I was standing in front of a little girl and for whatever reason she seemed important to me. I don’t know why.
She talked to the person next to her for a while before leaving. I felt the need to follow here so I started walking after her. After a while we entered a room with many strange creatures. They were so interesting that I got lost in time, and almost missed when the little girl told me to enter a circle. After a short while another child laughed behind her then the little girl ran away crying.
When I saw her running away I saw an image flash in my mind of a girl just like this one running through a meadow. It was odd, but I paid no mind to it as I continued to chase the girl.
*****
Avia was running around just outside of the school looking for Miria. The school building was large, but it didn’t have walls around it as it was outside of town, and close to the forest. Avia was looking towards the forest hoping that Miria didn’t go into it. Luckily out of the corner of her eye she saw something white running to the river. Before Avia could confirm what it was she started running to the river hoping to comfort Miria in time.
Miria had run all the way to the river before she tried to stop crying. She couldn't bear it. Miria’s mother died during childbirth and her father, an adventurer, had died from a monster attack before she was born. She grew up in an orphanage, but never thought badly of her situation. Miria loved everyone at the orphanage and always tried her best to help out she always wanted to help people. It was common knowledge that in the orphanage you had to leave to get a job at age 15 some would even leave as early as 13. Miria knew this and when she was almost 15 she told the nuns that worked at the orphanage that she wanted a job where she could help people. Every nun offered different options for her, but few appealed to Miria. Until one suggested that she become an adventurer to help others. Miria had grown up with stories of Heroes saving thousands of people, but never considered that she could also be a hero. All of the nuns appreciated Miria’s help so when they found out she decided to be a hero they scraped together what money they had to send her to the adventurer school in the neighboring town.
When Miria got to the adventurer school she was like a little kid ready for summer camp. She wanted to help everyone as soon as she could so Miria promised herself that she would put all of her will into becoming a hero. Right after she finished her registration she was given an aptitude exam. The examiner told her that she was best suited as a priest, and asked her to accept this as a class. When she said yes there was a small glow around her. The examiner told her that she was now an apprentice priest as well as some basic information about the priest class. The next day classes officially started. Miria went to each of her classes and received a lender's textbook for each class. About a week after classes started Mr. Abgon, the Summons Instructor, told the students that they would be summoning their Familiars today. One student in the class told her that if she didn’t get a good Familiar she should just give up as an adventurer since Priests need strong Familiars.
Miria was stunned when Mr. Abgon told her that her Familiar was the worst. Then when she saw its {Status} she fell into despair. Miria got it in her head that she wouldn’t be able to help anyone without a good familiar. Of course this wasn’t true, but she believed it to be true so after her dream was shattered Miria just started to run since she couldn't handle it. At first she was just running randomly then she went towards the river that linked this town to her home town. Miria stands there now trying to think of something she can do.
Shortly after she stopped running Miria felt an oddly warm touch on her shoulder. When she looked up to see who it was she saw her Familiar staring back at her. He started to panic a little, and Miria found this strange. After looking around for a while her Familiar gave her a leaf and gestured for her to use it. At this point Miria couldn't hold back any longer.
“HAHAHAhaha, what am I doing here. I’m not the only one in this hopeless situation there is also you. Ok we are in a tight spot right now, but at least we’re here together…you. First order of business will be giving you a name!” [Miria]
The Skeleton nodded in agreement.
“Ok how about Skelrad, ...Morat, ...Drache.” [Miria]
The Skeleton kept shaking his head no in response.
“Hmm... I know how about Sephtis.” [Miria]
The Skeleton knew that Miria really wanted this name and it wasn’t so bad so he decided to nod his head in agreement.
“MIRIA!” [Avia]
Miss Avia ran up to Miria and grabbed her.
“Don’t do anything rash I can help you so promise me you won’t do anything wrong.” [Avia]
“...huh?” [Miria]
“Weren’t you so sad that you were going to throw yourself in the river?” [Avia]
“No I just came here to try and calm down.” [Miria]
“Oh my god, that is a relief. Anyway Miria you left before I could remind you. Skeletons are undead so light magic’s healing and buffs give negative effects.” [Avia]
“I already know that. I won’t be able to heal him. Which is the main reason Sephtis is useless.” [Miria]
“Yes but dark magic is also reversed. Its damage and debuff magic heals and buffs undead!” [Avia]
“But he has Extreme Weakness to dark so won't healing do very little if you have bad affinity with the element?” [Miria]
“Normally yes, but since dark is reversed for him it will instead be healed for a lot. Your Skeleton still can’t use the magic well, but at least he can receive it.” [Avia]
Miria jumped up and hugged Avia.
“Thank you so much. Did you hear that Sephtis? We still have a chance to make use of you!” [Miria]
“On that Note I do know of one place you can go for some special training.” [Avia]
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Miss Avia lead them away. On the way there Miria asked Avia a question.
