A/N:
Sorry for the late upload. I wrote about 2/3 of it in one go. then I reread it and didn't like it. took me quite some time to rewrite to have some parts make sence, at least for me.
as always comments are welcome. constucive criticism especially
update:
mk0008 and T4ndoris: first, thanks. second, I didn't check the layout, sorry. my word file had things lined out. doesn't seem to transfer. ohwel. I fixed it now ( I hope). I didnt check due to being sleep deplived. I will fix chapter 1 as soon as i have some free time. again thanks for letting me know. and of course have a good new year
now lets have a nice new year. and I will see you all in 2023
STORY
gamer ability(gase talking)
(thoughts)
"speech"
sign language
"telepathy or similar(higher beings)"
{familiar talking}
Chapter 2: Old wounds
"What do you want Anok?" I ask plainly. "Look, I will be blunt here. You have a LOT of clout just by being the heir and grandson to Arnook." Anok says. "So?" I say, followed
by "that still doesn't answer my previous question." "Right, right. To the point, I want to take a small band of warriors, around 80 or so, and go eeehm let's say fishing." Anok
says with a fake smile, failing terribly at being subtle. "And by 'fish' I feel the words fire nation survivors come to mind." I say with a calm like he just asked for the weather.
Anok flinches for a second and then says in a defeated tone "I am not very good with subtlety or politics for that matter. That's why I don't have permission. Didn't even
bother asking at the last Gathering of counsel." "Okay. Thanks for the context. But do I really have to guess what it is you want or are you finally gonna tell me?" I respond
slightly annoyed. "I want you to ask for it in my stead." He finally says, looking as if it pained him to do so. He follows it up with the why of said pain "But that would also
make you the commander of the unit….. With all the glory that comes with it…." "And you want that glory?" I ask, faking a puzzled look. "Yes! Look, the counsel sees me as
an Idiot who can only fight and command my small group of 12. They think I can't lead a Unit like my father can" Anok states, saddened.
(A/N: My Current Water tribe army layout : Unit 60-100 men, group: 20)
"I have two questions. And if you can't answer the first one. You have your answer as to why you aren't allowed to lead so many. The second one you don't have to answer"
I say, calmly with a smile. "Okay, ask away."
"What were you going to do if you managed to capture the survivors? And why not ask your own father?" I ask. He looks as if in thought and I immediately know the answer:
(he doesn't think about anything but the battle. That's why you don….) My own thoughts are interrupted when he finally speaks up "I didn't think that far ahead…
Now I understand why the counsel doesn't let me do stuff like that. Thanks for that."
He then saddens and says "my father was one of the casualties of the last raid. He died when the moon was gone."
"Oh." I say, while thinking (REALLY, Yanik. Just an 'oh'? Couldn't be a little nicer.) "a little bit of advice would probably cheer me up." Anok says, throwing me completely off
guard. He follows it up with "My dad died protecting everything he held dear. So I don't want to be sad about it. I don't want to dishonor his effort."
"Oke, if you say so(mister I don't want to grieve)." I pause not knowing what to do exactly. I sigh and then say "Your problem is that you don't think about anything but the
battle. Wars are not just won on the battlefield. Logistics can cripple any army. Like for a simple example: food. What would those 80 men eat? We can't go out to sea for
months on only the daily catch." I say and then wait for 5ish seconds for it to sink in.
I then opened my mouth to continue but Anok interrupted me, somehow no longer saddened by the loss. "And now you convinced me that IF it can happen.
You would be able to lead it. But that becomes now just an if." "By the way, on an entirely different topic, Can I keep this?" I point at the bow.
"Well, yes and no." he responds. He tries to continue but gets interrupted by his group entering the shooting range.
"Hey Anok. Why are you talking and not showing the rookie how to shoot?" A bear of a man says. "Maybe because he is by no means a rookie and can shoot this bow better
than I can my warbow." Anok answers before turning to me, ignoring the amazed look of mister bear and a couple of praising whistles of his group, answering my question
with "Yes you could keep it but these are meant for rookies and are thus terrible in quality. It would be better if you ask Quilten to make you one or make your own." "Thanks,
but I don't know where Quilten is." I say.
