Lament of the Slave

“Just so you know, sharing your stats is not common, even among apprentices and mentors. Now that you know: What are your current stats?” Aspen asked, having recovered a bit from her initial shock of me having thirty-one unspent stat points. I had heard many times and was aware of the widespread secretiveness about one’s stats and skills. Actually, it wasn’t hard to see the reason for it. You didn’t want your enemy to know what made you tick. But the downside was the sheer inability to ask the other for advice - sound, tailored advice, not some generic bullshit that applied to everyone.

The main reason I was resolved to hide nothing from Aspen. The fact that she wore geas to keep her from spilling the beans about me was a nice bonus.

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Name: Korra’leigh Grey

Race: Human/Beast

Gender: Female

Age: 30

Main Class: Deviant of Humanity

Sub Class: Slave

Level: 153

[Unspent Stat Points: 31]

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STATS

Constitution: 266 (41) 

Strength: 135 (30)

Endurance: 78 (29)

Dexterity: 67 (28)

Intelligence: 76 (17)

Wisdom: 46 (14)

.

“See? I have a shit ton of [Constitution], but . . . I need more and more mana for my skills and myself to function.”

“Not your problem alone. Whether it’s magic, aura, or any other form of mana utilization, the stronger a person gets, the more they need it, whether they like it or not.”

“Aren’t there any - you know, purely physical builds?”

Aspen chuckled, eyeing me strangely, and nodded. “There are. The extreme of the extreme. It’s possible, but utterly difficult to achieve, and idiotic.”

“Why?”

“Oh, come on. Mana is all around us, like the air we breathe. People are born with their own mana - so, it would be like denying a part of yourself.”

The opposite of what I was trying to achieve with my inner beasts, huh?

Anyway, the tone of her voice told me that Rayden hadn’t told her everything. Or, as Aspen herself said, Captain only told her what the Oath allowed her. Either way, my teacher of magic had no idea of my terrestrial origins and, therefore, the fact that I was born devoid of mana.

“I see. Well, I can’t get around without mana, that’s for sure.”

“Then it’s about what you want, girl. If it’s just more mana capacity, then all you need to do is put points into [Intelligence]. If it’s more control over what you do with mana, then I recommend [Wisdom] - [Wisdom] is also what has the biggest impact on your mana regeneration.”

“Okay - I was wondering, though. Isn’t mana regeneration something I can achieve through my heart and greater control through training?”

“Yes, and yes,” Aspen laughed with genuine joy, yet a note of disbelief in her voice. “I was speaking more broadly. Not every mage has a heart like yours - none, actually. But there are gifted mages, mostly from ancient mage families, whose bodies have natural advantages when it comes to magic, including greater mana capacity and regeneration, as opposed to someone - well, like me. For others, learning comes easier, and so on and so forth . . . What I’m saying is that yes, you can get better mana regeneration through your heart - I honestly have no idea what a [Heart of Mana] is truly capable of - and with enough determination to hone your mana control. Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not just an everyday novice - manipulation in your case. At some point, though, whether you want to or not, you’re going to hit a wall. There’s only so much your brain can handle.”

My eyes wide, ears pricked up, I listened intently to everything Aspen said as she went into full teacher mode.

“You can think of it as skill tiers applied to your brain. Some magic simply requires a certain amount of both [Wisdom] and [Intelligence] - that is, control and mana capacity to perform the spell. For example, as a fire mage, I wouldn’t have a problem with [Fireball] having your stats. However, [Firesmite] would be beyond my power. I might have enough mana for one or two casts, but it would be too complex for my brain to comprehend and execute. So in the end, it comes down to what you want. If it’s just mana capacity to maintain your skills that don’t require mana control, then do what I said and just put points into [Intelligence]. Most people do.”

That wasn’t hard to understand. If you had no intention of becoming a mage, there was no reason to learn the intricacies of magic, and it was good enough to rely on what the system threw at you in the form of skills - the oh-so-widespread wrong way of doing things.

And not my way. I wanted to be in control of what I was doing, in control of myself.

“What about the magic I have access to through skills? Like the poison in my tail or the cold in my mane? The system should be able to show me a way to deepen my mastery of those, right? All I have to do is . . . oh.”

“Yep,” Aspen nodded, smiling broadly at my understanding. “Sure, it’s easier to understand such skills, magic if you will, but eventually you’ll run into what your mentor is more than familiar with.”

“Bottlenecks.”

“Exactly. Up until now, people believed - tits, I still believed this morning - that it was due to me not using the skill, not working it properly, or some shit like that. Which, now that I know the true purpose of the system, still holds true, just not in the way I thought. The little I’ve actually mastered . . . it’s scary, Korra.”

“That . . .”

“Don’t. While it freaked me out, I meant it in a broader sense. The lie that our society is built on. Can you imagine what would happen if the system suddenly went off? I mean, of course you can. It’s just . . . Anyway, the skills. That same limit with [Wisdom] and [Intelligence] that I was talking about could eventually become a bottleneck for you.”

“I see . . .” Actually, that made a lot of sense. “So you’re saying that I should put my stat points into both [Intelligence] and [Wisdom]?”

