Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime
Author: Jeff Benedict
Date: 2004-01-02 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: sports; Non Fiction; Basketball; Sociology; Crime
Description: Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime is a searing indictment of professional basketball players who live in a world where criminal laws and social norms don't exist, a world where they are given license to act above the law. On the court, they dazzle us with their spectacular physical feats. They generate millions of dollars of revenue for the NBA and their teams. They inspire adulation. But underneath all the glitz, the money, and alley-oops is a seamy underbelly, a rash of lawlessness that is gripping the NBA. Based on a first-of-its-kind investigation into th
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Contents

Title

Jeff Sproul

Chapter 1: Open Your Eyes

Chapter 2: Ride

Chapter 3: Stand

Chapter 4: Better Odds

Chapter 5: Town Hall

Chapter 6: Grimoire

Chapter 7: Giant

Chapter 8: Deal

Chapter 9: Assignment

Chapter 10: Ship

Chapter 11: Cargo

Chapter 12: Nightfall

Chapter 13: Daylight

Chapter 14: Travel

Chapter 15: Purgatory

Chapter 16: Fight

Chapter 17: Delirium

Chapter 18: Last Chance

Chapter 19: Passage

Chapter 20: Trillin

Chapter 21: Hunt

Chapter 22: Keldara

Chapter 23: Nessa

Chapter 24: The Macidna

Chapter 25: Preparation

Chapter 26: The Return

Chapter 27: New Kamber

Chapter 28: Questions

Chapter 29: Drink

Chapter 30: Strike

Chapter 31: Grittin

Chapter 32: Confrontation

Chapter 33: Step Forward

Chapter 34: Remember

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About The Author

Grimoire Bound

Jeff Sproul

Text Copyright © 2017 Jeff Sproul

All Rights Reserved.

This book may not be reproduced in any form or medium without the express written consent of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and places either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

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Chapter 1: Open Your Eyes

A naked male figure rested upon a stone dais in a small room. The dais was cracked at the base, causing it to slant down towards the floor. But the floor couldn't be seen, as murky water had filled the room up to the figure's feet.

The young man's eyes opened, and a breath of air filled his lungs. A pale white and orange glow glimmered around the room from the surface of the water, coming from just outside the dilapidated and broken mausoleum he found himself in. He pulled himself further up the dais to get his feet out of the frigid water and looked around, as nothing seemed familiar. The air around him smelled fresh, despite the degradation of his surroundings.

"Where?" he spoke, letting the word hang in the air before continuing. "Where am I?" he whispered.

He glanced around, but all he could make out were the cracked stone walls and the water that had filled the room. Where was the water coming from? How'd he get here? His memories were hazy. All he could bring to the fore of his thoughts were the images of large glass and metal towers all around him. It almost pained him to think about it. He focused his thoughts and searched the area.

There were no clothes around for him to put on. Perhaps there were some in the water? But how would he find them in the murk? He could barely make out the confined room he was in, due to the minimal light coming from outside.

His green eyes looked to the doorway. It was in disarray. Part of the ceiling had collapsed and he couldn't see out beyond it at his current angle.

His bare hairless chest heaved as panic set in. How did he get here? Where was he? Why was he naked?

He slid slowly down the dais and tested the water with his toes, despite them already being wet. The water chilled him to the bone. He hoped he wouldn't have to be in it for long, especially without clothing. He shifted further down the dais and into the water. It came up to his thighs as his toes pressed to the smooth floor, hidden beneath the surface. He waded over to the doorway. It wasn't far, a half-dozen feet at most. He stepped carefully, not wanting to catch his bare foot on anything sharp that he couldn't see. He leaned down and peeked out the doorway, and his eyes widened.

There was water, as far as the eye could see.

Was it some sort of ocean? He had no way of knowing.

The natural ripples in the water caused his gaze to lift higher and higher into the night sky.

Dark clouds rolled in the distance, but up above him, the sky was clear and gave way to various ripples of grayish light.

He wasn't sure what he expected to see in that night sky, but the twisting gray otherworldly threads filled him with a sense of both awe and confusion. It was as if there was something far beyond even the night sky, and it glowed with an otherworldly gray light.

But that wasn't the only reflection upon the water. There was an almost rippling amber glow coming from the left. His eyes followed it, but its source wasn't discernible from within the stone structure he found himself in.

