My last experience with water had gone horribly wrong, and I was not looking forward to this quest. Especially having to work with someone else. I appreciated him saving me and all but, working with others never turned out good. People couldn’t be trusted and always let you down at the worst possible time. Though, this rabbit did save me, and he wasn’t a person, so maybe I could give him a chance. It’s not like I had much of a choice. The Mother Tree was clear the rabbit would be joining.

  “Then the eagle dropped you. I could see the confusion and anger on the eagle’s face as it realized it dropped you. I have good eyesight, you see,” Benji said in his overly enthusiastic tone. “The eagle then swooped down towards you. To most, it would have looked like it was over for you, but you have the Alpha Neuterer title, so I knew you would have some sort of trick under your fur. As you pretended to be unconscious, the eagle swooped down. Then so fast that I could barely see it, you broke a branch off a tree as you fell and at the last possible second you turned the branch up like a human spear and the eagle impaled its self while also saving you from hitting the ground.”

  I just blinked at this overly enthusiastic rabbit. That was not what happened at all. But I doubted Benji, or Ben as he wanted me to call him, would believe me. It’s what happened in his mind. Wanting to change the subject, I spoke up. “So how much further?”

  “Two days, give or take, depending if we have to run away from any predators.” Ben said.

  I stopped walking. “Two days?”

  “Yep, not too far at all. Ive never been in a dungeon my self. Mother wouldn’t allow it. I’m so excited that I can finally go on a quest to help the Mother Tree to regain her power in the world.” Ben said, still talking fast. “So you’re from another world? What is it like there? Are there lots of squirrels where you come from?”

  “Yes, and yes.”

  “Thats awesome! I would like to visit another world someday.” Ben continued.

  And so it went. Ben continued to talk and talk as we walked. I was able to learn a lot from the overly talkative rabbit. As how he knew I had a title. It turned out there was a basic skill called identify. Ben was more than happy to teach me how to do it. He told me he had even raised his up to rare level. Apparently, all you had to do was use the skill and it would level up. Each rank would give more information. I asked about what the ranks were, but Ben was only aware of ranks up to rare. Which were basic, common, uncommon, and rare.

  This was good to know, at least. He also explained that not everyone could learn the skill. Skills could only be learned if one’s soul had the affinity for it. However, when I asked about this, Ben didn’t really know anything about it, or how to check affinity. The rest of the day was learning the identity ability. It was fairly simple as l I had to do was look at Ben and will his information to appear. It was similar to opening my stat page. Though that was also something I didn’t understand how I could do, but I wasn’t going to complain. After what seemed like hours of failed attempts, I finally received a prompt.

  Congratulations: You have learned the skill Identify.

  You can now identify basic information.

  I expected it to tell me it would be easier or something but is supposed some skills were just different. However, I didn’t see any ranking. When I asked Ben about this, he said I would have to open my skills window.

  {Stat page} {Titles} {Racial gifts} {Blessings} {Class spells} {Skills*} {Quests}

  Hard Climber-

  Skill Rank: Basic

  +12% easier to climb hard surfaces.

  +10% less stamina exertion when climbing hard surfaces.

  +10% to speed when climbing hard surfaces.

  Swim-

  Skill Rank: Basic

  8% to swimming speed.

  6% less stamina consumption when swimming.

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  6% increase to time holding breath under water.

  Identify-

  Skill Rank: Basic

  You can now identify basic information.

  This was the first time I had opened my stat pages since gaining access to my entire stat page. There were several little convenient tabs at the top of each screen. Focusing on each one brought up a new tab. I was just fixing to go through them when Ben spoke up.

  “Now isn’t the best time to be looking over you soul window. The forest is dangerous and we are getting close to the wolves section of the forest.”

  I immediately closed out my stat page. “Wait, did you say wolves section of the forest?”

  “Yes, it’s fine. As long as we keep an eye out, the wolves really only come out at night, and as long as we stay hidden, we will be fine. I know of several places to camp at night, so don’t worry. I come through here all the time.”

  “Does your ranked up version of identify tell you what alpha I received my title from?”

  “No, but I received a notification telling me that Greydalf the Wrathful had been dethroned. I assumed that had something to do with you. I would love to hear about it sometime.” Ben then looked down. “I wish I was that heroic. I get scared and just run away. The Mother Tree told me you could help me with that.”

  I was silent for a long moment. I had no idea how to help him with that. “Well, sometimes it’s best to run away and fight another day.” I thought I had read that somewhere, and it sounded good.

