As we approached the city, Highmount's rising districts shone with a mix of glistening snow and the grey reflection of freezing-over slate roofs. The beginning of the deep winter was in full swing now. But, thanks to the planar dungeons and their valuable spoils, I'd been told the city would remain a bustling trade-center even through the heavy snowfalls that would come.

Regardless, the streets were heavy with the more transient merchants and carts trying to escape with their spoils before the weather truly turned against them. Heavy snow meant longer journeys, and longer journeys required more provisions, longer escort contracts with adventurers or career caravan guards, and just a number of other general and expensive hardships.

I imagined that many of the processions we saw on our way into the city had been betting on the realities of winter holding off just a little bit longer, allowing them to conclude their business and still escape before it had truly arrived in force; procrastination it seemed, affected segments of every class of people.

"We might need to drop the horses off at Bastion's manor; I don't think we're going to have enough room on the street," Rosaria commented to me and then looked to Arthic and Garron. "Samantha wouldn't mind if we used the stables."

"It would not be an inconvenience?" Garron asked her.

"There's plenty of space. Windtide doesn't spend a lot of time there, and Happenstance could use the company," I said.

And so we ventured to mine and Rosaria's current home. Samantha met us at the doors to her and my brother's manor and promised us all dinner upon our return from turning in our contract to the guild. She didn't let us leave again until she'd given both Rosaria and I a motherly hug.

The congestion got even worse, and the roads entirely almost impassable, as we passed into the merchant quarter proper. Dubbed the Stoneway District for its wider and cart-eroded stone streets, the activity of said carts, of peddlers tending to their stalls and closing down those that would not run through the colder months, and just the general hustle and bustle made movement nearly impossible even on foot. But we got through eventually.

The Redbraid District, commonly called the guild quarter by locals, was a little better and easier to traverse. Most of the shops and merchants who made their business near and off of the adventurer's guild and various smaller, independent guild houses were locals themselves and were more stationary.

That said, the roads were narrower than in the neighboring Stoneway District, with most of the space in Redbraid being taken up by smithies, general stores, alchemy shops, and various other adventuring adjacent enterprises; real-estate was both expensive and at a premium in the busy guild quarter, and we were shoulder to shoulder with all different races as we walked.

I was personally glad that our time in the streets was coming to an end when we reached the pragmatic, fortress like entrance to the adventurer's guild. The tall arched windows out front extruded a warm orange glow through their iron latticework and out into the dwindling daylight, It was a much needed promise of a reprieve from the growing chill. We passed through the doors of the guild hall, feeling the heat of the large torches that flanked the wind-weathered entrance as we did.

The warm tavern floor of the guild opened up before us. The heavy iron-reinforced doors closed behind us under their own weight to commensurate our return to the banner laden hall.

I didn't, and never really could, take my eyes off the many maps, trophies, and wanted posters that decorated the rugged interior of the building. Everything from basilisk heads—with their petrifying eyes removed of-course—to enchanted weapons of renown that were too weathered for use but too locally legendary to discard, hung upon the walls or glittered in haphazardly placed displays.

Our party moved to the edge of the tavern floor, to the clerical area that was dedicated to guild operations. We approached the long desk where the guild scribes sat centered between the various quest boards.

"Welcome back," the young scribe we approached said, though I didn't recognize him. "How can I help you?"

I pulled out the contract that Anderson had signed for it. "We have a quest to turn in."

"Very well," he said and looked between us and the contract. "This looks fine and the codeword matches. I see that two of your are squires from a recognized order. Thank you specifically for taking up a guild contract, it greatly helps us when we've been so overworked in recent years. You two won't be taxed on your reward as per the law. And as for you two two mages," he was clearly trying to identify which of us might be whom, but with Garron's build and fine clothes and my sword he seemed to be having trouble. "Well, I'm assuming you know the Towers take a ten-percent fee for all of the work you do on behalf of the guild, on top of the twenty-percent tax tax that is standard in Highmount?"

"We are aware," Garron confirmed.

"Ah, well, I also see that only two of you are members of the guild and that this is your first official quest," the scribe accepted our calm response to the taxation amicably. "Rosaria and Peregrine. I'm sorry, but which of you is Peregrine?"

