Their trip started out positive, but 3 days in Jake couldn’t have felt worse. His hybrid form was just hands and his head, at least his teeth were small enough to talk. His arrow training was almost as bad. While he was trying to smooth out sticks for the shafts, they all either snap or too warped to function properly. At this rate Val says it’ll be at least a week until he’s ready to start shaping arrowheads. To make things worse, the 2 were hungry constantly. The steady spring rain of the second 2 days had kept any perspective prey deep underground, so they were surviving mostly on the trail rations Val had bought, which wasn’t supposed to last the entire trip. Add in another unexpected transformation their first night on the road and Jake was having a downright miserable time. The mud frosting on the shit cake had to be Val’s obvious disappointment in his lack of progress which drove her mood down as well. What she really wanted, besides Jacob to make some progress, was for the two of them to share a hot meal, a soft bed, and a cleaning session that didn’t come from the clouds.

The occasional random monster attacks didn’t help either. Between his werehare paranoia of enemies, and his [Scout] abilities to detect and destroy from a distance, the mostly mindless goblins and hobgoblins were defeated before they were in range of their crude clubs and spears. The ambush from the small squad of kobold archers were harder to defeat as the sneaky reptiloids had gone to lengths to conceal their presence. Fortunately, Val was able to assist thanks to the crossbow Jake gave her. Her apparent bonus sniping damage made him curious about what class besides [Merchant] she may or may not have. The one good thing was that since he was continuously using his bonus scout damage, and werehare paranoia, both [Rabbit] and [Scout] were close to 4. He’d also slowly managed to add his lower legs and feet to his hybrid form. He wasn’t pleased about his hybrid tail, but the additional points of shape change were very nice.

Luckily, the storm broke early in the afternoon on the 3rd day and they managed to find a spring fed pond. Best of all, after setting up camp and starting his firewood search, Jake found fresh deer tracks. By the time a clean and dripping Val was walking out of the pond, she was greeted by the smell of fresh venison cooking over a fire. Between the food that was almost done cooking and watching a stream of water trickle from her hair, down her bare chest, around her belly button before falling from her bush, Jake wasn’t sure which sense was making his mouth water more. After they ate, got clean, got dirty, got clean again, he got dressed in the brown shorts and shirt. Val kept insisting he put on the tight shorts under anything else he wore. When he asked, she always just said he’d learn later. Jake suspected Val mostly wanted to be able to keep an eye on a certain lump the shorts covered, but didn’t thoroughly conceal, but if she wanted that she could have just asked.

Once dressed, Jake up ended a log to use it as a stool by the fire as he tried again to whittle a stick into an arrow shaft using his backup dagger. Valphine, carrying an armload of freshly laundered clothes, including almost all she brought except the black panties she wore, she’d just cleaned in the pond, walked past on her way to a temporary clothes line. Once she had put them down on a tarp she had left out before hand, Val walked back and asked to inspect the stick. The bark was removed, and it was straight, but it had some spots where the knife had dug too deep and he hadn’t done much with either end.

“Well, it’s not a bad mid-way point, but you still need to sand it and trim the ends.” she said rolling the rod between her hands before handing it back. “It’s not bad, but … *sigh* … you really should have passed this point already. I can see that you have some talent with this, yet your progress is slower than the others and way short of where it should be”

“Others? What others”

“You aren’t my first student Jakey. You’re more like my fourth. The only one whose progress was close to this slow was the first, a girl who I was trying to teach fletching. She was a druid, who used her magic to grow the dowels instead of doing most of the shaping. Good thing to, because if it wasn’t for training her, I wouldn’t have unlocked the Mentor skill and been able to…” she droned off looking without seeing into the fire. “But I didn’t, did I? I was so focused on telling you how I felt and then what you are I must have forgotten.” She looked back at him, true remorse sparkling in her eyes. “I’m sorry Jakey! I’ve wasted your time, and been mad at you for days when it was my fault!”

