A/N- Shoutout Tannermal for the 6 power stones. idk where ya got em but I've learned not to ask my dealer any questions so . . .
As I trudged through the deep snow I wondered whether or not the bone would live through the winter, even though it came in a heartbeat, winter always lasted several months here in the valley. I had nothing to worry about since I had been near Rose's farm when the snow fell and so I only had to pull myself through the snow to her place instead of going all the way to the Barrel Haven. When I first showed up Rose tried to kick me out but Thorn shot her down and so I'd been staying with them for the last few months.
"How much farther to the hot springs Thorn?" I grumbled as I followed her through the snow. Today Rose had us going to get fresh water even though winter was just about over. "Not much farther, be patient." Thorn chided as I kept an eye out for the bone creature. Despite not having seen it in a while I still kept an eye out when Rose sent me out to do something, I never saw it but I always found tracks and Ted told me the thing lived so maybe it was more resourceful than I gave it credit for.
As we got closer to the hot springs I heard a sound in the forest SKREAAA!! Thorn didn't seem to hear it as she kept on walking but I paused, if there was a rat creature out there I had to deal with it, even if it was that stupid pair. "Thorn you go on ahead, I'm gonna go check on something." "Ok, don't get lost in the snow."
I bolted in the direction of the scream, not bothering to cover my tracks as I went. I eventually found several tracks and thrown snow, it looked like the bone had run into the rat creatures again. I followed the tracks as they went up a hill towards the river that fed right into the waterfall. Reaching the top I saw the rat creatures on the other side of the river peering down at something on the cliff wall, it was the bone!
I was about to go and chase the rats off before they did the most stupid thing, they jumped down onto the branch that was barely holding the bone up. I heard the bone yell "STUPID STUPID RAT CREATURES!!" Before they all fell down into the river. I chuckled before I started to make my way back down, not wanting to end up soaked in the river like they probably were right now.
Reaching the river bank I watch as the rats flounder in the water as the bone manages to get ashore, the rat do manage to get their shit together though as the paddle to the riverbank. Sighing I use my quirk to make an ice bridge across but reaching the other side I pause, the bone is on the ground injured with the rat creatures slobbering right in front of him, but what caught my attention is what the bone is leaning on. He's leaning on a dragon.
The dragon is large, with red skin and a long tail. What is strange about it is its hands and feet, which resemble that of human appendages, and its ears which droop with fuzzy ends, like a Santa hat. The dragon and bone talk for a bit before the bone says something that ticks the dragon off, making him snort a small flame covering the bone in soot and torching his hat.
The dragon then says something to the bone as it gets up, the bone talks a bit more before running off as the dragon walks over where I'm sitting. "Had a good enough look?" it asks as I come out of cover, "Yeah, you are strange looking for a dragon though." I saw and it quivered its eyebrows "How'd you figure that?" it asks. "You don't have wings, you appear to have skin rather than scales, your ears are funny looking, and your hands and feet have no claws while looking like human appendages." I think then add "You can breathe fire though, so that's a plus."
The dragon just stares at me for a bit before shrugging and walking off into the forest, "Don't tell that to any other dragons you come across, and keep an eye on Thorn. I'll be watching." it says before leaving as I stare at its retreating back for a moment before going back to where the hot springs should be, if I remembered Thorn's instructions right.
As I enter the clearing to the hot springs I see her talking to the bone "Thorn." I say as I step closer to the bone having seen it up close for the first time "Who's your new friend?" I ask as the bone swallows a bit nervously.
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I didn't know what I was expecting when I finally crawled out of the snow-crusted forest, but it definitely wasn't her.
She stood barefoot by the steaming water, brushing her long hair out with her fingers like something from a dream—or a book I'd always meant to finish. I ducked behind a tree to watch, trying to catch my breath. I must've looked like a walking disaster. Mud caked my feet, my hat was still singed from that dragon's temper tantrum, and I was shivering from head to toe.
Then I tripped.
Not even a quiet stumble, either. I slipped on a root and tumbled straight down behind the tree with a loud whump that echoed through the clearing. A perfect introduction. I scrambled back up in a panic, trying to brush off snow and act like I hadn't just body-slammed the forest floor. "What happened?" she said, looking around before she saw me. For a moment I thought she might scream, or run, or hit me with something. But then she smiled. "Don't be afraid! I won't hurt you." she says before sitting on the log in the water, "C'mon down, we'll share the pool."
As I slowly get down into the pool, I stare blankly at her not knowing what to say. "Hello." My mind freezes, I can't figure out what to say as my heart tries to jump out of my chest. "Um . . . are you new around here?" she asks as I snap out of it "FONE BONE, what's your?!" I half shout. Great, now I've made myself look like an idiot in front of her.
