After returning to the great hall, Vittorio and Gloria were a bit uncertain what to do. Ermes suggested they start trying out weapons and armour in one of the training rooms if they didn't have anything else to do, attracting the attention of the people at the nearest table.

"Just starting out, are you?" the mikhuq called out. They turned to the rest of their group. "Let's help them out, shall we? What else are we going to do?" Most of the rest nodded and started getting up, though one man in chainmail groaned and grumbled. Nevertheless he joined them to meet Vittorio and Gloria.

"Not claiming to be an expert but can probably give you some pointers, you know?", the mikhuq said. "Name's Pachakutek, yours?"

"I'm Gloria and this is Vittorio. Advice would be great! We only got our classes a couple of days ago, so it's all pretty new."

"You've got some hard work and big rewards ahead of you", a man in leathers said as they all started walking into the building, Ermes giving them all a smile. "Takes a bit to catch up on traits, but by Myton does it feel good! I'm Nuno, by the way."

The other three introduced themselves as well: Vanessa wore dark-stained leathers and carried a bow, Umberto had a breastplate and a leather skirt, and the grump in chainmail was Tarcisio. They all soon arrived in a large room with some training dummies and several racks of training weapons. An adjoining room held training armours - padded clothing of different weights to help you try out what it might feel like to move in various actual armours.

"What might your classes be?", asked Pachakutek. "Or what kind of equipment were you thinking?"

"Well", Gloria said, "I'm a [Fervent Warrior] and-"

Tarcisio, speaking unprompted for the first time, interrupted her. "A [Fervent Warrior]!? A fellow fiery fighter!?" The man looked instantly happy and excited. Pachakutek laughed. "I will see to it you do not falter, my friend. 'Twas not long ago I stood where you stand, and I will see you in my place one day." He gestured and started leading Gloria towards the armour room.

"Teris give me strength", Nuno muttered. "Another one."

"I take it he's also a [Fervent Warrior]?", Vittorio asked.

"You must be some [Diviner] to have discovered that, yes?", Pachakutek teased. "How about you? What do you do?"

He still didn't have a great answer to that. "My class lets me change my skills around a bit. I can kinda do many different things, but only a few at a time, if that makes sense?"

"What is it called, if you do not mind my asking?"

"[Pactmaker]. The [Class Guide] said really, really rare. Anyway, today and for the time being I'm kind of a [Mage], I can control air a bit. I also have a stealth skill."

"Ah, perhaps then I might be able to help you? Do you have an attack?"

"Yes, I can launch a spear of air."

"Then I can be of help, if that's alright? Perhaps help you find your style?"

"Oh, you're a [Mage]?"

"[Water Mage], but I think we share the trait of ranged magical attacks, don't we?"

Vittorio nodded to her, at which point Vanessa and Umberto joined the conversation. She was a [Scout] and could help him with staying hidden and striking unseen, and after Vittorio explained a bit more about how Path of Air and Suspend worked Umberto offered to give him tips on creating magical effects at a distance. He was a [Hexer], and while he mainly focused on damage-over-time effects he could also set up a couple of magical traps in a similar way.

By that point Gloria and Tarcisio had returned carrying a pile of armours and some shields, respectively. As Gloria began to pull a padded shirt over her head he hurried off and started grabbing weapons off the racks - a spear, a mace, a longsword, a shortsword, a club, and an axe. Vittorio did not envy her.

Pachakuchek was not to be outdone, however. She walked over to a smaller stand and grabbed a simple wand, and returning explained that there were four main styles of ranged magical attacks: Tool, hand, gesture, and still, in increasing difficulty. Starting with a wand was best, she said, as there's a lot going on when you use magic. Using a tool helps you focus and lightens the load a bit. Umberto preferred a staff as he did not need to aim the same way and staves were just generally more useful.

The first exercise was simple: Aim at a dummy and trigger the skill. He pointed the wand and focused on the skill, willing it to activate. He missed. Nobody noticed at first as the Wind Weaponry was invisible and made no sound, but the dummy did not light up the way it should have had he hit.

"You're holding it wrong, see?" Pachakuchek asked. "Can I show you?" As she moved his fingers and straightened his arm, Vittorio focused on exactly how she positioned him. He really did. But the feel of her fur and soft, firm movements were a bit distracting. Still, at his second attempt the dummy lit up with a pale red on the right side of the torso.

"Better, right? Like with anything, details matter a lot, don't they? Next, could you try to do it but instead of thinking so hard say the skill out loud?"

He pointed. "Wind Weaponry", he said, and the skill activated. The dummy lit up, again on the right side.

"That was easier and quicker, wasn't it?", the pumafolk asked. "But it's also worse, you know? Telling enemies what you're doing isn't a great move, is it? People with lots and lots of spells do it because they can't learn all their spells fully, but we can, can't we? So don't do that unless you have to, and not at all in training, alright? If you get used to Wind Weaponry you can do it with a thought instead of words and that's even quicker, isn't it?"

"Yeah, thank you so much, Pachakucheck! This will help a lot. Uhm... could I ask you a question?"

