“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Nelson Mandela, South African President

The scent of wildflowers and the croak of the Manifest Toads greeted Calista as she appeared in Milly’s Meadow, Passi cradled in her arms. Even the jolt of the Waypoint Pillar hadn’t been enough to wake the exhausted child.

They’d spent the last three days, from sunrise to sunset, leveling up Passi. She’d hit level ten that afternoon, after wiping out a goblin encampment. The seemingly fragile fairy was quickly becoming a force on the battlefield. Yet she was still a child, and prone to push herself to the brink of exhaustion. It wasn't the first night that Calista had carried to poor girl home.

Calista walked towards their simple stone house in the meadow – the one Milly had crafted before she went missing – and enjoyed the peaceful grove along the increasingly worn path from their Waypoint Pillar to their home. The gentle gurgle of the river and the music of the multicolored songbirds helped sooth Calista’s fractured spirit, and the cool breeze wafting off the glaciers lodged in the bowls of the surrounding mountains soothed her aching muscles.

Rain’s alchemy workshop – situated across the meadow from their home – had brightly colored steam flowing out the windows and ventilation hatch in the thatch roof. The frantic clang of thick, black cauldrons signaled Rain had returned from her shop for the night and had dived right into her experimentation.

Anchovy sat atop the roof of the workshop and, upon seeing his family return from the wilds, hopped to the ground and leisurely weaved his way towards them.

“Evening Anchovy,” Calista said quietly as Anchovy rubbed against her leg and purred. Calista scratched him between the ears. “You two have a good day at Rain on my Parade?”

Rain’s familiar gave a faint meow as he followed at Calista’s side into their home.

Passi groaned in her sleep, and Calista ran her fingers gently through the child’s purple hair to soothe her. Passi settled, and Calista smiled with affection. Begin able to care for Passi – for Milly’s daughter – gave her a sense of grounding she hadn’t realized she’d been missing in her life, even before the God Contest.

Their home was constructed from simple grey stone, its ten-foot-high walls raised from the earth by Milly’s magic. It only had four rooms, giving it a quaint, comfortable feeling. Three equally sized rooms served as Calista, Rain, and Passi’s bedrooms, and each had a window that faced the river and the forest-covered mountains beyond. Connecting all three bedrooms was the largest room that they’d turned into a kitchen and dining area, its fireplace tucked away against the wall.

A gentle fire burned in the fireplace, granting warmth to their home. They’d been slowly decorating over the past week to give the otherwise stark appearance a sense of life. They’d purchase all new furniture, linen, and cookware from Tutoria’s Emporium. The gold she’d earned from killing Judy Brass and the dozens of wolves over the past week had covered most of it, and she’d sold the Cloak of the Aristocracy she’d received from Brass’ corpse to cover the rest. She couldn’t wear it anyway. Not without advertising her crime, and Calista would prefer such knowledge to die along with the woman.

Each bedroom resembled what it had been like at Freelancer Tower, though smaller and without the wide, empty office hallways between. Calista had replaced their bed and linen with the one she knew Milly liked, and kept her side of the bed prepared for the day she would return home.

Their home was the size of a small apartment – simple, but functional. The only downside was the lack of washrooms and running water, which required them to either bath in the river or take the Waypoint Pillar to the Castle of Glass. Elmer and Alison had been kind enough to let them use their facilities, so it was an inconvenience rather than a hinderance.

Nevertheless, against Calista’s advice, Passi had taken water magic at level five. She said it reminded her of her mom, but Calista knew it was because Passi had grown used to the convenience of running water and didn’t want to return to life without it. She'd spent her life in the jungle with her tribe - before Xavier had wiped them out - going behind trees and bathing in rivers or during the rainshowers that frequented the forest. Calista couldn't blame her for wanting the a little luxury in her life, so she hadn't made a big deal of Passi's choice.

“This home is better than Freelancer Tower,” Calista whispered to Anchovy as she ducked into Passi’s room and gently lay the child in her hammock. Passi stirred, and Calista pulled her blanket up to her shoulder as she tucked her in. “It’s ours – only ours – and thanks to its entry restrictions, it’s the safest place in the game.”

Anchovy mewed his agreement as he parkoured off the wall and into the hammock. He curled up next to Passi – his preferred napping spot – and within moments, Passi had bundled him up in her arms without ever waking and the cat had fallen asleep.

Calista quietly said good night to Milly’s daughter – her daughter – as she left Passi’s bedroom. The sound of gentle snoring - both fairy and cat - wafted out of the bedroom and made Calista smile.

A small cauldron of hot water hung over the fireplace. Calista grabbed a mug – there were only three as a single mug cost three hundred gold at the Emporium – and filled it with water before heading over to Rain’s workshop.

Inside was a panorama of controlled chaos. Rain had eight cauldrons on the go, each with a distinctive scent and color and heated by its own fire that Rain stoked with her magic. Two dozen mostly empty glass jars stretched across a stone shelf that ran above the cauldrons, which Rain preferred over her inventory as it primed her creativity.

Calista strolled over to a bookshelf along the back wall, where more glass jars contained different kinds of tea. She grabbed an empty silk bag, filled it with tea from the nearest jar, and added it to her mug. This batch was a new combination that Rain had been fiddling with for days. She let it steep as she watched Rain work.

