Cass was still trying to come to terms with all of the new changes as he forced a smile on his face.

  The Titles, his first path, not to mention whatever Tokens were. It was a lot to process. But seeing his Sister enter in her full regalia, quickly followed by four people, only two of whom he recognized, was not one of his expected moments for the day.

  Sunlight struck Janine’s gleaming armor so powerfully that for a moment she was blinding to look at. It was polished to an almost unnatural degree, the gold highlights on her pauldrons matching the trim on the tunics of the four men behind her. Carter was the first to speak after they’d all gathered before him, veritably surrounding the bed.

  “Well, if it isn’t Cass, destroyer of Skreels.” He spun a finger around the edge of his moustache, “Quite the mess we had to clean up.”

  “Shut up, Carter,” Janine said with a sigh, embarrassed by familial proxy. “Don’t mind him, Cass. We just wanted to stop by and make sure you're okay. Sorry, we couldn’t get here sooner, we were…” She paused uncomfortably. “Occupied.”

  “Occupied, she says.” A small, squirrely man in loose-fitting clothes said with a giddy laugh. “I doubt there’s a Skreel within ten miles of Liora left alive. Your sister pushed us to wipe them out en masse, little QuestWright. We’ve been working at it ever since we dropped you off here.”

  Cass looked over at his sister, whose cheeks held a ruddy glow, “Why would you do that? I’m fine.”

  “Fine.” A long, blonde-haired woman said before snorting. In an extreme invasion of privacy, she moved over in a blur and lifted the bottom of his shirt. Four pink scars showed themselves on his upper chest. “Less than a week ago, these were open, weeping, and infected. I did what I could to help you, but the damage was a little beyond me.” She leaned over, looking closer, “Looks like someone beat me to it. In fact, I think you’ll be out of here in no time.”

  Cass quickly pulled his shirt down. “I’m a quick healer.” Very quick now. “I take it you’re the Fabulous Five?”

  “Ah!” Carter sighed with a slap to his forehead, “Where are my manners. You know me and of course the Ironmonger.” He nodded at Cass’s sister. “But you haven’t met the rest of the crew.” He gestured at the squirrel man, “Bohemian, though of course that’s not his real name.” The man gave a sharp nod and a sharper smile. “Dust.” The blonde woman backed up and gave him a nod. “And this is Riposte.” A man in a mismatch of leather and metal stepped up, his face etched with tired lines. “He has a duelist Calling, so don’t mind him. Your sister really threw us into the weeds.”

  Cass looked over at her, “Why? They’re dead.”

  “Because you’re my brother, you idiot.” She stepped over and mussed his hair, something she hadn’t done since they were both very little. “And seeing you like that…it was too much, you know?”

  “You’re a Combatant, I bet you see blood all the time.”

  “Not if we’re doing our job right.” Dust said with a shrug, unfazed by Janine’s glare.

  “Not my family’s blood.” Janine corrected, placing a heavy hand on his arm. “No more monster fighting, alright?”

  Cass hesitated, his mind going back to the experience and rewards he’d gained. Quietly, he said, “I’m not trying to be a hero. I just got lucky.”

  “Yes, luck, the fickle mistress who loves us all,” Bohemian rolled his eyes. “Monger, we need to go. I haven’t slept in several days, and if we don’t leave soon, I’ll start hallucinating about knife-wielding gophers…again.”

  As if that were permission, Carter gave a lazy salute to his teammate. He looked at Cass, “Happy to see you’re feeling better, CV.” He turned and left, whistling a happy tune as the other three followed quickly behind.

  Janine had stayed, lingering beside his bed. “I was really worried about you, Cass.”

  Finding genuine concern in her eyes, he forced his following words to be honest. “I’ll try to be smarter next time.”

  She gave his arm a squeeze, “Please, for me. I only have one brother.”

  He forced her out of the room when she couldn’t hold back a sizeable yawn. Then he was alone again…for all of a minute. Tutors came and went, as did Rina, along with three Quests in her hands and a quickly fading golden glow.

  Then, Cass pulled out a Vellum and laid it flat on the bed. Time to put his new path to use.

  [Stalwart Way Daily Quest]

  Cassio Vale will complete three sets of ten pushups, three sets of fifteen situps, and three sets of twenty standing squats.

  This must be done before the day is over.

  Cassio Vale

  Liora Guildhall

  QuestWright

  As soon as the silver splash faded, he held his creation up to the sunlight and looked it over. The System-imbued vellum appeared like any other he’d ever drafted. The only difference was that this one was for him.

  Something clicked in his mind as the System acknowledged what he wanted, then a thread of warmth pulsed from his chest to the Quest.

  Cassio Vale, will you accept the Quest of the Stalwart Way?

  Pushing his intent toward the prompt, the vellum in his hand burned away as he felt something enter his body.

