Hunter woke up in a thousand shades of pain. He groaned as he sat up.

  He looked over at Jaspen’s sleeping bag and was puzzled by Jaspen’s absence. Standing was a brief, painful struggle. He stumbled his way out of the tent, and was relieved to find Jaspen sitting on a small wooden chair, watching as their small corner of the large encampment awaken. The Seedhan sun was rising over the horizon. Distant mountains and low-hanging clouds framed the sun’s glow like a monstrous eye.

  “Good to see you up,” Hunter said. Jaspen nodded and held out a fist. Hunter tapped it with his own.

  “I’m feeling a lot better,” Jaspen said. His breathing was unlaboured, and speaking no longer seemed to discomfort him.

  “Speaking of which,” Hunter said, dipping back into the tent to grab Jaspen’s supplies, only to find that some supplies were missing. When he asked Jaspen about it, Jaspen just shrugged.

  “A man’s gotta have some dignity,” Jaspen said. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Hunter. But I think I can apply my own treatment from now on.”

  “I understand,” Hunter said. He didn’t mind. Every time he applied the ointment he would worried about injuring Jaspen further. He felt his appetite ramped up after his breakthrough, much like it had when he’d first practiced the Internal Arts. His body was getting stronger, and it would be nice not having to worry about accidentally applying too much pressure on Jaspen’s wounds. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

  “How much did the treatment cost you?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Hunter said. “I actually want to talk to you about something related to that. How much do you remember from the last couple of days?”

  Jaspen frowned.

  “I was tired, but not brain-dead, Hunter.”

  “Alright,” Hunter said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “Fair enough. Remember what I said about the merchant I got in contact with?”

  “That you’d be doing some jobs for him. And that he might provide us with more information about the camp and the Peacekeepers.”

  “Sort of, yeah. The work I do for him should provide me with cheaper access to whatever the doctor provides beyond medicine. That and a lot of other stuff, I’m sure. Information is just one of many services Os provides.”

  “What’s this have to do with the cost of the treatment?”

  “Well, the work I’m doing for Os and the amount of good scrap I can gather means that I won’t be out of pocket for long. I didn’t really think of it as a debt you’d need to pay off.”

  “You’re a fool, Hunter,” Jaspen said with a wry grin. “Whether or not you agree with it, I owe you.”

  “I owe you my life. You took a hit for all of us when you didn’t need to. You don’t owe us anything.”

  “That would be the easy way out, Hunter. There’s no growth along the easy road.”

  “And you call me a fool?” Hunter asked. They both laughed. He enjoyed seeing Jaspen so animated and full of life after having been so close to death.

  After a brief pause, Jaspen spoke. “I heard you come back late last night. I had heard some shouts about a fatal fight. To be honest, I feared for the worst.”

  “I thought you were asleep when I got back,” Hunter said. “Sorry for worrying you. There was something I had to do.”

  This is as good a chance as any, Hunter thought. He beckoned for Jaspen to follow him back into the tent. Jaspen took the hint that he was about to share something sensitive and he raised his brows.

  It didn’t take long to fill Jaspen in on what had happened the previous evening. He kept his tone low so as not to wake the others, or give any passers-by a hint about what they were discussing. When he finished summarizing his conversation with Os, Jaspen was frowning. His eyes darted back and forth as he thought. Hunter waited for him to share his thoughts.

  “I’m not surprised that something like a fighting ring would appear here. Nor am I surprised the Peacekeepers have a significant part to play in its existence. You took quite the risk.”

  “The payout was too good to pass up.”

  “Payout?”

  Hunter explained how fighters couldn’t bet on themselves, but they got their pick of some of pretty valuable salvage. He could have gotten tickets instead, but he didn’t know about the Peacekeeper’s credit system when he won his first fight.

  And he hadn’t found the chance to collect his winnings from the previous night. Something told him the Peacekeepers wouldn’t be pleased to see him coming around and asking for his rightful share.