He pushed through the water and maneuvered through the partially caved-in entrance. His foot sunk into the sand with his first step outside the doorway. Instinctively, he grabbed at the stone wall, but he only sunk about an inch. He moved his toes and feet and got his bearing as he pushed away from the stone structure.

A chill breeze blew around him and ruffled his shoulder-length black hair. He shivered and crossed his arms, rubbing his palms and fingers up and down his arms for several moments as he treaded through the water.

His nakedness became more apparent now that he was out in the open and still in the cold water. He turned his head and noticed that he was on the lower vestiges of a shore. The waves splashed against the sand, leaving bubbles and foam in their wake. But as his eyes ran up the shoreline, he realized where the amber glow was coming from.

A large wooden ship was beached on the coast. Smoke billowed up against the tall white sails, darkening them with thick ashen clouds. Fires buffeted the deck. There seemed to be figures moving; shadowy outlines among the conflagration. But at his distance, he couldn't quite make them out.

He took several steps. His bare toes sunk into the sand, and the waves pushed him towards the shore. He waded through the waters at an angle. He wanted to go towards the ship. Were people in trouble? Was he from the ship? How had he ended up in that mausoleum? Should he try and help someone?

He couldn't move very fast and was still gaining his bearings. He looked further inland and saw a multitude of structures. A village? Some sort of coastal town? There were no lights coming from the town. At least there were no fires. It seemed eerily quiet and dead.

His attention returned to the ship just as an object fell from the top deck. He blinked. The image was blurry. Then, there was a noticeable splash in the water.

Nothing made sense. He couldn't just watch and do nothing while others were in trouble. Whoever was on the ship needed help.

He set his sights on the vessel and moved at an angle so that he could run along the shore, since going through the water directly would take too long.

He could just barely make out the sounds of crackling fires. Wind whistled and moaned through the rocks that formed jagged outcroppings behind the mausoleum. It was hard to make out his surroundings with just moonlight and the illumination from the fiery ship.

Almost like a wave all its own, the smell of the smoke reached his nostrils. He grimaced and brought his arm up to shield his nose.

The water was just getting to his knees when his leg caught on something. He pulled his leg back and looked down, but the water was too dark to see what had snagged him.

Something squeezed his leg and pulled it back.

His eyes widened as he fell face-first into the water. His hands caught him in the mushy sand. He kicked with his seized leg as something sought to pull him out to the ocean. He clutched at the sand, trying to find purchase to pull away from whatever was grabbing him.

His head turned as his heart raced. A shadowy silhouette loomed just beneath the gloomy water's surface behind him. The grip on his leg tightened. Another hand or claw, or whatever it was, seized his foot.

"Help!" he cried out, just as he was pulled back again, forced to lose his grip in the sand as his face plunged beneath the water. He scrambled and clutched at the sand, his fingers sinking between the grains. He pulled his head above the water long enough to suck in a breath of air before the salty water filled his mouth, causing him to choke and cough as he struggled against whatever sought to pull him beneath the water.

He kicked with his other leg, but his motions were severely subdued in the water. His heel planted against something slick and smooth. He shoved his foot, trying to kick off of it as best he could. The grip on his leg loosened. He kicked it and freed his foot from the other hand, using those precious seconds to pull himself through the sand and water. His heart raced, his chest ached, and he coughed up the acrid salty water. He moved on hands and feet until his fingers crunched into drier sand.

He looked up just in time to see something glint in the dim fluorescence from the sky. It came right at him; he thought it was going to hit him. He had no time to dodge it.

It shot past his head, whistling as it went.

The sharp crack of metal on bone came from behind. Then, a shrill gurgling cry of some terrible monstrosity.

He turned his head, only long enough to see something looming out of the water. A shadowy shape covered in glistening black scales. A pair of elongated arms rose up with webbed hands. It plucked the arrow from what could only be its strange fish-like head.

"Get out of the water!" a woman's voice shouted from far away, seemingly coming from the direction of the village.

With renewed vigor, he scrambled out of the last few inches of water and rose to his feet.

Sharp claws raked the back of his left arm.

"Ah!" he cried out as he stumbled forward from the pain, which sought to encompass his entire arm. He winced and regained his footing, pushing on and running. He didn't look back. He knew the creature was right behind him. He just hoped he could run faster than it.

