《Amaranthine Scintilla》


 Day One

    Morning


    Sunrise. Demus sits down on the grey wooden dock to fish, tired, hungry, irritated. The flies had pestered him all night. It was a short trot from the village where he''d been born and lived for about ten years. Then, last night while he couldn''t sleep, something strange had happened. He daydreamed about a huge, reddish-purple plant, that glowing specks were coming off of. One speck tunnelled through barriers and touched a sitting young man who was looking at a glowing screen. Another got larger and larger until Demus felt it enter him and fade away. Almost immediately, he moved from the burned-out hovel he always slept in.


    --- ''Stink attracts flies.'' He heard himself think. So he went looking for a better place. He managed to find a shop that was closed for the night, but which had a hollow set of stairs between the boardwalk and the dirt street. He squirmed under and fell asleep. Before dawn there was always a stiff, chill breeze going East.


    This woke Demus, and he struggled out before the owner could find him. He had quickly trotted to the tanner''s, retreived his ''fishing pole'' (heavy stick with unraveled sack-threads for line), and went on to the dock.


    Hopefully, he twitched the pole, tired from having applied what little leverage his scrawny muscles could bring to bear.


    Nothing.


    --- ''Okay,'' he heard himself think again, ''like stink attracts flies, feelings of irritation repel fish. Do I really want to catch a fish?'' He nodded vigorously. ''Then I should close my eyes and breathe deeply.''


    Demus put the fishing pole down, closed his eyes, and inhaled as deeply as he could. After three breaths, he noticed all the places where the flies had ''bitten'' or made him itch.


    --- ''Forget about the itches.''


    ...''How?''


    --- ''Find a spot that doesn''t itch. Cool, your left middle finger. Put all of your attention on your left middle finger.''


    After a few breaths,


    ... ''Is that all? Now what?''


    --- ''Calm down, you''re going too fast. Just keep breathing and paying attention to your left middle finger.''


    Demus huffed but complied. Minutes passed, Demus could vaguely feel how the shadow on him shifted with the movement of the Sun.


    --- ''Okay. Turn all of your attention to some thoughts. You are alive. Do you want to be alive? Say it! Say: "I want to be alive!" ''


    ... "I want to be alive!"


    --- ''Good! Are you glad you are alive?''


    ... "I''m glad I am alive!"


    --- ''Do you love being alive?''


    ... "I love being alive!''


    --- ''So be grateful that you are alive! Say: "I thank the All that I am alive!"


    ... ''What "All"? What am I thinking about? I''m hungry and I want to catch a fish!''


    Angrily he opened his eyes, took up his pole, and swished it around.


    Lunch


    >>> "By Buff the Mighty, what''s your problem, kid?" Said the old guy to Demus'' left.


    ... "I''m hungry!"


    >>> "Well, you''re scaring the fish! If I give you some bait, will you go away?"


    ... "Sure!" The guy, ''Cockerel'' Demus remembered, handed him three small fish out of a bucket.


    Happily Demus dropped his pole, held two fish in his left hand and started eating the third with his right. He turned and walked toward the village.


    --- ''See? Even without gratitude...''


    ... ''What?''


    --- ''I was hungry. I wanted fish. I focused on being happy about being alive, and now I have fish.''


    ... ''I''m going crazy! I think like an adult talks! And now I think I can make things happen? It wasn''t because of me!!!''


    ***


    Tina walked in on Reggie''s programming nook.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?? "Hey, Reg? Reg? You okay?" She asked.


    --- "Hmm? Oh, yeah." Reg turned away from the screen.


    ?? "System tests, right?"


    --- "There''s still too much NPC resistance."


    ?? "I thought you were going to pause the mysticism stuff."


    --- "Even piloting a child, I can''t get one who activates a System Prompt. They resist all acheiving."


    ?? "Did you use a hero dream?"


    --- "No."


    ?? "Sys-admin fiat the first one, then."


    ***


    As Demus was walking, a blue outline of a square appeared in the air in front of him, about head-height. Within the box were squiggles of yellow lines. Suddenly Demus understood!


    _____________________________


    | Acheivement Unlocked!  |


    | You have eaten protein that |


    | was not a gift from your    |


    | parents. You may choose |


    | one out of five prizes:   |


    | ¡¤ Scintilla Guide         |


    | ¡¤ Professional Fishing Rod |


    | ¡¤ Multi-Scale Net         |


    | ¡¤ Blessing of Saint Modnar |


    | ¡¤ Backpack of Extra-Room |


    ____________________________


    ... ''Wow! I get a prize? Wait a minute! I don''t know how to read!''


    --- ''I guess I do now.''


    ... ''Who the Buff is Saint Modnar?''


    --- ''Is that what you want?''


    ... ''Nah. I''ll take the fishing rod.''


    Then the yellow words changed:


    ___________________________________


    | Professional Fishing Rod .    |


    | selected! For your next prize, |


    | catch and eat five small fish.  |


    ________________________________


    and with an in-his-head-only "pop!", the blue square disappeared.


    ... ''That was weird.'' Demus looked over the new item with pride. It was only 14 inches long, had cork-lining on the handle, and a round-thing was attatched to the side. From the near end of the handle was a thin loop that went around his neck and left arm. He could drop it and still carry it around. It was as light as a feather. He held it with both hands and flicked it out, like he''d seen other fishermen do with theirs. The tip went shooting out many feet away, and now the rod had these inch-wide, fine rings that held an almost-invisible line that ran from the round thing, along the rod, and hung down from the tip. He flicked it in, and all of that disappeared.


    ... ''Cool! But, won''t people try to take this away from me?''


    Waaay off to the left, a tiny blue square began flashing. Demus turned to look at it, but it moved with his vision! Carefully, he reached out his left hand and pointed at it. It disappeared and the blue square appeared before him again.


    _____________________________


    | Prizes given as acheivements|


    | are non-transferable.       |


    ______________________________


    ... ''Hmm.'' Demus dropped the rod to dangle at his side, picked up the two fish, dusted them off, and bit into one as he continued toward the village.


    Afternoon


    Soon Demus was walking in the village, past the shop under whose stairs he had slept. The shop-keeper was loudly talking with the Shire Reeve and a carpenter.


    .. "This village has too many orphans anyway! Now I have to pay some worker to secure my stoop!" Demus kept on walking, not even looking at them.


    Suddenly Demus fell down. The larger boy who had bumped into him bent over and picked up the last fish.


    ->- "Well, litil-boy! No beating today!! Better bringing me three of these tomorrow."


    == "What''s going on here?" Asked the Reeve, who had just walked over.


    ->- "Nothing!"


    ... "I fell, and he''s helping me get up!"


    ->- "Right." and he helped Demus stand up. Demus turned and determinedly walked away.


    ... ''Well, I can''t sleep there again!''


    --- ''What was all that?''


    ... ''What?''


    --- ''Why didn''t I tell the Shire-Reeve the truth?''


    ... ''Not only crazy! I''m an idiot!! Rat on a bigger, and all the biggers will beat the snot out of me!''


    --- ''The shop you chose was not on the main road, so it has that set of stairs up onto the boardwalk.''


    ... ''Yup!''


    --- ''What if I could get under the boardwalk?''


    ... ''How would I do that?''


    --- ''By crawling under a shop that doesn''t have a basement.'' So Demus spent the afternoon looking at shop backyards, and he found three with no basements. Even better, one was run by a man with no left leg, who rolled around on a wheeled chair. His backyard was nearly filled with a boardwalk-like ramp. Demus resolved to return after nightfall.

 Day 2

    Waking up before the pre-false dawn chill breeze, Demus squirmed out from under the ramp in the backyard he had chosen the afternoon before. He fitted the wood-section back over the hole he had made, and he stood up, brushing the damp dirt off. He walked over to the fence, found the rolled-up, cast-off grey man- tunic that he had hidden there in the dark, and slipped it on. His stomach rumbled a bit, but there was no food to be had. Maybe some plums from where the tree extended over the owner''s fence. Not exactly on the way to the dock, but not extremely out of the way either.


    Demus quick-climbed the fence and set off. In a trice he arrived at the dock, chewing on the last of three grounded, ripe plums. Sitting down, he realized:


    ... ''I don''t have any bait.''


    --- ''Do I want bait or do I want to catch fish?''


    ... ''I <u>need</u> bait to catch fish."


    --- ''So, I want bait?''


    ... ''No. I want fish. But I...''


    --- ''I can have a fun coincidence again, or I can sit around knowing what I need.''


    ... ''What thoughts this time?''


    --- ''Well, I am alive...''


    ... "I like being alive! I''m glad I am alive! I love being alive!" Demus said quietly.


    --- ''Very good. Once I catch the fish, won''t it be cool that I caught a fish today?''


    ... "Once I - what?"


    --- ''Just say "won''t it be cool..."...


    ... "Won''t it be cool..."


    --- ''That I caught a fish today?''


    ... "that I caught a fish today?"


    --- ''Very good!''


    ... ''Now what?''


    --- ''How do I feel now?''


    ... ''I feel pretty good!''


    --- ''Okay. Then I have to wait for the world to catch up. I could make it go faster, but I guess I''m uncomfortable with certain thoughts.''


    ... ''What kinds of thoughts?''


    --- ''Well, everyone and everything outside of myself, going about their morning tasks and ways, what would I call that?''


    ... ''Never thought about it before. The others? The not-me? The elses?''


    --- ''Okay, the elses. Am I glad the elses are there?''


    ... ''Some of them.''


    --- ''Will I call those the ''some elses''?''


    ... ''Okay.''


    --- ''Say: ''I''m glad the some elses are there.'' ''


    ... ''Weird.''


    ... "I''m glad the some elses are there!"


    --- ''Good. ''I thank the some elses for being there.'' ''


    ... "I ummm, I ''thank'' the some elses for being there."


    --- ''Now how do I feel?''


    ... ''I feel dumb.''


    --- ''Well, nevermind.''


    False dawn lit up the Eastern sky and the chill breeze blew. Cockerell climbed up onto the dock.


    >>> "You again! You know your pole is down on the beach?"


    Demus looked at the rod he was holding and then back at Cockerell.


    --- ''He can''t see it.''


    ... ''No?''


    >>> "Look, kid..."


    ... " ''Dee-moh''."


    >>> "Okay, Deemo. I can''t just give you bait every day, and you scare fish way too easy. Go away, please?"


    ... "Just one tiny one?"


    >>> "Here''s a worm."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ... "Thank you! Thank you so much!!"


    >>> "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just go away."


    Demus took the worm, and ran along the beach, out of sight of the dock. He flicked out the rod, grabbed the line...


    ... "There''s no hook!"


    --- '' Maybe I should twist apart the handle.''


    Dropping the worm, Demus twisted apart the handle and found five hooks. Soon, the hook was on the line, the worm was on the hook, and in the water.


    Demus stood on the beach, basking in the morning sunlight, now and again checking on the line.


    --- ''Can I make the fish bite by worrying about it?''


    ... ''I guess not.''


    --- ''So, I should relax! Sit down, look at the beautiful trees!!!''


    Demus sat down, leaned back against a rock in the shade, and then dozed off.


    Hours later, Demus woke up to the strange sensation of something licking his hands. Carefully he opened an eye - - a young forest Wolf! Demus sat up and the Wolf jumped back, then ran off. Looking around Demus spotted his rod being jerked back and forth toward the water''s edge. He lunged forward and grabbed it up. A small crank popped out of the round thing.


    ... "What do I do?"


    --- ''Pull the rod up and back, then let it go while you crank the reel.''


    ... "The what?"


    --- ''The round dealy-bob!''


    Demus started trying that. And as he did, his mind kept whirling.


    ... ''How did I know... pant! pant! ...what it was called?! It''s like I have... pant!! ... two ''I''-s...''


    Soon enough the line reeled in, a tiny fish on the hook, but clamped to its tail fin was a small fish''s jaw, and to that one another, and another, and then the head and more of a six inch diameter eel or something. Striving, Demus wrestled the chain of fish toward the shore. The third small fish burst asunder and the eel or whatever swam away.


    ... "That seems really weird!"


    --- ''But also kinda '' dumb''?''


    ... "Yeah."


    --- ''Indeed.''


    Demus gutted and cleaned the two small fish, saving parts of the third for more bait. He wasn''t quite hungry enough to eat them raw like yesterday, but as he thought about it, suddenly he had to make nightsoil! He ran away from the shore. As he found a good bush to squat near...


    --- ''If I don''t take the tunic off, some dung will get on it and I''ll have to live with flies again!''


