Age 16, Day 1
The amount of course work I had to do this semester was daunting, IF I was a brand new student. Not a single teacher was as tasking as Linsette in instructor mode. She had me go through so many different subjects each month the course load at this school was going to be a walk in the park in comparison. As a Nature Warden, I am required to take the following courses: Nature Warden, Herbology, Cartography, Zoology, Nature Magic, and Beginner Weapons during the first four months of the school year. The latter four months of the school year were dedicated solely to finding, bonding, and learning about your familiar. These six classes were divided up to the first six days of the week and were eight hours long. The classes I wanted to take the most (Orienteering, Wilderness Survival, Celestial Navigation, Tracking) were all second year courses and required the first year pre-requisites. Pass the first, to take the next. The Academy strictly adhered to this, no skipping grades here. However, unlike several schools I have gone to in the past, trust played a major part into campus life. For example not a single class had mandatory attendance. Students were allowed and often encouraged to re-arrange their class schedules to meet their needs. A student who had mastered Cartography could attend Herbology two days in a row to catch up on any trouble areas. This flexibility made a lot of sense and put the onus on the student and not the faculty to learn the subject. Furthermore, if someone didn’t take advantage of this, the consequences could mean failing a year (or not understanding a subject) leading you to a life of poverty or an accidental death because you were clueless in your line of work.
According to Altha, Nature Wardens could easily be killed by not paying attention to their surroundings, as Nature was a fickle beast. At any moment weather patterns could change or a mama bear could charge at you. Every class that we took over the next four years was there to make us stronger as individuals, but also to become stronger Nature Wardens. As a Warden, the primary duty will be to travel through the assigned areas either in wilds or near city boundaries and assist any villagers and farmers they come across. Most of the times it will be to simply heal a sick animal or pet, other times it means tracking down wolves that have been killing sheep in the area, or on rare occasions tracking down escaped convicts for the military. What sets a Warden apart from other Nature Classes (Ranger, Druid, Trackers) is that the Nature Warden bonds with a familiar to accompany them in the wilds.
The setting for my first class seemed appropriate to what we were going to be studying. Every aspiring Nature Warden had woken up early and hiked down the valley to the Habitat. The Habitat was a place where students could learn about the flora and fauna of Aether without being attacked with a couple of exceptions. As freshmen, we would be responsible for cleaning and feeding of everything within the confines of the Habitat. Primarily, this was to acquaint us with the behavioral patterns of a diverse ecological system, secondarily it was to allow the animals within to get a sense of who we are. It is not us who chooses the animal, but the animal that chooses us. We can present ourselves to the ones we like, but it is not guaranteed they will accept us. In my case, Erebos chose me because I fought and saved him from captivity. My classmates would have to scoop poop, wash backs, and toss slop to gain approval of a familiar.
“Students, gather round. Today you begin your journey as a Nature Warden. For the next four months you will be coming here every First Day(Reminder eight days in a week: First Day, Lunar Day, Terra Day, Aqua Day, Animus Day, Flora Day, Solar Day, Holy Day) to take care of the animals.” Altha was escorting us around the Zoo highlighting our workload. “Don’t worry you are not solely responsible for their well-being, as we have a dedicated staff to take care of them. But, in order to pass this class you will have to identify 4 random animals presented to you, use the correct grooming methods, demonstrate the best form of aid, prepare the correct food, and to be selected as a companion. Take care of these animals, and hopefully one of them will soon take care of you. For today, explore and introduce yourselves to each other.”
There was a stampede of students, all seeking to find what types of animals there were. Everyone was looking to find the most exotic or dangerous animals to work besides. The whole Habitat was divided into three areas: Aviary, Forest, Aquatics. Unfortunately, for them there would be no Gold Dragons, Gryphons, Hydras, Chimeras, or Basiliks to be found. Instead, there were leopards, wolves, several species of birds, farm animals, dolphins, turtles, and various other domestic animals. Since I already had a companion, I was kind of worried about whether or not I would be able to pass this class. I held back to let everyone disperse, before approaching Altha.
“Mistress Altha, you know my situation, will I able to pass this class without bonding to a new companion, or have I already cleared that portion.”
“Don’t you worry now; you have more than fulfilled that portion. When the time comes for your classmates to bond, you will simply bring forth Erebos. Until then enjoy working with the other animals, and learn all you can over the next four months.”
“That’s a relief. Yesterday, you mentioned you had some information on Shadow Bears, may I ask what you know?”
