Mythos: Last Stand

  Chapter 19 — What I Want to Do

  by Caide Fullerton

  Jackie returned to Heapwatch with mixed feelings. They were glad to have returned safely, glad that they and their companions escaped the engagement nearly unscathed, and glad that they’d managed to save the two survivors, Celeste the Ghost and Earpiercer the Kritta. They weren’t sure how to feel about the enemy’s sudden retreat, however.

  The report had come from Helena, who had joined Sils’s reinforcements to maintain communication on all fronts. Just as her forces had started moving, Sils’s scouts saw the enemy soldiers fleeing west, avoiding the area where they’d set their trap. Jackie had been expecting a second fight to secure their victory, but the enemy had simply handed it to them instead.

  Why had they abandoned their entrapment? The answer was simple; they’d had scouts monitoring Heapwatch, and they’d decided to cut their losses the moment they saw Sils preparing to send reinforcements. It was a grim reminder that the opponents they’d just faced were people.

  The creatures of the Forgotten Heap were terrifying and dangerous, that much went without saying, but they were nothing if not straightforward. Most possessed great intelligence, but they weren’t quite as intelligent as Jackie; they’d gotten very good at using the monsters’ minds against them. Things like Kritta or Jubokko were easy to lure, taunt, or trick, and with the right strategy even the lone Jackie could take on a camp of a dozen enemies.

  Regardless of how intelligent they were, monsters were easy to deal with because they were predictable. They always wanted one thing—to kill and eat anything that moved. They all had their own ways of approaching that goal, be it the Kumori’s deranged tantrums or the Kuzumade’s absolute insistence on ensnaring all of its prey, but that singular, straightforward goal gave Jackie a clear anchor to work with.

  The soldiers they’d faced were not monsters. They were people, just like they were. Their goals weren’t as simple as ‘attack’ or ‘kill’ or ‘eat’. They were capable of strategy, just as Jackie was, and had pulled off a rather impressive trick—one that Jahd and co. may not have been able to counter without the advantage of telepathy on their side. When the enemy commander realized their trick had been overcome, they chose to retreat rather than risk further losses.

  Jackie’s mind drifted to the numerous rows of tents nestled in one corner of Heapwatch, all filled with far more wounded than the small camp had any chance of properly caring for. Whoever was in charge of the enemy forces was an intelligent strategist. They’d perfected the process of whittling Heapwatch down, one death, one injury at a time.

  Morale was high when Jackie and the others stepped through the front gate. It’d been a successful mission, both survivors retrieved without anyone else dying. Jackie didn’t share the sentiment. All in all, Heapwatch had suffered one death, two injuries, and one defector from this incident; on the other hand, Evendel had lost one soldier and a tamed monster, and had a second soldier captured, but also gained a defector.

  At best, the two sides had come away even. It was obvious the Scurvysands was a smaller, weaker nation than its neighbor, so ‘going even’ was really a significant loss. How long could they go on like this?

  ???: “...Jackie!?”

  They blinked back to reality, realizing that someone was shaking their shoulders and calling their name. That someone was Helena, and she knit her brow as they finally looked up at her.

  Helena: “Are you hurt? Hit your head or something?”

  Jackie: “Huh? No, sorry, just—“

  Sam: “You’re hurt!?” That caught the attention of Sam, who rushed over. “Where? I’ll patch it up.”

  Jackie: “I’m fine, I didn’t even join the fighting. I was just lost in thought.”

  The siblings exchanged a glance, and Helena sighed, releasing Jackie. “If you say so. Try to pay attention, or you’re gonna get trampled.”

  The three of them were standing near the camp’s front gate, mere feet away from a buzz of motion and commotion. Makala and a couple other medics had come to retrieve Viz, Celeste, and Earpiercer. Quite a few members of the camp had seemingly abandoned their posts and tasks to celebrate the safe return of the pair. Jahd, Delia, and a few others had huddled together for an impromptu meeting of some sort.

  Jackie considered eavesdropping, but they didn’t want to waste any of the goodwill they’d accrued; Jahd seemed the type that would notice. Instead they looked to the siblings and inclined their head,

  Jackie: “Sorry for springing this on you guys so suddenly.”

