《Piper - LITRPG》 Locked in a Box Piper couldn¡¯t see. She lay still for a long moment, disoriented by that fact, and clutched at her throbbing head as she sorted through a mess of half-baked memories. She blinked, but nothing happened. The dark persisted. Slowly, she lowered hesitant fingers to feel her face. ¡°Ouch!¡± Oh, no¡ªher eyes were open! So why couldn¡¯t she see? Her heart rate quickened, along with her breathing, and she stretched one arm out in front of her to flex the fingers that she couldn¡¯t see. And she definitely couldn¡¯t see them. The blackness seemed to seep into her eyes, threatening to flood her mind with sheer panic. ¡°Help!¡± she cried. Maybe someone was nearby? Maybe they would hear, and come to her aid¡­? Forcing herself to breathe steady, she waited, listening hard. At last¡ªoh, at last!¡ªshe heard a sound. Like¡­ small footsteps, maybe? They were muffled though, as if they were on the other side of something solid, and she strained to hear better. Tentative, they skittered closer, and then they stopped. ¡°H-hello¡­?¡± Piper said, softly. Thump. It sounded like something had jerked in fright and dropped whatever it was holding. Abruptly the patter of footsteps started up again, much faster, and heading away. ¡°No, no, no¡ªwait!¡± Piper stumbled forward, but she collided with something hard and recoiled with a yelp of surprise, rubbing gingerly at the new sore spot on her forehead. Her brain seemed to swim for a few seconds, and she had to hold still until it settled again. When finally she¡¯d composed herself, she reached out with a shaking hand and felt the unmistakable roughness of wood beneath her fingertips. ¡°What the¡­¡± Carefully, she felt along the surface, trying to avoid catching splinters, and shuffled across on her knees as she progressed. Abruptly, she reached what felt like an inward corner, and swivelled in place to continue her blind exploration along another wooden wall. Again, a corner, and then another, and suddenly she realised she was inside¡­ a box? A¡­ crate¡­? DING! She leapt back with a startled yell¡ªhitting the back of her head this time¡ªas something flashed into existence beside her. One hand flew to cradle the new ache on her skull, the other to cover her eyes, the thing was so bright¡ª Bright¡­? I CAN SEE! A delighted whoop escaped her at the revelation that she wasn¡¯t blind, after all, and a giddy smile stretched across her lips. But her relief was short-lived¡ªshe cast her gaze about and realised that she was, definitely, inside some sort of crate. The revelation dampened her enthusiasm about regaining her sight, for she had no idea how she¡¯d ended up here. DING! She jumped as the glowing thing flashed, demanding her attention. It didn¡¯t seem quite so bright now that her eyes had adjusted, and, curious, she shuffled over to it. It was small¡ªabout the size of an open book¡ªand was a pleasant, muted-magenta colour. It hovered vertically and put her in mind of the magical screens that sometimes appeared on street corners in the village, flashing news or announcements at the denizens of her world. But instead of elaborate images and scrolling text, this one showed only a static piece of information, and she leaned closer to see.
New Quest: { Boxed Up } You have awoken trapped in a crate. Get out, before you arrive at your destination.
¡°Quest¡­?¡± She frowned¡ªshe was a lowly farm hand from Arazia Village, hardly someone to be racing off on quests. She¡¯d no experience, really, outside of the hippalectryon ranch she¡¯d grown up on, and had seen very little in her seventeen years besides the rooster-ponies¡­ As if sensitive to her thoughts, the floating screen shimmered to show new information.
Piper Tarro: { Base Attributes } Ranch maid, seventeen groundyears. Formerly of Arazia.
