The past month had been pretty uneventful for Remy. His days were usually spent with Annabeth and the family, while at night he hunted in the surrounding wilderness. The virtual world had been good to him. It wasn’t the boisterous excitement of a warrior who travelled the land with his sword and magic, but there was a simple contentment in the quiet, routine life. Besides, he got enough excitement when he hunted at night.
“Hello Shadow, you’re by yourself today, huh?” A middle-aged woman petted him behind the ears and slipped him a piece of fish. She ran the local apothecary, and she, like all the other villagers had come to know Shadow; the little cat that almost always followed behind Annabeth.
He often went into the village and wandered around there. Sometimes Annabeth wanted to play with her friends, or she had chores to do. It was actually a welcome relief. Though she was a good kid, she was still a child, and her idea of playing was often somewhat boring to him.
“Boss! Boss! Scared, bad thing!” A dog came bounding up towards him. It was Rex, the butcher’s dog. As for why he was calling Remy boss, well that had to do with an incident two weeks ago. Basically, he wanted to play with Remy as one would a chew toy, but found out the hard way that he was stronger than he looked.
“Calm down Rex, and tell me what’s going on.” The majority of common animals weren’t all that intelligent, so getting a proper story out of them was like pulling teeth.
“Big, bad, eat everything. Smell bad. Big trees, big bad thing. Scared, scared.”
Rex’s Fears
Rex has been scared by a big mysterious monster that’s come close to the village. He thinks you can help because you’re so strong. Identify and then defeat the enemy and return to Rex.
Difficulty: D
Rewards: Increased familiarity with Rex, Rex’s old bone
“So you want me to put my life on the line to kill some sort of powerful creature, and if I happen to succeed, I get your bone?”
Rex’s tail wagged happily. “Yes, yes. Boss defeat, give boss bone.”
Remy sighed, or made whatever sound his feline body produced. “Fine, why not. I don’t like the idea of a powerful monster on my territory anyway.”
You have accepted the quest!
Territory. That was a distinctly predatory concept. However this concept didn’t come from the ICMS. In fact he did a ton of research about cats, both wild and domestic. He wanted to know more about their characteristics, their mannerisms, and anything that made them, well, them. Many people tended to role-play in these sorts of games; it’s just that for him, he had to play the role of a beast instead of a humanoid.
After leaving Rex, he wandered about the rest of the village, until he came to stop at a nearby field. Annabeth and a few other children were playing there, laughing as they chased each other around. It was the very picture of peace and innocence. At least it was until the mud balls started flying.
Once the sun started to hang low in the sky, the children said their goodbyes and went back home. Annabeth came up to Remy, her dress spattered with spots of mud. “Come on Shadow, its dinner time.”
He followed her as she skipped along the path back home. Home, it was funny how he had begun to think of this place in that way. There wasn’t much of interest to be said about the night’s dinner. The youngest son, Andrew, had recently become an apprentice at the local blacksmith, so he had moved there during his apprenticeship. With one less hand to help out at the farm, the father and Matthew had to work a little more to get things done. Fortunately they were still young and strong, even the father, so it only took a bit more effort.
They talked a bit about current events and news that had come in from outside the village. In a community as small as this one, not much of interest happened on a regular basis. In fact much of life here was routine. The men went out into the farm, the women took care of the domestic duties, plants were harvested, cows were butchered, and life went on easy and predictable.
For some this type of boring life would be unbearable, but for Remy, who had the mindset of a cat, it was perfect. He could laze about a bit in the day, and then hunt at night. In fact the villagers had noticed the lack of monsters in the surrounding forest, and wondered what was going on. It was actually the topic of interest at the dinner table.
“It’s not natural I tell you. Something’s going on, and I don’t like it.” The father grumbled at the head of the dinner table, picking at his roast lamb.
“Oh come on dad, you worry too much. Isn’t it a good thing that there are fewer monsters in the forest? It’s certainly safer now.”
The father gave a hard stare at his son. “Fewer monsters are a good thing, but that’s only if we knew why that was. But as far as anyone can tell, no one in our village hunted them, and we didn’t have any visitors or passersby in a long while. If you discount some of the other more outlandish theories, then that only leaves two possible explanations for the reduced monster population. The first is that they all suddenly decided to move away from here for no apparent reason, which I find highly unlikely. The second more disturbing explanation is that they were hunted down and so they ran out of fear.”
“Hang on,” Matthew interjected. “You just said that no one in the village or out of it hunted them down.”
“That’s right. So if it wasn’t a person who did this, then it can only be…?” He waited for his son to reach the same conclusion as him.
“Another monster,” Matthew said in horror. Of all the terrible reasons, that concept had never occurred to him.
“Another monster,” the father confirmed. He fed a piece of meat to Remy, who was giggling on the inside. “That has to be it. So now the question is where did this monster come from, and what does it look like? I can only imagine a horrible creature with an insatiable appetite stalking the woods around us and waiting for a moment to strike and devour us all.”
At this Annabeth started to sob, “Daddy, I don’t want to be eaten. Can’t you make the monster go away?”
“Now look at what you did,” the mother chided her husband. “Annabeth, there’s no way of telling if there actually is a monster out there.”
