Chapter 28:
Yahm
“My name is Leonis Fisher,” Halius’s father said proudly. “Our people have lived in this valley for countless generations, long before the foundation of the Rayleighin Kingdom.”
As he spoke, a youth in white hurriedly passed small wooden cups to everyone seated around the large table.
“With me are the elders of the valley,” Leonis continued, his tone ceremonial. “We have been entrusted with preserving the traditions of our forefathers, so that our descendants may be raised in peace.”
The youth returned, moving quickly around the table as he poured a light green liquid into each cup. He held the bottle with both hands, bowing slightly as he served. It struck me as interesting that he began with the eldest at the table and ended with me, the youngest.
“Though we are under the Duke’s authority, we have been granted his favor, which allows us to preserve our own humble culture,” Leonis went on. “That favor, however, came with a condition. We may retain our independence only so long as we accept the stewardship of one appointed by the Duke. It is a formality that upholds the laws of the kingdom. We did not wish for conflict, so we settled upon this arrangement instead.”
I nodded in sympathy as I considered their situation. It was a difficult position to be in as a people, and if they were ever forced to live under someone they despised, it could spell ruin for everything they hoped to preserve. The people of the Belt understood this truth instinctively; there were few things worse than a bad neighbor.
“Your uncle was a man of deep conviction and proved to be far more than we could have hoped for as a steward,” Leonis Fisher said, his words carrying genuine care. “It is our hope, Mr. Garner, that this relationship continues with you in his stead. As the heir of Sir Lucian Garner, and as the new steward of this valley, we invite you to share this cup with us.”
In unison, the elders raised their cups, their eyes fixed on me expectantly.
Had I not grown up on a farm, in a family of farmers who wanted nothing more than to be farmers, I might not have recognized the ancient custom in which I now found myself. In the Belt, when new neighbors came to plant their families’ roots in a community, the men of every household would gather together and share a glass. In that quiet communion, they bound themselves not by law or mere words, but by the measure of their souls.
Though they were not united by blood, it was a promise to care for and protect one another, so that their families might prosper side by side.
As I considered the weight of the moment, I smiled and drank alongside the men of the valley. The fiery liquor burned going down, leaving a cool aftertaste of… mint?
In an instant, my consciousness stepped from one realm to the next. The white expanse of the spiritual plane stretched before me, replacing the gentle warmth of the elders’ circle.
“What? That wasn’t even tea!” I protested, setting my cup down on the small white table in front of me.
This was my third visit to the spiritual realm, and the shock of the transition didn’t hit nearly as hard as it had the first couple of times.
Wait.
“What the hell?!” I shouted, my voice cracking somewhere between alarm and disbelief.
Across the table sat a guest I could never have anticipated. I’d expected the Old Man to return… or perhaps one of the domains he’d mentioned in our previous conversations. But this... this was none of those.
On the other side of the table sat a massive, house sized turtle.
A giant, gods damned turtle.
Its legs were tucked neatly into its shell as it sat comfortably before its own tiny teacup, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.
I stared in stunned silence as it lowered its massive head and sipped delicately from the tiny cup.
Ahhhhhhhhhh...
The turtle let out a sigh of satisfaction that reverberated through my entire being. Having finished its cup, it stared down at me with large, unblinking black eyes.
“It’s good, yes?” it asked, tilting its head slightly to the side.
I stared back at my guest in disbelief.
“You’re... a turtle...” I said dumbly, my thoughts and words failing to harmonize with one another.
“No. I’m a Yahm.”
We both stared at each other in silence, letting the absurdity of the situation settle.
Oh, what the hell, I thought. Might as well embrace the weird.
“Would you... like more tea?” I asked, lifting the pot and pouring another cup.
The great turtle smiled as the aroma rose into the air, filling its massive nostrils.
“So, Yahm... is that your name, or what you are?”
“Yes.”
I shook my head. Okay, that was on me. Stupid question.
“Not that I mind your company,” I added, trying to feel out the conversation, “but... how, or why, are you here?”
The turtle looked at me with what I could only interpret as mild amusement.
“You visit Yahm’s Valley, yes? You meet with my bound kin, yes?”
Yahm’s Valley? As far as I was aware, I hadn’t heard that name before.
“Yahm’s Valley? I thought this was called Garner’s Valley.”
The turtle chortled.
“No. Yahm’s. Always Yahm’s.”
Admittedly, I couldn’t claim to be a man known for my intelligence. However, I was astute enough to make a sound leap in logic. Garner’s Valley, which had once been Fisher’s Valley, must have been Yahm’s Valley at some point in the past.
“Okay... so it’s Yahm’s Valley, your valley. Does that mean you still live here?”
The turtle chortled again, its amusement at my ignorance obvious.
“You are hatchling, yes? Carrot turtle... do legacies live?”
