“Could you three have been any slower?” Commander Lori grumbles when we arrive at the campsite. I say it’s a “campsite”, but it’s really just a patch of dirt on the ground with rucksacks arranged near it. “Cal, you’ll be joining the boys. They’re hunting for dinner. Coraline will help you set up the nets and traps.”

“Yes ma’am!” Cal nodded a goodbye to us and went to find the others.

“And you two,” Lori turned to me and Tima. “You’ll join the girls as they set up the campsite. Ofelia has already volunteered to lead, so go on and ask her what needs to be done.”

“Can’t I help with the hunt?” I whined.

“No.” Lori snapped a finger over at Ofelia who was standing with her groupies in the tree shade. Tima gave me a relinquished eyebrow-raise before dragging me to the girls. Ugh, this is dumb.

“Really!? You live near Obsidian Castle?!” one girl cried.

Ofelia grinned, obviously enjoying the attention as she pointed out one of the biggest structures in Ma Anod. “My estate is just down the street. We’re neighbors to Lord Charmaine.”

“That’s so cool...” the girl said wistfully.

Ofelia stared me down as soon as I came in her sights. Her fan girls turned in an instant. “Well if it isn’t the weakest links in the chain.” She said. “You know, Rocca, going up one place doesn’t change the fact that you’re still dragging us down. If anything, the dead weight has increased.”

Tima linked her arm in mine and huddled behind me. I gave her hand a reassuring pat.

“Hey you know,” I turned towards the distance where the lights of Ma Anod steadily rose. “That attack that destroyed part of Obsidian Castle—you know, your neighbor—did it hit your house too?” I turned back to her with a pout. “You okay, Ofelia? You’re not so much in debt that you couldn’t pay your way out of the conscription, right?”

Her smirk dropped in an instant. I swear her eye even twitched. “…For your information, I chose to come here.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“How does a poor little island girl like you even know about that attack?” she sneered. “It was a party for royalty, of which you are obviously not!”

I shrugged. “I know people.”

“…Her sister worked the party.” Tima said, ever my hammer to the nail in the coffin. “One of the main soldiers that quelled the attack, actually.”

“Oh, of course.” Ofelia scoffed. “You and your famous family again. Doesn’t say much about you.”

It was my turn to drop the smirk. Ugh. “Can we get to work already? We’ve wasted enough time.” I said. She shrugged and put on a victory smile.

“That’s fine with me.” She said. “So, the list of things to do…we’ve got to filter a few buckets of water, start preparing the rice and vegetables, and collect tinder for the campfire. You can do that much, right?” she said with a sharp grin. “Or are you incapable of doing that much?”

I swung Tima’s hand out from my arm and muttered to her, “Help me collect firewood.”

* * *

Tima and I delved into the forest with our gijo sticks in hand. There was no telling what would pop up at us in this area, and while I’m sure we were safe from monsters, it’s not to say there isn’t something a tier lower that isn’t just as dangerous.

“Can’t we just look along the path? It’s getting dark.” She said as she followed close behind. “I packed a torch this morning, so it should be dry enough now to use…”

“Branches,” I said to distract her, pointing to floor of the tree next to us. She began collecting.

“You know what I’ve been wondering?” she said.

“That we should’ve just snuck a log from those farmers?” I said.

“…Yes, and,” she glanced up at me, her expression steady. “A few minutes ago? When that guy ambushed us?...Chid came to your rescue in like two seconds.”

I scoffed, ignoring the prickling feeling welling in my chest. “Is that supposed to mean anything? He was just itching for a fight.”

“Sure…” she dropped it, but her little smirk suggested she had more to say about it. I snorted at the thought and started for the deeper areas. “Wait—there might be traps.” she said, grabbing my ankle. “The boys are hunting out in this area. What if we step in something?”

“We’d hear them a mile away if they’re setting traps.” I deadpanned. To my surprise there was shuffling nearby, followed by branches snapping.

Her hands shook with fright as she signed, (Told you so!)

I crouched down to the floor with her and put a finger to my lip. We listened closely.

“How are you from the mountains? You’re terrible at this!” That sounded like Synder…

“This trap is shoddy as shit, Chid.” Oh, yep. That’s definitely my sister.

(Keep collecting,) I signed to Tima, (I’ll be back.)

I pulled a necklace of glowing yellow stones from my rucksack and threw it over Tima’s overflowing hair. Her tight expression melted with relief. I pulled a second necklace from my sack—this one multicolored with at least ten different hues—and slung it over my neck.

I threw out crossed fingers like a prayer, signing, (Ready.)

* * *

I brushed through the woods, eyes carefully scanning the ground for tripwire as I neared familiar voices. There was even a footprint in the mud, but no traps. I soon began to wonder if the boys in my pod were just incompetent.

“All my traps are perfect.” Chickenbutt spat.

“Kuya, it broke apart as soon as it hit the water.” Synder said.

“Don’t call me that.” snapped Chickenbutt.

As I crept closer to their voices I soon heard an unfamiliar one. It was the babbling of water—I stepped closer to the edge of the tree line and found the source. The dirt gave way to pebbles until eventually there was a stream that likely connected to those rivers I saw past Panglao Point.

It wasn’t a particularly wide or deep stream, and yet somehow, Cal and another one of our boys were sitting on the ground, useless, their tails splayed out before them. Chickenbutt was at a safe distance away and was attempting to assemble a fish trap, but from experience I know it’s going to take a day and a half to weave one out of the branches he’s got. In fact, I’m pretty sure he just finished my job.

I crept up to Coraline who leant on a tree. “Ateeeeee, what’s wrong with the net you brought?” I whispered. She shrieked and jumped, eyes barely catching me.

“Christ! Where’d you come from?” she fussed with her hair to play it off. I received a mixture of surprised glances from the boys. Chickenbutt was too focused on his little twig cage to look up.

“Tima and I are collecting firewood.” I scouted the area and noted the lack of fish. “But from what I see, I doubt we’ll need it.”

“The fish here are too small for our nets. They slip right through.” Coraline said, easing back into a relaxed lean on her tree. “I was thinking to send them to find a boar but it’s starting to get too dark.”

“Isn’t the net able to catch crabs?” I suggested.

Chickenbutt smashed his half-twig cage in frustration, rendering it useless. “There are none in this area. They’re all down there—” he pointed far down the stream where it appeared to cut off. “But we can’t reach it for obvious reasons.”

“What’s so obvious about—” I started for the end of the stream and saw it instantly. Still, I kept going until I got to the edge to confirm it. The plunge was nearly fifty feet deep.

A waterfall…one that we wouldn’t be able to return from fast enough to beat the sunset. Chickenbutt joined me as I stared down the deep end.

“Don’t push me this time.” I instructed. He was wither having respiratory problems or was actually laughing.

“I won’t. I’m pretty sure you’d drag me with you.” He muttered. “…So yeah, now you see why we’re having trouble.”

I stared at the wood of his mask. I’d never been this close long enough to see the cracks. It was actually…much more worn that I’d thought. Like he’d inherited it or something.

He glanced at me through its pointed eye hole. “Do you have any other ideas, island girl?”

His gentle tone stirred surprise in my chest. No…I’m not about to be swayed by his rare moment of modesty. He’s clearly being driven by his empty stomach.

“…I think have an idea.” I muttered. “But we’ll need Tima.”