Dexter

The sounds of critters warbled ominously as we continued our trek through the forest. Their presence gave me a harsh reminder of the dangerous and unpredictable situation we were in. Salthu led us past ponds, through glades, over fallen trees, around towering boulders, and still, we journeyed onwards. Being this far from the city, even one as hostile as Snakhagr, was disconcerting. I bit my cheek nervously as I kept a tight grip on my sword. We’d been walking for another hour now and by my estimation, we had another hour to go. That would be about the perfect distance between them and whatever trail they might have left. I doubted anyone would accidentally stumble into their camp if it was this remote, but they seemed like the cautious type so an extra hour wouldn’t be out of the question.

I glanced back the way we came as the back of my mind tingled from the isolation. We were back to only seven and it still wasn’t happy about the sudden reduction of manpower. I shook my head to distract myself from the nagging sensation eating away at me. “None of us were enthusiastic about traveling with them anyway.” I reminded myself. “I’m partially at fault for that, but that guild jerk wasn’t any help either. Mother fucker provoked Dumag into attacking.” My head shook again as I reminded myself of my actions. “Not a valid excuse. Now focus. Their camp could be coming up in the next hour and you don’t know what they have laid out for any would-be intruders.”

I let out a forceful sigh as I glanced at Amelia for comfort. She held the same worried expression she had before our groups split. Somehow it seemed a deeper worry, now that the guild mages had left. She suddenly noticed my gaze and turned to me. I gave her a comforting nod as we kept walking. “Not far now.” I lied, turning back to Salthu. His hands still drifted back and forth as he peered carefully at the ground. I had no idea what he was seeing, but if he was leading us this way there must have been something marking our route. I was tempted to ask him about what the spell was showing him when Salthu suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes growing wide and a look of shock and confusion replacing his focussed expression. A similar confusion filled me as he suddenly began turning his head to and fro, scanning the ground for what must have been marking our path for the last hour. “Is something wrong?” I asked, stepping beside him.

Salthu didn’t respond for a moment. Instead, he began pacing about the small clearing he’d stopped in. The large pile of rocks to my left was the only break in the mass of trees that surrounded us. I watched as he wandered about, scanning the ground with frantic energy. He finally turned back with that same look of confused shock he had before. “The trail has vanished.” He gasped in disbelief.

A jolt of confusion ran through my own body as my eyes grew wide. “It just ends?” I asked skeptically.

Salthu nodded as he gestured at the spot that had caused him to stop. “Without a trace.” He confirmed; his voice heavy with worry. Salthu’s breaths were growing rapid as he brought his hand to his head. “I-I cannot explain it. It just stops! I-”

I held up a hand, indicating for Salthu to calm down. “Take a deep breath,” I said firmly. “They have magic. We’ve known this. In all likelihood, they used the same teleport spell that got them out of the city.”

Salthu swiftly swung his hands apart as his hysteric expression emanated exasperation. “That Is What Concerns Me!” He shouted angrily. “They Could Be Miles Away And We Would Be Unable To Find Them! We May-”

“Salthu!” I barked, causing him to stop in his panicked rambling and turn to me sharply. I stared poignantly at him as I once again gestured for him to calm. If I had just this moment to see my face, I probably would have mistaken my expression for my father’s. A wave of stern calm had washed over me, hiding my confusion and unease at this new development in the quest. “We can still find a solution,” I said firmly, trying to assure myself as well as Salthu. “The elites may be good, but there’s no such thing as perfect. There must be a reason for them going all the way out here before teleporting. They had to have had a reason for stopping here.”

Salthu appeared to calm at my words and hesitated again before reluctantly nodding. “Do you believe we will find them? Even after this?” He asked, his voice heavy with concern.

I let out a low sigh as I glanced away. I wanted to be reassuring and say yes, but I also knew that I couldn’t get his hopes up. A path that just vanished is never a good sign, even if we could know for certain why. The elites didn’t have to be perfect either; they just needed to be better at hiding their tracks than we were at finding them. I finally let out a sigh as I shrugged, turning back to Salthu. “We won’t know until we look around,” I replied, still trying to be optimistic. I then turned and started scouring the field for anything out of place. “Let’s spread out. They might have left something behind. If they have, it’ll lead right us in the right direction.”