“Now don’t patronize the child. She has to know of the dangers in the world,” the father said firmly.
The mother glared at him. “Maybe so, but she doesn’t need to be needlessly frightened by them. Annabeth, we’re closer to the middle of the village, so we won’t be attacked suddenly. And even if we were, we’re strong enough that we can hold on until help arrives. Now don’t be scared anymore, okay?”
She whimpered slightly, but brushed away her tears anyway and nodded. “Okay, and if a monster comes, then Shadow will protect me.” She ran around the table and picked Remy up, hugging him tightly.
At this point Remy wanted to burst out into laughter. The whole village was worried about some terrifying monster lurking in the shadows, when in reality it was being hugged by a ten year old girl. When the excitement had calmed down and they had finished eating, the family cleared the table and then went to bed.
Remy had caught and eaten some of the vermin near the farm, so he wasn’t hungry. He followed Annabeth back to her room, and waited for her to fall asleep. One she had, he got out of his little basket-shaped bed, and climbed out the window.
Since Rex had asked him to look into the mysterious creature stalking the forest, he decided to do so that night. He knew where Rex’s house, or at least where his owners’ farm was, and so decided to start his search near there.
The farm wasn’t that far away, so he got there fairly quickly. Once he had slipped into the cover of the woods, he transformed into his other form. Then it was a matter of tracking the creature down. He had gained a skill in tracking some time earlier, and it showed a possible trail of a creature. Using that and visual cues, like broken branches and flattened grass, he found one possible trail.
There weren’t any prints, but the tracks and marks left behind didn’t conform to that of a human. He used all his senses to track the creature. Since he used his own eyes and sense of smell, the skill level rose faster. He quickly followed the trail until he came face to face with the creature. The boar.
Quest updated. You have discovered the identity of the creature.
Rex’s Fears
Rex has been scared by a giant monster boar that’s come close to the village. He thinks you can help because you’re so strong. Defeat the enemy and return to Rex.
Difficulty: D
Rewards: Increased familiarity with Rex, Rex’s old bone
It was the same one he had escaped from before. At the time, he was considerably weaker than the creature. Now the tables had turned, and he was the stronger one. Things had worked out beautifully. Not only could he finish a quest, but he could do so by eliminating an enemy he had stuck in his mind for weeks.
The trail led him in such a direction that he had circled around to the boar, and was a fair distance away from it. Since it hadn’t noticed him yet, Remy activated one of the skills he had picked up during his hunt: the Hunter’s Gait. It was a stealth-like skill that was used to mask his presence and ambush his prey.
He was starting to make his way towards the boar when, “…dow…Shadow…” Remy’s blood ran cold. He knew who that voice belonged to. What is she doing out here, calling out like that?! She must have noticed that he was missing and followed him out here. He was furious and terrified on Annabeth’s behalf. Although it had only been a month, he had come to care for that sweet little girl.
Unfortunately, Remy wasn’t the only one who had heard her cries. The boar had heard them too, and was on its way towards her. Not good. Putting all his energy into his legs, Remy raced after the boar, determined to stop it before it got to Annabeth.
The problem was that he was a fair distance away from the boar. He was gaining ground rapidly, but he only had a narrow window of opportunity to get to it before it reached Annabeth. Putting everything else out of his head, he focused on the path before him. He jumped over branches and ditches, weaved through trees, and generally raced towards it.
When the boar burst out of the treeline and was only a dozen or so meters from Annabeth, Remy leaped out behind it, and soared above the body to land in front of it. He heard Annabeth scream and caught a glimpse of her tear-streaked face, but put it out of his mind. She was safe for the moments, and there was nothing he could do in this state to comfort her. Instead, he turned quickly and faced the boar. Seeing the new threat, the boar slammed to a stop, digging its hooves through the ground.
Remy growled at it, a low threatening sound filled with menace. Although the boar knew that Remy was the stronger, for whatever reason, it attacked anyway, just like that psycho rabbit. While it charged in a straight line towards him, Remy ran slightly askew from it. He curved around the boar, and let its’ tusks pass harmlessly aside, before ramming into its side with his shoulder, knocking it to the ground.
Using his Mystic Blood skill, he slashed at its exposed throat, sending four large, condensed waves of Mana flying towards the boar. Each wave struck with the ferocity of a sword swing, and opened up large gashes in the boar.
Critical hit!
With one attack, he had taken off a large chunk of its health. Pressing his advantage, he slashed at it over and over, ripping open its underbelly and tearing into its flesh. He didn’t stop there. After hunting and fighting so much, he had learned a lot about his Mystic Blood’s capabilities. This time he focused his Mana into a small point, and shot it out into the boar’s head like a spear.
The boar, once the king of the forest, couldn’t take the continued onslaught of a battle-hardened Remy. It succumbed easily, almost laughably so, to his attacks and quickly died.
+1 INT
+1 AGI
Level up!
Quest complete! See Rex for your reward.
Congratulation’s you have defeated the local boss monster. For one year, there will be no monster attacks. After one year, monster population and mannerisms will eventually return to normal unless you return to claim your territory.
