Deep in the woods, nestled next to a grand heart-tree was a magically fortified city. The ancient oak had been home to the elusive Fae for many generations. While they had lost their immortality, they kept their innate skills in magic. The vast city had everything within its walls. Various [[Druid]]’s kept the farms and livestock healthy, [[Woodsinger]]’s watched over their respective tree, and [[Magitek Architect]]’s had changed the landscape into a near utopia. However; for all their achievements, they had one glaring drawback–-They were Tiny.

It wasn’t like the city was reclusive, far from it. They were the producers of the purest form of magical goods. Their connection to the leylines combined with miniscule size allowed for unparalleled runework. Other districts could refine and purify alchemical compounds for export. Yet, it was for their own safety that they stayed in these communes. All it took was a stray cat or hungry rat to snuff out their lives. Not to mention the crushing step of an unaware big is always a looming threat. In here, it was Fae paradise. However, for a few it was never enough.

Atyn was one such Fae. His lineage had hints of a beastman, resulting in raccoon ears and tail. The starry-eyed [[Healer]] crawled out of bed and opened his magical journal. The artifact took nearly 8 months of savings but he cherished it. As the pages shifted, pictures and words coalesced . The relic was linked to the International Adventure’s Bulletin and updated every morning. The latest achievements, bounties, news, and more appeared. Atyn’s mind roamed as he read through the daily update. The little Fae longs to join an Adventuring team, to explore the world, to become famous, and see his name in the top 100. While his ambitions were lofty, he knew it was nigh impossible. At his size, he was a nuisance, a liability. One measly kick and he could die. He couldn’t even beat a low level slime, let alone a bandit. Without a coordinate group of highly trained [[Fae-Guard]]s –he was nothing but a snack.

Atyn sighed and shook off the negative thoughts. Getting dressed, he left his apartment to start the next dull day. Atyn decided to train in healing and enhancement, even for Fae non-clerical healing was tough. Very few had the fortitude to take on the [[Healer]] class. Some nights he could barely move after grinding up and infusing balms with magic. His brain fried as he learned the counter-magics to the common diseases. The stress of studying anatomy to properly set bone and suture a wound. But while rigorous, he truly loved it. During his off hours, he apprenticed under a [[Aegiscaster]]. To him, the best healing was never getting hurt in the first place. He focused on learning enhancements; various barriers, buffing spells, and even a few tricks disrupt attackers. Each day he pushed himself to the very limits. Returning home, bruised and exhausted.

However, today was different. Senac approached Atyn during his training. The massive [[Fae-Guard Lieutenant]] was raw muscle. His uniform perfectly fit to accent his superior physique. A custom runeblade hung at his side, the toothpick size weapon enchanted to cut as far as a dagger. It was a rare weapon that came from the vaults, gifted as a reward for his heroic achievements. Senac grabbed Atyn in a tight bear hug and lifted him into the air.

“Mate, I have news!” he said, holding the kicking apprentice.

“You go on your first patrol tomorrow morning!” Senac tossed his friend across the room. He always loved roughing up the recruits.

“Wait really! I get to go outside the barrier?” Atyn couldn’t hold back his excitement as he dusted off his clothes.

“You got it! I pulled a few strings to get you out early. Hopefully this will let you level faster. I remember when I was ready to see the world. Enjoy it as much as I did" Senac stretched out a bit, muscles still sore from morning training.

Senac watched his friend’s reaction and smiled. He lived for these moments, the joy in those he protected. It made all his struggles worth it. He hoped Atyn would learn the same.

“Now remember, if you see any danger you hide, then flee. The guardsmen should be able to handle anything but I can’t promise. Life is hard for our kind, never forget that” Senac shut the door as he left the mediation alcove.

Atyn was about to jump out of his skin. This was the first time he could ever leave the barrier. What was it like in the real world? This was everything he had dreamed of, all of it coming together. Rushing back home, he quickly packed his bag. The container was overstuffed with various objects; Channeling wand, journal, poultices and balms, potions, whatever he thought could be of use. He didn’t want to disappoint the team on his first outside excursion.

Atyn was the 9th member on the scout team. This was going to be a weekend trip to test a new region for magicite. Their cartographer had mapped out the route and pulled his aether sensors. Atyn was shaking in excitement when another patted his back.

