“Bishop… What is this?” Clammy asked as they watched roots weave and twist together.

“I’d never thought I’d see the day…” He whispered. “Remember this well you two, this is probably going to be the only time you see an [Arbor] influence movement.”

Bishop’s utter astonishment left the girls at a loss. The normally cool and collected Drake was smiling like a school kid, practically oozing excitement. Neither of them knew very much about [Arbors] but from Bishop’s reaction they figured this event was something for the history books.

From their vantage point, they could see a chasm beginning to form around the edges of the city. Soil and sediment poured from the surface into the freshly excavated trench, revealing hundreds of meter wide thick roots quickly weaving themselves together. Smaller barbed roots whipped around smashing and slicing any and all beings that entered their range. Bones and rotting flesh started accumulating near the edge.

The roots began to rise, growing high into the air. Cheering sounded out from the [Barrier Mages] that were nursing mana exhaustion headaches. Smaller more flexible roots moved to fill in gaps and bolster structurally important sections. Roots began sprouting from the ground in the area between the barricade and the new wall, they wrapped around the legs and bodies of the remaining undead. Guards or adventurers quickly finished them off.

“Is this Honeygreen?” Reep asked.

“Him along with the other [Arbors].” Bishop said while his neck craned up, watching the roots grow.

The roots eventually began to curve inwards towards the city. It would take some time, but it was obvious that the roots were creating a dome.

“I’ve read a journal from an Elven guard that was alive during the Days of Eternal Spring. He spoke about the [Arbors] of his city banding together to protect the city. He called the spell: Thorn Wall of Everlasting Growth. Simply amazing.”

“What were the [Arbors] defending from?” Reep asked.

“Demigod Otutun.”

“What happened to the city?”

Bishop turned and smiled. “It is now referred to as the Elven capital city.”

They continued watching the roots grow, eventually deciding that they should regroup with Vel and Max. They left the wall after confirming that every undead on their side of the roots was dead. It didn’t take long, after all, every undead was bound to the ground.

This was their first time since the start of the explosions that they were able to see the city’s destruction. The girl’s reactions were very similar to Max’s. They saw the blood being washed down the street and slowly come to the same realization: Mallor is responsible, Vast Empire needs to be dismantled.

Bishop had seen his fair share of ruined cities, similar to Vel. He was numb to it all, but at the same time it was the reason he went on solo adventures. Smaller cities had been ruined by less powerful monsters then Mallor. But the main difference between those cities and Esmel was that Esmel had defenders. Something Bishop could be.

The group trudged silently through the broken city. They had to take a few detours around collapsed buildings and blocked streets but found their way to the clinic where Max and Vel should be. A guard quickly waved them down. He bowed before saying:

“Lord Bishop, Lady Clammy and Lady Reep, please follow me to Lord Honeygreen’s trunk. Captain Ism is there, and he will explain where Lady Vel and Lord Max are.”

Bishop slowly nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. Reep leaned in close to Clammy.

“Lady?”

Clammy smiled and repeatedly raised her eyebrow up and down.

“Better get used to it.” She whispered. “Our names are going to spread after we leave.”

Clammy said it was a joke, but both girls knew it was most likely true. They had already talked as a group about limiting what the leaders of Esmel tell their people. Of course, people already knew about the strange group of adventurers led by Veline and Bishop. Max was already relatively famous for his speech and standing as the One-Armed Mage. Reep and Clammy, on the other hand, wanted to remain inconspicuous; Clammy being the primary reason. She was afraid that her true identity as a Princess of Salae would be revealed and her family would come for her.

As they closed in on the center of the city, more and more people were out and about. Citizens helped each in moving debris. Guards aided in moving the injured and elderly. [Potion Makers] handed out stamina and calming potions. [Priests] led many in prayer. [Druids] worked to heal the trees and shrubs. [Merchants] and [Market Sellers] handed out fruit while [Chefs] mass produced rations.

All in all, the city was starting to recover. Under the protection of the [Arbors], people felt safe enough to start rebuilding. It was surprising to Reep and Clammy how fast the citizens banded together.

A guard checkpoint had been set up a street from Honeygreen. After being cleared, they were brought to a very tired looking Captain Ism. He stood at the head of a table, pointing to various spots on a map. He told the attendants around him what his plans were and how to best succeed. With a grunt and a solute, the attendants left, off to fulfill their orders.