She just smiles at me as she holds out her hand in greeting, "Pleased to meet you Fone Bone! My name is Thorn!" she says as I can't help but swoon "Thorn? That's beautiful Thorn-" wait a second THORN?! "Thorn?! You're Thorn? Do you know a little bug named Ted?" I asked and she nodded. "Why yes. Ted is a good friend of mine."
Excited, I explain how I've been looking for her all winter. Ted had told me that she knew everything in the whole world and that she was my best shot of finding my cousins and getting back to Boneville. I explain how we got separated by that huge swarm of locusts and how I made my way to the valley, but she reveals that although she would love to help, she never heard of Boneville.
"Fone Bone?" she asks, seeing my expression drop, "Oh . . . I don't belong in this forest, my home is on the other side of those mountains." I tell her as I explain how we crossed a desert before we got separated, "Well, let's just concentrate on finding your cousins first. You're sure they're here in the valley?" she asks and I sigh "Pretty sure, unless the rat creatures got them." Thorn gets serious at that though she still looks beautiful.
"Did you say rat creatures?" she asked and I looked at her "Let me guess, you don't believe in rat creatures." I said but she shook her head. "Oh yes I do! Have you seen one recently?" she asked and I nodded "Yeah two of em, The dragon chased em off." she looked like she was about to ask more before a new voice spoke up. "Thorn." I looked and right where I had fallen was a man staring at me.
"Thorn," he said. "Who's your new friend?" I turned and saw him tall, serious-looking, dark eyes that seemed to pin me in place. He had this presence about him, like he didn't quite belong here… but he somehow fit anyway, like a sword laid across a dinner table. I suddenly felt small again, and not just because I'm three feet tall on a good day. "Uh," I said, giving a nervous wave. "Hi. I'm Fone Bone. Just a humble traveler, trying to find his cousins." The guy didn't smile. Great. First dragons. Now mysterious winter warriors. At least Thorn was still here.
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Thorn smiled at me as she told me about this 'fone bone' , how he and his cousins were travelling the desert when they got separated by a swarm of locusts, and how Ted had told Fone to look for her to get help to find his cousins and leave the valley. As I scrutinized the bone, it shook a little but stared up at me as I made my way down to the pool. SMACK Thorn hit me the second I was in range.
"What?!" I snapped but Thorn just glared at me "You know what." she said and I grumbled before toning down my presence letting the little bone breath as Thorn collected the water that Rose wanted. "Fone Bone says he ran into two rat creatures and a dragon." Thorn said after a moment and I nodded "I know, the two rats are just scouts but it's that dumb pair, as for the dragon. . ." I didn't finish the sentence as I felt its gaze land on me for a few moments before passing over.
"Did you collect the water?" I asked Thorn and she nodded, holding up the bucket she brought, "Then let's head back, I'd rather not run into any more rats if I can help it." I said, grabbing the bucket. I watched as Thorn and Fone Bone continued talking about the rat creatures but almost smiled when I saw how the bones face lit up when Thorn grabbed him and took him out of the pool. Leading the way I felt the air heat up as the snow started to melt 'Early spring' I thought then looked back at how enamored the bone was with Thorn 'Love is in the air . . . I should get a mask.'
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Early the next day after Rose had left, I got to doing a few chores before I left back to Barrel Haven. As I chopped firewood I heard Thorn waking up the bone and getting him to eat breakfast, by the time they made it out I had finished with the wood and was ready to leave. "Are you going back to the Barrel Carter?" Thorn asked as Fone bone followed behind her still too nervous to talk to me "Yes, the snow has gone and it's time for me to get back to work. Tell your grandma to break a leg." I said as Thorn swung the bucket she was holding at me but I just jumped to the side and went to collect my things.
As I reached the Barrel Haven a few locals waved at me and I nodded at them. Even though I kept mostly to Rose, Thorn and Lucius, the villagers here had gotten used to me and were always happy to eat my food. "Welcome back, I was wondering if the snow had finally got ya!" Lucius snorted as I shook my head. "No, I was near Rose's farm so I stayed with them for the winter." As we caught up Lucius then broke some news "I got a new cook, he showed up right before winter when you were up in the mountains still, he calls himself Smiley bone. Have you ever heard of him?" Lucius asked and I nodded. "Yes, Thorn and I ran into his cousin Fone bone, he's looking for his cousins and is staying with them right now."
We talked a bit more before I went back into the kitchen to see what this 'Smiley bone' had done to my things. Turns out not much, Smiley was like a bundle of energy always smiling and bouncing off the walls. He could cook well too as the people had nothing but good things to say about his food, I tried some and have to admit, this bone knows how to cook! 'Well if Lucius has a cook then I have more free time now' I realized as I lay down in my room above the tavern. I took a short nap happy to be back in my own bed before going back down to the tavern and helping Smiley in the kitchen until things started to wind down.
