Walking the streets of Castiana alone was strange, to say the least. No one was bouncing around me, nor was there an eternal stream of questions falling on my ears. And so, despite the busy streets with noon slowly approaching, I found an unexpected peace among the buildings lining them.

The quiet lasted long enough for me to get within sight of City Hall before Idleaf popped back into existence and poked me in the side, giggling like the fool she was. Hasty fool.

“Wasn’t Esudein angry?”

“Why would he be?” she asked, puzzled. “He was happy to tell me about how he found me.”

Oh, I’d like to hear that, too. “So, how did he find you? Was it as a seed?”

“No, not as a seed. When he roamed the world looking for a place to make his burrow, he came across me growing in the valleys below the mountains.” She was referring to the Granora Mountain Range below which the Esulmor woods now stretched. Interestingly, he wasn’t the one who brought Idleaf as a seed there. That raised the question, who then? And why there? I thought about it a bit on the way, finding the fact that she grows so close to Fallen’s Cry all too coincidental. So wide-open world and she grows up here? So close to the place she can enter, unlike the other World Trees?

I don’t know; maybe I was overthinking it.

“So, how many years has it been since he found you?” I asked, putting aside the questions nagging at my mind.

“He took care of me for seven hundred and fifty-three cycles.”

Hearing that number stopped me in my tracks. “Damn. He’s...”

“...very patient,” Idleaf finished for me, well aware that it took her a long time to gain consciousness.

Bloody fucking hell! I thought I was patient when it came to growing flowers. It wasn’t enough just to water them. One had to devote some time to them. I had one that refused to bloom for four years before rewarding me for my care, but over seven hundred years? Damn! What to say? That was a hell of a lot, and unimaginable that one man could do the same.

Although it made me think of bonsai trees that have been cared for hundreds of years, passing from generation to generation. As far as my memory served, the oldest was close to four hundred years old. A far cry from Idleaf, still...

“You’re older than I thought.” Sure, I knew she was hundreds of years old, but I was thinking something like two hundred, not fucking seven hundred.

“But you’ve been awake a lot longer than I have,” Idleaf pointed out, and she wasn’t wrong about that. I’ve been trudging through the world, now two, for over twenty-nine years; she barely a day.

“Does that make me your elder, senior, or...?” I asked, trying to get my head around it. I thought I did. However, that was before I found out how old she actually was.

“No, the elder ones are far away. You are my Guardian, my friend.”

This wasn’t the first time she’d seen things so simply. That was who she was, and in truth, she was right. Why put a barrier between us just because of her age when I was able to put her strength aside?

And so, smiling broadly, I poked her shoulder with my wing playfully. “Yes, your friend and Guardian. Thanks.”

Idleaf giggled, bouncing around in joy before the realization hit her. “Where is the kid?”

Knowing she was referring to the Ria I had mentioned earlier, I fended off the urge to point to herself, and instead I aimed my finger at the City Hall building, which was just over a hundred meters ahead of us.

“Let’s go, then,” Idleaf called and strode forward, eager to meet the little kitsune.

Much to my surprise, however, she stopped at the entrance, unsure if she could go in. “Are all of them invited?” she asked about the people coming in and out of the City Hall. With the blame lying partly on me for forgetting to tell her about public places and storefronts, I gave her a quick explanation before we stepped in.

The main hall was noisy with people milling about as always, with a big crowd at the Notice Board and lines of humans and terrans at the front desk. No doubt that standing in one of those would be very boring for the spirit. And since jumping the queue was out of the question, I was dreading the ordeal.

Fortunately, Idleaf’s attention was drawn to the hall for most of the time we stood in the queue for the desk behind which my favorite receptionist stood. Even so, her barrage of questions and our unusual looks attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

“What the...” Enola paused when it was my turn, and her eyes rested on me, swallowing a curse. “What happened to you, Korra? And who is that?”

I grinned. “Long story.”

“I’m sure it is. Is this about Ria, or do you have another request?”

“Ria.”

“Okay. You know what? I’m on my lunch break in fifteen minutes. Could you wait? I think Ria should be back by then, too.”