New title unlocked: King of the Forest
King of the Forest
Awarded only to beasts and monsters if they make a moderately-sized territory their own.
+50 MP and HP. +5% to attack and speed when in the wild, or in dungeons. +10% Health and Mana Regeneration if in or near a forest.
You have unlocked the skill: Path of Shadows
Path of Shadows Lvl. 1 (0%)
By unlocking your true magical attribute, you have gained control over shadows, illusion and dark magic. Unlike other skills, this is a skillset that provides additional sub-skills upon reaching certain skill levels. Use of sub-skills increases the level of the main skill, which in turn strengthens the effect of the sub-skills.
Sub-skill 1: Dark Blade-Creates a weapon out of dark energy. Can be manipulated and controlled by the Mystic Blood skill.
Sub-skill 2: Available at skill level 5.
Remy grunted with satisfaction. He had killed his enemy, gained a new skill and title, and had established his domain over the forest. Yes, it was a good day for him. Now it was time to deal with the other problem. It was at times like this when he wished he could speak.
He turned to Annabeth, and was surprised to see that she had a stick in her hand that she pointed towards him. She was terrified and crying, her body shaking like a leaf, but she still faced him defiantly. Remy was pleased at her show of bravery. She may be a little girl, but she had more courage than some grown men.
Remy slowly inched towards her, trying to seem as non-threatening as he could. Unfortunately it didn’t work, as she began beating on his head with the stick.
-1 HP
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Annoyed at the attacks, he swatted the stick away, and gently nudged her until she fell on her bottom. It wouldn’t do to have her run away screaming. When she was finally sitting down and about to let out another scream, Remy transformed back into his housecat form, which automatically equipped his collar, and jumped into her lap.
Annabeth had frozen from shock and looked at him wide-eyed, her scream caught in her throat. Of course she was shocked, why wouldn’t she be? She had just witnessed a vicious and brutal-looking wildcat transform into her pet. “Sha-Shadow?”
Remy meowed and rubbed his head up against her. As he did this, he was still a bit worried about how she would react. It wouldn’t be all that strange if she exclaimed in horror and terror that a bloodthirsty creature was masquerading as their family pet.
Fortunately, it seemed that he had nothing to worry about, since she cried out joyfully and hugged him tight against her. “I can’t believe it, this is so cool! You must have hunted those monsters to protect us. I can’t wait to tell everyone about you, they’ll be so jealous!”
At this, Remy hissed and yowled to show his displeasure at this statement. “What’s wrong Shadow, you don’t want me to tell anyone?” He meowed and nodded his head. “Alright Shadow, it’ll be our secret.” She seemed delighted that she was party to such a big secret.
Before they left, Remy cut up some of the meat from the boar and ate what he could. He stored some of the rest in his inventory, and left the remainder of the carcass to break down. For better or for worse, he found that whenever he killed a creature, they didn’t disintegrate immediately, instead their body hung around for a while. Annabeth’s face turned a little green at the sight of this, and turned away from it quickly.
Once he had finished, they made their way back home. On the way home, Remy stopped by Rex’s home. He was already awake, perhaps because he caught a bit of Annabeth’s earlier screams. “Here.” Remy tossed him one of the boar’s legs as proof that he killed the beast.
Rex wagged his tail happily and bounced with joy. “Good, good. Boss strong, now safe from big bag thing. Here boss, favorite bone.”
You have received Mysterious Old Bone.
Mysterious? It certainly was out of the ordinary. He had thought it would be a leg bone or something, but instead it looked like a long, curved horn. If he had the identification skill, he could have found out something about it, but he couldn’t as of now. After putting the bone in his inventory and saying goodbye to Rex, he followed Annabeth back home.
This time, Annabeth went to sleep while holding him in her arms. Since he figured she was still a bit scared and confused about everything that just happened, Remy let her do so, regardless of the fact that it was slightly uncomfortable. Although he had wanted to keep hunting the rest of the night, he started feeling drowsy himself, and soon nodded off.
The following morning went a bit different than it did before. Now that Annabeth knew about his abilities, she frequently glanced over to him with a look of awe and trepidation. The rest of the family looked at her with slightly puzzled expressions, but didn’t say anything.
When breakfast was over, Annabeth scooped Remy up and dashed outside, running into the forest on the outskirts of town. Since Remy had hunted and scared off the most powerful monsters there, it would be some time before they respawned again, so he wasn’t worried about Annabeth’s safety, especially since he was there with her.
“C’mon Shadow, I want to see you transform again. No one’s here, so it’s ok.”
Remy sighed to himself and did as she asked. He had checked out the area with his own senses, and judged that it was in fact safe to do so. He transformed into his wildcat form and stood before her, the top of his shoulders coming up to her chest. From his research, he found that he was somewhat bigger than a jaguar, which was the real-world equivalent of this form. From head to tail, he was a little over two metres long, and he weighed almost three hundred pounds.
In the bright light of day, Annabeth gawked over his appearance. She ran her hands over his thick pelt, and rubbed his ears and snout. She was especially fascinated by his tail, shorter and thicker than other wildcats, it swept lazily through in the air.
“Wow Shadow, you look beautiful. But that black stuff around you is a little scary.”
