Outside the forest the sunlight was a welcome reprieve. It was clearly a few hours past midday. The sun was in the early stages of its descent. Evening smiled on them from a distance away. It would be an hour or two more before the horizon would dim into the soulful orange of the evening sky. Despite all this, everyone shared the simple consolation of finally being out of the forest.

“Do you think he made it too?” Madam Shaggy asked no one in particular.

Eitri chuckled bitterly. “Knowing that bastard, yes.”

It was clear they spoke of Big Man Desolate. The very conversation, even without mentioning the mage’s name, was a heavy dampener on their satisfaction. It was one thing to have survived the expedition, it was another thing to have failed the expedition. It was a greater thing to know they had failed it because they had been betrayed by one of their own.

They all stood on the road that demarcated the forest that had once served as home to what was left of the mana surge from the woods where the VHF had made a temporary base for their stay here.

It seemed this was where they would go their separate ways.

“So what now?” Ronda asked. From behind her helmet her voice seemed to echo and ring hollow.

“What do you mean?” Jason asked. “Now we go our separate ways. I can only hope you all will be taking your leave from this region as well.”

His words were said amicably, however, they were a dissonance in themselves. The words claimed he would be happy to see them go but there was something hesitant in his voice. It carried a touch of regret.

Jason turned to leave, headed in the direction that would lead back to town when he noticed no one followed him. He turned his attention back to everyone.

Chris stood staring at Oliver, as if waiting for a decision he would make, yet knowing that she would not like it. Festus stood unbothered, he held Zed casually as he seemed to mull over something. As for Oliver, he stared at Ash, waiting.

One look at Ash and there was no one around who didn’t know there was something she wished to say. She bit her lips nervously, alternating between a frown and a pout. Jason had never seen her so indecisive before.

At first, he thought it had something to do with Zed. She had been nervous and fidgety since they’d found her after their betrayal at Big Man Desolate’s hands. However, she wasn’t staring at Zed. She was staring at Daniel.

“Ash,” Jason said gently. A fear lurked behind his throat and he worried as a new suspicion held him.

“Ash,” he tried again, when she did not answer him.

Ash looked at him. It was a simple glance. In it Jason saw a touch of guilt and nerves and a battle of resolve. Ash was coming to a decision he would not like.

Jason feared he knew what the decision was. When Ash finally spoke, she confirmed it.

“I was given a map by one of your own,” Ash said to Daniel. “It is a map of the current country but some parts of it are missing.”

“Okay,” Daniel said, waiting patiently for what was to come next.

“Your… colleague… knew exactly what I was looking for with the map,” Ash continued. “However, he intentionally left it out of the map. He altered it. He removed the label that would direct me to what I was looking for along with a few others so that I would not know which one was the place I was looking for.”

“And?”

“And,” Ash frowned, “I just wanted to know if it would be possible for me to get a complete map. I’m willing to exchange it for anything you think is of equal value.”

“And do you know the name of this Olympian?” Daniel asked. “The one that gave you this map.”

Ash nodded. “He called himself Tate.”

Daniel stood silently for a while. None of the other Olympians spoke. Their silence was enough to know that something was off. It was as if they did not recognize the name.

“And how many times did you meet this Tate?” Ronda asked.

There was something in her voice no one could place.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Once,” Ash said.

“And what did you pay in exchange for the map?”

“A few Rune-dollars.”

Jason’s jaw dropped.

“A few Rune-dollars?” he asked, flabbergasted. “And how much is a few Rune-dollars? And please tell me you’re about to call a reasonable sum.”

Ash dismissed his words with a gesture. It was irreverent. It told him she didn’t care for the question in this moment.

“What I’m asking is if you have a better map,” she told Daniel. “Also, I know nothing comes free, so I’m asking if you are willing to part with it for a price.”

There was another stretch of silence as Daniel seemed to mull over it. In the Olympian armor’s size and its marred body, he looked like a demi-god back from war considering what to do with a stray mortal.

The silence that was settling on them was disturbed but not by anyone present. At least not anyone awake. Zed stirred gently in Festus’ arms. Festus looked down at Zed without worry. Zed’s head turned one way, then the other. The action was gentle, slow. He was like a babe finding a comfortable spot in its father’s arm.

“That’s not how you draw a rune, Anthony,” he muttered, then smacked his lips. “The instructors won’t pass you with that.”

