A gentle mental nudge reminded me that while there may not have been any wood to be chopped, there certainly were notifications aplenty.
You have defeated a Cobra Chicken (Level 25)
Experience awarded…
Bonus experience awarded for defeating a monster a grade above you!
Experience adjusted due to involvement of high level outside forces…
Experience diverted to [Elena Alighieri]…
250 system credits awarded.
Congratulations! You are now a Level 7 Homo Fabulis.
+3 Free Stat points awarded.
Creativity +1
Combat Casting increased to 16
Parkour! increased to 7
Proprioception increased to 10
Quick Reflexes increased to 19
Self Regulation increased to 42
Situational Awareness increased to 21
“OOISS!!” Elena cried out. “Level 9 Baby!” she said, holding Baby in the air and dancing around, completely ignoring the fact that minutes ago we'd been nearly pulverized by a feathered serpent from hell.
“Wait. Where did that stuffie come from?” Mei asked, confused by its sudden appearance.
“It just does that. Sometimes it’s here, sometimes it vanishes for a while.” I replied, as Elena was too wrapped up in her victory dance to answer. I turned to my last notification awaiting me.
New Title Awarded — I Know A Guy (Rare)
—
I Know A Guy (Rare)
You may not an the apex predator anymore, but you are very good at facilitating introductions.
You've managed to survive an encounter with a vastly superior foe by introducing it to something even more terrifying. Well played. You’ve got management material written all over you.
Reward: Slight bonus to Awareness and Creativity when facing enemies of higher level. Bonus scales with level difference.
—
After distributing my points—two to Strength and one to Intelligence, bringing both scores to a solid 10—I surveyed our ragtag group while everyone finished processing their own system updates.
Andy was blinking rapidly, clearly reading his own notifications. His golden aura brightened momentarily as he processed whatever the system had granted him. "My shield skill is nearly at 20 now," he said, examining his forearm where his shield had momentarily disappeared back to wherever it came from when not in use.
Gabriel just grunted, though his eyes narrowed slightly in what I was beginning to recognize as his version of satisfaction.
Mei was bouncing on her toes, tugging at Nadia's sleeve. "I got a new summoning slot!"
Nadia rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her. "Perfect. Because what this apocalypse really needed was more unpredictable magical creatures." She caught my gaze and lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug that said everything: pride in her sister's growth, worry about what it might attract, the weight of protection in a world gone mad.
I nodded back, understanding completely. Elena was still scrolling through what looked like an extensive list of notifications, her mouth moving silently as she read. The bond between us hummed with her excitement. Children were remarkably adaptable, but I couldn’t help but felt a sense of guilt that she had to be this adaptable.
"That was absolutely bananas," Elena said finally, looking up at me with bright eyes. “Why was it so angry?”
I looked to Gabriel and Andy, hoping one of them could provide an answer. Andy just shrugged while Gabriel responded, “No idea. We were near the old Colossal Forest Warehouse when it burst out of the building and attacked us.”
“It was protecting its nest,” Mei stated matter-of-factly.
Our heads swiveled toward her in unison. The silence stretched as we waited for an explanation that didn't come.
"And you know this... how exactly?" Nadia finally asked, her eyebrows arched high.
Mei fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. " I can sort of... feel what creatures are trying to communicate." Her voice grew smaller with each word. Nadia's widening eyes confirmed this was news to her. "This one was basically screaming 'STAY AWAY FROM MY BABIES!'"
Before I could process this revelation, a notification popped into my field of view. From the way everyone suddenly tilted their heads in the same direction, I knew they'd received the same notification.
New Quest Assigned: The Nest
—
The Nest
You have “defeated” a terrifying predator that should only exist in the minds of Dungeon Masters and Mad Scientists. Unfortunately, nature finds a way... and that way involves eggs. Lots of them. With one defender down the nest is now more vulnerable than ever — creating opportunity for many.
Primary Objectives:
- Find the Cobra Chicken nest.
- Investigate the Nest.
- Choose.
Time Limit: 6 hours
Warning: The outcome of this quest will result in significant impact to the local ecological balance. Choose wisely.
Reward: To be determined based on quest completion.
—
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "It's not enough that we survived one of those things. Now it wants use to find a whole nest?"
Gabriel's expression darkened. "Makes sense. It would explain it’s behaviour outside of just being an ornery bastard.”
