Aron had already left for school, but I had the day off, not that I could do much other than lie in bed. The pain was gone now and I could move again but my body felt exhausted, like every muscle had run a marathon.
Wincing as I sat up, I reached for the cup of water of the floor next to me, which was an effort in, and of itself. Taking several large gulps I tried to get rid of the dried cotton feel of my mouth. Putting the cup down I moved my tongue around my mouth trying to coat the insides in saliva to get rid of any remaining dry spots.
Closing my eyes I leaned against the wall. Yesterday had been a mess, everything had been ok until I’d collapsed, I mean the blacksmith was an ass but there hadn’t been any problems yet.
Why had I collapsed like that anyway? I’d been exhausted from trying to teach myself to fly but it wasn’t that bad, just a strenuous workout. Nothing that food, water and rest wouldn’t fix.
Opening my eyes I looked up at the open window that let a rectangle of sunlight into the centre of the room. I could only see the blue sky and clouds gently drifting by from this angle. Sighing I looked at the floor again. Jak had mentioned something about Skill strain but forgot exactly what; I’d been more focused to the suicide accusation.
Vaguely I remembered a panel appearing when I’d woken up but I hadn’t read it. Frowning I tried to bring up my status but a different panel appeared.
You have reached [Battle Sense Lvl 4]
I blinked, how? Suddenly I felt like someone had dumped cold water on me, I’d activated the skill but never turned it off, it had been barely noticeable so I’d forgotten I’d been using it. In a flash of panic I worried that it was still active, I had no idea how to check but somehow just thinking about the Skill told me it wasn’t active.
A bit calmer I waved the panel away and looked at my status, my health was at 79% and in the bonus stat column, every stat had a -2. That probably explained why I felt so terrible, but why did I have -2 for each stat? Trying to select a random Bonus stat and a new panel appeared.
Vitality Bonus stat: Cause: -2 Skill strain
I suspected I knew what it was but I selected it anyway.
Skill strain
An effect caused by using a Skill for too long or using numerous Skill too often in close succession
Causes progressively worse fatigue, pain, negative Bonus stats, a decrease in Health, Stamina and Mana and eventual death if Skill usage is not stopped. Effects may persist for hours after before gradually decreasing.
Note: Tolerance to Skill strain can be built up
Exhaling slowly I realised how reckless I’d been. I’d treated this world and this system as something I could experiment with at my leisure, like a strange vacation. I could have died due to my own ignorance and stupidity. I couldn’t afford to take this lightly any longer.
At least I knew why they’d assumed that I’d tried to kill myself, everyone would know about this and would limit their Skill usage the moment they got the first signs of Skill strain so only people in desperate situations or suicidal people would get bad Skill strain. And ignorant stupid people like me apparently.
Flopping back onto the mattress I relaxed and closed my eyes, I was still so tired, how to explain to them I hadn’t tried to kill myself? Would they even believe me if I said I’d forgotten I was using a Skill? It sounded so dumb when I thought about saying it out loud.
A problem for later, I could feel myself drifting back to sleep so turned to face the wall and pulled the scratchy wool blanket to my nose.
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Something was poking my face, I turned away but the poking followed, I batted at it with one hand and made an irritated sound. The poking became more insistent and my eyes fluttered open, turning to glare at the source; Aron was sitting on the floor next to me holding a bowl of frothy soup.
“I brought you dinner” he put it down on the floorboards next to my bed.
My eyes flickered to the closed window and saw it was dark outside, not the city dark I was used to, but real countryside dark where you could see all the stars glimmering in the night sky.
I sat up looking at Aron “I didn’t try to kill myself” I burst out before I could think about what to say or how to explain it.
“What?” he said confused and unsure.
“I didn’t try to kill myself” I repeated “I-“ I stopped and looked away, my body didn’t feel as weak now, just residual muscle ache “I took a class and used a Skill and forgot to turn it off” I said deciding to go with the truth, I really didn’t want him to think I’d tried to kill myself and even if the truth was embarrassing, after all the other things he’d revealed, I felt like I owed it to him.
Looking back at him I watched his face go from confused to contorting in anger. Suddenly his had lashed out and he hit me on the head “Are you-“ he stopped and breathed in unsteadily “How-“ he started again, he let you a frustrated gargle “You stupid” and he launched himself at me kicking, arms wind milling and yelling insults.
