The World Which Is

Chapter 40

Waking up's harder than it's been in a while. I'm sore from the fighting, I figure, until I notice the debuff with the broken bed in it.

System Query: Improper sleep, Debuff(Physical/Mental)

You have not slept properly. The reasons could that be your bedding was not appropriate, that you were not protected from the environment, or were unable to sleep long enough to be fully rested.

You suffer a 13% penalty to all dexterity and intelligence based skills

System Note: the penalties can only be removed through getting proper sleep, the use of appropriate healing magic, or the use of buffs to counteract the debuff.

System Note: the debuff is cumulative for each day without proper sleep.

It's yellow, which in this case means it isn't all that bad, since there isn't a timer attached to it, but I hope I get to sleep in a bed tonight.

Brandon and Helen look better than I feel as they roll their bedroll, but Silver seems dazed as she takes her violin out of its case. She plucks the strings, adjusting their tension, then plays a quiet melody. Brandon frowns at her, but goes back to getting the fire going again.

I'm too out of it myself to question her; until I notice the debuff turning green. By the time it's gone, Brandon has a kettle on the fire, and she switches to something more upbeat. The icon is barely visible, but I still focus on it.

System Query: Energized, Type: Buff/physical

You feel energized. You are ready to take on the day.

13% increase to movement speed and physical skills

Silver catches me glancing at her and smiles. When she stops, the icon is yellow with a four-hour timer counting down.

"I didn't know bards had these kinds of spells," Brandon says, crushing dried leaves in three plain wooden cups. "You'd make of one hell of a travel companion."

"We travel a lot, so all the early spell songs we learn are geared toward making that easier."

Brandon's thoughtful as he adds hot water to them. "So you can replace lack of sleep?"

"Not yet. My Get Awake song only removes one night's bad sleep, and I can't stack the song. I need it to reach level thirteen before it will do two nights, and then it adds one for each treen. But there is a Don't Sleep song, which I don't know yet, and only starts having an effect at level thirteen."

"It takes away one night per treen?" Helen asks, then looks at the steaming cups. "Where's mine?"

"I don't know," Brandon replies. "Where ever you packed it, I'm guessing."

She snorts, and a carved cup is in her hand. I don't make out the details, but I see inlaid metal. Then she had a mortal and pestle in which she places leaves and dried fruits. Brandon rolls his eyes as she mashes them together with an air of indifference. Then she puts the contents in her cup and pours water from the kettle over it.

"I figured you two didn't have cups," Brandon says as he hands us one each. "That's something we'll need to remedy."

"You could have had them get one yesterday," Helen says innocently.

"Was kind of busy thinking about getting us out of Toronto without getting caught by the police or Xander's men."

"I'm surprised it took so much thinking," she replies. "Considering how often that how you leave the city."