Chapter Fifty-One: Calm before the Storm

Serena was right about me not getting much sleep. We stopped long enough to eat, but other than that I was at the mercy of Rhallani’s whims. It was a good place to be, even if I went to my watch feeling a little drained.

They kept me busy right up until it was time for me to go on watch. By the time I staggered out of my tent in desperate need of some water, we came to the conclusion that Serena’s boost to my regen did in fact only refer to regen she was a part of. We got me back up to fifty-two before I managed to escape their clutches. A good portion of the time wasn’t even spent having sex, either. There was plenty of cuddling involved.

My watch passed by without any incident, which only made my nerves feel more frayed. I hated waiting more than anything. As badly as I wanted to have as many Links up as possible before we fought, a part of me just wanted to be done with whatever the universe had in store for us.

I spent most of my watch canvasing the area with my senses, but rain picked up around midnight that really took a shit on that plan. I ended up having to move closer to the camp because my heightened senses quickly became overrun by the barrage of a million raindrops landing. By the time our relief arrived, I had a splitting headache.

I’d barely slid into bed before Serena, still asleep, reached out and pulled me into her arms. She murmured something unintelligible and latched onto me with enough force to make me chuckle. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she sighed happily. When I checked on our link before I passed out, I couldn’t help but think it looked just a bit thicker than when we’d first forged it.

One thing I did notice with my enhanced senses, while I drifted off to sleep, was the tossing and turning taking place in the tent next door. There was a small period where I thought Vivian must have fallen asleep, but she woke with a start not much later. It wasn’t long after that I passed out myself, so I never got to see if she ever fully nodded off.

My dreams that night weren’t pleasant. I was back on the battlefield, searching corpse after corpse desperately hoping with every face I looked at I wasn’t going to see Ria. But when I got to a single body surrounded by piles of enemies, I knew. Feeling like the world had fallen out from underneath me, I gently turned her over.

Only it wasn’t Ria I held in my arms, but Serena. Her eyes staring sightlessly into nothingness. A pained cry ripped itself from my throat and I held her to my chest, feeling like my heart had been ripped from my chest. Despair and rage ripped through me, both emotions fighting for dominance. Then my eyes fell on another corpse nearby, her hair long and silver with gold threaded in. The pain became unbearable. I felt like I was being torn in two. I felt another bellow building in my gut. I could taste blood, though I wasn’t sure why.

“Zaren, wake up!”

I shot awake in a panic, narrowly avoiding taking Tiana out with a stray elbow. Serena held my face in her hands while Tiana held me. The moment I was even half awake, experience took over. I clenched every muscle to keep from moving so I didn’t hurt anyone while I surveyed the room. Once I realized where I was and who surrounded me, I got my breathing and erratic heartbeat under control.

“I’m good,” I said finally, though it came out hoarse.

Serena brushed my hair from my face. It hadn’t exactly been short when I’d taken my nap, and I’d officially been in this world for a month now, so it was starting to get long. “Where were you, Zaren?” she asked softly.I looked around the room before answering. The twins were still asleep, but Rhallani had pushed herself up into a sitting position to look at me with bleary eyes. Noelle gripped my hand in both of hers, concern evident on her face.

“Old scars mixed with new fears,” I told them. “Happens from time to time. I’m fine,” I assured them.

It was still dark out, but I could feel morning approaching. With how vivid the dream had been, I knew sleep wouldn’t be coming back for me today. “Go back to sleep for a bit, I’m gonna go stretch my legs.”

They were all still bleary eyed and I felt like shit for waking them. Tiana pressed her lips to the back of my neck before laying back down and Noelle embraced me tightly before joining her. I gave Rhallani a kiss of her own to the forehead and gently pushed her back down, and she went with only minimal protest, her eyes already drooping. Only Serena looked like she wanted to argue.

“I’m fine,” I told her again. “Get some more sleep.”

She still clearly wasn’t convinced, but she eventually laid back down and snuggled into the warmth I’d left behind. By the time I pulled some clothes on and slipped out the door, most of them had already drifted back off to sleep.

When I slipped out of the tent, I saw that I wasn’t the only early riser in camp. Reese was sitting by the remains of the fire, her elbows on her knees while she stared into the smoldering embers. I’d barely cleared the flap when she tensed and her eyes cut towards me. She regarded me with a cautious curiosity.

