The midday sun shone through the clear sky over the rocky cliffs surrounding the campsite, Adil’s eyes opened, and he came to. Swift was sitting on a rock, having failed to stay awake, his head resting on the side of his hand.

A dead wolf lay beside the fire, its flesh both cut and burnt. Adil saw his bow and arrows and put them over his back.

“Swift?” Adil asked getting to his feet and rubbing the side of his leg.

“Hey man,” Swift said. Trying to stay awake.

“Thanks” He replied. Swift grew a teary smile, having been worried he had made the right call.

Adil had fully healed. He stretched his leg out as though it was brand new. He dreaded to think what it would have been like if Swift had not healed it, but still shrunk away from the thought of burning again.

“Check this out,” Swift said to Adil. He went over to the corpse that lay in front of them and reached out his hand. Focusing on his energy he injected some mana into the remnants. The corpse began to vibrate and compress as a glow illuminated around it. As the wolfs remnants appeared to slightly raise up in the air it began to deteriorate, pieces of it falling away in a fading orange. inside tendrils of energy were compressing t a single point, now visible and floating in front of the two. A single arrowhead appeared, levitating in the air.

Adil got up and walked forward grabbing the item before it fell to the floor.

Acquired: wolf fang arrowhead.

Description: The essence of the wolf has been compressed into this fang making it significantly stronger than a normal fang. This fang can be used for crafting or as an ingredient.

“Holy shit,” Adil exclaimed.

“I know right,” Swift replied.

And Adil had a slight tear in his eye as he softly said the word “Loot.”

The maze of rocks and crevices stretched high and low. Mountainous spikes and deep caves. Different layers of the area made them wonder what could be held beneath.

The land would move up to a plateau and down to caves, force the two to pass through narrow crevices and let them walk over areas like open fields. Giant spikes of rock adorned the landscape, reaching high enough that a couple pierced the clouds, making each space hidden from the next.

Adil tried to climb up from his camp to get a view of the surroundings. He grabbed onto bits of red rock and swung himself around, managing to get high enough on one of the rocky pillars he tried to look out into the distance. He saw that they had barely travelled, the maze gave the illusion of travel as they tried to find the most direct path. Still far into depths of the landscape darkness emanated, barely visible in the backdrop, mostly hidden in the horizon, but its presence was unmistakable. The other way now showed a steep cut off point, just past appeared to be covered in mist but through it, all Adil could just make out the presence of green, a single grassy hill unmistakably popping out and covered in trees. his eyes grew wide. Quickly Adil climbed and jumped back down, quickly going to grab his things.

Adil tapped the side of Swift's head,

“Sorry mate, but we need to keep moving.”

“Yeah hay, I don’t have a—” He said waking up from some sort of half-dream.

“You okay?” Adil replied,

“Muuuhh, I'll just get my things,” Swift started fumbling around picking up a sword and what looked like a bunch of berries to pocket. He threw some in his mouth then carried on.

Notifications started flashing for Adil as he noticed the icon to the corner of his eye,

lvl 2

37% progress

He saw the list come before his eyes, a selection of choices and paths. The idea of power and the ultimate utility.

Points available (3)

Point allocation choices

Aim and measure agility I endurance

metalwork cartography Spanish

wood carving taste Charisma

Strength I slippery I fishing

poison resistance camouflage Leg power II

vision mental resistance Endurance

Gnome dancing cooking astrology

Without much analysis Adil chose agility I, cartography and aim.

Notification

you have unlocked:

Agility I: Strengthen your bones and muscles to allow for fast reactions, flexibility, and bursts of strength. (not to be confused with strength I)

Cartography: To know where you have been in the detail of a map, and to be aware of the spatial position for those you are connected to.

Aim and measure: To know the distance and position of your target as well as where your projectile will be, to the best of your vision, sound, and smell.

After allocating abilities a map appeared in the corner of his awareness highlighting where he had been and where Swift currently was. They carried on down and further round the rocky outcrops.

As they went further down meandering the maze of rocks, they felt a windy gust drifting through, a path through the rocks only showed the open sky through it as they rose towards it. This was unusual, normally mountainous rock spikes distorted their line of sight.

When they came closer they saw fresh-cut grass. They had not come across anything this green since inside the cavern. Even then it was only never this much.