    He hurriedly bunched up his tunic and slippedd it off over his head. Then hus body would not be denied, and he dunged. Fortunately, it seemed pretty solid.


    --- ''I should grab a big, green leaf and, uh, ''clean up''!'' So he did, then stepped away, shrugged his tunic back on and went back to the shore. There were wolf-tracks around. His fish-steaks were okay, but all the bait was gone.


    ... "How am I gonna fish tomorrow?"


    --- ''Save tomorrow for tomorrow. Am I going to make a fire and cook these myself?''


    He walked back into town, to the market-place, and found the quick-foods cart. He showed the fish-steaks to the vendor.


    >$- "I''ll buy those from you for 1 copper each!"


    ... "I want to eat at least one of them!"


    >$- "Cooked?''


    ... "Preferably!"


    >$- "I''ll cook them all, give you your choice and two coppers?"


    ... "Deal!"


    Soon Demus was delightedly munching on fried fish steak, as the morning waned.


    Demus found a shady spot to sit in, and rested. Gradually the shade moved. Demus slipped in and out of dozing. Suddenly he was up in the air!


    ->- "Litil-boy is stupid, hah?" And the bigger threw Demus against the fence. Demus hit the ground in pain, breathing rapidly.


    ->- "....tolju...bring three for me!.."


    --- ''Duck!'' Demus ducked and heard the bigger''s hand hit the fence where his head had been.


    ->- "...think yore smart? Y''can''t get away!"


    and he reared back a foot to kick Demus.


    ---'' Roll left! Stand up! Flick out the rod!''


    Demus did those things.


    ... ''I thought I said no-one can see the rod.''


    --- ''He can''t see it. He''s about to feel it!''


    ->- "You makin'' dis more fun! Go on, run! I''ll chase!!"


    --- ''Get ready to hit him!''


    The bigger yelled and started to run at Demus. Demus sharply brought the rod across the bigger, who fell off to the side.


    ->- "...whut the Buff!? You gotta divisible whip? Butcha ain''t strong enuf, litil-boy!!" He started to get up, but Demus felt his fear become anger and he lunged forward to slam the rod into the bigger again. And again. And again, as fast as he could. He just kept going, hitting the bigger over and over, barely able to breathe.


    --- ''Stop!'' Demus paused and stepped back.


    ... "What?" The bigger lay on the ground, bruised and groaning.


    --- ''I stopped him. Good job. If I kept going I might get in a kind of a disastrous trouble.''


    ... ''I guess you''re right.'' And Demus walked back to the marketplace. Gradually, Demus was able to calm down. He walked around, looking at things. As the afternoon faded toward night, he helped a few people pack up their temporary shops, folding up canopies, loading huge baskets ("panniers"), and cleaning up after customers. Demus was just interested in how the marketplace worked, and he had nothing else to do. While he worked, he pondered.


    ... ''Do I have to worry about the other biggers?''


    --- ''Not if I keep my mouth shut.That bigger will never tell, so no-one will know it happened except the two of us.''


    ... ''Why wouldn''t he tell?''


    --- ''It would make him seem weak. If anyone thinks he''s weak, they will most likely attack him.''


    ... ''Gotcha. So, will he attack me again?''


    --- ''It depends on how I handle it. If I cringe, then ''yes'' he will. If I ''lord it'' over him, then eventually he will again. But if I treat him like a friend who stubbed his toe, maybe he won''t, ever again.''


    ... ''Cool.''


    --- ''Mmmm. Speaking of which, am I hungry?''


    ... ''No. ?''


    --- ''Is it very cool to not be hungry?''


    ... ''Am I kidding? It''s wonderful to not be hungry!!!''


    --- ''Excellent! So, can I look back to when I said : ''...won''t it be cool that I caught a fish today?'', and confirm: ''Yes! It is cool that I caught a fish today! It is wonderful!!!''?''


    ... ''Yeah! It actually is cool that I caught a fish today! It''s wonderful!!''


    --- ''Right on! I''m really getting the hang of life. What do I want to do with my life?''


    ... ''Do? Do with it? I want to live it! I want to be happy and free!"


    --- ''Supreme.''


    ...After farewelling the market people, and darkness fell, Demus felt very tired. He made his way back to the backyard of the wheeled-chair user''s house, climbed the fence, took off and hid his tunic, pulled the section of wood away, and crawled into the safe, dry spot under the long ramp. It had been a long day, so it was easy to fall asleep.

 Day 3

    The heat woke Demus. He groaned. He was drenched in sweat, and in a lot of pain. Mostly his back and arms. Bright sunlight seeped through the cracks between the boards.


    ... "Whaaaaaat..."


    --- "Whenever I finish a job, I should clean-up, maintain my tools, and put them away properly. My body is a very important tool that I have not maintained at all.''


    The boards above him creaked rhythmically in sequence, and then a voice murmured:


    ~€- "I don''t know why I don''t like the Reeve. I do know, since he''ll be here any moment to discuss some sort of problem with an orphan boy, if I were hiding somewhere near, I would be very, very quiet." Then a rolling sound happened. There was a squeak and a whoosh, and two men were talking, but Demus couldn''t make out what they were saying.


    Then, as they moved closer, he could.


    == "...short, scrawny, always wears a man''s grey tunic like it was a knee-dress."


    ~€- "Did he do anything wrong?"


    == "He has changed, recently. You never know what puberty is going to do to a kid. I need him under control, to nip any kind of trouble-making in the bud."


    ~€- "I''ve had no trouble, Reeve. No sign of trouble at all."


    == "Well, keep an eye out. Those who don''t know you might think..."


    ~€- "What?"


    == "...that you''re weak, vulnerable."


    ~€- "Ha! Hahahahaha! Is that what you think?"


    == "Of course not! Have a good day." The crunching of the Reeve''s feet on the ground faded away. The boards creaked again as the chair rolled on them. In a few minutes it was back.


    ~€- "I don''t know for sure if anyone is here. I''m going to lunch at the marketplace. When I get back, there will definitely no longer be anyone else here. Also, find some other place to sleep. I don''t know which neighbor ratted you, but this place isn''t safe." Shortly after that, everything was silent.


    Demus lay there for a few minutes wondering what to do next.


    --- "Much of this bad feeling is from poor breathing. I should breathe deep a few times, then really fast."


    ... "Oh piss off!" Demus crawled a bit, moved the wood and stood up. Argh!!! Headache!! Holding his temples in his left hand, he crouched over and went to the bush. The grey tunic had been moved! Carefully he picked it up and a smaller, sky blue, button-up shirt fell out.


    ... ''It''s so clean! Uh, hello?''


    Demus folded it up, slid the tunic on, rolled up the folded shirt and held it under his left arm. He staggered around the neighborhood, and to the marketplace.


    ... ''Am I in here? Hello?''


    Finally he found a shady place to sit, thought about things, and started crying.


    Jenna from the market walked across the road to talk to him.


    ¡Â+* "Are you alright, Deemo? What''s going on?"


    ... "I''m an orphan, I don''t know if I''m going to eat today, or where I''ll sleep tonight, and now the voice in my head has abandoned me."


    Jenna swept him up into a hug.


    ¡Â+* "I know things can seem really bad at times, horrible, but you''re young, you''re strong, you''re healthy, and all of your problems are solvable, given time. Sometimes, when I''ve been mean to the voice in my head, it is quiet for days. But keep asking it things, and follow whatever advice it has given you, and it will talk again. Buck up, boyo!" And she turned and walked back to her stall.


    Sitting there, sniffling, Demus decided to breathe deeply for a while.


    At about his fifth deep breath...


    --- "So! What did I miss?"


    ... "Where was I?"


    --- "I decided that I needed to piss off for a while, so I did. What''s the problem?''


    ... ''I thought I was gone forever! I wouldn''t answer my calls... I''m just very scared! What''s gonna happen?''


    --- ''Okay, I need to calm down. Breathe deeply, yes. Nothing has changed! I just need to find a better place to sleep, and I find a way to make things better and better. Yesterday was better than ever before, right? How''s my headache?"


    ... ''It''s gone! Wow! My back still hurts, and my arms, but nothing like my head did. Thanks!''Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    --- ''I really need to stretch, and squeeze my muscles. Can I find a safe place outside the village?''


    ... ''Yeah! Toward the lake or along the high-road?''


    --- ''Let''s try along the high-road. There should be a wayfarer''s respit with a stream....''


    ... ''Oh, I know the area!'' Demus started to scamper, groaned and slowly walked out along the main dirt road to the stone pavings of the high-road. It was only two feet higher than the surrouding lands.


    ..... It took the rest of the morning to slowly walk to the respit. The pain got worse as Demus walked. He fell onto the wooden bench feeling all the muscles of his back and legs go tighter. He sat there gasping for breath.


    .....The sun was high, the day was warm.


    --- ''Okay, adjust how I''m sitting, can I try for straight on both butts?''


    Demus groaned but complied.


    --- ''Good. Now close my mouth, and inhale, then hold it, two, one, exhale! Good. Inhale, hold it, two, one, exhale, hold, two, one. Very good! Keep doing that for a while. (a few moments pass).


    Can I stop leaning against the bench-back? There, put my shoulders right above my butts. Good. Inhale, hold, four, three, two, one, exhale, hold, two, one. Inhale, hold, four, three, two, one, exhale, hold, four, three, two, one. Good. Keep doing that. (More moments pass).


    ... ''Always start with my arms and neck. I''ll say the position, I''ll get into the position, then inhale as deeply as I can while pushing into the stretch, then I''ll hold the stretch, and exhale. I''ll do that for at least one whole breath, but three would be best.


    ... ''First position, put my palms on the back of my head, elbows up and out to the sides. Pull the elbows to the middle, right in front of my face. Am I ready to push? It will hurt a bit. I''m going to turn my face up to look straight up, and point my elbows straight up, and hold for the breath. Annnnnd, go!''


    ... "Ahhharghhh!! Ow! Ow!"


    --- ''Excellent! Ease back to the start, and let go, breathe however I like.''


    ... ''I felt that in my lower back!''


    --- ''It''s all connected.''


    .....Carefully, --- lead Demus thru stretching his neck the other five ways (far look left, far look right, chin on chest, left ear on left shoulder, right ear on right shoulder).


    ... "Whoah! I feel kinda woosey!"


    --- ''Is it good?''


    ... "Yeah, but kinda weird."


    --- ''Does my neck hurt anywhere?"


    ... "No, the neck-pain is all gone!"


    --- ''Excellent! Now hands and forearms. Remember the breathing pattern. Palm to palm, finger to finger, fingers pointing up. Let the left fingers go slack. Press to the left with the right fingers. Go! Very good! Now, do it again, but just as I''m done holding my inhale, I stiffen up my left fingers and press right against my right fingers pressing left, until ''three'' of holding my exhale, then let my left fingers go completely slack again. Annnd, go! There I go!! Very, very good! Now I''ll do the right fingers slack. I got it! Excellent! Rest a bit.'' ... continued to lead Demus through the other three forearm stretches (r palm pulls back of l hand up & in, l palm pulls back of r hand up & in, pigeon-toe wrists together).


    --- ''How do my forearms feel?''


    ... "Tingley! No pain!! This is amazing!"


    --- ''Indeed! My body is an amazing tool! So, stand up, turn to face the bench. When I ''go'', I''m going to lean forward, grab the back edge of the bench, straighten a line between my wrists and my butts, and then I''m going to pull away from the bench with my left butt, finish exhaling, rest without standing up, then pull away from the bench with my right butt. Ready? Remember the breathing! Annnd go!''


    .....Punctuating Demus'' groans were some alarming ''pop-crackle!''-sounds.


    ... ''Oh my -- Buff the Mighty!!! That feels sooo gooooood!''


    --- ''Indeed! Now the other side.'' Demus complied, and as he finished, he stood up straight with a huge smile.


    ... "All the pain is gone!!! I can walk! I can probably run!"


    --- ''Very good! We need to do that twice a day, just after getting up, and just before going to sleep.''


    ... ''Okay. I just noticed, I''m really hungry!''


    --- ''Aren''t there some blackberry bushes near here?'' And Demus stepped out into the wild forest.


    *****


    As the Sun drifted past noon and the heat of the day surged into being, Demus sat on a log, purple smeared all around his mouth. He was still hungry, but he had definitely had enough berries. He yawned and wondered if he should fish.


    ... ''Again, I don''t have any bait.''


    --- ''Bait''s pretty easy to get, go around the town and head over to the lake.'' Carefully, Demus complied. It took about two hours. Walking along the shore, Demus came to a low point in the lake''s surroundings, where the water spilled out into a waterfall, which then became a substantial stream.


