[7] Hope I Can Swim (Patreon)

It wasn’t darkness, it was emptiness, a void in well… everything. It may sound like semantics but there is a difference between a large dark space even one that is infinite in size because darkness is a concept that one could envision. However a void blank of even the concepts of light in darkness is something only the soul could recognize. Bjorn found himself there but only for the briefest of moments before he felt something yank his soul back to the realm of mortals.

He had experienced it once before and found that the feeling was the same. The first sensation was warmth, then breath, then darkness as his eyes rolled open. It took longer than it should have for his vision to focus and his body to respond. He didn’t feel injured, just tired and weak. 

I am alive? Well, that sucked.

He tried to focus on his vision; he was still seeing double but after a few moments his vision returned to normal. He rolled over onto his paws, now laying on his stomach instead of his side. His muscles were sore and felt as if he had been shredded from the inside out then stitched back together. 

He struggled to remember what happened to him. The last thing he could recall was being caught in the grasp of the troll, then nothing but the void. He coughed, his throat dry and scratchy. He flicked his tongue and tasted death. The sun was setting but the crag face caught the light, giving the area a few more minutes before night. 

He followed the taste of death with his eyes and it didn’t take long to find the troll. It’s body unmoving as a gentle breeze ruffled it’s fur. He didn’t see Freja though he could feel his connection to her. He didn’t know if that meant she was alive or that he would need to break the bond.

“Failsafe? Failsafe are you there?” Bjorn called out mentally

“Five more minutes.” Failsafe responded with a sleepy voice. “I am just kidding.”

“Do you sleep?” Bjorn asked. 

“Nope, I couldn't even if I tried.” Failsafe said. “And I have tried mind you.”

“What happened to us? I thought we were dead.”

“Yeah, about that. I discovered something new that totally saved our lives. As for what happened, you almost got us killed, the troll grabbed us and nearly turned us into a lizard paste.” Failsafe said happily. “Apparently we have a really powerful regeneration ability. I am still analyzing it so give me a minute. I think I will have something for you.”

“I feel fine, sore but fine, how bad was it?”

“Oh, it was bad, like your insides looked more like minced meat bad.” Failsafe groaned. “And it hurt too.”

“You can feel pain?” 

“I feel everything you do.” Failsafe responded. “I can see what you see too.”

“Huh… good to know.” 

Bjorn shifted his thoughts back to what had happened to him and he really couldn’t remember how the fight ended. He remembered jumping on the back of the troll and very vaguely remembers getting grabbed. He thought it would be better to just put that behind and think about what comes next. First he needed to make sure the troll was dead.

He remained as close to the ground as he could move silently. He had a slight limp on his back right leg but it was more of a phantom pain than an actual injury so he powered through. The last thing he wanted was to wake the creature if it wasn’t dead. With each flick of his snake-like tongue he could taste death in the air. It grew stronger as he got closer but he wasn’t taking chances. 

He walked around the completely still cadaver a few times from what he considered a safe distance. With no movement from the creature he approached its back, not confident in being able to escape if it suddenly sprung at him from the front. After scratching it with his claws and jumping back with no reaction he approached again. The creature was good and dead, but that left Bjorn with a question.

“Did our venom really take it down or did Freja use some kind of spell on it?” Bjorn asked.

“I didn’t see any other wounds on it so I think this was all us.” Failsafe said.

“Failsafe, did the cultivation thing you were talking about work? I mean we killed this thing, right?” Bjorn asked as he examined the dead creature. “This thing had to boost our level, right?”

“Huh, oh that, well yes and no,” Failsafe responded though he sounded embarrassed. “Most of our share of the energy I took from it, and I mean like 95% got used up healing us… and the rest–”

Bjorn cut him off. “You said most of the energy got used up and our share. What do you mean our share shouldn’t all of it be ours? Who are we sharing our brand new possibly cultivation, uh, energy? Energy with!” 

“So, funny story. I forgot to account for the fact that you’re a familiar. So when I created your menu system Freja’s magic copied it. I don't think she’s used it yet, in fact I don’t think she consciously knows she has the ability, but her body is also able to create mental projection menus, stats and skill sheets. It would be based off of ours until her magic changes it to fit her needs.”

“You lost me, what does that have to do with my question?” Bjorn asked.

“Well,” Failsafe held the word for longer than necessary. “When I developed our cultivation method her magic copied that as well, and technically you are an extension of her magic as long as you have the familiar bond.”

“So, when I kill something the energy or reward or whatever is shared between us?” Bjorn asked.

