Age 10, Day 1
“Stupid Rooster, why’d you have to be crowing this early in the morning?” But who was I kidding though, I couldn’t wait to get up and get downstairs. Today was my 10th birthday. Five years since I had first step foot on this plane of existence, the times sure flies. It’s almost like a book where a single page is a lifetime. Running down the stairs two at a time I ran into the kitchen looking for my dad. Yep, I call him dad. I have grown quite fond of my adopted family and count them as my own, all four of them. Linsette, Marion, and the twins. Atlanta and Artemis, who were born two years after I arrived to the surprise of everyone, two little half-elves added to our potpourri of a family. Anything they needed I was there to provide. Diaper changes, burping, keeping an eye on them when they crawled outside. I made sure Linsette was not overwhelmed taking care of two additional tykes. The beautiful thing was I knew I wasn’t going to be pushed aside now that they were here. My relationship with Marion and Linsette had solidified over the past two years and they were not going to discard me like trash.
Anyways, I was excited to get on the road, because today was the day that Marion had promised to take me to the Mercenary Hall. I did not want him to leave without me. I should have known better, because as I entered the kitchen everyone was already there shouting out a resounding “Happy Birthday”. With my family around me, tears almost came out making me realize how these people had become so special to me over the years. I was led to the head of the table and presented with my celebratory glass of milk and a heaping pile of pancakes.
“Your tenth birthday. How times flies. What do you plan to do today?”
“Nice try dad, don’t think I haven’t forgotten your promise to take me to the Mercenary Hall today.”
“Your father is kidding with you, Logan. He made sure to get the Guild Master’s approval last week to bring you in today. You make your mother proud today.”
“Can’t a father joke around with his son anymore? Once you finish your breakfast we will head into the city and see if you can make your mark on the guild.”
With that statement, I shoved whatever food Julia put in front of me in the need to get into the city as quickly as possible. Sorry to say, I don’t remember what the pancakes tasted like, but Julia would understand why I rushed to finish. Her patient ear has been a God-send for me. There are just some things only grandmotherly type can be there for and she full-filled that role for me many times. Once the last morsel went down the hatch and I headed out the door to collect Erebos.
“One moment, don’t you dare step out that door. No son of mine will be showing up to see my boss looking like that. What do you think you are doing leaving the house with those old leathers and worn spear?”
“But, dad, these are the best leathers I have, and I tried telling you last month that this spear was breaking down. I am sure it only has a couple more weeks left of use in it.”
“That just doesn’t suffice,” Marion replied with a stern demeanor. Then he cracked a wide smile and pulled three packages out from behind him. The first gift he gave me was wrapped in felt and had Clotho’s sewing logo in the corner. As I began to unwrap it, I could sense several enchantments emanating from it thanks to Linsette’s training. As I removed the last vestige of wrapping a full suit of leather armor was revealed.
Hunter’s ArmorA complete set of leather armor crafted by multiple craftsmen. Set includes Brigandine, Pants, Bracers, Helm, Boots.
Brigandine: 25 defense, +20 Vitality, +20 Agility
Pants: 15 defense, +10 Agility, + 5 Strength
Bracers (each): 5 defense, +2 Agility, + 2 Luck
Helm: 10 defense, +10 Intellect, +10 Wisdom
Boots: 10 defense, +5 Agility, +5% speed increase
“Are these from the wolves Lionel asked me to get rid of last summer?” Several wolves had been harassing our sheep herds and we were losing them at a steady pace. Lionel had come in one morning looking for Marion to inform him of the situation, but he had left already. After explaining the situation to me, and finding out that the wolves were roughly level 15-20 I knew I could take them on. Erebos and I left later on that day to hunt them down. All told it took us several days to hunt down the remnants of the wolf pack, but a nice boost to our levels was the result of all that hard work. Little did I know Lionel had been following us each time to make sure nothing bad happened to us. In essence, he designated himself as our over watch with his trusty crossbow by his side.
“Yes, they are. Lionel, skinned them for you, and saved them for a special occasion figuring something good should come out of them. Between Clotho, your mother, and him they were able to shape and enchant a nice set of armor for you. This other gift is something that your mother and I have held on to for several years now. I think it will be perfectly suited to your set of skills.”
I could guess what it was just by the shape. Even though I knew it was a spear, I couldn’t wait to open it up. What met my gaze though was something I never could have imagined.
N/AA pole-arm made of a Shadow Dragon’s tail. The pole-arm maintained the Dragon’s morphing capability and will adapt overtime to its owner’s will.
The pole-arm will evolve upon the owner’s attainment of a new mastery level in pole-arms. If damaged, can be repaired by channeling mana into the weapon. 5 mp/min per 1 point of durability.
Form 1: Spear;
Durability: 200/200
Level 1: 25 atk, 5 Shadow damage, 1 sp/swing
Before I could even pick it up, I looked to Marion. “Are you sure you want to give this to me? It’s an honor that you thought of me with this gift, but surely Atlanta or Artemis should receive this over me.”
“Be at ease, the spear came from the Dragon’s horde and was not the only thing we looted in recompense for your mother’s arm. We have several other things that will be inherited by them. Go ahead and claim a weapon truly suited for you.”
