Theonis stood on the cobblestone by the water with Kateni and Myrova on either side. The Prudelyn was just a dark shape against the night sky, but it was slowly receding. Finally, the three of them could breathe easy.

“Everyone should be here soon,” Myrova explained. “We set up camp a fair distance away, and I wanted to wait until we knew for sure that our adversaries were leaving to summon them.”

“In that case, we might as well head back to the ruins of our camp and wait,” Theonis replied, taking Myrova’s hand and beginning the long walk back to the capitol building.

“Thank you both,” he said. “I know it was dangerous, but it was the only way I could see to resolve that situation.”

“Make no mistake, Theonis,” Kateni said, “we’ll always be ready to fight at your side.”

The camp was utterly destroyed. Anything that had been salvageable had been thrashed by the workers as a parting gift. They were basically without resources until the Polaia returned with the navy.

A small fire was cackling by the time the group heard people approaching. Satiria and Kosgoris approached first, followed by Dimileios and Lias. They came straight for Theonis.

“So glad you’re alright,” Satiria said.

“Your quick thinking really saved the day,” Dimileios added.

“What happened to my animals?!” Kosgoris cried, running up to where the mules were tied up.

They were in a sorry state. Aylmer had at least insisted they be fed, but only once per day. Small cuts covered their flanks where the workers had been hard on them. Kosgoris started furiously petting the poor things, cooing about how everything would be alright.

“Unfortunately,” Dimilieos said, glancing around, “we may have to just grit our teeth and endure for another day or two. It looks like they took anything they couldn’t destroy.”

“We’ll be fine,” Kosgoris insisted from where he was standing. “As long as we ration them, we’ve found enough berries and edible roots that we won’t be too hungry.”

“And I can give up my portion if I need to,” Satiria said.

“Myself as well,” Dimileios added.

“If anyone needs mine, I’ll be okay for a day or two,” Kateni insisted.

“Yeah, I think we’ll be fine,” Myrova said, grinning.

It took some effort, but the group was able to scrounge up a few blankets in the darkness. Nobody was going to have a proper place to sleep for the next couple of days, sadly. For a while, everyone just sat around the little fire. Theonis was between Kateni and Myrova. His heart was light, despite everything that had happened. It just felt good to be back where he belonged.

“We’re going to have to dig Aylmer out of the vault in the morning,” Myrova said suddenly.  “No point in letting him starve.”

“Let him,” Kateni sneered.

Myrova continued, telling Theonis, “I’ll be able to heal him if he’s seriously injured, but I need you to use the staff to help me stabilize the hallway.”

“…Yeah, I can do that,” Theonis promised.

“You won’t have to talk to him again,” she assured him softly.

From across the fire, Kosgoris said, “I still can’t believe the story you told us. You really outdid yourself.”

“Even surrounded by enemies,” Satiria added, “Theonis demonstrates an exceptional mind.”

“A strong fighter, too,” Kateni said.

Myrova nodded, insisting, “It couldn’t have been easy to wield both magic and a weapon effectively at the same time.”

“Your skills are admirable,” Dimileios concluded. “For someone who seemed so lost when we first dragged you out of the ocean, you’ve done so much to demonstrate that you belong on this team.”

Theonis’ face was burning from all the attention. They all really thought that much of him? Maybe Theonis didn’t need a clear-cut role on the team like everyone else had, if his presence was such a big help even without one.

In the morning, Theonis picked up the sorcerer’s staff and followed Myrova back into the capitol building, Kateni and Dimileios with them. They didn’t talk as they descended the stairs, Myrova lighting the way with the glow from her hands. When they got to the cave-in, a large pile of shaped stones, Theonis took a deep breath.

“I don’t want to do this,” he said.

“He’s a bastard, but he deserves to live long enough to face justice for his crimes,” Myrova replied.

Theonis steeled himself and nodded. Myrova let the light go out and started working her indigo magic to reinforce the ceiling above them. When she gave the signal, Theonis pointed the staff in the direction of the blockage and willed it to shift, creating a tunnel out of stone that had melded together. Myrova summoned her light again.

Dimileios said, “You don’t have to come with us, Theonis. You can go back to camp and wait there.”

