NOVEL NEXT Life 6 - Chapter 3 - Jail Blues
I was thrown and locked in a birdcage. when I say locked they used some twine to tie the door. I was sure I could cut that. We were in the back section of the mushroom castle, where the ruler wasn't named after a soft-skinned fruit. The birdcage hanged from a low tree branch. My guess was that I was one meter above the ground.
Nenandil fumed inside me.
She pouted inside my soul. Not physically pouted but the mental equivalent.
I sit on the grate and bang my head against the sides of the cage, making it swing. At least it isn't full of bird poop. No. The cage was clean.
She replies, furious.
We say nothing for a while. Then I have to ask.
I was left hanging as to which kind of naughty she was talking about. Because before this became even more awkward, Neep approached.
He stopped under the cage. I laid down on my stomach to look at him.
"Hey, Neep. How are things out there?"
"Normal, ah jalouse. They're cleaning th' bodies fae th' throne room. Kin ye hawp th' bridie wis poisoned?"
I slammed a fist on the grate. "You bet I can believe. I said so several times before they ate that thing."
He scratched his chin, "Aye, that ye did. Bit how come wid thay hawp ye? anyway, thay wur hungert 'n' thare wis bridie. Sae th' hungert fairies ate th' bridie. Tae ill 'twas poisoned," He lamented.
I screeched and slammed my head on the grate. That was too infuriating.
"Ye tak' care wi' that cage. It's made o' iron, it kin hurt ye," Neep warned.
"This is not cold iron. This is steel. It will hurt a fairy as much as a sharpened rock," I remarked. My mind was in the tragedy that happened just now and these fairies were so nonchalant about it. Didn't they grieve?
"Ah, steel, eh? that surely explains how come Pollenmuffin did whit she did. That mist be crafted by th' dwarves then. Canny fowk, they ur."
I wouldn't even bother to ask who Pollenmuffin was or what she did that involved the cage and could be explained by the cage being made of steel.
No, I was too busy being amazed that this world finally had steel. I mean, we are no longer in the bronze age, hooray?
"Meep, how long do I have to stay here?"
"'til ye git oot, ah jalouse. In fact, ah think yer yin o' th' fairies that stayed thare th' maist. Fowk forordinar chews thro' th' twine 'n' leaves richt efter th' guards awa wi ye. How come urr ye aye in thare, actually?"
Nenandil was laughing her clammy ass out inside my soul.
"So can I get out?"
"A dinnae ken th' answer tae that. Kin ye chew th' twine?"
I stood up. "I've got a long way to go."
And just spontaneously as if it was the most natural thing ever, I sang.
Let's get down to business, to get out of the cage
They did send me poison when I asked for pie!
I'm the saddest fairy you've ever met
But you can bet before we're through
Miss, I'll make a fairy out of me!
I used {Partial Transformation} to make a cat's claw out of a finger and slashed the twine.
Tranquil as a forest, but with glimmer within
Once you find your inner song, you're sure to get out
I'm a clueless, helpless, pathetic waif
And I haven't got a clue
Somehow, I'll make a fairy out of me.
The cage swung open. I jumped down and aced the landing. I grinned and raised my hands like an Olympic athlete.
Only then it hit me. I had just done a cheesy parody of... What the fuck is wrong with me?
Cheers, hoots, and clapping hands erupted around me. A lot of fairies were hovering around the cage, watching my performance.
"Wow, that was, like, the most epic escape from the cage I've ever seen!"
"That silkie was awesome!"
"Now I need to top that! I'm going to bother the Queen until I make her throw me in the cage."
"Not if I can beat you there and get thrown in the cage first!"
"Ow, bugger! You're on!"
The swarm flew away toward what I believe was the center of the castle. I didn't doubt for a second that they would pester the Queen until the cage was stuffed full with fairies. I shook my head.
Neep grabbed my hand. He was wiping away his tears. "Ah, lassy Silverstreak, that wis a bonny song."
"Thank you, Neep. Say, how about we get out of here before the Queen's guards start dragging fairies to shove in the cage? I think this place will get mighty noisy very soon. Maybe show me around a bit more? I would like to rest for a while too. Where will I live, by the way? How does a clueless fairy get a house around these parts?"
He led me back to the tree hole I was born at. He pointed at a pile of straw.
"A'm goin awa ye alone fur noo, ye kin wash up 'n' organize th' hings aroond 'ere. Thir's straw ower thare, ye kin weave whitevur strikes yer fancy. Ye'll bide 'ere."
"This place is full of junk," I protested.
He chuckled, "Gettig this junk organized is braw fur a newborn brownie. Aye, it's. Think o' it as yer rite o' passage. Wance ye git this steid keekin lik' a hame, ye'll be an adult fairy."
With that, he left. I saw his back as he crossed the vine. I summoned Nenandil.
"So, home sweet home," I sighed with my arms spread wide.
She looked around, "As far from that Queen as possible. It is good."
I looked around. My heart compelled me to fix that. To organize that. It was something basal, primal. An instinct. Worse yet, when I imagined myself cleaning and organizing that mess, I got giddy and a huge grin splattered across my face.
"I think the brownie gotta do what the brownie does," I relented.
"That's the spirit," Nenandil cheered. "Think of the song you sang."
Oh, I didn't want to remember that. "What was that?"
"That was you embracing your fairy-ness, silly," she giggled. "Now, be a good silkie and fix this mess. i'll be here, watching and cheering you."
She sat in a position where she could see the outside. So I think she'll be watching for the approach of the Queen, instead of seeing me clean and organize this mess.