“Can’t sleep either?”

She shrugged. “Not usually.”

I rolled my neck. “Can’t wait till we get back to town, huh?”

Her eyes turned back to the fire. “I sleep worse in a bed,” she said quietly.

“I know the feeling.” Her eyes returned to me, one of her brows quirked. “You’re really willing to help us root out these gnolls?”

A dip of her chin was the only sigh she’d heard me, then, “I won’t leave people at the mercy of monsters. Not if I can help it.”

“I’ll be glad to have you along, then. You’re quite the shot.”

The icy blue of her eyes was cutting. “Why help? Why risk your neck?”

I stuck my hands in my pockets. “Because it’s the right thing to do?” She gave me a droll look, and I chuckled. “Because I know what it’s like to be having the worst day of my life with nobody to even ask for help. The people who were taken might not have anyone, so they might as well have me.”

She raked a calculating look over for me for a few more seconds before nodding curtly and returning her gaze to the embers. I knew the value of a good brooding session better than anyone, so I left her to it and did a lap around the camp to stretch my legs. While the sky started to slowly lighten, I started experimenting with my new ability to sense souls.

I knew that if I focused intently on a single person near me I could get a glimpse at their soul, and after Vivian I realized just how much I could tell about a person if I did. And as I learned more about this sense, I was sure I would start to understand more and more as time went on. But closely examining a soul like that took focus, and it nearly blocked out my other senses. I wanted to see if I could find a much lighter use for it.

The sun was starting to peek over the horizon when I finally started to figure it out. I still didn’t know exactly what I was sensing, but something clicked into place and I was very suddenly aware of…impressions. Like the feeling that someone was standing behind me, but much more muted. I was more aware of some than others, and after I’d completed a second circuit I started to have some guesses as to why.

It seemed the people I was closer to or more familiar with, like Jezal, Korey, or even Mai, were more visible to whatever third eye I’d awakened. And the more I flexed the awareness, the more I started to understand it. It wasn’t so simple as being able to sense the emotions of those around me, but when I found the line between the light awareness I had and the intense focus I’d used on Vivian, I felt the faintest whispers of the states of those around me.

The closest analogy I could think of was standing in a room where the tension was high. It was like walking into a group and knowing just by body language the general mood. The caravan as a whole was nervous and worried. The gnoll victims had left everyone on edge, and being exposed and between cities weren’t making anything better.

By the time people were starting to get up and move around, my head was starting to pound. I let go of the sense and the headache dropped to manageable levels. Seems I’d have to work it like a muscle if I wanted to be able to use it for long stretches, and if I was going to be in a city surrounded by vipers then I wanted every tool in my arsenal ready to go.

I weaved my way through the camp and back to our tent just as Serena walked out, pulling her cloak over her armor. She smiled as soon as she saw me, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she linked hers behind my neck. We shared a brief, deep kiss, then she rested her head on my shoulder.

“You didn’t come back to bed,” she said eventually.

“My walk went long.” I rubbed circles over the gap between her chestplate and the armored skirt. “I got plenty of sleep, so don’t worry about it.”

“Feeling any better?”

“In a ‘less bad’ kinda way, sure.” I didn’t think my mood would fully improve until we’d confronted whoever was hunting us or made it to the capital.

Rhallani exited next with a stretch and a yawn. “Morning. Essence?”

“Fifty-seven.”

She grimaced. “Probably best not to blow half your remaining pool on another Link, huh?”

“There’s always tomorrow,” I agreed.

With a noise of agreement, she walked over and rose up on her tip toes to give me a peck on the cheek. “I’m gonna go check in with Cynthia. Last night she said she’d finally nailed down all your properties and was close to figuring out just how many servants you can have.”

She practically skipped off towards the back of the wagon. Tiana and Noelle came next, both heading straight for me. Tiana took my back, wrapping her arms around both of us and resting her chin on my other shoulder. Serena pulled back just enough for Noelle to slip between us and both of us wrapped an arm around her small frame to pull her in tight.

Behind me, Tiana let out a content sigh. “As nice as our bedroll is, I already miss having a bed. Even the shitty ones I usually slept on.”

I chuckled. “Don’t worry, once we get to the capital your days of shitty beds are over. Big plush beds with plenty of occupants are sure to fill your future.”

