Alliance

By Samuel Knight

On the debut night of a new tabletop roleplaying game, a group of friends are swept away to the world of Renea. It's a beautiful world with incredible landscapes and real magic. They now have one mission: to have the ultimate adventure and become the strongest Heroes of all time!

The war for Monarch has begun! As Renea struggles with the devastation wrought by an ancient monster, evils from every realm descend upon the city. The Skeleton King wants power. Stark Pureblood wants revenge. Karos wants to consume the world. To defeat their Adversaries, the Heroes will have to fight with everything they've got, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

The final installment in the Triumph of Heroes trilogy, author Samuel Knight wraps up his debut series with flair, style, and an intensely bittersweet ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Samuel Knight
• Release date: Apr 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463234914

Samuel Knight

I was born in Oregon in 1996 and moved to Florida in 2005. I'm currently working as an engineer, but my true passion has always been writing books and telling stories. I mostly write epic fantasy and adventure. Three books self-published, three billion in the making.

Book preview

Introduction

Somewhere in the Plains

Maxillarion lays down in the grass, stretches out his limbs, and takes a deep breath of the afternoon air.

The crystal blue sky draws him in like a yawning abyss; he feels like he could push himself off the ground and drift away. The ground beneath him is warm, but the grass is pleasantly cool. Faint clouds drift by overhead, moved along by some unseen wind. He closes his eyes and breathes in deep. The fresh air feels good in his nose.

A voice calls for his attention. Max opens his eyes and finds himself laying in the ruins of Monarch. He tilts his head back, looking behind him. Gnosis sits a few paces away.

You know, Max says, looking back at the now-sullen sky, I was trying to have some time to myself.

You can have it after you’re done working, says Gnosis.

Aren’t we done working? Look at this place. He throws his arm up haphazardly. I’d say we’ve earned a break.

The destruction of Monarch was only a prelude. Careful manipulation is needed for our efforts to reach a crescendo. Are you listening to me?

Absolutely, Max says, not listening at all.

I need you to infiltrate the Hero camp and sow disorder. While you’re among them, stay away from Scott Cornot. I feel his abilities may blow your cover.

Max pauses. "You feel?"

I’ve said before I can’t see the future. It’s like a burned photograph: I can visualize what it once was, but there are burns at the edges. There are dark spots in my vision that I lack the power to heal.

Ordering me to go blindly into enemy territory is very unlike you, Gnosis.

It is a necessity. We must ensure that they open the Nexus without letting them win the war.

Do what? Max says. "You want them to open the Nexus?"

Yes. Sorsaren couldn’t open it, but maybe they can. We need to get the Seed first to succeed, but if the Heroes get it before us, all our efforts would have been meaningless.

Max stands, becoming annoyed. How long do you plan on playing shadow games? Why not get Sorsaren off his ass, annihilate this planet and rip out the core?

Did you forget that Sorsaren could not open the Nexus?

You’re not listening to me. We have an omnipotent monster. We can walk to Monarch, blow a hole through the center, grab the Seed and go home.

No, we can’t. Sorsaren already tried that, remember? And before you say ‘just blow up Renea’, we can’t do that, either. If the Seed is that well-protected, blowing up the planet will only reveal what is shielding the Seed, leaving the three of us in the vacuum of space—an area which at least two of us can’t survive in.

I can survive in space.

No, you can’t. Only the idea of you survives in space. In all instances where you could exist, if you choose to exist in space, you would be dead.

Max tosses his hands up. Then I’ll move to another planet and let Sorsaren blow up this one.

Your plan is to blow up Renea to reveal a shield around the Seed that he can’t penetrate?

Sorsaren is omnipotent, does that mean nothing to you? He can do anything. As soon as he breaks the shielding, we all get to go home.

Ah, so this is about going home. Why are you so eager to go back to the Tower? Haven’t you wondered what will happen to us once we return?

Max goes to respond, but something stops him. Gnosis isn’t smiling.

Our purpose will be fulfilled once we complete our task, he continues. Do you think he’ll suffer to let us live after we’ve endured such tremendous failure?

You’re being pessimistic, Max says. We’re not expendable to him.

Do you have the knowledge to answer that?

Max looks at Gnosis strangely. Are you afraid of dying, oh immortal one?

I don’t know. I’ve never done it before.

We all die someday.

And some of us would rather wait to know what it’s like.

Max scoffs. I’ve died a few thousand times. I don’t get what the big deal is. Hell, you’re omniscient, you don’t need me to tell you; you already know what your death is going to be.

