As the box in my vision faded away I couldn’t help the grin that split my face. Fucking finally, I thought, splashing in a nearby puddle, drenching myself in water without a care as I half skipped down the street in my excitement. I ducked beneath the awning of a café and put my back to the rough brick wall beside its door where hung a ‘closed’ sign, catering in the wind.
Paying the sound no mind, I began investigating the system interface, using what little I’d puzzled about it from talking with strangers at the tavern. Not the best source of information, sure, but where else was I to learn? It’s not like I’d been able to afford to go to school back then.
Focusing on a row of images that had appeared in the right-hand corner of my screen, I almost whooped for joy when one began glowing a soft blue before expanding into several large boxes that filled up the left side of my vision.
==========
=Status=
-Name: Mairenn Crowe
-Blessing: Reverse Minstrel
-Level: 0
-Experience: 0
-Attribute points: 0
-Skill points: 3
-Ability Points: 1
-Health: 10/10
-Stamina: 10/10
-Mana: 7/7
=Active Effects=
-Boons: N/A
-Ailments: N/A
=Attributes=
-Strength: 9
-Dexterity: 12
-Constitution: 14
-Intelligence: 10
-Wisdom: 8
-Charisma: 9
-Luck: 10
==========
I just stared at the boxes for a moment, my brow furrowing as I tried to unravel what I was looking at. After probably twenty minutes of fiddling with the boxes, accidentally accessing definitions and functions that confused me even more before finally getting back to square one, I’d figured out what most of it meant, though I only had a vague understanding of what the attribute values meant. Instead of melting my brain further, however, I dismissed the windows and moved on to the next boxes, skills and abilities.
==========
=Abilities=
N/A
=Skills=
N/A
==========
I frowned, about to curse out the system that refused to even provide me anything basic, like a super awesome sword skill, or singing powers, or whatever sort of skills a bard was supposed to have, but was stopped as a third box appeared overtop the other two.
==========
=Would you like to choose new skill and ability cards now?=
Yes/No
==========
I immediately chose yes and the box disappeared, replaced by five images of various skill cards and descriptions of the powers each granted. I felt my brow furrow as I stared at the sudden onslaught of words and sighed, knowing for certain that I’d have got a headache from all this reading. Wait, I thought, a realization hitting me like lightning from above, I had no idea how to read, so why did I understand the system messages in my vision?
I glanced around, found the cafe’s sign, and realized that I could read that too. Whoa, had the system given me the power of literacy? Well, yeah, I told myself, feeling stupid, of course, it had to have been the system, the real question was why I didn’t notice until now. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought and I decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth, instead refocusing on the selection of cards before me.
==========
=Basic One-Handed Weapons Handling=
-Skill Type: Passive
-Description:
-Allows the blessed to access records to better train with any one-handed weapon.
-Adds (+1) to any attack inflicted with one-handed weapons.
=The Minstrel’s Taunt=
-Skill Type: Active
-Description:
- Allows the blessed to call upon The Minstrel’s power and provoke a targeted enemy.
- Can be resisted.
=Restorative Tale=
-Skill Type: Active
-Description:
-Allows the blessed to heal injuries and recover both stamina and mana by recounting a tale.
-Amount of health restored depends on audience reception.
=Oration Casting=
-Skill Type: Active
-Description:
-Allows the blessed to cast spells provided by the system via wordsmithing.
-Potency of spells depends on audience reception.
=The Minstrel’s Grace=
-Skill Type: Active
-Description:
-Reinforces Blessed’s agility for a short time while reciting poetry.
-Interruptible.
==========
There was that word again, blessed. I thought I’d been cursed, but it looked as if the system didn’t see it that way. That was fine by me, just another win, I supposed.
Idly I crossed my arms and began tapping my foot on the stone pavers as I looked over the options, pulling my status box up again to confirm that I only had three skill points. The Minstrel’s grace, The Minstrel’s taunt, and restorative tale all seemed redundant to me when compared to oration casting, but I had to pick at least one, I told myself. After a few minutes of hemming and hawing, I invested in oration casting, The Minstrel’s taunt, and basic one-handed weapons handling.
Was there probably a reason why those three skills seemed redundant? Perhaps. Did I care? Not really, no. I didn’t see the point. Besides, they were just my first cards, there was no way any of them would be that important later once I’d leveled up a few times. Right?
After selecting my three cards they all vanished from my vision. Immediately, I felt a burning from around my minstrel’s mark and lifted my tunic to find the three cards I’d chosen burning their images into my skin in a fan around the minstrel card.
Neat, I thought to myself, kicking off the wall and beginning to make my way to the next shop on my list. Now, don’t I also have an ability point to use? I realized, and with not but another thought two more cards appeared before me as I walked.