She groaned. “You know just what to say to get a girl going, you know that?” She leaned over to kiss my cheek while one hand stroked Serena’s long locks. “When we get settled, we’re taking a whole day and not leaving our room.”

“I can get behind that,” Serena grumbled.

“Or in front, I’m not picky,” Tiana added with a chuckle.

Serena blushed, so I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead to keep her from seeing the amusement on my face. It didn’t work, as she shot me a glare as soon as I pulled back. “It’s a date.”

Noelle sniffed between us. “Vivian comes.”

A second later, Vivian pushed her way out of her tent. She looked as chipper as usual, but I could see the signs. The makeup under her eyes was thicker, likely hiding the bags under them, and there was a slight hunch to her shoulders that I caught before she assumed her visage. Then she looked over at us, still embracing, and emotion flitted briefly across her features.

But she schooled her face and took a breath, then smiled. “Morning, all! I hope everyone slept well,” she said.“As well as can be expected,” Tiana offered, stepping back and arranging her cloak to cover up her slightly scandalous outfit.

Serena did the same, pulling her hair over her shoulder and beginning to braid it. “How did you sleep, Vivian?”

“Like a baby.” She turned to start packing up her tent, realizing a second too late that she was moving far too efficiently. In the blink of an eye, her movements shifted from clear muscle memory to a much clumsier attempt. “Though, as much as I appreciate you offering me a tent and supplies, I must say I really do miss my carriage.”

Tiana rubbed her lower back with a grimace. “I feel you.” She walked over to help Vivian pack up, earning a grateful smile from the noble. “I bet you’ve got a real nice warm bed waiting for you back at the capital.”I was certain I didn’t imagine the pause in Vivian’s movements. “Only the best money can buy. You?”

With a smile at me over her shoulder, Tiana said, “for the first time in a long time, I just might.”

# # #

From the way everyone else had been moving that morning, I was guessing not many slept well. Finding out that other travelers had been attacked and killed on the same road we were taking was bound to have that effect. That didn’t mean we set off any later than usual, though. If anything, we set a new record for how fast we got the horses hitched and the wagons rolling.

It never quite rained, but it misted just enough that there was no escape from the cold, thin layers of water sticking to every part of us. Serena remained glued to my side, but she seemed much more relaxed than usual. I noticed Tiana walking in stride with the wagon, engaged in conversation with Vivien for nearly the entire march. A small part of me worried, but I’d told Tiana my suspicions and I trusted her judgment.

Noelle spent the day riding with Tsuki, and though the two didn’t exchange many words they sat close enough together that their shoulders nearly touched. Since it was misting, Ryoko was loathe to leave the relative dryness of our covered wagon, so Elisa kept her company. Rhallani took her place riding by Cynthia’s side, and the conversation they spent most of the day on in low tones—coupled with the glances and impish smiles Rhallani occasionally threw my way—had me a little worried.

We only found evidence of one more attack, but the rain made it impossible to tell exactly what had happened. All we knew for sure was that the gnolls had killed two more humans and a male dwarf. It was only after we finished burying them that I realized we hadn’t seen any female demi-humans.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a theory settled in my gut like a stone. As soon as we got the caravan moving again, I waved the girls over. I told them of my observation, and of course Rhallani was the first one to come to the same conclusion as me.

“You don’t think it’s like the spiders, do you?” she asked in a frightened whisper.

“Like the spiders?” Serena asked, looking to me.

“Before I was outed by an asshole goddess, the Valax queen mentioned working with someone. She was collecting females with powerful classes, remember?” I said.

Tiana clamped a hand over her mouth, so I put my own on the small of her back. “You think the gnolls might be working with someone? Do gnolls do that?”

“If they’ve got a smart enough chieftain, it’s possible,” Rhallani said. When I arched a brow, she shrugged. “I read up on them as soon as we knew what we were up against. A chieftain is smart enough and strong enough to keep a pack in line, but it’s very rare they work with people. If we could find and kill it, though, then the rest of the gnolls might scatter.”

Serena’s jaw set, and I put my other hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find it and kill it,” I promised.

She gave me a grateful nod. “I just wish we knew why. Why kidnap and kill people like this?”