Theonis nodded and, using the staff to light his way, started walking back up the steps. He sat by the fire pit with Satiria, Kosgoris and Lias evidently having gone to explore the ruins some more. Satiria scooted closer to Theonis and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

When the group returned from the capitol, they were carrying Aylmer more than escorting him. He looked absolutely haggard; the night in the vault had not agreed with him. Aylmer was tied up near the animals, and Kateni stayed close by to make sure he didn’t try anything. Dimileios and Myrova returned to the fire pit and sat down.

“Remember, you don’t have to speak to him, Theonis,” Dimileios said.

“I’m not sure what’s left to say,” Theonis replied.

All the same, the sight of Aylmer sitting there held Theonis’ attention. It was an hour later that Theonis finally stood up and walked over to him. Nobody moved to prevent him from doing so.

Theonis came to a stop right in front of Aylmer. The prisoner did not look up at him. He was slumping and looked completely drained of spirit. Theonis waited, but Aylmer did not speak. Eventually, Theonis turned and started walking back to camp.

The thought of Aylmer completely disappeared when he saw Myrova breaking the sorcerer’s staff over her knee.

“My staff!” he cried, running up. “Why did you do that?!”

Myrova tossed the pieces away and replied, “The navy would have just confiscated it when they got here, and the thought of them having sorcerers is terrifying. And even if they hadn’t, staves are dangerous; the magical bleed would have eventually made you sick.”

“Listen to her, Theonis,” Kateni said calmly. “I’ve seen it happen before.”

Theonis growled, but glanced away and nodded. He trusted Myrova even if he didn’t want her to be right. At least he still had the mendacious ring.

Lunch was small and dinner was pitiful. In the night, everyone had to take turns watching the prisoner so he didn’t escape. There was probably no need; Aylmer seemed to barely be aware of where he was.

It wasn’t long after dawn that Lias went to check the port and returned to announce that navy ships could be seen in the distance. Kosgoris gently escorted the animals while Dimileios dragged Aylmer, Kateni watching closely with a drawn blade. Theonis trailed behind the group, wondering when the most opportune moment to speak up would be.

The Polaia sat in the water just a little ways off the island with another naval ship, but two hulking vessels had docked right at the edge of the water. Dozens upon dozens of men were already coming down gangplanks and moving to and fro.

“So this is the navy?” Theonis asked. “They look impressive.”

“Don’t be too enamored with them,” Kateni warned him quietly. “All military forces are ultimately the same: a brute force approach to order and control.”

Small boats were waiting to take the crew back to the Polaia. Dimileios stopped to talk to a man in a decorated uniform, and Aylmer was taken away by two armed soldiers. The officer laughed with Dimileios over something and gave him a sharp pat on the back before stepping away.

“I believe we’re ready to go,” Dimileios told the group. “They’ll handle everything from here.”

“Before we leave,” Theonis said, rubbing the back of his neck, “there is something I need to tell you all.”

He glanced over at Myrova, who gave him an encouraging smile. Theonis took a deep breath and gulped. His body was shaking.

“I’m actually going to be a girl from now on,” she said. “I wanted to wait until we were no longer in danger to tell everyone, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while. And my name is going to be Evelli.”

“Good to know,” Satiria said.

“Glad you figured it out,” Kosgoris added.

“I’ll update your paperwork once we’re on the ship,” Dimileios told her.

Lias simply grunted in acknowledgment. Kateni nodded in approval. Myrova stepped forward and cupped Evelli’s face with her hands, planting a kiss on her lips.

She whispered in Evelli’s ear, “Promise me that we’ll take things slow, okay?”

“If that’s what you want,” Evelli replied, then asked the group, “Can you spread the word to the rest of the crew? I don’t want to have to fill people in over and over again.”

Everyone filed into the little boats, Kosgoris still fawning over the injured animals. Evelli and Myrova got in the same boat. Myrova seemed unwilling to let go of Evelli’s hand.

The boats were attached to riggings and pulled up to the deck of the Polaia. Myrova and Evelli climbed out and were immediately grabbed in a hug. Polithea had evidently been waiting for her.

“Myrova! Theonis! You’re safe! It’s so good to see you again. Did you encounter those bastards? Did you find the vault? What was the city like? Promise that you’ll tell me everything.”