"Over here! Come on!" came the woman's voice.

Another arrow sang through the air as it slipped past him. There was another audible cracking sound and gurgling cry, slightly different than the last one.

His eyes darted around and spotted three figures on horseback near one of the dilapidated wooden structures of the town. They were on a makeshift road that seemed to be made more of dirt than sand.

The central figure had a sword that glinted in the moonlight. He couldn't tell their gender, but they seemed to be wearing some sort of armor and helmet. The other two figures were dressed similarly to each other, wearing dark black cloaks with their hoods hiding their faces. Their arms were stretched out, each wielding a bow. Their loosed arrows shot off towards him and smacked into whatever was chasing him. Despite his burning curiosity, he didn't dare look back. He kept his sights on the three riders as he ran towards them.

"Just a bit further! Hurry!" came the woman's voice, as the central figure swung her sword from side to side to warrant his attention. It seemed as though the armored figure was a woman and the one who was calling out to him.

Seconds stretched on for what felt like minutes as more arrows shot by him. His arm burned with a strange intensity, but finally, he reached the riders. The armored woman leaned down and stretched out her gauntlet-clad arm and hand.

"Come on!" she said urgently.

He had no idea how to get on the horse; his mind was frantic. He took her hand and felt himself being propelled upwards with her unusual strength. His foot caught on a rung from the saddle and he managed to lean up behind her. He sat back on the padded saddle, which he was thankful for, given his nakedness.

"Grab on!" the woman shouted.

Shaking from cold and panic, and with little time for comfort, he grabbed her gray and white cloak as tight as he could.

The woman tugged on the horse's reins and turned the beast to head further into the village. "Hyah!" she called, giving the reins another pull.

The horse trotted and worked up to a run, as the other two riders grabbed their reins and did the same. It was only now, in this relative moment of safety, that he looked back to the shore. He expected to see the monster still chasing after him. But the reality of the situation was far worse.

The beached ship continued to burn, casting its fiery glow across the nearby reaches of the shore. Clouds crept in overhead, concealing the gray stretches of light from above the sky.

Dozens of pitch-black forms lumbered onto the shore, heading for the village, while dozens more breached the water's surface to lay their glassy gazes upon the fleeing riders.

Chapter 2: Ride

The young man's ears rang with the clinking of armor and chainmail all around him as he clutched the woman's cloak. The horses rushed past numerous small hovels; none were more than a couple levels high. Each structure was pock-marked and incredibly weathered. It was unlikely that anyone could be living in such conditions.

He peered around from behind the woman's bulky armor and noticed a tall, dark forest a short distance away. They had just passed the last structure on their way out of the village and were closing in on the tree line. The poorly maintained dirt road led straight into a meager opening in the trees.

"How many did you spot?" came a male voice from the left.

He turned and spotted one of the cloaked archers looking his way from under a black hood. Was… he talking to him?

"There were about three dozen already on the shore," came a woman's voice from his right. He turned and spotted the other archer looking just past him. The three horses were lined up beside each other, which let their voices carry more easily between them. Luckily, there were only the three of them, as the gap in the forest wouldn't have allowed for many more horses at a full run.

"I saw about the same," came the male's voice from his left. "Maybe twice that amount still in the water?"

"Could be ten times as many still in the water," said the armored woman. "We'll warn Kamber and head back out to get a better count."

"They could be rushing into the forest by the time we get back!" came the woman's voice from his right. "We'll get ambushed and stuck in the midst of an army of merfolk!"

"We'll see what the councilors decide!" the armored woman yelled, making sure her voice carried to both of the other riders. Her head turned, but it couldn't go very far with her armor. "What's your name?"

The young man behind her finally spoke up. "Chaxin!" he said, figuring that she had to be talking to him.

"You picked a shit time to arrive, Chaxin!" she called back, then turned her head forward as her hands whipped the reins.

"I didn't pick anything! What's going on?" Chaxin asked, wincing as a streak of pain rushed through his left arm. He gripped the cloth cloak tighter. "Who are you? What are merfolk? Where am I?"

"Fill ‘im in, Tiris," said the armored woman.

"I'm Tiris," came the woman's voice from the right. "You're riding with Deloris. That's Vol over to your left." She spoke in an almost yell to be heard over the horses’ hooves.