“When I was about 27, I would go exploring with some friends on Prime (the main continent). One of our expeditions took us to the southern mountain range. Well, one of our Adventurers had come across indications of ruins within a cave system. In the hopes of some interesting Artifacts we charged in. That’s when we met the Shadow Bears. One moment we were wandering through the various tunnels, the next we were surrounded by fifteen angry bears. They had simply stepped out of the shadows like Erebos did during your interview. Their coordination was remarkable almost choreographed with each attack flowing into next. Now, tell me Erebos has how many shadow skills?”
“He has two right now. Darkness and Shadow, one is a self-buff and the other is what allows him to enter and exit the shadows.”
“I asked because, several of those bears sent waves of darkness along the ground that ensnared our feet, and other bears sent claws of darkness at us that drained our mana. If it wasn’t for us having a Paladin we would have been killed. He summoned a Holy Light that banished the darkness around us. Using the light as our perimeter we hastily exited the cavern and never returned. If Erebos practices his racial skills, maybe they will evolve into those attacks. Speaking of which, where is Erebos?”
“I told him that I was going to be studying here for the next four months. So, I gave him the option of sticking around the Academy, exploring the forests around here, or heading back to Solaris until I summon him. He decided he will go off and explore for a few months, but I will pass on your suggestion for him to focus on his dark skills. It will be interesting to see where they take him.”
“Shouldn’t he be near you at all times, what if he is injured or is killed by a hunter?”
“If a hunter should find him or attack him, I feel sorry for that person. However, I can summon him at a moment’s notice, or if worse comes to worse I can revive him. Well, as long as he is within two levels of me. The way it works, and I hope I never find out, is that if we are equal level I lose one level, if he is one level higher I lose 2 levels, and if he is 2 levels higher I lose 4 levels. Anything more and I wouldn’t not have enough experience to revive him.”
“You’re very fortunate then. If a Nature Warden’s companion dies, he would have to find another. The only other option would be to fight on without a companion, and be considerably weaker by not being able to utilize several spells.”
“Spells? As in magic? What can they do and could I learn them?”
“Several spell groups are shared between Druids and Wardens. For example, I can summon a spirit animal to aid me. I can cast Bear’s Strength, Monkey’s Agility, Ox’s Stamina, and Elephant’s Vitality which all come from the Nature School of Magic. You will find out more in your class on Nature Magic. Now go and explore. Next week you will start working and need to know where everything is.”
Age 16, Day 5
Magic. To be more specific, Nature Magic. Today I would find out if I was able to add this to my repertoire. Up until now, I have used mana but for simple things like summoning Erebos to my side or to call an animal or two to aid me with a task. But, I have not cast lightning or shot flames from my hands. When I asked the other Mercenary Recruits, they said every class had its own way of passing on the Magic and that I would have to wait and see.
The place where we were to learn Nature Magic was not hard to find. I just had to look for the largest tree around and walk straight to it. If you ever had the pleasure of seeing a Giant Redwood or a Sequoia, you would be looking at something one tenth the size of this tree. It would almost be equivalent to Yggdrasil of Norse Mythology, but I don’t think this one connects us to other worlds. Approaching the base of the tree, I had to lean back to fully appreciate the wonder of the Tree. The base was massive, easily 50 meters in diameter. To accurately measure the height would be difficult by simply staring at it, but brave men have climbed to the upper branches to find out. From their estimates it reached a staggering 300 meters, and you could see for miles around.
Navigating the base of the tree brought me to one of the two entrances to the school. Each entrance spiraled down into the earth and was framed by massive roots. Following my classmates we proceeded to use one of the roots as a path down into an underground cavern. Luminescent fungi provided us light as we entered into one of Nature’s greatest Cathedrals.
“Welcome, everyone please gather round. I am Ptior, a Druid, cleric of the Shepherd. Today, we will be introducing everyone to Nature Magic. One by one you will enter into the Alcove and pray to the Creator and his two Aspects, The Shepherd and the Farmer. As you pray, seek their guidance and blessing to become their followers. One of our Druids will come pray with you and direct Nature Magic into and through you. Once you receive your magic you will need time to acclimatize yourself with this new ability. If by any chance you receive any spells or know of any from previous exposure please do not cast them. The reason is we don’t want anyone experiencing any backlash or cause any foreseen mishaps. If no one has any questions, please enter your alcoves.”
I entered my alcove and made myself comfy on the floor. This room was made for us to focus solely on the blessing of the Aspects as there were no cushions, chairs, or any decorations. Not knowing how long it would take I thought of what was going on. In my world, I had not been a big follower of religion, but with this world religion was evident on a daily basis. Marion and Linsette never took me to services, but they believed in the Creator and constantly tried to follow the teaching of his Aspects. I decided to follow in their footsteps.
