Chapter 5: Magic Mirror

Did I just summon myself back here? I look around the cabin, nothing really seems to have changed except the wooden windows are now open, revealing a forest much like the one I fell asleep in. There’s also a large hourglass on the nightstand. I pick it up and look it over, and other than the large size, it’s seemingly just an hourglass. I flip it over and put it back, before getting up. Checking out the mirror I see a slowly pulsing red light blinking in the top left corner. I approach and focus on it.

-System Initializing-

-Status updated-

Name: Elizabeth “Lizzy”

Path: Survivor

Level: 1

Stats:

-Body(+): 0

-Mind(+): 0

-Soul(+): 0

Skills: [Available]

Points: 1

Welp, that’s new. I click on the plus, next to ‘body’.

-Body(-): 0

—Strength(F):0(+)

—Agility(F):0(+)

—Endurance(F):0(+)

I quickly tap the pluses next to mind and soul.

-Mind(-): 0

—Focus(E):0(+)

—Dexterity(E):0(+)

—Willpower(F):0(+)

-Soul(-): 0

—Presence(F):0(+)

—Sense(F):0(+)

—Energy(F):0(+)

Tapping on the plus next to strength the mirror shifts

-Cost: 1 Point-

-Yes/No-

I quickly press ‘No’ and go back to the primary screen, I press the available button next to skills.

-See Path-

Then the screen morphs back….

That’s super helpful, what does it mean: see path? It’s gotta be the booklet, right? I shuffle back over to the nightstand and pick up the dark green notebook, I flip it open to see that I’m on the right track.

Path of Survival

Below the title is a charcoal drawing of a campfire, with the full group of ten around it. In the drawing I’m holding a sewing needle while a spear rests next to me, a dinosaur carcass can be seen a bit off into the distance. The drawing is sharp to the point it looks like a memory, but this picture has never happened.

Flipping to the next page I see

Survival Craft

Below is a sketch of the sewing needle, sandals and spear in significant detail. Each divot on the needle can be seen along with every wrap of the sinew on the spear.

Looking next.

Field Dress

A drawing of a dinosaur with a perfect split in the hide and the entrails pulled out, encompasses the page.

Another page.

Spear Hunting

With multiple images of me in various positions, skulking, stabbing, and throwing; just to name a few.

A flip through a few following pages but they’re all blank. Setting the book back down I check back at the mirror under the skills.

Skills:

-Active: N/A

-Passive: [Available]

-Passive: [Available]

Looks like I have three skill slots I can use.

Pressing on the available slots shows the three titles from before.

Survival Craft: 1 Point

Field Dress: 1 Point

Spear Hunting: 1 Point

So I have one point to spend, which can be spent on skills or attributes. I’m leaning towards getting a skill, it just seems like a sure bet. I go ahead and purchase Survival Craft.

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-Survival Craft: 1 Point-

-Yes/No-

I tap the yes button and wait, expecting some kind of download of survival crafts or a book. The mirrored screen shifts

Name: Elizabeth “Lizzy”

Path: Survivor

Level: 1

Stats:

-Body(+): 0

-Mind(+): 0

-Soul(+): 0

Skills:

-Active: N/A

-Passive: Survival Craft

-Passive: [Available]

Points: 0

Although the skill is now listed as a passive, nothing else has seemed to have changed. I check the bookshelf but it’s still just the empty brown notebook from the trunk. The Path book hasn’t changed either. Might as well get on with it then.

Opening the door, the orange sunlight pierces through the trees and rests with great warmth against my bare skin. The air drier than the real forest and a spring breeze flows through the trees. I step over the threshold and am mildly surprised when I’m not immediately whisked away. A dirt path extends a few hundred feet into the forest where the trees grow denser. Circling around the cabin I find a small outhouse. In addition to a circular wheel grindstone next to the entryway in the angle of the L shaped cabin. A small stool rests next to it with a table pressed up against the wall. I continue checking around the area but other than the underbrush and trees nothing catches my attention. I make my way deeper into the forest, following the path. As I cross into the dense trees a mental image of the hourglass pierces my mind. The sand goes from slowly draining to a flood and as the top empties I find myself back in the teepee, with the morning sun passing through the opening.

After taking care of my bodily needs I make my way over to Watcher, who’s sectioning out the skins from yesterday. Giving him a friendly smile I pile up all the bones from the two beasts and the remainder from the previous one. I start sorting them into sections based on size and density, giving me a clear variety to work with. I make sure they’re in line with the sun before grabbing some reheated meat from Trevor, and head out to the river to grab more reeds. I pull out two decent sized bushels as I look around. After all the reeds I’ve taken I still haven’t made a dent in the amount surrounding the river. I set them out in the sun as well before taking one of the older femurs and crushing them with it. As I step over to grab some bones to make more spears I get the sudden sense that something isn’t quite right.

Looking around the clearing, everything seems fine. Big Mike is grinding his stone axe-head against a gritty rock, Cody is checking over the scaled hide he has set out, Chris and David are about to set out on the exploration, while Trevor, Jamie, and John are talking around the fire’s hot coals.

