The walk back to the Kiftan residence was slow and relaxed, which Ria actually ended up enjoying. She had planned to march right back to the house and get back to her studies but the easy pace and Lynne and Ward's company helped ease the tension and hint of fear that she'd been feeling.

Ward had spent the first part of the trip lecturing Lynne about situational awareness and the potential dangers of inattention. Instead of feeling called out, Ria found that she was quite amused by the whole thing. Siblings were the same no matter where in the universe one was, apparently. She was pleased that her language skills were progressing because she understood about two-thirds of what Lynne was saying and was able to use context to fill in a bit more.

Her older sister side had her chiming in a couple of small observations as well, about how to keep herself safe in any given situation. Lynne had pretended to pout a bit but Ria could see the laughter she was struggling to keep back. Ward, on the other hand, gave her the longsuffering look that was universal to older siblings everywhere when their little sibling had done something foolish.

Finally, in an attempt to divert attention off of herself, Lynne said hastily, "Are you sure that you've never spoken Audri before? You seem to be picking it up quickly for someone who had never been exposed to it before."

Ria shrugged, "It's an old habit really. I was a trend analyst on Earth, so I had to track data and statistics globally. Every region had different tastes and what could possibly be wildly popular in one region would be a total failure in another. However, some of those sources weren't easily translated, so I learned to pick up the basics in several languages so that I could more accurately predict trends. It's an old skill, that's all."

Which reminded her. Turning to face Ward, she walked backward as she asked, "Speaking of which, I have a question."

His expression appeared to be caught between a grin and a grimace, "I doubt that you have just a single question but ask away. And can you please turn around and walk the right way before you trip and fall?"

She scoffed at that, "Trust me, I could do this for days, especially in a village as quiet as this one. I managed to do it for three blocks in New York City during rush hour without bumping into a single person, which has to be some sort of record."

He raised an eyebrow, "And what happened after the third block?"

She muttered sheepishly, "I ran into a pole. My sister will never let me live it down."

Lynne squealed, "You have a sister?"

Feeling her heart drop at the reminder that Charlotte was probably looking frantically for her, Ria said quietly, "Yes, a younger sister. Charlotte. She's probably around your age."

Ward must've seen the strain on her face because he quickly interrupted before Lynne could barrage her with questions. "You said that you have a question for me?"

Gratitude flooding her, she grabbed the lifeline that he'd thrown her. "Yes, I do! Um, during the whole incident earlier, I got a notification from the guide. It said that I'd gotten a new skill however other than a really brief description, it didn't tell me anything useful. Could you tell me a little bit more about skills and what their purpose is?"

Seemingly unfazed at being cut off, Lynne positively beamed at her. "You got your first skill? We have to celebrate." She turned to Ward. "I'm going to the market to get something for a special meal to celebrate. Tell Mama that I'll be home soon."

As Lynne darted off down a side street, Ria grumbled, "Your sister talks too fast, I have no idea what she just said. Something about a first skill and a meal?"

Ward laughed as he continued walking, "Lynne's been like ever since she said her first word, she's been talking a mile a minute. Anyway, she's going to market to get something to celebrate your first skill."

Ria blinked in confusion. "Are first skills such a big deal here?"

He made a seesawing motion with his hand, "Eh, yes and no. First skills can range from absolutely useless to extremely helpful. However, it's seen as a first step of integration with Audrilandre, so it's typically celebrated. Can I ask what yours is? And when did it happen?"

She shrugged, pulling up the guide. "After I yeeted the hiba, it showed up in my skills list. Let me see..."

Ward frowned, "Yeeted?"

She laughed at that and mimed swinging a baseball bat. "Hitting or throwing something forcefully, usually. You can also yeet yourself, so, I dunno. Something like moving rapidly, I guess. Ah, here it is."

There sitting next to a single star was the skill: Quick Thinker

Tapping on it again, it brought up the description: Beginner skill. You've proven to have the ability to react swiftly in a crisis. Keep honing this skill in order to gain swifter reaction times.

She read it all to Ward who nodded. "That's a fairly decent one to get, slightly on the rarer side for first skills since most people are too overwhelmed to react quickly to circumstances around them. However, it is a passive skill, nothing you can do to hone it other than be attentive to your surroundings and deal with unexpected situations as they pop up."

She crinkled her nose, "Is there a way that you can tell the difference between a passive and an active skill? Because I don't want to waste my time trying to level up a skill that is just a passive skill or not conducive to whatever path I take here. And how can I tell if an active skill is worth leveling up or not, I'd hate to spend a lot of time working on a skill that ultimately does little for my choices here on Audrilandre."

He nodded, "If you'll look, there should be a single star next to 'quick thinker'. This indicates that it is a passive skill although they do help you get a good feel for what sort of field you should look into for a job. For example, someone with a 'high attention to detail' would do well as a scribe or accountant whereas someone with 'one with nature' would do well into going into an outdoor or animal related field."

He held up two fingers, "Two stars, on the other hand, are active skills. Most of these skills are common skills and have ten levels, with one being the lowest and ten indicating complete mastery. If they are uncommon skills, the cap is fifteen, and rare cap at level twenty. For example, the skill 'Thread Master (U)' would have a U in parentheses after it, indicating that it is an uncommon skill and caps at level fifteen. So, C for common, U for uncommon, and R for rare skills. You still with me?"

She fidgeted, tapping absently on her thigh, "Simple enough. Are there any more?"

"Yep. Three stars are the final tier of skills. These ones are usually directly related to a specific, specialized skill and most people have to deliberately work towards unlocking one of these skills. It is exceedingly rare, almost unheard of, for someone to unlock one of these skills on accident. Like, one in a million chances. As for finding out if a skill is worth honing or not, you can always look up the skill in the World Encyclopedia. It will list what each level is and what the increase per level is. Still, while skills are part of everyday life here in Audrilandre, they are not the final say when it comes to jobs. You could have a high 'one with nature' skill and have a job smack in the middle of the capital. On the other hand, a level seven 'Cooking Master' is more likely to be hired over a level four 'Cooking Master' because it shows that they've spent more time honing their craft than the level four. Still, personality plays a part in it as well, because a level four that's willing to learn is a more preferable hire to a level seven with an ego."

She laughed at that, "So, same as on Earth. You can hone your skills all you want but it depends on a myriad of factors as to whether or not it will be actually useful."

He grinned at her. "Exactly. So, any more questions? Or have I confused you enough for the day?"

She mimicked his earlier gesture. "Yes and no. I'm good on questions, for the moment. I'll undoubtedly have a million more once I've spent some time researching. But you've given me a good enough starting point that I can start digging on my own now. I retain information better if I'm the one to look it up personally rather than have someone else compile it for me. So, nothing for now."

They'd reached the house and he opened the door for her. "Ok, go ahead and have fun researching, I can see that you're itching to do a deep dive. Just be aware that Lynne will be back in a short while and will undoubtedly drag you into her chaos. In case you haven't figured it out yet, she's one of those people who just love to celebrate everything about life."

Ria smiled wistfully, "My sister, Charlotte, she's the same. Every little thing was an excuse to be happy and she would always drag me along with her. I never laugh as hard as I do when I'm with her." She grabbed firmly onto her slipping emotions and said firmly. "Anyway, I'd best get started. Thank you for the walk, I really needed that."

He asked cheekily, "Monsters included?"

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help her grin, "Yes, monsters included."

After all, that hiba had given her a lot to think about and a lot to research.