Zack reached the town gates just in time to find Anna hugging Alan fiercely on the Safe Road, which Alan seemed to be tolerating without complaint. Zack couldn’t hear the words they exchanged as he approached, and he decided to wait at a comfortable distance until they were done commiserating. Dourness aside, Alan really was a decent man.

Anna soon glanced his way. She beckoned him to join them. Zack nodded to the stoic Town Guards as he headed out of Wolfpine to join the two former fugitives.

He didn’t fail to notice that Anna and Alan had chosen to say goodbye more than fifty paces from the town gates. Even with their identities cleared of all wrongdoing, Zack could understand neither of them wanting to be out of reach of the law. Once he arrived, Anna stepped away from her cousin.

“I was worried you wouldn’t make it before Alan left! You know, with ... everything in town.”

“Cleaning up dead trolls is the guard’s job, not mine. I just needed to assure Mom I wasn’t dead. I wouldn’t miss one last chance to see Alan’s sour face before it’s gone forever.”

Alan smiled wanly. “You will miss me.”

“You going to be all right walking all the way to Lakebrooke, alone?”

“It’s a Safe Road,” Alan said. “What could go wrong?”

Zack supposed there were no longer any mortal threats to Alan with the Blazers off his back. Still, he didn’t envy Alan his upcoming walk, especially at night. The pack Alan carried looked close to bulging with food and other items, so he’d likely gone on a last minute shopping spree in town. Zack imagined the Townsfolk of Wolfpine had appreciated that.

Alan then extended his hand. “Thanks for everything, Zack. I truly mean that. Without your help, we’d likely be in prison or even corpses in that man’s [Unfilled Bag].”

Anna shuddered. “Gods, don’t even say that.”

Zack shook the man’s hand firmly. “I only did what made sense to me. Also, most of the reason you’re here right now is Glenn, not me.”

“I know,” Alan said without a hint of hesitation. “I tried to thank him myself, but Captain Cliffbreeze said he was busy. And would be for some time.”

Zack smiled proudly. “Oh, he’s busy all right. ” After three wasted months, Glenn was finally learning all the advantages of being old enough to bone. “You know how you feel about your lady back in Lakebrooke? Glenn’s been waiting months for Becka to come back.”

“Then I wish them both a very pleasant night. Still ... you’ll pass my thanks along?”

“Sure thing.”

“So that’s it, then.” Alan looked to Anna. “I’m leaving. This is your last chance to join me.”

“I don’t think I can go back to Frostford,” Anna said quietly. “Not yet, and not after all this. But eventually, I’m sure, I’ll come visit.”

“I can understand you being hesitant to leave,” Zack said. “Since, you know, I’m here.”

Anna smiled at him. “That’s not the only reason.”

“But it is one.”

Alan sighed with resignation and looked to Anna. “Take care of him, all right?”

After a moment, Zack frowned. “Isn’t that supposed to be the other way around?”

Alan cracked the barest of grins before turning away without another word. Yet as he walked down the Safe Road toward the distant border with Evolan, Zack noticed a new spring in his step. Alan actually looked excited to be going home.

Perhaps Alan’s dourness was less innate and more due to missing his woman. Now that Alan was headed back home, he almost looked like an entirely different man.

Anna snatched Zack’s hand in her own. “Now, what are we to do about us?”

“We could head back to my room. Mom’s not home, so we don’t have to be near so quiet.”

Anna squeezed his hand. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later. I hope.”

Zack felt a hint of unease. “You hope?”

“If you decide to stay with me.”

Zack squeezed her hand right back. “I can’t imagine any reason I wouldn’t.”

Even as he said those words, he surprised himself. That sounded an awful lot like commitment, and they’d just sort of ... slipped out. They’d promised each other they wouldn’t get attached, and Zack wasn’t going to go back on that promise.

Was he? He just really liked being with Anna. That’s all.

Anna tugged on his hand. “Then come with me. We need to talk before you make any big decisions, and this isn’t a conversation we should have in sight of the Town Guards.”

Despite having no idea what she was thinking, Zack followed her up the Safe Road. He trusted her as much as he trusted anyone. Once they’d moved some distance from Wolfpine, Anna released his hand and headed into the Deepscorn Woods.

Zack followed without asking questions, though he was vaguely wary of the woods. They now held far more dangerous threats than Gloamwolves. There was supposedly a Rakshasha still prowling somewhere out here, though Zack imagined some high Level Adventurers or Blazers would find and kill it soon enough. It bothered him that he no longer had Xiva’s crystal to protect them.