“Bishop! Reep, Clammy! Glad to see that you all are alright.” Ism announced after finally noticing their presence.

“Same to you!” Bishop said, stepping forward and gripping Ism’s arm in greeting.

“Please, let us sit. We have much to discuss.” He gestured to the table.

After sitting, Ism began to explain what was happening. He told them about all of the [Arbors] expanding their influence and how they were virtually defenseless during that time. He had expected a harsher reaction when he told them that Max, Vel and Emi chose to defend Honeygreen from the inside. Captain Ism, of course, didn’t know the whole story. He assumed that they stayed behind to defend against invisible threats that Max had proved himself to be able to see. The others guessed that they actually chose to stay to defend the Tomb.

“Is there an estimated time the [Arbors] will rescind their influence?” Reep asked.

Ism shook his head. “I don’t know. These are unprecedented times. Luckily, Esmel has large stores of provisions in case we need to start rationing. Between the [Druids] and [Farmers], we should be able to sustain ourselves within the dome for quite some time.”

Everyone's eyes went wide. Clammy was the first to speak:

“What do you mean, some time?”

“My understanding is that this spell takes a lot out of the [Arbors]. They can’t simply turn it on and off like say a normal barrier spell. They are living trees and their timetables are skewed.”

“You mean that even if Mallor is found and killed, all of the undead killed, and every living sacrifice found, the dome would remain up?” Clammy asked irate.

“Again, I do not know.”

“What do you know?” Bishop asked before Clammy could speak again.

“Before Lord Honeygreen forced us all to leave, he gave me instruction to start rebuilding the city and to set up growing fields. That is all. It was sudden.”

“This is perfect.” Clammy sarcastically said.

With a sigh, Bishop stood. “Thank you, Captain Ism. It appears we are not needed here, and we will retire for the day. If you need us, we will be in the inn.”

“Of course. I’m sorry things ended up this way, but you will always have my respect and thanks. All of you, I mean. Without your team, the city would surely have fallen.” He bowed.

Bishop turned away and began to walk out. “Don’t mention it.” He said with a wave. The others followed.

After walking for a little bit, Clammy had an idea.

“I just got to level ten! I can get my second class! Can we go to the Stones?”

Clammy’s sudden excitement threw the others off. They had just walked through the destruction and decimation of a city, but they couldn’t fault her for being excited.

“Sure. It's not that far out of the way.” Bishop said.

The first time the group went to the Stones, guards did not allow entry for anyone other than Max and Emi. However, this time, no guards were present. The Class Stones were important, but they were indestructible. The leaders of the city figured the extra manpower would be better used elsewhere.

The rock garden looked untouched. The explosions seemed to be far enough away that it was unaffected. They expected no one to be around, but as they entered the garden proper, they found many Elves laying on temporary cots. With all of the destruction and destroyed homes, the affected citizens looked for safe havens. An old man approached.

“Sit wherever you’d like. Plenty of space for everyone.” He smiled. “Dinner will be served in an hour or so. It's my wife’s vegetable stew, so if you have your own food, you may have to share!” He laughed at his own joke.

“Ah, no. We are here for a class-up.” Bishop gestured at Clammy.

The old man eyed her timidly.

“Second Human youngster to come by in the last couple of weeks… You perhaps wouldn’t know him?”

“Max? Sure, we know him. Why? Do you know him?” Bishop answered.

“I remember we had a nice conversation. Is he well?”

“Have you heard about the One-Armed Human?” Clammy asked.

“Oh… That is a shame…”

“Indeed, it is…” Bishop whispered.

A moment of awkward silence filled the air before the old man spoke. “Feel free to sit down while you wait. If you want to stay for dinner, we have plenty.”

“Thank you.” Bishop said, bowing.

They watched the old man saunter off.

“That’s the old man without a class, right?” Clammy asked. “The one Max told us about?”

“Let me see…”

Level 5

The old man flinched when he felt the spell wash over him, but he didn’t turn.

“Level Five. Interesting.” Bishop muttered. “While you are in the menus, I might have to talk with him…”

Clammy chuckled. “Bishop, your crazy system loving side is showing.”

He laughed. Reep smiled.

