[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
Mikko and I tiptoe along, balancing on branches only as wide as my shoulders. Tiny, brilliant butterflies flit about. They remind me of fireflies, but with bigger, more vibrant wings. Winking in and out behind the leaves, they’re just one more reminder that there’s an entire ecosystem in here that doesn’t usually exist in a normal Rift—aside from the monsters, of course.
We’re higher up in the canopy now, picking our way back toward the team after spying out the keep. It’s a slow, silent retreat to reach the spot where we left the team guarding our gear, but my mind is abuzz with the implications of what we just saw.
We drop down from the branch above the rest of the team, landing on a wide limb with enough room for all of us to stand side by side. One look at our solemn expressions is enough to make them scramble to their feet and reach for their weapons, but I hold up a hand to stop them from going on the warpath just yet.
“Looks like [Lord] Dimitri is part of things,” I say, and launch into an explanation of what we saw while scouting out the keep. I’m close enough now to the Rift core that I don’t dare risk using my [Arcane Domain] again, so we have to settle for more old-fashioned methods of reconnaissance. I still don't understand exactly what a Domain is, let alone what the implications are for testing the Skill near an entity that can sense me, but I’m fairly confident that triggering the effects here is a bad idea.
“So what’s the plan?” Avelina asks me with more excitement than I expected. “Are we going to fight our way in?”
“So bloodthirsty,” I say with a shake of my head. “No, we’re not going to kill anyone until we have an idea of what’s going on.”
Avelina lifts her hand up. Flames pool in her cupped palm. “That [Lord] is no good. I’m telling you, this entire situation stinks worse than rotten fish. No one back in the city would be in danger from attacks if he took care of this situation the right way. He created the problem; we should solve it.”
“You’re probably right, Ava,” I admit, although the resolute violence on her face is more than a little unsettling. “That still doesn’t mean that we can murder the [Guards] without any further information. If they did something wrong, then we can try them in the court of law, along with [Lord] Dimitri. He won’t get away with this forever.”
“What do you suggest?” Melina asks.
“Good question. I’m sure that my friends in the [Inquisitors] will be extremely interested in this situation. Calling them in will probably earn us some goodwill, to be honest.”
Avelina’s shoulders slump. “Boring!”
“Practical,” Melina says. She slides a slim, leather-bound notebook back into her pack, straightens the straps, and gives me a nod. “I don’t fancy bringing down an entire garrison on our heads. We’ll never make it to the Menders at this rate.”
“Agreed. I’ve had enough running away to last me two lifetimes. Hey, look at the bright side! At least we’ll have an exciting story to tell when we get out,” I say. “Think of poor Rakesh. He’s probably bored to tears out there, waiting for us back at the inn with nothing to do.”
“Something tells me that he’s probably holed up in that big library, having so much fun reading that he forgot to eat,” Mikko says, pretending to flip pages in an imaginary book. “He’s having the time of his life, guaranteed.”
“Don’t be too sure,” Melina retorts. “If I know Rakesh, he’s too curious for his own good. Ezio and Nuri are a bad influence on him.”
“Hey!” I protest.
Melina gives me a prim look. “It’s true, Nuri. You have a knack for throwing caution to the wind. He’s not as resilient as you are, but he’s also missing a certain sense of, well, let’s call it decorum. You have enough self-preservation instincts to know when to be diplomatic. Rakesh is more forthright.”
Mikko scratches his jaw, nodding along slowly. “Got a point there, Mel. For someone who thinks for a living, he doesn’t do a great job thinking through the consequences of his words and actions sometimes. Maybe we should get back to check on him.”
“Rakesh is fine,” I cut in, more harshly than I intend. “Let’s focus on the task at hand. We should chart out the [Guards]’ rotation. Once we know where and when they patrol, we can find a way to slip through the gaps.”
“And the monsters?” Avelina asks. She grows surprisingly solemn. “We can’t leave them alive, Nuri. I know you’re worried about tipping off the [Guards] to our presence, but who knows what we’ll encounter inside. If we’re leaving in a hurry, and then have to fight off a big pack of beasts to escape, things could get messy.”
“Well said, sister,” Melina says, stepping up to hook her arm through Avelina’s. “I could try to lure them away, or we could drag off the bodies. I’m not sure how attentive the [Guards] are, but from what Nuri said, they may not be interested in the monsters.”
“Guess I better take things seriously if you two are in alignment,” I say, cracking a smile at the twins. They’re such studies in opposites, teasing each other relentlessly, yet whenever a real threat emerges, they always close ranks. I admire that about them.
