I jogged back to the guild hall with the black satchel swaying on my hip. I sped up a little as I passed the street that would take me back to the inn. The next time I see Shale, it’ll be to take her to get better. I’m not gonna distract myself right now. And Claire, well... thankfully she didn’t use THAT skill on me last time I tried to leave. There’s no point in testing my luck by going to see her again.

I made it to the adventurers guild only to find Garam leaning against the wall outside.

“Hey, Garam. I have some questions.”

“Took you long enough.”

“You were expecting me?”

“I had a feeling.” He sighed, then spoke. “Follow me.”

He pushed open the doors to the guild and I tagged along behind him. He locked his eyes on the curvy fiend lady with a single horn that was chatting up five different adventurers at once with the help of her clones.

“EEVEE!” Garam bellowed.

The five identical fiend women looked over with sour expressions.

Garam beckoned her over.

Four of the copies instantly touched a finger to their noses. The fifth was a tad too slow.

“Tch.” She clicked her flame tipped tongue and walked over as her other copies watched with schadenfreude.

“What?”

“I brought you a willing canvas.”

...Canvas? What?

Eevee looked around, and her eyes narrowed when they fell on me.

“HIM? He’s so poor though...”

BONK! Garam bopped her on the top of the head with a meaty fist.

“Aiiish! Why!”

“Levis-Tor, 1992. You owe me.”

“Bah, if you think saving my life that one ti-”

“MARWELD. 1997. You OWE me.”

“Tch, if you think breaking me out of jail that one ti-”

“INKGRIST. 2014. You really, REALLY, OWE me.”

“Ah, fine! Fine, I owe you! Let’s get this over with already! Let’s find another room, hurry up!"

Eevee scowled at her clones as they laughed at her misery.

“...Tch!”

Garam lead us to a comfortable office at the end of a short hall behind the main counter.

I looked around the room, surprised. “Can we use this office?”

“Sure. It’s mine after all.”

“Bartenders get offices?”

“Seriously, death quest kid? He’s the guild master. His name’s on the door.”

Oh. I looked up at Garam. He smiled down at me behind his glasses. Then he turned to Eevee with a straight face.

“This room works right? Start already.”

“Tsk.” She looked me up and down. “Take off your shirt.”

“...What?”

“Take. It. Off.”

I sat on the plush sofa, topless and a little perplexed.

Eevee stood at a distance, holding her nose. She waved a finger and chanted.

[R E F R E S H]

The spell washed over me like a hot shower and a good night of sleep and I felt all my fatigue slip away, along with all the sweat and grime that had caked on my body from the hours of running. The pain and aches I had grown accustomed to feeling all along my legs vanished like they were never there.

Eevee sniffed the air tentatively, then sat down beside me. She stared at me with an increasingly reluctant and bitter expression. I looked between her and Garam with confusion.

“Er...”

BONK. Garam’s fist met Eevee’s head once more. “Get to work.”

“Aiiisshhh! I was about to!”

She rubbed her head, then held out her palm towards me and chanted, flashes of color filled my vision, and I felt changed, somehow. While I grew accustomed to the feeling, Eevee stuck out a nail, touched it to my left arm lazily and started scribbling countless runes at high speed with her finger. It kind of tickled. She rested her cheek on her other palm and stared lazily while she worked.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m casting modified enhancement spells on you and then I’m tying their upkeep to the inscriptions I’m writing into your muscles.” She drawled out her words with a blank stare as if she was tired of giving the same explanation over and over. “I’ve linked the inscriptions to ambient mana so you won’t have to use your own mana to charge them.” She sniffed. “Not that you have enough mana to charge them...”

“I never knew scribes could inscribe a person. I thought they could only work with weapons and gear.”

“It’s my unique skill, only I can do it.”

What a useful skill.

“Did it take you a long time to figure out what your skill did?”

“About a week or two after I started training as a scribe I unlocked the skill. “

“So quick?”

“Yeah. I was at the academy. I got my hands on the answers for the first test in advance, and while I was writing them down on the inside of my hand I accidentally added some mana. The skill unlocked, the ink turned into an inscription, and now I’ll always be able to pass my first inscriptions test.”

She smiled sardonically, lifted her chin off her hand and showed me a glowing cheat sheet on her palm written in tiny curling letters.

Well. That doesn’t help me with unlocking my unique skill at all.

“Did your plan work? You end up passing the test?”

“Didn’t need to ever take it. Once the headmaster saw my potential, he took me as his protege and taught me personally.” She paused. “And that’s how I learned that cheating is always the best way to get anything I want.”

...How irresponsible. But I can’t say I disagree all that much.

