Sitting in the shade of one of the few trees in the city I can't help but be frustrated at the cataloging the mages use for magic applications. Hidden in a gardening section is a way to rapidly grow trees and fuse with them letting you literally uproot a tree and walk. It's called a Trent form and it makes you practically invulnerable and your physical power skyrockets. The Trent form is perfect for fighting monsters. And is in the gardening section! Under a footnote! Saying how it's good for letting in the sun without cutting branches.

I copied the text and added it to my own combat and survival tactics folder. I’ve added a ton of basic tricks for making camping a breeze, even picked up some basic healing. I won't be able to regrow limbs any time soon but I won't bleed out now. It’s like all the important information is hidden or undersold. The best example I found of underutilized magic is using air magic to feel my surroundings with almost perfect accuracy. Really good for knowing what's behind a wall or trying to hide. Have to try it later to know how good it is but I found it on a tab about finding and killing bugs. The second underutilized application used light magic that gives a three-sixty view of all around me. I found that on a tab called life hacks for watching tv while studying. Seeing behind me was an experience, my depth perception was all wonky for a few minutes but man was it cool.

“Sledge!” a voice called. Looking up I see Short rushing towards me.

“Hey,” I say standing up. “What's up?” He stops in front of me panting.

“I just heard you’re heading out of the city.”

“My new team should be here any minute.” I say while looking at my watch. Short waves his hands and a haze surrounds us giving off a slight buzzing sound.

“What's this?” I ask. With one last deep breath, Short catches his breath.

“Damping field, makes it hard to see us and almost impossible to hear what we say by vibrating the air around us. I didn't expect you to leave the city so soon but I need a favor from you. A quiet favor.” Short pulled two small green stones out of his pocket and held them out to me. Hesitating for a moment I looked around seeing no one I took the stones

“What do you need to be done? And why so secret?” I say while Short sighs and rubs his eyes.

“I can't get into it all here out in the open as we are too many people involved and too many factions watching me. What I gave you is a portal beacon. Something I’ve been working on for years essentially it will let me make a stable portal to the stone without having to have been to the location first. I need you to find a safe, secluded location far away from the city, place the stone on the ground, and add a bit of pure mana to activate it. The second stone is your payment for helping me and keeping quiet. I can secretly make you a portal for your own use.” Looking at the stone than at Short. For the first time is see him unsure. Almost scared I’ld refuse, I don't owe him anything, hell I barely know him. And doing this may make me some enemies with people I don't know especially if he is being watched. My gut says he's a good guy though.

“I'll do it!” I say pocketing the stones.

“Thank you Sledge, you saved my backside.”

“But, if my team asks what I’m doing I’ll tell them, I can't work with people who don’t trust me. It's a fast way to get killed.” Short not happy opens his mouth, stops then closes his mouth. He closes his eyes and sighs.

“I understand,” he said. “I don't like it but I understand, thank you for being upfront about it.” I shook Short's hand sealing the deal he nodded to me and disappeared along with the haze. It was only a few moments later I heard an engine getting closer. A large covered jeep truck came to a stop a few feet away. Lucille hoped out of the front passenger side and waved at me sporting a pleased smile.

“All packed up?” she said looking at my sea bag, her eyes stopped on my armor and her smile grew wider.

“I'm ready to go,” I said walking up to the Jeep truck. The back window rolled down and a petite Asian woman's head popped out.

“This the new guy?” she asked excitedly. She looked a few years older than Tompson, young but looked more woman than a teen her face holding the last bit of baby fat you only really lose in your mid-twenties “ I'm Stacy Lee,” she said waving. A slightly portly man pushed himself up the sunroof of the jeep truck he looked to be in his mid-40s and had an impressive beard and mustache neatly trimmed with a salt and pepper coloring creeping in having taken over midway his once brown hair.

“Good to have you, go ahead and toss your bag in the back. I'm Jimmy Stevens by the way.” The team had an energy about them that was infectious Lucille walked me to the back of the truck and unlocked the tailgate. I tossed my pack in then unslung my axe and put it in, the jeep sunk a good 3 inches but the heavy-duty suspension was able to deal with it. Lucille turned to me.

“The first few hours will be within the safe zones the city keeps clear. I figured that would be a good time to get to know one another.”

