Chapter 40: An Unwanted Party II

Keane watched Cush for a moment.

Cush didn’t seem ashamed, defensive, or particularly proud of the past. He treated it like an old job he’d quit because it wasn’t worth the trouble.

’At least he’s honest about what he wants.’ He thought to himself. While that didn’t make him trustworthy, it did at least make him easier to understand, at least to a certain extent.

Curtis folded his arms.

"Even with the likes of Cush, we know. I still don’t see why we should take a chance on an unknown."

Amda looked toward him. "That’s not the only concern."

"What else is there?"

"He’s connected to Lady Vane. That alone is worth being careful about."

Curtis scoffed. "Exactly. So we agree."

"No," Amda said. "I’m saying we should be careful. Not that we already know what he’s doing."

Curtis stared at her blankly, "You think there’s a difference?"

"Yes."

Cush had wandered over to inspect a rack of spare equipment. He picked up a glove, checked the stitching, and put it back without showing much interest in the argument.

Keane stood in the middle of it all, feeling increasingly like a piece of equipment someone had delivered to the wrong department.

He understood why they were suspicious, from their perspective, he was a problem waiting to happen.

The part that bothered him was how little control he had over any of it.

It reminded him of where he used to work, there had always been someone who wanted to check his progress, question his decisions, or demand that he explain a system they barely understood. Sometimes their concerns were reasonable, sometimes they were just trying to prove they had a say.

He’d hated being micromanaged by people who couldn’t follow the logic of the code they were criticizing. Now he was standing in front of people who couldn’t possibly understand what he was capable of, and wouldn’t just shutup and watch.

’In the end is power still the answer?’

He didn’t like being dependent on people he hadn’t chosen. He liked it even less when their opinions could affect his options. In the end that was a constant issue as long as one would live in a society.

Rovan checked the time, and just then, "All right. We’re moving."

He collected the map and handed a copy to Amda.

"Keep the route in mind. We’re not exploring beyond the assigned section. If anything differs from the documented conditions, we stop and reassess."

Curtis adjusted the straps on his armor, while Amda checked the small vials in one of her pouches, then secured them again. Cush retrieved his gear and gave the room one last look, apparently satisfied that he hadn’t forgotten anything worth carrying.

Rovan then turned to Keane.

"Remember, you’ll be entering alone. We’ll stay close enough to observe, but we won’t follow directly behind you unless circumstances require it. You request help if you need it. Understood?"

"Understood."

"And if we tell you to withdraw, you withdraw."

Keane nodded. "Got it."

Rovan watched him for a moment, then turned toward the exit. "Let’s go."

...

The trip east took a little over an hour before they reached their destination.

They spoke about the gate as they went, it appeared that wouldn’t be their first time in this particular one.

Arriving at the exact spot, they finally saw the gate entrance, and Keane, for the first time, saw what a gate looked like.

It stood inside a low stone enclosure built around the mouth of a shallow ravine. Several Guild markers had been placed along the approach, and a pair of guards sat beneath a wooden shelter near the entrance. Beyond them, the air shimmered in a tall oval, its surface moving like dark water caught in a slow current.

Keane looked at it in amazement. ’So that’s what one looks like.’

It wasn’t a new concept to a game developer like himself, he had written code on the working of portals before, but seeing one in person was different.

Rovan approached the guards and exchanged a few words with them. One checked the group’s documents, while the other confirmed the gate’s current status, everything appeared routine.

The other three checked themselves one final time as they waited, and Keane who would be doing the actual work just watched them, as if he was the one who would be watching.

Rovan finished with the guards and returned.

"Status is unchanged. Same route, same known population. We’ll proceed as briefed."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"Stay alert. Don’t assume a familiar gate is a harmless one."

Curtis nodded. "Understood."

Amda didn’t answer immediately.

She was looking at the gate.

Her brow had drawn together, and she seemed to be listening for something. After a moment, she shifted her weight and glanced toward the others.

"Wait."

"What is it?" Rovan said as he turned to face her.

Amda hesitated. "I’m not, sure."

Cush looked over. "That’s reassuring."

"I mean it." She said, looking back at the shimmering surface. "Something feels wrong."

Curtis let out a short breath, "Wrong how?"

"I don’t know." Amda said.

"Is the gate unstable?" Curtis asked.

"No. Not that I can tell, at least."

"I don’t think you’ve been every been able to tell such a thing." Cush said, shagging his shoulders as though they were wasting time.

"Then what?"

Amda’s fingers tightened around the strap of her pouch. She seemed frustrated with herself. "I can’t explain it. It’s just... a feeling."

Cush smiled, "Maybe you’re nervous?"

Amda’s cheeks colored slightly, "I’m not nervous."

"Don’t worry, you always have my arms in case anything goes wrong." Cush said with a smirk and a wink.

"Cush!"

"What? It happens, even to experienced Adventurers entering familiar terrain. Besides, middle gate, unfamiliar trial, unranked guy going in solo; I’d be a little nervous too."

Curtis gave a dismissive shake of his head. "If you have something useful to report, report it. We’re not going to stand here because the gate gives you a bad feeling."

Amda looked down, visibly flustered, then forced herself to meet his eyes.

Rovan took a breath. "Gates are uncertain by nature. Even a surveyed one can change, and a feeling by itself isn’t enough to cancel an approved trial. Not that it has ever been recorded that these things can be felt."

Amda nodded, though she still looked uncomfortable. "I understand."

"Heh, if it makes you feel any better, we’ll keep it in mind. If you notice something concrete, say so immediately." Rovan said.

Curtis adjusted his weapon again. "There’s nothing concrete. We’re just wasting time at this point." This time his tone wasn’t oppressive, more like complaining than anything.

"We’re moving." Rovan said.

He turned toward Keane. "Remember the protocol. Once we’re in, you go up first. We observe from the threshold and follow at a distance. If the situation changes, we reassess."

Keane nodded. "Got it."

He stepped closer to the gate. The dark surface rippled as he approached, its shifting patterns reflecting the pale light of the sky. For a moment, he could see the faint outline of his own face in it, distorted by the movement. Behind him, the others fell into position.

Rovan gave the final signal.

Keane stepped through, and the gate closed around him like water, and then, the others followed.