Jeremy felt the tension in the room increase tenfold with Cassie's departure. He had always known that Greg liked to run a tight ship, but he had never seen or even considered him disregarding someone else’s opinion, let alone Cassie’s. The entire situation was unnerving.

He looked around the room, but no one seemed to share his apprehension. Instead, they all stood there in silence. Jonah's expression remained unchanged, and Jeremy doubted if he was even following the conversation. Karl appeared to be lost in his own guilt, while Shelby and Gavin looked expectantly at the captain, waiting for further instructions.

Jeremy knew his own shock was visible on his face. His mouth hung slightly open, and he found himself unable to close it or form coherent thoughts as a whirlwind of questions consumed his mind. Why was Cassie so against Greg’s course of action? How dangerous was this new land? And how did Cassie know?

Jeremy also didn't completely understand the captain's logic. He knew that the secret had to be kept under a barrel, but Cassie had a point. How would anyone be able to confirm anything without an actual sighting? Surely the royal guard wouldn't prosecute them over a story. Someone had written about the creatures in a bestiary, after all.

It was in moments like this that Jeremy missed having Delia around. She was never afraid to ask any question that came to mind, no matter how foolish it may have seemed. Jeremy didn't care about appearing foolish either; he simply didn't know where to begin. He trusted Greg to make the right call, but Cassie was the doctor, and for as long as Jeremy knew her, she wasn't one to be concerned without merit. Greg, on the other hand… he let Jonah single-handedly fight a Kraken.

Breaking the silence of the room, Greg let out a deep sigh and sat down heavily on the nearest chair. "I know this isn't easy for any of us," he said. "But we have to do what's necessary to protect ourselves."

He nodded towards Jonah and the wide-open door left in the doctor's wake.

"I'm not sayin' this is the only course of action, but I don't see what else we can do," he continued as Jonah closed the door. "Not without puttin' a bigger bounty over all of our heads, at least. I just can’t risk everyone like that." He then gave out another resigned sigh and began muttering about being too old.

Gavin nodded, taking in the gravity of the situation. "I see your point Cap, but is there any way we can manage the risk without, you know, abandoning them?"

“Abandonin’ is a loaded word,” Greg said, before pausing, considering his words for a moment then shaking his head. "And not that I can see, I’m afraid. But I'm open to suggestions. I don’t like this any more than you do, you know.”

“It’s a difficult decision, but I trust your judgement, Cap,” Gavin said.

"Good," Greg replied, his tone heavy with weariness. Then he turned to face Jeremy.

Jeremy felt a weight settling in his stomach, and as the eyes of the room shifted to him — the second most senior member — he felt the ground below him shift into the sea itself.

“Jeremy?” the captain asked. “What about you?”

"I… I don’t know,” Jeremy hesitated.

Where should he start? What was the main problem with the plan? “I don't understand why Cass is saying Inia Telle is a death sentence," Jeremy said, his brain organising his swirling thoughts, "but I don't think that matters. What's the plan if they don't want to stay? Will you resort to actually killing them?" he asked, unable to keep the incredulity out of his voice.

"I'm not killin’ them," Greg snapped, flint returning to his voice. "Of course, I won’t kill them. I'm givin’ them a chance to make a choice. It's up to them whether they take it or not."

"And what choice is that?"

"The choice to leave and never speak of what happened to those who know no better," Greg replied.

"And if they refuse?" Jeremy pressed.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Then they become a liability," Greg said. "And we can't afford to have liabilities."

Jeremy felt a shiver run down his spine at the coldness in Greg's words. He had always known that Greg was the type of person who would do anything to protect his crew. He respected that about him, but to be willing to sacrifice the lives of some for the lives of others? He wouldn’t have done that if Delia had found out. Hades, she did find out! Greg had told her, and Jonah, and every member in this twice damned room. Why couldn’t he tell one or two more?

Cassie was right. This was going too far.

Jeremy took in a deep breath before locking eyes with Greg. “That is not answering the question, Captain,” Jeremy said. “What happens if they don’t want to stay?”

