The discussion for deciding upon outfits lasted far longer than Lucinda had anticipated. That she enjoyed every minute of it was an obvious truth, and despite even the heated moments their conversation led to, it was apparent that the other three women had done so too. With the decisions made, Lucinda was then treated to one of the most unbelievable demonstrations of her short life.

All across the body of the female Dryad, Fi, large flowers of a pure white hue had bloomed outwards to almost entirely cover her. It was those, Lucinda learned, that were to be used for the outfits of her and the other women – excluding the few that were in use for other things, naturally. One by one, a number of the flowers were magically altered to match the colour requirements of Lucinda’s choice: Mostly red with a splash of pink. Then once correctly shaded, they were plucked from Fi’s body, and the petals stripped.

Fi’s work produced an outfit the likes of which Lucinda could have scarcely imagined. It came in two parts, both created from the colourful petals, melded together through magical means. For her lower body: A pair of extremely short shorts; For her upper body: A top that stretched from a comfortable distance above her bust, to a looser, slightly frilly section that hung just past the top of her shorts. It still left far more skin exposed than Lucinda was used to – even after her choice of leather armour – but given the circumstances, she was left feeling only slightly concerned by that fact.

From the other women, Grissa had chosen a two-piece set of a vivid blue colour. It left very little to the imagination, matching her request of ‘as skimpy as possible’ quite accurately. Sevi ended up with a one-piece outfit of a pure black colour. It was quite modest overall, with the exception that it left her back exposed for obvious reasons. Emalin opted for a two-piece set that was comprised of pale yellow petals, and left most of her midriff exposed, but was otherwise closer to Lucinda’s own in terms of offered modesty.

“There a reason you keep staring at me, girl?” Grissa asked once they’d finished officially admiring each other’s new attire. The accompanying grin she wore was obviously teasing in nature.

“Sorry…” Lucinda’s face flushed slightly, much to her annoyance. “You’re just more… muscly than I expected.”

Grissa barked a short laugh. “Almost thought you were gonna say ‘manly’.” Glancing down at herself, she continued. “High Strength, that’s why.”

“Right… I should have guessed.”

It made perfect sense, yet was still a strange realisation for Lucinda. She had always assumed it was only men that were ever really like that, or to the extent that Grissa had reached. She didn’t, however, think the strong woman was manly – even with the short hairstyle she favoured – for her femininity was still abundantly apparent, though it did leave her wondering how she herself might have looked had she chosen the physical route for her class.

As she and the four other women began making their way from the baths, Lucinda was feeling positively buoyant. The relaxingly warm water, the intensely comfortable outfit made just for her, and the friendly new people she’d met had made for an enjoyable start to the Druid gathering. It was still true that the hair-related part had been something of an ordeal, yet even that had ended well, with her high ponytail being transformed by Emalin into a low hanging braided ponytail that she was quite happy with.

“Anything planned for tonight, Fi?” Grissa asked as they emerged past the woman’s housing.

“Isn’t it the party?” Lucinda asked.

“The party is scheduled to begin tomorrow at midday and continue onwards until the next,” Fi replied. “Officially, we are planning to entertain all present for four more days after that. At least for those that wish to stay that long. Tonight you may do as you wish. Food will be served shortly.”

“I’m looking forward to that part…” Emalin announced. A slightly embarrassed smile crept across her face. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast!” she added hastily.

The conversation soon hit a lull, allowing Lucinda to turn her full attention towards the people they were closing in upon, and perhaps more importantly: the animals. Those that had been labelled as the local sort by the male Dryad, Cro, were obvious. She saw black bears, brown bears, deer, wolves, and a regular house cat, as well as plenty of smaller animals including birds, rabbits, and so on. Of course, even that group wasn’t entirely uninteresting.

Ah, level 6! That should mean I can be a brown bear at last!

