The scent of breakfast woke Suli from her light sleep; tangy, smoked meat mixed with the smell of melted cheese. By the time she was well and truly awake, her mouth was already watering.

“Here.”

She blinked as Rase placed a plate down in front of her– right on top of the maps she’d been studying.

“You should eat.”

“My maps…!” Suli scrambled to retrieve them from underneath the steaming plate, but he grabbed hold of her wrist– gently, but firmly.

“Eat.” His tone left no room for argument.

Suli straightened, hastily adjusting the blanket around her shoulders. The last had been her third night in a row staying at their dwelling. Those prior had been spent purchasing maps, compiling reports, and calling in every single favor she still had saved.

The result? A living room floor completely covered in sheets of paper. Some had been bound, initially, only to be torn free and scattered among the rest. Her sleeping place– the couch– was similarly coveredt.

“Sorry,” she muttered, somewhat embarrassed. “I’ll clean up once I finish– and then leave.”

Rase chuckled. “Stay. It would be remiss of me to see you go when you do this for our sakes.”

“I don’t want to impose…”

He shook his head. “You’re not. Stay.” And with that, he stood, returning to the kitchen.

I guess I can’t argue with that, Suli thought, sitting cross-legged and placing the plate between her knees. She was happy to stay. Her room at the Kirgo was much too small for her to think, and its food– while passable– didn’t even approach Rase’s cooking.

Suli’s stomach growled as she looked down. The plate was laden with food; crispy, thin-cut meat and scrambled eggs mixed with melted cheese. And like everything Rase cooked, it was seasoned to perfection– the perfect blend of savory and salty.

It only took her a couple of minutes to finish every last bite. Rase appeared to take the dirty plate. “Thanks,” she murmured, stretching her arms up above her head– and shivering as the blanket fell away.

It would have been much colder if not for the crackling fire. By all means, it should have been extinguished but they’d left it out of consideration for her.

Suli stared into its flickering orange depths, trying to erase the many, many different words that had taken root in her vision.

“I must confess to ignorance,” Rase said from the side, where he knelt over a large map. “Odd as this commission may be, it’s not as if travel to the elven kingdom is against the law. Why can’t we follow the same route the merchants do?” He tapped where it was clearly marked. “You’ve clearly thought about it as well– and I’m certain those roads are well-traveled, by now.”

Suli shook her head. “Have you ever taken one of those commissions?”

“No. They pay well, so they’re always taken up quickly.”

“They operate on a different scale than us.”

“How do you mean?”

“They involve large groups. Really large groups. More than two hundred, usually. And there’s always a number of magical combatants.”

“So many?”

She nodded grimly. “They carry a lot of resources. And in dimensional rings, at that.” Suli looked down at her hand, where her family’s keepsake fit snugly around her finger. Worrick had no use for it, and as such, had left it to her without complaint– or demand for compensation.

It was a plain, unassuming thing, wrought from plain steel and lacking any adornment. That was one lesson from her family that she had taken to: remain subtle unless there’s something to gain from it.

Only those of a magical occupation would think to take a closer look, but then; no one of such an occupation had any reason to do so.

“So it’s just a matter of necessity.” Rase stood. “We won’t have the protection of numbers- or of multiple magic users.”

“Yeah.” Suli sighed. “As far as I know, we’ll be the smallest group to make the journey– though I doubt that will ever be widespread knowledge.”

“What are these reports for? I thought you were just trying to find a route.”

“I am.” She reached for the nearest sheet of paper. “I’m compiling whatever information I could get about Reaver habitats and weather patterns.”

“Is that what this map is for?” He pointed to another, smaller map. The other was covered in countless lines– each one a possible route– while this one had several parts shaded in.

“Yeah.” Suli traded the report in her hand for another one. “There should be another one nearby with Reaver habitats marked. It’s probably not completely accurate, but it should give us a good idea of what to expect.”

“Do Reavers change habitats?”

“Not often, but yes.” Another sigh. “Honestly, it’s a lot,” Suli admitted. “I knew plotting a route would be difficult, but so far the hardest thing has been organizing information. Once I actually start plotting a route, though…” She grimaced. “I have to decide between safety and speed.”