Black stuff? Curious as to what she was referring to, he looked at his paws and forelegs. As she said, there was a slight black haze coming off his body like miasma. Interestingly, they seemed to concentrate around a small violet v-shaped patch of fur that was just above his paws. It was a curious thing, since his fur was originally completely black. He would have to investigate this further. There was a small pond not too far from where he was, but then what would he do about Annabeth? He couldn’t very well leave her there.
Then he had an idea. After nudging Annabeth away from his body, he crouched down before her, and tossed his head up, gesturing for her to get on. “Really, you’ll let me ride you?” She squealed in delight as she swung up on top of him, and clutched his fur in her small hands.
Remy carefully straightened his legs, and having made sure that she was on securely, he started to lope through the forest at an easy pace. He had to make sure he didn’t go too fast, or move too haphazardly. He had to glide through the forest, making sure not to unseat her. For her part, Annabeth didn’t have a care in the world, exclaiming in joy as she rode through the forest on the back of a wildcat.
After a while, they arrived at the nearby pond. After letting Annabeth off, he took a look at himself in the clear waters of the pond. He saw that the black haze clung about his entire body, but focused on his violet marks. There was a triangular patch of violet fur that curved down each of his cheeks, as well as a v-shaped patch on each of his legs. There were also four stripes of violet fur that ran across his back in thin crescents. Finally, there was a small patch of violet at the end of his tail.
Upon considering the timing and appearance of the black haze and violet fur he realized that this had to do with his Path of Shadows skill. Since it was his true attribute, it merely revealed his true magical abilities, similar to how his True Nature skill revealed his true form. Besides giving him an air of intimidation and power, it seemed mostly decorative. Since it had been a while since he had taken stock of his growth, he took a look at his stats and skills. “Stat and skill window.”
Status WindowNameRemyRaceMagical Beast: PanteraLevel50TitleKing of the ForestFame/Infamy0/0Health2905Mana3130Strength105Agility155Stamina102Endurance69Wisdom63Intellect71Attack17-19Defence18Magic Resistance10%Able to speak with animals and bestial monsters
Unable to communicate with most sentient races
30% stat boost at night or in dungeons
Can learn all types of magic except holy magic
Magic-related skills improve 15% faster
Can only learn certain applicable combat skills
Combat-related skills rise 15% faster
Cannot learn crafting skills
Magical nature hidden to most players and NPCs
Can be contracted
Cannot acquire fame or infamy through traditional methods
Respawn location after death set to forest and wild areas
Quests cannot be received from sentient races, with few exceptions
Has access to unique racial skills
Can only eat raw meat for sustenance
Skill WindowMain SkillsHunter’s Gait[Lvl. 13]-Suppresses the presence and sound made during a hunt. Higher levels can suppress the hunter visually as well.Racial SkillsMystic Blood[Lvl. 18]-Allows visualization and manipulation of Mana at a primal, elemental level.
Primal Instinct[Lvl. 21](Passive)-Provides instincts that are much stronger and sharper, and gives the ability to sense danger. Skill rises as you listen to your instincts.
Wild Beast’s Constitution[Lvl.19](Passive)-Body strengthens and grows through hunting experience. Skill adds to natural defence, strength, agility, health, stamina, and durability of fangs and claws.
True Nature[MAX]-A transformation skill to unlock your original form.
Path of Shadows[Lvl. 1]-Skillset that includes various types of shadow, illusion, and dark magic.
[Unlocked at Lvl. 100]
[Unlocked at Lvl. 200]
He turned back to Annabeth who was frolicking by the edge of the pond. He laughed inwardly at her antics and joined her in playing about. They ran around the woods for a while longer, before they had to get back home. He let her ride back on his back again, and they stopped well before they exited the treeline. It wouldn’t do to have anyone witness him in his transformed state. Once he let her off his back, he returned to his housecat form, and followed Annabeth back home.
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It was still pretty early in the day, but Annabeth had chores to do. Since there was nowhere he needed to be, he decided to follow after her. It was when they got to the path that led up to their farm that they spotted something out of place.
A wagon was there, that was hitched up to two horses. The wagon itself wasn’t anything special or extravagant, but he could tell that the horses were of good quality. Big, strong, and they had a healthy, shiny coat with powerfully defined muscles. They weren’t the type of horse one would expect to find on a farm.
Curious, Annabeth raced inside her home, with Remy hot on her trail. When they got inside the living room, they saw her father glaring at woman who sat across from him. Beside her was a younger woman, who looked extraordinarily like Annabeth and her mother.
“Amelia!” Annabeth exclaimed excitedly and raced over to hug the younger woman.
“Annabeth,” Amelia said warmly. “Look at you, you’ve grown so big in the time I’ve been away.”
Annabeth giggled and grinned at the remark. “I’ve missed you a lot, are you coming back home now?”
“Annabeth,” her father said sharply. “I know you’re excited to see your sister, but you can speak with her a little later. We have something we need to discuss. Perhaps you should finish up your chores in the meantime.”
Disappointed, Annabeth trudged out of the room sulkily. Remy on the other hand decided to stay right where he was and observe the situation. He hadn’t known of another sister in the family, and was curious as to where she had been, why the parents were so upset, and just who the stranger was. He crept around behind the large couch so that he could hear the conversation. While he ewes there, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth peaking around the edge of the doorframe to listen as he did.