I was caught off guard but when his first hit connected it brought me out of my stupor and I moved. Embarrassment and anger flared and we started rolling around on the floor, kicking and screaming. I pulled his hair so he bit my arm, yelping I grabbed his ear to yank him off so he head-butted me.
The door burst open “what the hell is going on here?” Jak yelled glaring down at both of us on the floor. We froze and looked up at him, I opened my mouth thinking about what to say but Aron beat me to it “Sasha is the stupidest-“
“No name calling” Jak interrupted and Aron’s mouth snapped shut and he looked like he’d eaten something sour. Aron let go of me and jumped up running out of the room with an angry yell.
Jak let him go before turning back to me and waited. Slowly I sat up, reddening a bit realising that I’d just responded to and given into a childish tantrum. Shame welled up, I really needed to stop acting like a child, I may have the body of one but I was a goddamn adult.
Rubbing my head where Aron had gotten a decent hit in I looked back up at Jak “I’m sorry, it was my fault-“ I stopped and looked at him. I’d been about to tell him I hadn’t tried to kill myself but somehow I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Steeling myself I decided to explain anyway, if he didn’t believe me it was up to him.
“I know you think so, but didn’t try to kill myself, I got a class and used a new skill and forgot it was on” I tried not to flinch at his disbelieving expression “I know it sounds dumb but that’s what happened”
“How did you not notice when the effects of Skill strain started?” he asked brow furrowed.
“I was jumping off the wall trying to learn how to fly so I figured I was just tired from doing that” my voice got quieter and the tip of my tail tapped against the mattress nervously.
He scrutinised me, deliberating if what I said was the dumbest cover up or if I genuinely had been that stupid.
“Ok” he said and I looked up at him surprised “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but you’re my responsibility until your family comes so don’t use your Skills for that long again and if you ever feel a slight headache, or get tired using them, stop using your Skills immediately”
I nodded rapidly, eyes wide and relieved that he’d believed me.
“Also no more jumping off the wall, its not safe near the grasslands at the moment, some [Hunters] found Orc tracks not too far from the village last night”
So Orcs existed too I wondered as he turned to leave.
“What happens if no one comes for me?” I burst out.
Jak turned back to me, suddenly I noticed he had the same eyes as Aron “We’ll figure something out then, but don’t worry, if no one comes, we won’t just throw you out. Eat your soup, you should be fine by tomorrow morning, as long as you survive it most people recover from Skill strain after a day or so”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He turned to leave again and I didn’t stop him this time as he shut the door. Looking at the bowl I noticed the soup had miraculously survived my tussle with Aron.
Picking it up I went to sit on my mattress and started swallowing mouthfuls. Like all the food here it was delicious, some meat and vegetables floated around in it and something that may have been pasta. It warmed me inside and I got a notification when I finished.
Cooked by a skilled [Chef] with the use of [Rejuvenating warmth] this soup boosts Health regeneration for a few hours.
Not sure why I was surprised anymore, I eyed the panel before it disappeared. I assumed Jak had made the soup and [Rejuvenating warmth] was a Skill he possessed. Grateful I put the empty bowl with the spoon down and lay back down. I thought about going after Aron but I doubted I could catch up with him now and he probably needed some space to cool down.
So I lay back and waited, determined not to fall asleep until Aron was back, I needed to make sure we were ok and that he didn’t hate me. The idea of losing Aron scared me, I’d reached an understanding with Jak, but I didn’t have anyone else in this world.
I adjusted the blanket nervously and settled in to wait.
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Jarring awake I saw the door creaking open slowly, a sliver of light from the living room came in as Aron peaked around and quietly entered before closing the door gently.
I sat up and Aron jumped “You’re still awake? Sorry if I woke you” he looked nervous in the moonlight “I shouldn't have attacked you like that, I lost my temper and it was wrong of me, I was a bad big brother, I’m sorry”
“It’s ok, siblings fight, its what we do” I shot him a wry smile “And I’m sorry too, for scaring you by being stupid and reckless”
He nodded looking a bit relieved and went to sit on his cot “Sorry I assumed you tried to do that, next time you do something potentially harmful, I’ll know its just coz you’re an idiot” he grinned at me
I glared back at him half-heartedly but mostly I was relieved that things looked like they would be ok so I ignored the barb and went to lie down again. He lay down too before shooting up again.