“Don’t you think that the [Guards] will be suspicious if the lizards all leave to investigate a disturbance?” Lionel says, piping up finally. He’s been remarkably silent since we fled from the pack of bloodhounds, staying far away from the edge and looking strangely sallow, even though it was his idea to climb into the trees.
“Yes, if they all rush off at once,” Melina says, conceding the point readily. Experience has taught me that if she’s willing to admit something, it’s usually because she has another idea ready to go. Sure enough, she smiles at us, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and lays out a potential plan.
“The secret is pulling them away a few at a time, so that it appears natural. If they all go at once, it’s strange. If they meander off over the course of an hour, then no one will likely care. They’re just monsters, after all.”
“Fair enough, but how?”
“Luckily for you, Nuri, I checked the remaining corpses for beast cores while you were incapacitated. I didn’t find anything worth mentioning earlier, but I did slice open their stomachs while I had the scales and flesh peeled back.”
“Ew! Why, sis?” Avelina asks.
I screw up my face in distaste, copying Avelina’s expression. “That’s a great question. I take it you had a reason?”
Melina shrugs. “Call it professional curiosity. I’ve been trying to learn more about Rifts since our encounter with that flaming ursine. Monster physiology isn’t well understood or widely documented. So, I’ve been keeping notes.”
“You want to publish a field guide?” I ask, intrigued by her enthusiasm for the subject. “I suppose Rakesh could sponsor you, since you lack credentials. No offense.”
“None taken! I agree with you. And, yes, he and I have been talking about a joint project of sorts. The extant bestiaries are limited in scope. But that’s not the point right now. As you just said, let’s focus on the task at hand: luring away monsters.”
Abruptly, I snap my fingers as the rosy dawn of understanding dawns on the nightscape of my ignorance. “Ah! I get it. You found out what they like to eat?”
“Got it in one, Nuri. Well done!”
I grin, glad that my mind is finally starting to feel more facile again after the strain of using my [Arcane Domain]. “I assume it’s not a rare item, or else we’d spend hours scouring the jungle for delicacies. But if it’s not hard to find, then are you certain it will be alluring enough?”
“Only one way to find out,” Melina responds. “But, yes. I’m quite confident.”
“You make them sound like normal animals instead of savage beasts,” Lionel says, his eyebrows raised in doubt. He hunches his narrow shoulders. “I’d feel better if we just took them out one at a time and dragged the bodies into corners. Shadows should cover them. Trust me, [Guards] never pay attention to whatever’s hidden in the shadows.”
“We’ll probably adopt that strategy if we can’t pull away all the monsters, but let’s try out Mel’s idea first. Having a backup plan is smart, but this is our strongest option,” I say, deciding on our course of action.
I half expect pushback to making an executive decision, but everyone nods and looks to Melina for follow up. It’s gratifying how they’ve accepted my leadership. I hope that I continue to prove worthy of their trust.
“Do you see these little purple berries?” Melina says, plucking one of the glistening, deep purple treats off a nearby branch and passing it around. “Memorize this: they grow in the shade, under trefoil leaves, and seem to be in season. There are few of them on the ground, which at first I thought was odd since they detach with barely a touch, but clearly those armored lizards have been eating them. Let’s collect as many as we can to start.”
Mikko coughs into his fist.
“Yes?” Melina asks him.
“Uh, what does ‘trefoil’ mean?”
Avelina bursts out laughing. “I’m glad someone asked. I was confused, too. Mel’s got a big ole brain, but sometimes she forgets we’re not quite on her level.”
“It just means three of them in a specific pattern,” Lionel says, shaking his head at his friends with an exaggerated expression of sadness on his face. “I thought everyone knew that, but your education seems lacking.”
“Ooh, Lio actually knows the answer for once. I’m impressed! Just one question: where was that all during school growing up?” Mikko says, winking at the [Healer].
Lionel places his hand over his heart. “I regret to inform you that my [Healing Touch] doesn’t work on verbal burns. You’ve mortally wounded me, Ko.”
I chuckle, then stride over to a clump of leaves on the far side of the branch to check it for berries. “All right, all right. Let’s get to work. If you’re not sure the berries are ripe, then get them anyway, and bring them back to Mel for the final word. Oh, and whoever gets the most will earn a bonus.”
My friends instantly scatter, each scrambling to a different branch to look for berries. I have no clue what I’ll pay out as a bonus, but that hardly seems to matter. The promise of a win is enough for everyone to search with determination.
Joke’s on them. I’m going to win.