"I'm Peregrine, and that's Rosaria" I told the man. "She's a squire as well, Garron and I are initiates at the Towers, and Arthic is a squire-captain in the Host of the Stone."

He smiled a little in relief. "Thank you for that. I apologize, we get so many interesting groups here and I hate to try to assume things."

"You're welcome," I said.

"It's no issue," Arthic promised him.

"Well, you two," he spoke to Rosaria and I, "will be granted a bronze armband for completing your first contract. Complete five more quests and you'll be eligible to take on iron level quests to earn your way to iron-rank."

The man reached below the counter and brought forth two simple armbands of bronze. He held them out to both Rosaria and I. We both took one.

"Thank you," Rosaria and I said in turn.

"As for you, sir," he said to Arthic. "I can't offer you an armband unless you're a member, but we'd certainly love to see you join us." He looked to Garron. "And of course, we always welcome mages from the Towers among our number. I promise the paperwork to join is not very involved and you would gain access to many of the amenities at most of our branches."

"What responsibilities would that entail?" Garron inquired.

"Only that you must be willing to muster to deal with dungeon breaks if you are in the general area, and if you are at all available, at the request of local authorities," the scribe said. "You are not eligible to be pushed into military service against your will, in exchange, however. And, as I said, you gain access to rent rooms and have equipment repaired at most any guild branch. Many shops have agreements to grant discounts to our members as well. You will also be able to take on quests yourself, without needing the sponsorship of other guild members after you complete your studies at the Towers."

The guild had agreements in place with the Towers to allow initiates to take on quests, without requiring a guild membership, but those agreements only applied to actively studying initiates and apprentices. If a mage didn't stay actively associated with the Towers after their apprenticeship or studies were completed, then they would no longer be able to take on quests with the guild.

"I believe I will hold off for now; perhaps at a later date," Garron replied. "But thank you."

"Of course, and you sir squire?" the clerk asked Arthic. "As a member of a sponsored order here in Highmount, you already have access to our amenities should you require them, but membership does grant a certain camaraderie that you may appreciate. And I'm afraid other branches may not extend their hospitality to you as much as we do if you are not a member."

"I will respectfully decline as well," Arthic said.

"If you change your minds, we can always grant you membership," the scribe said and then reached back under the counter. "But allow me to tend to your pay."

He removed two coin purses. He made a pile of seventy-silver coins, and placed two gold coins on the table.

The scribe looked to Garron first and then addressed each of us. "For you, after the ducal tithe and required contribution to the Towers, there are seventy silver remaining as your reward. For you two squires, your pay is one gold each. The Guild, of course, subtracts its cut before the rewards for each quest are posted so you don't have to worry about us." He then looked to me. "I read that the quest contract stipulated that you were to receive the monster core of the contracted target of your quest and first preference of any other spoils. Is that all in order already, or do you require any guild mediation? There is only a small fee for mediation services."

"No, I have everything I need," I said.

"Then I believe everything is in order?" he said and looked between us all. "If you have any other questions I and the other scribes will be here. You are welcome to inspect the quest boards and come back to me to establish another contract if you so wish."

"I think we'll alright for now," Rosaria said.

"Then have a good day and congratulations on your promotion to bronze-rank," he said to Rosaria and I. "The tavern floor is open at all times of the day and night; and I believe there's fresh mutton to be had for a good price tonight."

"They really do try to make money from you, don't they?" Arthic asked Rosaria and I once we were out of earshot of the scribes.

"I know Arthic and I didn't get taxed, but thirty silver is a lot to take from you," Rosaria said to Garron.

"It is almost commendable," Garron remarked. "No doubt that is how the guild has spread across the continent."

"He was even trying to get us to buy food before we could leave," I commented. "I guess they probably make him say that."

"But Samantha is waiting for us," Rosaria added.

"And we would hate to leave her so," Arthic said.

When we returned to the manor, we were met by the sight of my brother leaning against the wall to the side of his door.

