The Pinnacle Warrior

The morning came quickly, and with it, a pounding headache and a painfully dry throat. A single charge of Physique resolved the first, and blindly fumbling at her bedside table until she found her waterskin and took a deep swallow solved the second. Astrid groaned as she continued to lay there without opening her eyes. She’d gotten sweaty during the night, and laying there in her bed clothes, she could feel that one leg was out of the covers, the other trapped beneath the blanket.

“Lucky I didn’t get frustrated and rip through it in my sleep again,” she mumbled to herself in a whisper as she continued to lay there with her eyes closed.

With her attributes as high as they were, accidentally destroying mundane items in her sleep had become worrisomely common. But anyways…

What did she remember of last night?

The last time that Astrid had been even remotely close to drunk was when she was leaving Schteldt, the first town she had delved out of. Well, it wasn’t just close to drunk. She’d passed out and remembered very little of the night after Moira had thrown a baked potato at Tobias’s head.

That was a sweet memory.

The party with Guinevere and Moira remained a sweet memory of her beginnings, and Astrid wondered how they were doing. Years had passed, so would Guinevere have looked for a new husband? Or would she have continued as a widowed Apothecary? And Moira, could she have gained enough levels as the Smith of a delving town to have reached Iron tier?

Astrid couldn’t help but scoff at herself. She was so far removed from regular people that she couldn’t remember if gaining that many levels over the years would be fast or slow. In fact, she couldn’t even remember what Guinevere and Moira’s levels had been when she was there. Surely they were at most level 5 when she left, right?

If that was the case, it had been almost two years since she left. And...

She was thinking of all thinking to distract herself from the fact that, now that she thought of it, the alcohol had done nothing for her.

Michel had brought out some delicious wine that had gone down smooth, but had cut her off after only two glasses.

“Give it time. The alcohols that are able to make someone like yourself feel it are not the same kind that you have encountered elsewhere.”

His warning was warranted, even if it ended up being three and a half glasses that she slowly nursed that eventually got her past the point of buzzed. Regardless of how drunk she was or wasn’t, though, alcohol had done nothing to help her make the decision of what kind of Skill she might be practicing to acquire.

Did she want something that would be rolled into other Skills for sure? Or did she want to go for something that was simply offered at Steel Tier for the highest tier?

She felt that, in broad strokes, her build was complete. She had a finishing Skill that also worked for a more utility Skill in Spectral Graviton, and the burst Skill of Body Surge. Physique was an amazingly overpowered Skill, and she knew that its strength covered for several other weaknesses. As her thinking continued to cycle back in on itself, she shook her head. Again, she was falling into the trap of staying where she was instead of making progress. Instead, she figured she ought to think more about trying to spread herself wide to potentially get a boon in Mithril, or to hammer down on having extremely high-quality Skills.

Michel had said something about that last night, about how higher Tiers were able to get boons, but she couldn’t remember the specifics of it.

With a groan, Astrid sat up and got out of bed. Somehow, she felt it was unfair of her body to be as recovered as it was when a part of her wanted to be nursing a headache and sore body. And sadly, without thinking, she’d used Physique when she woke up, and now she was in perfect condition. She frowned, but, staying in her shorts and shirt, walked out of her room.

Once, she’d felt embarrassed by being seen by Markus like this, but now, the idea of someone seeing her belly button or her mid-thigh didn’t feel nearly so scandalous. Her bare feet padded across the hallway and towards the stairs that led to the first floor, and she couldn’t help but laugh a little at herself. She’d gotten much too comfortable in Michel’s inn if she was willing to be walking around in her pajamas and with bare feet.

On the first floor, the table was already spread with a full meal, and Astrid settled into the cushioned chair with a smile.

The meal was something that the party all enjoyed, though none of them had heard of it until coming here. Michel called it eggs benedict, and the Bard had wondered how the meal, something like an open-faced egg and ham sandwich with a delicious sauce on top, seemed to be named after him. Michel had no idea where the name came from, but he insisted it had nothing to do with the Bard himself.

Astrid wolfed down the first two, knowing she had several more waiting for her, and as she did so, the rest of her party slowly came down the stairs. They had all drunk together, and everybody but Felix squinted and nearly stumbled down the stairs.

Before Astrid could say anything, Muti flashed with shadow and then was hanging off of Astrid’s neck. The Barbarian grumbled something in her native tongue as she held Astrid like that. The Champion laughed and, looking at her party and quickly understanding the squinted looks and unhappy faces, spent two quick charges of Physique to bring everybody else back up to their healthiest condition.

Grumbled thanks came from the three men, but Muti fiercely nuzzled Astrid’s neck before starting to try to wrestle with the team leader.

