The days have passed, and winter is getting closer. The renovations to the house are going very well; there are no more holes between the walls, and the space inside the house feels much larger and more comfortable. I've been trying to hunt more in the forest, or sometimes fish; anything that's food is welcome, and I've been bringing it home. I've noticed that the forest has been much more active, as all the animals are also preparing for the arrival of winter.
I've come across some strange animals, which I have to be very careful with and back away from. The other day I came across a type of wolf, which strangely enough was alone, but I still preferred to keep my distance. The book said that the ' Luven ,' as they're known, were animals that stayed in packs, always ready for ambushes, and as if that weren't enough, they could use wind magic, which made them extremely fast.
After hunting so much, I worried about how to preserve the food. But it seemed to be in vain. My mother would simply snap her fingers, and the meat, or whatever she had brought, would not only be cleaned but also cool, ready to be preserved. Since I didn't know the spell, and my mother couldn't pronounce it, I could only assume that was what she applied.
One day I was looking for something to help me finish the house renovations, some kind of mud or vines I could use, when suddenly I saw a bird looking for food on the ground, and I immediately went into hunting mode. With the experience I'd gained lately, I'd gotten much better at stealth, and I'd also improved the way I cast spells. I was faster now, and I didn't need to be as detailed to accomplish my goals.
The bird looked like a type of wild chicken; it was dark-coloured with white spots. The book said that the bird always lived in areas with good soil, rich in certain minerals, and that it loved to eat insects; it fed on those. Apparently, that's why the ' Zaabi ' has dark colours. The book said to be very careful when confronting a Zaabi, as they were strong users of earth magic. They also had strong claws coated with certain minerals, depending on the area where they lived and fed. That was just what he needed: an area where he could find something strong for the house.
After waiting for a while, keeping an eye on the Zaabi, the opportunity presented itself, and I immediately seized it. While the Zaabi had its back to me, I used the latest type of magic I'd discovered with the help of my mother's language classes, ' Lignum ,' which allowed me to use wood. I planned to entangle its legs and wings; with its limbs tied up, it would be easy prey.
It all happened in a second; casting the spell to catch the prey has to be very fast. The mental image must be perfectly timed; unfortunately, the bird noticed, and I was only able to catch its wings. The problem with not finishing off the targets quickly is that while the spell is active, it will continue to consume mana .
When the Zaabi turned around to see who had attacked him, he started running quickly towards me. I didn't panic and I cast earth spells to turn the ground where the Zaabi was standing into mud. As soon as he buried a paw in the ground, he noticed and stopped moving to look at it and make it harden. Apparently, the bird was in its adulthood and could already handle some spells. When the ground began to harden, he stomped and began to push with his free paw. His claws, hardened by the minerals, began to scratch the ground, and he managed to get out. While this was happening, I already had the saber in my right hand and the elongated knife in my left. When the Zaabi started running in my direction, I was already preparing the sheath for the saber. I couldn't yet use sheathing on both weapons; it was a great burden for my body and I didn't want to get to that situation.
When the Zaabi was about two meters away, I started to set the trap. I would make the ground where I was standing soft while I jumped back and tried to cut off its head. Sure enough, when the Zaabi leaped forward, since its wings were still tied, it fell completely into the trap. I jumped back and slashed horizontally. But I wasn't safe; I had underestimated the animal, and just as I slashed, it wound my arm. Although I had won, I didn't walk away unscathed. The cut on my arm was deep, but it was a clean cut, with the sharpness of its claws; it was lucky it didn't sever my arm.
After I was sure the Zaabi was dead and I was safe, I began first aid, using water magic to cleanse the wound. After cleaning the wound, I tied it with wood magic and a bit of fabric from my shirt. A thin vine would do the trick. That would help stop the bleeding and wouldn't bother me too much.
After resting for a while to catch my breath, I tied the Zaabi's legs to a nearby vine and started carrying him. I wouldn't be robbed again.
I began digging in the ground, removing the surface soil to look for the minerals. I'd been digging for a while when I suddenly began to feel that the ground was harder; there were some red rocks with black and yellow flecks.
I continued digging, looking for the larger and brighter-coloured parts. I had already managed to dig a hole approximately two meters long and wide. When I began to see that the rocks were now much darker and had fewer spots, I was excited. I cast faster spells, trying to enlarge the space. There were large sections of rocks sticking out, some very reddish and others with many yellowish spots. I stopped casting spells and began to collect the parts that had come out; if I collected too much, I wouldn't be able to carry them.
I hope there are space objects in this world where you can store things. They've always appeared in video games and stories, but so far I haven't seen anything like them.