  Sam shook his head. “I’m happy I could help, and it seems like things would’ve gone a lot worse if we weren’t there. I would’ve appreciated some heads-up on the flying part, though.” He shivered. “That was really terrifying.”

  Helena nodded. “I nearly lunged at the bird lady.” She cracked a slight smile, then turned to Jackie with a more serious expression, “I… I think you did the right thing. As long as Sam comes back safe, I have no complaints.”

  Jackie: “Just Sam?~”

  Helena rolled her eyes. “You, too, jackass.”

  Jackie: “You just pronounced ‘Jackie’ in a very strange way, Helena,” they chuckled. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend on letting anything happen to any of us.

  “Though, speaking of us, how are Strade and Lii doing?”

  Helena: “Awake, I think. I didn’t get to speak with them much with everything going on, so you can add ‘confused’ to their status.”

  Jackie: “How about we go fix that, then? A lot happened really fast; we should make sure everyone’s caught up.”

  The siblings nodded in agreement, and with that the trio began to move away from the hubbub, peeling off towards the medical quarter. They were only stopped by a man’s voice,

  Jahd: “Oi, Jackie.”

  They stopped and turned to face him. The Zombie was flanked by Delia on one side, Sils sitting on his opposite shoulder.

  Jahd: “Cap’n wanted a word with ye.”

  Jackie raised an eyebrow. “Did I do something wrong?”

  Sils: “No, quite the opposite. I need ta thank ya for yer assistance today. We wouldn’ta gotten through this without more casualties without yer telepathy.”

  Jackie’s expression softened as they realized what was happening, but they shook their head. “You don’t need to thank me. I just wanted to help.”

  Sils: “No, I do. I’m not sure what life was like in the Heap, but out here, you don’t just put your life on the line fer strangers—not if ya wanna live ta see old age. Y’ain’t one o’ my subordinates; you had no obligation ta help. But you stuck yer neck out fer us, anyways.

  “As Captain, I gotta thank ya properly fer things like that. So,” she bowed her head, “thank you. I’m glad ta have Celeste an’ Earpiercer back in one piece.”

  Jackie scratched their chin. “Well, you’ve treated us fairly, so far. I helped because I wanted to, and I’m glad they’re safe, too.”

  Sils: “Aye, you’ve a unique way of lookin’ at things, don’tcha?” She met Jackie’s eyes. “That said, I’d like ta extend an offer to ya. Yer friends, too, if they want it.”

  That got Helena to raise an eyebrow. “What kind of offer?”

  Sils: “I’d like ta invite’cha ta join my crew. You proved just how valuable telepathy can be, an’ you’ve got a good mind for strategy, besides. We could use someone like ya in our ranks.”

  Jackie: “You want me to become one of your soldiers?”

  Sils leaned back on her hands, grumbling, “It don’t feel right to call us ‘soldiers’, but I s’pose that’s accurate. Yeah, I want’cha under my command.”

  Helena: “What’s in it for us, exactly? We spent our whole lives fighting for survival in the Heap, and we only just escaped that. I’m not eager to become someone’s soldier and go right back to that way of living.”

  Sils: “Aye, I can understand that, and I can assure ya we ain’t happy with this war, either, which is why I’d like ta end it quick as possible.

  “Far as what I can offer ya… more freedom, fer one. You’re too valuable ta let Evendel get their hands on ya, so I’ve no choice but ta keep ya here in camp; I can lax on that if you’re workin’ fer me. ‘Sides that… a salary?”

  The Humans gave her puzzled glances. Sam spoke for the collective,

  Sam: “What exactly is a ‘salary’?”

  Jahd looked to the fairy on his shoulder, “I doubt the concept of money exists in the Heap.”

  Sils: “Ah, shit, yer right. Okay. Out ‘ere, ya usually need money ta pay fer food or shelter or anythin’ else. You’ll need it if y’ever wanna travel anywhere else. I’m sayin’ I’ll pay ya.”

  Jackie exchanged looks with their companions. “Can I think about it?”

  Sils: “Sure. Take yer time. When you’ve got an answer, ya know where ta find me.”