Still, Anna only walked in a bit before she turned to give him a decidedly serious look. Zack knew they could easily sprint back to the Safe Road from this distance. This was secluded, but safe.

“You don’t have to drag me all the way out here to seduce me,” Zack said.

Anna didn’t smile. In fact, she looked more nervous than he’d ever seen her. What was this?

“First,” Anna said, “I want to know why I couldn’t be honest with you. There’s things I had to keep from everyone, even Alan. So, I hope you can forgive me for not telling you the whole—”

Zack calmly pulled her into his arms. “It’s fine.”

“Hey!” Anna protested quietly, before she relaxed against his chest. “Stop that. Stop being nice to me. I’m not done apologizing to you yet.”

“No need.” Zack squeezed her before releasing her and stepping back. “We all have secrets.”

“Yes, well, my secrets might put you in danger or even get you tossed in prison.”

“So tell me,” Zack said simply. “Or don’t. I don’t need to know.”

“I think you do if we plan to continue to Adventure together.”

“Right, fair. So just tell me.”

“First, I need you to swear you’ll not share what I tell you with another mortal soul.”

Zack smiled at her. “Okay.”

Anna narrowed her eyes. “That was awfully quick.”

“You wouldn’t ask me that it wasn’t important to you, and I’m not in the habit of snitching on those I care about. So I swear, Anna, on Celes herself. Whatever secret you’re hiding, whatever you want to tell me, I won’t share it with anyone. Not unless you first tell me it’s okay.”

“Then ... fine.” Anna bit her lip. “I’m going to show you my Status Sheet. I need you to read it and not freak out.”

“Why would I...” Zack trailed off as Anna’s Status Sheet appeared before him for the first time. He read it three times before he accepted what he was reading was real.

Name: Anna Bronzelight ==== Age: 17 Strength: 5 Level: 6 Divinity: 15 Class: *Soulseer Luck: 9 HP: 70/70 Vitality: 7 Blood: 130/130 Wisdom: 13 Experience: 33,332/36000 Prowess: 7 Gear: Uncommon: [Cotton Robes] Rare: [Heirloom Dagger] Uncommon: [Padded Boots] Slotted Skills: Uncommon: [-Burn-] (Harmcaster/Xiva) Uncommon: [-Freeze-] (Harmcaster/Xiva) : [-Soul Reveal-] (Soulseer/Dina) Slotted Blessings: : [+Intertwined Soul+] (Soulseer/Dina) Uncommon: [+Burning Soul+] (Harmcaster/Xiva) Known Skills: None Known Blessings: None Quests: Level 40 (Group): “The Soulseer’s Path” (Epic)

Zack looked around to ensure no one was within hearing range, then leaned close. “What in the Six Hells is a Soulseer?”

“A new Class.”

“And how do you have that many Skills and Blessings at Level 6?”

“I’m technically Dual Classed now, though I can’t change back until I reach 20. You must see why I couldn’t tell you earlier. I couldn’t tell anyone.”

“I get that, sure. But Anna ... how is...”

“The Quest is from the Gods Themselves.” Anna closed her Status Sheet. “I was a Level 6 Harmcaster when I accepted it, so I retain those Blessings and Skills. [+Intertwined Soul+] is the first Soulseer Blessing I chose. It lets me slot Skills from my second Class, in this case, Harmcaster.

Zack considered. “So Soulseer is a new Class as in ... no one’s ever chosen it before?”

“I didn’t choose it. This Class was granted to me by the Gods, and now I’m compelled to Level it to 40 in exchange for, as They stated, ‘An unimaginable reward’.”

He almost understood what she was saying. “So, you got this Quest from the actual—”

“The Gods didn’t actually come down and give it to me in person,” Anna amended. “But I found a gorgeous glowing crystal while exploring a small ruin outside Frostford. When I touched it, I got a prompt for the Quest you saw on my sheet. I was given an option to turn it down.”

“Yet you accepted. Why?”

“Hubris, I suppose. I wanted my name in the history books. If I knew now what would happen once I accepted, I’d have tossed that crystal down the deepest pit I could find.”

Ana’s Status Sheet was real. She was a Soulseer now ... whatever that was. While Zack did now know, thanks to Becka, that Status Sheets could be faked with enough money, he didn’t think Anna would do that to him. There was no benefit to her revealing her new Class to him, only risk.

