We are all travelers in this life, but the companions we choose to stand beside us make the journey bearable.

~Nuada the Silverhand, First God King

Acco tailed after the two people he sensed, all of them heading east. Not that he didn’t want to meet up with them but that they were now traveling with the wagon that tried to conscript him. They didn’t seem to be prisoners, but then again, he didn’t dare approach too closely. The woman in the wagon was not someone he could contend against.

The problem was these two people were Stars of his Constellation, so they counted as family. It was the only reason he was still following behind, or he’d have sped off down the road. He learned from overhearing conversations that this road was the Forest Walk, which spanned from Sunstar to the stair leading to the second floor. It was one of the few floors with a relatively safe passage from start to end.

Acco rested in a tree since the wagon and crew set up camp. Other than claiming they were family, he wasn’t sure why he stayed close by to help two people he’d never met before. To make it worse, he was pretty sure these two people were the Song sisters that Crow had talked about previously. It was like his Constellation had turned into Crow’s fucking harem. Who the fuck did I piss off in a previous life?

While he rested, he could hear guards approaching. There were eight scouts in total that prowled the area surrounding the camp. They rarely roamed this far away from their camp, but the terrain on this stretch of the road was rough. Acco was glad he didn’t have to bother with walking it.

“This forest gets so creepy at night. I swear there is something out here stalking us. It feels like we are being watched even now.”

“Don’t be foolish. Even if something was following us, you think the Madam has an opponent on this floor?”

“Is her Shield really damaged? I don’t understand why she is traveling this way.”

“That I don’t know either.” The second guard cleared his throat and spit a thick wad of phlegm onto a nearby tree. It just happened to be the tree Acco was hiding in. “You think one of those girls will keep my bed warm tonight?”

Acco’s ears picked up at this.

“Only if you want to be a eunuch, like Sam. That little bitch chopped his pecker right off and didn’t flinch once. You aren’t her equal.”

“Why is the Madam interested in them?”

“How’m I supposed ta know? She didn’t even say anything about what she did to Sam. It’s why no one will go near those two.”

“She’s recruiting,” a voice like winter came from the shadows of the trees. It startled Acco, as he hadn’t seen the person approaching at all.

“Who?” Guard one asked.

“Just the girl you wanted to bed.” This time, the voice came from another direction. It was spooky as hell, but Acco was experienced enough not to get startled into giving away his location. On the other hand, the guards were not so stout of heart. They both ran back to camp as if haunted by ghosts.

Acco shook his head until he heard someone chuckling from above him. He almost shit his pants when he saw a petite form above him with long black hair flowing in the wind. Acco kept down his shriek of terror, only through sheer will. He never had anyone approach him so stealthily, and there was a dagger pressed against his throat. The cold steel caused him to shiver.

“You don’t fear me?”

“No. Only Crow is insane enough to bed a woman like you.”

Faelan chuckled and withdrew her knife. “To be clear, he hasn’t bedded me yet. Who are you?”

“Well, sister-in-law, you can call me Acco. I was once an Astrologer, but…” Acco gave her his story and was especially detailed on the parts with Crow, not even failing to curse him multiple times.

“So that’s why I can sense you and the others?”

“Yes, that’s the Constellation. You and your sister are both Stars now.”

“Are you upset about that? As far as I know, Easterners don’t get along with the Astrologers.”

“Neither do I. I’m essentially exiled—homeless.”

“Crow attracts strays.”

“Fuck you, I’m no stray.”

“Careful, I can still cut you,” Song Xue laughed. “Why are you stalking us instead of joining the camp?”

“You need to be careful of that lady. She tried to capture me by drugging me, or I’d have reached you before she did. I only barely escaped, and by the time I woke up again, you were all joined up.”

“Truthfully, I did not know you were here. Song Lin told me to come find you. She sensed you and showed me how.”

“Are you saying that bastard is bedding a pair of sisters?” Acco grumbled.

Faelan shrugged, and if Crow had seen it, it is unknown if he’d feel upset or excited. It didn’t seem like the idea bothered her, but her indifference was unsettling. If Acco hadn’t seen the excitement in her eyes, he’d think this woman had nothing to do with Crow.

“Can you get us out of that group safely? At the very least, my sister? I can escape on my own, but I worry she won’t be able to do so.”

“Yes, provided you get me an opportunity. I can’t get too close to that old woman, or she’ll sense me. If you can lag or speed up to create a distance between you and the wagon, I can zip and out before she can respond.”

“Or we could just walk off. We aren’t prisoners.”

“Are you sure about that?” Acco asked, and Song Xue frowned. She really wasn’t one, but Song Lin might as well be one. Her powers hadn’t returned, and her actual strengths were in alchemy. Both sisters could fight, and Song Lin might even have better technique overall, but her combat lacked the power and conviction of her little sister.

Crow even told Song Lin that she would be better off learning poisons with her knowledge and control. It was an idea that Song Xue really supported, and Song Lin had done just that. Because of all the knowledge that was dumped into her mind, she realized that there were a lot of gaps, especially with poisons and toxins. It could be her contribution to the Song family’s legacy.

“Are you really Crow’s friend?”

Acco sighed. “Call me a victim of circumstance.”

Song Xue giggled. This Astrologer seemed like a bit of a crybaby, but she found him oddly trustworthy. Her amusement stemmed from knowing Crow and how he’d react to this kid. Mara would tolerate him, but that was just how she was. The more she thought about Crow, the more her anxiety grew. Song Xue missed him immensely but was afraid he wouldn’t acknowledge her. At the pace they were going and knowing roughly where he was, she knew it’d take months to reach him. It would almost be three years since she last saw him.

Her body had changed. Not only was she taller and more filled out in her chest and butt, but her poise and demeanor weren’t the same as the little girl that he danced with him during the Flower Festival. A part of her wished that day would stretch into infinity, and every day was like that with him. Now she had blood on her hands and had really become the wolf he always accused her of being.

“You worry for no reason. Crow spoke of you frequently and would never turn you away. All you have to do is run into his arms when you see him. He cherishes you with all his heart, and that isn’t something he can hide from the Constellation.” Acco sensed her turmoil and told her the truth.

“Thank you,” Faelan nodded and tried not to cry. “You are right. We are prisoners. I’ve found out this isn’t uncommon. Many larger guilds on higher floors use the Forest Walk to conscript cultivators with talent. The problem is this woman isn’t the only one out here, err, recruiting.”

“That explains why she isn’t teleporting. She is hoping to find more people like us, which is why she uses a wagon. A cultivator could walk faster than this. She wants them to overtake her.” Acco understood the details immediately. No wonder she directly attempted to abduct him. A mutated Shield was no doubt a vast windfall to someone like her.

“Alright, I need to get back before they come looking for me. What do you want to do?”

“Just stay with them for now. I’ll pace the wagon to the north, but I can’t get too close, or she’ll sense me. For now, I believe you are safer with them than not. If trouble happens, go north and run for the Plunge. I’ll catch up after I distract them. Also, I will show you how to create a ripple in the Constellation. It is mostly used to warn the other Stars that are nearby.”

It only took thirty seconds for Song Xue to learn the trick, and then she disappeared into the forest as if she’d never been there.

“Dammit, Crow! Why are all your women scary as—”

“I can hear you,” Song Xue chuckled, but Acco couldn’t figure out where it came from. From now on, he would make sure he’d only curse Crow in his heart. It was too dangerous to speak out loud.