CHANGE PT 2

Michael should have thought more deeply about the situation. If he had he may have avoided the mayhem of the next few days. Basically the idea of bringing a half naked little girl back home was certainly a cause for concern. The greater part was when his mother saw him holding the ‘Silven Plant’. Michael didn’t know her actually ‘job’ but he should have suspected she would know most of the details surrounding the plant.

“M-Michael…”

Michael’s mother had her head bowed and she was quivering. Michael’s father backed up a few steps and even Liera was a little concerned. Michael wasn’t foolish enough to think his mother was quivering with worry. Use of ‘Instant Analyzation’ also helped.

Her face was heating up as evident by her ears

Her head was bowed. Heavy breathing can be heard and should mean shes trying to calm down

Father backed away. Not a good sign

Fists clenched. Not a good sign

Quivering still. Not a good sign

Warning. You should really start running

Yes, this was a bad thing. While ‘Instant Analyzation’ was being used Michael also tried to think of the reasons of her anger. Bringing a homeless looking girl back shouldn’t be that bad. Both of them weren’t hurt - Liera’s arm was healed after her transformation. The sun was still high up so he wasn’t late. That left…

Michael looked down at the ‘Silven Plant’ and thought to back to the information he read about it.

The ‘Silven Plant’ was a personal creation by the ancient land goddess. Her name wasn’t always spoken but Liera did say something about the Lady of the Land. A title perhaps? A goddess that was known by both man and beasts? Was she powerful?

After the creation of the plant, various properties were found by the Magus community at the time. While the properties were not listed, the reactions to it was detailed down. A widespread hunt for every ‘Silven Plant’ was underway. Forests were burned and battles were fought between the followers of the Goddess and every other country. The Magus community turned into a splinter of what they once were but they were the real winners when compared to the Goddess. Her entire following was almost wiped out and her position was in peril. Her sect went into hiding and the ‘Silven Plant’ was named a forbidden treasure by the surviving countries. This was near 500 years before and still that law was kept from the descendants of those countries.

Michael thought about it for a bit more. And then winced when he noticed several potted plants in the house were starting to grow at an alarming rate.In only a few minutes the living room was half-full of plants but at least his mother was calming down. Well at least her face wasn’t bright red anymore. Maybe his rage stat and skill came more from…

“Michael. Where did you get that plant?”

Michael barely heard the question in her voice. It sounded more like a Judge passing sentence than anything else. So Michael did what any normal 9 year old would do. He pointed at Liera.

Liera shot Michael a glare that screamed ‘Traitor!’ before she was the target of that deep glare. Liera’s eyes dotted around trying to find a hiding place before she shook once, twice, then glowed a bit before transforming back to a wolf. The shock of this calmed Michael’s mother rather quickly. Michael’s father was still calm but his hand still darted to where his sword should have been.

“A wolf fey. And since she can transform...Contract.”

Michael’s mother glanced between Liera and him before she gave a deep sigh and grabbed both - well she lifted Liera more than she grabbed. Liera barely came up to Michael’s waist so she was relatively easy to carry and move. She shooed away Michael’s father and took the children to her private study. Liera gasped when she saw them walk through the door and Michael remembered the wards. ‘Cool’.

“Now. Tell me everything.”

The last was a warning not to leave anything out so Michael started by talking about his studies of plants. Then he spoke of wanting a connection with a better plant and of going into the forest. Liera, still in wolf form, spoke up about her situation and Michael’s mother gave a second deep sigh. Against his expectations she just waved them away and told them to not reveal either the plant or Liera to anyone. Michael nodded before grabbing Liera and rushing off.

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‘That fool boy.’

