The woods chirped not too far from us, and the wind from the lake blew cool. The four of us had arranged in a circle behind one of the tents. We weren’t comfortably out of earshot from the fire, so there was a lot of harsh whispering.

“She summoned that thing like it was nothing,” Bernadette said. “A couple more trinkets like that, and we could carve through the Throne’s defenses like freaking tissue paper, walk right up to the Queen, and go home.”

Cal just stood back and listened for a bit. He said that whatever our course, his place was here. Rachel seemed more sad than angry.

“That puts us against her, and I don’t know if I have it in me to fight her just yet. Not when I have a chance to win back a friend.”

“You sure didn’t act like it back there,” I said.

“Hey, I got layers. I can hate her for the throne she represents, but also hope that she abandons it.”

“So,” Bernadette said, eyes flashing with a conspiratorial glint, “we are agreed that this is all some kind of trap?”

“Sure,” I said. “Doesn’t mean the bait ain’t worth the snare.”

“And what bait is that?” Rachel continued. “The sword, or her?”

I looked at the both in turn, then shrugged.

“I’m honestly kind of offended that she thought she needed the sword to convince me,” I admitted. “She looks just like I remember her.”

Bernadette crossed her arms, but said nothing.

“Yeah, and that concerns me as much as anything else,” Rachel added. “What must these rituals be that keeps her looking so young?”

“Look,” I said. “We are all in agreement that she isn’t trustworthy. Or at least that her offer isn’t trustworthy. No matter what we do, our path is set. We go after that dragon. But we leave her on as friendly terms as we can.”

“Agreed,” Bernadette said, brightening.

“Sure,” Rachel relented.

I led them back to the fire.

Sofia had her back to us, gazing over the water. Her silver hair shone brightly in the firelight. I could see a nervousness in her hands, fingers wearing on a loose thread from her jacket.

“Sofia,” I said.

She turned. It took the barest moment for her smile to appear.

“I do not often have the opportunity to hear that name. I’ve gone by so many others. It’s nice.”

That sounded odd to me. ‘So many others’ was not Inara, the name she should be going by. But I could be making too much of a simple phrase.

“We’ve decided that our best option is to stay our course,” I said.

“Any help you may give us at this point,” Bernadette cut in, “may open you to vulnerability. If the Queen ever learned that you helped the Throne’s enemies…”

Sofia’s eyes crinkled with amusement. Then she raised her hand.

“Your concern is touching. But let me make one last offer.”

“I hardly think—” Rachel started but stopped when Sofia raised a finger.

Sofia held the Edge of Nothing point down, and drew purple fire from its pommel. Fire swirling around her glove, she shook it in the air. The fire caught on something unseen and spread into a black door. The door shimmered in the air for a moment, and then fell away, revealing a portal into some place distant.

It seemed to be a charming rooftop cafe, patrons sitting and talking under the lamplight. Past them was an enormous castle, shining white from the moon, little windows twinkling like distant stars. No sound came from the cafe, and none of the people revealed seemed to notice the portal.

“Caer Vortigern,” Sofia said, flourishing her hand at the portal, “and the city of Swordfall beside it. The seat of Caleb’s power. To take this gift you need only walk through this portal.”

I looked to the others. Cal seemed stricken, Rachel surprised. Bernadette remained unreadable.

“This is hundreds of miles away,” Rachel said. “To return here would possibly take months.”

“Certainly,” Sofia said. “But then you would only need Mark to complete the party. And be one step closer to home.”

“We wouldn’t just need Mark,” I said.

Sofia’s lip quirked into something that could be bitterness.

“What about Flaymskerge?” Bernadette asked.

“Maybe the Elven King would finally be forced to clean up his own mess,” Sofia answered.

“I’ll go,” Cal said.

“Woah,” I said, wheeling on him, “what about all that talk about duty to the people? You’re just going to abandon them?”

“My reasons are my own.”

“I’ve been here for five years,” Rachel said, “and I haven’t been able to get Caleb out of that damn castle. Maybe…”

“If you’ve been able to do this at any time, just hop over to see him, why haven’t you?” Bernadette asked.

