In her first year with the pack, Dreadwind had slain three rival wolves when they had raided a Callous Claws outpost. She’d brought home a dozen fairy slaves after raids on their pitiful tribes. The clan chief himself had praised her for her prowess in the defense of the Silver Lakes stronghold at the Lake of Fury.

Dreadwind was young, but she was brave. A wolf of exceptional promise in the never-ending war of the wolf clans.

Her bravery abandoned her as the Spear of Pinga pierced through the back of her leg and shattered her kneecap.

With a yelp of agony, she collapsed amidst her slaughtered pack. The six wolves had been wiped out in less than a minute.

“Don’t… don’t come any closer,” the seven-foot-tall beast howled, her false bravado her last effort to keep the enemy at bay. “Do you know who I am? My clan won’t tolerate this insult. They’ll… hunt you down and…”

Twin vines sprouted from the earth and wrapped themselves around Dreadwind’s wrists, hauling her face-first to the dry, cracked soil. Two more wrapped around her ankles, and a fifth around her waist, until she was tightly bound in place. She squirmed, but the vines held fast against her strength.

Slow, methodical footsteps crunched through the dried grass, until she glimpsed the leather straps and white wings of the Talaria of Mercury.

Dreadwind knew those sandals. They were worn by the woman from the stories now spreading like wildfire throughout the wolf clans.

The relentless hound.

The inescapable spear.

The Huntress of the Wilds.

Calista Gale knelt before her prey, and the last of Dreadwind’s willpower shattered like ice thrown off a mountain onto the rocks below as she stared at the woman’s crimson hair and pitiless eyes.

“Do you know who I am?” Calista asked, her voice slow and icy cold.

“Y… yes, I do,” Dreadwind stuttered. “I have heard the stories.”

“Then you know what I seek,” the Huntress said, and though it was not a question, it demanded an answer.

“They say you lost your heart, and you roam the wilds in search of it,” Dreadwind recited. “Please, my pack was just patrolling. We…”

“I know what your pack does to those it finds on your patrols,” Calista interrupted sharply. “Tell me of my witch – my heart – and I might let you live.”

“Your witch? I know nothing of your witch. My clan… we’ve seen no such being,” Dreadwind pleaded. “I tell you the truth! Please, you must believe me.”

A scowl crested across the Huntress’ face, and she beckoned to a companion behind the wolf, though Dreadwind could not turn her head to see.

“If you let me go, I’ll… I’ll take your story back to my clan,” Dreadwind bargained. “We’ll search the wilds for your heart, and if we find her, we’ll keep her safe and send word to you.”

It was the same deal that One-Ear, a pup from the neighboring village, had made with the Huntress when his pack had been wiped out. It was One-Ear who brought the story of the Huntress and her search to Dreadwind’s village.

“Your clan already knows my story,” the Huntress answered. “So what you offer me has no value. If you know nothing about my witch, there is only one thing you can give me.”

“Anything! Anything!” Dreadwind assured her as she struggled desperately against the vines.

A sharp pain shot through Dreadwind’s chest as a sword pierced her back and tore through her heart. She shuttered and died, her blood seeping into the dry soil beneath her.

Another victim of the Huntress’ search.

* * *

“Nice! I leveled up from that!” Minerva said excitedly as she removed her blade from the wolf’s back and wiped it clean on its fur. The slim, thirty-four-year-old woman with short-cut blond hair and bright blue eyes stowed her blade in its enchanted sheath and set to work selecting her attributes and talent. “Hey, Calista, what’s a class? I hit level twenty, and it says I have to select one.”

Calista ignored the woman as she stomped away from wolf’s corpse.

“Another dead end,” Calista spat with frustration. “It’s been a week, and I’ve got nothing to show for it. Absolutely nothing.”

“Calista, this world is massive. Milly could be anywhere,” Lucy replied as her vines unwrapped themselves from the wolf’s limbs. Circled around her arms and across her back, the vines sunk beneath Lucy’s skin until they resembled tattoos across a third of her skin. “You don’t even know if she is still...”