The others nodded as they split up and began combing through the grass. Gremach and Brokil started near Salthu, in the center of the field, where the path had vanished. Meanwhile, Amelia, Bruga, Dumag, and I started on the edges, working our way towards the center as they worked their way out. I gave a passing glance at the outcropping of stone as I walked by, the mossy top capping the seven-foot-tall mass that broke through the grass around it. The outcropping had several cracks running up its side, with small piles of stone at the bottom of each split. Each of the cracks were barely large enough to fit my outstretched hand. I turned back to the ground as I discarded the idea that they could be hiding in there. The elves were small, but not that small. All in all, it took about half an hour to search the entire field, bringing up nothing but grass and loose dirt. My heart sank as my suspicions were confirmed. The elites were good at hiding their tracks. Not a blade of grass was out of place, no leaf was disturbed, not even a twig was broken to show that anyone but us had been here.

I rubbed my head angrily as we met back in the center to share the abysmal news. “Looks like we hit a dead end,” I muttered, a little angrier than warranted. “They must have gone the other way. Either that or they covered their tracks before leaving. Fuck is that infuriating.” I exclaimed.

Dumag nodded as he massaged his temples. “It would appear you were correct about the elites.” He muttered, turning to Amelia. “I have not heard of one so entirely removing their trace from the forest, let alone an entire group. They are clearly experienced in their field.”

Amelia sighed as she glanced towards the mound of rock. “I wish that weren’t the case.” She groaned. “Why can’t this be easy, for once? Just once I want a day out to go as planned. None of these dead ends, forked paths, or infighting.”

I nodded as I glanced towards the mound of rock as well, letting out a sigh of my own. “You’re not alone in that sentiment,” I remarked. “I’m getting really tired of being roadblocked at every turn. You’d think the universe would run out of tricks at some point.”

Brokil nodded as he crossed his arms and let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, such an end does not exist.” He muttered. “Let us hope our escorts were more fortunate in their method of tracking.” I nodded as I glanced back the way we’d come. I could only hope they found something worthwhile along their path.

Ushnar

Ungagh led us down the scent of the elites for another hour. Our path took us deeper and deeper into the forest, along wide routes, and over smooth stone. I stretched and flexed my fingers nervously as Kertug’s scowl deepened. He was growing agitated as we walked, clearly unhappy with the remoteness of their camp. “Let us hope the outsider has not alerted the elves.” He muttered. “They must be dealt with swiftly and any forewarning will allow them to escape our clutches.”

I nodded as I watched Ungagh increase his sniffing. The scent he was following appeared to be growing stronger as he now required only a few passes before leading us further into the woods. I instinctively reached for the thunder-rod once more as I rehearsed its method of combat magic. “Are we certain we are capable of subduing them?” I asked nervously. “We are only five.”

Kertug scoffed as he gestured dismissively, glancing at Urug and Oodagh. “We are more than capable.” He growled. “Now cease your senseless questions. They only serve to distract.”

I nodded timidly as I gripped my satchel tighter. “Yes, ferocious one.”

Kertug nodded as he turned back to Ungagh, about to bark another order when he suddenly lifted his head, his hound snout taking large whiffs of the air. “They are close.” He warned. “Be on guard. The air is heavy with their scent.”

My heart began pounding in my chest as the reality of the situation suddenly sunk in. We were about to face Nione’s fiercest warriors. None within matched their skill or ferocity. I found myself swallowing nervously at the prospect of fighting them. “A-Are we certain this is wise?” I stuttered. “Perhaps we should warn the Institute of our-”

“SILENCE!” Hissed Kertug as he turned to glare at me, causing me to flinch. “One More Grievance And I Will Personally Ensure That You Remain At The Bottom For The Next Century. UNDERSTOOD!?”