  She tapped Jahd’s shoulder, and he gave the trio a nod before leaving, Delia in tow.

  ? ? ?

  Strade: “So we have mind powers?”

  Jackie: “Pretty much. We can talk into each other’s heads, like this.” They proceeded to demonstrate.

  Strade scoffed. “That’s dumb.”

  Sam: “It works over long distances.”

  Strade: “That so? Less dumb, then.”

  The group found themselves huddled up in a small tent in the medical ward—Lii’s tent, to be precise. They sat in a rough circle as they discussed the day’s developments. Strade idly flipped a knife between his fingers, regarding the others dryly. Sam was beside Lii, checking on her wounds’ recovery.

  Lii looked to Jackie, surprisingly energetic even in her wounded state. “D-does it only work between you guys? Like, only between Humans..?”

  Jackie scratched their chin. “Makala said it works on people we have close bonds with. Nothing about it only working on other Humans, so probably not. Wanna test it?”

  Lii blinked. “Um, on me..?”

  Jackie: “It’s only been a few days, but we’ve been through a lot, right? You risked your life to save us and all, so I’d say that’s a pretty close bond.”

  She flushed a bit and looked down, fiddling with her hands. “Um, s-sure, then. Let’s try.”

  Strade gave Lii a side-eye and reached over, prodding her shoulder with a finger. “What’s with the blushy-blushy, eh? Purple-haired shorties your type?”

  Jackie: “It’s more of a plum color, actually.”

  Lii shrank away from Strade, shutting her eyes tight and waving an arm at him, “I-it’s not like that..! I’m just…” She pulled her hand back and clasped them both together, staring down at her fingers, “I’m g-glad, to have someone who thinks of me as a... as a friend.”

  Jackie gave her a bright smile. [And I’m happy to have you as a friend, Lii.]

  Lii: “Th-thanks…” It took her a moment to notice what had happened. She blinked, twice, then looked up at Jackie with eyes wide. “Was that..?”

  Jackie: “Yep. As I thought, it works on any race, not just other Humans.”

  That confirmation brought new questions with it. If other races were on the table, could telepathy theoretically be used on monsters or animals, were a close bond forged? Could the type of bond that satisfied telepathy’s requirements even be forged with a less-intelligent animal?

  Of course, Jackie lacked the means to test such a thing now, but there was one question they could answer.

  Jackie: “There’s something else I’d like to test. I’ve been thinking about it since I first used it on Sam. It was pretty tough to establish a connection for the first time, but he and Helena didn’t struggle at all to send messages back to me.”

  Sam: “You think you know why?”

  They nodded. “There’s a few things it could be, really. Viz described magic as being like a muscle, so maybe me contacting you gave each of your bodies an example on how to use that muscle. Alternatively, I might just suck at it, while you two had a more natural talent for it. But I have a third theory.”

  They looked to Lii before continuing, “What if our power isn’t ‘the ability to send thoughts to someone’s mind’, but instead ‘the ability to connect two minds together’?”

  Strade: “Does the distinction matter? Sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo.”

  Jackie: “It does. Because if it really is a ‘connection’, it should work both ways. To put it simply, I want to test if Lii can use telepathy to speak to me now that I’ve connected to her mind.”

  Lii straightened her back as her name was brought up again. Helena nodded along,

  Helena: “Makes sense. It’d certainly be a much more useful ability if it does work that way.” She turned to Lii, “Well, go on. Give it a try.”

  Lii: “Ah, r-right..!” She shut her eyes tight as if to focus, remaining perfectly still for a while.

  Eventually, Jackie cocked their head, disappointed. “No dice?”

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  Lii: “N-no, I just… haven’t tried yet.” She spoke without opening her eyes, her lips curled into a meek frown. “I, um… don’t know what to say.”

  The others all stared at her for a moment before Jackie broke out laughing.

  Jackie: “It doesn’t matter what it is. Just try and say ‘hi’, how about that?”

  She nodded and resumed her focus. A moment later came her cautious voice, [Um, h-hello, Jackie..?]

  Jackie: [Hey, Lii. Good work.] They snapped their fingers as a signal to the others, smiling wide. “It works.”

