"I don't think I need to introduce her to you." Jace gestured at the women. "This is her majesty, the Pumpkin Queen of Fayha, Paukena." With that, Jace lowered himself to a knee.
Me and Stella looked at each other. We quickly got to the same level as Jace and didn't dare look up.
"Though I just loved that battle, two little scandals made their way into my castle. Without my permission, that deserves a severe punishment." Her voice changed to a lower tone.
A bright orange light appeared above my head and blinded the room around it.
"Before I bestow some punishment…" Stella's shadow shook slightly. "Do you enjoy Fayha? You come from Mila no?"
"We Do!" Me and Stella responded.
"Good." After that the shining light dimmed. "Please look up."
We did, and we were met with Paukena holding two floating pumpkins. Jace's face had sweat coming down, before it abruptly contorted with a raised eyebrow and squint. He whispered something under his breath and glanced at us.
"Please take these if you wish to stay in my kingdom."
She stretched her arms down and presented us with both of the pumpkins. I touched the one given to me and a list of orange words presented itself in my eyes like it did when looking at my status from the government. The words branched out from a wide smiled pumpkin.
Raising my eyebrow, I looked through the words to the Queen standing above me. She looked at me with a smirk.
"Is there a problem?"
"N-no?"
The words read in my head. 'Pick one! Ten thousand dollars, one hundred dollars every time you are broke and can do nothing about it in Fayha, no matter where you are you will have a great sleep.'
Huh? Is this a question or something I'd get? More words sprouted from the pumpkin. 'Darkvision, makeover, cute pumpkin, increase something by thirty magic points, increase magic point each level to four instead of three, a weapon of Paukena, pumpkin themed magic will be buffed, random heheh.'
"D-do you want us to pick one of these."
Like seriously these are both crazy and so random. Like, cute pumpkin, I almost half want to pick it for the result.
"Yes. It's a treat more than a punishment, teehee." Her voice changed soft and lively again.
I looked over at Stella who's face was just as confused. She looked at me blinked and the orange in her eyes dimmed. I haven't even noticed you could see it in our eyes.
An increase by thirty is good but the other magic point choice is just better. Maybe even the weapon. Random is scary. If any of those work might as well get the one I'll get the most out of?
I blinked and the pumpkin retracted all the words into itself before disappearing. It winked at me then I felt my horns vibrate throughout my body. The pumpkin I touched was gone, nowhere to be found.
"Two splendid and reasonable choices! For only one of you."
"What'd you do?" Stella turned over and looked at me.
"Why'd you assume I did something wrong! I just thought we had to pick this?"
"And you were right!"
Paukena grabbed my hands and tossed me off my feet before spinning me helplessly. The stars blurred the room, the sun laughed at me, Jace turned his head away with a smile. After a moment of screaming my dazed self was let go and fell over.
"I won't, not allow you your choice, you already have it actually. Though I did have a choice I'd favor." Paukena looked down at Stella.
"I would have expected you to pick the four magic points, why didn't you?" Jace, who was quiet mostly while the Queen was here, spoke.
"Random was scary but the pumpkin one didn't seem like it could hurt if it was a test. I blindly trusted that it would be better than all the others. Or something." I shrugged. "Who knows, maybe pumpkins grew on me a little while in Fayha."
"That's splendid! A completely acceptable answer!" The Pumpkin Queen hopped with joy. "Please return if you'd like! No one has ever chosen that over everything else!" She tilted her head away and made a strange face. "Some people really choose to always have a hundred if they're broke and even random over it." Her enthusiasm fell.
Her eyes fell down. When I looked where she was looking an orange flash appeared and she handed me socks. They were the same as hers, striped black and white. Then she waved.
"I must return but please enjoy your stay while you're here." She waved again and hopped up the stairs eventually just jumping past most of the stairs to the ceiling where she walked through.
"I can't believe she'd just come and introduce herself to you."
"Only wouldn't have happened if you didn't…" Jace clapped loudly.
"Let's get back to it, why not?"
