The new shelter was even worse than the last one. It didn't even have a roof. Half the heat generated by the fire evaporated into the air with the smoke. At least, that's how Severance felt. He sat shivering with Vast curled around him.

Lothaire had already ventured out into the fog alone, while his silent brother, Aeneas, sat opposite the fire from Severance. The masked Fang was watching Vast again. Despite the attention, Vast only rumbled softly like he was purring.

Severance huddled in his furs, hands burrowed within its folds. He stared blankly into the fire. His thoughts swirled, going through the events at Ascendance. That had been a disaster. If the Fang hadn't shown up when they did, Severance probably would have been killed on the spot.

Not that would have been a big deal. In fact, as he thought about it, he would have been better off if he had been killed and the Fang had stayed out of the picture. It would have been less complicated.

He couldn't bring himself to look at the world Chat. Awesome Dude had informed him that he and Valentin were famous now, with many players discussing the fight. Severance didn't want to be famous. A familiar tendril of anxiety unfurled in his gut as he imagined what people were saying about him.

They probably were laughing at how he failed spectacularly and had to get rescued. And what a rescue that had been!

He could still see Eusebius stepping over bodies with his hands dripping blood. Eusebius had since cleaned up, but there still was dried splatters on his furs. Severance could smell it too, a sour tang of old blood that permeated throughout the shelter.

He leaned against Vast, feeling the solid warmth of the vastlhidan behind him. The beast flicked one ear, but otherwise didn't stir.

"How did you find him?"

The sound of Aeneas' voice startled Severance. He was so used to being ignored that it took him a few seconds to realize the Fang was actually talking to him.

"He was a half dead pup when he was found in the forest," Severance said. He gently scratched the top of Vast's muzzle. "I healed him up, and then he refused to leave me alone."

Aeneas took in that information with a slight nod. He stayed silent after that, which left Severance feeling a little awkward. That was it? Fine. If the Fang got to ask questions, why couldn't he?

"What about your name? Does it have to do with defeating a vastlhidan?"

From what Eusebius had told him before, Severance understood that the Fang gained a second name when they accomplished a great feat as a warrior. And as far as he knew, there was only one creature with with 'vast' in their name.

On the far side of the fire, Eusebius snorted softly.

Aeneas cast him a sharp look before meeting Severance's curious gaze. He nodded once, his expression mostly hidden behind his mask.

"Yes."

Severance's brows lifted. "That must have been a tough fight."

"Yes."

He waited a beat, but Aeneas refused to offer any other details. A tragedy, really. Severance was really curious to hear how the Fang took down such a frightening beast. He'd seen Vast in a fight; it was brutal.

Severance turned to Eusebius, sensing he'd get a better chance of an answer with the wildman. "What about Lothaire? What did he defeat?"

"Wormit," Aeneas shocked Severance again by answering.

"What's that?"

"The master of the skies," Eusebius stated. "Consider yourself lucky they are no longer around. Maneaters, they were. They'd swoop down, snatch you up, and carry you away to their nest. They'd take days to savour you, snapping off little pieces to feed their young. If you were lucky, you'd die quick. If you weren't..."

He bared his teeth in a dark chuckle.

"Sounds lovely." Not. Severance tried very hard not to picture it. What a way to go.

And Lothaire had fought such a thing? The Fang were mad. No wonder the Veiled had told him it was better to be their ally than their enemy.

"What about the Knights? How do you know them?"

"You ask a lot of questions, little cibel." Eusebius clicked his teeth. The sound was like the crack of the firewood within the fire.

"I'm just curious," Severance said defensively. "I'm not blind, you know. Or deaf. I saw how Rohhk talked to you."

"Mm. But a smart cibel knows when to be blind and deaf. It doesn't go scurrying into places it shouldn't be.

Severance felt a great amount of disbelief. Seriously? Was that how it was going to be? He scoffed and looked away, purposefully ignoring the way goosebumps broke out over his skin.

Fine, then. Let the Fang keep their secrets.

Lothaire the Worm returned shortly after. He shook his head once as he entered, then folded himself before the fire. There were no visible signs of injury, but Severance could pick up a certain stiffness in the way Lothaire sat.

He decided to cast a Mend anyway, just to be safe. While he did so, Aeneas stood and left.
Silence resumed. The only thing to be heard was the crackling of the fire. The air, both inside the shelter and out, felt dead. With the thick fog lingering outside, obscuring the roads and other buildings, the place felt just as foreboding and unfriendly as the last shelter.

On the walk over, Severance had finally gotten a good glimpse of the old city ruins. Though they were still on the outskirts, and the buildings were smaller and more spread out, it was still an impressive sight. As far as he could see, where the fog had pulled back, there had been short, mostly rounded structures. And in the center of the fog ahead, he sometimes could catch a glimpse of towering cylindrical behemoths, comparable to the skyscrapers of his own modern cities.

This place was massive.

He wondered what had happened to all its people.

The crunch of unsteady footsteps outside announced Aeneas' return. The Fang was an absolute wreck, which Severance wasn't too surprised to see.

