The week before the festival was exhausting, everyone getting things into position, and while testing my spells, the pig seemed actually cooperative, with it seemingly reacting to my thoughts, and me getting a general expression of its thoughts and intentions whenever I was close enough.

It was confusing to put it lightly, my meditations sometimes pulling me into its senses, and the feeling of something I knew to be him lingering on my senses when it just laid there.

Slowly, I got used to the change, only deciding to name him once I was sure this connection wouldn’t stop randomly at some point.

“You wanna be called Hannibal? I’m Luce.”

The feeling of a handshake washed over me, quite the confusing sensation considering my companion wasn’t physically capable of things like shaking a hand.

Familiar: Hannibal registered, now pulling up stat sheet.

Name:

Hannibal Bravelight

Race:

Swine (Adult)

Class:

Bruiser (lvl.1)

Soul:

Unrefined, Tier 1

Body:

First refinement, Tier 3

Mind:

Unrefined, Tier 1

Trait:

Description

Compact muscles 2

You retain a leaner form despite the strength of your muscles.

Regeneration 3

Your body slowly regenerates from any damage inflicted upon it.

Thick skin 1

Objects have a harder time piercing your hide

Refresh 3

When sleeping, you dispel any effect of magical nature below your lvl in this trait.

Tusks 2

You have impressive tusks.

Iron stomach 2

Your stomach is better at dissolving anything that can be dissolved, filtering poison and veno much more efficiently.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Skill:

Description

Cultivation

This skill helps the user relax their muscles, getting a better grip on their vitality and refine their body.

Impact

Grants knowledge how to best use their body to increase or decrease the effect of an impact

Rune

Description

Dispel

Dispel

We grew closer with every time I cast a spell on it from then on, our bond inseparable enough that he trusted me to ride on his back towards the celebration, both of us grinning like Idiots as the others began to whisper, the evening of the celebrations only turning more impressive from there.

Horses were herded into a nearby paddock, while loads upon loads of food were placed on a big table in the middle of the room. The priest of our small community stepping upon an improvised stage as he spread his arms.

“The harvest has been completed, and thus it is time to thank the gods for this years bounty. Everyone did something incredible. We thank the family Carpenter for once again setting up this beautiful location. We thank the Bravelights for the tools and fabrics used today. We thank Mr. and Mrs. Willow for food and location. Our lord has loaned three horses for tonight's celebrations, and we will see to them being used properly. I will perform and lead this evenings celebrations so we can determine the blessings the gods decide to put upon our small village. Last but not least, the young Luce Bravelight has decided to display his magical prowess. May he master the Arcana and bring fame to our community!”

He exclaimed before stepping to the side, emptying a glass of wine before a many faced statue, and leaving the stage.

The first thing was a riding competition between each of the three sponsoring men, the other families betting on who would win.

While the carpenters got the best horse for their hard work, my father had actually ridden before, though none compared to Mr Willow, the man a champion on horseback that left me speechless.

The horse moved swiftly, and one noticed the many animal handling skills he had, forming a unity with the horse like I had never seen before.

It was obvious that he would win for almost the entire race, though my father did put up a pretty good fight for second place, his horse the slowest of the three, but his knowledge and technique managed to overtake his competitors faster horse and even come somewhat close to the first place.

Once the winner was declared, the bets were paid and everyone drank and ate, gorging themselves on the years spoils before the priest once again talked, the sun setting behind him.

“Today is the end of the harvest season, and while all of us worked hard, this hog riding mage has prepared a spell for us to behold!”

Everyone oohed and aahed, prepared for some chore magic or another, only for me to climb the stage atop Hannibal and prepare the spell I wanted to cast.

I knew that I would have to deliver something more impressive every year, and that whatever gods existed in this world probably wanted something somewhat interesting too.

Slowly, I build up the disco flare spell, setting it’s trajectory through the flames and banners around us while I did what I had only learned from the black hole spell.

Gently, I concentrated on my own soul, imagining this spell and focusing on it until my body and mind were filled with nothing but the Image I wanted to project.

As I felt my control waver, I released it, watching the result of my actions.

Everything it touched turned gray, as more and more color was absorbed, my head burning from the inside as I focused on this spell staying the way it was, until it reached the limit of my sight, at which point I released it.

Immediately, color refilled the world, looking so much more vibrant now that it returned.

Somehow, I remained upright, the cheerful calls drowning out my fear as Hannibal brought me down, carrying me to my waiting parents as I barely held myself awake.

When the sun fell below the horizon, The priest once again stood above us all, six objects standing beside him.

First, he lowered a nut into the wine he had spilled earlier, prompting it to immediately blossom.

“The goddess of plants once again blesses our next harvest!” He exclaimed, everyone cheering wildly as the next object was dunked inside, a wooden cross coming out smoother than before.

“The god of handyman blesses us this year, so that our huts will be sturdy and the fruits of our labor do as we hope.” The cheers was more surprised this time, my father, mother and the carpenters beaming with joy and pride.

Then, a marble was dunked inside, everything going quiet as it came back gray.

“Not all our dead managed to pass on, and it seems we must expect them to haunt us. Whoever it was that disgraced the fallen, please come to me in the next week and we can work out an atonement that doesn’t require the lord to investigate.”

I had a feeling about the soul that didn’t manage to pass on, especially with the many creatures I had killed and experimented on.

The silence was left to linger a bit, before a piece of fabric was dumped in the wine, coming back a deep red, which everyone should have expected.

“It seems that love is thick in this place, and that the goddess that guards it will do her best to help your marriages grow stronger, so that you may bring forth more children.”

Everyone laughed at that, leaving me confused as to what the joke was, though it seemed to be something nobody explained to a newborn.

Fifth in line was a piece of gold, that came back brimming with power.

“Our villages protection stays strong, helping us against the growing problem of breaches in the lands of our western neighbors.” Next, he dunked an entire book into the liquid, opening it’s first side and letting go a deep breath.

“The Village designated as Grassbed is currently considered part of the town of Leafbloom, which is part of Riverwood city in the Kingdom of Greencrest, which it is moderately devout to. There have been no major legal transgressions, all of them handled internally.”

When he closed the book, he went away, leaving everyone to laugh as the ceremony was closed.

“To think we get another year with our witch, just because she technically doesn’t live in Grassbed and everything. I guess there is a reason everyone who gets a ruling position has to learn about the contracts.”

The remaining evening devolved into adults drinking a lot and us children sitting near a few balls of hay, with most of them inspecting me and trying to pet Hannibal, who, after I explained their intention, freely offered himself to belly scratches and tusk rubs.

We stayed there for quite some time, the watching me closely and discussing what their parents told them were babies come from

Knowing that they would probably be the only children we would have for at least another nine months, I realized that making friends might be a good Idea, especially as they looked to be nice people.

Once the moon was high in the sky, my parents came and brought me home, where I quickly fell asleep.