I walked for the better part of a day on that coast line before I came across another person. I have taken on a few sea creatures, mainly large crab eating Spider looking creatures. Funnily enough they were named Crab Eaters. Sometimes the naming in this place is just weird. The name doesn’t even begin to address that they look like large grey and blue spiders. Spiders! I shudder at the thought. Terrible things spiders. At least they gave me a lot of experience, putting me over the edge to level 18. Except for the creepy looking spider creatures, the view was out of this world. In my old world the environment had been degraded by humans and our society for generations. Everything had that “dying by the hands of man” kind of vibe to it. Not here. The air is fresh and clear, the only obstruction is a haze of salty fog from the water that burns off when the sun gets hot. The rolling waves looked both inviting and ominous, as if they were holding thousands of secrets that were just waiting to snatch and eat you when you fall for their invitation. I most definitely stayed out of the water. I had filled some shells and smaller skins with water from the river before I headed down the coast. I am very glad that I did, someone once told me that it is a bad idea to drink salt water. Having the fresh water with me is truly a lifesaver. It gets really warm walking in the sun with the light reflecting off the water. I am glad that the beach I am on is more rocky than sandy, it makes traveling faster. Even with my good fortune of solid ground, it was almost dark before I met them.
I didn’t even see the person first. I saw a large creature pacing on the beach. It is strange, it kind of shimmers and it seems like something is off. Analyze was not giving me anything on it either. I slow down as I approach the creature on the beach. I am thinking about switching over to my German shepherd form or my Kitsune form. Then the creature walked through a rock. Just right through it, as if it was not there. Either it is a ghost or it is not real. I relax a bit. I am going to stay human for a while longer. That is when I heard it “Damn, it is still not good enough. I can see right through the thing.” Then the creature on the beach vanished. A slim man with a wild mess of dark curls on his head. He has a slightly darker shade of skin that I do. He is pacing in a circle running his hands through his hair over and over making the mess worse. I walk up to him slowly, I do not want to startle him. I do a quick check, not really expecting much, my skill is still pretty low.
Name: Russell
Age: 22
Mind:???
Str: ??? Spd: ??? Int: ??? Res: ??? Def: ???
Race: Halfling (???? and ???)
Sex: Male
Gender: Male
Level: ???
Gift: ???
Titles: ???-skill level too low
Abilities: ???- skill level too low
Skills: ??? - skill level too low
Yeah, my skill level is too low to really tell me anything. Though I do know that his name is Russell. Probably shouldn’t call him by his name though, us being strangers and all that. I would not want to freak him out. It would not do to have the first person I am talking to in this world think that I am some kind of stalker. I don’t know what a Hafling is, but I think that he must be half one race and half another. My Analyze skill is too low to see what two races he is half of. Ah well, not really my problem. He doesn’t really look like anything other than human. I might need to actually start talking to him.“Hey there!” I call out, Russell literally jumps into the air and falls down trying to turn toward me. That is when I see that he is wearing a small pair of glasses. He pushes them back on his nose as he looks up at me from his place on the ground. “You scared me! Who are you? How did you find me? What are you doing here? How much did you see? What did you see?” He seems pretty flustered, that is a lot of questions, all at once and makes him seem very suspicious. “To answer your questions, I am Elise, I wasn’t looking for you just walking down the shore looking for anyone really. I saw a strange looking creature, that I am not sure if it is a ghost creature or some kind of illusion, since it walked through a rock then vanished. You are the first person that I have really met since that god, Darvin I think, brought me here.” I held up the amulet. The welcome introduction thing said that I am supposed to be welcome in this country and that the amulet that I cannot take off is supposed to show my position as one of the Reborn. His face lit up when he saw the amulet. “You are the Chosen Reborn of Darvin?” I nod. “Darvin is the gold guy with the book and looks like a wolf right? Cuz he is the one who brought me here. Did not tell me anything before he sent me here either.” Russell let out a laugh. “That sounds like Darvin. He is an academic, they have a tendency to forget that not everyone is on the same page as them and just assume that you know what they are talking about. There are a lot of those in Darva.” I held out my hand to help him get up, amazingly he held that conversation while still sitting on the ground. By the surprised look on his face when I offered him my hand I think he forgot that he was on the ground. Once he was standing next to me I realized that he is tall, he has a few inches on me. “You are also in the Trials! I have been training hard so Darvin will pick me to participate in those!” This might be the time to figure out what the deal with