I walk alongside Virgil toward a group of people, all standing to meet us with wide-open eyes. I do a cursory scan with my eyes, taking in the color of their chains. As I do, I finally notice the hue of Virgil's chains hidden underneath his loose clothing, light blue.
Did he advance? I guess that makes sense. He reached 4th Sigil a long time ago, right? And with everything happening, it was only a matter of time. I'll have to ask him about it later.
My focus returns to the three dozen or so in front of me, most of which are 2nd and 3rd Sigils. I spot a few without any Sigils, Esther and three others beside her, two identical girls, and a tall man beside them. Amongst the group are a few familiar faces, some of which have grown stronger, but there are also missing faces.
Frank stands alone next to one of the Sisters Of Silence, the other one that survived Rustbank missing. But the sister, whose name I do not know, is a 5th Sigil, just like Virgil, her chains dyed a light blue tint. I also spot Heath, the only doctor who has taken another step forward, the same as mine. Green manacles contort around his body as he glances up at us before returning to stitching up someone's wounds below him. Under his needle is Frozen, one of Bonfire's small crew. The man twitches as he tries to get a look at us, but Heath's demanding voice stops him even as the racket of our arrival grows.
"Stop it! You tore open your wounds practicing! Saying hi to your damn 'boss' can wait!"
For a few moments, I watch in amazement as the doctor's hands fly around Frozen's chest, stitching him up in seconds as blood flows from his hands into the slowly closing wound, refilling what was lost.
He must have gotten an Occultist Sigil, then. Or he already had one and doubled down. I feel significantly more secure with the knowledge that he is more capable of healing people. However, my attention is torn away from Heath's work as a Bado woman walks toward our group from the tents ahead.
Sacate introduces her as Skychaser steps forward and greets her with an open wing that meets hers. The woman's eyes narrow when they flicker at the blood on his wings.
"This is Skyswain, the current leader of Sky-Tribe. She is also Skychaser's mate, who I am sure you all have come to know. So, all of you, take a few minutes to relax, to meet the Bado, and to be inspected by Heath, and then come to my tent. We have much to converse about. Both your travels and ours."
What I thought would immediately turn into a discussion is broken apart as Sacate walks away, dragging the tired Johnny to his tent for discussion. I look around as everyone disperses, leaving Virgil and me standing with Dakota beneath us, the fox reaching above our knees with his stature. Even Lennox finds something interesting, the Stoneclad moving toward the similarly naive Frank.
Given the short moment of reprieve without anything to do, I speak to Virgil, wanting to know what's all happened to him.
"So, what's up, Virgil? How have your past few months been? How was your advancement?"
Virgil turns from listening to Sacate toward me. A grin instantly spreads on his lips as he laughs, a crisp chuckle leaving his lips. A laugh is something I'm not expecting as the last time I saw him, his spirit was far too low to be laughing. The loss of Vernon impacted him immensely.
"My past few months? What about yours? You went to the Underworld, right? What the hell was that like? As for me, it's been non-stop action ever since I met you. It's undoubtedly making me develop faster, even if it'll probably lead me to an early grave."
The man's voice trails off at the end when he mentions his death, his eyes flickering to Vernon's Colt that he carries now on his hip. It seems as though he's not over his brother's death yet. I immediately try to shift the topic, some guilt rushing through me even if I wasn't the one to bring up the subject of death.
"Well, the Underworld was nuts. You won't believe all the shit down there. Everything is different from people made of stone to three humans at the 9th Sigil, like the Prime. Though, some things are the same. They spend most of their undead lives fighting to keep the hordes of demons at bay, stopping them all from reaching the Gate Of Death."
Virgil nods at me before shaking his head. He then waves toward the group of four by a few tents. The group contains Esther, and the three others, which I can only assume are his family members.
"Enough of all that. I'll get to know it during the meeting. But first, let me introduce you to my siblings. Then, we'll get Heath to examine you and ensure you're not hurt or hiding any wounds from us."
I follow his wave and step alongside him as he moves toward the four. Esther stands on her toes as she notices me, and I motion toward her with my arm as I get close.
"Hi, Esther! You doing okay?"
The little girl bobs her head up and down, though I notice some scrapes and bruises on her arms. Virgil's sibling, one of the women, picks Esther up and holds her high as she introduces herself with a smile.
"You must be Wyatt! Virgil has told us so much about you! Esther has been doing great! Nora and I-- I'm Aron, by the way, -- have been caring for her these past few months since we caught up with the group. It's rather frightening running around with all these monsters chasing after us, but Esther's one brave little girl. Makes the rest of us sprint to keep up with her, y'know?"
I grin back at her, happy that Esther has had some company to stay with. The little girl has indeed grown to be brave after all this time. I remember when she was a meek little girl in that wagon. She's still quiet and small, but I can tell something's different now. Just the way she looks at me is other. Less dependence and more respect. Not the way a child typically looks at you.
