deciding instead to attach a rope he had brought to the pack. He climbed successfully with the added weight. Once he was high enough, he pulled up his bag and tied it to the tree. He ate a lunch of trail rations he had received from his master as he observed the quiet forest. It was darker here, as the trees were close enough together to form a thin canopy of branches and leaves. Bird calls could be heard in the distance, of what species he didn’t know. It was peaceful, he thought. Even considering the danger the forest represented, he found a peace here that he rather enjoyed.

Lowering himself to the ground, Alec began slowly walking deeper into the wooded area. He attempted to avoid any dry sticks or areas with a lot of dry leaves. He was sure he was louder than any of the hunters, but he was doing his best. He was looking for something weak, something he could overpower even with his poor gear and low stats. He had his weapon half drawn in order to be able to remove it from his belt quickly and quietly. He had learned that trick from watching the hunters earlier. If not for them, he would have been holding the sword in hand from the moment he left his tree. It would not have taken long for his arm to tire, making having his weapon out a hinderance rather than being helpful.

Alec had been walking in the woods for over an hour when he spotted bright yellow leaves poking from beneath a bush to his left. He crept closer, glancing around to ensure he was still alone. He identified the plant, a smile creeping across his face.

//Harproot

Rarity: Uncommon

Condition: Thriving

Strength: Strong

Durability: 10/10

Weight: .6 lbs

This parasitic plant is typically found under large bushes. Its roots twist around the bush’s, stealing nourishment. It is commonly used in weaker poisons, as its leaves are toxic when ingested.//

According to his lessons, harproot toxin was used as an excellent pesticide. He could distill the poison from its leaves, mix it with water, and spray it over the garden. As it was easy to wash off, the poison wouldn’t be a problem for him or his master, only insects and small pests. He drew his sword and began carefully digging around the plant. He planned on finding the bushes root, cutting it off where the harproot was attached, and taking the entire plant back to be transplanted in the back yard. This way, he could harvest from the plant more than this once.

As he was getting deeper into the soil, a weight threw him forward as a sharp pain exploded from his left shoulder. Putrid breath and snarls of rage came from inches away as he looked into a wolf’s eyes. It was ripping into his shoulder as Alec panic cast his skill.

//Starving wolf

Level: 6

Health: 67/94

Condition: Weakened

A lone wolf. Forced out of its pack by a new alpha, it is emaciated and starving.//

It had the same max health as Alec, but it was injured. Was that from hunger? If so, it may be weak enough for him to overcome. It was wearing at his shoulder like a fox on a prized hen. Miraculously, he had not dropped his weapon when he fell forward. He pushed off the ground. When we was high enough, he dropped again, this time tucking his left arm towards his chest and throwing his right elbow into the wolf’s side. His movement gained him a pained yelp from the wolf, and the feeling of teeth tearing through his skin and armor as he twisted. The wolf landed on its feet to Alec’s side and immediately lunged back in to continue its meal. Alec got the blade of his sword between them and below the wolf’s muzzle. As the wolf crashed into him again, he pushed his sword into the wolf’s neck and began to saw it back and forth across the furry throat. He threw his injured arm around the wolf’s neck, grabbing the hair there and trapping it in place as best he could. As Alec continued to saw, the wolf pulled away, panicked whimpers coming from its now wet throat. Alec held it in place even as it dug its claws into him in an attempt to get him to let it go. Large rips in his chest bled heavily as blood shot hot into Alec’s eyes. He let the wolf go only for it to fall to its side as he franticly wiped at his face to clear his vision. He had hit something vital, causing the wolf to lie limply on the ground. He reached into a pocket sewn in his pants, looking for a tin of the healing unguent he had hidden there. The tin was crushed and scraped, but still whole. He had no trouble getting the lid off, as it was bent away on one side. He got as much of the ointment on his fingers as he could. He then ran it along his wounds, causing pain to flare across his chest. It did it’s work, and in short order both his chest and shoulder were tended to. It took two tins of unguent, but as he checked his status screen, the bleeding had stopped.

