PART IV - MEET THE TRAINERS - THE DRUIDS
Tazrok Thunderfist, reveling in his new name every time he thought about it, walked through the courtyard. He didn’t have to worry about stepping on anyone, because everyone cleared the way for him. Still, he was careful and took his time. His other friends had gone ahead, as had the pink-haired Little One Callie Gnome, but Tazrok was not concerned for their safety. What safer place could there be than a military camp?
Looking down at the small block of wood in his hands that signified his class, he marveled again at the colors. Yellow, brown and white. The colors of a Druid. He still wasn’t sure what a Druid really did, but seeing Kitty Lady change from a panther into a person and then into a bird had been an amazing part of the day so far. And to think he would be able to to turn into animals, too! He just couldn’t wait!
Tazrok pondered his question again and tried to think through it. What exactly does a Druid do? They are yellow, which means they are a Scout, and Scouts are sneaky, quiet types. They could spy on others and report back to the elders. They could go ahead to see what monsters a warband might encounter. Maybe they could sneak up behind someone and bash their head in? Tazrok didn’t like the idea of that. It did not seem honorable. And he could not think of a way he could possibly ever be sneaky or quiet. He was too big, after all. Unless he was a cat, like Kitty Lady! Even the really big cats could sneak around, after all. Yes. He would be a big cat, he was sure of it and would be able to sneak.
His next color was brown. Warrior. He understood that color. He had trained to be a Warrior all his life, so it was good that part of him still was. But how could you be a sneaky Warrior? Maybe another animal? Well, he still liked the idea of being a bear. And a bear could be pretty quiet. But as he thought more about it, a bear was not quiet enough. How about a wolf? Yes! They were very sneaky and could fight, too. So certainly he must be a wolf. Yes, a big, sneaky brown wolf, so he could hide amongst the trees. That would be better than being a big cat.
But his last color was confusing. White was for Healer. Tazrok knew what Healers were. Ogre communities had Shamans that could heal if you were hurt, after all. Shamans like the green Lizardkin at the tiny house! She must be a Healer like Ogre Shamans. That would also make him a Healer like Shamans. But also different from them somehow, because he had to also be sneaky and strong. How could he be a sneaky warrior and also heal? Was there even an animal able to heal? Tazrok thought very hard as he walked, and then it came to him. A unicorn could heal you with its magic horn. At least that is what his mother told him when he was a youngling. So turn into a unicorn? No, that didn’t suit him at all! They aren’t big and strong like a Warrior should be, and their white color isn’t very sneaky. Tazrok frowned. He needed a better heal animal than a frail and white unicorn. What if he could combine animals? He could be a wolf AND a unicorn. So he would be a wolf with a healing horn. That would be perfect. He would be a big brown Wolficorn and fight and heal and do it sneakily! Yes! Tazrok the Wolficorn!
Tazrok was absolutely confident he now understood everything about Druids he needed to.
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Eventually Tazrok saw the tent with the three Druid colors, and walked towards it. In front of the tent were three people, an Elf and two Dwarves, speaking in a group. The male Dwarf’s back was to him, but the Elf and the female Dwarf noticed him approaching and both made a strange face. The Elf touched the Dwarf’s shoulder and started to walk towards the Ogre.
“Good day, Master Ogre. This is the tent for Druids, I’m afraid. Are you lost? Would you like assistance?”
“No,” Tazrok said as he continued walking.
Ahead, the male Dwarf turned around. What was strange was that his Dwarf had no beard. And then Tazrok remembered. This was the bully Dwarf that hurt the Pixie! The Dwarf’s eyes got huge and he backed away.
Tazrok didn’t care about this Dwarf. He did a bad thing, and he had been punished. There was no more reason to do anything else.
“No, keep him away,” he said. “He’s here to kill me! Call the guards!”
Tazrok looked at the tiny, beardless Dwarf. “No,” he said. “Am Druid.”
