Aside from flashes of nightmares that I had to forcefully push away, the night passed swiftly. Before I knew it, and before the sun itself rose, I found myself being shaken awake. Groggily I glanced at Elric, taking a moment to process that he had said we would start this morning. I slowly got up and donned my clothes, ever thankful for the self repair and self cleaning of my paupers clothing. I doubted any self respecting tailor would be willing to sell these, but I still felt proud at having made them myself.
To the dismay of the foxes, I pulled myself from the tent and packed it up, laying them near the embers of last nights fire. Amelia's eyes glimmered in the dark and gloom, the ruby red a terrifying sight if I were to get up in the middle of the night to pee. I nodded to her before I rolled my tent, really it was just two canvas tarps, one for the floor and another for the walls. I had been given it by the merchants after my original one had been destroyed. They were down a few guards from the conflict with the bandits so they had an extra anyway. Once it was packed and everything was tied up in my rucksack I turned to Elric. I nodded at him that I was ready, trying to be careful not to wake the others who would still be sleeping.
He nodded back, then took off on a slow jog - slow for him, I had to enter a half run to keep up - down the road we had been following. Once we were a fair bit down the road he stopped and turned towards me with a goofy grin. “Great, now we can be loud. We’re gonna work on getting you [Blind Fighting] until the caravan catches up. They still have a few hours till they move so, we have a good while. Amelia will save you some brekky.”
“Yes sir. How do we get that skill?” I set down my pack, leaning it against the nearest tree.
“Put this on.” He held out a thin black cloth for me. I quickly put it on over my eyes then lifted it up so I could see Elric. “Now, draw your sword. I’m going to hit you until you learn to block while blindfolded. Try to figure out where I’m going to strike based on anything other than your sight. This could also get you a perception skill called [Spatial Awareness] that would combine well with the other skills were looking at. So if you see it, take it.”
He picked up a long stick as I covered my eyes again. I closed my eyes as well, breathing deeply before a soft whistle pierced the air and a thwack resounded. I stumbled, feeling the stick strike my side and swinging out to hit Elric. My blade, unsurprisingly, found nothing. Another whistle, this one behind me, and I was struck in my stomach. Wait, that didn’t make sense.
I doubled over, stars shining in the dark as I panted. I fixed my breathing just before I was soundlessly struck in the ribs. Then the thigh. Then the back. The arm. A wisp of a strike on my cheek. I heard Elric stifling a chuckle each time I lashed out.
After around the thirtieth strike I fell into [Meditation] and attempted to be proactive rather than reactive. My body was already stinging all over and I was sure I’d be covered in bruises by this evening. I focused my breathing, using [Mana Sense] to try to feel out the shifting of the ambient movements with Elrics assaults. The skill didn’t allow one to perfectly perceive mana, but it did give a vague feeling of it. Most of the time, ambient mana moved about like jellyfish. Slow, mostly just floating there, undisturbed and undulating at its natural pace.When something moved through it it would shimmer, appearing staticy to my senses. I waited until a thread of mana, waving through the air, suddenly shimmered before reforming and moved to block it. The stick still struck me, Elric was moving faster than I could react for now.
I took a deep breath, letting the sting of the most recent strike fade as I focused again. I felt a ping at the edges of my mind, letting me know something leveled up. I held my sword in both hands, my left hand loosely wrapped around the pommel as the handle wasn’t made to be used two handed. A whir of activity prickled at me from behind and I spun attempting to block but I had reacted a step too slowly. The stick collided with my left leg and sent me to the ground.
“Again!” I growled as I stood back up, a twinge of iron on my tongue as I had bit my lip when I fell.
We continued, and I started to react quicker and quicker. Still, it wasn’t enough to block the higher leveled warrior. After what felt like no time at all I heard sounds coming from where I assumed we had come. I panted, sweat was dripping down my back and chest, my rough tunic slick and clinging to my body. A hand grasped my blindfold, and with my adrenaline still pumping I failed to realize the exercise was over. I lashed out in the correct direction and for the first time I felt something solid against my blade as I heard a soft thud.
“Oy Oy trainings over!” The hand yanked the blindfold off my face. I blinked away the motes of light that attacked my eyes, tears welling up at the sudden change from dark to morning light.