=+=
We re-assemble about an hour later, our packs and pockets fit to bursting with berries in various states of ripeness. At Melina’s recommendation, I tried to avoid any berries that looked green or white. According to her—I have no idea how she figured it out, but she’s usually right about this sort of thing—the berries start off pale and darken over time into a pleasant, plum-like shade of deep purple. I can’t always tell, so I just poke them to see if they’re slightly soft, which probably means they’re ripe. Even so, I’m uncertain if all of the berries are suitable for our plan.
“Keep your piles separate!” Melina hollers. “I can’t certify a winner if your berries aren’t clearly in your own pile.”
I sit back against the enormous, crystalline tree trunk and rub my forehead. “Me and my big mouth,” I mutter. “I just had to promise a prize to the winner.”
“Not gonna go back on your word, are you?” Mikko says, flopping down next to me. “I worked way too hard to find out it was all a ploy to get us moving.”
“. . . no, Lionel! You can’t count the ones you ate,” Melina snaps, berating our [Healer] for his trickery. “We need to count how many we each found. No claiming that you got another fifty percent that aren’t visible.”
Mikko and I chuckle at the familiar scene, and I finally take pity on Melina and rejoin the festivities. “Well, squabbling over what counts as ripeness is not exactly how I envisioned our first Rift excursion turning out.”
Melina puts her hands on her hips. “We wouldn’t have to argue if everyone paid attention to my clear and repeated instructions about what qualifies as ripe.”
“I listened!” I insist.
“I know. That’s why you won. The rest had more, but half of their berries were unusable. So, that leaves you.”
“What is this, the county faire? Who made Melina the judge?” Mikko protests, shaking his fist at our [Gaffer] in mock anger when he comes in last. “Nuri, you’ve gotta be cheating! Did you pay Mel off? There’s no way that Mighty Mikko could ever lose!”
“I’m shocked to discover that you ignored the rules, O Mighty Mikko,” I reply, grinning at my brother. “While we prepare the lures, why don’t you and Lio write down the movements and times for the [Guard] patrols?”
Mikko shoulders his glass hammer. “Fine. I’ll do it, even if it’s punishment for coming in last.”
“No punishment. Just figured you’re suited for the job. Now scram,” I reply to Mikko, prompting the two biggest jokesters in our group to go make themselves useful.
“Sounds boring, but I can see why you’d want a security expert on the job,” Lionel says. “I am the best at sneaking.”
“Probably should have sent you in the first place,” I say agreeably as I wrap berries in a long, flexible leaf, not looking up from the work in front of me. “This will probably take an hour or two, so no need to rush.”
“Oh, we won’t,” Mikko says. “I’m not exactly keen on getting on to the next stage. Hitting a monster is one thing; fighting against people isn’t what I signed up for.”
“I’m with you,” I assure my brother. “If all goes well, then we won’t have to fight. Better to take our preparations slow and steady now, so that we’re not caught unawares later. We want to infiltrate bloodlessly, if possible, and document what’s happening inside that strange echo of the keep. If we can destroy the core, that’s a bonus.”
“You can count on us, Boss,” Lionel says with a salute and a smirk. He knows how much I hate the nickname, which means I’ll never be free of it, so I roll my eyes at the title, just for his benefit. He chuckles as the two of them saunter off to scout the old keep further.
“Sure that’s smart idea?” Melina asks me in a low tone. “From what you’ve told us, Rifts tend to unravel after they lose their cores.”
I frown, pausing from mashing up berries and binding them in leafy poultice. “You think the guards won’t make it out in time?”
“Tantamount to murder, don’t you think? Doesn’t matter if we burn them, stab them, or strand them in a collapsing dimensional space,” Melina replies after a while, chewing her bottom lip in thought. “In fact, stabbing might be a mercy in comparison.”
“Burning isn’t,” Avelina says. Fire plays across her hands. “It’s a nasty way to go. I don’t feel bad for the monsters, but you’ve got a point. For all my bravado earlier, I’m not sure that I can stomach killing people. Melting skin and hearing bones crack under the heat and pressure is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“Then let’s make sure we sneak by them without tipping off the [Guards] to our presence. As for the Rift core: I’ll think about it. Closing down the source of monster incursions in the area seems like a no-brainer, but we’d also be destroying evidence, and maybe killing off the people.”
Melina folds up another pack of berries, expertly folding the ends of a leaf and tucking it into itself to make a package of monster bait. “Hmm. I’d rather you leave this place be, Nuri. It’s not as important as potential murder, but the amount of plant and animal life in here is far from insignificant. Doesn’t it make the world a poorer place to destroy it?”