“I remember my first time. Take a deep breath, it’ll get boring after a while” He flashed a grin.

Atyn didn’t care, he would never get bored. His mind was racing as the gates opened and he took the first steps out of paradise. Then the heat hit. Immediately he realized he overpacked. Being in the jungle, the region was hot, humid, and muggy. He began to sweat and his nose flared as an unpleasant stench hit the nose. The others laughed and teased, but Atyn didn’t care. He knew it was going to be rough and pushed through the discomfort. After a few more moments, their leader signaled to move and Atyn followed.

The ground was lumpy and difficult to navigate. Their leader carefully routing around massive mud-pits, setting up repels to cross over fallen logs, and hiding under foliage as birds flew overhead. Yet even with all the hardship. Atyn was the happiest he had been. This was the first step into his adventuring lifestyle and he was going to record every moment. The fae was so enthralled by nature he didn’t even realize they had reached their destination.

The group slowly set up camp around an unassuming rockpile. Even Atyn could feel his skin tingle being this close to magicite. The material was extremely rare and was the backbone of many grand projects. The stone gathered ambient aether and could be quickly recharged at will. The top craftsmen incorporated it into their projects and could turn an unassuming object into a magical powerhouse. Atyn sat and slowly wrote down all he had seen on his journey. Doodling and drawing the various plant life, fungi, critters, and more. His hand cramping from all the scribbles. A blaring horn disrupted his thoughts and his head shot up.

“WILDLIFE INCOMING”

Panic filled him as he saw a frog burst through the brush. The beast was almost twice the size of their largest member. Atyn quickly fled towards the backline and froze.

“ATYN STRENGTHEN” He heard their leader call out.

He took a few breaths, focus. But he couldn’t get his body to react.

“ATYN”

He felt the commander’s skill take hold and the tremors slow. With the fear quenched, he began chanting. A glow formed around two of the guardsmen. The incarnation finishing right as a sticky tongue lashed out and swallowed the first guard.

“By the gods” He nearly fainted from the sight. One of his fellow scouts held him by the collar.

It was at that moment that Atyn realized this wasn’t just a game. But instead of fleeing, his resolve strengthened. He needed to do more. With renewed vigor, Atyn began another spell. He flicked his hand and a cloud of dust rose up–blinding the beast for a moment. That small distraction gave an opening for the second guard to rush the frog. Raising his sword, the guardsman stabbed into the belly, green viscera poured out from the wound causing him to slip. Injured, the frog became more aggressive. Jumping high, the beast flew overhead and fell towards Atyn. With nowhere to dodge he spoke.

[[Quick-Cast]]

[[Stone Body]]

And he froze. The skill hardened the skin, but made him immobile. As the hefty creature slammed down, he felt the spell nearly shattered. He couldn’t see what was happening, just heard the shouts of the others as they attacked. The minutes passed and soon he was rescued. He let the spell terminate and nearly collapsed in exhaustion. His clothes stained from the blood.

“Fuck frogs” The devoured man had minor burns from the gastric juices but was relatively fine.

“You did good, now close your eyes” Another said to Atyn.

The mage conjured a jet of water to help wash off the slimy liquid as they rest returned to camp. Atyn sat on a twig and downed two mana potions. He had overexerted himself and would feel the effects of mana-burn later. Between buffing his team and maintaining [[Stone body]], he had drained his reserves.

The others patted him on the back and congratulated him on his very first encounter. Atyn weakly smiled, even exhausted he felt…weirdly invigorated. Was this how adventures felt when they took down a boss? Atyn stayed a bit behind to make note of the twitching beast. It took a long time for the frog to perish but Atyn was oddly curious. He took some samples of the saliva, blood, and skin. Once home, he would see if there was anything he could concoct. Climbing up the frog’s back, he went to extract some cerebral fluid.

“OOF” He felt the wind rush out of his lungs as something slammed into his back.

His vision turned hazy as vertigo made him lightheaded. Looking around, he realized he was no longer in the forest. It didn’t take long to understand what happened. A large bird had seen the frog and snatched the easy meal. Atyn started to panic as he saw the ground drift further away. Grabbing his rope and dagger, he quickly secured himself to the frog’s back.