“What do I do now?” Max asked Vel.

They were sitting in the hallway where hundreds of wards were once placed. Ever since Honeygreen and the other [Arbors] began their spell, they had been waiting at the tomb. Max secretly wondered just how likely it was for Mallor to continue his attack. From his understanding, the battle was over. The undead proving powerless against the roots.

“This time, rotate the water blobs around yourself in opposite directions. Freeze every other one for three seconds before switching to the other ones.”

Max thought for a second before realizing what she meant.

They had been in the hallway for a few hours at this point. Vel was teaching Max more advanced water manipulation training techniques. They had ended up continuing their conversation from right before the city exploded. They were discussing being a manipulation mage and how to reinforce his water.

Max had noticed that most techniques he’s learned and seen have some basis in physics. Max, being from Earth, had an unfair advantage when it came to knowing and understanding physics. The world of Nava had put off learning about the world around them in favor of studying magic. Max had read through a few famous journals during his time in the Lesterwood’s library and he noticed that a lot of the “revolutionary” ideas the author had was common knowledge from Earth. Case and point being Gravity Magic.

Reinforcing water was a different case altogether. There was no physics involved in the technique and instead Vel told Max to feel and strengthen his mana. After several failed attempts Vel finally surrendered and taught him the magic theory behind mana.

“This is what I get for not formally teaching you anything.” Vel complained. “Mana is volatile. It changes forms like nothing else. Fire to water to rock, mana changes its properties based around what the user wants. What do you think would happen if you controlled water but wanted your mana to act like fire?”

“Will it evaporate?”

“You would think, but no. Observe.”

Vel moved a glob of water above her palm. With a look of concentration, the water started flickering and twisting. It flowed upwards and much like a candle’s flame. Vel summoned a piece of parchment and held it near the water. The paper became visibly wet even though it didn’t come into contact with the water. She canceled her manipulation and handed the paper to Max. It was warm.

“I’m not sure I understand.” Max shook his head. “Did you manipulate your mana in the way a [Fire Mage] would but used water as a medium?”

Vel snapped her fingers. “Exactly!”

“But… How do I do that…”

“You know Create Flame, right?”

Max nodded.

“Try creating the flame and make sure to remember how your mana moves and feels.”

Max leaned back holding his hand in front of his eyes. He concentrated on his mana. He felt it course through his veins and out to his palm. He was reminded of the first time he ever casted anything. Iris had explained what a mana system was, and that was the first time he felt his inner beach. The water, the sand, the waves, and the hurricane.

Max held his mana in place just before the flame was created for as long as possible. Maybe he was imagining it, but his mana almost felt like it was sparking. Incredibly small surges of mana seemed to emulate the pop of a flame or the crackle of burning fuel.

Weird. He thought.

Next, he tried the same experiment, but with water. He held on to the feeling his mana gave off before any water moved. This time his mana subtly crashed and receded. The pattern didn’t really make sense to Max, at least, not until he envisioned it in a larger form. It was moving like the tide.

“How do you see your mana system?” Max asked.

“I see a calm harbor under a moonlit sky… Why?”

“I was just wondering if how you envision your mana system has any say in what type of mage you would be.”

“Ah, the class; Mana Systems for Mages, at the Mage Guild, goes over that question and many others. If you ever decide to take classes, that one may interest you.” She smiled. “But yes, that is the theory. Some say your mana system is your true personality.”

“That's pretty interesting.” Max said, causing Vel to nod.

He focused back on his experiments. Max moved a glob of water to his hand. It took conscious effort to change his tide mana into sparking mana. As he held his mana in place, his head began to spin. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling at this point but a disconcerting one, nonetheless. The water glob flickered once before Max had to cancel the technique.

“Good.” Vel praised. “I find fire the hardest to mimic. I think it has something to do with fire and water being opposites.”

“I could tell.” Max whined.

“Rock or stone is much easier to fuse into water and a hells of a lot more useful. That is where water reinforcement comes from, mimicking rock into water.”

“I don’t know any rock spells.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to. There are very few Rock Spells that are common. Soil Spells are much easier to learn.”

“But soil isn’t hard like rock.”

“Correct, but the mana moves in the same way.”

“Oh, I see.”

“We can start with the basics. Ice!” Vel said with too much enthusiasm. “Ice is hard like stone.”

