"So you are a summoned hero?" Tarril decided while we were travelling, he was going to get his questions answered. It hasn't bothered me so far, but it will start to wear on me. Part of me is wondering if he actually believes me, or if he is just playing that he does.

"Yes, the king summoned me to fight his war for him. I had other plans, obviously." Shiva shifts her weight on my back as I continue to walk. Not long after we left the clearing, she had started to fall behind. Instead of slowing down or taking a break, I just picked her up. After fighting me for a minute, she conceded to a piggy back ride instead of a princess carry. Of course, I had to deal with her teasing me from my back. I jerk my head to the side as I feel Shiva's teeth latch onto my neck.

"Stop moving." Shiva's words are muffled as she works the skin of my neck in her teeth.

"The fuck are you doing!?" En'Las laughs as she walks past me, smiling as she explains for Shiva.

"She is marking you as hers. Probably has to do with me and my daughter being near you." Before I can respond, she disappears into the trees again.

Yay, so now Shiva is marking me. Ahead of me, Thea glances back at me. She has a slight worried look to her face still, but she smiles when I smile at her.

"And Thea, she was formally Thea Willows?" I nod my head as Shiva growls against my neck.

"Fuck Shiva, can you take it just a little easy?" When she shakes her head no, I let out a sigh. "Yes, she was Thea Willows before." Tarril nods his head slowly as he stares at Thea. When his gaze lingers what I feel is a little too long, I clear my throat roughly.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." When he doesn't continue, I decide to ask.

"Thinking what exactly?" He laughs as he gives my shoulder a gentle shove.

"Thinking that I know her father by reputation. He is going to try and kill you when you meet him." His laugh makes me shake my head as I walk.

"To be fair, he won't be the first woman's dad who tried to kill me." Tarril's quiet laugh turns into a full body laugh at my words. Shiva lets go of my neck to turn and glare at him angrily.

"What's so funny?" I can feel that she is getting more and more worked up by his continued laughing.

"I'm just thinking he probably won't be the last either." I feel Shiva stiffen on my back before she relaxes and lays her head on my shoulder. I use my uninjured hand to adjust her ankles where they are starting to press into my stomach.

"I don't know about that. No offense to anyone, but two women already seems like a lot to handle." Tarril looks at me with a confused expression as I continue. "I just want to keep them safe and try to make them happy. I'm a simple man at heart. All I want are simple things."

"Do you actually expect to be able to have a simple life?" Thea glances back at me, worriedly as I shrug.

"I don't see why not. It's not like I can spend my whole life running."

"You do realize what a rarity you are in this world, don't you?" I have to force myself not to jump when Mynas speaks from behind me. I didn't hear her walking up on me, and I have been trying to pay attention. The night elf trio seem to be able to disappear and reappear with ease in the trees. I knew that before, but it's a different story to actually see it.

"Why would I be a rarity?" Shiva shifts on my back, and I feel her stealing my hat. Tarril chuckles as Shiva rests her chin on top of my head.

"You are a literal powerhouse of magical energy. You're willing to do whatever you need to in order to protect the ones you care about. The weapons you make show you're a force to be reckoned with. Then to top it all off, you don't seem to want to put yourself in power." Mynas pauses in her explanation to stare at me. When I don't react, she continues.

"Add in the fact that you are carrying around a dungeon core, and seem to be able to power it with no strain to yourself. There isn't a country I know that wouldn't want you to be aligned with them. It's unlikely that you will ever have a simple life." While I'm thinking over her words, I feel Shiva shift on my back. Mynas glances to Shiva while I continue walking, and I feel like there is more she wants to say.

Before she gets a chance, Shiva jumps off my back. I nearly stumble from the sudden loss of weight. My hand grips Tarril's shoulder to keep me from falling over.

"What the hell, Shiva!?" She gives me a smirk as she rushes forward to grab Thea's hand. When I try to grab my hat back from her, she ducks below my grip.

"Nope, mine now. I like it. Thea, we need to talk." She gives me an evil grin as she pulls Thea out of earshot, giving an exaggerated whisper she knows I'll hear. "Without Jim."

"The fuck is that about?" While I'm wondering out loud, I shift my rifle from under my arm to my back. Mynas glances from tarril to me, then starts to follow Thea and Shiva.

"I think I know, but I'm going to check." She seems to disappear into the trees the same way En'Las did. This time I stare right at her as she did. It's frustrating when I lose sight of her.

"How the hell do you all do that?" Tarril laughs before giving me a gentle nudge to get me moving again.

"It's a skill taught exclusively to night elves. Most of our groves exist in secret, so we know how to remain hidden." I nod my head as I focus on the woods ahead of us. Vaunea is carrying Jacob. He tried to keep up, but started to slow.

"So what do you know of curses?" I hear Tarril click his tongue while we continue to walk.

"Curse is a broad term. Most of them use the body's own mana to fuel it. They get locked into place and can't be removed easily." He pauses and I see him glance at Jacob from the corner of my eye.

