With a combined heave, Kai and Davon let go of the dead griffin, allowing the body to flop down unceremoniously in front the Guild House’s front gate.

After three hours of dragging the damn thing through forest thickets and over small hills, Davon was completely exhausted. He sat on the griffin’s backside to catch his breath, paying no attention to the weird looks they were attracting from the gate guards. Kai took a seat next to Davon, while Lyla remained standing, immersed in a book.

The scent of sweat and blood mixed in Davon’s nose, creating the perfect concoction of disgust to make his well-earned break unenjoyable. Davon tried to distract himself by tracking the local populace, keeping them in his peripheral vision. Most people, he noticed, stopped to have a look at the dead monster, and to gaze admiringly at the heroes who had felled it.

Despite the ongoing stench, Davon felt a small smile creeping onto his face.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” boomed a familiar, gruff voice. “You even managed to bring back the body. I’m impressed.”

Davon turned to see Grant strolling up to them.

“You were expecting us to fail, then?” he asked the old Revenant.

“Not expecting, no, but the odds weren’t exactly in your favor.” Grant halted by the body, looking over the monster with a keenly assessing gaze. “Ordinarily, before a hunt like this, you would’ve gone through at least a week of training. Refining combat skills, building teamwork, getting used to your Reliquaries… You can understand why the thought of your failure crossed my mind.”

Davon couldn’t help shuddering. None of them had realized how truly unprepared they were to face their first hunt.

And yet, here they were, with their quarry in tow and all of their lives intact. Was their success the result of talent, or pure dumb luck?

Probably both, he thought.

“Regardless, here you are,” Grant exclaimed, as if reading Davon’s thoughts. He pointed to the dead griffin. “Come, let’s see what the Boneshapers can do with this beast. Don’t worry, I’ll take it. You’ve carried the thing enough for one day.”

Without complaint, Kai and Davon stood up and moved away from the body. Grant grabbed the griffin by one of its front legs and slung it over his back effortlessly. The trio fell in step with the old Revenant, following him into the Guild house.

Before crossing the threshold, Davon looked at the sky, noting that the red hue was too dark for a normal sunset. He narrowed his eyes. Since the Red Dawn, he had almost become accustomed to the constant red tint the world was now bathed in during the day. Even so, this sunset made him nervous for reasons he couldn’t quite name.

A tap on the shoulder brought Davon back to reality. Turning towards the door, he saw Lyla staring at him expectantly.

“This is hardly the time for daydreaming, Davon.”

Davon cleared his throat. Muttering an apology, he hurried to catch up with Grant and Kai.

At first, the group made their way through the Guild House in silence. Then Lyla voiced the question uppermost in Davon’s thoughts.

“Any news about the Red Dawn, Grant?”

“Nothing concrete,” the old Revenant replied. “Some reports of new monsters spotted in the wild, mostly attacking supply convoys. Quest board has been full of requests to track down and eliminate these bands. If you haven’t thought about what you’re doing next, I’d recommend a look.”

Before Davon could point out that they still hadn’t received any training, Grant continued, “There’s also been some rumors of attacks on fringe cities. The news is unreliable, but from what I hear, the talk says mostly small groups, barely able to scratch at the walls.”

These words sent a chill down Davon’s spine. Attacking isolated supply convoys was one thing, but raids on cities? That was a whole other, and much more disturbing, matter.

“What about our forces?” Kai asked eagerly. “Revenants, I mean.”

Grant scratched his chin. “Well, from the local teams, Mia is currently heading an expedition with the Green Trackers. Searching for any signs of these new monsters around Walden’s Hold.”

The Green Trackers. Davon was familiar with that name. They were a group of Revenant rangers, highly skilled in survival, tracking, and covering their own tracks. While Davon didn’t have many personal interactions with the group, he knew they were responsible for getting shipments of goods moved between port cities and whichever mainland city needed them.

“The Stalwarts are doing what they do best: fortification,” Grant went on. “They’re helping maintain the walls around Walden’s Hold, as well as supporting the garrison. Although…”

He paused long enough to draw a curious glance from Kai. When the old Revenant continued, his voice was tinged with barely concealed worry.

“Their leader Franz left on a solo expedition two days before the Red Dawn started. He hasn’t returned yet.”

Davon didn’t blame Grant for being worried. Franz Steel-Heart was a legendary Revenant. Even Davon knew the stories of his conquests over monsters. In fact, Davon couldn’t name a single monster Franz hadn’t triumphed over. The Steel-Heart had once eliminated an entire den of dragons, singlehandedly. If something out there related to the Red Dawn had actually bested Franz, then everyone in Walden’s Hold and beyond had real reason to fear.

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His concern only deepened when Grant quickly changed the subject.

“And, of course, assortments of Revenant teams are spread throughout the territories. Doing odd jobs here and there, keeping the peace, the usual. As always, there are a few daredevils who seem to think they can solve the situation all on their own.”

To Davon’s surprise, Grant chuckled. “There’s even been some rumors that the Emperor’s Hand has been mobilized. I’ll believe it when I see it. Those lazy bastards have had it good for far too long.”

The Emperor’s Hand was a name that provoked awe in most people who knew anything about Revenants. They were an elite squad of three, based out of the capital city and hand-picked by the emperor himself to serve every one of his whims with total loyalty. Although this service mostly came down to guarding the emperor and his treasury, these Revenants had a fearsome reputation. If even they were getting involved, then the situation further into the mainland must have been truly dire.

Davon’s stomach twisted, all Grant’s information only made him more uneasy. Several important and powerful factions were seemingly on the move, but next to no progress had been made towards resolving the main problem. It sounded like no one still had any clue about what the Red Dawn was, let alone how to stop it.

