Chapter 34:

  Exploring Potential

  Rays of sunlight invited themselves into the room as the sun climbed steadily into the sky. Its light slipped through the round window over head and settled across my face as I lay sprawled out on the massive bed.

  Not wanting to leave the comfort of my covers, I groaned as I let my feet fall over the edge of the bed and onto the wooden floor. As I stood, I glanced back longingly at the thick mattress, silently wishing I could sink into it for a little longer.

  After a moment of quiet debate, I reluctantly made my way to the bedroom door, and then carefully made my way down the steps into the living room.

  A faint layer of dust coated nearly every surface in the room, except for the furniture that had been protected by the sheet I’d removed the day before. It was going to be quite a bit of work, but if I were to ever have company, it was a task that simply had to be done.

  Even though my mother wasn’t here, her lessons about keeping a tidy house were firmly ingrained in my bones, and I doubted I would ever be able to fully rest until that particular job was finished.

  Groggily, I made my way into the kitchen, and began browsing the pantry for a quick snack before heading out for the day.

  As I foraged through the cupboard, I came across my stash of jerky and a glass jar filled with what looked like dried yellow blossoms. They seemed to be the same flowers that grew on the vines outside, and a closer look revealed a small label on the jar that simply read “Sweet Blossoms.”

  I removed the lid and was met with a pleasant, honey sweet aroma. Curious, I took a small pinch of the blossoms, dropped them into a cup, and set the tea kettle over one of the runes I’d discovered the day before.

  Once the kettle began to whistle, I lifted it from the counter and poured the boiling water over the blossoms. Their fragrance bloomed instantly, filling the kitchen with the delightful scent of honey.

  I brought the cup to my lips and let out a satisfied sigh as its warmth spread through my chest and settled deep into my bones.

  After a few more sips, I promptly decided that this sweet blossom tea was on par with my newly acquired taste for mint. I immediately began making plans to stock up my tea reserves, just in case these flowers did not fair so well in the colder weather.

  After finishing my cup, I rinsed it off in the sink, and made my way towards the front door.

  Well… I guess I better go check on Blue. Hopefully the kitten wasn’t too hard on him last night.

  I stepped outside and walked purposefully through the grass that was still wet with morning dew. When I reached the stables, I eased the door open and nervously peeked my head inside.

  To my utter shock, Blue was still asleep in his stall, and resting on his neck was a small orange kitten curled into a comfortable ball of fluff. Somewhere in the night, he and that fiery little menace had forged an alliance. This did not bode well. Blue was enough of a challenge on his own, and now that he had a companion as bold as he was, I wasn’t sure the valley was prepared for such a dynamic combination.

  I pulled the doors open all the way, letting the morning light spill into the dimly lit room. Blue stirred from his slumber and, with surprising gentleness, nudged the cat awake with his large head. The kitten stretched lazily, glanced around the room, and then scrambled up into the loft the moment it noticed me standing in the doorway.

  “So… it looks like you’ve made a friend,” I said as I grabbed a brush and began running it through Blue’s coarse hair.

  Blue tried to look nonchalant, in the way that only a donkey could, but even then he somehow managed to look slightly embarrassed by my comment. He tilted his head as if trying to sort through his emotions, then promptly nipped my leg, choosing violence as his preferred method of problem solving.

  “Hey, cut it out, you ass!” I yelped, as I gently pushed his head aside. “Well then, since you have so much energy you can go outside and feed yourself today. I’ll leave the door open so you can graze all you like.”

  Blue firmly stomped his hooves in disapproval.

  “Fine… I’ll bring you a few carrots too. But only because you managed to charm the kitten.”

  Blue seemed to accept this arrangement, and hurriedly nudged me towards the door leading outside.

  After fetching his carrots and giving him a fond pat, I headed down the road toward the village on the far side of the valley.

  As I followed the dirt path that wound through the tall grass beside the lake, the morning light danced across the water, making its surface shimmer like precious stones. Far out towards the middle of the lake, the silhouettes of several fishing boats drifted between ribbons of mist. I couldn’t say for certain if Mr. Leonis Fisher was among them, yet one figure stood a little taller than the rest, and I found myself quietly assuming it was him.

  I narrowed my eyes and let my focus settle, guiding my will toward the simple act of seeing. Potential stirred within me as I gently fanned the small flames of power housed in my reservoir.

