After his little adventure on top of the carriage, Vittorio was pleased to see he now had another pact available, and took a closer look.

Attributes Class: Pactmaker Class Form a pact Status Enter a deal for power. Available pacts: 4 Log The Exchange

Prerequisite: Know the true value.

Mark: Your nose falls off. It regrows when the pact ends.

Price: 1 gold per day.

Benefits: Gain skills to buy and sell goods, often at another's expense.

Type: Non-combat

Traits: Assess value, attention to detail, deception

Activities: Buying and selling, inspect goods

The Singular Direction

Prerequisite: Progress.

Mark: Your pupils appear to be fixed, staring straight forwards.

Price: Learn something new every day. The first thing you learn each day does not provide experience.

Benefits: Spur yourself and others to act. Highly aggressive combat stance. Minor ability to alter your environment.

Type: Hybrid

Traits: Leadership: Force, Learning: Studying, Use weapon: (Small blade, Unarmed)

Activities: Combat, learn

The Still Wind

Prerequisite: Feel the wind, feel its lack.

Mark: Wind does not seem to affect you. When there is no wind, you seem to be affected by one.

Price: Foil the plans of the wind.

Benefits: Skills which focus on stealth and creative use. Good defensive capabilities. Invisible, soundless ranged attacks.

Type: Combat

Traits: Concentration, Learning: Experience, Magical attacks: Ranged, Reactions

Activities: Avoid notice, Combat

Strength of Weakness

Prerequisite: Rebel against a supreme.

Mark: Bruise and bleed more easily and in greater quantities. This does not increase damage taken.

Price: Use the Harmlessness ability on a friend for a time. You will know when this has been achieved.

Benefits: Some stealth as well as buffs and offensive combat abilities focused on taking down single enemies.

Type: Combat

Traits: Deception, Reactions, Weapon use: (Club, Small blade, Spear, Unarmed)

Activities: Combat, Feign meekness or inferiority

It seemed interesting, he was very curious to see what made the system say the skills focus on "creative use". The mark also seemed very harmless. There was only one question.

"What could 'foil the plans of the wind' possibly mean?" he asked the others in the carriage.

"I'm sorry?", Zenovia replied.

"{The Still Wind} wants me to 'foil the plans of the wind'. I have no idea how to do that. Is the wind... alive?"

"Vee", Gloria said slowly and patiently. "I mean this in the best possible way: Why do you always ask other people when you could just ask the spirit?"

"Because I value your opinion, Gloria. I guess I'll stop." She gave him a level look. "Also, communing with them is kind of unpleasant. And very confusing. But I might as well, I have the feeling it can help in the future." He activated Commune and reached out to {The Still Wind}. First contact, as always, granted him insight in its nature. In some ways it was the opposite of {The Singular Direction}, in others very much the same. It was a general ordering men to their deaths, knowing they will obey; A smith forcing the hardest metal to bend to its whims; A mind set and made up, its confidence unshakeable.

>  

For the first time, the entity did not immediately greet Vittorio. He wondered if it was a bad time.

Hello? May I ask a question.

> Ask question not for a, insist. Command firm.

He got a sense of judgement and displeasure - maybe because he'd used a trick?

I'm sorry if you feel I tricked you, I was just wondering-

> Not-apologize success for! Victory achieved is. Answer demand! Command firm!

Not the right approach, it seemed.

You demand I foil the plans of the wind. What does that mean? How does the wind have a plan?

> Mortal mind explanation offer too much. Demand. Gain. Clarify. Answer: Wind acts, action intent means, intent plan is.

A very different conversation, this. He decided to try boldness.

The price I will pay is stopping wind from having an effect. If there is no wind where I am, I pay no price.

> You learn can. Pact form is.

No, wai- The communion ended. When Vittorio returned to his senses he immediately noticed the difference as he felt his hair move about wildly.

"Did you just make a deal without knowing what you need to do?", Gloria asked.

"No, I talked to it, we agreed on what the price was, and then it just decided that meant we'd agreed to enter a pact."

"Oh. I thought you did something impulsive for once", Gloria said, slightly disappointed.

"Well, I did decide to just tell it what I was going to pay. No haggling, just 'This is what I will pay for a deal' and it agreed."

Gloria gave him a considering nod. "So, what can you do?"

Attributes Race: Human Class Susceptible to healing Status All healing affecting you is increased. Log Class: Pactmaker Passive skills Class Attributes Mentality, Personality Gain experience in the class when using Traits associated with an Attribute. Class Traits Adaptability, Concentration, Learning: Experience, Magical attacks: Ranged, Reactions The natural rating of traits are set at a minimum of Adequate. Gain experience in the class when using the Traits. Class Activities Avoid notice, Combat Gain experience in the class when engaged in the Activities. Active skills Commune Open your mind to contact with those who dwell in The Place Which Is Not. Form a pact Enter a deal for power. Available pacts: 4 Pact Passive skills Cleansing Passage

Impurities in the air cannot enter your body.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Wind armour

You are surrounded by a barrier of air. It provides protection against attacks and stops smell, sound, and heat you emit from travelling more than a short distance. You can suppress any or all of these effects at will.

