"This here, this is the Citadel." Righteous pointed out to a spot on the map marked with a circle with rays reaching outwards. He moved to trace his finger along the map, stopping at another point quite far from the first, almost to the edge of the paper. "This is Settlement 41. Now do understand that this map is completely theoretical, as it has been compiled from merchants on their routes, and the occasional expedition. But the consensus is that 41 is a long, long ways away from here."

Yunkef stared at the map, confused. "How far?"

"Very. Let's just say that, to travel from here to there, you would have to refuel an armored caravan's vehicle at least twice."

Yunkef took a moment to think about it. The vehicles at his home Settlement refueled every time the hunting party or expedition came home. That was about every two glowbird crows. If the vehicles were to run in a straight line for the length of time it took the glowbird to crow twice, without stopping... His eyes widened. "That far?"

Righteous nodded, thinking that he and Yunkef were finally on the same page. "Yes, that far."

"But we were not traveling for that long! Quite fast, sure, but it didn't feel like that long before we ran into the monsters. And then the running..."

"Precisely." Righteous leaned back again. "Your story doesn't seem to add up, my boy, and that is my concern."

Yunkef struggled to meet Righteous's gaze, both from the glare of the lights and from the weight of the words that he could not say. "I don't know what to tell you, sir. This is what happened to me."

Righteous fell silent for a while as he thought. Yunkef, unable to look him in the eye for too long, couldn't help but let his gaze wander all-around Righteous's office. There was the mounted beast head on the wall, a tapestry emblazoned with the circle with rays symbol he saw on the map, and a rack of spears and blades that the red-sashed guards used. And all around, banishing the darkness, were the lanterns.

"I suppose there is nothing I can do on the matter," Righteous said with a sigh. "Whether or not you are lying about how you came to find our beloved Citadel isn't of any importance now that you are here. You're clearly injured from your encounter, and the sentries themselves can attest to the wave of beasts that were driving you to us. I need to ask you, boy, what will you do now?"

Yunkef stared back at Righteous, at a loss for words. All he had focused on since leaving the Settlement was surviving. Now that he had found shelter and relative safety, what was there to do? Go back home? "I guess I could try to go back, to Settlement 41." he said slowly. The lump in his throat returned, and he teared up. "A lot of friends and people I knew won't be waiting for me though."

"Perhaps so, perhaps so," Righteous replied. "But you at least are alive, and that in itself is a cause for celebration. The Citadel doesn't receive merchant caravans from Settlement 41 itself, however."

"Then how can I get home?" Yunkef asked, feeling the panic rising. "Am I stuck here?"

"Stuck here?" Righteous said in a measured way that had Yunkef second-guessing his tone. "The Citadel is a beacon of light in our world of immeasurable darkness. As long as the beacon atop this very tower burns, this place remains the safest area in all the world. You should not feel "stuck" here, as you say, but rather, blessed." The pride in Righteous's face shone brightly for a moment, but Yunkef still stared at him like a farm animal that had seen a beast. Righteous sighed. "But if you insist on going home, I will find a way to send you back safely. As it is truly a long way away, you might as well try to get comfortable with living in the Citadel."

"I can live here?"

"Of course. If you like, that is. I cannot stop you if you wish to leave with the merchants or the other travelers."

Yunkef fell silent for a bit. The Citadel was quite safe, with its high stone walls and armed guards. But the light burned his eyes, and the feeling of something crawling under his skin and the strange, irregular beating of his heart was starting to become more noticeable. At first, he thought it was an itch, or an adverse reaction to Pious's treatments, or maybe just his wounds and exhaustion, but whenever he passed close to a lantern it seemed to get worse. He was growing more uncomfortable in the safest place in the world.

"I would like to go home," he said with finality. "I could ask the merchants to take me, maybe their routes will get to Settlement 41 eventually."

Righteous sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair. "As you wish, boy. This is your decision, and while I don't agree with it, you are welcome to it. Although there is one thing I must insist upon, and I will not take no for an answer."

"What is it, sir?"

"Let your damn injuries heal, boy. Pious told me you had been asleep for three cycles of the glowbird’s crow. The very least you could do is rest till you can walk and use your hands."

Yunkef's mouth fell open into a small 'o.' For a second, he had forgotten about his wrists, still wrapped in splints.

Righteous stood and gestured towards the door. "While you rest, you may explore the Citadel as much as you wish. I will have one of my highest, Patience, assist you in terms of living arrangements."

Yunkef slowly stood and started for the door. "Really? That's very generous of you sir, thank you."

Righteous nodded and straightened his posture, looking proud. "Of course, it's the least I could do for one in need. After all, you've survived quite a harrowing experience, and the Citadel is a beacon for all to escape the darkness. We will solve the mystery of how to get you home later. For now, rest and explore the Citadel."

