A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Book 2: Chapter 6: Inspiration

The Gryphon, an esteemed creature native to the wilderness near Misery's Reach's mountainous terrain, has long been associated with the mountain tribes. These tribes, across generations, first tamed and ultimately domesticated these formidable beasts. Through the passage of commerce, their presence has extended throughout the mortal realms, often taking residence in the menageries and stables of affluent nobles who possess the means to satiate their ravenous appetites. Though domesticated breeds are mere echoes of their untamed counterparts, they remain formidable, albeit temperamental, aerial steeds.

- Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch.

I woke up under the thick branches of the trees, rested and ready for a new day. Once again I had slept in full armor, which was beginning to become a habit. A part of me despaired at my slovenly behavior.

Back on Earth, sleeping in the clothes I had worn during the day had gone against my modern sensibilities. Every day there would be a change of underclothes and clean socks, all at the press of a button. However, that comfortable and civilized life was, to all intents and purposes, a galaxy away. This caused me to marvel at how well my mind had adapted to my strange circumstance. Compartmentalization was probably what had enabled me to retain my sanity. I would need to unpack all of these emotions and thoughts at a later date when we returned to some form of civilization.

The familiar smell of meat cooking on the fire was in the cool morning air, causing my stomach to rumble in anticipation. The aroma was piquant. Elwin had probably used some of the sundry spices we had bought in Ansan.

Slowly rising to my feet, I removed my gloves and hooked them to my belt. Patting my hands around my waist, I panicked a little as I noticed the leather pouch with the Karilla hatchling I had captured the previous night was no longer on my person. For a few moments, I thought that my companions had started to cook the poor thing for breakfast.

Elwin cocked an eye at me at my predicament, a wry smile on his face as he cooked a few pieces of meat over our campfire. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kidu diligently maintaining his equipment.

“You was tossing and turning a bit in your sleep. Mumbling about some real odd stuff. Kidu thought you were having a religious visitation. I noticed the pouch moving at your side. You would have crushed it, too, with all your flailing and moving about,” explained the Rogue, almost as if he was merely commenting about the weather.

My night terrors and general flailing must have been caused by my dark dreams. Becoming so inured to their visitations, I barely noticed them anymore, and simply forgot their imparted messages upon waking. A part of me had simply accepted them as an annoyance to be suffered, like the buzzing and bites of a bloodsucking mosquito.

The Rogue's explanation drew a grunt from Kidu as he sharpened his spear, but the taciturn man, choosing to not join in the one-sided exchange, never even looked up.

Elwin, seeing that I was still at a loss, gestured to the tree I had slept against. “Behind you, mate. You’ll find your little pet still in the bag,” explained the Rogue, answering my unspoken inquiry and going back to his cooking.

“Thanks…” I murmured, half-groggily as I turned around, sleep still soaked into my bones.

Slowly gathering myself, I muttered as I began checking my things. Looking into my bag, I checked to see if the healing potions I had bought from the eccentric alchemist were still alright. As my hands tested their seals, I was reminded of the Broomshead mushrooms I had collected for their maker. Hopefully, the collected fungi would help in some way to perhaps earning me a permanent discount at his store.

Now that focus had finally won over the last dregs of sleep, I found myself standing fully upright and my thoughts grew steadily clearer. Looking to where the Rogue had indicated, I saw that my tied leather pouch was hanging from a low-lying tree branch. My experiment was still safe for the moment. Edging closer, I opened the bag and was greeted by a foul smell. The creature was alive, but it had defecated in the night. The smell of fecal matter and the pervading scent of animal fear overpowered the pleasant aroma of the meat cooking on the fire.

Grimacing, I prepared to do what I had to do. All in the name of science. Focusing on the contents of the bag, I cast an Identify on the small lizard before reaching inside.

Karilla Hatchling - (Great Lizard lvl.2) Health 3/3 Stamina 3/4

Mana 1/1

Seeing the name of the creature, I had to restrain myself from crushing it there and then, unwilling to let such a creature grow into another dangerous monster. The adult Karilla had been a most fearsome opponent. However, I needed to continue my experiment, so it would have a stay of execution, for now at least.

Focusing on summoning the divine magic of Greater Heal, I began to harness power from within. Golden motes of light seemed to gather around me, drawn first to me before transferring in a slow trickle to the poor creature. A soft song of angels seemed to stir in the back of my mind but I refused to give it voice, focusing on performing the spell silently. Without the vocal component, the spell seemed to take longer than usual to complete. The magic built up like water in a dam, before rushing out in a sudden deluge to infuse the lizard with raw healing.

