As Val and I retreated from the rest of the group, Lore and Arzak set about building camp for the night—by a pretty waterfall was about as good a spot as many—while Corminar “suggested” instructions for them.

  I remained quiet as we put distance between us and the others, stepping slowly around the edge of the lake until I could feel the mist from the waterfall landing on my face. I turned to Val, and saw that she was betraying absolutely nothing of what she was feeling on her face. Though, that plain, uncharacteristically blank expression was a decision it and of itself. ‘I know we’ve been working on our communication lately, but I don’t really know how to start this conversation still.’

  ‘You tell me how you feel,’ Val said.

  ‘Or you could go first.’

  ‘I’m the one carrying your child.’

  ‘Tell me now if you’re gonna use that one a lot.’

  ‘I am,’ my wife replied, though she stuck her tongue out at me to show she was—at least partially—joking. Old habits died hard.

  This playfulness was enough to break the ice, however, and I found it within myself to speak. To communicate. ‘I know we’ve had some trouble in the past, but I’d like to think we’re getting through it, right? We’re… what’s the phrase you used?’

  ‘Processing our trauma.’

  ‘Yeah, that. We’re sorting stuff out in our heads. And I think we’re doing better, aren’t we?’

  Val kept her face neutral once more, but I could see a smile in those dark eyes of hers. ‘I think so, yeah. So about the baby…’

  ‘What I’m saying is…’ I took in a deep breath. ‘There’s nobody I’d rather be having a child with than you.’

  Finally Val’s face broke into a smile once more. This time, she didn’t return to that artificially blank expression. ‘Good. I feel the same. But… now? Is it the right time?’

  ‘Do people have children at the “right time”? Is that a thing? Does the right time even exist?’

  ‘Maybe not, but the “wrong time” isn’t usually “being hunted down by a powerful Council of Players” for other people. It’s not having quite enough money, or wanting to work on their careers. Not… mortal peril.’

  I shrugged. ‘Fair point. But, Val, here’s a counterpoint. I think I… want this? I think I want to do this with you? And I don’t think I care about anything else?’

  Val paused for a moment, meeting my eyes, before launching into an attack on my face with her mouth. She pecked me all over—including once on the eyeball, for some reason—before eventually flinging her arms around me and squeezing me tight.

  ‘So I’m guessing… you agree?’

  ‘Of course I agree, idiot,’ Val said.

  ‘I thought we agreed we weren’t gonna call each other idiots anymore.’

  ‘Of course I agree, stupid-head,’ my wife corrected herself.

  ‘That’s not really—’

  Val pulled away from the hug and looked me in the face once more. ‘We’re doing this, aren’t we? We’re actually doing this. But, Styk, we gotta do it better than our parents.’

  ‘What, you don’t wanna abandon your child on a doorstep or let your child watch as you get stabbed to death?’

  ‘And that’s before we even start on my parents,’ Val added.

  I raised an eyebrow. ‘I still think I have you beat, there.’

  Silence fell over us as we looked back over the lake. Even over the splashing of the waterfall, we could hear Arzak and Corminar shouting at one another. I knew them both well enough by now that I wasn’t worried; the both of them got a little heated during a fight, and they’d calm down properly soon.

  ‘No wonder Lore’s been funny about you joining the fights,’ I finally said.

  ‘I thought he was just rooting for us.’

  ‘What, and only you needed worrying about?’ I asked. ‘You didn’t think he should be worrying about me too, in that situation?’

  Val shrugged. ‘You’ve been giving it all that super-strong-big-balls stuff lately; maybe he thought you really were untouchable. I know better, obviously.’ She mimed stabbing me through the chest. No, not the chest, through the artifact that hung from a chain around my neck.

  I looked down at the Sisyphus Artifact, cradling it gently in my fingertips. ‘We should think about—’ I started, but Val shook her head.

  ‘No. We can start thinking about stuff later. For now, let’s just enjoy the moment.’

