The tavern's common room buzzed with activity as patrons gathered around a large rectangular table. Kiyo moved between them alongside several servers, distributing plates of food to each one of them.

  Deep into the breakfast hour, Pizer and Bryson showed up with the rest of the recon platoon.

  "Oh, so it is true," Pizer said. "The Captain Sword Master has finally woken up from his beauty rest."

  Kevin looked up and stared at the Corporal before going back to his food. "Whatever, Corporal. It was only for two weeks."

  Pizer paused as if he wasn't sure if Kevin was even capable of making jokes.

  "Pizer, do you care to eat?" Kiyo asked, breaking the awkward silence.

  "No, I am ok for now," he replied, eyeing Carl's bacon.

  Carl sighed and placed a few pieces of his, and Kevin's as well and slid it over to the hungry bacon eater.

  Pizer was ecstatic. "Aww, thanks, boss!" With a piece in his mouth, he continued talking. "We just wanted to stop in to let you both know that we will be ready to depart as soon as Mia brings the Caravan over."

  Kiyo's brow crossed. "Wait, Mia has not done that yet? Matron told her to do that hours ago."

  Kevin looked up to see that Bryson was staring at him. He had a nice shiny Captain rank and at first, he wondered about it, but it wasn't worth pursuing.

  Pizer nodded over to the bar. "I think there is a communication error. Isn’t that her talking to Dwight?"

  Mia sipped from her mug while her free hand wandered over Dwight's knee in ways that left little to the imagination. Kevin noticed the intimate gesture from across the room and quickly averted his eyes, feeling like he'd intruded on something private.

  Bryson stormed off to them in a hurry. "What in heaven's name do you think you are doing Mia? Show some damn class while you are in public!"

  Pizer flipped a chair around, straddling it backward as he shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth as he watched the confrontation brewing across the tavern. "Uh oh, this should be interesting."

  Mia took a swig of her drink while Dwight sundered off in embarrassment. "Oh honey, don’t you go anywhere," she said, holding his knee in place. “Mama's boy got some balls on him, hic."

  "The nerve of you. We are supposed to depart for Mordecai soon and here you are slogging it up with the Pig Farmer! No offense Dwight."

  Dwight gained a bit of confidence. "I… I take offense. I take very, uh, offend to that!"

  "Not now, Dwight!" Both Mia and Bryson said together.

  "Poor fella," Pizer said. "He didn't deserve that."

  Bryson continued his complaint. "For once in your sad and pathetic life, get off your ass and get that damn Caravan."

  "You are not my mama…Mama's Boy. And it is not some damn Caravan. She was born in that damn Caravan, but that doesn't matter to you. Nothing matters to you anymore. You know what, why don't you lower your sack a few more inches and come back, and maybe then you will be man enough to tell me what to do."

  From what he knew, Mia never sounded more coherent than what he heard just now. Mia was a lot of things, but talking was not one of them.

  The fact that she was assigned to carry around Kevin's team was a crutch on its own, but he didn't care much about that.

  He still did not know why the Matron made her their driver out of all this time. Now that he was a little bit coherent, some of it almost made sense.

  Bryson turned redder than the color of the bar stools. Before he did something he would most likely regret later, Kiyo inserted herself between them.

  "Captain Bryson, please take Corporal Pizer and retrieve the Caravan. This is my error, and I had assumed that she performed her task before coming in here."

  "Kiyo," Bryson said. "Do not take pity or blame for this woman. It is bad enough that we had to endure her uselessness for months now, but I will be damned if she disrespects the Commons in this perverse manner."

  "Sir, let's go," Pizer said walking up. "You will have plenty of moments to fight with her on the road. And while this is somewhat entertaining, we have to pack ourselves."

  Mia shooed him off behind Kiyo. "Buh-bye little man, go follow orders." Under her breath, she turned back around "And leave me the hell alone."

  Bryson, not willing to back down, looked at Kiyo, and then the rest of the tavern patrons who also couldn't resist the drama unfolding turned around and walked off. "I swear…"

  Pizer placed his hand on Kiyo's shoulder. "Don't worry. I got him. Just get her sobered up so they don't kill each other later."

  Before he left, he turned back to Kevin. "Oh, before I forget. The Commander told us about the central well incident. The river road is the same color that separates a vein that leads to our well. Yet, beyond that point, the water is clear. Bryson noted that this stream of water within the water flowed in the opposite direction which is beyond nature itself. Anyways, we will be ready to go in a while. We can talk more once we are on the way."

