Somewhere in the Skies North of Primus

  Rose Valcrest was clinging to him. This would have been an extremely pleasant sensation, if she wasn’t also shivering in fear. Drake had pictured this going more like it had in How to Train Your Dragon, but alas, there was no stirring instrumental string music, flying through clouds made one unpleasantly damp, and Rose was too terrified to open her eyes for very long.

  “Are we there yet…?” She asked for the eighth time since they’d taken off, just five minutes earlier.

  Drake guided Falkor higher, and she clung to him tighter, then, with their new mental bond that, most of the time, did not even require words he had the dragon find a warm breeze, and just glide for a while. “Rose.” Him saying her name made her look up from where she’d buried her head against him. “You should see this. Not many people get to.” The view, of course, was spectacular. Even more so than it would’ve been on Earth, since the leylines lit up the clouds with a whole rainbow of colors, not just gold.

  “I-I’m fine…I’m just…really not meant for flying.” She murmured, trying to curl up again, but he didn’t let her.

  “I’m not going to let you fall. Falkor won’t either. Just look, please? For me?” She made a face at him, but sighed and carefully turned around in the new saddle they’d gotten that could safely seat two people. The man who’d made it had been terrified of Falkor at first, but like everyone else, eventually calmed down.

  The dragon had been very patient with the people of Arcadia, but seeing them so terrified of him, did hurt his feelings. He was used to people liking his Goldendoodle face, but now he had fangs and claws and wings. Thus, Drake wanted to get them away from Primus for the weekend. Apparently, Galdurath had a forge up in Eldarheim that Laurelin had said Drake could use, so long as he kept it orderly, and she was ecstatic to actually meet Rose. Rose, for her part, still hadn’t fully processed that she was going to meet and stay with a Goddess, since she’d immediately disliked flying, and fear had dominated her thoughts.

  Even now, despite facing forward in the saddle, she was covering her eyes. Gently, Drake wrapped his arms around her, and had her lean back against him, but she was stiff as a board with fear. “Don’t think about the ground, just take in some fresh non-city air…and enjoy that view.”

  Slowly, she raised her head, and then looked back down, tiny hands covering her face. “Nopenopenope. Too high. I can’t, Drake, I’ll fall or puke or…”

  “I’m fine with you puking on me, Rose…I just want you to see this. Just take a deep breath, lean back, and take it all in.” She leaned back against him, but kept her eyes covered. Very gently, he took her hands in his, and then whispered in her ear. “Seriously, you’re going to regret not seeing this…”

  Slowly, hesitantly, she peeked out, and then all at once her eyes went wide. “Oh…”

  Falkor looked back at her, and smirked knowingly as he spoke to her. “I will not let you fall.” She smiled at him and patted his neck, eyes wide at the kingdom of colored clouds before them.

  “Alright…” She admitted, “Maybe flying isn’t that bad. This is…wow.”

  Drake smirked knowingly as well, his expression mirroring his dragon’s. He kinda wanted to yank her off the saddle and fly with her himself, but the poor girl was still shaken. Maybe on the ride back, after she and Falkor had gotten in some practice on their own, while he punched through his mountain of ores. He’d offered smithing upgrades to both classes upon finally exiting the Wallow, but Class One had claimed they were once again rivals, and just left. Everyone in Class Seven though, except for Leif, had been more than happy to have the overpowered Monk Blacksmith have a look at their stuff, especially when they heard he’d be doing his forging in Eldarheim.

  “You think this is a view…just wait until you see Eldarheim…” He nudged Falkor again, and his scaly friend brought them down slowly without so much as a bump as his large white wings carved through the air, and once again, Drake smirked as he heard Rose gasp in awe. Leylines swirled around the magnificent white stone fortress, above which was the best view of the rainbow colored nebula on the entire planet.

  Rose leaned back against Drake, seemingly more at ease. “It…feels like I’ve been here before, somehow…but I definitely haven’t…”

  Drake chuckled. “Not in this life, no…but in past ones, probably. All Arcadian souls come here to be reborn, as I understand it.”

  Rose glanced back at him, cheeks darkening slightly. “If I fell in one of our battles…would you find my soul again? Would you wait for me?”

  Drake nuzzled her. “You’re not going to fall. But if you did…I’d carry you here myself…and figure out where you were reborn. Then, I’d just have to wait a decade or two…but yes. I would try finding you again.”

  Rose waited a beat, then smirked and said, “Even if I came back as a guy?”

  Drake pondered for a moment, then nodded. “I don’t know if I could still be as…y’know, romantically attracted…I could try, I guess…but we would absolutely be best friends. I’d teach you my Monk ways.” He smirked, as that made her giggle.

  Rose seemed properly in awe as Falkor landed within the fortress’s curtain wall, that extended quite far behind it, several acres at least, and had been the backdrop for the family photos Drake had seen of the Gods, and a young Dagorion the last time he'd been here. Drake removed the saddle from Falkor and chatted with him about how they could make it more comfortable for him. Then, he turned, as he heard Rose gasp again. Striding across the idyllic green fields towards them was the Goddess Laurelin, radiant and beautiful as ever, once more in her blue, white, and golden dress that seemed to be her casual default outfit.

  Rose, understandably, panicked, and tried to scurry behind Falkor, but Drake snagged her hand before she could. “You look fantastic. Just talk to her like anyone else.”

  “But she’s Not anyone else!” Rose hissed.

  Laurelin was smirking lightly, obviously hearing them, as she strode closer. “Welcome back, my Hero. And this must be the Rose that has so captivated you. Be welcome here, Rose Valcrest. I've had the pleasure of hosting many members of your family over the years.”

  Years of training took over, as Rose bowed, deeply. “I-It’s an honor, Goddess Laurelin. I-I… I’m sorry, it’s just… a lot.”

  Laurelin nodded in understanding, but moved forward to take Rose’s hands in hers. “I understand, child. There have been many firsts, this day. First flight, first meeting with a Deity…but you are very welcome in this place. Be at ease.” And with a little divine calming, she was. With a teasing smile to Drake, she said, “You told me she was lovely, but I do believe you undersold her, Drake.”

  Drake shrugged, then smoothly added, “I haven’t the words in Common or Dovah Zul to accurately describe her…but I did translate some Elvish before we left…” He met Rose’s eyes then, and in her people’s tongue, compared her beauty to the rainbow nebula above them. Her cheeks darkened, which was what he was after.

  “Y-you’re both too kind…” Rose managed, very close to just fainting from…all of it.

  Laurelin smiled at them. “You two must be hungry. My Galdurath will be joining us tonight. I’ve made a feast for you two, I do hope you’ll enjoy it.”

  Rose blinked several times, in disbelief. The Goddess of her world…made dinner for her. And her boyfriend. And her God husband, Lord of Magic and architect of the very leylines that swirled above them even now, would be joining them. She gulped, and took Drake’s hand again. Seeing Rose was having a moment, Drake said, “Thank you, Goddess. I have some food from our Class in the Bag of Holding you should both try, if it pleases you. I know my peers would flip to hear how the Gods of their people liked their cooking.”

  Laurelin chuckled. “Galdurath may not eat much…he rarely does these days, but I will sample them. Come. I’ll show you to your room for the weekend, and let you settle in before we dine. Everything should be ready, by then.”

  Rose was still awestruck, so much so that until they made their way into the God’s living area, further increasing her awe, she didn’t realize the Goddess had said ‘room’, as in one for both of them, until they entered, and she left them alone. The room was very much a spare, though not a speck of dust covered it. A bookcase with a comfortable chair was in one corner, as well as a desk that looked to have been barely, if ever, used. The bed was wide and ornate, and more than large enough for two teenagers to sleep separately and comfortably.

  Drake, oblivious to Rose’s darkening cheeks, sighed, and tossed his school jacket on the desk chair, and then changed into his ‘monk armor’, completely heedless of Rose’s presence. His undergarments were rather long and baggy though, practically shorts themselves, so he didn’t think it mattered. He stretched his limbs then, with satisfying cracks. The trip over had taken about two hours, most of which had been spent tensely trying to get Rose to chill. Turning to glance at her, he blinked. “I can uhh…use the bathroom, if you want to change.”

  Rose, still dazed by the divine hospitality, had just let herself be led into the room. She'd barely taken in the bookshelves, the desk, the pristine surroundings, before her gaze landed on the bed. She hadn't even noticed him change. She blinked. Once. Twice. Then the realization hit like a thunderbolt. “The bed!” Rose squeaked, which caused Drake to chucklesnort. She coughed, and then composed herself, cheeks still crimson as her namesake. “There’s…only one bed, Drake…how…how are we to sleep?”

  Drake raised an eyebrow. “Well, usually one lies down, pulls up the covers, and then…drifts off to dreamland. So…like we usually do?”

  “Wh- bu- it’s…not proper!” She said, confused by his nonchalant attitude.