Placing my hand on the spear’s shaft caused a message to appear:
You have acquired a unique weapon that has not been named. Upon naming, the pole-arm will be bound to you until your death.
There was only one name that I could go with for a spear. “Gungnir.”
Your Spear skill has been upgraded to the skill Pole-Arm Mastery. Your Spear skill will now be a sub-skill of Pole-Arms.
“Interesting, what does it mean?” Linsette asked, as an enchanter she knew the power names can have.
“It means swaying one in the language of my ancestors. In my world, it represented one of the strongest weapons ever used. Hopefully I will be able to reflect even a portion of the fame that spear had.”
“A strong name, may Gungnir protect you in your journeys.” Replied Marion, as he waved Linsette forward to present some more gifts.
“My gift to you is part birthday present and part graduation gift from my tutelage. You have been an astute learner in all aspects and I look forward to your accomplishments at the Mercenary Hall. I only wish I could have trained you to become an Enchanter, but your advancement to and mastery of Intermediate enchanting skills has been a joy to watch. Please take these rings as reminder of the skills you have learned.”
A Mother’s PrideA ring crafted by a Master Enchanteress combining 3 metals and 3 precious stones.
Effects: +10 vitality, +10 agility, +10 hp/min
A Mother’s JoyA ring crafted by a Master Enchanteress combining 3 metals and 3 precious stones.
Effects: +10 intelligence, +10 wisdom, +10 mp/min
“Mother, thank you for your gift, I hope that my skills will never bring shame to you.”
“Logan, they won’t. I would have given you a necklace as well, but if the Guild master accepts you, you will be given a necklace to symbolize your rank and your group affiliation. Here let’s go outside, this final gift is for Erebos. We can’t let him feel left out now can we.”
Upon summoning Erebos to the courtyard, he must have felt something was up because he was grinning in the cheesiest way possible. I don’t think that grin could have gotten any bigger when I showed a surprisingly heavy package to him. Opening the wrapping revealed what had happened to the remainder of the wolf pelts Lionel had skinned during last summer’s slaughter.
Protector’s ArmorA set of leather armor meant for a large animal. The set consists of a Leather Cap, Collar, Breastplate, Spine Protector.
Leather Cap; +10 Defense, +10 Hp/min, +10 Sp/min
Collar: +10 Defense, +10 Vitality, +10 Str
Breastplate: +50 Defense, +25 Str, +25 Vit
Spine Protector: +50 Defense, +25 Str, +25 Vit
“Now both of you go change, you will need to leave soon in order to beat the morning rush. Today you will be taking the carriage into the city.”
It was almost a superman drill the way I ran upstairs to my bedroom and changed. One instant the door had closed and the next instant I was back out fully clothed in my new regalia. As I climbed into the carriage, I called out to Erebos who was trying to catch a glimpse of his armor in a nearby puddle. Trying to coax that bear away from the puddle was difficult; I swear sometimes he can be such a prima donna. But, as soon as he heard we were going to the city he bolted to the carriage. He just likes showing off in front of crowds, it comes from all the stares we get each time we meander through the capitol’s markets. I don’t blame him though, we both looked like mean, lean, fighting machines in our matching black leather armor.
The sun was barely up over the horizon as the carriage proceeded along the coast. The crowds that were usually in front of the gate were absent with the exception of several ambitious merchants in search of the best buys. Captain Lucius waved us through after the usual questions, and didn’t even stick his head in to check on us. I think he was still nervous around Erebos. To give him credit, every time he was on guard duty Erebos had gained a level or increase his size. I never caught him, but he was probably playing with the shadows each time we came close to the city to bulk himself up even more.
Five minutes later we pulled up to a one story building that was situated on the northern perimeter of the Solaris’ wall. According to Marion during times of trouble the Mercenary Guild acted as a city militia and per the city’s charter had to supply 200 mercenaries to man the walls. Stepping down from the carriage, I was surprised by how big the building was. The main building was at least 200 meters long and I couldn’t tell how deep it was due to a wall surrounding the perimeter. Even this early in the morning I could hear a clamor of metal striking metal and the yells of mock combat. My adrenaline started rushing just thinking about the additional training I hoped to gain from within.
Walking up to the front door, Marion pulled his necklace out from underneath his shirt and showed the Warrior standing at the door. How do I know he was a warrior? The huge bastard sword strapped to his back, his calm demeanor, and his battle scarred armor all lent the atmosphere of one who has seen many conflicts.
A deep bass rumbled out of the guard “Marion welcome, who’s the midget?”
“Samson, meet Logan my son, the Guild master has given permission for him to enter today under my guidance.”
“Understood, be careful some of the new recruits from the academy are throwing their weight around.”
“Isn’t Chiron keeping an eye on them?”
“He was but he got called away on some personal business. Something about checking up on the training for a young boy named Jason. He will be back next week.”
With a final handshake, Marion walked me through the doors I was partially blinded by the darkness within. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw mercenaries of all types staring at me judging me. The trick of the door was immediately evident as anyone who came through the door suddenly would not expect the light change and would backlight themselves to any attacks.
