The Portal Scout

Book 1: Endless Roads

A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure

by Andrew Karevik

The Portal Scout (Book 1)

Copyright © 2024 LitRPG Freaks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Chapter 1

The stamp came down with the force of a thousand hammers. Approved! it read in bold red letters as the bored woman slid the paper towards me. My application, the poorly scribbled resume that listed my home as Beantown and my occupation as a Bean Farmer. It had cost everything I had to afford the charcoal and paper to form the application – 5 dracks!

My parents and eleven siblings had all scrounged and saved, begged and borrowed to earn this money. Beantown had nothing but beans and even they were starting to dry up. All it took was a young dreamer’s idea to give them hope, however.

Ever since I can remember, I dreamt of the Portal Halls of West Carnelion. Perhaps I had heard a story about it from a passerby, or maybe my father had told a tall tale about visiting once, but the portals stuck in my mind as I grew up, giving me a singular dream: become a Portal Scout.

And now it had happened. In the blink of an eye, in less time than it took for me to enter West Carnelion’s prestigious campus, I had been accepted into the Portal Scouts – the only guild that had exclusive control of the Portal Halls.

West Carnelion came after the portals. Everyone knew this. But the Portal Scouts had been the ones to secure the area. They had been the ones brave enough to enter into the portals…and were the only ones who knew the secrets to coming back.

Thousands of years ago, before the first brick had been laid in the kingdom of Olandia, the portals were there. They lived in a great building that wasn’t quite a castle or a cathedral. The creation of such a grand hall was missing from all recent memory; no Olandier knew where such a place came from. Nor did they know where the thousands of portals within led to.

Within the Portal Hall were endless portals, magical openings that brought one to entirely new dimensions. Not different places in Olandia but different worlds. New planes of reality. When the Portal Halls were first discovered, many Olandiers entered these rifts but few managed to return in one piece.

It wasn’t until West Carnelion was founded, by the Royal Scouts of the Portal, that exploration became fruitful. The small city was built into the side of the mountain adjacent to the Hall and the public was barred from entering without a license.

A license that I had just received.

“Welcome aboard, scrub,” the woman sitting across from me said as she took out a pair of goggles and two stones.

“I’m…I’m in?” I squeaked.

“Yes, Ivan,” she replied, “you’re in. Nineteen, a citizen and a pulse. Everything checks out. Now, as part of the Royal Incentive for Exploration, you are entitled to a loan of gear from the RSP. This includes a standard pair of Scout’s Goggles, a Navigation Stone, a Time Stone, a Layman’s Survey Pike and, of course, a single Frail Key.”

The woman dug into the desk and searched for something as I stared at the two stones that were sitting across from me. Those were…those were Eon stones.

Eon Stones were the first export from West Carnelion. They were the whole reason the King had sent his forces out to begin formally exploring the hundreds of portals within. They contained the power of magic. Wondrous, incredible magic!

Before the Scouts, there was little magic to be found in Olandia. Sure, the Triad Magicians claimed that they had magical powers – but until the Eon Stones showed up, they could only do parlor tricks and sleight of hand.

These little rocks were found throughout the portalverse. Alone, they appeared to be little more than a smooth stone, colored red or blue perhaps, sometimes translucent but without much else going for them. But when one focused their mind upon the stone for a brief period of time, the Eon Stones would attune. Attunement brought forth extraordinary power, strength and magical aptitude.

Such items were rare and in demand for a great reason. One’s status in society could boost tenfold with a mere stone. One could buy a house in the Grand City of Walson for a single stone – a kingdom for ten!

And there they were, sitting across from me. Mine! On loan! Oh…I would have to pay this back. How much money would I possibly need to earn in order to afford these things?

“Ma’am, I’m afraid there might be some mistake,” I said as the woman finished digging out a glistening, clear key from the desk. “I could never afford to pay back these stones…”

The woman chuckled as she looked at me, grinning for the first time. “The stones aren’t for sale, they’re part of your membership. Same with the goggles. We’re loaning you the Key and the Pike.” She took out a short stick and placed it on the table.

The pike was a smooth black rod with a wicked end that looked as if it were meant to pierce deep into the earth. “These are 500 dracks each.”

I almost choked. “A thousand dracks!” I shouted.

“A dram,” she corrected. “One dram. Your maps will sell for at least two or three. You’ll be fine.”

“My maps?” I repeated. I was unsure of what she meant here.

“I don’t have time to deal with a scrub,” the woman said with a sigh. She shouted past me, out the hallway. “Jacob, take the new kid on the tour. He’s a runner.”

“Got it,” a man shouted back.

A few moments later, a tall fellow appeared at the front of the door. He was friendly-looking, wearing the traditional redcloak of a Royal Scout of high esteem. “Heya kiddo, I’m Jacob.”

“Ivan,” I said, shaking his hand as I stood. He gestured for me to follow and I hurried after him, through the halls of the very busy explorer’s guild.

“You seem a little out of sorts, Ive’s,” Jacob said.

“I…I didn’t think I’d be getting the job. I’m a little stunned…and confused. What’s this pike for?” I asked. I had gathered the items in my haste to follow after the man, throwing it all in my haversack. The spike was sticking out of the bag, threatening to poke anyone who got too close.

“Truth is you’ve come to the Scouts at an opportune time,” Jacob explained, leading me into a side room where there were dozens of items hanging from the walls. “We’ve just had a mass exodus due to the Grand City’s discovery of a dungeon beneath them. Lots of portal runners are being bribed away with large packages and so we’ve come up with a package of our own. The Royal Incentive.”

He paused to gesture towards the wall. “We run a basic operation here. The Royal Scouts sell everything Surveyors and Runners need to properly conduct their business. We also run a market that allows you to sell the fruits of your harvest.”

“By harvest, you mean Eon stones, right?” I asked.

Jacob laughed. “Eventually, sure. But right now, you’re just a Runner. Your job is to enter new portals, survey the area with your pike and then make maps.”

“Why would anyone want a map of a portal land?” I asked.

“No, not a portal land!” he said. “A map of where the Eon Stone may be! Your job is to locate their general whereabouts. Adventurer types, delvers and whatnot, they buy the maps in order to secure the stones for themselves.”

“I thought my job was going to be to find the stones…” I said.

“It can be,” the man said. “The Scouts are an open organization. You’re free to do whatever you wish. However, the equipment required to precisely locate an Eon Stone is quite expensive. We furnish everything you will need right here.”

Jacob gestured towards all of the items hanging from the walls. “Put your goggles on,” he said. “And see how it looks.”

I dug into my haversack and pulled out the goggles. They were brown leather, with wide lenses that had a slight tint to them. I wrapped them around my face and adjusted the straps and snaps until my eyes were secured behind them.

“These are surprisingly comfortable,” I said. I blinked once, twice and then, suddenly, words and numbers appeared beneath the items across from us.

Keys

Survey Tools

Scouting Tools

Weapons

Armor

“Woah,” I said, putting my hands up to where the words were. With focus, I could change the different menus, causing different prices and lists to appear in front of me. Most of them cost hundreds of dracks. I couldn’t even fathom having that kind of money.

“The rule is, you take the item, it’s credited from your account automatically,” Jacob said. “The Multiplanar Goggles automatically tracks your finances, your sales, everything. More than that, it also interfaces with your Eon Stones.”

“Oh right, those,” I said, reaching into my bag a little anxiously. What would magic feel like? Would it burn? It had to burn, right?

The stones looked different now. One was bright blue, glowing with energy. Words hovered over it, telling me how it worked.

Navigation Stone: Records all relevant information required to create a map.

Time Stone: Keeps the time and informs you of the passing of each hour.

“The time stone seems a little…specific,” I said, fumbling for the right word. It wasn’t nearly as impressive as the navigation stone.

“When you’re out in the portalverse, wandering from realm to realm with different suns and concepts of time, you’ll be thankful for it,” Jacob said. “Besides, a scrub like you is going to depend on the ability to know how long an exact hour is.”

“Why’s that?”

The man grinned. “You’re a scrub, so we don’t know you one bit. Your job is going to be doing the jobs everyone hates. And that means Frail Portals.”

Chapter 2

The flickering portal in front of me did not build confidence. It wasn’t the first portal I had laid my eyes upon, Jacob had taken me to see all of the good portals earlier, but now we were in a nearly abandoned part of the Portal Halls. The Ghost Wing as it was called, due to the translucent, silver portals that made up this area.

“A Frail Portal only holds for a couple of hours at the most,” Jacob told me. “Your job is to get in, make as precise a map as possible and then get out. The portal will reopen after the next season, and then other runners will go again to look for the Eon Stones.”

“Why not just take the stone for myself?” I asked.

“Hey, if you can get to one, feel free to grab it,” Jacob replied. “You can sell it or keep it. But you’re going to want to keep it. You’re just a scrub, you have no magic, no advantage. A single stone in the field could be world changing for you. Of course, you could just sell one and be done with the whole thing. But we take our cut and in that case, you’re not getting a castle’s worth of coin.”

“And if I leave, I forfeit all the stones?” I asked.

“Yup,” Jacob said. “It’s a simple setup. Our portals, our equipment, our stones. But feel free to use them as long as you need to get the job done.”

“So how do I enter the portal?”

“You gotta attune to the stones first,” Jacob advised. “But it’s easy to do in the field thanks to the goggles. Just stare at them and will yourself to fuse. It’ll work quickly.”

I did as he suggested. The first stone, the navigation stone began to buzz in my hands as I felt my energies converge to it.

Eon Stone Acquired! Navigation Abilities Unlocked! The stone floated gently around me for a moment before settling into my hand. It was light to the touch.

Coordinates appeared at the bottom of my vision. Wait? How did I know what a coordinate was? More information began to fill my vision and my head, teaching me about how to count paces accurately, how to mark terrain on a map and most importantly, how to tell which way was north.

“The stones go in your goggles,” Jacob said, tapping on his own head. I took the navigation stone, still in a daze from all of the information pouring into my mind and fumbled, sliding the rock against the side of my goggles until I found a slot.

The Eon Stone popped right into the slot and I felt a satisfying click as my goggles closed a safety shield around the stone, keeping it protected from the rest of the world.

“How you feeling?” Jacob asked, waving a hand in front of me.

“I feel like a scout!” I replied.

The man laughed. “Well, don’t go running into the portal just yet. You still need to attune to the other one. And then we’ve gotta get you oriented.”

I glanced down at the time stone in my hand. It was slimmer than the other one, white and translucent. Attuning to this one took more focus, as if my mind needed to press through something to reach the energy. Or maybe I was just becoming more aware of the process…hard to tell.

Eon Stone Acquired! Timekeeping abilities unlocked! appeared in my vision as the stone jolted to life. This one knew exactly where to go, zipping into the other side of my goggles, sliding into its designated spot. The goggles safety lid closed around it, sealing both into my headset.

“It’s 12:02,” I exclaimed!

“Sort of,” Jacob replied, motioning for me to follow him. We turned around from the portal and began walking towards where a crowd of people had gathered. They appeared to be new recruits like me, all wearing goggles similar to mine. “You’re using what’s called the Universal Time. Timekeeper stones are set to it and we use it throughout the planes, but the local time might be called something different. When communicating with us, use universal time, with locals, use their numbers.”

“Locals?” I asked. “Are there people in the portals?”

Jacob laughed. “Oh, are there. You never know what kind of group you’re going to meet. But we have strict rules about dealing with them. Come on, join the other minnows and let’s get you all ready for your first dive.”

The group of newbies looked quite different from me. They were all posh and refined individuals, people from the city. Their clothes were fancy and I found many of them staring as I tried to stand next to them.

I suppose it was obvious that I was just a country peasant, for they paid me no mind. Well, not all of them. One fellow, a short lad with dark skin and long dreadlocks, came up beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

“Finally, someone without a stick in his ass!” the young man said. He was the youngest of us all, barely pushing eighteen. “Tell me you’re not from the Grand City.”

I was relieved to hear his country accent. “Far from it. Just a middle of nowhere place called Beantown,” I said. “I’m Ivan.”

“Peter! I’m from North Pelate, a place farther than wherever these portals take us,” Peter said as we walked, following the group. “I was just a horse trainer when my dad told me to pack my bags and go to the portals.”

“Were you excited or upset?” I asked.

“Ambivalent,” Peter replied. “But I do what my dad tells me. Got to earn for the family.”

I nodded at that sentiment. Everything I was going to be earning would be going straight home to help my family farm out. “I can appreciate that, Peter.”

“So are you going for infrastructure or portal running?” Peter asked.

“Running. I’ve been dreaming of exploring this place ever since I can remember.”

“I’m aiming for Cartographer,” the young man said as we stopped in one of the side rooms within the massive hall. “It’s an easy gig once you get the right stone. Only trouble is you gotta get high enough rank to qualify to borrow it. So I’m stuck running until I either luck out or rank up.”

“Maybe we can work together?” I suggested.

“No way, it’s every man for himself in these portals,” Peter said. “You gotta earn your stripes by going it alone. Else everyone will think you’re just coasting off the success of others.”

“That sounds foolish,” I replied.

“Hey, I’m just saying what’s been repeated to me,” Peter said. “Working together is for veterans. Newbies gotta go out alone.”

No wonder they were having a mass exodus to another guild. That was asinine that we were discouraged from working together.

We settled down inside a classroom with hundreds of desks. There were only eleven of us, ‘scrubs’ as we were called, sitting in a comically oversized lecture hall.

A tall woman with a peg-leg walked up to the podium as we all settled down. “Listen up,” she shouted. “I’m only going to say this once. You are all here because you’re interested in joining the Portal Scouts. You may be thinking you’re hot stuff since your application was accepted, but let me assure you, we will take just about anyone right now.

“We aren’t here to hold your hand. As far as training goes, this is it. You’ve already received your goggles and stones, the rest is going to be up to you. Each of you will be assigned a brown cloak. These are your uniforms, you are to wear them while you are on the field. Browncloaks are restricted from entering any of the Fellowships until such time as they have proven themselves.”

Jacob began to distribute thick brown cloaks to each of us. They were long and warm, with many pockets on the insides. I had never felt a garment so warm in my life!

“Don’t get too attached to that,” Jacob whispered when he noticed I was examining the tough but smooth fabric. “If you play your cards right, you’ll be in a better color within the year.”

“Your cloak is your rank,” the gruff woman continued. “You are restricted from entering any portals except for those in the Ghost Wing. Furthermore, you are not allowed to fraternize with any of the Fellowships within the Royal Portal Scouts, nor are you allowed to band together with other browncloaks. Your success is to be your own.”

One man raised his hand. “I have brothers coming in soon. Will I not be able to travel with them?”

“Browncloaks go into the Ghost Wing,” the woman said, annoyed to be asked the question. “And they go alone. If you want to be able to work with others, you’ll have to prove yourself worthy of joining a fellowship. Until then, you’re on your own. Prove you can survive by yourself before you weigh others down.”

“What Magnolia means,” an elderly man said as he walked into the room, hobbling on a cane. He was well dressed, in a black suit with a top hat and spectacles. Several Eon Stones swirled around his head and I could see a few were studded into the buttons of his coat. “Is that our organization encourages independence before teamwork. For you see…” he waved the woman to move aside as he walked up to the chalkboard behind the podium.

He drew a big circle with a piece of chalk. “Portals seem simple to the outside world. You go in and then pop out on the other side, but that’s not always the case. If it were that easy, we would have long established trade networks with other civilizations.” The old man paused to draw a line through the circle.

“When you first enter a portal, you will be sent to a random location within that plane of reality,” he explained.

Peter nudged me as one student whispered into his ear. “That’s Professor Loft,” Peter passed onto me. “He founded this place.”

Loft continued. “This means you must find your way back. Every time you enter a portal, you are automatically lost. And if you go into a portal with multiple people, they will all be displaced. Therefore, you must learn how to go your own way by necessity.”

“Wait, don’t Frail Portals only last a few hours?” I asked. “Doesn’t that mean we can be trapped if we don’t find our way back?”

“If you end up stranded, which is a very high possibility,” Loft said, drawing another figure on the board. He had begun making mathematical equations that I couldn’t understand, let alone follow. “You will be able to send us a distress call with your goggles. Then, a rescue will take place. Such a thing is costly and difficult to do, however, so I would advise you to find the portal first, survey second.”

Chapter 3

Orientation was enlightening. It finally made sense as to why there were no baggage trains ever moving through the portals. They randomly distributed people who passed through.

In addition to the cloaks and the lectures, we were briefed on how to deal with other civilizations.

“There are many intelligent beings out there,” Jacob had told our group before dismissing us. “Most with no conception of other portals. As far as we can tell, we are the only civilization with a Portalway. As such, we want to avoid bothering them as best we can. You may only engage in trade if it is beneficial to the other person – and no spending dracks. Yes, they have silver in them but the Crown gets on our ass about currency leaving circulation.”

There was no training given. Instead, we were shown the barracks where we’d be sleeping in between our adventures and let loose.

“Look at all the food!” Peter said as he rushed up to a large buffet that had been placed out for us. “Meat! And eggs!”

The rest of the browncloaks pretended that they weren’t starving but Peter and I, the two country folk, dug in like it was our last meal. I had never eaten so much and so many different foods in my life. I had two plates and by the third, I realized something. The food was always going to be here. It was one of the many benefits of being a Royal Scout now.

“Man, screw the portals,” Peter muttered to me. “I bet if I just mill around, I can look busy without ever having to do anything. Then I just eat and eat...hell, I could probably just send half of this food back home!”

“You really don’t have any scouting ambitions?” I asked as I put my fork down.

“Eh, like I said, mapping sounds more interesting. But until we can get into a Fellowship, I’m on my own,” he grumbled. He took a shaky breath. “I’m a bit scared, to be honest.”

I didn’t know what to say. I had always dreamt of portal exploration, so there was no fear, just excitement. I patted him on the back. “Tell you what, we can’t work together inside the portal, but let’s look after each other outside. If one of us notices the other hasn’t come back for a while, they go looking for him. Fair?”

Peter chuckled. “You’re just trying to cheer me up.”

“Did it work?”

“Maybe,” the man said with a laugh. “But you know what? It’s a deal. We’re allies now. That means we have to join the same fellowship too.”

I had heard them mention fellowships a few times. They were fraternities within the explorers’ guild but I knew little about them other than what I had heard today. “They’re all the same to me, I suppose,” I said.

“I’ll scope them out and pick us the house with the best food,” Peter said as he dug into a huge piece of ham.

We finished eating and turned in for the evening. Sleep was difficult for me but eventually I fell into a slumber. The morning came, though the megastructure of the Portal Halls had no windows for the sun to come in. I saw the time, eight in the morning as I slipped on my goggles.

Everyone was still sleeping except for me.

“Early birds and worms and all that,” I sleepily said to myself as I climbed up and quickly dressed. I grabbed my haversack and headed out, towards the Ghost Wing.

My heart was pounding. I had nothing except the cloak on my back and my wits – and years of survival training in the wilderness.

That was one thing I wasn’t afraid of. Living out in the countryside had made wilderness survival a natural part of my life and when I decided to become an explorer, my father started making me spend weeks out in the woods. I knew how to forest thank to those endless nights in total darkness and the Olandia country was a harsh place. Food was difficult to come by in those woods. I had to learn how to go without many times – but that was nothing new from being a peasant. Honestly, the food in my stomach could last me weeks.

I reached the Ghost Wing. The hall was a large crossway with dozens of wispy portals lining the walls. The place was deathly silent. A single woman, adorned in red robes, was walking alone. I tried not to make any noise as I looked for the portal my key led to, as to avoid bothering her.

“Ah, so you’re the first,” the woman said, gesturing for me to come to her. I sheepishly approached. In the hierarchy within, those in robes were at the top. They were the Caretakers, those whose job was to look after the halls themselves.

The Portalway was not just a wonder, it was a historical artifact. It was a living mystery. Well before there was thought of an explorer’s guild, the Caretakers were founded to look after the Portalway, ensuring it was kept repaired and safe from all manner of evil.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“I am Cinder,” she replied. “I watch over the Ghost Wing. If you go missing, I’m the one who locates you. And if you need advice, I am pleased to aid you however I can.”

“Why is there no training here?” I asked.

“An Eon Stone can provide you a lifetime of training in a single moment,” Cinder replied. She pointed to the bracelet that she wore. “I am able to perform lifesaving surgeries with one of these. No medical textbook in the world could provide me what is hidden within.”

“Are they that common?”

“To a Scout? Yes,” Cinder said. “You should be seeking them out aggressively, gaining their wondrous effects and boosts. Some Eon Stones have what’s known as Harmonization. When two of a kind are gathered, a third effect is produced, often greater than the two put together. So even if you find similar stones, you will have an endless amount of benefit.”

My heart swelled at this. Jacob really had been telling the truth. I could use these stones as long as I needed…what kind of secrets and magics were there?

“So how does this work?” I asked as I pulled out the translucent key from my haversack.

“That is A42,” she said, looking at the key. She quickly scuttled to the north passage. We passed dozens of identical portals until we reached one in the middle. A great lock floated in front of the portal; an opaque wall of fog blocked vision of what lay within.

“This is the Seal,” she said. “Once a portal has been unsealed by a Scout, it has been claimed by that Scout. No one may enter without your permission. You will be displaced somewhere within the new dimension. From there, you must find your way back as quickly as possible. Every portal is different but these tend to last only a few hours at most.”

“Hours?” I repeated.

“Oh yes, you didn’t think we’d let you go places that would take days, did you?” Cinder asked. “We’re so lax because the Frail Portals are the safest. Relatively. You could still encounter life-threatening danger but for the most part, you’ll be familiarizing yourself with survey tools, Eon Stones and portal running in its most literal sense.”

She motioned for me to open the lock.

I raised the key up and swallowed hard. The magical lock unclicked as I twisted the key into the slot, and immediately the fog around the portal faded, revealing a grand field of vibrant grass and flowers.

“You step through, the timer begins,” she said. “Good luck.”

I took a deep breath and tightened my goggles. “Here we go,” I said. This was a moment I had practiced thousands of times in my head. Now as it was happening, it barely felt real.

I passed through the portal and felt a jolt, then a skip. The world beneath me bounced and I was tumbling, falling through the air. And then, in an instant, I was standing in a huge field of sunflowers, going as far as the eye could see.

“Woah,” I said, staggering a few feet forward as the world around me shook.

You have arrived to the Luxurous Plane! Portal distance: 40 miles Southwest. Time: 16:00. Portal attunement in 3…2…1…portal located! Stability is weak! You have 3 Hours before the portal closes. Timer set now.

Three hours? Forty miles? I’d have to move at least 13 miles per hour and that was an incredible amount of ground to cover. It would be impossible to make that time on foot, I’d need a horse. Or maybe magic?

A compass appeared in my vision, pointing me towards where the portal would be. A mile countdown also appeared.

Okay, don’t panic. Time was against me and I was far from the portal but I wasn’t helpless. I had the stamina to run for a good while…

I broke out in a jog across the great field of flowers. The pace was hard but I had practiced running for hours at a time, mostly in worse conditions so I was able to appreciate the softer ground.

The world around me was beautiful. The warm sun glowed eternally and the clouds blew by without a care. The wind was cool and the flowers seemed to sing a song as they moved with the breeze. Even the grass had a satisfying ‘crunch’ to it as I took each step.

I reached the top of a hill which gave way into a huge windswept valley below. Immediately, the Portal marker moved downwards and I could see in the distance the outline of a portal. Forty miles down!  

The valley below was hollowed out and barren of life. There was no greenery down past a certain point, and I could see a few caverns as well. Ten minutes had passed.

The hill leading downwards was far too steep to climb down. It appeared as if something had moved into between two hills, maybe a great river (or a huge monster), creating a gulch between the two spaces. The drop-off from either side was sharp and I wouldn’t be able to get down easily. Forty miles down was still forty miles…I’d need some way to get down there quickly.

I turned back to the vast field of sunflowers and searched the environment for something useful. The clock continued to tick down as I sought high and low through the valley for some way down. Eventually I spotted something that caught my eye.

Towards the center of the valley, there was a small basin of water where sunflowers grew ten times as large as their counterparts in the rest of the field. The cool blue water glowed with a gentle, kind light that suggested nourishment to all who drank.

I wasn’t foolish enough to sip it down, but I did decide to take a bottle of the stuff to analyze later. Somehow. Maybe I’d see if Peter was brave enough to drink it and I could write what happened. He wanted to be support, right?

The shade of the great sunflower petals, brilliantly yellow fans, blocked out the sun as I knelt down to fill the bottle. The water was cold and refreshing to the touch and I pressed the bottle against the back of my neck. It felt good.

A gust of wind picked up hard, causing the sunflowers to all begin swaying. The breeze was strong and a few petals tore out of from the flowers, scattering across the field. The large petals stayed in the breeze, floating and spinning; they were apparently so strong they could stay in the air for quite a while….huh.

I looked up at the huge plants beside me. Each flower was nearly nine feet tall but they were still flowers, easy to bend over with some effort. I pushed one stalk forward until it broke at the edges, causing the stem to collapse like lumber in a forest.

“Timber!’ I shouted as the great tree fell over. Quickly, I pulled one of the sturdiest-looking petals from the fallen sunflower, plucking it out with a satisfying puck sound.

The yellow petal was about the size of my body, long and curved. But incredibly strong and tensile. When I bent the petal inward, the entire body resisted, forming a large U instead of breaking.

The edges of the petal were firm and tube-like. I broke two handholds into each side, wrapping my fingers on the inside of the petal, and then bent it upwards. Immediately, the wind caught the shape of the petal and I was dragged several feet forward.

“Woah, woah!” I yelped, planting my boots into the ground to slow the movement. I found myself being forced to run a few feet to get ahead of the momentum and the next thing I knew, I was in the air, sailing a few feet across the valley.

“Aha!” I cried in triumph as the petal tensed in my hand, my weight enough to bring it down but not enough to cause us to collapse. I floated across the valley, learning to turn the parasail by twisting left and right, shifting my weight around in order to make circles.

I skidded to the ground and quickly let go of the petal. It went slack as I released it, and I was on the floor once more. It had worked! But would it work for forty miles?

Twenty minutes passed as I hurried to pull more petals from the fallen flower. I didn’t have any material to bind them together, but I figured it would be a good idea to have a few just in case. Stacking the petals on top of each other, then cutting a handhold in each so they were all held together by my fists was the best way I could reinforce them for now.

Next time I had to get rope from the store. But that had cost almost 20 dracks – more money than I’d see in my lifetime as a peasant. Maybe it would be different if I could get to the portal and map out the area. I still had…2 hours and 32 minutes left.

Chapter 4

I ran forward, gritting my teeth, desperately telling myself that this was a good idea.

It wasn’t. The valley below was steep and the way down was long. If gravity took over, I was as good as dead.

The wind beneath me captured the petal parasail I had created and at once, I was dangling over the edge of the hill, hanging in the air.

“I’m floating?” I yelled, realizing the sturdiness of my vessel was so great that I was able to move vertically. “I’m gliding!”

The wind blew against my back as I cut forward, sailing through the air with incredible speed. My arms ached from holding the sails but at the same time, this was no different from the times I had spent dragging plows through the fields. I had the strength to hold on then, I had the strength to hold on now.

I sailed across the land, descending at a rapid pace but nothing I couldn’t control. I found the further I dropped along with gravity, the further forward I could go – and faster too! With my clever contraption, I was able to glide at incredible speeds, though sometimes I hurtled a little too quickly and panicked as a result. Fortunately I was almost always able to gain height with some manipulation; the breeze was particularly strong and ‘updrafty’ at certain parts.

I was able to determine my speeds thanks to the Navigation Stone. My goggles displayed that I was flying at nearly 22 miles per hour. Sometimes I could get that up to 30, though this was in short spurts. I covered incredible ground in my descent and within two exhausting hours, I was at the portal.

The silver whisper circle was waiting for me in the middle of a field. I collapsed onto the ground, my arms burning and fingers so locked up that I couldn’t even open them from the fist they had been making for the last two hours.

Time Left: 34 Minutes, my vision informed me as I slowly climbed to my feet. That had been one hell of a ride…but my time wasn’t over yet. I still had to survey the area. Maybe even find an Eon Stone…

I pulled the pike from my right side (I had looped it through my belt for easy access) and stuck it into the ground. The jagged end sank into the dirt and the spike immediately began to glow. A pulse of white light washed across the entire region.

Layman’s Survey Pike has been activated!

Sweeping…3...2…1…

Eon Stones located!

Stone 1 – within 97 miles

Stone 2 – within 50 miles

Stone 3- within 15 miles

Stone 4 – within 1 mile

I looked at the pike and waited for more information. But that was it. Four stones, all within 97 miles. One was within a single mile here. But a mile was still…a mile.

I looked around, taking in the environment. We were in between two great cliffsides, in an empty gulch with very little around. I could see up to a mile around and there was nothing here…nothing except for…a statue.

Despite my weariness, I jogged my way across the windswept valley to the statue. It wasn’t too far and it only took me four minutes to get to it. 28 minutes to go.

My stomach began to tense as I examined the statue. It was a large grey carving of a beetle, with humanoid proportions and dozens of little grublings in its arms and hands. Barthur the Pacifist, he raised millions without raising a fist.

In the right eye of the Beetle was a stone. It was red and glimmered with magic as I glanced at it. Immediately I knew it was an Eon Stone.

“Oh come on,” I muttered. “This is part of some kind of art exhibit. Isn’t this stealing? I’m not about to rob some cultural icon.”

The statue reached up and plucked the stone from its eye and handed it to me. I froze as I realized what was happening. The statue had come alive?

“W-what?” I gasped as I gingerly took the red stone.

“Those who refuse to take are those who get,” the statue harshly said, the words coming out like a croak from a frog.

“Thank you,” I said. “Truly.”

The statue said nothing else, it merely resumed its original position. I shivered at the encounter. A magical statue? I had never imagined anything like that in my entire life. And now it had given me an Eon Stone, thankful for my refusal to plunder.

I staggered back to the portal, checking the Survey Pike. Stone 4 was gone. The others were still here but I had no time to get to them.

I pulled the pike out and immediately was greeted with a message from my goggles.

Survey Complete! 3 Stones Recorded!

General location has been recorded. You have enough data to make a map!

More than that, I also had a new stone…but I would attune to it once I was on the other side. Twenty minutes left…a razor’s edge away from being trapped in this place for a long time. But I had done it. My first run, completed. Incredible!

I walked through the Frail Portal and at once, I was tossed through reality once more. I felt the world spin around me as I moved through time and space to my home land. I popped out of the other side of the portal in a lurch.

Behind me, the portal swirled and vanished.

“Well done!” Cinder said as she leaned down to help me to my feet. I had stumbled to my hands and knees after falling out of the portal and had been trying to keep my breakfast down. “You made it back!”

“That was incredible! There was a statue and flowers as tall as a giant,” I said, shaking my head. I remembered the stone in my vest pocket and pulled it out. “And I found this baby.”

“Finding stones on your first run is considered good luck,” Cinder said. “May I?”

I handed her the rock and she examined it. “Very nice. Seems to be made of Garnet.”

“Does the gem matter?”

“Oh yes,” she replied. “Like empowers like. Two Garnets harmonize.” Cinder gave the stone back to me.

“You brought a survey back, yes?” she asked.

I handed the pike to her. “Yes, ma’am. Three locations keyed into it.”

Cinder took the pike and motioned for me to follow. I trailed her through the Ghost Wing into one of the side chambers where the infrastructure team worked.

“This is the Survey Logger,” Cinder explained as she led me into a room filled with maps on the walls. There was a large table with a hole in the center of it. She stabbed my pike into the hole and immediately, there was a loud click.

A flash of blue light encompassed the room and the next thing I knew, there was an illusory image of the Luxurous Plane. The region I had walked through was revealed, as well as the location of three stones placed in the general area of the portal.

Cinder looked at the three dots on the translucent, blue map. “These are very imprecise. But I suppose that was to be expected for your first go. Normally, it’s tradition for The Caretakers to buy the first few maps from scrubs. I’ll pay you 1 dram for this.”

I almost choked. “A thousand dracks?”

“It’s a very generous offer,” she replied. “Enough to buy you another Key so you can Run again and then some change for incidentals.”

“No, I didn’t think it was low,” I said. “I-erm…that’s just a lot of money. I mean, I knew I’d be making it but to hear you’re actually earning that much…it’s a dream come true.”

Cinder smiled at that. “That’s good to hear. I’ve had to deal with a few newbies who think they should be getting paid a significant amount of money.”

What in the world would they consider significant?

Chapter 5

I found Peter at the dinner table. The food was the exact same as yesterday, huge piles of bread, cheeses, meats and pickles of all kinds – even pickled eggs!

“I did my first run today,” I said, plonking down in the chair beside my friend. “It was amazing.”

“Congratulations!” Peter said, raising his glass to me. “I found a Caretaker who was struggling to load some materials into an area, so I just helped her out.”

“Still not interested in going in?” I asked.

Peter shrugged. “If I didn’t feel so alone I’d be less afraid, but…I thought they’d be training us.”

“Well, I went in a portal and I have to admit, it was a lot easier than I thought,” I said. “It did stress me out getting back home but I thought quickly and was able to do it. You should have no trouble.”

Peter looked at me. “I’m thinking about returning my gear and just milling around until I get kicked out. Food here is too good to leave in good conscience but I’m just…I guess I’m just too much of a coward. I don’t know.”

I clapped the man on the back. “Peter, would you feel better if I gave you an Eon Stone?”

“What?”

“I’m serious,” I said. “We agreed to help each other out, right?” I took out the small red stone. “I don’t know what it does but…if it’ll give you an edge on your first run, I think you should use it.”

Peter looked at me with curiosity in his eyes. “You’re a good egg, you know that?”

“Hey, we gotta look out for each other however we can,” I said.

He took the stone and stared at it in the palm of his hand. He took a deep breath. “Keep it,” he said, shoving it back into my hand. “I want my own. Dammit, you’re right. If you can do it, so can I.”

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “I’m going straight to the Ghost Wing. And if I never come back, I hope you go to your grave blaming yourself.”

I laughed and cheered the young man on as he made his way out of sight. Silently, I was relieved that he didn’t want my stone. That I had inspired him to go for his own, rather than profit off of my own hard work. Still, I would have rather kept Peter around than a single stone. There were going to be plenty of rocks to go around but friends were rare to find.

Once I finished eating dinner, I returned to the barracks. A young woman was snuggling into bed already, leaving me to sit on my bunk in the darkness. I stared at the stone and concentrated.

“Yark!” I yelped as the red energy jolted through my system. The stone leapt up and smacked my skull.

“Shut up, I’m trying to sleep,” the woman mumbled across from me.

Eon Stone Attuned! Vitality Stone has been activated!

Vitality Stone: Your physical energy is higher. You require only 4 hours of sleep and your athletic capacity is doubled.

The red stone was trying to push its way into my forehead but I pulled it down and put it into my pocket. The stone didn’t like being in there and pulled itself out, quickly bashing into my head again.

Sleep did not come easily due to this. Eventually I found myself hiding beneath my slim pillow, ignoring the taps of the stone against my face until I drifted to sleep…for only a few hours.

I woke up at three in the morning, feeling better than I had in my entire life. The stone was still tapping away at my head, but I found I could just hold it to keep it still.

With the morning came new possibilities. Cinder had paid me a single dram, a shiny coin that would allow me to continue my runs and send a little bit of cash back home. And by a little I meant 20 dracks, enough to provide them with a life of leisure for quite a long time.

Fortunately, the Royal Scouts anticipated this kind of need from its membership and provided a mail service with absolutely no cost. A parcel of coins could be sent with the full confidence that it would reach its intended destination, thanks to the fact that it was the Royal Scouts who were also the ones who ran the postal offices.

I broke my dram down into dracks by purchasing a Frail Key for 500. I sent twenty to my family and used the rest to purchase some much needed gear.

As I entered the Commissary, where the items were being sold, a tall man with an extra arm was busy stocking some shelves. He glanced at me and grinned widely. “Aha! Someone needs a Slot!”

“A slot?” I asked. My fingers slipped for a moment, releasing the stone which immediately tried to bash its way into my head again. This time was much harder.

“Yessir,” the man said as he brought me over to a corner of the room that had dozens of different containers, jewelry and accessories. They were all hollow in some way, with slots for stones to go inside. “Eon Stones can be troublesome depending on their temperament. But we have built protective gear that holds stones easily and securely. We call them slots for short.”

I looked at a pair of thick gloves. They had two slots in the knuckles. The fabric was rough enough for outdoor adventure. The price was 300 dracks. I could afford them…hey, why not? Gloves would have made that last adventure a lot less painful on the fingers.

I paid for the slot gloves and quickly put them on. They were warm and comfortable to wear. Best of all, when I pushed my Vitality Stone into the left knuckle slot, it stayed. A thin layer of glass wrapped around the stone, showing it off but protecting it from the rest of the world.

I couldn’t help but grin as I looked at myself in the mirror. Brown cloak, black gloves, I was looking like quite the scout.

After admiring myself a little, I readied up and headed back to the Ghost Wing. It was five in the morning and I was feeling great, the vitality surging through me. Cinder was pacing the floors, waiting for someone to attend.

“Ah, he’s back for another round,” she said, eagerly taking the key from me to examine it. “55D,” she muttered. “These are so old.”

“How come I don’t see anyone in the Ghost Wing ever?” I asked as I followed her down the corridors of endless portals.

“They’re generally considered to be the safest and lowest risk portals,” Cinder explained. “They aren’t particularly challenging to anyone outside newbies.”

We stopped at a portal at the far end of the hallway. “You know the drill,” she said. “Good luck.”

I popped the key into the portal lock and at once, the film dissolved, revealing a vast land of trees as far as the eye could see. Without hesitation, I rushed forward. It was time for another adventure!

Chapter 6

I appeared at the bottom of a tree, surrounded by miles upon miles of forest. The trees themselves were like sycamores, though they were wider and blacker than other varieties. Everything here was dense foliage; I couldn’t walk forward without encounter thick brushes that slowed me down.

I regretted not buying a machete for the journey. My regular little knife wasn’t cutting it.

Portal is located 2 Miles North. My goggles informed me. You have 3 hours before the portal closes.

So the portal was close now. Much closer than before. It still took me some time to traverse those two miles; the ground was unkind and the trees dense in certain areas. Half an hour later, I arrived to a tree branch where the portal was hanging from. There was plenty of time to do some searching in the meantime.

I stuck the Layman’s Survey Tool into the ground and watched as it lit up.

Sweeping…3...2…1…

Eon Stones located!

Stone 1 – Within 2 Miles

Stone 2 – Within 3 Miles

Stone 3 – Within 50 Miles

Stone 4 – Within 4 Miles.

Hmm…these were still so imprecise. Two miles was a needle in a haystack in an area this dense. But I sure as hell didn’t have the tools to cut through easily. There were trees as far as the eye could see and I had seen a few caves here and there as well.

“Never mind,” I said as I climbed up the tree. I had four stones recorded, that should be enough to get me a new key and some extra dracks for equipment.

I popped through the portal, getting more used to the translocation feeling this time, though I still fell to the ground.

“That was quick and efficient,” Cinder said, hand stretching out to take my Survey Pike. “Just how we like them.”

The end price was the exact same. One dram. The layout was too imprecise for her to be willing to pay any more, but that was fine. I had more or less wanted enough to do another run – but this was better. It was pure profit.

My family would have to last on that twenty for a little while, because I needed the full five hundred to properly equip myself.

The Commissary was filled to the brim with everything a young scout would need and the prices weren’t terrible. Certainly something a farm boy could never afford but a scout? They were viable.

Hard boots were purchased first. They had slots in the heels and were sturdy, able to handle wet and dry terrain equally well. The toes were reinforced with metal that would make it much easier to clear foliage out of the way. These were two hundred dracks.

A machete was my next buy. One hundred dracks. This perfect long blade could hack the way through any tree and shrubbery blocking the path. It would also second as a weapon in a pinch, though I was hoping to avoid violence while I was out on my adventures.

With two hundred coins left, I decided to invest in a Scout’s Pack. This pre-packed backpack came with thirty feet of rope, pitons for climbing, a whistle and ‘Seeker Treat’ – a dense block of wheat that had been designed to last virtually forever. It was nicknamed a treat ironically, as the thing was famously difficult to devour in the field.

In addition to these items, the Pack also came with a lantern hook, allowing me to hang lanterns or torches that had the right configuration. I could afford neither of those yet but maybe I would by the afternoon: I had bought another key and was ready to head out into the portalverse once again.

“Back again so soon?” Cinder asked. She was impressed to see me a third time so quickly and I strolled up to her proudly.

“Take me to my adventure, please,” I said, handing her the key.

“Right this way, good sir,” she replied, bowing humbly before leading me to a new portal. I unlocked it and saw a vast world made of metal and iron. The structures made no sense to me and I couldn’t make heads or tails of the world I was gazing at.

“What is this?” I asked.

“That is a great question,” Cinder said. “Some places are very, very different from what you have seen. There are different…rules, I suppose, rules for how the world works. Sometimes things are heavier or lighter, gravity the Professor calls it. And when one rule is different – well, everything becomes much more interesting.”

I thanked the woman for her insight and headed through the portal. Instantly, I sailed across the universe and straight into what appeared to be a gigantic circle metal ball.

“What is this?” I asked, my voice echoing all around me. I was inside of a metal sphere of some sort, the sky reflecting my own visage back to me. They all stared up at me with curiosity and wonder.

My goggles calibrated. You are in the Sunsteel Plane! Portal is .01 miles away.

Nice and close. Perfect. I looked around the vast and empty circular room, wondering what this place was. It gave me the creeps, the way the ground was so perfectly smooth and metal. Every step I took echoed throughout the entire building, as if it were announcing my presence.

As I walked, there came a voice from above.

“You are in the Wizard Othanian’s Domain,” the voice boomed. “I am displeased.”

I glanced up to see there was a great cloud of thunder above me. Was that Othanian? “Er, sorry, I’m just a scout!” I said.

“Scouting what? An invasion?” the voice bellowed. “Die!”

Lighting struck at me and I found myself scrambling out of the way. The electricity struck the metal ground and next thing I knew, I was on the ground, twisting and writhing. “Please, I’m peaceful! Peaceful!” I yelped in between spasms.

The cloud grew silent and watched me flail on the ground. “You seem weak for an invader…” he said.

“Please, I’m just a peaceful scout mapping portals,” I said, gasping for air. I sat up, the world spinning around me. I had never felt such pain before in my life!

The cloud opened up, revealing a great face, one made of metal and cogs. There were two big yellow eyes, like lanterns, and the mouth opened up as he spoke. “I believe you, little scout,” he said. “You are weak but material. Perhaps you can aid Othanian.”

Chapter 7

The Sunsteel Plane was an endless realm of metal buildings that connected to each other, one after another. There was a perpetual light coming from above, yet the sky was just another metal ceiling. The light seemed to come from the metal itself.

Othanian was a Cogetrion, a being composed of metal and logic, capable of performing incredible magics by using advanced mathematical calculations. He lived within the shell I had teleported inside and once he was done haranguing me with lightning, was considerably more pleasant.

The great wizard had many useful abilities but he was affixed to his lair, unable to leave no matter what. This was no torment to him, as he had spent his entire existence in one spot. He had many mechanical servitors who did as he needed but all of them had recently been destroyed – by his rival.

Arkemidion was a wizard in a sphere one block over. They had traded valuable items every now and then but recently they had split in an argument over mathematical tradition. Arkemidion had stolen Othanian’s Cube of Wisdom by sending his own forces over to do battle. The servitors were destroyed and the cube taken way. Now Othanian was forced to wait to build his own army once more.

I was given the opportunity to go and ‘negotiate’ on his behalf. This meant stealing the Cube back by any means necessary. In exchange, Othanian would happily hand me over a few of his ‘baubles’ as he called them. We called them Eon Stones.

I had four hours within the Sunsteel Plane and the portal was right outside. This was enough time for me to try my hand at some light theft. But then again, was it really theft if I was taking back what was stolen?

The streets of the plane were interconnected platforms that ran up and down in all directions, sometimes forming stairs or ramps, curves or sharp angles that abruptly cut off. There were hundreds of steel orbs floating around me, the ramps leading up into them. Most were closed but a few were open.

“You there! Hey you, skimmer!” a large metal hand said, pointing at me from inside one of the spheres that I was passing.

At first I didn’t realize he was talking to me but he was insistent. “Come on, I know you can hear me! Portal junkie, over here!”

That last part caused me to turn my head. The hand was inside of a large shop of some kind, with dozens of trinkets and cogs hanging from delicate red ropes.

“You know I’m a runner?” I asked as I entered the shop.

Soft white lights fell upon me, illuminating the rest of the store. There were hundreds of spears, swords and halberds lining the walls. “I had a guess by the fact that you’re squishy,” the hand said, motioning for me to come up. “Please, please, come on in and buy anything you like. I take your currency!”

“I’m not allowed to spend dracks…” I said, noticing an Eon Stone hanging from one of the ropes.

“No, not dracks, mortal, memories!” the machine said. “You fleshies run around collecting all sorts of interesting experiences. I’ll buy a couple in exchange for whatever you like.”

Selling memories? What a strange idea. “I’d rather keep what’s in my head, thank you,” I said.

“Come on, it’s no harm,” the hand explained. “You just release a few ideas and they’re gone. You won’t even remember that you had them. I’ll take anything you got, anything big and exciting.”

I had to admit this was interesting. It wasn’t like memories couldn’t be remade…and it wasn’t like I had many anyway. “How about the time I was stabbed in the leg by a boar?” I asked. “The pain, I’ll trade you the memory of the pain.”

That was probably the most visceral experience I had felt in my life – and it wasn’t much worse than the times I had broken my leg on the farm.

“Ahhhh, that will go nicely with my collection of agony,” the hand said. He reached over behind the counter and pulled out a bottle. It had a wicked-looking spike on the edge of it. “Now, bring your head over here…” he instructed.

I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea anymore but the hand was faster than me. He flung himself forward and stabbed the bottle into the side of my neck. I yelped and felt a sudden rush from my mind. The agony of the boar wound, the screaming, the embarrassment of crying out in such pain, was sucked from my head like water from a straw.

“Ack!” I said as the hand pulled the bottle away, a greenish liquid now resting within.

“See? Easy and not worth fussing about,” the hand said.

I didn’t feel any different but I wasn’t about to sell any more. “That was more than enough for a stone,” I said, grabbing the eon from the rope.

“Take it,” the hand chuckled. “But nothing else.”

I left the shop quickly after that, rubbing the spot on the back of my neck. There was no damage that I could feel but it was rather sore. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. But then again, I didn’t have much of a choice to back out. Ah well, at least now I had a stone.

Staring at the brown stone in my hand, I began to attune. I would need an edge if I were going to be able to successfully snag the wisdom cube back, so hopefully this stone should give me what I need…

Eon Stone Attuned! Brawler’s Stone has been activated!

Brawler’s Stone: You have an intimate understanding of hand-to-hand combat and can handle yourself easily in any fistfight.

“Woah…” I said as the stone found itself in the slot in my other glove and slid in without a fuss. My fingers twitched for a moment as if wishing they could unleash their new potential. I felt an understanding of what to do at a moment’s notice to either defend myself or inflict serious damage, be it with a fist, a knee, my head or an elbow. Cinder was right, this easily replaced years of martial training.

Emboldened by my newest acquisition, I made my way to the sphere where Othanian’s rival awaited.

The door to the sphere slid open as soon as I approached. What was my plan? I was going to take a diplomatic approach at first and barring that, I’d figure some way to snag the cube and hightail my way back to Othanian and then the portal in short order.

The interior of this sphere was a great room with hundreds of metallic hands hanging from the ceilings, assembling servitors by the dozen. These metal men had all manner of tools built into their hands, as to enable them to perform any construction task they were given. They could also easily use those tools as weapons on me…

“Enter!” a voice from above shouted. A metallic cloud appeared around the assembly hands, and from it came the voice of who could only be Arkemidion. “Why have you come into my lair? What do you seek, other than your own destruction?”

That didn’t bode well. “I have come to negotiate for the retrieval of the wisdom cube,” I said.

“Retrieval? You mean theft! To arms, guards! To arms!”

Chapter 8

The servitors took a moment to pull themselves free from the assembly lines, giving me a chance to make a decision. Stay and fight or flee…damn it, I had this stone, I was going to fight.

The first servitor came at me, clanging as he ran with his hammer hands held high. I saw his movements were jerky and unstable, I didn’t need to punch or kick him, I could just use the momentum against him…

I ran into the machine and caught him by the frame, lifting him up with an expert twist. Another machine was at my side and I tossed the construct into him. The metal men fell into each other, collapsing on the ground.

More surrounded me but I held my ground. I knew how to fight without throwing a single punch. I just had to use their large, awkward movements against them.

One punched at me. I caught the arm beneath my own and pulled down, ripping it out of its socket. These things weren’t designed to fight – they were construction machines!

Dozens came swinging at me but I was faster than all of them, able to tear out arms and use them as either shields or projectiles. One machine rushed into me in the hopes of simply overpowering me with his weight but I was much stronger than he. Concerningly so.

“This can’t be the stone,” I said as I lifted the machine up high with my arms before smashing it down into another group that was rushing at me. “I’m so much stronger than them.”

I tried throwing a punch. The metal material broke underneath my strike and I felt little pain. Enough to make me bite my teeth down but not enough to stop. I ceased throwing and began striking.

Kicks were easier and painless due to my boots. I smashed through dozens of servitors as they came at me from all directions. My fighting skills enabled me to dodge and strike, weave and throw, and the Vitality Stone made sustaining this all easy as pie. What a rush it was, to fight machines in a foreign plane!

“Enough!” Arkemidion shouted as I tore the head off of one last servitor. I threatened to throw it at three who were coming off the assembly line but they were quick to stop under their master’s demand. “It is clear you are able to destroy my servants with ease. Be glad I do not command elemental powers like my rival, else I would have made short work of you.”

A cube plonked down in front of me unceremoniously. It was glowing green with many interesting runes scribed across it. “There, take it and go.”

“Thanks,” I said, grabbing the warm cube from the ground. It was about the size of my fist and felt almost hot to the touch. I couldn’t make sense from the script but I figured it was full of wise sayings. Else, why would it be a wisdom cube?

I made my way back to Othanian quickly. That had been almost two hours of effort, now I was ready to leave with my rewards. This had been one hell of an adventure already.

“He returns,” Othanian said as I entered his abode. “And you have what I seek?”

“I do,” I said, showing him the cube. “And I had one hell of a time getting my hands on it too.”

“I can imagine,” the wizard said. “Open up the cube. There should be a few stones in there. That should be worth your trouble, yes?”

I complied with his commands, opening the top of the box to discover there were four stones sitting inside. My heart leapt at the sight of the vibrant colors: yellow, red, translucent and brown. Some of them matched the colors I already had, would they harmonize?

“This is an excellent reward,” I said, taking the stones out and putting them into the pouch I kept closest to my heart. “I thank you.”

“Our business has concluded,” the machine said. “Go now and leave this place. It is far too dangerous for a fleshy being like yourself.”

I was quick to take the stones and head out. One last task before going was to survey the area.

At first, I wasn’t sure if the metal ground would accept the pike but the layman’s surveyor stuck into the floor all the same. The system lit up and I was informed there were hundreds of Eon Stones in this particular area. I was overwhelmed with how many there were! This was paydirt!

Then I realized something. Most of the Eon Stones here seemed to be owned. It wasn’t fair to list them as treasure if they were in someone’s possession. But then again, there were so many listed on the survey tool that maybe there were just some lost ones sitting in a gutter drain somewhere. Who knows?

I exited the portal and rushed to find Cinder, to tell her of my findings. She was standing with Peter.

“And then, I pulled the sword straight from the ground, reversing gravity!” Peter explained. Cinder was awed with the tale and listened as the man finished. “And then I got the hell out of there!”

“Wonderful, that was truly an exciting run you had,” Cinder said, gently stroking Peter’s arm. He smiled sheepishly from the attention, unsure of what to say. I decided to jump in to help smooth out the awkwardness.

“You made it through one?” I asked.

“Two!” Peter said, displaying two fingers proudly. “The first one was so easy I almost felt cheated. I had to do it again and by the second time…I gotta admit, it’s fun. There’s this…this pump of adrenaline that comes when you know you have to get to the portal above all else.”

I nodded. I knew what he meant. Even though I had no close calls just yet, I still felt the finality of each moment ticking down on the clock. And the high that came from the success of getting through.

Cinder looked at me. “Have fun in the metalworks?”

“Sunsteel, actually,” I said.

“The Metalworks is a Dimension, you were inside of a plane within that dimension,” Cinder explained. Peter quickly lost interest in the conversation and bid us farewell, heading out to run another portal.

“Oh, so there are Dimensions and Planes,” I said. “I thought every portal led somewhere new.”

“Most of the time, but there are commonalities enough for us to map them,” Cinder explained as we walked into the survey extraction room. “That’s why we spend the money we do on your surveys.”

“Speaking of which…” I said, pulling out my pike. “I found hundreds in an area.”

“Yes, the Metalworks is full of Eon Stones,” Cinder said. “Most are claimed though. I’m hoping you didn’t steal any of the ones you found?”

“Not at all,” I proudly replied. “I worked for them, fair and square.” I decided not to mention the memory trade. I’m sure I’d be lectured for that.

“Good. We’ll pay for your next key and give you a hundred dracks for the trouble,” Cinder said as she took the pike from me and plugged it into the table.

“Works for me,” I said as I took out the stones from my pouch. These were more than reward enough for that run.

Cinder and I concluded our business and I found myself in the barracks, staring at my new collection. I was almost too excited to attune to any particular one…but I had to start!

The yellow one was first. It was fat and square, with edges that almost gave it a star-like quality. Focus caused the stone to immediately shiver, coming to life, though it did not lift itself up.

Eon Stone Attuned! Lightning Stone has been activated!

Lightning Stone: Your run speed is now faster!

Useful! I’d have to test how far I could go next portal. I attuned to the red one next, to see if it would harmonize.

Eon Stone Attuned! Pathfinder Stone has been activated!

Pathfinder Stone: You can sense secret passages, shortcuts and can generally reduce the time it takes for you to reach a destination.

No harmonization, but still, this was another useful one for the field. These two, the Pathfinder and the Lightning Stone, went into my boots.

Next up was the translucent one.

Eon Stone Attuned! Perception Stone has been activated!

Perception Stone: Your vision is enhanced. You have perfect vision. You may see in low light conditions.

The world sharpened considerably as I looked around the room. One of the browncloaks was busy taking his boots off in the corner of the barracks – I suddenly realized I could see the details on his laces. I never knew things could look so clear before!

“Wonders abound…” I muttered as I looked at the last stone. It was a brown oval with thin black lines painted around it. Something seemed greater about this stone than the others. As I attuned, I felt a powerful connection link to my body.

Eon Stone Attuned! Boulder Stone has been activated!

Boulder Stone: Your carrying capacity has increased by 100 pounds.

My goggles displayed this information, then quickly tallied up the number of stones I had, displaying all of my new abilities in an easy to read format.

Runner’s Profile

Name: Ivan

Rank: Browncloak

Eon Stones:

Perception Stone: Your vision is enhanced. You have perfect vision. You may see in low light conditions.

Boulder Stone: Your carrying capacity has increased by 100 pounds.

Pathfinder Stone: You can sense secret passages, shortcuts and can generally reduce the time it takes for you to reach a destination.

Lightning Stone: Your run speed is now faster!

Brawler’s Stone: You have an intimate understanding of hand to hand combat and can handle yourself easily in any fistfight.

Vitality Stone: Your physical energy is higher. You require only 4 hours of sleep and your athletic capacity is doubled.

Now that was an impressive lineup.

Chapter 9

I stood in the Commissary, looking at the keys hanging from the walls. A young woman, with bright yellow hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen, sallied up next to me, examining the keys as well. She was a browncloak, like me.

“Say,” she muttered, trying to look nonchalant. “Any chance you can spot me some dracks?”

“What’s the matter?” I asked. I knew she was a newcomer like me, but she hadn’t spoken a word to me until now.

“My last run was completely empty, I didn’t even have a chance to use my pike,” she whispered. “Now I’m broke. I don’t want to report this to the Portal Scouts because then they’ll chew me out or worse, send me home.”

“Aren’t you a noble?” I asked, looking at her with very little empathy.

“Psh, some noblewoman I am,” she grumbled. “Name’s Kellis. Kellis of the Mallory House.”

She said that as if it were meant to mean something to me but I merely stared at her. “Mallory House?”

“It’s one of the smallest houses out there, barely nobility,” Kellis replied, huffing a little as she realized I had no recognition in my eyes. “They sent me here because they’d rather have a famous scout than a daughter who they can’t feed.”

“Poor nobles? I never realized that could happen,” I said as I mused this over. I had only enough for one key and I sure as hell wasn’t about to give her my only one. “Tell you what, hang in there and I’ll see if I can find something worth enough to buy us both a key,” I said.

“Really? You’d do that?” Kellis asked.

I nodded. “Sure. We’re all on the same team here. At least until we join our respective fellowships. And even then, I’m sure it’s good to be friendly towards each other.”

Kellis grinned. I could see tears welling in her eyes. “You’re a lifesaver, uh…”

“Ivan,” I said.

“Right, sorry, I’m not used to having to introduce myself to people,” Kellis said. “Normally I’d have someone to announce me ahead of time.”

“Must be tough adjusting to life without regard,” I said, watching as a few portal runners entered to grab their gear. They were all bluecloaks, higher ups who never said a word to anyone below their station. As if to illustrate my point, they moved past us, grabbing gear without paying any mind to Kellis even though she had been directly in the way at one point.

“Life in center stage isn’t always easy,” Kellis answered as she stepped out of the way of the workers. “Sometimes it’s nice to be ignored.”

I shrugged at that, not sure what else to say. I grabbed one of the keys from the shelf and paid for it out of my account. This one felt lucky. Call it superstition but since all the Frail Keys were priced at 500, I figured some had to be lucky and others unlucky. It was just a matter of picking the one with the right feel.

Hours later, I was standing before the portal, on my own. Cinder had been busy with some other issue and so I was left to explore the Portalway myself until I could find the right key. Then, I opened the lock and looked within.

The land looked arid and hot. I could practically feel the dry air from the other side of the portal. But I had many new abilities now, sharper senses and better eyesight, along with pathfinding skills. This was my peak and I felt up to the challenge of deeper exploration. Hopefully the portal wouldn’t be so short-tempered this time…

I rushed through the portal and felt as the energy coalesced around me. I was thrust forward, through air and heat at hundreds of miles, sailing through space and time until I was suddenly jolting out the other side of the portal.

A great windswept valley, absent of all plant life, stood beneath my feet. Around me were huge cliffsides, thousands of feet high and impossible to climb without gear. The wind blew hard and the hot air pressed against my face, not necessarily smothering me but giving me a new sense of adventure.

In the distance I could see a great building made of sandstone. It had steps leading up to the palace and four long pillars surrounding it, each pillar carved with a different animal head atop of it – rooster, horse, dog and snake, respectively. Little figures dotted the palace, moving to and fro.

My goggles began to lock on to the setting. You are in the Ulironi Plane! Establishing Portal Connection! Portal is 96 miles away! Time until portal closes: 125 hours.

I double-checked the time. That was five days! I had a lot of ground to cover in that time but my speed and vitality were greatly increased, as well as my pathfinding abilities. I wasn’t afraid of the portal closing on me for quite some time, so I may as well reconnoiter some.

First and foremost, I stabbed my pike into the ground, taking a survey.  Two stones, both located 30 miles away. Hmmm. What if I were to take a survey again, except this time in a different spot, but nearby?

I tried out this theory, planting my layman’s surveyor into the earth about half a mile away from where I had surveyed before. The line of energy washed across the area once more and the two stones were listed again. One was 31 miles away now and the other 29. This meant I was moving closer to one and further from the other at the same time…

I went further out, in a diagonal this time, activating the surveyor a third time. Both were farther now. This essentially ruled out an entire direction in this big game of hot and cold. That meant…

I took out a book and began to make a sketch. I was here in the middle of two large cliffs and there were two stones within 30 miles of this exact area, barring south. My goggles gave me little information here and so I wasn’t able to make the map very effectively. But I figured a paper map might sell for something, maybe enough to get a key for Kellis.

I closed my notebook and decided to head for the portal. It was to the north of here, conveniently in the direction of one of the stones. I could travel the thirty miles and then test again.

Chapter 10

Pacing was extremely hard to figure out because of my new Eon Stones. The Lightning Stone made running incredibly fast; I could make it about a mile in two minutes. My sustained vitality allowed me to hold out for about six minutes of running, but after that I would be fried for a good solid hour.  This meant I could travel roughly twelve miles per hour, every other hour. If I kept up this pace – run hard for six minutes, recover for an hour, I would be at my destination in sixteen hours of travel.

“My legs!” I screamed as I made it to the second hour, running past a few large rocks. The burning in my haunches was incredibly painful and I couldn’t go much further. I fell to the rocks and staggered onto one, stretching my right leg as it screamed in agony.

I must have pulled a muscle. Damn, maybe running as hard as I physically could was a bad idea…though I was covering incredible ground. I couldn’t travel much if my legs gave out.

I found stretching on the stone felt good and I rolled off of it, hooking both legs over the rock to relax my whole lower back. I laid backwards onto the hot, arid ground, stretching my legs out nice and hard against the stone, trying to use it to work out the knots in my muscles. I did this for a little bit, pondering how I could improve my running technique.

“Treasure, my good lads, treasure,” a voice in the distance said. It was wicked and hungry, cruel and vicious. I pulled my legs down immediately and hid behind the pile of rocks as best I could, peering through to see several humanoids.

They were dressed in dark robes that covered their heads and faces, as well as the rest of their bodies. Long swords hung from their backs and some carried large crossbows.

“I am telling you, we have no treasure!” a man cried out. He was being forced at swordpoint to lead these masked strangers somewhere. “We are a simple religious community.”

“Then why is it hidden?” the leader, harsh and demeaning, said as he jabbed the old man in the back. They appeared to be human to me – if not for the fact that the old man’s skin was green and he had bug-like antennae atop his head.

“We just seek peace and silence,” the man cried out. “Please, make me walk no further.”

“He’s just trying to hide his goods,” the leader, a man holding a cutlass, said. “We’ll be walking out of this place with our pockets rattling with aluminum, if not in coins, in cutlery for certain!”

The men behind the brigand leader all cheered at that.

The pain in my legs subsided as I considered the situation. These were armed soldiers, bandits who were probably skilled in combat. If I were to intervene, they might hurt the old man before I could do anything and even then--- I was unarmed. Sure, I knew how to brawl but these men had swords. Blade usually beat fist when it came to range and even if I could get close, they’d beat me in a wrestling match – I wasn’t strong as the eight warriors. Damn, but that poor old man…

I had to do something! I couldn’t run to the monastery to help, doing so would take too much of my own time and besides, what would peaceful monks do? I had to think of something clever.

I popped out from behind the rock, pointing a hand at them all. “Are you fellows trying to find the monastery?”

The weapons were immediately drawn and the bandits all spread out, forming a wide flank to charge me.

“Easy, easy!” I said, holding my hands up. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m a cartographer and I have a map leading straight to it!”

The leader stepped forward. “What’s it to you?”

“Well, this old man surely isn’t worth lugging all the way to the monastery, he’ll make too much sound,” I said. “So trade me the old man for the map!”

The leader pondered this as I raised the journal I had. This ‘map’ had nothing of note on it, just two straight lines to indicate a mountain and two points to represent Eon Stones. “You are here,” I said, making a random mark on the journal. I traced a line with my pen from one point to another. “And the monastery is here.”

The man looked at the map. “This has nothing on it but squiggles.”

I slapped the man with the book, knocking him to the ground in one fell blow. I grabbed the rope around the old man’s waist and pulled it with all my might. “Run, you old bastard!” I yelped as my plan failed fantastically.

The monk and I fled as fast as we could. He sprinted a good few yards away but they were gaining on us.

“Thank you kindly for the rescue,” the monk said to me as he struggled to keep up. I found myself trying to hurry him along but he couldn’t move any faster. “But I think you’re going to get us both killed.”

“Just keep going…” I groaned, stopping and turning around. I pulled out my machete and put it to my throat.

“Stay back! Or you’ll never know where the treasure is!” I threatened to the brigands as they all stopped. They were more bewildered by my decision to take myself hostage and it worked enough to stun them. This gave the monk enough time to get even more distance.

The leader pushed through the throng. “He doesn’t know anything about a treasure, idiots!” he roared. “Charge!”

They all came at me, forcing me to raise my machete threateningly. “Stay back, I’ll cut your arms clean off,” I yelled, swinging like a madman. I didn’t need to win any fights, I just needed to give the old man a longer head start.

My swinging caused a few advancers to back up as they realized I really meant it. The leader growled and moved forward, raising his longsword. “It’s just a knife, he doesn’t even know how to use it as a sword.”

He thrust his blade at me with a fast cut but my reflexes were much faster. I dodged to the left and kicked him hard in the side of the knee. There was a loud ‘crack’ and he yelped. In an instant, he was on the ground, unable to run or walk.

I leapt back as the others advanced towards me, swinging my machete overhead to force them to back away.

“My leg, he broke my leg…” the brigand yelled. “Kill him!”

They all came charging at me. I took a deep breath, readied my guard and…ran like hell out of there!

Chapter 11

Adrenaline has a way of pushing past sore muscles. I fled from the bandits into the desert, running as fast as I could. This allowed me to cover almost a mile before they finally realized I could outpace them any time. One by one, each bandit stopped chasing after me until finally, there was no one left.

