NOVEL NEXT 81 - Counting Sheep
The flowing sheep farm was located a fair distance away from the walls of Bavacium. Raising livestock was a logistical nightmare in a region plagued by dangerous wildlife. Creatures roamed the forest all year long, threatening the flocks.
Bavacium didn't have the wall of trees protecting it. As such, its inhabitants had to come up with novel solutions to protect their animals.
Vedovessa dragged Div, En and Rigomaros to the farm. Once she was sure they wouldn't try to run, she removed their water shackles and let them walk alongside her.
[I wonder why he looks so defeated.]
After he learned they were going to the flowing sheep farm, Rigomaros had thrown a fit. Then, as it didn't have any effect on Vedovessa, he resigned himself to his fate.
But he didn't share his reasons for disliking the farm.
(I think he's not used to getting punished. Him being the son of an Ascended Rank.)
[Either that or the farm is really horrible.]
They would find out soon. After walking down a large dirt path taking them back to the river, Vedovessa stopped in front of the water.
The flow was split in two by a large island sitting in the middle of the current.
"We're crossing the river," Vedovessa said. "Don't resist my magic."
Being an Evolved Rank water mage, Vedovessa naturally had the means to help them cross. After casting her spell, she instructed them to step on the water, assuring them her magic would let them walk on it.
It felt strange.
Stepping on water as if it was solid ground was confusing. Div and En's instincts rebelled against the notion. Each step was a fight against their minds telling them they were going to sink.
But that wasn't all. The river wasn't still, the current and the waves made the crossing hazardous. It was as if the ground was constantly shifting below their feet.
"If you fall, you're going to sink," Vedovessa warned them. "I've only applied magic to the sole of your feet."
"I'm not going to fall," Rigomaros stated, as if it was a given.
He was sure-footed and he didn't seem to be in any danger of falling.
(You've got to admit, the guy's got balance.)
[No…]
(Cut it out. Sulking's only going to make this worse.)
Fine, Div would not complain out loud, but he still decided to use the fifth direction to reach the riverbank. It wasn't just about showing off, it also saved him and En a few dozen unsteady steps on the water.
Yes, that was the reason.
Once they were on the island, Vedovessa led them toward the farm which was located far enough inland to be safe from most floods.
The farm was modest, but large, a long fence to keep the sheep from running off, a barn, and a few cute little cottages where the workers of the farm likely lived.
The famed flowing sheep were dotting the fields behind the fence, munching on fresh spring grass. There were too many of them to count, their pure white wool blending together into an indistinguishable mass.
Div and En watched in awe. The quality of their wool was evident, even from a distance. They had never seen such fluffy sheep in their lives.
The animals happily sauntered all over the field. A dog was keeping watch over them.
Their soft bleats echoed through the air.
Warm wind caressed their face.
"Div, En, snap out of it," Vedovessa said, startling them out of their trance.
Rigomaros was looking at them, a sly smile hanging on his lips.
[What's up with him?]
(I know, he's annoying. Don't let him get into your head.)
"Vedovessa!" A shepherd walked up to them, recognizing the teacher. "I didn't know you had arrived."
"Adeurix," Vedovessa greeted him in return. "It's good to see you, how have you been since the last time?"
"Good, I've finally gained the last level of my magic."
"Congratulations, it was long overdue," Vedovessa said. "Next step is ascension."
Adeurix shook his head, "It feels so far away. Even with a level 10 Evolved Rank skill."
"Anyway, I brought you two misbehaving students. Use them however you want. But return them before night falls."
Adeurix turned his head toward Div, En, and Rigomaros and smiled.
"Welcome to the farm, boys. I'm sure you're going to like it."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He paused.
"Eh? Aren't you Divilina's son? What did you do to get on Vedo's bad side? No, actually, don't tell me. I'd rather not know."
"I have to return to the rest of my class," Vedovessa said. "Take good care of them."
"I will, Vedo," Adeurix said. "Let's catch up later."
Left with the shepherd and Rigomaros, Div and En wondered what the man would have them do for the day. If it was just helping with the sheep, they doubted the other boy would have had such a strong reaction.
"Adeurix," Rigomaros started. "Let me go now."
"No can do," Adeurix said, leaning back on the fence.
"You'd listen to a woman from another village over me?"
"Of course," he shrugged. "Even your mom would listen to Vedo."
Their punishment was simple: they had to clean the sheep. Flowing sheep wool was naturally soft and white, but since the animals lived outside, it could grow dirty quickly if not properly cared for.
"I've already taken care of the sheep you've seen earlier," Adeurix told them. "Let's move on to the next batch."
On the other side of the barn, there was another massive field filled with sheep. But instead of the clean, white, fluffy wonders they first saw when arriving, their wool was tainted with brown filth.
"Flowing sheep are a pain," Adeurix explained. "Years of caring for them every day, and I still don't understand how they get dirty so fast."
Adeurix had cleaned this flock just a few days ago, and now the sheep looked almost feral.
