Justin, Lila, and Kargan chased after Eldrin and Ryak along the length of the ethereal bridge. Justin risked a glance back at the Baron, who simply watched with curiosity. The man was completely assured that they would never get to the boat in time. Still, the Baron was playing a dangerous game. If Gareth did anything to attack them directly, it would consign the Baron and his party to death.

But what if Gareth were to do something to the boat, incapacitate it somehow? The act wasn't one of outright violence, so the Baron seemed willing to risk it.

They had no choice. Get there first and get off the island. There was no time to dwell on his mistakes. He tightened his grip on his cane and pushed forward.

“Keep moving!” Eldrin called from ahead.

A flash of movement swept over the party, toward the evening light at the end of the bridge. It was Shadowflight, somehow healed, his silhouette black against the evening sky.

Finally, Justin left the Vault behind. He stood with the rest on the glacier’s surface, greeted by a frigid wind that would have sapped his strength were it not for his Vorthak's Flame. Behind, the opening into the glacier was lost to darkness.

The sky above was streaked with fiery orange and deep indigo. Beautiful, but a grim reminder that at this time of year, daylight never lasted for more than a couple of hours.

“No sign of Gareth,” Lila said. “He could be anywhere.”

Eldrin knelt, studying the icy terrain with sharp, calculating eyes. “We don't need to find him. We simply need to reach the boat first. Stick together, and we’ll outpace him." Eldrin gestured toward the icy horizon. “Let's move.”

Over the next few minutes, they ran as fast as the ice would allow. The wind blew fiercely, and even through his flames, Justin could feel its chill. Lila stuck close to him while Kargan donned his hood, hunched and running as fast as he could manage. Eldrin ran point with Ryak; of the five of them, the Iceborne was the only one who seemed inured to the cold.

The party’s advance led them to a sudden break in the glacier. A jagged crevice yawned before them, its sheer walls glistening with ice and frost. This crevice seemed to be the same one they had followed to the entrance of the Vault. Assuming they could get down there, it was a sure path back to the inlet.

“Fantastic,” Justin muttered, peering over the edge. “A shortcut straight to our graves.”

“Not quite,” Eldrin said.

As if Eldrin's words were a summons, Shadowflight screeched, gliding low and landing lightly on his shoulder. The bird ruffled its feathers, its keen eyes scanning the group.

"I'm glad to see he's okay," Lila said.

Eldrin stroked the bird’s head. “He's tougher than he looks. Plus, Animal Bond gives him passive healing. It takes time, but he always comes back.”

"We're wasting time," Ryak said. "If there's a way down, we need to find it."

Shadowflight let out a low cry, hopping to Eldrin’s arm and pointing with his beak toward a cluster of icy handholds and ledges carved into the crevice wall, previously missed. It was a path, if a treacherous one.

"That's convenient," Lila said.

"This island was a pilgrimage site for the Iceborne in the time of my grandfather's grandfather," Ryak said. "It doesn't surprise me that traces of previous visitors remain."

“Is that even possible to go down?" Kargan asked. "It looks dangerous."

Justin eyed the precarious path dubiously. “I'm afraid we don't have a choice."

Eldrin was already going forward, testing the way. Justin willed his cane to provide more light.

"What if Gareth is down there waiting for us?" Lila asked.

"If he is, then he can't try anything," Justin said. "Not without dooming himself in the process."

"I suppose," she said. "It looks like it's my turn."

She went down, and Justin let her go a little way before bringing up the rear.

The descent was slow and nerve-wracking. Each handhold was slick with frost, each ledge barely wide enough for a boot. Eldrin led the way, his movements confident, while Shadowflight flitted ahead, scouting the safest route.

Justin followed closely, focusing on Eldrin’s every move. Strangely, his steps felt natural, as if he instinctively knew where to place his hands and feet. His improved Coordination seemed to guide him like an unseen hand. Plus, he might have been getting some extra insight from Eldrin's upgraded Pathfinder's Stride.

“This boon of yours,” Justin called down, gripping an icy outcropping. “I'm a fan."

Eldrin smiled from ahead. “Don't get cocky.”