Recruit? She didn¡¯t like the sound of that, at all. Recruit for what? And¡ªwait a minute¡ªformerly of Arazia¡­? What in the hells was that supposed to mean? In unhappy confusion, she chewed at her lip¡ªuntil a movement caught her eye. At the bottom corner of the screen, a small arrow flickered on-and-off. She touched it, and the display flashed back to her ¡®quest¡¯. Narrowing her eyes, she looked more carefully at the information on offer and noticed several small boxes¡ªeach boasting a tiny picture¡ªlined across the top. Tentative, she reached for the one that looked like a miniature pack, and the screen changed to an empty grid pattern, three across by six down, with an outline of a person beside it. The figure had several boxes placed strategically over it, some filled with images of simple clothing. She touched the one that showed a shirt, and the picture seemed to stick to her finger¡ªas she jolted her hand sideways in surprise, it dropped into the grid as a tiny version of itself. Abruptly, she realised she was half-naked and yelped in consternation. Blushing furiously¡ªshe wasn¡¯t sure why; it wasn¡¯t like anyone could see her¡ªshe covered her torso with one arm and frantically reached for the tiny picture again with her free hand. She dragged it back and released it into the box over the figure¡¯s chest, and suddenly the hand that covered her immodesty was clutching at rough cotton once more. Slowly, she lowered it, staring down at her re-shirted front with disbelief. ¡°Well. That¡¯s weird.¡± Returning her attention to the image, she noted that the tiny sandals and loose-cut, three-quarter pants were exactly the same ones she wore, too, but the slots near the outline¡¯s hands, head, and midriff were empty. Hat, gloves, belt, maybe? That seemed to make sense since she didn¡¯t have any of those things. So¡­ what were the other boxes for? Because, on either side of the figure, several more boxes sat empty. She shook her head, bemused, and then reached for the next tiny picture at the top of the screen. This one looked like a minuscule piece of parchment, half-unrolled, and when she touched it, the grid subsided, and a map took its place. She snorted. ¡°If you can call that a map.¡± It was blacked out, for the most part, except for a small patch which looked like the edge of a body of water, and the slim crescent of what could be the start of a coastline. As she watched, a little more of the coastline appeared, very slowly, as if she were moving towards it. Abruptly, the screen flashed back to the quest, and the edges of it pulsated with some urgency. ¡°Get out, before you arrive at your destination,¡± Piper read again¡ªand suddenly comprehension dawned. It might be ludicrous to take instructions from a disembodied, floating board, but the coastline had definitely grown larger in the few seconds she¡¯d been looking at it¡ªand being locked in a crate didn¡¯t exactly sit well with her, either. Feeling abruptly energized, she resolved to do something about her situation. She sat down properly, leaned back to raise her feet, and delivered a great kick to the wooden panel opposite her. But the recoil sent sharp shocks up her legs, and she yelped in pain, gasping against the renewed pounding in her head. The wood hadn¡¯t budged an inch. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy¡­ Frowning, she rolled back onto her knees and shuffled forward, inspecting each board carefully by the meagre light cast from the screen. It wasn¡¯t easy to tell in the purple-hued illumination, but she thought that the base of one corner seemed a different shade than the rest of the wood. With questing fingers, she prodded it and found that it was softer, damp to the touch. The wet spread for a little way up the planks on both sides of the join, and when she applied pressure it gave a little creak. Encouraged, she positioned herself for another experimental kick, with one foot this time¡ªand proper aim. She connected a solid blow, and the plank splintered. Pleased, she kicked it again, and again, adjusting the point of impact each time to loosen the entire thing. When it was as loose as it would go, she turned her body so she could kick loose the plank on the other side of the corner, and, at last, the two were wide enough apart that she might be able to squeeze out. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Laying on her side, she shimmied forward, pushing first her head, and then her shoulders, through the gap. Splinters clawed at her, tearing her shirt, drawing blood where they scratched her skin. But she gritted her teeth and persevered, forcing the gap wider, using her body as leverage. Halfway out, she stopped, turning her head as best she could to take stock of her surroundings. It was dark again¡ªthe screen having abandoned her when she started kicking down the walls¡ªbut tiny pinpricks pierced holes in the black-velvet sky above, and brightened to myriad stars as her vision adjusted. Shadows lurked all around, looming threateningly, but all seemed quiet. Satisfied that she was alone¡ªat least for now¡ªshe continued to worm her way free. At last, she pulled her legs through, catching one particularly tenacious splinter on the way, and stifled her hiss of pain behind pursed lips. Carefully, she gripped the sharp spine of wood that had embedded itself in her calf and, squeezing her eyes shut, gave it a decisive yank. It pulled free and she tossed it aside, breathing fast and hard in an effort to avoid crying out. She wiped at her watering eyes, and then the screen popped up beside her once more.