“I hear you, Mel. I do. But what’s the worth of a thousand beautiful butterflies compared with a single child attacked by monsters?”
“Life’s not an equation,” Melina says. She tucks her legs underneath her and sits back on her heels. “I know, that’s strange coming from me, isn’t it? I’m all about rules and math and making sense of this strange world we inhabit. But why do we always pose theoreticals as two things pitted against each other? Can’t we think more creatively—live more creatively? There’s got to be a more attractive solution than mere equity.”
“What’s wrong with fairness?” Avelina interjects. “Some deserve to live, some deserve to die. Even if I don’t want to do it myself, I’ve got no problem with that delinquent [Lord] getting his just desserts. He’s terrorizing a region that he’s supposed to protect.”
“That still eats at me. Why’s he doing that? What does he possibly stand to gain from the arrangement? Locking down his citizens can’t be good for business, or for Mahkaiaraon’s larger reputation in Densmore.”
Melina sets aside the folded leaf lure. She starts on another one, working steadily with her hands while her mind is engaged. “I hear you, Ava. Sometimes, people forfeit their lives. But that’s for the law to decide, as Nuri said. Stil, while the monsters are a constant threat, while the [Lord] oppresses the region, then trade caravans are unable to enter the territory bearing food and supplies, which leads to famine and suffering. That’s the opposite of what a good ruler ought to be doing.”
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
“We’ll hold off making any decisions for now,” I say. “I bet Nala and Uchenna would be willing to organize a schedule to watch the portal, anyway. We could set up a patrol rotation and keep monsters from breaking free while we figure out the rest of this tangled-up situation.”
“Hey, Nuri, know how I like to undo knots?” Avelina asks innocently.
“Burning them,” I reply, my voice flat.
“You’re no fun!”
Melina finishes another lure, which means she’s outpacing Avelina and I put together. She always did excel at steady industry. I should try to become more like her. “Nala already said that she lacked the strength to deal with the monster incursions herself. Why do you think that she’d be suitable for a potential posting as a watcher, Nuri?”
“I’ll make them weapons,” I say, a note of fierce defiance slipping into my voice. “With the right tools, they can handle whatever comes through the portal.”
“Assuming we take care of the [Guards] who are in on the scheme,” Melina replies more cautiously. Her brows knit together. “There’s something else going on. We’re missing something, Nuri. It’s bothering me.”
I pin a leaf in place with my left forearm, fold the end of it over with my hand, and nod at Melina. “Same here. But don’t take on the burden solo. Rakesh is investigating. He’s got more access and analysis abilities, anyway.”
“I just wish I could do more,” Melina breathes out, staring at the pile of monster lures in front of her with such vehemence that I almost expect them to burst into flames. Avelina isn’t the only one of the twins with smoldering intensity.
“Hey, none of that! We’re doing more than anyone else. We’re in a Rift, risking our lives just to fix things. You’re an integral part of the team, so stop with the foolishness.”
“See, Mel?” Avelina says, piling on her sister. “I’m not the only one who thinks you’re too focused on what you lack instead of what you have. Without you, we wouldn’t have made it this far. We wouldn’t have a plan of attack. And we certainly wouldn’t know what ‘trefoil’ means!”
I snort, failing to hold back laughter, and Melina reluctantly joins in. “Avelina always gets right down to the heart of things, huh? Trefoil is definitely the important takeaway from this talk.”
“She’s got a rare talent for understanding what’s important,” Melina agrees with a laugh. She presses on her lower back, wincing as her spine pops, and stands up.“All right, that’s the last of the lures. Let’s check in on the boys, shall we?”
I chuckle. “Good call. Who knows what kind of trouble they’re getting into unsupervised? I almost expect to find that they’ve burned down half the keep without us.”
Avelina sniffs. “Hey! That’s my job. If they burn things without me, I’m gonna be upset. All I got to do is stain my hands purple.”
“At least it’s your hands, and not your face, like Lionel,” Melina says primly. “That greedy guts ate more berries than the lizards ever will. It’ll serve him right if he gets a tummy ache.”
“Good thing he’s a [Healer],” I quip. “All right. Pack it up, Linas. Let’s collect the boys and lure away the monsters.”
=+=
Lionel waves at us when we emerge from the thick leaves, joining him and Mikko on the edge of the treeline overlooking the old keep. He’s practically vibrating with excitement, which makes me simultaneously proud and nervous. Who knows what he’ll come up with this time.