Bastion was dressed in more casual attire; he very rarely wore his armor when in Highmount. Sturdy wool trousers, a linen shirt underneath a slightly reinforced dark leather jerkin, and high practical boots that were polished but scuffed around the edges made up the base of his outfit. The mantle over his shoulders bore the colors of the Duke, a not so subtle nod to his standing with Samantha's father. His sword of course hung at his side.

"Kid, how do we live in the same house, but I only ever see you if I check if you're even sleeping in your room when I wake up?" Bastion asked me.

We stopped in front of him, at the steps to the manor.

"I'm sorry; I've just been busy," I told him.

"Tsk," he sucked his teeth. "Whatever, kid. It's fine. Samantha has dinner ready and you're not getting away from me this time. We have some things to talk about after."

"Should the rest of us leave, sergeant?" Arthic asked Bastion.

Bastion sighed and pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "I already told you that you don't have to call me that all the time, Arthic."

Arthic didn't respond right away, letting Bastion continue. "Don't worry about it. Rosaria, Pery and I can talk after we all eat. Samantha already invited you and she'd kill me if I told you to go away."

"Right," Arthic said, and I heard him struggle not to add 'sergeant' to the end of his words. "Thank you."

Bastion then looked to Garron. "And whose this?"

"He's my friend," I told Bastion.

"My name is Garron, sir" he introduced himself and referred to Bastion with the formal titles all knights held.

"You too? Listen, no one calls me anything but my name when you're all at my house, alright?" Bastion said with a bit of good-hearted annoyance. "But it's nice to see Pery is making friends."

"There's actually something I needed to talk with you about too," I said.

I saw Rosaria look at me, knowing what I was about to say.

Bastion focused on me with curiosity. "Now or later?"

"It's about dad," I said.

Bastion crossed his arms. "Alright. What's going on?"

"I think I've found a way where we can talk to him."

Bastion uncrossed his arms and I saw my brother be speechless for a moment. "Okay," his voice lagged. "Everyone come inside. Samantha can entertain you while Pery and I talk first."

***

We sat in the manor's receiving room. Rosaria and I sat in chairs across from Bastion. I'd just explained to him what Eurynome had told me.

"You're sure she's who she says she is?" Bastion asked me. "You haven't exactly had the best luck with things like her."

I'd had the same thought as him before I'd befriended Eurynome, and the worry did still linger at the back of my mind but only barely.

"She taught me more about druidry than anyone but dad," I admitted.

And she had taught me more far faster than my father had ever been able to, but I didn't say that out loud. It felt like that would have been disrespectful somehow.

"Even if she is, we don't know what kind of relationship dad had with her," Bastion said. "Not for sure; we just have what she's told you to work with. Are you sure you can trust her? That she's just teaching you out of the kindness of her heart?"

"I think they were close," I said, then added. "And I think she's my friend."

Bastion's hands were folded and he was bent forward in his chair, clearly not having expected what I'd told him. "I trust you."

"But?"

"But you come back here having met another spirit, or god, or something. And your arm..." his voice trailed. "I'm starting to worry about you, kid."

"My arm is fine," I told him. "It helps with my magic."

He waived one of his hands in front of himself. "Don't go getting defensive. I said I trusted you, and I do." Bastion leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I just don't know how to deal with all this mage shit."

"Eurynome is helping me with it," I said. "And so are the masters."

Bastion smiled in acquiescence. "You're never going to become a squire, are you?"

Rosaria's eyes fell on me expectantly.

"Maybe, I don't know," I said. "I'm falling behind with the sword."

"You're not even thirteen yet," Bastion told me and affixed me with a serious gaze. "You're not falling behind anyone. I'm worried because you're so far ahead of everyone that I'm afraid you're going to get in over your head. And that I might not be able to help you with what you're doing like dad could."

I remained silent for a moment. "But we could talk to him? Mom could too."

Bastion took in what I said before responding. "You think there's a good chance it'd work?"

"I believe her," I said. "I'm going to see her again in three months. I told her I would."

"Yeah, I figure you are," Bastion said and his voice relaxed some. "I don't even know how I'm going to tell mom though."

"We can't see dad until the new year on Advent," I said. "I know mom will come."

