Glade sat back and enjoyed the soft sounds of Riya’s humming as she cooked their meal over Kedryn’s conjured flames.
Why she was humming, Glade couldn’t say, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. The deafening silence of the underground weighed on each of them like an oppressive blanket and the otherworldly tune was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise bleak world.
He had to admit, his first impressions of this world were not the greatest.
For what had to be the dozenth time, Glade caught Kedryn staring at Riya’s leg. Neither of the two elves had spoken much about the recent slime encounter, much to his frustration. The longer they delayed, the harder the conversation would be. He knew from personal experience.
The fight had been a close call. Too close, in his opinion. If they had waited any longer to act, Riya’s injuries would have been irreversible. Fortunately, her healing magic had saved the day. Again.
“The fish is almost ready,” Riya said, cutting off the beautiful music. The aroma of their meal tickled his senses as he listened to the sizzle of freshly fried fish.
The cavern remained silent after her declaration, leaving the pop of the frying fish and the occasional drip of water the only sounds to fill the void.
Glade’s gut knotted with concern. Not from being attacked again, his telepathy skill ensured they would have an early enough warning in case of a monster attack. No, he was concerned with potential cracks in their fledgling team’s ability to trust one another. Even with his recent talk with Kedryn, he was worried that this next conversation could make, or break, them.
Sure, they had killed the slimes. But their last fight wasn’t necessarily a win.
They would have to confront their mistakes if they were to have any chance of moving forward. Men and women, both great and humble, had fallen apart when they were faced with the facts of their own infallibility.
Vlad could have done this in his sleep. The man was a master at navigating through challenging discussions, always leaving everyone smiling at the end.
But Vlad wasn’t here. Neither were the rest of his team. Hopefully, the Adjudicators would keep their promise so he could find them.
But like his mother had always told him - if wishes were fishes, he’d be stinkin. It was time to focus on what was, not what he wanted it to be.
“It's time we talked about what happened,” He began in a strong, even tone as Riya pulled their meal from the fire. There was an art to speaking with others. Some moments called for passion, others called for empathy or for cold, hard, logic. But no matter the situation, food, in his opinion, always made the experience that much easier to bear.
“Before we begin,” he continued while deftly slicing the fish into three equal pieces. “I want you to know how proud I am of what you have both accomplished these past few days.”
Their eyes, which had been staring off into Kedryn’s fire, latched onto him; silver and gold irises reflecting in the light of Kedryn’s ongoing flames. For these two, young as they were, it was best to start with pointing out what they had done well.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said, openly displaying a small, friendly smile. “We’re still going to discuss, in detail, our most recent adventure. But that doesn’t change the fact that both of you have proven yourselves time and again these past few days. Mistakes happen. We learn from them. But don’t let that distract you from how well we are growing as a team.”
He paused, intentionally taking a bite of fish. They needed the distraction of food to feel as if what they were talking about was no big deal. Something to discuss over dinner.
A burst of flavor exploded in Glade’s mouth, momentarily derailing his thoughts. Not only was the fish light and flakey, it tasted like nothing he had ever tried before. The only thought that came to him was it tasted like shadows on a stormy day.
After far too long savoring the flavor, Glade turned his attention back to the two young elves.
“Let’s start by discussing if what happened was relevant to our mission.”
He pointedly looked at Riya, who seemed to be enjoying her meal just as much as he had, but it was Kedryn who spoke first.
“Sir, I absolutely believe it was worth it. I mean, I don’t want to take away from what Riya has to say, but my skill levels in Natural Lore jumped all the way to level 8!”
“Skills aside...” Glade began, but was interrupted as Riya chimed in with obvious interest.
“You jumped all the way to level 8 from that one encounter?” She asked, her voice light with surprise. “Congratulations. Moving through skill levels so quickly is quite an accomplishment. Out of curiosity, did your notifications say anything else?”
“I almost forgot!” Kedryn responded, his previous melancholy evaporating faster than the kid could shout pointless adjectives. “The notification says ‘Congratulations, you have met the requisite levels to progress into the ranks of Trainee. In order to advance, seek someone worthy to test your knowledge.’ This is what you were explaining about earlier, isn’t it? That we can’t progress to the next rank until we are tested.”
Glade was already losing control of the conversation. Again. However, he was curious where this might lead. Instead, he took another bite of fish, savoring the intense flavor.
“Yes.” Riya replied. “You must have jumped so quickly because of the rare creatures we are running into…”
She stopped speaking as both Glade and Kedryn rolled their eyes.
“Hey! You might not believe me, but they are! Just because we seem to have landed in a nest of mana infused monsters doesn’t mean they aren’t rare!”
