“C’mon, just a little bit…more!”
*POP!*
A radish bursts from the soil, sending dirt flying. I stumble back, holding the prize high. Its skin is a luxurious shade of crimson. It’s a bit small but nonetheless precious.
My farm’s first harvest.
I toss it into a large woven basket, crouching back in the dirt and continuing the process. I move down rows of carefully tended roots, freeing them from their earthen prison. Radishes pile in my basket.
But it’s a small haul. In no time at all, the earth is bare.
Now it’s time to replant. I bought more seeds from Dahlia. Radishes are fast-growing crops, so I should be able to get another couple batches before the end of Seedtide. Once I’ve built up some savings, I might even invest in enchanted essences for watering. They can have all sorts of effects on plants, augmenting color, flavor, elemental affinity, and most importantly, price.
A noise rustles in the bushes, breaking my focus.
My eyes dart to the forest edge, scanning for predators. Everything seems calm…
Must be a forest slime. Those jiggly little buggers will eat anything. They can probably smell my radishes from a mile away.
Bending low, I grab a pebble.
“Yah! Go away!” I hurl it into the bushes.
Nothing moves.
Huh.
Must’ve just been the wind.
Opening my pouch, I set to work, sprinkling little seeds and covering them with soil. It’s like tucking them into bed for the night.
And once they’re all in the ground, it’s time for a bedtime snack.
Lifting my iron watering can, I head to a bucket near my cabin. It’s filled with water I hauled from the river near Varian Farm. I’ve really gotta get this watering situation figured out. I heard there was groundwater here, but I can’t seem to dig a well.
Maybe I was lied to? I got information from a questionable source.
The witch.
She’s a strange woman. Deep in the woods, she rarely leaves her hut. When villagers have important decisions, they’ll often make the journey, seeking her wisdom.
I did the same before starting my farm. Perhaps it’s foolish to rely on her divination skills. I’ve never trusted her, to be honest.
Too many mysteries in our valley…things I don’t understand.
“There ya go. Nice and easy.” I smile down at the earth, pouring water from my can. “Soon, you’ll be sprouting. Grow big and strong, then we’ll take ya to market!”
“Talking to crops? I hear it’s good for them.” A deep voice radiates behind me.
“Waaah!” I whirl around, sending water flying. I clutch my heart.
Water splashes onto Ivan’s pants. Ivy flaps her wings. Crag doesn’t budge.
“Ugh.” Viktor stumbles back, disgusted.
“Oh. It’s you.” I catch my breath.
“Sorry, lad. Should’ve been louder.” Ivan chuckles. “You’re awfully focused.”
“I’ve got work to do,” I grumble, turning away. “Not all of us have time to travel.”
“Ah, but travel *is* work. So many precious trinkets in this world…just waiting to be found.”
“You really make a living hunting treasure?” I cock my head.
“You bet. Got my start as a boy, exploring icy caves in Galanta. Old bones and arrowheads…once you start uncovering the past, you get hooked.” He hesitates. “Though I don’t sell everything. Some hunts are special—about making a name for myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ya know, artifacts that are important to people. Things that belong in museums, not in a rich lord’s private study.”
“I guess that makes sense. But what about them?” I point at his creatures.
“The adventuring party! Every explorer needs sidekicks.”
“Yeeeee!” Ivy grins, licking her tiny fangs.
“Rooorg.” Crag snatches a fistful of soil and shoves it into his mouth, chewing.
My nose crinkles.
“Eh, I never said they were scholars.” Ivan chuckles. “But they’ve got special talents.”
“Talents?”
“You bet. Ivy here is a Dusk Eye. They’ve got night vision. Crag is a Shard Eater. He doesn’t have good eyesight, but his nose makes up for it! He can sniff out loot. Ores, gems, anything underground, really.”
“Wait.” I freeze up. “Like sniffing…water?”
