"How angry are we with him?" asked Aira, her fingers absently tracing the outline of her wristband. The question hung between them, heavier than it should have been. "Do we even want him back?"

  Lila stared into the distance, her jaw working as if chewing on words too bitter to swallow. "He was... decent enough after I first changed," she finally admitted, her voice dropping when she referenced her transformation. "Explaining things in that blunt way of his. No coddling, no pity." She shrugged. "That straightforwardness can be useful sometimes. Still..."

  "Still?" Aira leaned forward, studying her friend's face.

  "He vanished without a word," Lila said, her eyes hardening. "Not even a warning before abandoning us for days." Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "What happens when we're surrounded by humans with pitchforks, or facing some ancient horror, and he decides his 'duty' lies elsewhere?" She exhaled slowly. "But roots and bark, I'd still give him a chance."

  "I wouldn't..." Aira's voice was soft but carried the weight of accumulated betrayals. She looked down at her hands. "I've extended enough trust in this world only to have it thrown back in my face. Each time thinking 'this one will be different.'" Her laugh was hollow. "I'm running out of pieces of myself to give away."

  Aira exclaimed as her hand jolted toward her neck. When she looked at her fingers, there were droplets of blood there.

  "Al, why?!?" Aira exclaimed. "Do you want me to drop you and kick you off the party?"

  "Sqeak!"

  "So, you also have an opinion?" asked Aira. Do you want to contribute?"

  "Sqeak!"

  "So, are you for allowing Alliot to join us?"

  "Sqeak!"

  Lila looked at the two of them incredulously. "Are you seriously considering a rat being a tie-breaker in this discussion?"

  "Well, he's not just a rat," said Aira with a smile. "He's our rat. He's Al!"

  "We need a better way of communication then," Lila looked at Al intently. "Let's say, if you want to say 'yes, 'you touch Aira's right ear. And If you want to say 'no, 'you touch her left ear. Do you understand?"

  Al squeaked with sudden authority, his tiny body straightening as if addressing a council of rodents. With deliberate ceremony, he scurried up Aira's shoulder, whiskers twitching with importance. He hesitated—just long enough to ensure they were all paying attention—before pressing his cool pink nose against her right ear with the solemnity of casting a royal decree.

  "Good boy!" Lila exclaimed, her eyes brightening. "By the twisted branches, I think he understands perfectly!"

  "It's all a game to you, right?" Aira sighed, though the corner of her mouth betrayed amusement.

  "Cold as the cliffs, death makes you find small pleasures where you can," Lila replied, her voice softening. "Even if those pleasures involve a rat with opinions."

  "So, Al, do you agree with me?" Aira asked. "That we don't have to allow Alliot to rejoin us."

  Al moved back to Aira's left shoulder and touched her left ear without even a hint of hesitation.

  "Huh?" said Aira. "Are you sure?"

  Al almost jumped to touch the right ear.

  "So, you want us to allow be a member of our party once again?" asked Lila.

  Al confirmed.

  "Well, that issue is solved then," said Lila.

  "You just were questioning the idea of letting a rat decide our fate," said Aira. "And now you are suddenly fine with it?"

  "He made the right decision," said Lila with a smile. "Why would I complain about that?"

  "Alright, but there's an even more important question," said Aira." Are you ready to place a bet?"

  "A bet?" asked Lila. "Alrighty, but if we're gambling, I better know the stakes before I shake on it."

  "Will he explain what just happened, or will he just act as it was business as usual?" said Aira.

  Lila halted mid-step and looked around. She shoved both hands into her pockets, then flipped them inside out with a dramatic flourish. A few stray crumbs and a worn button tumbled to the ground.

  "What are we betting for?" she asked, turning her empty pockets inside out with theatrical flair. A few crumbs and a worn button tumbled to the forest floor. "Not like human money means anything to us torch-blind undead anymore. And everything else?" She gestured between them, her voice softening. "Storm or shine, we share it all, don't we?"

  Aira stepped closer, the space between them suddenly charged with something unnamed. The forest seemed to quiet around them as she studied Lila's face, searching for something in the amber glow of her eyes. The moment stretched, balanced on a knife's edge between jest and sincerity.