“I don’t want to hear it, Lucy,” Calista replied sharply as she cut her off. “Let’s find another pack. We’ve still got a couple hours before dark.”

“We’ve wiped out three wolf packs this afternoon, Calista,” Lucy reminded her. “They’ve all said the same thing. You need to let the story spread through their clans before you’ll hear anything else.”

“We can head deeper into their territory, and…”

“And what, Calista?” Lucy asked, her button nose crinkled with irritation at the Huntress. She folded her arms across her sleeveless white shirt and her long blond ponytail swayed in the stiff breeze. “The wilds get more dangerous as we get further from the Castle of Glass. Maybe Minerva would follow you on a suicide mission – she seems to have some misguided sense of loyalty towards you and Milly – but I’m only here because Alison asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Lucy,” Calista said angrily. “I need to find my girlfriend. You know, the woman who saved your fucking life? Who saved everyone’s fucking lives? Maybe we’d find her if you tried harder.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed at the accusation.

“Minerva and I are heading back to the Castle of Glass now. She’s tired. I’m tired. And you need to calm the fuck down,” she said, her words slow and definite. “Come on, Minerva. We’re heading home.”

“But I still need to pick my class,” Minerva said, oblivious to their argument. She was overwhelmed by the multiple player screens that surrounded her. “What’s a ‘Sam-your-eye’?”

Lucy peeked over Minerva’s shoulder. “A Samurai. It’s a Japanese warrior.”

Minerva stared at her blankly.

“Like in the Tom Cruise movie?”

Minerva shook her head, and Lucy’s chuckle broke through her anger at Calista.

“Minerva, you’re as sharp as the sword you carry, but you’re missing some critical experiences in your life. Sexy Tom Cruise-related experiences. When we get back, we’re popping over to Rain on My Parade to grab some Dark Introspection, then heading over to Amir and Kenji’s place for a movie night. Those guys had a thousand movies on their work computers, and there’s no way they don’t have The Last Samurai.”

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“Thank these gods we still have electricity,” Minerva said as she closed her player screens. “Calista, you joining us?”

“You go ahead,” Calista said, masking her inner turmoil beneath a smile. “I’ve seen it. I want to stay out here for a while longer.”

“Don’t stay too long,” Lucy said as she ushered Minerva in the direction of the Waypoint Pillar. It wasn’t a request. “You’ll make Rain and Passi worry. And don’t do anything stupid.”

Calista waited until they were out of sight and collapsed against a fallen log. She buried her head in her hands. Stifled fell as she let frustration and sorrow overwhelm her. Her sobs were carried away on the prairie breeze, though no creature dared to approach the grieving Huntress.

“This stupid sub-class was supposed to help,” Calista shouted, her grief turned to anger in a heartbeat. She leapt to her feet and kicked the fallen log. It shattered under the force of her blow, shards of wood scattering into the grass. “So why hasn’t it given me anything?”

Opening her player screen, she read her sub-class description for the hundredth time.

Subclass: The Relentless Hound

The Relentless Hound pursues her prey to the ends of the earth. Wielding an array of personal skills and a carefully crafted reputation, the Relentless Hound does not rest until she has found her target, even if she must pursue that target to the edge of the world. Once she has its scent, there is no escape.

Unyielding Pursuit – The Relentless Hound is a tracking specialist. She may mark a single target using an object belonging to the target as a focal point. If she does, she will instinctively know the target’s exact location if she is within a hundred miles of target. If she is not, she will know the general cardinal direction of the target.

Eagle’s Sight – The Relentless Hound’s eyesight is improved five-fold, allowing the player to see great distances. Further, the player can create a temporary spiritual eagle familiar to serve as a scout and battle companion. The player may expend magic to see through the eyes of her spiritual companion.

Apex Predator – The Relentless Hound is one of the most dangerous predators in the wilds. Her power is second only to her tenacity as she pursuits her target. Her strength increases by ten.

