by Grey Arney
“What class are you?” asked Arcturus.
“Don’t you know it’s impolite to ask a girl that?” she asked. Arcturus guessed he would find out at a later time.
“Is there a better class for me than Druid?” he asked.
“From what I saw on your Character Development page, so far it looks like you’re moving towards some kind of rogue or mage build. When you earn a class, you will get a big boost to your skills. You’re still just starting out, so it could go in any direction. What are your plans?”
Arcturus had spent awhile thinking about this.
“I’m going to fortify this position. I’m going to improve my Shapeshifting, and try to recruit more wolves. I’m planning on creating more undead servants, starting with mice and birds to keep an eye on the woods for me. And I’m going to keep building my shelter until it’s comfortable and secure.
“So, you’re going to hide yourself away in the woods, running with the wolves and growing a garden? Sounds like a Druid to me. From the quest you described to me, it sounds like you will need to make a potion that will advance you towards the Druid class. That’s easy enough. You just need to gather the ingredients, mix them together, and put them in a bottle.
“When we get back, I will teach you what I know of Shapeshifting, Death Magic, and Alchemy. For a price, of course,” she smiled.
They had already arrived. Arcturus climbed up to the alcove first, and like a perfect gentleman, turned around and lowered his hand down into the dark.
“What are you doing?” Lily’s voice whispered into his ear.
Startled, he turned around to find her standing behind him! Right, vampires have superhuman speed.
“This is where I first awoke.” he said, helping Lyle to climb up.
Lily walked around the alcove.
“It doesn’t look that interesting.”
She noticed the wooden chest, which would have been totally invisible in the dark—if she were an ordinary human.
“Was that here before?” she asked.
“Yes, it had some things in it.”
“Show me exactly what you found.”
Arcturus explained that his clothes were there and showed her the iron dagger. He also produced the mysterious letter, which she read, and the pouch of coins. Suddenly remembering an interesting detail, he pulled the marble eye out of the bag. It was the first time he had held it in his hands.
You have found: Memory Sphere
This object contains a stored memory. You may view it any time by holding it in both hands and closing your eyes.
All along he had been walking around like an amnesiac, and this memory was in his bag the whole time!
Lily’s eyes widened again. “A memory sphere. I haven’t seen one of those in hundreds of years. They contain recordings, often from outside of Lydia. Have you viewed it yet?”
“No, I didn’t realize I was carrying it this the whole time.”
“What are you waiting for? Let’s watch it!”
The two stood in the darkness of the alcove while Lyle eyed them awkwardly. Together, they each put both hands on the sphere and closed their eyes, and in a flash, they experienced most of Arcturus’ life on Earth, from birth up until he was a teenager.
The first day he went to day care, and he cried and cried as his mother drove away. Children singing Happy Birthday before a pink and blue cake that oozed frosting as a dull knife sliced into it. Laughing while his best friend, a swarthy girl, was emerging from behind a trash can and throwing a purple water balloon at him, which exploded into ice water that broke the heat of the summer day. His stern father, teaching him how to aim and shoot a gun. His first day of “real” school, the smell of the neoprene lunchbox and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich his mom had carefully put inside. And his mother—beautiful and patient, always smiling, always listening, always helping; his father, always demanding more of him, always busy whether at home or at work. His karate lessons, his first kiss, his first fight.
His entire childhood flooded into him, and it hit him like a sledgehammer in the stomach. The realization of ownership over his memories, the knowledge that these were his memories, that this was his life, and that this had happened to him. These were lost moments in time that he could never return to. His parents were long dead. But having seen them, he remembered their faces clearly. Always helping him get back on his feet. Always encouraging him, always lifting him up, giving him the strength that he needed to face the world and become a man. He wished he could call on that strength now. He missed them terribly, and at that moment, his love and appreciation for them was beyond words, and he would have given anything at all to see them again, just once more, just to tell them that. Warm tears stung his eyes, and he sat down, indulging in grief and bitter, aching sadness.
Lily—the vampiress who had been glad to drink his blood, who had shown him no pity when his arm was shredded to pieces—moved towards him, her eyes soft. She, too, had seen his memories, and they had affected her, as well. She also felt the longing to see those people that she left behind so long ago, and in opening the window to his memories, she recalled some of her own, tasting the bittersweet nostalgia of life’s simple moments that are never coming to pass again. Hell, she had tears in her eyes, too.
Seeing the distress of the two on the ground, Lyle stepped forward and offered what simple comfort he could, nuzzling in between them and rubbing them with his nose.
After the pain from the initial revelation began to fade into a dull ache, Arcturus spoke again.
“Why?” he asked. “Why would someone take my whole life away from me, and then give it back again?” As if to answer his call, a new quest notification appeared.
NEW QUEST: RECOVER YOUR MEMORIES
You have been brought to Lydia to make peace with painful memories, and find a new chance at life. For this reason, your memories have been split into three parts. This quest will be completed when you have recovered all of them. Reward: Unknown. Recovered memories: 1/3
“I suppose your question is answered,” said Lily, as he read the quest prompt aloud to her. “Come, my weary puppy, let’s go back to camp for now.”