==========
=The Minstrel’s Luck Rank I=
-Ability Type: Attribute
-Description:
-Grants a (+1) bonus to the blessed’s luck attribute for ten minutes after performing an action with ‘minstrel’ in the title.
-Does not stack
=The Minstrel’s Tempering Rank I=
-Ability Type: Attribute
-Description:
-Grants a (+1) bonus to the blessed’s constitution attribute for five minutes after sustaining damage
-Stackable up to (+3)
==========
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Needless to say, the abilities proved themselves far more difficult to choose between than the skills had. Unconsciously, I began chewing on the nail of my thumb, the world around me blurring into indistinct shapes and sounds as I became lost in thought.
On one hand, my constitution was my highest stat, so I didn’t think I really needed to invest more into it just yet, but at the same time, maybe focusing on that attribute now might be better for me in the long run. But on the other hand, luck could do anything. It was… well… Luck? How could you go wrong choosing that?
So of course, I picked The Minstrel's luck. I didn’t have long to think about my choice after that, however, because the moment I chose the ability I turned a corner and collided head-first with someone walking the opposite way. We both let out identical curses as his bag fell to the ground and I stumbled back a few steps, barely managing to stay on my feet.
“Watch it!” the man said with an angry scowl as he bent to pick up his bag.
“Why don’t you watch it?” I growled back, matching his scowl with one of my own. There was an immediate strangest that lingered in the air between us, strangeness because I don’t know what else to call it, then his eyes turned red, literally the color of rhubarb stalks, and he let out a bellowing yell, snatching up his bag full of groceries and raising it over his head as if to strike me.
Reflexively I raised my fists and threw a punch. My father had taught me that much at least, saying a girl gotta be able to throw a fist should a man come after her. He’d taught me well in that respect apparently because not a moment after my fist slammed into the man’s chin, his eyes rolled back in their sockets and he fell boneless to the pavement, limp as the bag now laying on the stones beside him. I gave the man a rude gesture in farewell then flipped the hood of my cloak back up and hurried away. No point in lingering around to gain the watch’s ire.
Several blocks away I let out a frustrated sigh and glanced down toward my navel. Had I activated a skill back there? It must have been Minstrel’s taunt, I realized. That would be something I’d have to start being wary of. Lifting up my tunic one more time I glanced down to find the card for The Minstrel’s luck scrawled across my skin in elegant blue lines. I grinned to myself, more than satisfied with the progress I was already making.
Grinning to myself, I set out to finish shopping for supplies, making my way to the farmer’s market a few streets away to fill my pack with a few days' travel rations and a healing potion before returning to the tavern. I spent the walk back meandering through the city, more or less unaware of my surroundings as I pondered how I’d accomplish what I was certain would be an impossible task. Convincing my wife of the plan I’d made.
But of course, the moment I rounded the corner and spotted her standing outside in the now light drizzle, a lit cigarette from that new tobacco company in hand, all my plans disappeared from my mind, leaving my mind focused on the one thing that had drawn me to her before. I approached with a wave, to which she gave me a slight smile before putting out the cigarette and crossing her arms.
“So, what's your plan?” She asked, eyeing all my new equipment. I honestly hadn’t thought about that.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and shifted on my feet, idly fingering the twisting guard of my rapier. “Well, it's probably obvious, but I was thinking of going to the dungeon so that I could prove the association wrong, you know? Then, once I emerge victorious from its depths they wouldn’t have a choice, they'd be forced to admit that I’m not a liability and to let me join them. Then, we wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again. I could get us out of here,” I said, gesturing towards the tavern. As I spoke my plan out loud for the first time I felt some of my enthusiasm drain away and I could help but wonder if I really was making the right choice.
“Are you sure?” Síle asked, frowning, giving me that almost maternal look that made me feel like an idiot every time she unleashed that expression on me. “How do you know they won’t just lock you up once you get back? How do you know you won’t die down there and leave me an impoverished widow?”
My mouth worked for several moments as I struggled to hold her gaze. There was so much anger and fear in those eyes of her, it hurt too much to look. “I… Don’t know,” I said, hanging my head. I closed my eyes, let out a deep breath, grip tightening on my rapier, then looked my wife in the eye with as much determination as I could muster. Those hollow emotions were barely enough, but damn it all, this was my destiny.
“Síle,” I began slowly, treading carefully. “I need to do this. I can’t just leave my dreams behind without even trying to obtain them. Just… Just wait for me. I’ll be back in a day, I promise. Just wait for me a day. Please, Síle .”
