The warm sunlight on her skin awoke Lucinda from her slumber. With a quiet groan at how tired she felt, Lucinda opened her eyes slowly, and then sat up in bed in a burst of movement as she saw the status window hovering in her vision. A smile spread across her face as her tiredness vanished in an instant, and she excitedly began reading.

Congratulations!

Having survived until your 18th year, you are now able to choose a class. Please choose carefully as this decision is permanent.

To select a class, think the words: “I wish to become a ”, using the following list of classes:

Prole

Proles dedicate themselves to crafts and trade skills, with hard work and effort. Cleric Clerics borrow power from a chosen deity to carry out their will on the mortal plane. Shifter Shifters draw upon the strength of all creatures to maintain the natural order.

At last, Shifter here I come! I wish to become a Shifter!

You are now a level 1 Shifter.

You have unlocked the following menus:

Status

Spells

Skills

Shapeshifts

Bursting with excitement, Lucinda wasted no time in checking each of the status menus that had been unlocked with her selection of the Shifter class.

Status

Name

Lucinda Bazan

Class

Shifter

Level

1

Experience

0%

Health

Strength

Agility

Endurance

118

118

8

10

7

Mana

Intelligence

Willpower

Spirit

166

166

11

10

14 Spells Name Description Mastery Heal Restores a portion of target's health on touch.

Shaping Steps: 10 · Base Mana: 30% (33)

Attribute: Willpower 0% Biting Frost Small burst of frost in front of caster. Slows and damages those caught within.

Shaping Steps: 4 · Duration: 15s · Base Mana: 45% (50)

Attribute: Intelligence 0% Morning Sun Warming glow that very gradually restores health in area. Only usable outside.

Shaping Steps: 20 · Duration: 1m/level · Base Mana: 10% (11)

Attribute: Willpower 0% Skills Name Description Influence Animal Direct animals with mental commands. Effect varies based on the target’s capacity for reason, and with respective level difference. Proficiency: Staves I Governs ability to use weapon group without penalty. Skill with weapon improves with rank. Natural Resistance Effects of poisons are reduced by 4% per level. Bond Animal Form a permanent bond with a single animal. Acquire Form Acquire shapeshift form of flightless land animal via touch. More powerful creatures may resist forced attempts. Shapeshift Take on the appearance and physical characteristics of a specific creature. Shifting mana cost is 10 times the Base Level of the target creature. Forms must be acquired prior to use. Shapeshifts Name Base Attributes Attribute Bonuses Base Level Rank Bonuses STR AGI END STR AGI END Deer 12 17 12 X1.0 X1.2 X1.0 2 1 Sure Step Boar 15 12 20 X1.1 X1.0 X1.3 3 1 Forage Giant Spider 20 27 20 X1.1 X1.3 X1.1 5 1 Poison Bite

However, she didn’t linger too long on each, instead opting to leave such exploration for later, as a rather amusing idea had come to her. Moving as quietly as possible, Lucinda slowly got out of bed and moved to the side of it to give herself room. Then she focussed her mind.

Shapeshift: Giant Spider!

Almost immediately, Lucinda found herself shifting and changing with great speed. Her body shrinking and transforming in a mildly disturbing manner, as her human features melted away and were replaced by those more fitting for a large arachnid.

As the transformation completed fully, Lucinda took a moment to collect herself.

This is so weird… All these eyes! And legs!

Fortunately for Lucinda, her shapeshifted form came with an instinctual understanding of how to use it, allowing her to operate it without difficulty. Which was especially helpful for making sense of the strange new inputs she was receiving, mostly from her multitude of eyes. Mostly comfortable with her new form, Lucinda carefully climbed up Waflaw’s bed, which was now almost as tall as she was. Stopping just above him, while keeping her weight off of him, she slowly reached out with one leg, and gently tapped on the sleeping Druid’s cheek.

Waflaw quickly came awake, his eyes opening, and then shooting wider as he took in the sight of Lucinda’s form above him. Lucinda just had time to enjoy a feeling of great satisfaction at her mentor’s expense, before her victim realised what was going on.

“I should have expected something like this," he said, with an amused half-smile. “Well, you got me, though I should point out… I eat Giant Spiders for breakfast.”

Lucinda’s mirth spilt out into laughter, but due to her form came out as a low chittering sound.

“You might want to keep that down. Wouldn’t want the villagers to think they have a giant spider infestation. Now, when you’re done having fun, why don’t you shift back to human form so we can have breakfast. Or were you thinking of dining like that?”

Frustrated with her inability to respond, Lucinda focussed her thoughts and started shifting back into human form without delay. Her body rapidly changed back to a more familiar form, until she had to catch herself with her human arms before she would have fallen on top of the still prone Druid. But, as she did, she noticed something felt a bit off.

“Hmm, they’re bigger than I thought,” Waflaw said, looking down between them, with a grin plastered on his face.

Eyes flying wide in alarm, Lucinda realised with a shriek that she was completely naked.

“Eeek! You pig! Close your eyes!”

“Had you waited until I was awake before you shifted, I could have warned you. So, don’t blame me,” Waflaw replied, with his eyes firmly shut, and his grin still in place.

