Kay seems startled.
"Thank you. I have wanted to be an adventurer for a long time so I have been doing the studying. I pride myself in knowing everything there is to know about this dungeon. But I am sure that you have knowledge that I don't." Kay threw the last bit in.
He did not want to seem too overconfident.
"Haha, that's great. I love having students like you in my class. And who is this other student with you?"
It seems that I had not made an impact on him. That was okay and something that I was able to understand.
"I'm Amaya. I am a blank slate. I don't know anything about the dungeons yet, but I am very excited to be in your class and learning."
"It is always nice to have a student that is open to learning. And it looks like you took a good deal of notes?" he says, inquisitively.
I hold up the book that we had been given and show him the multitude of notes that I had written thus far. I had a god to save after all.
"I look forward to seeing if you are taken under anyone's wing and if they are going to be your mentor."
"I think that these two have already been claimed." Cat chimes in.
"Both of them? Already, by who? Haha, I jest, I am a funny man." The professor chuckles to himself as he walks back to the lectern.
I could not help but think that the ‘both of them’ comment was because of me. It seems as though it would be no surprise to anyone that Kay would have someone become his mentor. I believe that the one that Cat was meaning for Kay was Crestin. Does that mean that Cat was my mentor? I decide not to think too deeply on this at the moment.
Instead, I decide to do some more stretches. And boy do they feel good. I stretch my arms over my head and then down to the ground. My back had been feeling stiff from sitting so I do a back walk over, which was tricky while keeping my hood on but I managed.
"Ohhh that looks fun Ami. Can you teach me how to do that? Is it hard to learn? It also looks like it helps keep you limber and nimble. And that is very important for dodging monsters and stealthily throwing fire balls at enemies while hiding behind things in the dungeon. People, large rocks, large tree trunks, you know, whatever happens to be nearby." Kay says and I can't help but smile.
Kay ducks behind me “you know or even your standard Ami. A very good hiding spot this is.”
"I humbly request that you do not hide behind me, as we have witnessed wielding or being a shield is not a skill I possess. And yes Kay, I can have you do some stretches with me before and after school so that you can be limber and nimble, or however it was that you phrased things."
I see the instructor packing up his belongings.
"Are you not the next instructor?" I ask him.
"No. I am your next instructor." Cat says and leaps up onto the speakers podium.
"Are you going to teach while looking like a cat Cat?" I ask him.
"I haven't decided that yet." he says calmly as he watches students slowly come into the area, chatting and milling around. And I watch Cat as he watched them.
"Do you think that we are finally going to get to see what our guild leader looks like? Oh, how do you think he looks? I think that he is tall and sleek and good with stealth weapons, like some sort of kitty ninja!" Kay says with animated hand motions, as though he is using throwing weapons.
I think about how I had been Cat easily kick the shield out of the way while we were doing our training.
"I think that he might surprise us. I think that Cat is able to use a shield, but I don't know if he uses a sword or spear or anything along with it." I tell him, letting him in on my thoughts.
"Alright enough conjecture, take your seats." Cat says, and projects his voice so that he could easily be heard. "I will be your instructor for Party Tactics and Dynamics, which is possibly the most important class that you will take."
"All teachers say that about their own classes." I hear a girl behind me saying.
"Of course they do. We instructors are rather vain, and if we say things like that enough it might cause some of you to pay attention and not die. Now then." Cat says and points his paw over at a box of the blank books.
"Everyone go take one of those. I do expect you to pay attention and take notes."
"You are just a cat. What gives you the right to teach this course. I thought that Linda Flowers was supposed to be our instructor."
"She was poisoned during her last dungeon run and is currently unable to teach the course at this hour. If you want her then leave and go sign up for a later hour. Please, less students less work.
“Now then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cat and I am the guild leader of the Dragon Feathers guild. Now then, I want you all to go around and introduce yourself and the guild you are planning on attempting to join. And no one better say no guild, or you are far too stupid and I don't want you in my course. You there, in the back corner. You start."