“But why would it abandon its nest to chase you once you left the area? Why would it leave its eggs behind?” Mei asked
“Because Canadian Geese mate for life…” Gabriel said, letting the implications settle in.
Nadia's spear tip drooped toward the ground as her shoulders slumped. "We just barely survived one of them. And that was with the..." she glanced toward the library, which stood serenely as if it hadn't just absorbed a giant snake-bird into its collection, "...help."
"Technically, we didn't beat it," Andy pointed out, earning him four synchronized glares. He raised his hands defensively. "I'm just saying! If we're facing more, we need a better strategy."
"If we're facing more?" I echoed, incredulous.
Elena tugged at my hand. "Dad, what happens if we don't do the quest?"
I knelt down to her level, choosing my words carefully. "I don’t know. It’s kind of vague and I’m not sure what “ecological balance” it’s referring too. But if there is even a chance that more of those things are about to hatch…" I trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
"They'll hunt us," Mei finished, her earlier enthusiasm dimming.
Gabriel nodded grimly. "I've seen what happens when invasive predators establish themselves in an ecosystem. It's never pretty." He checked his rifle with practiced movements, his fingers counting remaining ammunition. "Better to deal with this now than when they've had time to breed and grow."
"So we're doing this?" Nadia asked, her voice tight. She glanced down at Mei, who was now huddled close to her side. "Going after a nest of those things? When one nearly killed all of us?"
Andy squared his shoulders, his face settling into determined lines. "We don't have much choice. We at least have to check it out."
I wasn't so sure about this, but Andy had a point, we could at least look. Afterall the quest only said we had to investigate and choose — it never specified we had to actually do anything about the nest.
"We should at least discuss strategy," I said, pushing myself to my feet with a groan. "And maybe find somewhere to catch our breath first." I gestured toward the remains of a coffee shop across the square that looked relatively intact. "Preferably somewhere we can sit down before my knees decide to go on strike."
The reality of our situation settled over me like a wet blanket as we walked. One apocalyptic crisis averted, another immediately taking its place. Was this what life was going to be like now? Lurching from one deadly encounter to the next, always one misstep away from becoming something's lunch?
I glanced down at Elena's determined little face and felt a strange, bitter pride well up inside me. At least we weren't facing it alone anymore.
The abandoned coffee shop was a study in apocalyptic irony — menus still advertising artisanal brews while half the ceiling sagged like melting cheese, dripping onto tabletops. We'd claimed a corner where the structural integrity seemed less questionable, clearing debris from a cluster of mismatched furniture. Elena and Mei immediately commandeered a plush loveseat, their heads bent together in whispered conversation that occasionally erupted in giggles. The sound made the reality of our new lives a little easier to bear.
The rest of us sank into whatever seating we could find, our bodies remembering just how thoroughly we'd been thrashed by our encounter with the Cobra Chicken.
I winced as I examined a long scrape along my forearm, the skin already knitting back together thanks to my accelerated healing. My mana reserves were bottomed out, a hollow sensation like mental hunger pangs. Andy was rotating his shoulder with a grimace, and Nadia was applying some kind of salve to an angry red burn on her calf —presumably where the monster's venom had splashed her.
Gabriel broke the exhausted silence. "We need to act quickly on this nest situation." His voice was low, measured, the kind that expected to be obeyed without question. "Andy and I should scout the warehouse area as soon as possible. We know roughly where we encountered the creature."
Andy nodded, his golden aura pulsing slightly with his conviction. "I agree. Speed is essential. If we wait until they hatch..."
"And what exactly is your plan once you find them?" I asked, my voice sharper than intended. The thought of splitting our already small group pinched a nerve I didn't know I had. "Because if one nearly killed all of us working together, I'm struggling to see how two of you would fare against an entire nest."
"Reconnaissance only," Gabriel replied, his expression unreadable. "Find the nest, assess numbers, return with information. No engagement." He glanced toward the girls, then back to me. "You and Nadia stay with the children. Keep them safe in case any more are hunting."
"And if you get cornered?" Nadia interjected, arms crossed. "Or if more attack while our group is split?" She shook her head firmly. "Splitting up is suicide. Either we all go, or none of us go."
