Nathan closed the old tome with a thump.
He had spent hours on another dead lead. He mussed his hair in growing frustration. Maybe there was no information to find after all?
He let out a deep sigh and looked around. His study was comfortable enough. Wooden walls full of bookshelves, a deep soft carpet on the floor. His desk made of softly gleaming oak and a huge comfortable armchair behind it. A cozy fire in the fireplace.
Certainly nothing to find fault with. And yet he was dissatisfied with it all.
He longed to be outside on the warrior’s court. Straining his body in a bout against their weapon’s master or his brother. Training with his bow, or even hunting in the forest outside the city.
He was so damnably tired of spending all his time with his nose in dusty tomes. Looking for information that could help his family. Finding out the dark secrets of other noble families so his father had something to hold over them. Figuring out the best ways for his brother to grow in his path.
It was all well and good to help his family. Of course he wanted to support his brother. He loved his brother, even if they quarreled from time time. Certainly they would get along better if he wasn’t so cursed envious of Namir.
The golden boy who had it all. The family’s heir. The one with the rare warrior’s path that granted him five stat points at each level instead of the common four. The one who was insanely talented in the fighting arts.
But he was a person in his own right, wasn’t he? What was there for him? What about his own plans and dreams? Those certainly never had featured a path as a scholar.
‘Knowledge weaver’, his path was called. He snorted in disgust.
He wanted to be a warrior too. All this sitting around, studying did for him was making him antsy. He needed to get out.
With a decisive nod, he started to stand up when there was a knock on the door.
Frustrated, he sank down into his chair again.
“Come in.” he called out.
The door opened and his father entered the study.
Norman was a big man, still muscular, though he was starting to thicken around his middle. Most of his hair was gone, only a few gray hairs on the sides of his head left. In exchange, he was sporting a magnificent white beard that reached down to his collarbone.
“I wanted to talk with you,” Norman said without preamble.
Nathan’s stomach tightened. That opening didn’t bode well.
“It has come to my attention that you spend a lot of your time on the warrior’s court,” his father continued.
“That needs to stop. You have to focus on your path and your support for Namir to the best of your ability. If we play our cards right we might be able to climb a further step on the ladder and exchange the title of Pir for Mir. I’d very much like to see that happen in my lifetime.”
“But father, I can’t sit in my study and read all day long. I need to have some exercise as well.” Nathan protested heatedly.
“Certainly. But an hour a day, two at most, should easily suffice for that. I heard that you spent more than half of your days on warrior’s training during the last weeks and months. That ends now.”
His father dictated with the calm certainty of a man who knew that his commands would be obeyed at all times.
Anger, frustration and despair rose up in Nathan’s chest and he had to fight to stay sitting in his chair.
Once again his father took away his choices without any thought for him and his wishes.
What was the use of being the son of a noble house when he had no personal freedom at all? He had good food and luxurious surroundings, could spend all kinds of money on his clothes and belongings. But he was trapped in a cage without any chance of escape during his lifetime.
His father was already speaking again, pacing sedately in front of his desk, hands clasped together on his back.
“I have turned my thoughts to a marriage for you. It is overdue, in fact. Though of course your brother was already blessed with an heir, we need to be careful to protect our lineage.”
He continued seamlessly, without paying any heed to Nathan who was reeling from his unexpected announcement.
“During the last council session I had the opportunity of having a chat with Reis Guneriam. Seems his younger brother has a daughter who is still unwed. The girl is seventeen years old, so age-wise she should be a good match for you. And our family would certainly profit from a connection with the line of a Reis. I’ve already put out some feelers and got the impression that a proposal of marriage from you would be welcomed.”
His father slowly stroked his beard in satisfaction.
“So your next task will be to research the family of the Reis and the girl, of course. Her name is Faelle. Collect all the information you can find, and consider how you can best woo the girl. Obviously, the decision about the marriage will be in her father’s hands, but it can’t hurt to charm the girl. See that you succeed in that. You can easily meet her at one of the next festivities.”
His father came to a halt and faced him directly.
“Don’t disappoint me in this, Nathan! And remember what I said about training. Concentrate on your path.”
With this words he turned and left the study.
Nathan was left with a burning anger in his gut. Now even his marriage had been decided without any input from him at all. He had heard rumors about the girl in question, gossip among the nobility being what it was.
She was said to be severely overweight, pimpled and lazy, only interested in eating and needlework.
