n

n

nAfter I placated Nushi, she went and joined the other girls while I finished feeding Mary. As I was doing that, I reopened the menu for the selection and was about to warn Mary to cover her eyes just in case, but I let that breath out as I made the selection.

nNo light came on, but I did it with a crash course on what seemed to be a very basic class and then a small stat chart with numbers like a game. The names were straightforward enough that even this meathead could puzzle them out.

nShaman Class Acquired!

n{Shaman}: With this class, you will need to create bonds with all forms of nature in order to receive Totems. Totems are marks that you will receive, and they will grant you minor abilities.

nYou must gain Elemental Totem Marks in order to store more marks, or you will run out of skin to placemarks. To gain Elemental Totem Marks, you must form bonds with Pure Elementals.

nName: Kazz

nLevel: 2

nClass: Shaman

nStrength: 2

nDexterity: 1

nFortitude: 4 ( 1:Earth Blessing

/EOD)

nWisdom: 3

nIntellect: 1

nSpirit: 3

nEnergy:0

nClass Skills:

n{Rank 1}: Target a plant to speak to it. 55% chance of success. 10% chance of irritation.

n{Rank 1}: Auto-Trigger: Totem Bond is triggered when a Totem Mark can be acquired. The target must express gratitude to you in some form in order to trigger Totem Bond.

nBonds:

nElemental Bonds:

nBlessings:

n{Earth Blessing}: Grogvel's laugh is far worse than his bite. Gain 1 Fortitude for being chewed up and spit out until the End Of Day.

nWell, whoever created this thing had a sense of humor, that was for sure, but a ten percent chance of irritating a plant? What did that even mean?

nWas I going to piss a tree off and get attacked? Maybe I would have to try it on something like a dandelion or tulip that was small, so if I did piss it off, the fallout wouldn't be that bad.

nI stood up and brushed my hands on my pants, and Mary wrapped her arms around my neck and then rested her head on my shoulder. The girls had already cleaned up the grill and put out the fire, so it looked like it was time to get moving.

n

"Everyone ready to go?

" I asked.

n

"Just waiting on you and the sleeping beast,

" Jilly said with a grin, but Mary hissed from my shoulder.

n

"I can still hearsss you, and I isss too cute to be a beastsss!

"

nJilly rolled her eyes, but Mary wasn't wholly wrong. I mean, she has only tried to eat me once for real, so there is that.

n

"Okay, Nushi, are you ready?

" I asked her, and she nodded.

nThe Cerberus girls were already changed back into dog form, so I pointed to the path, and Nushi climbed on Jilly's back. We followed the same walking pattern and started down the trail.

nJust as we did, I was looking over towards the place where Mex had pointed out that held the Minstien, Jessabell.

nI would have to make time to go over and visit her, but that could be an early morning thing. I could possibly do it before having to make the girls breakfast if I got up early enough.

n

"Did my father talk to you about Jessabell already?

" Nushi asked from up ahead as I turned from the northwest back west to her voice and started walking again; I hadn't realized I had stopped.

n

"Yes, I was thinking about her. I would guess that you are friends with her?

" I asked as I followed along.

nLike before, the vegetation was starting to become more jungle-like and more humid and hot. I knew this was a cool spring day compared to the hell we would be facing after this next training boot camp with Wataluga.

n

"No, I have only met her one time, and it was pretty bad. Jessabell is very pretty and smart, but she is very tall, big-boned, and scared of everything, even her own shadow. When father brought her home, she ended up rampaging through the castle, and father had to knock her unconscious,

" Nushi explained to me.

n

"Wow, so then I guess your father put Jessabell in the Maze to keep her safe?

" I asked.

n

"Yes, Her milk is special, but until she has a child, she can't produce milk. Her being scared of everything makes that very unlikely to happen unless she is forced. That's why my father watches over her,

" Nushi told me.

n

"What is your father's deal? Is he like the worst demon ever?

" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the enigma that was Mex.

n

"Bad? I guess if you look at him and compare him to the other demons on this island, the Mainland Demons are a lot different than the ones around here. My father is just a good person, no matter what Nixi or any of the other Demons say,

" Nushi said with a nod of her head, and I had to agree, but the atmosphere had just changed.

n

"Kazz, this is not good; we need to turn around, right….

" Jilly started to say, but a seductive female voice cut her off.

n

"Leave? No, you just got here, and I would like to play a little game with you,

" said the voice of a three-meter tall lioness with wings and a human face, but that was where the human stopped.

nThis monster was not like the girls, but it did not look like something we could deal with physically.

n

"Yup, we're all going to be drooling over-ripened fruit in about thirty seconds,

" Jilly said while throwing her hands up in the air, but I was confused by her comment.

n

"A game? What kind of game? I asked suspiciously.

n

"She wants you to answer a riddle, and if you are wrong, she will eat all the thoughts in your head,

" Nushi said.

n

"It's very simple, I ask you a question, and you tell me the answer before I get bored and eat your thoughts for fun!

" The Sphinx said with a nasty smile.

n