We headed for the rift, crossing the wooden bridge, our boots thumping down against wooden planks and boards slick from last night’s rain. The water below was dark, and I knew spikes waited within for any monster foolish enough to try and get through. The tall walls of First Steel loomed all around us, yet it all felt somewhat subdued after the battle and all the struggle with House Domitius.

  Eryn practically bounced, Arclight in hand.

  “I can’t wait to try this in a real fight, and as an adventurer,” she said, grinning. “It’s strange. I’ve never felt so… ready. Like I could run all day and still shoot straight.”

  Knut grunted.

  “Shoot straight. We live. Good deal.”

  Nabeeh rolled her eyes.

  “Show-off. Try not to get eaten on your first official hunt, pretty bird. I remember my first time as an adventurer. Thought I was invincible.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I killed a bunch of monsters. Turns out I was right,” Nabeeh said, winking.

  I was about to fire off a sarcastic reply when a shout echoed from behind, sharp with authority and short of breath.

  “Aldrich! Halt this instant!”

  We stopped and turned. Vos, the guild official, was hustling after us, his face flushed a blotchy red, his monocle dangling from its chain. He nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste.

  “This should be fun,” I muttered.

  Vos didn’t even wait to catch his breath as he skidded to a stop before us.

  “I warned you, Aldrich! I told you! No scavengers Riftside unless you have a full party of five adventurers! Five! Do you understand the concept of counting? I count three. You are missing four and five! Unless you have two more hiding in Sentinel Station you’ve got some explaining to do!”

  I glanced at Eryn. She was biting her lip, trying and failing to keep a straight face. Knut’s mouth twitched and Nabeeh stifled a laugh behind her hand.

  “Oh, this is delightful,” Roq said. “If only I could hear his thoughts. I’d love to know what’s going through that bureaucrat’s skull right now. Does he think he’s so cool? And awesome? Wait until he sees us in action, I’ll ask him then!”

  "This is nearly as satisfying as pouncing on an unsuspecting leaf doe,” Arclight said, and purred. “Humans are so easy to surprise. This one doesn’t even hide it."

  Vos jabbed a finger at my chest.

  “Wipe that grin off your face and answer me! Or I’ll have you banned from the Rift for… for… a month!”

  I looked around, slow and innocent.

  “I just don’t understand what you are talking about, Vos Sir. I don’t see any scavengers here.”

  He sputtered, eyes bulging.

  “Don’t play games! Her!” He pointed at Eryn. “I knew you were trouble as soon as I saw you. You deliberately contradict my orders? You think the rules don't apply to you, don’t you? Let me be clear as a mind gem. You are not to bring Eryn Riftside unless you have a full party of five!”

  I shrugged.

  “You said I couldn’t bring Eryn Riftside as a scavenger.” I gave him a wink. “Didn’t say anything about as an adventurer.”

  Vos froze. His face went through a whole range of emotions. Confusion, suspicion, dawning realization, and finally, utter disbelief.

  “Wait… Are you telling me Eryn has had her breakthrough?”

  Eryn smiled, all sunshine.

  “Yes, sir. I have.”

  Vos stared, his mouth opening and closing silently for a moment.

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Knut took a step toward Vos, looming just enough to be intimidating.

  “You call us liars?”

  Vos waved a hand frantically.

  “No, no, not like that. I… I just need to see this for myself.” He shoved past us, heading for the Rift platform. “Come. Now.”

  A short few minutes later, Vos gaped at the soul chart, his eyes wide as class gems, and I leaned in for a better look, too.

  NAME: Eryn Whitcroft

  CLASS: Storm Warden

  LEVEL: 10 (0/11)

  STRENGTH: 17

  AGILITY: 33

  VITALITY: 15

  MIND: 32

  TOTAL STATS: 97

  MANA: 60/60

  ABILITIES:

  1. NAME: Hunter’s Calm

  TYPE: Passive

  DESCRIPTION: A steady hand and controlled breathing allow for perfect shots even during the stress of battle. The ability raises accuracy and enables mana regeneration during battle.

  2. NAME: Warden's Embrace

  TYPE: Active

  DESCRIPTION: Channel elemental energy into a protective cocoon around an ally that will intercept ranged attacks or explode into a static surge on any nearby attackers, stunning or knocking them back. Lasts for 30 minutes or until triggered.

  NOTE: Every activation costs 10 mana

  3. NAME: Snipe

  TYPE: Active

  DESCRIPTION: Focus your breathing, lock your stance, and line up the perfect shot. Can only be used when standing still and will hit a target spot with 100% accuracy.