“Yes so your… uh, let's call it experience, got split between the two of you,” Failsafe said. “And she now has a cultivation method.”

“Well, I guess that will be a good thing in the long run,” Bjorn said. “It’s going to start getting cold soon; let’s check out the cave, I don’t think it’ll be smart to stay out here in the open.”

“True, night belongs to the monsters,” Failsafe agreed.

Bjorn felt better with the confirmation that the troll was dead. He looked around in the direction he could feel Freja was in thanks to their bond. Since he could now stand to the fullness of his height he could make out the crumpled form of Freja not too far from the collapsed troll. He limped over to make sure she was still alive. He could feel the familiar bond still active so she had to be breathing, right? Failsafe didn’t say she was dead and he couldn’t taste death in her direction, only blood.

Freja lay before him in a terrible state, the ground beneath her soaked in blood, staining the remnants of her shredded uniform that clinging to her in tatters. Her wounds had stopped bleeding, the potion she’d taken working its magic. Her right arm and side were marred with fresh scars, angry red lines that had been hastily closed by the potion she’d taken. It was a small mercy in the midst of such violence, but it wasn’t enough. The empty bottle clutched in her hand was a lifeline, a small glass vessel that had likely kept her from death's door.

Bjorn’s gaze swept over her, taking in the ragged rise and fall of her chest. She was alive, but just barely. He knew the potion had done its job on the surface, but the damage beneath was still there, a ticking clock counting down inside her fragile body. On the ground beside her were her belongings, which appeared to have been thrown to the ground without care for the contents. 

“She’s alive, but you hear that?” Bjorn said mentally, his concern deepening as he listened to the ragged sound of her breathing.

“Yeah, she’s got internal injuries. Her breathing sounds bad,” Failsafe replied grimly. “I don’t think she is surviving this. We can at least make death comfortable for her.”

“That’s awfully dark. I think we can help her. I survived.” Bjorn said.

“Well, if you think so.” Failsafe said optimistically. “You know what, yeah! Let’s do it. We’ve got to find somewhere not so out in the open, though.”

Determined, Bjorn scanned the area until his gaze settled on the cave the troll had called home. As he approached, his vision easily adjusted to the darkness within, and his flicking tongue confirmed that the cave was clear of any more trolls. The inside was lined with the bones of all sorts of animals and even other magic beasts. The strong musk of the troll was everywhere, which might keep them safe; other beasts would likely stay away from the troll's territory. 

Satisfied with the shelter, he returned to Freja with the plan to drag the girl into the cave. He bit onto her shirt, careful not to nick her with his fangs. He didn't think moving her would be easy, but he also didn’t think it would be so hard. Freja wasn’t a big girl by any means, she probably weighed about a hundred ten pounds soaking wet. The minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, each foot gained a small victory in the struggle against the weight of her unconscious form. 

Ever so slowly but surely, after an hour and a half they finally made it. The sun fully set and the temperature was dropping fast. That brought up a new problem, with her being in such a delicate state the cold could push her over the edge and He was determined to make sure this wasn’t her final sleep.

“I need a plan, what do you suggest?” Bjorn asked hurriedly. “She is going to get really cold really fast.”

“Maybe she has more things we can cover her with in that pile.” Failsafe responded.

“That yeah that makes sense thanks!” 

He needed to act fast. Without wasting time, Bjorn darted back to the pile of her belongings, his mind racing for a solution. He found her travel bag among the scattered items, its contents spilling out: books, papers, and various personal effects. He left the unnecessary items behind, focusing solely on what could help her survive the night.

Tugging the bag along was far easier than moving Freja had been, and he quickly brought it back to her side. Once he returned to the cave he decided it was high time he got to see how dexterous his hands were. He didn’t want to rip the bag because it would be useful when they traveled. His front paws looked like they were meant to grab and hold onto things with three finger-like talons and a forth that functioned kind of like a thumb. He used his hands to carefully unzip the bag. 

He found that he could do simple movements with his hands, but he was never going to be a painter, not in this life at least. Once the bag was open he and Failsafe used their mouths to quickly take out all of the clothing inside, placing a layer of skirts, sweater vests and shirts on top of Freja. Once they were done with the task, they curled up beside her to share body heat. With things calmed down he finally opened his status to see what changes had been made.

Status Menu

Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 0.5
Vitality: 1
Restoration:10
Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2 (+2 from bond)

Page 1 of 2

Skills Analysis

Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic construct and your best friend that has your back no matter what!

Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.

Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic, creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.

Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal over time.

Familiar Pact Connection
Magic Cost: -3
As a familiar you are receiving +3 to your magic regeneration 

Dragon Repellant?
Passive Skill?
Dragons seem to dislike you for some reason and show hesitation and fear around you. More study needed.

Super Regeneration?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
Currently only usable if fallen beasts powers the magic, major wounds can be healed. More study needed but not recommended we try again.

Page 2 of 2

***

Morning came with the sound of a pained scream, causing Bjorn to spring awake. Hehe hissed loudly in alert as scanned his environment for any signs of attack or dreading the idea of another troll returning from a night of hunting. Only the far wall of the cave was illuminated by the rising sun. The low light didn’t matter because, as Bjorn found out last night, he could see in darkness quite well. 

It didn’t take much to discover the source of the scream. Freja was awake but didn't have the energy to sit up with her broken ribs. Her shock and joy quickly turned into confusion when she saw Bjorn up an about after what had happened to him the day before. She winced in pain as she reached out her hand, following the familiar bond that connected them. He wasn’t gone; she couldn’t believe what she was seeing he was alive.

“Bjorn?” she whispered, as if saying the name too loud would cause him to vanish. “That is you, right?”

Bjorn squawked in response, and the girl reached forward despite the pain by infusing her muscles with mana. She embraced him

“I am sorry, baby!” She cried. “I couldn’t even cast one spell to protect you. It must have been so scary for you and I just sat there and watched. I am so, so sorry.”

The tears wouldn’t stop as pain forced her back to the ground. The pain didn’t even allow her to lift her arms and pet the loyal familiar. Bjorn knew she was injured but not to what extent. It may be a few days or weeks before she would be fit to move. That meant she would need food and water, especially after losing so much blood. He needed to do something for her and fast. 

“What happened to you? How did you survive?,” she said but winced in pain. “We have to go. My father… my father disowned me. He actually tried to kill us.” She shook her head. “If Helga were alive he wouldn’t… it doesn’t matter.” Her eyes finally darted around the cave. “Did you drag me in here? Good boy. I just need to rest a little more.” She passed out cold.

Bjorn stayed by Freja for a few more minutes, then he decided to search around the mouth of the cave. He wanted to get a good lay of the land. He decided to finish gathering the rest of Freja’s belongings, which included her alchemy set in a rather nice leather-bound case along with several notebooks and textbooks. It was a few hours from midday, and aside a couple of vultures circling the dead troll not much had changed from the day prior. The clearing around the large rock face stretched out into a short grassland before transitioning to unkempt woodland. 

“Do you think Freja can eat troll meat?” Bjorn asked.

“I don’t know, but you did pump it full of venom so probably not,” Failsafe responded.

“Can she not eat anything I kill with my venom?” Bjorn asked as he found a rock that he could climb to get a better view of the surroundings. “That might be a problem. I am pretty sure I’m supposed to be an ambush predator that strikes and wraps my prey up with my long body.”

“We just have to hunt something small like a bird or rabbit after we find some water,” Failsafe added.

Bjorn swung around, looking for any signs of monsters skulking about. With each tongue flare he could literally taste the decomposition of the troll along with the vultures’ frustration trying to get to the meat beneath the thick hide. He decided to watch for a few hours just to make sure nothing would show up while he left Freja alone in the cave.

“Well it is my venom so I should be okay, right?” Bjorn said as he approached the troll. “I’ll take a bite for the road.”

***

After he was satisfied and returned to check on the sleeping girl before he left for the grassland. She looked worse and he could taste her turmoil in the air. He walked over to the alchemy case and after a few tries managed to undo the latch and open it. Inside were vials, beakers, a mortar and pestle along with a host of tools, potions and ingredients. Bjorn could tell that the girl was passionate about her use of alchemy, and he felt she most likely wanted to learn to cover her deficiencies as a magic caster.

Bjorn took one of the empty glass beakers in his mouth. A runic symbol at the bottom reinforced the durability, making it far stronger than the thin glass made it seem. Now that he had a cup he was off to the grassland to find water. The clacking of his talons against hard rocky ground changed into a much softer comfortable jaunt now that he had soft soil beneath his paws. The lizard decided to use his magic to tug at the familiar pact under the direction of Failsafe. He found that could feel the direction back to Freja; at least he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.

The grass was tall, or at least taller than he was, meaning he had to rely on his sense of the familiar bond like a compass to know he was going in the right direction. Soon enough he reached the entrance to the forest. The canopy was thick, making the passage look menacing. Bjorn wanted to test out a theory to determine a possible escape should he encounter any predators. 

