Dream Drive Ch. 04

Isis being what it was, there were no instructions on forming said party. But then, he'd just accidentally stumbled onto bonding when Chaki exchanged a sort of promise with him. The game would probably sense the intent of a friendly handshake.

Jackson vaguely wondered how in the hell he'd explain all this stuff if he met someone else in the game. Would they have a scarred pentagram, like him? Another bridge to cross when he got there.

Jackson experimented with the targeting system. Auto-target was a little disorienting. When he focused on anything, an orange box would blink into view around it. Everything he looked at could be targeted - tents, satchels, buckets, laid out spears, even patches of grass.

It actually seemed a little counterproductive. In a video game, targeting systems were made to compensate for the controls themselves. It allowed combat to become fluid and intuitive despite the fact that the player was limited to jerking around their avatar with a control stick. But Isis was real - his brain didn't need an orange box to target things. The biggest immediate benefit was that targeted objects appeared on his minimap.

He tried manual targeting instead. That forced him to call it aloud as a command. He made a few winced shouts away from the edge of camp, afraid of waking someone up, until he realized he could get the same effect by mumbling under his breath. Once something was targeted, the orange box stayed on his map, but the box broke if he moved so that something was between him and the target, obscuring a direct line of sight, or if he got too far away - about 100 feet or so in a straight shot. All in all, it was more distracting than anything, so he opted to keep it off.

Jackson took a quick look at his passive skills. He was at level 3 in shields - well, he'd used his wood shield quite a bit against the rattok. Level 2 and 1 in everything else, with progress bars all over the place.

Jackson didn't have any pressing appointments, and he wasn't tired in the slightest. It was time to grind.

Jackson gathered his spear and shield from where he'd first laid them down, outside Chaki's tent. His minimap told him she was inside. A little blue arrow labeled with her name marked her position. When he moved too far for the minimap to show her, a small pointer continued to indicate her direction at the map's border.

And he could feel her, still. There was a constant node inside his head, a sense of where she was and how she felt. The more he felt at it, the clearer it resolved in his mind. Right now, it was quiet, almost grey. She was sleeping.

When Palla had shown him Smallgrass, his horse, he'd noticed a few straw men that had been set up as targets near the herd. The hunters took turns watching the horses and shooting and throwing spears at the dummies, both on foot and on horseback. The herd had been corralled in another direction that night, so Jackson was alone with the targets. They were still planted into the ground just north of camp.

The plains were quiet. A light wind brushed a curl of dust around his feet. Jackson examined his dummy. It was just a bushel of dried grass tied up to a tipi pole with bison-hair rope.

He checked his progress bar for his passive spears skill. Level 2, and 86.1% to the next level. He closed out the menu, lined himself up, and jabbed the tip into the straw. A few pieces of yellow grass fluttered to the ground. He drew the weapon back, then jabbed again, another simple stab.

He checked his menu. 86.5%.

That told him two things. First, he could increase his numerical skills solely through mundane practice. Second, stabbing actual enemies gave him more experience than practicing against a dummy. He'd just gotten 0.4% from two practice thrusts. If he'd been getting that when he was jabbing rattok in the stomach, he wouldn't even be at level 2. He was rewarded based on the difficulty of the enemy.

Jackson rested the butt of his spear on the ground. What he really ought to do was go back and do some dungeon crawling, but the camp was packing up to leave tomorrow, then hitting the road first thing the next day. That would give them time if they went on horseback - they could always catch up with the tribe later - but he wondered if Chaki would balk at returning to where she'd been caged up.

For the moment, he had other concerns. Could he create new techniques just from practice? Could he practice his special abilities without using essence?

Jackson checked his list. Triple thrust was still at 21.3%. He gripped the spear and braced it under his arm. He bent his knees.

Immediately, the point of his spear shone white. He let the ability hang there, about to be unleashed. He could feel it, like a rock sitting on the edge of a cliff. He just had to give it a little nudge.

He could feel the essence inside of him, a little ball of power - almost like the bond, in a way. But the bond was in his mind's eye. Essence felt like a smooth rock sitting in his stomach, something to be touched, grasped, rather than viewed.