There is No Escape – The Relentless Hound will not rest until her target is found. She refuses to give in to mundane limitations such as sleep and pain. Her toughness increases by ten.

A Thousand Eyes – The Relentless Hound does not rely solely on her own attributes and skills. She may convince – through any means necessary – intelligent creatures of the world to divulge information about her target or to spread word of the Relentless Hound’s pursuit to their people, magnifying the likelihood of receiving information about her target.

Calista had received The Relentless Hound sub-class two days ago when she’d reached level thirty. She’d marked Milly using her hairbrush she’d fished out of the rubble of Freelancer Tower, but she’d felt emotionally crushed when she activated Unyielding Pursuit.

It hadn’t worked. Calista could not sense the direction of her lover. She could not sense anything at all.

“Milly, where are you?” Calista called across the empty prairie as she let her emotions spill out. “I need you. Passi needs you. Please, my love, come back to me.”

Calista fell to her knees, as sorrow once more eclipsed anger, and she let her tears fall to the earth until she heard Rain’s voice in her head.

“Calista, Lucy told me you’re still out there. Come home,” Rain said with a soft understanding.

“Fucking Lucy needs to mind her own business,” muttered Calista.

“Lucy’s been helping you look for Milly for three days straight, ever since you could walk again,” Rain reminded her. “So has Minerva. It’s not their fault that Milly is gone, Calista. Don’t treat them like it is.”

“Well, maybe if you’d get off your ass and help, we’d have found her by now,” Calista accused, lost in a sea of self-hate with her emotions balanced on the razor’s edge of white-hot rage and a deep, crushing sorrow.

She’d felt this way once before in her life – during high school when her father was dying. The anger – and the bullying that spawned from it – had been her haven from grief. It had got her through the pain.

Rain was silent for a long moment, as she waited for her friend’s anger to fade. Unchallenged, Calista’s anger faltered, and she felt mortified.

“I… I’m sorry, Rain. I didn’t mean that,” Calista whimpered as her tears resumed. “I just… I just miss her so much, and I’m failing her.”

“We’re all helping in our own way,” Rain reminded her. “And we won’t stop until we find her. But driving Lucy and Minerva away with your attitude isn’t going to help.”

“I know,” Calista replied, deflated.

“You need to rest. Come home. Why don’t you pick up Passi early from her healing lessons with Ying and spend some time with her this afternoon?”

Calista buried her face against her knees. “She hates me, Rain.”

“Passi doesn’t hate you, Calista. She’s grieving. She found a new mother to love and care for her, and a day later she had it ripped away from her.”

“She’s been so angry with me this week,” Calista murmured. “It’s like I can’t say anything or do anything right. I feel like I’m walking a tightrope around her. She hears everything I say as an attack.”

“Gee, doesn’t that sound familiar,” Rain replied with gentle sarcasm.

Calista hugged her knees closer as shame settled beside sorrow.

“Spend time with her, Cally,” Rain urged. “It’s the only way to move past that, and Milly would want you to care for her daughter.”

“I… okay, I’ll come home,” Calista promised, getting to her feet. She wiped away the last of her tears.

“Good. Pop by the shop before you head over to the new clinic. I’ve got your next batch ready.”

“Thanks Rain,” Calista said appreciatively. “I’ll see you soon.”

Their connection ended, and Calista was once again alone on the open prairie. She pulled out a waypoint crystal from her inventory and held it aloft.

“Castle of Glass,” she said as she crushed the crystal in her hand.

She was pulled into the kaleidoscope tunnel, and all that remained on the prairie were the bodies of the wolves left to rot in the grass.

Summary of off-screen gains:

Calista hit level 31. She received her sub-class and used her class talent points to advance existing talents from beginner to advanced. She gained one new talent - Spear Manipultation - which is a second tier skill that lets her duplicate her spear and control over its flight path when thrown.

Rain has spent most of her time at Rain on My Parade, helping the surviving players recover. As they no longer have access to Milly's healing, she used her level 25 general talent point to gain Regeneration (beginner).

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)