Before me, the scars on the small lizard’s hide faded, and new scales formed in their place. Miraculously, the nub of what was left of its severed leg grew out into a new limb as more and more energy was channeled into the baby monster. I knew that some reptiles could regenerate their limbs but what I was witnessing before me was on another level. It seemed that, in mere seconds, the feeble creature had been fully restored and was now positively glowing with vitality.

In my wonder, I had let my guard down and loosened my grip on the reptile. The now vibrantly healthy creature, seeing an opening for an escape, suddenly shot out of my hand. Before I could even react, it had scuttled into the undergrowth.

“Well, can’t say you’re… much loved by your pets,” commented Elwin in amusement, his mouth half-full of lizard meat.

I sighed at this and sat down next to him. It was not like I needed the creature any longer, I justified to myself. Honestly, it was more the surprise than anything else that irritated me.

“Doesn’t stop me from liking them,” I huffed in a weak retort, making an uncontested move to skewer a piece of meat with my knife.

No longer fresh, the meat had grown a little tougher, but it was still flavorful under Elwin’s culinary ministrations. Not being a great chef, I could appreciate someone who can cook.

Kidu, finished with the maintenance of his gear, came to join us and added some more chunks of meat. The pieces sizzled on the fire and added to the delicious aroma.

“So Kidu, old boy, whatcha you planning to do with the payout from this job?” Elwin asked of the large man.

“This skin of metal makes too much noise. Can’t move as one with the wild,” reported Kidu, his voice gruff with his constant annoyance at the world in general. Far from his own home and in a strange land, I could not really blame the big man.

“Perhaps we can ask Cillis to make some adjustments, some soft cloth here and there to soften the noise on movement?” I added, remembering my brief time at her shop.

“First name terms with the lady smith? You work fast. Married too,” insinuated Elwin, chuckling a little when he saw I had all but frozen in embarrassment.

The human mind is a wonderful thing that constantly parses all sorts of mundane and esoteric data. A supercomputer capable of changing and evolving. A true marvel of nature. My mind now was hit by what Elwin said. ‘Work’ and ‘fast’. Speed and experience. The connection between them had been an idea that my mind had been trying to analyze subconsciously for a long time. Triggered by Elwin’s words, my thoughts went off on an unexpected tangent. Why did I gain Status, Skill, and experience points quickly initially before the rate rapidly started to drop off?

Experience. I theorized that I needed to experience new and challenging things to benefit from maximum rates of growth. Sure, repetition could work in a fashion but there would be limits, a plateau of sorts. This was a classic mechanic of rapidly diminishing returns. When trying to gain more experience or improve Skills through the same, actions, the amount of experience gained and the chance of improving a Skill would be dramatically reduced.

That was probably why I stopped gaining points when I was stuck behind bars. A shudder passed through me as I briefly relived the memory of that time.

But then why did I gain a similar amount of experience when I killed something? A cold echo answered me. The logical conclusion was a silent judgment on my soul. Murder. Every life that I took was different. But were their lives even real in the first place. More importantly, did I care?

Then there was my rate of growth in comparison to the denizens of this world who lived almost all their lives here…

My bleak thoughts on the nature of the world were, however, rewarded, and it confirmed to me that I was perhaps on the right track.

You have gained 1 Wisdom

I lost focus of the world around me. Guilt, and the ramifications of what this world was trying to make me do, were shaking me to the core.

“Hello, Gil! You there? Did you eat something funny? Or are you just remembering all of the fun times you had with the smith? I heard from Devon that she had quite the nice rack! By the Dark Lady, you can be a bit of a loon staring off into space all of the time!” laughed Elwin at my stunned silence which drew an annoyed look from the man mountain, Kidu.

Realizing that I had been staring out into space for a long while, I laughed in awkward good humor. I replied to the wiry man, “No my good man. I’ve just been hit with a flash of inspiration!”

“That sounds a wee bit dangerous, coming from you. Will it involve us having to kill a few more local monsters that can chop us in half?” Elwin said in return, a hint of suspicion laced in his voice.

“No, not at all,” I said, a new idea coalescing in my mind, “Got a moment Kidu? I wish to test my Strength against you,” I finished with these magic words, perfectly designed to get the massive man’s attention.

Pausing in his current chore, he waited a long moment before answering my challenge.

“It would be an honor,” he rumbled like an avalanche from the cold frozen north.