I stumbled my way into the clearing that Azarus’s house sat in, pushed from behind by a bored dwarven guard. I didn’t say anything in response to the shove, I just got my feet back under me. No use getting mad at these guard assholes, I was starting to get used to their shit. The bored guard behind me nudged me in the middle of the back with his truncheon.

Yeah, yeah. I get it.

I got moving, making sure I was still mentally and physically in ‘slave mode’. I trudged up the dirt path leading up to the house with both my head and shoulders lowered. Once we got to the door, the guard stepped in front of me. He visibly puffed himself up before, honest to God, taking out a small handheld mirror from a pouch belted to his waist. With one hand, he wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek and adjusted his hair.

Any embarrassment I might have felt for this asshole was preemptively smacked right out of me yesterday when he had casually backhanded me. Even with how fast I healed now with my new Status, I still had a fading bruise the next day.

With one last adjustment of his armor, the guard knocked on the door of Azarus’s house and waited anxiously. I stifled a laugh behind him, aware that it would probably get me another backhand. Thumping boot noises from inside the house heralded the opening of the door.

Taking up most of the space in the doorway, Azarus stood holding a mug of something in one hand. The guard actually saluted when he saw Azarus, standing straight and bringing his right arm standing straight up with a clenched fist. Azarus just took a sip from his mug, visibly unimpressed.

“Lord Azarus!” The guard nearly shouted. “As you requested, your slave spent the night in the barracks, in order to better appreciate your magnanimity! I’m certain he will carry your burdens with better care in the future!”

I rolled my eyes at Azarus from behind the guard. Azarus didn’t bother being so discrete, as he visibly rolled his own eyes at the guard. “Yeah, whatever. Thanks, or something.” He said dismissively. He jerked his head in the direction of further inside the house at me from over the top of the guard. Sidling past the guard, careful not to show him my face lest he see my barely hidden smirk, I slipped inside the house. Without another word, Azarus shut the door in the face of the guard.

“Oh.” I heard a crestfallen voice say through the door. Azarus didn’t pay it any mind, but I just barely managed to keep myself from bursting out laughing. Whatever, fuck that guy.

Azarus turned interested eyes my way once he’d shut the door. “So, did it work? Did ya get it?” He asked me

I nodded at him. “Yup. I got it. I mean, just barely, but I got it.” I held up a hand to forestall any more questions. “Can it wait, man? What he didn’t say is that I worked the fields yesterday too, and as you can see, I’m filthy. I need a bath.”

Azarus closed his mouth and nodded at me. I stepped past him and made my way upstairs.

“Oh, and Grey’s got some breakfast ready in the kitchen when you’re done.” I heard Azarus say from behind me. I just waved a hand over my shoulder in acknowledgment as I was walking up the staircase. Once I was upstairs, I grabbed a change of clothes from my room before heading to the bathroom.

……………………………………...

I spent a good amount of time in the bath after scrubbing myself clean. Honestly, I needed the relaxation after all the hard labor I’d done yesterday. I might have lazed around in the tub for half an hour before I reluctantly picked myself out of the tub. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I could see I was pink all over. One good thing I could say about these magical bathtubs is that the water never got cold. Those enchantment discs kept it at a steady temperature the whole time.

I got dressed before exiting the bathroom and heading down the stairs. Hearing voices from the kitchen, I walked over in that direction. I guess even with all the time I spent in the bath, Grey and Azarus were still idling in there. Entering the kitchen, I could see that both of them were sitting at the table and sipping something from mugs. There was a kettle steaming on the still-burning oven behind them.

“Ah, Nathan!” Grey perked up at my appearance. Azarus turned around in his chair as well and nodded at me. I nodded back at both of them. “I trust you’re feeling better?”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty hungry. I didn’t get much to eat yesterday. Azarus said something about food?” I asked Grey. He just inclined his head to the stasis cabinet. Oh, yeah. That made sense. Making my way over to it, I opened the cabinet. Inside, I found a large plate of eggs and what looked like bacon, still steaming. I happily took it out and closed the cabinet behind me and went to sit at the table. While I’d had my back turned, Grey had grabbed the kettle and prepared me a cup of whatever they were drinking as well. Murmuring my thanks to him, I accepted the mug and took a sip to try it. I was surprised to find that it tasted exactly like peppermint tea, but I wasn’t complaining. I sat down to eat my breakfast, uncaring about how Grey and Azarus were going to watch me. I was too hungry to be self-conscious.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Once I was done with my breakfast, I sat back with a sigh. After having such a full meal, I expected to be tired again, but I surprisingly wasn’t. Maybe it was the tea? I turned my attention to Grey when he cleared his throat.

“So, Azarus tells me you were successful in finding someone to teach you Wildshaping? I must confess, I’m glad that my haphazard plan worked.” Grey told me, visibly relieved.

