“fuaaaa!! that was quite the feast!!”
Once i was inside my room at the guild, behind closed, very closed doors. I did a small celebration dance. After all the drinking and boisterous partying that somehow erupted after we got Feugan registered, getting free food and lots of free drinks was worth celebrating.
I'm usually not keen on drinking, but the guildmaster kept insisting that i was already a grown adventurer. He kept insisting to an annoying degree, truly… Thankfully guildmaid, Kara? I think it was Kara. She brought me some honeyed wine, that was a good compromise right there! Thank you so much Kara!
Ah… Well, that bunch of alcohol driven adventurers, singing, yelling, partying and dancing… They really helped me to take my mind off some things.
“Champion, uh?...” I said almost in a sigh. Still feeling overwhelmed by this idea. I sat on my bed, grabbing a nearby pillow and holding it tightly against my chest. I couldn't help but to not want to think about this at all. I mean. Just last week i was still just gathering medicinal herbs while avoiding feral bunesnarlfs to try and pay the Guild’s weekly housing fees.
But me, a Champion?!
The magical device and the guild assistant had declared this to be true. So i guess there was no mistake there. I mean, they are trained very thoroughly to not make mistakes on this, public order depends on this so the Guild does not end fostering criminals. Oh! There were those blue magical light paintings I had been seeing since i met Feugan too.
They resembled… Banners? Flags? Paintings? They did resemble paintings, overly blue colorful pictures with symbols, shapes and stuff.
Ugh… And here I was so worried about being a victim of some sort of magical scam. But Master just laughed at me!
“Gahahaha!! A Magic money scam?!! No one would ever take seriously any magic contract signed on the middle of the streets!! Maybe if they bribed enough people!! but for what?! The 5 silver a week you are making?! Gahahahaha!!” tsk. I can still clearly remember it, he didn't have to put it like that! I can almost hear his laugh just by thinking about it.
“Gahahahaha!!! Ya lil welps think ya can outdrink me like that?!”
Ok, nevermind... i can still hear him laughing quite clearly! Tone it down would ya?! you are not 20 anymore!
But. He did say something important. Very important! "Those rectangles of light are called 'Menus', they are a thing of Heroes and Champions" Or so he said. But most important! I dont have to pay for it! Menus are Free! Free is good!!
“Ah… Classes uh?... What Classes did the Asisstant lady said i have?” I tried to remember all the things said during the meeting, mumbling some of the key words mentioned before, trying to remember, concentrating on them.
While mumbling some of the words i could recall, a sound like a soft wind chime got my attention. As i stared right in front of me at the source of the sound, i saw it again. A clear blue rectangle of light. At first i thought of looking away. But if master was right, and he was most of the time. Annoyingly so. This was one of the magics associated with champions and heroes.
I took a deep breath and tried my best to prepare myself for what was in front of me.
Classes
Beastmaster: Level 1
Gatherer: Level 1
Champion: Level 1
|
In front of me was the rectangle of blue light. It looked so simple and somehow calming at the same time, it seemed to have some fancy little details on the borders of the rectangle, almost like those fancy painting holders they have at some of the alchemy union offices I had been before in order to deliver materials. The pale light from it didn't seem to affect anything else. It just stood there floating. In front of me, in my dimly lit room in the middle of the night. But there was one particular thing that concerned me the most about this magic painting.
I could understand it.
Reading was no longer a skill only for the privileged like back in the times of my grandpa’s grandpa. But it was still a skill that required some serious time and effort to learn. And just like Pa’ would say “Time is money, and we aint got no money for that!”. Also, it was more or less pointless for the third daughter of an impoverished farmer. But this painting. I didn't understand it, but I did understand it! The shapes shapes for letters and numbers, what is considered as writing (that's where my knowledge of what writing is ends), those were unknown'ish to me. I could have a guild's job request in front of me, point and tell others “yeah this is a letter, maybe” or “this is but a doodle” (perhaps). But these? These I somehow knew what they meant.
I stared at it intently for a time, almost enthralled. Mainly Captivated. Definitely confused, though. I slowly moved my hand closer, letting go of the pillow I had held firmly against my chest until now. To try and touch the painting, out of curiosity, really. We weren't supposed to touch paintings. But this painting was mine of sorts, right?... Right?!
“Beastmaster uh?...” With my finger I reached forth to try and touch the misterious shapes that formed the “Beastmaster” name within the magical painting.
With a single clear sound resembling a wind chime another blue magic painting appeared, surprising me just a little this time (A LOT).
Beastmaster:
A fighter with mysterious abilities that allow them to converse and command living creatures to fight by their side.
