Daniel was cold. Even though the ice was long gone, the chill would remain for some time in his heart and his bones. The memories would last forever. One more night of terror to add to all those he’d survived. He sat on the lake shore and just stared into the sky, one hand on Hunter. The red aura was gone from him, just like all of the others who had been afflicted. Almost all of them.

Gadriel had been the only one left when it’d happened. Murdon might have held up against Tak too if he hadn’t been down a hand. His helmet had also been a weakness against the screams. Either way, the Hero had been able to reverse the losing position he’d been in and knock out the monstrosity assaulting him. It’d been close, but Daniel had warned him of who it was just in time. Losing Tak would have been too much. They’d already lost too many, the majority of those who’d come here. None of the people in Daniel’s group were dead, but that hardly mattered.

The threshold for when the domination effect became permanent wasn’t known, only the factors that would affect the progression towards it. It wasn’t a surprise then whose auras hadn’t changed back when the Host died. A few had been covered by swarmlings when they first emerged. Alost, probably because of the potion William had thrown. And, everyone with a healing power. Everyone.

He watched Khare make their way to the surface with the other gestalt, save for one that was going after a human Tak hadn’t quite managed to get over a bridge section. They’d probably survive. Daniel found it hard to care. He just wanted to fall asleep, but he needed to know if Hunter was alright first.

Evalyn stepped out unsteadily from the mass of vines as it held out a weapon and spoke. “Trident.” Khare sounded grateful, so Daniel nodded in their direction. The Bard, for her part, looked across the lake and saw how few were still awake. Not counting the gestalt, that number could be counted on one hand.

“What happened?”

She doesn’t know? Wait, Khare got to her before it started. Daniel looked for the words. “Most of them are just unconscious.”

“Most?” Evalyn looked almost hopefully to one of the bodies left over from the dragon fight as if that was what he’d meant.

Daniel didn’t want to tell her, but the only other person who could explain was Lograve. The Arcanist was hovering over Murdon just like he was Hunter. “Ten of them, uh.” he closed his eyes. “They’re as good as dead.”

“We can’t heal them?”

“Anyone who could is gone. It wouldn’t do anything anyway.”

“What do you-” She put it together quickly, following his eyes. “Thomas? He’s still breathing!”

“The thing that came out of the dragon, it controls people. Controlled, I guess. If that happens for too long, it’s permanent. Healing makes it worse.” He still couldn’t look directly at her, or anyone. It wasn’t his fault and he didn’t feel guilty. The point was he could barely handle what he was feeling. “I thought Regeneration was the only thing we needed to worry about but I think he was healing himself the entire time. From what I can tell, he’s still hostile even though the host’s dead.”

“Who else?”

“Alost is the only other one I know. The rest…” He recited the names dully, hearing Evalyn react to a few. “About twenty are coming from the group behind us. Quala is with them.”

“There’s nothing we can do? Gods, Daniel, he’s still alive!” Evalyn seemed to realize something else. “Who’s going to tell her?”

“Me.”

“I could-”

“No.” Daniel’s voice grew hard and he did look at her then. She returned the gaze, surprised at the sudden change. “No. I’ll do it.” He stood unsteadily and Evalyn gasped as the injured paw was revealed.

“What happened to Hunter?” Evalyn asked, grimacing as she noticed the leg wound.

The sudden intensity left him for a moment as those memories flooded back. “He’s fine. He will be fine. They got him but I took off Regeneration. He has it back so, hopefully, he’ll wake up soon.”

“You’re sure about this? Daniel, you’re shaking.”

“I’m just cold.” He clenched a fist by his side but didn’t resist when she put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s over. We knew there’d be a cost, but-”

Daniel tightened the fist, though he held back what he wanted to shout. She hadn’t seen the worst of it. She hadn’t seen Hunter throwing himself into the ice again and again. Thank god she hadn’t. “I don’t want you to get any closer to this than you have to.”

She took a step back. “I can take care of myself.”