“So you’re a mage, right?”

“Yep.”

“Can you do soul magic?”

“Of course not. Soul magic is impossible without soul sight, and only people born in higher realms can develop soul sight.”

...Damn.

“I have to say though, this isn’t as annoying as I thought it would be.”

“What?”

“Working for free. With my normal customers, I charge high rates based on the amount of time it takes me to finish their inscriptions, then I take my time so that they have to keep coming back, so I can charge them even more. But you aren’t coming back, so I might as well just give you everything up front. Also, I can practice the really intricate inscriptions people normally can’t afford. Honestly it’s kind of nice not having to limit myself. You’re a pretty great canvas.”

“Thanks...” She’s just assuming I’m a dead man, huh?

“On top of that... The better a job I do with you, the more free things I can guilt trip Garam into giving me later!” She smiled mischievously. “Turn around. I’ll do your back now.”

I faced my back towards her.

“How much would you normally charge for this?”

“In total? Ehhhhh.....20,000 gold claws probably.”

“WHAT!”

“Over the course of about 20 years and countless sessions.”

“So, you have a lot of money, then?”

“Nope I’m broke.”

“How do you even spend all of that money?”

“Eh, clothes, hookers, booz-”

BONK!

“Aiiiish! I’m working here! You’d hit a working woman! What’s the matter with you!”

Garam simply gave her a stern look. He kept a watchful eye on Eevee for a time, and once he saw that she was taking her work seriously, he nodded and spoke to me.

“You said you wanted to ask me questions. What do you want to know?”

I gathered my thoughts.

“Champion Lightwing. Who is she? What does it mean to be ‘Champion’? ”

“You can ask her that yourself. You don’t have much time, do you? You want me to waste it on a question like that?”

“Just make it brief.”

“The grand tournament on Chialis-Nor. It’s a fighting contest primarily for knights, but anyone can join. Only the knights ever win though, because they’re KNIGHTS, for gods sake. Five years ago, Halo Lightwing was a nobody who was powerful enough to defeat every knight in the competition, and she easily took first place. And then she vanished, till today. Next question.”

Strong enough to defeat every knight huh...

“Fae can’t lie. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Hmm...

“According to the quest info, the mansion aggregate is in Ac-Rayate, right?”

“Yes.”

“I thought that quests the guild could give were limited to within the borders of the country though?"

Garam blinked at me.

“What country do you think you’re in?”

“...We’re in Lecliss, the capital city of Raun.”

“Raun is a state, not a country. Lecliss is just the capital city of this state. Ac-Rayate is just another state.”

...Oh. Okay that’s a detail I somehow never knew.

Eevee snorted, shifted to my other side, and started inscribing my right arm.

“So what’s the name of the country?”

“The Carmelia Union. Or just the seven states of Carmelia.”

He looked at me for a second. “You do know that Ac-Rayate and Raun are different planets, right? All the seven states of Carmelia are their own planets.”

“I know that much.”

Garam nodded.

He probably thinks I’m uneducated now... though I never did go to school, so he isn’t wrong.

“What’s a bathelgore?”

“Something not quite a lich and not quite a gargoyle. Harder to kill than either, but luckily, much rarer.”

He looked at me with a serious face.

“Was that what defeated the adventures that took the quest before you? A bathelgore?

A bathelgore? No. bathelgores. Hordes of them.

“...Yeah something like that.”

Garam’s brow furrowed.

“That should do it.” Eevee stretched, gave me a once over and nodded.

“How do you feel?”

“Different.”

“Check your guild card.”

Oh yeah, that thing exists. Where did I?

As soon as I thought about it, the card appeared in my hand. Huh.

Hayden Waltess

Level: 1

Race: Gaian

Class: None

HP: 150/13

Str: 120 (+108)

Int: 170 (+153)

Agi: 100 (+90)

Dex: 90 (+81)

Skills:

[I N T E R P L A N A R]

[O V E R F L O W I N G R E G E N E R A T I O N]

[A L L E L E M E N T R E S I S T]

[T E N F O L D G R A N D E N H A N C E]

[ G R E A T E R P H Y S I C A L W A R D]

[ G R E A T E R M E N T A L W A R D]

[G R E A T E R M A G I C A L W A R D]

[G R E A T E R F E A R R E S I S T]

[G R E A T E R P A I N T O L E R A N C E]

[G R E A T E R S E N S E D A N G E R]

[T W O F O L D G R A N D E C H O E D F O R C E]

[T W O F O L D G R A N D M I R R O R E D P H A N T O M S]

[M A N A B U R N V I T A L C H A R G E]

[V I T A L B U R N M A N A C H A R G E]

[I N D U C E D A D A P T I V E I N H E R E N T S P E L L (0%)]

This is... unreal. She just gave me fourteen new skills with barely any effort on her part.