  Carl glanced at the Matron. "Hey, is there something we need to know about Bryson and Mia? I would much rather not have to worry if they won't backstab each other on the way."

  "Well, yes," she said. "Yes, they WERE married, but no, I do not believe you would have to worry about them. As long as you keep them apart, that is."

  "They got divorced due to an incident at Mordecai, or something to that nature," Kevin said in between eating his grits. "He doesn't talk much about it, and I do not remember asking him either. I didn't care. Still don't really. But like you, he was very clingy when we met."

  "Hey, I am not clingy," Carl said. "Wait… am I?"

  Kevin snorted.

  After filled bellies and a renewed spirit, Kevin stepped out of the tavern feeling like a new man. It did not take long for his body to recall how to work, much to Carl's dismay that he wasn’t normal after all. His legs did not wobble like they did. Kiyo, of course, chalked it to the Matron's excellent cooking, yet Kevin thinks she drugged the meals instead.

  Bryson and Pizer ushered several oxen to pull the Caravan to the tavern. The bulls refused to pull in unison, causing the two Advent Soldiers to call for help from the townsfolk to get the oxen to behave. After several attempts and many many stops, they pulled up next to the tavern where they huffed and puffed up against the side of the wagon while the townsfolk unhitched the animals.

  The nonperishable goods to Rivergate were already loaded on the Caravan as they were supposed to leave weeks ago. It did not take the townsfolk long to secure the other rations and goods inside its rear section.

  The wagon has seen better times. At one time painted in different shades of blue and green, much of the wood is weathered to its core, and he wondered when the exact moment would take place when it would fall apart on their journey. Something like this is inevitable according to his lore in fantasy stories. The canvas that covered the middle section was the only recent addition, it seemed as if it screamed 'Brand New' everywhere.

  Faded letters covered the side near the front cabin. The script looked painted over several times, but now it's faded and barely legible.

  "Second…Chance," Kevin said, reading it from left to right. "What is that all about?"

  Mia stumbled out of the tavern with Kiyo's assistance. "Why does it mean what it says kid, hic? Because everyone deserves one." Her eyes flicked over to Bryson with her neck desperately trying to keep steady. "Well, almost everyone."

  Bryson's jaw clenched as he deliberately looked away, focusing on adjusting his pack straps with unnecessary force.

  Carl caught Kiyo's eye, and she subtly shook her head, warning him not to pursue the topic further.

  With the last of the load fastened in the back, the Matron and Commander Johnson joined them in their farewell with most of the Guard and Townsfolk performing final checks and balances.

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  Bryson pulled out his map and laid it on one of the outdoor tables.

  Johnson traced a brown line along the river path. "Stay far away from the Cascadia Highway as much as possible. Use the river road to guide your way to the way station. No need to take a chance that the Anbar would be in that vicinity. I do not know why that Advent Beacon is down. Do not engage if they are there. I do not need to remind you that you cannot activate your armor unless you are near a beacon's aura. Get it restored, and touch bases with us and the city of Mordecai."

  "Yes sir," Bryson replied. "We will be vigilant."

  Mia retorted as she climbed into the front cabin. "Him, vigilant? hic."

  Matron gave Kiyo a brown skinny bottle. "Here, give this to her. That will sober her up a bit to a point where she can operate that broken-down wagon."

  Carl shot the Matron a look. "Wait, she drives drunk?"

  Mia yelled out. "Whose drunk! How about you settle your cute tush-up in the front seat to keep an eye on me."

  Kevin let out a quick smirk, but his face returned to its stoic form almost immediately after.

  "Hey, where is that beast-kin anyways," Matron asked. "I thought she was in such a hurry she should be the first in the caravan ready to depart."

  Pizer strapped his pack. "I think I saw her near the well as we were dragging this thing over."

  Indeed, Paz was at the well walking around it in circles. They were too far away to see what she was doing as from this distance it looked like she was pacing with her staff hitting the sides of it.

  "I will go get her," Carl said. He took several steps when a rumble from the ground stopped him in his tracks.

  Sword Master, Find Me!

  Kevin felt a tear course down his cheek. When he wiped it away, he realized it carried a blue crystalline tint before he wiped it on his shirt.

  Paz yelled. "Look out!"

  A large stream of blue water shot out of the well and aimed straight for Kevin. He couldn't react to the quake fast enough as the water stream hit his pendant, and he was pushed back against the building.