“Sounds good.” I said as I shrug my shoulders. Lucille closed the tailgate up and we got in. The jeep truck had three bench seats in the back seeing as both bench seats behind me were taken I sat behind the driver. With almost no legroom I kick my feet up and lay back. the back of my head resting on the cool glass of the window. I barely get comfortable before the jeep was off and going out of the city. Lucille looked back at me

“Introductions, you already know my name but what you don't know is I have an ability. I have echolocation and an item that took me almost a year to get. The item projects a map of what my echolocation hits. Very handy in tunnels.” Lucille waved her hand to the driver and spared me a glance in the rear view mirror.

“Sio.” She said nodding to me. Her accent was so thick it was impossible to place. Most of her body was hidden in baggy clothing with long sleeves and baggy pants. A safari hat covered her head she had on wide-rimmed sunglasses and most of her face was covered in sunblock.

“She's shy,” Stacy said reaching over the seat taking my hand, and shaking it way too fast. “Like I said I'm Stacy without getting too complicated I’m the Surveyor and Cartologist or map maker.” Stacy smiled at me for a long moment until Lucille cleared her throat and gave Stacy a look.

“Right!” Stacy said hitting her forehead. “I have an ability as well I can merge with water as long as its volume is more than my overall body mass. Really good for hiding, I can purify water if I merge within in a sealed container. I recently discovered I can heal myself if I merge with water long enough. So far no item, I don't have a lot of time to go to the Rock and give it mana regularly so it's going slow”

“I'd shake your hand but I don't want to reach over that far,” Jimmy said from the back. “Like I said I'm Jimmy Stevens, Coordinator and logistics is my title but Lucille already does most of that so to feel useful I cook when we're out of the city.”

“I hope you like salt,” Stacy interrupts.

“Nothing wrong with a pinch of salt,” Jimmy said swatting Stacy playfully. “Keeps the bugs out of the food. No ability for me but I got a keen eye and take perfect notes.” With all eyes on me, I start.

“I guess it's my turn, my name is Sledge I am a high mage, still learning but I'm getting there. Most of my life was spent on the front lines, then after the war, I spent most of my time killing monsters. I'm your new head of security, to be honest, I haven't worked with civilians much. So if I come off as an ass don't take it personally, if being rude means keeping everyone alive I'm ok with that. My item is a big heavy War axe, so far as I can tell it's good for killing stuff.”

“That's ok,” said Stacy. “I’d rather be alive and mad at you than die thinking how nice you are.” Jimmy laughed while Lucille shook her head. For the next few hours, the drive was slow but steady the wet air slowly drying and the mass of trees were thinning slowly, giving way to open planes. We busied ourselves mostly with small talk. What kind of music do you like and what are your hobbies. Light conversation meant to get to know one another.

“We have an issue,” Sio said her accent so thick it took me a moment to understand what she said. The jeep came to a slow stop the last few feet we slid as the jeep lost traction. Looking out the window I could see the ground had become a muddy mess

“No way,” said Stacy angrily. “I had the drones check all our routes last week this area was dry!” Lucille started pulling out maps. “Well it's wet now, we will have to find another route.” Jimmy popped his head out his window

“Pweeet” he whistled. “We sunk in deep, going to have to dig our way out first before we can go another route.” Stacy flung her hands in the air hands hitting the ceiling with a wack.

“Ow ow,” she said. “Ugg, just what we need getting all muddy on our first day out.” I ignored the group and thought for a minute, I'm a high mage! I should be able to overcome a puddle of mud.

“Ok I got an idea,” I said making everyone stop what they were doing. Pulling on earth and water mana I pushed the water in the ground away from us the sound of rushing water filled the air. Then I lifted a patch of earth, the jeep rose up in small shaky jerks a patch of dry road rose lifting the jeep out of the bog. Letting go of the mana I realized how silent the jeep had become.

“Holy crap.” Stacy whispered.

“What?” I asked seeing everyone looking at me

“Well,” Lucille said slowly “It’s one thing to talk about being a high mage, it's another to see the magic working.”

“I don't understand,” I say. “You all must have seen magic all the time living in the city as long as you have.”

“We have,” said Lucille “It’s just seeing something from a distance and being next to it, it's different I guess.”

“Yes, very good,” said Sio. “We're still stuck.” She turned in her seat and pointed at me. “Can you make, what is the word?” She looked to Lucille. “Path for jeep what's it named?”

Lucille thought for a moment. “Road?” Sio nodded.