“This way Logan, ignore them they’re not used to seeing one so young as you within these walls.”
Walking through the various mercenaries groups that congregated in the atrium revealed the wide range of individuals and it surprised me. My assumption was that a mercenary group would be dressed the same, and have similar backgrounds. However, I saw at least 5 different races, full-plated knights, clerical robes of at least 3 religions, and several archers. The more I saw the more comfortable I felt about fitting in.
“Makorov, may I introduce my son Logan.”
“Welcome, I am Makorov, leader of the Mercenary Hall for the past 10 years and a humble mage. Marion has told me a little of your back story and some of the training you have undergone, but I would like to hear about it from you. Please have a seat.” Thankfully he offered us a seat, because I felt bad standing over him even at my height of 5 feet. You see, he was a gnome and I was unsure of the exact method of addressing him. Dwarf, Elf or Human I knew some of the intricacies of addressing a superior, but for a Gnome I was unsure. So when in doubt, be polite.
“Yes, sir.” I gave him the full run down, from my transition to this world to my class assignment and even included the training Marion and Linsette had given me. As I talked, Makorov would interject a question or two to understand a point of my story and showed surprise when I offered my status table to him.
“You my boy are definitely blessed by the Aspects. For now, I give you leave to wander the compound and try out the various weapon ranges. I will need to speak to your father for a few minutes.”
“Thank you sir.” I gave a short bow and left them to their discussions. Wandering through the compound, I stayed quiet and observed everyone about me trying to see the bigger picture and where I would fit. Down various hallways I saw dormitories for the new recruits or the bachelors who had not earned enough money to support themselves, or didn’t want to spend money on housing. On the opposite side of the dorms was the kitchens, where there was a constant flow of people going in with raw materials, and others caring laden trays of food to the dining areas. However, I was more interested in the training grounds and proceeded outside to see what there was to do.
The central area was dedicated to a solitary ring with a radius of 45 feet. Nobody was within it but I could surmise it was some sort of challenge ring. It was still ensconced in the morning shadows, but the sand was disturbed from a recent fight. To either side there were smaller rings that had people sparring with swords, spear, and several types of exotic weapons that I couldn’t name. To the north there was an archery range with targets set at 25, 50, 100, and 200 yards. I watched the archers rain arrows from the sky at the targets and marveled at the precision each one demonstrated in nocking and loosing each arrow. Traveling clockwise around the compound I came across several practice dummies with training weapons available for use. Thankfully Makorov had said I could make use of the training grounds for today, and I grabbed a wooden bastard sword. I was thinking about Samson with his sword, and what his strength must be to swing that monster around.
“Look at that shrimp trying to swing that sword around. Why is a wimpy little elf trying to handle a sword like a true warrior. Shouldn’t you be over shooting arrows with your toy bow?” Someone was attempting to taunt me as I attempted to figure out the sword. I heard his taunts, but my concentration skill was allowing me to focus on the dummy in front of me ignoring his poor attempts at insulting me.
A few moments later, I was on the ground rolling trying to figure out what happened. I tried to focus on what was going on and could feel a line of pain along my side. Trying to remain calm while catching my breath, I stood up to face my attacker. In front of me was a teenager, probably 16 or 17, with a long sword in his hand. He might have been a foot taller than me and had me by a good 25 or 30 lbs. That smile on his face was so twisted that I felt a shiver run down my back. I don’t know who he was, but I figured I was in for a rookie beating.
“As I was saying, you are holding it all wrong. You need to be more balanced and your foot placement is all wrong.” With each word, he swung his sword and tapped the offending appendage forcing it to where it was supposed to be. Now a tap from a wooden sword swung in jest, or in ridicule in this case, hurts, but it isn’t something I was going to get into a fight over.
“I thank you for your insights, but I believe I have had enough for today. I think I shall head back inside and find my father.” As soon as I said my father, I realized I had said the wrong thing. Oh for a simple display where I could choose my words when interacting with someone.
“He wants his daddy. Is the poor little baby scared of the big ole sword?” With each childish insult that was thrown my way, the teenager’s cohorts let off a round of laughter. I saw several of the more seasoned veterans around the compound stop what they were doing to see what the commotion was about. Everyone was watching us, but I knew that they were not going to help. Until such time as I was either physically unable to move or had several people attacking me, no one was going to anything. As Marion said “Mercenaries respect ability, and abhor weakness.”
“I don’t want my daddy; I just want to prevent someone from getting hurt.” Diffusing the situation was my final resort, but this was heading in a very predictive route.
“Someone hurt is right. I don’t know what some little snot-nose brat is doing wandering round in here in the first place. Was it take your pet monkey to work day.” He said over his shoulder to his gaggle of pimple faced friends. “Don’t you know who I am?”
“Absolutely, an over pompous blowhard that is so sure in his abilities he decided to pick on a kid 5 years younger than him.” I was getting riled up, if this kid kept pushing I might have to push back and hard.
