Beginner's Luck: 34

After many back-and-forth trips to the village, Fisk finally gathered the final branch with crabs and walked away. Fluke watched him go with a small amount of envy towards the fisherman. Ignorance really was bliss. From the corner of his eye Fluke saw some movement in the sand. Standing up and donning his mask again, he went to investigate. As he got closer, he watched a small mound of sand that began to bulge up and wiggle. Then a skull popped out of the sand, and with it a hermit crab. This hermit skull had not found any Cobalt shards, so it was not yet a threat to anyone. Fluke suddenly was struck with an idea; reaching into his pocket he found the remnants of the Emerald shard and sprinkled them in front of the wandering crab.

The crab scurried over and investigated the Emerald shards and began consuming them. The Librarian came up from behind Fluke, holding the magically summoned harpoon again.

"Do you want me to kill it for you?" The older man pointed the tip of the harpoon at the lone hermit crab. Fluke lifted a hand to stop him from attacking and shook his head.

"Wait! Not yet. I had an idea, let's see if it works." The boy then reached forward and branded the skull-shell of the crab with his divine blessing. The Librarian pulled the harpoon back and waited to see if anything happened. Asap buzzed over and landed on top of Fluke's head, the dragonfly rested on the edge of his mask and watched intently with the other two.

"Ooo you are clever dear boy. Maybe I was wrong about you..." Asap spoke as he folded his wings. Just as he spoke, three small Emerald shards began to grow from the orifices in the skull. They grew at a much slower rate than the Cobalt shards had, but the fact they were growing at all made a triumphant smile grow on Fluke's face. The hermit crab didn't attack or do anything hostile but continued to wander on the beach. When it came upon a Cobalt shard in the sand, it investigated but then ignored the little bits of glittering glass.

"Odd... I think it's looking for more Emerald shards. It doesn't seem to want the Cobalt shards at all." Fluke pulled a whole Cobalt shard from his quick slot and placed it in front of the hermit crab to test his theory. And even with the offering of an entire shard, the hermit skull continued on it's way. Fluke gathered the offered shard back into his inventory, and turned to the Librarian, lifting his mask.

"Can we keep him?!" Fluke did the best he could to look convincing and sincere. The Librarian lifted his mask, leaned to look past the pleading boy in front of him, and with a pained look of disgust stared at the human skull now crawling away from them.

"Sure? I guess? What kid doesn't want a dragonfly and hermit crab as pets?" Fluke excitedly turned around just in time to see the hermit crab begin to devour the remains of a smashed dead hermit crab. Asap took to flight as Fluke walked away after his new 'pet' and buzzed in front of the Librarian's face.

"Oh sweetie... I am no one's pet. Familiars have contracts and mine is with a goddess. You cannot imagine how far beneath me you two humans are..." The sultry man's voice from an insect was still a jarring experience for the Librarian. Then without another word Asap flew away, in search of more Lingotes.

Fluke excitedly started yelling, "I am going to name it Noggin!" He held the creature up and it hissed slightly waving its legs before retracting into the skull. Fluke knocked the side of the skull lightly and then set it back down. Noggin the hermit crab, poked its eyes out a moment later and started crawling off. Fluke followed the crab and then excitedly yelled again, "Noggin found a friend!"

Another hermit crab, clad in human skull, was emerging from the sand. Fluke hurriedly picked it up, this hermit skull quickly hid itself inside the skull, positioning itself in a way that its eyes came out of the nasal cavity, while its limbs hid. The Librarian came over to see if there was any danger but found this crab didn't have any Cobalt shards either. Fluke offered the crab to the older man.

"Here hold him for a second."

Holding the creature as far away from himself as possible, the Librarian complied while keeping eye contact with the little monster. The older human was behaving as if he was handed a strangers infant that had a dirty diaper. Fluke summoned an Amber shard and announced, "Let's see what this does!" The Amber shard crunched in the boy's hand with a small bit of effort, and a sphere of golden semi-transparent light appeared around the boy. At certain angles, the golden light showed the outline of many hexagons that made up the sphere. Fluke lifted his mask off in amazement, before examining the updated descriptions with Insight.

2 Emerald Resonant shards: Releases stored resonance to heal all wounds and restore stamina.

2 Amber Resonant shards: Releases stored resonance to create a stationary shield that stops magical and kinetic energy.

Fluke picked up a rock in the sand and threw it lightly to see if it would pass through the shield, which it did. Fluke then stepped out of the shield and tried to re-enter the shield but promptly bounced off the sphere. A sound like something hitting glass sang out on the impact of Fluke's face with the shield. Fluke walked over to the Librarian rubbing his face and motioned for him to put the creature down. Wiping his hands off after quickly setting the crab down, the Librarian stepped back and watched the next part play out.

Spreading the Amber shard dust in front of the crab, it began to consume the pieces, and Fluke once again placed the brand of good luck on the skull. Faint glowing amber spheres began to grow in the empty eye sockets of the skull. The pinpricks of light grew even slower than the Emerald and Cobalt shards. Noggin crawled over to the new companion and carefully extended a small limb out, which the other crab mirrored in response.

"That one is going to be named, Helmy." Fluke beamed up at the Librarian who still didn't seem very comfortable with adopting the little scavengers. After one minute the shield behind them disappeared with an audible pop. Fluke then looked down at his divine markings and took off running like he had suddenly remembered something. Shouting without further explanation, "I'll be right back! Watch over Noggin and Helmy for me!"

As the Librarian turned in confusion to watch the boy run away, Jinx popped into existence right next to him. She squealed and immediately lifted Helmy up and shoved it close to his face, the goddess laughed with joy.

"Isn't she ADORABLE?!" She shrieked in amusement.

Helmy let out a low watery hiss, and the Librarian stumbled back a step.