We left Bel to get acquainted with the Elven seamstress after I had changed into my new clothing. I was both happy and saddened to have some clothing that wasn’t a hand-me-down here in this new world. But the design of the clothing was more enticing than protecting. Keeping my navel bare and the outside part of my hips free of clothing. They were loose enough to not impose any restrictions on my movement so that was good. And Gex had thought ahead to get me a cloak, which I thankfully wrapped around myself as we walked.
“What was wrong with wearing something like you had?” I asked the Orc.
She plucked at her overly large tunic. “Because this is traditional Orcish garb,” she said. “We make our own clothing by killing animals and wearing it.” She gestured at her cloak. It was a wolf skin, but I hadn’t thought that woman had actually killed a wolf and skinned it to make a cloak out of it. “And before you ask,” she said. “Yes, I did kill it barehanded. That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Only when you try to skin them while the rest of the pack is alive.”
“You fought a wolf pack?”
The Orc laughed, smacking me on the back. “No, that’s what my clan mates helped with. They killed the others while I took on the head honcho.”
I shook my head, just picturing Gex running down the wolf and clubbing it to death with her green fists. A part of me envisioned the woman beating it wrestling style with an elbow drop to its back. Which made me smile a bit and ease the sting of rejection from the Mage’s Guild.
The building that Gex led us to was a robust and imposing structure tucked into the corner of the market district, its stone walls adorned with banners that fluttered like the wings of a hawk in flight, each one bearing the emblem of crossed swords.
As we pushed open the heavy oak doors, a cacophony of clashing steel and gruff voices enveloped us. It was like being back at the Adventurer’s Guild. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and leather, I made a mental note to keep my tongue in my mouth to avoid the smell of jock strap when I walked too close to people fighting each other. Inside, the expansive hall buzzed with activity; rows upon rows of warriors sparred in cordoned arenas, their movements a blur of precision and power.
Gex led me through the throng, her eyes scanning for the Guild Master. Weapon racks overflowed with gleaming axes, stout maces, slender rapiers, and a dozen other weapons I didn’t recognize. On the walls hung shields of every size and make, from small bucklers to massive tower shields, each detailed with intricate designs that were either family crests or retelling battles or something. I couldn’t be sure.
Finally, we reached an elevated platform where a woman stood overseeing the training sessions. Her presence commanded attention: her hair was pulled back into a stern bun, and her arms, crossed over her chest, were as thick as tree trunks. She wore a simple tunic but carried herself with undeniable authority. And like Gex she was an Orc. Her skin a darker green than my friends but otherwise they could have been sisters.
"Gex?" she asked without preamble, her voice a deep timbre that resonated through the noisy hall. “Why do you bring this Kobold into my hall?” the way she spoke indicated that this might have been an insult to the Orc. “Do you own her?” Those closest to the dais stopped their fighting to look at me.
My friend smiled and motioned me forward.
"Yes," I replied, my voice steady despite standing before this behemoth of a woman. "I wish to get a job crystal from the guild." Gex was taller, at least a head, but the guild master was probably twice as wide and as muscled as my companion.
The Guild Master eyed me skeptically. "Show me what you can do," she said, gesturing to an open spot in the training area.
With a nod, I turned and moved to the circle that was being cleared for me, removing my cloak as I descended the small set of stairs. There were several appreciable whistles and cat calls as I moved into the ring. Around the mock fighting pit the other fighters slowed their combat and turned to watch. I shook off a hand for weapons that was provided by one of the Human warriors that was nearby.
“Is that Kobold nuts?” one of the random guild members asked. “Not picking a spear or shield?”
“Monster’s got guts,” another said.
“Twenty on Gex’s beast!” someone else said.
“You’re on, William!” a voice in the back cried.
A burly fighter with scars crisscrossing his bare chest approached me, hefting a greatsword as if it were light as a feather. The crowd around us grew quiet, sensing an unusual match.
“Well,” I said, trying to stay calm. It was like Goliath all over again. Only with a sword this time. “Do you want to go first? Or do you want me to go first?” I asked. I covered my closed fist with my left hand, bowing slightly as I shifted into a more traditional Muay Thai stance, fists loosely held at head level, one leg raised slightly, putting all my weight on my rear foot.
As the fighter lunged forward with a roar, I sidestepped gracefully letting his momentum carry him forward while I slid behind him. I jumped upwards angling for his blind spot, I landed on his broad back, coiled and pushed off of him, flipping away from him and sending him sprawling to the floor. He climbed back to his feet, his face red.
"Who said this was over? Again!" the Guild Master commanded.
The large fighter rushed forward; his sword held to skewer me this time. I slid into a much lower stance this time; one fist held high behind my head the other in front of me. As he charged, I rolled forward putting my weight into the front foot as my weight moved and my back fist came with me. Both of my fists struck him low in the stomach. Knocking the breath out of him and causing him to lose his footing, still moving I shifted, standing up and shoulder checking into his body. Sending him falling back and out of the ring.
I turned to look at the guild master. Feeling cocky I made a motion with my fist to come at me. The Orc woman stood imposingly tall on her dais above the ring. But I could see her face split into a grin.
“By the gods, Gex,” she roared with laughter. “Your little pet has some balls. To challenge a guild master?” Still laughing she started to walk down the stairs. And based on the way she moved. Each and every step seeming to send off the vibe that she knew she was uncontested on the battlefield. She continued to walk until she was right before me. “You think you’re worthy?” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
“Worthy?” I asked. “Probably not. But if it’ll prove that I’m special enough to get a job crystal here. Then I’ll fight every one of you to prove it.”