I swallowed again as the imposing glare robbed me of an immediate response. “Y-yes, sir.” I finally stammered out.

Kertug muttered angrily as he turned back to Urug and Oodagh once more. “Show no mercy, no hesitation. These elites deserve none nor will they give us any. Kill if you must, but subdue if you can. Surbag will wish to interrogate them for information on Nione.”

The two mages nodded as they tensed, ready for the coming fight. Ungagh rose to his feet, his snout taking whiffs of the air as he led us further. My fingers groaned as I urged them to grip the thunder-rod. Another five minutes passed, the chitter of the forest gone as we approached what was surely a grueling conflict. The four of us crept forward, following Ungagh as he tracked the scent in the air, turning this way and that as he approached an outcropping of rock. His eyes suddenly widened as he turned to the stone monument raising a hand to order us to halt. He finally released the transformation spell, his face morphing back into its tusked form as he gestured silently to circle the outcropping. We nodded in unison and prepared combat spells.

The five of us tensed and slowly crept forward, our eyes fixed on the outcropping of stone as Ungagh approached, pressing his back to the rock and slowly moving towards the edge, carefully peaking around the edge and lifting his hand once more. He began silent counting down with his fingers. Five, four, three … two. “NOW!” He suddenly bellowed, leaping around the corner swiftly followed by the others. I prepared the Thunder-Clap the rod was capable of producing as I leveled it at the first thing that moved when we pounced into view. The others produced similarly cacophonous spells as a volley of magic was hurled forward. A flurry of blackness and startled cries of pain echoed off the stone as three of the spells hit their mark. A bolt of lightning streaked through the air and struck one of the roiling figures, tearing it asunder in a flash of light. A bundle of bramble soared through the air and wrapped one figure in an unbreakable grip, a caw of surprise echoing as it tried to struggle free. A ball of fire sailed towards a flurry of black that dissipated as it got close, barely escaping the flaming embers. A jet of water roared through the air and barely scraped by a fleeing figure, freezing into ice the moment it struck a nearby tree. The final spell, a tendril of mana, screeched as it dove towards its target and struck one of the figures, grounding it in a tangle of energy. The remaining figures scattered in a flurry of feathers, retreating into the trees. “W-Wait, Feathers!?”

My mind reeled as it suddenly realized what we had launched out magic at. A flock of dark black ravens now flew high in the sky, abandoning the three that our spells had managed to hit, two of them trapped in a tight web while the third was left as a pair of feet and a puff of feathers. Kertug roared in anger as he released the tendril of mana still pinning one of the birds, allowing it to flutter away with the others. “Sarding Fext, Ungagh!” He bellowed as he turned to the mage. “There Are No Elves Here; Only A Conspiracy Of Ravens! Where Are The Usurpers We’ve Been Hunting!”

Kertug began berating unceremoniously, ignoring Urug and Oodagh as they began inspecting where the birds had been resting. Meanwhile, I stared in horror as the gently steaming pile that had once been a creature of the forest, eviscerated by my hand. Its life snuffed out in less than a moment. The spell never had such an effect on any mage I had witnessed, but this creature was small and barely aware of what had struck it before it was ripped apart. I was only pulled from my stupor when Oodagh suddenly raised his voice, drawing everyone’s attention. “KERTUG!” He barked.

“WHAT!” Roared back, stopping as he realized Oodagh had found something. Oodagh slowly lifted the piece of grass he had been gripping, revealing it to be a facade and concealing a run-down wooden cart nestled in the recesses of the stone outcropping. Small seeds tumbled about as Oodagh disturbed the false cover, revealing the reason for the presence of the ravens. Upon the hidden cart was a haphazard pile of leather, coated in some kind of oil that gave the skins a yellowish tint. I reeled back again as the potent stench slammed into me like a bear through a rotten tree.

Ungagh’s eyes widened in surprise as he appeared to recognize the smell and stepped forward to inspect the cart. He ran a finger along the oil-soaked skins and gave it a tentative sniff, his shock turning to horror as he muttered my worst nightmare. “We have been duped.”