  The next thing Kevin saw was a vision in his mind. Rain poured from a dark, cloudy sky, drenching everything below. Rows of tombstones stretched across the ground, some weathered by time, others newer. He found himself standing in a well-maintained cemetery, though he couldn't place where exactly.

  When he reached out toward one of the stones, Kevin froze. His hand looked ancient, deep wrinkles creased the skin, and gray hairs sprouted along his arm. He wiped away the raindrops and stepped closer to the nearest tombstone. His mother's name was etched into the stone. Next to it, his brothers' markers stood side by side. As his eyes moved down the line, more familiar names appeared. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins.

  "What is this?" he asked. Even his voice betrayed him as it sounded like him but older. He continued down the row where he saw two large stones overshadowing the others.

  The names were of his grandparents.

  Despite the rain, he felt a new stream of rain coming from his eyes. Deep blue, he couldn’t understand it.

  He felt sad.

  He felt angry.

  He felt grief.

  "Kevin!"

  The world around him flashed like lightning and he was back with Carl shaking him awake. "Damn it, this is not happening right now."

  Kevin focused on his thoughts. Putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, he stood up, waiting for the world to stop spinning around him. "It's ok, what happened."

  "You tell me bud, but we have a new situation unfolding," Carl replied. He motioned behind him toward the well.

  Paz was staring down at a figure in a dark blue robe on the other side of the well. The robe covered the person from head to toe, and around the waist looked like bluish vials evenly spaced around.

  Johnson and the rest of the Guard took positions around the mysterious person.

  "Stop!" Paz yelled. "Do not step an inch closer. There is Dark Resonance in this one."

  The robed figure turned its body into an awkward pose away from Paz and its body contorted backward like it was doing a rearward bow. The figure pointed its bony fingers in Kevin's direction and whispered something unintelligible at first but it kept repeating it. "The tears of time have begun to flow. The tears of time have begun to flow."

  "What is it saying?" Carl asked.

  The voice started as a whisper at first, but every time it was repeated, the volume increased louder to the point where he tried to cover his ears.

  "Hey, are you ok? Kevin!"

  For a moment, he was about to pass out from the sheer volume in his mind. Then it clicked off and suddenly silenced again.

  Paz glowed. Her staff fired off a wheel of fire that spiraled through the well and hit the robed person catching fire.

  "Pray for me. Pray for me. Pray for me!"

  The figure collapsed, thrashing from side to side as flames consumed the robe. Then, in one fluid motion, it sprang back to its feet and hurled several blue vials through the air. "Tears shed! Grief is absolute! Come receive the gospel!"

  The figure disappeared and the robe, like it had a mind of its own, slithered along the ground and into the well.

  They all stood there in their position for a full minute waiting for something to happen. Eventually, Paz turned to walk to the group when she stopped halfway and turned.

  The blue water geyser is out of the well once again. This time, it separated into what Kevin could only describe as many tentacle arms flailing around in the sky.

  One of the watery tentacles arced across the sky and slammed into a townsman. He dropped his bundle, collapsing to his knees with an agonized wail. Blue tears streamed down his face as he clutched at nothing.

  "Why did you have to die?!" he screamed, his voice breaking. "I tried to save you!"

  Another one struck out at another guard. She fell to her knees and cried out. "Why did you have to die?! I tried to save you!"

  They continued in unison, as more tentacles reached out. One aimed for Paz, but her magic batted it away and it arced to a townsperson nearest to her.

  Johnson yelled out above the chanting screams. "Get everyone inside. Advent Guard, on me!"

  Matron and Kiyo rushed to grab the townsfolk around the immediate area. Carl stood in front of Kevin, and while Kiyo told them to retreat inside the tavern, they remained outside.

  "Whatever is happening has something to do with Kevin. I am not leaving until I figure out what it wants!" Carl yelled.

  More tentacles shot out as Paz deflected what she could. She removed the hood of her cloak as the blue water rained on her red barrier. "This power. Why is it doing this?"

  "Advent Guard!" Johnson yelled.

  The air glistened as his baton elongated into a gleaming trident. The metallic liquid flowed from the weapon, cascading over his arm and spreading across his body in waves, first forming a burnished breastplate with the Advent Guard insignia, then pauldrons and vambraces that locked into place with audible clicks.

  His men underwent similar transformations, their armor conforming to their specializations. Scouts like Pizer manifested lighter suits with enhanced helmets, while fighters developed heavier plating with reinforced gauntlets.

  "For Rowen!" he commanded, his voice amplified and resonant through his helmet. As for one, the Advent Guard advanced.