Bowing my head “Creator, Shepherd, and Farmer. You know who I am, you have seen me travel from a distant planet and arrive here as a young child. I seek your guidance as I take this next step in my life. Guide my path as Grand Beast Master, that I may find adventure, assist those that need it, and to enjoy this world you have made. I seek your blessing.” Keeping my eyes closed, I waited for whichever Druid was to attend me.
After an hour of silent meditation, I heard footsteps approach. “I greet you Nature Warden, please remain seated as I bestow the blessing of the Aspects on you.”
Placing his hands on my shoulders, I felt something akin to a thousand needles igniting all over my body. Messages starting appearing, but I couldn’t pay attention to all of them as the influx of mana and power momentarily stunned me. Touching a frayed electrical cord or rubbing your feet on carpet to shock a friend was mild compared to the force that went through my body. When I could finally open my eyes, there was a green aura emanating from around me.
“Congratulations Nature Warden, may your growth be blessed by the Aspects. Rest here until you mana is fully restored then we will show you how to use your new found magic.” My mana was full already, but I did want to take a moment to see what messages I had received.
Nature’s HealingYou can now heal your companion of his wounds.
Effect: 100 hp per cast
Cost: 30 mp / 1 minute
Restrictions: Only can be cast on your Familiar.
Bear’s StrengthEffect: +10 Strength for 8 minutes
Cost: 30 mp / 1 minute
Restrictions: Can be cast on group members only
Monkey’s AgilityEffect: +10 Agility for 8 minutes
Cost: 30 mp
Restrictions: Can be cast on group members only
Elephant’s VitalityEffect: +100 Health for 8 minutes
Cost: 30 mp / 1 minute
Restrictions: Can be cast on group members only
Ox’s StaminaEffect: +100 Stamina for 8 minutes
Cost: 30 mp / 1 minute
Restrictions: Can be cast on group members only
+10 Intelligence
+10 Wisdom
+5 Nature Resistance
Beast LanguageYour ties to Nature and already having a companion allow you to communicate with any animal of Good or Neutral Standing.
Going down the list I was astonished at the various attributes, and spells I had been granted. Looking up at the Druid I asked if all these were normal.
“All but two of them are the normal skills bestowed. The two exceptions are Nature’s Healing and Beast Language. That healing skill should apply to anyone, but yours is familiar specific. Also, Beast Language is earned when a Nature Warden’s summoning skill reaches Apprentice Level. For you to receive it now means you must have received your class at an early age. Sadly, you did not receive Nature’s Bolt, but be glad in the ones you did receive. The Creator gives but he can also withhold. Congratulations, once again. If you would like to go to the practice hall, you can cast your skills on your fellow Nature Wardens.”
For the next three hours, my class sent spells back and forth at each other to determine the various uses. Nobody noticed that I never cast Bolts at any targets or offered to heal anyone from their injuries. In order to blend in with the crowd, I watched three or four of them and meditated when they did. By my calculations, they had about 500 mana each and had a regeneration rate of 7 mana per minute. I was a monster compared to these children, and I did not want to scare them away. I just had to remember to remain to never be complacent and to continuously strive to improve my status so that they would not catch up.
Age 16, Day 62
Kicking my heels up and onto my bed, I stretched out my body to attempt to relax my body. As my Spear skills were so far advanced and beyond my year group, I was placed into the Senior Group in order to challenge me. This was beneficial to me at first and I enjoyed it, but the upper classmen took every opportunity to belittle me and try to knock me down a peg. Nothing overly flagrant, just a jab of a spear butt into my ribs when I was on the ground, or dust kicked into my face. I just grinned and carried on. Those dirty tricks they played on me would just be another weapon in my repertoire. My thoughts were interrupted as Fidel stormed into the room slamming the door behind. Tossing his wooden sword into the corner, he stomped over to his bed in frustration.
“I give up!! I can’t deal with it anymore.” Sensing I was in the room, he turned and said “Don’t lay there grinning at me, you don’t have to put up with Lord Bellevadere teaching you the sword. I just wanted to do my dad proud and learn a classic weapon like the sword to aid me in my travels. But, no matter what I do, that asinine teacher mocks my every movement. I need to pass a weapons course in order to graduate to the second year. What do I do?”
“Was that a question? Or just frustration?” I asked. “Have you tried any other weapons? What do bards normally do for attacks? What’s your favorite instrument?”
“Bards normally don’t have any dedicate weapons, because our primary tool is our voice. But, the Academy wants everyone to become an apprentice in a least one weapon because mana will be depleted at the most inopportune time.” That reference repeated so often by the Weapons Masters, every student had it memorized. “No I haven’t tried any other weapons. And why you asking about my favorite instrument?”
