“Aren’t we heading back to Varleez?” Kyle asked. “It’s not that far, and we could all use the rest.”

Though the worst of their injuries were patched up, Kyle knew how much of a toll healing skills could take on the body. Even he was feeling the beginnings of a bone-deep weariness from the battle and recovering his own injuries. He imagined it would be far worse for Hanastrel and Ver’ah.

“You’re not wrong there,” Ver’ah snorted, adjusting Drokh in his arms. “When this is done, I’m going to sleep for a week. The problem right now is that we’re running on very little information. Was this an isolated attack? Was it truly random chance, or was it orchestrated? Are there traitors in Varleez? We sent communication back to headquarters, but…” he looked down at his fallen comrade. “An investigation will take time we don’t have.”

Hanastrel nodded. “Information is our greatest weapon right now. Or rather, our enemy’s lack thereof. If a bad actor is in play, then the worst thing we can do is return injured. They would know our location and relative weakness, which could give them opportunity. By departing from here, they would have to come investigate for themselves, risking becoming prey for the alpha should we have failed.”

Kyle considered their plan. It made logical sense, though there was one thing he felt they were overlooking. “What about Drokh? I was able to give some field triage, but his injuries are worse than any of ours. While he’s stable enough for some travel, I don’t think an extended journey will do much good for him.”

A shadow crossed both of their faces at his comment, and they stood in silence for a moment before Ver’ah finally spoke. “I know, Courier. Drokh’s been a larger-than-life figure for the Resistance for a long time, and a personal hero of mine. It pains me, pains us to have to make this decision. Though if he was awake right now, we’re both sure it’s what he would want. Duty above all else.”

Kyle shook his head, suppressing the rising heat in his chest. Duty, really? Unpleasant memories of the Central Authority were bubbling up; the feeling of loss when he was branded a deviant, the betrayal when Garth let him get sent out to the wild. Sent out to die. All in the name of duty.

“That’s a dangerous line of thinking, Ver’ah. Besides, won’t Drokh be better able to perform his ‘duty’ if he makes a better recovery?”

He hoped that the duo wouldn’t pick up on the undercurrent of heat in his voice, but seeing the look that Ver’ah and Hanastrel exchanged told Kyle he was less subtle than he hoped. The goblin woman raised her hands toward him in a placating gesture. “We care deeply about Drokh; you should know that by now. And we don’t want his injuries to worsen. If you feel that we need to stop or slow down, we will do so if we’re able. But we are all better served by getting to the Queen and informing her of what has occurred. That is our duty.”

“I can work with that,” Kyle said, thankful for the compromise offered. He believed that Ver’ah, Hanastrel, and Drokh were good people, and that his reaction had more to do with his own sore spots than their words.

When they finally exited the winding tunnels surrounding the shrike’s lair, Kyle took a moment to relish the gentle breeze across his skin and sun on his face. Though he’d grown quite accustomed to the lack of light and stagnant air over the last couple of years, he much preferred being above ground. He followed Ver’ah, carrying Drokh, and Hanastrel.

The goblin pulled out a small crystal, pressing her palm to it and muttering under her breath for a moment. Using Identify, Kyle watched as the mana from the crystal connected to Hanastrel before sending a pulse out into the air. A moment later, the crystal glowed a gentle purple, a small beam of light pointing into the forest.

“Headquarters charted a course for us,” she said. “Follow me, and keep your eyes open. I expect it will take us 2 days to get there, but we should avoid most major roads and cities.”

Without another word, the group set off. Though he couldn’t speak for the others, much of Kyle’s silence owed to his new skill. Though he suppressed the desire to outright test Repel, it didn’t stop Kyle from beginning to form the skill to get the sense of how the mana moved through his body.

The first thing he noticed was that it was fast. Even when compared to skills like Storm Shelter, which were relatively quick, Repel needed even less build-up. It was simply his mana, given force and direction. No shaping involved. At least, for now.

The other interesting observation was that there wasn’t a determined point of origin for the skill. Parasitic Resonance, Storm Shelter, Ignition, and Adaptive Regeneration typically started from his center. Healing Impetus started from his hand, and could be shifted to work with a tendril of Parasitic Resonance. Identify began in his eyes.

Repel, on the other hand, could start virtually anywhere. So long as his mana network was cycling, he was able to form the beginning of the skill. Though Kyle hadn’t been able to field test while traveling with Ver’ah and Hanastrel, he was confident that with a little practice, he’d be able to use Repel to increase his travel pace. The mana cost would mean his resources drained faster than Ignition could replenish them, but it was an application Kyle could see getting a lot of use.

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“Put me down you oaf!” Drokh’s growl was enough to snap Kyle out of his reflection, and he smiled as he saw the large ogre squirming in Ver’ah’s arms, trying to get down.

“Stop wiggling,” Kyle admonished. “I went through a lot of trouble to patch you up; you’re going to reopen your injuries if you keep this up.”

“And you’ll have a lot more injuries to mend if this troll doesn’t put. Me. Down.”

Ver’ah gently set Drokh down, offering an arm to help stabilize him as he stood on his one remaining leg. Kyle caught a wince of pain before Drokh’s dour expression returned.

“Your body needs to rest, Drokh. Your injuries were severe, and even with my help you’ll want to see a Healer that specializes in ogre physiology.”

“I’ll need to get fitted for a prosthetic in any event,” Drokh said. “And I owe you a debt of gratitude, Courier. That fight could have gone much, much worse. I take it the alpha is dead?”

