[@Stabby] [@Zeroth]
[quote=System:Femus]Status Update:
Hunger decreased. You are Peckish.
Thirst increased. You are Parched.

There are 3 Kele Shoots remaining.

You have reinforced the [Leaf Dress]! It is ever so slightly tougher![/quote]

Femus received the system message with mixed feelings.  In part, they seemed redundant.  However, it was also true that survival had to come before training and confirmation did not hurt.  Nira seemed to have made some kind of breakthrough as she stretched and shifted the apparent direction of her training.  It seemed that instant progress was as unlikely here as it was in their previous lives.  But, progress could still be achieved.

Femus swallowed down his frustration and thirst for a moment as he observed three Bowhorn deer enter the clearing below them and begin grazing on the herbs there.  Even if he was thirsty, it wouldn't kill him that quickly.  The deer were powerful creatures with physical strength and speed far beyond Femus's own.  The herbs were effectively unavailable until the deer moved on.  Going around them for water was possible, but Femus did not know how far the river that the goblins spoke of was from this location.  It wasn't likely that it would be inside the footpath.  It might make for a good destination but the two were not quite ready yet.  Oddly enough, Femus had to resist an urge to kill the male Bowhorn.  With a stealthy approach from above he might be able to strike its spine with a burst of shock orbs.  The blood of such a large creature would be an effective solution for his present thirst.  But, the risk was too high.

He wondered if fear was going to become too great of a hindrance for him.  His previous life had taught him exactly what happens when you attack a strong enemy.  You might kill them, but they will likely kill you as well.

Femus contented himself with carefully studying each of the Bowhorns, studying their similarities to deer and other beasts of like shape and structure while he also used his Monster Analysis skill actively.  He wanted to be certain of the location of the heart, liver, primary bones, and largest blood vessels.  He would likely be hunting creatures like this soon enough.  He wanted to hunt properly and make use of everything he could.

After he finished analyzing the three, he carefully reached out with Lesser Force to pluck a leaf.  He then put the broken stem in his mouth and began to alternately suck and chew.  The sap would not be very hydrating but it should keep him from being distracted while he continued training a little longer.  Besides, training to withstand thirst and hunger could well save his life later on.

His first attempt seemed to get results but those results weren't decisive enough.  The nature of the spell and the element seemed to resist his will.  Perhaps his approach was backward?  Shock Orb was described as having a homing attribute.  Perhaps he could make use of that 'pull' to accelerate the flight speed.  With that in mind, Femus focused his intent on the base of a small branch that stuck out from one of the common trees that surrounded them.  Then, he envisioned that point being linked to his spell by a thread while channeling his mana into another needle-like Shock Orb.  The concept in his mind was that the needle followed the string like a bead on a silk thread, slipping along without wandering and gaining speed as it went.  Holding this many things in mind and in mana was not easy, it took all his concentration and the world around him vanished from his perception as he worked.  He even forgot his own body as he sought to grease the thread with a tiny amount of electric mana before giving the dart an axial spin and firing it along the thread toward the chosen target.

After releasing the spell, Femus used Magic Analysis 2 as he studied every aspect of the spell in action.  What parts of the method worked?  Which ones didn't?  Was part of his method in conflict with the rest?  Was this 'straight line' path simply an unnatural form of movement for this element?  Was it the level of his Mana Shape skill?  He needed answers, and as many as possible.

"System."  He thought as he began meditating to restore his depleted mana. "Please display unusable skills."  However, as he examined what the system showed him, he began to focus on drawing some of his mana from the tree directly.  He knew the tree had large mana reserves flowing through it.  So, he simply pulled some of it through the bark where he rested.  He also sought to smooth the flow of that mana to minimize any discomfort to the tree.  Once he was again over his maximum mana, he sought to try something else.

He remembered asking his father about what people meant when they said 'A bolt from the blue.'.  His father had needed to look up the answer and both of them had been surprised.  Positively charged lightning that could strike from across the horizon.  Lightning from a storm far away that could hit a person who had no idea it could reach them.  Femus concentrated on making his Shock Orb absorb these qualities, locking onto a target at a distance and then jumping instantly to strike it.  But, something about that didn't feel right.  So, he stopped and attempted to deactivate the spell without losing the mana.  Instead, he reached out and focused on a patch of ground with no branches above it.  Then he concentrated on making that place attractive to lightning, so attractive that the surrounding trees would have no effect on the bolt's path from the clouds to the ground and back again.  Femus also focused his will into his words as he spoke in a tone of command. "Strike, Lightning Bolt."

He used Magic Analysis 2 on this attempted spell as well.  Then, he meditated back to full mana, checked on the Bowhorns down below, and decided to focus on something more immediately practical.  Water.

He focused on his eyes, ears, and nose.  He sought sight, sound, or scent of water in every direction.  After trying two full turns with concentration and patience he took hold of his mana, regulating its flow through his body so that it concentrated in his eyes and nose and ears.  He wanted to be able to detect hints of humidity in the air, the sound of water in the distance, the subtle changes in the forest lighting that might indicate the reflection of light off of a wet surface.  But, in addition to all of these things, he also wanted to be able to perceive the element of water itself.  If there was an electric element then there would be a water element.  It made sense that the water element would gather around or emit from places with water.  So, he searched.