“Think of it this way, if you have an instrument that requires both hands, your feet are free to kick. But, if you could use your instrument as a weapon your problem is solved. So again, what is your favorite instrument?”
“Drums, but I don’t want to use my hands to fight, and drumsticks are useless as weapons.”
“Think, take a drumstick and lengthen it to two feet and what do you have. A heavy stick. Now, I haven’t seen any fighters here that do stick fighting, but between the two of us we can come up with a fighting skill for you.”
“But, how do we know it will work? I have to become an apprentice by the end of the year or else I repeat the year.”
“Tomorrow stop by the carpenter’s shop and get me four wooden sticks about two feet long, and about an inch in diameter. Let’s see if we can make magic.”
The next morning, I went out to the woods to a little clearing about a mile from the village. I wanted to try this because one of Gungnir’s forms was a baton, and I had no skills to use it as it was not a polearm derivative. If I could figure out a fighting style with Fidel, I might have a close quarters option to fall back on. The way I learned other skills in the past was to simply repeat the movement until I got a skill, so it couldn’t hurt to try. The plan was to use our weekend break to figure it out. Worse come to worse we would get a good workout in.
“As you requested, your wooden sticks.” Fidel tossed two of them towards me. Snatching them out of the air I slid my hands to the base and tested them out. Sturdy wood made out of oak with a nice smooth texture. I would have to wrap leather around the handles to provide a better grip, but for now they would work.
“Alright, I am not sure if this will work, but what I would like to do is set up a series of strikes and blocks. This will allow both of us to adjust to the weapon and hopefully a skill will appear.” This was a crapshoot but I wanted to help Fidel out as much as possible. I started off swinging my right hand towards Fidel, he brought his left arm up to block. We then switched roles and he performed that attack and I defended. After we did that several times, I switched my attack to come from the other side. Each attack went through four or five renditions as our body got used to the constant jarring of the sticks in our hands. From side strikes to over hand blows to rapid cross body exchanges we slowly built up a nice routine. That day I didn’t add any foot movement or outlandish attacks into the mix. This was going to be built from the base up and I wanted the both of us to be prepared.
It was a quiet Holy Day, with no homework to do, we headed back out to our clearing. My plan for today was to translate some knife skills I had seen my dad demonstrate and see if they could apply with sticks. Placing a lot of trust in my memory, I had Fidel do several thrust like maneuvers to see how sticks would counteract those attacks. There were several ways to this, but for now we stuck with crossed sticks upwards and downwards to ward off thrusts. The other way was a simple, depending on the hand, a counter-clockwise flick of the right wrist that guided the thrust away from our bodies. Putting everything together we had 10 moves divided between attacks and blocking.
“Okay, now comes the test, start off slowly we will take turns attacking each other. If you’re the one defending, no counter attacks. We go until one of our stamina is fully depleted. You ready? You want attack or defend first?”
“Defend, that way I can repay any knocks you give me.” Fidel said with the most innocent smile I ever did see.
I buffed him up with a full set of my spells to give both of us a nice boost. Normally his stamina only lasted three minutes, but with a full set he lasted a good five minutes. During that time I managed to hit him several times on the legs and shoulders as I saw openings. Curtailing my strength here was necessary, as Fidel didn’t need any broken bones to compound his troubles. Once he was fully rested we switched roles and Fidel began to attack. Remembering to only block, I let Fidel choose the pace. Starting off slowly, he would aim first right then left alternating his attacks. Thanks to various status benefits my speed was more than able to track his movements. The frustration began to mount in his face as he was unable to land a single hit on me. Amping up the tempo he came at me as fast as he could, but he failed to hit me a single time. I felt bad, but I wasn’t going to let him hit me if I could afford it. These sticks hurt. His stamina was almost depleted when I saw smile break out on his face. Taking a step back he looked at me in wonder.
“That’s it. You’re a Genius Logan.” I think I knew what he was talking about but I let him elaborate. “I noticed it when I upped my speed, the constant Rat-a-tat-tat of our sticks reminded me of one of my dad’s favorite battle songs. The rhythm we set was perfect for that song. Using these sticks, I won’t need a drum; I can use them against each other or against an opponent.”
“Not a genius, just someone who saw an opportunity for you. Think of it this way, if you can control the speed of the fight, any object around you can be used as a drum. The ground, the opponent’s weapon, your group’s armor. Each one is just a small part in your orchestra, you just have to figure out how to use it best. Now go again. You attack again, and see if you can replicate a good fighting song.”
