Valerian sat outside the tent, a silent sentinel in the three-mooned night. The colossal wall at his back, a constant, looming presence, somehow gave him a strange sense of security. It was his turn to take rounds, a duty he insisted on, despite the protests of his royal guards.

  As he patrolled the perimeter of their small campsite, he saw three distinct blinks of firelight from the treehouses overhead. He smiled, knowing it was a routine safety check. He pulled a piece of firewood from the bundle he carried and blinked the signal back.

  Sou and Leo are as skilled as ever, he thought, seeing the many elevated homes built among the branches. The camps on the ground were nothing more than a decoy, a well-set trap. Only the patrol teams stayed there; everyone else was safely nestled in the treehouses constructed by the three heads.

  This was the right peak of the Twin Peaks. He looked to his left and let out a long breath, pulling a folded map from his breast pocket. In the low light of the three moons, he saw the barren drawing slowly filling with color, but it was only 50% complete. "fifty percent of one mountain in five weeks," he murmured to himself, the words laced with a quiet despair. A month had passed since their exile, but at least he felt more stable now, less consumed by grief. Their food rations were growing low, but they could still forage in the forest. "It's the winter I'm worried about," he thought, the cold bite of the night air a sharp reminder of the encroaching season.

  As he neared the second checkpoint, another blink of firelight came from a treehouse. He returned the signal, a silent acknowledgement that all was well.

  He heard the crunch of footsteps behind him and turned, his hand instinctively on his sword. He relaxed when he saw Virkam emerge from the shadows.

  "What are you doing up, Virkam?" Valerian asked.

  "Checking the traps," Virkam said plainly.

  Valerian simply nodded and continued on his way, Virkam falling in beside him.

  As they walked, a heavy silence settled between them before Virkam finally spoke. "We haven't found a solution, lord Valerian. We need a safe shelter before winter comes."

  Valerian didn't reply, lost in thought.

  "I think we need to reconsider the waterfall plan," Virkam said.

  Valerian sighed, the sound a tired puff of air. "I've been thinking the same thing. But the risk... it's too much. We'll search for thirty more days. We'll expand the search area, and this time, we won't be as cautious about returning at a periodic interval. If we still can't find a safe shelter, then we'll consider the waterfall."

  Virkam was quiet for a minute. "What if we form four groups, with each royal guard taking one?" he suggested. "That would expand our search even further. When one group finds a good place, they can signal, and the others can teleport there."

  Valerian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We have only two chances for teleportation, Virkam. Using them for scouting would be a waste."

  Virkam's eyes darted away, but he didn't say anything. After a beat, he continued, "Our way is too slow. Can't we make more of those teleportation inscriptions?"

  "Even though we have the means, we don't have the resources or the manpower to draw them," Valerian said. "It needs Mike, myself, and Sou's expertise."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Maybe I can help," Virkam offered.

  "Heh." Valerian gave a brief, humourless laugh. "No offence, Virkam, but as you said yourself, it's out of your league."

  "I know, lord Valerian." Virkam nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "But if you go on an expedition…" He paused, watching another signal flash from a treehouse. "If you are attacked, no one will know how to use the teleportation inscription. I should go. You need to stay here and protect the people."

  "Don't worry," Valerian said with a small smile. "The one-use formation is simple enough. I've already decided to teach Antheros how to activate it. She is more than capable."

  She has the teleportation inscription? Virkam thought, a shock running through him. "That's a relief," he replied, and they continued to patrol in silence.

  The next morning, the sun was just beginning to warm the cold ground when Valerian saw a group of ten scouts returning, led by Anya and Dhruba. Though they were dejected, Valerian was happy to see them all unharmed.

  "Welcome back," he said with a warm smile, his arms outstretched in a gesture of relief.

  "We failed again, my lord," Anya said, her shoulders slumping. "I was sure my ability would have found a safe place this time, but I failed."

  "Haha, if it were that easy, we wouldn't call this the Cursed Lands, would we?" Valerian said, his voice light and comforting. "Cheer up, Anya. We are safe for now, and we have plenty of time." Even though he knew winter was coming, he saw the gratitude in her eyes, knowing she appreciated his kindness.

  "That's why I need to go," Antheros said, walking up with Azuma in her arms. The baby's blue eyes were wide with curiosity. He immediately reached for Anya.

  "Oh, you want to see Aunt Anya, do you?" Antheros smiled, gently handing him over. Anya's mood immediately lifted as the baby's tiny fingers wrapped around her hair. The little angel's giggle was enough to fill her with new energy.

  "You're not moving a muscle," Valerian said firmly.

  "But..." Antheros started to argue, but she stopped when she saw the unshakeable resolve in her husband's eyes.

  Valerian turned to Anya. "She's right. We need to expand our search. Two days from now, we will form two parties. One led by you and one by me and Rufe. We'll extend our search from five to ten days."

  Dhruba grinned. "That's exactly what I was going to suggest. We've explored all we can within a five-day timeline."

  Virkam looked up at the huge mountain. "How far did you get?"

  Dhruba's smile widened. "We climbed to the mountaintop. This side of the mountain is about 50% searched." He gestured to the other peak. "The other side of this mountain and the other peak are yet to be explored."

  "Hmm," Valerian said, a new plan forming in his mind. "Then one group will explore the other side of this peak, and the other will explore the left one."

  Antheros nodded in agreement. "Let's set up a soup stand for our people. They must be exhausted." She started to work, and soon, the explorers were resting in the camps.

  Later, as the rich aroma of stew filled the air, everyone gathered around the fire. Sou was talking to Dhruba about their recent expedition when he noticed a peculiar-shaped rock being used to prop up a makeshift table. His eyes caught the pattern on the stone, and they widened in amazement.

  He scrambled to the ground, found a stone of roughly the same size, and rushed back to the table, swapping the two stones. The table wobbled, but the vigilant people nearby caught it, saving the pot of stew.

  Sou grabbed the stone, his eyes glued to the intricate patterns on its surface. He closed his eyes, and a gem formed on his forehead, a sign of his deep concentration. He remained like that for fifteen minutes as the other house heads and Valerian gathered around him.

  "He's onto something," Mike whispered.

  "Shh," Valerian said, his own heart beating a little faster.

  When Sou finally opened his eyes, he was beaming. He looked at Anya and Dhruba. "You did it, Anya and Dhruba! You found it!"

  He then looked at the timid girl who had set up the table. "Where did you find this stone?"

  "I... I found it near that bag," she said, pointing to the pile of bags from the recent explorers.

  Sou stood up. "Whose bag is this? Does anyone recognize this stone?"

  No one spoke for a moment, but then a middle-aged man stepped forward, his voice tense. "I... I found it on the mountain and have been using it for..."

  Sou cut him off, hugging and kissing the man on the cheek. "Man, you did good! You did so good!" he said, his voice thick with excitement. He held the man's face close to his and asked, "Can you remember where you found this stone?"

  "I... yes... master," the man said, still in shock.

  "Great!" Sou exclaimed. He turned to Valerian, his face radiating with triumph. "We've found our safe haven, my lord."