“I guess you want me to teach you the intricacies of being a farmer now, eh?”

For a short person, he moves fast. By the time we reach the fields, Emmet is already halfway done offloading the goods.

“Shouldn’t we be helping him?”

I get a glare for my concern.

“He wants help, he’ll ask for it, same as anyone. See these leaves here?”

He points at some plants growing from the ground. Three straight, thin leaves pointing in different directions. I indicate that yes, I can see them.

“That’s known as a Fairyhome.”

He bends over, grabs the leaves and yanks the plant out of the ground. A swirl of light follows a large, brown root. A ghostly wail sounds out as the light disperses, leaving me with an uneasy feeling.

“That was the fairy.”

He holds the root between his rough hands and squeezes it. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a loud crack, his hands start to move closer. A thin liquid starts pouring out from the bottom of the root.

“Don’t just stand there kid, catch the blood!”

With nothing else available, I hold my hands underneath the stream, catching as much as I can. It’s clear, with a smell reminiscent of overripe fruit. There’s much more than will fit in my hands. Emmet arrives in time to see the stream stop and Korrom throws the remains over his shoulder.

“You couldn’t have given the boy a bucket, could you.”

Korrom grunts and moves toward a barn. Emmet shakes his head and follows.

“He’s not used to people.”

I follow, fairy blood dripping from my cupped hands. Halfway to the barn, Korrom returns with a bucket for me to store it in. Rolling my eyes, we follow him back into the barn. Most of the barn is taken up by a large metal monstrosity. Korrom goes to the midpoint of the machine and climbs to the top while Emmet stays next to me.

“This is the extractor. The first part there is a grinder. Then there’s the central part which is a large boiler, designed to heat up the liquid. Parts of it will evaporate, and the liquid from that is used as food flavouring. The heavier elements are left behind as heavy flakes of sugar. These are ground up in a mortar and stored as the fairysugar you’ve already seen.”

Once the liquid was in the machine, the process slowed down. Korrom comes back to us looking at me expectantly.

“Well? Have you finished the profession unlock yet?”

I look from Emmet to Korrom.

“Uh, no I have not. I think you have to teach me some of your wisdom first. But out of curiosity, were those real fairies?”

Emmet snorts at this. Korrom looks at me like I’m an idiot.

“Of course not. Real fairies my short and curlies. The plants are a mutated species, from the nightshade family. Like a potato, but suffused in elemental Light. It’ll sit around sucking up the sunlight until it’s nice and plump. Then it goes through the grinder to extract the good stuff.”

I nod my head carefully.

“How do you go about mutating a plant?”

He stares at me for a moment.

“Gods be damned son, you don’t know anything do you? Come here and I’ll show you.”

Korrom grabs my arm dragging me away. Emmet waves at us and leaves. I’m all alone with the crazy person now. Yay.

***

Through advanced learning and understanding you have unlocked the profession Farmer.

Skill discovered: Herbalism.Skill discovered: Animal Handling.

Please pick a primary skill for profession Farmer.- Herbalism.- Animal Handling.(Note: Primary skill will be profession enhanced. The choice is permanent. More picks will be available when profession levels up.)(Profession enhanced skills are eligible for specialisations.)

The game wants me to chose what kind of farmer I want to be. The Herbalism skill gives me knowledge about plants and things that grow. The Animal Handling skill does the same for animals. My mind was made up days ago.

Skill Herbalism has been selected for profession enhancement.Profession interface Farmer has been unlocked.Profession Farmer is Level 1.Farmer Level 2 unlock criteria:- Primary skill(Herbalism) level 3.- Plant common crop.- Harvest common crop.

My notifications are chattier than ever. I open the Farmer interface with a thought, but all I get is a list of the unlock criteria and a big label telling me I don’t have a farm nor a plot of land to farm on. Oh well. I go back to Korrom, forcing myself to listen to his excited rants. This one is about the difference between a red Lionsmane and a blue one.

***

The last day has been awful. Normally a man of few words, when you get him talking about plant splicing and manipulation, Korrom will not shut up. I went to bed long after the moons came out. I had just managed to doze off when Korrom pulled me out of bed. I shambled after him only for him to show me a flower experiment he was working on. He had gotten a rare reaction and showed me a petal with a slowly shifting rainbow patter. Apparently it was a successful infusion of Chaos that made it possible. I left him talking to the flowers and barricaded my door this time.

I wake up early to loud voices and laughter. Stumbling out of my room I reach the kitchen. I’m halfway through planning breakfast before I remember where I am. Out the window, I can see Korrom talking to three people. A chubby guy is standing to one side, clothes covered in sawdust. Probably some visitors from the mill. One of the newcomers is a large, bald man. His arms are folded, his body language telling me he’s not here for the jokes. The third man, the one talking and laughing, seems oddly familiar. I was my face and go outside.

As I’m getting closer, I can see Korrom is uncomfortable with something. The fat guy spots me first, and say something that makes the talker stop and look at me. I barely recognise him, his finely sculpted beard having grown in his days at the mill. He walks past Korrom to move towards me.

“Fred.”

I keep my voice cool. This isn’t something I need right now. He grins widely in return.

“Sprout! It’s good to see you again. I didn’t know you’d be here. Old Korrom there didn’t say anything about guests.”

Sal and Lout come closer, with Lout herding Korrom towards us. Fred steps closer to me, almost conspiratorially.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where the halfbreed keeps the distilled fairy blood, do you?”

I do, but I shake my head.

Skill increased: Deception.

He looks convinced, but I somehow doubt it matters a lot.

“That’s a shame. You see, there was a guy who visited us at the mill the other day who brought an amazing recipe for moonshine. The only ingredient we’re missing is, well, you get the picture.”