“Yes,” she said looking at me. “Can you make a road forward?”

“I don’t see why not, ill have to take the front seat so I can see what I'm doing.” Lucille without saying anything jumped out of the jeep and we switched spots. Building the road was slow at first the road was rough and uneven. We moved at a crawl for the first hour but as time went on I got better. Soon we were moving at a walking pace, slow yes but much faster than going around the newly formed swamp. It took most of the day to get free and on solid ground, the open planes became a lightly forested valley of small rolling hills stretching far into the horizon. Sio came to a stop at the top of a bare hill we started getting out of the Jeep and looking around

“So,” said Stacy looking at a small stack of papers. “I have bad news and worse news” Jimmy got out of the jeep in a hurry the poor guy had to go to the bathroom for the last hour but we couldn't stop. He ran behind the jeep to do his business. Lucille rolled her eyes at Jimmy.

“Just tell us, Stacy.” Stacy looked up from her papers to us

“We can’t camp here, this area is a hotbed for monsters at night. Our tents will do nothing to protect us from the monsters. Anything on the ground will be monster chow.” Jimmy came back from around the jeep much calmer.

“Is that the bad news or the worst news?” Stacy stood looking at us biting her lip.

“That's the bad news, the worst news is the jeeps is almost out of power. It takes at least 6 hours to fully recharge.”

“Recharge?” I ask. Lucille points to the Jeep.

“It's an electric jeep truck, it used to recharge by plugging it into a power source. We retrofitted it with a perpetual motion generator we bought from an enchanter. Cost three times the jeep did but it was worth it. The only problem is it takes a bit to recharge.” Lucille looked to Stacy. “So we can't camp here and we cant move on?” Stacy looked over her paperwork wired she started to bite her lower lip.

“Ya, that's the situation.”

“Ideas?” asked Sio. I looked around an idea coming to me turning to Stacy.

“You said anything on the ground is food right. What about in the trees?” She looked at her paperwork and read over a page.

“From what we gathered the monsters here stay on the ground they look and act more like wild dogs. We did see some evidence of larger monsters but nothing concrete.”

“Ok, I have an idea wait here, everyone.” With that, I ran down the hill to a small but healthy-looking tree. I placed my hand on the trunk reaching within myself I called on my nature mana. Glad at all the practice I’ve had with my axe I push the mana into the tree feeling it out. It was odd, feeling something alive with my magic. There was no thought or instinct I wouldn't even call what I felt a soul. I could just feel the tree was alive, shaking my head clear I get to work feeling out the tree. The roots didn't go all that deep but spread out and while the wood felt healthy didn't fill me with a sense of strength. I broke 5 living branches off the tree and made my way back up the hill.

“Going to start a fire?” asked Jimmy. “Hate to break it to you but monsters aren't scared of campfires.”

“Not quite,” I said plotting out what I wanted, I pushed a branch into the ground about halfway. Taking large steps I counted five paces and planted another branch. I did that 3 more times. Looking up from what I was doing I saw the team watching me confused. I just smiled at them and knelt down by a branch. What I was about to do was by far the most complicated thing id ever attempted. Closing my eyes I took hold of a branch and pushed nature mana into it urging it to grow and flourish. I could feel the branch thickening its thin bark growing rough in my hand its roots shoved dirt and stone aside. The roots sought out the other branches one by one the roots found their brethren nature mana infused the branches making them grow. The branches one and all shot into the sky becoming trees. I filled my magic with purpose and my will demanding the trees grow thick and tall. The task came to an end I felt my magic relax, and a warmth overcame me. Opening my eyes I looked up and saw my creation. Standing 30 feet tall stood five trees, their branches intertwined bracing and supporting one another. At the top of the trees sat a cozy-looking cabin made of living wood. A vine rope hung low swaying in the wind.

“Well shit,” said Lucille, “I thought the road was impressive but this.” She waved to the treehouse

“ Are you even tired?” Asked Sio stumbling over the words. I looked inward and felt my magic, it felt used but by no means exhausted more strained from lack of use than actually empty “I could keep on going but I’d rather not.” Sio was hard to read covered head to toe as she was but even I could tell she was looking at me in shock. Stacy looked at the setting sun then she grabbed Jimmy's arm looking at his watch.