  NOTE: Every activation costs 10 mana.

  “Storm Warden? And what in the three bells is in the gems here?” Voss said, face scrunched up as if he’d just witnessed a Ring Beetle quote Guild regulations.

  Eryn smiled, radiating pride.

  “I’ve had good support from Ash, Knut, and Commander Edwin. No mind gems from Edwin or Knut, of course. But mentorship and guidance. It’s been a dangerous journey, hunting Riftside as a scavenger, but I think you can see the benefits.”

  Vos stared at her statistics, lips moving silently and gently shaking his head. Then he looked at me, his expression a mixture of frustration and grudging respect, and held out his hand.

  I took it. The handshake was awkward, a bit hesitant at first, then surprisingly firm.

  “I might have been wrong,” Vos said quietly. “There are two types of people who rush forward. There are those who die young, and those who become legends. My job is to slow down the first, and make sure they grow up.”

  I cocked my head.

  “And what about the other type?”

  “No idea. Haven’t met one yet. Maybe that’s changed,” he said, managing a small, tired smile. “May the gems help the Guild if it has. Legends are notoriously hard to manage.” He straightened, pulling his professional mask back into place, though it didn’t sit quite as rigidly as before.

  He even smiled as he shook hands with Eryn.

  “Congratulations on your breakthrough, adventurer. I’ll try to clear space in my calendar for your orientation.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “That would be nice, sir.”

  He looked towards the Rift and then to me.

  “I won’t stop being a pain in your backside, Aldrich. That is my duty. But I’ll admit you and your friends might be onto something. So, happy hunting.” He paused, then added almost reluctantly, “And if you do get in trouble with the Guild, legitimate trouble, mind you, let me know. I’ll… do my best to ensure fairness.”

  “Actually…” I hesitated, deciding to push my luck. “There is something you might help with. You see, House Domitius, they…”

  * * *

  Knut let out a short, barking laugh as we left the walls behind and headed for the Glowroot Caverns.

  “Think Guild man helps against nobles? Ash, you are fool sometimes.”

  I scoffed.

  “He made it sound like he wanted to help!”

  Nabeeh shook her head, grinning.

  “Oh, sweet summer child. You’ve got a lot to learn about Guild politics. Them not actively interfering is helping, in its own twisted way. Better than we could have hoped for, honestly.”

  Eryn chimed in, “And he did say he’d tell Petra to let us sell items for gold in the Guild shop. That’s something, right?”

  “If he hadn’t slapped a thirty percent Guild cut on anything we sold, sure,” I grumbled.

  “That man is like the pack members who stay behind, never risking the hunt, yet expect their share of the kill. Worthless, like a carrion bird,” Arclight said.

  "At least carrion birds are honest about what they are. I’d rather deal with a pack of bonepickers than another Guild official," Roq grumbled. He sounded just as disgusted as all of us felt.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “At least you’ve got a new shield now,” Knut said, nodding towards the item I’d spent the night forging together with Pa before meeting the officials. “It any good?”

  I flexed my arm, feeling the solid weight of the heater shield.

  “It’s a beast. Pa helped me laminate the scuttler shell perfectly over the core, used the treeshaker resin like a shock-absorbing glue, and you can really feel it dampen the force behind impacts. Oh, you see the Gnaw Hulk sinew binding on the rim? It’s got tensile strength that’d stop a charging Brambleback. Should hold up if theory isn’t that far off.”

  Knut nodded, approving.

  “Good. Need good shield to protect fair maidens from big bad people and monsters.”

  Nabeeh rolled her eyes while Eryn grasped my hammer arm and pulled herself close, looking up at me with a smile.

  When we reached our first destination, the Glowroot Cavern, where we’d been ambushed, the backpacks full of glow roots were still there, and the blue-green strands still faintly glowed.

  After Knut and I each took one, I paused and glanced at Eryn.

  The memory of her mangled hand, of Gnash’s claws reaching for me, they were still sharp.

  “Closest we’ve come to dying, that last run,” I said, hanging Roq on my belt and reaching out. “Glad you’re alright. And an adventurer now at that.”

  She took my hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling softly.

  “Me too. If I’d been an adventurer and had Arclight back then, that stupid rat monster would have been in for quite the surprise.”

  Nabeeh eyed the cave entrance.

  “Since we’re here, why not go back in and hunt a bit? See if any monsters have returned and brought gems?”

  I shook my head.

