QuestWright Chapters 25-27

Here's the last portion of the five promised! I hit a snafu in writing, which is going to set me back a chapter (fixing a portion that doesn't work). Should still hit five chapters next week, but it'll be a little touchy.

10 days till Symphony 1 releases!

Chapter 25: A Space to Call our Own

It was with a spry step that Cass made his way over to the stables in the early morning. He was quiet, and the sun wasn’t yet out, but that didn’t stop the bonfire of curiosity from burning in his mind. In just a few short minutes, he was going to finish his ninth personal Quest in the Stalwart Way, with only a day holding him back from his first step.

Lately, unfiltered thoughts had begun to worm their way into his mind. Things like: What am I doing with my life? Or Why do these levels matter? 

Intrusive thoughts, as his father would say. They seemed to squeeze themselves in whenever he had a quiet moment of reflection. Small riders on his back, jockeying for his attention when least expected. And each and every time they reared up, he had an answer for them.

Johnny.

Before Johnny and the Skreels, monsters and incursions had been someone else’s problem. It was harsh to think of it that way, but it was true. He had an Administrative Calling. The idea of him ever fighting with monsters used to be crazy. But that idea didn’t seem so absurd anymore. It had been a kick in the pants. 

Now, with every Quest finished, every hand shaken, Johnny’s name became Cass’s silent mantra of why he needed to build himself up. If he could make things just a little better for everyone, then what he did mattered. Being a QuestWright mattered.

It was a lot for an eighteen-year-old, but he could take it. Because a bonfire had been lit in more ways than one. The world was serious, and he needed to be serious too.

The sound of hooves striking wood pushed his thoughts away and brought a smile to his face. Bella always knew when he was getting close. Feeding her the daily sweet, he slipped into the stall and began his daily Quest. 

The workout now came much easier, and what’s more, he’d begun to like it. While he couldn’t rightly say that his pudgy middle could be used for anything other than a pillow at the moment, there was a definite hardening to the layers underneath the fat. Finishing in what felt like no time at all, he leaned back on loose bits of straw and pulled his screen up.

“One to go.”

Finding Bella with her guarded eye and ear on him, Cass made a silly face at her. That got him a light whinny, causing him to laugh in return. He spent a spare moment talking to her while rubbing her back before heading over to their workout location for the day, one of the few remaining in his schedule. 

Classes were all set to end on Saturday. There was no ceremony, unlike when he was younger and going through the rudimentary education that every person received. Instead, the few who were interested in becoming affiliated would trickle into the Company Commons on the final day, where several officers were waiting to ply them with their offers. 

As a Guild member, Cass was spared that particular uncomfortableness.

Dev seemed to almost take it easy on everyone as they rolled, leaped, and ended the day with a sprint through the Guild’s mini-forest. Cass put on a good show, making it to the end only a few hundred feet from the Combat Calling types. Orla complained about it over breakfast.

“How are you getting so much faster? This is bullshit. Wait.” She paused as she put her spoon down, “Do you have a combat ability? Is that what’s happening? It was the Skreels incident, wasn’t it?”

Pellin snorted, “Get real. If he had a Combat ability, he’d have done much better versus those tiny monsters I saw him playing with the other day.”

Cass slapped his forehead, “I forgot you were there!”

“Yeah, buddy.” Pellin laughed, “You looked really freaked out by the Scroungers. You’re lucky you didn’t get to the fourth ring. I saw a man in full armor scream like a baby and stumble right out of there. Full armor and everything.” He took a sip of water, then spit it out as he laughed again.

Cass’s only vindication in that moment was that the man had spilled water all over his crotch.

The first two classes passed quickly, then he was in the Annex with a thoroughly grumpy Kara.

“What took you so long?” She held up a hand, “Wait, no. It’s not your fault. I apologize.” Scrubbing her hands against her eyes, she collapsed against the wall. “This is why I didn’t receive the Clerks Calling. It’s so. Dreadfully. Boring.”

Cass sat down, activating the Annex, “Seems to me Chancey and Branden enjoy it.”

“That’s because they’re just stupid enough not to understand how boring it is.”

Cass turned a little in his chair, “That’s unfair of you, and you know it. They finished the Annual Quest with time to spare, and they’re both nice people.”

“I know, but they’re not what the Guild needs.” Kara stood up, “The Guild needs efficiency and intelligence, not a smile. With that in mind, Guildmaster Hollis sent out for a professional Clerk, one who better knows how the world works. I told you a little about them, and they’ll be here soon. He had to call in a favor with Radishtown.”

She gave him the expected I know you want to ask why it’s called Radishtown, look, but he didn’t fall for her bait this time. “I look forward to meeting them.”

“Good, because they’re going to get things into shape quickly and teach you how to run things here. Now, a certain young Blacksmith has been knocking out a lot of older Quests on the boards lately, which means there’s now room for a few new ones. Here’s what I want…”

A slew of Delivery and Administrative Quests emerged from the Annex as Kara tasked him with creating one generalized Quest after another. With Cass’s burgeoning encyclopedic knowledge of Liora, he was able to create them with individually plotted routes. As he’d explained to Kara, he hoped that by providing additional information to the deliverer, it would make the Quest more efficient.

