Pearl-white walls emitting a soft luminescence were supported on golden pillars at each corner of the large octagonal room. Murals depicted giant beings with wings and worlds in their hands. On their other hand, tiny people were standing and walking off onto what looked like a larger world. Was it Seedha? It was lush, green and blue. On another wall it showed the people split into groups. As the mural continued, the groups started to vary, but they were all centered around a single image. It was like a mix between a formation and sigil. Hunter squinted his eyes. It looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d seen it before.

  Lines started to emerge between the peoples, lines that connected from the image at the center. Like a spiderweb, the groups became more interconnected. Eventually, those who were connected congregated around the central symbol. In another image futher along the mural, they was a circle of people facing outwards from the center. There was another line of people who weren’t connected, in a larger circle facing the people in the first one.

  It looked like a standoff.

  Was this an account of their history? Is that was this place was for? A way to preserve their history?

  He was still wondering why the walls were glowing.

  In the final section of the mural, there was only one circle with lines connecting them. They expanded to fill the area of the second circle. Then there was an image of each of those individuals holding something in their right hands. Their left hand was held up, palms facing towards outwards, and their fingers straight. All of their eyes seemed to be pointing in the same direction, which was towards the center of the room.

  One line connected them to the central symbol, but from them lines emerged connecting a web of others people around them. He followed the the gaze of the painted peoples and walked towards the center of the room, where a dais was raised, made of the same glowing material as the walls.

  A golden symbol, quite like the ones held in the hands of the figures in the final painting, extruded slightly from the center of the dais. Hunter couldn’t help himself, he pressed a finger against it. It was cold to the touch. He felt a sublt hum vibrate through him. The etheric feeling which had pulled him to the lodge suddenly flared and the intensity of the glow along the walls brightened.

  Startled, he removed his finger. The feeling dimmed to what it had been previously, if a bit weaker. The soft glow returned to the same luminosity that it had before.

  Curious, he thought. If he was right, remaining in contact with the dais would probably end up draining the power of whatever Hunter was sensing.

  But why? He wondered. Was there an etheric network etched throughout the whole building? And why weren’t the walls or the dais itself standing out to his etheric sense? Neither could he feel any connection from the dais to the mysterious object which he sensed deeper in the lodge.

  “Only one way to find out,” he said. He popped another Uma’s Second Breath, and left the room of murals.

  A noise startled him. It echoed down the short hallway leading from the lobby. Hunter quickly tip-toed towards the edge of the hallway connecting from the room of murals and peaked around the corner.

  “Only a few people came this way, and this opening wasn’t here yesterday. It’s gotta be him.”

  The voice was raspy and high-pitched, with a nasally tune which sounded stereotypically nefarious.

  “And you said he was alone? That’s a lot of work for one guy to do in a few hours,” came a second voice, and Hunter almost rolled his eyes. This voice was a much deeper baritone, enunciating slowly and carefully as if they might end up tripping over the small words.

  “Which means he’s probably tired, hungry, and thirsty. Still, I don’t want to go exploring more dark hallways today,” came the high-pitched voice. Hunter decided to call him Raspy.

  “But can’t we just wait for him to come out on his own? He’ll have done all the work for us. All we gotta’ do is take it,” said the second, deeper voice. Hunter would call him Dumby.

  “Good thinking! I think we should hide. He could come out at any time.”

  “I’ll go behind the desk. You go in the corner. He’ll see you first, and i’ll come in behind him!”

  Hunter frowned.

  So he had been watched, after all. He wanted to wait and see if he could discern anything else they might now. Were there others coming after him? Was he a target of opportunity, or was this something they’d been planning for a while?

  At first, his had assumed he was anxious about the notion. But the thought that there might just be two of them filled with some excitement. It was hard to place why, but he could guess. He’d been pushing down a lot of the more negative impulses he’d been feeling lately. Now these guys had presented themselves on a silver platter. Was there a chance that they were Elemental Initiates?

  Maybe. But he doubted it. He’d have felt them before he heard them.

  Before he committed to a fight, Hunter had to seriously consider how he was feeling. He wasn’t tired, despite the long trek he’d taken to find this place, and the hours of labour it took to dig his way in. He wasn’t hungry anymore. He did feel a bit thirsty, but that wouldn’t stop him from fighting.

  Next, he considered what he knew. He could see the lobby in his mind. One of them would be hidden behind the front desk, which would be near to the door. But if they stick to their plan, the one behind the desk wouldn’t emerge until the other one had him distracted. Hunter could use that to his advantage.

  He could also just make a break for it, but he shook his head. He didn’t want anyone finding this spot, and he didn’t plan on sharing it with these guys. If they’d seen him coming this way, then others might have as well. That meant that time was of the essence.

  If he went further into the lodge to find the etheric signature he was sensing, then he wouldn’t be able to hear if these guys changed their plan. Was that a risk he was willing to take?

  Maybe it would be smarter. Secure everything in his ring, then sprint through the lobby and back out into the hot Seedhan sun. He admitted to himself that it wasn’t the worst idea, considering how much confidence he currenlty had in his endurance while under the effect of Uma’s Second Breath.