But it's one I welcome. It means she's growing up. The wee girl is too young to gain a Sigil, but the next generation will certainly have quite the leader on their hands.
I introduce myself to the family, recalling the sisters' names from the introduction and the brother's name from long ago.
"Nice to meet you too, Virgil is a man of few words, and he always cut Vernon off when he tried to speak of you all. But I did manage to get your names. So, you're Nora, you're Aron, and you're Victor, right?"
A trio of nods is my response as Dakota pushes past me and pounces toward Aron, who is holding Esther. The fox wants to play with Esther, or, perhaps, he wants to see his siblings. Aron bends down and sets Esther to meet Dakota as she pets the massively oversize fox. Dakota's bushy tail wags fast enough to knock someone over as he receives some love.
"Uh-huh, and this must be Dakota. Awww, you're so cute. Yes, you are! Pet him, Nora! He won't bite!"
Nora joins her twin sister, only she moves far slower, a sickly glow on her face. She must be the sister the duo worked to provide for. Maybe Heath is providing care to her now? I hope so.
I look around for the other foxes that Esther had with her but don't see any. The only other Boone brother, Victor, answers my unspoken question with a depressing retort as he sits on a rock.
"The other little ones are dead, the long road costing them their lives just as it may cost us ours. Stone bears little care for our suffering."
Aron elbows and yells at her brother, the youngest Boone almost falling backward off his rock, eliciting laughter from Virgil beside me. The ordinarily quiet man shows abundant joy merely watching his family interact.
"Hey! No need to be so negative! Where does all this even come from in that head of yours, huh?"
Victor just shakes his head as he turns around and walks away. Aron harumphs in annoyance but doesn't follow him; instead, she apologizes.
"Sorry 'bout him. He's not really happy with the whole leaving Timberlands thing. Virgil and Vernon gave us plenty of security, which let Victor explore his artistic interests. Yet, with everything that happened, it was taken away. I spent most of my time caring for Nora, so little has changed for me, even if things are less cozy."
I can only shrug my shoulders as Virgil sits down. Then, after clearing the ground with my boot, I join him on the hard stone. Once on the ground, I watch Dakota play with Esther and Nora briefly as the rest of the camp slowly settles in.
It feels good to have some calm, but I know it won't last. So, I take it in while I can, hoping that Abraham can keep us hidden for a stretch longer. While I sit, Aron asks me a question, her voice loud but endearing.
"Soooo, what happened in the Underworld? I can't believe you actually went there! Did you see anyone you knew?"
Her words make me think of Edmund, and the thought stings. But after a moment of hesitation, I start retelling her the whole story, starting from how we entered the Underworld.
"Well, it wasn't straightforward to get there. We had to..."
***************
"Ow!"
Heath rolls his eyes at me as he stitches up the laceration on my calf. His hands move fast and undisturbed even by my speaking or slight motion.
"As if this is the worst pain you've had. Though, I'm surprised you aren't ten times more injured. Actually, proud is the right word. You're growing up."
A sly grin stretches even as I try to hide it. The embarrassment bleeds through as I haven't grown up as much as Heath thinks. The doctor notices it practically instantly with a groan.
"Really? How bad was it?"
I breathe through my teeth, a subtle whistle coming out as I prepare to unload it onto him.
"Well..."
Before I even start explaining, though, the doctor cuts me off.
"Nope. I don't even want to know. But I do have some bad news for you, Wyatt."
Air comes out of my nose in a muted laugh before I force myself to welcome the bad news.
"Yeah? What is it?"
Heath points to my missing arm, the stub at my shoulder, something I've grown reasonably used to. His eyes wilt as he speaks, and a delicate tremble even emerges.
"With my recent advancement, I can help regrow limbs, but only if they were lost recently. Unfortunately, yours has been gone for far too long. I-- I'm sorry. Really sorry."
His guilt at not being able to help me only makes me feel guilty in return. I wave him off with my remaining arm.
"It's fine, Heath. You've done enough for me. Hell, you've kept both Elizabeth and me alive when we otherwise shouldn't have. Speaking of, where is she? Do you guys have any info on them?"
Heath shakes his head, the older man's worries spilling out with tension.
"No, we have no clue. We figured it would take them far less time to go into the East and return than you guys going into the Underworld, but it appears that is not the case. So I'm starting to worry something happened to them."
His worry bleeds into my own as I, too, consider the notion of the trio getting injured or killed. Earl is... Earl is bright enough to escape anything that doesn't surprise him. As long as he has time to make a plan, I'm confident he could survive, but that's not how the world always works. Sometimes, shit gets thrown at you, and you can do nothing but take it.
I just hope that Elizabeth's quick wit and Primrose's clever strengths will help keep them alive. Keep them safe. I nod to Heath as I tell him my thoughts.
"Yeah, I, too, worry about that. But together, they should be fine, right? Earl's too clever to get nabbed as long as he has enough time to think, and surely Primrose can buy him that time."
