The last few days had been hard work, but they had paid off. She had gathered more resources than ever before, all with one goal in mind: going back to Rivermark to get supplies and answers.

  Her fingers strummed over the coins, the metallic clatter filling her with pride. Twenty-one silver coins gleamed back at her, catching the morning light like treasure pulled from a storybook. Three copper coins sat off to the side, humble but useful. All of it went into the pouch Zelgra had given her to carry the ore.

  She smiled as she thought of all the ways she could spend it.

  Riley filled her belly and packed her gear. She took one last look around the tower, then opened the door to a sky just beginning to glow with sunrise. The air felt fresh and full of promise. Her chest lifted with the thrill of finally setting her plans in motion. But as her eyes dropped to the threshold and scanned the perimeter, she caught herself holding her breath. A shadow of worry pressed in. The memory of the carcass left at her doorstep was still sharp in her mind. For a heartbeat she braced herself, halfexpecting another message waiting to unsettle her.

  Instead, all she saw was a familiar shape sitting and waiting.

  The dog’s tail thumped against the ground the moment they made eye contact.

  "Good morning, boy," Riley said, her voice lighter than it had been in days. "Are we off on a little adventure today?"

  The dog stared back at her, ears twitching. After a moment, he cocked his head to the side in a way that clearly translated to “what are we waiting for, lady, the sun is already burning daylight.”

  With that, they were off.

  Riley walked a little taller than usual. It was hard not to. There was no carcass at her doorstep, she didn’t feel the eerie sense of being watched, she had a familiar face by her side and she had a mission.

  Riley playfully sauntered along. It felt good feeling the weight of the silver coins in her pouch. Two full fists of silver. “Yeah, I’m a pretty big deal now,” she said, chest lifted in mock pride, jutting her chin in rhythm to the Stayin’ Alive beat playing inside her head. She was going to hold onto this feeling as long as she could, knowing Rivermark would soon bring her back down to earth.

  She resumed the rehearsals she had been practicing the past couple days.

  How would she act? Guarded but not aloof. Curious but not suspicious. Friendly but not easily exploited.

  Who would she talk to? Garron, the tea seller, Zelgra, people at the inn.

  What would she say? This is where it got tricky. “Hey Zelgra, seen any weirdos fall out of the sky lately?” “Hey tea guy, whose name I absolutely do not remember, has anyone been asking about catching a cab to the nearest airport back on Earth?”

  Perfect. Totally normal. No problem.

  Riley sighed deeply to reset herself.

  She knew she couldn’t go in hot like that. Heretics never do well. She had already practiced that she wouldn’t start with the fringe questions. She would need to build some rapport first, get a better understanding of how this world worked. The real trick would be explaining why she did not know anything that seemed like common knowledge.

  One strategy was to simply keep her mouth shut and let other people talk. She could listen at dinner, wander the market, eavesdrop on conversations. Use what she overheard as a springboard.

  That tactic was not new to her.

  Back home she often found herself distracted during group conversations because she was too busy taking out an entire digital kingdom on her phone while the discussion around her drifted into something completely different. She would look up, confused, and say, "Wait, can you say that last part again?" Most people would happily repeat themselves. Or she would give some generic, non-committal answer that made her seem like she knew what they were talking about so they couldn’t call her out on anything that she said incorrectly.

  With a whole village full of people, an opportunity like that would present itself eventually. The real challenge would be stepping out of her shell and being uncomfortable long enough to make it happen.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Bark, bark."

  The sudden sound snapped her out of her thoughts.

  The dog lunged forward, disappearing into the brush ahead. Riley stopped short, her heart jumping. She had been so deep in her own head that she had not realized how far she had come. The dog taking off was a signal. One she needed to respect.

  Riley opened the HUD.

  No alerts.

  She didn’t trust that; it wouldn’t be the first time the HUD had downplayed surrounding events. The dog on the other hand had a pretty good track record and if it said there was something out there, there was something out there.

  She opened the map, scanning her surroundings. Her brow furrowed. Near the edge of the shroud ahead, something flickered. She had seen this before. A map marker that was not fully revealed. Something half there, then gone. It vanished completely into the fog of the unknown.

