Chapter 34 (Patreon)

Class quest completed!
Choose one of the following skill stones.

• [Restoration]
• [Imbue]
• [Alteration]

Flint felt like a dog that needed a good shake. A shiver ran down his spine on seeing the Heartstones offerings. He was glad he hadn’t settled for [Fletching]. All three options were much better than anything he had hoped.

[Restoration] lived in legends as a fourth-tier skill stone. It didn’t just aid healing and mending of wounds, but in the [Mind Node] was known to restore bodies and objects to previous states of existence. An older builder that had seen it in action claimed it almost resembled time reversal. However, it felt redundant due to [Totem of Healing]. Most skill stones that focused on healing required anatomical knowledge and wasn’t the best of picks.

Flint knew more about the latter two options. He knew [Imbue] was a third-tier stone but wasn’t as sure about [Alteration]’s ranking. He knew that the former enhanced a person’s strength, durability, and resilience in the [Power Node]. Meanwhile, [Control Node] came with speed, agility, flexibility, and improved senses.

On the other hand, the other nodes focused on external imbuement. Unlike [Enchantment], it could enhance living creatures as well as objects. The effects were a lot more potent too. Flint liked the idea of imbuing his pack and bolts with additional power.

Meanwhile, Flint had only ever heard of [Alteration] in the [Aura Node]. Several high-ranking artisans were known to use it to make working with resistant materials easier. He didn’t know anything about how it would function in the [Mind Node], but the idea of softening, hardening, and compressing materials excited him. While [Shape] could help him mould a substance into another shape, it did nothing as far strengthening was concerned.

It didn’t have many direct combat applications, but Flint imagined softening stone to destabilise an enemy’s footing or turning his coat into armour during an emergency. As he thought about it, more [Alteration] pulled ahead of [Imbue]. Flint knew well that he wasn’t cut out for combat and didn’t want another skill stone that focused solely on it.

When Flint picked [Alteration], the node compass hummed like the Heartstone, calling to him. He marched forward and locked his decision in. The [Mind Node] glowed for a moment before adopting a swirling pattern of earthy colours. One of the smaller circles next to the node lit up.

Flint reported to the pedestal straight away, eager to find out what the tome had in store for him.

[Alteration]

—[Change Density]

A smile spread across Flint’s lips. The base ability wasn’t potent. However, he could see multiple uses for it. He especially liked the idea of compressing and hardening stone and wood for better construction. Flint still needed to test the combat applications, but he had high hopes for [Change Density]. He guessed the [Class Node] would provide a corresponding ability once [Alteration] reached the second rank. [Pack Leader] already had two abilities, but he believed that was due to the skill stone’s direct connection to [Kennel Master]. One of them had come from the life quest too.

Before moving on, he checked how the remaining nodes had progressed.

[Pack Leader] > [Pack Leader I]

—[Aura of Entangling Fur I]

—[Soul Link I] > [Soul Link II]

—[Guide Growth]

Flint couldn’t help but feel disappointed that [Guide Growth] hadn’t gained a rank. At the same time, he wondered whether it had room for growth at all. It existed to help him choose how his pack used their essence. [Soul Link]’s rank up pleased him, though. Flint hoped it would make the ability more efficient and not make Bjorn flump to the ground after a minor transference of power.

[Defensive Construction V]
—[Builder’s Brawn V]
—[Shape+ III]
—[Reinforce IV]
—[Architecture II]
—[Bind III]
—[Totem of Healing I] > [Totem of Healing II]
—[Totem of Nurture] > [Totem of Nurture I]

[Marksmanship IV]
—[Steady Hand IV]
—[Keen Eye II]
—[Focused Shot I] > [Focused Shot II]
—[Trigger Finger] > [Trigger Finger I]
—[Marking Shot] > [Marking Shot I]

The two nodes hadn’t undergone significant changes, but the totems gaining rank pleased Flint. Now that the fort’s population had grown, he needed totems with greater potency and range. Flint intended to place a [Totem of Healing] by the wall after finding people willing to work as the watch.

