It took him longer to tell Drestra than it had to tell Baelin.

Though, he supposed the tale had grown longer since that day in the chancellor’s office. Perhaps he’d be well served to write it down and have it ready in some sort of pamphlet to hand out to the next person who asked.

In the end, though, he shared most of his story with her: escaping Thameland with his little sister, Theresa, and Brutus without being caught by priests. Being attacked by the hive-queen, briefly controlling a dungeon core then destroying it and taking the essence with them to Generasi.

Drestra had listened in silence as he’d told her of his time in Generasi, his and Baelin’s experiments with the dungeon core essence, Claygon’s creation—and what he’d used to make his core, and why the substance probably led to the birth of the golem’s mind—the attack of the clawed monsters in Generasi and finally—

“—another of the damned things jumped me at a windmill just outside of Greymoor,” he said grimly, remembering that night all too well. The image of the flour mill burning like an inferno would stay with him forever. “Believe it or not, they’d joined up with a couple of blue annis hags—which was a bloody unholy alliance made in the hells. They even used birds to spy on the encampment. So, since they knew what we were up to because of the birds, they conjured up this horde of monsters and laid a trap for me using the aeld tree. And they sprang the trap one night at the windmill, and in the fight, a hag’s lightning spell hit the clawed thing instead of me and it dropped from the top of the mill like a boulder…which meant its talking days were done. So, I never got a chance to question it. Later on, after all that other stuff, we found out about others controlling dungeon cores and…that’s the tale in a nutshell, really.”

And that was only a slight lie.

In the end, Alex had decided not to tell Drestra about his experiments with the dungeon core essence behind Professor Jules’ back; he still felt guilty about deceiving her, and the less people that knew, the better.

Even what he’d told her gave him a bit of discomfort: though with his final words, a burden had left him to be sure, but with it came a feeling of being caught, like he’d just gotten out of the bath while reaching for a towel.

He’d shared secrets carried by only a few for almost two years; and now to reveal them to someone else, made him feel more than a little exposed.

Which wasn’t helped by the fact that he could not get a read on what she might be thinking. In the entire telling, she’d gone as still as a reptile, watching him with a snake’s cold gaze. There was no judgement, no warmth, no understanding; he might as well have been talking to a statue.

Now and then, her eyes flicked away as she processed his words, but there was no big shift in her demeanour to hint at any conclusions. Well, none that he could see. For a moment, he would’ve given a lot to peek under that veil.

“That’s…a lot,” her voice crackled. “So you knew more about the dungeon cores than you said.”

“Yeah,” Alex said, shrugging an apology. “To be honest, I would’ve liked it if I could’ve come clean about everything a hell of a lot sooner. As much as I love Generasi, I’m wondering how much more I—and everyone I’m close to—could have learned about the Ravener and Uldar if I didn’t have to focus on hiding from priests. And all the hiding made it a little hard to be near Carey, let me tell you.”

“I see,” she said. “It would be…difficult to get much done in your situation. Hiding by its very nature restricts you, for good or for bad.” She blew out a breath, and the air grew warm for a moment. “It’s hard to believe that all this time we were fighting up here, the Fool—you—were out there trying to solve things in another way.”

“I did what I could,” Alex said.

“I…guess that makes up a little for being in paradise while we were in hell,” her voice took on a fiery note. “But now that I know, what you know…” She swore beneath her breath. “When you started talking, I was hoping you’d be able to give me some answers. Now, I just have more questions.”

“Yeah, you’re preaching to the choir with that complaint,” he said. “Questions about the Ravener, questions about the Traveller, questions about us…questions, questions, questions…but, if it’s any consolation: in research, if you keep generating the right questions, then you’ll get closer to an answer.”

“I hope you’re right, because I am getting tired of all the questions,” her voice crackled. “But…what you have told me does help explain some things.”

“Oh?” Alex cocked his head. “What sort of things?”

“When we left the Cave of the Traveller, we were attacked by bone-chargers and chitterers,” she said. “But the attack was strange: they seemed to be focused on me in a way I haven’t seen before. Usually they—Ah!” Her eyes went wide with realisation. “This explains so much about what Cedric was saying.”

“Wait, wait, wait, back up now…what was Cedric saying? I want you to tell me about this attack, but this seems pretty important.”

“It might be.” She glanced over his shoulder at the castle, as though making sure no one was coming out after them; they had been out here for quite a while now. Claygon’s head had completely turned around, watching the castle as he and Drestra were talking.

And listening, Alex realised.

“It doesn’t look like we’ve been missed yet,” she said. “But to be truthful, Cedric was suspicious of you after we first met. Something about the chitterer dungeon focusing on killing you. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that I know you were attacked by these clawed monsters in Generasi, and that you had controlled a dungeon core before that…”

“Cedric’s sharp,” Alex said, his belly flip-flopping. “But yeah, about these attacks on you. This focus. Did you notice any monsters giving you more attention after you controlled the dungeon core? Any at all?”

“Honestly, a little,” she said. “But there’s been so much else going on with Aenflynn that I haven’t had time to really think about it.”

“Aenflynn? Who’s that?”

“Someone we got on our side thanks to one of your suggestions,” she said. “Now it’s my turn to tell you something.”

“Oh holy hells,” Alex swore. “You managed to trick a fae lord onto our side?”