“Once we get to the city, we can sic this one on it and maybe get some answers,” I said, putting my hand on Rhallani’s head.

She smiled at me, nudging me with her shoulder. “So, we should operate under the impression that these gnolls are after powerful females? Because we’ve seen a handful of dead women so far,” she pointed out.“Maybe. Seems a safe assumption, but it might be safer to assume that they’ll snatch any of the women given the chance. I’ll let Korey and Pierce know to pass it along.”

“I can tell Vivian,” Tiana offered. When I arched a brow, her cheeks darkened. “I know you’re suspicious of her, but I like her. I’m keeping a close eye out for anything strange, but so far…well…” She suddenly looked away.

“Well…?” Serena prompted, poking Tiana in the ribs.

Tiana turned her turquoise eyes on me. “She reminds me of you sometimes,” she said softly, as if afraid she might upset me.

My hand was still on her back, so I pulled her a half step closer so I could shift it to her hip. “How so?”

She bit her lip. “I can see what you’re seeing if I look close enough. That she’s hiding things. And if she is, she’s really, really good at faking nobility. But after this morning, and after riding with her all day, I just can’t help but feel like she’s lonely. That maybe she has a good reason to keep parts of her hidden. And, after spending so much time with you, a part of me can’t help but wonder if she isn’t hiding behind her mask to survive.”

I nodded slowly. I could see the logic behind her words. “I trust you, just be careful, alright?”

She leaned over to kiss my cheek. “I will. I’ll let you know what I find out. If I think she really just needs a friend. Or more,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.

I scoffed. “You four are something else. You know, back in my day, there was this thing called jealousy.”

Serena elbowed me. “Yeah, we know gramps. Back in the olden days.”

Rhallani just shrugged. “I like sharing as long as we’re all on the same page. Now, you start going behind our backs and hiding girls from us? Then you’ll learn what jealousy looks like in the modern day, old man.”

I chuckled. “Fair enough. Though, unless I get a glimpse at who Vivian is under the cleverly constructed persona, I’m afraid she’s a nonstarter. She’s much more than she seems.”

“I’ll see if I can worm my way past her defenses,” Tiana said.

I nodded. “Just be careful. She isn’t our enemy yet, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’ve got enough people gunning for me.”

Rhallani grimaced. “Maybe I should change my question. I’m thinking: ‘who was the Valax queen working for?’ If you’re right, and it’s all related, then that might be a better use of [Arcane Intuition].”“It’s your skill,” I told her. “You’re the brains of the operation, if you think that’s the best use for it, then you have my support.”

She beamed at me, then her eyes unfocused. Then she bit her lip, and looked over her shoulder at where Vivian sat, talking with Cynthia on the driver’s bench of our carriage. She let out a relieved breath. “Nothing from her. Whoever she really is, she isn’t working for whoever is trying to collect powerful women.”

“Thank goodness,” Tiana said. “I mean, I didn’t think she was, but it’s nice to have the confirmation.”

I looked to Noelle, who seemed content to merely look and listen as usual. “What do you think?” I asked her.She frowned, looking ahead. “I do not trust her,” she admitted finally, “but I do not mistrust her either. She makes me feel warm whenever she talks with me, but her smell is…off putting. Ryoko and Tsuki agree. She smells of wood smoke under the perfume she wears, but even their senses can’t seem to make much sense of her.”

I frowned. I hadn’t even thought to ask Ryoko and Tsuki what their Kitsune noses picked up from Vivian. “I see. Do you like her?”

Noelle thought my question over for a few minutes, the others all waiting on her answer eagerly, before she finally nodded. “She is very good at knowing what to say. Even if it is to deceive, she is always aware of everyone around her and seems to pick up on their emotions quickly. She lightens the mood but does not make herself the center of attention.” Her chin dipped. “Bad people aren’t so good at making others feel better like that.”

Serena made a noise in the back of her throat before stepping forward to sweep Noelle up in a hug that left her small feet dangling in the air. She let out a surprised squeak, then looked at me with a wide smile that showed off her sharp canines. I cupped her cheek and she leaned into my hand even while Serena squeezed her with both arms.

“You are just the cutest,” Serena said, pressing her face into Noelle’s hair.

Noelle let out a happy hum. “Yes, I am.”

