A new flush of interest filled Titus as he headed down the corridor of the rebel base to the cafeteria and storage chamber, looking for his mother and Mistress Harkness. Somehow, the combination of Pax’s work with their mother before leaving the base and the rigorous travel and danger since then had sparked a miraculous transformation.

  Mistress Harkness still reigned supreme over the food supplies, but Titus was impressed by how much his mother pitched in now as she grew into the role of Harkness’ second in command.

  It was quite the transformation from a low-level worker who happily followed orders to someone who had stepped more and more into the decision-making and administrative role that kept their logistics running smoothly. More and more, Titus saw the mother he remembered from his childhood, a brisk, efficient woman who did most of the day-to-day chores that had kept their family tailoring business afloat.

  Titus pushed aside a curtain to step into a chamber off to the side just before the cafeteria entrance. The room smelled faintly of dried herbs and wax from carefully sealed crates just big enough to still fit in someone’s inventory when it was time to leave. Rough shelves carved into the stone walls held neatly labeled jars and bundles of preserved goods, their colors muted in the light from glowing mana orbs mounted on the walls.

  Workers moved quickly between the shelves and the opening to the kitchen, where he heard the muted sounds of dishes clattering and pots being stirred. He walked toward the main planning station toward the back and found the women he was looking for.

  With sharp gestures and efficient orders, Mistress Harkness directed the workers moving between stacks of crates. His mother kept track of it all with a list on her clipboard. A sharp focus had replaced his mother’s once-vacant expression as she checked her list against another one pinned to the wall. Despite the grim circumstances, there was a comforting orderliness to the scene, a sense of purpose in the way the two women worked.

  Titus felt a surge of pride as he watched her work. It was a far cry from the days when she’d been lost in the fog of her fragmented memories. He marveled at how far she had come.

  “Mama,” Titus said softly as he stepped closer.

  She looked up, her eyes brightening as she saw him. “Titus! You’re back.” She crossed the room quickly, pulling him into a tight hug before pushing back and examining him from head to toe. “I was so worried about you. Are you hurt?”

  “Just tired,” he assured her.

  “Any news about Pax?” she asked, looking worried again.

  “Not recently. But I’m sure he’s doing his best to help take Brightgate, so all of us can finally be safe for a while. What about you? How are things here?”

  His mother’s expression grew serious. “Busy. We’ve had more evacuees coming in than we expected. Some of them are in awful shape, and we’re running low on a lot of supplies.”

  Mistress Harkness stepped closer and nodded in agreement. “Kindra has been a lifesaver, but even with everyone pitching in, it’s a lot to manage.”

  “I’m just doing what I can,” his mother said, brushing off the praise.

  “You’re doing more than enough,” Titus said, giving her a smile. “Thank you, Mistress Truesworn. For everything.”

  She laughed softly and reached out to squeeze his hand at her formal name. “We all do what we must, Warrior Trueviper.”

  Titus felt a thrill every time he heard his mother’s real name being used again. He couldn’t resist a quick look at her menu, knowing she didn’t mind. Pax was going to be ecstatic when he saw it for the first time.

  ***

  Worker Kindra Truesworn - Level 4

  Assignment: Kitchen administrator

  Health: 30/30

  ***

  Vitur still classed her as a worker at a much lower level than she should be with everything she’d done in her life, but it was a tremendous step forward, and he couldn’t be happier.

  Which memories she’d recovered were still pretty scattered, mostly related to their childhood time in Thanhil. She had a vague sense that she’d attended the mage academy, but didn’t remember anything specific. And, thankfully, she hadn’t remembered many details of her capture, torture or her husband’s death.

  Well, it was a relief, but still left Titus full of a burning rage to find out who had done that to her and what had happened to his father. But he reminded himself not to be impatient. Just having his mother look at him with recognition and love was a miracle he’d never take for granted again. If only he could erase the worry he saw simmering in her eyes.

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  Mistress Harkness mirrored her concern. “Titus, have you heard any news about plans for the base and the people here? We’re doing what we can, but it’s a constant struggle not to know if the death squads are going to find us before reinforcements arrive or if we’ll somehow manage a miraculous escape and slip through their net. Plus, if we have to evacuate, I don’t think everyone will be able to move with us.”

  “I just got back, so I don’t know yet.” Titus gave her what he hoped was a reassuring look. “I’ll make you know as soon as I do. And I’ll see what I can do to get you some help with the refugees. In the meantime, try to get some rest when you can. Both of you.”

  His mother smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We will. You should do the same, Titus. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”

  He nodded, but he knew rest would have to wait. There was still so much to do.

  As he walked back into the main chamber, Titus spotted a small group gathered near the southern corridor. A genuine smile crossed his lips.

  Tomis and his crew of street kids had claimed a table for themselves. They chatted animatedly about whatever shenanigans they’d been up to lately, seeming to have no consideration for the fear and the worry weighing everyone else around them down. The newly awakened teens on Tomis’ crews weren’t being allowed to fight yet, but their skills as scouts had already proven invaluable for safer assignments.