As I look around the sense of wrongness fades, so I turn my attention back to the bones. As I reach out to touch them, that sense of wrongness settles back into my mind.

Okay, that’s super weird. I try various piles of bone only for the same outcome. I try reaching out to various sticks and branches, but don’t have any issue. I make my way done the spread reeds and the newer. Ones that I set out in the last day or so have the sense of wrongness while the oldest ones don’t.

That has to be Survival Craft at work! I rush over to the finished spears and as I focus on one that sense of wrongness returns.

Oh no, what’s wrong with them? I scan the shaft and the wood seems more twisted than straight now, the small lumps stand out in a jarring fashion that just yesterday I barely noticed. The spear tips themselves appear dull, and the bone itself seems as if it’s unripened, like a fruit not yet ready.

I set the spear back down, it’ll work for now but I clearly have much to learn when it comes to crafting. I head back to the dried reeds and pick them up. I have almost a bushel and a half, and I’m thinking a basket is in order. I start the braiding process and follow along with that sense of right and wrong as I go. After I complete the second circuit I get the sense I need to do something more. I need some way to pull the layers tighter together, I try pushing them, and though it gives a little it’s uneven, pulling the strands doesn’t help either. Checking the bone pile my attention catches on the half-broken jaw of the first dino we brought it. I pick it up and bring the long side edge-first against the braids, I pull the bone tight towards me and shift the braids as I do. After a little effort I have a nice tight braid. With a triumphant grin I continue working on my basket.

As I finish the bottom, which was a massive pain in the ass let me tell you I decide to add some straps like a backpack. The whole thing rests from just above my neckline down to the top of my butt, so I think I’ll be able to carry quite a bit in it. With that done, I head over to the small fire and sit down with the guys, who started eating a late lunch a little bit ago.

“Hey everyone, look what I made!” I show off the backpack-basket in all its glory.

“That’s actually pretty cool, Elizabeth.” David, the goth guy says as he looks it over. Though Chris rolls his eyes at the comment.

“It’s surprisingly well done, not that I expect the things you make to be bad, but this is like something I’d buy online.” John, the chubby man adds in.

“Yeah, I figured out last night how paths work, and Jamie…” I make eye contact with the shy boy,

“….you were right, we do have skills available! It seems like you have to unlock them by doing something related to your path. For example, I’m a Survivalist and got Survival Crafting as a skill. I think it unlocked from trying to make the sewing needle, spears, and sandals.” I say while making sure I have everyone's attention.

“How did you figure this out?” Chris demands.

“Well last night as I was tucking in, I was thinking about my cabin, which is my version of Little Mike's apartment. When I drifted off, I found myself in my bed, and followed the directions on the mirror.” I say giving him a smug look full of eye contact.

“We should probably all look into it then, and maybe tomorrow we can meet up again like this, share our paths and skills with each other?” Trevor adds to the discussion, receiving nods all around.

The conversation devolves from there, mostly into complaints about the lack of bathrooms in this new world.

Seems like I’m not the only one who desperately wants to bathe. I let out an internal sigh, as I imagine the warm running water of a good shower. Most of my crafting materials need time In the sun, and I find myself at a loss for what to do.

“Hey, before you all get back to it, what’s everyone been up to?” I ask the group who are currently arguing the merits of various fast food joints.

Big Mike looks over with a deep frown on his face.

“I’ve been trying to sharpen my axe, those trees are fearsome, and though my fists are strong, the trees won’t break.” He says as he cradles his busted knuckles.

The group pauses and everyone simply looks at him.

“….Did you really lose a fight against a tree?” John asks, with a look of pure disbelief on his face.

“I haven’t lost! I just need appropriate gear, like a bench without a bar,” He shouts the first, and grumbles the last. Half the camp erupts into laughter, and I can’t help myself to pat the big man on his massive arm.

“It’s okay, Mike, we’ll get that axe sharp for you.” I say in between puffs of laughter.

As the laughter subsides, David speaks up.

“Chris and I have been searching the surrounding areas, we try not to go too far so it’s a lot of backtracking. We’ve found some interesting spots though, like to the northwest there are these rocky ravines that sink into the earth.”

“I’ve been mostly just minding the camp, I’ve started sorting the usable wood for the fire and some larger logs that I can move. Maybe once Big Mike can start chopping logs we can get building an actual shelter.” Trevor says, as he looks around our poor camp.

“I’ve mostly been helping out here and there.” John says before handing off the metaphorical torch.

Next around the fire is Cody, the Watcher. Who simply lifts some scale hide up. He quickly latches it with a reed around his forearm, before showing off some rudimentary armor.

Well that’ll be handy. I think as I inspect his craft.

Maybe he’ll get a skill for it? Guess time will tell.

“Umm… I definitely don’t have as much going on as the rest of you, but I’ve been trying to find a way to make music…” An awkward Jamie adds in.

Chris starts at that.

“Music, really, in a place like this where two people have died, you’re busy trying to make music. God help me, these people are incompetent.” He pipes in with a flash of anger settling into his features.

“Look, music is awesome! If Jamie wants to make music, why shouldn’t he?” Trevor comes to Jamie’s defense.