I love reading. It's a balm for my soul when things aren't working out, like trying to level my Physique, or trying to learn to launch wind blades. We are three days into our training, and Physique is only level 3, and I haven't been able to get any meaningful force behind a single blade. Wisham's suggestion to focus on something other than combat has been echoing through my head as I learn from Athena. She really is a great teacher; I'm just not a great student.

The theory is there, which my Tactics and Strategy can account for. Tactics is sitting soundly at level 14, Strategy is following close behind at 12. This is all thanks to the reading I've been able to do. The Bestiaries have sketches of all the Animals and Monsters that have been cataloged. Going back now, I think I could handle a Skuld.

I looked over at Tesla, She had hit level 21 in Shapeshifting this morning after she started to mimic the cats I was describing to her. "That's really looking great Tesla!" I scratched her behind her ears, and she purred. Her fur was short and silky black, she had yellow-green eyes, and a long tail that she swung back and forth.

Thanks, Forms really help me out a lot. I have one more slot. Any ideas what I could use?

"Hmm." Tesla got her shapeshifting level up to 21 rather quickly. She unlocked a perk called Forms.

Shapeshifting - Level 21

  [Forms] - The user can create and recall a form perfectly. The number of forms able to be recalled is based on the level of Shapeshifting.

We also found out that Tesla had another skill called Slime Body. It leveled up through eating food. It was pretty easy to tell what it did, because the more she ate, the larger she got. As soon as she noticed the skill after that first night after training, I left to buy a bunch of food for her come morning.

It would also appear she has a bottomless stomach because she packed away a large sack of dried fruit and nuts in less than a day. The Felisian form came in handy when we headed to The End for training in the evenings.

"Why not try a smaller version of a Dervish?" A dervish was a bipedal animal, almost ape-like with short legs and long arms that I found in the bestiary Wisham left me. "It could help us fight when we next leave town."

I showed Tesla a painting in the bestiary. It had long claws that were as strong as iron on its fingers, and a hooked claw on its elbows. On its head rested a single short horn on a face that reminded me of a bear with rounded ears.

Ooh. It looks scary. I like that.

And she immediately got to work. I shook my head as I smiled. She loved using her skills. She had already started working on some more human-like features; specifically, human hands. She liked being able to grab things with thumbs. I watched for a moment as her ears shrunk and rounded themselves off before I turned back to set the bestiary down and pick up my book on past skirmishes from the Kingdom of Rune.

This book detailed lots of battles and how they flowed, who affected the fights, and the tactics and tricks used to win them. This book, so far, has had the most substantial effect on the growth of my Strategy skill. Tactics has grown from reading an adventuring guide and training with Athena. Though my Physique refuses to grow, I think I've found a way to be useful in a fight.

We were sitting in the garden when I told Wisham my plan to focus on controlling and manipulating a battlefield as a type of strategist, he thought about it for a moment before shrugging and giving me a new list of things to work on. Since I wasn't able to get enough force around a wind blade, he had me make a stationary one, and then another, and another until I couldn't make more. It seemed to surprise him.

"You are actually impressive, Jak." He said while he squatted in the middle of the ring of mostly translucent blades.

I glared at him, "Thanks. I think."

"I really mean it. I was not sure about it at first, but if you can create these as traps on the fly, or trip someone up with something else, I think you'd be a real asset to a team." He shattered the blades with a wave of his hand, and a blast of wind was released. "And these blades are packed with Wind Mana. The combination of your knowledge and determination is a huge boost to your power."

The smirk that routinely rested on Wisham's face was nowhere to be found. He looked thoughtful for once.

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"Wisham?"

"Sorry, Jak. I just got word of my new job, and it's going to take me away from Rune. I was going to take you, Athena, and Tesla out to the western forests if I had time, but it looks like I won't be able to." He looked me in the eyes. "You're a good person, Jak. I wish I could keep training you and help you develop into a grand strategist. But it looks like I won't be around for a while. I took care of things with Martin so you and Athena can keep training. But tonight is going to be our last training session for a few months, at least."

Athena walked up, right as Wisham finished. "You got paid for it this time, right?"

"That was only once!" Wisham yelled.

Athena's grin was predatory, "That's not what dad says. He said you didn't get paid for the mission for Rackport, or Lord Bousa, and when the Kitsune Council got you to work for them you were so excited you said you'd do it for free."

"It's been YEARS! Ahem. Is this how you thank your uncle for buying your slave contract from Martin?"

"You what?!" Athena's face paled, and she nearly lost her balance. "I'm going to be traveling with you?!"

"Pfffffft, not at all!" Wisham was smirking again. "Actually, I bought it from Martin when we brought the Skulds over to have them processed."

"So then what? I'm going to work with mom?" Athena's excitement crashed.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind either."

And now confusion was on both Athena's and my own face. "Then what am I doing?" She asked.