He answered the white gleam with a mental 'no', and it vanished. He jabbed his spear forward, puncturing the straw, then quickly drew it out and jabbed twice more in succession. He checked the ability.

24.3%

Jackson raised his eyebrows. That was a much bigger difference - a full 3 percent. Apparently passive skills took longer to level up, but his abilities gained ground more quickly. A quick check at his passive list for spears showed him that it had gone up 0.2% for each individual strike of his triple thrust. So, the most efficient way to grind his abilities would be to constantly practice the motions of special attacks. That way, he'd level up active and passive abilities at the same time.

He closed his menu and faced the straw target. He had two spear-related abilities, Triple Thrust, and Polearm Swing. Could he make more?

Jackson placed his shield on the ground. He used his foot to slide the bound wooden slats a short distance away. He wanted two hands for this.

A huge problem he'd had was dealing with multiple enemies. One on one, he could take pretty much anything. Well, maybe not that giant golem, but anything his size and made out of flesh and blood. If they came at him all at once, though, especially in an open space, he needed something to blow them back, or at least keep them at bay.

Jackson gripped the butt of the spear in both hands and whipped it around himself. He worked his feet, spinning in a circle along with the weapon. He turned once, twice, three times, until a little swirl of dust was kicked up around his legs.

He lost his balance and fell backward. His spear clattered down next to the dummy. He sat up and rubbed where his leg had struck the grass. Well. Worth a try.

You have created a new skill: Power Spin

Jackson scrambled to his feet. "Game menu!" He tapped into to his active abilities.

Power Spin: Whip the equipped weapon in a 360-degree spin, damaging and knocking back adjacent foes.

Essence Cost: 30

Level: 1

Progress: 11.9%

"Fucking hell," Jackson said. 30 essence? He couldn't use the skill even if he wanted to. It struck him that War Cry was more expensive, too - 25 essence. Skills which affected multiple targets were costly.

Jackson grunted, gripped his spear, and set to work.

###

You have created a new skill: Power Thrust

Thrust a weapon with force, giving the attack extra damage and increasing its chances of piercing armor.

You have created a new skill: Lunge

Leap forward and attack the enemy with great force.

You have created a new skill: Crescent Sweep

Attack up or down in a crescent-shaped motion. This attack extends beyond the normal the reach of the weapon.

###

"Jackson?"

Jackson didn't look up.

The thing he was thrusting at was barely a dummy. All that remained was a few thick bits of straw sticking from where they were tied to the pole. The rest was shredded and scattered across the ground like so many leaves.

And so was the other one a few yards away. And the next one, and the one after that. Every other target had been battered into oblivion. Chaki could see marks and scrapes on the poles where his spear must have driven past.

"Jack," she said.

Jackson held his spear in both hands. He stood there, poised, absolutely still, sizing up his hated foe. He was entirely focused. Chaki did not think he would have heard her even if she shouted.

He guided the shaft with his left hand, and pushed his right. He shoved off his back foot as he attacked, stepping in. He spun the shaft as he did so, and turned his torso, as if trying to scrape every bit of power from his body into one giant twist.

The tip of the spear leapt forward and blew another bundle of straw apart. And he stood there, fully extended at the end of the explosive motion, as poised as he had been before beginning. It felt like watching someone practice a dance movement.

"That was well-executed," Chaki said.

Jackson turned to face her, as if just realizing she was there. His small smile bent his lips up. "Hey Chaki. Didn't notice you."

"I know." She eyed the beaten targets. "Did the straw insult your prowess as a warrior?"

Jackson sighed. "This'll be the fiftieth time I have to put these things back together. I can't get this last move right."

Chaki gaped. "You've ruined them all fifty times?"

Jackson sighed. "At least."

A little box appeared in front of Jackson. It looked like a square of wood, in color, but she could see through it. Blue letters, like runes, were etched into its surface. Chaki knew they weren't runes - Jackson had explained that was his language, when it was written, rather than spoken. For some reason, she could comprehend their meaning at a glance. Jackson believed that this was a consequence of her new powers. She walked up to him and read the words.

You have created a new skill: Cyclone Thrust

A full-body thrust that uses the spin of the shaft to concentrate power even further.

