7 years later......

Medicinal Leek

Type: Common ingredient

A very commen spring vegetable found in any home gardens, farms, forests or plains that have over it's growth period absorb enough Mana to mutate medical properties.

Often used in homemade remedies and hearty stews or simple soups for those who are sick. Or just have problems eating in general. Also has a small natural refreshing effect whether eaten raw or cooked.

The taste of this vegetable is also better than normal thanks to the Mana.

"Well thats unexpected." I say as I stare at the leek in my hand for just a moment, before I quickly use [Apprasial] on the rest of the leeks in the new and very much improved vegetable garden infront of my home. All but a third of the current patch have turned into Medicinal Leeks. I let out a sigh, mumbling slightly to myself about my stupid idea of boosting my Luck stat as I bend down to restart harvisting the leeks and spring onions.

A quick glans with [Appraisal] put my heart at ease to know that the onions have not mutated at all. Though I feel dread when I remind myself that theres other plants I also need to harvest today. And it will be bad if some of them have mutated as well for I don't have a lot of seeds needed to replace them.

Hello and welcome to this fine early spring morning. It's been a while hasen't it? Let me fill you in while I keep harvesting vegetables and other plants.

Theres been a lot change going on. For one, I and all of my brothers have moved back into our cave home soon after I was around four years old, and after both aunt Gharol and Thai returned from war. And we've been living here since. And through out the years it's gone through some changes and expansions. Both on the inside and outside.

Before, our home had six simple areas. Two bedrooms, one for our parents (now Thai's) and one us younger siblings use. The living room which is the largest by far. Then the 'kitchen' with the larder beside it. Both count as one room for some unknow reason. A simple storage room thats decently large. And the area that worked as the 'bathroom'. Which was far from what I would have called it, even before the attack, as it only had a simple hole where people did their business and some leather scraps or leafs used as toilet paper.

With two simple washbukets, one used to 'flush' the toilet when needed. And the other to wash your hand and face along with some really harsh soap once your done. The only positive thing back there, before I managed to improve it a little bit, was that theres a simple and hidden sewer system that the 'toilet' was connected to all the cave homes and other houses near us. Which I did not know about until I aksed my brothers were all the waset went as I've never seen any of them nor had they asked me to go empty it. Or something like that.

It was also as I learned much later, one of the biggest problems with reparing our home as many was unsure how much damage had been done to the sewer system. And if we had a time limit ticking down for disaster.

My new world might be in the middle ages, at least technology wise on manchines and things like that. Or as far as I can tell with my clan. But I've learned over the years that we Orcs are surprisingly good at health and cleaness. Espeically when it comes to get rid of waste and other things that can over a long time become a sever health risk. Or far worse.

However as I said, over the years my brothers and with the help of their friends have made new rooms, one of which is a cold storage for my, Thai's and Tarr's usage for things we make that needs to be kept in a cold place. We have plenty of dyr storage thanks to the 'kitchen' getting some upgrades I insisted on, so theres was no need for more. We also use the cold storage to store a lot of different meats for winter, much to my brothers delight.

Dried or salted meat might be the prefered way to make sure you have a good bit of meat in the winter. But a cold storage can do it better. If you can and have the means to afford it, as something called Frozen Gems are needed for it to work. And those gems are fricking expensive.

Yes, Thai can make them through [Synthesis] along with a few other elemental gems or crystals he'd managed to unlock. And at rare times he does when he can. But getting the 3 needed mateirals are far harder to get then buying the finished gems.

Much like back on Earth, gems are expensive as all hell. And for good reasons other than looking pretty as many are used for a lot of magical tech.

to make a Frozen Gem you need either a sapphire or lapis lazuli. Those two are among a series of gems that are hard to get to our vally thanks to few traders are willing to take such things to a place like our home. Never mind the fact that we need a Jeweler to cut them into the right shape, size and polish them through a speical treatment of some sort to boot.

A treatment that either a Alchemist Master or a Artificer can make.

All of this adds so much additional costs with just the gems alone, I dare say thats it most be half the reasons alone why buying them finished is ways easier and cheaper.

The last two materials I don't know what really are, other than that Thai has said that one is blood from some beast and the other are petals of a type of flower. And that both can only be found in the most northern parts of our country. They are also cheaper to get than the gems for reasons Thai has not explained to me.

Anyways.

I'm currently having talks with my borthers if we can make a small smoke hut outside to safely smoke meat or eatable plants. They like the idea, theres just a few problems in how it should be made and were. Among a few other things.

A little workshop area for Tarr came next, especially once he gained the Apprentice Alchemist class after gaining a apprenticeship with one of the former students of Shagar's late brother. Miss Morn was eager to take in Tarr as her apprentice, as there are few among our clan who has any interest for the class. Infact she took Tarr in at the age of 12 instead of the usually 15, mainly as it could take as much as a decade for Tarr to get the class on average.

And I'm not talking average for us Orcs alone. A decade is the average time needed regadless of what race you are to gain the Apprentice Alchemist class. At least among sentient races. I have no idea how it is for monsters like Goblins, Kobolds, Gnolls and Ratmen, who can gain that class as well. Among many other monster races. Though it's very rare to find a alchemist among monsters in general. Or so Tarr have learned from Miss Morn.

Lucky for my borther, it took only 6 years for him to get the class.