“We need to get off the ground soon it will be dark real soon.” In silent agreement, we got to unpacking it took longer than we would have liked but with the rope ladder being what it was we could only move so fast. With the last of the food in the treehouse, I pulled the ladder up. It was only a few minutes after the sun was down a group of six wolf-looking monsters rushed onto the hill sniffing around. Even safe and out of reach as we were the sound of monsters hunting us just below made the team tense and quiet. We ate cold rations in silence. Stacy was taking it particularly hard whenever a monster attempted to jump up the tree trunks. She was close to tears when I had had enough and pushed more natural mana into the trees growing sharp spikes all along the trunks. All it took was a few pain-filled yelps before the monsters gave up and moved on.

“Thanks,” she said in barely a whisper. After eating Lucille attempted to lighten the mood with a game of poker but gave up after seeing I was the only one not stressing out about the monsters.

“Ok, that's it.” Lucille said packing up her cards. “Let's get some shut-eye, we can just leave early tomorrow.” Liking her idea I unrolled my sleeping bag and got comfortable. Sleeping in my armor way not be good for my back but I’d rather be sore in the morning and not need it than wake up in the middle of the night not ready for a fight with a monster at my door. I fell asleep fast my team talking in hushed whispers.

“ROARRRR!” I shot up disoriented, a monster's roar shaking the very air around me standing up I could see the rest of the team waking up in vares stages of panic and confusion.

“CRASH.” The treehouse lurched and tilted dangerously forward. I barely caught myself as I was thrown forward only just stopping myself from hitting my head on the wall. Stacy screamed as she slid across the floor to the open door. Jumping before I thought about it I reached for her, Landing hard on the floor the air was knocked out of me. I scrambled after her as fast as I could in a desperate attempt I lunged for her. Our hands met and I latched on for all I was worth. Luckily I caught her in time another second and she would have fallen out of the treehouse. In seconds Jimmy and Sio were next to me pulling Stacy back into the treehouse Jimmy hugged her as she cried hysterically. I got up ignoring the pain in my chest as I gasped for air. I grabbed hold of the door and leaned out to see what was happening thankfully the sun was cresting the horizon lighting up the hillside. at the base of the hill stood a monster larger than any I had seen before. It was a Rhino with a beetle's exoskeleton lining its body. It was easily 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide, its horn was a weapon of destruction. Looking down I could see in its first charge the monster took out two of the five trees holding us up. It was lining up for a second charge. Looking back into the treehouse I could see my new team was completely unprepared for this. Hell, I may not be ready for this but at least I had a chance. Cursing myself for forgetting to bring my axe I pushed down the anger and fear of what I was about to do

“Stay here I’ll be right back,” I yelled. Lucille looked at me like I was crazy tears soaked her face.

“Stay here?” she yelled. “Where the hell do you think I want to go! Shopping?” Ignoring her I jumped out of the treehouse and used air magic for the first time to slow my fall. Unlike most other magics it came to me easy almost eager to answer my call. Having to file the feeling away for later I had no time to think about it. The monster was already on its way back up the hill every step of its mighty feet making the ground shutter. Using earth mana I made pillars shoot out of the ground in the path of the monster. making them as thick and compact as I could. One after another the monster blew through my defenses. It almost wasn't enough but luckily the monster's charge was pushed to the side barely hitting a tree and missing a second. Seeing earth magic wasn't working I called on fire. With almost no control I rose a wall of flame high into the air cutting the monster off from us. The heat cooked the ground around the wall of flame steam billowing out as the heat flash boiled the water in the ground. The fire was both wild and hungry I fought for control of the flame, I may have started the fire but I was not its master. Thanking whoever was listening I could see the monster eyeing the wall of fire. Half-heartedly it charged the flames but once the heat become too much it turned tail and ran. Using all my will I forced the fire smaller and smaller with a final heave a wall of earth smothered the last of the flames. I fell my knees shaking as the adrenaline pumped through my body. I sat panting as my body shook refusing to let my guard down I stood up, my legs barely able to hold me shaking as hard as they were. In the distance, I felt something.

“What now?” I said getting ready for another fight. a primal urge welled up deep within me. Looking behind me I felt something coming closer like a long-lost friend coming to visit after so long apart I waited stunned as my magic pulsed with joy. Stronger and stronger the feeling grew as I stood alone on a hilltop confused at what my magic was doing. Closing my eyes I felt an inward feeling for my magic, but instead of my normal core of magic, I felt a deeper and older power answer. In that moment I understood, my high mage magic was calling out to me. Whispering, ally, friend, counterpart. Over and over. With a sense of understanding, I opened my eyes looking for my new companion. And saw nothing.