"Your friend's is a nasty one. Night elves can see mana as it flows. His is looped in on itself multiple times. Whoever cast it didn't want it to ever be removed." I let out a sigh at his words. I was expecting that honestly, but hoping it could be simple. If it had been, Jacob would have gotten rid of it himself.

"Then I guess I'm going to have to start looking for someone who can break it." My mind starts to drift a little as I keep walking. Azeghial's warning is still racing through my mind, and I know time is running out. The feeling of being a rat in a trap is starting to close in on me. It doesn't help that I know I have to walk farther into it, and then break it to escape.

"Yeah, that mana lock is one of the tightest I've ever seen." Tarril's voice almost sounds like he is feeling sorry for Jacob. His words pull my focus back to the present.

"Wait, what?" He looks at me confused for a long second.

"The mana lock on his curse. The central point that holds it all together. The part that has to break to release it." Something in his words is forcing information in my mind to push its way to the surface. I feel a nudging sensation as the name and function of one of my skills comes to my mind.

Mana manipulator, freely using and manipulating mana in the world around you. Can be used to bind mana streams together, or to sever ties of energy.

"Are you ok?" Tarril is holding my shoulder loosely as he stares into my eyes. I shake my head as I look around. Vaunea and Jacob are much farther ahead now. It's almost like I lost a few seconds of time.

"Yeah, what happened?" Tarril shrugs as we start to walk again.

"I don't know, we were talking then you just stopped. When you didn't start moving on your own, I shook you." I push myself to move a little faster to catch up to Jacob and Vaunea.

"Sorry, my mind just made a connection. How does someone break a curse?"

"You have to figure out how the curse is locked, then sever the connections holding it together. It's rare to find someone who can break a curse. They need to be able to manipulate mana outside of their own bodies. From my understanding, it takes years and years of study and practice." I feel my heartbeat start to pick up as I realize I can break Jacob's curse. That I will actually be able to help him the way I said I would.

"Or have a skill given to you when you are summoned." Tarril's eyes seem to bulge as I mutter under my breath. He starts to open his mouth when I cut him off with a raised hand. Sarge is speaking in a worried tone in my head.

"Boss, there's someone by the truck!" Usually I answer him in my head, but I speak out loud as I talk with him this time.

"What do you mean someone is by the truck?" Vaunea and Jacob stop and turn to look at me. I come to a stop as well, holding out a hand to silence them too.

"There's a man by the truck. He's not touching it, but he is watching it. When I circled around, I saw there are two more down the road. The two are playing with dice, but the one by the truck is just standing there, waiting." I can't help but scowl at his report. I don't like the idea of someone waiting on me. While I'm still in Dolus, I can't imagine that being good.

"Thanks for the heads up, boy. We will be there soon. Thea and Shiva walked off somewhere. Find them and stick close. If this feels like a trap when I get there, we will deal with it then." I turn to face Vaunea and Jacob.

"Three people are near the truck, two down the road and one at the truck itself. I want you guys to head for the two down the road. Get close, but don't let yourself be seen. If it goes south, well you know what to do. If it's all good, I'll send Sarge to get you." Vaunea nods to me as she sets Jacob down. I take a half second to picture the mental map Sarge gave me in my head.

"They should be about there." I point through the trees where I'm pretty sure they are. "Right where the road splits and heads towards Shevel." They both nod and start to move quickly. For a second, I'm struck by the differences between them and the night elves. They are being quiet, but the elves seem to just disappear.

"So, what about us then?" En'Las's voice nearly causes me to jump.

"Fuck! Give me a heart attack why don't you. You two just stay close to me. When we get to my truck, I'll see who it is and what they want. Worse case scenario, a few more people die today. Best case they are lost and move on before we get there. Either way, I'm not going to lose sleep over it." We start to move through the trees faster. I draw on my mana to push myself along faster than before. The pair of night elves keep pace with me easily and without complaints.

When we reach the edge of the treeline where I parked the truck, we come to a stop. The man standing in the clearing near my truck looks familiar. It takes me a few seconds, but I finally place him.

"Fucking shit!" Tarril turns his head to me as I curse.

"What?" I shake my head as I situate my rifle in my hands. It takes a few seconds to get it comfortable where I can raise it easily from under my jacket.

"His name is Tobias. He's the son of the Barron." Tarril gives me a look as if he's asking what the plan is. I roll my neck to ease the tension while I'm thinking. When my neck lets out a loud crack, I see Tobias's head snap around to our position.

"Well shit." Tarril and En'Las start to move, but I stop them. "Just wait here. I'll go see what he wants." I break cover without giving them a chance to reply. When Tobias sees me, he starts to smile and raises a hand.

"Hello there, Silas." I wave back with my injured hand, judging his reaction at the sight of blood. He seems slightly worried, but is remaining calm looking.

I'd hate to play poker with him. I feel like I would end up losing most of my money. When I come to a stop, I'm still a good twenty five feet from him. He takes note of the distance between us before he motions towards the truck behind him.