“No no no no no” Atyn panicked

This was the end. Even if he were to escape, how would he survive in the wilderness? It took a whole squadron to take down a frog. He thought about attacking the bird from below. Then looked back at the ground…that might not be the best idea. He was kicking himself for never learning the message spell. It was such a simple cantrip but he was too focused on other things.

SCHUNK

He glanced up at the sound and screamed.

An arrow had pierced the creature's breast, instantly killing it. Atyn held onto the rope as the ground rushed to greet him. He prayed to every god as his life flashed before his eyes. This was a stupid idea. This should have never been done. He could be in paradise learning art. Instead he was going to die on the first day out of the city. Closing his eyes and waiting for the end he felt a hard…

THUD

The wind was knocked out of him as the frog liquified on impact. Everything hurt and he was sure something was broken, yet he wasn’t dead. The bulk of the forces were absorbed by aquatic creature cushioning the fall. He didn’t move, he just laid there. The weight of the slain bird pressing him against frog flesh. His heart felt like it was going to explode. Suddenly, it all caught up and he screamed. Just raw emotion leaving his body as he realized he was alive. That utter fear turned into exhilaration. As long as he was breathing, he could make it back. However, the feeling quickly left as he heard the rustling in the distance. He froze up and didn’t move a muscle. It was then the weight lifted and sunlight flooded in. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust but Atyn saw the face of a massive ork.

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Atyn was terrified of the tusked-mouth titan. The Fae and Ork were once mortal enemies and sometimes that resentment carried to today. Without any witnesses around, Atym wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He flinched as the calloused hand reached out and gently untangled his body from the critters. The hard skin like fine sandpaper and scratching his own delicate flesh. An intense scent of musk filled his nose as the grimy appendage wrapped around him. He was trembling, the slightest squeeze and it was over. However instead, he was brought up to the face of the titan.

The ork carefully investigated the tiny man. A curious look on his brow as he opened his palm and stared. Suddenly, a grin stretched across his face revealing a toothy smile.

“THE NAMES URIM” he said, a bit of spittle shooting from between his lips.

Atyn held his ears in pain. The loud, bassy voice echoing in his head. The ork noticed and quickly frowned.

“Sorry, names Urim” he whispered.

“Pardon my manners, I have never seen a tiny folk before. I didn’t realize you were that fragile. What are you doing all the way out here?” He reached into his bag and pulled out some rations. He dropped a bit of a nut into his palm as a peace offering.

Realizing he wasn’t in danger. Atyn broke down. All those near death experiences hitting at once. He tearfully told his story as the massive ork listened closely. Once finished, he placed Atyn onto a nearby stone and grabbed the dead bird. Strapping it to his belt, Urim offered his palm once more. Atyn stepped in and the two made their way through the woods.

“Sorry about all that little buddy, but Urim will keep you safe now. Ya lucky my team is patrolling these woods. There has been an influx of bandits raiding these regions and we were hired to clean them out.” He rattled on about the various encampments and battles he fought.

Atyn was enthralled by the Ork. He couldn’t believe all these stories. Screw the magical journal, he was getting all the details from the source. Saving villages from undead, clearing out bandits, even playing bodyguard for royalty. It was everything he had read about and more. As if fate brought the two together. As they entered a clearing, his eyes lit up.

“Atyn, let me introduce my team!”

It was a mix of various species. Lucian rogue werewolf, Sylva a half-elf mage, Justin a human defender, Farshot a goblin archer, and of course Urim the ork barbarian. Atyn couldn’t believe it, each one were mortal enemies and yet this group stayed united. Urim spoke about how he wanted to break down the old walls and move beyond their histories. His team a prime example of it. After a few minutes of chatting, Sylva the mage approached.

“I got in contact with your city. They are sending out a rescue squad as we speak. They asked us to meet about 2 miles to the south.” she said. The elvish features gave her a soft look.

Atyn’s heart dropped at those words. Urim noticed the shift in mood and looked down at the tiny man.

“What is wrong? Don’t you want to get back to safety?” He asked while polishing his battleax.

“I…just. Can I join your team? I want to see the world and experience things no Fae has done before” Atyn replied.

“HAH! That is a funny little one. I like your spunk but what would ya do! If I could punt ya into a bloody mist, how do you think you’d fare against a direbear or a giant mantis? Let alone something smart.” Urim wasn’t trying to be mean, but Orks were also not subtle.