“Oh, she’s out?”

“Believe it or not, she doesn’t sit on her butt all day. She may not have as much work as other guides, but she’s got some here and there. So, in fifteen minutes?”

“Yeah, sure. We’ll...wait,” I nodded, unsure of how Idleaf would take the wait.

Even so, I stepped aside, making way for the terran man behind me. He seemed wolf-ish, similar kind to Razso, my first trainer here. What would he say if he saw me now? Would he even remember me? The same was true of Nile Tenderfire. She advised me on the appropriate weapons for me, and although she suggested a broadsword and a large axe, she saw the potential for me to fight with my bare hands, my weapon of choice so far. What would she say?

A bit of nostalgia came over me as I walked down the hall following Idleaf, whose idea of waiting differed greatly from mine. I would have liked to sit down on one of the benches placed along the walls and wait quietly, but she insisted on exploring the place. And so we did, exploring all over, even visiting the restrooms, where she wanted to find out if women’s and men’s were the same.

To my pleasant surprise, the facilities here were very well protected against peeking in, which given the likes of the spirit and the perception seekers possessed, was a pretty reasonable thing to protect the user from.

Thankfully, it didn’t take much longer before Idleaf and I found ourselves in the City Hall staff break room. At first, I thought Enola would take us out somewhere. You know, to have more privacy than the hustle and bustle of the main hall. Much to my surprise, she brought us into the back rooms of the City Hall, a place oddly desolate of clerks. Seriously, with lunchtime around, I would have expected the clerks to take the place by storm. Instead, there was no one there.

Don’t get me wrong; it was sweet and apt considering what I was about to tell Enola.

“Ria will be here shortly,” she said and sat down at one of the tables, gesturing to the seat across from her. Taking a seat, I sat down and glanced at Idleaf. While I found sitting on the chair uncomfortable with her body, she was unable to do so at all.

“So, she came back?” Ria, I mean. Thanks to the curious spirit that pulled me through every corner of the main hall, I didn’t notice her return at all.

Enola nodded. “She’ll wash up and will be here any minute. You know, she was pretty excited to hear you were here. But before she shows up, why don’t you introduce me to your spectral friend? For one thing, I know you didn’t become a summoner, so...what’s with the glowing tattoos?”

“Proof that she’s my Guardian,” the spirit butted in after she’d surveyed the room.

“Enola, this is Idleaf. Idleaf, Enola,” I introduced them and went on, trying to give them a better idea of the other. “Enola is a friend who helped me get my bearings here in the city when I felt lost.”

“I was just doing my job.”

“And you did it well. I was lucky I ran into you.” She could very well have turned out to be unfriendly and unhelpful. I have had my experiences with such clerks.

Enola waved away my praise and took it with a simple smile. Then she looked at the spirit holding out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Idleaf.”

The spirit glanced up from her offered hand, with which she had no idea what to do, considering what to say. “Hi. Enola is a good name.” Well played. In other words, it wasn’t a strong name, one with any meaning behind it, no story. I had one to tell, though.

“I met Idleaf in Esulmor...” I started to tell my tale of how I came across the young World Tree.

***

“I-I don’t know what to say...” stammered Enola, looking in utter disbelief at Idleaf rummaging through cupboards and shelves.

“Just take the time to take it in.”

She let out a desperate sneer. “I’m not sure I’m capable of that.

Is she really...?”

“Yes, she is. Her spirit, that is.”

“F... me. Is that why I can’t see anything when I look at her? The system is showing me shit...sorry for the language. Or is it because I’m too weak?”

The way I saw it, and the reason why when I looked at Idleaf, I got no response from the system, was that her spirit form was essentially a spell. Just as the system didn’t inform anyone that what was hurling at them in the midst of battle was a fireball, neither did it respond to the spirit form of Idleaf.

So not Enola’s fault or the lack of her strength.

[Receptionist: lvl 68]

Was it always her dream to stand behind the desk that she chose the class? I know I wouldn’t be able to do the job, not having the patience with people. Flowers were different; they didn’t argue or talk back; when you treated them badly, they made it clear and rewarded good care. Speaking of which...

