“Argh! My eyes, I’m blind. Help!”
Theo frantically turned her head back and forth.
“Open your eyes.”
“I can't, I'm bli—oh.”
Zsig’s exasperated voice finally broke through her distress. Her eyelids popped open.
“False alarm guys.”
She chuckled weakly.
Once her vision was restored, she immediately went for her field book. Atn shuffled closer, and Zsig feigned disinterest while sneaking glances.
When she pulled the book out, it radiated light again, vibrating but not as intense. This felt like it was trying to tell her something, get her attention.
Theo flicked the latch open and identified one exceptionally bright page. When she flipped to it, the glow extinguished.
This wasn’t the same book as before. Now, there were dividers to quickly flip to different sections. No more disorganized jumble of notes.
The tab she opened had a symbol of a quill on it. The page was titled ‘Quests,’ and one entry was listed.
* Pursuing a Purpose
* Grnulf said to head south and find a village known as Ezall. Maybe they can tell us more.
“What is that?”
Atn peeked over her shoulder, his face right next to hers.
“Personal space Atn! We aren't that close yet.”
He startled her so badly that she nearly dropped the guide, only just saving it from the fall. She also noticed Zsig had drifted closer to get a better glimpse.
“My apologies.”
Shamefaced Atn gave Theo a bit more space as she continued examining the book.
There was a tab with a map. One small spot on the mostly empty page was filled in. It was the area she had mapped when they first arrived. But it was a bit bigger now—infinitely more detailed and superior to Theo’s. It also covered more territory than the original version had. A section of the mountains was now depicted. The map stopped on the other side of the range, just beyond a marker labelled Vyrwall Pass.
Apart from the map, all her previous jottings and sketches had been reorganized into a tab with a parchment and squiggly line symbol, aptly titled ‘Notes.’
“My field book...”
She wasn’t sure if she was excited. She had wanted the change for herself, not her beloved journal. It was familiar in a place where everything she knew was being turned upside down. But that comfort was snatched away, too.
Atn patted her on the back.
“It is very interesting, though. May I?”
Theo handed him the book, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
She looked out across the forest instead. They had left the cave and come out on the side of the mountain. It would be a trek down to ground level.
The towering trees of the forest stood proud, their trunks bare and smooth, while the upper canopy was a dense web of lush greenery that filtered the sunlight. The earth beneath was a patchwork of dirt, soft moss, and gnarled roots. A jumble of tangled bushes and twisted branches dashed any hope of an easy path forward.
“I wonder what these tabs with question marks are?”
Atn tried to flip to one, but it wouldn’t open. All the pages in the sections with question marks stuck together, moving as one. Zsig grabbed a section and tried prying it apart.
“Hey, stop that! You’ll damage it.”
Theo snapped, and Atn closed the book before Zsig could do any lasting harm and handed it back to her. She inspected it thoroughly, but it looked intact, so she stowed it. The guide was much larger since transforming. She’d have to find another way to carry it. Her bag was no longer a practical spot.
“Let’s find this village. South’s that way.”
Zsig pointed down the length of the mountain. She couldn’t make out anything in the distance, but the tall trees weren’t easy to see through. Still, they picked their way down the mountain, led by Zsig.
“Would you hurry up.”
“My legs aren’t as long as yours!”
She called back at Zsig from up the mountainside. And it was true. She was a few heads shorter. Theo went through her growth spurt around 12 and has been the same height ever since.
It was a journey of little interest. Zsig brooded and gave directions. Altogether irrelevant ones, since all they were doing was travelling south. Atn strolled along, whistling a chipper tune occasionally or making small talk. And Theo, she was on the prowl. There were strange plants, and even more maybe plants—she couldn't quite tell—everywhere! An alchemist's wonderland.
Atn, Zsig, and Theo walked the rest of the day but found no signs of civilization. Two more days of the same followed.
Theo was running low on wota leaves, so they forged for meals, trusting her knowledge of plants to keep from eating toxic ones. There were only one or two close calls. And some extended washroom breaks after a snack of deliciously sweet lavender berries. She thought she was doing an outstanding job identifying the edible ones, but Zsig vehemently disagreed.
———
On the third night, the air was cooling as they settled in around the fire.
