Chapter 445: Preparation

“You’re not leaving

any

guards?”

Even Phuong and Carl looked surprised. Mason had all his players around the circular table in the communication beacon. He’d been able to ‘ping’ them all through it, and felt a momentary stab of a pleasure Blake probably enjoyed all the time. Power was definitely a hell of a drug.

“Everyone needs to improve. And a guard or two won’t make any difference.” Mason shrugged and looked around the table. “We have walls, defences, and tree guards now. All our people are safe in the trees. And I can get back quickly if I need to.”

“If you even know there’s a problem,” Carl said. “How would they reach you?”

Mason frowned. They had the communication beacon, but it only talked to other beacons, or else had some minor functionality in the settlement. They also had the scout enclave, but it seemed like it only worked for ‘scouts’ to talk to each other or the base. Mason still wasn’t sure if his Wayfinder counted enough to let him send a ‘text’.

“I’m looking into it. But Orlon thinks he can communicate with me. I’m more worried about what we do if

you

guys get in trouble. You’ll probably be in a lot more danger than the Nexus.”

Some players looked more worried than others. Tommaso was visibly sweating, looking about as unhappy as Jason. And possibly Alex. But that might have just been the Belarusian’s morning face.

“Well go in teams, though, yes?” The Italian chewed a fingernail. “I go with Becky. I survive and get stronger for sure, eh?”

Mason imagined Becky and the Italian out together, day and night for who knew how long. His hands gripped the table, and he only blinked back to a non-violent reality when Carl cleared his throat.

“Becky’s with Carl and Seamus,” he said, raising a hand when he saw complaints coming. “I’m sending people similar in strength, with proper set ups. I’ve seen what happens when you get a weaker player with a stronger in certain dungeons or challenges. You get killed. We want people of roughly equal ‘power’. In teams that make sense.”

And

, he thought but didn’t say,

Carl and Becky are a hell of a lot more important than you, and I’m not risking either of them to give you a boost.

“So who goes with me?” said the Italian, looking increasingly miserable.

“I’ll go with him, Chief,” said Garet. “Maybe we can take Jason, too. Two melee and a ranged support. Not so bad. Is three OK?”

Mason nodded, positive Garet already worked out that was the plan.

“Most will be threes. Everyone will get a big bag of Rosa treats. Healing ointments, antidotes, whatever she’s been brewing up since the Nexus. And you don’t need to rush out. Get armor and weapons and anything else the crafters can give you first. I assume they’ll be making a lot of new things since the tournament haul.”

“Phuong, you’re with Alex and John,” Mason continued. “I know it’s physical heavy and maybe too defensive but we just don’t have any more ranged.”

Phuong shrugged. “We’ll make do, patron. Don’t worry. But…” here he hesitated glancing at some of the other players. “Some of us have been talking…what do you think about us taking some civilians?”

Mason blinked, mostly just confused. Before he could ask any questions, Phuong explained.

“We can protect them. Help them along. And many civilians have powers to identify and understand the world far better than we do. Many want to go out and see things. They want to help.” The usually confident older man looked almost like he was blushing, and Mason took a breath.

He suspected Phuong wanted to take his previously abandoned son. Mason couldn’t even remember the kid’s name, but they’d found him in the bug tunnels, the same place they’d rescued Becky’s cousin.

There

was another problem he hadn’t considered in awhile, and hoped the former drug addict wasn’t making any trouble in the settlement. And that the escaped bug queen wasn’t plotting some terrible revenge…

“Alright,” he said with a shrug. “If you want them, and they want to go. But I suspect they’ll slow you down. Their bodies won’t hold up if you set a brutal pace. And just make damn sure they understand the risks. Players can’t hurt them, but everything else sure can.”

“Of course.” Phuong bowed his head. “Perhaps it will be a mistake. But I think a few tests are wise.”

Mason couldn’t disagree with that. But he sure as hell wouldn’t be sending out any civilians he loved. Not unless he literally never left their side.

“So we can bring our women?” Jason said. Mason gave him a glare.

“You want to take your pregnant girl trekking across a giant, unknown world?”

“Well.” Jason went red. “Maybe not the

pregnant

one…”

All the men grinned at that. Becky rolled her eyes.

