Speed Run

57 days after Moonlight Guardian had given me my task, I stood at the bottom of the stairs to the shrine of the God of Clear Skies, 199 stones delivered and the 200th gripped firmly in my hands. It had been a grueling task; the blister on my hands had long since calloused and though I was still just a pup, I could see that I had toned up nicely. The strength and finesse of my fox magic had grown even more so.

But the gains didn't matter to me at that moment. I was about to charge up these stairs and throw down the headstone of the task that had consumed the better part of my life for the last two months. I could feel the pride and sense of accomplishment welling up inside me.

With motivational 80's music playing in my head, I ran up the 3,125 stairs—I counted—carrying the final stone overhead, blowing past the few bewildered shrine visitors traveling along the stairs. Such a display would have been impossible for me just 57 days ago. It stood as a testament that Moonlight Guardian's methods might be brutal, but they were effective.

As I reached the shrine, the midday sun shining down on my accomplishment, I spiked the rock down onto the platform and raised my arms up over my head like Rocky Balboa after climbing the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Hailstone Priest nearly fell over at my uncharacteristic display of achievement.

"Oh, sorry," I apologize, but I didn't let it get in the way of my basking in the glory. "That's the last stone." I pushed out my chest, and I'm sure there was an unbecoming smugness on my face—good thing for the mask.

Regaining his composure, "Indigo, I truly cannot thank you enough." I could feel my ego inflating even more as I dusted my knuckles on my sleeve. "Also, I must say, I thought it would have taken you much longer." Oh, do go on. "I am honestly impressed."

"As am I.” Moonlight Guardian cut into my basking in praise. Though she seemed to be in agreement with him, I instinctively stiffened. "I had anticipated you finishing perhaps around the end of winter, but I never imagined you would employ such... devices."

"You said by whatever means, as long as I delivered them!" I was on the defense, I didn't want her to belittle my accomplishment or, more importantly, give me additional work.

"It's fine, Indigo," she sighed. "Rumor had it that you are clever, but I never imagined you could conjure up such contraptions."

"Well, the merchant uses a more complex cart..."

"And the Elder is rather taken with that winch." What!? Has the Elder been drooling all over my winch!? Well, I guess he signed off on it. "How did you ever come up with that..." It was a faint thought, almost like it wasn't for public consumption. She rubbed her chin.

I was about to respond to this question, until I remembered I hadn't come up with it, so much as I just remembered the concept. Still, the desire to explain crept into me. "Well, it uses the principle of..."

She held up a hand, "Don't bother, Indigo. I wouldn't understand." The fact that she had just taken for granted that it was beyond her understanding, made me kind of sad. "You have completed your task, through unorthodox means, but there is something to be said for creativity. I can see that it still had the desired effect of conditioning you, so it looks like this exercise still accomplished its desired result."

I stood tall. That's right! I had completed her task, and even though I had leveraged technology, I had worked hard! It seemed like Moonlight Guardian had recognized that. "Starting tomorrow, your true apprenticeship will begin."

"Wait, what was all this then?" Was I only a probationary apprentice, contingent on the completion of these tasks?

"Prerequisite." She turned and walked down the stairs. I frowned, perhaps it was only semantics, but I felt like I had been deceived. Well, whatever, I would bask in the glory a while longer before returning.

Also, as it would turn out, the village was pleased with the addition of the two devices I had built for transporting the stones. The Carvers were able to study the basic cart Treetop Carver and I had built and built more of them.

I didn't find this particularly noteworthy. What was more impressive was that they had never figured it out before. This was a people that had never developed the wheel, and that's despite seeing it in action on the merchant's cart! Had they just never realized the value?

At any rate, the Hunters and Harvesters hailed it as a godsend. They could now transport more, with less effort. Large game animals that required several members to transport back, could now be done with one, and they could carry multiple kills back at once. Harvesters were spared sore spines from carrying all they had gathered around in back-mounted baskets. And best of all, for them at least, they had more time to chill around the village—I started seeing more of my father now.

They also made use of the winch, though it was the Masons who really appreciated it—I know how hard it is to haul stones. I often found the Elder cranking the handle of the winch whenever he got the chance. Apparently, he had a fascination with these kinds of things. +1, Elder.

There was one major downside to all this, however. The rumor that I was the God of Clear Skies' Chosen started to become ubiquitous, with a disturbing number of people actually believing it. If I passed by, they would stop what they were doing, put their hands together, and give me a revenant nod before returning to what they were doing. Sigh.