From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 100: The Corridor Begins

Each of us carried a dark water canteen strapped to our pack. Coco had filled them that morning with the unhurried focus of someone who considered it entirely routine, holding each canteen steady while the water inside fell like dense oil. He had even hummed some improvised tunes while doing it.

The first target was the stretch between the third outpost and Argent’s outer wall, one of the sections with the densest concentration of Corruptors on the entire route. The plan was to source silver from the ruins around the outpost and build a narrow corridor, low and quiet enough that the next group of exiles could walk through it without drawing attention. A plan that only worked because I could remove anything that noticed us before the build was finished.

"We are approaching a significant cluster of Corruptors." Jim called from the sky with the flat precision of someone filing a report. "Dense concentration between here and the third outpost. I would recommend establishing the camp here and turning it into the endpoint of the corridor. Then from here we could progressively push through the cluster while building until we eventually reach the third outpost."

Finn studied the map in his hands, tilting his head left and right like he was weighing something he could feel rather than see. "I think we are a little short of the marked spot." He said quietly. "The corridor should start a little closer to the outpost."

Jim drifted down slightly and looked at him with the expression of someone recalculating. "Closer to the outpost means closer to the cluster." He said. "And building a camp there would be much more dangerous."

"Maybe." Finn admitted. "But the silver sources are a little far from here..."

Coco had been walking with both hands in his pockets, orange hair catching the green sky behind him. He turned toward Kira. "Are there any water lakes nearby?" He asked in his unhurried way. "A big one would be important to make a good camping spot."

Kira paused and closed her eyes for a moment. Her ability had grown since the exile, and I had noticed she could sense moisture at a distance similar to the way Finn sensed silver. "There is one." She said after a moment. "Large. To the right. A short distance."

"I will verify." Jim said, already moving before she finished, rising and flying with efficient, purposeful speed.

The rest of us found a flat section and dropped our packs. Kira crouched immediately and pressed one hand into a crack in the ground. A thin green vine extended from where she placed her palm, slow and deliberate. She was probably doing that so that we didn’t lose the location of the camp.

"This beacon will be smaller." She said without looking up.

Coll watched her work with something close to appreciation. "That is smart." He said.

She didn’t respond, but the small movement at the corner of her mouth suggested she had heard.

I turned to Finn. "Where is the nearest silver source?" I asked.

He pointed left without hesitation, then immediately looked uncertain about it. "That direction." He said. "I think there are a lot of ruined buildings out that way. A bit of a run, but there is a lot of silver in them." He glanced at me. "It is a little far though."

"Don’t worry about the distance." I said.

I turned to Phinyx, who was standing with his hands loose at his sides, watching the wasteland with the serene patience of someone who genuinely enjoyed existing.

"Hi Phinyx, I’d like to take some energetic vibes please." I said as if I was ordering food at the orphanage kitchen.

He looked at me for a moment, his expression turned from entirely serene to a small smile. "Sure, weapon man." He said simply.

I’d forgotten about that nickname. He was probably making sure I remembered what happened the last time I overused Quickstep.

Then something shifted. Not physically, not visibly. But I felt lighter and filled with energy. My legs felt ready. My breathing settled into something purposeful. Whatever Phinyx did with his ability, it worked.

I checked my dark water canteen, twisted the cap tight, and tucked it securely against my side. Then I looked up.

Wip was sitting on top of my head. Ears up, eyes bright. Looking extremely prepared to go somewhere fast.

Quickstep.

The ground blurred.

Wip made a noise that was less a sound and more a physical accusation as she went sideways off my head entirely. I felt her small claws scrabble against my ear for half a second before she dropped.

I stopped immediately and looked back.

She was sitting in the dust with her ears flat and her tail curled close, staring at me with the large black eyes of a creature who had been deeply wronged.

"WIP! Wip, wip wip wip." She said accusingly.

"My fault." I admitted.

I crouched, opened the top of my pack, and held it toward her. She considered it for a moment, then climbed in with the deliberate dignity of someone accepting an apology they found inadequate. I felt a small weight settle in my shoulder, then a tiny adjustment as she turned herself around. Then stillness.

I straightened.

Behind me Coll made a sound that was very clearly a suppressed laugh.

I didn’t acknowledge it. I was trying to show off Quickstep and ended up looking like an inexperienced kid, it was well deserved.

I was going to take this seriously. Every silver run was a training lap. Every load was weight conditioning. By the time we finished this corridor I would be faster, stronger and better at using Switch than I had been when I left the Spire.

Wip pressed her small nose against the back of my neck from inside the pack, warm and deliberate, as if confirming she approved the new arrangement.

I tightened the canteen strap, oriented on the direction Finn had given me, and broke into a run.

The ruins were far.

But I was fast.