“Those who strive for the highest grades will have to challenge themselves more often than they are challenged by others. Reaching the peak of what is known as an endless challenge that forces the improvement of skills and one's self. If you, the reader, are one of these people. Then my advice is to either become an apprentice to one several grades higher than you or to forge your own path.” - Sulvar, during a public teaching in the Alearin Market.

Aster

I rubbed my hair, sending frost flakes falling to the ground as I stretched one of my raised hands, bumping Umbra in the motion. While the meditation had been refreshing and more like a nap in a way, the lack of a level in the skill was disappointing. Standing up, I wiped myself down, sending the rest of the frost to the ground.

“Is it time to continue testing those skills?” Umbra asked, raising her head.

I nodded, looking up at the sky to guess the time, but the orbs in the sky didn't travel or dim until right before they darkened. “I want to see if you can join a party. It's mostly useless information considering that we split experience and can already tell where each other are, but I'd still like to know.”

While speaking, I focused on the skill, pulling the description up of both the actual skill and the secondary skill that added effects to the first reading them aloud to Umbra.

[Pack Formation - Allows the creation of a Party limited to five. Increases shared experience in tasks completed with more than one party member.]

[Pack Bond - Allows for messages and view of current stats between party members, limited to 3500 feet. Grants the ability to know the innate direction of party members.]

Umbra listened to the words, thinking about them before she responded, “It increases experience when doing things together. That could be useful, but you got that token as a reward for me. What happens when you try to invite me?”

Frowning, I focused on the skill and sending an invitation to her. The screen that appeared wasn't what I was expecting.

[PMS: Creatures bonded cannot join a party but receive benefits and rewards from the PMS when near their bonds who are in a party]

“Huh, well, I guess I can't invite you, but it says you already benefit from the skill.”

Huffing, Umbra sent a mental shrug and then shifted, making a humming Noise that sounded like two rocks being shaken in a stone jar.

“The second skill description almost Sounds like what you would get from a skill evolution, but the skill is its own. I wonder what that means for the future.”

Umbra's words had me thinking, and I looked between the skills curiously. She was right; Pack Bond itself only added to a party skill. What would happen when it or the party skill evolved? What if they had the same ability? Would it stack? I'd have to wait until they could gain rank to see, but the idea was itching at me.

“Well, that was a load of rot, for now. Nothing really useful there, but I guess now we know.” Closing the open screens, I hesitated back at my status screen, looking at the last skill I had wanted to try today. Well, actually, there were two skills there was Primal Shift and Spirit of The Wild Hunt. Two skills, when looking at the description, did similar things, but both of them had me nervous, a reason I held off. Spirit of the Wild Hunt I'd gotten all the way back right after my first dungeon. The skill crystal it had come from had been a reward from the party system. I hadn't used it after picking it for a big reason. It scared me, not in the normal sense. I was excited to have it, but what it did, at least what the description said it did, felt too good to be true. Pulling both skills up, I looked over them with more than a little bit of anxiety.

[Primal Shift: As a Beast-Kin, your race has a right to the other half of your form. At the cost of stamina, this skill allows the physical shifting of forms into the related Subspecies of your race. While in use, this skill limits the use of all non-racial skills and abilities.]

[Notice: This skill requires the skill Spirit of the wild hunt to work.]

[Spirit of the Wild Hunt - Beastkin - Like all types of Beastkin, the thrill of the hunt flows through you, pumping your blood and raising your senses to heights other races struggle with understanding - This race skill grants the ability to draw on the beast your race is associated with allowing you to take parts of its form. The limit on the amount of change your body can endure increases with evolution if applicable.]

My entire life, well, what I could remember, had been spent mostly with wolves doing what they did, only worse. I wasn't looked down on for doing worse, but I was different. Having a bow and learning from Kulni had let me have my own identity, so to speak, but that feeling as a kid wanting to be like the others had never really left. Now, only after leaving the forest and deciding that I wanted to see everything this realm had to offer did I get a skill that I had wanted. It was frustrating but also filled me with joy. I didn't know what to think, except I needed to know what the skill did.

Umbra, probably feeling a part of those emotions, breathed a long cloud of frost at my face, and I turned to look at her.

