Loretta took Rusk and Flow behind the hut from where she’d been dragged from and there was Felix, propped against the side of the hut and gasping for breath. He was halfway sideways doubled over, holding his ribs. When he looked up at Rusk and his eyes fell on Flow he sort of scoffed and laughed at the same time, which sent him into a coughing fit.

“Hey man,” said Rusk. “You alright there? They get your ribs?”

“Nah,” said Felix. He wheezed and caught his breath before continuing. “String of bad luck has me sick from some plague going around. Might not want to step any closer. I’m not sure if it’s contagious.”

Rusk stepped closer anyway, offering Felix an arm.

Felix took it.

“So I hear you’re heading a resistance.”

“That I am.”

“We want in.” Rusk gestured to Flow and himself.

Loretta moved in to take the rest of Felix’s weight.

“This is Felix?” asked Flow. She tilted her head. “He is different than I imagined him from the stories.”

“I have stories, do I?”

“Shut up. I assume this hut is yours.”

“It is now.”

They made their way inside. The hut was simple as they come. No tree growing through the center of it since they weren’t near enough to a forest, but the rest of the décor reminded Rusk of his home territory’s leafy aesthetic. One difference though. Here the ceiling was made of straw, and the ground was packed dirt. Dry and dusty. A stool sat in the center of a colorful worn mat, and Rusk realized it wasn’t a stool at all but a table of some sort. Who even lived here? Dwarves?

Felix sat on the table as if it were a chair and then sprawled back across it. He took a few moments to just breathe.

“Give him a minute,” said Loretta. “Old age caught him early.”

“You are the most hilarious maiden to ever grace me with your presence. Oh, how kind of you to illuminate my weakness. Milady.”

Flow was confused by their banter, but Rusk took solace in the fact that nothing had changed between these two.

“Yes,” Felix began. “We’re forming a resistance. The king has a plan to eliminate all the Heroes, or else use them as his pawns for an upcoming war, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to stop him from doing so.”

“And how many resistors do you have so far?”

“Loretta. Myself. You two. A handful of others. No more than ten.”

“Seems to me you’re stretched a little thin.”

“Do please inform me.”

“Is it just me or have you gotten grouchy in my time away from the kingdom?”

Felix propped his head up with interlaced fingers and stared at Rusk.

“If you have so few resources you will surely lose,” said Flow.

“This is Floumeré,” said Loretta. “She’s a foreigner and probably wants nothing to do with our little internal squabble.”

“That is not true,” said Flow. “Rusk’s business has become my own. I owe him a debt.”

Was that all it was? Rusk’s shoulders sagged, and by golly did Loretta notice that little gesture. True to herself she didn’t point it out just yet though. Instead she cleared her throat.

“Anyway she has a point. We are stretched thin. Any chance you brought back allies from Sanctuary? You did make it across right?”

“About that,” said Rusk. “Sanctuary is dead.”

Felix sat up slowly, but he had the good grace not to groan.

“Excuse me,” said Loretta, hands on her hips.

“Yeah, when I got there it was destroyed. Massacre. And you know those crusaders? The necromancer controlling them, well, I’m pretty sure he’s the one who pulled off the assault on Sanctuary.”

“One necromancer did all that?”

“He is powerful,” said Flow, ire in her eyes. Fists at her sides. “And a formidable enemy considering his control over the dead means any lost from our side meant more resources for him to throw at us. There is a reason those arts are forbidden.”

“Forbidden magic and the king is killing Heroes.” Felix raked a hand down his tired face. “Maybe we are going to lose.”

“Stop that. No we won’t.” Loretta clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. “We just have to figure a way around it. The magic I mean. And also the king’s guards. And probably find a way inside the castle itself, and… hmm.”

“Know anyone in the capital?” asked Rusk. He’d taken up residence against a wall with a perfect firing line at the open door. Effectively keeping watch for the rest of them since he was the most spry at the moment. He even had an arrow in his hand at the ready just in case. Something told him, probably the Elva, that a lurker was nearby listening in on them. But he didn’t want to initiate a conflict with Felix looking so pale and sickly. “What did you catch anyway? There’s a plague now?”

“An exaggeration,” said Felix. “Perhaps I simply haven’t been getting enough rest. It’ll clear up. Hopefully.”

“See, there’s your problem.” Loretta huffed. “You offer something hopeful and then you sabotage yourself with thought streams like that.”

Felix slouched.

“Rusk can I talk to you for a second?”

Rusk pointed at the door. He made it clear with one single expression passed between them that he was keeping lookout in case anyone decided to enter the hut.

“Yeah, outside is good.” Loretta wandered outside, though she was smart enough to look both ways first to make sure the coast was clear. After Rusk sighed and followed after her, giving Felix a reassuring shoulder squeeze along the way, he closed the door, which was actually more a flap of straw than anything, and Loretta made a gesture to indicate he should probably speak low about whatever it was she wanted to talk about. “That girl. Can we trust her?”

Rusk crossed his arms. “She saved my life.”

“Yeah, but will she save ours if given the chance?”

“She’s a good person.”

“Exactly how long have you known her?”

“How long did I know you before trusting you?”

Loretta groused.

“I trust her.”

“You’re in love with her.”

“What? Don’t be absurd.”

“Smitten then.”

“This conversation is pointless.”

“No it isn’t. If you’re gonna help us with this whole king killing Heroes problem then you have to keep your wits about you.”

“So you’re allowed to be smitten with Felix and I’m not allowed to have a crush?”

“You admitted it!”

“That proves nothing. I’ll keep my head. You know I will. But we have bigger problems than just me keeping my wits about me if Felix is in such poor condition and you’ve got so little manpower on your side. What were you two even trying to accomplish on your own?”

“For one thing, a way to get rid of the Bad Luck stigma.”

“Hmm.”

“King Ehrryn has pushed his propaganda to include all arcane arts, meaning he’s been somehow forcing bad luck on the towns where Heroes have been seen. Any time one passes through, innocently or not, the next day the town is destroyed. By some great natural force. Nobody knows where it comes from. It just appears out of nowhere. From nothing!”

To Rusk, that sounded very much like the dead portal.

Looks like he’d have to track down Elena.

“Okay,” said Rusk. “I’ve got a plan. Or a direction really. First we get Felix back up to speed. Got a safehouse besides this rickety one nearby?”

Loretta nodded.

“We bring him there, nurse him. I’m sure there’s no objection to that. And then we have to find a certain someone.”

“Who?”

“Ever heard of Captain Arrolg?”

Loretta’s jaw tightened into pure unadulterated anger. “Yes.”

“His granddaughter is the key to all this. She could be the leverage we need. Direct ties to the necromancer. As in she might be able to... well, do something. Hopefully.”

“You don’t really know, do you?”

“You have a better idea? Some other lead?”

“No.”

“Then this is what we do. We don’t have much choice. One lead that’s dangerous is better than no leads as far as I’m concerned.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Me too.”

When they reentered the hut, Felix was clenching his teeth with his head in his hands, hunched over, might’ve been crying, and Flow with a look of sympathy rubbed his back in slow circles.

Something about that image made Rusk angry. No, not angry.

Jealous.

He guessed he really did love her. No denying that now. Jealousy only comes from those with something to lose if the person finds another suitor.

Shaking his head, he told himself he had to agree with Loretta. Had to keep his wits about him. It was looking like with Felix so indisposed and clearly spent to the point of exhaustion, he was going to have to be the leader here for a while.

He would lead them well, and truly, and like a Hero Iya Tarfell and Mandy would be proud to know.