Without saying a word to each other they started running frantically. Trying desperately to reach the other side. They arrived and stood panting in the archway. Open fields and a hilly landscape were stretched out before them.

In the distance a river went down from the hills meandering around the landscape until it reached a small fortified town, great walls stretched across what was otherwise a small settlement. Adil noticed an icon of 269 meters distance away in his awareness, instinctively he felt like he knew the exact proportions of the walls and the width of the town. He could even focus on and highlight the dimensions of anything he wanted before him, from flowers and distant trees to the shape of his hand. He had to see it clearly and have something to compare it too, but it was now as though he had a supercomputer inside him calculating the measurements of everything in sight.

Upon stepping outside, they could see the large outstretched walls of the rocky chasm they exited. Cascading jagged rocks all held as high as buildings stopped just where they stood a height Adil knew as 322 feet, but they soon disregarded this peculiar wall as they cared much more about the settlement. Thoughts of meeting people, or some intelligent humanoids, maybe finding an explanation to the world.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say that’s a human settlement,” Adil said.

"Are you trying to jynx it?" Swift said smiling back at Adil.

“Good point, we have to go right now. It might even disappear” Swift said almost not in jest.

Adil took his first step and Swift again sprang forward and started running.

“Wait! Hold up. Everything we have met so far has tried to kill us, let’s not assume it won’t be the same. Try to move up slowly.”

Swift slowed his run to a jogging pace and then looked back thining about what him running off had done before he slowly went back to Adil.

As they came closer they saw guards standing over the wall and a couple by a gate, a few were already looking at them as they approached. The place looked as though it was ready for an assault, reinforced stone walls and along the walls were archers staring down at them. It was a small town for such defences. After a brief walk down, they arrived at a gate and found a couple of guards staring them down.

“What happened to you.” One of the gate guards said, pointing to Swift with a jovial expression. An archer was curiously looking over the wall. Swift’s clothes looked clearly burnt and further covered in the blood of diseased wolves.

“Accidents happen,” he said in response trying to casually walk in through the gate. The guard stopped him.

“Stand back, seriously. Where have you just come from?” The guard insisted. Swift looked back at Adil, it was clear he knew the rocky maze wouldn’t be the right thing to say... and probably not Earth. Adil moved forward hoping his silver tongue would help somehow gain the guard's trust.

“We went for a walk,” he said. Then stopped and started looking back at Swift for advice realizing how stupid what he said was.

The guard gave out a laugh, and replied: “Oh yeah, and I’m just standing here to admire the view.”

“Now, what have you really been up to?” He further insisted.

Before Adil could answer, the archer shouted from above “They’re not goblins are they, just let’em in.”

The guard looked back up at him and down again to Adil then replied: “Alright, alright, just trying to have a bit of fun.” Then looking towards Swift the guard bowed and said: “You may enter, good sir.”

They got into the town and looked around, finally thinking they had made it. Not even murdered by the guards. Thomas realized he hadn’t thought this far ahead, and now he was actually in civilization had no idea what to do.

“I need a bath” Swift called.

“I need a drink” Adil replied.

Adil rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a few wolf teeth. “I can probably get something with these” he added. Swift had already started walking off and eating one of the berries, he replied: “Sure,” without even looking back.

They looked around until they found what they assumed was some sort of ‘general store’ and Adil went to the counter.

“How much for this.” and he put forward a couple of the teeth on the table. The man looked up and down at him and peered through the door to see the slightly charred Swift waiting outside. He looked back to Adil and further inspected the teeth.

“I guess they might be useful for some potions,” he said in a matter of fact way.

“I can give you 37 franks, as a friendly offer,” he added.

The silver-tongued Adil looked back at Swift again seeing him stare down the pool decorating the centre square of the village. Then he looked back to the shopkeep. “Here,” he said and gave 2 more of the same, getting 60 in total.

He walked out after the trade, much to the surprise of the man. *Aaah* Adil thought, *am I meant to barter? *. The realisation hit him a bit too late and he felt a pang of embarrassed regret.

Then he saw Swift there, half passed out and lying in a pool of water only a few inches deep. People eyeing him down in curiosity as they passed through the centre square of the town. Adil went back into the shop and managed to buy a large makeshift fur blanket that he soon handed to Swift. The cold tired Swift was going to freeze if he stayed out as wet as that.