Current Bonuses:
Small Bonus to Strength
Small Bonus to Charisma
Small Bonus to Vitality
Small Bonus to conversations with living creatures.
|
I stared intently at the information. I was actually surprised i saw so little of it, yet every little part of it seemed to defy what i knew of the world. “Command Living Creatures”?! As a Monster Tamer, one would just end up at the stables of some lord, soothing their big animals and monsters, with their high monster empathy. Soothing them! Even training a monster was more of a “accompany the lord” during the training sessions in order to keep mounts calm with sheer amount of soothing presence, soft encouraging words, soft caresses, treats and maybe a mage at the ready to use a sleep spell while letting the lord and his mount get accustomed to each other.
But.
Converse? Command? Fight?!
Just what did i get myself tangled into?!
Still baffled. My eyes fixed on the magical painting in front of me, yet not really focused, as my mind wavered on all the implications. After some time, I don't know how long really. The Beastmaster explanation went away and with a soothing bell chime i was startled back into the previous blue magic painting.
Classes
Beastmaster: Level 1
Gatherer: Level 1
Champion: Level 1
|
Without realizing it i had been holding my breath. Already in a small panic. If Beastmaster was so different from what a Tamer was. What was waiting for me behind the next 2?!.
I took another deep breath and focused on the second class listed. Surely, if I touched the other two, I would get more information right? explanations? some peace of mind?!
Slowly, almost afraid (certainly afraid!) I reached and touched it with a single finger. Had anyone seen me it would look like I was afraid the magic painting would hurt me with just a single graze.
Gatherer:
The land blesses all. Respect nature, share its bounties and thou shall really be blessed.
Current Bonuses:
Small Bonus to Vitality
Small Bonus Botany skills
Small Bonus to all Yields
|
That… That is a prayer to the goddess of nature isnt it?! ISNT?! I remember repeating it with my family during fall’s harvest festivals! Of course, coming from a small-barely-managing-it farming village, the faith to the goddess of harvest was ever high.
WHAT?! Ok. No. Calm down. This whole Champion deal is just having me jump from one baffled moment to the next. Lets calm down, count to thirteen, that should do.
I finished counting. And i am still very much confused by this. Still. Let's take it as it is.
With another bell chime the blue magic painting just went away bringing me back to my senses, “Classes” right at the start, showcasing the 3 of them. My classes. Those are my classes right? gah! so much to take on!
While looking at the bright magical shapes in front of me, my classes. I reached forth, decided to press forth onto the last mystery here and just be done with it. No more surprises after this right?
With another pointlessly soothing bell chime, the last dreaded blue rectangular painting appeared.
Champion:
Hark chosen one. The thirteen have seen thee. May thy actions guide others in their name.
[Blessing: Pre Existing Illnesses Correction]
Current Bonuses:
Small bonus to other classes
Champions might.
|
Ok, same as before. We start from one… slowly… two… three… four...
The fudge?!! This explains nothing!. Where is my peace of mind?! or a simple explanation?! Blessing?! Peace of mind is a blessing! where is mine?!
I just can't help myself and with a mixture of confusion and anger I poke at the most spectacular offender here. This flamboyant bunch of shapes and symbols I somehow recognize as the word “Blessing”, which happens to be followed by other words i can understand, yet i fail to understand too! what they mean together? maybe the thirteen know!! I sure dont!
Another spuriously soothing bell chime.
[Blessing: Pre Existing Illnesses Correction]
A blessing to start up champions under all their untapped potential.
Will grant a correction over any pre existing conditions, likely a result of: accidents, untreated injuries, birth defects, poisons, bad luck, curses and more.
Accepting will require immediate rest in order to proceed. Do you wish to receive this blessing?
[Yes] [No]
|
That's it. I'm so surprised and confused that I cannot get any more surprised right now. I’m somehow calm. Well as calm as one can be, when being explained a lot of some life changing magic stuff in a different tongue. This was a different tongue right? I understood maybe “accident”, “poison”, oh i know what “bad luck” is. I seem to have gotten a lot of that as of late in fact!
Wait. Is the question directed to me?... Thinking about it, if no one else can see this, it must be directed to me?... Let's simplify then, to make it easier to understand. Yeah, solid plan. Bravo, Mimiru. We are doing great now! Great adaptability! I'll buy you/me a jam filled bread tomorrow to celebrate our progress!
Ok. Super simplified version… “Do you want a blessing?” mmm… Simple enough right?! err… well this seems to be working with my hands so~
I reached forth. I poked the shapes i somehow understood as “Yes”. Without a single idea of what i was really getting into. Everything turned dark and i passed out.