“Aaah, I see.” Ivan surveys the holes scattered across my property. “Need some help, eh? We might be able to work out a deal. Nothing in life is free though, I’m afraid.”
While we chat, Viktor wanders the field, reaching low and scooping pebbles into his pockets.
“Yes…this one looks valuable,” he mutters.
“He’s an odd one, that boy.” Ivan lowers his voice. “A bit of a hoarder, if you want the truth. You know what they say about one man’s trash…”
“So you guys travel from town to town, searching for valuables?”
“That’s right. Once we strike gold, we haul it back up to Galanta. There are plenty of private buyers up there. Old families with too much money.”
“Is it true that in Galanta they—?”
I don’t get the words out. Ivy leaps off Ivan’s shoulder, flapping and screeching. Crag’s nose points to the sky while he inhales in a frenzy.
Ivan looks over my shoulder, his jaw dropping.
I whirl around, struggling to process the scene. It’s a sight too shocking to be real. An impossibility.
My little radishes…they’ve climbed from their woven basket. They wander through the grass, sprinting toward the forest in a single-file line. Dozens of little red spheres bouncing and stumbling.
Wait. No.
The radishes aren’t alive. It’s something far worse.
Bugs.
Beneath each radish, a chubby, pink creature moves. They’ve got wide bodies and a dozen stubby legs. I watch while they crawl into the basket, looting crops and fleeing into the woods.
One of them hesitates, staring at me with big, round googly eyes.
It blinks.
So do I.
It breaks the stalemate, diving into the basket.
“N-no!” I race forward, but it’s too late. It snatches the last radish, leaping into the grass.
My legs don’t budge. I just stand stunned, watching while my hard work disappears.
“Yeeeeee!”
Ivy launches into action. Soaring like a falcon on the prowl, her bulging eye widens, growing wild and bloodshot. Her tail whips while she wails.
The little bugs sprint faster, but they’re no match. Her green iris glows. Before I can register what’s happening, a brilliant beam ejects from her pupil. Thin and focused, it moves with surgical precision, carving across the grass and leaving a smoldering gash.
It saws over the bugs, vaporizing the intruders while leaving my radishes intact.
In a matter of moments, the invasion ends. All that’s left is silence.
Silence and a trail of produce.
“Pretty great, eh?” Ivan smacks my back. “Lunar Beam. A skill she learned from a beastmaster up north. Dusk eyes can absorb energy from the moon, storing it for later use.”
“Woah…” My jaw hangs open. “But…what were those things?!”
“Strawberry ants. I’ve seen those buggers before. Big, squishy things. Gotta be careful or they’ll steal your—hey!”
His hands fly to his waist, but it’s too late. A strawberry ant leaps off his belt, clutching his pocket watch and holding it high. The timepiece sparkles while it flies through the grass, racing toward the forest’s shadow.
We seize up, two men stunned. Violated.
“Yeeeeee!”
Ivy resolves the problem.
“Heh. Saved again.” He flashes an awkward smile. “Nobody loots the Duskflame clan and lives to tell of it!”
“Father! Your runic pocket watch!” Viktor races forward, snatching it from the grass. “We’re supposed to find treasure, not lose it!”
“It’s an antique too. Traded for it in South Ur-gahn—the dwarf fortress.”
I regain my bearings.
“Ivan, this is cool and all, but I’ve got work to do. Is this why you’re here? Showing off your pals?”
“Oh no, not at all. Although…Crag doesn’t mind a good parade.”
“Rooooorg?”
“We’re here on business.” He removes a small leather pouch from his belt and pokes his fingers inside. “Take a look.”
His fingers retrieve a tiny, rolled piece of fabric. As he pulls it from the pouch, it morphs and expands. It swells and swells, standing nearly as tall as I am.
He’s got a dimensional pouch—the best storage system known to man. Has the power to shrink items down to the size of peas.
“A carpet?” I cock my head.
“Not quite. Take a gander.” He unfurls the fabric, lifting it high.