Chaxin's focus centered on Tiris. Her dark hood remained over her head, but he could just barely make out the blonde hair that crept out against her shoulders. Now that they were in the forest, he couldn't make out much else about her.

"You're obviously a new arrival, but I don't know what you were doing on that beach!" said Tiris. "There's no working mausoleums in miles!"

"What?" Chaxin called back. "You mean that stone room I was in? The one on the shore?"

As he asked that question, he felt something soft press against his side.

"Put this on!" the male rider, Vol, said from beside him.

Chaxin turned and noticed that Vol had removed his cloak and was pressing the bundled garment against his side. Vol's dark hair was trim around his pale features. He took the offered clothing and removed his hands from Deloris's back, only long enough to wrap the cloak around his shoulders. He found some thin rope at the top, which he tied in a makeshift knot around his collar. He pulled the sides in close and gripped the armored woman's cloak again.

"Thanks!" he said.

"Don't be too grateful, I'll be wanting that back when we get you situated in Kamber!"

"What's Kamber?" he asked, remembering how Deloris had mentioned it.

"It's the town we're from," said Vol. "It's just beyond the forest. We were dispatched to the coast to investigate the smoke that one of our watchers spotted. Looks like something happened to that ship. Probably the merfolk!"

"It looked like there were people on the ship!" said Chaxin. "What are merfolk? That fish monster?"

Vol looked ahead every now and then, but mostly focused on Chaxin. "Merfolk are sea-people, but they're not like us. They're monsters. They're not to be underestimated. Lone ones can be pretty vicious. They can use weapons, but they're not too tough, and they don't tend to wear armor."

All Chaxin could do was stare at Vol as he tried his best to process what he was being told. "Why are there monsters? What's going on? How'd I get here?"

Vol reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "You're on Wake! It's the name of this sphere. It's… sort of like a planet, or a world. One of many. I'm probably not the best person to explain that! But monsters have always been here. They're also not too happy about humans like us. We're always fighting with some monster or another."

In his pursuit of answers, Chaxin found himself even more confused. "But why am I here? Where did I come from?"

"When you find that out, you let me know!" said Vol with a laugh. "Most of us got here the same way! We wake up at a mausoleum and we have no idea how we got here. I was the same as you are now, but I've been here for five years. Don't rush it, you'll figure things out!"

So far, Chaxin was only able to conceptualize that he was on a world called 'Wake,' which seemed to have people, which he was grateful for, but also monsters? And everyone arrived by waking up in a mausoleum? But how? And why? Where had he been before he was here?

"You said you came from the mausoleum on the shore?" asked Tiris.

Chaxin directed his attention to the female archer. "Yeah! I woke up on the stone slab in that place. Then I came out and saw that ship on fire."

"That doesn't make any sense!" said Tiris. "That mausoleum has been powerless for over ten years! There's no way you could've appeared there!"

Chaxin looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "What do you mean? Powerless?"

At this point, Tiris reached up and pulled her hood back. Her golden hair flowed behind her head as their horses raced through the narrow passage between the trees.

"Magic!" she said. "There's no magic left in that place. None! A mausoleum can't function without magic. It's almost impossible that you could've appeared in a powerless mausoleum!"

"I don't know what to tell you," said Chaxin. "But I woke up there!"

"Doesn't matter now!" said Deloris. "You're here on Wake, so you better get used to it, fast, and I gotta say, you're in for one hell of a night. We all are!"

Chaxin clenched his fists. His left arm burned, as if the veins in his arm were heating up. "I took a bit of a scrape from that creature, is there a doctor in your town?"

"Yeah, we'll get you there, it's on the way to the town hall," said Deloris. "It's not long now."

Chaxin kept quiet, mulling over the answers he'd gotten to his questions. His head was spinning. The bouncing of the horse's gallop wasn't helping the ache that had seeped into his head. He just wanted to rest for a bit. Running up the shore must've taken a lot out of him. Was he used to physical exertion like this? Where had he come from? He seemed to know how to speak, so he hadn't come from absolutely nothing, had he?

After a short while of riding, the three horses breached the outer edge of the forest.

