Malcolm pivoted on his heel. "Any day now."

  Valgrin's jaw tightened as he pushed himself up from the camp mattress. "You bolted before my feet hit the floor. Congratulations, you've earned yourself a wait." He dragged his knuckles across his eyelids, blinking away the grit of interrupted sleep. The indent from the pillow still marked his left cheek. I think I made my point. He picked up his pace to join the others, who all stood at the chamber’s doorway.

  “Shouldn’t been sleeping then,” Malcolm grinned while motioning for Valgrin to join them, he ducked the boot the Ice Elf hurled at him. “Missed me,” he stuck out his tongue.

  “Grr, you could have let me have the pleasure of landing the shot. Even you have to admit, impressive throw.” Valgrin limped across the floor, one boot on, the other he had to retrieve.

  A few minutes later, Valgrin's boot squelched in mud as he sidestepped a puddle the size of a dinner plate. Malcolm crouched behind a jagged boulder, beckoning the others with a quick wave of his hand. The valley stretched before them, shrouded in wisps of retreating green mist that curled like phantom fingers around dozens of towering structures. He then pointed across the valley where massive cone-shaped structures jutted from the landscape like rotting teeth. The structures glistened with moisture, their surfaces pockmarked with thousands of tiny holes. The green fog had retreated to waist height, swirling around the base of the mounds in toxic tendrils. “That’s what I wanted to show you, and ask what the hell it is. Pretty sure its more than the termite mounds they look like.”

  “From here, I’d guess a Bythie settlement.” Izzy shared as she pulled something out of her bag.

  “Great!” Malcolm exclaimed, then his rant came out more of a grumble as it continued. “Sandstorms with sharp rocks, a torrential rainstorm with green strobe-light flashes, now a Bythie settlement. This trip to the outpost place, isn’t starting off fun.”

  Izzy, Ylnah, and Valgrin all put binocular-like gadgets to their eyes.

  “I see why you said termite mound, look like large versions of ones I saw on a nature show.” Valgrin looked over at Malcolm.

  Izzy pulled her viewing gadget down and folded it back to a cube, “Yep, it’s a Bythie compound, the largest I’ve seen, but then I haven’t seen many. Seen enough to know there should be a lot more activity down there.”

  “You guys all have binoculars?” Malcolm pointed at the green rectangular object in Valgrin’s hand.

  “Don’t you have one?” Ylnah asked.

  “This one was in my pack when Fred gave it to me,” Valgrin held it up. “Pretty much a lightweight, oddly styled, pair of binoculars. Takes the two viewing ports, or whatever they’re called, and turns it into one cylinder that does the looking. Sort of binoculars at the look-through end and telescope at the end that does the magnification. Tomay’s Glasses is the name in inventory.”

  “Oh, I remember seeing the name,” Malcolm’s grin turned sheepish as his face took on a pinker hue. “Thought they were drinking glasses, never pulled them out…until now. Looky, I have weird binoculars just like you do.” Malcolm turned his head toward the Bythie compound. “See one of the bug looking things. Sorta praying mantis crossed with a skinny human.”

  Izzy nodded, “Not a bad description of the high-caste ones. There are soldiers couple of different types, both look more like beetles. There are also some winged ones that look kind of like wasps or maybe more like frangerks. Other ones are out there but those are the ones we know most about, and we see most often.”

  “Can they see us from all the way over there?” Skwilly asked as he stared out over the valley to the other side.

  “Don’t know for sure,” Izzy shrugged. “Ylnah?”

  “I’m not a Bythie expert, so little help from me.”

  Valgrin moved back to a small boulder on the other side of the trail and sat, “Need to decide if we stay here for the night or take advantage of the four or five hours of light we should still have.”

  “As much as I like having a whole day to travel from here,” Ylnah spoke up. “I’d also like to take advantage of what light we have left to put more distance between us and the Bythies.”

  Malcolm stuffed his glasses in his bag. “Could be deeper into Bythie world and it getting dark.”

  “True,” Izzy stood and walked to the other side, standing next to Valgrin and Skwilly. “I don’t think this trail will lead us there, but I’m only going on the fact it was recommended to us.”

  “If we can trust the recommender.” Malcolm muttered. “Let’s go back into the cave and break camp. Even as I complained, I knew pressing on was the best idea. Maybe not best, but good enough.”

  An hour later found them packed and back on the trail. Valgrin’s jaw worked against the tough jerky as he readjusted his pack straps. Beside him, Ylnah’s boots crunched rhythmically on the occasional rock. Just in front of him, Izzy's fingers interwove with Malcolm’s as the walked side by side. Skwilly's quiet humming drifted back from up further ahead. Golden shafts of light, tinged with green, now pierced through the thinning clouds, casting long shadows across the trail and warming Valgrin’s face whenever he glanced upward.