He dutifully healed Aeneas, which earned him a quiet nod of thanks. The little gesture was unexpected but welcome. Severance was more than happy to be off the ignore list, though he wondered why the change. Maybe it was Vast's charm.

Eusebius went for his turn. He returned in record time, a wry grin on his face and a frightening set of gouges on his legs. Severance had no idea how the wildman even managed to walk back.

"This one is going to be a challenge," Eusebius grunted, sinking down before the fire.

No one answered him, but the shelter suddenly felt rather gloomy. Severance reluctantly got up.

"Guess it's my turn," he muttered.

He was not looking forward to this at all. Vast padded past him, slinking outside as if to lead the way. It was reassuring, though the beast would be of no help in the fog. This place was strange, its equally bizarre dungeon hidden. It was impossible to tell the exact moment he stepped across the threshold.

Icy mist closed around him. It felt like a solid thing, suffocating with its presence. He couldn't see past his own nose. Even the ground beneath his feet was hidden.

All he heard was the soft crunch of his boots on frost-covered ground, the rough swishing of his furs against each other as he moved, and his own breath, harsh and rapid.

From one step to the next, everything changed.

His boot came down on a soft carpet, the cold bloomed into warmth, and the fog swirled away revealing a hallway lined with ugly taupe-colored walls.

Severance stopped. He checked behind himself. A smooth wall lay right behind him, closing him in. Vast was gone and he was trapped inside wherever this was. How nice.

Facing forwards again, he saw several doors had appeared alongside the walls. It wasn't hard to see where this was going.

"This is going to suck."

With little enthusiasm, Severance approached the closest door on his left. He gingerly touched the door handle. It felt smooth and cool. Solid. No doubt the horrors inside would be just as real.

He took a deep breath. "Come on, Seth. You can do this. What's a little disembowelment?"

He pulled the door open.

The rich scent of baked tomatoes and cheese wafted out. He inhaled deeply despite himself, almost drooling at how good it smelled. Inside was a familiar kitchen. A tall figure by the stove paused as if hearing his entrance, and turned. Instantly, a wide grin broke across a leathery face.

"There you are, kiddo. You gonna come in, or do I have to eat all this myself?"

Out of all things he was bracing himself for, Severance didn't expect to see Mrs Beakor in her kitchen. It was such an ordinary sight that he reeled in confusion.

What sort of trick was this?

Severance stepped inside, checking every shadow and corner for something nasty. There was nothing. Just the comforting warmth of a kitchen and person he'd come to trust and care for. Mrs Beakor was like the grandmother he'd never had, though he'd never dare tell her that.

He felt a flash of anger. How dare this Tower try and twist something so precious? How dare it ruin the one good thing he had? He wouldn't allow it.

Grimly, he went to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He breathed in, then out, before adopting a calm manner.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Your favorite."

She turned, two plates of lasagna in her hands.

He smiled faintly as she set one down before him before taking a seat herself. Lasagna was the first food she'd ever shared with him. When they'd first met, she'd practically bribed him with it.

"Looks good," he murmured. Even if this was all an illusion, it looked and smelled delicious. He picked up a fork and took a bite. It tasted delicious, too.

Huh. Well, he wasn't ever one to waste Mrs Beakor's cooking. He devoured the entire plate, and accepted the second serving she handed him.

She watched as he ate, amusement dancing in her dark gaze.

"Hey, slow down. One would think you haven't eaten in a week straight."

"Maybe I haven't," he quipped. He set his fork down, wiping his face with a napkin.

She snorted, and got up from the table.

"Tea?"

"Yeah, sure." Her favored tea was weird, but it was growing on him. Even if it was an odd mix of herbs and spices that all old ladies were sure to love.

He watched her make it, partly enjoying the comforting tranquility of the scene, and the other part wondering when the illusion would shatter.

She served the tea, and they sipped in companionable silence. Severance wasn't keen on ruining the moment, so he let her do as she wished. If this was a test, then surely it would reveal itself sooner or later.

And he was right. After a short while, her eyes found his. He found himself sitting up a little straighter, sensing she was about to say something.

"What if," she said, "I wasn't who you thought I was?"

Severance couldn't help it. He snorted. "Of course you aren't. You're part of the Tower."

"No, kiddo, that's not what I meant." Her voice was fond. "The Mrs Beakor you trust. What if she's not the nice old lady you know but someone who's got a criminal record longer than you are tall. What if she's done some rather nasty things in her day?"

He blinked, caught off guard. But only for a second, because then he started laughing. "Really? What kind of weak question is that? She carries a shotgun for crying out loud. And she bribes security officers at the airport!"

Slapping a hand on the table, he shook his head. Did the Tower think he was stupid? It could ask all the questions it wanted, try to twist his perception of Mrs Beakor all it wanted, but it was never going to work. How stupid.

"I don't care what you say about her. Mrs Beakor is Mrs Beakor. She's the best, scariest old lady in the world, and that's not going to change." He finished his tea with one last gulp, and set the mug down on the table. "Thanks for the tea."

Then he stood up and headed for the door. He was done here.

She chuckled softly, but didn't try to stop him.