The task of hauling the scales fell not unexpectedly to Shael, Anriq, and myself. That was not to say, Adriel and Safyre did nothing. Working in tandem, the pair kept a portal open between the cave and the surface, and even Ghost was put to work, hauling a sled.


    Working thus, we made steady progress, and by the end of the first hour, nearly all of the scales had been successfully relocated. Just past the two-hour mark, though, something changed.


    Pausing in my work stacking one the sleds, I stared across the horizon.


    “What is it?” Safyre asked, noticing my sudden stop.


    “Company,” I replied, studying the distant dot in the sky.


    “The overlord?” she asked.


    “I think so.” Even with my enhanced sight, the far-off shape was too indistinct to identify. “What else could it be?” I asked rhetorically.


    Safyre glanced at the pile of remaining scales. “Do we have time to haul the rest?”


    Not answering immediately, I took my time judging the enemy’s approach, but even after a full minute of watching there was barely a perceptible change in its size. “Yes,” I said at last.


    “Then let’s get to it,” she said. “The sooner we’re done, the sooner we’re gone.”


    ? ? ?


    Twenty minutes later, the last of the scales disappeared through the portal. Stopping beside Adriel who was on portal duty, I turned around to study the skies one last time.


    There was no longer any doubt about our enemy’s identity. It was an overlord.  Nor was the stygian Power alone. Perched all around its crater-like body were dozens of flying serpents.


    “Do you think they can see us?” Adriel asked.


    I shrugged. “No idea.”


    None of my companions could see the incoming stygians, of course. The mists were impenetrable to their sight, and while I doubted the void creatures labored under the same handicap, the distance between us was still appreciable.


    “The overlord hasn’t sped up, though, or altered its trajectory in any way,” I added.


    “Good enough, I suppose,” the lich replied, waving me toward the portal. “Go on, then. Let’s not tempt fate further.”


    Doing as she bade, I stepped through the luminous doorway. Adriel followed quickly after and a moment later, the portal winked out.


    The others were already gathered in the center of the cave. Joining them, Adriel and I sat down to complete the circle. “Now that that is all out of the way,” I began without preamble, “let’s talk about how we go about rescuing Saya.”


    Adriel and Safyre exchanged glances.


    “Will you two stop that,” I snapped in exasperation.


    Startled, the pair turned my way. “Stop what?” Safyre asked innocently.


    I waved my hand, demonstrating. “You know, staring at one another as if…” I sighed. “Forget it. Whatever it is you have to say, just spit it out.”


    This time the two managed not to look at each other before answering.


    “Alright, if that’s what you want,” Safyre said, fielding the question. She paused to gather her thoughts. “We know this is a sensitive topic, so we’ve been trying to find a delicate way to approach it,” she added by way of apology.


    I frowned. “What is?”


    “Saya,” Adriel said bluntly.


    I turned to stare at her. “I’m not sure what you mean.”


    Instead of answering, the lich looked to Safyre, who once again became the pair’s spokesperson. “You said earlier you want to rescue her. Is that still true?”


    “Of course.”


    “And you want to do it before we claim sector 18,240?”


    “The timing works,” I replied, thinking that was what they were concerned about. “Adriel needs ten days to create the golems. That gives me enough time to return to the valley, find Saya, and finalize things with the brotherhood.”


    “The timing works,” Safyre agreed. “That’s not the problem.”


    “Then what is?” I demanded.


    Before she could answer, Adriel spoke. “What is your plan?”


    My gaze darted to her. “My plan?”


    “For rescuing the gnome,” she clarified. “I know you. You have something in mind, already.”


    I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a moment, wondering if this was the right time to explain. Safyre and Adriel would not like my plan, I knew, but considering the pair’s expressions, perhaps they’d already guessed what I intended.


    My gaze darted to Shael and Anriq. The pair were sitting back—both figuratively and literally removed from the conversation. I would get no support from either. I glanced to my right. Ghost knew what I intended, and she, at least, I could count on.


    “Always, Prime,” the pyre wolf replied sleepily. “You can always count on me.”The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Silently conveying my thanks to her, I turned back to the two women and braced myself for what was sure to be a difficult conversation. “My plan is to return to the valley—alone.”


    Neither Adriel nor Safyre evinced any surprise at the pronouncement.


    “I know the terrain well,” I went on, making my case. “I especially know the wyvern caves to the west where I believe the envoy and Shadow’s troops are based. A frontal assault won’t work, but one man? Alone and in the dark? That man, I think, has a good chance of slipping in unnoticed, finding Saya, and returning with her unharmed.”


    For a drawn-out moment no one said anything.


    Folding my arms, I waited. I didn’t need Safyre and Adriel’s permission to do what needed to be done, of course. But I’d made a pledge to them not so long ago. No more secrets and no more going at things alone. So, while I didn’t need their permission, I wanted their buy-in.


    Because I believed strongly in my plan.


    It made sense. I had a better chance of infiltrating the envoy’s base on my own than an army had of overwhelming it. Safyre and Adriel might argue, they might rail, but eventually they would see that I was right.


    “You realize it’s a trap, don’t you?” Safyre asked at last.


    I nodded. “I do. But I’ll be going into it with my eyes open. I’m prepared for whatever surprises come my way.”


    Adriel laughed hollowly. “You’re not. Have you forgotten this is the trickster you’re dealing with?”