“Not necessarily right away, but if you plan on using magic-based skills in the future, then yes.”

“How much? Points, I mean.”

“I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask, Korra. I’m a mage, you’re not.”

“If you were in my shoes.”

“What shoes?”

“Hahaha, funny. You know what I meant. If you were in my undies, in my place - how would you distribute the points?”

“Like I said, I’m a mage. I would go for an even split between [Intelligence] and [Wisdom]. I mean, even them out, make them both thirty or something at base value.”

“Oh, okay.”

“But think about it before you dive in and make the decision. It’s not something you can change later, like skills. Look, I can’t stress this enough: I’m a mage. And your stats are not exactly mage-like. From what I saw yesterday, you don’t even fight like one. Sure, you use magic, but you are . . . well . . .”

“A beast,” I finished for her when she hesitated.

“You’ve grown some balls, Korra. That’s really good to see. I mean, YES, like a beast, but for the sake of reference, I’ll think of you as a warrior. The regular ones tend to leave [Intelligence] at half their main stat, while [Wisdom] at its third.”

I quickly did the math.

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STATS

Constitution: 266 (41) 

Strength: 135 (30)

Endurance: 78 (29)

Dexterity: 67 (28)

Intelligence: 76 (17) +3 = 93 (20)

Wisdom: 46 (14) + 0 = 46 (14)

.

Basically, I had [Wisdom] right where I needed it, while I only needed to put three points into [Intelligence]. Of course, it would get more complicated once I would try to divide the remaining 28 stat points.

“Wait. Did you still mean the base value, or the . . . overall one?” If she was talking about the overall stat, it would make the whole thing much more complicated, like getting [Intelligence] to 130 and [Wisdom] to 88.

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STATS

Constitution: 266 (41) 

Strength: 135 (30)

Endurance: 78 (29)

Dexterity: 67 (28)

Intelligence: 76 (17) +11 = 131 (28)

Wisdom: 46 (14) + 13 = 89 (27)

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Much to my surprise, I didn’t get an immediate response from Aspen, but a silly grin.

“What? I can’t read minds, nor do you have ears like mine to give them away.”

“Thanks Traiana, I don’t. I mean, that’s what separates a regular warrior from a skilled one.”

“Huh?”

“Unless they’re aura warriors like the Palemoon girl, their skills don’t give them the bonuses to [Intelligence] and [Wisdom] that yours do. If a regular warrior wants to do anything serious with his mana-dipped skills, aura if you will, they have to make up for it with stat points alone. On the other hand, skilled warriors will already have some bonuses or outright skills to help them with aura, so they can afford to have [Intelligence] as high as half of their overall main skill.”

“Oh . . . well, I could do that if I spent 24 of my points on those two stats,” I said somewhat thoughtlessly, going back to my earlier calculations.

“You certainly could. Look, Korra, you’re a real basket case. I mean, there’s not really one way you fight. Your shifting is more or less physical, but you’re missing the . . .” Aspen slammed the fist of her right hand into the palm of the other. “. . . the punch. You know what I mean, right? But it’s not just that. You’re swift on your feet, but your [Dexterity] is one of your worst stats, and then there’s the whole magical creature thing.”

“You know you’re not helping much right now, right?”

Aspen shrugged apologetically. “Just telling you how it is. Ultimately, it’s up to you and what path you want to take.”

“Again, you’re not helping.”

“And you’re not listening.”

“But I am.”

“Then you know that whatever you hear with those giant ears of yours, you have to listen to your own heart and your own head.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t doubt you, BUT . . .” she said, stopping short with a sigh. “Sorry, I got too worked up. Just . . . just don’t let other people’s opinions sway you too much, all right?”

“I won’t. Seriously. I just wanted to get another’s take on it. Deckard told me to wait until I figured out my true fighting style. Sah merely informed me that he was not the right person to give advice to anyone, and Mr. Sandoval and Hazel gave me advice based on information in books. I thought you would . . .”

“You asked librarians? Damn, girl. Don’t make the same mistake I did. When my brother got our parents into debt, I asked around, even people who knew shit about it, looking for a solution to get them out of that mess. I heard countless times that I’d be better off working for a company than being a city guard. At first I dismissed it as bullshit, but over time it began to gnaw at me until I took a step I regret to this day.”

Awkwardly, my eyes welled up at the sadness and regret in her voice. I couldn’t help it. I knew it all too well - the thought of IF eating away at your mind - if only I hadn’t walked down that alley that night. Better not to think about it and move on. At least that was my way of dealing with it.

“We’ve wandered into a fairly dark corner, haven’t we?”

“Yeah.” 

“Honestly, Korra, I have no idea how skill points are supposed to work with this new system shit. It might as well have been the only part we got right, and stats are actually supposed to open up and show you the potential of your body. We might as well get it all wrong. It doesn’t change the fact that the stats are damn important.”

“I know. Which is why I sought out other people’s opinions.”

“Something hardly anyone would do . . . and maybe why it threw me off so much,” Aspen said with a heavy sigh of regret, adjusting the collar around her neck. “I shouldn’t take it out on you like this. It’s just . . . all the crap I deal with all day tends to get to me, and . . . I just shouldn’t. I’m terribly sorry, Korra.”

