I gradually woke up to agony. Nails in my head. A deep, throbbing pain from the rest of my body. It was like feeling it through layers of gauze, through a deep haze. I tried to say something. All that happened was an unintelligible raspy groan came out from my lips. So dry. A cool wooden cup was pressed to my lips, water gentl...
2020-09-28 19:43:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Plan in mind, I quietly got up and strained my ears. It hadn’t been that long since we went to bed, and mom and dad might still be awake. If they got up and found me gone, I’d be in a world of trouble and hurt. Mom’s skills with her spoon had only grown with age, and there was no way dad would let me see Artemis after I ...
2020-09-28 19:42:38 +0000 UTC View Post
A scene of happy chaos ensued as we all welcomed Artemis back in our own way. She was out of her armor, in a tunic, but still had the Ranger’s eagle pinned on her. Artemis laughed at us, giving us all a great big group hug. Ouch, something metal was pressing into my side. Dad, Artemis? Something of mom’s? Whatever, it didn...
2020-09-28 19:41:13 +0000 UTC View Post
I went to the market to shop, the riot of colors and magical displays almost exactly like the summer. The only difference was that since it was getting colder, a large number of people had broken out colorful scarves, perfect since they could be constantly worn and re-worn. The blur of teal, green, and orange of summer were mo...
2020-09-28 19:40:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Feelings were clearly mixed about the lightning, but I didn’t care as I sprinted towards the south gate. The spot at the river was relatively close, although the baths were even closer to the south gate. I could run with all I had, and try to meet Artemis at the gate, or I could play it a bit safer, and go directly to the ba...
2020-09-28 19:38:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Time went by in a blur, and before I knew it, I was 14 with fall fast approaching. It was just about time to transition from bamboo tunics to woolen ones, and I grabbed my dyed bamboo shirt, and a plain woolen one, to get the green trims carefully moved over. I said bye to mom, and started to walk down to the river to do the s...
2020-09-28 19:37:24 +0000 UTC View Post
It had been the bandages. The damn bandages that I thought were fine. The ones I knew hadn’t been boiled, but knowledge of boiling wasn’t present here, wouldn’t be known. I had been flippant. I had been selfish. I had chosen to protect myself and my secrets, over the health, and in the end, life, of my best friend.
[*Ding!* Congratulations! You’ve upgraded your first class – [Apprentice Control Healer] - Light]
[[Apprentice Control Healer] – Healing calls to you, and you have answered. Now go forth, and learn how to heal]
[*
Author's Note: This chapter is better read on Royal Road, which properly supports all of the colors. They're not critical, but they're solid hints.
“You’re just about ready to class up now! Congratulations!” Artemis threw her hands up in the air. “You only have one real decision left to make. Do you allocate your ...
2020-09-28 17:46:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Artemis vanished before we all went to sleep, and reappeared the next morning, doing her absolute best to eat us out of house and home. Given that we generally didn’t store a ton of food, it was a very serious risk. Artemis and I left the house, and took a walk to the park.
“Alright, now that we’re alone, we can st...
2020-09-28 17:44:19 +0000 UTC View Post
I lifted my knife one last time, and dropped it, clattering to the floor. I collapsed crying as well. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t end his life. Artemis picked me up, held me as I cried, comforted me. It was humiliating to be crying in front of Artemis. Why was that? I don’t know; I was too upset.
“I’m so...
2020-09-28 16:11:12 +0000 UTC View Post
We wandered back as Artemis and Dad caught up.
“So, how’d you end up here? I thought you’d live in Cow’s Crossing with Julia until the day you two died.”
“Well, it all started when Dodranus came back from the woods, yelling about…”
Artemis and dad were going at a good clip do...
2020-09-28 16:10:31 +0000 UTC View Post
With much muttering and grumbling, the guards left us again. Artemis somehow found herself a chair, swiveled it around, and sat on it backwards, looking at me.
“You must desperately want to be a mage. Most kids get scared off after that demonstration.” Artemis started. She paused a moment or two, collecting her...
2020-09-28 16:07:52 +0000 UTC View Post
About an hour later, a middle-aged man came comfortably jogging up, with a woman hot on his heels. The man was in standard guard leathers, but the woman was in well-used laminar scale armor, a sword on her side and at least a few daggers I could see. She moved with thunder and fury, power and grace. Her nose stood proudly on h...
