Since she couldn’t decide what to do with the rest of the points, she simply sat down against the wall. Time passed, and about an hour later, Asta sat up. Her eyes were clearer than she remembered seeing them. The elven woman looked over at her with concern written all over her face.

  Sara dared to hope. “Are you feeling better?”

  Asta bit her lip, but then, after a few seconds, she actually replied, “Yes, child. I am ashamed of the state I have been reduced to. The terror has burrowed into my very bones, and I am but a shadow of my former self. I fear it will be a very long time before I am able to be more than that.”

  Sara gasped as the words spilled out from Asta. She spoke so smoothly, without any of the absent look on her face.

  Asta continued, “My greatest shame though is that you have found yourself in this danger because of me. There are many things I don’t understand about you, but you are a remarkable child.”

  Sara frowned at that, and Asta asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

  Sara was so glad that her new friend was doing better that she didn’t hold back. “It’s just my parents always call me a child, but I’ve got a class now. It’s an epic class, and I’m Tier 3. I’m not helpless.”

  Asta shook her head with a sad look on her face. “Child, I have always admired that about your people or peoples rather. For how short your lives are you live them fully and you love unreservedly.” She stared off into space for a moment before saying, “Unfortunately, as I have also learned to my unending regret, the lesser races can be prone to just as much hate and greed. But that isn’t your concern. I sense nothing but kindness within you. I simply don’t understand how a child your age could be so strong.”

  That was an opening that Sara had been hoping for as she finally got to fully talk about her class with someone. Asta simply sat and listened while Sara went on and on. She told her about each of her monster friends and the perks she got from each of them. She described what it felt like as well as all the abilities she had now.

  When she finally stopped talking, Asta said, “Your class is indeed powerful, but I fear it is one of the ones that my people referred to as a cursed class. I hope you can overcome it because it sounds like it has the potential to keep you ever as an outsider away from your people.”

  Sara frowned, but Asta quickly said, “Don’t mind me. I will be happy to help you through this. But first, we are going to need to escape from the dwarves. I created a place that we can go to, but I haven’t been there for hundreds of years. Hopefully, it is still the same. Normally, I would never take a human or elven child to such a place, but with your class, it will be a perfect place.”

  A lot of was Asta said was going over Sara’s head, but she managed to ask, “Where is this place.”

  “I called it the inner world. It is a pocket world under Talos that I built to house the monsters that were too powerful for the refugees to deal with. Eloria may be conflict, but that doesn’t mean that I needed to let them be wiped out as Alucien intended.”

  Sara had heard that name before but didn’t know who it was. She was actually more excited at the prospect of a secret world full of monsters. Then she felt fear surge through her. “Will my monster friends be able to get to there?”

  “It may be a bit of a tight fit crawling through this cave for a drake, but I believe you said she was only Tier 4, so she can likely fit, if only barely. I am more than a little acquainted with the types of spaces that the lesser cousins can fit in.”

  Something was odd about Asta. It felt like there was something she should have figured out but just couldn’t get to click. But one thing was clear, Asta knew far more than Sara did. “Before we go, can you help me figure out what skills I should pick?”

  Asta frowned again. “Oh, child, I’m sorry these burdens shouldn’t be on a hatchling, but yes, I will help. Project your character sheet to me, and I will offer the best advice I have.”

  After a few moments, Asta said, “You need to learn some magic. Of course, I can’t predict which schools you will be compatible with. I would suggest Shaping Magic, but that is my personal favorite. It might be smarter for you to choose Evocation for ranged attacks or Abjuration for protection.

  “Apart from that, the most glaring deficit you have is your lack of perception. You should put at least 30 points into Esoteric Sense.”

  “Is that how you are able to know what is going on around you without actually looking?” Sara asked as she took into consideration the way Asta had acted.

  “That is a good observation. It is a grandmaster skill for me, but beyond that, I was stuck for a very long time in the dark, and it was my only way to perceive the world around me. So skill levels are one thing, but actual skill of application only comes with practice.”

  “I’ll work hard, but I’ll do as you suggest.” Then Sara put 30 points into Esoteric Sense.

  After that, she put 60 points into Evocation. She liked the idea of being able to attack from a distance, and both Mira and Dad had all kinds of cool spells. She ended up getting three spells that she had seen before. Magic Missiles, Lesser Brilliant Radiance, and Lightning Bolt.

  She was about to pick another school, but then Asta said, “They are getting close. We need to go farther into the cave.”

  Sara nodded. She couldn’t hear or smell anything yet, but she tried out her Esoteric Sense. It cost a fair bit of her mana, but she was able to sense a group of dwarves only a few hundred feet from the cave.

  Asta raised her hands, and light sparkled in a beam from her hands that struck the entrance to the cave. Nothing happened as far as Sara could see.

  After a few seconds, she asked, “Uh, was that supposed to do something.”

  “It is an illusion, but only for those outside. It should also help block their senses. Oh, and don’t worry, you will still be able to guide your friends here.” As Asta spoke, it was like the energy drained out of her body.