“But I..Please I promise I will be useful. I can…uhh

AMBUSH

The goblin shouted as his [[dangersense]] triggered. Immediately a rain of arrows flooded their encampment. Their werewolf tried to dodge but was shot in the leg. He broke off the shaft and tossed an envenomed dagger into the woods. Sylva’s eyes glowed as a wall of fire materialized, the defensive magics burning any arrows that crossed. She did her best to halt the barrage, but in her focus didn’t notice the assassin materializing behind. One quick jab and the fast acting toxin had her incapacitated. With only Farshot, Urim, and Justin still standing; they rushed in for a counter attack.

Urim screamed, unleashing his [[Barbarian’s Rage]]. Instantly the muscle thickened and eyes went bloodshot. Steam wafted from his body as he charged forth. He casually swiped his ax and beheaded the assassin on the spot. The Ork snorted and the madness-induced monster charged the next target. Arrows pelted his frame, but the hardened skin stopped any lethal blows. Justin Stood by Farshot intercepting those that tried to harm the archer. The human kept three bandits at bay while the goblin returned fire. As the three slowly engaged in battle, Atyn was left with the injured. His instincts kicked in and he ran towards Sylva.

“FLIP HER” he screamed to Lucian.

The shifter didn’t ask questions and rolled the mage onto her stomach. Atyn quickly scaled the cloth and ran towards the bloodied fabric. He pulled out his knife and began cutting away. Suddenly two massive hands appeared and tore the robe in half. Atyn glanced up and the wolfman nodded, with the wound exposed–Atyn got to work. He pulled out some vials and collected the blood. Separating it into vials, he quickly tested for the most common toxins. He knew it was an anticoagulant as the cut would not stop bleeding. His mind raced as the body started to tremble, he wasn’t sure how much more blood she could lose–then the vial turned a sickle green.

“Death’s Breath and Crimson Rivers” he muttered and pulled out his notes.

They were commonly used by low-to-mid assassins and thankfully the materials to create an antivenom. Holding up the powders. He commanded the rogue to mix it with water. Grabbing the vial, he activated another skill.

[[Bulk Infusion]]

IT was an ability that allowed his ingredients to fully incorporate into the water. He could only use it once a month, but figured this was worth it. With the concoction finished, the Rogue applied the drug to the wound. To assist in the healing, Atyn used a second skill.

[[Extract Toxin]]

and pulled out the poison that affected deeper tissue. A malignant, goopy liquid flowed down the skin as the toxin was siphoned out. Slowly, color re-entered her skin and she opened her eyes. The werewolf grabbed Atyn as Sylva stood. She held a palm on the incision and cauterized the wound shut. Glancing up, she nodded in thanks then stumbled towards the fight. Atyn only hoped the patch-job would hold.

His eyes were bloodshot and his body was fighting him. The magical backlash was starting to hurt but he couldn’t stop. Even if it cost him his life, these people rescued him. It was the only way he could give back. He nearly vomited as he chugged another mana potion. His blood burning forced him to a knee. These potions were only to be used sparingly and Atyn had already passed the safe limits.

“I’ve seen this in Sylva little man, you need to rest” But the fae wasn’t listening

“You need to pull this out” He pointed at the arrow,

“I can’t or I’ll bleed. Damage is too deep for potion to heal right” a coarse voice left his throat.

“TRUST ME” Atyn countered.

They stared at each other briefly but the werewolf gave in. He let out a howl of pain as he pushed the wooden stake through his leg. He wasn’t sure why, but he trusted the little guy. Bringing the Fae down to the bleeding wound. Atyn quickly got to work.

[[Minor Light]]

Even a basic light spell was hard to cast. His body was covered in warm blood as he reached in and felt for any damaged arteries. Thankfully, the arrow missed and this just looked worse than it was.

[[Mend Wound]] he muttered

It wouldn’t fix the injury but he carefully channeled his magic and repaired larger blood vessels. All those anatomy classes finally paid off as he magically fused the broken veins and damaged muscle. As the time passed, the bleeding slowed to a trickle.

“POTION” he screamed and Lucian swallowed it down.

With the framework repaired, the potion did the rest. A red scar formed on the calf, and the rogue put a bit of weight on it. Satisfied, he glanced down and saw the Fae man unconscious in the grass. Carefully, he put the [[Healer]] in a pouch and ran off.

