Once back at The Mountain’s Embrace, Justin and Lila hurried to their suite, only to find that Eldrin wasn’t there.

“Great,” Justin muttered. “What do we do now?”

Lila was unusually silent, her face paler than usual.

“I’m rattled too, Lila, but we need to figure out our next move. If those guys were in the alley, it means they know we’re staying here.”

“Those weren’t Gareth’s men,” Lila said.

Justin frowned. “What do you mean? Was it Reggie?”

She shook her head. “I…recognized a couple of them. That wiry man with the knives—I’ve seen him before back in Stonehaven. They’re the ones who were sent after me.”

Justin’s eyes widened. “For your debts? How did they track you down here?”

She sank into a chair, looking defeated. “I don’t know! Maybe it was bad luck, or they spotted us in the street. They must have come straight to Windfall from Stonehaven instead of going to Mistwatch. There were three routes they could have taken to follow me, and I guess they chose the northern one.”

“Was that all of them?” Justin asked, concerned.

Lila nodded numbly. “Yeah. Now I can never show my face in Daeloria again.”

“Maybe they’ll be smart enough to leave you alone now,” Justin suggested.

Lila laughed bitterly. “Yeah, right. They’ll want to make an even bigger example of me now.”

At that moment, Eldrin entered the room, his brown eyes appraising them both. “Those bodies in the alley—anything to do with you two?”

“They’re the men after Lila,” Justin explained. “She says that’s all of them.”

“Did anyone see the fight?” Eldrin asked.

Lila shook her head. “I don’t think so. They tracked us from the street and waited until we were alone.”

“Well,” Eldrin said, his tone serious, “it pains me to say this, but Windfall is no longer safe. Those bodies are going to draw far too much attention.”

Justin knew he was right, but the thought of leaving the inn’s relative safety was unsettling. For the first time, he noticed Eldrin’s new gear—a cloak and leggings in a dull brown that would blend seamlessly into natural environments. The Ranger had been busy shopping, too.

“What’s the next step?” Justin asked.

“That’s what we need to discuss. It’s certain the Baron and his men know we’re in Windfall. And given Windfall’s location, we have only a few options left, none of them good. The obvious choice is going east along the Northway, but that would almost certainly put us on a collision course with Gareth and his men.”

“You mentioned there were back roads leading off from the Northway,” Justin said. “Is that not the plan anymore?”

“Shadowflight has spied Gareth well on his way to Windfall. They have horses now.”

“Dear gods,” Lila whispered.

“They likely picked them up in Darkstream Crossing,” Eldrin said.

Justin frowned in thought. “If they could have afforded horses this whole time, why wait until Darkstream?”

“Well, horses wouldn’t have been much use in the Umbers north of Silverton. While we were in Highcliff, they expected to keep us contained. Once we slipped through their grasp, they knew they needed to catch up, and horses are the only way to do that.”

“How long until they’re here?” Justin asked.

Eldrin shrugged. “Probably by evening tomorrow, based on Shadowflight’s information.”

“Then we have time if we leave right now and walk through the night,” Lila said. “Only…I’m exhausted.”

“Perhaps,” Eldrin said. “But I’m no longer optimistic about our chances going east. We could make it to the first back road, which leads to a town called Highcross, by early morning. However, Gareth will expect us to do that. He knows we won’t confront him directly on the Northway, so the odds of him sending riders that way are high.”

“What can we do, then?” Lila asked. “There’s the western path toward Daeloria, but that takes us far from our goal, and if they have horses, they’ll catch up.”

“It wouldn’t be a good move,” Eldrin said. “Even if I’d told you to hold off on gear in favor of purchasing horses, that path would take us too far from where we need to go. Also, we’d have to circle back to Mont Elea. The only way to do that would be to take the Umber Road down to Stonehaven, and then east—”

“Right back through Silverton,” Lila finished. “I’m no equestrian, either.”

“Same,” Justin added.

“As I thought,” Eldrin said. “The next option is backtracking. We could head south, then east across the Marin, the Plainsway, and into the Wilderlands of Baelor. Of all the ideas mentioned so far, this one is the best. However, once Gareth realizes we haven’t gone east or west, they’ll know we’ve gone south and cast a wide net. We’ll have to break through that net to have a chance. But of all the options, this one offers the best odds.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Justin said. “Even if I don’t like the idea of going backward.”

“We could try hiding in plain sight,” Lila suggested. “The Undermarket is complete chaos. We could find somewhere to hide until we’re sure they’ve moved on.”