“Don’t worry about that. Compared to her, everyone here is weak. Even Deckard.”

“And you brought someone like her here?” Enola raised her voice, which trembled as she panicked a little. “Did Captain Rayden...”

“She let her in. Don’t worry.”

“And you’re allowed to talk about what she is?” she whispered this time, looking around, checking the corners for anyone hiding in them who might hear us.

“They didn’t tell me not to. Look, her scream woke up the whole city, and who knows how far it reached.” The elves surely know about her by now, and the mind mages will soon put the pieces together. Not the part I felt like telling her. “Soon, she will be known far and wide. There’s not much reason to keep her a secret if she’s not one.” Hiding in plain sight was the name of the game. If everyone knows I’m not just some nameless slave, they can’t just attack me.

“Yeah, but...no, you’re right. Still...” Enola shook her head, trying to make sense of what she had just learned. Then she glanced at the spirit again and lowered her head. “Forgive my rudeness, Idleaf. It is an honor to meet you.”

“You, too,” the spirit returned the gesture and pointed to what I would describe as a kettle. “What’s this? What does it do?”

At that very moment, a small kitsune burst into the room, brimming with delight. “Korra,” she beamed and darted towards me, hugging me within a second. “Hi Sage,” she chirped when she let me go, eyeing my tail, which I wagged in greeting.

“Is that the kid?” asked Idleaf, trying hard to sound serious and mature.

Nodding, I gestured at the spirit. “Ria, this is a friend of mine I met on my journey...”

“Oh, hello, Lady. My name is Ria,” the little kitsune introduced herself quickly and politely as she was taught when she noticed the spirit.

“I’m Idleaf.”

“That’s a nice name. Hmm...why are you kind of transparent and purple?”

“That’s just the way I am. Why are you so small?”

“Because..”

“Is it okay? I mean, leaving Ria with her,” Enola leaned towards me, whispering in my ear while she watched the two with caution. Her concerns were quite understandable. Though it was not her child, I too would have found myself worried if the one in my care were to approach a being like the spirit of the World Tree. So, was it okay?

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Sure, not the answer that eased her worries.

“What...!” Enola raised her voice, but I stopped her.

“Idleaf is like a little child. Curious, discovering the world around her. Very playful. I thought she and Ria might have a lot of fun. And before you say no, I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, my word as a Guardian.”

“That’s a strong promise,” butted in Idleaf, looking at my tail funny.

“I...c-can you promise not to hurt Ria?” Enola struggled with daring to ask the spirit for such a thing. Understanding her fear, I put my hand on her shoulder and gripped it firmly like Deckard used to do. It always reassured me, and I hoped it would help Enola too.

“I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“Please promise,” Enola insisted, a little more confident now.

“She really cares about Ria,” I added, begging Idleaf with my eyes to do so.

“I can promise that, so I promise. I won’t hurt Ria.” She was a little confused as to why she had to do that. However, it undoubtedly gave Enola peace of mind.

Idleaf did not remain confused for long, though. As I swayed my tail to right myself in the chair, curiosity returned to her eyes.

“Korra’leigh, is it true?”

This time it was me who was confused for a change. “If what’s true?”

“That your tail has a name?”

The little kitsune standing behind the spirit giggled, basically admitting to telling her the secret.

“Yeah,” I admitted. It was foolish to think the young World Tree wouldn’t find out when I planned on introducing those two. “I call him Sage.”

“Strong name.”

“Really?”

“It is. Why...him?”

“Long story.”

“Is it a fun story?”

“More like a sad one.”

“Oh...” said Idleaf, eyeing Sage again, thinking. “Should I name mine?”

That got a chuckle out of me, put a smile on Enola’s face, and made Ria jump for joy, nodding vehemently. It was easy to tell she was already thinking of a name.

And so, with that question lifting our spirits, a new adventure of city exploration began.

***

With Ria hired as a guide, I let her show Idleaf the places she found most interesting in Castiana. And it turned out to be the best decision I’ve made so far. All I had to do was tag along and answer a question here and there while she took us around the city, enjoying herself and having more fun with Idleaf than with me.