She snorted, straightening up. “She takes after her owner. Fixing for a good fight.” And in an instant, all the mirth left her face. Her posture shifted slightly as she looked down at me as if she were on a mountain. “Your master is mistaken, little monster.” She casually backhanded me. Sending me sprawling to the ground. “We don’t train or take those that don’t fight with weapons.”
I blinked, looking up at the woman. I hadn’t even tracked her movement. I moved too slowly to get to my feet. “What… how?” I asked.
“You’re beneath my level,” the woman said, moving to return to her station above everyone else. “If you want to fight me,” she called over her shoulder. “You’d better be a seasoned adventurer of at least C-Rank to try me.”
Gex moved to my side, grinning. “You ok? Still got all your teeth after that, Scaly Butt?”
“Yeah, I’m ok. I think.” I rubbed the spot where she’d connected. “I hadn’t even seen that blow.” I continued to rub my jaw. “Seriously, how’d she move that fast?”
“Naz is overly skilled in hand-to-hand brawling,” a voice behind us said. “Fighting her isn’t an easy task. There’s a reason why she’s a guild master, squirt.” I turned to see a slim Human covered in scars standing before us. “My name is Fist,” he said with a smile. “Nice to know someone else in this world chooses to not use weapons.” The man who was standing before us was slight in build, wearing loose clothing and had his black hair tied back into a ponytail. His eyes were a gray slate in color and scars covered both of his bare arms from top to bottom. He’d wrapped his hands in bandages like I’d seen MMA and Boxers do.
“Fist, is it?” I asked, I offered my hand. “Angel. And you probably already know Gex.”
“Indeed, I do.” He smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Angel. So, did I hear right you wanted to join the fighter’s guild?”
“I wanted to put my skills to use and get a job.”
“Come with me then little warrior,” he said. He turned and led us to the back of the Fighter’s Guild towards a bar.
The bar was a dimly lit alcove that seemed to pulse with the energy of countless battles recounted and relived in every scarred table and dented chair piece. The air was thick with the scent of spiced ale and the earlier smell of sweat-soaked leather worn from years of training and skirmishes. As we entered, heads turned, a curious mix of respect and challenge playing across the rugged faces of those hardened by combat. A few raised glasses in our direction as a toast.
Fist guided us to an unoccupied corner where a round table stood, its surface etched with names and symbols likely representing various members or significant victories. He gestured for us to sit before calling over the barkeep with a casual wave. “Three ales, Marn,” he said, his voice carrying an easy authority.
As we settled in, Fist leaned back in his chair, eyeing me with an intrigued squint. “Monster, eh? That’s a term tossed around too loosely these days. Here, what you are doesn’t matter as long as you can hold your ground and respect the rules.” His gaze flicked briefly to Gex, who nodded in silent agreement, before returning to me. “And you showed you can hold your own against one of our best trainers. Made a right fool of him.”
“The guild is tough,” Fist continued, his voice lowering almost conspiratorially. “It’s not just about fighting; it’s about understanding your opponent, the environment, and yourself. Naz, as you saw earlier, is top-grade, but she’s fair. Lose to her, and you learn. Beat her, and you teach.”
The clink of metal announced our drinks arriving. Marn set down three frothy ales before disappearing again into the shadows of the bar. Fist pushed one toward me and raised his own. “To new beginnings,” he toasted.
We each took a deep drink; the ale was surprisingly smooth with a hint of honey sweetness that belied its robust appearance. “Why don’t you order this for me at the inn?” I asked Gex.
She shrugged, draining her drink instantly. “I didn’t know you liked to drink weak Human drinks.” She snapped at one of the wait staff. “I seem to have gone empty,” she slapped his ass as he came within range. “Be a dear and bring me a real drink.” She grinned at Fist while the Human she’d casually just smacked on the ass stalked away angrily.
“You are so getting spit in your drink,” I muttered.
“So, what brings you here really?” Fist asked after a thoughtful sip.
I hesitated but decided truth was my best path forward. “I’ve always felt more at home in physical combat than spells or weapons," I started cautiously. "The mages didn’t appreciate my not being one of them.”
Fist chuckled, a rich sound that filled the small space around our table. “Yeah, Elves can be pretty puckered, and the mage Elves are even worse." He paused for another sip. "You won’t get that here."
He gestured around the bar, it had grown busier since our arrival, where groups engaged in animated discussions or lone figures studied opponents as if memorizing every detail. "These people come from various backgrounds, some were soldiers; others were street brawlers; many found this place out of necessity rather than choice,” he elaborated.
“Our common ground is our commitment to kill each other, just skill versus skill.” His eyes twinkled with pride. “You think you’re ready to dedicate yourself to that kind of life?"
“Been punching people since I was little,” I said.
“You are little,” Gex said. Now supplied with her second drink she was drinking it far more casually.
I shot my supposed owner a glance. “Littler,” I said.
“Good." Fist seemed pleased with my resolve. He reached into a pouch around his neck and took out three crystals in the shape of a star. They were much smaller than I expected them to be. Each of the star shaped crystal was decorated with a piece of string. Without that I would never have been able to tell the difference between the three of them. It was looking like each of the crystals in this world had a distinct shape for themselves. Oval for things like the perfect multiclass, star for job crystals and the spells had been like a stop sign while the few skill crystals had been hexagonal. Made me wonder if there were other types of crystals and the shapes that went with them.
“What’s with the string?” I asked.
“I don’t have an identification skill, so this is how I remember which job is which. I’m from a small order so they didn’t have a lot of crystals to spare,” Fist said, his voice apologetic. “And Naz is kind enough to let us hang here as long as we don’t get in the way. But a few of the members like to test themselves against those of us who don’t use weapons.”
I reached out towards one of the crystals before Gex stopped me. “Why are you a small order? And how many members are there?”
“Here? In the capital, just me. You don’t get many of the big brawny types fighting to become a skilled hand to hand combatant.”