  "Hm..." Aira finally murmured, a mischievous smile spreading slowly across her face. "What about a wish? The loser does whatever the winner asks—no questions, no complaints." Her voice dropped lower, sending a ripple of anticipation through the air. "Even if they've left the party. No escaping it."

  "Ah… I see what you did there," said Lila. "I'll bite—wish it is. And since you know him better than a squirrel knows its favorite tree hollow, I think it's only fair I make the call."

  "Be my guest!"

  "Let's say…" Lila paused, deep in thought. "Let's say Ainorrh chewed him up and spat him out like bad trail rations. If he's feeling out of place, my bet is he tries to explain himself—without us having to pull it out of him like a stubborn tooth."

  "Without us prompting him?" asked Aira.

  "Yes, without us prompting him," answered Lila.

  "Well, in that case I'll say that he comes back," said Aira. "He greets us, gives us some non-explainer reason, and proceeds as if nothing had happened."

  Lila extended her hand to Aira, and they bumped their fists, confirming the bet.

  "The other important question," said Aira. "Should we wait for him or continue?"

  "How far is he?" asked Lila. "Is he taking talking a quick jog or a whole day of dawdling?"

  "It seems that he left the city as soon as they were sure which direction we are taking," Aira said. "He's a day behind us."

  "What's his range?" asked Lila. "Are we within sniffing distance?"

  "I'm sure they tracked our detour," said Aira. "They probably boosted someone's tracking skills. Maybe even his. Ah… I still have to tell you how we figured out where to look for you in the first place. But anyway, they can boost the range."

  "But he's not in the city anymore, right?" asked Lila. "I guess these boosts won't work anymore, right?"

  "Correct. And no, he is still in the ancient city, at the outskirts," said Aira. "Not in the enlightened city, though. As for his range, he's what, level thirty-six? And I think Tracking was his most developed skill. Level five or something. It should put his range at around fifteen to twenty kilometers, if it works the same way as my skills. So, that's a bit less than our daily average."

  Lila tapped her foot impatiently, creating a rapid, rhythmic beat against the forest floor. Her fingers fluttered in the air, tracing invisible patterns as if she were engaged in a silent debate with herself, her brow furrowed in concentration.

  "I agree with you… in part," Lila said, flashing a grin. "I don't want to make it easy for him, but I don't want to be cruel either. Right as rain in spring, he's got enough on his plate. Your actions knocked the wind clean out of him—same as me."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  She exhaled sharply. "Let's train and meditate a little more. Walk only during the day. Oh! And maybe you could ease up on the boosting."

  Lila hesitated, about to say something else. "By the Eld…" she stopped abruptly, her jaw tightening. "Never mind. Old habits."

  Aira approached and patted Lila on her back.

  "Alright, as you wish. Training it is!" said Aira, removing her gadgets and putting them aside.

  ***

  By the time Alliot emerged from the trees, the sun had begun to paint the sky in fiery oranges and deep purples, casting long shadows across their makeshift camp. Aira's skin prickled with awareness—she'd been tracking the enlightened defender's energy signature for hours. Recognizing a perfect opportunity for Lila's education, they'd spent those final hours cross-legged on the forest floor, the scent of pine and damp earth surrounding them as they prepared for the reunion through meditation.

  Sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, surrounded by the whispering trees and the fading light, Aira guided Lila through deep breathing exercises, urging her to focus on the subtle energies around them. The air felt charged with anticipation, and Lila concentrated, trying to pick out the faint, distinct signature that marked Alliot's presence as he approached.

  Al joined the two women, sitting on Aira's shoulder. It was hard to tell if he was taking part in their exercise. Still, his stats increased every day like you'd expect from any other wielder of the arcane who practiced on a regular basis.

  Alliot burst into the clearing at full speed. Almost until the last moment, it looked like he wasn't going to stop, but then his stance relaxed a bit; he slowed his run, switched to a brisk walk, and then stopped.

  With cautious steps, he moved toward the two women sitting under the shade of an old oak tree. As he neared them, he bent his knees and eased himself onto the soft, grassy earth beside them, careful not to disturb the flowers around them.