***
Back at the camp, the sun was rising. Lily made good on her promise to teach Arcturus more about Shapeshifting and Death Magic. She was able to train his Death Magic up to Level 15 and Shapeshifting up to Level 10. She charged him 5 gold for it, as was customary.
He learned that trainers were able to teach skills up to half of their own level. Thus, ordinarily a master of Death Magic at level 100 could only train others to level 50. However, Lydia also had some trainers who were also skilled teachers and could pass on knowledge with no limitations.
He also learned that ability progress would slow once the ability had reached its cap. The default ability cap was Level 10 or the player’s level multiplied by two, whichever was higher. Arcturus’ highest skill, Earth Magic, was now at Level 20. As a Level 11 player, his ability progress would be throttled at Level 22. After that, skill improvements be extremely slow, and training became far more expensive. It would still be possible, theoretically, for a Level 1 player to achieve Level 100 in any skill, given enough practice.
In addition to this effect, a secondary limit would take place once a skill reached Level 50, making it extremely difficult and time consuming to increase skills beyond Level 50, even for higher-level players.
They started with Shapeshifting, which he could now use twice per day. She taught him some theory, which culminated in him shifting to arbor moth form, jumping his Shapeshifting up two levels to Level 7. Then for the second half of the lesson, he caught a bird using his Hex spell, and Lyle fetched it for him. After he absorbed the creature’s shape, it lay lifeless in his hands.
Do you wish to learn the shape of the Black Raven (Level 5)?
At Level 7, you may only remember one shape at a time. Learning a new shape will cause you to forget this one. (Yes/No)
As he learned the shape
, he found that it cost 10 mana to absorb, and wondered if the mana cost of learning a shape was always twice the number of the target’s level.
Under Lily’s guidance, he transformed into the raven. Before she could finish her teaching, though, he cheerfully took off into the air. He flapped his wings, eager to ascend higher, like a child who had discovered the thrill of sledding. He flew around joyously, stretching his wings wide and learning of that secret pleasure jealously guarded by bird-kind. A strong wind tossed him into a barrel roll, and he gleefully flipped multiple times, with the same control in the air as a fish has in the water. He rose higher and higher, until he could see to the south beyond the cliffs. There he saw an ominous volcano streaking glowing amber rivets of liquid rock. He was higher than five thousand feet now, and the trees below looked like decorations in a tiny toy set.
Suddenly, he felt the premonition of terrible danger. The panicked raven’s mind overtook him for a moment, telling him that he needed to escape immediately. So far from the ground, he had only one choice. He tipped his beak towards the ground and dove straight down, tucking in his wings to make himself as aerodynamic as possible. He picked up more speed, and the ground of the campsite approached faster and faster. At the last second, when he was about to crash, he flapped his wings to slow his descent, and transformed back into a human. As he was several feet above the ground still, he crashed into the soil, completely naked.
Behind him, in a flurry of feathery wings, was his pursuer: an eagle that had been considering him for lunch. Lily had swatted it with her claws, and it was struggling in a pool of its own viscera.
“As I was about to say,” began Lily as if nothing had happened, “when you use Shapeshifting, it’s important to remember that you are equal to the animal you have transformed into. And that means its enemies become your enemies. The raven is a useful animal, but you should keep low and underneath the trees if you want to avoid being eaten by a bigger bird.”
Arcturus was consoled by the fact that the training bonus had leveled up his Shapeshifting three times, and he had just reached Level 10.
You have improved Shapeshifting (Level 10)
You may now store up to two shapes, and you may use Shapeshifting twice per day.
The eagle that had pursued him was in a pile of feathers on the ground. He approached it cautiously. Although back in human form, he only had 10 hit points remaining as that was what the raven had left him with. But the eagle was near death. He had Lyle pin it to the ground while he ate Soothing Chokeberries and Purple Toadstools. When he had recovered enough mana, he absorbed the shape of the eagle.
Do you wish to learn the shape of the Golden Eagle (Level 10)?
At Level 10, you may only remember two shapes at a time. (Yes/No)
After choosing “Yes,” Arcturus spent the 20 mana required to learn the shape. He was eager to return to the open sky, this time as a predator. But he was glad to wait until later before trying again. His experience as a raven had shown him that Shapeshifting could expose him to many threats and make him extremely vulnerable.
To train him in Death Magic, they used the resurrected mouse. Arcturus learned how to deconstruct the mouse, re-assemble it, and even modify it. He gave it a pair of horns so that it would look like a tiny triceratops. He was able to learn the spell for resurrecting creatures this way; he no longer needed to use the Sacrificial Dagger.
You have improved Death Magic (Level 15)
Your Death Magic is now stronger.
You have learned a new spell: Simple Undead Servant
This spell resurrects a lower-level life form, which will act as your servant for eternity unless dismissed, or destroyed.