“Let’s go,” Gex said moving to stand.
“Now hold on,” Fist said. “I said here. But if you and your Kobold—”
“Not a Kobold,” I said interrupting him.
“Your monster,” Fist said as if not having been corrected. “Head to the northwest, there’s a kingdom of folks like me.” He frowned as he looked at us. “I was born with a disadvantage; I’m cursed to not be able to use weapons or magic. All that was left for me to choose was entertainment classes, and I just didn’t want that. I’d heard a rumor that there were people who trained their bodies and minds to handle combat. I sought them out and joined. Before I left, I took a couple of the crystals to try and entice others into this method of combat.”
Gex sat back down; curiosity piqued. “A kingdom of fighters like you?” Her eyes had a gleam that spoke of interest and perhaps respect. She was always after a good fight from what I could tell. A good fight, a good feast, a good fuck. Anything that slacked her need for hedonism it seemed.
Fist nodded; his face serious. “Yes, they don’t use magic or weapons. It’s all about mastering your own body and mind. Pure physical mastery, something rare in these parts dominated by magic and steel.”
I fingered the crystal I was about to grab earlier, then looked up at Fist. “And these are the job crystals?” My voice was filled with wonder, considering the possibility of such a place.
“Yep,” Fist said, holding his crystal up to the light and examining it. “I don’t even know how they could create a job crystal when there wasn’t one before. But they did.” He handed the crystals to me slowly, deliberately. As I took them, their colors shimmered, an intricate dance of light that seemed almost alive. “You’ll have to choose which is right for you,” he said.
I laid each crystal in front of me, picking up the one with red string on it. “That’s what they call the pugilist,” Fist said. “Their fists are like iron and their feet never stay in one spot as they dance and sway back and forth.”
I nodded, so a pugilist was a boxer, that was straightforward. I pushed that away because I didn’t want him to think I’d made my choice yet. “I prefer to use all my limbs for combat,” I said.
“Then you’ll probably want this one,” he said. He picked up the one with the brown string around it, leaving me with a crystal that had black string. “They didn’t have a clever name for it, they simply call it The Disciple,” Fist said with a shrug. “It focuses on self-mastery of all your limbs and prioritizes in self-discovery and attaining enlightenment through understanding of one’s body.” He gave a shrug. “That sounded way too deep for me, so I didn’t pick that one.”
“Which job did you pick?” I asked looking at him.
“Oh, I’m a pugilist,” he grinned. “I’ve got longer arms than legs.”
“Alright,” I said picking up the black crystal. “I guess Disciple it is for me.” I picked up the crystal, brought it to my chest and envisioned it unlocking. And just like the Perfect Multi crystal it vanished from my hand. A look internally and there was now a plaque above the center trophy case marking the class I had chosen.
Fist gave a slight bow of his head. “Disciple,” he smiled. “Perhaps when you...”
I pulled up my sheet noting that I now had a job listed on the sheet and the S+ Martial Arts had moved under my job class. “I wonder if I could take Naz now that I have a job class.”
“Don’t get cocky, Scaly Butt,” Gex said draining her drink.
“Thanks, Fist,” I said, giving him a bow of my head. “Maybe we should meet up for some sparring at some point.”
“I would love that,” the man said with a smile.
“Gex,” a commanding voice shouted through the bar. “You forgot your pet’s cloak.”
The Orcish warrior stood up as the guild master came over. “Fist,” she said in an almost casual voice. “You finally get someone crazy enough as you to join your supposed guild of non-weaponry.” She glanced at me, arching an eyebrow and then smirked. “Disciple huh?” she laughed. “Best of luck there little Kobold. You ever want another beating let me know.” She flung the cloak at me, turning on her heel and leaving, laughing as she went.
“How?” I asked looking at Gex.
“She’s got a skill called Scan,” the woman explained. “It lets her see the level of her opponent and their job class. She won’t generally give me the time of day.” Gex sighed, seemingly disappointed. “But that was when it was just Titan and me. Now we can start gaining levels. Maybe I’ll get to fight her in a year or two.”
I was still looking at my sheet, frowning at the list of skills. “I need to get a Guandao to make use of that spear skill.”
“You have a spear skill?” Fist asked. “What rank?”
“It’s only rank F, like my shield.”
“Why didn’t you just equip a shield and a spear and fight then?” the man asked.
“Simple, until yesterday I didn’t even have clothing.” I pulled the cloak away from Gex and affixed it to my shoulders, providing me with modesty again. “And I don’t really like weapons, they were just something taught as ceremony where I was from. Something you used to show your level but not actually practical”
Fist grinned but nodded. “I look forward to our first match.”
I slid up from the booth and motioned for Gex to get a move on. She closed her fist, and the blue chain appeared from her ring to my collar. “Sorry, right. Can we go now, Master Gex?” I asked.
“Gotta show ’em who’s boss,” she said, sliding out of the booth we’d been in. She reached into her pouch and dropped a handful of coins on the table. “Ever wanna fight my pet, or me, Fist. We stay at the Unicorn’s Couch. Thanks for the drinks. And the job crystal for my friend here.” She relaxed her hand, the blue chain going away. “Ready, Scales?”
“Yeah, why don’t we see what Bel and Titan got up to while we did this?”
We left the dimly lit confines of the fighter's guild, our footsteps echoing against the cobblestone as we made our way through the bustling streets of Aulganna. The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden hue over the town square where merchants shouted last calls for their wares and children chased each other with the unrelenting energy of youth.