    --- ''Oh good! Wet dirt is what I need! I should climb down there and walk along the stream''s edge.''


    So Demus did that.


    --- ''Very good, find a damp, crumbly spot. Get out the rod, open it up, and stick the handle into the soil about three inches deep.''


    ... ''Weird. Okay.''


    --- ''Now hit the thin part of the rod with your left hand. You want to make it shiver and jangle.''


    After a few moments, the ground around where the rod was began to move, and a bunch of worms wrythed out.


    ... "Excellent!" Demus cried, scooping them up and washing them off in the stream.


    --- ''Don''t drown them!'' Hurriedly Demus carried them back up the slope to the shore of the lake. He found a good spot to sit, cradled the remaining worms in his left palm, put one worm on the hook and cast his line out.


    After a few minutes,


    --- ''Have I forgotten something?


    ... "Huh? Oh! Yeah!! Ummm, -I''m glad to be alive!-."


    --- ''Annnd?''


    ... ''-I, uh, I thank to be alive!''


    --- ''Needs a little work. Anything else?''


    ... "Uh, nope."


    --- ''Won''t it be cool...."


    ... "Won''t it be wonderful when I catch a fish today? I can just taste the fish, cool and juicy!"


    --- ''How does that make me feel?''


    ... "Happy! Satisfied! Excited!!! I can hardly wait!"


    --- ''Excellent!''


    Immediately, there was a tug on the line. Demus reeled it in, pulled off a small fish, put another worm on the hook, then tore the fish open, cleaned out its guts with his thumb, rinsed it in the lake, and chowed down, avoiding the bones. It was soooo goooood! Barely had he finished before there was another tug.


    --- ''Eat that later, I''ve got a few hours before sundown, and I''ve got a lot to do if I''m going to sleep safe tonight.''

 Day 4

    Day 4, morning


    The chill wind whispered as it blew past Demus'' lean-to, waking him.


    ... ''What a difference a day makes!''


    --- ''And stretching before I went to sleep didn''t hurt!''


    ... ''I feel so - - calmly excellent. There''s no rush to get up, everything feels quiet and wonderful."


    --- ''Ah, I''ve found my circling-wind! Excellent!!!''


    ... Demus didn''t feel up to learning what a circling-wind was at the moment, so he let it pass. He dozed in and out, reveling in the coolness and the freedom. The Sun rose, the chill wind stopped, and a band of harsh sunlight appeared high on a tree just to Demus'' West.


    --- ''So, this "living life" that I want to do-- -- do I see me wintering in the village, or not?''


    ... ''Hadn''t really thought about it. I want to stay free, but I think I''m going to need an adult of some kind. If in the village, to own the house and talk to the Reeve. If out of the village, to make sure that wherever I stay remains safe...''


    --- ''So, I want a protector that doesn''t order me around? Hmmmm, is that all?''


    ... ''I''m interested in learning magick, if possible.''


    --- ''Oh certainly. I''m already learning a slow kind of magick called ''manifesting''.''


    ... ''How does it work?''


    --- ''Well, things in the universe tend to go certain ways, and there are spirits that ensure that those ways work. Manifesting happens in three stages: I figure out what I want to receive or change; and then I wrap up the idea of me receiving that now, or experiencing the change now in all sorts of positive emotions - - joy, excitement, appreciation, exultation, satisfaction, love, and gratitude; finally, I let go of it all completely, and one or another of the universal-way spirits makes it happen.''


    ... ''I''ve been doing that with the fishing!''


    --- ''Mostly.''


    ... ''So "Won''t it be cool when..." is appreciation?''


    --- ''mixed with anticipation.''


    ... ''Cool! So how do I receive this ''protector who teaches me magick''?''


    --- ''There is a much lesser likelihood of that occurring spontaneously, not like fishing in a lake...''


    ... ''Is it impossible?''


    --- ''No. Nothing is impossible. But because it is so unlikely,, it needs a much better focusing, much more purposefully felt and wrapped emotions, and doing those that way can make the full letting go tougher to do.''


    ... ''Okay. Can I learn to do that?''


    --- ''Most definitely!''


    ... ''What are my three biggest difficulties? At first?''


    --- ''Well, I love my attitude! Excellent focus for learning!!! Absolutely first is that I seem to have some difficulty being grateful, and gratitude is really one of the strongest positive emotions.''


    ... ''I don''t mind thanking people, when I can tell that they did something for me on purpose. Otherwise....''


    --- ''Well, if I want this to happen any time soon, I have to learn to better pretend gratitude.


    --- ''Second, although it is good to avoid being very specific, I do have to decide on ''in the village'' or ''out in the wilderness''.''


    ... ''I think the wilderness, with the ability to visit the village.''


    --- ''Very good. Third, why does this adult protect me? Are we related? What benefit is he getting from protecting me?''


    ... ''Huh! I don''t know. I don''t really want a relative, right now. From what I''ve seen in the village, they really take-over kids'' lives.''


    ... ''Well, knowing what I don''t want is a good first step. Am I ready to get up, stretch, practice pretending to wrap emotions?''


    --- ''Yeah!''


    By now the spot of Sunshine had softened, and slid down the tree trunk. Demus rose, walked out into the clearing, and did his stretches. Without a bench, he grabbed a sapling at just above knee-height.


    --- ''I need to add some leg-stretches to the routine. After the back-puller, stand up straight, feet together, bend forward and touch my forehead to my shins. Yeah, too easy. Put my feet as far apart as my shoulders are, and as I bend, close-up my ankles and put my hands flat on the ground ahead of me, ''walk'' my hands foreward-- there! Feel that? That almost-pain is what I''m aiming for!! That gets my hamstrings. Very good, ''walk'' my hands back and slowly straighten up again. Now put my feet as far apart as they will go, bend forward, lean right....more ... more... there! Then straighten up and lean that far left... good! Feet back together, turn my torso right, bend forward at the waist, no keep my knees straight! Good. Now straighten up again, and then turn left... Very good!''


    ... ''Am I done yet?''


    --- ''Not quite! Make my left leg straight, bring my right foot forward, and go left until it is on the ground to the left of my left foot. There, now bend forward. Good, then make my right leg straight ... exactly! Last one! Sit down, cross my legs, good. Lean forward a bit, grab my right foot and pull it up onto my left knee. Okay, now gradually pull it toward my torso... There! Now lean back some.''


    ... ''By! ... the mustache of Buff the Mighty! I''ve never felt... anything! ... like that... before!''


    --- ''Very good! Now put my right foot back, rest a bit, bring my left leg on top of my right leg in the cross... and do it again with my left foot.


    --- ''How do I feel?''


    ... ''Amazing!''


    --- ''Am I glad I''m alive?''


    ... ''Incredibly glad!''


    --- ''Could I say, out loud that I love being alive?''Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ... "Yes! I love being alive! Life is magnificent!!!"


    --- ''Excellent! Could I say that I thank being alive?''


    ... ''It feels kinda weird. Who am I thanking?''


    --- ''I''m thanking the principle of life itself! I should pretend that it isn''t weird at all.''


    ... "Okay. I, uh, I ''thank'' being alive!"


    --- ''Try again. Try to match the strength of how much I love being alive. Pretend to feel it!!''


    ... "I ~thaaannnk!~ being alive!"


    --- ''Alternate the statements: I love being alive, I thank being alive! Over and over.''


    So Demus did, and gradually the thanking statement got easier.


    --- ''Good enough. Won''t it be cool when I catch a fish this morning?''


    ... "Indeed!! It will be wonderful when I catch a fish this morning!!!" He was happy to go to a more familiar statement.


    --- ''Isn''t it excellent that the lake has so many fish in it?''


    ... ''Uh, yeah?''


    --- ''Aren''t I glad that the lake is such a great place for fish to live in?''


    ... ''I guess so.''


    --- ''Isn''t it cool that so many fish live there?''


    ... ''Yes.''


    --- ''Knowing that each fish has a spirit who chose to incarnate as a fish, and knowing that the fish''s life was given up to benefit mine, can I love the spirit of the fish I have caught? Can I thank that spirit for ~playing~?''


    ... ''What? I always go farther and farther! What does "in- cahr- nayt" mean?''


    --- ''Oh dung! Nevermind!!''


    ..... Demus rested there for a moment, but then stood up. He was feeling so good, he just had to run somewhere! He sprinted forward, jumping over some dead trees. He could feel his other ~I~ flinching when his bare feet hit the ground, but he hadn''t gotten any stickers or thorns in years. So he continued. Soon he was at the stream, but he didn''t pause, he plunged in. The water was quite cold, up to his calves. He staggered out and sat down.


    ... As Demus rested, he noticed that all of his body was hot and itchy except for his feet.


    --- ''I wondered when I would want to get clean! I should go stand in the waterfall.''


    Wonderingly, Demus did so.


    ... ''Brrrraaaugh! I thought the stream was cold!'' Soon he staggered out again, his whole body cool, and all of his skin tingling. He lay on the grassy stream-side for a bit. Some flies came over.


    ... ''I hate these things!''


    More came straight over to him from around the waterfall''s pond.


    ... ''What the ...? Why did that happen?''


    --- ''I focused my attention on them, and then wrapped it in a strong emotion...''


    ... ''I can get things by hating them?''


    --- ''Yes. But not good things.''


    ... ''Then how do I get rid of them?''


    --- ''I have to pretend they aren''t there, that they don''t bother me.''


    ... ''But! They do!!!''


    --- ''It would probably be easier with the tunic on.''


    ... ''I can''t run in that thing!''


    --- ''Maybe I should cut it some?''


    Demus stood up, dejectedly walked back to the lean-to, and put on his grey tunic. The folded blue shirt he hid deeper in the lean-to.


    --- ''Hey.''


    ... ''What?''


    --- ''Are any flies bothering me?''


    ... ''I left them behind at the stream!''


    --- ''Very good. Now I''m going to fish?''


    ... ''Yeah.''


    --- ''Maybe it would be better to think about how glad I am to be alive, and how cool it will be...''


    ... "Okay."


    As Demus walked back to the stream, got some worms, and climbed back up to the lake, he recited : "I love being alive! I thank being alive! It will be wonderful when I catch a fish today!!"


    Soon Demus was seated beside the lake, line in the water. He knew he wasn''t supposed to be worrying about when the fish would bite, but he had tried to think of other things and he just kept coming back to that.


    --- ''Did I want help?''


    ... ''Yeah, why not?!''


    --- ''Remember the feeling I had this morning when I were waking?''


    ... ''Kind of.''


    --- ''Pretend I''m feeling that again. Close my eyes. Remember.... there I go.... now.. remember after stretching, remember saying ''it will be wonderful...'' .''


    --- "It WILL be woooonderrrrfulllll as I now Catch a fish!!!!"


    Far out on the lake there was a sudden faint but continuous splashing sound. After a moment it became obvious that it was moving toward Demus.


    --- ''Pull in line, get up off the shore.''


    ... ''What?'' Demus asked, pulling in the line. The sound was much closer, and a rolling kind of movement could be seen on the lake water surface.


    --- ''Get up off the shore! Get up! OFF!!!''


    .....Hurriedly Demus got up to step back a few feet.


    --- ''Farther! Climb that tree!!''


    Now the rolling sound could be seen as hundreds of little fish jumped out of the water, some toward the shore, some to either side, but all in a big oval.....AWAY from something in the middle.


    Demus dropped the rod, stepped over to the tree and started climbing. At about 12 feet he stopped to look as the sound at the lake had changed. There were small fish all along the shore, flipping and gasping. In the water but coming out was a-- huge-- green-- scaley-- monster?


    --- ''Crocodile. Stop and stay still. Maybe it won''t notice us.'' It pulled its forelegs up onto the shore and looked around intensely. It huffed, laid down and moved backward into the lake. The water rippled over it until only its eyes were visible, sticking up. Then they submerged also.


    ... ''Look at all those fish! I''ve got to go get some!''


    --- ''Wait! Don''t move. That thing might be watching through the water.''


    ... ''Okay. How did I know it was there?''


    --- ''I didn''t, but the way the fish were moving was strange and alarming. I think that croc can sense when a being is in a circling-wind.''


    ... ''Was I in my circling-wind again? I thought I was pretend-remembering.''


    --- ''Annnd the difference is?''


    ... ''There''s no difference?''


    --- ''Not much. Anyway. Never swim in this lake, and do my uses of circling-wind away from the shore.''


