Finding the real Arthur turned out to be much harder than following fake trail markers.
"The problem," Lyka said, studying her map of high-threat zones, "is that Arthur doesn't leave convenient messages when he's actually working. Real zone clearing is quiet, efficient, and doesn't advertise itself."
They'd been traveling toward the nearest red-marked zone for two days without finding any sign of Arthur's presence. No carved messages, no distinctive blast patterns, no evidence of recent zone-clearing activity.
"Maybe he's not in this area either," August suggested.
"Or maybe," Lyka said, "real Arthur is so much better at his job that he doesn't leave obvious traces."
August's Foundation monitor had been quiet during their travel - no dimensional contamination, no reality distortions, no exotic threats. Just normal landscape between normal zones.
"It's weird how peaceful it's been," August said. "After weeks of constant adaptation, my immunity system has nothing to do."
They reached Zone 42-A in the early afternoon.
According to Lyka's maps, this should have been a high-threat zone with a large Forsaken population and an active Zone King. Instead, they found a settlement that was clearly inhabited but showed no signs of hostility.
"This is… not what I expected," Lyka said.
The Forsaken they could see moving through the settlement were going about what appeared to be normal daily activities. Some were tending gardens, others were maintaining buildings, and a few were engaged in what looked like artistic projects.
"They look peaceful," August said.
"They look organized," Lyka corrected. "Look at the infrastructure - this isn't a random Forsaken nest. This is a planned community."
August's Foundation monitor flickered green briefly, adapting to the presence of many Forsaken, but the adaptation was minor. These Forsaken weren't radiating the kind of threat his immunity system usually responded to.
One of the Forsaken noticed them and approached.
This one had been modified for communication - multiple vocal cords that allowed it to speak in harmonious layers, and eyes that had been restructured to process visual information from humans and Forsaken simultaneously.
"Travelers," it said, its voice creating pleasant harmonies. "You seek the Silence-Bringer."
"We're looking for Arthur Solvain," August said carefully.
"Arthur Solvain came here seven days ago. He spoke with our Council about the Gathering."
"What gathering?"
The Forsaken gestured toward the settlement. "Many communities like ours have been contacted. Told that a choice is coming. That the old ways of hiding and fighting will soon end."
Lyka and August exchanged glances.
"What kind of choice?" Lyka asked.
"Join the new arrangement willingly, or be collected for integration regardless."
August felt a chill.
"And what did Arthur say about this choice?"
"Arthur Solvain listened to our concerns. He said the choice was false - that there were other options than submission or collection."
The Forsaken's harmonious voice took on what might have been a hopeful tone.
"He said he was working to ensure communities like ours could remain autonomous. That the Gathering could be stopped."
"Did he say how?"
"He spoke of finding the source. Of confronting those who seek to force unity through dominance."
The Forsaken pointed toward the eastern horizon.
"He left traveling toward the Deep Listening zones. Said he had traced the coordination signals to their origin."
Lyka pulled out her map and located the Deep Listening zones.
"That's… really far into dangerous territory," she said. "Areas where reality gets experimental. Even experienced zone hunters avoid that region."
"But that's where the real Arthur would go," August realized. "If someone's been coordinating large-scale Forsaken manipulation from a hidden location."
The Forsaken was watching their conversation with interest.
"You also seek to help the autonomous communities?"
"We're trying to find Arthur to warn him about something," August said. "There are people impersonating him, creating false trails, trying to lead others into traps."
"This we know," the Forsaken said. "The false messages have reached many communities. Promises of peaceful relocation, offers of protection in exchange for compliance."
"And communities are accepting?"
"Some are. Those who fear the Silence-Bringer more than they trust the promises."
August felt pieces clicking together.
"The collection operations we found - those weren't Arthur's work. Someone else is gathering Forsaken communities and claiming Arthur sent them."
"While the real Arthur is trying to stop the collections," Lyka added. "Working alone because everyone thinks he's the one behind the operation."