Both avoided eye contact with Theo. On the first night out of the mountain, Zsig and Atn had noticed something. Nothing that was her fault or even in her control, but…
Her hallmark feature was her hair, an unusual orange and yellow spectrum that gave it the illusion of melting gold. It sat a bit above her shoulders, and she wore it half pulled up, half down—which helped lessen the effect, really. But the impact was enhanced by her eyes.
Two amber irises stood out on her face. Though distinct, it wasn’t an issue in the daylight hours nor something they had noticed prior. But at night, they now noticed, her eyes seemed to glow. The fire highlighted their translucency—mimicking pieces of amber in every way. Atn’s enhanced vision even let him make out the blood vessels behind the iris.
He thought he could see better than he used to. A result of the awakening? He had noticed minor changes so far, the things that already defined him as Biomech, such as his superior abilities to natural humans, growing. He was stronger, his endurance even better than before. If only magic was able to fix everything in the body.
That’s when Atn felt the discomfort. Unfortunately, scientists could not remove basic biological functions when creating Biomechs.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t go too far.”
Zsig raised his voice as Atn walked outside the warmth of the campfire.
———
She didn’t even try to fall asleep; exhaustion forced it on her.
Theo spasmed in her sleep and jolted upright, her heart racing. She was disoriented for a moment, but the fire was still burning bright, casting flickering shadows on the nearby trees. The warm light reminded her that they had made camp for the night. Yet, her two companions were nowhere to be seen.
“Atn, Zsig?”
She called out into the night. There was no response.
The air was thick with the smell of burning wood and damp, rotten earth. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed the smell when they first made camp.
Theo scanned the area, her eyes straining to pierce the veil of darkness surrounding her. The forest was pitch black. Only the area near the fire was illuminated. The air grew heavier, the smell of rot stronger. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation, as if something was getting closer to her.
Out of the gloom, a mysterious figure approached, taking a seat across the fire, its features obscured by the dancing flames. The fire seemed to grow taller as if reacting to this new presence.
The atmosphere around her turned icy cold. It was an unnatural cold, unlike anything she had experienced. It drained all the warmth and moisture from the air, leaving her hollow.
“Who are-”
Her tongue froze in place.
Silence. Do not sully this meeting with the language of tongues.
A voice spoke in her head, emotionless and alien, leaving her paralyzed with fear.
Trying to move made her muscles feel like they would burst. Fear leaked from every pore. Uncontrollable shivers ran through her as the cold air and sweat met.
You have come far, daughter of Silk.
Whether her paralysis was from fear or magic, she wasn’t quite sure. Maybe they were one and the same.
Have you nothing to say?
Theo felt a squirming in her head—an imperceptible force pushing deeper into her mind, searching.
I see you are not as powerful as we had hoped.
The figure turned amorphous, held together by smoke and shadows, then reformed into a heavily cloaked humanoid shape.
You must improve. If power does not come to you, take it.
The eerie presence held out a withered, desiccated hand. It reached through the fire, patiently waiting for her agreement. The flame did not burn the entity; rather, the blaze was forced away from the arm, the cold radiating off it so intense it repelled the fire.
Theo wavered. If she focused on her answer, could the thing hear her thoughts?
What if I say no?
You have already progressed in mental fortitude. Excellent. If you are to refuse, I would tell you to seek power.
How?
Find Bagrah—she may be of service to us yet.
Who?
Locate the one called Bagrah. Or simply take my hand. The choice remains yours, daughter of Silk.
The hand stayed outstretched. Theo’s mind wavered. It would be so easy. She could feel how easy it would be. She just had to say yes in her mind, and then her arm would be freed to reach out and grasp its hand.
A potent desire to agree swept through her. She wanted magic. She knew this to be true in her heart, even if she didn’t know quite what that meant. But the longing running through her far surpassed her genuine want. She could feel the entity's influence pounding through her.
A battle of wills occurred. The other pressure trying to take over. But they greatly misjudged her tenacity. A warding prayer sprang to mind.
Begone foul creature who walks in the night. Begone, dark thing that acts out of spite. Begone with your lies and poisoned words, begone and let the voice of the Pure be heard.
It was something she heard preached to the masses many times from the steps of the Sanctuary of Purity in Last Stand. She wasn’t a Follower, but her mom had been, and Theo knew it was the correct response somehow.
There was a piercing wail in her head. Something began leaking from her ears but froze as it met the cold. She felt the sensation slither from her mind.