And thus we went around the room. Some people said that they would be going into the guild that their family runs, probably. It seems that even families don't always allow you in their guilds and that seems cruel. I also heard the names of many guilds. Somehow no one said that they wanted to be in the Dragon Feather's guild until me and Kay. Did they not want to be seen as kissing up to the teacher? Is it because the guild seems rather disjointed?
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"Amaya, Dragon Feathers guild."
"Kay, Dragon Feathers Guild."
“Cough, teacher’s pet” says an anonymous voice in the back of the class.
I watch Cat and it looked as though he was smiling at us when we said his guild. What else were we going to say? I wonder if Kay had planned on any other guild until we were taken in by the Paws and Claws Inn and Tavern and Cat and the rest. It felt like family. I wanted to be a part of that family.
"Now then. Can anyone tell me why it is so important to understand party tactics and dynamics?" Cat asks. I hesitantly raise my hand. I knew very little, but I believe that I know this.
"Amaya." Cat says, giving me the approval of speaking.
"I believe that it is because you need to have a party balanced with different skills. It would be very challenging to have, for example, a party entirely composed of mages as they all attack from a distance and often have light to no armor. It is important that everyone knows their roles. Who is defending, is someone casting healing, who should attack when." I say. I think that was a good answer.
"Good answer Amaya. And you are correct. It isn't good to have only one type of adventurer in a party. Everyone should have and know their role. Let's talk about the different positions and key roles in a party."
I listened to Cat speak and took quite a large number of notes. It also helped keep me from staring at Cat, who was sitting in his cat form on the lecturer’s podium for the entirety of today’s lesson. The cuteness was almost a distraction.
Once class was over Cat saunters over to me and takes his place on my shoulder. I might need him to switch shoulders on occasion to help keep one from cramping.
"Alright Kay. We part ways here to go learn our weapons." I tell him, and hope that he doesn't have a far way to go.
"Kay, your lesson is in the field right over there." Cat says, and we can both see the field that he is indicating. It is large and there are a great many large colored rocks encircling it. I am rather curious as to the purpose and intent behind those great boulders. I shall have to query Kay at a later hour.
I let Cat guide me once more and he takes me down, down, down a trail. I would not have known that this is here had he not led me to this area. We walk a bit further into the forest and come to a large area with many targets propped up around the area. There were also platforms of different heights and props scattered about, and a long path with different marks at varying heights along it. I have no idea what all of this will be used for.
"Interesting. I see that you are more interested in the things around this area than the people." I hear a female voice say from behind me. I spin around and see the cat-kin female that had been sharing a booth with Crestin.
"Hi Cat."
"Hi sweetness."
"Crestin says that you have claimed her and the rabbit for re-building the guild."
It looks like Alice had also been a member of the guild?
"You and Crestin are still close then?" Cat asks.
"Sure are. Speaking of Crestin. It seems that he has plans on mentoring the rabbit. Is that right?"
"Seems to be, but you know I’ve never really understood that man." Cat says, in a non-committal tone of voice.
"Does this mean that I get her?" Alice said and pointed at me.
"To be mentor to, yes. I fear I have already claimed her otherwise and have no intentions of sharing."
"Excuse me." I say, uncomfortable at interrupting them.
"Yes?" Alice purrs.
"How do you know that you wish to mentor me? I am greatly and truly flattered, but you have not seen me in class, or with my weapons. I fear that you may find me greatly incompetent." I say and look down at my feet.
"You are ADORABLE." Alice exclaims. "Oh and the way that you speak. So cute. I just want to dress you up and make you eat cookies while saying random phrases. Say ‘I do declare’ come on, say it." She stares at me eyes glittering and tail twitching.
"Alice, no. She is not a toy."
"Boo, you are no fun Cat."
"Oh no. I care so much, my feelings they have been hurt" Cat says in a monotone voice. They seem to be rather close.