Quest Complete: { Boxed Up } Quest Complete.
¡°Auto-? Oh.¡± She realised that her fingers were curled around a small, wooden handle, and raised the non-descript knife to see it better.
Item: { Old Knife } [tool] This blunt kitchen knife looks like it¡¯s seen better days.
As the description suggested, it wasn¡¯t fancy by any means; merely a short, straight blade¡ªrather blunt, as she ran her thumb across it¡ªthat looked like it could have come from any impoverished village kitchen. Still, part of her was darkly relieved to have something to hold on to. She just hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to use¡ª ¡°Oi! Ye there! Halt!¡± Piper flung her head up to squint through the dark and quailed as she saw a man much bigger than she was, making his way towards her. He was skirting other crates, some of which emitted sporadic moans, and his hand was on the hilt of his sword. He appeared to be in no rush, moving with slow arrogance¡ªas if it was only a matter of time before he had her in his great, meaty hands. DING! ¡°Seriously?¡± Piper tore her eyes away from the approaching brute as the screen flashed urgently beside her.
New Quest: { Fight or Flight } You¡¯ve been spotted by { Skulking Guard }! Prepare to run!
Piper didn¡¯t have time to ponder her new quest (and bonus quest, apparently), for the man was almost upon her. The screen vanished as he swiped at her with one large hand, and she ducked with a yelp at the last second. She ran, and the big man drew his sword, leaping after her with surprising dexterity. Piper dashed between the crates, skirting a massive mountain of cargo tied down beneath a canvas sail, and tripped over a guy line she didn¡¯t see in the shadows. She crashed into a pile of smaller boxes, knocking loose several containers full of what sounded like pots and pans¡ªto judge by the thunderous clanging¡ªand, cursing, leapt up to continue her flight. But she jerked to a halt, her sore leg snapping back behind her and dropping her with a hefty thud that knocked the wind out of her. She rolled over with a groan to find her foot caught in the tail end of the trailing rope, and the man slowed to a predatory walk. ¡°Teach ye to be running from me, lass,¡± he smirked. He advanced, and Piper desperately held her small knife out in front of her¡ªas if she had a hope of defending herself¡ªbut he didn¡¯t make it three more steps. The teetering tower of cargo, made unsteady by the loosening of the guy line she¡¯d tripped over, creaked in warning and toppled just as he passed it. With a resounding crash, it hit the deck, burying the man beneath weighty crates before he could throw himself clear. One arm and half a shoulder stuck out from beneath the debris, and as Piper watched in horror, his fingers twitched, and then fell still. The screen flashed into existence again beside her, making her flinch violently in surprise.
Quest: { Fight or Flight }
Piper hardly noticed what it said¡ªshe was too busy staring at the unmoving arm. Every nerve in her body seemed to burn with the adrenalin surging through her, and she leaned forward to extricate her trapped foot. Once it was free, she crawled hesitantly towards the appendage, painfully alert for any sign of movement. As she drew near, the screen flashed suddenly next to her, setting her heart back to thundering.
¡°Will you stop doing that?¡± she said crossly, turning to it. ¡°Huh? Loot¡­? Isn¡¯t that, like¡­ stealing?¡± There was no response, only the question awaiting her decision. ¡°Um¡­ yes, I guess?¡± The arm twitched at her feet, sending her reeling backwards on a fresh surge of fright. It fell still once more, but she stared at it accusingly for a long moment, until the flashing screen drew her attention back. New information was on display.