"I'm guessing that's yours?" I nod my head slowly, scanning the trees behind him. Sarge said he was alone, and I trust him, but I don't want surprises.

"And what if it is?" His smile never wavers, but I can see his eyes shift. Behind me, I hear a branch snap. Tobias's eyes flick towards the sound before settling on me again.

"Then that would make you the hero King Marcel summoned. It would also mean you need to get out of here as quickly as possible." In the trees behind him, another branch snaps, making Tobias jump.

"Why do you care if I get out of here or not? Seems it would be better on you if I was caught. Your dad, the Barron, might become a Duke or some shit. Makes for a better position for you." I tilt my head as Tobias's eyes scan the trees around us. He seems more worried about the treeline than he does about me.

"Not everyone in power wants the King to succeed. Some of us are working to make sure he doesn't." When Tobias turns to face me again, I make sure I keep my eyes on him. Sarge walks around the rear of my truck. The big dog stalks closer to Tobias, moving silently over the dirt and mud of the road.

"What, you telling me you're part of the underground?" Tobias shrugs as he glances to the trees behind me.

"I doubt you believe me, but yes. I've been doing everything I can to get as many slaves out of Dolus as I can. The whole time I've also been passing along as much information to contacts in Rathenk." I stare at him blankly because I want to believe him. I don't want to have to kill him right now. There is going to be more than enough killing later.

"He's telling the truth, boss." I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

"Come on out. Sarge says he's good." Tobias turns when he sees Sarge standing so close behind him he jumps.

"What was he doing there?" I shrug when he turns back to me. Thea, Shiva and Mynas come out of the trees from in front of my truck. When Tobias's eyes widen again, I know Tarril and En'Las come out of the trees behind me.

"If you lied, he was going to take you down. Sarge, go get Jacob and Vaunea. I want to get out of here quickly." Sarge starts off into the trees again. He is moving at a good clip, but it's definitely not a run.

"So, what's the plan?" Shiva is leaning against the truck as she speaks.

"When Jacob and Vaunea get here, we load up and get out of here. Shiva, you drive with Jacob up front." I pause and turn to Thea. "Do you need perfect stillness to work on my hand, or can you do it while the truck is moving?" Thea smiles at me as she walks over and wraps her arms around my waist.

"I can manage in the truck. It will give me a chance to practice my finger control with the bump in mana I got." I lean down and give her a quick kiss before moving closer to the truck.

"Where are you all going?" Tobias starts to follow me when Mynas cuts him off. She gives him an evil looking glare to make sure he keeps his distance.

Huh, protective much? I ignore Mynas's actions and shrug as I answer his question with my own.

"What's it matter to you?"

"There is information you don't have. If you are heading to the border, you need to know."

"That the border is a trap." I cut him off before he talks too long. I get the feeling it's going to turn into a long drawn out conversation if I don't, and I don't have time for that.

"Yes, how did you know?" He looks confused which makes me laugh.

"Same way I knew you were telling the truth." I strip off my jacket and toss it behind the seat of the truck. While I have the door open, I check to make sure nothing has been bothered. From what I can tell, no one has disturbed the truck while we were gone.

"If you know it's a trap, then you know you can't go that way. There is a battalion of soldiers marching from the south. You need to head north or east." I shake my head as I unsling my rifle and put it in the corner of the truck bed near the cab.

"There is another group coming from the east and the north. The only way we have is west." Tobias looks confused, everyone else in the clearing looks shocked. I guess I really haven't filled everyone else in.

"How do you know that? If it's true, then it's more up to date than my own sources." Tobias is starting to look at me suspiciously, like he is worried.

"I received a message from a friend. I have no reason to doubt it. So we are heading west." Jacob and Vaunea are just clearing the trees while I'm speaking. Sarge trails behind them. When Jacob sees Tobias, he pauses and looks at me.

"Everything ok, Jim?" I shrug, motioning to Tobias.

"About as ok as it can be. He was just trying to warn me that we are walking into a trap." Jacob looks at Tobias as he walks closer to the truck.

"Do you believe him?" I shrug as Shiva wraps her arms around my waist. Before I can speak, Thea elbows in and moves Shiva's arms.

"Yeah, mainly because I knew it was before he said anything. Doesn't matter because that's the way we have to go." I carefully remove Thea and Shiva's arms from my waist as I walk around the rear of the truck.

"Shiva is driving, so I want you up front with her. Get us as close as you can without the truck being heard. I'll try and have a plan started when we stop. We can scout it out and change it as needed." Jacob nods his head to me as he starts walking towards the truck. When I turn back to Tobias, he is still standing in the same spot and staring at me.

"Why are you still here? You warned us, and we need to hurry." He shakes his head and starts to walk towards the road. He stops and turns back to me before he gets too far.

"Why are you walking into a trap, why not run?" I shrug as I move around the truck to open the gas cap.