Yunkef couldn't help but feel like he was being dismissed. He nodded and left the office, keeping his gaze down to avoid the direct light from the many lanterns. Even as he walked, his skin felt like it was crawling. He only saw the feet of the robed guards as they moved aside to let him pass, and open the door out of the door. It sounded heavy and moved on creaking hinges. Soon he found himself out in the street, not quite sure where to go. Righteous did mention there was a market area with merchants from outside the Citadel, and Yunkef dimly remembered passing by an area that looked like a market early. It was as good a place as any to start exploring.

The market was brightly lit, but also brightly decorated. Vibrant, richly colored scarves and strings with bells and banners were strewn between the lanterns, giving the area a festive look while simultaneously subtly roping off the designated market area. Yunkef spotted the merchants easily; they were the only ones dressed in clothes other than robes. A dozen or so merchants dressed in drab, mismatched clothes in the same styles that Yunkef had worn back in his home Settlement were bustling about the makeshift stalls. They sold earthenware, old-world trinkets that had been discovered by expeditions, beast hides and claws, spare vehicle parts, and glowbirds in wire cages. Citizens of the Citadel bartered their own wares of elaborately made lanterns, precious gems and stone good for construction that had been dug out from their excavation efforts, and trinkets emblazoned with the same circle and rays symbol from Righteous's maps. The market was alive with noise and activity, and the sight of it brought a smile to Yunkef's face. Being around people and their busy, raised voices brought the Settlement's Residential quarter to mind, and the bonfires he and Nenry used to sit around. He felt a tightness in his throat and took that as a sign that it was time to move on. Setting off towards the market and meaning to pass through it, Yunkef was able to get a better look at the merchants themselves. They were all strangers to him, but they had the feeling of rough living about them. One merchant, a woman with only one eye, beckoned to him with one hand while she held a bundle of beast fangs tied with string in the other.

"Fangs and claws here freshly plucked straight from their heads! Still sharp as ever, watch your fingers!" She smiled and offered the bundle to Yunkef. She was older than Yunkef, maybe Miss Way's age. "You don't look like you’re from the Citadel."

"What? How did you know?"

"The way you're squinting, like you're looking at lights so bright they hurt. None of these people do that. Well, not anymore I believe. So, where are you from?"

Yunkef politely declined the bundle of fangs, and they clattered as they were put back on the stall's board. "I'm from Settlement 41. Had a bad hunt, and ended up here. The only survivor."

"That so? Well, I'm sorry to hear that. But 41, I don't remember ever passing by..."

"Righteous told me it's very far."

"It must be if Righteous said so. Never leads us astray, that one. Don't even think he's capable of telling a lie."

“Has he always been like that?”

“Well I’ve been plying the trade route from Settlement 151 to here for a long time, and Righteous has been the leader of the Citadel for all that time. Never known another.” "That's great, I guess. He seems quite cold and suspicious of people though."

"I think he has good reason to be suspicious. He goes on and on about the Citadel being a 'beacon of light that banishes the darkness' or whatever drivel he spews here. But, I admit, he's right."

"What do you mean?"

"The beasts that hide in the darkness just outside. The Citadel's beacon keeps them at bay, for at least a mile around, and makes the journey here and back that much safer." the merchant motioned to Yunkef. "And for people like you, caught off guard in the darkness and seeking refuge. You can't tell me that if the Citadel wasn't here, you'd still be alive. And well, there is something else that I've heard. Something that keeps Righteous on his toes."

The merchant looked up and down the row of stalls and waited for a couple in the Citadel's white robes to pass. She motioned for Yunkef to lean in closer and whispered in a low voice. "I heard he's watching for the darkness-touched, he is."

"What are those?" Yunkef asked, and was shushed by the merchant.

"Some say they're people driven mad by the beasts, or have been in the darkness too long. The dark got into their heads, got them ranting and raving about whispers and laughter or a lady. How they'd do anything the lady says. Even bursting into fits of violence, they say."

Yunkef went cold. The memory of the woman's voice in the cave came to the forefront of his mind, playful and concerned. Inviting. The merchant continued.

"Righteous must have come across some of these darkness-touched before because his screening of us merchants has gotten stricter. Now we have orders never to touch the lanterns or to go back out to where we parked our vehicles without the guard coming with. Whatever he knows about these darkness-touched, it’s got him spooked."

Yunkef heard the merchant's words but was too stunned by the possibility that he was a darkness-touched too. Would he go mad soon? He swallowed dryly. "What happens to the people who are...like that?"

The merchant just shrugged. "I don't know. Can't say. Never seen one myself, and these rumors hold as much water as a bucket full of holes. But if you do come across one, I'd have to say you turn tail and run right away, you hear?"

Yunkef nodded so fast that his head was a bobbing blur. The merchant smiled toothily and slipped him a little trinket: a bracelet of beast hide leather and shiny rocks. "Keep it, it will give you luck. Go on your way now boy, and try not to look too terrified."

Yunkef didn't spend too much time in the market after speaking to the merchant. The merchant had tied the bracelet onto his wrist after he meekly explained his hands were broken, and she sent him on his way with a jaunty warning against any more freebies. The rest of the stalls weren't as interesting after that.