[Tier 1 Delivery Quest]

To the Questor, head over to Ally’s Market in East Liora near the Council building. Inside, you will find a wagon with three boxes on it. Procure the wagon with permission, then travel through the thoroughfare of the city and arrive back at the Guild. Near the back and west, you’ll find the Foundry.

Your Quest will be complete as soon as the boxes are delivered to one Master Greeves. You will know him by the thing he does with his eyes.

Once it is delivered, return the wagon to Ally’s Market.

Expected experience: 6

Cassio Vale

Liora Guildhall 

QuestWright

Kara held it up, “I like it. Yes, you still have some work to do on your mental control, but it's clear and concise. Adding in the locations for each place is very helpful. When did you have time to learn about all these places?”

Cass leaned back as he pulled up another pre-designed Outline for drafting, “I pretty much spend every night locked up in my room, memorizing the map.”

“Every night? What are you doing for fun?”

Cass focused, the silver spark of a new Quest lighting up the area. “I have Bella and get a few minutes with Gary every week. Plus, Adya and I are going to be working on the Rings every Sunday. It’s a pretty full schedule.” He handed it off while Kara just looked at him.

“That’s not going to get you through the monotony of working here. Administrative Callings are a drag without something spicy to lighten up your day. You need to consider having a life outside of work.”

Cass grabbed another vellum while her words rattled around in his head, “What do you do?”

She sat on the edge of the desk, one foot tapping the air, “I enjoy running and good food. The other Trainers and I get together every so often for drinks or to play some handball. It’s good for keeping up coordination.”

Silver splashed across the area. “So what’s the difference between what you’re doing and what I’m doing?”

She gave him a look that was all sharp angles. “There’s a big difference between establishing a routine and feeling fulfilled. Guild members work six days a week, whereas someone like a Tradesman might only work a few, if they’re wealthy enough. What you’re doing right now? Your weekly schedule is like pouring a concrete foundation, but sealing things so tightly that there’s no way to breathe. You’re managing, not living. The world’s already broken, Cass. You’re not going to fix it in the next couple of years.”

Those words stuck with him for a while. When Cass caught up to Orla later in the day, she was waving a big piece of paper at him.

“I got our space!” She yelled out, causing a few people to look over. “And it’s perfect, perfect, perfect. You have to see it!”

Deciding to take Kara’s advice, Cass agreed to meet Rina and Orla at the Entrance Hall after the Guest Lecturer that night. He wasn’t sure what Kara’s “spice” looked like, but he figured Orla would have some ideas about that. After meeting up, the Merchant was still talking about the final class of the day.

“What utter hogwash.”

“What?” Rina asked, the Leatherworker in a lovely purple dress rather than her work clothes. 

“She’s talking about the Guest Lecturer,” Cass replied for her, as Orla was veritably stomping the ground as she moved. “We had a visit from one of the Consortia heads.”

“No, the head of a Trading House. That man is not in charge of the Merchant Consortium.” She spat to the side, “Needs, wants, best for Liora. Best for Liora. BEST FOR LIORA. He said it ten god damn times.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t-”

Orla stopped him with a hand on his chest, “I counted. Ten god damn times.”

Cass tapped her hand twice to get her to remove it, then they were walking again as he said. “I didn’t like what he was saying either. It felt fake, like it was a sales pitch wrapped in civic duty. All I heard was a man speaking from his wallet, not his heart. As if selling out the little man is what’s best for us all.”

Rina snorted, “What do you think has always happened? It’s why none of us in the Commons want to join a Company or one of the bigger Enterprises. Hell, it’s why I signed up with you and Orla. You guys seem different. I bet the world was under attack by monsters, people were dying, and those with goods were still gouging out people's eyes with harsh prices. Greedy money-grubbing Merchants.” Remembering who was walking next to her, she turned with big eyes, “Sorry, Orla.”

The Merchant snorted, “Pschh, that’s a compliment compared to my family. But I agree. Looking out for the little man is a noble goal for any new Enterprise, but we can’t get lost in it. Crests are the way to power, and if you want to change things, you need a lot of power. Now, it’s just around this corner.”

They’d walked for what felt like thirty minutes before arriving at a beat-up window with scratch marks all over it. The window belonged to a narrow space wedged between two real businesses with grand appeal.

To the right was a crowded furniture shop, filigree sign out front almost glowing in the fleeting remnants of the sun. To the left was a small restaurant called Joey’s, with people in quiet conversation sitting at tables lit by soft candlelight. But their “space” felt like anything but. It looked like the construction had been done in the second year of the Reshaping.

“I don’t get it,” Cass said, after Orla opened the window, which was actually a door, with a key from her pocket. “You said this was the perfect spot. To me, this looks more like a closet that stopped growing.”

Rina nodded, “Yeah, this doesn’t feel right. It’s more like a storage room for the places around it rather than a storefront for an up-and-coming Enterprise.”

“What fools ye be. This place is perfect! Its size keeps the taxes low, and the condition it's in gave me an amazing cost of rent that I was able to set for a full, yearly contract! It’s practically a bargain.”

“A bargain for a dump, maybe,” Rina said, pushing a chewed-up broom handle over.