“POMPOUS, BLOWHARD, that’s it. I am Erik von Slatten. Second year graduate from the Academy, warrior recruit to the Royal Wolves, and I will be sure to see that you are kicked out of here for your disrespect of an elder.’
“Well Rik wanna Slapstick. I am sorry you only lasted two years Academy, I hope you last longer for your future wife and don’t quit to early. But I am afraid I am going to be sticking around here for quite a while.”
“Shut your Mouth.” Erik came at me and shoved me to the ground. I rolled with the push and tried to gain a little distance and a hopefully more defensible position. As I backed away, I glimpsed a group of people heading our way. “Teach this brat a lesson.” The group spread out forming a semi-circle around me with my back up against a wall.
“STOP.” That yell came from the depths of a crusty old veteran. Just that yell, almost made me snap to attention, brought back my days in boot camp. “What in the hell do you idiots think you are doing? This is my training pad, and no one, I repeat, no one is authorized combatives outside the rings without my permission. If you two good for nothing squirts think you want to swing your manly swords around, you do it in the ring. I will not accept anything else. Do I make myself clear?”
“Sir, Yes, Sir,” Came my ingrained response to a tongue lashing like he was giving us. I knew I had done nothing wrong, but when someone’s yelling you just shut up until they are through. Afterwards you can explain what happened, but until then you remain silent even if it rubs you the wrong way.
“Hartman, this kid was using the practice dummies, and I was just showing him the proper way to swing the sword. But, he started back talking and insulting me so I thought I would teach him a lesson.”
“A lesson is it, so you’re an instructor now. To the ring with you then. You can instruct him in there. You, you’re Logan right? Come here. Don’t worry Erik can’t hear us, Marion’s kid right. The one who took on the timber wolves with your familiar. Are you okay with fighting with Erik? He is level 20 warrior that has had two years of training at the Academy, you think you can take him?” Hartman seemed concerned, but more of I don’t want this to land on my head then will this kid get beaten to a bloody pulp.
“Oh, for sure I can. Just what are my restraints in this fight?” The training I put myself through over the past four years should far exceed what this spoiled brat has received. If he can’t show enough dedication to get through a full four years of Academia, his repertoire of moves should be very lacking.
“Let’s head over to the ring and I will explain there.” Hartman escorted me to the ring. In the couple minutes that Hartman was conferring with me the whole training area had emptied out and everyone was gathered around the ring. Moving closer I even saw my father and Makorov discussing something. Sensing my stare, Marion looked up and gave me a wink, mouthing “Have fun,” and went straight back to talking to Makorov. Those two words lifted a burden off my shoulders, because I didn’t want to bring shame to my father’s house especially in his place of business.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today for an instructional session by the renowned scholar and fighter, Erik Von Slatten. Today he is going to grace us with a demonstration on how to fight.” Hartman started clapping, but no one joined in as they knew he was making a statement. “His opponent will be young Logan.” As he mentioned my name he waved me into the ring. Stepping in, I felt all eyes on me and felt a slight blush creep up my cheeks at all the attention. There were many looks of disgust, but none directed my way. Everyone knew that Erik was trying to make a name for himself, but to do it versus a kid was just plain stupid. Hartman continued, “I assure you this fight is more than fair, if not slightly one sided. I will let you all judge who the fight is in favor for in a moment. Erik, what weapons will you choose?”
“The sword.” You could the perspiration beading up on his face as he realized this had gone far deeper than he ever wanted it to go. The only problem was he didn’t know when to jump ship.
“Logan, since this is your first time in a ring, you are allowed your choice of weapons.”
“Understood, I choose the spear. What about magic? Am I allowed to use any skills at my disposal?”
“Anything and everything is allowed within the ring. The choice of weapon is merely a verbal formality.” Turning to the crowd, Hartman cried, “I need two clerics as witness to this fight. Ahh, thank you Gale and Howser. Gale you will monitor Erik, and Howser you can monitor Logan. Logan as the student in this fight you may choose East or West to start the fight from.”
“May I perform any spells before I enter the ring?” There was something I wanted to try and I needed to make sure no one would cry foul.
“As long as it is a spell that you know, and no one here casts one upon you there will be a two minute period where buffs may be applied. Remember until given permission no contact may be made with the opponent.”
“Understood, in that case I take the West side, Erik may have the East side.” I pointed towards the shaded area, and gave flick of my fingers pointing towards a particularly shaded area to the East. The looks on the mercenaries faces stated that I had made the wrong decision by starting off the fight staring into the sun, but I had a plan.
Howser came over to me “Logan, I will be your cleric in this fight. I will not heal or aid you in anyway. However, if your health should reach 5% or I feel your life is in danger I will cast Holy Succor on you. This will immediately heal any injuries, but also prevent any attacks either by you or against you for one minute. If this occurs, please leave the ring without an argument. My job is to remain impartial throughout the fight and ensure your health. With that can you please share your status window with my avatar? This is so that I can get a rough estimate on how much damage you will take or can take.”