Celia couldn’t help but curse the fortune, or misfortune of Michael’s situation. The ‘Silven Plant’ was kept away from everyone for a reason. It’s effects were near godlike and even a plant as young as that would be coveted by every mage that knows of it. She would need to find a good container for it. Once that would hide its essence from peeking eyes but still allow for the connection between Michael and it. And the girl…

Feys were an anomaly. Even for a High Priestess there was barely any left over knowledge of the mysterious race. She knew they aged the same as Humans so the girl wasn’t a hag in disguise. She also know they were divided into different sects based on which animal group they belonged to. Wolves were not low in class but rather high up. She didn’t know the implications of such things and doubts many Humans would. Elves would need to be involved but she didn’t want to bring them into this if she could. Another deep sigh. She could feel her life cut down for every sigh she gave but she didn’t care.

Then she perked up. Fey girls shouldn’t have feelings for Humans...maybe the girl can keep Michael away from the clutches of others…

Celia Kane, High Priestess of the secret sect of the Lady of the Land, Green-Singer, wife of the Warrior Aaron Kane, prominent Alchemist of Bellen, was going to keep her son from the clutches of evil females of the world.

[/hr]

Over the next couple months until Michael’s Change day, the household of the Kanes entered a frenzied state as the Kane couple introduced Liera to the town council and Lord, adopted her to their family, and then started instructing the girl the same way they had Michael.

Liera was shocked at the change but she accepted it; as long as the plant was safe she would follow along with everything. Also Michael's mother was a Green-Singer as well and much higher in rank than Michael. In other news the ‘Silven Plant’ was kept in Michael’s mother’s private room since that had the most wards and protection surrounding it than anywhere else.

Michael witnessed all of Liera’s teaching - well more like the girl didn’t like it when Michael was out of her sight. He witnessed her training with his father and noted her prowess with bare-handed techniques and her helplessness at using Human weapons. It didn’t seem to be such a big problem though since she still had a wolf’s movements and agility. It was unfortunate she was so young though. She didn’t have a full wolf’s experience of hunting so she was rather weak in that aspect. In return she was taught in the ways of fighting other humanoids. Only a few months yet she was proficient enough to protect and fight alongside Michael.

Michael’s mother did not allow him to view her classes though. The two always went into locked rooms and did private studies. Sometimes after the classes, Liera looked Michael rather strangely and that made him shiver. He pointedly ignored the two when they had their heads together.

Meanwhile Michael noticed some advantages to the connection between the two. When Liera was training alongside him he noticed his stats rising much faster than it had earlier. He had initially thought it was because he was doing the training rather lazily before but when he was taking a break during training and Liera was still continuing he was surprised when…

You have gained +1 agility

It seemed the Contract enabled both to gain strength during training.

While Michael was contemplating this he remembered another aspect of the Contract.

“Show ‘Blessing of the Wolfblood’.”

Blessing of the Wolfblood[p=left]The Blessing of the contract with one of the Fey. The Wolf Fey are a class of Fey that are very close to a kind of Nobility. They are usually tasked with important jobs that could last generations and will keep to it unless released.

For taking up the task of one of the Wolf Fey pack you have gained the following special abilities.

When the target ‘Silven Plant’ is in great danger, all Stats are doubled.

As the ‘Silven Plant’ grows or withers, all stats does the same.

Gain affinity with Nature. +10 to Affinity.

Fey will instinctively feel the gravity of your task and will not hinder you.

Because you are recognized as the Wolf Pack Leader for this task you will gain the following benefits.

When a member of the pack is in trouble, instinct will warn you of it.

Can instruct members of the pack with a degree of success. Depends on Loyalty.

Can allow more members to fill the ranks. Due to being off a different race than Wolf Fey you can add other races as members. Should any member harm the target ‘Silven Plant’ they will suffer a curse made by the Gods.[/p]

‘...great. More work.’

Michael only thought of the bad luck of having such things. ‘Wolf Pack Leader’? Is that what the contract is? Did Liera accept him as her leader then? All this from drinking a little blood. Michael just sighed at the problems he faced. Then he repeated his mantra.

‘Just a normal boy, just a normal boy, just a normal boy, just a normal boy...’