“I didn’t see the point,” she said. “Caleb can talk to me anytime he wants,” here she raised her slate. “It’s just that long ago we found that we have precious little to say to each other.”

I could see a mountain of things unsaid. Whatever happened between the two, they seemed unwilling to talk about it. Obviously it had something to do with the Battle of the Unspoken Word. Huh. That’s a weird name for a battle. And the Evil Queen had Knights of the Word too. I wondered what the hell all that meant. I had just assumed this was all Fantasy Name bullshit but maybe it was something else.

“I say we go see Caleb,” Bernie said. “We’re underleveled for the dragon anyway.”

I looked to Rachel.

“I wanted to punch a dragon,” she said, slurring her words a bit. Then she looked to Sofia. “How often does a dragon come along?”

“Probably every twenty years or so,” Sofia admitted.

“Oh, so I’ll get another chance later even if we miss this one. Sure. Why not go see Caleb.”

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“Man,” I said. “We’re just gonna let her tell us what to do?”

Bernadette shrugged. Rachel looked out at the forest. Cal’s eyes were hard.

“We’ll still be making progress,” Bernie said. “Meeting Caleb is a quest. We’ll be making progress either way.”

I gazed at Sofia. All I got in return was a smirk.

We all just stared at the portal. I was reminded of the last time we looked at a portal cut into space — the blue door.

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. If I stayed here, maybe I got burned to a crisp by a dragon. Or maybe I became a hero of legend. If I went, maybe I was one step closer to returning home. Did I even want to go home?

Yes. Yes I did. This place was scary. Also. I’d rather be on the couch playing video games, preferably something science fiction — or hell even sports — than lugging fifty pounds of gear up a hill every day.

I didn’t know what to do.

Bernadette did what she always did. She grabbed the nearest person’s hand, Rachel, and ran. Rachel snagged her pack, laughing. They entered the portal, and disappeared. Cal ran after them.

It was just me and Sofia now.

“What is going on with you?” I asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, her eyes cool and simmering with an emotion that was difficult to parse.

“I know that to you, I’m just a distant memory,” I said. “But to me, I saw you a couple months ago. Where is that girl? Because you look like her but…” I trailed off, not sure where I was going.

“Maybe she died long ago,” she said, suddenly very close, her voice just above a whisper. She raised her chin, looking at me from heavy lidded eyes. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she looked very pretty.

“I don’t believe that.”

“Then stay. Maybe you’ll find her.”

Her mouth tucked into a grin.

“What is with this mysterious talk?” I asked, just above a whisper. It took everything I had just to say it, I couldn’t muster anger too. “‘Maybe you’ll find her?’ ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep?’ Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

“Because maybe it wouldn’t make a difference. Would you stay here with me? Would you abandon your friends to be with me?”

What she was thinking suddenly seemed a little more clear. Our faces were close, and I felt the invitation. I thought back to the half a dozen times I had felt this invitation that I didn’t take. She wanted me to kiss her. I only had to meet her halfway.

I smiled sheepishly, turned, and grabbed my pack. Didn’t want to lose another one.

“Why even ask that?” I said to dispel the tension. “What’s holding you back from coming with us?”

“The Throne, Zachary. The throne holds me back.”

“Fuck the throne. Why not just do what you want?”

“And there is my answer,” she said, like she saw something in what I said that answered a question she didn’t ask.

Which was frustrating.

“Yeah. Anyway. I’m the healer now. They need me. You know how to get in contact with me.”

“I do.”

“Goodbye,” I said.

“Au revoir,” she said.

I ran through the door. This portal was much simpler than the Blue Door. A quick little, ‘pop’ and I was standing in the middle of a cafe on the other side of the continent. I looked over my shoulder to check if it was still there. Behind me was just more cafe. Couldn’t go back if I wanted to.

Bernadette was waiting for me. Rachel had someone’s drink in her hand already.

“Took you long enough,” Bernie remarked.

I gave her an awkward smile.

“Sofia wanted to talk.”

“Hmm. I’m not always going to be there to grab your hand,” Bernie said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Bernadette took Rachel’s hand, and they walked away. Rachel gave me an awkward, apologetic smile. It was just me and Cal

“So…” I started.

