Now that I’m on the river, its feels like the world has come back to life. Theres no sound in those trees, the dense forest muffling any noise that tries to escape. Normally you’d hear insects or the trees swaying in the wind unlike those hallow woods where only silence exists. Earlier I had been distracted by the guidance, but now that I hear the soft, constant sound of the water moving I realize how wrong that forest felt. As if the sea of green surrounding this path of water is a decoration rather than breathing ecosystem. Taking a closer look at my surroundings, I don't see any insects, birds, or things you normally find in the wilderness. Well... except a few fish that bolt downstream the moment I see them.
It's just me on this river as I listen to the constant trickle of th....
*crack*
I quickly turn around, trying to find the sound that came some distance behind me, only to find what looks like a moving wall of hell. It's as if there is a growing, moving cloud attached to a boundary that following the path of the river. Behind the line is a rolling thunderstorm with no rain, just heavy winds that look sharp enough to cut a tree.
“which they are?” I mumble in morbid fascination as I watch it rip through the evergreen trees and anything that comes in its path. Seemingly breaking them down until they are dust in the wind, leaving behind empty waste nds. But even those are untouched as a 5 minutes' walk into the storm I see the ndscape lose definition, as hills begin to fade away until it's all devoured by storm.
Hello, my....“Not now” Brushing off the prompt, not noticing as it reappears as a small swirling symbol in the corner of my vision.
Straining my eyes I can see light at the edges of my vision, but I can’t make out the everchanging swirls and understand what's behind the storm. For a moment I think I see fshes of mountains, quickly repced by a gcial valley, then an oak forest with meadows?
Nearly falling over as his raft sms to a stop. Regaining my bance, I look over and see the bottom of my raft caught on a rock. As I pull myself onto my knees, grabbing the setting pole, I immediately begin trying to unstick the raft. I look up and dread begins to fill my heart. The storm is heading my way. Before I didn’t notice because the storm was moving the same speed as my raft, but it’s moving in my direction maybe a foot or two per second with random bursts of speed. A id-back wall of death waiting with its maw open for when I decide stop moving and embrace the supposed inevitable.
20 feet
The pole hits the gravel bottom as I attempt to shove the raft against the current.
16 feet
The raft barely moves an inch as curse my younger self for not going to the gym I paid for, then kept pushing.
9 feet
As the raft begins to dislodge itself, the storm lurches forward a few more feet as if a wave rolled through it.
7 feet
I move sideways as the raft starts to rotate, the back half free to catch the current now that the front is loose. Continuing to push, I cheer at my progress and might have bowed to the small lull from ripple of chaos that pushed the line.
4 feet
Nearly snapping the tree branch I’ve been calling a setting pole; I push the raft forward after it's been freed from the rock. Trying to rejoin the current as the boundary approaches, bckening the bottom of my pole as I push away.
1 foot
Finally picking up speed, I sigh in relief as only some outcropping branches touched the moving wall of darkness. Just to be safe I push the raft towards the center of the river, both trying to avoid any malicious rocks and gaining some distance from the thing posing as a storm.
With shallow confidence, I pull my legs out as I get off my knees and rex from the ordeal. I stare into the clear water as it glides around my submerged feet, thoughts of what might have happened if I were too slow crossed my mind.
Pushing the thought away, I turned around to observe the damage from the storm before any more intrusive thoughts return. The thin bark is covered in bck spots, some forming rge patches looking like a cross between a burn wound and poison. Cautiously, I touch it with my finger then rub it as no pain hits me. Watching as the ash like powder falls, dispersing in the water, revealing missing sections of the thin bark causing the dried inner yers to be exposed.
I sigh in relief knowing that it wouldn’t have been instant death, maybe painful, and pulled myself to face forward. Wondering what to do next, I finally notice the glowing symbol in the corner of my vision. The swirl of silver light at the very edges, only to be noticeable when not distracted. Mentally preparing himself for whatever bout of chaos might be thrown at him, he focuses on it, realizing he has two different messages.
Quest (Personal): Time to Leave the Nest!
Completed!
Rewards
1. Skill [Inspect]
2. Access to Chat, Quest Panel, Trade House
Before letting my excitement take hold of me, the idea of talking to someone sounding amazing, I check the other message.
Hello, my new sailors! Anyone get seasick yet?
TheMissingOtaku
