Ch 28– 

 

“Who can tell me why Wayfinders have historically spent so much time travelling?” Bernsley asked the class.

 

There had been a Dungeon emergence in the foothills of a nearby village, and the Greenbeans had been dispatched to cull the monsters that had subsequently infested the area. 

 

It was a low level emergence, so the monsters were not expected to exceed Level 5, but Bernsley had been sent to look after us anyways. It was entry Level Wayfinder work. The professionals would be dealing with the new Dungeon entrance itself, most likely defeating some number of floors and closing the entrance altogether. The pest control was left to us. 

 

As we swept the area, exterminating the roving bands of monsters that had spilled out into the countryside, Bernsley characteristically lectured. 

 

“Because they are super rich and they can?” A girl asked. 

 

“No.” A severe look from Bernsley. 

 

“For the good of the community!” Hera announced, tromping back up to the group with monster gore evaporating off of her javelin. 

 

She shook her sunkissed tresses, and they went from battle ruffled to golden splendor in a single casual movement. 

 

I hated her a little for that. Maybe a medium amount.

 

“Closer.” Bernsley acknowledged. 

 

“Catalysts.” I grumbled. 

 

“Correct!” A pointed finger jab. 

 

I scowled. Jennie and I had been diving the Dungeon through the permanent Bayloft entrance every weekend, and had been getting through three biomes of the first floor consistently. But we still hadn’t found another Catalyst, since the shadow one that Jennie had used. 

 

“But we can get Catalysts anywhere…?” The first girl protested. 

 

“True.” Said Bernsley. “So then why travel? Eir?” 

 

“Because ambient magic makes a huge difference in the probability of each Catalyst dropping when a monster is killed.” I recited, dutifully. “The common Catalysts for our region are snow, shadow, mountain, wing, wolf. Stuff like that.”

 

“Thus!” Bernsley nodded. “The wise Wayfinder carefully selects regions most likely to give her access to the ideal Catalysts. Nowadays, the market is saturated enough that many common Catalysts can simply be purchased, and that shouldn’t be ignored! But for rarer ones, you will still have to find them yourself! Good answers, take a fiver, Eir.” 

 

He tossed me a silver Bayloft token with a big five stamped on it, and I pocketed it. Not bad. Professors had started offering a lot more random little rewards within classes to reward participation, study, and particularly good progress.

 

Catalysts could be bound to one of your Skills, and granted one of a myriad of possible benefits. From an additional active feature for the Skill, to passives. They could even add entirely new features or effects to a Skill, depending on what kind of Skill and what kind of Catalyst. 

 

However, the results always aligned with the aspect that they represented. If you didn’t like those results, you’d have to relinquish the effect, losing the Catalyst entirely. 

 

Once we got all of our Skills to max Level, we’d be able to put five Catalysts to each one, one per Skill Level. 

 

This careful self-alchemizing process was how you took your Class from generic to iconic. 

 

Hera’s much-discussed Lightning Catalyst had taken a returning javelin Skill to a full thunder goddess move. 

 

Jennie was well on her way. Her Shadow Catalyst had given her [Growing Shadow] enchantment for her blades, which contributed massively to her stealthy burst damage style. It was probably the most obvious Catalyst for her Class. And for good reason. It fit her like a glove, and she was thriving. 

 

Me? 

 

I had no idea what Catalysts I was even hoping for. 

 

Most of the common elemental and weapon Catalysts didn’t make much sense for me, considering my familiars all worked with different elements, and only one was a weapon user at all. 

 

“Eir?” Bernsley prompted me again, a curious expression on his face. 

 

I realized it was his second time asking. He'd been grilling everyone on their preferred catalysts so that they could discuss optimal travel plans, either for during or after school. And it was my turn.

 

“Renewal?” I asked, glumly. 

 

It was more because I had always wanted one, not because it particularly went with my Class. [Paramore’s mending] was an unbelievably powerful healing skill, especially since it used its own separate resource– Pleasure. Adding another healing type skill would likely be redundant, at least for the near future.  

 

Bernsley frowned. “What else is on your watch list?” 

 

I mumbled incoherently. 

 

He nodded sympathetically. “The–” 

 

He was cut off as we came upon a large pack of horrible crawling hands with far, far too many fingers.