Selecting the largest and most vividly coloured rocks, I packed them with my shirt and the bag I was carrying. The weight of the Zaabi and the rocks was already quite a lot. Walking through the forest, while being aware of my surroundings and carrying something so heavy, wasn't a good combination, but it was something I needed to do.
The sun was already setting, and I could finally see the silhouette of the house. It had taken me a long time to get out of the woods. At least I wasn't attacked by anyone; with all the cargo I was carrying, I was already pretty worn out.
When I finally made it to the house, I dropped everything like a sack and threw myself on the floor for air. It had been a huge challenge to get home, tired as I was after the fight and all the digging.
My mother watched from inside the kitchen while my father came to help me. I think they've gotten a little used to seeing me always come home tired and a little battered. My mother always looks annoyed and sad, while my father helps me get up and takes care of me a little.
After a good meal, the morning session of meditation and practice. I forgot everything; a good night's sleep would be very restorative, allowing me to start all over again.
The next day, I followed the same routine of help and practice. I had tried to analyse the materials I brought a little, but it didn't help much. I tried melting them, but I only managed to warm them up a bit. Apparently, the temperature of my spells wouldn't be enough; making it hotter would be a huge waste of mana.
I decided it would be best to make some kind of forge. I asked my father if I could use the side of the barn, where there were no animals. To keep him from asking too many questions, I simply told him it was a type of oven, which would retain heat so he could heat the materials to higher temperatures. After choosing the location, I began to prepare it so the heat wouldn't harm the animals. I put up a partition and made a mixture of dirt and damp grass to cover the walls where the forge would be. With some of the leftover sticks, I made a four-legged table as a structure, and with that ready, I headed for the forest.
After delving deeper into the forest, I began looking for patches of earth that resembled clay or something similar that could help me make the walls of the forge.
—Hmm , maybe this can help me— I said while holding in my hand a type of soil that felt like plasticine, if I moistened it a little, it began to become very malleable and I could give it any shape I wanted.
I decided to give it a try. I took some earth, moistened it with some enchanted water, and shaped it into a rectangular shape. Then I tried applying a heat spell to burn the attempted brick, although I invested a lot of mana. I was surprised. First, the huge amount of mana I had used to form just a small brick was insane; it had my head pounding. And second, the brick had turned out very well; it was hard enough and at least the right shape. Now I had to hope it could serve as a refractory material. Ideally, when the bricks are combined, they would trap most of the heat inside the forge. If the brick doesn't act as such, it wouldn't be a good refractory material, so it wouldn't work for me either.
I gathered piles of dirt and mixed it with water, trying to form large balls of earth that I could carry easily. Enough to form about 30 bricks. After carrying as much as I could, I started back home.
The faster I get back, the faster I can start doing the experiments I want. I was jogging and when I was about to leave the forest, I saw a whitish deer with dark brown antlers, it was a very beautiful animal. I looked at it for a while, admiring its beauty when I could see a Ribeyan coming from behind to attack it, I was going to use the same tactics they used to attack me the first time I entered the forest. I dropped all the dirt I was carrying and started running towards the ' Izvoci, ' as it was known in the book, it was a calm, herbivorous animal and could handle some wood, wind, and some rare light spells.
When I saw I couldn't intercept the Ribeyan, I grabbed the double-edged dagger, coated it with mana , and threw it as hard as I could.
There was a loud shriek, and the Ribeyan, which had leaped to attack the Izvoci, fell limping. The dagger had penetrated the side of its hip. I continued running, and before it could stand, I plunged my saber into its neck. When I looked up, the beautiful deer was still right in front of me, staring at me with shining black eyes. If it was beautiful from a distance, it was even more so up close. Its fur was a very light cream colour, with white highlights that made it look very beautiful. I stood still when the deer lowered its head and turned to run. I felt as if it was thanking me; it was a great moment. I picked up the Ribeyan and went to find the dirt I was carrying.
After going through that great experience, I felt very calm; I felt good about the beautiful Izvoci. So much so that the walk home carrying the two bags wasn't too difficult.
My mother was usually in charge of cleaning the animals when I brought them in complete. She also collected usable items, and if I wanted something, I'd ask her so she could take care of those specific parts.
After a short rest, I returned to work. First, I tried to build a large fire so I could put several bricks in it to cook. While the fire was still burning, I began shaping the bricks. When everything was ready, I prepared to place the bricks in the fire. After a while of baking what I thought was clay, I took them out and let them dry. Their previously yellowish colour had become lighter, and they had hardened enough.