“Nah,” She waved off their complaints. “This place is great. It’s only two blocks from the Auction House. Two blocks the other way from the Civic Center of Liora, the Council building, and Joey's is VERY popular right now. They hired on a new night-time chef who has been blowing everyone away. With all of that foot traffic, I’ll be amazed if we don’t make back my investment in just a few months. Besides,” She looked at Rina, “How many woodworkers and carpenters do we have in Common Solutions?”

“One each.”

“Oh,” Orla deflated, but only for a second as she immediately smiled, “No problem, I don’t mind getting a little dirty. And, now that we have a space, I can get our Charter approved. You guys don’t mind if the first profits go towards paying me back for all this, do you?”

“No…” Cass said, trying his best to look at it in a new light. “Are you sure there are going to be any profits?”

“For what we’re doing? Absolutely. All the Smithies think the money's in custom work. Nobody just sits around making screws anymore. There’s this huge gap right now in the market. It’s not glamorous, but it is effective. We pump a few thousand of those bad boys out, and we’re good.”

Cass looked over at Rina, seeing the same doubt he felt on her face. But this wasn’t the time for doubts. Orla was as solid a Merchant as he knew. If she said this was the place to be, then it was. Going against her now wouldn’t help anyone. Besides, there was money to be made.

“So, Orla.” The Merchant stopped staring with a glassy expression and looked at him. “How much is my cut of all this?”

“Well,” Orla rummaged through a bag and pulled out a modest sheaf of papers. “Let’s see. You’re one of the Founders of Common Solutions, as is Rina here, so your cut is the same. Five percent of all profits as long as Quests are coming in. Should those Quests stop for whatever reason, your cut drops to one percent for perpetuity. Rina, you have the same condition as long as you’re helping to manage the members, and you get a bonus for any crafted materials you provide to the enterprise. Everyone else gets a differing percentage based on the effort provided in the time the profit was received. That’s how Collectives work according to the standard Liora charter system.”

“I’m fine with my percentage,” Rina started off, but the glare told him something else was coming. “But how much are you getting?”

“Welll,” Orla said with a half-smile, “Since I’ll basically be living in here the moment our classes are over, and I provided the starting income and did the paperwork, I thought I could receive ten percent.”

“Five,” Rina said, her glare only intensifying.

“Eight.”

“Six,” Cass replied, causing both to look at him. “She did do all of that, and I don’t doubt she’s going to move in here. Giving her one percent higher than both of us as Founders is only fair.”

Rina chewed on the side of her mouth before nodding, “Fine, but we run things between the three of us. No one person’s vote counts over another's? Deal?”

“Deal,” Cass said, holding out his hand. Rina shook it, then held her own out to Orla.

The Merchant looked back and forth between them before sighing, “Fine.” She reached her hand out, then paused as one of her eyes twitched, “Six point five.”

Chapter 26: Crests and Quests

By the time they were done discussing plans, the night had grown dark and deep. When every last conversation that needed to be done was had, the three Founders of Common Solutions made their way home, a stack of Commons Quests clutched in Rina’s hand. 

While the return to his room was fast considering the distance traveled, the anticipation building up within Cass was almost too much to handle. Several things were going to happen at once the next day, and he could feel the anxiety of that as if it were a physical thing. But even though his body felt like running a few laps around the Guildhall walls, he somehow managed to fall asleep only minutes after his head hit the pillow.

The moment he woke up, he veritably leaped to the stables in his haste. In the early morning light, anyone passing by would’ve seen a young man, face set in determination, sprinting in his robes across the Guildhall expanse. Not forgetting the now-required sweet, he entered Bella's stall, gave her a few quick pats and her snack, then activated and completed his tenth personal Quest in the fastest recorded time yet.

While his body recovered, Cass flattened himself on the ground and opened his screen. There was no thinking or planning for this. Only a single choice, and an action to be made.

[SURVIVOR PATH: WAY OF THE STALWART- STEP TAKEN] 

Second node unlocked: Targeted Strengthening.

New Way function unlocked: You can now pick one of several strength-based routines each day.

Your daily Quest has been reset

You’ve gained a slight increase to the Way of the Stalwart’s passive ability.

Before Cass could look at the new options, he curled up in pain as his body lit on fire..

[WAY OF THE STALWART INTEGRATING]

When it was done, sweat had broken out all across his body, and a soft, wide nose was brushing against his head. Cass reached up with eyes closed and patted Bella’s snout, “I’m fine, girl. But thank you.” She whuffed his hair, then resumed her post as Cass looked at the new options, but that was when he received a shock.

[System Notice]

Bonus experience granted for unlocking your first step

+50 xp

WayWalker Achievement progress 2/10

“Fifty experience? Fifty? But that’s ten times what I got the first time?” Some quick math told him that if it increased by ten times in each bit of progress, he’d quickly have experience streaming out of his ears. But his expectations cooled when he considered the first achievement set he’d completed. At the halfway point, it had changed. Still, he counted out what would happen if it kept multiplying till then.

“Five, fifty, five-hundred, five-thousand…fifty thousand. No,” he shook his head and laughed, but it didn’t last, ending on a slight manic note. “There’s no way I’ll get fifty thousand experience by the fifth stage. No way.” Rather than brood on what he could do with all that experience, he lowered his expectations and set it there in his mind. Until the System came by and slapped him with five hundred experience on the next achievement, he wasn’t going to rely on it.