I’ve blocked it, says Gnosis. I’d rather live and outwit threats, taking the challenge of knowing each day might be my last rather than skirt around my impending death. Either way, I’m sure the end won’t be much longer. A war is coming and it won’t be easy for us.

What do you mean? We have Sorsaren. How could it get any easier than that?

"Because sheer power, if you remember, didn’t open the Nexus. We didn’t achieve our checkmate. We must change tactics and subtlety is the only thing that will ensure our success. After that, well, it’s anyone’s guess, isn’t it? And while my guess is better than any, there’s certainly a margin of error. Will we go back to the Tower? Will I die here on this gods-forsaken rock? What happens to you if I’m killed? These are questions that keep me up at night, questions I’m afraid to answer. I find a strange comfort in that mysterious unknown. In a sense, I find strange comfort in being human."

When Gnosis looks up, Max is gone, and his omniscience won’t tell him where he went.

Chapter One

Regrouping

In a glade in the Woods

Drew King stares at a still lake in contemplative silence.

He’s spent more afternoons sitting at the edge of the water than he can count. It just feels right, even now, to look at the glassy blue surface and fall into a trance. In it, he weighs his options carefully and reflects upon his current situation.

Luke Derringer is gone, his body stolen by an ancient monster and his soul presumably destroyed.

Stanley Lockwood went back in time to fix the past. All was going well until Nysse, the newly ascended god of Insight and the Cosmos, said she could no longer see him. That was weeks ago. Stanley hasn’t returned and Nysse still can’t find him.

Upset by Stanley’s decision to leave and distressed by his disappearance, Bennie Balachie has confined herself to the wilds of the Woods. According to Camellia, at one site she built a Homing Beacon for Stanley to track when he’s ready to come home. Drew and Kexal occasionally go out to force her to eat something, but otherwise, she keeps to herself.

Scott Cornot, though growing stronger, is still out of commission from his flight across an entire realm on the back of his telepathy. Jinas, his doctor, says there are signs of serious brain damage, a situation Scott often jokes about.

Camellia Agnelli has mostly been in charge of deciding what to do next, though she hasn’t made much progress. It can’t be helped; she doesn’t have the personality for tactics or intensive planning. The Emissaries haven’t stepped in to help and neither has Nysse.

Drew splashes his hand in the water. A world war looms on the horizon with the Nexus now unprotected and all the realm barriers torn down. If he’s honest, Drew really wants to hit the panic button and get the hell out of dodge, but he knows too many people are counting on him to help out, so he forces himself to stick around and comes to his lake when things get too real. At the very least, Drew is glad he’s not in charge. Responsibility is always easier when it’s someone else’s problem.

Drew looks at his reflection in the water. He remembers that he’s destined to Deiascend and take Cebral’s place as god of the Ocean. His heart beats light and hard in his chest and a sickening feeling clogs the back of his throat. The thought of leading an entire realm rests on his shoulders like the weight of an entire planet.

The clear surface shifts just a little bit, but Drew still takes notice. He glances up and spots one of the Emissaries dipping her finger in the water a few feet away. Short brown hair, a sporty face… Jenna, wasn’t it?

Jenna looks up. Oh. I didn’t mean to disturb you.

It’s okay, I was just thinking.

What’s on your mind?

Too much, Drew says. I’ve done nothing but sit around. It feels like there’s nothing to do except sit and wait. I feel like I’m being eaten from the inside-out. It’s driving me crazy, like I’m forgetting something important and I just know I’m going to remember it at an inopportune time and have a heart attack. And I’m supposed to take Cebral’s place and live forever as some important leader? What if I mess up? What do I know about ruling or immortality?

I think you need to de-stress, Jenna says. Life is a huge mental game and if you’re not prepared for it, it’ll grind you down. And take it from me, immortality isn’t all that great.

Drew is silent for a moment. What was it like to live for so long?

It wasn’t bad at first, Jenna says. It took a few decades to realize that I wasn’t getting any older. It took about three hundred years for me to really lose it. A lot of my friends had died and all their relatives and kin didn’t know who I was. I was becoming alone at an excruciatingly slow pace, like bleeding out from a wound you can’t heal. I imagine most of us must have gone completely mad at some point, except Gabriel or Ariana. She sits next to him. You drift in and out after a while. The days blow by so fast. The little kid you saw in the street market one day is suddenly married with kids, and then you blink and you’re attending his funeral. Some centuries you’re active and making a difference and some you live like a hermit because nothing matters.