The only drawback was the cost. Ten coppers for every hour started, plus lunch and afternoon snack for both of us. I couldn’t let her go hungry, could I? That would be quite heartless.

On the plus side, Idleaf didn’t eat human food. Coins saved there. Although she could smell it, even taste it, just not digest it. So what did she do after she chewed the piece of steak I gave her to taste? She spit it back onto my plate. Even Ria cringed at that.

The only stop I made her go to was the library. I just had to try again. But for whatever reason, Mr. Sandoval wasn’t roaming the shelves with his books today. A bit of a bummer.

We ended our adventure on the rooftop, which I was already quite familiar with. It was the one where I usually learned Standard under my little teacher’s guidance. Not this time, though.

Instead of a lesson, I let Ria play with Idleaf and focused on my Status Screen, where I had a lot of work and decisions to make. How the hell was I supposed to distribute the ten stat points? What about [Fierce Pounce]? Keep it or not?

Name: Korra’leigh Grey

Race: Human/Beast

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Main Class: Deviant of Humanity

Sub Class: Slave

Level: 112

[Unspent Stat Points: 10]

Constitution: 117 (39)

Strength: 60 (25)

Endurance: 37 (27)

Dexterity: 33 (25)

Intelligence: 23 (12)

Wisdom: 21 (11)

For starters, I put a point each in Intelligence and Wisdom. Sure, I was aware that I would never be a mage like others, but I had learned that even warriors needed mana for many of their skills, and I was no exception. If anything, I needed it even more.

That left me with eight stat points and four stats. Quite a hassle. The easy way would be to put two in each and be done with it. Though not what I wanted to do. Hmm...

Damn, that was hard!

Okay, two into the Constitution. I had a shit ton of it, but if it was going to keep me combat-capable a little longer, it meant I could deal more hits. Six points to go.

One into Endurance.

Two into Dexterity.

And a whopping three points into the Strength.

It wasn’t to make my base stacks balanced, but because I saw strength as something essential. I could be as agile as I liked, yet without strength, I couldn’t reach the speed I needed. With Endurance and stamina in general, it was the opposite. What was the point of having an overabundance of it if I would never exhaust it due to lack of strength, never push myself to the limits?

Despite what it might have looked like in those moments when I could barely catch my breath and stay on my feet, I was enjoying myself. It was in those moments that I felt most human.

Constitution: 117 -> 123 (39 -> 41)

Strength: 60 -> 67 (25 -> 28)

Endurance: 37 -> 38 (27 -> 28)

Dexterity: 33 -> 35 (25 -> 27)

Intelligence: 23 -> 25 (12 -> 13)

Wisdom: 21 -> 23 (11 -> 12)

Now it was time to address the question of skills. [Fierce Pounce] or [Mantle of Magic?]. Initially, I only wanted to try [Ride of Ancestors] just to see what the skill is about. But now that I did, I wanted to keep it. My fear of giving in to my instincts turned out to be unnecessary, and to some extent, the opposite proved to be true. I found my skills and...body easier to use.

Ride of Ancestors

Active I (Deviant - 30%)

Whether man or beast, all are born with instincts built on ancestral experience. However, the scope of this deep memory from which your instincts can draw, is much broader than that of others. With them, you can gauge the strength of your adversaries, let them guide your steps in battle, dominance, and love, or simply let them find your way through life.

I’m not saying this skill had earned a permanent place in my skillset. Yet, at least until I learn more from it, [Ride of Ancestors] stayed. The only issue was that with the skill in my skillset, there was only one spot left, and I had to decide between strength and magic.

Mantle of Magic

Active I

Magic is not a concept unknown to humans or beasts, let alone to you. The mantle allows you to surround yourself with a veil of mana, seep it into your flesh and bone, and by doing so, infuse your moves, attacks, and defenses with the power of magic. It is entirely up to you what kind you choose to use, as magic is limited only by your imagination.