  This confirmation had drastically increased the versatility of their new ability. If they forged deeper friendships with Sils or Jahd or Raffica or Viz or Delia, or anyone else in the camp, they’d be able to communicate with them as well. Was there a limit to how many bonds they could maintain at once?

  Questions for another time. “There’s more I’d like to test, but we can set it aside for now. We need to discuss Sils’s offer.”

  Strade raised an eyebrow. “An offer?”

  Jackie: “Yep. It seems her and Jahd were—“

  Strade: “Right, that guy. First, you tell me this, Jackie.” He butted in, scowling. “The hell was up with that duel?”

  Ah, right. They’d nearly forgotten about that, but from Strade’s perspective it was the last thing to happen before he woke up here. He’d been quiet about it so far, but now that they looked closer at his furrowed expression and the impatient tapping of his foot, it was clear he was still upset by the result. Or perhaps the setup?

  Jackie: “It was a little trick to prove we were really Human. Sils seemed to know about Humans’ abilities, so we put you in a high-stakes fight to prove you didn’t have any other abilities.”

  Strade: “And you just tossed me to the flames for that little trick of yours?” His scowl deepened.

  That had been a bit of a dick move, hadn’t it? “Sorry. It wouldn’t’ve worked if you knew the plan beforehand, and I only thought of it in the moment, anyway.”

  Helena gave Strade a dry expression. “You seemed pretty eager to fight Jahd, either way.”

  Strade: “Yeah, that was before he started kicking my ass. My damn neck’s still sore.” He huffed. “How’d that even prove anything, anyways!? Even if I weren’t Human, I could’ve just not used whatever other abilities I had.”

  Jackie shrugged, closing one eye, “You just seem like the kind of guy who couldn’t hold back in a fight like that.”

  Strade: “Hah!? I don’t—“

  Sam: “You do.”

  Helena: “You do.”

  Lii: “Um, y-you kinda do…”

  Strade scoffed, leaning back with mouth agape. “Seriously? By Eve, what kind of person do you all take me for?” He shook his head and turned away, “I wouldn’t pull something like that with your lives on the line.”

  There was silence for a moment before Jackie shattered it, “Either way, that’s the impression Sils and Jahd got of you, so it worked in our favor. Now, to what I wanted to discuss—their offer.”

  Helena: “Sils offered to take all of us as her subordinates. If we work for her, she’ll pay us, and she’ll be able to afford us more freedom than being stuck here in Heapwatch all the time. On the other hand, becoming her soldiers almost certainly means fighting in this war.”

  Jackie nodded. “I’d like to keep the five of us together, so I think we should decide on this as a group. With that in mind, let’s set the offer itself aside for a moment. What do you guys want to do?”

  Receiving blank gazes, they continued on, “I mean in general. Now that we’re out of the Heap, we’re free to go wherever we want, do whatever we want. Our whole lives are ahead of us. We should decide what we want to do with them.”

  Strade: “We ain’t really free, though. Sils won’t let us outta her sight unless we agree to be her minions. If we do that, we’re stuck here fightin’ for her.”

  Jackie: “We have options. We could agree to her offer, or we could offer ourselves up to Evendel, see if they give us better treatment. Could also just try to escape Heapwatch and reach the mainland ourselves. So, before we make a choice we can’t go back on, we should decide what we want to do going forward—what we want out of life.”

  There was a brief silence until Sam spoke up. “I… I want to learn more about being a doctor. No, really, I just want to help people. To save people. As many as I can possibly reach with my own hands.”

  Jackie: “Good, that’s perfect, exactly what I’m looking for.” They turned to Helena, “You next.”

  She looked down at her hand, the other scratching her neck as she considered her answer. “I… don’t really know. Now that we’re here, I want to do something more, but… I don’t even know what my options are. I guess I want to see what the world has to offer?”

  Jackie: “Good enough. Strade?”

  He didn’t hesitate at all before answering, “I wanna get stronger so I can kick that guy’s ass.”

  Jackie held back a snicker. “That all?”

  Strade: “Damn straight.”

  Finally, Jackie’s gaze moved to Lii. “And what about you?”

  Lii: “...eh? M-me..?” She perked up, seeming surprised to have been called on.