“Are you ready for this?” She asked, and I shifted to look up at her before I nodded. It was a white lie. I wasn't really ready. I didn't think I'd be ready for a while, but in a dungeon that could have such high-grade creatures, I needed to know everything I could do, and this skill seemed like it would be important.

Reading over Spirit of The Wild Hunt again, I made sure I understood as much as could be offered from the description before holding up my hand.

It said I could Take parts of the form that was associated with my race, which was now a Wolf-Kin. I focused, staring at my fingertips. What did I want to change? I had ears and a tail. Would the changes I made be permanent? Deciding to start small, I looked at my nails. They were dirt-stained, the middle and pinky cracked, and in desperate need of a cleaning. Putting that on my to-do list, I cleared the thought and started willing the skill to work.

At first, nothing happened. Seconds passed without a change, and then it stretched to half a minute. Tilting my head, I sighed. “Nothing, I don't know what's missing. I figured it'd be easy, but It doesn't work like other skills.” I rotated my hand, inspecting it and seeing no changes, then let it drop and shrugged. “I guess not every skill is as easy to understand.”

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Umbra sat back on her rear legs and looked down at me, sniffed, and then exhaled in a sigh. “Aster, look at your other hand.”

“My other hand? What..oh.” Lifting my hand, I inspected the tips of my fingers. My nails, while remaining mostly flat, had taken on a slightly darker shade and grown in length, curving slightly into tips. They weren't full claws, a halfway point between the two. Using my other hand to pull and tap on the inch-long nails, I found they felt real enough and were sharp. The slight strain in the back of my chest and a glance at my status screen told me that the skill did have an unstated stamina cost. The skill wasn't steep, but my stamina regeneration wasn't enough to keep up with it. Focusing on my right hand and the lacking claws, I frowned. Focusing on the skill again, I tried to make the claws appear and watched as slowly my nails grew darkening and curving before they stopped, the same size as my other hand. I had a sneaking suspicion that I had to be very exact with what I wanted, or this skill would decide. Not great in a fight without a bit of practice, but it meant that with my teeth and this skill, I'd never be without a weapon. It also meant that I would have to redesign my idea of gloves and armor. Stopping the skill with a thought, I watched as the nails returned to normal.

Any thoughts of the skill disappointing me left my mind, and I excitedly hopped from foot to foot, feeling a surge of energy. What other changes could I make? It was a stamina-heavy skill, but I was sitting on a high enough pool of the resource to make active use of it. Rubbing my ear, I found myself blank on any realistic ideas. Being a Beast-kin already provided great senses, and I had a tail to help with balance. I might be able to increase my smell or hearing more with the skill. I should probably test it now, but memories of first being in the city with my new hearing rose up, and I decided to put that off until later.

“The skill allows you to take on attributes of a wolf. I wonder about other Beast-kin. What if one was a Fish-kin or a Bear-Kin? Could they breathe underwater or sleep for an entire winter?”

I giggled and eyed Umbra. The question was asked in earnest, but I found the idea really funny. Taking a breath, I had to force the idea of a human wiggling like a fish in the water. The idea of another Beast-kin was exciting, but I had to be realistic “Umbra. I don't even know if other Beast-kin exist; all of the books I've been through haven't mentioned them, and no one seems to know what they are. Maybe it's a special race that happens when you spend time with a guardian.” I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. “I mean, the description of my class made it sound like there were others at least somewhere or at some point, but I just don't know.”

“Perhaps we can look for them after the event. I know exploring is what we want, and having a goal wouldn't be bad.” Umbra's suggestion surprised me, and I agreed with it.

“Maybe we can also find other dragons; the ones in Arilon weren't the only ones. Wild ones do exist.” I winced and quickly added, “After a few grades, that is. The stories made them sound a bit more violent than most creatures.”

Umbra rumbled with laughter and sent a mental agreement through the bond. I spent a bit more time with the skill trying to speed up the changes, but it seemed to have an upper limit. A bit of testing with some wood did prove they were reliable, sharp, and durable. I wouldn't use them against armor or to block a weapon, but that was what the gloves were for. The same gloves that still needed to be fixed after the last dungeon. At least they wouldn't need scales on the knuckles anymore.

