The skill menu greeted our hero, finally beneath a normal roof.
SKILLS SP: 141
STRENGTH 385
"strengthen the arms" to increase the strength, both physical and magical.
DEFENSE 204
"Toughen up the body" to increase the physical and magical defense.
PERCEPTION 100 (MAX)
"Good with the eyes" to increase the observation, perception, and intuition.
SPEED 600
"Quick on the feet" to increase the speed and stamina.
Finally slept instead of passing out. Though, I may have to apologize to the mother for going straight to bed, but if I recall correctly, she wasn't offended with that. I didn't know houses in the middle of nowhere have guest rooms as well. Apparently, Aelindor had slept here a bajillion times since he was a kid. Lastly, Percival and I decided to sleep on the floor, futon style, leaving the bed for him. I mean that's his memories right there… c-centuries of memories. Haaah. Man, the elves are bonkers with the passage of time.
Current Skills
SKILLS SP: 0
STRENGTH 426
"strengthen the arms" to increase the strength, both physical and magical.
DEFENSE 300
"Toughen up the body" to increase the physical and magical defense.
PERCEPTION 100 (MAX)
"Good with the eyes" to increase the observation, perception, and intuition.
SPEED 700
"Quick on the feet" to increase the speed and stamina.
* * *
His eyes fluttered open to the blurry roof made of end grain, the left side of the bed greeting his vision. He rubbed his eyes and breathed in the scent of ancient wood, dried herbs, and a hint of perfume. With a sigh, he let his hands fall.
Finally, a non-opulent guest room. That guilt of being treated like royalty just won't disappear. Argh! I hate impostor syndrome.
He looked at Percival sleeping to his left, his usually slick-backed hair now all over the place.
Still asleep, huh? Understandable. What about our elven frien—
His train of thought derailed, burst into flames, and exploded at the sight before him.
Aelindor sat upright, looking ahead.
His eyes are wide open, his mouth agape, bottom lip trembling, and his cheeks… red?
Huh?! What's he looking at—
The train of thought was further hydraulic pressed and blown by the nuclear bomb.
Following his gaze, he saw a female elf standing at the foot of the bed, holding an empty basket. Long, smooth green hair fell behind her shoulders, with one strand draped from her temple to block one of her brown-iris eyes.
Her face… She's blushing and her mouth is agape as… well…
O-Oh no!
He turned to Percival and shook him, whispering as low yet as audible as he could muster.
"Hey! Wake up! We gotta get outta here!"
Percival stirred, groaning half asleep. He clasped Percival's mouth, preventing further noise to escape him—the action jolted him awake. Before his angered exclamation, Oswald pointed behind him, at the two unblossomed flowers.
Percival's gaze shifted behind him, his expression matching.
"WE… NEED… TO… GET… OUT… QUIETLY." Oswald mouthed and acted out each word. "FOLLOW… MY… LEAD…"
With extreme sluggishness, he transitioned from sitting to lying on his chest. He began to army-crawl off the futon toward the door, slowly and carefully placing one arm after the other.
He passed the girl, now a few meters away from the door.
CREAK!
He froze mid-placing the other arm, the creak sounding behind him.
Ah, shoot.
Slowly, he looked behind him at Aelindor and her, Percival—a meter behind—wearing the same wide-eyed look. A sigh of relief escaped him, his head hanging low.
They're still entranced.
The two continued toward the door, successfully escaping an awkward memory.
* * *
Both heaved a sigh of relief, resting their heads against the high backs of their dining chairs. Oswald placed his hand on Percival's shoulder, sitting beside him.
"Ay man, whatever that was. That. Was. Close."
"I concur, we safeguarded ourselves from a disconcerting memory."
"Heh. You don't say."
In front of them, the mother washed the apples with the floating magical rock sink—similar to the one in the bear's cabin. She tapped the rock, and the steady flow of water dripped to a stop.
"Ye twain sound as though ye have escaped some dread and fearful thing. I pray thee, what might it have been?"
Oswald and Percival looked at each other.
"Well…" Oswald turned to the mother as she dried her hands with a handkerchief. "Basically, we escaped two unblossomed flowers staring at each other. They've probably been at it since before I woke up."
The woman laughed, then sighed.
"Ah, it mindeth me of the days when first it did begin."
Oooo, backstory time.
She pulled a chair and sat in front of the two.
"'Twas two centuries agone that little Aelindor hath been companion to my daughter since the days of their tender youth. Yet certain matters came to pass, and thus was young Aelindor sent unto the Isle of Men, there to be instructed in the arts of trade, and—upon the ending of his studies—to bear the charge of his household's affairs."
A long exhale escaped her, gaze lowering, melancholy painting her face. Shaking her head, she continued.
"'Twas a woeful six months. Day upon day the daughter neither did eat nor close her eyes in slumber. She was naught but bones…"
Jesus fucking Christ!
The image of her flustered yet beautiful face materialized in his mind's eye.
She was skin and bones!?
"When those six months were spent, she took again to her eating. Yet the cause she gave did that day sorely amaze and appall me." Her gaze shifted to Percival. "These were her very words: 'I must restore mine own visage. I must be as I was for his coming.' And in the days that followed, her comeliness returned and waxed greater still."
She turned to the entrance door.
"But, when at last I beheld him without—after so many long centuries—I longed to enfold him in mine arms and weep for joy. Yet I stayed my hand, for I beheld ye twain standing behind him."
"Wow, heheh. Sorry about that."
She smiled, waving her hand.
"Oh, thou needst not trouble thyself with such matters."
She stood up and walked to the stove.
"I shall make ready our morning repast for us all; it shall be his favorite—apple stew."
She set to work, leaving the two to process her tale in silence.
I can't believe it! I thought that kind of thing only existed in fiction.
* * *
ns216.73.216.247da2
and then Add to home screen.