  Sara asked if she was okay, and she only said, “I’m not what I once was. It may take months or even years to regain my original form.” Then she looked down before continuing. “This will be dangerous. You will have to fight your way past the guardian, assuming there still is one. I don’t have the strength to do it now, and I fear that while my power slowly returns I won’t be able to guarantee your safety in the inner world.”

  “I’ve been protecting you so far. Why should that stop now? Besides, Nelsons don’t give up just because something is hard.”

  “Very well, child, then it is time you saw the hidden wonder of Talos.”

  Sara’s Stats

  Sara- Current perks by monster friends

  Krinnk

  +10 AGILITY +10 ENDURANCE

  +10 STEALTH, TRACKING, RUNNING

  Snowball

  +5 STRENGTH, +5 AGILITY

  +10 Olfactory Sense (Tracking) +10 Burrowing, +10 Jumping

  Altracia

  +10 STRENGTH, +10 CONSTITUTION

  Wing Buds- Flight potential (25)

  Acid Resistance: +50

  Acid Breath: +1, 1/moonrise 15’ cone 150-250/dmg +10/level in breath weapon

  Petal

  +10 health per tick regeneration. Constitution: +2, Speak with Plants: 30.

  Name: Sara Nelson

  Race: Half-Human/Half-Moon Elf** (Monster Friend)

  Age: 10

  Class: Monster Friend (Tier 1)

  Level: 21st

  Alignment +2

  Movement: 50

  Defense: 35

  Attack: 12

  Stats:

  STRENGTH: 27

  Bravery: 8.1

  Regen Rate: 2.7/hour

  Melee Damage: +54%

  DEXTERITY: 12

  Ranged Damage: +24%

  Rogue Skills: +24%

  AGILITY: 43 (+30%): 55

  Movement Rate: +110%

  Defense Rate: +275%

  CONSTITUTION: 30

  Health: 550 (250 ring) Life Pool: 1,180

  Regen Rate: 88/tick

  Fury: 9

  Regen Rate: 3/hour

  ENDURANCE: 23

  Stamina: 6.9

  Regen Rate: 2.3/hour

  Needed Rest: 46%

  INTELLIGENCE: 17

  Mana: 170

  Spell Damage: +34%

  WISDOM: 20 (+30%): 26

  Mana Regen Rate: 390/hour

  Faith: 7.8

  Regen Rate: 2.6/hour

  CHARISMA: 27 (+30%): 35

  Social Skills: 70%

  Teamwork: 10.5

  Regen Rate: 3.5/hour

  LUCK: 15

  +15% chance to avoid catastrophic effects

  +15% improvement on chance of loot drops

  +15% improvement on quality of loot drops

  Total XP: 7,260 XP to Next: 700

  Unspent Stat Points: 0 Unspent Character Points: 86

  Traits: Life Pool

  Skills:

  Generic Skills-

  Dance: 10

  Animal Handling: 25

  Flight: 70 (Prior Life/class)

  Social Skills-

  Speak Languages:8 (Common, Moon Elf, Draconic, Goblin, Orcish, Minotaur, Albian, Miromaran)

  Empathy: 10

  Combat Skills-

  Unarmed Combat: 4

  Small Blades: 70 (racial/Prior life)

  Agile Strike: 20

  Spears: 20

  Light Armor Proficiency: 10

  Crafting Skills-

  Painting: 10

  Academic Skills-

  Monster Knowledge: 60 (Prior Life/class)

  Rogue Skills-

  Stealth: 50 (racial/Prior Life/class)

  Class Skills-

  Acid Resistance: 50%

  Acid Breath: 70 (Prior Life/class)

  Speak with Plants: 30

  Tracking: 10

  Running: 10

  Burrowing: 10

  Jumping: 10

  Olfactory Sense: 10

  Regeneration: 176 (Prior Life/class) (26.4/tick)

  Monster Form: 20

  Magic:

  Esoteric Sense: 30

  Evocation: 60

  Magic Missiles

  Lesser Brilliant Radiance

  Lightning Bolt

  Gear:

  Flight Suit

  Amber Amulet

  Epic Ring of Health

  Ring of Protective Notice

  Dagger of Sharpness

  Spear

  Dragon Gauntlet of Transformation

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "Trip, trap, trip, trap! " went the bridge. "Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll. "Oh, it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with such a small voice. "Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll. —Three Billy Goats Gruff

  Inner World- Sara Nelson

  Sara and Asta ran hand in hand down deeper into the cave. It was wide enough for two wagons side by side. Sara was paying attention to this because she wanted to make sure that Altracia could get in. The mouth to the cave might be a bit tight, but the rest of it shouldn’t be an issue so far.

  There were twists and curves in it, but it was never too narrow. The darkness was scary at first, but Sara found that with Esoteric Sense she could make sure she didn’t run into the wall. Then even that stopped being an issue. After making it a few hundred feet down a slowly sloping tunnel, the walls started to be lit up by fluorescent lichen.

  The colors varied from yellowish green to a pale blue, to a sharp magenta. It really made the inside of the cave beautiful, and under other circumstances, Sara could have imagined stopping and taking her time. It was certainly something that her mother would have deemed to be an educational vacation stop back home.