“Not a problem, please keep in mind that I request you keep the status to yourself and tell no one. Let me activate a skill real quick and then you are free to look.” Activating Aura of the Familiar (a nice 3% of Erebos status), I took a look at my status window as well. I hadn’t done much leveling in the past four years outside of the timber wolves around the homestead, but I had managed to reach level 15. Most of my improvements came from all the training I had invested my time into, and I was anxious to see what I could do.
Status WindowNameLoganAlignmentNeutralAge10Level15RaceAos SIClassGrand Beast MasterStrength92 + (.92+5.1)Vitality115 + (1.15+4.95)Agility149+ (1.49+1.05)Luck60 + (.6+.3)Wisdom196 + (1.96+3.66)Intelligence159 + (1.59+2.85)Health (Vitality*10)1211Health Regen ((Hp/100)*2)34.22 hp/minStamina ((Str+Vit+Agi)/3*10)1235Stamina Regen (Sta/100)12.35 sp/minMana (Int*10)1634Mana Regen (Wis/10)30.16 mp/minCritical Chance6.09%ResistancesFire0Heat0Ice0Cold0Poison0Venom0Dark-5+ (.05)Light0Nature20 + (.2)Wind0Racial Benefits-Receive an additional point to Vitality per level
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
-Health Regeneration is doubled
-Low light vision
-Nature Affinity and Nature Resistance: +20
-Dark Resistance: -5%
-Elven relationship: Friendly
-Dwarven Relationship: Suspicious
-REQUIREMENTS NOT METBlessingsDo to being of the Aos Si race you are favored by the Aspects
Blessing of the Aspects: +1% to all stats and resistancesSkillsSummon Familiar (Beginner lvl 8)Summon period: 23 hrs 62 min
Cost: 250 mpCall of the Wild(Beginner level 7)Number of Animals: 3
Duration: 64 secs
Cost: 100 mana per animalAura of the Familiar(Apprentice Lvl 1)Percentage: 3%
Cost: 10 mp/minJumping(Beginner level 5)Jump distance = 95 inches
Jump height = 48 inches
Cost=25spSkillsClimbing(Beginner lvl 5)Climbing weight = support your own weight + 50 lbs (125 lbs)
Climbing type = need full hand/foot holds
Cost=5sp/minImagination(Apprentice lvl 6)The ability to imagine scenarios in greater detail and see it play out before you.
4 Scenarios at a time
4 components (people, time, scenery within 90 feet, weapons)
Duration: 8 minute
Cost=8 mp/secRunning (Apprentice Lvl 5)Run time = 12 minutes 32 secs per mile
Cost = 7 sp minFirst Aid (Apprentice lvl 3)You are able to seal medium cuts/abrasions and set basic fractures. Only applies to surface wounds.
1 hp/min reduction per level. (Bleeding out at 3 hp/min apply first aid now bleeding out at 1hp/min)
Cost = 50 sp and 50 mp
Requirements: 1 silk bandagePole Arms (Beginner Lvl 1)the ability to learn a wide range of pole arms.
Effect: Skill mastery is hastened by 1% when using a pole arm.Spear (Apprentice lvl 8)Effect: +15 Atk, +10% Atk speedConcentration(Beginner Lvl 9)The ability to concentrate on a single task.
Effect: Skill mastery is hastened by 1%.Balance(Apprentice lvl 5)Effect: Footing is assured in battle. 10% chance that knockback attacks will fail.Tailoring(Apprentice lvl 3)Capable of manipulating basic leather and cloth.
Effect: 20% chance of failure, material loses 10% durability
Effect: 5% chance of producing an Intermediate item,Cooking(Apprentice lvl 5)Restricted to basic components (eggs/meats/vegetables/starches/soups)
Effect: Various.Enchanting(Intermediate Lvl 10)Restricted to inanimate objects only, allows for the combination of 3 separate enchantments. Can also strip Enchantments from objects of equivalent skill level or less to learn
Effect: Various.
Cost: 20 min cast time, 100 mp/min
Status WindowNameErebosAlignmentNeutralAge5Level17ClassSpectreRaceShadow Bear (Elite)Strength170Vitality165Agility35Luck10Wisdom122Intelligence95Health (Vitality*10)1650Health Regen ((Hp/100))26.5Stamina ((Str+Vit+Agi)/3*10)1233Stamina Regen (Sta/100)22.33 sp/minMana (Int*10)950Mana Regen (Wis/10)12.2Critical Chance.1%ResistancesFire0Heat0Ice0Cold0Poison0Venom0Dark15%Light-5%Nature0Wind0Racial Benefits-Receive 6 points per level
-Low light vision
-Dark Resistance: 15%
-Light resistance: -5%
-Dwarven Relationship: SuspiciousSkillsDarkness (Apprentice lvl 5)Absorb shadows within a radius of 1.5 meters
For every .1 meter absorbed: strength increases by 1%, agility decreases by 1%
Cost: 7 mp/minShadow (Apprentice lvl 3)Able to move in shadows at a walk. Running, noise, or attacking someone will cancel the affect.
Cost: 100 mpBite(Apprentice lvl 1)Attack an opponent with your teeth.
Effects: 10% chance to crush armor, 15% chance to cause bleeding.
Cost: 50 spSwipe(Apprentice lvl 5)Attack an opponent with your paw.