“Not this.” It was the haunted look in his eyes she caught from being up close that convinced her. That’s what he thought, at least. “Khare, you got the Host?”

“Yes.” The gestalt had been mostly silent, as was the race’s custom, but had been standing close to the two.

“Thank you.”

…

Hunter didn’t wake up by the time reinforcements arrived. They were prepared for anything, having only heard Tak’s screams to alert them. Still, the relief force paused on the lip of the ridge to take in what they saw. No dragon, its body having slipped fully into the lake, but bodies sprawled over the magical bridge whose closest segments were now revealed. Also the bodies of the monsters the dragon had previously slain, still rotting around the edges of the lake.

“Miss Fulwing? I don’t see any hostiles,” Janice reported by her side.

“Something isn’t right,” Quala responded. “We should have heard from them by now.”

“Most of them look knocked out. They’re probably recovering first,” another said, relief plain on her face. As far as they could tell, the dragon was dead. They’d won!

“If the dragon attacked them, then they-” A brief, fast movement interrupted her. Janice held her spear up, having pierced something orange and blue that was in the throes of death.

Even if Hunter was still down, others had begun to rouse including those still under the influence. Like the Host itself, it was left to the gestalt to manage them. Everyone else, including Gadriel, was too shocked by what happened to intervene. What they couldn’t do was explain to those non-gestalt in the relief force what had happened.

Daniel had about a minute to prepare himself. He and Evalyn were the closest and most natural choices, considering Lograve wasn’t moving from Murdon’s side. The Bard stood behind him, respecting his choice. She had grown disturbed by what she’d found after emerging from the gestalt, but true horror escaped her. Only the survivors who’d seen it for themselves had to live with that.

“What happened?” Quala asked softly from the shore. There was no urgency in her voice, but even her eyes betrayed fear as she glanced at the still unconscious Thomas.

Daniel took a slow breath, appreciating the fact that he was still sane. The image of Hunter rushing the ice was foremost in his mind and something he’d never tell anyone about. As for the rest? The dragon fight he’d seen most of, though he had to skip the part where Tlara knocked him out.

All and all, there wasn’t too much to say. They fought the dragon, people died, and then they won. He had to take more time with the second part, even though the host had died faster than the dragon. Despite his best efforts, a little bit of the horror leaked out into Quala when he gave her the list of the all-but-dead. She asked him the same question Evalyn had at the end, adding steel to a voice that made it curve like a scythe.

“Is there nothing that can be done?”

“At this point, they’d have to be resurrected.”

“But they aren’t dead.”

“Yeah. It’s that or if they’re kept alive for ten days like this it’ll corrupt their souls.” There was sharp breath from behind him and shock on the faces ahead of him. He hadn’t mentioned that part to Evalyn. He hadn’t even known that part at first until he looked up what Indelible meant. “Quala, I’m sorry. It got Thomas before we even knew.”

Something passed over the Cleric. It wasn’t just a facial expression but a shifting of her feathers that didn’t quite match the avianoid’s instinctual reaction to fear. What she felt then Daniel could only guess. Either way, a response wasn’t long coming. “You both have done so much more than anyone could have asked.”

“How are you so perfect?” Daniel shot back, bristling at her calm demeanor for reasons he could hardly grasp. “Thomas is dead and you’re worried about us!?”

“Daniel,” Evalyn whispered in a warning tone behind him.

Quala just nodded, taking no offense. “We remember the dead, and do what we can for the living. I can save Thomas.”

“You can raise the dead!?” someone in her group exclaimed.

“No.” Quala shook her head. “It is a function of a bond we have formed, but it is only something I can do for him alone. And, we must be alone. Are the parasites still a danger?”

Daniel didn’t answer, he was just looking at her and trying not to hope. After a few moments, he shook his head. “No, the host is dead. You can save him?”

“Yes, and I would prefer doing so before he wakes.”

Janice coughed. “Before you go, I should ask. What should we do with the rest?”