The air was thick with the aromas of roasting meat and fresh bread from nearby stalls, blending with the more pungent scents of the blacksmiths’ smokes. As we reached the end of the market street, the familiar sign of the Unicorn’s Couch came into view. It was basically Gex and Titan’s home now since they’d come to Aulganna. One of the few monster friendly taverns that were open to the general public. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, we were met by a warm rush of air scented with heavy spices and fresh straw. The common room was abuzz with travelers and townsfolk enjoying their evening repast.
We scanned the room and soon spotted Bel seated at what had become our table, her features were drawn tight in discomfort. Beside her sat Titan, his massive form hunched over a small wooden table that looked all but ready to surrender under his weight. His deep-set eyes watched Bel with concern.
Gex led us over, her steps quickening as she sensed Bel's unease. "What’s rotten?" she asked as she plopped down next to Titan, causing the table to groan in protest.
Bel glanced around nervously before her eyes settled on me. "It was that tailor," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "She uh, used a spell on me."
My heart twisted at her words; guilt washed over me for taking her to that tailor. I reached across to squeeze her hand gently. "Sorry," I assured her. “It wears off.”
Titan growled softly under his breath, a low rumble that spoke volumes of his anger towards anyone who threatened his friends. “If she dares show her face again,” Titan began in his gruff tone that hinted at impending storms, “she’ll find herself wishing she hadn’t.”
Gex sighed. “We could have probably gone anywhere to get a bra made,” Gex said. “Whatever those are good for. But Angel laid the groundwork yesterday when the shopkeeper was there doing her own, so it seemed smarter to just get yours done there.”
I forced a smile, though my thoughts lingered on Bel's discomfort. “You gotta believe me when I say I didn’t know. I assumed because you were an Elf she’d be normal.”
“Bel’s been labeled a monster lover,” Titan rumbled. “She’s not going to get any respect from Elves for hanging out with us.”
“Guess we’re cursed,” Gex snorted. She motioned for one of the animal people to come closer. “Strong drink and keep it coming.”
“Where do you get all your money?” I asked looking at the Orc warrior.
“Knock over bandits for a living, you collect their treasure, their gear and you get the guild reward. It’s a profitable business when you know what you’re doing.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“It also helps we save on healing since bandits are largely beneath our level.”
As the night wore on, Gex was true to her word as she kept the drinks flowing. Gex's laughter grew louder, her stories wilder, and her gestures more exaggerated. The entire inn seemed to be hanging on to her words as she told a story. Puncturing the end of her story by smashing a mug into the floor. The room erupted into cheers and calls for more. I continued to sip the fruity concoction in front of me.
Ever so slowly as Gex told her stories and we listened I could feel the room beginning to spin, even with the precautions I was taking to not drink too much it was soon spinning. I had to close my eyes and fight to keep track of things using the senses I had at my disposal. Not that listening did much good with the noise of the laughing, and the press of everyone’s bodies made smelling/tasting the air less than useful. I was stuck using the nebulous sense I didn’t fully understand, letting it draw a picture in my mind about the surrounding by using the information the other senses were providing. It was an incomplete, hazy image of the main floor of the inn, Demi-Humans coming and going leaving almost wispy traces as they passed. And the more I focused on this the harder it was to stay conscious. I leaned back against the seat, eyes closed.
Suddenly I was moving in the air, being slung over a large shoulder. I opened my eyes and regretted doing that immediately as the world was bouncing up and down. I focused on my sense of smell and taste, and could smell it was Gex, hauling me I presumed upstairs. I could hear Bel giggling behind, or maybe it was in front, the sounds were hard to make out as we went up the stairs.
A second later I was sailing through the air to land with a painful thud on a pile of blankets and the straw stuffed mattress. I groaned, opening my eyes to see both Bel and Gex standing in front of the bed naked. Bel’s body was flushed from all the liquor she’d had and Gex’s normal green skin didn’t seem out of place. A part of me realized this was going to be a terrible evening for all parties but a more primal part of me was looking forward to this.
“Well,” I slurred. “Who’s first? I can take you both.”
Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline, I let a smirk play on my lips. The last thing I remember was Gex handing me a bottle of liquor from the table by the bedside, and then everything went black as I reached my limits.
***
"Ugh, my head," I groaned as I slowly stirred awake. Blinking blearily at the dim light filtering through the curtains, I realized I was sandwiched between Gex and Bel. Which probably explained why I was so warm; I'd been leeching their body heat all night. I blinked again, noticing Gex tied to the bed with her belt.
"Did we...?" I glanced around the room, trying to piece together the hazy memories from the night before. The last thing I recalled was Gex telling stories and making sure we had unlimited drinks. She was a force to be reckoned with, and it wasn't long before Bel and I had been swept up in her enthusiasm. I thought I'd told the wench no Vodka. My head throbbed painfully. Obviously, whatever they'd given me had covered up the alcohol, making it easy to drink too much.
Why was Gex tied up? I vaguely remembered something about... a game? Bel giggling about "teaching her a lesson" and “making her feel like we had” or something? It was all fuzzy. And that last bottle from Gex's private collection was probably just straight ethanol or the like.
Shaking my head to clear away the cobwebs, I decided not to think about it too hard. Carefully extricating myself from the tangle of limbs, I grabbed my new clothing and slowly dressed. Since Gex’s hands and arms were elevated, tied to the bed by her sturdy belt I undid one so she could get out. If Bel was in the same shape I was, she’d be in next to no help to the Orc when she woke up. As quietly as possible, I tiptoed out of the room, leaving my still-slumbering bedmates behind to deal with whatever explanations were needed. And hopefully nothing that dealt with areas neither Bel or I were prepared for.
"Ah, you're finally awake!" Titan greeted me as I descended the stairs into the tavern. He looked like he was struggling to suppress a grin but wisely chose not to say anything about my disheveled state. "Ready to visit the holy center?"
