《The Daily Life of a Bard》 Chapter 1: Preparation I wake up in the morning and rub my eyes, trying to fight off the morning grogginess. Then a thought runs through me like electricity. It is my debutante today! Me and the other upper nobility would be presented today and receive our Classes. I leap out of bed and begin carefully placing some of my favorite outfits into a bag. I don¡¯t think that many other women would have thought to do this, although they should. You never know when you are going to be called to set out on an adventure. Some women have their marriages set up directly following the debutante ball and begin to live with their intended¡¯s family to make certain that the marriage would indeed work and be of benefit to both families. I look through things that I have grabbed. Pajamas, undergarments, three dresses, and riding clothes. Yes, this should be adequate. I can place my belongings where the boys do. Or I can place them in the women¡¯s power room. Either way shall work for me. Once my belongings are packed, I soak in a bath with lavender oil and rose petals. One must not simply look their best, but they must smell their best as well. Once I am done bathing I sit in front of the mirror and begin to brush my long, luxurious pink, purple and a touch of blue locks. Many people say it is a mixture of their favorite colors in the sky. My hair cascades down my back to below my shoulder blades in gentle curls. Many people are jealous of my hair because I need do nothing with my tresses for them to behave. Something that is more striking about my appearance though are my eyes. I have heterochromia causing my eyes to be a mixture of red and gold. One eye is mostly red with a quarter of the iris gold, and the other is mostly gold with a quarter of the iris red. The striking colors of my hair and eyes come from being of mixed race. As I come from a large winter village, I am a demi-human with a mixture of arctic ermine and arctic fox. I have beautiful pale white skin, white ears and a white tail tipped in black. My ears are smaller than a fox and more pointed than an ermine. I have to say though, I love my tail. It is thick and fluffy with the softest fur. I open my large wardrobe and look through my dresses, wanting to find one that would make me look fierce and elegant. Most young women want to look like princesses or brides in their poofy gowns, but that is not for me. I am not that type of young lady. I don¡¯t want my dress to drown out my natural beauty. As I am pawing through my gowns, enjoying the feeling of the fabric on my fingers, my personal maid comes into my room. ¡°My young mistress, what have I told you about doing such things on your own!¡± she says, waving her hand over my body, indicating the bathing and combing of my hair. ¡°And to think, you were about to choose your own dress as well. Shameful is what that is.¡± She said, clicking her tongue at me and shaking her head. ¡°I thought it would be important for me to learn some basic hygiene skills at least. What if instead of a Noble, Lady, Aristocrat, or Princess type Class I am a Lady Knight or Heroine?¡± I say to her. ¡°Anything is possible young miss, but I don¡¯t see that as your personality. You are kind by nature, not the kind to desire to skew someone upon your sword.¡± She says to me. Goodness she can be blunt. ¡°Some people¡¯s personalities change a bit when they receive their Class. What if I have the spirit of a protector?¡± I ask. ¡°Just be happy if you aren¡¯t immediately someone¡¯s bride.¡± She says in reply. ¡°You do make a valid argument. I shall hope for High Noble or Diplomat or something.¡± I say, shrugging my shoulders, causing my curls to bounce slightly. ¡°Young miss, all those classes have a maid that helps care for them. Now then, let us pick out a dress for you. Any requests?¡± she asks me. ¡°Please, just not a floofy Princess dress.¡± I strongly request of her. ¡°Of course not!¡± she says, putting a hand against her heart. Delphine is always so dramatic that I can¡¯t help but smile. We flip through gowns together, vetoing a lot that my parents bought me in a way to make me look young and cute. Shorter dresses that poof out. I shake my head emphatically. Never. Nope. No thank you. Sheath dresses, princess dresses, tight top with full bottom dresses. Some of these were.. Fine. I had actually packed some tight bodice dresses that are full length, down to my ankles, but not long enough to trip me. I don¡¯t know all the names of the styles. I had at one point in time, but¡­ How did that knowledge truly help me aside from me knowing what style dresses looked good on me.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Well now, here is an eye-catching dress. I believe this is one that was made to be one of your choices for the debutant.¡± How had I forgotten that Mother had a few dresses tailor made to be options for this event? How silly of me to let it slip from my mind. I laugh lightly at it, a practiced laugh that was reminiscent to that of the tinkling of bells. It was exhausting to learn but now came rather naturally. ¡°Young miss, if you are wondering why, you forgot these dresses were made for you, it¡¯s because it is a maid¡¯s job and responsibility to remember such things on your behalf.¡± Was she a mind reader?! She always seems to know what I am thinking. Because of this I have spent many an hour looking in the mirror to see if my thoughts were reflected on my face. I couldn¡¯t tell. I was able to have a placid expression or a vapid smile. As is only right for my place in society. We spend time pulling out and trying on the gowns that had been made for my debutante. These are a multitude of colorful gowns. The tradition is for such dresses to be a white color, but for those of us with mainly white features, it is acceptable to wear a different color. I try on red dresses, green dresses, some are even soft browns. I shake my head at all of them, especially the brown. I don¡¯t mind neutral-colored dresses for horseback riding, but not for such events. Eventually I pull on the last dress and it is perfect. It hugs my curves in the right places, with a flowing skirt. The dress we end up going with is a dark purple dress that fits somewhere between an empire and trumpet style gown. It has lacing in the back to attach flowers or gems to but almost gives the illusion of it being backless. The bottom of the dress has a sheer black outer layer to the fabric, giving the dress more textures. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± I whisper, in awe of my own appearance. I will be surprised if I don¡¯t draw at least some eyes to myself. I watch myself in the mirror as I spin around. The dress shows excellent movement, giving me some added grace. To complete the look Delphine pins some black and purple flowers in my hair, mainly behind my right ear. My hair ends up being pinned on one side and cascading fully down the other. For my jewelry I wear a delicate teardrop blue and silver necklace. On my wrist I wear a flower bracelet that matches the flowers in my hair. On my feet I wear strappy black shoes. I feel like a woman going to war. ¡°A women¡¯s armor is their beauty. Lean into it for whatever Class you have. Show strong willpower and the System is supposed to notice. And who knowns, maybe you will surprise me with a Class such as Lady Knight.¡± Delphine and I share a glance and a small laugh. ¡°Ready to present yourself to your parents?¡± she asks me. The first presentation comes even before going to the debutante. The first presentation is to one¡¯s parents, seeking their approval. I tip my head up to exude confidence. Delphine rushes to slip my silken purple, elbow high gloves onto me, and slides a fan into my hands. It is a black fan with silver and purple flower pattern on it. Thanking her I finish my walk downstairs where my parents are waiting for me at the bottom of the spiral staircase. My father looks me over approvingly. ¡°You are an absolute vision!¡± Mother says to me. ¡°I approve of your outfit. Come sit and allow me to do your makeup.¡± I don¡¯t know why but Mother insisted on being the one to do my makeup. She hums as she outlines my eyes in black, puts a shimmery silver eyeshadow on me, and a deep red on my lips. ¡°You are now perfect.¡± She says to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go present you to the world.¡± I climb into the carriage, making sure that my dress doesn¡¯t drag or crumple. I am beginning to feel nervous butterflies in my stomach. It isn¡¯t a good feeling, but I believe it is a normal one. ¡°Are you nervous my dear?¡± Mother asks me, placing a hand on my knee. ¡°Of course. I am going to have my future selected for me. What if it is something that I don¡¯t enjoy at all? What if it leaves me with a horrible feeling. What if I am so excited I jump up and down and fall down the stairs? What if I am married off to some arrogant young man who treats me horribly and thinks that my only obligation in life is to bare beautiful children and raise them to be spoiled?¡± ¡°Take a breath Lyra.¡± Mother says to me, looking me in the eyes. ¡°You are going to be just fine. Everything is going to be fine. And you need to curb that habit of saying every little thing that is popping in your head.