“By the sound of it, we have ten days to decide. Even if we must put them out of their misery, there is a chance they could be revived though it is weaker the more time passes. I just don’t know where we would find someone willing in time,” she sighed, understandably conflicted on the issue. “Go tend to Murdon first and allow him to decide. I don’t want to put that on him, but it should be his decision. Daniel, Evalyn, you have done enough. Rest. Janice, I want you to go back and signal everyone to prepare to cross. Do you feel safe doing this yourself?”

“The way’s clear Ma’am. I’ll get it done.”

“Wait, how are you going to fix Thomas?” Daniel spoke up. “I don’t know for sure, but he could be brain damaged by the parasites. Or, something worse.”

“It’s fine Daniel. I’ll take care of it. He will be fine.” With that, she walked past him and towards where her former apprentice lay. She was strong enough to take him in her arms and did so as the others of her group moved to secure the rest of the afflicted. They would have to die, she was sure Murdon would come to that conclusion, but Thomas?

She walked up the ledge that led to the break in the mountain and over the pass, seeing Janice ahead of her. If she was as capable as she had been, the Martiliast might send for more aid. Quala would have to act fast, especially if she wanted to do this before Thomas woke up. It was unclear if he’d remember what happened while under control but she’d spare him any amount of trauma she could.

Instead of taking the rough path down, she went along the side and tried to find an area shielded from above. A small cave, or a batch of trees ideally. Quala wasn’t a fool when it came to who might be watching, and she needed to be certain what happened only happened between the two of them. Lying to the others had been necessary and they’d all been too shaken to notice.

The tears didn’t wait. So much death. The Upswell, the two dragons, and everything else. She’d even lost people when the villagers had been attacked today. Not many, but that didn’t matter now. Quala knew what words she’d say to someone else, and she’d tried to say them to Daniel when she’d seen how the Artificer had been crushed by what had happened. Even so, they sounded hollow when turned inward.

She found an appropriate spot at last. A tree more tenacious than others that had taken root this far up in the mountains. It wasn’t perfect, but any further and she’d worry about the others. Still holding Thomas, she sat against a tree and looked out at the seed she’d tried to nurture before it had been violently ripped from the ground. Even here, the crater that had been Eido marred the horizon.

People might return here to rebuild, but she wouldn’t be one of them. Thomas wouldn’t either if she could help it. Hopefully, in the years that would come, he would internalize the wisdom the Octyrrum was supposedly giving him. She looked down and put both arms around his neck. Briefly, she checked to make sure his Focus was still attached to his hip. When there was no doubt, she gripped his head with both hands and twisted violently.

…

For all the effort the mortals had taken to reach past the mountains, what awaited for them was not worthy of their efforts. Flat plains stretched into the horizon with gentle dips and rises to break up the monotony. It was reminiscent of the land enveloped by the mountains as if they’d risen between what was once a contiguous area. It was noon and those in the camp still rested. By Daniel’s reckoning, they’d continued marching until 4 am to get clear of the lake.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Somber only described the attitudes of the villagers and those who hadn’t bore witness to the battle. Daniel, inured as he was at this point to combat, couldn’t even tell where he was emotionally. Not in disguised despair and self-loathing like after Rorshawd. How could he blame himself for what happened? It was the memories, rather, that crossed through his dreams to find him on the other side of waking.

Traumatized. Maybe that was the right word. The people who’d been controlled certainly were. Memory of the events was shaky for them, which was probably for the best. Hunter didn’t know exactly what he’d done, only that his head and leg hurt, and took Daniel for his word that he didn’t want to know. The ringcat was more angry than disturbed, made worse by not having something to retaliate against.

The sole exception to the general air took a slow bite as they appraised their surroundings. “Any idea who’s going where?”

“I suppose we should talk about that,” Evalyn replied, not touching her food. “Do any of you have restrictions?”

“I thought that wasn’t supposed to matter now.”

“Who knows?” Evalyn let the question hang, and Daniel didn’t feel like asking what they were talking about. He didn’t feel like talking at all.