I stood alone, in the canyon, panting for air. The portal was some 92 miles away…so I had been running north. Good.  Would that old man make it back to the monastery? I don’t know but he had a better chance now. I was no warrior…fighting those men would have been incredibly dangerous. Ah well, I did the best I could.

Reorienting myself, I began the long trip to the portal, this time trying out a new strategy. My speed was increased but so was my endurance. Rather than go full speed, I’d run at half to see how far I could go. Maybe it would be easier on the body to just perpetually run instead of sprint-walking.

Immediately, I could see that this was a better choice. The pace I kept was a brisk jog, one that I could keep up without tiring for several hours. This pace worked out to nearly six miles per hour. I crossed the great canyon, making my way further north. After three hours of sustained running, I paused to activate the surveyor, to see what would come up. The stone I was moving towards was only fourteen miles away.

I decided to keep pushing towards the stone. The timer was dutifully running down but the day wasn’t even over yet. I had plenty of time. And once I found the portal, I’d be scouring this entire realm for more stones.

In the distance, I saw a city. It had a large wall that surrounded it, but there were houses outside of the defensive perimeter’s range. A road formed after a certain point, leading into the city and through it.

“Beautiful,” I said as I looked at the many buildings. They were farmland of some kind, though it didn’t seem they were growing greenery. Would the people be friendly? Peaceful? Speak the same language as I? Did I even have time to visit?

The portal was further north, splitting away from the city. The civilization was to the east…better let the surveyor make the decision.

As I dug the spike into the ground, a jolt of energy washed across the landscape.

New Stones Detected!

Stone 1 – 5 Miles Away

Stone 2- 15 Miles Away

Stone 3 – 17 Miles Away.

New stones! This would undoubtedly increase the value of the map at the end of the adventure. Or since they were all within twenty miles…no, I had to keep pressing on.

I passed the streets and continued on my path to the north, marching for another four miles before reactivating the surveyor. The stone I had been tracking was close. Darn close…I just needed to find it.

There was nothing around me for miles. This meant the stone had to be underground, right? That would be like looking for a needle in a haystack…unless I could triangulate the position by taking a few readings with my surveyor. Another game of hot and cold it was!

I worked for an hour, planting, surveying and then checking how close I was. This was painfully slow and inaccurate but eventually I found a single spot where the surveyor registered the stone was sitting.

I didn’t have a shovel, so I was forced to dig with my own hands. My enhanced carrying strength made scooping up dirt rather easy and after a few minutes, I had uncovered a large box.

“Woah! Treasure!” I exclaimed as I pulled the chest out of the earth by one of its rusted metal handles. The thing felt heavy to lug. I can’t believe it was just sitting out here.

There was a lock on the end but it was rusted shut. A few whacks from my machete cracked the latch open and the lid opened wide.

The glinting of a thousand pieces of gold caught my attention. The treasure was filled to the brim with gold, jewels and a single Eon Stone. There was also a note.

I lifted the faded paper and read it.

So you’ve finally found my treasure. I hope it was a difficult challenge. Take the coins and the stone, but leave the box, to let the others know you got to it first. – Captain O’Lance

Huh. These words meant little to me but I found myself complying with the request, placing the box back into the ground before covering it up. The treasure I had to leave behind as well. As fun as it would be to get rich treasure hunting, the Royal Scouts were not allowed to bring back non-magical treasures.

The Eon Stone was a small red gem, circular with cuts in the sides of it, suggesting whoever had cut this shape had done a rather poor job of it. I considered attuning but held off. If I couldn’t get enough money to buy Kellis a key, I’d have to sell this stone. That would be enough to get a key at least.

I pocketed the stone and continued on my northern journey. Eventually I reached the cliffside, where the portal outline immediately rose up to a hole in the wall.  It was only twenty feet away now – up.

I took out my hammer and pitons, small spikes that were designed to be driven into the wall. There were sixteen pitons total, not nearly enough to make my way up the entire cliffside but I only needed to get to the hole. I staked each piton into the wall, sharply driving it in and making sure it was strong enough before climbing up and repeating the process.

Twenty feet later, I had clambered over the side of the wall, into a large cavern where the portal was waiting. There was nothing in the way, no complications, just the way home.

Perfection! I turned around and looked out at the windswept valley. I had been traveling for a grand total of 17 hours, leaving me with 109 hours left to do whatever I pleased. This entire new world was my oyster!

Chapter 12

Rest in the cave came easy and quickly. I snored away, enjoying the respite. I had no bedroll, no knapsack, just the cloak on my back and my haversack for a pillow, but it felt better than any bed I had ever slept on. Life as a scout was solitary and exhausting, but it was a good kind of exhaustion. I could get used to life like this.

Four hours passed and I awoke, fully refreshed and ready to face the day. I was going to visit the city today, to see it and do some surveys. I wasn’t interested in locating any stones – I had already found the one and unless one popped up at me, I wasn’t going to go out of my way to get more. I wanted to document them instead, to push my survey value as high as it could go.

And so I took an alternate route to the city, dropping a rope from the portal wall so that I could get back up easily. On the way, I took two surveys, logging multiple stones each time.

I reached a road, heralding the arrival to civilization. Something felt wrong as I drew closer to the city, however, for the walls had strange symbols painted on them. The huts and houses on the outside of the walls were barricaded, shut up and I could see only a few figures out in the fields.

“What are you doing?” a green man cried out to me as he came out from one of the few huts that weren’t boarded up. He was wearing a fisherman’s outfit and was carrying a pole in hand. “You aren’t safe in this place, begone!”

I frowned at that. I better learn the situation if I were going to properly report this. “What’s the problem, sir?”

“The problem is that the disease will kill you too, unless you get out of here,” he said. He frowned upon realizing I was different from him. “Wait a second. You aren’t a Gentaran.”

“No, I’m a human,” I said.

“Well, it’s all the same,” the man said. “A terrible disease has overtaken this city and the people are growing more maddened and fevered. The people have to be shut in their homes, else they attack each other in a panic.”

“Is there anything that can be done to help?” I asked.

“Our last healer was kidnapped by brigands,” the man replied. “If you could find him and bring him back, that may help, but even then we weren’t doing well with his help.”

I had nothing that I could say to the man. “Sorry to hear you’re all sick,” I said before turning away. It would be well and good to try and offer my help but that was a degree of meddling that I wasn’t sure I was up to. It was one thing to try and intervene in someone’s problem when it was easy to solve, such as rescuing a monk, but healing a plague? I knew nothing of this. So I just wrote this down in my notebook and went about my exploration, this time following the road to the far east.

The air began to grow a little more frigid as I drew closer to what looked to be a mountain covered in snow. A large bridge circled around the mountain, leading to an observatory at the very top. It wasn’t too far to travel and such a view would undoubtedly improve the results of my surveys.

I left the infected city behind and made my way up the mountain. The cold air was growing stronger and I pulled the cloak tightly around me, enjoying the warmth that it provided as I marched up the snow-covered ground. Eventually I found the bridge, a massive stone structure that crossed between two chasms, forming the entrance to a network of stairs leading upwards to the observatory.

The wind was especially strong as I walked across the bridge, almost blowing me back a few times. A voice echoed all around me. “Do you dare walk the Lone Bridge?”

In an instant, a gigantic ogre was in front of me, his bulbous flesh white as the snow – he must have been blending in.

“Come here, little morsel!” he roared as he seized at me, his stubby fingers wrapping around my entire body. I yelped and kicked with my boot as hard as I could, stomping on the creature’s ankle in the process.

The ogre yelped and let me go, allowing me to fall to the ground. I scampered out of the way and began to run up the mountain, towards the observatory. There were big heavy doors, made of steel. I just had to make it inside to escape the huge beast. Humanoids were one thing to fight, but monsters? I was a scout, not a beast hunter!

The doors cracked open and an elderly man poked his head out. He was a human like me, with a long white beard that was carefully cut into the shape of a triangle. Upon his head was a tricorner hat and in his right hand was a staff with a pyramid atop it.

“Get in, boy, get in!” he hooted as I ran. The ogre continued to chase after me, roaring and demanding blood.

I slid in between the doors and they slammed shut just in time. A huge thud came crashing against the doors but they held, refusing to break no matter how many times the ogre struck them.

I gasped for air and leaned against the thumping down, trying to keep my breakfast down. Those Seeker Treats did not rest well in the stomach…

“A portal runner, eh?” the Triad Magician asked as he gestured for me to follow him. His observatory was nice and warm.

The building was made up of three parts, a lower deck where food and drinks were available, an upper library where books and a fireplace resided and then the top deck, where a perfect view of the sky could be seen.

“You recognize my kind?” I asked, huffing for air as he escorted me to a table where there was plenty of food.

“I mean, a human in Gentaran lands is pretty obvious,” the man said, gesturing to the food. “You caught me in the middle of breakfast. Help yourself if you like.”

Food was the last thing I wanted right now. I groaned and sank into one of the seats. “That ogre almost had me for dinner.”

“Yeah, I would steer clear of a fellow like that in the future,” the magician replied as he dug into his meal of eggs and celery stalks. “What brings you out to this place?”

“I’m just running portals and scouting,” I said. “What about you?”

“Running some experiments,” the man said. “I have many magical theories and have been testing them out here.”

Did he know anything about the people in the city? Part of me wondered if he had somehow caused it. He was a magician, after all. A meddler in the affairs of things most did not understand.

“Have you been out much?” I asked, indirectly interrogating him about the people of the city.

The old man shrugged. “Nothing out there to see. I came to this place to study my stone collection in peace and to be in a safe spot in case explosions happen.”

“I ask because there’s a city nearby that seems to be dealing with some kind of illness, a disease that’s making people mad,” I said.

The magician frowned. “That’s not good to hear. I don’t have much dealings with Clayton but from time to time I do visit. Though it has been some years…”

The mage finished his breakfast in thought, then eventually got around to introducing himself. He was a Triad Magician, servant of a secretive order of mages and wizards. What their purpose and interests were was anyone’s guess, but I didn’t put much stock in the magician trade. Everyone knew it was more or less snake oil before the Eon Stones came along.

Raulthine was his name and he had come to this plane some two hundred years ago to study in peace. He had a Longevity Stone and thus was able to survive ten times the normal length of a human – on a fourth of the food and water as well. His area of interest was…boring. The mage wanted to study rocks and nothing but rocks, spending the majority of his time opening up stones and examining them. He had discovered this abandoned observatory and used it as his lab, opening up normal stones and comparing them to eons.

The man’s research was obsessive and thorough. He showed me as much in the upper wing, where the library was and his rock collection along with it. He had many more regular rocks than Eon Stones.

“I’m sorry,” I said as the man babbled on about the difference between a pebble and a stone. “But I just can’t stop thinking about Clayton.”

“Ah yes,” the magician said as he stroked his sharp beard. “It is unfortunate. There could be a way to help them though. I’m no healer but I am a scientist. If I understood the disease, I could potentially whip up a cure. Problem is I’ll need a sample of some kind.”

“A sample?” I asked.

“Yes, a corpse if possible, but if not then something else, tissue, a tooth, hell even an unconscious body!” Raulthine said as he tapped on the table in front of him. “I’m not squeamish about dealing with the sick. Are you?”

“I’m more concerned about the ogre outside,” I said. “And how I would get an unconscious person in here.”

“Right, I didn’t think about that…” Raulthine replied. He tapped his staff against the ground. “We must repel the ogre, then procure a sample. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“That monster was nothing but teeth and muscle,” I warned. “I don’t know what would repel an ogre but it’s not going to be violence.”

“Nonsense, we are men of precision and science, are we not? A royal scout and a triad mage?” Raulthine asked, raising his head high. “We’ll distract the beast and then you can hightail it back to the city!”

Chapter 13

I could not outrun the ogre but fortunately Raulthine had an actual spell to help me. With the wave of his staff and some arcane words, he conjured forth a gust of wind that pushed at my back as I ran out the door. The large beast came clambering after me but Raulthine threw metal stones together, producing a loud ‘clang’ that caused the monster to turn around and begin running at the observatory.

My feet crunched through the snow as I fled as fast as I could, lightning and wind accompanying me on my way to Clayton. The ogre didn’t pursue but I didn’t stop to check until about a mile away.

The fisherman was out by a muddy river bank – it had been so muddy that I hadn’t noticed there was water here. But indeed, there was a small river that was filled with pollution and filth. “Hey!” he shouted from across the way. “What are you doing out here? I told you it’s dangerous.”

“Has your river always looked like this?” I asked, noticing the reddish tint to the water.

I was coming in from the eastern side, to where the majority of the huts and mud farms were located. The walled city was still sealed up and a few houses had been reboarded since I had left. The fisherman shook his head and sighed.

“Our water got sick first, then us,” he said. “But it’s not like we can’t avoid drinking it.”

Hearing this, I took out one of my sample bottles and dipped it into the thick water. The sludge was gross and hard to move through, forcing me to scrape until I could get some mud and water into the bottle.

“Eugh,” I grunted as I continued to work the water in, trying to avoid getting my gloves dirty. As I took the sample, a green, rubbery tentacle came whipping out of the water, seizing me by the wrist. “Ack!” I yelped, “something’s got me.”

“Water hydra!” the fisherman said excitedly as he started to run around to get to me. “Grab it, grab it lad!”

“I think it’s grabbed me!” I cried as the thing tried to pull me in. I dug my feet into the river bank and held with all of my might – which turned out to be quite a bit. My boulder strength had increased my lifting capacity which in turn improved my ability to pull weight backwards.

With a heft and a heave, I pulled back. Something began to lurch forward in the water and several more tentacles came whipping out to grab at me.

The fisherman ran up beside me, his pole not a fishing line but a spear. “Hyaa!” he yelled as he started stabbing into the water. The tentacles tried to fend him off but I was pulling the creature out of the water now.

It was a huge green ball of flesh with dozens of tendrils and tentacles sticking out of its body, all writhing and snapping. There was a mouth in the middle of the ball, large and eyeless. It snapped a few times at the ground, trying to grab me but the fisherman continued to stab the creature until it died.

“You alright?” the man asked as the beast rolled over, roaring its last before expiring. He didn’t seem perturbed by this one bit but I was shaking.

“That thing was horrifying!” I gasped.

“Water hydras are good eating if you fry ‘em right,” the fisher replied, turning his attention to the dead creature. “Looks like we got a big one too.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to eat?” I asked.

“Water hydras seem to be the only thing that don’t get sick,” he said. “Don’t know why. Guess it’s nastier than the sickness.”

They were immune to the illness? Perhaps my wizard friend could use this. “I fear I’m going to have to ask for the corpse,” I said.

“That’s at least a week’s worth of food for me,” the man grumbled.

“And it could be the cure for your city,” I offered. “I’ll bring the meat back as best I can.”

“What’s it to you, stranger?” the man asked. “Why are you helping us?”

“Because you need it,” I said. “Simple as that. There’s not much to think about when someone needs help, you just help them if you can.”

“Would that everyone saw it the same as you,” the farmer said. “But most folks want a pound of flesh before they move an inch to help.”

Carrying the carcass wasn’t too difficult thanks to the Boulder Stone, even though it was a bit awkward. I managed to sling it over my shoulders, carrying it like a mountain man carried a slain deer.

Backtracking, I checked my time. 88 hours left. Time certainly was moving quickly when I was busy.

The ogre was nowhere to be seen this time around. I had tried to move gingerly at first but realized the great white beast would be upon me in a matter of seconds if he were anywhere nearby. It was eerily silent as I made my way back to the observatory.

Finally, I saw where the monster was. It was on the ground, sleeping heavily, its body rising and falling as it gently snored. Besides the creature were dozens of carcasses, pig bodies bitten in half.

Above, I could see an open window in the observatory, where the magician was heaving another pig corpse. “Last one, you filthy beast!” he grunted as he threw it out the window. I had to leap aside to avoid being smashed by the carcass.

“It’s asleep!” I hissed as I ran up to the door. “Let me in! And hurry!”

The door eventually opened and the old magician let me enter. “What’s that monstrosity on your back?” the man asked, bewildered at the sight of the water hydra.

“I think it’s a link to finding some kind of cure,” I said. “But first, what about those pigs?”

“Ah yes, those were my dinner for the next few years, frozen hogs by the bushel,” Raulthine said. He spoke this matter of fact, not complaining in the least. “I figured it would be easier to distract the beast by just feeding it until it went away.”

“But now it’s going to associate food with your tower…and never leave,” I said.

Raulthine frowned. “Just what I need. An ogre to guard my tower. Everyone will think I’m a crazy mage.”

“Moving on,” I said as I shoved the corpse onto the dinner table, knocking a few cups and containers over in the process. “This beast lived in diseased waters without being bothered.”  I produced the bottle. “And I took a sample of the water itself. Seems to be sick with something.”

“Ahhh, good, good,” the magician said and he took the bottle from me. He raised it up to the light and examined it. I could see a flash of light in his eyes, it was subtle but a yellow gleam rose across his pupils as he looked at the bottle. He was using magic to analyze it.

Between that and the wind trick, I was starting to believe this man might actually understand power a bit more.

“It’s a magical illness caused by something in the waters,” the magician concluded as he looked at me. “I can analyze it enough to know that it’s living and replicates rapidly. One must kill the source of the illness before they can treat the water.”

“Maybe there’s an Eon Stone in there?” I asked.

“Eon Stones don’t corrupt,” Raulthine mused as he walked to the kitchen, rummaging around. Eventually he returned with a hacksaw. “Now then, hold this corpse still. Let’s see what’s going on inside.”

“I promised the meat to the fisherman who helped me capture it,” I warned.

“Oh, there’s not going to be anything salvageable when we’re done with this,” Raulthine cackled. “This is magic, baby, there are no survivors!”

Chapter 14

There were indeed survivors. What Raulthine called magic, I called an autopsy. He slowly cut the creature open and removed each organ, quietly muttering to himself and analyzing the components with magic. Sometimes he would open up an organ and show me something but otherwise the man was completely absorbed with his process.

Time ticked down as we worked. But I wasn’t worried, the portal wasn’t that far away. I could make it back in plenty of time.

After two hours of painstaking work, Raulthine had a theory. “It would appear that the gallbladder of the creature produces an ink that is highly resistant to sickness. In fact, it has so many nutrients within it that it could easily nurse a human to health. If we powdered the gallbladder, I’m willing to bet we could make pills to give to people.”

Pills were all the rage back in Oland due to their medicinal properties. Large silver balls that were hard to choke down, pills were made by apothecaries more than magicians – since they had actual curative properties.

“You think the people will be willing to take them?”

“Not really my problem if the people won’t take the lifesaving medicine I give them,” Raulthine said. “Now come on, let’s grind up this hydra!”

I tried to find something else to do but there were no other jobs. Raulthine taught me how to use a special oven designed to make ingredients nice and brittle without burning them up. We cooked the gallbladder, a large circular organ that smelled oddly like bananas when roasted.

Once the organ was cooked, we placed it in a large mortar and with a huge wooden spoon crushed the thing over and over again until it was pulverized to dust. That part was actually rather fun to do, though it got tedious once most of the matter was broken down. But we still needed to grind it, so stone bowls and rods were used to mash and break the matter down over and over until the powder was incredibly fine.

“Pills are the fine art of science and art,” Raulthine said to me as he showed me his kit. The pill making system was a long row of ridges that could hold a line of dense matter.

He took some of the powder and applied some oil into a bowl, then mixed them together. This clumped the solution together and he rolled it out like flour into dough. This formed a grey ball of mixture. He rolled the ball out further until it was a straight line, then placed the line atop the ridges of the pill maker.

A lever was on one end of the maker; it had two handles on it and was designed to rake across the material. The magician grabbed it and began to push forward. This caused the pills to sort instantly into nine neat little balls.

“And there we go!” he said. “Now we just coat these to preserve them and we can give them to the people.”

Once Raulthine had shown me how to use the pill maker, he left the task to me. In the process, we got to talking and began to learn more about one another. Well, I learned more about him, as there wasn’t much for me to talk about when it came to myself.

Raulthine had been a portal scout hundreds of years ago, when the job was far more decentralized. He found his fortunes easily enough but money hadn’t driven him, it was the curiosity of how Eon Stones worked. Eventually he grew dissatisfied with the portal diving life and began to plan his quiet exit – only to meet a Triad magician out in the field.

This magician had shown Raulthine a secret about the Eon Stones, a powerful secret that had changed the way Raulthine looked at these things. Instead of seeing them as mere tools to be used to boost his abilities, he began to consider them as truly wondrous. Truly magical. And thus began his obsession with rocks, as he started collecting rocks from all over the portalverse.

These stones, he had explained, would eventually tell him the story he was looking for. He would learn how Eon Stones were formed and in the process, he would learn how to perform magic without the stones.

I wasn’t so convinced. Eon Stones had to be created by some higher being, perhaps some unknown gods.  They didn’t form naturally, otherwise we would have found them on our world and thus the chances of learning how to use spontaneous magic was rather low, if not impossible. But…I wasn’t about to throw the baby out with the bathwater. What was this secret Raulthine knew about?

By the time I had gotten the pill making down perfectly, I decided to ask the magician. “Alright, I’ll bite,” I said, waking him up from his nap on the nearby couch. “What’s the secret to these stones? What made you change your mind about them?”

The magician laughed. “That is a Triadic secret. Only Triad magicians may know. Are you willing to join me and become one?”

“No thanks,” I said, grinning back at him. “I prefer to deal with reality. I know your kind is making half of it up. You just seem to be the one decent magician I have ever met.”

“Why do you think I have chosen a life of solitude?” the man said with an almost sad smile. “The Triad doesn’t get respect because it’s filled with fraudsters and thieves, hucksters and snake oil salesmen. But there is real magic in the order. You may not believe, but they achieved magic without the stones. I’ve seen it.”

“If you’ve seen it, then maybe show me?” I asked.

“Darn, I knew you’d ask,” he grumbled. He looked around as if worried there may be someone listening in on our conversation, despite our remote location. “Alright, if you promise not to tell anyone, I can show you genuine, non Eon-Stone magic.”

“I have no way of detecting whether stones are involved,” I said. “So you already have the ability to pull the wool over my eyes.”

“You just have to trust me,” the old man said as he climbed out of his reclined position. He walked up to me and grabbed my hands. “Put your hands together like this.”

I joined my hands as he instructed, closing them around each other tightly. “Now, no matter how hard you try,” he said, “you will not be able to open your hands. On the count of three…one…two…three!”

I laughed at his efforts and easily…wait. I couldn’t get my hands open. Come on, this was a parlor trick, I had seen it done before. “You’re just using some kind of manipulation trick on me,” I said. “I can open my hands.”

“Do it,” he said. “Open your hands!”

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t.

“You see?” Raulthine said. “I have placed a binding spell on your hands. I have learned such things from the Eon Stones, from studying them. It will take another hundred years before something is visible but rest assured, there is magic.”

I almost refused to believe him. There had to be an Eon Stone he was using to bind my fingers…but still, wouldn’t my goggles have picked something up?

“I think I’ll stick with the stones,” I said, still unable to free my hands from their position. “But this is a nifty trick.”

“Trick?” the old man grumbled. “I have much more than tricks at my disposal…I just need to find a way to move them from theory to reality.”

My hands suddenly became loose and relaxed, I was free to move them once more. Not terribly impressive. Let’s hope the old man’s medicine was something else.

Chapter 15

I returned to the city with a large container filled to the brim with pills. It was no exaggeration to say that I had thousands with me…and no clue on how to distribute them.

Fortunately, the answer came to me in the form of a familiar face. As I made it to the front gates of the city, I noticed the monk that I had aided earlier, approaching with a group of his people. They had all manner of mixing bowls, herbs and bottles with them and it looked like they were moving into Clayton itself.

The monk whom I had rescued looked over and spotted me first. He eagerly waved and broke from his group, trotting up to me.

“My savior!” he said. “You were the one who interfered and helped me escape!”

It was nice to be recognized for the good deed, even if I hadn’t done it to earn praise. “Think nothing of it,” I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

“Please, I am but a poor monk, but I have something to give you,” the man said. He dug into his coat pocket and produced a small stone flower. It was a rose, in a perfect stone shape. In the center of the rose was an empty socket. It looked like an Eon Stone could fit in there.

“Thank you,” I replied, accepting the gift from the man. I noticed there was a sharp pin on the back of the stone and I took a moment to slip it through my vest pocket. The stoneflower hung from the pocket proudly and the monk was pleased. “Say, are you coming here to help the city?”

“Indeed,” the monk said. “We don’t have many ways of healing but we will do our best.”

“Distribute these pills to the people,” I said, handing the bowl to him. “If everyone takes one, they’ll become immune. And those who are infected will begin to see their symptoms reverse in a matter of days.”

The monk stared at me for a moment. “Who are you, that you bring healing to our people?”

“Just someone who was in the position to help,” I said. I looked at the clock. Time was ticking down. “I was going to take these to the city guard but I think they’d be willing to trust you more.”

“Of course,” the monk said as he took the bowl. He opened it up and examined the inside. “What is this exactly?”

“Water hydra gallbladder, finely crushed and rolled into a pill,” I said.

“Ahhhh, that makes sense, for the creatures still survive in the water,” the monk replied.

“Creatures? As in more than one?” I asked.

“Of course, water hydras are common in the river, they are a staple of our meals,” he explained.

“If you’re feeling adventurous, there is a man who lives to the east. He has knowledge of how to make these pills and will undoubtedly show you,” I said.

The monk thanked me even more, though I had to depart in the middle of it. I still had ten hours left on my portal but something about those ten hours felt terribly short. Maybe it was fear that the portal had somehow moved or that I wasn’t going to be able to make it in time. Or maybe I was just tired from a long adventure.

Either way, it was time for me to get going. I had done everything I could to help the city out and that had turned out to be quite a lot. Hopefully they’d be doing better by the next time a portal opened up…but I suppose I would never know.

I returned to the portal, a relatively short trip, and logged my time. Eight hours left. Time had blown by, five days gone in the blink of an eye. Most of it had been spent preparing medicine but still…I had done quite a bit. Let’s see how much money I could squeeze out of Cinder for these maps.

I walked through the portal and felt everything around me grow more temperate instantly. It was far warmer in the Portalway than where I had been. It felt nice.

No one was here to greet me and the Ghost Wing was as quiet as ever. I quietly walked through the halls until I reached the intersection where Cinder was standing. The woman was busy reviewing something, her vision scanning the empty air as she looked at something. She wore no goggles, so I wondered how she was interfacing…maybe there were Eon Stones for that.

“Ma’am?” I said.

Cinder abruptly looked up at me. “Oh sorry, I was just looking at the portal reports. Actually, you were on my mind. You’ve been gone for a few days, everything okay?”

“I had a long portal and I decided to take advantage of it,” I said, waving my surveyor at her. “I’ve got a lot of information logged.”

“All that time was spent mapping?” she asked.

“Not quite…” I confessed. Surely this wasn’t a crime, to help people in need. “I ended up getting pulled into some side missions.”

“Meddling?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“I just brought some medicine to some people, that’s all,” I said.

“I urge you to exhibit caution when dealing with local populations. There will always be worlds and there will always be problems in those worlds,” Cinder lectured. “Our job isn’t to help these people, it’s to map out for the Royal Scouts. I know it sounds harsh but you can’t save everyone.”

“True, but you can save those who you come across,” I replied. “And it was my prerogative to help.”

Cinder shrugged. “You may think you’re helping, but trust me, these things backfire all the time.”

“I’ll never know one way or the other,” I replied. “So I may as well err on the side of helping.”

Cinder considered that for a moment and then pouted her lips. “Let’s see how well your mapping was…”

We went through the usual steps, placing the survey spike into the map table. Cinder viewed the results and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “There’s not much here,” she said.

“What are you talking about?” I said. “I must have surveyed a dozen times!”

“Your surveyor isn’t designed to take multiple readings or even triangulate,” Cinder explained as she looked at the results. The blue illusory map of the Redalick Plane showed only a few dots on it. “Each time you took a new reading you were erasing the old one. Didn’t you pay attention during orientation?”

“There wasn’t much information to be had,” I grumbled, rubbing my forehead. That was so much time wasted.

“So you mapped a bunch and then decided to use the rest of your time to play hero,” Cinder said, grinning at me as she pulled the survey pike out of the table. “I don’t even know if I can pay enough for a key for these readings…”

“What about this?” I asked, taking out the Eon Stone from my pocket. It had been buried treasure, amidst a pile of other valuables. Hopefully it would be worth enough to get me out of this mess.

“There we go!” Cinder said, taking the stone from me and holding it up to the light. The red cut gem sparkled as she examined it. “I’ll give you two drams for it.”

“Done deal,” I replied, trying not to groan. It was a frustrating thing, to have to part with an Eon Stone but I had no other options. I had no savings for another key.

“Buy yourself a better surveyor with it,” the attendant said. The credits immediately applied themselves to my account. “One that can actually do what you’re looking for.”

Chapter 16

Two thousand dracks didn’t go nearly as far as I thought it would. The Commissary devoured my money in a matter of seconds…though I suppose it all went towards furthering my goals. I bought two Frail Keys, one for myself and one for Kellis, that took one dram, and the other thousand dracks I decided to spend on a better survey pike. The only question was which one to pick…

There were dozens of pikes to choose from, though the prices made sorting through them easy enough. My goggles quickly displayed the information for each item in detail.

Portal Runner’s Pike

Price: 200 Dracks

Uses: 1

Description: This Pike locks onto one Eon Stone and traces its location up to 50 miles.

Informative Pike

Price: 500 Dracks

Uses: 3

Description: Provides descriptions of each stone scanned within a 40 mile radius.

Triangulation Pike

Price: 800 Dracks

Uses: Unlimited

Description: Takes 3 recordings and combines them into a General Map.

The Triangulation Pike looked good for doing what I had been trying to do earlier. I suppose my instincts were spot on, I just didn’t have the right equipment for the job. 800 wasn’t cheap but…it did have unlimited uses.

I spent the money and bought the Triangulation Pike. I took the slender silver rod off the wall and examined it. Three small circles were at the bottom of the rod, amber little spheres that were responsible for capturing the data from my other pike. Now I just needed to make three readings and I could produce much better maps for Cinder! Hopefully enough to justify paying 800 big ones for this thing.

I finished up my shopping and headed to the mess hall. New foods were being put out, the same quality and variety as before, freshly cooked apples, meat pies and even crab legs! Such delicacies I had never seen up close, let alone tasted before!

Kellis was helping to distribute the food on the tables, carrying large baskets of crab legs from here to there. I quickly saddled up beside her, looked around and dropped the key in the basket.

“There, you should be able to get back on your feet now,” I whispered, doing my best not to make a scene.

Kellis looked down at the key, eyes wide. “You really did this for me? Thank you!”

“Don’t mention it,” I said as I went to the food table to get my fill. I was starving and I didn’t want to make a big deal out of helping Kellis. More importantly, I didn’t want anyone knowing I had done so – the higher ups would probably fuss about it as teamwork.

I piled my plate full of fruits and vegetables, the freshness of the greens so crisp that everything had a satisfying crunch to it. As I dug in, Peter sat beside me.

“I am beat,” he groaned, grabbing a melon off of my plate and munching on it. “I just walked through a sludge realm. But check out my haul!” He poured a few stones on the table. They were muck covered but undoubtedly Eon Stones.

“Very nice,” I said, clapping him on the back in between bites. “You gonna sell or sync?”

“Not sure yet,” Peter replied. “I might just check out early with the profits…it’s tempting.”

“And do what? You’re too young to retire,” I said.

“With this money I could just buy my father’s farm out from his landlord,” Peter said. “Then I’d be in charge.”

“You do another month of this job and you could probably buy the landlord’s land from the king,” I countered.

Peter mulled that over. “Good point. Maybe I am thinking too small…”

“I think we’ve got a good thing going for us here,” I continued. “Good food, interesting work and incredible pay. And it’s been two weeks. Think of what it’ll be like when we get into a fellowship.”

Kellis sat next to me, on the other side of Peter. “What are we talking about?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about quitting but Ivan’s making a case to stick around,” Peter said as he clacked the stones on the table absentmindedly.

“I think you should go if you’re allowed,” Kellis said. “I know my family would kill me if I were to try and go back home.”

“My dad only cares about coin,” Peter replied as he rubbed his chin in thought. “If I brought enough back he’d fuss but only a little.”

“And then what?” I asked. “Did you enjoy tending to the horses?”

“Not really,” Peter replied. He considered this long and hard. “I think I’ll wait until they let me join a fellowship. Maybe I’ll see if there’s a career track to cartography, like I wanted.”

“There’s the spirit!” I said.

“Scrubs!” Jacob ordered as he walked over to our table. We all snapped to attention. “Mess hall is for eating and moving along, not chatting it up,” he said. “Ivan, with me.”

I gave my friends a worried look and departed from the group, following after the man. “Cinder tells me you’ve been running hard,” Jacob said as we walked down a random hall, into a corner area. A few benches were set up and he sat down on one, gesturing for me to sit on the other.

“This job is a lot more fun than I realized,” I said, sitting on the edge of my seat to show I was attentive. “And invigorating.”

“So I heard. Did you give a key to Kellis?” he asked.

“Dang it,” I grumbled, hanging my head down. “Yeah. I was trying to be discrete about it.”

“Well, you buying two keys at once was a clear heads-up,” Jacob replied. “Why help her out?”

“Because she was in a bind,” I said. “No other reason, I suppose.”

“Well, we don’t like it when people give others keys. Handouts are discouraged. You kids gotta learn independence and that includes handling your own keys properly,” Jacob said. “I’m gonna have to penalize you with a five hundred drack fine. Don’t do it again.”

“That’s the cost of a key!” I groaned.

“And the deduction is going to be taken out automatically from your account, so if it’s negative, you’ll have to pay us back first before we release any further funds,” Jacob casually explained.

“I really don’t like how you just throw us to the wolves and expect us to fend for ourselves,” I said. “I think you’d be getting a lot better results if you let us work together.”

“And I think you’re a bit of a silly goose if you think you can come in here and start telling us what to do without paying your dues,” Jacob replied, wagging a finger at me. “Look, you’re a good kid, Ivan. But take some advice, until you get a better cloak, keep your head down and just do your job. Don’t look at the people next to you, just focus on your own portals.”

“Fine, fine,” I said. “Is that all, sir?” I put heavy emphasis on the ‘sir’, to show I wasn’t happy with him.

“Hey get mad at me all you want, I’m just the messenger,” Jacob said, putting his hands up defensively. “My job is to manage the browncloaks and that requires me to be strict.”

“I get it,” I said. “You guys want me to focus on portals? I’ll focus on them alright. And I’ll be a redcloak before you know it!”

Chapter 17

Sleep came quick and easy thanks to my Vitality Stone and then I was back on the road through the portalverse. I knew I couldn’t be mad at Jacob but the Royal Scouts were burning me up a little due to their asinine policies. The only way to speak out was to move up and that meant getting out of the Ghost Wing and into the more serious portals.

And so I took my key and headed out to 201K, a wispy portal with a vast river within it. With my new pike equipped, I moved through the portal and felt as I was thrown through the worlds once more. In an instant, I was standing in a great grassland.

Water ran to the north of me, a great river that was nearly sixteen feet wide. The water was the bluest I had ever seen. Moving up and down the beachhead were gigantic crabs with bright red carapaces, their pincers snipping at the air as they scuttled about.

Welcome to the Vallor Plane! my goggles informed me as the synchronization took place. The portal was six miles due north…I’d have to find some way to cross that river. 5 hours! appeared in my vision.

The grass crunched against my boots as I made my way up to the side of the river. The giant crabs took notice of me but did not attack. They merely scuttled away, as if I were the threat, despite my diminutive size.

The river ran through from the north and didn’t look like it was going to be ending anytime soon. I could move parallel to it and look for a shorter way across but that would be wasting precious time. The portal outline was straight across the river and over the hill. Sixteen feet separated me from my goal.

I looked around. There were no trees, no logs or branches I could use to make a raft. And swimming was out of the question – I didn’t know how. There weren’t many opportunities to learn how to swim out in peasant country, so I had been hoping the Scouts would teach that. Just my luck, I suppose. Maybe I’d find a stone to teach me how at some point, but what were the chances of finding one of those?

As I pondered my situation, I looked at one large crab that was moving effortlessly into the water. He was tall enough to stand up in the steep river and moved without a problem.

“Come here,” I said as I gently walked towards one of the giant crabs, arms out wide. The great beast scuttled away from me in terror. I turned towards the other crabs but they all fled. No matter how softly I spoke, no matter how gently I approached, they were scared of me.

“I’m not going to hurt any of you!” I declared. “I just want a ride across the river! Is that so hard to ask?”

The crabs did not reply to that, they merely stared at me from a safe distance. “New plan,” I said as I started to race towards one. The crab tried to run out of the way but I was surprisingly faster and I leapt onto its back.

The shelled beast at once reared up and tried to fling me off, but I held on. “Across the river,” I said. “It’ll take two seconds for you and I’ll be gone!”

The beast did not understand but began to scuttle into the water to get rid of me. Triumphantly, I grinned until I realized something. If the crab submerged, I’d drown.

“Ah!” I yelped as I stood up, barely able to hold my balance on the back of the giant crab as it began to sink into the water. The other crab, the one who had inspired this idiotic plan, was still in the middle of the river. Instantly, I knew I had to make a decision. Jump back towards the beach and hope I could somehow figure out swimming fast enough to get to the surface or take a really, really risk jump.

I leapt off the first crab and onto the second one. This one didn’t react very quickly, for it was simply sunning itself. I took a moment to catch myself, steadying my feet and then, I leapt off onto the other side of the river, arms stretched out to grab onto the bank.

Legs landed in water but arms caught beach and I scrambled forward, pulling myself onto dry land. “Haha, I made it!” I cheered, looking across the river side. The crabs were no worse for wear. They resumed their sunning and paid no mind to the cheering man who had risked it all to ride them.

Now that I was safe and sound, on the other side of the bank, I could find the portal. As I turned around, my jaw opened wide at the sight before me. Two great mountains, majestic and immense, loomed over the horizon. They had many peaks, dozens of ridges and spines, riding up and down to give the mountain an almost bonelike structure to it. A long winding road ran down the hill leading to the plains before the great mountain.

“My goodness,” I said as I stared at the looming landscape. Had I ever seen anything so majestic before?

Resting in the middle of the road was the portal home. The timer counted down 4 hours and 20 minutes left. I had enough time to test out my new survey spike out.

I took the Triangulation Pike and stuck it into the ground. Immediately, the interface came to life. Three surveys required to produce map!

Easy enough. I took out my Layman’s Pike and ran two miles to the east. I took a recording. Four Eon Stones within 30 miles. I ran to the north and did another reading. The numbers changed, some closer some farther. Then I moved to the south, back to where I started, digging in my surveyor one last time.

The energy coalesced across the field and I watched as the three little bulbs at the end of the triangulation pike lit up with energy. Readings recorded! Map produced!

Instantly, my goggles registered an overland view of the world around me. I could see all four Eon Stones, pinpointed within 30 miles of this area. The closest was eight miles away, on the road itself. I had time if I pushed myself running-wise.

I sprinted across the landscape for a solid ten minutes, clearing the eight miles easily. My muscles weren’t aching as bad as they were before. It seemed like my body was adapting to the new level of fitness. Now that I looked at them, my legs were a bit more toned than before.

The map led me to a spot directly in the middle of the road. A lone cactus was growing in the rocky area, unperturbed by the concrete that had been laid around it. Blooming in the center of a vibrant pink flower was an Eon Stone, a light lavender cylinder.

“Cute,” I said as I plucked the stone out. How fitting that I could put it in my flower container! If I were to sync with it, that is.

“Hey!” a gravelly voice yelled. “I was gonna get that!”

I turned around to see a tall humanoid with a large beetle shell on his back. The man was bluish, with long insectoid arms that were crossed. His head was humanoid, dark blue with bug eyes and a human mouth. At his side was a longsword and I could see a dozen Eon Stones embedded into the weapon.

“Excuse me?” I asked, stunned at this creature’s sudden appearance. I hadn’t seen him anywhere before.

The beetle man approached me and drew his sword. “The stone!” he said. “It’s mine. I saw it first.”

“Er…I’m sorry, but I didn’t see you anywhere before I took it,” I said, sheepishly handing over the stone. The last thing I wanted was to rob a local.

“And the rest of what you got!” he growled, aiming the sword at me. “Every stone I see is mine!”

“Drop dead,” I replied, backing up and drawing my machete. I had no intention of trying to sword fight with a machete but I figured if I showed some sign of resistance, he would back off.

“Oho, so you got a little spark in you,” the man said as he drew closer. I backed up, my pathfinding senses recalling how best to keep distance between us. “What are you, huh? A royal scout? Think I haven’t cut up your kind before? Huh?”

I frowned at that. This looked like trouble. Could I take him, especially with all those stones in his possession? No, I had to run. Or maybe I could –

Before I could finish that thought, a portal opened up above me. Jacob dropped down in between the beetle and me, a large halberd in his hands. He spun the weapon overhead and lunged towards the beetle. This caused the creature to fall back quickly, his wings opening wide as he fluttered out of range of the weapon.

“Hey, watch it!” the beetle yelped as he fluttered away. He muttered some incantation and a portal opened up. He zipped through it, vanishing entirely.

“Are you alright?” Jacob asked as he turned to face me.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Though you showed up at just the right time.”

Chapter 18

It turned out Jacob’s timing wasn’t fortuitous in the way I thought it was. We were all being directly monitored and someone could be at our sides at a moment’s notice. My observations that we were ‘alone’ was completely false. This veil was utterly torn the moment the Warpeater showed up.

“Warpeaters,” Jacob told me as we walked back to my portal. “They are interdimensional travelers who were displaced from their home portal long ago. Many are pirates, seeking plunder while others are just looking for a new home.”

“Well that one definitely wanted to rob me,” I said.

“Yes,” Jacob replied, shaking his head. “They show up out of the blue sometimes. Pirates tend to know the Royal Scouts enough to kill them on sight and take their belongings.”

“I’m guessing you weren’t counting on me meeting anything remotely dangerous, were you?” I asked.

“No, we let the trainees play in the Ghost Wing because the portals are relatively empty and safe. Eventually you get the hang of it and we let you access the dangerous wings but there are no monsters in these portals. No threats that should be able to harm you,” Jacob said as we stopped at the portal.

“Should I start carrying a weapon?” I asked.

“That’s a question every scout has to answer on their own,” Jacob said. He gestured to the machete I was still holding onto. “But if you were counting on that to defend you…well, you should grab a sword or something.”

I hadn’t thought much about fighting with a blade, but such an idea was so beyond necessity. Nobles had weapons and training to use them, a peasant had no purpose in knowing how to use a sword beyond soldiering. And even then, wars were relatively rare in Olandia. So rare I couldn’t even remember the most recent one.

“I’ll need training to use it,” I said.

“You’ll have to sort that out on your own,” Jacob replied with a shrug. “Sorry, but you know the drill.”

I knew better than to complain about this. After all, things weren’t entirely what they seemed. “Fair enough,” I said, nodding to the man. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good, then I’d suggest you wrap up your adventure here and meet me back in the main hall. I’ve got a present for you,” Jacob said as he adjusted a ring on his finger. A portal opened up in front of him and he moved through it.

I wondered if I would be able to do something like that some day. With a shrug, I decided to head back through my own portal – the robbery had soured this adventure.

Emerging from the other side of the portal, I could see Cinder waiting for me. “Glad to see you’re okay,” she said.

“It was a close call,” I said. “But Jacob bailed me out.”

“Speaking of which, he should be in the Commissary right now,” Cinder said. “Give me your surveyor and I’ll run the process while you go see him.”

Eager, I headed to the shop to find the man waiting for me with a blue cloak in his hand. “Glad you didn’t keep me waiting,” he said. “Scrub, you are now less so. You’ve run plenty of portals to know what it’s like, so we are awarding you with your blue cloak. You are now permitted to enter into the Enchanted Glade Wing and the Fire Abyss Wing.”

“Woah!” I said, taking the even finer garment in hands, running my fingers across the soft material.

“Your old cloak is to be given to another recruit,” Jacob said, taking my brown cloak as I unclasped and handed it to him. “Normally we have a graduation ceremony but you’re way ahead of the class.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I said as I pulled the cloak over my neck and secured it. There were pockets on the inside, as well as slots for flasks and bottles.

“You’ll need to get to green before you can join a fellowship. And don’t expect that one to be quick. You’ll have to seriously impress us if you want to advance to green.”

“Consider the challenge accepted,” I said, eagerly shaking the man’s hand. I couldn’t believe it! I had already advanced?

“The promotion comes with a key of your choice, in either wing,” Jacob said, digging into his vest pocket to produce two different keys. One had red embers burning within it, constantly glowing, the other was a gentle green that shimmered pleasantly in the torchlight.

“Enchanted Glade and Fire Abyss…” I muttered to myself as I tentatively reached a hand out to make a pick. “Glade sounds safer.”

“Generally speaking,” Jacob said. “But both are much more dangerous than the Ghost Wing.”

“Let’s start with the glade,” I said. “I was never one for the heat.”

“Good call,” Jacob replied with a grin, slapping the key into my hand. It felt much denser than the Frail Keys I had held before. “That’ll be a lot of fun. Just make sure to never offer a fairy your pocket.”

Chapter 19

I returned to Cinder’s post with my blue cloak proudly on display. She smiled widely at me. “Ah, there he is! Our little star runner.”

“Come on, don’t call me that,” I said, rubbing the back of my head.

“I presume you’re here to see how your map did?” Cinder asked, gesturing for me to follow her to the survey depository.

“Indeed, and to say goodbye for now,” I replied as we walked through the doors. I could see my Survey Spike was hanging on the wall, along with a few other surveyors. Most were much fancier and worn than my own.

“Heading to a new wing?” she asked as she retrieved my surveyor and handed it to me. She was smiling pleasantly.

“Yup! Ghost Wing has been fun but I’m looking to move up in this world, or these worlds as it were,” I said, eliciting a chuckle from her.

“Well, congratulations, my friend,” Cinder replied. “There are more challenges from here for sure, but I think you’re up to the task. Your map came in quite well, we’re willing to pay you 5 drams for them.”

I almost pumped my fist at those news. My equipment had easily been worth the purchase in the end. “Done and done,” I said.

“Excellent, we’ll credit your account. Word to the wise, you might want to get some more equipment before you head into the advanced portals. Those keys lead to portals that can last upwards to weeks.”

Weeks? Dang, I would definitely need to upgrade my gear…fortunately I had the coin for it now. I departed from Cinder and headed right back to the Commissary.

“Back again?” the Commissary clerk asked as I entered the room.

“Long-term gear?” I asked.

The Clerk pointed to the room to the north of me. “You’re a bluecloak, you’re allowed access to the Adventuring Room. Plenty of high quality gear, if you’ve got the dracks.”

Giddily, I entered the Adventuring Room to find a whole new catalogue of items. Weapons were hanging from the walls, armor stood on mannequins and all manner of tools were scattered about. A few bluecloaks were idly shopping. One, a middle-aged woman with long brown hair, looked at me curiously.

“Weren’t you just admitted to the Scouts?” she asked.

“I’m Ivan,” I said. “And yeah, I joined a little while ago.”

“Angela,” she replied, not bothering to shake my hand. “I thought bluecloaks meant something prestigious, apparently not if they just give it to anyone.”

“Aren’t you a grumpy goat,” I said, quickly losing interest in the conversation. Angela sneered and walked away.

“Pay her no mind,” a fellow said as he walked up beside me. He was a tall man with bright red hair and a shaggy beard. He wore a sword on his side, one that had many Eon Stones slotted in the hilt. “Angela’s just mad that she was passed up for promotion last graduation. It’s almost,” his voice grew much louder, “as if she’d have to actually work to get what she wanted.”

This caused the woman to hurriedly rush out of the room in embarrassment, eliciting a chuckle from the rest of the bluecloaks.

“Ivan,” I said, shaking the man’s hand.

“Lu-on,” he replied. “Friends call me Lulu and enemies call me things I won’t repeat.”

“Lulu?” I asked.

“Ivan!” he replied, shaking my hand again.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the man’s friendliness and warmth. “Any chances I can get some tips from you?” I asked.

“Of course, of course,” Lulu said, spinning me around and pushing me towards a wall full of eggs. “This is the first stop for any smart bluecloak.”

Each egg was a different shape and size, some as black as the night sky while others were deep blue or red. My interface quickly analyzed the eggs and listed their prices. Most were two drams.

“These are companion eggs,” Lulu said. “In the Ghost Wing, you’re on your two feet for the most part but the blue wings are huge. Some travel times are weeks. You’ll want some animal companion to ride across the land.”

“Wouldn’t I be separated from my companion?” I asked. “The portals split everything apart, don’t they?”

“Companions become attuned to our energies,” Lulu replied. “They can be summoned and dismissed via Eon Stones. You get a Summon Stone and a Dismissal Stone when you buy a companion.”

I scanned the eggs to see what was available.

Companion Eggs

Landcat

Price: 2,500 Dracks

Description: Though it starts off as a cute little kitty, the Landcat will grow to carry its master with ease. Landcats can move across rocky terrain and climb rather quickly, though they do not care for water.

Marlin

Price: 1,100 Dracks

Description: This powerful fish is able to fight in the water and will easily pull a grown man to their destination. Marlin only inhabit water.

Hippogriff

Price: 6,800 Dracks

Description: A winged horse, the Hippogriff is able to traverse the sky with ease though it lacks any methods of defending itself from enemies.

Rhinoceros

Price: 8,000 Dracks

Description: The mightiest steed one can have, the Rhinoceros moves quickly, is able to fight any foe and can sustain a tremendous amount of damage before they are dismissed.

Horse

Price: 2,500 Dracks

Description: A loyal steed that provides steady transport.

Bristle Boar

Price: 1,000 Dracks

Description: An oversized boar, Bristle Boars are excellent short term mounts

“How is there a horse egg?” I asked, looking at Lulu. The man laughed.

“These aren’t actually eggs,” he said. “Just representations of the companion link.”

That made more sense. “So I can summon them…do they grow?” I asked, reading the description of the Landcat.

“Yup, they grow each time you use them, getting larger and acquiring some new abilities,” Lulu explained.

Interesting stuff. But I held off on making any purchases yet. I wanted to see what else there was to buy, namely a weapon.

“I had an…interesting encounter with a Warpeater,” I explained as I turned and pointed towards the blades on the wall in the back. “It’s made me consider carrying arms. I noticed you keep a blade on you.”

“Indeed I do!” Lulu said, pulling his blade out to show it off. He swung it a few times in the air, stopping expertly before whacking a mannequin.

“Lulu, put it away before I chop it off!” one of the nearby clerks called out.

“Where have I heard that before?” the man said to me, winking as he sheathed his sword. “You need a weapon if you want to be a truly effective Royal Scout. Sometimes there is a need to defend yourself or others. You shouldn’t go to the sword as the first means of stopping trouble – it should be your last line of defense, but you should have one. Metaphorically speaking, pick any weapon you want.”

I pondered those words as we walked up to the weapons section. Bluecloaks had access to martial and military grade weapons, swords, clubs and maces, shorthammers and crossbows galore…and their prices were relatively cheap, 200 dracks per item.

“I’m not martially-trained in the least,” I confessed. “I know how to handle myself in a fist fight but swords and spears are a different matter.”

“No training, no problem,” Lulu said as he grabbed my head and twisted it, forcing my vision to come upon an axe. “Behold the humble axe. It doubles as a useful survival tool. Unless your opponent is wearing the strongest of armor, they will hesitate to fight you. And training? Just hack away like a madman, momentum will do the most work for you.”

I reached out to grab the weapon. It was heavier than anything I had held before. The haft of the axe was wooden but firm. The axe was wide and double-headed, each side razor sharp. I held the weapon in one hand but it was far too heavy. Two hands felt better.

“Seems a little unwieldy,” I said.

“That’s just raw potential, waiting to be unleashed,” Lulu replied. He gestured towards a sword. “And carry one of these too. Axe on the back, sword at the side.”

“Two weapons?” I asked.

“Trust me, you don’t wanna be the guy who’s scrambling to pick up his axe if it’s parried out of his hands,” Lulu replied. “The longsword is a dedicated weapon of war, unlike the axe which can be used for other things. If you pull the sword, you best be ready to fight with every last bit of fervor.”

He pulled the sword off the wall and out of its scabbard, then handed it to me, taking the axe in the process. This weapon was much lighter and easier to hold. I raised it up in a defensive position. The entire blade came across my body, making it impossible for anyone to get to me. I felt safe behind the longsword.

“I like this,” I said. “More than the axe.”

“Then switch to a hand axe,” Lulu replied, tossing the large axe back onto the rack and grabbing a smaller one. “Strap on the leg and use it when you need to hack things down. Trust me, swords won’t break down doors or cut logs.”

“Good idea,” I said.

“Sword, axe, companion,” I said, running the totals in my head. “What else should I get?”

Lulu ran his hand through his thick beard as he considered this. “Tent and bedroll, you’ll be out in the sticks for a very long time.”

“Luxuries where I come from,” I replied.

“Luxuries you need!” he countered. “Trust me, when it starts raining for three straight weeks, you’ll be glad you got a tent.”

Chapter 20

I decided to take the Bristle Boar with me as my first companion. I was given the summoning egg and two Eon Stones that were capable of conjuring and dismissing the beast. Why a boar? Well, the Enchanted Glade sounded like it would be mostly forest and rough lands, something boars were exceptional at traveling. And it was also cheap. If I was going to spend a lot on a companion, I’d aim for something with wings.

The rest of my shopping trip was for some fairly mundane gear. More tools, a shovel, chisel, pick and some marbles to gauge inclines and distances. I also decided to get an upgraded sword, one that had two slots in the blade. Hopefully I’d be able to find some Eon Stones that were capable of improving my swordsmanship.

Lulu was thrilled to have someone to talk to. He stuck around me like glue and followed me all the way to the barracks, where finally, he ran out of energy and decided to turn in for the evening. Peter was also settling in.

The young man looked up at me with a bit of shock and betrayal on his face. His eyes were affixed to my brand new cloak.

“W-what happened?” he asked.

“Oh, I was promoted,” I said, turning around to show off my new colors. “They seem to think I’m ready for the next rank.”

“I thought we were in this together!” Peter grumbled. “Now you’re a rank ahead? Great, that means I’m gonna be alone.”

“Relax, it’s just one rank,” I said. “It’ll take me a long time to get to green and that’s when ranks really count.”

“So you’re not going to pretend I don’t exist like the other bluecloaks?” he asked.

“Never! If anything, I’m just scouting out the upper echelons, so you’ll be fully informed when you rank up,” I said, sitting on the bed across from him. “Trust me, Peter, I’m not going to leave you behind.”

Peter grinned a little at that. “Glad to hear this hasn’t gone to your head. Well, I can’t let you get too far ahead of me.” He immediately sat up and slipped his boots on. “Sleep can wait, I’m going to go on a run.”

It was nice to see his competitive side kick in. Peter parted and I kicked back, falling into a deep sleep. The next morning, I made my way through the inner chambers of the Portalway, trying to find the Enchanted Glade Wing.

Dozens of bluecloaks were swarming the halls, moving every which way. Some were laughing, others were complaining but they were all in high spirits. Eventually I found my way to the Glade Wing, a portal hall that was covered with greenery.

Many portals lined the walls of this hallway, each one sporting grass and an overgrowth of flowers. Despite the locked status of these portals, the plant life was in abundance, showing just how strong this Portalway was.

A spindly fellow adorned in the red robes of the Caretakers, ghastly pale and with long fingers, came up to me.

“Ahhh, an unfamiliar face,” the man said, his voice long and curled as he spoke. “Welcome to the Enchanted Glade.”

“What is this place exactly?” I asked.

“The Glade is where portals align with the fairylands. Places of dreams and distant magic. Eon Stones are quite common in this place, but they are hard to get to. A mile might be much further than you could possibly dream of.” He paused to glance at the sword on my side. “I see you are armed. Good instincts. Monsters are present here. Dangerous beasties that will easily kill a seasoned warrior. Be sure to log your encounters with them, the Royal Scouts will pay you handsomely for monster reports.”

“That would require me to stick around long enough to make observations,” I said. “And I’m not about to let that happen.” I was no fool, monsters were too dangerous for any one scout to handle. My job wasn’t to tangle with them, it was to outpace them!

“Even a physical description with some observations would be worth a few dracks,” the caretaker replied. “Oh, where are my manners? I am Nathanial of the Stone.”

“Ivan,” I said, shaking his rather moist hand. I tried not to shiver.

“Let’s see the lucky key,” the man said, placing his fingers together eagerly. I produced the glade key and handed it to him.

“Ahhh, 105F. That one is a timeless classic,” Nathanial said as he gestured for me to follow. “This portal is quite stable, so you won’t have to worry too much about running back in time. Try to bring at least two maps, that should make it worth the price of the key.”

“Got it,” I said. We stopped in front of a large portal that was bound by a green floating lock. Nathanial unceremoniously opened the lock, causing the portal to immediately become alive with energy. I could almost feel something pull me in, as if the Enchanted Glade wanted me to enter.

“Good luck, lad,” Nathanial said, clapping me on the back as I entered. “And don’t talk to any suspicious rocks!”

The world around me skipped a beat and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a massive forest. The trees were three times the size of a fully grown oak back home, with branches that formed networks that spanned the crystal blue sky.

The air around me smelled sweet, like cinnamon, and my eyes scanned from left to right as I took in the gigantic flowers and leaves around me.

You have arrived to the Fairylands! You are 200 miles from the portal. Portal closes in 8 weeks. Timer set to hours: 1344. My goggles informed me.

“Eight weeks?” I said out loud. The tent in my backpack now suddenly seemed more like a necessity than a luxury. Gods bless Lulu. This was so much time, I could really explore the area…though I still felt the urge to find the portal first. But 200 miles was a long way, I could take quite a few readings in that time. In fact, I had time to immediately scan the area to see what lay nearby!

I pulled out my surveyor and stuck it into the ground as the cool breeze picked up. Dozens of leaves the size of my head blew past, scattering to the wind.

3 Eon Stones Detected!

1 – 20 Miles North

2 – 11 Miles South

3 – 4 Miles East.

Not too many in the area but all within walking distance for me. Let’s see where the east leads…

Chapter 21

The Grand Forest, as I named it, was so vast that the landscape didn’t change much as I traveled four miles to the east. I decided that since I was going to be here for essentially two months, I had time to slow down and try to map out each biosphere I came across. And so I paused for a moment to draw in my journal a sketch of one of the trees I was near.

As I worked, there came the sound of footsteps in the trees ahead. I looked up to see a blue man, bare-chested and armed with a spear. “Who are you?” he demanded, pointing the weapon towards me. I could see long wings on his back, translucent and dragonfly-like.

“I’m a scout!” I said, putting my hands up in protest. No, that wasn’t the move to make here. I had a weapon now, I wasn’t helpless. But pulling it meant I had to be ready to use it, as Lulu had warned me. There was no ‘showing off’ a blade.

Unsure of what to do, I kept my hands up peacefully. The man lowered his spear and relaxed. “Ah, I see. My apologies, friend, I thought you were one of the Humakis. You are unwinged like them.”

‘Humakis?” I asked.

“Dread raiders who seek to capture us Sylphs for our enchanting capacities,” he explained. “This forest is one of the few places free of their influence.”

He was a Sylph? I had never heard of such beings before. Should I interview him? No doubt taking a report down of a local conversation would be worth something to the Scouts. “I come in peace, just to map this land and to learn of it,” I said. “Would you be amenable to an interview?”

The Sylph chuckled. “You speak with such formality. I suppose I would be ‘amenable’ as you put it.”

Eagerly, I flipped to a new page in my journal. I had no drawing skills or mapmaking capacity, but I knew how to take notes. That was my bread and butter back home. “What is a Sylph?”

“Ah, Sylphs are the big brothers of the fairy kind,” the man said, grinning widely at the question. He sat on a nearby pebble – nearly the size of us both, and continued. “We are the creators of fairyland, the physical embodiment of magic. Our power is to shape and impress magical impulses upon the material world. Collectively, of course. No one Sylph is able to do anything other than enchant.”

“Who are the Humakis?” I asked.

“Mortals who came in from the northern sea. They raided our homeland so brutally that we Sylphs were displaced. All creation in the fairyland has ceased and now there is nothing but war.”

Fascinating. And tragic. “Are there any cities in the area?”

“A Humakis colony has been established, and the fairies have their cloud cities that they live in. Those are inaccessible to mortals, however,” the Sylph explained.

I continued to interview the nameless Sylph for some time. He declined to tell me his identity, so I came to know him as Oliver due to the olives that he liked to eat during the conversation.

Oliver had once been a creator like the rest of his Sylph brothers and sisters, living in the Ageless Tree that was at the center of this forest. The Humakis had burned the tree down in order to cut off the Sylph’s access to power and then set about hunting down as many as they could. All Sylphs who they nabbed were placed in a large boat and sent to the Northern Sea, to a place no fairy had ever been before.

I took as much information as I could about these Humakis and their habits. They were wingless mortals who seemed similar to humans in just about every way. They came from colder lands to the far north and used weapons for more than hunting food. They used them on anyone who came in contact with them.

Eventually Oliver sensed something in the distance and decided to get moving. He was residing in the Living Wodes, to the southeast of here, and was only in the Ageless Forest to look for olives. I thanked him for his time and returned to my own task – finding the nearby Eon Stone!

I took another reading to discover I was only a few hundred feet away from the stone. I followed the beacon to a cluster of small glass flowers. These flowers were crystalline and jagged, with silver and yellow energies glowing within them. They looked almost like scales.

I noticed that one cluster of crystals had formed a small tower, growing upwards almost five feet above the ground. In the center of the crystal structure was a black bead. I cracked the stem off and immediately, the crystals shattered, leaving only powdery residue.

“Interesting,” I said, noticing how fine and gritty this powder was. Could it be used for something? I decided to pour a handful of the powder into one of my sample bottles, for later testing.

The Eon Stone I had found was a smooth black bead with a little brown center. It almost looked like a confection. Did Eon Stones have a taste? Would licking one be considered weird or science?

A rustling in the bushes ahead pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see six humans, armed with hatchets, spears and nets. They wore cloaks similar to mine and a few had skulls hanging from their necks.

“Who are you?” the Humakis’ leader demanded as he walked forward. He wore a bone white mask on his face, the expression blank and haunting.

I decided not to answer that, knowing everything I did about these fellows. Instead, I booked it as fast as I could, turning and running in the opposite direction of the group. They pursued after me.

Four of them were fast enough to keep on my heels. I ran across the vast forest, the great trees around us barely moving despite how much ground I covered. Eventually, I came up to a fallen log, something the size of a barn!

The bark formed firm ridges that made climbing easy. I quickly scrambled up the log, narrowing avoiding a spear as it flew into the wood beneath me.

“Get back here!” they shouted as I climbed above them. None of them were swift enough to go after me, but they were moving to surround the log. I made it to the top faster than they could get to either side – giving me a chance to figure out where to go.

There were large branches hanging from the trees…or I could drop into the log itself. There were a few holes to the side of me. They wouldn’t be expecting me to just bunker down…no, up made more sense. They were struggling to climb.

I dug into my backpack and pulled out the grappling hook that Lulu had insisted I take. “Come on,” I whispered as I quickly tied my rope to the hook. I spun the hook around a few times above my head, to generate momentum, and then released, throwing the hook high into the sky.

Miss! The hook came sailing down.

There was a thuck thuck sound beneath me. The sound of people starting to climb up, slow and noisy. “Come on,” I hissed again, throwing once more.

Miss.

“It’s a tree branch, this should be easy,” I complained. I spun the rope hard this time, really whipping the hook above my head. I released and watched as the large metal grapple flew up and sank into the branches.

“Perfect!” I shouted in excitement, pulling on the rope. The hook snagged onto a thick edge of the branch, burying itself in deep as I pulled to test it.

“There you are!” a voice said behind me. I didn’t bother to look. I ran forward as fast as I could, swinging across the grasslands up towards a sprawling network of branches the size of my arms.

“Please, oh please, oh please,” I babbled as I realized my problem. If I didn’t catch myself on these branches, I’d be swinging right back into the loving arms of those Humakis.

Thankfully, the terror and adrenaline gave me the energy and speed to wrap my legs around the nearest branch I could reach. Tucking the rope into my belt, I grabbed onto the branch with both hands and climbed my way upwards, until I found thick enough pathways to walk on.

The Humakis were long gone. I had swung free from them and there was no way they’d be able to find me in this mass of branches. The trees formed such complicated weaves that the further up I went…the more floor-like the ground became. Huh.

Chapter 22

I continued my ascension until I reached a large vertical plane entirely composed of branches that had woven themselves together. Above, there were larger branches with great canopies of leaves that hung over, giving a nice amount of shade. To the north I could see dozens of houses.

“Well this got more interesting,” I said as I stabbed the ground with my pike. The surveyor scanned the area but found no stones. Still, a map of a hidden village would be valuable to the scouts. I took out the triangulation tool and started my work, capturing the village’s location while patrolling the outskirts to make sure I hadn’t fallen upon a secret Humakis base.

As I took the readings, I couldn’t help but notice how well constructed these homes were. They were large townhomes, probably housing at least a dozen rooms each. They had balconies and pointed ceilings, windows and many entrances and exits. Some even had fences around them, though they were low, designed to keep all manner of interesting plants inside of their gardens.

Curious, I decided to investigate this village of villas to see what was going on. Maybe I could find some more people to interview. Or maybe I could even find a real map to take home with me! That would have to be worth a fortune.

I walked into the town square, where a fountain made of stone was resting. The fountain was in the shape of a swan and it perpetually rained green water. This green wasn’t a sign of contamination, however, for the color was pleasant to look at. Was it safe to drink? Better not risk it.