Anok then turns to mister bear and makes a couple of hand gestures. Bear then turns to the rest of the group and starts 'debating' something. But by the moon, they debate
LOUD! Anok then turns to me and says barely loud enough for me to hear "A cheaper way to get a good quality bow is to go east of the city into an old Fire Nation raid ship.
Buuuuut it's technically taboo to enter such a place."
I place the rookies-bow back on the shelf and say, understanding the 'hint' "I'll see you at the gathering then.". I then leave and turn east. After walking for a while, I make it
to the east gate. It's slightly past high noon. "Okay. He said it will be a hike of about 5 kilometers to get there." I set one foot outside the gate before a message pops up.
Quest: ghost of the past
Objective: get a old imperial warbow
Optional: don't get caught
Multiple hidden objectives present
Reward:
Objective: old steel war bow(uncommon)
-200 reputation with the northern tribe
Optional: rep penalty removed
Hidden: ?(epic)
Accept?
Y/N
"Well, at least this got a lot more interesting. Wonder what those hidden ones are." I say while continuing to think (the quest name probably means at least one spirit. One
pissed off one. accept!) quest accepted. "Excuse me. But where do you think you are going?" a guard says, making me curse beneath my breath. I turn around and try to lie
"I was going hunting"
Hidden objective found: come back with game(reward varies) accept: y/n n result is lie detected.
(Accept) I think. Hidden objective accepted: reward varies + on success: optional: don't get caught completed
"Without gear?" The guard asks "I have a water pouch. What do you think my weapons are?" I answer with a smug grin. "Oh sorry. Didn't realize you were a bender."
the guard says hesitant while backing up slowly. "If you don't mind I have to be back by sunset so I will be going now. I am late as is." I say, with patience clearly running
thin again. "Right… Good luck. And beware of the snowshadow." he says while I dashed away making him shout the last part. Bending technique acquired: water skating.
Hidden objective found: kill or tame the Snowshadow. Reward: a pet(common/epic) failure: death "huh. This keeps getting more and more interesting." I say
while shooting over the ice using my bending. I stopped for a second to not drain my chi too much since it was drained just short of half way. (it seems water skating uses up
alot) I think. I then jump back out of instinct and see what looks like a snow leopard with a scorpion tail about 3 meters, coming from under the Ice. "Well. now I know why it
is called a 'Snowshadow'." I say and then it shoots about 6 stingers like it's a machine gun from the tip of its tail. "Of course it needed a nail gun on his but" I grumble barely
managing to dodge. "What is it with Avatar making dangerous animals even more fucking dangerous?" I keep dodging since I wasn't giving the time for any counters. I hear a
very loud roar. "That's just great" I say sarcastically as I see a wild polar bear dog charging at me and the snowshadow. The snowshadow quickly changes targets and starts
fighting the bear(A/N: calling it just a bear. Too long species name). I take the hint and start running east knowing that I will need a VERY good bow for the next time I am
gonna meet that cat. After about 15 minutes running I arrive at the fire nation ship Anok mentioned. I look for a way in but quickly see that the only way in is a hole in the
hull…. 6 meters above the ground. "And of course I have not enough chi to make it up there" I say exhausted from the 15 minutes full sprint. +2 to agility +3 to
endurance from the fight.
"Well, at least I got something out of that humiliating defeat". I say still catching my breath. I follow up with"stats" command not recognized. Do you wish to only see
you s.p.e.c.i.a.l.? Gase asks. "Yes please" I say with my breathing finally even.
Command made:stats
stats :
Points: 20
str 13
perc 17
end 21
cha 23
int 20
agi 17
luc 27
"20 points?" I look surprised. "Right, I leveled a couple times this morning. Right, let's see. Put 3 in strength, 3 in charisma, 4 in intelligence, and I will dump the rest in luck.