“You could have told me yesterday!”

“Are you done yet?”

“No! Keep those eyes closed!”

Fearing her clothes had been lost during the shift, Lucinda was relieved to find them intact and piled in a heap beneath her. Gathering them up, she moved over to her side of the room and quickly got dressed again.

“You can open your eyes again,” she called out, her embarrassment and anger mostly forgotten. “Does that always happen?”

“Only when you first start out. You can practice keeping them on after breakfast, and speaking of which, let’s go get some.”

Lucinda and Waflaw had a simple breakfast of bread and cheese in the common room, provided to them by the innkeeper’s wife, who assured Waflaw she would have the special meal ready for later in the day. Then, once breakfast was done with, Waflaw bid Lucinda fetch their packs so they could get started on the day’s training.

Like Lucinda’s home town, the village they were in had a nearby forest, and it quickly became clear that that was where Waflaw intended to conduct her training.

“This should be far enough,” Waflaw said as he called a halt to their walk, just a short distance inside the forest. “Well, it’s obvious what you need to practice first, unless you plan on flashing people every time you shift out of animal form.”

“But, how do I do that?”

“It’s difficult to explain, you need to focus on the process, keep control of it. Practice is the only way really, and for that, you’ll want this,” Waflaw said, handing Lucinda his brown robe that he always wore. “Once you can shift back to human form with that still on you, you should be good.”

“What about my backpack?” Lucinda asked.

“As strange as it might sound, you can shift that with you too. Where the contents go is anyone’s guess, however, they won’t affect your form in any way, and will return intact when you shift back. Of course, like with clothes, there’s a limit to how much you can shift. So, if you were planning to try stealing someone’s safe of valuables by shifting it with you, you’re out of luck.”

“Really? That’s so weird…”

“The whole process is weird if you think about it, and it’s probably best not too.”

“Yeah okay. I’ll start practising then. But, no peeking!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Waflaw grinned. “I’ll be nearby, just give me a shout if you run into any problems.”

Lucinda watched Waflaw walk away, before donning the robe he’d given her. Inspecting her surroundings to ensure she really was alone and out of sight, Lucinda began.

How hard can it be?

It took Lucinda the better part of an hour to make progress. Her efforts were hindered not only by the difficulty of the task itself, but also her limited pool of mana, which was just large enough for 3 total shifts before she ran out, and required a number of minutes to regenerate enough for her to shift again. Fortunately, she soon got the hang of keeping her clothes on, though the large robe did take a bit longer than everything else. Then, when she was happy with her results, she was about to call out to Waflaw, when a sudden thought hit her.

I haven't checked my status in shapeshifted form yet…

Status (Giant Spider)

Health

Strength

Agility

Endurance

138

138

11

13

11

They're a lot lower than they were in the shapeshift menu… Still better than my human form though, and with the poison bite, it should still be as dangerous as I hoped. I should check the others… Shapeshift: Deer!

Having become used to the feeling of transforming into a giant spider while practising her shifting, Lucinda immediately became aware of the differences she felt in her new form. Being a creature with four legs was interesting, yet, not quite so jarring after having experienced eight. While even with still possessing two eyes, Lucinda couldn’t help but notice they weren’t quite as good as what she was used to. They did, however, provide a terrific field of view, which like the spider’s eyes, was different enough to cause her some discomfort, despite the instinctual understanding she’d gained. Her other senses, meanwhile, where much more impressive, and she’d picked up the distant scent of Waflaw without even trying. Lastly, there was one other important observation Lucinda made shortly after having shifted.

No antlers… I’m a doe not a stag. Not surprising, but a bit disappointing. Status.

Status (Deer)

Health

Strength

Agility

Endurance

134

134

10

12

10

About the same as Giant Spider, at least stats-wise. But, I don't think I'll be fighting anything like this.

Lucinda was about to shift into her third form, when an imaginary smile spread across her transformed face. Turning away from the direction Waflaw had walked off in, Lucinda kicked off with her back legs, propelling herself forwards into the forest at speed.

With pure exhilaration coursing through her veins, Lucinda weaved through the dense foliage. The agility of her deer form, along with the natural instincts that came with it, made things incredibly easy and satisfying. Never before in her life had she felt so free.

Even with her spontaneous desire to put her new form through its paces so thoroughly, Lucinda made sure to keep within sight of the forest edge, and remain aware of her surroundings. Unfortunately, her frolicking couldn't continue indefinitely, and as she began to tire, she reluctantly brought her journey to a halt.

That was incredible… I definitely made the right choice! How could being a Cleric ever compare to this? And this is only the beginning too…

Casting another quick glance around her new surroundings, Lucinda opted to try out her remaining form at last.

Shapeshift: Boar.

To Lucinda’s surprise, her intention to shift didn’t seem to do anything, leaving her confused for a few moments, until she realised she needed to shift back to human form first. With that problem remedied, shifting into a boar turned out to be mostly similar to shifting into a deer. Like with the deer, Lucinda’s field of view was greatly increased, but at the cost of a lack of focus, while her other senses were similarly enhanced.

