Did the plateau get taller? Mel thought as she continued to climb. Finding handholds was easy, and her Copper body didn’t tire nearly the same as her Mundane body had.

It was such a shocking difference that Mel couldn’t help but wonder what Iron, the next rank according to her status, would be like.

Must be at least five hundred feet up at this point, Mel thought, looking down to the small ant-like figures on the grasslands. It’s definitely taller.

That wasn’t too much of a surprise. The plateaus moved freely, adjusting their height whenever they felt like it. She wouldn’t have been alarmed to find that they moved horizontally as well, shifting around just to make things more difficult.

Mel was back in the familiar territory of the groles before long, though the silence was eerie long before she reached the area where she had culled the monsters.

Several lairs she last saw on her way through here were completely gone. With all the people down on the grasslands, Mel didn’t think anything of it.

Other groups likely had quests to clear them out as well, and with no monsters around her campsite, there was little to fear. Any person with two brain cells to rub together would keep searching elsewhere.

It didn’t seem like a good sign that Mel lacked a quest to return to her friends.

Another point for going my own way once they’re safely tucked away, Mel thought to herself.

The system had almost stopped giving her quests as she searched for the way back. It only gave her one in that entire week. As soon as she started her journey, they picked up again.

There was no way that was just a coincidence.

Mel had thought about what she would say to her friends once she arrived. It would be hard, but they needed to know that she couldn’t be around forever. They might not like the world that they now lived in, but it was their reality whether they wanted it or not.

You couldn’t ignore the way of the world just because it didn’t fit your desires. They would have to adapt, with or without her.

After they’re safely on the starting plateau, Mel told herself.

Once they were safe, she could free herself from guilt and worry. They had made their choice, and she was making hers. The least she could do was escort them safely to a place where they could defend themselves without her.

It had been a hard road to come to that conclusion. She still saw their shellshocked faces in the aftermath of the Bloodtide Covenant battle.

Somehow, I don’t see that breaking Heath.

Not that he wouldn’t be bothered, but she could tell he was made of sterner stuff. The adversity of the apocalypse revealed the core in each person. Some were cruel and power hungry like Warren, the wannabe overlord. Others were unable to endure the horrors that were before them, like her friends.

And yet, others found they were made of sterner stuff than even their wildest dreams.

Once again, she felt called to the Magi. She longed for the camaraderie amongst kindred spirits.

Mel arrived at the outskirts of the camp and slowed down. She dropped [Windstorm] so she didn’t burst into the camp scaring the shit out of everybody.

In more ways than one, Mel was a changed person from when she left several days ago.

As she pushed through the brush to reveal the pond, she wondered what sort of nonsense they were getting up to. Whatever it was, they were being quiet.

Her heart sank as she saw the still pond. She didn’t need to search around to know that this place had been abandoned. Perhaps for days.

She used [Gaze of the Serpent] to look for clues. Signs of blood, people hiding, anything.

The campfire was as cold as the ambient temperature. Her initial assessment of a few days seemed to be right. Beyond that, she couldn’t be sure.

Still, she circled the camp in a spiral, looking for clues. Several things were still left out. The drying racks stood cold without any food dangling, but if they had left for some reason, they wouldn’t have been able to bring them anyway.

Eventually, she found the note they left behind.

It didn’t look like it had been written in haste. Every squiggly letter was purposefully carved. She could tell Shane had carved most of it, but there were other notes from each of her friends.

They had left.

Without her.

Mel sighed and dropped into a seat, pulling the plank of wood–their farewell letter–into her lap to read and reread it.

“Everything I did…and they were already planning to leave?”

It wasn’t safe out there, and they were hardly skilled with their aspect powers. She had taught them as much as she knew, but as her memories came back, she realized just how little that had been.

She was torn.

On the one hand, she had already convinced herself that she was going to leave them once they were safe. Now, however, she didn’t know that they were safe.

They knew where the cave to the upper plateau was, but there had been monsters in some of those caves. Monsters that were pushovers for her, but maybe not for them.

You could just go, Mel told herself. Let Heath know you’re coming. He’d wait up for you. Probably even meet you halfway. You know how rare it is to find a partner in this chaos.

Or, another voice said, you could find the Magi. They’re here. You can feel it in your bones.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She could practically see that wolfish viking. An unusual sort of Magi if there ever was one, but they were all strange in their own way. It was what made them Magi.

A third and final option weighed on her heart. She could go after Sabrina and the others. Just to make sure they were safe. To put her fears to rest. Then she could leave unburdened.

She didn’t even have to say anything to them. It wouldn’t be hard to find them. They probably wouldn’t even know she’d been within a few feet.

Mel shook her head in wonderment. They had wanted to leave because they felt guilty about her staying to protect them. It was so ironic she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Her laughter was cut short when she heard a twig snap nearby. Somebody heard her laugh.