Black robes of heavy shadow gave way entirely to smoke. The frigid air relenting to the fire again.
The decayed hand turned to smoke, and a gust of wind blew the smoke away. Leaving not a trace of the visitor.
As control returned to her body, Theo opened her eyes. Her field guide was softly vibrating beside her.
———
Zsig, who was keeping watch, swung the wrist bow around to take out whatever was about to attack them. He had borrowed Atn’s weapon and bolts for guard duty.
He loaded and took aim before realizing it was Theo down his sight. She’d woken up screaming.
“Shut up. It’s just a nightmare.”
Atn jumped to action, checking for threats. Always the staunch Protector B.E.E.P. Atncore at heart. Zsig thought it was a saviour complex. Maybe he felt he had something to prove because he was Biomech. Zsig didn’t know or care that much, really.
Outside of the Protectorate's watchful eye, he could relax a bit. It was a nice change of pace from the act he had to maintain in Last Stand. Or, it would have been, but he did more protector duties here than back home.
Theo was frantic, her freaky yellow saucers looking all around.
She grated on his nerves, and he was quickly losing his patience with her eccentric behaviour. The sooner they went their separate ways, the better.
Zsig hadn’t told them his plans to split up once they reached a city. He had no intention of finding his way home immediately, and he sure couldn’t stick around Atn and Theo for much longer without stabbing them—far too lively for his liking. Yeah, he worked with Atn as his Keeper almost daily. But he got breaks from the happy-go-lucky bot in Last Stand. Not so much here.
He noticed a dark streak, firelight reflecting off the liquid running down the side of Theo’s face when she turned her head, interrupting his irritated mental rantings.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“What’s on your face?”
She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. The dark streak smeared into her hair. Theo examined her hand, then felt at the side of her head.
“Where were you guys.”
She spoke quietly. Zsig didn’t appreciate the accusation in her tone. He owed her nothing. This whole mess was because of her. But then there was Atn, that bleeding heart. He started fussing over her like a mother. Zsig wanted to smack him.
“We’ve been right here! You haven’t even been asleep that long. You had a bad dream. Grow up.”
“Someone was here.”
“I’ve been sitting, awake, the entire time. Nothing was here.”
“But—”
“Theo, are you able to tell us what happened? Take your time.”
Atn cut her off, but so kindly, like she would break if he spoke too firmly. And he gently held her hand in his, a physical symbol of the emotional support he was trying to lend her—too many courses in compassion and citizen relations. Disgusting.
“I’m not listening to this. Gonna go check the perimeter again.”
Theo brought out her strange magic notebook to show Atn something. They both ignored Zsig, so he stalked off. Not because Theo had it in her head that something slipped into their camp. Nope. Not at all. Zsig just didn’t want to listen to them. Only reason.
———
They followed a dirt road through the centre of a tiny city. Grnulf had called it a village, but Atn had never heard of that before. Theo explained to him that they were miniature cities for small groups of people. There was the occasional reference to them in Triahkel's history books, or so he was told.
A village, it turned out, was not like a city at all. People lived here, but there were no bustling half-paved streets. No mechs of any sort racing about picking up trash.
Last Stand was an odd dichotomy of advanced technological society meets pre-industrial revolution. Cobblestone replaced broken asphalt; shiny, metal skyscrapers extended many stories high; small artisan shops and a single market street catered to people's needs; CLR (Charged Light Rail) circled the city, quickly transporting citizens across Last Stand. A mixed place. Left devastated and afraid after the Corruption—unwilling to pursue advancement yet equally reluctant to give up all its previously discovered technology.
So again, Ezall was not a city.
A few people were busily walking down the wide path, going from this building to that, but they were all clearly working. The small handful of structures that made up the village were cared for but clearly needed extensive repairs. The kind that cost money—something that was also clearly lacking. The buildings were wooden with thatched roofs. Boards in desperate need of replacing, but carefully patched nonetheless.
A few children ran down a narrow footpath between some homes, their laughter fading as they chased each other.
Atn, Zsig, and Theo didn’t go unnoticed long in a community this small.
“Hello there. And who might you be?”
A firm, inquiring voice greeted them.
Before Zsig or Theo could say anything that would cause them more trouble, Atn stepped forward.
“Hello. We are just passing through, on our way to the nearest city.”