Centuries… Drew shakes his head. I couldn’t imagine.

"I wouldn’t want you to. It was pure, undiluted torture. If I got too active, Gnosis would send Max to shut me down. For some reason they deemed me important enough to keep around, but I never understood why. Jenna sighs. Anyways, things are different now. I have Roger and my old friends and some new ones too. I haven’t felt this free in a long time."

Silence comes between them—a comforting silence, broken only by the soft hum of nature.

I don’t know, Drew, Jenna says softly. "All the things I’ve been through and all the things you’ve been through were leading up to this. Our situation, our meeting, this whole conversation… It has to be destined. I’ve lived too long to believe in anything else. We’ll just have to grapple with whatever comes next."

A gentle wind rustles the trees, sending waves rippling across the top of the lake. A few clouds drift by overhead on the pale blue sky. Drew takes a long moment to appreciate the stillness.

Drew? You still with me?

He stirs. Huh?

I was asking if you were ready to head back to camp.

Oh, sure. He pauses. Hey, Jenna? Do you know how to use a spear?

Sure. I know all about weapons.

Would you mind teaching me?

Not at all. Come on—Jenna offers a hand—we’ll go together.

Kexal allows himself a sigh as he jams the last of the foodstuff into his backpack.

Going out? Gabriel says, reclining on a nearby log. I thought it was Drew’s day.

No, it’s mine, Kexal says. He doesn’t do a good job, anyways. He always tells her to ‘take her time’ and it really gets on my nerves.

Drew’s doing the right thing. Bennie’s wounds will take time to heal.

What wounds? Some guy she liked had to leave for a while and then went missing, yet everyone here is acting like he’s had his head lopped off at the shoulders, like his body was dumped on our doorstep. Kexal slings his backpack over his shoulders. I’ve seen worse things happen to better men. No one here has any right to complain about someone who went missing by his own foolish decision.

I suppose it’s something you wouldn’t understand.

A resentful sting pricks the back of his throat and Kexal half-turns to say something, but he stops, thinking the better of it, and continues on his way. Kexal can feel Gabriel’s knowing eyes on the back of his neck but he forces himself to move forward. Aside from Jinas, who might as well be an honorary Hero, Kexal is the only non-Hero in the group. No matter where he goes, it’s like everyone is constantly in on a joke that he’ll never be able to understand because he’s not like them.

He tells himself to worry about camp politics later. Bennie needs to eat and someone has to get her out of her emotional slump. Unfortunately, Bennie doesn’t like to stay in one place for very long. Sometimes Kexal finds her near a lake, staring at the glassy surface in silence. Sometimes he finds her daydreaming under the wide branches of a fruit tree. Never once has Kexal seen her use her powers—not since Stanley left. Perhaps she’s conserving her energy for the fight ahead. Whenever he brings it up with Drew, Drew changes the subject. Another inside joke, probably. He wouldn’t get it.

Kexal pushes a few branches out of the way and makes his way toward the Homing Beacon. Bennie usually comes by to check if Stanley is waiting for her, so it’s a good place to start. He steps out of the forest and into the clearing near the Homing Beacon. A white-hot fire burns atop a massive stone pillar, its heat strong enough to be felt even on the ground. At night, one can see the Beacon from almost anywhere in the Woods; it’s made for a useful landmark during nighttime expeditions.

As he starts toward the Beacon, his foot catches on something and he stumbles. Kexal whirls around to kick the life out of whatever was in his way but, to his surprise, a very sleepy Bennie Balachie cracks an eye open from the ground and sits up.

Morning, she yawns.

Good morning. How are you feeling?

Same as yesterday. Still have a little bit of a cough, but otherwise I’m fine.

Good to hear. Kexal sits down across from her and opens his backpack. I’m going to guess you haven’t eaten yet.

Bennie squints at the sky. What time is it? I must have slept through breakfast.

It’s mid-afternoon. He pulls out a pan, a salt rock, a striker and his foodstuffs, carefully wrapped in waxy leaves. Get a fire pit set up. I’m going to get some wood.

Kexal leaves Bennie with the food and goes off to collect firewood. For a moment Bennie considers rolling over and going back to sleep. Maybe that will get him to leave. After all, he’s done nothing but bother her about coming back to the camp for the past two weeks and it’s beginning to get on her nerves. He talks a lot about being company for her, too, but company is the last thing she’s wanted this entire time, unless it’s company bringing news that Stanley has come home.