How do my stats compare, I wonder. Status.

Status (Boar)

Health

Strength

Agility

Endurance

146

146

11

10

13

Almost 30 more health than I have normally. I'm sure that will come in handy. This is so awesome though. I can't wait to try more forms!

Lucinda took a moment to experiment with her vastly enhanced sense of smell. Each sniff she took brought on an incredible range of scents, that even with her instinctual knowledge, she had trouble identifying. Though some were easier than others.

I’m pretty sure that’s poop I smell… It is a forest, I shouldn’t be surprised. Ah, a better nose isn’t all good it seems.

Shifting back to human form, Lucinda was happy to discover the robe was still wrapped around her. Content that she had mastered that particular aspect of shapeshifting she shifted back into deer form, and started off in the direction she’d come from.

Finding her way back wasn’t difficult. Moving mostly parallel to the forest’s edge, Lucinda soon picked up the scent of Waflaw, allowing her to accurately home in on his location.

“Done are you?” Waflaw called as he noticed her approach, clearly not fooled by her altered appearance.

Lucinda offered a nod of her deer head in reply.

“You won’t object to a demonstration then?”

Standing before Waflaw, and brimming with confidence, Lucinda shifted back into human form. As expected her clothes, pack, and the robe, all returned alongside her human features without issue.

“Nice work, didn’t take you long. Just be wary of losing focus when shifting, or else you might still find yourself missing some clothes. But, with enough practice, which I’m sure you’ll get as a Shifter, it will become as simple as breathing.”

“Focus. Got it. What next?” Lucinda asked.

“Did you learn how to enable your vitals overlay in school?”

“Oh, right. I’d almost forgotten.”

Bringing up her status, Lucinda recalled the steps she’d been taught to follow. It was something everyone learnt in school, or at least her school. Focussing on the health values in her status window for a few seconds, caused a small red health bar to appear and quickly move into place in the top left of her vision. She then did the same with her mana, adding a blue bar. Dismissing her status window, she could still see the two bars stacked on top of each other, and the small numerical value by each. With a wry smile, she acknowledged she’d be seeing them for the rest of her life.

“I’m in perfect health,” she reported.

“Glad to hear it,” Waflaw replied. “Sadly, this next part is a bit dull. Take a seat.”

With a nod, Lucinda chose a patch of comfortable enough looking forest, and sat down near to Waflaw.

“Considering your class, we better start with shapeshifting. What do you see in your shifting menu? Every little detail, I mean.”

“Let me see,” Lucinda said, as she pulled up her shapeshifts menu. “I have three forms: Deer, Boar, and Giant Spider. The menu has columns for name, base attributes and attributes bonuses, base level, rank, and bonuses. The attribute ones are split into three small columns: Strength, Agility, and Endurance.”

“Good. That sounds exactly like mine. That’ll make this easier. Have you checked the description of anything in there yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Alright, do that now then. Then we can discuss it once you’re done.”

“Okay.”

Recalling her shifting menu, Lucinda began to focus on each term in turn, until she could read about what they meant for her shifting ability. Though she skipped the name column for obvious reasons.

Base Attributes

The default value for the three physical attributes (Strength, Agility, Endurance) that the shapeshift possesses.

These values will be overwritten by any higher attributes possessed by the user’s base shape. Attribute Bonuses

The modifiers applied to the user's physical attributes (Strength, Agility, Endurance) while in this form.

Modifier applies after permanent bonuses, but before temporary ones. Base Level

The default level of the shapeshifted creature.

This determines base attributes and affects some skills.

If the user is a lower or higher level than this value, a penalty or bonus will be applied respectively to their physical attributes. This change caps out at a difference of 4 levels. Rank

Determines the strength of the user's shapeshift for the related form.

Each rank above 1 applies a boost to the shapeshift's attributes equivalent to half a base level. Bonuses

Bonuses provide additional skills or other effects for a shapeshift based on rank. Sure Step (Deer)

Facilitates navigation of difficult terrain.

Effect scales with Agility and Base Level. Forage (Boar)

Directs user to a nearby source of food.

Only works for natural sources.

Cooldown: 1 hour. Poison Bite (Giant Spider)

Apply poison to a target with a bite.

Effect scales with Base Level and Spirit.

Cost: 10% Base Mana

“There’s a lot to take in,” Lucinda admitted, after she’d read through all of the descriptions.

“As I said, this can be a bit dull. It is important though.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. It’s still exciting.” Lucinda smiled at her mentor.

“Then you should have no trouble summarising everything for me.”

“I’ll try my best. Umm, a shapeshift form takes the best attribute from either me or its own, and then modifies that further. But, I’m not quite sure what it means by permanent and temporary bonuses.”

“It’s pretty much as it says, permanent bonuses include anything you get from your class, or equipment. While temporary includes spells, potions, and similar. Good so far though. What else?".

“Umm, so the base level affects the form's attributes depending on how close I am to it. Worse if I’m lower, and better if I’m higher. Then rank also makes the form better, and adds other things to it.”

“That sounds about right. Just don’t forget about the 4 level limit, as that means your forms will eventually start to fall behind. Then again, there’s a fair chance Shifters have some way around that. I wouldn’t be surprised, but I’m not sure.”