"I was warned to get out of Dolus tonight. That means I'm going to get the fuck out of Dolus tonight." He looks confused, but turns to walk down the road again. Before he gets more than a few steps, I call out to him.

"Just so you know, we were attacked by bandits just outside the city. You might want to work on cleaning up that problem." He turns to face me again, an angry look crossing over his features.

"We have had an issue with them for a while. Everytime I try to wipe them out, they move. I'm sorry they caused you trouble." I wave him off as I turn to Shiva. She has already stripped off her pack and is pulling the magical flask from it.

"I doubt the group that attacked us will give you any problems. They are all dead now." I start to fill the truck's tank as I speak.

"You sure about that?" I glance up to see Tobias looking shocked.

"Yeah, they are about two miles that way as the crow flies." I motion in the direction we just came from. Tobias nods his head and starts to walk down the road at a quick pace.

"If that's true, it needs to be reported. I'll send out a patrol to verify it as soon as I get back. If you're telling the truth, thank you for your help." He yells over his shoulder as he walks. Before I can reply, he is already out of sight.

"Well, that was fun." Shiva bumps my hip with hers, nearly making me spill gas onto the truck. As I shake my head, I bump hers with mine.

"So this is the truck you were talking about?" Tarril walks around the truck slowly. He keeps leaning down to examine it, looking underneath and on top of it. "It doesn't look like it can go as fast as you claim."

"You can feel free to try and run along beside it if you want." I shrug as I answer him, capping the gas tank when it nearly overflows.

"I think I'll wait to see it in action before I try that." I nod to him as I cap the flask and hand it back to Shiva.

"Good call, now let's load up." I turn to look at Sarge, my mind running over how much space is in the truck. "It might be a little tight in the back now, you want to ride up front with Shiva?" Sarge nods his head as he stands and shakes himself. He pauses for a second, then seems to shrink in on himself. Less than ten seconds later, Sarge is back to the size he was when we were first summoned.

"What the fuck, Sarge!?" He turns to look at me, and I swear he is grinning.

"I told you that I liked being that size. The truck would be cramped inside, so I made myself smaller again." I can feel everyone's eyes moving from Sarge to me.

"So you can just get bigger and smaller at will now?" He nods his head at me before he starts to walk towards the truck door. "How much bigger can you get?" He pauses and turns to me again.

"Right now, I can get as big as I was. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get bigger if we get stronger. It feels like I won't be able to hold the bigger sizes as well." Jacob shakes his head as Sarge gets in, muttering under his breath.

"I'm not going to get surprised again. I'm not going to do it." When Jacob and Shiva get in the cab, the rest of us get situated in the bed. As I'm sitting down, I hear Alexis speak to me.

"Jim, I need to talk to you. Can you come inside for a minute?" I turn to Thea as she sits beside me and unwraps my hand.

"Alexis wants to talk to me inside the core again. Just shake me if you need anything." Thea nods at me with a smile, and I see it turn to an almost evil grin.

"Oh, I see how it is. Running off to see your mistress inside the core." I hear a strange choking sound come from Vaunea as I start to laugh.

"You know I don't see her like that babe." I give Thea a quick kiss before I lean back and relax. When I feel the tug on my mana I let myself flow with it.

When I open my eyes again, I'm once more inside Alexis's core. Unlike the first time, Alexis is actually standing in front of me this time with Vixi standing beside her. She looks worried and scared. I arch my eyebrow at Vixi, who is almost the same height as Alexis.

"Alexis, Vixi." I nod to each of them as I speak. The look on Alexis's face tells me she is worried about something. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Maybe we should sit down first." Alexis starts to wave her hand, and I can see furniture starting to form. Before she gets too far along, I step forward and grab her hands, stopping her.

"I don't know what you are worried about, but it's been a long day already. It's getting longer. Whatever it is, just tell me." Alexis frowns as she bites her lower lip. She opens her mouth several times, but doesn't say anything. I just wait, knowing she will manage eventually.

"Oh fuck, just spit it out or I will!" Vixi apparently has a different approach. Alexis gives her an angry glare before turning back to me and letting out a long sigh.

"I want you to build a mana bridge between us." Her words come out in a rush and she drops her head after she finishes speaking. I'm confused at her rush of words, not sure I heard her correctly. When I turn my head to look at Vixi she just nods, still not looking happy.

"Ok, I'll ask. Why do you want me to build a mana bridge between us?" Alexis mumbles something I can't hear before Vixi shoves her roughly.

"Loud enough that he can hear you!" Alexis glares at her for a second before turning back to face me. She takes a deep breath, holding it for a second before exhaling and starting to speak.

"You know that the visions we saw in that place were different, right?" I nod my head at her question. I wasn't sure, but I was guessing that they were.

"Mine was what would most likely happen if you weren't warned. You would rescue your friends, a lot of them would have gotten hurt worse. You then would try to slip around the armies coming for you. You did it to try and avoid the trap at the border. The one we are heading straight for now." She pauses and looks back at Vixi.