I considered his words for a moment. It was clear he was talking about something I didn’t fully understand, but it couldn’t hurt to try to answer.
“I guess... yes, they do. My family has been farmers for generations. Fathers pass their traditions and ways of life to their sons and daughters, and so on. It’s no different from the cup I shared with the elders of your valley. So yes, traditions live... in their own way.”
Yahm smiled.
“Then... Yahm lives.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the turtle’s simple response. We shared that quiet moment a while longer before the turtle stretched its long legs from its massive shell and rose from the table.
“Care for Yahm’s Valley, yes?”
“I will. It’s my home now, after all,” I said, as the turtle’s aura surged outward, sweeping through me like a tide searching the depths of my soul. For a brief moment, everything within me felt laid bare, every memory, every thought, every secret. Then, just as quickly, the sensation receded.
Somehow, the enormous turtle smiled.
“Good,” it rumbled, its voice deep and ancient. “Farewell, carrot turtle.”
Golden script shimmered into view before me as the great turtle turned and began to walk down an unseen path. It moved slowly... very slowly... painfully slowly, until, at last, its massive form faded from sight.
Legacy Acquired: Yahm’s Blessing (Rare)– You have shared a cup with the Great Turtle, Yahm, whose colossal shell once shielded the valley he loved from countless threats. Those who bear this blessing receive a permanent increase to their stats, along with additional bonuses while within the borders of the valley.
Permanent: +5 Fortitude, +5 Strength
Conditional: Your domain’s resources will slowly regenerate as you cultivate the land within Yahm’s valley. This effect is applied to all domain types.
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A legacy?
Until now, the only one I possessed was the Mint Tea legacy, which apparently applied to any drink even remotely mint-related. I wanted to question that logic, but decided it was best to just accept this instance of spiritual path shenanigans. After all, I did just share a cup of tea with a giant turtle.
I thought for a moment, trying to recall what the golden script had said about legacies when I had first accepted my path. As if simply waiting for the prompt, the text shimmered back into view, written in that same familiar hand as before.
[Legacies] – Represent enduring boons born from great deeds, sacred bonds, and the strength of one’s will. A Legacy may grant bonus stats, affinities, or abilities, each shaped by the moment and meaning of its creation. Some legacies are powerful enough to be passed down to future generations, carrying their strength and influence far beyond a single lifetime.
Interesting.
Following Yahm’s example, I stood from the table and stepped onto the path beside me. I was familiar with the process by now and knew the only way out of here was to simply take the next step.
Well, let’s get this over with. Everyone back in the valley is probably staring at me like I’m crazy right now.
The path stretched out before me and was soon swallowed by the same pale fog as before. Each step stirred faint ripples through the haze, and with them came the memories.
Faces and moments flickered around me like ghosts caught in lantern light. Rolin’s voice rang out first, sharp and accusing, followed by the dull crack of my fist against his jaw. I winced at the memory. He’d earned it, but anger had made me careless. If I had handled that situation with a cooler head, things might have turned out differently. Even after showing him mercy in the courtroom, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d sown the seeds of a lasting feud. Only time would tell.
The fog thickened. Another memory rose from it like a storm breaking over calm water. Once again, I felt the Duke’s presence pressing down upon me. My pulse quickened, even knowing it was only a vision. I could feel the difference now, it was as if his very presence laid claim to the world around him, establishing a domain.
Aura.
The word came to me unbidden, carried on by the memory itself. I reached for that sensation, the same way I might reach for a thought half remembered in a dream, but it slipped away. There was something between me and that understanding, a veil I couldn’t yet pierce.
Maybe that’s how growth works here. Step by step. Lesson by lesson. Power unfolding only when the soul is ready to bear it.
The fog stirred again, and the path ahead began to glow faintly, as if urging me onward.
Then came the most recent memory, the confrontation with Halius and the gnolls. Once again, I felt the anticipation that had knotted my chest in that moment. I watched the battle unfold and took special note of Halius’s unique use of his aura.
The Duke had used his aura to dominate those in his presence, but Halius had used it to provoke a mindless attack. The applications of that ability were fascinating, and the more I witnessed it, the more I wanted to understand, and eventually wield, that same kind of power.
From this outside perspective, I saw more than I had before. Each of Halius’s movements carried a rhythm, an ebb and flow of force that wasn’t quite spiritual, yet not merely physical either. It came from somewhere deeper, drawn from the reservoir of his own endurance. His strength wasn’t constant; it surged, manifesting in sudden bursts that made his body and will move as one. But it was not without cost, the more he relied on this inner reservoir, the faster his exhaustion seemed to grow.
My abilities drew from spiritual potential, while his seemed born of sheer physical force shaped into violent motion. Two different languages, both speaking the same truth: potential could take many forms.