  Jackie: “Duh. You’re one of us, too. Once you’ve recovered, we’ll do whatever you wanna do, too.”

  Her lips tightened, expression tensing as she came up with a response. “Wh-when I first went to the Heap, I was… I was running away. From civilization, and myself, and everything else. I went to sleep and never wanted to wake back up. I didn’t think I ever would.

  “But, y-you guys found me, and… I was t-terrified. Of you, but also that I might make the same mistakes again. That I’d h-hurt you. I just… wanted you to leave, so I could wither away alone. But you didn’t, and now… I ended up all the way here, back in the outside world.

  “And, um, I’m still scared. R-really scared, but… I want to give it another try, I think. I guess it’s kind of s-selfish, but I don’t want to leave you guys. I want to try living again. So, I guess… I’m happy to just follow you wherever you go, and… learn how to l-live again.”

  The words fell heavy on the Humans.

  Helena: “...it’s not selfish to want to be happy.” She spoke firmly, giving Lii a serious look; the Mimic didn’t meet her gaze.

  Sam: “Um, what about you, Jackie?” He asked, moving things along.

  Jackie smiled wide. “I want to travel the world, see all there is to see, meet as many people as I can, and make as many friends as I can. But, besides that… I want to figure out what actually happened to our ancestors.”

  Sam tilted his head. “Our ancestors?”

  Jackie: “We weren’t always in the Forgotten Heap—for that matter, the Heap didn’t always exist, either. There used to be huge Human civilizations out here in the outside world, but they all disappeared without a trace after something called the Great War.

  “There aren’t any records left from that war, apparently. They know it was mainly fought between our ancestors and an empire called Elysium, and that both us and Elysium’s High Elves disappeared after, but that’s it. Somebody made us disappear, and I want to know how and why.”

  The other three Humans exchanged glances and mixed expressions. Lii, on the other hand, stared at Jackie with wide eyes and shaking hands,

  Lii: “Um, th-that war, how long ago was it, exactly..?”

  Jackie met her gaze, knowing exactly what was going through her mind. She’d said quite confidently before that she’d only been hibernating for twenty years at most, but…

  Jackie: “The current year is 1732.”

  Lii gulped, running the numbers in her head. Her hands rose to clutch at her face as her eyes widened, realization setting in. “I-I was asleep for four hundred years..!?”

  ? ? ?

  Sils frowned as a plate was placed in front of her, both it and its contents far larger than her body.

  Sils: “Oi, fuck’re ya doin’? This is a strategy meetin’, not a dinner party.”

  Jahd: “When was the last time ye ate, Cap’n?” The perpetrator replied as he returned to his seat. “Can’t have our leader starvin’.”

  Sils: “I’ll eat later. This takes precedence.”

  Jahd: “Then I’ll leave the food there so ye don’t forget.”

  She ground her teeth, holding back a tirade of insults and clapbacks. It wouldn’t do any good, because he was right; she really hadn’t eaten in a while. She struggled to muster an appetite when her men were suffering and dying on her behalf.

  In addition to her and Jahd, a small collection of key figures in the camp had assembled around the war table within her tent. Heapwatch wasn’t so organized that it had a proper hierarchy of officers, but the people collected here were about the closest thing. Her men generally considered Jahd her right hand, and he generally considered Delia his right hand; naturally, both were present.

  Sitting across from her was Makala, their chief doctor. Sils and a few others in Heapwatch were older than him by virtue of their immortality, but he had been at Heapwatch the longest. Also present was Viz, since she generally took charge of the other lookouts.

  Two seats were empty. One would have gone to Rasha, who was highly-respected among the scouts and acted as their representative. The other belonged to Lapala, who was still away on a mission; if Jahd was her right hand, he would be her left.

  She’d gotten accustomed to death over the last year, but she struggled to process the fact that Rasha was truly gone. They hadn’t even been able to recover his body. A person she’d come to know so well, so personally, was now gone from her life forever.

  His death hardly made her feel anything. She was sad, true, but in the way a child might be sad about a lost toy. She felt no grief, though she could feel its toll on the others around her.

