With a mental command, the most recent entry into his notification log burst into being,
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill, Meditation.
Your Meditation level has increased. Adjusting for previous experience…
Meditation level 1.
Meditation level 2…
Meditation level 7
Tilly stared at the notification screen dumbly for a moment, trying to comprehend what he was reading…. Why would the System have to adjust for previous experience? When had he ever practiced meditation?
Unbidden, memories started to rise to the surface of his consciousness. Countless collective hours of exertion surrounded by smoke and flame. Early in their careers, firefighters become very disciplined in their breathing while using air from their packs, conservation being key. Inhale pause exhale, had been the formula that had seen him through more than one near miss on a low-air emergency for a fellow firefighter.
He had always loved the breathing discipline, the strange peace he only seemed to be able to find when enmeshed in his gear, breathing through his facepiece and trusting it to protect him in hostile environments. In those moments, overcoming the dangers he had grown to love, he felt… Whole.
'Huh.'
The Lapin stood across from him, wiping sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his robe.
“Ichiro, what just happened?”
“You began to embody your concept, no actual flame manifested this time, but the deeper you went, the more heat you put off. I can not imagine what a Battle Trance with such a concept will be able to do. But perhaps in the short term, you should meditate away from buildings and people.” The Lapin answered, smiling wryly.
“Haha,” Tilly mocked in turn, sure Ichiro was exaggerating. Then as he followed the lapin to his feet, he found the bottom of his pant legs covered with fresh black soot stains. As he wiped at them in vain, they slowly faded away due to his magical leathers. Below his moccasins was a charred imprint of his sitting position. Tilly looked up with a wince,
“Alright, I see your point. Where should I go to meditate if not my room?” He asked,
“Come, it's getting late. I will show you.” Ichiro answered looking up at the evening sky before turning to consider the temple and frowning. Tilly followed his gaze and thought he saw one of the new doors moving out of the corner of his eye, but as he watched, nothing changed. The front of the temple remained still, in its primitive but restored state.
“Sounds good, let's get going…” Tilly said distractedly as he pulled his eyes back from the temple entrance. “Are we still going to spar tonight?”
Ichiro’s slight frown disappeared at Tilly’s question, replaced by an eager grin.
“Jonathan Tillman, with the current blessing on our skill advancements, we will spar as often as possible.” He answered, tucking away his sword into the sash around his waist and continuing,
“First, we will test the full limit of your Endurance and then see where you stand with your martial Skills. We will start with weapons only, then integrate the rest of your Skills and Abilities.” That said, he turned and started jogging down the mountain.
He seemed to be moving at an easy pace, but as he rapidly disappeared from view, Tilly realized his speed would have been an Olympic sprint back on Earth.
Tilly scrambled after, surprised to find the pace only mildly challenging. In fact, with his Dexterity he wasn’t even encumbered by the changes in terrain and footing that accompanied the forest trail back down the mountain. He was so focused on enjoying his new ability, that he didn’t notice the small pulse of dissatisfaction from within his fantasy fanny pack as the heat fully dissipated from Tilly’s body. The consciousness faded back to sleep, with only a minute crack in the gem-like surface to mark the change.
…
Ichiro led them down to the base of the mountain, passing by several groups of people making their way up to the temple. They didn't stop to engage, just danced around the groups moving almost as easily off the path as they did on. They didn’t slow until they broke through the tree line and caught a fresh look at the camp.
If Tilly thought it was busy before, he was floored by the amount of industry displayed by the inhabitants this late into the day. Several more of the huge log buildings had been erected in the center of camp slowly replacing the tents. The road leading over to the river and the fields on the other side was just as choked with workers as it had been this morning, and Tilly even spotted a large bridge now spanning the stretch of water. The structure sparkled in the evening light as light refracted off and through it.
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“Is that ice?” Tilly exclaimed coming to a halt.
Ichiro turned and considered the direction that Tilly was staring, “I am not sure, but whoever made it, did so alone.” He said squinting towards the simple, but enchanting structure. Turning back to Tilly, he shrugged,
“I did not know the honu could affect the temperature of their waters… Most likely this is one of many surprises we will find after the distribution of the Quest Rewards.”
“Awesome…” Tilly breathed, happy to see such gains for people who had lost so much.
“Come, we will move through camp and around what was the village. I believe they were setting up the training yards on the other side of the valley when I left this morning.” He said, gesturing with a come-along motion and then taking off, at an even faster pace.
The crowds they passed became a blur as Tilly moved at what must be the edge of his body's new capability. Ichiro loped ahead of him showing no strain at the increase, but Tilly started to feel his lungs burn. Unhelpfully his mind pointed out that this must be one of the consequences of such a low Strength stat. He would be able to keep up something moderate all day, but he quickly found his limits when pushing his boundaries.
