Chapter 8

  In Bloom

  Faint distant conversation. The first thing I hear as my mind slowly fades into focus is the sound of what seems to be three people talking in the hallway. Given my childhood for the past eleven years, my first instinct is to listen in and focus on what is being spoken about.

  I half expect the conversation to be about me, resting in a really comfortable bed. Probably the most comfortable bed I’ve been granted access to since my reintroduction here.

  Garbled. The voice of one of the attendants can be heard, but his back is to the door. I see his shadow sliding and stretching its way under the doorframe that seems to stretch its way towards my bed. I can also see two other silhouettes, flanking the first. It seems the other two are facing the first speaker, making their voices easier to hear.

  “Weather changes moods, my dear friend” one of the flanking butler calls out from the hallway, my mind able to pick up their words, but only after a few seconds of focus. This is what happens when you have a Perception over 60, you can seem to focus one of your senses in a given direction, which is very helpful in dealing with political machinations of others, while also being very energy intensive.

  “At least spring is here again,” the second flanking butler replies. Then I can hear the patting of the first butler’s shoulders. Only after listening in so intently do I realize that my head hurts.

  All of that trying to eavesdrop, and it was only about the weather. Or was it?

  “Yeah,” the butler that was facing the door says, only now I can hear them as they have turned around, a fact shown by the way their silhouette danced and glided under the doorframe.

  Knock-knock.

  Then I hear a knocking on the door, followed immediately by the person not waiting for a reply, they just come straight in.

  Flutter.

  The moment the person opens the door, I realize two things. First, the man is still just as attractively androgenous as ever. Having tall slender proportions, that seem like more could be hidden behind their well tailored suit. The second thing I realize is that this is the Arbiter from earlier. The same Arbiter who managed to help remove my completed Skills and have them transfer over as Badges so that I might be able to get new Skills.

  “Oh good, you are awake, that will make this a lot easier,” the Arbiter notes.

  “Arbiter?” I reply, a note of confusion in my voice.

  “Yes, you do remember me. Splendid, this will make this next part a lot easier to complete.”

  I just stare at him, not quite certain what is happening. Given that the Arbiter is here, I guess my original assumption of this being the Bloom Estate is wrong? At least, that is what I had assumed, but given that the Arbiter is now here, I could only assume I was taken to a hospital.

  “I was informed about your condition,” the Arbiter states, and then gestures to me. Only after he makes the gesture do I realize that I am apparently still wearing the same spirit pine pricked clothing. Clothing that now had holes and dozens of tiny blood welts appearing from where I was impaled hundreds of times. So it did happen, I think to myself. Then I remember I was looking at something, or at least trying to look at something before my head got dizzy.

  For a moment I pause, only to realize that I still needed to check out my Stats tab of my Status screen. Remembering that one detail, I hold up a finger to the Arbiter, letting him know I need to focus on something else for a moment. That’s when I pull up a quick breakdown of how all of my Skill ups impacted my Attributes from that last battle.

  There it is, my new Attribute that was unlocked by my acquiring the Wild Skill Strategist. A mutated Skill that for whatever reason helped unlock the Luck Attribute.

  I guess this this is a note of how my strategy of using how the pine spitter spirit worked against them, forcing them to move in a known pattern, so that I could provide a killing blow.

  Then with that out of the way, I pause to take in the full effects of those Attribute increases from that one battle look like on my Stats screen.

  Seeing that I only have a .03 to the Attribute, I realize that my Luck to this point has been completely nonexistent. Sadly, this low Luck stat explains so much about my life to this point.

  Boosh.

  A slamming of the door to my room startles me enough to drop my screen and let me see who charged straight into my patient room.

  “How is she?” Madame Bloom asks from the doorway.

  I don’t know what I expected to see in the open corridor outside my room. Maybe open white walls, and uniquely bland conditions that would make traditional use challenging and nearly impossible. You know, the typical layout of a hospital that was designed on both a budget and to prevent invasions at the same time. Instead, what I saw was dark green wall paint covering the bottom half of the far wall, along with a lighter green up top, where it looked like sunflowers were growing with green stalks and golden rims. Entirely not the imagery I would expect of a traditional hospital.

  “I was just getting to that,” the Arbiter stated a bit of exacerbation filling their voice.

  “Well then don’t let me stop you,” Madame Bloom stated as she went around the Arbiter and other medical staff that came into the room. Moving around them, Madame Bloom ended up going around the side of the bed that faced the wall, and proceeded to stand over top of me, in what would almost seem like a loving gesture. Had I not just witnessed her standing around and watching me get flayed alive by the spirit version of a two-legged poisonous porcupine.

  Sigh.

  The Arbiter sighed, and then turned to face me.

  “As you have suffered serious bodily injury within your first day of being accepted into the Bloom Estate,” The Arbiter stated while gesturing to the room around us. At that, I realize my initial instincts were correct, this was in fact the Bloom Estate and not a hospital. Then again, the Blooms are known for healing magic, so the fact that they designed their main estate to look like a hospital shouldn’t be too concerning. No wait, it is completely creepy.

  “It is my duty as Arbiter of the records to ask you here and now if you wish to annul your part in this contract and be sent back to the DiVoratore estate,” the Arbiter says.

  “What?” Is all I manage to get out.

  “Know that by going back to the DiVoratore estate, all transactions previously spelled out will need to be ratified by both parties. Which could result in a full cancellation of the existing contract that began your fostering under the Bloom’s care.”

  “Oh come now, her wounds are not that bad. In fact, they have all been healed, and we already have plans that she will be learning Mana related Skills directly from me,” Madame Bloom offers from the side.

