《How to get lost: a wanderers guide》Day 7: Sharpen your knives
Advertisement
Hello again. Yesterday was a rather dark day for me.
But, I feel much better today, I've said it before I'll say it again. Sleep makes mountains into molehills and impassable walls into interesting puzzles.
Well, except I haven't said it before I guess. Just kind of thought of it right this very moment. But its a good thought, I think, and I'm sure I'll say it again sometime.
By no means do I intend to forget my thoughts of yesterday, nor my actions of the day before. It is a valuable lesson indeed, that your actions can have dire consequences. Whether thats a forest fire or horrible diarrhea. It all depends on your actions.
And diet.
So today I lazed about, taking my time. For a variety of reasons really. For one, my guts are thoroughly empty, and very delicate. So I dedicated a lot of time today to finding sources of food, and stockpililing what I could of it. So I can gorge myself when I'm finally feeling fully put together again.
Hopefully that'll be tomorrow morning.
For another, I haven't really had much of a chance to relax yet in my life. To just kinda, sit still, smell the flowers. That kinda thing. I've been on the go for as long as I can remember. It's nice to just relax.
I woke with the rising sun, and spent the first bit of my day just watching as the sky once again went through its brilliant transformation of colors.
Truly beautiful.
Then I, very gently, picked myself up off the ground and had a look about the place.
I was on a small spit of land between rivers. Comprised of a few dozen slender trees and a large variety of grasses and bushes. I made sure to steer clear of those blasted red berries, and the area I had soiled with my, uh, stuff.
Advertisement
I then set about exploring the river and the lands around it.
Bizarre things flitted about in the deep cold waters of the streams. Flashes of silver and movement all I could make out of them. I set about catching one of these mysterious thingamabobs. Diving happily into the crisp clean water after them.
For a while I was unsuccessful, until I discerned their hiding spots. They ducked under overhanging banks and rocks. Lurking in the shadows, before making another speedy sprint towards another hiding spot. So I hovered over one such rock, my hand sitting absolutely still under it. Waiting for an unsuspecting mystery creature to fall into my trap.
It took a while. My hands became heavily wrinkled and I began shivering intensely before one finally fell for it.
I scooped the surprisingly slippery and slimy mass of struggling muscle into my arms. It writhed madly, thrashing and snapping in a desperate bid to re-enter its prefered domain. But I was resolute in my desire to examine these things closer. And so I threw it ashore, and waded after it.
Bulging eyes and gaping mouth attached to a sleek silver scaled body. Stubby flat and see through appendages grew from its sides, back, bottom, and top. Twin gashes fluttered angrily in the air on either side of its body, just behind its head. The thing thrashed, and seemed to be trying to scream, though it made little noise.
Fascinating things.
It flailed about for quite a while before finally becoming very still. Closer examination howe it to be very much dead. I still have no idea what killed it, but in the spirit of understanding, I went back into the river for more. To see if these reactions were unique or not.
After I warmed myself back up of course. Nothing warms me up quite like covering my whole body in fire. I was careful o do this away from and trees this time. Another firetree party is something I am keen to avoid.
Advertisement
Catching the odd things darting about in the river occupied my time for a while. I haven't named them yet. There are so many that could work! Darters, silver-quicks, land-dead-water-alive, so on and so forth. It would have been easier if there was just the one kind, but they came in all sizes and colors.
Do I have to come up with a name for every single last one of them? That sounds like such a waste of time.
Watching and seeing what the animals around me are willing to eat was also time consuming. Note: none ate the shiny red berries. I did see a fat-fur open up a rotted log with a swipe of some very respectable claws, and gobble up a bunch of wee little things writhing inside. I'll try that in the morning, the fat-fur seemed to find them delectable.
Later, that very same fat-fur sniffed out the small pile of steadily worse smelling river things. Watching the fluffy beastie devour them finally shifted their existence from mysterious river thing, to food source. I'll have to try a fresh one for breakfast tomorrow along with the wriggly things. The smell from the old ones was starting to get pretty bad before they became fat-fur food.
I do wish I was feeling hungry, my guts are still rebelling at the very idea of eating though. I've been collecting supplies of berries after seeing a swarm of small feathered things denude a few bushes. Hopefully that will help tide me over in the morning before I go looking for river things or wriggly things.
I have so many things to name!
All in all, today was a day of rest and learning. Which was quite enjoyable. I could go on, but my hand is getting stiff from writing, so I guess I'll stop here for today.
Tomorrow is going to be a day of travel and new experiences. I'm very excited, and I hope to cover lots of ground.
Good night.
Advertisement
- In Serial37 Chapters
PathOgen [Forge Your Own Path] Reader Interactive
This is a 100% reader-interactive, game-like book, based on my novel Technomagica. It is written in collaboration with the readers - every comment drives it forward. Once there are enough interesting or fun comments on each chapter, various paths forward begin to manifest that you can [choose] to follow. Summary: Soviet bio-weapons designer Vladislav Kerenski died in 1992. Upon meeting "god" he rejects a continuation of his narrative. It's up to you to help him survive the darkness of the Astral Ocean. This is the only book on Royal Road where your choice can make the MC become a villain or a hero, to die horribly and quickly, or slowly and painfully, to live out an interesting life, to become god, or to be trapped in a nightmarish loop without an end!
