“Greetings and welcome to Awakening Farms” A melodious voice calls out as we approach the counter.

“I see that you have made good time Bishop, Inquisitor.” A slight bow was given to each of my sponsors as she gives their title.

“Greetings Ava” They reply almost in unison.

“Is this him?” She asks as the Inquisitor continues “It is good to see you again.”

The three paused for a moment, obvious that they are glad to see each other.

“Okay, out.” She says as she comes around the counter. “I know what you want, and you know the rules.” I see the Bishop smiling, but taking a step back. The Inquisitor is also smiling, holding up his hands as he starts to try and reason with her, holding his ground.

“Ack!” Exclaims the Paladin with a slight jolt to his body as Ava gets close enough to almost touch him with her finger.

“Ack!” I can smell some slight ozone and this time I heard the little snap of a spark as he gets it again. The Bishop playfully back-peddling out the door, leaving the Paladin to his fate.

“The Identifiers were giving a null reading so we were hoping” “Ack!” “to” “Ack!!” And he’s gone. Ava turns and heads back to me.

There’s no mistaking it as she walks back. If Jenn and Lilly fit right into the forest, this one belongs in a corporate board room or a lawyer. Long light blond hair. Clear light blue eyes. Same bearing and refined grace. Maybe slightly taller. She takes her place back where she started. “Hello Doug. Welcome to Awakening Farms. My name is Ava and I will be assisting you today. Is there anything that you would like to know or have questions about before we start?” And a beautiful smile.

“No?” Again with the smile, then she turns more serious. “What I do here is private between you and me. Before we begin, I will bind myself to you in a limited agreement of confidentiality of who you are and everything about you. You will not be bound in any way and will have complete freedom as if you were never here. The limit of my confidentiality is if or when you pose a danger to myself or the surrounding community. Any questions?”

I shake my head no.

“The end goal here today is for you to become awakened. Hopefully with the potential for Iron rank. This is just the potential for becoming, earning that experience is not part of what we are here for today. Questions?”

I shake my head no.

“Awakening Farms has a reputation for excellence and I take pride in what I have built here. There are ways that one may become awakened. Most are dangerous and with no direction or planning. I put in the extra effort to make sure that you are safe. That when you awaken it is just not a random class, but something that you will excel in and are suited for. Something that you will be happy about. At the very least knowing the limitations and complications of the class you are choosing based on the abilities you possess and what you must overcome to achieve your desired outcome. I cannot and will not be responsible for the choices you make, what choices may or may not be available to you. Questions?”

I shake my head no.

“Doug” Again with the smile. “I’m not so sure you understand the consequences of becoming awakened or taking a class. I heard rumors about the Identifying stones not working for someone and I became curious. Rumor has it that you don’t know anything about a Light Area.”

I’m just looking back at her. I know she is trying to help, but I don’t know what I should be asking.

“Let me give you an example. There are many stories about Mages and wanting to become one. What is probably not well known is all who have chosen the class and never were able to gain anything. It is very sad for a person to believe that they have achieved their dream, but still unable to do anything with it.”

“…”

“Let me say it another way. A person may attain the Mage class. If they do not have adequate intelligence, they cannot learn or memorize spells. If they do not have or cannot manipulate mana, they cannot cast or throw a spell. Either way, they are a Mage without magic.”

“…”

“If someone were to choose a Berserker Class. What do you think might happen when they are at home and upset with their spouse or children? People get hurt. Sometimes people die. I am trying to make sure that you understand the ramifications and consequences of your choices today. For good, and for bad.”

“Thank you,” I reply, letting out a small breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Good” She replies. “When you are ready, we will start. I will find where you stand now and the potential paths that you can be successful. The direction you want to go and the options you have.”

Looking at her for a moment, I nod my head yes. She pulls out a parchment about 11”x 14”. There is already writing and inscriptions on it. There is an upside-down right hand in the top left-hand corner that looks right-side-up to me right now. Directing me to place my hand on the parchment there, she pulls out a small knife, slits her right hand, and slaps it down on the bottom right corner of her side. She was so quick; I didn’t even have time to react.

The parchment almost immediately goes up in smoke and she says “Let us begin”.

She brings out a couple of different types of Identifying Stones, just to make sure we cover the basics. Nil reading like we expected. “Okay, guess we will do manual testing then.”

And by manual testing, she meant physical labor. Heading to an adjacent room with weights and bars of different types, she has me push, pull, and lift different things. After a few minutes and her taking notes, I ask “What do you think?”