¡± ¡°I apologize Mother. I don¡¯t do it in front of those outside of the family and household staff members.¡± I tell her a bit defensively. Mother sighs and pats my leg before leaning back in her chair and gazing out the window. It seems that Mother might be a bit anxious about my fate as well. It seems that she is hoping that I bring prestige to the family and that we will have our pick of men for me to marry. Choosing for myself sounds a little less awful, I mean, stressful than being assigned someone. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I have asked you what Class you are hoping to be assigned to.¡± Mother says, trying to engage me in conversation, possibly trying to get my mind off the upcoming announcements and ball. ¡°I don¡¯t know to be honest. Something fun though. And nothing that brings shame to the family.¡± Mother lifts her left eyebrow, looking at me. Okay, okay, more of a response. I get it. ¡°I was thinking a Diplomat or a Lady Knight. Oh! Maybe a Priestess.¡± Mother stares at me for that. ¡°From one of temples you are allowed to marry in.¡± Mother gives a little nod, accepting my addendum. ¡°Not High Nobility or Princess?¡± she asks. I think that is what she has always wanted a daughter to want, a more noble Class. What do those Classes do anyways? If I became a Princess, I have to marry a Prince, and we would wonder off together to start a new kingdom. Or something like that. I just shake my head and look out the window of the carriage. ¡°I don¡¯t think those roles would fit a mouthy young lady like me.¡± Mother and I sit in companionable, though anxiety laden, silence. I let my mind drift about different lives that I could lead. I am thinking about one where I am an aristocrat throwing lavish parties when Mother pulls me from my thoughts. ¡°Lyra dear, pull yourself together. We are here.¡± Mother tells me. I take a deep breath and step out of the carriage. Chapter 2: Socializing, Snacks and Announcements The first thing that I notice upon exiting the carriage is the ice sculpture, fountains, a multitude of sculptures depicting different Classes, and flowers everywhere. It is a beautiful sight. There are multicolored lights and garlands strung between them as well. It seems to me like perfectly organized chaos of decorations. To others, I think they may find it overflowing with lavish decorations. I avert my eyes from it all and stare ahead, walking with my fan displayed in front of my face to hide any dumb expressions that may cross it. Mother sees me doing this and gives a small approving nod. Mother also splays her fan open and covers her expressions as well in solidarity with me. I glance over and see a smile playing over her lips at the decorations. Is she laughing at it all or smiling approvingly? Either way I appreciate it. I walk alongside Mother and Father joins us, looping his arm with Mother¡¯s. I feel sophisticated walking with them. Father is a High Noble and Mother is a Socialite. Mother has become masterful at her class and has become the hub of all important information and gossip, and my Father is simply well respected. I¡¯m not fully sure what he does to be honest. ¡°They are going to announce our family as we walk in.¡± Father reminds me. ¡°That is not the same announcement as when you get your Class. I nod to him in understanding. I hear the family in front of us being announced and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was our turn now. ¡°Announcing the Snowfall family! Look at how lovely they all look. So classy, so sophisticated. Their lovely daughter shall be gaining her Class tonight. What a thing to look forward to!¡± I blink slowly and smile at the words of the announcer. Honestly, he sounds like he is having a good time. I enjoy it when people enjoy their job. I¡¯m not sure what his Class is to make his job announcer. Is it an announcer job? How curious. So many unique Classes. The lights hit my eyes as I finish entering the main hall. I see people milling about, drinking flutes full of a bubbly golden liquid, and eating small snacks. The non-messy kind for now of course. Before we interact with anyone else Father pulls me aside, Mother standing next to him still. ¡°Honey, let me take your bag up to the power room for you in a minute.¡± Mother says, taking my bag away from me. Upon feeling the weight of it she lifts an eyebrow at me in a silent question but says nothing. ¡°And this is for you.¡± Father says, handing me a small sling to wear. It fits well with my dress, which is very sweet. Inside the bag there is something incredibly precious. Everyone is given an egg at their debutante which will hatch into a life-long partner. The creature that hatches from the egg is supposed to help you with whatever Class you get. It¡¯s interesting and mysterious as to how that occurs. No one seems to know. I know this because I have asked. I put the sling in a comfortable position and Mother and Father bring us back into the large open area of the entrance hall. ¡°Wine miss?¡± a server says, quickly approaching me, most likely upon seeing my empty hands. ¡°Thank you, but no. Do you have any drinks that are non-alcoholic? I do not wish to have any fuzziness for these precious moments.¡± I say, smiling at him just slightly. He could only see my eyes. I realize this may be rude, so I carefully flick my fan closed. ¡°We will take some wine though please.¡± Mother asks, taking a drink for Father, and another for herself. ¡°I have some sparkling cider miss. Will this work for you?¡± he asks. ¡°That would be simply lovely.¡± I respond, and off he goes. I glance around the room, feeling nervous when he quickly returns to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I say, taking a sip appreciatively of the drink. The carbonation hits my tongue. Absolutely delicious. Even if some of the decorations are not to my taste, it seems that refreshments are. ¡°You¡¯re welcome miss, please enjoy.¡± He says, giving me a respectful bow before wandering off to find someone else needing a refreshment. ¡°Go and socialize!¡± Mother says, placing a gentle hand on the small of my back and giving me a gentle push towards a co-ed group milling about together. I am sure I must have met them before, but their names currently escape me. ¡°Good evening.¡± I say to the group, feeling a little shy. What if I end up married to one of these young men. I need to make sure I make a good impression. And these young women are to be the ones I am to gossip and rub elbows with. I see them run their eyes over me quickly making judgements about me, simply based off my appearance. It seems they don¡¯t find my appearance distasteful as they make a bit of room for me to join in their gathered group. ¡°My name is Rosellia.¡± Says a girl in a pink dress, one that resembles a rose. I am sure that she must have done that on purpose. It would be difficult to forget her name. The egg sling that she is wearing also has a rose pattern on it. I wonder if others dressed in a manner to make it easy to remember their names. Oh dear, if that is the case as I am not wearing a pin of a Lyre or anything. Oh well, I did want to stand out. Even standing out in a negative way is memorable. ¡°My name is Lunar.¡± Says a young man. He is dressed in a dark blue tux, white undershirt, gold cummerbund and a pin of a moon on his breast. Upon his egg sling there are patterns of the different phases of the moon. ¡°My name is Cheeselle.¡± Says a cute demi-mouse. She is wearing a short and fluffy gold dress with yellow flowers in her hair. Is she meaning to resemble a sort of cheese? I see. Upon her egg sling is a large decorative cheese. Well, these names will be difficult to forget.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°My name is Clouden.¡± Says another young man, in a powder blue tux with white accents. Upon his egg sling is a cloud pattern. ¡°And finally, my name is Drago.¡± Says a young man with red scales around his eyes. He looks fierce in a black tux with red accents. His egg sling is colored in reds, oranges and yellows. I am also surprised that there is not a dragon on the sling. ¡°It is lovely to meet all of you. My name is Lyra.¡± ¡°What a lovely name!¡± Says Cheeselle. ¡°Are you wearing anything to help others remember your name?¡± she asks me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was a requirement¡± I say, a bit sheepishly. ¡°It isn¡¯t a requirement of course. And if you aren¡¯t close to specific groups of people, such as ourselves, no one would have told you. Are you close to anyone here?¡± Lunar asks me. I glance between the five and see that the other four were paired off, and Lunar seemed to be the odd person out. ¡°I have tried to make some friends.¡± I say. I do have friends; it isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t. It is simply that they are either a few years older than me, or one or two years younger. Annoyingly, I somehow did not befriend the people in this Classing group. Ah well, I am also seen as too¡­ upper for many people to want to spend time with. They want to ¡°befriend¡± me simply for the boost to status. If they go to one of the garden parties that Mother throws, and speak to me even once, people will pretend that makes us close. I strongly dislike assumed familiarity. ¡°What do you mean by tried?¡± he asks. I flick my fan open and say, ¡°tried means tried.