“Buzzzzzz,” I heard by my ear I swatted at a bug and went back to surveying the horizon. “BZZZZZZZZ,” the bug was back. “For crying out loud,” I said seeing a small bumblebee flying around my head. Rearing my hand back to swat at it I felt my magic revolt at the idea of hurting the bee.

“Oh no.” I said in disbelief. “You are my companion?” The bee flew in front of my face stopping just in front of my left eye. We looked at one another and I swear the little bug shrugged as if saying I guess and flew into my hair.

“Are you alive?” Lucille called out from the treehouse

“We will deal with this craziness later,” I said looking up at my hair.

“I’M ALIVE,” I yelled back walking just in front of the dangerously leaning treehouse. Lifting my hands I made a ramp of Earth to the doorway and walked up.

“We all ok?” I ask

“No,” Stacy said holding onto Jimmy while crying. Pointing at her legs large jagged splinters had pierced her legs in dozens of spots a few stabbing so deep she was bleeding bad.

“I think I can heal this but give me a minute, ok?” I tapped my wristband and a screen appeared in front of me opening my newly sorted tabs. I found what I was looking for - my file on healing magic.

“Once healing is done we need to go,” Sio said rolling up her sleeping bag.

“Your right Sio,” Lucille said nodding. “You and I will pack up, Jimmy keep Stacy as calm as you can. And Sledge,” I looked up from my text. “Thanks,” she said.

“Yes,” said Sio. “Thank you for saving us.” Not really sure how to deal with being thanked I just shrug and give a half-smile and go back to reading. The healing process was simple but painful. I hadn't found a reliable way to numb pain so Stacy had to deal with my amateur attempts using magic. I had to get ahold of the wood in the deeper parts of her leg and pull the jagged pieces of wood out, over and over again. By the time I was done she had cried herself dry. Thankfully once I had healed the last wounds she fell asleep in Jimmy's arms. Gently as he could he carried her to the jeep. Finally packed up we stood by the jeep as Lucille was rubbing her temples

“Ok, we have to go back.” Lucille said more to herself than us. Sio and I looked at one another neither of us happy at what we had to say to Lucille.

“We can't go back,” Sio said pointing at the way we had come. The road I had made the day before was already mostly reclaimed by the swamp. Lucille glanced at the road unhappy she then looked at me.

“Can't you make another one?” Lucille asked. I grimaced thinking about how bad that could go if we did go back.

“It would be as slow going as it was yesterday. If the monster come looking for us while we were in the swamp we are dead.”

“But you ran it off right?” Jimmy said not convinced. “Can't you just do what you did and make a wall of fire?”

“That was the first time I had used fire magic like that and I almost couldn't control it. Not only that but we would be completely surrounded by water, who knows how that will affect the flames.” I said. Lucille buried her face in her hands openly weeping

“I do have another option,” I said pulling out the two stones Short gave me.

“Short made these, they will let him make a portal to them. We finish the drive to our assigned campsite, it seems relatively safe. I activate one and he portals us to town.”

“Why can't you just do it now?” asked Jimmy

“I don't know how long it takes for the stone to connect to Short. What I do know is Short asked me to find a safe spot to activate this. The last thing we need to do is activate the stone and then be stuck waiting for days for Short the open a portal to us. I say we move on, getting to the assigned area that's considerably safer than here, and I’ll activate the stone.”

“Why am I only hearing about this now?” Lucille said looking at the stones than at me unhappy.

“Short wanted this to be kept secret,” I shrug. “I told him if I felt you needed to know I’d tell you that I wouldn't keep a secret from my new team. I just hadn't had time to get with you alone and tell you. I figured if you wanted the team to know you would tell them yourself.”

“Ok, I’ll let this go.” She sighed then pointed at me and eyed me hard “But no more secrets or doing favors on Explorers League time without my say-so got it?”

“Ya got it.” I put my hands up in surrender. Lucille smiled and shook her head

“Anything else I need to know before we move on.?”

“No not really, “ I say only to hear an angry buzzz and a sharp pain in my scalp.