“Welcome to Sylphstead,” a woman said. I turned around to see a Sylph wearing a dress of shimmering orange that seemed to move in a pattern across her. She had longer wings than Oliver and her skin was a lighter blue than he as well.

“Hi there! I’m Ivan,” I replied, not sure of what else to say. I was too distracted by the motion on her dress. The orange breathed in and out, growing into a hot burnt ochre every few moments.

“I’m the Mayor, Velma,” she said. “As you can see this great town is….oh who am I kidding, you’re just a Royal Scout. Welcome to my hubris, kid.”

“Hubris?” I asked, following her through the rest of the town. I could see storefronts were built, candy shops, spear stores and even a theater! The only trouble was that this place was empty.

Velma sighed. “I have spent so much time and energy building this haven for Sylphs…only for none of them to show up.”

“Maybe it’s the name?” I asked.

“Hey, that name is perfect!” she fussed, pointing a finger at me.

“Well, what if they don’t know about it?” I offered. “I met a Sylph on the ground and he didn’t know about this place at all. He seemed to think there was nowhere for Sylphs to go.”

“There wasn’t,” Velma replied. “Until I made one. But my magic missives have all gone unheeded. It’s as if no one wants to move here.”

“It’s probably the roving gangs of marauders in the woods,” I said.

Velma frowned. “Humakis are the worst. They’re the reason we’re in this mess.”

I glanced at my timer. It had barely moved compared to how much time I had left. “Maybe I can be of assistance in that regard?” I asked. “I am a Royal Scout after all.”

Velma looked at me curiously. “You’d help out? Your kind is usually so busy, charting and mapping.”

“I’ve got plenty of time,” I said.

“Very well,” Velma replied as she led me to the town hall building that had a statue of her in the front. “What can you do?”

“If you give me some maps, I could distribute them, or I could find Sylphs and bring them back here, escorting them,” I said.

“Maps are too dangerous,” Velma said. “If the Humakis know our exact location, they might be willing to mount an expedition to capture us.”

“Good point,” I replied. “Well, I’m here for a few weeks. I don’t mind guiding any Sylphs I find back here.”

Velma was thankful for my offer, though it was clear she didn’t seem to put much stock in it. She showed me the inn where I could stay – it was meant to be a functioning tavern but right now that didn’t seem to be the case.

It was nice having an entire room to myself. There was a round table where I could place all of my gear.

“Cartography…” I muttered as I took out a sketchpad and began to work.

I couldn’t determine exactitudes or specifics, but I could create a general impression of the area. An overland map, if you will. I marked out two zones, one above and one below. Sylphstead and the Ageless Forest. To the south, I knew there was another woods, The Living Wodes. This was where Oliver lived.

I made sure to indicate north on my map, then sketched out the area beneath the Ageless Forest, to the southeast. Question marks for now, but I’d be heading there in the morning to find Oliver. In the process, I could note how far it would be before I was in the Wode.

Pace Tracking has begun! appeared in my goggles as I stared at the paper. In the right-hand corner of my vision, I could see a little foot indicator. “Aha!” I cried, hopping out of my seat and walking in circles. The paces immediately began to increase with each step.

“If I track the paces it takes for me to get to the Living Wode, I’ll have the actual distances to place on the map…” I mused. “Which turns this thing from a drawing to a bona fide map!”

This was an exciting development! The tracking stone had some features that I hadn’t fully explored yet. Speaking of exploration, what about that Eon Stone I had found earlier?

If I was going to be here for eight weeks or so, I would need a continued edge in my work. Synchronizing with the stone would be the best option – I would have plenty of opportunities to find more when I was out and about looking for Sylphs.

I took the black bead out and observed it. There seemed to be something dense within the bead, for it had more weight than something of its size should…and it appeared to grow heavier with each passing moment that I contemplated it.

Eon Stone Attuned! Spellbead Discovered!

Spellbead: Manifest Bridge

Description: Concentrating on this bead will manifest a ten foot long bridge made out of ethereal energy. This bridge can hold up to 900 pounds and exists for 90 seconds.

Uses: 1

Recharge Conditions: Meditating upon the bead for an hour restores its casting capacity.

Woah! This was more than passive enhancement! It was actual spellcasting! No doubt Raulthine had a collection of spellbeads just like this. And the ability to create a bridge? Nifty as it was useful. I could figure out all sorts of clever ways to use it.

This stone floated up beside me, always in my vision but never in the way. I took it and gently fastened it to the wrist slot on my right glove. The weight felt good, like a piece of protective armor. I found myself meditating upon it as I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the worlds that I would unfold tomorrow…

Chapter 23

I dropped down from the heights, jumping from branch to branch with a concerning amount of momentum. I kept skipping across the sky, slowly descending from the great canopy that hid Sylphstead. My mission was to find as many Sylphs as I could within 8 weeks – and make a darn good map in the process!

My goggles began recording the paces as soon as I reached the ground. I didn’t want to record the exact area of Sylphstead out of respect for the Mayor, and so my step keeping began on the bottom level of the Ageless Forest.

“Alright, now the goal is to move as quickly as possible,” I said, taking out the companion stone from my right vest pocket. “So let’s see how the Bristle Boar does in this kind of terrain.”

The stone activated and at once, blue mist surrounded a patch of grass. The mist faded after a second, revealing a huge boar, its body easily the size of a small horse. The three-tusked beast came trotting up to me, staring with expectant eyes.

“Aren’t you cute?” I asked, scratching the hog underneath its chin. The creature liked that and moved its head upwards. “I think I’ll call you Ferdinand.”

The hog oinked in confirmation of the name. He sank low to the ground, waiting for me to climb atop.

I had never ridden anything before, let alone a giant hog, but how hard could it be? I mantled up the side of the creature and nestled on its back, sliding my legs around its huge torso. The hog bucked for a moment, sliding me forward more so that my legs were now wrapped around its stubby neck. This position gave me a better view; I was overlooking the hog’s head from here.

“Hya!” I said, focusing on an area ahead of me. Ferdinand immediately turned towards that section and began to gallop. We cleared the grasslands rapidly as the boar ran, its legs able to sustain a much longer pace than I could have guessed.

The numbers on my goggles began to move at a rapid rate, keeping up with the boar’s movements. Every step it took was six paces of a human’s movement – the goggles were able to determine who was moving and adjusted accordingly.  Neat.

Riding an animal was much easier than traversing the land on my own. More than that, I was free to constantly survey the terrain, keeping my head on a swivel to look for any signs of danger or interest. The grasslands were massive compared to the both of us, but Ferdinand’s speed was such that it felt as if we were actually getting somewhere.

We covered ten miles in half an hour, an incredible pace to sustain but the boar thought nothing of it. This seemed to be a regular run in his natural habitat for all he cared.

Eventually we reached a spot where the land began to change drastically. The great grasslands and endless oak trees were replaced with shimmering blue lakes and ash trees as far as the eye could see. These trees were thin and frail, with branches that paled in comparison to the Ageless Forest.

There was some grassland but it was frequently interrupted by lakes. Fortunately, bridges and roads had been constructed in the area, allowing us to pass over the water without a problem.

“Looks like the perfect spot for a survey,” I said to Ferdinand as I climbed off of him. The hog trotted over to the water and began to drink from it eagerly.

The readings came in quick. Two stones, both within three miles of here. One was to the direct north, where a particularly large and healthy ash tree sat in the middle of the waters. The other was to the east, into what looked to be the open lake itself. There was no way I’d be able to swim, so I’d just have to triangulate and record a map.

This was even easier with Ferdinand, as I just rode the hog and stuck the ground as we went along, not even bothering to dismount. I took three readings and recorded a map, enjoying the warmth of the day and the open sunlight on my face.

Ahead, there was a buzzing that drew me from my reverie. I glanced up to see there was a gigantic dragonfly moving across the water, a Sylph mounted on the back of it. She was a woman, her wings damaged and crooked and a bow in her hand.

“Hey!” I called out, turning down a road that was moving parallel to the water. “Hey over here!”

The dragonfly buzzed loudly as it flew up to me, the Sylph aiming her bow at me. “What do you want, Humakis?”

“No, I’m not a Humakis,” I protested. “Look, I’m not even carrying any—” I paused for a moment. I was carrying weapons. And a longsword was a weapon of war. “I mean, I come in peace, on behalf of another Sylph.”

This caused the woman to lower her bow. I could see that she wore a haggard expression, one of someone deeply exhausted. “What do you mean?”

I told her about Sylphstead. “Fat chance,” she laughed, shaking her head. “You really think I’m going to just follow you straight into a trap?”

“How can I prove I’m not a Humakis?” I asked. “Or at least that I’m on your side here.”

The Sylph pondered that for a moment. “There’s a mask that I’ve been trying to get to for quite some time, the Humakis to the west of here have taken it. If you can go in there and steal the mask back for me, I’d be more than happy to follow you to your safe haven.”

Chapter 24

Estella the Quickbow was skeptical of me and would not change her mind until I helped her with her goals. Something told me she wouldn’t follow even if she trusted me – that mask seemed important to her for some reason.

Sneaking into a Humakis camp sounded exceptionally dangerous, but I was up to the task. I just needed to take it slow, scout them out and determine how to infiltrate. Worst case scenario, I’d just flee at supernatural speeds, catching up to my escape boar waiting in the bushes.

The waterway formed a complex maze that connected the Ageless Forest to the Living Wodes. The many roads eventually took Ferdinand and I to a large peninsula on the west. A shaky bridge led across the waters to reach the beachhead, an area surrounded by waters on almost all sides. We were lower than the beach and I couldn’t see what was at the top.

It was here I dismounted from Ferdinand and traveled on foot. The beach was a steep incline and I ended up crawling on my hands and knees to get to the top of the hill. Carefully, I peeked above to see a flat plain of grassland. Clustered in the middle of the area were several huts, smoke rising from their chimneys.

I swallowed hard as I gazed at the spears stuck into the ground. They had skulls upon them, warning any to stay away.

There were Humakis everywhere, men and women who wore all manner of clothing, unified only by the long machetes they carried at their sides. Some were armored and were on patrol, hooks and nets hanging from their backs as they searched for victims to capture.

“Yikes,” I whispered as I considered scoping out the rest of the area. The land was perfectly flat, I’d be spotted as soon as I climbed over…I guess I’d have to wait for nightfall to blend in.

Time did not move quickly and I grew terribly bored waiting. But I had people to observe at least; their patrols and habits were becoming quick to figure out. The Humakis did not appear to be worried about any particular threats coming at them – most of their patrolmen seemed jaded.

Eventually night began. The sun lowered from the sky and was replaced with a great white sphere that glowed so bright that it would be very easy to see in the dark. Just my luck that there was a full moon.

Still, some darkness was good enough for me to blend in. I crawled up onto the peninsula flat, hands and knees on the cool, wet ground. Laying low seemed to allow me to merge into the shadows and I quickly scurried across the land between the Humakis village and the beachhead.

I made it to a large collection of crates. Quickly, I ducked behind them as a patrol walked by. They were chatting and laughing, too engaged in their own conversation to notice the noise I had made as I jostled a crate.

Carefully, I peeked my head out of the crates and scanned the area. There was a campfire in the middle of the huts, burning bright as the people gathered around to eat and drink.

“What are you doing here?” a voice asked and I stiffened. Someone had come up behind me. I spun around to see a young man, probably in his early twenties. He was carrying a few jugs in his hand.

“They sent me to help,” I replied, reaching out to grab the jugs from him. He didn’t hold onto them, too confused by my presence and assistance.

“You don’t talk like us…” the man replied.

Quickly, I brought both jugs up to the sides of his head, clubbing him hard. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold. “Sorry,” I whispered as I put the jugs beside the unconscious man. I glanced down at his clothes…say, I’ve got an idea!

I quickly took the man’s outfit and put it on, hiding my cloak beneath the shirt that was already a size too large anyway. I looked puffy but tightening the latches on the leather armor seemed to secure the clothes to me. I slipped off my goggles, squinting a little as the raw air touched my eyes. I had grown so used to wearing these that I rarely took them off.

I grabbed the wine and scurried out into the open, walking as if there was nothing wrong. Hopefully that guy wouldn’t wake up before I had a chance to find the mask…

Two Humakis came up to me and grabbed the wine, laughing as they made jokes, ignorant to my secret status. It was dark and the air was smoky due to the fire. I kept my head down and moved through the village, looking for a sign of the stolen item.

There! Across the camp, affixed to a standing suit of armor, was Estella’s mask. The face was frowning, with a little tear running down the side. It gleamed with a bit of magic.

I looked left and right. No one was paying me any mind and as the night grew later, the people were getting more drunk and rowdy. Fist fights were starting to break out amongst them. Now was the time.

I power walked across the grounds, up to the armor statue. It was fixed upright, carrying a large glaive in one hand as it stood to attention. It seemed almost lifelike. I quickly walked past it as if I were hurrying somewhere. Just needed to snag it in a smooth motion…

“Gotcha!” I said, yanking the mask off…of a human face.

“Who are you?” the man bellowed, agitated that I had torn the snaps clean off of his head. A quick punch to the right eye sent him reeling backwards, and he dropped his weapon. “Help! Help! There’s a thief!”

I sprinted out of the camp as fast as I could. Nets and spears came flying from all angles but the people’s aim was terrible due to their night drinking. I scrambled into the darkness, running for the end of the peninsula.

A dragonfly suddenly appeared at the end of the path, zipping up from beneath the hill.  Estella was waiting for me.

“Over here!” she called. A rope snagged me by the leg and I fell, but she fired a shot from her bow, expertly severing the rope line. I clambered to my feet and sprinted as hard as I could. Leaping, I kicked off of the ground and landed on the back of the long dragonfly. Estella grabbed and steadied me as we immediately lifted out of range of the enemy spears.

“Whew! That was close,” I said, adjusting myself so that I was sitting upright. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“Well, when I realized you were actually going in there, I felt bad,” Estella said. “The idea of you getting killed on my behalf was too much to bear.”

That was decent of her! I smiled at that and showed her the mask. “Here you go.”

“Ah! Perfect,” she replied, taking it and hurriedly slipping it into her bag. “I’ll have to add it to my collection.”

“What does it do?” I asked.

“Do?” she repeated. “It’s just a mask, sweetheart. It doesn’t do anything.”

“You had me run into a dangerous camp full of slavers and it wasn’t even for something enchanted?” I groaned, rubbing my forehead. “Why is it so important then?”

“It’s a piece of history, good sir. And that is important on its own merit,” Estella replied. “Now then, how do we get to this hidden village?”

I dismissed Ferdinand before we got too far, then gave her the instructions. Having a dragonfly that could easily move in the sky made it easy to reach and we were in Sylphstead within a matter of hours.

Our dragonfly fluttered over the fountain square, where Velma was pouting. She glanced up in surprise. Her wings began to twitch in excitement as she registered that she was looking at another Sylph.

“You brought me one!” she cried.

“This is an actual town…” Estella murmured as she punched me on the arm. “You should have said it had houses.”

“I did!”

“Well you should have been more convincing!”

Chapter 25

Estella the Quickbow had found her new home. Velma was overjoyed and spent the entire night cooking all manner of muffins and shortbreads for us to enjoy. I ate my fill and packed my bag with plenty, then prepared to head out.

Velma caught me as I was making my way to the edge of the canopy. “Sir! Ivan!” she called after me, fluttering a little as she skipped across the land. “Wait!”

I paused to face her. “Something the matter?” I asked.

“Two things,” Velma replied as she caught up to me, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. “First and foremost, you must be rewarded for aiding us. I had my doubts but you brought back Estella in such a short amount of time…I must empower you to continue your journey. I can gift you with an enchantment, would you accept it?”

“Of course!” I said, clasping my hands together eagerly. Maybe this was an Eon Stone!

“Excellent,” the Sylph said as she stretched her hands out, aiming them towards me. “Hmmm, I see your clothes are quite mundane but the boots are of good quality. They could use a bit of safety in the ankles…”

A stream of blue energy came flooding from her fingertips, soft music accompanying the magic as it wrapped around my boots.

Enchantment Detected! Your boots have been given Wind Soles.

You may now land up to ten feet without incurring injury or stress.

“Wow!” I said, looking at my shoes. They had turned a slight midnight blue now, complementing my cloak quite well.

“There, keep working and I can continue weaving my magics,” Velma said. “The more Sylphs here, the more I can improve your equipment.”

“I thank you ma’am,” I said, hopping up and down. It felt like a cushion beneath my feet each time I touched the ground, no bounce and no shock. A perfect landing every time. “Now, what was the second thing?”

The mayor looked at me puzzled for a moment and then realized she indeed had a second article on the agenda. “Ah, yes, of course. Sorry, magic takes a bit from me. I spoke with Estella in private and she confessed that she knows the location of a few Sylphs. They’re holed up in a crystal cavern, in the Living Wodes. Do you have a map? I could mark it for you.”

I took out my journal and showed her my work so far. The woman grimaced. “Are you a trainee?”

“In many ways,” I confessed.

She took the paper and tutted. Producing a pen quill from a sleeve pocket, Velma quickly began to scribble across the journal, filling out my map. “There we go,” she said, handing it back to me. There were landmarks indicated and a line was drawn from Sylphstead to the center of the Living Wodes. “Follow the landmarks and you’ll get to the caves quickly enough.”

“Thanks,” I said, and I put the journal away.

“Now be careful, these Sylphs are a little antisocial due to some recent losses to their group,” Velma continued. “You should do well to mention that you know Estella.”

We concluded our conversation and I headed back down, jumping from branch to branch with much more confidence than before. I wasn’t particularly unsure on my feet but the long fall to the bottom had made my legs shaky with each landing – until my boots got their upgrade. Now each landing was smooth and lacking the intensity of gravity.

Landing on the ground, I summoned Ferdinand, who was now a little bigger, with shaggier fur and longer tusks. “Aren’t you getting big and strong?” I asked, scratching behind his ears as I climbed onto his back.

We were off once more, heading back the same way we had traveled before. Ferdinand was much faster today, now able to sprint for a sustained period of time before needing to slow down to his normal trotting pace.

Instead of going into the peninsula, we took a side road that led to the main mass that made up the Living Wode. This area had flowers the size of trees, with gigantic snails moving across them. Some flowers were so big that they were bending over, the weight of each petal too great for the splintering trunk to hold up.

Each blade of grass ran up to my chest, making it hard for Ferdinand to see where he was going. He still barreled forward without a care or hesitation, but I worried we would fall into a massive ravine or something worse.

“Easy, easy,” I said, prompting him to slow down. He slid to a halt as I climbed off, drawing out my machete. “Let me take the lead.”

Ferdinand oinked in affirmation and began to munch on the grass as I worked, hacking a path forward.

It wasn’t even twenty feet that the grasslands abruptly vanished, giving way to a deep gulch with water at the bottom.

“See? This is why we always make sure we can see,” I lectured to the bored hog as I tried to show him the hole. He wandered towards something and began to root around.

“I guess that’s more interesting than survival tactics,” I grumbled, patting him on the rump as I looked at my map. The ravine was a landmark…and if I was facing north that meant…

As I calculated the route to the crystal caves, Ferdinand rammed me in the butt. “Easy,” I said, “I’m trying to figure out a way to the caves.”

He rammed me again, prompting me to turn around. In the hog’s mouth was a large blue stone, almost the size of an egg. An Eon Stone!

“You found that?” I asked, laughing a little as I took the stone from his mouth. He looked at me blankly, oinked and went back to munching on grass. “You are certainly a hero, you know that Ferdinand?”

I decided to synchronize right now. Another stone meant more chances of success in the future!

Eon Stone Attuned! Wakeful Stone has activated!

Wakeful Stone: You may stay awake for 72 hours before you begin to experience any negative effects.

The large stone floated up in the air and I felt a hot wire burn into the back of my brain. I yelped as the entire world flashed in a strange black and white tone and instantly, I felt more awake. Not quite jittery but aware and ready to take on the day as if I had just woken up from a deep nap. Seventy-two hours? That was three days without needing to sleep. And then it would just be four hours. Interesting, I was turning into quite the scouting machine!

The large stone wouldn’t fit in any slots but did comfortably tuck into my haversack, so I kept it there. Maybe I could get some kind of belt buckle that could house the stone. The blue would match my boots and cloak for sure!

Chapter 26

There was a great fallen flower stem that was sticking out of the ground. The stem formed a hollow in the earth, wide enough for anyone to fit through. It was this stem that marked the secret entrance into the crystal caverns.

I had dismissed Ferdinand already and was readying my gear for a delve into the dark. I had a torch but the flames might potentially harm the structural integrity of the stem – so I opted to take a candle out instead.

This long white cylinder was made from bluefin tallow and was nifty for the blue flame that it produced. The blue light went twice as far as a regular candle and was softer too, making it easier to see. The candle slipped into a small silver holder that allowed me to wield it without wax getting on my gloves. A few flicks of a match later and the blue flame was lighting up the entire darkness of the stem interior.

I clambered into the stem and slid down a little ways until I reached an area where wooden beams and hard stone replaced the greenery around me. It was as if someone had stuck a straw straight into a mine.

I lifted my candle high and I surveyed the area, looking from left to right slowly. Something felt off but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

The candlelight moved, flickering from the winds of movement…behind me! I leapt forward, rolling forward just in time to avoid something swinging at my back. There was a loud thump as the earth broke behind me.

I kept my arm out the whole time I rolled, desperate to keep the candle lit – if I were to plunge into darkness it would be over for me! This unfortunate decision to preserve the candle caused me to wrench my arm so bad that I cried out in pain.

But adrenaline quickly pushed the pain away. I clambered to my feet, arm numb but still able to hold the candle. I raised it up to see a squat, rocky creature with long arms and a rounded body. It grunted as it staggered away from the light, running in the opposite direction of me. At first I thought it was fleeing the light, but it swung at nothing.

The monster slowly reoriented itself, facing me. I held the light up, gritting my teeth. How was I supposed to fight a creature made out of stone?

The beast rushed towards me but once again missed, running in the wrong direction at the last moment. The light was blinding it…and it seemed I was in some kind of underground mine, so I didn’t need to fear lighting a bigger fire.

With my good hand, I grabbed the torch at my side and pushed it over the candle. The blue light leapt from the candle to the torch, turning from blue to red in an instant. A great wave of light washed across the cavern, illuminating dozens of reflective little crystal nodes sticking out of the walls. These reflections made the rock creature completely incapable of seeing. It swung around violently, hitting nothing but air.

I found a passage and quickly made my way down it, being careful not to make any noise with each step. The beast roared a few times but there was nothing it could do to find me. I shivered a little and continued moving deeper into the mine, safe for now.

As the adrenaline of the fight wore off, the pain in my left arm came back. It was a jagged, hot pain, searing up whenever I would bend it or try to move it around. Each movement burned and I couldn’t work the tension out with my good hand.

I leaned against a wall and groaned. Was it broken? That wasn’t good…what if I had to stop my entire adventure because of an injury? I couldn’t do anything with a busted arm…

There was little I could do to make my arm comfortable. I had no slings or any knowledge of how to make one. So I just held my left arm close to my chest; this was the most comfortable position I could muster.

Since heading out of the mines involved climbing up, I decided to keep pushing on. Time would heal my injury…I hope.

The mine shaft had many, many hallways, winding in every which way. There were dead ends galore and I ended up having to start using chalk to mark the walls so I knew where I had already been. A few of the rock monsters were wandering about, Stone Gremlins I called them, but with a torch they were easy to sneak past. I would most certainly be recording this weakness in my reports!

Eventually I reached a hallway that led to an elevator. A short, bearded fellow with an enormous belly and a big ruddy nose was sitting beside the platform, munching away on a sandwich. A pickaxe was resting on the ground near him. Close enough to grab and use as a weapon if he wanted…

“H-hi,” I squeaked out as I made myself known as quickly as possible. The man looked up at me and grinned widely. His beard sported many braids, some of them Eon Stones, glimmering in the torchlight.

“Oho! Someone make it past the Rocklins?” the man asked, not getting up. He munched on his sandwich and grinned at me. “Looks like they did a number on your arm! Oh come now, get closer, I won’t bite. Got my sandwich here to munch on. What’s your trouble, friend? Why have you come to this mine?”

“I’m looking for some people,” I said, getting a little closer. The man was an earthen being, made from stone though his skin was pale enough to be confused for flesh. Up close, I could see the stonelike quality, the roughness of the skin was more than apparent.

“Strange place to come searching for folk,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes at me. “But I take it you’re not a Humakis. Nah, you don’t have the chains or the nets…lemme see that clasp of yours. Ah! Royal Scouts!”

I relaxed a little at the recognition. “You know of us?”

“Of course! The scouts have been long-term friends of the fairylands,” the man replied. He bit into his sandwich again and chewed thoughtfully. “We trade information to each other’s governments. These lands are ever-shifting, so having a steady number of people come in and surveying the land is of use to us. And we’re willing to trade magic in exchange for such surveys.”

Interesting. So that’s who bought the maps. Governments! Actual ruling authorities would depend on these maps to make policy decisions…fascinating. “I’m Ivan, a runner,” I said, bowing to the man.

“Call me Tagley,” the man said. “I’m a dwarf. This here is my mine. I’ve dug it out myself.”

“You dug this whole place out by yourself?” I asked in shock. “That would have to have taken thousands of years!”

“And I enjoyed every minute of it!” Tagley replied with a grin. He dug into his lunchpail and frowned. No food left. I winced as I tried to use my bad arm before realizing it didn’t work, then dug into my satchel to produce a muffin.

“Here,” I said, tossing it to him, gritting my teeth. Time was not healing my wound and I could feel it grow so bad I almost passed out.

“Now we’re talking!” the dwarf said, catching the muffin. He looked at me for a moment. “Say, you don’t look so good.”

“Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to make the world stop spinning,” I said as I bent over, panting for air.

“Say…this recipe, taste’s like…sylph cooking,” the dwarf muttered as he walked up to me. Before I could do anything, he grabbed my arm and yanked with all of his might. I felt a horrific pop in my shoulder followed by a searing pain…and then, I could move my arm again.

“Oh I’m gonna be sick,” I groaned, staggering backwards as I involuntarily shook my arm loose of the dwarf. “Wait! My arm!” I bent it and there was no pain. Just an ache. I could move it in any direction! “You fixed it!”

“Aye, the body is like a pile of rocks, you just gotta know the right spot to strike, and it’ll all be better!” Tagley said, sitting back down to enjoy the rest of the muffin.

“I don’t know if that’s true at all,” I remarked, rubbing my arm. Everything felt good as new. Nothing broken. I had just dislocated it.

“Eh, works with dwarves,” he replied. “Anyway, I take it you’re looking for the Sylphs? I’d be suspicious if not for the fact that you’re packing baked goods from them. Humakis don’t have a taste for the finer things, hence why they don’t farm. They just raid.”

“You know where they are?”

“Of course! I built the tunnel that connects to their hiding place in the crystal caverns. But I would be careful, crystalline complexes can be difficult to navigate. The Sylphs chose it for a reason.”

I glanced at my map and shook my head. There was nothing about navigating inside of the crystal caves. Oh great.

Chapter 27

Tagley was easy to motivate with baked goods. The dwarf agreed (by the third muffin) to take me to the Sylph colony, provided that I swore I wasn’t going to harm them. I promised that easily enough and he believed me without trouble. “The oath is a formality but an important one,” he said. “For I can then say, he took an oath, I can trust him.”

The dwarf had much to speak of as we traveled through the vast crystalline network beneath the mineshaft. This was a natural formation in the earth, a large concave area with dozens of branching caverns that led to huge clusters of crystals growing out of the ground. Some areas were so overgrown with crystals that there was no ground, just jagged white spikes.

“Fairyland is made up of three layers, the Air Above, the Ground Below and the Domain Beneath,” Tagley explained as I stopped to examine one particular crystal. “We are in the Domain Beneath, obviously. This place was built first, a great layer of stone and crystal formed around a freezing core. They say the cold of the core is so intense that it constantly turns the earth into crystal. Crystalizing cold, have you heard of such a thing?”

“The core of what? The planet?” I asked.

“Planet? We’re not a planet, son,” Tagley said. “Fairyland is made of three layers, one atop another. There’s no stars or space, no moon or sun.”

“Then what am I seeing in the day? And night?” I asked.

“You’re looking at fantastical illusions, mystical lights, nothing more and nothing less,” Tagley said. “The fairies long ago decided they liked humanity’s day cycle and adapted it. It’s all swirling lights and heat illusions.”

“What is it when there are no illusions?” I asked.

“Endless sky, blue as the ocean and occupied with all manner of fairy creatures. Strange things that are difficult to speak to in coherent languages,” Tagley replied. He grabbed a nearby crystal growing out of the wall and broke it off. To my surprise, the crystal began to glow with a yellow light, similar to my torch. “The further up you go, the weirder it gets. Some fairies dedicate their entire lives to ascending as high as they can go. Explorers in their own right.”

“Fascinating,” I said as I broke off a crystal of my own. It glowed the same as Tagley’s. I tucked the crystal into my vest pocket, creating a field of light around me at all times. “So there’s a freezing core at the bottom and endlessness at the top.”

“And everything in between is wide as it is deep,” Tagley said as we reached a small hole in one of the cavern walls. “You could dedicate your life to exploring this place and never make more of a fraction of an impact.”

The conversation lulled as we crawled through the hole, climbing for quite a ways on all fours until we reached a larger slope that was covered in crystals. My feet threatened to slip as I walked on the slick ground. I decided to climb down with my hands and feet, as if I were scaling down a mountainside. This made it much easier to get to the bottom. Tagley trudged down the incline without a problem.

“Do you know much about Eon Stones?” I asked.

“Aha! Now there’s a conversation worth having,” the dwarf said. “Ah yes, I know much about them. Ask away, lad.”

“What are they, exactly?”

“Bah, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be mining in the middle of nowhere, I’d be selling books!” Tagley replied with a laugh. “But I do have my theories. Eon Stones don’t just grow in the natural world. Not in fairyland anyway. They arrive as comets. Crashing from the heavens, spiraling from nowhere, they all fell into the land at the same time.”

“Really?”

“I know there was a day when no dwarf knew what an Eon Stone was, and then there was a day where we found hundreds of them. Ohoho, did dwarven society change when that happened. The fairies always flaunt their magic, making noise as if they were something special but now we dwarves had the ability to perform spells. It made quite an impact on our people’s ability to dig. That’s how we found the core. For the first time, we dwarves had the magic to sustain freezing conditions.”

“I thought everything turned to crystal down there?” I asked.

Tagley frowned at that. “Well, not immediately. Hmm. I never thought about that.”

“Have you ever seen the core?” I asked.

“Nay, me uncle knew a man who saw it though, and I believe him! Why would he lie to me uncle?” Tagley replied. We reached a plateau that overlooked a small village of huts.

“There!” I said, pointing at the people. They were Sylphs, gathered about. They were weaving baskets from wicker, their faces and bodies incredibly pale. They did not look healthy or happy, their weaving motions slow and mechanical. “They don’t look very good.”

“Sylphs are heavenly creatures, meant for the skies, not the domain below,” Tagley said. “I’ve tried to help ‘em as best I could, even provided them with tools to craft things but it’s no good. They have no purpose down here.”

“I intend to ask them to leave this place, to come to a safe haven,” I said. “Will you help escort us out?”

“Aye, I suppose,” Tagley said. “But only because I’ve taken a liking to ya!”

We climbed down the plateau and took a short rocky bridge to where the sylphs were working. No one reacted to us right away. They were all exhausted and weary, eyes firmly fixed on the ground as they toiled away on their baskets.

“Listen up!” Tagley shouted, his voice surprisingly loud. It echoed across the room. “This here’s a Royal Scout, and he’s taken an oath not to harm any of you. Now, I’ve done all I could to help you out but I’m at my limit as to what will keep you healthy. Yes it’s dangerous outside, but you’re barely alive in here as it is. Best go out and die with your boots on, in the sun where you belong.”

“Er, no one’s dying!” I said quickly, rushing up beside the dwarf and putting my hands up in protest. “I know where there’s a safe haven, a long-term colony built for stranded Sylphs. We can get there quickly, in less than a few days.”

There was little reaction from the Sylphs. They all looked at me and shook their heads, then went back to their weaving.

“Well, we tried,” Tagley said as he reached into my satchel and pulled out the last muffin. “Here’s to our hard work, eh?”

“They seem miserable,” I said, grabbing the muffin out of his hand. “Maybe some home cooking will give them a bit of hope. The dwarf tried to protest but I approached the group. One man, who wore a leather jerkin and carried a dagger on his belt, looked up at me as he bent a wicker into the right spot to form a basket loop.

“Here, taste this,” I ordered, breaking off a piece of the baked good and handing it to the man. The Sylph looked at me for a moment but I shook my hand, insisting. He took the chunk and bit into it. Immediately his eyes lit up.

“This is Sylph cooking!” he said. “I haven’t tasted flightwheat in ages…”

“I’m not kidding about the safe haven,” I explained, distributing more pieces to the now-interested basket weavers. “A mayor has built a place for everyone to live and survive in peace. I can take you all there, you’ve just got to believe me.”

One woman spoke, seemingly reflecting the opinions of the rest of the group. “It is not that we do not believe you, Runner. We are very weak from living within the earth for so long. To even sustain flight with our wings requires a minimum of physical energy we just can’t generate. And without flight, we are dead on the ground.”

I frowned as I noticed the woman’s legs. They were terribly withered and boney, almost without meat. The others looked quite malnourished as well.

I looked at Tagley. “They need better food if they’re going to make the journey.”

The dwarf shrugged. “Where am I to find vegetables and leafy greens down here? They seem to be able to subsist off the same reeds that they use for basket weaving, but it’s not enough to give them energy.”

“What about meat?” I asked.

“If I could provide them meat, they’d probably have moved on from here long ago,” Tagley confessed. “But meat comes from the surface and we’re far, far from there. I couldn’t make the trips back and forth.”

I pondered this for a moment, rubbing my chin. “You mentioned dwarven society. Any merchants nearby? Cities maybe?”

“Dwarves build what are known as Hutches, large burrows where we cluster for the first few hundred years of our lives. Then we go off to be solitary in older ages. Every dwarf eventually grows the urge to be alone and that is when we do the most of our hard work. I’m in the middle of nowhere by choice, I’m afraid.”

I grimaced. “Well, you’re a miner right? Do you have wheelbarrows by any chance?”

“Sure do,” he said. “But you’d be crazy to try and wheelbarrow these people out. You’ll need a cart, it’s much spacier.”

Chapter 28

There were twelve Sylphs, none of them strong enough to do much of anything other than eat, sleep and weave baskets. They rarely left their bedding area, which also served as their work space. The reeds were divided into two sections, one for basket weaving and one for eating. It was a miserable and painful life, one that I was determined to save them from.

And so Tagley loaned me a large hand-cart, a wagon with a harness designed for a person instead of a beast of burden. There were two wheels, the balance relying on the long wooden stake that was designed to be pushed by a single individual. Pushing the stake caused the wheels to roll on and the weight of the cart shifted forward, creating momentum with each step.

Four Sylphs volunteered to be the first to go out with me. They were the ones most desperate to leave and were the healthiest of the bunch, meaning they were able to stand without assistance, though walking was another story.

We placed the Sylphs in the back of the wagon and I carefully fastened a rope around each one in case the wagon fell for some reason.

“I’ve marked the path well ahead of you,” Tagley said as he patted me on the shoulders. “Follow the flags, you’ll find an incline leading up to the surface. It’s gonna be one heck of a trek, so good luck.”

The dwarf wasn’t interested in carrying carts full of people back and forth, so I was stuck on my lonesome, carrying the wagon by myself. Fortunately the Boulder Stone had given me a tremendous carrying strength and this translated to the ability to pull a wagon full of people without trouble.

“You are truly a curious person,” Jaboli, the volunteers’ leader, said leaning over the side of the wagon to watch as I pulled. He yawned as he spoke. “Why are you helping us?”

“All those sweet, sweet enchantments,” I said, semi-sarcastic. It seemed that people everywhere had a hard time accepting help, so it almost made sense to pretend like I was only in it for some rewards.

“Har har,” Jaboli laughed. “There are much easier ways to gain magic. You’re putting yourself through quite a bit of trouble for a bunch of nobodies.”

“Bah, you’re not nobodies!” I countered. “Because there’s someone who will be delighted to see you at the end of the day. Her name is Velma and she has a beautiful dream to rebuild your community. That’s why I’m here, to help her see that dream come true.”

“Yes, but why? What is it to you to help us?”

“Do people always need a reason to be good?” I asked.

There was silence at that question. The incline grew sharper as I pushed the cart and I began to strain more. Gravity ceased working as an ally and began to pull against me and I struggled to make my way up. Each step was growing harder and I grunted, almost slowing down to a stop.

“Come on,” I pushed. “You can do it…”

Sustained effort was required to get up the hill; the weight of the Sylphs didn’t seem to matter until suddenly it was the only thing I could think about. Four people, too much. I couldn’t push a wagon with so much weight…not at this incline…

My feet dug into the earth as I struggled to make it further up the long hill. There were many routes to the surface, this happened to be the only direct one a cart could take. If only I had some harnesses, then I could try hooking up Ferdinand to the cart and using his help, but without tools to fasten the creature, he wouldn’t be able to do much.

I reached a spot where the ground suddenly flattened for a few feet, allowing me to stop the cart without fear of it rolling backwards.

“Whew!” I gasped. “That was intense!”

I turned around to see all four Sylphs staring at me with surprise. “You pulled us up that entire incline without stopping!” Jaboli whispered. “We might actually make it!”

“You bet we will!” I said. A second wind seemed to hit me and I hoisted up the cart once more. “Alright, no stopping till we see daylight.”

They all cheered, whooping and hollering. I felt a bit of energy from their encouragement and it gave me the force of will to push my body to the very limit. The incline only grew higher but I was determined to slog my way up the hill. Nothing was going to stop me from getting these people to a safe harbor.

Eventually the light of day began to touch the earth ahead of us. My legs were still holding strong and I dutifully carried the group out of the cavern opening and into a wide plain.

Jaboli cried out in excitement. “Light! It’s actual light!”

“Grass!” another said. One grew so eager that she actually climbed out of the cart and fell towards a small flower that was still budding. She eagerly ripped it out of the ground and began to chew it.

Others began to pull out the long blades of grass that stuck out of the ground, eagerly devouring them.

“I don’t know much about Sylph anatomy but aren’t you supposed to go slow when eating after starvation?” I asked.

“There is magic in the plants, that is what we’re eating,” Jaboli explained. “It should be enough for us to enchant your wagon. The next trip should be much easier.”

“Save your energy,” I tried to say but it was too late. Strands of blue musical magic flowed out of their hands and into the cart, causing the wheels to turn deep blue. The cart immediately balanced itself, no longer requiring me to hold it up.

“We will most certainly perish on the way to our new home,” Jaboli said. “But perhaps the next group will be luckier.”

In perfect sequence with those words, a group of Humakis appeared from behind a cluster of tall grass. There were four of them, armed with spears, chains and hooks. They were on patrol and looked ready to tangle.

“Oh crap,” I groaned, looking up at the band. They stared at us for a moment, as if in disbelief that someone would bring them a cart full of captives. Run or fight? Run or fight?

Chapter 29

My legs were in no condition to run. I had been pushing to my physical limit climbing up the hill and the thought of pulling a cart through the Living Wode seemed as foolhardy as it was impossible. I had only one option here: fight. I remembered what Lulu had told me about my sword.

“If you have to pull your sword out, you must use it. It is not a threat, it is not a tool, it is not a path to peace. It is a weapon of war and you must respect it as such,” he had said as he buried me in more gear than I could afford. “Pull a knife or a dagger if you want to scare someone off. When someone sees a sword pulled, they know it is a serious affair.”

Swallowing hard, I drew my blade. The mindset changed instantly. A moment ago, I was Ivan the scout, now I was just a man fighting to survive and to protect others against a fate worse than death. It was time to fight until they fled or I stopped moving. A terrifying prospect but one I was ready for. Lulu had prepared me for that.

The longsword gleamed in the daylight as I raised the sword up high. The four Humakis climbed down from the incline they had been standing on, spreading out in the process. Two had spears, one had a long hook with a chain on it and another had a shortsword in hand. They moved as a unit, each stepping in unison with one another.

Gripping the handle, I raised the sword into a cross stance. The long blade came up high and easily beat the range of the one with the shortsword. He was drawing in closer than the others, keeping his blade far out, pointed like a fencing weapon.

“Easy now, min’weh,” the shortsword Humakis said, his voice thick and dripping with cruelty. “We’re just here for the Sylphs.”

This was not a time for threats but they hadn’t attacked me yet. I merely held my sword and my stance. “You will not harm these people,” I said.

The one on the furthest right threw a hook straight at me. I swung my blade instinctively, knocking the hook out of the air. The shortsword warrior came rushing at the same time. I didn’t know how to fight with a sword very well but I sure knew how to kick.

I waited a moment as I recovered from the recoil from hitting the hook in midair, then, I kicked out as hard as I could, snapping my steel-toed boots into the chin of the advancing fighter. He fell backwards and I slashed at his chest. He dropped from the hit.

The spearfighters converged on me at once, running from opposite sides of each other. My enhanced perception caught notice of the hook sliding on the ground as the man holding it pulled his chain back. He would be able to throw once again in a second, I had to be ready…

There was no time! I slashed an unwieldy blow at the spear coming my way but I couldn’t do much against the second. The sharp tip stabbed into my right thigh, easily piercing through my burlap pants – I had no leg armor.

Red blood sprayed from my leg and the world seemed to slow down for a minute. It was like I could take in everything at once. I was wounded. The man had stabbed me but it was a surface injury.

The spearfighters were both in close proximity to me, close enough to use my unarmed skills! I dropped my sword and grabbed the one who had speared me in the leg, hoisting him up and throwing him straight into the other man.

The hook came flying at me and caught my cloak. Immediately I was on my back, being dragged across the ground. Worse, the cloak was choking me, cutting off my airway. I reached up and fumbled for the clasp, unclicking it before I could suffocate. Gasping for air, I rolled to the side, free from my cloak.

The two spearmen were still getting up and the hookman was trying to free his one weapon from the bundle of blue cloth that he had snagged. The blood poured from my wound, sending me into a further frenzy for survival.

I grabbed my sword off the ground and charged at the hookman. He yelled something at me – I couldn’t hear anything, the world had become muffled and muted as I ran – then drew out a hatchet from his hip.

Using the hatchet’s hilt, he swung upwards to block my strike, punching me in the gut at the same time. The wind was knocked out of my lungs but my momentum didn’t abate. I pushed my entire body into the man, sending us both to the ground.

In an instant, my expertise in unarmed combat activated. Disabling the hookman was as easy as simply rolling, rotating his arm in one direction and pressing until he shrieked for me to stop. I did not, breaking the limb before I released him and climbed to my feet.

The spearmen had recovered from their fall and had regrouped, standing side by side, long spears jutting out towards me. They advanced slowly, still dead set on fighting me.

The hookman was out of the fight, he was on the ground rolling back and forth, swearing up a storm as his injury eventually knocked him out. I took the lull to grab my sword off the ground, holding it up in a cross stance once more.

The blood was no longer pouring from my thigh. It seemed that the wound was surface level, enough to draw blood but not enough to take me down. I took a deep breath and waited for them to make their move. Reacting seemed easier than acting and the length of the blade would give me more than enough time to ward off any individual strike. I just had to handle their joint attacks.

They pressed forward until we were ten feet from each other. Neither man wanted to be the one to rush me, so they simply held their weapons up for a time. I kept my sword raised high, arms like steel. Everything inside of me was exhausted and weary to the bone, I wanted to crawl into a hole and wait for this whole thing to be over, but I knew I had to stay strong. If I bent now, these poor Sylphs would be pulled into a life much worse than what they had experienced underground.

A moment passed and the two men lowered their spears. They exchanged a quick glance and sprinted off into the grass, abandoning their injured comrade. The tension broke and I let out a deep sigh of relief, sheathing my sword. My knees buckled as the adrenaline wore off and I collapsed on the ground. My injury was far worse than I thought.

The wound hadn’t stopped bleeding, I had just stopped feeling everything in that leg. Fortunately, the Sylphs were able to provide me with a few reeds that could be wrapped into thick bandages around the wound, staunching the blood flow.

But the damage had already been done. My head was spinning and I couldn’t walk straight. For all of my vitality and strength, it seemed there wasn’t much fight left inside of me…

“Do not die now,” Jaboli said as I leaned against the cart, gasping for air. “Not after fighting off four Humakis single-handedly.”

“Legends do not die!” another said.

“I’m not a legend,” I said. “I’m just a farm kid who wanted to dig around in portals.”

With that, I collapsed onto the ground, unable to do anything. The light of consciousness faded from my mind and I fell into a busy, noisy dream.

Chapter 30

“Live, you son of a trout!” a voice screamed at the top of her lungs. The voice penetrated the depths of the world I was inhabiting and I gazed up, only to suddenly wake up. I sat up gasping for air, sweat rolling down into my eyes.

Four friendly faces hovered above me, they were the Sylphs I had been carrying. They were in the cart, same as I. At the end of the wagon was a tall woman wearing a large mushroom cap for a hat. She had a strange-looking dagger in her hand, one that gleamed with curious magics. “Are you alive?” she asked. “Or must I stab you with the Blade of Waking once more?”

“No, no I’m alive!” I protested, immediately sliding away from the woman. She laughed, her big hoop earrings shaking as she put the knife away.

“Ah, good to see that potion worked. You were on the edge of death but a herbal tonic with a pinch of magic fixed you up,” the woman, clearly a witch of some sort, said as she handed me a large sheet of paper.

“What’s this?” I asked, looking at it.

“My bill, of course,” the witch replied. “I don’t practice medicine for free, obviously. Now come on, give me everything you have and I’ll merrily let you on your way. Otherwise, I’ll have to take your health back, plus interest!’

“Wait, are you robbing me? After healing me?” I asked, rubbing my head. Was this a dream? No, the pain was all too real.

“Witches of the Wodes always take their due,” Jaboli whispered to me. “Best pay her what she asks and move along.”

I couldn’t help but feel a bit incensed at this. I hadn’t asked for her to help me. And while her intervention was indeed life-saving…it seemed unfair to then extort that life. Glancing at the paper, the items listed were almost nonsensical. Three gallons of something called Onion Sluice? Two pig toes and a shrimp?

“Ma’am, even if I were going to pay you, I wouldn’t be able to,” I said, tapping on the paper and shoving it back to her. I sat up some more and gently lowered my left hand as if just relaxing it. In truth, I was trying to casually find if my blade was still at my hip. I’d show her a knife of waking.

“Drat!” she said, pulling the paper from me. “Was it the onion sluice? It isn’t that hard to find, as long as you’re willing to juice an onion weasel.”

“I am not,” I replied. I motioned for her to back up and the witch complied, wobbling backwards as her long, birdlike feet struggled to find their footing on the uneven terrain. It was hard not to stare at the woman’s legs, for they were more akin to that of a chicken than any human.

“Fascinated by my legs, are you?” she asked, chuckling. “I’m a witch, one who prefers to walk through the murky mires of the swamps and so I use these legs to travel. They aren’t so good at regular land travel, I find.”

I climbed off the wagon and took control of its helm, grabbing hold of the push-handles. The witch followed alongside me as I took off, heading towards Sylphstead.

“If you won’t pay me, then I must follow you about!” she said. “And when you finally die from your adventuring, I’ll get your corpse! That will be fine payment, all those organs and stones inside of you.”

“Stones?” I asked, thinking of the Eon Stones.

“Ah yes,” she cackled, poking my side. “People got stones in ‘em! Makes them sick sometimes, but they make for excellent ingredients!”

“You can’t have my corpse,” I replied, shoving her off me. “And what’s your name, anyway?”

“I’m Genilda, of course,” she answered. “Genilda the Longwalker. I stride across the fairylands, searching for curious ingredients and folks in need of help.”

“Sounds like you just trick people into doing your chores,” I muttered, dragging the cart along the road. The magical effects of the Sylph’s blessing had made the task of pulling the cart trivial and it was easy to push without strain.

“Hardly,” Genilda replied, hopping onto the side of the wagon, causing the vehicle to shake for a moment. “Now mush, manservant!”

“You really have some nerve…” I grumbled as I ‘mushed’, pulling the wagon along. There were too many people in peril for me to stick around and bicker with this witch, so I suppose I’d have to tolerate her for now.

Things were fine for a while and then Genilda began to jab me in the back with her chicken toes, trying to prompt me to move faster. “Giddy up!” she demanded, her long talon sticking me right in the spine.

“Yeow!” I yelped, moving much faster for a brief time, mostly to avoid being stuck again. This woman was really testing my patience...

We reached the large clearing that marked a return to the Ageless Forest. Ahead, I could see the endless trees with their branches moving upwards without end. How was I going to get these people up? Maybe Estella could use her dragonfly to transport them the rest of the way.

“We’re here,” I announced as I dropped the wagon and turned around, dodging another poke from the woman. She was grinning at me.

“Where are we, exactly?” she asked.

“It’s a secret,” I replied. “And not one I’m inclined to share.” I glanced at the Sylphs in the wagon. They looked healthier now. “Can you all fly?”

“No,” came the reply. None of them were able to even lift their legs out of the vehicle, let alone suspend their weight with their wings.

“Alright, I’ll have to figure some way to get you up there,” I said.

“Up where?” Genilda asked. “You mean there is something above the treeline?”

“If you are a serious person in any way, you will understand that I am trying to help these Sylphs, so please, leave us alone and do not ask about this any further,” I groaned.

The woman grinned at that. “You’re cute when you’re frustrated. Worry not, runner, I won’t stick around any further. I just wanted a ride to the Ageless anyway.”

With that, she waved a hand, causing herself to slowly fade away from view. Her grin remained last, smiling at me until it vanished completely. I waved a hand in the air to make sure she wasn’t just invisible. No, she was gone. For now at least.

With the witch out of sight and out of mind, I turned to the task of helping the Sylphs reach their new home. Estella’s dragonfly was long gone – for it was only aiding her for a short while, leaving me with the task of carrying each Sylph up, one at a time. They weren’t too heavy, fortunately, and after a few hours, I was able to get everyone up.

By the time I brought the last one to the Mayor’s helpful hands, I was exhausted beyond belief. I quickly retired to my room and slept for a few hours. When I awoke, I was fully refreshed and felt as if I could be awake for days – then I remembered that I could be! This bit of rest had completely recharged me and I felt ready to tackle the journey back.

Jaboli was waiting for me outside of my room. He was leaning against the wall, eyes shut in concentration.

“Ah, he awakens,” the Sylph said, bowing to me as he opened his eyes. He reached out and took my right hand, pulling it up to his scrutinizing face. “Your sword hand is completely undeveloped. You wielded your weapon like a jackass. It is a minor miracle that you fought them off and a bigger miracle that you survived. If not for our crying out for help, that witch would never have come.”

I pulled my hand away. “Easy with the criticism, man, I’m just doing my best.”

“What I meant to say is that you held your own well enough, but you must have a better relationship with your blade. You were completely unfamiliar with your weapon and it showed. If you wish to carry a sword, you must be able to do more than merely slash and stab. You must be able to fend, assault and parry,” Jaboli continued. “It is in poor taste to enchant a man’s weapon, for he comes to rely upon it instead of developing his own skill. But, I see no other way to aid you in the short term. If I enchant your blade, will you train with my oversight?”

An enchanted sword? I could barely believe my ears. “Absolutely,” I said. “I’ve been desperate for training. My organization is hands off when it comes to developing recruits, we’re on our own. If you have stuff to teach, I will learn it all.”

“Then meet me in the library in twenty minutes,” Jaboli replied.

“Are we to learn secret techniques from the books there?” I asked.

“No, we’re just going to slash up the mannequins the Mayor has scattered throughout the building. I find them creepy and off-putting.”

Chapter 31

Jaboli leaned against his cane as I squared off with the ugly mannequin ahead. It was a wooden dummy in a red sweater, standing as if it were browsing for a book to select.

“First and foremost,” the Sylph said as he tapped my back with his cane. “Stance. You’re hunched over as if you are anticipating springing out of the way. That might be good for someone on the run, but you are here to fight. Shoulders back, chest out, arms out.”

I did as he said, lifting my posture up. The blade became much lighter in my hands as I did this. “Balance is key when fighting,” he explained. “When you fight, you must recognize there is a sequence that happens, an order to things. While a battle is always going to be full of surprises, there is a rhythm to how these things work. Inertia is the first phase, it is when both warriors are in repose, unmoving due to the tension. Everything returns to an inert position, the blade, when swung, wishes to rest at the end of its journey. You must expect and move with that return to inertia.”

“I don’t quite follow,” I said.

“Swing your blade,” Jaboli said, tapping my right elbow with the cane. “Hard as you can without losing your footing.”

I swung the sword in a wide arc, slashing the air as I fought to gain control of the weapon. It was hard to swing without having to take a step forward.

“You are struggling to control your blade,” he explained. “Each time that you swing, you are attempting to use your strength to muscle the weapon back. You are fighting against the momentum of the blade. It will always return to inertia. You must move with it and know where it will land. Swing at the air again, this time do not try to stop it from following through. Let the blade take its full motion and follow through with it.”

Listening to the words, I gripped the longsword and swung wide again. I didn’t try to pull the sword back as I let it swing and, sure enough, the blade hit an arc where it became almost weightless – and then it was heavier than before.

“I feel it!” I said, stepping forward to adjust for the new weight of the blade. As I did this, the weapon became lighter as my stance changed to support the rest of me.

“Good instincts, you stepped into the attack,” Jaboli said, putting his hand on my lower back. “Each step you take is a step towards death. Either your own or your enemies’. You should only advance when your strike is sure.”

He walked around in front of me and held out his cane. “Now, I want you to do the same thing, this time, hit my cane. Don’t worry about it breaking, the thing is made of gnarlwood and will grow itself right back. I just want you to know what it feels like when your momentum shifts from the second phase of combat. Contact.”

“Inertia, then Contact,” I repeated, feeling my heart stir as I began to understand this better. Finally, I was getting some instructions!

I swung, and the blade smashed against the cane. Even though the weapon hacked into the wood of the rod, it didn’t go all the way through. Jaboli twisted his wrist, ripping the sword out of my hand in the process. Both weapons clattered to the ground, stuck to each other.

“See how easily I disarmed you?” he asked, reaching down to get his cane back. “It was because the moment you made contact, you lost control of your momentum. Everything you built up faded because you felt some resistance. This isn’t the natural course of motion, however. You must follow through with each hit, when you meet resistance, you should have built up enough momentum to break through. This is what shatters a guard, breaks a defense and brings an armored foe down with ease.”

“Inertia, Contact, Follow Through,” I muttered. “Again?”

“Again,” Jaboli agreed, sticking his cane out. I swung at it, hard as I could. He moved the cane out of the way at the last moment and I found myself stumbling forward, losing complete control of my weapon.

“When you give momentum too much control, you become easy to defeat,” Jaboli explained as he gently tapped the back of my skull with his cane. “You were expecting to hit the cane and thus gave total control over to the blade. But when the blade misses its target, it becomes confused. It needs its master to rule over it. And you did no such thing.”

I gritted my teeth and resumed my fighting stance. “So it’s all about balance. Too much momentum and I lose control, too little and I lose control…”

“A fight is control,” Jaboli said. “Your blade is a way for you to inflict your will upon your enemies, but you must control the fight with your mind. Your body. Your instincts. Again.”

I swung at him, missing entirely but when I did, I was able to quickly pull my blade back to me. This was just in time, for Jaboli was swinging his cane at my face. I blocked it with the flat of the weapon.

“Elbows up!” he said. “When your blade comes back you must immediately resume your stance. Again.”

I swung and pulled back, too slow this time. I took a poke to the forehead. “Again.”

Elbows up. Blade in position. The weight of the blade changing every second that I moved, always shifting, always evading my control. But I was getting better at anticipating the weapon’s whims. Better at learning how to keep my guard up no matter how badly I botched an attack.

“If you are forced to throw a hundred blows, so be it,” Jaboli said as I hacked away at the dummy. “You only need to make one perfect stroke to end the enemy. You must have the muscles to make those strikes.”

I took the head off the dummy with a fast attack, prompting the Sylph to pat me on the shoulder. “You are doing well. But it will take you years to be skilled enough to handle anyone in real combat. I’m going to expedite that for the sake of helping the rest of our Sylphs in trouble. You’ve already shown you are a good man, but please, do not let this gift ruin your ethic. You must continue to train.”

“I promise, I’ll train as much as I can,” I said.

The Sylph nodded at that and reached out his hand. A weave of blue energy moved from his fingers towards my sword, intertwining it with magic.  

Enchantment Detected! Your sword has been given the Swift Fighter enchantment.

It is now able to assist you in sword fighting.

The blade became lighter in my fingers as the weapon tilted itself at the perfect angle in my palm. I swung at the dummy, the blade positioning itself in the air as I cut. This was a clean angle and I couldn’t help but laugh giddily at the development. I could now easily fight off those Humakis if they were to come after me again!

“We have spent enough time training as it is,” Jaboli said. “You must go rescue the rest of my brothers and sisters. I will begin overseeing the development of a lift to pull them up.”

Chapter 32

Empowered and emboldened, I made my way through the woods back to the Crystal Cavern. I made excellent time and within a matter of days, I had another full load of Sylphs. There were four, as before, and their health condition had deteriorated quite a bit since I had last seen them. It was almost as if the hope deferred had made them sicker.

Quickly, I returned to the surface to find another band of Humakis gathered. The survivors from the fight from before were among their ranks.

“Again?” I asked, stretching my hands out wide towards them all. There were eight of them, four with hooks, two with longswords and the spearmen from before. “Shall I dispatch of your whole lot? Go now, before you irritate me into drawing my blade.”

I spoke a big game but my heart was pounding like it wanted out of my chest.

“It’s just one man,” the Humakis’ leader said. “Hook him and hang him from the tree for all to see!”

All four hooks came flying at me at once. Before I could even register what was happening, the sword was out of its hilt and swinging at the projectiles. I dodged two and deflected the one, the fourth went wide. No sooner had the metal hooks hit the ground were they being pulled back by their wielders.

I caught one hook with my foot, looping it around my boot and yanking as hard as I could. This caught the hookman by surprise and he was thrown onto his face. At the same time, I launched forward, charging towards the group.

The swordsmen rushed me first, their weapons raised high in a defensive stance as they hurriedly approached.

We met in the middle. I struck first, swinging my blade in a wide fan at hip level. This caught both of them by surprise as they were forced to drop their swords low to deflect my attack. The momentum from my swing was empowered by the enchantment and I easily knocked the first sword aside, then pummeled into the second blade.

Our swords clashed for a moment before I drew my sword back and swung with a high chop, bringing the weapon from top to bottom in a cross motion. This cut through the defending Humakis’ defenses, dropping him instantly.

The momentum from my blow still carrying through, I brought the blade up above my head, angled it towards the other Humakis and jabbed down at his torso. He was forced to deflect the blow, diverting the sword to the side, where I was able to thrust my weight downward, skewering him in the thigh.

“I yield,” he yelped as the blade sank through his flesh, dropping him to the ground. “Men, hold! Hold!”

The group surrounding me stopped their advance. I held the point of my sword at the Humakis’ neck. “Now you’re feeling more negotiable?”

“You just slew our commander,” he said. “I was the second-in-charge. Care to parley now?”

I nodded and motioned towards the others. “Drop your weapons, or I finish him off and then move onto you.”

Hook and spear hit the ground. They all raised their hands to show they weren’t interested in fighting anymore.

I looked back at the downed Humakis. “Look, I don’t know what I did to irritate you guys but just leave me and my Sylph friends alone. We’re moving in and out of this area peacefully – for now. If you keep raiding, I may be tempted to give your village a visit. With an army.”

This was a bluff but I figured that I was intimidating enough as it was. The man swallowed. “We are just doing as the Lord Monarch demands. He has ordered his tax be paid in Sylph enchantments. Those who cannot pay are crushed by his forces. We have come from the mainland to ensure our people are not subject to his wrath,” he confessed.

All of this was the doing of one man? “Who is this Lord Monarch?” I asked.

“He is our king, the one who built the great shelter in the northern lands,” he explained. “All who live in peace and safety do so because of his word. When he speaks, all obey. And those who do not pay taxes are thrown out into the terrible realm beyond the walls.”

Interesting. “And you all listen because of the shelter he offers?” I asked.

“Life outside of the wall is terrible. Even in the Fairyland, it is hostile to Humakis. We are in constant pain. Only within the city of Pyre can we rest without agony,” he explained.

“And if it wasn’t for this tax, your kind wouldn’t come here at all?”

“We would be gone in an instant,” the raider explained.

It seemed to me that the way to solve this problem for good was to find a way to deal with the Lord Monarch. But I wasn’t going to get anywhere with these raiders.

“If your goal is to avoid pain, then I sincerely suggest you never come near me again,” I said. “Take your people and go. The next time I am attacked by your Humakis, I will come for your village. Understood?”

“You are merciful and kind,” the second-in-command said, perhaps with the flattery that had gotten him that position. “I shall hold our people back. I promise.”

I gestured for them to leave. They quickly recovered their injured and fled back into the darkness of the night.

With that, I grabbed the cart and began to transport once more. The trip seemed to move quickly as I considered the situation. All of this pain and suffering was being caused by one man…would he listen to reason? Be willing to trade something else in order to stop his ways? Or would I need to find some way to stop him for good?

I paused in my boots at that thought, though only for a moment. Wasn’t that assassination? Or insurrection? Seemed to be something a Royal Scout shouldn’t be getting embroiled in. Then again, adventuring was my prerogative. I could do as I pleased…hmmm. But if I got involved in this unjust affair, wouldn’t I be condemning myself to getting entangled in all other injustices? Was that so bad?

These were difficult conundrums. Perhaps this was something I simply could not handle on my own – but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make a report. And maybe that report would do something. Yes, I was a scout, after all. My job was to document and this was important. Maybe I should find a way to make sure that the data I was sharing ended up in vital hands.

We reached the Ageless Forest to find a lift had been constructed. It was a great spiral platform that magically propelled itself upwards when I pulled the cart atop it. We moved upwards at a great speed for some time, and then, we were inside of a vast room filled with beds.

“He returns!” Jaboli said. He was standing by the entrance to the barracks, leaning against his cane. “And with more of our kind.”

“And with interesting news,” I said as I helped the survivors into these beds. Estella was quick to arrive and begin providing nutrition options to the weak Sylphs. While this happened, I informed Jaboli of what I had learned.

“So you’re saying that we’re in this gigantic pickle because of the whims of a single man?” Jaboli asked, rubbing his chin. “A Lord Monarch of some sort?”

“Seems to be a strong case for assassination,” I said. “Though I suppose that’s a cruel thing to talk about.”

“What’s cruel is pulling wings from a body to stop them from flying away,” Jaboli countered. “I say the Humakis are getting off easy if they just have to lose one ruler. Still, the method of…hmmm…” He glanced around suspiciously. Then he looked at me, as if he knew something.

“Come on, let’s talk to the mayor,” he said. I followed after him, finding Velma out by the fountains.

He walked ahead of me and briskly spoke to her, eliciting a sharp rebuke from the mayor, then some bickering. I watched awkwardly for a few moments before they finally gestured for me to join them.

“You’re a Royal Scout, right?” Velma asked, pulling a little at my cloak to inspect it. “And not some imposter?”

“I don’t think an imposter would be going to this kind of trouble,” I said.

“What I mean is, can we trust you?” she asked. “To…speak to the Crown on our behalf? You are a Scout, after all. You have some weight with your reports.”

“I’m not particularly high up,” I said. “But I could bring your case to my superiors. What is it?”

Jaboli looked at me. “The Sylphs are a governing body once more. I am an Elder, as is Velma. We have the legal rights to negotiate with any government we please. We can make deals, treaties, etcetera. You represent a little link to a very powerful governmental entity. The Oland Kingdom is one of the oldest and most powerful human nations. If anyone could aid us in our fight for protection from the Humakis, it would be them.”

“I see,” I said. “So this little town is more than just a Mayor’s hobby project. It’s the seeds of the new government. Why hide that from me?”

“Because we don’t know if Oland can be trusted,” Velma said. “A scout is one thing but a government? Well, it might see our resources and seek to invade us.”

“What resources?” I asked, looking around. “You’re completely displaced.”

“We are the resources, my dear,” Velma said, gesturing to herself. “Our enchantments, remember?”

Oh right. “Well, I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” I said. “Olandia is a lot of things but invaders isn’t one of them. I can’t remember the last time we had a war proper.”

“War proper isn’t what we fear, just a handful of Mauvecloaks,” Velma whispered.

Mauvecloaks? That was a rank I was unfamiliar with. The looks on both of their faces indicated this wasn’t the time to ask about them. Instead I merely cleared my throat. “Look, I’ll do what I can to help you out. I’ll be cautious in dealing with the government.”

“A wise policy to have,” Jaboli replied.

Chapter 33

My return to the cave was intercepted in the Ageless Forest. I had been carting along, head full of thoughts about who to talk to within the Royal Scouts, when a dozen Humakis ran past me. I drew my blade at once, dropping the cart and assuming a defensive stance, but they weren’t here to fight me.

“He’s coming!” one of them croaked as he ran past. “The manreaver!”

A stampede of animals and strange fey the likes of which I had never seen before came flooding out of the woods to the west, fleeing in the same direction as the Humakis. A chill ran down my spine as there was a loud shriek, followed by the crashing of the ground.