  “No. We stick to the plan. Pa pulled in a lot of favors to get commitments on these orders. We’re going to go get every ordered carcass, and make sure that we can deliver on time.” Nabeeh sighed dramatically. “Fine. But next time, please pick a route with less walking. Or anything else that requires excessive sweating. You have no idea how hard it is to try and stay pretty in the adversity of heat.”

  * * *

  The Metal Grove lay ahead, the great silver tree at its heart surrounded by a handful of Steel Scuttlers. The air still carried that faint metallic smell from last time.

  Knut stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the scene.

  “Life change fast. Not long since first time here. We meet and bleed together.”

  “And we wouldn’t have become a party if Benedict hadn’t been such a cowardly fool,” I said, smirking. “Gotta give him props for that.”

  Nabeeh raised an eyebrow.

  “What happened?”

  “We were swarmed by Scuttlers,” Eryn said.

  Nabeeh shrugged.

  “What’s the problem? These things look weak. Grey to my sight.”

  Knut shook his head grimly.

  “Weak when few. But claws cut heavy armor. If too many, cannot kill fast enough. Only choice is run.”

  Nabeeh squinted at the scuttlers, still unconvinced.

  “I don’t see the challenge. A few fireballs should sort them out. And even I could outrun a crab, even if it is moderately sized.”

  “Wasn’t a problem for the adventurers,” I said. “But Benedict had brought four scavengers, including Eryn and I. We couldn’t outrun the monsters and Benedict panicked. Didn’t give a single useful order. Marcus, a shit scavenger, but one with guts enough to head Riftside, died.”

  “Oh,” Nabeeh said. “You never told me.”

  I shrugged.

  “Not the most fun of memories. We try to let things stay in the past, people have other ideas and they keep coming after us.”

  “It’s also when we met. Tell her about that!” Roq said. “And about how shocked you were when you realised you had the world’s most amazing weapon in your grip. A scavenger. With a soul weapon!"

  “All I remember is you screaming in my head. A lot.”

  “I was just born…erh…created? I bet you screamed a lot when you were first forged as well!”

  I sighed and checked the sun.

  “We’ve got a schedule to keep. Eryn, want to do the honors?”

  “He’s not wrong, you know,” she said, pulling out an all-metal arrow and nocking it.

  "The beautiful circle of life,” Arclight said.

  "What?”

  “I made that from a Steel Scuttler. A part of it has been reborn as an armor piercing arrow, and now it is about to end another prey’s life. Beautiful,” she said.

  "This is way too complicated for such a simple job,” Roq said, grumbling. “Just let me at them! I need the experience more than the glorified stick-thrower. I’m sure the arrow will bounce right off its shell anyway!"

  "Hush, hammer. Let the hunt unfold. Have patience and I will show you true hunts!" Arclight replied smoothly.

  “Prism shot,” Eryn said, letting us know she activated Arclight’s level five ability, and the arrow glowed with a soft blue light.

  She loosed the projectile, and our eyes followed. A second later, the arrow split into three separate projectiles. Each one struck a Steel Scuttler with sharp cracks, punching straight through their shells. The creatures jerked and collapsed, legs twitching before going motionless.

  “Lucky shot,” Roq grumbled, but Arclight simply hummed in pleasure.

  Knut and Nabeeh exchanged a look, before demonstrably sitting down on a nearby log.

  “Wake us when done,” Knut said, deadpan. “I will rest tired old legs.”

  “I can get used to this,” Eryn said, laughing and nocking another arrow as several monsters chittered about and charged.

  * * *

  Five Crystal Strikers and two Crystal Vanguards headed straight for us.

  Two strikers already lay shattered at Knut’s feet, and two Resonant Weavers were sprawled further in. One had arrows stuck in its head and chest, while another’s chest was blackened and shattered from the heat of Nabeeh’s fire.

  “Let me test my skill on these,” I said and Knut grunted, giving me space.

  I raised Roq and activated Ironburst, feeling the mana flowing down my arm and into Roq before I slammed him into the ground.

  Fifteen steelhusk spears shot up from below their feet, five hitting the more fragile Crystal Strikers, focusing on their heads and torsos. They all died so easily. The remaining ten spears burst forth in two clusters of five, targeting the tankier Crystal Vanguards.

  They might have survived one or two hits depending on where they took them, but not this many. One Vanguard was blown apart, the other somehow stayed intact, impaled by the five spears like a grotesque crystalline hedgehog, head lolling in death.

  The cavern echoed with the sharp cracks of breaking crystal before silence returned and all seven monsters lay dead.

  Knut let out a low whistle.

