"Oh Mighty Cuigwaknyan Sovereign of the Twelve Winds, I thank you for your mercy but I cannot offer you tribute or forgiveness for what you have done. Today you will learn that it may be true that the shepherd is humble but mighty is her flock."- Scriptures of the Holy Eight, Book of Isabeth the Shepherd Queen
Those words had been some of the first I had read on my own after I had mastered enough of the Hekatonian script to read the holy text of the Church of the Octahedron. My early reading of a random chapter of a random book of the Scriptures had netted me those words. After reading them, I had been forced to wonder if it was some sort of parallel evolution, cultural contamination, or the influence of the systematic framework of this world that had made one of its great ancient heroes a Shepherd Queen.
As I read through the description of the Shepherd class on my class screen I quickly realized it must have been something more symbiotic.
That same quote provided a sudden new flavor above the class description. Directly above the quote was a bitmap image in shades of green and black depicting Isabeth the Queen of Shepherds confronting a savage-looking lizard man in a loincloth. The loincloth combined with the size and tone of his muscles made him look like an iguana version of Arnold Swartzeneggar. He loomed and she stood her ground.
Were there truly lizard men? Was it the system pulling my leg? Or was it just some artistic representation of some famous Hekatonian painting I had never seen? Perhaps an artistic representation of the tale in the scripture itself? I had no way of knowing but after opening the class to purchase that had been what I saw.
I read through the rest of the prompt window now.
[[ Class: Shepherd– Trust the eyes of a ranger but the perception of a shepherd. The Shepherd class is a warrior class that specializes in staff fighting, slingshots, thrown weapons, and strategy. Shepherds modify the effects of the guard trait “Eyes of the Watcher” to provide more information. Additional traits, abilities, and techniques await mastery.
Unlock Method: Skill ranking of ten points in either the Analysis skill or the Staff Fighting skill and a skill rating of at least five in staff fighting or analysis. Additionally, select actions may award class unlock OR a wisdom stat of 40 or higher.
Experience to the next level? 10 ]]
With that done, and David and Alek patiently waiting for me to go through the process of purchasing the class and taking in what it provided, I summoned information about the trait in question by focusing on it in my mind. It felt like thinking the word ice cream until it manifested in your hands but with no vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry granted from the endeavor. Soon a prompt window for the trait Eyes of the Watcher appeared.
I read over the parts that I had already taken in before but took in the aforementioned modifications. Firstly, it could be toggled into an always active no focus required mode at the cost of mana – which I was not sure I had. Secondly, and more importantly? It showed the health of opponents and once after six hits had landed in a battle, I could determine the elemental weaknesses of opposing monsters.
I punched the ground and almost let out a primal scream at those words and took in what they meant. Instead of my scream I took in deep breaths and tried to control the energy, excitement, and anger I felt at taking in those words. Firstly, Charles deserved another punch in the head because if he was not directly lying to me he was certainly misleading me. Entire species of a particular monster might have elemental weakness, but certainly individual monsters did.
My glorified rock-paper-scissors dreams were a go!
How would this work alongside the hitboxes that occasionally appeared with Strange Ways, when I had the Outsider class activated or finally grew it to the point I could use the trait with any class?
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I took control of my musings and banished them to the shadow realm, I could come back to the ramifications and synergies of my abilities later. There was still work to do,
“Sorry about making you wait while I took that in, but it’s done now. Also, Alek, I want you to know I feel the urge to both thank you and punch you. Thanks for convincing me to pick up Shepherd, but dang why didn’t you tell me before about its benefits?”
He simply grinned. “Something I heard about railroads and tutorials you babbled at Archpriestess Lowbridge. So I was a little afraid of offering to be any kind of tutor. Granddad, what’s a railroad?”
“Never heard of one, Alek. Maybe it’s like those rails at the bowling alley to stop a ball from flying the wrong way or out of your lane?”
“There’s a bowling alley?” I sputtered.
“Of course, it’s a fun game after all. Gives a place to take the whole family to too.”
I had been here for nearly six months of Earth-time now, and not even once had anyone mentioned a bowling alley or taken me to one. I frowned.
“Don’t get that sour look, Wade. You’re always giving people that look when you go to the proverbial fish and chips shop looking for a scoop of ice cream. You’re allowed to ask directions.” Alek remarked.
I got up and chased him. Eight or Nine physically or not, I was too old to be pranked and teased by some barely teenage yet somehow older than me twerp!
****
Elsewhere
Lord Charles Darville gloured across the lantern-lit darkness of the lowest levels of Tidewarren Castle. Where he stood now, he was far below the city of Strongbridge. The flow of rushing water could be heard further down the corridor and that still did not drown out the litany of curses that came from the large built and bushy-bearded bald man that was the Baron of Tidewarren. From the moment he had entered the freight elevator of the castle and begun the slow and long descent down his words had begun and even now they continued.
In the privacy of the deepest depths of his castle he could truly be himself, with none of the politics, tricks, or carefully chosen words expected of a good Lord within Hekatondrona. At times, he truly wished he could be back home and behind the wheel of his big rig. They never lasted long, though.
Here, he had power, he had money, and he had a multitude of ways to get more. He even had a body more durable and vigorous than he could ever hope to have had back on Earth; after all.
But troubles, forecasts, and money stopped for no one. Capitalism was a beast that loomed over him even in this world, and the worst part of it was he had dug the ditch here himself.
At times, Charles reminisced about the ideas that Jose had of adventuring, creating a great name for themselves, and bringing their families here to Hekatondrona. But Jose loved his wife and spent time with his children. Charles just had child support, a nag he hated, and a kid whom he was indifferent to back on Earth. His only joy in life had been speeding down the road with a powerful truck around him.
As he cursed his bad luck, his rude nephew by law, and his arrogant and controlling in-laws, he soon found his solo become a duet as his complaints were greeted by another voice. A crisp, clear, pleasant and utterly dangerous voice.
“Hello Charles, my dearest brother-in-law. I received your Hyborvid. But before we get to business, have you met my dearest daughter, Melody?”
As the woman in shadow came into the lantern light of the corridor she was in a corset with black, purple, and burgundy colors and a few extra buckles and belts which held random tools. Leather pants and long boots covered her lower body and the outfit was completed with an oversized black sunhat with a single short-sword-sized purple feather in band.
Beside her strode a girl of about ten, with loose dark hair to her shoulders, warmly tan skin, and a smile which could disarm. Unlike the woman who had claimed to be her mother, she was wearing a bright yellow and white sundress with a matching sunhat.
“Hello, Uncle Charles.” She greeted sweetly.
Charles knew she was of course, not actually his sister-in-law’s daughter. She was simply the Outworlder granted to her in the lottery; and unlike Wade to Charles – Melody had immediately accepted the Lady of Highwater’s familial affections and adoption. He hated interference, and he knew it was coming. Why couldn’t his in-laws just accept that sometimes he did indeed know best?
But he should not have been worried about his wife’s plans, sister-in-law’s plans, or even Wade’s. Behind that sweet smile was a girl who was getting closer to her goal, and she would throttle the idiot for getting side tracked and not finding her yet.
Cloud loomed, storms built. Fifteen Days remained until the duel.