  Managing how much of it I used was still difficult. The potential never felt calm or still. It pushed outward in every direction, as if it was desperate to be spent. Because of that, when I guided the energy toward my eyes, far too much flooded into my vision at once.

  The world lurched.

  In an instant I was no longer gazing across the lake. I suddenly felt as if I were standing right beside Mr. Fisher, close enough to stare straight into his large green eyes.

  “Salted Hells!” I yelped, slapping my hands over my face.

  I cut off the flow of potential as quickly as I could, and after a moment, I slowly lowered my hands. To my relief, the world around me had returned to its proper distance once again.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Skill Unlocked: Augment Senses (Rank 1 : Level 1)- Channel potential into any chosen sensory organ, enhancing clarity, range, and sensitivity for as long as potential is actively applied. Effects vary by sense. Excessive channeling may overwhelm the senses or cause temporary disorientation. Efficiency scales with Perception and skill mastery.

  “Alright… let’s try that again,” I muttered. “But this time with a little more control.”

  This time I focused inward and did my best to picture the reservoir of potential within me. I took a slow breath, and as I exhaled, I eased my will toward the power that waited just behind its restraints. The sensation reminded me of a dog desperate to be let outside, spending all its time hopping and scratching at the door in wild anticipation.

  As soon as my intentions settled into place, the potential lunged forward, eager to pour itself into my sight once again. I braced myself and yanked back on the power the way I would haul on the lead of a stubborn draft horse. It fought me with all the wild strength it possessed, surging and pushing against my grip, but inch by inch it relented. At last the force slowed to a manageable trickle, and only a thin, controlled stream slipped into my eyes.

  As the potential filled my perception, the world around me grew sharper and more vibrant. The harder I focused, the more power flowed in, and as a result, my sight extended farther across the lake’s rippling surface. I mentally noted that the farther I pushed my sight, the faster my reservoir drained. Thankfully though, the cost for this skill was minimal, and the potential expended was barely noticeable at all.

  Within moments, I could make out every person on the boat with ease, as if I were standing only a few feet away from them.

  I watched intently as Leonis laughed alongside his men as they worked together to pull in a net filled with fish. After successufully hauling in their catch, Leonis pointed towards my home, and began to say words I obviously couldn’t hear from this distance.

  Following my impulse, I began to sweat as I pushed some of the potential away from my eyes and redirected it toward my ears. Thankfully, I didn’t overwhelm my hearing the way I had with my sight earlier. If I had done so, the rising tide of sound might have deafened me on the spot.

  The world around me roared to life. Birds shrilled their songs, the gentle waves crashed against the bank with startling force, and even the breeze brushing my skin howled in my ears. Desperate to regain control, I pulled every trace of potential from my sight and focused entirely on steadying the assault battering my hearing.

  The focus it took to listen to one specfiic thing at a time was exhausting. Bit by bit, I filtered out the noise, pushing aside the layers of sound until only the faint whispers from the distant boat remained. Once I felt steady enough, I allowed more potential to flow in, and within moments the conversation drifting across the water sounded as if it were happening directly beside me.

  “Oye, Leonis, what do you make of that young fella who came through yesterday? Looked an awful lot like Sir Garner. He must be family, right?”

  “I already told you about him,” Leonis said with a sigh. “Young Samuel was everything I would expect from someone of Sir Garner’s family. I think we are fortunate indeed to have that young man living here in his uncle’s absence.”

  “Don’t mind him, Leonis,” another voice chimed in. “Mendal’s memory ain’t been right since his ol’ lady hit him over the head last week. She found out he was talkin’ a little too sweet to Ms. Clover when he went to buy her herbs.”

  “Hey! I told you that in confidence, you rotten snake…” the man protested before letting out a long, defeated sigh. “Yeah, she walloped me good. I learned my lesson. I’m a changed man now. I mean, it’s not my fault I have a weakness for large… ”

  The sound of a smack rang out.

  “Oye, what was that for?”

  “That was for your wife,” Leonis said sternly, “You made your oaths to her before the great Yahm. Do not take your words for granted, or speak them carelessly.”

  “Right… you’re right. Sorry, Leonis,” Mendal said. “I’ll be sure to mind me tongue from now on. Especially when talkin’ about her bountifully large… hey, what are you… ”

  A loud splash cut him off, followed by roaring laughter from the other men on the boat.