But with a heavy sigh, Bennie clears a small area for Kexal’s fire pit and plays around with the striker. She scatters some sparks and watches jealously as they flare to life before dying out in the dirt. Without her powers, she can’t even make a spark. She opens her hand and tries to concentrate on making a flame, but nothing comes. She sees Stanley’s face in her mind. She sinks into herself.

Kexal returns a few minutes later with a few logs under one arm and a collection of dried branches under the other. Bennie makes no move to help him and Kexal makes no move to ask. It isn’t long until Kexal has a small fire ablaze in the fire pit.

I’m thinking salted wildbeast, Kexal says, unwrapping one of the waxy leaves. Sound good to you?

Bennie shrugs noncommittally.

Kexal dumps the hunk of meat on his pan and suspends it over the fire. He dusts off his hands and then stares at Bennie expectantly.

What? she snaps.

I’m just wondering why you’re doing this to yourself. You’re not eating, you’re not exercising, and you’re isolating yourself from others. It’s bad for you.

"Well, I’m not doing it because it’s good for me."

Then why are you doing it at all? I don’t understand. You’ve got a whole camp of people willing to support you, all of whom care about you and miss you—

Miss me? Oh please, like they give a damn.

Of course they do, you idiot! Kexal exclaims. "You think they want you to spend all day slinking around the woods feeling sorry for yourself? You think they want you to spend all day in front of a big monolith waiting for Stanley to come back? They need you in the camp. I need you in the camp."

Losing Stanley changed everything for me, Bennie retorts. You don’t know what it’s like, so don’t pretend—

You know what I think? I think you’re too damn lazy to get your act together and you’d rather sit around all day and wait for me to come help like I always do. You’re taking advantage of me and Drew and you know it.

Heat swells hot in her chest, but she grits her teeth and ignores him by turning away. Kexal softens.

I’m sorry, he says. I know I’ve been hard on you. We just… We really miss you, that’s all. He gets up to leave.

I’m sorry, too.

Kexal pauses. Bennie is looking at him sadly. He sits down again as Bennie pulls her knees tight to her chest.

Seeing Stanley again made me really happy, she says. I’d been thinking about him nonstop and I didn’t realize how much I cared about him until I saw him again. When he left, it was like my whole world was taken from me. I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened to him. Not knowing is worse than knowing exactly what happened.

People leave, Bennie. That doesn’t mean they won’t come back. Kexal turns the meat over. Listen, if you want to continue to sit around and feel sorry for yourself, that’s on you, but I can’t guarantee I’ll keep coming out to help you. I’m being too much of an enabler.

You’d leave me alone out here?

Kexal keeps his eyes locked on the fire. If I have to.

Bennie is silent for a long time. I know this isn’t good for me, she finally says. "I know I’m a mess. I’m losing my grip on who I am, who I was, everything I learned and gained these past few months. I don’t think I can even call myself a Hero anymore and then I start thinking about how I can’t go back to camp, not like this. The looks they would give me, crawling back to them with no powers, no confidence, no bravery… I don’t know if I could bear it."

I don’t know what to say to that, really.

Sorry. I know it’s too much.

Kexal flips the meat in the pan. Jinas says you’re sick in the brain. I asked him once what that meant, but then he started going off with medical terms and I just didn’t get it. If you ask me, I think a swift kick in the ass will get you started again. He chuckles and gets to his feet. Enjoy your food. Drew will be here tomorrow.

You’re leaving already? Don’t you want to talk some more?

I can’t. I have work to do. Kexal shoulders his backpack and pauses for a second. Take care of yourself, okay?

Kexal walks off into the forest. An empty feeling settles in Bennie’s lower stomach. She turns toward the food Kexal left over the fire and embarrassment rises in her cheeks. That was the first time she’d opened up to someone that deeply and he didn’t even get it. She covers her face, berating herself for making such a huge mistake. Of course Kexal wouldn’t get it. No one would understand it, would they? A moment of realization creeps up her spine at how helpless she feels.

She glances up at her Homing Beacon and wishes Stanley would come home and tell her things are going to be alright. She looks at the meat in the pan, still sizzling, and curls up next to the fire, exhausted and hurting.

Scott Cornot stretches his arms, yawning. He’s just awakened from another one of countless naps. As he gets to his feet and stretches again, his joints pop, letting him know his body is still trying to catch up. Scott cracks his neck and levitates, folding his legs under him so he’s sitting cross-legged in mid-air. His head throbs weakly from the effort.