The mother was sitting beside her husband, her brows drawn in worry. “Amelia, you have to understand that this is a lot to take in. I mean one minute you’re an apprentice to a tailor, and then you suddenly return home and announce that you’re joining the Vanishing Forest sect. You can see why we would worry.”
“Mother, there’s no need to be concerned. You know that I’ve always been taken with the idea of being part of a sect. And the sect itself is quite safe and secure. In fact you know that it’s quite close to our village. It’s a good place, filled with wonder and excitement.”
“It’s also a very dangerous place to be. Despite the fact that it’s a decent and honourable sect, to the rest of the world it’s just another heretic sect,” the father growled. “If any of the other factions catch wind that you’re a part of them, they’ll have no qualms about killing you.”
The other older woman started speaking with a smooth, even tone in an attempt to calm the situation down. “Now Mister and Missus Denton, I can understand why you would be concerned, but trust me when I say that on the whole, our sect is a very safe place to be. Now I may not have a daughter myself but-“
“That’s right, you don’t have a daughter, so you don’t know what it’s like to be in our situation,” the father cut in vehemently. “Half the world thinks that your entire group is a bunch of bloodthirsty, inhumane psychopaths, and would like nothing more than to see you all wiped from the face of the earth.” His voice rose as he continued to speak. “Eventually, she’ll have to fight in life or death battles against monsters and other sects, and it’s more than possible that she’ll die as a result, so you’re damn right I’m concerned!”
In spite of his fury, the woman didn’t flinch or back down. She must have experienced this kind of situation before. “You’re right that it’s dangerous, and that many people don’t understand us. However the reason we do what we do regardless of that fact is to protect the territory we’re in charge of, to defend against invasions and attacks of any nature, so that we can prosper and live in freedom. Your daughter was chosen because she has the spark within her to become a strong and capable guardian. Not only that, but this was her dream anyway. So in spite of all that, will you still deny her the chance to achieve glory?”
“Father, I know you’re worried, but I will join this sect and become a strong warrior. It is my right, and my choice to do so.” She didn’t yell or rage like her father, but her voice held quiet steel behind it, as she was determined and set on her goal.
Her father must have sensed her resolve, since his angry countenance crumpled, and he sagged into his seat. He gave a long weary sigh, at the inevitable fact that he had to let his daughter do as she wished, regardless of the danger to her well-being. “Alright, I won’t fight you on this. But you have to promise me, that you’ll stay safe and healthy.”
“I will father,” Amelia said with watery eyes, as she crossed the room to hug her parents.
“You be careful my daughter. At least try to stay out of danger,” her mother said worriedly.
“I’ll do my best, I promise.” Once the tearful hugs were exchanged, Amelia left the room to speak with her sister. Annabeth had since left her spot and went up to her room. Remy decided to follow after them.
He padded up the stairs and skirted around Amelia to jump up onto the bed beside Annabeth. Annabeth was sitting there hunched around a pillow. Amelia took one look at her posture and smiled. “You were eavesdropping on our conversation, weren’t you?”
Annabeth looked up at her with tears in her eyes. “Is where you’re going really that dangerous?”
Amelia hesitated before answering, choosing her words carefully. “It isn’t totally safe to be sure, but it isn’t terribly dangerous either. It’s…complicated. But you can be sure that I’ll do my best to stay safe. Now come on, give your big sister a hug before she has to go away.”
Annabeth wiped her tears away and hugged her sister fiercely. “When do you have to go?”
“We have to leave pretty soon, so I’d say in about an hour or so. Andrew’s away at his apprenticeship, so I can’t see him off, but I still need to say goodbye to Matthew. But before I do that, perhaps you can introduce me to your new friend.”
Annabeth smiled and rubbed Remy’s head. “His name is Shadow. He’s really nice and strong.”
Amelia laughed and rubbed his fur as well. “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
“Amelia, when you go to the sect, what kind of fighting will you learn from them?”
“Well, I don’t really know that for sure. I don’t know what kind of weapon I’ll be using, or if I’ll be fighting from a distance or close up. But I do know that eventually I’ll get an animal companion.”
“Like Shadow?”
“Not exactly. It’s all very complicated, and even I’m not too sure about the details. The woman who recruited me, Ms. Larin, has a wolf as a companion.”
Hearing that, Annabeth had a thoughtful look on her face. “Okay, you should probably say bye to Matthew.” After kissing her sister on the forehead, Amelia left the room to say goodbye to her younger brother.
Once she was gone, Annabeth looked at Remy in consideration. “Shadow, I know you’re smart and can understand what everyone was talking about, so would you go with Amelia. I know you’re strong, and can protect her, and maybe when she gets strong enough, you can be her companion. You don’t have to stay there forever, maybe you can look after her for a few weeks?” She looked at him with a pleading expression on her face.
Animal Companion
Annabeth has asked that you go with her sister Amelia and keep an eye on her. While in all likelihood that chances or encountering danger is rather low, she would feel more at ease if you were looking out for her. Escort her to the sect, and spend at least a month looking over her.
