Vivian
The next hour was a quiet chaos, which made for an unsettling contrast. Vivian steeled herself for what needed to be done. She knew this was going to be dangerous, but it was surprising how suddenly things were coming to a head. Red orcs, a Murai leading them, the destroyed Rapid Response Team from Solcarin—it was all unexpected and, frankly, terrifying.
She couldn’t allow that to show.
She looked at her companions—her sisters-in-law, Marissa Lin, the Princess, even An-Mei and Elizabeth. This situation was frightening, but they weren’t down and out yet. Vivian took a deep, silent breath.
“Okay,” she said to herself. “It’s time to take charge.”
She turned to the captain. “Chiron, I’m going to be taking command of this mission.”
Then she looked over at her sisters-in-law. “Darling sisters, will you give me permission to command your house guards?”
The two sisters exchanged soft smiles despite the evident fear on their faces. They nodded.
Vivian took another breath. She should never have allowed the two sisters to come to this place. She should have left them at the Zhou estate. What kind of foolish decision was it to bring her sisters-in-law—who had very little combat experience—into something this potentially dangerous?
If something happened to them, she would never forgive herself.
She made a silent plea to her husband.
I’ll keep them safe, Ethan. I promise.
“Captain,” she said, “start gathering the mercenaries. We’re going to try something unique.”
Vivian made a plan she wasn’t proud of. With this many people present, moving silently through the night would be impossible. So instead, she decided to send a group of their warriors south, make sure they were seen on the river, then have them cross to the opposite side of the gorge and attempt to escape that way.
It would be dangerous.
And if the Red Orcs and their Murai commander were truly hunting them, it would likely be deadly. But if the enemy was looking for them and didn’t see them immediately, they might not divert all their forces.
It was poorly considered and only partially thought out. It was dangerous. The problem was that she couldn’t think of anything better.
They could all try to flee north together, but she had to assume the commander was at least as capable as they were. A few extra warriors wouldn’t matter if they were being specifically tracked—especially if there was no misdirection involved. Everyone moving toward a single goal would make that easier.
Dividing their forces while attempting escape or seeking help might be the only chance they had to survive.
That assumed the enemy wasn’t specifically hunting their group and instead wanted the Gate itself—which, based on the orcs’ positioning near the river south of them, seemed at least plausible.
It was something they simply didn’t know.
A group of mercenaries approached. One of them—a young man from the northern cities they simply called the Blade—stepped forward with an amused swagger. He was young, couldn’t have been more than eighteen, but he had potent mana and carried a sword so large it bordered on ridiculous.
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“We hear you want to do something stupid.”
Vivian smiled despite herself and the situation. “Indeed. Are you interested in doing something really stupid?”
He bowed mockingly. She found she didn’t mind. “We’re mercenaries, my lady. We were probably born stupid.”
Vivian raised an eyebrow. Somewhere nearby, someone snorted. Probably An-Mei.
“You know what we’re up against,” Vivian said. “Who we need to protect.”
He shrugged. “We fight for a paycheck, but we know what’s at stake. The Princess—yes, we all know. Why do you look surprised? It’s not exactly like you tried to hide it very well. As for the plan—the scary red orcs and the Murai with the fancy sword work—I don’t love our odds. Not being here actually gives us a greater chance of living if those killers are really after you.”
Vivian gave him a soft smile. “Indeed. I want you to take a different route with the rest of your group. Make it back to the Zhao estate, and when we get there, I’ll pay you double your fee.”
The Blade smiled. “I like the language you speak, my lady.”
“Start packing. Take one of the barges. Make sure you’re seen, and make sure you’re traveling light and ready to run. I need you to kick up a ruckus when you go. I’m deliberately using you as a distraction. I don’t know much about the gorge pathways. I know it’s light, and I know you’ll have to go straight. You’ll need to move very quickly—assuming, of course, they follow you.”
He grinned again. “Do you always come up with half-assed plans?”
“No,” Vivian replied evenly. “Usually I’m far more strategic. But we don’t know what we’re facing, and this seems like as good an idea as any.”
The Blade clenched a fist and bowed. “The Crane of the Li House is a sight these unworthy souls do not deserve. We’ll do as you ask.”
Vivian rolled her eyes but nodded, then made her way back to Sophie, Elizabeth, and the others gathered around a softly glowing map projection.
The map was detailed—shockingly so.
It showed Yulin in the upper right corner, along with the Great Southern Highway leading toward the independent cities. It depicted scarred Chaos Land patches along the highway, continuing into the High Cut that ran through the Kartakik Mountain Range, and then onward into the jungle-like region leading to Solcirn.
It also showed paths toward the Zhao Estate State, though the Zhao State itself did not appear. The Sambac River and the route they had taken up to the Cliffs of Moher framed much of the map. A giant ravine carved by the river split the valley.
Across from that ravine, several inlets appeared—possible routes south if they could reach them unseen.
Vivian studied the map, struck by how strange the topography was. The mountain range extended north, long and unbroken, while usable coastal land varied wildly in width.
It made sense why the Salisec Peninsula—heavily fortified—had long been the only reliable route between the northern and southern coasts.
In the south, the mountains pressed tightly against the sea. Settlements were rare—mostly strategic outposts linked by the mage-net.
The Colfax River, a violent tributary of the Sambac, cutting through ravines near the Gate and the Cliffs of Moher, was an anomaly.
Vivian wasn’t much for natural sciences or formational studies, but she resolved that if they survived this, she would figure out why this place existed as it did—because none of it made sense.
She looked again at the group.
An-Mei picked at her nails with a dagger, humming tunelessly. The twins and Marissa sat just outside the light, whispering and holding hands. They looked nervous.
“What are you thinking?” Vivian asked Sophie.
“I think heading north is our best bet,” Sophie said. “We stay on the river. Do we know how far the barges can go? Is there a distance limit?”
Elise answered. “When Brother Ethan created the designs—not these barges exactly, but the concept—he explained that they feed on ambient mana from the water and surroundings, so they don’t have a fuel problem. The issue is maintenance. The propulsion, reservoir, and intake spells need regular updating to maintain output. He once said better engraving materials would make them more reliable—but he never finished that work. We can’t assume unlimited range.”
“Thanks, Elise,” Sophie said.
Vivian shot her a look. She still couldn’t tell the twins apart unless they wore different clothes, and now they were dressed identically. She decided not to comment.
“If we assume limited range,” Sophie continued, “going all the way upriver might not be smart. There are fortress cities farther north that police the seas and act as trade ports. The Murai are isolationist. Orcs don’t trade. The Sea People prefer small fishing towns. But the Holy Empire has an embassy there and conducts trade.
“If we reach those areas, there should be transport. The governor is my cousin—though we haven’t spoken in years. They have a large garrison for pirate suppression. We could request a flying carriage or secure passage on a naval vessel south.”
Vivian continued to study the map, committing every detail to memory.
They were going north.
And hoping the night would let them.