"And no need to worry Amaya. Crestin told me that you tested very strongly and that you will make a purrrfect dual wielder. Daggers and fans if I remember correctly. Am I right? Oh I bet you a mug of sweetened chocolate cream that I am right. Now which will it be, dagger in the right hand and fan in the left, or are you more of a left-handed stabber?"
"Oh my. He did seem to tell you a bit about me. Yes, I feel that I tested decently with fans and daggers." I was surprised how many people seemed to be talking about me, was this normal for a new adventurer in training?
"In what letter grade?"
"I'm sorry?" I say, a little confused.
"What letters come before the numbers for your proficiency?"
"Oh, my apologies. I feel that I should have known that, but there is so very much to learn." I pause as I try to recall the information, the last few days had been very much a blur.
"No need to apologize. So?" she says and stares at me, intently curious.
"They are both in the F letter grade. Is that good?"
"Haha, you are going to be SO much fun. Now then. Walk from... There to there." she says, pointing at two different spots.
I do so, unsure of the purpose of such a short walk, but not wishing to question the wisdom of one of my instructors.
"You have weapons on you, don't you?"
How could she tell?
"I am an adventurer. It is obvious to me. So, what did you bring?"
"Daggers. They were gifted to me before I left home." How did she know I was thinking that, oh my can she read minds as well. Purple hippopotamuses dressed in tutus with elegant ivory crowns.
"I wish to see those later. Also, you are going to want to purchase a pair of fans. I am going to train you to be a dual wielder."
Thankfully she could not read minds for no one could keep a straight face when imaging my previous thought. With that parting comment she easily climbed onto a hanging platform and projected her voice out.
"Hello all and welcome to Small Sharp Weapons. There should be seven of you I believe. I keep my classes small so I can give you a lot of one on one attention. I will also be having others dropping by to help out as well. Now then, I assume that you are looking around here and asking yourself, what is all of this? How will this help me be better at using small sharp weapons, and who is this gorgeous woman currently talking to me? And that is a purrrfectly lovely question! Let me tell you.
"See these different floating platforms? Some of you tested well at throwing knives and stars. Raise your hands." she looks around. "Lovely. The three of you will be using these often. Similar to those that wield bows you will be using your terrain to your advantage a lot. You are often going to want to claim some distance and the high ground. Thus, I have dummies set up around here that you will be practicing throwing your knives at.
"The rest of you are daggers correct? Now I need to ask, did any of you test in swords as well? And by this I mean above a G or above."
Two girls raised their hands.
"Okay, the two of you will be learning to use daggers as offhand weapons. Strong, fast and deadly. I believe one of you is also able to use a shield?"
One guy over in the corner area raises his hand.
"That is going to change the way that you will be fighting. I would like to see you fight as a stealth defender. What is that? You must be asking yourself. Your main job will be in defending others. But if you train enough, you can push forward with a shield and stab your unsuspecting enemies. Fun right?"
"That actually sounds pretty awesome!" the guy shouts back.
"I love the enthusiasm! I need that level of energy from all of you otherwise you will not survive the hour. So let's do a warm up exercise." A groan comes from the others, and I wonder for what purpose they are groaning.
"Yes, yes grumble all you want, I don't care for I am the instructor. Bwahahaha! Now then go around and say the weapons you scored a G or higher in. And none of the stupid I have to protect that information bs. I don't have time for it. We need to know what weapons we are all using. To spar, to encourage, and to dodge out of one another's way. Now you, shield guy. You start."
They all went around and said what they were good at. Swords, daggers, knives. I kept listening for fans but no one said it. When it came to me, "Amaya. Fans, daggers and orbments." I say and people give me strange looks. No one else had mentioned orbments either.
'Not so. That guy is the only one that uses a shield. And that girl over there with twin braids? Yes, she is good at the lute.'
"Very good. All of you will have very unique fighting styles. Now I told you about the platforms. Can anyone else guess as to what the rest of the area is for?"
There was silence as no one wanted to be the first answering questions.
"To keep you alive." Alice continues.