Essence cost: 20

Level: 1

Progress: 6.8%

Jackson threw his spear down and pumped a fist. "About fucking time."

"You were waiting for this? What does all that mean?"

"Close menu." Jackson walked up to her, took her in his arms and kissed her.

Chaki was surprised by the force of the kiss. His tongue sought hers. Part of her wanted to give it to him. She pushed him back. "Jack, someone will see!"

He stood there, still holding her. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes," Chaki said. "We aren't wed. It isn't proper for us to exchange affections like that in public."

She felt the slight, uncomfortable tug as Jackson gripped her hair. He bent her back and pressed his lips down on her. His tongue battled against her teeth until she relented and opened her mouth.

It was a release to have his mouth on hers, his tongue fighting hers, to have any part of him inside her. Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she forgot about propriety and lost herself in him.

Not out here. She gripped his shirt and pulled herself away. "Jack, you need to control yourself."

"Yeah," he said, still holding her hair, "but I don't really want to."

"Me neither," Chaki mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said. "Let me up."

His eyes lingered on her, scouring across her dress. He brought her back to her feet and let go of her hair. "You're no fun."

She leaned up to his ear. "I will be later." She leaned back and brushed his shirt straight. "Right now, you need to remember your position. You're a member of the tribe. You're a Man-Under-The-Mountain. There are certain attitudes that are embraced, a certain observances that must be made."

Jackson made a grunting noise. It did not sound enthusiastic.

"Now that you are a Windseeker, Shaka will not be lenient with you if you misbehave," Chaki said. "Remember that."

"Ok, north star. I'll toe the line."

She nodded. "You had better."

Jackson tapped a finger on the small bruise on her shoulder. "You're mine," he said. "Remember that."

"And you're mine," Chaki said. "I can feel it."

When she had described Jackson as a wall she was beating on to get inside, she had meant it. He felt like hard iron. She could sense him there, in her mind - an endless expanse of frozen metal, painfully cold to the touch. Like gripping a bow when snow covered the ground and a high wind blew over the drifts, your hands exposed and raw.

But he was not totally solid. Not quite. If he was a ball of steel, then he was an imperfect one. Here and there were spots of rust, ugly slag that formed weak points in the wall. He was not invincible.

Still, his intimidating front gate had opened to admit her. And inside, the metal was molten. She could feel the heat rising from it, as if passing her hand over lava. It flashed through his eyes when he looked at her, a terrible passion that he kept carefully locked away. She'd certainly had a little share of it last night, but she knew that he hadn't given her everything.

She was a little afraid of everything.

If what he'd done to her before wasn't the limit, than what was? She couldn't imagine having her body pushed any higher than that. Pleasure had to have a limit.

It seemed to hint at something. She wasn't sure what he was capable of. She'd gained a taste of his insecurities. That had to be the rust. The weakness. But there was more.

It occurred to her that she knew him, and yet she did not. Some parts of him were so plain - others were hidden. How quickly her passions had run away with her. But that was their bond, wasn't it? One of passion. It seemed like a tenuous thing.

Chaki firmed her thoughts. She would open his shell, take his molten metal, and forge it into a stronger bond.

Jackson was looking down at his spear. Chaki cleared her throat. "What were you doing out here? Practicing? I thought you might be sleeping, but when I went to Shaka's tent, you were gone."

Jackson glanced up. The sky over the plains was overcast. The rising sun was obscured by a blanket of grey clouds. "I was grinding."

"Grinding?"

"Repetitively doing a task over and over for some benefit."

"So, practicing."

Jackson shook his head, stopped, gave her a half-nod. "Well, sort of. See, my abilities aren't...I've changed. My skill with a spear isn't an intangible. It's a number." He leaned over and picked up his weapon. He slid it through his hands. "I can feel it. I know how to use this thing better than I did last night. My body knows how to react. I know how to hold it, how to position myself, how I would deal with someone using a spear themselves, or how I would use it to counter other weapons. It's actually a little disturbing."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Chaki asked. "Shakhan is granting you knowledge."