Fidel was more than happy to break forth in a song, and started to sing a little tune. I am terrible at songs so I can’t remember all the words but something along the lines of”
Fighting, stomping, attacking the enemy; Grinding, chopping, killing the enemy; Going high, going low, pursuing until their dead; Attacking, scaring, maiming the enemy; Slashing, piercing, crushing the enemy; Going left, going right, until you take their head.
Don’t remember much else after that, but I do remember the sudden rush of stamina that came in with the song.
Just like how I received my spells from the Druid, Fidel had received his songs. He had received one to hasten his party’s attacks by 10%, another to restore stamina by 10% per min, and another to restore mana at 10% per min. At his current level he can only sing a single song at a time, but at later stages he will be able to have song’s effect last for several minutes. The hard part is getting him to that level as during the early stages, a bard cannot provide any form of damage per second (dps). However, if I have my way, his dps will at least be bumped up a notch or two.
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With him infusing the stamina effects into a song, our fight lasted 6 and half minutes. During that time, we both received a welcoming sight. I had received Stick fighting and Ambidextrous. Fidel’s was slightly different, he received Musical Beats (Stick Fighting combined with Music) and Ambidextrous. Like the Cheshire Cat, our grins slowly increase until we were beaming from the accomplishment, now all we had to do was gain Apprentice by the end of the year. With his songs and my buffs, we were able to knock this one out of the park within 5 months for the both of us.
With us figuring out our own weapon skills, Fidel and I used the days meant for weapon training to experiment with our fighting skills. Fidel decided not to go back to Belladonna’s class, and put the whole mess behind him. Unfortunately, he was not forgotten. I had gone to the library to meet up with him for some studying, when I heard laughter and taunting coming from around the corner. Turning the corner, I saw Fidel surrounded by a group of teens. Unlike my situation with Erik, this was not going to be settled in a training ring. One reason was Fidel did not have the fighting background I had received; the other reason was the person doing the taunting.
“There’s the little birdy, my father said he looked like someone chasing a mosquito. Flailing wildly about. What’s the matter? Scared to fight?” It was Marcus Belvadear (Belladonna’s son). “You Hybrids should know better than to try learning the Sword from your betters.”
“From our betters, huh, can you show me who those might be? I don’t think I see any around, do you Fidel?” I quipped as I walked up to the group.
“If it isn’t the A O Sissy, come to protect his little friend. Get out of here you giant freak.” Lil’ Belladonna tried to puff up his chest in disgust of my interference.
“Really giant freak is the best you can come up with. I can come up with at least 15 different and more colorful insults for a tall person.” I laughed in his face; no measly insult would cause me to get into a fight. When I arrived here, I had just gone through a growth spurt and was close to 6 feet tall at age 16. In my stocking feet, I would easily stand out amongst the other students. Going to the Mercenary Hall so often, and working with adults made me disregard my height over the past couple years. It wasn’t until I got here that I found myself standing a head taller than the whole student body. If he wanted to call me names fine, I was not going to be kicked out of the school for instigating a fight. But, if he wanted to trade insults with me, I would bring it.
“15 different insults, I bet you couldn’t come up with 5.”
“Alright you asked for it,” Thank you Cyrano de Bergerac and Steve Martin, “all right let’s start off with an easy one:
1. How’s the weather up there?
2. Solaris needs a new Light House you would be perfect what with your flaming personality.
3. A Giraffe would hang their head in shame when around you
4. There is the short Emperor (Note: this one is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte) route: You stand a head taller than me, put that problem is easily removed.
5. Crude: I wonder if you are equally proportioned I would hate to mislead the ladies by false advertisement.
6. Does your girlfriend have to use a ladder to give you a kiss?
7. When you go to sleep which time zone is your head in?
8. You’re so tall be careful birds don’t nest in your hair….oops too late.
9. Quick spread your arms out so I can use you as shade.
10. Go pick on someone your own size, like that mountain.
11. We don’t need a bridge with you around, you just lay down and we can cross a river on your back.
12. Are you a windmill? Because the way you swing your arms surely grinds my grains.
13. I’m surprised your brain still works from the lack of air at that altitude, never mind trees don’t have brains.
14. How intoxicated are you? Because you are high.
15. Finally, are those brown eyes? I am surprised they could stack feces that high.
With each insult I listed, the crowd around us began to swell. After the fifth one I came up with, someone started counting out loud encouraging those around them to join in. Soon the crowd of thirty students was yelling at the tops of their lungs “THIRTEEN, FOURTEEN, FIFFFTEEENNN!!!” The crowd got so into that I heard a couple tall jokes tossed into the mix. Marcus just got redder and redder as the crowd that had initially backed him up, turned on him. It was nice to see the bully getting a little comeuppance.