“What? You can’t be. Wallir, he can’t be a Druid.”
“No no,” the Elf said, moving in front of Tazrok again. “You must be mistaken. Here, show me your class colors and I will help you get where you need to go.”
Tazrok opened his hands and showed it to this Wallir Elf.
“Whoa. Bratig, Melga, he has Druid colors! Could he really be a Druid?”
“Am Druid,” Tazrok said. “Scry Elf and other scry Elf and Tree Lady and Kitty Lady all say it is so. Gave me toy block with Druid colors.”
“Scry man? Kitty Lady?” Wallir turned to the Dwarf who was still trying to keep the Elf between the Ogre. “What’s a Kitty Lady?”
“He can’t be a Druid,” the beardless Dwarf said. “This is a bad joke on me for pushing that Pixie. The Ogre already did his thing. Why the hell is he back for more?!”
“Stop sniveling,” Tazrok said glaring at Bratig. “Punishment over, unless you hurt small ones again. So don’t do that.”
Melga shrugged. “I don’t think this is a joke. We can see what the trainer says, but what if he is a Druid?”
“Seriously, you’re not here to hurt me more?” Bratig squeaked. “You swear?”
“Only if you are bad. Am Corporal Punishment.”
“Yeah. You sure are,” Bratig said, rubbing his previously-dislocated shoulder and not entirely convinced. “L-Look, I’m really sorry about the Pixie. I didn’t mean to push her over.”
Tazrok glared at the Dwarf. “Not apologize to me. Apologize to blue Pixie. She hurt hard and deserve you grovel on knees.” The Ogre pointed toward the Dwarf’s chest, not poking it, but very close. “You hurt small one very bad. Never do again. Understand?”
Bratig gulped. “Understood.”
“Good. Now we wait for Kitty Lady.”
“Who’s the kitty lady?” Wallir asked in confusion. Then he asked Tazrok, “Do you mean our instructor? Is one of her forms a cat?”
“Yes. Big kitty. And hawk, too. But also Kitty Lady.”
“He must mean the trainer,” Melga said. “She must have a cat form of some kind and a hawk form. Maybe she’s a Catkin, too?”
“What I said,” Tazrok said.
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There was a tree not far from the Druid tent, upon which sat a large golden hawk. The hawk, who was not really a hawk, watched the Ogre arrive. She had heard about what the Ogre had done to this Dwarf, who very much deserved what had happened, and wanted to see how her baby Druids would react. She watched with her hawk eyes and listened with her hawk ears and was actually impressed by the Ogre. He did not get angry, and he did not hold a grudge. He simply told the Dwarf that it was over and to never do it again. Not what the Hawk was expecting would happen, but happy that it did. The Hawk wasn’t really sure she liked being called ‘Kitty Lady’ when she was in that bipedal form, but it could be worse.
Her other recruits seemed to be nothing special. Two Dwarves. An Elf. She had taught their kind many times. They would be good Druids when she was done with them. But the Ogre, she was eager to see what would happen. He was so thick-headed, though. It was going to take a great deal of work. The worm might help some, too. But what if he could master his powers? He would certainly be something interesting.
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The hawk leaped from the branch, flapping her wings a few times to gain altitude. She circled twice before aiming towards her new baby Druids.
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Tazrok saw the hawk watching them from the tree. Watching them more than it should, in fact. He thought and remembered Kitty Lady had changed into a hawk, so this must be her watching. He watched the hawk fly from the tree and circle overhead and then make its way to the ground.
The Hawk landed a few meters away and there was a shimmer of power as it melted into the standing form of the black-furred Catkin. She started walking the remaining way towards the tent, noting the shocked looks on the faces of the Dwarves and Elf, but the completely unsurprised Ogre just stood there waiting. That was interesting.
“Greetings Druids,” she said, and then added with no fanfare, “Blocks please?”