  Quest accepted…

  Time remaining: 14 hours, 10 minutes, and 23 seconds…

  Not one to waste an opportunity for free time, he dropped right there and began, “One…two…three…four…”

  The pushups weren’t so bad. His wounds had mostly healed, and the few days he’d spent training with Dev had slightly firmed up some of his more pudgy areas. As soon as he hit ten, his screen updated.

  Daily Quest Progress:

  1 out of 3 sets of pushups complete

  Flipping around to give his arms a breather, Cass hooked his feet to the bed and started again. “One…two…three.”

  The click of the door announced someone as he was just about to finish the final rep.

  Kara stood in the entryway, arms folded, as she gave him an incredulous look. “What are you doing?”

  Cass froze mid-sit-up as he felt a stomach cramp beginning to churn. “Umm, core engagement?”

  Kara raised an eyebrow, “Infirmary beds aren’t exactly official gym equipment, and you’re still healing.” She came closer, pointing a finger at his injured arm and chest. “What if you re-open your wounds?”

  Cass had an answer for this one, “Dust from the Fabulous Five came by. She said I’d be done healing soon?”

  “What? There’s no way…” Her eyes turned glassy as she stared at something. “My notes say it’ll be at least another week before you’re well enough to go home.”

  “What can I say?” Cass finished the last rep. “I’m a fast healer.”

  Daily Quest Progress:

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  1 out of 3 sets of situps complete

  “Well, you need to stop all that. I have a request from the Guild stablemaster herself for you to come look at your horse. So hop to, and let's go.”

  Cass grumbled as he stood up, the tightness in his stomach and arms relaxing as he did a quick stretch. Slipping on a Guild robe Kara had brought, he ignored the wheelchair just past his door while they quickly walked away.

  A few minutes later, a notification blinked at him.

  [System Notice]

  You’ve gained .55xp for Gary Trenner’s Quest Completion.

  Your System Reputation has increased by 1.

  Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

  He paused as if he needed to fix his shoes and checked the ledger. The QuestWright Initiate title was already at work. Though ten percent didn’t seem like a lot, it meant he got an extra Quest’s experience every ten he assigned. That wasn’t nothing.

  As they approached the rocky area where he’d first met Kara, another came in.

  [System Notice]

  You’ve gained .55xp for Vino Khatri’s Quest Completion.

  Your System Reputation has increased by 1.

  Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

  Cass informed her of the Tracker’s finished quest as the easily recognizable smell of livestock struck their noses.

  “You’re still tracking your Quests one by one?” She waved at a man hauling a block of hay who’d called out to her. “Well, I suppose that’s natural as you’re only handing out so many each day. Once you get to a level like Guildmaster Hollis’s, you’ll barely notice them. Ah, here, let me introduce you.”

  A woman in a brown apron smiled as the two approached. Kara gestured at Cass before motioning back to the older woman with the kind smile, “Cass, I’d like you to meet Delephine. She’s been the Guild’s Stablemaster for…how long now?”

  “Ten years.” The woman pushed a stray lock of gray hair behind an ear before wiping a hand on her clothes and holding it out, “So, you must be Cassio Vale. How ya doing? Recovering quickly?”

  Cass immediately liked her as they shook, “I’m trying, but Kara here seems to think I’m made of porcelain. That I’ll shatter the moment my body is pushed.”

  “Ugh, it’s only been a few days, Cass. You need to take it easy.”

  Another update came in for one of his Common’s Quests. He had to try not to look as Delephine gave him the rundown on the stables.

  “All of these are either Guild mounts, personal mounts, or holdovers for visitors. We charge a small amount of Crests on the hour, but as a Guild member, your cost is automatically covered. Follow me.”

  She took him around the area, showing him where the hay was stored, along with sweet treats for the horses, and the best methods for cleaning and watering them. Eventually, they wound up in a large angular building with the Guild crest blazed into the top of it.

  “Your horse will be in the last stall. We’ll keep taking care of her for you, but you’ll want to drop by whenever you can so she doesn’t forget you. Horses are funny creatures like that.” Patting Kara on the shoulder, she said, “Anyways, I gotta run. The Valiants are meeting with the Guildmaster, and they’re always very picky about how their animals are treated. See you around, Cassio.”

  “Bye and thanks, Delephine.”

  “I’ve gotta run too, Cass.” Kara said, already taking a step back, “You be safe. And remember, NO working out. You need to give things time to heal.”

  “I understand, Kara. I’ll be careful.”

  When she left, Cass walked over to the end where the Stablemaster said he could find Bella. The moment he was only twenty or so feet away, a loud whinny sounded out, along with the building shaking.

  Being cautious, Cass took several more steps in that direction, only for the whinny to grow more passionate, and this time, the building didn’t stop shaking as the sounds of something heavy striking wood filled the space.

  As another notification came in, Cass gently stepped closer to the raucous, “Easy, Bella.” He tried his best to make his voice as soothing as possible, “It’s just old Cassio Vale.”

