Azure: Gunner

The Delver's Guild Academy, or DGA, is the finest – and only – dungeon-delving school in the Lost Angels region. In existence for over two hundred years in its current location, the school boasts the only known stable Tier 0 dungeon, making it an unparalleled place for young Delvers to build their Skills and Levels in preparation for full-fledged membership in the Guild.

The opportunity to attend the Academy is a privilege, not a right, and that privilege may be revoked at any time. Read the contents of this book carefully, as ignorance of the rules is never an excuse for breaking them.

- DGA Rules, Section 0 – “Introduction to the Delver's Guild Academy”

We spent another hour and a half training the next morning, and I worked on my speed shooting extensively. I finally picked up my first Level in the Recoil Management Skill after running through more than half of my mana just using my BB rounds to blast target after target. I felt like it made the stout kick of my shots just a bit easier to control, but I wasn’t completely sure.

After eating a quick breakfast, we started on our last leg of the journey to the Academy. As we marched along, I turned towards G’hala and asked her what exactly a Shaman was.

<Shamans are the spiritual leaders of our Clans,> she replied.

<Sounds important,> I agreed politely. <What kind of Skills and Spells do you have? If we’re going to train together at the Academy I want to know my team’s capabilities.>

She seemed to take this as an offer of membership in my Squad – crazy that I’m thinking of it as mine now – and grinned widely, showing her fangs.

<Of course, Azure. Shamans are primarily a support Class, with eventual access to many kinds of magic. Healing is most common, along with buffs and debuffs. Using my totem, I can also fight effectively against monsters in close combat.>

She pulled her actual spear out of her Inventory and I noticed that it had a long, sharp-edged metal blade. Attached to the shaft below the blade were several feathers that fluttered slightly in the breeze before she stored the weapon again. I wondered if the difference between a spear and totem was the feathers. Are they magical feathers, maybe?

<What about your current abilities?> I asked instead. I hadn’t seen her or her brother use any obvious Skills when sparring the night before.

<My first Skill is Spiritual Strike. It makes any wound I cause with my totem to bleed more and be slightly resistant to healing. My second Skill is unique to Shamans and is called Balance. It is a sort of Healing magic, but it works differently than most. Instead of directly curing a wound, it distributes the wound throughout the Squad.>

<I’m not sure I understand exactly what you mean,> I admitted.

<Yeah, I don’t either, can you give us an example?> Raylan added.

<If one of our Squad had a serious cut somewhere, then after I cast Balance the original cut would close significantly, but each of the rest of the team would acquire a small cut in the same place. It is much more effective than most low-Level Healing Skills, though of course it has its price. As I have Leveled it up, it continues to grow more effective.>

<So instead of one of us being injured, we all get injured?> Alyssa didn’t sound thrilled.

<We can each fight through multiple minor injuries if needed. If one or more of us got seriously hurt, they’d be out of a fight and we’d have to protect them. It sounds powerful!>

I wasn’t afraid of a little pain. If Alyssa was, then I wasn’t sure she was cut out to be a Delver. Was she really here because she wanted to be, or because of her brother? At least Alex didn’t seem bothered by the idea.

<That’s two Skills you mentioned, is your third Skill a weapons Skill like Spears?>

<That is right, Azure.>

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That was good to know. Spears might seem like a basic weapon, but they didn’t fall under any of the general weapon Skills as far as I knew. It was important that she have Spears or it would be hard for her to fight effectively with it as our Levels increased. Satisfied that G’hala would be a formidable ally – not that I’d doubted it after watching her fight – I turned to her brother.

<What about you, H’ruk?>

He hissed a breath through his teeth, but a glare from his sister got him talking.

<My Class…> he paused for a moment, then continued. <Is not Warrior,> he said, frustration clear in his voice and the set of his shoulders.

<I am a Fire Mage,> he admitted.

<What?! You too?> exclaimed Alyssa.

<Sadly, yes,> the orc agreed. <However, I will strive to change it when I reach the next Tier. I wish to follow my father’s path and rise to Chieftain!>

<Can only Warriors become Chieftains, Mage H’ruk?> asked Zaire curiously.

<That is our tradition. In the history of our Clan, dating back over a hundred and twenty years, only martial Classes have risen to lead the Clan.>

I wanted to ask more about their Clan history, but I was nervous. Is that when they came out of a dungeon? What was it like? Did they remember living in the dungeon? I managed to hold back, not wanting to offend them. To stop myself from going down that road, I pushed him for more information.

<So, what are your current Skills? And Spells?>

<My staff has the modifier Infusion, so that my strikes burn my enemies. Aside from Fire Magic, my Skills are Growing Flame, which increases my fire damage every time I burn the same enemy. I also have Enhanced Absorption, which improves mana recovery.>

<A curious choice, Mage H’ruk, why did you not take Modifier Mastery?> Zaire asked.

<Because I do not intend to be a Mage!> H’ruk responded with a glare. I was about to say something to deflect the potential argument when Alyssa jumped in.

<What’s your backup element?> she asked. I wasn’t sure I’d heard the term before, but the meaning seemed obvious.

<I am studying Lightning,> the big orc admitted.

<Ah, that’s soo obvious! I’m working on Ice, no one will expect that!>

Fortunately, H’ruk didn’t seem to take offence at her comment. I used the pause in the conversation to look around, noting that the road we were following seemed to be moving closer to the hills to our north. We were at the base of an incline and I wondered how far up the road went. Ahead, there was a fork in the road that led off to the right, along the slope, but Mason had already started down the left path.

I know the Angel’s Spine is supposed to be full of high-Tier mana and it gets worse the higher you get. Is it the same thing here? I don’t feel that pressure like I did in the Tier 2 zone, and Mason hasn’t said anything, so this area must be Tier 0 or maybe 1…

We climbed slowly over the next hour or so, the road occasionally dipping down or leveling out for a while before returning to a gentle uphill slope. At one point, a figure came racing down the road towards us. Not being in the Squad with Mason or Hassan, I couldn’t easily ask them who it was. I didn’t see any alarm in the way the orcs with Mason moved slightly to the side.

As the person drew closer I could see just how fast they were moving. It was the kind of speed I’d only seen from Mason. Each of their steps seemed to carry them further than it should, almost like they were using Quick Step on every stride – which seemed impossible. Identify.