The Way of the Stalwart had changed. To the left were now several different Quests, with the original sitting furthest to the side and a new byline beneath it: Beginner. But new options had appeared, and the variety of them was slightly overwhelming, as were the rewards.

[WAY OF THE STALWART - INTERMEDIATE OPTIONS]

Completion of three intermediate options consecutively will unlock additional types

Questor: Cassio Vale

Calling: QuestWright

Timeframe: One Day

Questor Reward: +7xp, 2 Stalwart Tokens, 1 Survivor Token

Power objectives: Complete all objectives within one hour.

• Carry 2 weighted buckets (25 lb minimum) for 5 uninterrupted minutes

• Perform 3 sets of power squats (10 reps each, addition of 50 pounds applied to Questor required)

• Complete 3 sets of exploding pushups (10 reps minimum)

• Perform a loaded carry: 100 meters minimum with at least 60 pounds held.

Endurance objectives: Complete all objectives within two hours.

• Hold an elbow plank without touching the ground (3 reps of sixty seconds each)

• Perform 4 sets of inclined pushups (15 reps each)

• Hold a weighted object of at least 15 pounds overhead for a total of two minutes (no rest period may last longer than 20 seconds)

• Complete 3 sets of walking lunges per leg while holding at least 5 pounds in each hand (20 reps each)

Seven experience isn’t a small amount. To get that with a normal, non-chained Quest would take most of my slots in the day. And the token amount went up. Bella’s node says it needs seven tokens, which would only take me a few days to complete.

But the severity of the objectives made him swallow through a lump in his throat. And though several more options presented themselves, it was a flood of jargon so unknowable that, ultimately, he just gave up. Which was a good thing, as he was going to be late for Dev’s training.

“Dev!” He yelled out, causing Bella to skittishly move to the side. “Sorry, girl, I just realized who I can go to for answers.” When she gave him a look, he shook his head, already heading for the gate. “No, I can’t give you a bath today. If I can get here a little earlier tomorrow, maybe then.”

Cass made his way over to the rockyard for their daily training and arrived a few minutes early. Luck was with him, as Scout Dev was already there.

“A loaded carry? Exploding pushups?” She said, a smile starting to break out on her face. “My goodness, Mr. Vale. Are you interested in continuing our little routine here after you’re done with your classes?” Cass was about to object as politely as possible when she sighed. “Sadly, that’s not possible. But a little extra instruction wouldn’t hurt before everyone gets here.”

One by one, Cass asked for a description of each workout. Naturally, with Dev being Dev, that wasn’t good enough. When the rest of the group arrived, they found Cass pushing off the ground, clapping in the air, then reforming into a pushup position.

“Good, but higher! Higher! Yes!”

Mistakenly seeing how taken Cass was with the exercises, she put him through every routine while a line-faced Kara worked with the rest of the group. Was it torture? In a way. But it was necessary torture, as every time he faced the ground for his rest period or took a quick breather, his eyes became glassy with the screen and his next loaded question.

After class and his burning muscles finally started to calm down, he took a quick shower and met the others for breakfast. Orla was all smiles.

“We made our first profit.” She slid across two tiny orange-colored coins. “Your percentage.”

Cass picked them up with his fingernails. “What?”

Pellin grabbed them immediately and held the two coins up to the lights overhead, “This is amazing. I’ve never seen two bits look so small before.”

Orla glared at him before shifting back to Cass, “In order to start up an Enterprise charter, we need at least ten members, a location for our wares, and profit, no matter what size. Those two coins in that idiot’s hand represent the final blockade to Common Solutions. We can be officially recognized today, if the Council Clerks are fast enough.”

“Today? Like, today, today?” Cass asked.

“Or tomorrow?” Pellin interjected, handing back Cass’s first real payout.

“No! We need to celebrate tonight, it’s a special day, and I refuse to let those bastards move slow. They’re going to approve.” She gave the kind of laugh a person would hear just before they died. “Oh, they’re going to approve it, whether they like it or not.”

Knowing Orla wasn’t as crazy as she currently sounded, Pellin and Cass agreed to meet her at Cullings that night. Later in the Annex, he and Kara met up. On her advice, he pulled up and unlocked a new Quest type: Construction.

It was much more varied than any other he’d seen so far, with the only exception being Training. A lot of what the outline required seemed to be based purely on the plans and the finalized product. What that translated to was that Cass had to have a general idea of the exact project’s requirements before he could assign the Quest.

And that came with homework.

The sound of several books landing distracted him from the Annex screen. He lifted one off the top.

Basic Principles of Architecture: QuestWright Abridged

Looking at a tower of books taller than the height of the desk, he gave Kara a glare, “What the hell?”

“Sorry, Cass, but I’m busy later today. This,” She tapped the tower, “is on personal loan from Guildmaster Hollis. Make sure you don’t damage any of them, or it's your ass, not mine. Accept this, please.”

She handed over a glowing paper, but as soon as he touched it, the glow disappeared.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

Due to your Unique Path, you may not accept any Quests from persons other than yourself.

Kara hadn’t seemed to notice as she was looking at her nails, “I’m going to be showing the new Clerk around as they’re due to arrive any minute. Knock out these books as much as you can, then we’ll talk on and off about how construction Quests work.”

Sneakily, Cass calmly placed the vellum in his bag, “I’ll look it over later, don’t want to be holding you up. So, you’re still going to look after me when the classes end?”

