Gilda Bahr stared at the onion in her hand and activated Slice and Dice. The skill allowed her to see different ways to cut anything and sharpened her focus. Her knife slid through the onion and in the blink of an eye, it was perfectly cubed. She slid the last diced onion into the cast iron pot before setting the lid over the boiling soup that would simmer for the next couple of hours until the dinner rush came and went.
She wiped down the bar and proudly looked over the neat and tidy dining hall. She’d painstakingly refurbished every table and chair when she bought this place. It had been an old run down and ransacked inn but she’d seen its good bones and bought it with the last of her money four years ago.
She’d been living hand to mouth while getting the inn established. Saving and scrimping every last copper. Gilda’s efforts had paid off. The Momma Bahr Inn was thriving with an increase in customers many of which came for the food. Now she had a little extra money in savings and two new hires to help run everything. So today she was going to take a good long break, have fun with her friend, and do some leisurely shopping at the market.
Her son walked by with his practice sword in hand. Before he left she needed to talk to him. “Shon, I’m heading to the market. What would you like me to make for dinner tomorrow? You only turn 18 once.” Gilda smiled as her boy pondered.
When had he grown so tall?
He was even starting to have a hint of muscles now that he was training with the city watch. He’d make a fine guard one day.
“Roast rabbit and apple cake and if you wouldn’t mind I think I’ll invite a few friends over. Tom and George are always bragging about their dads but neither of them have mothers that can cook good like you.”
Gilda clicked her tongue. “While I’m happy you’re proud of my skills, it isn’t right to rub it in your friends’ faces. Mrs. Dool and Mrs. Park do their best. Everyone has different talents. Besides, I’ve got my slice and dice skill to fall back on and extra speed.”
“But your skill only helps you work faster and more efficiently; you’ve always been a great cook. And… speaking of skills, now that I’m 18, I think it's about time you let me speak to the fluffs and see if I can awaken. Who knows what options I’ll get to choose from for my first class and skill, but I’d rather be a fighter than a supporter.”
Shon had been begging for years now. It wasn’t like the dungeons and quests were all that dangerous. Not that she’d been in one recently. She was able to level up her skill through cooking and that was good enough for her. But she still didn’t trust the fluffs. In the past five years they had made it too easy to level up and become powerful.
Hundreds of glowing puff balls the size of grapefruit had descended from the stars, announcing to the world that they were starting a new game. Everyone’s brain had filled with their telepathic communication as the Fluff’s emotionless and high-pitched words described The Game. They said it could change your fate and make you famous and strong.
“Tell me about your awakening,” Shon said.
It was such a memorable day. She didn’t mind telling the story again. “Well, your father had recently passed away, and I’d just purchased our inn. I was exhausted from working twenty hours straight for several days in a row. And in my delirium, I had an epiphany. If I could work faster, then I could get more rest and not have to hire another worker. Mika Fention, meanwhile, had been bragging all over town about how much stronger she was after awakening as a paladin and I thought; I could do that too. So, before I lost my courage, I hobbled over to the town square and figured out how to type on the magic kiosk display.”
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“Skip ahead a little, that's too much detail,” Shon interrupted, “I guess I just can’t remember what class options you were given. George says that there are 12 different classes but I think there might still be classes that we’ve never even heard of. Wouldn’t it be epic if I was the first person to have a new class?”
“That would be quite something,” Gilda agreed.
Meanwhile, Shon was shifting his weight between his feet and tapping his fingers against the bar. He’d always been restless and easily bored. Gilda smirked at her boy and started her story again. “After they confirmed that my brain was compatible with The Game, they put me to sleep and when I woke up there was an intangible sign floating in front of me with three options. The first option was wizard, the second was rogue, and the third option was bard.”
“Mika said it hurt when she picked her class. Is that true?”
Gilda wouldn’t exactly call it painful, but the sensation was not a pleasant one. “It was like my brain overheated and my skin felt tight, like it was too small to cover my body. I can’t explain well.”
Shon scrunched his face up.“Painful sounds like a better description, Mom. How many skill options did you have? Tom said that it’s different for everyone, and George thinks it might depend on your class.”
“There were four or five, but once I read the description of Slice and Dice I knew it was just what I wanted.”
Gilda grabbed an apple from the counter and activated her one and only rogue skill: Slice and Dice. Her mind cleared and the weakness of the apple appeared. Her knife flew around the fruit until it was peeled and evenly cut.
“Have some fruit.” They both munched on the sweet and crunchy flesh. “I don’t want you awakening,” She said with a mouth half full, “you know I don’t trust the fluffs, even though they helped us out. Who just generously hands out power without asking for anything in return? But you’re going to be eighteen and if that is what you want to do, I’ll join you. I’ll see if I can go to the fluffs’ world with you through the portal and watch your awakening.”
Shon’s ears perked up and twitched. “Nice, can we go tomorrow? It would make a great birthday gift.”
“Okay. Tomorrow it is,” Gilda agreed.
“Thanks, Mom,” Shon said. His ears lifted as he smiled at her. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before running off to train.
Her lovely and kind boy was perfect. He was half-human like her, and half-elf like his father. But she didn’t want to think about him, right now.
Gilda wiped her hands on her apron. It was time to relax and have fun with Olivia. Her one and only friend, Olivia, had invited her out to have tea. Olivia was a few years younger than her with two young children of her own, but she never seemed tired or overwhelmed. Olivia was pure joy in a bottle and had made her feel less lonely here. They shared a love of plants and cooking and whenever they got together they couldn’t stop chatting.
She put on her nicest dress and spent a moment tidying up her twin braids, adding lovely green ribbons and a few dried flowers to spruce up her rather plain face. She wanted to look her best, and her hair was the only part of her that made her feel lovely. It was thick, long, and dark auburn. A random stranger once told her that her hair was a work of art. It was an exaggeration, but Gilda thought about that old compliment every time she brushed her locks.
It had been years since she’d had time to fix herself up. It felt nice. She powdered her nose and added a little rouge to her cheeks and eyelids. Which brightened up her face, but also reminded her of the extra weight she’d gained lately. Her cheeks were fuller, and her hips stretched the fabric of her dress.
At least it still fits.
Gilda grabbed her bag and slipped on her shoes. The tea room was only a ten-minute walk from her inn and the weather was nice for once. She took a deep breath of the fresh spring air and twirled on the road. Her colorful skirt billowed around her as her braids swung wide, hitting her waist when she stopped. It felt good to have the afternoon off.
She was just a few feet away from the tea shop when a glowing orb of blue fluff whizzed by, hovering a few feet above the ground. It turned a corner and disappeared into a dark alleyway. What was a Fluff doing here? In the past five years she’d never seen one wandering about after the first day they arrived.
Gilda tip-toed over to the alley and was surprised to see three fluffs together. She heard a buzzing sound and the strength of their glow fluctuated in random patterns as they floated next to each other. It almost seemed like they were arguing. Though how she could tell that from telepathic communication from featureless blobs she couldn’t say. What did the Fluff’s even do when they weren’t waiting for players who made appointments at their kiosk?
“Why are you here?” Gilda whispered into the air. “What do you have to gain by giving us skills?”