The captain's face hardened at the question, and Jeremy could see the discomfort in his eyes. It was clear that this was not a scenario Greg had wanted to entertain.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Greg answered, his voice tight. "But make no mistake, Jeremy. This is not the outcome I want. If you have a better plan, tell me now, boy."

Jeremy could sense the weight of responsibility bearing down on the captain. He wanted to say he had another idea. That it didn’t need to be this way. But his mind was blank, and the words wouldn't come. Instead, he could only feel his own burden for being complicit in the plan.

"I don't like this," Jeremy said quietly. "It feels wrong."

"I understan' that. Honestly, I do. But it's not about what feels right or wrong," Greg said. "It's about survival. We're not playin’ games here, Jeremy. We're not in it for the adventure or the thrill."

"Survival doesn't have to come at the cost of someone else's life," Jeremy said.

"Sometimes it does," Greg replied, a hint of sadness in his voice, “but that's not the point. You make it sound like I’m going to kill them. Listen to me, and listen to me carefully. Don't go and just hear what you want to hear, alright?"

He waited patiently for the group to nod before continuing. "Inia Telle is dangerous. I accept that. I've told you this. And I remind you of it now and I will remind you of it again. Without a clan, a tribe, a house, without someone awakened lookin' over your shoulder, Cass is right. Livin' there would be tough. But I'm not going to be abandonin' anyone. They will be with Jonah. I'll make sure there's a support network for whoever is left behind. They will have shelter and provisions. And most of all, they will be kept safe. It's the best way movin' forward," he said, meeting every person's eye.

The room fell silent again, and Jeremy could feel the weight of the decision hanging heavy over them. He knew he couldn't stand by and watch as Greg forced random members of the crew to stay in a foreign land devoid of any link to them. A land that harboured monsters from mythology that would step on them without even acknowledging their lives. A land where monsters like the Kraken or Sirens lived. And all that, without them even knowing? They deserved to know, at the very least.

He opened his mouth to speak but the door to the room burst open and Delia ran in breathlessly. "What if we're wrong?!" she said from the doorway, and Jeremy turned to see her standing there with her eyes red-rimmed from crying.

Did Cassie send her?

"What do you mean?" Greg asked.

"What if they won’t say anything?" Delia said. "What if we're just overreacting?"

The captain let out a weary sigh. "Del, get inside," he ordered, gesturing toward the door. "And close it behind you."

Del complied, stepping obediently through the doorway and pulling the door shut with a soft thud. She leaned her weight against it, and Jeremy could see a wave of exhaustion wash over her.

"Thank you,” Greg said. “As for whether they won’t say anything… I’m sorry Del, but I can't take that risk."

"But what if we're wrong?" Delia persisted. "You’d banish them for no reason?"

Greg stood up from his seat, frustration leaking onto his face. "I'm not going to argue with you, Delia. The decision has been made. I’m not banishin’ them or killin’ them. I am simply givin’ them the choice to go with you and Jonah. Or to stay at Inia Telle amongst a house," he said firmly. “Unless you have a better idea?”

"The oath. Let them take the oath,” she said.

“That is the same thing as what I'm saying,” Greg said. “But they’ll need to go with you and Jonah to the guild for that.”

“But the…” Delia trailed off, confusion flashing across her face and the room stilled again as the occupants took in the thought. If the issue was the crew accidentally saying things to the citizens of Askern, and attracting the guards, then surely the group taking the oath would solve the problem. If it were magical, as Greg had said earlier, then it could bind them from speaking out, right?

It seemed like the most reasonable suggestion. But if that was what Greg was saying, why was Cassie so against it? Well, she stormed out before hearing his full plan. But something didn't sit right with Jeremy. The captain hadn’t mentioned the oath till now. And Greg intended to leave Jonah behind, so if any of the crew went with him, they would be left behind too. If that wasn't the case, then the captain would have said they would all stay and wait for the members to join the guild.

Greg was manipulating them. He was going to leave them there.