“Always choose safety where possible,” Rase said lightly, his voice dulling as he walked away.

“It’s not always possible.” She closed her eyes. “Even with my ring, we can only carry so many supplies.”

“So in the end, we’re limited by what we can carry.”

“Yeah. And that’s not taking your weapons into account.”

“Ah. That sounds… problematic.”

“It is.” A mercenary’s weapon was the most important thing. Blunt weapons were rarely of any use against Reavers; and blades, unfortunately, were much more fragile than a mace. It was why she carried spare weapons for both Rase and Naru.

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Rase, especially, had broken many during their time together; owing to his choice of thin, flexible blades. He’d thrown away whole weapons before, stating that they would fail in the heat of battle.

Naru’s axes, on the other hand, were far sturdier– and the man himself was strong enough to break bone– but larger and heavier. And a broken leg wasn’t enough to cripple a Reaver.

Tasha carried her own spares, as her daggers were light and small enough to not pose serious issues.

“... I have–”

“Ah, Tasha.”

Suli stopped short as Rase’s adoptive daughter stepped forward. A simple white nightgown was draped over her shoulders; that was all she wore, despite the cold.

“It seems you slept well. I’m glad.”

The red-eyed girl yawned in response, blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She swayed ever so slightly as she crouched in front of the fire, clearly still half-asleep.

Suli tensed, ready to catch her if need be. That need, thankfully, never came. Instead, Tasha took a seat beside her– and then promptly fell asleep, her head propped up on the older girl’s shoulder. She froze, completely unsure what to make of the situation.

Rase, meanwhile, laughed from his place in the kitchen. “She likes you.”

“I’m flattered,” Suli responded, her words completely earnest. Out of them, Tasha was by far the coldest– though it was rather hard to fault the young girl, considering her past. “I wasn’t sure.” There were little things, but never a display of overt of affection.

“You’ve been with us for some time now,” Rase said, returning with another plate of food. “Tasha may have a stony disposition, but she’s a young girl under it all the same.” He gently poked Tasha’s forehead with one hand. “Tasha.”

Her red eyes opened again, still drowsy and unfocused.

“Here.”

She took the plate with both hands.

Rase smiled at the sight. “You were going to say something?”

Suli hesitated, unsure whether to breach the topic with Tasha nearby.

“Anything you say to me, you can say to Tasha.”

“If we had another dimension ring…”

“Ah.” He nodded, immediately catching onto her intentions. “You mean to teach Tasha to use one. Not a bad idea. But where would we acquire the money?”

“If we pool our money, we should be able to afford a decent-sized one– I wouldn’t suggest it under any other circumstances,” she hurriedly added. “But if there’s wealth enough waiting for us, I think we should use whatever we have now to bolster our strength. And I know that you have more than me after what Lorel left for you– I obviously won’t make any claim to it, and it would be useful later for Tasha–”

Suli slammed her mouth shut at the sound of Rase’s laughter. “What?” She asked, feeling her face redden. “I thought it was a good idea.”

“It’s not that,” he reassured her, shaking his head. “Suli. You’ve been with us long enough to show what sort of person you are. We trust your judgment– and that you wouldn’t slight us. And,” Rase added, “I concur with your assessment. So long as you trust whoever is at the end of this.”

“I trust Worrick. And he gave them his vote of confidence.”

“While also warning you not to take it.”

“... Yeah.”

“Perhaps you should consult our newest member. If he’s had a part to play in this, then he may know a better way.”

“I don’t want to call on him too often,” Suli admitted.

“You’re wary of him.”

“No. Yes? I don’t know.” She sighed. “I’m still just not really sure what to make of him. And when it comes to unknowns, I tend to err on the side of caution.”

“A wise ideology,” Rase agreed. “What think you, Tasha?”

“I don’t mind.” The red-eyed girl seemed properly awake now, having finished her food. Rase took the plate from her. “It makes sense. If it helps, then I should do it. Especially if it makes surviving easier.” She paused, the expression on her face a half-step between hesitance and nervousness. “Will you teach me anything else?”