Stuff like that bear is better for a lot of reasons." I say and immediately I feel getting stronger as if I just went to the gym for weeks. I also quickly feel smarter. I then sigh
and start bending the ice into water. I move the water and make Horizontal icicles turning into a ladder. "Now with that done Let's get out from the cold and get me a bow." I
say before realizing I am talking to myself. I groan, annoyed at the realization. Inside was strangely warm. I walk one step before I get the popup skill trap-detection, skill
trap disarm and skill treasure detection detection and trap detection fused into skill detection. (Huh, fused? That sounds like…. Ah never mind. So 2 similar skills
fuse together? Good to know.) I think as I make my way to the lower levels. Like any gamer ever I take every item not nailed down. About 3 rooms in I ask "Hey gase, is
there any limit to my inventory? If so, what?" There is a limit. The object in question has to be light enough for you to pick up. Your current limit is 61 kilos.
Other than that, no. There is no inner weight limit of anything of that sort. I grin as Cheshire and go further picking up everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. By the
time I made it to the lowest level I got:
27 straw baskets
over 300 kilos of scrap metal
3 old rusty iron swords
6 steel daggers
1 old Imperial warbow(common)*objective*
60 steel arrows
3 kimono saddles(2 in bad shape, 1 decent)
16 full set Fire Nation armor(helmet, chest, boots, gloves)
6384 kilos coal
A level up from all the traps that I disarmed/found
162 meter thread from said traps
And finally a flare from a 'certain' disarmed trap.
I look around and see A very nice bow. It was a compound made from a combination of gold-like and a silver-steel metal. At the bottom was a red-orange feather next to a
red hair braid the size and length of a finger.
However, under that. Under that was movement. I equipped a dagger and approached the movement. When I was close enough my blood froze. I saw kittens. 5 Kittens with
a scorpion tail. "How big is the chance that the one I found earlier is their mother?..." I say dryly while almost praying that that would not be the case.
Luck check: happy accident(serevere): needed: 80. luc stat: 37. failed(fully)
I hear a low growl from behind me. I turn around slowly knowing the outcome. I see the same Leopard from before carrying the now-dead bear on its back. She drops the
bear and looks straight at me. I freeze like a deer in headlights, until I feel something soft against my left ankle. Followed with multiple soft bumps against my legs. I look
down and see that 3 kittens are cuddling my legs.
I look at the mother and she huffs. accepting the fact that her kids like this new animal. I crouch and sit down to pet the kittens there and mom gives me a glare. I slowly pet
the cats knowing full well where the most liked places to pet them are. I put my hand, putting three fingers under one of the kittens' chin, right by its corner. I move my
fingers and the kitten leans in and drops on the ground not keeping his own balance. Mother-cat almost jump up to probably kill me for dropping one kitten when the kitten
purrs loud enough to make a slight echo. "Damn , they purr loudly." I look down and begin to ponder(They are roughly the size of child Simba of the lion king, but why are
the other two not here while those 3 are?).
I slowly turn, so that I do not upset their mother and more importantly, not to disrupt the kitten that decided that today I am her pillow, sparing my life in its process.
I quickly know why (so that's why the mother is so… well….. Let's call it overprotective) I think. What I see are 2 very sick kittens. I wake the kitten sleeping on my lap. She
looks at me annoyed for disrupting her catnap. I then stand up and walk over to see why the other two kittens are so sick. I quickly find myself pinned to the floor with a paw
on my chest. Nails on top of but not in my skin as if given a warning.
It was the mother. Giving me a death glare and growling. (right. Should have known that that would happen) I think. I then see that the mother has many scratches and
small cuts on her face. I open my water pouch and bend a handful of water from, angering the mother further, since she probably sees it as an attack. As a last warning to
back off she pierces my skin with her nails, slowly as to prove that she means it.
I don't back down and start using the water to heal the scratches on her face. Following that she retracts her claws slower than she put them on and goes to sit simply next to
me, still having her paw on my legs to ensure that I would behave. Still weary of me she lets me heal her injuries. I finish with the last cut after healing her for about 10
minutes from the fight with the bear.
I hear her breath slow and steady. "She must be asleep" I whisper to myself in slight disbelief. I then turn around once more, slowly removing her paw from my legs and walk
slowly to the 2 sickly kittens. Looking back every 2 or so steps at the mother so as not to piss her off a third and probably last time. I am almost there when mother-cat
opens her eyes as if detecting a treat and sees me close to the 2 kittens.
