Glenn

As the gates of Wolfpine came into sight once more, due north along a Safe Road lit by late afternoon, Glenn was struck by an unexpected hint of melancholy. This was the last day he’d return home through these gates. This was likely the last day he’d return to Wolfpine after a day of hunting.

Tonight, he’d complete his Ceremony of the Path. Tomorrow morning, whether the Gods chose him as Adventurer or Townsfolk, he’d leave Grassea with Jenny Ambersun to join the Blazers. That meant he might not see Wolfpine or anyone who lived there for three years, which was the time allotted to a Junior Blazer to earn their way to Rank Eight and become a full member of the guild.

Yet all he’d earned today felt good. Somehow, he and Becka had reached up and snatched their long held dream, and the life that now stretched ahead of them was bright and full of wonder. Not only would he and Becka be together, but they’d be Blazers. They’d also have all the resources they would need to reach the Divine Level Cap and, one day, even become legends of Balarel.

Glenn also knew the Blazers kept hundreds of books on Monsters, Adventuring, Classes, and Skills in Lakebrooke. He simply could not wait to dive into all the knowledge they’d stowed away. He’d exhausted every book on those topics in Wolfpine’s library years ago, and with all the knowledge of Lakebrooke at his disposal, he might even gain another point of Wisdom when he Leveled.

Most importantly, he’d finally be able to learn all he could about the tree for Evolved Classes and plan his climb beyond Level 20. Thanks to the information on the Duelist Skill Tree, which was well-documented, Glenn had planned out what Skills and Blessing he’d gain years ago. Yet he had no such plan for the two Evolved Classes available to Level 20 Duelists, Blademaster or Cleaver.

Only one book on Evolved Classes existed in Wolfpine, and it provided names, descriptions, and little else. No charts of Skills and Blessings. No accounts of famous Adventurers who’d chosen that Evolved Class in the past. Just tantalizing hints of power and promise that remained years away.

Beside him, Jenny smiled. “For a man who almost got himself eaten by Vulpor, you seem in a remarkably good mood.”

Glenn grinned her way. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You’re skipping.”

Glenn nearly stumbled before he caught himself. Was he skipping? He was not skipping. His walk had just been a bit jauntier than normal, maybe. Who could blame him after today?

“It’s nice to see,” Jenny added. “I always find enthusiasm refreshing.”

“You’ve actually recruited people who weren’t excited to join the Blazers?”

“Every so often.”

Glenn struggled to wrap his head around that. “What was wrong with them?”

“Not everyone is eager to leave their old life behind.”

As Glenn sensed her unspoken question, he glanced at her. “Did I give you the impression I didn’t want to leave Wolfpine?”

She watched him without expression. “Do you?”

Was this another test? Or was she simply making conversation? Either way, Glenn saw no reason not to answer honestly.

“I love Wolfpine,” Glenn said. “My parents are here, and my friends, and there’s almost no one here I won’t miss when I leave it behind. But leaving has always been my plan.”

“To become an Adventurer,” Jenny said.

“Exactly that,” Glenn agreed. “From the moment I first picked up a sword and defeated my first Grass Sprite, I knew I’d leave Wolfpine behind one day. I made myself mentally ready for that long ago. Your invitation has only moved up my departure a bit.”

“And it’s not forever,” Jenny reminded him. “Once you earn your way into the Blazers, you’ll have some say in the zones to which you travel and the jobs you choose to take. You’ll also have personal time which you can use however you choose, including visiting your parents and home.”

“I’d like that,” Glenn agreed. “And I will visit home, no question. But my focus right now is on the immediate challenges ahead. So if there’s anything I should be doing differently on the path to becoming a full Blazer, just let me know. I’m ready to learn.”

They were almost in shouting distance of the Town Guards. Both stood at attention as they always did, though Glenn recognized that there had been a shift change since this morning. While Martin and Seth had been on duty when he left Wolfpine, one of the two Town Guards now standing guard was female. Joanne? The woman looked to be about her height and build.

Glenn was still reflecting on just how good today had gone when the sound of a man shouting drew his gaze from the town. The shouting sounded desperate and raw. After one moment of frozen disbelief, Glenn recognized the shout from all the times he’d heard it before.

That was Zack shouting. Zack had gotten himself in trouble again. As Glenn turned to stare due west, at the thick trees of the Deepscorn Woods not far from Wolfpine’s western wall, Zack Silverstone tumbled out of the woods at a wild stagger.

He carried someone in both arms, a woman with blond hair and pale skin—likely a fellow Adventurer. Yet the woman wasn’t moving, and there was blood on her face and [Cotton Robe]. Moreover, Zack was obviously on his last legs. It seemed a miracle he could even maintain a jog.

From behind Zack and the Adventurer in his arms, two shadowy figures with glowing red eyes zipped from the treeline. Those figures were followed by two more, red-eyed shadows who sped around an exhausted Zack to cut him off from the safety of Wolfpine’s gates. They weren’t Monsters, and Glenn’s blood ran cold as a description from one of Wolfpine’s books jumped foremost into his mind.

These were Demons, and specifically, Shaitan ... with a minimum Level of 12. Like all Demons, their ability to shimmer made them largely invulnerable to non-magical attacks, and Shaitan also had a Skill which let them paralyze opponents with a touch. Finally, they had a limited ability to absorb hostile magic cast their way, meaning it often took several consecutive [-Burn-]s to breach their defenses.

