My grip tightens around the hilt of the utility knife for a moment at the surprising interruption. I quickly relax again and put the knife away. It's Núira and she doesn't just sound a little drunk, she looks the part too. I shake my head, chuckle and motion for her to come and sit by the fire.

"What are you up to Núira? I know why I snuck off in the middle of the night, but what exactly are you up to?"

She sits beyond my finished wood carvings, eyeing them with curiosity being plainly visible on her face. Her usual elven grace suffers a little due to her drunken state, but she still is more than capable of handling herself and having a proper conversation.

"Just wanted to turn in for the night initially. Then I noticed that your spot was empty. One of the perimeter guard told me that you headed back out. And … and I was just a little curious."

I chuckle and shake my head.

"Well, it seems you had no trouble finding me. Was it the fire? Anyway, I can't offer you any more hospitality than a warm place right now. Sorry about that."

She just shrugs. It's seems she has not come looking for food or drink anyway. No, it seems what brought her here really is just curiosity. Her words affirm that assumption.

"What are you up to anyway? You could have kept carving wood at camp too, you know. I don't think anyone minds. Lots of adventurers have little pastimes like that. The lynx you made actually is pretty neat already."

I chuckle again and begin to explain. After all, she is the one that gave me the idea to begin with in the first place.

"I'm here because of what you said when we parted ways in woods. Build a shrine, pray, sacrifice and maybe unlock the cleric class. Well, I already have the sacrifice skill. I thought I might as well try to check the rest off the list too."

"Oh!"

Realization dawns upon her and she looks at the fox figure and the bowl with new eyes. She picks up the bowl to get a better look at the decorations and looks at the fox idol with its multiple tails again.

"I see."

She looks at me with new eyes too. She seems surprised for some reason.

I raise an eyebrow. I just have to ask what prompts this kind of reaction.

"You see? Then why the face? Didn't take me to be the religious sort?"

She is quick to shake her head in denial at my last comment.

"No, no! That's not it at all! I … I just didn't expect you to worship an old deity like Fox. I mean, look at Aila and Griselda. They both worship deities that were mortals once and only ascended to divinity through their legendary deeds. I think most people worship gods and goddesses like that. They are just much more present in people's minds these days. So … well, I can't even say what I expected … maybe Maryla the Magpie? She ascended too, after all."

I think about it for a moment. Then I laugh.

"Well, given the songs and stories I know she wouldn't be entirely unfitting. Charming, cheerful and maybe a little silly. Not a bad match at all. It's just that for me Fox is an even better fit. And you might be surprised, but some of these older gods and goddesses still have their following, even in frontier towns like Riverrun. Maybe especially in frontier towns like Riverrun."

I pick my many tailed fox idol back up and look it over again. Finally I add a few more little details. That seems to be enough to earn me my next divine whisper.

[*Ding!* Your skill Woodworking has leveled up to level 5!]

Nice. Very nice! I doubt that I'll be able to earn another level up for the skill tonight. I doubt that I'll be able to do any better on a fox idol anytime soon either. Not without dedicated tools. This one will have to do. And I hope it will too. I'm a little proud of it anyway. I turn to Núira again.

"Want to come and watch? I prepared a room downstairs."

She considers the question for a moment. Then she shakes her head. She flashes me a mischievous smile too though.

"No, if it works this will be a rather private moment for you and Fox. I shouldn't intrude. And if it doesn't work I'll learn it soon enough if I wait here for you to share the embarrassing news."

I can't help but snort in amusement.

"Alright see you in a while. Keep the fire going please. One way or the other we can walk back to camp together afterwards."

Without wasting any more time I grab the bowl, the fox statue and the half burnt down torch and head downstairs. There I finish my preparations. I check the flat stone I'm using for the shrine's foundation once more to make sure it won't wobble. There are no problems in that regard. Then I first place the fox statue on it, before I place the offering bowl at its feet at long last.

Everything looks good. Well, everything looks as good as I can make it on such short notice.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I take a deep breath and jab the torch into a crack in the wall, probably the exact spot where a torch holder used to be in the past. With both hands free I sit down in front of the makeshift shrine.

Uncertainty makes me hesitate. I have heard other clerics pray to their goddesses. Can I just adapt their words into a prayer to Fox? I guess I'll have to try. Is my shrine really ready for this? I'm inviting a divine being to accept this place as a homestead, even if just a makeshift and temporary one. Will a coin or two really do as a sacrifice? Or should I make a more personal sacrifice?

In a spur of the moment decision I come up with an alternative. I pull my purse cutter, my smallest and sharpest knife, and prick my finger to let a few drops of my blood fall into the bowl. There is no notification, but I'm pretty sure that this little act of sacrifice costs me a little of my health. It's no grand offering, but it's about as personal as it can get.