“It’s not safe to travel abouts. Forest’ll eat ya alive if you wander into the wrong parts.”
“I’m glad we made it to Ezall without incident then.”
“Hogwash. Nothin’ happened to ya’s?”
He peered suspiciously at all three of them.
“No sir, nothing. Though the journey has not been easy. Is there a place we could eat and rest up a bit?”
Atn melded lie and truth smoothly.
“Call me Talbot. And this ain’t Iskle, no inn here. Not even a tavern—”
The man gave a deep sigh at that.
“—but I s’pose old Venern might let ya sleep in the hayloft.”
———
Mr. Talbot made quick work of organizing everything. A few hours later, they had met Venern, the stable master, been settled into the loft, and endured a lecture on not soiling the hay. They then found themselves sitting at Mr. Talbot’s table, eating their first warm meal in days.
In the short moments Theo, Zsig, and Atn were able to talk privately, they made it excruciatingly clear to Theo that she was not to lead any of the conversations if it could be avoided.
“For that matter, you should probably keep quiet too Zsig, you’re little better. Just angrier about it.”
Theo snickered, and Zsig just silently glared at Atn.
Mr. Talbot entered the cramped room and set bowls of soup on the table. It was comprised of root vegetables and broth. A few pieces of meat may have been floating around, or it was a potato.
“Sorry, it's all we got. Meat’s been in short supply recently.”
“We just appreciate your generosity.”
Atn graciously nodded to Mr. Talbot and ate the piping hot soup.
“Anyway, where abouts ya from? If you don’t mind my askin’. You gotta understand, we don’t see many new faces about, ‘cept the occasional trader every now and again.”
“We come from far away, northwest of the mountain.”
“The mountain, you say?”
The man's bushy brown and greying eyebrows rose with interest, and Atn’s expression grew guarded. Zsig forgot to warn Atn that the other side of the mountain meant something. That’s what got them the audience with Grnulf.
“We come from very far away and must be heading back there soon. To that end, we need to find the nearest city and…resupply. Could you point us in the correct direction? Do you have a map, perhaps?”
Atn skillfully pushed the conversation past the curiosity about location. His natural charisma guiding things.
“A map. Hm. I might be able to scrounge one up, if it hasn’t turned to dust by now.”
"We'd very much appreciate it, Mr. Talbot."
“Alright. Go get some rest now. If you want to stick around more than the night you’re gonna have to earn your keep. Check the notice board in the village square. Helping out the folks’ll gather some goodwill, and then they'll let ya stay and keep feeding ya’s.”
“I see. Thank you for extending an invitation. We’ll discuss it and get back to you.”
———
"Do we stay and help, or head toward the city."
Theo and Zsig debated the merits of moving on versus staying to collect more information.
"We need their map to find the city."
"I don’t know about that. They don't seem like they will be that useful."
Zsig was strictly on team ‘keep moving on.’
"We need to wait for that map. We'll give it a day or two, rest, and see if Mr. Talbot finds it. Let's check out the board tomorrow."
Atn made the executive decision. Zsig was getting visibly more agitated by the day, but being hasty wouldn’t help any of them. Even Theo knew that.
The following day, their small group stood in front of the notice board, reading each appeal.
There were several requests. Messily scrawled and nailed up, with sharp slivers of metal, not shaped nails. When Theo ripped a note off the board, her book began vibrating. She checked the guide. A new quest was added to the page.
* Secondary Quests:
* Help Callette in the garden.
She bid farewell to Atn and Zsig and headed off, stopping to ask directions from one of the villagers hurrying about.
———
Theo, Zsig, and Atn each picked tasks best suited to their skills. Which led Zsig and Atn on a hike 4 km outside of Ezall. The request was to eradicate a threat to the village.
* Animal Bounty
* Something’s wreaking havoc on the village livestock. Think it’s a badger. Killed off 24 chickens and 3 pigs last week. It's gotta be killed before we lose all our hens. Reward on proof of death. See Ed Talbot when complete.
*Additional compensation for collecting 3 claws, ears and a tongue.
They had borrowed potions from Theo—accompanied by a lecture on only using them if absolutely necessary since there ‘wasn’t any more where that came from.’
The forested area around Ezall was easy to venture through, with no thick bushes or root filled paths.
“I think I see the burrow ahead. Let's find a better vantage point.”