  Looking threatened, the large tentacles ignored the townsfolk to focus on the armored guardians. They attacked the armor, each one bouncing off harmlessly. Johnson swung his trident, slicing the water stream in half and it retreated into the well. Two more sprouted in its place.

  Paz took the momentum to rush to Kevin and Carl while fending off attacks.

  "Paz, what is that thing?" Carl yelled out.

  "It is a Resonance Beast, most likely to have sought out the Sword Master. The foolish Rowen are attacking the veins, but the main body remains deep in that well. We need to draw it out."

  "Can I use my abilities now?" Carl said, half sarcastically.

  Paz deflected another tentacle. She nodded.

  Carl walked forward brandishing one of his claws in the air. Lightning stuck his hand, and it circled him in a spiral motion. Staggering slightly, he struggled to maintain his balance before dropping to a single knee.

  "Carl!" Kevin yelled out however, he returned to his stoic expression.

  "It's ok, man," he replied. "I can do this."

  He stood and ran. The lightning gathered around his arms, and he threw them into the well. Yellow light surrounded the water and exploded, flying him back.

  From the well, a bluish blob oozed out of the sides that connected all the tentacles. At first, it looked like a squid, but it may have been a relatively large octopus instead. Electrical waves from Carl's attack were still present in its surroundings as it sparked and shivered.

  "Robert!" Matron yelled. "Aim for that core!"

  In the middle of the blob was a solid material, which reminded him of cat food in the middle of jello.

  Johnson nodded, twirling his trident. His weapon cut through the air in a downward arc, releasing a wave of energy. The blast tore through the water barrier like it was paper, cleaving the pulsing blue core in half.

  The creature's form destabilized, its gooey body erupting in a shower of luminescent blue droplets that rained around it. What remained of the phantasm retreated, slithering back into the depths of the well.

  Before the last remnants disappeared, a chunk of the water suspended itself in midair. It formed into a jagged dagger shape, then rotated until it pointed directly at Kevin.

  Master! Find me! Bring my parents!

  Kevin staggered as if physically struck. Parents? The word echoed in his mind, connecting fragments of memory, Bryson's rage, Mia's drunken ramblings, the blue tears flowing backward. A child calling for their parents... it couldn't be a coincidence.

  "Did you hear that?" he whispered, looking at Carl, but his friend's confused expression told him the voice remained his burden alone.

  Kevin's pendant abruptly stopped pulsing, the absence of its familiar rhythm matching the silence that had fallen over the town square. The watery dagger trembled for a moment, then lost cohesion and plummeted back into the well's dark depths.

  Johnson disables his power suit. "Someone tell me what is going on."

  Paz stood up and ignored him. "We cannot delay any more time. A corrupted Power Sword is looking for the Sword Master and is acting out violently. If you care about these Rowen, we must depart from here before it decides to lash out again."

  Carl helped Kevin to his feet. "Ya know, she could have said it more nicely."

  "Yet," Kevin said looking down at the bluish streak on his clothes. "I kind of agree with her. The longer we delay, the more we are putting the townsfolk in danger."

  The Doctor gave Kevin the ok, and after a quick check of the residents, it seemed that no one was injured in the attack. They could not remember the reason why they chanted, but each one of them said the exact frame of reference. They lost people they either once knew or never knew at all.

  Soon after, the Commander gave the order for the mission to depart. At the last moment, Matron told the others that she was sending Mia along to support the mission. Kevin knew that she was good with healing Resonance, and hoped to not have to need her services.

  Mia, looking more sober than before, fumbled a bunch of switches. She glanced at a specific spot on the wagon. One in which it looked waterlogged and stained. She whispered something incoherent, then climbed inside.

  Pizer sat next to her opening up the navigation controls and displaying a map with a blinking red dot near the town center.

  Her hands glowed as the caravan came to life. She grabbed and pulled on invisible reins and the Caravan jerked and rolled forward towards the back gate.

  Kiyo and Bryson secured the side flaps while Paz sat in the corner near the supplies with her hood over her face and her staff across from her.

  Kevin stared out the window, his eyes fixed on the central well as it fell into the distance.

  Carl caught his gaze. "What's eatin' at you, bud?" he asked, nudging Kevin's shoulder.

  "When the dagger pointed at me, I heard a child's voice in my head crying for help."

  When Carl asked for more info, he dismissed him. He was still tired, and sleep called to him.

  Celia, I am on my way.…