"I was told if I wanted a chance, I needed to head into the trap. So I'm guessing we never managed to slip around the soldiers chasing us." Alexis shakes her head, and I can see what looks like tears forming in her eyes.

"We end up getting caught when you guessed wrong one time." She wipes her eyes on the back of her hand before continuing.

"When they captured us, they fitted you with a domination collar. It's like a slave collar, but worse. They can literally control your body and magic, not just compel you to do what they say." I feel myself stiffening at her explanation. I've been wondering how the king made me do what he did. I didn't think I would submit to his orders willingly. I honestly thought I would die first. Apparently, they have a way of circumventing the whole disgruntled slave aspect.

"That would be the collar with spikes around my neck?" Alexis nods her head as she tilts her head to look up at me.

"When they collared you, they forced you to tell them everything. They made you kill Sarge, Jacob, and Vaunea. When they realized you could power a dungeon, that's when everything went to shit for me." She shudders and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"First, they made you cast domination magic on me. You turned me into a slave inside my own body, the same as you. Then you forcibly built the mana bridge between us. I don't know how they knew, but they knew it would allow them to circumvent some of the dungeon rules."

"Rules like what?" Vixi steps in close to Alexis as I speak, wrapping her up in a hug.

"What I can and can't do mostly. I was able to make things without a chest. Also, I could literally absorb anything in my influence if someone was holding it or not." When I look confused, she shrugs. "I can only absorb something if it's outside a certain distance from someone. With a mana bridge, that rule goes out the window."

"Ok, why would it go out the window?" Vixi lets out a huff at my question, turning her head to stare at me.

"Dungeons are limited in what they can do because of energy constraints. They are laid in place and ingrained in their literal construction. When she was bound to you, it circumvented all of that. When her body needed more energy, it just pulled it from you. When she was injured because of the action, she pulled energy from you to heal. That's why it went out the window. Now, we are wasting time. Are you going to build the bridge between you two or not?"

"I don't know if I will or not." Vixi looks shocked at my words, and I can see her opening her mouth to yell when I cut her off. "It's not just me this affects. It can't just be my decision."

"I understand what you mean." Alexis is looking thoughtful as Vixi turns to look at her. "What? I do! It's like when I decided I needed to ask him to build the bridge between us. I didn't just ask him. I talked to you and made sure you agreed."

"Exactly, it's not a decision I can just make on my own. It affects the people I care about." Alexis is nodding her head, but Vixi looks angry.

"So what? We are talking about saving Alexis! Not about your relationships. Hell, you are only bound to one of your women anyway. It's not like it would even affect the other at all!" I open my mouth to argue when her words hit me.

"Wait, what do you mean saving Alexis?" Vixi clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head. Alexis sighs at the pixie's action before she starts to explain.

"If we build the bridge now, and I have time to prepare, I can avoid the domination magic effect. Or more accurately, I can build defenses against them and prep an evacuation plan."

"What kind of evacuation plan?" If I build a bridge, we would be bound. I'm confused about any escape she could plan.

"If I tell you and you fail to escape, you can use it against me. Just trust me that I have a plan. Please, please consider building a bridge with me. I promise that you won't regret it. I will be able to help you so much more than you realize. More than I can say right now." My head tilts at her words, and I feel like there is a lot she isn't telling me. Her body language is all over the place right now.

"I can't promise that I will, but I can promise this. I'll talk with Thea and Shiva and if they are ok with it, I will." Vixi starts to complain, but I cut her off before she gets started. "This isn't a negotiation. It's the way it has to be. Can you live with that or not?" Alexis clamps her hand down on Vixi's mouth.

"Yes, we can live with that. Just please talk to them soon. The sooner we get a bridge, the sooner we can start helping."

"Is it just me or does it feel like we are moving?" I don't know why, but it feels like we are moving. It's crazy as the landscape seems to be perfectly still. Alexis chuckles at me which makes me turn back to her.

"We are, just not in here. The feeling you are getting is the movement traveling from the body of my core." Alexis tilts her head as she let's go of Vixi's mouth. "Shiva just said they are stopping soon, and for Thea to get you." She smiles at me as I start to feel the tugging again.

"Don't forget to talk to your women, and soon." The pull gets stronger, and I feel like I'm floating for a second.

"Shit!" My head feels heavy as I shake it to try and clear it.

"Are you Ok, Jim?" Thea is looking worried as I straighten up and try to smile at her.

"I think so, just been a long day." I flex my left hand as I examine the unbroken skin of it. There is no pain in my hand, and the skin doesn't show any sign that it was injured. "Wish I had a healer like you in my old world. It would have saved me a lot of recovery time." Thea smiles at me before moving closer in the bed to wrap me in a hug.

"Shiva says we will be stopping soon. So what did Alexis want to talk about?" I wrap my arms around her as I kiss the top of her head.