    ... ''Indeed! Is now okay? There''s that forest-wolf again!''


    The young canine was tossing fish upand catching them to gulp them down. The croc came surging up toward the shore, and the wolf danced back, tail wagging. The croc snapped at him, but the wolf jumped and appeared on the reptile''s back. The croc rolled sideways throwing the wolf off. It landed in the water and started dog-paddling away. The croc flipped around to follow, quickly gaining. Just before the croc got to it, the young wolf disappeared. A few minutes passed as the croc kept going and submerged again. As it did so, the small fish around it and away from the shore where Demus watched started jumping out of the water. As Demus watched that for a while, the croc obviously getting farther and farther away, suddenly he ''heard'':


    *** ''Dad! Do we just let all the lake-prey die and rot?''


    Demus looked around, then spotted the young wolf, drenched and dripping, leaning against the tree and looking up at him.


    ... '' ''Dad''? ''


    --- ''May I?''


    ... ''Sure. I guess.''


    --- ''You''ve popped back too soon. I haven''t met you yet.''


    *** ''Oh. Well, I''m full. I''ma go sleep for a few days.'' And it trotted off.


    ... '' ''I haven''t met you yet''? Am I destined to meet that wolf?''


    --- ''Probably. Obviously it can teleport through space. If it can thru space, it probably can thru time.''


    ... ''It thinks I am its ''Dad''?''


    --- ''I guess. It''s safe to collect the fish now.'' Demus climbed down, and started gathering the ones farthest from the edge of the water. After he got to an armful, he strung the line from the end of the rod through their gills, back to one of the rings on the rod, and began to make several loops. At three, he heard:


    --- ''Am I carrying that back to the village?''


    ... ''I don''t know what else to do.''


    --- ''I could dig a hole and bury a lot of them. They''ll probably rot, but it''ll be a great place to find worms. But if I''m carrying loops of fish back to the village, three is the most I should try.''


    ... ''So I''ll get two more loops to bury, and I''ll go to the village?''


    --- ''Excellent!'' So Demus hiked back down to the waterfall and stream, dug a hole about 15 feet East of the stream, buried 15 fish, and marked the hole with a stack of rocks. Then, munching on some of the raw fish (after gutting then with his thumbs), Demus walked back to the village.


    Selling the 20 fish to the vendor for 35 coppers was no problem, and then Demus could afford a night and bath at the Westward Trek Inn.

 Week 1, day 5

    Demus woke up comfortable, but disturbed. He had a few body aches, nothing very intense. He just felt somewhat disgruntled.


    ... ''What''s going on with me?''


    --- ''I didn''t stretch yestereve, I''ve slept in, I have one fish left, and 18 coppers. I dined well on mutton stew last night, but I haven''t dunged in two days.''


    ... ''Yucccch! What a thing to think about! So I really have to stretch twice a day?''


    --- ''For the full benefit. Do I want to plan my day?''


    ... ''Not really.''


    --- ''It''s a couple of hours to noon, am I going to pay another 5 coppers? Or go back to my lean-to? Or go find my protector?''


    ... ''I said I didn''t want to plan or think.''


    --- ''Preferences are one thing, deadlines another.''


    Demus got up, and slowly did his stretches.


    ... ''I don''t feel so good.'' He thought after finishing.


    --- ''Do I want to feel better?''


    ... ''Yes!''


    --- ''Go to the outhouse, do some dunging. Go to the bathing area, clean up. Decide if I''m staying here another day. Go outside, do the cross-legged stretch-thing while I breathe deep, strong, and slow, and then fast. Eat my last fish.''


    Groaning, Demus complied. The dunging was much more difficult than normal, and the bolus was huge!


    ... ''What the Buff?''


    --- ''I''m eating a lot more protein than before, and I''m not used to it yet.''


    Cleaning up was quickly done. On his way out to breathe, Demus decided not to sleep there a second day. There was a small ''park'' dedicated to the Imperial Patron of the village: Dystrecchios. Demus sat on the grass in the shade, did his cross-legged stretches, and the breathing his other ''I'' had recommended. After breathing quickly, he realized he was starting to feel better. Walking toward the marketplace, he bit into his last fish.


    __________________________________


    | Acheivement Unlocked!   |


    | You have caught and eaten |


    | five small fish!            |


    | You may choose one out of |


    | five prizes:                |


    | ¡¤ Scintilla Guide            |Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    | ¡¤ Wanderer''s outfit & travel kit |


    | ¡¤ Multi-Scale Net            |


    | ¡¤ Blessing of Saint Modnar   |


    | ¡¤ Backpack of Extra-Room   |


    _______________________________


    ... ''Wow! I really love the Professional Fishing Rod! Do I have any recommendations?"


    --- ''I don''t have to give up the rod! This is in addition. If I want larger or more fish I should get the net.''


    ... ''I''m tired of the taste of fish. That last one....''


    --- ''Alright. Scintilla are really for Sorcerors. Like the fishing rod, whichever I choose is going to make a challenge using that thing. So, yeah! The Traveller''s outfit and pack.''


    ... ''What''s the point of wearing invisible clothing?''


    --- ''It won''t be invisible, it''ll be unremarkable.''


    ... "I choose the Traveller''s Outfit and Kit!"


    With a bright flash, the blue box was gone, he was wearing boots, hose, a loincloth, and a thigh-long grey-green hooded tunic with sleeves. The only skin showing was his face and hands. He had a backpack on. He became incredibly happy, and strode on through the village toward his lean-to.


    He got there around noon. His feet were hot and felt very closed-in. He took off his boots, slung off his backpack, and lay down in the shade of his lean-to. He emptied the backpack, and looked through the stuff. A package of salt, a water bota, a bar of soap, some cloths, some spools of line, a small knife.....


    ... ''What''s'' this thing?''


    --- ''What does it look like?''


    ... ''A small sledgehammer carved out of wood, with a clothespin in the head.''


    --- ''It is called a "fire-hammer", the head collapses as you beat it on something. The clothespin holds a bit of tinder, and the air in the hammer head heats up as it is compressed suddenly, often hot enough to make a spark in the tinder.''


    ... ''Nice!'' There was also a small booklet, showing drawings of how to tie knots.


    --- ''I should learn those if I want to trap animals.''


    ... ''What, raccoons or squirrels? A lot of work for not much meat.''


    --- ''What of geese?''


    ... ''Now that is a lot of meat! Almost too much!''


    --- ''Roast some, dry some, sell some.''


    ... ''How do knots make traps?''


    --- ''What is a slipknot?''


    Demus read through it for a while, tried a couple of knots, got disgusted and decided to go find some more blackberries. He put everything back into the backpack, shrugged it on, and put his boots back on. After wandering a bit, he found a patch, and about half the berries were ripe. Happily he plucked and ate the sweet, knobby collections of seed, skin, and juice.


    --- ''Look up there, just beside that tree!''


    ... ''A fairy ring? Mushrooms??''


    --- ''Porcini-s!! They look young and ripe too! Quickly, pick a few!'' So Demus left the blackberry patch and picked 5 smaller mushrooms from the ring that was about a foot across in the shade of a wide tree-trunk.


    ... ''Do I just eat these?''


    --- ''Oh no, I should cook them first! I should go to the lakeshore, light a fire, and do my stretches while they''re cooking.'' So that''s what Demus did. It took a few tries to get the fire-hammer to work, and his other ''I'' had to guide him on how to build the fire so that air could flow through. But soon, as the Sun kissed the mountain-horizon, Demus had done all but the cross-legged stretches, when he caught a whiff of a compelling aroma. He picked the pot up from the dying fire, swirled it and inhaled the savory vapors. Soon it cooled enough that he could sip straight from the pot.


    ... ''Sooooo Delicious!!''


    --- ''So, I like this mushroom?''


    ... ''No, I *LOVE* this mushroom!!''


    --- ''Can I thank this mushroom?''


    ... ''Why not? I feel so good anyway! I thank this mushroom!!!'' (Slurp!)


    --- ''And am I glad I''m alive?''


    ... ''Am I kidding? I *LOVE* this life!! I thank this life!!!'' (Slurp, sluuurp, drink)


    --- ''Excellent!'' Demus heard a faint whistling, like air was beginning to twirl around him.


    --- ''There I am. Did I want to press on?''


    ... ''Certainly! I feel like singing! Or dancing!!''


    --- ''Can I imagine living safe and free with my protector? Enjoying the wilderness, visiting the village, learning all kinds of mystical, magical aspects of reality?''


    ... ''Indeeeeeed! And I love being safe! And I love being free!! I love the village, I love the wilderness!! I love having fun LEARNING!!! Oh, oh.... And I thank, oh I just thank it all!!!'' And he stood up to dance his way through scooping lake water onto the ashes with the pot (rinsing the pot out), putting the pot back into his pack, and skip-dancing back to his lean-to, just as full dusk fell.

 Week 1, day 6

    It was like a giant had silently snapped his fingers. Demus woke up. It was still dark, but there was a smell of cinnamon, and a strange little glow near his boots. The air felt heavy and wet. Demus sat up.


    ... "Uh, hello?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Top o'' the morn, lad. I be ''John Thomas''. ''Lumox'' be around s''mplace." and the small humanoid sitting in Demus'' left boot puffed on his pipe again. That was both the glow and the source of the smell.


    ... "Hi. My name is "Deemo". Is there a particular reason you are here?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Ayup! The fairies whose meetin'' chairs you disturbed yesterday, well, they like you! When the kind o'' human they like ingests a bit o'' fairy dust, he feels extra good, he sings, he dances, he has a good time. Those they don''t like end up sleepin'' a week or three."


    --- ''Fairy dust! No wonder!!''


    ... "Uh, okay."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Well, I owe them a favor, doncha see. They told me your story, ''n they want me ta help you."


    ... "What''s my story?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "You''re an orphan from that nearby village, you have no fear o'' the wilderness, you''re an excellent fisherman, there''s a wolf who visits now ''n again who thinks o'' you fondly, ''n you have begun ta sleep in the wild. But Winter is coming, ''n you don''t seem ta have any plans."


    ... "How can you help me?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "An old friend o'' mine has moved inta ''n begun ta renovate an Alchemist''s tower up in the Northern hills. He needs mortal help, ''n he''s got plenty o'' room. I thought I''d introduce the two o'' you ta each other."


    By now, twidark had begun. The nightly mist condensed into drops of dew on the leaves as the morning chill breeze began. Demus could make out the outlines of John Thomas'' tiny face and beard. Then he shivered from the chill, while John Thomas placidly puffed.


    Gradually, the light in the sky grew, from near-black, to shades of dark grey, to dark silhouettes of land and mountains against faint bluish grey to the West and roiled pastel pinks and oranges to the East. The colors got hotter and brighter, starting to look like a puddle of molten iron somehow held up in the sky. The chill breeze freshened, and Demus got up, still dressed, to stomp his feet and rub his cold arms.


    ... ''If it''s going to be like this, I would better have more effective shelter than a lean-to!''


    --- ''Yup! Of course, blankets would be nice, or a way to have a safe fire.''


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "P''rhaps you''d like a bit o'' help w'' that?"


    ... "Ssss sure!"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    John Thomas clenched his pipe in his teeth and clapped his hands together. Immediately the area all around was warm. Demus became much more comfortable and happy.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Have ye any things ta gather, or chores ta do? Or can we set off soon?"


    --- ''Stretches, loving life, breakfast.''


    ... "Umm, I need to stretch and say, er, recite somethings."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "By all means!"


    So Demus did his stretches, and as he got into his final, cross-legged ones, he began saying:


    ... "I love this life! I love this amazingly beautiful morning! I slept well, and I am happy to be alive!!! I thank this life! I thank the forms of the land, the light of the Sun, and the movement of the clouds that have danced this beautiful sky into being today! I thank whatever elses have brought me to this place, this time, in this condition!! I thank the fairies..."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Och, now you''ve done it!"


    ... "...for noticing me and sending me help."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Never thank a fairy, lad. They can''t stand that!"


    Demus stood up, and retreived both of his boots to put them on.


    ... "Why would that be?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "They are the selfish essences o'' natural, wild power. If they do things worthy o'' bein'' thanked, it hurts that selfishness, ''n they feel it like an arrow. Ta them, all things must balance, exchanges o'' favors, deals ''n contracts, courtesies, everything."


    ... "I didn''t mean to hurt them. What do they like?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Honey and cream, set out in a wooden dish."


    ... "Speaking of which, are we going to fish before we go? I''m a bit hungry."