“I think I recognize a pattern!”
“Oh?” Mikko says, turning and quirking an eyebrow at Lionel’s enthusiastic declaration. “Is that pattern sitting on their butts and guzzling down ale, by any chance? Because that’s all I’ve seen so far.”
“Pfft. This is why you send an expert,” Lionel says dismissively, waving off Mikko. “Ignore his sour words. He’s just upset that he wasted all this time. With me here, he’s totally redundant. No, that’s not quite right; that would imply he’s my backup. Nah, Mikko is useless at this kind of work. Thankfully, you have me.”
Mikko stifles a snicker. “Not wrong, buddy. I have no idea what I’m looking at. Explain it to the rest of us?”
“With pleasure! Gather ‘round, folks.” Lionel pauses dramatically, waiting for us to cluster close by and give him our attention. He nods in satisfaction. “Good. Good. Now listen up. This is only one group of three. They’re not moving for another two hours, but then they’ll turn in for the ‘night’ and get some sleep, even though the sun never changes. The next patrol will relieve the current [Guards], but they’ll only move one quadrant over, where they can see the other side of the forest but still keep an eye on the gateway, too.”
“You’re making this up,” Mikko accuses, chuckling quietly. He shakes his big head. “How in the abyss do you come up with that kind of detail just from watching them shoot the breeze and sit around scratching their butts?”
“It’s a gift,” Lionel replies loftily.
“So, you are guessing,” Melina says. She folds her arms and gives him a flat stare. “Are you teasing us, Lionel? This isn’t the time for jokes.”
“C’mon, Mel! I thought that you, of all people, could appreciate some fine investigative work. Don’t you love obscure stuff?”
“I do,” Melina replies hesitantly, as though she’s expecting a trap at any moment. “But if what Mikko says is correct, then they’ve just sat around doing nothing. You can’t extrapolate additional data points if you only have a single one to begin with.”
“Right, you need at least two, and preferably three,” Lionel replies. “What? Don’t give me that look! I paid attention in school. Well, sometimes.”
“Now I’m intrigued,” I say. “What have you noticed? I believe you, but I’m curious to know what you picked up on that the rest of us missed.”
“Pee stations,” Lionel says triumphantly.
Melina groans, burying her face in her hands. “You really aren’t joking, are you? I almost preferred it when I thought you were making stuff up.”
“And you doubted me,” Lionel says, shaking his head reproachfully. “Once I saw that the [Guards] all did their business in the same place that they discard their snacks—apple cores, cheese rinds, and so on—I tried looking around the rest of the keep for similar trash piles. And what did I find?”
“Only one other pile,” Melina says. She taps her index finger to her pursed lips. “That’s a surprisingly clever way of figuring out where they set up their stations. I’ll admit that I didn’t think of that at all until you brought it up. But how does that lead you to such confidence about the time of their shift swap?”
“Mysteries of the universe.”
“Lio!” Melina hisses.
Lionel smirks. “Let me have my fun, Mel. It’s not often that I get to stump you. Mikko, are you sure you didn’t notice?”
My brother frowns. “Unfortunately, no.I did notice that the leader kept checking a pocket watch. But how could you see from this far away? None of your Skills are vision-related.”
“You’re not wrong. None of my glass-related Skills help me here. A full telescope would be nice, instead of just this eyepiece, but I’d need to have a ton of glass available. I’m not like Nuri, transforming things at a touch of his magic hand,” Lionel says with a soft snicker.
“Your [Healer] class is about restoring the body,” I muse. “Maybe you have a new Skill that augments you instead?”
“No, but that would be awesome. Now I know what I want for my fourth Skill,” Lionel says, a wistful expression on his face.
I don’t tell him that I’ve continued to look into synthetic Skills based on Scalpel’s notes. No point in getting his hopes up if I’m not able to deliver on my claims. Still, I add it to my ever growing to do list. Maybe when we finally reach the Menders—assuming we survive this Rift and unravel the mystery surrounding [Lord] Dimitri—I can surveil some of the higher-Threshold [Healers] and glean inspiration from their core spaces.
“You’re killing me, Lio,” Avelina bursts out. She looks annoyed, but she has the presence of mind to keep her voice down. None of us want to alert the [Guards] to our hiding spot.
“Sorry, sorry! It’s just so fun to be the one to notice these things. Usually it’s Melina with her booksmarts, or Nuri with his lucky bits of magical insight. He’s like a golden child.”
“That’s me. The universe’s golden child,” I deadpan, holding up what's left of my arm. “Must be why my core is so advanced and I have so many awesome Skills.”
