“You just spar, and depending on what you want to train you do that. Combat skills work better this way, your magic obviously works when you cast it, but for these purposes, lets stick with the basics,” Reina said.

  His heart filled with pride. When did she get so confident? Rook gave her a determined nod and walked towards the middle of the room. Using his heel, he drew a circle within the space, creating a makeshift ring. Al grabbed a wooden sword and gave four or five practice swings, thought better then placed it back in the barrel with a clatter.

  “You are religious right? Well if you’re devout you should pray.” Al took a fighting stance similar to a martial artist. Hopping on the balls of his feet.

  Rook’s breath hitched in his throat. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” Rook took an even southpaw stance. Smug bastard.

  The elf came in for the first strike, using a shuffling side kick to reach him. Rook knew that he would be more deft in a fight, Al was an elf for God’s sake. Rook tried his best to prepare himself for the speed, but the impact of his kick he was not ready for. Reina gasped at the sound of the resounding impact.

  Rook felt the air wheeze from his mouth, in an involuntary cough.

  Command Presence- Activated

  Battlefield Analysis- Activated

  Suddenly, he felt the task of fighting an elf wasn’t too big of an ask. His perception sharpened, bringing the ring and Al into focus. It was as if his body knew what to do. These elves are fast but are not good with grappling. Al came in for another strike, pulling Rook’s collar forward to knee him. Rook gazed at the strike, the shift in Al’s weight and brought his hands up just in time to block. Pain radiated in his forearms sending tingles through to his fingertips, but her could bear it.

  Rook hook kicked low, a attempt to get Al off balance, then used his momentum to fall forward onto the elf. He was too slow. Rook's hands were batted away over and over as he tried to grab Al's collar. Breath hissed out of his mouth in short choppy breaths. The elf struck him in the stomach three times in such a quick succession and he almost let his grip slip, however the Command Presence brought what was important to the forefront of his thoughts. Set up and slam the elf. Shoving the elf away, Rook put his guard up once again, but the experienced fighter spun in a pirouette and landed a spinning back fist at Rook's jaw. The world swayed, slow as molasses as the grey threatened to take him.

  No.

  Rook focused on Al's shoulders; they rose and fell with exertion. So he's tired too? I just need one shot. He planned for a feint. Wobble your knees and let him think you’re going down. The elf danced through his tunneled vision. Rook readied himself for another impact, as Al’s shoulder wound back for a punch. The fist came towards Rook's face, fast as a striking snake. Rook knew that this would probably be lights out if he failed. The past life experience screamed suggestions in the back of his mind. His body reacted on it’s own, using instincts that weren’t his. Rook ducked a strike, then narrowly dodged a follow up knee. Grab him by the shoulder!

  With a surge of determination, Rook rushed, slipping under a striking fist and grabbing Al's collar. His vision blurred as he spun, bringing Al over his hip and crashing into the ground on top of the elf, crushing him with his full weight. Al let out a wheezing breath. His eyes burned and he coughed up the billowing cloud of sand around them. Rook’s head swam while the dust cleared, the impact leaving his ears ringing.

  “Well that was impressive," Brianna said with a short round of applause.

  Mara’s strong hands pulled Rook up with the ease of lifting a bag of groceries. With a smile the torokin huffed, and pat Rook on his sore shoulder.

  Unarmed Skill increased 12/250

  +8 experience

  133 of 1150 Experience until level 22

  Okay so two points to my skills. Come on Burrlegast, you could've given me a better jump than that, what’s the missing piece?

  “Would you like a sip of water?” Reina asked, handing him a mug of water. Then she laughed as Rook greedily gulping most of the tankard. “Well, thank you for drinking all my water,” Reina said, watching him amused.

  “It's what you get, now we're even, for drinking all my waterskin in the Wood of Sorrow.” Rook drank the rest of the water with a satisfied smile.

  Reina pointed to the elf. He was wiping the grit free of his face and arms, kneeling in the pit. Rook frowned at the elf. He moved like a damned dancer, reacting to every strike with retaliation and following up.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “You are very clearly a superior striker, Alderion. That last punch would have put me down.”

  “And you have my respect, Rook. I am trained in the Dawndrasil Martial arts. Most cannot best me in a raw fight let alone catch my strike and slam me down.”

  Rook smiled. “Want to go again?” Then smiled again as the Elf nodded.

  Rook’s Battlefield analysis helped him beat the Gold Ranked elf. His muscles were burning and his limbs were lead. Each time he or Al would draw the circle in the sand. Reina would buff their stamina and allow them to go again over and over without a break. Several hours later Rook's body may as well have been lead, from the training. Luckily for him, Burrlegast did come through, his skills jumped.

  Unarmed Skill increased 45/250

  +132 experience

  268 of 1150 experience until level 22

  “As much as I’m enjoying the show, It’s time I head upstairs. Which means you all should be heading out soon as well,” Brianna said, wrapping her boy up in a hug. “Get yourselves fed and cleaned.”