“It’s the same for you then?”

“Yes, even though Druids acquire forms differently to Shifters. My bear form, for example, has a base level of 10, and is boosted to level 14 by its rank and my much higher level. More than enough for me to handle the forest creatures around here, but not any more serious threats.”

“Can I ask what level you are?”

“You just did, and I can answer, as long you promise never to tell anyone.”

“I promise.” Lucinda nodded eagerly.

“36.”

“Oh, higher than my mother, but lower than my father,” Lucinda replied, feeling a slight pang of sorrow as she thought of her parents.

“Even that’s probably not a good idea to admit to anyone,” Waflaw said levelly.

“Sorry,” Lucinda frowned. “I trust you.”

“And I’m grateful for that trust. I’ll try not to abuse it,” Waflaw returned with a grin. “So, out of curiosity, what bonuses do you have for your three forms?”

“Sure Step for Deer, which I think makes it easier to keep my footing on slippery ground and things. Then Forage for Boar, which lets me track down some food in the wilderness every hour. And Giant Spider has Poison Bite.”

“Not bad. Things that might have a use even after you’ve outgrown the forms themselves,” Waflaw nodded. “Then again, you’re a Shifter, so who knows,” he added with a laugh.

“What shapeshifts do you have?”

“Other than Bear, I have Giant Eagle and Shark.”

“You can fly?” Lucinda gasped.

“That I can.” Waflaw grinned smugly. “It’s a lot of fun, as I’m sure you’ll find out for yourself before long. Definitely one of the perks of being a Druid type class. Though, it’s not perfect, Giant Eagle’s are only about as strong as bears after all.”

“I can't wait to try it! I hope it's soon. What about being a shark?”

“Mmm, I don’t get to use it that often. Not fun exactly, but it’s useful for long-distance travel at sea, and has saved me quite a bit of coin over the years. Again, I’m sure you’ll find out for your own one day. Just be careful, they’re not the friendliest sea creature around.”

“The teeth are kind of a giveaway,” Lucinda agreed.

“That’s probably enough about shifting for now. Let’s move on to spells. What do you have?”

Opening up her spells menu, Lucinda read through the list. “Heal, Biting Frost, and Morning Sun,” she replied.

“Ah-ha, I know all of those. Nothing different so far then, but that could still change as you unlock more from levelling up. And now we move on to practise,” Waflaw said, before pulling out a knife from his belt and handing it to Lucinda. “Here.”

“What does this have to do with spells?” she asked.

“Well, the most important spell at your disposal right now is Heal.”

“I see…” Lucinda frowned at the knife.

“Just don’t cut too deep,” Waflaw said with a cheeky grin.

Rolling up her sleeve and gritting her teeth, Lucinda ran the knife across the back of her left forearm, opening a small cut which started bleeding immediately. Passing the knife back to Waflaw, Lucinda focused her mind as she’d been taught and pictured the spell she wanted to cast.

Having watched Waflaw cast a few spells during their time together, Lucinda had realised Druid spell casting differed from what she’d learned during her time training as a Cleric. A fact that didn't diminish her excitement in any way. For Clerics, a spell was brought to completion by chanting a string of words, which would then – through some process she really didn't understand – invoke the power of the caster's deity. Lucinda knew that the words varied based on the spell, and even based on the deity the Cleric worshipped, but it mattered little, as the correct chant came to mind when thinking of the spell in question. While for Druids, or Shifters, Lucinda discovered that the process involved shaping the ball of mana with precise hand gestures around the mana to be shaped. Fortunately, like with the words required for casting a Cleric spell, the gestures came to mind as she thought of the spell, one after the other in the correct order. Meaning it was simply a matter of carrying them out. Which wasn’t exactly simple in actual fact, but after a slow start, Lucinda eventually got the hang of things.

Finishing the last gesture in the sequence, Lucinda felt the spell complete, with the ball of mana pulsing brightly before her. Turning her hands towards herself, she projected the completed spell into her body. A slight warmth coursed through her as the spell carried out its task: Healing the few hit points she’d lost, and rapidly turning her bloody wound into a small pink line of freshly healed skin.

“You’re a natural.” Waflaw smiled at her success.

“That was strange… And incredible! Can I try some others?”

“Of course, you don’t need my permission.”

Lucinda began casting her second non-hostile spell, Morning Sun. Like before, a chunk of her mana emerged from her body as a colourful ball, this time a yellowy-orange rather than a pale green. Conducting the required hand movements, Lucinda shaped the spell until it was ready, and then released it.

As the spell completed, Lucinda felt a sudden warmth wash over her skin as a faint golden light sprang into existence above her and Waflaw.

“Mmm, toasty,” Waflaw said. “Another thing you might want to know about spells is to do with the 'Shaping Steps' part. I'm sure you've figured out what that is, but what isn't as obvious is how it relates to casting time. For a beginner, a good estimate is about one to one and a half seconds per step, while for an expert it's more like half a second or so. Of course, it all varies based on the spell itself, and the person casting it."