Effects: 10% chance to stun, 15% chance to shred leather or cloth.
Cost: 25 sp
Howser seemed slightly stunned at my status window, “I don’t think I have seen such stats from one so young in a long time. I don’t think you will have much trouble with Erik, but you should still be careful.”
“Understood, is there a time limit to this fight? Or should I just go full out?”
“No one will fault you from going full out. But, however you do it, keep in mind Erik has had 2 years of training and should not be taken lightly.”
With that final word of advice, I walked into the ring to face my first human opponent since Jimmy the Rat all those years ago. Erik walked into the ring and his stance took on a more formal appearance. To me that meant he was going to take the fight seriously and I meant to as well. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to use every trick in my bag to take him down. Settling into a ready stance, spear pointed slightly upwards towads the heavens, my weight distributed equally across both my feet, I contemplated the upcoming fight. My imagination skill went into overdrive as I sifted through all the permutations I could envision for this fight. Settling on the best course of action, I signaled my readiness just as the two minute mark for personal buffs elapsed.
“Gentlemen, on my mark you will fight until someone admits defeat or your respective clerics cast Holy Succor. Ready, Fight.” Harmon stepped out of the ring with those final words.
Erik approached slowly with his long sword raised before him. Each step he made was short and choppy movement that would enable him to lunge forward or back at the slightest opening or provocation. I wasn’t going to let him get a chance for either. Preparing my spear, I sent Erebos a mental command “Now.” You see one thing that enabled us to take down 45 Timber wolves was that I acted as the bait to pull them towards the nearest shadows. What was about to happen next was a surprise for those mangy curs as much as it was going to be for Erik. I started thrusting and grunting making myself look like a martial artist hyped up on caffeine to keep Erik’s attention on me. Looking at his face was a comical site, he must have thought I lost it and was going crazy. But, the distraction was working allowing the shadows from around Erik to slowly recede and be absorbed into Erebos granting him strength and mass. There was a slight intake of breathe from some of the audience, but they were all experienced enough not to give anything away in the face of combat. By the time Erebos was done his strength had reached 195 and he had gained another 40 lbs. He struck Erik from behind doing a critical attack and stunning him with the surprise blow across his back. Stumbling forward he came in reach of my spear and I started my attack.
Due to the metal armor that he was wearing, I was not going to commit futile attacks against his strengths, but instead went for his outer extremities. Marion, as a Knife Master, always told me “Death by a thousand cuts might be slower, but you still get the job done, but if an opening presents itself strike hard and strike fast.” With that simple constant in mind, I sidestepped to the left swinging my spear at his kneecaps. Utilizing the full spear and not just the pointy end allowed me to use the shaft to act as a force multiplier. As soon as the spear came in contact his knee it bowed backwards disregarding any semblance that it was folding against its nature. The combination of Erebos’s attack and the sudden loss of his right knee planted him face first into the ground. Seizing my advantage, I kicked his sword out from his hands and pressed Gungnir up against his throat. Sure the fight could have lasted longer, but surprise and decisiveness are surer ways to finish a fight. One single mistake in a prolonged fight could end badly for me, and I wanted to make a statement. Mess with me and I will take you down fast.
“Do you yield?” Praying that he was smart enough to realize when he had been beaten.
“I yield,” he faintly whispered.
Hartman came forward and declared “Logan is the winner.” Turning to the crowd of onlookers “Now, get back to your training you slackers.” The round of applause was intermingled with a few clandestine exchanges of wagers from around the circle.
Reaching down I offered Erik my hand. Reluctantly he took it, once up he dusted the dirt off himself he hobbled over to his sword.
“Logan, masterfully done. I see Marion had given you several pointers in the art of combat. Come see me before you leave today.” Makorov came over to congratulate me. “I am sorry that one of the new recruits decided to make you his target.” Turning to my father, “I think Erik was slated to be one of yours. I leave the choice up to you, do you want to discipline him or shall I have Hartman dish it out instead?”
“Dad, wait. You don’t need to punish him any more than I already have. It was just a playground tussle.” As I spoke, I felt my age as I remembered all the fights I used to get into with people. The glory of it was, guys fight and determine dominance and then become best friends. With Erik, it might settle at acquaintances, but I was prepared to let it go. “If you take it out on him, it will just look like I am using my connections. I don’t need that. I took care of the problem, leave it alone. I don’t think he will be messing with me anytime soon.”
“As you wish, Erik come here. I believe you have met my son; he has vouched for you even when you clearly were misrepresenting everything a mercenary stands against. Consider yourself on probation for the next 3 months. During that time, I expect you to be a model recruit. After that time, I will consider accepting you into the Royal Wolves. Do you understand me?
“Yes sir.” Erik mumbled, “Logan, I am sorry for treating you like I did. I should have realized that anyone within the compound would have some sort of fighting experience. I underestimated you, and paid the penalty.”
“No worries Erik, it’s in the past. Next time you want to tussle just ask, and I won’t pull the Erebos trick on you again.” Snapping my fingers, I called Erebos to my side.