He returned to his training after he convinced himself.

[/hr]

Every child from their birth to 10 years of age is not able to distribute the blessed stats to anything. This is to stop them from involuntarily ruining their own growth. At 10 years of age the child is deemed able enough to decide their path. Choosing a Series is the first step. Choosing a Class comes when they reach 20 years of age. By that time they would have gained sufficient skill and knowledge of the class.

The ceremony at a child's 10th birth day is called the Day of Change or just the Changing Day. No real difference.

The Combat Series. Hard training is introduced at this stage and the child is taught the finer arts of fighting. Dueling and killing. Tactics and Strategy. Commanding and obeying. The different aspects of fighting is grilled into the children in order to find the tasks they will do best and to determine their classes. Depending on their scores they may also receive a job before getting a class. The God-ranked swordsmen Kilren was one such. He gained command of an army at the tender age of 12 during the War of the Mad King. The amount of money a person can get from these types of classes is determined by job and luck. Being a soldier gives a solid pension but nothing to show off about. Being an adventurer is fun and the rewards are sometimes great, but mainly you will be living off the leather of your shoes for most of the year.

The classes associated with the Combat series include Swordsmen, Spearmen, Archers, Guardians, Paladins, and other subclasses. Subclasses are either specialized classes focusing on a specific weapon like Blademasters or general class that involves a jack of all trades approach to weapons like Weapon-Masters.

The Silent Series. Made for people that do not associate much with others, the Silent Series classes are taught various things that are not seen well in society. Stealth, Lockpicking, Eavesdropping, Forging, Disguising, and etc. Students are taught these various skills and different combinations of them will decide the class.

Since classes are associated with the skill learnt it is relatively easy to choose. A student that excels in Stealth only can be trained to wield several weapons and become a Ranger. For a combination of Stealth and Lockpicking they can be chosen as Rogues and learn to infiltrate enemy encampments and dungeons in order to gain information. Stealth, Forging, and Disguising can lead a person down the route of Spies which are a must have for both large and small kingdoms. An honor student of all skills can be a Spymaster. No additional info on that.

The Crafting Series. The most common class everywhere, students are first taught the generic Handicrafts Skill. Students are then introduced to various types of Crafts and other classes. Excelling in a specific craft will then have the student take up an apprenticeship with a craftsmen with at least an Expert ranking in it. 4 God Ranks have been part of the Crafting Series which gives some incentive to take up the class. That and most people do not belong to the other three series.

The Classes for the Crafting Series are rather easy to find out. These classes are the least secretive and most easiest to find teachers for but that also means making money off of them is much more difficult. Competition is incredibly fierce, especially in larger towns. The various classes include Blacksmiths, Tailors, Jewelers, Scribes, Woodworkers, and Artists. Artist Class has the greatest amount of subclasses as people would generally choose a specific type of art to specialize in. There are then the sub-crafting classes. Classes like Miners, Lumberjacks, Farmers, Foragers, and Hunters are mainly just side classes that people do for needs and money. Artists are surprisingly good Lumberjacks.

The Healing Series. The most secretive and lucrative series of classes of all. The Churches of the Continent will allow only a select few children into its halls in order to become a member of their holy or unholy institute. They then swear a pledge of silence about what they learn, and in return they gain the ability to use a portion of their Gods or Goddess’ power to heal wounds, cure disease, or fight evil. Some of the dark churches, like the church of Death, will give their members the ability to communicate with spirits or make contracts with the damned. For people that do not wish to follow the ways of the gods for one reason or another, there is also a introduction to a sub-crafting series like Alchemy or Surgery.

Classes for the Healing Series for the churches includes Priests and Priestesses, Paladins - some connections between the Healing Series and Combat Series - Exorcists, and even Summoners, people who can summon beings that are connected to their Church. Necromancers are also basically a part of the Healing Series but only the Church of Death allows for this class. The non-Church classes includes Alchemists, Doctors, Surgeons, and Dentists.