"Oh, right. That's good to know. I'll have to try and practise when I can then. How fast are you?"

"Well, timing something that accurately isn't so easy. I like to think I'm around a half-second, I do cast spells often after all. I doubt I'm the fastest around by any means though. Now, any questions before we move on?"

"Umm…" Lucinda uttered as she took another look through her spells menu. "What about Base Mana?"

"Ah, of course. Base Mana refers to how much mana you have minus the bonus you get from Spirit, and any boosts from equipment and similar."

"Right, okay."

"Moving on then."

Lucinda watched as Waflaw quickly cast a spell of his own, now unavoidably interested in the movement of his hands. The ball of energy he manipulated was a bright purple in colour, and took only a few seconds for Waflaw to direct to completion. As the spell finished, five very large rats appeared at his feet, each almost the size of a medium dog.

“Woah! What spell is that?” Lucinda exclaimed.

“The first Conjure Animals spell. You should have it yourself in a level or two. But now, I want you to try fighting against my summoned pals here. And just so you know, don’t try gaining a new form from them. It won’t work.”

Climbing to her feet, Lucinda walked a short distance away from Walfaw and his rats. Gripping her staff tightly, she nodded at Waflaw. A moment later, one of the rats let out a shriek and pounced at her. As it reached her Lucinda managed to dodge aside and deliver a quick blow with her staff, knocking the rat away from her. Having never fought such a creature before, Lucinda wasn’t sure how much of a beating it could take. Hastily deciding a single staff strike wasn't likely enough, she shifted into boar form before the rat even had a chance to recover.

She wasn’t wrong, as mere moments later the rat sprang back towards her without a care for her sudden change in shape and size. Lucinda was less concerned the second time round, as she was no longer in danger of being knocked off her feet, thanks to her bulky boar form firmly resting on its four stocky legs.

With a flick of her snout, Lucinda knocked the charging rat away. Giving chase immediately, she reached the small creature almost as soon as its forced tumble came to an end. Then, with a quick chomp of her jaws, Lucinda's teeth bit into the rat's body. Her much smaller opponent squeaked in surprise, and went limp, before disappearing entirely with a loud pop.

“Not bad,” Waflaw called out. “But, a single rat isn’t really a threat. Let’s try two.”

Lucinda had been in the middle of realising she'd just bitten into a live animal, and processing the feelings that realisation brought on, when Waflaw's words – and the distinct squeaks of two rats – startled her back to reality. As the two rats rushed her, Lucinda knocked the first of them into the ground with her snout, before following up with a stamp with one of her trotters. Unfortunately, her actions gave the second rat an opportunity to slip behind her and climb up her back, where it could claw and bite her with impunity.

Grunting in pain, Lucinda managed to remove the rat from her back with a few violent shakes of her body. Then, before it could return, she quickly finished it off with another forceful stomp.

“Maybe I should have summoned something a bit more dangerous,” Walfaw said. “Alright, let’s try this.”

Lucinda watched as Waflaw began casting a new spell, and in just a few moments it completed, sending a glowing light over Waflaw and the two rats that were still at his side.

“A large part of combat is reacting to the unknown abilities of other people,” Waflaw said. “No matter what you end up doing, it doesn’t hurt to try and gain a basic understanding of what other classes are capable of. And the same is true even for creatures.”

As Waflaw finished speaking, the two remaining rats dashed towards Lucinda.

Lucinda was prepared to utilise the same strategy she’d used for the last two rats, but as she went in for a strike with her snout, the rat she’d targeted easily dodged aside before scampering past her head and slashing at her exposed side. The second rat too had gone in for an attack of its own and Lucinda felt a slight spike of alarm as both rats’ attacks connected.

Spinning around and trying again to land a solid blow on one of her attackers, Lucinda quickly realised that whatever Waflaw had cast had boosted the nimbleness of the rats, almost completely preventing her from harming them. It became clear to her at that moment that it was time for a new strategy.

With a sudden surge of movement, Lucinda propelled herself towards a nearby bush, barrelling through it, and putting herself out of sight of the two rats. Then as soon as she’d emerged out the other side, she shifted back to human form and began casting a spell in the direction she’d come from, anticipating the rats were close behind her.

As her spell completed she let out an internal sigh of relief as she saw the two rats get caught up in the area of effect spell she’d cast. It was Biting Frost, inflicting some frost damage and slowing her furry adversaries. She was hoping that the slowing effect might be enough to allow her to successfully finish them off.

Lucinda was about to shift back into boar form as the rats rapidly closed in on her position, but at the last instant, she instead opted to choose her spider form. It was clear the rats were more agile than before, and Lucinda's spider form was likewise blessed. Her only concern was that fighting might be slightly more complicated due to the unusual nature of its body. Fortunately, that soon proved to be untrue, as she had little trouble reacting more easily to incoming rat attacks, as well as more successfully delivering attacks of her own.

After dodging two attacks from each rat, Lucinda countered, catching one rat mid-leap with her fanged maw, and biting deeply with her poisoned fangs. Combined with her prior spell cast, the bite soon turned out to be enough to fell the injured rat, allowing Lucinda to focus on her remaining opponent, who she likewise dispatched with a single snap of her fangs.