¡± I say it coyly, hoping that it comes across as mysterious and not¡­ pathetic. ¡°You seem interesting. Would you like to spend your time with us until it is time for our names to be called? It is a ball, so there should be some dancing before and after the announcements.¡± ¡°Yes! Please spend time with us!¡± Cheeselle says excitedly. I look at the other two and they nod, trying to appear non-committal in their responses. Well, at least now I don¡¯t have to be a wall flower. We chat about inane things for a while before lively music begins to play. I finish my drink and set down the flute to be collected. I see a collection of empty ones and place my cup there. It appears it will make it easier on the cleaning crew when they clean the place later. ¡°Let¡¯s go to where they are playing the music.¡± Drago states. Is he the leader of these five? It wasn¡¯t a question; it was a statement. ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Clouden says. Rosellia places her arm in Clouden¡¯s and Cheeselle places her arm in Drago¡¯s. Interesting pairings. I wonder if they were matched made from mutual affection, or if they were paired off by their families. ¡°May I take your arm?¡± Lunar asks me. I nod and let him take my arm and guide me into the ballroom. I look around and see a large clear floor, and an orchestra playing. I feel the rhythm in my feet, and it takes all my effort to keep from dancing myself. ¡°Everyone, please take your place in the group dance!¡± I hear someone shout. Is that the announcer from earlier? Does this mean that all the families have arrived? I take my place across from Lunar. He grins at me, and I smile back. The dance begins and we dance flawlessly together before the partner switch. Everyone ends up laughing together and cheering at the right places. It feels like this is a commoner dance that has been changed to fit nobles¡¯ particular tastes. I love the way that my feet hit the floor, the rhythm of everyone moving in tandem. The way that the dresses twirl around the young ladies, and the confident leading of the young men. I find myself truly having a marvelous time. Everyone engages in a few more group dances before the music slows down. I see the young men approaching the young women and asking them for a dance. I enjoy watching the smiles and blushes spread over people¡¯s faces. It might seem like a strange hobby, but I enjoy watching people¡¯s expressions. Joy is my favorite expression to see on people, and it is a difficult emotion to hide. Before I get fully caught up with people watching I see Lunar approach me and he holds out his hand. ¡°Lyra, may I have this dance?¡± he asks. I accept his hand, and he leads me out onto the dance floor. ¡°You are a flawless dancer.¡± He says to me, close to my ear because of the frame we are holding. ¡°Do you dance often?¡± he asks me. ¡°I do not. But I have been practicing often to make sure I do not make a fool of myself or others.¡± I say. ¡°Who have you been practicing with?¡± he asks me. There is something in his voice, but I cannot recognize it. Was it jealousy? Possessiveness? Nervousness being expressed poorly? ¡°My father and our steward.¡± I tell him. I feel him breathe out. ¡°You are also a wonderful dancer. Do you dance often?¡± I ask him. ¡°Not too often. I am a frequenter of balls, but there was never anyone that I truly was compelled to dance with.¡± He tells me. ¡°Well, I suppose I should be flattered then?¡± I ask. ¡°Oh, of course you should. I haven¡¯t seen anyone as striking in appearance as you.¡± ¡°What a charmer.¡± I say, laughing a bit, which causes him to laugh as well. We stop talking and he leads me through some elegant steps. I think some people clear away from around us, simply to watch. After the music stops some people clap. I feel my face going red, so I flip open my fan and hide my face behind it. ¡°What a lovely dance that was. Wasn¡¯t that lovely everyone?¡± the announcer says, drawing our attention. ¡°And with that, everyone please go upstairs and wait for your name to be called. We shall begin announcing your Classes.¡± I nervously make my way up the stairs. I see that Mother has placed my bag in the powder room. After checking to see where it was placed I listen to the names being called. A lot of names are called before the group that I was spending time with. ¡°Rosellia Flowers!¡± I see Rosellia take her place upon the top of the stairs. I watch as the System display on the wall blinks a few times before ¡°Noble Gardener¡± flashes up on the screen. Rosellia takes her egg out and holds it towards the System. Her egg shakes a few times before a cute bubble bee comes out of it and rubs itself against her face. People clap for her energetically. I mean, with a name like that, it would be strange for her to have a different Class. ¡°Cheeselle Green!¡± I watch the same sequence happen before ¡°Socialite¡± pops up. Cheeselle¡¯s egg hatches into a rather diminutive dog. The people cheer again. Another good Class. Our small group seems to be feeling happy for one another. ¡°Drago Burns!¡± I watch the screen. ¡°Monster Tamer.¡± I don¡¯t know if that is a noble Class, but people are cheering. Many Monster Tamers become Heros in their own right or join a hero¡¯s adventuring party. Before I even have time to wonder what sort of creature would emerge for a Monster Tamer, his egg cracks open. A small wolf pup comes out of the egg. Is that because wolves are hunters? Don¡¯t they also scavenge? I shake my head clear. Who am I to question the System? ¡°Clouden Skies!¡± The same sequence. ¡°Noble Bird Trainer.¡± Well, that is neat. From his egg hatches a baby falcon that is barely able to fly. It circles Clouden¡¯s head before appearing to get tired and landing on his shoulder. It seems that he will be training messenger birds for high nobles. Clouden beams from ear to ear as he walks down to the cheering people, being clapped on the back and celebrated. Same as all those that came before him. ¡°Lunar Shadowers!¡± ¡°Wish me luck.¡± He says before heading out. ¡°Good luck.¡± I whisper to him. I watch the sequence again, but it flashes once more than the others. ¡°Royal Knight.¡± It says. What a wonderful Class for him to have! It means that he must have a brave and courageous heart. From his egg hatches a small baby horse. From here I can¡¯t tell if it is a colt or a foul. Most people think that they should buy horses from a breeder, but the royal knights are different, all of their horses hatch from their eggs. I look around me and see that I am the last person to be called. Everyone tonight has gotten a good Class. Maybe we are just a good group? ¡°Lyra Snowfall!¡± Chapter 3: Commoner?! Time to Run! I take a deep breath and walk out. I feel as though I have been taking a lot of deep breaths today. At least I know that I am good at breathing. Stop it, I have a lot of things that I am good at. I have a lot to offer! I¡¯m sure that the system is going to validate me. I walk forward, looking at all of the smiling faces below. I see my parents in the front, ready to welcome me into the world of being an adult. Okay System, show me some love. I wait, watching the wall with everyone else. One flash. Two flashes. Three, four five¡­ How many times is it going to flash. Is the system thinking? Am I so talented that it must go through multiple good classes before settling on one? Words blink and flash a few times before everything stops. While all of this is happening, I feel my egg shaking in my bag. I know that my family hunted down a rare egg for me, hoping I get something unique. Why is it hatching before the announcement of my class? That isn¡¯t something that is supposed to happen! My egg shakes more violently so I pull it out of the egg sling and hold it against my chest. Am I supposed to stop it from hatching? After a particularly violent shake from the egg, it hatches. Out comes a small baby lizard. It is such a tiny little thing. Its coloration is also beautiful. It has deep ocean blue scales, and a silver stomach. How precious. But what class is a lizard supposed to help with? After the egg¡¯s hatching I go back to watching the System display. I count the seconds with bated breath. One second, two¡­ Then it happens! I am assigned my Class! ¡°Bard!¡±. Wait, bard? And why is there an exclamation point. Is it because it is such a shocking announcement? Am I supposed to be a bard? I hear a collective gasp in the room. A bard is a rare class, but not in a good way. Everyone looks down on bards. They are the butt of too many jokes to count. Some say it is better to be a court jester because then you at least get to eat good food. I look down at my parents and see them turn their faces away in shame. Oh. Is this the extent of their love? Will they no longer love a commoner? I begin to walk down the stairs and the announcer stops me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, no commoners are allowed to come down and join us.¡± ¡°Mom? Dad?¡± I ask. ¡°You are no daughter of ours.¡± My Father spits and guides my mother away. Seeing them abandoning me like that broke my heart. ¡°Lyra the Bard. Please leave before you are escorted out. Keep some of your dignity.