Every species had its quirks. A lot could be said about elves and their superior attitudes. One could call minotaurs to be bull-headed and be right over half the time, though to say that in the presence of a minotaur would be an exercise in stupidity. Centaurs were brash, ratlings were cowardly. Humans were widely known for their infamous inclination to mate with most other species.

Of course, these are stereotypes. Tags placed on species by others, out of insufficient information or just ill-will. A mental shortcut, popularized because it made for an easy way to think of a species, not because it made for a right way to think of one. Though, stereotypes are often based in a kernel of truth. It might be speciest to use them. It might. One thing is for certain, though.

Dwarfs are stubborn.

Again, maybe not all dwarfs, though Mrk certainly knew that the species itself was known for stubbornness. But Brom, at the very least, was a prime example of that quality.

Patient as a rock, too.

Jack and Mrk had tried to pry information out of Brom for the entire way back to their clearing. Why did the knight seem so angry with him? Was his kingdom at odds with dwarfs? Did his clan antagonize local humans?

Were dwarfs’ beards lustrous enough to cause a kingdom-wide envy?

It isn’t that Brom didn’t understand the veiled questions, because they were very much not veiled. Jack and Mrk didn’t do subtlety. And what did Brom do? He nodded, frowned, answered in ‘hmm’s and generally offered no information.

Not to be misunderstood, Jack did make sure that the hidden information wasn’t something shameful or something which caused the dwarf sadness by revealing. In that he asked him that. And since Brom was amused by the question, he figured it was safe to pester him. They were good at being pests. Just ask the Nymph.

Ultimately, Brom assured them that he will tell them his answer to their questions as best he can. But only on the next day. Jack figured he needed time to compose his answer. Mrk agreed. Brom himself only wished for a few minutes of peace and quiet. He braced himself with patience before coming to the Refuge, expecting to find quite a few members. He only found two and that brough him peace. Until he realized how talkative the human and ratling were.

Still, beggars can’t be choosers he figured. And the two had their good sides, in his opinion.

That was how the tree ended their night, after they had dined. Mrk was curios of the situation, but was mostly thinking on how to keep on gardening and cooking, now that Jack decided to Level his Classes. Jack was very curious and somewhat warry about the near-conflict between Brom and the knight.

Brom was a little peeved that he had forgotten to ask for a whetstone when they visited the orange-eyed woman.

***

The next morning, Jack woke up early. Early as in around the same time as Mrk. He cooked breakfast, which now consisted not only of stew, but also of skewers of sausage and a few vegetables. Truly, commerce was the founding stone of big bellies. Some cheese would have done nicely, so he made a mental note to get some the next time he went into the village.

Surprisingly, his |Forest Cook| Class reached Level 3, though he didn’t get any new Skills. Seemed fast for just cooking breakfast, but he guessed he had already been on the verge of reaching it. Not his favorite Class, but he was still in high spirits when the others joined him.

“Thank you.” Brom said, accepting his bowl and his skewer.

“So, have you given any thought about the whole thing with the knight?”

“I have.” Brom said, munching. “And I will tell you. If we manage to raise the hall within a single day.”

“Wh- why?”

“Mrk things hall is big word for wooden cabin.”

Brom frowned his brows at Mrk, but answered Jack.

“You want me to tell you this reason. I want the hall to be built. I believe this way we would all benefit.”

“Uh, alright, I get that. But, Brom, you know you don’t have to tell us, right? I mean, if it’s sensitive…”

“It is not.”

“…I see? And why do you want the ‘hall’ to be built this fast?”

Brom though a little, taking bites out of the skewer, before answering.

“I like halls.”

From the corner of his eye Jack saw Mrk about to through his spoon at the dwarf’s head, before Brom continued.

“They feel like home.”

No arguing with that, Jack thought. He never had a home, outside this clearing or if he did, he didn’t remember it. But he could imagine wanting something familiar, if only in the abstract. However, Brom’s reasoning made him realize something.

“Hey, Mrk. I never asked, but do you want to build something that reminds you of home too? Not sure what that would be, but we could try.”

“Mrk not sure what can build. Warrens is below ground, usually.” He said, shrugging. “I thinks we could add big cellar to cabin. That’s be good.”

“You alright with that, Brom? Does it impact the whole… uh, ‘hall’ aesthetic?”