  “No worries. It’s about time we see Jinxor anyways.”

  Rook enjoyed a meal of rice and chicken strips. Strike claimed it was the best meal when training and Mara backed him up on it, so he banked on it being good. He glanced around at the party. Mara sat beside him, speaking to Strike and eating the same chicken and rice meal. Alderion was enjoying a bowl of brown broth and Reina was eating a pastry with jam. Rook smiled. This is what life is supposed to be like. He was happy, training and eating with friends.

  "A lot of the morning is gone, do you think that you’re going to fight more?” Ray, the Torokin child sat beside him, legs swinging. “It’s exciting to see bouts, mama doesn’t let me go to the dome unless I’m with my grandfather.” Ray let out a sigh. “Even then we have to dress up in a disguise.”

  Rook smiled at the kid, and patted him on the head. He wouldn’t stop this crusade against the Bloodstone and the Stonists, until the boy was able to openly play in the streets with the other kids just up the stairs.

  “I hope so, half squat,” Rook responded with a mouth full of food. Ray smiled and kicked his feet, digging through the porridge like meal. Brianna left to tend the tavern upstairs about thirty minutes ago. Yet here the boy was, content being alone like this away from his mother. I know how you feel. Rook’s father was always working and his mother was a consultant for an insurance company. The work from home job consumed her from six am to six pm. He was happy though, content just spending time playing with his toys at her feet while she took calls.

  Rook took another bite of the meal, savoring the seasoned chicken and pushing down the emotions.

  “Is everything alright Rook?”

  “Yep,” he said, mouth full of food.

  Rook forgot Alderion’s ability to read emotions like a seventh sense. He must have been one hell of a fighter before the cursed beast took his sight, before he had to catabolize his levels and power just to stay alive in that cave. To see your opponents emotions during a fight would give anyone the upper edge.

  “Chew your food before you speak,” Reina said, shaking her head. The enhancer had that far off look as if she was looking through her stats or skills. “I leveled up again,” she said, with a gleeful smile. “All those increases in stamina had ranked my enhancing as well.”

  “I have always meant to ask where those skills came from. I didn't see enhancing as a part of the list of skills,” Rook said with another mouthful of food, this time intentional.

  She perked up. “It is a specialized skill, uncommon to most people. When you’re born, you’re able to choose from several different skills when the God Maker’s system comes to you. These classes have your normal fighter classes, mage classes, and depending on a number of factors such as your character, specialized classes can open up to you. When the system came into my life, I was a mage deep into my studying, and I wanted nothing more than to help people, like my mother did as an enhancer.” She took a bite of the pastry and pearl of black jam ran down the corner of her mouth. “My class changed from mage to enhancer, which technically falls within the mage branch of magic users.” The jam drifted further down her chin.

  “You have a, um.” Rook frowned, thinking about her comments regarding his eating. “Nevermind,” he said. “So is it possible to change classes?”

  “Most likely, I wouldn't be surprised if the maker allows you to change more than just your class. The way you’ve been cheating lately.”

  Rook thought of Burrlegast. Most likely I could shift my class, too. Hell I bet the God-Maker would let me change my class if I said it would help him with the challenge against the other Gods.

  The torokin child giggled. “You have pastry jam on your mouth, lady.”

  Embarrassed, Reina wiped away the leftover jam. “Why didn’t you say so?” She asked Rook. “At least Al has an excuse.” She glanced at the blind elf sipping at his tankard. “Anyways, we were given a grocery list to pick up for Brianna. It’s a small price to pay if you ask me, for a semi-permanent place to stay.”

  “Fine, let’s get a move on then,” Rook said, standing up from his seat.

  ****

  Rook’s party pressed out into the street from the downstairs tavern. As expected the road through the trading quarter was busy. The baking sun extenuated the smell of unwashed sweaty bodies. What was unexpected, was the amount of gnomes that were traveling in throngs, all dressed in yellow plate armor. There were several hushed toned conversations about the Numeriksden Army of mages here in the city. Rook couldn’t help but feel slightly impressed by the polished shine on the yellow plate, etched with green and gold symbols.

  “We told the Bloodstone bastards already, why are they asking?” A person nearby whispered.

  If Numeriksden guards were here in Ollar City, would that cause some type of jurisdiction issue for the city guard? He looked around. Where is Phane on that note? As a group of twelve of them marched in a lockstep formation, Rook couldn’t help but call cadence. Left, yo left, left, right, yo left. Each of them held a smooth black staff, roughly three feet in length, with a red, green, or blue stone at the end of it. No doubt a conduit for their magic.

  “What's happening?" Alderion asked, sweeping his eyeless gaze over the crowd of gnome soldiers.

  “I don't know,” Reina responded. “I've never seen this kind of thing before here in Ollar city. It looks to be a demonstration of some type.”

  “For a demonstration. They all have an I'll intent about them,” the elf answered back.