"Uh, sure," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Do you mind laying on hands again?" I asked. Titan laughed, pulled the holy symbol out of his tunic, and chanted in a deep, rumbling voice. Slowly, the whole-body ache went away, not, sadly, the headache though.
He handed me his tankard.
"Uh, no thanks," I said.
"It's water," the cleric said. "It's too early for us to start drinking. We're not Orcs. Most folks here don’t drink water because we don’t have a good place to source it, this has been boiled and cleansed. Trust me, it’ll help." He gave me a gentle smile. I nodded, taking a long drink from his mug. "Come on, little devotee. We have gods to commune with."
We made our way through the city, eventually arriving at a grand temple adorned with intricate symbols and statues. The serene atmosphere immediately enveloped us as we entered a dimly lit chamber.
"Here," Titan whispered, handing me a scroll. "These are the prayers and rituals you'll need to use to initiate yourself into the priesthood. Study them well."
I nodded, taking the scroll and unrolling it carefully. The words seemed to swim before my eyes, but I forced myself to focus, determined to prove that I could handle whatever challenges this new world threw at me.
"Remember, Angel," Titan added softly. "This is just the beginning of your journey. Knowing when you have undergone a challenge too tough for your skill level is not a weakness."
"Thanks, Titan," I replied, my heart swelling with gratitude. It was comforting to know that the two strangers we'd met in this world had to be some of the kindest I'd ever met. And I didn't want to let them down. And, of course, I couldn't let Bel down either.
As we stepped into the nave of the church, I saw that dozens of icons and statutes were set up in little alcoves. "How will I know which one to sit before?" I asked Titan.
"You don't," the Minotaur said. "Sit here," he pointed to a set of cushions on a slightly raised spot. Had he not pointed them out, I would have tripped on the difference in elevation and gone sprawling. Now that I think of it, it might have been part of the god's fun to see who prostrated themselves willingly or accidentally before them. I lowered myself to the cushion, watching as Titan moved to an alcove and kneeled before what must have been his deity.
I closed my eyes and began to recite the prayers Titan had given me, focusing on each word as I whispered them into the still air. A warm, shimmering light enveloped me, shifting the chamber's atmosphere from serene to more divine.
"Hello, Angel. I’m glad to see you accepted my multiclass crystal," a gentle voice echoed in my mind. I opened my eyes to find myself standing before a majestic Dragon, its purple scales glittering with an ethereal radiance. "I am Kar, the God of fertility, humility, and loyalty."
"Wow," I breathed. It had worked! I had contacted a god! And not just any god! A Dragon god. "It's an honor to meet you, Kar."
"Likewise," the deity replied, his tone kind and warm. "You see, I'm quite new to all this, and it just so happens that you're my first worshipper in many thousands of years. More importantly, you are to become my high priest and emissary, speaking for me when it’s needed."
"Me?" I blinked in surprise. "Why the high priest?" That wasn't something I expected to hear from my prospective god.
"Because you're the first worshipper in many years," Kar continued, his form gradually becoming smaller and more innocent-looking as we spoke. "None of the other Dragon gods wanted the domains of humility and loyalty, so they bullied me into taking them. But I saw this as an opportunity to finally have some say in the world." His eyes met mine, filled with determination. "And with you, a Dragon-Kin, we can make a real difference together. Sorry for you looking like a Kobold, Angel. I only had so much input in the situation."
"What do you mean?" I asked the purple Dragon god in front of me.
"Unfortunately," Kar admitted, "I don't have the power to pull anyone from another world, let alone two people. So, I had to ask the Over Deity to pull you in when he decided we needed more heroes. I had this grand majestic form planned out for you. Twenty feet tall, wings, tail, claws."
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "Hero?" I think I was glad in this case I wasn't a twenty-foot tall, winged monster. I was already having a hard enough time getting used to being a small monster. I could see many people trying to kill me if I was bigger than Titan.
"Yeah, see, the Over Deity is supposed to pull you into the world and send you to the god who put in a request for heroes. In your case, he was supposed to send you to me. Directly. He didn't do that. He just whisked you from Earth to here and expects people to figure things out independently." The Dragon god's tone sounded slightly pouty. "It's probably because I'm such a new god he thought he could get away with it."
The Dragon waved a purple hand, and comfy chairs with a gentle fire appeared before us. The smell reminded me of winter back in New York. "We have a lot to discuss, I'm afraid."
I sat in the chair, watching as he did the same. It was like sitting across from a winged Great Dane as he moved to sit, all four feet on the chair.
"Dragons, despite being apex monsters, are too individualistic to start families and expand their populations. They prefer to establish dominance over areas and rule them based on whims. Since Dragons don't procreate often, their numbers don't fluctuate much. They have hordes of Kobolds for numbers. Not much of a use for a fertility god if your population doesn't listen to you, so I've decided to create a new race of Dragon-Kin," Kar continued. "You, Angel, will be the first and the mother of all Dragon-Kin going forward."
"Wait, what?" I blurted out, my disbelief momentarily overcoming my reverence for the divine presence before me. The thought of being the mother of an entire race of creatures was overwhelming, to say the least. "I can't… we're both women! And I'm just starting college! And why isn't Bel also a Dragon-Kin?"
"Oh, are those important?" Kar asked, tilting his massive head. "The female thing isn't a problem at all. And normally, the gods don't take couples, you know; they say it causes many problems when two people who know each other are transported to this world. And as to why she's an Elf, it was the Elven gods' turn after mine. Otherwise she'd have been a Dragon-Kin too, but they tend to not care about their heroes and abandon them even before they get here most times. They agreed to bring her along if they could go back to what they were doing and that she wasn't a monster. So, here she is as an Elf. Small favors, right? I did make sure she'd keep her book smarts. I got that she was very proud of how intelligent she was in your world."
