When Davon regained awareness, he found himself adrift in a state without thought. Imagery flashed through his head, but it slipped through his mental fingers effortlessly. He didn’t bother to define or remember it. Guided by pure feeling, he floated in a sea of black, free from any stress or pain.

  For the first time in a long while, Davon was completely content.

  Time lost its hold on him as he reveled in this feeling. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t want to know, or to think at all. His whole consciousness was wrapped up in this rare sensation of peace, and the desire to stay there forever.

  Until one particularly vivid image flashed in his mind: a massive, clawed fist poised to strike him.

  A storm of fear shattered his serenity, sending him into an anxious spiral. Davon mentally reached for his Reliquary. Spurred on by his sudden panic, a wave of pain surged outwards from his chest. It was like a siege boulder had crashed into him. Davon could feel his ribcage collapsing under the force, fragments of shattered bones piercing into other organs —

  Davon’s eyes shot open as he gasped for air. The pain in his chest was so intense that he couldn’t breathe. His brain struggled to catch up as Davon choked on nothing.

  A desperate need to survive snapped Davon out of his panic, allowing him to focus on just drawing breath. The pain in his chest eased slightly as the first rush of air filled his lungs. With the next breath, the pain was suddenly gone, vanishing almost as instantly as it appeared. Only a dull ache remained in its place.

  Through labored breaths, Davon slowly raised his head. He was lying on his bedroll back in the Vanguard camp. Without thinking, he reached for his Reliquary. His spiraling thoughts calmed when his hand brushed against his bow.

  Clutching the weapon to his chest, Davon closed his eyes and focused again on breathing.

  Inhale, exhale, repeat.

  Inhale, exhale, repeat.

  His rhythm was interrupted by a hand gently grabbing his shoulder. Davon opened his eyes to find himself looking up at Kai’s concerned face.

  “Good morning, Kai. Did I sleep in?” Davon quipped, trying to mask his recent panic.

  Kai tilted his head in confusion. “I guess you could say that. Lyla was beginning to think you weren’t going to wake up.”

  Ignoring the fact that Kai had completely missed the joke, Davon pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Yeah? Why so?”

  “It’s been half a day since the two of us woke up. We were starting to get worried.”

  Anxiety spiked again in Davon’s mind. Half a day? Why did it take so much longer for me this time?

  Fighting down another panic spiral with a deep breath, Davon looked around the tent. Lyla was nowhere to be seen.

  Kai was still staring at Davon. His expression shifted from confusion to concern. “I can’t imagine how painful your death must’ve been. I barely felt it, this time.”

  Davon raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed his brow as the memories of his death slowly trickled back to him.

  “Heh. Actually, I didn’t feel anything this time. Not until I woke up, anyway. Where IS Lyla?”

  “Probably wrapping up her report to Emma about now,” Kai replied. “We should head over there, actually. Grant wants to catch us up on what happened while we were dead.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Davon slowly got to his feet, stretching the last remnants of pain out of his body. “Oh, and Kai?”

  Kai turned to his companion with a raised eyebrow.

  “I know we both agreed on that plan. We’re both responsible for it. But from now on… the next time Lyla insists we avoid a fight?” Davon held the young warrior’s gaze, his voice solemn. “We avoid the fight.”

  “Yeah… yeah.” Kai nodded slowly. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

  As the pair walked towards the command tent, Davon paid close attention to his companion. He expected Kai to be demoralized, like after their first death, but the young warrior was still holding his head high and moving with purpose.

  “You seem to be taking the resurrection a lot better this time, Kai,” Davon observed.

  Kai gave a dry chuckle. “Well, it’s a lot easier when death is near-instant, I guess. The first time, I was… aware for a good bit after my head left my shoulder.”

  Davon shuddered, not even wanting to imagine that experience.

  “This time, if anything, it just made me more determined…. and angry.” Kai’s tone slowly transitioned into a growl. “I just want to give Tenebris the death he deserves.”

