• Planning Ahead

The dark arrived a few hours after everyone was done with lunch, and now, the team was gathered around a fire.

This time it was Thorin who had created the furnace, not Spheris's Lantern Variable. Somehow, this made Spheris feel a certain way — jealous? Superseded? Like he was being replaced.

But the Bearer pushed the thoughts away and concentrated on the matter at hand.

They were gathered for a team meeting. Under the order of the Temple of Helios, the companions assembled around his fire to plan ahead, mapping out what their next course of action would be.

On one end was Spheris, directly across Thorin with the flames of the fire separating them. Besides Spheris — his left — was Cerene, and to his right was Linne. Next to Linne sat Akemi, as silent as ever, and beside Cerene was Nero.

Thorin was positioned directly between Nero and Akemi.