"The children shouldn't be anywhere near that kind of danger," Andy said, his voice rising with conviction. "We have a responsibility—"
"To stay alive," I cut in. "All of us. Together." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Look, I get the hero impulse. I really do. 20 years ago I would have been right there with you, but practically speaking, we're stronger together. And if we're being completely honest, maybe the smart play is to just leave the area entirely."
Andy’s eyes narrowed. "Run, you mean."
"Strategic retreat," I corrected, holding his gaze. "Live to fight another day, when we're better prepared. There must be other survivors out there."
"And leave these things to multiply and threaten everyone else in the area?" Andy's face flushed. "That's not right. We can't just pass this problem on to others."
Nadia sighed. "Normally I'd agree with you on principle, Andy. But we have children to consider. My priority has to be Mei's safety."
"And if we run?" Gabriel's voice was quiet but cut through the tension like a blade. "How far do we go? What's the next threat we encounter? Do we run from that too?" He shook his head. "This is our world now. Running doesn't solve anything." He paused and took a breath. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering where it ends.”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
My jaw tightened. "I'm not suggesting we become permanent nomads. Just that we be smart about picking our battles."
"And I'm saying this is a battle we need to pick," Andy insisted, his golden armor materializing around his forearm in response to his agitation. "If we don't stop these creatures now—"
"Oh my GOD, you're all being SO DRAMATIC!"
All heads swiveled toward Mei, who had launched herself off the loveseat to stand in the middle of our impromptu circle, hands on her hips. Her eyes blazed with the special brand of frustration only pre-teens can muster.
"We get it. You're all very brave and very scared and very concerned," she continued, glaring at each adult in turn. "But has anyone bothered to ask what WE think? You know, the people you're supposedly protecting?"
Elena nodded vigorously beside her, her mane of red hair bouncing. "Yeah! We're not babies."
"Mei," Nadia began, her tone warning, "this isn't—"
"If we split up, we'll die," Mei stated flatly, cutting her sister off. "If we run away, the snake-goose things will find us anyway. Or something else will. So that leaves us with one option." She crossed her arms, mimicking her sister's earlier stance with uncanny precision. "We stick together and we deal with it."
"Mei's right," Elena chimed in, her small face serious. "Together we beat the big one. So together we can beat the baby ones too." She fixed me with that look — the one that somehow made her eyes seem ancient and wise beyond her six years and made me see a shadow of the adult she would become. "Running away doesn't fix the problem, Dad. We're scared. I know. We can be scared AND brave at the same time."
I felt my resistance crumble at her words. Damn it. When had my six-year-old become the voice of reason? "It's not about being afraid," I tried weakly. "I just want to keep you safe." my voice cracking on the last word. The old parental instinct warring with the new reality.
Elena walked up to me and grabbed my hand in hers. Her small fingers felt impossibly fragile and yet somehow stronger than mine. "I know, Dad," she said, her eyes both childlike and ancient. "But I don't think safe means the same thing anymore."
"So there," Mei concluded triumphantly. "We go together. All of us. Because that's how we survive." She turned to Nadia, her expression softening slightly. "I'll be super careful, Nad. I promise. But we have to do this."
Nadia pressed her lips into a thin line, but I could see her resolve wavering. After a moment, she sighed deeply. "I hate when you make sense."
I met Elena's eyes again and saw my own fear reflected back at me — but alongside it was determination and trust. Trust in me. Trust in us, as a team.
I opened my mouth, closed it, then finally managed, a long sigh. “Fine," I conceded, running a hand through my hair. "We go together. But we need a plan. A real one, not just 'charge in and hope for the best.' And I will not commit to any heroic charges or last stands. Our survival comes first."
Gabriel nodded sharply, satisfied. "That, at least, we can agree on." He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table between us. "I've been mapping the area as we go. Let me show you where Andy and I encountered the creature."
As they leaned in to study the makeshift map, I caught Elena's eye and gave her a small nod of acknowledgment. She grinned back, proud of herself, before turning to whisper something to Mei that sent them both into a fit of poorly suppressed giggles.
An hour later, we were moving through the shattered remnants of what used to be Noecker Street, our footsteps crunching on a surreal mix of broken glass and crystalline fragments that definitely didn't belong on Earth. Gabriel led the way, his rifle held at a relaxed but ready position, eyes constantly scanning for threats. Andy formed our right flank, his golden armor catching sunlight in brief, blinding flashes. Nadia kept close to Mei, her spear balanced across her shoulders like an Olympic athlete waiting for her event. Elena stayed firmly within arm's reach of me, her hand occasionally drifting to touch my leg — a silent reassurance that I was still there.