She looked up, “Of course, I’m your Trainer. Everyone in the Guildhall has one. Right now, I’m in charge of you, setting up the new Clerk, Chancey, and a few others. Once a trainee hits level ten, they tend to be on their own, but some request that we stay a little longer. After that, you get higher-ranked trainers the higher up you move. Anyways, you won’t see me for the rest of the day, but we’ll catch up with each other at Dev’s class tomorrow. See you later.”

After she left, Cass spent the rest of the time looking over and prioritizing the books, then went to the rest of his classes. As he sat through Myla Jen’s discussion of Logistics, his pen paused mid-writing as a disparate connection in his brain found root.

“You’re not just transporting swords. You’re also transporting sharpening stones, oils, spare sheaths, and a dozen other items. And people, too. Never forget the people. For every Combat Calling, there are ten people who help them get through the day so they can focus on what’s best for everyone…killing Monsters.”

Swords and monsters…swords and monsters… Unlike what he expected to happen, Cass didn’t feel his anxiety rising. Instead, something else came forth. Preparation. Everything he’d seen told him that things were getting worse, not better. And he was not prepared.

That naturally got Cass’s brain firing, enough so that he knew he had to make a trip today, skipping his study time until after their trip to Cullings. When the class let out, he began a long walk to the Foundry. Climbing the stairs, Cass made it to the third floor and instantly spotted the person he needed to see.

“Hey, old…old man.” He yelled out as the man started to walk away. He quickly caught up to the same crafter who’d made the knife currently sitting in his bag.

Wearing the brown robes of the Guild, he could’ve been anyone, but Cass recognized the curved folds of his face. He was proven right only a second later. “Well, Mr. QuestWright. It’s not kind to point out my age. But I suppose after what you’ve been through, a loss of manners can be forgiven.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Phaw,” He waved it off, “Rather than old man, call me Jack. Now, young QuestWright, what can I do for you? Was that knife everything I promised?”

“That and more, sir,” Cass said, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, “Your knife saved my life.”

His face didn’t change in the slightest. “Good, but I have a feeling you didn’t come here to tell me that.”

Cass shook his head, “No, sir. Are you able to make me a hatchet, but a little larger? One that has a bit more weight to it.”

The old man gave a slow shake of the head, “Afraid not, young man. My specialty is knives, but I know someone who can. Follow me.”

Following along, they walked to the other side of the building. In the corner was a table with a middle-aged man standing behind it. He and Jack exchanged pleasantries as Cass looked at all the axes spread out before him. 

Some had spikes, while others were double-sided. Some looked like they were designed for trades, while others had the cruel gleam of a deadly-sharp edge. They varied in size and thickness from one to another, with a single large one standing on its own and leaning against the nearby wall.

“Sir?” The man said, causing Cass to look up. A thick three-fingered hand reached across, “Names Noah Curry, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Cassio Vale.”

Before the man could speak, Jack nodded, “One of those Vales, yep.”

“Well then, what are you doing here?” Noah asked with a laugh, “The GoldenCrowns can get you fixed up right away.”

“That’s true, Noah, but I need something made for me, and I don’t want to depend on my family for everything.”

“Wise young lad,” Jack said. He reached a hand out, “If you ever need another knife, young Vale.”

“Thank you, sir,” Cass replied, shaking his hand with a smile.

“Like I said, call me Jack.” He walked away before Cass could respond.

“Jack’s a legend, you know,” Noah said as he watched him walk away. “He’s the one who figured out how to create ever-sharp weapons. That method spread like wildfire from here to the Capital. It’s a basic necessity for every knife, sword, axe, you name it. Who knows what ripples his crafting has caused in the world? A legend.” The way he said that last word seemed to hover in the air before them.

Cass paused and considered that he had a legendary crafter’s knife in his bag before shaking it off. Knives were all and good, but he was here for a different purpose.

“Noah, I was hoping I could commission you to create a special kind of axe for me.”

Noah turned to him, “Special? How?”

“Well, I was testing myself in the rings and think I may have found the one that fits me.”

“On the hand-me-downs?  Those are throwaway weapons because none of the basic enchantments took. They’re all off-balance, dull, and missing that extra oomph a good weapon deserves. But you think you’ve found the one that fits you, huh? And you’re at my table, so there’s really only four or five ones you could’ve chosen. Here, try this out.”

Lifting an axe off the table, he handed it over. What Noah had said proved true. It felt perfectly in balance with his arm. But again, it didn’t feel right. They tested out several others, including a custom-made bearded axe. Frankly, it was a close match, but still, not quite right.

“It was more like a heavy hatchet.”

Noah scratched his chin, “Strange. It must’ve been an initiate’s work to end up there. Well, I can make it for you, but it isn’t cheap. Even with your Guild discount, you’ll be looking at over a thousand crests, maybe more if I have to outsource some of the materials.”

“A thousand crests! I only have two bits on me!”

“Well,” Noah paused, then spoke again, “I heard Jack say you’re the new QuestWright. If you could throw a few Quests my way, get me set up with some quick experience, I’m sure we could make a better deal.”

Cass froze, his three rules popping into his head. He took a breath and let the disappointment wash through him. “I’m sorry, Noah, but I can’t do that.”

