Joe stood in the middle of his tiny cabin under the stairs. The area did not provide him much room but there was plenty of floor space for the pose he was trying to perfect. He was just trying to stand still after all. The sad part is, he was failing at it.
Joe had been attempting to master the initial stance of the Sparrowhawk fighting style, ‘Poised to Fly’ for a couple of days. ‘Attempting’ being the key word. He knew he must be doing something wrong because his body was aching from the strain of just trying to hold still.
His legs were spread, one in front of the other. His left hand was low, about even with his waist. The right hand was up at shoulder height. The majority of his weight was uncomfortably on his back foot. He was supposed to be able to just relax into this pose but was finding it to be extremely difficult.
The whole first chapter of the Counts tutorial book emphasized the need for this correct physical alignment. It spoke of ‘softening’ the body. If done correctly, it would feel like his bones were ‘stacked’ one on top of the other and his muscles would melt away. His whole self would be aligned into ‘Poised to Fly’.
That was what was supposed to be happening.
Instead, Joe’s muscles and balance fought him mercilessly. The manual did not say that ‘Poised to Fly’ was supposed to be painful to stand in. Yet Joe was gritting his teeth after just a few minutes. Eventually, he ended up cheating and tossing a [Heart Fire] into the corner of the room just to be able to withstand the ache in his back and legs.
After another fruitless session, he gave up and retreated back to his hammock to read further. He rubbed his calves before opening the book to where he had left off. He had read and reread this section several times but still did not understand what he was doing wrong.
‘For every force, there is an equal and opposite force. As your core drops down into the floor, a second force can be felt moving up from the ground into your rear leg. Over time this force increases until it feels as if your body is trying to spring forward, launching itself as if to take flight.’
That sounded easy enough but it wasn’t. There was no second force rising up to help him. Joe had spent time on this form almost every day and yet he had barely made any progress in leveling up the discipline. It was much harder than leveling a skill. Unlike skills, where one could just breeze through the first few levels, this disciple required a degree of dedication and understanding he was finding very difficult to master.
As Joe reread the text on the first form, again, he felt the ship change directions. He had been on board long enough that the movements of the ship felt far more natural to him than this damn pose. He knew the instant the sails and course changed. They must be nearing their final destination.
He hopped out of his hammock and closed the Sparrowhawk manual before stashing the book in his dimensional bag. Thanks to his new dim-bag, as he had been calling it, he was already packed and ready to disembark. Even so, he checked around his cubby-sized room under the stairs for anything he might have missed. Even in the early morning light, [Night Eyes] lit the room for him as if he had fluorescent lights hanging on the ceiling.
When he was sure he was not going to leave anything behind Joe decided to give his character scroll one more look before heading out on deck.
PLAYER PROFILE: Joseph (Joe) Morris
Race: Changeling
Level: 14
Experience: 35,596 / 41,230
SKILLS (Slots / Filled)
STRENGTH SKILLS: (5 / 5)
* [Savage Claws] (U) rank 6
* [Steadfast] (C) rank 16
* [Sundering Strike] (U) rank 1
VIGOR SKILLS: (10 / 10)
* [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 8
* [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 36
* [Healer's Ward] (U) rank 7
* [Morphic Form] (U) rank 4
* [Stun Block] (U) rank 5
DEXTERITY SKILLS: (5 / 5)
* [Hunter’s Pursuit] (U) rank 8
* [Melee Defense] (C) rank 26
* [Staff Expertise] (C) rank 19
* [Stealth] (C) rank 4
PERCEPTION SKILLS: (7 / 7)
* [Assess Creatures] (C) rank 28
* [Eyes of the Healer] (C) rank 27
* [Helpful Hand] (C) rank 18
* [Night Eyes] (C) rank 6
* [Spot Weakness] (U) rank 2
* [Tracker] (C) rank 5
SPIRIT SKILLS: (9 / 12)
* [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 6
* [Healing Touch] (C) rank 34
* [Healing Wave] (C) rank 2
* [Heart Fire] (C) rank 16
* [Pack Master] (U) rank 3
* [Purge] (U) rank 6
* [Warding Heal] (C) rank 5
RESOURCES
* Health: 725 / 725
* Stamina: 1,833 / 1,833
* Mana: 2,818 / 2,818
ATTRIBUTES
* Strength: 5 (7)
* Vigor: 10
* Dexterity: 5
* Perception: 7
* Spirit: 12
Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1
CLASSES
* Primary Class: Healer
* Secondary Class: Fell Bane Hunter
* Tertiary Class: None
TRAITS
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
* [Anyone] (Racial)
* [No one] (Racial)
* [Iron Mind] (Hereditary)
* [Beastmaster] (Achievement)
* [Dancer] (Achievement)
* [Mystic] (Achievement)
* [Overachiever] (Achievement)
* [Punching-Bag] (Achievement)
* [Glutton for Punishment] (Achievement)
* [Death's Door] (Achievement)
* [Survivalist] (Achievement)
* [Undaunted] (Achievement)
* [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
DISCIPLINES
* [School of the Sparrowhawk] rank 2
He liked the look of his sheet now. A month ago he had been dying on Earth. Now he was finally a novice adventurer. He was a mix of a survivalist character with lots of defenses and finally some offense. Added to that was the surprisingly rewarding aspect of healer. Joe had regretted taking the passive, dependent class at first. Now he could not imagine not having it. Being able to help others was a joy. On top of that, being able to repair the abuse that came from an adventurous lifestyle would keep him alive to enjoy this magical and dangerous world.
Joe slipped out of his cabin and headed to the front railing to see if he could make out Fort Coral yet. To his right, the shore was covered in lush forests. The vegetation had changed from the cooler lands on the northern coast of the Alia Sea. Here the leaves of the trees were much broader and the underbrush was thick. Vines connected the tall rough-barked trunks. It was far more jungle-like here than in the more deciduous woodlands of Duskrug. Not full rainforest but clearly more tropical.
