Returning to the covered carriages, Richard felt a lump of ice in his stomach. The rest of the party had already split up, the Orcs and Elves in one carriage, and Krr'rrk in the other with the two Dwarves. Swallowing hard, Richard started to climb the steps into the carriage with the only open seat. As he reached the open door, it felt like he was struck in the chest by a bar of steel. He realized he was on his back on the ground gasping for breath, the wind having been knocked out of him. Stooped in the doorway of the carriage was Krr'rrk.

"Humans sit in the back." He growled.

"The backs covered in supplies." Richard managed to choke out, coughing.

"Sounds like your problem. Not mine." Krr'rrk slammed the door shut and closed the curtains.

Richard finally managed to catch his breath and stand back up. He collected his pack and helmet, which had gone flying when he had fallen. The helmet had rolled near the front of the carriage. As he picked it up, he noticed the driver was one of the small, frog creatures. Richard had seen them a couple of times before but had no idea what they were called. As he reattached the helmet to his hip, the frog turned to him face him. The frogs Richard had seen before were various colors. He had seen them in shades of yellow, red, and green. This one was almost neon green. He also had black markings along his face making him look like he had tattoos. The frog's neck pouch inflated, letting out a loud croaking sound.

"Uh. Hi. My name is-" Richard stopped as the frogmans tongue shot out, catching a large bug buzzing around Richards head. "Uh, my name is Richard. I'm a last-minute addition to this party and-" Richard had gotten a little distracted watching the frog swallow his meal. The large, widely spaced, eyes slowly closing and opening with each swallow. "Uh-unfortunately, there's not any room left in the cabin. Would it be alright if I rode up front?" The frogman finished swallowing and stared at Richard for a few long seconds. He slowly blinked his eyes out of sync before sliding over and making room.

"Thank you very much." Richard climbed the front of the carriage and sat next to the small frog. "What's your name?" The small creature looked up at him unblinking and didn't answer. "All right. Well, nice to meet you regardless." Richard sat there in silence for the short time that they had left, then the sun peaked over the horizon, and the frog whipped his tongue out, smacking the horses into motion. They exited the city, taking a small road that would lead around The Gray Pinnacle and travel along the west side of the mountain range till they reached Ott.

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It was near mid-day, and the carriage jumped as they hit another rut in the dirt road. Curses came from Krr'rrk inside the carriage as it bounced around. The Dwarves just grunted as they settled back down. It didn't seem to affect the frogman any as he just lashed out his tongue, snapping up another fly that was buzzing around the horses. It wasn't a bad deal, Richard supposed. Use your natural talents to engage the horses and get a free meal at the same time. Richard was studying a small book that Yelxidor had given him the night before. It was a bestiary. Richard was trying to learn as much from it as he could about the Wyverns on this world.

Another rut and more grumbling from inside the cabin.

The Wyvern is a winged lizard about the size of a bear. Wyverns are incapable of flight, such as a bird might achieve however they are adept gliders. Their "wings" are no more than flaps of skin that travel from their wrists to their hips with a similar flap between their legs. These flaps catch the winds as they jump from great heights and allow them to fall to the ground unharmed. It reminded Richard of the pictures of squirrel suits he had seen back home.

Bump.

A Wyverns legs are built for jumping, and their small, clawed hands have a surprisingly strong grip. They like to make their homes along cliffs and in high mountain caves where they can launch themselves into the air and glide in search of food. Once found, they dive on the prey crushing them with their ferocious jaws. It then returns home quickly, climbing the sides of their rocky homes with its prey clamped in its teeth.

Bump.

They run their claws along the rock walls of their caves, keeping them razor sharp. This action results in many small, jagged shards of stone lining the floors of their homes. They answer to a Queen that is the biggest, strongest member of their den. To rid an area of a den, you must kill the whole group. Should any survive, it will simply start a new grouping.

Bump.

This time Krr'rrks face appeared in a small sliding door that Richard hadn't seen before. "Could you not hit EVERY! FLAMING! BUMP IN THE ROAD?!" The frogman slowly looked back to Krr'rrk, those large eyes unblinking. Krr'rrk growled in frustration. "First, I get stuck with a Human! Then a flaming, egg-sucking, Zudoag!" Krr'rrk slammed the sliding door, and the Zudoag turned its attention back to the horses. Richard smiled, finally knowing what the little frog race was called. He turned the page in the bestiary to continue learning about Wyverns. At the same time, he reached out with Earth magic to smooth out the previous rut, creating a new one a few feet in front of them.

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The sun was low on the horizon when they came to a small town. The main street was wide enough for two carriages to pass and currently had a small crowd of Tabaxi, or as Richard now new them, Catkin, moving in every direction. The actual town was made up of little more than a couple of stores, a handful of houses, and a large, square building that they were pulling to a stop in front of. Krr'rrk was leaping out of the carriage before it even finished stopping. Rubbing where his tail met his back.

"That was the worst flaming ride I've ever had!" He roared while attempting to crack his back.

The Elves were exiting the other carriage now. "What are you talking about, Captain?" The blond female Elf asked, leaning on a large staff.