Heath agrees with me partially but also holds some reality I didn't think of.
"That is true, but somethings, Wyatt, you can't outthink. If an Angel shows up to take them away, Earl can do nothing, no matter how smart he is."
I go silent with that final thought of his tracing through my mind. At the same time, Heath finishes mending my wound. The doctor first stitched it, then closed it entirely with congealed blood from his fingers. This is his new way of closing wounds, but it doesn't fully heal; it stops them from bleeding and speeds up recovery. Any severe or strenuous movement can break it open. The good part of this technique is he doesn't need any materials or herbs to do it like before.
I'll be fine, though even if it doesn't heal me all the way. My wound didn't come from overexertion. It came from being unlucky with a falling rock.
And now that the doctor is done with me, the last to be cared for of the arrivals, he pats me on the shoulder.
"Okay, let's go to Sacate's tent. They're all waiting for us."
I nod and stand, feeling nearly zero pain from the stitches still in my leg or the laceration that they closed. Then, with Heath beside me, the ever-present Dakota is with Esther right now; I walk toward Sacate's tent.
After merely ten seconds of walking, I step through the thick canvas that acts as a door for Sacate's extensive tent. A whole dining table of shabbily put-together wood is placed in the tent, fitting around a dozen people. The only thing missing for this to be a feast is food.
I hoped that when we found the others, they would have some extra food to share, as we have been living on whatever we can find for a while now, but sadly, that is not the case. But I don't complain. Instead, I bear with it and sit beside Virgil, who has an open seat beside him, the empty seat more well-placed rock than an actual chair. The situation feels incredibly similar to the meeting at Rustbank, only that some faces are new, and some are missing.
Heath finds a seat just as Johnny clears his throat, the Gunfighter at the end of the table with Sacate. Johnny goes through our travels to the Underworld, our tribulations beyond the Gate Of Death, and finally, the rough road here. I don't pay too much attention to his explanation as I was there for most of it. Still, I listen intently to Sacate when he follows after Johnny.
"The road to Starkbluffs for us was calm and relaxed. Only upon entering the stony Territory did things change. I felt nature plead for help because its children were dying, and with the group's permission, we came to help. First, however, I must apologize for not giving clearer directions in finding us, but I'm sure you all understand."
Sacate then stands from his seat, the Ijiraq native growing increasingly intense with every spoken word.
"Now, onto what truly matters. I met with Skychaser's father while his tribe was fighting against those tainted by the Mother Below and created an alliance. For months, Abraham, Bonfire, Virgil, and I helped them fight, earning dozens of wounds and some growth for each of us. Slowly, however, more and more of the Sky-Tribe died, leaving us with fewer warriors every day."
The man looks to the only two Bado at the table right now, Skychaser and Skyswain, before continuing.
"Eventually, we were forced to run from Sky Spire, running and hiding within Blight Spire. At first, we thought Blight-Tribe would still be alive and kicking at the top of the spire, battling the invaders, but we were wrong. Virgil went up a day ago, his prowess in stealth making the trip peaceful for him, and the man found no signs of Blight-Tribe, unlike a month ago."
Sacate pauses momentarily, his eyes meeting Virgil's as he prompts the man to speak. Virgil does so after clearing his throat.
"Thousands of dead Bado are on the surface of the great Blight Spire, and Nahullo surround the entirety of the spire. From listening in on the northerners' conversations, I learned what happened. The Sentinels and the Councilmen that came with them blocked Blightraven from saving his people, forcing them to fight without their greatest champion from internal and external threats. As a result, all that remains of the Bado, the untainted at least, are those in this cavern and the Pillar who still fights above. Of which, Blightraven hides within a nearby spire while the Nahullo endeavor to force him out of his cave."
Virgil's declaration of the Bado's situation causes gasps around the table and tears to fall from Skyswains eyes. However, the strongest Bado here, the current leader now that he's back, Skychaser, only closes his eyes with a deep breath.
Sacate returns to his speech when Virgil finishes, his demeanor changing completely from gravity to solemness.
"And so, I ask all of you, as a man of the forests, of the dunes, of the swamps, and of the spires, for I have lived in many Territories and met many, for help. I cannot stand by and watch a race of people be wiped out, not because it threatens our safety but because it hurts my soul. Above, a lone raven fights for a people that, to him, no longer exist."
The Ijiraq native looks at each and every one of us before asking his question.
"Will you help me? Help me save these people? I know I ask much of each of you, perhaps even your lives, but I can feel it. Should these people survive, it will be a boon to us all; nature dictates this to me. We could leave. It would be simple. It would be easy, at least compared to if we try and save that bird above."
He pauses once more, Sacate looking below himself to some unknown destination.
"But... when have we ever taken the easy route? And I promise. Should a life be needed for these people to live, I will offer mine first. I, and Johnny, ask nothing of you that we would not do ourselves. So, please, save that lone raven with me, and pull him from his cage."