  “Hey,” came Skwilly’s call from ahead. “Gets a bit steep here, need to watch your step.”

  “Noted.” Malcolm answered back.

  Ylnah cleared her throat, “Izzy, have the Bythie attacked outside of this zone?”

  “I believe so, have to ask Bridget to be sure.” Izzy looked back over her shoulder, “I’ve heard of them attacking other zones, most likely not this group of them though.”

  “Hmmm, best check on them, haven’t for a couple of hours.” Valgrin took a few steps over to the side. He pulled his glasses out and looked out over the valley. “Nothing out there.” He turned back and took a step towards the group.

  Valgrin's boot slid across a loose stone that shifted treacherously beneath his weight, sending his ankle twisting at a sickening angle. Time slowed as his balance abandoned him. His arms windmilled desperately, grasping at nothing but air. The ground rushed up, a slick patch of clay-like mud that offered no purchase. A jagged gray boulder loomed in his peripheral vision, growing impossibly larger with each heartbeat. The impact came with a sickening crack that reverberated through his skull. His cry died in his throat, strangled into a wet gurgle as he fought to maintain silence. The world tilted, colors bleeding into one another, edges softening as darkness crept in from the corners of his vision until the world narrowed to a pinpoint, then nothing.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Valgrin!” Izzy slapped him again as he groaned.

  “I hear you,” He managed to get out. “And feel you too.”

  “Sorry, needed to make sure you were awake.” He felt her fingers flitting around his ankles. “This is broke, anything else?”

  Valgrin took a deep breath as he did inventory on his body, “Doesn’t seem so, just my ankle and it feels like it’s on fire. And my head doesn’t feel great. Casting Healing.” The warmth flowed through his body, putting out the fire in his ankle and the pain in his head eased.

  Bending down, Ylnah placed her hands on his chest, “This will help too.” Another round of warmth surged through him.

  His back arched as the surge intensified. The warmth bloomed into searing heat, scorching through his veins. Valgrin's jaw clenched against a scream. Then nothing. Heat vanished. A deep-seated coldness swept in, wrapping around him like a familiar embrace. Something whispered at the edges of his awareness. Unknown. Waiting. Yet he couldn't resist its pull. The cold beckoned, promising relief. Valgrin surrendered, sinking into its depths as his consciousness slipped away.

  Snow? I’m laying on snow and it’s falling from the sky, fairly heavily. How did I? Am I back with the Selves? And now, Altayna stands above me. Has to be a dream. He focused on her, fierce eyes narrowed, a look of concern rippled across her face. Concern and confusion. She mouthed something, but he heard nothing. Altayna? Is this my imagination? She can’t hear me either. He felt himself getting shook, voices began to tear at the edges of his vision.

  “Snap out of it! Please?” Ylnah’s whine broke through. “I didn’t mean to do this to you.”

  He tried to find his voice and failed.

  He heard Izzy and Malcolm join in calling his name. He felt the cold touch of Skwilly’s snout on his cheek. Open your eyes, idiot. His brain didn’t cooperate.

  “…one of the Whatever Potions?” He heard Malcolm ask.

  “Nnnnn,” was all Valgrin could get out.

  “Is he trying to talk?” Ylnah’s question was filled with hope.

  Valgrin’s eyes fluttered open, “Am here,” his whisper of a voice cracked as he spoke.

  “Phew!” Ylanh fell on top of him, hugging to the point he gasped for breath. “Sorry,” she pulled off of him, sitting next to his head.

  “What happened?” Malcolm asked.

  “Not sure. Remember slipping and head meeting rock. You guys tried to heal me, my ankle needed extra attention. Then Ylnah hit me with something and it either sent me to a very vivid dream or actually back to the Selves. Saw Altayna, based on her expression I’m wondering if I was there or not.”

  “The bracer, I tapped into an urge to use it to help heal.” Ylnah’s head sunk down, “Must have been to much magic for you to handle. I’m sorry for almost killing you.”

  “Not sure I was close to death. Actually, the cold felt great and I…um…leaned into it and that’s when I saw, and felt, the snow. Also that’s when I saw Altayna.”

  Izzy stood up, “Malcolm you and Skwilly go see if you can find a cave or some type of sheltering rock formation. Need’s to hold us for the night. Valgrin is going to rest up for the day.” She turned to Valgrin after Malcolm took off, “You sir, are going to do just that rest and nothing but rest. Not sure what happened there, but it’s concerning enough we’re going to play it safe.”

