A short conversation with Elder Thrash had him promise to take his people away at the first sign of trouble, but other than that we got out of the village of Tuskrep at record speed. With Cojisto riding Moose and the rest of us in Ferrisdae’s Skymirror Carriage, we make good time through the countryside.

  There is some confusion at first about whether or not the Cult of Chaos can retake the Dungeon Nexus, but Himia assures us once again that it’s highly unlikely that anyone other than CC would be able to break through the portal after she closed it. And, should the Dungeonborn choose to come do it herself, then it would take a lot more effort than she was likely ready to spare given the invasion on her territory.

  So, hopefully Himia is right about that.

  We had decided to head east, following what could charitably be called a road through the area I now owned. The once paved path was cracked and overgrown after several hundred years of disrepair, not that it hindered us much at all.

  Ferrisdae’s Skymirror Carriage could go over most terrain with ease thanks to its magical properties, and Cojisto was used to riding Moose just about everywhere. The ride was smooth. Even our speed was good, although we had a lot of ground to cover. Several day’s worth, in fact.

  We decided to head to the closest location and go counterclockwise from there. That meant Camp Lexi was first, then Wolten Heights, and from there we would go northwest to reach Mount Rust. With Himia guiding us, we had a path available to us from the start.

  The only issue now was what we were going to run into. In the two days that had passed since we left Tuskrep, we had only seen glimpses of monsters and dungeon denizens. Even the ones on the road quickly got out of our way, since we were in a carriage led by two starry horses and a moose was running alongside us. There was a serious trample risk, and it was understandable that very few creatures wanted to try to fight us at our speed.

  What wasn’t understandable was the lack of retaliation from the Cult of Chaos. We had essentially neutered a quarter of CC’s presence here on the Southern Continent, and there wasn’t a single foe out here screaming about how we had stolen from their mistress.

  No commanders like Abara, no troops like the Blackwood Queen, which we had been assured there were several of, and certainly no sign of Ulrich. From what I learned from Justisius, there hadn’t even been any sign of him on the frontlines.

  That news put me on edge. The Human wizard had been very adamant that we would be fighting here, and I knew he had the tools to find me. If not me, then my companions. At least that mark on Cojisto had been severed. He had been scratching at it lately, but that was because of the brand I left on him. I had Ferrisdae and Dalsarel confirm that it wasn’t active again.

  “I still don’t think CC trusts Ulrich,” Tabitha said when I brought him up. “He’s not here for the same reasons as her true believers, which makes him a wildcard. After he fights you, it’s very likely that he’ll want to do the same to her if he wins.”

  Crossing my arms, I leaned back in my seat as I looked at my wife, who was sitting across from me next to Dalsarel. “That makes a lot of sense,” I replied, thinking it over. “I suppose I have been thinking of them as a large, but mostly cohesive, force under CC’s command.”

  “I think you’re overestimating them,” she mused, tapping her finger to her chin. “Which is absolutely fine. That’s better than underestimating them, but from what Ulrich told us back home and Elder Thrash’s experiences, I don’t think the organization is anything like you’re imagining it to be.”

  “You’re the one who’s had the most contact with CC so far,” Ferrisdae mused from her spot beside me. “Do you think she’d be able to do everything Abara was capable of on her own?”

  “No,” I answered with a frown. “But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Abara was clearly very good at their job. They hid an entire cult for who knows how long until we started looking too deep into things. Even when the Green Union had complaints, like with Sevenlegs, their involvement was never investigated.”

  “They were an egghead,” Cojisto stated from beside the carriage. Ferrisdae had kept the top open specifically so he could join in on the conversation if he wanted. “She sent them to be smart for her. Probably didn’t have a lot of need for them here.”

  “Another thought is that you managed to infiltrate one of her father’s sanctums within the first few hours of our invasion,” Dalsarel added as she carved an apple with a knife. “CC didn’t really know you were here until you started fiddling with the Nexus, and she might not have had time to give out orders. Which means it’s up to the people on what to do.”

  “And they’re probably cut off from her since she can’t come here,” I said, continuing her thought. The Dark Elf nodded before taking a bite of fruit off of the knife. “Which means they’re either waiting for orders or seeking them out, and it’s unlikely they know where to go.”

  “Why’s that?” Cojisto asked.

  Moose snorted and grunted. My spell was no longer active, so I didn’t catch what he said. I knew it wouldn’t be long until his Human repeated it.

  “Oh,” Cojisto said. “Because Badger doesn’t think that CC would tell others where the Dungeon Nexuses are outside of the one they’re attached to, her minions would just wander the countryside until they receive orders. Gotcha.”

  “That’s also probably why Ulrich didn’t appear right after, too,” Ferrisdae added. She motioned to Dalsarel, and the Dark Elf nodded. “CC wouldn’t even let Porolo map areas near them. Could you imagine what Ulrich would do if he knew about Keith’s little hideaway homes? Would he ever want to leave without discovering all their secrets?”

  “He’d fight the silver guy over and over again in between spending time inside the dome,” Dalsarel finished. She lifted a piece of apple on her knife and flicked it over to Ferrisdae. The Forest Elf had to lean towards me, but she caught the slice in her mouth and started eating it. “Good catch. But, yeah, wizards are generally insatiable learners. She might not want him there.”

  “Or, she gave him a very specific one and he’s holed up inside,” I offered, shaking my head. “I can’t imagine it’d be the Logan Dome because it was the last place Carr was recorded being in, but it could be one of the others. Camp Lexi doesn’t really sound all that big or important.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “To the contrary, Camp Lexi was held in high regard by Keith Carr and his children.” Himia did not appear in the carriage even though there was room for her. Instead, her voice came from the device attached to the crystalline sword, which was leaning against the seat next to me. “It was a place for rest and more sociable experiments. I find it unlikely that CC would allow anyone to enter it of her own accord.”