Ver’ah nodded. “It is. The Courier killed it.”

“Good,” Drokh said, a hint of tension leaving his shoulders. “Now, what have I missed?”

Hanastrel and Ver’ah explained their current plan, which was met with nods of approval. “That’s good, that’s very good. Her Majesty will want to know, and we’ve been away too long as it is,” Drokh said when all was finished.

“You can say that again,” Hanastrel agreed. “Ancestors above, I’m looking forward to having my own bed again.”

Ver’ah snorted his agreement. “Of course, I bet our Courier is missing his home more than any of us right about now. You got a family waiting for you back where you come from?”

A pang of familiar loss rushed through Kyle, the edge worn away with time. “Not exactly,” he said. “But I won’t argue with you when it comes to getting some rest soon. Hopefully a peace gets negotiated, and you’ll all be able to take a break.”

His escorts all shared a look, and Drokh sighed. “Mayhew, don’t delude yourself into believing peace is possible. Some hurts go too deep.”

Kyle frowned. “Then why am I here? What did the Council do to bring you all to the negotiating table?”

“I can’t speak for the blasted Council,” Drokh replied. “But Her Majesty knows that we’re in a losing position in the long-term. We’ve held on for nearly a decade since the coup, but we simply don’t have the resources to keep going. This land isn’t particularly arable, and we lack sufficient Mages versed in nature to change that.”

Drokh got a faraway look as he paused for a moment, looking toward the horizon. “Her Majesty has already lost so much, and she’s the one who stands to lose the most with these negotiations. Still, she does it for us.”

There was reverence in the ogre’s tone, and Kyle nodded. “It might be a small comfort, but from what I’ve seen, the Verdant Republic takes excellent care of its citizens. When the dust settles, I have no doubt that your queen and your people will be looked after with care.”

This time it was Hanastrel who gave him a questioning look. “Why would they care about a bunch of strangers like us?” she asked. “And why are they so interested in the first place?”

Kyle shrugged. “While I can’t speak for all the ‘whys,’ I know that Er’Mithren holds a great deal of cultural significance. From what I’ve heard, your planet is among the oldest occupied by goblinoids.

“As for why they’d care about the citizenry, that’s just how they operate. I’m no goblinoid, but I live in an area controlled by the Verdant Republic. They accepted me easily enough, and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed it. Even if their governance has its frustrations at times, they’ve been good to me, too.”

Ver’ah tilted his head, looking at Kyle. “Wait, if you weren’t born there, how did you end up in goblinoid territory? Where are you even from?”

“A small planet called Earth,” Kyle said, a wistful smile crossing his face. “We’ve got some time, let me tell you about it.”

Kyle told stories of Earth for the next several hours as they traveled, with Hanastrel and Ver’ah peppering him with questions after each. They were enraptured by both the stark contrasts and similarities of their worlds, with particular interest in the oceans. Apparently, Er’Mithren lacked many large bodies of water, effectively acting as a large singular landmass.

“And people would get on a hunk of wood and just… float until they landed somewhere else? Hoping the wind would push them in the right direction?” Hanastrel asked, bewildered.

“Most of that type of sailing happened before our world awakened, but close enough?” Kyle replied. “I don’t really understand the mechanics myself, but early humans managed it.”

“That’s really weird. And you’re sure they couldn’t see the far shore?”

Before Kyle could answer, Drokh interrupted with a growl. “Get your arm off me, Ver’ah. This is as good a spot as any to set up camp. Which means working quietly.” The last words were directed at Hanastrel and Ver’ah, who looked at the ogre sheepishly. In unison, they replied, “Yes, sir.”

As the 2 got to work, Drokh looked at Kyle. “Sit with me for a moment. As interesting as your home world is, I have some other questions before we arrive at the capital.”

Kyle nodded. “Go ahead. What’s on your mind?”

“You demonstrated a lot of skill and resourcefulness in your battle against the shrike alpha. You showed boosting skills, defensive skills, and healing skills that are all clearly in the D Grade; and at a level leaving only a couple of skills remaining, if that many.”

Kyle nodded, failing to see where the ogre was going.

“So, indulge me; with everything that I’ve seen, how does your nature manipulation fit in?”

A cold shiver ran up Kyle’s spine. He thought Drokh was unconscious during that part of the fight, and knew that he’d need to tread carefully to avoid losing the thin layer of trust he’d managed to build so far.

Drokh continued. “I’ve never seen a D Grade able to use skills with so much conceptual diversity. Tell me; is that a trait of your species? Is this common?”

“It’s definitely not common,” Kyle said, choosing his words carefully. “I had some unique opportunities on Earth, and learned to apply one of my skills using plants as well. It’s a trump card of mine, and I knew I couldn’t hold it back if I wanted to beat the alpha.”

Drokh held his eyes for a moment, a searching expression on his face. Then the ogre nodded, forcing himself to stand with the help of a broken tree limb he used as a crutch. “Then I won’t push any further. We’re all entitled to our secrets, but let me leave you a word of warning. The vines you used had the stink of the Scourge on them. Using them freely would be ill-advised.”

“Wait, what’s the Scourge?” Kyle asked.

His dark eyes drilled into Kyle’s. “Something tells me you already know,” Drokh said, moving to go help Ver’ah with the tent. “Be careful, Courier. Forces of nature like that are best left alone.”