A burly human, perhaps six foot eight, came thundering out of the woods. He wore a skull mask made of pure metal, with dozens of notches cut into the cheek. A mesh of chains wrapped around his chest and ran down his arms, connecting to two hooks. On his back was a longsword, gleaming with enchanted power.

The man looked around, sweeping the landscape for something. His gaze slowly fell upon me and I shivered.

“They sent me to fetch a human!” the manreaver bellowed. “Never have I had such a quarry before. I think I shall bring in a corpse…”

He drew his longsword and moved towards me, his armored feet clunking with each step. The man was huge, wearing chainmail armor that had rivets thicker than fingers. I could see magical energies awash over his gear. He had enchanted weapons, armor and shoes. The complete package.

“You don’t need to face me,” I warned. “I have no quarrel with your kind.”

The reaver said nothing. He merely approached, his longsword raised high. I lowered my guard and held my stance just as I had been taught. This was going to be a tough fight, I could feel it.

He swung at me suddenly, bringing the blade down in a cross slash. I dodged to the left, stumbling a little. He took advantage of this by ramming me in the face with his shoulder. I fell backwards and slipped; his left hand came out and caught my leather jerkin by the hook.

The moment he grabbed me, my instincts kicked in. We were in a grapple, ergo unarmed combat. I dropped my sword and flipped with all of my might, twisting and pulling the large man into me. We fell to the ground and he laughed, making a sport of the struggle – up until he suddenly lost control.

I put him in an arm bar, easily snagging his wrists thanks to the chains attached to the back of them. Locking down both arms, I pressed forward, eliciting a tremendous yell of pain from the man. He did not yield, however, and I pushed the arm past where it could go, crunching the bones in the process.

“Enough!” the reaver yelled as he rolled over, escaping my grasp as he fought wildly to get away from me. I tried to hold on but he was fast enough to get onto his feet, chucking me onto my back in the process.

I rolled onto my feet and hopped up. My sword was right by my feet. Perfect! I grabbed the weapon and raised it. “You aren’t going to do much without a fighting arm,” I warned.

The manreaver laughed at that. He reached up and pulled on his broken arm hard, pulling it out of place even further. The arm began to contort and harden, transforming slowly into a long spear. “It took a village of Sylphs to make my arm able to change,” he said. “It will restore when I turn it back…after I’ve turned it red with your innards!”

With that, he charged at me, thrusting his spear-arm forward. I didn’t know what else to do, so I slashed as best I could. The blade struck into the side of the appendage, throwing it off its trajectory; I deflected the manreaver to the right and spun in a circle around him. His back was wide to me and I slashed without hesitation, my blade easily cutting through the air.

The armor absorbed the blow and my weapon bounced off uselessly. I stumbled from the momentum shift for a moment, my sword correcting my stance automatically. The manreaver spun around and jabbed a few times at me, but I was able to deflect each blow.

“You seemed cooler with a sword,” I said as we clashed. He put his weight forward against the spear, using it to try and drive me backwards. I held my blade firm against his efforts and pushed back, extending my arm as I focused. He was much stronger than me and I was slowly losing ground…

I dropped to the left, suddenly retracting my weight entirely. This caused the manreaver to fall forward. At the same time, I slashed into his stomach with a wide cut, striking from my hips. This controlled swing, both hands on the blade, drove the sword into the armor. The weapon lodged into the man’s side and he yelped in pain, but didn’t go down.

I gazed up at him, my weapon stuck in his side. He towered over me, his spear completely free. Without a word, he stabbed mercilessly down, into my shoulder. I cried out in agony, but continued my drive with the sword, twisting my foot as I threw my weight entirely into pushing the blade further into the armor.

The weapon was unable to penetrate any further, but I had control of the manreaver. Using the sword as a lever, I continued my twist, throwing my foe to the ground. As he fell, the blade came free and I quickly pulled it out, raising it high to strike… only for a searing pain to stop me halfway.

Blood ran down my shoulder. I was injured! The spear strike, it had happened what felt like a lifetime ago. It had actively injured my right arm but I hadn’t felt it until I tried to lift it. Now the pain was back and almost debilitating.

The manreaver spun on the ground, kicking my right leg out from under me as he leapt to his feet. I hit the floor hard, the world spinning around me. I tried to get up but he kicked me in the ribs.

“A lively one you are,” he said. “Think I’ll take you in alive.”

I reached out for my sword but he kicked me again. I went down hard. The man placed a heavy boot on the back of my neck. “A spirited fighter you are. I must admit, you put up a struggle, unlike the rest of these Sylphs. Some fight with spears but they’re cowards. You? You seem to fight,” he whispered as he started to pull my arms behind my back. I was losing a lot of blood and the world seemed to turn black and white for a brief period of time.

“Don’t worry about the wound,” the reaver said just as everything went dark. “We’ll get you nice and patched up for the fights ahead.”

Chapter 34

I awoke dangling from a series of chains, upside down and next to several skeletons. My right arm was burning but the wound had been plugged up. I had been stripped of my clothes and weapons, left only in my undergarments. The cold air was dense and I couldn’t stop shivering as I tried to figure out where I was.

“Are you awake?” a familiar voice asked. I looked for the source of the voice to see a Sylph hanging across from me, in another cell. It was Oliver!

“Where are we?” I asked, struggling to talk. My mouth tasted like burning cotton.

“Notice how we sway?” he asked. “We’re at sea. Heading to the Northern Sea, to the city of Pyre.”

“No…no,” I groaned. I looked around but could see nothing. My goggles were missing. How long had I been out? I didn’t have time for a sea voyage…or did I? There was no telling without my timekeeper stones.

“Cheer up, you’re going to have a much faster end than me,” Oliver said. “I overheard them talking. They want you to fight other slaves in their gladiator pits.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” I tried to move my hands but I was bound tightly.

“I’m afraid not,” Oliver replied. “We are stuck and for good.”

“We’ll see about that,” I said to myself as I tried to wriggle out of these chains. No amount of struggle would help.

I was feeling dizzy from hanging upside down for so long and the swaying from the ship’s motion on the water wasn’t helping any. If I were being monitored by the Royal Scouts, I’m sure they would have intervened by now, meaning I was sent on my own…oh great.

Okay…how could I get out of this? There’s no physical way I could escape. I’d have to use my wits. “Hey! Hey! Hey!” I started to shout at the top of my lungs. I did this for a few minutes until someone appeared in front of my cell. He was a guard, a Humakis with a large club at his side.

“Shut up! Or I’ll come in there and shut you up!” he roared, banging his club against the cell door. The ringing was almost painful.

“It’s important!” I said. “I have to give my wish to the man who caught me.”

“Wish?” the Humakis asked. He frowned. “Aren’t you a human?”

“I’m a rare green-eyed human,” I said. “When I’m captured, I have to grant a wish to the one who caught me. Anything he wants is his now. He just has to ask.”

The man looked at me for a moment. “I’ll go…find him for ya.”

He quickly left, muttering to himself.

“I fail to see how making yourself more invaluable is going to help out,” Oliver said. “Unless you wish to simply dash their expectations, so as to invite a quick death?”

“That is far from my plan,” I replied. “Just wait.”

A few hours passed. Eventually the same guard hurriedly came back in. He had keys in hand and opened my cell. Without a word, he carefully began to undo my chains. “You’re being transported,” he said. “Don’t say anything.”

I dropped down and slowly rose to my feet. As I turned to see him, he immediately grabbed me. “Hah! I caught ya!” he said. “I set you free, and now I caught ya, so now that means I get the wish.”

“Ask away, my friend,” I said, gently putting my hands on his.

“I want gold! Gold and—” I quickly grabbed him by his wrists and twisted hard, knocking his head right into the metal cell. He went down instantly.

“I see it!” he said as he grabbed at the air. “I see the gold.” And with that, he passed out.

I collapsed to the ground, my legs shaking. It had taken almost all of my energy to take that man down and now I wondered if I’d be able to even stand.

“Get up!” Oliver said. “Come on, you got this far, don’t give up!”

“I’m not giving up,” I replied, waving a hand at him. “I just need to breathe.”

“Come on, stand up and move. You can’t give in to rest now. You got the keys, get me out of here, then you can collapse.”

That seemed to give me strength and I managed to pry the key from the belt of the unconscious guard before stumbling over to Oliver’s gate. I stuck the key in and twisted. The lock clicked and the door opened, eliciting a word of thanks from me. I quickly stumbled up to the Sylph’s chains and undid them.

Oliver fell to the ground and quickly hopped up. I took a moment to catch my breath, stretching out my legs for a moment. Circulation was starting to return to my body and I could feel aches and pains all over. But I wasn’t too beaten up. I could work through the pain.

“What now?” Oliver asked.

“I’m going to fight my way to the top and see if I can figure out how to take control of the ship,” I said. Water surrounded us on all sides, meaning there was no escape. I couldn’t swim and so the only way back to the fairy land was for us to take the ship back.

I bent down and grabbed the club off of the unconscious guard’s body. It was much heavier than a sword, the weight concentrated at the end. I swung it in the air a few times, trying to get used to the follow through. It was much harder to wield than a sword, but in some ways, seemed like it required less work to be effective.

Weapon in hand, I surveyed the cell area to find the stairwell leading up to the main deck. There was a wooden hatch at the top, the door slightly ajar from the guard entering in secret. I pushed it open, revealing the open night sky.

The sounds of waves crashing surrounded me as I pulled myself out of the small hatch in the ground. It was difficult to keep my footing now that I was above the deck, the constant rocking back and forth making me rather ill feeling.

“Hey, what are you—” a Humakis guard shouted, prompting me to spin around and wail on him with the club in the process. He crumpled like a bag of bricks, hitting the ground before he could finish his sentence. The loud roar of the sea concealed the noise and no one seemed to notice.

The boat was a large skiff, flat and wide with a curved bow. Large sails hung from the two masts and complicated chain systems were rigged to them, controlling how they moved. Dozens of Humakis were working to weather the harsh waters. There was no storm above but the water sure felt like it.

Ahead, I could see a great red citadel. It was easily the size of a mountain, looming over the entire coast. Everything surrounding the citadel was dead and devoid of life.

I swallowed as I realized we must be far, far from the fairylands. Turning around, I noticed there were stairs leading up to the helm, where the captain was holding the wheel. Maybe if I could get control of him, I could take control of the rest of the ship…though what if they defied me and tried to fight to the death? Then we’d be stuck on a boat with no way of controlling it…

I didn’t have time to ponder these ideas out, however, for someone spotted me. “Hey! Prisoner escape! Prisoner escape!” a voice called out. I darted up the stairs and to the right, where the captain was standing. The tall man with half of his face tattooed red sneered at me.

“You mean to scare me with a stick?” he asked.

“Turn this ship around,” I threatened. “Or I’ll show you what to be scared of.”

“Even if I could, we wouldn’t be able to survive the trip back, the Torrent of Langstead is beginning and you’ll have to wait a week minimum for it to settle down,” the captain replied, not even bothering to take his hands off the wheel. “And besides, there’s twenty-seven men on this ship. You really think you can fight them all?”

Paralyzed, I was unsure of what to do next. Was I really doomed to go to the city of Pyre? No, there had to be some way back…

A few sailors came charging up the stairs to face me. They had longswords and scimitars in their hands, wicked weapons that would easily dig through my unarmored flesh.

“If you really mean to escape, you best do it on land,” the captain continued as the others surrounded me. “Because out here, you’re just going to get all of us killed – yourself included.”

Chapter 35

I had made enough of a distraction for Oliver to escape. His wings were still working and thus he was able to flutter off towards the fairyland. No matter how I ran the numbers in my head, I didn’t see myself winning this engagement and so I submitted to imprisonment once more. They didn’t hang me upside down this time, however. That punishment was reserved for the one who had let me go in the first place.

The trip to Pyre was relatively short. I was brought in irons to the great looming citadel, the trip grueling and miserable all the way to the moment I was dragged before a great statue. It was an image of a stern and sturdy man, standing upright with a hand sweeping towards us all. He bore a crown upon his head and golden studs gleamed from the tops.

There were many people living inside of the great city. Thousands of huddled Humakis, adorned in burlap robes and covered in dirt, lived on the ground level, while the higher members of society were located in the tops of the citadel. Each ‘floor’ of the structure was a vast expanse with buildings and sub buildings as far as the eye could see. Millions had to be living in this place – large as it was, it seemed much smaller with all of these people packed around.

Yet, despite the poverty of the folk, I couldn’t help but notice that all of the gold and jewels embedded in the Lord Monarch’s statue had gone completely untouched. There was no security posted either, no guards that I could see. The valuables were unbothered, speaking perhaps to the strength of the Lord Monarch’s presence…or the depths of his cruelty.

“Kneel before the King,” my captor, Targar, said as he shoved me to my knees. “Tis customary to seek his blessing before entering the arena.”

I didn’t have much to say to that, nor could I say anything before I was dragged to a great spindling wheel that had dozens of cages affixed to it. The wheel was rotating constantly, feeding cages upwards to the second level of the red citadel. The cages were full when they went up, but when they came down the other side of the wheel, they were emptied.

The sight of these things caused me to fight violently but the Humakis controlling me laughed as they shoved me into the rickety metal cage. The door was locked behind me and they all waved as I was lifted high above the rest of the world. I would have been awestruck by the view if not for the fact that I had no clue where I was going next.

The wheel rotated upwards, lifting me higher and higher into a large metal mechanism that was also a wheel. This one rotated sideways and easily snatched the cage I was locked in, causing me to sway violently as it began to take me to a completely different area before another wheel grabbed me.

I was transported six floors up this way. After a while it stopped being terrifying and started being fun. I realized this network method was an excellent way to move people between floors quickly. If I had my notebook, I would have sketched down the design. Perhaps it would be worth something to an inventor out there.

Eventually the interlocking wheel system delivered my cage to a resting position, in a large metal room with a huge desk in the center. A Humakis the size of two men was sitting behind the oaken lectern, his massive hands lifting tiny little papers as he sorted through them.

The cage opened up and I was unceremoniously pushed out by a metal rod, leaving me to stand before the giant man. He peered at me with utterly tiny spectacles. “Step forward Prisoner 1112.”

I complied, walking forward. He took out a paper and began to read off of it. “You have demonstrated considerable combat aptitude and as such, you are being admitted into the Fighting Pits of the Fifth Floor. Here is where you earn your freedom – or face a bitter end.”

“And if I refuse?” I asked, clearing my burning throat. I hadn’t a drink of water in ages.

“There is no refusal, you will be thrown into the pits anyway,” he replied. “Now, you are a seasoned adventurer from the looks of it. You will be given your equipment back once you are within the walls of the pit. What happens after that is for you to decide.”

“My gear back?” I asked.

“What sport is it to watch a fish out of water?” the Humakis asked. “Nay, we wish to watch you excel. Or die at your peak.”

If I was going to get my gear back, perhaps I had a chance of escaping. No reason to put up a fuss now. “Very well,” I said. “Take me to the pits.”

“Don’t sound so glum, friend,” he replied with a grin. “You might have a fighting chance in there, if you’re lucky.”

Chapter 36

My induction to the Fighting Pits was rather laborious. First, I was brought into a room where a Sylph was able to perform a full medical exam, healing me with magic. This restored my vigor profoundly. After the exam, I was then given a choice of armor to wear – metal or hard leather. The outfits would need to be tailored to my sizes, which is why they wanted me to be fitted right away. I had no clue how to wear metal armor and figured now was not the time to learn, so I opted for a thick leather jerkin that had slim metal plates on the sides.

This was the least restrictive of the clothes. After I was fitted, they then brought me into a dressing room where all of my gear was waiting for me – Eon Stones included. Quickly, I slipped my goggles on and at once, the interface reactivated. I could see the timer had moved down to 800 hours left. I still had a month before the portal closed. Whew, that was time enough to figure some way to escape from this place.

I noticed they didn’t bother to restrict my weaponry. My magic sword was back in its hilt, hanging from my side. After I suited back up, I was quickly escorted into a large cafeteria where hundreds of prisoners were eating. Plenty of bread and hunks of meat were available, as well as large flagons of water and ale.

“They certainly don’t want us to starve to death,” I said to myself as I reached for the water jug. A man sitting beside me, old and haggard, seized my wrist and squeezed it. His eyes met mine and I could see at once that there was concern on his face.

“They spike the water, drug it with something that makes you dumb and sleepy,” he hissed. “Drink the ale, they don’t put anything in it.”

“Why wouldn’t they spike both?” I asked in a hushed voice.

“Ale doesn’t agree with the numbing plant they use,” he explained. “Burns away the effects. Trust me, I’ve been here long enough to know that the men who drink only water are sluggish and weak while the ale drinkers are hearty and strong. Just don’t drink too much, else you end up drunk.”

I wasn’t much of a beer drinker due to its rarity back home. We mostly had wine heavily cut with water and even then, it was only in small quantities. I shrugged and took the ale pitcher, pouring the amber liquid into my wooden cup. “Is the food okay?” I asked.

“The bread is, but the meat is soaked in the stuff,” the prisoner answered. “Bread and ale, let the grains be your guide.”

The man looked old enough to know what he was talking about. “I’m Ivan,” I said, taking the bread and breaking it in half to inspect it.

“Call me Old Man Crassus, or Crassie,” he replied, returning to his own bread. “I’m the oldest one here. I’ve survived longer than anyone else.”

I looked around at the many prisoners. Most appeared to be Humakis. “What is to be my fate?” I asked.

“Well, you’ll get your armor in a few hours and then after that, you and all the other fighters will be corralled into the main gate. From there, they’ll take volunteers or grab prisoners to send out to face the enemy.”

“Who are we fighting?” I asked, shivering a little.

“Manreavers, of course,” Crassie replied. He smirked at me. “Big hulking warriors who are looking to test their skills. I can tell by your expression that you’re surprised. Did you think we’d be fighting other slaves?”

“I did,” I said, fear gripping the pit of my stomach. I had fought a manreaver once before and it hadn’t been pretty. Even when I had managed to get the upper hand on him, he quite literally changed his appendage to a spear.

“Far from it. You will be squaring against champions and warriors who relish the opportunity to cut us down. But they don’t want an unfair fight. They’ll arm you and outfit you, all in the hopes you’ll put up an entertaining fight,” the old man explained. He bit into his bread for a moment and chewed. “Of course, they can kill you, but you dare not kill them. If you take one manreaver down, you might be declared the winner but next battle will be brutal. Your best bet is to fight long enough to earn their respect for another round.”

“Is that how you survived so long?”

Crassie chuckled. “I used to be an expert swordsman, til I took a bad cut to the underarm. A single slice destroyed my career as a prime fighter. I used to be able to take down three or four at a time, expertly defending and making a show of it. That’s really what they want. A show, fancy flair and combat expertise. Make them impressed by fighting like a brute and a gentleman at once. After a while, they stopped pulling me out for fights. Every now and then they yank me out for a show but it’s just an exhibition match against an equally aged fighter.”

I looked at the rest of the people in the room. All seemed able-bodied and well-armed. Their expressions were dull, however, and conversation was almost absent, save for a few who would emptily chatter to whoever was next to them. There was no regard for who was actually there. The effects of water and meat consumed daily.

“Why do they drug us if they want a good show?”

“Because they know if we’re at the top of our game, we’ll escape,” he replied. “But trust me. I spent my first ten years drinking the water and another ten only on ale. It’s what gave me my edge. I’ve tried to warn everyone who comes here but frankly, most don’t live past the first fight.”

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. “How the hell do I get out of here?” I hissed. “Do we get out of here?”

“Escape isn’t impossible,” the old man said. “But you’re better off earning your freedom by impressing the Lord Monarch when he sits in on a match.”

“What’s the key to getting out?” I asked.

“The Pit is a large building connected via a long bridge to the coliseum,” Crassie explained. “We are suspended over the side of the citadel, so trying to escape via windows would be pointless. There’s nothing beneath us but miles and miles of empty air. So the only time you’ll be able to get out is when you’re actually in the fight. That’s when you will be in an arena surrounded by pillars leading up to the main crowds. If you want to be able to get out, you gotta scale one of the pillars and escape into the actual amphitheater surrounding the arena.”

“And that means diving into a crowd of Humakis who are no doubt eager to send me back to the pits…” I mused.

“If you’re lucky, you’ll just have to deal with the crowd. The guards will be on you much faster though. And they’re armed with modified crossbows that fire harpoons. You’ll get stuck like a hog and reeled in like a trout,” Crassie explained. “Oh yes, you’ll have to be fast, clever and above all, harpoon-proof!”

Chapter 37

My armor was brought to me and I was expected to suit up right then and there. After which, I was taken to a large cell where hundreds of prisoners were lined up. The cell was a cage made of pure steel, with a mesh network that allowed us to see the vast expanse beneath our feet. A large bridge sat across from our cell, disconnected for a brief moment.

As the guards arrived to the cell, the bridge began to rotate towards us, connecting the cell to what had to be the coliseum itself. Doors were pulled open and orders were barked for us to come forward. No one dared to walk forward, however. The guards demanded that one person come forth or else they’d start pulling people at random.

Swallowing hard, I decided that I may as well get this over with. If I didn’t go, someone else would be dragged into the fight and they might not have a magic sword to defend themselves. I stepped forward, causing all eyes to fall upon me.

“The new guy!” one of the guards laughed. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me close. “Make me a rich man by winning today, yeah?”

I was quickly herded across the bridge, but as I walked, I activated my step counter, measuring the length of the platform. 8 feet long. My spellbead could produce a bridge ten feet…that was enough space for us to be able to all rush across without the guards expecting us...if we could figure some way to get the gates on both sides open. Darn, this place seemed ironclad.

The entrance to the coliseum was a large circular wall that opened up into a flat arena. An amphitheater encircled the arena, with thousands of people watching and cheering, thirsty to see tonight’s battle.

The amphitheater was so large that most of the people appeared to be nothing more than little dots, moving up and down with excitement as I entered. The guards stopped me in the center of the arena and quickly pulled away.

On the other side of the coliseum was an iron gate that slowly opened up. One huge manreaver, almost twelve feet tall, came storming out. He was covered in heavy metal armor and wore a giant horned helmet upon his head, the horns made of razor sharp metal spikes. In his right hand was a mace, a thin metal rod with a spiked ball at the end of it.

The crowd roared and cheered, screaming for violence as the manreaver spread his arms wide towards the crowd, swinging his mace a few times to show off his skill.

“Oh boy,” I muttered as I drew my sword. The great warrior continued to soak up applause and admiration for a few moments before he turned to face me. He snickered.

“Tiny man!” he bellowed. “Are you really going to fight against me? Run away and perhaps the guards will only shoot to wound!”

“You think I’m scared of you?” I shouted in a shaky and unconvincing voice. I raised my blade up high and took a defensive stance.

“It is only reasonable to be,” my opponent gloated back. He took three steps forward and he was closer to me than I was comfortable with. Gripping my blade tightly, I twisted my wrist and held the sword in a defensive posture across my body. He would have to make the first move, then I’d react.

The manreaver took no time in going after his new quarry. He charged at me, arms lifted high above his head as he swung his mace through the air. I could see the direction of the blow well before it came, he was just too slow, and I had a choice: parry or dodge.

He was too big to parry outright, so I best avoid getting hit.

I sidestepped to the left as the mace came swinging down towards my head. It whooshed through the air and zipped past me. The man’s arms came down in a swinging arc, but he didn’t hesitate or leave any opening; he bullied forward, rushing the rest of his body forward into his attack.

The large man forced me to fall back quickly, his armored body threatening to bowl me over if I didn’t move. As I retreated, he swung again, this time in a fanning arc. I was forced to block the blow with my sword but as soon as the metal touched, I knew it was a mistake.

The force of the blow rang through the sword as I blocked, sending shockwaves through my arms and numbing my shoulders. I tried to hold but couldn’t and stumbled backwards. The manreaver swung again, this time swinging from above to crash down upon my head.

I aborted my standing defense and dove to the right, narrowly avoiding the club. I hit the ground and tried to roll, only to fall flat. The crowd cheered and whooped as the manreaver politely waited for me to get back up.

“So the little fish has some life in him!” he said, thumping his mace against his metal breastplate. “On your guard!”

I pointed my blade at him in an offensive stance and started to walk towards him. The manreaver rushed me without hesitation, eager to get a kill. His mace raised overhead once more, he charged with the intent of forcing me to block again. I would give him no such opening.

I struck out forward in a hard thrust, my blade jabbing at his midcenter as he ran. This surprised him and he tried to avert his course, sidestepping to the left. But his momentum was too much. He started to slip on his left foot and became open entirely. I quickly covered the distance with two steps, thrusting forward as hard as I could into the man’s right leg.

He yelped as he fell to the ground, the sword getting him good. I quickly hopped back to show everyone that I wasn’t striking him on the floor. “Up you go,” I taunted.

“My leg!” the man bellowed, thrashing around on the ground. “You cut my leg!” He tried to get up but was deterred by the injury. A group of guards came out to pick him up and carry him off the battlefield, leaving me to catch my breath.

The crowd roared in delight at my victory. I couldn’t hear them, however, for the adrenaline was pounding in my ears. All I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat and the thumping on the ground…the thumping of more manreavers approaching from the gate. It seemed the crowd wanted an encore.

Chapter 38

Three Humakis manreavers, each ten to twelve feet tall, approached me with weapons in hand. One had a long halberd, a polearm with an axe end and a spike at the top, making it a versatile weapon, able to chop, stab and thrust while at a distance. The other two wielded longswords similar to my own, though theirs weren’t shimmering with magical energies.

They moved in lockstep with one another, carefully approaching me as they spread out in a circle.

“Where’s the sport in three on one?” I asked, stepping in a circle to try and keep my eyes on all of them.

The one with the halberd raised his hand. “Stand down,” he ordered to the other two. “I will handle this.”

The others looked at each other and nodded, then slowed down to allow only their superior to advance. I gripped my hilt tightly and tried to size up the length of his polearm. Before I could figure out how far he needed to be to strike, he suddenly swung out in a wide stance. Both hands on the polearm, he spun in a circle, generating a tremendous amount of force before stepping forward, spinning again to hit me.

I didn’t have time to block as the blade struck the side of my torso, digging deep into my armor. I felt no pain, however, as the blade became stuck in the thickness of my leather. The manreaver tried to pull his halberd away from me but I grabbed the pole with my other hand, trying to yank it back.

My mighty foe had no trouble wrenching the weapon free from my grasp, but this left him open. I rushed forward, inside of the weapon, and slashed with my sword towards his legs. He managed to dodge backwards in time to avoid getting hit and I was forced to retreat, falling back into my defensive stance.

The manreaver spun his halberd a few times, indicating that he was in control of the weapon once more. He grinned at me. “Nice armor,” he said. I touched where I had been struck to find the area had been almost entirely reduced to ribbons. Whatever reinforcements that had held together had been destroyed by the halberd blow – but the armor had done its job. I was still alive.

I didn’t reply. Instead, I extended my sword out further and began to approach. The halberdier walked to meet my stride, waiting to strike. Before I could get in close, his polearm came swinging out towards me, hacking hard in a downward chop. I dodged to the left, but he chopped again, forcing me to stumble to my right like a drunkard.

My sword sensed the loss of control and began to take charge, swinging itself in the air to adjust my weight so that I could stand upright just in time to block the halberd swinging downwards towards my head. The blade slashed the polearm at an angle, forcing it to slide off hard to the right. The manreaver broke off his swing and spun around to turn the parried blow into a strike but I was able to slash him across his back.

The blade sunk into his flesh and he screamed out in pain. His armor wasn’t terribly strong in the back and he fell to his knees, gasping for air. “I’m down,” he cried out. “Get me out.” He dropped the halberd and fell forward. Guards quickly rushed out to grab the injured man and pull him to safety.

I quickly turned around to face the other two Humakis, making sure they were at a distance. The two had their swords raised but were not intent on rushing me just yet. I swallowed hard, missing water dearly as I stepped forward to deal with them.

The two looked at each other and then at me, then each other again. They nodded and began to advance in perfect harmony with one another. I raised my sword and decided to make a risky play. I charged at one as fast as I could, forcing the pair to react.

The first one, the man I was running down, decided to stand and fight. He raised his sword upwards to deflect my slash. The other broke off from the advancement entirely, surprised and shocked by my charge. He wasn’t ready to deal with an outright aggressive foe.

I slashed as hard as I could at the end of my dash, but the swordsman across from me blocked it with ease, countering with a cut that nicked off the side of my shoulder straps but nothing else. I slashed again and he blocked, this time kicking me in the stomach afterward.

Stumbling from the blow, I fell onto my back. Two swords immediately aimed at my head as I landed, the world spinning around me for a moment as the air left my body.

“Let him be,” one said to the other. “He’s going to have a good career in the pits. He will make many skilled fighters.”

“Nay, he’s weak. His blade gives him strength and nothing else,” the other objected. “Let’s kill him.”

“He will learn,” the one said. He grinned as he looked at me. “And he will earn his death.”

Chapter 39

After the battle ended, I was escorted back to the prison chambers, where I was greeted by the prisoners with a wild cheer. Everyone was thrilled to see that I was alive. Furthermore, a Humakis woman, bald with a single golden strand of hair running from her head, was waiting for me. She sported a strange black and red tattoo pattern on the left half of her face, almost entirely obscuring her eye.

“You survived your first fight,” she said, lifting a wooden box to me. “And as such, you are entitled to greater strength.”

She unlatched both sides of the box and opened it up, revealing three smooth Eon Stones sitting in a row.

“These stones make stronger fighters and more entertaining battles,” she continued. “Pick one and receive its power.”

The three stones were each of a different color, one a vibrant yellow, another a deep garnet and the last blue and speckled, like an egg. Red matched the color of the other stones that I had, so I figured I’d have a better chance of getting a harmonization effect from picking it.

I took the stone from the middle of the assortment and felt a jolt run through my system as my energies automatically began to attune.

Eon Stone Attuned! Physique Stone has been activated!

Physique Stone: Your strength and physical toughness increase by 1 point.

Light flashed in my vision at once, informing me of a new occurrence. Stone energies are matching! You have collected 2 Health Stones – Vitality and Physique. Abilities are harmonizing!

Please select a Harmony Bonus from below!

Longevity: You are now able to live +100 years longer.

Recovery: Your injuries heal significantly faster.

Resiliency: You can sustain higher amounts of damage without passing out.

The woman in front of me saw none of this. She merely snapped the box shut and scuttled off, leaving me to ponder my selections…hmm. Longevity seemed nice – if not for the fact that it was uncertain that I’d live to see next week let alone another year. Recovery was useful…but resiliency seemed like it would give me the edge I was looking for. Taking hits wasn’t fun but being able to shrug them off sounded more vital than quick healing, at least for now.

I selected the bonus and immediately my character sheet updated itself, including some new information.

Runner’s Profile

Name: Ivan

Rank: Bluecloak

Stats:

Strength: 1

Toughness: 1

Eon Stones:

Perception Stone: Your vision is enhanced. You have perfect vision. You may see in low light conditions.

Boulder Stone: Your carrying capacity has increased by 100 pounds.

Pathfinder Stone: You can sense secret passages, shortcuts and can generally reduce the time it takes for you to reach a destination.

Lightning Stone: Your run speed is now faster!

Brawler’s Stone: You have an intimate understanding of hand-to-hand combat and can handle yourself easily in any fistfight.

Vitality Stone: Your physical energy is higher. You require only 4 hours of sleep and your athletic capacity is doubled.

Physique Stone: Your strength and physical toughness increase by 1 point.

Wakeful Stone: You may stay awake for 72 hours before you begin to experience any negative effects.

Spellbeads:

Manifest Bridge (Concentrating on this bead will manifest a ten foot long bridge made out of ethereal energy. This bridge can hold up to 900 pounds and exists for 90 seconds.)

Uses: 1

Recharge Conditions: Meditating upon the bead for an hour restores its casting capacity.

Harmonies:

Resiliency: You can sustain higher amounts of damage without passing out.

Enchantments:

Swift Fighter

Wind Soles

Companions:

Bristle Boar

My body felt much sturdier as I read these stats. Strength and toughness were listed as single point values but they were significant. I felt twice as strong as before and could probably take one hell of a beating before I went down. Even the soreness of the fight earlier had gone away.

As I inspected my runner’s profile, Old Man Crassie came up and slung his arm around me, leading me off towards the cafeteria. It seemed no one corralled us when it wasn’t time for a fight – we were free to wander the vast prison without consequence. “One of the guards here loves to give play by plays,” he explained once we were in a random corridor completely alone. “He watches and then reports to me. Thinks he’s just having a good old time, but I’ve been using him to get an understanding of how it all works for years.”

“That’s clever,” I replied, unsure of where he was going.

“You didn’t do too well out there but you showed a lot of heart and that goes a long way to impress our captors,” Crassie said. “And it sounds like you don’t know how to block.”

I frowned. “I know how but it’s…difficult in the moment. Especially when they’re fighting with such big weapons.”

“Size is no excuse,” the old man said. He released me and walked over to an unassuming cot lying in the corner. He lifted up the cot with his good arm to reveal a long, wooden sword. “Grab it and show me how you stand.”

I quickly grabbed the fake sword and assumed a fighting stance, showing him what I had learned from Jaboli. The man nodded, satisfied. “You know how to stand.”

“And fight,” I replied.

“Eh, that remains to be seen,” Crassie muttered. He fumbled with his trousers for a moment, unloosening the long cord that he used to keep his pants up. He tied a knot at the end of the cord and swung it in the air a few times, whipping it nice and hard.

I gripped the hilt of the wooden blade and readied for what was to come. The old man was using his left arm only, turning so that his entire side was facing me. He grinned at me. “I’m going to annihilate your wrists,” he said. “Your job is to push off the rope without getting hit.”

“Easy enough,” I replied.

“Begin!” he shouted, snapping the rope at me. I raised my sword to easily block the rope but the knot found my wrist and snapped it hard. Pain surged through my entire arm and I gasped, staggering backwards. Despite my new toughness, this hurt unbearably bad.

“There is a difference between making contact with the incoming attack and blocking,” Crassus began as he advanced, whipping at me again. I full out dodged this time, leaping back. “Aha! You’re afraid now. How can you fight me if you won’t engage?”

I gritted my teeth and stepped forward, raising my guard a little higher this time. The rope came swinging at me again, and again I was able to block it from its forward assault – only for the knot to strike my wrist once more.

The weapon thumped as it dropped to the ground. I winced, rubbing the bone – he had struck it expertly and a shockwave was ringing through my entire arm.

“Each time you block, you go to simply intercept the attack as if that were enough,” the old man said as he bent down to pick up the sword. “And you quickly discover that it is not.”

“What else is there to do, other than just block it fast?” I asked.

“Block it completely,” he replied. He handed the blade to me. I took a deep breath and grabbed the weapon, getting back into combat position. “And thoroughly.”

I swallowed hard, readying myself for another painful strike to the wrist. As he swung the rope at me, I cut into his strike, doing more than just blocking – I was actively trying to stop him from completing his swing.

My strike broke his blow and the cord harmlessly wrapped around the sword.

“There you go! You’re blocking with meaning! Like your life depends on it,” Crassus said. “Now, when you block the blow, you want to shift your weight forward, to support the rest of your body. You don’t want to muscle forward, as that will strain you. Spring forward instead, let momentum be your guide.”

I did as he instructed a few times, learning how to anticipate the clash of our weapons against each other. The old man only had a knotted rope to use but he was an expert fighter, capable of slashing and swinging with ease, sometimes even wrapping the rope around my sword and yanking it free. And that was with his bad arm! Imagine what he would have been in his prime.

We trained for a few hours as he continually instructed me on how to block, parry and counter, all while keeping a firm guard. I learned quickly and impressed the old man with my ability to account for his clever tricks. Eventually, there came the blaring of a horn, indicating that it was time for another arena match.

“That was sooner than I expected,” I said.

“We fight all day, sometimes three or four times,” Crassie explained as we made our way to join the rest of the prisoners. “More if it’s a festival.”

I placed my hand on the hilt of my very real sword. “Thanks for teaching me what you could in such a short time.”

“You’re going to volunteer again?” he asked.

“If I don’t go, it’s some other poor sucker,” I replied. I strolled ahead of the crowd to where the guards were preparing to take a volunteer. As soon as they saw me, they cheered.

“You made me a lot of gold last fight,” the guard from before, a burly man with a mustache, said as he walked up to me. He shoved his face right in mine. “You better win again. Or I’ll kill you myself.”

Chapter 40

I received a wild cheer from the crowd as I emerged. An announcer, speaking from a podium affixed to a balcony on the west side of the amphitheater, let out a call, his voice amplified through enchantments. “You saw the Springsword fight like a cornered dog last fight and he earned his stripes! Now, our champion Lorglac has heard about this fighter and wants a piece. Tell me, who thinks Springsword is going to win?”

He paused and the crowd went wild. “Now who thinks it’s going to be Lorglac?” The crowd went even more nuts, screaming so loudly that it was like thunder in the stadium.

“You hear that Lorg?” the announcer shouted. The gates to the Humakis’ quarters opened up. “Why don’t you get out here and show them how it’s done!”

A manreaver emerged from the quarters, adorned in silver armor that gleamed with magical energies. He was nine feet tall and slender, with a bow on his back and a sword on his side. He wore a horned helmet that had both horns warping and bending into each other, forming a twisted unicorn at the top.

I couldn’t see the Humakis’ face behind his armor, there was just the blank expression of the V-shaped slits on the helm. He stepped forward with a slow and calm rhythm, never stopping as he advanced towards me.

“Come on then!” I shouted, keeping my sword up. As the enemy slowly advanced towards me, I glanced at the pillars nearby. There was one only thirty feet away. It led up high, connecting to a support beam that could be scaled to safety…relatively speaking.

I didn’t have much time to think about escape as Lorglac began to increase his shuffle towards me, suddenly gliding across the ground as he skipped one, two and three – drawing his longsword out as he charged.

I held my position, remembering what I had been taught just a few hours prior. The sword came slashing at me in a wide arc and I moved down to block the blow, stepping forward to anticipate the force of the strike. Steel met steel and I pushed the sword to the side, forcing it off of its trajectory. Lorglac stumbled past me but spun around fast enough to keep his guard up.

I turned and matched his steps, encircling him as he circled me. The large man roared as he thrust the blade towards my chest. I blocked downwards, forcing the motion of the attack to the side – and Lorglac was gone, skipping two steps back to avoid getting hit. He was faster than me…I needed to anticipate his follow up.

Despite the adrenaline coursing through my system, I didn’t feel worn out at all. My body was strong and energetic, ready to fight him off all day if need be. The new Eon Stone had given me just the edge I had needed.

“Haaa!” I shouted, hacking at him in an overhead cut. Lorglac blocked my blow but didn’t anticipate my follow up, as I immediately retracted my sword and swung again from the side. He raised his sword up, wrongly anticipating the angle of my attack, and my sword cut into the side of his silver armor. This time, the blade did not struggle to pierce, as I was strong enough to just rip through the metal.

Lorglac was on his knees in a moment, clutching the ground as he bled. The crowd went wild as I turned to pump them up, showing my weapon off to all. I was not being a sportsman here, I was scanning the crowd, looking for particular areas that I could sneak into.

“Springsword wins his second match of the day!” the announcer cried out. “What’s that? That fight wasn’t long enough? He didn’t work hard enough? I think you’re right! Let’s release the Fengorbeast to liven things up a bit, shall we?”

I stopped my false celebrations dead in my tracks. The sounds of chains clinking caused shivers to run down my spine as I turned to face the eastern gate. Six guards were dragging a huge cage out into the open, a huge beast within, roaring and smashing as it tried to break free of its confinements. The man I had injured somehow found incredible energy to get up and flee back to his quarters at full speed.

“Fengor! Fengor!” everyone chanted in unison. The guards finished dragging the cage into the center of the arena and quickly abandoned their posts, running to safety. One guard remained, shaking violently as he worked the key to the cage. There was a click and immediately the metal bars fell to the side as the monster within burst out.

The Fengorbeast was a huge purple monster that stood on all fours, like a huge, misshapen hound. It had stubby horns on its head, a long tail that had spiked clubs at the end and a shell on its back that formed massive segments of armor. The creature’s head was round and turtle-like, with two big yellow eyes and jaws that snapped out viciously.

The guard who opened the cage managed to make it to safety, but just barely. His comrades pulled him into the eastern gate, sealing it just as the beast rammed into the bars. Once his prey was lost, the monster slowly turned towards me.

“Easy, boy…” I said, putting out a hand. “I’m friendly. Do you understand friendly?”

The creature did not. It ran forward, roaring as it generated tremendous momentum with its charge. For a short, stubby creature, it sure could move.

There was no blocking this kind of attack! I waited a moment as it sped up and then dove to the right, rolling out of the way. The beast quickly circled around and stomped on the ground, digging its claws into the earth a few times as it challenged me.

I tensed my legs, crouching down. I was stronger now and that meant my ability to jump had improved. Perhaps I could get on top of this thing…

The monster rushed me again. This time, I leapt upwards, hard as I could. Much to my surprise, I sailed through the air, easily landing on the back of the beast.

The Fengor roared and immediately began to rock, trying to buck me off. Yet, I managed to hold my balance. Swinging my sword, I stabbed down into the top of the monster’s exposed head. The creature went down immediately, crumpling to the earth like a bag of bricks. Easy as that.

The crowd went completely silent. No one cheered. The beast did not move. I drew my sword out and hopped off the creature. The announcer finally spoke, breaking the silence in the air. “The Springsword is victorious again! Perhaps we need to pit him against some worthy foes...and without any gentlemanly rules this time! Archers, step forward!”

Two doors on opposite sides of the coliseum walls opened up and men armed with bows rushed out. There were twelve on each side, their bows raised up high and ready to fire.

“You gotta be kidding me!” I groaned as I faced these assailants. If I rushed one group, the other would have free range to shoot me down. But I couldn’t just stand and defend, not against arrows. No…this was not just a gladiatorial match anymore, they were trying to kill me for certain. And if that were the case, they wouldn’t stop until I was dead. Might as well escape in the process.

I dashed towards the nearest pillar and quickly began to climb it. My grip was much stronger now and scaling the long stone column wasn’t too difficult.

“Oh what’s this? Is he trying to make a run for it? We haven’t had a runner in a long time!” the announcer cried out. “Let’s see if he makes it, folks!”

Chapter 41

I was standing atop the column that was connected to a series of beams that led to the amphitheater seating. The crowd was already beginning to flee the section I was closest to and I could see guards making their way up the stands to reach me. The archers were firing but they weren’t skilled at shooting straight up and their shots went terribly wide.

I didn’t have much time to think as I scanned the crowd. I had to flee…I had to…wait a second! My eyes landed on a balcony only 7 feet away from me. Sitting in the box was none other than the Lord Monarch himself.

The man was a spitting image of his statue, a stern fellow with features that seemed larger than life. He was adorned in a crown covered in Eon Stones and his entire golden set of armor glimmered with magical enchantments. He was relaxed in his throne, sitting back with a glass of wine in his hand, enjoying the show.

This was the man responsible for enslaving all of the Sylphs in the Fairyland. He had the power to control who lived in his city and thus all Humakis were forced to obey his whims. They wouldn’t be bothering the Sylphs if not for him.

“You wanted a seat close to the action?” I muttered as I focused on the air in front of me. I had never used a spellbead before but casting the spell was as easy as thinking about it. In an instant, a golden bridge of light and energy appeared, extending right into the balcony, connecting my pillar to the Lord Monarch himself.

Without hesitation, I rushed forward, dashing across the magical bridge. Part of me wondered if maybe I should have tested the weight first but the rest of me was acting too recklessly to think anything through. I barreled ahead on the bridge of energy without a second thought.

The amused expression on the Lord Monarch’s face changed suddenly as I ran at him. Two guards tried to intercept but I slid under their polearms as they clashed together to block my entrance. Sliding beneath the weapons, I rose and slashed forward at the Monarch, only to strike nothing but his throne.

“Not bad,” the man said, suddenly behind me. Before I could do anything, his arm wrapped around my throat and he began to choke me. Bad move, for now my unarmed Eon Stone was in play!

I flipped the Monarch onto the ground and struck him in the throat with a hard chop. The man coughed and gagged. I tried to strike again but the guards were on both sides of me now, grabbing my arms and ripping me away from their king.

As I struggled to fight them off, the Monarch began to laugh amidst his pained coughs.  

“Do not harm him,” the man said in between gasps. “I admire such audacity…”

The guards wrestled me down and I stopped struggling once it was clear they weren’t going to do anything other than restrain my arms.

The Lord Monarch stood and dusted himself off, then looked at me with a fiendish grin. “In all of my years, I have never seen someone take a shot at me before. It is quite refreshing to feel something other than disdain!”

He knelt down so that we were eye to eye. “You seem to be different from the others…there’s a spark in you that I haven’t seen in regular prisoners…yes. You aren’t from this world, are you?”

“I am a member of the Royal Scouts,” I said. “A bluecloak who travels from portal to portal, scouting and studying.”

“Release him,” the Monarch demanded. The guards let me go at once and quickly stood to the side, allowing me to rub my wrists. The man gestured towards a chair sitting on the side of the balcony. “Please, have a seat. It would seem we have a foreign visitor.”

I sat down and sighed. What was I going to do now? A temporary madness had overtaken me and somehow it had garnered favor from the ruler I had tried to assassinate. Or was he just toying with me before he ordered my death?

“I can understand the escape attempt but why come after me?” the Lord Monarch asked, settling back down in his throne. He picked up a wine goblet and drank from it eagerly as I spoke.

“You’re the one who is responsible for the sylph tax,” I said. “I find your enslavement of their people offensive and cruel, so I tried to take an action to put an end to it.”

“Ahhhh a man of principle! So much so that he would condemn himself to oblivion? Or did you just not think that far ahead?” he asked.

“I saw the opportunity and I tried to take it,” I confessed. “What came after that had no bearing on my decision.”

“We Humakis value strength above all. Courage, power, tenacity; those are all components of such a thing. You showed a great deal of strength in trying to kill me. And I suspect that if I tried to have you put down, you will take out a decent number of my men,” the Lord Monarch said. He finished his drink and tossed the cup aside. “Instead of crushing you, perhaps I could use you instead. For you are not affected by our weakness, you can freely travel across the world. This makes you very useful to me.”

“And if I refuse?” I asked.

“Then I will have other prisoners slain on your behalf – after they are tortured of course,” the man coldly replied. “I know how your kind operates. You won’t respond to personal threats and so I won’t make them. Failure to serve me is punishment for all.”

I gritted my teeth. “What do you wish?”

“That’s more like it. There is a spinning wheel within the fairy lands, one that I wish to have. When one spins it to the right, they are able to turn straw into gold and when you spin it to the left, you can turn cloth into bread. Such an artifact would grant me great power – but my Humakis cannot get to it. You on the other hand? You will be able to retrieve it. Do this and I will allow you to walk free. Fail to return and I shall see to it that every prisoner knows who to blame before they meet a cruel end.”

Chapter 42

The small skiff traveled across the raging waters towards the fairyland, heading to the far south. This ship was tiny compared to the vessel I had been transported to Pyre in; we were basically on a small plank of wood with a sail and a rudder.

But the captain, a quiet man with a long tentacle for a right hand, steered us through the dangerous ocean without incident. He didn’t say a word the entire trip and I merely waited for us to reach our destination.

The Spinning Wheel of the Golden Touch was located deep in fairyland’s southern tip, a place known as Burning Peaks. Two great mountains rose up from the land, one a burning volcano, the other long inert. The water around us grew hotter, so much so that I could see steam coming off the sides of our skiff. The air grew damp and more humid and I felt the sweat begin to collect on my forehead.

We reached a long dock that was partially on fire. The blackened wood seemed to burn perpetually and the heat grew even worse.

“Get out,” the captain said as he pulled our boat in to stop. He immediately began to prepare to set sail again.

I hopped off the skiff and onto dry land. The dock creaked as I looked up at the great volcano. The Burning Peaks was said to house twin volcanoes, one that slept and the other that stayed awake at all times. It was said that when it erupted, the other would awaken to take over the shift.

The Humakis knew that there was a colony of fire sprites living within the Inert Peak, tending to the fires below. These sprites were safe from the northmen for the heat was too great for any Humakis warrior to endure. Their bodies were not suited for most regions but the Burning Peaks were especially painful for them.

My presence and skill was an opportunity that the Lord Monarch couldn’t pass up. Had I not tried to attack him, I might have actually made it out alive but no, I had to try and take up the Sylph’s cause…getting myself noticed in the process. Now I was on the hook to deliver a precious artifact – or else countless others would suffer because of me.

The bright side, I guess, was that I would be free after this obligation was fulfilled. This meant I’d be able to get back home before the portal closed, as I still had a little over three weeks left. Travel across the water didn’t take as long as I had worried – though it was still quite dangerous. I just needed to find this wheel…

The land leading up to the mountain was filled with soot and ash, a grey place occasionally broken up by large veins of red in the ground. I found myself gasping for air as I ascended higher up the long gravel road that led to the inert mountain. It was too hot to breathe…

Sweat poured down my face and then, I stopped sweating altogether. I made it about thirty feet up the incline before the heat grew too much. I turned back around and darted down the mountain, gasping for air once I got to somewhere breathable.

“My lungs are on fire…” I wheezed as I bent over to try and catch my breath. The wind picked up but it did nothing to cool me off. My head spun and I staggered over to the side of the dock, where the water was.

The air wasn’t much cooler here but compared to the mountain it was like a frozen breeze to my chest. I sucked in deeply, taking in the salty air. I could breathe again! Albeit with a bit of a burning condition in my ribs.

I lay on the edge of the dock, my face dangling over the water. My cloak was hanging over the side, drooping inches above the liquid…I considered how warm the water was and if it would make sense to soak my cloak. Even if it did take some time, the wet cloak would have to be cooler than the air above.

I dipped my cloak into the waters and pulled it out, holding it up to let the breeze cool it off. After a few minutes, I placed it around my face, feeling the coolness of the cloth against my skin. Let’s see if this worked…

Heading back up the mountain, I kept the cloak around my mouth and nose, breathing through the cloth to try and filter out the heat. This worked quite well for a time and I was able to ascend up the inert mountain, making my way to a large cavern.

Dozens of dwarves were busy working inside this cave, digging out what looked to be long, red crystals that glowed with magical energies. They were rhythmically working, their long pickaxes digging into the crystal, chipping off pieces that others were sweeping into wheelbarrows. They were much grayer than Tagley, with deep red eyes and stone-like beards.

They all looked at me as I stepped into the cave. I had been hoping to find a place away from the heat but it seemed worse in here.

“What’s a Humakis doing this far up the hotlands?” the foreman, the tallest of the dwarves, said as he walked up to me. “You look like you’re about to burst into flames!”

“I’m not a Humakis,” I replied, panting a little for air. “But you’re right about the fire.”

“That’s a mighty fine set of stones you got about you,” the foreman said. “Trade you one for something to survive the heat.”

Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I grimaced. There wasn’t any other option that I had – I desperately needed a way to endure the temperature of this place, otherwise I’d have to go right back down the mountain. Still, losing an Eon Stone was like prying off a part of myself…I suppose I could give up the spellbead. A magic bridge was useful but not to the point where I’d miss giving it up.

Sighing, I took out the inert spellbead and handed it to him. “Here, this will make a bridge.”

“Don’t care what the bauble will do, I’ll trade it just as quick,” the dwarf said as he tucked the stone into a pouch on his side. He dug beneath his shirt and pulled out three necklaces. “We use these to withstand the heat. Sylph-enchanted talismans.”

He pulled one necklace off and tossed it to me. “Keep it on at all times and you’ll be fine. But don’t touch anything burning and don’t think of diving in the lava just to make a sport of your heat immunity, cause you aren’t immune as much as you are resistant.”

Enchantment Detected! You are wearing a Heat Talisman! my vision informed me as the magical energies washed over my body. At once, the burning heat around me faded and was replaced with a gentle warmth. There were no extremes and I found myself able to breathe easy now.

“Thanks for the help,” I said.

“An Eon Stone for a trinket?” the foreman scoffed as he wandered off to oversee his workers. “And you’re thanking me?”

Chapter 43

The Sunder Dwarves were hardworking mountain folk who were perpetually searching for crystals to mine. They would break each crystal into a thousand pieces, then gather the shards, transporting them deeper into the earth. I found myself curious as to what they were using the crystal for, but I got dirty looks when I started to enter deeper into the cave. They tolerated me standing around but as I tried to push in, a few guards started to come round.

I quickly left the cave, returning the way I came in as to avoid getting into any trouble. If the dwarves wished to be alone, so be it. I was supposed to make my way up to the top of the volcano anyway, where the fire sprites resided.

Now that I was an Eon Stone lighter and a charm greater, I was able to make my way up the mountainside without any trouble whatsoever. I had plenty of gear for mountain climbing and with my pathfinder senses, I was able to shave hours off my ascent time. Eventually I reached the top of the inert volcano, the wide rim thick enough to house a wagon.

The volcano’s interior was empty and deep. Gazing in, I could only see darkness. There were no veins of fire in the walls here, no burning spirit of magma bubbling at the bottom. There was just darkness.

The fire sprites were supposedly at the bottom of this volcano…but wouldn’t I be able to see them from here? Surely creatures made out of fire would be present?

“Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing down the chasm. “I am a Royal Scout, friend to fairy and sylph alike!”

My voice replied to me, bouncing a few times before it dispersed. Nothing. The wind blew and I shivered, despite my comfortable temperature. Something felt off about this place. But I suppose I had no other choice than to descend down and see what was going on.

I quickly secured a piton into the mountain, hammering a few times to ensure the spike could support my weight. The ground was hard and firm. I didn’t foresee any trouble with it holding me up. I confidently set up the rope rigging so that I could descend quickly and took out my torch. Igniting the wooden stick, I began to lower myself down, the light of the fire flickering all around me as I sank into the darkness without a sound.

As I made my way down, carefully rappelling in measured distances of a few feet at a time, my torch suddenly went out. It was as if a pair of fingers had pinched the torch, dousing me in darkness.

Something grabbed my leg. I yelped out and kicked in surprise. Another hand seized my torch bearing arm and began to pull me down. I held onto the rope with all of my might, digging my heels into the wall as I hung from the side. My grip was like iron and despite the fact that the shadowy force had a firm grasp around my wrist, I wasn’t bending.

“Aren’t you tough,” I hissed through gritted teeth as I curled my arm inwards, forcing the thing holding me to follow. I hoisted the weight up hard. Whatever it was refused to let go and so I slammed my right arm into the wall.

An awful shriek sounded as the shadow thing struck the hard volcanic interior. It released me at once and in an instant, I was alone again.

“Oh boy, this adventure keeps getting weirder and weirder,” I said as I drew out a fresh torch and lit it, dangling from the side of the wall as I worked. The flames ignited at once, illuminating the area around me. My lowlight vision quickly adapted to the small source of light and I could see the bottom of the volcano.

There was a small village with buildings no bigger than a foot tall clustered together tightly. The entire village was made of red brick that glowed with reaction to the light of the torch. As I continued to descend towards the village, my torch went out again. This time, two hands seized my head and began to pull me in opposite directions, as if they were trying to twist my skull from my neck.

I flailed in a wild panic for a moment, the force and direction a complete surprise. Reaching up, I grasped at the hands that were holding me, only to feel a strange, ethereal force in between my fingers. It was hard to describe but it was like holding water in a bag, though it was much stronger than water.

“What are you?” I growled as I twisted and fought to escape the clutches of the shadow thing. It was completely invisible in the darkness and would turn out my torch in an instant. How was I supposed to fight something like that?

There was a snap and at once, I was falling. The force released me and I tumbled down, down, down into the vast emptiness of the volcano. Before I could hit the ground and make a horrific splat, however, my boots kicked into gear, turning me right-side up so that I could land on my feet.

I yelped when I landed, the ground not treating me well as the force of my fall caught up with me. The boots were able to reduce the distance of my fall but it still was a long drop. I felt two stiff boards of pain run up the backs of my legs, forcing me to stand straight up.

The world spun around me for a moment and I caught my breath. The pain was intense but I could make sense of it. My legs weren’t broken; they were horribly strained. I needed to get off them at once.

I collapsed to the ground, falling onto my rear as the pain surged through my entire body. I could handle this, I just needed to wait it out.

But did I have time? There was no sound from above but that was no guarantee that the shadow thing wasn’t still out there. And could it see me? No…it had to be the light. The torchlight drew it and repelled it at the same time. It seemed to be able to destroy the light, so maybe it wasn’t repulsed as much as…simply wanting the light gone?

I stayed perfectly still for a few moments, allowing the pain to pass. There was no sound from above and after a while, I began to realize that I was safe as long as I didn’t produce any lights. Though, that posed a problem, because I was in complete and utter darkness without a clue as where to go.

As I started to recover from my injuries, a little hand tugged on my finger. It was so slight and weak that at first I thought I was just having an itch.

“Speak no words,” a small voice whispered as it latched onto my finger hard, both hands pulling on it. “And follow me to safety.”

I complied with the little force. It was clearly a fey creature of some kind, so small that it could barely grab my finger. Was this a sprite? I hope so.

We traveled in darkness for a time until we reached a large area where I could faintly see the edge of red light. In the distance, a great curved U emerged from the wall. Cracks in a door, perhaps?

The answer came quickly enough. We reached the wall where the light was coming out from the cracks. This was enough for me to finally be able to see and I took stock of who my guide was.

There was a little red man in front of me; he had two horns atop his head and a forked tail. He wore a gentleman’s suit, with a black tie and had a scarf around his mouth. He was only a few inches tall at the most and walked with the most anxious gait.

As we approached the wall, a hatch unceremoniously flipped open, revealing a small tunnel, perhaps three feet wide.

“This way to safety,” the little man said as he hopped up onto the hatch. I looked at the small hole and back at him. My expression said it all but he merely shrugged and gestured for me to go first.

Sighing heavily, I reached my arms forward and shimmied through the hole. There was a method to sneaking through tight spaces, one I had learned a long time ago when being volunteered to go beneath the house crawlspace to find pests. You could virtually fit anywhere as long as you sucked your gut in hard enough and really pushed forward. The only question was whether you could get out.

The shaft in the wall was cramped and difficult to maneuver through, but I found that there was a large metal handhold I could wrap my fingers around. This gave me enough leverage to pull myself through. My hips protested violently but I was stronger than my flesh and thus was able to force my whole lower half into the rest of the shaft.

Once I was all the way in, it was much easier to move, and I wormed my way for a while until the area opened up enough for me to crawl through.

I noticed as I shuffled across the ground that the metal handhold had been a statue of some founder. Oops, I hope no one noticed that.

Eventually I reached an opening that was wide enough for me to stand in. Warm yellow light washed the area with a kind glow as magma poured from a vein in the wall. Dozens of red little people with horns and forked tails were here, gathered beside the pool of magma that was coming out of the wall. They sat beside the burning hot rock, enjoying themselves as if they were out sunning like nobles at the beachside.

“Alright, we’re safe now,” my guide said as he walked up beside me. “The shadowprowl can’t go near magma, so we had to dig out a little haven in a pocket connecting to the Big Guy.”

“It’s called the shadowprowl?” I asked.

“Oh yes,” the little man said as we walked over to the group. They had no buildings nor possessions but they seemed in high spirits anyway. “He moved in a while ago and has made our lives a cold and desperate hell. Now, where are my manners? I’m Precio, a scout for the sprites.”

“I’m Ivan, a scout for the king,” I said, bowing to him. “And I do appreciate your intervention to assist me.”

“Oh, don’t mention it,” Precio said as he walked up to the group. “Hey guys! I found our champion! He’s gonna fight the shadowprowl for us!”

Chapter 44

The crowd cheered as Precio extolled my virtues. “He has already faced the creature in mortal combat, walking away with nary a scratch! And now he will champion our cause, fighting the beast so that we can finally return to our home!”

Everyone cheered at that. A few began to weep and thank me profusely. Others offered to name their children after me. I merely waved at the people, gritting my teeth. “What are you doing?” I asked through my false smile.

Precio grinned. “I’m getting everyone excited for the big fight.”

“Why are you assuming I’m going to fight it?”

“Because fire sprites eat nothing but heat, so you’re going to starve to death down here, unless you somehow have enough food to last you…forever,” Precio replied.

“I’m not opposed to fighting the thing, if I knew what it was,” I said. “And how to stop it.”

“Shadowprowls are lurkers from the Realm Above,” my guide explained as we walked through the crowd of thankful sprites. “They come down searching for food and this one hit the jackpot. They don’t like light and can snuff it out pretty easily. He came down one day, gobbling up all of our heat and sending us into a panic. We managed to eke out an existence thus far but it’s not a fun one. We want our home back.”

Interesting. The creature didn’t like light, but didn’t the fairy world use illusions to govern their day and night cycles? Perhaps that was why it had chosen the dark depths of the bottom of an inert volcano.

“It had some kind of mass,” I said. “Because I could slam it into the wall.”

“They are semi-solid creatures, able to shift their bodies between an ethereal and physical state. Not quickly though,” Precio explained. We reached the corner of the shaft where a large workshop had been constructed. And by large I mean it was the size of my shoes. “We have observed its movements enough to know it needs some time to shift.”

He walked over to a table that contained a few spears, though to me they looked more like tiny arrows. “We have been experimenting with different ways to harm the beast, but they all require a live test. And that means someone has to be the bait.”

“Ahhh, so that’s why everyone was so excited to see me,” I realized. “You have the means but not the men?”

“Indeed,” Precio said as he lifted up one of the spears. The tip of it gleamed, revealing it was a red crystal head. “These are flash sticks, powerful weapons that will create flares of light wherever they strike. We have sixteen of them and we have enough fighters who can throw them. We may be small but the light within these things is great. It will be enough to flood the area and then? Then you’ll be able to see it.”

“I’ve a magic weapon…” I mused, putting my hand on my hilt. “That should be enough to damage the shadow beast. But wouldn’t it be able to put out the lights?”

“While defending against you?” Precio asked. “It’s not a perfect plan, but we have been working up the courage to try it. With you to bear the brunt of the damage, well, it’s as best a shot we’re going to have as any.”

I nodded at that sentiment. It looked like they had a plan, they just needed someone to actually fight the thing. And who better than a pit fighting champion? Okay, that was an exaggeration but still. I was feeling confident, especially since I knew what I was facing now. Somehow the fear of fighting was starting to wear off on me. Maybe it was confidence in my abilities or just numbness to the adrenaline but I was starting to look forward to the scraps. Interesting.

“I am more than willing to help your people out, Precio,” I said. “And I’m not asking for assistance in exchange, but I am still asking for assistance. There is a wheel that can turn straw into gold and it is imperative that I find it. Can you help me with that?”

The fire sprite balked at that. “Not my call, you’ll have to talk to our elder, Firebrand Zelda. And you can guess from the name that she’s not particularly cooperative.”

“Let’s make the introduction,” I said. “Because this is extremely important.”

The elder was waiting for me by her ‘office’, a small overturned bowl that had a hole cut in the middle of it to form a door. I crouched down respectfully as she climbed atop the bowl to get some level of height.

Firebrand Zelda was an older fire sprite, with long white strands of hair running down the sides of her horns. She had many wrinkles upon her face and her smile was warm and wide. She wore a black dress with dozens of ruffles running across the bottoms and bowed to me respectfully.

“Precio speaks confidently of you, newcomer,” Zelda said. “I am the elder of this small tribe. We were once much bigger, but as you probably know by now, things took a turn for the worst. What brings you here? Surely you did not wander in to answer our prayers?”

“Ma’am, it would be my honor to assist your people, with no expectation of reward or gratuity,” I said, returning the bow. “But you are correct. I am not here by happenstance. I’m in search of a magical wheel, one that can turn straw into gold.”

The warmth slowly faded from Zelda’s face. She sneered at me. “I see. So the Humakis king sent you.”

“Not by choice, I’m afraid,” I said. “He took me captive and, well, if I don’t deliver, a lot of people will be harmed. So I’m just the messenger here.”

Zelda slowly took that in. She squinted at me for a moment, then gestured for me to put out my hand. “Let me have a proper look at you, boy,” she said.

I put out the palm of my left hand and she clambered atop it. Lifting her to eye level caused her to scrutinize me intensely, gazing up and down as if she were studying something. Her horns moved ever so slightly, wiggling as she stared.

“You are a good man,” she concluded after a moment. She hopped back onto the bowl. “I can see it in your eyes. Though the goggles hide them, I see them nonetheless. And I see that you are here because you are wrapped up in something foolish. Foolish but well-meaning.”

“You’ve got me dead to rights, ma’am,” I said, bowing my head down and rubbing the back of my neck. “I made a rash decision for all the right reasons and now I’m stuck doing something I really don’t want to do.”

Zelda nodded. “Fret not, my dear. For I see an opportunity here. One to help the fairylands for good.”

Chapter 45

If I thought the first passage shaft had been narrow, well, this was way, way worse. I grunted and gasped as I wriggled through what I could only describe as a brick-sized hole. Firebrand Zelda was dead silent as she walked ahead, carrying a piece of burning stone in her hand to illuminate the path. I crawled after her with no grace until finally, we reached our destination.

“You must not speak of what you see in here, not to your superiors or to your friends,” Zelda said as she walked up to what looked to be a dead end. “And certainly not your government.” She placed a hand on the wall and at once, the illusion faded, revealing a vast chamber filled to the brim with gold, jewels and other such treasures.

There was certainly room to stand in here, room enough to dive into the piles and piles of treasure. There had to be millions of pieces of gold, thousands of goblets and hundreds of wheels!

Scattered about the piles of treasure were large wheels of gold and silver, some with jewels in the spokes and others made of sturdy wood.

“Incredible,” I muttered. “Absolutely incredible.”