Zsig was painfully aware of their lack of know-how, but it was just a badger; it couldn't be that hard, especially with their superior weapons.
They were being arrogant. Neither had stopped to consider why a village hunter hadn't already dealt with the problem. Zsig saw the depressing conditions of the village and the request on the board and assumed that the villagers were too weak to deal with it. But still, it was not a problem when you had two high-ranking protectors using charged weapons.
“I’ll draw it out and you pick it off?”
A simple but dependable strategy taught in Last Stand. Usually, the B.E.E.P.s would face the threat head-on while protectors and keepers covered their backs. But they were only a force of two currently, and Atn was better with ranged weapons.
“That should work.”
Zsig moved from his position. Nimbly making his way to the burrow. He considered throwing a potion into the hole to take the animal out quickly, but they had a second objective besides extermination. Collecting…parts.
Was the extra risk to him worth it? The notice didn’t say the reward for completing either part of the task. Somehow, he doubted these people had compensation worthy of the job.
Zsig sighed but signalled to Atn that he was ready. When Atn confirmed, Zsig picked up a rock and threw it against another stone just inside the entrance to the burrow.
A thick, stocky animal cautiously prowled out on four legs. A honey badger. They had a biomech monster version back home. Zsig had never seen one—Last Stand wasn’t their usual environment—but during training, they studied monster species and what they evolved from.
He didn’t remember much about badgers. Solitary, nocturnal, fierce fighters. Badgers were one of the species that advanced via the spreading of corruption. Protector training focused on corrupted versions of animals, so the origin species information was always vague. Badgers were labelled as a moderate threat due to their excellent defensive capabilities.
In tandem, Atn released a bolt while Zsig jumped out with a downward thrust of his staff—only one bladed side extended. Zsig’s muscles zinged with energy…mana? He brought the point down with more force than he had ever used. Red currents of magic ran down his arm like veins under his skin.
The blade connected with the target…and bounced right off. The fur was slick and acted more like a shield than a warm protective coat. Reinforced hairs and thick skin caused the staff to ricochet. The clash reverberated up his mana-drenched arm.
Zsig’s blow was forceful enough to push the beast back as it reeled with surprise. He stumbled back, just enough to evade the incoming swipe from its claw. The badger had recovered from the hit far faster than Zsig.
He attempted an attack three more times, to no avail.
“Why won’t you die.”
Zsig yelled at the animal. The bolts and blade couldn’t penetrate the hide.
He moved in to execute a heavy attack but misjudged the distance and closed too much of the gap. The badger took the opportunity and slashed a claw across Zsig's chest.
Atn responded with a charged shot. No, Zsig recognized it was magic; a glowing grey encased the bolt. It only did damage because of the magic. The bolt glanced off the badger and lodged in the ground next to it. Upon impact, a slate-coloured smokescreen covered the area between them and the badger.
The effects of the magic bolt lasted seconds. Carried away by a breeze. The predator shook its head clear of the smoke and charged.
Their weapons were made for piercing and cutting. Ideal for city defence and quick takedowns, not hunting armoured animals. They were going to fail.
Zsig hurried to regroup with Atn. But not quick enough. The honey badger had one more attack it had been saving. It turned, the tail lifted, and a noxious odour came from its backside.
Zsig threw up in his mouth, eyes leaking from the pungent stench.
Ahead of him, Atn was gagging as he pulled out a potion. He had come to the same conclusion as Zsig.
They had overestimated their ability and underestimated the villagers. Atn threw the potion, and they fled as far and as fast as they could. Not sticking around to see how the badger reacted to the alchemical mix.
The stench was something they couldn’t outrun. Their clothes and hair were saturated in the scent.
“That didn't go as planned.”
“I noticed.”
They stopped to rest, no sign of the badger pursuing them. As they (mostly Zsig) panted and caught their breath, Zsig heard a thought in his head. But not one of his own.
[Unclassed: Level 2]
[Skill Obtained: Basic Evasion]
———
Atn went for the water flask at his side. He felt exhausted, though he only shot a few bolts and did some running. He shouldn't tire so fast.
A thought coursed through him.
[Unclassed: Level 1]
[Skill Obtained: Smokescreen Shot]
———
Theo knocked on a rickety wooden door. There was some clatter from the other side, then a slow, rhythmic thump getting closer. The noise stopped. The door opened, and a tiny, wrinkly old lady with a walking cane stood in the opening.