Another storage room was also added shortly after this. It mainly store things Tarr and Thai have crafter over the years. With a good bit of them being materials Thai has made through [Synthesis] and wants to have on hand incase he needs them. It also holds a good selection of solutions and solvents that Tarr needs for some few difficult recipes that Miss Morn have him make on requests. Or Thai needs for some of the weaponds he crafts on requests as well.

Neither me, Darak and Malak are allowed to touch these bottles and jars filled the solutions and solvents. The three of us take neither offence nor mind much about that rule. We all know that only Tarr and Thai have any know how on how to handle the things among the five of us, so we gladly leave the things alone.

Unless we are forced to move them when reorganizing or fixing the storage room. Thats the only expections to the rule that Thai and Tarr will allow if they are unable to help.

The storage room is also well hidden and difficult to be seen unless you know where to look.

I also use it to store some of the more rare species I've managed to purchase that cost a lot to get here. Which my brothers finds quite a reasonable excuse as some of them are worth several dozen silver coins for transport alone. Much less how much they cost for a single purchase. They even got me a good solid chest store it all in, with a good iron lock gifted from aunt Yotul that only I have the key for.

Oh, and I'm the one paying for those species. Through money I've earned thanks to things I managed to recreate from Earth and have become very popular with pretty much all the clans in the vally. And the villages and towns outside. Most of which said things are food related.

And yes, a selected few of the species I've managed to get are infact magicaly and naturally infused with mana. Which makes them cost more than I like to think about. And makes me very hesitant on even using them not only due that but also because I don't really have a lot of the stuff.

My brothers says I'll likely change my mind once I manage to get more. But will see about that as the species can be used as currency or bargaining chips should I need something of equal worth.

I've also set aside a good bit of the money to help found the cold storage. The gems last a good few years to decades depending on their quality but the room needs maintenance at least once or twice a month. And some of the repairs are not cheap. So the five of us have a little chest filled with coins for that reason alone. All five of us contribute to the found.

The little money chest is also hidden somewhere in our home as well. Though I don't know where.

The last room added is the second largest if one dose not count two the storage rooms put together. It's sole use is to wash cloths, beddings, leather and other fabric like stuff. Normaly we shouldn't need something like this thanks to the outside or living room would usually work fine. Especailly when winter comes around. But now that the triplets are almost 19 years old and almost as tall as father was, the need for new cloths, leather and other fabric like materials and more, have made the living room become so clustered after only one round of wash alone made it far from safe.

I almost set our home on fire once. Somehow. And more than a few times have some cloth or fabric almost choked one of us when we'd run into the cloth line when not looking or watching our steps. Theres also been a broken bone or two thanks to walking on still wet cloth and hitting either the dinner table, the floor or wall hard thanks to how slippery the stuff is when wet and the stone floor is almost covered in soap.

We sometimes use the wash room to wash pots, pans, bowls, plates and other dirty kitchen utilities. And then clean the room thoroughly once done to make sure theres not scrap of food or grease left in there. It mostly happens after several friends comes over and stay for lunch or dinner. And thuse we end up with too much dirty dishes for our small kitchen to handle.

Outside changes has mainly been done to our garden. After everything had been cleaned up and we could rebuild it. It have expanded from a 3 by 4 foot yard with a very rustic like fence, to a 9 by 12 with a hardy stone fence. The stone comes from some of the expansions done inside or outside as we had to dig a little in the mountain to make sure it was even and sturdy.

We actually ended up finding a little hidden water pathway thanks to that. It was also not connected to the sewer and we use it to help water our crops and other plants.

The garden is split in two though. A lower and upper ground kinda deal, with the lower half is used for food and have kinda become my little play ground of sort for all kinds of plants I can get my hands on. And is allowed to currently plant. While the upper half lets Tarr have a steady supply of herbs and a couple of trees and bushes used in [Alchemy] most of the year.

Though the trees, or rather saplings, are a new addition and still needs a few more years of care before Tarr can use their leafs, bark, sap, fruits and flowers for his craft.

We also build a pathway to get both down and up to our home. There was one before that was well worn and well cared for, but the attack destroyed it so bad a brand new one had to be made. It also makes it less of a struggle when I have to go to the well several times a day to get the needed water for all the chores and food that needs to be cooked.

Tarr also needs a lot of water to make something called Purified Water or just plain clean water. Both are used for most beginner and novice alchemy recipes that he has to make almost daily. To both level up his class and make sure that Miss Morn's store don't run out of stock. He gets well paid for it as Miss Morn knows my brother put a lot of effort and love in his craft. Tarr usually gets the water himself, knowing full well I'm busy enough with the chores and the training that Thai has to give me.

I'm currently learning to track and spot animals to gain a series of tracking skills that Thai wants all of us to have so we know what to do to hunt for our own food should we need to. As well as learing the basic to gain [Herbalism]. I've already got [Herbal Knowledge] by helping Tarr sorting almost countless herbs for his alchemy. And through that, my third eldest brother taught me what each herb can be used for and what they are called.

At a somewhat slower rate than he and his brothers were taught by Shagar. I found it annoying, but I did not complain as I knew the main reason was that Tarr did not have much time to spare was thanks to the training Miss Morn was putting him through.

I also been reading about herbs used in cooking that my brothers got me on my 8th birthday. Which helped me get the skill somewhat faster. So my borthers decided I should get [Herbalism] to, that way any crafting and preparation done with herbs, used through my [Alchemy] or when I cook will be much more effective and I gain a big bonus stat up in Wisdom and Dexterity for each rank up.

A bouns thats barely affected by my handicap. Which is a huge plus in my books.