"Something I'll need to talk to both you and Shiva about." When she starts to pull away and look at me, I smile at her. "It's nothing bad, but we need to talk about it first." Before Thea can say anything, the truck lurches to a stop.

"We're here!" Shiva slams the truck door as she jumps out, causing me to laugh at her energy. Thea and I hop out of the bed and everyone else unloads too.

"So where is the border crossing from our location?" My back pops as I stretch and stare at the surroundings. Shiva waves to the west of us as she crosses the distance between us.

"About three miles that way. I didn't want to get any closer because I don't know if you know this, but your truck is loud." She slips in between Thea and me, kissing me roughly before stepping back.

"It may be loud, but it is faster than I was expecting." Tarril's eyes are scanning the treeline around us, as if he is looking for anything out of place.

"Now we just need to scout out the border and come up with a plan. I figure when it gets closer to nighttime, I'll take Shiva and Jacob to check it out. Less chance of us being seen then." I'm turning back towards Shiva when Tarril starts to speak again.

"No need. We will go check it out now. I guarantee we won't be seen." Tarril, En'Las, and Mynas start heading into the trees. I watch them walk for a step before I call out after them.

"Hold up!" When they pause, I walk over to them.

"Is something wrong?" En'Las is staring at me with a slight confused look as I stop in front of them.

"If you three decide to leave us behind and slip over the border alone, I won't blame you. Just if you can leave the information somewhere we can find it before you do." The three of them share a look before En'Las speaks again.

"You think there is a chance we wouldn't return, but you will still let us go? Why?" I shrug my shoulders.

"The urge to be free is a natural feeling. I told you that I would free you, but you have known me less than a day. If I was in your position, I'd at least think about not coming back. If you decide not to, I will understand and I won't have any hard feelings about it. Just like I said. If you can, leave the information for us where we can find it. I'll even wish you the best of luck, and tell you I hope you reform your grove soon." I stand there as the three share a look again. Finally, En'Las speaks again after a long look between her and Tarril.

"We will be back soon. I promise." I give her a nod which she returns. Before they turn around again, I decide to ask.

"Were you going to before I told you it was Ok?" Tarril laughs at my question.

"We honestly didn't decided yet. You seem to be an honorable man. So we might have." I grin at him as I try to suppress a laugh I can feel rising.

"So… no?" He shrugs, and all three of them disappear into the trees without answering. I'm shaking my head as I walk back over to the truck. At Shiva's questioning look, I just shrug.

"I don't know when they will be back, but we should probably have something to eat. I feel like it's going to be a long night." Vaunea nods her head and starts to walk toward the trees.

"I'll gather some dry wood, and rig a smoke diffuser. Then we can cook." Jacob shrugs and starts to follow her.

"I'll give her a hand. I get the feeling you three need to talk about something." Next thing I know, I'm alone with Thea, Shiva, and Sarge. The three of them turn to me, and I can feel the questions hanging in the air.

"So, what did Alexis want to talk about?" Thea steps closer to Shiva, wrapping her arm around the redhead's waist. I let out a sigh, not knowing how to start.

"I figured out how the mana bridge was formed between us. She wants me to form a bridge with her." Thea is quiet after I speak and looks thoughtful. Shiva, however, looks like I just hit her.

"Shiva…." Before I can finish my question, she rips free of Thea's grip and starts to walk away. When Thea starts to try and grab her, Shiva pushes her away and knocks her to the ground.

"Shiva!" Thea starts to get up when Shiva spins around and yells at her.

"NO, I FUCKING TOLD YOU!" Shiva spins around and starts to run for the trees. Thea turns to me and gives me a pleading look.

"Jim, go after her! She thinks you don't care about her!" At Thea's words, I run after Shiva. She is already in the trees, but I push myself to catch up with her. I can hear her sobbing as she runs.

"Shiva!" At the sound of my yell, she starts to run faster. I start to run faster, closing the distance between us. When she tries to turn I wrap my arms around her, pulling us both to the ground.

"Dammit Shiva, stop running!" She lets out a choking sound and I realize I just gave her an order. "Fuck! Shiva, you can still run just please don't. Please just tell me what the fuck is wrong?" Shiva starts to sob loudly, still trying to pull away from me as I hold her tight.

"You don't really want me. Thea was wrong, just let me go." I pull her tighter against me as she struggles.

"How can you think I don't want you?" A branch breaks behind us, and I turn my head to see Thea and Sarge standing there.

"You were going to build a bridge between you and Alexis, and not me. You don't want me. It's fine, I'll just fucking leave." Thea slides down onto the ground beside us, cradling Shiva's head to her chest.

"Shhh. Shhh. I'm sure that's not what Jim was meaning. I know he cares about you Shiva, and we aren't going to let you go. Even if you try and run, you aren't going anywhere. I've told you that before."

"You fucked up, boss." Sarge's words echo in my head as I realize I really did. I should have explained everything better from the start. I just got in too big of a rush and started in the wrong place.