“Owww,” I say slapping my head. The stupid bee had already moved clear from my hair, resulting in me just hitting myself. “Right I forgot.” I say trying to stare down a bee and somehow not look ridiculous. “As a high mage I have a special magic, I don't understand a lot of it but that!” I say pointing to the bee. “Is my companion.” The group stood in silence looking at the bee haply flying around

“So…” said Jimmy his voice strained. “The all-mighty power of a high mage is a bee? PFFFT!” Jimmy laughed, face red. He covered his mouth trying to cover the sound of laughter, unfortunately, his entire body was convulsing in hysteria. Sio was the first the break laughing loudly while Lucille was holding her stomach practically on the ground in fits of laughter.

“You’re all asses,” I say jumping in the jeep and closing the door. Even closed I could hear the team going crazy. It didn't help that the bee started raming the window trying to get to me every hit gave off a small little tap sound making it impossible for the group to recover. After a solid 10 minutes of laughter, I gave up and opened the door the bee zoomed into the jeep and hid in my hair. Setting the group off again. With red faces, the trio loaded up and sat as silently as they could. A random snicker escaped every few minutes. The drive thankfully was uneventful Stacy woke up a few hours into our trip and was unhappy we were pushing forward but was convinced of the plan with little effort on Lucille's part. We made good time thanks to Sio driving, we moved much faster than was probably safe but we all wanted to get to our campsite and activate the stone so kept our mouths shut. With only a few hours of light left, we made it. The campsite sat a few miles from a large set of mountains a small river flowed down from the mountaintops flowing into a small pond then flowing down past us heading to the west. I had most of the day to plan out the defenses, I had a few ideas but I figured a two-story tower would do with a huge moat. I was going medieval baby. I had spent the day looking up building magics, enchanting, and looking for anything I could use in combat. I was going to keep us safe.

“Ok everyone let me work in peace for a bit,” I said as we unloaded from the jeep. Looking around I was happy to see hundreds of small boulders lining the river. Once the jeep was far enough away I started pulling hard on my earth mana dozens of boulders started rolling toward me. Good material for bricks, the boulders I stacked them in a large pile off the side for now. With a surge of will, I cut deep and wide into the ground from the pond to the river I formed a deceptively deep mote. The water rushed into the moat filling it in minutes. from a particularly large boulder, I made over 40 rods of stone and for the first time called on my enchanting magics. It took longer than I would have liked but after my seventh failure, my enchantment held. It was simple but hardy, the rod flashed green signaling the enchantment is holding. I imbued strength, and unyielding might into the rods. Using the rods I closed off the moat openings to the pond and the river. The water flowed freely but nothing was swimming into the moat. Turning to the rest of the boulders in a blast of earth mana they fell apart into thousands of bricks and in less than an hour stood a two-story tower of granite. Placing my hands on the tower I closed my eyes and filled it with earth mana. Slowly all the bricks fused the tower becoming solid stone. I then filled my mind with a single thought, strength, unyielding, unending unforgiving strength. I filled the tower with that thought I pushed mana into the tower yet again and the tower flashed green. The enchantment took, it wasn't permanent. Nothing that large held enchantments long but it would do for tonight. Exhausted I leaned against the tower wall sweat pouring down my face. Sio saw I was finished and made her way to me

“I’m impressed yet again,” she said stopping in front of me she tossed a water bottle which I drank deeply.

“Thanks,” I said handing her the empty bottle. “It will do for tonight. If Short takes too long getting to us I have some ideas to upgrade but I don't have it in me tonight.”

“Fair enough,” she said helping me to my feet. She pointed to the tower. “Go rest, we will unpack once we are done we will call for Short.”

Feeling too tired to argue I went inside my tower. The stairs to the second floor will need to be fixed being as sloppy and uneven as they were. But that's for later, I found a comfortable spot on the floor and fell asleep. But all too soon I was shaken awake by Jimmy.

“We're ready when you are.” With a huff, I got up. The group was ready for me downstairs. Seeing no need to wait I pulled out a stone put it on the floor and pulsed it with neutral mana. Within a second Short was standing where the Rock was, he somehow looked worse than we did. He looked at us and frowned.

“What's wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” He and I spoke at the same time.

“You go first,” Short said. “I have a lot to say and most of it not good, for anyone.”