“Not going to argue with you,” Glade said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
“Hmph! Well, they are. Magma beetles are only ever seen in areas of highly concentrated fire and earth mana. And don’t get me started on the dusk rats…”
“Don’t forget about the Keeper,” Kedryn chimed in.
“Or the Keeper. In short, we are in a system of caves that hold natural wonders beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Take the slimes for instance. They are beyond rare. Most naturists theorize about their abilities. Only a few have been able to research them in the wild and live, let alone successfully capture one for study.”
Any worry Glade had about self-recrimination between the two faded. It wasn’t necessarily what he wanted to talk about, but they’d get there. Eventually. Besides, the fish wasn’t going to eat itself.
“So, if I understand you correctly,” Glade said between a mouthful of food, “Kedryn has risen in levels…”
“Skill levels,” Kedryn corrected.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Glade gave the Kid the stink eye, “He’s risen in skill levels so quickly because of the rarity of creatures we’ve come into contact with, correct?”
“That’s my theory,” Riya responded. “As I’ve mentioned before, most can rise through amateur levels easily. It’s when you are accepted into the Trainee ranks that it starts to get hard.”
“Does this mean you can help me break into the Trainee ranks now?” Kedryn asked, eyes wide with excitement.
Riya was already shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but that would be detrimental to your personal growth. Your roots have barely begun to set within the naturist craft. If I advanced you now, I’d only be hindering your chances of reaching greater heights.”
Both Glade and Kedryn looked at her, confused.
“I’m going about this all wrong,” She grumbled. “Elders are the ones who teach, not me. Let me try to explain. The methods you use to level your skill are far more important than the leveling itself.”
“Kedryn, you’ve been leveling Natural Lore by focusing solely with mana infused creatures, plants, and one or two metal ores. You have no experience with normal animals, plants, sentient beings, let alone any of their subspecies and sub-races. And that’s just scratching the surface. We still need to cover the various types of stone, gems, mana interactions, weather, and countless other things of the natural world. If you don’t have the foundation in all the critical lower ranks it limits your potential for getting access to the higher ones.”
“Can’t you learn those things later?” Kedryn asked.
“Yes and no. What I’m trying to say is, if you advance now, without a broader understanding of the natural world, you would be limited in your abilities later on, which could severely restrict whichever path you intend to follow.”
Kedryn stood up and started pacing, leaving his food untouched. Glade shook his head, glancing at the abandoned meal. He was still quite hungry and the Kid didn’t seem that interested in his food…
“So, it's kind of like wuxia novels? You know, where people follow martial or mystical paths?” Kedryn asked as he paced.
“I don’t know anything about this… wu-zh-iya, but yes,” she smiled as she responded to him. “We follow paths. I’m glad you understand that.”
“I’m lost,” Glade interjected around another mouthful of food. “Paths? How does that relate to skill growth?”
“It’s loosely based on Chinese lore, where martial artists develop paths, or schools. They teach others how to progress in a specific marital style, like kung fu, but with the added ability to shoot fire from their fists.” Kedryn said. “Wait, are you eating my fish?”
“You aren’t showing any interest in it,” Glade said unapologetically, spearing another mouthful. “And no, that description doesn’t help me.”
“Anyway,” Kedryn said, returning his attention to Riya, his fish all but forgotten. “This makes so much more sense! I honestly thought I was leveling too quickly without any real firm understanding of the skill. So, what do I need to do before you to accept me into the higher ranks?”
“Remember our discussion about destinies and our brands? This is where that applies. The Elders of my people help us by directing where we should apply our talents and what skills we need to learn in order to obtain a specialization.”
“As I’ve mentioned, my people are… small in number. Because of that, we only have the knowledge to unlock a few specializations, like hunter, warrior, warden, mage, crafter, beast master, and alchemy.”
“Oh, those sound like classes to me,” Kedryn blurted out. “You know, like a ranger, fighter, paladin, and rogue. Which specialization are you working toward?”
Riya gave him a sidelong glance, before answering. “Yes, you’re kind of right, but I don’t know of anyone who would openly declare rogue as a specialization. Does your world not consider them criminals?”
“Yes, we do,” Glade interjected. “Just remember, Kedryn’s ideas are somewhat… skewed.”
“Right…” Riya responded, considering. “But to answer your question, the Elders have set me on the path of the Alchemist specialization. It is the only one that my people will allow me to pursue due to my brand.”
Kedryn gave a nod as if he knew exactly what that meant, which was more likely 60/40 odds against that he really knew anything. All Glade did was mentally add one more item to his - something to ask about later - list.