Max was about to say a snarky comment about stone being much harder than ice, but he stopped himself.

With mana, ice could actually be harder… That's a scary thought.

The current training Max was victim to, was orbiting globs of water in different directions while freezing random globs for a few seconds at a time. Orbiting the globs in different directions was easy to Max. Freezing for a set period of time, was not. Max found that once he started to freeze the water, it seemed to continue on its own even if he stopped his mana. Max vaguely remembered something like this happening a little while ago, but he put it off for other things.

The water was simply getting too cold. After he cut his mana, the water would continue to freeze. Max tried several different methods of combating this and found that creating a core of ice was the best way of slowing freezing. The air on the edges of the glob helped to keep the rest warm while the core slowly chilled from the inside. Max also found that the quickest way to freeze water was from the outside in. He would create a shell of ice and move towards the center freezing as he went.

Still, he ran into the water freezing faster than he wanted. An idea came to him. Why not heat up the water? He had already evaporated water, why wouldn't he be able to boil water. His next experiment he tried a frozen core with a semi-hot outside shell. It worked, the water didn't freeze over, but it would take a lot of tinkering for him to get the temperatures right.

But that sparked other ideas. Boil a Water Bolt before firing it or boil his sword as he sliced with it. Simply adding heat to his spells opened up a lot of possibilities in combat magic. It also added to some medical possibilities. Infection seemed to be a recurring theme of injuries on Nava. Without antibiotics, being able to confidently sterilize a knife or pliers may prove useful.

As Max continued to work, he slowly started accumulating ideas and theories. He paired magical questions with physics and asked Vel many difficult questions, some of which she wasn’t able to answer. Max spent hours toying with his magic, something he hadn’t been able to do in a long time. He gained multiple levels in Water Manipulation as well as gained another boon from his Kepu Racial. This time he chose to increase his ability to freeze water. If what Vel said was accurate and he was better off being a manipulation mage, the other two choices didn’t seem all that helpful. If he made a mistake, he still gained a helpful boon.

He didn’t notice a change in creating ice right away. It was after several experiments that he realized he knew more about ice. Non-Magical knowledge even. He knew about crystalline formations, friction, and sublimation.

This is weird. Does the racial give me memories or does it help me remember things I already knew…

Max didn’t know, and he guessed that no other living being knew. The Kepu were an undocumented lost race. Any knowledge of them was rare and sought after. Other than general accounts such as the book of the Naga Queen Icer, there was no practical information about the Kepu.

Max chose to put it out of his mind for now. There was nothing he could do while waiting in a hallway inside of Honeygreen. Instead, he decided that he had enough with water experimentation and started playing with the Space Prism Puzzle. Now that he had found out who it was created by Max felt a bit discouraged. Who was he to solve a puzzle created by one of the best [Space Mages] to ever live?

Max spent the remainder of the evening tinkering with the prism. Eventually he found himself drifting off to sleep. It was previously decided that Vel would take the first watch. And finally, after one of the longest days Max had experienced, the blissful darkness of sleep took him.

Mallor stared intently at the metal spoon in his hand. It was smaller than he had originally imagined, but when he ransacked the Dwarven vault, it was the only thing resembling a spade. He originally used the spade to create lairs where he would be uninterrupted. Under cemeteries was his favorite spot. But after a few years, he started to think bigger.

He did his research into old bones. He added ancient monsters and long dead kings to his arsenal. Granted the type of bone hardly changed from species to species, it was the bragging right that mattered to Mallor. Who cares that a juvenile male dragon femur is stronger than that of an ancient? He could rub it in Isjub’s face. He hated Isjub.

Mallor laid on the roof of an Elven building. He was smiling and humming a joyous tune as he watched the root dome enclose above him. He thought about his friend Buzluc. His death was a real bummer. He had known the guy for a long time at this point and he was the best servant a [Reanimator] could have asked for. He could make an undead servant, but the undead kind just didn’t scratch the same itch.

His mind began to wonder. He really wanted to know what kinds of bones a Tomb of a Dead God had. He imagined the bragging rights he would gain in the [Reanimator] community if he managed to plunder Divine bones. Again. The next step for Mallor was about to be set. The dome was just about to finish closing, then the real attack would start. He smiled up at the sky, he was happy. With a flick of his wrist, the spade shimmered, and he found himself back in his underground base.