“I see.” Noah didn’t look put out by his refusal, just accepting. “Well, we could work out a pay-as-you-go kind of deal, but it’ll still be expensive. And, I’ll only charge you a little bit of interest. Say, twenty Crests a week? Should have it paid off in about a year.”

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Cass needed a weapon now, but this was the best way to go if he didn’t want to sponge off of his family. 

Is Common Solutions going to bring in enough profit for that to work? I know I’ll have a guild salary once the classes are done, but they haven’t even told me how much…He considered it for long enough that a cough to the side pulled his attention. 

Standing there was a serious-faced man in a brown robe. He had the kind of complexion one would expect of a grave as he looked at Noah, “He can afford it.”

Cass blinked, “Do I know you?”

“Thomas More, young man. You and I will be working together often in the very near future. Based on your pause and the relative newness of your Calling, I am assuming that you don’t know how much a junior QuestWright makes from week to week. The answer is fifty Crests after room and board is subtracted. You can afford the smith’s price. That is, if you feel the need to have a weapon on hand.”

Cass didn’t know what to say for a moment. The man had seemed to read his very mind. He decided to trust his word, then turned to Noah, “Twenty Crests a week will be fine.”

“Excellent.” Noah clapped his hands together, “I haven’t had a commissioned piece in some time. Give me a few days to get the materials, then come back. We need to do a few measurements and test out your strength. Weight has a power all on its own.”

“I’ll do that.” Cass agreed. They shook, and when he turned around to speak to Mr. More again, he found the man had already disappeared.

“How strange.” 

Chapter 27: A Dark Night Out

Cass went about the rest of his day before showering and changing. Exiting his rooms, there was an extra pep in his step as he moseyed down to the Entrance Hall for his meetup with Rina and Orla. 

Rina was again dressed nicely, though this time in a green dress cut just a little high on the thigh. Orla, on the other hand, was still in her regular clothes, but the grin on her face told him something went right.

“I’ve got the charter!” She waved a long, rolled-up paper through the air as Jim heard and shouted his encouragement from nearby. “We’re officially an enterprise, bitches! I just need you both to sign next to your names, then it’s all set.”

Rina signed second, as Orla’s signature was already in place. As her borrowed pen left the paper, her eyes became glassy for a moment before she and the Merchant hugged. Cass thought they were just happy to get things started, so after spending a long moment reading the document, he signed.

A buzz rippled through his body before his progression screen forced itself into his vision.

[QUESTWRIGHT CALLING UPGRADE UNLOCKED]

QuestWright Cassio Vale of Liora

With two others, you have begun the long road of starting an enterprise.

By signing your name, you have agreed to help lift up those under your employ and treat all who work for you with equanimity. 

The first stones are laid not in soil, but in trust. The System watches…and rewards.

—

QuestWright Path: Enterprise

A path designed for QuestWrights who lead enterprises and organizations through formally recognized charters. Unlocks abilities that enhance cohesion, interpersonal situations, and member productivity.

Cost to unlock: 300xp

Warning: Dissolution of the connected charter will disallow Cassio Vale from using any unlocked nodes until a new enterprise has risen.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Your Common Solutions reputation has increased by 100

“Huh…”

“Get something special over there, Cass?” Orla asked with a knowing grin. “Because I sure did! What did your path description say?”

“Something about member productivity.”

“Pscch, figures. Mine’s all about profits! MORE PROFITS!” She gave her second maniacal laugh on the same day, only stopping because of a brief coughing fit after it went on for too long. 

Rina shook her head, “Mine talked about output. It seems that the System has an idea of what all of us should be doing.” She pointed at Orla, “Money.” Then Cass, “People,” then to herself, “Materials. Every part of an enterprise; divided into three ways.”

Cass groaned as they started walking to Cullings, “But I’m already going to be managing the first floor of the Registry.”

Orla’s laugh felt mocking, “What? You thought you’d just be giving out Quests? While that’s something that will push our enterprise up faster than others who’ve just started, it’s not enough for your percentage. Hell, our first profit was from a small box of nails. Nails. I overheard Joey’s talking about needing some and sprang into action. You could say…I nailed it.”

Cass groaned again, but this time for a wholly different reason.

The walk to Cullings was fast. Situated just outside of downtown Liora, it was placed a little to the south amidst a cluster of restaurants called Deli-Row. Why they’d decided to put a bar in the middle, he wasn’t sure, but it always seemed to have the right amount of people in it. Never too many to be uncomfortable, or so few as to seem deserted.   

When they entered, the eyes of the place latched on to them, but only Rina kept them. The high-cut and tightness of her dress drew enough attention that Cass felt second-hand nervousness from it.

When they sat down at a table and made their order with a smiling barmaid, he asked, “You wore a purple dress last night, and now this…um…green one. What do I not know?”

Rina blushed, “Can’t a girl dress up?”

Orla coughed, “Holt.”

When the leatherworker didn’t respond to that, it fairly confirmed it for the table. 

Instead of pushing, Cass side-stepped the conversation. Seeing the barmaid already approaching with their order, he said, “My dad told me the other day that there used to be drinking laws.”

Orla received hers first, knocking back a long draw from her beer, she said, “What? Did you have to drink every day?”

“No,” Cass shook his head, “That only people of a certain age were allowed to.”