In terms of non-local species, there was an exciting but less numerous assortment on offer. Across the lake, she spotted a large black gorilla sitting next to a similarly, if less massively, bulky man; Playing with Grussi elsewhere along the shore, two impressive-looking lions of differing gender were visible; And partially within the lake itself, a large green beast lay prone and unmoving. It was only as they drew closer that she realised what the latter creature was: A giant caterpillar with a rough diameter of over 1 and a half metres.

Creepy choice for a companion... I guess I'll still get it if I can. It is pretty big... But, I'll probably have to introduce myself to people before I can actually acquire anything...

It was a mildly annoying revelation, yet at the same time, Lucinda was grateful for the obvious conversation topic it provided. Ultimately, it was a small price to pay to meet new animals, and she was sure she’d enjoy meeting new people almost as much. It helped that they were almost certainly all Druids or Rangers with some obvious overlap in general interests.

As they reached the northern edge of the lake, Grissa announced she was going for a swim, and then departed. Sevi followed after her, declaring her intention to join her husband; while Fi excused herself to perform some flower-based meditation. Suddenly left with only Emalin, Lucinda felt some trepidation sneak up on her as she tried to decide which group of individuals to visit first.

Alongside the abundance of animals at the lake, several people were lounging about in green plant-based seats along the shore, while others were relaxing on the edge of the water, or swimming within it. A trio of children were among the latter category, although they were busy playing with a certain bird rather than actually swimming.

“Having fun, Marrow?” Lucinda sent as she saw a young girl send a small wave of water towards her companion.

“Play!” Marrow replied, her voice filled with obvious enjoyment that forced a wide smile across Lucinda’s face.

“Just be careful, okay? They’re not as tough as you.”

“Chicks! Play!” Her message suggesting she knew all too well how to deal with young.

Chicks… I guess she’s not wrong exactly.

“I’m heading that way if you want company,” Emalin voiced from beside her, indicating the non-lakeside group, and smiling in a way that suggested she was all too aware of Lucinda’s nervous state.

The other gathering area was quite similar to an outdoor tavern of sorts. There were several tables with chairs, plenty more loose chairs, and even a long countertop with clay jugs and mugs atop it. Bar the counter, all furniture appeared to be made entirely from greenery. Like with the lake, everyone was dressed in similar outfits to her own, with varying degrees of skin exposure. It didn’t take her long to realise hers was definitely one of the more modest options, but it didn’t bother her overmuch. Of course, that the men all wore far less was a hard to ignore fact, even if none of them appeared to be of an age similar to hers.

Despite the lingering sensation of nervousness at how others might react to her attire, Lucinda couldn’t deny that she was a bit interested in how Waflaw specifically might react. With the man in question occupying a chair at one of the tables, it seemed like a safe overall option to begin with. And as she noticed who was sitting with her mentor, her decision was swiftly settled.

“Hi Mulgra!” Lucinda greeted as she and Emalin approached the table.

The grumpy ranger from Malart returned her greeting with a confused look, before realisation seemed to find him.

“It’s you,” he replied simply, before turning back to the playing cards in his hand.

Waflaw laughed loudly at the exchange, offering Lucinda a beaming smile as his eyes quickly took in the sight of her.

“Looking good, my apprentice,” he said as he winked at her, which prompted a returning smile from Lucinda and a slight flush of her cheeks. She didn't feel it necessary to voice her opinion out loud, but she thought similar of the grass shorts her mentor was wearing. “As is your friend here…”

“Emalin,” the Ranger woman supplied, holding out a hand for Waflaw to take.

“Waflaw,” he replied as he shook it.

“You two have met?” Emalin asked Lucinda, indicating her and Mulgra.

“Yes! Mulgra told me the location to find my animal companion!” Lucinda exclaimed excitedly. The gratitude she felt for Mulgra had been sufficient for her to consider hugging the man even with their respective attire, but that idea hadn’t lasted in the face of his cold reaction. “Thanks, Mulgra!” she instead offered. “You were right, umm, almost. She’s by the lake if you’re interested… A bearded vulture.”

“Mmmhmm,” Mulgra replied without looking anywhere near the lake. “Bit busy here.”