At least, the shepherd had the skills to make the process efficient. With a whistle, he called over a single, specific sheep and patted its back.
The beast was in a sorry state. It looked like it had rolled over in mud and other unidentifiable substances. Dead flying insects were stuck between its hair, and there was even some sort of mucus covering part of its back.
"The thing with them," Adeurix continued. "Is that their coat are sticky. So everything that touches it never comes off."
He pointed to an artificial pond and instructed Rigomaris, Div, and En to carry the sheep into the water and scrub with a big brush. At least, their wool was tough enough to handle vigorous scrubbing.
Not afraid to get wet, Div and En entered the pond. The sheep was compliant, likely used to such treatment.
[It can't feel good to be this filthy. They must look forward to their cleaning session.]
(Have you seen how many sheep there are? It will take forever.)
[Why is that guy not helping?]
"You're coming?" They asked Rigomaros who was standing on the side.
"I guess," the young Bavacian sighed, before slowly waddling into the water.
"Come on," Div and En said. "Hold the sheep, I'll scrub. The faster we are, the sooner we'll be free."
"Let's just get it over with…"
Rigomaros held the dirty sheep in the water while Div and En scrubbed as hard as they could. Their clothes were already dirty from dipping into the pond, they didn't mind the filth from the sheep making it worse. They would have to change and find someone with a good cleaning skill for their pants.
It was hard work. The animal was so dirty that they had to fight for every inch of wool. It was only the first of many, but their hands already hurt from the repeated motion.
Yet, slowly, they peeled away the layers of grime and revealed the beautiful white coat of the animal. It was very nice, soft to the touch. Even though it was wet, it was a pleasant feeling. The sticky substance that made flowing sheep accumulate dirt so quickly was also responsible for the quality of their wool.
Div and En hugged the sheep, it was just too comfortable.
They rested their head on its back and closed their eyes.
"Wake up!" They were startled by a slap on the back of their head that was accompanied by Adeurix shouting at them.
They turned around to face the man and saw him and Rigomaros giggling.
"Good," Adeurix said, holding back his laughter. "We had our fun. Flowing sheep are experts at sleep magic, part of your job is to resist it."
(That's ridiculous.)
Still, Div and En took the time to inspect the sheep.
Species: Flowing Sheep
Skills:
Lullaby - Basic - Lv3
Soporific Presence - Basic - Lv4
Not technically sleep magic, but the effects were just as bad. Worse, beasts could have issues wrapping their heads around something as complex as magic. A simple skill using the attunement was often more effective.
Skill leveled up: Inspect Lv3 -> Lv4
[So that's what's taking us over the line.]
They had been slacking in their practice. Since monsters rarely had the ability to conceal their status and inspecting people was considered rude, they didn't have a lot of chances to progress Inspect and Conceal outside of class.
Regardless, now they were warned. They had no idea how to avoid falling for the sheep's skills, but they could at least be vigilant.
They and Rigomaros alternated holding sheep and scrubbing them. Sometimes, they or Rigomaros fell asleep by accident. When it happened, Adeurix was there to wake them up.
The first few times were funny.
Now it wasn't anymore. Div and En were tired, and whether it was them or Rigomaros falling for the sheep skills, it was just sad.
They didn't even fight anymore. Their eyes were heavy, hands blistered, pride wrung out like the dirty wool they were trying to clean.
"I'm sorry about earlier," Div said, after hours of labor. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you."
"No, I deserved it," Rigomaros shook his head. "I judged you as if you were one of those southerners who've been in the city for a few days. But you're different."
"In the city?"
"You don't know?" Rigomaros asked, surprised. "There's a delegation from Kheiron. Them coming all the way out here has put a lot of pressure on the elders."
(We need to see them.)
[Not so fast, we don't know who they are and how they would react to us. We didn't leave on good terms with the city.]
"Did you meet them?" Div and En asked.
"Unfortunately," Rigomaros answered as he scrubbed a particularly bad stain on a sheep's mantle. "Some are our age too, you might know them."
"I might…" Div and En said pensively.
[See, if there are people from our year, they would know about us.]
(Right, we need to ask Theaphilia about that.)
[I would rather they forget about us.]
(I don't know, but I don't want them to see us in that state.)
"Well, if you see them," Rigomaros continued. "Tell them to behave. I know I shouldn't be the one saying that, but they are insufferable. So arrogant when they barely speak our language."
"Yeah, you're not the best person to say that," Div and En agreed. "But I can see it happening. So you know why they're here?"
"I do, but your teacher said not to tell."
"Come on, she's not here."
"But I am," Adeurix cut in. "If you want to know, ask Theaphilia."
Div and En were growing more and more curious. Kheiron was close to two months away from Bavacium. Even if it was closer than Camboaci, it was not normal for an official delegation to make the trip.
Especially when it came to the younger generation, no recently awakened Kheironite had ever ventured this deep into the Wildlands
Something was afoot, and they had to find out what.