these Trials are. “So what are the Trials exactly?” Russell gives me such a shocked look that I want to hit him on the back of the head. I just told him that Darvin told me nothing about anything. “To really explain the Trials I need to tell you about Darva. Darva is a country that has three Patron Gods, Darvin the God of Scholars and the Arcane, Verdin the God of Games and Contests, and Ghala, the goddess of the Sea and Water. The Avatar of Darvin is the head of the state, the Consort is the Avatar of Ghala. Ghala has her own race that is bound to her and they live primarily under the Sea. They are a hermaphroditic race that can both bear and sire children. The Head Advisor is the Avatar of Verdin. The Avatar of Ghala is chosen by Ghala and is chosen in the capital before the Trials begin. Darvin chooses five candidates to compete in the Trials and Verdin comes up with the Trials themselves. The winner of the Trials becomes the new Avatar of Darvin and the runner up becomes the new Avatar of Verdin. The remaining three become Guards either for the Avatar of Darvin or for the Avatar of Verdin. Each Avatar has three Guards. In other countries the Avatars choose their Guards, in Darva three Guards are chosen by Darvin for the Trials and the other three are chosen by the Avatars. Any questions?” Russell looked so proud of himself. It is a good overview of the Country. I did meet a few S’leni, and now the oddities on their status make sense. I wonder if the gender are indicators on whether they are going to sire or bear children. Wait a minute, Russell has not introduced himself yet. There is something that I need to know while we are on the topic “When do the Trials start? Because I am supposed to be taking part in them and I do not know where or when they are.”
Russell ran his hands through his hair again “Oh, it takes place in the capital and Darvin will give out the sign about when they will start. Once the trial participants are all gathered in the castle, then the Trials begin.” So there is no way that I can miss it, good to know. “I can’t tell if my level is low or not, I am level 18.” Russell frowned in thought “The average adult is about level 20. Since you have been here for a short time, the cycle has only just begun, I think you are off to a good start.” His eyes lit up as if he has just come up with a great idea “Hey, let’s train together! I can help you get the hang of this world and since I am training to get stronger and become a Trial member. We can both get stronger, it will be vigorous training.” That does not sound bad, Russell is cute, he seems to have some skills and he is friendly if a bit odd. Since he is trying to get into the trials the training should be good and he seems to know a lot about this place. If we don’t get along then I can always leave. Still there is one thing that needs to be done first “I don’t travel with people who don’t introduce themselves.” He turned red, and began to sputter, yeah cute. “O-ooh, so sorry. I do that sometimes, get caught up enough to forget my manners. I am Russell Xanin. I am an Illusionist, but please keep that to yourself.” Illusionist? Does that mean that the creature on the beach earlier had been one of his Illusions? That makes sense, I was not able to get anything off it with Analyze. Cool, is that his gift? “Is making Illusions your gift?” Russell nodded. “What is your gift? I was told that the Gods give the Reborn rare gifts.” Analyze does say that my gift is rare. “My gift is Shapeshifting. I can turn into different Canines, but I have to unlock the different breeds.” Russell actually rubbed his hands together, eyes wide “That sound so cool. What forms have you unlocked?” If we are going to work together I might as well tell him, in for a penny in for a pound. “I have a German shepherd form, which is a canine from my world, I died saving one. The other is a Kitsune form.” Russell grabbed my shoulders “Kitsune form? How did you get a Kitsune form? Did you meet a Kitsune? They are so reclusive, it is rare to meet one. Where did you meet one?” I had a feeling that Kitsunes are rare, the gold lettering in the name in my form list was a clue. “I met one in the forest over there” I pointed off in the distance where the edge of the forest was just visible. “I have a skill that lets me get closer with animals and when it is combined with my Language skill that Darvin gave me it lets me talk to the more intelligent animals. The Kitsune I met was named Ren and we had a good conversation. Ren was adorable, he was a black and white patterned Kitsune and my Kitsune form is black and orange.” I am tempted to show him, My Kitsune form is just so cute, it should be shown off. Russell looked torn about something. He keeps looking off at the forest, then at me and off in another direction. “I really want to go see a real Kitsune, but if we go to the forest and plains in that direction, closer to the Jahail mountain, packs of Red Wolves and Gray Paws live. You don’t have those forms yet, and if we go there you have the chance to gain them. Yeah, we should go there.” Ah, how sweet, he is thinking about what is going to benefit me. I don’t blame him for wanting to meet a real Kitsune, they are adorable. Just so cute. I would be conflicted as well. Red Wolf and Grey Paws, they sound like they will be good for strength, maybe defense. I want them.
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