  Hearing her speak, I realize that she is far more slimier than I originally thought. But she is right, we do have a pact where I don’t need to do anything with her, until she teaches me two Epic grade Skills related to Mana. Given that I still only have one free Skill slot means that I will not need to worry about her completing her end of the secondary bargain until I remove one of my other Skills. Granted it would likely be one of the uncommon skills as those are often quicker to level, and require far fewer levels than the Epic and rare counterparts, but that is not my issue.

  Also, I do realize that part of why I am able to take advantage of such a situation is due to the Madame herself all but compelling me to take the Wild Skill to begin with. A condition that would have never been suggested in the DiVoratore household. Also, I don’t know the full details of the deal made between the Blooms and DiVoratores, but I could only imagine it being important to the DiVoratore. Particularly with how quickly the DiVoratore were willing to get rid of me.

  No, I had two years left until I could get a Class. That is two years left to grind away at Skills so I can get rarer and more exotic classes to be unlocked.

  Additionally, there is something to be said that I have gained more practical insights from just a few hours of talking to Madame Bloom, than I ever did from my body’s mother or grandfather from the DiVoratore family.

  In the end, the only option I could take was clear.

  The Blooms were still indebted to me, and I would use that to my advantage. Just as they used me earlier.

  “I think Madame Bloom was unaware of the dangers plaguing her own properties, which is why things were able to escalate so quickly,” I state diplomatically.

  With just that one well worded sentence, I can feel my Strategist* Skill increasing in level. Feeling emboldened by the increase, I decide to press my luck, the very Attribute that is currently increasing with each well thought out action.

  “Especially as Madame Bloom has personally offered to not only teach me two Epic Rarity Skills related to Mana. But she has also promised to cover my tuition for my first year of Class Training.” I push, feeling a third and fourth level kick in, ensuring I have a full 1 point of Luck available to work with.

  At my comment, Madame Bloom seems to realize exactly what I am doing as she glowers down at me. That gaze holds a mild malicious contempt, as if she is weighing the odds of correcting my comments about the Bloom family paying for my Class specific training.

  “Sorry, I misspoke,” I correct myself. Suddenly, I remember the Mana readout that I had to take. The same readout that determined exactly how interested Madame Bloom would be in acquiring my services for her family. “I meant to caveat my statement as covering my tuition for my first year of Class Training as a Magic user.”

  With that the fire in Madame Bloom’s eyes died out slightly. Where once had been a burning blaze ready to seemingly end the contract between the Blooms and the DiVoratores, now it was only close. So I amended my statement again.

  “This is of course, contingent upon me getting a Life, Holy, or Nature based casting Class that can better serve the Bloom family lineage and history.”

  At that, Madame Bloom completely relaxes and seems to smile slyly, as if she were the one who managed to broker a deal that was more than acceptable. Hearing my words, the Arbiter turns from me to face Madame Bloom.

  “Is this accurate?” The Arbiter asks.

  “Yes,” Madame Bloom responds.

  “Very well, I will make a note that two Skills of Epic rarity need to be provided to fostering child Catarine Bloom, and that the first year of Class specific training will be afforded, as long as the child is able to unlock a Magic class of any rarity that utilizes Healing, Holy, or Nature magics in some form or capacity.”

  The Arbiter threw in those last few parts about any rarity, and form or capacity on his own, a fact that I can only feel is possible due to my newly identified Luck Attribute. Believing in Luck that much might be the equivalent of superstition, but compared to how my life has been up to this point, to how it just got easier with people fighting for me on my behalf, I will put my faith in something, might as well be a completely new and unknown Attribute. An attribute that even now is slowly ticking up as the effects of my Strategist* Skill are being accumulated.

  There is a pause as the Arbiter stares at Madame Bloom, no doubt waiting for her to confirm the exact wording that was just spelled out. Finally after a moment, Madame Bloom replies.

  “Yes, exactly like that.”

  “Very good, in that case, I will make an amendment to the original contract noting these changes,” the Arbiter begins. Then seeing a slight shift in the Madame’s face, he adds. “With this, I will be able to avoid any potential penalties for having the fostering child in your care suffer immediate injuries. Injuries that could have easily been avoided.”

  “Yes, thank you for working with us, through this oversight.” Madame Bloom responded, adding particular emphasis on the word oversight.

  “Very good,” The Arbiter stated, then standing up looked like they were about to leave, before reaching into their pocket and pulling out a card and handing it to me. “If you should need anything in the future, do not hesitate to reach out. My phone line is there, along with my Address. Just walk right in, regardless of the day or time and someone will see to your needs.”

  The Arbiter made sure to shift his gaze from me to Madame Bloom, almost daring her to stop me from seeing him.

  “But of course,” Madame Bloom replied sweetly.

  “Well, I guess I need to make my rounds,” the Arbiter stated, then turning back to me he replied, “I will make sure to stop in and do a few follow-up checks from time to time.”

  With that he smiled to me, before turning his gaze up to face Madame Bloom, at which point his face went to a hard stoic fa?ade. The intent behind his actions clear, he was not happy with what was happening and would not take it in the future.

  Madame Bloom smiled brightly.

  There was an odd tension, as the Arbiter slowly left, with four sets of eyes watching him as he left.

  Blang.

  The wooden door slammed shut behind him, and all I could do was watch as his shadow slid away from under the doorframe, a sign that he was gone for good.

  After a long ten count of pure silence where everyone stared out at the door, Madame Bloom finally spoke up.

  “Now that that is over…”