  Notice: Skill: Augment Senses: is now Rank 1: level 2.

  I couldn’t help but laugh as I slowly cut off the flow of potential that had been augmenting my hearing. As the world settled back into its ordinary hum of activity, I opened my eyes, and only then realized I had closed them in order to better anchor my senses.

  Because of that small lapse, I was wholly unprepared to see the large, armored man now standing directly in front of me. A startled cry slipped from my lips, and I jumped back in alarm at Halius’s sudden appearance.

  A look of confusion flickered across his face before he broke into sudden laughter.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Garner. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Halius said, his voice full of mirth as he wiped a tear from his eye. “I knew I was intimidating, but it seems I didn’t give myself quite enough credit.”

  My face flushed with embarrassment, and I did my best to play it off.

  “Well, I was focused, and you snuck up on me. How else am I supposed to react?” I said, offering what felt like a pitiful defense.

  Halius looked down at his armor, which clattered loudly even at that small motion.

  “I… snuck up on you?” he repeated, the smile on his face widening. “If I can sneak up on you dressed like this, then it’s a miracle you’ve survived this long. Mr. Garner, no offense, but your perception might be the poorest I’ve ever seen.”

  “Mr. Garner? Doesn’t it feel weird calling me that?” I asked, scrambling to regain my footing in the conversation. “Afterall, you are older than I am.”

  Halius’s smile shifted into something awkward, and he gave a slow nod.

  “Yes, it does feel a bit odd. We are only a few years apart, after all… I suppose I could just call you Sam.”

  “Please do,” I said, wiping the sweat from my brow. “And what do you mean by ‘a few years apart’? You’re at least ten years older than me, right?”

  Halius shook his head, brushing the comment aside.

  “Not at all. I’ve only just begun my twentieth cycle.” His face twisted into a grimace. “Do I look that old? Hells, I’ll never find a wife at this rate.”

  I stared at Halius for several moments, and to my dismay, I realized he was telling the truth about his age. I suddenly felt smaller than I had a moment ago. Halius was huge. Not quite as massive as Darren, the Duke’s guard, but still, he was built like a solid wall. Compared to him, I simply did not measure up.

  “Do all of you valley folk get this big?” I asked, as I prodded myself dissapointingly.

  “Yes we do,” Halius said proudly. “The food we grow here seems to have some sort of effect over the years. That, and every youth trains in one way or another. We’re all there is to protect the valley after all. Plus, all this armor is damn heavy.”

  I nodded. That answer was about what I expected. Even though he was much larger than I was, if I worked hard enough, surely I could close the gap over time. I doubted I would ever reach that kind of strength, but I didn’t think I needed to. I had no intention of wearing heavy armor or carrying a massive shield.

  “So… did you need me for something?” I asked. “I don’t mind the company, but I didn’t expect to see anyone on this side of the lake.”

  “Oh, right. I came by to check on you after your first night, and to ask if you were interested in joining my patrol later this afternoon. A few of us are heading out to take a look at the gnoll’s den, just to get a better sense of the threat. We don’t plan to overextend, only to scout and decide whether we need to put in a proper request with the adventurers’ guild.”

  I thought back to the fight we had with the gnolls the day before, it was scary, but with warriors like Halius coming along, it would be a good opportunity to see how groups fought along side one another.

  “Sounds good to me,” I said, with a smile. “I look forward to working with you. I have some business in the village first, but afterwards, I’ll make my way to meet up with you.”

  Halius and I spoke awhile longer as we walked with one another back towards the village. When we reached the trail that led back towards the gate, he depared with a wave, and I continued on my way towards the village.

  This afternoon was going to be interesting.

  Path Ability: [Sow] (Domain:Divine) (Legendary)

  A tool of potential, Sow allows the user to amplify various forms of potential.

  Skills: (Unlocked through use of ability)

  Reap.

  cheat a win for Sam in a situation going forward.

  Path Ability: [Reap] (Domain:Divine) (Legendary)

  Reap allows the user to harvest unused potential from recently deceased beings. Only those who have fully expired may be harvested, ensuring no soul or life essence is taken prematurely. The harvested potential fills the user’s Spirit Well.

  Item required: Scythe or Sickle