Homestead Survival

<09 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]

"We only have a little while before we should go to bed," Theo said, trying to think things through before reacting.

"I mean, yes, but also, I feel like this is a little more pressing than sleep hygiene," Julia said.

"No, the point is, let's focus on one thing." Theo said, "Let's focus on the Mark. So Julia, go ahead and Identify me."

Julia did so without hesitation.

"It just says that you are affected by a Mark from the skill Harbinger," Julia said, a little stressed out.

"That's fine," Theo said, taking a breath; he focused on himself for a moment, "I don't feel anything different, and I can't sense anything that the System is outright telling me like it does with skills."

He trailed off, and Julia looked at him, "I feel like there is a 'but' there."

"There is; it's almost like something is there that I should be able to tell what it is. But it is blocked somehow." Theo said.

"So what do we do?" Julia asked.

Theo shrugged. "Worrying about it is not going to help, so why don't you refresh the wards around the cabin so we can go to sleep? Tomorrow, we should work on some Hugelkultur and get the berries transplanted. I will spend some time trying to figure out this feeling, and then, if there is time, we can work on digging a foundation."

"Okay," Julia said, not sounding thrilled.

"Can you at least try to sound hopeful about whatever is going to happen?" Theo teased her.

She smiled at him, and they each went to their sleeping platforms and lay down. Theo fell asleep immediately. Julia lay awake, thinking, with silent tears streaming down her face.

<10 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]

They woke as the sun approached a quarter of its full height. Theo stretched, the feeling that there was something he should be able to sense about the Mark was still there.

"How are you feeling?" Julia asked.

"Good," Theo said, then locked eyes with Julia. "I don't want you to worry; let's just work the plan and go from there."

They both walked outside, and the first thing they saw was the Goblin. Theo sighed, "God damn it."

"Fuck off!" Julia yelled out, and the Goblin just stood where it was, drooling, its eyes appearing bloodshot.

Theo picked up a stick that he had cut off from one of the trees. The stick was about six feet long and relatively straight. He hefted it into his hand and then used Penitent Strike as he would with a hammer or sword. Then he stepped and threw the stick like a spear as hard as he could.

The Goblin simply smiled more and took the hit. Theo felt the mark flare. At the same time, what sounded like the cries of more goblins came from the southern end of the Overlook.

"Julia, I need you to Identify me again," Theo said, and Julia did.

"The time has gone way down." Julia said, "Did it do that because you hit it?"

Theo shrugged and picked up a rock, pitching it as hard as he could at the Goblin, smacking it in the head hard enough to drop it to the ground. Theo felt the mark flare, and guttural cries issued forth from the other end of the Overlook.

Theo stuck out his hand, and Julia Identified him again.

"It changed. It went from eight days, one hour to six days, twenty-three hours. And this most recent one has two new lines. It says 'Multiplier: 2X', and the last line says 'Doom Approaches. All Hail...' There is nothing after the hail." Julia said.

"Oh, interesting." Theo said, "Should I keep throwing rocks?"

Julia hesitated and then nodded, "Throw one more, and let's see if we can get any information."

So Theo picked up a rock, wound up, and threw it. Knocking the Goblin to the ground once more. The Mark flared harder than it ever had before, and the sound of goblins seemed louder than it had before. On top of it all, a timer for just under one hundred and twenty hours appeared in his lower right field of view.

Julia identified him.

"It is less than five days now," Julia said.

"I have a timer like we did in the dungeon," Theo said.

"The multiplier is three times now, and the bottom line reads 'Doom Approaches. All hail the God of Plague and Cannibals!" Julia said, and then what Theo said registered with her. "Can you focus on it like we could in the dungeon?"

Theo focused on it, and a box appeared.

"We are going to have a fight on our hands," Theo said, quickly explaining what the box said.

"So I guess we only have one question," Julia said, looking out at the Goblin. "Do you want to fight now or let the timer run out?"

"Let's eat breakfast, and then we can decide what to do.