"What am I talking about?" Krr'rrk was rolling his head around on his shoulders now. "All the bumps and ruts along that road! That's what I'm talking about!"

The Elves shared a look of confusion that Krr'rrk missed. Their ride had been free of Richards tricks. He had only been interested in irritating Krr'rrk after all. Before they could say anything more, a pudgy orange tabby came out of the building in front of them. The tabby was wrapped in wide strips of long, loose cloth that were the type of clothing that Catkin preferred.

"Hello, friends! I am Bright Dream Mayor of our little Hamlet. Am I to assume you're the party I was assured could handle our little problem?" Contrary to the jovial tone of his voice he was wringing his paws nervously. His tail was also making long, slow swishing movements behind him, causing his cloths to ripple.

And suddenly, it was like someone flipped a switch. Krr'rrk smiled wide showing every single one of his sharp serrated teeth. He strode confidently up to Bright Dream and gently took his palm in his clawed hand shook it. "You have nothing to fear, my dear man. I am Krr'rrk, Captain in the Councils army and savior of the masses. My party and I will rid you of those beasts and bring peace back to your quaint little town."

Bright Dreams face relaxed his tail stopping its swishing as he stumbled over himself thanking Krr'rrk for his help. Richard felt like his jaw was on the ground. He was standing near one of the Orcs, he wasn't sure which one as they could have been twins, and couldn't help but ask. "Is that what he's like to people who aren't human?" The Orc turned his tusked face to him, snorting like he smelled something unpleasant nodding.

Bright Dream and Krr'rrk were speaking as they lead the way into the large building, the rest of the party trailing behind them. Richard thanked the Zudoag again for allowing him to travel up-front. The little frog looked back at him for a moment. Just as Richard was about to leave the Zudoag inflated his neck sac, as he exhaled, it deflated with a low, loud croak. "Welcome." That was it. Just that one word. But it made Richard smile.

The front door lead to a small entrance hall where the party was hanging cloaks and setting their travel bags down. Richard set his helmet on top of his bag and leaned his shield against the wall. Bright Dream lead them further into the building to a sitting room where there were a couple of comfy-looking chairs and couches set up around a large fireplace. Bright Dream got everyone settled down, making sure they were all comfortable. When he got to Richard, he clapped his hands.

"Ah! Your boy will be most helpful in the kitchen! If you can spare him, of course Captain. An extra pair of hands is always useful."

"Oh, I'm actually-" Richard started to correct him before Krr'rrk cut him off.

"No talkback, boy! To the kitchen!" His smile now had a vicious edge. Richard stared daggers back at him.

"Excellent!" Bright Dream smiled cheerfully, completely missing the silent exchange. He pulled a rope along the wall, and a small bell rang off in the distance.

Richard looked to the others of his group for backup and was unsurprised when they all ignored him. A much smaller Catkin came in through a side door, and Bright Dream instructed the new Catkin to take Richard to the kitchens to help out. The Catkin took Richard by the elbow and led him from the room. As he left, he heard Krr'rrk speaking to the Mayor again. "I'm so sorry about him. He's new. Still doesn't know his place." Richard followed the new Catkin through a small hallway, fuming. He was so pissed off with Krr'rrk that he almost didn't hear the Catkin speak to him.

"What?" Richard asked, turning to the cat creature, who let out a small squeak and quickly stepped back, bumping into the wall of the hallway. Its black coat and clothes almost disappeared into the shadows of the dimly lit hall. Richard realized he had let his anger out into his question and that his face was a thundercloud. He took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I'm afraid I didn't hear what you said before. Would you please repeat yourself?" He was overly polite in an attempt to calm the cat.

"I-I'm Morning Mist." Her voice trembled and was so quiet that Richard almost missed it again. She looked up at him with large yellow eyes still full of fear. Her paws were tangled tight in the cloths hanging at her waist. Richard was only just now realizing how much larger than her he was. The tips of her ears just did reach his chin, and he was wider than her by a considerable amount. He felt horrible for startling her.

Smiling gently at her, he bowed as much as the small hall allowed him to. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Morning Mist. My name is Richard." As he straightened, he noticed Morning Mist was still backed against the wall. She didn't have her paws wrapped in the cloth any longer but was still definitely afraid of Richard. "Please. You have nothing to be afraid of from me. I was angry at something else, and have no excuse for allowing it to affect the way I spoke to you."

She finally nodded and stepped away from the wall. "I'm sorry. It's just that you're the first Human I've ever met. I've heard the rumors and stories about them all my life though." Her voice was a little stronger now than it had been before. Still uncertain, but no longer a whisper. At least at first. With that last line, she covered her mouth with her paws and looked at him with wide eyes again. "I'm sorry! I don't mean anything by that!"

Richard made placating gestures at her. "It's okay. I'm not offended or anything. I promise." He sighed. "Look. I'm not sure what you've heard about Humans. But from the way you're acting, I'm guessing it's nothing good. There are good and bad Humans, same as with any race. And I'm not one of the bad ones. I swear to you." Richard wanted to make a good impression here. Not just for himself, but for Humanity as a whole. Maybe it wasn't going to change the world, but if he could change one persons opinion it would be worth it.