This time however, she simply looks at me then in front of her at the kittens. Huffs and lays down her head and simply watches. I let out a sigh. "She must trust me just
enough to at least check on her sick young." I mutter but followed by "Or she is simply too tired from everything from today to fight.". I am standing about half a meter from
the first sick one. Looking back to the mother as I crouch to check what's wrong, finding nothing. (dammit, I keep forgetting I have skills for this. skill:observe). I activate
observe and it shows the following:
Status:
Name: none
Species:snowdevil
Gender:male
Age: 3 months
Injuries: blood poisoning(iron)(heavy), wound(infected) on front left paw
(Well, Observe really does make things easier. Don't know how to cure the blood poisoning, tho) I think. I then look at the other with observe
Status:
Name:none
Species: snowdevil
Gender:female
Age: 3 months
Injuries: Wound(light) on stomach, poison(paralyzes)
"Well, at least that's easier to fix…. I think…." I ponder quietly. I move over and see that the little bundle had a needle(?) in its stomach. I place my hand close to where the
needle is in the kitten's stomach. I look over to the mother, she still watches me with a wary look. Wary and something else?... She looks at me with what I could only
describe as curiosity. I slowly remove the needle while drawing water from my pouch. As soon as the needle is removed I start healing the wound. While I was healing I got a
popup.
Skill level up 2x. threshold reached: new description for skill: water healing. Can now heal light poisons/infections. Next threshold: level 25. Divine gem received.
After the female kitten is fully healed. She stands up and budded her head against my leg all the while purring. (so I get a gem everytime I get a skill past one of these
thresholds?) I thought. That is mostly correct. The rewards for reaching these thresholds varies. The first threshold however is always a gem. To encourage
learning and training new skills. Gase answers, after a brief pause she asks. Would you like to use one now? You still have six of them. "Sure, use three of 'm." I
say to Gase while turning to the male kitten.
Using 3 Divine gems. Items gained:
-Fire bending scroll(uncommon): give levels of fire bending upon use(firebending skill required). Levels gained depend on current skill level.
-pendant of static disease(rare): freezes time to stop a disease from spreading. Is person-bound. Currently bound to none
-skillscroll(common): tailoring. Giving the first 5 levels in the skill: tailoring. Gives the ability to repair and craft armor/cloths. Materials not included.
Use skillscroll: tailoring? Gase asks immediately after the gifts were given. (yes.)
Skill learned: tailoring. Tailoring: lvl 5(exp:0%) can now craft with common materials. Can repair uncommon equipment. Crafted equipment is not all that
special, but does its job. Crafting recipes from lite leather armor to simple outdoor clothes were pouring in my head. The fire bending scroll I could not use and since I don't
have an illness the pendant would be useless for me.
I shake my head to snap out what must have looked like a daze and look at the male kitten. The very sick male kitten. (hey gase, can I even heal this kitten with my
abilities?) I think/ask
No you cannot. However, you should be able to stabilize him enough to move him to a better healer. (thanks!) I think. And start healing the sick kitten to the best
of my abilities. After about half and 1 more skill level gained in healing. I use observe on the kitten to make sure that it is fine to move it.
Status:
Name: none
Species:snowdevil
Gender:male
Age: 3 months
Injuries: blood poisoning(iron, heavy(suppressed)), healing tissue on front left paw(sensitivity(pain) boost) due to suppressed natural healing.
After that I pick up the 30ish kilos kitten and move him to the mother. The mother accepts the kitten immediately. I wave goodbye to them, turning around as I pick up the
bow and the quiver that came with it that I saw when I came in and use observe on the bow while walking away slowly.
Item:
Name: New Horizon
Type: warbow
Rarity: Epic
Special Abilities:
-Never ending dawn(legendary)(locked(bow skill lvl 60 needed): special arrows get restocked every sunrise.
-Artemis blessing: no accuracy penalty when mounted.