“Very nicely done,” Waflaw congratulated her, as the two rats dissipated and she shifted back to human form. “You’ve got a good head for combat it seems, and it was certainly a good decision to shift when you did. Still, these rats are quite weak all things considered. I think we’ll take a break and then I’ll have you face off against more dangerous foes. How does that sound?”

“Sure, okay. It’s fun,” Lucinda replied with a smile, as the excitement of battle still coursed through her body.

“That’s the spirit,” Waflaw encouraged cheerfully.

Lucinda healed the minor wounds she’d taken during her battle with the rats. It came as something of a surprise, but the results were unmistakable: Damage received in one form would carry over to her others.

If only I could come up with a way of preventing that. I’d be unstoppable!

After a refreshing drink, Waflaw had Lucinda continue fighting against increasingly dangerous foes. She took care of the earlier battles with little difficulty, which involved more rats, some large badgers, and a few sizeable snakes. It was only when Waflaw put her up against a lone wolf that Lucinda stumbled, before emerging victorious after a challenging struggle. Naturally, after she’d managed to take care of that foe, Waflaw sent two wolves after her instead, which she eventually overcame after a long and arduous fight. But, it was her next foe after that proved to be too much for her.

Much to her surprise, she’d been made to fight a large brown bear, which was considerably larger than even her boar form. She’d managed to evade a lot of its attacks at the start of the battle, but couldn’t find a way to deal any damage to the fearsome creature. In the end, she’d decided to try and finish it off with a poisonous bite from her spider form, requiring her to get dangerously close to the bear, which lead to her downfall when it delivered a vicious counter attack, causing Waflaw to terminate the battle.

“You did really well,” Wafaw said, after she’d recovered from the bear’s last attack. “Don’t feel disheartened by your loss, a bear is after all a very dangerous foe for a level 1 combatant.”

“Could other classes defeat a bear more easily at level 1?” Lucinda asked, suddenly brimming with curiosity.

“Hmm, now there’s a question. It depends on a lot of things really. Luck certainly plays a part, but yes some classes could potentially have an easier time. Martial based classes with high-quality armour or weapons would naturally have an advantage, but very few are lucky enough to start out with such. Spellcasters with a fire-based spell might also do well, as bears loathe fire like most animals, but they are just as likely to go berserk as flee. Then there’s classes with charm type spells or abilities, which includes you, but while they could likely pacify a bear, actually defeating it is another matter entirely.”

“You sure know a lot about these things, Waflaw.”

“Well, as I said, it pays to know these things. We only get one shot at life after all.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“Good! Now, as you’ve probably noticed, my conjured pets don’t provide experience. They do, however, provide an opportunity to rank up your spells and shapeshift forms. So, if you’re still keen to keep going we can do so in just a bit.”

“How could I refuse?” Lucinda replied eagerly.

“You know, I’m starting to think you might be a battle enthusiast after all. Which is good! Anyway, there’s another topic I want to bring up now. Namely, animal companions.”

“I’ve been looking forward to that almost as much as shapeshifting!” Lucinda admitted excitedly.

“That’s good to hear, but first things first: Don’t rush your decision! Your animal companion will likely be with you for a very long time, so make sure you choose something that fits, both in terms of personality and in terms of practicality. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that I recommend an animal that provides some benefit in combat, but utility out of combat is also a consideration. Lastly, I recommend you don’t choose something that people are especially fearful of. A bear would be fine, but animals such as large snakes or spiders less so. That is unless you are really set on such a choice.”

“That makes sense,” Lucinda agreed with a few nods of her head. “I’d been thinking I might like a bird.”

“Hmm, for what reason?”

“Umm, well it’s true that I’m quite fond of them, but I’d considered their practical uses too!”

“I didn’t doubt that for a moment,” Waflaw replied with a chuckle. “A bird is an interesting choice, depending on the type you choose. They make great scouts of course, and are usually more intelligent than other animals. On the other hand, they are slightly less effective in combat and not as useful indoors, obviously.”

“What kind would you recommend?”

“Well, you probably don’t want a bird that’s too small, as they’re liable to get gobbled up by larger birds or other creatures. Birds that can actually fly are likely a good choice. I don’t see much reason for picking a flightless species. Unless you are picturing yourself riding into battle on the back of an Ostrich.”

Lucinda giggled at the bizarre mental image Waflaw described. “Not really.”

“Probably for the best, it’s a long way to Ostrich territory anyway. Really you probably want a bird of prey of some variety, as they will be much more useful in combat.”

“All this talk of battle, but you chose a Stag. How come?”

“You got me.” Waflaw grinned slightly sheepishly. “It’s true I was planning on going for a far more deadly companion, but things didn’t work out that way. It’s a long story, which I might tell you about some other time.”

“Aww, okay.”

Lucinda continued discussing potential animal companions with Waflaw for some time. Initially she had been picturing something a bit cuter, but Waflaw had brought up some very good points about the potential usefulness of such a choice. In the end, she was almost certain she would choose a bird of prey, but the question remained as to what kind. Many different species had their own strengths and weaknesses, and there was also the consideration of what size of bird to go for. Larger likely meant better support in combat, but could be quite conspicuous when scouting, and require more food to sustain. There was also the question of how long she wanted to wait, with the selection of birds of prey varying by location meaning she might need to travel quite far before obtaining any particular one.