  “Good skill. Hits hard.”

  "Of course it is,” Roq said, preening.

  “Are you so blunt you’d claim credit for kills not your own?” Arclight said.

  I rolled my eyes, waiting for a roar of indignation.

  “Unlike Eryn and you, me and Ash are true partners,” Roq said, and I looked at Eryn, my eyebrows raised in surprise. “That’s our skill. What is his is mine, and, to a certain degree, likewise. Unlike you, miss stick and string. Why else do you think Ash is level thirteen already?"

  "He’s had a soul weapon far longer than my wielder,” Arclight said. “We’ll catch up soon enough."

  "How?” Roq said, snorting. “You are here to support. WE are the ones who will be doing the killing. We have simply let you play with some of our monsters today so we can better understand how you can support us.”

  "With the kills today, I’m nearly level six,” Arclight said. “And with your lacklustre range, I have no doubt we will find plenty of monsters to slay. Once I reach my breakthrough, I’ll feed my experience to Eryn, just as you do. Then we will pass you by and leave you far behind."

  Eryn chuckled out loud.

  Nabeeh eyed us both curiously.

  “Soul weapons bickering again?”

  I nodded, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  “How are they doing?” the mage asked.

  “They are like siblings,” I muttered. “Or two cats and a dog in a bag.”

  Knut shook his head, though there was a hint of a smile.

  “Better when only Ash stared at air. Now both you do.”

  I shrugged.

  “It is a bit of a challenge keeping up with everything, that’s for sure.”

  “Maybe you and Eryn should start replying out loud,” Nabeeh said. “We can try guessing what they’re saying from the context, and it’ll make it so we know when you’re not paying attention.”

  Eryn and I exchanged a glance, then shrugged.

  “Sure,” Eryn said.

  "Some things should remain private between hunter and bow,” Arclight said. “My words are not meant for lesser beings. Even those who are part of our tribe.”

  “True,” Roq said. “Secrets are weapons too. Besides, talking is soooo slow."

  “We can try, Nabeeh,” I said. “But no promises when things get hectic. Thinking is still way faster, especially in battle.”

  Knut poked a dead Striker with his boot.

  “Gems?”

  "One in the weaver on the left,” Arclight said.

  "Everyone knows there’s a gem in that one,” Roq hissed. “But I bet you didn’t sense the one in the striker, the one with the steelhusk spear through its jaw, did you, kitty?”

  Arclight growled softly.

  “Two gems,” I told Knut.

  He grinned.

  “Five today. Good haul. We keep up and maybe get money in time.”

  “Not enough,” I said. “We’d need more than fifty to be sure we can get enough gold in time.”

  “The price peg should go both ways,” Eryn said, grumbling. “Should be just as illegal to buy mind gems for less than ten gold as it is to sell them for more, but what does it matter when it’s the common folk getting screwed, right?”

  Nabeeh nodded.

  “Rare situation, but I agree. This definitely seems illegal no matter what way you spin it.”

  I grabbed the two carcasses with gems, Knut taking the rest.

  Not all the gold would come from gems, as Pa had negotiated several private missions for us from the craftsmen of Dawnwatch, plus we’d have all the gear Pa and I would forge. But it still felt like a significant victory each time a monster died to show a gem inside.

  "I want the Resonant Weaver,” Arclight said.

  “Say please,” Roq said.

  I chuckled as Eryn relayed the bow’s request, and Knut swiped the carcass over to her.

  “What can you make from it?” he asked.

  "A mana leech arrow,” Arclight said after a moment’s pause. “Less damage, but when it strikes, my wielder will constantly regenerate mana."

  "I’ve forged better from Weavers,” Roq said, scoffing. “But it’s not bad for a beginner. Especially when you’re so mana-hungry. You brute."

  Knut nodded as Eryn relayed the soul weapons’ ability. He was clearly impressed.

  “Mana gain good in fight. Especially for mana hungry class.”

  “I’d love a few of those,” Nabeeh said. “Maybe I can toss them at monsters?”

  “The arrows only work when it is me doing the shooting,”Arclight said. “Do you think I’d risk others using my perfectly crafted arrows against my wielder?"

  Eryn relayed the message, and Nabeeh sighed dramatically.

  “Figures. Some weapons are just selfish. Unlike that hammer of yours, Ash.”

  “What’s next?” Eryn asked, shooting a mock glare at Nabeeh, who just ignored it..

  I looked at the tunnel running deeper in, remembering the last time we were there.

  “There is the real monster we saw in there. The crystal giant. The one that looked like a king sitting on a throne.”