Difficulty: F
Rewards: Increased familiarity with Amelia, unrestricted access to the Vanishing Forest sect’s compound.
He wasn’t all that sure if he wanted to be tied down to anyone by a contract or familiar bond, but in this case it looked like that wasn’t part of the quest. While it was an easy request, and which had extraordinary rewards, he was still hesitant about accepting. Regardless of everything he could learn at the sect, he had become comfortable here. He didn’t want to leave the village, or the farm…or the family. There was a quiet joy in a peaceful life, and he didn’t really want to give it up.
However, it was Annabeth you had asked this of him. She wasn’t just a friend, she was the younger sister he had never had. She was worried about her sister, and was depending on him to make that fear go away. In that kind of situation, there was only one decision that he could make.
You have accepted the quest!
“Really Shadow? Thank you so much!” She hugged him fiercely, burying her face into his fur. “I’m going to miss you Shadow, but I know that you’ll keep Amelia safe.” He could feel her tears drip down onto his fur, and was at a loss for what to do. Once he was gone, she would certainly miss him, and he didn’t want her to be unduly saddened. Then with a flash of inspiration, he had an idea. After wriggling free from Annabeth, he left the farm and raced to the outskirts of the village.
In his time at the village, he had come to know all the animals that lived there. He had become the unofficial boss of those creatures, and knew of one creature that could be of use in this situation. He came to an old, abandoned shed and went inside. A small, black and grey kitten was lying curled up on the floor.
He was fairly young, having been abandoned by his parents. Despite that, he managed to survive on his own for quite some time. Remy also checked in with him every so often and brought him some extra food to eat.
Having seen Remy, the kitten bounded over to him and nuzzled at him. Ash, as Remy had taken to calling him, had a bit of hero-worship going on, and looked at Remy as an older brother of sorts. “Boss, what do here? Bring food?” He was also a fair bit smarter than other animals, since Remy had taken to teaching him.
“No, but I want to bring you somewhere. If things work out, you won’t really have to worry about food.”
Eager to see what he was talking about, Ash followed Remy as he went back to the farm. They made their inside and scented Annabeth in the kitchen. She was alone there washing the dishes as part of her chores. Remy bounded up to her and announced his presence.
“Shadow, who’s this?” She picked Ash up and stroked his fur. He was a fair bit smaller than Remy, being so young. Remy merely meowed and scratched at his collar. Understanding dawned into Annabeth’s eyes. “Oh, you want him to take over as the house pet.” She bent down and hugged him as well, touched at his kind gesture. Then excitedly she asked, “is he special like you?”
Remy shook his head, deflating her hopes. She looked a bit disappointed, but that was quickly gone as she doted over Ash. She set Ash on the ground next to Remy, and bent to unfasten the collar from around Remy’s neck. She then fastened it around Ash’s neck, tightening the collar so it could fit his smaller frame.
“Boss, what happen? Who human?” Ash was a bit confused as to what was happening.
“This is your new boss and master. Be good to her and follow her instructions, and she’ll be good to you. You’ll have food, shelter, and a family. Understand?”
“Yes boss, this new boss.” Ash was excited, he had always wanted a family like other dogs and house cats. Remy knew that he was a good, intelligent and well-behaved cat, who could hunt for food nearby, and be a good companion for Annabeth. He was going to fit in just fine.
“Shadow, Amelia’s leaving soon, so we have to go now. Shadow II, you stay here okay?”
Picking up Remy, Annabeth raced outside to where Amelia and her recruiter were setting up to leave. The rest of the family was outside too, there to see them off. Annabeth ran up to the wagon and cried out, “Amelia! Here, take Shadow with you.”
Amelia was taken aback by the whole situation. “Annabeth? What are you talking about? That’s your pet, isn’t it?”
“Not anymore. You’ll be safe if Shadow’s with you. You can trust him, he’s strong enough to protect you.”
Amelia was still puzzled by the whole affair, and looked like she was going to refuse. “Listen Annabeth-”
“Please. Take him with you.” Taken by surprise at the determined tone in her voice, Amelia stopped arguing. Finally, after giving a long sigh, she accepted.
“Alright, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll take him along.” She lifted Remy up and placed him in the wagon. There was a blue furred wolf lying down in the back of the wagon, and Remy was placed next to him.
“Come on, it’s time to get going,” Ms. Larin said to Amelia.
After saying their final goodbyes to one another, Amelia climbed in to the wagon next to Ms. Larin and Remy, and they left the farm. “Goodbye Shadow, I’ll miss you!” Annabeth cried out her goodbye as they left.
Goodbye, Annabeth, I’ll miss you too.
Ms. Larin snapped the reins of the horses, and sent them into a gallop. The wagon rolled away quickly, until the figures of the family he had come to know and love faded away into the distance, and until even the large house was but a smudge on the horizon.
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The ride to the sect’s main compound was a long one. For hours, they rode across the rough trail left behind by hundreds of other travellers, until eventually even that went away, and they had to ride over the uneven ground of the untouched earth.
