Chapter 9

Even though Flint's decision left him weak and sore, he had no regrets. He watched patiently as tiny holes formed around the [Class Node] and extended slowly towards the others, creating a cross-like design. Little lights filled a few of them, marking his abilities, and when Flint focused, the titanic book told him what they were.

Fortunately, the Heartstone had detected his desperation. It must've understood his reasoning and made an executive decision for his first class ability. A pyramid appeared within the class stone and then Maya's silhouette formed at the apex. Then a circle directly to the left of the class stone lit up.

As [Soul Link] sapped Flint's strength, Maya's silhouette filled with colour. An instinctual knowledge blossomed deep inside him, and he knew Maya was now his Beta. Going forward, she'd be his second in command. As he found other dogs and brought them into his kennel, she'd assist in their training and management. Flint loved and trusted Maya implicitly. He wouldn't have cared if the Heartstone gave him a useless ability as long as it saved Maya's love. A wordless assurance from the compass told him she was going to be okay. However, when he tried to break his connection with the structure and check on her, it did let go. He had no choice but to trust Heartstone and hope for the best.

The skill stones in his [Power Node] and [Aura Node] changed their names as the compass grew. [Building] turned into [Defensive Construction] and [Canine Friend] became [Pack Leader].

Flint recognised [Soul Link] as the first ability born of the connection between the [Kennel Master] and [Pack Leader]. Two new skills appeared in the space between the [Class Node] and [Defensive Construction]: [Totem of Nurture] and [Totem of Healing]. It annoyed Flint that neither the compass nor the book explained the abilities. He got to see information regarding abilities when there was a choice, but the class stone was making all the decisions for him without explanation. Judging by the names, Flint guessed they were constructs he could build that would benefit his dogs.

Finally, and much to his surprise, an ability appeared between [Kennel Master] and [Marksmanship] too: [Marking Shot]. Flint had no guesses regarding what the ability did, and he wasn't keen to find out any time soon. He needed a brief respite from battle and hoped nothing else would attack them for a while.

An invisible force tugged on Flint's consciousness, and he tried to pull away from the Heartstone, but an invisible force held him in place. It took him a moment to realise that it was the book. More words appeared on the page as he approached the ancient tome.

[Saving the Savior]
[Objective I]
Restore the outer wall and add deterrents to counter infiltrators.
Reward: Reasonable safety

[Class Quest]
Build a kennel and house two dogs.
Reward: [Guide Growth]

Then the tugging sensation got stronger, and the Heartstone released Flint. The pedestal and compass shot away from disappearing into the endless white, and he found himself standing in the Slumbering Fort's ruins.

Much to Flint's surprise, sunlight bathed the stone around him. It felt like only a quarter of an hour had passed since he communes with the monolith, but it was obviously longer. The tugging stopped, and he realised it was Maya once again.

"I’m glad you're okay, girl," he said, falling to his knees and pulling her into a hug. The muscles rippling under Maya's thick fur surprised him. It wasn't just that. Her eyes were almost on the same level as her. "You've grown!” Flint laughed. He wasn’t sure whether it was [Kennel Master] or [Soul Link] that had transformed her, but it didn’t matter. Flint was glad she was alive and thriving. That’s all that mattered. “You're a big girl now, Maya."

Maya wriggled while licking and nipping at Flint’s ear. Her new strength made it almost impossible for him to hold on, but he didn’t let go, assuming it was Maya’s usual play. Perhaps matching her new physiology would be possible if every joint didn’t ache. It felt like the Heartstone had tapped him like a tree, drained his sap and fed everything to Maya. He hoped a good meal and a full night of sleep would be enough to help him recover.

Flint gave up when Maya changed tactics and licked his ears. His hold weakened, and then a barrage of new sensations overcame him. Previously, Maya would send simple emotions or wants through their empathic link. Now, the wave of complex information hit him like a runaway cart. Maya didn’t just send him solitary colours or feelings anymore. Instead, she sent him a blurry image. It was like a still image out of a memory but in muted yellow and blue shades.