Atyn screamed as he was shaken awake. The bloodied face of Lucian filled the sky. Tears were flowing down the hairy face as he cried out.

“URIM NEEDS YOU” he quickly ran back to the battlefield

Bloody corpses of the bandits littered the region and at the center of the massacre was an unconscious ork. Dozens of deep slashes covered his body and pieces of wood stuck out of the flesh. His breathing was slowed and the blood loss muddied the ground beneath him. This was bad. The ork was only a few moments from death. Atyn started to panic, but the eyes of the rest of the squad were on him. Swallowing away his fears. He started giving orders.

The group didn’t question the [[Healer]] and did their best to assist. The first step was to stop the blood loss. He could worry about poison later. Unlike Lucian, these were much deeper cuts.

[[Extend Air]]

Sylva casted as she watched Atyn crawl into the bloody wound. He couldn’t see anything within the bloody interior and had to work with touch. Finding the first broken artery, he grabbed both ends and held it together.

[[Mend Wounds]]

Crawling out he took a deep breath and signed to the next injury. Justin couldn’t watch as the Fae burrowed out of the open cut and vomited to the side. This was horrifying.

“POTION” Atyn called out

Farshot poured a potion on another gash held together by Lucian. One by one, he worked his way across the ork. His legs began to seize up and Lucian had to carry him to the next wound. He was beyond the limits, his body breaking down to fuel the spells. The mana potions did nothing at this point and he was teetering on death. But he wouldn’t give up. Soon he felt his arm go limp.

“ATYN STOP” Sylva cried out, realizing what the little guy was doing.

This man saved him from certain death. Atyn could feel blood leaking from his nose, the droplets falling onto the green skin beneath him. As he crawled over to the final wound on the ork’s chest. He collapsed. At least he went out doing one good deed.

Atyn wasn’t sure how long he was out. Just as he stirred he could feel the ground beneath him. A deep rumble and a chuckle flooded his senses.

“Well looks like somebody is done with their afternoon nap! Best pillows in town I’d say” Urim said as he flexed his pecs.

Atyn was launched between the two muscles letting out a cry of pain.

“Oops, Sylva did say not to touch you. Apparently Mana burn is a dangerous thing. She wasn’t sure if you were going to make it” Urim said.

Atyn just laid there on the chest of his savior. The warmth of the body flooding into his own. He wanted to say something, but was too damaged to speak. The massive ork just reached out with a bandaged hand and rested it on top of him.

“Sleep, you did good” Urim said and sleep he did.

Atyn awoke once more as Lucian entered the tent. The rugged man scoffed at him and pulled out a tiny thimble. In his hand a bottle appeared and he poured a few drops into it. Placing it next to Atyn he mumbled…

“Thanks” and left.

Atyn took a sip gagged as the cheap liquor burned his throat . He finally felt better and glanced back at the drooling ork. It took some effort but he was able to get to his feet. He needed to move and get blood back to the legs. As he stumbled across the furry chest, thousands of needles pricked the skin. The magical backlash was in full force and wasn’t sure how long it would take to recover. Atyn watched the lungs expand and contract. A soothing rocking that helped him rest. Yet his movements must have awakened the big guy and soon he was lifted into the sky. Dangling by his leg, Urim spoke.

“AHH YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE!”

Atyn grimaced at the sound.

“Oh sorry, my team and I were talking while you were asleep. You wanna join!” That goofy grin appeared once more and Atyn’s heart fluttered. He quickly nodded his head yes and Urim tossed him into the air.

Snatching him in his fist, he opened the tent.

“OW OW OW OW” Atyn screamed, the ork really didn’t get his size

“Ooops sorry, keep forgot’n yall are fragile. OOOOOH right mana burn my bad…Don’t tell Sylva please she already knocked me once” He chuckled and left the tent, Atyn in hand.

“Sylva! call off the rescue squad, we got a new member!” The team cheered

“And I have the perfect spot for you!” Urim said as he lifted a loop from his waist. With care, he dropped Atyn into the container and left the top loose.

“Hold on tight” he said with a grin. Atyn couldn’t be happier.

Classes Lost

[Healer]] Level 14

[[Apprentice Aegiscaster]] Level 4

[[Alchemist]] Level 9

–New Class Obtained–

[[Pocket Healer]] Level 14