“I completely forgot to tell you, but you know my apprenticeship with Tycel?”
“You want to be an enchanted now?”
“What? No, but she has a lot of stuff in her shop and apparently drunk Al owed some money so he sold one of his lutes to Tycel and I found on one of the shelves and Tycel said she’d give me discount if I worked hard and if I save up maybe I can afford it. I already have 3 Silver and 62 Coppers saved up and with a discount she said she’d sell it to me for 4 Silver” he rambled looking at me eyes glowing, excitement rolling off him in waves “I think its only that cheap coz one of the strings is missing but that’s ok, I can fix it or if not that’s ok too”
“Wow that’s really great” I said, slightly cautious hearing that it was broken; hopefully he didn’t end up getting his hopes dashed by a useless lute.
“I know, I’m actually going to be a [Musician], I can't believe it” he grinned and threw himself back onto the bed “I only need another 38 coppers”
I hadn’t really thought about money before, Jak and Aron had given me food and shelter and school seemed to be free.
“How are you going to get more money?” I asked, Jak hadn’t paid us for working at the Inn so far and I sort of assumed it was expected for children to help out with family businesses in the village but not that it was paid work.
“Mostly I do odd jobs and run errands around the village from quests at the adventurer’s guild”
“There’s an adventurer’s guild here?” I exclaimed and sat up staring at Aron.
“Well yeah there’s one in every village, don’t drakes have them? How else do you find work or find people to do work for you?” he sat up on his elbows looking at me.
“What do you mean? Isn’t an adventurer’s guild for adventurers and quests to fight monsters and stuff?”
He burst out laughing and fell back onto his bed “Yeah maybe in big cities or places with monster problems but in our village its mostly used to connect people looking for a new job or wanting to earn a bit more money with busineses hiring or someone who needs an extra hand to do some work. Like when our last assistant [Cook] left, we put up a notice in the adventurer’s guild and then hired Hitch”
“Oh” slightly disappointed, so it was a glorified jobcentre, that sort of made sense though, people would still be looking for normal work here, not just fighting dragons and so on.
“But there are real adventures here?”
“I don’t think there’s any [Adventurers] in the village now, they don’t really come here much since there’s not that much going on here, but it’s cool when they do. Last winter we had a group come they looked so cool and awesome with their armour and horses, one of them was a mage with huge staff. But uncle Rudy says they’re all dumb shits with sticks up their arses who blow hot air”
I choked and tried not to laugh, Jak would not be happy to hear Aron use language like that.
He turned to me “Have you thought about what class you want to take?”
I looked at the ceiling, contemplating the question. This world had so many different possibilities that didn’t exist on earth. Being an [Adventurer] did sound cool, though magic sounded even cooler “Some thing with magic, maybe a [Mage]”
“That’s ambitious” he rolled over and propped his chin on his hand “I’ve heard its really hard to unlock most magic classes, especially if you don’t have someone to teach you and most of the mage schools in cities cost a lot to go to, mostly just nobility and rich people become [Mages]”
He rolled over again and yawned “Better start saving now, you’re going to need a lot more than the 38 coppers I need for my lute, but good luck”
“Thanks” I rolled over too “Good night then”
“Night night” he mumbled and I could see him drifting off to sleep.
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The next morning I woke up feeling like I was in tiptop shape. My Health was back to 100% and the -2 was gone from my Bonus stats. I twisted, stretching my back and leaning forward yawning, stretching my wings out behind me before relaxing, tucking them back and rolling out of bed.
Aron was still asleep but the first rays of the day’s sunlight shone through the window so I hit him on the head with my pillow. He yelped and sat up waving his arms about.
“Get up sleepyhead”
He scowled at me before flopping back into bed and burying his face in his pillow “Its too early, you’re only awake coz you slept all day yesterday” he muttered into the pillows while he relaxed and his breathing evened out again.
Feeling slightly guilty about having misjudged the time I sat back on my bed and looked around. My rucksack sat forgotten where I had left it the first day at the foot of Arons bed.