It was dark when Clammy finally finished selecting her class. She wasn’t sure what to think of her choice but with the way things had been going lately she figured it was going to be useful. She took a deep breath and reoriented herself. Small groupings of Elves sat around quietly talking. She saw Bishop sitting with the old man and his family. He looked completely out of place, his size being the main reason.

“He’s been talking with them for hours…” Reep said from behind.

Clammy jumped at her sudden voice.

“You… Sat with me? This whole time?”

Reep slowly nodded. “I felt it best.”

“Thank you.”

Reep smiled and stood up with a deep stretch. Clammy followed suit and the girls walked over to Bishop who was engrossed in conversation. The old man waved them to sit down while one of his sons fetched them some food. Bishop was talking about reasons he thinks the old man was classless. Theories from Divine Intervention to oily skin spewed from the elder Drake’s mouth. The girls found it comforting for Bishop to talk like this. He hadn’t been the same after Buzluc. A few hours passed and the conversation slowly evolved into talking about the city.

“With everything that's happened to the city, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes years for us to fully recover.” One of the sons, Jeil, said.

“Most of the farming villages outside city limits were destroyed. Esmel’s main export comes from those villages. Do we even have enough capital to rebuild them?” An unrelated woman asked.

“That's a good point! The city is probably going to bankrupt itself trying to fix everything! I’ll tell you what, I’m not paying any raised taxes!” Someone yelled.

Grumbles and murmurs sounded from the garden. Clammy hadn't noticed it before but everyone seemed to be listening to their conversation. The groups of people had migrated closer and opted to sit in rings around her and the others. She hadn't really thought of it, but there were no guards here. Most of the people sitting around were [Farmers] or [Trade Sellers], normal citizens who lost their homes. They were sitting around and listening to Bishop talk because they found comfort in knowing that someone so strong was here with them. As the crowd got louder and louder, the old man finally stood up. With a pleading posture, he spoke:

“Please everyone! Calm yourselves. The future is unknown, that much is true. But right now, we cannot do anything! There is no reason for us to be angry right now!” He waited a moment, allowing everyone to refocus on him.

“We are all beaten and broken. The city is in ruin and most of our livelihoods are gone. But we are still alive. We are still here. We will figure everything out together. It may be hard, it may be long, but we will get there. No undead or explosio-

He continued talking, but Clammy found herself unable to listen. Her eyes were becoming cloudy, and she was unable to focus. Her mind wandered and images started to form. A noble Human man moved along in a dark room. He moved from workstation to workstation, gathering tools and components. He quietly whistled a deep but fast tempo tune. He sat before a small runic circle. He positioned his components in a certain pattern and power began to glow.

The images shifted back to the Class Stone Garden. People were still talking but nothing of what they were saying made any sense to her. They spoke in broken mumbles and incomplete thoughts. Suddenly, a woman started to scream. All heads flicked over to her, Bishop reacted first and created a large lightning construct. He was too late; however, the woman’s skin was already glowing dark blue. Her veins bulged with white power that eventually broke through her skin. Blood and a black liquid poured out of her as she continued to scream. The power radiating from her body eventually culminated into a spark. Then an explosion.

White filled Clammy’s vision.

“Clammy.” Someone said, she couldn't tell who.

“Clammy, you are back.” The Voice said. “What did you see?”

She was starting to come around. She could tell the voice was Bishop. His soothing deep cadence proved to spark her memory. The grey finally faded from her vision. Bishop was kneeling in front of her. His eyes were slits, and he was on edge. Reep stood next to him, alert and ready. The crowd of citizens were silent, all watching.

“Clammy, why are you crying?” Bishop spoke gently.

She reached up and felt her face. She was crying. Why was she crying? She was listening to the old man talk when… when…

“Sacrifice.” She said barely audible.

Bishop continued to ask questions, but she was unresponsive. Clammy’s mind was trying to piece everything together.

Was that Mallor? How did I see him? What was he doing? Where is the wom-

Clammy abruptly stood up. All eyes were on her as she scanned the crowd. She finally understood. She saw the future. Her new class [Foreseer] activated. Clammy found the woman. She was elderly and looked harmless. She had the same scared expression everyone else had. But Clammy knew. She knew what was about to happen but what she had to do next still hurt.