  But then he would still have the issue of Raspy and Dumby knowing about this spot, and there was more he wanted to figure out. A dark possibility crossed his mind.

  They probably wouldn’t let this go. But neither could he.

  It painted a clear picture of what needed to happen, and he was surprised that he was able to contemplate it.

  Raspy and Dumby would either need to prove that they wouldn’t come back, or they’d need to disappear.

  Hunter searched his storage ring and identified an especially dense candle-holder. He was about to take it out, but then he had a better idea. Keeping his mind firmly fixed on the candle-holder in the storage space, he started towards the door.

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  Ray felt nervous about the plan. The kid they’d been tracking was big, and Jaw had seen him at the fighting arena. But Jaw said that he was almost beaten to death, so he would be weak and tired. But Ray wasn’t so sure. If this place belonged to the guy they thought it did, and if he was so weak, why did he come out this far? How did dig out such a big hole in such a short amount of time?

  But anyone would be tired after that. Ray would be tired after that, so would Jaw. But Ray and Jaw didn’t dig out the hole, all they did was walk. And the guy would be tired from carrying any treasure he salvage he found. It would be easy to take it from him. It was always pretty easy, especially with Jaw.

  Because Jaw was pretty big. It was easy for Jaw to kill them. No one would know it was them, and even if they did, it wouldn’t matter. They were Makky’s guys. Makky had connections. He’d probably get a Peacekeeper uniform, soon.

  Ray salivated at the thought. Makky would be able to bring them to a Peacekeeper camp. They had prostitutes there. Ray hadn’t had a prositute in a long time.

  A very long time. He licked his lips. His minded drifted. He could see them. He could almost feel them. Did they have soft beds? They probably had showers, too. Women in the slave camps didn’t have showers. And they hardly what to do with a man. Especially a man like Ray.

  The excitement for what awaited him when Makky got promoted was making him shake. It was like an itch in his chest. He needed—

  Footsteps. Coming closer. From the doorway. Ray stilled himself. He would need to act fast when their guy appeared.

  But the footsteps stopped. Jaw wouldn’t come out from behind the desk until Ray had distracted them.

  Had they heard Ray? Is that why the foosteps stopped?

  Ray would have to try and get them to come out. But what if they were just tying their shoelace or something, and he gave away the element of surprise? He started moving closer to the door, hoping that the guy didn’t hear him moving. Even if he did, he was confident that it would be okay. He might hear Ray, but he woudln’t hear Jaw until it was too late.

  Ray smiled.

  Everything would go according to plan. It usually did. Even if it didn’t, things would still work out for them. Who would do anything ot them? They were Makky’s guys.

  I can’t wait for Makky to bring us to the Peacekeeper camp, Ray thought. I wanna go there so bad. Do they also have good food? What if I could go there every week?

  Ray had to swallow the saliva that threatened to drip from his mouth.

  Then, he was there. The guy. The one they were following. Ray felt a sudden flash of anxiety, but he always got this way. He got mad at the anxiety, and then he got mad at the guy.

  The guy didn’t even see him. Up close, he really did look like a kid. Strong, too. And he didn’t seem as injured as Jaw had said he was.

  But that was okay. Because if he didn’t see Ray, then Ray could sneak up on him. When the guy was slightly past Ray, he pounced, aiming to tackle the guys legs. The guy suddenly whirled towards Ray, and an object appeared in his hand that wasn’t there before.

  How’s a guy that big so fast? Ray thought. The only big guy that he knew could move that fast was Jaw.

  Before Ray could react to his prey’s suprising speed, he felt a sharp pain in his head and everything went black.

  Hunter dropped the candleholder. The impact against the small man’s head had hurt his hand. His assailant was out cold, with a bloody gash across his temple. It was a hell of a head wound, and Hunter grimaced at the grizzly sight of it. It took all of his concentration to stop him from turning towards the front desk, where he knew that his assailant’s partner would be.

  Hunter squatted with his back to the front desk, acting as if he was slowly and methodically searching Raspy’s body. He could hear Dumby’s breathing behind him. And the soft crunch on the dirt and pebble-covered floor of the lobby let Hunter know that Dumby was making his move.

  Raspy’s eyes were half-lidded, looking everywhere yet seeming to see nothing. His jaw worked, his limbs twitched. Blood gushed from the wound on his head.

  Hunter wasn’t a doctor, but the prognosis didn’t look good. He shouldn’t have been surprsied by the pity that he felt for the smaller man. Now that Raspy was laying before him, vulnerable and unable to defend himself, Hunter felt a bit of guilt. Maybe Raspy wasn’t a terrible guy. He would probably die here, and it would be Hunter’s fault. Raspy seemed so human, and somewhat innocent. What if Raspy had dreams and ambitions?

  As far as Hunter knew, these were Raspy’s death throws. His last moments of life would be spent unconscious, his body and brain trying to make sense of such sudden trauma.

