The Crossroads

9 | The Fortress

WC: 2541

Warnings: Violence, fire

Etho ventures back into the Fortress to face the Ravager hiding inside.

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It took another 2 weeks before they were finally ready to go into the Fortress.

And during that period, Etho spent most of his time exploring the Blackstone Labyrinth, staying away from the Ruins base camp as much as he could.

Maybe it was instinct--that's what he used to do back in the Keep, too, exploring every nook and cranny of the Forest. Maybe it was because he was new, and didn't feel quite at home as much as the others, despite Impulse being there. Maybe it was because he just wanted to explore new territory and not stay in one area.

Whatever the case, Etho did find some secrets in the Labyrinth. The biggest thing he found was a floor of brown, gray, and black tiles, and a set of three clues written in Galactic he had to use to find the correct tile. Supposedly, there was some kind of treasure underneath. If you chose wrong, though, you wouldn't go unpunished.

With a bit of help from Grian, who knew Galactic, he managed to pinpoint the tile he needed to look under. Unfortunately, the rewards weren't really worth all the trouble--just coins, and Etho didn't have any use for those anymore.

It felt weird to not need coins. After all, coins were what got him into all this action in the first place--when he'd accepted that dare the guard gave him, back in the Keep. What would have happened if he said no?

Now, he wasn't really sure what he wanted.

The question he'd asked himself while exploring the Fortress had stuck with him since. He couldn't stop thinking about it, and it was starting to mess with him. He hadn't brought it up with anyone else yet, though, because he was scared they would think badly of him.

The tile puzzle had taken up most of his time, but Etho visited Iskall on occasion whenever he could. Their existence was still unknown to the Wanderers--Etho was hiding more than one secret from the group.

But, now that he had a new supply of health potions from the Fortress to counteract the wither effect, he could go more often. He hated that he was the only source of what was happening outside of Soul Sand Valley to them.

He constantly brought that topic up whenever he was talking to Iskall, but it was always the same response--a shake of the head, a shrug, and a small smile. It was getting irritating, but Etho knew that there was no way to get them out on his own.

In the short time Etho spent in the Ruins base camp, he got to know the other Wanderers a bit better. Though he stayed with Grian, Zed, and Scar for the most part, he also started talking with the guy with armor that resembled Ravager hide, whose name was Xisuma. He, along with Scar, was going to accompany Etho when they finally ended up killing that last Ravager.

But, of course, this period of rest didn't last for very long.

2 weeks after they'd killed the Ruins Ravager, Etho returned to the camp after visiting Iskall again and was immediately cornered by Impulse. The two had been on opposite ends of the camp whenever Etho was around by coincidence, so this was the first time they'd talked in a while.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd get back. I just wanted to let you know--it's time. We've been getting everything ready and planned while you were out, and it's all done now."

He led Etho over to Xisuma and Scar, who already looked ready and seemed to just be waiting for him. Etho turned to face Impulse before he walked off. "So...how are we going to do this?"