“Mulgra…” Emalin said with abundant disapproval in her voice. Turning to Lucinda she supplied a look of interest and matching smile that Lucinda had hoped to see from the other Ranger. “I’m happy for you, even if he isn’t. She’s a great choice! Mine’s the King Eagle.”

“You’ve got a bird too?” Lucinda asked as she followed the pointing finger of the older woman. “Oh!” The so-called King Eagle, was none other than the very first large bird of prey she had found during the hunt for her own companion. The one she had decided upon labelling as ‘dopey’. She tried her best to keep a straight face as she made to comment on Emalin’s choice. “Very… nice,” she replied lamely. Fortunately, Emalin seemed pleased with her words, but Lucinda chose to shift the conversation along as quickly as she could regardless. “Is Mulgra the friend you mentioned?”

“He is, and he’s not always like this… Honestly.”

“I wouldn’t blame him,” Waflaw added. “He’s concentrating hard on not losing all of his coin!”

“Get real,” Mulgra muttered, as he drew another card from the deck. Lucinda giggled briefly at the subsequent scowl that spread across the Ranger’s face.

“He has a bird too,” Emalin said to Lucinda. “Uh, maybe you knew that?”

“Oh, no… I guess I assumed he might. What kind?”

Mulgra demonstrated that he was still listening to their conversation when he hiked a single thumb over his shoulder. Looking past the large leaf sprouting from the ground that was his seat, Lucinda had to strangle a shriek as she came face to face with the ugliest bird she’d ever met; one that was all too familiar too.

He chose that!? Ah, I still feel bad thinking poorly of them… Even if it’s so true…

“Not bad…” Lucinda managed. Waflaw caught her eye as she moved back from the bird. The waggle of his eyebrows that met her was proof enough that he had recognised the birds from the descriptions she’d provided just over a week prior, and was thoroughly amused by her reaction.

“Either of you two lovely ladies want to join in on the fun?” Waflaw asked.

“Not me,” Emalin replied. “Not really my thing.”

“I'm okay,” Lucinda said.

“Ah, well. Where’s Grissa?” Waflaw asked.

“Oh, I’m not sure you should invite her,” Lucinda suggested, adopting a teasing grin as she did.

“And why would that be?”

Realising she was probably blocking Waflaw’s sight of the lake, Lucinda stepped aside and pointed beyond to the large body of water. She saw Waflaw’s eyes dart about and then suddenly widen. He released a low whistle before turning back to Lucinda with a grin on his lips.

“You’re saying she’ll prove too distracting?” Waflaw asked. “You underestimate me, Apprentice! Mulgra on the other hand…”

A dismissive snort was the only reply the Ranger made.

“Still, I’m glad you pointed her out. Now I can have Wollow keep an eye on her. Just to ensure she doesn’t get into any trouble, of course.”

Lucinda laughed as she saw the partly incredulous, partly amused look upon Emalin’s face. The sudden appearance of the male Dryad, Cro, then brought her attention to the drink-laden counter. She watched with interest as a large tray of food was placed down upon it.

“There is now food,” Cro announced in his deep tone.

With a smile in Lucinda’s direction, Emalin immediately departed in the direction of the offerings.

“Could you bring us some too?” Waflaw called after her. “Met anyone else nice?” he then asked Lucinda.

“Definitely! No new forms yet though…” Her words brought a burst of laughter from her mentor.

“Well, go meet more people then! No sense hanging around here if you’re not playing.”

“Yeah… Okay…”

A few people met her wandering gaze as she sought someone else to approach, but she ultimately settled on joining Emalin.

I think food first…

Arriving at the wooden counter, Lucinda found Emalin was already helping herself to the food on offer, while chatting to a man with surprisingly long, blonde hair. She matched the smile the man sent her way, but kept to her plan of seeking sustenance. Taking one of the mugs, she inspected the left-most jug on display. A pleasant aroma of strawberries met her inquisitive nose.

“Hello,” a woman’s voice called out.

