Uhh... Holy Tartarus.
I was awoken with a sharp banging head ache as I sat up from the wall of the little alley way I was thrown into.
Fuck... Where is my bag?
I looked around the dust ridden alley way as I spralled around in an attempt to find out if a rat was chewing on my shakka.
I was searching, and searching, and searching, but nothing. Every single pot that I had looked behind had absolutely nothing.
Those Dogs stole my bag!
I made the sudden realization in my utter horror, as I knew that Appa would be mad that I lost my only bag after trying to mess with some of the 'Guards' he told me over and over again to not play with.
...Can I somehow just find it?
I started walking towards the most likely location of where they had gone with my bag, and prepaired my legs for a lot of running.
As I walked out to the street I passed by only a single stall with with tasty looking fruits and supply's, but just had to grimace because I had all my money stored in my bag.
Sigh*
I continued walking untill I reached my location, The church.
I hated this place, but I knew that the Guards would be here, because it's they place that Balthazar had the most control over.
I quietly sneaked over to the side of the church while avoiding the patrolling guards by hiding behind all of the boxes of random stuff they had.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
I quickly made my way over to where all of the confescated bags were and started looking through them to find my reasonably small bag.
Holes? Nope...
Holes... Ah, there.
I grabbed my bag and started turning around wh-
"What do you think your doing here Rat? I was sure I threw you into that alley way? Whatever, I'll just do it again."
The gruff voice made me extremely on edge I tried to jump back.
One of the guards had sneaked up on me while I was busy looking through the bags and had grabbed me and picked me up by the back of my tunic.
He has a Manic smile as He grabbed my clothes with both of his hands and started preparing to throw me to the other side of the street.
"No! Stop!"
I screamed in protest as he kept changing up his throw, untill he threw me into the street with a brutal throw.
WHAM!
I flew across the street, and before I could process it I slammed into the wall of the ally way with a smack.
Ow! What the Tartarus!
My Head ache reached new heights as I gnawing pain made it hard for me to focus on anything.
I complained silently as I rubbed my Head in pain and I sneered at him while slowly starting to walk back home with my bag now in hand.
My walk back was mostly unperturbed. People haven't been walking around the city as much as they used to, when Balthazar started enforcing his 'Love' people have stopped going outside of their houses for different reasons.
The only remaining venders were starting to close up shop, and I had a feeling that this city might be desolate soon of people kept moving out of the tower.
All of my friends had either ascended or had just left the tower because there parents wanted better lives to themselves.
As I walked back and looked at the rickety gate of the orphanage that had the word 'Home sweet home' written sloppily on them I sighed and got ready for a mouth full from Grampa Appa.
Creak.
The soft shifting of the metal gate was enough to get Balef's attention, as he sprung up from the cold sand pit to greet me.
"Oh! Hi Nim!"
His bulbus but still decently defined stomach bounced as he made his ways towards me faster then I had ever seen him.
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He spoke enthusiasticly as he ran around me in circles, I had a feeling he had big news.
" Guess What!"
I chuckled and asked him.
"Did one of your skills evolve?"
I was joking around, as Evolution required somebody to do something extraordinaryly difficult to even get close to doing so. He of all people would ne-
"Yes!"
Buh
I had lost my breath in surprise, as I looked at him to see if he was lying, but I saw absolutely zero reason he would lie.
" W-what Skill?!"
He spoke before I could continue screaming.
"Shh! I'll tell you, but we have to go inside first so none of the Guards hear us!"
As he led me into the orphanage, I was absolutely gobsmaked that Balif of all people had done something impressive enough that the system had evolved one of his skills.
If this was all some kind of elaborate plan then I'm gonna be seriously pissed.
I was still being guided through the multiple doors of this surprisingly large housing area when we suddenly stopped at the room that we shared.
'37'
We walked into room 37 and we sat down on our bunk bed in the window lit room where he went up to my ear to and finally spoke.
"Un-armed"
...Wait, he evolved his Weapon skill!?! That's even more rare then geting a Healing Skill!!
I jumped up and restrained myself from screaming while thinking about the implications.
He could go get a job!
He could go ascended!
He would- leave me.
Just like all the others who either moved with their parents who had evolved skills, or had gotten their own evolved skills.
At this realization I sat back down, with the sadness spilling from my face, knowing there was a chance I would never see my best friend again.
He saw my face of despair and hugged me with the entirety of his being for a long while.
After we stopped hugging, he suddenly perked up like he had an Idea."...Hey, Nim, you know how having an evolved skill technically makes you an adult? What if I just... Adopt you?"
