The trio sat in silence as Julian shared his new skill for everyone to see, and considering the day’s events, it seemed like the perfect fit.

  “That will be useful.” Harvey surmised, locking eyes with Julian, who was still breathing heavily. “What was it like?”

  “Intense,” Julian replied. “It was like every part of me was laid bare for something on the other side of the loom to see. Not a voice I could talk to, more like… a consciousness I could feel. It was waiting for me to hand it pieces of myself — memories, Marks, moments that mattered — so it could turn them into something new. The memories you saw were just the surface. I also saw myself killing zombies, tackling that Bloodrunn off of you, Hannah, and even fighting fires back home. They all had this faint glow, and when I put them together, the light would flare or dim. The brightest combinations just felt right, and it became this skill.”

  “That sounds incredible...” Harvey marveled. “It’s almost like you got to make your own magic.”

  “Yeah… I guess that’s a good way to put it. It burned when it moved into me, like getting branded by a red-hot iron. That went away pretty quickly, though.” Julian continued while putting his shirt and armor back on.

  “Guess we need to get back out there so we can reach level 5 ourselves, huh, Harvey?” Hannah said, looking wistfully at the loom.

  “We should let Gabe know what’s going on,” Julian interjected. “Let’s grab some dinner for everyone and stuff to make camp for the night. I want to make signs for both entrances to the town, letting other veilstriders know this is a safe place to gather. If we build a fire, hopefully more will see the smoke and make their way here.”

  “Won’t that let the undead know we’re here, too?” Hannah asked.

  “With how fast we were moving in that vision, the closest groups we saw leaving the fortress should still be at least a few weeks away, and I doubt any zombies are smart enough to follow the smoke. I say we take the risk.” Harvey replied.

  The group left the chapel and returned to the general store, where they each took turns buying essentials. A meal of bread, meat, and cheese only cost 20 merit, and at 5 merit for a gallon jug of water, it was clear that food and water wouldn’t be a problem now that they had access to the store. Harvey spent another 200 merit on a cloth sleeping bag. Each item appeared first in his reflection, then in the same place in the real world after he confirmed. Picking up his haul from the neat pile on the floor next to him, he made way for the others. Julian bought two of everything and carried them back to the blacksmith.

  Gabe was shocked when they returned with clean sleeping bags, cold water, and warm food, and wrapped Julian in a hug when he handed him the food and spare sword they had found stuck in the boar.

  “We’re not leaving you behind, we’ll make it through this together,” Julian said, patting Gabe’s shoulder while they hugged.

  Gabe thanked him before opening the packaged food and digging in. The others did the same while recounting their experiences with the mirror and the loom for Gabe.

  “So, at least we won’t starve.” Gabe acknowledged.

  “It’s a self-sustaining system,” Harvey added, “We fight, we get stronger, and we get the merit we need to fix this place up.”

  “Exactly, I’m thinking after we finish dinner, we'll grab some axes from the store and start chopping down firewood. The noise will probably attract some wildlife, but that’s ok as long as we’ve got our eyes open. Then we build a fire and use some of the coals to make signs letting the other veilstriders know the town is safe. Anyone nearby should make their way here, and then tomorrow we can go out searching for others.” Julian explained.

  The group finished eating and left for the general store. Now that they had a plan, the night didn’t feel as dark. For hours, he’d been bathed in constant waves of shock and panic. He’d died, but instead of Heaven, Hell, or some endless void, he’d been brought back in a body stuck between life and death, given a magic tattoo that made him even more terrified of the zombies, rotting birds, and hellhounds chasing after him, and dropped into a forest straight out of a horror movie.

  He’d been running for his life, each moment spent wondering if he’d still be alive by morning.

  Now, he had 4 walls to surround him while he slept, two friends that had already saved his life more than once, and an idea of the path forward. He could still feel his stain affecting him, muddying his judgment and keeping his heart rate high, but the extra points in willpower had dealt with the worst of it.

  Seeing his own and Julian’s status screens, the best he could tell was that everyone started with between 1 and 10 points in each stat. Despite the stain, Willpower was never going to be his strong suit. Discipline didn't come easy to him without a clear goal in mind, but being reduced to 1 made him feel like a psych patient unable to escape the horrors of his mind. Now, with 10 willpower, most of that hopelessness was gone.

  He took a deep breath, focusing on the cold night air filling his lungs. The dark tunnel he’d been staring through got wider, and he took in the breadth of his surroundings with a clear mind. Seeing Julian’s new skill, he couldn’t wait to get back out there and earn his next level.