  He finally came close enough to see her. The thin horse had filled out a little since he’d last laid eyes on her. Small dark streaks ran across her coat, an unsubtle reminder of the danger they’d been in recently, but otherwise, she seemed much healthier than before.

  Cass reflexively threw his hands out to the side when she spotted him and reared up. In one graceful move, she dropped forward, front kicking the gate hard enough that the latch jiggled and came undone.

  Freed from her constraints, the old horse ran out of the stall in a burst. Cass was halfway to taking a step back when she quickly stopped and bumped his head with her own, a heavy breath flaring his hair out.

  Cass tried to still the hammer in his heart. “Alright, girl, alright. Yes, I’m happy to see you too.” She mouthed his neck with a huff. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here till now.” She made a grunting noise that felt like an admonition. He knew she wasn’t saying anything, but still, it felt like she was. “Look, I did my best, alright. I only started feeling better this morning.”

  Rubbing her back a few times, and still getting used to the idea of “having” a horse, he walked toward her stall and was unsurprised to see her follow.

  “This is a nice setup, Bella.” He waved around the area, “It’s nice, cozy even.” She snorted. “Oh, come on, I’m sure it’s better than what Shamus had set up for you. No? Well, it’s still nice.” Pushing away a few pieces of straw, he found a nice, flat spot, then had an idea.

  “Do you mind if I work out in here when I visit?” She stomped the ground, her intent coming across. “Am I crazy, or did you just say no?” Bella turned her head and gave him a full dose of horse eye. “Okay, so we really can talk to each other. Were you able to do this with Shamus? No? Huh.”

  Entering the squatting position to a horse’s laugh, Cass started his third series of calisthenics. Bit by bit, he worked through his required squats, then alternated between push-ups, sit-ups, and back to squats again. All the while, quest completions arrived, and an amused brown horse stared at him with one large eye. While he worked out, Cass didn’t stop reflecting on the fact that he could now communicate with a horse.

  Was the system this weird with everyone, or just him?

  The update arrived just as he finished the last squat.

  [Stalwart Way Daily Quest Complete]

  Rewards: 5.5xp, 1 Stalwart Token, 1 Survivor Token

  Note: Check the Survivor path for updates…

  “Well,” He took a gulping breath, “Would you look at that.” He turned to Bella, “Do you mind watching over me while I finagle something?”

  The horse snorted once, then turned her body towards the gate and pricked her ears forward like a proper guard.

  Cass smiled, “Atta girl.” Then dove into his screens.

  The path was the same, distant, dim lines stretching away, while the Stalwart Way glowed a deep red. But now, a new sidebar hovered alongside it.

  Daily Quests Complete: 1

  Stalwart Tokens: 1

  Survivor Tokens: 1

  He focused on the glowing track. Each node had a subtle pulse, the icons flickering momentarily to life as his attention moved along them.

  The first was unironically a stylized footprint.

  Daily Quest Unlocked Automatically:

  Basic Physical Calisthenics

  The next node farther down the line depicted a flexing arm.

  [Targeted Strengthening]

  -Function Unlock-

  You can now pick one of several strength-based routines each day.

  Cost to Unlock: 10 Stalwart Tokens

  So I won’t constantly have to do whatever the Way forces me to. I’ll get to pick and choose my Quests. But at a token a day, that means it’ll be over a week before I’m able to take a step.

  Past the arm icon, the Stalwart Way branched out, reaching in several directions in a vein-like manner. One, in particular, piqued his curiosity. Its Icon looked more than a bit like Bella.

  [Mounted Conditioning]

  -Training Expansion-

  Unlocks Daily Quests focused on grip strength, balance bracing, and core compression under strain.

  Cost to Unlock: 7 Stalwart Tokens

  Note: Node influenced by developing relationship with Bella, the draft horse.

  He backed out slightly, returning to the full view of the path. Focusing, he moved his vision along the lines, taking in the general shape that all of them formed. The veins of the stalwart, the flame of the Cinders. Antlers for the Wild Way and two sharp blades for the Tempered. And there, far to the side of the others, a solitary lantern representing the Last Light.

  “But what are Survivor Tokens?” He said out loud, and the system heard him. Far above them all, writing appeared.

  [1 OF 5 WAYS UNLOCKED]

  Cost to Unlock next way: 100 Survivor Tokens

  Cass pulled out of the screen, Bella still standing guard. He reached over and gently rested against her rump. “This is going to take a while.”

  Still, things were looking up. None of the Way’s cost experience to level. As long as he stuck to his regimen and kept pushing himself, there was nowhere to go but up.

  Telling his horse that he’d be back tomorrow, Cass closed the gate and re-latched it. Then, remembering what the Stablemaster had said, walked over and grabbed a sweet. He doubled back to his horse, her head leaning over the stall, and gave it to her with a pat on the neck.

  “See you soon, girl.”

  Your reputation with the draft-horse, Bella, has increased by 1

  Smiling to himself, Cass left, heading back to his room. There was a reason Logistics had shown itself as one of his first paths.

  He was very good at planning.