  Also, Tansa and Kurt, two students that were friends of Pax, had taken it on themselves to keep an eye out for the crew of newly awakened teens. It reassured Titus, especially when he was out on missions for days at a time.

  Despite their rough edges and youth, Tomis’ crew had a fierce determination that reminded Titus of himself at their age. And he was always thrilled to see them all healthy and alive when he returned to camp. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Pax he’d lost more of their Vipers.

  “Tomis,” Titus called as he approached.

  The young crafter turned, his freckled face lighting up. “Titus. You’re back. What happened? Did you run into any of the death squads? Did you wipe them out?”

  “Slow down.” Titus laughed and took a seat with the kids as he held up a calming hand. “First off, we’re all alive, though some took a few wounds. And we eliminated one of the death squads. But there are still way too many hunting us.”

  Tomis exchanged worried looks with his friends seated at the table.

  Titus felt bad for speaking so bluntly, but he knew better than to sugarcoat anything for the street kids. “So, how are all of you doing? Everyone holding up alright?”

  Tomis hesitated and then took the offered change of subject with a half-smile. “We’re good, Titus. Everyone’s been doing their part. We’ve found some signs of empire movements and added those to the main map. It’s helping the leaders mark out a safe plan for the evacuation if we decide to make a run for it. We even spotted two beast dens along the way and marked them to avoid. If we don’t stay and fight, we should have a safe route to thread through the dangers and make a decent push toward Brightgate.”

  “Good work,” Titus said, his voice warm with approval. He glanced at the rest of the crew, who straightened under his gaze. “And are you making decent progress in your abilities?”

  “We’re all getting better.” Pride filled Tomis’ expression as he glanced toward Tansa and Kurt for confirmation.

  They nodded but let Jules give Titus the details. “We’re all eager to get moving and join the rest of the rebels, but we’re training in every spare moment. We’ve all unlocked our first mana skills, too. So, when we join back up with Pax, we’ll be ready to Tame companions and some of us are bound to get the Tamer skill. So, you don’t need to worry about us. When we finally get to Brightgate, we’ll be ready to join the real troops.”

  “Hey, you are already real troops.” Titus let his tone turn serious. “Ask any of our leaders about how valuable scouting and intel is. The information you bring back can save many more lives than a strong sword arm. So, keep at it. But remember, your safety comes first. All of you need to survive until more of our fighters can get here to reinforce us. Got it?”

  The crew leaders nodded, their expressions serious.

  Jules said, “If it’s something we’re all good at, it’s surviving. We’ll be careful. Promise.”

  A brief silence fell over them. But before Titus could stand up to leave, Tomis sent him a questioning look.

  “So, Titus?” Tomis’ tone was grim. “Can you be straight with us?”

  He nodded, knowing facts would help the kids more than platitudes.

  “We may be kids, but we all know how risky escaping the empire hunters in the Wilds is. Plus, if they find our base here, we’re stuck holding them off until reinforcements arrive. So, we’re thinking that none of us have the best chances right now, do we?”

  “Honestly?” Titus met their pragmatic gazes expectantly. When they nodded for him to go ahead, he said, “We need Pax and the rest of the rebels to finish with Brightgate and then get here as fast as they can to have a decent chance.”

  “Then we’re fine.”

  Everyone at the table gave Lina, recently awakened as a merchant and in charge of their crew’s logistics, a surprised glance. Titus saw a simple belief in her lively hazel eyes.

  “If we’re counting on Pax and his crew to come through for us, then we’re fine.” She looked around at the others. “What? He’s always come through for us before, hasn’t he?”

  There was a long, pregnant pause, and then Titus let out a guffaw and leaned across the table to clap her on the shoulder. “Lina is right. We’re going to just count on Mage Pax Vipersworn. He’s done the impossible so many times, so, what’s one more?”

  The mood of the table lifted measurably. Titus noticed the others seated nearby who had quieted to eavesdrop seemed to respond positively, too. Titus was glad for the boost in morale. Everyone knew people fought better fueled by hope instead of despair.

  Titus stood up and a wave of tiredness hit him. He also realized he was contributing to the general funk of the base with his filthy state. He needed to follow his crew’s example, get cleaned up, get some food and then crash for a few hours.

  Titus had just turned toward the corridor leading to the living quarters when someone came running out of the corridor that led to the base’s entrance. She was a young, lithe warrior in scout gear, and she didn’t pause at all when she reached the central chamber. Instead, she raced past the tables and skidded to a halt when she reached the two warriors guarding the planning chamber.

  They leaned in and kept their voices too low for anyone to overhear. One of the guard’s eyes widened with a flicker of surprise and horror before he waved the young scout inside. Then he flicked the curtain closed.

  All conversations in the main chamber had ceased, and the boosted mood of a few moments ago disappeared. With a sick feeling in his stomach, Titus swallowed hard and followed the scout.

  Clean water, food and rest could wait. Like he’d just told Tomis and his crew, survival took precedence.