“You would be surprised how many people like to throw treasure into the Inert for good luck,” Zelda said. “And how thrifty our people can be. We have many wheels that fit your description. Wondrous things that work material from one state to another. But they are fickle objects, able to make gold shine for only a fortnight before it turns back to straw. And the cloth that becomes bread? It tangles the innards. It’s not fit for any.”

“Oh,” I said, almost disappointed as I approached one of the wheels. It was sticking out of the ground and shimmered with magical energy.

“We have tried to tell the Lord Monarch this many times. But he does not believe us. He thinks that we wish to hoard our wealth. He thinks the Sylphs hold their blessings back on purpose and resents the fairies for all of their peaceful advancements. He is a cruel man who can only see the world as his mind is: full of fear and danger,” Zelda said, shaking her head. “He thinks we want to deprive him of a good existence. And so he sends minions time and time again to steal one of these wheels. They are useless toys, tricks to make the kiddies laugh.”

“The man will kill for one,” I replied. “And that is no laughing matter.”

“No, it is not,” she huffed. Zelda walked across the golden coins like they were stepping stones, making her way to a particular wheel made of what looked to be mahogany wood. “It is high time we take care of the Lord Monarch in the fairy way. We shall teach him a lesson. This wheel, when he begins to spin it, he shall want nothing more than to spin it over and over again. He shall forgo eating, sleeping and bathing, all he shall do day and night is spin the wheel.”

“Sounds rather cruel,” I said.

“Perhaps you would like a different method then,” she mused, walking over to a metal wheel. “This one shall turn him into a field mouse. One spin shall turn him to a mouse, two shall turn him back. But only true love can turn him back. So good luck with that happening!”

“Mousification…” I said. “Seems to be a rather easy way to get rid of an enemy without harming them…it won’t harm him, right?”

“Nonsense, he’ll be much happier as a mouse,” Zelda said. “Provided he doesn’t get swooped by a hawk!”

“How about something…I don’t know, something that will help him change his mind, instead of just outright giving him a fate that might be worse than death?” I asked.

“Ahhhh, you speak of the wheel of reflection,” she replied, gleefully putting her hands together. “This thing causes a man to enter his most painful memories whenever he spins it. There, he will be forced to endure his greatest fears and confront the things that have shaped him to be the way he is. Many have used these wheels to trick their foes into having a change of heart. But…there can be a danger. When a man overcomes his pain, he becomes greater. The Lord Monarch might not become a good man when his pain subsides, he may become stronger and more cruel.”

“But he’ll still have the choice, right?” I asked.

“That he will,” Zelda said, bowing to me. “I appreciate you wishing to spare the man a violent fate. Perhaps this is the best way – for if he were destroyed, would not another simply take his place? A change of heart might be our only way…though it is a slim chance.”

“I’ll have to take it,” I said, and I bent down to pick up the wheel that Zelda was pointing to. It was a fanciful golden spinner, with jewels and gems studding the sides. It glistened in the light; a magical yellow hue washed around the wheel at all times. The item looked to be the exact type of object to attract the attentions of a man in the need of a good lesson.

“When he begins to spin, he shall enter his mind,” Zelda instructed. “Time will pass in a second for us, but a lifetime will have gone by for him. Whatever emerges will be…different.”

As I lifted up the wheel, something in the distance caught my eye. It was a single pink Eon Stone, so bright and vivid that it almost looked like candy. “Say,” I asked as I walked over to the stone. It was sitting amongst a bunch of other colorful rocks, none of which were magic. “If it’s all the same to you, mind if I take this?”

Zelda curiously looked at the stone in my hand. “Eon Stones? How did that get in here? Normally we throw them into the sea – we don’t want seekers coming here.”

“You don’t value their magic?” I asked.

Zelda snickered at that, holding up both hands to her mouth to try and keep from laughing any harder. “Eon Stones are paltry little things that barely contain a glimmer of magic. They showed up one day and have frankly been nothing but a headache for fairykind.”

“Dwarves seemed to like them…”

“Oh sure they do, they finally were able to perform tricks that looked similar to real magic. And the dwarves weren’t the only people who wanted the stones. Northmen came in from the divide, seeking these rumored treasures, only to find a Sylph village who boosted that Eon Stones were nothing compared to Sylphs…at which point the Humakis decided to just bring back the Sylphs,” Zelda explained. She sat on a coin, crossing her legs as she reclined in thought. “Then adventurers started showing up, portal runners, warp eaters, it’s all a mess. What was once a quiet and peaceful land is filled to the brim with people trudging around, making noise.”

“Is that why you’re at the bottom of the volcano?” I asked.

“Yes, among many other reasons,” she said. “Now, take that stone and go fight the Shadowprowl. We need some fresh air for fire’s sake.”

Chapter 46

The pink stone hummed a strange tune as I focused upon it. This Eon Stone seemed different from the others in a way I couldn’t put my finger on and as I connected, I started to understand why.

You are attuning to a Weapon Stone.

The Shieldstone can shift into a magic resistant buckler on command. Focus where you wish the buckler to appear on your arms.

Glancing at my left arm, I focused on my wrist and at once, a small pink disk made of speckled stone appeared. It was flat and round, not wide enough to do much in way of protecting from full attacks but…I could use my hand to hold my sword still…meaning I could block and parry with my shield while fighting two-handed.

“Woah!” I said as the shield vanished, my focus commanding it to return to its normal stone form. Instantly my arm was free and I could manipulate my wrist better. This would make it easier when it came to climbing and such.

The little stone bobbed in a circle around my left wrist, like a perpetual bracelet. I saw no reason to restrict it, just in case it needed to actually traverse the space in some way.

With my new weapon stone, I was excited to face off with the shadowprowl. The fear of fighting was fading rapidly in my heart and a new sensation was being replaced with it. A sense of exhilaration and enthusiasm, as well as a sense of understanding of the severity of what I was walking into. My body knew what to expect, including the adrenaline, and I felt sharper than ever. I wasn’t overconfident but I was adequately confident. Perhaps at just the right level to take on a terrible beast.

Once my attunement was complete, I moved out with Precio and his warrior friends. They were all armed with the lightsticks but were ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

We arrived at the empty basin of the volcano, where above I could hear the rushing of wind – or movement of the creature.

“He is upon us!” Precio hissed. “Throw them! Good luck, portal runner!”

Instantly, the pitch black basin flared up with brilliant light as the little warriors threw their lightsticks. The spears stuck into the walls and ground, bringing a piercing shine through the darkness. I rushed out into the open, sword drawn and buckler at my wrist.

A tall, writhing creature made of black mass came wriggling out of the darkness, his arms made up of thousands of grasping hands. They stretched forward in impossible ways, seeking to snuff out the light that threatened them so.

Without hesitation, I ran towards the first arm I could see, charging with my sword held high. The shadowprowl had no chance to react, my blade struck its arm and immediately the appendage was retracting back into the darkness. The monster shrieked and suddenly, all hands were coming towards me.

I slashed wildly, left, right, up and down, cutting through the shadows as my sword took full control of itself. The monster was repelled quickly by my measured strikes and soon I was advancing towards its main mass.

The creature wasn’t endless; it was just difficult to parse out from the shadow. Now that the lights from the sticks were burning brightly in the area, I could see that the main body of the beast was long and wormlike, with a tail that was gripping a piece of the volcano wall. The monster was flexible enough to bend any which way, its many arms moving to and fro as it writhed.

“Come on!” I shouted as I advanced towards where the mass was hanging. The beast was continually retreating as I stepped forward, still grabbing at me though with less of an intensity than before. The light was weakening it.

Finally the creature could no longer retreat. It had to make a choice. Fight or flee. And the beast chose to fight. It stretched forward at me suddenly, lunging its entire body in a wild thrust. I quickly dodged to the left, avoiding the column of shadowy flesh as it writhed past me. I ran forward, closer to the tail of the creature – the tail that was grasping onto the top of the volcano for stability.

With a loud cry, I hacked at the highest point of the beast’s tail, slashing through it with a clean slice. The tail came off at once and the large monster fell onto the ground, shrieking and writhing in pain. Its many hands became like feet, pushing onto the floor and perching on fingertips as if they were toes. It scuttled away from me and turned around, the shadowprowl’s wide and jagged mouth hungry to devour me.

But I was undaunted. The beast was at a disadvantage now. I held my stance and waited for the creature to charge at me, rushing like a centipede made of shadow. It came running, shrieking in a terrible tongue to defy me. But I did not demur from my stance. Holding to what I knew about momentum and swing speed, I waited for the right moment and then, hacked downwards with all my might. Blade met flesh and in an instant, the creature was gone.

Foowmph! came the sound as the beast vanished in a puff of smoke. I spun around in a circle, waiting for the creature to manifest and strike me, but nothing happened.

“Is it over?” I asked. “Did I kill it?”

There was dead silence for a time. Eventually Precio came out of hiding. “I think you did!” he said, clasping his hands together.

I searched around for a few moments but found no trace of the monster. The shadows were slowly starting to lift around us, especially as the lights sticking in the grounds were growing more intense. The supernatural darkness dispersed, giving way to the clean, natural light that came from above.

“Much better!” Precio said, slapping me on the ankle as he walked beside me. “If the daylight’s coming back, it means you definitely killed it.”

“Or at least drove it away for now…” I mused.

“I suppose that’s more our problem than yours,” my ally said. He cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hands together. “You ready to head out?”

“That eager to get rid of me?” I asked with a laugh.

“The temperatures are about to become unsustainable for any human,” Precio explained. “My team is going to superheat the area to make it comfortable for the rest of our people. You would not survive the first few minutes.”

I nodded as I went back to the small cavernous area where the wheel had been stashed during the conflict. “I’m eager to get going back,” I said as I picked up the wheel. “Though I suppose it’s more anxiety that my plan won’t work than anything else.”

Precio rubbed his chin as he thought about that. “You just gotta think like a fairy. Don’t give him the item, make him want it all for himself. Otherwise, he’ll definitely figure it out and probably put your head on a stick.”

Chapter 47

The trip out of the volcano was far more interesting than the trip back to the city of Pyre. The fire sprites had all gathered around me and uttered a few words of magical power, then the next thing I knew, a hot gust of wind was carrying me up and out of the mountain with ease. I shouted the whole way, for I had not been expecting to fly, nor had I any idea of where I was going to. But the fire sprites knew where I needed to be and in a matter of minutes I was out of the mountain and onto the beachside.

No sooner had my feet touched the sand did the skiff arrive to pick me up. The old captain’s timing was supernaturally perfect and I was relieved that he was eager to get me across the waters quickly. By the time I reached Pyre, I had exactly three weeks left in my timer. I was going to have to wrap up this adventure up sooner rather than later. And for what it was worth, I didn’t mind leaving. The fairylands were exhausting to traverse and the difficulty may have been a bit too much for me. Then again, I was the one who got myself into this mess to begin with.

We reached Pyre and I was brought before the Lord Monarch in his private piano room, a great study that had been painted with a soft white. He was in his full military regalia, as always, but was seated at the piano, gently playing a tune. It was a somber and haunting piece, something that made me shiver. I had one shot at tricking him into spinning this wheel – if he grew suspicious, he might order someone else to try it in his stead. Then it would all be over.

“Ahhhh,” the man said, looking up at me with a fiendish grin. He played a jaunty little tune to accompany my entrance into his piano room. There were dozens of pianos and organs of all shapes and sizes in the area, some even as small as a thimble! “There he is. And I was just beginning to wonder if maybe you had tried to escape.”

“Nonsense,” I said, bowing to him. “I know the stakes.”

“Indeed you do,” the Lord Monarch agreed. He glanced at the wheel on my back. “Is that the artifact in question?”

“Yes,” I replied. I took a deep breath and unhooked the wheel and showed it off. “Just as you said, it was at the bottom of the inert volcano.”

“Excellent,” the man chuckled, putting his fingers together. His eyes searched my face for a moment, looking for some hint of betrayal. I tried to hold my gaze as best I could, but I had no idea whether I looked stone-faced or not. “Such an item will be a great boon to my regime. Steward! Bring forth a spinning loom, so that we may put this to a test.”

A servant quickly departed and the Lord Monarch began to play some music while we waited. Eventually the servant returned with a large loom that was designed to house a spinning wheel. The monarch gestured for me to set it up and I complied, pushing the wheel into the slot, clicking it in.

“Excellent,” the Monarch said. “Now spin me some gold.”

“I’m afraid that if my hand was to spin thread,” I protested, “that the artifact would bind to me. I would be the only one able to use it. You must make sure that the person whom you allow to spin for you is someone you trust. Someone who will never betray you. Or work in secret.”

The man did not like hearing that. He scowled at me. “Am I to do this myself like a common laborer?”

“Does a common laborer work miracles with his hands?” I asked.

“Good point,” the monarch replied. He stood from the piano and walked over to the loom. His hand hovered dangerously close to the wheel. All it would take was a single spin. “How am I to know this is not some fairy trick? Meant to ensorcell my mind or turn me into a rodent?”

It was. It absolutely was a fairy trick. What could I say? “I would have to be a real idiot to try and cross you when I’m so close to freedom,” I replied. That was about as true as possible. “My time in this plane is almost up and I’m itching to leave.”

“Spoken like a true coward,” the monarch said as he shoved me to the side, sitting at the little chair attached to the loom. “Go on your way. You have done as I have asked.”

His hands grasped the golden wheel and he gave it a little spin. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and his expression became slack. This lasted for only a moment, however, and no sooner had the wheel made a single rotation was he back to the real world.

“Wha…” he said, looking around, eyes confused and unfocused. “I’m…back? That wasn’t real?”

He looked at me with an astonished look. “You tricked me…but, but I saw…my gods what I saw…” he stopped speaking and stared down. “What I felt…”

I took a half step back, unsure if I should start running or not. He looked back up at me. “You helped me. What I experienced, it was closure. Healing. Why did you do that?”

“It was either give you a chance to change your mind or turn you into a mouse,” I confessed, putting my hands up to show I was caught. “And I decided to let you have a chance. Did it work or am I going to be brutally executed now?”

“I don’t understand what you had to gain by making me face such things in my own head,” the Lord Monarch said as he looked back at the wheel. He spun it again but nothing happened. The magic was gone. “Was I really so concerned about making thread into gold? And fabricating bread? We have farmland for the gods’ sake…”

“I want you to leave the Sylphs alone,” I said. “Set them free and return them home.”

The man slowly nodded at that. He stared at the ground and then at me. His eyes were so sullen, so profoundly different. “I must begin to restructure entirely. Pyre is a place of death and ego, a land of unrepentant cruelty – my cruelty. I must change. Your Sylphs will be freed. I will call my people back to their homeland. We must build this place into something worth living in.”

The Lord Monarch looked up at me again and sighed. “You tricked me. I am grateful for the lesson but I cannot abide by your falseness with me. Leave and do not return. You are not welcome in Pyre – ever.”

It took everything I had not to tell him I’d rather be thrown into a burning volcano than willingly come back to his horrific city. I merely nodded and turned away, leaving before I could invoke his anger any further. His transformation was certainly complete, though I wondered what it would ultimately lead to. Had I made a saint? Or just a better sinner?

Chapter 48

The portal sat ahead, completely unperturbed by the world. It floated above a small patch of red mushrooms, the familiar sight of a hallway on the other side. I trudged across the flatlands, my boots waterlogged and my cloak soaked.

The journey to the portal had been a long and exhausting trek across wetlands that were so large that I had to navigate by leaping on giant leaves floating in the water. I had to make my own way back from Pyre and that had involved getting a ride from an intoxicated mermaid who at several times tried to drown me due to her fierce temper. Each time I thought I was a goner, she’d pull me out, sobbing about someone named Tonial and begging my forgiveness.

Eventually we made it to the wetlands where I was able to climb onto the root of a giant tree, safe and sound from the madwoman who had the gall to try and ask me for some coins as payment for the ride. When I said no, she threw rocks at my head.

All-in-all, it was a miserable conclusion to a long and hard journey. I didn’t have time to return back to Sylphstead and so their fate was unknown to me. Hopefully they’d be able to rebuild their society and hopefully the Lord Monarch would stay his hand but I suppose I’d never know.

As I walked up to the portal, my timer informed me I still had six days left. No, no I didn’t. The portal had six days left in it, I had no days. My days were well in the negatives. I didn’t even bother to take a reading with my stick before I headed through the portal, warping back home.

Nathanial the caretaker was walking down the hallway when I emerged. He turned to face me and grinned. “You’re back.” The man pressed his long, slender fingers together. “Did you enjoy your time in the lands of the fey?”

“That was one of the more difficult experiences in my life,” I confessed as I walked a few steps forward. The world around me seemed so much heavier. Even my steps weighed more. Odd.

“You were gone for quite a while, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps you needed the help,” the man replied as he gently helped me walk away from the portal. My steps were unsteady and I could feel my legs begin to wobble. “Easy boy! You’ve just gotten back from a long stint in a world with a different set of gravitational rules than our own.”

I almost collapsed and leaned on the tall caretaker for support. “I didn’t really notice anything different when I was there.”

“Because everything’s so much larger. You don’t feel like you’re jumping any higher but in reality, you are,” the man said as he escorted me to a bench. “Sit, sit. I see you’re sporting some shinies. Enchantments?”

“Yes, a few,” I said, patting my sword. “Useful but not something I want to become dependent upon.”

The man nodded. “Let me take your spikes and I’ll run the numbers. The caretakers don’t pay for fairyland maps but the Crown offers a fortune for them, so you’ll have to take them to the exchange over in the Eastern Wing.”

“Exchange?” I asked. “I’m not allowed in there just yet. I’m only a bluecloak.”

“Enchanted weapons? Almost two months in the fairylands and you return with only a bit of the stumbles?” the man chuckled. “You are undoubtedly going to be promoted to greencloak. I will see to it.”

“Wait, hold on, I don’t want to advance that quickly,” I said. “I mean, that was my first big adventure.”

“Indeed it was,” the man said. “And bluecloaks really just need one good stint out in the wilderness to really learn what this job is about. Tell me, are you thinking about quitting?”

“What?” I scoffed. “Absolutely not!”

“Indeed,” Nathanial said, rubbing his hands together. “You are unfazed by what you saw in that world. At this point, you’re no good to us simply scrounging around doing your own jobs. We need people to do missions and so I’m going to give you the pass to green, so we can get some of our workload cleared out.”

I was stunned at this revelation. But this was just one man’s opinion. Surely the higher ups wouldn’t allow me to pass up into a new rank with just one long mission under my belt…though it was one hell of a mission.

Nathanial let me go and I headed back to the barracks to get some sleep. Kellis was standing by the door, gearing up for an adventure from what I could tell. She was dressed in a black body suit and wore gloves that had several slots for her Eon Stones.

“Are those magic rocks I see?” I asked as I sat on my bed, kicking off my boots.

“There you are! Good lords, where have you been?” Kellis asked as she braided her hair into a weave. I noticed she was using Eon Stones as beads. “So much has been happening around here. I’ve gone on like six runs and Peter went on four. We’re getting a lot of stones and money.”

She dug into her bag and pulled out a pouch full of coins. “I wanted to pay you back for your kindness.”

I was too tired to fight her about this. “If you wish,” I said, laying back on the bed. “Glad to hear Peter’s doing well too.”

My eyes closed and I fell fast asleep. I woke up a few hours later, the bag of coins on my chest. Peter was sitting across from me, getting into his own cot. He was covered in white sand, from head to toe.

“Don’t ask,” he grumbled as he smacked the side of his head, causing sand to come tumbling out from his ear.

“I hear you’ve been busy,” I said, sitting up and putting the coins on the table beside me.

“Not as busy as you! Where were you? Some people said you had died but I didn’t think that was the case. There’s normally some kind of ceremony or something,” he said as he laid down, not bothering to take his boots off. I helped with that, yanking them off, freeing pounds of sand in the process.

“I just had a long adventure with a lot of twists and turns,” I replied, putting his boots on the side. The man was already unconscious and I patted his foot. “Rest easy, my friend. You look like you’ve earned it.”

Jacob was waiting for me outside of the barracks. The man always had a knack for arriving the exact moment I wondered about him. “There’s our star runner,” he said, gesturing for me to follow him. “Nathanial said you did an outstanding job with your last delve into the Fairylands. You produced a series of very high quality maps.”

“And I had one heck of a time with the locals,” I said, patting my enchanted sword. “But it all turned out for the better.”

“Yes,” Jacob said as he guided me to the eastern wing of the grand hall. “We lost track of you for a while. I had to make the call whether to go after you or not and I decided to hold off. Your vitals were fine and so there was no reason to intervene…some thought my decision was a dangerous call. But I knew you were fine.”

“Vitals?” I asked.

“Your goggles,” he said, tapping me on the lens. “They transmit data back to our central Cortex Stone. Newbies are watched closely, usually by a senior like myself. Normally we jump in when weapons are drawn…but you chose to bring a weapon with you. Meaning you were ready to face a fight. Some didn’t like the idea of letting you deal with the consequences of your decisions but…I felt you were ready.”

“I see,” I said. There was a brief moment of silence before I asked. “Are you going to make me a greencloak?”

The man didn’t say much. He grunted something, half mumbling some words that I didn’t quite understand. The comments seemed more towards himself than anyone else. We walked in jilted silence for a few minutes until we reached a large foyer that connected to two separate wings.

This place was empty and silent. “Here,” Jacob said as he looked around. There was nothing but benches and signs directing us to different portalways. “This place is quiet enough to talk.”

“Haven’t we been talking this whole time?” I asked, half amused as Jacob grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me to the corner of the room.

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you, because you seem unflappable,” Jacob said, leaning in close. His tone was worried and harsh, causing me to grow concerned. I stopped joking immediately. “You were captured by Humakis and somehow managed to escape without a scratch. That to me shows you’ve got more than just enthusiasm, you’ve got the skill to keep moving up.”

“Thanks for the kind words.”

“I’m not flattering you,” Jacob said, his eyes narrowing. “The Royal Scouts are being decommissioned. Our laxity is due to the fact that within three years, our funding ends completely. The program is being scuttled and nothing will replace it. The Caretakers are making a bid to turn the Portalway into a living museum of some sorts and the Crown is eager to sell the thing off.”

“What?” I gasped. “Why? Why would they cancel the program?”

“Competition for one,” he said. “West Carnelion has a terrible retention rate. Scouts come for a while but they are lured away by the dungeons in the Grand City. Many get a few stones, make some sales and then head off, enjoying all of the training we’ve provided them. At first it was fine, but after a while we started to experience brain drain. High ranking members left for the city.”

I rubbed my chin. “So the lack of training isn’t on purpose?”

“We’ve got very little resources as it is,” Jacob said. “And we hemorrhage day one recruits. We find that if we train recruits effectively, they use their skills to get the best stones and then leave. There have been many attempts to get people to stay but…well, I’m not going to sugar coat it. The Royal Scouts are at the end of their lifespan.”

My heart sank at hearing that. “What happens after three years?”

“We run out of money and then, we can’t pay anyone to work,” Jacob explained. “And frankly, it’s taken some very creative accounting in order to keep everything afloat.”

“Why tell me all this bad news?”

“Because you’re the kind of person who makes me think that we can turn it around in those three years.”

Chapter 49

I looked incredulously at Jacob. “What do you mean, we can turn it around?”

“Ivan, you’re an enthusiastic and skilled runner, someone who embodies what we want in a scout,” Jacob said. “You help the others out, you risk your life for those in need and best of all, you aren’t here for the money. I’m encouraged enough by your behavior to try and push for a change – with the two of us, I think we can make a big difference.”

“What do you need from me?” I asked. There were many other questions I had but in reality, I wasn’t a man of theory. I was a man of action. Jacob would worry about the details, I’d just do whatever he asked. I had just gotten to the portal scouts, I wouldn’t let them close around me.

“Good man,” Jacob said, patting me on the shoulder. “Right now, the Royal Scouts have developed a very toxic culture. You’ve run against it a few times already. The idea that it’s every man for himself…it has built resiliency inside of our scouts but at the cost of camaraderie. More so, they also don’t care for working with others. Our highest ranking scouts tend to chafe against taking missions from the Crown, leading to a decline in our prestige. If not for the fact that they bring high value stones to the markets, we’d have closed our doors long ago.”

“What about the fellowships?” I asked.

“They aren’t particularly invigorated as of the aforementioned brain drain,” he said. “Many competing explorers guilds lure them away, taking with them large quantities of underlings. Such exoduses have led us to our current loss of leadership.”

I nodded and Jacob continued. “Anyway, I am telling you all of this so you understand why I’m promoting you to greencloak. I believe that I can trust you to represent my own interests. In any other scenario, greencloak would be like you being set completely free on the Portalhall, able to access any of our services and facilities – as well as freedom to enter into a chosen Fellowship. However, I’m promoting you specifically so that you can do as I tell you. These orders will be in secret, but will ultimately be working to improve the integrity of our organization. You’ve impressed me, so maybe you can impress the Crown.”

“You’re making me your agent…” I whispered in awe. This was like something out of the stories the local bard use to tell.

“Exactly! My agent!” he said. “And your job is going to be to take care of the things that are extremely important. You see, the Crown originally funded this operation in order to undertake missions on their behalf. However, there was a long period of time when the Crown was merely collecting information – that became the basis of our culture. When the government started requesting we do more than merely scout and take notes…it became a little more difficult to appease them. Especially with such an independent culture. If you can handle these outstanding missions, I believe we can make a bigger impact on the Crown. It might not work but it’s the best I can think of.”

“What about my friends?” I asked, recognizing my bargaining position. My dreams were already coming true with this conversation, but I wasn’t about to completely give away what power I had. Best use this opportunity to help Peter and Kellis.

“What about them?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

“I’d like to make sure they’re taken care of,” I said, trailing off for a moment. “You know, I want to make sure they don’t end up stalling out as browncloaks.”

“I see,” the man replied, realizing what I was saying. “If your friends are important to you, I’ll make sure they are looked after. I’ll see how we can expedite them to reach green – but you’re a bit of an anomaly so far. Most of the people who end up here are either desperate or the problem child, shipped off in the hopes of reform. I can’t advance people past their skill level, it would be unfair.”

“You gotta give them more support,” I said. “Even if it’s in secret. If you want me to help, you’ve got to help the others. Simple as that.”

“Fair enough,” Jacob replied as he reached out to shake my hand. “If we’re going to push for reform, we’re going to need as many allies as we can get.”

As I shook his hand, he gripped his hand around mine tightly, holding it with an iron grasp. “This is no conspiracy,” he muttered. “But there are people who stand to profit from this organization becoming a thing of the past. Vultures who wish to pick the bones over what we have. Best keep your eyes open and your mouth shut for the most part.”

Chapter 50

My new cloak was lighter and more flexible than the blue one. A dark green that blended in well with the trees, this cloak was sturdy and supple. I fiddled with the clasp as I entered into the Eastern Wing, where the Exchange was waiting.

The Exchange was a large bazaar built into the great stone megastructure. Dozens of stalls were set up, with representatives from all sorts of parties and groups. Signs decorated the streets, pointing in all sorts of directions, informing buyers and sellers of where to go.

The smell of cooked meats, spiced with exotic and enticing flavorings that I had never experienced before, wafted in the air. To the far west of the exchange was a huge encampment of tents, huts and shanties.

“What is all this?” I gasped. Jacob, who was walking beside me, chuckled as he slung his arm around my shoulder.

“The Exchange is the only place in the Portalway that is open to the public. Representatives, traders and merchants from all over come here to participate in the marketplace of maps, stones and information. Most are looking to buy, but some do come here to sell,” he explained.

“Fascinating…” I said as I gazed out at all of the booths. Many people were advertising that they purchased maps.

“Right this way,” Jacob said as he guided me through the winding maze of stalls and booths. We made it past an intersection filled to the brim with bottles full of bright liquids for sale. Potions, brewed with the help of Eon Stones, were available at rather competitive prices. I made a note to stop back here when we were done.

We eventually reached a corner complex of the Exchange, where several heavily armed and armored soldiers were standing. They wore the royal colors of purple and red, and on their helms was the skinny dragon that symbolized Olandia.

“This is where the Crown operates,” Jacob said as we passed the guards. “And where you are going to be spending the majority of your off-time.”

There were a few buildings at this end of the Exchange, but they were blocked off to visitors. In the center of the complex was a large wooden board, covered with papers.

We walked up to the board and I could spot hundreds of requests. “These are all of the Crown’s urgent jobs,” Jacob explained as he waved a hand at the endless amount of papers. “As you can see, we’ve ended up with quite a backlog.”

“How have you not been shuttered yet?” I asked, plucking a paper from the board.

“Oh believe me, there are government administrators who are arguing in favor of closing us today,” Jacob replied.

I looked at the paper.

Royal Quest: The Hunter’s Guide

Description: Phindar the Hunter requires a guide to reach his prey. Escort him to his target and back to the portal.

“This doesn’t look too hard,” I said, showing it to Jacob.

“Think you’re up for it then?” he asked.

I nodded. “Sure, I’ve got a Pathfinding stone.”

“Alright, then I’ll leave you to the work,” the man said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Make sure you sell your maps and gear up before you head out.”

The back of the paper contained more information about the quest. There was no pay for the job, which explained why there were hundreds of them that were undone. But, back home there were always chores to do and I never saw a drack for doing any of them. This was no different, chores for the organization instead of the family home. Besides, I’m sure I’d find a few stones and such on my adventure.

Once the novelty of my new status as an agent of change within the organization had worn off (somewhat) I managed to begin preparing for the new journey, while also closing out my last one. I returned to Nathanial to collect my map data. He was thrilled to show me the dozen small spheres that contained the information that I had gathered on my journey.

Each orb contained a sizable chunk of the Fairyland, mapped out to lead to a few Eon Stones. These orbs were worth quite a bit of money too. I found a store at the exchange that was deeply invested in getting more information about the Fairylands. They paid me 6,000 dracks for the whole lot of what I had gathered. This was so much money that I could barely register it.

But I did more than register the cash, I spent it pretty much as fast as I got it. After sending a decent amount home, I turned to investing in a good set of armor. That was the one thing I was sorely lacking right now and my last few martial encounters had made it clear that sometimes taking damage was impossible to avoid. And in that case, you wanted something in between your weak flesh and the sharp iron coming your way.

Before I could head back to the Commissary, a booth caught my eye. A beautiful woman, with skin as beige as sand and lips red as cherry, waved to me. She was adorned in all manner of red and green silks. “Portal Runner! Oh Portal Runner! There is a problem with your skin!”

“What is that?” I asked, moving closer to her storefront. There were dozens of mannequins, all wearing different types of leather armor. All of different dyes and color sets.

“I can see it!” she chuckled. “And that means the archers will see your weak spots. Come, be a gentleman and cover yourself properly.” The woman gestured towards her boutique. “Larasan’s Armor is here for all of your needs.”

The prices were much higher than what the Commissary had listed but I had the money thanks to my visit to the exchange. Maybe quality came with a bit of a price tag…and that wasn’t a bad thing when it came to armor.

Most of the outfits were made of leather, with thick iron bands wrapped around them. Some had metal plates hanging from them, others were studded with iron pikes meant to ward off grapplers. The woman moved around me as I searched through the outfits, looking for something with a price that was agreeable. She said nothing but merely hovered as I searched.

Eventually I found an affordable full set of what was known as Leviathan Leather. This dark blue armor was made from the skin of some unknown monster from the depths. It was supple but strong, capable of taking arrow fire without rupturing and able to endure actual fire as well. Best of all, it wasn’t as heavy as I had been expecting.

The set came with greaves that covered my legs fully, sleeves that had spaces for metal plates to slide in, further armoring the arms and of course, a jerkin with deluxe padding on the front. It took quite some time to suit up and Larasan had to help me a few times, but once the armor was on, it felt like a second set of skin.

I wore it out, paying 4,000 dracks – 4 whole drams – for the privilege. This was a costly expenditure but one well worth it. Even the boots were a class above the steel toed that I used to wear. I felt reinforced and safe in my new outfit.

My next stop was at the potion shop I had noticed on my way in the first time. There were quite a few mysterious Triadic Wizards, selling their wares from the back of a busy workshop. The workers sported hundreds of Eon Stones of all types, hanging from their hair and their wrists, floating beside their heads and embedded into jewelry on their fingers.

I didn’t tarry long in this place, for the price of a potion was far worse than armor. However, I did shell out the 500 dracks to purchase a potion of Guiding Landing. This was supposed to allow me to fall any height and survive without a problem. I didn’t trust the potion enough to test it out but figured it would be useful to have in case of an emergency.

Once I finished up my shopping, I made my way to the wing listed on my quest ticket. The Lion’s Wing was a place of golden floors and redcloaks. No one said a word to each other as they went in and out of the portals. The silence of the chambers was eerie and not at all like the peaceful silence of the other wings. It was almost as if the sound was being sucked out from the air itself.

An old man, adorned in golden robes, slowly approached me as I surveyed the area. “Are you lost?” he asked.

I handed the quest ticket to him. He gazed down at it and slowly nodded. “Oh, I see. It’s rare to see quest takers around here, so I assumed you had just taken a wrong turn. I am Lileven.”

“Ivan,” I said, bowing to him.

The old man gazed at the ticket for a few moments. “This is an old one. Let me see if it is still active…”

He scuttled off to a random portal and came back a few minutes later, pleased with himself. “Come, come,” he said, motioning for me to follow. “This is where you will want to go. Through Portal 53E. Ah yes, that is a classic one. Leads straight to the Eternal Plateau.”

“Eternal Plateau?” I repeated.

“A strange place, mostly of grasslands, but filled with beasties. Fanciful monsters that are often treacherous to deal with alone…most do not come to the Plateau for any other reason than sport. The glory of the hunt,” Lileven explained.

We walked in front of a large golden portal that was different from the others I had seen before. This one had a stone circle built around it; huge chunks of basalt stone were aligned and carved with magical symbols upon it.

“This is the Finder Waystone,” the old man explained as he tapped on the side of the stone. The portal’s insides were endless light, seemingly leading to nowhere. “We use it to localize targets and send Runners to them. The man who made the request is a high-ranking noble from the Grand City of Walson. He is a genuinely skilled huntsman who wishes to prove himself to the royal family by bringing back a beast of great renown.”

“How long has he been waiting?” I asked.

“This particular ticket is two years old. No doubt the man has been training extensively in this time,” Lileven continued. “I shall make the arrangements to contact him and see that he is ready to visit. Your mission will be to escort him to his quarry and then back to the portal, ensuring that he returns safe and sound.”

“Two years?” I asked. “Is he even going to want to go anymore?”

“I can assure you, he’s probably been improving himself every day in anticipation for his summon,” Lileven replied. “This trip is a once in a lifetime thing for the nobility. You must make sure that he returns in one piece – and with a favorable opinion about the Royal Scouts!”

Chapter 51

It took less than three days for Sir Phindar to arrive to the Portalway. The man was young, in his early thirties, and was dressed like an expert hunter more than a noble. He had a thick black beard upon his face and dark, sullen eyes. He carried a bow on his back and two short swords at his side. His armor was a plain leather jerkin, adorned in green and brown checkers designed to give him camouflage.

The man said little when he arrived but I could tell he was excited for the trip. He had a full energy about him and stood before the great portal without fear or hesitation. After we met and briefly spoke, he entered the portal, zipping to an unknown place in the Eternal Plateau.

The Finder Waystone quickly attuned to the man’s location, twisting and rotating a dozen times until it locked onto the noble’s position. This large device, it turned out, was transported from portal to portal whenever someone needed to be found. The charge could connect to a signal within the portal realm, then send a runner as close as possible. Sometimes that translated to appearing beside the person, other times it meant just warping to the same continent. This varied and so the technology was quite imprecise.

Once the stone was attuned, I was sent through the portal, warping into a random field made up entirely of stalks of wheat. I landed on the ground and immediately gasped at the sight above. High in the clouds were hundreds of cities, floating atop…nothing! They were floating cities, with streets that were composed of platforms that hung in midair, connected to absolutely nothing.

The buildings were made of red bricks that glistened in the sunlight. “Incredible!” I gasped as I took out my notebook to quickly scribble down a description of what I saw. These cities were breathtaking as they were mysterious.

As I stared up, there came a crashing ahead of me. I glanced down to see an even more wondrous sight. Huge lizards with fat bodies and long necks were everywhere, their heads craning up to the trees to bite the leaves. They ate in peace, their long tails thrashing back and forth as they munched.

My goggles began to calibrate to the area. You are in the Eternal Plateau! Portal is 43 miles away, southwest. Timer: Portal has been stabilized until you exit.

Ah! So there was no time pressure here. That was good. My goggles continued to adjust to the new area. After a few minutes, a symbol appeared in my vision, an outline of a human figure. Target has been located. Distance: 22 miles.

That wasn’t so far! With my Bristle Boar, I’d be there in no time. I summoned Ferdinand and we were off, riding across the great grassland. I continued to watch the clouds above, wondering what was going on up there. Would the people be interested in trade? Or were they closed off to the rest of the world, floating up high in order to escape the pressures of commerce?

As I considered that, we cleared the grasslands quickly, making our way to a lake where more large lizards were located. These creatures were armless and perched on two large legs with talons that gripped the ground as they walked. They had beaks but no feathers, though they pecked at the ground and the water like chickens did.

Ferdinand did not like these creatures. He snorted and oinked a storm as I tried to get us to draw near, refusing to go an inch further. “Come on, they’re harmless,” I said. Then I considered where I was. “Wait, I have no way of knowing…hmmm. Okay, stay here, I’ll go check them out.”

I approached these lizards with my hands up, to show I meant no harm. They stared at me curiously, then returned to their eating of the bugs in the ground. One walked up to me and placed his head right on top of my hand. The creature was oddly cold, with thick skin that could probably take a lot of punishment.

“What are you?” I asked as I looked the thing in the eyes. It blinked for a moment, eyes going sideways, and then abruptly turned to look at something in the distance. In an instant, the whole herd bounded off, leaving me alone by the water.

I waited for a moment, to see if anything interesting was coming, but nothing approached. Disappointed, I continued on my journey, waving for Ferdinand to come on. There was nothing of interest in this area.

The rest of my ride was uneventful. The great grassland was divided into three sections, the wheatlands, the green prairie and then a spot where the grass mostly grew purple. I did not know if this was due to an infection of some kind or if the grass was just naturally purple. I wasn’t about to pluck a sample to test it.

We reached a small clearing where Sir Phindar was setting up camp. He had gathered plenty of sticks and shrubbery out in the wild and had set a small fire. The air was nice and warm, like a crisp fall day, and the sky was slowly turning brilliant red as the sun went down. Above, I could see the cities light up, becoming like stars in the sky.

“Aha!” Phindar said, waving to me as he took notice of my mount. “There is my proud escort!”

I climbed off of Ferdinand and dismissed him, then bowed deeply to the man. “Ivan, at your service.”

“Tally ho, Ivan!’ Phindar replied. He gestured for me to sit at the fire. “I’ve just made some stew.”

“Already one with the land?” I asked as I sat on the grass across from the nobleman. He laughed at that.

“I prefer to set up camp as soon as I get to my hunting grounds,” he said. “And we are finally here! After years of waiting, I’m in the Eternal Plateau. The place where dinosaurs, great and terrible lizards, stalk the land!”

In the distance, I heard a shrill cry, a ghastly call that made my skin crawl. “Dinosaurs?” I asked. “They seem peaceful.”

“The green eaters are,” Phindar explained. “But there’s a carnivorous and hungry lot past the Shell Reef Barrier, six miles from here. The Primex Beast, specifically, is my target. The strongest of them all, fast and the size of a small castle…and smart. It is a creature that I intend to take down, to show that I am a great hunter, one who is more than capable of commanding the King’s Foresters.”

“Consider me at your command then, sire,” I said as I helped myself to a ladle of some stew. It was full of berries and nuts, hearty and filling without being too much.

“Ahhh it’s good to be out in the wild, eh?” Phindar asked as he looked around. “I’ve been dying to get away from the Grand City. Life as a noble commissioner is tedious as it is boring. Get me out into the woods, into the vast open world! That’s where I want to be.”

I felt a slight amount of nerves suddenly. This was a noble commissioner? That was a high ranking position! Commissioners were in charge of districts of the city, as well as the outer regions that made up the countryside of Olandia. They were extremely well-educated members of society; only the elite would ever have a chance of becoming a commissioner.

“You’re a commissioner?” I asked, voice full of awe. “I had no idea.”

“Oh please, don’t treat me as if I were made of gold,” the man grunted as he waved a dismissive hand towards me. “I’m just a man. No different from you. It’s just I have a larger set of responsibilities than others. Responsibilities that strangle…” he sighed heavily. “The life of a noble is not an easy one, friend. Do not envy it.”

“I don’t,” I said. “But then again, the idea of becoming one is so far removed from my reality that I’d never even think to envy them.”

The man had another serving of stew. “If I could run away, I would,” he said. “But alas, I’m cursed with being a decent man. And I know that if I step down, the next person to fill my shoes wouldn’t nearly be as attentive to the needs of the people. The nobles tend to be a little…ignorant of what the peasantry requires to be happy and safe. I fought long and hard to become a man of high stature so I could make a difference…but even now, I wonder if I’m burning my life away doing what I hate.”

Yeesh. Talk about drama. I merely nodded at the man. “You don’t hate this, right?” I said, sweeping my hand to the outside world. “And you’d never be in a position to go on such a hunt without being a noble!”

Phindar slowly nodded. “You make a good point. I suppose hindsight is tainted by the privilege of knowing the truth now.” He grew silent for a time, stoking the fire as the night sky began to descend upon us.  I merely sat back and enjoyed the silence. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

Chapter 52

The morning came quickly enough, as did a stampede of the Highleaf Lizards, as I called them. These great beasts came running through the valley, rushing to get to the high trees in the distance. Their footsteps were like thunder and after a while, I stopped hearing the sound of their march altogether, as it became simple noise in the background.

“Today, we scout,” Phindar said once we had packed up the camp. I couldn’t help but notice that for all of his ‘nobility is a curse’ talk, he didn’t seem in a hurry to help me with any of the chores. Instead, he simply sat by the now dead fire, fiddling with a bow to look as if he were busy. “I’ll get an overview of the hunting grounds while you are to move through the area and come back with a map.”

“Got it,” I said. I paused for a moment. “What if we see the creature we’re hunting?”

“We stay our course,” he replied. “Our prey is powerful and smart, capable of killing a full grown man in a matter of seconds. It is the most fearsome beast known to man. To strike it when we are not ready is foolhardy. The beast will make itself known – we must be patient in our hunt.”

“Ah, sorry I should have known that,” I said as I finished packing up the camp, rolling up Phindar’s bedroll and securing it to his backpack.

“Nonsense! You’re a scout, not a hunter,” the man proudly said, clapping me on the back. “I relish in sharing my knowledge. This is a fine and excellent craft, one worthy of any man to engage in.”

“Hunting back home was called poaching,” I said. “Only the rabbits and the squirrels were for us.”

“Yes, that is unfortunate,” Phindar replied. In the distance, there was a huge thundering crash. Two trees began to bend as something moved through the jungle on the far east of us. I peered curiously to see if we’d be able to catch a glimpse of what was moving about, but nothing. A shame.

“I wish for educational reform,” the man continued, oblivious to the thing moving in the distance. “Give every peasant a bow and let them hunt a few deer a year, it would do wonders for our national skill level.”

I let the man talk for a time as we headed to the Shell Reef Barrier. This required passage through the purple grass into a large steamy jungle. The heat was profound compared to the rest of the Plateau and even though I had a charmed necklace, I still found myself sweating a bit.

Taking the lead, I drew out my machete and began to cut through the jungle, unsure of exactly where we were going. Phindar’s opinions were mostly about reform this, reform that, but most of it was lost on me. I wasn’t a particularly educated man, nor did I care about the things of the city. If you ask me, too many folks spend too much time in their own heads and not enough time out in the world, seeking adventure.

Eventually we reached a huge cliff – the edge of the jungle itself. Gazing down, I could see huge sea shells sticking out of the ground. These massive white and purple structures were like buildings, towering over the rest of the world. Some were partially submerged in sand; others were completely out in the open.

“Woah…” I gasped.

“Take in the majesty that is Shell Reef Barrier,” Phindar said, opening his arms wide. “I’ve studied this hunting ground extensively. In books. So take everything I say with a dash of salt. Supposedly, the land is full of submerged oyster beasts that devour anything they sense moving. This is primarily why I needed a scout for this mission, as opposed to simply buying my way into the portal.”

“You want someone to walk in front of you so you don’t get eaten first?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips and taking a half step away.

He laughed. “Sort of. Obviously the goal is for you to not be devoured, but I need you to mark a path that’s safe, devoid of any oysters. That’s in addition to scouting out the rest of the reef.”

I looked around at the trees near us. “This spot looks like a good area to set up base camp. We can rappel down to investigate and hunt, then when the day is up we can climb right back up.”

“Good eye,” Phindar said. “You read my mind exactly.”

We stared at each other for a minute and then I realized that I was the one who had to set up camp. With a stifled sigh, I went to work, readying a more permanent campground for our long term stay.

I had to admit, the excitement was beginning to build. Sure, digging a fire pit wasn’t glamorous, but we were right next to the hunting grounds! Soon we’d be facing off against the mysterious Primex Beast…though I wondered if Phindar was truly skilled enough to take it down. Or was he just hyping up a rather easy battle, to make himself seem more legendary? No, that didn’t seem to fit his personality.

Large stones were gathered and put into a circle, to form a nice, permanent fire pit. We’d be able to keep a fire going pretty much day and night, as long as someone was around to stoke the fire. There was plenty of firewood; the trees were brittle here, easy to split with a machete and full of fibers. I found that the fibers burned especially long, and bundled a few into proper torches, just in case we needed to travel at night.

Once the fire and the tents were set up, I turned my attention towards the actual scouting project itself. Phindar wanted a map of the area and a secured path on the reef itself. How would I get him either?

As I stood on the edge of the cliff, rubbing my chin, a small dinosaur, no bigger than a handbag, came walking out of a cave. He was a short guy with stubby legs and sprinted forward with considerable speed. As he ran across the sand, suddenly, the ground beneath him collapsed and two massive oyster shells came slamming together. In an instant, the poor sucker was gone.

The oyster fell over, now surfaced. Its shell, purple and white, glistened in the sunlight as it began to dig downwards, submerging itself once more before opening wide.

“Well, I can mark that one,” I said, writing down the location in my notebook. I’d need flags…

Here was where my cloak came in handy. There were small handkerchiefs that lined up the interior of the cloak. They were patched on but could be torn off with minimal force, making for an excellent emergency bandage or cloth. And they were bright green, something that would stand out on the sandy ground beneath us.

I collected a few sticks, then tied my kerchiefs to them, creating little flags. I had about sixteen, hopefully enough to mark out a safe zone for us to hunt.

Once I finished building my flag markers, I secured a line to the ground and began to climb down, building handholds each step of the way. This would ensure we’d be able to get up even if there was no rope.

I landed on the sandy area and looked out. At the bottom of this cliff was a huge cavern that led to a bay of water. The ocean roared as it lapped against the shores. “Woah…” I said, staring at the great body of water. I had never seen the ocean before. Or was it just a big lake? What was the difference?

As I pondered this, I surveyed the rest of the area. Shells everywhere. Hmmm…we knew the oysters were dangerous, but what about these other shells? They didn’t seem to react to the world.

Picking up a smooth stone, I aimed at the red shell across from me. It was partially submerged in the sand but was easy to get to from here. I chucked the rock as hard as I could at the shell. Nothing.

“Okay…so now I know it doesn’t react to rocks,” I said, not that impressed by my idea for testing the presence of danger. Did I want to risk my life by jumping on the shell? I looked at the rest of the huge bay area. It would take forever to mark out a safe zone without these shells.

I tossed another few rocks in front of me, held my breath, then carefully stepped on the ground. Nothing burst forth to devour me, so I suppose it was clear. I planted the flag to the side as I took another step. Nice and clear. Another flag.

I took a big step towards the shell and placed my foot on the edge of its red ridges. No movement. I pushed my foot harder, digging my heel into the shell but still no action. I swung my machete at the dead center of the shell, striking the hard calcium surface. Not a single movement. It seemed safe. But those were famous last words…still no other way to test it. More famous last words.

Gritting my teeth and swearing never to tell my mom about this, I leapt onto the dead center of the shell and yelped in anticipation of being devoured.

“Whew…” I gasped, wiping my forehead when the shell remained inert. This was a great spot, almost four feet wide, making a perfect place for us to stage our hunt. And the flags led right up to it. But we’d need room to move around.

There was still a wide sand bank in front of me, a few shells partially submerged but nowhere close to where I was. Picking up some of my trusty rocks, I tossed them straight into the open sand in front of me. Instantly, the ground collapsed and an oyster slammed shut, tearing through with supersonic speed.

Okay…so rocks did work. Good to know.

The oyster began to submerge itself into the ground, though partially this time. A few more rocks revealed the space around this oyster was completely clear. It seemed that the giant mollusks steered away from each other. Probably because they ate one another.

I slipped off the shell I was standing on and slowly shuffled across the ground I had tossed rocks onto. The giant oyster paid no mind to me, nor my motion as I walked right past it. It had expended a tremendous amount of energy in snapping to the surface, so perhaps it didn’t have much left to try and devour me at this point.

I marked that down in my notes as a possible weakness, and continued forward for the rest of the afternoon, flagging safe spaces and marking where the oysters were. Over time, my nerves started to subside. I wasn’t growing careless or jaded but I was feeling more…confident, I suppose. I understood how these creatures worked and had spent a great deal of time marking out their areas. The fear of the ground suddenly bursting out from under me was gone.

But just as this fear started to fade, a new one began. I drew close to the underground bay, where the greenish blue water lapped at the shores. The vast cavern was a natural formation, caused by waters rising over millennia. I had never seen such a large body of water before. And just before I could take in the majesty of it up close, there came a hideous shrieking.

The waters grew frothy as they became greatly disturbed by movement. Things seemed to happen in slow motion as a huge long snouted beast came crashing out of the emerald liquid. He was a blue dinosaur, almost blending in with the waters, with a massive snout that was shaped like a flat blade. He opened his mouth wide, trying to snap me up, but I managed to throw myself back just in time.

The huge beast flopped onto the land for a moment, let out a shrill shriek and then, dragged itself back into the waters, leaving me safe and sound. For now.

Chapter 53

Sir Phindar looked at my map and listened to my report with mild interest – until I got to the part with the water beast. Then he was fascinated by my encounter. “We must make a note to avoid that cave,” he had said. “Excellent work.”

With my map of the area and the ground properly flagged for safety, we had enough to begin the second phase of the hunt. Building the Blind.

“Pay attention closely, young man,” Phindar said as he easily slid down the rope leading to the first area on the map. “For this is the key to a successful hunt. Everyone thinks the battle is won in the actual pursuit of the beast, but that is folly. The battle is won well before. If you aren’t confident in your victory, then you must make preparations until you are.”

I listened with interest to this. Hunting was an interesting pursuit and certainly had value for a scout. I was able to live off the land without the need to hunt, as foraging provided me with most of my nutrients (and that awful seeker treat). But there were times when I wanted meat, or saw a curious type of game to pursue. If I paid attention, I might be able to take up a bow on my own.

We made it to the first shell. “Perfect!” Phindar said, smacking me on the shoulder. “You found the exact kind of spot we need to make a blind. This shall be where we stake out our game – and more importantly, it is where we shall return to when we are forced to pursue the beast.”

“Home base for the hunt,” I said.

“Not entirely,” Phindar explained as he unfurled his backpack. He took out a few large metal pikes that were interconnected via a central chain. “We don’t trap the home base. But we do trap the hell out of the blind.”

He tossed a bundle of cords to me. It was a fine mesh net, carefully woven into a ball. “Untangle that, will ya? They’re easy to carry around but a pain in the neck to open.”

I complied with his command, working to untangle the surprisingly big net. It expanded as I pulled the cords loose from their tied position. Pretty soon, I could see why he had packed it – this net was huge.

“Some hunters rely on traps to slay their prey, but I prefer to use controls,” Phindar explained, showing me that the chains formed a complicated snare. He set about rigging it in the sand a few feet away from us, where a flag was sitting pretty. “Stopping movement to open them up for a clean kill is much better than hoping to stake them through with the latest tech.”

The ground shook for a moment. We looked at each other and began to quickly finish our work. I unwound the massive net so fast that I almost entangled myself in it. Phindar managed to get the large mechanical snare into the ground and staked, but another thumping caused him to quickly retreat to the shell.

“We best call it a day,” he said. A loud, guttural roar came blasting from the northern area of the reef. It echoed all around us, accelerating our rush back to the top of the cliff.

Despite the fear, Phindar grabbed me and pushed me in front of him, making sure that I was the first to climb. That was quite gentlemanly, I must say. Certainly not something I would have expected from a noble or a client.

I hurried up the cliff and bent down to help Phindar up. We made it to the top just in time to see the great Primex Beast emerge from the northern bend. That area had been so far that it would be impossible for me to reach with my flags, so I hadn’t been able to visit there. Phindar had marked that area as the probable nest of the dinosaur we were hunting. And the creature’s appearance had all but confirmed it.

The dinosaur was huge, nearly twenty feet tall with a massive snout and a fierce pair of jaws. He walked on two legs and sported a tail that thrashed with each step, perhaps balancing his movement. This creature’s skin was dark red, with black patches across its head and nostrils.

“Behold the Primex,” Phindar said. “One of the deadliest predators across all universes.”

The monster stormed forward, searching for something to eat. It stopped at a particular patch of sand and thrust a foot forward. Instantly, the oyster beneath tried to surface and devour its prey, only to be intercepted by the Primex slamming its jaws straight into the meat of the beast. They struggled for only a second before the beast tore the flesh out of the core of the oyster, then with a snap of its head, tossed the empty shell to the side.

With a massive chunk of white flesh in its mouth, the creature returned to its lair. Its footprints lasted for only a few minutes before the sands rose up, filling the space that had been left by each step.

“Interesting,” Phindar said. “Observation brings a lot of value. What did you see?”

“It likes to pick fights and win,” I said.

“He has quite the smorgasbord here,” Phindar explained, waving a hand out towards the general area. “There must be dozens, if not hundreds of these oysters. The big guy’s probably made a living off of fishing this general area. He’s in a routine, not desperate. That means he will retreat if he senses danger overwhelming.”

“You want to prepare for his retreat?” I asked, looking at the man incredulously. “You saw that thing right? We’re like…toothpicks compared to it.”

“Aye, that’s what makes the hunt all the more satisfying,” Phindar chuckled. “Let’s get some rest for the evening. Tomorrow we’ll finish the blind.”

I had no need for sleep this early – my vitality stones had given me almost unlimited energy – but I accommodated the man by helping prepare the stew. I was distracted the whole night, my head filled with the image of the mighty Primex. How were we going to ever take that thing down?

Chapter 54

Work on the blind continued. The snare trap was set up in the center of the hunting ground. It was a metallic claw that wrapped around a single leg, digging into the ground and securing the target to a series of metal stakes that were hammered into the ground. A tension line was attached to the claw, making it so that the more force was put on the line, the harder the line would pull back. This required a winding winch to create enough tension in the line to handle a beast the size of the Primex.

The net I had worked most of the day to open was attached between two wobbly wooden poles. The net was pulled back, like a slingshot, bending the poles along with it. When it was released, the poles would thrust forward, tossing the net in a perfect arc towards where the Primex would be coming.

Shovels were our next tool and we focused for nearly an hour, digging a pit wide enough to cause the creature to stumble in. Our work was nervous as we gazed towards the north every few seconds, waiting for the beast to emerge. But it never did. We worked as fast as we could, making a narrow trench that would cause the beast’s footing to become lost. It would fall forward, into the rest of the blind.

Once it was clear the monster wasn’t coming out anytime soon, I was ordered to dig out three more trenches while Phindar worked on the final trap: the mounted crossbow.

This large metallic device took some time to build and I heard the man utter a dozen swears while he worked. I whistled jauntily to myself, enjoying the sunshine and the exercise of digging – it reminded me of home. Eventually, I finished up and returned to the central shell where Phindar was occupied.

The crossbow was mounted on a large metal pole that had two wheels attached to the bottom. The wheels could be pulled up or down, depending on the configuration, allowing it to easily be transported across the platform. Good for readjusting aim.

The man was working to restring the massive bowline of the weapon. He was swearing up a storm, desperately trying to pull the line into place.

“Sir,” I said, pointing to the tension slot on the side of the device. “I think you’re supposed to sling it through there.”

The man looked at the obvious hole that he had been reaching past. He glared as he looped the rope through the hole and around the hook. Immediately, the bowline became taut. He worked a few minutes with a lever crank, rotating it a few times, making the line bend even harder.

“There,” Phindar said. “Load it with the harpoon.”

I walked over to the assortment of spikes that were nearly the size of my arm. They were surprisingly light, leading me to wonder about their efficiency. I suppose I’d find that out soon enough.

Phindar showed me how to load the harpoon onto the crossbow and we did a test shot. The long spear sailed across the horizon, striking the cliffside wall. “Crank the line back,” he ordered. “Fast as you can go.”

There was a hand crank on the side of the crossbow that required quite a bit of muscle in order to get moving. I worked hard, pulling the crank, until finally the harpoon was dislodged from its position in the wall and was steadily retracting back to us.

“There it is” Phindar cheered. “You’re a natural at this, you know that?”

“Thanks, sir,” I said. There wasn’t much to this other than pulling a crank and that didn’t seem so hard.

“Traps are all in order,” the man muttered to himself. “Crossbow is working. I do believe we have everything necessary to fight the creature. All we need is to lure it to the blind.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” I replied. “Considering it’s a predator. All it needs to see is a target.”

“Indeed,” Phindar said. “I’ll draw it out. You man the harpoon.”

“No way,” I protested, quickly getting in front of him. “I’m far more spry, sir. I guarantee you, I can outrun you in short sprints. That should be enough to get me back here. And besides, I don’t know how to shoot with that thing. You’ll be better off aiming it.”

“I couldn’t ask you to face off that beast alone,” the man replied, shaking his head.

“No, I won’t hear of it!” I said, wagging a finger in his face. “I’m a Royal Scout and my job is to get you to your prey and back safely. So I’m going to draw it. Simple as.”

Phindar smirked at my audacity. “You know I’ve never been spoken to like that before. I can appreciate the crassness of it. Fair enough, sir, you are free to engage.”

I turned around and looked at the northern bend. Not only did I need to worry about the Primex Beast, I also had to watch my step as well. I hadn’t marked that far out.

Throwing stones and prayer got me far enough to where I could see around the bend, leading to a small dead end. Bones were everywhere, skeletons of the mighty beasts that had walked the fields above were scattered in a commonplace manner. Resting among the bones was the mighty Primex Beast.

The creature’s eyes were shut and he was sleeping, resting on his side in a curled up ball. He looked even bigger up close. I swallowed hard, remembering all those words I had said to Phindar earlier. Why I had said any of them? Oh, right, because I wanted to impress the nobleman. After all, I was representing the Scouts.

With that thought in my head, I swallowed my fears and readied my trusty rock. “Fly true…” I whispered, chucking the stone through the air. It flew far enough to thwack the nostrils of the Primex and…it did nothing.

“Come on…” I groaned, watching as the beast continued to slumber. Shells of oysters were more abundant in this area, allowing me to cross the gap to the Primex without fear of being devoured. These empty husks certainly weren’t about to do anything to me.

I sprinted across the shells, rocks in hand. The closer I got, the further my courage seemed to flee; my heart was in my throat and I could barely see, despite it being a clear day. The monster grew larger as I drew closer and finally, I was at a distance that I knew would have to wake the creature.

“Gods above, please let him be groggy…” I prayed as I wound up the pitch.

With all my might, I chucked the rock at the Primex Beast’s nostrils. Thunk! The rock bounced off the nose, causing the creature to open one of its yellow eyes.

The eye looked around for a moment and then locked onto me. Instantly, it dilated, pupils growing twice their size.

“It worked!” I yelped, turning heel and sprinting the way I had come in. The beast roared violently, causing the entire ground, sands included, to shake. It was on its feet in an instant and was thundering behind me, easily gaining ground.

“Ahhhhh!” I cried, leaping out of the way as the jaws came biting at my heels. This thing was way faster than I had anticipated and I couldn’t sprint faster. Not even close.

I stumbled and tripped over a hidden shell, falling onto the ground. The next second, I felt a pair of brutal jaws wrap around my torso and lift me high. The jaws tried to press shut but my armor, my blessed armor held!

In between the jaws of the creature, I didn’t know what else to do other than try and punch my way out. I swung my fist at the eye of the Primex Beast, for I was hanging out of its jaws in such a way that I could wriggle up to reach it. The creature swung me up in the air with its head, tossing me like I was a ragdoll.

Time seemed to slow down as I sailed upside down, spinning from the thrust of the throw. My boots swung into action, reorienting me so that I was standing on my feet. I fell towards the open mouth of the Primex Beast, screaming as I realized my orientation only made me a more digestible snack.

A hard spear struck me in the back and suddenly I was being pulled backwards as I fell. The ground came quickly but I was moving at an angle, cutting through the air rather fast. My boots tried to stabilize my landing but I was just going too quickly. I crashed into the side of the shell and skidded a few feet. The line stuck to my back began to pull and I groaned, trying not to lose consciousness as the world spun.

Chapter 55

The harpoon had managed to yank me all the way back to the blind. I was impressed by how quickly Phindar could operate the crank and tried to say so, though the words came out as ‘neugh’. My landing had cracked my ribcage and the dragging had made it worse. The pain was overwhelming and I could barely get a coherent sentence out.

The Primex Beast had grown distracted by a nearby oyster that had tried to attack while it was crossing to chase after me. It was busy feasting on the carcass, staring out at the blind as if it knew there was a trap waiting for it.

“Are you okay, my lad?” Phindar asked as he propped me up against his backpack.

“Gunnoa, dieh,” I muttered. Why had I bragged? I had no problem with getting myself killed in the line of duty, I suppose, but did I have to brag first? Now everyone would have a laugh at my demise, all because I bragged.

“Easy, boy,” Phindar soothed as he patted me on the chest. “I’ve just the concoction for you. Either that or I will be getting a very steep refund from the magician who sold it to me.”

The man took out a small green bottle in the shape of a heart and uncorked it. He placed it to my lips and the anise-tasting liquid quickly rushed into my mouth. I gulped it down and instantly, the pain in my body was gone. It was as if I had never been injured in the first place.

“It worked!” I said, letting out a sigh of relief as I leaned forward, patting my ribs. “I don’t think anything’s broken anymore.”

“Excellent,” Phindar said. “Then I won’t need to break the bones of the man who sold this batch to me. Do you know how hard it is to find good healing solution these days?”

The Primex Beast roared, having finished its meal. This broke Phindar from his ramble and he looked out at the creature. “Seems to still have an appetite. Let’s see if we can get his attention. Load the harpoon!”

I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the harpoons, quickly picking one up and sliding it into the large crossbow. Phindar rotated the gun and aimed it straight at the large beast. It was staring at us, still curious but not enough to engage.

“Fire!” Phindar shouted as he released the payload. “Grab the crank and ready!”

I quickly grabbed onto the hand crank, the hunter manning the one on the other side. We both gripped the handle and waited for the projectile to reach its target.

The line whirred as the harpoon sailed through the air, striking the Primex Beast right on the snout. The barbs went in.

“Pull, pull for the love of your life!” Phindar ordered as he began to rotate the crank. I pulled as well and the line went taut. The harpoon began to retract and the Primex Beast was pulled forward, its entire body lurching from the sudden yank.

The creature began to rush towards us, trying to break out of its bonds by outrunning the speed at which we could crank the wheel. This strategy would have worked, if not for the ditch we had dug earlier.

The first foot found no ground where it had been expecting and immediately the Primex Beast stumbled into the pit, falling forward onto its body.

“Cut the line!” Phindar shouted, “we’ve pissed him off now!”

I quickly hacked the line with my machete and loaded the crossbow once more.

The dinosaur roared as it began to climb up out of the pit. It was almost eighty feet away from us but it would be able to cross that gap in a matter of seconds. Phindar aimed the crossbow and held his shot.

“Let’s see if it falls for the snares,” Phindar said. “Then we’ll go for a body shot. After that? We draw in close to finish the job.”

“Why not just keep using harpoons?” I asked.

“The line is meant to keep it from fleeing, lad,” Phindar replied as he patted the bow on his back. “Only a good bow and arrow can land a shot that will take out a precious organ.”

“You’re mad if you think you can get within range of that thing!” I said. “You’d have to be at least ten feet away to puncture the skin.”

“My estimate was thirty feet but I suppose you may be right,” he said. Ahead, the Primex Beast had triggered the snare as it moved towards us, its legs getting caught in the irons. As the beast tried to pull its leg free, it turned sideways, opening its slender body to fire.

Phindar took advantage of this and shot the beast in the side, the harpoon line growing taut once more. The creature didn’t seem to react to the weapon digging into its flesh, indicating a toughness or insensitivity to pain that made me nervous about the nobleman’s plan.

“Haha! We’ve landed it! Now it’s time to end this. Hold off on the net, my lad, we may need it if things go south!” Phindar shouted as he drew his bow and joyfully placed an arrow on the neck. “Tally ho!”

He leapt off the shell and rushed to meet the raging beast. The Primex was roaring violently now, thrashing and smashing its tail as it tried to break free of the sturdy trap. But it was unable to get away.

I followed after Phindar, drawing my sword. What was I doing? What was he doing? I thought we’d shoot it with the harpoon a few more times…but a close-quarters kill? I’d be bringing a body back with me for certain!

The Primex ceased trying to break free of its bonds when it noticed the two morsels approaching. It quickly lowered its head and charged at us, jaws open wide. Right before it could reach us, the snare’s tension line pulled back, yanking the creature away.

