The new safehouse was hidden in much the same way as the other and had a similar layout. With little discussion, a watch rota was set up, and they spread out to their rooms, taking those that matched the previous ones.
Jake took the first watch, more because he didn’t think he could sleep than anything, and took a seat outside watching the woods.
In the quiet of the late evening, Jake found himself unable to avoid thinking about what had happened. About losing Felix.
It had been so sudden. Even with the threat of the Fatesworne, Jake had always felt like Felix was larger than life, like he could do anything.
Now, he was gone, and the damn Fatesworne were to blame. Not only that, but they were working with Corrupters as well.
Jake’s hands curled into fists as his blood boiled, and he swore that he’d get his revenge on them. For his family, for the life he’d lost with them, and for Felix.
“You okay, Jake?” Nepthys’s voice broke Jake from his thoughts and he looked up as she came to sit by him. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Yeah, me neither, that’s why I volunteered for first watch,” Jake said, managing a weak smile. “This is all so sudden, that’s all.”
“It feels like only yesterday that you were clueless to all this,” Nepthys said, returning the smile briefly. “It all feels so complicated now. I’d never even heard of these Fatesworne before we met them, and yet they’re somehow working with Corrupters?”
“Apparently,” Jake said, frowning slightly. “I really don’t like that connection, especially with the recent Corrupter activity.”
“Agreed, it feels a bit too coincidental that we hunted down some Corrupters and were immediately attacked by Fatesworne,” Nepthys said with a frown on her own, one hand coming up to tug on her braid. “Do you think they were the group leading the Corrupters that we killed around?”
“I hadn’t really considered the possibility, but now that you say it out loud, it feels right. If they were, though, then what’s their plan?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we were assuming that the Corrupters were killing Dungeons because that’s what they do, but if the Fatesworne are involved, then why?”
“I don’t know,” Nepthys said, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered the question. “I hadn’t really given it too much thought. They’ve never seemed like they had much of a plan in the past.”
“It could be something as simple as that. It just doesn’t feel that way,” Jake said, shaking his head and turning back to the dimly lit woods, wishing he knew more about what was going on.
“Hey, it isn’t your fault, you know,” Nepthys said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Whatever is going on here, it’s bigger than us.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Jake rubbed his face with a sigh before turning back to Nepthys. “Thanks for talking this through.”
“Anytime,” Nepthys said, giving him a more heartfelt smile this time. “Look, I’m not getting some sleep anytime soon. Why don’t you head inside and rest?”
Jake considered saying no, but now that he’d stopped moving, he could feel the aches, pains and exhaustion of the day catching up with him. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Healing potions are good, but sleep is king.”
Mumbling a goodnight, Jake got back to his feet and headed inside, his mind a jumble of loss, worry and anger.
-**-
The morning brought little clarity to the situation. Jake had no more idea now about what he was going to do than before. All he really knew is that they had to keep moving.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The Fatesworne they’d left behind them would be searching for their tracks to hunt them down and finish the job.
Whatever deal Felix had brokered might apply to mundane tracking, but Jake didn’t want to risk it. There was too much he didn’t know about all of this.
“So, what do we do now?” Alan asked, giving voice to the question they were all dreading as they picked at some rations for their breakfast. Ari had joined them briefly before heading outside to keep watch, leaving the decision down to them.
“We have to keep moving, and I think we have a few options,” Jake said, opening up his map and spreading it on a nearby table.
When Nepthys took over the watch the night before, he’d struggled to sleep and had instead spent time pouring over the map for ideas. Having something to do had been a good way to not linger on his grief. For a time, anyway.
Focusing back on the map, Jake tapped on a trio of Dungeons that were a few days travel to their west. “I noticed that these are the only group of Dungeons that are close together where none are tier two or have a settlement nearby. Anyone know anything about them?”
“Actually, yeah, I do,” Aspen said, sitting forward with a thoughtful look. “I went through there with a group about six months ago. There’s no settlement there because they’re not fun Dungeons. Each is horrible in its own way. Maybe the lack of people delving into them means they haven’t advanced?”
“That might explain it,” Jake said with a slow nod. That fit with his theories into how Dungeons worked, though, personally, he felt it was more to do with how many people the Dungeons killed than anything else.
“Horrible how?” Nepthys asked with a worried look. “Will we be in danger?”
“Oh gods no,” Aspen said, shaking his head as he tapped the map south of the Dungeons. “To start with, this area south of them is a waterlogged mire, the north gets into the mountains and the eastern approach floods on a regular basis. I hope you all like mud if we head this way.”
“Sounds great,” Alan said in a dry voice.
“Actually, it does,” Jake said, tapping the map again. “How many people go through here, Aspen?”
“Not many, like I said, the Dungeons are some of the least pleasant in the country.”
“Perfect,” Jake said, moving his finger slightly down from the most northern of the three Dungeons. “Because there’s a safehouse right here, between all three.”
“Right where no will be looking for us, and without many people to run into,” Nepthys said, giving Jake a nod. “That’s a good plan.”
“Thanks, so let me just go tell Ari and…” Jake trailed off as he realised what he’d been about to say. Wincing, he clearing his throat. “I’ll tell Ari, and then we can get moving.”
The momentary good mood from figuring out their next move had died with Jake’s slip. He could see it in the way the others nodded and went to pack their things.
Jake couldn’t blame them, though, he felt Felix’s loss just as strongly. His first instinct when he saw this potential hiding spot had been to go talk to Felix and see what he knew, and he’d even been halfway to his feet before he’d remembered.
Shaking himself, Jake put his grief aside and went to find Ari. They weren’t out of danger yet, so they needed to get moving as soon as possible.
The older man was sat outside the safehouse, staring off into the trees as he sipped at a flask. Ari had always been energetic, irreverent and ready to act, to see him like this seemed so wrong somehow.
“Made a decision, then?” Ari asked, glancing over at Jake before patting the space next to him and taking another swig.
“Yeah, there’s a trio of Dungeons west of here that we’re going to head to. The Dungeons aren’t popular and there’s a safehouse right in the middle, so we should be pretty safe. It’ll give us time to figure out our next moves.”
“Ah, yeah, I know the area you mean. Not one I’ve been to,” Ari said, shrugging slightly. “I was always more interested in the exciting or more rewarding Dungeons. This Realm always felt like a stepping stone to more.”
“Then how did you end up back here as an instructor?”
Ari turned to give Jake a raised brow at the blunt question, a hint of a smile touching his lips briefly. “I lost my motivation, my reason to push forward. I thought if I came back here, back to the beginning, I might find it again.”
“Did you?” Jake asked softly.
Ari let out a humourless laugh. “Nope. I found my old instructor, which felt like a good sign, but here we are. He was like a father to me, you know. Took me in when I first Ascended, taught me everything I know, and now he’s gone.”
“You must hate me for my part in this,” Jake said, his voice little more than a whisper.
“You’re hardly to blame here, Jake,” Ari said, turning away from him. “This business with the Fatesworne is bigger than any of us. Felix and I knew the risks of trying to help you once we realised what you are.”
“I just feel so guilty, and so lost. Where do we even go after this?” Jake asked, looking to Ari hopefully. “Getting us safe is the obvious move, but what then?”
“That’s the easy part,” Ari said, finishing his flask before getting up. “All this has been to get you out of here, so once we’re safe, you need to start planning how to reach your third tier.”
“So after all this, we just leave?” Jake asked, the question coming out with more heat than he’d intended.
“That’s a question only you can answer, Jake,” Ari said over his shoulder as he walked back into the safehouse.
Turning back to the woods, Jake sat with his thoughts until it was time to go, guilt gnawing at his mind.