The Land: Founding (Chaos Seeds Book 1) by Aleron Kong Read Free Book Online Page B

he had shot which
was struggling to get to its feet, bloody froth on its muzzle. The arrow must
have punctured its lung. Sion came up behind it and, quick as thought, slid his
sword into its side. The wolf gave a soft exhale and lay still.
     Cleaning his sword on the
wolf’s pelt, Sion motioned for Richter to follow him into the cave. The sprite
kept his blade held out in front of him. Richter walked behind the small man
his dagger at the ready. Just inside the mouth of the cave they found the
larger wolf.  They stepped over the carcass, a crater like hole in its
side. This was clearly the result of Sion’s first arrow. That blue aura was
most likely the sprite’s Imbue Arrow skill, Richter thought. Allowing a moment
for their eyes to adjust, they saw the cave was shallow, and held nothing else
besides the discarded bones of the wolves’ kills. Richter was turning to leave,
but saw Sion walking up to a patch of black moss growing along the cave
ceiling. Sion slowly ran his hand along the dark tendrils until it fell off in
his hands.
     “How did you do that,” Richter
asked curiously. “I destroyed the plants that I tried to pick.”
     “It is my Herb Lore skill. I
doubt someone as large and clumsy as you could master it.”
     “Try me,” Richter said with
barely constrained irritation, “or are you still not going to give me your full
support?”
     “Fine,” the sprite said
sharply. Moving to another patch of moss, he started again, speaking softer
now, “You cannot simply take from nature, and expect a positive result. You
must connect with the life and energy in the plant. With practice this become
easier.” He was moving his hand along this second patch of moss while talking.
“Once your energies are in sync, it is not you taking the herb from its place,
but instead you moving a new part of yourself.” The moss fell away in his hand.
     “There is no spoon, got it,”
Richter mumbled. Walking over to a patch of moss deeper in the cave, he tried
to see where he could grip it to peel it off. Placing his hand near a likely
crevice he tried to pull the moss away.
    You have picked up an unknown plant.
Due to a lack of herbalism you have destroyed the plant. Why don’t you try
digging a ditch with those shovels at the end of your arms?
     Gritting his teeth for the umpteenth
time in since coming to this world, his mood was not improved to hear the
melodic yet condescending tones of the sprite, “I said connect to the
plant. Do not force it! Feel the energy inside of what you are trying to pick.”
     Moving to another moss, Richter
stopped himself from ripping it off the wall in frustration. Calming himself,
he placed his hand on it. He slowly ran his fingers along the length as he had
seen Sion do. He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of the soft, wet
plant under his fingertips. For two hundred breaths, he stood there until he
detected a faint echo. Strangely it was more felt than heard. Immediately
focusing upon it, he strained to detect it again. For another several minutes
he tried desperately to connect but felt nothing. Stopping to think of another
tact he relaxed his mind and in that moment the echo was back again. Without
focusing too hard this time, he willed himself to be open to the feeling. After
a few moments, the moss simply felt more “alive.” Placing his hand at what he
now somehow knew was the right spot, he pulled lightly and the moss fell away
from the cave wall into his hand
    You have picked Dark Cave Moss. You
feel this moss might make you sick if you ate it. You cannot detect anything
else at your current level.
    You have learned the skill: Herb
Lore. You can now find useful plants with greater ease, identify, and pick
them.
     “Hmmm, not bad,” Sion said with
a note of grudging respect.
     “Is this used to make poison,”
Richter asked.
     “As with most things in nature
it can be used to harm or heal.” Sion said with his reserved air. “Nature
cannot be