“As you can see, an insult can be humorous, insulting, and witty. But, in a battle of wits, I think you came unarmed. Come on, Fidel, let’s get out of here.”
“Just you wait Logan, my dad will hear about this!” Marcus called back over his shoulder.
“Go right ahead, and I am sure the board will like to hear how you were using your fathers rank to bully a fellow classman.”
“Consider yourself lucky that you’re not a swordsman, because you would not last a second against.”
“A duel, you know the rules. Save it for the end of year tourney. Bring your sword, and I will bring my spear. Hopefully your sword isn’t as limp as your wit.”
With that I turned my back and walked off, I wasn’t going to put up with him anymore. I couldn’t wait for the tourney to wipe the floor with him. Let’s see how he performs under pressure. Not wanting to study, Fidel and I headed out to our clearing to vent a little frustration through a couple rounds of stick fighting. Later that night we both had some stiff muscles from strikes that got through our defenses, but it would be a good reminder to focus our anger in the right way.
Age 16, Day 248
The last week of the semester, and today was the day the Nature Wardens would be forming pacts with their prospective familiars. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone walked through the gates of the Habitat. A couple of the more assured ones said they were going to get one of the Tigers, and another said that he was going to get the sole Komodo Dragon (Everyone was surprised when George ended up with the Komodo). Truth be told I think they were all just hoping to walk away with some sort of familiar, because no one wanted to wait until the next semester for additional animals to arrive.
“Listen up, today is a special day for everyone. As you walk through the habitat, present yourselves to the animals that you have worked with. Do not try to force a bond on any animal. For today, we have asked several teachers of the Nature school to follow you around to bear witness to your bond. If at any time they feel that you are acting in away contrary to the animal’s wellbeing they are authorized to escort you out of the Habitat by any means necessary. Sorry to be so dark on such a momentous day for all of you, but there have been instances in the past that have caused concern. Don’t worry, all of you have worked hard caring for the animals, and all have passed your exams on how to care for the various species within. Enjoy and may the Creator, Shepherd, and Farmer bless your forth coming bonds for years to come. Now go!” Throughout his speech several students were inching towards the enclosures to try and get a head start on their classmates. With the final release, the crowd surged in forty different ways. Some student headed for the wolf dens, others headed to the reptile rooms, and still others headed to the aquatic enclosures.
I felt jealous of the way everyone was about to receive a new familiar. Thinking back to the first couple of days I had with Erebos and how it was such a delight to have a friend that I could share anything with. The enclosures that people keyed on were a good indication of where they wanted to be Wardens. The only choices that people made that I could not figure out were the aquatic creatures. Yeah, if you wanted to be a sea for the remainder of your life, it made a little sense. However, I preferred to stick with Erebos on land. To be able to wrestle with him or just lay back against his fur and read a good book were the things I enjoyed the most.
“Logan, aren’t you going to go look for a companion?” It was Jonah, a sea-faring Druid. His specialties lay in the summoning of sea creatures and various forms of water damage.
“I don’t know how much Triton let the teachers know, but I am not slated to be a Nature Warden. My class is comparable to them, and Triton thought I would benefit the most from this training.”
“Yes, he did mention that you were slightly different than the other Nature Wardens. However, shouldn’t you at least try to create a bond?”
I thought of telling him about Erebos, but I still felt that I should keep the fact that I am a Grand Beast Master quite. Information is power, and if people know my capabilities I won’t have the element of surprise when I need it the most.
“Okay, Jonah, I will try to find a companion, but I am telling you it won’t work.” I already had a companion and I was not going to trade him for any other animal. Even if a Golden Dragon would to fly out of the sky and alight in front of me begging to be my familiar.
Out of the various animals that I had taken care of, I decided to go to the woods were the various insects and arachnids dwelt. I had enjoyed my time there especially watching the tunnels, hives, and webs that grew out of the simplest materials. Each day a new home was built, and I could stare at them mesmerized by the patterns made. Making one final walk through of the area, I saw a faint glimmering in between two trees. Remembering what was over there I decided to go take a look at one of the arachnids that made this forest home.
The spider web wasn’t the classic web spun by house spider in your garage instead it looked like a huge funnel that was set on its side. The resident of this particular funnel had made the whole web on a massive scale compared to your garden variety spider. Spread out across 15 feet it narrowed into a tunnel approximately 5 feet across and stood about 10 feet high. The strands of the web glistened with the morning dew that had accumulated across the web. As I approached the denizen slowly stuck its front two legs out to test the vibrations. Determining that there was no food to be had and that we were not hostile it came out fully to greet us.