“Not inside,” Astrid barked as she stood and broke the hold Muti had on her neck. “We have plenty of time to get practice in from here on out. We will not do anything inside of Michel’s inn. If you manage to get us kicked out because you’re testing me, I will break your legs and keep you from healing up for at least a day.”

Muti laughed and stepped away with both hands raised in surrender.

“I will do as you command, leader.”

Astrid nodded in thanks, looking at the rest of her party. Skandr and Benedict both wore loose, comfortable robes, while Muti wore a surprisingly feminine shift. Felix wore regular clothing, a pair of pants and a tunic, so Astrid felt a little out of place.

Usually, when everybody was seeing each other get dressed in the mornings, she didn’t think too much about it, but she was finding herself growing more self-conscious about some things and less self-conscious about others. The way that she saw Skandr glance at her legs, tummy, and briefly at the modest cleavage her shirt’s swooping neckline showed, Astrid thought that maybe it wasn’t all uncomfortable.

“Did the alcohol help at all?” Felix asked as he settled into his chair.

“What do you think?” Astrid scoffed.

“I think that the decision flew from your mind as soon as you tasted the wine,” Benedict said, cutting into his eggs benedict with a much more civilized fork and knife, as opposed to Astrid’s messy bites directly from the biscuit.

“You’re not far off,” Astrid nodded. “Just have to practice, I guess. I’m thinking I just train with the rest of you, and whatever Skills get offered to me, I’ll take whichever one I like best and is highest Tier.”

“To give trust to the guidance of the Great One,” Muti said, her sharp teeth clinking against her fork as she shoveled breakfast into her mouth. “It is not a bad idea.”

“It’s the only thing approaching a plan I’ve got. No reason not to do it.”

The rest of the party seemed to agree with her thoughts, and it wasn’t long before they were all about done with their meals.

Then, while looking at the rest of the party, Astrid asked, “Where do you think we should train? And do you think there’s anybody we can ask for help?”

***

Contrary to Astrid’s expectations, once she and the rest of the party communicated to Vera and Michel that they were looking for opportunities to get some training from those who might be willing to give it, more than just Gabriel stepped forward. Nobody was surprised to hear that Pollock refused to engage with the delvers, keeping to his usual priggishness. However, Gabriel had come forward with a Human woman who looked to be about his same age. The pair almost looked like a pair of grandparents, hair gone gray and crow’s feet at the corners of their eyes. 

Except for the weight of their presences.

Gabriel’s was subtle, powerful. He was stolid, heavy. When Astrid stretched her perception towards him, trusting in the heightened acuity from her Acumen-aligned mana, his presence was almost painfully powerful. His companion was a distinguished woman, her hair pulled back into a bun atop her head, and a severe look in her eyes. Maybe a strict grandmotherly look, but her aura was, for lack of any other way to say it, like that of an assassin. 

“I’ll keep it simple,” Gabriel said after he introduced his companion as Liora. “We’re both about level 150, so we each are about done with the first watershed of Adamantium. I won’t tell you the name of our Classes, but suffice to say mine is a descendant of my original Leader Class. So, if you’re looking to learn about auras, buffing Skills, or mobility, talk to me. Liora is unwilling to share what her Class is, but if you’re looking for stealth, weapon wielding, or explosive action, she’s your gal.”

Astrid nodded in appreciation of their willingness to teach them, though their unwillingness to say what their Classes were had her fighting off the urge to start pressing them immediately. Instead, she came forward and said, “I’d love to learn anything either of you can teach me. My final Skill slot I’m looking to fill is pretty flexible, so an aura is good, but mobility or even a further explosive Skill would be welcome, if it works in tandem with what I already have.”

“I would advise against that,” Liora said immediately, her voice carrying a faint accent that Astrid couldn’t place. “To have multiple Skills doing the same thing at your level is to say that one of them is incapable of suiting your needs. However, you have said that you are satisfied with what Skills you have. Correct?”

When Astrid nodded, the mysterious woman continued, “If you are happy with your Skills, do not look for another that may be better. Spending more time with what you are familiar with leads to greater results in the long term.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” Astrid replied, wondering how much to trust the older woman who stood before her.

The rest of the party quickly approached the two instructors who were willing to work with them, Muti focusing on Liora and Benedict on Gabriel. Felix, like Astrid, obviously wanted to learn from both, but Skandr stayed back as the rest of the party began trying to understand just what kind of training they would be able to receive.

“There wouldn’t happen to be anybody who’s willing to teach me, is there?” Skandr said with a rueful smile. “I appreciate the possibility of learning more about auras, and I probably should, but greater experience with enchantments and magic casting in general is what I would most benefit from.”

“I believe that is where I come in,” Michel said from behind the party. He’d been lingering nearby, but since they were having this preliminary meeting in the small stable area outside of his inn, nobody had thought twice about it.

When Skandr looked at the innkeeper, his smile grew wider.