Jason saw a frown pass Oliver’s lips at Zed’s words. He didn’t like it. Too many things were changing too quickly. Ash was looking for a map, which meant Ash was considering leaving. He had always known this day was coming but he had never been a fan of it. And as time had moved on by without her saying anything, days stretching the weeks then months, he had hoped against hope that the day would never come. Sadly, here it was. And if Ash was going, then she would be taking Oliver with her.

It seemed he would have to build a new team. He didn’t like it one bit.

Then there was Zed. He was a natural sleep talker. It was something time had taught Jason and the others. However, this was the first time he was mentioning an actual name in his sleep, a name none of them recognized. During the expedition, he had regained his memories. How, was anybody’s guess. But one thing was certain. If he had regained his memories, then he would be leaving soon. Jason knew he hadn’t been the best to Zed. In fact, the only person who had been a friend to Zed in their team had been Oliver. He had been suspicious of Zed from the beginning, and in a bid to test Zed, he had endangered his life one too many times.

Sometimes he still thought about the things he had made Zed go through. He had told himself for so long that it had been for the team, and he had believed it. Then they’d lost Zed. Jason had driven away from Madam Shaggy’s party that faithful night and abandoned Zed to his death. That had changed things. It had made him think thoughts that had presented him in a different light. Many people in town claimed he was the honorable one in his group but he had shown Zed no honor. Knowing Zed was potentially going to leave left a sour taste in his mouth. A part of him wanted him to convince Zed to stay when Zed finally woke up. Another part of him felt that it would be wrong.

In truth, he had no justifiable reason to convince a man not to go out in search of his daughter.

When Daniel finally answered Ash, Jason knew it was time to rebuild his team.

“We have no issues parting with one of our maps,” Daniel said to Ash.

“But you will have to come to our shed for it,” Ronda added quickly.

“Careful, tin can,” Chris said. “It was our shed before you took it.”

Ronda shrugged, unbothered. “It’s our shed now.”

Then she turned, still holding Kid up, and crossed the road to the other side where the trees were thinner and the woods were in no way fantastical. There was something unfair about the sharp contrast between the nature of the opposing sea of trees.

Daniel followed after her with easy steps. Festus looked between the two groups. He had something on his mind and he said it with the authority of the powerful.

“You guys,” he said to Francis and Tulip, “go back to town, inform Heimdall that I will be returning late.” Then he turned to the mages of Hillview. “You three, go home. And you…” his words trailed off as he looked at Hillary. Then he shrugged. “Do whatever you want.”

He turned as Zed squirmed in his hands again. Whatever comfort Zed was looking for in his sleep was certainly not going to be found in Festus’ arms. The man was too small when compared to Zed’s size.

Festus muttered something incoherent under his breath as he turned and followed after the Olympians.

Jason placed a gentle hand on Ash’s arm as she moved to follow Festus and she paused to look at him.

Jason fidgeted with his words and it took him a beat and a half to speak.

“Do you really have to do this?” he asked softly. “You know you have a home here already.”

Ash frowned for a moment. She seemed to fidget with her own words as well.

“I know,” she said. “But I’m not looking for a home. I’m looking for my parents. When we find them, we’ll try and come back.”

Jason’s gaze moved to Oliver slowly and found him unbothered. Once upon a time Jason had believed Oliver would have been against the idea. Now, he was convinced Oliver would be in support of it. Imani had once been Oliver’s anchor here. Now, she was the wind blowing him away. Jason really didn’t want to think about it. Knowing he would have to find new team members and play middle man between them and Chris’ personality was threatening to give him a headache.

“Alright then,” Chris said, then paused. She looked behind her, her eyes tilted down to Eitri. “Didn’t you hear the man in charge? Head on home.”

Behind Eitri, Madam Shaggy and Lady Long Legs had already begun their journey back. Tulip no longer played support to Mada Shaggy and he walked beside Francis down the road. Francis’ shoulders were slumped in defeat but Jason knew it wasn’t because of their failed expedition. It seemed it would take a while before the mage would forget the death of his team mates and be able to move on.

Maybe both mages would be good additions to his team. Jason shook his head, not necessarily banishing the thought. Thoughts of replacing his team would come later. For now, he was going to follow Ash and Oliver to the shed and see what happens.

He was also going to get to the bottom of why Chris was saying nothing about what was going on and why she kept on giving Oliver glances he couldn’t interpret.

As for Eitri…

There wasn’t much to be said about Eitri. The man was determined to have Festus teach him, not that Jason believed Festus would. Still, these were worries to be had later. For now, he would head back to town and update Heimdall. In his own opinion, Big Man Desolate was going to be a real problem.