“And what happened, exactly?” Zack asked. “When you accepted? Other than your greedy ass of a brother?”

“My brother isn’t greedy. He’s pious. Frustratingly so.”

“Didn’t you tell everyone he stole your inheritance and locked you up?”

“He did, but only to keep me in Frostford and ensure I couldn’t Level. It wasn’t greed. It was his misplaced and ferocious loyalty to the church. Even now that he’s going to prison for life, I doubt he’ll implicate them. He sees sacrifice as his duty to the Gods.”

Zack was fast growing frustrated by his inability to understand exactly what had led to all this. “You just said the Gods themselves gave you this Quest.”

“The Gods did,” Anna agreed. “But the Church of Celes would prefer I not complete it.”

“So it wasn’t just your brother who tried to frame you. He used the church as well.”

“More like they used him. I made the mistake of revealing the Quest to him, and he told a friend in the church. That was almost the end of it. I only escaped a gilded cage because no one expected Alan to give up everything to help me."

“He still sounds like an ass,” Zack said. "Your brother, I mean, not Alan."

“He is, sometimes, but not even Garret could convince the church to lie about my inheritance unless they saw it as the only way to ensure I lacked the resources to strike out on my own. So they confirmed his story to the Blazers. They simply didn’t count on me stealing my own money out from under their noses and fleeing to another province ... with Alan’s help.”

Zack crossed his arms and thought this over. “Why’s the Church of Celes so wrapped up in stopping you from completing this quest? What does a Soulseer do, exactly?”

“I can see your Status Sheet,” Anna said. “That’s what [-Soul Reveal-] does. I can view it at any time, and I don’t need your consent.”

Zack whistled softly. “You can do that to anyone?”

“And Monsters. And Demons. I believe the Gods intend Soulseer to act as a strategist Class, allowing one who chooses it to view the Status Sheets of Monsters and mortals and relay useful information to their Party.”

“That’d be an incredibly useful Skill,” Zack agreed. “And if everyone knew you could view their Status Sheet at any time, I imagine they’d be rather wary of you.”

“If they knew,” Anna agreed softly.

“So ... why doesn’t the church want you get this Class to 40? It seems like it’d be incredibly useful to them, especially when it comes to hunting down Deathcasters.” He remembered something else. “And that’s how you knew that ass in the square was a Deathcaster before he pulled out those corpses, wasn’t it? You used [-Soul Reveal-].”

Anna nodded. “Deathcasters are the reason the Church doesn’t want me Leveling.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Think of what a new Class means. The reason the Gods granted me this Class is so I could test it for Them. I think They want to see how a mortal uses this Class and its Skills as I Level. Then, They can make an educated decision as to whether this Class is balanced.”

“Balanced?”

“A new Class can’t be too powerful, or everyone will choose it,” Anna said patiently. “And it can’t be too weak or no one will. So they want balance. That’s what this Class Completion Quest is, so far as I understand it. A test of balance. They want to make sure Soulseer is useful, but not too useful, and so They bestow their new Class upon a few mortals and charge us to Level it while They observe.”

“So no one knows all this Class does yet. Not even the church.”

“Especially not the church. If I complete this Quest ... if I successfully Level Soulseer to 40 ... the Gods will have all the information They need to decide if They are going to make this Class and all its Skills, many of which I haven’t seen yet, available to all future Adventurers.”

“Right,” Zack agreed. “So...”

“Just imagine how much safer we’d all be if someone stopped the first person to become a Deathcaster from Leveling that Class to 40.”

At last, something about this made sense. “All right. They’re scared one of the Skills you’ll get will do something they can’t control. If you never Level the Class, no one has to find out. But just because they’re scared of you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t Level.”

“I’m scared as well,” Anna said softly. “Yet I can’t abandon my Quest or my Class. Unfortunately, this also means I’m not done getting you in trouble. My brother may be dealt with, but some in the church already know who and what I am. They’ll find more pawns. They’ll come for me again. This is why if you know what’s good for you, you should get as far away from me as possible.”

“You didn’t tell Alan this,” Zack said evenly. “You never told him any of this.”

“He’d never have gone home if he knew, and he’s already given up so much for me. I couldn’t keep him away from his family and Olivia another day.”

“Olivia’s his woman?”

“They’re promised to each other.”

“Well, I’m not leaving you now,” Zack said. “This all sounds absurdly fun to me.”

Anna frowned as if he’d hurt her. “This is hard for me. It’s not a joke.”