[Focused Shot] and [Marking Shot] had both proven their value during the fight. Once Flint repaired his crossbow, he planned on building a target range. Mastering their use would make his life much easier. He pulled away from the Heartstone, smiling and excited for the future.

Ed sat opposite him on the other side of the Heartstone and had started several small piles of skill stones. He appeared to have borrowed a couple of pieces of paper and a chunk of the writing stick from Agatha. Flint had forgotten to ask Ed whether he could read or write and was surprised to find handwriting much neater than his. The page featured several columns, rows, and estimation of tiers too. Flint guessed the boy had spent some time learning about different skill stones so he could plan out his progression.

Flint caught a glimpse of a little blonde head running by and whistled. Agatha skid to a stop and looked at him questioningly. When he beckoned her closer, the little girl smiled and ran over.

“Do you have another job for me, Mr Flint?” She asked.

“How’s the list coming along?” Bjorn padded up to the pair, and when he sat next to Flint, their heads were level. When Agatha’s eyes widened, he thought she was going to run for the big fluff ball out of fear. Instead, she approached Bjorn confidently and ran her fingers through the thick hair on his underbelly. The iciness had disappeared, and she gasped, feeling the softness. “Agatha?”

“Sorry, Mr Flint.” Her face reddened, and as she tried retreating from Bjorn, the snow dog greeted her with a face lick. His giant tongue covered her entire face with slobber, leaving the little girl in a fit of giggles. “I just need to the grandads and mums,” she said, wiping her face. “The rest are done.”

“Good! Let me see.” Instead of handing Flint the ledger, Agatha turned it around and held it up for him to read. Unlike Ed, she didn’t have the best handwriting, but it was still legible. Flint noted a couple of misspellings, but he wasn’t the best in that department either. After a moment of scanning, he found what he was looking for and marked the names for Agatha. “Get these people to meet me by the gate. If you find someone with [Carpentry] or [Fletching], tell them I’d like to meet them too.”

“Yes, Mr Flint,” Agatha mumbled, looking over the marks Flint had made. “Are you looking for people for village guard?”

“We aren’t exactly a village, Agatha, but yes,” Flint said, smiling. “How did you figure out what I was looking for?”

“You marked all the people with fighting skill stones. My daddy had those too, and he was in the village guard. Would you like me to tell people you’re putting together a guard?”

“You’re a clever girl, aren’t you, Agatha?” She grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll tell people you’re putting together a guard then.” Agatha nodded before running back in the direction she had come.

Ed had already removed all skill stones from the cart. It mostly housed armour and weapons. Flint dug through them looking for a crossbow but found several slings, bows and large bundles of arrows lashed together. He had seen a couple of [Marksmanship] users on the list. There was the second-tier variant, [Archery] on the list too.

Flint mounted the cart and drove it downhill. The horst took a couple of moments to respond, but a prod using his empathic sense got the animal to fall in line. It was a much rougher connection than what he had with the dogs but stronger than what he felt from pucks. In fact, it felt like a keener version of what he had felt from the mule.

However, Flint thought it likely that his empathic abilities had gotten more substantial too. His use of it had increased considerably since he left the Iron Army. Flint had tried communicating with a variety of animals while living on the streets and then as a builder. Cats didn’t respond to him at all. He could feel them mildly, but all attempts at communication failed miserably. Horses and mules, in general, were dull. Flint didn’t know whether it was their minds or because the pack animals’ owners had broken their spirits.

Flint petted the horse as it pulled the cart downhill, weaving through the tight alleys between buildings. It took him twice as long to reach the walls as it had taken him to walk uphill to the Heartstone. By the time he got there, Agatha was already present with a small group of men and women—most of them looked no older than teenagers. Much to Flint’s surprise, there was a couple of fae among them too: two pucks including Keen, three brownies, and one that mostly appeared human. Altogether there were twenty of them. Including the children, the fort now had close to seventy residents. A guard made of twenty individuals felt like overkill.