“Everything, I promise,” Myrova said, pulling free of the hug.

“By the way,” Evelli said, “I told everyone. Everyone knows I’m a girl. I’m going by Evelli, now.”

Polithea’s eyes widened and she immediately started chattering: “That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you, Evelli. Cute name, too. This means that you’re going to finally start wearing dresses, right?”

“I… I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Evelli admitted, heat rushing to her cheeks.

“Relax, I’m just teasing.” She grew thoughtful for a moment. “There’s something I need to do, real quick. Don’t wait for me, okay?”

She rushed below deck. Evelli couldn’t help but grin at her antics. Myrova moved to head below deck herself, but Evelli grabbed her softly by the arm.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked, gesturing to an empty space not far away.

Once they were out of earshot of anybody, Evelli pulled the ipseity pendant out from her shirt.

“Is there a way to reproduce the effects of this so we can distribute it to people?”

“Where is this coming from?” Myrova asked, surprised.

“It feels wrong to be the only person to get their ideal body,” Evelli admitted. “Is it possible to make more of these?”

“It would be a monumental undertaking,” Myrova admitted. “And I’m no expert in enchanting. Resources would cost a lot, too. This is quite an investment you’re suggesting.”

“I feel like it’s something I need to do.”

Myrova nodded, saying, “Then we’ll try to make it happen.”

The two followed the rest of the team downstairs. Everyone was hungry and there was only one destination in their mind. They practically stumbled into the canteen, stopping in shock at how crowded it was. Captain Markis was standing there with his arms spread wide.

“Welcome home,” he declared. “I thought the adventurer’s who discovered the greatest find ever deserved a party.”

Food was laid out for everyone to take at their leisure. Polithea had reappeared and was playing softly on her laouto. After a while, Kateni stepped out. When she returned, she was missing her swords but holding her karamuza. She and Polithea took a few minutes to discuss a plan before they started improvising together.

Word about Evelli spread quickly through the crowd. She sat down with Myrova at her side and just tried to relax, but it was a little difficult with all eyes on her. At the very least, Evelli was determined to get her share of the food, and no amount of attention was going to change that.

“Evelli was absolutely brilliant,” Dimileios was telling Captain Markis. “As soon as Aylmer offered her the chance to betray us, she feigned total obedience to him. She was so convincing that he never doubted her loyalty.”

Satiria was explaining to a group, “She has a ring that lets her create illusions. It created a large enough distraction for Kateni and Dimileios to knock out the guards and get us free. All thanks to Kosgoris, of course, we were perfectly safe hiding in the forest for a few days while we waited for the rest of the plan to carry out.”

It was Evelli’s idea to lure Aylmer into the vault,” Myrova explained to her own listeners. “It almost worked, only turning sour when the sorcerer showed up. But it was still three on two, and Evelli was clever enough to get her weapon from her and completely end the fight.”

Evelli’s face was on fire. She was grinning like mad. It felt so weird to be the center of attention like this. Good, but weird. Adon and Ziniil sat down on either side of her, each offering Evelli a drink. She took each in one hand and toasted them both.

The party finally started to wind down and people returned to their rooms. Kateni and Polithea finally set their instruments aside and sat down with Evelli and Myrova to talk as people filtered out. Kosgoris and Satiria left to be on their own for a bit. Lias left without saying anything.

Before he left, Dimileios gave Evelli a pat on the back and told her, “You did well and you should be proud.”

Shortly after, Kateni said, “I think I’m going to get some sleep. The past week has been nothing but building tension for me. Get some rest, yourself. We’re going to start training again in the morning.”

“Love you, too,” Evelli replied.

Kateni smirked and picked up her karamuza before leaving. Evelli curled up on the bench to lean up against Myrova. She was just relieved that everything had worked out in the end.

“I should steal more often,” she mused. “This is the most exciting that my life has ever been.”

“I sincerely hope that’s not the lesson you took from all of this,” Myrova replied.

“Oh, no; Satiria would kill me.”

There was a pause, then the two burst out laughing.

“Oh dear,” Polithea said, smirking. “Now that you’re together, you two are going to be a handful, aren’t you?”

With a glint in her eye, Evelli replied, “I certainly hope so.”