“I’ve thought of that, too,” Eldrin said. “But it won’t help us if the Baron gets involved.”

“Because of the Mark,” Lila said, deflating. “Well, there goes that idea.”

From Eldrin’s silence, Justin could tell he was considering something else.

“What? Is there another option?” Lila asked. “I can’t imagine what.”

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“There is,” Eldrin confirmed. “I was talking to an orc in a tavern here in the Undermarket. Thalgar’s Tunnel is open again—something I didn’t think would be possible for years.”

“Thalgar’s Tunnel?” Justin asked. “What’s that?”

“Most of the grander buildings in Windfall were not of human design, as you might have guessed. The northern variety of dwarves, the Drakendir, used to make their home in the Seraphim Range. Windfall was only a small outpost of their vast kingdom, primarily for trading with us ‘sky-dwellers.’”

“I thought Windfall was an Elven city back in the day,” Justin said.

“It was, but none of the buildings survive from that time. The dwarves built over the ruins about seven centuries ago, but the true glories of Drakendir lay deeper within the mountains. But the Drakendir Dwarves died out about four centuries ago.”

Justin smirked. “Let me guess—they delved too deep?”

Eldrin looked at him, surprised. “Aye. Did something similar happen in your world?”

“You might say that.”

“Well, as you guessed, as their kingdom expanded, so did the depths they explored, where terrifying creatures lurked. While the Drakendir eventually fell, they collapsed most of their tunnels to prevent the surface from being overrun. This wasn’t always successful. Goblins didn’t exist in Serenthel until five hundred years ago. One tunnel, called Thalgar’s Tunnel, was the main highway that led from Windfall to the Everwood beyond the Seraphim Range. From there, one can access the Drakendir Kingdom. The Aranthian army has kept the tunnel open for centuries, though it’s been periodically closed when monsters found their way through. Thalgar’s Tunnel has been completely sealed for the last two decades, but it’s been operational again for the last month with no deaths reported.”

“You want us to use this tunnel?” Lila asked skeptically. “It leads to the Everwood, north of the Seraphims. You said those lands are too dangerous, even for you. And then there’s the question of where we go after that, and whether this tunnel is truly safe.”

“My plan isn’t to go into the Everwood,” Eldrin clarified. “The Baron would expect that. My idea is to find a passage into the Drakendir Kingdom and navigate our way back to the surface from there.”

Justin found the plan immediately suspect for a litany of reasons. “How do we even know the way into this Drakendir place is open?”

“It’s not,” Eldrin admitted. “We’d have to bribe a watchman to let us through. The old passages to Drakendir have either collapsed or are sealed off with solid gates. There’s one gate, about a third of the way into the tunnel, that adventurers have been using to access high-level Vaults that have been growing undisturbed for centuries. A ten to fifteen silver bribe is customary for those wanting to trek down there.”

“High-level Vaults?” Lila asked, alarmed. “No, thank you. I’ve had my fill of low-level Vaults.”

“We wouldn’t be going into any Vaults,” Eldrin said. “The trick is avoiding the monsters those Vaults are spitting out.”

Justin swallowed. With his Prismatic Core, he was almost certain they’d encounter a Vault or two.

“For the sake of entertaining this truly terrible idea,” Justin said, “I know you’ve been to a lot of places, Eldrin, but I’m sure you’ve never been to Drakendir. How are you supposed to guide us through it? Where are we even supposed to end up?”

Eldrin took a deep breath. “I understand your concerns, Justin. Reliable maps of the old Dwarven tunnels are exceedingly rare, if they exist at all. The best we have are rough sketches and oral accounts passed down through generations, but nothing is guaranteed. These tunnels are ancient, and time changes things. That said, I’ve spoken to some adventurers who’ve recently made the journey and stumbled upon a Vault, which they cleared. After a few pints, I got the information I was after. Their Vault was Level 17, but they didn’t explore too deeply. Ideally, we’d stay close to the surface to avoid the worst dangers. They claimed the main passage through Thalgar’s Tunnel is straightforward. They encountered no trouble; the only fighting they did was inside the Vault itself.”

Justin tried to ignore the ominous feeling in his gut. He knew how these stories turned from the media in his own world. They would face the unknown dangers of Drakendir or the known dangers of Gareth and his retinue.