Scott turns as if spinning in a chair. Camellia Agnelli stands across from him with a plate in her hand.

Are you sure you should be doing that? she asks.

In my condition? Hell no. But my brain needs the exercise.

Camellia lifts her plate a little bit. I brought you some food.

Scott glances over her shoulder; Jinas is storming towards them. Camellia follows his gaze and steps out of his way.

What are you doing? Jinas demands. Why are you sitting up? Are you insane? Do you want to fry your brain?

I thought it was already fried, Scott says innocently, still floating.

There’s just no winning with you. Jinas takes Scott’s wrist. How are you feeling today? Any dizziness?

No dizziness, but I’ve got this annoying little sound in my ear…

Har har, wise guy. I’m being serious.

I am too. It’s a low hum, like someone running a clothes dryer. Sometimes I can hear voices, too.

Jinas quirks an eyebrow. Voices? What do they say?

Nothing interesting. They just whisper a little bit.

I see. Interesting.

Camellia clears her throat. Jinas jumps; he hadn’t noticed her. Should I come back later? she asks. I brought some food, but if he needs rest…

Ah, well— Jinas steps away. He should eat, I think that’s good. You can talk with him. It might also do him good. Yes, well, excuse me. He hurries away.

Scott chuckles. He thinks you’re cute.

That’s polite of him.

I think you’re cute too, bringing me food like this.

I thought you were a fan of redheads, Camellia says, handing him the plate. Remember Fiona? She kept leaving you for that Kyle Redfern guy. I always told you she wasn’t good for you, remember?

Hey, the heart wants what it wants. Scott takes a bite of his food and coughs. What is this, toasted bark?

I’m not sure. Gabriel keeps saying it’s good for your mind. It’s a little bland, but not too bad.

Scott sets the plate in his lap and sighs. After a moment, Camellia nudges him. Is everything okay?

I don’t know.

Well, talk to me.

Was your Adversary a bad guy? Scott asks.

Yes. Aside from being evil, he really was a bad guy.

My Adversary wasn’t, Scott says. Salvation was trying to protect the Cemetery. Meanwhile, my patron god Magnus was slaughtering his own people just to get some peace and quiet. He turned everyone against Salvation while he stabbed them in the back. He was legitimately more worried about facing Salvation than facing me.

Oh, Camellia says, thinking about her meeting with Apalon. I’m sorry to hear that.

I watched him die, Scott continues. I watched Magnus die right in front of me. Luke showed up and he just… He just evaporated. The most powerful being I’ve ever met in my life, gone in a flash. I don’t understand it, Camellia. Everything I was told to do during my quest was supposed to reach its peak once I met Magnus. He was supposed to be the cornerstone—a beacon of righteousness and power, and he… He just wasn’t. Scott smiles. It’s funny, actually. I hated the idea of meeting him because it was what everyone wanted me to do. All I ever wanted to do was fly around and fight Shades and explore the world with Jinas and Katrina, yet all these people demanded things of me that I didn’t want. They were dumping their hopes and dreams on me and expecting me to carry a load I never agreed to carry. I never wanted that. I never wanted to become a ruler or a savior or anything like that. I just wanted to have an adventure.

You sound like Drew. He never wanted this either.

Drew’s problem is he didn’t want the responsibility. I just never wanted to be what everyone told me I was destined to be. He pauses. What about you?

She laughs. I never thought I was suited for any of this.

And yet here we are. Some world we live in, huh?

Yeah, some world.

They sit in silence for a moment.

Do you ever think about home? Camellia says.

Sometimes. I think about Fiona. My mom and my dad. I wish I missed them more than I actually do. In a way it feels like I’ve finally struck out on my own and this is my new life, that they’re still waiting for me on Earth when I’m ready to come home. What about you?

I think about my parents. I know they’re worried and wondering where I am, and I’ll have a lot to tell them once we get home. She pauses. You know, we’ve been gone for so long that we might be national news by now.

Think so? Scott says. Well, I wouldn’t complain. I’ve always wanted to be on television.

They fall silent again, not for a lack of conversation, but to give each other space to think.

I should get more rest, Scott finally says when he can take the silence no longer. My head is starting to hurt again.

That’s a good idea. Camellia takes Scott’s plate from him. Call me over when you get up, okay? I’ll bring you some more food.