Suli turned, taking one of Tasha’s hands in her own. “Only if you want me to,” she said gently. “But controlling a dimensional ring is easy enough. It will take less than a day for me to teach you.” Those words were spoken not from confidence, but knowledge. They were designed to be simple.

Tasha shook her head, causing her blonde hair to flicker in the sunlight. “Not yet. But… maybe later.” She took an audible breath. “I think you’re right,” she said softly. “I won’t do well with a boring life.”

“Tasha–”

“No.” She shook her head again, interrupting Rase. “It’s been years. I don’t think I’ll ever adjust. So if I can’t be content with a normal life… I should take every bit of strength as I can.” Tasha looked up at Suli. “If you’re willing to teach me.”

“Of course I am,” Suli said gently, taking hold of her other hand. There was the slightest bit of resistance, but it lasted only an instant. “But not now. Let’s focus on what’s at hand– and leave the rest for afterwards. Unless you want me out of your lives once all is done.”

She’d said it jokingly, but only just. It would be saddening if they stopped speaking to her once all was done, but not terribly surprising. Mercenaries were a solitary bunch.

Tasha shook her head yet again, more vehemently than the times before. “No. I don’t want you to leave. Her voice fell. “I’ve already lost enough friends. I don’t want to lose one that’s still alive.”

Suli’s heart broke at that, but the words were spoken matter-of-factly. “We’ll be friends as long as I’m alive. You’re like a sister to me.”

Tasha nodded wordlessly.

image [https://i.imgur.com/T7fdvjj.png]

Pale red flame snaked around Selerim’s right arm as he breathed. He expected it to leave pain in its wake, but instead, only undamaged skin was left behind– save for the many scars he already bore.

“It’s not burning you,” Gwyn observed from the side.

Despite his protests, she insisted on watching. Selerim was confident enough to practice here, now, and their desire to avoid the eyes of others brought them to the roof. He would be grateful to leave the doctor’s grasp, but for now, it worked to their advantage.

“Do you think something has changed?”

Selerim let the flames die. “No. I’ve been practicing, but nothing that would change. And… A bigger wound would still hurt. I think.” he shivered, remembering the burning agony of having his bones welded together– and filled with liquid fire.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” Gwyn admitted. “It’s a good thing, but it just feels… weird.”

He nodded. “I know.”

“You said you Feasted on the Heart of a Reaver made of fire?”

“Yeah.”

“I wonder if this has ever happened before.”

“I don’t know.” Selerim’s chest tightened. “Corvus would have known. Been able to help. But he’s not here. So I need to figure things out on my own.”

“I feel like we would have heard if anything like this happened,” his sister pointed out. “A lot of our stories are passed down through generations. There was never anything like this.”

“That’s true,” he admitted. “But still.” It would still have been easier with Corvus around. Things always were.

“Do you think I’ll be able to have a Feast?” Gwyn asked suddenly.

“Why…?” The question died on Selerim’s tongue. “I didn’t think of that.”

“See?”

He nodded. Though a hollow, his sister’s small frame harbored essence. Just being in Umbra was dangerous– never mind eating a Reaver’s Heart. “You should ask the doctor.”

“I haven’t seen him in a while. He’s busy.”

“With what?”

“He has other patients, you know.”

“Ah.”

“But he says he’s almost made all the preparations.”

“For what?”

“For my… whatever it is.” Gwyn tried to sound nonchalant, but her last word wavered ever so slightly.

“You’re worried.”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I am.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t rely on you to protect me all the time. I want to seek my own power. You were nervous when you had your Feast, right?”

“A little.”

“It’s the same thing. I’m not worried… not really. But there’s just that little whisper that’s telling me that maybe something will go wrong.”

“I’ll be there if I can.”

Gwyn nodded. “I know.”

“Is it that important to you?” Selerim suddenly blurted out, unaware that the question was even on his mind.

“Yes.” Despite that, his sister understood the question perfectly. “When mom came back and told me that Cress was… gone.” She stumbled over the word. “I felt helpless. I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”

“And you think this will help?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “Then you should do it.”

“When do you leave?”

“I’m not sure.”

“He’s supposed to see me tomorrow. I’ll ask then.”