    I shook my head. “I haven’t. And Loken is not involved. This is all his envoy’s doing.”


    “You don’t know that!” the lich snapped. “He denied your request to meet. Why would he do that if he had no hand in matters?”


    “There could be many reasons for his refusal,” I replied stubbornly. “It does not mean—”


    “He’s toying with you, boy!” Adriel interjected.


    “You don’t know that!” I retorted, throwing her own words back at her.


    Adriel scowled at me. Not backing down, I glared right back at her, and once again it fell to Safyre to mediate. “We don’t disagree with your plan, Michael,” she said softly.


    Tearing my gaze away from Adriel, I turned to her. “What?” I asked, puzzled. “If you don’t disagree, why the—”


    “We don’t disagree,” Safyre said, speaking over me. “Your plan is better than anything we’ve been able to come up with, and as much as we may dislike the idea, this is a task you’re best off doing alone.” She paused. “But there are risks.”


    I nodded in heartfelt agreement. “There are. And I’m open to discussing ways to mitigate them.”


    “Risks,” Safyre went on as if I hadn’t spoken, “that are too great to ignore and that make your plan unviable in the short term.”


    I blinked, trying to make sense of her words.


    My confusion did not go unnoticed. “We believe you should wait,” Adriel stated bluntly.


    My incomprehension grew. “Wait?”


    Safyre nodded sympathetically. “Yes, wait. Until we’ve claimed sector 18,240 for the Forerunners.”


    I knew from the look in Safyre’s eyes that she knew what she was asking. Still, I couldn’t help protesting. “B-but, but that would mean—”


    “—leaving Saya in the envoy’s hands for another two weeks,” Adriel finished for me. “We know.”


    I rounded on her. “She might not survive that long!”


    “It’s been a month already,” Safyre interjected gently. “If you’re right, if this is all some plan by the envoy to lure you into a trap, then another two weeks won’t make a difference. She will keep Saya alive that long.”


    “And if I’m wrong?” I whispered.


    Safyre’s expression firmed. “Then Saya is dead already,” she stated flatly. “And nothing you do will change that fact.”


    I bowed my head, having no counter argument ready.


    “You don’t need to heed us, of course,” Adriel said abruptly. “But we tell you this not just for our sake, but yours. The wiser course is to wait.”


    I raised my head, my face expressionless. “I need to think.” So saying, I turned around and walked away.


    ? ? ?


    Randomly choosing one of the descending tunnels, I descended its black depths. Alone, I walked aimlessly. Not even Ghost accompanied me, staying behind with the others at my request. While I walked, my thoughts churned.


    Logically I could find no fault with what the others had said.


    But it was not logic that motivated me. It was… instinct. A desire to protect the Pack. I could not—would not abandon—Saya. But Safyre and Adriel were not asking me to do that, they were asking me to wait.


    An altogether reasonable request.


    And one difficult to deny. What was wrong with waiting? Nothing. Nothing except that every day I delayed, the chances of Saya dying increased. How much… who could say?


    Weighing up the lives and risks involved was easier. Unfortunately, though, the results were not in my favor. Venturing into the valley would, at best, save only Saya. At the same time, the risk of discovery was high. If I failed in my mission, was captured, or otherwise revealed, the life of everyone I considered Pack would be put at risk.


    Claiming sector 18,240, on the other hand, had the potential to permanently secure the future of every Forerunner, had minimal risk of discovery, and only put one life in jeopardy—Saya’s.


    I exhaled heavily. It was a grim equation.


    And for the sake of the Forerunners and the Pack, there was only one path forward.


    Waiting.


    “Hells,” I muttered. “Safyre and Adriel are right.”


    Delaying my rescue attempt by two weeks, though, was unnecessary. We had to claim the sector faster. Narrowing my eyes, I considered how we could go about that.


    There was a way.


    It would not be easy, but all the pieces were already in place. It was only a question of nudging them along.


    Nine days, I decided.


    We’ll do it in nine days. Then I’ll rescue Saya.


    As my resolve grew and my path firmed in my mind, a pair of Game messages unfurled before me.


    The Adjudicator has allocated you a new task: A Place to Call Home!


    As Wolf, a Prime-in-waiting, or a leader, protecting one’s followers is usually synonymous with securing one’s domain. It has been your bad fortune to find these goals in conflict. The wise leader knows his limits and does not reach beyond. You, however, have not only chosen to pursue both of the conflicting objectives before you, you have further constrained yourself with an ambitious time limit.


    Is this hubris or wisdom? Only time will tell.


    Objective: Claim sector 18,240 on behalf of the Forerunners within 9 days.


    The Adjudicator has allocated you a new task: Rescue the lost Pup!


    The fate of one of the first souls you claimed as Pack is in doubt. Saya is either dead or in the hands of your enemies. Objective 1: Ascertain if Saya is alive. Objective 2: Rescue Saya if she lives or punish those who have taken her if she is not.


    Note, this task is linked to A Place to Call Home and cannot be fulfilled until that task is successfully concluded. Furthermore, if the task, A Place to Call Home, fails this task will automatically fail as well.


    My lips twisted. The Game was raising the stakes. But the stakes were already high enough to make failure inconceivable. Who cared if the Adjudicator sought to up the ante further? One way or the other I would succeed.


    At both my goals.