Camellia leaves and Scott returns to the ground, reclines, and stretches his limbs. His body is awake, but his mind is tired again. He closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep.

His eyes don’t stay closed for long. The sound of someone crashing through the bushes alerts everyone in the camp. The Emissaries form a line, each ready for battle. Camellia peers over their shoulders, curious. Drew, initially practicing with a spear, stops training to see what all the noise is about. Nysse doesn’t move from her spot on the ground.

To everyone’s surprise, Kexal stumbles into the camp. Disbelief is etched on his face.

Kexal? Gabriel lowers his bow. Warn someone next time you decide to—

Guys, he interrupts. You’re not going to believe what I just found.

A nervous man shuffles through the branches. He looks over Kexal’s shoulder but doesn’t get any closer. On his forehead is the mark of Chaldir, god of ruin and flame.

Chapter Two

Strangers

Hero camp, the Woods

Peter, the man Kexal found in the forest, nervously looks around at the faces staring at him and talking over each other. He briefly stutters out his name and is swiftly drowned in questions.

Where did you come from? Camellia asks. How long have you been here?

You have the mark of Chaldir, says Roger. Are you a Hero? How old were you when you were marked? What do you know?

What about your friends? Gabriel interjects. Do they have marks too? Where are they? Can you take us to them?

You’ve got a camp nearby, right? Drew insists. Can you show us? Are there others?

Peter sputters for words.

He’s overwhelmed, Kexal says, pushing the Heroes back. Give him some space, will you?

A few mumbles of discontent ripple through but eventually the group spreads out and waits for Peter to speak.

Well, Peter says after a moment, it’s definitely good to know you’re all alive.

Why wouldn’t we be? Scott asks.

Well, there were rumors. People thought you had been killed in Monarch. When Tyram ordered the evacuation of the entire Woods District, I knew something bad was about to happen. I’m just relieved you all made it. The others will be, too.

What others? Gabriel asks.

The survivors of Monarch and those who were in the Woods after Tyram’s evacuation order.

Survivors? Roger sounds excited. There are more of you?

Of all kinds, Peter says. Most of us are from the Woods, but people have trickled in over the past few days from other realms. Some, like me, bear the mark of a patron god, but we no longer call ourselves Heroes like we used to. The social status it once brought us was leveled with Monarch. In fact, with our Hero marks being pointless, no one knows who’s in charge! That’s why I left to find the real Heroes. We need your help. The camp needs people to look up to again. We don’t have much, but whatever we have is yours to share.

Gabriel pats Peter on the shoulder. Give us a minute. He motions to the group and the Heroes and the Emissaries make a small circle off to the side, out of earshot.

Well? Drew says. Think he’s telling the truth?

I don’t know, Camellia says. He seems sincere, but it’s hard to tell.

Hard to tell? says Scott. His mind is screaming for help. He’s definitely telling the truth.

Are you sure?

I’m a mind reader. I’m one-hundred percent certain.

Then let’s go for it, says Drew. We can’t just keep sitting around waiting for things to happen to us. We’ve got to get out there and happen upon the world.

We should wait until Bennie gets here, Camellia says. She should be a part of this too.

She’d want to go immediately, says Scott. We should follow Peter and see where he leads us.

I’ll second that, Drew nods.

Camellia hesitates for a moment, then delivers a nod of agreement.

The group heads back over to Peter and delivers their formal agreement to come and help. Peter barely contains his excitement, hugging and shaking the hands of everyone present. Kexal leaves quickly, saying over his shoulder that he’s going to tell Bennie. Gabriel helps Peter back to his feet after he nearly faints from shaking hands with Nysse.

As they start to pack up camp and get ready to leave, Camellia pulls Drew aside.

I don’t like leaving Bennie out in the cold, she whispers. She’s a Hero too. She deserves to be making decisions with us. Depressed or not, she’s still part of the team.

I know, and I’m with you, Drew says as he packs up his meager belongings. But it’s getting dark and she wasn’t here to vote; there’s nothing we could have done.

We could have waited until tomorrow.

Remember what I said about happening upon the world? This is an opportunity that shouldn’t be told to wait. Even if Bennie disagreed, it would have been a three-to-one vote in favor of leaving. If we could go now or later, I’d always choose now. Drew pauses. Though, I have to admit, I’m not too excited about showing up to a camp full of high expectations.

At Camellia’s slight sigh, Drew pats her shoulder. Look, how about I go find Kexal and Bennie and take them to camp myself? The rest of us can go with Peter.