When Joe reached the aft of the Tide Dancer he could see the approaching coastline. Fort Coral was much smaller than Peregrine Bay, maybe half the size. Thanks to his increased perception, he could make out details of the tiny structure on the far-off shore. The little boxy buildings were made of cream-colored walls with terracotta roofs. It reminded Joe of a Caribbean-looking town. Between the buildings, fans of palms and other broad-leaved plants grew.
The port held far fewer ships than the one they had left out of two weeks ago. Here there were only four large mercantile vessels. The Tide Dancer would make it five. That is not to say the rest of the wharves were quiet. Even from a couple of miles away Joe could see plenty of fishing vessels already plying the waters between the Dancer and the fort or sailing out to fish in farther locations.
Joe started reviewing the activities he wanted to get done when they docked. Hah’roo had mentioned that getting his Adventurers Guild membership would be a good place to start. They had decided against getting it in Peregrine Bay since they were leaving Duskrug. The guild’s charter crossed national borders but Joe would likely beat his records to Fort Coral. It made more sense to just enroll in the town ahead and not have to deal with any confusion.
Once he had a guild membership he could pick up guild quests. These were tasks that the ruling bodies and citizens posted with the Adventurer’s Guild when they needed help, typically regarding monsters. It could be clearing bogeys away from a settlement or delivering something through a region infested with dangerous creatures. As a healer, Joe would also have his pick of quests that required that specialty as well.
He would also have access to training facilities and materials. Joe planned to utilize those resources eventually but he wanted to try some questing first. While he pondered quest ideas, he heard a door closing behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see if it was who he thought it would be.
Hah’roo glided up the stairs onto the bow deck with him. As she stepped into the wind, she unconsciously stopped, as she always did. The galeling seemed to instinctively greet the blowing air around her. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, raising her arms slightly. Her long blue locks fluttered away from the pure white skin of her body. Joe imagined this pose of hers was akin to that hug you always gave an old friend whenever you saw them again. To Hah’roo the wind was not just something to do with the climate. It was a living spirit, both elemental and ancestral.
When she finished her communion, she finished her approach to the front rail beside Joe.
“Shouldn’t be long now,” he said, elbows resting on the bow-rail. “We should dock within the hour. So what are your plans when we get there?”
“Nothing,” she stated in her whispery voice as she also leaned onto her elbows.
“Really? No plans at all?” Joe was surprised because Hah’roo often seemed so organized.
“You misinterpret me, Joe. It is not that I have no plans but that I plan to do nothing.” She looked over and saw the stunned look on his face. With a smile and a breathy laugh, she added, “I have been going from one contract to the next for over two months. I have fought battles both with and without you. I have tracked fugitives, including yourself. I am overdue for a good week of nothing but a beautiful soft beach, a warm breeze, and maybe a good book.”
“But we just got here?” Joe stammered.
“Yes. And Fort Coral is not going anywhere.”
Not at all expecting this, he countered in an incredulous voice, “I have done all the lying around I can stand for years. I am not going to park on a beach and sunbathe.”
“And I do not expect you to. I am merely stating what I plan to do.” Hah’roo stood up straight from the railing and looked Joe in the eyes. “You need some time as well on your own. You have complained about the confinement of others frequently. Now is your chance to be free of everyone. You should go out and explore. Develop your new skills.”
“That sort of was my plan but I had thought we’d start off doing something together while I got my bearings.”
“And I think this is a perfect chance for you to step out of the comfortable nest you have lived in. You learn how to fly by making a leap, not staying in the safety of the known.”
Joe met her eyes and saw no criticism or judgment. Hah’roo was just being her straightforward self. It was true that he was more ready to disconnect from others but to be honest he was having a few doubts. His world had been very small during his sickness. As much as he wanted solitude back then, his existence had not extended much beyond a hospital bed for quite a while.
Since he had been transported into Illuminaria, he had had a guide in the form of one person or another. If Hah’roo left him to his own devices here in Fort Coral, Joe would really be on his own in a great big world for the first time in who knows how long. For a brief second Joe felt a bit of trepidation and only to have that feeling washed away by a flood of excitement.
“You know what? You’re right. What am I thinking? This is going to be fun.”
Over the next half an hour, they talked and watched the town come clearly into focus. The crew hauled in the lines to use the wind to slow the ship before reefing the green canvas sails. As the Tide Dancer drifted almost to a stop, a couple of longboats pulled up alongside the vessel and threw up a pair of ropes, one on either side of the bow.
Joe caught the one on his side since it happened to fly right to him. He looked across the deck and saw Wakely lashing the port side line to a cleat. Joe copied the act with his rope. A moment later, the lines grew taunt, and the tow boats drew the ship toward the dock.
As they closed the distance, Joe could not stop himself from thinking about what they had discussed. He finally broke down and asked the white-skinned woman beside him the question that had been driving his curiosity nuts.
“Can you even get a tan?”
“A what?”
“You know darkened skin. Sunbathing causes the body to produce melanin which makes the skin darker to protect itself,” he blurted. “Do galelings have melanin? I mean with skin that white I can't imagine you have much, if any. Does your skin ever get darker?”
Hah’roo stared at Joe like he was a lunatic for a moment. “Why would my skin change color?”
“I don’t know. That’s just how it works where I come from. Also, I was going to talk to you about sunscreen. Nobody with your complexion should bake themselves on a beach. That’s how you get skin melanomas.”
Hah’roo patted him on the shoulder exaggeratedly, like she was indulging a child. “You go get yourself squared away with the guild, Joe. My skin and I will be just fine on the beach.”