“You’re destroying my fun,” Lionel says with an exaggerated sigh. “Look. It’s actually simple. See the [Guard] closest to us? He’s got a stick lying next to him on the low stone wall. It’s got the secret.”
Melina squints, peering furiously at the stick that Lionel pointed out. "Can't quite make it out, to be honest."
"Try this eyepiece," Lionel offers.
Melina borrows the small monocle, squinting so she can see better. I'm not sure what the answer to the mystery is, but I can tell that she’s going to slam against this mental wall face-first until it cracks under the pressure. There’s no way that she’ll give up and admit that she needs Lionel to spell things out for her. Sure enough, a few moments later, she pumps her fist.
Lionel grins. “You got it?”
“Of course! He’s notching cuts into it with his boot knife. We’re so far away that they look tiny. I barely noticed at first, but the ones lower down the stick are already dried out. The ones at the top are still green, which means they’re fairly fresh. Six marks. I’ll bet that you saw two new notches in the hour and a half you’ve been out here: one just after you arrived, and the second a little before we joined you.”
“I still don’t get it,” I admit.
“Don’t feel bad, my scrawny brother. Me neither,” Mikko says cheerfully. “But as long as Mel says it’s legitimate, then we can rest easy knowing that Lionel isn’t making things up.”
“Oh! He’s just tracking how many hours into an eight-hour patrol they are,” Avelina says, bobbing her head. “Great catch, Lionel. And nicely done, Melina. You’re as clever as ever. Good work, you two.”
“Huh. Observant,” I say, more than a little ashamed that I didn’t notice it sooner. “It’s all so clear in retrospect—just like most mysteries, I guess. Knowing which clues to look for makes a huge difference, doesn’t it?”
“I’m impressed,” Melina says, tilting her head and giving Lionel an appraising look. “You have a talent for this sort of thing, Lionel. I didn’t know you were so good at reconnoitering. You should handle all of our scouting and investigative work in the future.”
Lionel shrugs. “Nah, it’s still better to have a team. We all bring different perspectives. I just got lucky this time.”
“You’re still assuming they work normal hours. What if they stay out here for ten hours? Twelve? We probably shouldn’t count on the shift change.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about that. Seems to me like we can just approach from the opposite side of the Keep,” Mikko says. “I’m not sure they’re keeping a very close eye on things, to be honest.”
Lionel cracks his knuckles. He’s staring into the distance, watching the side of the old keep without any [Guards], past the roving band of armored lizards. “Nuri, did you happen to see another entrance when you were mapping things out?”
“No, but we could probably climb up to a window. If the lures work, then we’ll be able to get past the monsters without raising the alarm. Shouldn’t be too much work to clamber up the stones. Maybe Mikko can haul us all up with a rope again.”
“Nuh uh. You’re too fat, bro.”
I poke Mikko in the chest. “Didn’t you just call me scrawny a minute ago? Make up your mind!”
He swats my hand away before I can jab him in the ribcage again. “I did make up my mind. That’s why the answer’s no.”
“Quiet, you two,” Melina admonishes. “We’re too close to the [Guards] for that kind of teasing.”
I smile sheepishly at my brother. “She’s right. Sorry. Time to get serious. I can probably climb up under my own power. The stones in the wall don’t look like they’re very smooth, so it should be about like climbing a ladder. Only one way to find out, though. Let’s deploy some bait and clear out the monsters.”
“I’ll stick with you just in case you’re about to fall,” Mikko says. “You know I’ll always help you out, Nuri. You’re too frail to fend for yourself, anyway.”
“Love you too, ya lunkhead.”
We fall silent after our last barbs back and forth, and retreat into the leafy canopy to stay hidden. Mikko lowers us all down to the forest floor on the rope, then hops down, relying on his strength and durability to handle the thirty-foot fall. As one, we turn and sneak toward the maze of outer walls as we prepare to infiltrate the Old Keep.
=+=
Most Classes and professions make sense to me on some level. On a purely intellectual level, I understand the utility of a high-ranking [Rancher] who can provide beef to the city, or perhaps an [Exterminator] who can take care of pests and weaker monster infestations. But if I’ve learned anything about myself today, it’s this: I hate working with animals.
Inching forward on my belly, I stop at the closest intersection of broken-down stone walls and listen, signaling for silence so I can hear. Heavy claws scratch against rocks up to our right, accompanied by the huff of noxious breath and the occasional clank of metallic scales scraping up against other scales as they headbutt each other and jostle for supremacy.