  Something stirred within Davon at Kai’s words. As he reflected on the fight with the draconic Crimson Reaver general, a simmering rage built within him, sparked and fueled by his own need for vengeance. He agreed with Kai. The beast needed to be killed.

  Then the image of the general’s claw flashed across his mind again, and Davon swallowed a curse.

  His fury had to wait. He and his teammates were nowhere near ready to face Tenebris again.

  Attempting to distract himself, Davon took time to look around the camp as they walked. He noticed quite a few more Revenants milling around, including some who wore colors he didn’t recognize. Then white flakes slowly drifted across his vision, drawing his eyes to the sky.

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  Snow. Autumn had passed into winter.

  It struck him, then, that he couldn't feel the cold.

  Of course, he thought, staring around at the snow. Grant did say we’d experience some physical changes after becoming a Revenant.

  Apparently, those changes included a resistance to extreme temperatures.

  “… two thousand at least, judging by the quick look we got,” Lyla concluded just as Kai and Davon pushed into the tent. Glancing towards them, Lyla gave a quick nod before returning her attention to Grant and Emma.

  The tent fell into uneasy silence. The two Vanguard leaders looked at each other, and then at the map spread out in front of them, deep in thought.

  “Nothing more than we expected.” Grant frowned at the map. “But the fact that there are more creatures we haven’t faced yet, and units we haven’t even seen… that is concerning.”

  “Tenebris is concerning,” Emma replied. “A beast that powerful means we have to proceed with extra care. Luckily, it seems as though he isn’t willing to leave the city walls, for now at least.”

  She waved a hand over the map table. In response, the map seemed to shift, reforming into a detailed view of Heinburg and its surroundings. Davon could see marks indicating the Vanguard camp and what looked to be every Crimson Reaver outpost surrounding the outer city walls.

  “Our first wave of reinforcements has arrived, and the second is on the way,” Grant remarked. Davon realized the unfamiliar Revenants he had seen in the camp were those lost in Heinburg’s siege, now resurrected. “I don't feel comfortable attacking the walls, not without our full force here, but clearing a path and moving our base closer is now a feasible option.”

  Several markings on the map lit up with red light, indicating outposts too close to the direct path between the Vanguard and the outer walls of Heinburg.

  “Unfortunately, our scouts report that the Crimson Reavers are pulling their forces together,” Emma interjected, pointing to the outpost closest to the city. “They know we’re here. They won’t let us carve a path so easily.”

  Grant tapped his knuckles firmly against the map table. “Then we will show them our fist. We will push against them, carving a path to a spot just outside the range of siege engines. There, we will set up camp.”

  “What if Tenebris shows up?” Davon asked.

  The two Vanguard leaders looked at him sharply, as if suddenly remembering they were not alone.

  “Not to be pessimistic,” Davon went on, “but I don’t think most of us would survive his intervention.”

  Grant crossed his arms. “Tenebris is not the first great beast we have faced, boy. We have tools to deal with threats such as him, and we will bring them to bear.”

  “We have to make this push now,” Emma added, a crack of concern marring her usual mask of quiet confidence. “The other fronts need to be reinforced. Dealing with the Crimson Reavers here will allow us to do just that.”

  Davon raised his eyebrows, waiting expectantly for Emma to continue.

  “Our front only has to deal with one army,” she explained, gesturing towards the map. “In the north, another city fell to the Crimson Reavers. The west only just managed to reclaim one city, and the south is maintaining stalemate… for now. Thus, the best course of action is to be decisive.”

  “That’s right,” Grant agreed. “We will be making a combined push further into enemy territory tomorrow. For now, you three go get some rest.”

  The team nodded silently and turned to leave.

  “Oh, and before I forget,” Emma called out, “stop by the Boneshaper’s tent. I arranged for some materials to be given to you. Consider it a reward for the assignment.”

  As he pushed open the tent flaps, Davon noted that the light snowfall had intensified. The ground and tents were already covered in a thin layer of white, and snow was still coming down steadily.

  "Glad to see you up, Davon,” Lyla said with a slight smile as the trio turned towards the Boneshaper’s tent. “You had me worried.”

