Step up or stand down. Your nature will tell you which to do.

Wisdom of the Ancients, book 2

“This is the Kunst place. I’m not sure Valen is still alive, but he’s one of the three that attempted to find a path to the top of Fallen Hill, like thirty years ago,” Petra said.

Johanna looked at the other three – no, four – of them, and then knocked. She didn’t have to wait for very long before the door opened, and the figure that answered was definitively not an old man.

“Hey, remember you”, Tom said, “Mark.”

“You’re the guy from the Montana Marches, I remember too from last year,” the man said in reply. “If you’re looking for my brother or father, they’re at the factory.”

“Well, no, we’re mostly interested in that changed plateau, Fallen Hill. We were told it was… well, your grandfather who was among those who went there last,” Johanna explained.

“That’s true. But he’s been dead for over two years.”

Johanna made an unhappy face.

“But I do remember the old stories. When I was a little kid, having such an adventurer for a grandpa… that was something. Fun stories to be had. Want to come in?”

“Sure.”

Once they got into the dining room, and Mark Kunst offered them some drinks, they settled in to grill him about their target.

“Yes, there were ruins up there. He never got to explore them. The three of them met packs of Canids every time. They usually had to run away. But it did look like Ancient ruins. That was during his third expedition.”

“How many did he do?”

“Four runs in total. Two up to the top, after Georg found some trails going up. But they always found Canids roaming around. Grandpa didn’t know how many packs there were, but one large pack is enough to cause trouble. There was at least one empowered Canid each time. They found at least two different ones – a fire-breathing one, and one that seemed to run incredibly fast.”

“We’re going to scout there. Try to scavenge some stuff. If the ruins haven’t been disturbed since the Fall, there might be useful stuff up there. So, we want all the details you have on those ruins. Anything you remember.”

“Well, that’s going to be mighty dangerous. Grandpa Valen stopped trying after Georg got mauled their last time there. They barely saved him, making it back to Zahl. He lost his left arm to infection, though, and never walked quite right again. Are you sure…”

“We can handle ourselves,” Johanna reassured him.

“You believe them, Petra?” he asked instead.

“Ohhh, yes, I do. I wouldn’t go with them otherwise.”

“Wait, you’re going with them?”

“That’s why I’m there all along. Trial run. See how much I can help. And yes, I’ve given notice to Timothy. No more Petra’s specials.”

She shrugged at the mention, but Mark obviously couldn’t guess the real meaning of that part. After losing her original Talent, there was no way she could explain being now unable to make those.

“Did your grandfather make maps?” Johanna asked.

“He sure did. I can check, all his stuff’s still upstairs.”

“If you could…”

After Mark went up, they discussed their options.

“If we get maps of that trail, it’ll save us lots of time,” Johanna said.

Mark came back very quickly with a bundle of rolled papers with him. He put one on the table, unrolling an old yellowed map. Pencil marks outlined an area northeast of Zahl, one that Johanna recognized as where the Fallen Hill was supposed to be.

“Mana zone borders. Nobody’s sure how zones change if they even do, but grandpa made sure he knew where it was, not just relying on the mana-infused weeds. Outside of the border, you never know what’s prowling around, but inside, you’re certain to get Changed beasts around, so you need to be extra ready.”

“If you could lend these, it would help. We’ll return them after the expedition, of course,” Johanna said.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Mark looked at her, then Petra. He hesitated briefly, then asked, “You are serious about going on top?”

“Totally. We’re scavengers. That’s what we do. And yes, we’re not that worried about Canids. It would not be the first time.”

“Even fire Canids?”

“Even them,” Johanna said, remembering her first fight, back when they still didn’t know about Talents.

“Then I’ll escort you.”

Johanna blinked.

“I’m a city guard after all. I do part-time accounting for my father’s business, but I’ve been trained with bow and pike. I can stand my ground if needed. And… well, finishing grandpa’s story would be nice. He always wondered what the ruins were like. I would like to know.”

She looked at the rest of them before focusing again on Mark Kunst.

“That’s a bit unexpected.”

“I’ll do it for free, too. No need to give me a share of your loot. Got a job, after all.”

That wasn’t what worried Johanna, though.

“Can we talk about it among ourselves?”

“I’m going upstairs. I promise not to listen.”

She watched him go up, then nodded to Peter, who nodded back. She felt the distraction come in, and let her friend go check.

“Do we allow him to come?” she asked.

She looked at Petra.

“What do you think?”

“Well, he is a city guard. What can we discuss openly…?”

“Peter’s making sure.”

“Wait, where is he?”

“You won’t see him,” Johanna smiled. Petra was not used to their Talents, after all. The former bartender shook her head, realizing it was probably something the rest took for granted.