Afterwards I don't waste any time and call out to my divine sponsor, with the short prayer I have come up with. It's nothing grand either, but the words sound appropriate in my ears.

"Fox, divine guardian of many masks. God of making mischief and Goddess of having fun. I beg you, accept this little shrine I built for you as your place of worship."

The reaction is almost immediate. A divine whisper brushing my mind comes first.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Prayer general skill at Level 1!]

More whispered notifications follow right after.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Masked Mediator class at Level 1!]

A dizzying sensation accompanies this notification, as my status undergoes some considerable secondary changes. My health gets a considerable boost, due to the new class. What feels strangest though is two of my skills, [Sacrifice] and [Prayer], moving from the general skill list to the new class skill list. This isn't the end of it either though. Not by far. Several more whispered notifications reach me in short order, interrupted by the clatter of dice on top of everything else.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Shrouded Soul class skill at Level 1!]

[*Ding!* Your class Masked Mediator leveled up to level 2!]

[*Clatter!* Your Health increased by 4!]

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Healing Touch class skill at Level 1!]

[*Ding!* Your class Masked Mediator leveled up to level 3!]

[*Clatter!* Your Health increased by 7!]

Those skills seem or rather feel extraordinary. That much I know even without getting a good look at my status. I can feel how they improve their governing attribute, spirit, even at level one. This means that these skills are at least of uncommon quality. The level ups for the new class are pretty sweet too. That's a considerably boost to my health over all.

A shiver runs down my back, as the strange sensations fade. Before I can say or do anything, Fox speaks up right next to me.

"Not bad! Sure, it can't compare to the gaudy shrines some of the rich kids vying for my attention set up, but you put love and care into it. I approve!"

Fox wears the shape of an actual fox, with too many tails of course, this time around. Much like the idol I carved.

I blink in surprise. Sure, we have talked in person more than once, but I honestly didn't expect them to show up in person for this occasion. Finally I manage to regain some control and speak up.

"Thank you. That class though. That's no ordinary cleric class, is it?"

Fox shifts to the shape of a playful child with a ball it promptly bounced of one of the walls.

"Oh no! Normal is so boring! And besides, you already are a chosen servant! I really couldn't grant you a plain old cleric class! The masked Mediator is more of a variety of the paladin class than a cleric by the way. Anyway, keep up the good work!"

And just like that Fox is gone again, leaving me alone in the small shrine with the flickering torch.

I take a deep breath and bow to the shrine once more before I get up to leave. So I'm doing good work? Well, if Fox says so, who am I to doubt their opinion.

At first I want to head right back up to Núira. Then I change my mind though. Instead I head downstairs while the torch still provides enough light. I stop at the edge of the water on the stairs in the tower's basement. There I focus on my mirror image to use [Identify] on myself.

A little of my Mana drains away again. The mirror image in the water clears up and stills, like it really shouldn't in the flickering torchlight. I can see myself clearly now. And I can see various stats and lists of skills too. Including all the recent changes. It's quite a lot to take in, but I take the time to do so.

As I blink again and the vision disappears another divine whisper reaches me.

[*Ding!* Your skill Identify has leveled up to level 8!]

Somehow I can feel that this skill level up counts towards the progress of my new class instead of the progress of my first class. That too is very interesting. Lost in thought I climb back up the stairs until I reach the entrance floor, where Núira is still tending the fire. Her words pull me out of my introspection, which is a good thing too, as I might have kept climbing the stairs all the way up to the rooftop otherwise.

"So? How did it go?"

I blink in surprise. Shouldn't she have heard? She has pretty good ears after all and neither Fox nor I were all that quiet. The curiosity in her gaze seems genuine though. Maybe Fox did something to protect our privacy? Well, never mind. Núira asked, thus I answer.

"Masked Mediator."

Now it's the elven ranger's turn to look surprised.

"your new class? Masked what now?"

I sight at first, but the sigh quickly turns into a chuckle before I decide to elaborate a little.

"Masked Mediator. Apparently it's a variant of the paladin class instead of a plain cleric class."

Then another thought strikes me.

"Want to use an identification skill on me?"

She tilts her head. She doesn't seem opposed to the suggestion though.

"If it's really alright with you? I have to admit I'm a little curious now."

A moment later I can feel the familiar tingle of an identification skill being used on me. It's a little different this time though, almost like the skill has to strain a little to overcome an obstacle.

A moment later, while Núira receives the result of her skill I receive a notification too, which lets me know why exactly it felt like that.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shrouded Soul has leveled up to level 2!]

Two more notifications follow in short order, once again accompanied by the sound of clattering dice.

[*Ding!* Your class Masked Mediator leveled up to level 4!]

[*Clatter!* Your Health increased by 6!]

All these level ups in such short order have another benefit too. They top off both my health and my Mana pool as well. Never mind that though. The look on Núira's face on the other hand, that really is something to remember.

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