“So, you’re not a God? Miss Kumara?”
“No, I’m not a God. Not in the way that you speak it. I am Immortal, and as powerful as the next Divinity. I was just made differently.”
Myron nodded. “Then, I’m currently speaking to Dakini’s Divine Mother?”
“KAHA! Dakini you say?” The Fox face stretched up and over Myron, growing big to fill the whole Temple. One of her eyes nearly touched Dakini who stood still like stone as she peered at the Kitsune.
“That’s very funny of the World Spirit. Or very Telling. It gladdens my heart, for all this Power has not been wasted in meeting you.”
“And interfering in my Class Selection.”
“Beh!” Kumara shrunk back down, acting like she spat at the process. “System stuff is below me, never really cared for the thing, and didn’t participate in its creation.”
Syl trembled and Myron felt her heart beating through her chest. “That’s a bomb to drop on random strangers. I say you don’t divulge anymore lest Punishment rain down and smite us.” Myron frowned.
“I’d survive.” The cheeky fox responded and his frown alleviated. He could trust a selfish little prick to be selfish. Just like you could trust a traitor to betray you.
“Wise thought, for a such a Young Man.”
“My word had some very wise people.”
“It seems this world is lacking in them.”
“I’ve noticed a few gaps.” Myron nodded.
The Fox rolled her eyes. “As long as you care for my little Dakini, then I’m fine.”
“You don’t think the current situation affects you, and those you are meant to protect?”
“Who would that be?” She smiled, a wolfish thing, predatory.
“The Kitsune.”
“I’m their favored Patreon, and the place where they come from. If they had any Filial Piety they would follow my example, bewitch those that dare covet their power into a life of slavery from love and take everything that they ever laid eyes upon while they watched in horror.”
“Lovely.” Myron pursed his lips. “Sounds a Lot like the myths people in my world have developed about Kitsune.”
“That’s a exactly why I was treated the way I was. I know now, but then I was too young, to weak, to be able to do anything.”
Myron didn’t say anything, merely took in her form. She looked at him, and he looked at her.
“Why did you appear before us?”
“To see you.”
“I understand. Why us specifically? There are bound to be more people right now that are inside one of these Temples, trying to choose a class. You could have gone to any one of them.”
“It was a split second decision. Gods and Divine beings don’t have knowledge of every happening all over the world.”
“So why did you come?”
“I noticed that this little Kitsune had come here before, not too long ago. Noticed that she had a different trainer. Is it wrong of me to care for my Kin?” She asked knowing full well the hypocrisy of that statement.
“You’re hesitating.”
“Don’t fault me. I came down here expecting to destroy one of your Team for the sake of Dakini’s safety and realized that things weren’t so simple the moment I smelled you.”
“You were going to, what?” Myron bristled. He clenched his teeth, and pulled. “GHA!!” He screamed in pain as purple lightning coursed between his arm and the black stone, pulling him back in with a searing intensity.
“Stop, you little fool! I want to help you!” The Fox yipped in shock.
“By Killing one of my people!?” Myron cursed.
“I won’t anyone of your Team. Swear to the World Spirit and the Grand Aether Web!” She shouted and Myron stopped, feeling the binding chains that shot up and tied themselves around the Avatar of smoke.
His palms smacked back onto the stone and he gasped, buckling as he did for breath, his mind reeling with pain. “That’s what you get for being hasty.” The Fox couldn’t even chuckle. She pointed her nose to the sky just to snub him a bit.
“You, Emeramantis. You’re a follower of Ilana.” She pointed with a claw that glimmered like a galaxy, peeking from behind the veil of Golden brown tails. Syl nodded.
“It is unfortunate that you have to learn this way, seeing as it is hard to find faithful in this day and age. But Ilana, the Goddess of Loyalty is dead.”
… Crickets
“What do you mean? Dead?” Myron asked after a minute, where Kumara waited and Syl didn’t even twitch. “How do you know.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“I knew the Goddess. She and I had sort of rivalry going on. My Life and her Duty met quite often, you see.”
“She’s dead though? How? When? Can Gods die?”
“Gods do die. They die when they lose their purpose, their burden. In this case, Ilana merely changed. So deeply that she’s not the same. Officially by all the Gods that remain sane, Ilana has passed and the Throne of Loyalty remains empty.” Kumara said and the more she spoke the more Syl shivered.
Myron wanted to doubt the information. But found it difficult. No matter how she seemed, Kumara was something more than mundanely powerful. Yet despite the clear divinity that enshrouded her being, it was clear from her attitude and her creation Myth that she wasn’t entirely against lying, scheming, and betraying.
“I’m not lying to you, Myron.” She rolled her great big eyes. “I understand none the less. Find ways to confirm for yourself. Doubt the authenticity of my Word but also the authenticity of that false God. I think with time you will see the truth behind the Deceit. For now, I’ve wasted enough of my Power, Dakini, be a dear and Pray to me every once in a while. Farewell.”
She swirled in on herself, her form sucked up into nothingness. The world was back as it used to be. With stone below their feet and a roof above their heads. Yet neither Mery nor anyone else sighed in relief. A pressure lifting from their shoulders only to have another strapped upon them.