He chafed at the thought to be shackled to such a girl for the entirety of his life.
No! Enough was enough.
Abruptly, he stood and strode to the wall shelves. He chose one of his notebooks from there and took it out. The collection of information it contained had been a guilty pleasure of his.
Research into the changing of one’s path. Certainly not a topic his father would look on with favour.
Information on the topic was hard to find. It was highly unusual to give up an established path and choose another, to say the least.
But it had been done a few times in the past, when someone turned out to have chosen a path that was a dismal fit for him after all. Nathan had dug out a few accounts in the archives. Old diaries, mostly, which had found their way into the archives after a branch of a family had perished.
It was possible. He would have to enter the temple and petition the Warrior. That should give him a new choice of paths.
The downside was that he would loose his progress. He was level 9 in his path. Apart from gaining experience from his skills, his father had taken him out into the wilderness with a group of guardsmen to hunt beasts as few times. That way he had risen in levels rapidly at first. But his father had had no interest in letting him grow too powerful.
So he would have to start anew from level 1. Not an easy decision. But one he was determined to make. And soon. He had already lost three years that he had spent rising in the scholarly path.
He had had enough of being dictated to. No choice in selecting his path. No choice in using his time to train himself. No choice in his marriage partner.
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At first he had been convinced that his father knew best. He had wanted to support his family after all. He snorted to himself. The family was everything. That had been hammered into him from the very first. By his father, his tutors, even by his mother, who otherwise was a lot more easygoing and understanding than his tyrant of a father.
But this path was not the right one for him. He wanted to do more with his life than merely sitting here studying and brooding over books. Day by day he felt more stifled and unhappy. Surely his own happiness had to count for something too?
So, first he needed to make some contingency plans. He had no clear idea what would happen after he chose a new path. His father certainly wouldn’t take any defiance of his plans with equanimity.
He would erupt into one of his fits of rage, that much was certain. But would he be able to accept his decision after he calmed down again?
Sadly, Nathan doubted it. It was more probable that he would have to face a break with his family. His hand tightened on the notebook in his grip unconsciously. That would hurt.
If worst came to worst, he would need money. And a place to stay. In the long run an opportunity to support himself.
His father had never been stingy with his allowance, he had to admit. As Nathan had no expensive habits or vices, apart from a collection of weapons that mostly was collecting dust in his rooms, a good part of his allowance still remained in his account in the bank. He rarely handled any money himself. If he bought something, the merchant usually sent the bill and he just gave it to his father’s secretary for handling.
Which obviously meant the man and therefore his father had access to his account. He would have to open another account with a different bank, if he didn’t want to be left bereft of all financial means after a break with his father.
Nathan didn’t doubt for a moment that his father would remove his access to his account. He was petty enough to do it, and would use every tool in his arsenal to get Nathan back under his thumb.
So, he’d take out some gold and transfer it to an account with another bank. For once his path came in handy, the information about all the banks in the city and their connections to the different merchant houses and noble families long since stored in his mind.
He sighed wistfully. Well, that was one thing he would be loathe to give up. One of his class skills granted him the ability to recall anything he had read in the past with near perfection, and he had even gained a specialization for auditory recall that meant he never forgot any conversation or anything he had overheard. The skill was beyond useful for a scholar.
He really couldn’t imagine how it would feel to go back to the imperfect memory he had been used to before he was granted his path. Horrible, he surmised.
Well first, the bank. Then he would have to acquire lodgings. Needed to do that incognito, he supposed. No need to alert his father to his plans before he was ready.
As for an occupation, he would follow a long-held dream of his. Try out for a position as a ranger. If he could get in, and he had no doubt that he was capable of it, it would be a wish come true. At least the timing was in his favour there, the tryout for the positions taking place in just a few weeks.
He shook his head. This was not the time for daydreams. He had only a short period of grace to see through his plans, before his father noticed that he had no intention to woo the girl he had been ordered to marry.
Time to set things in motion. He nodded firmly and stood up to leave his study. At the last moment he swept up the notebook with the information on path changes from his desk. Better not to leave that lying around.
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Five days later Nathan entered the temple. It was still very early in the morning and the spacious room was echoingly empty.
He had made his contingency plans, now it was time to see it through. After a horribly unpleasant talk with his father about his lack of effort in making the acquaintance of his intended bride, yesterday afternoon, his period of grace had run out.