I’m pretty sure all of us stumbled a step, then burst out laughing. I couldn’t help but scoop Noelle out of Serena’s arms so I could crush her to my own chest. She nuzzled into my neck happily, and I laughed again. “We’ve created a little monster, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” Noelle agreed.

When I finally set Noelle down on her feet, Tiana had a conflicted expression on her face. “What’s wrong?” I asked her.

She jumped. “Oh, nothing.” Then she glanced back towards our wagon. “When we were laughing just now, I looked back at Vivian. She was smiling at us, but she seemed so…sad.” She resumed chewing her lip. “I think I’m gonna go give her some company. Even if we aren’t adding her to the harem, I think I’d like to at least be friends.”

“Then by all means,” I told her. “Just be careful. I don’t like watching the people I care about get hurt.”She nodded, then gave me another peck and Noelle a quick hug before she went back towards our wagon. Rhallani leapt up on her tip toes to do the same. “Sixty,” she said with a smile. “You can have sixty servants if you wanted to.”

My brows rose. “That’s a lot of people.”

Her smile widened. “Patrons with as many properties as you usually rent spaces out to businesses or craftsmen and staff them with servants. When we get back, I’m sure we could find a good number of skilled demi-humans and get some income going while giving them good lives.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I’m gonna go back to Cynthia. There’s a lot to discuss between planning and such.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she skipped off after Tiana. Noelle watched them go, her smile faltering slightly. “I wish to go keep Tsuki company. She hates the rain as much as her sister, even if she’ll never admit it.”

“Go on then,” I said, pulling her into another hug. “Always take time to care for friends, especially ones like Tsuki who need it most.”

She nuzzled into me again, taking in a deep breath through her nose. “Thank you for saving me,” she said softly. Then she slipped away and jogged to the wagon Tsuki was driving before I could respond. I just shook my head with a smile, turning to Serena with a questioning look.

She just wrapped her arms around my bicep. “I’m good right where I am,” she said.

I chuckled. “You certainly are.”

The rest of the day was spent just like that. Whether it was the Link or something else, I felt closer to Serena than ever before, and it was a feeling I enjoyed greatly. I was almost disappointed when we finally called a stop for the day and set up camp.

Everything was business as usual. We ate, trained, and me and Serena got in a few sparring matches. Nothing on the level of whatever connection had happened last night, but now that we were once again on the same page I didn’t think it needed to. After that, with some prodding from Vivian, Zoey stepped in the ring.

The tall, muscular woman looked a little nervous standing across from me. She stood even taller than I did, and her sword was a bit bigger than anything I had in my arsenal. I summoned my biggest greatsword anyways and wrapped our blades in shadow.

Zoey was undoubtedly a talented fighter, but she wasn’t a natural like Serena. Her fighting style was one of constant practice and determination. After crossing swords with her a few times, I knew her to be someone who picked up a sword because they felt it was their only option, not because it called to them. She’d reached her level of skill through sheer hard work, which meant she had impressive resolve.

But, in her case, her reliance on training worked against her. She had well sharpened reflexes and enough strength to knock me around when she landed a solid blow, but she was too reliant on predetermined combos. When she was using her preferred fighting style she excelled, but if I flipped the scripts on her and forced her outside of her comfort zone she struggled.

She pushed me hard, but her training wasn’t quite enough to make up for the clear difference in experience between the two of us. By the end we were both panting, but she could hardly hold her blade up any longer. I was careful to cut us off before my tendrils ran out of mana this time, so I didn’t even get maimed.

I gave my best appraisal of her skills—with Vivian practically hanging on my every word—and gave her some tips on how to break out of the rigidity she’d developed by relying too heavily on specific combinations. She seemed surprised by my feedback, but grateful for it nonetheless. I promised her a few more sessions in the future and found a spot to sit between Tiana and Serena. The latter snuggled into my side while the former threw her arm over my shoulder and leaned her head against mine.

Noelle had just crept over to sit in my lap when Cynthia approached with a stool and took up residence next to us. She glanced questioningly at my girls, so I gave her a nod. Whatever she had to say to me could be said in front of them.

“I just thought you should be made aware,” she started, speaking softly, “that Vivian seems rather interested in your holdings. She’s very clever about her inquiries, but I’ve spent years dealing with adventurers trying to weasel any information out of me that they can.”