The landscape grew increasingly bizarre as we approached the commercial district. A row of strip mall storefronts stood relatively intact on our left, except for the fact that they were upside down, their signage dangling toward the ground like bats from a cave. On our right, what had once been a gas station had merged with something alien—a structure of living coral that pulsed with faint blue light, gas pumps emerging from its organic walls like strange appendages.
“Andy, I’ll give you $10 if you go try to get gas from one of those.” Mei said with a challenging smile.
Andy stopped for a second as if he was actually considering it, before he just shook his head with a smile and kept going.
Gabriel let out a small snort. “He already tried. It was not a fan.” A flush crept up Andy's neck and bloomed across his cheeks as Mei and Nadia started laughing.
"This is where things get weird," Gabriel said, gesturing ahead to where the road split around a massive orb of what appeared to be liquid metal, suspended ten feet above the ground.
"Get weird?" I muttered. "As opposed to all the normal stuff we've seen so far?"
"Everything's weird until you see something weirder." Nadia said as she walked by me. Good perspective taking there my inner therapist couldn’t help but think.
Elena tugged at my hand. "Dad, why is that building breathing?"
I followed her gaze to what had once been a bank. The marble fa?ade rippled in slow, rhythmic pulses, as if the building itself were inhaling and exhaling. "I have no idea, love. But let's not get close enough to find out."
Gabriel raised a closed fist, the universal signal to stop. We froze, and I heard it then — a distant, echoing honk that made the hair on my neck stand up.
"That's our target," Gabriel whispered. "About three blocks ahead."
We advanced more cautiously now, using the cover of warped vehicles and bizarre vegetation. My Overwatch self hummed steadily in the background, highlighting potential threats. The Guardian self kept constant tabs on Elena — her heart rate elevated but steady, breathing slightly rapid but controlled. She was scared but handling it.
The warehouse loomed ahead, a vast concrete box with loading bays along one side. Unlike many buildings we'd passed, it appeared relatively unaltered by whatever dimensional forces had reshaped the area — at least from the front. Its normality was almost suspicious in the sea of strangeness surrounding it.
"The loading docks would give us easy access," Andy suggested, pointing to the roll-up doors.
Gabriel shook his head. "Too obvious and too loud. The side entrance would be quieter."
We edged around the perimeter, staying close to the wall. The concrete was cool against my back as we sidled along, weapons ready. A scratching sound from above made me freeze—something scurried across the roof, claws clicking on metal. We waited, breath held, but whatever it was moved on.
Then we heard it—a chorus of high-pitched shrieks mixing with a deeper, rattling hiss that vibrated in my chest cavity. The sounds came from behind the building.
"What the hell is that?" Nadia whispered, her knuckles white around her spear.
"Multiple hostiles," Gabriel replied tersely. "Different species I think."
We rounded the corner and stopped dead in our tracks. The back half of the warehouse simply... ended. As if some cosmic blade had sliced through the building, leaving a perfectly clean cut exposing the interior. Beyond the sheared edge lay no parking lot or urban landscape, but a dense forest of impossibly tall trees with iridescent bark that shimmered in the sunlight.
Mei pointed to a small maintenance ladder attached to the side of the building. "We should go up. See what's happening."
Gabriel nodded and started climbing first, moving with silent efficiency. Andy followed, then the girls, with Nadia and me bringing up the rear. The metal rungs were cold under my palms, my muscles protesting after the day's earlier exertions. But anxiety propelled me upward — we needed to know what we were facing.
The flat roof was covered in gravel that crunched underfoot. We crept to the edge where the building had been sheared away, lying flat to minimize our silhouettes against the sky. The vista below made my breath catch in my throat.
The forest opened into a natural clearing—or what would have been natural if half the trees weren't glowing and the ground wasn't covered in patches of bioluminescent moss. At the center lay a depression about thirty feet across, lined with a material that looked like a cross between straw and metallic wire. A nest. Around its perimeter, the earth was torn up, vegetation flattened in a chaotic pattern that spoke of repeated violent encounters.
And there, in the center of the nest, was a Cobra Chicken. A BIG Cobra Chicken.