“On your left arm I inscribed a standard array of protective spells and enhancements, along with a couple more powerful ones that I’ve created myself. It won’t keep you alive, but it’ll pay off my debt to Garam for sure.”

BONK.

“Aisshhhh! It hurts! Let me finish talking!”

She rubbed her head, took a deep breath and spoke in a professional tone.

“Echoed force and mirrored phantoms together will theoretically let your attacks strike nine times for every one attack you make. The two burn/ charge skills will let you regenerate mana when you take damage and heal health when you spend mana. Those skills are all inscribed on your back. Your right arm is a bit special. I’ve been researching how to give non-fiends inherent spells. I tied the results of my research to the runes on your right arm. Once it’s fully integrated, the runes will vanish, and you’ll have your very own inherent spell. Or your arm will explode. But you’ll probably just get an inherent spell.”

I stared at my arm in wonder... and a little bit of apprehension.

“You don’t know what kind of spell it will be in advance?”

“No idea. It’ll be tailored to fit your needs, so you probably have a better idea of what it’ll be than me.”

She paused and looked at me, then snapped her fingers.

A pair of magic circles appeared, one below my feet, and one above my head. They flashed once, and my clothes changed completely: black boots and a black jumpsuit, with a silvery breastplate, light pauldrons, gauntlets and greaves. Thin golden inscriptions seemed to weave through every piece of the armor.

“There. Now you look the part, at least.”

“Thank you, really.”

“So. What do you think of my work?”

“It’s excellent.” I clenched my fists. “Maybe I’ll actually be able to help, at least a little.”

Eevee narrowed her eyes at me.

“Hey. Let me show you something.”

Her hand turned, and a shining platinum card appeared between her fingers. Her guild card? She held it out to me and I took it and read it.

Evelynn Alan

Level: 176

Race: Fiend

Class: Will o’ Wisp (+ 2 more)

HP: 150,000/36,582

Str: 11,540 (+10,386)

Int: 20,760 (+18,684)

Agi: 22,380 (+20,142)

Dex: 66,590 (+59,931)

Skills: hidden

My jaw DROPPED. Level 176?? What’s with those ridiculously large numbers? She has three classes? I looked back at the fiend woman in front of me in shock.

She took her card back with a smile, clearly enjoying my expression.

“Surprised? I could, literally, kill you just by sneezing with a little bit too much force while facing your way. Those four that are going with you have far more impressive stats than me. And I’m still betting that you’ll all die. Don’t go getting your hopes up just because you got a little-”

BONK.

“Aisshhhh! What is with you and the hitting! You’re supposed to be gentle to delicate maidens like me!”

“Delicate my ass. You have 150,000 health right? Here, let me hit you 149 more times.” Garam wound his arm back dramatically.

“Ahh! I’m done here! I help you out and you abuse me! See if I do any favors for you ever again!”

She stuck out her tongue and vanished in a puff of blue fire.

That was just a clone?

“Terrifying.”

“Mr. Waltess.”

Garam addressed me strangely. I slung my black satchel back over my shoulder and looked at him.

“Mr. Guild Master.”

He quirked his lips at that.

“I tried to tell you earlier, but I’ve seen a lot of kids with eyes like yours come in here to take quests that they never come back from. The laws of this country stop me from openly refusing to give quests to parties that pass the minimum required composition guidelines. I try to just blame the laws for not protecting the people they should... but I can’t help feeling like a murderer anyways, each and every time it happens. I don’t want to feel that way again.”

I looked him in the eye for a moment, then bowed my head to him.

“It’s time for me to go. I can’t thank you enough for how you’ve helped me.”

“Don’t die. That’s enough thanks.”

I bowed a little lower, and left.

A few blocks north of the adventurers guild, a tall marble building dwarfed everything near it. The transport cathedral. The inside of the building was simple: high, arched ceiling, one room off to the side that functioned like a storefront, where a man dozed off in front of a stack of purple and blue potions, and a huge, round well in the center of the room that looked like it held the entire night sky within.

Maude was already there, and she sat at the rim of the well, staring in. Her casual clothing had been replaced by shiny green leather armor with a flowing red cape and cowl, and she was armed to the teeth. Aside from the shortbow I had seen her with before, a heavy longbow that looked as if it were made out of granite was slung across her back next to her quiver. I counted no less than 4 daggers on her belt, and what looked like a small crossbow built into the vambrace on her right forearm. One of her deer-like ears swiveled my way as I approached, and she turned to me with a smile.