“Let’s avoid taking women,” Mason said, “unless they have some class that makes sense, that is. But if you’re banging Brenda the builder maybe just say your sweet goodbyes for a month. Alright?”

“There is literally a builder named Brenda, chief,” said Seamus, grinning at everyone like this was terribly funny. “I mean she’s old and flat as the cliffs of Dover. But, I guess I’d still…”

Becky slammed a fist into the Irishman’s arm, smiling as he bit his tongue and let out a squeak.

Mason actually thought about other civilian involvement and tapped the table as he considered. He’d intended to send Kiaan out on his own, but he could send him with a player group instead. It also meant they could maybe communicate back to the scout enclave. Tell them what they found. Tell them if there was trouble.

And what about the goblin? Whatever the hell his name was. And hadn’t the elven scout and Kiaan implied other civilians could gain the scout ‘class’, if they chose? There might be others interested. Billy the brewer came to mind. The young man had managed to evade practically a whole army of goblins with nothing but his wits.

“I’ll talk to the civilians,” he said, mostly to himself, then spoke a little louder. “If we’re taking civilians, we might as well see if we can get scouts. Phuong, would whoever you’re planning to take want to…”

“I have already discussed it with him,” he said, again fighting some obvious embarrassment. “The young man in question, I mean. He will be taking up the scout class.”

Mason nodded. “OK. I’ll send Kiaan with Carl. We also have a goblin scout. I’m not sure I trust him, but he seems to really want to impress us. If I can’t get anyone else, think you can make use of him, Garet?”

“Sure. No problem, boss,” said Garet, maybe equally eager to impress. Mason took a moment to worry he was sending three players out to die. But it’s not like they were weak, they were just weak

er

than Mason’s other players.

He also knew he couldn’t treat them with kid gloves. If they wanted to improve, to get stronger, to catch up—they were going to have to accept some risks. And so was he.

“OK,” he said, standing. “Meeting over. Go see the crafters, see how long they need. I’d rather you all totally prepared. Get your Rosa packages. We’ll have up to date maps and suggested routes for everyone by tomorrow morning. But feel free to deviate as things come up. Try and make as much progress as possible, but be back in a month. Oh, and when you’re out there…”

“Be ready for anything,” intoned most of the room, with a mixture of nervous laughter. Mason frowned, actually forgetting how predictable this was in his speeches.

“God damnit,” he said, then turned for the door. Becky caught up to him as he walked for the house. She sighed and took his hand.

“I thought maybe we’d go together.” She was obviously disappointed. Mason gave her hand a squeeze.

“Not this time, cowgirl. But only because I’ll be going alone, running like a madman, warping around. I want to see how far south I can get.”

She nodded and did her best to look like she didn’t mind, probably for his benefit. He appreciated the effort, but it didn’t make him sad to know the amazing girl just wanted to spend time with him. He told himself one day they’d actually get it.

With a last smile he turned his mind to the scout enclave, hoping to get a few things better understood before he left. Between his new stag bond and blessing making Wyrdwalk easier, as well as the various buildings and beacons, he was hoping he could really take a good chunk out of the unexplored south.

But first he used the communication beacon again to ‘ping’ some civilian leaders to meet him at the elven quarter. He wanted to spread the word about the potential new class, get their thoughts and hopefully a few recruits. Then it was time to go.

The idea of being alone again out there in the wilderness, exploring new mortal dangers and who knew what else…well, he tried not to get too excited. At the end of the day, he had to come back, and not just to his girls for a night.

They needed him to stick around, and so did everyone else. This was his life here in Nassau and he couldn’t escape it, couldn’t push it all off onto other people. He couldn’t expect Blake to handle all the people problems.

As usual, he buried any stray thoughts of his brother. They’d have their reckoning. They’d argue out the latest nonsense, the tournament, then apologize and make up sooner or later. But for today Mason at least had way too much to do to go off and waste time screwing around with a stubborn Blake.

He refrained from summoning Streak, expecting he’d want the stag for exploration and moving between the fey. But first, the scouts and civilians, a goodbye to the girls.

Then, he thought with a smile, a chance for proper danger, and freedom.