Special arrows:
-fire
-banshee(sound)
-pierce(up to 80mm steel)
I make my way outside the same way I came inside, but faster since I neither need to disarm traps or plunder every room. When I'm finally outside the sun was about 3
hours away from setting. "So that gives me about 2 hours to hunt for something to bring back ho…." I say to no one but got interrupted with a roar from a now very familiar
cat. I turn toward the sound and saw the mother with 4 kittens walking next to her. 2 on either side the sick male kitten sleeping on top of the back of his mother. She walk
toward me and to my surprise, bows. She bows to me. Her 4 kittens look at their mother and then at me and back once more.
Notice: snowdevil request to become your familiar. This will complete the optional objective: tame the snowshadow. Accept? y/n
"You want to travel with me?" I ask her, ignoring the popup. She looks up and then nods slightly. "Okay then, I accept your help." I then look up at the many popups I receive
all at once.
Optional objective: tame the snowshadow completed. Reward: pet (epic): snowdevil
Menu option unlocked: Pets and mounts
Snowdevil promoted: pet to familiar
Please name your familiar:...
"Arteia"
Familiar named.
Familiar skill learned:
-Poison resistants. Skill recycled to 4 end points due to better skill/perk present.
-night vision. Detection and night vision combined into scouting
-scouting: detection of traps/ treasures and enemies. No darkness penalty. luck +3 when close(100m) to you familiar.
-butchering: butchering integrated into cooking. Cooking skill changed
-Cooking: lvl 7(exp:62%) you can now cook simple things. Only burning them slightly. Any meat however can be cooked without burning.
-mounting: lvl 1(exp:0%) you can now mount and ride some animals. But you are still terrible at it.
"Let's go hunting. I still need some food before the sun sets." I say to Arteia. {okay, but where am I going to put my young?} She asks. I ponder for a second and then pull 2
baskets and some tread as well as the least damaged kimono saddle and I use my tailoring skill on the items. Skill tailoring active: Item created: merchant
saddle(uncommon). The material I placed in front of me lit up and disappeared. In its place a saddle with bags lining both sides.
I place the saddle on Arteia and then the kittens in the bags lining the back. "I know that I'm terrible at riding you, but if I do it now then I will become better. May I sit on
your back as well?" {of course! Don't worry about it.} She responds. I mount Arteia and use my skill scouting to find something to hunt. After a while I detect another polar
bear dog. Skill scouting level up. another Threshold reached divine crystal received. Skill now has a radius of 50 meters. Within the radius detection
increased to 25%. Radius disregards cover.
"Hey, do you want to kill another one of those bears?" I ask Arteia. {Sure.} she answers hesitantly. "You will have me covering you this time, you know" I respond trying to
reassure her. {Oh, right. Then let's put a pin in 'm.} she says now more confident. "Or five." I shoot back joking.
She let out a choking sound. I quickly look at her worried but realize she is actually laughing. Relaxed, I dismount when we get closer to the bear. I pick my brand new bow
and equip my commander armor that I somehow have forgotten existed. I make 5 ice arrows and draw the first shot. At 200ish meters I know that I still have a 100%
accurate shot. Arteia asks me in slight doubt {you can hit that bear from all the way out here}. All the while I have my bow fully drawn. I relax my bow and turn to her "only
when I'm not distracted ". {right, sorry.} she whispers. I draw my bow again after a second I let go of the first arrow. I pick up the second. And I shoot again.
After the fifth and last arrow is shot I mount Arteia and ride over to the now dead polar bear dog. As we approach I ask "Can you carry this? I would like to go home before
the sun starts to set." Arteia suddenly froze stiff. {I don't think I am welcome in your home. The yous there have been hunting me for a while now.} "Don't worry about that.
You're my mount. As long as you don't attack anyone while I'm next to you. The guards won't attack. And it's people, not yous."
{thanks for making me feel safer. And for the answer of whether or not I can carry it. Yes, I can. but you will have to walk beside me.} She answers, still nervous. "Let's get
going, then. Let's go to OUR home." I say cheery putting extra emphasis on 'our'.
