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Ari's ninth birthday was last week, and the last of his baby teeth finally came out. (Mama said she'd have to yank it out herself if it didn't get with the program. He wriggled in exaggerated fear.) And she let him come pixie-hunting with her! They didn't catch many, but it was a lot of fun. He hopes she lets him do it again soon.
They're walking through the brush of Shallow Winter, and Mama's telling him about ley lines. He listens intently.
So intently that he doesn't notice the quiet growling coming out of the ground.
It abruptly falls away, and he's swallowed into the earth.
sonofsnow
sonofsnow
"This cube stuff is going to give me a headache," Ari mutters.
Platinum, silver, various gemstones... shiny, but he should probably concentrate on workable iron. He can swing back for ritual materials later. He heads for the nearest iron deposit, using earth evocation to shift the dirt out of the way. (Kind of tiring, but definitely better than trying to singlehandedly dig a tunnel with a pickaxe. He'll have a big lunch.)
Platinum, silver, various gemstones... shiny, but he should probably concentrate on workable iron. He can swing back for ritual materials later. He heads for the nearest iron deposit, using earth evocation to shift the dirt out of the way. (Kind of tiring, but definitely better than trying to singlehandedly dig a tunnel with a pickaxe. He'll have a big lunch.)
It turns out that when you shift a dirt block farther than about an inch out of alignment, it spontaneously becomes a small cube of dirt. Dirt cubes work much like wood cubes.
There's a small silver deposit directly between him and the iron, which he might as well pick up while he's going through it.
There's a small silver deposit directly between him and the iron, which he might as well pick up while he's going through it.
sonofsnow
Cube physics makes tunneling almost insultingly easy. He isn't complaining, though. He adjusts his digging style accordingly, tugging gently at great swathes of dirt instead of shifting a few pounds behind him at a time. He can actually just walk along like this, showering cubes in front of him every few seconds.
When he reaches the silver, he decides to see if he can use the same tactic on different materials. Tug?
When he reaches the silver, he decides to see if he can use the same tactic on different materials. Tug?
sonofsnow
Convenient! Ari will see what workstations he needs to make this into a chalice later. Chalices are handy. (Maybe he can get some of those gemstones too.)
Strolling through the earth, he reaches the iron quickly and does the same thing to that. He elects to dig straight up and climb the walls to reach the surface, since something gives him the impression that turning the roof of his tunnel into a floating block won't collapse it. Possibly the fact that it's allowed to exist at all, which a conventional system of physics would have some problems with.
Strolling through the earth, he reaches the iron quickly and does the same thing to that. He elects to dig straight up and climb the walls to reach the surface, since something gives him the impression that turning the roof of his tunnel into a floating block won't collapse it. Possibly the fact that it's allowed to exist at all, which a conventional system of physics would have some problems with.
He's not that far from his starting point; the shelter is still visible through the trees, over thataway.
sonofsnow
Oh, good.
Once he reaches Wyatt, he waves hello. "How can I smelt ores and turn them into useful things?"
Once he reaches Wyatt, he waves hello. "How can I smelt ores and turn them into useful things?"
sonofsnow
"Torches?"
(He did collect a good amount of stone, on the basis that it'd be handy for evocations.)
(He did collect a good amount of stone, on the basis that it'd be handy for evocations.)
"Once you have a wooden sword, you might try to gather some gel from the slimes. Combine wood and gel to make a torch!"
"Once you have a wooden sword, you might try to gather some gel from the slimes. Combine wood and gel to make a torch!" he repeats in the exact same tone.
A round green blobby thing hops past. It takes some rather magnificent hops - easily six feet into the air every time.
A round green blobby thing hops past. It takes some rather magnificent hops - easily six feet into the air every time.
sonofsnow
Ari looks at its flight path, then carefully places a stone block and makes some adjustments.
The slime lands on a wickedly pointed stone spike.
It explodes, splattering its surroundings with translucent green goo.
A couple of small round balls of something translucent, blue, and sticky fall out of its remains. So do several small copper coins.
A couple of small round balls of something translucent, blue, and sticky fall out of its remains. So do several small copper coins.
sonofsnow
"...The explosion, I expected. The gel. Spontaneous coins, not so much."
He collects his bounty, shifts to his workbench, and crafts torches (3), a furnace (1), and iron bars (5).
"This is kind of fun. I hope Mama gets here before nightfall, though. You're nice and all, but I don't know if you'd be very good company."
He collects his bounty, shifts to his workbench, and crafts torches (3), a furnace (1), and iron bars (5).
"This is kind of fun. I hope Mama gets here before nightfall, though. You're nice and all, but I don't know if you'd be very good company."
"You should stay indoors at night. It is very dangerous to be wandering around in the dark," says Wyatt.
sonofsnow
"...That too, I guess."
He remembers the silver in his satchel. "What can I do with silver? I'm planning on making a cup with it, how would I do that?"
He remembers the silver in his satchel. "What can I do with silver? I'm planning on making a cup with it, how would I do that?"
There are many more ore veins around.
Periodically a slime hops up to him and needs to be dispatched.
The sun starts going down.
Periodically a slime hops up to him and needs to be dispatched.
The sun starts going down.
sonofsnow
...well, Mama hasn't shown up.
First night alone. With a meatbot for company. In an aggressively rectangular house.
It'll be an adventure, then.
First night alone. With a meatbot for company. In an aggressively rectangular house.
It'll be an adventure, then.