  Her own lack of empathy twisted her stomach in knots. People were suffering, dying—her people. Things were unraveling at the seams. She was failing them. The least she could do was feel remorse for their pain, their sacrifices, her failures, but she couldn’t even do that.

  If she’d been born as anything other than a Sylph, she’d at least gave been able to accomplish that much.

  Jahd: “Let’s begin, then, so Cap’n can get to ‘er meal.” He drew everyone’s attention, receiving nods in response.

  Sils: “Right. Makala, how’re everyone’s wounds?”

  Makala: “The bullet passed cleanly through Viz’s wing. It will inhibit her ability to fly, but not completely prevent it. Even so, I would recommend against letting her fight until it properly heals. She can continue to fulfill her usual duties as a lookout.

  “Celeste and Earpiercer both escaped in remarkably good condition. They have some minor bruises and scratches, but nothing they cannot simply sleep off, I think. Jamal’s condition is the worst; several significant gashes, plus many minor bruises and cuts. He has joined the infirmary, and shall remain for several weeks, I think.”

  More losses. More people hurt because she wasn’t a good enough leader. She looked to Jahd and Delia, “How’re things in camp?”

  Jahd: “Morale’s a mixed bag. People were happy ta see those two home safe, but Rasha’s death is startin’ ta settle in. I expect things ta get worse. Lotta folk seem ta realize we’re fightin’ a losin’ battle, an’ this is the first time we’ve lost someone so high up the ladder.”

  Sils had been losing a war of attrition against Morale since the declaration came. Evendel was a much larger and more powerful nation than the Scurysands, and one primarily known for its excellent military at that. Even Avek Tirion’s impressive navy was outmatched against the elves’.

  If their enemies wanted to, it would be trivial to wipe Heapwatch off the map. It would have been trivial even before half of its forces were relegated to the medical quarter. Instead, the enemy commander had chosen the torture of a slow, precise campaign, slowly picking Sils’s forces apart one man at a time.

  Perhaps ‘slow’ wasn’t the right term, given the camp had been practically dismantled in just over a month.

  She’d done her best to keep up morale. Secret trade with nearby Spriggan villages ensured they had no shortage of food, and she’d kept the pub running and done her best to provide her men with whatever breaks and recreation she could afford to. All of it only delayed their inevitable fall.

  Something had to be done. Something had to change, but what? The Admiral had entrusted Heapwatch’s protection to her, and he could hardly spare any reinforcements with the frequent pokes at Avek Tirion. Her only real plan was stuck in limbo, but even that was only a band-aid.

  Her mind went back to them. The Humans. An incredible card that only she could play. Could their abilities, or perhaps even just their identities, be used to turn the tide of this war?

  Feeling a wetness on her lip, she realized she’d been grinding her teeth. She quickly wiped away the blood before the others could notice; being able to hide those sorts of details was one of the few advantages her stature afforded her.

  It was frustrating. Such an incredible opportunity had fallen right into her lap, something that could make a real impact, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull the trigger. Even if it would be for the greater good, for the sake of her people, she couldn’t bring herself to treat the Humans as mere pawns.

  They were survivors, too. They’d lived their entire lives in that hellhole called the Forgotten Heap, facing horrors on par with, if not worse, than the war of attrition that ailed Sils and her men. They were the first Humans to be seen in four hundred years, the first people to ever escape the Forgotten Heap. How could she take away what little freedom they had?

  And yet, she couldn’t grant them real freedom, either. They were too valuable a card to just give up, even if she was too much a coward to play said card. How long would it remain idle in her hand?

  There was a thump from outside, the sound finally breaking her free of her own thoughts. The others all turned to the door, and she realized they’d been staring at her while she sat in silence.

  A figure stepped into the tent, heralded by the metal clanking of his armor. A full set of dark-tinted steel plate enveloped his body, broken up only by the black fabric over his joints and the red chitin that covered his shins, forearms, and heels, the natural armor aligned perfectly with the surrounding steel. The heavy visor of an armet hid his face, the only identifying feature being his hair. A knot of bright red dreadlocks were tied up in a ponytail and fed through a small hole in the back of his helm, where another knight may have placed a plume of feathers.

  Sils: “Lapala!?”