Síle was silent for a time, the lingering smell of her cigarette hanging in the air between us. She let out a sigh, then without warning closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me. “So long as it’s just a day,” she said against my neck. “I can wait that long, I think. Just promise me you’ll be okay.”
I smiled, hugging my wife back in gentle arms. “I promise,” I said into her hair. “I’ll be fine, you’ll see. I’ll come marching back out from that dungeon with sacks of loot. I’ll make us rich beyond your wildest dreams.”
She laughed again, this time a touch sadly. “So long as you come back. You’re all I need. Everything else we can figure out together.” Gently, she pushed out of my embrace and held out her arm between us, displaying the marriage band tattooed into her wrist. “Just remember these,” she said, pointing to the three golden lines that represented each of our vows.
“Look, don’t touch, never break a promise made in earnest, and never give up on us,” I said with a cocked grin. Síle snorted out a laugh.
“I can’t believe you actually got the priest to go with those,” she said, her smile now a pleasant thing of happy memories that stole the breath from my lungs. I kissed her one last time, pulled away, lingering to take her in once more before we gave our farewells and I turned away, shouldering my pack. I could feel her eyes watching my back until I disappeared back down the street I’d come from, and a small hole tore itself open somewhere vital inside me, a hole I would mend in just another day.
Emotional stuff aside, Gaulbren’s dungeon was probably the easiest place to find in the entire city, on account of the giant blue-black pyramid with an abyssal orb floating above it like a hole in space and all. Thanks to the rain, the usual crowds of gawking tourists were nowhere to be seen, leaving only a handful of association guards standing at attention under flimsy-looking awnings around the great silver doors that lead into the dungeon itself.
Mustering as much confidence as I’d ever had, I marched straight up to the gate, giving the nearest guard a lazy salute and a face-splitting grin. He returned the gesture with a nod and a slight smile of his own.
“License and registration, if I may?” He asked as I stepped underneath the tent.
“Sure thing,” I said with false chipperness, making a show of rummaging through my pack for several long seconds. “You all been inside before?” I asked, not looking at the man.
“A few times,” he said, giving me a warm smile. “You new here? Don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”
“Yup!” I said, still ‘searching’ for my license. “Just got my cards today in fact!”
“Really?” The guard said, his smile faltering slightly. “How strange. I don’t recall receiving a report from headquarters about that. None of the new members should be receiving their cards for at least another week.”
I shrugged, feeling a drop of sweat bead up along the base of my neck. “Really? That’s weird. Maybe they just forgot to tell or something. The storm, perhaps?”
“Perhaps,” the guard said, his expression falling into a full frown. “Would you like some help there, miss?”
“Oh, no need. I’ll find it in another moment or two,” I said, giving him another dazzling smile. That always seemed to work on the tall orderly types. “I think it should be right about-” I cut off as I abruptly darted towards the dungeon gate, ducking under a swiftly lowered halberd as the other guards failed to react in time.
I slammed into the silver doors with a solid thud, pushing with all my meager strength, feeling them grind against the stone road as they inched open. All of a sudden I was jerked back as one of the guards snagged me by the collar of my cloak, just as the door opened wide enough for me to slip inside.
In a panicked moment of brilliance, I slipped my arms free from the captured clothing and ducked through the doors, grinning at the surprised exclamation that came from the guard as he fell on his ass. The gate closed behind me with a sudden, solid clang, and my world turned to complete and utter darkness.
----------------------------------------
The guard started from the oiled cloak in his hands to the silver doors in frustration.
“What do we do?” He asked the captain, head lowing in shame
“Nothing,” the captain said immediately from behind him. “As far as we’re concerned, this didn’t happen. The association is already garnishing our pay because of that other group of idiots. The last thing we need is to make more trouble right now.”
“But sir,” the guard said, still staring at the silver doors. “What if she has a family? What if people start asking after her?” He paused as a sickening thought occurred to him. “What if she’s who the higher-ups warned us about?”
The captain snorted. “Please. Trash like that? I’ll bet next week’s pay she’ll be forgotten in less than a month. Mark my words, bringing to headquarters isn’t worth the trouble.” He gave the guard a hard look that communicated exactly what would happen should somebody be so stupid as to disobey him.
“As you say, sir,” the guard said, giving a slow salute, a knot of unease building in his gut. The captain nodded and returned to his station, but the guard stayed, putting one hand against the tall silver gate. “I’m sorry, whoever you are,” he said in a hushed voice. “May the arcana guide and protect you.”
The guard glanced back to his captain and caught the other man taking a swig from the flask he kept hidden in his coat. Maybe, just maybe, telling the higher-ups about the girl was a good idea after all, and perhaps it wouldn’t be that much of a shame if the blame fell atop a certain captain’s head. Just maybe someone wouldn’t have any pay next week.