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“It’s just data” She answers. I can’t get any more out of her. Not even if I’m average or not.

She tries some reading and understanding of languages, but I know none of them. I show her I can read and write; she keeps some samples. I can work out the math questions she has, nothing beyond basic algebra and geometry. Dexterity she has me trying to pass either hand through water as it drips faster. Some little games and stories where I have to make choices or decisions. Pokes my hand with a large needle to make it bleed, then sees how much effort it takes for her to heal it. All of this and more with that smile on her face, making small talk about how I like it here and the things I might have seen or done. Starting to think it’s just another version of a doctor's bedside manner.

“Okay,” She says, looking up at me. “Please remove everything out of your pockets. Dismiss any enchantments and augmentations. Jewelry, armor, weapons, etc.”

I don’t have anything on me. I changed this morning and left my equipment in the room. Thinking like it's airport security, I take off my shoes, belt, don’t have a wallet, Grut’s ring, I find that I put the compass and a lighter in my pocket.

“Hmpf” is a little sound she makes as she is poking through the items on the counter with the back of her pen, not touching any of them.

We go back over a few of the tests very quickly again. Dexterity, math questions, picking up a couple of weights, my thoughts, and opinions of life and death. After a few more minutes we end up back where we started at the counter, by where I had put all my stuff.

“I’m a little perplexed, at the moment” She comments. “I am enjoying the mystery. I thought you were hiding something, but for a couple of your actions here, it would have taken a level of resolve that I would simply not be willing to contest you over.” The smile…

“I’m going to bring in someone to confirm some suspicions that I have. I ask you not to touch them because they are fragile and can be harmed easily.” With an acknowledgment nod of my head, she brings her hands up about shoulder height and starts a light clapping of one of her hands into the palm of the other. Maybe about a minute passes, and a rather large beautiful blue butterfly flies in from a back walkway and alights on the backside of her head, where a woman might wear a flower behind her ear.

“Tianna, this is Doug.” Ava is looking at me while slowly turning her head so I can get a better view of the butterfly.

“Very beautiful, I don’t think I have ever seen such colors of blue,” I comment.

I hear small bells and realize, to my surprise, that this is a very small person. As she folds back her wings that she was hiding behind and steps onto Ava’s shoulder, grasping some hair with one of her small hands for support. “Thank you”, her voice rings out as she gives me a shy little pose exposing her delicate form for me to see for a moment. She then steps back into and behind Ava’s hair. Hiding once again behind her wings, I can see her watching me just over the tip of one.

“Such pretty eyes,” I tell her and she starts batting them at me just before going into full cover behind her wing.

I hear the bells again and realize this is what her voice sounds like.

“Is anything there?” Ava asks her.

“No magic. No active spells or enhancements.” Tianna's voice chimes quietly.

“How about his things?” Ava asks.

Stepping out again to her shoulder, Tianna looks over the items I had put out on the counter. Looking back and forth between them, I notice Tianna is turning a slightly different color of orange with black highlights and is now glaring at me.

“I don’t think he knows.” Ava says.

“How does he not!?” Tianna's voice rings out, staring at Ava a few inches from her eyes.

“Who would ever put it down? Let alone take it off or walk away?” Ava asks.

“I don’t like it. He shouldn’t have it. It is dangerous.” Tianna turned slightly to glare at me.

Just then, another comes darting around the corner from the same direction Tianna had come. This one is much faster and changes directions like a dragonfly.

“Ava, Ava. I have to tell you.” She stops about two feet from my face. Wide-eyed, mouth open in surprise, she just hovers there staring at me with her wings buzzing.

Looking at this new delight and trying to break the tension, I say to Ava, “Are they all this beautiful?”

Her wings momentarily stop and she starts to drop. I hold out my hand and she drops into it. Standing in the palm of my hand, she realizes where she is. Looking at me in surprise, her wings start buzzing again as she bolts back the way she came. “He’s Here… He’s Here...” Her little voice cries out as she disappears back the way she came.

“There have been some… reports, of activities in and around Community Farms, that have been of some interest to the people here in Greens Brook,” Ava tells me. Followed by some uncomfortable silence as the two ladies stare me down, waiting for my confessions of the subject I was trying to change.

Tianna is now standing out on Ava’s shoulder again. Wings back, arms crossed in front of her. She’s not shy now. Almost looks as if she would be tapping her foot. Ava’s back to her smile again, except that the fierceness of her eyes gives the thoughts behind them away.