I was planning on asking if she wanted to be a part of our bridge. I just fucked up and mentioned Alexis first. Sarge huffy and sits down beside us, falling on me with a loud thump.

"Then you better tell her now. The longer you wait, the worse she is going to feel. I like Shiva. If you hurt her, I am going to bite you." I chuckle at Sarge's threat, causing Shiva and Thea to both look at me.

"Sarge was just telling me how bad I fucked up at explaining what happened." Shiva is still crying as she starts to speak.

"What's to explain? You want Alexis to be part of your bond, but not me." I pull Shiva in as close as I can, moving her hair out of her face as I make her look at me.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to be bound like that to me first. It's a big commitment, and I didn't want you to feel forced into it. Also I wasn't going to build a bridge with Alexis unless both of you were ok with it. All you have to do is say no, and I won't. It doesn't matter how much she begs." Shiva sniffs loudly as she searches my face for any sign of a lie.

"Really?" Her voice is quiet, almost like she doesn't believe me.

"Yes, really." I start to release her when she twists in my grip and latches onto me.

"You really want me to be bridged to you like Thea?" I feel myself starting to smile as she pulls herself in closer.

"Yes, is that so surprising?" Before I can move, Shiva has twisted us so I'm laying flat on my back. Sarge yelps as he is displaced, walking a few steps away to watch us at a distance. Shiva's mouth is crushing into mine, her teeth nipping at my lips. My hands are starting to run up her body when Thea clears her throat loudly.

"Before you two start fucking in the woods, maybe we should finish our talk." I feel Shiva stiffen in my arms before she leans back. Her face is flushed and nearly as red as her hair.

"You're right." She shifts off of me, sitting down on the ground beside me.

"Jim, you said you can build the bridge now. Why does Alexis want you to build a bridge with her?" I force myself to sit up as I try and figure out how to explain.

"When I was warned while we were leaving Shevel, Alexis received a warning too. I can't explain it all right now because there is nowhere near enough time. I promise I will when I can. I just can't now. She believes if I build a bridge with her she can help us, and herself. I told her I won't do it unless you are both ok with it. It's not just me it affects, so it can't just be my decision." Thea looks thoughtful, while Shiva is just staring at me.

"I'm ok with it as long as she isn't becoming a permanent fixture for us." Thea smiles at me, leaning over to kiss my cheek. I chuckle as I turn my head to kiss her cheek back before she can pull away.

"She isn't. When I figured out how I did it, I figured out how to undo it too. I was planning on asking you if you even wanted to be bridged with me. It happened by accident the first time, and I don't want you to feel like you have to be with me." Thea laughs as she wraps her arms around my neck.

"You are not undoing it now, Jim. I'm not going anywhere. It may have been an accident, but I love it." She kisses me gently as I feel Shiva squirm next to me. As I break the kiss, I turn to look at Shiva.

"Well, then it's up to you because I'm not doing it if you are not ok with it." Shiva shifts again and moves closer to me.

"If you want to build a mana bridge with Alexis, I won't say no. On one condition." She stares at me, unblinking for a long second. "Before you build a mana bridge with her, you have to build one with me." I smile as I lean in to kiss her.

"I was always going to if you wanted too." Shiva leans into the kiss before pulling away.

"Then what do we need to do to build it?" Thea laughs before tilting her head to the side.

"That's actually a good question. How do you build them, Jim?" I motion for Sarge to come to me as I shift on the ground. While he is walking over, I position Shiva and Thea across from me.

"This one will be a little more difficult. I need you two to sit there, and hold still for a moment."

"Wait, you're doing it now?" Shiva looks surprised when she realizes what is going on. I chuckle as I motion for Sarge to sit beside me.

"No time like the present, right? Plus, I need all of us to be here for this part. The bridge isn't just going from me to you, Shiva. I'm looping all of us in together."

"So I'll be able to talk to Shiva?" Sarge's tail starts to wag, and I realize he seems to like the idea.

"Yes, you will be able to talk to Shiva too Sarge." At Shiva's surprised expression, I start to explain. "When it formed in Alexis's dungeon, Sarge wound his mana with Thea's and mine. What I'm going to do now is unwind it just a little bit, and thread your mana in with ours. That way we form a more solid connection and loop between all of us." Thea looks thoughtful as I'm speaking, then she turns to look at me.

"Will you do this when you build one with Alexis too?" I shake my head as I start to explain.

"No. With Alexis, I'll just bridge her and me. That way when she sets up her dungeon, I can just sever the bridge. I won't need to pick through all our bands of mana to do it." She is nodding her head and I know she understands what I'm saying.

"So, what do we need to do?" Shiva is starting to look nervous. I take her hand gently. When she looks up at me, I smile at her, reassuringly.

"Just trust me. It's all going to be ok, and it won't hurt." When she nods her head to me, I lean back.

Sorry, Sarge. I need to borrow your eyes again. Familiar's sight! The world shifts and I'm looking at it through Sarge's eyes. There is less disorientation this time since he is sitting beside me.

