Great Journey: Whims of Fate

In a hidden underground chamber somewhere in the Kingdom of Brilliance, five priests stood around a smoldering pyre. Today, they had gathered to discuss an opportunity to accomplish what they had failed to achieve eight years ago.

"The lion has gathered the prophesied children."

"This is our chance to snuff out their light in the cradle."

"Killing even one will bring great benefit to the Great One."

"How much should we reveal?"

"We cannot send our most loyal. We should rely on summons."

"It would serve only as a distraction at best."

"Send the Bloody Knight."

"He will not be able to escape."

"Neither will the children."

"Very well. We will use the ritual and send the Bloody Knight. Any more, and we risk failing our main objective. Does everyone agree?"

"Yes. For the Great One."

"For the Great One."

From behind a pillar in the shadows, a knight in pitch-black armor with a greatsword on his back stepped forward leaving a trail of blood with every step. The air grew heavy in the wake of the monster who had slaughtered countless.

"For the Great One," it followed.

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The next day, Bastion and Elyra headed to the Mages Guild first thing in the morning. Unlike yesterday, when they spent most of their time walking around and observing the city and its people, this time they moved with purpose.

Bastion was presented with a large lobby filled with mages, wizards, and scholars milling about. He made his way to the reception desk and asked for directions.

"Hello, may I ask what services the Mages Guild offers?" Bastion asked the receptionist.

"Do you want to join the Mages Guild?" she replied, glancing up from her book, clearly uninterested in wasting time on Bastion. So, he answered in a way that would capture her attention.

"No, but I do have ten mithril coins to waste and want to know what the guild has to offer," he replied with a gentle smile.

The reaction was immediate. Ten mithril coins was quite a lot of money, and research consumed funds as much as it did time and manpower.

"We sell skill books, skill scrolls, spells, magic circles, magic formulas, and enchanting services. We also offer access to the grand library for those willing to pay our daily rate or join the guild as a member," she said, her tone now much more pleasant.

"I thought enchanting services were a Crafters Guild specialty?"

"We offer them as well. We simply do things differently from the Crafters Guild. We don't incorporate the enchanting process into the creation process, so our services are more universal. Bring any item here, and we'll tell you what enchantments are available based on the capabilities of the materials."

"I see. I'd like a peek at your skill books section."

"Of course. Please wait a moment," she replied, before waving an apprentice over.

"This gentleman would like to view the skill book section for sale. See to it that he is taken care of, will you?" she instructed the young apprentice.

"Of course. Right this way."

They made their way to the left from the entrance, where Bastion was brought to a private chamber and given a catalog of all the Apprentice Rank spell books available for sale.

Selling higher-ranked books to those without the necessary strength was not allowed, as they would be unable to use them anyway. Bastion might have been a duke's heir, but that privilege was reserved for actual nobles, not future ones.

He browsed through the catalog and found practically every Apprentice Rank skill that could ever be learned. They were all the most basic skills available, each costing a whopping one mithril coin.

Bastion wasn't about to blindly increase his workload by buying seemingly handy skills, but it was good to know what skill books he could lean on when needed.

So far, he only knew a few combat-based skills that were basic yet comprehensive. He could have picked up some magic-based ones, but he had been advised to avoid doing so until he became a Diamond Knight.

He continued to peruse the options but found nothing worth taking. What he really wanted was something like Forge, a Rank 2 skill that would have been incredibly useful for creating some of the devices he knew how to make, like a computer or a gun. Oddly enough, he hadn't seen anything resembling them here, but he didn't question it too much. Perhaps they simply lacked the necessary knowledge.

"What do you think of this one, Eli?" Bastion asked as he pointed to the Summon Familiar skill book.

It was a skill that allowed the user to bond with an Apprentice Rank pet. The pet would gain the longevity of the user and could even survive deathblows by being automatically unsummoned when mortally wounded. It could also minimally communicate with the contractor and in time, gain intelligence.

They had no combat capabilities but offered certain utility functions depending on the pet and the additional skills learned, such as Beast's Vision, which allowed the user to see through the pet's eyes.

Most importantly, familiars could be used as messengers. The dimension they remained in while unsummoned allowed contact between different familiars. Once introduced to one another, they could meet within that space and exchange letters for communication. Although, there was a chance the letter would be lost.

There was a spell-based alternative, but it was less convenient and didn't strengthen the familiar in relation to its contractor, which made the skill version more desirable.

"All nobles use one for communication. You should get one as well, Master," she advised.

"Alright."

Bastion bought the skill and continued browsing.