“Don’t know. I mean, it’s up to you. Me, I’m the new one.”

“The thing is, if we face Canid packs, it’s going to be obvious something’s going on,” Laura noted.

“Once we start using Talents. Exactly my worry,” Johanna said.

“Aren’t you… we leaving after that scavenge run?” Petra asked.

“We are. Worst case, he blabs after we leave,” she realized.

“Can’t hurt us then,” Tom said.

Johanna noted Peter at the doorway, giving her a thumbs up. The guy was truly not listening then. She nodded back.

“Okay. It will be awkward if – once – we start fighting, but we’ll see.”

“So, tent, heavy clothes, lots of dried food. Sounds familiar. It’s like going on a patrol, after all.”

“Yeah. The weather is okay, so we’d rather start tomorrow as early as possible,” Johanna told Mark.

“I’ll warn dad I will be away. I think… he will be tickled pink that I’m the one going after grandpa’s old stories. But he’s got the business to take care of.”

“Lucky him. Or lucky you,” Peter said.

Mark shrugged.

They all gathered at the north gate of Zahl, much to the guards’ surprise there.

“Mark? Heading out?” one said, eyeing the unstrung bow and the halves of the pike.

Apparently, Mark’s guard outfit included a removable top for his pike. All of his weapons were laced on his back, over a well-worn backpack.

“I’m escorting those people,” he answered, waving at the four. “Speaking of which, where’s… Ah, here she is.”

Petra jogged to the gate, almost breathless.

“Sorry. The home’s at the opposite part of the city.”

“All packed?” Johanna asked.

“Ready.”

She turned back to Mark, who was still talking with his fellow guards.

“No, they’re headed to Fallen Hill. They want to scavenge the ruins on top,” he was explaining.

“No way you’d let anyone beat your grandpa there, right?”

“Right,” he said laughing.

“Remember, we’re starting a few patrols starting soon if the weather truly holds. Can I count on you?” one of them, looking significantly older, asked.

Mark turned back to them.

“You said two and a half days travel, so five days. Count six to be safe. Depending on the ruins, that could be up to two weeks up there,” Johanna said.

Mark did the math in his head and winced.

“That’s tight then. Worst case, we get back on just before April.”

“Don’t sweat it,” the one looking like a senior guard. “I can cover you for the first patrol. But you’d better be back before the next.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Good luck. And tell us what’s really up there.”

“As soon as I’m back!” Mark replied happily.

Mark caught up with Johanna barely an hour later.

“Problem?” she asked.

“Maybe.”

“What kind?”

“I apologize in advance, but… I noticed you seem a bit under-equipped.”

Johanna’s surprise registered briefly.

“Petra has brought a small crossbow, which probably will not be of much help against Canids, but is something. But you four…”

He looked at her significantly.

“All you have is a big knife, and that’s it. The big guy has this big hammer thing, but I don’t see anything else. Same for all of you, no ranged weapons. I think the small guy…”

“Peter.”

“… Peter has a sword, I saw what looks like a scabbard, but it’s in his backpack. If we get attacked, it’s not going to be enough time to get it out.”

“Don’t worry about it. He can get it out before you’ve drawn your bow,” Johanna said.

The instant transfer of weapons between Peter’s hands was one of those heroic abilities that bordered on actual magic. He just had to touch Swordcutter in his backpack with at least a thumb and a finger, and it would instantly jump in his other hand, unsheathed.

Back after the attack from the bandits by Cattlemen Glory, they’d tried to use it offensively, but if someone else was holding the weapon, he couldn’t move it to his hand. Or he would have had an even better version of Disarm than the one Valentin, the Guardian, had obtained.

But, of course, she wasn’t about to explain to Mark Kunst the weirdness of heroic abilities. At least not yet, despite his dubious looks.

“Look, I thought you were serious when you said it wouldn’t be a problem. But you don’t seem to take Canids seriously…”

“We’ve fought Canids before. Once, a pack of three with a fire one. We know about Canids. Or worse creatures. There were only Canids up there, you said?”

“That’s all grandpa mentioned. There are other beasts around on the plains, but he never mentioned any of these being up.”

Mark got lost in his thoughts for a minute or two.

“Listen. If I think it’s dangerous, then we turn back.”

“We…”

“No question. In theory, as a Zahl guard, and we would still be in Zahl county, I have enough authority to order you. And yes, I don’t want you to die stupidly.”

She sighed.

“Mark. It is going to be fine. We are ready to tackle most of the things you meet in heavy mana zones. We’ve been there before.”

His looks told her he did not believe her. The only thing she could have done was to give him a demonstration of her abilities, but she would delay that for as long as possible.

Besides, throwing a fireball that close to Zahl was dangerous.