“Oh, hi,” Lucinda replied as she met the eyes of the speaker that had appeared next to her. The woman looked to be the oldest individual she’d seen so far, and was accompanied by a slightly plump man who was possibly older still. Yet, neither appeared to be much past their late 30s by her best guess.

“You are the guest of honour, are you not?” the woman asked.

“Umm, yep, that’s me. Lucinda.”

“Aerili.” The woman offered a hand for Lucinda to shake. “And my husband, Demik. Both from the circle here.”

“Nice to you meet you, Lass,” the man offered.

“You know, Yalia’s been buzzing with excitement ever since your mentor’s message reached us,” Aerili said.

“Oh?” Lucinda replied.

“Can’t remember the last time we had a Shifter here,” Demik continued. “Too long for sure.” The man laughed briefly, before moving behind the counter. “But, looks like we interrupted you! How about I pour?”

“Thanks…”

“If I know Cro, this’ll be strawberry, apple, celery, and water.” The man indicated each set of the jugs in turn, which were grouped into four distinct collections. “What’ll it be?”

“Ah, strawberry, please.”

“Such a nice mannered girl,” Aerili commented. “A rare trait amongst our kind.” Her husband laughed loudly as he poured Lucinda her drink. Smiling kindly, the woman continued. “We couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, and thought we’d stop by and offer our services.” The woman’s smile widened as Lucinda’s brow furrowed. “My husband has a black bear,” she explained.

“Oh! Thanks, but, I have the black bear shapeshift already…”

“Then, perhaps a brown bear?”

“Your companion?” Lucinda asked excitedly.

Aerili laughed quietly. “Enjoy your drink, I’ll call him over.”

“Thanks!”

A single sip of her delightfully sweet juice was all Lucinda managed before another man and woman joined them. They appeared similar in age, with the man being slightly younger, and the woman, older.

“This her?” the man asked.

“It is,” Aerili confirmed. “Lucinda, meet Tarilm, and his wife, Mirabelle. Also members of our circle. And both companions of bears I must unfortunately add.”

“Hi,” Lucinda offered as both newcomers shook her hand and greeted her likewise.

“A Shifter in Chakog’mar. What a treat!” Mirabelle said as she received a drink from Demik.

“You’ll probably be sick of hearing that before long,” Demik said to Lucinda.

“That’s okay,” Lucinda replied. “I don’t mind.”

Other than Kloip, Lucinda had managed to avoid the negative attention her class was likely to bring upon her. Of course, the incident in her home town had been particularly devastating, but she still counted herself fortunate to have escaped more elsewhere. She was worried as to how that might change once she revealed her class to the adventurers’ guild, however.

“You got a lot of forms, so far?” Tarilm asked. “If you’re alright sharing with us nosy lot.”

“Ohh, please be alright with sharing!” Mirabelle added.

While slightly taken aback by the older woman’s enthusiasm, Lucinda saw no reason to hold back. Glancing through her status, she counted them up quickly.

“17,” she announced. “Nearly 18,” she added with a happy grin, as she glanced in the direction of the slowly approaching bear.

“Ahh! 18!” Mirabelle exclaimed, her face displaying a mixture of emotions that was hard to decipher.

“Our poor Mirabelle always claims to have wished to be a Shifter herself,” Aerili offered in way of explanation.

“It’s true! If only we’d known how to unlock it when I was young…”

“Umm, what?” Lucinda frowned in confusion. “But, you spend all day with animals, don’t you?”

“We do, Lass,” Demick replied. “You still need the knowledge for it to unlock.”

“Oh… But, then…”

Aerili’s laughter interrupted Lucinda’s words. “That’s the big question, isn’t it? How did the first Shifter become a Shifter? Or the first Druid, a Druid?”

Lucinda did recall hearing something of the sort in school, but at the time hadn't really understood the implications of it.

“…I had no idea. Sorry, Mirabelle…”

“It’s okay! I’m happy to have met another one at least! It must have been… 40 years? Since the last one. A few years too late...”