“Trick is not the right word; it’s more…haggled,” she said, then paused. “And I’m not sure ‘on our side’ is right either. I think he’s only helping us because it amuses him.”

“Yeah, that tracks for things old and powerful,” he said, remembering Zonon-In’s absolute glee when she was bullying those weaker than herself. “You’ll have to watch him.”

“Yes, and his servant too, The Gu—”

“Shhhh!” Alex hissed. “Careful there, Gwyllain warned me about him: he said his name might be sticky. That means—”

“Oh, I know what that means,” Drestra said. “The witches of Crymlyn have had dealings with fae and spirits that have magic embedded in their names before. He said he used many…I will watch for that and warn the others that we need to be careful of how we speak of him behind closed doors.”

“Yeah,” Alex said. “Still, it’s good that you’ve got access to the fae roads.”

“You might too,” Drestra said. “You are our allies, Baelin was talking to…our friend, about how you might be able to use them too. Having use of them would be a benefit when you can’t teleport someplace.”

“Yeah…”

“And speaking of that, this…clawed monster you talked about in…what empire was it?” she asked.

“The Irtyshenan Empire is to the northeast, across the sea and far beyond the Rhinean Empire,” he said. “They’re pretty insular folk at the best of times, and they're taking even worse than they normally do to outsiders these days.”

“I wonder…” she frowned. “You said that a clawed monster was exploring that land; that doorway in the Traveller’s cave led to somewhere cold. I have to wonder if it could have been there?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Now that’s big news. Anywhere more specific? I’ve looked at maps: the place is huge. As in, ‘can fit almost a hundred Thamelands in it’ huge. Searching all of it without a lead could take years. Maybe decades. Maybe centuries.”

She shook her head. “All I saw was the inside of a building. Just stone walls and writing.”

“Right…and this writing, what did it look like?”

Drestra frowned. “I can’t remember the letters exactly, but…they looked like this.”

She bent down, drawing a line of symbols in the snow.

Alex’s breath caught.

“That’s…that’s exactly the same writing that’s in the Traveller’s book!” He hissed, excitement racing through him. Finally, a lead. “Hell, I’ve seen those exact symbols in it, some even in that order!”

“Really?” Drestra looked up, reptilian pupils dilating. “I want to see this book.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind if someone else takes a look at it,” he said. “And I don’t think she’d mind either.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” The Sage frowned. “Whatever that portal was, it was not going to stay open for a Hero.”

“Right, well there’s no magic in the book, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to go through it,” he ran a hand through his short beard. “But ya, it’s something to think about. We’ll need to talk to Baelin about this.”

“Good…” She glanced down at the symbols. “And…I’d like to talk to Cedric and Hart about it too.”

Alex looked at her in surprise; the way she’d once spoken of Cedric and Hart had changed dramatically since he’d first met her. All the tension she’d shown when she’d first come to the encampment all those months ago seemed to be gone.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “I can see why. It’d be better if we were all on the same page…Drestra, how do you think they’d react if they knew about me?”

She paused. “You mean that you’re the Fool?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Look. Look how much we’ve learned by letting go of so many secrets between us. And if Cedric and Hart knew, there’d be a lot more we could accomplish. And…I’d like to believe that they wouldn’t drag me in front of the priests.”

“I don’t think they will,” Drestra said. “They like you and…after what we found out about the dungeon cores back in my home, they’re not eager to deal with any priests either.”

“Right…And speaking of priests…what about Merzhin. What’s he like?”

“Fanatical, nosey…” the Sage grunted. “Good-hearted, in his way, I think. He wants nothing more than to defeat Uldar’s enemies and help Thameland’s people, but—in his mind—the way to do that is only through Uldar.”

“Sounds like a perfect saint,” Alex mused, remembering the strange goddess pendant that hung from the Traveller’s neck. Or at least, he thought of them as goddesses; for all he knew, they could have been nothing more than cool statues she was fond of. But, if they were goddesses, though, then a ‘perfect saint’ she was not. “So I’m guessing he’d drag me off in an instant.”

“Before you could say a word, if he had his way.” Her voice crackled a warning. “But it is too bad. He is very powerful; if he were in our fold, he’d be a great ally. If Uldar is working against his own people, but Merzhin can’t see that…then he’ll be a powerful enemy.”

“Right.” Alex noted that. “I’ll keep that in mind. …well, you know what? If I don’t tell at least Hart and Cedric now, then that’ll put my secret on you. And if it were to ever come out, there’d be hell to pay.”

From what Alex knew of the Chosen, he’d likely be none too pleased with the secrecy, but it was better that things be brought out into the open and dealt with now that Drestra knew. It would be an even bigger problem—like imprisonment in a dungeon for life level problem—if the fact that he was the Fool came out in some way that could be misinterpreted.

Cedric might get angry, but, given the situation with Uldar, Alex had the feeling he could talk to him.

Maybe make things easier and smoother.

As for Hart? It was hard to tell. The Champion was a hard man to read.

“If you want, I could help you tell them,” Drestra offered. “We could do it together.”

Alex took a deep breath.

This was all coming very fast.

“Alright, then,” he said. “Unless there’s something else you want to tell me while we’re here, then let’s go find them. Better we do it before I lose my nerve. Already, my mind’s thinking of all the ways this can go wrong. But…I trust Cedric. Best to see if he’ll trust me after this.”