Deep gashes ran along its flank, weeping a viscous black fluid that steamed when it touched the ground. Despite its injuries, it coiled protectively around something at the center of the nest — a single egg with a shell that glinted like polished obsidian.
Surrounding the nest, darting in and out with uncanny coordination, were the Murder Bunnies. I counted twelve visible ones. A mix of the massive Rabbits of Unusual Size we'd encountered before and the burlier Burrowfangs with their stone-like fur. They moved in a horrifying dance of attack and retreat, never committing fully but never backing off entirely. The Cobra Chicken lashed out whenever they approached, its movements growing visibly weaker with each strike.
The ground around the nest told the rest of the story. Half-eaten carcasses of smaller Murder Bunnies lay scattered about, their bodies torn open. But more disturbing were the fragments of iridescent shells — dozens of smashed eggs — and tiny, broken forms that could only be baby Cobra Chickens. Some looked partially eaten, others simply crushed.
"They've been at this for a while," Gabriel murmured, his eyes trained on the scene. "It’s protecting their last egg. Everything else has been destroyed."
"The Murder Bunnies are taking turns," Nadia observed, her face grim. "See how they rotate in and out? They're wearing it down."
As we watched, one of the Burrowfangs darted forward, teeth bared. The Cobra Chicken's head snapped out with impressive speed given its condition, catching the rabbit mid-leap. There was a sickening crunch as its mouth closed, and the Burrowfang went limp. The Cobra Chicken flung the carcass aside, but its own momentum forced it to sway momentarily, strength failing, before it forced itself back into a defensive posture.
"Look," Elena whispered, pointing to one of the fallen bunnies at the perimeter. A Rabbit of Unusual Size approached its dead companion and, to my horror, began to feed on the carcass, tearing chunks of flesh with methodical efficiency. "It's eating its friend." Elena quickly looked away and buried her head into me. I put a reassuring hand on her back, but was at a loss for words that would somehow make this better.
"Not friendship," Gabriel corrected quietly. "Just pack behavior. They'll sacrifice some to wear down prey, then replenish their strength by consuming the fallen."
Mei's face had gone pale. "That's... that's awful."
Gabriel's only response was a noncommittal grunt.
I shook my head as realization dawned. "The quest's directive to ' choose' wasn' t about whether to confront the Cobra Chicken or not— it's asking us to pick between these creatures."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "What intel do we have on these Murder Bunnies?"
“They’re the worst.” Elena said with absolute certainty.
“What she said.” I solemnly agreed. “See if you can [Identify] one and you’ll see what I mean.”
The others did so and I could see the horror on their faces as they read the system description. “I just got a quest to kill a bunch of them.” Nadia said.
“Same” both Gabriel and Andy replied at the same time. Thankfully none of the children tried to invoke the law of jinx.
“I think I was wrong earlier. The Cobra Chickens aren’t the invasive species.” replied Gabriel.
I stared at the lone defender, its body a roadmap of wounds and exhaustion, yet still fighting. Still protecting the one egg that remained. Despite everything, I felt a twinge of something like respect. Monster or not, it was giving everything it had to protect its offspring. I could respect that and on some level couldn’t help feel a degree of resonance with it’s struggle. Don’t go anthropomorphizing the abomination from the bowls of hell now, I scolded myself.
"So what now?" Andy asked, turning to look at Gabriel. "We found the nest."
Gabriel's expression was unreadable. "Now we decide if we complete the quest... or walk away."
Gabriel eased back from the edge of the roof, gravel crunching softly beneath his weight. His expression was a mask of professional detachment, but I caught the micro-hesitation in his movements, the slight tightening around his eyes. "We should go," he said finally, voice pitched low enough that it wouldn't carry to the creatures below. "We've confirmed the location. That's enough to satisfy the quest parameters."
Andy nodded, though his golden aura dimmed slightly. "You read their description. If we don’t stop those rabbits from taking out one of the few natural predators they might have..."
Nadia pulled Mei back from the edge, her movements gentle but firm. "Even if we wanted to help, what could we do? That Cobra Chicken would attack us just as quickly as it's attacking those rabbits."
My eyes remained fixed on the scene below. The Cobra Chicken's head drooped momentarily before snapping back up with renewed vigilance. Something about its desperation struck a chord in me, vibrating along frequencies I usually kept carefully dampened.
"The quest said we had to choose," I murmured, more to myself than the others.