“I never saw him coming. Well played Erebos,” Erik reached out to pet Erebos, and had to jump back a little as he snarled.
“Fair warning, he saw everything you were doing from the shadows. Be grateful he respected my abilities or he would have attacked in earnest. He doesn’t appreciate individuals who pick on beings weaker than they are. I suggest giving him a wide berth for a bit, unless you want to be bitten, clawed, and then dismembered.” I laughed as I said the last to show I was not trying to threaten him.
“As you say, I think I will go wash up now.” Erik hurried away trying not to notice the angry glances of the veterans around him. Some might wonder why I shrugged the whole situation off, but Erik was not going to be my greatest enemy. He was a young teenager full of testosterone, and seeking to make an impression on his idols within the Hall.
Giving Erebos a good scratch behind the ear for a job well done, I looked up to see I was surrounded by a sizeable crowd. Everyone started bombarding me with various questions and I was dazed by the enthusiasm they showered me with.
“What level are you?” asked one of Erik’s cronies.
“How did you get the familiar, and if it is one what class are you?” asked a fellow in forest greens.
“What class is your familiar?” this coming from a burly warrior.
“Whoa, slow down folks, I can only answer one question at a time. This is Erebos a level 17 Spectre, from what I can tell he is a warrior specializing in Shadows. I am Logan a level 15 Grand Beastmaster. Not sure on all the aspects of my class, but I hope to learn from some of you.”
For the next hour, I mingled with the mercenaries swapping information and stories. Thanks to my young appearance, I knew I was probably going to be made a mascot for them. Being a younger brother to several hundred individuals couldn’t hurt; I just need to convince them to pass me their tricks of the trade.
Age 10, Day 2
Yesterday’s events were very fortuitous for me. Makorov, having witnessed my fight, suggested I could become a probationary member. I couldn’t become a Recruit and go out on missions or accept official jobs on behalf of the Hall, but I could come and train until such time the Guild Master and his senior group leaders vote me in as Mercenary Recruit. I would fall outside the official structure of the guild, not quite a Recruit, but not an average citizen either.
Guild MasterRoyal WolvesHawksSharksOwls4 Lieutenants4 Lieutenants4 Lieutenants4 Lieutenants8 Sergeants8 Sergeants8 Sergeants8 Sergeants128 Mercenaries128 Mercenaries128 Mercenaries128 Mercenaries~128 Recruits
From the chart they showed me there were approximately 693 individuals attached to the Solaris Mercenary Guild. The high amount of recruits depicted was due to a slow period between campaigns, and the recent Academy graduation. To become a recruit was simple, all one had to do was show up to the front door of the Hall and request membership. A trial phase would begin where the actions and skills of the individual would be under evaluation by the various Captains and Lieutenants. However, until there was an opening within one of the four branches no recruits could be promoted to the basic level of Mercenary. So the recruits were always vying with each other to catch the eyes of upper management to obtain a highly coveted spot. For some it wasn’t just a goal of becoming a Mercenary, but to get into a branch that matched their class or skillset. Every branch had their own specialty and clients would pay heavily to ensure they got the best squad or platoon. The Royal Wolves were heavy on Melee, Solo Artists, and those that worked best on land. Hawks were comprised of Casters and Ranged Attacks. Sharks specialized in Large Groups (Squads of 32 individuals) and were devastating at sea. The Owls were entrusted with all the Craftsmen, Siege workers, and those that have taken Holy Orders. Depending on the missions assigned, various sections would inter-mingle their personnel by lending squads of 17(1 Sergeant & 16 mercenaries) to another section, as the need arose.
The Royal Wolves was where I wanted to be, but I did not want to rely on my father’s connection to obtain a slot. So, I had to buckle down and start my next phase of training, but where to start. One of the busiest hubs of people was the dining hall, and whenever people sit down to eat, conversation will flow. Maybe by over hearing the chatter, I can key in on a few good trainers. So to the kitchen I went, because the way to a mercenary’s heart is often through his/her stomach. Whether in the field, on a long march, or in the barracks a full Merc is a happy Merc, and a happy Merc will hopefully share information. This truism seems to be the same across multiple universes and I aimed to familiarize myself with everyone in this Guild. Getting permission from Makorov was easy, as every Recruit, or in my case potential Recruit, needs to have a duty to perform in order for the wheels to run smoothly. The next obstacle was to persuade Chef Tony.
Chef Tony was a mammoth of a man, standing 6 feet tall and weighed close to 300lbs. Never let his girth belie his ability to move around. He had some serious muscle packed underneath his fat. My assumption was that he was this world’s equivalent of a Sumo. On an average day, he would go through several chickens, a couple dozen bread rolls, and multiple buckets of vegetables. His workout routine included, but wasn’t limited to, lifting and throwing rocks that weighed close to 200lbs. Hartman banned him from using the training dummies due to his hammer obliterating them in a single hit. I attempted to lift that hammer once and couldn’t even lift the handle off the ground. Inspecting the weapon gave me a glimpse into Tony’s capabilities.