  When Malcolm and Skwilly finally returned, Valgrin exhaled deeply. Ylnah's hovering concern had worn his patience thinner than tissue paper, each reassurance he'd offered feeling more brittle than the last.

  “Found a spot,” Malcolm told the group. “Not as good as the last one, but has a nice overhang, big enough for all of us. And the opening is surrounded by enough large boulders that it was a screened in porch like addition on the front of the cave.”

  “Smells nice too,” Skwilly added. “Like nothing has been in there for a good long time.”

  “Lead on, then.” Izzy reached down and helped Valgrin up and they followed Malcolm and the priggy.

  They squeezed sideways through the narrow gap between two towering granite sentinels. A cool shadow fell across their faces as the overhang blocked the fading daylight. Malcolm ducked his head beneath a jutting rock formation crusted with pale lichen. Inside, their footsteps echoed softly against smooth walls that curved into darkness. Izzy's pack thumped against the ground as she dropped it, the sound bouncing back from all directions.

  "Room enough for everyone," she murmured, her voice carrying easily in the enclosed space.

  The group scattered across the cave floor, each claiming territory with the soft thud of backpacks hitting stone. Valgrin knelt by the fire pit, arranging kindling until Izzy's shadow fell across him.

  "Mattress. Now," she ordered, pointing to his bedroll. "And stay there, or I swear I'll tie you to it."

  “Yes ma’am,” Valgrin saluted as he hurried to obey.

  When they made their way back to the trail the eastern sky had barely begun to lighten, a thin line of pale gray against the black. Malcolm stood at the ridge, squinting through his glasses toward the valley below.

  "Fog's thicker today," he whispered, breath clouding. "Can barely make out those Bythie structures now. Doesn’t help that our view is a bit lower and further away."

  The path wound between boulders that grew smaller as they descended, the trail began to flatten as they reached the foothills. Valgrin paused, surprised, when his boot crushed something soft. A tuft of scrubby grass sprouted from a crack in the stone, its green-gold blades a shock against the mountain's endless slate.

  Cresting a small hill the group stopped at the sight of the lake they’d just come upon. Below them stretched a vast mirror of water, its surface catching the morning light in ripples of silver and blue, surrounded by a thin ring of reeds that swayed in the breeze. No one spoke for three heartbeats.

  “Looks like it flows under the rocks over there,” Ylnah pointed. “Actually, those rocks look like some attempt at a bridge.”

  “Low to the water stone bridge or go around. Going around looks like a half a day, or more, hike,” Malcolm pointed out. “I vote for taking the creepy looking stone bridge. With weapons at the ready.”

  “You or me first?” Valgrin asked Malcolm.

  “I’ll take lead,” He answered and then jogged over to the bridge. He turned around and put on a good display of overacting as he threw his hands on his hips and sighed, tapping his foot. “Hurry, don’t got all day.”

  The rest of the group joined Malcolm at the water's edge. Valgrin's boot sent pebbles skittering across what appeared to be an ancient causeway barely rising above the lake's mirrored surface. His fingers traced a deep crack in the nearest stone block. Patches of blue-green lichen clung to the crumbling mortar, leaving damp smears on his skin. When Izzy stepped onto the first slab, it shifted with an audible groan, sending ripples across the previously still water.

  “That bolsters the confidence, doesn’t it?” Izzy looked back at the group.

  Valgrin shrugged, “Does make me wonder about it supporting all of us at once. Stay there and let the rest of us get on, that way if it does dump us we’re not that far from shore.”

  Valgrin eased his weight onto the first stone, wincing at the hollow scrape beneath his boot. The slab tilted slightly, water lapping at its edge with a soft slosh. Malcolm followed, balancing with arms outstretched. When Ylnah stepped forward, her foot slipped on a patch of slick moss, and the ancient rock shifted with a sound like old bones settling. Skwilly's hooves clicked against the stone as he scurried across to join them beside Izzy, whose white-knuckled grip on her bow finally relaxed as the causeway, despite its protests, remained above water. The group began to make their way, carefully, across the stone.

  Water erupted three feet from the causeway, drenching Valgrin's right side with ice-cold spray. The lake's surface fractured into concentric rings that caught the morning light in flashes of silver. Something massive churned beneath, sending foam-flecked waves slapping against the ancient stones. Malcolm froze mid-step as a sickly yellow appendage thick as a man's thigh burst upward, trailing plants and slime. It hung suspended for one terrible heartbeat, swaying like a charmed serpent, before lashing toward Ylnah with enough force to crack stone.

  Valgrin, Malcolm, and Skwilly blurted out, “This ain’t good.” In unison.