I’d have to ask the Duke’s guards about that when they arrived in a few days. Maybe they could explain how the other domains differed from my own.
As I pondered these experiences, the fog around me began to thin, curling away like mist before the morning sun. In its place, a glassy surface materialized, blocking the path ahead.
On its surface, a familiar golden script began to write out the details of my progression along The Path.
Update:
You have leveled up! Resources have been restored.
Stats increased: Spirit +3, Fortitude +3, and +1 all other attributes
Path: Harvester
Harvesters are stewards of the eternal cycle, gifted with the ability to reap and sow the lingering energies of both beast and man; their path is one of balance, wielding harvested potential to fulfill their sacred duty. They do not merely take; they reclaim, restore, and empower, ensuring the cycle endures.
(Advancing the abilities and skills of your class will grant experience towards your next level.)
Name: Samuel Jacob Garner
Race: Human
Affinities: Life / Death
Domains: Divine 1 - (New domains available every 20 levels)
Path: Path of the Harvester
Level: 3
Attributes: Notice: new stats and legacy bonuses applied
Strength: 13
Agility: 8
Fortitude: 19
Perception: 8
Spirit: 13
Intelligence: 7
Legacies:
Mint Tea (Legendary) - Grants access to the path without the support of an ability, Simply brew a cup of mint tea.
Yahm’s Blessing (Rare) - You have shared a cup with the Great Turtle, Yahm, whose colossal shell once shielded the valley he loved from countless threats. Those who bear this blessing receive a permanent increase to their stats, along with additional bonuses while within the borders of the valley.
Permanent: +5 Fortitude, +5 Strength
Conditional: Your domain’s resources will slowly regenerate as you cultivate the land within Yahm’s valley. This effect is applied to all domain types.
Domain Ability: [Spirit Well] (Divine) (Common)
A tool of potential, Spirit Well allows those within the Divine Domain to draw in and store Spiritual Potential within an internal reservoir. Stored SP may be manifested through the use of skills and abilities. Maximum SP is determined by one's Spirit attribute.
Path Ability: [Reap] (Divine) (Legendary)
Reap allows the user to harvest unused potential from recently deceased beings. Only those who have fully expired may be harvested, ensuring no soul or life essence is taken prematurely. The harvested potential fills the user’s Spirit Well.
Item required: Scythe or Sickle
Skills: (Unlocked through use of ability)
Path Ability: [Sow] (Divine) (Legendary)
A tool of potential, Sow allows the user to amplify various forms of potential.
Skills: (Unlocked through use of ability)
Skills:
Green Thumb: (Rank 1: level 1)- Amplify the vital potential within plants causing them to mature at a faster rate. This skill scales with Spirit.
Mend Wounds: (Rank 1: level 3)- Amplify the vital potential within a target in order to rapidly heal physical injuries. This skill scales with Spirit.
Spirit Harvest: (Rank 1: level 2)- Harvest spiritual potential from an available source. Potential harvested in this way will automatically be placed in the users internal reservoir. Excess potential will be lost.
Cleansing Touch: (Rank 1: level 1)- Amplify the vital potential within a target in order to purge toxins, poisons, diseases, and other corrupting effects of a physical nature. This skill scales with Spirit
Power Boost: (Rank 1: level 2)- Amplifies the muscular output of a target, increasing the force and effectiveness of their physical movements. Their actions become stronger and more forceful, allowing them to strike harder, lift more, and perform physical labor with greater intensity for a short duration. When the effect ends, accumulated strain may leave the target fatigued. This skill scales with the target’s Strengthattribute.
Amplify Aura: (Rank 1 : Level 1)- Amplifies the Spirit attribute of a target, temporarily increasing the potency of their aura. The strength of target’s aura scales with target’s level and Spirit attribute.
Note: You currently lack the ability to project and actively manipulate your aura.
As I looked over the screen, a sense of accomplishment washed over me. I had made significant progress so far, yet it was unclear how many levels each skill rank contained, and I wasn’t entirely sure how to acquire additional abilities. My lack of information was frustrating, and despite focusing on the question, the path offered no answers.
Well... damn. I guess I’ll save that question for when my training begins.
Trying to distract myself from the disappointment, I took a moment to admire my newfound Strength and Fortitude. Strength now rivaled my Spirit, and Fortitude was nearly twenty. If fighting monsters was going to become my new normal, I had no doubt these stats would serve me well.
Finally, I looked once more at the new legacy I had acquired. My best guess was that the cup sharing ceremony had satisfied some prerequisite for the “shared bonds” portion of the legacy’s description, and somehow, my first legacy, Mint Tea, had facilitated this unique experience.
I sighed.
The more I learned, the more questions I seemed to have, and the more frustrated I felt by the lack of answers.
With my business here concluded, a familiar prompt appeared before me:
Would you like to return to the physical world?
Yes / No
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