Thomas cleared his throat. “Probably best if I don’t go to Aughal, but I’m sure it’s fine. Never been to Threst. Dunno what I want, to be honest.” Even unflappable as he was, Thomas was self-aware enough to keep his tone measured and quiet.

“Both are fine for me,” Tak commented. He was another matter entirely. The avianoid also had no memory of what he’s changed into, and he’d reverted before the relief force arrived. Only Gadriel, Lograve, Evalyn, Daniel, and the gestalt knew what had happened. The prevailing, and rapidly communicated, consensus was to not tell anyone, even Tak. It was too much to handle in the wake of what had happened. “Either seems fine. More of my people in Threst, but either is fine.”

“It’s not like we have to stay in either region. We could go further in.”

“Any region in mind Thomas?”

“No.” He shrugged. “The places around Aughal aren’t great. I mean, Threst is nice in the fall.”

“I thought you said you’d never been there.”

“I’ve heard things. It’s closer to the Hand’s Realm too.”

“Others?” Khare commented with a questioning tone.

“I’m not sure who else we should ask.”

“I think they’re talking about other regions, Evalyn,” Daniel cut in. “Can we get to any others from here? I don’t know anything about them, I just…” he trailed off. Khare’s head nodded at him. He was starting to understand the gestalt better than the others, though he didn’t know why. It wasn’t a bond. Subconscious body language maybe?

“Don’t think so. The mountains cut us off from those borders.” Thomas pointed to the distance and swept his finger across, eventually intersecting with the line of peaks rising far into the air. “Yeah. We could hang around the edges and make our way to another of the border regions, though I don’t think any others have developing regions like the Thormundz. This range’s massive.”

“Hmm. Any of you have family nearby?” Tak asked. “I do not. Too far away, and I am not expected to return.”

“You don’t miss them?” Evalyn asked.

“No. Sometimes. I have been away for longer than I have been here. What about you?”

“They were in Eido.” Everyone looked pointedly at her, and Thomas stopped eating.

It took a few moments for someone to respond, and it was Thomas who did. “Why haven’t you said anything before?”

“We all lost people, didn’t we? I mourned. I still mourn, but it seems tragedy comes down on us like rain in recent days. I could swim through it or drown.” There was grief in her voice, but not her face. “I’ve talked with people, just not you.”

“Yes.” Tak nodded, suddenly becoming the next person of interest. “What?”

It was a good thing Thomas wasn’t currently eating as he would have choked. “Wait, when you two-”

“I’m still not going to talk about that,” Evalyn objected waspishly. “Or anything else on the subject.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not keen on my personal affairs being spread to everyone in shouting distance. You think I want to talk about that right now?” Evalyn looked down, forgetting a little of her annoyance. “Just forget it. We’re getting off topic.”

“Right. Well, what about you, Guy?”

“Like I said, I don’t know much about either.”

“Well, which did you come through? Matter of fact, which region did you come from?”

There weren’t other people nearby. Close, but not close enough to overhear the conversation between those who had found companionship with each other. There was something between them, even if it didn’t rise to the point of granting magical powers. They made up the vast majority of those he knew and trusted in this world and he could not be honest. But, he also couldn’t lie to Thomas. Literally he couldn’t lie, not without him knowing.

“It’s pretty far away. I’m not sure you’d know about it. As far as how I got here-”

“Right, yeah.” They had at least talked about Daniel’s teleportation and amnesia, even if the details had been stretched to cover certain aspects.

“You haven’t told anyone about where I woke up, right?”

“N-no.” Communal scrutiny turned to Thomas. “I didn’t! I might have mentioned I knew someone who was around Eido when it happened, but I didn’t say anything about Guy.”

“I guess it’s a good thing you know half the people here,” Evalyn commented.

“Not as many as I did.” That was the first dark moment Thomas had had since yesterday and chilled the conversation considerably. “Look, Quala’s probably talking about this with Murdon and Lograve. They’ll have a plan. Maybe we’re all going to the same place?”