I perked up from my position on my bunk and looked at him... Honestly, not the worst Idea we ever had.
I stood up and had a massive smile on my face, sure I wouldn't be able to most of the awesome stuff that comes with ascending, but I would be able to get out of this dying town!
...but one issue.
Accually getting adopted.
If I did get adopted, I would have to be evaluated by Appa, and He can be ferocious when we attempt to pull stunts to this degree, so It's not even guaranteed that it gets accepted.
The chances are so slim that It might just be better to just try to grind one of my skills to evolution by pushing it to level 10.
Me and Balif thought about it for some time while we chose a plan of action.
Balif saw what I meant but stayed true to his idea as a back up, but I felt like I would rather try my plan then having to get adopted by somebody my age.
I checked my status to see what skill I would try to evolve.
Name: [Nimrod 'Nim' Azure]
Title: None
Stats:
Str: 2
End: 6
Con: 4
Dex: 12
Agi: 9
Per: 9
Skills:
[Misbehavior] Lv.9
[Acrobatics] Lv. 5
[Sand Resistance] Lv.2
[Stealth] Lv.4
[Un-armed] Lv.3
[Play fight] Lv.2
Looking at my skills, I was barely even close to leveling up anything to evolution, and for most of my skills I had absolutely zero Idea of how to level them. Like sand resistantace that I got during a sand storm and does something like reducing damage taken from sand, or my [Misbehavior] skill which just levels up when I disobey Appa. I wasn't really sure what its Level bonus ment but it was there I guess.
Leveling up skills just requires you to do what the skill is says, but if you want to evolve somthing you have to do something that stretches the skin in a certain direction, and this causes it to essentially specialize in a certain area.
The reason why pushing something to level 10 made it evolve was unsure, but I would take anything at this point.
I told Balif about my situation and his eyes sparked and he dragged me out of the room and towards the backyard.
"Whoa! Where are we going Balif?"
He sparked with excitement and spoke up while we went to the small ring that we made in the back for us and the other kids.
"I'm gonna show you what my new skill can do!"
We jumped into the ring and I put my hands in the usual position, while Balif did something strange.
Rather than the regular form of just covering our stomaches and heads, he had his hands down low, almost to his waist.
He was standing with one foot in front of the other with both of his fist facing upwards and out from his waist.
He didn't take his usual move if striking first, so I charged up to him as fast I could.
In a mere second I was already up in his face and I threw a punch straight to his unguarded face.
WHAM!
Just when I thought I had landed a punch at his face, he punched me in my chest and I was launched backwards to the edge of the ring.
Ouch! Ok, time to change it up!
I rushed in again, but this time rather then coming straight at him, I crouched down to his side and attempted to hit his side.
WHAM!
He hit me square in the jaw and My vision slightly blurred and I lost my footing while I was falling to the ground rapidly.
My mind was disoriented for a second and I stopped thinking.
I couldn't just loose like this.
It was time for something to change.
My mind unfroze and I learched back up before I could be knocked out.
"Huff- Huff- Huff..."
I slowly rised, feeling the muscles in body protest about the overuse of them while trying to win a fight against somebody I wasn't ment to beat with my sub par skills.
My body rebeled against me, and I rebeled against the unfairness of what was happening.
I don't want to be left behind by my friend, and I definitely don't want to take the easy way out through being adopted.
I wanted to earn my way to the next teir, I didn't care if It wasn't guaranteed to work. I can't continue to live everyday getting beat up and laughed at for being to weak or having no parents.
I don't need any of those excuses.
[Misbehavior] Lv.10 → [Rebel] Lv.1
[Rebel]
While skill is active push limits by a degree.
*WARNING! Your race is not made to have limits pushed!
I... Did it?
My head ache re-emerged with vengeance as I felt a sharp pain all over my body, I think I was screaming but I wasn't really turned in at the time.
Thump.
I fell weakly to the ground as Balif started holding me up while saying something like 'Why is blood coming out of your Eyes?!'
I passed out as I saw Balif quickly carry me to Appa, who started working his magic the moment he saw my state.
----------------------------------------
"...Do you believe he is ready?"
I sat in my ruined cell and rattled the chains restricting my arms behind my back and left me in neeling position.
"...He has to be ready. We don't have much time before the lower floors of the tower will be crushed. If anybody can do it, I know it is our son."
My wife held a wishful expression as she faded back into nothingness, I was left alone in my very own cage once more.