I fish out a lure, tied to a slender bit of cord, and unfold a flap of leaf. With a quick jab, I crush a few of the vibrant, deep-purple berries. A sweet, pungent scent fills the air. I toss it past the corner, throwing as gently as I can so that it doesn’t make much noise, and shimmy back as quickly as I can.
The rattling of neck spines and an angry hiss tells me that they noticed the bait. Two of the armored lizards are posturing, prepared to fight each other for the delicacy that suddenly appeared in their midst. After luring away over half a dozen of them into the jungle already, I’m well acquainted with the process.
I still don’t like it.
A thump that rattles the walls announces that one of the armored lizards succeeded in establishing its dominance. It jogs toward the berries, its sharp claws scritching against the ground as it goes, and I shuffle backward as quickly as I can manage while staying hunched over. Another one’s fallen for the bait. Now to reel it in.
I pull on the line as I go, keeping it just out of reach of the creature. Turn left, back a few dozen paces, turn right, then veer left three more times—not full turns, just enough to stay on the confusing pathway. Once I clear the last line of walls, out of sight from the area where the [Guards] are camped out, I straighten up and break into a run, still dragging the lure.
I make it to the treeline and duck behind a shrub, breathing hard. Thankfully, I’ve been fast enough to stay ahead of the armored lizard monster, so it doesn’t charge me in rage. I’ve timed things just right and it’s still tracking the lure. Twice, earlier in the day, I went too quickly and lost the lizard, but through practice, I’ve finally gotten the timing down.
A quick glance back over my shoulder reassures me that the beast is following. The big monster emerges from the maze only a few steps behind the berry and leaf package, its golden eyes locked on its prize. Its forked tongue flicks the air, and it crouches down, going completely still before exploding into motion and sprinting toward its prey.
I haul in the line, running to keep the distance, and don’t stop until it’s in the jungle, only seconds behind me. My heart is thudding in my chest, and not just because of exertion. If the lizard catches me, I’m done. I don’t have good melee abilities other than [Vitrification], and I want to save my mana for once we’re inside the Old Keep. I could also either burn or freeze the lizard, or use sharpness if I’m in a bind, but I’m nervous using mana so close to the Old Keep. What if the base consciousness of the Rift core inside finds me? The fear that I’ll give away our position haunts me with every step. Maybe it’s foolish of me to worry about, but I’m too scared to try anything else.
Rustling leaves give the lizard monster a split-second of warning before Mikko surges up from his hiding spot under a pile of detritus right beside me. I turn around in the nick of time to watch my brother charge forward, the telltale glow of mana empowerment limning his body in white-gold glory. He’s getting better and better with the hammer, and I’m no longer worried that he’s going to need help.
The monster hisses, flaring its neck frill and rattling its spines. Its vertical eyes widen a moment later—or is that my imagination?—and it shrieks, stumbling to the left in a futile attempt to dodge the hammer.
My brother brings his huge hammer to bear, swinging it so fast that it whistles through the air. He slams the weapon against the side of the lizard’s head, where it’s less armored, and instantly crushes its skull.
“Woohoo! Nice job, Nuri!”
“Thanks,” I gasp out in between panting for air. I’m hunched over, with my hand resting on my knee, trying not to pass out. “I’m glad I made it to you in one piece. Each time it feels like it’s going to be my last. I don’t know if I’m getting slower, or if it’s just getting scarier.”
“Looked plenty fast to me. Fear gives you wings, apparently,” Mikko says with a chuckle. He rips a pastel-pink fern up from the ground, using the broad leaf like a cloth to wipe the blood off his hammer.
I shrug. “Yeah. Guess so. Maybe I shouldn’t keep tempting fate like this. I’m starting to regret this plan.”
Mikko sucks on his teeth. “No one doubts your courage, that’s for sure. Look, if you draw me a map, then I can take a turn. I just need to know where I’m going, so I don’t get lost on the way in and out.”
“Not worth the risk,” I reply immediately. “Even with the mana map in my head, it’s tough to navigate. That place is confusing. If you get turned around, or have to rethink things as you go, it might slow you down enough to force you into a fight.”
“I’ll be fine. I can kill them quickly,” Mikko insists.
“Yeah, but we’re trying to be stealthy. You brawling in the middle of the maze isn’t going to help us sneak by undetected.”
Mikko scowls, but he doesn’t disagree. After a moment, he sighs and claps me on the shoulder. “Just stay safe, yeah? I’m worried about you.”
“Thanks, Ko. Love you, too.”