Those four words ignited a fire in Kertug that I knew would not be soon quenched. “We Have WHAT!” He bellowed.

Ungagh gestured at the leather ladened wagon as he wiped the oil from his fingers. “This is Adympian leather and primrose oil. The cart is orcish, but the contents are elven. This is the scent I have been following all this time. They knew they would be tracked with this so they left a false trail to draw us off their path.”

Kertug roared with rage as he turned and lobbed a fireball into the distance. “Fexting Damn It!” He howled. “Have They No Honor!? Those Cowards Would Sell Their Mothers For An Upper Hand! Those Lowly Knife Ears Will Not Evade Us With Their Underhanded Tactics!”

I rubbed my head in shock as the reality of the events cascaded upon me. “They already have,” I muttered, barely a whisper next to Kertug’s bellowing rage.

Dexter

I rubbed my head annoyedly as I tried one more time to think of a way for us to track the elites. They had been here, that much was certain, but their disappearance didn’t bode well for releasing the lockdown, or finding Orthan. I could think of a few ways to pick up their trail, but the forethought and knowledge required to accomplish it would be astounding. I definitely wouldn’t be able to use it now, even if I knew the proper series of spells. At least assuming my theory was right. However, that was a moot point because I had neither the time nor knowledge to try out my theory. I finally sighed as I gestured back the way we came. “We should try and find the others. Maybe they have better news than us. If not, maybe we can get them to pick something up here and hope it leads us to where the elites have hidden.”

Amelia nodded; a hint of relief on her face as her shoulders relaxed. “Let’s.” She sighed. “I’ll feel better once we have more people to face these elites.”

Dumag scowled as he glanced around the clearing again. “I am unhappy with abandoning our search so soon.” He remarked. “Orthan may be nearby and we cannot leave him in the hands of those knife-eared bastards.”

I nodded as I gestured calmingly. “We’re not abandoning him. We’re just going to get reinforcements and possibly another way to track them. If worst comes to worst, we can run back to the Institute and explain the situation. Garahk might have a spell that’ll allow us to track where they teleported. All we’ll lose is a bit of time, not much else if we move quickly.”

Dumag hesitated for a moment before growling. “For Orthan’s sake, I hope you are correct.” He muttered. “I cannot bear the thought of my nephew in their hands for another moment.”

I nodded again as my mind flared up with a handful of dire scenarios. My legs were killing me after walking for so long. I couldn’t take a break though, not yet at least. Dumag was right about Orthan. We couldn’t afford to let him spend another day in their custody. I pushed the scenarios to the back of my mind as I stretched, causing a handful of soft pops to emanate from my neck. “I’m not a fan of the idea either, but we can only do so much at the moment. We have to be practical about this if we want to get Orthan back.”

Dumag growled again as he glanced at the stone outcropping. I could tell he wasn’t swayed by the logic, but I guess our mistake was still fresh in his mind because he didn’t say a word in response. Instead, it was Gremach that stepped forward and next spoke. “We should warn Garahk of this as soon as possible. We should not wait another moment to inform her of our discoveries.”

I nodded as I wagged my finger encouragingly at him. “We should split up if that’s the case. Tell Garahk what we’ve found and see if the others found anything else. We’ll want as many mages as we can muster if the elites are camped out nearby.”

Salthu nodded as he let out an exhausted sigh and rubbed his wrists. “I would like that.” He remarked. “I fear I will not do well in a conflict in my current condition. Following the trail to this point has nearly exhausted me.”

Brokil nodded as he stepped forward, reaching into his bag. “I have stones to spare if you require. You know of the distance tele-” He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his legs tensing then gliding along the ground he stood on.

I gave Brokil a strange look as the others also noticed his sudden change in demeanor. “What is it?” I asked concernedly. “Did the elites leave something behind?” By now everyone had their attention on Brokil as he turned and began scanning the ground again.