“The goal is to get us far enough north that Gareth’s reach is diminished,” Eldrin continued. “Drakendir, while dangerous, takes us through a region Gareth’s forces are unlikely to follow us into. The Drakendir kingdom was vast, with many exits to the surface, some of which open into remote areas within the Seraphims. Once we’re out, Gareth’s men won’t have a chance of finding us before we reach Mont Elea. Their best shot is ambushing us on the road near the Mont, but with so much Life Magic practitioners who can detect the Servants of Morvath, that would be risky for them. Windfall is Gareth’s last chance to catch us, and he knows it.”

“How is this a better idea than backtracking south?” Justin asked. “At least there, we know what we’re getting into.”

Eldrin leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Justin’s. “The advantage is this: once we’re out of the tunnels, we’ll be in territory that’s much harder for Gareth to find us. We’ll be able to disappear into the wilderness and make our way back to civilization on our terms. It’s risky, yes, but the other options are riskier. We can’t outrun Gareth forever in the open, but underground, in the tunnels, we can throw him off our trail for good.”

It was a tantalizing promise, but Justin couldn’t shake his doubts. Looking at Lila, he could see she had similar reservations.

“We’re talking about going into a potentially monster-infested area with no guaranteed way out,” Lila said. “Why not head straight north through the tunnel, come out into the Everwood, and then head north to Kaldrath? From there, we could make it to Draegor’s Keep.”

“That would be an impossible journey,” Eldrin said. “With luck, we could make Kaldrath in three weeks, but by then, winter will have fully settled over the Frostplain, and the seas will freeze over. By the time they thaw in the spring, Gareth will have had more than enough time to corner us. We’d be forced into the tundra, and that’s a death sentence. Even with enchanted clothing, surviving out there would be nearly impossible, especially on the run.”

Lila nodded, her expression grave. “That’s what I feared.”

“Do we at least have an escape plan if things go south in Drakendir?” Justin asked.

Eldrin nodded, though his expression was grim. “I’ve thought about that. The best escape plan in the tunnels is knowing when to retreat. If things go south, we’ll backtrack to the last known safe point—the entrance we’ll use to enter Drakendir. From there, we can head north to the Everwood. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than returning to Windfall.”

“And once we’re in the Everwood?” Lila asked.

“I wouldn’t head for Kaldrath at that point. I’d find a quiet spot in the Everwood to overwinter. It would be risky, not just because of Gareth, but also because the monsters north of the Seraphim are of an entirely different breed. Even the roads up there aren’t safe. But with luck, the hunting could be decent, so we could survive until spring. Then we’d strike east and hope for the best. It’s that or returning to Windfall and hoping Gareth is gone.”

“I don’t like that option,” Justin said. “I need to get rid of this Death Mark quickly. Is the High Priest of Arion really the only one who can remove it?”

“Alistair seemed to think so,” Eldrin said. “The Arcane University in Belmora probably has a White Wizard strong enough to contest the Baron’s mark, but getting there is just as difficult, if not more so—and seeking that kind of help always comes with a price. The High Priest is the only person in Northern Serenthel I’d bet my life on being strong enough, and motivated enough, to remove it.”

“There goes that idea,” Justin said.

Eldrin met Justin’s gaze, his voice steady. “This isn’t a perfect plan, Justin. It’s a calculated risk. But honestly, we don’t have many options left. If we’re careful and smart about it, we can get through this. And if worse comes to worst, we’ll fight our way out.”

Justin let out a sigh. “You mentioned meeting some adventurers in the tavern. Do you think anyone else would go with us? Safety in numbers.”

“I wouldn’t trust anyone with something so important,” Eldrin said. “And finding someone suitable would take time.”

“How about Kargan?” Lila suggested. “It might not be too late to catch him.”

Justin brightened. “That’s a great idea! He has excellent night vision, and he can heal. Plus, that armor spell of his casts a good amount of light. It’s a good backup in case our torches go out.”

Eldrin considered the idea. “I wouldn’t be against it. We’d have to ask him, though. He’s still only a Level 4, so his healing powers will be limited.”

“He’s probably more useful than me in combat,” Justin said. “Where’s the Mage Guild? We can still catch him.”

“It’s getting late,” Eldrin said. “The Guild will certainly be closed to outsiders by now. But we can try. It’s close to the entrance to Thalgar’s Tunnel. Just don’t get your hopes up.”

Lila stifled a yawn. “After a long day walking, the last thing I want is to keep going, but it looks like we’re out of options.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Eldrin instantly became alert.

“Probably Gorn,” he said. “Let me handle this.”