  He shrugged, but let the hurt show on his face. “Look, Rose, I wasn’t intending to uhh…do anything…I mean it’s more than big enough for us to never touch…if that’s what you want. I think uhh…the Goddess assumed we were further along than we are, in that regard.” His own cheeks started burning, but he shook his head, and regained his composure. “I can get a different room if yo-”

  “No!” She said abruptly, cheeks somehow turning even more crimson. “It’s fine, it's just…I’ve never…slept with a boy before…”

  Drake smirked, and nodded, walking over to her. He took her hands again. “If all you desire is sleep, then that’s all we’ll do. I have no expectations…but…if you’re as serious about…this…as I am, we are going to have to get used to sleeping next to each other.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Whatever makes you most comfortable, even if that means me on the edge of my side, with no blankets, that’s what I’ll do.”

  Rose smirked up at him. “I guess I could share some blankets…”

  Drake smirked back at her. “How generous…I’m going to use the bathroom now. You should get ready.” She nodded, and he went to do his business. The bathroom was not unlike those at the Academy, with a shower, sink, and magic toilet. He went extra slowly, since he knew how women got when it came to changing, but after eight minutes by his count, he knocked on the door to the room. “Are uhh…are you ready, Rose?”

  “Yes. You can come out.” She answered.

  Drake emerged to see Rose in a dress that stole the words from his mouth for a moment and made his eyes widen. Her dress this time was green and gold, but in the style of the one she’d worn on their dinner date. Entirely on purpose, judging by that pleased, coy smile of hers, she’d left herself unzipped in the back so she could tease him, and push the cleavage on display even higher. “Zip me up?” She asked innocently, and Drake nodded, once his brain started processing again.

  Rose turned to face him once he had, and like a magnet he found his face drifting towards hers, that is, until Laurelin’s voice reached them. “Drake! Rose! Everything is readyyy~”

  Rose smirked, and put a finger on his lips. “To be continued, handsome.” She left then, striding gracefully out the door without waiting for him. Their room got several degrees hotter, as Drake had to expel his inner heat again to keep from sweating. It seemed someone had, within eight minutes, found her confidence again.

  The dining hall of Eldarheim was nothing like the grand banquet halls of mortal kings. It was large, but there was no ostentatious display of golden cutlery, no endless stretch of tables meant to seat hundreds in cold, detached luxury. Instead, it was warm, filled with the comforting glow of arcane candles that lit the interior now that night had arrived. The long dining table, carved from a single ancient tree, bore the weight of the evening’s feast with effortless grace. Runes glowed faintly along its edges, keeping the food warm and fresh no matter how much time passed. The air carried the scents of roasting meats, spiced wines, and the unmistakable aroma of fresh bread still steaming from the oven.

  At the center of the table sat a golden loaf of braided bread, its crust glistening with some sort of oil. Small wooden bowls held an array of spreads meant to complement its flavor. There was spiced honey butter, thick and golden, infused with hints of cinnamon and orange zest. A deep violet preserve, made from elven berries, shimmered faintly under the candlelight. A third bowl contained a creamy mixture of roasted hazelnuts and mead, the scent alone enough to promise indulgence.

  Beyond the bread lay the heartier dishes, each prepared with a level of care that could only come from hands that had mastered their craft. A haunch of meat, slow-roasted until the meat nearly fell apart at the touch, gleamed atop a large plate, where Galdurath, the God of magic himself, was slicing it into manageable but generous portions.

  The side dishes were no less divine. A medley of root vegetables, coated in an elven maple reduction, sat beside a bowl of wild mushroom risotto. A fresh-picked green salad, dotted with slices of fruits and vegetables Drake didn’t recognize, had been laced with ethereal nectar that heightened the natural sweetness of the dish.

  At one end of the table, wooden boards displayed a selection of cheeses. Crystal goblets stood beside each plate, filled with wines and meads that had been crafted with the same care as the food. Some were deep and rich, dark reds meant to complement the weight of the roasted meats. Others were pale gold, light and floral, chosen to refresh the palate between bites. No matter the choice, the glass always remained at the perfect temperature, as though responding to the drinker’s unspoken desire.

  Desserts had been placed toward the far end of the table, awaiting those with enough room left to indulge. Small honey cakes, layered with spiced fig preserves, rested on delicate floating silver trays, their tops dusted with powdered sugar that caught the candlelight. Dark chocolate tarts sat beside them, their centers filled with enchanted raspberry liqueur that shifted subtly in taste with each bite. A final dish, ethereal citrus sorbet, had been served in bowls carved from ice that never melted, the cold sweetness cleansing the palate with each spoonful.

  Drake and Rose stared, this time equal in their awe. “Wow…Goddess, you didn’t have to…do all this…but thank you.”

  Laurelin waved a hand, already into her cup of…some sort of sparkling golden liquid. “It was no trouble Drake, really. Galdurath conjured most of it.” Drake thanked him as well, and the white haired God of Magic inclined his head. Laurelin continued, “Besides, our Dagorion never brought a Lady home, and we’ve hosted Rose’s parents before. Only the best, for our beloved guests.”

  Laurelin gestured to plates and silverware, and Drake took that to mean he would be getting his meal himself, and he did so without complaint, passing one to Rose as well. Once they were seated, Rose frowned at his choices, mostly cheese, a loaf of bread split in half, some root vegetables that looked vaguely like carrots, and what he knew to be popotoes, and a piece of the meaty haunch. “No salad? Not many vegetables either, I see.”

  Drake snorted lightly. “Muscles don’t run well on leaves. I’ve never really cared for salads.”

  “Hmm.” Rose said, still frowning at him. “Well, my people are primarily vegetarians, and even conjured meat is…frowned upon.”

  Drake groaned inwardly. That meant every time he ate with her family, it would be an unsatisfying meal of greens, grains, and probably fungi. He didn’t care for eating leaves, since he considered that to be what actual food ate, grains were usually fine, when processed and cooked enough, and he disliked fungi on principle. Nothing that grew in damp, dark places was meant to be eaten by beings like him. “I’ll manage on bread and popotoes, I suppose…but why would they have a problem with conjured meat?”

  Galdurath cut in, mercifully saving him from the displeased expression on Rose’s face. “Conjuring foodstuffs is not as simple as you assume, Drake Long. The food must come from somewhere, it is not simply magic reconfigured to look and taste like meat. But the Elves have long since mastered the art of harvesting it properly, and honoring the animal from whence it comes, as they did with our meal tonight. Rose is correct though, the Elves of Arcathis largely prefer vegetarian diets, and always have.” Drake sighed softly, and, having finished cutting his piece of meat into smaller bites, shoved one in his mouth. His eyes widened, as it was, indeed, masterfully prepared. Seeing he wasn’t going to contribute, Galdurath continued smoothly, “How is your Lord father, Rose? I’m afraid we find little time to speak of late.”

  It was Rose’s turn to sigh. “He’s quite busy. Arcadia’s population grows ever larger, and the Triarchy is struggling to keep up. I’m sure he doesn’t mean to ignore you, Lord Galdurath.”

  The God of Magic nodded. “Perhaps Drake could assist him in that. The people of his world were quite adept at storing massive quantities of information.”

  Drake blinked, and swallowed. “What…you mean like…a computer? You want me to craft a computer for the Triarchy?”

  Galdurath gave him a knowing smirk. “It would go far in earning the gratitude of your Lady’s father, and free up his time to spend with her. I believe her mother would be quite grateful as well.”

  Drake nodded. “A-alright…I’ll uhh…I’ll see what I can do. I’ve got almost two hundred Intelligence, how hard could crafting a computer be…” He was being sarcastic of course, since he knew full well he’d need to create memory banks to store a planet’s worth of data, an entire network, as Rose’s father would not and could not be the only one entering said data, along with all the other various components such a setup would require. “Y’know, if I didn’t have to pay for every year of tuition, I could get that done a Lot faster…”

  Galdurath’s smirk widened. “You will manage, I’m sure. You’ve already acquired what you need for tuition and textbooks, and your Blacksmithing will give you more than enough currency.”

  Drake frowned. “I’m not sure…Blacksmithing is definitely fun, but…maybe, what was it called, Weaver? Maybe making clothes that everyone, mages and regular citizens alike can afford, would be better.”

  Galdurath shook his head. “If you want Gil, Blacksmithing will get you the most. The lower castes barely pay anything for their clothes, by comparison, because they barely make any money.” Seeing Drake continue to frown, Galdurath smirked again. “Of course…if you feel that’s not enough, you could aim to become an Omnicrafter.”

  Rose’s eyes went wide, and Laurelin gave her husband a look. Noting their reactions, Drake said, “Omni…crafter? What would that entail, and why would I bother, if Blacksmithing makes the most?”

  Galdurath went full Instructor, as he said, “Reaching level thirty in each of the crafting Jobs in our world, unlocks Omnicrafting, helpfully combining them all together into a single Job. They also have unique skills and can use pretty much every material they find to craft something that will raise their level. It would also greatly ease the difficulty of making things like microchips and complex wiring, which I will tell you now, are too finesse-focused to be classified under Blacksmithing. You'd have to rely on your tools, and your natural Dexterity. Not impossible, but not practical, either. Omnicrafting allows the crafter to make whatever their mind can conjure, provided they know and understand the components it's made of, and how they interact.”

  Drake pondered the God of Magic’s words. They had merit. Being able to use everything from a Dungeon run, a Bag of Holding’s worth of loot, was very appealing, and would solve his Gil problem. It would also allow him to give the lower castes things like free clothes and weapons to defend themselves, with materials he didn’t need, but crafted anyway, to raise his level. And, of course, technology would also likely work much easier if he had the associated skills with Omnicrafting to create it with. There was a lot of wire rolling in his future, otherwise. By hand. “What other Jobs would I have to learn?”