  Thinking about the description, he wondered what it meant by Julian’s aura. The word kept coming up. Harvey’s stain, Julian’s mark, and now the skill all mentioned it, saying people would feel fear, inspiration, or even be magically healed when they were within it. He was familiar with the concept, but had no idea what the logical bounds could be now that it was more than fiction.

  Thinking back, Harvey hadn’t been more than a few yards away from Julian since they found each other, so maybe he’d been feeling his aura all along. Harvey stopped walking as the group moved to the store, letting them continue until Julian turned to look at him.

  “Harvey, you ok?” Julian asked with concern.

  “Just keep going, I’ll be right behind you. I want to test something.” Harvey said with an inquisitive look on his face.

  Shrugging, the group continued towards the store. As Julian got further away, the night grew a little darker, as if the night sky and shadowy forest were closing in a little tighter around him. It didn’t take long for fear to gnaw at his confidence in their plan. Uncomfortable, he rushed towards the store, and had his theory confirmed when the reassuring feeling returned, lifting his spirits once more.

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  “Figure something out?” Hannah asked when she saw the triumphant look on Harvey’s face as he entered.

  “Yeah, I was thinking about all the mentions of auras and wondered if it was really affecting me. Julian’s mark says his aura inspires those around him, right? So I waited until you were gone, and I could really feel the difference.” Harvey replied.

  “That’s good to know. We should try to find the limits so I know how close I need to be for my skill to work.” Julian replied.

  They finished buying 2 simple axes from the weapons section of the store for 600 merit each, before stepping outside. Julian stood in the middle of the street while everyone else backed away slowly, paying close attention until they noticed a difference. After a few minutes of testing, their best guess was that the limits of Julian’s aura were around 15 feet around him in any direction.

  “Nice catch, Harvey.” Julian smiled as they headed back into the forest.

  They each held their weapons ready, Gabe having the same white-knuckle grip on his sword that Harvey had earlier, determined not to lose another weapon. Instead of chopping down a living tree, they wandered for a few minutes until they found one that had already toppled over.

  Harvey and Hannah got to work, dissecting the deadfall for suitable firewood. Julian could’ve done it much faster, but wanted to stand guard and hopefully help Gabe get his first kill.

  The silent forest rang out with the rhythmic thuds of axe heads burying into wood, and Harvey was surprised to find the log extremely hard to cut. Hannah made better progress with her 10 strength, outclassing Harvey’s 7, but even at the limits of a pre-integration human, she made slow progress. Harvey surmised the trees must also benefit from being bathed in the essence that infused the air around them. It didn’t take long for their actions to be noticed by a bloodrunn who came to investigate the commotion.

  “Get ready,” Julian commanded, “It’s going to charge at us, and it will try to dodge out of the way when we swing at it. The important thing is to keep it in front of you.”

  Harvey dropped the axe and grabbed his wand, preparing to defend himself if the bloodrunn made it past Gabe. A deep growl rumbled as it stalked forward, staring daggers at Gabe, who stood shaking like a leaf in the wind. Harvey could feel Gabe’s desperate desire to turn and run in his aura.

  “Stand your ground. We’re here to back you up.” Julian encouraged.

  Gabe flexed his grip on the sword and squared his shoulders to the beast. Just as the tension got so thick you could almost see it in the air, the bloodrunn backed away. Harvey was shocked. No beast they’d seen had shown any sense of self-preservation. When nobody gave chase, it reared its head towards the sky and began howling.

  Harvey unleashed a bolt at the exposed neck, throwing the beast on its back. Seeing an opportunity, Gabe rushed forward, slicing a deep gash down its fleshy underbelly. Blood poured from the open wound, and a pained whimper replaced the howl. It would die soon, but the damage was done. All around them, other bloodrunn began barking.

  “Damn it. Didn’t think it would do that! Everyone stand back-to-back so we can cover every direction. Call out when you see one!” Julian shouted.

  Harvey moved, positioning Julian to his left and Hannah to his right, before scanning the distance. He felt his muscles tense as barks assaulted him from all sides. Every swaying branch and rustling in the undergrowth looked like a hungry hound heading his way. He looked for any hint of red against the dark trunks, but his eyes were playing tricks on him.

  “Got one!” Hannah called as she let an arrow fly. She swore when it missed its mark, the beast still too far away. “Come on, you son of a…” she whispered as the bloodrunn darted through the trees. When it was less than 15 feet away, she let her second arrow fly and managed to stick it near its front shoulder. It skidded into the clearing with a pained yelp. Harvey turned to see her take an arrow from her quiver and stab it directly into its neck before kicking it away.