They sprinted through and around clumps of people, jumping over low tents as often as dodging. Before he knew it, they were at the entrance to the Lapin village, which was now only marked by two large ditches reaching out in either direction to enclose the buildings within.
To Tilly's chagrin, the lapin increased his pace again and started to pull away, turning right along the edge of the ditch. Tilly poured on everything he had as the burning in his lungs spread to his arms and legs as he kept pumping. They circled the perimeter in less than 100 seconds and Tilly rounded the final bend almost running into a stopped Ichiro.
The lapin was standing calmly, drinking water from a trough set up against the perimeter line of the old village. It was one of many and served as the main water source for the thousands of people practicing rudimentary formations and drills. The land on this side of the village was especially flat and the recruits drilling there had already trampled it to dust forming a dirt square that could have covered several city blocks.
“-Woah…” Tilly said gasping for breath.
“Yes,” Ichiro replied looking over the assembly proudly.
“Many started training days ago, anticipating access to a class change. This is a huge opportunity for those who would have otherwise been forced into specific classes by means and resource.”
Recruits had been divided up into twelve large groups and were being drilled by some of the Alliance's few experienced soldiers. The nearest group of over two hundred was being harangued very loudly by a striking satyr woman in a form-fitting patchwork of leathers and armor.
Flame’s Watch Captain Level 38
“You bunch of polished Aroch turds! I said LEFT! Form up and try again.” She shouted, after a particularly dismal attempted maneuver. In exasperation, she turned away from her charges and her eyes caught Ichiro and Tilly standing nearby. Something mischievous flashed in her eyes as she registered their presence, and she turned back toward her group and shouted,
“At Ease! Get some water. We will not sleep or eat until we can move as a unit. I told them I could get you all the Unit Movement Skill, and by the gods, I will do it!” Then she turned back to Tilly and Ichiro and jogged over. The loose formation behind her practically collapsed before moving as one towards the troughs.
“Greetings Captain Achillia!” Ichiro called as she approached. Her considering look burst into a smile at his acknowledgment and numerous gold teeth gleamed like beacons beside their natural counterparts.
“Well, Lord Ichiro! I’ll be damned to the Pits if you aren’t the first to recognize me right off!” She exclaimed.
“I must admit, it was the colorful language and your blade that gave it away,” Ichiro spoke smiling in satisfaction while simultaneously eyeing the invisible pattern unfolding all around her. She turned her intriguing smile on Tilly, and he had to admit, that despite the patchwork gear, and intermittent gold teeth, she was stunning. The only things that marked her as a satyr were hooved legs starting at the knees and thick curled horns turning back from her forehead, framing dark ringlets of hair.
“Rumor is, you caused all this.” She said gesturing vaguely along her body, smirking as he followed her gesture.
“Um, have we met?” Tilly asked hesitantly, feeling like he was missing something.
“Yeah! Back when I was an old Hag, you dolt!” She guffawed.
That was enough to strike his memory, and a vague image of a female guard captain missing teeth came back to him.
“The quest reward made it down here?” Tilly asked astounded.
“Made it? God’s damned wall of fire rolled down off the mountain like it was the End itself! Thought it was some old monster until we was hit and the notification popped up.”
“Fascinating…” Ichiro muttered, looking well past the Watch Captain to the group drinking from the other troughs, many of whom displayed the newly bestowed Flame's Watch signifier above their heads.
“Any of us who stood against the Snakes and the rest got a class change. As for me, ‘cause I made sure my whole town made it through that shit show of an invasion, the system said I had a 'Legendary contribution.' Said I had earned me a ‘Temporal Renewal’” She said, emphasizing the syllables of each of the phrases,
“All that means is I got everything tightened back up to how it used to be, except the teeth of course…” she said, trailing off as she sucked at her gold teeth loudly.
“Excuse me, Captain,” Ichiro broke in,
“Would you speak to the others about reserving this corner for us in the mornings?” He asked, gesturing to the now open expanse of parade ground nearest to the group.
“Yes Sir,” She said sketching out a salute before turning to cast a baleful eye over her group.
“Almost everyone here was with me on the line. Most got the new class, the rest will head up in the morning, we was told the farmers get first priority…”
“Well it looks like you have this well in hand, do you mind if we use the space?” Ichiro asked politely.
“Fine by me, as long as you don't mind us watching. They aren’t gonna be worth two shits as soon as they realize who you are anyway. Might as well use it.”
“What do you mean, ‘use it’?” Tilly asked.
But she was already gone turning towards the other troughs and bellowing in that impressively loud voice.
“Alright, you stumble-footed idiots. Eyes up! Time to see what a couple of our elites can do! This here is the Human who is responsible for getting you your fancy new classes and with him is Lord Hiro’s son, who by all accounts might be the best swordsman in this Alliance of ours!” She announced, gesturing grandly at the now-empty section of the field.