“That would be good. Staying together. We should, at least.” Tak looked around for approval. “Good team. Could hunt.”

“I don’t know if we’ve all fought as a team before Tak. Not all at once.”

Thomas stiffened at that. “Wait, Evalyn, guys, we’re still talking about fighting monsters after what just happened?”

The Bard looked over to Daniel. “How much advancement potential did you get?”

Daniel looked at his phone. “Eight. I haven’t done anything with it. I have ideas, but I’m not sure.”

“See? We’ve all become more powerful over the past month than I have my entire life.”

“There’s no way I’m ever fighting another dragon!” Thomas exclaimed. “Guy, come on. Two’s enough.”

“I’m not saying we do that,” Evalyn spoke in Daniel’s place. “Obviously. I’m suggesting we take on things appropriate for us. Unless anyone’s sitting on a fortune we’ll need, oh.” She grimaced and looked towards Daniel’s armor. He wasn’t sitting on it, but it was in a pile nearby. “Well, that won’t solve our problems forever.”

“I’m not sure anyone would be quick to buy it.” The prospect of selling the lightning link armor had occurred to him, as well as the problems. “Alone, it’s just armor that explodes.”

“Someone might still want that, Guy.”

“Who?”

“Well.” Thomas scratched his head. “Could sell it to someone trying to trick someone else. I’m just saying!” He buckled under the renewed scrutiny. “It’s an idea that doesn’t involve putting our lives at risk!”

“You don’t want to fight?” Tak asked.

“No! I follow the Hand! You’ve seen me, I barely use a bow. I’m surprised the rest of you want to jump in considering you’ll need to spend a couple of weeks advancing. Either way, I don’t have any combat powers.”

“What about Nova?”

“Well, fine Guy I do. But I’m not a fighter.”

“Quala is,” Evalyn challenged. “You saw her against Rorshawd.”

“Yeah. That’s her. She’s awesome. Look,” he sighed. “I’m not saying you guys can’t, it’s just that that’s not what I want to do with my life. I want to help people.” He stood up, stretching his legs. “I like all of you, but I’m not some battle Bard, warrior Artificer, Tak, whatever Khare is, or a… murder cat? That’s what you call him right?”

Daniel had to laugh quietly, despite everything. Thomas could have that effect on people, even while under scrutiny. “I haven’t for a little bit.”

“Right. Well, I’m not any of those things. I don’t care if I level slower this way, it’s just not worth it. I don’t want to fight.” He looked back to the mountains and then to the sky ahead. “Not if I have a choice.”

“No one says you have to,” Evalyn finally said, and despite his resistance, Thomas looked relieved. “Daniel, what about you?”

He looked at his hands as if he’d just discovered Claw Strike again. Daniel skated around all of the horrible memories and considered what he’d done. “Am I even good at this?” he asked, aloud though it was more to himself. “The rest of you did something today. I was either stuck behind everyone else or in an ice sphere. The only one I really hurt was Hunter.”

“Guy, you’re not that down on yourself again, are you?” Daniel looked at Thomas like he was being facetious, only everyone else was nodding.

His disbelief was clear on his face and Tak followed up the statement. “You are not that dumb, Daniel. You know what you did.”

“The enchanting?” Daniel inclined his head. “Yeah, I guess. That just means I hang back with Thomas in whatever city we end up in.”

“And Hunter?” Evalyn asked.

The ringcat looked between them from where he was recovering but didn’t comment. “He could go with you, Tak, and Khare on hunts. He’d be fine as long as Tak is there. Daniel played that out in his head and found he didn’t like it.

Thomas threw an arm around Daniel’s shoulder. “Yeah! You and me, Guy. We’ll hit the taverns while they’re out getting bloody.”

Daniel shifted under the grip. “Yeah, that would sound nice,” he lied, remembering the results of the last tavern he and Thomas were in. “But on the other hand the powers I’m getting make it seem like I’m meant to fight monsters. How else would I get formulae? It’s not like I just want to abandon Hunter.”

