Garin seemed genuinely touched by his friend Elixander being in the tavern. With all my heart, I wished I could connect them for real so they could talk to each other. Triolux and I continued to relay each other's words back and forth. They spoke of easier times as well as the bad ones. The war had been a blight on the lands, and these two seemed to have been at the forefront of some of the largest battles.

At one point, Elixander, wiping tears from his eyes from laughing too hard, which might have been a combination of his emotional state as well as the conversation, dabbed at his eyes with a napkin. "Ah, Varix. Perhaps I've been too hasty in my judgments."

I met his gaze. "I don't expect trust overnight. But I'm committed to earning it."

He sat back down, his demeanor softer. "I appreciate your honesty—both of you. So much has been explained, especially about the change that came over my daughter five years ago. It was as if she were a different person, which turned out to be true."

"I wanted to tell you so many times, but I feared your reaction would not be so calm," Seraphina said.

"I have lived a very long life, Seraphina, even among the elves. Too many of our kind have not. My patience is considerable, as is my ability to reason." Elixander tapped his lips with one finger. "If you two are here, and you have met each other, it would stand to reason there are others like you."

I shrugged to cover myself, biting my tongue because I was not about to reveal the Pale King's secret, which reminded me; he would probably like to know about this vast underground city, a lost race, and a dragon. I had a way to contact him hidden in my room, the aether beacon, but I had never used it, having promised to only do so in the event of an emergency, and this wasn’t exactly an emergency. I also needed to head to Crownforge in the coming weeks to plead my case before the tavern guild, so I would try to contact him then. I would speak with Seraphina later about the beacon. All of this might warrant reaching him.

Seraphina gave a small smile. "This is a good start."

Triolux tapped the table thoughtfully. "The intertwining of fates is a fascinating thing."

"Is that what this is? I'm just glad Elixander was smart enough to give me the gem to protect me in case of a fall," I said.

Elixander suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Triolux cleared his throat. "Actually, Varix, there's something I need to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"It wasn't exactly a coincidence that you fell and didn't die," he said carefully.

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

Elixander interjected, his gaze steady on mine. "My stone wouldn't have saved you from such a long fall. It was more in case you fell in a cave, or a hole. Not that great a distance. I was also intended to locate you if you were lost."

I looked between them, confusion knotting my brow. "I'm not following. When the staircase gave way, I fell. We fell."

"You fell, Varix. Only you, and it wasn't by chance, so I must apologize to you now." Triolux sighed. "I used the Zephrinid to help sense you and bring you down to the underground surface."

"The zephrinid?" I asked. "What? How?"

He nodded. "They are marvelous beings, are they not? I had tuned this particular zephrinid to seek out one such as you."

Elixander's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that so?"

"Your magic is indeed powerful, Elixander," Triolux assured him. "But I didn't have time to ask the Zephrinid to verify if you were powerful enough to restart the Earthheart. Varix here had been my goal since the very beginning.”

I stared at him. "So you orchestrated my fall?"

"In a manner of speaking," Triolux admitted. "I used the Zephrinid to ensure you arrested your fall and landed safely. This is why you lost consciousness as you plummeted. It has been studying you for some time. Unseen, of course."

I was utterly shocked at this development. "You knocked me out and dropped me into an underground city?"

Triolux offered a small smile. "What did you think—that all of this happened by pure coincidence? Who finds a lost city and wakes it? Not to mention the dragon?" He chuckled softly.

I mean, I've seen some shit…

Elixander rubbed his chin. "This explains a great deal. How he landed there was truly a mystery until he revealed what was under the Heart of Shadows."

I let out a long, slow breath. "A little warning would've been nice. And Elixander can apparently just zap himself anywhere. Why didn't you use him?"

"As I said, the zephrinid has studied you the most. It was just a matter of luring you into the underground so we could, er, borrow your power. I apologize, my friend. I can assure you it was not an easy decision. There are devices in the city that could detect a source of magic with enough power to restart the Earthheart." Triolux said. "Had I not chosen you, the city and your fair village might have been shaken apart as Frostfire contained to wake."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Sneaky son of a…" I muttered under my breath.

Leaning back in the chair, I considered making myself a really strong drink. There might be a bottle of Iron Forge Whiskey in the back I'd been keeping in reserve.

"Ale and ashes." I shook my head.

I glanced at Seraphina, then back at Triolux. "Look, all that aside. We need you to understand something important. You can never, under any circumstance, tell anyone who we really are."

Triolux tilted his head. "And why is that?"

"In my case," I said, "there are a lot of people in Mythralon who would like to chop off my head. You saw the evil, ashen skin, shrunken-faced, disgusting, crazed dark lord hiding under my exterior?"

"Ah. Understood. Although I must admit, I find all humanoid creatures not so much to my taste. Seraphina excluded." Triolux's mouth split open in a big grin.

I blinked, then laughed, thankful for the levity. Also, he was right about Seraphina.