"Who're you?"
The woman squinted at Theo so hard, you could only see the tiniest sliver of eye.
"Er, hi. I'm Theo. I'm here about the request on the notice board—to help harvest the garden."
"Oh, finally. I was worried the window would pass. You're a little old for this kind of work, aren't you? Granted, my eyes aren't what they used to be, but usually, the youngin’s come by—hoping for a coin or two in return."
"Oh no, Ma’am. Talbot told us to help out if we wanted to hang around."
"Very well. This way then, and call me Callette, dear."
The little woman pulled a shawl over her head to block the mild morning sun and hobbled out the door. She pulled the latch on a short fence and strode into a tiny garden.
"Here it is. Just collect the clippings and pull out the weeds. Ya know how to do it, right?”
The woman eyed Theo with a fair amount of doubt.
“I can assure you, this isn’t my first time.”
Callette considered this.
“Get on with it then.”
She rested both hands atop her cane. Was she actually going to stand there and watch?
Theo dug through the deep recesses of the abyss—also known as her satchel. Aha. She grabbed a pair of herb snips and selected a corner of the crowded garden to start in. Kneeling in the soil, she removed the protective sheath. It was comforting to be doing such a familiar task.
“What are you doing with that thing?”
The woman hobbled over and, using her cane pushed Theo away from the plant she was about to harvest.
“Hey. I’m doing what you asked.”
“Not with those you aren’t. Kids, with all their crazy ideas these days.”
Callette tsked, which peeved the master alchemist. This wasn't her first rodeo.
“You have to use your hands if you want the herbs at their most potent. When you pinch at the node, your body's mana boosts it.”
“I don’t have any mana, Callette. I don’t have magic.”
“Nonsense, you’re how old, and you think you don’t have magic? Who told you that?”
“Grnulf.”
“This Grnulf must be quite a fool.”
Theo hung her head. But Callette was far from a pitying old lady. She had lived her whole life in Ezall, which was a tough life at best. There was no time for wallowing. The cane gently rapped Theo’s knuckles, urging her to focus on the task.
“Find the lowest set of leaves and pinch just above that. Collect a few of those. Then move to the roots.”
She oversaw Theo, correcting the pinching technique and explaining how to properly gather roots without killing the plant. She had harvested without tools before. This was just on an entirely different level. The magic interacted most optimally with the exposed stem if you pinched just so.
“Work with intention. That is key.”
Theo had gathered that the magic enhanced the herb's properties, which was a huge deal to her as an alchemist. The actual mechanics of how it worked? She had no idea—though she had every intention of finding out. But she didn’t think it made a difference when she did the harvesting because she was ‘empty’ as Grnulf had put it.
Eventually, Callette decided she could continue unsupervised and wandered back into her home. She returned a while later with a pewter cup of water for Theo.
“Thank you.”
She wiped an arm across her forehead, mopping up sweat. By now, the sun was high in the sky and photosynthesizing Callette’s garden with a vengeance.
“Callette, could you tell me about magic and how it affects the plants.”
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t know if you think you have none. Very well, get a move on, and I’ll tell you what I know. Mind ya, it isn’t much.”
Theo resumed her work in the garden as Callette found something suitable to sit on.
“Magic’s all around us, filling everything. Some things contain it better. Earth, organic things, nature carry a vast amount of magic—best used for earth magics, mind ya. One of the reasons magical gardening is easier, even in places like Ezall. Being surrounded by nature boosts what little us villagers can access.”
“Mhmm.”
“Everyone is raised knowing that, though. What's important is the magic filling us. Some have more than others. Don’t know why. People in the big cities can train and increase their mana. Way out here, though, we take what we can get. Give the plant a little juice when freshly collected, and you’ll get a lot of use from it.”
Theo’s head was spinning. Magic could strengthen plant effects, meaning her potions would be more powerful.
“Of course, your class and subclasses help, so we tend to pick ones that benefit the village most. We had a rogue a few years back who thought taking the thief subclass was a good idea. What he planned to steal in Ezall is beyond my guess.”
“What’s a class?”
If Theo had thought about it, she would have realized how much that simple question gave away. But the sweet old Callette was welcoming, the sun was warm, and the work was good. She had never been good at keeping secrets, but she had always been a good student.