“I feel like you just wanted an excuse to beat up on me.” I grumbled as I turned towards the oncoming caravan. I barely noticed her before she assaulted me, Sky had leaped out of Lianas arms and straight at my chest, carrying herself several feet further than I’d thought she’d be able. Through our connection, I felt vague worry at my injured state. She sniffed my face and chest as I cradled her, frantically checking that I was okay. I felt some sense of satisfaction coming from Luka at verifying my safety.
“Perhaps, but did you get any skills offered to you?” Elric clapped a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face the direction we were heading. I pulled my notifications up as we started to walk.
Your skill [Mana Sense] is now level 48
Your skill [Intuition] is now level 44
Your skill [Pain Resistance] is now level 21
Your skill [Training] is now level 44
Right off the bat I noticed a bunch of increased levels for my skills. [Mana Sense] alone increased by thirteen, as did [Intuition]. I hadn’t noticed [Pain resistance] leveling but it made sense, and thinking back I realized that I had quickly been able to overcome the aches and bruises that had accumulated. I was a touch disappointed that [Training] only leveled up a little bit, three levels. The skill was helpful, it helped to increase the rate of leveling during training sessions and could eventually double or triple the efficacy of training, as it stood right now it was nearly a quarter more effective than not having the skill. Each level increased the skills potency by half a percent, and that added up quickly.
I turned my attention to the rest of my notifications, seeing two left. Excited, I allowed them to fill my vision. My excitement turned to disappointment as soon as I read the two skills I was offered.
Congratulations! You have earned the general skill [Counterstrike]
[Counterstrike]: Immediately after you are struck by an enemy you may retaliate, activating this skill will increase the likelihood of your counter striking your opponent
Congratulations! You have earned the general skill [Pacifists Toughness]
[Pacifists Resolve]: You have withstood a bevvy of attacks without once retaliating, despite any attempts to do so. With this passive skill, for each strike landed against you without you defending yourself or retaliating, this skill will provide an additional three damage resistance. Damage resistance grows per level.
Disappointed I shook my head. I dismissed both of them. There wasn’t much point in an armor skill that didn’t allow me to fight back, especially considering I’d likely, after leaving this group, travel alone for a time. I glanced over at Elric, who was still guiding me as we walked ahead of the group. “No such luck. Was offered two skills but they weren't particularly good.”
I described the two for him and he shook his head. “Yeah, better to wait till you get the ones you want. Thats okay, usually takes a few sessions to get [Blind Fighting] and probably longer to get a perception skill.”
“You sure it wasn’t just an excuse to beat someone up?” I chuckled slightly as we kept walking. Despite the skills being disappointing, I was quite satisfied by my gains in skill levels. It couldn’t have been more than three hours since we started and my skills had leveled relatively quickly. Thirteen levels in one sitting, for a single skill, was practically unheard of in Arborton. I was guessing it had to do with being “Trained” by someone much higher level, as though the experience and growth under his tutelage was worth more than if I had attempted it myself.
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“Alright Elric! You’ve had your fun now its my turn.” Liana’s soft voice echoed from my side and I felt her pull me away from Elric. “Now we get to try to push for a different skill. I wont tell you which one just yet, just what we have to do. I had to bribe a merchant to let you sit on a wagon.”
“You didn’t have to do all that, if it requires sitting we could have waited until we reached town tonight.” Kinnesville was likely only a short jaunt away, we would hopefully arrive just before lunch time, so in a few hours. I had no idea what to expect. Where Arborton had around five thousand people, a relatively paltry amount compared to the kingdoms cities, Kinnesville had around half that. Arborton ran the benefit of being near the Deepbloom Forest and having access to an old trade route from Port Airos, the capital of Jorial, and Arwin. This also meant that should war break out between the two countries, Arborton would become either a fortress city or would be one of the first assailed.
There was a flick to my forehead as I pondered about Kinnesville. “Lios, were you listening? You were tooootally zoned out weren't you?” Liana puffed as I focused again. I held an embarrassed grin on my face and nodded.
“I’m sorry Miss Liana, I was thinking about Kinnesville. I’ll focus now.”