The pebble tore through her skin and into the elderly Elf’s skull. Her brain was liquefied but she remained sitting upright. She began to wobble slightly and eventually topple over. There was no exit wound, Clammy made sure to stop the pebble before it hit a bystander. Blood began to pool around the dead woman. It trickled down into the rocks and grass and slowly expanded along the pathways.

The first scream sounded from one of the Elves closest to her. Heads turned as more and more screams sounded. The crowd seemed to act as one as they looked at the dead old woman and back at the sobbing young Human girl. She was muttering words of sorrow and forgiveness, but the crowd didn’t see that. Instead, they saw a girl murder an older woman in cold blood. Unwarranted and unprovoked.

“I didn’t...-how--. much time-... was left!” Clammy finally said through the tears and mucus.

Bishop was about to ask what she meant, but multiple explosions sounded through the city. She saved all of them, Bishop realized. The crowd reacted violently to the explosions. They panicked and ran, pushing and trampling others who didn’t move fast enough. No one knew who the real enemy was. Was it Clammy or was it the explosions?

The first of several angry Elves attacked. They were of non-combat classes but chose to buy time for their families to run. Rocks were thrown and punches were laid. Bishop didn’t retaliate, but he enacted a lighting field around them. The rocks were stopped, and the punches dismissed. The garden cleared out leaving only a few remaining.

“You’re a [Diviner].” Bishop said matter of factly. “I recognized your grey eyes. What did you see?”

“She was a sacrifice. We all died.” Clammy fought to keep back more tears. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“No, no.” Bishop wrapped her in a deep and comforting hug. “You did the right thing. Something many of us wouldn't have been able to do. You did good.”

Clammy didn’t say anything. Bishop stepped away and Reep moved in. Clammy wasn’t sure why, but when Reep hugged her, she let go of all of her emotions. She cried and cried. Reep’s shoulder became wet and slimy, but she didn’t mind.

The old man stood over the dead woman. He was expressionless.

“Did you know her?” Bishop asked.

“Not before today, no.”

“I’m sorry.” Bishop whispered.

“It’s a shame, but I heard what the girl said. She saved us, I’m not sure how or from what. But she did. It's been a few decades since I last saw a [Diviner]. Grief and anguish always follows them.”

“I know.”

“Are you her teacher?” The old man asked.

“I am.”

“A word of advice. The last [Diviner] that Esmel had killed himself on the one-year anniversary of him getting the class. Train her to be strong. Otherwise, this could be the end for her.”

“I will.”

“You should probably go. The guard will be around here soon. Best not for our saviors to be arrested.”

“Thank you.” Bishop said.

The old man didn’t reply.

Bishop gathered the girls and they slowly walked through the city. They walked in silence, but Reep stood close to Clammy, offering a comforting feeling. Smoke flumed from multiple points in the city. Cries of help sounded all around them. They walked to the inn but stopped multiple times along the way. They provided aid, moved debris and even helped a lost child.

The inn, thankfully, wasn’t damaged. Bishop pushed through the wards and was instantly enveloped in a hug. Belopi was beside herself with glee. She hugged each and every one of them before asking about Max and Vel. Bishop explained the situation with Max and Vel as well as what was currently happening. When Bishop spoke about what happened at the garden, Belopi moved to sit next to Clammy. Clammy stared blankly at a globe of leaves blowing in the wind. An occasional tear fell as she relived the memories.

“Belopi, I’m going to take Reep with me and we are going to help around the city. Can you watch Clammy for me?”

“Of course.” Belopi said. “Be careful.”

Clammy didn’t react to them leaving. She didn’t react to Belopi talking to her or when a bowl of steaming soup was sat before her. She didn’t react when people banged on the door to the inn, seeking refuge. She didn’t react when Bishop and Reep arrived sometime later. She didn’t react when the refugees Bishop allowed in yelled at her and Belopi for not letting them in earlier. She didn’t react when Bishop intervened.

She was numb. She was sorry.

Clammy sat on her throne. Her [Steward] spoke in a hollow tone about the day's proceedings. It was Tuesday, she hated Tuesdays. Tuesdays was the day the [Peasants] were allowed an audience. She hated listening to their boring and self-centered problems. [Farmers] complained about the lack of rain. [Basket Weavers] talked about taxes. [Den Mothers] spoke about lack of food. Clammy hated Tuesdays.

