Coming back to reality this time was a relief. The cold and moist air on my face was most welcomed after the stress my business in the Fulcrum and with the Betrayer had put me through. I had made some progress, at least.

One tiny second I thought to miss the days I had been alone. Just me and one goal. Survival. All the rest? The intrigues, the trades, the enemies and allies, the responsibilities...I had not asked for those. It had just fallen into place, one event after the other.

I understood the Wanderer better now. A simple life. An exciting life. Just get up and leave. Choose a direction and go. And let fate, if that was a thing that existed, or luck be your guide, your only concern.

I looked down upon the lights of the Wreckage, and the waves around Ravenport, feeling a longing to leave. It was a beautiful place. A wondrous sight. And yet the world was so much bigger, was it not?

But the mighty, I was not arrogant enough to think that I truly was one, had a life of luxury and pleasantries. With one very important exception. The responsibility for the protection and well-being of those that depended upon them.

I sighed. Born into it. Died out of it. Stumbled into it again.

Freedom. Such a flimsy word. Such an easy concept to raise your banner for. And yet...what did it mean? What did it mean for me? What did it mean for the ones that chose to follow me? Was paying taxes and obeying the law of the land…freedom? Was freedom just the opposite of oppression?

I had no answers, but those taught to me. How to be a good ruler, as my father had been. Or so I thought. Was that not the most freedom I could bring to the people? It was not, I knew that. But I had no alternatives.

My body was rested, I had meditated enough. On the horizon, the first color of the morning emerged, banishing the darkness for the day. Time to get to work. One last Skill to weave. I was an idiot for not thinking of it sooner. A fool. One more thing on my conscience, but this one was a mistake I could erase as I still had time.

I entered the hospital with the first rays of the morning sun, bracing myself against the smell. Just a few brave men and women stayed the night to see after the needs of the patients. The worst of it was done. The ones that were too weak had died already. The couple of dozen remaining patients just needed care and time to get back to their feet. Every day more of them joined the others in the effort to make Ravenport fit for the coming winter.

I nodded and smiled as I went through the rows of beds and hammocks, touched the shoulders of people I knew, spoke a few words, or a little joke where I could. It was how Manus would have handled the situation. And I had admired him for it.

I stopped in front of Veneir, looking at the fever-ridden form of the [Merchant]. He was a sad, mangled sight to see. No one in Ravenport had suffered like he did and lived. His face torn and tortured and his right arm cut off by me, of all people. And still he fought, still he breathed.

”[Cleanse Corruption]“ I whispered, laying my hand on his breast as I felt Mana flowing through my body towards my hand, entering his heated flesh with a tingle on my fingertips. There was a fight, I could feel it through my skin, raging in his body. Darkness, corrupting and consuming the flesh and the life force of Veneir, fighting against his will to live and the natural health of his body. And now my Mana.

It swept away the darkness. Veneir’s life force crawled back from the brink of defeat, regaining lost ground. And most important of all: A moment of respite. Peace. While my Mana fought, he could regenerate what he had lost.

His eyes fluttered open, a milky gaze trying to make sense of his situation. I had laid a handkerchief across the lower part of his face. I knew how much he hated his destroyed mouth to be visible.

”My lord?“ He croaked, shuffling in his sheets of linen, trembling under the pain and exhaustion. ”Where...“

”We have won.” I said, forcing myself to smile. ”And I came to apologize. For not healing you sooner. And for...everything. Everything you have given.“

”Is he dead?“ He asked, ringing for breath.

”You weakened him and I took his head.“

”Thank the gods...dead gods...thank you.“ He muttered only half-aware of his surroundings.

”Rest well, Veneir. You are sorely needed. I have the Skill to help you now.“

Veneir had already closed his eyes, sinking back to sleep. I stayed until I had drained my Mana. All 50 points of it. It would take me 50 hours to get it back, but I had successfully battled the corruption that had plagued him.

I watched Ravenport waking up from afar, not being part of it. Ravenport was mine, and yet not for me. I felt detached. The urge to move burned in my legs. I was the first in the training yard, swinging my sword. I needed to work this itch out of my body. I was not ready to move, yet. I had to make sure Ravenport would stand.

And that meant preparing its people to defend themselves.

Grim had taken the [Hunters] and [Archers] into the Wyld. Simue had taken a couple of warriors of a variety of classes and [Hunters], to prepare them for a journey to the former empire. I had to do my part as well.

”Tonight we will hunt Nightmares!“ I shouted as the fifty or so warriors had arrived, sitting in front of me. The group of Wyldling younglings sat there as well, waiting for the sparring to start.

The Wyldlings began to murmur in confusion, unease written plainly on their face. It was just not done among Wyldlings. The night was not to be challenged. The humans were confused as well, but mainly because not every one of them truly knew what laid in ambush in the Wyld, as soon as the sun went down.

”I am not going to lie to you. Most of you are not ready. Not by a long shot. You deserve to call yourself warriors because you fought for your freedom with nothing in your hands and against all odds. But you trained for what, two weeks? Has anyone of you reached even level 10 yet?“ A few hands rose. But not enough.