"Cain," Gabriel's tone carried a note of warning. "Don't overthink this. Walking away is still a choice. Don’t project humanity onto a wild animal."
Logically and tactically, he was right. The cold equations were clear: one monster egg wasn't worth six human lives, especially when two of those lives were children.
"Dad?" Elena's voice was small, uncertain. She hadn't backed away from the edge like the others.
"Come on, love," I said gently. "Gabriel's right. We should go."
Her blue eyes met mine, searching. "But it's trying so hard. All those dead babies…"
I swallowed the unexpected lump in my throat. "I know. But…” Sometimes trying isn't enough, I almost said.
My mouth tasted like ash at the thought of speaking those words. Wasn't that exactly what I'd been afraid of since the moment the world ended? That no matter how hard I tried to protect Elena, it wouldn't be enough? I wouldn’t be enough. That despite everything, I would fail her when it mattered most?
We began backing away from the edge, careful not to dislodge any gravel that might alert the creatures below to our presence. Andy had already turned toward the ladder when Mei suddenly gasped.
"Look!" she whispered urgently.
Below, the Murder Bunnies' movements became more agitated, their attacks more frequent and coordinated. They sensed the change too. The Cobra Chicken lashed out at another approaching Burrowfang, its strike noticeably slower than before. Black ichor dripped steadily from a deep gash in its neck, pooling beneath it in a spreading stain.
"It won't last much longer," Gabriel observed clinically. "And once it falls, the rabbits will have the egg."
"And the baby inside will die," Mei said bluntly.
Her words hung in the air between us, devoid of emotion or judgment — just a statement of fact delivered with the unfiltered directness that only children can truly master. Yet that simple observation cut through all my careful rationalizations like a knife through butter.
Elena hadn't spoken again, but I felt her eyes on me — those impossibly blue eyes that saw too much and understood more than I sometimes gave her credit for. I knew what she was thinking without needing our empathic bond. Her silence was more eloquent than any argument.
If we walked away, we might be safer. We might live longer. But what would I be teaching my daughter? That when things get hard, we abandon those who can't defend themselves? That calculation and self-interest trump compassion? That it's okay to walk away from suffering because it's inconvenient and risky to help?
"Fuck," I sighed, rubbing a hand across my face.
Gabriel's eyebrow lifted slightly as he studied my face. He looked between me and Elena and I could see the resolve appear on his face.
"I think we have to try," I said finally, meeting his weathered gaze. "Not because of the quest. Not because it's smart. But because..." I glanced at Elena, whose expression had shifted from concern to cautious hope. "Because walking away isn't something I can do.” Not and still look my kid in the eye afterward.
Gabriel studied me for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then, surprisingly, he nodded. "I wouldn't be able to either." he muttered, as something ancient and painful clouded his eyes. Then he shifted back to tactical mode so smoothly I almost doubted the moment of vulnerability had happened. "If we're doing this, we need a plan. Those bunnies aren't just dangerous individually—they're working as a pack."
Nadia's knuckles whitened around her spear as she glanced at Mei. For a moment, I thought she would object. Then she sighed deeply. "I must be losing my mind," she muttered, "but I'm in too. We can't just... watch."
"Really?" Mei brightened, then tried to compose her face into something more serious. "I mean, good. That's the right choice."
Andy looked between us, golden armor materializing across his chest as his internal conflict resolved. "Together, then," he said, more a statement than a question.
I nodded, some tension I hadn't realized I was carrying releasing from my shoulders. "Together."
"The girls and I can provide ranged support from up here," Gabriel stated, then turning to me. "You seem to be an up close and personal sort from what I’ve seen"
"I'm going down," Andy said immediately. "My shield can take the punishment, and I can get close enough to the nest to provide direct protection."
"I'll join you both," Nadia added. "My spear gives me reach, and my force fields can help create a defensive perimeter."
As they continued outlining the strategy, I felt Elena's small hand slip into mine. I looked down to find her watching me with a quiet pride that made my chest ache.
"Thanks, Dad," she whispered.
"For what?"
Her smile was small but luminous. "For being you."
I squeezed her hand gently, hoping she couldn't feel the tremor in mine. I hadn't chosen the safe path or the smart path. I'd chosen the path I could live with. The path I hoped would show her that sometimes, the right thing and the easy thing are rarely the same.
Now I just had to make sure that choice didn't get us all killed.