She wondered what her [Noble] friends were doing. They were probably off to the mountains this time of year. Dwarven mead and culture was making a comeback that Clammy desperately wanted to be a part of. As she eyed the long line of speakers, she briefly wondered if she should have a [Doppelganger] or [Skinshifter] on payroll. It would remove her need to be in the castle on Tuesdays, allowing her to have fun.

Not all of Tuesdays were bad, however. After the last of the stinky county folk left, she would retire to her dungeon. She loved her time in her dungeon. The sick screams of tortured souls were music to her ears. She needed to relieve stress somehow, and after all of her years as [Queen] she finally found an outlet.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as she listened to her people’s problems. It was all the same. Every Tuesday is the same. She listens and gives back false promises. She spent hours on her throne simply bored out of her mind. Sometimes a cute [Farm Hand] would present himself giving her a moment of thrill, but it was all moot.

The day was finally over, and the sun set in the backdrop of the stone castle. Clammy skipped down the long damp hallways. Torch light lit the walls casting long eerie shadows along the metal bars of the cells. As she moved through the dungeon, the [Prisoners] cowered away in fear. The newcomers heard the whispers of the veterans. The [Queen] was sick. She was a madwoman who found pleasure in the pain of others. Clammy didn’t care about their whispers. If anything, she reveled in them. The feeling she got whenever she heard a newbie try and argue with her was only rivaled to their screams. She loved breaking the new toys.

The newest arrival actually arrived while she was in court. Her [Steward] had whispered that this one was special. Clammy spent the rest of the day fantasizing about the fresh meat. Her [Steward] knew her well, and purposely kept their identity from her. Clammy knew nothing about the person she was going to see, and she loved that.

The door of the cell creaked open allowing torch light to fill the deep room. Iron chains littered the ground along with dried blood and the occasional dismembered toe or finger. Clammy started from the [Prisoners] feet and slowly made her way up. By the hips, she could tell that today's special someone was female. More specifically an Elf.

Blood was already dripping from shallow cuts across her abdomen. She would have to reprimand the guards responsible. Again. She wore no clothes, only a leather collar with a chain attached to the wall. Clammy licked her lips, excited to see her face. She moved into the dark room holding a torch.

She held it high, hoping to remove as many shadows as she could. The woman's head was limp causing Clammy to grip her by the scalp. She jerked the woman into the light, finally getting a proper look. As she took in the woman's features, a feeling of dread slowly washed over her. She knew this woman, but from where? She searched her mind. What was she doing yesterday? The day before? Why couldn’t she remember anything? Who was this woman? Who was she?

Questions plagued Clammy’s mind. She dropped to her knees as a migraine started to overpower her. She screamed. Laughter sounded from the cells. The tortured were laughing at her pain. The woman slowly opened her eyes and spoke:

“Why did you kill me? It wasn’t my fault. I did nothing wrong.”

Clammy couldn't answer. She couldn’t move. All she could do was scream.

Clammy woke with a shock. The gravity around her tripled almost instantly. She was hyperventilating, unaware of her surroundings. She needed to get away. To leave the dungeon. The laughter filled her mind. The elderly Elf she killed clouded her sight.

“Clam-my!” A choked voice said from the side.

Clammy peered over the side of the bed, weary that the voice belonged to the Elven woman. Reep laid on the hardwood struggling to breath. The gravity in the room flipped back to normal, allowing Reep to take full breaths. Apologies and cries filled the air from the younger girl.

“I-I’m so sorry Reep! I didn’t mean it! I-I-I saw her… In my dreams…”

“Who?” Reep asked after finally catching her breath.

“The woman from the garden.”

“Oh. You were having a nightmare.”

Clammy thought back to what she just lived through. Was it a dream, or was it the future?

“It’s okay. I understand.” Reep said while walking to the door. “Let me get Bishop. He told me to wake him when you woke up.”