He ran one foot back and forth as he began to trace some kind of path through the glade. “The earth is soft here.” He remarked cryptically. “It dips and lends itself to … something that was once here.”

I felt a twinge of annoyance as Brokil remained mysterious about his implications. “Speak English, for fuck’s sake,” I growled. “What do you mean the ground is soft? What kind of dip? What was here?”

Brokil crouched and ran his hands along the grass as he searched for something, something that wasn’t there. “The earth is too tender to be occurring in a glade like this. Nor does it occur in such an isolated route. There was once a river here; long ago, but it was here nonetheless.”

My brows knitted together as confusion rose alongside my anger. “Wait, what?” I almost stammered. “How can you be sure? What does soft ground have to do with anything?”

Brokil stood again as he began glancing around the glade once more. “You would not know of this, but springs are numerous in these lands, more so in the past as well. My old master, Zugorim, taught me to spot where their rivers once flowed. He said they were crucial in understanding the events of the past.”

His explanation only added to my confusion. “What? Springs?” I asked incredulously. “What would springs have to do with this?”

Brokil suddenly turned and began heading to the center of the glade, where the outcropping of rock towered over us. “Springs emerge from natural cave systems, but their flow has been lessened since their past, leaving the caves barren and dry.” He crouched at the foot of the outcropping as he ran his hands along its base. “If the elites vanished from this location, then perhaps they did not flee outward.”

Realization slowly dawned on me as Brokil began clawing at one of the piles of rock, this one somehow mossier than the rest. “Do you think they-” I began, but I was cut off as Brokil ripped the stones away, revealing a dark crevasse that only grew as he pulled more stones away.

A collective gasp barely drifted around the glade as Brokil finished pulling the pile away, nodding grimly as he gazed into the hole in the rock. “This was indeed a spring once.” He confirmed, turning back to us. “It has run dry now, but the cave remains. This may be where the elites have retreated.”

Everyone stepped forward to inspect the tiny passage that Brokil had revealed. A strange echoing hum was quietly emanating from the gap in the stone, almost imperceptible. All that I could feel as I gazed at the blackness was an oppressive and hostile aura that appeared to permeate my very chest. “You’re not suggesting-” I said in disbelief.

Brokil nodded as he glanced back at the empty glade. “They retreated into the spring system. It is sensible, all options considered. Their small form is advantageous in the narrow passages below.”

I growled as I pinched my temple annoyedly. Just from the look of it, I could tell that none of us would be able to squeeze through, none of the orcs at least, but that meant I was trapped out here too. Unless … “Do you still have that stone manipulation staff?” I asked as I turned towards Dumag.

Dumag nodded as he reached into his bag and began rummaging around, finally producing a scepter with a green gemstone on top. “This will take but a moment.” He said as he leveled the artifact at the crack in the rock.

Brokil turned, eyes widening in surprise as he saw the staff pointed in his direction. “Wait! Don’t!” He shouted, but it was too late. A deep rumbling sounded as the green gemstone glowed and the crack in the rock was widened. Brokil suddenly sprang into action, yanking the staff upward and forcing Dumag to release the spell. Another rumble and the crack shrank again, somehow smaller than it was before. “Stop!” He shouted. “You’ll Collapse The Tunnel!”

Dumag wrenched his arm away as he glared at Brokil. “I know the risks.” He growled. “This is why I intend to remove the outcropping. The stone cannot collapse if it is removed.”

Brokil pinched his nose in annoyance as he gestured at the shrunken gap. “You cannot be certain of removing the stone so completely. This outcropping may be the only reason this entrance exists at all. Not to mention the ruckus you would be creating. Removing the stone would only announce our presence and rob us of our advantage of surprise.”

Dumag scowled at Brokil as he gripped the scepter tighter. “You could not possibly know that.” He muttered angrily. “The safety of my nephew could rely on this. We cannot wait a moment longer.”