  “At least you got some entertainment. Thank heavens the doctor was there. I dread to think of your fate had he not been able to create an antidote to the poison.”

  “The man is an expert. It took him less than a minute, from what I remember. He seemed to recognize the poison straight away, too.”

  “I think it would be best if you paid him a visit later. Just in case,” Jaspen said.

  “I was going to do that before my shift,” Hunter said. Jaspen nodded.

  Another silence stretched between them for a moment.

  “I’ll need to think about what you’ve told me. The information about the fleet could be our key to freedom. I’ll tell some others, people who I trust to remain calm and discrete. We’ll discuss what we know and what it might mean. Thank you for all of your hard work, Hunter. Everything you’ve done, everything you’ve told me, it gives me hope. I’m sure others feel the same. Without you, things would seem much worse for us.”

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  Hunter wanted to deny Jaspen’s words. He knew firsthand what he and others could be capable of when their futures were on the line. He was sure the others were also contributing to their eventual liberation. Their concern for Jaspen was apparent, and if he weren’t there to treat Jaspen, he knew they would have found their own way to gather the resources to do so.

  But Jaspen was a wilful man. If Hunter denied the man’s praise, Jaspen would only dig his heels in. Not willing to fight a losing battle, Hunter bid his friend farewell and left to navigate the camp.

  “Think nothing of it,” the doctor said. “It was a simple solution to a simple problem. Bronze Ambrosia is among the weaker poisons that the Peacekeepers like to use. Many microdose it to self medicate—but you didn’t hear that from me. Understand?”

  Hunter nodded. The doctor was clearly exhausted. His skin was pale, there were dark circles forming around his eyes, and he seemed less energetic than usual.

  “It’s only in larger doses that it can be fatal. While the antidote prevented permanent damage, the dose you received wouldn’t have killed you. Here,” he said, reaching into a drawer beside him and pulling out a small vial of pills. He’d hesitate to call them pills, as they were more like small pellets. Only around a third of the size of the cultivation pill he’d taken.

  “Uma’s Second Breath. It’ll help you clear out your aura and your Vital system. It’ll also help your physical injuries heal faster.”

  Hunter took the vial.

  “How much do I owe you?” he asked. The doctor shook his head.

  “This stuff is very easy and cheap to manufacture. I’ll consider it a free supplement to the treatment you’ve bought for your friend.”

  “Easy and cheap, huh?” Hunter said, holding the vial up to examine the pills a bit more closely. It was something to keep in mind. Skyhold could use all the easy and cheap resources it could find to establish itself here. “You wouldn’t have a way to manufacture these pills, would you? Could you teach me?”

  “Now, that would be the opposite of easy and cheap, dear boy. It would take more time than I’m willing to spend on such a project. My duties to the camp’s inhabitants require most of my time. I spend the rest of my time keeping the Peacekeepers healthy and getting what little sleep I can.”

  “Of course,” Hunter said, and considered the matter closed. It was a shame, though. He’d love to get a recipe and a step-by-step guide to the medicine’s production to bring back to Skyhold.

  “I’m sure there are some around the camp who would shed some light on the subject for you, but it would still cost you and sourcing equipment would be a challenge. Keeping such equipment hidden would prove futile. I’m certain that there are many amongst your, er, colleagues, who wouldn’t hesitate to take it from you by force. The Peacekeepers might do it themselves if they felt so inclined.”

  “Thanks for the warning, doc,” Hunter said. He’d keep his ability to hide his belongings to himself. The less he said, the better. He flicked the vial, and the pills made a satisfying rattle. “I appreciate this.”

  “It’s the least I could do.”

  Hunter left the doctor’s cabin and pretended to pocket the vial of pills. With a thought and slight movement of etherium, the vial disappeared into the space within his ring.

  Or was the space attached to his ring? The space, like a nearby companion always just a thought away, didn’t feel contained within the ring. But what would he know about creating pocket spaces and attaching them to objects? Maybe that’s exactly what it would feel like for a space to exist within a ring. It’s not like he had extensive experience with this technology. If there was a way to replicate this sort of thing with technology, then Skyhold was probably thousands of years behind the curve.