“Oh hey, Hayden! Looking pretty spiffy there!”

“Thanks, you look pretty impressive yourself.”

“Oh you charmer, you!”

I sat down next to her and looked down into the vast reaches of space.

I’ve always wanted to use the transport well. The kid inside me is freaking out with excitement right now.

“Hayden why are you going to Ac-Rayate?”

Maude asked suddenly.

“To save Shale, obv-”

“We already accepted the quest with you, but you bring nothing to our party composition. We’ll succeed or fail regardless of whether you’re actually there with us. So why are you going?”

Because even if the quest fails, I can’t let Shale die.

“If it’s because you don’t think we’ll give you a share of the money unless you risk your life-”

“It’s not that.”

I interrupted her.

“I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t have to. One of my friends has a powerful skill, it doesn’t quite let her see the future, but it lets her predict what might happen given certain circumstances.”

I looked Maude in the eye.

“She had a vision about this quest we’re going on, and I know that I won’t be able to make sure Shale gets better unless I come along personally.”

Maude grimaced and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

“Agh! I frickin hate future predictions! I had a whole argument planned out to get you to stay here! Foiled by one stupid fortuneteller!”

She looked at me bitterly.

“Promise you’ll just stay behind me once we get out there, ok?”

“I promise.”

“Good!”

She nodded resolutely.

Icezack (now clad in gleaming blue plate armor, with two two-hand swords strapped to his back), and Cassius (who now bore a wicked looking mace and a ridiculously large, overstuffed backpack) arrived shortly after, followed by...

“Halo?”

The cloaked figure pushed back her hood and nodded.

Yeah that’s Halo. Chances are it was, but when she wears that cloak, it’s actually impossible to tell. I still don’t see any weapons on her. Maybe she’s a mage?

We gathered in front of the sleepy attendant. Halo paid him two gold claws, and he handed her a purple potion and a blue potion.

“What are those for?”

Cassius spoke up.

“Well, you have two potions. The purple one stops the compression of space in the well from tearing you into Hayden chunks, and then crushing you into Hayden pulp. The blue potion makes it so that when you pass too close to a star you aren’t flash cooked into Hayden BBQ, keeps you from freezing solid into a Hayden popsicle in the cold reaches of space, and it stops you from suffocating to death like a Hayden fish out of water.”

The elv gave a drunken smile and a thumbs up.

“Nice explanation, Cassius!”

Icezack laughed and dropped two gold claws into the attendant’s hands, and the man passed him a potion of each color.

Maude elbowed me. “Hey, I can cover for you. Just make sure to pay me back those two claws once we make it back and we’re all rich, ok?”

She paused and thought for a moment.

“Ah, but if I die, your debt is forgiven.”

“...Thanks, I won’t forget.”

Potions in hand, we stood in an arc around the well. I don’t know what we’re all waiting for, should we jump in at the same time or something?

I guess I’ll just drink my potions...

“Whoa, whoa, kid, there’s a proper way to go about this.”

Icezack stopped me.

“Oh? What should I do?”

He grinned, popped the tops off both of his potions, shoved them into his mouth and threw his head back. He downed both bottles, swung his head to the side, and the bottles went flying into the wall where they shattered with a clash. Then he leapt up and backflipped into the well with a shout.

“WHOOOOOOO!”

Maude swan dived in with a laugh, Cassius flopped in headfirst and tumbled away, and Halo stepped in gracefully and disappeared.

I chugged my potions.

“Sorry about the mess.”

I spoke to the attendant who was walking up with a broom and dustpan, then I threw my bottles to the floor and jumped into the open sky within the well, and fell. Faster. And faster, faster, faster, faster! Every time I felt as if I had reached maximum speed I was proven wrong again. Stars turned into blurs around me, then to rapidly shifting lines, and then to a constant pulsing flash of multicolored light. I could see a glowing purple barrier that surrounded me warping and twisting as an intense pressure pounded all around me, and a loud, vibrating roar surrounded me.

I caught up to Icezack and fell next to him.

Icezack grinned at me and I grinned back.

Cassius floated over, looking like he wanted to say something.

“Bluhhhh...”

A long, long line of vomit streamed from his mouth and whipped out into space above him. Icezack and I quickly angled ourselves away from him.

Below us, Maude yelled and whooped as she dropped, she pointed her toes down and brought her arms in to her body and rapidly spun like a corkscrew, smiling as she twisted.

Halo on the other hand, was much more reserved. She simply reclined as she fell, with her legs crossed and her hands folded across her lap.

"Great pair of ladies, aren't they?"

Icezack smiled next to me as he followed my line of sight.

"Which of them catches your eye?"