Fifteen franks left each, they went to the local tavern, ordered two drinks for three each and they got a rough idea of how much things cost. Sort of.

Sitting down on a table Adil said to Swift.

“Looks like this is our life now,” Adil said. The drink tasted like a dark lager, bitter but refreshing.

Swift took a sip himself, the bags under his eyes were really starting to show at this point. “At least it’s not all bad,” He said with a smirk.

Two more drinks down, and they were starting to feel tipsy, in normal Adil fashion he slurred. “Hey, I’m gunner try and talk to the girls over there,” Swift was too tired to stop him this time and just murmured a “Mmmhmuuh” his head in his hands.

Adil arrogant from his abilities, silver tongues, and what he was keenly aware of now; ‘drunken prowess’, he walked over to a group of two ladies and one guy who were laughing in their own social circle.

Waving around he exclaimed “Hey, how you doin?” trying to put on his best Boston accent.

Swift cringed refusing to look over, it wasn’t his problem he was too tired. His drink still in front of him half-finished. He bent a bit further down into the table and waited for either sleep or a situation he would have to resolve. He nodded off a bit but a sharp second long dream of a wolf diving towards him woke him with a start.

Then saw that Adil hadn’t been shoved away, in fact, the laughter started growing.

Swift came over to see what madness had happened. “Hey, this man, he’s ma boy, he’s a good fella.” Adil said hunching over Swift.

“Your friend is highly unusual,” one of the ladies said, motioning towards the Adil. Adil went back to what he was doing. He started again.

Talking to the guy on the table now Adil said “Hay you, you are a big man right, I’m one of these special people here you know, you should know, we’re something big! We might be like, super people, but I really don’t know. And shu gutta ksheep jat a sheecrut.”

One of the girls burst out laughing again. “Alright fella, I think you’ve had enough,” said the guy.

“Naah. ONE MORE ROUND ON ME!” Adil exclaimed, his drinking problem was seriously coming full force.

Swift moved in “No seriously, I think you’ve had enough,” then he took the drunk slowly away.

“What? I thought tis wus America, this was America!” He said. Increasing the very confused laughs from the table. Even the man that had been trying to stop him from drinking started hunching himself over his hand on the table trying to hold back bouts of laughter.

Swift was carrying him away when Adil broke off. “I’m getting another round,” he said. Swift went to grab him back, but Adil easily held him off. In the spirit of the moment, he even lifted Swift up.

Swift in absolute surprise managed to glance his companion’s status and saw to a dangerous surprise:

Status: Inebriated

effect: impulsivity increased, reason lowered, self-perception increased.

Special effect: Strength increased +10 base, (10).

Special trait unlocked: alcoholism, the person's essence is highly conductive of alcoholic substances.

Adil unleashed his newfound strength and held Swift high above his head. “Holy shit,” Swift exclaimed.

“Let me down, let me down... Come on man, please” Swift called out. Finally, Adil placed him carefully on the ground.

“Sorry… I have had too much,” he said to Swift and shouted to the bar “A water!” still furthering Swift's embarrassment, he wanted to shrink into a corner and cry.

"You are the worst sort of alcoholic," Swift said.

Then suddenly both Adil and Swift were lifted into the air by the back of their collars and then thrown into the table. The people at the table stood up and backed away.

Adil and Swift turned around readying defensive positions and to see who did that. It was a woman clad in armour; medium-long black hair fell to either side of a fierce grin on her face. It took a while of them looking at her in confusion, but then they realized.

“ROS—” Adil spilt out. Stopping himself as he felt like real names aren’t meant to be known in Snowball.

Rosie’s grin grew larger and she reached in to do one of the most vicious bear hugs, her heavy armour crushing the two.

“Captain,” said the man Adil was entertaining. The man was holding a salute towards Rosie.

“Give us a moment,” she said and then he quickly dismissed himself with the other ladies.

“So, what can I call you guys”

“Adil and Swift,” Adil said. Pointing to everyone concerned.

She chuckled.

“I usually call you your Gamertags anyway," she said.

Then announced proudly "I'm Captain Seras. And you bitches better not forget it.”