“Once the Elders confirm someone has the appropriate talents and brand, or in your case, brands, they assign them to a mentor who lays out their path of study. When you have a solid enough foundation, your mentor tests you. If you pass and are accepted into the next rank, you may qualify for an ability within your skills. For example, when progressing in ranks of Natural Lore some may gain the ability to identify one area of potential of whatever you analyze.”
“Wait a second, is that how you knew that Warg urine could be used as an ingredient in a corrosive potion?” Kedryn asked. Glade had already forgotten about that tidbit of information.
“Yes! I’m surprised you remembered that,” Riya said with a smile. “That specific ability comes in quite handy if you’re on the path of an alchemist or crafter. I know others who only gained the potential to identify weak spots in animals or monsters, which helps if you’re a hunter.”
“That’s incredible!” Kedryn said.
Glade stopped chewing his food and stared at the Kid. Finally! Kedryn had graduated to using two adjectives instead of just the one.
“But it seems limiting. Is there a way to get both of those abilities when you progress in rank?” Kedryn continued.
Riya smiled, visibly relieved. “Yes! You understand! You are absolutely correct that you can gain an ability that covers both, but that takes dedication on your chosen path. Most grow impatient and rush the testing process before their roots can set, which limits their potential. The ability I gained at the trainee level, Examine, synergizes with Natural Lore and increases my chances to successfully identify weak spots, how to harvest herbs correctly, or gain insights into whatever I’m using my skill on. But again, it's limited to the branches you have a base knowledge in. My Da always said, ‘There is no knowledge without skill, nor skill without knowledge.’”
Setting his knife down, Glade pushed the pan of fish closer to Kedryn. He had eaten too much as it was. The Kid still had a sizable portion, but if he didn’t stop now the Corporal wouldn’t have any left.
Riya raised an eyebrow at him, and then snatched a piece from Kedryn’s portion while he wasn’t looking.
“Thank you, Riya,” Glade jumped in, distracting Kedryn from the theft while simultaneously keeping the Kid from asking more questions. He needed to get the topic of conversation back on track. “But we’re getting off topic. As much as I want to learn more about skills and leveling, we need to address some more pressing matters.”
Faces fell at the comment, both snapping their mouths closed.
“As I asked before, was what we just did worth it?”
He paused, letting them digest his question. They had to be the ones that answered. They would stop listening if he jumped in with his own views.
Uncomfortable moments passed as Glade watched, unflinching. His face a carefully controlled mask of calm.
Slowly, they stopped fidgeting and began stealing glances at one another. Glances turned into looks, which turned into unspoken communication. He could already see which direction they were leaning toward. It was in the way their shoulders firmed, their mouths tightened, and how the gleam in their eyes showed a confidence that shouldn’t be there after the near disaster they had experienced.
Internally, he groaned. They were coming to the wrong conclusion.
“Yes,” they spoke softly.
Heaven grant him patience.
“I don’t necessarily agree with your assessment,” he said, holding up his hand to forestall their protests. “But I can see you both are in agreement. Let’s skip that argument. Instead, let's clarify what we are trying to accomplish.”
There, that had gotten their attention. They were now looking everywhere but him.
“Corporal, what are our objectives?”
“Watch each other’s backs, find the others, and find a way home,” he replied.
“And where does putting ourselves in unnecessary danger fall into those categories?” He asked.
When neither of them spoke for some time, Glade sighed.
“What I’m trying to say is that we need to be prudent in our decisions. I understand the importance of gaining skills and knowledge. But not at the risk of our lives. We had a chance to kill the slime while it was distracted. Next time, we’re not going to hesitate.”
It had looked like Riya was about to object, but snapped her mouth closed instead. She eventually gave a resigned nod of assent.
That didn’t go at all as he had hoped. Vlad could have spun this entire affair into the two elves believing they had come up with the idea themselves.
“Good. Riya, can you move? I’d like to get going as soon as possible. We have several hours before we need to stop for the night. That, and I don’t feel safe here,” he said, looking out over the still waters of the lake. The fish he had sensed earlier were now gone. It might be nothing, but in his experience fish flee when they’re in danger.
“Wow, sir! This fish is fantastic! But… wasn’t there more of it a minute ago?” Kedryn spoke, sending pieces of fish flying in all directions.
Glade glanced Riya’s way, seeing her chewing a mouthful of food.
“No,” they said in all seriousness.
“Oh. Well, at least the slimes seem to be thinning out!” Kedryn said, taking the last morsel of food.
Glade groaned out loud. The kid had just jinxed them.