It only took two days of training for all of Iona’s general skills to be maxed, and for her to be ready to class up.

"Ask your guide if you have questions. Best of luck!" Alruna said, cheerfully waving Iona off.

It was amazing how easily Alruna took to having a runaway apprentice, getting barely a raised eyebrow from the healer she was partnered with. The only grousing came from the healer’s apprentice, who felt the time and attention on him was diminished, for an increase in chore load.

Iona closed her eyes, letting herself enter the world of her soul.

A grand temple met Iona’s eyes, as a priestess, dressed in a simple garb, met her.

She was cute as a button, with long, flowing, wavy blonde hair.

"Welcome, Iona."

"Thank you!"

"No desire to be a [Priestess]?"

Iona hesitated.

"It calls to me. It speaks to me. I feel, on some level, it’s what I should be."

"But it doesn’t let me protect. It doesn’t let me defend. It won’t let me save the Lux’s of the world, or defend the meek, or anything like that. It won’t let me travel with Alruna. I’ve started down this path. Maybe another day."

Priestess nodded sagely.

"Then let’s find you the best class for what you want. Come on then."

Hours of searching, of looking, of double and triple checking. Of altars to gods interspersed with altars of classing up, prompting Iona to take a break, send a prayer to the gods and goddesses, beseeching them for Lux back, for her Lux to be returned to her.

For a second chance.

After far too much time spent searching, it was the [Page] class in the end, with the only choice being the element.

It boiled down to two in the end - Earth or Light.

Both would help her defend and protect. Both gave her resilience, let her step in front of a blow and take it for another. Alruna was Brilliance, an evolution of Light, but that only factored in slightly.

In the end, the old priestess from her town was the deciding factor, one of her lectures mentioning that Mana Regeneration was the "most powerful stat". Light was associated with, attached to, Mana Regeneration, and Iona felt it was the best choice for her.

[*ding!* Congratulations! You’ve upgraded your first class – [Page] – Light. +2 Free Stats, +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Speed, +1 Vitality, +1 Mana Regeneration per level!]

[Brawling] and [Tough] merged into [Fighting], while [Axes] moved up into her [Page] class, giving her future a vague outline of a shape. [Charming] was picked up, the lesson in convincing other people when you lacked the power yourself engraved into Iona’s mind like a rune, and [Dinosaur Husbandry] picked to start working on dinosaurs, both to support Alruna’s mount, and to prepare her for one of her own someday.

“Tell me about [Vows].” Iona demanded - asked really - of Alruna.

Alruna gave Iona a side-eye.

“I’m your Valkyrie. You are the squire. I don’t ask much - because I’ll demand the world - but you do need to be polite.”

“Sorry!” Iona ducked her head. The healer’s apprentice laughed at her, a little unkindly.

Iona shot him a glare. Sure, he was a few years older than she was, and had a lot of levels. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight him - if she got a chance.

The friction between them wasn’t lost on Alruna or the Oathbound healer, who exchanged amused looks.

Kids.

“Can you?” Alruna asked the healer. “You’ve got a better grasp on restriction skills than I do.”

“Sure. Basic rundown.” He leaned back, taking a well-used teaching pose. He was teaching an apprentice after all, and healers got better skills depending on their medical knowledge. Long hours of study were mandatory for them all.

“Restriction skills permanently bind you, in exchange for providing power. Doesn’t matter if it’s a [Vow], [Oath], [Promise], or any other name. They all do the same thing.”

“I want the best one!” Iona jumped in immediately. Alruna lightly clipped her head for interrupting.

Iona opened her mouth, then closed it. She was learning.

Plus, this was her one shot at becoming a Valkyrie. She wasn’t going to ruin it over stupid stuff.

But boy oh boy, she was going to teach the apprentice a lesson for sticking his tongue out at her over that.

“First, you need the proper mindset and the right conviction. Someone simply wanting power, without believing in what they’re saying, won’t get offered the skill. Here, try getting the [Healer’s Oath], and you’ll see what I mean.”

“What if I get offered it anyways?” Iona asked.

“Then you can just reject it.” He patiently explained.

“Oh, ok.”

For some reason, that was the funniest thing Alruna had ever heard.

The Oathbound healer gave Iona the words to the [Oath], and she dutifully recited them.

Nothing happened. Iona wasn’t surprised.

Not being able to hurt people except in self-defense? Yikes, no wonder the healer needed Alruna as an escort.

“Well, there are two different ways of building a restriction skill.” The healer patiently switched tracks. “The first is you can copy an old skill. Most healers follow this path, taking the [Healer’s Oath]. If you only make a few small changes, it’s the same skill, as far as the System is concerned.”

He touched two fingers to his forehead. The gesture of one who worshiped the System itself, as opposed to any gods or goddesses.

“The alternative is to make your own.” He continued. “Think of what you’re promising, and swear it. Now, there are benefits to each method. Picking a tried-and-tested [Promise] lets know you exactly what you’re getting into. You know the benefits and costs ahead of time. However, they’re a bit weaker. They’re not as powerful. The [Healer’s Oath] only gives 3% to Magic Power, Magic Control, and knowledge per level, but only when healing. The original maker of the [Oath], on the other hand, probably got 4%, or even 4.5% per level! However, he had no idea what the [Oath] would mean as he made it.”