It also makes it easier for me to find herbs or plants when I go looking for them in the wild. Along with helping harvesting the more 'hostile' kinds that can hurt or kill me with one wrong move. And boost my other harvesting skills like [Gather], [Scour] and [Foraging] when it comes to find all kinds of different plants.

By the way, I only do chores two days a week. We are so many around home that the chores are spread equally among us. And like how the triplets were banned from certian chores when they still very much small, like choping firewoood, I too am not allowed to do such chores just yet due to my size.

Getting water from the well or river dose not count as thats a chore all children has here. Though we kids gets help when it comes to getting water from the river as it is a little too difficult for us to get any water without the risk of drowing involved. We also go gather sticks and branches in the woods twice a week with some soilders or hunters guarding us little ones from any danger.

It hadden't been easy to move back home though. I had forgotten it thanks to all the things that happened after the attack and the war, but I started to remember why we had a cave home in the first place when aunt Yotul got 'visitors' who where asking some very odd and shady questions of our home.

As I've made it clear years ago, only great hunters like my late parents or Healers like Shagar can have them due to how rare they are here in this vally. And that theres only so much space you are allowed to do before the mountain becomes unstable.

Thai ain't a great hunter yet, not back then and not now either. Becoming one takes a great deal of time and experience. So in some ways we should not be allowed to live here anymore. However, there are a few laws that I did not know about at the time that saved us.

These laws where made generations ago, well before my clan was even made, that forbids people form draging the family of the deceased owner of the cave home just becuse they can and want the place for their own. Doing so is not only seen as a grave crime but also leaves a stigma and a mark branded on your body, that can't be healed unless it's high tired healing magic from what I can understand, that makes it hard for anyone to trust you.

The laws also forbade any sort of unjustic judgement done due to bad blood between the former owner and whomever it is. Among many things more. And one in peculiar allows a family member to inherit the cave home should certian things be meet. For a time. All of this means that any remaining family of the deceased can inherit the home should it be needed.

Normally, and in many cases from what I've been able to gather, it's the spouse of the deceased that inherits the cave home and get to have it for a number of years to get the chance to find another place to live and get things sorted. Or if there are still children under a certian age, 12 or younger, still living with the widow they get to keep it until the last one either moves out or becomes a adult. And considering that Orcs are only seen as true adults at the age of 30, mainly thanks to our long lifespan, thats going to take a while.

Which means that one have plenty of time to get affairs done and finding a new place to live by then. Unless something drastic happens.

However in the case that both the owner and their spouse are dead, the eldest child inherits the place instead. However this is only allowed if the child is a adult or near adulthood. And if they have much younger siblings to take care of. Or even young cousins who have lost their parents early and they are the only ones still alive to look after them. If not, than the cave home can go to some other family member that needs it or to someone who has long since earned the right to have a cave home and have been on the waiting list for some time.

It really all depends on the situation.

To say that Thai fits in most of this is no joke whats so ever. It also help that he gained quite a bit of reputation during both the attack, clean up and the war. So he has more say and legal power to back his claim over our home than most would have. Much to those shady peoples displeasure.

That did not stop those shady people from trying though. Theres always people like this around regadless which world you live in huh?

So after some legal disputes and at least two challengers that don't understand the word 'no' until it was literally beaten into them, we finally moved back home again.

Then it is the matter of the war and the end result.

The short story? We won. The long one? It's a total mess.

I don't know the full details, mainly for the fact that many of those who survived and regadless of what clan they are from, don't want to talk about it much. No matter how much us little ones asks. What I do know is that it was bad and not pretty whats so ever. Aunt Gharol, Thai and many others have what I can only call PTSD. Along with terrible nightmares or literal curses and hexes that was put on them by the enemies.

Which took some time to get rid of. Curses and hexes and all that shit is not easy to dispell or break. I'm just glad that aside of a handful thats not yet been dispelled, most of the curses and hexes were of the minor type. Which means they are somewhat easy to get rid of in the long run.

Thai have also become a little paranoid thanks to all this as well. He also struggles with a few things on a daily basis thanks to all this. The four of us have gotten a pretty serious talk with aunt Yotul on what to do to help and that it will take a few more years before Thai will, mostly, get back to 'normal' again.

Aunt Gharol is struggling wiht the same things that Thai is going through. The only difference is that she has gone through this deaceds before and is a little better at recovering thanks to that. Me and the triplets are greatful that she is willing to help us when we struggle with getting Thai to calm down or get him to sleep or eat on the bad days. Aunt Yotul have also been great at giving a helping hand to.

Though this is only half of the mess that was left after the war. Aside form massive PTSD and other mental or physical struggles. Yes, there are people who have lost limbs and many have not survived the war at all. But there are a lot of other things that are far from fixed as it seems those bastards had done a lot more damage in not only the vally but also to our nabors on the outside. And other things children like me are not allowed to know yet.

Though I have overheard, thanks to a little earned I did for aunt Gharol, some of the few generals we have here talk about a lot of political messes and trouble that has been made thanks to all this is going to be a pain to clean up. And regaining some of the trust that have we had with those living outisde the vally.

(Hey Blue!) Said a voice suddenly through my head, making me look up from my little harvesting job to look at a very familiar owl coming my way. As well as stop anymore thoughts.

"Styx! How was the hunt? Found anything interesting?"

(Ah went alright I guess? Not much to hunt just yet for little old me. Nothing new found nor gained. Beside the Terrie Terrie Bushes we found last year are starting to flower. I think?) The way the owls head turns as he talks to me, and carefully lands on the stone fence, in confusion make me giggle a little.