Intrigued, she reached for the little pack icon to open the inventory¡ªand paused as she caught sight of the fingerless glove now covering her palm. She lifted the other hand and tightened both to fists, testing the flexibility of her new acquisitions. The faded cotton moved easily enough, clearly worn in by somebody else¡¯s hands. ¡°Tattered, indeed.¡± Her interest in the gloves waned, and she turned back to the screen and opened the inventory. First, she noted that the box over the tiny figure¡¯s hand now had a picture of a pair of gloves. Second, she realised that the small knife occupied the lowest box beside the right arm. Third¡ªand most interestingly¡ªthe grid now boasted a single item in one of the previously empty slots. Andothyst Salve. She knew exactly what that was, even though she¡¯d never been able to afford any of the stuff in her¡­ previous life¡­? Deciding not to question the strange means of its acquisition, she reached for the picture of the small jar, and as she touched it, it materialised into solidity in her hand.
Item: { Andothyst Salve } Topical healing balm(consumable, healing)
¡°Awesome.¡± She unlatched the top, scooped out some of the firm green gel inside, and slathered it onto the jagged splinter cut on her leg. The astringent (but not unpleasant) fumes made her a little heady as the wound tingled, and she sighed as a pleasant warmth spread around the affected area and smoothed the cut into non-existence.
Dropping the salve back into her inventory, she gingerly flexed her calf muscle and found that it was in near-perfect shape. Which was good¡ªbecause she probably wasn¡¯t done running yet. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, than a shout from somewhere further along the deck echoed, and then another, and another. Other guards had come to investigate the clamour raised by toppled cargo and spilled boxes, and Piper ducked behind a broken crate, cursing under her breath. In silence, the screen popped up close by, reminding her of her current objective. ¡°Get off the ship, right,¡± she nodded sharply, trying for courage. ¡°Reward swimming one¡ªI hope that means what I think it means because I sure as hells never learned to swim. Okay, right, here we go!¡± She leapt up, raced straight for the gunwale, and plunged headfirst over the railings before she could change her mind. High above the splash, voices cussed in consternation, craning over the side to peer into the night. In the quiet dark below, small bubbles shimmered to the surface of the sea, and the screen hovered for a long moment. It glowed mutely, oscillating a slow arc as if searching for something. At last, it flashed.
Quest Complete: { Fight or Flight }
And Piper burst to the surface, spluttering. Siren Song Piper managed to keep her head above the slow-swelling waves¡ªbarely. To one side, the flank of the ship loomed, slick and black and sliding past, and in short moments it had left her behind in the endless expanse of reflected night. She watched it pull away, feeling tiny against her new predicament, and swallowed seawater and panic. Her limbs felt strangely heavy in the salted sea and fluttered awkwardly to keep her buoyant. But she hadn¡¯t drowned, and that was a plus. Taking charge of her rising fear, she drew a careful breath through wet lips and settled to some sort of rhythm in her treading. The screen bobbed next to her left ear, still proudly proclaiming her latest reward. ¡°Thanks for taking your time!¡± she gasped, splashing a clumsy jet of water at it. It flashed in moody response but grudgingly offered new information.
New Quest: { Girl Overboard } The Sea of Storms is a dangerous place. Get to shore as fast as possible.
After a short moment, additional text scrolled in¡ªwas she imagining it, or did the inanimate screen seem just a little bit smug¡­?