It took Flint a couple of minutes to wrestle the flames burning in his mind. Once the pain subsided, the image came into focus. Flint saw three people: an older woman, a middle-aged man, and a teenager. They were surrounded by remains of moss and vine-covered buildings, much like those surrounding him.

“We’ve got company, don’t we?” He groaned. Maya broke into a smile, wagging her tail. Flint didn’t know what the Heartstone had done to them, but she was no longer an ordinary dog.

Even though the trio looked like locals, Flint thought it prudent to reload his crossbow. He cursed himself for not doing it before communing with the Heartstone. They didn’t have evidence of the fae-woman’s second beast companion dying. It could still be hiding somewhere. If the creature attacked while Maya was unconscious or he was mid communion, they’d have suffered a painful death.

Tremors shook Flint’s hands, making reloading a chore. He worried relying solely on [Builder’s Brawn] would damage the crossbow, so he took his time. By the time both barrels had bolts in them, he could hear voices approaching the Heartstone. Flint didn’t want to scare the locals since It was likely they’d become a big part of his life, so he let the crossbow hang from his shoulder in clear view.

The trio stepped into the square and froze. Flint wasn’t sure how, but he already knew their names. The teenager, Jerome, gripped his spear with both hands, but his stance was all wrong. Mr Mayor and Miss Lya took cover behind him, their eyes darting between Flint, Maya, and the corpses.

“What the hell happened here?” Jerome demanded. The spear trembled in his hands as he backpedalled hesitantly.

Flint held his hands up in mock surrender. “They attacked, and I put them down,” he answered. “I don’t know whether they were pursuing me or here to investigate the fort—”

“There’s no fort here, lad,” Mr Mayor said. “Only ruins.” His voice didn’t tremble like Jerome’s, but his face had lost colour. “What did you do to that fae-girl’s head?”

“I didn’t do anything besides disarming her. The bear was Wyld-touched. It tried to get me but ended up crushing her instead.”

Mr Mayor’s eyes narrowed as he studied the collapsed building. “I take it the bear destroyed this too?”

“I think so, sir,” Flint said, lowering his arms. Jerome fell into an aggressive stance, advancing a couple of steps, but Flint got the feeling that he didn’t have the stones to attack. “In all honesty, I didn’t see what attacked the building, but given that thing’s size, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Flint didn’t want to talk any more. He needed to sit down, eat and perhaps sleep. Maya stepped in front of him and bared her teeth at Jerome. His already wide eyes looked like it was going to pop out of his head. Jerome retreated three steps, bumping into Miss Lya and almost knocking her over. She smacked his shoulder, making him jump.

“What ate the bear then?” Miss Lya asked, peeking over Jerome’s shoulder.

“What?” Flint glanced back at the bear’s corpse and then did an alarmed double-take, his eyes widening. He worried the smaller beast had returned during the night when he saw a toddler-sized chunk missing from its belly. Then he sensed a prideful aura emanating from Maya. Even though she maintained her offensive stance and kept her teeth bared, her tail wagged for a moment before going stiff. “I don’t know. The fae-girl—a sylph, I think—had a black stone blade with glowing runes etched into it. I stabbed the bear with it, and that was the end of it.”

“You’re a liar!” Jerome exclaimed. “I know a liar when I see one. What kind of monster are you—”

“Hush, boy!” Mr Mayor said he pushed Jerome’s spear down with his right hand and stepped past him. “You’re not wearing a uniform, and I don’t see any crests or badges on you, yet you carry yourself like a soldier. Are you the Iron Army’s scout?”

“No, sir,” Flint answered. He removed the crossbow’s strap from across his shoulders and lowered it to the ground. The move didn’t relax the trio. However, when he scratched Maya between the ears and got her to stand down, the stiffness left their shoulders. “I’m a two-term veteran of the Iron Army’s Building Division but no longer serve them. They’re pulling all of their forces from the area and consolidating them along the defensive lines and more populated lands—”

“Then what are you doing here?” Jerome snapped. He tried raising his spear again, but Mr Mayor pushed the weapon down once again. “We don’t stand for thieves here.”