8 200 - In Serial123 Chapters
Summoned! To an RPG world (LitRPG)
Sean de Courcy is a gamer with a maxed out warrior build on a popular MMORPG. When the desperate rulers of a declining kingdom need a warrior to help lead them to triumph over their enemies, their summoning spell picks Sean. Their world obeys the rules of an RPG, so although Sean has no real world fighting experience, he is exactly the person they need to manage the kingdom, increase the levels of the PCs and lead their armies. Discord chat invite: https://discord.gg/wBpnMmbrfC
8 212 - In Serial11 Chapters
Ascension Online
Titan Incorporated, world leader in technology and science, has just released its newest creation and design. Ascension Online. With a surreal 98% realism, Ascension Online is a world of possibilities. One that hundreds of millions are throwing themselves into. Tyler Mori, once known as Akuma in the world of Combart Sports Association, is one such individual. While his goals and motivations are dead, Tyler is a man of unmatched ability. Ability, that shall be pushed to the limits in a game world, where friends are easy to be made, and enemies even harder to kill.
8 93 - In Serial31 Chapters
Flawsome
>> Featured Staff Pick on Tapas.io! “Imagine someone who likes you so much, they make you like yourself.” Looking at sixteen-year-old Neo Favre, there isn't anything to point out that would explain him being heavily bullied. He has loving parents, a healthy amount of sibling rivalry to overcome every day. He can be funny, he is nice, he isn't an annoying know-it-all nerd. He's just like any other teenager attending Haven Highschool. Except one thing; Neo suffers from OCD, and his irky habits are solely the reason for his classmates to make fun of him. But as much as he tries to hide his annoying habits of counting literally everything, entering a class without touching the floor right in front of the first desk, tapping light button's to the beat of "we will rock you" and any other small tic, his fellow students know, and they use it to bully him endlessly. Neo just wants it all to end, but right when he worked up the guts to put his actions where his mouth is, Calo show's up to save the day, and maybe his week. And who knows, maybe even his life.
8 209 - In Serial18 Chapters
The Torch
Tanaka Manyika was a Zimbabwean form 4 student in his 2nd term of study, and like every other kid his age, he wanted to pass his end of year exams and move on with his life. However on one particular night his parents and his sister were brutally murdered by two strange men. This was only the beginning to a horrific nightmare; the coming of the apocalypse of infinite darkness was upon him. In that despondent world where everyone in the dark is subjected to despicable mutilation by the creatures of the unknown, Tanaka only has a torch as his arsenal, the only tangible form of light in a world consumed by darkness. Can he survive the end of the world and be the haven of others in despair or will he eventually fall prey to the hopelessness of the world?
8 177 - In Serial201 Chapters
The Encrypted Data of Kaiden Cypher [A Cyberpunk Dystopian Thriller]
Book 1: Artificial Death Kaiden Cypher, a recently retired Mercenary finally gains a job as an EXiCON within BLED (Bridge City Law Enforcement Department). Cypher begrudgingly accepts a case despite it not being under his purview as an EXiCON (External Investigative Constable). However, as trouble brews within Industrial District, it forces the Commissioner to enact Protocol B5-10. A protocol that forces all active EXiCONs to take on special duties as the main police force deals with threats within the city. The real challenge comes, when the case cypher accepts turns into a double murder, something he knows the Commissioner would like the keep a lid on before the city erupts with the news of a serial killer. Death usually comes in two, and so does cloning. Book 2: Translucent Requisition After being fired as an EXiCON, Cypher never thought he'd have to return to the life of a mercenary. To ensure his wife and daughter wouldn't want or need anything. He takes on a Body Guard detail for one of Bridge City's Elite, The Romacellin Family. The detail was simple, ensure the Romacellin Family's safety during an Auction. Trouble brews as one of the guests from the auction disappear, forcing Kaiden into action. As Kaiden tries to retrieve the guest he quickly finds out that these kidnappers mean business, and spilling blood is nothing but an afterthought. Sometimes, requisition is the only answer. Book 3: Indignated Efflux Cypher returns from the Waste, battered, bruised and elated as the debt he'd accrued from Mr Black is about to be paid. Cypher checks in with his wife and daughter, only to see his biggest fear become a reality. Akatani has found them, but luckily for Cypher, Akatani needs him to retrieve an item for him. As Akatani uses Cypher's family as leverage, Cypher must first discover who found out about his family and fed their locale to Akatani before he can make a move against him...or be forced to watch them die in front of him. Unresolved conflicts usually end through Indignated Efflux. Updates: Every Monday to Friday!The word count for each split chapter will range between 1400 - 2500 words! Also: Please note, that I'm from Barbados and we use United Kingdom English.They will be more 'S' than they are 'Z' for certain words and vice versa. If you like Ghost in the Shell, Metal Gear Solid and Westworld, this is the series for you!
8 54