Kargan moved with surprising grace for his size, his heavy boots crunching against the ice. Lila followed, her movements deliberate, her bardic agility keeping her steady.

They reached a ledge about thirty feet down when Eldrin halted abruptly. The path ended in a sheer drop, the next ledge far below, with no obvious way to access it.

“No way down from here,” the Ranger said grimly.

“We jump,” Kargan rumbled. "If Justin can survive a fall from five hundred feet, well, what's fifty feet between friends?"

Kargan raised his new staff, the veins of red light brightening as a bluish light encased each of them one by one in an aura of Sacrificial Armor. Justin flexed his fingers, the magic buzzing faintly against his skin.

"Try to roll forward if you can," Eldrin said. "Follow my lead."

Eldrin fell forward without hesitation, his Ranger's cloak billowing behind him. Ryak went next, with just as much grace.

Lila took a deep breath, staring down into the icy crevice. “All right. For the record, I hate this.”

She jumped, landing in the darkness below with a thud.

Kargan stood at the edge of the ledge, his blue magic swirling like a protective cocoon around him. The orc let out a nervous breath, his cry echoing as he jumped and landed.

Justin glanced down at the sheer drop, his stomach churning. He found that now that he had to jump willingly, it was much harder to find the nerve.

With a deep breath, he stepped off. The world blurred as he plummeted, the icy air howling past his ears. He braced for impact, and when it came, the Sacrificial Armor absorbed the worst of the blow, leaving him with only a sharp jolt in his knees and elbows as he rolled forward, not even dropping his cane.

He stood, brushing the frost off his coat. “Not as bad as I thought.”

“Well, we're all in one piece,” Lila said, her voice bright. “Let’s keep it that way.”

As the group began running again, Lila raised her voice in song. The notes started low and steady, building into a melody that wrapped around them like a warm embrace. Justin recognized the sunny song, one of Lila's go-tos: "As Fast as Sunlight," which boosted Coordination. Justin felt an immediate lightness in his step, the strain in his muscles easing as his speed increased. That Lila could keep the song going despite the strain only spoke to her abilities.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Shadowflight shot down the crevice ahead, scouting for any obstacles. Within minutes, the shoreline of the shadowed inlet came into view, along with the charred wreckage of the ship Valdrik had hired, sitting in the middle of the water.

Eldrin led them toward the stand of rocks that hid the umiak. Justin felt a nervous knot in his stomach, not knowing what its fate would be. Had Gareth gotten here first? If the Shadowblade hadn't found the path down to the crevice, then he might still be well behind.

As Justin rounded the boulder, relief flooded over him in a wave. There it was, along with some of their extra supplies, covered by nothing more than a light dusting of ice and snow.

"Thank the gods," Lila said.

Eldrin's gaze scanned the area for threats. “We’re not out of the woods yet. Push it into the water—quickly.”

They moved as one, Kargan and Ryak taking the lead in heaving the boat toward the lapping waves. Justin and Lila worked on the sides, their hands numb against the icy hull. Eldrin stood guard against anything that could ambush them.

Kargan, Lila, and Justin all hopped into the boat as they slid it into the water, which tilted side to side precariously. Ryak and Eldrin worked together at the stern to give it a good push into the ice-ridden inlet, never minding the freezing water. Even if it had only been a few days, far more ice covered the inlet, and the boat plowed through the thin sheen of ice that covered its entirety.

"Paddle," Ryak said. "For all you're worth."

They paddled hard, pushing through the ice. Ryak steered with an expert hand.

That was when Justin noticed some movement in the water to their right, though there was nothing to cause it. Fear clutched his throat.

"Kargan, set a ward!"

A blur of motion erupted from the water. Gareth appeared, his form cloaked in darkness as his new blade slashed deep into the umiak's hull.

The sound of splintering wood was like a death knell. Frigid water gushed into the boat, even as Gareth went for another slash.

Ryak raised his new icy staff, frost spreading rapidly as a shimmering aegis of ice formed around the boat, protecting it from interference. With another wave of his staff, Ryak froze the gaping hole in the hull, sealing it shut, though half a foot of icy water had spread by this point.