He grinned, a sort of reptilian smirk that showed he was very pleased with himself. "Oh, and before I forget, I need to add a special skill to your sheet. Lineage Seeding."
He clacked his teeth and there was a flash. I felt something shift inside me, like a new door had opened in my mind, or maybe a new file had been installed in whatever weird game system ran my body now.
"There!" Kar said brightly. "Now you can take essence from those you trust, your girlfriend, your companions, and create crystalline eggs. Each one will spawn Dragon-Kin with different traits based on whose essence you've combined with yours. Belladonna's essence would create clever, magically-gifted Dragon-Kin. That Orc friend of yours? Strong warrior types. Your Minotaur companion? Holy knights, probably, he’s a little hard to pin down. But I’m pretty clever, right?"
"Wait, what do you mean by 'essence'?" I asked nervously, my tail curling around the chair leg.
"Oh, you know, a bit of blood, a scale, some hair. Maybe spit if you're feeling lazy about it." He waved a claw dismissively. "The magic does the rest. You just focus on the egg forming, and boom! Crystalline egg ready to hatch Dragon-Kin." He paused, his expression turning slightly more serious. "Oh, but it won't work if you're too low level. I'd recommend getting to at least Rank A before you try. Your body needs to be strong enough to channel that much essence and magic. Wouldn't want you burning yourself out."
"Rank A," I repeated weakly. That sounded very far away from my current Rank F.
"Yes, yes. And of course, you'll need a proper place to nurture the eggs once you create them," Kar continued, as if he were discussing gardening rather than spawning an entire race. "Somewhere with concentrated magical energy. A dungeon would be ideal, lots of ambient mana to feed the eggs as they develop and hatch. The Dragon-Kin would spawn from the dungeon itself, really. The eggs just provide the templates." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "But shhh, don't tell the other gods. I might get in trouble for bending the rules this much."
Yep, the gods of this world definitely didn't think like the ones from Earth. Or like anyone from Earth, for that matter.
I sank further into the chair, rubbing my temples. "So, why were we summoned? Does that mean we're not in a video game?" I asked, trying to process everything. Crystal eggs? Essence? Was I supposed to just... create them and then put them in a dungeon like some kind of monster spawner? Where was I supposed to get a dungeon? This entire ordeal was making me think I should have asked Titan to just put in a good word with his goddess for me.
"Oh, right," the god said with a smile. "That’s a bit complicated,” Kar said, smile fading a bit. “So please bear with me for a moment.”
He waved his hand and a small stage appeared to our side. “Before in the days of youth, the gods were young and rejoiced and frolicked with each other. The time was known as the mythic era. And like most good things it had to come to an end. The Primordials. We’re not really sure what they started out as or where they came from. But the Elven Gods, the ten of them decided to head the problem off themselves, taking their Emperyon servants,” Kar looked at me. “Those were the pre-Elven heroes basically. They did their job, they destroyed the Primoridal but we couldn’t really fix all the damage to world.”
I nodded, not fully understanding this.
“The remaining five Elven gods, renamed themselves the Divine Council and then pushed their followers to start a conflict with the rest of the peoples and creatures and they were powerful. The Dwarves were able to match them but neither side could really gain an advantage over either. And our world would have been like that for the foreseeable future until the Humans broke the tie, forcing the stalemate. That was called the Elder Wars and in the concession to end the war we got the current species ranking system.”
“Still not seeing why I’m here, Mr. God.”
“I’m getting there,” he huffed. “With the Elder Wars at an end came the age of heroes, your age.” The Dragon god smiled. “Heroes are born in our world, but very rarely, so we put in requests from other worlds for champions for important missions and to handle things that the Elders can’t, as nations, handle. We cycle through the various gods to handle things. And lately we’ve had things testing at the barriers of our universe from somewhere else. We call them Demons. They have been coming into the world in very small numbers. We fear there is going to be a major incursion coming and so, when the Dragons got a chance to choose the next hero I was forward thinking enough to start planning.”
"How long has this been going on?" I asked.
The purple Dragon seemed to consider this for several moments. "We’ve had seven rotations, I believe. You're number eight."
"So, what? You’re hoping I’m going to be able to do something about this? Save an entire planet?"
"It takes a long time for the Demons to open the cracks enough to slip through,” Kar explained. “So for the most part we’re able to keep large numbers out. And for many years, we have tried pushing our followers to develop without heroes, raising the overall population to be much more powerful, and it's not going well. We've made it through all the pantheons.”
The Dragon god sighed. “Part of the problem is certain pantheon’s are to insulated and don’t care and when it came to us Dragons, they didn't care because we’ve always been the most powerful monsters, and the Demons tend to leave our children alone. They were about to pass it on to the elves when I approached the Overdiety asking for the responsibility. I advocated to be your chaperon, so to speak, and to create the next hero to be designed by that Pantheon. Since I didn't have any feedback from my family, I went with what I thought would be good. I saw you knew some of those fancy martial arts from your world and fed into that, and I wanted to give you as many chances as possible. I think the Over Deity is getting tired and rather liked my egg idea to raise the general world’s population. We really suffered a blow losing the Elven’s Emperyons"
"So you’re hoping what?" I ask. “That I come in and wreck house, become super powerful and start popping out babies that are as powerful as I am? Basically birthing many hero level people?
"Exactly! I knew you were smart."
"Do I have much choice in this?"
"Not at all," Kar said happily. "Oh, before I forget." He waved his tail in an intricate pattern, and a golden symbol on a string appeared in my hand. "Your symbol. Hold that, and you can call on me to cast spells."
"What sort of spells?" I asked, eyeing the fertility god. My mind told me off the bat I wouldn’t really enjoy using any of them. Last I needed was to make people horny.
