Ascension is the primary way that living beings increase their capacity for growth and change the way they have specialized. All creatures can ascend, though most only do so a handful of times. This is where we dwarves excel, since we have long taken hold of the paths laid before us and learned how to grow to even higher heights than the beasts and monstrosities of the wilds can often accomplish. That is to say little of trained or tamed creatures that we purposefully raise to such heights. All this is to say that Ascension is by far the most important aspect of the Journey that we currently understand.

  - From a lecture on the Journey and its parts by Lanou Clovenaxe

  [Paelothian forest]

  It spent days pouring its attention towards that nagging loose end. It had little idea what it was supposed to do. That was until it faced the otters. Two silky brown creatures that were only a tad larger than the crab, but it had little way of stopping them. Fast and predatory, they took one of the crab’s legs before it could retaliate. Settling into its do or die mentality, it refused to let its limb go without damaging the otter in return. That was when the itch lessened for the first time. The otters eventually ended their harassment of the crab once they realized they were only going to get pinched for their troubles after that first leg.

  Now, after that harrowing experience, the crab understood some of the requirements behind the uncomfortable dangling thought. First, the thought was actually a directive, just like the warmth that gave the crab its twin purposes so far. Second, the thought was like a stone. If the crab could turn it over, it would find the deserved algae clinging beneath! Thinking like that, it had made several more attempts to slide into that mindset, even outside of peril. After several days of descending into that mindset the thought changed slightly.

  

  Nameless

  Role: Lesser Migrant Crab

  Ascension: 0

  Force: 5 Endurance: 13

  Intellect: 17 Potency: 9

  Skills: Discernment [2], Hide [2], Scuttle [2]

  Sorcery: seeded domain requires ascension

  So it struggled to ascend. It was now barely smart enough to know how to as well. It needed to grow and gain knowledge, if it was going to be like the hawk or the otters. Strength followed in the wake of experience and so the crab needed to strike out of its comfortable place amidst the larger frontal crabs and speed ahead.

  Grow and Understand.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The newborn crab would try. The sun was high and the crab was intently following the brook as the water bent down a slope and wound through the forest. There, at the edge of a small pool in the stream was a ragged shape. Lanky, and covered in matted fur, was a strange creature. Much smaller than the one it had hidden from that first night. It was a long limbed nightmare that stood on all fours and snarled as it lapped at the water. Jerking its head upright, its toothy jaws wide and ready to bite, the hound stared through piercing amber eyes at the newcomer for a long moment.

  Without so much as a warning, the predator sprinted at the crab. It was as big as one of the racoons and as fast as the hawk. The crab sidestepped a snarling bite before pinching down hard on the creature’s snout. The trick had worked before, why not again? Then the crab felt the dread sink in as its claw snapped shut on nothing but thin air.

  From there it was an exchange of speedy gambits. A bite for a snap. A slash for a pounce. It only ended when both were sure the other couldn’t get an attack in edgewise. The crab’s eyestalks swiveled a touch to take in their surroundings, creating an opening. The dark hound came in quick and low, aiming for the stunted regrowing crab leg.

  No.

  The crab felt the thought surface in a sea of panic and energy. Like a cool calming tide the word swept over it. The crab felt the world slow around it and knew it could prevent the attack from landing. How it was unsure, but it could do it. So it did.

  Impossibly, the hounds bite snapped shut just short of the crab, and it fell without the crab to stop its momentum. Seizing the opportunity, the crab clamped shut its claws around the hound’s thin neck and squeezed till the beast no longer moved.

  After eating, the crab attended to its inner self.

  Nameless Lesser Migrant Crab has ascended to Nameless Apprentice Migrant Crab.

  Dipping into the pool the crab felt the tight exterior of its body fall away, molting to emerge slightly larger. It was not as large or colorful as the frontline crabs, but it was different now. Slight gray markings had begun to show on its hardening back. It cared about these changes little, only interested in what the inner list showed.

  

  Nameless

  Role: Apprentice Migrant Crab

  Ascension: 1

  Force: 5 Endurance: 13

  Intellect: 17 Potency: 14

  Skills: Discernment [2], Hide [2], Scuttle [2]

  Sorcery: Negation Domain

  Weary from the fight and sudden changes, the crab rested at the bottom of the pool for several hours before continuing to follow the brook down into the dense forest. Hours later, the crab watched the sun set behind the rocky rise upstream and turned to find a spot to hide for the night, but its eyes caught light still coming from ahead. This puzzled the crab. All light should be leaving, yet here some stayed behind?

  Curiosity getting the better of it, the crab scuttled toward the distant fleck of brilliance. It was after all other light had receded behind the crab that it half swam, half walked toward the fire. It was startled as three shadowy shapes surrounding the fire began to move, but still it crept closer. Odd sounds, strange tastes on the air, and the weird warm light that emanated from the center of this place.