“See? We’re safe!”

“Famous last words, famous last words!” I huffed. “Take the shot!”

Phindar aimed his bow at the huge creature as it stormed towards us. The tension line almost broke but we had worked all day to secure the snare to blocks of stone packed into the earth. The hard work had paid off, for the beast was unable to push forward and once again, fell backwards.

“Magnificent,” Phindar said as he released the arrow.

The projectile thwipped through the air, striking the right side of the creature’s snout. This did nothing but cause the beast to roar in anger. It spun around and began to chew on the tension line.

“Are you not a good shot?” I asked.

“Pressure does crazy things to a man,” the hunter replied as he drew another arrow and readied his shot. “Annnnd down!”

He released the arrow and this time, it struck true. As the creature was hunched over, ripping out the iron in the ground, its lower belly was more exposed. The arrow struck the beast right in the side and blood was drawn. The creature bellowed and spun around, letting out a wild cry that caused the ground to shake.

Phindar fired again, shooting into the open mouth of the beast. The arrow must have struck something vital for the beast went down instantly, crumpling to the ground like we had cut its legs at knee level.

We both waited a beat but nothing happened. The monster was down, it appeared. Phindar had slain the mighty Primex Beast. But I wasn’t going to get close enough to verify that fact.

Chapter 56

The dinosaur was dead. Phindar had struck it right in its brain with his last shot, giving it an instant death. The noble claimed that had been his intention all along but I had my most sincere doubts about his actual skill level. It appeared as if he had just gotten lucky. Though I suppose the hard work we had put into the traps had also factored into that luck.

“Now, we claim our prize,” the man said once we were close to the corpse. “For this hunt isn’t just about vanity. Oh no. The Primex Beast’s meat is capable of curing a wide variety of illnesses, and the organs are useful for their magical components. I shall return home with a bounty of miracles that will buy me a great deal of influence. And then, I shall see my reforms.”

I was handed a carving knife and given a few lessons on how to butcher a beast for its meat. This was actually rather informative and Phindar cut no corners in teaching me how to cut in a way to preserve meat, skin and bone separately. I was impressed with the fact that the man was intending to use all of the gifts of his hunt – I did not think him to be someone concerned with honoring the creature he had slain.

But we gave thanks and prayed to the hunting gods over each piece of the harvest and he taught me a clever way to remember the 112 hunter gods by reciting them in an order that corresponded to the steps of butchering. I had not taken him for a devout man but I suppose after surviving that ordeal, it made sense for him to be as religious as possible; I think his survival was a miracle.

Once we finished the butchering of the beast, we then gave our offering to the land. “One must never take without giving some back,” he had said to me as we carried several steaks made from the monster’s tail. We approached the basin of water where the horrific needle beast rested. With a heft, we tossed each steak into the water, watching as the sea monster rushed up to devour the offering. It swallowed the meat chunks whole, roaring in delight and splashing about as if it were doing tricks to entertain us.

“I take that as a sign the gods approve of our offering,” Phindar said. “Now we can pack up and head out.”

To my surprise, the man had prepared ahead of time for the harvest. He had a small Eon Stone that created a cart made out of magical energy whenever it was activated. The cart would last as long as we needed and it pulled itself, meaning we could load it up with the captured goods and head straight to the portal.

The man grew uncharacteristically silent as we worked to hoist the cart up the cliff. He seemed almost mournful as we departed from the hunting grounds and his mood only grew sourer as we progressed towards the portal.

“So many years I have dreamt about this moment,” he said. “And now that it’s here…I almost feel as if it were a waste of time. Gone so quickly. The thrill of the hunt now replaced with the wistfulness of memory. It’s a bit miserable, I must confess.”

“Surely you didn’t come out to hunt just for the thrill?” I asked. “You were speaking about how the creature’s harvest will provide so much opportunity for yourself. Political power and all that. Doesn’t that motivate you more than the hunt did?”

Phindar mused on that as we crossed the purple grass valley. “I suppose I’m just afraid of what life will actually look like with my plans in place. It’s one thing to plot and plan, but another for it to actually happen.”

“Seems you’re afraid of phantoms,” I chided. “I wouldn’t worry about it. You’re brave enough to square off with a Primex Beast face-to-face, I think you can handle your political career.”

“Thank you for the kind words, Ivan,” the man said, patting me on the back. “You are a good man. And a friend. Truly, it is refreshing to speak to someone who looks at me as almost a non-factor. You have no fear of me, no reason to grovel and no ambitions beyond your station. Barring you failing this mission, you have nothing to gain from our friendship. And I appreciate that.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t treated him any different from anyone else. Though I suppose that was the point he was making. With a shrug, I grunted. “Don’t mention it.”

“No, I think I will mention it,” he countered as we continued on our journey. The walk to the home portal was an easy one and I couldn’t see anything intercepting us. I suppose that was the joy of being on the Eternal Plateau. “You’re a good man and I want to reward you for a job well done. You held your own, risked your life and even took a hit in the line of duty. Ask what you will and I will give it to you.”

I was tempted to say something snarky, knowing full well that I couldn’t use my position to gain any kind of keepsake or reward…but what if I didn’t use this gift for myself? After all, the man was interested in reform, was he not?

“Well, now that you mention it…” I said, growing a little apprehensive. I pondered this for a moment.

“I assure you, our conversation is in the utmost confidence,” Phindar said. “Ask away. Please, I beg of you.”

“Alright, so I’m really in love with the scouts. And I’m just getting started here. I’ve moved up in the ranks rather quickly, not because I’m some incredible person but because they’re woefully underfunded and undermanned. I’ve heard that the program is going to be decommissioned in only a matter of three years. I won’t have a job after that,” I explained. “And I’ve resolved to do something about it.”

Phindar pondered that for a moment. “Interesting. So the Royal Scouts are being put out to pasture…I suppose it makes some level of sense. The king has been on a City-First kick for the last few decades, slowly eroding every institution outside of the Grand City.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Power consolidation,” Phindar said. “The stronger the city is, the stronger the king. Whereas the stronger the countryside, the stronger the estate lords and such. Urbanization has been his plan to siphon the various major houses of their strength over the generations. You can’t wage war against people choosing to live somewhere better. And many nobles leave their households to come to the city to serve as administrators in the government. It makes sense that he would see West Carnelion as an institution worth defunding. It’s mostly independent though it answers directly to the Crown, allowing the king to drain their resources as he pleases.”

This man seemed to have a great insight into how things worked. “Can you help me preserve the Scouts?” I asked. “I wouldn’t have a clue as to how I could help other than clearing out our backlog of government missions.”

“I am going to ask you a vital question,” he asked. “And it is one you will need to answer me satisfactorily before I am able to take up your case. With the discovery of the dungeons beneath the Grand City, there have been Eon Stones found for the first time, as well as other magical artifacts. The Royal Scouts were once necessary to bring stones to the market but with this change…I must ask, what is the point of the scouts? Why do they need to exist? What are they for?”

I pondered that question for a few minutes. I certainly didn’t know the ‘right’ answer to this question. But I figured out something that sounded decent. “If you ask me, it seems there is a lot to learn from other cultures,” I said. “But the Crown has an explicit hands-off approach. Cultural exchanges, trade, sharing notes with friendly people, all of that is off limits. If not for the rules, we would probably have a lot to gain from these portals. But, with these rules in place, I can’t rightly answer you. Stones are kind of the only major motivation for most of the organization. They pay the bills.”

Phindar considered this, grinning at the challenge. “I must say, I appreciate the puzzle you’ve brought me. A good political situation is always like a puzzle. You have to put everything in just the right place for it to work. I think I can make a case to the king as to the value of the Scouts. And I would be willing to do so on your behalf. If you’re one of the new ones, then I know the organization has a good future.”

Chapter 57

The mission was concluded without a hitch. I expertly guided the man to the portal and we zipped through to the other side. He was delighted with the adventure and raved about my performance to anyone who would listen. More importantly, he agreed to assist me with my goal of saving the Royal Scouts from closing.

“I’ve got quite a few things to move around first,” he had said. “But when the time comes, you will receive a letter with an update as to what I have been able to do on my end. I shall speak fondly of my adventure in the hopes of generating more interest as well. Perhaps if nobles start going out on safari more, the portals will be seen more as recreation than anything else. And good luck underfunding a good time!”

This wasn’t a concrete promise and I wasn’t expecting to hear from him again. Not because I distrusted him but because I simply knew that you couldn’t count on gifts that weren’t in your hand. Hopefully he would be able to defy my expectations but I had to account for continuing my work on my own for now.

Finishing the mission required me to debrief the Mission Commander, a woman I did not know about until Lileven sent me her way. She was located in the Exchange, occupying the front window of a building.

The woman was a large redhead with curls that bunched up on both sides. She sat behind a large glass window, resting at a desk with dozens of papers stacked up beside her. I tried the door but she merely snorted at me, then tapped the glass in front of her.

“No one comes in,” she said. “What do you want?”

“I’m looking for the Mission Commander?” I asked, holding up the completed job ticket.

“I’m her. Name’s Ginny,” she said. “Short Jennifer but don’t you dare call me Jenny.”

“Ivan,” I said, bowing.

She opened up a small portcullis in the side of her window and reached a hand out, snatching the ticket from me. She read it over. “Oh this is an old one. From the government board. Let’s see…”

Ginny mumbled to herself for a few moments and turned around in her chair, searching through drawers upon drawers of junk. Eventually, she produced a small grey case. “Here we go, for the hunter master himself.”

Ginny thrust the case through the window and I took it. I flipped the latches on the side and opened it up to see a gleaming yellow stone, hue as brilliant as a lemon. “An Eon Stone?” I asked, surprised and thrilled at the same time.

“What did you expect, a fairy?” the woman grunted. “You do a job, you get a magic rock. Tale as old as time.”

I thought these jobs were entirely voluntary, without pay. Incredible! This was an exciting incentive to add to the usual desire to see a job well done. The more of these government jobs I cleared, the more stones I could get…though I wondered if the quality was any good.

I attuned to the stone instantly, my thoughts latching onto the rock. It floated into the air as a bright wave of yellow light washed across my vision.

Eon Stone Attuned! Dash Stone has been activated!

Dash Stone: When sprinting, you reach top speed 90% faster.

Hey not bad! The yellow energy started to glow as the stone in my boot, the Lightning Stone, began to harmonize with the Dash Stone.

Stone energies are matching! You have collected 2 Speed Stones – Lightning and Dash. Abilities are harmonizing! Please select a Harmony Bonus from below!

Enhanced Reflexes: Your reaction time is sped up considerably.

Endless Runner: You may sprint at full speed for an hour without getting tired.

Combat Charge: When in a fight, your run speed is doubled.

Alright! A new set of bonuses to complement my extra speed. Hmm…all of these were good in different ways. Endless Runner was nifty but I didn’t really need overland travel right now. I had my trusty hog and my own experience distance running, why change what wasn’t broken? Enhanced Reflexes on the other hand…imagine being able to react to danger in a split second. As a scout, that kind of edge would be invaluable for almost every single thing I did. Far more versatile than combat charge – as I was trying to avoid fights anyway.

I selected Enhanced Reflexes and watched as my character sheet updated, reflecting a man who had come quite a distance from when he first started.

Once I was finished with my adaption, I turned my attention back to Ginny, who was reading a book with little interest in me. “Ma’am, I intend to do as many of these jobs as possible. Is there any way that you can assist me in clearing the backlog?”

The woman snickered at that but realized I was being serious. “There are over a hundred postings on that board, and most of them are still valid,” she said. “Lots of work that isn’t nearly as glamorous as going on a hunt with some noble.”

“I know, I know, but someone’s gotta do it,” I replied. “And I want to be efficient. Can you help me or do I need to ask someone else to handle these missions?”

“I’m the Commander, aren’t I?” she asked, tapping the glass with a cheeky grin. “Go grab all of the papers. We’ll sort through them and figure out some kind of methodology.”

I turned to go and she quickly added. “And I mean all of the papers, son. If you want to clear the log, you’re clearing the whole dang thing!”

Chapter 58

The backlog could be divided into about six different categories: Escort, Contact, Retrieval, Scout, Spy and Build. The Crown had, at one time, given a great deal of jobs to us, but the laissez-faire style of governance mixed with the fact that you could only get about one stone per job and no other pay led to few actually caring enough to do the jobs.

That was going to change. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to do all of this on my own. Every mission was in a portal of its own; there were no planes where multiple jobs could be done at once. If I were to do one at a time, it would take me years to make an impact – time I simply didn’t have.

With Ginny’s help, we managed to organize the missions better, ranking them from what appeared to be quick and easy, to difficult and long. I had first pick of the jobs, and so I took a few that looked interesting. But once we had finished separating each mission into their respective categories, I knew that I had to motivate the rest of the greencloaks to help out. And that meant talking to the Fellowships.

Jacob didn’t want me to join any fellowships until we had the all clear on the continued existence of the organization. This was for two reasons; first he wanted me loyal only to the Scouts and not a fraternity and second, joining a Fellowship came with a laundry list of chores, jobs and entanglements. Ultimately, Fellowships were what made being a Scout fun, but I wasn’t here for fun right now. I was here to save the thing I was growing to love so dearly.

But just because I couldn’t join didn’t mean I couldn’t speak with the heads. I organized a meeting with each leader, one at a time. They all took the meeting, eager to talk to a potential recruit. Unaffiliated greencloaks were rather rare, so they had the ulterior motive to court me to their side. No doubt that is why they took the meeting.

I didn’t mind being courted, because I was still making up my mind about these Fellowships. Who would I join? They all seemed the same, except for their names and emblems. Maybe this would help me distinguish what made each group different.

The first Fellowship I met with was House Bandersnatch. They greeted me and invited me to tour their wing before I went up to the top floor to meet with Hunter Lee.

While the barracks had been a bland and dark place, a spot to throw your body in between adventures, the Fellowship Hall was breathtakingly brilliant. The walls were painted with the house colors, a plum purple and a dark green. There was carpeting in here, as well as portraits of the various Bandersnatch members over the years.

Couches were everywhere, and in them were napping scouts, reclining with big smiles on their faces. Servant folk moved in between the couches, bringing wine and biscuits to those who were waking. I was shown a few dozen rooms, including a great library where I could study the fiercest beasts in the world.

“Bandersnatch has always been home to those who tangle with the monstrous,” Vicent, my guide had told me. “We pride ourselves on fighting the mythical and the magical, as well as learning all about them. Why, Billy Bag of Bones himself has learned the secret to taming even the fiercest of creatures. At least, he did until he came up against the mighty Bandersnatch. Hence why we named ourselves after such a creature.”

I was shown a trophy room where many mighty beasts stood in eternal vigil, their claws extended as if they were truly fighting. I wondered how many were slain in their sleep and then propped up to look as if they were a challenge.

At the end of my tour, I was brought to a room full of special weapons. They had Eon Stones studded into them already and were available for any member to take and use as long as they wished. A veritable armory, capable of slaying any magical monster.

After they concluded the tour, I was brought upstairs to have a drink with Hunter Lee. She was a short woman, with a missing eye and a long scar across her cheek. She wore a traditional leather jerkin, with a hunting cap and a longsword at her side.

“There he is, the guest of honor,” Miss Lee said as she eagerly poured me a drink from a murky bottle of blueish green liquid. She filled a small shot glass and slid it to me, then poured herself a drink as well. “How’d you like the tour?”

“It was interesting,” I said as I lifted the drink and tilted it back. The taste of alcohol was immediate and unpleasant; I gagged and put the cup down, shoving it away as she tried to refill it. “No thank you,” I wheezed.

“Not a fan of Abyssal Wine? I don’t blame you, it’s rotgut but gets you where you want to go,” Lee said as she chuckled. She took another shot and motioned for me to sit in the chair across from her desk. “Please, take a load off.”

“I’m going to be upfront with you, ma’am,” I said. “Seems you guys like to hunt and kill. That’s not really something I’m interested in. I just had a taste of it and that is probably all I need for a lifetime. So really, the chances of me joining House Bandersnatch are low.”

“Ah, a shame,” she said. “But I appreciate you not stringing me along. Some folks like to be pampered before they decline. Good to see you’re a man of character. Then again, for you to go from browncloak to green so quickly, I suppose that was always the case.”

She didn’t seem offended at all by my rejection. “So then,” Lee asked as she put her glasses aside and cleared the desk. “What can I do for you?”

“Missions,” I said. “From the government. What’s your take on them?”

“Ugh, they’re terrible, my men won’t do them and I won’t ask them to,” she quickly replied. “They don’t pay, they require a tremendous amount of effort and then if we mess up, it’s our entire career, over.”

“How so?”

Lee frowned as she recalled. “Well, a government job has a fail condition, right? And what happens to a cloak when they fail? They get demoted. Now, if you go out on your own, you might die in the wilderness but at least no one will take your cloak away.”

“If there were no penalties for failure,” I asked, “would your crew be willing to overlook the no pay?”

Lee pondered that. “The stone at the end is insulting. It’s like being told ‘here’s the bare minimum we can do’. If they gave a handful or something, then we’d all be more amenable to the work but…let’s face it, the Royal Scouts are only here for themselves. Everyone else is a tool.”

Harsh words but an honest assessment. I was nowhere near qualified to make any promises about fixing this problem. That didn’t stop me from trying to do so, however. “I’m trying to improve some things around here, and that requires fixing up infrastructure,” I explained. “As the House Leader, you’re part of that infrastructure. I’m collecting information to bring to the higher ups. How can I help you?”

“Fixing things?” Lee scoffed. “Come now, grasshead, this place has been broke for a long time. Longer than you’ve been alive. What makes you think you can just waltz in and make it all better?”

I shrugged. “Naiveté, I suppose,” I confessed. “And perhaps the belief that people can do good when they’re given the chance. I can’t fix this on my own, but with your help, and the help of the other Houses, I bet we can turn things around. And quickly too.”

The woman sat back and thought about this for a few minutes. “You know, I long ago had to make a choice between looking after my people and looking after the Scouts. It wasn’t pleasant but it’s something every House Leader and Captain has to deal with. The organization just isn’t on our side. How can you change that? Hmm?”

“By taking action,” I said. “Which is a lot more than what you’re doing right now. Look, you have to protect your people and I appreciate that. I’m not here to make waves. But I am here to make a difference. And to do good by everyone. Can I count on your support?”

“You would have to really prove you have the ability to deliver before I can even think about backing you,” she said. “Organizations don’t like troublemakers. You start yapping about fixing things and eventually someone’s going to fire you or worse, send you on a job that will take years. Loud scouts get long jobs. Remember that, kiddo.”

Chapter 59

Words would not convince House Bandersnatch that I was worth following. Hunter Lee was not a complacent woman, rather she was concerned about the safety of her house members. As far as she was concerned, it was House Bandersnatch against the rest of the world – the Scouts included.

This sentiment was echoed by House Kelpie and House Carbuncle, both intriguing groups in their own right. Kelpie was primarily interested in aquatic travels while Carbuncle was fascinated with digging into the ground. Both groups were formed around those interests and they were both shockingly singular to the point where I saw no value in joining either. I wasn’t a water fan nor was I interested in digging like a dwarf.

Both conversations went about as well as my talk with Hunter Lee. They individually lamented the fact that their organizations were in competition with one another but none of them were willing to take the first step in fostering positive relations. They were all waiting for someone else to go first, to be the trailblazer. Otherwise, they feared their Houses would be targeted via defunding.

It wasn’t until the fourth tour that I found a group that I could identify with. House Mandrake was interested primarily in mapmaking and scouting of all kinds. They relished in identification of plants, vegetation and animal life, documenting everything they could in notebooks. When I showed off my own, they were impressed and many gave tips on how to improve my shorthand.

The leader of House Mandrake was a curious man by the name of Balbrook. He was unlike the others House Leaders that I had met so far; they were all warm and excited to meet me but Balbrook? He regarded me with very little enthusiasm whatsoever. The man was almost entirely grey, his face devoid of all emotion and feeling.

“Greetings,” Balbrook said as I settled down in the chair across from him. The man had nothing in his office other than two chairs facing across from each other. No decorations, no colors, just him and me, staring at one another.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Balbrook,” I said.

“I feel nothing about meeting you,” he replied. “But that is to be expected. I hope I am not off-putting, though when I say I hope, I mean that I intend. I do not feel hope. I feel nothing. It is the effect of an Eon Stone that I have. It drains one of all of their emotions. Their feelings, gone in an instant.”

“That’s awful!” I said. “Isn’t there a cure?”

The man looked at me with no particular regard. “Cure? I chose this stone for this very purpose. Emotion has always held me back. I used to be overwrought with feelings and that interfered with my efficiency. Now, I make every choice based on pure logic. There is not a single ounce of emotion that modifies my thoughts. Every choice is pure, clean and efficient.”

This man was either a genius or an absolute lunatic. I wasn’t sure. “I see. And uh…do you like it?”

“Communication with others is difficult because they do not like to hear words plainly put,” he said. “Many wish to use niceties and lies to regulate their emotions. But I hold nothing back. Other than that, my existence has become ever more efficient and so I am pleased. Relatively speaking, I do not feel ple—”

“Yeah, I got it,” I said, interrupting him before he started to rant again. If he felt no emotion I could just say whatever I wanted without him seeing it as rude. In a way that was kind of freeing, although I still thought the idea was crazy. “So let me as blunt as you are. The House system is screwed up big time. The Royal Scouts have built something that is untenable and nothing is getting done. Everyone else seems to be a total coward so far. What about you? Do you care about preserving your organization or do you care about doing good?”

Balbrook did not blink at my words. “Doing good is an abstract. I would consider preserving my organization good. But I would also consider preserving the Scouts to be good as well. You are correct when you say the system doesn’t work. I have observed this long ago. The inefficiency would bother me if not –”

“I see, so you know there’s something wrong. Will you help me fix it? Make things more efficient?” I asked.

“In what manner do you require aid?”

“Missions from the government,” I said. “Lots of them are undone and it’s in the organization’s best interest for them to be finished, and quickly.”

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Balbrook said. “If the Scouts do well, we shall prosper. This will be indirect and not enough to motivate others to risk their careers. I care not about my career. Do you wish to know why?”

“I have a few guesses,” I replied, rubbing my forehead. He seemed to be quite interested in the fact that he had no emotions – reminding me every few minutes. I wondered if maybe he was stuck and couldn’t actually break free of the stone. After all, what if it really was cursed? And he wasn’t truly enjoying his freedom from emotions? Ugh, this was giving me a headache.

“Anyway, I need assistance in getting these jobs done and there is nothing I can offer right now,” I said. “House Mandrake could make a real dent in these operations. And with your oversight, I am sure you will get it, oh wait I don’t need to flatter you. You in or out?”

Balbrook nodded dutifully. “I am in, if not for the necessity to be around someone who finally knows how to speak to me properly. This conversation was efficient and that thrills me. Of course, you say there is nothing you can offer. This is incorrect. You have a body, do you not?”

“Oh dear, I didn’t know it would be going in this direction,” I said, tentatively drawing myself away from him. The man stared at me blankly, the gesture making no sense to him. Right, no emotions, no humor. “Erm, what did you have in mind?”

Balbrook fumbled with his pockets for a moment, rummaging through a variety of different Eon Stones. Some were clearly attuned to him while others were inert. It was impossible for me (and maybe him) to tell as he sifted through the rocks without any meaning or purpose. Eventually he found a stone; it was completely dead, split in half.

“This little bugger had an unfortunate fate at the hands of Gromwell the Chewer,” Balbrook said as he placed the damaged stone on the table in front of me. It was greenish-black, bloated in a weird way and arced like a peeled lemon rind, barely able to hold itself together. “It was…the balance to my current mental faculties. The removal of emotion from the mind entirely has some….side-effects and such. The Advisor Stone here gave me advice as to what to do and say in most social situations. Until I had a run-in with a particularly powerful ogre.”

The man paused and pushed the stone towards me. “Don’t worry, you can’t break it. These things are indestructible. Though it has been disrupted, it can be reforged.”

Woah! That caught my interest at once. I picked up the inert object and felt its weight. The thing still had a density as if it held more matter than it actually did. “How do we rebuild it?”

“We do not. But the great Starforgers of the Fire Abyss know the secrets. They know many secrets that we House Leaders have traded for in the past. But, alas, the last Starforger I knew on a personal level decided to retire, leaving me without a repairman,” Balbrook explained. “And while I have sent a few of the Mandrakes out to search for a suitable replacement, they have yet to find anything. If you want me on your side, then you must have me at my peak. And that requires the ability for me to navigate the inner social workings of the Houses.”

I nodded at the man’s words. “I see. So I’m going to have to find a Starforger…” I was almost in awe at the idea of meeting someone who knew how to repair these wondrous things. What other secrets did they know? What else could they teach someone like me?

Chapter 60

I found a friend in Thomas Balbrook, though an odd one at that. The man was frank, devoid of all mirth and completely oblivious to jokes, wordplay or suggestions. The only thing that ever worked was direct communication and so we came to an arrangement. I would plumb the depths of the flaming Abyss and he would direct his men to begin taking the government jobs.

I quickly discovered why there weren’t many volunteers who were interested in pursuing after Balbrook’s personal quest. The Fire Abyss was one of the least popular portalways due to the fact that it led primarily to three different areas all located within the same plane.

The first area was most accessible. It was known as the Fireline Crag, a great rocky land with huge looming cliffs all around it. Lava flowed from the cliffsides, into large pools that ran parallel to the villages that were built nearby, like human settlers attracted to rivers. The people were mostly friendly but language was difficult in the Abyss as most sound was muffled or drowned out by the perpetual roar of the mountains erupting.

Past Fireline Crag and only accessible via portal was the Illuminated Depths, a vast valley that some theorized to be a single empty volcano. An endless beam of light cut through the top of the valley, perpetually illuminating the area; no matter how deep you went, there was always light.

The Illuminated Depths were rated as ‘difficult for human survival’ by the Exchange maps that were available. The area was not nearly as well explored as the Fireline and the Starforgers were known to associate in certain areas, though most of Balbrook’s men had already investigated these leads – to no avail.

The third spot in the Abyss was known as the Blackfire Ocean. This was where all signs pointed to go – and all signs warned against going at the same time. The Caretaker of the Abyss, Ago, explained it to me as thus. “The best way to picture the Blackfire is a sphere, surrounding the rest of the world, the Crag and the Depths are a rock in the center. The heat of the sphere is weakest at the center and strongest at the shell. If you depart directly from the rock, you will begin to see less and less light. As the light extinguishes, the heat worsens.

“Once things have become pitch black, you will know you are in the Blackfire Ocean. Burning hot currents move through the area, capturing anything and anyone in their way. That is, of course, if you have some way to survive.”

“What’s in the Ocean?” I had asked.

“Who knows? Mysteries. Nothing. It could be anything in between,” Ago had replied. “Though I’m more curious to know what lies beyond the Blackfire. That I would pay you a fortune for.”

With that conversation, I decided that I would have to head into the Blackfire Ocean. Not just to find a Starforger but also to satisfy my burning curiosity. What was within this place? An area so hot that it was impossible to see anything but black fire? That would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience.

Preparation for this adventure was key. Thankfully, Balbrook was a man I could ask for resources without worrying about some blustery response. He acquiesced immediately, as this was more his project than mine, and I was given what was known as the House Key.

The House Key was a special token that I could show to any member of Mandrake in order to gain their assistance. I had free access to their commissary and unlike the Royal Scouts, this was without cost or charge. Hell, there was no one to even keep count of who took what.

I helped myself to the items that I figured would be useful for the journey. There were no stones of elemental adaption, as I was hoping, but I did find the next best thing – a map leading to a group of stones in the Fireline Crag.

“Is…am I allowed to take this?” I asked, lifting up the map to a nearby greencloak. The man was rummaging through a crate, sifting through massive clubs of iron.

“A map? Yeah, sure,” he said. “Maps are a drack a dozen around here. But if you’re looking for specific stones, you’d be better off talking to our Loan Officer. They keep all the Eons locked up because then people will think they don’t have to return them.”

The man was kind enough to show me to an office where a tiny, porcelain-looking woman was waiting. She was short, nearly four feet tall, and had a face as white as a ghost. “Ah, you are the man Balbrook told me about,” she said, bowing a little as I entered.

My eyes lasted on the woman for only a moment before they were drawn away to the massive arch behind her. A wooden cabinet had been constructed into the wall, with hundreds of little cupboards, Eon Stones sitting on displays in each one. Some were behind glass, others were blocked with bars, but most were freely accessible.

“Ivan,” I said, fumbling a hand out to shake hers. She did not take it.

“I’m afraid that I’ve got a bit of a condition that prevents me from making contact with others,” she said, stepping away from my hand. “Nothing dangerous, just a mere fixation, I suppose. Anyway, I take it you are here to borrow from our stone library?”

“It’s quite the collection…” I said. “And these are available to be checked out?”

“Provided you can persuade me. I am Svetlana,” she replied as she scuttled behind her desk and picked up a large metal key. “And I am the only person in charge of this entire depository. Many people who request stones do not come back. How am I to know I am not just handing this off on another one of Balbrook’s foolish errands?”

Her tone was not hostile, rather it was inquisitive and pressing. She genuinely would refuse me if she did not like what I had to say, but it didn’t appear that she was looking for a reason to deny any requests. After a quick introduction, I explained what I was looking to do.

“The Blackfire Ocean is not a place for a human to be running around without protection,” she muttered. “I have seen more than a few men end up charred to death because they thought their elemental resistance stones would save them from the heat. You will need more than mere resistance. You will need something few Eon Stones truly provide. Total immunity to an element.”

“Is that something you can provide?”

She shook her head. “No, such an Eon Stone would not be available on the market, let alone in a commissary. But there are other ways to explore the Blackfire. Namely, our guild once made contact with a curious exploration company that existed within Illuminated Depths. They were friendly enough and offered to do some kind of cooperative work in the future, exploring the Ocean. We said no, as it is difficult enough as it is to get people into the Depths without suffering heat stroke.”

“Interesting, do you think they’re still around?”

“Oh yes, we get mail from them every now and then, reissuing the request,” Svetlana replied. “I’m sure they’d be thrilled to receive you.”

“Who exactly are they?”

“Unsure, you’d need to speak to Outreach Officer,” she said. “I can point you towards them. But you’ll need a stone in order to be able to survive the heat.”

I tapped on the charm hanging from my neck. “I’ve got an enchantment that protects me from heat.”

The woman peered at the item for a moment and then glanced up at me. “Are you willing to bet your life on it working?”

Chapter 61

I bounced from department to department like a ball being thrown from sportsman to sportsman. Each time I made contact with a fresh face, someone kind enough to help out, it was never enough to fully give me what I needed. Tracking down a heat protection Eon Stone was nigh impossible – until I ran into none other than Lulu.

Lu-On was running an errand for one of the redcloaks and that involved visiting House Mandrake on some business. He spotted me first and was eager to chat.

“There he is! The man and the legend, the fastest cloakchanger in the world!” Lulu said as he reached a hand out to clasp mine. I took it and we firmly hugged. “I turn my back for ten seconds and you’re a rank higher than me. I’d say it’s unfair, but face it, you had a huge advantage – my tutelage. If I had something like that when I was starting out, well, I’d be a greencloak too.”

I snickered at that. “You might be goofing but I do owe you a bit. Your sword lessons came in really handy.”

“Glad to hear it,” the man replied. “Up for a refresher?”

“You have the time?” I asked.

“I’ve always got the time when it comes to helping the young pups,” he said. “Come on, let’s go to the Drake’s training yard, they have an excellent fighting ground.”

I followed after him through the winding halls of House Mandrake. He seemed to know the area far better than I. “So, what are you up to these days?” my mentor asked as we entered a long courtyard that was surrounded by trees.

“Oh you know, running around, planning a voyage into a place where no man can survive,” I chuckled, examining the trees. Even though we were indoors, these great trunks had been grown as if they had access to regular sunlight and water.

“Do tell,” Lulu prompted as he walked over to a long rack of wooden weapons. These were not hastily carved replicas, oh no. These weapons were carefully cut from the best wood, perhaps even the trees surrounding us, and had a fantastic weight to them. The man picked up a longsword that matched my own and tossed it to me.

I explained what I was up to as we squared off. Lulu was quite interested in the job. “Sounds like you need some help with the heat,” he said, swinging his sword at me lazily. I easily blocked it, only to realize that he was feinting – too late, a chunk of wood smacked the side of my head. “And maybe with your parrying.”

“To be honest, my sword does most of the work due to its enchantment,” I said, stepping back and raising my sword once more. Lulu pointed the blade towards my head. “I’ve tried to figure out parrying but frankly, it’s beyond me.”

“I’ll show you a perfect trick to parrying every time,” Lulu said. He raised his sword into an offensive stance, holding the weapon outward so that it was clear he was going to make an attack. “Most think that parrying is a matter of strength or agility, but in truth it’s a matter of angle. Observe. Hold your blade out and resist as I bring mine down.”

I complied, crossing myself with my wooden sword. Pressing the sword out, I felt the exaggerated weight of the opposing blade push against my weapon. “From this angle, I’m striking from above, you’re blocking from below. Can you feel the direction of my strike?”

“Down?” I asked.

“Is that a question?”

“Down,” I replied, holding my sword firmly. The pressure pushed down and to the left. “Ah, at an angle.”

“That angle is how you choose to deflect a blow to the side. That is what a good parry is, it knocks the sword away from you but it doesn’t necessarily stop the weapon from completing its arc. The trick to a perfect parry is really to determine the direction of the weapon’s angle and then, simply suggest for the momentum to go to the side.”

Lulu continued to push the weapon down, then retracted his wooden sword. “When I swing at you, don’t try to stop the attack with your blade, try to redirect it somewhere useless. Don’t stop it on the journey, send it somewhere it won’t be of any harm.”

With that, he swung at me with lightning speed. I panicked and slashed upwards, missing the sword before it jabbed me right in the stomach.

“Ten seconds and you forgot already? Dang, I blame books, they shorten the attention span of the youth,” Lulu said as he poked me once more before raising his sword. “Come on, earn your pay!”

He swung at me once more and I parried. Our blades clashed for a moment but I wasn’t trying to hold my sword up to resist the blow, I wanted to redirect it. I turned the incoming weapon to the left a little and pushed off; instantly the sword fell to the side, opening him up. I stabbed him in the torso, to show it was a killing blow.

“There we go! Again!” Lulu shouted, swinging like a wildman. “You aren’t going to be facing a gentleman in the battlefield!”

We spent the afternoon fighting. Lulu upped the tempo to a level that made me convinced he was ex-military, there was no way any scout could fight like this. He wore me down, even with my enhanced vitality, but I learned quite a bit about how to handle an unrelenting sword. Eventually we settled down and Lulu shared a flagon of warm ale with me as we cooled off by one of the trees.

“The Blackfire Ocean is a legendary place,” Lulu muttered once he had caught his breath. “I’d be honored to assist you in reaching your destination. On two conditions. The first is that if you find a landmark, you name it after me, and the second, is that you return alive.”

Before I could answer him, he dug into his satchel and produced a single red stone. It gleamed with a burning light on the inside, like a never-ending ember. “Here, this has been one of my mainstays since I started adventuring. I found it on my second run, in a muddy hole that I stumbled into purely by accident. I always regarded it as lucky.”

“I can’t accept this,” I said, hesitating to take it from him.

“Come now, there is nothing wrong with accepting help from those who give it to you,” Lulu chided as he pressed the stone into my hand. “You’re a good egg and you’re going places. Just don’t forget where you came from and the people who helped you along the way.”

“What’s it do?” I asked as I took the stone finally. It was unbearably warm to the touch, almost painful.

“It’s a Heat Shield stone,” he replied. “And a stronger one at that. Lasts indefinitely, protects from magical and natural heat sources, and more importantly, makes it so that even the worst heat is tolerable. It’s come in handy more than a few times, but I’ve been more or less sticking to temperate climates these days. Lots of interesting things in the Shales of Savern and it’s almost always perfect except for the occasional rainy day.”

“Thank you, Lulu,” I said as the stone attuned to me almost instantly. The temperature around me shifted and suddenly I felt as snug as a bug in a rug. “This is more or less the missing piece.”

“Don’t mention it, “Lu-On said as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Or better yet, do mention it. To everyone. I don’t mind the world knowing how great I am.”

Chapter 62

Lulu’s assistance was vital in moving things along. With the Heat Shield stone, I was able to get clearance from the Fire Abyss Caretaker, Ago, to enter the Illuminated Depths. This required the acquisition of a key that had several zeros attached to it. Thankfully, Balbrook picked up the tab there and funded the purchase of a Key of the Depths.

The Fire Abyss Wing was a magnificently carved area. The walls were made of black granite that had ancient symbols of all kinds scattered across. They glowed with a faint green energy, dimming and brightening every few seconds. I noticed that the portals nearby, all lime green, behaved the same way, corresponding to the wall itself.

Ago came shuffling up to me. This Caretaker was ancient compared to the others I had met, but his old age didn’t seem to affect his spryness. He was quick witted and clever, prone to punching if you weren’t careful with your language and above all, fascinated with the Fire Abyss.

“So he returns! Hopefully with a key this time?” Ago said, raising his withered hand out expectantly.

“Here you are,” I said, “one key to the Illuminated Depths.”

“Excellent. The key and the stone…now then, where are your three gold coins?” Ago asked as he snatched the key from my hand.

“What? Where am I going to find go-“

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Ago chuckled as he motioned for me to follow. “Just a reference to all these portals they make you run through before you can get to the actual one.”

“The Mandrakes do love their departments,” I agreed as I followed, chuckling at the old man’s antics. For a moment I thought I was going to have a meltdown in front of everyone.

We reached a side of the Abyss that was full of redcloaks. They were coming in and out of different portals, carrying huge satchels on their sides.

“Busy place…” I murmured as I gazed out at the group. I had never seen so many scouts in one wing before.

“Oh yes, the Fire Abyss is one of those places that keeps the kids coming back for more,” Ago said. "Most visit in their early days as a bluecloak and quickly realize it’s out of their depth. Then they return when they are experienced, to conquer as much as to discover.”

We stopped at a white portal that was different from the others. A film of pure energy blocked any view of what was inside and it wasn’t obscured because of the lock. “This here is an Access Portal,” Ago explained as he waved a hand towards the portal. “We establish them on occasion. The reason they cost a fortune is because they’re very difficult to maintain and require an expenditure of Eon Stones every time we activate it.”

“Expenditure?”

“Burning the energy inside to achieve an effect, permanently killing the stone,” Ago casually clarified. He fiddled with the lock and opened up the portalway, though the film still remained in the way. “Well, not permanently. Theories abound that they will recharge over a few millennia but we’ll be long dead before that can be verified.”

“You have to sacrifice a stone in order to travel through this portal?” I asked. “Why?”

“Access Portals connect to a defined point in the planar realm, burrowing through the various barriers that keep universes apart. Regular portals are little holes in the wall, tiny cracks that we can slip in and out of. An Access Portal is like smashing our own hole. And that requires a tremendous amount of energy. But we can pinpoint the exact spot you warp to with them. And so, occasionally, the Scouts find a reason to establish a forward base.”

“Using Access Portals to connect from base to base…” I said. “Fascinating.”

“We use the technology sparsely. In this case, we are connected to a Joint Research facility, sharing our space with The Heat Mining Company.”

The Heat Miners were the exploration company that had made contact with the Royal Scouts a long time ago. They had generously offered access to their base in the Illuminated Depths, agreeing to an Access Portal in the hopes of gaining our cooperation. They were the group I was hoping to make contact with, and so the revelation that I could zip straight to their base almost made all of that red tape worth it. Almost.

Ago finished checking that I was able to sustain the heat of entering the depths, for even being ‘indoors’ was lethally hot. Once he was satisfied, he shoved me into the portal without as much of a warning, sending me hurtling through time and space.

In an instant, I was surrounded by massive steel structures. Large metal beams hung above, gleaming red as they absorbed a tremendous amount of heat from the area. The walls were made of stone, a dark granite that matched the portalway I had come through. The beams served to connect platforms to each other, forming a network of levels going up and down. I was on but one floor among many within this megastructure.

“Well hallo!” a voice called. I turned around to see a short man, no taller than two feet at the most, standing across from me. He was covered in metal armor and his helmet was bucket shaped, with a glass visor allowing for him to see easily enough. The rivets of the armor were made of black metal and Eon Stones shimmered across the outfit in various slots. “Who do we have here?”

“I’m Ivan, of the Royal Scouts,” I said, bowing to the little man.

“Hoo! Hohoho!” the gnome chortled, hopping in place, his armor clinking and clanking as he awkwardly moved. “A Scout? Here? How can I be of help? What do you want? Water? Yes, you humans need water. Let me find some…”

“I’m fine for water,” I said, holding a hand up to stop him from scuttling away. “I’m more interested in adventure.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place! Name’s Gilgad,” the gnome said as he walked up to bow to me. “I’m the Navigator of the Heat Miners. We’ve been hoping to get the assistance of your organization for quite some time. Come, come, there’s much to show you.”

I followed after him, walking up one of the ramps leading to another level. Here I could see dozens of workshops scattered about, with gnomes working on them nonstop. Most were making metal devices that used gears and clockwork in order to function.

“Our organization prides itself on its inventions,” Gilgad explained as he led me to a shop where a couple was working on a metal piston that was attached to a plate. The piston would fire into the plate, causing a separate mechanism to activate. “Traversal and exploration is the bread and butter of our people, just like yours. But unlike your group, we don’t want to go everywhere. We’re more interested in this place. The Illuminated Depths have held our fascination for decades but, there’s still more to explore.”

“The Blackfire Ocean,” I whispered.

“Yes,” Gilgad replied, rubbing his hands together. “It is the one area that remains largely unexplored. We’ve been working on a solution to that for quite a while, but we hit a snag in the process. Surviving the Blackfire requires complete and total immunity to heat. Now, we can build a craft that can navigate in the Ocean, but we can’t go outside. Not without the Coldsuit.”

“Wait, craft?” I asked.

“Oh yes, we have long been able to traverse the actual Blackfire with the use of our areo-engines,” Gilgad replied. “And the metal we use to build the vessel can absorb the heat. An operation team is perfectly capable of commanding the vehicle, almost like an airship. The trouble is that we have no vision and no clue of what’s out there. We need to deploy people for that. And our solution has unfortunately been somewhat troublesome.”

He led me across the various platforms to an area with a large metal suit. It was bulky, with circular arms and legs, as well as a dome helmet. Small brass wheels connected to the knees of the suit and a huge tube ran into the back of the head. It was an imposing eight feet tall and gave me the shivers.

“This is the Coldsuit. With a complicated pump system, we are able to rapidly cool the interior of the suit, stabilizing a temperature. The metal lining the suit is impervious to the heat on the outside. This would allow for an individual to go outside and explore the Blackfire Ocean in person, something never done before,” Gilgad explained as he showed me the suit.

“Wow…why haven’t you guys used it yet?”

“Too big. The design requires a tremendous amount of metal, dense material that most gnomes can’t lift. The suit is bulky on top of that and the air pressure from a smaller cabin causes some explosive results.  Our men can’t pilot the dang thing, let alone lift their legs while inside,” he replied. He punched my arm. “And that is where you humans come in. Someone as big as you should have no trouble operating the device. Just climb in and we’ll drop you into the Blackfire. No big deal!”

Chapter 63

I agreed to the plan of diving into the Blackfire Ocean with the Coldsuit. Why? It may be that I’m missing the part of the brain that makes rational decisions, or maybe it was my unfettered faith in gnomish engineering. Either way, the idea of being one of the first people to ever enter into the Blackfire on foot…it was too much for me to bear. I always wanted to be an explorer and this was the absolute pinnacle of that career. With much risk came much reward.

The gnomes of the Heat Mining Company were overjoyed at my presence and quickly expedited the mission to explore the ocean. They prepared their Fire Submersible, as they called it, with all hands on deck readying the vessel.

In the meantime, I was primed on how to use the Coldsuit. It was not a comfortable thing to wear, nor was it easy to move. My enhanced strength didn’t seem to do much to help as I took each step. However, the celebration from the crew at the fact that I could walk in a straight line emboldened me to keep training.

Two weeks passed as I spent each day in the suit, walking around, climbing things, fist fighting the air and trying to make it through obstacle courses. It was grueling work and sometimes I felt like I was going to pass out from exhaustion, but I never did. Instead, I got faster, stronger and more adept at moving.

No one noticed these changes except for me. What felt like swift movement and easy walking looked the same to them. I was still in a slow, clunky metal suit. I found there was a limit to how much my strength could affect the speed of the suit and slowly came to the conclusion that this was not something I could really get used to. The weight and awkwardness of it was just too weird.

“How will I defend myself?” I asked one morning as Yarmad, the chief engineer, was overlooking the design changes I had requested. A few things could be done to improve the flexibility of the arms and so I suggested them, since the Fire Submersible was still undergoing preparation. The several explosions that they assured me ‘were perfectly fine’ seemed to extend that time even more.

“Prayer,” Yarmad said. “I’ve got a list of deities who are known to answer requests of the dying.”

“Oh boy,” I groaned. “You can’t mount a crossbow or something onto it? Maybe a harpoon?”

Yarmad frowned as he examined the shoulder of the suit. “You know, we could rig a crossbow here.  You couldn’t reload it however. Not without a small team.”

“Do both shoulders then,” I said. “Two shots.”

“Done,” the gnome replied. “I’ll have it ready by the afternoon.”

This promise was met and as luck would have it, Yarmad finished just in time – the submersible was ready for its voyage. The crew had been gathered and they were prepared for the groundbreaking, history making entry into the Blackfire Ocean.

The mayor of these gnomes, Paget Tom, had gathered the Aeronauts together to give a speech, extolling the virtues of ingenuity and the boundless enthusiasm that allowed for exploration. Once the speech was finished, I was brought to join the rest of the crew in embarking upon the Fire Submersible, known as the Red Minnow, due to its slender, fishlike appearance.

The vehicle had two metal turbines built into the back, with dozens of deflated hot air balloons hanging from its sides. It rested upon a long metal plank that was connected to one of the exits to the megastructure. Hundreds of gnomes were manning the wall itself, controlling the vast mechanisms that kept the building sealed. This docking bay had been designed to extend out into the Blackfire itself. The Red Minnow would just need to fly forward. The walls would open up and we’d be in the Ocean of Mystery in no time.

Excitement and fear gripped my stomach as I walked up the ramp into the large vessel. I had never seen a ship like this before and it was equally thrilling as distressing. Gnomes were known to inhabit different dimensions but they were traditionally the same across the board. Brilliant engineers who were skilled craftsmen. Let’s just hope that reputation lived up to its namesake.

The crew was composed of about thirty gnomes, most of whom were impossible to tell apart from one another due to their heat suits. These explorers weren’t from the Fire Abyss and had no immunity to the heat, so they were required to wear special suits in addition to relying on cooling crystals. My Eon Stone kept me safe and sound in these intense temperatures, though I made sure not to get cocky. I knew that blackfire would roast me in a split second if it touched my skin.

There were many stations inside of the Minnow, with seats for the crew to man. I was placed at the helm, next to the pilot, Glamglam. She wore a pair of goggles that almost matched mine.

“Fire up the first engine!” Glam shouted. A caller repeated the order to the back of the ship. The vehicle immediately began to hum as the turbines began to move. “Activate the stability systems!”

A field of blue energy washed across the interior of the ship. “Fire up engine two!” she commanded. Glamglam looked up at me with a grin. “You better hold on. This is going to be quite the launch.”

I swallowed hard and grabbed onto the metal grip in front of me. I had thought it strange they put a steering mechanism on the passenger’s side, but now I realized the grip was just a pole to hold onto. And hold I did.

“Engines are live!” someone called out. The vehicle began to shift and shudder. Suddenly, we started to move and much faster than I had anticipated.

“That’s some kick!” Glam shouted and she began to fiddle with the controls in front of her. Various bay doors were opening up in phases but we were moving faster than the doors could open.

“Uhhh, why are they still closed?” I asked.

“Great question, I’ll find an answer for you in a few days,” Glam replied as she gritted her teeth. Our speed picked up considerably.

“We’re off the rail!” a crewmate shouted. “Heat gliders are engaged!”

“Engines are at full power,” another reported.

“Doors are still shut,” Glam said as she looked at me. “Any chance they gave you a list of the gods?”

Before I could answer, our vessel smashed straight into the huge iron gate. It was barely opened by the time the Red Minnow had cleared the distance. The hull of the vehicle groaned as it tore through the wall, forcing its way through.

We all screamed together but despite the setback, the Red Minnow still held. We flew forward, our vision instantly becoming darkened as we gazed into the eternal night that was the Blackfire Ocean.

“Systems are fine, just some light damage to the front window,” someone reported. “We’re swimming!”

Indeed, it felt as if we were adrift. The Red Minnow moved forward and we all stared out in curiosity. What was within this place? What secrets were in the darkness? I suppose I would be finding out firsthand!

Chapter 64

The bay opened up, revealing nothing but endless black space. No one was around me; three steel doors cut off the rest of the ship from my location. I was inside of the bulky Coldsuit and felt only the refreshing effect of cool air being pumped directly into my helmet. There was no devastating heat to worry about, no fear of being completely obliterated by the fire.

My confidence built as I clambered forward, off the ramp. “Here we go…” I said as I leapt off the edge and began to descend down into the fiery abyss.

Everything became pitch black around me. The darkness was smothering and ubiquitous. I descended down, down, down until finally my feet touched something solid. Ground!

“Aha!” I declared as the clunky suit thunked onto the floor. Though my vision could see nothing, I could at least sense that the ground was quite dense. “I declare this land to be Luland!” I said as I stabbed my survey spike into the earth. It was time to get the first reading of the Blackfire Ocean!

As soon as I pierced the ground, Luland began to rumble, shake and then…roar. Angrily. It appeared that the land was not as much a mass of earth as it was some kind of creature. Suddenly, I was being whipped up into the air, flung high by the tail of some unknown monster.

The beast roared and I screamed in terror, yanking on the top of my line a dozen times to signal that I needed to be brought back up. The mechanical winches began to retract but the line was still slack for a moment. Darkness rushed beneath me and I felt something hard latch onto my boot.

I kicked down with all my might just as the line tightened. The thing grabbing my metal leg released and I was yanked upwards just as the air displaced beneath me. A huge pair of jaws came slamming shut, the image a slight grey against a sea of black. Two burning red eyes stared up at me as I was drawn into the bay of the ship. Before the doors shut, I saw its eyes narrow. We were in trouble.

Cold air began to immediately deploy all around me, hissing as the suit released a tremendous amount of steam. I was encased in ice for a brief second and then, a warm spritz of water was deployed from hoses above, freeing me. The suit was cold enough to be able to open up and I quickly clambered out.

The ship rocked as the creature, Luland, smashed into the side of the Minnow. I was thrown wildly out of my own boots and straight into a metal beam. The blow blinded me in my right eye and I staggered left to right as if I were going to pass out, but eventually the agony simply moved by. My enhanced vitality had allowed me to endure the blow without going unconscious. I just hope there were no other side effects to the injury…

A massive grinding sound caused me to worry less about my own body and become more concerned with the Red Minnow. This worry lasted for only two seconds before it was upgraded to a panic. Gravity suddenly vanished as I was pressed up against the side of the ceiling and the sounds of groaning, crunching and thumping all became one.

The crash was violent and longer than I would have thought. I figured we’d be annihilated in a massive explosion, as the hull of the ship opened up and warped in certain patches. The heat should have rushed in to destroy the entire vehicle but no blackfire penetrated our systems. Instead, a hazy green fog came billowing in.

I covered my mouth quickly, regretting taking off the suit – until I looked over to see the Coldsuit in pieces – it had been too rigid to absorb the stress of the crash and had been completely destroyed. Holding my breath for as long as I could, I climbed to my feet and began to navigate the overturned vehicle as best I could.

Light penetrated into the dark interior of the Red Minnow. The lower cabin had been completely crushed, blocking off my way to explore the rest of the vehicle. Time was running short as I had very little oxygen in my lungs and no idea if this mysterious fog was safe to breathe.

I wrapped my cloak around my mouth multiple times, to create a filter as best I could and then gasped for air. The fog quickly drew into my lungs and I felt…fine. I could breathe it. The air felt thin and weak, as if each inhalation required more pull in order to get enough to keep me going. I felt a little light-headed from the effort of sucking in so much air at once.

If the air was safe, then I had to assume that we weren’t in the Blackfire Ocean anymore. The heat from the exterior would have cooked me and the rest of this vessel in a matter of seconds due to the breach. We had to have crashed somewhere else. I suppose I’d need to climb out and investigate, gather the survivors and figure out what to do next.

I moved a hand into the fog in front of me. No heat whatsoever. The air displaced as I moved through it, light and weak. I climbed up through one of the larger breaches in the Minnow and hoisted myself out.

Above, I could see an endless green sky, composed of gas and vapors that moved in a circular pattern. The Minnow had crashed into a landmass that was outside of the Blackfire Ocean, though I wonder which direction we had fallen. This did not seem like the Illuminated Depths. For one, there was a clear sky above, and for another, there were no rocky ridges around us. We were on a flat, beige surface with very little geographical details.

“Fascinating,” I said as I staggered out of the wreckage. My bones were aching and my head felt lighter than ever. Above, I could see little spheres hovering in the air, at least six miles above us. These spheres glowed like little stars, though much weaker in light. “Is anyone out there?”

No response. Sighing heavily, I began to dredge through the wreckage, pulling out anyone I could find. My enhanced strength made it a bit easier to open up compartments and push aside steel beams, quickly leading to the rescue of the remaining crew.

Sixteen had died in the crash. Those who had not been killed were heavily injured. The captain of the vessel, Mabtab, was delirious and unable to be reasoned with, leaving Kulkan the Lame to run the show.

Kulkan had lost his right leg in a mining accident some years ago, leaving him with a nickname that was less than flattering. But he had the last laugh, for his fake leg had been caught under a piece of debris – if not for the fact that he could easily detach it, he would have died in the crash.

“This place isn’t good,” the gnome said to me once we had managed to set up our small camp. The survivors were in poor shape, with many broken limbs and busted ribs that made it difficult for them to move around. They were strewn out in various places in the remains of the Minnow and a tarp was set up to protect them from the elements above. We didn’t dare light a fire without understanding what this vapor surrounding us was.

“Where are we?” I asked as I helped the poor, injured man to a seat – a chunk of the fin from the back of the Minnow.

“If I had to guess, I would say we are somewhere outside of the Blackfire Ocean,” Kulkan replied as he settled down. He was battered just as badly as the rest of the gnomes, but his position as second-in-command had not given him time to rest. “One of the engines was knocked out, sending us wildly off-course. We are in the most uncharted territory of them all – the Outer Zone. The place beyond the blackfire!”

Chapter 65

The gnomes were a hearty people. The loss of over half their crew had not injured their spirits. Rather, they held their heads up high as they worked together to slowly make the area livable. Their injuries recovered faster than I had expected and within a day, we were seeing improvements to our chances of survival.

But as our people recovered, the world around us changed. The gaseous air began to drift, a little at first and then a lot. Our breathing became disrupted in patches and puffs, as if small pockets of anti-air were drifting in the clouds. With each passing hour, these disruptions grew worse.

“The air is moving on this land,” one of the engineers, Eglig, explained as Kulkan and I gathered around his improvised workshop. “It appears that we are technically breathing a gaseous membrane that has a small amount of oxygen. It’s enough to keep us alive, but the membrane is moving due to unknown factors.”

“What do we do?” Kulkan asked.

Eglig staggered over to his desk and picked up what looked to have once been a heatcatcher sail. The fabric had been repurposed into a large sack with a few strange filters stitched into the side of it. A nozzle was on the side, and it appeared that the sack could be attached to the face like a mask. Interesting.

“I’ve whipped up a device that can catch most of the oxygen in the air; it’s a filter that pulls in the breathable stuff and stores it in a bladder. You just twist the nozzle when it’s empty to draw in from the outside,” Eglig explained. I noticed the size of the mask was more suited to a human than anything else.

“I take it exploration is necessary?” I asked, picking up the breather without being prompted. The setup was rather intuitive and I draped the leather straps around the back of my head, connecting the long mask around my mouth. It was heavier than I expected, and I felt my neck grow sore as I struggled to hold my head up.

“Yes, and quickly,” Eglig replied. “From my calculations, it will be roughly six hours before we reach a ‘pocket’ of gas that has no oxygen within it. And that pocket will be large enough to kill us all.”

“Six hours?” I gasped. “What am I to find in that time?”

“The Fintac Engine, of course,” the gnome said. “The Engine itself has always been a powerful magical artifact, one with many configurations. We used it to power the Minnow and give it rudimentary flight controls. If you can locate it, we can quickly configure it to generate a living environment around us.”

“It’s that powerful?” I asked.

“Yes, we use it as a landing mechanism to survive in new territories,” Kulkan explained. “It is capable of generating an oxygen field, though we are still at the mercy of the environmental temperatures.”

“One problem at a time,” the engineer corrected. He pointed to me. “You’re our best shot at finding the Engine. We don’t need the whole machine, we just need the power crystal that makes it function at a higher degree. You might need to disassemble the engine to retrieve the crystal, I’m unsure.”

“Any idea where it could have gone?” I asked.

“Northwest,” Eglig replied. He handed me a small compass that curiously wasn’t fixed towards any single direction. Yet the needle pointed to the northwest all the same. “The compass is attuned to seek out the crystal. They are significantly more robust than anything else we had inside of our ship. Follow it as fast as you can, get it and bring it back. It is our only shot at survival.”

With that, I departed, striding across the windswept land. The earth was greyish yellow, tinted with slight green from the ever-present gas in the area. Each step was easy and took little effort from me, and I had no trouble traversing the land of this mysterious place. I set my timer to six hours as well as my pace tracker, in order to ensure I knew exactly how much time I had left. Well, how much time the whole camp had left.

There wasn’t much time for me to think in this period. Thinking and feeling was a luxury and I simply didn’t have it. People were going to die, myself as well, if I didn’t keep moving. And so I pressed forward, not thinking about the loss and pain of what had happened. Death was a part of exploration, as unfortunate as it was. Not a single gnome had boarded this vessel thinking it was going to be a safe trip. They were warriors, in a way, and they had died in their battlefield. I suppose there was a nobility in that.

Was I to blame for the loss? If I hadn’t been the one to stab the landmass turned beast, we might not have been attacked but then again, there was no way of knowing. It might have come after us all the same. And if not that creature, what about the others? The Blackfire Ocean may be host to all manner of strange and deadly beasts.

The loss would only truly be devastating if we all died here. For we had interesting information now, a great breakthrough. Some strange and violent beast lived within the Blackfire and perhaps the nature of how it survived could be replicated. The gnomes were already abuzz with what their findings would lead to, once we returned home. Who knows what our discoveries would bring about to future generations?

And so I pressed on, thinking only of the future and not of the dead in the past. Each step I took required a breath of oxygen and each breath drained a little from the cumbersome bag I was wearing on my face. Occasionally I had to twist the nozzle to refill the vessel, but for the most part I was able to keep up a full sprint without running out of air.

Finally, I reached the first variation in terrain for almost six miles. There was a dune ahead of me, curved upwards and going down sharply, into what appeared to be a crater. The compass needle began to change rapidly as I walked up the dune, moving from northwest to southeast as I ascended. Pointing the device downwards caused it to adjust in the direction I was walking. “Easier than using a pike…” I said as I trudged down the crater, following the compass into what looked to be a huge hole in the middle of the land.

The mouth of the crevice was wide and circular, with a steep drop in the middle. The compass pointed straight ‘down’ more or less. Crystals jutted out of the inside of the hole, forming ‘teeth’ that could easily be climbed down. Only one way to figure out where the Finec Engine was and that was to dredge the depths of this strange place.

Chapter 66

The descent wasn’t difficult due to the number of crystals sticking out of the walls of the cavern. The further down I went, the denser the crystals became until finally, they were so numerous that I couldn’t walk on the ground without breaking them. This made navigating the underground terrain far more difficult than I wanted it to be.

There were many tunnels inside of this hollow. The cavern was so spacious that it was hard to believe anyone had mined through this area. Was it a natural formation? Hard to tell.

The compass pointed me forward and I traveled at a painfully slow pace, my boots forced to push forward and snap the crystals before I could traverse forward. I had tried to balance on top of the crystals but they usually shattered under my weight, leading me to simply falling over. So I just negotiated the land as best I could, one step at a time.

A dim red light greeted me at the end of one particularly long tunnel. Along with a strange laughter.

“Found a new shiny, yes, yes!” a voice chuckled. It was high-pitched, like a whine, and slightly masculine. “Oh yes, it’s good and warm. Good for many things.”

I crept forward, trying to ease my steps as I drew closer to the voice. The area ahead was a dead end, a concave tunnel that had tons of gems and stones gathered up. They were bundled tightly together by twine, placed on shelves that had been bolted to the walls.

A long yellow creature, humanoid though barely so, was standing at the end of this tunnel, holding up the Finec Engine in his hands. His flesh was bulbous and yellow, almost grublike and he sported a dozen eyes on his head. They all gazed at the stone in enchantment as he admired it. “Perfect for the collection! Perfect for a hat!” he hissed, lifting it up and down.

The creature had spindly metal claws on his hands and feet, and they appeared to be quite sharp. Would he attack if I made myself known? Or would he be friendly?

Either way, I would find out, for as I tried to step forward silently, my foot found a particularly crunchy crystal that alerted the creature.

The beast looked at me and shrieked hoarsely. “What are you doing here? Going to steal my shinies?”

“No, no!” I said, holding my hands up to show I was friendly. “I’m just exploring the area.”

“Creepy man thing, sneaking about,” the yellow humanoid said as he lumbered towards me. He dropped the stone to the ground and extended his claws. “Kill you and take your shinies.”

“Easy, we don’t need to fi—” I started to say but I was too late.

The beast came rushing at me with lightning speed, his feet carrying him across the crystals without being impeded. My heightened reflexes allowed me to draw my sword and strike as he came crashing at me. Claws wildly slashed as I dodged to the left, cutting downward with all of my might. I had forgotten just about every lesson on sword fighting, thinking only to hack at the mass of yellow flesh.

This was enough and the beast yelped as I slashed into his side. He let out a whooping and vibrating cry, like a ‘wooola woola’ over and over as he leapt away from me. “I’m being murdered, help me!” the beast yelped.

“Oh calm down,” I said as I lowered my sword, standing over the creature. I had only cut into the side of his elbow. He wasn’t even bleeding. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“You want to steal Vimtar’s collection!”

“No, I just want to…trade,” I said. “Trade you a shiny for a shiny.”

The beast looked up at me helplessly. His eyes were a dark green that were difficult to see amidst the folds of flesh upon his face. “You don’t want to hurt Vimtar?”

“You attacked me first,” I said. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. Here, take a gander at this beauty.”

I dug into my pocket and pulled out a drack. Normally we weren’t allowed to part with our currency inside of other realms but this was an emergency and it was the only shiny thing I had. The coin glistened in the light that was reflecting from the crystals around us.

“Oooh, very shiny, and small” the creature said. He reached a hand up gingerly. His long spindly claws retracted, allowing him to take the coin. “I like it.”

“I desperately need that red shiny,” I said, pointing to the crystal on the ground. “It’s vital for helping me and my friends survive. Will you trade me the coin for the red?”

“New shiny is better than old shiny,” the beast said, eagerly grabbing the item from my hand. “Old shiny is trash compared to coins. I only collect coins now.”

“Then you best get a job,” I said as I hoisted up the slender red crystal. It was heavier than it looked and I could feel the dense energy within, pulsating in the hopes of escaping someday.

“Yes, yes, a job,” the beast emptily replied as he held the coin up in the air. “I will collect jobs too.”

“Are we square then?” I asked as I took a step away from the great creature. He had lost all interest in me and was purely fascinated with the coin. I decided not to push my luck in case this creature was moody and quickly headed back the way I came, crystal in hand.

Retracing my steps was easy due to the fact that I could just walk in each bootprint I had left behind. This led to me navigating the territory twice as fast as before and I was practically springing across the ground. It wasn’t until I heard a strange skittering that I was forced to halt in my tracks.

Ahead, there was a high-pitched hiskitta hiskitta followed by the rapid sounds of crystals breaking and cracking. Something big was moving ahead, perhaps even with more than two legs.

I flattened myself instinctively, to avoid being seen by whatever was ahead. The crystals on the ground jabbed into my stomach, pressing sharply against my armor as I kept silent. Two spindly legs made of glass came crashing onto the ground beside my head. I gritted my teeth as a gigantic spider composed entirely of translucent crystal came climbing over me.

The great creature was made out of what looked to be either glass or crystal, almost completely white with the exception of large red studs that were embedded into its torso. These studs glowed with a nefarious energy, slowly pulsating as the creature continued on its journey.

Eight legs, thin and flexible, skittered over me as I held my breath. The creature didn’t seem to notice me and continued to navigate the crystals without a worry. Until one of the red crystalline studs passed by me. Then suddenly, the monster stopped.

The stud in the torso of the creature began to glow violently, flashing back and forth as if it were directing the rest of the body. The spider stopped in its tracks and slowly adjusted its steps, rotating in place. I didn’t know if it had a head but it was probably looking for something…crystalline?

I glanced down at the red crystal resting against my arm. Oh great.

We both seemed to come to the conclusion at the same time. The crystal spider let out a hideous shrieking sound as it reared up two of its legs and slammed them down towards me. I yelped and rolled out of the way, crystals from the ground breaking and digging into my armor as I scrambled to get to my feet.