    By now the full dawn had graced the day. The clouds were dark grey with the wide orange Sun above them.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Ohhh, Luuumoooox!" There was a distant scuffling noise, and then a really large dog loped into sight. As it got closer, Demus could see that it wasn''t a dog at all, but a tremendous raccoon, with a saddle and some bags strapped to its back. It was the size of a large dog, but somehow seemed more like half of a bear. It stopped near the 9-inch tall form of John Thomas. He opened up one of the bags, and handed Demus a -- tiny yellow rock?


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Get it wet, lad." And he wiped his across a nearby leaf. It quickly grew into something that filled the Gnome''s hand. Demus did the same, and his hand then held a yellow-brown muffin. John Thomas was already eating his. Cautiously Demus took a bite.


    ... "Delightful! What is it?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Honey-Pehkahn Journey Bread, Gnomish. I''ve got Cheese Breads for lunch as well." He climbed up onto Lumox'' saddle, and turned East.


    ... "Aren''t we going North?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "We have ta get around the lake first, lad."


    They spent all morning walking through the forest around the lake. They stopped by a small stream at noon. Demus found a good tree to lean against and dung, cleaning up with a large green leaf, then washing his hands in the creek. Lumox looked at him as he washed and nodded knowingly. Then John Thomas shared out the Gnomish Cheese Bread. They both filled their water botas, and started hiking up the hills North of the village and lake.


    While hiking, Demus had watched it rain on the forest, the lake, and the village. Things got steeper, and John Thomas got off of Lumox to hike and sometimes climb beside Demus.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "So, why did your parents come to Rynlen?"


    ... "Rynlen?"


    --- ''The village.''


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "The village."


    ... "I have no idea. I don''t even remember them."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Hold up, lad. The morrow''s the day o'' rest. We can stop and make camp before dark, or we can go on for three hours ''n be there."


    ... "Hiking in the dark? Won''t we get cold?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "There''s a road above, less than an hour up. I can cast all the ''Warmth'' cantrips we''ll ever need."


    ... "Lead on, then!"

 Week 1, Restday

    Groggily, Demus woke up as he rolled over. It was warm and dry, there was light around, but it was indirect. He sat up, scratched his head, and yawned.


    ... ''I don''t feel bad, even though I didn''t stretch last night....''


    --- ''The climbing worked for that.'' He was sitting on a cot, stone floor, stone walls. Dust motes danced in the air.


    John Thomas strode into the room wearing a bright blue kilt, with forest green tunic.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "I''ve not seen any take the day o'' rest as seriously as do you." He was pulling a small, wheeled table. Upon it was a mug of something steaming, that smelled delicious.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Here, lad! Hot chocateel milk''ll do you up just right!"


    Gingerly, Demus sipped from the mug.


    ... ''Wonderful!''


    ... "Did I meet your friend last night? I don''t remember."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "You fell asleep, waiting in the foyer. Lumox ''n a servitor carried you in. My friend Reldar is sleeping. He does that alot, you''ll come ta unnastan."


    ... "What kinds of things will I be doing here?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Och! Easy as pie! Water some plants, crank some keys, no trouble!! I''ll show you tomorrow." John Thomas pulled the table out of the room. Demus stood, and began his stretches. As he sat on the cold stone floor to do his cross-legged finals, he thought to himself:


    ... ''Do I think this ''Reldar'' is the protector I wanted?''


    --- ''Probably. Fairy dust is amazing stuff!''


    ... "I love life!! I thank life! I love how wonderful it is to be able to discover what I want, focus on it, embrace it with my emotions, give up on it and then receive it! I love the process! I thank the process! I love having a protector! I love strong, stone walls! I reeeeaally love chocateel milk!! I thank the elses that there is a protector with strong, stone walls and chocateel milk! I thank the world that there are fairies. And thank you world for my guide, John Thomas, and his sturdy steed, Lumox!"You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Demus got dressed, left the room the cot was in, and wandered around. The light came from wall-crystals in the hallways, and from arrow-slits far above. From the curvature of some of the walls, it was all one tower, about 80'' across. Most of the inner space was open above, going up around 200'', with ledges and stair-stones here and there. Many of the doors that Demus could reach were locked. Finally he found a set of stairs going down near the center of the floor. They curved around and down into a big eating hall. Facing him at an angle was a beautiful statue of a standing human man, all in scintillating crystal points, metal wheels, a moving flywheel.... and an intense sense of life! Nearby John Thomas was sitting, finishing a meal.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Och, there you are! Step forward, lad! This is Reldar the Many-Powered, sleeping just now."


    ... "He sleeps standing up? With open eyes?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Indeed, ''tis so! Reldar, when you wake you''ll remember this, this is the lad I sent you a message about. I think he''ll do quite well! Come over here, Deemo. Alright, d''ya see that silvery slot in his right hip?"


    Demo walked over.


    ... "Yeah."


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Slide this key in there ''n turn it ta the right a few times."


    Taking the key, Demus complied, though the turning was a bit difficult, and made a ratcheting sound.


    ¡ì¡ì¡ê "rrsdnlfff! Aaaaaahhhhh!!!! What is, wort waggle? Sean tomias?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "Master Reldar! G''mornin''!"


    ¡ì¡ì¡ê "Has Spring come then?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "No. The fairies found a replacement, the lad has much stronger hands than I. His name is ''Deeemo''."


    ... "Umm, ''Hello''!" Reldar nodded at him. Then his eyes fluttered and everything went still except the fly-wheel.


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "I was afraid of that. Even if you turn his key, he''ll sleep on until Spring. Well, follow me to the kitchen, I''ll show you where the supplies are. T''morrow mornin'' I''ll be leaving you here. Hmmm, you should know that Reldar often has two visitors, both fairly ethereal..."


    ... "What is he?"


    ¡Á¡Â¡Á "No doubt he''ll want ta tell you that himself, lad! But he''s not harsh nor deceptive, he just wanted ta live forever without having ta become a Lich."


    John Thomas did a thorough job of showing Demus around, where all the supplies were kept. The key to Reldar''s side was also the key to the front door, which was 5 floors up at ground level.


    Demus wandered through the day in a daze, ate lunch (cheese, bread, mead), learned more, stretched again, shared a roasted pork dinner with John Thomas and slept in the cot again.

 Week 2, days 1 - 3

    Day 1


    Demus woke up, not knowing what time it was save that he was hungry. As always, the room was lit indirectly, so it was easy to do. his stretches.


    ... ''Hey, am I here?''


    --- ''Always. What''s up?''


    ... ''I got what I wanted, so do I keep on loving and thanking things?''


    --- ''Well, not the same things, but yes. Actually, there''s a different method for continuing to get the best....''


    ... ''Okay. Teach me, please?''


    --- ''Certainly. This is a bit quieter, but it''s longer. I call it "Bliss-Work". So, I inhale as much as I can, hold, hold, exhale as fully as I can, hold, hold, repeat. Very good, I keep breathing like that and I choose something that I already love, like life or chocateel milk. Then, as I inhale, I mentally shout: "I love life!", and then when I exhale, I mentally shout: "I thank life!", and I do that over and over until suddenly, I feel really good.''


    Demus sat on the cot in the cross-legged stretch, and began breathing and thinking that way. At eight breaths, a huge smile blossomed. It felt like butter has melted in his head, and honey was in his mouth. Humming happily, he got dressed, walked down to the eating hall, and around into the kitchen. In the Stasis cupboard there was bread, butter, mead, beer, water, sausage, and a quarter wheel of cheese. In the other cupboards there were other foods and spices.


    ... ''What should I eat?''


    --- ''I think I should make a toasted cheese sandwich!''


    ... ''What''s that?''


    --- ''Stir up the fire and find a frying pan. Get bread, butter, and several thin slices of cheese.''


    ... ''The sausage smells kinda good.''


    --- ''Tomorrow, either by itself or as part of the sandwich. But today I have to learn this carefully...''


    Demus learned to make a toasted cheese sandwich, and was amazed and delighted at how the melting of the cheese made it taste. After washing the frying pan and hanging it back up, Demus wandered around. There were violyns and gytars on stands in the big room, one wall had a harmonium, and after a while, he found a bookshelf and some books.


    .......Varieties of Potential looked quite interesting, so Demus took it to a comfortable couch and started reading.


    ~~~~~There are 16 kinds of Potential: Physical Might, Craft Knowledge, Weapons and Armor, Tactics and Stratagems, Persuasion, Information Control, and then the esoteric forms, Psychic Magic, Divine Magic, Infernal Magic, Arcane Magic, Alchemy, Qi, Astral, Argonia, and Deific Primality. The exoteric, or first seven forms are dealt with in the first half of this book.~~


    Demus flipped to the second half.


    ~~~~~Divine Magic and Infernal Magic are granted spells and powers, to learn them or about them, contact a priest or go to a relevant temple or fane. The granting sources are jealous of their ways, and require commitment.


    ~~~~~Psychic Magic and Arcane Magic use units of magical usage. The unit name for Psychic Magic is Prana. Psychic Magi are born with an inner talent of Prana production and storage. The varieties of Psychic Magi are the Wild Mystic, the Channeler, the Deceiver, the Esotericist, the Mental Adept, and the Shatech. For all of these save the Mental Adept, when a young humanoid has unknowingly saved up Prana, a being skilled in one or another of these ways will notice him or her and offer to train, teach, or apprentice her or him. If this chance is not accepted, other chances may occur spontaneously, but the likelihood reduces. A young adult who has stored Prana may be able to find a Pranic Academy. Mental Adepts need no tutelage, they intuitively discover the usages of Prana, somewhat like Arcane Sorcerors.


    ~~~~~The unit name for Arcane Magic is Mana. Mana is formed of a mixture of 33% Argonia, 17% Qi, and 50% mental importance or beauty. Arcane Magi are born with an inner talent of Mana Production and Storage. The varieties of Arcane Magi are Abjurer, Conjurer, Diviner, Enchanter, Evoker, Illusionist, Necromant, Transmuter, Elementalist, and Sorceror. When a young humanoid saves up a store of mana, a particularly agressive, highly trained kind of Arcane Magi (a mixture of many of the non-Sorcerous kinds) will seek her or him out, offer apprenticeships to those of noble birth, and buy or kidnap those not of noble birth, to raise and train them in the infamous, nefarious "Wizard''s Guild". Sorcerors need no tutelage. Their knowledge of the uses of mana are intuitive and in-born.


    ~~~~~Pranic Academies and the Wizard''s Guilds exist because those who cannot store Prana or Mana feel threatened by the asymetrical potentials of those who can. These are ways that those who are masters of Physical Might, Craft, and Persuasion can be seen to control these other potentials in order that the masses of humanoids they rule will feel safe. These methods of control do not affect either Mental Adepts or Sorcerors, and as a result those that do not hide their talents well are often persecuted, pursued, exiled, or even killed by their erstwhile fellow serfs or citizens.


    ~~~~~All living beings produce Qi. Generally plants produce more than fungi, fish more than plants, reptiles more than fish, birds are a special case, and mammals more than reptiles. Some humanoids can be trained to store Qi. Many humanoids can learn to use Qi. Most usages of Qi are difficult to perceive, and those trained to store Qi are usually trained in an order of personal battle mastery, so the masses of humanoids do not persecute them when they are under the protection of that (or a similar) order. Within each phylum of living being, there are special varieties that are the exception. Plants that store Qi generally have an Elemental Connection, and the Qi becomes ''flavored'' with that Element. The super-exception is the Amaranth. It collects, stores, and distributes amazing amounts of both Qi and Argonia as a part of its pollen distribution process, even across planar boundaries. These particles of mixed Qi, Argonium, and pollen usually glow, and are called ''scintilla''. Finding an Amaranth is often a great quest of a monastic order or Alchemist Tower.


    ~~~~~The Astrality and the Ocean of Argonia are both highly energized infinitudes of nested spaces. The Astrality seems to be an unending sky with different colors of clouds, and it expresses the nesting of its spaces as layers. The Ocean of Argonium seems to be an unending sea, with temperature differences and currents. It expresses the nesting of its spaces as ''deeper whirls''. The Astrality is energized with Prana, which appears to be a glowing gas. The Ocean is energized with Argonia, which appear to be dark blue flames. All mammals and most vertebrates that sleep, experience spontaneous Astral Travel about one out of three ''dream periods''. It is not a dream. Any sentient being can learn to manipulate the Prime-Material Boundary between the Physical and the Ethereal, and thus may create a temporary opening into the Ocean of Argonia. While the appearance of Argonia remains a dark blue flame, it has not been affected. Levity and ''positive emotions'' affect the Argonia to become Positive Argone, transitioning to bright blue flames and then to invisibility. Living beings thrive in the presence of Positive Argone. Seriousness and violently ''negative emotions'' affect the Argonia to become Negative Argone, grey flames, black mist, and then invisible. Living beings become sickened in the Presence of Negative Argone. Mana and Prana are negated, destroyed, and repelled. Qi is blocked and curdles. Crafted Amber (a concoction of metal shavings or dust in colored, shaped, and dried tree saps) tends to gather Negative Argone and transform it into Positive Argone.