Fierce Pounce: lvl 12

Active II (Deviant - 30%)

Weapons are sharp and piercing. They can crush the enemy with brute force, and shatter the spirit of theirs at sight. But so can your bare fists and claws. Every punch, slash, or kick, every attack made without a weapon, carries a part of your fierceness slumbering within you.

Additional power to your attack and the sharpness of your claws increased by 65%(50%).

[Call of Nature] - Additional power to your attack increased by 65%(50%) and the sharpness of your claws by 97%(50%)

Tier II - You’ve proven your predatory nature, reveling in the blood of your enemies, victims, and prey. You’ve savored their power and tasted their blood on your lips, wishing to sink your dull fangs into their flesh. Sharpened by your fierceness, you can now do that with unprecedented ease.

The sharpness of your fangs increased by 45%(35%).

[Call of Nature] - The sharpness of your fangs increased by 68%(35%)

While [Fierce Pounce] made my attacks much more deadly, it only focused on a very limited aspect of my body. Surely that should make it stronger as a result, but...for some reason, I gravitated towards the greater versatility offered by [Mantle of Magic]; my love of magic aside.

Cons? The Second Tier [Fierce Pounce] was a big disappointment for me. Though it didn’t mean the Third Tier would be the same, and with a little practice, I was sure I could reach it pretty quickly. That couldn’t be said about magic.

Even with the cheats that were my heart, core, and skills, achieving any greater success would take a long time and even longer if I skipped my magic lessons with Aspen like I did today.

So what to choose?

The easy way with immediate results, or the long way with uncertain results? Brute force or magic?

Fu...k! Deciding was so damn hard.

In the end, watching Idleaf and Ria playing to their hearts’ content, I decided to choose with my own heart, knowing that if I didn’t, I would regret it for the rest of my life. [Mantle of Magic] it was.

***

With the decisions made and the sun setting on the horizon, the magic lamps lit up the streets, and the time to leave the rooftop drew near. And so, we returned with Ria to the City Hall, where I paid a hefty sum for the nine hours of her service to a quite relieved receptionist, saying our goodbyes.

Surprisingly, the little kitsune didn’t put up much resistance. On the contrary, as fatigue caught up with her, she looked forward to bed. On that front, we were on the same page. Fatigue caught up with me, too. And no wonder. I got through last night without a wink of sleep.

The only remaining drudgery on my way back to the Broken Mug was explaining to Idleaf that I needed sleep to regain my strength. Quite understandably, she was dreading falling asleep ever again. Did that mean I should be deprived of the pleasure as well as her, though? There were lines I wasn’t willing to cross, and this was one I couldn’t even do much about.

In the end, she understood, and so with a full stomach after dinner at the Broken Mug, I snuggled into bed, hugging Sage.

With the smell of apples, I plunged into dreamland, leaving the issues of diving into the depths of Fallen’s Cry for tomorrow.

***

Name: Korra’leigh Grey

Race: Human/Beast

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Main Class: Deviant of Humanity

Sub Class: Slave

Level: 112

Constitution: 123 (41)

Strength: 67 (28)

Endurance: 38 (28)

Dexterity: 35 (27)

Intelligence: 25 (13)

Wisdom: 23 (12)

Class Skills (8/8):

Indomitable Will (Passive V): lvl 122

Master’s Shield (Active II): lvl 27

Behemoth (Active II): lvl 15

Wrought Hide (Passive II): lvl 15

Unbending Resilience (Passive II): lvl 11

Call of Nature (Passive II): lvl 17

Ride of Ancestors (Active I): lvl 7

Mantle of Magic (Active I): lvl 1

General Skills (10/10):

Eleaden Standard Language (Passive I): lvl 9

Perfect Equilibrium (Passive III): lvl 32

Spatial Domain (Passive III): lvl 35

Beast (Passive III): lvl 44

Never-Dying (Passive III): lvl 47

Tail of Poison Empress (Active II): lvl 16

Heart of Magic (Passive I): lvl 9

Striving Mule (Passive II): lvl 18

Dancer’s Stride (Passive II): lvl 23

None to Squander (Passive II): lvl 12