Left alone, I set out to clean up the mess and organize the stuff. I fell into a kind of trance. As if doing those chores felt 'right' to me. I was a brownie and I was cleaning a house. What a blast!
Out of the straw and twigs, I wove a double bed for Nenandil and I. Our mattress was socks filled with dust bunnies. A hanging organizer made of button shelves held by twine. A Coffee table from a saucer and a spool of thread. I sang, whistled, and hummed as I played homemaker. I even sewed curtains with scraps of clothes. And a new patchwork dress for me. The rags I was born in became a mat to clean one's foot before coming inside.
I paused and felt my throat parched. Nenandil was perched on the entrance, smiling at me. I covered my face with my hand in that universal "epic fail" gesture.
"I was singing, wasn't I?"
She looked at me, grinning. Then she imitated me, "It's a little lovely place where we can get to-ge-ther! The whole shack shimmies!"
I whimpered and wanted to cry, vanish. Then I noticed I had notifications.
For cleaning your house, you gained 30 Exp. (Base 10 x 3.05 modifiers [Expand?] )
....
For crafting a mattress, you gained 91 Exp. (Base 30 x 3.05 modifiers)
For crafting a bed, you gained 122 Exp. (Base 40 x 3.05 modifiers
Funny. The System improved again. The multipliers are now all listed in one bunch. I looked at one of the notifications expanded and it was the same. But I earned 6,100 Exp from making my house, and it was enough for me to select a Class and professions. I pulled up my Class selection
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE.
Selecting a Class defines who you are for the world. It is an irrevocable choice that will shape your whole existence. With a Class you'll receive Attributes tailored to your chosen role along with a selection of Skills and Perks that will enhance your ability to be your Class.
The world asks, who are you?
Crafter (uncommon) - You are a person that creates objects and tools. You gain enhanced Experience for making items and another bonus based on the rarity of your products.
Maid (common) - You are delighted by a clean house and a well-made bed. You gain extra Experience for cleaning and organizing things, along with a combat bonus defending your home.
Courier (uncommon) - Your wanderlust and discipline lead you to go to faraway places, carrying messages, parcels, and hopes with you. You gain extra experience for traveling and a bonus for each delivery made.
Bard (uncommon) - Song is your soul. You live to delight and entertain others. You gain bonus experience for musical performances and can weave magic into your songs.
Scholar (uncommon) - Knowledge is the most important thing to the world. You love books, either reading or writing them. You are a seeker of knowledge, both lost and new. You gain bonus Experience for reading new works, writing, finding, and sharing knowledge.
Warrior (common) - The battlefield is where your true home lies. You love the thrill of combat, the clash of steel. You gain bonus experience for fighting.
Merchant (uncommon) - Money and trade are what make civilization. Buying and selling goods are a necessity and your life's passion. You gain bonus experience for each sale you make.
Magician (rare) - The call of the eldritch is hard to resist. You stumbled upon ancient magical secrets and now desire to learn more. You gain bonus experience for casting spells.
Spiritualist (rare) - You are not bothered by the dead, neither the undead. You have looked across the veil of death and seen what lies beyond. You gain bonus experience for communing with spirits and the undead.
Beast-Warrior (rare) - Your blood is not entirely your own. One of your ancestors mixed their very souls with those of animals, granting you the power to fight as more than what you are now. Bonus experience for kills made without the use of weapons, tools, or attack spells.
Soulweaver (rare) - Necromancers may wield the powers of death, but their approach is crude and forceful. They never tried to work with the restless dead, to understand and befriend them. You did. Bonus Experience for peaceful resolutions with the undead.
Fae Dreamweaver (very rare) - You can weave the stuff of legends and dreams. Your fae blood has the power to make wishes come true. What you craft from thread and imagination is more than it seems. Bonus experience for making dreams come true.
Fae Bard (very rare) - Reality bends at the sound of your voice. Magic and a realm of possibilities are hidden in a single musical note. Your song enraptures even the fickle attention of the faeries. You gain bonus experience for musical performances and for making others dream.
Alchemist (very rare) - You can blend magic and science to create the wondrous. An apothecary may a potion make, by infusing an herbal concoction with magic. You can make miracle elixirs by transmuting the herbal concoction into something else. Something more.
Fae Soulweaver (ultra-rare) - Your Soul is strong enough to withstand the powers of death. Your inner voice can be heard by the beyond, reaching even the Gods. You wield with the same expertise the powers of life and death. You glimpsed realms beyond reality. Your hands can weave fate itself.
Eldritch Hunter (very rare) - There are those that hunt monsters and those that hunt things that give monsters nightmares. You are a defender of reality. Bonus Experience for defeating creatures from outside this reality.
True Hero (Unique) - You are a Hero in the purest sense of this world. Your sacrifice for the greater good was not unnoticed, nor shall it go unrewarded or forgotten. For the sake of those, you've never met, even your most aggravating grudges were put aside. This Class can only be acquired once, ever. It will be offered to those worthy until it is taken. Beware. The path of the Hero is strewn with hardships.
Null and Void (Unique) - Though the Hero sacrifices themselves for the greater good, there are those that sacrifice themselves for the sake an entire reality. This Class is made for you, should you wish to give up on your eternal cycle of torment. Though I hope you one day pick it, I cannot force you but I can offer you an out. Love, Wyxnos.
Some Classes required deeds to unlock, like [Assassin] that demands sentient murder. Others take into consideration what I achieved in my past lives. And it seems my buddy Wyxnos found a way to get rid of me through the System. By making a Class custom-tailored for me.
This proves that a unique Class might not be stronger than an ultra-rare one, for example.
With that in mind, I make my choice.