Rain dashed about the workshop, instinctively stirring the cauldrons and stoking the fires with blasts of fire from her palm. She sniffed one of the brews – a dark purple liquid with pink steam – and crinkled her nose. Quickly opening her inventory, she selected an herb that Calista recognized as growing along rocky outcroppings on the beach. Slicing it into thin strips, Rain added half to the brew before returning the remainder to her inventory. She sniffed again and, satisfied, left the brew to simmer.

Calista sipped her tea, savoring the nutty taste.

“How is it?” Rain asked curiously without looking away from her cauldrons.

“Better than the last batch, but it’s still missing something,” Calista answered truthfully. “It leaves a bit of a bitter aftertaste.”

Rain approached and Calista held out her mug. She took a sip and the crinkle in her nose reappeared.

“Needs citrus,” Rain concluded with a smack of her lips. “Lucy’s orchards are growing quickly thanks to the Farmer’s nature magic, but it’ll still be at least a year before they produce any fruit.”

“Six months,” Calista said. “Lucy took a new talent today that will double their growth. I don’t think we need lemons and oranges that badly, but she seemed to be excited by its potential.”

“It’s nice to see you two patched things up,” Rain commented, and Calista shrugged noncommittally. “Anyway, Xavier and Jacob came back with some wild pineapple from the jungle this afternoon. They traded me some for a couple healing potions. It should be a decent substitute until the orchard bears fruit.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I just got back from the wilds, Rain. I don’t want to hear about fucking Xavier and Stone,” Calista huffed as she took another sip of her tea.

“You should. They’re some of the few players still trying to push further out from the Castle of Glass. The rest seem content to occupy themselves with pet projects. Billy’s building his new restaurant. Ying’s expanding the hospital. Samson launched the first fishing boat into the bay this morning from his the new docks. The farmers have tripled the size of the garden, and Amir and Kenji’s team is nearly finished constructing the wall around the Castle. Did you know Cosmo is planning a music festival?”

“Some people spend their time running a shop,” Calista added sarcastically, with more bite than she’d intended. She’d asked Rain every night to join them in the wilds, and each night Rain had responded with ‘ask me tomorrow’.

“Yes, some people run a shop,” Rain admitted, ignoring Calista’s sarcasm. “After the dragon attack – after that terrible day when we lost so many friends – can you really blame any of us for finding an obsession and collapsing in on ourselves? We need time to heal.”

A deep silence fell on the workshop. Calista wandered over to the potions and sniffed one – a dark, tar-like substance that sparkled with flecks of gold. Her nose went numb.

“Paralysis potion. For Passi’s daggers,” explained Rain, as she stirred it counterclockwise three times. “And for mine.”

“Yours?” Calista pried hopefully.

Rain didn’t answer right away. She plucked one of the jars from the shelf and peered inside, fishing for the last leaf within.

“Did you get Passi to level ten?” Rain asked solemnly.

“Yah. We’ve gone as far as we can go fighting goblins and boars. Tomorrow, we’ll push out further from the Castle. She’s ready.”

Calista had told Rain about Passi’s conversion to a player when she’d asked Rain to enchant Passi’s equipment, though she’d omitted the part about Passi’s attempted assassination of Xavier.

“Wolves?” Rain asked with anxious curiosity.

“No. The wolves have been another dead end in my search for Milly, and I don’t think Passi is ready to face the wolves after what they did to her people,” Calista said as she finished her tea. “We’ll be heading into the mountains. I caught a glimpse of a cave through the rift when the dragon first appeared. It’s not much to go on, but it’s all I have.”

“It’ll be dangerous,” Rain muttered, picking up another empty jar. This one had once held orange wildflowers that grew along the valley river, but she’d used the last one two days ago.

“We know,” Calista shrugged. “But where in this world isn’t dangerous, other than this meadow? Passi’s ready for this, Rain. She’s a remarkably brave little girl.”

“Probably… probably lots of ingredients to collect further into the mountains,” Rain muttered, but her voice cracked at the end. Calista could see her hand shaking as she clutched the jars.

Rain was trying to act brave. Trying to convince herself to go, but the thought brought her back to that day on the beach. The day they watched their friends die.

It broke Calista’s heart to watch Rain’s struggle. It had been over a month since the God Contest started, and already it had left its deep scars in each of them. Yet to see her friend – whom had once been the pinnacle of bravery and curiosity – like this was almost unbearable.

Calista pulled Rain into a tight embrace and held her tight. The tears Rain had kept inside since the dragon’s slaughter – since they’d lost Milly – finally broke free, like a dam bursting under tremendous pressure.

“You don’t have to always be brave, Rain,” Calista soothed. “I’m here for you. Let me be the brave one for a while.”

Rain simply buried her face into the tall redhead’s shoulder and cried, until Calista’s shoulder was soaked, and Rain’s tears were exhausted.

“Sorry,” Rain laughed softly with relief. She pressed her hand against Calista’s shoulder and used her fire to quickly dry the fabric. “What… what time are we leaving?”

