Just a Toe in the Water

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*Though brief, there is a moment human is in water. In the game, you can wade into the water however, if you get deeper than waist to mid chest deep, the game will fade to black and put you back on the last area of solid ground your character stood on. For the sake of accuracy, I'm choosing to make the human not a strong swimmer. She does know how but it could be cause for TW in the future.*

Hassian thought it'd be worth it to continue with my practices since I paid attention when he would teach me. A few days passed, and he took me around the valley to all the best places for Hunt Spotted Chapaa.

Each day, I'd go home with at least 5 chapaa to dress. I ended up getting so much stocked that I started selling whatever was left over, getting me some easy coin. After about a week, Hassian came to my plot while I was watering my recent crops of onion.

When I took notice of his presence, I caught myself as a smile started to spread on my face. As his visit was unexpected, I had nearly tripped over my watering can in surprise.

Dusting myself off, I greet him.

"Hey, Hassian, uh, sorry, I was just doing some chores. What brings you here...?" I dust my hands together, wiping off the dirt.

Hassian holds out a bundle to me.
"I wanted to give you something for your progress."

With a raised brow, I take the bundle from him. I carefully untie the leather string around the package, not wanting to spill its contents. I pull back the corner on the wrap of hide, revealing tips of copper standard arrow heads.

"New arrows?"

He nods and clears his throat. "Made them. They're stronger than the basic stone arrows. Better to hunt bigger things with. I uh.. I also wrote down the instructions for you so you can make them yourself." He hands me the small recipe.

I smile at him, thanking him for the gift. "Oh, but I couldn't just take these!" I try offering him some of my crops or fish as payment, but he refuses.

"Your work is payment enough. Though if you do decide to buy them in the future, I sell em to Zeki. He offers them in the shop. All I ask is you meet me again tomorrow and I'll take you to hunt Sernuk."

Before I could respond, he turned on his heel and left. I called a goodbye before finishing my work. I spent the rest of the day doing chores around my plot and catching some fish in the nearby pool fed from the waterfall.

I felt a strange presence around 2 am. It was warm and electric, full of flow energy. I shot up in bed, looking around my dark home.

Nothing.

I shrug it off and lay back down only to be startled from my slumber again, but the howl of a muujin. This time I didn't lay back down. It felt like that presence was calling me forward.

Seemingly not of my own accord, I am willed out of bed. My legs drag me out of the door and to the front of the property. A glimmer catches my eye and I am brought to the edge of the pool by the waterfall rockface. Something was in the water but I couldn't quite see what it was.

It shown at the bottom, and the water itself is glowing brightly, almost pulsing with light. I learn forward, trying to get a better look. I step forward, dipping my feet in. The water is chilled but not cold. I'm drawn forward, completely entranced by this shining object. I slowly step forward into the water and it grows warmer with each step.

I slip on a rock, feeling a push from the flow infused presence. Plunging into the water, the light immediately dispersed and the warmth disappeared. Flailing about I manage to kick my way to the surface and climb my way out of the pool, sputtering and coughing.

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