  “How big?” Knut asked. “Did it move? How many arms?”

  “Big enough that it’d have killed us, easily,” I said. “But we were just two scavengers back then. Didn’t see it move, but I don’t doubt it could. It was surrounded by about a hundred of these…” I waved Roq around the room where the carcasses had been. “And just two arms. But they were thick as a bull’s neck.”

  "Let’s go fight it!” Roq said. “We’re strong enough now! Think of the experience! The taste! This time you cannot deny me. I’ve been soooo good for so damn long. I even let the kitty steal many monsters!”

  I shook my head, smiling faintly, and met Eryn's eyes briefly. She gave a small nod.

  “Maybe another day,” I said, letting Nabeeh and Knut try to piece together the dialogue as they had requested. “Eryn just got her breakthrough. This is her first hunt as an adventurer. We’re not pushing tough monsters today, we’re grinding for the smithy.”

  Roq grumbled, but didn’t argue further.

  “And now it’s time for a workout,” I said, and Nabeeh groaned.

  “How can you be so negative about running?” Eryn said, laughing. “It feels amazing to run as an adventurer. Like I could go on forever!”

  Nabeeh made a sour face.

  “Try growing up in a desert and being forced to run the sun because it’s ‘good for you’, it ‘builds character’, and keeps you from growing fat and lazy. My character is perfectly fine, thank you, and I’ve never been fat a day in my life!”

  “But lazy?” Knut asked.

  “Only fools run when they could strategically stroll to victory,” Nabeeh said with a smile.

  “Sorry, Nabeeh,” I said. “This is non-negotiable. We’re on a schedule. We need a few Glowcaps and some Ironroot Golems before heading back home.”

  She groaned theatrically as I took the lead, jogging back out of the cave.

  * * *

  The Bone Cathedral, as Roq had named it, was eerily quiet, the massive ribcage of the ancient skeleton throwing thick lines of shade. The air was cool and damp, and smelled earthy and faintly fungal.

  We’d only found one pair of golems and two Glowcaps so far, the rest was nowhere to be seen.

  “We need ten more of the shroom guys and four tree dudes before we head back,” I said, scanning for monsters but unable to find any.

  “Barely any here,” Eryn said. “Hive Mind must have nearly emptied it for the attack on the station.”

  Knut swiped out one of the Glowcap carcasses. “Blow one up? See what comes?”

  “Dangerous,” I said, eyeing him.

  He shrugged.

  “Did not hear you say ‘no.’”

  “Explosions!” Roq cheered. “Do it!”

  Eryn groaned, but she was smiling too.

  There was a thrill in knowing we could handle what came next, a stark contrast to our near-death experience the first time we were here.

  * * *

  Knut and I ran in wide circles, chased monsters and were chased by them, and just had a great time while doing so. Not because putting your life in danger was fun, but because before it would have been suicidal. Now it was merely reckless behavior.

  The four Golems’ heavy steps shook the ground, and spores drifted from the seven Glowcaps bobbing along behind them.

  Roq was definitely not amused.

  "Stop running and fight! This is humiliating! We need the experience. I’m hungry! We need the gems! And the carcasses!"

  “Patience, Roq” I said, barely breathing hard. “We know we can kill them. I want to see how Eryn handles them. Eryn? Want to try out your new skill?”

  “Of course! Hold on!”

  She took an arrow but kept running along with us.

  “Hit golem in knee! Knut yelled. “We give you time.”

  He stopped and turned toward the chasing monsters, and I did so too. A moment later, Eryn lifted her bow, steadied her breathing, and focused. The arrow shot past and slammed right in the lead golem’s knee, as requested, and shattered the joint. The oversized monster fell over on its face, and two more golems stumbled into it, unable to get clear in time.

  "Try the arrow I forged from the Ironroot Golem. It should have an interesting effect on those smaller creatures,” Arclight said.

  “Go for it!” I called to Eryn and glanced over to see her nock a long wooden arrow with red lines along the shaft.

  “Prism Shot!” she called, and let loose. The arrow burst into flame as it left the string, then split into three fiery streaks in midair.

  “Hah!” Knut said as each arrow struck a different Glowcap.

  They all exploded, and a blastwave expanded outward, moving rapidly toward us, hitting first the big northerner and then me, knocking us down. Heat washed over us, singing our exposed skin. The acrid smell of burnt fungus filled the air, thick and choking as we managed to sit back up.

  “Fire in the hole!” Eryn yelled and then gasped. “Oh, riftrot. I should have started with that!”