They stopped only once or twice, and that was only for long enough to eat and give the horses some time to rest. By sundown, they reached their destination, a city built near the base of a mountain. They could see the giant walls that protected and surrounded the city, and rode up to the main gates.
When Ms. Larin flashed a glowing bronze talisman at the guards there, they waved them through without any hassle. The city itself was incredible. After spending so long inside a small village, Remy wasn’t expecting the noise and bustle of an enormous city.
There were more people in one block than there was in the entire village he came from. The houses were smaller, but the buildings were bigger. They towered over the city, made of brick and stone. The roads were paved and set with smooth stones, and the stores were still open and busy.
As they rode slowly through the large streets, Remy and Amelia took in the sights. Everything was new and different. The clothes, the food, really everything and anything there was of the highest quality. There was a general sense of wealth around the city.
Eventually they rode through the city, until they came to the base of the mountain. A road curved along the side of that mountain, until it came to a flat clearing a fair distance off the ground. The clearing itself wasn’t that large, and it ended in a small gate that was built into the side of the mountain.
Another guard was standing by this gate, weapon in hand. He was muscular, and in his thirties, with black hair shorn close to his scalp. He had an easy smile on his face as he noticed the wagon’s approach. “Tamara, back again with a new apprentice?”
Ms. Larin, or Tamara, smiled back at the guard. “Hello Frederick, I picked this one up on the way back. Now are you going to let us through or not?”
Still grinning, Frederick pulled open the gate and waved them through. The open gate revealed a passageway cut into the mountain. It was large enough that three wagons could enter side by side, with torches hung on the walls for illumination.
They rode through the tunnel until they reached the other side. The sight as they exited was breathtaking. It was no cave or cavern that they found themselves in. Instead, the mountain itself hollowed out into a giant bowl, the sides reaching high up in the air, while the inside was large enough to hold a small city.
The land inside the mountain was filled with trees and stone, looking as if a forest was transplanted up there. As the wagon descended down the road, Remy and Amelia gawked at the buildings interspaced between the trees. Unlike villages and cities, the ground between them wasn’t levelled or stripped of trees. Instead it looked as if the buildings were built right in the middle of the forest without any care as to city-planning.
Once they arrived before one of the smaller, round houses, Tamara hitched the horses and wagon to a post and called Amelia to follow her inside. Since she thought Remy was an ordinary housecat, Amelia scooped him up in her arms and carried him in with her. She probably thought he would wander off and get lost if left on his own.
The house was exactly that, a house. It wasn’t a meeting place or training hall, but rather a place to live in. The kitchen was right next to the main entrance, and once they stepped inside, they were greeted by the scents of roasting meat and sizzling vegetables.
“I’ll be with you in just a minute, we wouldn’t want the food to get burnt.” A middle-aged man was at the fireplace, stirring a pan full of chopped vegetable. His black hair was streaked with silver, and yet he had a body that exuded strength and power.
Tamara gestured to Amelia to take a seat at the table, as they waited for the man to finish cooking. After a minute or two, the man brought the food over to the table. One bowl was filled with rice, while another had vegetables. The last platter was covered with thick cuts of pink meat that was dripping with juices and giving off steam. To Remy, the scent was intoxicating, more so than any of the animals he slaughtered and devoured.
“Go on, help yourselves. I’m sure that you’re sorely in need of a good meal by now.”
With permission given from the older gentleman, Tamara had no qualms about taking a plate and loading it with food. Amelia was more hesitant about taking the food, but she couldn’t hold out against the delicious fragrance that wafted up to her nose. Remy was delighted that she placed a large chunk of meat on a smaller plate for him, and eagerly started to devour it.
It was everything he dreamed it would taste like and more. Rich and salty, with a hint of sweetness, every bit made the juices explode inside his mouth, as the meat seemed to melt on his tongue.
For eating Magma Lizard’s meat that has been prepared by a master chef, you have received the following buffs for twenty-four hours:
+30% Health and Mana Regeneration
+20% Stamina Regeneration
+25 STR
+25 AGI
+15 INT
+10 WIS
Because it is an A-class cooking material and has been prepared by a master chef, you have permanently received 5 STR and AGI, and 5% fire resistance.
Remy was shocked at what the meat gave him. The concept of getting buffs for eating good food wasn’t all that surprising, but permanent stat increases were extraordinarily rare and expensive. It isn’t enough for the monster to be overwhelmingly powerful, they also had to have some special quality about them. For this reason, it took a great deal of luck to find creatures like this.
When he saw Amelia’s stunned face, he knew that she was taken aback by the buffs as well. What she had on her plate was probably worth enough to feed her entire family for a few years. At the stricken look she gave Remy’s plate, she must have been mortified that such an expensive piece of meat was given to a common housecat.
She tried her best to apologize for her mistake. “Sir I-”
He interrupted her as she began to speak. “Master Jarod, that’s my name. And you don’t have to worry about the food. I make it a point to give every new recruit this same meal, so a little for your cat isn’t a problem.” He grinned wryly at her, obviously having gone through similar routines with many other people. “Why I remember when Tamara was in the same spot you were. When she noticed what she was eating, she was so horrified that she spit out everything she had in her mouth and emptied her coin purse to repay me.”