Active skills Path of Air For a short time, you can create steps out of air with a very short duration. You can use this ability often. Suspend

Make part of the air solid for a period of time. How often you can use this ability depends on the size and duration of the effect.

Wind Weaponry

Launch a spear of solid air that does low damage. You have limited control over the spear after it is launched. You can use this ability at any time.

Talents Generic Deals Occult Transformation Class: Pactmaker

"The descriptions are really short", he said. "Looks like I can kinda walk on air for a little bit, shoot bits of air, and make air solid. I also have an armour-like thing all the time."

"Really?" Gloria said and punched him in the shoulder - only her hand stopped just before touching him. "Xaas that hurts!" She started shaking her lightly bruised hand.

"It makes me quiet and stuff too, at least at a distance. Hmmm... I feel like Suspend, the one that lets me just turn bits of air solid, could be really useful. Like tripping people, or making a shield or something."

"Stopping people from falling, maybe?" Zenovia suggested.

"Skills open to ones imagination are often the most powerful", Master Kahe opined. "Once you learn how to use them and get truly comfortable with them there's no end to the possibilities."

The four of them spent the rest of the short ride to Pogna brainstorming ideas for how to use it as well as things to test: Could he make a solid piece of smoke? Could he trap something? Before long, however, their surroundings began to change. The near-unbroken farmlands they'd been passing since leaving Imone started to host small gatherings of buildings, and more lined the road. Master Kahe told Vittorio and Gloria that they were approaching the city.

Looking out the window at a bend in the road, they had their first glimpse of their capital. A vast sea of low buildings surrounded tall walls, over which peeked an even taller set of walls, and beyond those: A handful of massive, broad, rounded towers.

"Those almost look like silos", Gloria said.

"They are silos!", Master Kahe informed them. "When the League was first formed to resist the Nulbumundian Empire, each governing city was given a primary responsibility. Pognas was food, as these lands are so terrifically fertile and it's right in the centre of the League. The cities banded together to fund the creation of those silos, and still pay Pogna to help maintain them. It may not be the most famous, the richest, or the largest of the Marezian cities but Pogna may well be the most important."

Travelling through the outer city, Vittorio and Gloria were struck by the vast differences compared to their village. They'd known there'd be more people, but half the village could probably have lived on a single street - which looked awfully crowded, buildings sometimes seeming to touch each other. More than that, however, were the colours. Dark greens and light blues dominated the clothing, with red and orange common for the buildings. Everyone seemed to be dressed for a festival.

Passing through the two gates into the inner city the crowd thinned only slightly, though the buildings were spaced further apart and the road - made of stone! - was quite straight.

"We will be going to the guild hall first", Master Kahe said, "and then Zenovia and I will go on to the Chambers of Guidance. I need to speak to our [Scholars] to decide on how much we owe you, Vittorio, so I will visit in a day or two."

Gloria looked confused. "Why do you owe Vee anything?"

Vittorio cleared his throat awkwardly. "It's my class. They're paying me for information about it." He looked down, too embarrassed to meet her eyes.

"That's fantastic!", she said, surprising him. "I was worried how we would get you money, I have enough to get by but not enough for two!"

Vittorio blushed and nodded, agreeing that it was a stroke of good luck.

The guild hall was, quite simply, enormous. Four floors made of dark orange bricks under a gently sloping roof supported by two pillars carved to look like a warrior and a mage. The two adventurers-to-be stared.

"It is a fine guild hall, very fine.", Master Kahe said. "Very old too. There's been a hall here since before the League, or so I hear. Always be extra careful in a city with a poor guild hall, that means someone isn't doing their job right."

The four said goodbye as Vittorio and Gloria headed for the hall, the carriage rumbling off. Before they'd gotten off Master Kahe had handed them each a slip of paper: Addresses to good, reliable stores and craftsmen. "The magic shop is especially worth it", he'd said. "It sells all sorts of little knick-knacks that people don't want anymore. A good spot to pick up Tier 0 training items."

That would have to wait, no matter how excited the two were to visit. They walked through the large open doors, Gloria taking the lead as always - though she stopped just inside. Vittorio almost walked into her before he too saw what had stopped her in her tracks. The room was large in every meaning of the word, open to the second floor where balconies overlooked the entrance. The floor was of smooth grey stone, the walls lined with dark wood, and spread throughout the room were tables, chairs, and benches hosting two dozen people. Weapons and armour was everywhere, gleaming metal or oiled leather. Most of them were human, but Vittorio spotted two minotaurs talking quietly in a corner and a mikhuq laughing uproariously at something, sharp teeth flashing. He'd never seen one of the pumafolk before and couldn't quite shake the thought of their cute ears.

Gloria turned to him, smiled widely, and practically dragged him in towards the large front desk, next to which was a floor-to-ceiling board with bits of paper stuck to it. At their rapid approach the man behind the desk looked up, alert, but relaxed when he saw Glorias smile.

"Welcome to the Free Company guild hall, my name is Ermes, how might we help?" The mans left eye looked at Gloria and Vittorio and the left side of his mouth was raised in a smile, but his right eye was fixed on a piece of paper on the desk which he was filling in with his right hand. Seeing their confused looks, he explained "I assure you you have my full attention, I am simply able to split it in half. An invaluable skill. How may I help?"