2020-09-28 16:07:01 +0000 UTC View Post
We called dad back, and filled him in on some of the skills I picked up.
“So, does that mean you don’t want to come and get more skills with me?” Dad asked.
Shoot, the promise! He was going to take me around and help me pick up skills! There were useful things I could get! Better yet, it would get me ou...
2020-09-28 16:05:45 +0000 UTC View Post
Mom smiled at me, a warm, happy smile. “Elaine. You’re now old enough to know some girl secrets.” Oh no. Was I about to get the birds and the bees talk? Please no. Please spare me.
“I have no chore-related skills. Most women don’t have chore-related skills, although something like a [Tailor] 2020-09-28 16:04:58 +0000 UTC View Post
I yawned, tried to stretch, was caught in a massive blanked for some reason, and tumbled off the recliner. My head turned into a sharp star of pain as it decided to land first – ouch. Why was I wrapped up in a blanket? Why was I sleeping on the recliner? Why – my system was unlocked! A massive slew of notification...
2020-09-28 15:58:58 +0000 UTC View Post
I bounced out of bed the next morning with the wild ferocity of an over-sugared 8-year-old. BIRTHDAY! At last!
The system lock did a great job at remining me that while yes, it was my birthday, I still had 19 hours, 11 minutes, and 40 seconds left to go until the actual 8-year-anniversary-to-the-minute of my birth....
2020-09-28 15:43:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Not all skill learning was made equal. I had always thought mom was a harsh taskmistress. No. She had been air and sunshine up until now. I cooked. I baked. I sew some clothes, fixed a sandal, washed a single shirt in a water bucket, repaired dad’s armor, swept the floor, cleaned out the oven, repaired a window slate (I ...
2020-09-28 15:42:20 +0000 UTC View Post
I woke up in the evening feeling drained and exhausted, but no longer nearly so actively upset. I reflexively checked my timer – 55 hours to go – before remembering that it seemed like skills and magic weren’t going to be for me. What was the point. I flipped over in bed, stuck my head under the pillow, and moped some mo...
2020-09-28 15:40:03 +0000 UTC View Post
“Ok! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about elements!” Elements? Ooooh, more cool things! I wanted a fire element! Fireballs!
“Each Class has an associated Element with it. For the most part, any element can go with any class, but most classes benefit from having particular elements. For example, ...
2020-09-28 15:35:03 +0000 UTC View Post
We entered the temple together, and I looked around in awe. There were marble pillars, and in the middle of the entryway, a large diamond-shaped symbol, with a gemstone on each corner and one in the middle. Painted frescos lined the wall: What was probably Etalix, wrapped in mist. Herculix fighting some sort of large dinosaur....
2020-09-28 02:25:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Dad came home, had dinner, wished me luck on System Day, got out of his armor, and went directly to sleep. In that order. The last two items had occasionally been mixed up.
Time was funny without clocks. Things weren’t done at a particular time, just “Around noon” “Before dark” “Right after sunrise”. After ...
2020-09-28 02:11:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Finally! Only 66 hours, 33 minutes, and 15 seconds left to go until the lock was gone! 3,933 minutes!
We all shared one giant bed, which would have taken some getting used to if I hadn’t started there as a baby, and just never left. It was somewhat terrifying at first, not wanting mom or dad to roll over...
2020-09-28 01:21:59 +0000 UTC View PostA table of contents for all of the material that's not posted for free readers. All in one spot, in chronological order, for easy reading.
Chapters here can become free content if people want!
Additional Chapters:
Chapter 1.5 - Being a baby: https:...
2020-09-28 00:52:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Everyone idealizes being a child. Free, able to do what you want, no responsibilities – it’s great! Or so everyone remembers with rose-tinted glasses.
I’m not sure how good being a child is, but I know there is a reason nobody idealizes being a baby. I’m unable to really do anything except flail ab...
2020-09-28 00:27:40 +0000 UTC View Post
A raw, primal scream was being wrenched from my throat, my mind and body wracked by pain, the pain of loss, the pain of death. *Snap* An old pair of fingers started the snap; a young pair of fingers ended the snap. I felt a strange force invade my mind, grab something, twist, and rip. I cried out in pain, a s...
2020-09-27 23:19:35 +0000 UTC View PostA table of contents to keep things organized, s
2020-09-09 23:18:22 +0000 UTC View Post