"Yeah, but it's sure as hell not normal," Jackson said. "I'm learning everything about the spear at an accelerated rate just from stabbing straw dummies. There was one point, after about an hour, that I realized I was holding it the wrong way. Then I realized my footwork was a bit off after another hour. These little things kept popping out at me, things that were off that I corrected. My muscles were tutoring me. The magic was physically and mentally changing me to reflect numbers." Jackson sighed. "It's a good thing, in terms of survival, but if the magic can change me for the good, can it change me for the worse?"

"Jack," Chaki said, "I won't pretend to understand everything that's happening to you, but I do know that I'll be here to support you. For now, embrace your blessings, and be thankful for them. We will deal with the bad things as they come, together."

She felt Jackson's mood settle. The iron gates seemed a little less icy. "Thank you, Chaki."

"You are welcome," she said. She touched his shoulder. "I am here for you."

Jackson glanced at her. The gateway of his soul wavered. She wasn't sure what that meant. After enjoying the public touch for a moment, Chaki withdrew her hand.

Alright," he said. "So, I've got a few questions for you."

"Oh?" Chaki folded her arms. "Ask them."

"My screens are telling me you have talent in Agility, Persuasion, and Spirit," Jackson said. "Agility is speed and dexterity, and skill with weapons. Persuasion is related to runes. It's opposed to something called Compulsion."

"I see. And what's Spirit?"

"Your essence capacity, and your resistance to magic," Jackson said. "It also effects how quickly you can produce runes."

"Well," Chaki said, "I practice often with weapons, because I did not want to burden the tribe in my father's absence. Hanta taught me well, and I have often hunted with the men to help feed and clothe my family. Persuasion...it is true that Shaka and I use runes to 'talk' to living things, though I use that word loosely. It does involve convincing a living thing to do something...else."

"Explain," Jackson said.

"Remember the bowl," Chaki said, "that I grew from the tree?"

"Yeah. You used magic to make the tree grow."

"No," Chaki said, "I didn't make the tree do anything against its will. I convinced the tree to grow the shape of a bowl. I enticed it. I told it how nice it would be to grow a bowl, how right it would be for that sort of thing to occur. I told it about Shaka's ailment, and that I would be grateful if it wouldn't mind making a bowl on my behalf. The tree heard my words and grew into the shape I directed." Chaki tilted her head. "In a sense. I never actually spoke. It is all written in runes."

"Oh," Jackson said. "So, forcing the tree to do your bidding wouldn't be persuasion - it would be compulsion."

Chaki shrugged. "That seems logical, but I know nothing of compulsion."

"Well, you just tell it to do something, rather than ask, right?"

"We can't do such things," Chaki said. "The runes only allow for persuasion. Compulsion does not exist."

Jackson thumbed the shaft of his spear, considering what she said. He planted it into the ground. "I don't get it. It's magic, isn't it? Just put more essence in and force it."

Chaki unfolded her arms. "Think of it this way. I can convince you to do something by speaking with you, yes? I can tell you're the advantages of following my line of thinking. But can my words alone actually make you go and do something?"

Jackson squinted. "No. So...that's what runes are."

"Right," Chaki said. "Runes are like words. I can try to convince a tree to grow as I wish, but I can't make it, no more than my words alone can force you about. You said we could use more essence. Likewise, I could scream in your ear, but words are just sounds, in the end. That's what runes are."

"And that's why you can only use runes on living things?" Jackson asked.

"Of course," Chaki said. "How do you talk to something that's dead?"

"I guess that's a good point." Jackson's furrowed brow did not go away.

"What is it?" she asked.

Jackson looked at his spear. "...there should be a way to use runes on inanimate things. Enchant them."

"Shaka and I often place runes upon clothing, and shields," Chaki said. "This is to guard against spiritual attacks, should they occur. Such things are important in war."

"Then there is a process for changing inanimate things?"

"I don't know," Chaki said. "I've never seen them do anything, but Shaka is assured that they work. I follow her judgement. I mean, if she could make something dramatic happen, then why didn't she enchant our cage so that we could escape? Or, perhaps, they do not quite work that way."

"I'll ask Shaka," Jackson said. "I didn't really have a chance to bring it up last night, but what about Word slots? It was capitalized when it shouldn't have been, which means the game used it as a proper noun."

"A proper noun? What does it matter if it were proper or not?"