Brokil let out an exasperated sigh as he gestured at the outcropping. “Zugorim has studied these outcroppings before. They are deceptively weak and crumble at the slightest shift. Why else would their exterior be crumbling away so rapidly?” Dumag continued to scowl, but slowly lowered the scepter as Brokil explained. Brokil appeared to notice and relaxed slightly as he continued. “We can attempt to excavate the tunnel, but we would need to do it carefully. Removing stone in the wrong manner will only seek to collapse the tunnel and the cave beneath. If your nephew is truly down there then we must proceed with caution.”

Dumag growled angrily again but made no move against Brokil. “Time is not on our side in this endeavor.” He protested firmly. “We cannot afford to meticulously extract the stone from this formation. That would give the elites ample time to notice and escape. We must push forward now if we are to have any hope of rescuing my kin.”

Brokil nodded understandably as he rubbed his head thoughtfully. “Which is why we must conspire another method forward. Magic will not aid us in this scenario.”

Dumag’s expression softened again, a sense of calm coming over him as he let out a low sigh. The others remained silent as the weight of the situation bore down on them. Our options were limited if we couldn’t just make the crack bigger. It didn’t help that the crack had shrunk thanks to my original idea. Now I doubted I could even squeeze my shoulders in. Dumag turned to me, a look of defeat plastered across his face. “What do we do, outsider?” He growled dejectedly. “How do we overcome this obstacle?”

My stomach sank as everyone turned to me expectantly. All of my recent plans involved magic and suddenly being expected to come up with a plan that didn’t involve magic was downright unfair. I pinched my nose angrily as I felt a surge of anger at Dumag’s insistence of using the term outsider. The sudden pressure rubbed me the wrong way and the repeated treatment was not helping in the slightest. My mind went into overdrive as it thought up a thousand ways to bypass this obstacle, trying to disobey the restriction. Internal supports for the tunnel. Move Earth to widen the crack with spacers. Change the density of the stone to something more solid. Make a cement to bind the crafts together. Deep down I knew none of it would work though. I had neither the time, nor the resources, nor the expertise to do any of what I had in mind.

I closed my eyes as I muffled my surging anger. “Come on, Think! There’s got to be something I’m missing. I can’t fit in there, neither can the other mages. So we either need to widen the gap or follow the elites and teleport in. However, we can just teleport willy nilly. We’d either find the wrong cave or more likely teleport into solid rock. Just the thought of that gives me the chills. No. We need to get in without using magic, but we can’t do that without widening the hole. Unless …” I looked up as realization slowly dawned on me, a thousand possibilities collapsing into only two. “They needed a way in.” I suddenly said aloud.

The others gave me confused looks as I stared off, trying to think of justification against the ideas. Gremach glanced between me and the outcropping before speaking. “Of course they did.” He voiced, turning to me. “How else would they disappear?”

I gestured dismissively as I turned to Brokil. “Did you bring those beacons with you?” I asked quickly.

Brokil gave me a hesitant look. “Y-Yes?” He stammered hesitantly.

I grinned and nodded as the possibility solidified itself. “Do you think the elves left a beacon behind? Something for us to follow in?”

Brokil scratched his chin thoughtfully as he considered the idea. “That could be a possibility.” He remarked.

I grinned, but Salthu shook his head as he stepped forward. “Even if they do have a beacon in place, what is to say they have not trapped it. O-or that they are not waiting for any such unwanted intruder!”

My face sank again as I realized the validity of his concern. “Damn it.” I cursed. “It was almost perfect.” Dumag scowled and opened his mouth to protest, but I continued too quickly. “That only leaves one last option." I turned to Amelia. After a moment of confusion, everyone else followed suit.

Her eyes grew wide as the attention was suddenly fixated on her. “W-wha- Me?” She asked in disbelief.

I nodded as I gestured at the fissure. “You’re the only one small enough to squeeze into that gap. You need to crawl down there and find a suitable place for the rest of us to teleport in.”

A look of terror came over her face as she looked over at the outcropping. “W-Why not Bruga?” She asked shakily. “She’s almost my size.”