"Alright." I slid on the socks, Stella standing along with me.
"Heo, are you not going to ask what I got?"
"I was."
"Well, I picked the magic one."
"You gotta show me that!"
Jace cleared his throat. We both turned our heads towards him.
"You guys are going to need a clearer idea of the type of skill you're going to choose to master. I can't really help you Stella. Mage's don't really get skills, instead just spells. It will be stronger the more you don't limit yourself, but don't, instead of not being afraid to do something, do be afraid. You don't wanna not master anything, because that's the key to growth."
The strange way he placed it was in reference to a presence, an absolute control of something. Presence is the peak of magic, it's the ultimate control of something and you're better at everyone with it. There are three types, lord which is the base ultimate control, then King which is the base plus being able to exert your magic over a domain. The presidents, kings, and queens of the world have these, then the last which you only get from being seen as a hero. A hero presence allows you the base presence ability along with a heroic form.
The strangest thing about hero presences though is that one outlier to its conditions, the Hero of Chaos.
"For you Heo. What type are you trying for? Heavy on skill or maybe heavy on speed?"
There were some classifications for how you'd distribute your magic points. Knight being heavily back into yourself, which was how I've been disturbing them. Mage where you do strictly your spells. Then there was a handful of mixtures between them.
"I haven't thought of anything besides job related skills. I was just going to get whatever or create some of my own."
"Magic seems like it likes you. I bet in a year's time you'll be a good bit up there."
"You think?"
"Of course, Heo. That's our goal no" Stella slapped me.
"If that's what you're going for. I do have a question though." Jace stretched his hands out. "Can you guess what I've used my magic points on."
"Straight hands?"
"Well obviously that but past that."
"Boxer like?"
"Uh, no." Jace's arms fell slightly.
"What do you mean no? There aren't any others are there?"
"Stella there is one… and it would match Fayha's personality."
"That's right! A more rare one at that. It's like an acrobat. A flashy, air riding quick boxer. That makes so much sense…"
"Yeah, I know…"
"I used a skill during our fight, it was more boxer related. Either way I have to ask, can you only get a skill if you're following that grouping of them?"
"Yes." Stella said, which was a common belief.
"No." I said
"What do you mean no?" She said that twice.
"Remember back at the church. I did that priest skill. It's technically a non combat skill and I was never taught it."
"Yes, a certain amount of magic points will help with learning a skill. The hardest parts of learning skills are the beginning and the first cap. They will get harder and harder to strengthen eventually but that's just like normal gains of magic points. The increase will drop off."
"How do you get past the first cap of the magic points?" I asked.
"You should know that magic points are condensed physical experience from self created magic that if you have too many unused you'll explode. So you use magic points to enhance parts of your body or magic. But of course the physical and magical don't mix so what you're really doing is layering it and using it instead of your normal strength."
"Yes. It's a process that mimics dragon's horns that the President of Mila created during the awakening.
"Once you use them they will forever be there, the threat of explosion goes away. But the reason magic point acquisition and skills strength fall off when developing is for one reason, them not having a fixed path."
"So what you are saying is my fire and gravity could get stronger and stronger quicker if I focus them on something?"
"You aren't at cap yet if that's your question. You need to be higher. You might just never have enough experience for them to grow and learn from you."
"So they will eventually?"
"Yes. I have one more thing I need to tell you guys before sending you back out the castle. And that is, skill can be given to some extent. You see it from the pumpkin Paukena gave you. It's a secret that should be kept quiet but the last gravity magic-using student I taught gained it so I must try again." Jace held out his hands.
"Do you want us to hold it?" Stella asked, my hand already being on his.
A quiet settled over us.
"Damn, that's unfortunate."
"What?"
"They seemed very against you Heo and didn't have interest at all for you Stella."
"Who?"
"I'm not allowed to say, please be on your way now. I'll consider mine and Kilie's mishap fixed." He pushed us lightly towards the stairs. "I wish to hear great news about you two in the future and I bet the Queen does too."