After a long battle and short rest, curiosity got the best of him. Saul knew he'd leveled up several times since he'd last checked his stats, and he wanted to see where he was in comparison with his previous strength.

‘Status’

Name: Solomon Andrews

HP: 160=>260

Class: Ranger

Level: 8=>11

Talents:

Cultivate

Befriend Animal

Cultivation Level: Basic

Abilities:

Attack

Shoot

Track

Strength:

38=>47(+8)

Intelligence:

33=>39(+8)

Dexterity:

41=>50(+8)

Willpower:

26=>32(+8)

Endurance:

33=>42(+8)

Experience:

15,450

'Nice... I've got those all around stat boosts from my arms and armor. That should help bridge any gaps between me and someone who's a few levels higher. After the next few days here I should be strong enough for whatever they throw at us in Efnelion. If we can figure out what's causing those disappearances, all the better.'

Next he checked his skills:

Talent Type:

Talent Level:

Talent Description:

Cultivation

Basic, Lvl I

You have broken through the barrier and unlocked your second dantian. Energy infusion is more effective, and your senses grow stronger

Befriend Animal

Foundation, Lvl II

Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.

Archery

Basic, Lvl III

Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do greater damage.

Single wielding

Foundation, Lvl II

You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself

Dual wielding

Foundation, Lvl V

Your hands are able to move independently of one another to some effect, ensuring your attacks are likely to land.

Dodge

Foundation, Lvl IV

You have demonstrated some ability to slip attacks and leave your opponents hitting only air.

Two Handed Weapons

Foundation, Lvl V

Continued practice with two-handed weapons leads to improvement. You are more likely to hit your enemies and do greater damage.

Way of the Spear

Foundation, Lvl V

Through your growing understanding of the spear, you are able to do more damage.

‘Alright, enough of that. Time to focus.’ Saul sat on the ground outside the cabin. He had his legs crossed and his spear was resting across his legs, both hands feeling the shaft of the weapon. His eyes were closed. Behind his eyelids he could see light flickering and flashing, tinged red by the blood in his lids. He drew in a deep breath and reached out for the weapon. His consciousness and the weapon’s spirit intermingled as he sought deeper understanding for the weapon, its purpose, its uses, just… it.

He felt its desire to defeat all enemies. The desire to find the weak point of any armor. The desire to pierce the strongest defenses. ‘It feels the same things I do… I must defeat any enemies that would stop me from getting home. I must destroy any obstacles that I can’t get around otherwise.’ He reached out with his Qi to brush against the weapon. There was something that seemed to respond. An echo. He brushed against it again, and once again something within the weapon seemed to resonate with his energy. ‘Interesting…My bow doesn’t seem to do that. I’ll explore this more later. For now…’ He drew in one last deep breath and opened his eyes.

Through exploration of your spear using your Qi, you have leveled up your Way of the Spear! Your Way of the Spear level is Basic, Lvl I!

Vivid orange filled his vision, fire crackling in the fire pit, flames trying to ascend to the night sky as if seeking his attention. For just a moment the wind picked up and beat the flames back, blowing so hard the flames were hardly visible. The air was stilled. The fire roared. Flames danced wildly as if in victory, drawing his gaze. He dismissed his spear and withdrew his bow. “Alright there, Ishan?” He asked his companion.

The man nodded, “Doing good, Saul. Just enjoying the relaxation after a wild day. I’m glad we’ll be getting some training from masters tomorrow.” A grin played across the man’s face. An orange glow on his face made his tan even more noticeable.

The corners of Saul’s mouth tugged up in response, “Glad to hear it. I just wanted to make sure you were all recovered from your Shawarma.” He teased.

The man’s expression shifted as storm clouds rolled across his face, “The turmeric… Wasn’t turmeric. Sorry about that.”

Saul shrugged, “I thought it was good anyways. I guess that’s one of the downsides. We’ll need to follow the recipes they have here. No Earth cooking for now! Anyways…” He placed his bow across his lap and began to focus his awareness, “I need to get back to my training.” He turned his attention inward. He felt his Qi. He felt it flow throughout his body. Concentrating on his hands specifically, he began to pool his Qi into them slowly. From there he reached out to touch the bow, repeating the process he’d just undergone for the spear. He tried to feel it’s purpose.

He felt where his skin ended, and the bow began. He pushed past that. Merging. Thinking of the bow as an extension of himself, he could feel the edge of the bow as it faced the fire and absorbed heat from the flames. He could feel the air along its limbs. The wood felt ancient, powerful, supple enough to withstand great tension and durable enough to handle being used as a club by a desperate owner.

Through your use of your senses to feel the weapon, you have unlocked a new skill! Way of the Bow! Your Way of the Bow level is Foundation, Lvl. I!

‘The bow… The bow is for offense and defense.’ He felt that was a simple truth. As he thought it, the words infused into his Qi, and that Qi resonated within the bow. ‘The bow is an extension of myself. When I am steady, my bow is steady. When my bow is steady, my shots are effective.’ Those words seemed to cause more resonance with the weapon. He felt an echo. As if a long lost friend was calling to him in a crowd, the awareness of that faint signal was just at the edge of his mind but not something he could bring to the forefront.

‘The bow is a symbol of improvement. Just as my first shots were poor, my most recent shots have been good. The bow is a vehicle for improvement of myself, and improvement of myself is a vehicle for improvement of my archery.’

Another pulse. The air around him seemed to still, as if he were on the precipice of entering into his own little world. He dug deeper, trying to find more meaning, more purpose… And found nothing. Opening his eyes, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, his shoulders sinking and his back slumping as he relaxed.

