It felt silky soft in my hands as I finally examined it. The Keeper goat leather was soft yet strong. A perfect match, I thought, for the Fineorb thread that I had painstakingly made the day before. I laid them out on my worktable: the design of the waterskin still fresh in my mind, and my hands itched to get started.
"Well," I thought to myself, something that had stood me well in days of working alone, "lets see if this will work".
I started by cutting the leather in every shape and outline of a waterskin. The curves begin to form this waterskin when my blade slowly and steadily draws it out into the cut patterns, guided just as much through instinct as the focus in my eye. The space remained silent and only occasionally betrayed a soft cracking of leather that sometimes broke this silence and could be heard upon the occasional scratch of my armchair.
I then brought the pieces of leather together and inserted my needle through the Fineorb thread. The silvery-green thread sparkled a little because it carried with it magic in its weave. I stitched the parts together and admired how well the thread passed through the leather, filled with intent in every stitch made to fortify the seams so that the waterskin was now functional and would be durable.
The first waterskin took only about half an hour to complete. I inverted it to survey the work of art. It was simple and beautiful, yet I could not help but grin at it. Fineorb thread ornamented the soft white leather in neat patterns that shimmered as it ran along the edges. A leather plug sufficed to stopper this waterskin; for carrying it there was a rather stout sling.
"Not bad at all," I thought, "it's a start.
I was happy with the first and proceeded. Still had plenty of material to make five more and, in each one using water skins improved technique, stitching tighter to nearly symmetrical, done without very artificiality surroundings-it had started to be almost instinctive.
I suddenly laughed aloud as I placed the sixth waterskin on the table. The joy of making something for myself, by my own hands, something useful and beautiful was all too overwhelming. Pride welled within me, deep and profound-the kind that only comes from working hard and sticking to it.
That night, I prepared the waterskins for the next day. Each one was examined and shined and packed into a satchel. Then I lay in bed; the satchel leaned against a chair beside me. Sleep came easily, and my dreams were light and full of possibilities for once.
The morning sun cast a gold glow over cobblestone streets as I journeyed to General Wares and Materials. My satchel weighed against my back over my shoulder, a feeling of accomplishment I had gained an hour earlier. I had a stride confident and light-footed, by purpose.
As I entered the shop, Jefro was already at the counter, going through a heap of goods. She looked up as I approached and whistled briefly-a high note and then a low one.
"Well, well," she said, leaning on the counter with a grin. "You're faster than I thought. Didn't think you knew how to sew, let alone make something this good. Guess I was wrong."
I smiled, putting the satchel down. "Never said I didn't know how. Just needed a little practice. Anyway, I brought these to sell. Keep one for yourself if you like. The rest… I have no idea what they're worth."
Jefro searched the satchel and took out a waterskin. She held it up with her fingers tracing every seam and especially the Fineorb thread, turning it a few times with her hands over it.
"Durable, functional, and thread. has the touch of fineness. All these will easily sell."
As I handed her one of the waterskins, the Freedom System suddenly materialized before me, its translucent screen hovering in midair.
Helping hand contribution added to the system. Add your deeds and attain achievements.
First item given to someone: Slightly better precision when crafting. (Upgradable)
Utility item contributed to society: Slightly better conception of ideas and curiosity.
You created something from raw material to final product and have given it to someone: Gift Giver achievement earned. (Upgradable)
I blinked in surprise before feeling a sense of satisfaction settle over me. The System was taking notice of my efforts and rewarded me, for writing but also for contributing something meaningful to the world around me.
"What's with that look?" Jefro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," I said quickly, shaking my head. "Just… happy, I suppose."
She laughed and set the waterskin on a shelf behind the counter. "Well, you should be. Not many can make something like this, much less sell it. You stick with this sort of thing, Lynt. You have a knack for this sort of thing."
It became part of my morning thereafter, helping Jefro hang up the rest of the displayed waterskins while teaching me some lessons on pricing and bartering how to read whether a customer actually wants it to determine the increase in price needed. It fascinated me, really, and soon I was furiously taking down mental notes everywhere else.
And by the time I left, two of the waterskins had sold; Jefro promised to keep me up to date about their progress; her enthusiasm had still been infective.
Walking back toward the castle, the air caressed gently and rustled through roadside trees. Well satisfied with the feel that I could bring something useful, something material that people perceived value in: the waterskins meant more; the journey made up of small increments toward me completing bigger achievements meant more still.
I thought of the rewards within the System gates of the castle, which appeared in the form of its better precision, heightened curiosity, and even that of Gift Giver. These weren't abstract bonuses; they manifested themselves physically, telling me something about the turns my life could take with each action, no matter how insignificant.
It was sunset when I sat in the bedroom before the window that evening and opened the Freedom System once more. Again, those small achievements glowed faintly at me as a testament to a day's effort.
"Just the beginning," I told myself as I closed the screen. "There's still so much left to do."
With a smile, I turned back to my desk, already sketching out my next project. The world was vast, and I intended to make my mark on it—one stitch, one thread, one achievement at a time. One more step towards liberating myself, and hopefully everyone around me.