  Galdurath grinned, glad that Drake saw the sense in his idea. “In our world, Blacksmithing is the umbrella term for anything relating to metalwork, including armor, weapons, and things like jewelry and amulets. Carpenters, as you might expect, work with wood and glass, among other materials, to build things like furniture, windows, and even entire houses. Weavers are responsible for basic clothes, and clothes for high level Sorcerers, Wizards, and now Monks as well. Leatherworkers, as the name implies, create medium armor, bags, capes, cloaks, anything you would normally make with leather, obviously. Alchemists are the ones who make things like Mana and Health Potions, though that is by no means their only craft, it’s what makes the most Gil, enough to easily rival any Blacksmith, and last but by no means least, our Culinarians, who cook our food and keep us fed.” Galdurath’s eyes were alight with possibility. “Given your unique Class, I believe you could find a way to make use of it, and your Ki, in all of these Jobs, and with your experience Buff, reaching thirty in each would be quite easy.”

  Drake nodded, seeing his point. “So…since my Blacksmithing is thirty five already, you’re suggesting I raise all the others, and then raise my Omnicrafting from there.”

  Galdurath nodded, and sipped his wine. “I will also mention, leveling Omnicrafting gives Class experience equivalent to ranking up all six Jobs.”

  Drake smirked. That, was the kind of thing that made the grind worth it. That, combined with being able to use essentially everything to craft with, sold him on the time and effort it would no doubt take to achieve. “I’m in. I take it you have facilities here for each job?”

  Galdurath nodded. “I do. My forge is what the Mortals would call an Omniforge. I was hoping you would take my suggestion, and make full use of it.” His eyes were gleaming. “I am quite interested to see the things you will make, Drake Long.”

  Laurelin chimed in then, as the boys went back and forth. “You’re forgetting the downsides, dear.” Galdurath gave her a look.

  Drake raised a brow. “Downsides? To being able to craft anything with every material I find?”

  Laurelin nodded. “There’s a reason most people don’t do this, Drake. With your gifts you’ll be able to reach the threshold quickly, but Omnicrafters…have been known to go mad from the sheer amount of things they can craft. Often, they’ll try to craft one thing, and get lost in gathering the materials for another thing, a component usually, of what they ultimately, originally, wanted to make. It is a slow, time-consuming process…not to mention, quite difficult to manage in terms of backpack space.”

  At that, Rose giggled, and Drake reached under the table, where he’d stored the Bag of Holding once they sat down. “Laurelin, Galdurath, I’d like to show you the first of my many inventions. It’s going to revolutionize Adventuring, and things like bag space.”

  Galdurath’s eyes went wide, as he set his goblet down, and in a flash of magic sparkles, appeared next to Drake. A grin cracked his visage. “Is…is this what I think it is?”

  Drake nodded. “Vincent Kei, my Enchanter roommate, helped me craft it. Behold. The Bag of Holding. Mark one.”

  Galdurath laughed, and clapped his hands once, clearly quite amused. With another flash, he returned to his seat, and smirked at his wife. “Not yet even an Omnicrafter, and he’s already toying with Enchantments, spatial magic, and runes.” Laurelin just sighed, knowing she’d lost this argument.

  Drake smirked at Galdurath. “I’m surprised you didn’t make one already.”

  The God of Magic chuckled. “My bag is actually a pocket plane only I can access, so…I never needed one. I always thought making one would be too expensive for Mortals, but…Vincent Kei, you said?” Drake nodded. “The House of Kei has produced many great minds in their lineage. I’m not surprised you managed to make something so revolutionary with such an ally. With your Omnicrafting and his Enchanting and magical skills…I daresay the two of you will revolutionize society within a year or two.”

  Drake looked to Laurelin then. “I know you’re worried, but…what you’re describing doesn’t sound that much more complex than what I dealt with in Earth’s video games. I won’t go insane and get lost in crafting menus, I promise.”

  Laurelin sighed again, but she was clearly amused by Galdurath and Drake’s shared nerdiness. “I should hope not.” She said, giving Galdurath a look, and he straightened up, as if he had an inkling about what subject the Goddess was about to shift to. With his growing charisma, Drake noticed she had that tone, and had a feeling this was the true purpose of inviting him ‘home’ for the weekend. “We will…require your aid, sometimes, in the days to come, Drake. You see…something miraculous has happened. Quite recently. Something that has not occurred since…the dawn of Arcadia.” Rose’s eyes went wide, as she guessed Laurelin’s next words correctly, “We’re expecting another little one, soon. And when the time comes, and we become busy, we’d like you to babysit, if you’re willing.”

  Drake was all smiles, as Rose went from quiet and shy in the company of Gods, to quiet and wide eyed with poorly hidden dread. “Congratulations!” He said, grinning, and internally wondering if his wingmanning efforts had paid off. “How do baby Gods even work? Do they grow as slow as Humans? What will they be the God of? Oh, and yes, of course, I’ll gladly watch the little one. I’ve always been pretty good with kids.”

  Laurelin smiled at his reaction. “They grow…fairly quickly, though it depends on their power, and what they develop an affinity for…we won’t know what she prefers, until she joins us.”

  Drake chuckled. “A tiny little Goddess girl…I can’t wait. If she’s as benevolent as her mother, Arcadia will be quite blessed.”

  Rose’s stomach twisted. The last time a child of the gods was born, Arcadia suffered centuries of war and ruin. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. Her thoughts raced faster than she could control. Was this the start of it all over again? Was history doomed to repeat itself? At that point, she spoke, her quiet tone a stark contrast to the smiles and good vibes. “Is…is that a good idea, Goddess? I…I don’t want to be rude but…your last offspring…umm…plunged the world into war and darkness…and turned millions of us into abominations of what we once were…I just…”

  Gadurath nodded his head, and Laurelin’s face fell, but she hid her sadness quickly. They’d both expected this reaction, from a natural born Arcadian. “We will be carefully raising our daughter, young Rose, worry not. We…we will not make the same mistakes that we did with Dagorion…”

  Rose was shaking slightly, and Drake tried to put a comforting hand on her, but she pulled away. This was too monumental. Too potentially world-shattering to just hand wave. “I…I would never blame the two of you for Dagorath’s choices…w-with respect, I’m sure you raised him closely as well…and he…turned out the way he did anyway. I just…is this a good idea? What if, despite everything, she decides to turn evil as well? I…I don’t think our world can handle two dark Gods.”

  Laurelin spoke this time. “Rose…the power that corrupted my son…I know what it is. I know from whence it comes…and I have every intention of, some day, saving him from it. It will be…a long, arduous road to redemption, if such a thing can even be earned from all the lives and people he has brutalized, but…it is possible to save him. And…I believe his sister will be a key part in bringing him back to the Light.” Laurelin reached for her goblet, swirling the golden liquid inside. When she spoke, her voice was soft but steady. “I understand why you feel this way, Rose. I do. But this child is not my son. She is her own soul, with her own path.” She met Rose’s gaze, her golden eyes shimmering. “I will not let history repeat itself. That is my vow.”

  Rose nodded, but then said quietly, “I…I think I’m done eating. I…uhh…I need a minute to…process this. Please excuse me, Lady of Life, Lord of Magic…the meal was excellent.”

  Once Rose left, Drake spoke, as Laurelin sipped her drink but failed to hide the tears rolling down her face. “I can speak with her, if-”

  Galdurath shook his head. “It is better to let her cope on her own for now, Drake Long. That reaction…” He reached out and squeezed his wife’s hand. “It’s…what we expected. You see, Drake…the people of Arcadia have…suffered unimaginable trauma from Dagorion’s actions…and this trauma has extended across many of their lives, and reincarnations. That kind of trauma...lingers. Rose is no exception, but you, are. You have not fallen to the fangs of a Monster, or the flames of a Dragon. You have not reincarnated lifetime after lifetime, to end up facing, potentially, multiple Demon Lord reigns and the tragedy they bring. She has. All of our world’s children have…and this response is only to be expected..”

  “It still hurts, though…” Laurelin quietly added. That settled it, for Drake.

  “That’s no excuse to blame the little one who hasn’t even been born yet!” He argued. “She deserves the chance to make her own path, whether she chooses the light, or the darkness. I know…somewhat, the horrors of Dagorath. I fought a Goblin King empowered by a shard of one of his artifacts. It was terrifying…and not even close to the real deal, from what Guild Master Solus told me. If Rose and her people are ever going to forgive him, they need to overcome their fear…because fear seems to be what his spawn are after.”

  Drake had a feeling that fear, and causing it, was one of the motivating forces for monsters. They didn’t eat, they barely needed sleep, they didn’t create, or deviate, or progress. They just existed, under the rule of the strongest monster, until they were slain, so what then, did they live for? What made abominations like the goblin race grin and laugh that awful, nightmare-inducing laugh? Brutality. Pain. And the fear of what the monsters in the dark would do to those clinging to the light. That’s why they raped and tortured and killed. That was why they’d laughed when they saw his own brutality to their own kin, wrongly assuming he would one day become like them.