The humans and fae looked at one another hesitantly and kept their distance from one another. Agatha looked between Flint and the two groups. She nodded at Flint before running off again. Flint could feel the tension in the air, and he knew he had a challenge at hand.

“Before we get started, I think it’s important we establish that I’m not going to pick a watch leader yet. I don’t know any of you and will pick leadership based on merit.”

“What about our skill ranks?” One of the young men asked. “I’ve been training [Marksmanship] ever since I hit puberty. I’m already a rank seven.” He looked at the others for confirmation, but no one spoke up. “That’s one rank from maxing the skill stone! My mastery with the bow should be enough.”

“Who’s Jaimie Bowyer?” Flint asked.

One of the young women stepped up. She looked like the youngest of the lot. Flint knew looks could be deceiving, but he estimated she was barely sixteen. Jaime’s cheeks reddened, and her eyes drifted to the floor. Flint couldn’t believe she was the one on the list that had caught his attention.

“What’s the rank of your [Archery], Jaimie?” Flint asked.

“It’s at the sixth rank, Mr Flint.”

“And [Trapping]?”

“The fourth.”

Flint turned his attention to the young man. “You might have almost maxed a tier-one skill stone, Luca, but Jaimie has significantly raised two,” Flint said. “Captain Ironheart, one of the men that had captured you was once my superior in the Iron Army. His [Swordsmanship] skill was at the seventh rank too, but his nerves and attitude cost him his life. He was a terror to work under too. I’d rather see your performance before making a decision. Command will go to the best human or fae for the job.”

Luca looked horrified as he glanced at the wide-eyed fae. “It’s not a fair unit of measurement since our friends don’t use skill stones. Some of them are considerably older than you and more experienced too.”

None of them protested.

Keen stepped up. One of the brownies and the human-looking fae followed. “Not all of us are here to join the watch,” he said. “We thought you’d need someone to forage in the plains and surrounding hills. Hunt for meat too. I’m an excellent tracker and good with a spear.” He nodded at the brownie. “Bramble has mastered Wyldarrow and is a brilliant hunter.”

“What about you?” Flint asked, looking at the third member of the party.

“I’m a changeling,” she replied. “These are human lands. If we bump into anyone, they’ll need me to avoid a fight.”

“Can you fight, though?”

The changeling nodded. “I’m an archer first and foremost.” She held out her left arm, and the skin transformed to resemble the bark that covered war beasts. Her fingers twined together, sharpening into a long spike. “My people’s magic lets them do other things too.”

“There are hill giants roaming these lands. Three people aren’t enough.” Flint turned to the humans. “I’m going to need two volunteers to join their party. You won’t just be hunting and foraging but scouting too. I need eyes out there watching out for anyone heading for our walls or other beasts.”

Only Jaimie stepped up. Flint had thought the young folk would have fewer prejudices when it came to working and living with the fae. He had no choice but to decide for them. Luca wasn’t an option after showing his attitude, so he thought back to the ledger. Another candidate had stood out. Neither of their skills had crossed the fourth rank, but they had an interesting combination.

“Rowan?”

The tallest of the men stepped forward. He had a strong jaw, and his physique suggested he had already crossed the threshold into adulthood. Flint could see how [Axeplay] in the [Power Node] had affected his upper body. He had [Wilderness Survival] in the [Aura Node] too.

“Are you happy to join them in the wilds?”

Rowan nodded. Flint let them pick through the weapons and armour to take whatever they wanted. They all took a dagger each. Keen and Rowan both picked a buckler. They also grabbed a short spear and battle-axe, respectively. The changeling, Wren, and Jaimie claimed a bow and quiver each. Meanwhile, everything was too big for Bramble.

After ensuring they all had clothes and sufficient armour—the humans avoided iron too and opted for leathers, Flint opened the gate and let them head out. There weren’t enough weapons for everyone left. So, Flint had no choice but to divide the remaining fourteen people into three shifts. Each group had one person some form of strength enhancement and would be necessary for operating the crank.