On top of that, if cities were being attacked…

“Be honest, Grant.” His mind filling with visions of mysterious foes, Davon didn’t even try to mask his anxiety. “If Walden’s Hold were to be attacked, what are our chances?”

Grant sighed. “Well, we have the Stalwarts, and sturdy walls. We have enough resources to last through an extended siege. But what we need are more Revenants.”

Lyla raised her eyebrows. “Why?”

“If the rumors are true, these new monsters are quite powerful,” Grant explained. “The humans couldn’t hold them back, and the local Stalwart force isn’t big enough to hold off a siege on their own. So, we need more loose Revenants to gather here and patrol the walls. But the Guild’s got them running errands constantly, trying to get to the bottom of the Red Dawn.”

This wasn’t the answer Davon was hoping for. As they continued through the maze of hallways, he felt his heart sinking lower and lower.

He had become a Revenant to exact vengeance on monsters. He didn’t want anyone else to experience the loss and terror he had encountered on the docks. But would he even be around to defend Walden’s Hold if it were attacked? Or would he and his teammates be out in the wilderness, doing something completely unrelated while the city was being ravaged?

“Ah, but you shouldn’t worry yourself with these things,” Grant exclaimed, putting on a jovial tone which did nothing to quiet Davon’s fears. “Not for today, at least. You just completed your first quest, and you should reap the rewards.”

Davon had been so engrossed in the conversation that he didn’t notice they had arrived at the Boneshapers’ workshop. With movements so practiced they looked like second nature, Grant pushed open the doors to the workshop and slung the griffin carcass onto the table.

The Boneshapers were ready. Though their faces were covered with those blank masks, Davon could hear the excitement in the pair’s voices as they hovered over the body,

“Ah, what a wonderful specimen,” one said.

The other nodded in agreement, then lifted his head to the trio. “Not enough to directly strengthen your weapons, but we can work some more tools into your repertoire.”

With surgical efficiency and eerie silence, the two Boneshapers dismantled the griffin’s body in mere minutes, leaving behind only the bloodied bones, talons, and beak.

“Now, put your weapons on the table,” one of the Boneshapers urged.

The party hesitated. Davon wondered if his companions, like himself, were taken aback by the sheer precision of butchery they had just witnessed.

But the Boneshapers were waiting, motionless and expectant.

After only a few moments, Davon’s bow was on the table, between Kai’s axe and Lyla’s spear. Immediately taking positions on either side of the table, the Boneshapers began chanting in a language Davon didn’t even recognize, let alone understand.

A movement in the corner of Davon’s eye caught his attention. The griffin’s dismembered beak was shaking. Next to it, a bone rattled. Soon all the assorted griffin parts were trembling on the table, spurred on by the chanting. Then a glow enveloped the materials, bathing the workshop in gentle light. Davon felt a bit of the tension in his fingertips relax as the golden glow washed over him.

Raising their voices higher, the robed figures continued chanting. In response, the materials on the table seemed to fold into themselves, leaving behind six globules of what Davon could only describe as liquid light.

Finally, and ever so gently, the Boneshapers picked up Lyla’s spear and carefully touched its tip to one of the globules. The globule burst into a dazzling array of sparks, which were instantly absorbed by the spear.

After administering the same treatment to Kai’s axe and Davon’s bow, the Boneshapers stepped back, dusting themselves off.

“Your upgrades are completed. The details of each will be revealed to you, in time, by the weapon itself,” one of the the robed figures explained.

“We look forward to whatever you bring us next time,” the other agreed. “Happy hunting.”

Davon picked up his bow and inspected it closely. Right next to the runes he had first noticed on the weapon, there were now two additional markings. But these marks were simple squares, with no rune work whatsoever. He could only guess this was because the weapon hadn’t yet decided to reveal what the exact upgrades were.

Glancing over at his teammates, Davon saw they were both as confused as he was. He also sensed they shared his growing discomfort. It was unsettling to stand there in the mysterious workshop, the two Boneshapers staring at them silently with their expressionless masks. There was also no sign of Grant.

The trio shared a look, silently deciding it was time to leave.

“Well, I’m beat,” Kai exclaimed as soon as the workshop doors were closed safely behind them. “I’m going to get some rest, and I’d recommend you two do the same.”

With a casual wave, Kai departed for his dorm room, leaving his teammates behind in the crimson sunset.

“Why do I get the feeling things are only going to get more complicated from here, for all of us?” Lyla mused as she looked over her spear. Davon noticed that, instead of any new markings along the spear tip, Lyla’s Reliquary had gained a couple peculiar strings wrapped around the shaft. Hanging from each string was a small bone square.

“Because nothing is ever easy, right?” Davon replied, slinging his bow over his back. “But that’s a problem for tomorrow.”

Davon and Lyla bid each other good night before heading in different directions within the Guild House. Davon found it peculiar how the building itself seemed so unimposing from the outside, and yet was a veritable labyrinth on the inside. Were all Revenant barracks designed similarly? Was there a tactical reason for this layout? If so, what was it?

To his surprise, this thought train was interrupted by the memory of Kai’s voice, echoing suddenly in his mind:

“You’re thinking yourself in circles, D.”

Davon shook his head, smiling in spite of himself.

Maybe Kai is right, he thought. At the very least, he was right about one thing. We all need some rest.

The weight of the day was settling deeper and deeper in Davon’s limbs with every step, crashing into him fully when he reached his room and fell into bed. Despite the many thoughts whirling around in his brain, he found it difficult to resist the allure of sleep.