Morning Mist still looked unsure but relaxed a bit. "It's nice to meet you, Richard." She returned his small bow clumsily and they continued to a door just a few more feet down the hall. She had led him to the kitchens where two other Catkin were working on dinner. There was a Calico Catkin prepping vegetables, and another orange Tabby working a small spit that was holding a roast in the oven. Morning Mist brought Richard to the Calico who excitedly instructed Richard to start washing dishes. Morning Mist was at a small table not far off, where she was kneading bread.

Richard washed dishes for several hours. Every time he got close to finishing more was delivered by one of the other three kitchen staff. Richard passed the time chatting with Morning Mist, answering what questions Richard was able about Humans. He also explained that he wasn't a servant to anyone but was a member of the party. Something he wasn't sure she believed.

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Krr'rrk had done nothing to dissuade Bright Dream that Richard was his servant, and so Richard sat on the hard cot he had been provided in the servents rooms. His roommate for the night was Humble Drums, the tabby from the kitchens, and it was Humble Drums snores that were keeping Richard awake. Since he couldn't sleep anyway he took out his Guild Crystal opening the window.

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Name: Richard Reeds Status: Healthy HP: 900/900 MP: -/-

Race: Human Class: Magi Knight Level: 4

Skills and Abilites Stats (15 points available)

Distracting Presence: Draws the attention of all nearby hostiles, forcing them to attack the user.

Defender: Take 5% less damage when equipped with a shield.

Tied to Infinity: The powers of Infinity course through your veins. Able to cast any spells without using MP.

Diplomacy: You've become better at dealing with people during sensitive situations.

Sense Mana: You have learned how to perceive the intangible world around you.

Stealth: You're now slightly better at being unnoticed.

Beginner Swordsman: The pointy end goes in the enemy.

Spell Caster: You learned to channel your mana into spells.

Low Blow: Hit 'em where it hurts. Stun enemy for 3 seconds. 30-second cooldown.

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Physical Stats

Strength 10

Dexterity 8

Perception 11

Endurance 10

Mind 12

Mana -

Charisma 10

Luck 9

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Richard hadn't used any of his bonus stat points just yet. He didn't want to waste them by putting them in some kind of unbalanced build. He had asked Yelxidors opinion, but his master had just described what each stat did. Nothing changed physically when you increased a stat. No matter how many points you put in Strength you weren't going to look like Mr. Universe. But with enough points in Strength, and even the scrawniest little comic geek could win the title of the worlds strongest man. This was the stat most Fighters or Berserkers put the most points into.

Dexterity made you move quicker and increased your balance. Monks and Rogues preferred this stat.

Perception increased your senses. You could see, hear, smell, taste and feel more acutely. A good stat to increase, mainly favored by Rangers.

Endurance increased your stamina and health. Knights and Barbarians used this one the most.

Mind helped you think clearer and faster. Mages primarily used this, but it was good for many builds.

Mana increased your mana pool and your ability to manipulate mana. This was a good skill for any builds that used magic. It was useless for Richard though.

Charisma helped make you more charming and likable. Government workers and Bards liked this stat.

Luck increased random chance in your favor. Though not enough that many people bothered putting many points into it.

Yelxidor had said that if the chance of something was 50/50, then adding ten stat points to Luck made it 51/49. Not the most helpful. Richard briefly considered dumping his points into Charisma but decided against it. Instead, he tentatively put one point into Endurance, knowing that his job was mainly defense.

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Endurance increased to 11! 100 hit points have been added to your maximum! 14 stat points remain.

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Richard checked. Sure enough, he had a thousand hit points now. He didn't feel any different, but he was already at full health, so it probably didn't make much of a difference. He dumped five more points into Endurance, saving the rest in case he needed them for something else, and lay down until sleep finally took him.

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Morning Mist woke him about an hour before first light. Being on this side of the mountain range the sun wouldn't pass the mountian top for a couple more hours, but they still used the same time system as Bolgarum. Richard entered the main hall and gathered up his gear from where he had left it the night before, then followed the rest of the party as they filed out the door and down the street. Catkin were headed about their day, all trying to get a look at their small group. Richard had learned the entire community here was Catkin, and there was nothing past the town so travelers were a big deal. They didn't have to deal with the gawkers long. They passed the last house within a few minutes and took a small path that would lead them through a forest and to the mountain.

The day passed uneventfully. The others talked amongst themselves, ignoring Richards attempts to join the conversation. They ate lunch as they walked and only stopped to refill their water jugs from a river they passed late in the afternoon. They made camp at the base of the mountain under a small outcropping in case it rained during the night. Richard was volunteered to have the first watch. His watch ended peacefully and one of the Dwarves took over. Richard shivered a bit in the cool night air as he lay down. Autumn was coming to an end and the first snow of the season would fall soon. He drifted off to sleep using his pack as a pillow with his cloak pulled tightly up to his chin.

"SPLIT BEAKS! WAKE UP YOU LAZY LUMPS OF GRANIT!"