Malik stared at the line — Free Points: 5. His brow wrinkled in frustration. With nobody to guide him, it was time to experiment.

Thinking back to his fight with the beetle, he learned that Strength could make even a much smaller creature a worthy opponent. However, it wasn’t Strength that won the fight in the end. Malik’s ability to catch the beetle by surprise ultimately gave him the upper hand.

He went through the four stat categories one more time and felt that Dexterity was the best fit to accompany his Camouflage skill. The next enemy might not be so easily caught unaware. Unsure if all five of the Free Points would be allocated to the chosen stat, he tried to focus on increasing Dexterity by one. The stat ticked up from one to two, leaving him with four Free Points available, allowing him to breathe a small sigh of relief.

Another sensation rippled through him. It was as if all his muscles loosened a bit, making him feel lighter on his feet — he stretched the wings on his back and noticed that they were easier to move. Malik couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

Still, he wanted to see the result of each category to ensure he made the correct decisions in the future. He put his attention on Vitality and gave it a point. His heart started beating harder, flooding his veins with a more powerful circulation. His skin appeared more vibrant, ever so slightly. Malik felt alive, and like a drug, he wanted more.

It took some calming breaths to resist dumping the rest of his Free Points into the stat, but he managed to resist the impulse as the surge of Vitality passed. Malik then moved on to Strength and added a point. The muscles beneath his skin began to ripple, expanding his shriveled frame. Like Vitality, there was an addictive trait to it, and he wanted more. However, unlike Dexterity, the stat made him feel less mobile.

Finally, he moved on to Energy — the most mysterious stat of all to him and added a point. The world around him burst into life. Every color became more vibrant, every scent more potent. The trickling of the water from the small stream pleasantly invaded his ears. Malik felt as if he understood the world around him, and the beauty it contained just a little bit more.

After his experiment, the decision to spend his last point was made infinitely more difficult. If he increased his level again, would he still receive five Free Points, or would there be more? Malik wondered. He could only assume that he would receive the same amount in the future. He resolved to stick to his original plan of increasing Dexterity. It was the most beneficial to his skillset, and above all else, he thought it gave him the best chance of using his wings to fly again.

Without musing further, Malik put the last point in Dexterity and flexed his wings again. Happy that he conducted the experiment, he checked his overall stats.

Name: Malik Race: Gargoyle Class: Level: 2 Vitality: 2 Strength: 2 Dexterity: 3 Energy: 2 Skills: Camouflage -15% chance to remain undetected. Traits: First Child - As the first of your kind, you have been granted building plans for a Level 1 Incubation Chamber

There was still much to learn, but he was free now. He decided to explore this small valley among the mountain peaks. As he took in his surroundings, he quickly spotted a piece of crumpled cloth on the ground, realizing that the gray fabric was his trousers. Malik hadn’t noticed they had fallen off as he shrank and plummeted to the ground when first arriving at the mountaintop. Picking them up, he put them on and began rolling the waistline so that they precariously stayed put. If Malik added more Strength, they would likely fit properly once again. Still, with the flick of a sharp claw, he cut the bottoms off to avoid the clothing from dragging along the ground.

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What else had he forgotten, Malik pondered. He looked at his hands and remembered dropping the seed before his fight with the beetle and went to trace his steps to find it. He needn’t have bothered. In the seed’s place, a circular stone altar had emerged. Malik cautiously stepped toward it, instantly sensing the Energy it emitted.

Much like the seed, the altar was plain. However, there was beauty in its simplicity. Malik wanted to run his finger across the stone, beckoning him to test the smooth surface. He had continued to inch forward, through the Energy filled air, until he was standing in front of it. Unsure of what to do, he placed a hand atop the altar.

Malik’s hand was held in place by an unseen force. Energy began to swirl and coalesce from the altar, forming a wispy projection of the Grand Mage that had died upon Malik’s back atop the Branam castle. Malik’s eyes were wide as he tried to remove his hand until the wizard began to speak in a voice that seemed to encompass the entire area, reverberating off unseen walls.

“Thank you, stranger, for retrieving my soul stone,” The mage appeared to be analyzing Malik, but did not comment on his appearance as a gargoyle. “My name is Zahid — but, I must warn you, we do not have long. I can only appear so long as the required Altar Points have accumulated within my altar.

Now, I must ask you — what are your goals, young gargoyle?”

Malik licked his lips, “I… I don’t know. I, Malik, am the first of my kind. I want to live,” he rasped, using his voice for the first time. “I want to prosper. To be free,” Malik finished in a stilted speech, not acquainted with conversation.

The mage tilted his chin upward, “A worthy, if not an ordinary, goal. I see that you do not have a Class. As a token of my gratitude, I can remedy that. I can help guide you in constructing your home to live out your goals. All that I ask is for you to protect my altar and treat me with respect. Would that be of interest to you, Malik?”

Malik stared wide-eyed at Zahid and nodded. He knew that Zahid needed Malik as much, if not more, than Malik needed him, “Yes, what is it that you offer, exactly?”

Zahid bowed slightly, “As the first of your kind, I would suggest becoming the Founder of a new city. There are many perks of being a Founder in regards to leadership and strategic skills. As a First Child, there may be more but I must admit, I do not know what they could be. My heritage as a Grand Mage of the Branam Empire will also be a boon to you in regards to constructing a prosperous home.

So, Malik, do you accept my offer? Or will you pursue your goals without me?” the Grand Mage finished.

On one hand, Malik didn’t want to be tied down to the area. He wanted to stretch his wings and explore the world without worry. However, he knew that he wouldn’t survive on his own. There was simply too much to learn. He also discovered that he had craved company after Zahid appeared and Malik participated in a conversation for the first time.

Malik nodded, “Yes, Zahid. I accept your offer.”

Zahid merely smiled in response before swirling into a cone of Energy back into the altar. A jolt of Energy entered Malik through his hand still placed atop the altar and forced itself upon his mind. The Energy threw Malik’s hand away, nearly knocking him to the ground. Knowledge of what it meant to be a Founder washed over him. The sensation abruptly vanished, leaving Malik confused once more.