Valerian stood before a monolith of sheer stone, a wall that scraped the sky and stretched for miles in either direction. Its height, a staggering five hundred feet, was a silent, unanswerable question. Why would anyone build such a colossal barrier? What could possibly lie beyond it that required such an insane, terrifying scale of fortification? It wasn't just dread—it was a deep, primal fear of the unknown. A commoner would have run screaming from the sheer impossibility of it, but Valerian just stared, a hollow laugh escaping his lips. "The land of which I'm now king," he muttered to himself.

  "We're ready, my lord," Anya's voice came from behind him.

  He clenched his fist, the determination in his heart hardening into a solid block. He turned and nodded. "Let's go."

  Inside the massive tent, the heads of the three houses and the royal guards sat in a tense huddle. Their low murmurs stopped the moment he and Anya entered. Valerian saw the grim but determined look in each pair of eyes. He was also glad to see a flicker of life returning to his wife's, who was seated in the middle, still holding Azuma, who was fast asleep.

  "Now that we're all here, let's get down to business," Valerian said, taking his place in the circle.

  "Yes," Antheros said, her voice softer but no less urgent, her eyes scanning the solemn faces. "I have a question. Why... why isn't my baby crying? Is he... is he supposed to be this quiet?"

  Valerian froze. "Antheros... that's not why we..." He trailed off, met with the fierce, worried gaze of a new mother. He sighed. "Right. Okay. Let's talk about that first. I guess... we cried enough for him, eh?" He gave a weak, awkward smile.

  With a huff, Antheros turned to Anya.

  "Don't look at me, Lady Antheros. I haven't had kids."

  Dejected, Antheros glanced around the table, a sudden wave of isolation washing over her as she realized she was the only woman there. She remembered Mike's wife. Turning to Mike, she demanded, "Where is your wife?"

  "Uh... in my tent. The fourth one to the right."

  "Okay," she said, and rushed out.

  An awkward silence fell over the group. This meeting was meant to be a pivotal strategy session, but the key person had just walked out. Everyone’s eyes turned to Valerian, who was just as dumbfounded.

  "Right," he said, rubbing his temple. "I'll go get her." He left the tent.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Half an hour later, they returned with the baby. A hint of lingering worry could still be seen on their faces. Mike’s wife followed and sat politely beside Antheros.

  The meeting resumed, the confusion still lingering in the air. Anya began again. "Lady Antheros, do you recall the waterfall at the end of the valley in the Twin Peaks?"

  Antheros, stroking her baby's tiny hand, looked down in thought. She was quiet for a moment, and then her eyes brightened. "Yes, I remember. When we were culling that monster horde and answered the gatekeepers' call, we stumbled upon that beautiful waterfall." Her eyes got even brighter as she looked up at Anya. "You're brilliant!"

  Anya smiled. "I believe there's a cave hidden behind it where we can camp."

  "More than a camp," Antheros said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "The water flow will erase all human traces. We can set up a temporary home there. Not to mention the animals that come to the valley for water... it will provide a good source of food."

  "Is that place really that good?" Dhruba asked, his frustration evident.

  Antheros hesitated. "I don't know for sure. I only discovered it by accident. It's a big cave, large enough to accommodate all of us if we squeeze in."

  Dhruba slammed his hand on the table. "Damn that Duri... he took your legacy away. If we had that, establishing a town would be a piece of cake!"

  He looked up to see Valerian and the other house heads smiling at him.

  "A legacy doesn't matter much when we have the legacy creator with us, Dhruba," Mike said with a chuckle. "Calm down. Don't think about the past. The real challenge is getting there. We have no warriors strong enough to brave the Cursed Lands apart from you four. I don't think that's enough." The tent fell silent.

  "What do you want, then?" Antheros asked. The group was quiet, too ashamed to ask the champion to take on such a burden when she was in such a weakened state.

  "Goo goo gaa gaa," Antheros said, which puzzled everyone. They looked up to see her feeding Azuma. All the men immediately turned their heads, and Mike’s wife quickly placed a veil over them.

  Again, the meeting was halted for another half hour. It was only after Antheros finished feeding the baby and put him to sleep that they started again, this time in hushed tones to avoid waking Azuma.

  "I will go with the four royal guards," she said, her voice firm.

  "BUT—" Valerian exclaimed.

  "Shhh... he's sleeping," Antheros whispered, her voice a low, fierce sound. She looked at her child, and the weariness seemed to burn away, replaced by a deep, unshakeable resolve. "You know there's no one else to take this on. And I... I have a reason now. A reason that won't let me fail. I won't go until I see him grow up."

  "But... you are weakened," Valerian said, his voice laced with concern.

  "Heh," she laughed quietly. "I'm not that weak, my dear. We have Anya and Virkam. And I," she smiled, "have a plan."

  Valerian’s trembling body calmed down. He sat and said, "Then tell me your plan. I will only approve it if I feel it's viable and safe."

  Antheros nodded. She looked at Anya. "You can find a safe path, right?"

  Anya smiled. "Yes, my lady."

  "Good." She then looked at Virkam. "You can lay traps."

  "I... can, my lady," Virkam said with some hesitation.

  "See?" Antheros said, as if it explained everything. "That's how we'll be safe."

  Valerian’s right eye twitched. "Oh, that's it? How... simple and elegant."

  "See?" Antheros repeated.

  "THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING!" Valerian shouted.

  "Ahhhhhhh!" Azuma cried, startled.

  "You idiot!" Antheros shouted back, and once again, the meeting was extended.