I nodded again as I gestured towards the blue shawled mage. “Almost, but not quite. You’ve seen the orcs here. They’re all massive and she isn’t an exception. Your figure is the only one that has any hope of fitting through.”

Amelia’s terror deepened as she glanced at the outcropping again. “I-I don’t know if I can.” She muttered timidly.”

I gave Amelia a confused look as I tilted my head. “Why not?” I asked, a little angrier than warranted.

Amelia looked down meekly as she played with her fingers nervously. “I... Um.”

I felt my confusion turn to sympathy as I realized she was ashamed of something, ashamed of whatever was stopping her from crawling into that crevice. “You don’t have to be afraid,” I said assuredly. “We’ll be right here to help you out if you need it. You’d be heading down with a beacon anyway. You could teleport back out whenever you want.”

Amelia nodded as she let out a stressful sigh. “I know. I know. It’s just …” She pursed her lips as she shifted from foot to foot. “I didn’t expect to be doing this.” She sounded so closed off when she said it. It was clear something was bothering her. I somehow felt a sense of familiarity with her behavior. I could almost say I behaved similarly around- A shudder down my back. -spiders. My eyes grew wide as it suddenly clicked. Something about going into the cave that sets off the same alarms when I encounter arachnids of any kind.

I glanced at the others as one prominent aspect floated to the front of my mind. “She’s ashamed of her fear.” I stepped closer to Amelia, placing a hand on her shoulder and leaning down to quietly whisper into her ear. “I know you’re afraid,” I said quietly. “I would be too in your situation, but Orthan is depending on us. We need to get into that tunnel and you might be the only one that can do it. None of our magic can expand the hole and we’re all too big to fit. We can’t afford to waste time either. The elites might have heard us and are running as we speak. Orthan’s life might depend on you crawling into that hole.”

Amelia pursed her lips again as she looked towards the outcropping, her hands trembling despite the warm air. “I … I know.” She finally whispered. “I-I’m just claustrophobic.”

I felt a hidden sense of satisfaction as one of my deductions was proven right, but nodded sympathetically to try and encourage Amelia. “I wouldn’t be asking you to do this if it wasn’t absolutely necessary,” I said quietly. “We can’t afford to wait for help. The elites are here and need to be taken down.”

Amelia let out a shuddering sigh as she continued to stare at the outcropping. Her hands were still shaking, but it was less so than before. She finally let out a sigh as she looked up, nodding fearfully. “I-I’ll do it.” She stammered. “Just tell me what to do.”

I gave her a reassuring grin before turning to Brokil. “Brokil,” I said simply. “Brokil nodded as he reached into his shawl and pulled out one of the beacons before tossing it to me. I caught it and handed it to Amelia as I explained the plan. “Take this into the tunnel and find an adequate place to port in. Send a pulse when it’s ready and we’ll be there in an instant.”

Amelia nodded hesitantly as she took the small stone and looked at it. After a moment, she stepped forward and warped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back as a muffed voice vibrated up from my chest. “I hope Brokil is right about this.”

I nodded as I patted her back comfortingly. “Me too.” After a moment Amelia stepped back and wiped a tear from her face. She then let out a sigh and pulled off her satchel before stepping towards the outcropping. She knelt in front of the crack in the rock and stared at it for a few minutes as she tightly gripped the beacon.

She eventually glanced back, her face still full of apprehension. “Any advice?” She asked nervously.

I looked at the tunnel for a moment as I tried to think of all the possible problems with crawling into a cave like this. “Try to control your breathing.” I finally said. “You can fit in here, but there might be places where it gets thinner. You’ll want to compress your chest as much as possible if you want to squeeze past. … Plus it might help with the anxiety of it all.”

Amelia nodded as she let out a long sigh and looked at the hole again. She closed her eyes and began whispering something under her breath.“It’s all in your head. It’s all in your head.” She let out one last long sigh as she held the beacon close to her chest. She then crawled forward and stuck her head into the crevice, pulling herself along before disappearing into the darkness. I let out a sigh and sat down as I waited for the signal, keeping a close eye on the crack in the rock.