    ~~~~~This leaves Alchemy. There are three kinds: herbal, venomous, and spiritual. Herbal is concerned with finding plants that have stored Qi, harvesting parts of them to transfer the Qi in, and then deriving the essential oils and essential saltes of these Qi-ergized plant parts using Craft Techniques (distillation, etc), and recombining them to produce greatly enhanced medicinal or psychoactive effects, and to produce mana. Each deriving sequence applies parts of Spiritual Alchemy to the Alchemist, gradually transforming him into a being ready to discover Spiritual Alchemy. Venomous Alchemy uses Craft Techniques to derive and refine damage-causing or other special aspect potentials of various material concoctions.~~


    Demus put the book down, his mind whirling with all the names, units, labels.


    He wandered around, not seeing anything, stumbling into things a few times.


    --- ''Sit there! Stop thinking about all that stuff! Just breathe! Put all of your attention on inhaling!...and then exhaling...inhale...exhale...''


    Gradually the mixed-up chattering in his mind quieted and faded away. He started to hear something, like a far away chime... and then his body itched all over, on the inside also. He stood up and wrythed in place.


    ... ''What the Buff is this!?''


    --- ''I''ve been putting my attention on things of the mind too much, for too long in a row! My body wants that attention now! I need balance!!''


    ... ''So what should I do?''


    --- ''Get outside, go for a walk or a hike, breathe a lot of natural air!''


    Demus turned and strode up the stairs to the front door. He came out noticing a brisk chill to the air. Not bitterly cold, but not like walking in the forest either. The door closed.


    ... ''Why is it so much warmer in there?''


    --- ''I''ll tell me later. Hike!''


    So Demus walked quickly around the tower, which seemed to be about 20'' in diameter and 60'' high. He started to be confused, but shook his head and refocused on what he was doing. He found the Northern side of the plateau that the tower was built into continued at an upward slant into the mountain ridge. The Southern side of the tower had a road, but although the outside itches had faded, the ones inside seemed more intense. Walking wasn''t going to do it, so he wasn''t interested in any roads.


    Quickly making his way to the rocky slant, he started climbing. Within most of an hour, the itches had all faded away, and he felt ''almost-dizzy''.


    --- ''Okay. Sit down and just breathe. I''m goung to tell me some things. I should think about them later. First, the tower is warmer inside because the kitchen and eating rooms, where warmth is made, are more than ten feet underground. Ten feet underground usually stays somewhat warm, even during the winter, with a few exceptions depending on water and permafrost. Second, I''m still quite young. I haven''t made or stored up much Prana or Mana yet, but that could change. There will be a way that I can learn to do magic. Third, now that I''m in a better situation, I''m going to have to start eating more often. My body can''t grow strong without enough food. I''ll probably be dunging every day. Fourth, because I am young, keeping a balance between body work and brain work is very important. Now, my body is starting to get cold, I should climb back down, find a place to dung, clean-up, and go have some more food.''


    Demus stood, nodded, and began climbing back down. He found a strange, tall, tiny shack with a crescent moon carved into the door. It smelled like ancient dung. Later he returned to the tower door, unlocked it, and made his way down to the kitchen.


    After lunch, Demus felt completely worn out, body and mind. He laid down on his cot to take a nap.


    Day 2


    Demus woke up, stiff and cold. He grabbed up his cloak and blanket angrily.


    ...''Hey! Why didn''t I wake me up?!!''


    ---''I tried, but I wouldn''t wake up.''


    ...''I really need to stretch, I guess.''


    ---''I should get as warm as I can first. Cover my head with the blanket.''


    Fairly soon, Demus was quite warm.


    ...''Huh! I never knew that.''


    ---''Yeah, most of the heat in me leaves through the top of my head. When it''s cold around, I can see the warm moisture in my breath.''


    Being warmed, Demus did his stretches, tenderly, then headed down to the kitchen and fried up some sausage.


    Carefully staying away from the bookshelves, Demus decided to explore the stairs going up. Unlike those going down, these were not enclosed with walls, but were a series of wide, flattish stones set into the inside of the big, circular wall. They were just a touch too high and far from each other for Demus to be comfortable walking up or down. But he could jump up, stop, and jump up again. About every sixth or seventh jump, he would have to catch something and climb back up onto the stone-stair, sit dangling his legs over the wide open, and get his breath back. By the time he reached the end, six floors up, a couple of hours had passed.


    Demus entered the door at the top. There was a short hall, and then a door with a sign: "Way-jo and Alchemist''s Garden". There was no handle, no lock, and no hinges to be seen. Near the right edge, halfway toward the top was a recessed copper plate that he could barely reach. Try as he might, Demus couldn''t get the door open.


    He rested some and started down the stairs. There was no problem with over-jumping off, but about every third stair he would fetch-up against the wall. Breathing heavily, Demus made his way down to the kitchens. He cut several slices of cheese, and opened a jar of apple juice for lunch


    * * * * * * *


    He felt a hand on his shoulder, the soft ''come out'' cue. He closed his eyes, and thought: ''Exit Demus. Exit World System. Exit Game Editing.'' Everything he was sensing from Demus faded away. He opened his eyes, sat straighter, took off the world-editing gear.


    ---"Hey, Jimbo! What''s up?"


    \//"We have to talk, Reg. What are you doing?"


    ---"Same thing. Trying to figure out how to motivate young NPCs to become heroes without using obvious prompts."


    \//"Good, except you seem to be realtiming one NPC over and over again."


    ---"Not realtiming. I get three to five days in ten hours."


    \//"I don''t mind ten hours in-system once in a while. But every day is bad for your health, and it drags the whole system speed down. It''s okay for players whose characters are close to one-for-one, but those who have down-time aren''t able to fast-forward through it."


    ---"That is a problem. Sorry. Is anyone playing near Rindyn?"


    \//"Unlikely. Why?"


    ---"I can clone it, let the clone go with the world, and freeze it so that I edit in two-hour bursts."


    \//"Will you use the gym or swim in-between?"


    ---"That sounds good."


    James turned away, walked toward the exit, then stopped.


    \//"You forget we went to college together, Reggie. I don''t care how it sounds, do you promise to do it?"


    ---"Oh, alright!" James left.


    ---''It has been a while since I did any swimming.'' Reggie got up to go to the company athletics area.


    * * * * * * * * *This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After lunch, Demus was tired of exploring. Outside the tower it was cold and blustery, so he wasn''t interested in that. He didn''t want to get captivated by a book again....


    ---''I should avoid theory then. Look for a book about practical things.'' Demus looked carefully and found a small bookshelf on things like -Tower Maintenance-. The fifth book was -The Way of Supreme Qi-. It seemed to be a series of movements, like a very slow, solo dance.


    ...''Interesting.'' He sat down, flipped past the introduction and a few chapters of history to the illustrations.


    €€€"Always go as slowly as you possibly can. Inhale for every arm or leg move-part upward or inward, and exhale for every leg or arm move-part downward or outward. As your body moves, you are moving your aura, concentrating your Qi. As you do, more Qi from around you refills your aura.


    €€€"To begin, make your aura brighter by never forcing anything to happen. Breathe deeply and clearly. Stand up in a way that is relaxed. As you inhale, let your chest remain relaxed, but pull your stomach down and outward. Your Qi will go where you have your breath going. As you exhale, your chest remains relaxed, but pull your stomach in and upward. Focus on your stomach from your navel downward to your hips. When you turn, let this area turn freely also."


    Demus turned the book down on the couch to save his place and jumped up to try it.


    ---''Very good! Except for my neck, No, I don''t mean ''let go of my head'', keep my head up, but stop forcing it to stay there.''


    ...''What the Buff do I mean?''


    ---''Imagine that my head is floating, like I''m standing in a pool of water, with the surface just under my chin. There! Exactly!! Just breathe a few times.''


    So Demus breathed a few times, and then picked up the book again.


    €€€"Each move is like very slow walking, where you are sending your weight from one leg to the other. At first all of your weight is on one leg, then you send part of your weight to the other, then more, then almost all, then all. You must be able to tell when a leg has all of your weight and when it has none of your weight.


    €€€"As you complete each move, remain relaxed. If you raise your shoulders or extend an elbow, this is a sign that you have lost your relaxedness. Just drop your shoulders an let your elbow come back in as you remind yourself to relax.


    €€€"Each movement-part should be completed in one full breath. You begin with the feet as you inhale, pulling Qi up into you from the Earth. The movement continues smoothly upward until your Qi is gathered. Then, as you exhale, you send your Qi with more smooth movement until you have sent the Qi to flow. If the movements are not smooth, the Qi will flutter.


    €€€"The movements are a dance, but your aura is the song. The song directs, informs, and supports the dance. The dance does not cause the song. They must be done together. You move your aura while you are moving your body.


    €€€"The dance of the movements is not a thing of thought or memory. You learn them, but then must defocus your mind. Getting them ''right'' is not the big thing, they will be ''right'' eventually. Having them ''wrong'' but your Qi flows excellently and your mind remains defocused throughout is perfection."


    ...''Defocus my mind? How do I do that?''


    ---''Uhm, look across the room. See that bookshelf near the far wall? Good. Now see the yellow couch in the middle of the room? You have to look past it to focus on the bookshelf. Okay, so.. Focus on the bookshelf! Now you are defocused on the couch. Focus on the couch! Now you are defocused on the bookshelf. Repeat that a few times.''


    ...''This is making me dizzy!''


    ---''I should go stand and breathe in the Way of Supreme Qi.


    ...''I don''t even know any of the movements yet!''


    ---''It doesn''t matter. Pretend I am standing in the pond, and the water is amazingly heavy on the bottom. Let my head float. Just breathe, good. Am I still dizzy? Ready to go on?


    ---''Okay, to get that feeling of defocusing on anything, look straight ahead. Now, cross my eyes. Good, now let them go and just stop using them. There you are! Defocused on your first day!! Magnificent!!!"


    ...''So- when I defocus my eyes, I defocus my mind?''


    ---''So far!''


    Demus sat down to read the movements.


    €€€"There is a bowl within your body that your Qi rests in. The front edge is found beneath your navel by placing your hand there, forefinger just under your navel, and the front edge of the ~"bowl Qi-in"~ rests against your smallest finger. Stand relaxed with your feet as far apart as your shoulders are, and breathe a few times. Feel your Qi in your ~bowl Qi-in~ moving with each part of your breath. There will be moments while doing a Qi way movement, when you will need to send your Qi back to your ~bowl Qi-in~.


    1) Inhale, then start an exhale and gently step left, leaving all of your weight on your right leg. Then send half of your weight to your left leg. Finish the exhale and roll your hands gently down, inhale and let your arms flow out ahead of you and up to shoulder-height. Exhale and let your hands float down to waist-height. Bend your knees slightly.


    2) Inhale, send most of your weight back to your right leg, turn left with your waist, exhale and step your left leg forward, send one fourth of your weight to your left foot. Bring your left hand up and back, while your right hand moves forward and up to almost meet it. Inhale. Exhale and send your Qi into an invisible ball between your hands, and send three quarters of your weight to your left foot. Inhale and feel your Qi swirling in the ball. Exhale and let the ball hover before you while your left hand moves out to your left at shoulder height and your right hand moves right downward toward your waist and you turn at your waist more to the left. Inhale and move your hands back to the ball, send half your weight to your right foot. Exhale, let the ball hover before you as your left hand moves down near your left waist and your right hand moves out at shoulder-height as you turn at the waist to your right. Inhale, send most of your weight back to your right leg, turn left with your waist, exhale and step your left leg forward, send one fourth of your weight to your left foot. Bring your left hand up and back, while your right hand moves forward and up to almost meet it. Inhale. Exhale and send your Qi into your ball between your hands, and send three quarters of your weight to your left foot. Inhale and feel your Qi swirling in the ball. Exhale.


    €€€"Repeat this movement many times before adding the next movement to your routine."


    Happily, Demus got up and began repeatedly, slowly going through each step. On the third time through,


    ---''Okay, I think I''ve got it. I''m doing a great job with the breathing. Now it''s time to defocus while I''m doing the move.''


