Cass left Hollis’s office with an extra pep in his step. No, it was more than that. It was like chains had been thrown off his body, and now, he knew anything was possible. Understanding that his family was waiting for him at home, he started up a light jog, the energy in his body undeniable.

  I did it. Pathfinder is a go. Running through the Entrance Hall, he said hi to the silent woman who replaced Jim in the evenings, her recalcitrance not taking away the bouncing joy he barely contained. Now that the plan is approved, I’ll need to think about procedure and process. Hollis said I could grab a few Clerks, and I know two who would be perfect.

  He smirked to himself.

  Perfect for me, but not for Kara. Having my Guild Trainer with me will keep things moving. She’s never been one for holding back…poor Brendan and Chancey.

  He quickly left downtown behind, his feet seeming to float across the ground as he approached his parents’ house. It was strange, but in only a month at the Guildhall, it was already starting to replace his childhood home in his heart.

  As the thick-roofed building came into view, he slowed to a walk. There was a scent in the open air of roasting tomatoes and baked bread. A sign that his father had cooked up his favorite meal. With a breath, Cass climbed the steps and was about to open the door when he thought better of it. Making a fist, he gently knocked.

  The door opened in moments, his father’s trademark smile making its appearance.

  “Why are you knocking, weirdo? Get in here!”

  Cass entered and found everyone already deep into their glasses. Gary’s slightly drunk mother, a blonde-haired woman with a heavy stack of meat on her bones, gave him far too deep a hug the moment they saw each other. As his blushing friend pulled her away, Cass’s mother gave a toast, and everyone raised their glasses high into the air.

  “To my son, Cassio Vale, a QuestWright of the Liora Guildhall, and the best person I know.”

  “To Cassio!” His father said with a faded smile.

  “All honor to the Vales!” Gary’s mother yelled out, the flushing of her face telling him she’d dipped into her drinks far faster than everyone else.

  The dark of the night moved at a pace that was almost visible to the eye. Fighting back the nostalgia of returning to his family home, Cass drank and was merry with the people who’d supported him all his life. But even as the wine warmed his belly and laughter played musically across the room, he couldn’t stop his mind from spinning into business mode.

  Standing up, he found an only slightly inebriated Janine still in her dress from before, and approached her with a hesitant expression, “Hey, sis.”

  “Hey, loser.” She said, swirling an amber liquid in her glass. “How’s it feel to be done with your Foundational training?”

  “Fine? I don’t know.” Cass rubbed the back of his head, “It feels about the same right now, but I’m sure on Monday, that’ll change.”

  She looked at her, her medium-length, dark hair framing a grin, “Oh? Why’s that?”

  And there’s my opening.

  “Because I’ll be taking over the first floor of the Registry, and,” He paused for effect, “I’ll be starting Pathfinder.”

  “Well, congratulations on controlling a piece of the Guild, but what’s Pathfinder?” She threw a weird look at him, “Is this like one of those games you and Gary played when you were kids? Coming up with strange Callings that you think will make you sound like a badass?” Her face shifted into a dubious look that he’d come to recognize over the years as severe doubt. “'Cause if that’s what it is, it’s terrible, and you’re too old for games like that.”

  “Weenus!” A traveling Gary said, grabbing Cass’s elbow, before running away and proving his sister’s point.

  “Damnit,” Cass replied, shaking his fist at the man’s receding back as Janine laughed. “The rules say we can’t be drunk!”

  “You’ve barely drank anything, and besides, that’s for making me pay for those sweets!” He yelled back, “She damn near took off my fingers today!”

  Mollified, he took a seat, then offered her the one opposite. With a quizzical look, she sat down. “No, it’s not a game. Pathfinder is something I only recently got the Guild Master to approve. It’s a new way forward for the Guild, and while it’s only a pilot, I firmly believe it’ll make Liora stand out as a city of the future. Let me explain.”