The Forsaken nodded its multiply-structured head.
"Arthur Solvain carries great burden. He knows that many fear him, but he continues to work for protection of autonomous communities."
"Even though he gets no credit for it," August said.
"Even though many blame him for the collections he seeks to prevent."
The weight of Arthur's situation was staggering. He was fighting to protect Forsaken communities while being blamed for their disappearance, working alone while imposters used his name to justify the very operations he was trying to stop.
"How long ago did Arthur leave for the Deep Listening zones?" Lyka asked.
"Seven days. He said the coordination signals were growing stronger, that whoever was behind the Gathering was preparing something significant."
"Did he say what?"
"A final collection. All remaining autonomous communities to be gathered simultaneously for integration into the new arrangement."
August's Foundation monitor flickered as it processed this information.
"Integration," August repeated. "Not elimination, not conversion. Integration."
"Someone's building an army," Lyka said grimly. "A coordinated force of integrated Forsaken communities under centralized control."
"And they're using Arthur's reputation to make communities cooperate with their own capture."
The Forsaken gestured toward the settlement again.
"We have chosen to resist both the false promises and the forced collection. But we are few, and the coordination grows stronger."
"Other communities are joining willingly?"
"Many fear what happens to those who refuse. The false Arthur's messages speak of consequences for non-compliance."
August felt sick. The scope of the deception was enormous - not just leading him and others away from Arthur, but using Arthur's name to terrorize Forsaken communities into surrendering themselves for capture.
"We need to reach Arthur," August said. "Help him stop this before the final collection."
"The Deep Listening zones are dangerous even for the Silence-Bringer," the Forsaken warned. "Reality there responds to sound and intention. Unprepared travelers may find themselves… edited by their own thoughts."
Lyka was already plotting their route.
"Seven days head start, but Arthur's probably moving carefully through experimental reality zones. If we push hard and take risks, we might be able to catch up."
"What kind of risks?"
"The kind where we travel through zones that might rewrite our existence if we think the wrong thoughts at the wrong time."
August checked his Foundation monitor. His immunity list was still specialized for human Forsaken threats - not ideal for experimental reality zones.
"My Foundation isn't adapted for that kind of hazard anymore."
"Then we'll have to be very careful about what we think while we're traveling," Lyka said. "No negative thoughts, no self-doubt, no imagining worst-case scenarios."
"That sounds impossible."
"It's what Arthur's been doing for seven days to get there ahead of us."
They thanked the Forsaken for the information and prepared to leave for the Deep Listening zones.
"One more thing," the Forsaken said as they departed. "Arthur Solvain left a message for any who might follow his trail."
"What message?"
"'Trust no communications that claim to be from me unless they acknowledge the weight of necessary choices. The real work leaves no room for false comfort.'"
August felt a strange recognition in those words. They sounded like something the Arthur he'd originally written might have said - acknowledgment of moral complexity rather than simple heroism.
"'The weight of necessary choices,'" August repeated. "That's the real Arthur."
"Then let's go find him," Lyka said, "before whoever's been impersonating him can finish whatever they're really planning."
They left the peaceful Forsaken settlement and began traveling toward the Deep Listening zones.
Behind them, the settlement continued its organized daily life while preparing for either forced collection or violent resistance.
Ahead of them lay zones where reality responded to thought and intention, where unprepared minds could be edited by their own fears and doubts.
And somewhere in those zones, Arthur was tracking coordination signals to their source while carrying the weight of being blamed for operations he was trying to stop.
"Question," August said as they walked. "When we find Arthur, and when he finds whoever's been impersonating him, what do you think happens?"
"I think," Lyka said, "we're about to find out what happens when someone tries to steal the identity of the most dangerous person in the zone network."
August hoped they'd reach Arthur in time to help with that confrontation.
Because based on everything they'd learned, whoever was coordinating the Gathering had been planning this for a very long time.
And they'd been using Arthur's own reputation as a weapon against the communities he was trying to protect.