“So what is this special training?”[Avia]
“Well it's training that helps undead, dark mages, and a few special cases to gain more power.”[Avia]
“Ok, but what do we actually do?”[Miria]
“Kill undead.”[Avia]
At that moment they reached the cemetery. The cemetery wasn’t close to the school, but it wasn’t exactly far away either. They wanted it to be close for training against the undead, but they didn’t want to be too close because it risks invasion. Undead rise from places where the dead gather. At the same time they also rise from not being properly put to rest, because of this graveyards are put outside of town walls close to a church.
“The idea is pretty simple. All you have to do is walk around the cemetery until you find an Undead, then kill it.” [Avia]
“Isn’t that just how you get stronger, and isn't it dangerous to fight undead?” [Miria]
“For the first part I’m actually not too sure, because I have never done it. This training will work though so kill the Undead and I’m sure you will see why this training is so good. As for your second point only weak undead come out during the day. Plus you have the healing spells that they are weak to. On that note I have to leave you. I kind of ditched the school.” [Avia]
As Miss Avia ran to the school. After a few seconds she turned around to remind Miria about one last point.
“Don’t forget that curfew is at sunset!” [Avia]
Miria stood there mulling over the fact that a teacher left her at a cemetery. As she debated over just how much she should trust Miss Avia, Miria noticed that Sephtis already entered the cemetery.
“Do you feel any different Sephtis?” [Miria]
Sephtis shook his head no as he looked around for any Undead. They were unable to find any around the entrance to the cemetery so they started to move deeper in. After about five minutes of searching Sephtis noticed some movement and pointed to it. Miria strained her eyes to see what it was. It was hard for Miria to see it since it was in the shadow a tree.
“Ah! Its a Zombie Rat. Sephtis you kill it you could use the practice.” [Miria]
Sephtis tried to approach the rat without it noticing, but when he got to the edge of the tree the rat turned around and saw him. He jumped forward in hopes of catching it and was able to grab the rat by its tail. The rat turned around and bit his hand. Sephtis felt a few bones breaking, but he ignored it as he started to punch away at the rat. After he felt the jaws on his hand loosen he let go of the rat. Miria walked up to see how he had done.
“It was just a rat but it looks like it broke your hand. Do you know if it will heal?” [Miria]
Sephtis shook his head no again. Miria thought that this could be a problem and promised to find a way to heal him tomorrow. They looked around the cemetery for a while longer and found 3 more zombie rodents. One of the rodents escaped from Sephtis and Miria had to heal it to death. Miria decided to call it a night as it was a little over an hour till sunset and Sephtis had received quite a bit of damage. Unfortunately for them they had made it to the center of the cemetery, and encountered a rather difficult enemy.
“Its about time we...Sephtis protect me!” [Miria]
Sephtis immediately jumped between Miria and what she had seen out of the corner of her eye. It was a Zombie wolf. Miria was staring at it in panic, because she knew it was strong. Wolves were the number one noob killer and children were always told to avoid them. Miria had the advantage since it was a zombie, but one wrong step could still be her end.
The Wolf examined Miria as prey it paid Sephtis little mind since he had no meat. It started walking in a circle after a few steps it dashed towards Miria. Sephtis tried to intercept the wolf, but couldn’t make it in time. In panic he desperately thrust his broken arm at the wolf. The arm did very little as the wolf continued to run past Sephtis, but as the wolf hit his arm it shattered. As the wolf kept running Sephtis shattered arm snagged on the Zombie Wolf, and brought it to a halt.
Seeing this chance Miria used her {Weak Blessing} on herself and started running. This was by far her best option. She had little chance of beating the Zombie Wolf without help. Her Familiar was still too weak to help her in serious combat. So she took her best option and used {Weak Blessing} to raise all her stats a little and then run for her life.
Miria was a few feet from the exit of the cemetery when she heard some foot steps behind her. She dared not turn around. {Weak Blessing} was about to run out, and she still had some distance to go. Miria couldn’t think of anything but leaving the cemetery. She knew that there was a boundary around the cemetery that prevented weak Undead to leave, but she didn’t have time to consider if the wolf would pass through it or not. Just as she was about to reach the boundary she felt something at her heels then
“{Binding}!” [Scary Cloaked Figure]
Miria was lying on the grass on the boundary line. She looked up at the Zombie Wolf inches away from her face being held back by black chains. Behind the wolf was a cloaked figure who held some of the chains binding the wolf. Then Miria fainted due to pure fright.
“What is a new student doing out here. Doesn’t she know it's dangerous. Well I guess it is unnatural to meet a Zombie Wolf during the day. Hey! Slack Jaw carry her back to the dorm.” [Scary Cloaked Figure]
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