Or it’s just an animal, she thought to herself as she got up to investigate.

[Gaze of the Serpent] sparkled emerald in her eyes as she searched the surrounding woods and found a faint heat trail. She wasted no time following it.

As the seconds wore on, Mel became certain it was another person. They were too careful. Twigs and branches that might have been snapped by a fleeing animal were intact.

Whoever it was, knew that she was following them. Mel slowed down and paid closer attention to the clues left behind. They tried to double-back and change direction, but none of it mattered to her infravision.

Mel grew annoyed with the game and broke into a dead run.

When she caught sight of her quarry, the man bolted and ran away. Despite how careful he had been before, he broke nearly everything in his way this time, no longer attempting to hide his passage.

She hadn’t gotten a good look at his face, but Mel could easily imagine how terrifying being chased by somebody several times stronger than you might be.

Slowing down, Mel let the man get some distance. He led her straight to a hillside with some camping equipment out in front of what looked like an ancient barrow dug into the hill.

Mel’s infravision picked up two people hiding. One behind a cloth she guessed was green to blend into the foliage, another crouched low in the underbrush to her left as she broke through the trees.

Her hands immediately went up as the man spun and drew his bow on her. The fear she expected to see was completely absent.

Ah, an Archer.

As she took a few steps into the clearing, marking the other two easily, she thought back to the first time she had been outnumbered.

She was significantly stronger now. Even then, the Bloodtide had been cunning enough to have their people move into position.

These two clowns weren’t even moving.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Mel said. “I just have a few questions.”

“I’m asking the questions!” the Archer shouted, drawing the bow back further.

“Then ask them,” Mel prompted.

“Why did you follow me?”

“Because you were around my friends’ campsite.”

“Those were your friends?” he asked, recognition dawning on him.

Mel didn’t like the way he said that. She took a few steps forward, dropping her arms but stopping short of summoning her weapon. “What do you know?”

“I’m the one with the weapon! You’re surrounded. Put your hands back up.”

“No.”

The Archer came closer, his arm trembling slightly from the draw. “What do you mean, ‘no’? I’m the one with the weapon trained on you!”

Mel shrugged. “I don’t feel like it.”

“That doesn’t make sense! It’s three on one, you’re not going to get out of this just by acting like a badass.”

The others slowly came out of their hiding spots, all Archers with bows.

Tsk. Amateurs.

Mel nearly laughed. None of them were Copper. She guessed they might have had a full set of aspects between them.

At best.

“Tell me what you know,” Mel said sternly. “I’m not going to ask again.”

“Shoot this idiot, Kyle!” a woman shouted.

“Put your hands up or I’ll shoot,” Kyle told Mel.

Mel looked him straight in the eye. “Shoot me, then.”

Mel grinned as Kyle let his arrow fly. She was impressed with how improved her senses and reflexes were. It went beyond having Copper stats. Everything moved in perfect harmony as Mel didn’t shift from her spot, didn’t blink, as she snatched the arrow out of the air.

She snapped it in her fist and dropped it to the ground. “You’ll bleed for that, Kyle ,” Mel promised. She looked at the other two. “Just so you know. I only need one of you to tell me what I want to know. The first one who does has the best chances of walking out of here in one piece.”

“Uh, miss?” the third Archer called.

Mel turned to him as the woman began to slowly nock an arrow to her bowstring. She didn’t turn back as she said, “Girl, if you shoot me, I swear to all the Kindred that I will shove that arrow through your eye.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Mel saw the bowstring relax. She smiled at the man who spoke up. “Yes?”

“What…uh…what is your name?” he asked. The way his voice shook told her he feared the answer.

“Mel. Mel Harper.”

That had apparently been the wrong thing to say. Two of the Archers cursed. Kyle immediately nocked another arrow just as the woman fell to one knee and lined up a shot.

Mel moved first.

[Windstorm] rushed around her like a mini cyclone. She poured more mana into it as the arrows launched at her and were deflected away. She sprinted toward Kyle as he frantically grabbed another arrow from his quiver.

Mel snatched the arrow out of his hand and stabbed him in the chest with it. “I warned you,” she told him, pushing him over with one hand as he drowned in his own blood.

You defeat the [Stolst Gang Archer (Mundane Rank)].

You gain runes of Divine, Mist, Blood, Serpent, and Omen aspect experience.

You gain Battle points.

Another arrow, this one glowing red, pierced through the swirling winds and drew a line of blood across Mel’s cheek. She dropped to one knee and ripped out the arrow in the man’s chest.

The woman aimed again, her bow glowing brightly. Mel was in front of her before she could line up her shot.

Mel took the bloody arrow and stabbed it through her boot and into the ground. She snatched the woman’s bow from her hands and snapped it over her knee.

She pointed at the woman. “Stay. I’ll deal with you later.”

The third Archer made a break for it, but Mel wasn’t about to let him get away.