"Sarge, I need you to switch over to mana sight." Of course, Sarge had mana sight when I don't. It's like it was someone's plan to make sure this skill needs his help to weave mana together. If I was building a single bridge, I wouldn't need to see the different strands of mana. I could just brute force it together. This is a more delicate job, so I need to see how everyone's mana is working together.

As my vision shifts, I draw in a deep breath. Our mana shimmering around us is breathtaking. Thea's amber mana entwined with my bright white and Sarge's pale gray. It was a shock when I realized everyone's mana seemed to be different. Now, I just push that thought down as I start to work on the energy around me. Mana manipulator!

I feel sweat forming on my brow as I start to manipulate the mana in the air. I didn't expect this to be easy, and I was right. Making the strands move is not the hard part. It's their movement that's causing me issues. Every time I try and move a single strand, I end up shifting multiple.

Just a little bit…. There! I take a second to examine the strands of mana connecting Thea, Sarge, and I. Where there was a tight weave before, now there are multiple gaps and openings. That's not the only change I've made of course. Where Sarge and Thea had been woven into mine, now they are woven together, then connected to me. Sarge shifts beside me as he realizes it too.

"Boss, you made it where I'm bound to Thea not you, and we are bound to you. Did you do that on purpose?" I try to keep my face natural because I can see both Shiva and Thea staring at me.

Yes I did, boy. I'll explain later, just don't mention it to anyone. Especially Thea and Shiva, ok?" I can feel he is agitated, but I feel him agree silently.

"Shiva, I need you to expand your mana. Just a little bit so I can get a hold of it." I start to focus on Shiva's green mana as it reaches out. When I mentally grasp the strand, I hear her let out a low gasp. I start to thread the strand amongst the woven pattern. Somehow, this is harder than reconstructing Thea and Sarge's mana.

In the back of my mind, I realize it's because I have grown accustomed to theirs. Shiva's is a new strand entirely and reacts on its own. I need to find where it fits, and not force it. Mana is almost a living force on its own, not just a tool. I slowly relax my hold on Shiva's now multiple strands of mana.

Sarge blinks his eyes rapidly against the strain to let them adjust. While he does that, I examine the mana between us all again. It seems to pulse in the air between us. Thea, Shiva, and Sarge's mana is woven together perfectly. A single channel of mana as wide as the weave comes from me. I don't even let myself think about why I made the bridge the way I did. Deep down I know it's to keep them safe. If I explain it now, they will try and stop me.

My stomach turns as I let the bridge solidify together again. The individual strands of mana melding together seamlessly. I feel the exhaustion I was feeling fade away as I pull back from Sarge's sight. My neck gives out a pop as I roll my head around on my shoulders.

"Fuck that was harder than I thought." Shiva looks confused as I start to stand, offering her a hand up.

"Did it work?" I can feel her confusion, but I keep my mouth shut, letting Sarge take this one.

"If you can hear me, it worked." Shiva gasps at Sarge's words, turning to stare down at him.

"Sarge?" He nods his head at her, making her squeal. She drops to her knees and wraps her arms around Sarge. Thea takes my offered hand and pulls herself to her feet.

"So now you're bound to two women." She pauses and tilts her head as she thinks. "Did my mana pool grow again?" Shiva stops hugging Sarge to tilt her head too.

"Ok, that's weird." I let out a sigh as I pull her to her feet. I wrap an arm around both their waists to guide them back to the truck, and I start to explain.

"When you add another person to the bridge, you add in potential energy. The more people in the bridge, the more power behind it. When we added Shiva, we both got a boost as well as Shiva getting a huge one." We step into the area around the truck, and I see the fire crackling quietly. A frame topped with evergreen branches sits over it, diffusing what little smoke there is.

"So if we add in more people, we get stronger?" Shiva is looking thoughtful as she asks. I nod my head as we pull apart and take our seats around the fire. Jacob and Vaunea are watching the exchange silently as they continue to prepare a meal.

"So when are you going to add Alexis?" I tilt my head as I think, trying to decide when would be a good time. I'm tired right now, not physically but mentally. Manna manipulator seems to wear on me mentally when I use it.

"I'll build a bridge with her after I rest for a while. I'm just too drained right now." I catch myself yawning as I speak. Fuck, of course now I would get tired. I stand and stretch as I walk towards the truck.

"I need a nap. Just wake me when Tarril and the other return. Or when the food is ready, whichever happens first." Thea nods to me as she starts to give Jacob and Vaunea a hand. Shiva, however, stands up and follows me to the truck. When I open the tailgate and lay in the bed, she climbs in beside me. At my raised eyebrow, she shrugs.

"I don't want to go too far away from you right now." She shifts my head to lay it in her lap as she sits against the wheel well. "Just take a nap, and I'll wake you when it's time." I mumble an incoherent ok as my eyes close. I feel myself starting to nod off as Shiva whispers.

"He really does." I want to ask her about it, but I fade off before I can.