Tamara flushed hotly. “Well what did you expect? People literally killed entire villages to get Magma Lizard meat, and there you were giving it to a common peasant girl. A merchant would weep if they knew of all the apprentices you gave this to for free.”
Jarod gave laughed loudly. “I have no need for excessive wealth, and I believe that good food should be shared. And besides, every new apprentice should be given a welcoming gift, and this is a pretty good one. Now, on to the task at hand. Tamara must have told you what it is we teach at our sect, so I won’t bother repeating it. You must have heard all kinds of stories about our great and powerful abilities, but you should forget about that for now. For now you need to focus on basic training. It’s hard, exhausting, and boring, but it’s also vital to learn. You’ll wake up at dawn tomorrow and work on raising your base abilities, as well as learning combat techniques.
Once you reach an acceptable level of fitness and combat readiness, you’ll start specializing in a specific style of combat, though it’ll take a few months to reach that point. Now I’m sure that you’re exhausted from the journey, and would like nothing more than to get some rest. Tamara will show you to the dorms, which will be your home away from home. Don’t worry about your cat either. We’re used to having animals here, so there shouldn’t be any issue with him staying in your room and getting food from the meal hall. Good luck.”
“Yes, thank you sir.” Amelia thanked him awkwardly, obviously overwhelmed by the pressure and newness of the situation. She seemed to be relieved to be let go.
Reluctantly, Tamara put down her silverware as well and stood up to show Amelia where her room was. They unhitched the wagon from the post, and rode it a short distance to a large building. It was a simple rectangular building with five stories. The first floor was the meal room, which was closed for now, and the other floors housed the apprentices. There must have been thirty or forty small rooms on each floor. Amelia’s room was on the fifth floor, in room 521. As expected, it was tiny, with only enough space for a small bed, a dresser, a chest, and a tiny bathroom.
Tamara helped get Amelia’s things inside and unpacked. There weren’t much there, just a couple changes of clothes and a few personal items. Once Amelia was settled, Tamara let herself out and let Amelia sleep. It had been a long day for Remy as well, so he curled up at the foot of the bed and went to sleep as well. He was eager for the day to end and for tomorrow to begin. He would try to learn everything Amelia was taught, and more.
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Jarod was finishing his dinner when Tamara returned. She nonchalantly took her earlier seat and resumed her meal, though it had cooled since she left it. “So, how is our newest apprentice doing?”
Tamara talked around a mouthful of food. “Not bad, she seemed to be settling in to the environment quite well, though it’ll take a while for her to become adjusted to all this.” She chewed slowly, savouring the meal. “You know, its meals like this that make the long arduous process of finding recruits worthwhile. Hell, it’s half the reason I agreed to do it.”
Jarod chuckled. He had always been amused at how different her public and private faces were. In public she could be cool, elegant and refined, but when she was in the company of a friend, she was the complete opposite. “Well, whatever the reason you agreed to find new recruits, I’m glad you did so. This time around you brought back someone of worth. He has such power and potential.”
Tamara wiped her hands and mouth clean from the juices. “You mean ‘she’ not he, and I didn’t think she was all that special.”
Jarod smiled mysteriously. “Well, she’s special as well. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to clean up here.”
“Oh, right, then I’ll get out of your way.” She had already forgotten the strange offhand comment he made.
Once she had left, Jarod washed the dishes quickly, using a touch of magic to speed the process along.
“You don’t really expect her to handle his power properly do you? It would be a waste if he gets chained down by someone like her. After all, she’s just a common, weak-willed human.” A woman descended the staircase as she spoke to him. She seemed to be the same age as he was, her fiery red hair threaded with strands of white and silver. Her clear blue eyes flashed at him in a glare.
“Well Celine, if I recall, I’m also a common, weak-willed human, and yet look what happened to me,” he said dryly.
Her eyes softened and she smiled slightly. “That’s a different situation, and she isn’t you.”
“Neither was I, not back then. I started out much the same as she did, except I was younger, and didn’t have the benefit of being guided by someone. Just have a little faith. Everything happens for a reason. It was fate that they were brought together, so I’ll choose to believe in her.”
“I still think you give her too much credit, but I’ll wait to see what she’s capable of. And besides, there’s always the off chance that someone more capable will come along.”
“That’s the spirit, I guess, though you could be a bit more cheery about it. It isn’t every day that you find someone of the same race as yourself.”
“Well if you recall, we do have a few children of our own, though they’re all grown up now.”
Jarod rolled his eyes at her. “I haven’t forgotten, but our children didn’t inherit your particular gifts, and I know that you would have liked to teach someone about that.”
“Yes, yes, alright. I am a little excited about finally having an apprentice of my own to teach. But that still doesn’t change the fact that you have to reign in your own excitement. Now come on, it’s getting late and I’m getting sleepy.”
Chuckling, he replied, “yes dear,” before following her up to the bedroom. Her opinions did have merit. Perhaps he was a little bit overly optimistic about the girl.
“So just out of curiosity, just how sleepy are you?”
“Well, I think I still have a little energy left in me,” she told him in a sultry tone of voice. “Do you want my ears and tail out too?”
“…What kind of question is that?"
"So that's a yes?"
"Yes dear."