"Well that goods news at least. Thai and Tarr have been itching to go look at them. I'm certian they'll like this news and take a look once breakfeast is done."

(Speaking of, what's on todays menu?)

"Only simple soup, bread and meats today my friend. It's Malak's turn in the kitchen. But I'm making something special for dinner."

(......Fine. Just make sure he dosen't burn the water this time.) The look of utter misery on the owls face is as adorable as it is understandable. Malak may be gifted Soilder and talented with a halberd, along with being very good at house keep and shockingly good at haggling when out in the market. But cooking is defently not one of his strong points.

Though he's been working hard to correct that for our family's sake. With mixed result. But none of us can complain much as Malak is well aware of what limits he has and never argue against some of the stricter rules he has to follow in a kitchen when alone.

I always makes sure to thank him for any help he offers when it comes to perparing the ingredients though. Especially when we have lots and lots of people over.

I give the owl a few pats on his head before I start harvesting again. Asking as I work how things have been in the forest and if the animals have been acting strange.

According to Styx, everything seems normal as of now. But he'll go out tonight to check again.

Oh let me introduce you all to Styx, a Twilight Owl thats both my Familiare and reincarnated form of my Orc obsessed friend from Earth.

Let me explain a bit what his race is and why he is my Familiare. As well as how I meet my friend.

First thing first. A Twilight Owl is a Dark Magic alinged magical beast that can only be found in ancient forests or ruins and in untamed valleys like the one I live in. Now most Dark Magic aligned monsters or beasts are more often then not seen as bad omen and all that typical ' Hello I'm a evil creature thats going to hunt your dreams or eat your soul' or the ' I'm a evil wizard/witch thats going to curse you' and all that jazz often found in typical stories back on Earth.

That being said, not all creatures or beings who is alinged with Dark Magic or have a more natural talent in it are seen as someone or something that most die right then and there. Far form it. Or at least in this era and age.

Infact, one can say that the age I'm living is the most peaceful one when it comes to dealing with creatures or beings of Dark Magic. I don't know all the details yet as theres a lot to cover on this topic back at school, and one that one has to be careful with when talking about it in puplic. But it's safe to say in short and simple terms that if I was born something like a Dark/Shadow Elf or Dwarf, I would for the most part been able to live anywhere in relative peace here in Miria.

Bare the fact I did not move near a place where Light/High Elfs or Dwarfs lives. Than it's another matter entirely as there are still very much hostile relationships going on there.

Figures. And if what I've been told is true, those hostile relationships are even worse than the one we Orcs have with most of the Elven race.

Though for my friend's new race, he is mostly in the safe zone. Mostly is the keword here. Twilight Owls have a bit of a mixed reputation depending on where the bird lives. In some places they are seen as omens of bad weather or harvest when spotted. In others they are seen as one of Death's seven birds that brings the souls to the afterlife. With Twilight Owls being the birds that carriers the souls children, newborns or stillborns.

And in places where I live that they serve many roles. From beings that ward against Undead Spirits who wants your flesh and tear your soul apart to guradians of wisdom and luck. Or the oppsite, where they bring bad luck and are often seen as a evil companion to Devils and Witches.

It's a good thing that here in the vally, Twilight Owls are seen as birds that represent protection against those who steals or eats ones mind. As Twilight Owls are know far and wide to have a natural immunity to any sort of Mind Magic or control. They are also seens as great beares of wisdom and their feathers are often used by our Shamens for rituals to ward against evil Spirits.

Thai also uses those feather to make special fletched arrows to fight agains certain types of Undead that are surprisingly weak to Dark Magic. Which is weird as most ways to bring the Undead to life is through Dark Magic. Whats also even weirder is that Dark Magic is far more effective to fight against Blood Magic users.

Oh sure, Light and Holy Magic works just as well. But from what the speical magic lessons I had to go to after it was revealed that I and Styx have a Familiare Bond by one of the Spirit Guides 'seeing' it somehow, Dark Magic and Blood Magic seems to 'hate' and reject each other far more than with Light or Holy Magic.

I've long since accepeted that Magic is weird and full of strange rules that I'll never understand. Especially when it comes to whos strong against who and whos weak agains who. And how you've kinda have to do a balance act like that of a three ringed circus when handling elemental magic. Among many other things that just makes my brain ach for a hammer to end it's misery.

Worse part is that I have no choice but to endure it all and try and remember as much as possible. Or else I will have to do repeat lessons for the next few years.

No thanks.

The lessons aren't all that bad though, as both me and Styx now knows which types of Magic to stay clear off unless we want to be hunted for the rest of our lifes. Or which type of Magic Class I could choice once I'm old enough. Or have at the very least have the ability to gain due to my handicap that was found out shortly after the bond.

And pretty much semented the fact I'm going to have a bad time learning magic for the rest of my life. Unless I manage to somehow evolve into a High Orc to mitigate the handicap.

Anyways, in the looks apartment, Twilight Owls looks like your average Snowy Owl. If a Snowly Owl was black as night from beak to claw, have shiny deep purple or blue coloured eyes, a second pair of wings and at least twice the normal size. Though Styx is a little special in the looks department thanks to some of the small silver freckle like pattern that covers his body. Making look like he has starts in his feathers.

Now it's over to how the two of us met and why he his my Familiare.