“ We got hit hard by a monster last night. Stacy was hurt but luckily I was able to heal her. We've been on the trail going hard trying to get to a safe spot hoping you could portal us to the city.” Short looked at us one after another eyes stopping at Sio he shook his head and waved his hand stone stools grew out of the ground.

“You all better sit down for this,” Short said sitting down himself. “The portal to earth closed.” Everyone except Sio started shouting at once. Stacy in panic. Jimmy and Lucille asked how, and I was yelling to get everyone to quiet down. Short raised his hand like a finger gun and with a motion, a loud “BANG” erupted from his finger.

“Sorry.” He said as we all calmed down and took our seats.

“How,” Lucille asks. Short sighs and rubs his eyes.

“The portal was never going to open both ways,” Short said with finality. “Earth has no mana to feed the portal, in reality, the portal was never going to stay open let alone work back and forth. But there are groups that argued the portal could be fixed. From archaeological research, we know the portal has opened before and did work both ways. Our planets have too much in common for there to be any other explanation, the plant life is similar the animals are too closely related to be anything but shared ancestry. We know the portal connected earth at one point, what we don't know is why or how earth ran out of magic. But at some point in the distant past Earth's mana disappeared. The portal closes and the history was forgotten. We guess that planetary alignment allowed the portal to reopen even without mana on earth. Maybe the planets have always had a portal that connects every few thousand years. We got lucky this time, if it wasn't for the hoards of monsters going to earth and dying. The portal probably would have collapsed years ago without all the magic in the monsters that died on earth, the mana fed the portal. Every year the mana on earth was consumed to keep the portal open I did what I could to keep it going but, earthside had its own plan.”

“No!” said Jimmy in disbelief. “People back on earth closed the portal?” Short nodded.

“Earthside didn't mean to but they did, an unscheduled group came through the portal, killing the technician on duty. A few mages on this side have apparently been feeding the unidentified group information for years on the gate. Once the gate was secured the mages attempted to force the gate fully open. We don't know what they attempted but the gate ripped itself apart killing everyone. The gate site is a mess of magic we cant get close to it without fear of being killed. And even if we could get to the site, I’m the only one who can make portals. I have no idea how to make a gate to earth, I just now discovered how to make portals with enchanted beacons. That's what you used to get me here. It's still in the testing phase. New Eden is cut off.” We all sat in silence for who knows how long. Lucille stood up from her seat and started pacing. She stopped and looked at Short.

“Ok, so now what?” she asked. Short stared at her.

“What do you mean?” he asked confused.

“The gate’s closed, we never expected to go back to earth so that doesn't change much but most if not all our supplies came from the earth. That won't last long. Most of our defenses rely on the military, once they're out of ammo what are we going to do. The city doesn't have a food supply and even with the waterfalls surrounding the city a monster can still get in.”

Short shrugs.

“I don't know, I really don't.”

“Ok well,” said Stacy. “Let's go home and figure this out.”

“Not a good idea,” said Short. “People are panicking, groups are being formed and alliances are being built. People we do not want in charge are pushing to form a new government. The city may not be safe for very long.”

“What are you suggesting?” I ask.

“No one knows you’re out here, and if anyone does know they don't care. But once you’re back people are going to ask questions. This team, in the time we have, is in the perfect position to find a new place to settle. The League was scheduled for a two-week outing right?” Seeing Lucille nod Short kept talking. “So take the two weeks find a safe zone and fortify. And if need be, we along with trusted individuals move.”

“Its that bad?” I ask Short.

“Ya, its that bad.” He said. “And getting worse. Feels like the war all over again.” Sio looked at us all and raised her hand.

“I say, we stay, find new home.” She said in her broken english. Lucille lifted her hand as well, so did Jimmy. I raised my hand as well, we all looked to Stacy. She looked crushed and hopeless.

“If…” She started saying only to sob for a moment. “If you’re all staying… so am I.” With that she raised her hand. Short stood from his seat looking at us with pride.

“I’d love to stay and explain more, but I’m being watched. A group in the military wants to blame me for the gate. If I’m gone too long it will look bad, I’ll send you updates when I can, maybe a bit of help. I’ll see you all in two weeks.” With that, he portaled out. Once he was gone the team started crying except Sio, she did her best to comfort. They held one another I stood off to the side watching as they held one another. I felt the bee fly out of my hair and land on my shoulder. We looked at one another, somehow I knew what she was trying to say.

“Time to get to work.” I said in agreement.