She gave him a half-smile. "Is it about my questions?"

"Uhm... yes"

"Do you know much about Aylajupa culture? No? Well, telling people things is a bit forward, isn't it? It's a bit like saying 'I am right and this is how the world is', right? In Aylajupa culture that's for family and close friends, and while you seem nice we aren't there yet, are we?"

Vittorio thought for just a moment how to respond. This seemed like a good chance to train adaptability! "That would be presumptuous of me to think, wouldn't it? Would you forgive me if I've been terribly rude all day?"

She gave him a big, sharp-toothed smile, her ears moving gently. "We're not in Aylajupa lands, are we? I do not take offence, but it's still very nice of you to ask, isn't it?" She then had him try the other methods: First launching an attack by moving his hand, palm forward, towards where he wanted it to go. That was harder, but he did feel like he was a bit more accurate. After that a gesture - snapping your fingers was apparently the easiest, but he still struggled greatly and couldn't aim at all. Using the skill without any movement at all proved beyond him.

While Gloria was given a crash-course in how to properly hold her collection of weapons, Vittorio moved on to some guidance from Umberto. The [Hexer] couldn't offer advice on how to make the most of his skills, but he could help with visualizing where they were to go. Vittorio found it surprisingly difficult to form a picture of exactly where he wanted it at the same time as he pictured its shape. Even after a lot of guidance he kept putting it so that the top front corner - he was only working with cubes for now - ended up where he wanted the centre.

Vanessa told him they could do their practice some other time. She'd already noticed the silencing effect from Wind Armour and said that would make the rest a lot easier.

In total the group spent about two hours together that first day, before they all headed to the dining hall for lunch: porridge with some bits of pork. As Ermes had said it was enough to get by on but nobody was happy. After lunch, the adventuring group left, and so Vittorio and Gloria returned to the training hall on their own.

"How was training with Tarcisio?", Vittorio asked.

Gloria sighed. "Well, he seems to know what he's doing, and the advice he gave made decent sense, but he's also steered me away from one style of [Fervent Warrior]. He's gone all-in on strong emotions, so he's never just... normal, you know? I talked to Nuno and he told me that Tarcisio has these extreme mood swings. He's never in just a good mood, he's euphoric, and then at the slightest setback he goes straight to melancholy. It makes the emotional effects of the class stronger, but at what cost, you know?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"How about you? How was it training with Pachakuchek? I saw she got a bit handsy there, you charmer!" She gave him a big teasing smile.

"She was showing me how to hold a wand."

"I bet she was!" Gloria laughed.

"Come on", he said seriously. "She was really nice and helpful. She basically showed me how I should progress to get better at ranged magical attacks for a long time. Umberto was also nice even if what we talked about was a lot harder to put into words. You can't really tell someone how to imagine something."

"It was just a joke, Vee. Lighten up."

"I think it would be extremely rude in her culture. I just don't want jokes like that to become a thing."

"Okay, okay. Shall we get back to it?"

"For a while, I still need to go out and 'foil the wind' somehow."

They kept on for another couple of hours, taking things slow. Their morning tutoring session hammered home that they should be focusing on doing things right for now, and could go on to do them well later. Gloria therefore focused on her grip on the different weapons Tarcisio had suggested and her range of movement in the bulky armour, and Vittorio on righting his aim with a wand and trying to visualize Suspend correctly. They made some progress, although Gloria felt she needed some more advice on how she should evaluate herself to see if she was doing things right. It was easier for Vittorio: If things were where he wanted them to be, he did things right. He was very often wrong.

They took a walk around the inner city after that, taking in the sights. And what sights there were! The first time they entered a square and found a fountain they were amazed and confused. What was it? What was it for? How did it work? Why would anyone want more water? Even now during the dry season it wasn't like it didn't rain. And wouldn't the water ruin the sculpture in the middle? They carried on.

There were parks ('Wonder what they're going to build here?'), gardens ('Are they planting grass?'), and shops ('How many [Bakers] does one city need?') aplenty to see. Vittorio visited several tailors who demanded outrageous prices for even simple clothes.Whenever the wind would pick up Vittorio would use Suspend to try to do... something. Maybe it would have blown off that mans hat? Or kicked up dust at that horse? Who knew, but he tried. Eventually he got the feeling he had paid the price, though he rather suspected it was in the 'Good effort, you'll get it next time' way. He'd take it.

They returned to the guild for a little more training before dinner, though after that they decide to leave things for the evening. Gloria wanted some more advice, and Vittorio wanted to go to the outer city and buy some clothes. The outer city was as crowded and chaotic as it had looked that morning, now with the added noise of any numbers of [Troubadours], [Bards], and [Entertainers] plying their trades in taverns or on street corners. They did eventually find a clothing shop run by a very nice elderly woman who embarrassed Vittorio something terrible by giving him an extra set of underwear for free, saying she 'knows what young men are like'. Vittorio did not.