“What do you mean?” Jake asked getting more confused by the word she uttered.

“This” she said putting the first and second from her otherwise fisted right hand to his forehead.

Valphine Downfletcher WOULD LIKE TO TEACH YOU A NEW CLASS.

NEW CLASS: ApprenticeArtificer(TRAINING)

ACCEPT?

“Apprentice Artificer?”

“It’ll give you a handful of abilities you need to make things. Among them being” she said with a sigh and a point to the stick in his hands “dowel whittling”

“Accept new class, Apprentice Artificer” said Jake starting to grin.

CONGRATULATIONS

ApprenticeArtificer HAS REACHED LEVEL 1

MENTOR: Valphine Downfletcher

Attribute Increase:

DEXTERITY +1

PERCEPTION +1

New Skill:

Hobbyist: Allows easier learning of basic crafting skills

Detailed Perception: Increases close perception exposing details

Whittling: Crafting skill that allows wood to be smoothed and reshaped

Stone Shaping: Crafting skill that allows stones to be smoothed and reshaping

Computing Mentor Bonus… Backfilling Experience…

CONGRATULATIONS

Whittling has increased to Rank 3

Taken aback from the sudden rush of information, Jake looked at what he thought was a dowel in his hand. He now saw what he had done wrong and understood the difference the flaws would have on the final product. With a snap he broke the mutilated stick in half and threw it in the fire. Selecting another candidate from the pile of sticks beside him he went back to work, but this time his hands were steadier than they had been, and every stroke of the blade was sure and precise. Smiling at him with equal parts pride at his determination, and guilt at her earlier blunder, Val went back to hanging the laundry to finish drying. When she was done, she returned to find Jake smoothing his ninth dowel. Scooping one of the others up she rolled it between her fingers, looked down it, and checked the smoothness of the end. The difference between this one and the one that was now ash was astonishing. There was still room for improvement, but his most recent dowels were most definitely useable for arrow shafts. She returned the shaft to the stack, stood behind him and watched over his shoulder as he smoothed the last ridge from his final dowel and put it in the pile. He sat back up with a smile and closed eyes, to release some of the stress that had built up from the repeated failures of the last few days. To his surprise, he suddenly found himself wrapped in arms protruding from under his armpits, and damp warm breasts pressed up against the back of his head and Val’s head resting on his.

“Forgive me my love” she whispered.

He moved to look up at her, she looked down at him, and he turned it in to a kiss.

“There’s nothing to forgive. An accident was made and corrected” he said just loud enough for her to hear, reaching up to put his hand behind her head for a longer kiss.

“Well, as much as you deserve a reward,” she said pulling away despite not wanting to, “I wouldn’t stop until we’re both exhausted, and you still have work to do.”

“Oh, you’re right” he admitted with a pout and turning to face her, “but when the work is done for the night, you’re putting me to sleep!”

“I look forward to it!” she said squeezing her tits together with a happy combination of a squeal and moan, “But for now…” she added bending and picking up the rods, “put the knife away. It’s time to make the next piece.”

With a grin Jake stowed the knife back at his thigh, while he watched Val’s round ass wiggle as above her waste had disappeared in the tent. The way she was moving it made him sure she both knew he was watching and was looking forward to the fun they would have later. No doubt she would appreciate the response it was having on him. Unfortunately, all that would have to wait as one of Jake’s new instincts threw him into overdrive.