"Right, but do we want to get her hopes up?" he said. "I don't know. It's mom but..."

"She's tougher than either of you," Rosaria said.

Batson cracked a laugh. "And you by more than miles, Squire Rosaria"

Rosaria and I smiled. But then my friend lost a bit of hers.

"Are you going to tell Pery now?"

I waited for my brother to answer.

"Your news is better than mine," he admitted.

"What is it?" I asked. "Something bad?"

"Yeah, maybe. I'm not sure, but probably so," he answered. "I told Duke Vembrandt about what happened on the mountain."

"You didn't tell him about..." I paused, remembering what Eurynome had said about saying Auromor's name, "the god I met did you?"

"I didn't tell him any of that because we agreed it could be bad," Bastion said, clearly displeased by the need to lie to his father-in-law and lord, "but he knows about the daemon, father, and Perenine. Father is a magister. Aldric had a right to know what happened to him."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"I'm not mad about that," I said, "but if anyone learns about the god I met, then he could be freed."

"That's what I need to talk to you about," Bastion said. "The Duke requested aid from the Towers to investigate what happened on the Peaks. They went there a few days ago. And they found something."

"Perenine or the daemon?" I asked.

Bastion shook his head. "They found a ruin, probably unsealed by the blizzard that almost killed us. The doors to it have a quest prompt for a dungeon alert. They're going to open in four month's time. And I think I'm going to be apart of the party sent to investigate it."

Right around the time of my own dungeon trials. Even worse, I had a very strong suspicion what the dungeon might be if Bastion was talking about it like he was.

"What did the prompt say?" I asked.

"Not much. But the System quest was titled the Gates of Potential."

"No one can go in there," I leaned forward, feeling my blood run cold.

"It's not that simple. It's an expert-tier dungeon," Bastion said. "It can't be allowed to break. Anything inside could wreck havoc upon the region."

I stared at my brother. "But if it's his dungeon, then people will learn about him. All it takes is for someone to want him to be free and he will."

"Pery. I'll do everything I can to stop that, but," he paused. "But I think I may have to tell Aldric that I kept what happened to you from him. He needs to know what might happen. That a god might return to the world and right here in his lands."

"He can't—" I said, my heart beating rapidly as I recalled everything that had happened to me in Auromor's realm and how helpless I had felt.

Rosaria reached for my hand. "Pery it's going to be okay. Your brother and the Duke will figure it out."

"That's the other thing," Bastion said in an unhappy tone. "The gates to the dungeon open right around the time the King arrives in Highmount. It might not just be Aldric making the decisions."

"We need to do something," I said.

"Pery, this is bigger than us," Bastion said. "We were just the first ones to stumble into it."

"Eurynome might know what to do," I said, searching my mind for solutions. "I can see her again a month before the dungeon opens and ask."

"I have no problem with you asking her. Saints, it might even help," Bastion said. "But I need you to focus on the Towers."

I looked up to meet his eyes. "What?"

"It's an expert-tier dungeon, Pery. You'd die and I couldn't protect you," he said. "There's maybe one-hundred expert-tier fighters who live in Highmount and who owe fealty or favors to Aldric. Mom is one of twenty master-tier warriors in the entire region who might listen to him if he calls, because we can't exactly make them if they don't. The Duke is going to summon as many of them here as possible and probably outright bribe others. The dungeon is a raid type. I'm only telling you because I have to go against what I said and tell Aldric about what happened to you."

My eyes shifted to Rosaria. "You told her."

My friend pulled her hand back slightly, seemingly shocked.

Bastion affixed me with a judging stare. "Because she was there too, and she's been around."

I met his gaze. I'd killed monsters. I'd met gods. I could fight; I knew I couldn't enter an expert-tier dungeon, but there had to be something I could do. "You want me to just let this happen?"

"I need you to focus on your future," Bastion said. "At the rate you're going, things like this will be your problem soon enough, but you're still a kid. This shouldn't have been your problem before. Let me and mom, if she and the other masters come, handle this."

"Can you?"

"I don't know," he said seriously.

Just as he spoke, Samantha's cat sauntered into the room and hissed at him.

