Well I'll give credit where credit is due, one of my skills I'm guessing Primordial is amazing. Ive never felt this light in my life.

  I'd been unable to sit still and wait for the sun to come out so I was now doing some light stretches outside the cave without putting to much strain on my healing back. This has led to the discovery that I feel fine or better than fine, I felt like my strength from back when I was a hero had returned. I have checked and that particur powers still not there so it has led to one conclusion, one of the skills I picked st night is paying off.

  I almost wanted to try and do a backflip just to prove I could but thought better of it. That would be one way to piss off my centaur companion and ruin any progress regeneration had made. Still something to do when I recover.

  Regeneration 4 acquired.

  That was the other thing. I have no points yet regeneration kept leveling up. If this is how all skills worked why would you ever spend points on increasing them as oppose to buying lots of basic ones that you could increase naturally? More questions to ask Arath.

  But there lies another problem. Primordial and Paragon both seem unique in there own way so what happens if she finds out? Do I trust her enough? Do I have a better way of finding anything out if I don't tell her?

  "Take the chance Lazarus." I mumbled to myself trying to get use to my new name. "You need help and she's cute."

  "Who's cute?" The centaur in question asked leaving the cave her bags already in pce on her back.

  "For someone with hoofs you move very quietly." I said after taking a second to slow my heart. Fat lot of good I was keeping watch if she can sneak up on me. "And when I'm talking about you I would rather you don't listen."

  "You think I'm cute?"

  "Who wouldn't? You are absolutely beautiful."

  "Why thank you, shall we continue?" She couldn't keep the blush from her cheeks and refused to meet my eyes as she found the path. I followed taking a second to watch her body as she passed. The horse part really wasn't bothering me, seem I've found a new kink.

  Feeling a little ballsy I pced my hand in the middle of her horse half. She stiffened but didn't make any move to remove it. I was a little disappointed she still had her bnket dress on as I wanted to feel her fur but I'll take what I could get.

  We continued along following a path that was only visible in Araths mind breaking at noon for some lunch of dried nuts and jerky before continuing again in silence. Deciding to break the trend and get to know her I proposed a game.

  "What kind of game" She replied curiosity evident on her face.

  "A question game. The rules are simple one person asks a question the other answers. If they don't answer they give a reason be it too personal or otherwise the other person asks a new question. No commenting on if the question is stupid."

  "Ok I accept. You may ask the first question." She replied a glint in her eyes that already sparked her curiosity.

  "What's the difference between csses and jobs?" I asked trying to get one of the main problems I was facing in this world answered.

  Arath gave me a quizzical look but answered anyway. "Csses are normally combat reted and jobs are usually more peaceful in nature."

  Ok that helps understand everyone else's csses but my own. Arath was already forming her own question before I could even check how that applied to me.

  "My turn. How did you or your parents survive the curse?"

  "I wasn't here when it happened. I was somewhere far away that it couldn't reach."

  I let out a smile when she scrunched her nose in confusion. More questions on her mind I bet.

  "How do you get more skill points?"

  That snapped her out of her daze and she almost asked why I wanted to know but thought better of it according to the rules. "By doing things simir to your css or job. For instance a farmer gains skill points for pnting and harvesting."

  Again helpful to everyone else but not my css or job. What the hell does a Paragon or Primordial do?

  "Are you fertile?"

  It was my turn to give her a curious look but I held my tongue. I could say I didn't want to answer but the truth kind of stung when I actually said it. " I don't know. I've never fathered my own children and I'm unsure if the curse was a one time cast or if it's continuous." I actually hated the thought that this world stole that away from me. If it has hopefully my css can reverse it. "How far away is your town?" I meant it to change the topic but briefly forgot it was my turn to ask a question.

  "At a healthy trot, by sunset. At our current pace, midday tomorrow."

  Of course I was slowing her down but unless she let me on her back a slow walk it was going to be. I was silent for a bit trying to think of my next question only to realise Arath was hesitating. She kept looking at me trying to find words then would shake her head as if it was a stupid question.

  Regeneration 5 acquired.

  Well that was going to have to be my next question.

  "Is... Ummm... Does..." Arath still couldn't quite get the words out.

  "No stupid questions remember? I probably just asked you what you were taught as a child." I said trying to make her feel a little bit more confident.

  Her response was to gallop a little in front and give me a view of her side profile. "Does my fnk stop me from having a chance at being one of your mates?" This was punctuated with her pcing a hand on her equine half.

  My response was immediate. "No." I didn't stop walking towards her as I said this and to prove my point I pced a hand on her ass as I passed by enjoying the slight rise of her tail under the bnket as I did. I kept walking past her and didn't look back. Something told me she'd need a second and didn't want to be caught with a bright red face.

  I don't think there could ever be a more clear sign someone was interested and I was more than happy to oblige. She was beautiful and caring but I'll admit I'm decently sized down there but without some kind of spell I do not compare to a horse. We could make it work I'm confident in my forepy and. I had to stop myself from rambling and actually stopped walking at the same time. Holy crap I'm falling for her. These are not the thoughts of someone looking to tap and gap, I really was thinking long term. Dam. If only my past self could have seen me. And don't think I missed her saying mates plural.