"We'd like to join!" Gloria said, rather louder than necessary. The group at the nearest table, including the mikhuq, looked over. The mikhuq gave Vittorio a thumbs-up and waggled their ears, making him blush furiously.

"Wonderful!", Ermes said. "You have combat classes? Combat and hybrid, very good. Levels? 1? Best time to start, eh? Alrighty, before you can join I need to tell you the basic rules and you'll need to agree to them." And he did just that. While Gloria seemed to already know all this, Vittorio found that the rules were basically what he'd expected. No (serious) crimes, no hurting other members of the Company, don't lie to the Company, and so on.

What was more interesting was hearing about how it all worked: You paid a fee each year for membership, giving you full access to training, sleeping quarters ("not comfortable, but better than the street"), and food ("not good, but better than starving") at any guild hall in the world. And, of course, quests. While you could just get hired by someone to do something for them, the Company would not help with any consequences of freelance work. Company officials like Ermes also vetted requests and made sure they were accepted by people who could carry them out.

Gloria and Vittorio both agreed. It was more generous than Vittorio had been expecting - the Company must earn a lot of money.

"Excellent!" Ermes said. "The fee for a level one is one gold piece. Steep, I know, but I don't set the rules, and as you can imagine Tier 0s don't bring in much money."

Gloria reached into her pouch and started counting coins, but Vittorio withdrew two gold pieces from his own. "I'll pay for both of us", he said.

"I can't let you do that!", Gloria responded.

"Sure you can. I wouldn't be here without you. It's the least I can do."

Ermes accepted the coins and gave them each a small shield-shaped metal disc engraved with a crossed sword and wand with a number underneath.

"These are your membership tokens. Try not to lose them! You probably will at some point, but try! They're expensive, changing is a hassle, and you'll have to pay for new ones. Do you have equipment? No? That's alright, you won't be doing any quests for a bit anyway. We have training gear you can try out before you buy anything, and if you can't afford it the guild offers loans." He lowered his voice. "Honestly, even if you can afford it, the loan might not be a bad idea. It's a good deal." His voice returned to normal. "Let's have a look around the place, and... welcome to the Free Company!" He then turned and called over his shoulder. "Ochi! Watch the desk, giving some newbies the tour!"

Ermes stepped out from behind the desk, being replaced by an elven woman who gave them a polite smile. Her long, red hair shimmered in an almost hypnotic way, and both Gloria and Vittorio had to force their eyes away. Ochi just rolled her eyes, still smiling.

While the rest of the building was perhaps less grand than the hall, it was all quite comfortable and pleasant. Plenty of wood panelling, sometimes with carvings, and patterned floors and ceiling. The ground floor, they learned, had two main sections: To the sides of the main hall were plenty of meeting rooms where quest givers could meet with officials or adventuring groups to discuss details. The back half was dedicated to sparring rooms and training rooms needing very solid ground. The floor was magically enhanced. There were also doors out to a large outside training area with a separate part for archers and mages.

The first floor had more training rooms, though these for less intense things. One room had a device on the wall which changed colours every now and then meant for reaction training, while three held oversized Nopains - like Master Kahes Noheat, except this one trained mental resistance by making you think you were in pain - one for each of Tiers 0 through 2. There was also a large, odd room with an open, magically-lit path near the perimeter and a mess of detritus in the centre and around it. The room also extended into the second floor, with beams and odd platforms up above.

"This is for training stealth, perception, alertness, reactions, and all kinds of stuff. The Guild has developed some games with rules which work pretty well to train everyone."

The second floor was living quarters, most of it communal for general members but also private rooms for visiting officials and people who paid. There was a large sleeping hall filled with beds, some sitting rooms, large magically-cleaned bathing rooms, and a dining hall. The kitchen was in the basement and food was moved up with a dumbwaiter.

The top floor was just for staff - offices, records, the vault and so on. Strangely, Ermes had saved the basement for last.

"There's only one interesting thing down here, and that's very much including the food", he said. "The Rat Room. Ages ago someone had the bright idea to set up an actual combat room. Life and death. Obviously, members couldn't go about killing each other and getting new monsters to fight is hard and expensive, so they built a big nest for monstrous rats. Now people can step into the Rat Room, someone opens the gate a little, and some of the rats come charging in.

"That about does it, I think. I will say you're in luck though, the Guild is running really well right now. Lots of great people adventuring. I'm supposed to tell you to listen and learn from those who know, but I actually really mean it. Right helpful bunch."

As they walked back to the hall they continued chatting. Ermes told them he was an [Organizer] and really enjoyed working for the Company, the constant challenges and lack of boring routine helping him level quite quickly. He asked them about their classes and while he knew about [Fervent Warrior], Vittorios confused explanation about [Pactmaker] didn't really clear things up. They did test the silencing effect of his Wind Armour by having him walk halfway down the hall and start jumping in place. He felt like an idiot but Ermes and Gloria didn't hear a thing.

After returning to the great hall and bidding Ermes goodbye, the two considered where to start.