  "He says hi," said Lila. "Bright as the north star, that's a sure thing, he asks if you are going to add him to the party again."

  "That's…" said Aira, stretching the words. "That's a good question. I don't have any free slots anymore."

  "Root me sideways!" exclaimed Lila. "You are choosing Al over Alliot?"

  Aira gently stroked the rat's velvety fur, feeling his tiny heart flutter beneath her fingertips. The rat perched confidently on her shoulder, his whiskers twitching with curiosity as its beady eyes fixated on the person who had just the scene.

  "It doesn't seem he's going to leave us anytime soon," said Aira. "But alright, I can do that. I just need to upgrade my skill to get more slots for the party."

  She paused and looked at Lila.

  "Just…" she said hesitantly. "Don't tell him all of that. I'm still not sure how much I'd like to share with them about how the System works for me."

  Two is a Crowd (Level 3 / 192 SP to upgrade to Level 4)

  - Invite 3 members to the party

  - Maximum distance of the party chat: [300 m x Level] = 30 km

  - Party members can share quests

  - Party members get XP for fulfilled quests (depending on their participation)

  - Party members can see each other's stats

  "Did he tell anything about his absence yet?" asked Aira.

  "Not yet, maybe he's waiting for you to join the conversation."

  Alliot has joined the party.

  "Hey! What brings you here?" asked Aira.

  "Good day," said Alliot, his tone mechanical as if reciting lines from memory. "I had to report to Ainorrh. And get new orders. But now I'm with you. Ready to proceed as planned." His gaze darted between them, searching for signs of acceptance or rejection.

  "Ah, good," said Aira, her voice carefully neutral though her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the Shard in her pocket. "How's Ainorrh doing?"

  "Busy, as usual," Alliot replied, settling back into his familiar rhythm. "Ruling a city is a task that can eat up all your spare time. Day and night."

  "I can only imagine," said Lila, a brittle edge to her casual tone. "So, what's next—do we play the waiting game or let him huff and puff to catch up? Cold as the cliffs, it's like nothing even happened."

  "As we discussed before," said Alliot, either missing or deliberately ignoring her barb. "I'll lead you to Ziemrot. There, you should get access to the Earth element Source."

  Aira and Lila exchanged glances—a conversation compressed into seconds of eye contact. Aira raised an eyebrow and subtly tilted her head, her fingers drumming a nervous pattern against her thigh, silently asking how far to push this fragile peace. Lila's casual shrug couldn't hide the tension in her shoulders, a resignation that said further questioning might just yield more half-truths.

  "So..." Aira said slowly, the word stretched thin and dangerous. "You don't have anything else to tell us? About why you really left? About what Ainorrh might really want?"

  "No, why?" asked Alliot. "What are you expecting from me? Aren't we following the same plan?"

  "Nothing else?"

  "No, that's it," said Alliot. "Unless you want to hear something specific."

  "Alright. We definitely plan to visit Ziemrot," said Aira with a sigh. "That part remains the same."

  "Should we start moving then?" said Alliot. "And I'd like to have your boosts. They helped a lot before."

  ***

  The journey carved its path through days of strained silence and cautious conversation. Their breaks around flickering campfires offered fragile moments of normalcy—their faces bathed in golden light as stories emerged from the shadows. Aira shared tales of her world, careful to omit parts that might reveal strategic weaknesses. Lila spoke of her ranger days, her voice catching whenever she mentioned names from her past life. Even Alliot occasionally contributed, though his accounts remained skeletal—facts without context, experiences without emotion, as if reciting a report rather than sharing his life. Each omission hung in the air like smoke, a constant reminder of the distance between them, of the questions that remained unanswered, of the trust that had been fractured and imperfectly mended. In those moments when conversation lulled, Aira would catch Lila watching Alliot with a calculating gaze, as if mentally marking escape routes should he disappear again—or worse, should he stay but prove untrustworthy when it mattered most.

  Lila focused intently on refining her newfound abilities. Though Undead Resilience quietly bolstered her endurance without effort, Shadow Step proved more challenging. Its effectiveness was hindered by a short-lived activation and a lengthy cooldown period, demanding strategic timing and patience to master.