These are the four main Series a child can choose. If they wish it however they are also allowed to choose the Neutral Series. There are no schools or teachers for this Series and the child will need to find people from the other Series to teach them. Merchants usually come from this series. The main aspect of Neutral Series is to allow for a class different from the other Series.

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The Church of Information followed the Goddess Janira. They were a truly Neutral Church and it is forbidden in every land to attack a member of the Church. Mindless Monsters did not follow this rule of course but any sentient being usually avoided attacking the Church. The Church had different responsibilities depending on the land they are stationed in and they are mainly responsible for official tasks. They do not gain members from outside of the Church. Members come usually in the form of orphaned children that are interested.

Every day the Church of Information’s Changing Day room is filled with representatives from the 4 Series. With a town as small as Bellen the families are rather close and the children are known by every series. The child’s interests in various series are usually known before the Changing Day and the corresponding Series sends representatives to be there.

Michael though was an anomaly. His interests are unknown to the various Series and most of his training and education was done by his parents. In class he does the bare minimum and just lets his mind wander most of the time. The Series weren’t fooled however. Michael’s parents do not show any disappointment in him and it is known he was an Apprentice of both his parents. A renowned Alchemist and Warrior as teachers. No problems told by them. And the recent addition of a girl the boy found in the forest...Well let’s say they were all interested. So Michael’s Changing Day room was packed full of representatives hoping he would choose their Series. They may also have been interested in the amount of stat points he would get…

Michael himself was not very happy. He didn’t really like crowds and when the said crowd was entirely focused on him...well...it didn’t make him happy at all to know all of the series sent representatives. Still he was happy to finally have his naming day appear. 50 free stat points. Michael had been tearing up at the mana problems he faced recently. Since the ‘Silven Plant’ allowed for double mana regeneration he could keep the plant’s connection properly but he was down to only 9 mana regeneration per minute. He had to limit his use of ‘Instant Analyzation’ and his combat skills used mana too which meant he had to take many more breaks during training.

Recently though he managed to make a skill that didn’t rely on mana.

Focused Strike[p=left]With a weapon in hand or none you are able to strike at a foe’s weak points accurately. Using this skill at the right moment can end the battle in a strike but failure can cripple you at the wrong moment.

Using the skill will highlight various weak spots on the target for half a second.

Use will take up 150 stamina.

Striking after using the ability will give a 120% boost in power.

Missing with the ability will cause a confusion debuff for 1 second.

If the target has no weak points you will not lose Stamina.[/p]

Michael had used this a few times and felt the limits of it. For one, the flashes of color he saw were almost too quick to make note of. He had to use ‘Instant Analyzation’ in order to see the flashes long enough for it to matter. Two, the penalties of missing were too great. 1 second of confusion allows an experienced warrior to bring you down quickly. 120% more power may seem excellent but you needed to actually hit the target to make good use of it. He did manage to find a better use of it…

Anyways back to the Changing Day ceremony. Michael entered the hall after the Bishop of the Church was finished intoning about importance of knowledge and the need to guide the children to their prospective futures. Michael was dressed in a fine silk shirt and trousers with tight fitted boots. The most prominent piece of clothing was the cloak he wore. A large Grey wolf peering over his left shoulder and a large Brown one over his right. The rest of their bodies was draped over his back and ended just above his feet. The sight made the Combat and Stealth series start to mutter. ‘Only clothing made and created by the child was allowed to be worn to the ceremony’. ‘Did this mean he hunted the wolves themselves?’ ‘The size means they are either Dire Wolves or Pack Leaders’. ‘Dire Wolves that colour aren’t found near here’. ‘Then...’

