Tham hadn’t spoken a word about him leaving to anyone but Kayden. He knew he had to. The entirety of his plan depended on making the others follow him to battle. But he hadn’t.

Ever since leaving the village, Tham had had one goal. To save his father, his friends, and the rest of the village. Even so, he’d been so caught up in the back-and-forth of adventure that he’d been losing sight of what the point of everything was. He had set out to save his village. He couldn’t let the journey become too long. He couldn’t let it become too late. And so he’d already made his choice. He was not running anymore.

But what about the friends he’d made along the way? Was he willing to risk losing them because of his quest?

Yes, Tham thought as the sun started to set, the day after his conversation with Kayden. With each passing day his fellow villagers drew closer to death. He couldn’t allow that to continue.

Tham grabbed his backpack full of provisions after some probing. His Echosense was working. He couldn’t feel as much as he used to see, but it’d have to do. The others would all be doing miscellaneous jobs around the base, so he grabbed his cane and his dagger, and started moving through where he could feel the air was lighter, out of their living quarters. But as he did, a voice called out to him from a side.

“Tham!”

It was the Mimicker, hanging from a sword stand.

Tham winced. “Hey.”

“You’re leaving,” the Mimicker guessed. “Aren’t you?”

“I am,” Tham nodded with pursed lips. “Don’t try to stop me.”

“I won’t,” the Mimicker said. “I can feel your determination. So I’ll just say one thing! …Thank you. Thank you for helping me and for letting me help you. You are a good friend, Tham.”

Tham smiled slightly. “Thanks to you, Mimicker. See you.”

With that, he left to the exterior platforms. Now he just had to get down from Kaijin Base.

Tham remembered thinking once, long ago, whether he’d ever be strong enough to do what he had to do. He still didn’t have the answer. And there was only one way to find out.

He stepped to the edge of the platform, and leaning forward, he let himself fall.

Tham knew he wouldn’t be able to save his fellow villagers if he couldn’t save himself.

As the wind and gravity threatened to rip his body apart, as the ground approached faster than Tham could notice it, one thought crossed his mind.

Is my dad still a carpenter in the prison camp?

Was his dad still who he used to be?

I’ll fight my life away to make sure he is.

A massively dense surface. He could feel it approaching now. A fraction of a second too late and he’d slam against the ground. A fraction of a centimeter too far and he’d bury himself in the rock.

Tham Spacebent.

Just above the surface. The transportation stopped his momentum. And he hit the ground in a crouch.

Alive.

– – –

He left.

The Mimicker had acted lowkey, but it couldn’t believe it.

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Tham left.

It couldn’t move. It wanted to warn the others, but what could a sword do?

Tham along with Kayden had been the first friends the Mimicker had ever had.

He’s going to die.

The Mimicker knew Tham wouldn’t make it anywhere by himself. And he wasn’t about to lose his friend anytime soon.

So he shouted. He called the others. He screamed. But no one could hear him.

“Kayden! Kayden!!” it exclaimed time after time, getting desperate. “We gotta help Tham! Haroken! Merdilen! Hassah! Someone! We gotta save Tham!”

The Mimicker shouted, and shouted, and shouted.

– – –

“What do you mean he left?” Hassah asked.

Kayden winced as they assembled in a side meeting room.

“He left, Hassah,” Kayden started, “because he trusts us. He trusts that we will fight alongside him.”

“What are we waiting for, then?” Merdilen asked, arms folded.

“The thing is…” Kayden said, his voice flickering. “It we leave now, we will lose the chance of fighting alongside the Libertatum Brotherhood. They will regard us as traitors. We’ll also have lost the book Bakor gave me –it’s in custody in a safe room right now. We’ll be back in square one. But, if we don’t… Tham will die.”

“Kayden…” Merdilen muttered.

Kayden grabbed his head in his hands. “I didn’t think he’d actually do it. I… I don’t know what to do. I should have–”

Hassah slapped him hard. Kayden looked up at her with pain in his eyes.

“Look, Kayden,” Hassah said. “I haven’t known any of you for long. But from what I’ve realized… We’re a team! We’re the Skyguard! We care for each other. Tham has told me all about you, Kayden. How you stood up to fight again because of him and his village. How you saved him from the wolves, so long ago, even if it meant risking your life. How you’ve laughed with him, and you’ve cried with him. Kayden. He’s like a brother to you, and you know it.” Her voice broke. “Will you not fight for your friends?”

“It doesn’t matter whether others help us or not,” Merdilen said in a low voice. “None of it will matter if we let one of our own die. If there was one thing I noticed of you guys at first glance… it’s that you’re willing to fight for your friends.”

Kayden slowly stood up straight while looking at the ground. Hassah could see him clenching his fists.

“Tham…” Kayden started. “Tham is tired of running.” He looked up at them with determination in his eyes. “And so are we.”

– – –

The Mimicker kept shouting, its voice trembling.

No one could hear it there. Would Tham really be left by himself? The Mimicker wanted to help so badly. But, right then and there… it could do nothing.

The door to the living quarters, closed for the night, slammed open.

Kayden, Hassah, and Merdilen entered the room with determination in their eyes.

“Mimicker!” Kayden called out. “We’re going. Our brother needs our help.”

The Mimicker would’ve cried had it had eyes.

“Guys…” it whispered.

Kayden took it and sheathed it behind its back.

“You okay back there, Mimicker?” he asked.

“Yes!” the Mimicker exclaimed. “Let’s go save Tham.”

– – –

Haroken saw Tham while he fell.

The old wingless dragon wanted to jump down as well. He wanted to help the boy so badly. But he feared. What if something went wrong? What would he do? Maybe Tham had been kicked out, maybe he’d wanted to quit, maybe…

He didn’t know what to do. Where had his honor gone? Had his wounds really cut through his heart?

“But they didn’t give up on me,” Haroken said out loud with a wince.

He could hear steps behind him.

“Yeah,” Kayden declared. Haroken turned to look at him. “We don’t give up.”

Kayden, the Mimicker, Hassah, and Merdilen were behind him on his lower platform.

“We know you’re still wounded,” Kayden said. “But, Haroken… we need you one more time.”

Haroken breathed in deeply, and then nodded. “Let’s go save Tham.”

“Right,” Kayden said. “We’re all together in this one. Let’s go.”

THE END OF PART TWO