¡± I turn my face away from the nobles and walk into the power room. I lean down to grab my bag and begin to hiccup, trying to hold back the tears. In all the futures I imagined, I never imagined myself becoming a Commoner. I look at the bag in my hands and consider just leaving it behind. What use does a bard have for fancy things. Oh. I don¡¯t need fancy things. I need the money that will come from selling fancy things. I am about to strip off my dress and change into my riding clothes when someone comes into the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can no longer use this power room.¡± They look at the bag in my hands and I see sympathy cross their face. ¡°Leave¡­ No. Take your belongings and get out.¡± I walk out of the room and see a familiar face looking over at me. It was the kind server that brought me sparkling cider. ¡°I am here to escort you out of the servants exit.¡± I nod to him, feeling a coldness seeping into my limbs. My emotions are going numb. I can¡¯t seem to feel anything anymore. I struggle to move my feet, but somehow, I keep moving forwards. The server seems to see that I might be about to collapse. He quickly takes my arm and speed walks with me into the kitchen. ¡°Oh, you poor dear!¡± I hear a matronly woman say to me and see a large and kind looking woman hurrying towards me. ¡°Please, take this food.¡± She says, bundling some food up for me and placing it in a basket. She moved so fast I didn¡¯t even get to see what the food was! Or maybe I couldn¡¯t see it because they had already prepared it the moment they heard someone become a Commoner. I also see them put a water flask in the basket for me along with the food. They pause for a moment before slipping a bottle of sparkling cider into the basket for me.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I give her an inquisitive look. She gives a small, gentle smile before saying, ¡°Everyone deserves to celebrate receiving their Class.¡± Once she bundles everything together for me, she gives me a small hug and pushes me towards a door. The server leads me through the door and down a dark, poorly lit hallway. It is a bit of a tight squeeze with the bag that I am holding, but it would be worse if I was wearing a big fluffy dress with a cage beneath it. The hallway takes a couple of turns before I see a door. I feel air coming through the door and know that this was the door to the outside. ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell him. ¡°For the kindness that you showed me tonight.¡± He takes my hand, kisses it gently. ¡°You are welcome. Now you really need to get off the property unless you want to spend the night in jail for trespassing. You know that is illegal for Commoners to be in the Noble District without a work permit.¡± I nod to him and do my best to run in heals. Ugh, why are heals so hard to move around in. How long do I have? Do I need to remove my shoes to run? I keep running, the hot tears running down my face. I don¡¯t even know where to go. I have only ever been in the Noble District. I don¡¯t even think that I know how to leave the grounds. My tears won¡¯t stop falling, hot tears dripping down and hit exposed skin, leaving water trails when they run off me. If I had gotten a different commoner Class, would they have hired me to work for one of the noble families? There are families that owe my family. That might have been enough to get me employed. But who employes a bard? Don¡¯t they have to wander around on their own, making money however they can? I don¡¯t even have a lute or lyre that I can play to make money. I keep running through the night, running from the life that is leaving me behind, running from the family that abandoned me. The new friendships I thought I was going to have. A possible romance that could have started. I run away from everything that I have ever known. I run throughout the night, tripping and falling multiple times. I wasn¡¯t sure how vindictive people are. I don¡¯t know if people will put me in jail from just being in the Noble District. Where am I supposed to go? Why did this happen? a voice in my head says. ¡®Am I hearing voices now?¡¯ I think to myself. the System says, sounding offended. ¡®Oh. I am sorry. I did not know that the System talks to people like this¡¯. I say. I don¡¯t know if I have completely lost it, or if this really is the System. Either way, I am no longer so alone. I have the system and the little lizard on the black of my neck, hiding behind my hair. It says simply. ¡®Thank you. Do you speak to everyone like this?¡¯ I ask, curious. It says in response. Ah. I am crazy. None of this makes any sense. I wait for the System, seeing if it was reading my mind right now. After waiting for a while I realize that it is not going to respond. Okay, I haven¡¯t heard of the System behaving this way. Does this have something to do with this Class I was assigned and the strange behavior of the System. Was everything that happened just a glitch? I keep running forward, having nothing else to go on, so why not follow the voice in my head, whether it is my own or not. Distracted by my thoughts I trip and fall, tumbling a little bit. The lizard on the back of my neck lets out a little lizard type squeak. It¡¯s cute but aren¡¯t they supposed to be able to talk as soon as they hatch? I decide to think that it is cute and not just another way everything is going wrong. I pull myself up and brush myself off, wondering how much dirt is on my dress, or if there is any blood. It will be harder to sell this dress the worse it looks. The voice says. I run forward until I see a branching path. I take a left and see that I am headed down a path that is darker than the path to the right. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I¡¯m going to guess good as Nobles like everything well lit. Leaning into that thought I keep running. ¡®How much further do I have to go?¡¯ I ask the System. Screw if I feel being crazy. Thinking that this is really the System talking to me will help me pull through, I¡¯m sure. Okay, not sure but it is the best I have. the System tells me. ¡®I suppose that you are right.¡¯ I think to it. ¡®But I am going to walk for a few minutes before I run again. I have never been this active in my life. Aside from the dance lessons, but this is way different from dancing.¡¯ Feeling a bit hungry I reach into the basket that I am holding. It¡¯s difficult to do as I¡¯m holding my bag in my other hand. I barely manage to rip off a small piece of what feels like bread, and stuff it into my mouth. It tastes so good I want to cry. This might be the last time that I get good bread. I swallow the bread then keep moving. The way that everyone looked at me gives me the energy to keep moving forwards. As I move forward the lights become worse quality. Worse quality means that the lights are cheaper to maintain. I must be getting close. Well, anything is closer to where I started. Each step is getting closer. the System says to me. I take a right at a small branching path. I would stop to look if there were any signs saying where I am going, but that would take too much time. I just hope this is right. It feels like I have barely gone this way when I hear . Continuing to listen to the System I run forward. I get to the end of nicer paved roads and hit a dirt path. Feeling like this was a good sign I run forward more. After a few more minutes I see it. A sign. I am out of the Noble District. Chapter 4: Clean, Bandage and Bed Unfamiliar with the way that a dirt road feels it takes me a moment to adjust to walking on it. My heels dig into the dirt as I continue to walk. These just aren¡¯t practical at all. I guess I need to try to find¡­ Commoner shoes. Maybe boots? They lace up, seem practical and you can wear them with most outfits. Or so I believe I''ve heard? Well, I¡¯m going to go with it. ¡®I need to find shops and an inn. Any idea where I should go?¡¯ System tells me. I am about to give a snarky response to it when I see a screen pop up in front of me. I trip over my feet, barely managing to catch myself. I have been so busy fleeing that I never figured out how to open my System screen. I didn¡¯t bother looking over my status or anything. I suppose I should. But this isn¡¯t the correct place to do it, so why did it pop up now? I sigh and look it over. Oh! I guess that is why it came up like that. I plan to look over everything in a safe place, but this is something to look at. Quest: Find a place to trade for clothes and a lute. Exp: 20 Quest: Find a tavern/inn to sleep in for the night Exp: 20 Alongside the quest was a rough drawing of a map. It almost feels like a child¡¯s drawing, but I feel that I am able to read it. What a helpful System I have. ¡®Thanks System!¡¯ I say to it. I get the sensation in my head that the System is blushing. How cute. I¡¯m beginning to think that I am not crazy. I mean, I am seeing the System display. I doubt I am having visual hallucinations. I scan over the cute map before thinking to it ¡®System Close¡¯. The map closes and I look around at the new scenery. Dirt roads, streetlights providing some dim lighting. Well, I suppose to Commoners this is bright. What different worlds. As it is late evening, I believe that there are no shops open. With that understanding in mind I decide to go to the inn that the map displayed. It is challenging to make my way there. I am hit with a multitude of new smells. Body odor, the smell of cooking food, the smell and sounds of dogs and horses. I hear people shouting out to one another. How is it so busy at this time of night? At least I don¡¯t have to worry about sewage. The Lord of this area used magic to create indoor plumbing. I would expect more washed bodies, but maybe people can¡¯t afford soap? ¡°Please excuse me¡±. I say to a group of people blocking the way to the inn. Do they know that they are clogging up the road? ¡°Sure honey, but what are you going to give me?