In the end, he found nothing else of interest, so he thanked the apprentice before leaving with Elyra.

Their next stop was the Tamers Guild.

The lobby was equally massive, with half-naked people everywhere.

'Is it because they're more primal? Does wearing less clothing make them feel more one with nature? Perhaps the exposed skin makes their scent more obvious to their tamed beasts?' Bastion wondered.

He approached the counter and was greeted far more warmly than at the Mages Guild.

"Welcome to the Tamers Guild. Are you interested in joining, or are you here to buy a pet?" asked the pretty receptionist, who was practically just wearing a two-piece bikini.

"I'd like to see your options for combat companions and pets."

"Then you'll need to join the guild. Beasts are restricted and require a permit to live among the general population. There are also many housing regulations, and tamers must be held accountable for their beasts' actions, as I'm sure you understand."

"I see. I'd still like to take a look at your options. I may change my mind and join if I find a suitable partner," Bastion replied, prompting the receptionist to give him a proper look. He wore fine, noble-style clothing that hinted he certainly had the means.

"Very well, but you'll need an escort."

"Of course."

The receptionist waved over a very muscular man with tanned skin, tattoos, and only leather pants. She instructed him to escort Bastion through the Apprentice Rank kennels then through the pet section.

Just because they were Apprentice Rank didn't mean they lacked the potential to rank up. If anything, tamers preferred Apprentice Rank pets they could nurture and evolve, strengthening their bond and affinity over time.

The kennel was a vast enclosed space filled with massive cages, each designed with ecosystems tailored to their occupants. Inside the cages were beasts of the same general species, with smaller cages reserved for solitary, more aggressive creatures.

The kennel resembled an industrialized zoo, with evenly spaced enclosures covering the entire first floor of the building.

Bastion assumed the upper floors were reserved for rarer, higher-ranked species, while the top floors were perhaps offices or living spaces for the guild members.

There were plenty of animals Bastion recognized among the beasts, just with certain quirks. One cage held Elemental Lizards: essentially Komodo dragons, each with an elemental affinity for one of the basic elements. There were also Elemental Cats and Wolves with the same quirks.

There were Horned Rabbits, Plague Wolves, Blade Tigers, Shield Lions, and more.

There were even slimes for sale. They were quite expensive, one mithril coin apiece, but their utility was top notch.

Some were armor slimes that could consume clothing and transform into it, meaning the tamer would never need to worry about clothing again. All they had to do was feed the slime their preferred outfit once, and it would memorize the design, recreating it whenever needed.

There were also slimes that could turn into clones of the corpses they consumed, and slimes that could transform into weapons, although the weapon's strength depended on the slime's own strength, making them a risky choice.

Then there were creatures Bastion didn't recognize, such as the Ravager Whelp, a small, four-legged beast covered in dark, hardened carapace, with sharp claws and spines jutting from its body. Its glowing eyes and wide, fanged mouth gave it a feral, predatory look. Built for speed and killing, it resembled a nightmarish cross between an insect and a reptile.

After the tour of the Apprentice Rank beasts, Bastion and Elyra were led to a section dedicated to pets. As expected, the animals there were regular creatures with unique quirks, but none had the ability to cast magic.

Once they became familiars, however, their abilities would improve while maintaining their animal forms, granting them the capabilities of Apprentice Rank beasts, all while still looking like cute pets.

As they walked through the area, Bastion noticed Elyra growing nervous when he inspected the adorable pets with soft fur. He was considering a fluffy dog, fox, or cat, but it seemed it wasn't meant to be.

"Are you jealous I'd prefer their fur over yours?" Bastion asked plainly.

"Yes, Master," she answered just as plainly.

"No furred pets then."

The last thing he wanted was to damage his relationship with Elyra. He may have loosened his moral restraints in this harsh new world, but he would always cherish the bonds he formed, especially with Elyra, his most loyal shadow.

Since he could not have a comfort pet, a utility pet was his only option. He already had a scout in Elyra, and most utility pets shared the same basic abilities he possessed through his free cast magic. So, he decided on one that could serve as an early warning system while he slept, without needing to rely on Elyra, allowing her to rest as well.

His choices came down to the Whispering Owl and the Smoke Spider. The Whispering Owl was nocturnal and known for terrifying intruders with eerie whispers, making it ideal for alerting him to threats. The Smoke Spider, on the other hand, created invisible traps by turning its webs into smoke, an excellent passive defense.

In the end, Bastion chose the Whispering Owl. It could also be used for aerial scouting, and unlike the spider, it would not leave a mess to clean up.

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