Intro for Killian, and the start of the entire Dragonsfall mod adventure. Read the full chapter on AO3.
WHUMP!
“Ohhhh… Mochi…” I groan and pull the covers back over my head. It can’t be morning already… Delicate paws invade and pat my face, then… “OUCH! That was a claw, you stinker! Alright, alright, I’m up. Time for breakfast.” I throw off the cozy blankets and shiver when my feet hit the cold wooden floorboards. I really need to get a rug. Padding over to the dresser, I quickly throw on some jeans and a hoodie, wrangling my wild red hair into an approximation of a ponytail. Good enough. I bet Grandpa is chuckling in his grave, knowing his night owl granddaughter is being forced to arise at the (butt)crack of dawn to care for his old farm. Gift my ass! Sigh. I’ll admit this is so much better than the city, I’d take dragging myself out of bed early over working in a gray corporate cube any day. Mochi butts her head against my legs, purring and spinning, an adorable alarm clock. Awwww… it’s worth it for sure. I let my tuxedo cat lead me to the kitchen and flip the switch on the coffee maker. Bless Sebastian… I thank him every morning for giving me this old machine.
Mochi fed and contentedly snuggled on my lap, coffee in hand, I gaze out the window at the field outside. The sprinklers are running, water drops glittering like diamonds as they scatter over my crops. Beautiful. Ah, there’s Shane coming up the trail on his way to care for the chickens and other animals. He’s been such a reliable farmhand, ever since the day I hired him the stress of farm work has dissipated and I’ve been able to focus on my magic studies with Raz. Mustn’t forget to meet him at the tower tonight, I better practice that monster repelling potion. I can hear him scolding me already. Hmmm… what should I make for dinner? “It’s always food with you, child,” Raz, get out of my head, it’s too early. Better get moving though, ingredients won’t forage themselves and I’m out of herbs. And mushrooms… mmmm mushroom soup…
Taking my last sip of coffee, I drop the cup in the sink for later, toss some supplies in my satchel, and with a final scratch under the chin for Mochi, head out the door. The crisp fall air fills my lungs as I step over the threshold. Shane gives me a salute from the chicken coop, he’s surrounded by his loving fans, heh! The path through the farm to the woods near Raz’s tower is well worn, I’ve added pavers over time and planted flowers along the way. Passing by the freshwater spring, I notice a gap between two cozy trees. The perfect place for a bench, maybe that will be my next project. A beautiful spot for two people to enjoy a morning cup of coffee… sigh… Don’t go there, Lil, you’ll find someone someday. Someone who can see past the wild red hair that’s always a mess, dirty fingernails, slouchy pants and military boots. I suppose I could actually try, but… then would I even be me? I don’t know. “Don’t worry about looking like a girl from a magazine, that’s so boring! Just be who you are. You don’t want to spend your life pretending, do you? If some stupid guy can’t see how beautiful you are, then he’s not worth your time.” Wisdom from Abby. She is a great friend, full of drama but definitely a lot of fun. And smarter than she knows.
The walk to the woods isn’t that long, but long enough to give me time to think. It’s not always a good thing, I tend to get caught up in random inner monologues and forget to keep track of time. Minutes turn to hours and the afternoon slips away. Mushroom soup… it sounded amazing this morning, but now I’m starting to regret my choice. I can’t find any decent morels out here anywhere and it’s getting late, the light is fading and I can feel the damp of evening in the air. I’ll have to wait for tomorrow to cook it anyway, I really should just give up and head back. Get a fresh start in the morning. I glance around at the trees and realize I haven’t been paying attention to where my feet are taking me. Nothing looks familiar, I must have wandered into a remote area without thinking… sigh. Well, it’s not like I haven’t camped out in the woods before, there’s nothing overly dangerous around here anyway. Only a few slimes and some cave bats, but I know how to keep them away from a camp. It’s a good chance to practice my potion-making skills. I can just see Raz rolling his eyes in frustration at my lack of attention leading to getting myself lost. “Lilith, you really must keep your mind on your task! Someday, you will need this potion and I’d hate to see you injured or worse because you weren’t listening to my explanation.” His deep voice, laced with frustration and concern echoes in my head. Yes, yes, I remember. I set my backpack down and start rummaging for the ingredients to mix up a monster repellant and hopefully a snack.
Ohhh wait! What’s that? A flash of light buff color catches my eye from under the leaves… I swear it’s a— YES!! Perfect, a beautiful morel just asking to become a delicious soup. “Don’t even try to hide from me, I know you’re here somewhere… I just saw you…”, a strange sing-song voice drifts to my ears… what the hell? Frozen, my hand suspended in space above the mushroom, I hold my breath. I didn’t sense anyone here and I can always tell if someone is nearby, one of the benefits of being so closely connected to the earth and plants. Vibrations of footsteps travel to my feet from a great distance. Much to Sam’s disappointment, he’s never been able to sneak up and surprise me. “Come out, come out wherever you are…” That voice… the tone is so melodic and… Lil, you idiot, some psycho is out in the woods stalking you and you’re fixating on his voice like a ridiculous teenager! Just grab the damn mushroom, girl!
“Oh THERE you are!” A rush of wind and flash of feathery black like… wings? Then… Hey!! My mushroom! It’s gone, just like that, snatched right out of my fingers… “Gotcha! Oh, nice! You’re exactly what I need— Woah, sorry, I—”