Almost 3 years ago our town was attacked by beasts turing one fall night. Now back then I hadden't managed to change into my more wintery wear, as the nights and days still had that summer warmth. And since I dress mostly like my ragdoll, a simple lioncloth and cloth that acted like my top. At least for us little girls. The boys wear only the lioncloth.

Unforunately, with what happened that night, I and many others would regret not taking with us a extra big fur or blanket to keep us warm as the temperature would quickly change within the next few days after.

The only difference between me and the ragdoll is that I wear mothers neckless that my brothers used all those years ago to get us to safety. And I was using it as well turing the attack, as I have been taught to do since noone in the clan expects small childern to fight the D to SSS ranked monsters and beasts that calls this vally home.

Yeah, the woods around here aren't very friendly for us kids. Lucky, the more powerful ones have a tendensy to leave places filled with people well alone. Unless angred, in a bad mood or we are in someway blocking their path to a new home.

Anyways, what neither I nor many other kids had know nor had the adults acounted for was that a very strange mist had rolled in turing earlier that night. It acted as a barrier of sorts that messed up the neckless ability to take me and several other kids or people to the safe room. Can you guess what happened next thanks to this?

Yeah, we all got lost. Badly.

I spend almost six weeks alone with Styx in that forest before I was rescued. Now lucky I wasn't out there without any sorts of supplies or tools. Much like what happened back then, I was given two bags or sacks. Just like my brothers, though only Darak and Malak was carrying them as Tarr was busy carring me on his back turing the escape.

One of them was filled with a least a few days worth of dry food, a waterskin already filled with drinking water and some cloths and blankets to help keep me warm and dry.

The other was smaller and hold a few tools and some materials used to make items to help me get better incase I got sick or wounded while out in the woods. Two simple knifes in their sheaths, one used for both cooking or crafting and the other to protect myself. A small hammer, some sort of small chisel that I could used to make things like wooden or stone bowls, along with a sweeing needle and a spindle of string.

Though unlike others, I did not need to carry the bags on my back all the time ones I realized that I was lost and alone thanks to the damn mist. After I turned 5 years old, which was roughly two years before those beasts attacked, I was given a very pleasent birthday gift from Mini. It was a skill that any world-travler or reincarnator wants to have when going to another world.

A magical inventory that you can put all your stuff in with little problems. Here it's called [Magical Storage]. Well when fully upgraded. What me and any other of my fellow recarnatiors will get is the 'basic' verson of the skill. [Tiny Magical Storage].

Like the name suggest, it's dose not have very much space. However thats a small inconvenience as far as I care. Oh sure, it might only have enough space to hold the two bags and some bottles of Minor Health and Antidote Potions I managed to sneak and take from Tarr's latest batch. And two small cauldrons. But thats pretty much the only current con to the skill.

See, like many mangas/novles/games and what not, I don't need to worry about any of my stuff in there get either stolen or taken away from me. Unless it's a very specific race who has natural abilities to do so. Which there are very few of as many of them have been vansihing over the centuries.

It also stops any things 'time' when put in. Like I don't need to worry that any Potion I put in there will eventually go bad. Potions here have a very limited shelf life despite the magic involved in their making. Or the methods used to keep them good as long as possible.

I can also put a carcase in the with little worry that it will rot while on my way back home. Or wait years and it will still be in mint conditions when I take it out. Though I'm not allowed to put anything living in there. Most plants and other things that are harvestable are okay as long as they are not sentient. This includes half-sentient as well.

Which is apparently a thing.

And then there are the other good things that comes with this skill.

However, us reincarnations can't get this skill willy nilly. We have to earn it. See thanks to my fellow 'peers' in the reincarnation circle, of the past, present and some in the future, have missed used and right out abused this skill in ways that surprised even the Creators of this world so many times. That limits we're put on us.

For one, we most prove that we will use the skill right and handle the responsibilites that comes with it. And to prove this we are allowed to have the skill for the next 10 years after been given it once we turn 5 years old. Or in Styx case, once fully grown. Though some will get this skill later should our remaining past memories prove we are not yet ready for it. Despite the efforts we have taken to survive in this life.

Yes, our past life have a great deal of importents when it comes to when we gain the skill. Or whether or not we are even allowed to as Mini have told me theres a blacklist for those who can't have it at all.

All quite reasonable if I'm honest. I'm also glad that my past memories have proven to them at least to give me a chance.

We also have managed to hid our past life of being from another other world as long as possible. This second part of the deal comes from the fact that Mini had to exlpain something very improtent about peoples.....mind set when it comes to people like us.

See here on Miria, people here have a bit of a problem when it comes to reincarnation. Mini would not tell me all the detail mainly because they aren't allowed to but from what I understand with what little I got, theres a good bit of fanatics and heretics believe that those who reincarnets are to be used as weapons or 'special' ingredients for their gods and what not.

Or to reek havok in this world as they see fit once under their control.

Along with some of the senticent races that live here can't accept that the concept of a second life and believe us to be a abnormality of some kind that needs to be eradicated.

There are also those that just wants to use us for their own gain due to sheer greed or whatever. And many other nasty thing.

This have led to a lot of problems where the Gods of this world have had to 'restart', smite or even rewrite history to at least keep the damage done to a minimum done to this world whenever these people finds us and use us to cause said damage. Something the Gods are far from found of. Or so Mini has said.

It also dose not help that many of us reincarnated people then to have a strange attraction to trouble that baffles even the Gods. Or in some cases try to seek it out by our lonesome selfs.