“Rain, you don’t have to…”

“Yes, I do,” Rain insisted, the seed of bravery taking root inside her, like a tiny sapling after a terrible fire. “You said it before. I’m falling behind. Besides…”

Rain tapped the glass of the empty jar.

“I’ve run out of ingredients, and I can’t be much of an alchemist without them.”

“We leave at first light,” Calista answered. “Passi will be thrilled. She’s been wanting to show off her skills to her Auntie Rain.”

“How’s she doing with… with Milly’s absence?”

“The same as I am – strong on the outside, crying on the inside,” Calista said truthfully. “And flopping between anger and emptiness at the drop of a hat. But we’re going to find her Rain. If we have to search this entire fucking world, we’re going to find her.”

Rain nodded supportively and returned to her cauldrons. The two friends chatted for another hour – Calista filling the silence with juicy gossip from Minerva and Harriet – while Rain bottled her potions.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame Calista, and she left Rain to finish in her workshop. Trudging across the meadow, the crisp scent of pine and soft gurgle of the river soothing her thoughts, she returned to their home and collapsed into bed.

Where she dreamed of a beautiful witch, and the life they would have when she returned.

Calista Gale

Level: 31

Specialty: Reluctant Leader

Class: Battlefield Commander

Sub-class: The Relentless Hound

Strength:

Base: 60

Enhanced: 74 (+6 from Spear of Pinga, +8 from Luna’s Pendant of The Journey)

Agility:

Base: 33

Enhanced: 49 (+6 from Spear of Pinga, +10 from Talaria of Mercury)

Toughness:

Base: 61

Enhanced: 64 (+3 Rain’s Amazon Dress)

Magic:

Base: 17

Enhanced: 21 (+4 from Huntress' Scrunchy)

Talents:

Shield – Protective Shield (advanced, augmented by Rain’s Amazon Dress)

Defensive – Defensive Instincts (advanced)

Combat - Spear Specialist (advanced), Spear Manipulation (beginner)

Exploration – Improved Perception (advanced)

Healing Magic – Regeneration (beginner), Battlefield Stabilization (beginner)

Mobilization – Logistics (beginner), Enhanced scrounging (beginner)

Battalion – Battlefield Communication (advanced)

Unique Talent: Pinga’s Redeeming Protector

Class Talents: Soldier’s Morale, The Adaptable Strategist, Unstoppable Force, The Price of Command, Coward’s Folly

Sub-Class Talents: Unyielding Pursuit, Eagle’s Sight, Apex Predator, There is No Escape, A Thousand Eyes

Equipment Benefits:

Spear Recall (beginner, Spear of Pinga)

Improved Perception (advanced, Huntress' Scrunchy)

Companion of Artemis (Luna's Pendant of the Journey)

Double Speed (Talaria of Mercury)

Temporary Flight (5 seconds, Talaria of Mercury)

Rain Desjarlais

Level: 25

Specialty: Brewing, Experimentation

Class: Hephaestus’ Protégé

Sub-class: None

Strength:

Base: 29

Enhanced: 33 (+4 from Rain’s Ring of the Fallen Wolf)

Agility:

Base: 34

Enhanced: 40 (+6 from Dagger of Lugh Samildànach)

Toughness:

Base: 25

Enhanced: 34 (+6 from Dagger of Lugh Samildànach, +3 from Rain’s Tailcoat)

Magic:

Base: 38

Enhanced: 46 (+8 from Luna’s Pendant of Imagination)

Talents:

Alchemy - Alchemy (advanced)

Combat - Dagger Specialist (advanced)

Elemental Magic - Fire Magic (beginner), Metal Magic (advanced)

Invention – Protégé’s Bounty (beginner)

Healing Magic – Regeneration (beginner)

Unique Talent: The Mage Alchemist of Lugh Samildànach

Class Talents: The World Smith’s Blank Canvas, The Master of Invention, Driver of Evolution, The Innocuous Flaw, Only the Original

Sub-Class Talents: None

Equipment Benefits:

Creativity of Hephaestus (Luna’s Pendant of Imagination)

Fancy Footwork (beginner, Rain’s Work Boots)

Passiflora Brown

Level: 10

Specialty: Healer, Assassin

Class: None

Sub-class: None

Strength:

Base: 6

Enhanced: 8 (+2 from Passi’s Twin Daggers)

Agility:

Base: 10

Enhanced: 14 (+2 from Passi’s Sandals, +2 from Passi’s Twin Daggers)

Toughness:

Base: 10

Enhanced: 12 (+2 from Passi’s Favorite Dress)

Magic:

Base: 12

Enhanced: 12

Talents:

Assassination - Dagger Specialist (advanced), Sneak (beginner)

Healing Magic – Healer’s Touch (beginner)

Fairy Magic – Flight (beginner)

Elemental Magic – Water (beginner)

Unique Talent: None

Class Talents: None

Sub-Class Talents: None

Equipment Benefits:

Regeneration (beginner, Passi’s Awesome Ring)

Defensive Daggers (beginner, Passi’s Cool Necklace)

Double Speed (beginner, Passi’s Sandals)

Protective Shield (beginner, Passi’s Favorite Dress)