“Get in, now!” He shouted to Val sprinting to his bow and quiver before kneeling, and glaring in the direction he noticed something wrong in. It was little more than a rustle, and a snap of the twig, but to his heightened senses, it may as well be a fog horn. Val quickly summersaulted into the tent before securing the flap. He was glad she would be actively protecting herself. He, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel more than a little exposed in a clearing with no armor. Nothing he could do about he lamented, shouldering the quiver and notching an arrow. Jake aimed at the bush closest to the approaching noise ready to move shoot and repeat as quickly as possible. Moments later, the wind blew, and the flap of the tent innocently fluttered open. Jake would be concerned if not for what he saw glancing into the tent. In the middle of the tent was Val’s pack standing upright. On top of it aimed right at the door was a fully loaded, if smaller than normal, crossbow. And on the opposite side, mostly concealed, he saw the top of a small fox like head, ears laid back, with red brown hair looking down the lengths of the crossbow and winking at the man she loved when she saw him look. Filing the question about the small hybrid form away with so many others to ask Val when the time is right, Jake refocused his attention on the rustle moving steadily closer. As soon as the massive canine head appeared, Jake started moving towards the woods some 20 feet from it. A few steps in, he fired at the emerging beasts neck

ARROW DAMAGE 35

Critical location: +15%

Fast Precision: +20%

TOTAL DAMAGE: 47 HP

Congratulations!

Ranged General Mastery is now 5

Archery Mastery is now 4!

With a snarling bark, the grey dire wolf sprinted over and to Jake’s surprise, clawed at him rather than biting.

Damage from Natural Attack:

-15 HP

Trying to ignore his bleeding arm, Jake tried darting back the way he came to get some distance before firing his next shot. Due to his injury however, he only managed a glancing blow for a mere 10 damage. The wolf retaliated by charging flat out, and body slamming Jake into the bushes for a combined 50 and knocking the wind out of him.

Skill Activating:

Prey’s Adrenaline

Jake was hurt and scared. For no good reason he could think of, he suddenly started transforming into his grey rabbit form. It was as if something else had taken control of him and was determined to get him out of there. RUN! PREDATOR ATTACK! NO TIME TO WAIT! He had started to run past the tree he had just hit, when the zing of a crossbow bolt being fired caught his attention. Valaphine! She’s trapped in the tent by that thing! He had to go back. The desire to save her made him snap out of whatever had pushed him aside.

Skill Mode Changing:

Prey’s Adrenaline – Fight

Prey’s Adrenaline is now 4

With a slight speed drop, but maintaining his momentum, Jacob ran around the tree like a grey blur. He watched the second bolt bury itself into the beast’s shoulder as he leapt into the air, did a somersault, and planted both back legs hard into the large wolfs ribs. As the recoil from the kick sent him safely back on the ground, Jake wasn’t sure if he had heard or physically felt some of the wolf’s ribs break on impact. With the message informing him of doing 100 damage with that double kick, he was hardly surprised. The new "Acrobatics" skill was rather nice though. Regardless, the beast on its side was having a difficult time getting up as the third bolt hit its side inches away from the still visible footprint. Without warning, Jake was suddenly scooped up by the middle, in the fangs of a second wolf, this one normal sized, who after biting Jake threw him onto his side on the ground in front of the tent causing Jake’s health to drop to 9, and the flap to slide back over the door behind him.

came a familiar deep “voice” from the dire wolf on the ground.

Jake replied trying to get a better look at his attacker’s head. He stopped soon after a quick look when even moving readjusting himself hurt. Wincing, Jake continued

the wolf said turning his head to meet Jake’s approaching gaze.

“That would be me” Val said emerging from the tent. She was back to her human size, though she stayed in her hybrid form. She was also back in her red outfit and pointing a full sized loaded crossbow at the bleeding dire wolf. “Now, who the hell are you, and why shouldn’t I finish you off?”

As he spoke he changed. He was human, mid to late 20s by Jake’s guess, with shoulder length black hair, and a few days stubble. His broad shoulders and tight abs were still visible despite the thin ripped black shirt he wore. The matching pants were also torn and frayed in places and stopped about 2 inches above his ankles. The unusual detail was that the backpack, strapped to both his back and around his waist, had blossomed out of his back as the fur receded. Standing while putting a hand to his chest, he would be about an inch taller than Jake, were they both in human form. “After all, it’s up to the elders to teach cubs how things are done. You may call me Wolfe.”