The dwarf laughed in response. First real laughter that Jack could remember.

“I am a Dwarf. We relish underground chambers as much as ratlings do.”

“Well. That settles it. Guess we better get to it.”

Easier said than done, though. Their hall would require some space to be cleared of grass and roots as well as a smaller patch of ground to be dug, until it was deep enough to serve as a cellar. Mrk had experience with digging, because of course he did, but the other two simply had to put their back to it.

|Fast Hands| helped some, as in it allowed Jack to work his shovel faster than a normal person could, but it didn’t help with the pain that started to accumulate in his back. His |Thick Skin: Hands| was of some benefit, since his hands didn’t develop any blisters, but his lack of experience was visible. He managed to hit himself with the shovel twice. Brom, on the other hand, worked quietly and efficiently. He only stopped to get water. Between the three of them, though, the job got done relatively fast. It still took the better part of the day, but by the time it was over, the cellar was deep enough for Jack to be able to stand in it, his head still two feet below the edge. It wasn’t as large across as the hall would be, but it was the size of a small room.

“This needs to be covered in stone.” Brom said, pointing at the floor. “Walls too.”

“Mrk agrees.”

“Sure. But I think you wanting to complete the entire hall in a day was a little too hopeful.” Jack said.

“Hmm. No. I didn’t expect it to be done.”

“But… you said you’ll only tell us about the thing with the knight if we do the entire hall in one day!”

“Yes. That was for motivation.”

Jack looked flabbergasted.

“Humans need motivation.” Brom said, as an explanation.

“Couldn’t you have just… I don’t know, promised to teach me how to fight instead?”

“Yes. That is a good idea. If we work as fast tomorrow as we did today, I will do that.”

“Mrk no need learn to fight.” The ratling tried to excuse himself, earning a frown from Brom.

That was a prime example of dwarf motivation right there, as Jack learned. You want something, you give something. You don’t manage to give something? Well, you give something tomorrow. With interest.

And though Mrk tried to excuse himself from further work, Brom still had them carry stones from the river and the forest. Enough stones that by the time the sun was down, they were still working, guided by the light of torches. Only when both floor and walls were covered in stone, was the dwarf satisfied.

Jack’s |Minor Stamina| Skill was put to the test and ultimately failed, as his tired body told him. He didn’t know if Brom had any such Skills, but he could have bet coin that he either did or dwarf constitution leant itself to hard labor. Eyeing their work with |Eye for Flaw|, Jack discovered no apparent issues, though the stones were piled on top of each other by weight alone.

He wasn’t the only one to think this.

“This is good. Not good for dwarfwork, but good in general. Mortar would have been good, but we can add it in time. Tomorrow, we add pillars and beams. The goal will be to create a foundation.”

“Did I ever tell you that you get talkative when you talk about things that you like?” Jack asked.

“Doesn’t everyone?” Brom asked, turning his gaze from their work to him.

And that was an honest enough answer to leave Jack grasping for a reply. It was also amusing enough to have Mrk sniggering quietly.

Traitor.

They were tired enough that they didn’t talk much as they ate their dinner, hastily prepared by Jack. Well, not entirely. After hours of contemplating, Mrk finally approached Jack with his offer. Jack could cook and tend to the garden, to Level his Classes. But Mrk would do those things too. More cooked food, better looking garden. It was an easy enough offer to accept.

There couldn’t have been more than a few seconds between Jack laying down and falling asleep that night.

***

It was as he cooked breakfast the next morning that he received a welcome surprise.

|Class Level Raised: Forest Cook|

|Class Level: 5|

|New Skill: Temperature Control|

“Great!”

Truly, the Skill wasn’t that good. He didn’t even know what it did yet. But the fact that his Class Leveled meant that his activities were working towards their intended purpose. His plan was working for all Classes. His |Gardener| and |Tinker| Classes had already Leveled, though the latter one refused to do so again after he finished working on the cellar.

“What is great?” Brom asked.

“My |Forest Cook| Class Leveled up. I’m Level 5 now and I’ve got a new Skill, too. |Temperature Control|.”

“What it do?” Mrk asked.

“…hold on.”

At that moment, Jack had a stew simmering over the fire, propped up by logs to hover in the air above it. The new Skill sounded descriptive enough, but he wanted to be sure. He took his pot off its supports, though it more closely resembled a cauldron and placed it directly over the fire. He waited, but the stew didn’t start boiling. It felt like a switch in his head, one that he was forcefully keeping closed. It would have felt as a dial, if he knew what one was. As he released the mental pressure and de-activated his Skill, the stew started boiling in seconds.