Nathan had been ordered in no uncertain terms to attend a ball at her uncle’s mansion this very evening and to make every effort to advance his suit for the girl.
For a moment he stood and collected his thoughts. From the annex, Father Ilyron bustled into the room, apparently alerted that he had an early visitor.
“Excuse me Ser, I did not expect a visitor to the temple this early,” the portly man exclaimed, obviously flustered.
“There’s no need to apologize, Father.” Nathan said with practiced charm.
“I suddenly found myself in need of guidance from the gods on a personal decision and wanted to spend some time in prayer. Don’t let me disturb your morning.”
The priest looked at him uncertainly, but then accepted Nathan’s obvious desire for peace and quiet.
“Then I shall leave you to your prayers. I’m just around the corner, if you should be in need of my counsel afterwards,” he said simply and left in a far more stately manner, doubtlessly having reminded himself of his dignity as Father of this temple.
When Nathan was left the sole occupant of the room, he strode purposefully along the aisle and opened the little door to the sanctuary, partitioned off from the rest of the room by a flimsy wooden rail.
Wasting no time, he approached the statue of the Warrior, laid his hand on his sword arm and spoke.
“Warrior, hear my plea! I have mistaken my path, stepped away from the truth of my soul and find myself in need of redemption. Grant me a second chance to find the right way through life’s challenges.”
Silvery light gleamed in front of his eyes as words began to form.
Your petition has been heard by the Warrior.
Do you wish to revoke your path as a Knowledge Weaver and take up a new path?
Once you proceed, you will lose nine tenths of your accumulated experience and the associated levels and stat points. You will lose all the skills of your previous path.
Be certain of your choice. Be true to your soul.
Nathan exhaled deeply, then straightened himself and confirmed.
“Yes, I want to take up a new path.”
Searing pain ripped through his body and mind. Nathan let out an anguished groan, sinking to the ground in agony.
While the rise of stats was painless when gaining levels, a decrease obvious had severe side effects. Or perhaps the loss of his path skills was the reason for his pain.
The sensations continued for what seemed to him an eternity.
Afterwards, he was left huddled on the ground, sweating and panting. Slowly, he rose up to his knees and muttered.
“That was … unpleasant.”
He wiped the sweat from his face with trembling hands.
The revocation of his former path certainly seemed to have worked. But where were his choices for a new one?
The moment he thought about it, words cascaded in front of his eyes.
Path of the Reborn Blaze
A reborn blaze will fight for the flame of his convictions.
A reborn blaze will stand in the face of adversity.
A reborn blaze will shine his light on his companions in battle.
As a reborn blaze you believe in honor and truth. You will stand by your promises and your friends and companions. You will offer succor to those in need. You will fight for what you believe is right. Adversity will not faze you. Charm will not sway you. No matter what others say and do, you will be true to your path.
Stats per Level:
+ 1 End
+ 1 Wil
+ 1 Agi
+ 2 free Stats
Path of the Sage Warrior
A sage warrior will be versed in the art of battle.
A sage warrior will study the history and concepts of war.
A sage warrior will guide his companions through times of peace and war.
As a sage warrior you combine wisdom with martial prowess. Fight your battles as a mighty warrior with a multitude of different weapons, proficient in their uses. Study the lore and concepts of ancient battles and war. Guide your companions to making the best choices in a fight. You will look for solutions for conflicts outside of battle as well as in it.
Stats per Level:
+ 1 Wis
+ 1 End
+ 1 Str
+ 2 free Stats
He took his time in reading the descriptions and thinking his choice over, even if he knew from the beginning that he would choose the path of the reborn blaze. It resonated with him.
He was delighted that both of his available paths gave him five stats per level. Maybe that was a compensation for the stats and levels he had lost by making this choice?
Smiling faintly, he confirmed his choice. A reborn blaze. How very appropriate.
Yes. It would be a new beginning for him.
You have chosen your path.
From now on you will be a Reborn Blaze.
As a boon from the Allfather, you were granted the continuing use of your former path skill ‘Memory Sight’. No further progress in this skill will be possible.
Nathan beamed in delight. He had been allowed to keep the one skill that he would have truly regretted to loose. That was more than he had expected.
Grateful, he gave a deep formal bow in front of the statue of the Allfather, then raised his head and said sincerely.
"Thank you Warrior. Thank you Allfather. I truly have been blessed today."