  “You have divined accurately what spurs my son’s creations, and from just one delve into a Dungeon, Drake Long. I am impressed. You are correct, for though it varies, inspiring fear, despair, and reveling in carnage and chaos are what the spawn of Dagorath love most. But I know, in the depths of my soul…our daughter will abhor this. As we do.”

  Drake stood, then. “I believe you. I’ll talk with Rose later, Goddess. Don’t worry…she’s smart, and brave. She’ll overcome her trauma…with a little rationality.” His words got a smile, but he could tell Rose had really hurt her. “Anyways…I’m off to this…Omniforge. Feel free to try Class Seven's cooking, Goddess.” He said, laying out a small portion of the meals and treats that they hadn't yet needed in the Wallow.

  Galdurath rose as well, gesturing to the food as Drake shouldered his Bag of Holding. “I will join you, and instruct you on how to begin leveling your other Jobs.” He smiled at Laurelin, murmured something to her, and then guided Drake through his home with long, graceful steps.

  Galdurath's Omniforge was unlike anything Drake had ever seen. Situated deep within Eldarheim, it occupied a grand chamber that seemed to stretch up into infinity. Smooth walls of pristine white stone surrounded the forge, interwoven with veins of softly glowing magic, casting the entire space in shifting hues of blue, violet, and green.

  At its center stood the forge itself, a pool of impossibly white lava surrounded by a pagoda of that same white stone, at the center of which was a massive anvil that even then was humming with magic power from the runes carved into it. Indeed, as the forge’s master entered, many parts of it started burning to life, as if hopeful to be used by the God of Magic.

  Surrounding the actual forge were workstations dedicated to each crafting discipline. A long, sturdy bench covered in measuring tools and an ornately crafted saw awaited woodworking, accompanied by stacks of pristine lumber, from common oak to rare, enchanted ebony, with each stack carefully labeled and organized. Another station held a broad loom, surrounded by neatly arranged bolts of cloth, spools of thread, and delicate needles, as well as a chair that seemed too comfy and out of place for it to be Galdurath’s, which meant it was likely his wife’s. To the right, a leatherworking station awaited, filled with leather strips, racks of finely tanned hides, soft pelts, and precision tools for shaping and sewing leather with unmatched accuracy.

  Further along stood the alchemy table, laden with rows of glass vials, jars of rare ingredients, and bubbling cauldrons over burners that glowed with an unwavering heat. Probably for sanitary reasons, the Culinarian station was not present in the Omniforge. The forge itself was incredible, a tangible aura of divine power permeated the very air. It felt as though Galdurath himself had woven his essence into every tool and machine, and it made Drake a bit awed as he realized the God of Magic must have used this space for eons.

  Very quickly, as Galdurath watched him, he realized that the tools the God of Magic used in his own Omnicrafting were way, way beyond his skill level. Even the blacksmithing hammer, he’d barely been able to even lift. Thus, he stuck with his fists. He also made an executive decision to use the ore he had on hand first, to make starter level tools for the other jobs. A very basic saw, several sewing needles, a round knife specifically for leather, an alembic for potion crafting, and a small frying pan.

  At that point, Galdurath chimed in. “I notice you don’t make use of any secondary tools in your crafting.”

  Drake raised an eyebrow. “Secondary…? Ahh. Right. If the Dimensional Pattern holds, they would be…a file, claw hammer, spinning wheel, awl, mortar, and kitchen knife right?”

  Galdurath smirked lightly, and nodded. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the other patterns we’ve drawn on for Arcadia, not least of which is our currency. I can sense the question burning in your mind. Just ask.”

  Drake chuckled, as he began punching the mithril he had heated and mixed with coal into an ingot. “Chocobos…horsebirds…are they a thing too?”

  Galdurath’s chuckle echoed through the Omniforge. “They exist, yes…but the people of Arcadia see them as too wild and skittish to be mounts. They are among the fastest runners on the planet though, and some even manage flight, if they become high leveled.”

  Drake smirked, and moved on to the next ingot. “I was thinking of taming one for Rose…so she can keep up with Falkor and I. Carrying both of us won’t go well in combat, and he’ll be more useful if we can surprise our enemies with my own ability to fly as well.”

  Galdurath chuckled lightly again. “I see you’re living up to the legacy of Dragon Riders already, planning ahead and attacking in conjunction with your partner. But…I believe Rose would be better served by an Alicorn. She’s already befriended one, you know.”

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  Drake paused, sweating in the intense heat of the white magma surrounding the Blacksmithing station. His top was off again, and his firebending kept him as protected as any apron. “Oh? Perhaps I could convince it to ally with her…what do Alicorns like?”

  Galdurath continued to smirk, his handsome features almost sinisterly lit by the lava as he said, “Magic items. Especially those that boost their pool of magic.”

  Drake nodded, his course clear then. First, he imbued the metalwork for his classmates with the orichalcum he’d found. Garret was getting Varian’s old, but now improved sword, and Drake melted down the Malblin’ Tyrant’s shackles with some intense firebending, and careful control over Galdurath’s weird but very intense white lava. From the shackles, he crafted epic tier black metal gauntlets that would give their attacks leeching properties, or enhance those properties if other pieces of gear gave it to them already. Lyria’s staff also got some orichalcum, which gave it even more space for high tier spells to be stored.

  Next, were the horns, which Galdurath helped him turn into weapons. Continuing with the shameless ripping off of Earth’s various video games and anime, he went full Assassin’s Creed, and turned the tips of the horns, mixed with some of his spare platinum coins and orichalcum, into a pair of Hidden Blades that would leech health from whatever they stabbed, and attached nicely to his wrists underneath his gauntlets. They promised to make his Dragon’s Fangs hurt quite a lot. Galdurath had, quite generously, allowed him to use some of his runite bars, since they were just collecting dust in his care, and with those, he upgraded Rose’s staff, also with orichalcum, making it the highest tier an item could be, according to the God of Magic. Next he upgraded his own items, increasing the Mirror Image Mirror’s tier to now make eight copies of him. He’d also enhanced the latest of his rings, purchased from one of the vendors by the Academy. The Ring of the Elemental Warrior just straight up boosted his elemental attacks by twenty five percent. When he’d infused it with runite and made it an epic tier item, that bonus had risen to sixty.

  By the time he Fist Smithed his way through the upgrades, his blacksmithing had reached level eighty thanks largely in part to the quality of the tools and materials he had available. The hour was late, but he and Galdurath were having quite a lot of fun. The God of Magic had finally realized Drake was the same kind of nerd he had once been, and after sharing some C&W and D&D stories, Drake felt confident asking him for a favor. Not another boon, something more practical, but that would prove invaluable to him, and his party. “I was wondering, Galdurath, if you might consider sparring with me tomorrow. I…have a theory about punching through spells to nullify them…and if it works on yours, it’ll probably work on anyone’s. Including Dungeon Bosses.”

  That got another chuckle from the Lord of Magic. “That’s…too interesting not to see you attempt, Drake. I do have things to attend to in Primus, but I can fit in a sparring session, sure.” With that, he cast a spell that conjured an arcane clock, and winced. “It seems we’ve spent quite a long time crafting…but this was…fun.”

  Drake nodded in full agreement. “It really was. Once my Omnicrafting gets to a worthy level, I’d love combining our talents on some truly Legendary tier items. But I should be getting to bed…” Rose was either already asleep, or would not be pleased that he’d avoided coming back for so long. He bid Galdurath a good evening, as he went to check on Laurelin, for it seemed the Gods didn’t really need to rest much, if at all.

  Drake managed to find his way back to the room they’d been given, and Rose was indeed asleep. He creeped into the bathroom, waterbended some liquid from the faucets, and somewhat quietly wiped the sweat from his body, and clothes. He also washed and dried them, and while he did not use soap, it did preserve their cleanliness enough to sleep in for the night, at least. When he finally emerged, thinking he’d been quiet enough, Rose was awake, sleepy eyed, but happy to see him. She patted the bed beside her, and Drake joined her, blinking as she just cuddled right up to him, eyes closed again, a slight smile on her face as her tiny hand ran over his still bare chest. “You were crafting all that time?” She asked quietly.

  He rumbled an affirmative. “Galdurath helped me.” He let out a long yawn, and then said, “I got everyone’s stuff done, smelted all the ores into ingots…including your staff. It’s Legendary, now by the way.”

  Rose sat up, her sleepy eyes wide. “Drake, that’s…oh wow, you look tired…did you use all your magic? You must have, if you made Legendary items…”

  Drake brought up his status, and blinked. It was refilling, slowly but surely, but he had definitely been near depleting his magic pool entirely. “It seems I did…” He gave her a tired smile, though. “If it means you guys are protected in the Dungeons though…I’d say it’s worth a little exhaustion.”

  She pouted at him. “Not too exhausted, I hope…I was waiting so long for you, I fell asleep…” She climbed atop him and straddled him then, and suddenly, he felt wide awake, for some reason. Probably the night gown she was in, which appeared to be the only thing covering her body at the moment. “I did say we’d continue…”

  He’d never be too tired to make out with her, and thus, resume they did. He only paused when an idea entered his head, and after asking her if she minded if he kissed her elsewhere, Drake drew on his knowledge from another world to begin lubricating the gates to Paradise until the hinges squealed open with a divine deluge of Mana straight from Heaven. Rose fell asleep quickly, after that, and Drake opted to use his healing trance, as he estimated he had about four hours until it was morning.