  He pushed the thoughts away as best he could. It was nothing but a pang of regret. He could feel bad about it later, once he and his people were on a ship bound to Skyhold.

  While squatting, Hunter searched his inventory for another weapon. There were plenty of metal objects he’d found, but none of them would be as effective as the large candle-holder he’d just dropped. It was close enough that he could still pick it up.

  His time was running short. At any second, Dumby might realize that Hunter was faking his ignorance. Was dumby as dumb as Hunter assumed. What could he do to improve his odds? A thought occurred. It was a bit of a hail-mary, but what did he have to lose?

  “What a moron,” he said out loud, “why would he attack me all the way out here, and all alone?”

  The footsteps behind him paused. Either Dumby was about to rush him, or Hunter’s word had made him hesitate. He wasn’t dumb enough to wait and find out.

  Hunter took a deep, steadying breath, and grabbed the candle holder.

  “YOU HURT RAY!” Dumby yelled, Hunter felt more suprised by the sudden baritone roar than he would have preferred. He turned slightly to face his attacker. The man’s size was alarming. Hunter backpedalled, trying to aim towards the hole in the wall leading back outside, but Dumby was already moving at a full-tilt sprint. Hunter tried to dodge as Dumby caught up to him, but he couldn’t get out of the way in time. The impact was enough to knock him back. He kept himself upright long enough find a wall to support him, but he was off balance and Dumby was already charging at him again.

  This is gonna hurt, Hunter thought, as Dumby’s mass multiplied by the power of his charge hit Hunter full-on. The force of the hit felt like it compressed him for a second, and his breath wheezed out of his lungs.

  It didn’t hurt as bad as he’d feared. Realizing that he was okay, he decided not to let Dumby build up any more momentum. He knew from his experience with sparring Aera that he needed to take the initiative in the fight before Dumby did. Hunter grabbed both ends of the candle holder thrust it towards Dumby’s face. The hit connected at an angle, and he saw Dumby’s jaw dislocate, but the fury in the man’s eyes was uninterrupted.

  Dumby was berserk. His inarticulate bellows, his massive size, his physical proximity, and his lack of aversion to pain transformed Hunter’s perception of him. He wasn’t just a dumb target, he was now a real threat to Hunter’s life. Dumby retaliated by shoving Hunter back against the wall. His hands clenched around Hunter’s throat. Hunter only had a split second to think, and he leveraged the man’s strength against him, leaning back against the wall and bringing up both of his legs and thrusting them out towards Dumby’s crotch.

  This pain, Dumby couldn’t shrug off. He dropped Hunter, and as he reached for his goin, Hunter attempted to escape. But Dumby seemed to retain the presence of mind to kick out, and Hunter tripped over his foot. Dumby scrambled forward, growling in pain and fury. He caught one of Hunter’s legs, and Hunter kicked at Dumby’s face with his other one. The first kick only furstrated the man further. The second kick caused Dumby to react, reaching now for his jaw with a sob that might have caused Hunter to feel some sympathy for the man if they weren’t fighting for their lives.

  But his other hand was still gripping Hunter’s leg. Hunter kicked at the man’s wrist. His grip slackened, but only a little bit. Still, it was enough for Hunter to wrench his leg free and dive through the opening in the wall.

  Dumby was already charing towards him. He risked a glance back and cursed.

  The man might have been big and dumb, but he was fast, too. If it weren’t for Uma’s Second Breath, and the cycling of etherium through his channels, he’d have been winded or worse. As it was, he had enough energy to attempt to dodge the man’s charge. Pride swelled as he slipped past the man’s tackle. He had a sudden flashback to his fights with Emelia, and he grinned. He grabbed one of Dumby’s outstretched arms, pulling with every ounce of his strength.

  Back then, Hunter had neither the skill nor the strength to counter this move. But now, Hunter ewas different. He was taller, stronger, and knew how to fight. In his enraged state, Dumby was used to being the biggest and strongest man around, at least at as far as Foundation Establishment stage cultivators went. In his enraged state he may have neglected to notice that Hunter wasn’t exactly small either. Nor was he weak.

  Dumby resisted and tried to pull his arm back, but Hunter’s advantage was undeniable. The man was slightly off balance, but he plannted his feet and caught himself. Hunter didn’t hesitate and wrenched the arm behind the man, kicking at the back of Dumby’s left knee and forcing him to kneel.

  He’d thought he’d been clever, but it was clear that he hadn’t thought the maneuver through. He’d been reacting by sheer reflex and trained instinct, but he’d never fought a man of Dumby’s stature before. Dumby launched himself back up and pushed himself backwards. Hunter couldn’t get out of the way in time.

  For the second time in this fight, Hunter had to suffer the Dumby’s full weight. Either Dumby had previous grappling experience, or the advantage of the man’s position was obvious for him even during his enraged ignornace. He twisted atop of Hunter, and Hunter tried to leverage himself free from the man’s weight as he turned, but Dumby was too heavy for that. He straddled atop Hunter’s stomach, gripped Hunter’s throat, and leaned forward with all of his weight.