Bronwyn stepped into the throne room and found herself facing the far end where the two massive doors stood closed. She turned around to see the Queen standing before her throne, smiling at her. “Come, child, let me embrace you; I couldn’t be more proud!” The Queen stepped forward to wrap her arms around her, and Bronwyn might have resisted if she wanted to, but she didn’t want to. Warmth radiated from the Queen in sync with the heat pulsing at Bronwyn’s Core, and she leaned her head into the tall Fae’s bosom, soaking in the pleasure of her approval. “Now,” the Queen stepped back, still resting her hands on Bronwyn’s shoulders, “let me answer the questions buzzing in your mind.”

“I didn’t know I’d be losing my class!” Bronwyn blurted the first thing that popped into her mind.

“Oh, it wasn’t a certainty, but, Bronwyn, what you’ve gained is far greater. Do you trust me?”

“I don’t know why, but yes, I do.” The Queen smiled at this small insolence and gently squeezed Bronwyn’s shoulders.

“Good. Now, I see you’ve not chosen your new class. Before the System infiltrated our prospects, there wouldn’t be a choice. Those who survived their encounter with the Summer Heart would be granted their class, and I’d teach them about it. Now the System neatly informs you of what’s happening behind the scenes. Well, some of it.”

“But the selection says that it’s not a ‘System-curated class.’”

“Correct! Classes existed before the System, but they weren’t so neat or straightforward. The System does provide a service; for the Energy it leeches, it helps Energy and its boons to be accessible to nearly everyone. The lack of a System didn’t hamper the Fae; we knew how to organize skills and spells that utilize Energy to create our own classes. All of the Elder races could do this, and many members of the younger races learned some of it as well. The System knows that the Summer Heart has gifted you with the patterns for a class; it’s forced to show it to you, but I’m sure it’s offered you other tempting options, no?”

“Yes,” Bronwyn said softly, her mind whirling with the idea that the System couldn’t dominate the Fae or even remove what they’d done to her; it was forced to try to lure her away with other options. “Does everyone who finishes the trial end up with this class?”

“Oh, no! Why do you think I’m so pleased with you? Your choices, your resilience, and the way you melded with the Summer Heart all led to the Summer Banneret. Some of my agents who’ve survived with three boons failed to come away from the Summer Heart with anything more than a closer connection to my Realms.” Bronwyn noticed that the Queen used her physical voice to speak with her; her lips moved, and she smiled with emotion. Was this a result of her feeling closer to Bronwyn?

“I don’t,” Bronwyn struggled with how to phrase her words, “I don’t appreciate how the swarm almost killed me. Was it bad luck that they found me? Why couldn’t you warn me about something like that happening?” The Queen didn’t answer right away; she let go of Bronwyn’s shoulders and backed up to her throne, taking a seat. She regarded her for a moment, still smiling.

“I don’t think it was bad luck. The Blessing of the Swarm will serve you well, and, though it was traumatic, I was sure that you’d survive; you have a fierce spirit, Bronwyn. I couldn’t warn you for two reasons—it’s customary not to, and there are hundreds of variables that could change the encounters and outcomes in the trial. I didn’t want to interfere. I wish I could say it would be the last time I send you into danger and cause you suffering, but you must understand that I would never do so without cause nor with a callous heart.” Bronwyn couldn’t muster any anger at the Queen. Something had changed in her since coming to the Fae Realm, and she was aware of it, but finding words to describe it was difficult. She felt like her old self would have raged about the things that happened to her in the trial, but she wasn’t so sure her change in attitude was all due to the Fae; she’d experienced a lot in the last months, not least of which was traveling around fighting and making friends with Urghat.

“Alright, so, I assume you think I should take the Fae class? The Summer Banneret?” The Queen didn’t speak, just smiled more broadly. Bronwyn took that as a yes and opened her status sheet to make the selection.

***WARNING! The selection you’ve made is a non-System-curated class. Your refinement options may be limited. This selection is not reversible! Are you sure? Y/N***

Bronwyn touched the “Y,” and more System messages expanded before her eyes:

***Congratulations! You’ve gained the Class: Summer Banneret. Class spell gained: Solar Shell - Basic. Class spell gained: Wrath of Summer - Basic***

***Solar Shell - Basic: Prerequisite: Solar Affinity. You surround your body with a barrier of solar Energy for a short time, protecting your physical form from harm and causing heat and light damage to beings and objects that you touch. Energy cost: 200, Cooldown: Medium.***

***Wrath of Summer - Basic: Prerequisite: Summer Banneret Class. Call upon the Summer Court to lay waste to a target area. Energy cost: 400, Cooldown: Very Long.***

“Wow, um, I got some powerful sounding new spells, but I don’t even have enough Energy to cast the second one.”