As he placed the pot back on its supports and ladled out a few portions, he explained what he was pretty sure the Skill did.

“It controls temperature. I can keep something from becoming too hot. I think I can make it hotter too, but I haven’t tested that yet.”

“Mrk happy Jack has new Skill. Not think is powerful Skill, but all Skills good.”

“Hmm. No, it is a good Skill for a |Forest Cook|. A Classes name dictates its Skills. For those who cook in the forest, over an open fire, a Skill to help regulate temperature would be most welcome.”

“Yeah, I think so too. I’m happy that my cooking and gardening is working, to be honest.”

“Any new Skills there?”

“No. Though my |Gardener| Class is now Level 8. I think I’ll get one soon.”

“Then we will leave you to tend to your garden. Once we will return, we can resume work on the hall.”

“Shouldn’t I switch with Mrk today? I could use the work in Leveling my |Gatherer| Class too.”

Mrk was nodding furiously in the background, though perhaps not just because he wanted to help Jack level his |Gatherer| Class.

“Not yet, I don’t think. Perhaps once those classes are more equal in Level.”

He left for the forest soon after, going out to gather herbs and other materials for Elia, with a slightly dejected Mrk in tow. It seemed to Jack that Brom was very dedicated in helping him Level. At first, Jack thought that he simply wanted the ‘owner’ of the Refuge to be strong. That still may be the case, but he also spotted Brom giving advice to Mrk on when to fight and when to run away or what would be the best weapon for a ratling his size. Slowly, but surely, Jack came to the conclusion that Brom simply wanted the Refuge to be strong. They all wanted that, but it seemed that Brom was just as protective of his new home as Mrk was, albeit in a quieter way.

The two returned soon, after Jack had done his gardening chores for the day. They got to the ‘real’ work soon too, though only Brom seemed to be really looking forward to it. Jack simply wished for the hall to be completed quickly. Maybe two more days, if they really worked like they meant it.

It took four days.

Four days of backbreaking labor. The task was arduous enough that they didn’t do anything else, but sleep, work and eat. Jack didn’t even cook or garden anymore, to Mrk’s complete enjoyment. Seeming as how Mrk couldn’t handle heavy weights, it fell to Jack and Brom to lift the logs and stones. The best indicator of how hard that was, amusingly enough, came from Brom. He had stopped even hinting at sparing sessions.

Still, five days after they had started, working at a truly record-breaking pace, the three had finished their grand hall. Well, it wasn’t that grand, in the general scheme of things. But it was grand for them. Their ‘hall’ had two stories, with the ground level reserved for eating and cooking. A fire pit was placed in the center of it, with wooden supports for their spit, skewer and pots. They didn’t get around to building any tables or chairs, but they were on the plan. The second level was for sleeping, though again they didn’t have any bed fashioned at the time. Stones lined the floor and the walls were constructed out of logs, carved and placed atop each other. The windows didn’t have any glass to them, since it was expensive and impossible to build, but they did have something like shutters, constructed out of roughly hewed planks. They did think about carving wooden tiles for their roof, but chose instead to layer it with straw. It was faster, even though Brom had been quite grumpy about it.

Fire hazard.

And it was on that roof, tying the last bundle of straws, where Jack finally heard it.

|New Class Specialization: Tinker|

|Specializations: Woodworker / Builder|

|Class Level and Skills accessible after acceptance. |

|Accept specialization? |

Jack almost fell off the roof.

Specialization? That was a thing?

“Guys!” he shouted, racing his way down the roof and to the two, who were currently putting the finishing touches on the hall’s door.

“Jack?” Mrk asked.

“I got something! For my |Tinker| Class.”

“I assumed it would Level. We did quite a lot of work and I understood you Leveled fast regardless.” Brom said.

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t Level. Not exactly. My |Tinker| can now specialize! I have to pick between two other Classes.”

“Mrk not know this possible.”

“Yeah, me neither, buddy.”

Brom didn’t say anything, choosing instead to frown. That seemed to be his go-to expression when he was thinking, surprised, sleepy, or hungry. A catch-all expression is what it was.