“You had better! Now come with me.” She quickly led me to a wagon with a small amount of room at the edge for me to sit on, just large enough to site cross legged. I attempted to board the moving carriage but slipped and fell on my butt, eliciting some chuckles at my expense. Even Liana had a smirk playing at her lips. Without waiting for the oncoming jeering, I got up and stepped up onto the carriage before sitting down. I didn’t worry about clearing the dirt from my clothes as I did, they would clean themselves anyway.
“Good! For a moment I was worried your first trial would be to simply board a carriage!” Liana laughed at me. I made an unsightly jester which only seemed to encourage her. “Worry not Lios, from here on you only need to meditate and prevent yourself from falling again. Well, meditate and attempt to find your mana core. I’m guessing you haven't introspected to the point of visualization?”
I shook my head as affirmation.
“Okay good. So, here’s what you'll do. Normally I’d guide you by using my mana to seek your core, but I think with your seed we wont be able to do that. Seeds tend to make it difficult to aid another person, as they tend to have a mind of their own. So, for you I suggest you close your eyes and follow my advice to the best of your abilities. Don’t be upset if you don't find it right away.”
“Yes Miss Liana.” I said before closing my eyes and taking deep, meditative breaths. Instinctively I started to look deep within myself.
“Good, now imagine your inner self, it will look different for everyone so I cant help you much there, but let yourself sink deep into yourself until you locate your inner world. As you are low leveled it won’t be all that much, but as you grow so too will it. It is the world of your soul and as such grows as your soul does.”
I nodded to show I had heard her. I started to deepen my breaths and tried to imagine what my inner world could look like. I wandered in the dark for a little while, floating seamlessly as I attempted to delve deeper within myself. This activity, unlike the training with Elric, seemed to come easily. Perhaps it was with the help of [Distant Recollections] but I found myself surrounded by massive trees, redwoods. The smell of pine and whisper of wind flowed around me. The bubbling of a creek and water splashing on stones crested my ears. Chittering squirrels, singing birds, the buzz of bees close but not in arms reach surrounded me. It was a memory. A place my family had always visited, a place my soul called home even planes away.
I willed myself forward, through the massive pines. The crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot made this figment of imagination ever so realistic. I walked until I found myself on a beach, a beach with a tree my family would gather around once each year. The tree was old, ancient even. A monumental oak. I walked towards the side facing the brook not far from me. Stones littered the sandy ground, stones and roots from this oak. I sighed seeing the cairn my family had discovered on one of our visits. I sifted through the stones, most of the names I ignored until I found the name of my grandfather.
We had spread his ashes here when I was young, on what we called the “Kings Rock”, a boulder that overlooked a cheerful basin of water upstream. A place we, as kids, would swim and holler and dive into from another rocky outcropping. I started to pull away from the gargantuan oak, it seemed larger than it had in my lifetime. Perhaps the magic of memory returned it to the size I’d perceived as a child. As I turned to make my way to the basin, colloquially called the “wash tub” a stone in the cairn caught my attention. The majority of them were blank, with only a few names that I could recognize. This one in particular had written on it one word, beside an image. Seeing it caused my heart to clench. “Brioche”. And the image of a fox.
I held it or a few moments before setting it down. I was certain now, this place was the world of my soul. Somewhere in here I’d find my core. I turned towards the wash tub. I started on my way, absently wiping away tears, and as I made it to the King Rock I saw it. Floating above the pool of raging water, runoff from the mountains, a sphere of bright light sat before me. The sphere, unlike what I imagined, was a kaleidoscope of warring colors. Lightning arced away from it, tufts of flame burst out of it. Wind blasted its surroundings and the water below it became a whirlpool. Debris from the river lifted up and was crushed, before being thrown further downstream. My core, it seemed, had become the Maelstrom itself. I gulped and pulled away from my inner self. I had an idea, from reading a deluge of books and watching a large amount of fantasy shows, that I was meant to condense this sphere but I wanted to confirm with Liana before I did so.
And so I opened my eyes to realize we had come to a stop. The smell of cooked meat and reheated bread struck my nose. Was it lunch time already? As I glanced around I noticed that Liana was sitting beside me, a frown on her face. Her hand was on my shoulder as she was shaking me.