So it's recommended quite highly that we try and keep our past life a secret for as long as we can. For the more time we spend in the world and gain both power or ways to protect ourself. The better the chances are that those people can't touch us or dare to anger us.

It also those not help matters that the skill [Tiny Magical Storage] we gain is also among the rarest to have in this world. And there are people who will hunt down those with the skill to take it from us to use it as their own. No matter the costs. So to say we have big targets on our backs is a big understatment.

Which is why Mini highly recommends that we keep this skill hidden to the best of our abilites and use it as discreetly as possible.

Though Mini said if I want to, I can let my family know I have this skill. If only so I don't feel guilty for not telling them before, as theres a possibility that somewere in the far future I will have to use the skill to help my family. However that is if I'm allowed to keep the skill after the 10 years are up.

So if me and Styx managed to do these two things, along with a few tests given to us turing our 'lease' on the skill, we get to keep the skill and will be allowed to 'upgrade' it to it's full potential. Namely have a inventory that has unlimited space. Along with some perks thats currently locked away for later.

Eventually. I was able to ask Mini, something I was allowed to as this skill can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, just how hard it would be to upgrade the skill. As [Magical Storge] is very different any other skills. No matter if it nerfed or not. Or a Active or Passive skill.

And according to Mini, the only way to upgrade it is to gather certain and very rare magical items or materials. And fulfill certain cirterias set by the four main gods that govern over space, time, life and death. Me and Styx will know what the things needed and cirterias we need to meet when the gods themself sends us a 'message' for when they feel we are ready for it.

Anyhow, so after using the skill and making sure that the things already inside was okay. I began my six weeks of survival.

Which was not easy even though I might as well be the most cheating Orc in my clan thanks to all my secret training, the amount of skills I've gained and the survival skills Thai have been teaching me once he realized he could train me earlier than our brothers in some aspects.

That damn mist lasted for almost a one and a half week before it finally left. Making it hard for me to see anything. From where to go, finding plants that I could eat to find any sort of shelter when night time came. Or hide from any creatures far too strong for me to handle.

There are a few F to E ranked creatures that I can hunt on my own with little problems so that I could eat meat. However they are far and few, and depending on the season the are either more or less of them.

And fall is of course when these creatures becomes the least of before winter hits.

It was also turing that first week and a half that I meet Styx, who was nameless at that time as he can't name himself no matter how much he wanted. He too was affected by the mist in a way that made me pity him once the two of us managed to find a way to talk with each other.

Thing is, the only reasons he and I managed to recognize each other in that damn mist was thanks to a rush of memories that seems to have 'awoken' somehow, for lack of better words, as soon as our eyes meet.

And boy what a shock that was. Too bad neither of us had any real time to process the shock as we both had to hide from a goddamn giant mooose creature with antlers and hoofs that looked like they were made of metal. And had scale like armour on most of it's body instead of fur.

[Appersial] was no help getting any identification on what that thing was.

So after that encounter, the two of us stayed close. And things got just a little easier. Especially once night arrived. Turns out Twilight Owls are quite useful night guards or scouts, as Styx was able to spot creatures that would have other wise made mince meat out of the both of us in the dark.

He was also able to find hidding places among the tree tops for us to camp or get some much needed sleep. We both do watches, and change as often as we can.

And then when the mist finally was gone for good, we found what would become our base for the next several weeks after Styx recognized certain land marks as he called them. And thuse knew of a place that could shelter us.

It was a small cave not far off a stream where theres plenty of fish swiming around. The entrance was small enough that only someone my size could crawl through it. And even though there was a lot of moss, stalagmites and other cave nasty stuff, like the damn bugs and some bats, in the surprisingly large space inside, it prove to be a good place to live.

Once I and Styx used two weeks to make it more livable. Turing that time I was greatful that my street experience and that one of my old friends back on Earth had pretty much forced me to learn a few camping skills for outdoor living came to good use. As it made it easier to turn the place into a somewhat warm and cozy place as a cave could be.

And what little Thai had managed to train me in before that attacked happened. Which included how to make very simple but good traps that I made around the base for extra protection.

The worse part of all that hard work was getting rid of the stalagmites. Those things were hard as all hell and some where in some very awkward places. Though thanks to poorly made stone tools and a skill that Styx possess we were able to get it done.

Though the stalagmites proved to be quite useful for a lot of things. I was able to use two of the larger ones as tables used for both cooking and drying any eatable plants we managed to forage. Others were used to make the bonefire to cook and keep us warm at night. Or make the stone fence I made outside to add some much needed defence against monsters like Goblins and Gnolls who are smarter than your average beast.

I left two rather wide and large stalagmites intact as I needed a small area to store any sticks or branches me and Styx gathered when we went outside.

The smallest pieces I used to fill in gaps and other small holes I found around the cave to avoid things like water seeping in and such. Along with sand gathered from the stream and other small rocks found there.

And while I was doing most of the heavy work, mainly since I have hands and Styx don't, my friend was out gathering all sorts of plant life used to make a 'nest' for me. Saying that some comforts are a must in this world. That and he was very stubborn to make sure I did not die from the cold nights. Unlike him, I don't have feathers that can keep me warm at night.

My [Cold Resistance] was not vey high back then. Still isn't but I've managed to get it to E rank. Resistance skills are far harder to level up than you'd think.

He ended up making it rather nice, big nest with good enough bedding that I could for the most part sleep comfortable. And did not need to use some of my blankets for bedding. Other than covering myself when I slept. With extra space for him to sleep with me whenever he pleases.