“I traded for this fair and square!” I shouted to the spider as I narrowly dodged out of the way of another strike. My enhanced reflexes helped but the uneven terrain made it impossible for me to find my footing in a panic. Enchanted boots didn’t seem to help in this situation.

The spider raised itself high and the red studs burned for a moment before firing a burst of concentrated red energy towards me. I was already diving out of the way but I could feel the burning hot laser cut straight through my cape. I hit the ground and instinctively activated my Shieldstone, raising my left hand up just in time.

The pink shield appeared around my wrist, extending outwards to block the beam. The energy hit hard but fortunately nothing burned; the shield deflected the entire blow. A leg came smashing towards me but I decided to take a crazy risk. This thing looked quite light and its legs were very thin…so why not try and grab on?

I lunged upwards and caught the appendage in both hands, seizing it with all of my might. The force of the slender leg was nothing compared to my strength and with a heft, I broke the leg clean off.

The crystalline spider immediately scuttled backwards. I threateningly waved its own leg at it. “Come on, you want some more!”

The thing did not seem to regard me. But it did instantly regrow its leg, a new spindly crystalline appendage shooting out like a gopher from a hole. It was just as long, though red now. Red and on fire.

Chapter 67

My bravery ended the moment the fire began. There was something primal inside of me that knew the flames attached to the new leg were beyond deadly. It would annihilate me the moment it touched me. I don’t know how I knew that – maybe it was just my imagination but I decided there was no victory to be had in fighting a giant spider. I turned tail and fled. And of course, it bounded after me, now eager to finish what it had started.

“There was a yellow guy who was willing to trade stuff for coins!” I uselessly shouted after the monster as I dashed across the stones, my feet desperately searching for safe spaces in between the crystals. I was getting better at moving quickly, though it wasn’t good enough. The spider was on top of me in a matter of seconds.

Instinctively, I leapt upwards, towards the torso of the spider. Up close, I could see there were dozens of little gems sticking out of the circular body of the monster and those translated to handholds. I grabbed on as hard as I could, my fingers catching the edges of two particularly large gems.

The spider spun in a circle, trying to figure out how to get rid of me. It could not bend its legs inwards to touch its own body – the joints of the beast were too stiff and rigid. The flaming leg smashed around a few times in frustration but I held on, draping my legs around a particularly long formation in the body.

I was hanging onto the creature, upside down, and holding on for dear life. This strategy was more of a panicked response to having my enemy atop me more than anything else…how was I going to get out of this?

The spider was the first to come up with a plan. It scurried up the cavern wall, flipping upside down. Four long jagged crystals were dead below me and I realized its intentions just in time. The spider flattened itself, thrusting its torso into the ceiling formations. I slipped off the side, letting gravity yank me down to the ground just as the body crashed into the ceiling.

There was a loud crack as the creature accidentally impaled itself, the long crystals breaking through its torso. The lights within the gems faded instantly. I rolled to the ground and stared up, catching my breath and trying to get a grip on what had just happened. Everything had moved so quickly…

The crystalline spider split open as it fell to the ground, its body no longer held together by magic. I rolled out of the way to avoid a chunk of shrapnel. The circular body of the great monster had split into two pieces and what was inside caught me by total surprise.

“Is that a person?” I gasped as I climbed up over the debris to get a look. Resting in the center of the spider was a slender, humanoid with deep red skin and incredibly large eyes. They had long spindly fingers that seemed to be similar to the spider in some way.

The creature had a massive hole in his chest. The spider, having impaled itself, must have hurt the person inside. Was he controlling it? Or was he an unfortunate engine, trapped within some kind of monster? Hard to tell…

The humanoid suddenly coughed and gasped, sitting up for a moment. Its eyes opened up and I could see consciousness. For only a second before it fell to the side, coughing and wheezing. Blood began to ooze from the wound. The creature was dying.

What should I do? It had tried to kill me moments ago…but what if it didn’t know I was a person? Or what if it was a prisoner? I hadn’t meant to do any harm to this monster beyond perhaps scaring it off…but now there was some kind of living entity involved…I couldn’t just leave it.

I took out a few bandages and inched closer to the being. “I don’t know if you understand me, but I want to help,” I said. The creature slowly turned its head to look up at me. Its breathing was growing weaker with each second. It tried to raise a hand towards me but failed.

I decided to take this as an invitation to help. I knelt down and began to bandage the creature. I had no formal medical training but working on a Bean Farm had me in contact with work animals, and so I had to occasionally help the vet wrangle wounded creatures. I knew enough of how to apply a bandage.

The creature did not try to resist, nor did it really have the strength. I wrapped the hole in its body enough to clot the blood and staunch the bleeding. Then, not knowing what else to do, I picked the creature up and slung it over my shoulder. The gnomes were skilled medical workers, they could probably help.

The crystals… a voice said in my head. It was as natural as my own thoughts, yet it was unmistakably someone else’s. Take them.

I glanced down to see that within the wreckage of the spider construct were a few slender red crystals, similar to the one that I had procured from the trader beast. They glowed with faint energies, indicating that they had power as well. Interesting.

I quickly gathered the items, as commanded, and headed back up the way I came. Thankfully there were no more interruptions on my way back to the gnomes’ camp.

Chapter 68

I returned to the camp as quickly as I could. The air was getting noticeably harder to draw oxygen from. The nozzle required a lot of turning in order to get oxygen and I wondered how the creature on my shoulder was fairing. It had tried to kill me, sure, but something about its helpless state had me feeling bad for the thing.

The camp was in better order when I arrived. One of the largest of the craft had been recovered and it was being worked on extensively. Red sheet metal, the heartiest of the exterior paneling, had been welded to the side of the fin to create two platforms on both sides. Wheels were being installed beneath the platforms, carefully attached via a series of cog work mechanisms.

Most of the gnomes had recovered in the time I was gone. It was surprising how fast they bounced back. The majority was working in the middle of this platform, installing machinery or attaching cables to pulleys. A few were wearing harnesses that allowed them to scale up to the top of the fin, where they hammered away, installing what looked to be a sail.

“He’s back!” Eglig said, spotting me as soon as I approached. He dropped his wrench and scrambled down to my side. “Did you get the Fintac Engine?”

“Yes, I found it,” I replied, pulling out the crystal and handing it to him. “But this thing needs medical attention.”

Eglig whistled and a band of gnomes came out from under the platform. They quickly took the body from me and carried it to the medical tent, an area that had undergone a profound transformation since I had left. Stretchers and beds were set up now, with a few bodies that I had believed to be dead resting comfortably.

“Just in time,” the engineer said as he grabbed the crystal from me. “I think my calculations were off by an hour or so.”

“I noticed the air getting worse,” I agreed, watching as the gnome brought the crystal to the center of the great machine they were building. I followed after him, into the rat’s nest of wire, machinery and cogs.

The heart of the device was a circular dome that had room for three operators. Kulkan was one of the pilots, Glamglam the other. I could have sworn she had died in the crash.

“How are you still alive?” I bluntly asked, unsure of what else to say upon seeing her.

The woman chuckled. “Gnomes have a very hearty internal system. We may appear dead to the outside world but our organs are slowly repairing themselves. Full regeneration is impossible but if there is a sliver of a chance of survival, we will fix our bodies.”

“It’s so subtle that we generally can’t tell ourselves,” Kulkan agreed.

They parted ways to allow the engineer entrance into the cockpit. Eglig quickly slid the large, slender crystal into a designated slot in the center of the room. Instantly, the crystal began to glow with a fervent intensity, casting the entire room into a soft red light.

As soon as the crystal began to energize, I could feel air fill the room. I pulled off my mask and took a deep breath, enjoying the slightly cool air as it filled my lungs. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief and Eglig collapsed on the ground.

“We’re safe,” he muttered. “Wake me up in a decade.”

“Same,” Kulkan agreed, laying his head on the dashboard of the curious device.

“Rest up, guys,” I said, patting Kulkan on the shoulder. “We’ve earned a respite.”

I sank onto the ground and fell promptly asleep. There was no thought, no recognition that I was tired. It was as if I simply turned off.

I woke up in the medical tent, thankfully not as a patient but just as one of the snoozing individuals occupying a bed. Most of the gnomes were breathing steadily now, their bodies healing expertly as they regenerated. They were certainly a robust species! No wonder they didn’t mourn after the losses, they still had no idea how many people they were down.

Stretching, I sat up to see the strange red creature, resting in a bed separate from all the others. It was not awake, its slender eyes shut. A woman was standing over the creature, Eon Stone in hand. She was slowly moving the stone above the body, sporting a deep frown the whole while.

“How is the creature doing?” I asked, standing beside the gnomish doctor.

“You brought back an interesting specimen,” she replied, not paying me any mind as she continued to work with the stone. It was a little blue gem that seemed to cast light wherever she directed it to. “This creature is not from this plane. It’s like you, a wanderer. But unlike you, it is not suited for travel in the outside world. The thing has atrophied muscles as if it were stuck in one place for a very long time. Weak and malnourished, as far as I can tell.”

“It spoke to me, in my mind,” I said. “Right before it fell unconscious.” Should I mention that it was within a murderous spider? I suppose so. I quickly recounted the tale to Dr. Spinella, the medic of the bunch, and she listened curiously. After I finished telling the story, she turned her attention to the two other crystals I had recovered from the monster.

They were two slender rods, half the size of the Finec Engine but almost the same composition. Spinella spent a few minutes studying them before calling for a few more gnomes. An Eon Stone expert was consulted and the man, Bigbee, murmured in surprise. A hushed whisper erupted between the group and they hissed at one another in stilted tones, trying to keep their conversation hidden from me.

Eventually, the Eon Stone expert emerged from the group and scuttled up to me. He adjusted the spectacles hanging off of his big nose as he looked up, squinting a little. “You say you found these out in the wild?” he asked.

“Sort of. They were attached to some kind of crystalline spider,” I explained.

“Hmmm, interesting. Welp, tell me young man, how interested are you in science?”

“I’ve a healthy appreciation for it, I suppose,” I replied, unsure of where he was going. The gnome straightened his glasses once more, before they crooked almost immediately.

“Well, what if I were to tell you that you could be on the verge of a tremendous scientific discovery?” Bigbee said. “And that you’d be famous for all eternity?”

“Don’t you mean we?” I asked.

“Not quite,” the gnome said, as he nervously tapped his fingers together. “See, once again, it all comes down to physiology. Anatomy. That sort of thing.”

“What are you getting at?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. Bigbee was certainly a man who knew how to mince words to the point of obfuscation.

“The first stone is known as a Vessel Stone, you see,” he explained. “A powerful device that forms a symbiosis with the user. With focus and immense meditation, one is able to build the vessel around themselves.”

“Wait, you’re saying I can pilot a giant crystal spider?” I asked. “Lead with that next time!”

“Easy, easy,” the gnome said, holding his hands up to stop me from rushing to the stones. “The reason we’re so hesitant to ask is simply because of the physical state of the creature inside. He is extremely atrophied, weakened and there are many signs that his organs were somewhat affixed to the interior.”

“Oh gross,” I gagged. “You mean he lost organs when he fell out?”

“Indeed. The poor thing is most likely going to die,” Bigbee replied. “And it’s because of his state that we’re not sure if this Vessel Stone is beneficial or if it harms the host.”

“What about the second stone? Doesn’t that do something?”

“The second one is a Seeker Stone, capable of finding other Eon Stones, locking onto their signatures. It is an impressive piece of magic but nothing terribly special.”

Maybe for him but I could make use of a stone that could lock onto others. That would make my life much, much easier. “What would be the value in using the Vessel Stone, exactly?” I asked.

“Rapid travel across the land, ability to find the crucial components of our ship,” Bigbee said. “And most importantly, protection from the environment. The Vessel Stone would more or less seal your system inside, making you completely self-sufficient.”

“How would I get out?”

“That’s the scientific part,” the gnome replied as he shrugged. “We have no clue how to turn it off.”

Chapter 69

22 of the 30 gnomes had survived the crash and it seemed that we might have a few more survivors show up soon. Even those who had apparently been buried in the wreckage were wriggling their way out.

With the survival of so many, it became clear that it was on me to ensure that they were able to return home safely. Theoretically, I could wait for someone to come rescue me, but there was no way we’d be able to transport all of the gnomes to their base with our portal technology. It violated many of our rules to help them and so I doubted there would be anyone showing up to assist the crew. That meant they were my responsibility.

It was for this reason that I agreed to try out the Vessel Stone. That and my desire to test the very limits of what I could experience. I had to admit, the idea of piloting a crystal vessel, capable of traversing all kinds of terrain without fear of personal injury or exposure to the elements…it was attractive. The dangers present, that there was some kind of attachment process, didn’t quite deter me. Maybe it was my youthful sense of indestructibility or my overwhelming curiosity, but I found myself standing on a clearing far from the rest of the group.

In my arms was the long red crystal. Attuning to it was going to be difficult; I could feel it resist my mind as I had tried to touch it earlier out of curiosity. Now, as I focused, I could sense what could only be described as a labyrinth within my hands. My mind was somewhere else, somewhere outside of my own body and my own head. It was as if I were fantasizing, and yet the images coming to my head weren’t of my own control.

I saw a few strange things within this vision. Long hallways made of crystal, doors built out of green glass and incredibly long strands of energy that moved like the tides. My body grew weaker as I navigated through these hallways and I felt something pull from my life force with each passing second.

My inner eyes turned towards a great pulsing mass of red flesh. It was a living thing. And something I had known before. There you are, it said. The voice belonged to the creature that spoke in my mind once before. I became paralyzed, my entire body freezing. What was this?

You are gazing upon my unfortunate form, the thing said, the great red flesh growing greater in my mind. I am greatly injured. This clump of cells is all that I was able to create with the remains of my magic. That and this stone.

“You created this stone?” I asked, holding it up and staring at it. Was this a Starforger?

Indeed. It is a fraction of my energies. It is meant to enable the wielder to safely reach my body and extract it to somewhere safe. But things went awry. The first finder decided that it wanted to use the vessel stone to find other eon stones. This device was not designed for long term use. It eventually fused with the poor beast and he was trapped. Stuck forever hunting for stones, barely able to recall his own name.

“That’s awful.”

I tried to warn him many times. But eventually it shut me out of its mental connection. And in that process, he lost all sense of control. This stone is not a toy nor is it a ship. It is a rescue operation. Hence why I am pushing you from simply fusing, the Starforger said. I have seen a glimpse of your mind. I understand you must rescue your allies. That is fine. But you must find my body as well. Bring it back to these gnomes. They will aid me in restoring myself.

I pondered that for a moment. “Can you get us back to the Illuminated Depths if we restored you? It might be more efficient to just focus on rescuing you if it will give us a better shot of getting out of here.”

The Depths are very far from here. Your engine was not disabled, it was knocked off course. The undertaking would be tremendous but not impossible. I could fashion some stones to do so, but I can make few promises.

“Then let me fuse with this stone,” I said. “I’ll find you, we’ll fix you up and then we’ll all get out of wherever we are.”

Your boundless confidence is strange, considering the circumstances. Traversal will be dangerous. Extraction nearly impossible. There are many terrible creatures about. My body will not be simple to rescue.

Despite the warning, the Vessel Stone relented and allowed my mind to connect to it. At once, the red rod floated into the air. Binding a Greater Eon Stone! appeared in my vision as the stone drifted above my head. It flashed for a moment before descending behind me, pressing itself against my back.

Before I could react, there was a sharp sensation of piercing as the stone bound itself to my spine, embedding itself into my body. I gasped and yelped, the pain unbearable, though only lasting for a second.

Vessel Stone connected! You may now assume a Crystalline Walker Form.

The words were rather simple and so I thought nothing of activating the ability. One moment I was standing on two feet, the next, I was covered in a perfect circular sphere made of crystal. Eight long legs fired out of the sides of the Crystalline Walker and lifted me up. Despite the fact that I was obscured behind several feet of gemstone, I could see all around me perfectly.

“Woah…” I muttered as I mentally commanded the vehicle to move forward. Each leg gingerly stepped, responding to my commands with ease. This didn’t feel like I was directly controlling a suit, rather it was more like I was steering a ship. My thoughts were the winds that adjusted the sails of the scuttling legs.

I traversed sixteen miles of ground absentmindedly. The movement was so fast that I didn’t recognize the distance until my goggles informed me of how far I was from the base camp. From this height, I could easily see the inclines around us and scuttled up to the highest point. No angle could stop this vessel from easily climbing and within a matter of seconds I was high above the rest of our camp.

This vantage point gave me a perfect view of the area. We had crashed into a large valley that was so wide that we couldn’t see the inclines leading up to higher regions. Most of the land was made up of dirt and stone, with a few crystalline caverns like the one I had explored previously.

Most of this region was unremarkable, barren and without life, but one spot caught my interest. It was a great tree, grey as ash, with long naked branches that stretched eternally upwards into the sky. Bare of all greenery and buds, the tremendous trunk was easily twice my vehicle’s size.

Whether it was instinct or curiosity, I decided to climb up. The spider’s legs moved from horizontal to vertical without a problem and in a matter of minutes I was scaling the top of the enormous tree. The branches were wide enough for my vehicle to move across and so I piloted to the very edge of one of the limbs, stopping to examine this strange world we had landed on.

From here, it was plain to see. This place was a single patch of land floating in the midst of space. A free hanging platform with a tree, some holes and a valley. Below was the Blackfire Ocean, burning eternally. Above, there were thousands of stars. No, not stars! Portals!

Chapter 70

“A Portalway?” I gasped as I stared upwards. The space above was a pitch black sky, with many circular portals that glowed with energy. The tree I was atop had branches that seemingly moved upwards to meet each portal.

I scuttled as far as I could to inspect one portal. The branches grew longer and wider to accommodate my vehicle, all the way up to a single loose portal. My eyes were almost as wide as those portals and the pathway. This was a once in a lifetime discovery! A new portalway?

Almost drunk on excitement, I deactivated the Vessel Stone. Immediately, the dome around my body retracted into my spine. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, that was for sure.

I landed on the ground and stepped forward to investigate this portal. There were no locks around it, no binding energies. Nothing to indicate it was controlled by the Royal Scouts.

On the other side, I could see a vast network of pine trees, with houses hanging from them. Warmth blew from the portal, as did oxygen. Interesting but not necessarily what I was here for. I turned around and walked over to another portal close by. It was hanging above in the darkness but a long ray of light came down in a spiral, forming stairs as I focused on this portal.

This portal led to a great endless ocean. My vessel could probably explore the water no problem. No, I couldn’t get distracted. What was I doing up here? Gandering at portals? Or was I on a rescue mission to find the lost Starforger?

I focused, shutting the discovery out of my head. Instead, I concentrated on the Vessel Stone once more, digging into the energies that formed complex mental structures. There were memory banks within this thing…where did it come from?

A picture formed quickly. A great valley full of beasts, red ground with white clouds. The vessel had been there once before. This was where it had been created. This was where the lost Starforger was eking out the remains of its existence. The images of the beasts were short, mostly of claw and tooth, sending impressions that even the vessel was unsure if it could handle such adversaries. I guess I’d have to find that out the hard way.

I searched through the various portals until I found an area that matched the description in my mind. A great red portal, far in the darkness, led to a land of burning red grounds and billowing white clouds. Without hesitation, I headed through.

Warping through this portal felt effortless compared to the home base. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I wasn’t lurched as hard, nor did I feel out of sorts. Instead, it was as if I had just stepped through a normal doorway.

This world was brilliantly red in all shades and manners. The ground was dark red, while the mountains in the distance were a brilliant ruby that sparkled in the sunlight. Huge loping beasts with arms nearly twenty feet long walked across the earth, their massive hands smashing into the land as they navigated the landscape.

These dark red beasts towered at nearly forty feet in length, their torsos cylindrical and their heads almost in the shape of horned helmets. They littered the place, searching high and low for things to break with their hands. Sometimes they lumbered into one another and would engage in titanic battles, their long arms wielded more like clubs than appendages.

As I surveyed this strange realm, a thought drifted to me. You are here? The Starforger seemed surprised at this.

“Well, yeah, you asked for help,” I replied out loud.

I did not expect you to immediately find your way here, it replied. Your kind has a propensity to spend a great deal of time getting lost.

“My kind? I’m a Royal Scout, good fellow,” I said. “We get things done.”

Then you should have no trouble locating my body. And bypassing the vicious beasts that dominate this land.

My goggles began to calibrate as the Starforger spoke. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a marker appeared in my vision, pointing me in a direction. There. Direction stones are easy to work with. Like a light in a dark tunnel.

“You did that?” I asked, turning my head left to right, following the directional marker. This was honed in to a specific area nearly forty miles away. And it was pointing straight towards the largest density of beasts.

Indeed. Now you should be able to find me. I warn you this will not be an easy task.

“Should I take the vessel or go on foot?”

You will need to use the vessel to rescue me. But it is far from indestructible – meaning you are vulnerable here. These creatures will pulverize you, if you are lucky.

The stone embedded into my back activated at the mere thought of this and instantly, I was encased in the dome once more.

Ahead, I could see a dozen of those large, loping beasts. As a person, they hadn’t paid any mind to me, but now that I was larger, I was suddenly on the menu.

Two of them began to stagger towards me, their short legs struggling to traverse the extremely disrupted ground. Long arms stretched out to break new handholds, sending shockwaves into the earth. Quickly, I scurried towards my destination, pushing the speed of the spider to its absolute limit.

The device was outmatched by the speed of the brutes. These colossal creatures were surprisingly quick with their arms and I found myself panicking as they smashed at me. The vessel skittered left and right but it was too sluggish to respond to my mental commands – and my commands kept changing as I observed the attacks coming in from ahead.

The crystalline walker staggered as it tried to change directions, but this turned out to be too slow. One of the massive beasts struck the side of the vessel with its hand and I was thrown across the landscape.

Danger: Structure has taken significant damage! my vision warned me as I spiraled out of control. Three crystal legs snapped off as they tried to catch something on the terrain to hold onto. I spun in place, the world whipping around me hundreds of times, like I was trapped in a barrel rolling down a hill.

Vessel Stone requires reinforcement! Transfer vitality to restore integrity? the interface asked while we skidded to a halt. The ground was shaking all around as more of these beasts came towards me. I gritted my teeth at the prompt and sighed. There was no other choice.

As soon as I gave the mental command, I felt a tremendous amount of physical energy drain from my body. The walker immediately came to life again, growing its legs back out and lifting me up high. The world flickered in and out of focus, however, as my life force was consumed in order to repair the stone. Was this fusing me to the device?

I ordered the walker to scuttle forward, across the red landscape, but quickly abandoned that plan once I saw how many more were ahead. Hundreds of the beasts were loping about, fighting each other and looking for foodstuffs.

The plains were seemingly endless and though the mountains surrounded the area, they were so far off that it would be impossible for me to use them to circumvent these creatures. I needed to come up with a better way than just running forward…but what?

Chapter 71

I didn’t have much time to plan. The monsters that had thrown me were hot on my trail and a few other of these Tallbeasts were starting to notice the delicious-looking spider in their midst. I hightailed it back to the portal I had come from and quickly deactivated the Vessel Stone.

Immediately, I dropped to the ground, my bones crackling and crunching as things retracted back into the stone fused to my back. Oxygen struck me and it was painful. I gasped hard, the air almost noxious to my lungs.

I staggered through the portal and collapsed on the other side. Everything hurt. I don’t know what I was thinking, trying to just rush through. The Starforger had warned me about the dangers, why did I think I would be exempt?

These questions ran through my head as I slowly recovered from my injuries. Eventually I gained the wherewithal to make my way back down to meet the gnomes.

Though I had only been gone for a short time, the Red Minnow was looking quite operational. Huge wheels with treads wrapped around the sides of them supported a metal platform with dozens of chairs upon it. Workers were busy rigging up some kind of sail system to the large fin in the center of the platform.

Kulkan noticed me quickly and headed my way. “Back so soon? How was the test run?”

Right, that whole time I had been gone they had assumed I was just testing things out. “Not as great as I would have hoped,” I said. “I got a little cocky and it almost cost me.”

“A swollen head can be cured with a slap from reality,” the gnome agreed. “I’m glad to hear you’re okay.”

Kulkan gathered the few scientists and engineers who had been involved with this project and I gave them my report. They were all stunned at the news of a new Portalway being discovered. This distracted them for nearly an hour before we were able to steer the conversation over to the Starforger’s predicament. Once I began to describe the monsters that I had seen, the discussion quickly moved to developing a proper deterrent system.

“Violence between wandering gnomes and residents are prohibited,” Eglig had explained to us. “We cannot ethically create you a weapon that would do any kind of harm. However, this doesn’t mean you are out of options. There are many ways to deter an aggressor. We just need to figure out the right strategy.”

Indeed, the gnomes formed a committee to oversee this project, relieving me from the task of figuring it out on my own. I was free instead to get some rest – something I desperately needed after fueling the Vessel Stone with my own life force. I slept for what felt like days.

One evening, while the gnomes were busy working on what they called a ‘concussive force emitter’, I overheard a stilted conversation between two officials.

I had been walking through one of the construction areas, looking for some wreckage the gnomes had requested me to salvage when I heard them whispering. Part of me thought it crass and rude to eavesdrop, but another part was curious. What was eavesdropping if not simple audio exploration?

“It’s a bit shady, don’t you think?” the one voice, Lemli, whispered. “Stranding him like that?”

“Don’t think of it as stranding, think of it as delaying him in a race,” Glamglam replied. “His people will find him soon enough.”

“Still, he’s doing all this work for us…”

“I’m not saying we don’t appreciate him, but this is a once in a lifetime discovery. The Royal Scouts will claim it as their own if he returns before we can get our own government to claim it. The Heat Mining Company is owned partially by the Gnomish Crown, remember? It’s our duty to give the state something this vital,” Glam insisted.

Lemli was hesitant still. “I suppose…but still…”

“Still nothing!” the pilot replied. “We are sitting on a discovery that will change gnomish history. Our very own Portalway! The humans have been holding their network away from our people’s study and for what reason? Pettiness? Fear of us somehow gaining an advantage? As far as I see it, we have no obligation to do the humans any favors. It’s not like they’ve helped us any.”

“We won’t hurt him?”

“Nonsense. We’ll just delay him.”

I didn’t stick around after that. It was clear Lemli was being moved and this meant two people were turning against me. I didn’t know what ‘delaying’ meant but I wasn’t about to let them try anything like that.

“Eglig,” I said, hurriedly approaching the engineer as I emerged from the wreckage beneath the Minnow. “I think something’s about to turn the camp sour against me.”

The engineer looked at me with a grim expression. “I’m afraid I can’t help ya.”

“What about the concussion system? The deterrent?” I asked. There was no reply. The gnome merely turned to look away from me.

I glanced out at the rest of the workers. Some were looking at me curiously, others with a sense of guilt. But I could see it all on their faces. The state had asked them to make a choice in loyalty and they had not sided with me.

Chapter 72

Governments were a tricky thing. The official Royal Scout stance on dealing with foreign governments was to avoid provoking their ire while also refusing to bend to their demands. In this case, I had provoked their ire just by sharing my discovery! And their demands were quite crazy!

“Just hop in the cage and we’ll be dandy,” Glamglam said as her fellow gnomes emerged from the shadows to surround me. The group had corralled me towards a small area with a rusty metal cage that looked like it had been designed rather quickly.

“Hey, come on now! I was working with you guys a minute ago,” I protested, holding my hands up. “And don’t you all abhor violence?”

Lemli, the security officer, was holding the concussive device – a small metal rod with three stones jammed into the side of it. “No one’s going to hurt you, this device will just stun the heck out of your brain,” she said. “And we don’t want to use it, so just help us out by getting in the cage!”

“I am an officer, of sorts,” I stammered, puffing out my chest and adjusting my cloak a little. “An agent of The Royal Scouts! If you dare zap me with that device, I will—”

They zapped me with the device. The pulse of energy went woomph as a wave of air and energy struck me at the same time. The world blinked around me for a moment and then, everything went dark.

I came to moments later, my hands resting on a metal bar. I was inside of the cage and was being escorted up a hill…no, not a hill. We were on a beam of light. Moving towards a portal.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, rubbing my head. Everything felt numb and I could barely think. I was still wearing my gear; the gnomes hadn’t taken anything from me. Would I be able to burst out of the cage with my Vessel Stone? Or would I be squished by the metal?

There was no answer. The team of gnomes all worked in unison, pulling my cage along the invisible ground. I was atop a two wheeled wagon, a rickety device that was almost as wretched as my prison.

“Are you really just going to toss me in a random portal? That seems a little excessive, considering you’re already imprisoning me,” I said.

Glamglam looked back at me but said nothing. I could see the guilt on her face, plain as day, but she had already made the decision. They were going to strand me. Or so they thought.

These portals were different from the ones back home. They led directly to the other side – no random transportation. I hadn’t noticed it at first, being so overwhelmed with everything, but upon my return back I realized it. This Portalway was far more stable than the one of West Carnelion.

The gnomes were not thrilled with this realization. They pushed my cart through the hole and dusted their hands off, only to see me slide to the other side.

“Not as easy as you thought?” I asked as Glamglam and her ilk came through the portal to inspect me.

“Shut up,” she growled.

I could see little around us. It was quite dark and the cage significantly limited my view. I craned my neck. The ground was dark green. Roots and trees…a jungle?

“What do we do now? You said we could just toss him through and not worry about it!” Lemli fussed.

“Let’s just find a hill and push the cage down it. He’s tough enough,” Glam said. The gnomes all agreed. For a split second. There came a loud cry from above, a hideous shrieking.

The group all panicked and immediately scattered, most rushing back to the portal. Glamglam tried to make a break for it but something swooped down and grabbed her.

“Let me out, I’ll fight it!” I growled, shaking the bars around me. A monster was trying to lift the gnome off the ground but she was holding on to something for dear life. She would have probably agreed to opening the cage if there was someone around to help me. But the gnomes had all abandoned their position when the creature attacked.

The distress of the woman, foolish and misguided as she was, put me into overdrive and I pushed forward as hard as I could. The metal hinges all whined and shrieked, then in an instant, the cage unfolded like a box. I was free!

Quickly, I drew my sword and rushed the flying creature. We were in a dark forest, with a wide canopy above us with plenty of space for the monster to escape. Glam was holding onto a root that was sticking out of the ground; the gnarled wood was tearing out of the earth rapidly and would not hold her very long.

“Hyaahh!” I shouted as I leapt in the air to slash at the monster. It was a hideous black beast, with rubbery skin and long leathery, batlike wings. It had eyes of the purest yellow and wore horns upon its head. Honestly, if Glamglam wasn’t in trouble, there’s no way I’d have ever willingly run towards this thing.

My blade caught the wing of the creature and the long humanoid creature released Glamglam, its long talons stretching open as it flew a few feet above us. A chunk of wing came off, causing the creature to hiss angrily. Black blood dripped from above, sizzling on the ground.

“Get up and get out of here!” I shouted, holding my sword up as I stood between this foul monster and the gnome.

Glam recovered from her shock and panic, then quickly scurried off towards the portal.

The monster came charging at me from above, its wings cutting downwards behind its back as it sailed through the air. I held my ground, twisting my blade and holding my stance. The beast took notice of my refusal to back down and averted the charge at the last second, darting up into the air.

I let out a deep breath, the tension releasing. The bat beast did a flip in the air and suddenly came charging towards me again. I resumed my stance, holding a defensive posture. “Come on…” I grunted in between gritted teeth. “Come on!”

The beast stopped its charge short once more, deftly barrel rolling to the right of me and zipping up into the trees.

“Get your concussion wand thingie!” I shouted.

But when I turned around, it was to see that I was all alone. And the portal was gone.

Chapter 73

They had figured out how to close the portal. Maybe they knew the technology all along and just didn’t see a need to use it. But now, in a panic, they had sealed me off from my way back home. And, worst of all, they left me with a monster that was quite angry that I had interfered with its dinner.

“Back off!” I shouted as I slashed at the air a few times, trying to ward the bat beast off. This did nothing other than cause it to slash its own claws and talons at me a few times, as if to say ‘yes, I can fight the air too’. It menacingly hovered above me, circling and false charging every few seconds. The beast was too timid to take me in a direct fight, and so it kept this dance up for a time.

Eventually I decided to change up the tempo. I charged at the creature as it came at me in another false rush – this surprised the beast, prompting it to pull up its incredibly long legs to grasp at me with its talons. My slash was cut off by the creature’s feet catching both of my shoulders, lifting me high above the ground.

I struggled to break out of the beast’s grasp; the talons were thick and strong, able to pierce through my armor – though not enough to break flesh.

We flew through the treeline, sailing high into the cloudy sky. My eyes went wide at the sight of my surroundings. Hundreds of floating tendrils, each the size of an elephant’s leg, were draping down from the sky, probing around, searching for something.

The monster lifted me higher and higher, grunting and hissing as we continued to ascend. My right pauldron tore open, freeing half of my body from the creature’s grip. I dangled downwards, flailing as I tried to grab hold of something before I fell to my death. A clawed foot struck me hard in the head as I fumbled and the world spun around.

And then, I was falling. Sailing down, down, down. Above, I could hear the bat beast let out a shriek – one of the grasping tendrils from the sky had seized it during our scuffle and was now drawing it up into the clouds. The terror in the monster’s timbre indicated that this was going to be its last moments…funny, I wondered if these were mine as well.

The blow to my head had stunned me, numbing my body and sending me into a state of shock. I felt rather detached, as if I were watching someone else crash through dozens of branches, bones crunching and shattering as I tumbled down. Slowly, as the light from my consciousness faded, I remembered I had a potion of safe falling. I passed out, laughing at the irony of remembering right after it would have been useful.

Death did not find me. Perhaps it had not been looking as hard as I had worried, for my slumber lasted only a short while and I was awake, eyes wide and hands pressing against my ribcage. More than a few things had broken in the fall and the pain was almost…sublime. A strange response to something so overwhelming but…yes, there was almost a comfort in the pain. A sense of strength. Perhaps it was a testament to my heartiness. Or maybe I smacked my head too hard on the way down.

Slowly, I looked up. My body had crashed through a few trees and down the side of a rather long hill. The jungle was so dense that I couldn’t see the tops of the treeline – I must have fallen for miles.

“Come on,” I groaned as I tried to activate the Vessel Stone. Your body is too injured! Transformation would kill you! My vision warned. The pain had moved from being strangely otherworldly to miserable rather quickly and I wanted it gone as quickly as possible. The transformation wouldn’t ease this suffering, unfortunately.

Alright, don’t panic. Could I sit up? I slowly moved upwards, my body burning in protest with each movement. Gritting my teeth, I managed to get to my feet. Until I took a step, then the pain in my leg rushed through violently, sending me sprawling onto the ground.

“Gah!” I cried out, clutching my right ankle. It was broken, there was no way around it. Busted ribs, broken ankle…arms seemed okay. Hands and fingers could move, albeit with some stiffness.

A strange noise, like a kizzap echoed throughout the jungle. It wasn’t a monstrous sound, nor did it belong to any kind of creature. No, the sound was deeper, like a rumbling from the earth itself. Like thunder…

I shivered a little. For a jungle, this place was getting rather cold. That was fine, my head was burning up anyway.

Wincing, I pulled out my satchel and started to get out the tools for making a splint. This consisted of two metal poles that were adjustable and designed with a tether system to press together a serious injury.

It took time to secure my ankle and I had to find a way to move around without causing my rib injury to overwhelm me. Seconds of work cost minutes of hard breathing afterward. As I worked, there was that strange kizzap sound once more. The brace slipped around my injury and I pulled the lever tight, pushing my bone back into place. It hurt far less than I had been expecting – at least compared to when it was out of place.

“Okay, you can…” I huffed as I rolled onto my knees, digging both hands into the dirt. Getting up was this hard? How in the hell was I going to find my way back home with an injury like this?

I stared at the ground, sweat dripping from my forehead. My fingers dug into the dirt as I pondered what was happening. I was injured and not in a small way. Worst yet, I was stranded in a completely different portalverse than the one I had entered.

If help was going to come, it already would have. This realization sank into my stomach like a stone and I felt more than sweat pouring down the sides of my face. Tears were streaming. I wasn’t sobbing out of fear or pain. No, it was out of a feeling, for the first time since I had started the Royal Scouts, that I was truly alone. Alone, wounded and stranded. And…it just started snowing.

Chapter 74

The little dots were innocuous at first. A few floating through the air like they were ash. At first I thought that’s what it was. But then, a snowflake landed on an exposed part of my wrist, cooling it instantly. This sensation snapped me out of my breakdown. I looked up, gritting my teeth as pain shot through my neck.

Above, the trees were slowly turning white. Their branches were becoming frozen, growing large crystalline structures that looked like fruit made of ice. Snow was beginning to fall from the highest treeline and everything was slowly becoming frosted over.

Even the ground beneath me was changing. The earth shifted from hard dirt and mud to soft, cold slush.

Shivering, I stood to my feet, careful not to put too much weight onto my right leg. The splint was working wonders to keep my ankle in place and I wondered if maybe I had corrected the injury somehow. No reason to stress test it, however.  Instead, I drew out one of my collapsible poles and extended it far as it could go. The composite metal was sturdy enough to lean on and so I had a reasonable crutch to use.

More snow began to fall. My boots started to accumulate enough of the stuff to begin soaking into my socks. A stiff breeze blew by and with it, the rest of the world iced over completely. I was standing now in an entirely frozen world. The temperature dropped so fast that I could scarcely register it at first.

There was a cruel irony in the fact that I had spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to secure a method of preventing heat death, only to be taken out by frost. All of my temperature regulating abilities were designed to protect from the fire of the Abyss. Nothing in my kit besides my cloak was meant to help with the cold.

Wrapping the big green fabric around my body, I shivered as the wind blew through every last layer of my clothing. As the frost began to take hold, so too did a determination within me. The shock of my fall and my injuries were wearing off as the truth of the matter came into view, plain as day. In less than an hour, I would freeze to death.

Panic did not overtake me. I had already come to terms with the fact that I was on my own, now it was clear that I needed to find a way to survive. Calculations rose up within my mind as I factored everything in.

I was alone, in a forest that had the capacity to not only change temperatures but also the entire landscape. Was this ice state permanent? Or was it merely part of a cycle? The smart thing to do would be to try and leave as quickly as possible, but my injuries were extensive. I couldn’t flee if I wanted to.

Injuries…my vitality stones should theoretically speed up my recovery time, perhaps quick enough for me to find my way out of this place. The priority therefore, should be to buckle down and build a safe shelter so I could rest. The only question was whether I could do this fast enough to avoid freezing to death.

What tools did I have at my disposal? Nothing that could start a fire in freezing temperatures. Dang…how do I…hmmm…

I surveyed the area, searching for a sign of wood that hadn’t been completely iced over. All of the trees were perfectly crystal now, meaning I couldn’t hack them down for kindling. But what about the fallen logs?  My eyes came across a large overturned oak that was dusted with snow but otherwise appeared to be still made of wood.

Limping, I staggered up to the oak to discover the thing had been hallowed out. The tree was partially submerged into the ground, sunken from the impact of the fall, so long ago. The interior was oddly warm…interesting.

I clambered into the fallen log, following after the warmth. The inside was spacey enough for me to crawl on my hands and knees and still have some room for my head to look up. And the further I climbed in, the warmer it got.

I reached the end of the log, where it was sealed, meaning there was only one way in and out. A habitat of some kind had been established, with straw, claw marks and little bits of bone and stone scattered about. Whatever creature had lived in here seemed to be smart enough to leave before things got cold. At least, I hope it wouldn’t come back to find me resting in its bed.

The warmth of the end of the log seemed to be a natural byproduct of simply being an enclosed area thick enough to insulate from the cold – for now. But the temperature had dropped considerably outside, meaning that it would only be a matter of time before the log froze over too, spreading its chill to the interior. Still, this was a respite for a moment. I could gather my thoughts and put together a plan.

I leaned against the rounded edge of the log, sighing as I enjoyed the warmth. What did I know about winter survival? Nothing. Winters were easy to survive in the farmlands, as they were often mild and without snow. A particularly harsh winter was one where we had to put on a second coat.

“Fire,” I muttered, the hot air escaping from my mouth. That was what I knew about winter survival. If I wanted to live, I had to create fire. It was the only thing that separated man from the rest of the natural world. Without the power to create a blaze, our species would have forever remained in the woods.

I had a firestarter kit, it was one of the first things Lu-On suggested to me. “You can have a million tools and Eon Stones, but if you can’t start a fire, you’re done for,” he had said, shoving the small bag to me without much else of an explanation. He had piled on tons of other gear atop me, obscuring the kit but now I had the little green satchel in my hands, holding it like a glass egg.

The bag had a thin piece of twine wrapped around it and the knot was tight. My trembling fingers took a long time to undo the rope. Eventually the bindings fell off, revealing a few long matches, a pile of metal shavings and some cotton. In the center of the bundle was a fine stone.

I glanced up at the top of the log. There was no ventilation, the smoke from the fire would choke me out. Hmmm…what if I were to dig a pit in the entrance? Deep enough to protect the fire from the wind, but close to the edge so the smoke could rise out of here. But how would I get out? I had no food besides my Seeker’s Treat, nor did I have enough water to last me even a day.

Snow was water, right? Okay, so I could just melt the snow to drink. Though it could be dirty, so I’d need to purify it. So many steps to survival…I could do this though. Just break it down, one step at a time.

Fire was key. And so I crawled to the open end of the log and began to dig with my hands, scooping up the dirt at the entrance. The snow was falling hard overhead. In order to stop it from landing atop my work zone, I used my cloak to form a tent above. It would have been nice to have my actual tent, but I had left it back with the gnomes. My goal had been to travel light while scouting for them. So much for that.

The cloaks by which the Royal Scouts identified themselves were not just for show, they were highly functional. The material stretched and flexed just like a tarp, able to take the stress of the accumulating snow without trouble. I dig until the earth became difficult to break through, then set about tearing out the ‘fire strips’ from the inside of my cloak.

These long scraps were designed to be highly flammable, not only that but they burned for hours. They would make for decent kindling for the short term, but I’d need to find actual wood if I was to get a strong fire going.

My hands were shaking uncontrollably, despite the fact that they were gloved. The temperature was so low that my thoughts were beginning to solidify like the world around me. Each moment seemed to lead to a greater and greater dullness…my fingers worked with the fire strips, the scraps of metal and the stone…strike a knife against the stone.

A flicker of light leapt from the stone and onto the heap of scraps. Smoke began to rise as the pile ignited. The yellow spirit of flame eagerly danced left and right as it spread in a small circle. The pit was dug in enough to prevent the fire from going anywhere else and within a matter of seconds, I had a moderate blaze going.

“Ahhhh,” I sighed, stretching my hands above the flames. The smoke was billowing out the side of the tarp, the wind easily taking it out of the area. The warmth began to grow, slowly, but enough to ward off the ice around us.

The flames were weak and uneven, flickering in and out of existence with each passing second. I tried to fan the fire but this did nothing. The fire needed more material to burn.

Gritting my teeth, I crawled back into the log and began to run my hands across the ceiling. The interior had been hallowed out by some creature and so there were a few pieces of wood that were dislodged and easy to grab. It hurt like hell to pry the wood loose but I managed to get a chunk out of the ceiling.

I tossed the piece of wood into the flames and watched as the fire immediately grew stronger. “Just a few more pieces,” I said to myself, mustering the strength and the courage to pull more chunks of wood down. Eventually I was able to get enough material to fill the entire fire pit, ensuring the fire wouldn’t go out anytime soon.

The heat radiated through the entire log and I could feel it getting a little toasty. The cloak draped over the entrance had a bit of a venting effect, moving the heat upwards and into the log entrance, while the smoke billowed out the sides of the tarp.

I reclined sideways in the log, resting my eyes as I felt the warmth overtake my entire body. I felt safer and stronger as a result. This little hovel was a tiny little port in a tremendous storm, but it was enough. I would rest a few hours, and then, I would start my survival journey proper.

Chapter 75

I woke up abruptly, punching at the air. My fists struck wood, reminding me that I was trapped in an ice world. The pain in my ribs was significantly weaker than before and I could breathe easier now. My leg still burned and my ankle was stiff and inoperable, but I was feeling better. My head was clearer. And the fire was still burning.

I crawled out of the log, careful to avoid the fire as I wriggled around it. Maybe I could make an alternative entrance for myself with my axe, now that my arms were more functional. But that seemed like a large expenditure of energy. Did I want to waste my time on convenience?

It was unclear how long I had been asleep. The rest of the world seemed to be covered in perpetual daylight and snow. The forest floor had been buried almost entirely in snow, save for a few patches of clear ice.

My throat was dry and my stomach rumbled. A few precious sips from my canteen sated my thirst but I was going to wait on eating. The gnomes had packed plenty of food with them on the journey and so I had been well fed up until this point. I could last a few weeks without a bite. I’d just have to make it work.

I fiddled with my goggles but they did nothing. No calculations came up, no interface or anything. The device wasn’t broken, it just displayed a lack of all data entirely. That wasn’t good. Had they been damaged in the fall?

A stiff breeze picked up, shivering me to the bone. My cloak was currently serving as the fire protector, and so I had nothing to insulate me from the fierce wind. I wouldn’t be able to stand out here very long before I froze over, and so I worked quickly.

“Let’s see if we can get a reading with you…” I said, taking out my survey pike. As soon as I stuck it into the ground, my goggles activated.

Calibrating! Planar Alignment Unfamiliar! Zone Unregistered. Registering Zone…error! System requires additional readings.

As the words ran through my goggles, three different diamonds appeared in my vision, spreading out to three different spots.

Planar Alignment is required! Take readings in these zones to perform the Alignment.

Zone 1 – 70 miles

Zone 2 – 150 miles

Zone 3 – 25 Miles

The three zones couldn’t be further apart from each other. And what did planar alignment mean? Would that map out the area enough for me to find a portal out of here? Or would it reconnect me to my home base?

That last thought rang out in my mind. Planar alignment could mean I’d be on the map to my allies and then they’d almost certainly come get me. That might be my best chance at survival, given I wasn’t sure if there would be an exit portal in this place to begin with.

These distances were intense. I wouldn’t be able to make the journey in my current state. Even if I summoned Ferdinand, there wasn’t a way I’d be able to keep warm long enough. And that was assuming my hog could even handle the cold. It seemed cruel to test it out on a living creature, even if it were a summon.

I found myself retreating back to the tarp, beside the fire. The cold had almost overwhelmed me entirely and it took me a few minutes to thaw out. My thoughts grew dim when the chill was at its fiercest. It was like the only thing I could concentrate on was warmth.

After a few minutes of warming up, I emerged from the log and quickly took note of my surroundings. There were frozen trees for miles in all directions, with vast fields of snow in between each crystalized trunk. Any direction I went could potentially walk me further into the woods and thus closer to the source of this cold. But I had to start somewhere, right?

I staggered a good twenty feet to the south. Nothing on the horizon changed. The cold forced me to retreat once more.

“Need to keep warm somehow,” I mused as I settled back inside of the log. I had fire and it was burning strong enough thanks to the copious amount of loose wood. But how could I transport that warmth? The air was too damp for a torch; any attempts to bring fire outside caused it to sizzle from either the wind or the snow.

My throat grew dry as I considered my options. I suppose now was the time to melt some snow. There was no way of knowing what kind of bad stuff could be inside of this water, so I suppose I’d have to boil it.

Fortunately, I had a survival bowl, a collapsible metal pan that could extend into a small pot for cooking. I scooped some snow into the bowl and placed it across a few poles I had laid vertically to create a sort of ‘grill’ over the fire.

The fire began to immediately heat the bowl and I watched as the water slowly grew more and more disturbed. Once it was bubbling violently, I removed the bowl and looked to inspect the contents. The water was crystal clear, I didn’t see anything inside. This didn’t deny or confirm my question about the potability of the water.

“Ah hot,” I said, the water burning my mouth as I brought it up to my lips. I don’t know why I did that but something struck me in that moment (besides burning pain). The water was hot! Very hot! And it was giving off plenty of steam in the cold weather. What if I poured it into my waterskin?

Quickly, I took my canteen and fumbled with the bowl, tilting it as best I could to get the water into the skin. Once the water was gone from the bowl, I placed the canteen against the back of my neck. Heat! Glorious, glorious heat!

“I can carry hot water!” I declared, cackling at the realization. I had more than a few containers that were watertight and flexible. It took me some time but eventually I had six bottles of burning hot water hanging above the fire.

I slipped the first bottle, the wide canteen, into my vest, against my bare chest. The heat spread out through my entire body and I felt like I could breathe for the first time. Next, a bottle in my groin space. Two on my back and the other two carefully stowed in my backpack. They would warm each other and make up my emergency water rations.

The ‘warmsuit’ I had designed was effective at protecting me from the frigid air outside. I climbed out of the log and headed as far south as I could go. The bitter cold grew worse with each passing minute; the bottles wouldn’t last too much longer. I should have been sprinting but my ankle was still shot. There was no possible way I’d be able to run in this condition.

I made it nearly eight hundred feet south, to a small patch of berry bushes that appeared unaffected by the frost. Bright red berries hung from the bushes and it sported many green leaves. I reached out and grabbed a handful of leaves, pulling the branches out with them. The sticks were nice and dry. They would make for excellent kindling. And the berries? Hmmm. No way of knowing if they were toxic or not, so I best avoid ingesting them.

As my bottles lost their heat, I tore out a bunch of branches. Then, I hightailed it back to base, staggering all the way.

The cold grew violent as the last of my bottles froze over. Now that they were no longer carrying heat, they were in fact radiating a dire cold that made my body shiver even more. I nearly collapsed into the log hovel, wriggling beside the fire and gasping for air.

Sixteen hundred feet. That was how far I could make it before my bottles gave out. What about these leaves? They would just burn up quickly inside of the fire; the branches were what I had cared about in terms of fuel.

Resting beside the warm fire, I plucked out each leaf from the berry branches I had seized, then carefully laid them on the ground. They quickly became dry thanks to the heat, after which I stuffed them into my gloves. Would this insulate me further? I had no idea but I had to try something.

Once the branches were free of their leaves, I tossed them into the fire, watching as the flames grew even stronger. The branches were sturdy and lasted for quite a while, leading me to using only one at a time. The warmth was greater and accumulated more at the end of the log, where I was able to rest for a longer period of time. The cold water was refreshing to drink and I devoured a fourth of my seeker treat, being careful not to eat too much.

As I rested my eyes, a message came burning into my mind. It was the Starforger, his mental energies finally connecting to my thoughts.

Tell me more about how the Royal Scouts get things done, the voice asked, sarcasm invading my entire sense of being.

“Sorry,” I replied. “I got cocky and then ended up in a bit of a jam.”

Your energies were scattered greatly. It took me considerable effort to locate you, he replied. Such is the way of the Astero Nexus.

“Is that where I am?”

No. That is what you passed through. The Astero Nexus is connected to the Astero Planar Cluster – sixteen planes that are impossible to access from the outside. Only passage through the Astero Nexus portals leads in or out.

“What if that portal closed?” I asked.

There was silence for a time. That is unfortunate. Is your species long lived, by any chance?

Chapter 76

The truth came like a boulder crashing atop my head. According to the Starforger, if a portal were intentionally collapsed, the Astero Nexus would begin a rebuilding process. One that took considerable amount of time. Years at the minimum. There was no maximum.

My hopes of finding a new portal were gone. Even if I made the trek to the three points, it wouldn’t allow the Royal Scouts to find me. Or would it? What if the Starforger was incorrect? After all, we had all sorts of novel uses for the Eon Stone technologies. Perhaps there was some other way they could get to me. I shouldn’t give up at the first sign of trouble…

But accepting the heaviness of a situation wasn’t giving up. No, I had to look at this situation head on and the reality was ugly. I might be trapped here for a long, long time. And if that was the case, I couldn’t just idle around and wait to die. I had to actively improve my living situation – and fast.

This was one element of survival that I understood quite well. Back home, when roughing it in the woods, there were two ways one could make shelter – the kind you carried with you and the kind that harbored you. Long-term, if need be. This little log in the ground wouldn’t let me thrive. I needed to build something.

Our connection will end once this conversation is over, the Starforger had told me. It requires considerable energy for me to pierce this veil. But while my presence is here, there is something I can do for you. I can sense the Eon Stones in the general area. There are many in the Astero. In your region, there are two nearby. Both will be of great benefit to you. I shall upload them to your goggles.

As he had said that, my system immediately registered two stones, both within two miles of each other. Unlike the normal registration, however, these stones were clarified.

Engineer’s Stone – 1 mile

Builder’s Might – 2 miles

At first I had thought there was a tremendous coincidence in the relevance of these stones, but it turns out that one of the Starforger’s abilities was to actually change a stone.

“Won’t that cost you energy?” I had asked.

It shall. But my survival is dependent upon yours. At the very least, one of us will make it out of here. I can’t improve my predicament with my own power, so I may as well help yours. My pool of assistance is limited but I can guess as to what you will need. Find them and then, find a way home. Good luck.

With that missive, the Starforger vanished. I was left with the task of finding these stones and then figuring out a way to build shelter.

The outside world hadn’t changed much in the time I had been resting. The landscape was still frozen and the trees still crystallized. The snow had stopped falling for now and the entire scene was somewhat serene. Peaceful. Not a bad place to live out the rest of my days…

No! I couldn’t think something like that. I wasn’t going to die on this plane, not of frostbite or of old age. I was going to live and thrive! Hmmm…if only determination could generate heat.

I sat by the fire, playing with one of the red berries, rolling it against the ground. There was no way in hell I was risking my life by eating a foreign berry, but they still could be useful for something. But what?

The answer came as I squished it down onto the ground. The red juices oozed out, congealed and terribly thick.

“Yuck,” I said, pulling my glove away from the floor. The berry juice clung to my hand, however, providing some resistance as I pulled upwards. I had to work somewhat to free my hand, though this was far from a proper adhesive.

But it was close enough… I was quick to grab some leaves from the pile I had been planning to use as a bed. With some berry juice, I found I could get the leaves to stick to each other. And when the juice dried, they didn’t come apart.

“Ohohoho,” I chuckled to myself as I equipped my bottles for the short trek once more. My leg wasn’t doing any better – if anything, it was hurting even more now, but I could soldier on. I hurried back to the bushes and grabbed as many branches full of leaves and berries as I could – and that turned out to be quite a bit.

My excitement made the intense cold surrounding me more tolerable and I found with proper determination I could shut out the numbness of the mind. It was all about staying active with my thoughts, each moment I had to ask myself, what is the plan? What’s next? Each step of the way, I concentrated and that managed to keep me functional, despite the intense cold.

I made it back to my little base with bundles upon bundles of leaves. With the help of my survival bowl, I began to crush dozens of berries into a fine liquid, then set about laying out a bed of leaves. Pasting the liquid across the leaves caused each individual leaf to stick to each other. The bond was nice and firm. After a few minutes of drying, the first layer was finished.

“Ahahaha!” I laughed to myself as I knelt over the long sheet of bonded leaves. This wouldn’t be strong enough on its own but there were plenty more berries and leaves to use.

I spent several hours working in the warmth of the log, binding sheets of leaves together. Once each sheet was reinforced with enough material to absorb movement, I took out my sewing kit and began to run thread through each individual piece. The stiches wouldn’t be enough to really strengthen the formation but it would allow me to tighten and shape the sheets.

It was hard work but by the end of it, I had a poncho made entirely out of leaves. Wearing it didn’t confer any real sense of warmth. This led to some dismay, until I exited the cave to discover something fantastic. The leaves fended off the wind!

As I stood in the middle of the woods, there was no dread chill penetrating through my body. The leaf poncho acted as a shield, diverting the wind around me. This did wonders for my temperature endurance, as the immense cold wasn’t nearly as brutal as before. With my bottles, I was able to travel much further than before.

I trudged through the snow towards the Engineer’s Stone. A mile was a long way to go with a busted leg, but the cold seemed to numb most of the pain. The daylight showed no signs of changing and the air was tolerable, so I pushed as hard as I could, even straining my leg in the process.

The Eon Stone came into view as I passed a particularly large set of rocks. There was a single tree in the center of a plain white valley. It was a shriveled and weak looking thing, with a blackened trunk and only one branch. At the end of this branch was a yellow stone, hanging off the edge like it was fruit. The branch was so weighed down by this stone that it practically touched the ground.

“Well, there’s a welcome sight,” I said, letting out a sigh of relief once I realized it would be easy to get the stone. Part of me had been fearing some kind of monster or keeper nearby. But that wasn’t the case. And no, no thing appeared even after I concluded I was safe. The gods of irony were sated for now, it would seem.

I plucked the Eon Stone from the tree. The yellow rock was pear-shaped, with two splits on the side. Burn marks were concentrated around the edges of the splits. Was this the effect of the transformation process? What had this stone been before?

I immediately paired with the stone. My mind latched onto the energies and at once, I could feel a flood of ideas come surging to my mind.

Eon Stone Attuned! Engineer’s Stone has been activated!

Engineer’s Stone: You are gifted with knowledge about engineering, architectural and mathematical abilities. The longer this stone stays connected, the deeper the knowledge you gain.

The yellow stone floated up in front of me and then zipped into my vest pocket, snuggling against my body. It was disappointingly cold.

But the temperature was the extent of my disappointment. As I made my way back to camp, my mind was abuzz with activity. There were many ways to build shelter, many ways to turn this predicament into a place of power. But it was going to take a tremendous amount of muscle to do so and I wouldn’t be able to do that without the Builder’s Might stone. Fortunately, my engineering mind had just come up with a clever way to protect a torch from the brutal wind.

Chapter 77

The berry adhesive was key to all of my designs. Using the branches, I was able to construct a cage entirely out of wood. This cage was wide mouthed and circular. By sticking leaves to the outside of the cage, it would become a hollow sphere of sorts, capable of protecting whatever was inside from the wind.

This was an improvised torch guard. By affixing the branches to my torch, I could slip the head through the hole of the windcage. The only question was whether the leaves would catch on fire once the torch was ignited.

The answer to this problem came from a clever application of the two resources that I had in unlimited quantities: water and cold.

I dug a trench where I could pour the melted snow into the ground. The water didn’t need to be clean for what I intended. Once the hole was full of enough liquid, I dunked the torch cage into the water, thoroughly soaking it. Then, I yanked the cage out and tossed it outside into the freezing weather.

This took a few times to get right but the end result was perfect. The cage froze solid. This would ensure there was a buffer before the leaves caught on fire from the torch.

This design worked. I emerged from the log with a lit torch, covered with a frozen basket that relied on very thin sticks to stay raised above the fire. I had to move slowly and carefully, as to not cause the torch to wobble inside of the basket. The cold of the leaves might douse the flames.

The wind blew but neither I nor the cage was affected. I let out a sigh of relief as the warmth of the torch radiated towards my body. This would be enough to make the long journey to the Builder’s Might stone. I just hope it would be as easy to grab as the other one.

The fire seemed to give me a strength that I didn’t normally have when working in the cold. I held the torch up proudly as I marched and the pain in my leg subsided enough for me to keep a good pace.

This stone was located to the northwest and required moving up an incline. This slowed me down and more than a few times I was forced to rest due to the difficulty of walking on a bad leg uphill. Eventually the incline broke and I made it to the top.

“Good gods…” I said as I gazed out at the rest of the world. This hill was at the cusp of a steep valley that was endless. The entire area was frozen solid and there wasn’t a tree to be seen.  My goggles scanned the area and pinpointed a small patch of earth. Apparently that was where the stone lay.

I slid down the hill; the snow was thick enough for me to easily glide down without trouble. Once I was at the bottom, I hurried towards the stone.

“Please no monsters, please no monsters,” I muttered as I staggered towards the flatlands. The wide open space was windy and cold, but I wasn’t shivering due to the frost. No, I could sense something was watching me. Call it intuition or a second sight, but I knew something was nearby – and it wasn’t benevolent.

A small hole greeted me as I surveyed all around, searching for trouble. There were no signs of danger.

Glancing down at the hole, it was obvious that the transformation process had burned the earth entirely. The fat brown bead looked like a swollen sparrow, almost a figurine. I quickly bonded with it.

Eon Stone Attuned! Builder’s Might has been Activated!

Builder’s Might: You are able to haul construction material such as logs and stones with ease. You must be actively performing construction for this effect to activate.

As I registered the stone, a flash of yellow light washed across my vision.

Stone energies are matching! You have collected 2 Strength Stones – Boulder and Builder’s Might. Abilities are harmonizing! Please select a Harmony Bonus from below!

Sturdy Back: Your max carrying capacity increases by 100 lbs.

Strong: Gain 1 Point of Strength.

Tireless: Physical Labor is significantly less strenuous.

Harmonization! I hadn’t been expecting that at all. Hmm, what to choose? Strong would provide the biggest overall benefit – but Tireless would help me with all of the tasks I needed to get done. Energy was in short supply as I didn’t have much food left.

After some thought, I decided to take Tireless. As I made the selection, the energies washed over me and I felt a brief burst of refreshment. As if I had just taken a long, satisfying nap. But this effect only lasted for a few seconds before it faded and my exhaustion returned. Better get back to base.

As I turned around, my eyes suddenly caught motion. The plain white field in front of me had a bit of movement in the distance, though it was subtle. My eyes narrowed on the uneven motion, the blur that seemed to be snaking through the snow towards me. Eventually the image became clear. It was a beast covered in solid white fur.

This gave the beast a tremendous advantage when it came to getting the drop on its prey. I had trouble tracking it as it moved across the landscape, sometimes fading into the snow. It was a four legged creature, as far as I could tell, and it was laying low as to hide its size.

I raised my torch up high while pondering what to do. The creature was coming toward me, that was clear. But it wasn’t in the way of my exit. I could just flee…no, it might be an ambush predator, waiting for me to turn my back. Best to just…

Fur. The thought came to my mind suddenly. The beast stalking me had fur. And meat. Two things that I was desperately in need of. The creature wanted to hunt? Fine, let it have a worthy opponent.

My thoughts drifted back to the words of Phindar the hunter. He had said many things about preparation and readying oneself for the hunt, but all of that seemed moot when the beast was heading straight towards you.

The frost around me seemed to fade as my heart began to pound. Pain in my ribs and limbs vanished as adrenaline moved through my entire system. Gripping my sword with one hand, I pulled it free and waited for the creature to approach.

It was circling me as it drew closer, each step an attempt to control me. I held firm and simply turned in place, keeping my sword high. I wasn’t used to fighting one-handed, but the blade’s enchantment had activated and the weapon felt balanced. As if some invisible force was carrying the weight for me.

The beast became clearer as it stood up. It was a magnificent panther, with shaggy white fur and eyes of the purest blue. In those eyes, I could see narrow concentration. This animal was here to kill and eat. And nothing would dissuade it.

I had one shot at this. The panther tensed up, coiling downwards in preparation to leap at me. It was undaunted by my awareness of it. This spoke either to its desperation or its confidence. Hard to tell the difference in a fight.

The beast leapt. I stepped to the left and slashed. The beast flew past me, flecks of bright red splattering across the white snow as it moved. I had managed to catch the creature on the side with my sword and in the process, gave it a hearty wound.

The panther landed on the ground and spun. Blood flowed from the wound; a cut on its right underside might spell its end. But if it was going to die, it would take me with it.

The beast charged this time. I tried to spring out of the way but my ankle sent me a violent message that this wasn’t possible. The monstrous panther clobbered into me and began raking me with its massive claws.

My armor held against the cuts but the leaves were torn to shreds in the scuffle. I held my arms around my face to prevent any claws from striking me, but the panther took notice of this and lowered its head around to my neck. The jaws opened to latch onto my throat – eliciting both a panic and a spike of adrenaline.

My hands shot up with impossible speed, catching both jaws just in time. The creature tried to shut its mouth, to clamp around my fingers and so I began to pry as hard as I could. My ribs were burning and I felt something pop violently in my right side, but I kept prying. With every last bit of strength I had, I roared and twisted to the right, snapping the beast’s neck in a single blow. The creature fell atop me, limp and dead instantly.

The body was so warm. I lay beneath it, the world spinning as the adrenaline wore off. Such a noble creature. At least it died in a titanic struggle and not due to some inane trap.

Chapter 78

I performed the offerings and rituals that Phindar had taught me. While his education on hunting hadn’t come in handy, his explanations on how to clean and process game were invaluable. By recalling all of the gods of the hunt, I was able to remember each and every step in processing, gaining many valuable ingredients.

The fur of the snow beast was the first thing I harvested. The pelt was thick and warm, making for a wonderful coat. I knew little about armorsmithing but draping a large pelt over my body was easy enough. The insulation from the fur was tremendous and I easily stayed warm while traveling back to my home base.

The rest of the harvest was all essentials. Meat for eating, organs for baiting. Fat, glorious, glorious fat, for fuel.

There were many fatty organs and hunks of meat with excess fat, all that would normally be used to store for cooking later on. But I had a different plan.

Making tallow wasn’t difficult. By cooking the fat at a low temperature for a long enough time, I could turn most of it into liquid. From there, I just poured the liquid fat into a sieve, separating the oil from the solids, rendering it into tallow.

This precious oil would enhance my torch fires immensely. I could use it in a pinch to create fires outside as well, since the oil would easily burn on any surface. There were many uses for this oil and I had plenty of it, thanks to the beast.

The meat cooked well over the fire and I ate like a king that night. Despite my injuries worsening due to the struggle with the panther, I felt good as I drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I awoke to find my body having healed significantly. The food must have sped up my recovery, thank goodness!

I stretched my ankle out and realized that it was able to move left to right again. This was exciting enough to get me to scramble out of the log and onto my feet. Sure enough, the pain was gone and I could stand fully on my leg. Walking was easy but running still took a lot out of me.