  Still, whenever the counter dropped to zero, she'd reactivate the skill to get used to the sensation.

  "Arrrrghhhh!" she growled in Aira's ear, having materialized from the shadows with what should have been impossible stealth.

  Aira didn't even blink, continuing to arrange kindling for the fire as if nothing had happened.

  "Oh, come ON!" Lila threw her hands up, kicking at a pine cone that sailed through the underbrush. "You could have at least pretended to be startled! Jumped a little! Something!" She dropped dramatically onto a fallen log, jabbing a finger toward Aira. "Bit my bramble, what's even the point of sneaking if you spot me before I'm halfway there? It's like trying to surprise a mountain! Your stupidly high level is killing all my fun."

  "I sensed your approach as well," said Alliot in his usual no-nonsense manner. "Tyranny of rank. That's how it's called among the enlightened people."

  Lila rolled her eyes. Her lips curled into a wry smile, and she crossed her arms, tapping her fingers impatiently against her elbow.

  "Thank you Alliot, for this enlightening educational message!" she exclaimed.

  "We call it similarly in my world," said Aira. "Unfortunately, that's something you'd have to live for quite some time."

  Al squeaked on her shoulder, and Aira gently stroked his velvety fur with her fingertips, feeling the warmth of his tiny body against her neck.

  "Yes, you little beast. That affects you as well," she continued stroking his fur. "But don't worry, with me power-levelling you, you'll catch up with Alliot pretty soon. We just need to figure out your training routine!"

  Lila stood firmly with her hands planted on her hips, her eyebrows knitted together in an exaggerated display of mock anger.

  "Ahem," she cleared her throat dramatically, drawing attention to herself. "So, now he's your pet project, huh?" Her eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and feigned indignation. "Bark and roots, what about me?" she continued, her voice laced with a teasing tone as if daring her friend to explain.

  "Don't worry," said Aira with a smile. "You'll get there as well. Eventually."

  Lila approached Aira with a playful grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. She landed a gentle punch on Aira's shoulder, but her fingers lingered afterward—a momentary connection that spoke of something deeper than camaraderie. With deliberate slowness, she traced a path down Aira's arm, her gaze flicking toward Alliot to confirm he was distracted, studying something in the forest with that unnerving intensity of his.

  Aira's breath caught as Lila's fingers continued their journey, skimming past her hip. A silent question formed in her eyes—what was Lila doing? Could they trust having this conversation, whatever it was, with Alliot so near? The space between them seemed charged with unspoken warnings.

  With the practiced sleight of a ranger accustomed to retrieving arrowheads from pockets without alerting prey, Lila's fingers slipped into Aira's cargo pants, emerging with the journal they'd used for private communications since before Alliot had abandoned them. Flipping to a blank page, she scrawled quickly:

  "That cute you still have it! Wouldn't trust our words to anything he might access."

  Aira's casual shrug belied the tension in her shoulders. Where else would it be? Her expression seemed to say, while her eyes communicated something darker: Some things are too important to risk sharing through channels he might monitor.

  "So, what's about our bet?" Lila wrote, glancing up to ensure Alliot remained oblivious. "Who wins? I'm not sure. But either way—keep watching him."

  "You know we can talk privately in the party chat?" asked Aira. "It's one of its functions."

  "What? How would I know that?" exclaimed Lila. "It isn't like you provided me with a manual!"

  "Anyway, I think I won," said Aira. "Of course, that's just my arbitrary opinion. But he sort of offered us just some non-explanation about getting new orders from Ainorrh. I don't think that was the real reason he left us. He obviously was distressed. Well… because of my actions. But still, he didn't really explain himself."

  "I don't agree!" said Lila. "Maybe he didn't explain why he had left us. But he pretty much told what he was doing in Wentouk. Getting his new orders! I'd say I won this bet."

  "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone to judge us," said Aira. "Unless we want to involve Alliot," she grinned.

  "What about…" Lila said. "A tie? Two winners, two wishes. Fair as a fox in a snowdrift."

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  The Dark Lady's Guide to Villainy :)