Okay, but how will you find us?

I’ll just ask Peter where the camp is and find my way after I get the other two. If I get lost, Kexal’s a tracker. I’m sure he can figure it out.

Kexal pushes into the clearing and finds himself standing at the foot of Bennie’s Homing Beacon. A raging flame burns from the top of the marble tower, a feat of engineering Kexal still doesn’t understand. How did Bennie build such a marvel by herself, alone, with no marble quarries for citystrides? It must be one of those Hero things everyone expects him to understand, even though they forget he isn’t a Hero and that there are things he cannot understand.

Kexal spots Bennie reclining in the grass a few paces away. With her hands knitted behind her head and one leg crossed over the other, she looks surprisingly peaceful for someone dealing with depression. It sounds like an excuse to justify attention-seeking behavior. He tries to collect his thoughts and approaches her. She sits up slightly when she hears him.

Hey, she says. Just in time for sunset.

Bennie, we need to talk.

Yeah? Bennie sits up on her elbows. Listen, if this is about what I said earlier—

A man with Chaldir’s mark showed up in camp today.

Bennie sits up in shock. What?

I ran into him on my way back to camp. He got all excited when I said something about his mark and asked me if there were others like him, if they knew anything about the Heroes or the camp he came from. One thing led to another and, well, we’re heading off to join his camp.

What? Bennie rubs her eyes. Wait, wait a second… Why didn’t anyone come tell me?

What do you mean? I came.

I mean why didn’t—

Bennie cuts herself short. Kexal suddenly feels anger well up inside him.

I didn’t have to come, he says shortly. I could have left you out of it, but I came because I thought you needed to know.

Bennie stares into empty space, but it’s impossible to tell whether she’s thinking or still in shock. They were going to leave without me, she states blankly. No; they already left me. They even made the decision to change camps without me.

You’re being unrealistic. Look, can’t we—

What do you know! Bennie suddenly gets to her feet. They left me here to rot! I knew it; they don’t care about me! They, they—!

Bennie backs up, becoming increasingly distressed. Kexal slowly gets up, attempting to keep her calm. She tangles her fingers in her hair, then starts laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Kexal tries to calm her down and Bennie shouts at him. Kexal shouts back and soon the two are yelling over each other, neither listening to what the other has to say. They get so close that they could grab handfuls of each other’s clothes and come to blows.

But before they can, someone comes crashing through the bushes. Kexal and Bennie whirl around to see Drew King brandishing a large stick. He then visibly relaxes and chucks the stick into the brush.

Drew? Bennie says hoarsely, her voice shot.

You had me worried, he says, laughing. It sounded like someone was getting killed out here.

Kexal gives Bennie a look. She doesn’t acknowledge him.

I don’t understand, she says. What are you doing here?

I came to get you and lead you to our new camp. It’s getting dark, so pack up whatever you have and follow me. I know exactly where I’m going.

You came back for me?

Of course! Now come on, daylight is fading.

Drew heads off into the brush. Bennie turns on Kexal, an apology in her eyes.

Don’t bother, he says, annoyed.

Hey! Drew shouts from afar. Are you two coming or not?

Kexal starts into the trees. Bennie looks around, grabs one or two things she doesn’t want to leave behind, and jogs after him.

Peter leads the group into the refugee camp just as the Woods sun sets. He brings the Heroes, Emissaries, and Nysse to the top of a small hill overlooking the camp, a large area lit by torches and cooking pit flames. The camp is split into two halves. In one, the tents are all the same size and are neatly organized in rows and columns. At the sight of one man hobbling through on a crutch, Peter identifies it as the medical camp. The other half of the refugee camp has tents of all types and sizes and the occasional mini house crafted by an ambitious hand. Fires crackle as the refugees make their meals and settle in for the evening.

Peter leads the group down into the camp. They pass through the front of the medical camp and through the quiet street. Thankfully, it looks like not too many people are injured.

Hey! Jinas suddenly walks away from the group and enters one of the medical tents. What on Renea are you doing? Give me that and get out of my way. Who taught you how to practice medicine? Look, if you’re going to call yourself a doctor—

Everyone looks at Scott expectantly, but he dismisses them with a wave.

Peter leads the Heroes through the medical camp and into the main camp. A few people glance up, some of them recognizing the Heroes, and all of them intrigued by the goddess silently following behind them. A small crowd follows them to the front door of a small, unfinished wooden building. Peter turns to address the crowd, but he bites his tongue, unable to word himself.