“I have heard of such things happening. Though it is usually only offered to those of a higher level.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Dwarfs who worked in one profession for a long time receive such offers. Blacksmiths sometimes receive this. They are asked what Class they wish to pick, once they reach a certain level in their primary Class.”

“So… I reached high enough in my |Tinker| Class that I have to choose which way to go forward.”

“What Classes Jack receives?”

“Uh, I got |Woodworker| and |Builder|.” He said, grimacing. “None exactly my favorites, but that’s what I got.”

“Mrk sees. Which Jack wants?”

“…neither? Which one do you think is better? Brom?”

“You… do not need to choose one. I know that is also an option.”

“What do you mean?”

“If neither of the options you have received interest you, you can choose to deny the offer.”

“Right. But… what happens if I reject them? Do I still get to be a |Tinker|? And the new levels?”

“You will keep your Class. You will also keep your levels.” He said, rubbing his beard. “I do not know if you will Level too. But that is not the risk.”

“Oh?”

“The risk is that you may not receive such an offer again. Some dwarfs refuse to specialize, hopping that better Classes will be offered in the future. Some receive them. Some don’t.”

That was a sobering thought. Jack wasn’t particularly attracted to the practice of working wood. But neither was he that interested in building things either.

Then again, I don’t like cooking that much, but I’ve still got a Class for it.

“I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m being stupid for refusing it.”

“Does Jack wants to refuse it?” Mrk asked.

“I don’t like either of the two options, Mrk.” he sighed. “They don’t feel like something I want to be. But I don’t want to skip on this offer either, since I have to get better somehow.”

If I refuse them and I don’t get another offer down the line, then I’d just be going against my own plan of getting stronger.

It was Brom who broke through to Jack, in a surprisingly gentle tone for the usually direct dwarf.

“Once a Class is accepted, it cannot be discarded. Even if no future offer will come, you will still be able to level your current Class. I think that if the offers you have received truly do not interest you, that it is better to refuse them.”

“…guess so. Better to take it slow, than risk having a Class I’ll loathe to practice, right?”

“Yes.” Mrk said, while Brom nodded.

“Alright then. I refuse the specializations.”

|Specialization Refused|

“Right. That was that. C’mon guys, let’s get something to-“

|Class-

|Class A-

What?

Jack stopped walking, eyes wandering around, yet focusing on nothing in particular.

“Jack?” Mrk asked.

“Sorry… I thought I heard something.”

|Class Ad-

“Guys, I don’t think I’m imagining it. I keep hearing the voice saying something about my Class, but it cuts off every time.”

“It cuts off?” Brom asked.

“Yeah, like it stops-“

|Class Advan-

“It happened again!”

Jack wasn’t scared, not really, but he was quite bewildered by what was happening. Bewildered enough that the other two got uneasy as well.

“I have never heard of such a thing.”

“What it say about Class?”

“It says ‘Class advan-‘ and then it stops.”

“Advantage?” Brom asked, frowning. “Though I haven’t heard of that either.”

There was a pressure building up in Jack. It wasn’t like sound or pressure. It was immaterial, but Jack was still aware of it. Weirdly enough, he had the distinct feeling that the pressure wasn’t building up because of himself. Just as it was about to reach a peak and Jack was about to finally panic, he heard the voice again. Only, even though the voice had no real volume, it now seemed to shout the words at Jack.

|Class Advancement: Tinker à Craftsman|

|Class Level: 15|

|Skills Advancement:|

|Basic Repair à Advanced Repair|

|Basic Crafting à Advanced Crafting|

|New Skill|

|Sturdy Work|

“Wow.”

“What? Jack, what happen?” Mrk asked, shaking him.

“Are you alright, Jack?”

Jack was beyond bewildered. He didn’t even know that was possible. He was a |Craftsman| now? That did sound better than |Woodworker| or |Builder|. At the very least, it sounded like it had a wider area of interest. His Skills advanced too, again without him ever knowing it was a possibility. Though, in hindsight, it made sense. If he had a ‘basic’ Skill, it was logical that the Skill could one day become something better than just ‘basic’. But what was that stuttering from the voice?

It wasn’t Mrk increasingly frantic shaking that broke Jack out of his reverie. It was the sight of Brom, worryingly scanning their surroundings while reaching for his axe.

“My Class advanced. I’m not a |Tinker| anymore.”

