“I know you look at me and think I am weak but—”
“The answer is no,” I said, putting my foot down softly. “You’ve never been to Guedmar or Mavriel. Let’s keep it that way…”
“Step aside, child!” a middle aged man cackled behind her. “Let the adults handle this!” He shoved her back, Kassi glaring at the greasy and snaggle-toothed Milfred with a stank eye. “You can’t possibly think that you are fit for war!”
“Like you can do any better, old man?!”
Milfred flexed his deviled eggs, those soft sorry excuses for biceps before he kissed them both proudly. “Watch out, world! Because once I strap on that gear, I’ll be unstoppable!”
Kassi flat-eyed him. “To those street beetles pitching your tent, maybe.”
“You show me some respect, small-fry! I’ve seen things you can’t even imagine. I’ve fought in battles you could never handle!”
Kassi didn’t flinch. “You’re a pickpocketing bum off of Scruffy Street and Pathetic Place.”
I tried to stifle my laughter but that adorable little girl reminded me of Jezz and her sassy tongue.
I watched the exchange, admiring Kassi's confidence in the face of danger. But the answer I gave her was the answer I gave everyone who had volunteered. They were not ready for the horrors of war.
They begged me to join. There were young and old, men and women, all with the same determination in their eyes. They were ready to fight, to take back what was rightfully theirs. And I was ready to lead them, but not under these circumstances.
I’d be doing more babysitting than fighting. Of course I didn’t tell them that, though I did try my best in letting them down easy.
It was tough watching them go, but being an Overseer came with making those hard choices. Their well-being overpowered my immediate need for a party. If the warchief wasn’t busy with preparing Abok, I could have asked him. He was no ice wolf, but the orc had a few wins under his belt that would come in handy.
Then there was his experience with the fae…
“Damn, I could really use you right now, Jezz,” I whispered under my breath, before I sensed someone approaching me to my left.
“You’ve forgotten to mention the union of Thalian in that chilling speech, hero,” a girl with long messy pink hair said as the crowd continued to disperse. It was Trin, the girl who had given me a mana restoration vial after Jezz and I salvaged items from Tibben.
She chuckled. “An omission very much intended I suppose.”
“I’m curious, how did you know?”
“A little birdy told me,” she tweeted.
I snorted. “Well, I’d like to meet this little bird. Because I haven’t told anyone about that.”
“You know, you’re staining the memory of the fallen by being a pacifist.”
“That’s not what I’m doing here. We can’t move forward the way we had before. Something needs to change.”
“The world isn’t shaped for change.”
“It is unbending, stubborn. But change is possible.”
“Try saying that to the dragons.” She smiled. “I support what you’re doing here Silas, but convincing our small numbers that making an alliance with the orcs, goblins, and fae? I’d say you’re seriously pushing your luck. Even if it means terminating the dragons for good.”
I smiled back. “One problem at a time. Right now, I don’t need their collective support with making alliances. I didn’t finish that quest to get the Triple EXP Amulet. I did it because I believed in what Alzera-Kar wanted me to do. If we continue this segregation and hate, a war will happen again. People will die, and these underground camps will never be empty. At some point we have to leave the past in the past. Or else, we will never move forward.”
“Hate and fury, the shackles of Thalian.” She giggled. “I didn’t know you were so deep, Silas. I want to help.”
“Trin, I don’t want to offend you or anything, but—”
“No, not out there, in here,” she interjected. “I know I don’t have gear. And I’m actually not fond of them. I’d rather fight with my intelligence than brawn, magic, or gears. I feel that it is the most powerful tool we have, and it doesn’t cost us a thing.”
“Are you asking to take my place while I am gone?”
She nodded happily.
“Think you can handle it?”
“I’m pretty sure I can.”
I asked for her credentials, wanting to make sure she was fit for the job. Trin confidently listed off her past experiences with Jezz, and how she’d been in her scouting team once. An accident topside deterred her from continuing to protect Prism Point from the outside, but she had always been active from within. Trin proceeded to explain to me that she had been studying the enemy's movements and strategies for months, and led a few rescue missions with her tactical advice.
If Jezz were here, she promised me she’d vouch for her.
I was tempted, but still hesitant.
“Trin, this is dangerous work.”
“I understand the risks,” she replied coolly. “But I also know that I can do this. Trust me.”
I considered her words and her resolute expression. There was something about her that made me trust her. Maybe it was her unwavering confidence in herself, or that wanton look on her glowing face. I could tell that she wanted to impress the hero of Senterra, so I nodded and handed the baton to her.
“I’m entrusting you with the safety of Prism Point, Trinity,” I said sternly. “Don’t let us down.”