I’m rewarded by a crooked smile. Lionel’s faster than I am, and Mikko is more suited to close combat if things go wrong, but he knows that I’m the only one with the map in my mind. “How many are left? Need a break before we finish thinning the herd?”
“Three are still blocking the path. There’s a fourth, but we might be able to work around it if we’re careful.”
“Best to get ‘em all.”
“You’re probably right,” I say, biting my tongue before I complain about it. I need to show a better attitude. “All right. Let me catch my breath, and we’ll clear out the rest. All of them. Tell the team we’ll move in an hour.”
Mikko tosses me a sloppy salute and jogs back to where the other three are resting. The team should be ready to go, even if I’m tired, so I’ll be counting on them to carry us through. In the meantime, I sit down, resting my head against a tree trunk, and close my eyes. I’ll need to be at my best for the last four runs.
After each pull, Mikko hops up to his vantage point in the canopy to check [Guards]. He confirms that they haven’t noticed anything, and at last they swap with the next patrol detail. It’s right on the eight-hour mark, just like Lionel predicted, and it moves the [Guards] to the other side of the gateway.
The next hour goes by in a blur of sneaking, baiting, and running for my life. My entire body is sore from the way I have to bend down and sneak around in an unnatural position. I’m fatigued from balancing on the narrow knife-edge of fear and heightened senses, but we make it to the end without any serious mental mistakes or incidents.
The team is waiting for us, gathered nearby with weapons ready just in case things go wrong with the final pull, but they’re not needed. Mikko dispatches the last of the four remaining monsters, and just like that, our way is open.
“So far, so good. We should be able to get to the wall and climb up pretty quickly. Don’t get complacent, though. Who knows what awaits us inside? The next part is the hardest. Stick together, and good luck.”
Moving with painstaking slowness to ensure that we keep quiet and stay well below the nearest [Guard]’s line of sight, I guide my team back through the labyrinthine twists and turns of the low stone walls around the Old Keep. If I find the person responsible for building this series of dead ends and switchbacks, I’m not responsible for the sudden bout of maniacal stabbiness that may overtake me.
Sneaking is starting to feel like second nature, so I trust the map in my head and keep us moving at a steady pace. Soon, we emerge from the low outer walls and reach the Old Keep itself. I gesture for everyone to gather around, and nod to Mikko.
The burly [Blacksmith] hops up to the second-story window, catching the protruding lintel above it and clinging to the side of the tower. He only needs a single tug to dislodge the iron bar from the crumbling stone, and then he’s in, ensuring that the way is clear. Two minutes later, he leans back out the window and beckons us to follow.
As planned, the others ascend first, while I keep a lookout down below. If anyone has to flee, then it should be me, since I can rely on my map to guide me to safety. I’ll have to trust that the others will hold their own inside the tower.
They’re in before I get carried away by nerve-wracking thoughts and fears. I take a deep breath, wedge my toe into a crack between two huge stone blocks, and haul myself up to the next row of stones. Climbing the rough stone wall is even easier than I dared to hope, even with my missing hand. It really is like a ladder, and I only need one hand to stabilize while I move my feet up to each new hold. Getting here was harrowing, but actually infiltrating only takes a few short minutes since we bypassed the [Guards] and monsters.
Before I know it, I’m slithering through the window, and several pairs of hands help me keep my balance when I stumble over a carpet that I didn’t see in the dim interior lighting. I blink several times, adjusting to the darkness, and take in the small stone room. It’s blank and bare, without any obvious threat, but I don’t dare let down my guard. As soon as I slipped inside the Old Keep, I sensed that strange entity’s presence more strongly than ever before.
“Stay alert,” I whisper. “I don’t think we’re as hidden as I’d like. If all goes well, we’ll get what we need and leave undetected, but something tells me that it won’t be that easy. There’s an uncomfortable pressure in here, pushing against me at all times. Do you feel it?”
Even as I ask, I have a sneaking suspicion that none of them notice it. They each shake their heads, confirming my hunch. I’m only aware of a competing claim on the space because I now have a Domain—whatever that is. I’m sure that Casella and Mbukhe will have some intriguing details for me, though. They seem to be hiding a lot of information that I’d like to know more about.
I put aside the thought, promising myself that I’ll come back to it later and investigate what it means after we survive. Squaring my shoulders, I tiptoe over to the door and push it open a crack. There aren’t any [Guards] in the hallways, so I open the door the rest of the way, ignoring the ominous creaking sounds it makes, and step outside. “Follow me, friends. Let’s find out what exactly [Lord] Dimitri is hiding.”