Back at the guild hall they spotted the group from that morning and went to say hello. Out of their armour they looked quite ordinary - except for Pachakutek, of course, whose golden fur stood out. The seven of them ended up spending much of the evening together, chatting and playing cards. Nuno and Tarcisio agreed to help Gloria the next day, promising that it was no bother when she tried to tell them it was no rush.

And so it went for the next two days: They would meet up in the morning, the experienced adventurers would give pointers on how to improve and what to do, and the two youngsters would work hard and deliberate to take things to heart, breaking only for food and to foil the wind. They spent the evening the second day together as well, though the group left for a quest on the third after telling them they'd be away for a few days.

The next day they were interrupted by Ermes, telling them they had a visitor. It was Master Kahe, come to pay Vittorio the rest he was owed for his information. They got a fair bit of attention in the main hall - it wasn't every day a [Class Guide] came to see you it seemed. Ermes showed them to a meeting room they could use.

"Wonderful to see you again, and good fortune to you!", Master Kahe said. "What have you been up to?"

"It's great to see you as well", Vittorio replied. "We've mostly been training."

"Really? On your own?"

"No, we met a group the first day who have been helping us out. Showing us how to hold things, what to focus on and so on."

"Excellent! Tutoring aids to learning a great deal, unless the tutor has absolutely terrible teaching traits. I take it your traits have been climbing then?"

"I haven't checked, actually."

"Well, no matter. You don't strike gold by measuring the pickswings. And while dedicating yourselves to training is admirable and will serve you well, please make sure you don't overdo it. Take breaks. Have some fun. Balance is not just for pickaxes, but for life.

"As for me, I have been making sure to visit a different favourite restaurant every day. I have avoided stews, believe you me." They chuckled politely. "But! On to business! I am here on behalf of the Society to pay the remainder of what you are owed for the information you have given, Vittorio." He withdrew a rather large money pouch and a piece of paper from inside his shirt. "Twenty-five gold pieces, in addition to the five you were paid in advance, bringing the total to an even thirty. In the bag you will find twenty gold pieces, forty-five silver, and fifty copper. I have a receipt for you to sign so the Society knows you were paid."

Gloria and Vittorios eyes bulged. "Twenty-five?", he asked.

"Yes!", Master kahe said, smiling. "The [Scholars] were especially eager to hear about what happened when you gained the class. Experiences which defy time - or any of the Primal Gods domains, really - are extremely rare. They wished me to tell you that they will continue to pay well if you encounter any other."

Vittorio reached to sign the piece of paper.

"Will you not count the coins?", Master Kahe asked.

"I trust you."

"That is very kind, but I would be a poor Guide if I did not insist. Mistakes happen and you cannot always trust your instincts, especially when higher-Tiered people are around."

Vittorio nodded, spilled the coins on the desk, and froze just staring at it all. Before gaining his class he'd never even seen a gold piece. Nobody in the village had one. And now he had twenty-five. Gloria helped him stack and count the coins, and it was all there of course. He signed the receipt.

"Very good! Vittorio, I highly recommend you invest in a small dimensional bag. They are not too expensive and will last you a lifetime. I myself have one I keep in inner pockets of my shirts" Master Kahe patted his chest. "Either that or store most of your money with the Free Company."

Vittorio said he'd look into it. The three very briefly chatted a while longer, but the [Class Guide] had to return to work. For now, Vittorio opted to store most of his money with the guild and had a look at his Traits.

Attributes Awareness Class Reactions: Mediocre (Adequate) Status Mentality Log Adaptability: Mediocre (Adequate)

Concentration: Adequate

Learning:

* Experience: Very good

Magical attacks:

* Ranged: Poor (Adequate)

From what he knew of ratings, his Magical attacks: Ranged would have started at Basic, then improved to Very poor, and now Poor. After that came Mediocre and then Adequate. Still a lot of work to do, but good progress for a few days! Gloria had made even bigger progress as she was working on her armour, shield, and weapon proficiencies all at once. Vittorio was also painfully aware that this was just for one pact. He would have to work really hard to make the others useful.

The two discussed it that evening after their nightly wind-stopping spree, which had taken a lot longer as the rain was pouring down and there were a lot fewer people out and about. In the end they came up with a tentative plan: He would mainly focus on {The Still Wind} for now, but when he was at a good level he would change to {Strength of Weakness} and practice with a spear. {Strength of Weakness} offered a lot of buffs to a group that he wouldn't need to train at all for. Finally, {The Singular Direction} was reduced to being used for its passive skills:

Lead by example While you are engaged in an activity, allies behind you gain a boost to performing similar activities. The more similar the activity, the greater the boost. Master and Pupil You swiftly gain insight in the best way to teach or learn from another person. Increase non-class Traits slightly faster when tutored.

Master and Pupil in particular would help as they were planning on him training with armour later on, something none of his pacts improved.

For now however, they continued with their training much as they had, though taking Master Kahes advice to heart and cutting back a little. They took the time exploring their new home city, still strange to them. Their new friends were off on their quest for eight days before returning and sharing their adventure in a town called Imone.