Through growing your understanding of the Way of the Bow, you have increased your skill! Your Way of the Bow level is Foundation, Lvl. II!

He smiled. Not bad. “I should cultivate.” He spoke aloud, partially to Ishan and partially to himself. “But I don’t really feel like it. Basi!” He called for his companion.

The lizard stood and sauntered over to him at a casual pace. He felt a flash through their bond, the lizard’s expression combined with the emotion suggesting, ‘Maybe you should be coming when -I- call you.’ Saul laughed and patted the lizard’s head as it approached. “You’re right. You’re the best companion a man could ask for. Thank you for being such a great companion.” The lizard sat on his haunches and raised his head at the praise, his head lifting as high as possible and revealing his neck to Saul.

“Stop preening you show off!” Saul teased with a laugh, reaching out to scratch beneath his neck accordingly. A flash of pleasure through their bond let Saul know his touch was appreciated. He tilted his own head back to look at the moon, his hand falling idle on Basi’s neck.

‘It’s so big…’ He thought as he gazed at the half moon. Easily twice the size of Luna, it dominated the sky and was a poignant reminder that this wasn’t home. ‘I didn’t have anything too special back there, but I do miss it. It will be good to get b-’ His thoughts were interrupted by a several hundred pound lizard suddenly placing its front paws on his shoulders.

The pressure forced him backwards and he toppled over, hitting the ground with a laugh. Basi leaned down to nip at his neck. “I got it, I got it! Don’t stop scratching. Jeez. Now get off!” He reached up to continue his scratches. Basi moved to the side, contentment flashing through their bond. “Do you miss it, Ishan?” He suddenly asked.

“Miss what?” The man’s voice had a strange note to it. Curiosity, and beneath that was the sound of… regret? Sorrow?

“Earth. I know we haven’t talked about it before. There are times when I miss it terribly, and times where I don’t miss it at all.”

The man was quiet for a moment as if he were contemplating. “I miss Earth.” He said simply.

Saul continued, talking for his own benefit as well as Ishan’s, “Back home, I just went through the motions. I had a nice time, I taught, had friends… But I didn’t have anything meaningful. Here? I have a chance to save people. My actions matter. We might be able to prevent a war here. That’s huge. Did you have anything important back home?”

He turned his head to look at Ishan and found that his face was shrouded in shadows. He’d turned just far enough that Saul couldn’t see him. In the firelight, Saul didn’t miss a sudden reflection of light that fell from his face onto the ground. ‘He’s crying…’ After a moment, the man cleared his throat and spoke, his voice just a bit hoarse, “I have family. Important family. A wife. A home. A sick mother. I’m trying to do the best I can to make the best of everything. This is a once in a lifetime experience. If I didn’t have anything waiting, I’d probably stay, but…”

Saul filled in the gaps, “I’ll help you get home, Ishan. We’ll make sure you see your family again. Level V… We’re halfway there.”

The man’s voice held a note of resolve as he spoke up in agreement, “Level five… It sounds so close, yet so far…”

Saul stood and approached the man - his friend - and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. He felt Basi’s displeasure through their bond, then satisfaction as the lizard moved closer to the fire and basked in its warmth. “We’ll get there. For now, let’s get some rest. We have masters coming in the morning to help us get closer to our goal.” He left his friend lost in thought, finding his bed and falling into a deep and restful sleep.

Saul was already rising as the dawn filtered in through the window. ‘Couldn’t sleep as long as I’d like to. Masters should be here soon.’ He saw Ishan was still sleeping and he tiptoed from the room to avoid disturbing the man. He entered the kitchen. Inspected the supplies. ‘Adequate.’ He found an ice box that was cold, but he couldn’t see where the ice actually went. Glyphs glowed gently on the side. ‘A magic refrigerator, eh? Creative.’ Inside he saw several items that looked like they’d have a home in his own refrigerator. Some sort of egg covered in purple spots sat next to thick slices of meat. His eyebrows raised as he considered the possibilities. ‘Well, everyone needs breakfast.’

He looked at one large stone platform that had a massive iron skillet atop it. The stone had several glyphs inscribed on its side. Saul placed a hand to them and they began to glow orange. Heat could be felt emanating from that surface. ‘Who needs a stovetop?’

Before long he had meat sizzling in the large skillet, the meat curved like a smiling mouth with two separate piles of scrambled eggs cooking above it reminiscent of eyes. ‘Reminds me of when I was a kid.’ He thought. His eyes crinkled and he had a skip in his step as he searched for plates and forks. Basi came up to him as he cooked, an expectant look on the lizard’s face somehow. “You’ve got to be the most expressive lizard I’ve ever seen. Let’s see…” He dug in that ice box and found a large chunk of some unknown meat. “That should work for you.” He tossed it to his companion who began to work on it happily.

He had both meals plated and on the table before Ishan made his way into the kitchen. “Cooked breakfast.” He gestured towards the plate. “Should be a busy day.” The two of them ate, the only sounds in the kitchen being those of forks scraping on plates and food being inhaled.

A knock sounded at the door as Saul was leaning back with a satisfied smile, an empty plate sitting before him the only evidence of his meal. “Must be the masters.” Ishan rose to go and get the door. From his vantage point, Saul could just barely see the forms of four elves standing in the doorway. “Saul! They’ve sent two people for you. They’ve even sent someone for Basi!” Saul’s eyebrows raised.

He looked over to his companion, still happily working on a massive chunk of meat, much reduced. “Guess you’re getting some work in too, bud. I’m not sure what they have in mind for you. It should be interesting.”