Rina took a dainty sip, careful not to spill any on her dress. “How does that make sense? We have people with Combat Callings fighting monsters as young as fifteen. They can die to a monster, but they can’t have a beer?”

“I don’t pretend to understand them,” Cass replied after a hearty drain of his own. “It’s just something he told me.”

They spoke for a few more moments before the big topic of the day stepped in. Common Solutions wasn’t going to run exactly the way the System had intended. It could try to arrange things as much as it wanted, but that didn’t make it practical.

Cass would be in charge of Quests, interviewing applicants interested in joining their small group, as well as resolving interpersonal issues. He was not enthused.

Rina was in charge of general recruitment, as she was the most familiar with the trades, as well as material acquisitions and overall production output. As for Orla, she was all about sales and deals as she loudly proclaimed to the room.

“Sales and Deals!”

Though Common Solutions was on a slight hold as Rina had to wait for them to finish their classes, that didn’t stop the three from diving deep into their drinks. Their celebration moved late into the night, far past the moon rising to its zenith and the room slowly emptying. 

The trio wasn’t the last to leave, but they were close to it. Orla was expounding on tight economic efficiency in the marketplace when Cass felt a funny itch strike between his shoulders. After a few more steps, another itch struck him, along with something vague.

Though he didn’t want to ruin the celebratory mood of the evening, the feeling just wasn’t going away. “Hold on a second,” He called out to his partners, not quite knowing why he was doing it. “There’s something weird going on here.”

“Weird how?” Orla asked.

“I don’t know. It’s like…you ever get that feeling you’re being watched, but you can’t tell from where?”

“Nope,” Rina said with a shake of the head.

“Not at all,” Orla confirmed. “Is this one of those odd Vale things I’ve heard people talk about? Like your sister's proclivity to chew raw pieces of Iron?”

“She doesn’t…actually, she might do that,” Cass said, prepared to let it go. But just as he was about to turn around, the feeling struck him again. Pulling up his mental map of Liora, he knew the region just beyond Cullings had a nickname. 

The school zone.

Cass felt his pulse quicken at the thought of something nefarious happening where children would be located only hours later. Though it could’ve just been nothing, he didn’t want to chance it. 

“I think I need to check this out.”

Rina and Orla shared a look and a shrug as they followed him a few steps behind.

Moving quietly, his eyes roamed every inch of the location as he tried to locate the source of his discomfort. Orla watched him take a step to the side before righting himself.

“Do you know where you’re going?” She asked in a too-loud voice.

“Kind of,” Cass replied much more quietly, “I’ve only seen a lot of the places in Liora on my System map. This is all kind of new for me.”

Rina picked up on the mood as she whispered, “Haven’t you ever walked around Liora? I thought you were born here?”

“I was, but my parents never really let me leave Company land. We’d go to the Grounds every so often, but most of my life was spent with the GoldenCrowns. My parents weren’t big on me wandering around.”

“Eesh, and I thought my family was rough,” Orla replied, again too loudly. 

Cass thought she might’ve had too much to drink, but any further thought on the matter was stopped the moment he heard something fall in a building on the far right. When he stopped moving, so too did the two girls behind him.

“It could’ve been a rat.” Rina whispered, “Or maybe someone is working late.”

“At a school?” Orla whispered back, finally understanding that this was a precarious situation. “No teacher stays late at a school. Those kids burn them out.”

That vague feeling intensified until he finally understood what it was.

“Run!” He yelled out as three creatures pinging his monster sense erupted through the thin walls just a short distance away. Throwing his bag on the ground, Cass mentally cursed himself for not having his knife ready before they walked into an ambush.

Orla took a few steps away, but Rina stopped and cried out as something blurred by. A quick look as Cass dumped his bag on the ground showed an extended cut across one of the leatherworker’s thighs, the previously green dress now holding a splash of red. She fell to the ground as Orla came back for her.

No! I brought them here!

Just beyond them, Cass heard something.

Chirp, Chirp.

Grabbing his knife, he whipped it out and moved to cover the two girls. If his hatchet had already been ready, he wouldn’t have had to fight so close to the creatures, but fate or circumstance always had its own prerogative. 

As he grew close, something knocked into his back, throwing him to the ground. Moving into one of the rolls Dev taught him, Cass popped back up and spun around just as the creature leaped for his face. 

Twisting to the side, he brought the ever-sharp knife under its stomach and braced the arm with his other hand. A tearing sound told him he’d hit the mark as the creature whined, its guts spilled across the ground as it flopped over.

Waving away the notification, he looked back at the two girls and found Orla hitting one with her bag as it continuously tried to leap at them. Just beyond Orla was another, its flat feet braced back in a stance Cass knew well. With no thought to his own safety, he dashed as fast as he could to place himself between them.

Three fast steps and a leap got him there barely in time as the Scrounger latched onto his arm rather than Orla’s back. He felt the double burn of pain as the monster tore into his skin while his passive ability attempted to heal him at the same time. Bashing it against a nearby stone foundation didn’t loosen its grip as it tore in again and again, a scream burning from the back of his throat.

Keep moving!

Unable to angle the blade of his knife into the creature, Cass did the next best thing. He leaped forward and tackled the monster battling the quickly wearying Orla. With two monsters to deal with, Cass plunged his knife into the skull of the first, still shocked by his surprise attack. 