“Take a look at your attributes, child,” the Queen responded, and Bronwyn did so, calling up her status sheet:

Status

Name:

Bronwyn Tallow

Race:

Human - Base 2

Class:

Summer Banneret

Level:

15

Core:

Summer Class - Base 3

Energy Affinity:

5.6, Solar - 7.6

Energy:

337/337

Strength:

72

Vitality:

39

Dexterity:

19

Agility:

44

Intelligence:

9

Will:

26

Points Available:

0

Titles & Feats:

First Colonist, Underclaw 10, Agent of Summer, Blessing of the Swarm, Blessing of the Herd, Blessing of the Summer Storm

Skills:

System Language Integration - Not Upgradeable, Unarmed Mastery - BasicTracking - Basic, Cartography - Basic Solar Shell - Basic, Wrath of Summer - Basic

“When you look at your attributes, what stands out?” The Queen asked, and Bronwyn knew where this was going.

“My intelligence is a lot lower than the others.”

“Lucky for you, the class you’ve just taken isn’t bound by the System to give you an increase in specific attributes; you’ll be able to assign your points where you want, and if you want your maximum Energy to increase faster, you should put some of your growth into intelligence.” Bronwyn nodded along with the Queen’s words. “You can also gain more Energy by improving your Core.”

“Alright, but in the meantime, I can cast one of my spells one time before running dry?” Bronwyn wasn’t trying to sound petulant, but a little sulkiness leaked into her voice.

“Well, I think you’d do fine with your fighting ability, but I do have a dangerous task for you. I’ll grant you one more boon. Lean forward, Banneret.” The Queen held out her right hand, and Bronwyn leaned forward into her touch. She felt the warm, deep well of power beneath those fingertips as they rested on her forehead. An explosion of light went off behind her eyes, and then, as if frantically trying to catch up, a System message appeared:

***Congratulations! You’ve gained the spell: Solar Arms - Basic.***

***Solar Arms - Basic: Prerequisite: Solar Affinity. Your weapons, wielded or natural, are imbued with solar Energy, causing extra heat and light damage to those you strike. Energy cost: 5 per second, Cooldown: Minimal.***

“Thank you, um, Your Majesty.” Bronwyn didn’t know the Queen’s name, but she knew how to address one in general terms, at least in human courts.

“You’re welcome, Bronwyn.”

“Will that work with my fists? Is that what ‘natural’ weapons means?”

“Yes, though I encourage you to learn to fight with other weapons as well. You will face some foes that might require a powerful weapon to harm. Now, as I mentioned, I have need of your services before I can release you to work with your people for a while.”

“Um, okay, what can I do for you?”

“You might not be aware of this, but an agent of the Winter Court has already raised a hand against your people on Fanwath.”

“No, I wasn’t aware of that!”

“During the recent Urghat incursion against your settlement, a powerful Cadwalli named Thun influenced one of your citizens. He forced him to help the Urghat breach your walls.”

“So the Winter Court wants to destroy my people?”

“I think not. I think they’d rather use your people. Thun was acting selfishly; he wanted something from the Urghat and bargained for it by offering to help them with your people.”

“Is he still a threat to us?”

“Not presently; he’s gone north to commune with the Winter Queen, and then he intends to seclude for a while to process the item he acquired from the Urghat. As I said, he’s powerful, but he’ll be vulnerable for a time following the full moon of Belintide; I’d like you to follow him, lie in wait, gather your strength, and then strike at dawn following the full moon. You have just over two weeks.”

“Um, how will I find him? How will I know when the moon is full? I mean, I know what a full moon looks like, but doesn’t it look full for a few days?” Bronwyn sputtered the first questions that sprang to her mind, and the Queen smiled at her.

“I’ll send you to where my scouts last saw him, and you’ll be able to pick up his tracks. As for the moon,” she held out her hand, and a small black stone sat in her palm, “take this; when the morning of action is nigh, it will change from black to white.”

“Just to be clear, you want me to kill him?”

“Yes, Bronwyn. He’s not a good soul, and he will harm your people given time. Do you trust me yet?”

“I do, Queen…” she trailed off, wanting to say her name, but wondering if she should ask what it was.

“I’ve had many names over the millennia, Bronwyn. You may call me Queen Aestasia.”

“Thank you, Queen Aestasia. I don’t like acting as an assassin, but if this guy is evil and caused the deaths of hundreds of my people already, then I’ll do what I have to to stop him.”

“He is certainly indirectly responsible for the deaths that occurred after the Urghat breached your walls. Are you ready, Champion of Summer?” the Queen asked, smiling down at her. Bronwyn nodded. “Very well, I have one more parting gift.” Again, the Queen held out her palm, and a delicate silver ring sat on it. It was crafted into the shape of a winding band of vines adorned with tiny flowers made from other precious metals that shone in the bright light of the hall.

“It’s beautiful,” Bronwyn said, reaching for it.

“It’s a dimensional container, and I’ve filled it with provisions for you.”

“Oh, thank you again!” Bronwyn slipped the ring onto her right-hand ring finger and bonded with it, immediately sensing the considerable space it contained and the neatly packaged provisions within. Light flared to her left, and Bronwyn turned to see that the Queen had created another portal.

“Step through, now, Bronwyn. You’ll find Thun’s tracks near the glade where this portal opens. I’ll be in contact with you through my kinfolk that dwell on Fanwath. Good luck, daughter.” Bronwyn felt a slight lurch in her stomach when the Queen called her daughter, and she smiled and nodded, not trusting her voice. She stepped through the portal into a twilit meadow and shivered at the lack of warmth.