He shrugged. "I'm not really too particular; just don't hurt anyone with them. So, healing spells, probably stuff to heat the area when cold, spells to soothe. Like I said, I've not had a priest in a long time, so I've forgotten some of the finer details of these conversations."
"Oh, I'm sure Titan would love to hear that," I mumbled. “Any chance I can get this holy symbol on my palm instead of carrying around a pendant on a string? I should probably keep a low profile.”
Kar’s eyes lit up as if I’d hit on some grand idea. “Of course I’ll do both! That way when you need a badge of office you’ll always have it.” He waved a hand and on my right hand I felt a tingling, when I looked at the palm his symbol was there perfectly etched into it.
"Sadly, we only have so much time. So, I need to send you back. But don't be too long, my child," Kar said happily. "We're going to be ever so busy after you defeat the Demons."
I ended my prayer session, still reeling from the revelations Kar had shared with me. As I opened my eyes, Titan stood over me, his concerned gaze meeting mine. "How did it go, Angel?" he asked gently. I could hear Titan talking but I was looking internally at my dojo and seeing that the second of the three trophy cases now had a plaque. Two down, one more to go. I opened an eye to see Titan was sitting beside me. He looked like he’d been there awhile.
"Um, well, my god is the Dragon God of Loyalty," I replied, deciding it was best not to share the part about being chosen as the mother of a whole new race just yet. I needed time to process it myself before explaining it to my friends. And how was I supposed to tell them that this was essentially a suicide mission? The gods had tried seven previous times to end these Demon incursions, and here I was, lucky number eight to the rescue.
"Ah, loyalty is admirable," Titan commented, nodding approvingly.
"So, how do you commune with your goddess and what does she expect of you?"
"Every morning, I pray to her for guidance and instructions," he explained. "Then, at the end of the day, I offer my thanks and ask how well I performed in carrying out her wishes." He smiled warmly at me, adding, "You'll have to find your own schedule for when your deity will want to speak with you. And generally, as long as you’re adhering to the core belief your deity doesn’t get mad."
"Kar," I said. "Based on his eagerness, it's probably going to be as much as he can," I muttered, half to myself. Titan chuckled at this.
“I don’t know anything about the Dragon gods, and we’re not likely to find much more information here,” Titan said. “Still, we can ask any of the chroniclers to see what they know and to check records.”
We moved from chronicler to chronicler, asking questions about the Dragon Gods and all we received was a name of 9 deities, Kar was not on the list. Which based on him saying he was bullied probably meant he wasn’t even up for consideration with his siblings. The Dragon Gods only appeared whenever they seemed to clash with another god otherwise they seemed to stick to themselves. There was no real information to guide anyone on them, so to find that one had selected a mere monster to be worshiped was news worth recording.
In the blink of an eye my morning vanished as I sat before five Humans all dressed in long brown robes as they chronicled and asked questions about Kar, Dragon god of loyalty. I showed them my holy symbol that I’d been gifted with and tried to make our conversation sound much more glamorous and awe inspiring than it had been. I didn’t mention at all the comments about Demonic war and the starting a new race. I had even bit my tongue multiple times when I was continually referred to as a Kobold. I was starting to learn that was not something going away anytime soon.
Finally, the questions ended, and the monks went about their business to create lore or whatever it was they were tasked with and a solemn glance at Titan showed me that we both agreed that it was time to head back to the inn to see if Gex and Bel had woken up and escaped the predicament we had found ourselves in last night. It was nearing midday at this point. With any luck, the two of them would have trekked to the Adventurer's Guild to get us a quest to complete.
As we left the temple, I couldn't shake off a tingle of anticipation mixed with a dollop of dread. Being the high priest and the emissary of a Dragon god was cool, but it was also overwhelming. I hadn't been the most religious when I was back in New York, and here, I was supposed to act holy. Who wouldn't be overwhelmed?
We made our way through the bustling streets of Aulganna, weaving through merchants hawking exotic spices and performers captivating onlookers with daring feats. The clamor of the city felt oddly comforting after the intense revelations of the temple.
"Hey Angel, you seem distant since the temple," Titan noted, watching me closely. His bovine eyes always had a way of seeing straight through people.
"Just processing everything, Titan. It's like one minute I'm figuring out my class skills, and the next I'm drafted into some cosmic battle with Demons," I admitted, kicking a pebble along the cobblestone path.
Titan stopped dead in his tracks. "Battle Demons?" he asked.
I cursed and stopped, turning to look up at the big man. "Uh, yeah, Kar pulled me and Bel from our home to help with some pretty major battles coming up."
The big man sighed, shaking his shaggy head. "My goddess has asked that I begin looking into Demons. It would stand that the gods would communicate with their faithful servants," he said. "Did Kar give any hints?"
"None," I admitted. I didn't want to tell Titan this wasn't the first time they'd try this. I'd leave that to his goddess. It made me wonder if my planet's tales of ancient heroes weren't similar. Gods calling in people from other worlds to be heroes and fight nebulous evil things. But it did leave the question of why they didn't intercede directly against these invaders.
Titan chuckled softly, his deep voice soothing my nerves. "Life here is full of surprises. You learn to expect the unexpected." He reached down, rubbing the spot between my horns. "We should probably not tell Gex we will be fighting Demons in the future. She's liable to get too worked up. Orcs love a good fight, and Demons are supposed to be an excellent chance for adventurers to level up."
"Yeah, good idea," I agreed. “It’s not like Kar said when they’d be showing up, just that they have minor incursions.” As we walked I realized I’d talked about Kar, but I still didn’t really know who his goddess was. I knew her title, but I didn’t know her name or anything besides she was into protection and heavy armor. “So, tell me about your goddess, Big Guy,” I said.