  Hunter paused. Was he being paranoid, or did it seem like there were more people watching him?

  After the events of the previous night, could he afford to let his guard down?

  With extra caution, he continued towards the edge of the camp. It even seemed like some people were following him. But he couldn’t be sure. What if they were on their way to start their shift, just like he was?

  He tried to relax, checking his ring to make sure he had enough water and rations, then cursed when he remembered that he’d given his canteen to Jaspen. Hunter turned around and made his way to one of the provision tents. He used the last of his scrap to purchase what he’d need for the day, and left. The group that he had thought was following him was no longer around.

  Tension evaporated from his shoulders. He took a deep breath. In his opinion, his caution was prudent. Even if there was nothing to worry about now, what if he ran into someone who had seen him fight the previous night? They might think he was too weak to want to risk a fight over his day’s earnings.

  Or worse, they may try to score points with the Peacekeepers by finishing the job.

  The scavenging fields were vast. It would be easy to get lost out there. Making someone disappear wouldn’t be much of a challenge, even for him, and he didn’t know jack about making people disappear.

  But with all the hidden alcoves, cave-like remnants of homes, the lack of natural lighting anywhere, and the deep trenches criss-crossing everywhere, opportunities for hiding malevolent activities abounded.

  The line of thought wasn’t doing anything to help his peaking anxiety, but he couldn’t let it affect him. He brought the vial out from his storage ring and swallowed a pill. The doctor recommended that he take one every few hours. Hopefully, by the end of the day, his injuries would have healed.

  Hunter faced the endless plains stretching into the distance and began his march, wary about anyone who might glance in his direction.

  The sun cast a heavy heat upon the world. It pressed down on him, and every few minutes he’d feel tempted to take a sip of his water. An odd wave of relief and invigoration—quite like a deep breath of cool, fresh air marked the effect of Uma’s Second Breath. It curbed his cravings and kept him focused on the long walk.

  Eventually, he found the first signs of holes chipped into the earth. Then came the pillars of what was once, he was sure, a large town. They poked out of small hills that might have been entire neighbourhoods, once. To his knowledge, the area had been picked clean. He kept his mind as quiet as he could, waiting for the activation of his sixth sense, for any sign of an etheric effect that might indicate some valuable loot.

  It took about two hours of searching before he found his first hit, and when he explored further, he found a large group of mean-looking individuals already claimed the spot. They were an energetic bunch. Those who guarded the impromptu worksite held their backs straight and glared at anyone coming too close. Hunter wasn’t looking for a fight, and he wasn’t interested in whatever scraps they’d be willing to spare. Besides, these guys seemed too much like loyalists for him to risk their scrutiny. He didn’t know how wide the news of the interrupted double-down had spread.

  He didn’t lament the time he wasted to find that spot. All he could do was move on, and hope that the unceasing glare of the man he’d just passed wasn’t because of recognition. Hunter looked back. The man was still glaring. He wore a dark cloak—a questionable choice in the Seedhan heat. He was either hunched over or naturally short.

  It seemed to Hunter that he was looking for a fight. Either that, or he had some weird condition that affected his nervous system, rendering him taught like a bow-string under tension. The feeling that Hunter got from the man reminded him of times that he’d faced down rampaging animals on Skyhold. Something told him that if he appeared weak, the man might try to take advantage of him.

  The idea insulted him. He could tell that his guy wasn’t much farther along Foundation Establishment than himself. After seeing that Hunter wasn’t cowering under his gaze, the man sneered and turned away. His pace was slow, but to his credit, he didn’t once turn back to see if Hunter was following him.

  What a psycho, Hunter thought.

  Hunter feared it wouldn’t be the last time he’d see that strange man. He would keep an eye out for dark cloaks and stiff-movements in anyone he passed. He’d rather not get stabbed in the back.