Ezzie said.

More prompts, before I could even wrap my head around the first series.

As a Grade E Avatar, you no longer meet the requirements to quest in this area.

According to the terms of your contract, you will be removed from the Proving Grounds momentarily.

I stared openmouthed at the prompt, wings beating the air. We’d actually done it? We’d hit grade E with a full day to spare?

I blinked; it was too much to process.

“I’m so proud of you!> Ezzie said, screaming through the link, making me jump.

Ezzie said, pulling my attention away from the latest prompt.

She flew me back to the city and I landed in a brisk jog, at which point the wings disintegrated, to Ezzie’s very obvious disappointment.

Most of the villagers were in full-on celebration mode, but something was going on in the center of town.

Still stunned to the point where I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself, I moved through the crowd to find that a mob of people had surrounded Marcus. A cloth bag sat open on the ground beside him, a single blue scale glimmering like a sapphire in the dirt beside it.

Two of the children I’d rescued from the siege tower were pointing at Marcus, and a third was whispering in Faye’s ear. She looked to me and raised her eyebrows, gesturing at the man who was now kneeling in the center of the crowd, weeping softly.

“This one—” Faye started.

“I know,” I said. “He’s the one that sold the kids. Been trading them out of the orphanage. Put it together when the siege tower rolled in.”

Faye nodded, a golden exclamation point popping into existence above her head. I examined it and was rewarded with a quest:

New Quest: The Hidden Slaver’s Judgement

Objective: Find a suitable sentence for the slave trader.

Reward: ??

Failure Penalty: None

Decline Penalty: This quest may not be declined

“Any ideas?” Faye said.

Ezzie said.

Quest completed!

Congratulations, you finished 100% of the available quests in Rivercrest!

Awarding title, {Savior of Rivercrest}!

{Savior of Rivercrest}

Effect: All Renown gains increased by 10%. Title does not need to be active to receive this effect.

Ezzie said.

Faye’s lips curved into a grim smile.

I said.

“Children, please follow me,” Faye said. “And pick up any rocks you find along the way. The sharper the better.”

The crowd trailed after Faye, laughing and hollering, a pair of men dragging a weeping Marcus behind them.

I said.

because you did it! But still.>

I looked around at the quiet streets, at the now familiar city.

Ezzie said.

I eyed my feet as a complicated surge of emotions flooded the link. I wasn’t even sure if they were coming from Ezzie or me or a combination of both.

I shrugged and headed over.

The Constructor came whizzing around a corner—I hadn’t even realized it had left. Ezzie said.

I said, as I rounded the same corner and stepped into radiant, golden sunshine.

Sunshine that was emanating from the largest treasure chest I’d ever seen.

Ezzie said.

I couldn’t help but grin at that. I jogged over and undid the clasp—which was the size of my hand—and threw the enormous lid open.

The bottom of the chest was filled with silver coins, but it was the prompts that drew my attention.

Ding!

You found an Epic item!

{Gloves of the Blessed Smith} have been added to your Constructor.

Ding!

You found an Epic weapon!

{Blade of the Shattered Pane} has been added to your Constructor!

Ding!

You found a Mythic item!

{??} has been added to your Constructor!

Ezzie said, her excitement bubbling through the link.

I pulled the first item out of the chest, which was a pair of worn, smoke-blackened gloves.

{Gloves of the Blessed Smith}

Grade: F

Item level: 25

Slot: Hands

Type: Plate

Quality: Epic

Secondaries: +15 Armorsmithing skill (this bonus overrides all skill caps)

Effects: -5% to Catastrophic Failure chance, -10% to Failure chance, items crafted via Armorsmithing now have an additional 10% chance to upgrade to the next quality tier.

Armor: 0

Durability 45/45

I said.

Ezzie said.

Next, I pulled a sword out of the chest.

{Blade of the Shattered Pane} (One-handed Sword} (Touchstone)

Grade: F

Item level: 25

Quality: Epic

Damage type: Slashing

Physical Attack: 40

Magical Attack: 0

Speed: Fast

Primaries: +6 Strength, +6 Constitution, +6 Intelligence

Effects: {Mirror Plating} now passively reflects an additional 3% of all damage you take. In addition, as long as this sword is equipped, player is granted the ability: {Fragmented Soul}

Touchstone cost: Use {Fragmented Soul} to absorb 3 attacks that would have otherwise killed you.

Durability: 50/50

{Fragmented Soul I}

Description: Create a mirror image of yourself with 50% reduced stats. Copy lasts ten seconds and benefits from all of your passives, but cannot use active skills. Upon creation, copy receives 150% of your current aggro (your aggro is not reduced). Copy will always target the closest enemy regardless of threat.

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Cost: 30% of base mana

Next level: Your Pilot gains control of the copy.

Ezzie said. She sighed.

I said, and it came out a little half-hearted.

Ezzie said.

I nodded. I rubbed my face with both hands and forced a smile.

Ezzie said.

I scratched the back of my head.

I lifted the last item out of the chest. But when I tried to examine it, all I got was a single line of mysterious text.

Somebody needs this…

I said, as I turned the item around again and again. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it; it seemed like someone had just taken a big piece of rough cloth, sewed it shut, and stuffed it with something prickly.

Ezzie said.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I shook the weird item, causing whatever filled the cloth to shift and crackle.

I shifted my grip. There were actually two longer sections of cloth, both of which had been sewed up on either end. But a few pieces of hay were poking through the seams.

Ezzie said.

I threw the item back into the chest.

I crossed my arms as the Constructor flew down into the chest. I said.

Ezzie said.

I spotted movement on the horizon; my ride out was nearly here.

Ezzie said.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I said.

she said.

I rubbed my temples with both hands as the cloud appeared above me and began to descend.

Ezzie said.

I said. I took one last lingering look at Rivercrest, at the snow and ice-choked hills that surrounded it. Then the cloud swallowed me up.