  * * *

  I enjoyed the moment for about five minutes before returning to camp. Arzak had quickly disappeared with Val to talk animatedly about the latest news. Lore tried the same thing with me, but quickly realised I wasn’t interested in talking, and he and Corminar went off to find some potion ingredients instead.

  As I stared into the fire, I found that I couldn’t enjoy the moment any longer. There was too much to think about. Too much pressure to make sure everything was sorted in time for the baby’s arrival. Too much pressure to make sure they were safe.

  I reviewed my progression so far once more.

  My core skill was Worldbending, now up at level 77, though Knifework wasn’t too far behind at 59—with a new ability on its way very soon. More and more, I’d built my progression about my portal abilities, which gave me the option to shift around the battlefield in a flash—and to move others, too. That, combined with some quick stabbing, the damage dealt increased by my Stealth abilities if I went unnoticed, was the bread and butter of my build.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  But I had other peripheral abilities, too. I had access to a Pocket World in which I kept my Needlework supplies, as well as anything else too heavy to actually lug about with me. I had my Shrill Perimeter which I put around camp every night to alert us to enemy presence. I had my Saved Portals, which allowed me to open a portal at a specific location, no matter how far I was from it—this was currently “saved” in a particularly nice tavern in Asaum, in the southwest of the Goldmarch. I could Silence areas entirely, I could Portal Slice through non-reinforced objects, and I could even use Titan Husk to prevent me from fire, ice, corruption and more physical damage effects.

  On the Knifework front, I could use Closed Reach to thrust knives 8 inches deeper, using portal synergy. I could use Knifestorm for a flurry of dagger atacks. I could even, as of two weeks ago, use Etched Blades to imbue my knife with magicks.

  All this was to say, I was strong. I was stronger, now, than ever before—but I could be stronger still. Perhaps I would even need to be stronger still, now that the Council were constantly on our tail in this unceasing cat-and-mouse story. Or, cat-and-cat, really, considering we were doing just as much hunting as they were. Either way, we lived our lives under an ever-present threat of danger. I could deal with myself dying—that never tended to stick, anyway—but I couldn’t handle the same happening to Val. And just how much worse would Val dying be now, now that it meant this new life would never come to be?

  ‘I know that face,’ Val said, staring across the fire. ‘You want to get stronger.’

  ‘I want to protect you. And…’ I gestured towards her belly.

  I didn’t realise until she relaxed that Val had been tensing her shoulders. ‘Let’s skim over the part where we bicker, where I tell you I don’t need protecting, and that I can look after myself. I do need it. So do you, I’ve gotta add, because sometimes you forget that. If you think you need to grow stronger to protect us, then do it. I’ll help. I get stronger too. But there’s another way we can keep ourselves safe—we can end it. We can end the Council once and for all.’

  I held her gaze for a moment, then stood up to take another seat at her side. ‘Good communication,’ I said.

  ‘Yeah, I thought so.’

  I placed a hand on Val’s stomach, even though it was far too early to feel anything. ‘So, Lore probably knows what it’s gonna be, doesn’t he? Do you think we should ask, or keep it a surprise?’

  ‘I already asked him while you were sat there pondering.’ When I raised my eyebrows, she added, ‘What? Like you’re any better at surprises.’

  ‘Well? Go on, then, what is it?’

  ‘It’s a girl, Styk.’

  I didn’t realise it until that moment, but my heart was going to burst with joy no matter what the answer. A smile compulsively crossed my face—one that I couldn’t stifle no matter how hard I tried. Not that I did. ‘...Val?’

  ‘Yeah?’ There was a flash of worry in those eyes. Probably something to do with my tone.

  ‘We gotta keep working on us, yeah? For her?’

  Val smiled, and rested her head on my shoulder. As we sat there, staring into the fire, I decided she was definitely right about one thing.

  It was time to end the Council once and for all.