Chapter Sixty-Five - Storytime

Chapter Sixty-Five - Storytime

Chapter Sixty-Five - Storytime

Physical Manakinesis

Rank F - 00%

The ability to push mana out of your body using motion as a focal point.

Huh? I said.

What? Amaryllis asked.

My confusion must have been showing, or maybe she just noticed that my hug and thank-yous had stopped for a moment as I tried to figure out the skill I had just unlocked.

Um, I got a new skill, I said. Its a General Skill called... Physical Manakinesis.

Manakinesis? Amaryllis asked. She frowned as she seemed to think about that for a moment, then gave up with a shrug. Never heard of that one. I expected you to unlock Fireball, or perhaps Mana Manipulation or Mana Shaping. The latter are valuable skills for anyone who wants to practice magic.

Yeah, I can imagine. The skill description is kind of strange too. It says something about using my body as a focal point for pushing out mana? That didnt quite parse for me. Or maybe I just didnt know enough about magic to make sense of it.

Lets go ask the fossils. Im loath to admit it, but they are both rather experienced, even if they seem somewhat uneducated. Abraham especially, Amaryllis said.

I didnt comment on how rude it was to say that kind of thing, Amaryllis was who she was, and maybe one day shed learn to look past that, but it wasnt my right to try and change her, really. Instead I hopped to my feet and skipped across the deck to the back.

Abraham was squinting at a grease-and-oil covered book, a tiny set of spectacles perched on the end of his nose. His brows rose and his look of deep concentration faded as soon as he saw us coming closer. Ah-hah! Figured out your little spell, did you? I bet you cant wait to launch that monster into some unsuspecting beasts maw and see what happens!

Not yet, I said. I unlocked a skill, and I dont know what it does.

Oh, what sort of skill is it? Raynald said. He locked the ships wheel in place with a metallic device and came to stand on the edge of the castle so that he could look down on us. I might know a zing or two.

Ah, its called Physical Manakinesis, I said. Do you know anything about it?

Abraham frowned and started tugging at his mustache, but Raynald didnt have any such problems. Ah, I know zat skill, yes. I dont have it myself, but weve fought people who did. Abraham, do you remember zose fish-people in ze Hoofbreaker Woods?

The scaly little bastards with the weird dancing magic? Abraham asked.

Story time? I wondered. I didnt clap my hands like a five year old, because I wasnt five.

Abraham laughed and nodded. Haha! Theres always time for a good tale or two. Raynald, lets fix something to eat that isnt some poor dead insect, and we can tell the girls all about our adventures in the far East.

I think we were all getting a little hungry, because no one disagreed. Soon enough Amaryllis and I were trying to help as the boys pulled some meat out of a rune-covered cooler and, after wiping the top of the engine clean, started cooking the meat right on the metal top-plate.

It was a little weird, but I couldnt argue with the mouth-watering scents that I caught every so often. There wasnt any room for a table on the deck, but Raynald pulled a plank from somewhere and set it on some of the strange equipment and we found some stools tucked away in one of the little cabins at the back.

In no time at all we were having a barbeque a league over a grassy plain, the bright blue skies all around and the distant call of the flying whales serving as a counterpoint to the Shady Ladys thump-thumping engine.

So, Abraham said after taking a bite of steak and swallowing it whole. There we were. Out beyond Trenten lands because we ran into a bit of a kerfuffle with some of their royal guards and had to make a bit of a run for it. Unfortunately, they were on the persistent side and wouldnt just let us go off to mind our own business.

Name Broccoli Bunch Race Human (Riftwalker) First Class Cinnamon Bun First Class Level 7 Age 16 Health 120 Stamina 130 Mana 115 Resilience 30 Flexibility 35 Magic 20 Skills Rank Cinnamon Bun Skills Cleaning B - 12% Jumping C - 100% Gardening D - 13% Cute D - 100% General Skills Insight C - 33% ` Makeshift Weapon Proficiency E - 58% Archeology F - 57% Friendmaking D - 68% Physical Manakinesis F - 00% Skill points 3 General Skill Points 1 Class slots 0 General Skill Slots 0

Um. In my general skills I have Insight, Makeshift Weapon Proficiency, Archeology, Friendmaking and Physical Manakinesis that all need more experience to rank up. And in my class skills I have Cleaning and Gardening that could use more training. Um. I have three class skill points, but I thought I should save them to get Cleaning up to Expert rank.

Amaryllis slapped a hand over her face.

What? I asked.

How are you so far behind?

Im behind? I asked.

Abraham seemed to think that this was hilarious because he guffawed and slapped the table a few times. Only Raynalds intervention saved the plank from flopping to the ground.

Most people, sane, intelligent people, work on any new skill until its as good as it can be. Accumulating so many skills without actually working on them is just so irresponsible, she said. Come on, get up. We can practice magic when you have the time to waste on that. We need to get your other skills up to par.

Ah, okay? I asked. Im not sure how well grind any of them, though, I said.

Amaryllis had a dangerous and frankly kind of scary look in her eyes. Why, Broccoli, well just need to figure out how to practice as many skills at once as possible. Im sure that weapon proficiency of yours can be trained anywhere on this ship while youre cleaning and inspecting it from top to bottom.

Um, I said.

We can even practice that new skill of yours. Im pretty sure pushing mana up against a mana-heavy attack will negate... some of the damage, at least. She raised her talons and an electric buzz filled the air.

Um, I said with more feeling this time. The feeling was terror.

Haha! Thats the spirit, Abraham said. Why, you remind me of that time I trained with an ancient monk atop the Jade peak. I nearly died three times on that first morning alone.

But were on an airship, I pointed out. Isnt this a terrible place to fight.

No worries, Miss Bunch, the Shady Lady is one tough old ship. She can endure a bit of a scuffle with your feathery friend.

Amaryllis jumped to her feet, and I did the same just in case. Wait, wait, Amaryllis why are you doing this? I asked as she started to advance towards me.

To make you even stronger, of course. That way if were ever in trouble again well be able to handle it better.

That... was actually a pretty good reason to train a little bit. And sharpening my skills didnt sound like a bad idea. I just wasn't keen on getting hurt.

Dont worry! If you lose any limbs Im great at sewing, Abraham said. And Raynald here knows a healing spell or two!

I... Im more of a lover than a fighter! I said.

Then youll love sparring! Amaryllis said.

That day, I learned that dodging someone who could fly on an open deck was rather difficult.

***