Dressed in his Feast Day best, Glenn entered Wolfpine’s town square alone, a large flat area of weathered yellow cobblestones without a tuft of visible grass. It was scarcely bigger than the weird ritual circle of earth and leaves created by the Moss Beast that abducted Azalea Whitetalon. Thinking about the similarities bothered Glenn, so he pushed the matter from his mind.

The town square sat in front of the mayor’s residence to its north, a two-story structure of columns, windows, and wood that was the largest in town by far. It was bordered by Wolfpine’s only tavern, The Mead Beast, to the east, with the guard barracks to the west of the town square. When things got rowdy in Wolfpine’s tavern, as they had during the , it was handy to have the guard barracks right across the square.

The Chapel of Celes stood south of the square, its single weathered stone steeple challenging the sky. The chapel wasn’t nearly as spacious inside as the mayor’s residence, but its steeple stretched almost twice as tall, and the narrowed pole at the top made it taller still. Atop that pole a single crescent moon—the symbol of Celes, Goddess of Resurrection—glistened in the midday light.

Glenn was the only person in the square. The mayor must still be in his mansion, and while Becka must be on her way, she did tend to cut her arrivals close. He checked the hands on the old clock tower to the southeast of the Mayor’s Residence and verified he was, in fact, a few minutes early.

Mayor Coleman had requested to meet the saviors of Azalea Whitetalon at mid-afternoon. Glenn would have liked to have his parents present to see him turn in this Quest, but that simply was not possible.

During the day, the Gods demanded Tania wait behind her counter, to sell enchantment crystals, and Hal remain at his table to Scribe any official Quests. Adventurers might need either service at any time during the day. So while both his parents wanted to be here, he knew why they couldn't be.

With nothing to do but wait, Glenn truly considered striding into the chapel right now, placing his hands on the pedestal below Celes’ statue, and asking the Gods to bless him as an Adventurer. Yet while he could accept turning in this Quest without his parents present, he wanted them there when he finally undertook the Ceremony of the Path. He'd only do it once, after all.

After a moment's reflection, and with no one else in sight, Glenn faced the temple and bowed to Celes. It was only Celes’ protection that kept her husband, Ralun, God of Undeath, from ending the world. One day, of course, Ralun would do that anyway … but hopefully not for millennia yet.

Ralun was not like the Nurturer Gods, who offered their power to help humanity grow old, or the Challenger Gods, who helped humanity to grow stronger. And He certainly wasn’t like Celes, who protected their souls. Ralun wanted only to end the world so Celes could remake it anew.

Yet what if Celes couldn’t stop Him? Glenn had just learned the Gods weren’t infallible, after all. What if Ralun somehow found a way to end the world without intending to do so? What if He—

Someone slapped Glenn on the back. "Lose something?

Glenn almost jumped out of his skin. Yet rather than drawing the sword sheathed on his back, he straightened and glared. “I hate you.”

Zack laughed and poked Glenn’s side. “Why hate me? You left yourself wide open! What kind of a Duelist does that?”

Glenn Redwood and Zack Silverstone had been good friends since both of them were boys. Zack was as tall as Glenn, but far thinner, a man of wiry rather than thick muscles. He had dark hair in fine corn rows, umber skin that gleamed in the midafternoon sun, gray eyes, a rakish jaw, and a disarming grin that made him quite popular with all of Wolfpine’s women.

Yet Zack was no pushover. As they Leveled together, Glenn had watched Zack take down Gloamwolves and even Crackpaws using his twin blades and ruthless, efficient cuts. Zack held himself with dangerous grace, a sign of the fragile yet deadly Class he’d chosen ... Shadower.

Glenn could knock Zack across the square in a fair fight, but that was only if he saw the man coming. Which, thanks to Zack’s use of his [-Shadow Walk-] Skill just now, Glenn had not. Shadowers used Illusion casting to kill Monsters before the Monster even knew they were there.

Glenn resisted the urge to shove his friend back. Zack’s main attributes were Strength and Prowess, with a side of Wisdom. Glenn might accidentally knock Zack off his feet. Also, Zack was a good friend teasing another good friend, so Glenn didn’t want to hurt him. He just didn’t like being snuck up on.

Zack had reached trial age three months ago, and the Gods had chosen him to be an Adventurer. Zack had promptly chosen Shadower as his Class and taken [-Shadow Walk-] as his first Skill, and so far as Glenn knew, he’d been terrorizing the Crackpaws of Crackpaw mine ever since. [+Night Sight+], Zack’s first Shadower Blessing, allowed him to see perfectly even in utter dark.

Unlike Glenn, who’d had a harrowing night, Zack had likely spent his night drinking mead and attempting to charm women into his bed. Since he was trial age, Zack could actually have sex ... though, Glenn reminded himself in a moment of blinking clarity, he was trial age now as well.

“So you and Becka spent a night together in the woods,” Zack reminded Glenn, one eyebrow hopping up and down in a manner that was somehow lewd. “What’s she promised you so far?”

Glenn just grunted.

“After last night, I bet she’s promised a whole lot of things, but now that you’re 16, you might want to hone your skills lest you somehow disappoint her. I know a lovely Entertainer at The Scarlet Rose who could break you in. She’ll be trial age for another six months, and Gods, she’s brilliant.”

Glenn had never even considered bedding an Entertainer, though there was no shame in doing so. Entertainers were a Townsfolk Class like any other, with a well-respected and necessary role in society. The thought of getting some practice before Becka was tempting ... but Glenn would wait.

Becka was absolutely worth the wait.

Glenn walked past Zack and waved him off. “Becka’s fine, by the way. We both are.”