“Stomach’s full, legs are good,” I said, looking out at the frozen world. My engineer’s eyes could see so much material to use. With the warmth of the fur coat around my entire body, I was able to go wherever I liked now. And funny enough, I didn’t want to go much farther than where I already was.

Without hesitation, I got to work. The log was cozy but it wasn’t fit for a stranded scout. I needed a base, one where I could establish a map, build inventions in safety and endure the weather however it changed. There was no telling how far this forest went and so, I decided to make a home where I stood. This was the easiest way to truly begin escaping.

Wood was the most necessary material for me to begin building a proper shelter. And this meant finding some trees that weren’t completely crystallized. Not an easy task by any means.

Almost every tree was completely translucent – hacking away with my knife just caused pieces of ice to chip off and melt instantly. The trunks radiated cold and seemed to be genuinely ice from the inside out. Strange though beautiful.

My eyes caught notice of one particular trunk that was still brown. The exterior was solid ice but within, sure enough, there was plenty of wood. This one tree hadn’t crystallized. Was this a miracle? A provision? Or just a fluke? I suppose it was all a matter of perspective.

I drew my handaxe out and looked at it. Lulu had suggested this tool as a secondary method of self-defense. I could see why, the edge was wicked sharp and the haft was light and easy to swing around compared to a sword.

“Mama always told me to be a loggin man,” I began to sing as I swung the axe hard into the side of the tree, breaking through chunks of ice. Large icicles fell off the branches of the tree, forcing me to dodge left to right as I worked. Eventually I got into a good rhythm and found the effort to be almost nonexistent. Each swing was easy as could be and it took me a moment to realize that this was due to my Eon Stone – and not my own latent logger abilities.

The strikes were nice and hard, wedging deeper and deeper into the tree’s trunk until finally, the entire thing was shaking. The rigid ice structure around the tree was enough to hold it up but not after I started shoving it down, my immense strength easily bending the trunk over until it snapped off its base.

I shouted out a warning to no one in particular as the great tree crashed into the ground, ice shattering all around. With a triumphant cry, I stood atop the log as if I were a wolf who had conquered its most recent hunt. I had just felled my first tree! And with it came enough lumber to get a lot of work done…if only I had the right tools.

My scout’s kit had run thin at this point. Most of the gear was either too situational or too small to make an impact in construction. The few tools I did have were designed for small use. But I had a knife, I had some stones and I had a good amount of sturdy construction material: bones.

Most people used bones for broth, but in the wild, a bone was one of the sturdiest tools one could have. This was one thing Phindar had rambled about endlessly during our processing of the Primex Beast. Bones made for excellent tools, construction material and reinforcement. And grinding them down into meal would make for an excellent fertilizer. Something to remember if I ended up having to farm here.

But for now, bone made for an excellent medium for constructing a saw. The panther’s mighty bones were sturdy and strong, making them an excellent material to sharpen. Using my knife and a stone, I chiseled teeth into the side of a long femur. These sharp edges were easy to form and once I had the general shape, it was just a matter of whittling down with a knife. My engineer’s sense led me to easily mark out the areas and work in a steady manner, from start to finish.

After hours of construction, I had made a long bonesaw – quite literally! The thing wasn’t terribly flexible but it should be enough to work through the log. A few more hours of work and refinement led to an excellent tool, capable of sawing through the wood.

The first log I cut down wasn’t the longest of trees and so I decided to cut it into quarters. Each piece came out rough but large enough to use for firewood.

Instead of retreating to the log, I decided to use the large round chunks to build a brand new firepit, right in the middle of the valley. I dug a deep pit and placed the pieces in a wide circle, then dropped a pile of lumber scraps into the center.

The wind picked up, as if in defiance of my efforts to warm up the world. I hacked a few more pieces from the remains of the log and tossed them into the firepit, then uncorked my bottle of oil. It had congealed a bit in the cold but some shaking managed to warm it up enough to spill onto the wood.

“With this match, I consecrate Luland,” I said, striking the survival match and watching as the flame grew. It was a tiny gleam, a slimmer of defiance in a frozen world, but with the right ingredients, it was able to become its full potential: a great burning fire.

The flames roared with an intensity that must have rivaled the Fire Abyss and I sighed, resting on the ground beside the fire. With my fur cloak on my back, a hunk of meat in one hand and a tool in the other, I was finally breaking free of the world’s constraints. I was beyond survival now, now it was time to thrive.

Chapter 79

The firepit outdoors changed everything. I was able to sprawl out and stretch beside the flames, and the heat seemed good for my leg’s recovery. When my vigor returned, I would hop back up and trek towards the next wooden tree I could find.

There weren’t many of them, but they did exist. Most were the smaller trees, thin enough for me to hack through in less than a few hours, but with sufficient wood to use for building material. And build I did!

Wood allowed me to make more refined tools, which then allowed me to harvest the wood better. I slowly turned the empty field around me into a workshop, complete with a log-cutting station that was designed to make beams out of the wood. The pieces did not come out anywhere close to precise, but I was able to turn the larger logs into construction material.

The ground was dug out and full logs were laid together as the foundation, industrial amounts of berry juice used to fill the gaps in between – the stuff made for an excellent sealant. Slowly but surely, I put up walls, then frames, then support beams. Finally, after nearly a week of tireless work, I had a livable house, a log cabin that was capable of withstanding the wind and the snow. It even had a functional chimney in the center, venting all of the smoke outside.

I built a bed for myself as well. It didn’t seem necessary at first, but once I slept on something other than hard ground, I realized how much nicer it was to wake up without a stiff neck.

Now that I had a central base, I was able to do what was most urgent: processing the meat to something long term.

The slain beast had provided me with a considerable amount of meat and thankfully the frigid conditions allowed me to preserve most of it by burying it – but buried meat couldn’t be carried! No, I’d need to find a way to actively preserve the meat so that I could carry it with me long term for consumption. The answer? Jerky.

I had constructed a special meat rack that hung over the fireplace and on it, I placed long strips of meat that had been salted. Salt was actually something I kept in moderate supply, as many scouts did, as its uses were almost infinite and it was easy to carry. Some people even liked to trade for salt.

In this case, I used the flavoring agent to help dehydrate the meat and turn it into something that would last for weeks. I was no chef but the end result was decent, salty meat that was tough to chew and full of flavor. It would last almost indefinitely while traveling.

This was the first of my preparations for resuming my scouting activities. Taking some time off to build a proper shelter had given me less and less of a sense of panic and as such, my body was healing better. The ankle wasn’t perfect but I might even be able to run in a few weeks. If that were the case, I needed to make sure I was set up for success.

Water collection was next on my list. The frozen world made water easy to come by and easy to purify (or so I hoped) and so I set about constructing a clever funnel device that collected snow and converted it into water. The water was then distributed to either my own canteen or to the barrels I had built. The barrels were thick and warm enough to prevent any icing over on the inside, ensuring I would have months of water at a time.

Once this was finished, there was little else for me to do at my home base. I had food, shelter and warmth, as long as I needed. It was time to get out there and start scouting, to find some kind of way home. And that required me to scan each zone in order to make a planar alignment.

I had considered how I would get around for some time and decided that I would summon my hog – indoors. Ferdinand had shaggy fur but as I had guessed, refused to go outside, to the point of violence. The world was too cold for him.

This didn’t stop me from coming up with a method of getting him to cooperate. The large coat I had made from the panther skin was two times my size. Draping it over the big hog caused him to settle down. He trotted outside and looked around, staring out at the icy world, and then immediately began rooting around.

“You’d make noise if the cold were killing you, right?” I nervously asked as I patted the pig. He looked up at me and oinked, then returned to his digging.

I shivered as I put my greencloak back on. It had been hanging by the front door, waiting for the time to be used. Now was that time, for it would keep me warm enough, as would laying atop the large boar. He radiated plenty of warmth through the blanket.

“This isn’t ideal, but if you move quickly, we can get this knocked out in a few days,” I said. “Straight ahead. Yip!”

The hog pulled his head up, let out a triumphant squeal and began to bound in the direction I was commanding him. It felt good to have some company and I gently patted the beast’s head as he ran.  We were moving towards Zone 3, the closest area. It was to the west and led us across a land that was more or less identical to the great jungle we had been in.

I stared upwards, gazing at the frozen leaves that made up the canopy. The deep greens were hidden by large blocks of ice surrounding them, filtering out the blue sky. What was above, in the clouds? For the first time, I had a moment to think and to wonder. Those strange tentacle creatures…were they simply eating or had they rescued me from that monster on purpose?

As I pondered this, we rode across the frozen ground. Ferdinand wasn’t nearly as fast as he normally was, the snow often concealed pitfalls that made it difficult for him to steadily navigate. But the hog kept in high spirits and often sprinted as best he could, getting us closer and closer to the first scan zone.

Fortunately, there were no interruptions or obstacles on the way. We reached an unremarkable patch of snow, somewhere between a cluster of very healthy looking wooden trees.

I climbed off Ferdinand and walked up to the floating marker in my vision. “Here we go…” I said, sticking the survey spike directly onto the marker. The stick flared with an odd green color and began emitting a beam straight into the sky.

“Woah…”I said, patting Ferdinand as he nuzzled against my leg. He didn’t seem terribly impressed by the fireworks.

Planar Frequency Captured! Stone Resonance System Is Online! my vision noted. Stone detection is now functional. Take another reading to find stones.

With that, the green beam cut off, leaving my stick perfectly still. I pulled the pike out and held my breath, stabbing it right back into the ground.

Scanning! Eon Stones Detected!

1 – 15 Miles West

2 – 15 Miles West

3 – 15 Miles West

I reread the numbers. Either the device was confused or there was a cluster of stones only a stone’s throw away!

Chapter 80

My goal wasn’t to collect Eon Stones per say, but at the same time, these were extremely close and all in the same location. This could mean a few things. Maybe the system had scanned someone else who had the stones on their person. Finding someone else here might be the key to better survival or even escape, so I was almost hoping this was the case. Otherwise, I was just going to find three stones that could confer any range of magical abilities.

Going deeper west meant moving away from the trees and into a land of strange purple bulbs. They were each as big as a horse, with long green vines scattered across the frozen landscape. The world was still covered in snow and ice, but these clusters of plant matter were everywhere.

“Easy boy,” I said, steadying the hog as he inched closer towards the greenery. He wanted to munch but I got a strange feeling looking at these things. They just seemed…

Movement! My eyes caught the narrowest bit of movement on one of the plants. It was moving in and out, like a breathing pattern.

I took out a rock and chucked it at one of the bulbs. Instantly, the purple ball opened up, snarling and shrieking as it tried to devour the stone. A long red tongue lashed out, slapping left to right as if searching for any other signs of food, before retreating to the inside of the bulb once more.

Ferdinand oinked and backed away from the vines.

“Smart move,” I said. “Are they plant? Or are they animal?”

I dismounted my ride and walked around the edge of the cluster. The marker for the stones was dead in the center of this murderous patch of purple. I saw no one around. I guess rescue was off the table. But three stones? That wasn’t a bad deal. If I could just figure out how to navigate past these things.

“Help me,” one of the bulbs suddenly said. “I’m in here.”

That was unsettling. I glanced at the large fleshy plant in question and wondered if there was any chance that creature actually had a person inside.

“Help me,” another said in the exact same voice. “I fell.”

Soon they were all murmuring cries for help. The routine might have worked if they weren’t all so eager to copy the formula.

Fighting carnivorous plants was not on my to-do list. But there seemed to be no way around them. Groaning, I drew out my sword and readied it. I took a half step forward and sure enough, one of the plants opened its mouth to devour me.

The jagged purple maw came crashing at my torso as the plant leapt at me. I yelped and slashed downwards as hard as I could, cutting the bulb in half. They all started to hiss and strike at me with tendrils and vines, forcing me to cut forward, hacking at anything in my path.

They were not very strong nor were they sturdy; the cannibal plants died quickly enough thanks to reliable steel, though I was left absolutely covered in juices.

Ferdinand licked the side of my face as I knelt in front of a small lockbox. I don’t know what the plants had inside of them but the hog certainly liked the taste.

“A box in the middle of nowhere,” I muttered as I fiddled with the golden receptacle. It had just been sitting in the middle of the field of carnivorous plants. Eventually the box opened, revealing three Eon Stones and a note.

I hope you lost a few friends on your quest to find these, it said.

What a bitter sentiment. I almost hesitated when reaching for the stones after reading that. Almost.

Each stone was quite different from one another. The first one was a square green gem, with smooth edges that looked as if they had been filed down with human hands. It felt good to hold and as I attuned, the stone started to wriggle and shake, before leaping straight into my forehead, smacking me hard.

Eon Stone Attuned! Fortune Stone has been activated!

Fortune Stone: You gain 1 Point of Luck. You may spend this luck point at any time to enhance your current situation. Luck manifests in strange ways and cannot be controlled. Spending your luck will cause the stone to become inert.

Interesting. Luck seemed a bit…hard to quantify. The second stone was chartreuse, a yellowish green that changed color intensities as I lifted it up. Hopefully this one would be a bit more useful in my current predicament.

Eon Stone Attuned! Warning! Parasite Stone detected! Suddenly, my goggles began to flash with red lights and I was told to abandon the attunement process immediately or suffer the consequences. Parasite Stones weaken the host but grant intense power. Do not use unless in an extreme emergency, the warning read.

I gritted my teeth as I looked at the stone in my hand. It pulsated with energy that was different from the other stones. Parasite stone? Why would such a thing exist? Was this a corruption or perhaps some kind of mechanic designed to limit the function of the stone to only a small scope. Was I desperate enough to try it? No. No I wasn’t.

But I was curious enough to. I continued the attunement process, focusing on the stone as the warnings continued to sound.

Attunement process has completed! You have bonded to the Echo Stone. This stone is parasitic and will drain you of 1 point of Toughness. In exchange, you gain the ability to create Echoes, phantasms of your body that are able to perform one physical task before disappearing. Manifesting Echoes is draining and can kill you.

I read the description and grimaced. My body seemed to react to the news about losing the point of toughness at the same time I saw the words, for I could feel it shriveling and weakening considerably. My tolerance for the cold faded almost instantly and my right leg began to burn like hell.

“Crap,” I groaned as I staggered left to right. Everything felt wobbly…woozy…oh no, don’t pass out.

Ferdinand, who was munching on the remains of the plants, took notice of my sickness and rushed up to me, shoving his head under my legs, hoisting me up. “Good boy,” I groaned, pulling open the fur coat atop the pig and climbing underneath. The warmth of being in-between the hog and the coat was a salve to my freezing bones.

I had one stone left. Maybe bonding to it would help. Was I an addict to stone collecting?

As I regained my strength, I looked at the small crescent-shaped stone. It was solid blue, with some white streaks that looked like marbling. It shook in place as my mind began to attune to it.

Eon Stone Attuned! Swim Stone has activated!

Swim Stone: You are now able to swim and hold your breath for 10 minutes.

Well that solved a problem I wasn’t worried about right now. As I commanded Ferdinand to take us back home, I examined my character profile.

Runner’s Profile

Name: Ivan

Rank: Greencloak

Stats:

Strength: 1

Luck: 1

Eon Stones:

Perception Stone: Your vision is enhanced. You have perfect vision. You may see in low light conditions.

Boulder Stone: Your carrying capacity has increased by 100 pounds.

Pathfinder Stone: You can sense secret passages, shortcuts and can generally reduce the time it takes for you to reach a destination.

Lightning Stone: Your run speed is now faster!

Brawler’s Stone: You have an intimate understanding of hand-to-hand combat and can handle yourself easily in any fistfight.

Vitality Stone: Your physical energy is higher. You require only 4 hours of sleep and your athletic capacity is doubled.

Physique Stone: Your strength and physical toughness increase by 1 point.

Wakeful Stone: You may stay awake for 72 hours before you begin to experience any negative effects.

Dash Stone: When sprinting, you reach top speed 90% faster.

Weapon Stone: Shieldstone

Swim Stone: You are now able to swim and hold your breath for 10 minutes.

Fortune Stone: You gain 1 Point of Luck. You may spend this luck point at any time to enhance your current situation. Luck manifests in strange ways and cannot be controlled. Spending your luck will cause the stone to become inert.

Builder’s Might: You are able to haul construction material such as logs and stones with ease. You must be actively performing construction for this effect to activate.

Engineer’s Stone: You are gifted with knowledge about engineering, architectural and mathematical abilities. The longer this stone stays connected, the deeper the knowledge you gain.

Heat Shield Stone: Protects from significantly higher temperatures. Does not grant full immunity to heat.

Parasite Stones:

Echo Stone

Drains: Toughness

Grants: You gain the ability to create Echoes, phantasms of your body that are able to perform one physical task before disappearing. Manifesting Echoes is draining and can kill you.

Greater Eon Stones:

Vessel Stone: Crystalline Walker. Requires further analysis.

Harmonies:

Resiliency: You can sustain higher amounts of damage without passing out.

Enhanced Reflexes: Your reaction time is sped up considerably.

Tireless: Physical Labor is significantly less strenuous.

Enchantments:

Swift Fighter

Wind Soles

Heat Resistance Charm

Companions:

Bristle Boar

Chapter 81

I had almost forgotten that I had built a nice cabin to live in. My body was torn up from the loss of toughness and I was regretting the choice of using myself to test out the Parasite Stone. What was I thinking? I suppose I was just hoping to get lucky…hmmm. Technically I guess I did. Just not in the way I was hoping.

Food helped restore my energy, as did Ferdinand’s antics. He was comfortable inside of the cabin and enjoyed running back and forth, picking up random objects and bringing them to me like a hound. When I thanked him for the object, he’d snag it from me and run away.

Once I was feeling better, it was time to prepare for the next trip. Both zones were in opposite directions of each other, Zone 1 was 70 miles due north and Zone 2 was 150 south. 25 miles had been pushing it both ways, going 70 in one direction was going to be quite difficult. What if things got colder?

My body was not in a state to activate the Crystalline Walker. I had tried after a few days of recovery, but found the process to be overwhelmingly painful and impossible to activate fully. Losing that point of toughness while injured had been a critical misstep on my part and now I was paying the price for my curiosity.

A long trip was going to require a mobile base. Something I could set up and tear apart quickly. And something that was able to endure intense snow storms…hmmm.

I was running out of crafting material, namely fabric. I had plenty of cordage, thanks to the sinews of the beast, but other than that, I was more or less out of flexible material. The fur from the panther was large enough to cover Ferdinand and shield me on the journey, but if things got worse, we would need a tent. At the very least.

The solution to this problem was found the next morning, as I took a stroll for my constitution. Claw prints. Huge ones, twice the size of the snow panther I had faced. With long jagged claws that dug into the earth, this creature seemed to slither as it moved. A tail almost certainly whipped back and forth, as there were large piles of snow corresponding with sweeping arcs.

Remembering the lessons Phindar had taught me about bait, I quickly retrieved the buried offal, organs and entrails that were best used to attract creatures. Thawing the meat out took some time but once it was ready, I went about setting a simple snare trap.

I had made a critical error in my plans, however. I had not followed the claw prints of the creature all the way, opting instead to just create a control zone close to the cabin. If I had followed the beast, I would have known it had gone in a circle – and had buried itself several inches in the snow.

The ambush was sudden and terrifying. Even my enhanced reflexes couldn’t prepare me for the strike. One moment, I was walking, bundle of organs in hand, the next, the snow beside me had exploded and my right leg was burning in agony once more.

The clawed creature was a lizard, with scales as white as the surrounding snow, making it completely invisible. It was long and lanky, with four stubby legs that kept it close to the ground. It had a long snout, with razor sharp jaws that were digging into my leg; the monster had clamped down hard on my damaged ankle.

“Gah!” I cried out as I fell onto my back. The offal spilled from my hands, blood red organs scattering in the snow. The monster intensified its grip on my leg and began to pull, dragging me into the snow bank.

I kicked and punched but it was no good, the beast was armored and sturdy. I let out a cry in pain and then suddenly, I was free!

The snow lizard had opened its mouth in reaction to Ferdinand, my loyal steed, crashing into its side, digging his tusks deep into the monster’s body. It snapped at the hog but Ferdinand was much bigger and stronger, lifting the snow lizard high into the air and tossing it away with the snap of his snout.

Blood spilled across the white snow as the lizard rolled away from us, hissing and snapping while it tried to regain its footing.

Ferdinand stood in between the monster and I, backing up slowly, as if to say ‘let’s end it here.’

“Good boy,” I groaned as I patted the pig’s rump. I grabbed onto the fur coat and pulled myself up, my ankle burning like hell. Why did it have to be the exact same spot?

The snow lizard rolled onto its stomach and raised itself up, hissing and snapping its jaws some more. But it didn’t advance. Instead, it began to bury itself into the snow, hoping to vanish from sight.

I drew my sword and leaned forward so that I was nearly hanging off the top of the boar. “Take us in slowly,” I instructed. “We need to finish this.”

The snow slowly shifted as the creature began to move towards us, using its natural camouflage to avoid full detection. The trouble was that the blood spilling from it side was spreading as it moved, creating a trail of red alarm.

Ferdinand rotated towards the trail and began to move in. I held my sword out like a spear, waiting for the opportune moment. It came in a flash, a single heartbeat. My senses were fully attuned now and I was expecting the creature to act – and sure enough it did.

The snow burst as the lizard’s long snout opened wide to seize hold of Ferdinand’s head, revealing the monster’s position. I let out a wild cry and stabbed downward, right into the open mouth of the beast. The blade easily pierced the membrane and I skewered it all the way through, weapon burying itself in the head of the creature.

Ferdinand rammed the monster, throwing it off of my blade and into the snow bank. The monster did not move, nor did it bleed anymore. It was dead.

“Easy,” I said, patting my brave steed. “We won.”

Retrieving the corpse of the beast led to many exciting discoveries. The biggest was that the creature’s skin was unbelievably tough, rugged and warm. It would make an excellent leather, though my understanding of how to actually make leather was pretty vague. Engineering only went so far, I suppose.

I dried out the material as quickly as possible through heat. At first I was afraid to expose the lizard skin to the fire, but the resilient material actually seemed resistant to burning. Eventually I tossed a piece in and discovered that sure enough, it was more or less fireproof. In fact, heating up the skin intensely seemed to accelerate the drying process and increased the suppleness of the skin.

By the end of the process, I had enough material to make a reinforced tent that could easily be set up and collapsed at a moment’s notice. My engineering skills allowed me to recall the design of my usual tent (which was sitting in gnomelands now) and I was able to replicate the functions more or less.

The tent would be large enough to shelter Ferdinand and I, enabling us to travel long term now. The hog generated enough warmth as it was, so really the tent was a precaution in case the temperature dropped down to even lower depths.

Chapter 82

Ferdinand and I took off the next morning, prepared to head far north. 70 miles was a long ways to go and the terrain was on an incline, leading up further into the frozen jungle. My steed’s ability to traverse this treacherous snow grounds was compromised many times and he was growing frustrated.

By the 40th mile, the landscape finally began to change, though not for the better. We reached an opening where the jungle ended and a massive chasm began. Ferdinand and I stopped at the edge of the cliff and gazed out at our destination.

Here we could see the clouds and the great tendrils drooping down from them. They were so high up in the air that I wasn’t concerned for my own safety, but I did wonder what they were. Monsters? A single monster? Just natural pieces of the sky?

“Oh would that I could climb one of those,” I muttered to my hog as I climbed off.  He looked at me like I was nuts. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what lay at the height of the clouds.

The chasm ahead of us was formidable. Sixty feet was the gap and while I had enough rope to reach the other end, I wouldn’t be able to throw a grappling hook onto anything secure…except…what about the Echo Stone?

Of course! I could manifest a copy of myself on the other side…I just had to focus…

I felt vital energy move through my body, threatening to do harm. Gritting my teeth, I endured as best I could, allowing the surge to pass through me.

In an instant, a phantasm of myself, complete with a greencloak, was standing on the other side of the chasm. He waved to me and I quickly threw the grappling hook to him. The phantasm caught the line and quickly secured it to a nearby tree branch. With that, he faded.

“Woah!” I said, laughing at the insanity of what just happened. I tugged hard on the line, to ensure it was secure. No amount of weight caused the rope to shift. I quickly secured the line to a pike in the earth and shimmied across.

The chasm was deep and I tried not to look down as I climbed upside down, legs draped around the rope so I could distribute my weight evenly. Ferdinand shook his head as he watched me make it across the shaky line, indicating he would not be accompanying me across. It was fine, I could just resummon him.

Once I was on the other side, I began to double check the strength and security of the grappling hook. After I was satisfied, I went through the effort to dismiss and resummon Ferdinand. The pig appeared no different than a few moments ago and happily greeted me.

“You really are a lifesaver,” I said as I climbed atop his back. My ankle burned once I was off of it. The injury from my encounter with the snow lizard had been worsening slowly and a new kind of pain was moving through my entire joint. It was a burning, hot pain, something akin to a fever. I feared infection but knew not how to treat it, other than simply cleaning the wound and bandaging it. Hopefully I’d be able to find a stone that could help me heal…

The other side of the gulch was quite different from the forest. A sheet of solid ice sat between us and Zone 1. Snow accumulated lightly on the surface of what could only be a frozen lake.

“Woah!” I ordered, stopping my pig from just rushing onto the ice. We skidded inches away from the transition from snow to clear, solid mass. “Easy boy, we don’t know how strong this ice is.”

I climbed off the pig and knelt beside the ice. Pushing a hand on it did nothing, nor did hammering it with an actual hammer. Ferdinand licked my ear as I worked, competing for my affection despite the survival scenario.

“Twenty miles,” I said as I gazed out at the ice. The marker was dead center. I was much lighter than my boar…would it make sense for me to walk on my own? I had a Swim Stone, so I would be fine if I fell in the water…for about ten seconds before I froze to death. But I was significantly lighter…what to do?

Gritting my teeth, I decided to risk it. “We’re in this together,” I said, mantling the hog. “Get to the center as fast as you can, if you feel the ground shift beneath you, move to another piece.”

Ferdinand oinked an affirmative and lowered his head, sniffing the ground for a moment. Once satisfied, he began to run forward, charging straight towards the center.

The ice was firm and solid, holding beneath my mount’s feet. We rode like lightning, Ferdinand finally able to achieve top speed without being impeded by uneven terrain. The wind whipped hard against my body at these speeds and I found myself forced to climb underneath the fur coat to endure the frigidness. If we sank into the water, I’d be smothered by this blanket for sure.

Suddenly, we skidded to a halt. I leaned up and climbed out from under the blanket to see what was going on. Nothing was in the way. Nothing except for the Zone marker! We were in the center!

“If you’re a religious pig, I’d suggest you start praying now,” I said to Ferdinand as I slid off his back, drawing out my pike. “Because I gotta stab the ice.”

My animal companion didn’t comprehend my words and merely licked my wounded ankle. I took this as permission to go for it. With a sharp breath, I stabbed into the ice, watching as the Survey Pike lit up.

This time the energy encompassing the stick was bright yellow, and it too formed a beam that coursed upwards into the sky. The beam struck something invisible and spread horizontally across the sky, bending like a giant L.

Planar Properties Scanned! Location Found! You are in the Astero Plane! Pinging Stone Resonance…location identified! You are currently located in the Everfrost Jungle.

The light show lasted for a few minutes and then, the words faded from my vision, along with the light. My goggles began to display calculations of coordinates and locations, then gave an error. Synchronization requires one more reading before Rescue Protocol may begin.

Chapter 83

I found myself bawling my eyes out upon reading the words Rescue Protocol. I had not been thinking of rescue at all by this point, only securing my position and ensuring my survival. But now, it was right in front of me, plain as day. If I activated the last remaining zone, it would signal my allies to find me.  I wouldn’t be here for years…oh thank the gods. The relief was so strong that I couldn’t help but cry.

As I tried to put myself back together, there came a loud schwoom sound from above. My goggles had steamed up from the tears and I had to clean them before I could see the source of the sound. Was it another weather event? The name Everfrost Jungle wasn’t a good omen.

The answer was a complete surprise. There was a large human/beetle hybrid fluttering above me, spear in hand. He was mostly humanoid, though he had a shell on his back, with wings that moved steadily as he hovered in place. His eyes were huge and red, reflecting the rest of the world in multiple fragments.

A warpeater. I had met one only once before, back when I was just a scrub. It had tried to kill me. What was this one doing here?

I quickly snapped my goggles back on and climbed atop Ferdinand before putting my hand on my sword. “Hail!” I said.

“Hot damn!” the warpeater said as he looked around, fluttering closer to me. “I can’t believe it! I was just minding my own business and then I see a juicy fold of reality. One nibble and here I am! Ohohoho, aren’t I a lucky bug? A meatsack full of Eon Stones for me to pluck.”

He zipped towards us with incredible speed. I pulled my sword out and slashed upwards, cutting at his spear. The warpeater abandoned his charge as soon as he saw me draw my weapon, my blade missing by inches.

“Back off!” I thundered. “I swear, I’ll kill you if you push me any further.”

This was not an idle threat. My heart was pounding and the adrenaline had already numbed the pain in my leg. I was able to fight; part of me wondered if he’d have any Eon Stones I could use. No, I wasn’t going to press the confrontation, just to get an edge.

“I’m not opposed to trading,” I said, watching as the warpeater bobbed in front of me. He was clutching the spear with a grip that suggested he might hurl it at me. “There’s no reason we can’t be civil.”

“You’re hurt and stranded,” the creature replied. “Seems to me you have no room to bargain. Hand over all your Eon Stones and I’ll let you live.”

I was tempted to toss him the Parasite Stone, but frankly, the echo ability might be more handy in the long run. “Here’s a better offer. You help me out and I’ll give you two stones. Otherwise, I’ll kill you, or at the very least, injure you in such a way that will lead to your death,” I threatened.

“You got the cape of a Royal Scout…” he said. This seemed to seal the deal. He floated higher above and chucked his spear towards us with all his might.

Ferdinand was quick and easily dodged the attack. I took advantage of this start and ordered him to move closer towards the bug. As the pig ran, I stood to my feet, balancing on the back of the boar.

The warpeater tried to ascend but it was clear his bodyweight significantly limited his ability to elevate. He was at his max height, nearly twelve feet. Ferdinand gave me quite a boost…I could reach him if I jumped…

Now!

I leapt upwards as the creature went to draw another spear, slashing my sword just in time to strike his torso. He yelped as the blade struck his midsection, cutting through his carapace with ease. Green blood sprayed out as he fell to the earth, spasming and shouting.

I landed beside the devastated warpeater, my ankle burning so bad that I had to close one eye. That had been my last hurrah. Gritting my teeth, I turned to face the downed creature. He was clutching his torso and moaning in pain, though the wound didn’t seem nearly as deep as it had first appeared.

“Do you yield?” I asked, pointing the blade at one of his eyes.

“You killed me! You killed me!” he groaned, holding the wounds.

“I warned you, what did you think was going to happen?” I asked. “And I don’t think I got you that bad. You’ll probably live.”

I lowered the sword closer to his eye. “Probably.”

“Fine, fine, I yield!” he hissed. “Look, I’m just an opportunist and a coward, can you blame me?”

“Yes,” I said. “Now, can you teleport me out of here?”

“No,” the warpeater said. “I can only go myself. But you struck my seeker gland, so I’m stranded here. That’s what I mean by you killed me.”

I sheathed my blade and reached a hand out. “I’m actually trying to signal a rescue operation. Help me out and we should both be able to get home.”

The creature looked at me curiously for a moment. “I was just trying to kill you a moment ago,” he said.

“Yes, and frankly that’s been the only interaction I’ve had in a long time,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “I’ve been stranded and alone. I’ll take a former enemy over a corpse for company any day of the week.”

The warpeater took my hand and pulled himself up to his feet. His wound leaked a bit more fluid, then he was seemingly fine. “I’m Kameron,” he said.

“Ivan,” I replied.

“The Ivan?” he gasped.

“You’ve heard of me?” I gasped back.

“No, but you cloaks always fall for that!” The bug laughed and laughed, turning my face bright red.

“Har har, let’s get going. We’ve got an unbearably long journey ahead of us,” I said, looking at the marker for the remaining zone.

Chapter 84

Kameron was a foul man who liked to joke incessantly, mock my actions and constantly agitate me. At several times, I told him to leave but he insisted on following, further building my ire. I don’t know what his endgame was, but he was pushing me to my absolute limit.

Yet, in spite of his frustrating habits of belittling me at every turn, he had some incredible uses. Namely, he could fly. My pathfinding abilities had alerted me of a much faster way to reach Zone 2, bypassing the Jungle entirely, but there were too many inclines in the way. Kameron could just fly up to the top of each incline and toss a rope down to me, speeding up our travel time considerably. He also always pulled me up, never once trying to betray me.

I suspected this was purely out of self-preservation. He was trapped just like me and thus would cooperate as needed. But he wasn’t going to be a joy to be around, that was for sure.

The antics died down once the weather changed. The familiar kizzap sound began one afternoon and then, the lighting shifted. The perpetual daylight coming through the cracks of the endless clouds faded. Darkness fell across the land, a grey misery that brought a brutal chill with it.

As the shadows descended, so did more snow. Droplets for only a second before sheets upon sheets fell, flakes becoming heaps and heaps becoming mountains. The temperature dropped so fast that Kameron fell off of Ferdinand, in complete shock.

There was little time to prepare. We were in a flatland that had no features other than a thin blanket of sleet. Now, mountains of snow were crashing down from the heavens.

Something mechanical activated within me, something automated. I had prepared for this, so much so that I knew exactly what to do. I climbed off Ferdinand and unpacked the tent, stretching out the lizard skin into a nice large triangle. The hog quickly took cover under the shelter and began digging out a burrow, his natural instincts kicking in.

As the hog dug deeper into the earth, I grabbed the frosted warpeater and pulled him in. I hoped he wasn’t dead but there was no reaction from my attempts to wake him. Maybe a fire would help.

Starting a fire in this wind was rough but I had enough fuel to make for a robust flame. After some effort, we had a nice fire burning despite the snow. The warmth brought life back into Kameron, who only began to complain more about the situation. I found myself oddly relieved that he was okay. Sure, he had no capacity to care for anyone other than himself, but still. He hadn’t died on my watch and that was enough.

The darkness lasted only a few short hours before the sounds began once more. Then, the daylight returned, bringing with it a steady increase in temperature. We had managed to outlast one hell of a short night.

With the daylight came a change in Kameron’s attitude. He was surprised that we had survived and kept quiet after that. This wasn’t to say the few times he spoke wasn’t derogatory or mean, but he seemed impressed with what I had done for him.

The rest of the journey was tedious as it was long. But eventually we made it to Zone 2, or at least the area leading up to it.

The ground abruptly stopped as we descended down a slope, opening up into a massive hole. This was no chasm, however, for we could easily go around the obstacle. The temperature wasn’t much better here, but at least it wasn’t snowing.

Twenty feet past the first hole, we encountered two more openings in the earth.

“Something’s odd about these,” Kameron said as he hovered above one of the holes. “They seem to go unbelievably deep, but they don’t look like they’re from any kind of earthquake.”

“Burrowing beast would be my guess,” I replied. “We better move before whatever made it comes back.”

The earth shook as if to confirm my thoughts. Ferdinand began to hustle and we made our way through the network of holes to the dead center of Zone 2. My heart was in my throat as the seismic activity increased with each step closer.

“You’ve got it from here,” Kameron said as he fluttered back to where we had come from. I didn’t blame him for running; there was no reason for him to be alongside me for this particular task.

My steed made it to the marker and I quickly slipped off the side of the beast, plunging the Survey Spike into the ground.

Immediately, the spike began to glow purple, firing another beam of light straight into the air. This beam became a purple checkered pattern that spread across the sky, cutting through the clouds.

Planar Beacon has been established. All three zones have been connected…Planar Alignment is complete.

And with that, the energy faded as did the words. Nothing else happened. A little marker appeared in the right-hand side of my vision, the goggles displaying a timer. 10…9…8…

“Run, you bastard!” Kameron shouted, pointing to the sky. “Run!”

I instinctively looked up to see dozens of portals opening, jagged blades of energy ripping through the fabric of reality in the process. Dozens, no, hundreds of Royal Scouts came descending from the portals, cloaks of all color, red, green, yellow and mauve, flapping in the frigid winds as they slid down from ropes. Some were clearly flying with magic.

“No, they’re the good guys!” I said, my knees weakening as the party descended around me.

Everything felt surreal and I became nearly detached from my body. Was this happening? Men and women were around me, saying all sorts of things, grabbing and lifting me before I could reply to any questions. I tried to explain that the warpeater was on our side but they paid me little mind as they quickly tied me to a stretcher, my burning ankle tended to by an entire team.

Someone shoved a bottle in my mouth and I drank. It was a heavy, milky substance that tasted foul but slowly made everything feel calm and relaxing. Darkness slowly overtook me and the next thing I knew, I was fast asleep.

Chapter 85

The fire had gone out. I woke up in a panic at this, fighting against the breeze. There was no fire, no snow, no breeze. Instead, I was resting on a soft bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets. My ankle was missing its bandages – and the wounds!

“Am I in the afterlife?” I asked as I twisted and bent my ankle in all directions, testing its strength.

There was no answer. This looked more like a guest room than my version of heaven, so I lay back down and let out a sigh of relief. The scouts must have rescued me moments after the system went online. How did they know to find me?

There came a knock at the door. I sat up a little and called for them to come in.

None other than Professor Loft, the very founder of the Scouts, entered. The older gentleman shuffled in with his cane clacking against the ground with each step. He was dressed in a rather sharp red vest with a blue bowtie. His leathery, almost ancient face, grinned upon seeing that I was awake.

“He lives,” the old man said as he sat on the chair next to my bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good, actually,” I replied. “Though I don’t remember much of what happened after I activated the last zone system.”

Professor Loft stared at me for a moment, scrutinizing my face for something, though I couldn’t tell what he was looking for. I forced a nervous grin. Finally, the old man spoke. “You were declared dead nearly a year ago.”

“A year?” I asked.

“Yes, you went dark, all retrieval and communication efforts failed, and so we had a burial and moved on,” the old man said. “The moment your tracker stone registered with our systems, we launched a full scale operation to retrieve you.”

I groaned as I leaned back in bed, shutting my eyes tightly. “Did you tell my parents?”

“We hold off on reports of a demise for a few years, just in case,” the Professor said. He seemed perturbed by something. His eyes narrowed. “There are a lot of questions on everyone’s mind. The academics want to interrogate you, the King wishes for a report and Jacob is demanding you be given your due.”

“My due?” I repeated.

“Yes,” Loft said. He cracked a smile for the first time. “You discovered a new Planar Region. Not only did you discover it, you also performed an alignment, on your own, in hostile territory. While wounded.”

“Trust me, I was just trying to get out of there,” I replied.

“Your method to escape was to put yourself on the map, young man,” Loft explained. “Like lighting a fire in the dark of night. Are you able to walk?”

“Sure am,” I said, hopping to my feet.

“Come then, I will show you what I mean,” the old man replied as he led me out of the room. We walked through the halls of a very beautiful house, out in the countryside. It was strange seeing greenery outside as we passed the windows.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“My little home away from home,” he said, leading me to the back of the manor. We passed through the glass doors and my jaw opened wide as I gazed at the outside world.

We were on a large chunk of earth floating high above an endless ocean. There was approximately ten feet of grass outside and then, nothingness. There was a table, along with tea and chairs, resting right at the edge.

I swallowed as I gazed out at the bottom. What a world!

“I don’t always invite people to my villa,” Professor Loft said as he slowly sank into his chair, leaning forward to stare at the abyss with me. “It takes a lot to get my attention. Have a look at this.”

He gestured towards a map on the table. At first glance, the parchment looked just like a territorial map of various countries, each border marked with different colors. The largest territory, red, was named West Carnelion. The second largest was a blue mass that split most of the map with West Carnelion. This was known as the Rigithal Vortex.

At the bottom of the map, in fresh ink, was a circular piece of territory. The Astero Nexus.

“These are…what are these?” I asked.

“Portalways, young man,” Loft muttered, tapping on the paper. “I’ve been searching for the last twenty godforsaken years of my life for confirmation of my theory.”

The old man cleared his throat and leaned back, clutching his cane as he spoke. “We have always assumed West Carnelion was one of a kind. An artifact. The portals lead to endless roads and so we have operated off of the assumption that this artifact means very little. It could be a fluke. A strange design, perhaps the creation of a bored god or sorcerer of unknown power.

“But it wasn’t until twenty years ago that my men discovered the Rigithal Vortex. Another Portalway, just like our own. Smaller though. Smaller and easier to map. The discovery of such a thing brought about much speculation. And much enthusiasm. I began to come up with a theory that these Portalways are part of a bigger ecosystem. That they mean something.

“I persuaded the King and many nobles to invest heavily in expeditions to find other Portalways. My confidence was unbridled at the time. I made many foolish promises. Promises that we could never keep. In the end, I was forced to explain to His Majesty that we had found nothing in the time span I had promised. He was displeased. Greatly so. Between that and the dungeon opening up, the Royal Scouts were in a bind. ‘Were’ being the keyword.”

He grinned at me. “But you, you rapscallion! You found a new Planar Region and that must mean a new portalway exists. The Astero Nexus must connect to portals.”

My eyes went wide at this. He didn’t know? Of course not, how could he? Oh boy, how do I tell him without causing his heart to go out?

“What’s the matter?” the Professor asked. “You seem ill at ease.”

“Try to breathe,” I said, putting my hands up slowly. “But I also found the new portalway.”

He stared at me for a few moments, unsure of what to say. I quickly filled the silence with details…though I did leave out the part with the gnomes betraying me.

This report caused a great deal of excitement and orders. Professor Loft quickly issued out commands to his people and I was brought with a band of Mauvecloaks to the Portalway.

I saw many fascinating secrets during this time. There was an inner chamber within West Carnelion where groups of scouts could warp to an area at once. This system required a significant amount of magical energy and burned plenty of Eon Stones each use. If an area had been visited by a scout previously, energy signatures lingered for an indefinite amount of time, allowing the Warp System to lock on and transfer us.

This technology didn’t feel particularly well designed and the teleportation process was violent, but we arrived at the Astero Nexus in a matter of seconds. I just hoped that the gnomes hadn’t taken full control yet…

Chapter 86

Twelve Mauvecloaks accompanied me on this trip, as did Professor Loft. We appeared at the top of the great tree that connected the sky to the roads of light. At the end of each road was a glimmering portal; there were thousands adorning the heavens.

The Mauvecloaks were not fazed by this discovery. They merely spread out and began to perform a myriad of scans and tests, as well as checking for danger. The Professor, however, was overtaken with complete joy.

“Twenty miserable years I’ve been searching for another portalway!” he cackled, pulling of his hat and pressing it against his chest. “And just when I had given up hope, we find it.”

“Sir,” one of the Mauvecloaks said, pointing to a flag sticking out of the tree. It was the gnomish symbol of claimed territory. “Someone else was here first.”

“Actually,” I replied, walking over to the flag. “These were very sore losers.” I plucked it out of the ground and snapped it in half, tossing the pieces over the edge of the tree. Glancing down, I couldn’t see any hint of the gnomes, nor did I see the wreckage. They must have evacuated after getting rid of me. But they weren’t fast enough to bring a commanding force.

This meant that the Portalway claim belonged to the Scouts. I explained the situation to the Professor, who agreed that their treachery had violated all manner of peaceful pacts between the Heat Mining Company and the Scouts. These violations would be handled in a civil court, but rest assured, they had lost all legal rights to this Portal.

Of course, this would be a much easier matter to press when we had control of the Portalway, and so a major scale operation was set underway. Powerful artifacts and Eon Stones of legend were utilized to create a long-lasting gateway between the Astero Portalway and West Carnelion.

Engineers by the hundreds arrived to begin constructing habitable buildings. Triadic Wizards were consulted, using their strange sorcery to transform large chunks of flat concrete into living soil that could grow plants. Potatoes and beans were planted to ensure a state of semi-independent living from the operants within. Long-term habitation was the plan and many volunteers were excited to spend the next portion of their lives exploring these sixteen new regions.

Having provided a major breakthrough, I was more or less in the position to ask for whatever I wanted. The Professor spoke to me as if we were old friends. I used this support to secure the services of six Mauvecloaks, the best of the best, in order to assist me with one remaining job: rescuing the Starforger who had done so much to aid me in the first place.

There had been examinations of the Vessel Stone by the chief Eon Stone researchers and they had all concluded that it would kill me in a matter of years. Its fusion to my body was not natural or healthy. They had wanted to remove it from me while I was recovering from my injuries but there are strict policies in place to never remove a stone from a Scout without their permission. I had declined the offer, for I had known the Vessel Stone wasn’t supposed to be a long term thing. It was a rescue operation, a special device meant to save its creator. I would not leave him behind.

And so a team was selected, briefed on the operation and within a week, we were at the portal leading straight to the Starforger once more.

Once on the other side, I was quick to activate the Vessel Stone. The pain was somehow worse than I remembered, though it lasted only for a second before I was completely encased within a crystal dome.

The landscape of the Vrendar Plane had not changed one bit from the last time I had been there. There were many horrific monsters still towering above the earth, searching for morsels to devour or others to fight. I was far from safe within my crystalline spider, but I had a secret weapon this time: six Mauvecloaks were hanging from my legs, ready to intercede on my behalf the moment I was attacked.

These warriors were skilled operants of the Royal Scouts, representing the highest potential within each Fellowship. Those who carried the Mauvecloak did not serve as an individual adventurer or scout, but rather worked as part of an elite team that performed mostly secret missions. I knew very little of their skills or abilities, other than assurance that they would get the job done.

My vehicle began to move across the red lands, skittering with tremendous speed. It felt good to move so unbelievably fast…and to be so warm and toasty too!

The Starforger had remained silent, even upon my arrival to his world. I feared that he was dead but the marker was still registered within my goggles. The only way to know was to find him.

Two monsters intercepted as I ran forward. They were tall and wobbly, with massive arms that had double-jointed fingers. As they seized as me, the Mauvecloaks deployed.

Small bursts of flames exploded across the front of the first Tallbeast’s head, sending it falling backwards. The other slugged at me with its clawed hand, only to be interrupted by a shield of magic that wrapped around its entire body, freezing it in place.

The monsters weren’t slain or injured by the professionals. They were just warded and quite efficiently, might I add. I skittered across the long wasteland, watching with amusement at the efforts of the scouts. It felt good to be supported. This was what every scout should feel like, all the time. Instead of just a few elite. Maybe I could grump about it to the Professor. I had his ear, after all.

We reached the marker within an hour of arrival. There was a great crater in the center of the craggy red region, an almost ancient impact that had layers upon layers of dust. Resting in at the bottom was a small mass of red flesh. It looked almost like brain, although it was shriveled and pitiful. A thin shield of red energy covered it perpetually. I could see glimmers of light, indicating life.

The Mauvecloaks spread out and secured the area, using various stones to create barricades between us and the rest of the world. A thin shell of iron rose up and encircled us, blocking the monsters’ line of sight. This seemed to make us more or less invisible and the Tallbeasts wandered past the crater none the wiser.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I deactivated the Vessel Stone. The device quickly retracted back into my body, dropping me beside the small clump of cells. The Starforger was barely the size of a fist.  There was no reply.

Kneeling beside the body, I began to focus on it, just as if it were an Eon Stone. This was a guess but I had to try something.

Stone Transfer Sequence has begun! My vision warned me. All sorts of alarms went off as I felt an excruciating pain in my spine. The Vessel Stone slipped off my back, no longer lodged into my flesh. I found myself puking from the pain, grabbing onto red soil for support as I spasmed.

The stone crawled over to the ball of flesh and quickly sank into the center. The entire long shard flashed bright red as it encapsulated the body fully, encasing the brain in a pure crystalline structure.

“Woah,” I gasped as I watched the shard transform into a perfect sphere of crystal. The sphere grew rapidly, expanding outwards for quite a while.  

You have rescued me, the Starforger said to my mind as the interior of the sphere turned bright red. The exterior was milky white, displacing the red energies somewhat. After so long, I finally have the strength to build.

Long crystalline legs emerged from the sphere, stretching down into the earth. Large pieces of red ground were scooped up by the legs and brought upwards so more legs could work. It was like watching a spider spin webs, each leg carefully moving the earth up and down, rotating as beams of red energy trailed from the Starforger.

The energy soaked into the ball of earth the legs were working on, slowly shifting it from mere clay to a solid stone. Electricity sparked as the work continued, coloring the stone with a yellow tint. Energy glistened all around as the Starforger joyfully worked.

There, the Forger said as he finished. The yellow stone flashed as it floated high above us all. My goggles could register that this was indeed a brand new Eon Stone. Incredible.

The stone sank into the Forger’s body. Immediately, the sphere began to float upwards. I am now able to resume my travels. Thank you, friend.

“Of course,” I said, bowing to him. “Though I was actually hoping you could fix this?” I produced the broken Eon Stone that had more or less damned me to the adventure of a lifetime.

A beam of light struck the shattered Eon Stone and in an instant, it was repaired. Your mission is complete. But before I leave, I shall gift you with the one thing you have desired above all else.

A pair of crystalline hands emerged from the sphere as it floated above the crater, scooping up the earth once more. They gingerly rolled the dirt into a ball and infused it with vast quantities of energy, creating one more Eon Stone.

“What is it?” I asked, taking the burning hot stone from the hand.

What else could it be? A cartography stone. Your hand shall make maps of the greatest quality.

Chapter 87

Once the rescue operation was completed, I was quickly escorted back to West Carnelion. The Mauvecloaks had been accommodating up until my job was over, after which it became apparent that they were not just friendly helpers – they were my leash. I suppose it made sense, I had a propensity for vanishing for years at a time.

The King wanted a detailed report, though thankfully not in person. This required days of concentrated work on my part, as I wanted to provide fully fleshed out maps with each part of the report.

The Cartography stone was incredible. It granted me the full capacity to draw up maps as if I were a cartographer – and more importantly, it could interface with my goggles, recalling how many paces I took in each area. This allowed me to easily draft up maps with realistic properties to them.

Professor Loft kept a close eye on me while I wrote these reports, sometimes sending them back to me for revisions. I didn’t care for this but understood his concern. He wanted to make this presentation of a new portalway as exciting and positive as possible. I was no wordsmith, so I just did whatever the Professor fussed about.

Things felt strangely tense once I had returned to West Carnelion. The Fellowships were not particularly responsive to my requests for meetings and even the man who had sent me on this quest, Balbrook, had left me out to dry. Only Jacob visited me in the time I spent writing the reports. And even he was acting weird, asking me all sorts of questions that made no sense.

Fear began to grip me once I finalized the paperwork and handed them off. I was being barred from returning to the general population and couldn’t meet with any of my friends. No one answered my letters. What was going on?

I could only conclude that they were preparing to scapegoat me. Somehow, something went wrong and they needed someone to blame. And how convenient to take down the very man who made the discovery?

This was a paranoid thing to think but why else did they insist I only stay in a wing that was completely abandoned? The place was entirely empty, despite the fact that it was made up of several halls. I spent my hours exploring the region, wondering if somehow I had broken some kind of law.

The answer came one morning, as a group of workers entered the area. They were carrying crates of all kinds, struggling and complaining as they worked. Among them was Jacob, carrying a bundle of books.

“Over here,” he said, motioning for me with his head. I trotted over and took the books from him.

“What’s going on? I’ve been waiting for days!” I said.

“Sorry, sorry, there was a delay. Won’t happen again, boss,” Jacob said, smacking me on the shoulder as he walked past.

A few other people emerged, greencloaks carrying all sorts of supplies. Some with food, some with books and some with furniture? All were cheerful towards me, saying hi as if they knew who I was.

“Jacob, what’s going on?” I asked as I grabbed my mentor by the cloak, dragging him back to me. “Who are all these people?”

“Didn’t you get the letter?” Jacob asked back, rubbing his chin. “We put it right on your door.”

I frowned and walked over to where my ‘internment’ had begun. Sure enough, stuck to the back of the door was an envelope. I hadn’t noticed it at all.

“You gotta be kidding me,” I grumbled as I tore it open and read the contents.

Ivan,

This letter serves as sufficient legal proof that the Three Powers of West Carnelion (The Crown, The Caretakers and the Royal Scouts) are all in accordance with one another on the following facts;

1. You shall hitherto be awarded the rank of Scout Officer. This position empowers you with the full authority to act on behalf of the Crown when in the field. A pension of 2,500 drams per year is included with this position. Upon your expiration (in or outside the field), your Pension shall be transferred to your designated recipient for 30 years.

2. Your cloak rank is now designated as Red. This promotion comes automatically with the discovery of the new Portalway.

3. As per the standing Discovery Clause, you are entitled to spearhead the exploration of the Astero Nexus. Your rights as the First Explorer of a new Portalway allow you to control who enters and for what purpose.

4. In order to properly explore the Astero Nexus, it has been deemed by the Crown that a new Fellowship shall be created to regulate, explore and map this region. Since you hold the exclusive rights to entering this Portalway, it is necessary to promote you to Head of this new Fellowship.

I stopped reading after that last part. This was all so technical and passionless that it underscored what was happening. Head of this new fellowship. Head. As in guy in charge?

I babbled something to Jacob, my mouth struggling to form words. “Is this a joke?” I asked.

Jacob laughed. “Sort of. The King was pissed about this whole thing. He’s been wanting to scrap the Scouts for a long time, but now, he’s being forced to follow up on a bunch of agreements he made with the Professor two decades ago. Putting you in charge is His Majesty’s way of giving the finger to the Professor.”

I pondered that for a moment. “Seems like a big choice to make just to spite someone.”

“Oh make no mistake, I’m willing to bet you’ll have all sorts of political pressures to deal with,” Jacob said. “But for now, you have his money. The Crown wants a new Fellowship and that means we’ve got drams to burn.”

I had to sit down for a moment to comprehend all of this. “This is all so fast…”

“Exactly,” Jacob replied, patting me on the shoulder. “You found a once in a lifetime discovery. That puts you at the forefront of the game. Success follows success. You should be proud.”

“I was trying to push for reform before all of this…” I mused. “This gives me a stronger voice, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Jacob agreed. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m not sure…let me ask you, who has the greatest weight in this organization? Who can make policy decisions on a wide scale?”

“The Professor has the final say on everything,” Jacob replied without missing a beat. “But the man is dead set in his ways. He built this organization an eternity ago and uses all manner of Eon Stones to extend his life to look after it.”

I looked at the letter again. So much power handed to me and for what? For finding something? That’s what scouts did. No, this was ridiculous. I didn’t want to run an organization, I wanted to muck around in the middle of nowhere, finding magic rocks and seeing the sights. Maybe it was time someone talked some sense into the Professor.

Chapter 88

I made an appointment with the Professor as quickly as I could. He met with me eagerly by the newly christened Astero Wing, where the single portal was resting.

“Ah, so I take it you’ve heard the news?” the old man asked as he walked beside the glowing portal. The Caretakers had chosen to paint the stone around this area black, dotting the walls with specks of white here and there to create the image of stars. This reflected the way the portals looked on the other side.

“Indeed I have,” I said, crossing my arms. “And I’m here to protest.”

The Professor stopped in his tracks. He turned to face me, confused. “You don’t want the promotion?”

“It’s not that I don’t want it, it’s just that…well…” I fumbled for a moment, unsure of what to say. “Well, sir, may I tell you what I’ve experienced as a newcomer?”

“Don’t fear repercussions, you basically outrank me due to your recent find,” Loft said, taking out a small pouch of jerky. “But I may not share with you.”

I took a deep breath. “Sir, I am just a young kid who wants to explore the various worlds out there. When I came to the scouts, I expected to be trained, educated and supported. I was expecting camaraderie and teamwork at every twist and turn. Instead, what I found was silence and apathy. So much of what I wanted to learn, I was forced to eke out on the field – often in a deleterious manner. Eon Stones helped, sure, but it’s completely random what kind you get.

“And then you factor in the fact that you charge for keys, gear and all sorts of things…it’s crazy,” I continued. “I get that you want to build strong scouts and that when you’re alone, there’s no one to depend on other than yourself, but you don’t make a weak man stronger by throwing him into a pit that he can’t climb out of.”

The Professor took this in stride, munching pensively on his jerky. “You flourished though, did you not?”

“What of my friends? Or all of the newcomers who join? Those who aren’t lured away by talk of the dungeon in the big city, those who are like me, hoping to serve the Scouts and see wondrous things? Your system didn’t produce me, I didn’t flourish because of what you built. I flourished in spite of it. Frankly, I’d be much happier as a bluecloak with a group of friends I can work with than a redcloak running a whole organization,” I replied.

“What do you know, hmm? You are a newcomer with little insight into the system,” he protested.

“And that system has now propelled me to the top?” I countered. “Surely you see how ridiculous this all is? Why do you pit us against each other? Why divide us and make us all figure it out on our own?”

“That is what life is like,” Loft said. “Simply put. The world is harsh and will devour each and every one of us. You must be tough. Isolation isn’t pretty but it makes you strong.”

I shook my head. “No. Time was dilated, so I have no idea how long I was actually in that iceland, but I was alone so long…it did nothing to strengthen me. Your theory is wrong. Let me ask you, if you had a map that included a shortcut – but no one ever actually came back from the shortcut, wouldn’t you send a scout out to check and confirm it was safe? Or would you just point to the map and say, ‘well the map says it’s safe’?

“Scouts adapt. You are not adapting. You never did. You made a rigid, inflexible organization and it is in its twilight because of you,” I pressed. “Or at least, because of the policies that were made. Tear it all down, sir. Rebuild it. Make it leaner and stronger.”

The Professor did not like hearing this one bit. He turned his back to me and walked up to the portal. “You think it’s easy running this whole thing? Keeping the Crown from trying to exploit every resource that we find? Pushing against the Caretakers’ consistent desire to turn this place into a religious site?”

“No, I don’t think it’s easy!” I said. “But I also don’t think difficulty makes something immune to criticism. Trust me, I’ve had plenty of people work hard to hurt me but I criticize that decision.”

That made the old man laugh. “You are a true believer, aren’t you? You heard the stories about the scouts and thought they were true. And now you’re here, insisting that we make it true.”

“The Royal Scouts were always an image of exploration, traversal and cooperation,” I said. “I never thought I’d be alone. I always imagined someone catching me before I fell down a mountain. And I more frequently fantasized about being the one to catch.”

“What would you change? Specifically?” he asked.

“Open up the Fellowships to everyone,” I said. “All ranks get to join a House as soon as they want. And Houses should have some regulations that ensure they treat the newbies well, so it doesn’t end up being some kind of hierarchy of cloaks ruling each other.”

“That doesn’t seem to be much of a change…” he mused. “I doubt a single House Leader will object to having more scouts. Though they’d be responsible for such weak kids…”

“That’s the second part. Required training. Everyone should be on the same page and able to survive in all manner of scenarios,” I said.

“Training costs coin,” Loft grumbled.

“Then find some,” I shot back. “Money shouldn’t be a concern. In fact, I happen to know a noble who thinks of me kindly. I’m sure he’ll be happy to sponsor some changes.”

The Professor pondered this for some time. He finally turned back to face me. “You want a lot. What are you willing to give for it?”

“Ask away,” I said, not flinching from the request.

“Take the position as Head of the new House,” he replied, face as hard as stone. “The King is no longer interested in working with me in any capacity. His department will undoubtedly seek a relationship with you. If you truly are concerned with the state of the Royal Scouts, you will seek to improve his disposition towards the organization.”

“And I have your word you’ll start to implement reforms?” I asked.

“Indeed. But be warned, young man,” the Professor said, wagging a finger in my face. “For you are becoming dangerously close to being recruited as my replacement. I shan’t evade death forever.”

Epilogue

An agreement was made, a handshake deal between two parties. Professor Loft would implement a few reforms and poll the rest of the House Leaders for feedback on improvements and I would open up a new House, accepting the Redcloak with grace and gratitude.

At first I felt some despair at this new responsibility. I had never wanted to be someone ‘in charge’ nor did I want to sit behind a desk all day. I wanted to be out in the field. But Jacob took notice of my attitude and privately coached me on some things.

Namely, the freedom that a House Leader possessed was unparalleled to anyone else. House Leaders didn’t pay for keys and were free to travel through any portal they wished. They were able to create any number of rules in place, including rules for who was allowed to travel through the Astero Nexus. If I wanted, I could be the sole explorer of those portals.

The trick was simply delegation on my part. Jacob offered to leave his infrastructure role and join the new House as a Captain. And Captains did whatever I needed.

I had been worried at first that Jacob would resent being made second-in-command, after all he was far more the senior than I, but he was thrilled with the new position. He had many ideas and ran them all by me. They were in harmony with my own thoughts and together, we came up with an exciting structure for House Bristle Boar (named after the companion who kept me alive in that dreadful winter!)

The House offered free portal keys to any who were interested in working together in exploring the Astero Nexus. Cloaks of all colors (well not the elite ones) were eager to join, excited to explore a brand new territory and claim all sorts of firsts.

In order to quickly bring up the entire Royal Scouts to par, I decided to implement a buddy system where a senior cloak would be assigned a lower cloak to guide them personally through their adventures. They would both share in the bounties and rewards for discoveries.

There was some resistance to this at first, namely from the established blue and greencloaks who felt their jobs were being diminished. They had worked hard through the old system and now they were being asked to babysit a bunch of newbies? It felt quite unfair and there were many complaints once the orders were issued.

We solved this with a follow-up rule. Any Scout who took on an apprentice received a transferable pension for 10 years. I had tossed the idea out to Jacob without much thought, basically parroting what my own rewards had been for my efforts but it caught like wildfire. Word of a non-officer pension plan spread throughout West Carnelion and we had hundreds of new applicants, all seniormost roles.

With the surge of qualified people, I was able to look after my friends, Peter and Kellis.

Both had varied and interesting career experiences in my absence. Peter had gone on to gain his blue cloak, having displayed considerable skill in his ability to navigate through city planes. Kellis was still working as a browncloak, having been injured a few times, but she was making somewhat of a profit, so she was in good spirits. They were surprised to find that I was still alive and even more so to find me in charge of something so big.

But I had told them not to worry about the apparent disparity in our ranks. My job was to help them rise up in the ranks as quickly as possible. I wanted to make them both Captains, if not for any other reason than to remember where I came from. This would take time, and they were both assigned mentors who were eager to teach the tricks of the trade.

The days blended into weeks as I worked to establish my new House. Private bedrooms were installed, accessible from day one as a member of the organization. A classroom was built, with a great blackboard that was enchanted to project information straight to the students’ goggles. Teachers were recruited from the redcloaks and an education curriculum was determined.

Something fascinating happened once word spread that the Royal Scouts were changing their methods. There wasn’t much of a change in newcomers, but old timers, retirees and those who had been scouts before changing to dungeon plunderers started to return. Most weren’t interested in going through the portals ever again, but they had heard word of the pension and the teaching positions.

The reverse of brain drain started to happen in less than a month after we started the education program. Hundreds of retired scouts who had written books about their adventurers began to arrive, bringing their methods of exploration with them. Cross pollination began as ideas spread through each other and soon I had a Training Division on my hands. Men and women who would never step foot in a portal again were eager to teach and train. They were bored and nostalgic, excited to impart what they had onto the next generation.

The scales seemed to fall from the Professor’s eyes as this renaissance began. Eon Stone research divisions exploded as Scouts started divulging their methods of how they interfaced with the stones – system research specifically began to unfold as everyone shared the different tips and tricks they used to gain an advantage over their stones. In response to these major developments, he started advocating that other Houses adopt the same policies. Standardization happened much faster than I was anticipating.

With the Professor’s support, I was able to secure the release of Kameron the Warpeater. He had been apprehended by the Mauvecloaks when they had first arrived to rescue me; a fact I didn’t learn until weeks later. He was rotting away in a prison, arrested for general crimes against the Scouts. While I didn’t feel bad for the mix-up due to his attitude, I did protest the man’s treatment. He was innocent-ish, and had cooperated with me on the journey.

This act of kindness didn’t go unrewarded, surprisingly, and Kameron took up residence in House Bristle Boar, munching on any linens he could get his hands on. He mocked us constantly and had a propensity for spilling what could only be secrets of his people, often to compare to our own theories and ideas. He unwittingly became an informant, providing us with even more information than before.

The halls of West Carnelion became alight with discussion, erudition and education. As soon as everyone stopped competing with one another and started working together, things started to fundamentally change. People started falling into specializations that weren’t field related yet still mattered. Support structures allowed for the creation of better gear and equipment for the Scouts.

I have to admit that I pushed for change as quickly as possible. The burden of running an administration wasn’t something I liked and so I ruthlessly promoted people who I found trustworthy or clever enough to handle the operations that I couldn’t stand. I was holding the title of House Leader as a necessity, not a luxury, and by the third month of the reforms, I was ready to be back in the field.

Curiously enough, as if fate were waiting for me to have that thought, I received a missive. I have reached my destination, the Starforger said. And I have found strength eternal. I sense your mind drifting towards the portals of Astero. You seek to explore the unknown and to learn more about the Portalways. Your organization moves to find more. Why?

“We don’t know what they are,” I explained. “Everyone has a theory but no one knows what a Portalway actually is. And why it’s here.”

Mysteries are how the mind unfolds greatness. This is not a question I care about, nor one I have ever considered. But you aided me without hesitation and for no purpose beyond simply helping. In that action, you have left me pondering how I may aid you back. A stone is no reward for you.

I felt a tightness grip my stomach. “You…you mean you’ll tell us about the Portalway?”

Tell you? the voice replied. Oh no, that would not be appropriate. It is not something that can be spoken. It is something that must be seen.

With those words, my goggles began to flash. Numbers and coordinates rushed into view, displaying a particular portal within the Astero. This place will show you everything there is to know about the Portals…but be warned. What lies within is death and madness. Only those who have the strength of unity will survive.