“Put your back into it!”
Ivan’s voice radiates across the farm.
“Yah! Yah!” I swing my sickle.
It slices the weed’s thorny stem. Like a fierce dragon slain by a knight, it wobbles and falls to the earth.
“Now that’s more like it!” Ivan lifts his mechanical sword high, slashing his own weedy foe. The gaia lens flickers around his neck. XP gain?
He’s been here all morning, helping me clear the field. Ivan is a man of his word—in exchange for helping with his hunt, he’s lent me Crag for the day. The little shard eater crawls across the farm, sniffing soil and glancing around with sleepy eyes.
“Think he’ll really find it?” I wipe sweat from my brow, watching him paw at the dirt.
“Aye. Never underestimate his nose.” Ivan watches with pride. “Down in El’sor, the desert nomads keep ‘em as pets. They crawl over the sand dunes, sniffing for water.”
My eyes scan the holes littering my property—failed attempts at digging a well. Pets with special skills…not a bad idea. The world is a rough place for squishy humans like us.
We continue our work, weeds falling while the sun rises high in the sky.
“Roooorg?” Crag freezes up. His snout points to the sky while his beady eyes blink.
“What is it, boy? Ya find it?!” Ivan rushes in. Viktor follows in his shadow.
“Rorg-rorg.” Crag scampers across the grass, moving like a bullet. His normally tired demeanor shifts into a frenzy. “Rooooorg! Rooooorg!”
He screeches to a halt at the field’s edge. The ground slopes into a bowl-like depression. I’ve tried digging inside, but no luck.
Crag leaps into one of my failed holes. Plumes of dirt fly to the surface while his powerful paws scrape and dig.
“I’ve already tried there.” I sigh. “Maybe this is a lost cause.”
“No, no. You’ll never be a farmer with an attitude like that.” Ivan peers into the hole with excitement in his eyes. “You’ve gotta believe in him.”
“Meh.” I turn away, slashing weeds.
But something odd happens.
The ground vibrates, tremors running up my legs. A deep burbling noise radiates, causing me to whirl around and freeze.
The sight that awaits…it’s too unbelievable to exist.
Water. Water in the air.
Like a mini geyser, a thin stream of liquid sprays, showering the hole in little droplets. Crag crawls to the surface, fur matted and eyes terrified. He races toward the cabin.
“Willem!” Ivan shouts. “Run! RUN!”
He and Viktor turn, bolting while the underground tremors amplify.
I don’t need to be told twice. I drop my sickle and fly across the farm, panicked footsteps pounding in the grass. Oh no. Oh no! What’ve we done?!
An explosion detonates.
We dive to the earth, covering our heads while pebbles whizz. Dust billows while we crouch and huddle for dear life. Crag dug too deep—too greedy! He’s awakened a monstrosity. A demon sealed beneath my cozy farm!
Wait. No.
Peering behind me, I see the truth. It starts to make sense.
The little geyser has grown into a steady flow, filling the hole and pooling in the bowl-like depression. The groundwater rises, driven by some invisible pressure. It’s like watching a bathtub fill—the birth of a natural spring.
The most precious resource a farmer can own.
Hidden deep beneath the surface…waiting for someone with the right nose.
“No way.” My jaw drops while I sit up.
“Told ya!” Ivan smacks my back. “Great job, Crag. Here—you’ve earned this!”
Ivan reaches into a pouch on his belt. He extracts a tiny pebble of topaz and tosses it to his friend. Crag nibbles like it’s a piece of yellow candy.
“It’s still growing!” I race to the puddle’s edge. Ripples flow across the surface while it burbles and swells.
“Your own watering hole. Imagine that!” Ivan scans over my messy field. “There’s a lot of potential here, Willem. Just needs to be unlocked.”
“Plenty of profit to be made.” Viktor rubs his palms together.
“And speaking of profit…we’d better get going.” Ivan pats his son’s head. “Village lore is fun, but it won’t pay the bills. We’re on our way to the southern deserts next. Stories of tombs and lost gold.”
“Oh.” My shoulders slump. “It was nice having you here. We don’t get many visitors, you know.”
“Such is the life of a wanderer.” Ivan smiles. “But I believe in you, Willem.”
“Yeeeee!”
“Rooooorg!”
“And so do they.” Ivan nods at his companions.
A somber atmosphere drapes the farm while we bid goodbye. Ivan gives me a pep talk while I spot Viktor shoving shiny pebbles into his pockets.
A little looter.
“And who knows? Maybe we’ll meet again.” Ivan turns away, stepping onto the dirt path. “Good luck, Willem. Never give up.”
His heavy boots plod while he moves up the hill, companions in tow. A peach-hued sunset glows overhead, casting long, dark shadows. The wind blows, rustling my hair and carrying the scent of wildflowers while the group grows distant. A strange feeling bubbles in my stomach. Is it…admiration? Admiration for someone who goes after his goals? Admiration for that courage?
Yes…it won’t be easy, but I know I can build something big. With a new watering hole and dreams for the future, a farm will rise from this soil. A simple but important life. The labor of my hands will feed the town.
Ivan and his team reach the crest, vanishing from view. Far in the distance, yeeees and roooorgs echo. I stay frozen, waiting until they fade.
As my eyes comb my modest plot of land, images dance in my mind. Herds of animals. Strange creatures and companions. Enchanted plants that rise and sway in the wind.
I’ll build something special. Something that will outlast all of us.
This land…what will it become?
---
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading!
This story is a free prequel to my series, Creature Farm. It takes place ~50 years before the main story, so you’ll recognize familiar names and locations.
Growing up, Harvest Moon 64 was one of my favorite games. It’s been cool seeing the farming genre return to popularity in recent years, and it inspired me to write my first LitRPG!
The story is Stardew Valley meets Pokemon. The goal was to write something cozy and atmospheric…the type of book you pick up after a long day at school/work. You can find it on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible.
For new story alerts, you can join my mailing list at www.TristanRye.com! This is how I communicate with readers.
Thanks again,16Please respect copyright.PENANA3ohCgTe3ML
Tristan