  Four hours passed quickly, and he spent most of them in that semi-aware state marveling at the downright gorgeous elf girl who was cuddled up next to him. When she stirred awake, he opened one eye, and caught her staring at him, which made her cheeks darken. Drake stretched, ending his trance, feeling refreshed. “How are you feeling?”

  Rose’s cheeks turned darker red, and he could feel her heartbeat increase. “G-great, actually…my head hasn’t been this clear in a while.” That tracked, and Drake smirked at her knowingly. “Could umm…could we do that again?”

  Mostly for fun, he rolled atop her, still smirking, and kissed her between his speech pauses. “Any time…any where…my lips are at your service.” He said, confidently. Then, he blinked, realizing too late that certain things were rising with the dawn, and in response to their current position.

  It was Rose’s turn to smirk, as her tiny elven hands, naturally suited to tending the tall, wooden scions of nature, went exploring. “Is this at my service too?” She teased.

  Drake didn’t back down, though he didn’t advance, either. Her father had told him to make her happy, but if there was sheathing of certain swords in certain scabbards before certain wedding ceremonies he had a feeling the Archsorcerer would reduce him to ash. His actions had pushed the boundary of that mandate, but no lines had, technically, been crossed yet. “If you want it to be.” He answered, teasing her right back.

  Before her green thumbs could get to work, Laurelin’s voice saved them from incurring the wrath of the Archsorcerer. “Kiiids! Breakfast is ready!”

  Drake exhaled, forcing his mind, if not his body, to calm the fuck down. “To be continued…” He murmured to Rose, giving her a lingering kiss, before he reluctantly pulled away from her, and strode into the bathroom.

  He breathed deeply once he was alone again, trying to regain control of his stupid, eager, teen body as he turned the shower on. Then, the door opened right as his pants fell to the floor. He was about to protest Rose entering with him while he was completely exposed, but then, he realized she was as well. And his brain stopped working. She said something about his surname being accurate as she walked up to him, her eyes unabashedly running over his birthday suit, but Drake couldn’t hear very well in that moment, as he was burning the image of Perfection into his brain for all of time.

  “Drake…?”

  Drake snapped back to reality at the sound of his name. “Oh, uhh, wh-what uhh, what did you need, Rose?”

  She chuckled at him. “I said…would you like to help me wash my back?”

  Heat rushed to Drake’s cheeks at the offer. “U-uhh, your uhh, your father would absolutely murder me if I did…”

  Rose pouted at him. “My father isn’t here…and if you’re as serious about this as you were last night…we should get used to showering together.” The pout shifted to a smirk.

  Drake swallowed hard, searching for a witty reply, but found none. His own words, now turned against him, left him completely at her mercy.

  Ten minutes later, with the both of them now much more intimately acquainted with the other’s body, the two teens descended to the kitchen again, hand in hand, and it seemed Rose had put off thinking about the God’s news entirely, right until they reached the kitchen, at which point her expression sobered.

  As they entered the kitchen, Rose hesitated briefly, her grip on Drake’s hand tightening. Laurelin and Galdurath were already there, seated at the table in quiet conversation. Laurelin looked up, her golden eyes softening with understanding as she met Rose's gaze. Galdurath offered a gentle, welcoming nod, maintaining his calm demeanor. Rose managed a small, tentative smile, though her eyes betrayed her lingering unease. She took a steadying breath, offering a polite greeting as she moved closer to the table.

  “Good morning,” Laurelin said gently, her voice warm and reassuring. “I hope you both rested well.”

  Rose nodded quietly. “We did, thank you.”

  Galdurath glanced at Drake, his expression thoughtful. “Drake, after breakfast, we should begin your training. This…Monk Ki idea of yours does have the potential to unravel spells, but it will need refinement.”

  Drake smiled, somewhat relieved by the neutral topic. “Of course, Galdurath. I'd appreciate your feedback.”

  Laurelin looked kindly at Rose. “And Rose, whenever you're ready, we can speak more about…everything.”

  Rose took another deep breath, nodding slowly. “I…would appreciate that, Goddess. Thank you.”

  The room grew comfortably silent as the awkwardness lessened, slightly. Then, Laurelin spoke again. “Oh, Drake, Galdurath mentioned you wished to begin cooking, so I left some of the easier things, eggs, toast, bacon, for you to handle.” Drake nodded, and got to it, as those were all things he’d actually made before. Cooking an egg wasn’t exactly computer science, and his heightened dexterity and senses actually helped. He could tell the moment they were ready to be flipped just by sight and sound, and he had the speed to move them before they burned.

  Breakfast proceeded quietly, the soft clinking of utensils against plates filling the comfortable silence as Rose helped the Goddess set the table. Laurelin eventually broke the silence, her voice gentle as she addressed Rose. "I understand this news must weigh heavily on you. If you have questions or fears, please share them. We're here for you."

  Rose hesitated, setting down the fork in her hand carefully. "I know your intentions are good," She began, her voice soft but steady. "But Arcadia has suffered greatly from the actions of a Divine child before. How can we be certain this time will be different?"

  Galdurath met Rose’s gaze calmly from where he sat, sipping a steaming beverage that smelled like coffee. "You can't be certain, but you can have faith in our vigilance and in your own strength. We will not allow the past to repeat itself."

  Laurelin reached out gently, placing her hand over Rose's. "This child will be raised with love, wisdom, and guidance. And unlike before, we will have support from remarkable individuals like you and Drake. We won’t be alone."

  Rose’s expression softened as she looked between the two Gods. The enormity of all they’d done for not just her people, but the entire planet, for millennia weighed on her. "I want to believe you," She admitted, her eyes glistening with restrained emotion. "I truly do. ...I’ll do my best to have faith." She said quietly, offering a small but genuine smile.

  Laurelin smiled warmly in return. "That's all we could ever ask."

  By that point, the food was done, cooked with remarkable skill, likely because he did, technically, know how to make such things already, he just hadn’t done so in Arcadia until now. Rose blinked at her scrambled eggs. “Oh…I’ve…never seen eggs prepared this way.” She smirked up at Drake. “Is this an Earth thing?”

  Drake gave her a wink and a nod, and he added a few shakes of salt over them. “I make mine with cheese, too.”

  “You do!” Laurelin said, seemingly delighted as she took a bite. “Mmmm. That…is a novel idea Drake. And I believe the more ingredients you use, the experience you'll gain.” Hearing this, even Galdurath took a bite, and gave a nod of satisfaction.

  Drake grinned at his own plate. “Interesting. I’ll definitely remember that for later…” Rose raised an eyebrow at him, and Drake elaborated. “My people, Americans…we weren’t great at much, but when it came to food…we were masters at combining multiple ingredients. Even those that perhaps should never have been combined at all…” He fully intended to bring pizza to this world that, apparently, did not have an equivalent somehow, but he would not resurrect the blasphemy of adding pineapple to it. He also made a choice then, that if he did start introducing new foods, they’d be primarily healthy ones. That meant frying things was out.

  Laurelin smirked at him. “You know, starting a McDrake’s chain could solve your currency woes quite easily.”

  Drake chuckled, and Galdurath seemed amused as well. “The world shall tremble before my golden arches. That’s not actually a bad idea…but I was thinking of bringing Pizza first.”

  Laurelin’s eyes lit up. “Oooh…I do recall it looking quite good.” She was practically drooling, and Drake wondered if this was a God pregnancy thing, or if Laurelin was just a foodie.

  Drake nodded. “I mean, it was a staple of students around our age, and there’d be no better place to sell it than the Academy. I wonder how high level I’d have to be to even make one…”

  Laurelin smiled at him. “I can prepare the ingredients, once Galdurath leaves for Primus. You should work on your culinary skills while Rose and I are out.”

  Rose blinked, quietly nomming her cheesy scrambled eggs with a controlled amount of gusto. “Are…we going somewhere, Goddess?”

  Laurelin blinked as well. “Did Drake not mention it?”

  Drake coughed, loudly, “We uhh…it was pretty late when I got back, so. Anyway.” He dove into his Bag of Holding as Laurelin and Galdurath looked between the two teenagers. Body language spoke volumes, and their charisma level was quite literally God tier.

  It was obvious, as Drake retrieved her items, how close they were sitting, the way they looked at each other. If they hadn’t yet, they were going to soon. Laurelin gave her husband a look, and he nodded. He could educate the young monk in the Arcadian methods and norms of courtship after or during their sparring session.

  Rose seemed delighted by her staff, but her eyes widened when Drake brought out armor fitted for a unicorn. Or the flying variant. “I haven’t had time to make a saddle yet, Alicorns probably require really high level materials, but that’ll be my next project, after I sharpen my cooking skills and reinvent la Pizza.”

  Rose’s eyes were wide. “R-Runite Alicorn Barding!? No wonder you were so tired…I don’t know if this is a good idea though…I was so bad with heights on Falkor…”

  Drake smirked. “But then you got better. Just trust that Alicorn you befriended, and you’ll be fine. And the Goddess will be there too, you won’t fall.”