Triolux nodded slowly. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"Thank you," I replied, feeling a mix of relief but also lingering unease. Triolux was not from this world; he might slip up. I realized we had entrusted him with a big secret. I hoped he would keep it.

Lady Churl was the only other one who had remained in the tavern while Jessara and Milo were out prepping the wagon. She poked her head in from the kitchen. "Need anything else?"

I leaned back in my chair, exhaustion settling into my bones. The warmth of the tavern felt comforting after the cold depths of the underground excursion. Triolux had given me so much to think about. There were layers of anger simmering under my skin due to the manipulation. I would probably look back someday and not feel this way. I had to wonder if Triolux could be trusted. I had told him he could stay here as long as he liked, but now I wasn't feeling quite so trusting.

Seraphina squeezed my hand gently.

The tavern door swung open, and in strode Mira, followed closely by Alic, Caden, and Doan.

"Varix!" Mira called out. "I don't know how you all found us or how you flew out of there on a bloody dragon, but I, for one, am grateful!"

Seraphina quickly yanked the silencing stone off the table top and put it in her pouch. The air returned to normal around us. I stood up, a smile spreading across my face. "It was a team effort. I'm sure Doan filled you in on how we located the vast chamber and the staircase."

Doan gave me a hearty clap on the shoulder. "I could only relay what I saw until the point you fell. Elixander and Seraphina looked to have dropped, as well."

"We nearly did. Only a quick spell and our close contact prevented it."

"I'm a little banged up," Seraphina said. "We tumbled down a few steps."

"And that one tumbled a great deal farther." Doan pointed at me.

"I did, but Elixander had the forethought to give me a gem that helped arrest my fall," I said to cover up what had really occurred.

"Come, join us," I said to change the subject. "There's someone you should meet." I gestured to Triolux.

Triolux inclined his head gracefully. "Greetings."

Caden eyed him curiously. "And who might you be?"

"He’s Triolux," I said. "A ferrokin from the city below."

"City below? You weren’t joking about that?"

"Not in the slightest. It's been quite the adventure."

Doan pulled up a chair. "First things first. The underground area is secured for now. We blocked off the staircase to prevent any unwelcome visitors."

I sighed with relief. "That's good news."

"And the gnolls?" Seraphina asked.

Doan shrugged. "They've returned to their camp. I don't know if they found what they were after."

Triolux spoke up. "Ah. Varix spoke of them. Perhaps I can visit the gnolls. Offer assistance or guidance. I may be able to help them understand what they seek. I may even be able to assist them."

"Thanks, Triolux. They seem like nice enough… beings." I had almost said dogmen, which I'm sure they would have found insulting.

Mira nodded. "I can take you to them. Might be good to find out what they were seeking."

We all settled in, the chatter flowing easily as we shared snippets of our recent experiences. The aroma of the food mingled with the familiar scents of the tavern, creating a cozy atmosphere. I had the urge to get up, go to the kitchen, and prep some food for all of us, but as the conversations continued, a heavy fatigue pressed upon me. My eyelids grew heavier, and I struggled to keep my focus.

Caden noticed. "You look like you're about to keel over, Varix."

I gave a weary smile. "I think I might need to lie down for a bit. Just an hour."

Seraphina stood up. "You definitely should. Father, perhaps you'd like to rest at my shop?"

Elixander gave a small nod. "Rest would do me good. I have missed your mother. She will be happy to know we are all safe."

Doan pushed back his chair. "We'll get out of here, as well. We have plenty of time to talk about what happened last night. I know I'll be at the event tonight. You should sell tickets to story hour." Doan added with a grin.

Mira gave me a pat on the back. "Get some sleep. You've earned it."

Alic and Caden echoed their goodbyes as they made their way out.

I looked around at my friends. "Thanks, everyone."

Triolux rose gracefully. "I will accompany Mira to meet the gnolls."

"There's a room upstairs if you prefer to rest." I offered.

"I've rested quite enough, friend Varix. I wish to experience more of this world as soon as I can."

"Okay. See you later, Triolux, unless you intend to wander."

"Not yet. Until later, Varix."

Lady Churl began clearing the table. "Reckon ya need that rest. Can't have ya collapsing 'ere boss."

Seraphina's hand slipped into mine. "Come on," she said. "We'll get in a short nap."

I nodded, my eyes threatening to close. An enormous yawn took over my face.

We climbed the stairs to my room. The quiet enveloped us as we entered. I closed the door behind us, the latch clicking gently. Seraphina sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off her shoes. "Feels like days since we've rested."

I nodded, pulling off my boots. "It's been a long night."

We lay down together, the mattress sinking beneath our weight. She nestled against me, her warmth soothing.

"Just an hour," I murmured.

She smiled faintly. "Right. Just an hour."

Her eyes closed, and my own drifted shut. The sounds of the tavern faded, and peace settled over us.