Reep left through the door causing Clammy to be alone. She hated to be alone. Now more than ever. Her heart was racing. Faster than she had ever felt before. She began her breathing exercise. Slowly her heart rate and mind slowed, allowing her time to think. She remembered the dream vividly. She felt happy when [Queen] Clammy felt happy. She felt pleasure when her dream self-felt pleasure. She felt terr-

“Clammy.” A groggy-eyed Bishop said as he opened the door, Reep right behind him.

“Is this real?” She asked.

“Is this rea-” Bishop went silent. “Oh. Oh no. I should have seen this earlier.”

He moved closer and sat on the bed. Clammy cowered away, afraid of what was real or not.

“I’m sorry Clammy. I should have recognized the signs. They were all there… Vel and I just missed them…” He spoke calmly.

“What signs?” Reep asked for the broken girl.

Bishop exhaled. “That you woke up every morning with completely different moods. That you have feelings that people are alive. That you were able to make connections that others weren't… Your blood line.”

He reached his hand out, but quickly pulled it back when Clammy moved away.

“You were always a Diviner. Now you just have the class to prove it.”

“Diviner? Not [Diviner]?” Reep asked.

“Correct. Bloodlines often hold powerful secrets. Just look at the Deepstrider clan from the isles. Hidden traits and blessings often miss generations or simply fade from the blood. Most of the history of the Salae family has been purged from public view. I suspect that Divination is their blessing.”

“Or curse.” Clammy muttered.

Bishop nodded. “Unfortunately, so. If your bloodline is the cause of you seeing things… Then you making [Diviner] your second class is only going to make the visions more powerful. If you remained with your family, someone would have explained to you not to take any Divination as a class. The side effects are going to be too powerful.”

“I’m not a [Diviner]. I’m a [Foreseer]...”

Bishop shook his head. “That is the same as being a [Pyromancer] and being called [Fire Mage].”

Tears began to stream down her face. “What do I do?” Her voice was quiet and distant.

“I see a few options.” Clammy finally looked up. “First, you go back home. Your family will know how to best treat you and keep y-”

“No.” Clammy cursed.

“...Second, we can travel to find you a teacher. The Prophet of the Mountain still owes me a few favors… Actually… He probably has already seen us have this conversation....”

The girls frowned.

“Third. You can teach yourself. We can find books and talk to small-time [Fortune Tellers]. Find what works for others and apply it to you. Similar to what I did when I was just starting out.”

Clammy weighed the options, but something was still on her mind.

“How do I know if I’m awake?” She shuddered. “It was so… real.”

Bishop thought for a moment. “You don’t have to tell me what your dream was about. From my understanding, they can be horrific. But you need to find something out of place with them. I’ve read about a [Dream Walker] that knew when she was in a dream by the colors around her. Everything was more red than they were supposed to be. Find what is different about yours.”

“I was [Queen]. I hated Tuesdays… I loved torturing....” She trailed off.

“Don’t think about the content or story of the dream. Think about the setting, the lights, the smell…”

“The lights. Everything was torch lit. Shadows were everywhere. There were no mana lights.” She thought for a moment. “There was no magic at all… No mana…”

Bishop smiled. “Sounds like Max’s world.”

“Is that it? I just have to recognize that there is no magic and I can sleep peacefully?”

“I doubt it. More than likely, you are not going to know you are in a dream until you wake up. It will be like you are living in a second world as a separate Clammy. At least until you become stronger.”

“Stronger…” Clammy echoed.

“Here, take this.” Bishop removed a small wooden link bracelet from his inventory ring. It was made of a type of ash colored wood Clammy had never seen before. She found a small engraving on the inside. Forever Yours

“Bishop… Whose was this?”

“That does not matter. Not anymore at least.” He breathed deep. “That bracelet is made from the Aproro tree. It can deflect low power spells, making it a m-”

“Magical item.” Clammy finished. “Bishop… I can’t take this.”

“You can, and you will. I have failed my students enough times on this quest. It’s time I started to get more involved. I should have let you or Reep use that when we were on the wall anyways. More protection, you know?”

“But…”

“Just put the damn thing on.” Chided Bishop.

She slowly slipped on the bracelet. She half expected something to happen, but it felt just like any other magical item. But now, she had a way to definitely tell if she was awake. If she was wearing the bracelet, then she was awake.

“Thank you, Bishop.”

He smiled. “I can’t wait to get out of this Godforsaken city.” Bishop yawned.

“Agreed.” Both girls said at the same time.