  Breaking it down for her wasn’t simple. There were a lot of steps to his plan, and Janine had always been a little…thick. Leaving out the hidden benefits he’d told Hollis, Cass explained how it was supposed to work, as well as the importance of the program. As for why he’d left out the potential for titles, the reasoning was simple: there were no guarantees that it would go the way he expected. It was a simple hope. Still, she was an important part of his plans.

  When he finished, she just stared at him. Janine was many things: a great warrior, a terrifying sister, a woman who could hold her liquor, even. But she wasn’t great at analyzing, as she reminded him.

  “You know I’m not great at analyzing things,” She replied, tipping back her glass. With a small burp, she continued, “That’s why Carter’s the team leader.”

  “I know,” Cass said with a smile and a nod, “But I’m hoping you can talk the rest of your team into taking a few Pathfinder Quests. It’s not glamorous and you’re not going to feel like a warrior when you do them, but you just might be surprised by what happens.”

  She set her drink down on a table beside her, “There are lots of teams out there, Cassio. Why does ours matter?”

  “You mean aside from you being a GoldenCrown?” Cass said with a smile, “It’s because people look up to you. Everywhere I go, people talk about the Ironmonger and the Fabulous Five. If you do it, I’m sure other teams will as well. That’s all. It’s like a boulder rolling downhill. Pathfinder just needs a little momentum.”

  She squinted at him before giving a brief nod, “I’ll think about it. Now, if there’s nothing else, let’s get sloshed.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “I can do that,” Cass replied with a second smile, happy to at least have her consider the idea, and even happier still that her grumpiness from before his Calling hadn’t made its return.

  It was an odd thing. When he and Janine had been kids, they’d been quite close. Two years older than him, his big sister had looked out for his safety, always making sure that he never went too far with what Gary called his “righteous moments”. But after he’d failed his first few walks down the Uncalled Way, she’d started to tighten up. It wasn’t until this moment that Cass understood.

  She’d been scared.

  Scared that he wouldn’t get a Calling. Scared that he’d be a dreg, cast off from the post-Reshaping society they well understood.

  But with QuestWright, that fear was gone, and in its place, she seemed to almost be trying to make up time with how high and buoyant her laughter became. It was nice to hear it again—. Tthough he didn’t doubt he’d always be her “loser”.

  The stumbling route back to his room was messy, and the next morning wasn’t much better. After a healthy scrubbing in the shower, Cass went to the cafeteria for an early breakfast, then headed out to the stables.

  Free days were always a special moment in his week. The guild felt quiet, as many optional services closed down every Sunday. It was a natural recurrence, as there were many low-tier Administrators with the day off, and foot traffic became an oddity rather than something expected.

  He’d heard talk from his parents that most people used to take off two days a week before the Reshaping. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what they did with that much free time. Two full days? In a row? Seemed outlandish.

  But then again, monsters didn’t exist back then, nor did Callings. From his primary school teachings, he knew that the history of the world was often forgotten. Maybe, one day, they’d forget the Reshaping too.

  There was still no noise when he approached, but the moment his horse’s eyes located the object in his hands and the person beside him, she went crazy.

  Apparently, his excitable equine friend had grown known for busting out of her stall. More than the simple clasp that held her door closed, there was now a rope loosely tied around it. But that didn’t seem to matter much. Punching at the gate with her hooves, she managed to jiggle it and the rope enough that the gate swung open with speed, banging into the wall with a loud boom.

  “Well, she’s quite the spirited animal.” The Stablemaster said, reaching her hand out for the draft-horse to nuzzle. “Now, I’m going to show you how to saddle her the next few times you take her to ride. On the fourth, we’ll see if you’ve got it figured out. Sound good?”

  “Sounds good,” Cass replied.

  She handed him a thick, round comb and walked him through the process of brushing her.

  “It’s always important to comb her first in long, even strokes. If you don’t, the tack may cause chaffing, and an unhappy horse is a broken ass.”