“So, don’t.” Evalyn shrugged at his frown. “Daniel, we’ve been fighting in large groups against monsters far above what any of us should be expected to face. Normal people should feel inadequate if they only survived.”

“But what if I’m terrible at hunting regular monsters too?”

“Then you get better.” Evalyn smiled at him, Thomas shamelessly catching some of the affection as well. “That’s what all of this was for. Now we all have time to get better.”

…

“This changes nothing.”

“Gods dammit Murdon, you lost a hand!”

“We keep with the original plan.” Closer to the front of the camp, Lograve scowled at his unarmored friend. The other three were watching the bickering. “I will go to Threst with Quala. You take Gadriel. Everyone else is free to choose.”

“Commander Murdon-”

“I’m not a Commander anymore, Gadriel,” the draconoid cut him off. “The region is done for. I yield my authority, ill-gotten as it always was.”

“Sir Murdon,” Gadriel compromised. “I could attend Aughal with Quala. The two of you need not separate.”

“That could have been an option before he lost his hand. If we want to restore it quickly, having me there will prevent infection and give him a better chance of getting it regrown. For the same reason, I we need to bring Sigron with us in the forward group. He has perhaps a week, if not less, should a more specialized or higher level healer not be found.”

“What of the rest of our wounded?” Murdon asked Quala.

“The loss of so many of our healers is a blow. By the same token, the majority of those who sustained injuries did so from the monsters that attacked the villagers and will recover on their own.”

“They won’t move as fast, though. Can we rely on them to continue guarding the convoys?”

“Assuming either region doesn’t send aid,” Lograve added.

“I would assume they kept their roads clear, and there are main ones that reach towards both capitals from the Thormundz approach. Beyond a certain point, there will be little threat. I would argue we separate from the main convoy then. Hand willing, we can avoid further deaths.”

“I must say, Sir Murdon, that all things considered what you have accomplished here is nothing short of a miracle. Do we have an idea of exactly how many survived this ordeal?”

Lograve took out a journal and consulted it. “We’ve made counts. Imprecise though they are. As many as 20 survived the lake encounter, and that figure doesn’t include those that needed to be dealt with afterward. I know we made the right choice,” he said carefully. “But I still can’t help but feel damned for what we’ve done.”

“Better they died than be left to the maledictions of the Crest,” Gadriel stated in only partial understanding of what had happened. “They are with the Octyrrum now.”

“Otherwise, we are still at roughly 700 without any class. There were some losses, but only in the single digits after leaving Hagain. Counting those that were left to guard the villagers during the fight, that leaves us with one capable guardian for every 10, and that ratio assumes we evenly split between the two regions. We’ll have to spend the day organizing.”

Murdon nodded. “I will-”

“No you will not! The three of us are taking care of it, you are getting some sleep before another part of you falls off.”

“I was going to say I will leave it to you.” He laughed at Lograve’s stunned face. “I said I was renouncing my title, didn’t I? Wake me if another dragon attacks, but only for that.”

Lograve looked helplessly at the other three, but only Janice offered a comment. “Well, that’s the Commander for you.”

…

The announcements made their way throughout the camp quickly, given you could be heard shouting from the opposite end if everyone else stayed quiet. First, there would be no marching today. Everyone would rest and only needed to decide where they wished to go. Aughal or Threst. Beyond those regions, neither safety nor transit would be guaranteed.

Those with classes were given the last pick as where the common people went decided how many were needed to guard them. Perhaps unsurprisingly to those familiar with the eastern regions of the kingdom, the majority opted for the verdant, broken skies of Threst.

A smaller number, for whatever reason, decided on Aughal instead. Perhaps they’d come from there, although many in the group heading to Threst could claim the same. Being in the minority didn’t change their minds. As those who would be their defenders considered their options, Lograve approached the group that was currently debating the irritability of sand.