He also gather a lot of vines for me. I used them all to make the fence, door and some of the tools I needed to craft to be able to survive here.

And provided the both of us with plenty of fish and other small animals he was able to catch turing those two week. So my friend was not lazy whats so ever.

Anyone interested in skinned Forest Rats the size of cats baked in a clay shells stuffed with wild herbs, mushrooms and roots as flavour? Or grilled fish with wildmans mushroom soup? No? Oh well, more to me then.

And when I had to work in the night to finish certain parts of the fence, he acted as a lookout to avoid anyone sneaking up on us.

The door I 'made' to finish our base was rather simple but very effecting in making it difficult for beasts and monsters alike to enter our base. I found three lagre and heavy logs that with some vines and some creative ideas made for a good door and blockage for anyone trying to come in.

Thanks to my Orc strength, I can naturally move and lift them better than your average gob or human could. And they were very thick logs as well so it would be hard for any Goblin or Gnoll to try and destroy the door. Or even move it for that matter. So the two of us where pretty safe turing the nights once I was able to get it to work right.

I know this solely because the Goblins and Gnolls would makes such a ruckus each night they came to try and get inside for at least an hour or three. And should the logs become too damaged, I knew where to find some more.

Styx had also gathered extra vines just for that reason alone. We only needed to replace the door once turing our stay there. And that was mainly thanks to a rather irritated deer decided to use our door as something to take it's anger on.

I guess these logs are called Stone Oaks for a reason other than their strange nature to gradually turn to stone as they rot. Or thats at least what [Appersial] said anyways.

Really, the real danger came during the day or near dusk. Me and Styx did not know this until we saw it for ourself but it turns out we are in a Dire Bear's territory. So we had to be very careful when out and about when we knew the bear is near.

I ended up expaniding a hole in the celling that Styx found, and making a shutter of sorts from trial and error, to let out any smoke from the bonefire whenever I cooked or warmed up then place turing the early mornings or when night fell.

The hole is just big enough that the only way for anyone to notice it, without watching your steps that is, would be when I have to open it to let the smoke out.

I refuse to let us die from smoke poisoning when we'd come so far.

Turing those two weeks of hard labor, I found out by accident a second usage for my SP. I can 'buy' skills that I don't have. How did I find this out? Turing one of the many nights the two of us spends in slient I sort of paryed for a skill that would allow me to somehow talk with my friend, as me and Styx have been playing 20 Questions almost non stop to try and understand each other.

And try to find other ways to communicate. We were making little headways on that, other than that I knew certain sounds Styx will make when predators and monsters where near us. Or if he found more food for us.

And the answer to my prayer was a box asking me if I was willing to give up 7 SP to gain the skill [Telepathy].

I took it without much hesitation.

To say it became easier to talk to each other is a understatment. Styx would buy the skill later on, after he gained enough SP as he had needed to use all but 3 SP to survive a battle against a small flock of Thunder Hawks weeks earlier.

We had a lot of catching up on. And I ended up listing to his grievances and rants about the harsh life he'd had up until now. And how he's never ever going to say that birds have the easy life anymore. As well as a full blowout of him asking in tears why he couldn't have reincarnated as a Orc as well after I had finished telling him about my new life.

That did not mean that things became very easy once the two of us had a safe place to hide and where able to gather supplies to survive in a relative safe manner. Oh sure, the base helped a lot when mother nature was in a bad mood. And most monsters gave up on us after the first week or so once the work was finished in making the cave livable and safe.

Me and Styx could even spend days in there in relative safety if we needed to. Which happened at least once or thrice as the Dire Bear had some competition to take care of ever now and then when something it did not like entered it's territory.

Those were the days that was most peaceful for me and Styx. And safe as no monster or animal was willing to be anywhere near a very angry Dire Bear.

But the truth is things got worse in other aspects as well.

For one, half of the daytime was spendt with me cleaning and rebuilding the fence and traps as neither Goblins nor Gnolls seems to know the words 'hopeless' or 'waste of time'. I also had to always check around the cave to the best of my abilities and inside to make sure that nothing was trying to dig their way into us.

And at least thrice a week I had to dispose off corpses of monsters and beast alike left by the predators to make sure none of them came back for second meals or found our base.

Getting water was also a bit of problem as well. It was a good thing that I had those caouldrons with me as they helped a lot with getting the water. But it was still difficult none the less. Especially when I needed to wash my clothes.

And just because I managed to make the cave livable did not mean it was perfect. I often needed to replace or refill cracks or small holes to avoid water or creppy crawlers coming in. Among making sure that things I've added to make it a little easier for us was in good condition and what not.

There was also the little bathroom problem the two of us had as well.

My building skills clearly needed more work back then. So did my crafting skills as well.

And don't make get me started on keeping normal rats form our food stock or other things. I could care less about the small lizards or the other few still awake reptilian animals that would visit the base. They eat the spiders and insects with little problems and likes to keep a good distance away from me and Styx.

So I don't need to bother with them.

The rats on the other hand are a different matter. It dose not matter if this is another world or not, rats are and always will be one of the most dangerous pests to exist. And I'm not talking about the diseases they always seems to carry. Dose things can dig through stone without being magical enchanted whats so ever and they are not picky with what they it.

Or whether or not it's even dead yet.

At least in this forest. I have no idea how it is in other places.

What? Yeah, I eat Forest Rats for dinner. And yes they are related. Thing is, Forest Rats have a far lesser chance of me dying from poison or sickness than eating normal rats would in this forest.