“Happy to,” the Minotaur said, he offered his hand to me. I hesitantly took it and a second later I was sitting on his shoulders.
“Wow, I feel so tall!”
“I can cover more ground if you’re on my shoulders,” he said. He started walking at a more natural pace for him, seeming to move randomly through the busy city. “So, The Goddess of Protection, she’s a Human god. She sees beings for their merit and accepts them into her church.” He picked his way through a throng of people. “I just need to make sure to keep my friends and companions safe. Pretty easy since it’s been Gex and me for the last few years. No one else wants to team up full time with a pair of monsters. Despite my symbol indicating I’m a cleric of protection. She’s more focused on the role of protector in combat and leaves other healing matters to her brother, God of Healing.”
“Not really imaginative names,” I said.
“You’d think that,” Titan said, grinning. “But we’re forbidden from calling most gods by their actual names. It’s a sign of disrespect when you call a deity by their name. Your god is an outsider in this case. Normally he’d be referred to as The Dragon God of Loyalty. Only the emissaries who speak directly for the gods and commune with them can call them by their names.”
And I was already messing up, I couldn’t tell Titan I was also Kar’s voice on this planet. I didn’t think many people were going to listen to a monster they were calling a Kobold as the divine voice of a god. A god who wasn’t on the records until today. But baby steps, that was for future me to worry about.
As we approached the inn, I spotted Bel and Gex sitting at a small outdoor table. They were animatedly talking to each other, and from this distance, I could only guess they were planning something. Bel looked up and waved energetically when she saw us, her blonde hair catching the sun in streaks of gold. She had a glass of wine in her hand already. We’d been here only a little time, and we were already becoming casual alcoholics. Our parents probably wouldn’t approve. As we approached closer Titan slid me to the ground easily.
"Look who's finally emerged from their divine conference," Gex teased as we approached. The Orc's grin was infectious, and I couldn't help but smile back despite the turmoil inside. “Let’s see it,” she said.
Bel's blue eyes searched mine, always so perceptive. "Everything okay?" she asked quietly as Titan greeted Gex with a hearty pat on the back.
"Uh, yeah," I stuttered, then sighed. "No, not really. It's complicated." Bel nodded knowingly, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine.
"Let's hear it then," Gex chimed in, pulling up two more chairs for me and Titan. Her enthusiasm was palpable; I guessed nothing thrilled her more than discussing potential quests or, apparently now, deep ontological crises.
"I'd rather not, not right now. I'm still wrapping my head around talking directly to a god." I pulled my holy symbol out and showed it to them. “But here it is, my proof of office, I guess. Just like the big guy I’m a bona fide healer type.”
Bel squeezed my hand tightly. "You can tell us when you're ready," she affirmed. "So, in the meantime," she said, changing the subject, "Gex and I found a way to bypass that snooty old Mage’s Guild.” She stopped herself from sticking out her tongue as she talked. “They can threaten to take away our resources, but they can’t take away my job crystal without killing me.” She looked at Gex. “I think.”
“There’s stories of folks who have lost their job class, but that’s generally only through divine retribution and stuff,” Gex said. “And I’d be more willing to believe if it Titan said it. And I guess you too, Scaly Butt. You’re a priest now, right?”
“High Priest,” I corrected.
“You didn’t mention that,” Titan murmured as he slid down into his seat heavily. “I guess I should refer to you as ma’am.”
Bel and Gex looked at one another. “Why are you a high priest?”
“Uh, my deity is Kar, the Dragon god of,” I hesitated slightly. “Loyalty. So, to show his support to how loyal I am. He made me his high priest and his voice in the world.”
Titan was staring at me wide eyed. He quickly picked up his holy symbol and started to pray, closing his eyes as he did so. I assumed for forgiveness for being rude by referring to a god by their name. “Sorry, Titan,” I apologized. “Where Bel and I are from there’s a whole lot of red tape to become a priest and a lot of work to rank up in the church.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure Kar will forgive you for any slipups that I committed by not fully understanding my role.”
The big man continued mumbling for a few more seconds, nodded his head and smiled. “I hope you’re right.”
“Anyway, High Priest,” Gex said. “So, your girl here is pretty smart.” She wrapped a massive arm around Bel’s thinner frame, hauling her into her body. “Your lovely lady here thought about going to the Thieves’ Guild to get some information. And there’s a bunch of mages outside of town that aren’t well liked by the Mage’s Guild. Necromancers and the like. So, they did what our buddy Fist did, and created their own job crystals, or something. The logic was over my head.”
“You want me to go become a necromancer?” I asked.
“They’re like priests,” Gex said, innocently. “They’re just late. And besides, they help keep the world clean by taking care of those rogue corpses.”
“No,” I said. “I am not controlling an army of undead.”
“I’m afraid I’m with Angel on this one,” Titan said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “We’re priests, we’re supposed to guard life.”
“They’re not all necromancers,” Bel said. “That was just the only class that gets thrown around in the Thieves’ Guild. We figured we’d eat a good meal and then head out that way. There’s also supposed to be some sort of skill cultivator that we can meet there.”
“Steelweaver?” I asked.
“Naw, someone named Crystaldropplet or something like that,” Bel said. “It was a weird name. But they’re supposed to be like Steelweaver.”
“Guess we should get some food,” Titan said, putting his hands on the table. “By the way, Angel,” he said with a smile. “You should be able to cleanse water.”
“Oh, thank god,” I said. “I don’t know if I can keep waking up with hangovers.” I grinned at Gex. “And I bet I can ask Kar for a sobriety spell.”
“Sort of takes the fun out of drinking,” the Orc said. “But you’re welcome to see who taps out first. Kar or my purse. I’m betting my purse wins that round.”
