Class Trip
Nick wakes in the morning to the sound of Madeline knocking on his door.
"Get dressed! It's almost time for the class trip! The bus should be here soon!"
Nick groans. Every year the biology class he's in makes a trip to the woods to study plant and bug life. It just so happens this years date has arrived. He gets up and dresses hurriedly. Pausing to take the time to do his steal for the day.
"System let's steal!"
—————
In a dark cave in a huge forest of the Sidhe a hulking figure covered in moss and lichen is sitting down. A hand appears out of nowhere and rests itself on the hand of the figure. It reaches about and eventually comes upon a ring. It latches onto the ring and pulls it off the hand disappearing into the portal it came from. The hulking figures eyes open slowly. A voice booms out.
"SO, A DESCENDANT HAS FINALLY RECEIVED MY WILL. LETS HOPE THEY DO NOT FAIL AS I DID..."
—————
[Successful Steal: 30 exp]
Nick looks down at what he's received. It seems to be a large ring of two antlers intertwined. An exquisite masterpiece.
[System has detected essence to absorb. Do you wish to absorb?]
"Yessir."
The mist again pours into his body. Yet he feels no change. The only thing alerting him something has happened is the system ringing out
[Obtained: Cernunoss' Inheritance]
[Host must meet certain conditions to grow the inheritance into something else. Some inheritances can evolve endlessly.]
Nick puts the horned ring on his thumb. Luckily it shrinks down to fit him as even on his largest finger it was too big. He heads down to eat breakfast. Nick shovels the cereal down his gullet and heads outside to get on the waiting bus. As he and Madeline board, whispers suddenly stop and plenty of pairs of eyes are staring at them. They sit near the front together and don't talk to anyone else. The whispers start again.
The bus drives out of Salt Lake City. Heading into the mountains. As they go further into Little Cottonwood, Nick starts to feel more and more comfortable. The whispers gossiping about him and Madeline that usually tick Nick off fail to even disturb his tranquil heart.
(Strange, why am I so peaceful?)
[The system can make a conjecture.]
(Oh really, what could it be.)
[Cernunnos is the god of the forests, animals, and the hunt. This may have to do with your new inheritance.]
(Do even you not know?)
[Many skills and equipment are outside the systems scope of knowledge. Some I can inform you about and others you must discern for yourself.]
(Bring up my panel.)
[Vit: 0.8]
[Skills: All Seeing Eyes, Master Brewer]
[Items: Arthur Spiderwick's Field Book, Horned Ring]
[Other: Basic Mana Pool, Cernunnoss' Inheritance]
[Heavens Steal: 0]
[Exp: 70/100]
(What happens when the experience bar maxes out?)
[You level up, each level you get vitality, and the chance to get better items during a steal increases.]
Nick ponders in silence as the hour long drive comes to a close. The class exits the bus, the teacher hands everyone packets and tells them to fill it out before the few hours of the trip is up. Nick and Madeline stick together and head off into the wilderness. As Nick looks around he can see little humanoid creatures clad in plantlike clothing with dragonfly wings flitting about.
Recalling the first few pages in the book Nick determines these little creatures are fairies. Different types of fairies exist but the most common are these woodland ones. They are harmless, and dislike anywhere without nature.
As they walk farther in a fairy titters to a few others while staring at Nick. It heads over and stops in front of Nick. It's obviously focusing on the ring Nick is wearing.
"Green one, you and your kin must leave, this is redcap territory!"
"What's a redcap? Why do we have to leave?"
"The redcaps are danger. Where they walk death follows. Those that do not have the sight stand no chance!"
The fairy gives an unclear answer. As Nick is trying to recall the name redcap from his book a bloodcurdling scream sounds out... The fairy rushes him.
"Hurry! Son of the Horned God, they will not spare even one of you."
Nick remembers the word 'redcap' from his book and his face pales. He grabs Madeline and rushes back towards the bus. As he reaches the parking lot he sees the teacher running towards where the scream came from.
"Wait! It's dangerous!"
The teacher glances at them and quickly tells Nick and Madeline.
"Wait in the bus! I have a responsibility for those students!"
Madeline wants to go investigate but Nick stops her. He speaks of the fairy and it's ominous words.
"A redcap is a type of goblin. The most dangerous type. They have the best weapons among their kind. Though the worst thing is, they dye their hats in the blood of all they kill earning them the name 'redcap'."
Madeline pauses,
"So you can see these creatures?"
"Well yes... But-"
"No buts, since you're the only one that can see them we have to go help!"
Nick shakes his head in awe at Madeline'# stupidity. Yet he admits she's right and follows her into the seemingly dark woods. They go in the direction of the scream only to see a chilling sight. Three kids from their class are lying on the floor with their throats slit or pierced through.
The teacher is staring dumbfounded at the seen in shock... Little does he know a redcap is making its way up to him from behind. Madeline can't see the goblins yet Nick can. There are four of them, three are dipping red hats of all sorts in the blood of the teens. The fourth is creeping up on the teacher.
"Mr. Bradbury! Behind you! They're invisible!"
The teacher turns around in fright. The goblin sneaking up on him is startled, pausing for a second to look at Nick in shock.
"Run!"
Nick grabs Madeline again and makes a beeline for the bus. The teacher looks around for a bit only to receive a sharp spear stab to the heart. He crumpled down light leaving his eyes, still wondering what killed him.
The four redcaps look at each other and simultaneously put their hands to their mouths calling out with gravely voices. In similar situations other goblins call out as well and head in the direction of the bus.
Nick hears these calls knowing they signal death and urges Madeline to run faster. She seems to be in a daze. The four original redcaps are catching up to them and just as one is about to pounce on the teens, a fairy rushes out from the trees stabbing it in the eye. The fairy from before is twirling its tiny spear. It looks back and calls out one word.
"Hurry!"
Nick heads to the bus as other fairies with tiny wooden spears rush out of the forest blocking the goblins. They delay them evading the enraged goblins attacks. As soon as Nick is out of sight the fairies disperse easily, their speed much faster than the redcaps.
The pair reach the bus in the parking lot and hurry in. Nick closes the door and starts up the vehicle. Yet Madeline cries out.
"What about the others?"
"They either are, or are about to be dead..."
Nick pulls the bus onto the road looking to get out of this hellish forest as soon as possible. As it's driving down the road, redcaps pop out from the trees keeping up with the speeding bus on all fours.