  “Right, but you haven’t seen her in over five hundred years, so a lot could have changed since then,” I challenged, though without heat.

  “That is true,” the Information Elemental conceded. “However, I would still find it more likely that she would allow him to go to the fourth Dungeon Nexus, if he was allowed to at all.”

  “Because there’s something there that he’ll find interesting?” Ferrisdae asked, leaning forward to get a better look at the sword.

  “I cannot confirm or deny at this time,” Himia replied. “I would like to comment on something else, though.”

  “Go right ahead,” I said.

  “Thank you. The reason why we have not run into any powerful members of the Cult of Chaos is because I have plotted a route around them. I received a lot of information after you took over the first Nexus, and I was able to choose the path of least resistance based on that.”

  I arched an eyebrow at her vessel. “And you didn’t think to mention that when we first set out on this journey?”

  “I thought it was fairly obvious at the time,” Himia responded immediately, causing Ferry to snort in amusement. “In the future, I will make sure my thought process is more transparent so that there is less mystery.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I grunted. Tabitha reached over and patted my knee.

  “That being said,” she continued, and the sword glowed for a moment. “I do not believe we will be so lucky once we reach the red zones on the map that still belong to CC. No matter how crazy she may be, amassing some followers at the edge of her territory to stop us would be fairly easy. I would go so far as to say that we should be wary in the areas leading up to it, as I cannot track updates there in real time like I can here.”

  “Thanks, then,” I said. “I hadn’t realized you took that upon yourself.”

  “You are welcome,” Himia replied, sounding pleased if still mechanical. “Also, you are about to receive a call.”

  “What—”

  The Sending Stone in my pocket started buzzing before I could get out more than one word, and I quickly retrieved it. A quick look at the black rectangle showed me that Justisius was reaching out, and I swiped to answer him.

  “This is Dungeon Inspector Badger,” I greeted, making a motion for Ferrisdae to open the map.

  “Hello, my friend,” Justisius replied. Everyone else leaned in to hear him better, even Moose, as my first junior did as I requested. “Have you anything new to report?”

  “Some conjecture from Himia that CC will be bringing followers to stop us at her border, that Ulrich will be around the Dungeon Nexus in Wolten Heights, and that we’re on time to our next destination,” I answered as I looked over the map. “At our current speed and allowing for Moose to rest every few hours, we should be leaving the dungeon territory that I acquired sometime tonight, and it’ll take us two or three more days to reach the red zone.”

  “Wow, you’re making very good time,” our handler commented.

  “The Skymirror Carriage is excellent, as is Moose’s speed and stamina,” I reminded him.

  Once the map was unfurled, I saw that we were nearing the edge of my territory. Nothing had changed there, though I noticed the expedition’s main force had cut more dungeons off from CC’s grasp. It wasn’t nearly as much progress as I had expected.

  I frowned at the map. “Are you having some trouble pushing back against the defending forces?”

  Justisius paused. “You know I can’t answer that, Badger, no matter what your magic map says.”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  While they had made some headway, they hadn’t made nearly as much progress as I thought they would. They might have been putting up more defensive fortifications and taking things slow, or they might have hit a wall early on. Either way, it wasn’t for me to know and that didn’t sit well with me even if it was exactly what I signed up for.

  “Anyway, I’m afraid I’m going to have to send you off course,” Justisius continued.

  “What happened?” Ferrisdae asked.

  “We have lost contact with one of the other First Cell teams, and we need you to figure out what happened to them.”

  My frown turned into a scowl. “We’ve got our own mission, Justisius. We don’t have time to go and babysit other teams.”

  “No, but you are the closest to where they were last heard from, and if the enemy gets their hands on the enhanced Sending Stone, Teleportation Drafts, or map, then things could become much harder for us,” he said. “We have some information, and we don’t think they were attacked.”

  “Then you think they went rogue?” Tabitha asked, a sour look on her face.

  “Not so much rogue as… advised by another party.”

  “Advised by another party?” I spat, narrowing my eyes. “What does that even…” My voice trailed off as I had a good idea of what he was referring to. I sighed. “The House of Fate and Flame and Mage’s Guild team are still in contact, aren’t they?”

  “Yes. They are both excelling in their given missions, and have started heading out of your territory as well.”

  “Which means it’s Noknok Dor and his clerics,” I guessed, putting my hand on my forehead. Of course it had to be them. “You think they caught a whiff of Luculus Rex, and have abandoned their route in order to search for it.”

  “Isn’t that the holy hammer thing?” Cojisto whispered, and I waved him off while Ferrisdae nodded.

  “That is what we think happened, yes,” Justisius confirmed with a sigh. “I have since sent his group several messages asking for updates, even going so far as to mention that we will help them retrieve Segrech’s holy artifact because doing so could only help the expedition as a whole, but I’ve heard nothing back from them in over six hours.”

  “That’s annoying,” I growled as I leaned back, letting my head hit the back of the comfortable seat. “I’m betting it’s Segrech’s fault, too. His church has been on every expedition to the Southern Continent since his paladin lost the damn thing, and he’s probably too proud to ask for help.”

  “I won’t speak ill of the divine, Badger, but…” my fellow Inspector let his voice trail off, and I knew exactly how he felt.

  At least Cheroske was one of the good ones.

  “Alright, give us the coordinates of where they last were and we’ll head that way,” I sighed. “Himia can tell us how long it’ll take to get there, and we’ll keep you supplied with updates as we go. If we run into any trouble, though, I’m giving Noknok a piece of my mind and I’m not going to be quiet about it.”

  “That sounds fair to me,” Justisius agreed. “Thank you, Badger.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” I grumbled. “We’ll see what kind of condition they’re in after we find them. I won't make any promises after that.”