 

The class worked together to exterminate the disgusting, grey skinned, creepy crawlies as swiftly as possible. 

 

Lucy shivered, as she and the rest of my Familiars returned to my sides. “Ugh. How do they seeeeee, with no eyes?” 

 

“I believe they had a kind of tremor sense.” Lorna posited. 

 

Lucy shuddered, shaking herself. “Ew.” 

 

“Ew.” I agreed, rubbing her shoulders vigorously to calm her down. 

 

Bensley returned to me as the group finished the meager looting and returned to our patrol. 

 

“This is a common problem for some of the more flexible Classes, of which summoner is a classic example.” He went on, as if nothing had happened. “Yours is especially challenging to Catalize, as your familiars are more like synergistic puzzle pieces, rather than a single powerful entity or a swarm.” 

 

I nodded, glumly. I agreed, wholeheartedly. Not that I would trade my Familiars in a million years. But if I just summoned a ton of bees, my Catalyst choices would be a bit more obvious. 

 

“However, this same flexibility is a powerful ally! I suggest you think big.” Bernsley said, rubbing his hands together, and knitting his eyebrows as he thought hard. “Balance perhaps… Light? no…Radiance could work, there is a slight theme within your Familiar’s powersets... Synergy or Harmony would be incredible, if you could only get your hands on one of the damnable things…! I saw a Puzzle Catalyst once that might work for you. A fascinating object, and I haven’t the foggiest idea where one would seek out a second one of them…!” 

 

My eyes were growing wider and wider with each suggestion. He was talking about Epic and Legendary rarities. My odds of finding any of them, even in the ideal regions, were astronomical. 

 

“We will continue to ideate!” He sounded delighted. “We are called Wayfinders! Not random wanderers! Plot your routes carefully and–!” 

 

I mentally tuned him out as he moved on to general concepts for the whole class. 

 

“Any ideas?” I polled my team. 

 

Lucy kicked her heels up a little, making summer lightning crackle over her feet. “Thunder?” She wheedled, innocently. 

 

Violette snorted, and swatted at her long bunny ears. 

 

“I advise you to trust your patron.” Lorna murmured softly. 

 

I blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?” 

 

“Your Class is… unique.” Lorna said, carefully talking around it, since my classmates were close at hand. “And your patron is not a great lover of over-planning.” 

 

I nodded slowly. That made sense. Chaos would be more about letting things get a little out of hand. 

 

“What do you suggest then?” I asked. “Should we assign every Catalyst a number, and then roll a bunch of dice, and use that to pick a random one?” 

 

Lorna chuckled, “Even less responsible.” 

 

That got me to stop. I had been joking. “What is your actual plan?”

 

“A Binding Vow.” Lorna answered, calmly. 

 

Lucy whistled softly. Violette paused in the act of swatting Lorna’s head. 

 

“How is a Binding Vow at all chaotic?” I asked. “Isn’t that kind of commitment the opposite of chaos?” 

 

Lorna turned, floating close, an uncharacteristically mischievous expression on her usually solemn face. “Not if you make a vow to use–and only use–the Catalysts that you loot, yourself!”

 

“Who are you, and what have you done with my tactician, who wants to plan every step of every fight?” 

 

Lorna giggled prettily, “I believe it is the kind of thing she would find pleasing.” 

 

“She?” I asked. 

 

“Chaos.” 

 

“You KNOW HER PERSONALLY?!” we all asked at once. 

 

“Of course.” Lorna said, looking startled. “She sent me to you.” 

 

“Who ARE you?” I demanded, looking at my Ghost girl with renewed disbelief. Maybe my initial evaluation of her as a warrior, diplomat, princess was shooting too low. 

 

“Lorna.” She answered, bewildered. 

 

I grunted thoughtfully.

 

“You’re a mystery and I will unravel you, Ghost Princess.” I said, eying her as we trotted to catch back up to the group. 

 

“Think about the Binding Vow.” She said serenely, drifting along at my side with her ocean-blue hair streaming behind her.

 

“Are you sure about it?” I asked Lorna, as we caught up to Jennie. 

 

“Yes. In principle, at least.” she said. “She will love it.”

 

“How do you know?” 

 

Lorna paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Because it makes me deeply uncomfortable.”

 

~~~~~~~