“Now, enough yapping. Time for more training,” Waflaw announced, as he began summoning more creatures.

“I’m ready!” Lucinda returned as she climbed to her feet, and readied her staff.

Lucinda battled fiercely against every opponent Waflaw sent her way, using her spells and shapeshifts in every way she could conceive, many of which failed, some even miserably so, but that was all part of the learning experience. Unlike their first stint of training, Waflaw began offering advice for dealing with certain types of attacks that he carefully orchestrated for her benefit, and by lunchtime, Lucinda already felt like she’d learnt a great deal about combat.

Feeling quite fatigued by the continued engagement, Lucinda was treated to another ride on Wollow’s back as Waflaw lead them deeper into the forest for a lunch break. Their journey soon led them to a small stream, offering fresh water for Lucinda to cool herself with, before they sat down for some much-needed sustenance.

“How’s it coming with ranks and masteries?” Waflaw asked between bites of the dried bread he had in his pack.

“Boar is at rank 2, so is Spider, and Deer 1. For masteries… Heal 3%, Warming Sun 0%, Biting Frost 5%.”

“Not bad. These things do take a long time. We might be able to hit rank 5 in boar or spider today, though higher ranks take slightly longer.”

“That’d be great.” Lucinda smiled at the idea of improving her abilities. “What about deer though? It’s not really good at fighting.”

“No worries there. You can still rank up your shapeshifts without combat, either by using any of the abilities they have, or just by spending time as that animal. Combat is faster, but the other methods are a lot safer naturally.”

With lunch finished, Waflaw was quick to resume Lucinda’s combat training. The creatures summoned remained the same, as Waflaw only had a limited repertoire to call upon, but the addition of the river and other changes in terrain still shook things up a bit.

Having a choice between trying to get boar or spider form to rank 5, Lucinda fairly easily decided upon spider. Boar form was useful for taking hits, and throwing its impressive weight around, but she’d found the increased agility of the spider, along with its poison bite, to be more useful overall. Finally, after several hours and several breaks, Lucinda reached rank 5 and received a new notification to that effect.

You have reached rank 5 of Shapeshift Giant Spider.

You have gained: Web (Giant Spider) Web (Giant Spider)

Shoot a sticky web at a target location to slow creatures, or directly at a creature to try and encase them.

Effect scales with Base Level and Spirit.

Cost: 20% Base Mana

Status (Giant Spider)

Health

Strength

Agility

Endurance

162

162

17

23

17

Having just finished defeating the last wolf of a group Waflaw had conjured, Lucinda had a few moments to read through the description of her new ability. Then, once she’d done so, she couldn’t resist trying it out immediately.

Waiting until Waflaw began summoning some more creatures, Lucinda took aim, raised herself upwards on her eight legs, and then fired a blast of webbing from her spinner at the stationary Druid. Lucinda watched with glee as the ball of white web shot towards Waflaw with what looked like perfect accuracy. That look of glee then evaporated, as the projectile came within close proximity of the Druid, who then stepped aside casually, avoiding it entirely.

“Oh, it’s like that is it,” Waflaw said with a grin, as he let his spell fizzle out.

Even having missed, Lucinda was amused, even if she couldn’t make that fact known in her spider form. That amusement faltered slightly when Waflaw locked his gaze on her and began casting a new spell she was sure she hadn’t seen before. In just a few short moments, the pale white ball of magic completed and then shot towards her.

Lucinda tried her best to avoid it, but Waflaw’s projectile was fast, and even seemed to change direction in mid-air to reach her. As it struck her, Lucinda felt a strange energy spread over her entire body, whose effect became clear when she realised she could no longer move.

No fair!

“I’m glad you’ve ranked up your spider form and got a new ability,” Waflaw said as he moved over to Lucinda’s frozen body. “But, apprentices that attack their masters have to be punished.”

Despite herself, Lucinda felt a spike of alarm at Waflaw’s words. She was fairly sure he wouldn’t do anything to harm her, but at the same time, she was completely helpless to say, or do, anything to stop him.

Stopping in front of Lucinda, Waflaw began a new spell, this time starting as a blue ball of energy in his hands. Waflaw’s grin had remained in place the entire time, and continued to do so as he finished the spell. The effect was almost immediate. Lucinda just caught a glimpse of her fate from a few of her eyes, before the large deluge of stream water cascaded down on top of her, covering her entire body in the cold liquid.

Finding herself suddenly free of the spell that had held her, Lucinda shifted back to human form only to find most of her skin and her hair was still unpleasantly wet.

“Meanie!” she shouted, causing Waflaw to burst into laughter.

“You started it,” he returned, before continuing his laugh.

Lucinda quickly cast her Morning Sun spell, bringing the warm patch of light into existence for her to dry off in. She frowned at Waflaw as she stood there, but before long found her own annoyance giving away to mirth, until she too was laughing.