He placed the glass beaker down and walked up to the closest tree and sunk his claws into the trunk in an attempt to climb. His first try looked more like he really just wanted to give the tree a hug. He tried again, this time with a bit of a hop using his front arms to grab on then his hind legs to push up. He found that doing this he could climb pretty well and made it about twelve feet up the trunk. But it was too tiring to keep trying until he found water. He used his long tail to wrap around the tree trunk as added safety as he slowly descended.

Now that he had an escape should something happen he felt confident enough to enter the forest with his glass. The darkness didn’t impede his vision, and he used his heightened senses to smell out the location of water. Every few minutes he would have to set the glass down and flare his tongue then continue. 

He walked for a half hour until he finally picked up the taste of water in the air. He tugged at the magical connection he had to Freja just to make sure he could get back to her then continued.

“We’re not too far from water now,” Bjorn said mentally.

“Stop,” Failsafe said with a sharp edge to his tone. “I think we’re being hunted.”

Bjorn froze in place, then got low to the ground as both he and Failsafe used all of their senses to observe the area. Everything looked normal, the canopy blocked most light but a thick carpet of leaves made nearly every step crunch. He didn’t smell anything but the natural musk of the forest. His tongue tasted the air and he could pick up the faintest trace of other animals; they all seemed far away. Then something jumped out at him, the taste of magic so faint he only noticed it because he was focused so intently. 

“Run!” Failsafe screamed in Bjorn’s head.

Bjorn picked up the beaker with his tail and took off running in the direction of the water just as something lunged out at them, so close they felt its breath. As soon as they started running the forest erupted into life. Bjorn heard the sound of several things chasing them. He didn’t dare turn around; he needed absolute focus on where he was going. The last thing he needed was to trip on a root and stumble.

“Shadow wolves,” Failsafe said “Go right now,” Failsafe ordered right as Bjorn narrowly avoided the jaws of the leading wolf. “Left-left.”

Bjorn quickly changed directions again and again, following Failsafe’s guidance. The sound of more wolves joining in the hunt painted a grim picture, especially when the sound came from ahead. Bjorn, in a moment of desperation, turned to the nearest tree and jumped as high as he could. His claws sank into the trunk as he pulled himself up as fast as possible. It wasn’t fast enough; he felt one of them bite onto his tail, sinking their teeth in deep, pulling him down off the tree. The pain caused him to release the beaker, which fell to the ground.

Bjorn looked back for the first time and saw a pack of at least ten pitch-black wolves closing in. Their bodies were like optical camouflage, changing to match the shadows round them. The one that gripped his tail was already ripping at his flesh and the pain was intense. Bjorn could feel his grip on the trunk loosening; he needed to do something now or he was dead. 

“Failsafe, poison puff, what do I do!” Bjorn screamed in his head. “How do I use it?”

“Animal magic, remember just do it!” Failsafe responded, equally frantic..

Poison Puff

Magic Cost: 1

You can mix your venom into the air using magic, creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.

Bjorn felt the single magic point he had drained from his core and rose up his throat and pooled in his mouth.  A sickly green mist began to seep out from between his clenched jaws, quickly darkening into an ominous black fog as he opened his mouth and exhaled. The mist smelled unusually sweet despite it’s deadly nature which seemed to curl the air. It churned like a thundercloud, crackling with malevolent energy as it spilled forth from Bjorn's maw.

 The mist poured out in a thick, relentless stream, far more than seemed possible for his small body to produce. It billowed around him, clinging to the air like a living entity, in its own right. As soon as the mist touched the wolf gnawing at his tail, it whimpered in agony, releasing him instantly. The other wolves ran into the mist only to also whimper in pain and confusion as they fled in retreat. Bjorn looked around and saw the wolves back up, some of them coughing and a few started running away. 

He looked out and saw they were only a few hundred feet from the water he had been tracking. It was a large bayou, the wetland cutting through the forest like a jagged scar. The mist wouldn’t last long, and he had to make it to the water before it dissipated. His heart pounded in his chest as he calculated his next move, this was life and death for him and Freja.

The lizard looked back down at the wolves; they were still regrouping and obviously more wary of chasing him now that they saw he was a threat. He tugged at his familiar connection to make sure he could feel her direction and he could. He could make it to the water and make it back home. That is all that mattered now.

“Shit,” Bjorn said. “Hope I can swim.”