The Elf and Dwarves fished in their robes for their class token while the Ogre simply held out his hand, upon which sat his block. His hand was so massive! At least four times the size of her own paw. Rowani collected the blocks, giving them a casual glance to confirm the colors, not that she had any doubts.
“Hello. I am trainer Rowani,” she began, using her memorized welcome speech she had used for nine classes before this one. “Welcome to Druid training. I have been told I am a hard instructor, but I am fair. When your training is complete, you will be the single most-versatile combatant on the battlefield. Only a Druid combines the powers of three classes into one Hybrid, and you are lucky enough to have this class.”
Tazrok’s attention was riveted on the Pantherkin, while the Elf and Dwarf looked at each other with an excited look on their faces.
“The way of the Druid is not easy. You will need to master yourself before you will be able to become one with the world around you and control the very power of nature. But a Druid is more than just a combatant. You are a protector of the world, a defender of life, disciple of the Sun, the Moons and the Stars. A messenger of balance, and a friend to nature. No matter what may happen in the short term against the Demon Hordes, you must not forget who you are and what your responsibility to the world is after the war ends.”
Rowani paused for effect, and to gauge the reaction of her pupils. She was pleased to see all were paying attention. Good.
“When we begin your training, we will first unlock your beast forms. You will receive four of them. One for Guardian, one for stealth, one for Striker, and one for flight. At Bronze Tier, Druids will unlock a long-distance travel form, and at later tiers even unlock more than just these five forms. Just know, the animal forms will choose you, you do not choose your animal form. It is not completely random, but partially based on who you are in your soul and your closeness to the world around you. The process involves a lot of careful meditation and will take an entire day to receive all forms. Be prepared for the long hours of quiet reflection. The better your connection, the better your form can be and the sooner it will come to you.”
“I will be Wolficorn,” Tazrok said.
“A … what?” Rowani said, stumbling over her speech's cadence.
“Wolficorn. Wolf sneak and fight. Unicorn heal. Combine to make Wolficorn.”
Rowani took a moment to digest that. While everything the Ogre had said in that statement was utterly wrong, the Ogre’s thought process was actually quite interesting and creative. She realized that she might be assuming the Ogre was slow and dumb, but maybe there was more to how he thought, and Druids were simply something outside of his experience.
“That is not at all how it works, Tazrok. You don’t combine forms, each is separate.”
“Not efficient, then,” the Ogre responded.
“True,” Rowani said slowly. “But that is how it works.”
“Hmm. Too bad. Not be Wolficorn then?”
“I’m afraid not,” Rowani said dubiously, and then blinked hard to get back on track. “Once you have all your forms we will then start training in each of them, including skills you can use to cast spells when in your non-animal form. Flexibility and adaptability is what a Druid brings. You are able to fill any role needed at any time, and that makes you the best of the best. Any questions?”
No one said anything.
“Ok, introductions,’ Rowani said, “Give me your name and tell me any off-class skills you have. You go first.”
“Me?” Bratig said. “Sure. My name is Bratig. I don’t have any non-Druid skills, and just one Druid one.”
“Which one?” Rowani asked.
“Healing Berry,”
“Show me.”
Bratig gulped and then closed his eyes to relax. He held out his hand and concentrated. Thin wisps of nature-green power swirled in his palm, coalescing into a small red berry. Bratig breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t botched the casting.
Rowani snatched the berry out of his hand and sniffed it. She took a quick bite, tasting the flavor and testing the healing magic present. “Not bad. Can use some refinement, though, but I give it eight of ten. Practice this more in your bunkhouse, but not outside of it unless on the training grounds. These are very similar to healing potions. You can not eat more than five or six of these before you will get potion sickness, so dump any excess berries into the latrine.”
“Yes trainer,” Bratig quickly said.
“And who are you?” the Trainer asked Melga.
“My name is Melga. Melga Fireheart. I am new to being a Druid, only two months, but I luckily learned one Druid skill somehow, and no off-class skills, unfortunately.”