It billows in the wind. At first, it looks like a quilt, but that’s not it at all.
It’s a tapestry.
“Woah…” I move in, eyes wide.
The embroidered scenes…I recognize them.
Well, one of them, anyway.
At the top, an image of the grand waterfall is sewn with masterful needlework, the blue threads imbued with silver that shimmers and sparkles. There are unfamiliar scenes too. Three panels run across the top, one showing the waterfall, the next showing a vibrant red pine tree, and the next with a bear-like rock formation.
Under the three panels is a single large, magnificent scene.
It shows a woman in flowing white robes descending from the heavens. Flowers are woven into her green locks of hair. Her blue eyes shine with that same sumptuous thread. She’s otherworldly—angelic.
And in her arms, she holds a small wooden chest. She reaches out, handing it to a bearded man dressed in rags.
His head is bowed, profound respect.
I don’t know what I’m looking at, but it stirs reverence in my heart—like witnessing something sacred. Something not meant for my eyes.
“What…what is it?” My voice is barely audible.
“Ah, that’s the question, isn’t it?” A crafty smile spreads across Ivan’s face. “I’ve been in this business long enough to recognize a prize when I see it. Found this at a flea market in southern Galanta. I took it to scholar after scholar, searching until someone could finally recognize the scene.”
“And?”
“I had a hit. Ventured down to the city of Crystaris and visited the academy. One of the professors recognized your special little waterfall. That’s why I’m here, Willem. I’m making the rounds, seeing if villagers know what this is. More specifically—do they know where this box is?”
He gazes down at the majestic image.
“Have you tried asking Mayor Gaius? Or the priest at the Etherbloom Chapel? They’d know more than I would.”
“Yes, but they weren’t much help. Said it seems to show the Goddess of Bounty—patron saint of Verda. The image doesn’t match anything in the religious records though. Said it might just be a work of art…but I don’t buy it. There’s something hidden here. I can feel it.”
“Rooorg.” Crag sticks his nose in the air, sniffing something in the breeze.
“And Crag can feel it too. He’s never wrong.” Ivan grins.
“Hmmm…” I step back, stroking my chin. “Nope. I’m drawing a blank.”
I throw my arms up.
“Oh.” He deflates, rolling the tapestry and shrinking it back into his bag. “Starting to look like I’ll be wandering the woods. Hardly ideal.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Hm? Gonna stop me?”
“No. I mean, it’s not safe.”
“Heh, buddy, I’ve plundered elven crypts. This sword has seen the undead. There’s nothing in these woods I can’t handle.”
“No. You’re wrong.” I look up, gazing at the soaring mountain peaks. “The fae.”
“The foozie-what?”
“The fae. The oldest people in the valley. Before the settlers. Before everything.” My palms start to sweat. “They stay high in the mountains, but at night, they’re known to come down into the valley. Nobody goes out after dark in these parts. You’d best follow their lead.”
“Appreciate the advice, lad, but I can handle myself. Find some courage, and you might learn a thing or two.” He reaches into his shirt, extracting a pendant with a heavy purple gem. “Or you can just stay here, digging those pointless holes. Maybe you’ll strike water before Frostwhisper hits.”
My brows furrow. Who does this guy think he is?! Coming onto my property and talking like that! He doesn’t know how things work ‘round these parts. The fae will fix that though.
Yeah. He’s in for a rude awakening.
A smirk creeps across my face, but his purple pendant wipes it away. It flickers and flashes, causing me to stumble back.
“M-magic…?”
“Something like that.” Ivan savors my reaction. “It’s a gaia lens. One of the few treasures I’ve kept for myself. Found it long ago…back when I was just getting started.”
“What does it do?”
“I’ll show ya. Come here.”
I creep forward, my suspicion overpowered by curiosity.
Ivan lifts the pendant over his head and holds it out.
“Go ahead. Put it on.”
