32 – Pyroglyph Invoker

As Andy said, “Yes,” the glyphs under the smooth surface of the slate began to shift and stir. The faint, silvery light that occasionally traced them became steady and grew in brightness. He stared, transfixed by the display of what he assumed was magic. As the weird words and characters continued to move, flowing into a sort of spiral, Andy felt the tablet growing hot, but not uncomfortably so.

Something wouldn’t let him look away, and he was glad he didn’t. As the glyphs spun into an ever-tightening spiral, they began to stream out of the slate—silvery symbols that flew straight into his eyes. His instinct was to flinch or blink, but it didn’t matter; the first runes to hit his eyes had a mesmerizing effect, pinning him in place, eyes wide open. It didn’t burn or hurt, but he was more than disoriented as the flickering silvery lights flew at him faster and faster.

When it ended, maybe two or three minutes later, he felt numb and confused, so much so that it took him nearly a full minute to realize new System messages were floating before his eyes:

***Congratulations, Andy! You have unlocked a rare class: Pyroglyph Invoker.***

***Pyroglyph Invoker: Wielder of searing runes and smoldering sigils, the Pyroglyph Invoker channels fire and ash into written form—using mana to bind fire, memory, and will into glowing symbols that burn with purpose. Each level in this class will grant 10 mana.***

***As a level 1 Pyroglyph Invoker, you will gain access to new innate and bound abilities:

Burnscribe – innate: You can channel mana to inscribe simple glyphs into most surfaces using only your finger as an implement, though more purpose-crafted tools will enhance your results.

Embertouch – innate: With a touch, you can ignite flammable material by channeling a bit of mana into it. The flame begins small, like a spark or candlewick, but it will grow naturally if the fuel allows. For example, Embertouch can light torches, dry wood, oils, fabrics, or glyphwork that responds to heat.***

Kindlebrand – bound: You burn a temporary glyph of fire onto a melee or ranged weapon, causing it to shed embers and sear with every strike. The weapon deals bonus fire damage for the next several strikes, but mundane weapons suffer under the strain—each use degrades their durability. Mana cost: 12.***

Andy stared at the messages for a while, absorbing all the implications. He’d gained three new abilities, two of which were innate. As he studied them, he searched his mind for the corresponding knowledge, and there it was. He knew how to channel mana into his finger or an implement to inscribe glyphs into things. He knew that if he wanted to, he could touch the couch cushion beside him and spark it alight.

He held up his finger, staring as he rubbed it against his thumb. He reached into the weird inner pool where his mana dwelled and sent it out through his finger, producing sparks and a brief flickering flame. It didn’t burn his finger, but he knew it would burn wood or paper or something similar. “Trippy,” he whispered.

He pulled up his status page:

Name:

Andrew “Andy” West

Species: Human

Active Class: Umbral Warden

Level: 13

Inactive Classes:

Unclassed (2)

Pyroglyph Invoker (1)

Experience toward next level: 22%

Mana: 75/75

Perception: 8

Will: 6

Strength: 8

Vitality: 8

Speed: 8

Improvement Points: 1

Notable Skills or Spells:

(* denotes active bound abilities)

Spears: 4

Critical Mastery: 1

Sneak Attack: 2

Shadow Vigil: 3

Burnscribe: 1

Embertouch: 1

*Piercing Dusk – Bound: 1

*Twilight Steps – Bound: 2

*Veil of the Stalker – Bound: 3

Kindlebrand – Bound: 1

Notable Distinctions:

Mark of the Predator

Reaper’s Instinct

He was curious, so he stared at the line that read “Pyroglyph Invoker.” A moment later, a System message appeared:

***Make Pyroglyph Invoker your active class? Yes/No? NOTE: One-time warning: Performing this action will temporarily incapacitate you.***

Andy leaned back on the couch and said, “Yes.” A fuzzy pulsing pressure erupted behind his eyes, and thousands of tiny flickering stars obscured his vision. He felt his body go numb, and then, after what felt like thirty seconds or so, the numbness and the tingling faded. Once again, he looked at his status sheet and saw that his three bound Umbral Warden abilities were no longer marked as active, but Kindlebrand was.

Andy stared at his sheet again for a long while and decided to leave the new class active. It was only level one, so it should level quickly, and each level he gained would increase his mana by ten, which was twice what Umbral Warden had given him. He was curious about whether he’d gain improvement points at every level like he did with Umbral Warden, too.

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He didn’t feel like he was hampering his fighting ability too much; he still had all of his attributes and his spear skill. He still had critical mastery, sneak attacks, and Shadow Vigil. He wanted to see what would come to him if he gained more levels with his new class.

Despite his excitement and the thrill of learning a new class, Andy found himself yawning hugely, his eyes growing heavy as he sat there. It occurred to him that he hadn’t slept the night before, and if he didn’t try, he’d lose any chance to rest before the sun came up. Promising himself that he’d experiment with his new class the next day, he curled up on his side and closed his eyes. Despite the yellow glow of the crystal on the coffee table, he was asleep before he could think another thought.

When Andy woke, it was to a steady, persistent knocking on the door to his trailer. It wasn’t a pounding, more of an almost tentative tap of the knuckles. Still, after a while, the noise broke through his deep slumber, and he stirred. “Oof,” he grunted as he turned his head, and a sharp pain shot through his neck. He stood up or, more accurately, stumbled up off the couch, taking two steps toward the door and catching his forward momentum by grabbing the counter.