  “You don’t have to ride her now, if you don’t wish to, Rose.” Laurelin added. “But I know she’d enjoy seeing a friend again. Alicorns are quite sociable. At the very least, the barding will be greatly appreciated, and she can don it and store it as easily as any Adventurer. Would it not ease your mind to know she is well defended?”

  Rose tilted her head. “Wasn’t the herd going to stay here?”

  Laurelin nodded. “For a time…but Alicorns will not linger forever. I can teach you how to summon her, if she accepts you as her partner, and when you do have need of her, she’ll be able to Teleport back to her herd quite easily. If she wants to.”

  Rose started gushing. “Ooh! But the Academy has stables, too! I could braid her mane!” She finished her eggs in a flash, and downed her orange juice, before eagerly standing. “I’m ready! Can we go? Can we?”

  The other three sitting at the table shared an amused chuckle. Laurelin rose to her feet, and nodded. “Let me just set up Drake’s ingredients…while I do that, you should put your armor on. Then we can go.” Rose opened her status then, and Drake nommed his own breakfast, curious. Then, after pulling up her inventory and tapping her healing robes, she just manifested them on her body, and did the same with her staff, which appeared on her back. Finally, the barding also vanished into her inventory. She saw Drake staring, and raised an eyebrow at him.

  “I didn’t realize we could change clothes with our Status…I’ve been doing it manually this whole time.”

  Galdurath and Laurelin chuckled, and Rose tilted her head. “Ohh…is that why you took so long to show up for the Raiju fight?” He nodded, and she giggled at him. “Well, now you know. You’ll never have to manually change again.”

  Seeing Drake was almost finished, Galdurath got to his feet, and headed out the windowed doors leading to the God’s ‘backyard’. “I shall await you outside, Drake, and we will begin our lesson.”

  Laurelin hummed behind the cooking area, and sighed. “Seems the tomato sauce is elsewhere. I’ll be right back!~”

  Left alone, the two teens immediately found their eyes drawn together. Rose was in his lap in an instant, forehead pressed into his as her cheeks darkened. “I’m going to have to find some way to thank you for this, Mr. Long.”

  “You can thank me by flying with Falkor and I sometime…but for now, I’ll take a kiss.” He didn’t wait for her to lean in, but rather met her halfway. She pulled away slowly, and Drake was about to not let her, when he heard Laurelin’s footsteps too. “Stay safe out there.” He said, helping her back to her feet.

  “I’ll be just fine.” Rose answered, smiling and fixing her hair. Laurelin confirmed for Drake that she had all the requirements for pizza, even pepperoni, or something that looked like pepperoni at least, and then the two departed.

  Finishing his meal, he gathered their dishes and put them by the sink, before trotting outside to a happy roar from Falkor. “Heyyy bud.” He said, giving him all the scritches. “I swear you get bigger every time I see you.”

  Falkor smirked at him. “After each time you see me, your level has risen. Silly Drake.”

  They chuckled, and then walked towards Galdurath, who had his staff out. A rainbow colored gem sat at the top, surrounded by a complex ever-moving series of golden, rune-inlaid pieces of metal. Runes had also been added down the thick shaft of the weapon, and each was now humming with power. “Watch this.” Drake murmured to his dragon. “I’mma punch some spells into nonexistence.”

  Falkor blinked, and then smirked. “If anyone could…it would be you.” He flapped a safe distance away, and curled up, paws casually atop each other as he watched the two.

  “Are you ready to begin, Drake Long?” Galdurath called out, and Drake focused his power to his senses, before he called out an affirmative. “Very well then. Let the duel begin!” As before, a flag symbol appeared over his hand, bearing a pair of crossed swords, and Drake fell into his dragon stance, as he focused his Ki.

  The concept he was attempting here was simple, in theory. Magic on Arcadia worked not all that differently from how it had in the numerous fantasy worlds Drake was familiar with, not least of which being, D&D. A magic user summoned or drew upon the world’s natural magic, focused it, usually through a wand or a staff, wove it into a spell, with words or just sheer willpower, and then launched it, with their own personal pool of magic power. A new word, a concept in Dovah Zul, the tongue of dragons, or the knowledge of it at least, had entered his head the night before, when he realized that unmaking the items he’d crafted with the other newly acquired Jobs also gained him experience. He verbalized that knowledge now, as he raised his fists, and the air around him cracked with his Voice, “Kren!”

  Galdurath started simple, by hurling a Fireball his way, and though the God of Magic had cast it, he hadn’t raised the tier of magic it required. Drake ran, leapt, and then punched the Fireball, as his eyes easily found the central point of the woven magic, and he guided his fist to meet it. The flames dispersed in a circular wave of force, and Drake landed with a smirk. Galdurath raised an eyebrow at him, and then prepared another spell. Lightning crackled up his staff, and then out of his palm, a standard Lightning Bolt. Had Drake not been enhancing his senses, the intense plasma very much would have hit him, as its speed left no margin for error; he had just one chance to disrupt it, and yet he struck forward with his pointer and middle fingers this time, jabbing the plasma, and unraveling it with his focused Ki, empowered by his Shout. It dispersed into harmless sparks, and Drake took his stance again, confidently.

  Galduarth was not irritated by this, but rather, fascinated. The spells came faster, then. No less than nine Magic Missiles fired from the God of Magic, as expected of a being whose level was, to Drake’s eyes, classified as ???. He jabbed all of them, dispelling them before they could hit and deal their force damage. A Thunder Wave came next, and while it was harder to see, Drake’s palm strike dispersed it before it ever hit. Shards of ice, stone, even a Meteor, all shattered before the Dispelling Fist of the monk.

  It wasn’t a perfect technique, though. Eventually, Galdurath loosed a Cone of Cold, and Drake realized it was simply too wide, the nexus of its weave too close to Galdurath, for him to poke into being dispelled. Other things, like acid, still very much hurt when he struck at them, and spells like Gust, or stronger variations, had weave-points that appeared and disappeared rapidly, before Drake could ever hit them, and since they stirred natural forces into action he was forced to use his bending to stop them. Things like Chromatic Orb still had their effects when shattered, and he had to dodge out of the way of them. Earth Tremor and Earthquake also similarly appeared and then vanished out of his reach, but eventually, Drake realized his gauntlets could help with reach. The next spell, and the last, was a powerful Blizzard, but Drake actually managed to punch its focal point before it even started with his Fists of Far Reach, at which point, Galdurath signaled the end of their training.

  The God of Magic hadn’t broken a sweat, and the gleam in his eye was not battle lust, but knowledge lust. They had tested a hypothesis, and found it credible. Galdurath appeared beside Drake in a flash of blue sparkles, looking very much like someone who’d discovered something. “I knew this Monk power…harnessing the body’s natural energy, had potential but this…” He coughed, as he saw Drake’s smirk, and composed himself. “I would see more of this…Ki manipulation. I’m quite eager to try it myself.”

  Drake’s eyes widened, but he nodded. Quietly, he wondered what a God manipulating Ki would even look like. A frown crossed his face. “Just…be aware, Galdurath, there are different kinds of Ki. Our bodies, at least going by the running theories on Earth, generate positive and negative auras. We couldn’t manipulate these on Earth, or if some of us could, they kept quiet about it, but here on Arcadia, it’s different. Being a Monk is all about understanding the flow of your body’s energy, and manipulating it. Like, for example, if I separate my Ki into positive and negative while Firebending…” He took a deep breath, centered his Ki in his stomach, spun his arms in opposing circles, and Galdurath watched with rapt attention, mouth slightly open, as lightning manifested at his fingertips, as the positive and negative flows met, at his fingertips, discharging a bolt of plasma equal to any Lightning Bolt.

  Galdurath then raised a hand, and directed into the middle distance, where he wouldn’t hit anything. As a being of immense power, the separated energy was visually manifested as it responded to his masterful control without needing to be centered first, he just willedpositive and negatively charged energy within himself to travel up his arm, and instead of his fingertips, Galdurath’s mastery let him shoot it from his palm. He grinned as a terrifying large lightning bolt shot forth, leaving the air around them reeking of ozone. “That…was a lot cheaper to fire, in terms of magic used.”

  Drake nodded. “It’s a lot easier to use one’s own bodily energy than it is to summon it from the aether, shape it into a spell, and then fire it yourself. Just…be careful. Using it too much or too carelessly could unbalance your energy…and I dread to think of what that would look like, in a Deity.”

  Galdurath nodded, keeping his cool, but Drake could tell he’d gotten the Lord of Magic’s mind racing with potential. “I will explore this new power carefully, with the meticulous procedure of one of your Earth’s scientists, worry not.” A smirk came over his handsome features then. “In exchange for this knowledge, I would give you some, in return. Namely, in regards to how one might properly court and romance a High Elf who is a Princess in all but title.”

  Drake blinked. That was a hell of a subject change, but one that very much had his attention. “A worthy trade, Lord of Magic. I’m listening.”

  Galdurath went into a detailed explanation of elven union customs that, while interesting, dragged on for a bit. Drake quietly summarized it in his head once Galdurath finished, making sure he understood, as this was important to him. On the surface, it wasn’t all that different from what Earthlings did, or used to do. The elves used a physical display of tying two into one, but their medium was plant life, like vines, or flowers, and different mediums had different meanings. Helpfully, Galdurath informed him that first time unions typically had ‘Nimloth’ or white flowers.