Towards the far wall of the Citadel was an open area bordered by a wire fence. Yunkef's heart leapt as he recognized the sight immediately: it was a farm. There were glowbird coops and a barn for the livestock, and rows upon rows of strange plants that he had never seen before, but were definitely being grown as crops. There were tall plants with thick stalks that bore brightly colored fruit that gave off a weak glow under the light of the lanterns. Close beside the rows of tall plants were a series of long racks stacked three high packed with dark soil. Glowing mushrooms grew there, larger and more plentiful than Yunkef had ever seen. They had mushroom farms at the farm back at Settlement 41, but it looks so small now compared to this. Out in the field area, dozens of white-robed people worked the fields with well-crafted tools instead of the ramshackle shovels and hoes made from rusted corrugated metal and beast scraps. Yunkef couldn't stop staring at the size of the farm, and the possibilities of what one could grow! He could ask Righteous if he could stay here a while, or even bypass the leader of the Citadel entirely and stay to learn as much as he can about farming here while Righteous worked to find a way to send Yunkef home. He paused to think about it; why stop at just the farm? There was so much he could learn from the Citadel. He could observe the guards, interview the residents, plot a map with help from the merchants, maybe even unlock the secret of the Citadel's extraordinarily bright lanterns and bring back his knowledge to his Settlement and improve it drastically. Then maybe, they could reduce their reliance on using creature parts as building materials. They could send out fewer hunts. Then maybe, just maybe, no other hunters will have to risk their lives and encounter the beasts that live in the darkness.

But even as he pursued that train of thought, a strange feeling took over Yunkef. His heart fell at the prospect of staying forever within a well-lit Settlement, hunkered down behind high walls and protected by guards. There were creatures out in the darkness that need his help too, they were out there all alone. She was out there, all alone.

A heavy hand landed on Yunkef's shoulder as he thought and he screamed in surprise. Whirling about, expecting to see the gaping maw of a beast and its too many teeth already descending on him, he was met with a bandaged face. A robed man with a yellow sash and heavily bandaged face stared back at him, looking none too pleased to be screamed at.

“You were in the Infirmary!” Yunkef blurted out, only realizing how rude that may sound the second the words left his mouth. He winced in a silent apology.

“How astute of you. Yes, I was in the infirmary recently.” The man deadpanned, gesturing to his face. “My name is Zealous.”

Yunkef's mouth felt dry. There was something about the wide yet empty look in Zealous's eyes that sent a shiver down Yunkef's spine. "My name is Yunkef. From Settlement 41."

"Ah, yes. Yes, you are." Zealous muttered. His pale eyes were wide, yet they seemed to twitch as if something was paining him.

"Um..." Yunkef hesitated for a beat. Zealous only continued to stare at him. "Can I help you?"

"You can, yes, I believe you can." Zealous put an arm around Yunkef's shoulders and started to steer him away from the Citadel's farm. "You're like me, you see. I know it, without a doubt."

"Excuse me?"

"Come, we will speak in private." Zealous quelled Yunkef's weak protest with a tightening of his grip and a stare out of the side of his eye. "I insist, Yunkef."

Feeling small and trapped, Yunkef nodded.

The scarred warrior of the Citadel led Yunkef through the Citadel's various districts, weaving past dozens of people in brilliant white robes, and gesturing towards the stone steps that led to the upper floors of the residential caves. They were carved straight into the rock, with metal rods fastened to the stone to serve as guardrails along the stairs, and as fences along the upper walkways. Each cave home was carved beside its neighbor, making the area quite congested. Lanterns burned from within the caves and were hung from the guardrails to spread its light to as much space as they could. Zealous deftly climbed several flights of stone stairs and exited out onto a landing by the highest level, all while keeping a strict hold on Yunkef's arm.

When they reached their destination, Yunkef balked. The cave home they were entering had a flickering, dying light within. Zealous prodded him in the back and forced him in.

"Here, now no one can hear us." Zealous muttered once they were both safely inside the cave. He dragged a wooden bookcase to cover the narrow doorway before turning to Yunkef. The light within the cave came from a single weakly burning lantern, and its flickering flame caused shadows to dance on the walls. Zealous's eyes were wide as he watched the shadows. "You will help me, our Lady said you would."

"Excuse me?" Yunkef felt panic rising. "What are you talking about?"

Zealous's mouth split into a manic grin. "Don't tell me you can't hear her, boy. Her laugh, so light, so lovely, seeping into your dreams. Feel her children under your skin. Long to seek her touch within the flickering shadows..."

"You're...You're darkness-touched!"

The warrior scoffed, rounding on Yunkef with wide eyes. "Darkness-touched, like that fool Righetous brands those blessed by the Lady in the void? Touched, by her soft, gentle hand, caressed and brought into her fold!" he raised his hands in reverence. Yunkef glanced at the bookcase. "You will help me, boy. I need to reach her again. Don't you see? You were placed here for a reason! You were sent by her grace and wisdom to assist me!"