  “Ah, you know how hard it is to wake up from a long nap,” Davon replied, forcing a smile. The fact that his resurrection had taken so much longer than Kai’s or Lyla’s was still troubling him. Even in the command tent, his thoughts kept circling back to that question: why had he taken so long to awaken?

  He dreaded the implications of the answer.

  “And here I thought the Night Runner is known for her disciplined crew,” Lyla shot back playfully.

  Davon fell silent. It suddenly occurred to him that he had never told Kai and Lyla how he’d ended up becoming a Revenant. If Grant hadn’t told them about the ambush, then neither of them knew of the ship’s fate. They didn’t know about that day on the docks.

  Well, if they don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t tell them while we’re in the middle of a siege, he thought.

  Keeping his face carefully blank, he just shrugged and changed the subject.

  When they arrived at the Boneshaper’s tent, Davon bit back a gasp. The robed figure standing beside the large wooden table had its hood down. Even more remarkably, it wore no mask.

  The Boneshaper was a tall man, his face so covered with scars that it was hard to make out his exact features. The long black hair that framed his face contrasted sharply with the pure white of his eyes.

  The trio exchanged a glance, then slowly approached the table. To Davon’s surprise, the man’s face turned towards them, seeming to scan each of their faces in turn. Davon had assumed he was blind.

  “You three ‘ere for the materials?” the Boneshaper asked, his voice a combination of gravel and crackling flame.

  Davon nodded. “Yes, we were sent by Emma.”

  “Awright. You three must be something special. These bones are mighty rare. Came from a drake." The man dusted off his robe as he reached for one of the many crates stacked behind him. “Put yer weapons on the table, an’ tell me what kinda improvements you’d like.”

  The trio put their weapons down and made their requests. Kai asked for a simple tier upgrade, as did Davon, while Lyla asked for more runes. The man regarded the weapons on his table as he pried the crate open.

  “Fine make, these,” the Boneshaper commented with a grin. “Made by the Walden’s Hold twins, I assume?”

  “Spot on,” Kai confirmed, watching the Boneshaper arrange bones in a circle around the weapons. “How’d you know?”

  The Boneshaper chuckled. “They’ve got a style to ‘em, those two. Simple and brutal, that’s how they make their weapons. Effective, with a touch of wickedness. Heh… Lunatics, the both of ‘em.”

  Having pronounced this opinion, the Boneshaper dropped immediately into the familiar chant.

  The trio waited patiently. Davon used the time to scrutinize the robed figure in front of him. He was extremely curious. Davon’s knowledge about Boneshapers came entirely from the two in Walden’s Hold, along with a few rumors he’d overheard from other Revenants. He expected all Boneshapers to be mysteriously eccentric, yet this man seemed open and straightforward.

  Studying the chanting man’s face, Davon wondered whether the white eyes and scars were caused by the process used by Boneshapers to bind with their Reliquaries. Most of the rumors Davon had heard about Boneshapers centered on that secret event. Briefly, he considered asking the man, but decided against it.

  Instead, after the ritual was complete, he picked up his bow and gave it a quick inspection. He didn’t notice any striking differences. The only change at all was the color, which had shifted a few shades darker.

  Kai picked up his axe, but his eyes were still trained on the Boneshaper. “Why do you think the Walden’s Hold twins are lunatics? They seem fine to me.”

  “A story for another time, kid,” the Boneshaper replied through another chuckle. “Tell you what, you bring me some bones next time you swing around, and I’ll tell it.”

  Kai contemplated the man a few moments longer before nodding. “Fair, it’s a deal.”

  “Good lad.” The Boneshaper turned back towards the crates. “Now get. I got things to do.”

  “So do we,” Lyla reminded Kai and Davon as they left the tent. “You heard Grant and Emma. We’re starting a major push tomorrow.”

  Davon slung his bow over his shoulders, letting the familiar weight settle onto his back. He found comfort in that weight. It was a reminder that his weapon was with him. That he was not helpless.

  That he could fight back.

  A smile spread over his features as he turned to his teammates.

  “I guess we should rest up before tomorrow, then.”