  “Oh, I’m good at running,” Ben said, back to his overly enthusiastic self. “Only a couple more hours and we will be at one of my safe locations.”

  I just nodded. Hoping the rabbit would be quiet for a bit. I wanted to look over my new blessing. Summoning a familiar to fight on my behalf would definitely be great. I could use the familiar to get out of a bad situation. As long as I could re-summon it if it died. I should also have access to the spell Ice Touch now. I just needed to reach level ten. Deciding to practice my identify ability, I used it on Ben again.

  Name: Benji White

  Race: Unknown

  Class: Healer

  Level: Unknown

  “Hey Ben, do you mind if I ask what level you are?”

  “Sure I’m level twelve.”

  I was surprised at his straightforward answer. I had been hesitant to ask, afraid he would start talking about random stuff again. “What about your race?”

  “I’m sorry. Mother has forbidden me from speaking of it. Also, I don’t mean to be rude, but we should stay quiet. This is the big cat’s territory.”

  I wanted to ask more. But if that rabbit was going to be quiet, then I should be as well. Also, I needed to have a talk with him. He should really let me know what’s going on. I began looking around for danger. But seen nothing.

  We kept walking on the forest floor. I didn’t like traveling on the ground like this. It made me feel vulnerable. I knew better than to travel at the top of the trees now, but I could still travel across the lower branches. At least there were trees all around, and I could quickly dart away.

  “Run!” Ben said as he turned into a white blur.

  I didn’t see anything, but I took for the trees. I only turned back when I was high in the branches. To my horror, I saw the green six legged cat staring right at me. It looked annoyed. I had no idea where Ben ran off to or where I was supposed to go. But I wasn’t going to stay near this cat, so I quickly began leaping between the branches to get away.

  I only made it through a few branches before I was snatched out of the air by the enormous cat.

  Before I realized what was even happening, I was on the ground with the large cat hovering over me.

  “Don’t test my patience. I have questions, answer them honestly and I’ll allow you to live. Your to small to give any substance, anyway.”

  I nearly darted away to despite what the cat said, but my yellow bar didn’t appear and it had each time I was in danger, so the cat was likely telling the truth, at least I hoped. I could always activate the bar at will. However, the yellow bar would not allow me to get far enough away from this creature.

  “Okay, what do you want to know?”

  The cat looked at me curiously for a moment longer before backing up and sitting on its back haunches. “First, what are you?”

  I wanted to ask the same thing I’ve never even heard of a six legged green furred cat. But seeing as this cat likely held my life in its paws, I refrained from doing so and answered.

  “I am a tree squirrel.”

  The cat’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem to be lying. However, I was under the impression your kind had been killed out a century ago.”

  My eyes widened at this. The Mother Tree had not informed me of this. Completing her quest may be harder than I thought. I had hoped I would just come across a bunch of squirrels in the woods somewhere. “You seem surprised at this,” the cat continued.

  “I am. Have you never seen a squirrel before?”

  “I have not. Though I’ve heard stories of your kind. You lot are supposed to have a high affinity for magic. Now, I’ll allow that one to slide, but I will be the one asking the questions.” The cat said.

  I could tell the cat wasn’t as angry as he let on. He seemed mostly just curious. Curious cat. I nearly chuckled at that, but I refrained from doing so.

  “Where did you come from?”

  I paused. It was apparent that this cat had some sort of lie detecting skill, but. I wasn’t sure if I should just go around telling everyone I wasn’t from another world. “From across the sea.”

  The cat’s eyes turned predatory. “Do not test my patience, little one! I do not like being lied to!” The cat hissed.

  “I am from…” Before I could finish speaking, a white blur slammed into the side of the cat, knocking it to the side slightly.

  “Follow me!” Benji said voice shaking in fear, before he turned into a white blur.

  I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. But I willed my yellow bar to activate and took off in the direction of the white streak. Even with time slowed or whatever, my yellow bar did exactly. All that was left behind was a white after image of the rabbit. Though I imagined Benji was slowed down somewhere up ahead. I leaped from branch to branch with all the speed I could muster till my yellow bar was nearly empty. I wanted to leave just a bit in the bar in case of an emergency. It seemed to take a long time to refill. I really needed to look over my stat page, or Soul Window as Benji called it.

  When I canceled my yellow bar, the white streak of Benji faded. I just continued in the same direction, praying that the cat didn’t chase me.