With intense curiosity to learn anything new about this world, Chaxin tilted to the side so he could see ahead of them. A town loomed a short distance away. The moonlight illuminated some of the surrounding plains, and the town itself stood in stark contrast. It had an encompassing wall of stone, with small watchtowers at various points. There was a main gate, which they were headed for. The dirt road came from the tree line of the forest and stretched out to the gate. There was another road that extended off far to the right of them.

"That's Kamber?" asked Chaxin.

"That's it," Deloris confirmed.

Most of the buildings were no taller than the three to four story wall. It was much more impressive than the ramshackle village they'd passed through.

Another couple minutes saw them nearing the main gate to Kamber. Upon closer inspection, Chaxin was able to discern the myriad of various stones that had been mortared together to make the makeshift stone wall. The gate was made of wooden planks with two halves that were mostly closed, only allowing enough space for a horse and rider to go in one at a time.

Two guards were stationed outside the gate, but there was a single watchtower above with another guard. The guards were dressed in much lighter armor than Deloris. They also wore a gray patch of cloth on their left arms, with a circular white symbol that Chaxin couldn't make out in the darkness. There were various torches lit around the wall. Even from the outside, Chaxin could tell that there were more lit within the town, mostly as street lights.

Deloris took the lead with the two other riders falling in single-file behind her. She slowed her horse as she neared the gate. "We have incoming merfolk. Dozens, perhaps a hundred," she said to one of the guards who had stood up from a wooden bench.

"Alert the town hall!" the guard said. "We'll alert the barracks!"

With that, Deloris whipped the reins and took the horse into the town, as the guard barked orders to the other that had been outside.

Deloris's horse sped through the street, passing by street torches and buildings made mostly of wood, but some of stone. The architecture was better than that of the village at the shore, but Chaxin had expected something more substantial.

There were several people on the streets, all commonly dressed in single-color pants and tunics. They turned their heads to watch the riders rush by.

Just as the horse slowed down near a well-lit one-story building, a streak of pain rushed through Chaxin's arm, and he winced. "Ah!" he groaned as he released his grip on Deloris's cloak and clutched at his arm.

"You alright?" asked the armored woman, as the horse came to a complete stop. "Doc! We need you!" she called in the direction of the nearby structure, which had a sign outside that was painted in red with a white 'plus' symbol.

The two archers rode up beside, but as they did, Deloris turned to them. "Warn the town hall, I'll make sure he gets inside. Go!"

"We're on it!" said Tiris, as she and Vol rushed off further down the street.

With relative ease, Deloris turned and dismounted the horse, leaving Chaxin upon it. She reached up and offered her silvery gauntleted hand. "Come on down, let's see that wound you got."

Chaxin turned and gripped Deloris's metal fingers and eased off the horse to take that long step down to the street. He pushed with his left hand, and when the muscles in his arm were used, another sharp pain shot through him, causing him to seize up and fall to his knees. If Deloris hadn't been gripping his hand, he'd have fallen flat on his face.

"I'm not feeling so great, I'm really dizzy," Chaxin said in a low voice, as he shifted to pull himself to stand. The cloak that Vol had let him borrow was at least enough to keep his naked body concealed for the time being.

"Let's get you inside so the doc can take a look at you," said Deloris.

Just then, the door to the clinic opened. A well-muscled middle-aged man with a bald head and a white moustache appeared in the doorway. He wore a pair of plain brown pants and brown boots, with a gray tunic. "What's wrong?" he asked in a deep voice as he stepped out towards them, while Chaxin stood back up.

"He got hit by one of the merfolk," said Deloris as she released his hand and took a firm hold of his good arm to help him stay standing. "He doesn't have a lot of stats, I'm sure. He just appeared out of the mausoleum by the shore."

The white-moustached man stopped in front of him and sized Chaxin up in just a few moments. He reached out to pull Chaxin's arm into the light. "No one's arrived there in over a decade," he said. "No magic left. It's been abandoned."

"Tell that to him," Deloris sighed.

"Well I don't know how you—" The man's voice cut short as the nearby torchlight glimmered over Chaxin's raised arm. "Oh no, this ain't good," he murmured.

Chaxin looked around slowly. The lights seemed to swim in his vision. He couldn't focus. He just wanted to close his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice. "Can you help me out? It's starting to really hurt."

"How bad is it, Huril?" Deloris asked.