“Which do you know?”
“Moonblast, Trainer Rowani.”
“Ahh, an attack spell! Very good. Remember, it is most effective at night, and with Dwarven Darkvision, that can make you quite effective. You cannot show me here, but I look forward to seeing you use it on the training grounds.”
“Thank you, Trainer.”
“What about you?” Rowani asked Wellir.
“My name is Wellir and I’m afraid I have no skills outside of my class. I have unlocked my Entangling Roots skill, however.”
“I can’t have you show me that one here either, so I’ll take your word for it. What about you, Tazrok, what skills do you know?”
“Know many. Berserker Whirlwind and Enrage. Also Barbarian Heavy Punch, Headbutt, Thunderclap, and Warstomp. Don’t know Druid skills.”
“Wow!” Bratig said. “He can use those as a Druid, right?”
“Yes he can,” Rowani said, slowly rubbing her furred chin, “and possibly even in animal form as I don’t believe they use mana. We will have to test that when the time comes. Your combat forms could be quite devastating if you can actually use them all.”
“Would be good then. Still want to be Wolficorn, though.”
“Sorry,” Rowani said. “Just how it works.”
Tazrok grunted in response, disappointment on his face.
Rowani took a deep breath to clear the topic. “I will go over some basic information about tonight and tomorrow so you have no surprises. When you use your Symbiotes tonight, practice your meditation. Allow yourself to experience what is happening, even if it is strange. The stronger your connection to your worm, the better your worm will be able to help you. Don’t let the Healers knock you out, you want to be awake.“
“How to med-i-tate?” Tazrok asked, slowly sounding out the word
“Uh,” Rowani began, completely unsure how to respond at that moment.
“You just sit still. Let your mind go quiet,” Wallir said, a comforting tone in his voice.
“Sounds boring,” Tazrok scoffed.
Bratig gave a snort of laughter, and then quickly apologized, “I’m sorry.”
“Tazrok,” Rowani began, “when you meditate, think about the wind in the trees, water flowing in a small stream, and things that make you feel calm and relaxed.”
“Can do that. Still sound boring. May fall asleep.”
Rowani patted his arm. “Just do the best you can. We’ll work on it together.”
The Trainer spent the next fifteen minutes reviewing all the information the recruits needed to know such as the daily schedule for training. Rowani also discussed how to treat their worms, that staff will assist in using them, and the drunken-like effects the recruits would have to contend with. Wallir and Bratig looked a little pale, the color having drained from their faces, but Melga seemed undisturbed.
Finally, once the Druid recruits had been given all the information they needed, Rowani retrieved a basket she had earlier set in the tent and handed each recruit their box. “I cannot warn you enough that these are the rarest and most-expensive Symbiotes in the world. You will treat them with complete respect. Do not, do not, do not open them until you are told to. They will die within minutes. You wait until someone comes to assist you. Understood?”
Everyone nodded. The tiny box was so small in Tazrok’s hand that Rowani worried he could crush it, but instead, the Ogre cupped his hand holding it, and then cupped his other hand over his first, forming a protective cocoon around the precious package.
With that, the recruits left for their bunkhouses. Rowani watched them all, taking stock of what she had to work with. The Elf and the Dwarves all seemed good candidates. All three had a skill, so they had a taste of Druid magic, and none seemed too over-eager or simply desiring the power. Plus, they were attentive and respectful. The Ogre? That was such a tough read. His Warrior background would make for an interesting combination of skills, and he seemed attentive and inquisitive, even about mundane things such as how to meditate. That was good. But still, an Ogre?
She did realize one thing. She had to stop thinking of the Ogre as a big, stupid brute. He wasn’t. Yes, his speech was slow and missing words often, but he wasn’t dumb. It seemed more that he had limited world experience outside of the Ogre Warrior culture. Thus, the idea of what a Druid is would simply be a hard adjustment for him. Rowani was glad she realized now, early in the training.