The Rifts of Psyche by Kyle West (i love reading .txt) 📕

inside the cave to gather some scrubby vegetation for a fire. It didn’t burn too well, but it provided enough warmth to cook dinner. They ate quickly, and once done, gathered enough scrub to keep the fire going all night. The risk of wyverns was simply too high, even if the fire drew attention. Lucian wondered from how far away it could be seen, even inside the cave as they were.

“Who’s keeping watch?” Cleon asked. “It’s not Fergus for sure, and it’s not me because I did it yesterday.”

“I can take first watch,” Lucian said. “Serah will have second.”

“Or we could all just get enough sleep because we’re exhausted,” Serah said.

“Bad idea,” Cleon said.

“Fine, we’ll do it Lucian’s way. Wake me in a few hours.”

With that, she settled down to sleep.

Lucian streamed the group’s Psionic ward, something that was fast becoming a habit. After that, there was nothing but the darkness to occupy him. Darkness that made it impossible not to nod off.

He stood up, but he was simply so overcome that trying to stay awake was an exercise in futility.

He lay on the ground, not even having the energy to get out his bedroll.

Lucian awoke very much alive, which was enough to tell him that they hadn’t been tracked. Fergus was already up and preparing breakfast, and the others were soon roused by the noise.

He immediately felt guilty for falling asleep, but Fergus made no mention of it.

“Lucian, go check inside the cave with Serah and see what you can see.”

Together, they walked deeper into the cave. The tunnel was almost perfectly round, as if it had been artificially made.

“Looks like a well-traveled path,” Serah said. “It’d be best to get out of here as quickly as possible. Either way, doesn’t seem like we were followed.”

When they returned outside, the morning light revealed a deep, narrow fissure. Over the cliff was a few hundred meters drop to a dark, still lake running the fissure’s length.

“Looks like we’ve hit bottom,” Serah said. “Almost.” She took a good look around. “It’s still Snake Rift, though we’ve come down a bit in elevation.”

“How do you know we’re still in Snake?”

“I don’t think we walked far enough to cross over into Blue Rift. Blue Rift is mostly water and wider. I’m ninety percent sure this is Snake, and in the Lower Reaches.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“We’ll talk about it over breakfast.”

Around the fire, Fergus was passing around breakfast bowls.

Cleon still looked half-asleep, blinking drearily. “Please tell me it’s good news.”

“No signs of us being followed.” Serah took a bowl of porridge. “What’s more, that’s Snake Rift out there.”

“So, what’s our next move?” Fergus asked.

“Two options as I see it. Go back the way we came and try to find the Darkrift from there. Or, we can head down the Snake Rift and look for this tunnel I know. I think I can find Slave’s Run from here, but I’ll be surer of finding it from the other cave. But it’ll probably be a day or two of travel on the surface. Depends how fast we go.”

“The Zephyr could still be out,” Fergus said. “Probably is, actually.”

“If we’re staying above ground, then we need to head west, toward the Blue Rift,” Serah said. “I vote for that. Looks quiet out here. Plus, we can keep watch for the Zephyr and find a hiding spot if we see anything. If Fergus’s concealment ward isn’t spotty, our magic shouldn’t be detected.”

“My ward won’t be spotty, I assure you.”

“You’re saying you can’t find the Darkrift from this tunnel?” Lucian asked.

“I probably can, but if I can’t, it could mean backtracking. Or worst case, we lose our way entirely. Most of the shallower paths have markings to keep you on track, but once you get deeper, you have nothing but your wits to keep you alive.”

“Staying on the surface is the only thing that makes sense,” Cleon said. “Better to find the Darkrift from a place you know.”

“Surfacing will also give us the choice to continue on to Blue Rift if we want. Just one of dozens of rifts we’d need to cross to reach the Golden Vale, and then, Dara.”

“I will make that decision when it comes to it,” Fergus said. “If things are as quiet as you say, then I might be inclined to stay above ground. Especially if it seems like the Sorceress-Queen is confining her search to the Deeprift.”

“The Zephyr spotted us in Snake Rift,” Lucian said. “And the Zephyr probably knows we went underground. If they didn’t pursue us on foot, then they are surely searching the rift for us now.”

“A fair point,” Serah said. “However, Snake Rift is so-named because of its length and how it twists. There are thousands of caves leading in and out of it. It’s the worst place to try and look for someone.”

“But the Sorceress-Queen might be on board,” Cleon countered. “Lucian’s Psionic ward fell quickly.”

If not the Sorceress-Queen, then someone had been testing his ward yesterday. “I hadn’t set it since the night before, so it was weak already.”

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Fergus said, deciding. “These caves are unsettling, and all the more so if they are unrecognizable to Serah.” He looked at her. “So, it’ll take one or two days to reach this other cave entrance?”

“Hard to say. Once we’re on the trail, things should start looking recognizable. The path will branch two different ways. Down will lead to the Darkrift, and up will lead to the Blue Pass.”

Fergus heaved a sigh. “Well, I don’t like being out here. But I believe the risk of wandering these dark tunnels and hoping for the best is more dangerous.”

“I agree,” Cleon said.

“Same,” Serah said.

All eyes went to Lucian. He certainly didn’t like the idea of going above, but Fergus was right. These tunnels were unsettling, and if he were forced to be in them, it would be best for Serah to recognize which one it was.

“I’m for it,” he said. “But we