We’ll only be a moment, Nysse says to the crowd.

Seemingly satisfied, or at least satiated, the crowd disperses. Peter leads the group into the building and closes the door behind them.

I suppose I’ll keep things brief, he says. As you know, I’m Peter. I’m one of the community leaders for the Ruins faction. Every realm has a faction here: Ocean, Peaks, Cemetery, Plains, Ruins, and even some from the Woods. As I mentioned before, I need your help. We don’t know what we’re doing out here. Without oracles or the gods to lead us, we’re completely lost. You’re the only Heroes who successfully returned from your quests, so you’re the ideal leaders.

I wouldn’t say that, Gabriel says.

Everyone turns toward Gabriel, suddenly curious.

Leaders, no—they’re not ready. But icons? Absolutely. Think about it. A camp needs two things: hope and leadership. Nysse and the Heroes can provide the hope while the Emissaries provide the leadership.

Emissaries? Peter asks, confused.

The four of us, Gabriel clarifies, gesturing to himself, Roger, Jenna, and Katrina. We’ve been around for long enough to know how things should be run. Let the four of us organize the camp while the Heroes prepare for combat and take care of diplomacy.

Wait, Camellia says. Diplomacy? Like, public relations?

Wait, Scott says. Combat? Like, the world war?

"The world war?" Peter echoes, doubly confused.

And it’s likely to occur very soon, says Roger. Monarch has to be the battleground; no other place on Renea is nearly as important. The city sits at the Nexus, the intersection of all six realms. It is the central hub for Renea’s magic, making it an important area both strategically and magically, and with Monarch gone, there will just be huge underground rivers, or leylines, of free magic seeking a host to stabilize them—so, a Hero or an Adversary.’

Peter wipes his forehead. Chaldir’s beard, I never knew about this.

Ironically, Gabriel says flatly, even though we’re the ones bringing the war to you, we’re also the only ones capable of fighting it. Despite being in the line of fire, this camp is probably the safest place on Renea.

Well, what would this war entail? Just keeping Monarch out of evil hands?

And self-interested hands, Roger says, suddenly standing up. Excuse me. I have to chase off an eavesdropper. He exits swiftly, his staff in hand.

Peter appears to be thinking. Monarch is no small farm, he mutters. And people may be upset about losing their home, but I don’t know if they’d… Well, maybe they would, if there was enough incentive.

Gabriel clears his throat, bringing Peter back to reality.

Anyways, the fact that you are here is enough for me, Peter says, addressing the group. However, I recognize that this Monarch business comes with you, so I have an idea. If you can lead these people like we agreed, I think you could get them to fight for you, too.

We could build an army, Scott says, catching on.

"There is a faction from every realm here, Gabriel muses. While most marked Heroes are weak, they can still learn at least a little magic. If we can get them to hone it, give them some armor, some training…"

What about finances? Camellia asks. Who will pay for the overhead, the soldier’s salaries? What about medical expenses? Medicine doesn’t make itself. What about—

I can handle that, Katrina says. You young Heroes don’t know this, but I have fought in many wars. I know exactly what we’ll need and I can get with Jinas as soon as possible to start preparations.

What about food? Scott says. Feeding an army won’t be easy.

I’ve got it, Gabriel says. I used to serve in Monarch’s court, so logistics is second-nature to me.

And armor? Camellia says again. We can’t just throw people into a fight unarmed.

I can help design armor and weapons, says Jenna. I was a blacksmith for a couple centuries.

Centuries? Peter echoes, triply confused.

Nysse lays a gentle hand on his shoulder, nearly causing him to faint, and suggests they leave them to their work.

As the Heroes and Emissaries continue to ask questions and provide answers, sorting out solutions as soon as a problem arrives, Nysse escorts Peter outside; it is already dark. She politely excuses herself. Seconds later, she can overhear a crowd show up at the building and demand information, leaving Peter to sputter and attempt to relay what is going on.

Nysse walks aimlessly through the camp, thinking, though she knows instinctively she’s going to stop walking at an important place. Those still outside their tents or mingling in public areas stare as she passes by. Whispers soon follow, and then footsteps, and soon Nysse has a small, curious crowd of her own. She pays them no mind and follows her footsteps where they take her. A few minutes later, she stands at the edge of the refugee camp. She waits.

Not a second later, the bushes rustle as three haggard people come stumbling