  After that, she had him check her hooves with a brief explanation of what to look for. Then, she walked him through laying the pad down and placing the saddle. When everything was set up and the bottom cinch was tightened, Cass found a thin veil of sweat covering his back. And Bella’s patience was running thin.

  “Easy, girl,” Cass said, touching her snout lightly after she stomped the ground. “We’ll get going in a moment.”

  “All right,” the Stablemaster said, a light grin playing across her features, “You’re set, but you should take it slow. Bella’s a draft-horse, so while you can ride her, don’t try going too fast. The riding arena is just down yonder,” She said, pointing past the rocks where he and Kara had first met. “Be easy with the reins when you start out, or she’ll buck you by instinct.”

  Bella snorted as Cass said, “Good advice.”

  “It’s also the truth. Go on, now. Ride your horse.” She waved as they walked away, the sound of hooves echoing around the barn.

  Cass didn’t mount yet. Instead, since he had no experience riding a horse at all, they continued walking along the side of the stables until they met up with a ring built of wooden posts.

  Thankfully, nobody was around to witness as Cass and Bella entered, the two holding a conversation marked by snorts, neighs, and whispered conversations. Closing the latch, he listened to her as she gave a detailed account of what was expected to occur.

  “Tell me that isn’t about to happen.”

  When he was certain she was only joking about throwing him for fun, he placed his bag down and pulled out a vellum.

  Tapping into his outline while staring at the ground, he activated his newest personal Quest.

  [Stalwart Way Daily Quest]

  Cassio Vale will ride the draft-horse, Bella, for thirty minutes in a circuitous fashion.

  Additional instructions will be sent to the bonded partner.

  Cassio Vale

  Liora Guildhall

  QuestWright

  “Such weird wording on this one,” Cass said, shaking his head. Hopeful, whatever was about to happen would make up for not only the reputation loss he’d incurred with Bella the previous day, but would also mend whatever hurt feelings she had. The moment he activated it, his body became suffused with the now standard golden glow, but at the same time, so did Bella.

  Looking at her, she met his eyes and whinnied.

  “What do you mean you got a Quest?”

  A stomp and headshake told him a great deal.

  “Wait, wait, I only caught some of that. You’re not going to tell me what it said? Why?”

  Stomp.

  “How can it be for my benefit if I don’t know what's…you know what, fine. Let’s just do this.” Uncomfortably, he put his foot in the stirrup like the Stablemaster explained, “You better not buck me.” Hopping twice before he was able to swing his leg over her, he settled down with a wince. After a…private adjustment, he hooked his other foot in.

  Funnily enough, it was Bella who told him how to hold the reins and to grip with his thighs.

  “Never thought a horse would tell me how to ride it,” He muttered to himself.

  Bella’s head sharply swung around with a glare.

  “Her, how to ride her.” He clarified quickly. “Now, what do we do?”

  She shook her head as a thirty-minute timer appeared at the top of his screen, “What do you mean, hold on?”

  With immediacy, Bella shot off like a cannon. As soon as they got to one of the posts making up the riding arena, she turned, and of course, Cass had only one reaction.

  “Ahhh! Slow down!” He swallowed the hot spit rising from the back of his throat before screaming again. ”You’re crazy!”

  But Bella didn’t slow down, and the timer still moved in his vision until the moment he fell off her back and rolled twice across the ground.

  Timer: 28:36 remaining for completion

  Standing up as the burn of healing kicked in across his body, he grabbed the face of an obviously laughing horse as she hoofed at the ground.

  “Listen, dummy. That hurt my ass, bad.” The Stablemaster’s prophetic line filtered quickly through his mind. “I understand we have a Quest to do, but I’m certain that was far worse than was necessary.”

  A stomp and a whinny told the story.

  “More experience for that? Are you sure?”

  A long neigh followed as Cass listened along.

  “I had no idea you could gain experience too…do all animals do that? No? Strange. Okay…fine…but, no crazy ass turns, deal? No deal! Come on, Bella!”