Huril shook his head. "You said it was merfolk?" he asked, looking up to Deloris.

"That's right. They're heading onto shore, and it's likely that they'll be here within an hour," she said.

Huril's gaze went back down to Chaxin's arm. The previously deep red wounds had already given way to a sickly green pallor within the gashes. Thin gray lines had appeared, stretching throughout Chaxin's arm and up towards his shoulder and into his chest, near his heart.

"He's been poisoned," said Huril. "I can heal the cuts and close them up… but it looks like it's poison from one of their alpha warriors. You know how bad their poison can be, and I'm sure you're well aware that we haven't had the remedy for it in months."

"Shit," Deloris murmured from within her helmet. "I couldn't tell from the distance. There's nothing you got that can give him a chance?"

"Help him inside," said Huril, as he turned and rushed back into the clinic.

"What's he… what's this mean? Poison?" asked Chaxin.

Deloris helped Chaxin into the clinic, her armor clanging with each step. "Looks like it's just not your day," she said a bit cryptically.

Once inside, Chaxin could just barely make out the layout of the room. There were several counters, a dozen or so beds, and other various cabinets and equipment.

"Get him to one of the beds," said Huril, who was investigating the contents of one of the cabinets nearby.

Deloris helped him over to one of the beds, which he was mostly able to get onto himself. He kept the cloak closed, still feeling that he should keep some semblance of modesty.

Deloris took a few steps back as Huril came over with some herbs and a mortar and pestle. He began to crush them on at a counter beside the bed. He added some liquid from a jar and continued to work the herbs with the stone pestle.

"I'm afraid this is all I've got for you, son," said Huril. "It's not what you need, but it's all we can do." He then collected the poultice and applied it to the long gashes that the merfolk alpha had left him with. "This will heal the wound and help stabilize your health. But without any stats, since you just arrived and all… well, looks like you might end up in Purgatory sooner than most folk usually do. And without any levels to speak of—" he trailed off and shook his head. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. You probably won't make it till morning. A real shame."

Chaxin stared at the ceiling, his vision blurring. He kept blinking, trying to clear it up, but it wasn't getting any better.

"Stats? Levels? What are you talking about?" he asked. The words seemed out of place with what Huril had said. He understood that whatever this poison was, it was likely to kill him. "What's Purgatory? I don't understand."

"Do what you can," said Deloris. "Be prepared for more wounded. I've gotta head back out there and help with defense. That's Vol's cloak, I'm sure he'll be back to pick it up. I'll catch up with you later, Huril," she said, and promptly turned to leave.

Chaxin tilted his head. There were several candles burning inside the clinic. The light shined off Deloris's armor as she walked back to the door and promptly left. She'd said nothing to him before leaving.

Huril sighed and wiped his hands on a nearby cloth on the counter. "I'll have another look around, to see if there's not something I can give ya," he said as he turned and walked off.

"Wa… wait, what about… that stuff?" he asked again, as neither of them had answered his questions.

"Don't worry about it, son. Just close your eyes," said Huril, whose voice seemed to be getting quieter as Chaxin's pulse beat in his ears.

Chaxin's eyes slowly slipped shut, bit by bit until they were closed. He felt heavy. He didn't move much at all, and his chest rose and fell rather slowly. The pain was still there, but now it was all throughout his chest and not just in his arm. It wasn't as sharp as before, but he wasn't really using his muscles now either.

Time quickly slipped away as Huril moved about the clinic. Chaxin couldn't see him, since the thought of opening his eyes seemed like far more effort than what he wanted to give. His senses faded bit by bit.

An hour passed. At one point, Chaxin thought he heard commotion outside, but all the sounds were fleeting. He felt warm, and wanted to remove the cloak to get some air, but his body just didn't want to respond.

The door to the clinic creaked open.

"Huril," said an unfamiliar female voice.

He could just barely make out Huril's footsteps thudding softly towards the door.

"What's this?" Huril asked, apparently talking to whoever was at the door. "Are you sure?"

"Just take it, he deserves as much of a chance as any of us. No?" the woman spoke again.

"If you're sure," said Huril. "Then I'll see to it. But in his condition, he still might not make it. He's in for a tough night."

"Do it," came the woman's voice.

That was the last thing Chaxin heard before the sounds around him faded and unconsciousness claimed him.