  Using the couple’s magic, the binding would then be shaped by the officiating sage into a seed of whatever plant they used, and with some elaborating, Galdurath added that using Nimloth was traditional, while in more modern times, elven females had begun to pick different flora with different meanings. Rose being who she was, would almost assuredly be using the white ones, which did, to Drake’s internal amusement, apparently form the seed of a tree. It was, in Fangorn at least, also seen as an identifying mark of a High Elven home, having a white tree outside it, in the general vicinity.

  Vows were entirely spoken in Elvish, even for interracial unions, and the parents of both participants apparently joined them by the arch they were unified under, which was apparently grown with a spell. “Obviously, should things with you and the young Lady Valcrest go well, Laurelin and I would be joining you. In lieu of your family, I would compose your side of the gathering of the friends you make at the Academy. And…I believe that is everything. It’s not especially complicated, but Vaelithar Valcrest will expect these norms to be followed.”

  Galdurath turned to leave, but then paused. “Ahh. One more thing…potentially awkward though it may be…you need to know.” He faced Drake again. “Love and the making of it is…nowhere near as convoluted and strict as the norms on your Earth. However…one does not enter a…physically intimate relationship with one of the Triarch’s daughters and then abandon them. Not if they wish to live a long life, if you take my meaning. My point is…be very sure of your choice before you and the young Lady give in to your teenage desires. I do not need the headache a failed union would bring upon me from the Archsorcerer, for he will hold myself and my wife accountable for your actions as well.”

  Drake nodded, eyes on the ground, as Galdurath finished explaining, and with that, the God of Magic vanished in a flash of arcane power. Drake returned to the kitchen then his thoughts heavy with the information dump he’d received as he went about setting up his pizza pie, and when Falkor mentally learned of what he was making, the tremors from his excited tail shook even the sturdy foundations of the divinely crafted dining area. He could no longer comfortably fit within the domicile, or parts of it anyway, so he laid his head in through the back doors, his eager, hopeful golden eyes juuuust visible to Drake from behind the dining table’s edge.

  Falkor thought he was being subtle, but it seemed the doggo-turned-dragon had forgotten that he now also possessed a golden pair of horns, which very much gave away that he was watching Drake, who found his antics hilarious. “I’ll make you your own, Falkor.” Drake finally said, “But you need to not ruin Laurelin’s kitchen. Go outside, fly around, do some Ki manipulation practice of your own. I know you were watching us. By the time you’re done, your food should be ready.” Falkor groaned, but did as he was told, the promise of his own, whole, pizza was too good to pass up. No more crusts to gnaw on, no more pieces that went in a human mouth, before being tossed or spat to him, no, he would have one entirely to himself, which was quite literally a dream come true for him.

  The first pizza was Drake-pan sized, which meant it would feed one person at most, or two blonde women who’d probably want more but never admit it. The second, Drake loaded with chopped meat. Sausage, venison, shredded chicken, and an unhealthy amount of cheese. That, was Falkor’s, which Drake grabbed a slice of. It was a thin one though, and served as more of a taste test than anything. It also greatly boosted his Culinarian skills, and Drake made some cheesy breadsticks to hit the threshold of thirty. He also noted that pizza was a very cheesy (pun intended) way to game the system, since he could load it with more toppings than most dishes he now had inborn knowledge of, as well as what ingredients they needed, which meant it gave more experience.

  Falkor had done his training as he’d been asked, and was absolutely thrilled as he received his pizza, and Drake promised that if his draconic stomach didn’t become upset by cheese, meat, sauce, and bread, he would make the dragon a pizza at least three times a week, if he was good. He even offered to, eventually, help Falkor master the art himself, mostly to lowkey see if his ‘familiar’ could also learn Job skills. He had the intelligence level of any other sentient, and Drake had a feeling creatures like centaurs or bull men also had food makers, so it likely wasn’t limited by a thing like race.

  The third pizza came out the best, half cheese, and half pepperoni, a slice of which Drake gave to the dragon, before having two himself. He left the rest for the ladies upon their return, since the magic table would keep it fresh and warm, and then set about mastering his other skills in Galdurath’s Omniforge.

  Woodworking was next, and though it was time consuming, and he kept having to go smith new, higher level saw blades, breaking them down also gave him experience, and by the time he hit thirty, he’d crafted a fairly decent, if simplistic, set of furniture for a kitchen. Later on, he would confirm Laurelin’s aid in Teleporting it where he wanted it, as he fully intended to give it to a lower caste family, assuming he could find one in need.

  Next, he tackled leatherworking, which was when he realized that Galdurath’s material storage was, seemingly, infinite. Recalling his words about the materials coming from somewhere, Drake didn’t go crazy. Each item he worked and shaped was something someone could use, after he sold it. Mostly, what he made was bronze to steel tier leather armor. Once he hit thirty, he stopped, but did spy a Unicorn Saddle as something he could make at forty. If he had time, he fully intended to go for it, but he also wanted to, if possible, become an Omnicrafter by the end of the day. Achieving that seemed like the kind of isekai-protag shenanigans he should’ve been capable of doing.

  Weaving, as it turned out, was the most difficult of the Jobs, but eventually, he made a bunch of hilarious baby t-shirts and onesies that, while a bit rough on the seams, were quite soft on the skin thanks to the high quality materials he had. They had amusing words stitched onto them, and Drake was particularly proud of ‘Spit Happens’, ‘Tiny Goddess, Big Attitude’, ‘Already Smarter Than Dad’, ‘That Smell Means I’m Winning’, and ‘I’m the Reason Naps Are Sacred’. The t-shirt line got him to thirty five, but he’d been having too much fun to notice he’d reached his goal.

  Finally, all that was left was Alchemy, but before Drake could get started, he heard Laurelin ask for his presence, which he’d expected eventually. It was impossible to tell time in the Omniforge, there were no windows, and he couldn’t conjure a clock. He knew he’d been at it for a while though, in addition to the time it took to refill his pool of magic. Crafting higher level items took more power, especially with high quality materials, but he found it a worthy endeavor.

  When he returned to the dining area, he saw Rose outside, beside a rather lovely purple furred Alicorn, who seemed to be having a pleasant chat with Falkor. Her horn, wings, and hooves were silver, and naturally sparkled, and her mane was a darker royal purple that somehow had silver highlights in the form of streaks in it. Her tail was the same. Her intelligent eyes fell on Drake as he appeared. Laurelin was still at the table, nomming happily on a piece of cheesy pizza, which he had written down the recipe for and left for the Goddess. He gave Laurelin the baby clothes, which absolutely delighted her, and her giggles at the words upon them filled the background.

  “Already smarter than Dad! Oh, I love these!”

  Rose scurried over, all smiles, tired but clearly excited as she leapt onto him, and then blinked. “Wh- Oh come on! You leveled up again!?” She pouted at him, but the smile on her lips never left. “Every time I leave your side you get stronger without me.”

  Drake pulled up his status, and then smirked. Hitting thirty in all the Jobs but Alchemy had gotten him to sixty nine and by the look of things, mastering Alchemy wouldn’t change that. The required experience to hit seventy was an even wider gulf than fifty and sixty.

  “Nice.” He chuckled, and then set Rose down again. “Are you going to introduce me to your new friend?”

  Rose brought him over to the Alicorn, who raised her head as he approached. Her equine eyes widened as he came closer, and she backed up further, wings raised defensively, and Falkor rumbled a warning snarl as her horn started shining with magic. Drake stopped, blinking in confusion at her reaction, while Rose tried to soothe her. She looked at Drake worriedly. “She says…something about you is…unmaking Magic? Somehow? It’s scaring her.”

  Drake squinted in confusion, and raised his status, then, he realized what the Alicorn, a being that was innately magical, was probably sensing. His Dispelling Fist, as the system had dubbed it, was a stance, and that stance was still up. He shifted back to his energybending default, and the Alicorn calmed down, but still refused to approach him. He tried addressing the creature directly. “It’s a…new trick I learned. To unravel spells cast at me, or my allies. I can see why you were hesitant…I didn’t even think of what it might do to a creature that’s innately magical…but you have my word, I won’t harm you. Or any other innocent creature.”

  The Alicorn calmed, as Rose petted her, and as the magic around her horn faded, so did Falkor’s snarl. He was watching the Alicorn closely now though, his initial trust in her good will evaporated, as she’d tried threatening his friend just because of a status effect. Despite Rose’s efforts, the Alicorn blinked away with a spell, and then took off, leaving her new rider to sigh in frustration. “That…is Nymera.” She said to Drake, looking disappointed. “And despite my best efforts…she’s already decided she doesn’t like you.”

  Laurelin appeared beside them, still nomming on her pizza slice, or perhaps it was a new one. “I’ll speak with her before you two leave tomorrow.” She declared in that soft but telling tone of hers. Her eyes shifted to Drake then, and he spied a gleam of mischief in them. “Very well done with the Pizza, by the way. Rose said it made her fall for you all over again, and all without you even being present.”