Zack laughed and easily fell into step beside Glenn. “Don’t be like that. I know you’re already both recovered. I looked into it. Though I will say, I absolutely love what you did with her clothes.”

“Grass Sprites did that. And a hungry Moss Beast. So maybe spend less time thinking about her curves and more thinking about all the Monsters she took down with just a dagger.”

Zack tapped him lightly on the back. “No worries there, my friend. I’d never think of picking the lock on Becka’s heart, even if I could manage it. That’s one treasure you’ve quite secured.”

Glenn glanced Zack’s way. They were halfway across the square now, but he hadn’t expected that comment. “Did she say something to you?”

“Oh, so now he’s interested!”

Glenn huffed and looked away. He knew enough about his relationship with Becka to know he didn’t need Zack’s advice about it. “Why are you here, anyway?”

“Why, to see my brave friend turn in his first Quest!” Zack said. “And speaking off ... oh, wow.”

Glenn turned at the same time as Zack to see Becka striding hurriedly into the square. Every last bit of grime and blood from last night was completely washed away, allowing her pale and perfect skin to gleam in the mid-afternoon light. And this time, she wasn’t wearing a [Seamstress Dress].

Glenn didn’t know what type of dress this one was, but he did know it was expensive, formed of a sheer red fabric that looked expensive. With a plunging bust and the hemline dancing around Becka’s calves, the dress hugged Becka’s curves so tightly it almost seemed as if the cloth was fused to her. Which was likely why Glenn’s jaw dropped enough to part his lips.

Yet the dress wasn’t all. Becka also wore glittering earrings with dark gems and a necklace with another gem that drew the eye to everything her dresses’ low cut showed off. Did all wealthy women dress like this? Lakebrooke must be a vision.

Zack elbowed Glenn appreciatively. “Pantheon be praised, she’s too hot for you.”

Glenn elbowed him back. “Keep your voice down.”

Glenn swallowed as Becka approached at a somewhat unsteady pace, and he realized for the first time she was taller than he remembered. How? Then, he spotted the strange sandals she wore.

These sandals sported jewels as well, and they were red like her dress. They also tilted ... forward? What looked to be platforms stretched from the lower back portion of each sandal, and those platforms clicked loudly on the cobblestone as Becka hobbled over.

Why would anyone wear shoes like those? It looked like Becka could barely walk in them, let alone run. Did all rich Townsfolk were shoes like this? How could they get through their day?

Becka looked more than a bit flustered by the time she reached them, and Glenn immediately noticed her skin gleamed with sweat. Which, oddly enough, only made him want to kiss her more.

“You look amazing,” he said, before he could think anything, really.

At his words, Becka’s visible frustration softened just a bit. “Thank you. I’m glad someone appreciates the effort I took to get here. I can barely walk in these abominable shoes.”

“Someone needs more Prowess,” Zack said knowingly. “Though if may say so, Miss Coldbreaker, you won’t have to walk anywhere if you let some rich noble sweep you off your—”

Zack coughed and doubled over from Glenn’s unexpected elbow into his gut, then wheezed. “Not fair, not fair, I wasn’t ready.”

Glenn sighed and steadied Zack before he toppled over. “I don’t know how to get rid of him.”

A positively delighted grin spread across Becka’s face. “Ooh, let me try.”

Zack stood and backed away, hands raised. “I yield!”

“A wise decision,” Becka said ruefully, before she glanced at Glenn. “So he has still not emerged from his mansion?” She was, of course, referring to Mayor Coleman.

Glenn nodded. “You got here in plenty of time.”

“That’s simply wonderful. He’s taking his time, while I near broke my neck jogging over here in these ridiculous shoes. I assumed our good mayor would be waiting snippily for me and tapping his foot, then glare at me the whole time I walked across the square.”

“Mayor Coleman is a busy man,” Glenn said doubtfully, as he hated making excuses for a snobbish Level climber. Yet Mayor Coleman was in charge of Wolfpine. Glenn didn’t dare anger him.

The mayor had eyes and ears everywhere. He was even rumored to employ Shadowers to spy on those he believed might be talking poorly about him behind his back. Mayor Coleman couldn’t banish anyone from Wolfpine, of course, but he could lose paperwork they needed to order new supplies or conveniently “forget” to add their name to the town’s ledger of services.

Yet Glenn couldn’t stop staring at Becka. He suspected Zack couldn’t either. Becka glanced between them, hopelessly amused, before she brushed her long dark hair over one shoulder. “You’d think you’d never seen a [Noblewoman’s Dress] before.”

“Not while it was still on her,” Zack agreed.

Glenn made to shove Zack again, but this time, Zack avoided his shove as casually as if he’d brushed off a falling leaf. “Too slow, my friend.”

“You’ve never had a noblewoman,” Glenn said, though honestly ... he wasn’t completely sure. “Where would you even find one? They don’t work at The Scarlet Rose.”

“A gentle soul never tells!” Zack said, as his charming grin widened. “Though, my dear Becka, I say this now without an ounce of dishonesty. You rival the finest noblewomen I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m so glad you’re impressed,” Becka said dryly. “Now can you go be somewhere less annoying?”

Behind them all, twin doors rumbled open. Glenn turned as Becka took two halting steps to stand beside him and Zack, having not been invited to meet the mayor, casually slipped off to the side. Yet the first person to emerge from the mansion wasn’t the mayor, as Glenn had expected.

It was a tall, wide, menacing figure in dark armor. [God Armor]. Glenn blinked as he stared up in surprise at a Town Guard.

What was a Town Guard doing coming out of the mayor’s mansion?