Gareth stood frozen in the shallows, his blade dripping seawater. The ice shield shimmered, untouchable. Any attack on it would be considered an attack on the party.

Justin wondered how he had gotten away with it, when he realized Gareth’s strike hadn’t been directed at them—it had been aimed at the boat. A loophole, Justin realized, within the confines of the Gentleman’s Agreement. Clever and infuriatingly within the rules.

Yet the same could not be said for Ryak's aegis. If Gareth attacked that, it was game over for them.

“You’re out of moves, Gareth,” Ryak said coldly. “Stand aside, or meet your doom.”

"It's just a shield," Gareth hissed. "The agreement will not be broken if I strike it down"

"The aegis is an extension of my will," Ryak said. "You best believe the Creator will consider it an attack. Do you dare?"

Already, Justin was using his hands to bail out the water that had entered, and then he got the idea to use his top hat. It worked effectively, and he could just use his Ring of Hygiene to dry off once the job was done.

"Keep paddling," Eldrin urged. "Justin, keep bailing us out."

The boat bobbed uneasily, but it held. It would have to be enough to get back to the mainland, though Justin was worried about the treachery of the strait beyond.

Gareth stood in the icy water, following them deeper into the inlet, the water already up to his chest. His gray, undead gaze burned with fury. Something about the stare was so damn unnerving that Justin wouldn't have been surprised if Gareth had some skill or boon related to it. Justin quickly put on his top hat again, only to find the feeling went away. It was clearly some sort of Fear effect. He took the hat off again, and the feeling returned, but he had no choice. He needed it to bail out the boat. He was nearly halfway done by now.

By the time Justin got the last of it out, he donned his hat and then activated the Ring of Hygiene. The water, dirt, grime, and blood that had clung to both him and his clothing were instantly gone in a flash of yellow light. He glanced back at the dark inlet, but there was no sign of the undead Shadowblade.

Justin thought about shouting out an insult, but he thought better of it. There was no point.

Ryak refreshed the aegis as the umiak picked up speed, nearly exiting the inlet. No one dared to speak, each focused on the task of rowing the boat farther from the shore. The sound of oars cutting through the icy water filled the silence. Nithral Island and its glacier loomed behind them like a frozen monolith.

At last, when they broke free of the inlet and entered the strait, Justin allowed himself to relax. Just a bit. The only thing they had to watch out for was stray patches of ice and the odd iceberg, which, of course, were threats of a different sort.

As at least half a mile passed, the rush of adrenaline ebbed, replaced by the ache of fatigue. Lila, seated beside him, adjusted her paddle, her gaze distant.

“Well,” Justin said, breaking the silence, “that could’ve gone worse.”

Eldrin's sharp eyes scanned the water ahead. “You have a gift for understatement.”

Kargan grumbled from his position at the bow, his gloved hands gripping the bone paddle. “Now what?"

"I had planned to use the boat for longer," Ryak said. "But that's a sizable breach, and the ice doesn't form a perfect seal. It also upsets the boat's balance."

Indeed, in the waning light, Justin had failed to notice water leaking past ice seal's edges. Ryak cast another blast of ice magic at it, resealing it.

"We could return to the village," Lila said. "Backtrack to Kaldrath and Windfall. Whatever we choose, the Baron and his men are stuck on that island. Forever, maybe."

"That's doubtful," Eldrin said. "His Cant of Gravity can get them off the island. It would be slow, but they would only have to float from ice patch to ice patch. We have a day on them at best."

Justin nodded, his thoughts already racing ahead. The two-week truce was a fragile shield, and they needed every advantage to stay ahead.

"Eldrin is right," Ryak said. "Going back to the village is the obvious path, and I would not lead the Baron there. Our best move is to disappear into the hidden paths of Land's End. The kind only my people know."

"He knows our eventual destination is Mont Elea," Eldrin said. "If he loses us, then I can guarantee that's where he'll pick up our trail."