Korrom steps forward until Lout puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Mixing alcohol with the distilled blood will result in a toxin. You’ll kill anyone you give it to. I can’t let you do that.”

Fred grunts, and Lout punches Korrom in the kidney. The stoic man resists it, but his eyes betray the pain he feels.

“I guess we have to tear this place apart to find it then. Sal, did you bring the matches?”

Sal chuckles as he nods. I kick myself for not insisting Selene stayed longer, for not getting Stomp and Rain to get here quicker.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The mayor depends on this place for regular deliveries. I don’t think he’d be happy to hear that you’ve torched all his stuff.”

Lout has the decency to look worried, but Sal and Fred don’t seem too bothered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure there aren’t any traces left. No witness and no evidence means he won’t take the word of some adventurer.”

I wrack my brain trying to think something as Fred draws a knife from a scabbard on his belt.

“That would have been an excellent plan, but he’s going to visit today to check out the new Fairyhome crop.”

I point towards the fields.

“Look at the colours, it’s as ripe as it’s going to get. He’ll be here today to sample the first batch.”

Crossing my fingers for a successful deception check, I see him considering my words.

Skill increased: Deception.

Faster than I can process he stabs the knife into my shoulder, and I fall to my knees from pain.

You have taken 25% damage.

He turns away, leaving the knife. Korrom runs to me as Fred gathers his friends and walks away.

“Come on boys. He might be lying, but we don’t have to risk it today. We can come back for it later. Lets go and see if that barwench is up for entertaining again.”

My blood runs cold as I hear their guffaws as they disappear down the road. Korrom pulls out the knife with a single motion making me scream.

You have taken 10% damage.

He leads me inside and starts mixing a poultice for me.

“We have to go after them. I think they have Yadra.”

He looks at me as he’s grinding some herbs in a mortar.

“Who? Oh, the angry woman from the inn?”

I nod as I press a cloth to my wound. For some reason it’s not healing yet.

“I don’t think we can take on all of them. How are we supposed to defeat them?”

“We can go to the mayor, tell him how he threatened you.”

Korrom shakes his head.

“If we do that it’s their word against ours. Best case, the mayor will punish them for being rude. A week or two later and they’ll come back in the night and finish the job.”

I look at the knife, turning it in my hand. Light reflects off the blade, distracting me from the pain.

“What about the Sheriff?”

His reaction is predictable.

“Same problem. He might believe us over them. Probably will. But word against word is still not enough for a serious punishment.”

I know he’s right. I grit my teeth as he mushes the herby mixture into my wound, wrapping a long strip of cloth around to keep it in place. The smell is musty, but fresh. In my mild agony I realise I know how to make one of those myself. I look into his eyes as he’s adjusting the bandage.

“I need you to teach me a little about mushrooms.”

Skill increased: Herbalism.Skill discovered: Mycology.

***

Stalking through the forest is much faster in the light. Korrom told me the direction to go, and how to make my way back. He even gave me a few potions to maintain my stamina. He was eager to get back at the scum.

It takes a few hours to get to the Candrid caves. When I get closer I start moving slower, trying to stay hidden. I doubt there’s any chance of staying hidden if there’s anyone here, but it can’t really hurt. At the mouth of the cave, I see the mushrooms. There dozens of them, several different kinds, and I pick a few of each, putting them in separate bags as I go.

Purple BlowhatRare.Known effects: None.Base chance of cultivation: 0.2%

Elven GrimsnoutUncommon.Known effects: None.Base chance of cultivation: 3%

Common FlycapCommon.Known effects: Poison.Base chance of cultivation: 10%

OrcwartUncommon.Known effects: None.Base chance of cultivation: 3%

Promising. I consider going into the cave to make sure there isn’t anything I need in there, but decide against it. No point in risking it.

My train of thought is interrupted by the sound of footfall in the distance, coming closer.

Skill increased: Perception.

I scurry into the forest, hiding under a bush. Oltab and Sel are walking towards the entrance, a pig in tow.

“I don’t know why, dammit. Maybe she’s just missing Tiene. Damn that green bastard for stealing her away like that. Come along now, we need to do this sacrifice to ward off any further distress.”

They enter the cave without noticing me, and I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Getting up, I hear a cough behind me. I turn slowly to see Johnny standing there, bow in hand. An arrow is pointing straight at me, and I know I’m in trouble.

“You remember who I am, right?”

He nods.

“Do you love your sister?”

Another nod, more vigorous than before.

“You realise she wasn’t happy here, don’t you?”

He looks away for a moment. His eyes are a little shinier than before.

“Look, I only want what’s best for her, and that is to chose for herself. I promise I’ll take good care of her, and when she wants to come home I’ll help her all the way.”

I try to stand, and he makes a threatening gesture towards me. I keep a hand on the knife I got from Fred, just in case.

“Listen, you already killed me once. I know it was you who dosed me with the paralytic poison. Did Sel put you up to it?”

His eyes go wide as I mention the poison, and I know I have him.

Ability increase: Charisma.

“Let me go, and neither of us speak of this again. When you’re a bit older, if you realise why she left, you can come and visit us.”

He’s on the edge. I just need one more push. I move closer to him, looking him in the eyes. He gestures for me to stop a couple of times, but I don’t think he’ll shoot.

“I’ll tell you how to find us when you’re ready, but you can’t tell anyone else, okay? I’m trusting you on this one. The mayor will know where we’re going. He’ll tell you when you ask.”

I can hear voices from the cave, letting me know I’m out of time.

“Thank you.”

I take off back towards the Gennet farm, hoping for the best.

No arrows strike me as I run.