The Journey for Paper (Cleansing the Earth)

[Soldier 75]

Hours passed as the duo wandered through the forest, finding not a single acorn. The shadows lengthened into pillars of darkness, enveloping everything. “It might be time to make camp for the night,” Eric wearily said, “can you search for firewood while I clear a location for our camp?” Jams clicked his tongue twice in assent and gave a thumbs up, before disappearing into the thick undergrowth. After summoning Requiem, Eric set it to good use, cleaving apart bushes and clearing logs. He let all the day’s frustration channel into his swings, and battered an unfortunate bush into pieces. Blow after blow the mage struck, until the only sign that a bush had ever stood there was the mangled stump. Much calmer now, Eric finished clearing the debris. He had set aside two smaller logs, and dragged them towards the middle of the open space. Too tired to go searching, Eric settled for summoning the rocks needed for a fire pit.

Jams eventually returned, bearing a massive bundle of sticks. Night had engulfed the forest, leaving the two to set up a fire in the dark. Deciding on a base of upright logs with a small pile of kindling within, Eric threw a weak fireball into the core of the firewood; although it lacked the energy of a fully charged fireball, it still easily engulfed the logs in an instant inferno. The duo wordlessly summoned their respective dinners, and wolfed them down. The bread and cheese filled Eric’s empty stomach, slightly improving his sullen mood. He lay down on a relatively clear patch of ground, and pulled his cloak around his shoulders. “Where the hell could this blasted acorn be?” Eric muttered to himself, drifting off into the soft embrace of sleep.