  Then her nose caught a whiff of something truly foul. There was a breeze blowing up from the tunnel and it carried something with it. Asta didn’t seem to notice it, so Sara asked, “Do you smell that?”

  “No, my senses aren’t that keen in this form.”

  There it was again. Asta kept hinting at something but never came out and said it. Sara dragged her heels and pulled on Asta. The woman was much stronger than she looked because, at first, she kept going, and Sara felt like she was about to be dragged along the ground.

  “What are you doing? We have to keep moving.”

  “You keep saying odd things. Who or what are you, Asta? I know that isn’t your proper name, but you don’t seem to mind it.”

  “When you are as old as I am, you will have been called many names. I’m sure I’ve forgotten most of them by now. Asta is a nice enough name, and I guess I assumed that you knew who I was.”

  “How would I know who you are? You look sorta like what I imagine a sun elf would look like, but I really haven’t been on Eloria for that long.”

  Asta’s eyes grew wide for a moment. Then she pointed at the gauntlet Sara was wearing. “I thought you knew who I was because of that. And it isn’t just me who makes mysterious statements. What do you mean ‘on Eloria’?”

  Suddenly, the pieces came together in Sara’s mind. She remembered where that word had come from. The scales of her gauntlet came from a dragon.

  “Astag’naralrion?” Sara asked while probably butchering the name.

  Asta nodded. “Now are you going to explain yourself or shall we get back to running.”

  Sara picked up something in her head, “We are here, fledgling. Where are you?”

  She squealed. “My friends are here.”

  “How do you know?”

  Altracia just told me. Oops, I think they are fighting the dwarves.” Sara felt a spike of fear.

  “You can hear them now?” Asta asked.

  “Yes, in my head. For some reason, I couldn’t before.”

  Asta frowned. “That was my fault. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it before. Dragons have a natural resistance to any type of mind magic and that extends around me in a field. No telepathy could reach you from anyone who wasn’t very close to you. They must already be in the cave for you to be able to hear them.”

  Then Sara turned from Asta, ignoring her as she saw Krinnk come running right at her. He leapt into her arms, and the two of them hugged each other holding on as though afraid it was a dream.

  After a few seconds, he blurted out, “Dwarves are so hairy.”

  She laughed. “I missed you too, Krinnk.”

  The goblin looked at Asta nervously. “Who tall woman?”

  “Be nice, Krinnk. She is the woman who I came to help. She was being hunted by those dwarves.”

  “Krinnk no like dwarves. Glad see them getting squished by scary drake.”

  “Is Altracia okay?”

  “Yes, she say there was magic on cave, but we could all feel you. So found way in. Then dwarves came. Snowball coming down but moving slower. Her leg be hurt. Altracia and Kraden are fighting hairy men in metal.”

  Sara wondered why Kraden was here, but she reached out to Altracia again. She didn’t want to interrupt the dragon during a battle, but she also wanted to know if her friend needed her.

  “Altracia, are you okay?”

  The drake had a rather smug tone as she replied. “Yes, there were only four of them. I am cleaning my teeth with one of their shields.”

  “Is Kraden okay too?”

  “Yes, the human insisted on coming with us. We let him come because having thumbs can be useful, and that goblin of yours is an idiot.”

  “Hey, Krinnk no idiot.”

  “Shh… both of you. We need to escape before more dwarves come.”

  “There is an illusion on the entrance so that should help. I could try to cause a cave-in, but there isn’t much room for me to move now. Will I fit down the tunnel?”

  “Yes, it may be tight and twisty at a couple of spots, but you will fit. I met someone who is taking me to a hidden place under the mountain,” Sara replied.

  They waited for Altracia and Kraden to make their way down. As they did, Asta said, “Hearing what your class is and seeing it in action are very different things. I never expected to see a human being friends with a goblin. But perhaps your stranger origin is to blame for that?”

  Sara heard the subtle reminder in Asta’s tone. She had slipped up about not being from Eloria. So she gave a sixty-second explanation. She was sure that Asta would have more questions, and her parents would likely be mad at her for sharing the secret, but, well… Asta was a dragon after all.

  Strangely, Asta didn’t ask any questions but seemed lost in thought. Then Kraden came running down the tunnel. The miner looked a little worse for wear, but the cuts on his neck and normal arm were already healing, so Sara assumed he must have a good level of regeneration.

  “Lady Sara, I’m so happy to have found you.”

  Sara wasn’t sure what to say other than to return his greeting. She hadn’t expected him after all. In the silence, he looked from Sara to Asta and then asked, “My Lady, may I ask who this is?”

  “Oh, this is Asta. I think she is my friend. I came here to help her. The dwarves were doing bad things to her.”

  “Just like your mother. She would be so proud.”

  Asta looked like she was about to say something when Altracia finally arrived. Sara expected there to be fireworks when the drake found Asta here, and for a second that’s the way it looked like it was going to play out. The forest drake turned dungeon drake stared at Asta. Her lip started to pull back as she bared her teeth, while a low growl rose up from her throat.