  Arath caught up the tinge of red in her cheeks still there but if I wasn't looking for it I'd have probably missed it. To try and get past the awkward moment I asked my next question.

  "What's your css and job?"

  "Weaver for my job. I'm very confident in what I can make with silk and other items. In fact everything I'm wearing is made by my own hand." She pulled the fabric of her top to prove her point but only succeed in pulling it tighter around her chest. I was a humble gentleman and only took a quick peek. She continued either oblivious or she did it on purpose. "My css is a bit more difficult however. I'm a padin but ck a god so I'm unable to use any of the skills."

  "Wait why do you ck a god? Shouldn't any god want a padin such as yourself in their ranks?"

  "I believe that you have already asked your question and that is two more. But I shall answer only because you're cute. Gods have a set of rules those that follow them must adhere to failure to follow results in the loss of your skills the God has given you. Padins and priests/priestess are the same but they take something from the god to become truly powerful as such most gods ask for additional services. Any god that accepted my prayers would only take me in so long as I could be mounted by there followers."

  I gave her a raised eyebrow to continue but she just smiled back. "I believe I have answered enough but you can ask that as your next question."

  She had me there. "Ok your turn." I said.

  "What is the courting process of humans?"

  "Easy if we like someone we spend time with them until we..."

  I was interrupted by a bird swooping down and picking me up in their cws. I didn't get a chance to do anything before I was 15 stories in the air.

  Dam can I get a break at all in this world? Presence detection allowed me to know the bird was in fact a woman with cwed feet and wings for arms. A harpy.

  "Oooh oooh I have a male elf. You are going to be my new nestmate. Come come." She yelled a nice enough voice if she wasn't trying to kidnap me. Unfortunately for her I didn't feel like it.

  Both her talons were under my armpits on either side effectively stoping my arms from doing anything. An effective technique. Smming my head into one of the legs yielded little results so I changed tactics. This is going to hurt.

  Taking all my weight in my upper body I swung to the side throwing her off bance and freeing my left arm. Her talons didn't let me get away for free as the gouged out clear paths from my shoulder.

  "What are you doing hubby, I caught you fair and square."

  I didn't answer instead grabbing my coin pouch and using it as a mace, striking her other leg. It split before any damage could be done so I instead grabbed one of her tallons and twisted.The harpy howled in pain digging her other cws into my right shoulder.

  "Let go or I'll break it!" I yelled.

  "No. You mine now!"

  Snap. I warned her. She howled even louder this time but did drop me. Now for my next problem, I'm very high in the air with no way of slowing my decent.

  Wind whipped past my face as I oriented myself to face the ground that was now rapidly approaching. I'd like to say I had a pn but apart from spreading myself out to have as much air resistance as possible I had nothing. This was going to hurt worse that the whipping.

  A tree was the first thing I hit my ribs protesting the impact, it did stop my momentum but it couldn't stop me falling backwards to the floor. The wind was driven from my lungs and I y there for a second stunned.

  Get up Lazarus. You need to get up.

  Growling I flipped myself onto my stomach noting my ribs were broken on the right side. Great now another thing to worry about on top of my shoulders bleeding.

  Keep going if you don't get up something will kill you. God dam why didn't I pick up the pain resistance skill?

  Regeneration 6 acquired.

  Not helping! Well actually very helpful. Another growl and I had one knee on the ground. Slow progress but I getting there. Take a breath but not a deep one then the other knee and now comes the hard part. Got to get my feet under me and get off my hands. This is going to suk so much.

  Using my hands to push back I used the momentum to almost throw myself back to my feet. Everything protested in response most loudly my ribs.

  "You're still alive elf."

  God dam can't I get one day than none of this crap happening. The harpy stood a small distance from me her foot seemed to be healed already.

  "Up for round 2?" I croaked out the edges of my vision blurring. The pain was getting to be to much.

  "No you'll die soon so I'm not interested. I'm just here to watch."

  Charming girl. I'm lucky Arath was the first one I met not this girl. Speaking of the centaur I could here the thunder of hoofs getting closer. I must have perked up because the harpy just clicked her tongue.

  "You should not be able to stand let alone talk after that. Your little horse can't save you."

  "I think you're just jealous I'd rather mate with her than you." I responded my vision almost blurring completely.

  The harpy woman would probably have made my pain a lot worse if Arath hadn't leaped over the shrubbery swinging my sword at the harpy. The strike never connected as she jumped into the air and flew off, not wanting to challenge a centaur with a bde.

  "Lazarus hold on." She abandoned the sword to the ground and almost threw me onto her back. My ribs protested greatly but I was fading fast.

  Regeneration 7 acquired.

  I hope that's enough. My eyes closed as I sunk into sleep, Arath tieing some rope around me to keep me stable as she began to gallop.

  Centaur riding 1 acquired.