“Next time maybe you should try being a bit stealthier. I know a spider’s web shot when I see one,” Waflaw announced, as his laughter finally died down.

“I hadn’t used it before, how was I to know?”

“Well, there’s the lesson to learn from this: Don’t put your trust in something you haven’t tried before.”

“And Waflaw’s a meanie,” Lucinda added with an amused smile.

“Hey, I went easy on you,” Waflaw returned with his own smile. “The hold line of spells provides a lot of ways to mess with people, as I’m sure you can imagine.”

Lucinda’s breath caught in her throat as she did imagine just how it could be used. She had been entirely helpless under its effect, and even the non-deadly ways she could imagine someone taking advantage of that fact were disturbing enough.

“I couldn’t even avoid it,” Lucinda said worriedly.

“Fortunately, it’s a lot less potent when there isn’t such a large level difference between the caster and the target. So, don’t upset any higher-level people and you’ll be fine.”

Having reached her goal for the day, Lucinda and Waflaw began making their way back to the village. As they walked, Lucinda tried her best to put aside her concerns about the power of the new spell she’d witnessed, and instead focus on the upcoming celebration for her 18th, but it wasn’t easy.

With some time to kill before their celebratory feast was to be ready, Waflaw took the time to teach Lucinda how to play dice. The game was fairly straightforward, and involved a great deal of luck, but Lucinda enjoyed it none the less. Despite losing overall, Lucinda lost no money, as Waflaw had taken pity on her dire financial situation.

“Here we are,” the innkeeper’s wife announced as she brought a large dish to the table Lucinda and Waflaw were seated at. “Roast pheasant, stuffed with my very best stuffing. Fit for a queen, I dare say.”

“Looks great!” Lucinda replied as her mouth watered at the sight of the lightly browned bird. “Smells great too!” she added as a whiff of delicious flavours found purchase within her nostrils.

“I have to agree. I think you’ve changed my mind about this place even,” Waflaw said.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call my husband’s cooking slop,” the older woman replied, while giving Waflaw a pointed look. “However, I’m sure you’ll find this much more agreeable.”

“Thank you, I’m sure we will,” Lucinda returned with a happy smile.

“Then I’ll just say Happy Birthday, young lady, and leave you both to it.”

“Thanks!” Lucinda replied, as the innkeeper’s wife walked away from their table.

Lucinda turned back to Waflaw to find an amused look on his face.

“Dig in,” he said with a wave of his hand. “It’s your feast.”

Lucinda did just that, and with the help of a large carving knife soon had a plate of several finely cooked slices of pheasant meat. Adding a small amount of the berry sauce, Lucinda took her first bite and sighed in pleased delight at the tenderness and accompanying flavours.

“Well?” Waflaw asked as he carved off some meat for his own plate.

“It’s wonderful!” Lucinda beamed out a smile as she licked her lips. “I can’t remember the last time I had something so good.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Waflaw replied, as he went to take a bite of his own. “Mmm, it is good,” he agreed with an approving nod. “We just need some drinks to go with it.”

Each bite tasted as good as the last, as Lucinda continued enjoying her coming of age feast. Waflaw’s call for drinks soon produced a mug of water for Waflaw, and a cider for Lucinda, which she decided not to complain about when she tasted the alcohol within. Several helpings of pheasant and another mug of cider later, their meal came to a close, with Lucinda feeling happily satiated.

“Thanks, Waflaw. That was really good,” Lucinda smiled at her mentor.

“You are most welcome. And finally, Happy Birthday,” Waflaw replied. “I hope you don’t mind accepting this instead of a gift.”

“Not at all. This was a great gift! Becoming a… my class too.”

“My pleasure, on both accounts. Now, how about we order some more drinks and get back to those dice?”

Lucinda didn’t respond immediately, as she was occupied with certain thoughts. Her rejection the other day by her mentor had been distressing, even through the haze of alcohol, but Waflaw’s subsequent suggestion to think things through further had prompted her to do just that.

She was still very curious about the experience, and her mother’s plea to wait until marriage seemed wholly unfair, and somewhat silly to her. There was also the fact that Waflaw’s physical features had begun to more easily catch her attention of late. Combined with the knowledge that almost no one she knew would ever find out unless she wanted them too, Lucinda had begun wondering about how the night might end, even before they’d sat down to eat her coming of age feast.

With the aid of some liquid courage to push her towards a decision, and then announce it, Lucinda spoke.

“Umm…” Lucinda said with a faint blush on her cheeks, as she committed to the decision she’d recently made. “Could we go to our room early tonight?”

Waflaw returned Lucinda’s look with a raised eyebrow, that was soon joined by a teasing smile. “Have something else in mind do you?”

“Yes… If you want to?”

“I still think I’m far too old for you. Yet, what kind of man would I be if I refused the request of a beautiful young woman on her birthday? Just answer me one thing: What’s my animal companion’s name?”

“Wollow?”

“Good enough.” Waflaw nodded. “Then, I’d love to.”

“O…Okay,” Lucinda replied, her voice catching as a burst of butterflies filled her stomach, while her cheeks flushed brightly.