“Let the lad talk, Jerome,” Miss Lya said. She smiled at Maya and limped towards them. Jerome tried to pull her back, but she brushed him off. Maya’s tongue hung out, and her tail took off as the older woman got close. Miss Lya petted her, and Flint saw flowers through the empathic link. It sent a sharp pain through his skull again, and he tried his best not to let it show. “What are you doing here? We don’t take kindly to strangers here, lad. You best not have come to make trouble.”

“I’m here for a life quest,” Flint said, and all three sets of eyes widened. Miss Lya looked back at Mr Mayor, concerned.

“What manner of life quest?” Miss Lya’s tone changed from that of a sweet old lady to that of a strict elder. Flint sensed wisps of worry in the air.

“My quest involves reawakening the Slumbering Fort and protecting Lea’s Slumber. The Heartstone hasn’t given me a reason for my quest, but it’s given me a class to see it down and accompanying objectives.” Once again, Flint thought it best not to mention the Champion of Equilibrium. People got too excited or concerned at the mention of heroes, champions, and heralds. He didn’t want to get sucked into politics or drama. “I’m a builder whose done serving men with selfish agendas. So, I’m here to make repairs and live a quiet life.”

“If you’ve got a life quest, the Heartstone intends for your life to be anything but quiet,” Miss Lya said. “However, I can respect wanting to live your life without having to answer to anyone.”

“We don’t need this place fixed up, lad,” Mr Mayor said. “It works just fine keeping people up right now. If you fix it up, someone or the other will show up wanting to take control.” Miss Lya stared daggers at him, but the man didn’t stop. “You’re one man. How are you going to fix up a fort and defend it alone? You’ve done us a service by killing the sylph and her monster. Take your class and leave us alone.”

“Hush now, Mr Mayor.” Miss Lya limped over to him and struck his shin with her cane. “I know you believe he’s lying, but considering what Jerome saw last night, I think otherwise.” She pointed at the stone monolith behind Flint. “That Heartstone has been dimming for years. This boy—” Miss Lya stopped mid-sentence and turned around. “What’s your name, son?”

“Flint.”

“Flint must be the reason why it’s twinkling again,” Miss Lya smiled. “The Slumbering Fort was once a beacon of hope during a stressful time. You’ve heard the stories, Mr Mayor. It was a bastion and safe haven for all not willing to get involved in the war. If the lad is a builder, there is no harm in letting him fix things up.”

“He’s all alone, though—”

“So we’ll help him!” Miss Lya raised her voice, silencing Mr Mayor. “There are enough young men and women in the village rotting away like this fool of a boy.” She poked Jerome’s leg with her stuff, making him yelp. “Cutting them off from the world isn’t doing them much good. It’s time we wean them off the spirits and Cynth petal and make real peopleout of them! Having a classer around is good for everyone.” She turned her attention back to Flint. “Do you have food and water, lad?”

Flint nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve got a couple of day’s worth…” He recalled the mule’s cries from the night before. “I think. I’ll have to get back over the wall and see whether the sylph and the bear left anything intact.”

“You do that. We don’t know you well enough to invite you to the village yet, but I’ll send someone over with food and drink later today.” Miss Lya turned her attention to Mr Mayor. “Get the young lads and lasses together. I want them to meet Flint a couple of days from now, and we can go from there.”

Mr Mayor opened his mouth to protest, but Miss Lya pushed past him and started her slow journey uphill. The others looked back at Flint for a moment before following her.

“Life’s going to be more complicated here than I thought, Maya.” Flint sighed, sitting down and leaning against the Heartstone. “We get to make the decisions for once, though. That’s nice, isn’t it?”

Maya barked and licked his face. Flint accepted her affections and made himself comfortable for a quick nap.