He felt like he’d been in a coma or something. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so deeply asleep. The knocking continued, and he croaked, “Coming. Just a minute.” Then, he grabbed the waterskin he’d set on the counter and chugged several long, deep gulps. The rush of fluid to his belly made him painfully aware of the pressure in his bladder. He stumbled down the narrow hallway, saw that the folding, accordion-style door to his bedroom was still closed, and cut to the right into the tiny, cramped bathroom.

When he lifted the seat, he was struck by the stench of urine and tried to flush, but no water came. “Ah, shit.” With a defeated shrug, he added some more yellow to the mix and then put the seat back down. He’d have to talk to the other residents to see if anyone had any ideas about the plumbing situation. Feeling much relieved, he went to the door and pushed it open. Bernice stood outside with Eduardo and Violet.

“Sorry,” Bernice immediately said. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but it’s gonna be noon soon, and people are freaking out about what the folks you rescued are saying. Most everyone’s gathered at the dog park already—have been since a couple hours after sunrise. Everyone’s talking, spreading rumors… It’s making things worse.”

Andy blinked at her for a couple of seconds, glancing toward Eduardo and Violet, then back as her words registered. “Good morning.”

“Morning, Andy,” Eduardo replied automatically. Violet waved, smiling as she shrugged.

Bernice looked down, then back up. “Morning.”

“All right. Tell everyone I’ll come make my report in five minutes, cool?”

“Thanks, Andy,” Eduardo said, taking hold of Bernice’s shoulder and tugging to get her walking.

Andy went back into his trailer and fruitlessly searched his little kitchenette for something to eat. He was contemplating the petrified remains of his pre-integration pizza, still in the box on the counter, when Lucy said from the hallway, “Let’s walk by my trailer, and I’ll get us some protein bars.”

Andy turned to smile at her. She looked much more alert than the last time he’d seen her, but her hair was a mess, and her T-shirt looked like she’d slept in it. Thinking of that made Andy very aware that his clothes were filthy and that he reeked of sweat. “Let me change real quick. Meet you outside.”

She nodded and walked to the door. “It’s not hot,” she observed.

“Hey…” Andy looked around, noting the open windows and the decidedly un-furnace-like air blowing in. “What’s up with that?”

Lucy shrugged, opening the door. “Mana, I guess. The world’s changing.” As she stepped out, he went back to his room and found a pair of less dirty jeans and some clean socks and underwear. His T-shirt drawer was well-stocked, so he grabbed a mostly black one he had gotten at a Chvrches concert and tugged it on. His dirty clothes went into the hamper, and, again, he wondered what he was going to do about laundry.

After he finished changing, he put on a fresh coat of deodorant, grabbed his spear and the still-glowing crystal from the coffee table, and stepped outside. Lucy was out there, stretching in the cool breeze blowing in from the east. Her hair fluttered back as she performed some kind of yoga pose, and with the sun shining on her face, she looked very pretty. He almost said so, but something told Andy that wasn’t what Lucy was looking for. Instead, he said, “Yo, ready?”

“Yeah. Starving, let’s go.” She jumped up and started walking, her sneakers slapping the pavement as she took big steps.

“Where’s your bow?”

“In your trailer. Beside your bed. You didn’t see it? Do you think I’ll need it?”

“Nah. If something happens, you can run for it real quick.”

She nodded. “That’s what I figured.” She looked up at him, squinting because the sun was in her eyes. “Did everything go okay? Last night, I mean?”

“Yeah. Pretty well. The short version is that there are some real pieces of work at that Construction City. I rescued some people who were being held prisoner. I’ll give the longer version to everyone, okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just glad you’re back safe.”

Andy, seeking to change the subject, said the first thing that came to his mind, “What are we gonna do about laundry and stuff? Not like we can go to a laundromat.”

“Guess we’ll have to use the spring? I dunno. Maybe there’s a spell for that.” She laughed, but Andy wondered. It wouldn’t be that crazy, would it?

“You know, maybe there is. I have a feeling we’re going to be learning all kinds of weird things. I, uh, unlocked another class last night.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, check it out.” He held his hand up between them as they walked and snapped his fingers, intuitively activating his Embertouch ability. Sparks exploded from the friction, and his fingers flickered with flames for a couple of seconds.

Lucy’s eyes bulged as her eyebrows flew up. “Woah! That’s cool!”

“Yeah, I’m a, uh, Pyroglyph Invoker now.” He shrugged. “We should test another of my abilities later—I think I can enchant your arrows.”

“Shut up!” She shoved his shoulder. “Seriously?”

Andy laughed. “Yep.”

By then, they’d reached her trailer, and she said, “Just a sec,” bounding up the short flight of steps and hurrying inside. When she emerged, she tossed him an “arctic” flavored energy drink and a food bar boasting “thirty-eight” grams of protein. “Cookie dough okay?”

“Anything,” Andy grunted, ripping the wrapper with his teeth. After taking a big bite and then a big gulp of the energy drink, he nodded down the lane toward the center of the park. “I guess it’s time for me to face the teeming masses. Shall we?”

She grinned, chewing. She held a hand over her mouth as she replied, “Yeah, let’s do it.”