Strength potions. Witches. Divination. Strange sounds and sights in Harvestmoon. I’ve had my share of run-ins with magic over the years, and they’ve left me with a morbid fascination. Couldn’t hurt to give this one a try…
Grasping the dainty chain, I carefully slip the necklace over my head. The purple gemstone is heavy against my chest. It flickers, emitting pale light. Holding my breath, I wait for something to happen—a surge of power, a sense of invincibility, or anything else, really.
But there’s nothing.
“Um…” I frown. “I think it might be bro—woah!”
Golden plumes of smoke rise from the earth, swirling around my body and coalescing into letters that dance and bob. I leap back, trying to swat them away, but they move with me. My hand passes right through.
Ivan howls with laughter. It takes a moment for me to understand what’s happening…text in my vision. Words only I can see.
FARM RANK: F
LIVESTOCK: NONE
CROPS: ABYSMAL
[My dear Willem, you have a long way to go.]
A deep, masculine voice booms in my ears. I glance with wild eyes, but no one’s there.
“Where are you?!” I look at the sky.
[I’m in the stone, young one. I’m in your thoughts. A bond between man and the spirits of nature. Such is the gaia lens.]
“Woah…” I instinctively grip the stone.
[SOIL ANALYSIS: Barren (23% quality). Heavy fertilization required.
RECOMMENDATION: Purchase woolly brahmen dung from the town beastmaster. Churn into the soil.]
“Is…is this how you do it?! A secret weapon!” I stare at Ivan.
“That’s right. His name is Cel. Not sure how old he is…probably as old as the land itself. He’s got a sharp eye. Scans everything, beaming it into the mind of his wearer. And I do mean everything.”
[Individual identified.
Name: Ivan Duskflame
Race: Human (Galantan heritage)
Class: Mecha Knight (Level 34)
Weaknesses: Projectile weapons, ice magic, and pastries (prone to overeating)]
“Wow. You aren’t kidding.”
“Go ahead. Ask him about your crops.”
“Erm, Cel…what tried to steal my radishes?” I glance away. It’s awkward speaking to an invisible companion.
[PREDICAMENT: Infestation of strawberry ants.
These chubby pink insects are a rarity, multiplying after weeks of excessive rain. Highly disruptive pests, they’ll loot crops, tools, and treasures, hauling them to their lair in the woods. Indeed, their presence indicates a greater imbalance in the forest.]
“An imbalance? Like what?”
[Likely cause: Lost wellspring icons.
Recommended action: Gather local intel and search for a solution. Could Ivan’s tapestry be a clue? Unknown.
Bonus tip: Offer to guide Ivan in exchange for using his shard eater to sniff out water on your farm. You’ll never be a successful farmer without a local water source.]
Woah. Now we’re talking. If Ivan has someone like this in his ear, it’s no wonder he’s a skilled treasure hunter. I need to find my own gaia lens…
“Alright, Ivan.” I stand up straight. “I’ll go with you into the forest…but we’ll need to make a trade.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll take you where you need to go. I’ll take you to see the witch.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“But nothing in life is free.” I smirk. “That’s an awfully nice shard eater you’ve got there.”
“Heh, I like you, Willem.” Ivan folds his arms and grins. “Ever considered a career in adventuring? I could use a sidekick.”
“Dad!” Viktor watches with disbelief.
“Kidding, kidding.” Ivan waves a hand. “But you’ve got a deal. If you think this witch can locate my prize, then I’ll tag along. Help me find the chest, and I’ll let you borrow ol’ Crag here. He’ll dig your well. Build this place a proper watering hole.”
“Deal.” I move in, locking into a firm handshake.
“Rooooorg.” Crag trots to the field, nibbling dirt like it’s fine chocolate.
“Yeeeee!” Ivy launches, sailing over the trees and peering down into the shadows.
“They can feel it—energy of the forest.” Ivan’s eyes narrow. “There’s something special here. Treasure ripe for the hunt.”
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