Don¡¯t get¡­ WHAT?! A cold clamminess seeped through her skin, and she craned her neck to scout the undulating surface, though nothing moved save the sigh of the sea. As she tried not to think about the impossible depths below, the screen disappeared, and she yelped. ¡°Wait! You¡±¡ªgasp¡ª¡°bastard bloody thing!¡±¡ªsplutter ¡ª¡°Come back!¡± But the magenta glow stayed stubbornly absent, and she was on her own. She hesitated for a long moment, in case it returned, but it did not. Resigned, she angled her body and paddled forward puppy-style, doing her best to avoid unnecessary splashing. Far away, visible each time the waves lifted her bobbing body, she could see the first glow of dawn against the horizon¡ªand the receding silhouette of the ship against it. There was no other way to pinpoint a direction, so she doggedly paddled after it, hoping to reach something solid before she was discovered by the beasts of the sea. The first whack thrust her clear out of the water, sending her flailing against the unforgiving sky. She tumbled back to hit the surface hard, and then the second blow rammed her down beneath the dark waves. The breath exploded out of her lungs, and then something had hold of her. A thick, serpentine coil snaked around her entire body, crushing her, and she thrashed in desperate silence as she tried to hold onto the last sip of air left in her throat. The coil adjusted its grip and she managed to slip an arm free before it tightened again, snatching at the rusted knife tucked into her boot. She stabbed wildly, drawing black, oily blood from between halcyon scales, and the thing released her. Clawing to the surface, she choked in a quick gasp, but then the beast was back to catch her leg between viperish fangs. The teeth sank deep as it pulled her under, and as the surface receded above, she was quickly beset by a strange numbness. Warmth spread upward from her leg¡ªpoison, came the slurred realisation. This is it. This is how I die. It warped her vision, paralysing her muscles and numbing her thoughts, making her see things that weren¡¯t there. She could even hear some kind of soft, melancholic lament, like angels singing. The melody was muted, though, as if muffled by tears, or her fuzzy ears¡­ or something. She couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate, anymore. A vague, distant pain plagued her from somewhere in the region of her impaled leg, and the shimmering, scaly coil was back, winding around her in lazy arcs. She looked down in mild surprise, but couldn¡¯t seem to summon the will to fight it. It squeezed the last breath from her lungs, fogging her mind towards blissful abandon. At the bounds of her blurry sight, a face loomed with leering teeth and forking tongue, and she spared a momentary thought that that was not what she expected an angel to look like. But she didn¡¯t have time to ponder further. Her mind dimmed. A hard jolt jerked her back to sentience¡ªthe beast, spasming. She sucked in a surprised mouthful of water as the coil released her and fell away, and she choked, drowning. But something was there, a hand-space away, staring at her with soulful eyes. She was startled to stillness, taking in the strange, beautiful face, wild, sea-green hair, and swirling pearlescent tail. But lack of air failed her, and she convulsed; the creature surged forward to cup her head and parted her lips with a skilful tongue. Suddenly, Piper¡¯s dilemma seemed distant, suspended on a moment of charmed disbelief, but then the kisser released her, leaving a small pebble in her mouth. Piper rolled her tongue around the hard, tasteless object as the creature watched her with bright intelligence. ¡°Hold the crystal in your mouth. Breathe.¡± Piper stared, perplexed by the soundless words echoing in her mind. The creature repeated the instruction, and, closing her eyes in silent prayer, Piper tucked the pebble against the roof of her mouth with her tongue and inhaled seawater. It hit her like a hurricane¡ªoxygen! She was delirious with it¡ªthe rush of sustenance pouring through her lungs¡ªand she sucked in great gulps of water as if it were sweet summer air. Watching her, the creature smiled¡ªmore angelic than any celestial being Piper could have imagined¡ªand Piper grinned back around her miraculous pebble. The screen flashed up between them, though the pretty sea creature did not seem to notice, and Piper spared a quick peek at the information it offered.
Quest: { Girl Overboard } NEW ITEM: { Deeps Crystal } Enables user to breathe underwater whilst equipped.
Siren. Well, that explained the creature¡¯s shiny, silk-finned tail beneath an almost-human torso and face. Piper glanced down¡ªfar below, to the oily stain clouding the water¡ªand caught sight of a slack coil drifting towards oblivion. If her new ally was a siren, then what the hell was that thing? Obligingly, the screen flashed.
Oh. Well, okay then¡ªthat pretty much summed up her experience with the thing, she supposed. With a shudder at her harrowing escape, she turned her attention back to the siren to say thank you, but only a stream of bubbles escaped her as she opened her mouth. Just in time, she clamped it shut again to avoid losing her miracle rock, and the siren¡¯s face crinkled with amusement. ¡°Think AT me.¡± Piper¡¯s brow creased with concentration until her face purpled, and the siren reached out to cup her cheeks with cool fingers. The creature shook her head, grinning. ¡°No need to shout. I can hear you, Piper, and you are welcome.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Piper blushed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°All is well. I am called Salla. What are you doing in the Sea of Storms?¡± ¡°I jumped off a ship. This thing¡±¡ªPiper gestured to the nearby screen¡ª¡°told me to.¡± ¡°What thing?¡± ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t see this?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Piper waved her hand at her near-constant companion, and the siren frowned in puzzlement. ¡°I see your hand.¡± Huh. That was an interesting revelation¡ªbut not one Piper needed to worry about now. For the screen had flashed, with a similar urgency to when it had warned her to get off the ship.