”The Nightmares are terrifying foes.” I continued. “Creatures with a most fitting name. They are horrible, dangerous, and wrong. But Ravenport is here to stay. And that means fighting Nightmares. There is no future for us if we fail to hold the ground we have taken. Our very environment means to kill us. And we need to be strong enough to survive.“

”Today you will spar until noon, mixed groups as yesterday. But then you will rest until evening. I will do everything I can to protect you. We will have ranged support from the [Harpooneers], but in the end, it is you and an armlength of steel against a creature that defies any nature and reason. So be sure you trust the man or woman at your side and make sure your equipment does not fail you. We will prevail, at all costs.“

I was reasonably sure I could take a Nightmare on my own. I had fought several by now, but I had not been alone. But I knew what I was up against. With the [Harpooneers] and the warriors, I was sure of my win. The problem was protecting them. I could ask Cogar, sure. I could take Thimotheus. I could ask Higgins. And I would. I was not an idiot, I wanted all of them to survive.

But this was not about winning. This was about preparing the fighters for their job. More than anything else, they needed to be able to face the horrors of the Wyld. Winning against them alone or in smaller groups was a problem for another day. And to be able to face them, they needed to think they had to step up to the fight.

All of them were brave. They had stormed the Wreckage, after all. They all had what it took to fight for their lives and survive. But could they march into the darkness on nothing but my word? Could they put themselves between the enemy and others, without their own survival on the line? Could they trust me to keep them safe?

Gideon came as soon as the groups had formed, and the sparring had begun. I had expected that.

”My lord!“ he said. ”I do not want to talk out of line...“ he started.

”Then don‘t!“ I interrupted him but smiled. ”This night is important for you as well. You are good with a blade, I’ll give you that. But I need you to step up for them, to lead them. You won‘t be fighting [Thiefs] or Wyldlings tonight. You, more than any of the others, need to be ready for it.“

”I...I...” he sputtered.

”Stop talking, Gideon. Go to your men. Be present.“ And he turned, wandering back to the fighting, head hanging low in thought.

Honestly, I was making it up as I went along. But I was headstrong, and I had a plan. The competence in leading troops and fighting had died in the Broken Lands, with the [Knight] and the [Squire]. We had to forge new leaders in the fires of adversity. Some things you just could not learn on your own.

I went over to the pier, looking for the [Harpooneers]

As night fell, we stood in front of the brightly lit ships of the Wreckage. I did not want to make any mistakes, not again, so I had spent the afternoon weaving more of my Core Skills. [Improved Strength] and [Improved Speed] were now both on level 4. But I had reached levels were actually weaving the Skills was incredibly tedious and time-consuming. Even weaving these two had caused me missing dinner.

We were quite a big group, fifty fighters of various classes and ten [Harpooneers] who had just gotten their class, led by their teacher. A gruff man everyone just called Fisher, but who had introduced himself to me with his first name Rogar. Many more people stood on top of the ships behind us, watching in various displays of emotion. We had everything from anxiety and fear to expectancy and wariness.

As was the case for the men and women who had come to fight and to train. Yes, they were brave. Yes, they had fought before. But this was something else. Something unknown.

I had played the moment up because it was dangerous. Because I did not want to lose anyone to this. But Cogar, Higgins, and Thimotheus stood in the shadows of the Wreckage, ready to intervene if necessary.

Without drawing out the unease much longer, I walked to the edge of the light, facing the darkness. Zero was swinging leisurely from my hand, his head forming a barbed tip, which would burrow deep into unprotected flesh, allowing me to pull the creature into the light with more ease.

I listened for the sounds of the night, the characteristic grunts and growls of the predators. Nothing - the waterfalls were too loud. I knew what I had to do. I jumped into the darkness.

They saw me disappearing and then, just a few heartbeats later, angry yowls and bellows haunted the night, even drowning out the constant noise of the waterfalls. Then I tumbled back into the light, Zero gripped tightly with both hands. And I pulled. And out of the darkness flew, well toppled, a Nightmare, 10 feet tall and long. As horrific an amalgamation of different animals as ever I had seen.

Cries, hissing breath, murmured prayers, and spicy curses could be heard from behind me, where the warriors and people of Ravenport stood. Many of them were seeing the dangers of the night for the first time. They would never forget.

As the harpoons stuck in the soft flesh of the Nightmare, binding the creature with sturdy ropes, the warriors approached, timid and careful, but in more or less cohesive units. The Nightmare was hacked to pieces in no time at all, scratches and bruises being the only wounds to tend to after the fight.

It had been so easy, the fighters exchanged surprised looks. Not everyone had gotten to wet his blade.

”Again!“ I smiled a devilish little smile.

Because they all had to learn the simple truth. Yes, the night was scary. The creatures hiding in the darkness were horrifying and wrong. But they were also one of our greatest assets. An endless supply of creatures to hunt with a weakness as easily exploited as the Nightmares – which would not enter the light and thus never gang up on someone who was prepared and accompanied by a group.

Levels awaited those that braved the darkness.