"Damn cat," Bastion muttered.

***

Returning to classes at the Towers was easy enough. Master Elrica and Steelvein didn't exactly recap anything for Garron and me, but Kara let us study her notes. I only had to read them over once to feel like I was well enough caught up; the flame mage was an incredibly detailed note-taker.

A month passed. Rosaria and Bastion were gone more often now. Apparently, high-tier dungeons tended to raise the ambient mana of the surrounding area, even when unopened. Lower-tier monsters were expected to likely begin spawning around the Gates of Potential soon, perhaps even other lesser dungeons would crop up. With the adventurer's guild already overextended, Duke Aldric was calling for all the knightly orders of Highmount to begin martialing—to include their squires.

The Duke was preparing for the worst. My brother had kept true to his word and told his father-in-law about what he'd kept from him regarding Auromor. When I'd pressed him on how Duke Aldric had taken the revelation, my brother had simply said, "I'm still a knight, for now". And he'd promised to keep me as updated as he thought was right. I wasn't exactly happy with his promise.

I felt powerless even despite knowing I was becoming stronger by the day. There was always something, always something that came too soon for me to deal with.

Cedric bumped past me. His eyes drifted over my [soulwood arm] but he averted his gaze and kept walking through the assembled crowd of initiates. He'd beaten me in the last royale. He still knew it. I still knew it. I hadn't yet had another chance to prove to him that he wasn't as strong as he may have thought.

I tightened my wooden fist. Just as the doors to the Towers of Transfiguration burst open.

I was in the front row of the assembled initiates so that I could see. Our numbers were now much less than half of the initial four hundred initiates. So many weren't able to stomach the idea of dying again under the watchful gaze of Master Steelvein; others couldn't satisfy the demands of Master Elrica's strict curriculum and testing.

It was our two masters who now walked out of the doors to the tower we'd once again assembled around. They stood to either side of a woman I'd personally at least never seen. She was tall, lithe, but not overally skinny. Her startling white hair lacked the metallic, spiritual quality of Eurynome's silver mane. Her face was beautiful though, in a much more human and cherubic way.

"Congratulations," the woman said, her voice projecting loudly. "You are over halfway done with your first six months. And only just over half of you have failed so far." She spoke with a smile. "Many of you come from across the region and continent, brought here each week by our transportation arrays. Some of you live here in Highmount. Should you make it through the dungeon trial in three months, you will be granted lodgings here and be given access to petition to study at each of the other Towers. Certainly something to look forward to should you continue to prevail."

Her robes, pristine and as white as her hair, sparkled in the sunlight as she went on with her speech.

"Victory is everything here and in this world. Victory in survival, which you have all shown; victory in discovery and your magical research, which you will be forced to achieve eventually; and, should you hope to reach the heights of magical power in only one lifetime, victory in violent conflict will also be essential to you, but not for others as is demanded by the military academies of the south—but instead for only yourself and what you care for. And so I have a reward for all of you for what you've already accomplished here," she continued and paused.

We all waited for her next words, none of us speaking. I wasn't sure who else could see mana and spiritual energy in the crowd, but Mile could. And when I looked through his eyes I saw something that unnerved me: the woman's aura was nonexistent. No lifeforce that Mile could see ran through her veins, no mana either, and not even a spiritual body overlapped her flesh. It wasn't as if she was dead, it was as if she didn't exist at all.

"This is something new," she revealed. "I have never done this for first-years before their trials for fear of killing off my initiates. I usually try to leave it up to you to venture out on quests or not this early on in your time here. I've even made it possible for you to do so through deals with the Duke and guild."

She clasped her hands in front of herself. "However, many of you have shown such potential. Some more than others. And for those who haven't, well, fighting beside your more-capable peers may help to prepare you for the trials." I saw Master Elrica frown as the woman spoke. "That is why I'm speaking to you all before the trials, which I usually do not do. I am giving you all quests, and I have selected parties for you based on your capabilities."