Michael ignored the whispers as he concentrated on walking down the room. Some of the sub-crafting classes like Dancers looked and admired his air of refinement as he walked down the room. All they saw was confidence and grace in his movements and his eyes held power in them. In a corner of Michael’s mind he was crying over the effects of Charisma and Presence…

The room finally quieted after Michael reached the altar. Well we say room but it was able to fit around 80 people with only some discomfort. The room was made for speeches and even the people at the back could hear…

“We are gathered to witness the change of this child. He has overcome the hardships of childhood and has reached an age of Maturity. Let him now decide his growth and future.”

The ceremonious words were from a time when children were unlikely to live until 10 years of age. The Ceremony is a reflection of that age.

A bright flash out of nowhere surrounded Michael. He absently noticed it was almost the same as the one that surrounded Liera the first time she transformed and he really hoped he didn’t turn into an animal or something. The other watchers seemed to expect it and no one gasped in surprise. They were actually surprised Michael didn’t gasp too.

An information box appeared in front of Michael.

[p=left]Congratulations on reaching 10 years of age. You are now accepted as mature enough to handle your own growth.

Unlocked access to ‘Stat Distribution’.

Gained +50 Stat Points. Every year you will gain an extra 5 Stat Points.

For being/passing level 1, gain +1 Stat Point.

For being/passing level 2, gain +2 Stat Points.

For being/passing level 3, gain +3 Stat Points.

For having 2 titles, gain +20 Stat Points.

For having a contract with a mythical being, gain +5 Stat Points.

For getting 2 skills to intermediate, gain +20 Stat Points.

For getting several stats over 50, gain +10 Stat Points.

For unlocking several hidden stats, gain +15 Stat Points.

For your connection with the ‘Silven Plant’, gain +100 mana and +5 to Intelligence.[/p]

Michael first looked at the Bishop. The Bishop nodded in understanding and Michael started his work in glee.

“Show Status.”

StatusNameMichaelAge10Level3ClassNoneFame0-100Infamy0TitleTarget of EnvyWorld Rankingn/aGuildNoneFree Stat Points126Health600 + 200Mana620 + 100Stamina585Stored Rage15Strength85 + 10Dexterity46Vitality50 + 10Intelligence57 + 5Wisdom59Mana Control29Luck19Agility66 + 20Concentration89Willpower37Charisma20 + 20Presence50[p=left]Special skills.

+30% more damage against wolves and wolf subspecies.

You have the ‘Blessing of the Wolfblood’.[/p]

Michael was glad to see he had over 100 points to use. He didn't care about secrecy when he didn't know the people and proceeded to distribute the stats. He was already taught the words during one of the rare good classes with Father Nathan.

“Distribute 21 stats to Wisdom.”

He needed the mana regeneration. 20 more stats gives another 5 mana regeneration per minute. He had a total of 80 wisdom now or 20 mana regeneration.And with the ‘Silven Plant’s double regeneration property…

“Distribute 20 stats to Dexterity. Distribute 20 stats to Vitality. Distribute 20 stats to Intelligence. Distribute 20 stats to Strength. Distribute 25 stats to...Agility.”

The agility was an afterthought. He already sensed the problems behind him in the audience.

The audience themselves were shocked. They clearly heard his distribution of his stats. The Wisdom and Dexterity made them think he would go the Stealth Series. Then he said Vitality and they thought Combat or Healing to become a Paladin. Then he said Intelligence. Then Strength. Then…

Even the most math crippled of them could count that high. The boy had over 120 stat points to distribute which was a nonsensical amount. No one has ever heard of such an absurd number and all of them wanted to see his stats and skills. Each of the Series representatives had only one though. To get Michael into their group.

Michael was all too aware of them. He had generalized his Concentration to take in everything and when he became aware of something he activated ‘Instant Analyzation’. He didn’t turn around since that was conspicuous but the Bishop was still in front of him.

After going past 80 stat points the man started to turn pale.

Oh guess he noticed I generalized the distribution. He must have noticed there was no clear Series I would be joining.

