Giant crabs.

We fought them until we could beat them without getting hit or having to back up to attack it a second time. Gesai started using me as an off Tank, to get in close and bait them, then take off the second pincer once Oz took off the first. We had modified our strategy to allow Ren to take the killshot, since her spear had a little more reach, allowing her to stay out of aggro, while still being in front of it to line up for the kill shot.

That fighting style did leave Jord and Justia basically doing nothing, but I don’t think either of them minded. We’d been going at it until noon and when Glima hadn’t summoned another one, we all looked up at her.

“It is time to eat.” She held out her hand. "I need your weapons.”

I jogged over to Oz and held out my sword in its sheath. "Oz! Can you give this back? I want to send a message to my team while I’ve got this thing unlocked.” I tapped on the cuff.

Oz raised an eyebrow, but took the sword. "Sure, but don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.” I already more or less knew what I wanted to say. I just had to type it out. I sat down on the steps opposite the ones that everyone was using to get to the second floor.

Hey! This is Atlas. I don't have long since these messages have to be screened, but I just wanted to tell the three of you that we're all okay. Justia said to tell that she's been thinking about you. Rix is…

I had been trying to think of something to say that would put their minds at ease, but hadn't come up with anything.

Being Rix…

"Atlas!" Gesai waved at me. "Hurry up!"

"One second!" This last part was probably the most important.

Ether, I'm sorry to put you through this. I promise that I will do everything I can to get back to you with everyone safe. Know that I love you.

I hit the send button and ran up the other stairs and held out my wrist. I could see the notice that it'd been sent before Glima locked it back and it turned into a heavy watch.

I looked over at Justia and nodded. I'd sent it to all of us, including Trent. There wasn't much of a hidden message except that there was possibly a way for us to get out ourselves. I'd also warned them that Sipher was reading our messages without saying that I knew he was receiving them.

The brunette waited until everyone else had left the fighting pit to get out of her seat and walk over to me.

"I saw that you sent it, what did you say?" She seemed nervous as we walked out of the building together.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Yes, what was so important that it had to be said right now?” Oz fell into step beside us, with Ren behind her.

I looked ahead of us. For some reason, Jord was by Glima’s side, opposite of where Gesai was walking. Maybe it was because they were both Caster classes that he felt safer with our unwilling hostess? I didn’t know, but at least he wasn’t sulking around the corners.

“I just needed to tell everyone that we were safe and any messages they sent to us would be screened.”

“Smart.” Oz looked at Justia. "But was that really it?”

“I said that Justia was thinking about them and…” I felt embarrassed about the next part for some reason. By the look on Oz’s face, I could tell she knew what the root of my embarrassment was, which meant I might as well say it.

“I also really needed to tell Ether that I loved her and…” I felt my face getting really hot. "That I would be coming back to her.”

“Awww…” Ren gushed as she put her hands together. "That’s so sweet.”

Oz rolled her eyes. "If you’re into that kind of thing."

“You don’t have anyone?” I looked at Ren and Oz. "Anyone who is missing you back at home?”

“I’m sure my parents are worried…”Ren’s voice drifted off, then she snapped back to the present. “I should send them a message the next time I can.”

“He knows our parents miss us.” Oz sighed and looked away. "He wants to know if there’s anyone…” She paused as she searched for the right word. "Like that back home.”

“Oh!” Ren’s eyes brightened as she understood, then her face fell. "No, we’re both single.”

“It doesn't surprise me that Oz is… OW!” I rubbed my arm where she punched me.

“That’s what you get for talking like that.” The raven-haired woman glared at me with her green eyes.

“And that’s how I knew… Okay! Okay!” I held up my hands as she threatened to hit me again. As soon as she lowered her hands, I turned to Ren. "But I don’t understand why you’re not with someone.”

Ren shrugged. "Most seniors break things off before the Mantle trials. Especially the Nobles.” She looked over at Justia. "What if you get sent to the Cathedral like Justia did while your significant other gets left behind at the Dispatcher’s Training Center?” She shook her head. "Long distance relationships don’t tend to work out when you’re in a life or death situation daily.” She made a face that made me shiver. "You don’t want to be attached to someone on the outside when you need to release all that pent up stress after the constant adrenaline rush.”

“Good to know…” I took a step away from her. Ether had expressed the logic of forming a harem in order to keep my secret, but that didn’t mean that I was going to add to it without her approval. “I’m sure you can find…” I stopped when I realized there was no good place for that sentence to go. Jord was the only other man in our circle and he didn’t strike me as the type to engage in ‘stress relief’. With me also being unavailable, that meant she’d have to seek companionship with the locals. Those were precisely the people we didn’t want to be consorting with.

“The strength to carry on until we get out?” I tried to save it, which got Oz to burst into laughter.

“You were right." The raven-haired woman bumped into her cousin. "He is fun to tease.”

“You planned that?” I looked at Justia. "You helped?”

The brunette Healer had a huge smile on her face. "I just worked out the details with them, not when they’d do it.”

I glared at the women, who were enjoying themselves at my expense.

“We knew Ren would have to do it because you would expect it from me.” Oz pushed my shoulder. "Which hurts…” She tried to fake being sad, but that just got her to laugh again.

I shook my head as I tried to stop smiling. They were laughing. Even in this horrible situation, they were laughing. I could endure a little bit of embarrassment in the name of lifting team spirits.