A blue system box suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

<<<>>>

The Tomb of the Warmage

The Crownhold Shipping Company has requested that a particular artifact be retrieved from the tomb of an elven warmage of some minor renown. The Towers have accepted this contract on behalf of yourself, Cedric Stormwind, and Kara Flameheart The tomb is located in the contested borderlands between the elven principality of Mehravel and the human kingdom of Caladorn. Your contact, a man named Arron Bellamont, can be found at the Crownhold Embassy in the city of Briarhold.

Recommended Rank: Apprentice

Rewards: 20 Gold

<<<>>>

I ground my teeth as I read the quest prompt. On one hand, twenty gold was a small fortune to me. And Caladorn was where my father's family and my mother had originated from so it'd be nice to journey there. I also had no problem being partied with Kara or getting a chance to see the elven principalities for myself.

But Cedric?

"You will all be teleported to our nearest available array wherever your quests will take you. Some of you may have a bit of walking to do, but I promise you'll be the better for it. It's good for a young mage to see the world. You may deny your quests, of course, but that will mean you will no longer be an initiate of my Towers," she said, oh so calmly and casually. "Complete your quests in less than a month's time, with no causalities, and I promise you'll be ready for the trials when you return. Should anyone among your party die, you will be banned from ever walking these grounds again. You have one week to prepare and make plans with your fellows."

I glanced up to where Cedric stood in the crowd. He was already starring daggers at me over his shoulder. It was exceedingly hard to remember what Eurynome had told me about trying to smooth things over with the noble boy when he acted like... well, Cedric.

The white-haired woman's speech slowly came to a close. "Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm sorry; I was just so very excited for you all. I am Kaelara Asharavand. And I founded these Towers two-hundred years ago. And yes, my last name is elven."

***

I funneled [growth] into my [soulwood arm] and willed it to stretch outwards. My forearm extended and ripped into the throat of a goblin. My changed arm wasn't any stronger, but it was just as powerful as my brawn attribute allowed whether it was warped by my mana or not.

The goblin grasped at me with its inferior strength as my elongated arm absorbed its life force and meager mana through its blood and flesh.

I didn't like seeing the pain any more than it was necessary.

I was frustrated, but I wasn't a monster.

I allowed my arm to release its extracted mana back into the rest of my body, and it retracted itself back. The goblin was rapidly pulled towards me by my grasp, and I impaled it through the heart on Mytharis.

Kara spun in front of me. Her flame threads wrapped around the arms of an aged, staff-wielding goblin. The shaman had proved itself capable of releasing small streaks of fire from the skull atop its stave. But Kara's pyromancy was far superior, and her threads flared brightly around the shaman's flesh. The goblin crone's forearms provided no resistance as they were both fully severed by the flame mage's burning cords.

Another spin had Kara's threads decapitating the leader of the small band.

I let the goblin I'd killed fall beside myself. It joined some twenty other bodies littering the cave.

"That's an easy twenty-five silver each," Kara said to me. "And I think we're finally getting into a good flow."

The flame mage retrieved the goblin's staff. It was the proof we needed to cash in our contract with the guild.

"I think so too," I admitted.

But without Cedric, we can't really train as a party, and he's off training with Luke instead. Who still hasn't had a chance to teach me his scroll magic.

"You're still upset Cedric isn't here," she said. "I thought you two hated each other?"

"I don't hate him," I answered. "I hate that he makes things difficult. He didn't even give us a chance to ask him to come out with us."

"Yeah. It'd be nice if he would talk to us. He's sort of an ass. And I hate saying that about a kid," she said, and then seemed to realize I was younger than him. "Sorry."

"It's fine," I said. "We need to core the goblins."

It was only somewhat fine. I was greatly annoyed that I was so young and had been given such little time to grow my strength. I'd told myself I'd be strong enough to protect everyone the next time I needed to.

But now?

Well, I had a way to see my dad—for my whole family to see him even. But Bastion and mom might not get the chance because of the Gates of Potential. If Auromor got out, it was possible no one would have a chance to be free to do what they wished. Then again, I had no idea what he would do either. I just didn't have enough information about anything.

I was still excited for the upcoming quest. I really was. But it was hard to say there wasn't a dark cloud hanging over everything.

"Are you going to be brooding the whole time we're doing this?" Kara asked me after we were a few minutes into coring the goblins.