Cal cut me a look.

“She’s mad,” he said.

“Didn’t look mad.”

“Hmm.”

We walked down the iron railing and to the street below. The night-time streets stretched on as sturdy cobblestone lit by magic blue flame from lamps at regular intervals. I pulled my slate out as we walked. I thumbed over to Rachel.

Breznik: she tried to kiss me

Oriana: who? Bernie? She said yall sucked face.

Breznik: no. I mean, yeah Bernie and I kissed. But Sofia tried to kiss me too.

Oriana: Oh shit. But you didn’t though?

Breznik: I didn’t.

The night air was cool and pleasant. The breeze held a hint of fish from the docks. Stars twinkled above, but less than out in the Kingswood. Light pollution, even here.

The buildings were much like the ones in Amaryllis, stucco walls and painted beams, but here and there were concrete municipal buildings. Some buildings had a patchwork quality to them, old stucco on one floor, and new wooden ones built right on top of it. Most buildings were at least two stories. Many reached three or four.

People bustled from here and there. Chatter drifted in from cafes, shops, and street corners. This was an honest to god city. I felt a little more at home already. My slate buzzed.

Oriana: Good. You can never tell Bernie.

Breznik: Why not?

I looked up at the street, and realized that the way was blocked by a carriage with its wheel stuck in a pothole. I looked to Cal who shrugged. We turned down the alley. I went back to my slate. I had a new message.

Oriana: you like her?

Breznik: Bernie?

Oriana: Of course Bernie!

Breznik: yeah. I really do.

Oriana: I swear to god, if you even so much as think about seeing another chick behind her back

Suddenly, I was aware of people blocking our path.

“Welcome To Swordfall,” one of them said.

Three men holding clubs, tattered coats buckled tight across broad shoulders, menaced us. I looked to Cal. His bow wasn’t strung. I looked behind and a man with a woodsman’s axe was behind us.

“We’ll take the crossbow first,” he said.

I tossed Cal my loaded crossbow, and didn’t even look to see if he caught it. My hand went to my sword, and it was out, and my feet were churning in an instant.

I wanted to keep my shit, thank you very much.

The world slowed and the thugs turned red. A bolt from Cal slowly passed my shoulder and I raced it to them. The one on the right flinched when the bolt entered his neck. I slammed my shoulder into the one in the middle and slammed the flat of my sword into the other one.

I glanced over my shoulder, and saw Cal drop the crossbow and pull his sword.

We made quick work of them. They all fell before the end of Adrenaline Rush.

My slate buzzed. Cal went to loot the bodies, and I pulled out my Slate. Only a couple seemed dead but the living ones were too hurt to bother us.

Oriana: You are?! What the hell man!

Oriana: I am going to kick your ass so hard.

Breznik: I’m not! I’m not!

Oriana: Good

Breznik: I’m not even sure if Bernie and I are ‘seeing’ each other. It’s all so new.

Oriana: from looking at you two it doesn’t look new. But I also get that you don’t want to scare her off. She’s flighty. Wants her freedom.

Breznik: Yeah I got that feeling too.

Oriana: if she even got a whiff of you interested in another girl, she’d bolt. Maybe not physically, cuz we need each other, but I wouldn’t put it past her.

Breznik: wait. Isn’t that a little hypocritical? She’s kissed other dudes here.

Oriana: has she kissed any dudes lately?

Breznik: I don’t think so?

Oriana: there you go

I put my slate up. Cal shoved some coins into his pouch.

“Find anything good?” I asked.

He shrugged and said that it was mostly coins. Their clubs seemed to be table legs with nails in them. One had a nice sturdy shillelagh though. I threaded it through a strap on my pack.

We finished cutting through the alley and made our way to the first tavern we could find. I ordered a drink immediately. Until we were invited to the palace, we figured it was best to have a base.

“We should be careful to remember that this city is not the Kingswood,” Cal said.

“I know,” I replied. It was one thing to drop a highwayman in the woods where the bears could eat him; it was another to kill a guy in a city where he may have family.

Well, we were here now, halfway across the world in a strange city that seemed to have very little interest in heroes. Now what?