When we arrive at the gate there is still an hour before sunset. A different guard then the one this morning sees me approach. His eyebrow raised when He sees the dead
bear. It then quickly burrows deep when he recognizes what Arteia is. "State your business." The guard demands. "Home" I respond almost regal. One of his eyebrows raises
once more. He asks, with barely any emotion "May I ask you for your last name, mister?" "Of course. It's Moonshadow" I respond, still acting calm. While thinking (please just
let me pass, I am expected somewhere… wait…. That might put some pressure on him.) "I am expected to be back before the counsel at sunset. So if you wouldn't mind
letting me pass. I still need to make myself somewhat presentable" I say with all the regal pettiness I could muster. "Well it checks out, so you can come in." the guard says
now somewhat annoyed. "Thank you." I say flipping back to a regal calm. (I'm supposed to be the equivalent to the crown prince or something like that. Might as well start
acting in public like that.) I have Arteia follow me. Once we are inside I give Arteia a nice scratch under her chin.
I then make my way over to the market. My scouting skill really helps finding it. Once there I find the butcher and give him the bear. He pays me half after I tell him that I
want to keep the pelt. While I have to wait I start training my tailor skill. Since I figure that scrapping gear would also give me exp in it. After scrapping the 2 ruined saddles.
I try to scrap the fire soldier armor. Instead I get a warning. Warning: smithing Skill not found. Metals from scrapping not acquired. Continue? y/n. "I suppose I
would need something like that for scrapping heavy armor" I say and then let out a sigh.
Right then the butcher comes back with a somehow fully cleaned and oiled pelt. "Thank you." I say after receiving both the pelt and the coins. He simply nods. I turn and exit
the shop. Outside I'm greeted by soldiers slowly encircling Arteia. I rush over. I shout angrily"what the blazes are you guys doing!" Seeing Arteia this way makes my blood
boil. "We don't know how a Snowdevil got inside sir. But please stand back while we take care of the problem" A soldier tries to reassure me. It only succeeded in making my
blood boil over. "THAT 'PROBLEM' IS MY MOUNT!" I yell with so much fury that I see everyone flinch. Not knowing whether it is because I am shouting or because of what I
shout.
"Why does that not surprise me somehow" I hear a familiar voice say. I calm down as the circle breaks up slowly. I turn but not fully so as to not turn my back at Arteia. I
face Anok. Anok then asks "you really tamed a snowdevil?" "yes." I answer bitterly, still annoyed at the open hostility to my familiar. (why am I even this angry? I mean, I
expected this would happen the second I was out of sight.) the answer is the bond with your familiar. It works so that you would protect each other as well as
strengthen each other. (that would explain it.) I think, now fully calm. I turn and see Anok trying and somehow failing at calming everyone. I walk up to him placing one
hand on his shoulder. He turns his head and I simply nod. He understands and nods back. Anok then simply takes a stand back to my right side.
I then notion Arteia to simply walk over to me. The cat nods and walks over and simply lays down in front of me. Then something cartoonishly nice happens. A little girl that
could not be older than 6 breaks free from her mother's grip and simply runs up to Arteia. Her mother fails multiple times to grasp her daughter. The mother could then only
look mortified as the girl is within (the girls) arms length of Arteia. "Can I pet him?" She asks with childish innocence.
I look at Arteia. She looks back and nods at me "yes, but don't come near the saddle." the girl replies with a smile from ear to ear. And begins to pet Arteia. After a count or 5
her mother recovers from her fear and sees her daughter run back yelling "Mama, mama. That big kitten is so nice and soft. Can I pet her more?" the mother looks back and
her eyes go wide, before she responds with "I believe that Yue's son has better places to be." I look at her curious. I then simply shrug. "Arteia, let's get going.". To
everyone's surprise my cat, my snowdevil, stands up and lets me mount her. I ride, still Quite uncomfortable because of my low skill level, towards home. When I arrive I see
Ella in the door opening of the house. "When I heard a rumor that you have tamed a snowdevil. I laughed. It seems the joke is on me" Ella states. She then turns waiving me
inside "come inside, both of you"
When I was inside we sat in the dining room. She sat next to her husband. With me across both of them. Arteia places her head on my legs. I pet her while Arnook says
"Yanik, we need to talk about the council meeting that happens this evening"