World-SmasherDurability: 8,785/10,000
350 atk, 100 Earth damage, 100 sp/swing
Requirements: 1,600 Str, Stamina 14,000
Approaching the door to the kitchen, I looked in to see the bustle and clamor of individuals running everywhere. The chaotic scene slowly revealed that there was a distinctive pattern being followed with Tony manipulating each individual in the same manner a conductor leads a symphony. I was not about to enter this man’s domain without his consent so I waited patiently at the cusp dodging waiters as they hurried to deliver their orders. An hour later, Tony looked over at me and beckoned me to come in. I proceeded to him in the most efficient way possible, keep an eye out as boiling water was passed over my head, and hot plates came sizzling by my face.
“Thank you for not barging into the kitchen. I was curious to see if you were willing to wait until I gave you permission or not. So what does the Mighty Logan, master of the training yard want from me?”
“Not the master of anything yet, sir, just a person who used the tools at his disposal to surprise someone. I wouldn’t be able to duplicate that fete here again or against a more seasoned fighter. But, to business, I would like to expound my culinary chops by aiding you in the kitchen. I don’t expect to start cooking, but I would like to have some sort of job where I can progress to being your sous chef. Be it cleaning dishes or waiting tables please give me a shot.”
“Alright, see the sink over there, wash away.” Looking to where he was pointing was a sink with three tubs. Due to the nature of a kitchen there was not a large stack of dishes waiting to be cleaned, but I knew they would be incoming once people started finishing their meals. Hanging up my Brigandine in an adjacent closet, I put on an apron and began to scrub away. In the first tub I ensured it had hot, soapy water, second tub I placed plain hot water for rinsing, and the third was for a final rinse. Within minutes I recalled my routine I had mastered as a teenager in a local restaurant. Grab a dish scrub the backside, scrub the insides, shake the soap off, and plunge it into the rinse tub. Once the rinse tub was filled, run the dish through the final tub and place in the drying racks. Rinse and Repeat. For the next four weeks, I showed up in the morning before the first breakfast was served and stayed until the last plate came into the kitchen. It was repetitive, but I wanted to show Tony I was not afraid of a little hot water. I hoped to gain a least a small boost to my core stats, but nothing came of it. The silver lining though came from my Heat Resistance which plateaued at 5% by the end. If the heat from the water can raise my resistance, maybe just maybe, I can find other ways to boost my resistances.
What I found out was that the kitchen was a virtual gold mine of avenues I could explore, and over the next year I gained several useful resistances. Once Tony found out some of my experiments he started pointing me in more constructive ways so that I wouldn’t permanently injure myself. He fed me some of the strongest peppers on the continent laughing each time tears started to flow down my cheeks. Let’s just say my stomach rumbled more than any active Volcano. But, once again the 5% heat bonus was worth the punishment my gut took. By eating the peppers, my cooking skill also went up a level as I began to see the correlation between food and status bonuses. The stronger the pepper the better heat resistance buffs offered to include a temporary bonus in stamina point regeneration. To counterbalance the heat, I needed to work on my cold resistance. Our meat storage was contained in a freezer adjacent to the kitchen that was periodically refreshed by an Ice Mage. Tony had me stand in the freezer at steadily longer times in nothing but my skivvies. A few of the younger folks laughed at the snotcicles that I had, but the 10% Cold resistance was worth it.
Tony’s experiments and my willingness to do them entered the rumor mill with a flourish and strangers started offering me various tidbits they had come across in their travels. A Nature mage offered to set up an area with a continuous low grade lightning spell. Paladins stunned me with Holy Light, Fire Mages cast fireballs at me, and so forth. The only resistances that I didn’t get any bonuses in were Darkness, Venom, and Poison. As these three were not readily available to Good/Neutrally aligned races.
My familiar did not get a free pass, if I was training so was he. I couldn’t take him into the kitchen, but he could eat the things I did and get blasted by trigger happy mages. But, resistances weren’t the only thing he needed to focus on. His fighting skills were lacking in certain key areas. One his agility was so low that he was prone to getting hit during any confrontation; two he attacked best from the shadows, but relied too much on them; three his offense was restricted to biting and swiping, and his roar was just noise. Several martial artists came to our rescue after seeing Erebos knock Erik down, and would often wave him over to a ring for a fight. When this first started, Erebos did not know what the waving went and just proceeded to the practice dummies. There he would swipe and bite to his hears content. Finally, Bruce came over and explained they were interested in learning how bears fought and if I would explain that it would be friendly bouts. Knowing Erebos, he wasn’t going to just wrestle with anyone, and would need some sort of incentive. I suggested that if anyone wanted to go a round with him they treat him with a tasty morsel. Also, that if they had any skills that they thought might aid him to demonstrate it in the match. Sadly, he was only able to learn Bellow and Stomp, the first for group buff restoring stamina while imparting strength and the second to knock opponents off their feet.
The one thing that disappointed me that first year was that I didn’t meet a single Summoner, Beast Master, or Nature Warden amongst the mercenaries. So, I kept myself busy assisting Tony and training with a couple of the new recruits in the use of spears under Chiron’s tutelage. As for Erik, well he left me alone but started copying my training methods. Hopefully, he learned his lesson and will use it to flourish.