¡± he asks. ¡°I will slam my bag over your head if you do move out of my way.¡± I snarl, feeling completely exhausted. There must be something in my eyes, or in the tone of my voice as they move out of my way. ¡°The view from the front and behind is enough payment for me honey!¡± he shouts, then lets out a loud whistle. I choose to ignore him and walk the rest of the way to the inn with little obstruction. I get some strange looks for sure, but when I return their glances, they quickly look away. I assume that the people of this town know what happened to me. It is a rare occurrence, but there are times that people are given a Commoner Class, and they decide to leave the Noble¡¯s District. I don¡¯t think that the people here will look at me with as much disgust, but I can¡¯t be certain of that. My feet hurt, and I feel something hot running down my leg, coming from my knee. Oh dear, did I scrape it that badly? I hope that the inn¡¯s running water is clean as I need to clean and dress my wound. Somehow. I don¡¯t want to use fabric from any of the dresses I brought with me. I need to keep those in order to sell them for some coins. Cha-ching. I nearly stumble into the inn as I open the door and walk into the inn. I smell food and see some people milling about. Is it mealtime or are they able to sell food at any time? ¡°Hi Hun, you look a bit lost.¡± She says, looking me over. ¡°Do you need directions back to the Noble¡¯s District?¡± she asks me. ¡°I don¡¯t belong there anymore. I am looking for a room that I can rent out for an extended period. Do you have any?¡± The woman in front of me has fairy wings but was only slightly smaller than a human. Part fairy, part elf maybe? I shake my head, not wanting to think about how in the world that would be possible. Shrinking spell? No, no. Don¡¯t think about it. ¡°Alright Hun, want to give me something to hold onto and you can pay your bill when you are ready to leave?¡± she asks kindly. ¡°Oh. Of course.¡± I say, pulling one of the flowers out of my hair and handing it to her. It is a beautiful hair pin of exceedingly good quality. If that doesn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t know what will. My shoes maybe? ¡°That will do nicely.¡± She says, accepting the pin that I hand over to her. ¡°What¡¯s your name Hun?¡± the woman asks me. ¡°My name is Lyra.¡± I tell her. I don¡¯t even bother to say my last name. A disowned person does not give a last name, as it has been taken away. I will now have to earn myself a last name, earn a moniker. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a pretty name!¡± she tells me. ¡°My name is Laney. It seems we will have plenty of time to get to know one another. I want to know everything about you! And vice versa. I need someone new to commiserate with.¡± She says. I don¡¯t know if she is joking or being serious.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Laney. I really hate to be rude, but can I get my room key? Also, do you have any bandages or gauze?¡± ¡°Of course! This inn is mostly for adventurers. It¡¯s very rare that we get anyone who isn¡¯t an adventurer. Not that I am complaining. They are nice to look at.¡± She says, and sighs a dreamy sigh. ¡°Not the best to date though.¡± She says and makes a face. ¡°Yet I just can¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind?¡± I ask. I haven¡¯t dated. Dating is not really something we did in my culture. You get engaged, court for a short time then are married. The thought of dating multiple people... Well, it wasn¡¯t even a thought to be honest. I have so much I need to adjust to. ¡°Oh, you look a little too tired to keep talking. Here is your key. Your room is on the 4th floor, room 405. I¡¯ll be up shortly with water and bandages.¡± She tells me, then flits off to go get my bandages or talk to others. I¡¯m honestly not certain. ¡°Thanks¡± I say and make my way up the stairs. So many stairs. Why does this inn have to be so large? Is it for all those who have no home? I suppose that would make sense. Adventurers must strike out on their own after all. However, that doesn¡¯t mean this isn¡¯t a large building. This must be the largest building in the town. Once I get into my room I flop down on the floor. I don¡¯t want to dirty my bed after all. If I can help it. Maybe I won¡¯t be able to. I don¡¯t know. Thoughts of the evening¡¯s events run through my head, playing on loop. The people¡¯s faces become distorted and look like they are melting. It¡¯s horrifying. My parents turn me away, becoming more monstrous with each loop. I curl my knees to my chest and lay in the fetal position sobbing. I can¡¯t catch my breath and feel like I am dying. I cry harder and keep gasping for air, panting, choking, everything spinning. I want it to end. Is this a bad dream? Am I dying from a broken heart? It hurts. It hurts. It hurts! I feel like I am laying here for hours when there is a knock at the door. ¡°Lyra, I have the bandages for you!¡± says a sing song voice from outside the door. I try to respond but only make a squeaking noise. ¡°I¡¯m going to take that strange noise as consent to come in.¡± she says, gently opening my door and walking in. I look up at her, my face a mess. I don¡¯t have a handkerchief, so I don¡¯t even want to know how I look. I haven¡¯t wiped it appropriately, though my face was on my knees, which took some of the weight of my tears. ¡°What are you doing down there?¡± she says, helping me up. ¡°I want to bathe before getting into bed.¡± I tell her. Oh! That makes sense.¡± ¡°Do you have any towels and soap?¡± I ask, very hopeful. ¡°Surprisingly we do! There are new bottles of soap already in the bathroom. Let me go get you some towels!¡± she says cheerfully. ¡°I am going to leave the bandages over here.¡± She says, walking to a small table that I didn¡¯t notice. I haven¡¯t looked around the room yet. I am too tired to take anything in anyways. I look around and see a second room attached to the main room. Curiously, I walk over and look into the room. There is a bathroom with a toilet, sink, mirror, and tub. This is a bit higher quality than I was expecting to be sure. Alongside the tub are bottles of soap for one¡¯s body and hair. I open them and take a sniff. They smell pleasant enough. ¡°Hellloooo.¡± Says the same singsong voice outside of the door that I connect with Laney. She appears to be able to move rather quickly. ¡°I have those towels you requested!¡± I open the door and take the towels from her. ¡°Thanks.¡± I say politely, but also in a way that expresses that I am not up for being social at the moment. ¡°Well you look like you need a bath and sleep. I do recommend that you get some food after you clean yourself. I also recommend changing out of those clothes though. You don¡¯t want to seem too snooty to people that you will be spending time with. A lot of people live here for a while. A lot of diverse people, but not many that dress like¡­¡± she says, waving her hand over my body, indicating my clothing. ¡°Well, thank you for the help.¡± I say genuinely. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± she says and seems to bounce and float out of the room. ¡°Later I can tell you what men to not get involved with. Adventurers. So messy.¡± She says, sighing as she closes the door. As soon as she leaves, I make my way into the bathroom. I strip off my dress, which ends up being a bit painful due to the dried blood sticking to the cuts. I sit in the tub as the water fills up around me. I let the water fill part way, scrub the blood and dirt away, quickly rubbing some soap all over it. After that quick rinse and scrub I let that water flow down the drain. These magic tubs are wonderful, and work well with plumbing. Modern marvels. I didn¡¯t know that magic items were cheap and prevalent enough to make it out of the Noble District, to the Commoners. Once the dirty water drains I refill the tub, putting a small amount of soap into the water. It is nothing like the oils and petals that I am used to, but it makes the water bubbly. I scoop up some bubbles and blow them into the air, watching them float around, drifting in the air before settling back down on the water, or popping. My lizard hops around in the tub, trying to catch the bubbles and appears disappointed when they pop. I slide down into the tub. ¡°System¡± I say out loud. I see my status screen pop up and look it over. Quest: Find a place to trade for clothes and a lute. Exp: 20 Quest: Find a tavern/inn to sleep in for the night Exp: 20 COMPLETE Strength: 8 Cunning: 16 Wisdom: 9 Dexterity: 15 Charisma: 17 Health:100/100 Mana: 40/40 Constitution: Healthy Level: 1 Exp: 20/100 I look at my status and wonder what it means. Are those high or low for beginning stats? If they are high is that because of my bloodline or natural talent? I just don¡¯t know, and that irks me. Or does it? I don¡¯t know anymore, my emotions are so numb. I was looking forward to my lass so much, and for what? To be kicked out, disowned, unloved. To see that I wasn¡¯t meant for love? I hope that isn¡¯t true. I hope that I am meant for love. I stay in the water and allow myself to cry until the water is cold and I am all out of tears. I drain the water and wrap myself up in a towel. I see that they also brought smaller towels, so I use one of those to dry my hair. Now that I am dry, I sit on the edge of the bed and start to bandage myself up. I wish that I had ointment, but I am more interested in going to bed then going out to find any. Thinking about Laney¡¯s recommendation I almost go socialize and eat with others, but the sadness in my chest does not allow for this. Instead I pull on my one pair of pajamas that I packed, and eat some of the food that had been given to me. It tastes good, something that it appears I am still able to enjoy. I pop open the sparkling cider that they gave to me and cheers to myself. ¡°Cheers to my new life!