I give it some thought and relent. Scanning over my items, I see Grut’s ring and conclude that this is probably the most likely thing that they are upset about. Using my index finger, I put it through the ring and touch the counter. I slide my finger across the counter dragging the ring with. Bringing my hand back to my side, I leave the ring on the counter between us.

“When I was protecting the children, I found this.” The statement visibly takes the fierceness out of Ava’s eyes, the orange fading from Tianna’s wings.

“Go on,” Ava says. Her voice is a little softer with less of an accusing tone.

I give her the short version, noting the high points with Grut’s and leaving out all the fighting. Strength with a possible connection with the sword. Also, that I left the sword and other items in the wagon when I came in.

Ava rings a bell that was just under the counter on her side. A boy comes out. Gnome, a small person? He looks older. “Yes, mam.”

“There was some equipment left in the wagon. Please bring it in for us.” Ava directs. Minutes pass and everything is brought in. But it is left just inside the entrance, by the door on a side table there.

Looking over the items, pushing things around with the back of her pen again. Ava had asked me to stay back as the two of them looked over everything.

I overhear Ava “Yes, I do agree the sword has something, but it’s not a set with the ring. I was thinking that it was going to be.”

Coming back over to me I ask her “Do you want to see something interesting that the Paladin showed me with the sword?” “Pick it up.” “Now turn to use it on me.”

“Whaa..” Ava exclaims as the sword's tip drops itself to the ground.

“That’s some serious enchantment!” Tianna rings out, eyeing the sword. Her wings have returned to the beautiful blue she had when she first arrived.

“If you just drop it, then you can pick it up again. Just don’t face or point it at anyone.” I explain.

Ava picks it back up and places it back on the table.

“The Paladin thought it was interesting that I could use the sword. Would you like to see?” I ask as she walks back behind the counter with Tianna looking like a decoration in her hair.

“That will not be necessary. It is not what we are here for today.” She reaches under the counter and rings the bell again.

“Yes, mam.”

The Gnome appears again.

“Please clear the Path for our guest” Ava instructs.

“Yes, mam” The Gnome heads out from the direction the Pixie and Fairy had come.

Did I think of Pixie before? I don’t know all that I’m looking at and I’ve just been naming things in my head. Butterfly wings are the Fairy. Dragonfly wings are the Pixie. The kid that looks too old, Gnome. Much too pretty girls, elves. Hulks turned out to be some kind of Modified Trolls or M-Trolls. That little shit is a Goblin Commander. (Sounds more like a title or rank). The crazy little rabid green alien beings that first attacked me at the archery range and the other greens ones with Grut’s when I got the ring and sword, just lump them all together and call them Goblins, for lack of better descriptors… Ava is tapping her nail on the counter…waiting for me to come back to the present… I look up and catch her expression, just as it changes into that fake ass smile! Ha! Knew it. So cute. Mental note; Never go to an Elven village, not safe.

“There are some oddities.” Ava starts, “and they may be related or not. You have characteristics that suggest you have leveled and are Ranked, but have no power or a Class. Enchantments and enhancements could produce similar effects, but those are usually limited or conditional. Then there is this ring. This is a Ring of Power, but it is blank, empty. I am not an Enchanter or a craftsman of magical items, but to my knowledge, items of this magnitude and the power that they contain are all fully created, when they are formed. When the magic is drained or lost, the enchantment is broken and the item is destroyed. Yet here it is, empty.”

“This ring” continuing her explanation, “is made of bone, which suggests blood magic because the bone is very accepting of blood. The use of bone material would also suggest strength, health, constitution or regeneration, physical things that have to do with the body. What brings my attention to it today is that you have above-average strength for an unranked. It may be something, it may be nothing. It’s just data and we are here today to find the best path forward for you.”

“Libelle has them swarming and they won’t leave.” Looking down, the Gnome has returned and is reporting to Ava.

“I’ll take care of it. Please see who is available for the Path of Class.” The Gnome nods to Ava and leaves through the first hall he came through.

“Come with me,” Ava tells me as she heads towards the backside where the Pixie had flown. “I designed this as an alternative way to verify and find the relative strengths and power of individuals.” Stopping before a door with a large translucence multi-colored window I can hear the wind blowing and wind chimes ringing. Shadows of birds and things cast their silhouette on the pane as they fly by. “This is one of my gardens. There is a winding path that will take you through it. The vegetation is of varying ranks and therefore will react differently to different ranks. This vegetation is dangerous, but it is safe if you stay on the path. Please wait here for a moment while I verify that everything is ready for you to proceed.”