“I’m not sure how my translation ability will handle the term ‘kung-fu movies,’ but we have these stories in my world. About learning to fight. You always start with what seems weird and pointless, but ends up being the most important of fundamentals. There’s usually a life lesson in there somewhere, as well.”

“Rufus is going to hate teaching you. You are nothing like the students at his academy.”

“Is his school actually that big deal?”

“It really is,” Farrah said. “Kings and queens have studied there. Some of the best adventurers in the world, too.”

“Did you and Gary train there?”

Farrah laughed.

“Definitely not. Our origins are a bit too humble for that. We all met on the job.”

“Right,” Jason said. “The zombies.”

“We worked together well, and I think Rufus’s grandfather quietly pushed things along. Rufus puts more pressure on himself than anyone else does, and I think his grandfather was hoping we would lighten him up.”

“How’s that going?” Jason asked.

“You should have seen Rufus when we first met,” she said. “He was like a string, constantly pulled taut. It was only so long until he was going to snap.”

She looked around, with a smile. “Coming out here has been good for him. Getting away from everything.”

“He blames himself for you getting captured, though.”

“Mistakes are inevitable,” Farrah said, “but it was good they happened so far from home. He doesn't have to feel like people are looking over his shoulder as he makes them.”

Farrah was wearing the loose, draped clothes in the local style, including a long, coat-robe that made her look a bit like a Jedi. She reached into it and pulled out an awakening stone that she tossed casually to Jason. It was like dark glass, shining with a faint radiance of moonlight. It was cool in his hand.

Item: [Awakening Stone of Omens] (unranked, epic)

An awakening stone containing the power of destiny (consumable, awakening stone).

• Requirements: Unawakened essence ability.
• Effect: Awakens an essence ability.

• You have 9 unawakened essence abilities.
• You are able to absorb [Awakening Stone of Omens]. Absorb Y/N?

“What’s this for?” Jason asked.

“We haven’t forgotten that you saved us back in that ritual chamber,” Farrah said. “We’ve each gotten you a gift, something to help you start your adventuring life.”

“You saved me too. Even if I’d gotten away, I probably would have died in that desert.”

“Maybe, but saving us took courage and heroics. Saving you just took a basic sense of direction. Use the stone; it wasn’t easy to find.”

“High rarity stones tend to be more specialised, right?”

“That’s right.”

“This one is epic. What are you expecting me to get?”