Inhaling excitement coursed through my veins as I jumped up and ran to pick up the innocuous bag, it wasn’t very heavy but I could feel it wasn’t empty. Taking it to my bed I sat down again and puled back the flap on top. Underneath it was closed with a drawstring and eagerly I loosened it.
First I pulled what looked like spare clothes; 2 shirts, trousers, socks and underwear; all in this world’s style. A bit disappointed I dumped them on my bed and checked the rest of the bag hoping for something from my world or something useful. The only other items in the bag were a wooden toothbrush, some dried jerky and an empty journal.
The journal disappointed me the most, when I had seen the brown leather cover I had hoped to find a book giving me advice or at least explaining something but it was completely empty; I flicked through and checked every page twice. Nothing.
Dropping everything I held the rucksack upside down shaking it to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. I hadn’t; no phone or magical ring or anything that would help me. Not to say spare clothes or a toothbrush were useless, but they weren’t exactly life changing or something that really helped me figure my situation out.
Putting the rucksack down I leaned against the wall eyeing my pile. Not exactly the treasure I’d hoped for, but no point in getting depressed, it was better than an empty rucksack, though at least some money would have been good.
I took the toothbrush and a change of clothes but crammed everything else back into the rucksack and went to the small bathroom by the living room to get ready.
Going over to the sink, I paused to look at my reflection. I leaned in closer to inspect the mosaic of my scales; they were largest on the top of my head, gradually forming smaller scales closer to my eyes and snout. Ridges mimicking the shape of eyebrows shadowed my slate grey eyes and curved towards small pointy ears that fanned out from the side of my head.
Pulling my lips back I bared my teeth and ran a pink tongue over them. Four of my teeth were noticeably longer, not like a vampire, but definitely build for biting into flesh. I tapped my tongue against the point of my upper left canine before leaning back and closing my mouth.
Turning on the tap I started to brush my teeth with a small pot of toothpaste on the sink for the first time since I’d gotten here. The feeling of a clean mouth was something I hadn’t realised I had missing until I had it again and it was glorious. Spitting into the sink I stripped off my dirty clothes and went to the circular wooden tub in the centre of the room.
I activated the enchanted stone at the edge of the tub and the pipe underneath started spewing cold water into the tub. Thank god for indoor plumbing. Unluckily heating enchantments were a bit too expensive so I would have to make do with cold water, but honestly I was just glad I didn’t have to carry up buckets of water.
I turned the water off when it reached a sufficient height in the tub and put a hand in, it was a bit colder than expected but I could manage. Better to get it over with I took a deep breath and jumped over the side of the tub, throwing my whole body in with a splash. Yelping I quickly grabbed the soap, I lathered up my hands and washing myself as I started shivering.
Cleaning my delicate wings wasn’t easy and even as I hurried the endeavour took longer than expected. Shivering as I climbed out the tub I noticed my scales were a shade lighter than before. Grabbing the towel from the rack I quickly dried my body, at least that was faster since I didn’t have any hair now.
Donning my new clothes I threw the dirty ones in the hamper and almost ran back to Aron’s room to dive under the sheets to warm up. The cold was really unpleasant, I’d always preferred hotter climates, but warmth seemed to be sapped from me a lot faster than in my old body.
Sitting there, waddled up in the blanket, I crawled forward so I was sitting in the centre of the room in direct sunlight. Immediately I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face and I almost purred as I closed my eyes, lifting my head more fully into the light.
Tail thumping against the ground in pleasure I basked in the sun, slowly letting the blanket drop so I could fan my wings out behind me to soak up the sunlight.
“Is that a drake thing?” Aron asked yawning.
Opening my eyes, I almost retracted my wings, ready to shuffle away in embarrassment at being caught doing something weird again, but honestly the sun felt so good I didn’t care and stretched my wings out to carry on.
“Yes it’s a drake thing, we love the sun” I bullshitted turning my head back to the window and closing my eyes again. If sunlight warmed up other drakes like it did me, then basking in the sun had to be a drake thing. They were all idiots if it wasn’t.
“Alright” he mumbled, I could hear him moving about, before I heard footsteps moving to the door as he went to the bathroom to get ready.