Myron turned to look at Syl. “I’m fine, continue with the Process. Choose a Class.” Syl responded, Monotone, to the unanswered question. Which meant she was not fine.
“We can always do it another day. I’m not even sold on choosing a class yet. With a bit more walking I could get my Tenacity to 10, gain another skill. Instinct and Impact also.”
“No Myron, don’t fuck around. This is important. You need to have a Class to get a Trainer License, it’s perquisite number one.”
“After this. We’re going to head to a quite place for dinner.” Myron said with finality, understanding where Syl’s tone and choice of words had come from and not taking it to heart. Instead, he felt heartache. It pained him to see her this way, so he moved on.
He felt the Hexagon appear before him. The Whispers of the System spoke of every Class, and what it would bring to him. Text also popped up, giving him the Attribute distribution for each class. Brawler was first, taunting him with the power it could offer, egging him on, promising gold and mirth and lordship.
He flipped through them all, taking in their whisper and song, the sales-pitch, one could argue. His paths were open to all of these Classes, none preferred by the System, none shone with a different color or sang in a different voice, none spoke more or louder. So Myron ignored the Attributes, Ignored the Social Status and chose what his heart yearned for.
Instructor.
Unassuming to most. Not discarded and not looked down on, but difficult to make use off early on, requiring long hours and a lot of investment. Paying off years later, when experience had been lived and Social credit earned. To Myron it was what a Trainer should be. Closest to Primer an Brawler, able to take from them in the later stages with the most efficiency. He knew before he picked it. That is just how the Hexagon worked.
He didn’t mind not being aligned to the Craftsman Class at all. While he had always dreamt of being a man that was handy, that new how to fix, repair, and craft. He found that he enjoyed that singular training session with his Aimon infinitely more than any one time in his 28 years of life that he had sat down and worked on something with his hands.
The Attribute benefits too, weren’t anything too bad.
[Congratulations, Myron, for Choosing your class and deepening your relation with the System. May you grow prosperous and strong with your Aimon by your side.]
[You have henceforth become an Instructor: +1 Tenacity, +1 Instinct +1 Spirit. May you teach your Aimon well, and guide them with your Skills along the path to greatness and to reaching their maximum potential. Temper their spirits, push them as hard as they can go, Impart knowledge and guide them as they guide you in return. Learn and grow to become even better through experience and Interaction. Make those Tender moment where Change Happens, yours, and Share that knowledge with the Aimon of the World.]
[For your outstanding actions, You have been awarded with Three Achievements that will provide small and unseen bonuses to your person and your Aimon as you move ever forward.]
Myron immediately opened his Status, the Class Status Specifically. Knowing that if he focused on what had been the Paths line previous - which was now rewritten into Class: Instructor - he would find another panel of information.
Class: Instructor
Level: 1
Titles
Achievements
Brave First Step
Fledgling Tactician
True Bond
Skills
It was simple for now, but he knew it would grow bigger and bigger as he grew in level, did more things and gained notoriety, or renown, but somehow Myron doubted he would gain much of the latter. Not that he cared what other people thought of him, apart from those he knew personally. Like his Aimon, or people like Mister Keegs and Sunika, or Jaimon to an extent.
Myron then finally returned to his Actual Status Sheet, now that his curiosity had been sated.
Myron’s Status
Tier: Unearned
Level: 7
Distributable Points -> 6
Instructor
Aether: 35/38
Bonds
Syl - Level 30, Emeramantis Queen - Plant/Metal Type
Mery - Level 8, Pygmaleon - Fighting/Water Type
Dakini - Level 9, Kitsune - Dark/Fairy Type
Attributes
Explosiveness - 5
Might - 4
Tenacity - 8!
Instinct - 8!
Focus - 10
Impact - 8
Spirit - 9!
Clarity - 10
Skills
{P} Heart of Purpose (lv8)
{P} Mind of Intent (Lv4)!
Growth was happening all around. After a single look he closed it, whisked it away amd turned around.
“Alright girls, now that that’s done, it’s time for us to get some grub in our bellies.” Myron said with a smile. Syl started but Myron simpled grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and pushed her forward. She slid across the polished floor for a bit before catching up with her body.
“Alright. Food first.”
“Yes, Food, rest, and potentially a Good bear. Know any good bars?”
“I know some stuff but they’re pretty far away, down the South Western corner of the city.” Syl answered as they turned left from the entrance of the Place of Mysteries. Myron thumbed his chin and oriented himself. South-west was to the left of the gate they took to enter the city as they came from the North.
“Is there a way to get there fast?”
“Rent a boat at the Canals. We’ll be down in five minutes.”
They stepped off the empty plaza as they talked, and took the stairs leading down and away from them trunk of the Great Oak.
“Do we have enough money to do so? And to Eat, and to Spend the night?” Myron asked then had an unfortunate Idea. “Maybe if we cash in the Corsonea Crystal?”
“If don’t think we’ll have to. If we head by the Craftsman Quarters Lair first to give what Lungs we have left, as well as some of the other parts I have been carrying since we first met at the Emerald Forest. We should make it, it will all work out."
“Well, great.” Myron nodded, “Lead the way.” He smiled and they were off. Across the Canal and down, in a neighborhood that existed at the valley between two massive roots. Smoke and the twang of leather rose from the valley neighborhood with more stone than wood.