"Indeed, the paths to the Southern Lands are few," Ryak said. "But there is a path I know through the Seraphims. Coming out of the southern part of Land's End, we would venture into the Everwood and to the Lift of Drakendir. It is not an easy path, infested with trolls, goblins, and worse. But he's not likely to know it."

"That's the way by which we came into the North," Eldrin said. "Trust me, the Baron knows it well. Are you saying there's a path south of the Seraphims that doesn't connect to Thalgar's Tunnel?"

"There are ways. I have traveled them before. But we need not decide now. We have until coming out of Land's End to decide our eventual course: Draegor's Keep or the Lift of Drakendir."

"And how long will that be?" Justin asked.

Ryak paused. "Two weeks, if all goes well."

Justin let out a breath. "Of course it's two weeks."

"We have our work cut out for us, either way," Ryak said. "That said, I'll guide and help you as long as you require me. It's the absolute least I can do."

"What's past is past," Eldrin said. "Let us look to the future. Hopefully, a future without the Baron haunting our steps. The Templars of Arion are the only ones equipped to stop a threat of his magnitude. If you can stay with us as far as that, we will be grateful."

"I would," Ryak said.

Justin wanted to change the subject, but the only thing that popped into his head was what he and Lila had learned about Ryak's son. "Alden Starfire told us something about your son. He fought bravely but ended up succumbing to Rimefang."

Ryak's fingers tightened around his paddle. The Iceborne weren't ones for showing emotion, but Justin's Socialite instincts detected a fleeting mix of anguish and pride.

“My son…” he murmured, his voice low. He turned his gaze skyward, as if searching the fading twilight for answers. For a long moment, the only sound was the faint whistle of the wind across the water.

Justin shifted uncomfortably, unsure if he should say more. Ryak spoke again, his tone steadier but laced with pain. “Thank you for telling me. I knew as much, but it brings comfort to know he died for the safety of the tribe."

Ryak exhaled a long breath that frosted in the chilly air. He then chuckled, as if in memory.

“He was always a stubborn one,” he continued, his tone softening as the memory seemed to take hold. “Just like his mother. Always charging ahead, even when the odds were against him. If Alden Starfire himself saw his courage, then my son’s spirit is honored beyond measure.”

“He didn’t just see it,” Lila added gently. “He fought alongside him."

A faint, bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of Ryak’s mouth. “That sounds like him. Foolishly brave to the end. But to fall to a foe as mighty as Rimefang…” He straightened, his frosty aura seeming to grow stronger, as though his grief had been channeled into resolve. “It is no shameful death. My only regret is that I wasn’t there to stand with him.”

Eldrin's voice was quiet in the approaching night. “He would have been proud of you, as you are of him. Let his memory give us strength.”

Ryak's icy blue eyes gazed up at the sky, where the aurorae of the north were dancing. "He's there now among the Ancestors, watching us from the Ether Realm. It would be a comfort, but what father is comforted by the protection of his son? It should be the other way around."

As the stoic Iceborne sat silhouetted against the northern lights, Justin couldn’t help but feel a pang of admiration for the man’s composure. If it had been him—if he’d lost someone so close—he wasn’t sure he could have borne it with such quiet strength. Then again, grief had a way of shaping people differently. It could hollow you out or temper you like steel.

Justin’s grip tightened on the paddle as he felt a familiar flicker of guilt rise. He thought of his own brother, gone because of his choices, his mistakes. He couldn’t decide if Ryak’s words were comforting or if they only deepened the permanent ache he carried. The Iceborne might believe in the protection of ancestors and the grand balance of life, but Justin wasn’t so sure. What comfort was there in a world that seemed so arbitrarily cruel?

“Your son’s courage wasn’t just a gift to your tribe,” Justin said softly. “It’s why we’re standing here now. His sacrifice gave Alden the strength and knowledge to finish what needed to be done.”

Ryak’s gaze shifted back to Justin, and for a moment, the ice-blue depths of his eyes softened. He gave a single, solemn nod. “Then let us honor his sacrifice by making certain the Baron answers for his crimes. And any who abet him. The Vault's story is done, but our journey continues.”

The group resumed their passage along the northern shore, the aurorae flickering above them.