“You know,” I said, a smile on my lips to let her know it was okay. “I’d think you were weird if you were okay with being a slave.”

“Who would be, right?” Aspen smiled back and even chuckled. “Thank you, Korra. I like it here, I really do, and I’m glad Rayden took me back, but there’s hardly anyone who would understand . . . like you.”

“No other slaves? I thought this place . . . wasn’t this a slave quarters?”

“Yes. I am the only resident slave, though. The rest of the rooms are either empty or occupied by hired labour, free people.”

“Rayden?”

“Who else? Slavery doesn’t sit well with her.” 

“I see.” The woman wanted her men to open their minds to all possibilities, to think for themselves, not just blindly follow orders. Quite the opposite of what slavery meant.

“So, your stats, Korra . . .”

 

***

 

Eventually, I ended up splitting my [31] unspent stat points, not so unlike what Aspen suggested.

 

Constitution: 266 (41) 266 (41) 

Strength: 135 (30) + [1] → 139 (31)

Endurance: 78 (29) + [1] → 81 (30)

Dexterity: 67 (28) + [3] → 74 (31)

Intelligence: 76 (17) + [12] → 136 (29)

Wisdom: 46 (14) + [14] → 92 (28)

 

I simply couldn’t bring myself not to put at least one point into [Strength], which I so desperately needed. Same with [Endurance]. My battles, admittedly mostly against opponents much stronger than me, tended to drag on. When Aspen said that I relied on speed in my bouts, she wasn’t wrong. I did, and a lot. Thus, I put at least three points into [Dexterity]. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do for the time being. 

And as for [Intelligence] and [Wisdom]. Well, I went one point higher than a ‘skilled’ warrior would go. Not something fitting or appropriate for a magical creature with a [Heart of Mana] beating in my chest. But befitting of one on her way to becoming one, I’d say.

In any case, I effectively doubled those two stats. Although I did it in several steps. Putting in five points at once was quite . . . well, I almost threw up. It might have just been the potential of my body that opened up with the extra stat points, but it was a hell of a rush that made my head spin.

The cards were dealt, though. Now it was up to me to play with what I had.

 

***

 

Ria had a bad night, one full of dreams and nightmares that kept her from getting a good night’s sleep. So much happened yesterday. The Soul Dice stopped spinning. Miss Palemoon, Korra and Sage came back. The thought made her heart swell with joy.

“Fuck! Watch it. Furball.”

“S-sorry,” Ria stammered an apology after she had bumped into a man in the street, as lost in thought as she had been all night, and broke into a run to get away, only to stop short. Horror swept over her. Up ahead was the Labyrinth Square. Without realizing so, she walked too far and missed her street to City Hall by a couple of blocks.

Her mind raced with possibilities, landing on two.

She could retrace her steps or . . . take a side street a few steps away that connected the main street she was standing on with the one where the City Hall sat. Much to her dismay, sure she was already late for her guide job, so taking the connecting street was the quicker way to get there.

Castiana was a nice city, a clean city, a safe city - at least that’s what her mother said, despite countless warnings not to go where Ria didn’t know or to be on guard at all times. Maybe not the lush forests her mother and father grew up in and told her about, but home RIa liked nothenless.

At times, though . . . it could be a scary place, too.

Such as now. 

A few steps down the connecting street and goosebumps crept up her entire body. Before Ria knew it, she was hugging Lia tightly to her chest, her heart gripped in fear. 

The street was quite wide, already lit by the morning sun, with people moving back and forth. At first glance, there was nothing to be afraid of, yet . . . among those people was someone who instinctively struck fear into her little heart. There was more than fear, however. Respect.

Frightened, confused by what she felt, she kept her head down, Lia in her arms, and her mind on the hope that she’d make it to City Hall before anything bad could happen, as she broke into a run. In a matter of a few breaths, she bolted out of the mouth of the street onto the main one, took a right, and hit the ground in a hard sprint down to City Hall.

The feeling didn’t go away, even though Ria had the large building in her sights. If anything, it grew stronger, making it harder for her to breathe. Just a little further, a few steps, she chanted to herself as she pushed herself as hard as she could, heedless of the disapproval of those on the street.

All that mattered was getting to the City Hall. There was Enola . . . and Brooks and Waylon, if not already Vara and Elira, the city guards in the Hall of Souls. 

The ever-open front door of the building was right there in front of her. 

Just the last few steps and she would be safe.

Yet her heart froze just before she could make it. 

A massive hand closed around her shoulder and stopped her just two steps from the front door. 

Her mom, dad, little sisters and brothers. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of never seeing them again. And she wished so much to be back in the safe embrace of her mom.

“Get your damn hand off her!” A loud roar, bordering on a growl, carried with a force that rattled her bones. 

It was a voice she knew, though. 

Peering through her teary eyes, she found Korra standing before her. Ria’s fear frozen little heart took its first warm beat, and as soon as the grip on her shoulder loosened, she darted behind her. Almost as if by magic, hidden behind Korra’s back in Sage’s fluffy embrace, all the fear she felt left her.