New Quest: { Safe Harbour } Denizens of the deep do not sleep. The spilled blood summons them. Get to shore before the behemoths arise.
Well, shit. She¡¯d had enough sea monsters for one day, thanks very much. ¡°Um¡­ d¡¯you think you could help me, you know, get back to land?¡± Salla smiled and stretched out her hand. When Piper reached for it, the siren pulled her into strong arms and cradled her like a child. Piper blushed but did not protest. ¡°Do not lose the crystal.¡± ¡°No fear of that.¡± With a powerful flick of her tail, Salla propelled them forward at a blistering pace, and Piper flung her arms around the siren¡¯s strong, slim shoulders to hang on for dear life. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as though the water¡¯s resistance might pop her eyeballs out, but after a time she judged them secure enough and risked a peek. There wasn¡¯t much to see¡ªthe night still clung to the depths despite the wash of dawn across the horizon above¡ªbut at last, the siren breached the surface and colour flooded the atmosphere. In the distance, the sky burned red and indigo and gold, immeasurably spectacular after the abyss of the dark ocean. Salla sighed. ¡°Nothing quite compares to an upworld sunrise.¡± Piper whole-heartedly agreed¡ªbut mostly because the brightening daybreak illuminated a stretch of solid land ahead. Salla cruised towards it, until the water was shallow enough for Piper¡¯s toes to touch the sand, and then released her. Pale against the sunrise, the screen flashed up.
Quest: { Safe Harbour } NEW ITEM: { Firestone } A charmed piece of anerradite crystal, used to kindle campfires.
Piper breathed a small sigh of relief¡ªif the quest was complete, then hopefully that meant the deep-sea beasts were behind her. With a grateful smile, she turned to the siren. ¡°Thank you, Salla. I owe you my life twice over.¡± Salla waved her gratitude away. ¡°Saving pretty maidens is what we do.¡± ¡°But¡­ I thought sirens drowned unwitting sailors?¡± ¡°That, too.¡± The siren smiled, slow and feral. ¡°Men are delicious.¡± Piper quirked a brow, perplexed, but decided not to dissect her good fortune. Salla popped a cheeky kiss on her surprised lips, graced her a jaunty wink, and disappeared beneath the waves. Bemused, Piper pressed numb fingers against her mouth and stared at the last glistening droplets as they splash back against the sea. At last, she shook herself, set her feet against the reassuring feel of sand beneath, and trudged up onto the beach. Hugging her arms around herself, she realised for the first time just how cold she was, and shivered against the chill snap of morning air. Her legs felt leaden as they carried her, and her left side dragged as her shredded calf muscle protested. Amidst another sharp stab of pain, she paused, wondering how to pull out some more of the andothyst salve, and as she did so, the screen popped up to display her inventory. Grateful, she tapped the healing balm image and made good use of it as the tub solidified in her hand.
The jagged bite was rather a bit more than ¡®superficial¡¯, but the salve helped to dull the worst of the throbbing. Walking still hurt, but movement provided a little warmth, so she kept going. To her left, the sea kept rhythmic accompaniment against the damp sand, and on her right, the sun finally crested the horizon, though its stark rays held little heat. Where the beach met the edge of the first patchy vegetation, snow lay in powdery splatters between gnarled roots, and Piper wondered if she might have avoided being eaten only to freeze to death. She drew away from the sea, into the edge of the sparse trees, but retreated again as she caught sight of a gigantic paw print pressed into a deeper drift. Back in the open, the wind cut at her, driving the cold into her bones, and she stumbled more and more often as her injured leg failed her. At last, the screen helpfully offered:
New Quest: { Dig In } The elements of Andoherra are oft more dangerous than any beast. Seek shelter, warmth, and rest.