Lucinda froze midway to sipping her strawberry drink. That it had been so long since they’d had a Shifter in the area was surprising, but that the woman was claiming to be enough years over 40 to recall such a meeting, and for that meeting to have been too late for her to choose the Shifter class, was far more so. She took in Mirabelle’s appearance once more; The result was the same: She still looked slightly older than Lucinda’s mother, whose 40th birthday had taken place only one year earlier.

“If they were more welcome here, things’d be different, no doubt,” Tarilm suggested. “None of us four are the travelling type either.”

A gentle nudge to Lucinda’s bare leg tore her gaze away from her conversation partners. She nearly jumped in fright as she caught sight of the snout that had prodded her, and its owner.

“One brown bear, as promised,” Aerili said. “His name’s Flarfi.”

The large animal released a huff in Lucinda’s direction. Taking it for a friendly greeting, she smiled nervously at the immense creature.

I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to how big they are… Maybe when I am one?

With some apprehension, she reached out one hand to touch the furry brown head that wasn’t much lower than her own shoulders. Fortunately, Aerili’s companion seemed to be a well-behaved bear, and without issue, Lucinda’s hand landed within the soft fur.

Shapeshifts Name Base Attributes Attribute Bonuses Base Level Rank Bonuses STR AGI END STR AGI END Brown Bear 53 24 35 1.5 1.0 1.2 10 1 Rush Rush (Brown Bear)

Attempts to knock down foe with much greater effect than normal. Cooldown: 2m.

Scales with Base Level.

Cost: 5% Base Mana.

“Did it work?” Mirabelle asked excitedly.

Seeing the expectant expression of the excitable woman, Lucinda felt she had little choice but to demonstrate her newest form for her audience. Naturally, that she too was eager to test it helped her decision. Moving away from the counter, and the other bear, she shifted.

The shifting process was very familiar, with no overt differences compared to her black bear form that she was aware of. Even when it finished, the same was mostly true, with the obvious exceptions of her size and build. The feeling of great strength was hard to ignore, and a sudden desire to roar hit her hard. With the excitement of her newest acquisition spurring her on, she didn’t hold back for long before she rose up on her hind legs, and bellowed out a fierce cry for all to hear.

A steady chorus of laughter followed her loud and sudden roar, which Lucinda found she suddenly regretted performing. However, her mild embarrassment was hastily forgotten about as Flarfi reared up in front of her, and demonstrated how large brown bears could truly be. The even more potent cry he released sent a brief wave of terror through her, and brought more laughter from those nearby.

“Flarfi, behave yourself!” Aerili said, though her voice still held plentiful amusement. “We can all see how much taller you are, there’s no need to show off.”

Not quite cowering in fear before the male brown bear, Lucinda noted the almost one-metre difference between their respective heights with considerable displeasure. Still standing, she shifted back to human form.

“Thanks, Aerili,” she said. “My most powerful form yet! And thanks Flarfi,” she added as the bear returned to all fours.

“It’s unfair how we get the short end of the stick like that!” Mirabelle exclaimed. Lucinda could only agree with the sentiment, though she was at least glad it wasn’t true for all species.

Lucinda continued chatting with the four older Druids as she helped herself to the food on offer. She was slightly surprised to find no meat was available, but as she considered the variety of animals in the area, she had to concede that it made sense, and that lack did not diminish her enjoyment. What was on offer, was all wrapped in edible leaves that crunched satisfyingly when bitten into. After sampling a few different kinds, she settled on the soft mushroom filled ones as her favourite.

At some point during her munching, Lucinda became aware of a change in the gambling taking place nearby. Grissa had shown up to take part, though Lucinda had no way of knowing if her skimpy attire was having a distracting effect on the two men. However, that Cro had decided to join caught her completely off-guard, as did the large wooden throne he had erected in lieu of the small plant seat the others sat upon.

While the raucous noise emerging from the table made for a tempting lure, the desire to acquire yet more animal forms had not abated. Offering a brief but polite farewell to the four Druids, Lucinda set off in search of other friendly people.