    So Demus tried that, and it all flowed amazingly well. He went right into his late afternoon stretches, had a snack of apple butter on bread, went to his cot and fell asleep.


    Day 3


    Demus woke up early, before dawn. He was warm, though the air was cool. He sprang up, did his stretches, and flowed right into the Qi dance.


    ...''I feel SO! amazing!!''


    ---''Indeed!''


    He trotted down to the kitchen, but instead of any kind of sandwich, he chopped up bean sprouts, broccoli spears, a few leaves of baby spinach and boil-fried them in watered beaten eggs, all going by instinct and desire. The flavor was completely new to him, most of the vegetables he''d found to eat in the past had been half-rotten turnips or potatoes, or just plain leaves. This mixture of flavors and robust green-ness was exactly what his body needed at that time. The stasis cupboard was about half empty.


    ...''What happens if I empty it?''


    ---''I don''t know. I go hungry?''


    ...''I need to avoid that.''


    ---''If I hike down to the lake, I can catch a bunch of fish, sell them at the village market, and buy these kinds of things I''ve been eating.''


    ...''Am I sure? How often would I be doing that? Can I carry a week''s worth of food?''


    ---''True. Interesting conundrum.''


    ...''Is that my idea of guidance?''


    ---''What about that ''garden''?''


    ...''It''s locked. Beyond that, how will I ever learn magic if I''m not a natural Prana or Mana producer?''


    ---''Maybe I could learn Alchemy? There might be a book on that....''


    So Demus searched for a book on that. He found Herbal Qi and Transformations by Brother Bright-Elf the Craftywight Scout.


    *****


    Tools ye shalt reqyre : an clean steel knife, an 1-gallon working chalice, stored in white cloth; a flat surface, 3''x3''; an mortar & pestle; glass containers with corks; allembic with heat source; an 4-gallon container of pure water; an 1-gallon container of anhydrous alcohol; cupboards that will remain undisturbed for weeks at a time; excellent ventilation. Remove all sundials and time-keeping devices. When cutting, make sure thy feet are bare.


    Seek ye and recognize the desired plants by day. In order to discover which ones have extra Qi, meditate with a possible plant, appreciate its beauty and vitality, and lend it some of thy Qi. Those with extra Qi will then glow for a short period. This glow is eaiser to see in the dark.


    The best time to cut these herbs is late in the night, when the sky is well-lit by the Moon. Never cut more than one-third of the plant. Leave an offering of fertilizer. When cutting roots, fill the dirt hole with water, put in thy fertilizer offering, and add back enough dirt to support the remaining plant. Put all cut parts in an white cloth bag, and keep them there until ye reach thy work area. First quarter and Full Moon are for plants having to do with fertility, summoning, protection, prosperity, and health; focusing on leaves, stalks, and flowers. Third quarter and Dark Moon are for plants having to do with destroying, banishing, removing, and purifying; focusing on roots.


    ~ The night after the day of rest be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with employers, work, harvests, promotion, friendships, healing, contacting divine spirits, workers, and leadership.


    ~ The night after the first day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with dreams, the home, the hearth, cooking, medicine, clairsentience, the oceans, families, and crop-growing.


    ~ The night after the second day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with conflicts, hunting, promises, contests, competitions, debates, honor, men, physical accuracy, courage, and ways of leading.


    { a note was scrawled in the margin "First half of potentials book." }


    ~ The night after the third day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with crafting, forging, trickery, irony, justice, vengeance, intelligence, inventing, discovering, communicating, divinations, and self development.


    ~ The night after the fourth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with wealth, poverty, money, physical strength, speed, championing, and righteous war.


    ~ The night after the fifth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with pleasure, painting, sculpting, writing, acting, music, massage, support, endurance, partnerships, incense, nurturing, beauty, women, luck.


    ~ The night after the sixth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with the elderly, dying, sickness, funerals, buildings, property, wills, executions, diseases, and pests.


    When ye have finished working with the plants ye have cut, place each result in an corked glass bottle, label it with herb name, cutting month, and region where it grew.


    ~~~


    Creating Qi Accumulators


    For purposes having to do with: fertility, work, money, business, advancement, crop-growing, healing diet, conservancy, stewardship, markets, construction, progress use Bistort, Cedar, Cypress, Fern, Honeysuckle, Horehound, Jasmine, Mandrake, Pine, Sage;


    For purposes having to do with: education, memory, theories, analysis, divination, communicating, travel, writing, groups, hierarchies, coordinating, discipline, addiction use Acacia, Anise, Benzoin, Comfrey, Elder, Eyebright, Hazel, Lavender, Mistletoe, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Spearmint, Thyme, Wormwood;


    For purposes having to do with: success, sex, conflict, law, protection, courts, reeves, inquisitors, competion, hunting, finding, chance, agility, transformation, empowerment use Alder, Basil, Carnation, Celandine, Cinnamon, Clove, Garlic, Holly, Juniper, Marigold, Nettle, Oak, Pepper, Rosemary, Rue, Saffron, Thistle, Vervain;


    For purposes having to do with: love, friends, partners, allies, affection, agreements, rest, beauty, recuperation, meditation, healing, spirituality, emotion, intuition, clairsentience, family, inheritance, ancestors, childbirth, comfort, fishing, and swimming use Apple, Ash, Burdock, Camphor, Catnip, Cucumber, Gardenia, Geranium, Hawthorne, Heather, Hops, Meadowsweet, Myrrh, Periwinkle, Rose, Violet, Willow;


    To make, identify the plants that have the extra Qi, choose the purpose, put in thy working chalice either one handful each of three different dried plant-parts with extra Qi in them,or one Tablespoon each of Primary Essence of such plants. Mix thoroughly, add either 3.5 cups of annhydrous alcohol (if ye had put in handfuls), or 7 Tablespoons annhydrous alcohol, decant into a dark colored bottle to digest for two weeks (shaking in the dark once a day, keep away from Sunlight, children, and cats). Proceed to derive a Triplessence, using a gold-washed alembic. Decant into a colorless bottle and expose to the light of the full Moon for three nights in a row. Decant into and keep in a dark-colored bottle. Use to annoint the tools to be used for thy purpose, or to annoint thy hands, thy forehead, the base of thy throat, the center of thy chest, or some combination.


    After you have made and used three Qi Accumulators from each of the four categories, proceed to making the Comprehensive Qi Accumulator. Choose three plants other than Saffron from each of the four categories, put one teaspoon primary essence each into thy working chalice, add three teaspoons primary essence of Saffron. Mix well and proceed to deriving the Quintessence. Annoint an object, gemstone, or container that ye want to have a lot of Qi in, expose to Moonlight on nights of the full Moon, take to large gathering of mortals who be expressing passionate emotions together, or allow this object to be the target of projected Qi. To access the Qi in it, hold it and become passionate about the behavior which ye are about to engage in.


    Producing annhydrous alcohol: distill brandy to 180 proof, carefully add one part in 20 Cerulean Clay, allow to sit in an dark area for about an hour, and decant the colorless liquid into a storage container. Decant the remaining mud into a small pot and at low heat, simmer until it all dries out again. Keeping the pot contents away from humidity and water, grind into a powder and put in a sealed container to be reused.


    Deriving essences:


    Primary, put an amount of the dried and ground plant material into a darkened glass container with 11x as much annhydrous alcohol. Let it digest for two weeks, shaking lightly in the dark once a night (keep it away from children and cats). Pour contents into thy allembic and gradually heat, taking the temperature up to no more than 40. Seal the cooled distillate as Plant-Name Primary Oil Essence. Put the remaining contents into a fire-proof pan and put on high heat until they are dry and burned. Grind them, put them into 33x as much pure spring water, and allow this mixture to seperate. Pour the liquid off and discard. Gently heat the remaining mud which had fallen until it is dry, and grind into a powder. Seal into a container as Plant-Name Primary Salte Essence. Store these parts seperately away from Sunlight, children, and cats for three weeks. On a night of the first quarter or full Moon, in a dark laboratory, carefully combine the Primary Oil Essence with the Primary Salte Essence. The result is the Primary Essence.


    Do it all again using the Primary Essence, take the temperature up to no more than 39, etc. That is the DuEssence. Again, 38, TriplEssence. Again, 37, QuadrEssence. Again, 36, QuintEssence.


    Finally Demus closed the book.


    ...''This is amazingly interesting, I''m not as confused as with that first book, but how would I, where would I, all those tools! I''m not even sure when the full Moon is!''


    ---''John Thomas did say that this was an Alchemist''s tower....''


    ..."The Garden!"


    ---''The Garden!''


    ...''But I can''t open the door!''


    ---''Alchemy uses Qi! Dance and flow some Qi onto that copper plate!!''


    In a moment Demus was running for the stairs. Before he started all the jump-recover business, he decided to try Qi-dancing it, and he began a running bound which felt almost like flying up the stairs.


    ---''Cool! But did I use up all my Qi?''


    Demus paused at the top of the ''stairs'', & inhaled and felt his -bowl Qi in- refill.


    ...''Nope. More flows in as I use and let the Qi flow. It isn''t "mine".''


    Demus soon stood before the door with no handle or knob. He started the Qi Dance again, and as the Qi began to flow up and to his left hand, he turned to touch the copper plate. The Qi flowed away, and the door retracted into the floor.


    Stepping forward, Demus met with a broad, green vista. All kinds of plants overgrew their planters, reaching up toward the light coming through a wide crystal, hexagonal dome. Each of the six corners had a brighter crystal in it. At the center was a 7'' tall platform, about 80'' on each of its six sides. Each of its six corners had a 6'' high, 2'' wide ''pole'' of dark wood with things or ''arms'' sticking out of it. In a wondering daze, Demus stepped forward, walking between the planters, avoiding crushing any of the plants. On his slow way to the platform, mist appeared in the air above twice, gently flowing down upon most of the plants. He mounted the 14 stairs slowly. The platform was a canvas-covered pad over wood. Soft steps whispered, but anything else made a ''boom!''ing noise. A half-inch thick layer of mixed pollens was all over the platform. As he walked toward the center, there was an 11'' diameter circle with no pollen on it.


    ...''What''s that?''


    ---''A secret- - door?''


    ...''How do I open it?''


    ---''I''m not an Elf. I have no idea. Maybe some pattern of steps?"


    So Demus stomped all around the circle, then skipped, tried the few steps of the Supreme Way of Qi- dance that he knew, got tired, gave up and sat down beside the edge. Only to almost fall in as it contracted onto a center pole. After a few breaths, Demus stood and carefully made his way down the spiral staircase. Coming to a flat floor after three full turns, he passed many dark wooden cupboards. He stepped into a room that lit up, showing a wide desk with rolling stool, some glassware, an unlit lantern, and beside it a keg. Walking forward, he moved the keg with his foot. It sloshed. Looking down, Demus could see that the glassware were dark bottles and a weird vessel that got wider away from the opening, whose bottom was covered with gold.


    ...''What''s this?''


    ---''Probably a "gold-washed Alembic".''


    ...''So this has everything I''ll need? That''s a creepy miracle!''


    ---''Fairy dust is pretty intense stuff!!!''


    ...''But where''s the guy who brought all this stuff together?''


    ---''Probably dead. Did I see how thick that pollen was upstairs? That takes years!''


    ...''Won''t I get in trouble if I just start using this stuff?''


    ---''Maybe. But maybe not. Better ask your employer.''


    Demus nodded, looked around one last time, and walked back up and out. The aroma in the garden was amazing, and he noticed that it was far larger than the width of the tower from the outside. Quietly, he made his way back out of the garden. The door raised closed behind him. He had Qi, but he didn''t feel like dancing down the stairs, so it took him much longer than going up had.


    As he came to the main floor, there was a being of glowing mist hovering beside Lord Reldar''s statue-like still form. Fascinated, Demus felt himself walking toward them. At about 20'' away, she whirled to glare at him, and Demus could see that she wasn''t glowing mist at all, that was just her dress. She stood about 5 1/2 feet tall, orange-red hair, bright green eyes. He couldn''t tell much about the rest, because of the lacey-misty way that her glowing white dress floated around her. She pointed at him, and then at a wall about 40 feer away. She turned and flew over there. Demus followed. There was a blacker surface on the wall. She pointed and a chunk of white rock floated up to touch the black area, and it wrote:


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Who R you?''


    ... "Can you hear me?" He answered out loud.


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Yes.''


    ... "I am Deemoh. I was brought here by John Thomas to work for Lord Reldar."