To describe this thing could bring some people nightmares and cause others to run away screaming. To me it was another of the Creators creatures to be respected. It’s color scheme was primarily black with several reddish splotches on the legs. This was no dinner plate spider or even the size of a small bird. If the legs were to stretch out flat on the ground they form a circle six feet in diameter. The central abdomen and cephalothorax was two feet long by themselves. The mandibles and claws on the legs all had a shimmer where if you were to closely examine them would turn out to be a thin layer of venom. (Note: this spider is modeled after the Australian Funnel Web Spider, with some artistic license.) Part of my job each time I came was to feed this particular spider her rations. Since no one else wanted to feed live rabbits to the spider, I had volunteered. I couldn’t let something starve, because it couldn’t hunt within the Habitat.
“Greetings majestic lady, I come to bid thee farewell. Today, is our last day as trainees and my classmates are all being chosen by their future companions. I have enjoyed watching you over the past four months and wish you all the best.” Waving goodbye, I turned around and headed over to see the Lynx I had taken care of next.
A high pitch chittering and I sensed an object dash by me. Following the movement, I saw that it was the spider blocking my path towards the cat enclosure. Not wanting to antagonize the spider, I turned left and went down another path to the aviary. Again the spider dashed in front of me and waved its two front legs in a very agitated way. This is one of the few times I wish my Animal Language skill worked on Arachnids. Thankfully, Jonah was there to assist.
“I think she wants you to bond with her.”
“I can’t, tell her it’s not possible.”
“I don’t speak Arachnid, but I do understand her body language. She will not let you go until you offer her the oath.”
“Fine,” throwing my hands up in the air, I went over to her and slowly reached out my hands. “I wish I could take you as a familiar, but maybe you will let me go if I present the oath.” Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I intoned ““In the days of old, man and beast formed bonds of familiarity, as then so it is now. I offer my friendship and companionship to you. Let us travel together. Follow my lead and I will take care of you. Do you accept this bond?” Before my eyes, I saw a spider avatar appear before me.
“Greetings master, I wish to thank you for accepting me as your familiar. I have been here for two years, and during that time you are the only student that has come and fed me without any signs of disgust or disdain. You accepted me and I have accepted you. My name is Iktomi, because that’s what you called me the first day we met.”
“This, this is impossible.” Came stammering out of my mouth, at the same time I was think how can I have two familiars? I had to sit down in surprise. I had not even suspected that I was able to receive another. Taking a look at my status table I saw several things had changed with her accepting the bond.
SkillsSummon Familiars (Apprentice level 1)You are able to summon multiple familiars. Experience will be shared evenly.
Familiars allowed: 2
Familiars bonded: 2
Summon period: 20 hrs
Cost: 250 mp per familiar
SkillsAura of the Familiar (Intermediate level 1)You can adjust your Aura to reflect your familiars.
Three options: All Erebos, All Iktomi, or 50/50
Percentage: 6%
Cost: 12 mp/min
+10% Venom Resistance
+15 agility
+5 Luck
My mind was reeling from this discovery. I could have multiple familiars, and I had received a spider as my second one. Playing the options through my mind, I tried to figure out if it was a good thing or not. How would this spide…. How would Iktomi play into my fighting style?
“Iktomi, to answer your question, seeing you reminded me of a Trickster Spider I used to read about in some of literature classes. And, please forgive my shock at your acceptance, I am glad to be your companion, but I thought I couldn’t receive one. Can I please see your status? That way I can know how you will compliment me.”
Status WindowNameIktomiAlignmentNeutralAge3Level6ClassAssassinRaceHexathelidae (Elite)Strength45Vitality25Agility65Luck10Wisdom25Intelligence25Health (Vitality*10)250Health Regen ((Hp/100))2.5Stamina ((Str+Vit+Agi)/3*10)450Stamina Regen (Sta/100)4.5 sp/minMana (Int*10)250Mana Regen (Wis/10)2.5Critical Chance.1ResistancesFire0Heat0Ice0Cold0Poison0Venom20Dark10Light0Nature0Wind0Racial Benefits-Receive 6 points per level
-Low light vision
-Venom Resistance: 20%
-Dark resistance: 10%SkillsVenom (Beginner lvl 4)The ability to produce venom on demand. This venom is a neurotoxin which causes spasms in the muscle structure, thus causing the affected limb to become unresponsive.
Effects: If applied via a bite, limb is paralyzed for 1 min and 4 damage per second (dps). If applied to a weapon, causes 10% slow, and 2 dps.