“Jack not |Tinker|? That possible?”

“Yes.” Brom said, calming down. “I understand now. I know of this too. What has your Class changed to?”

“|Craftsman|.” Jack replied, grinning. “I’m a Level 15 |Craftsman|. And my Skills advanced too!”

“Mrk not understand anything. I goes make dinner.”

Jack couldn’t blame him, it was a lot to take in, even for himself. The sun had almost set too, so they were justified in having this conversation over a much-deserved dinner. While Mrk set out to make the meat and vegetable skewers, Jack recounted his experience.

“It was very weird. I heard the voice saying something about my Class, but it stopped like… halfway, I guess. It didn’t finish out the announcement. I heard it a few times before it called out my new Class and Skills. And when it finally said it, it was… weird.”

“Weird how?” Brom asked.

“Weird like… like something was keeping it back, so when it finally got to say what it needed, it shouted the words at me.”

“Shouted?” the dwarf asked dubiously.

“Not with volume.” Jack struggled to explain. “It was just a feeling I got. Like it was relieved that it could finally speak the announcement.”

“Relieved. Shouting.” Brom said, pondering. “I have never heard the voice speaking with inflection.”

“Me neither.” Mrk added.

“And I have never heard of it ‘stuttering’ either. It is… odd. And perhaps worrisome. Then again, I see that peculiar events are attracted to you like ratlings are attracted to food.”

Mrk looked like he wanted to object, before shrugging.

“I do not know what to make of this. Perhaps it is best to simply take it as it is.”

“Yeah, I guess I will. Still, I got new Skills.” Jack grinned.

“And that is good.” Brom said, smiling. “What are they, if I may ask?”

“Well, you know how I had |Basic Repair| and |Basic Crafting|? They evolved into their ‘Advanced’ versions. I now have |Advanced Repair| and |Advanced Crafting|.”

“That is good. For Level 15, it is very good. And I believe they will be helpful in reinforcing the Refuge.”

Jack grimaced.

Of course, you’d say that. Focused as always.

Though, now that he thought about it, Jack did feel like he had more ideas that could be beneficial. He was pretty sure he could make that ‘mortar’ Brom talked about. He even though he knew how to construct a better floor for the hall’s second floor.

“I’ve no doubt. But I only got one truly new Skill. |Sturdy Work|.”

Brom’s eyes widened.

“Is that… good?” Jack asked, seeing his reaction.

“Is good to eat while hot.” Mrk interrupted, passing around bowls and skewers.

Jack laughed and Brom smiled, though he still had that look on his face.

“It is incredibly good, Jack. I do not know of this exact Skill, but I know of others like it. |Sturdy Masonry| or |Sturdy Tools|. Even |Sturdy Barrels|. It is a Skill most often associated with manufacturing type Classes.”

“Right.”

“It makes the objects that the artisan creates or sometimes repairs, much more resilient than normal. ‘Sturdy’.”

“Oh! So, I can now craft better things, right? That’s cool.” Jack said, smiling.

“You can. But… your Skill doesn’t imply it will only apply to one type of object. Your Skill implies all things coming out of your craft will be affected.” He said, pondering. “I see. So that is the type of Skill one receives when one doesn’t specialize.”

“You think it’s because I didn’t accept the specializations?”

“…perhaps. I do not possess as much lore on Skills as others in my Clan. Perhaps such things are only known by elders.” He said, while Mrk nodded.

“Right. Well, either way, I’m happy. I worked my ass-off, but it paid off, in Classes and Skills both. If I’d have a drink, I’d toast you.” He laughed.

“I too wish for ale.” Brom said sighing. “That also reminds me of home.”

“Mrk can brew tea.” The ratling offered.

“Nah, no worries Mrk. Or, maybe later, but let’s enjoy dinner first. By the way, Brom, regarding ‘back home’. The hall is up. It took five days, not one, but it’s up.” Jack said, hinting shamelessly.

“Yes. I know. And you have worked hard, so you deserve it. Though I would have told you the story regardless.”

The dwarf wasn’t smiling, though Jack was half-sure it was an act.

Serious even while poking-fun, huh?

“Alright then. What’s the story between you and that knight?”

“I am not sure, to be honest. But that man is a knight of Ameron. I believe that his hostility comes from the fact that my people nearly wiped out his kingdom.”

…Right. I guess that counts as a reason.