“It’s not so bad, you just have to have the right kind of clothes,” Thomas was saying. “There’s some enchanted stuff you can get but it’s expensive. Aughal only had one proper Artificer when I was there and they probably don’t have another one by now. If we get some stuff like that, do you think you could make another?”

“Maybe? I’d need materials. I was able to figure out standard weapon enchantments from Khare’s dagger, but I’m not sure if that’s how it works for everything.”

“Excuse me.” Everyone sat up and turned to Lograve. “I was curious as to what you were considering. Are you all staying together?”

“That’s the plan!” Thomas said brightly. “Not all of us are sticking with a nearly suicidal profession, but that doesn’t have to get in the way of a mutual travel plan.”

“Ah. So, you have a destination in mind?”

“Aughal!” Looks passed between the others as they were being spoken for. Evalyn looked the most reluctant and Khare looked like a gestalt. Even in a humanoid form, they were hard to read. “I want to stick with Quala anyways, and-”

“She’s going to Threst.” Thomas blinked in surprise at Lograve’s measured words. “I was hoping to see if you would come with me. To Aughal.”

“Why’s she going to Threst? She’s, uh.” Thomas didn’t continue down that line of thought. “She should be going to Aughal!”

“You’d have to speak with her, but I’m afraid that matter is settled. You see, Murdon and I are the most trusted and/or influential of our number. Word of certain matters must be spread. I have the strongest contact in Aughal, and likewise for Murdon in Threst. Well, actually either of us would do for Threst but after cutting off his damned hand Murdon needs to get somewhere he has a chance of getting it regrown. As straightforward as a spiral, perhaps, but the intent is to rejoin once we have accomplished that. At least, Murdon will. I cannot speak for what Quala will do.”

“But, but-” Lograve watched with interest as Thomas became torn, having anticipated the opposite of his mentor’s choice.

“Why do you want us to go with you?” Daniel asked.

“Purely selfish reasons, I’m afraid. To be honest, it’s mostly you I am concerned with.”

“The symbol?” Daniel guessed

“Yes, I’m glad I don’t have to explain. As for the rest of you, our only concern is that we have enough to cover the convoys. Let us know by the afternoon and we’ll see where we stand. If we’re lucky we won’t have to move people around, although that would be luck I’d rather we’d had earlier. For my own curiosity’s sake, what are you thinking Daniel?”

The Artificer thought for a moment. “I don’t want to break up this group if I don’t have to, but I’d also like to go with you.”

“Talk it over then. Again, I ask purely for my own reasons, though I’m sure I can be of assistance as well.” He paused for a second in case another had words for him, and then walked away.

Thomas gritted his teeth. “Damn it! This was an easy decision. Guy, what’s that about?”

“What, with Lograve? I’m not entirely sure, but something I know can help with a power he has.”

“So you’re going to push for Threst now? To be honest, I was never a big fan of heights. Beautiful views though.” Evalyn took a strand of her hair with two fingers, a sign of the idle agonizing they’d run into over this decision. “My family passed through it with the first settlement wave when I was 14 and my sister fell off of one of the islands. She’s fine now, of course.” Something complicated passed over her face. “She was fine. Maybe I should see what Aughal has to offer.

“You were against Aughal because of the sand!” Thomas protested. “And, and I don’t know. Honestly, it’s alright. You guys do you want, I need to talk with Quala.”

“What’s going on between the two of you?” Evalyn narrowed her eyes. “Did you know each other before coming to the Thormundz?”

“Hmm.” Thomas stood, and let half of a smile creep onto his face. “What did you say? Something like, show a little discretion and you’d let something slip? I haven’t forgotten about what we talked about before the fight.”

“Really, you’re drawing the line now?”

“For a shot with you? Yeah.” He left their small group too, and in his wake, Tak leaned over to the Bard.

“Maybe you could convince him to come with us?”

“No!”

“Ah.” A pause, then in a quieter voice everyone else still heard, “Then, what about me?”

Evalyn copied something very dear to Tlara’s personality and Tak graciously surrendered the point.