Chapter Twenty-Six

Harmony unsubmerged herself from her tub. It became a nightly tradition for her to stay at The Dragonfly Inn. “I could have handled that better.”

“Oh, I think you handled that perfectly well. You don’t need to stick around a bunch of bullies just to be polite. Now scoot over, this lark has some aching wings to soak.” Ambrosia slipped into the tub with her with a long sigh of relief

“Why are you sore? I spent all day in the dungeon working myself silly.”

“Day shows, and working on new pieces with the band. Ascendant Games fever has taken root hotter than I expected. Being from Hazeldown is actually an advantage. None of them seem to care that only five from our little kingdom are getting spots in there, and the rest are from the larger evolved ones. Anyone approaching Level Twenty seems to think they can level quick enough to meet the requirements. There have already been three deaths in the dungeon.”

Harmony winced at that. She’d only just hit sixteen.

“Oh, don't worry about yourself. I’m talking about the morons. You’ve already proven yourself.“

“Have I?” Harmony asked.

“You were a level seventeen maid at the beginning of spring and managed to bring it all the way to twenty-four since you got made a lady. If you didn’t need to match it with your class so you could evolve, I’m sure it would be higher.”

“But that’s only maid work.”

Ambrosia reached across the water and poked her. “For most people, it is their profession that lags behind. Any old idiot can go into the dungeon and beat things with sticks, but very few want to put the work in.”

But she’d only pushed herself so hard because she had to. Every level did seem to relieve Hyacinth and her own issues a tad. Days were running out.

“I think I’ve figured out a technique to help me face the second floor. I’d hoped to share it with Prince Adric.”

“There you go, Harm. There’s never been a mess you haven’t figured out how to clean.”

“I haven’t tried it out on plants yet, but I’ve figured out how to damage skills.”

Ambrosia’s face went dead flat. “Don’t say another word.” The number of times Harmony had seen her friend without an expression like this was never. “Cast your silence spell so no one else can hear us.”

Harmony did. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you an idiot?”

She’d just spent the last few moments praising her and now this? “I figured it was theoretically possible. If I can damage the skills that allow plants to move then I should be able to beat them without needing to take some nasty skill like [Rot].”

“What do you know about the forbidden classes?”

A topic that held no interest for Harmony, less than that since one of those has been an option when she first got the chance to choose. “There are ten forbidden classes, Demon, Corruptor, Soul Binder, Mindflayer, Unbound, Reaper, Despot, Cupid, Time Twister, and Game Master. In some other kingdoms, there are even more and Necromancer is often included. I don’t need to know more.”

“Don’t you know why some of those are on the list?”

“I don’t care. Look, anyone with a silence skill can damage a skill. Those strike ones would probably be best. Why is this just a big deal?”

“Half those classes are on the list because they can damage or destroy skills. Reapers, Demons, Corrupted. I’m not saying not to use what you need to win, but don’t talk about it.”

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Demon. Beggar. Necromancer. Harmony’s initial choices for her class. The ones she had the greatest potential for based on her experiences. In any other kingdom, she’d probably have been forced to pick beggar or die.

“I didn’t know.” She whispered.

“Of course, you didn’t know. The temples did their best to destroy all that information.”

“How do you know?”

“Let’s just say it is why I don’t like to talk about my parents.”

Harmony let herself sink under the water again. It was the best plan she had. Demon. Would that choice option chase her forever? Would she need to acquire rot? The idea had [Recall] bring up the taste of rotten vegetables eaten out of necessity.

Arms yanked Harmony up out of the water. Ambrosia tugged her up, holding on despite the slickness between them. “Quit sulking. I only said don’t talk about it, not to stop using your new technique. Not everyone has forgotten about it, and you don’t want that getting around. Skills get damaged, but you probably don’t want to be bragging about doing it on purpose. If you weren’t a necromancer this probably wouldn’t even be an issue.”

“You’re the one who convinced me I’d done something awful.”

“Sorry. My dad was good at that. I don’t recommend having a dad as an inquisitor. He’d show up when you least expect it and make you feel bad.”

“Thanks for warning me.“ This day was turning out great, with the best thing she’d done during it possibly garnering more unwanted attention. “I hope Adric comes back soon.”

Ambrosia’s squeeze melted into a gentle hug. “I’m sure he will. We all know how tough dealing with family can be.”

Prince Adric did not show up that night. She stayed up a little later than she normally would, thumbing through Dungeon Tactics 101. Eighty percent filler dealing with group tactics, but while recommending you never go into a dungeon alone they had several situational chapters for what to do if you get separated from your party or you’re the only surviving member. Even those coached that you should always go back and leave if possible. Escape the number one priority. But between those lines, there was helpful information when you were in a situation like Harmonys' going at it alone.

Prince Adric did not show up in the morning either. He was still alive and well. This whole checking on him was a tad ridiculous. He’d spent plenty of time away from her before his big reveal. Even after, he’d go out and roam Hazeldown’s social scene, sometimes forgetting he was out running an errand, and end up out for much longer than he has so far. Yet, she was perturbed.

The wooze came charging out of the underbrush only because Harmony let it. She needed to practice against more than just immobile, helpless creatures if she wanted to make she she could use her skill-damaging strike when she really needed it. Her foot swung around propelled by [High Kick]. It felt like she was hitting a layer of pillows, but she wasn’t aiming for physical damage. Pop, the metaphysical glass shattered. The fact that she’d discovered the attack would go through the thick fur gave her more hope it would extend into more armored opponents like twiggys.

Rather than go docile, the Wooze spun around in a circle blind, deaf, and senseless. Dangit. She’d broken one of the skills, just not the one she was aiming for.

Harmony’s contemplation of what she did wrong was interrupted by the snap and crash of a tree falling in the distance. Hyacinth had his own training to complete. Using his new saw-like spurs he hunted trees to fell as he adjusted to the Gear and Wex weaponry attached to his feet. It was not his favorite kind of prey but she appreciated his dedication.

Tomorrow they could test the second floor again. It felt like it was too soon. It probably was. Insanity. She freed another tied-up wooze and readied herself again as she thought. To make this attack second nature she needed to be able to do it while distracted or panicked. Focusing only on dirty tasks was a recipe for burning out if you couldn’t let your mind wander while cleaning attics, scrubbing Tyler’s rooms, or taking care of shit.

The Ascendant Games didn’t matter, but it was a fine excuse for pressure to evolve. It kept her valuable. Got resources given to her. Allowed for the support she needed to resolve her issues and save Hyacinth from the pain her authority was putting on him. And the consequences of not participating? They’d take it all away. It would also be ridiculous to think she could compete, wouldn't it?

Pop. She released another wooze. Only two left before the brood mother.

Harmony let her mind wander more. Prince Adric, Ambrosia was right that he’d grow on her. Hell, Ambrosia and Bates were now contracted to work for her. It took effort, power, and politics to keep them. Sir Maxwell standing up for her honor, bah. Even that pink lout was slowly getting a foothold with her staff.

Pop. [Mend] quickly sealed up where she’d let claws hit one of the bare spots on her thigh. Release.

They weren’t one-sided responsibilities. Take care of them and they’ll take care of you. A tree crashed in the distance. Partners like Hyacinth. You didn’t abandon them when things got rough or if they made a choice you didn’t agree with. When their flaws might ruin your career. You didn’t send them to the streets for being who they are. If Adric wanted to deal with his family he didn’t need to do it alone.

Pop. The last wooze fell.