“That leaves one skill left you need to try, Primal Shift. You've saved it for last for a reason, right?”

Looking up, I nodded. “Yeah, last time I tried to use it, right after the advancement, I was warned about soul damage if I used it. Something about changing my race and needing to let everything settle. I haven't tried it since.”

“That was a worry weeks ago. Now, it's not. What's the other reason?” Umbra asked, and if she had an eyebrow, she'd be raising it. I rolled my eyes at the leading question.

“I described the skill to you. Primal Shift describes a form shift. Firstly, I have no idea what that means. Well, I have some ideas, but hardly any. Also, While the skill is active, all I'll have access to are my racial skills. Umbra, I'm excited and nervous at what I think the skill offers.”

Umbra settled to the ground, her tongue flicking out, tasting the air. “Then try the skill. Being nervous is one thing, but letting it hold you back is another. You're bonded to me, a dragon and the daughter of Kulni. All of the skills you get are going to be interesting. If it's a form shift like you're hoping for, then great. If not, then I'm sure you can alter the skill or get a new skill at some point.”

“You make it sound so easy,” I grumbled, rubbing one of my ears. If I wasn't so caught up in what it might not do, then it would be that easy. All of the struggle was, in the end, mental. Slapping both cheeks lightly, I nodded to her with a smile.

Taking a step back, I looked at the skill, giving it the single mental push it needed to activate.

There wasn't a screen this time warning me about the soul damage and recommending I wait. There wasn't a screen at all. Instead, I felt a crack as something in my chest was moved. The noise must have been audible, judging my Umbra's head tilt. The cracking was followed by another, then a third. As the noise continued and bones were shifted, I felt my stamina drain Like a hole had been ripped in the bottom. At some point, everything around me had become almost blurry, and I felt the world tilt forward as I stumbled. Then, I was lying on the ground, enjoying the cool grass on my face. I did feel a slight spark of worry throughout the bond, but all emotions and feelings felt dulled. For a time, it almost felt like I was meditating, a peaceful lack of anything important. No thoughts or purpose would come. I was like that for what could have been hours or seconds, but slowly, I felt my awareness return.

Opening my eyes, I didn't remember closing. I was met with a wall of blue scale and cold blowing air. I blinked, then blinked again as I realized it was Umbra, her head pointed down as she inspected me. As I met one of her large eyes with both of mine, she spoke, pulling her head back the movement upside down confusing me. It took a moment to realize she wasn't upside down, but I was.

“Are you okay? That looked more than a little painful. I've never seen someone bend like that before.”

“Bend like that?” I asked, trying to sit up and winced as I pulled on a muscle that wasn't meant to be pulled in that direction.

“Oh yes, lots of cracking and popping, almost as bad as when I stepped on that chicken. Oh, don't do that. Roll when you stand up.” Umbra watched with amusement as I tried again to sit up.

At first, I was confused until I tilted my head and looked down. That was when, for one, I noticed that my nose was too far from my face, and second, I wasn't shaped right. I wasn't shaped like a humanoid. The skill had taken effect, apparently. “This is strange. I don't feel different, but nothing feels like it bends the right way.” I lifted what had been my hand and inspected the dark blue, almost black-furred appendage. “What do I look like?”

The mental picture I received from Umbra was of an upside down wolf. I was larger than my other form but not as big as Sandath. My size was around five foot seven, if I had to guess.

I followed Umbra's instructions as she directed me on how to sit up and then inspected everything. My fur, like my hair, was all the same deep blue, the claws on my paws were inches long and wickedly sharp. I felt giddy as it all clicked in place, all of my worries being washed away in that moment. It was a huge relief, and I could only feel stupid at the fact I had been worried about a skill provided by the system. The skill had done precisely what it'd said.

The only problem was the skill lacked any muscle memory or direction on how to move in my new form. My first attempts at steps were a total failure and left Umbra growling with amusement.

It did make sense. If other Beast-kin existed, I'd assume that they would have the skill at birth and learn with both forms at the same time. All of this added to the questions I would ask Kulni when we visited.

Shaking my head, a weird feeling with the extra momentum, I looked to Umbra. Another thing had just been added to the list of things to learn.