  Behind him, Gabe shrieked as a second bloodrunn leaped for his chest. Harvey felt Julian leave his side for a moment before a sickening crack of bone breaking entered his ears.

  “Finish it off!” Julian ordered.

  A red face appeared from the bushes near a tree, and Harvey let his first bolt fly. In typical fashion, he missed, instead blasting bark off the trunk behind it. Pearly white fangs stretched toward him, and he turned to offer his shoulder instead of his neck. A second bolt flew by, this time hitting true and knocking it back, but not before its clawed feet carved thin cuts in his arm. Warmth spread as blood began to flow, but it was a superficial wound compared to the pain he unleashed at the beast. When a gentle ding confirmed it was dead, he turned back to the forest.

  “I got one!” Julian said as he stepped away from their tight formation. Harvey saw blood spray on the ground beside him before a head rolled into his peripheral vision.

  “Ew! Oh my god, that’s so gross!” Julian sputtered behind him.

  “Did you just cut its head off?” Harvey shrieked.

  “Yes, and it's blood sprayed all over me. Oh… oh… oh my god.” Julian replied, his voice an octave higher.

  “Got another!” Hannah called as Harvey heard another arrow fly.

  Another 7 bloodrunn joined the 4 they’d killed already, with the final 5 being smart enough to surround them and charge together instead of one at a time. They were larger than their fallen brethren, and Harvey could see subtle differences in the leathery skin stretched over densely packed muscle. There was an intelligence in their eyes that the others lacked, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the coordinated use of swords, bolts, and a bow.

  Gabe had been hurt the worst after he lost his balance taking a reckless swing, but none of the wounds were life-threatening. They all stood panting beside the fallen tree, surrounded by blood and corpses. Harvey was shocked to find the open wounds on his arm already fully healed.

  Light radiated from Gabe, Harvey, and Hannah as they all gained another level, the surge of power invigorating their tired bodies.

  “Are you ok, Gabe? Do you need a potion?” Julian asked as he helped him to a sitting position.

  “It hurts, but I can feel it healing already,” Gabe replied with a wince.

  “You can?” Julian asked, quizzically.

  “Your skill.” Harvey reminded him. “I got some shallow cuts on my arm that already closed up.”

  “Fading now,” Gabe added. “Don’t worry about it, I still have my own potions.” He said, taking a health potion from his belt and swallowing it.

  “I’m impressed it works that fast,” Julian replied, standing up alongside them. “I guess we should’ve expected these things to hunt in packs. Even if we have only seen them traveling alone.”

  “Those last few were higher level and seemed a lot smarter. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lower-level ones are too stupid for pack tactics. ” Hannah guessed.

  “Have you spent much time with animals?” Gabe asked.

  “My family owns a farm in northern Idaho,” Hannah replied. “We didn’t have many animals on the property, so the wolves didn’t bother us too much, but I know enough. The stronger ones definitely acted more like a wolf pack.”

  “You’re a potato princess? That’s awesome!” Julian laughed.

  “I don’t like being called that! But yeah… kind of.” Hannah relented, punching Julian’s arm.

  “What the hell is a potato princess?” Gabe asked.

  “They have these massive potato farms up there that supply like half of all the potatoes in the US. Owning one of those farms is like being an oil baron in Texas.” Julian laughed.

  “Not quite half, and we weren’t THAT rich!” Hannah shot back.

  “Do you have your own horse?” Julian asked.

  “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m some spoiled brat!” Hannah barked.

  “I never said you were a spoiled brat. I just asked if you owned a horse.” Julian said with a smug smile on his face.

  “Whatever, can we finish up here?” she grumbled. “I want to get back to the loom and see what skill I can make.”

  “Same,” Harvey added, staring at the status screen in front of him as he put his free points in Vitality and Willpower.

  Guessing that any danger nearby would’ve come for them by now, Julian stripped the tree of branches too small to be useful before separating the bulk of the trunk from the tangle of roots at the bottom, and dragging it back to camp. Gabe slid his sword into a loop on his belt before grabbing the other end.

  “Go get your skills, then meet us out here to finish building the fire. I have horrible handwriting, so I was hoping you could help make the sign, Hannah.” Julian said, dropping the trunk into the dirt beside the blacksmith.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice. Come on, Harvey!” Hannah said, rushing towards the Loom.

  He couldn’t wait to see what skill he was going to get.