¡± At that moment my little lizard hops out from behind my hair and makes a happy sounding noise. I rip off bits of food and feed it to him. I really need to give him a name. ¡°Do you have a name little guy?¡± I ask, scooping him up and looking him over. He chirps and coos. ¡°Those are not a name.¡± He looks up at me and stares me in the eyes. I don¡¯t know what he is trying to communicate so I rub him small head. ¡°I know the name is feminine, but for now at least I am going to call you Glimmer, and together we will look for a glimmer of hope to our situation.¡± Glimmer nuzzles against me and makes a tired sound. ¡°I¡¯m right there with you Glimmer.¡± I say, and curl up in the blankets on the slightly too hard bed. ¡°Goodnight Glimmer, goodnight System.¡± I say. says System. I smile. Chapter 5: Breakfast and the Auction House I wake up and face the day. I hope that I cried all of my tears yesterday, because today is the beginning of my new life, and I should start it off on the right foot. I open my bag and go through my belongings, sorting them out. Okay, I am selling the gown I was wearing yesterday, and this one too. I am holding onto a shimmering blue dress and my strappy shoes in case I need to ever wear them again. You never know if there will be a time where a dress will be expected attire. Life can be funny sometimes. The only clothes I feel will be appropriate right now are my riding clothes. A bit strange for a woman but they consist of tight, brown pants, a white blouse, and a purple tunic. I pull that all on and look in the mirror. I don¡¯t currently have a hair brush so I pull my hair into a high messy ponytail. ¡°Okay Glimmer, the plan for the day is to eat some food and bargain for what we need for our new life.¡± I tell him. He can¡¯t talk back to me but it feels nice to talk to someone. Should I be trying to talk to System as well? I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡®Good morning system.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ I say, and make my way downstairs. I feel a nervous tension in my stomach as I go downstairs. What if no one likes me? What if I am immediately rejected and end up sad and alone forever? Deciding that worrying like this isn''t a good use of my time, I quickly get down the rest of the stairs. I had thought that there was plenty of noise last night, but it is somehow slightly busier now than it had been. I look around and see what I am supposed to be doing. Am I supposed to find an empty seat, or am I supposed to find someone and ask for the food that I am wanting? As I am just standing there a group of adventurers notice me. "Hey girl, you look new. Come on over and sit with us!" they shout over to me. I point at myself and they nod. After I get confirmation that they are talking to me I walk over and sit with them. "Did you just get your Class?" they ask me, curious. "I did yes. Are you new to your Classes?" I ask them. "We got ours 6 months ago, so not really." Oh? Do Commoners have Classing classes more than once a year. How interesting. And I suppose to adventurers half a year isn''t recent. "What are your Classes?" I ask them. They are a group of males. One looks to be a dark elf, another a human, and the third is a demi-human cat. They are all smiles and it feels as though there is a lot of good energy amongst them. "My name is Jake and I''m a Lightning Mage. Pew pew!" says the demi-human, playing with electricity across this fingers. The electricity bounces between white, yellow and blue colors. Jake has orange hair, yellow eyes and tabby-cat ears and tail with tan skin. "My name is Damien and I''m a Tank." says the dark elf. He has pale blue skin with long dark purple hair tied back in a long ponytail. I see a large shield on his back, giving him an almost turtle type look. "And I''m Derrick. I''m a Barbarian." says the human, patting a large axe at his side. He is average height with short, medium dark brown hair. "My name is Lyra." I tell them. I see them looking at me with curious and hopeful eyes. Oh no, are they looking for a specific Class to join them? I see that they don''t have a Healer. Did they call me over hoping that I am a Healer. "I am a Bard." I watch their reactions carefully, trying to judge if this is about to go south. I see them look at each other then at me and grin. "That''s a rare Class! You must be excited about it. There is so much potential there. You can control the sort of magic you use through singing. You can heal, buff, de-buff. It''s so useful! Want to join our party, at least for a little while? We can help you level up and teach you the ropes!" Jake says, clearly excited. "I would love some damage buffs." Derrick says, lovingly glancing at his axe. "Sounds like it would be fun to cut through the enemies faster." he says cheerfully. "I would enjoy that. Thanks for the invitation." I tell them. "Where is your lute though, is it in your room still?" Damien asks, curious. "I just received my Class yesterday actually, so I haven''t had a chance to buy a lute yet." I tell them. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Well then, let''s get some breakfast, then it sounds like there is shopping to be done!" Jake says, still very cheerful. "That''s true." I say and give them a smile, which immediately turns into a blush when my stomach growls. "I feel silly, but how do I order food?" They look at me, and I see puzzled looks on their faces. Yes. Thanks for that spark of realization. "Seems you have a lot that you need to learn." Derrick says. "Laney. Food over here!" he shouts across the room. "Coming!" she says, and easily makes her way across the busy room to us. "Good morning! It''s nice to see you down here. And while you looked stunning last night, I like this look." she says, looking me up and down approvingly. "What were you wearing last night?" Jake asks. "It''s a long story..." I say, sighing a bit. "One I am not interested in going into right now if that''s okay?" I ask, being polite while remaining reserved. "Absolutely. You just met us. Bards are supposed to sing and talk about other people. It would be odd to meet a Bard that talks more about themselves than others." Jake says. "I''m glad that I fit my Class." I say, smiling. There is still hurt deep in the pit of my stomach, but I don''t want to think about or dwell on it. And these overly friendly adventurers are just what I need right now. Well, them and food. "I bet you are hungry." Laney says, looking at me pityingly. "We all are." Damien says, nodding his head for some reason. "Very good. Full meals for everyone!" she says, cheerfully making her way back through the crowd and fading from view. "She is a very cheerful person." I say. "Laney? Yeah, she''s nice, especially when you don''t date her. She seems to always have energy." "Sounds like a useful trait to have." I state. "Is she always as happy?" I ask. "I haven''t really seen her in a bad mood." Damien shared. We casually talk with one another while waiting for food. Well, they talked. I listened. They encouraged me to talk some so I tried to respond to questions directed at me. It feels like no time passes before there are large portions of food brought over and set in front of each of us. There are eggs, sausages, crusty bread, a soup that smells like it consists of fish and vegetables. I take a hesitant bite and then quickly dig in. The food is delicious! "Slow down, you don''t want to choke now do you?" Derrick comments. They all seem to have similar personalities, bright, boisterous and happy. They look so full of life. I want to borrow some of that energy. I want that vibrance! And... they are right. I don''t want to choke. I slow down the pace that I am eating at. Glimmer crawls out from behind my hair and plops down next to my plate, looking up at me with hopeful eyes. I pick up sausage bits and feed them to him. He coos and once he is full, scampers back up my arm, over my shoulder, and curls up across the back of my neck to go back to sleep. One of the boys lets out a good natured chuckle, but I am concentrating on my food so I am not able to discern which one. Once we finish eating I say, "Thank you for inviting me to eat with you. I would love to be a part of your party. However, I believe that we may need to part ways for now while