Cave? That sounded like a FANTASTIC idea. She lifted her chin with an effort, swinging her gaze across her surroundings for somewhere likely to host such a haven. Spotting a bluff at the far end of the beach, she limped on, each step taking more effort than she thought humanly possible. As she passed by a large, weathered stick, a notification popped up:
¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± The stick vanished, and, astonished, she cast about for it.
The screen proudly displayed a miniature version of it, tucked safely in her inventory. ¡°Fab,¡± Piper said, pleased that she didn¡¯t have to physically carry it. She still wasn¡¯t sure what kind of sorcery could possibly be responsible for the glowing screen that followed her everywhere, but she certainly appreciated the convenience of an ¡®inventory¡¯ to store all her things. At this particular point, weak with cold, exhaustion and blood loss, she was surprised she had the energy to carry the clothes she was wearing, never mind anything else. Slowly, she picked her way towards the cliff at the end of the beach, collecting driftwood along the way wherever she came across it. By the time she reached the towering massif and spotted the small aperture tucked between a copse of sparse bushes, she¡¯d found nine out of the ten she¡¯d been assigned to fetch. Biting her lip, she hesitated at the mouth of the cave, wondering if she should comb about for the last piece of wood to complete her quest. She wavered, favouring her injured leg, and decided she¡¯d have a look inside the cave first. To be honest, she was eager to get out of the biting wind. A light coating of snow lay silent across the scree at the entrance, and, suspicious, she cast about its pristine surface for any sign of tracks. Finding none, she proceeded with more confidence, pushing through the clutching branches and into the dry interior beyond. As the wind suddenly abated, she sighed with relief.
Quest: { Dig In }
A small, yellowish crystal materialized in her hand, and she held it up to inspect it.
Subconsciously, Piper nodded, and was pleasantly surprised when the crystal began to glow in her hand. Apparently, even thinking yes was enough for the screen to respond. She held the stone high, cupping her hand around the back to keep the illumination falling forward instead of into her eyes, and looked around. The cave wasn¡¯t very big ¨C hardly a shallow dent in the side of the cliff, really ¨C but it was perfect for her purposes. And, bonus, there were no passageways leading off into the dark that could possibly hide hungry monsters. Off to one side, a small trickle of water seeped into a tiny pool in the sand, and she hurried to slake her thirst. As she wiped moisture from her chin, she smiled as she spotted one last piece of wood, half-buried beside the puddle, and she bent to retrieve it.
Quest: { Dig In }
As the thick, tattered cloak materialized around her, she tugged it closed across her chest and snuggled for an indulgent moment ¨C it was too big and smelled slightly musty, but it was warm. Relieved, she moved deeper into the cave, crossing the firm sand of its floor to tuck herself into a nook at the back ¨C the place she reasoned she¡¯d feel safest. A shadowy aperture caught her eye, and she held the lumostone out to brighten it. It was a small niche, almost like a shelf, about the length of a tall man and approximately her waist height above the floor. It was fairly narrow and was topped with a tatty, straw-stuffed leather pad, and there was no doubt what it was ¨C it bore a striking resemblance to her bunk back at the hippalectryon farm, albeit extremely old and frayed, and also carved out of stone instead of tacked together with flimsy pine. A slow, broad smile spread across Piper¡¯s lips at the thought of resting up in an actual bed ¨C and it widened as she caught sight of a small trunk half-hidden on a tiny shelf at the far end. As she leaned over to grab it, the screen flashed a query.
¡°Hell yeah!¡± she grinned, and the heavy lid clicked open of its own accord.
Dried fruit? THAT made her mouth water ¨C she pulled them out of her inventory and wolfed the entire lot in the space of three heartbeats. Temporarily sated, she turned back to her inventory and spotted the firestone. ¡°Ah, I¡¯d forgotten about that,¡± she mused, reaching for it. With the screen¡¯s helpful prompting, she soon managed to ignite it beneath two of the driftwood pieces, and the cheerful blaze danced homely shadows across the walls. Remembering nights spent on the range on the hippalectryon round-ups, she banked it carefully to smoulder through the night and turned at last for the ancient bed. She hoisted herself up and collapsed onto it, and didn''t even mind the lumps and straw that poked at her through the old leather. Safe, for now, she promptly fell fast asleep.