Oh his eyes darted behind me. That plus the tension...wasn’t there a rumour about a kid having an extraordinary 70 free stat points? And I got 56 more than that…

Warning, you may be ripped by a future mob…

Michael finished his distribution. He also decided to change his Title.

“Change Title to Wolf Pack Hunter.”

His voice was clear and the entire hall went silent for a full minute before the tension was doubled from before.

StatusNameMichaelAge10Level3ClassNoneFame0Infamy0TitleWolf Pack HunterWorld Rankingn/aGuildNoneFree Stat Points0Health800 + 200Mana820 + 100Stamina810 + 150Stored Rage15Strength105 + 10Dexterity66Vitality70 + 10Intelligence77 + 5Wisdom80Mana Control40Luck19Agility91 + 10Concentration89Willpower37Charisma20 + 20Presence50[p=left]Special skills.

+30% more damage against wolves and wolf subspecies.

Wolves are more likely to avoid your presence.

You have the ‘Blessing of the Wolfblood’.[/p]

“Ahem...n-now child...which path will you take?”

Simple, short, and effective. The entire hall was silent as they awaited his answer. Most already knew what he would choose, whether by process of elimination or by instinct. Nevertheless his answer made each of them die a little inside.

“I wish to follow my own path and seek my own teachers. Let none stand before my path. I shall seek my future and grab it with my own hands.”

Michael had to ask his parents about the different phrases each Series would accept. He missed the lecture on that because of his wandering but his parents didn’t mind. Usually people would only tell the four main phrases but Michael’s parents weren’t like others. So they told him the fpur main common phrases plus the mostly unknown Neutral Series phrase.

“Then I wish you luck on your journey and may you have the Blessing of Janira.”

Michael was glad the old man was looking better. He didn’t like the twinkle in the man’s eyes though. The man was laughing at his unfortunate situation... How bad can the situation be if a Bishop can actually enjoy the show. Still the words he said ended the ceremony and Michael got himself ready.

“Boy. BOY PLEASE, TAKE THE TIME TO CHECK OU-”

“ARE YOU INTERESTED IN FIGHTING? WE HAV-”

“MAGIC! MAGIC FOR ALL. JOIN US AND -”

“YOU MUST HAVE HAD THE BLESSING OF THE GODS. JOIN US AND-”

“WE GOT POPCORN! AND PENGUINS!”

What the heck was popcorn? And penguins?

Michael decided it was time to leave. He ran past the laughing Bishop and towards a backdoor he took note of when he used his ‘Instant Analyzation’ a while back. His increased Agility and Dexterity allowed him to keep his feet from tripping over themselves and his run increased into a dash. His stamina was rather high and he noted it decreased rather slowly. He ran for all he was worth.

A few days before the ceremony Michael had entered the church - which was open to all - and scouted the entire building out just in case. Why would he do so? Well he was inherently paranoid about being trapped anywhere in a building that was the source of a great power. He still had nightmares about the ‘voice’ and the problems he faced from it. Problems like his abnormal childhood and the correspondent Charisma and Presence stat.

So Michael knew exactly where he was when he burst into a hallway. He also knew this was the worst place to run from since it was at the back of the church and he would need to run all the way back to the front. There was no backdoor. Who the heck has a backdoor in a church?

Before Michael could choose a direction to run to however, he was promptly knocked out.

Part 1 here

And the continuation...

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Edited on October 23, 2013 so that it would look better to the eyes.

Well time for a little explanation. First, the NPC way of stats. Age is more important to NPCs than levels. At least in the beginning. Every year they get 5 stat points like a regular player would get 5 per level. When an NPC levels though they gain the stat points equivalent to the level. Until they reach level 10. Then the Stat points decrease until 5 and then stay at 5 per level like a normal player. This is gonna be real complicated...so if I make a mistake please correct me.

Michael is finally 10!!! Took 7 chapters...Sigh I'll probably squeeze the next 10 years into as little chapters as possible. We need to start introducing Players soon!!!