Cost: Bite: 225 sp; Venom Application: 50 sp per application and lasts 1 hour CAUTION: Just because you wield the weapon, you are not immune to the venom.Web(Beginner level 2)Web spinning is second nature to you. You are able to control how long your webs last.
Cost: 1 mp per footPierce(Beginner level 4)Your two front legs act as piercing weapons.
Cost: 10 sp per strikeSprint(Beginner level 8)Effect: 100 meters in 15 seconds.
Cost: 30 sp per 100 metersSneak(Beginner level 4)Running, noise, or attacking someone will cancel the affect.
Cost: 50 mpTraps(Beginner level 4)Ability to create traps in and under the terrain.
Cost: 100 spClimb(Master Level 1)Ability to climb any surface.
Cost: 1 sp/min
The glee meter only continued to rise with each new skill I saw on Iktomi’s chart. Between her and Erebos it looked like I was beginning to get my own little army. To compound the benefits of this were that their skills sets seemed to play off one another as they were both covert styled skills. I had my own Ninja bodyguards and the world better watch out. I could foresee situations, in the future where this specialization could hinder us, but knowing your weakness is the first step in mastering them. Iktomi’s venom was a great boon as well as the web. I had my own form of crowd control that I didn’t have to worry about. Linsette told me that enchanters were one hit wonders, one hit and they died. The beauty of Iktomi was that I could buff, heal, and conduct specialized training to smooth any foreseeable rough patches.
“See you were worried that you couldn’t get a companion. Congratulations to both of you. I wish you the best of luck, and please proceed to the Glade for the formal gathering of Familiars when you hear a horn.”
“Huh, what, oh yes, yes. We will be there.” As he walked away, I sat down and started a conversation with Iktomi. I decided not to summon Erebos in, but did call his Avatar to introduce him to the newest member of the family. There was no bickering or jealous fits of rage when their Avatars met. Iktomi greeted Erebos as an elder brother, and he respectfully treated her as a younger sister. Both new instinctively I guess, that I was not going to favor one over the other, but due to Erebos being with me longer he would have a better understanding of who I was and what I wanted. After an hour of talking and finding what Erebos had been up to (leveling up and he said he had a few secrets to show me when he came back) there was a loud trumpeting heard in the distance. Bidding Erebos Adieu, we headed to the Glade to see what other companions had been selected.
We weren’t the first to return to the glade, but definitely not the last. This allowed us to look around before the ceremony started. I saw every possible type of species the Habitat had to offer. You see every Nature Warden that was at the school and had a familiar was in attendance or was going to be arriving soon. There were the standard wolves, a snow leopard, hawks, a parrot (Poor guy hope it has some awesome skills), the Komodo was there (George was simply beaming), and one or two other reptiles. It took me a few to find an older gentleman that had a spider as well. Figuring that this man might have some clues to how to best train Tomi, I meandered over to him. But, it took a bit as I was stopped several times by classmates to congratulate me on my bond, and I had to return the favor. A few had a few nervous ticks on meeting a spider the size of them, but it was well hidden. Just as I was about to call out to the man, a voice rang out.
“Will all newly bonded Wardens please come to the front. I repeat will all newly bonded Wardens please come to the front.” My classmates lined up at the front of the amphitheater and looked out at the mass of claws, fur, and feathers staring back at us.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am glad to announce that we had 100% bond rate within this year’s class. Please congratulate them as only we can.” Even before the sentence was finished, the cacophony of noise that rose up and washed over us was over whelming. The baying, howling, screeching, yelling, stomping, clapping, whistling, and every other type of noise rose up and continued for a good three minutes. After everyone finally calmed down, we were all directed to find others with familiars similar to ours. I was finally able to meet Wilber and his companion Lette. Wilber was getting up there in age and his gut was starting to extend past his belt, but he had a content look about him.
“Greetings, and welcome to the few, the proud, the outcasts of the Warden world. Not really, we are not outcasts. Until now, it’s just been me with a spider. I am glad that you befriended such a majestic creature, and I will share some tricks to help you.” For the next two hours, he shared his wealth of knowledge on how to best train a spider. He showed me Lette’s skill tree and we compared both spiders. He told me I needed to get Tomi trained up in her venom/web as they had many applications inside and outside of combat. Also, that Iktomi needed to learn three skills as quickly as possible: web shooting, and surprise attack. Each would help control a battle field, and provide that little bit of assurance when facing multiple enemies. I filed every bit of information I could away as I listened to this man. The urge to charge out and start hunting prey was almost overwhelming. Instead I bided my time knowing that I would have plenty of chances to work with my familiars in the months and years to come.