"No. Sorry," I said and rolled one of the copper dexterity cores to Mile.

"Are you going to tell me what it's really about? Because if it's Cedric, I don't know if I can put up with both of you acting this way," Kara said. "It seems to be his natural state, but your usually at least cheerful in your obsessive way."

"I can't."

"Oh joy," Kara said. "Are you two going to fight out there?"

"Not if he doesn't start anything. I don't want it to happen like that."

She didn't comment again until we were done coring the goblins, and I'd given Mile my half of the dexterity cores. "He did beat you last time."

I had my character sheet pulled up in front of me.

<<<>>>

Peregrine Borncrest

Body: N/A

Mind: N/A

Soul: N/A

Attributes

Brawn: 2 (0/100) (Apprentice)

Dexterity: 1 (100/100) (Novice)

Endurance: 1 (77/100) (Novice)

Magic Potency: 1 (65/100) (Novice)

Magic Control: 2 (5/100) (Apprentice)

Magic Efficiency: 1 (85/100) (Novice)

Proficiencies

Abjuration: 1 (60/100) (Novice)

Archery (No Style): 1 (40/100) (Novice)

Alchemy (Potion-Making): 1 (80/100) (Novice)

Animal Husbandry: 1 (70/100) (Novice)

Acrobatics: 1 (100/100) (Novice)

Butchering: 1 (50/100) (Novice)

Cooking: 1 (50/100) (Novice)

Druidry: 2 (60/100) (Competent)

Herbalism: 1 (95/100) (Novice)

One-Handed (Fiend-Hunter): 2 (55/100) (Competent)

Wind-Affinity: 1 (70/100) (Novice)

Traits

Mind of Memories: With effort, you can perfectly visualize anything that you have felt, seen, tasted, or heard. You can relive the moments of your life as you perceive them exactly, at will. The more focused you are on something in the moment a memory is created, the easier it is to recall it. (Born)

Compact of Potential: You have traded away a singular, unnamed aspect of yourself to an extraplanar entity. (Pact)

Soulwood Arm: Your left arm has merged its essence with soulwood. Ambient and hostile mana is passively absorbed into your soulwood arm at a rate that is determined by your magic efficiency attribute and can be stored or used to grow or shrink it. You may choose to absorb mana and life-force from the flesh and blood of living beings that your soulwood arm pierces. Druidic spells interact with your soulwood arm as if it was both made of flesh and wood.

Titles

Prodigy of Arms: Your mind, body, soulcore, and reflexes have developed and grown in tandem with your study of combat, becoming particularly suited to it. When you break through to a higher level in any weapon proficiency, you will always gain at least one skill while retaining the chance to gain others.

Prodigy of Spellwork: Your mind, body, soulcore, and mystical capabilities have developed and grown in tandem with your use of magic, becoming particularly suited to wielding and sensitive to the influence of your own mana. When you break through to a higher level in any magical proficiency, you will always gain at least one spell while retaining the chance to gain others; you may also gain beneficial mana-related mutations upon breakthroughs.

Skills

First Form: Strike Redirection: Honed through endless repetition, you have unlocked the beginnings of the true power of the first form of the fiend-hunter style. Upon activation of this skill, you may burn life force while utilizing the first form if you so choose. Depending on the amount of life force channeled, your reflexes, strength, and speed will be temporarily heightened while performing the first form. (Fiend-Hunter Style) (Novice)

Spells

Beast-Bond: You may bond with an animal whose trust you have earned. The animal may refuse or accept your bond of its own free will. You may feel what your companion feels and communicate telepathically with them, along with temporarily experiencing their physical senses. A bonded creature's intelligence is slowly increased over time, to a greater extent depending on the duration of the bond and their species. You may also view their character sheet. The mana cost for forming a bond is high. The mana cost for sharing senses with a bonded animal is moderate. The mana cost for telepathic communication with a bonded animal is negligible. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Druidic Aura: You may extend your own druidic mana in an invisible ten-foot orb centered around you. You may cast your druidic spells upon any flora or fauna within your aura as if you were touching them. You can also sense any life energy present within your aura. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Direct Flora: You may use your mana to enable and direct the movements of plant life that you can touch. (Nature) (Competent) (Upgradeable)