Zack smiled to reassure her. “I’m not joking. I mean everything I just said. I want to keep Leveling with you, especially now. What you can do is absolutely incredible.”

Anna watched him doubtfully. “You really think so?”

“This will make Leveling so much easier. With you along, we’ll always know how strong the Monsters are. We’ll never pick a fight we won’t win.”

“That is likely one purpose for this Class,” Anna agreed. “But—”

“And just imagine how much money we could win if we head to the Grand Arena in Cullfield.”

She blinked. “What?”

“You could see the Status Sheets of each fighter before they entered the arena. With that knowledge and a little luck, we’d be guaranteed to win every bet.”

Anna’s frown deepened. “I doubt the Gods granted me this Class so I could cheat people out of their betting money.”

“Why not? The Gods themselves told you to Level this Class, and I see no reason you shouldn’t Level it however you wish. They want to know what this new Class is capable of, right? So we’ll show Them. To be honest, I actually envy you a little.”

“Shadowers can go invisible,” Anna reminded him. “And once you choose an Evolved Class, you can open portals or stop time.”

“But we can’t just peek at people’s Status Sheets. Which is incredible.”

Anna blinked back a tiny bit of wet. “I truly didn’t expect you to be this excited.” She was standing taller now, her face brighter.

Zack opened his arms. “I mean, if you want to show me how grateful you are, I’m right here.”

She hugged him tight. “So you’ll stay with me. You’ll help me Level Soulseer.”

“And you’ll help us get rich,” Zack agreed. “We are going to Level so fast, safer than anyone’s ever been, and make a fortune on the side. That’s a plan I can get behind.”

“I suppose it’s good to have goals,” Anna agreed dryly. “But we’ll need to find a Shrine of Ralun in each new zone. I can’t reSlot in a Chapel of Celes. They always ask to see your Status Sheet before you leave, so they can verify you aren’t a Deathcaster. Or ... what I am.”

“Which is why it’s good I’m now officially a member of the Shadowers Guild,” Zack said, as the last of his worries about the past few months faded away. “We use those shrines too, so I can find them with my contacts alone. This all makes sense. Xiva makes sense, now.”

Anna pushed back enough to look up at him. “Who?”

“The Goddess,” Zack said. “Pretty sure I met Her in the Beast a few months ago. She’s the one who gave me that crystal I used to drive off the Demons that attacked us. I imagine She saw that threat coming and didn’t want Her pet Soulseer eaten by Demons.”

Anna stared at him, wide-eyed. “You’re serious?”

“Most of the time. Can I tell you more about Her over sex?”

“I guess ... sure.” Anna smiled brightly. “We have time.”

“After, we’ll figure things out. Once we gain a few Levels here, we’ll head to Evolan and find another shrine of Ralun.”

“So it’s really going to be that easy?”

“Probably not.” He offered his hand. “But it’s sure going to be fun.”

Anna beamed at him. She took his hand. They walked together out of the Deepscorn Woods.

Once they reached the Safe Road, Anna spoke again. “What about your friends here? And your mother? Won’t you miss her once we leave? This isn’t exactly a one zone Quest.”

“I’ll miss her a little,” Zack agreed. “But we can always come back and visit anytime we wish.”

“I’d like to visit home some day. But not for some time.”

“Then make Wolfpine your home for now. Mom could really use the money.”

Anna leaned heavily against him. “I’m so glad I found you. I’m so glad you stayed.”

“Me too. Also, when you get your name in the history books?”

“Yes?”

“I assume mine will be there too?”

Anna squeezed his arm. “Right after mine, of course.”

*****

Glenn

Two days later, Rebecka Coldbreaker once again left Wolfpine to return to the Blazers ... but this time, seeing her go was merely bittersweet. Glenn saw her off after a wonderful night in bed before he went to work on the gates, and this time, he knew she’d be back. She’d always come back for him.

He loved what they’d promised to each other. A life together, soon enough. A few short years apart was nothing compared to what he felt for her. And though his life now might not be what he’d dreamed of when he was younger, he knew now that Wolfpine was exactly where he needed to be.

All the lives he’d saved since he became a guard were proof of that.

Now, in the early morning before his afternoon shift, he sat on his favorite stump and looked out over Grassea. There wasn’t a Monster or Adventurer in sight, and in this quiet, Glenn could imagine he had the entire zone to himself. That was peaceful. He enjoyed it a few moments longer.

Then he stood and headed back into town to protect everything and everyone he loved.

THE END