Throwing the knife to Orla as he blinked past the pain, Cass yelled, “Catch! Stab it!”

Orla fumblingly grabbed it, then plunged the blade into the creature without hesitation. The tip of the blade scraped against Cass’s bone enough that he involuntarily screamed again, but at least the skin of his arm wasn’t being shredded anymore. When he finally managed to pry the dead creature off, bits of mangled flesh and gnawed-on bone met his eyes.

Cass collapsed to the ground as his legs refused to hold him up. With shaky hands but a clear voice, he said, “You two okay?”

Rina was still sobbing, but she held up a thumb. Orla, covered in sweat, looked him over as she spoke quietly, “She’s okay, just trauma, I think. You, on the other hand, are going back to the infirmary, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll be fine,” Cass replied as he felt the familiar burn of healing on full throttle.

“No! Look at your arm, Cass! You’re all torn up!”

She was right. Hiding what had happened might not be possible, especially with so much blood around an area that would be occupied in only half a dozen hours. But he needed to keep his unique path secret.

The Guildmaster’s private warning wasn’t the only reason for his hiding it. It was also instinct.

Cass had been raised in a household and Company that weren’t exactly trustful of outsiders. While he didn’t fully buy into the need to keep people at arm's length, childhood memories were powerful enough to shape you, no matter your wishes. Add in the fact that his family didn’t want him fighting, that he had an Administrative Calling rather than one for Combat, and that he was the first QuestWright in however many years, it was best to keep things under wraps. 

Not to mention, there was too much about the world he didn’t know. Already, people spoke about his fight with the Skreels as if it were luck, and he wanted to keep it that way. If his family or the Guild learned that he was in another fight only a little over a week later, they might try to start watching his movements.

They might try to lock him down, so the first QuestWright in Liora for far too long wouldn’t be in danger. Cass refused to let others dictate how he should live his life.

He grabbed her hand, forcing her eyes to meet his own, “I’ll be fine. Don’t tell anyone I was injured, please.”

“Why? You saved us.”

“And you saved me,” Cass said with genuine thanks in his voice. As he moved to stand and did his best to ignore the fire that was his arm, his monster sense told him they weren’t done yet. As soon as he got upright, he looked at Orla, “Grab her and get her the hell out of here.”

Orla’s eyes went wide as she too looked in the direction of the holes in the wall. She glanced back at the crying Rina, “How?’

“Drag her if you have to, just go.”

He looked toward the dark holes the Scroungers had come from. 

“This one’s bigger.”

Orienting himself and squinting through the pain, Cass focused as Orla dragged Rina away with quiet grunts. Then his ability gave him another shock. There wasn’t one more coming, but two. 

Without a sound, two long legs exited the holes.

Cass felt his lip curl, “Skreels.”

They both screeched loud enough to silence everything in the area before they tore off at him. Cass braced himself, bending his knees and making sure he was in balance as they came. But that turned out to be unnecessary as a sword cleaved one in half at the same time as an arrow took the other in the jaw.

The one that took the arrow was about to get up when Cass’s knife finished the job. Wanting to be certain, he pumped his arm twice more before stopping at the blank look in the creature’s eyes.

“Ooof, bit of bloodthirst on you, young Vale. It seems QuestWright should not have been the Calling you’d taken.”

“I don’t like Skreels.” He knew that voice, “Hello, Carter. How did you know?” Pulling the knife out, he slid it across the creature's skin and stood up in a light stumble.

The mustached man was leaning against a wall with one leg crossed over the other, “Tier Three monster sense. We felt it out by the grounds, but we were the first to get here. Johann, have you ever heard of Scroungers and Skreels making it this far into Liora?”

A large man in tight leather shook his head, a pommel sticking out behind his back, “Can’t say that I have. It’s dark times upon us all.”

Cass took a stumbling step forward, intent on checking in with Rina and Orla.

In a blink, Carter was in front of him, forcing him to stop. “You alright, kid?”

Cass brushed some hair away from his face. I’m going to need a haircut soon. 

Not knowing where that thought had come from, he looked the leader of the Fabulous Five in the eye. “Yeah, I’m fine.” An idea took hold that might stave off problems later. “Hey, do you guys mind taking the credit for everything that happened here?”

They both looked around, spotting the three Scroungers across the area, “You sure?” The swordsman asked, “I killed one, but you and your friends took down four.”

“Three and a half, surely,” Carter said with a smile. He glanced at Cass, “I bet the Council will give you a bounty for that.”

“I don’t want it,” Cass said with a shake of his head, “I’d rather everyone just forgets I was here in the first place. Just say Orla and Rina were beset by monsters, and you two got here in time. It’s what’s best for everyone involved.”

The two men looked at each other and seemed to come to some unspoken agreement. Carter looked back at him, “Sure, kid. I won’t ask why you don’t want your name out there, but I can respect it. We’ll keep your secret.”

“Thank you.” Cass walked off into the night, leaving them behind for the accolades. He didn’t need people to know that he’d fought, and he especially didn’t want them to know that he’d been injured. Because as he took his steps into the forlorn darkness, the wound on his arm continued to rapidly heal.

By the time he extracted promises from Rina and Orla that they’d keep his fighting secret and had made it back to his room, the wound on his arm was already well on its way to healing.