“Why wouldn’t I make my own?” Iona asked. It seemed to be the obvious choice.

“Because it could be weak.” Alruna interjected. “You could bind yourself so tightly that you can’t move. You could tailor it to be too narrow, and it never activates. You could include a clause that ends up killing you.”

Ah. When Alruna put it like THAT.

“Tell me more!” Iona pleaded. That old priestess had been right. This [Education] thing was useful stuff!

“The more specific a clause is, the more it’ll bind you, but the more power it’ll provide.” He said. “The entire thing needs a theme, and that theme will determine when and how it’ll activate.”

Iona could feel steam coming out of her ears, and her head was starting to hurt.

However. She wanted to keep tackling the problem.

“Oh mighty Valkyrie Alruna, the bestest Valkyrie that there’s ever been.” She said, flattering her eyes at Alruna.

She swatted Iona again.

“Nobody likes a suckup either.”

Iona tightened her mouth, and stopped tears from welling up.

This wasn’t fair.

This was too hard!

She mentally reset herself.

I was told this was going to be hard.

“Can you tell me some [Vows]?”

“Sure! There’s the [Knightly Protector], the [Wrathful Avenger], the [Justicar], and the [Light against Darkness] to start.”

Iona leaned forward to listen, as Alruna started to recite them.

“The [Oath of the Wrathful Avenger]. Wrath is no vice when inflicted upon the deserving. I am the shepard and the reaper, and my judgment is final. I am…”

===

Iona spent a few weeks hammering out her own, personalized [Vow] with Alruna and the Oathbound healer. She picked lines from various examples, with the two of them adding in suggestions, and helping with wording. There were almost no ideas that hadn’t been used in one restriction skill or another over the years. The only thing special about Ionas was it was hers, and hers alone.

Like arranging words from a dictionary to write a book.

One morning, Iona was ready. Alruna suited up in her full gear, Iona carefully helping her strap on every piece of armor.

“The pomp and ceremony help.” Alruna cheerfully told Iona, who was sweating as she tried to wrestle the breastplate into position. “Gives it the proper gravitas, you know?”

“Gravitas?” Iona tasted the unfamiliar word. There’d been a lot of those as they went over the wording of different [Promises].

“Think of it as pomp and ceremony. Seriousness. Weight.”

Iona kind of got it.

Alruna got fully suited up. Trikey the triceratops acted as background, as Alruna drew herself up to her full height.

“Kneel.” She ordered, and Iona did so without hesitation.

“Valkyrie.” She respectfully responded back.

“[Page] Iona. What is your [Vow]?”

Iona thought about it a moment, her heart beating furiously. Her stomach a haven for butterflies. She took in a deep breath, and began. Her [Vow] was a mix of explicit but manageable lines, to grant large amounts of power for smaller costs, and more vague lines that worked together. They gave the entire [Vow] a theme, let it all work together, and, of course - they helped empower the entire thing.

First, protect the meek.

I will defend those who cannot defend themselves.

I will act with honor and with integrity.

I will not lie.

I will not be silent in the face of injustice.

My shield might break, but my spirit never will.

I will be the sheltering light, driving away darkness.

I will be generous when I can.

I will never betray another, nor my conscience.

I will act with temperance and valor

I will smite evil wherever I find it.

I will not sit by idly while evil triumphs, nor will I cower in the face of it.

I will be a force for righteous justice.

And the last line Iona spoke was one she hadn’t planned with Alruna. Wasn’t one she’d mentioned ahead of time, but had always been there, in her heart. A line, dedicated to Lux.

I will always remember you.

[*ding!* You have made the promise [Vow of Iona to Lux]! Would you like to accept this General Skill? WARNING: Vows are binding.]

Iona hit yes without any hesitation.

[Vow of Iona to Lux]: A solemn vow of protection from Iona, to Lux. +3% Strength, Speed, and Dexterity when protecting another. Breaking the Vow has severe consequences.

A much better reminder of Lux than the [Trap] skill.

This would do. Iona thought.

[Name: Iona]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 8]

[Mana: 40/40]

[Mana Regen: 528]

Stats

[Free Stats: 13]

[Strength: 21]

[Dexterity: 22]

[Vitality: 8]

[Speed: 12]

[Mana: 4]

[Mana Regeneration: 6]

[Magic Power: 4]

[Magic Control: 4]

[Class 1: [Page - Light: Lv 15]]

[Light Affinity: 7]

[Fighting: 15]

[Axes: 15]

[Minor Invigorate: 4]

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[Class 2: Locked]

[Class 3: Locked]

General Skills

[Analyze: 6]

[Cute: 11]

[Alert: 15]

[Walking: 15]

[Vow of Iona to Lux: 1]

[Charming: 6]

[Education: 15]

[Dinosaur Husbandry: 6]