Yesterday morning, Grey had sat down with Azarus and I and told us his longshot plan for me to get Wildshaping without arousing even the slightest bit of suspicion. He’d told us how with so many slaves working out in the fields, it was a guarantee that at least one of them knew the Profession and would be willing to teach it to me. In my experience, it was true that most of the slaves had known some variant of Wildshaping, but not that they were willing to teach me. Nearly all of them had been unfriendly to some degree, with a few showing outright hostility at me approaching them. I tried not to hold it against them. They had all been consigned to a fate that many would find worse than death.

I was lucky to meet Walter.

I relayed my experiences with the slaves and at the barracks to Grey and Azarus. When I was done, I took a drink of my cooling tea to soothe my throat.

“I see,” Grey said thoughtfully. “As you say, you were lucky to meet young Mr. Meyers. It is a tragedy that someone so young is now consigned to such a cruel fate. To Mr. Meyers, and his generosity.” He said solemnly, raising his mug in the air. Azarus and I copied him, clinking our three mugs together wordlessly. Setting his mug down, Grey continued. “Now then. I’m sure we’re all curious to see which variant of Wildshaping you acquired Nathan. I don’t believe you had anything in mind when you accepted the Profession, yes?”

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t think of anything. I was too tired at the time to even consider it, even if I’d had an idea of what I wanted. Thanks, but I’m going to try the racial this time, yeah?” I said to Azarus, who had just handed me one of the small mirrors he kept in the kitchen.

“Oh yeah,” Azarus muttered, embarrassed. “Forgot about that.”

I shrugged and called up my skill.

Hidden Amidst the Spheres.

I immediately opened my Status without bothering to play around with that sense of potential. Sure enough, I could see the notification for learning Wildshaping.

You have learned Wildshaping! You have learned Woodworking! Would you like to review your Professions? Y/N

I guess that answered the question of whether or not my skill could manipulate my Status or not. Opening up my Professions pane, I saw that one of the last two blank circles on the spiral had been filled in. This time, by a small stylized image of a tree. And the center…

I hummed to myself in thought.

“I assume you received the Profession correctly?” Grey asked me curiously.

“Yeah,” I said distractedly. I was still pondering what had shown up in the middle space of the Professions panel. “I got Woodworking, which is fine I guess.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Grey and Azarus exchange a glance at my preoccupation. Grey cleared his throat. Snapping out of it, I directed my gaze over to him. I flushed slightly at his raised eyebrow.

“Ah, sorry.” I apologized to him sheepishly. “It’s just, you know that image I told you about in the center of the Professions page? The one that was too fuzzy to make out? I can kinda, sorta see what it is now. A little.”

That perked Grey right up. I could visibly see him restraining his enthusiasm as he leaned forward. “What is it?” He asked me excitedly.

“Uhh,” I said, tilting my head to the side. “I think it’s a fist?”

That gave Grey pause. “What? A hand? That’s it?” He asked me, confused.

“I mean, it’s still blurry, but I can kinda make some of it out?” At the look on Grey’s face, I smiled sheepishly at him. “Sorry.”

Azarus scratched his chin through his beard. “The bleedin’ hells does that mean? What kinda Profession does a fist represent?”

Grey slumped back in his chair. He sighed. “I don’t know. The symbology of a fist, in relation to Professions in general, is too broad. I was hoping that the mark of the Profession would give us a clue as to what it does, but that’s too vague.” He sighed again. “We’ll simply have to pursue the last Profession that Nathan requires to unlock it. Speaking of; Azarus?”

At Grey's prompting, Azarus snapped out of his musing. Looking up, he found both Grey and I looking at him. “Ah, right.” Turning to me, he said. “While you were out, I went and spoke to the caravan master. Something came up for him, and now he’s intending to head out to Rhoscara earlier than scheduled.”

“What does that mean for us?” I asked Azarus, raising an eyebrow at him.

“What’dya think it means? It means we’re heading out earlier than I’d planned on, too. A cart is the only real way we’re going to be making our way there, so we’re going with him.” Azarus said decisively.

“All right, I guess,” I told Azarus, strangely unconcerned about venturing to another city. “What do I need to do?”

“Ah.” Grey piped in. “At Azarus’s behest, I went to the trouble of preparing a travel pack for you, Nathan. It will contain everything you require for the journey. I have it stashed in my room, for when you leave.”

“Journey, huh,” I said, leaning my chin on my fist. “How long do you expect that to take?”

“Eh.” Azarus waggled a hand back and forth. “With this driver, should take us about four days travel. Honestly, Rhoscara isn’t that far from here. S’why I head there for supplies. And, uh. Why I go there, considering everything, ya know?” He finished, visibly uncomfortable.

Ah.

I remember now, either he or Grey had mentioned that he had family there. From the other side of the family. You know, the ones who apparently weren’t slaving assholes.

Awkward.

I shrugged, not making a big deal of it. “When are we heading out, then?”

“Tomorrow,” Azarus told me, relaxing slightly. “We’re leaving for Rhoscara tomorrow.”