I go and purchase a lute." I tell them. They exchange a look at my words. "We could always go shopping with you and show you around the town." they offer. "If you want to. I could use the extra hands. I have to buy a lute, multiple set of clothing, bathing supplies, towels, my own bedding. Hmm... I think that should be all I need to start with for now. Oh! I also need to go to a shop that will buy dresses for the highest price." Seeming bewildered at my list Jake says, "It sounds like you are missing a lot of things. Were you unable to bring any of that with you?" "I have my circumstances that led me to leaving so many of my belongings behind." I say, letting out a small sigh. "Okay. Let''s go get the items that you are hoping to sell." Derrick says, and we head upstairs. "Looks like they put you on the nicer floor." Damien tells me. I didn''t know that the floors were broken down by the quality of their rooms. I suppose that it makes sense though. They may want to "flatter" people that come in with more money. It''s a good business practice, one which I can''t fault them for. "Do you mind waiting outside of my room?" I ask them politely. "Okay." Jake says, shrugging his shoulders. It seems that he really doesn''t mind. "You are a lady after all." he says, flashing a smile. I ignore the brightness of his smile and walk into my room, closing the door behind me. I don''t think that is a very polite thing to do, but I have been raised to not even let someone of the opposite gender see the inside of your room. I quickly grab everything that I set aside to sell and leave my room. "Sorry about that. I hope I didn''t come off as exceedingly rude." I say to them. "Not exceedingly." Damien says. "And all adventurers are supposed to be a little rude." "It just seems like you are trying to fit the established stereotype." Jake says, nodding approvingly. ''Does it matter what store I barter and buy from in order to complete my quest?'' I ask System. System says huffily. It seems as though they wanted me to use their map. If I was going to be traveling alone I would. I feel as though I need to be kind and nice to everyone that is nice to me right now. ''I''m sorry System. I will keep trying to follow your directions as much as possible.'' I feel System perking up. Once we leave the inn, my belongings in hand, we make our way into the shopping district. "I need to look at new oils for my axe." Derrick tells us, pointing to a large blue store with the symbol of a sword and shield crossed above it. It looks like things are made to be obvious here. That''s convenient. "My armor has gotten pretty beat up. I''ll be right over there in the armor store." Damien informs us and heads off that way. I look expectantly at Jake to see if he is going to wonder off. "Worry not my Lady, I plan to stick by your side and help you out. These other two are flighty. We are not always partnered up and we tend to bounce between parties as we are needed. We thought that it would be fun to see if we can be a solid party together though. I hope that doesn''t bother you?" he asks me. I shake my head. It doesn''t. "That doesn''t bother me. It has always been my perspective that adventurers tend to do what they want." I say casually. He nods back to me. "Let''s first take one of your dresses to an auction house and the other to the bartering building." "What''s the difference?" I ask. "One you get paid now, but most likely less, where the other one you get paid more but it isn''t immediate." "That makes sense." I say. It really does make sense. I need enough money to buy what I need and to have coin in my pocket, and later I will need a larger amount to help fund expeditions I go on with parties. A well equipped party is a happy party. And a living one. You don''t have the option to be happy if you are dead. Probably. Maybe some people are pleasant and happy ghosts? "Let''s go to the auction house first." Jake recommends. "This way you can hand over your belongings that are going to sell for the most money, and keep the dress that will sell for less to use to purchase all that you are needing." "That is really smart." I say to him. . System says to me. I need to find a way to give System more attention, they seem rather sensitive. ''System is obviously the smartest.'' I tell System, stroking their ego. I feel warmth and happiness flowing through to me. "Alrighty, here is the auction house!" Jake says, making an exaggerated motion with his hand. It is a large red and gold building with the symbol of a gavel over it. An interesting choice? Or is that a normal symbol? I think of gavels as part of the court system. "Shall we?" he asks me. "Let''s." I say in response. I open the door and the smell of perfume hits my nose. There is dim lighting, aside from the display cases which are lit with bright lights. I wander over and look over the displays. There are jeweled weapons, sparkling armors, and potions of all different colors and hues. I am not sure what all of them mean yet, but it is clear that they are rare. "May I help you with something Miss?" I hear an attendant asking me. "Oh, yes please." I say in response. "I would like to sell my most expensive dress and these flower hair clips. Oh! And this bracelet and necklace." I tell the attendant. I see their eyes brighten and a smile come across their lips. "Wonderful. Right this way please." she tells me. "I''m going to keep looking around." Jake informs me. "Okay." I say to him and follow the woman into a back room. Chapter 6: Negotiating Percentages and Buying a Lute I follow the attendant back into a private room. She is dressed in a black suit top and long black skirt, with her long blond hair tumbling down her back to her hips. I know that it is a marketing skill to hire beautiful people to see rare items, and it seems that principle is practiced here. "Are you new to the auction house?" she asks me. Feeling as though I am being a bit naive with my answer I respond. "Yes, this is my first time to an auction house." "Here is how it works. I can either give you a lump sum now and we both take a risk with the amount of money we are making or losing. Or, we can work out a deal between us for the amount of percentage that we each make." she states, appearing relaxed. "I am not the type to want to take risks when it comes to selling my belongings." I say calmly. If I match her tone I might seem a little less of an easy target. "What do you say we split the profits 50/50? It will make you a very valuable asset and seller with us. I can promise you a multitude of perks." "I may not have done this before, but I wasn''t born yesterday. 80/20 with me taking 80." I watch her face to see if what I am saying is completely ridiculous. She looks offended. Did I play my hand too fast? I assume that this might not be the way it works? I don''t know. "60/40." she offers. "78/22". I say, trying to throw her off with an unbalanced number. I see her smile and snicker. I am glad that I have made her laugh. "75/25. Final offer. We will also throw in priority treatment. We will show you our newest purchases before the auction begins so that you can spend your money wisely. You will also be able to stay at any of the inn locations that we have ownership of at a discount. I do however request that you sell your items to us in exchange? The ones you are auctioning off of course." she says, looking at my other dress. "Deal." I say, extending a hand to her. "And unfortunately the cheaper of my dresses won''t be put up this time as I am in need of money now." "Isn''t it obvious what we should do with that one?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at me. "We take a risk?" I ask. "Yes. I will give you 250 gold for it. Anything that goes outside of the percentage of the 75/25 split you will receive. Anything less that that, we eat as a loss. What do you say?" I ask. I don''t know if 250 gold is good, but it sounds like a lot for a Commoner to have in their pocket. "Agreed." I say and pass over all of the belongings that I had brought with me. "Save up your money and you may be able to live like a Noble." she says to me. "Unless you are turning your back of that world completely." she says, lifting an eyebrow. "I just want to make sure that I have plenty of money. I hear that it can be expensive to hire a healer. I also need to purchase an entire wardrobe, toiletries, weapons, armor." I say, my voice trailing off. "I suppose it is good that you made a deal with us then. Good quality items do cost money, even for Commoners." she warns me. "Thank you for your warning." I tell her. "What class are you by the way?" she asks me. "I''m a Bard." I tell her. "Buy more than just a lute." she warns me. "It isn''t always good to rely too much on your party members." "What do you recommend?" I ask her. "Get throwing stars and dual blades." she says, shrugging her shoulders as if it is the most natural thing in the world. "Thank you for your advice." I say to her, grateful. "Of course. I welcome a good partnership." she says, and escorts me out of the room. sees me with fully empty arms and a coin bag. "Don''t worry honey, I didn''t rip her off." the woman says, walking over and kissing on the cheek. blushes and smiles stupidly. Either they are together or he is in love with her. This actually makes me a little more comfortable spending time as his friend. "Alright , I will trust you." he says to the attendant, I guess is her name? She seems kind. I like her. Maybe she will end up being a new friend. looks between and I and sighs. "You will have no idea the kinds of locations to take her to buy what she needs will you?" asks the both of us. "Yeah, probably not." says, running his hands through his hair and chuckling uncomfortably. "Wait right here. I will go take the rest of the day off." "You have that sort of freedom?" I ask , surprised. "Of course. We all do. We love our jobs so we are never short staffed." I watch her in amazement as she walks off. She has such command and elegance that I can''t help but respect and admire her. I didn''t know that non-adventurer Classes had as much freedom. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I see her come back and she has a small racoon following along behind her. "This is and she likes pretty and shiny things. She has more of an attraction to things of worth." she immediately tells me. I wasn''t going to ask. Do many people ask her about the reason that she has a racoon? I look over at before remembering that not all families can afford eggs. It is such a foreign concept to me that it doesn''t even cross my mind. I think back to breakfast and realize that none of the three had Class Helpers. No cute animal companion. It''s more than a little unfortunate, but doesn''t seem to mind. He opens his arms wide and runs and jumps into them, snuggling under his chin. It''s very cute. " seems like a very sweet girl." I tell , who smiles brightly at me. Seeming to notice the presence of another Class Helper, comes out from under my hair, scampering over to my shoulder and watching everyone and everything from his perch. As if he thinks that it isn''t high enough he slither scuttles his way up to the top of my head and perches there. lets out a chirp of happiness that makes everyone smile. "It''s lovely to meet you ." says to him. cutely chirps in response, causing both and to look curiously at him. "Don''t be offended." I tell them. "He just can''t talk yet." "Doesn''t talk?" says and reaches a paw out to . butts his head against her paw happily. "He doesn''t seem broken." says, stroking his head before hopping down to the ground. "He''s just a baby." "A baby?" asks, startled. "Was he hatched from a rare egg?" "Yes." I respond, curiously. What does that have to do with anything. says, proud that they are able to provide me with information that I didn''t have yet. It seems that they like to be the most knowledgeable person in the room. Although isn''t quite a person, or are they? They seem to be sentient so I will count them as a person! ''Thanks . You are the smartest.'' I tell them. "It has everything to do with it!" says, throwing her hands up. "The rarer that egg, the rarer the creature. Although, I haven''t heard of a rare lizard." she says, inquisitively. says the very informative . ''So I might have a baby dragon or wyvern? Wouldn''t those eggs be more than rare?'' "Interesting. Well, someone might have sold your family an egg saying that it was rare to upsell it." says, chiming into the conversation. "And believing that it wasn''t going to hatch." "No, that couldn''t be the case, it is a baby after all." says, looking more closely at . just tilts his head at her and chirps, causing us to chuckle. "He is my sweet little , no matter what he is." I say, matter of factly. ''But he doesn''t have wings.'' I think back to . states, sounding rather matter of fact. I wonder if they just don''t have a good explanation. "Yes, yes he is. And he is a good boy." says, sounding very pleased, patting Glimmer''s head. coos and we all head out the door. "What would you like to acquire first?" asks me, some excitement filling her voice. "How about we get my lute first?" I ask. "I mean, I am a bard after all, it would be silly to not have my... weapon?" I ask, relatively uncertain what to call it. "Makes sense to me. How about we also get some knives and stars like we were talking about." she states. I simply nod in return. "I know the place to go for weapons!" Jake exclaims. "I suppose you do know for larger weapons and swords. What about lutes and throwing weapons?" Rona asks. "Aren''t they all sold in the same place?" Jake asks, clearly confused. "Not if you want good quality. Follow me." Rona says, giving a small grin and leading us down a narrow ally. I follow the winding path to a small shop with a dark walls and a gold and pink roof. I lift an eyebrow. "Rouges and small weapons users often like the color black for stealth, and bards tend to be gaudy." she tells me, answering my silent question. "Let''s go in." she says. Jake walks forwards, pulling the door open and holding it for us. Rona kisses him on the cheek while I give an awkward thanks. I follow Rona inside with Jake following behind me. I feel a smile coming over my face. Weapons. I can finally get my first weapons. This is a true step toward becoming a adventurer. I don''t know if I ever actually wanted to be a diplomat I realize while looking around. Lutes and various different instruments hang on the wall to the left, and on the right hang daggers of various lengths. In glass containers hold throwing knives and stars of different kinds. I don''t know the difference between them. I walk forwards and see that there are a different number of points, and perhaps they have different metals in them? I don''t know and don''t even try to pretend that I know. "Seeing anything you like?" Rona asks, walking up to my elbow. "I don''t even know what I am looking at, or looking for." I tell her sheepishly. "No worries, a lot of new adventurers make mistakes when thinking that they know what they are talking about. Let''s start out by looing at lutes. This is different from other weapons. Somehow all bards end up saying that they know what they are drawn to. For the knives and stars, make sure you ask for the right fit for you." she informs me. I love how much of a font of knowledge she is. "Okay, I guess I will go take a look." I say. I walk over to the wall of instruments. I pick some up and shake my hands. I run my fingers over random stringed instruments. Nope, not those. Hoping that I am not being too picky I begin to get nervous. System says, and I feel them shrugging their non-existent shoulders. ''Okay.'' I think back, letting some of the tension release from my body. I close my eyes and run my hands over the instruments, moving my hands up and down and not staying in a straight line. After what feels like no time at all and an eternity at the same time, I hear it. I run my fingers over some strings and feel a small thrill run through me. Keeping my eyes closed I run my fingers over it again. It feels as though something at the core of my being is thrumming alongside the sound. I open my eyes and see what I had strummed. It is a rather plane looking lute made of a type of rosewood. It has a deep red, maroon looking color. The tones are rich and bright with a full sound. Gently I take it off the shelf and give it a full thrum. I pluck some individual strings. I look around at the wall. A lot of them are bright colors, finely lacquered with designs running over them. Does that hurt the quality of the sounds? If so why get those? Is it all about bards liking to be gaudy? That''s strange to me. ''Yes". "Status" I say out loud. In front of me I see a screen pop up. Quest: Find a place to trade for clothes and a lute. Exp: 20 Quest: Find a tavern/inn to sleep in for the night Exp: 20 COMPLETE Strength: 8 Cunning: 16 Wisdom: 9 Dexterity: 15 Charisma: 17 Health:100/100 Mana: 40/40 Constitution: Healthy Level: 1 Exp: 20/100 SKILLS Understanding of music: Basic Lute skills: Basic Energizing song Song of Minor Healing Song of Minor Speed SPECIAL ITEMS: Gold: 250 ''Interesting. Why is my gold listed here as a special item?'' I ask. ''Oh. Okay." I say, giving a mental shrug. Who am I to question the System. I am very curious as to what these songs do, and if I am going to instinctually know the words to sing. "Did you find one that speaks to you?" Rona asks me. "Yes." I reply, and show her the lute. "I heard you strum it. It looks bland but the sound is genuine." She replies. "That is because this is a soul bound instrument." a saleswoman says, stepping forward. She has bright red hair, green eyes and a bright smile. I see Rona''s eyes go wide at this comment and instinctually know that this is something important. I think back to my training and remember a soul bound item is supposed to be important. It grows and develops as you do. Some swords get bigger, longer, stronger. The looks can change depending on what you accomplish and the person that you grow into. I am excited that I found something so rare and unique. How come it hasn''t been bought? "Is this something that you would like to take a risk purchasing?" the saleswoman asks me. "Why would it be a risk?" I ask. "Bards get bored and want to change instruments, they find a new lute that is better, blah blah. But if you soul bind to an instrument, that is the only instrument of it''s kind that you can have. And sometimes it doesn''t get better with your growth." "That''s a risk I am willing to take." I say. "Can you please show me your daggers and throwing stars?"