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Just like a Gnome to weasel out of a bet! I am Jellica, Lord Reldar''s mate. I am a Phantom. We were lovers before he became the war-ending instrument of the Gods, and got his wish to become a living diamond clockwork Wizard.''


    ... "He wanted that?"


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Well, he really wanted immortality without having to become a Lich. How long have you been here?''


    ... "A few days, some of the cupboards are running low."


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Get used to Lord Reldar not really thinking of pragmatic things. I''ll show you to the Purse, and you can use the clockwork wagon to go to Fargone Town and buy supplies.''

 Week 2, days 4 - 6

    Day 4


    After a quickly cooked dinner of beef chunks over boiled noodles, Demus had gone outside to visit the little closet with the crescent moon on its door, cleaned up, and back in to warm up and go to bed. He was asleep almost before he finished lying down. It had been a busy day.


    He became aware of a golden glimmmering, and then he was standing, dressed, in a large room. The floor was black and somewhat "spongey".


    ...''What''s "spongey"? How do I know it''s "spongey"?''


    ---''It means "like a sponge".''


    ...''What''s a '' sponge''.''


    ---''It means ''kind-of soft, but not diggable''. System-note: Adjust description- vocabulary to fit NPC education.''


    ...''What''s a "system-note".''


    ---''Don''t worry about it.''


    Jellica appeared before him, clad in leather trous and tunic.


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Don''t wake up all the way! I''m sending you this dream to teach you how to use the clockwork wagon, and what to do in Far-Gone.''


    ...''This is a dream?''


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Yes.'' She gestured and a large empty wagon made of dark wood appeared. Suddenly she and Demus were standing on it.


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''This is the seat. If you aren''t sitting on it, the wagon won''t move. This ''bar of wood'' is called a "joy stick". I don''t know why, it doesn''t directly make you happy. But it has 5 notches. It''s in the second notch now, "neutral", which means not trying to go anywhere. The first notch makes the wagon go slowly backward. The third notch is slowly foreward. The fourth notch is horse-galloping foreward. The fifth notch is as fast as it can go. On the front of the top of the joy-stick is this switch, with another five notches. In the middle is straight. First to the right is ''soft right'', second to the right is ''hard right''. First to the left is ''soft left'', second is ''hard left''. If you''re going backwards, only the soft notches will work, and the right one will make the back of the wagon go to the left, while the left one will make it go to the right. Understand?''


    ...''I think so.''


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''While seated, this foot-stick is called the "breaks". I don''t know why, it never breaks anything. It makes the wagon slow down. The harder you step on it the faster the wagon will slow.


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì ''Okay. When you want to get started, sit down on the seat, and put this tube-key onto the joy-stick, and pull the right side toward you. Keep turning it as it clicks until you hear a "ding!" and it won''t turn anymore. You''ll have to do that at least once a day. Then put the tube-key in your pouch. Are you ready?''


    ..."Sure!", ''It''s just a dream, right?''


    ---''I guess so.''


    She disappeared. Demus stepped down, sat down, and used the key as she had taught him. Looking around, he didn''t see any walls or obstacles, so he put the joy-stick into the third notch. The wagon started rolling forward at about the speed of a walking man. After a few minutes, Demus got bored, so he moved it to the fourth notch and it started going quite fast. Suddenly there were horses galloping along both sides, and riders yelling "Stand and Deliver!", but after about ten minutes their horses slowed down and the wagon kept going. Then a road appeared under the wagon''s wheels, and it wasn''t completely straight. At first Demus didn''t care, but then the sides of the road were a bit higher than the road, so when he didn''t steer, the quickly-moving wagon went harshly bumpity-bump, rough, rough, bumpity-bump, smooth, smooth, smooth, bumpity-bump, rough... Over and over again. It wasn''t much fun. So he began using the switch on top. Soft turns at that speed made quick, 20 degree turns, and the wheels away from the direction of turn would lift off the ground for a moment or two. Sometimes when going over the bumps anyway, the movement made Demus move the switch more. After trying to stay on the road with a soft right, the bumping made Demus move the switch into a hard right, and suddenly Demus was flying. He hit the ''kinda soft'' ground and rolled. Looking up, he counted all of his hurt spots until he could think straight.


    ---''Many of those hurts would be broken bones if the ground was hard. I don''t want to do that again.'' He stood up, and walked back to where the wagon was frozen in the air, tilted halfway over. He reached up to touch it, but it wouldn''t move. Carefully he climbed onto it, and up toward the seat. Slowly, leaning far left, he eased onto the seat, and the wagon stopped rolling, stopped moving foreward, and just landed back on its wheels with a tremendous thump. Demus was almost thrown off to the left.


    Demus put the joy-stick into the first notch to get back on the road. He had to twist his body around to look backward while using the joy-stick in front of him and keep sitting on the seat. Then, he used the switch with his thumb, but had to remember that switch-right made the wagon go left.


    After a while, he was back on the road. Third notch, moving and happy to be bored, Demus noticed that the turns started getting sharper, and the road started going up and then down these little hills. All of that took some concentration to stay on the road. Uphill was fine, but downhill went faster than a walk, so if there was a turn at the bottom, Demus had to use the breaks or maybe the wagon would roll again. As he got used to that, the hill the wagon was going up got longer, there was a sharp left turn at the top, so Demus stopped. Hard left turn when stopped actually lifted the wagon off the ground about a foot, and it spun, then set down facing left. The road went sharply down, with a cliff-face going up along the left side, and a cliff-top at the right. Of course it wasn''t straight. Not only were there niggles and noggles along the way, but at about 300'' there was a right-hard "hair-pin" turn into a switchback. Demus started down at notch three, but within 50'' the wagon was going almost as fast as notch four.


    This began a series of experiences where Demus would do some wrong combination of things, everything would go black and he''d be at the beginning again. After the eighth time through, he made it around the first hairpin-turn. And beside the road there was a sign:A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ....."Good job! Zorian says ''Hello!'' "


    ...''Who the Buff is ''Zorian''?''


    ---''Nevermind! Bad joke.'' There were several more switchbacks. Demus had learned to stop the wagon about every twenty feet, breathe a few times and then third notch forward again. At the bottom, after a sharp right turn, there was a straight section, then a three-way fork. He went left, the road-sides gradually came up to about four feet, and he came to a dead-end. No way to turn around, so he had to go backward for about 250 feet. Then he went right. Suddenly he was in a town, the road was cobblestones, and even at ''slow'', everything was bumpy and jerky.


    Jellica appeared before him, pointing left. That happened several times, and he followed the direction, until she had him stop in front of a wooden dock, and then back up to it. When he did and stopped, several guys started loading the wagon.


    Things got hazy and faded away.


    Demus woke up and stretched in bed. He''d slept well, but he felt mind-tired. Then he remembered the dream.


    ... ''Oh dung!''


    Demus got up, did his stretches, the few Qi Dance moves he knew, and got dressed. The once resplendent Traveller''s garb was looking dirty and worn. While he was frying up a quick breakfast, Jellica sailed in through an interior wall.


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì "Oh my! That won''t do at all! First off..." She gestured and a shower of lime sparks enveloped Demus. When they faded away he was clean, down to the skin under his chestnuts! And his garb was clean as well!


    ..."Wow!! Thank you!"


    ¦Ì£¤¦Ì "Think nothing of it. Can''t have you traipsing about in our clockwork wagon dressed as a beggar! Or a wandering con-man. So! On the table you will find the tube-key, a pouch of 20 coppers, and leaning against the table is a backpack with hammock, pegs, hammer, sleeping sack, six pemmican pouchettes, and two waterskins. Sleep under the wagon at night, and make sure that''s just off the road. Three days there, three back, buy fresh food for yourself in town. Just go where I showed you in the dream, and they'' ll load you up and get payment from my Lord. The wagon will fall apart if you take it farther than 5 days'' travel away. Understand?"


    ..."Yes! Thank you!"


    Demus put on the backpack, heavy when he picked it up but all the weight faded away when the straps settled onto his shoulders. He picked up the key and the pouch, and followed Jellica out to an exit he''d never found before. She showed him how to open the big outer door, and disappeared. He opened the door, letting the cold morning light stream in, climbed up on the clockwork wagon, and sat on the seat. He put the backpack down behind the seat, and stashed the pouch of coppers in it. Then took a deep breath.


    ...''My first wagon-ride! And I''m driving!! No mules, can''t be a "mule-skinner", haha! Whew!! Why am I so excited and happy?''


    ---''It''s my first wagon-ride. Also, powerful people trust me, give me a nice place to stay safe, and loan me magifacts as well as let me learn very effective things, and have access to a wonderful garden and magnificent lab!! What''s not to like? It'' s a wonderful, magnificent life!! I did an excellent job manifesting this life, aren''t fairies amazing? I should breathe deeply for a little while, use the key, and get going. When things are going well, I should revisit these feelings and do blisswork.''


    Demus inhaled deeply, feeling that if he smiled any wider, he would crack his head open. After six breaths that faded into a calmer but ''wider'' joy. He put the key on the stick and turned it. Clackety- clackety- clackety- clackety- clackety- clackety! Clack! -ity -clack! -ity -clack! -ity -clack! -ity -clack! -i -ty Clack!! -i -ty Clack!! -i -ty Clack!!! --i ---ty -----Clack!!! ---------i, DING!!!! and he couldn''t turn it any more. Now he felt a vibration in the seat. He took the key off the stick, into the backpack, secured the backpack, took a deep breathe, and eased the stick into the third notch. The wagon rolled foreward, and as he left through the big door, it closed on its own. He rolled onto the road, and gradually turned right, facing away from the village where he had been born and spent most of his life. At first the road turned a bit every hundred feet and was going up a bit, so Demus kept it at third notch. Then it got straight but went up a bit more. The wagon came to a flat section, with a wide turn left, and then started down. The down slope was sharper than the up slope had been, and the road went 200'' straight down slope, flat into a wide right turn, 190'' straight down slope, flat into a wide left turn. It continued on like that until 50'' straight down slope, flat into half of a wide right turn, and pretty flat and straight. Demus could see miles ahead of him, the road becoming a thin line that would go up and over a hill, and much farther away, up a taller, blue- ish hill. He continued in third notch for a while, got comfortable, and put it in fourth. Things got bumpier, but soon settled into a rhythm.


    Demus breathed deeply, smelling something wild, green, and spicey in the morning air.


    --- ''High desert sage. Nice touch!''


    Demus looked at his feelings again, he''d never felt better in his entire life!!!


    ...''Life is so good!!! I love life hugely much!!! I thank life!!'' Thinking and feeling these things lead easily into blisswork, but this time Demus didn''t have to ''work at'' any feelings! It all felt much deeper and stronger. The wagon rattled starting up the hill in fourth, and shook Demus out of his blisswork trance.


    ...''It''s afternoon! Wow, I''m thirsty! Like I hiked for an hour or something!!''


    ---''I should put the stick in third, drink from a water skin, and look for a spot to stop, stretch, piss, and maybe have a snack.''


    So Demus slowed the wagon, and at the short flat on top of the hill, he stopped. It was a bit difficult to get off the seat for a moment, but then Demus got down, stretched his legs and upper back, found a sage brush off the side of the road, and pissed on it. For a while. Back at the wagon, he was even thirstier. He squirted cool water into his mouth and then on his face. He rinsed his hands. That all took half a waterskin. Looking in the backpack, Demus took out one of the pouchettes. Inside was a two fist-sized amount of a dark brown, pebbley, damp substance, and three palm-sized sections of pinkish-grey leather. He picked one of those up.


    ...''What in the world?''


    ---''That''s a dried peach slice! Tear off a bit and suck on it.'' It was very dry, almost salty, but then the flavor blossomed in his mouth as it sucked up his saliva.


    ...''So tastey!''


    ---''Hunger is the best sauce! Do I need to dung?''


    ...''Nope.''


    ---''Get back on the wagon, then!''


    Demus climbed back on the wagon, and this time it was a bit difficult to finish sitting down for a moment.


    ---''Hmp. Magic safety belt?''


    ...''What?''


    ---''Nevermind!'' He put the stick in third and they were rolling again!! Straight-ish down slope for half an hour, then flat-ish again. Demus alternated musing about how amazing life was, and noticing that the Sun was in a different position and it was a long ways back to that hill.


    As they neared the bottom of the taller hill, which wasn''t blue at all, the Sun was within two handspans of the far mountains.


    ---''I should slow, find a flat spot off the road, turn onto it, stop, and set up for the night.


    ...''Good idea!!!''