  “Goddess!” Rose shout-whined, as her face and ears burned red, but Laurelin would not, and perhaps could not, be stopped.

  “It is well past time for you growing teens to be off to bed.” Drake opened his mouth to protest, but Laurelin was all over his excuse. “You can unravel the Alchemical mysteries of the cosmos tomorrow, Drake. Off to bed. Go. Shoo. You too, Falkor.” The dragon puffed smoke from his nostrils, but he already knew well that when Laurelin said it was time to sleep, she meant it.

  Drake bid his scaly friend a good evening, Falkor thanked him again for the pizza, and then he and Rose returned to their room, where she locked the door with a sigh. Drake was already sitting on the bed, smirking. “Fell in love with me again, did you?”

  Rose’s face and ears turned crimson again, and she hid under her hair as she walked towards him, and collapsed into his arms. She pouted up at him. “Can you blame me? All I could think about all day was that…thing you did with your tongue…”

  “I love you too, Rose.” Drake said, smirking as her face somehow turned a darker red.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “This isn’t my first time around, remember? It’s…been a very long time…but I know what it feels like…and this is the real deal.” He leaned in and kissed her, and as things got steamier, he suggested they shower, before they sleep. Once more, Drake drew on his skill in the sacred art of Lingua Adorare, with similar results.

  Rose refused to let him go to sleep standing at full attention, and after confirming her desire to truly be with him, they decided to finally cross that line together, losing themselves in each other until exhaustion, amongst other things, carried Rose into a deep sleep. As he meditated, Drake wondered if that decision was a mistake, for while it felt right in all the ways, it was how others would react that worried him. He settled into his trance trusting that no matter what transpired as a result of their choices, he was properly smitten by the woman who was still clinging to him even in sleep.

  The morning brought two more rounds, one in the bed and one in the shower, and Drake was once again glad they’d crossed that line. His mind had never been clearer, and apparently, Laurelin had made sure Rose knew the spell to prevent poorly timed pregnancies. Compared to what women had to deal with on Earth to achieve the same effect it was almost unfairly easy, but it was also likely a large contributing factor to why ‘love and the making of it’ was so free on Arcadia.

  Since Laurelin was busy today, along with Galdurath, Drake made breakfast for his lover, and then they departed back to the Academy. Despite Laurelin’s words, Nymera took one look at Rose, and reaffirmed that she wanted nothing to do with Drake. He saw her trying to convince her on the flight back to Primus, but the Alicorn was resolute. They made quite the spectacle as they landed, but by now, word that Drake had a friendly dragon as a familiar had spread like wildfire through the campus. Nymera, disliking crowds, took off immediately, while Falkor greeted the students, and started answering their questions as he sat rather majestically in the Academy’s courtyard.

  Seeing his size compared to when they’d left several days ago, Drake realized his partner was getting quite large. About five minutes into the impromptu Q&A from his peers, the crowd had grown quite large, but not so large that he did not immediately notice the blood red crimson mane of his Instructor, striding beside the scowling figure of the Academy’s Headmaster, Veydris. “Drake Long!” Aslan boomed, to the apparent irritation of the Headmaster, who’d wanted to do things more subtly, “Join us, if you would.”

  Drake nodded. It wasn’t a question. He trotted over quickly. “Instructor. Headmaster.” He inclined his head to both. “What can I do for you?”

  Veydris began, cutting off Aslan as he opened his toothy maw to speak again. “In the space of one week, you have almost achieved level seventy. I trust you understand that…is unprecedented. And yet, despite my monitoring your efforts, your experience gain has been legitimate…and it seems your taking up of other Jobs while you were away has leveled you even further.”

  Drake felt a premonitory chill run up his spine, as the Headmaster crossed his hands behind his back, and continued. “In light of this…Blessing the Gods hath bestowed upon you, you will no longer be spending your mornings Adventuring with Class Seven. You have the level of an Adamantine Rank Adventurer, and the rank to match, something no First Year easily achieves. However, you also have a crippling lack of knowledge about this world, and the Lord of Magic has informed us that this is because you come from beyond it. So, from tomorrow forward, you will report to our remedial classes we typically offer to younger students, and gifted children of the elite. You will Party up with them, and if possible, help them level up as well. Should you prove competent in your basic courses, we will then be having you adventure with the other Classes in your year, as you did with Class One. Your afternoon classes will still be with Class Seven. This schedule will continue, until the disparities in level between Classes One and Seven and the rest of the first years are rectified.”

  Aslan spoke, once the Headmaster finished, and Drake did not stop them. He knew he had not even the illusion of choice in this. “There is also the matter of hitting level seventy.” The lion man rumbled. “Typically, that threshold is where one unlocks key Skills for their chosen Class. However, you have long passed the point of choosing an advanced Class, which was level thirty, and we believe that you should do so immediately, lest your growth become stunted. However…we do not have any recorded knowledge on what Monks can choose to become, so the choice will be one you will have to make without foreknowledge. We will be departing immediately to the Tower of Knowledge, where those who reach level thirty typically choose their specialization.”

  The Headmaster left that task to Aslan, and with a sigh towards Falkor’s majestic figure, and the crowds around him, returned to the academy’s main building. The Tower of Knowledge, as it happened, was almost directly across from the academy, which was likely on purpose. Drake also had a feeling it was where Galdurath had his office. In short order, with no less than five scribes following them, Drake was guided to an arcane altar, and told to step upon it. Then, his perspective shifted. He sensed Galdurath’s presence, and saw before him his Status screens, and his list of items.

  “You’ve been busy since I departed.” Galdurath’s amused voice was omnipresent in the ethereal, starry blue void that Drake currently occupied. “Your Class…has been a bit skewed, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. You’re clearly following the Path of the Elements, and yet your Dragon Style knowledge from Earth has unlocked Quivering Palm for you, a skill which has become central to your style of attack. Know this, Drake Long: there will never be another Monk like yourself. Those you teach Ki manipulation to will not walk the paths that you have.”

  There was something like a heavy sigh, then that filled the space. “However…you still need to formally choose a path, and to keep the system intact, along with your skills, and in recognition of the knowledge you brought with you to my world, I shall allow you to walk a second path, or in your terms, acquire a second Monastic Tradition.”

  Drake nodded. “I understand your meaning, Lord of Magic. What are my options?”

  “The Way of the Ascendant Dragon would make the most sense…however…between your knowledge and your Boon-given companion, the abilities it would give you are…redundant. You already walk the Path of the Elements, and your Dragon Style knowledge is, with your abilities, essentially the same as the Way of the Open Hand, whose key skill you already have access to. Thus, your most logical choices are as follows.”

  Drake smirked, as it seemed Galdurath, who was apparently, but not surprisingly, the architect for how Classes functioned in his world, had drawn heavily from table top monk path choices. There was the path of Kensei, which focused on mastering many weapons, the Way of the Long Death, which was a bit to obsessed with murder for his tastes, the Way of the Astral Self, which had promise since it manifested extra arms for him to punch, or do other things with, the path of the Burning Soul, that would apparently turn him into a fist paladin with light and fiery abilities, the Way of Mercy, that would give him an almost uncomfortable amount of control over dealing life and death to those around him by manipulating the Ki of others, the path of Tranquility, that was appealing but simply too pacifistic for the destiny he had been tasked with fulfilling, and finally, the Way of Shadow, which would allow him to conjure darkness, cast Silence, step through shadows, unlock the Stealth skill, and give him access to Sneak Attacks, and the absurd damage they could deal. It was like multiclassing into Rogue without actually doing so.

  Aslan had told him to wait before choosing, so that the Tower’s scribes could write down the specifics of the monk class for future monks to make use of, foreknowledge that every other class already had access to long before this choice, and as he felt Aslan’s shoulder tap signaling the scribes had finished, he spoke to Galdurath.

  For Drake, the choice was obvious. He was literally wearing a pair of Hidden Blades. “I will walk in the dark, to serve the Light. I choose the Shadow.”

  He heard Galdurath chuckle, and then his vision turned white, before it cleared and revealed him standing back in the arcane circle he’d been guided to. “An…interesting choice.” Aslan rumbled. “Take stock of your Status…and then you shall be free to enjoy the rest of your weekend. I will see you tomorrow, Drake Long.” With that, Aslan left the building with his long, confident strides to go do whatever it was he did when he wasn’t teaching.

  Drake noted the scribes shamelessly peeking as he brought up his screens, and just said, “Guys, if you want to look, just ask.” They did so, politely, and he let them peek at his Boons, blessings, and stats. He did note, perhaps on purpose, that his Epic Destiny became blurred in that moment, though he didn’t have to guess who’d censored the information. Regular Arcadians would not react well, initially, to the idea of one as strong and blessed as Drake trying to redeem literally the most evil being on the planet, one responsible for countless atrocities inflicted upon its people.

  Drake found his choice neatly shoved into a special skill, with one new additional daily ability that, in the context of his chosen path, made sense. The Way of the Inevitable Fist was a once-per-day Buff that would guarantee his usefulness, and as he exited the Tower of Knowledge and spied Rose, Falkor, and now several other members of Class Seven, he felt more confident than ever that he’d be useful to their party.

  I updated our boy's Job now, but it will be the first thing we get to, next chapter. Here's his status.