Chapter 3: Stand

Chaxin's senses returned to him. He was still in a bed. With opened eyes, he found himself staring up at the ceiling of the clinic. His chest ached. He leaned up slowly, only to find that his muscles were stiff. His torso was still bare, but he now had on a pair of brown pants. He looked around and spotted the cloak he'd been wearing, which was bundled up on a nearby bed.

He looked around the room some more, but didn't see anyone around.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

He took in a slow breath. He reached up and rubbed at his eyes, but after he did, he took a closer look at his left hand.

Dark greenish-black lines resided just under his skin, where his veins should be. His gaze ran up his arm. He turned and looked to where he'd been caught by the monster's claws. The gash was gone, but it seemed as though the poison was still within him. Had he not been cured? How long had he been unconscious?

As his eyes ran over his body, he noticed that there was writing on his chest, just above his heart. The blackness beneath his skin was heavily present in his chest area as well, but more prominent was the silvery metallic lettering on his skin. He brushed his fingers against the letters, noticing that the letters were somewhat raised, as if it was some sort of… ink? Some form of tattoo? He wasn't sure. He couldn't explain how it got there, or what it was made of, but he could read it.

It took a few moments to decipher the words upside down, but the lettering read 'Time_Slow_Poison+Cost_Mana_All.' The letters were all connected, as were the words. A line ran through the bottom, with all the letters and symbols written upon it.

He knew what time meant, and he was obviously poisoned, but what was mana? Why was this written on his chest?

A guttural scream pierced the silence.

Chaxin's head whipped to the side. The familiar monstrous scream came from outside, and it sounded far closer than he was comfortable with.

He slid out of bed, his muscles complaining with every inch he moved. He looked around again for a weapon to defend himself with. There was nothing.

He moved to the door, his bare feet causing the floorboards to creak with each step. He slowed his movements and neared the door, listening for anything he could hear outside.

With the light ebbing in from the small windows, he knew it was daytime, but all he could see outside was a hazy white fog. His heart raced with each passing moment.

He placed his ear to the door, feeling the cool touch of the wood against his cheek.

Thump thump thump thump.

Shlick.

Thump thump.

Shlick.

Another gurgling scream emanated from somewhere out on the street.

Chaxin grabbed the handle of the door and eased it open slowly so he could peek out. He opened it about an inch, and peered outside.

A thick mist had set in around the town. He couldn't make out anything on the other side of the street.

A hunched form, easily several feet taller than a man, lumbered towards a more human-like silhouette.

Chaxin couldn't make out any details, only the loose form of the two figures.

The larger entity swung at the smaller one.

The shorter human-like figure ducked beneath the attack and swung their arm. The schlick sound was made again, then once more as the smaller figure dodged to the side and swung their arm again.

A gurgling groan came from their direction, as the larger silhouette lurched forward and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Chaxin swallowed and mustered his courage. He pulled the door further open and stepped out onto the street. He looked from side to side, but didn't see any other figures around.

"Hello?" Chaxin called. "Are you human?" He wasn't sure what to say, he just hoped that there weren't more creatures around. Had the town been attacked while he was asleep? Was it still under attack?

"Who's there?" came a man's voice.

"I'm Chaxin, I was in the… the clinic! What's going on?"

The figure turned and walked towards him. Once he was within ten feet or so, Chaxin could make out his features. He wore a pair of black boots and pants and a white tunic. He had a sword in his right hand, and some sort of shiny gray crystalline stone clutched in his left. He had brown hair to his shoulders, and weathered features. Around his neck, he wore a pale white crystal, affixed to a silver attachment. The crystal seemed to emit a dull pulsing glow, but within a few blinks of the eye, the glow abated entirely.

"I'm Tagrin," said the man. "You were in the clinic? Have you seen Huril? I could really use his help. I'm pretty banged up, and there's others who are going to need him, I'm sure."

Chaxin shook his head. "I just woke up, I have no idea what's going on. I haven't seen the doctor."

Tagrin neared him and looked him over. His gaze rested on Chaxin's arm and chest. "One of them got you?" he asked. "Wait… rune magic?" The man stepped in closer, his brow furrowed as he looked at the writing above Chaxin's heart.

"You know what this is?" Chaxin asked, pointing to the silvery writing, desperate for answers.