The spell costed 50 mana, so he could only cast it once before replenishing his pool. Lily went to sleep in the shade, saying she’d rise again in the afternoon. That gave him some time to practice his new skills. He left the campsite with Lyle, in search of small animals. When he had identified one, he would cast Hex on it, then send Lyle to go and retrieve it, or restrain it until he could approach. Then he would slay the animal and cast Simple Undead Servant. It took him several hours, but by midday, he had seven undead rodents, and twenty-three undead birds. He decided against raising larger animals as undead because the meat would be more useful than the walking bag of bones, and he wanted to be subtle. An undead rat could return to him and report news, and an undead sparrow could watch the skies for him. But an undead deer would just freak people out, and draw unwanted attention.
Satisfied with his harvest, Arcturus gave orders to the undead servants. Like the wolves, they seemed to understand simple instructions. He posted the rodents in a circle around the outside of his encampment and instructed them to come find him if they saw any sentient beings such as humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs or trolls; or if they saw any being Level 5 or greater.
He gave similar instructions to the birds, posting them in the trees of his encampment and the surroundings. Now he was well-defended and nothing would be able to sneak up on him. Not easily, at least.
CHAPTER 7
When darkness fell again, Lily bid Arcturus farewell and flew off into the night. He didn’t know when she’d be back, but he could call her to him any time. That left Arcturus alone with his dogs and his magic, flying carcasses.
The next morning, he set out to visit Spruce and Brook and ask the two where he could find the ingredients for his quest to become a Druid. He considered leaving Lyle behind, but decided that he would take the dog with him, no matter what. He had an idea. Before transforming into the Golden Eagle, he instructed Lyle to travel overland to the hunting lodge. He then made the transformation and followed above.
Being an eagle was awesome! No more tripping on roots or circumnavigating obstacles. He could fly over the treetops comfortably at about thirty miles per hour. He was much faster than Lyle was, and had to circle around several times to avoid flying too far ahead. The long hike through the woods had been shortened to under half an hour now that Lyle was able to move at his maximum speed, without turning his head every minute or two to check on the dopey biped following him.
Upon arrival, Arcturus landed in front of the three conifers and began the transformation back into a human. He realized suddenly that he was going to defy many social conventions by visiting his friends in the nude. He called out to them, and they appeared out of the three conifer trees, beckoning for him to step in the circle.
When the illusion faded and the hunting lodge came into view, he addressed them.
“Hi, Brook. Spruce. It’s been awhile. I was just wondering if you know where I can find Pygmy Flowers or Hopping Toad Venom?” he asked.
The elves stared at him for a long moment, struggling to keep eye contact.
Finally, Brook spoke.
“The hopping toads can be found in the grass, especially in early morning, around this time. I’ve often seen them on the edge of the forest, where the Great Plains begin. The pygmy flower I’m not sure about. I’ve never heard of it.”
“I really appreciate it. Next time I see you, I’ll owe you a favor. But now I’m in a hurry.”
Arcturus told them of his campsite, and invited them to come by some time and see. He warned them not to be alarmed by zombie rats or bony, undead flying birds. And explained that the entrance was concealed, but that he would know if they approached.
Before he left, he told Lyle to get back to the campsite. Bidding his elven friends farewell, he crouched down to the soil and returned to the shape of the Golden Eagle.
“There’s something odd about that one,” said Brook.
As Lyle made steady progress to the campsite, Arcturus veered off to the edge of the plains, using his incredible vision to spy on the creatures on the ground. Seeing a toad jump, he dive-bombed down at a hundred miles per hour and snatched the creature with his claws before launching again with powerful blasts from his wings, sailing smoothly back to the campsite. He was there well before Lyle, but he had work to do.
When he had returned to human form, he examined the still-living toad. He found that if he massaged behind the ears of the slimy animal, a milky substance oozed out. He walked over to his pack, holding the toad in one hand, and pulled one of his glass phials out, carefully collecting the toxin.
You have found: Hopping Toad Venom
This venom can cause visions. Use with caution.
Quest Update: The Path of the Druid
You now have the minimum necessary ingredients to concoct a Potion of Spirit Journey. You may wait until you have Pygmy Flowers, or you may mix the ingredients and consume them now to begin your trial to become a Druid.
- Hopping Toad Venom (Obtained)
- Clutching Vine Leaf (Obtained)
- (Optional) Pygmy Flowers
Arcturus wanted the benefits of being a Druid immediately, even if it meant taking shortcuts. Removing the mortar and pestle from his pack, he started mashing up the vine leaves and mixing in the toad venom. It was difficult because the leaves were fibrous and weren’t easily pulverized. After a while, the toad venom dissolved them, and he was left with a viscous, minty-green fluid that he collected into an empty phial.
You have improved Alchemy (Level 8)
You have brewed your first potion. Potions have the potential for a stronger effect than the ingredients used to make them.
You have created: Potion of Spirit Journey
This potion can induce visions that last up to one hour.
Instructing his creatures to guard him, he opened the stopper and drank a sip of the potion. It tasted amazing! After swallowed a swig, the effects began to hit him almost instantly. He looked at a hole in the tree and watched it grow bigger and bigger. He sensed that there was an entire universe in there, and suddenly he was being drawn towards it. But not just the universe of the tree-hole, there was a universe coasting up the bark exterior, a universe in the veins of every leaf, and countless universes along each spear of grass underfoot. No matter what direction he looked, he was being pulled into the gravity of each of their microcosms.