Enhance Herbal Effect: You may enhance one natural effect of a plant to make it one tier stronger than it is. You cannot enhance plants of a higher tier than your current tier of this spell. Moderate mana cost. (Nature) (Novice)

Growth: Use your mana to influence the growth of plant life. Mana cost is determined by the level, scale, and rate of growth. (Nature) (Competent) (Upgradeable)

Integration: Integrate a willing, living thing into yourself, becoming one being. You may only integrate one creature or plant per level of all of your magical attributes and your endurance attribute. Mana cost is considerable and is determined by the strength of what you're trying to integrate. (Nature) (Novice)

Lesser Ward: Expand mana from your sign to create a flickering ward the size of a large shield. The ward blocks physical items and spells as well as any other nearly solid object would. Mana cost is determined by the strength and duration of the ward. (Abjuration) (Novice) (Sign)

Mending: Lay your hands on anything that is or was living. You may accelerate the healing of living things or repair damage to natural fibers and crafts. Mana cost is determined by the extent of the mending done. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Minor Beast-Tongue: Through extensive practice and understanding, you can learn to speak the tongue of beasts and plant life fluently. The fluency of communication is based upon understanding and druidic resonance with individual species. Mana cost is negligible. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Shapeshift: Use your mana to change facets of your body such as your eye color, skin, hair, teeth, or scent. You may change your flesh into bark, fur, scales, or any other living tissue, but you must retain a vaguely humanoid form and you can not increase your overall mass to any substantial degree. Mana-cost is determined by the extent and breadth of the changes undertaken. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Shield: Conjure a solid half-dome of mana, reinforced by a sigil. The shield is roughly as large as you are. Mana-cost is determined by the strength and duration of the shield. (Abjuration) (Novice)

Warded Palm: Cover your palm in reinforced mana. Mana-cost is determined by the strength and duration of the spell. (Abjuration) (Novice)

Wind Scythe: Convert your mana into sharpened, elemental wind. The scythe's speed and range is determined by the amount of mana used to create it. Mana cost is moderate. (Wind-Affinity) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

Wind Lance: Convert your mana into and launch a spear of elemental wind. The spear's speed and range is determined by the amount of mana used to create it. Mana cost is moderate. (Wind-Affinity) (Novice) (Upgradeable)

<<<>>>

"That was before," I told her.

Shield sigils, that I hadn't even needed to use against the goblin, covered the palm and each of the pointed fingers of my bark-covered arm. I'd carved them into myself with my [shapeshift] spell. The sigils glowed a faint blue against the black wood of my changed flesh.

Additionally, mana-control was now my second apprentice tier attribute.

I'd absorbed the Horned Man's core when I'd learned Luke had been sent out on a quest of his own by the time Rosaria, Arthic, Garron, and I had returned to Highmount. I hadn't had a chance to see him since he'd gotten back and taken Cedric out to train; I only knew he'd even returned because Kara had told me she'd learned it through her growing social network.

I was a lot stronger now, even if it wasn't enough. I'd learned so much. And I planned to keep learning magic.

Cedric wasn't my real enemy, even if he really bothered me. I knew that somewhere inside myself.

But life did keep putting obstacles in my path. I wasn't going to let it keep hindering me forever if I could help it.

It might take years, but it was just a matter of time before I became strong enough to protect everyone I cared about. And to find out what I really cared about, without having to worry it would be taken away due to my own weakness.

I knew I liked magic. I liked fighting too, now that it wasn't so foreign to me. But both were more about the learning for me. I just wanted to learn more.

Thankfully, I had even more friends and allies to help me to learn now. And teachers too. Bastion, Eurynome, Rosaria, Garron, Mina, Master Renalt, Steelvein, and Elrica. Even Arthic, who I hadn't met all that long ago was someone I considered a friend.

We'd all help each other, even if I had to resign myself to only being able to offer some of them anything later. And that had to be enough.

"That's not ominous at all," Kara replied.

END OF BOOK TWO