Don't ask me how. Neither my family nor anyone else I've asked then or since seems to have borthered with why it is that way.

And thats how the days went for while. Then meer days before the rescue came a very strange box appeared before our eyes.

The Wilds of the World senes the strings of a Familare Bond has been formed between the two of you.

Do you want to form a Familare Bone with the Twilight Owl?

Yes or No

To say we where shocked to see something like this was perhaps the best words to use at the time. Neither me nor Styx knew this was even a possibility. Though I had a few suspicion on how the few Beast Masters that lives in my clan had so many different animals around them or under their command.

This sort of comfirmed some of my ideas.

I had quickly asked Styx if he had gotten a similare message like me. He did.

We really did not know what to do at first. Beside having a really long talk after making sure we had gather enough supplies so that we did not need to go gather more for a few days.

That turned out to be a wise decision. The weather turned bad just an hour or so after we were done with gathering extra supplies. Pouring rain and harsh winds started to houl in the woods. The sounds of thunder and lightning roaring every now and then. And both me and Styx could hear the tale tall wail of a Crooked Hag on the prowl. Looking for her next victim.

A Crooked Hag is type of undead monster know to roam these woods and was something not to mess with unless your a Shamen Warlock or High Priest/Priestess with the right spells and rituals to banish those things to whatever world they come from.

Every single adult have told me and any other childern for as long as we can remember.

The bad weather and everything in between lasted for at least four straight days and nights. Neither of us got mouch sleep mainly thanks to that damn hag.

And turing that time me and Styx agreed to the Familiare Bond. With some hesitation.

Frankly speaking, neither of us knew what a Familiare Bond ment in a world like this. This wasn't a manga or some movie where it's pretty damn much guraranteed something amazing will happen or gain OP powers from a contract or bond with a familiare. Nor give the two of us way too many cheats. Neither was this a game that play by such rules either.

So there was no telling what will happen. It also did not help that the box refused to tell us what a Familiare Bond even was or what it will do.

There was also the fact that it made me worry that the bond could affect Styx negatively in someway or even turn him into a slave of sorts thats under my command. A worry that left me feeling very very scared and uncomfortable in many ways.

But truth of the matter was the decision finally fell on one thing.

Loneliness.

Oh don't get me wrong, I have managed to gain a few friends of my own in the clan. Despite being seen as strange and weird by most of my peers. And a little crazy at times when I try to do something most people would not even think about.

Like the time I willingly drank a whole bottle of Iglite juice. Iglite juice comes from type of tomato only found in the Demon Country thats surprisingly spicy. It's usually used as a condiment for certian meat dishes. But I found out thats it's also a great ingredient to make salsa and BBQ sauces, once I managed to find working recipes and other ingredients that did not turn into something that will give your throat secodary burns.

And I like being with my new friends in this life. Even if it some times is hard to really enjoy some of the playing, pranks and other stuff we do together. They all might be the age they look like and act like any children would. But I'm already in my 30s in the mental department and that kinda makes things a little awkward or confusing for me.

Not to mention I've never been a very sosical person to begin with. And that haven't really improved much.

But it will be a terrible lie to say I did not miss my old friends from Earth at times. Theres been more times than I can count that there have been days or nights where I would just stare into the distant as I remember both the good and bad times I had on Earth. And this always leaves me feeling lonely in ways I have a hard time finding words for.

Styx is in the same boat. Though he has arguably had a far worse experiance than me. He's been pretty much alone since he left his parents nest a few years back. And lived a life that have been nothing but a sturggle for survival and rarely did he ever get a chance to take a breather beside finding a safe place to sleep when tried or the weather turned bad.

And when he dose get those breathers, it often hits him hard just how alone he is in these woods. He even admitted that he had started some time ago to talk to himself to save his own sanity when those quite moments became too much.

It frankly worried me how much mentally stable my old friend really was back then. And even almost 3 years later I still worry about it now.

So yeah thats how Styx became my familiare and even got his name as he had been nameless until that point. He had tried to name himself many times before and failed each time as he needed to evolve into a much higher form before he could gifted with a name. Or even give himself a name for that matter.

Good thing then that part of the deal to make the bond means that I have to name him since I am a higher form of beings than him. Sort of. I'm also greatful that my friend already had a few names picked for the day he would be able to name himself with little problems. It made it easier to get the whole thing done.

And as it turned out, the Familaire Bond have some good perks to itself.

"Sister! It's time for breakfeast!" the shout of one of my brothers calling from the door sends me jumbing at least 3 feet into the air and makes me let out a small shout of shock. And almost face land on the muddy ground.

Styx was no better. The shout had scared him bad enough that he not only jumbed high into the air as well. But also struggled to land properly on the stone fence again without kissing the stone hard thanks to both a racing heart and the fact that bird instincts are a pain to deal with as they more often than not take over when he's shocked.

According to Styx, this was a ongoing stuggle he has been trying to get a handle on.

I'm also pretty damn sure he's cursing and swearing at my brother in owl speak, if any those hoots and other sounds coming out of his beak has something to say. Theres a angry tone in all of those sounds.

"I'm coming!" I shout back. Picking up the basket which I had somehow managed to fill up while being lost in thoughts and start to head back in. Styx following me soon after.

Though before I'm fully in I send a small prayer to the Spirits and the Wilds in my head. Asking them to watch over us as we eat the food Malak have prepared for all of us.