“It’s too easy to forget that you aren’t just some amazingly talented innkeeper,” the Wizard said, walking towards the mustachioed man. “I’ve been so eager to learn about how the Golem Artisan Class works.”

“Largely through the use and experimentation with very complicated enchantments,” Michel said, two of his golems walking out of the doors behind him to stand on either side. One was the same “butler” version that always tended to the party, but the other was quadrupedal, thick legs supporting a body that had so many enchantments laid on it that it literally glowed with mana. “However, I picked up a spellcasting Skill as my second Skill in Mithril, so I’ve had several decades of experience with the Skill and can help you with that too.”

Skandr blinked several times after that, smiling wider as he reached out a hand to shake Michel’s.

Astrid saw Muti look longingly at Liora before seeming to come to the decision that she would need to split her time between the instructor who would teach what she wanted to learn and the instructor who would teach her better control over her mana.

“So I’m going to try to split time between Gabriel and Liora,” Astrid said, looking at her party. “And Felix is going to do the same. Skandr, you’re with Michel. Muti, are you going to split between Liora and Michel? And Benedict, are you going to stick with just Gabriel or bounce between him and Michel?”

Muti only nodded in response to the question, while Benedict worried at his lip for a second. Then, after coming to a conclusion, he said, “I think it’ll be best for me to see what I can learn from both.”

“However much time you’re willing to give us,” Astrid said, turning back to the three more experienced people, “we are happy to take it. Do you want to have a set schedule or...?”

“I’ll give six hours a day,” Gabriel spoke first. “Just before lunch until about dinner time. Five times a week.”

“My work is best conducted in the dark,” Liora added. “If you wish to work with me, let me know what hours you wish to train. After sunset until daybreak is workable for me.”

She didn’t mention any limitations on which days or how often, but Astrid figured it was better not to drill the taciturn woman with a dozen questions on the day that they met.  Though she herself wouldn’t be working with him, she turned to Michel last.

“I will be available for questions at all times,” Michel said, a smile peeking out from under his moustache. “However, my availability for more in-depth training will be limited. If you have a question that requires demonstrations, speak with me and we’ll set up a time for any further discussion.”

Astrid nodded, feeling conflicting emotions swelling in her chest. On one hand, her party was getting very experienced teachers, and evidently without any notable cost. Though Michel hadn’t said what level he was, he was, by his own words, decades away from getting a Skill when he hit level 103, so he was probably at least early Adamantium.

This was decades of experience from people who were coming forward to teach them simply because they asked.

On the other hand, the last time her party had been taught by people much stronger than them, it hadn’t exactly gone very well. Sure, the Golden Fist had taught them a lot, but the way that experience ended had left, at best, a sour taste in her mouth. Though over a year had passed since then, she frequently thought about what she’d been told, and her feelings about the experienced delver team had gone from idolization to mostly negative in that time.

Would these three people have the same approach to teaching that the Golden Fist did?

***

“At its core, an aura is using mana as a medium through which to share an aspect of yourself with people around you,” Gabriel explained, taking a bite out of an apple as he did so. “If you want to qualify for gaining an aura, the best way to do so is by experimenting with sharing your mana with other people with a specific goal in mind.”

Astrid nodded, understanding what he was getting at as she sat on one of Michel’s chairs that had been taken out of his inn.

“So as I continue to experiment with this, I should start to see results. Then, if I want the eventual Skill that’s offered to me to be higher Tier, I should really focus on how that works, experimenting with greater focus on amplifying the effects of the proto-aura.”

Instead of answering with words, he grunted and nodded.

He focused on his apple for a few more seconds as Astrid and Felix both worked on developing aura together. As Astrid’s mana reached out to touch Gabriel, he cocked his head to the side and then shook his head very slightly.

“You’re most of the way there, but your mana isn’t carrying very much intent, and is a little bit too aggressive still. Think of your auras that you have, and find the commonalities in how you are able to activate them.”

As Astrid tried to follow his instructions, she furrowed her brows in concentration. Even so, she found herself smiling.

This was the second instruction session with Gabriel she had experienced, and the old man didn’t hold back on what needed improvement. Instead of potentially blindsiding her with things to do a month from now, he paid attention to what she was attempting to experiment on and would tell her in which ways it was succeeding or failing. The first day had focused on auras as well, but today he was breaking down the difference between individual buffing Skills and auras, though they did similar things.

The hours passed quickly enough, and by the time dinner came around, Astrid felt that she had made some good progress towards understanding how to build on her auras. Even so, she couldn’t shake off the feelings of nervousness that twisted in her stomach.

Regardless of her feelings, Gabriel retreated, only giving the party enough time to eat their dinner before, for the first time, Liora began her instructions. Hopefully, she’d be as good of an instructor as Gabriel had been so far.