NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Pastry
Naturally, the question of whether it was a poisoned bun immediately came to mind. Why else would the old merchant leave such a tasty looking and mouth watering piece of pastry behind, right? There had to be a catch.
My growling stomach, of course, disagreed - or rather, it didn't care.
'A fair point,' I silently agreed, nevertheless eyeing the rather sizable bun for a trace of needle marks. While death may not have been the end for me, as rhymed in the description of [Never-Dying], I'd rather avoid being poisoned if I could.
’Oh, shut up, Sage.’ I shooed away my tail, the tip of which, as if in provocation and reminder of its deadlines, brushed under my nose.
The thing was, however, that there were far worse poisons than the one killing fast with an apple scent. In a way, even though the Lattice didn't notify me of the poisoning after downing one, the vile concoctions that deranged asshole made me drink could be considered poisons too. And the consequences of those were, well, not as merciful as death but bestially brutal.
So, was it worth the risk to take a bite?
The rumbling of my stomach spoke clearly.
'Perhaps just a lick first...that couldn't hurt, could it?'
After cautiously touching the bun with the tip of my tongue and then brushing it lightly, I gave the pastry a good tongue rub, immediately almost melting away.
'Sooo, sweet.'
Mustering all my will and even using [Indomitable Will] to resist the assault on my tastebuds, I fought off the urge to pounce on the bun and instead tore it in half, revealing the filling inside. Dark in color, with the consistency of jam, it smelled of some sort of fruit - and even tasted like one.
No notification, though.
I licked a bit more of it and waited. But once again, the Lattice remained silent.
As if that was the last straw to break my resolve, I pounced on the bun like a ravenous beast, devouring it in a few heartbeats. At one point, I even bit one of my fingers while licking them clean of the last remnants of the sweet treat. Only then, when there was nothing left of it, did I realize how wicked it was of the old merchant to leave me the bun.
While quite sizable, the pastry was just barely enough to stall my hunger. If anything, it just left me craving more.
'Damn you, old man!' I cursed the sly merchant in my mind, shaking the last crumbs out of the cloth the bun was wrapped in. Couldn't he have left me one more? Seriously, if this was supposed to be some good gesture, he didn't give it much thought.
Torture, that was what it bloody was.
Downcast and, in a way, hungrier than before, I returned the cloth on the rock. Much like the bun, the piece of fabric was nothing more than a tease barely large enough to tie around my wrist, let alone cover my waist.
[I'll be passing through again in three days.]
Staring daggers at the writing on the rock and the drawing of me below it, instead of more anger swelling in my chest, the guilt kicked me in the guts. Thanks to that old merchant, I got to eat what I thought I would never taste again. So I lowered my head in gratitude and whispered softly, "Thank you."
With that said, however, it was time to find something to actually fill my stomach with, and above all, water to quench my thirst. Pondering what the unexpected gift might have meant and how to deal with it could wait until later.
But after walking only a few steps, I doubled back to get the piece of cloth, tore it in two pieces, and used those to tie the remnants of the shackles chains to my ankles. Finally, I didn't feel like a cow with a bell wandering through the forest, asking to be eaten.
'Which way to go, though?'
My previous exploration of the ruins had revealed that what had once been a well for this building was now a shallow hole, overgrown with tree roots and moss. Honestly, I must have had the worst luck because neither here nor on my return to this place did I encounter the tiniest stream, just an endless sea of moss-covered roots.
'I could try licking the dew off it,' I thought to myself while eyeing the green blanket covering the ground around the ruins. This early in the morning, the moss was devoid of its white flowers - the beauties were still tucked away in the green buds waiting for the sun - but covered with tiny shimmering drops of water. The sight was mesmerizing in its own way.
Surviving on dew, though?
'I might as well have taken the [Moss Eater] and be done with it.'
No! Getting by on the moss was the last resort.
With my mind made up, I licked my dry, cracked lips, picked a random direction, and headed into the forest.
Of course, I didn't take it as some stroll in the neighborhood park. Aware of the danger that might lurk in the depths of the forest, I moved with the finesse of a predator stalking its prey, every now and then tearing moss from the tree trunks to mark my way. My eyes traced the forest for any sign of food while my ears hunted for the sound of running water.
Although luck seemed to elude me, yet again.
Time went by, and all I got was a torn blister on my foot quickly healed by my regeneration and a bunch of annoying notifications.
- 1st glyph engraved on Thrifty Drinker (⦿)
- 1st glyph engraved on Hunger Fortitude (⦿)
- 2nd glyph engraved on Spatial Domain (⦿)
- 3rd glyph engraved on Equilibrium (⦿)
- 2nd glyph engraved on Thrifty Drinker (⦿)
- 3rd glyph engraved on Spatial Domain (⦿)
[Equilibrium] was simply an awesome weave to have, and I was getting used to [Spatial Domain], meaning it didn't make me dizzy anymore. What I had a beef with were the other two weaves that grew less useful with every breath I took. I know, unfair, considering my deepening thirst wasn't their fault, but...
'There!'
After what seemed like hours, I finally found a stream - and from the sound of it, not just a wee brook, but quite possibly a strong stream with a waterfall.
Caution forgotten, I thirstily rushed forward, darting over tree roots, at times literally gliding. The sound of running water grew louder with each flap of my wings, my heart pounding harder with each stride I took.
'Just a bit further. Only a few trees and...' I froze in mid-thought the moment I pushed through the bushes and my gaze fell on the source of the noise. It certainly was a stream, a waterfall even, but...
'...what the bloody heck am I looking at?'
[Mossbear: ₪₪₪₪ sigils]
'Right, a mossbear.'
Even with the Lattice telling me exactly what stood in front of me, making sense of what I was seeing was a different story altogether. After all, if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, there right in front of me loomed a massive fury ass of a beast taking a piss by a tree - and massive meant easily twice my size, if not more.