  He gave a wordless nod and marched over to his seat. In his hand was a scroll bound by a thin ribbon, which he tossed across the table towards Sils. “Message from Kirra.”

  It rolled to a stop beside her plate, and she stepped over to yank the ribbon off. Jahd leaned over and lifted up the parchment, unfurling it.

  ?????

  Sils,

  I apologize for taking so long to correspond. I have managed to arrange entrance to Saga and an audience with Chief Lupus, but I cannot promise more. He is a stubborn man, set in his ways, and your plan runs strictly opposed to his policies.

  I also regret to report bad news—I believe I am being pursued. My best guess is that Evendelian forces either intercepted our messages or simply caught wind of the correspondence. I find the latter more likely, but in case it is the former, I shall refrain from voicing specifics where possible, as should you—though I doubt any further messages you were to send would actually find me.

  The audience will require my presence, but I lack the means to pass the blockade and join you at Avek Tirion. You will have to come to me. I will try my best to meet you near the place where we first met, but I may be captured or worse if I linger too long. Come swiftly; I shall have to abandon my post if I do not hear from or meet you within the month.

  —Kirra

  ?????

  Sils’s eyes shot across the words in a sprint, then a second time, slower, to actually take in the meaning. No wonder Kirra hadn’t sent word in so long; she’d gotten wrapped up in this mess, too. Another failing on Sils’s part, putting her first and oldest friend in danger. As that thought shook her heart, her vision fell on the image of an all-too-familiar flower stamped on the bottom of the page, beside Kirra’s signature.

  Lapala: “We were lucky to encounter the messenger on the road. And he us, or the Shade would surely have taken him.” His husky voice came with a tin echo from within his helmet. Noticing that, he lifted his visor, revealing his dark skin and striking yellow eyes.

  Sils: “Aye. Where’s your squad?”

  Lapala: “Still on the road, escorting the messenger here. I felt it important to bring you the message as soon as possible.” He glanced aside at the others, “And it seems my timing was fortuitous.”

  Sils caught his gaze lingering on Rasha’s empty seat. He’d no doubt seen the sorry state of things on his way to the tent; he was more than smart enough to put two and two together.

  Jahd: “Things’re ready on Kirra’s end, then. We just need ta decide who we’re sendin’, an’ who’s stayin’.”

  Lapala: “I must warn you, the threat of the Greater Shade remains.” He spoke as he moved to take his seat.

  Viz gave him an incredulous look. “You failed?”

  Lapala: “It is a league more intelligent than its fellows, and capable of commanding them besides. When it sensed us capable of felling it, the creature fled and set its minions upon us. We tried to track it down, but were sadly unable.”

  That explained why he was gone so much longer than expected, at least. “Then we’ll ‘ave ta face it on our way ta Avek Tirion.”

  Lapala: “Most likely.”

  That certainly complicated things, but it wasn’t like the squad was ever going to be light on combat power. The Shade would just be another headache to deal with along the way.

  Sils: “Lapala, I’d like ta leave ye in charge ‘ere. Th’enemy’s still whittlin’ us down; I need someone strong an’ decisive ta keep everyone safe.”

  The knight raised an eyebrow. “You intend to leave?”

  Sils: “Damn right. I’m no leader, an’ my powers’ll be far more useful out in the field than holed up in here. Plus, Kirra’ll recognize me.”

  Multiple parts of that statement earned her a stern look from Jahd, but he simply sighed. “Then, naturally, I’ll go as well. Can’t let my cap’n get ‘erself killed.”

  Sils: “Aye. We’ve been stagnatin’ too long, lettin’ things just fall apart around us. I wanna make it clear ta everyone here that things are changin’—that we’re takin’ action, and that we’ve got a chance.”

  Even if I have to take advantage of those five to make that happen.

  Chapter Glossary:

  Lapala - An Alphiccan knight. Sils's left hand and Raffica's older brother. Talks like he's from a different time period.

  | Kirra - An old friend of Sils's, and a collaborator in her plan to end the war and save Heapwatch. May or may not have also written several hundred years ago.

  | Chief Lupus - The ruler of Saga, wherever that is. What does Sils hope to gain from him?