How the Demons hadn’t already eaten Zack alive was a mystery for the ages.

Zack, at least, retained his good instincts. He’d come back to Wolfpine to seek help. Yet until he got within 50 paces of the gates, Kya, Goddess of Duty, prevented Wolfpine’s Town Guards from coming to Zack’s aid. More than 100 paces remained between Zack and the town gates, and it was obvious from his stumbling gait that he’d never make it while carrying that unconscious woman.

“Devilspit,” Glenn whispered, and drew his sword.

“Glenn, hold on,” Jenny ordered cautiously. “Those are—”

“Demons.” Glenn sprinted toward the threat he now knew he had to stop. “Might need a few more of those [-Inferno-]s!”

While Glenn didn’t hear Jenny coming after him, he trusted her to already be moving into range to support him with offensive Skills. She likely had Blood Potions stashed away in her [Unfilled Bag], and even if she didn’t, he couldn’t just watch his best friend get torn apart by Demons.

He had to help. And while he didn’t have a magical weapon, he did have a magic Skill. He hoped.

Zack’s eyes widened as he spotted Glenn charging toward him. He stumbled and went to his knees, then reached into his hip pouch. As Glenn watched, Zack pulled out a small crystal about the size of a strawberry. Light flared briefly, driving the Shaitan back. Then that light went out.

Yet the flash left one of the Shaitan stumbling toward him, no longer as shadowy as before. Glenn knew an opportunity when he saw it. He focused on the Shaitan ahead and the two just past it, then swung with all his might as he reached the stumbling Demon.

[-Phantom Slice-]!

His sword struck Demon flesh and flashed straight through, sending icky black fluid spurting on the grass. The Shaitan he’d just slashed howled and flinched away as the two behind it simultaneously did the same. Three red Health Bars appeared simultaneously, and the fact that Glenn’s strike had charred barely a sliver of full red was more than discouraging.

Yet the Demons were startled. That was all Glenn expected. All three reflexively dropped into shimmer, freeing Glenn’s path to Zack and the woman in his arms.

“Give her to me!” Glenn shouted as he arrived.

Zack’s eyes widened as he caught on. He pushed up with a feverish grunt, obviously using the last of his Strength, so Glenn could snatch the unconscious woman in the [Cotton Robe] from his arms. Glenn slung her over his shoulder. Carrying her would be no trouble for his 14 Strength.

“You can’t fight them!” Zack rasped. “They’re Demons!”

“Which is why we should run.” Glenn spun to jog toward the gates. “Now.”

The Demons, unfortunately, chose that moment to reappear. All three Demons he’d wounded with [-Phantom Slice-] on his way to Zack came out of shimmer between them and Wolfpine, with one remaining behind them to stop them from fleeing back to the woods. Glenn had no doubt the Shaitan would paralyze them the moment they tried to get past.

The Demons would tear them apart soon after, and once they fell, not even Jenny Ambersun could save them. Until she reSlotted as a Spiritualist, she remained a Level 8 Harmcaster, and that was far from powerful enough to solo four Level 12 Demons.

Worse, if he, Zack, and the blond woman all died outside Wolfpine’s gates, Richard Deepscar could only use [-Resurrect-] on one of them. That meant, thanks to the Skill’s twenty-four hour cooldown, two of them would meet the forever death. Glenn balanced his [Bronze Training Sword] in one hand as he stabilized the woman on his shoulder with the other and advanced.

“What was that crystal?” he asked Zack.

“Magical item I picked up for a steal,” Zack managed, still breathing hard. “But I think that was its last charge.”

“Glenn!” Jenny shouted from the gates. “Get ready to charge!”

Glenn immediately grasped Jenny’s desperate plan. “Can you run?” he asked Zack.

“Sure,” Zack rasped, as he barely kept his feet at a slow walk.

“Then stay directly behind me. And stay close.”

Jenny Ambersun was even now casting another [-Inferno-] spell. A Shaitan might be able to absorb [-Burn-] without trouble, but [-Inferno-] was far more powerful.

Glenn lowered his weight and readied his sword. “Time to go.”

“You’re nuts,” Zack said. “This’ll never work.”

“Don’t fall behind,” Glenn said, and charged.

Even with the unconscious woman’s weight, he barely slowed. Behind him, Zack’s breathing sounded ragged, but at least Zack kept up. He was also, as Glenn had asked, directly behind him.

The three Shaitan ahead whispered fervently and closed ranks as Glenn charged right at them with Zack directly behind. Their words somehow slipped into the cracks of his mind and twisted there, insidiously. Glenn blocked out the worst of it as Jenny shouted from afar.

“[-Inferno!-]” Jenny bellowed.

Her shouting her Skill aloud wasn’t for his benefit. It was a warning for the Shaitan. There was a big fireball coming, and nothing, even Demons, liked being burned.

The sound of flames rocketing through air sounded from ahead. Defying every instinct in his body, Glenn ran straight toward the ball of flames. Ahead, the lead Shaitan spun and hissed. As Jenny’s [-Inferno-] spell reached them, all three Shaitan scattered into shimmer.

Glenn took the [-Inferno-] bolt straight to the chest.