  No sooner had she closed the map than the dog reappeared at the edge of the brush, standing still as if waiting for her. He looked back once, then turned toward the road. That was her cue to follow. The dog was trotting along at a good pace but she managed to catch up with it. She was glad to be back in its presence. The flicker on the map and the way the dog’s attention had been drawn elsewhere had unsettled her. Whatever the dog had chased off left no trace, and whatever had appeared on the map had vanished. Yet absence did not mean it hadn’t been real. Their existence lingered, undeniable, and with it the innocence of her day was gone.

  Riley looked down at the dog grateful to have his company. Together, they continued on toward the road. Both alert now, both quietly aware that whatever lay ahead might not reveal itself until it was ready.

  ***

  Riley and her companion were nearing the end of the path where it connected with the road. They had made good time, better than she expected, but her legs were beginning to feel it. She wasn’t too concerned because she would be able to rest on the ride.

  Then the dog suddenly stopped. She took a couple more steps before realizing they had fallen out of sync. When she turned back, she saw it frozen in place with its ears perked and tail stiff. Riley mirrored it immediately.

  Her skin prickled and turned cold. She held her breath without realizing it. Something was wrong. Something felt off in a way she had come to recognize. Her heart thudded heavily against her chest as she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. “Not again,” she thought. “Please, not again.”

  She followed the dog’s intent gaze. Whatever it was, it was it lay ahead.

  She opened the HUD.

  No alerts.

  Figures. Maybe it needed an upgrade, because right now it was about as useful as a blank screen. Her eyes flicked to the map, and her stomach tightened. The shroud ahead had shifted just enough to reveal movement on the opposite side of the road. Shapes. Intentional ones.

  "Shhh," she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips and glancing at the dog.

  He stayed perfectly still.

  They moved together in a low, careful crouch, stepping only when the other did, until they reached the edge of the road. Riley pushed into the dense brush just off the path, far enough to stay hidden but close enough to see.

  From this angle, the truth became clear.

  Bandits.

  Three of them, tucked into the foliage across the road. One stood slightly apart, watching the road. The other two waited low and still, weapons close at hand. They were not the same men she had encountered with Garron on the ride back from Rivermark.

  A wave of panic washed over her.

  She would be safe if she stayed hidden. But Garron was riding straight into danger.

  She tried to shake off her pessimism. Maybe they would only rob him and let him go.

  She frowned, shaking her head. Just rob him? In what world was that acceptable? He was a kind man; he didn’t deserve that. No one did.

  Yet mercy was rare here, and she braced herself for something worse, something deadly.

  And what of her? A witness was easier to silence than to spare.

  Riley’s mind raced. What could she do? She was not properly armed and she had never had a physical fight with anyone before. The bandits on the other hand, looked practiced. Weapon handling was probably a required skill on the bandit job application.

  The dog suddenly stiffened.

  His ears snapped upright and he rose onto all fours in a smooth, silent motion.

  Riley crouched lower and placed a steadying hand on his back.

  "Easy, boy," she murmured.

  She followed his gaze, squinting through thicker brush until she finally saw it.

  Movement on the road.

  Garron’s wagon rolled into view, slow and steady. His voice drifted faintly through the air. He was singing to himself, cheerful and loud, like a man enjoying a drink during a happy hour at a pub. Completely unaware of the dangers that lay ahead.

  Riley’s breath caught.

  Across the road, the bandits had noticed him too. Their posture changed. The lookout shifted his weight. The other two adjusted their grips and positions with quiet precision.

  They were ready.

  Garron was getting closer, still singing, still oblivious. He was experienced but experience meant little if the ambush struck true. Even the most seasoned man could be undone when caught off guard.

  Riley felt the panic spike again, sharper this time.

  Not for herself.

  For Garron. She liked him.

  And selfishly, she needed him too. For transportation and for his knowledge of this world, its towns, villages, routes, rumors. He mattered in more ways than one.

  She couldn’t let this ambush take him out.

  The distance between Garron and the waiting bandits closed rapidly. The moment was slipping away.

  Riley swallowed hard, her fists clenched.

  She had seconds.

  She couldn’t remain a bystander, not to this attack, not to this life.

  The world waited for her decision. Do something, or watch him die.