"You," he pointed at Athena. "Are going to be owned by Jak." He flipped his hand around and thumbed in my direction.

"WHAT?!" Athena and I both yelled.

--

I was sitting in the grass. I wasn't sure how I felt about keeping someone as a slave. Especially a girl.

Athena had been yelling, crying, and arguing with Wisham for over 15 minutes, but the fight was leaving her. "Why didn't you tell me though."

I lost count how many times she asked this question. But this time, it wasn't buried in sobs or screams. "I'll tell you my plan now that you've calmed down." Wisham led Athena over to where I was sitting with Tesla laying her head on my lap, purring as I scratched her behind the ears.

Wisham and Athena sat down. "Alright. So I'll confess, I had a plan but had to make changes to it." Athena glared at Wisham. "Hold on, let me finish." He shook his head at Athena.

"I'm moving your contract to Jak so that you two. Sorry, three. You three can be adventurers." Wisham held up a hand as Athena sat up straight. "I want you to get strong enough to go see the Kitsune homeland, the Mirage Forest."

Athena seemed numb. Her eyes weren't focused, and her mouth was open but not moving. I spoke up instead, "What should we do? How do we even get there?"

"The first part is simple. You go through the Adventurer's Guild. Martin will help you, and Athena already knows her way around the Guild. You'll have to rise through the rankings and hit gold rank before you will be allowed to leave the Plane. The second part is harder to accomplish. Hitting Gold rank could take years, or it could be less if you guys are successful enough. The portals take so much out of you that gold rank is usually a good enough indicator that you'll survive the trip.

"Jak, I've already talked to Athena's parents, and they like the idea of her going to see their homeland and the history of the Kitsune. I've not spoken to Lena and Arterian about it. Would you like to do that alone or should I join you?"

I sat in silence for a bit but eventually shook my head. "No. I have an idea of what I want and would like to get their input. I do have a question about slaves, though."

I sighed. "What do I even do with a slave? What am I responsible for? In the realm I'm from, we got rid of slavery almost 150 years ago. Can I set her free?"

Wisham smiled kindly at me while Athena looked in my direction with an expression I couldn't quite read. "I appreciate the sentiment, but freeing her would just open her up to be collared by someone else on this continent." Wisham shook his head. "Humans have been empowered by this King and the Nobles. They are entitled and spoiled and believe themselves to be the greatest beings. But this only started around 100 years ago.

"The current King's grandfather was benevolent to all and began trading with the other Planes. He died, and his son took the throne, causing the realm to turn to chaos. Slavery was pushed as a way to tame us Demi-Humans, and we were forced into the roles we have now. King Aleksander has tried to expand the Human's influence and has been rebuffed by the combined forces of the Ogres, Kitsune, and Fauns on the Shattered Plane."

"Has anyone tried to stop him?" I asked.

"Some have, but they have all failed either in negotiations or in battle. Though he no longer goes to the warfront."

"I want to change that. Every Demi-Human I've met has been kind as long as I've been kind. And the King was a total asshat when he summoned me." I groused.

Wisham tousled my hair, "Ha! Keep working on it and I'm sure you'll make a difference." Wisham turned to Athena. "What do you say? You've been quiet for a while now."

Athena turned away from me, she had been watching me for a while. "I want to see the Mirage Forest. And of all the humans I've met, Jak has been nicest."

Wisham's smirk fell back onto his face. "Right." Athena's face flushed, and she turned away from both of us. "I'll let you go in and talk to Lena and Arterian, Jak. I'll take Athena home and now that she knows I'm sure she'll want to speak to her parents and get ready."

"Get ready?" I asked.

Wisham doubled over with laughter. "Yeah, she is going to move in with you guys in 3 days." Athena shot to her feet and turned away from us even further. I stood up to, and as I did, Wisham bowed at me. "Thank you for helping me level my skill, Jak. And thank you for taking care of Athena." He turned slightly to Tesla, "Please help Jak take care of Athena as well."

Tesla bowed her head back to him.

--

When I went inside, Arterian already had an idea that something was going on and had Lena sitting at the table with some pastries. "What's going on, Jak?" Arterian started.

I explained what had just happened to the two of them. Lena was immediately concerned, while Arterian looked thoughtful. "This is something you'd like to do, Jak?"

"It is," I answered. "I want to make a difference for people that I can. That includes the Demi-Humans here in Rune. I'm going to have to get stronger before anyone will even listen to me."

Arterian nodded his head, but Lena spoke up. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

I thought about it for a moment, "Could you teach me more cooking recipes? Or do you have a suggestion for where I could find a book on cooking?"

--

We all eventually headed to bed. Tomorrow we would get the spare bedroom ready for Athena, I'd go with Arterian to find a book on campfire cooking, and the gear I commissioned from the remains of the Skulds should be ready as well.