I nodded, running my fingers through Noelle’s hair. “I see. Do you think we should be worried?”

She frowned, glancing over her shoulder at where Vivian sat. She was talking to Zoey in hushed tones with a forced smile on her face. “No more than usual,” Cynthia said eventually. “You’re a new entity in the capital, and she’s no more curious than any other noble or noblewoman would be.”

“I’m guessing you’ve managed to avoid sharing anything with her?”

“Of course,” she said, almost sounding offended. “She’s good, but I’m better. I’ve got to earn my pay somehow, after all.”

She certainly seemed more interested in me than anyone else in the caravan, but that wasn’t really surprising. Unfortunately for me, I was probably the most interesting one of the bunch outside of Noelle’s unique race. It only made sense that I’d pique her interest more than anyone else.

“Give her some pieces,” I said eventually. “Things that will become common knowledge eventually anyways. Nothing specific, and nothing that can be used against us, but enough to sate her curiosity. If she backs off, then we know it’s just standard snooping. If she pushes for more, then we can start to worry.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up. “Precisely what I was going to suggest. I’ll get it done, sir.”

She stood and headed over to where Elisa and Ryoko were talking, both bent over the journal that held all of Elisa’s notes. She sat down next to her girlfriend and pulled Elisa into her lap so she could look over her shoulder. Elisa hardly reacted beyond giving Cynthia a quick peck before returning to whatever creation her and the white furred Kitsune were planning.

“Cynthia is right, Vivian is good at this,” Tiana said eventually, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.

“I agree.”

When Serena shot us a questioning look, Tiana elaborated. “She’s riding the line almost perfectly between innocent and suspicious. If she was the picture of innocence and seemed completely uninterested in us, then we’d know for certain something was amiss. We’re quite an interesting group, after all. But she’s keeping her inquiries at just the right level that they don’t raise any alarms, which means that if it weren’t for Zaren’s naturally suspicious nature,” she winked at me, “then we probably wouldn’t be looking out for her like we are.”

That seemed to make sense. She let out a breath. “Am I a fool for hoping we’re just being overly cautious? There’s a part of me that really wants to be friends with her.”

I frowned. “Elaborate.”

She tucked her chin, hiding her face. “What? I never had many friends growing up, and she seems cool is all.”“Is that the only reason?” I prodded. “Or is there something else.”

“Nothing I can put into words,” she scoffed. Then she shot up, her back stiff. “It’s just a feeling. Like a pull towards her.” She looked to me with wide eyes. “You don’t think—”

“I think,” I said, pulling her back into me, “that it’s too early to make any assumptions. If it is some kind of divine intuition, then moving cautiously won’t hurt.”

“But what if it is? What if she’s like us? What if Allura sent her?”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. It’s not impossible that she has some kind of skill that makes people want to befriend her, after all.”

“Like Valg,” Noelle said softly, “and his skill that makes people fear him.”

I squeezed her to my chest. “Exactly like that.” I pressed my lips to the top of her head. “We definitely have to take Serena’s gut feeling into account, but we can’t act on that alone. Not when there are so many questions surrounding Vivian still.”

“I’ll keep working on her,” Tiana promised. “I think she might be starting to warm up to me. The warmth she radiates was starting to feel a little less…forced.”

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head as well. “Sounds like a plan. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a watch to take care of.”

Noelle made an unhappy noise as she shifted from my lap into Serena’s, allowing me to stand. Before I could leave, Serena grabbed my hand. “Wake me when you finish? We still need to get you some more Soul Essence,” she said with pink cheeks.

“I will. Promise.”

She squeezed my hand once and I said my goodbyes before heading towards were Al and Rastra were waiting for relief. The moon was peeking through the clouds, so there wouldn’t be any rain to block my senses tonight. I sent them back to camp to get some grub and left Reese, who had volunteered to start taking watches along with Zoey, in the spot they’d been sitting at. A high area that gave her a good view of the whole camp and the land surrounding it.

I gave her a brief explanation of how I did my watches then went to find a nice dark corner to spread my senses out from. I hadn’t had the chance to work on my Soul Sense anymore, but I didn’t think that would help me much right now anyways. I settled in and got ready for my shift, hoping both for something and nothing to happen.

It was about halfway through my watch when I felt the sharp spike of fear, just on the edge of my skill’s range.