"Lucius, I quit. Smiley can do all the cooking just fine." I said and he nodded "Yeah I was gonna say the same thing." We worked out a few things and I also told Lucius about the rat creatures and the dragon, "The dragons have always had an interest in Thorn." Lucius said scratching his beard, "But the rats could be trouble, even if it's those two stupid ones. I'll keep a lookout." he said and I nodded before leaving the tavern.
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Reaching Rose's farm again I stopped in surprise, there were two bones now, though one had a shirt on at least. "Hello Carter." Rose grumbled "Carter you're back! Did something happen at the Barrel Haven?!" Thorn was surprised to see me back, normally they had to go looking for me unless it was training time since I didn't go out much. "It has to do with the cousin of these two." I said pointing at Fone bone and the new bone "They're cousin Smiley Bone is the new cook at the Barrel, and he's pretty good so I quit. Been wanting to for years." I said as the bone with a star one its shirt marched up to me "You said you saw Smiley?! Take me to him!" It demanded and Rose rolled her sleeve up, seems this ones the trouble maker.
Before anyone could stop me I yanked the Bone up by its shirt and brought its face up to mine. "Listen here, bone." I said stiffly as Thorn tried to calm me down while Rose held Fone bone back from interfering. "I will not tolerate disrespect from you, this is your only warning. Is that clear?" I asked and it shook its head several times, pale as a bone.
I set the bone back down and turned to Fone bone, "What's your cousin's name?" "Phoney Bone." he growled but I let it slide, Thorn needed new friends after all. "I'm guessing he's the one that got you three chased from you home?" I asked and Phoney looked like he was about to say something but Fone gave him a look "Yes, but he's not that bad." he said defending his cousin and I shrugged "I don't care much for good and bad, only that he shows respect. He'll live longer." I said glancing at Phoney who gulpe- CLANG!!
"THORN, THAT WAS MY GOOD PAN!!" Rose cried as she took the now dented pan from Thorns hands, " I thought it would work this time." Thorn pouted and I shook my head, "No I felt that one, if Rose had hit me I would've been out though." I said as Fone and Phoney stared in astonishment, one moment they felt like they were about to die, the next he was joking about getting hit with an iron pan!
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As the months went by I fell into a routine, waking up and doing the more physical chores like chopping wood. Then I would drag the bones and Thorn out of bed for a workout that even Rose would join from time to time. Then we ate breakfast and went on with our day. For the rest that meant farm chores, taking care of the animals and mending the fence and anything else that needed repairs. For me that meant going off into the forest to train or to hunt.
Despite the chicken and occasional cow, I still felt caged here and eventually (after 18 years!!) the system finally caught on that I was feeling restless.
[Host has yet to set up an anchor point] ' What kind of anchor? [One that has two functions. First, it gives the Scarlet King a foothold in the land letting him corrupt it over time. Second, in the future when you have dimension crossing abilities, you will be able to find this place and return, though that will probably be a while from now.] Looking over the side quest screen I saw that I could get a few system points depending on where I placed the first anchor, 'Which would be better for the first anchor. Where I buried Thorn parents or Dragon stairs? [Avoid the Dragon stairs, they are connected with the gods of the realm, and we do not need their attention yet. Place it at the grave.] Well, it looks like I'm marching back up the valley.
Since this trip wasn't planned in the slightest, I only took the essentials and took my time going up. After a few days I finally reached where I buried Arlin and Lunaria. Looking at the gravestones I had erected a few years ago I asked the system 'So just make a mark on the stone correct?' [Correct, I would recommend the back of the stone since it is less likely to be spotted immediately, use your blood.] Moving around to the back of the stone I took my knife and cut open my palm, I had to cut a few more times as I drew the sigil since the wound would keep closing but eventually I finished it.
As the blood dried I felt something shift in the air. It felt heavier, with a slight tang in the air like blood. If I really quieted down and listened I could even hear faint whispers, but I ignored them as I felt a heat flare up within me. I grunted as I felt a fire spread throughout my body 'what is this?' [The blessing you received from the Scarlet King, all can receive it.]
[System alert!! Blessings acquired!]
[Blessing of the Scarlet King includes- Local deities cannot see you as easily as before, Animus magic has been slightly unlocked, control over quirks has increased, your body can now handle an additional quirk.]
Seeing that last part I paused 'What would have happened if I took another quirk without my body being able to hold it?' [It would have slowly torn you apart from the inside until you died or until your body was strong enough to hold the additional power.] So it seems I was right to not spend any of my system points these past few years. After that very close brush with death the first time, I wasn't sure I would buy another quirk so I hadn't spent my points on another one, only buying things like underwear or certain snacks when I got extremely desperate, but even then over the past 18 years I was able to save about 12,000 points give or take.
I didn't need another quirk just yet though so I just focused on getting back down the mountain, where things were starting to get interesting.
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