“Lios, wake up, its time for lunch. Dear me how did you sink so deep you couldn’t even... Are you up?” She tilted her head as I turned toward her.
“I am. I am.” I noticed then that there were tears running down my face. The memories of my grandfather and of Brioche had been so close, more powerful than they usually were. In the corner of my eyes I saw some notifications but I ignored them as I wiped the tears from my face. “How long was I?” I waved my hand.
“Several hours. We just wrapped up lunch. Here, this is for you.” She pulled up a bowl of stewed meat. The merchants were believers in perpetual stew, and one of their entourage kept a pot cooking even while they traveled. It was a hearty, flavorful meal with whatever ingredients they could find. This time the newest meat was rabbit. I only realized then how hungry id become. I hadn’t had breakfast, despite Elric saying they’d keep some for me, and training had taken a lot out of me. I started to scarf down the bowl of stew and bread.
“Are you okay? Were you able to locate your internal world? If you were I may be able to join you for the next part.” Liana started to barrage me with questions. I simply nodded to both of them, ready to answer more but we were interrupted by Amelia.
“Liana, let him rest. Besides, after we get to town he’ll be busy enough. Another small job popped up, he’s prolly gonna want to take it.” Amelia looked down at me from the top of the carriage, laying on the roof and poking her head down.
“How close are we?” I asked with my mouth still full.
“About twenty minutes away, we stopped so we could eat the rest of what was cooked before entering. That and LiLi here was worried you weren’t waking up. I told her not to worry but, I mean it has been like five whole hours since you closed your eyes, sooo.” Amelia rolled off the top of the wagon and landed on her feet.
“That long? It felt like maybe two hours at most. Good to know.” I finished my bowl of stew, mopping up the remnants with my bread. Standing, I stretched, my bruised muscles feeling better despite doing nothing to help them, perhaps my natural regeneration was aided by [Meditation]? I had assumed it would only aid with mental fatigue and mana regeneration, it seemed likely that it helped physical regeneration as well.
“We can continue this in the morning, for now lets get into town and see about starting some quests. You'll have to accept quests through us, so when we get to Ironfell and get you registered take one of us with you so we can confirm the quests you were involved in.” Liana jumped off the back of the carriage and started walking, giving the driver the all clear so the caravan could resume and finish its journey. The merchants would likely stay here for a few days, while we’d stay a touch longer to finish more quests.
“Sure thing. Lets go.” I got up and fell in step beside Amelia, keeping [Meditation] active so I didn’t drool or ogle her.
“So, wanna talk about it?” Amelia asked, tossing me a sideways glance.
“Talk about what?” I tilted my head. I really wasn’t sure what she was referring to.
“You were crying. Humans tend to do that when they’re upset, right?” Amelia looked off towards the town, I could see the billows of smoke from the chimneys and the houses only a short distance away.
“I’m okay. I was just remembering some people I haven’t thought about in some time.” I smiled as the images of my first family flashed through my head, clearer now than they had been since arriving here. Curious, I checked for skill level notifications and was not disappointed.
Congratulations! Your skill [Meditation] is now level 28
Congratulations! Your skill [Distant Recollections] is now level 29
[Meditation] had leveled five times in that short period, and [Distant Recollections] had increased by eleven. I whistled at seeing the notifications.
“Well, I’m here if you want to talk about it. Its only been ten days since we left your home, who else could you be thinking of?” Amelia clearly wasn’t expecting an answer, but it seemed she wanted to voice her suspicions either way.
“Someday, well someday maybe I’ll feel comfortable to talk about it. About them. But right now, it hurts enough to think about them, and I feel you’ll only have more questions when I do open up.”
After that we walked in silence. I hadn’t been offered any skills just yet, but I wasn’t overly disappointed. It didn’t take much longer for us to arrive at the town, passing through the rudimentary mud and wood walls that defended it against brigands. Once we were in the town proper, Adrien and Elric went towards the town hall while the rest of us went to find an inn.
As we approached one of my skills finally leveled up.
Congratulations! Your skill [He Who Wanders] is now level 4