//Name: Alec Montaine

Age: 16

Level: 1

Experience: 0/200

Condition: Badly Wounded, Shock

Health: 14/94

Health Regen: 4.45 per minute

Mana: 46

Mana Regen: 2.375 per minute

Physical

Strength: 7

Endurance: 6

Perception: 5

Agility: 5

Constitution: 6

Mental

Magic: 5

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 7

Fortitude: 6

Willpower: 6

Attribute Points available: 2

Traits:

Enhance: Spend experience points to modify the properties of an object or entity targeted by the user. May not be used on self. Object must be under the ownership of the user. Sentient beings must give their consent. Non-sentient beings must be under the control of the user.

Cost: Variable Experience Points

Skills: None//

Looking at his status sheet, Alec felt like an idiot. He still had 2 attribute points to spend. He put one in perception and the other into constitution. He didn’t want to be taken off guard again, and if he was the point in constitution should help him survive it. He looked over to the wolf, its chest still rising and falling, albeit weakly. He thrust his sword int the beast’s chest around where he thought the heart would be. He twisted as he pulled the sword out, opening the wound.

//You have slain a level 6 Starving Wolf.

You have gained 150 experience points.//

Alec looked around, and finding no other beasts in the vicinity, he fell back and began to laugh. He stayed like this for several minutes until his body stopped shaking and his heart was no longer beating a heavy tattoo in his chest. He had done it. It wasn’t at all like he had planned, but he had managed to get himself some experience. The battle had been quick, much more so than Alec would have expected. In his mind, he and his foe would have gone back and forth at each other, each blow stronger and fancier than the last. In reality, it had been a quick, dirty, painful fight for survival.

He got to his feet, aborting his attempt at gathering the harproot. He cleaned his sword on the wolfs fur before walking back the way he came. It felt bad to leave the wolf there when he could have taken it with him for the fur and meat, but there was no way he could carry it in his state. He understood that predators were attracted to the smell of blood, and he hoped that this would serve as a meal for them rather than him. He left more quickly than he had come, smelling of blood, sweat, and maybe a little urine.

He arrived back at his tree. It was not an enjoyable experience, retrieving his pack. His shoulder and chest threatening to break open with each branch he crept past. After managing to untie his pack and make it to the ground, he quickly made his way out of the forest and back home.

He was stopped at the gate and questioned. Understandable considering his current state. “Someone fetch a healer! Come here and have a seat gatherer. What in the Architects name happened to you?” A strong female guard spoke as she led him to a bench outside the guardhouse, but inside the gate.

“I was gathering herbs for my master on the edge of the forest.” Alec began. He had the entire way back to fashion a story for the way he looked. He decided to stick mostly to the truth. “I came across a Harproot plant that was under a bush just inside the tree line. I was gathering it as a wolf tackled me to the ground from behind. I managed to fight it off and kill it, but not before it got its share of blows in.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose. ”So that sword isn’t just for show. That’s good, else you’d be dead right now. You said there was only the one wolf? Another blessing from the goddess for you. Looks like more than one would have been a bit much for you.” She smiled at him then turned and shouted again. “Where’s that damn healer!?!” Alec smiled too, his adrenaline finally wearing down. He had made it back to town and there was a healer on the way. As soon as he was patched up, he would head home and experiment with his trait.

-----

Marcus arrived at the guard house to the sound of the madwoman of a captain shouting at him. He walked over to find a boy, no older than sixteen sleeping on a bench. His chest was shredded, and his shoulder looked as if it were halfway to being hamburger. Marcus had been told that the child had run into a wolf, but this was a bit more than he had expected. He wasn’t sure how the boy had survived his wounds, let alone the trek back to the town. He quickly cast mend on the boy, sealing his wounds. The bleeding had been stopped by what smelled to be a healing unguent, so that was not a concern. He removed the boys pack, followed by his tattered leather chest piece, little more than a series of ripped patches, along with his shirt. He used a wet rag to clean the boy’s areas where the wounds had been. Fresh scars lined the middle of his chest. The puncture wounds on his shoulder were now white pin pricks. He thanked the goddess that this child had survived, it would be a shame to lose one as young as him to such an attack.

Finished with his ministrations, Marcus left to find the captain of the guard. “Find out where the boy lives, I’ll take him home. He won’t be waking anytime soon after that healing.”