"Aye," the man said. "That's rune magic. A bit powerful too—anything dealing with time is pretty powerful stuff. At least, in my understanding. But we can't be worrying about that now. If you're able to fight, let's find you a weapon."

Chaxin's eyes widened. "Fight? Me?"

A hazy shadow formed quickly from behind Tagrin. Chaxin glanced over the man's shoulder, unsure of what he was seeing until it was too late.

"Yes, fight," said Tagrin. "What do you think is going—"

Schlick.

Tagrin seized up, his mouth hanging open for several long seconds, before he coughed. Blood filled his mouth and trickled down the corners of his lips. Tagrin's eyes were wide as he looked down.

Chaxin followed the man's gaze and saw a cluster of long grayish claws sticking out of Tagrin's stomach.

Tagrin's voice was little more than a gurgle as his throat filled with blood. "Not… not now… not like this." His sword clattered to the street, and his hands grabbed at his stomach. The claws pulled out and Chaxin looked up to see the fish-like skull of one of the monsters from the shore.

In that moment, terror gripped Chaxin. He'd thought that the monster at the shore was perhaps a bad dream. He still couldn't remember anything from before waking up in the mausoleum.

Tagrin stumbled toward him, but fell to his knees, bleeding.

"Run," Tagrin muttered, as he slumped to the side.

But Chaxin couldn't move. He was paralyzed. He stared at the monster before him. Its claws were slick with blood.

The creature lumbered towards him and drew its arm back.

In that instant, something snapped in Chaxin's mind.

The merfolk struck with those red claws, but Chaxin was already moving. He ducked under the attack, just as he'd seen Tagrin do from a distance. Time seemed to slow as he spotted the fallen sword. He grabbed it and stumbled away from the merfolk, as it recovered from its attack and turned towards him.

Chaxin gripped the sword with all his strength. He held it between himself and the merfolk. He felt the lightness of its weight and the balance of the blade. He pulled it in closer and readied himself. How could he run? He couldn't see anything in the fog. How many of these monsters were still around?

The creature took a step towards him, then another. Its arm drew back and swung at Chaxin. This time, faster.

Chaxin pulled to the side and swung the sword to connect with the monster's arm. The blade glanced off the creature's claws and cut deep into its scaled arm.

Even as he cut the monster, he couldn't help but be filled with a sense of disgust and dread as he felt the creature's flesh give way to the blade, pushing beneath its scales.

The familiar guttural cry of the wounded merfolk poured from its mouth.

Chaxin didn't hesitate to take advantage of the wounded creature. He pulled the sword back and gripped the pommel with both hands as he stepped in to thrust it straight into the merfolk's chest.

The blade sunk halfway into the monster. It stumbled back with heavy footfalls. Chaxin had been slow to grip the blade, and even as he tried, he realized he no longer had any control of the weapon.

The merfolk's other arm swung at him. The claws didn't catch him, but the weight of the monster's arm knocked him to the side and sent him falling to the ground.

He fumbled on the ground, looking up at the creature as it pulled the blade from its chest and tossed it away, out of sight in all the fog.

Chaxin managed to stand, just as the merfolk neared, its claws descending upon him.

Clang clang clang.

Chaxin could barely register the approaching metallic sound as something like a wall smacked into him, despite the fact that he hadn't been moving. He was knocked once more to the ground, but he didn't feel the pain of the creature's claws. He looked up and saw another figure before the monster.

A metal figure. Or at least, a figure clad in gray armor, with a sword and shield.

A woman yelled from beneath the sturdy helmet. "Ahh!" came her voice, as she swung her much larger sword and cut into the already wounded arm of the merfolk.

It emitted another wounded scream, but the woman didn't relent. She swung again and again and cut into the beast's torso, creating deep gouges from which sickly black and crimson ichor spilled out. She brought her leg up and kicked the already stumbling creature, causing it to fall backwards. Her armor clanged as she rushed over and sunk her sword right into the fish-creature's open mouth.

With that, it seized up and stopped moving.

Chaxin pulled himself off the ground and stared at the armor-clad woman. "Thank you," he said, taking a few steps towards her. "Are there more of them?" he asked. But his eyes went wide as he remembered the man who he'd just been talking to. "Tagrin!" Chaxin gasped.

Chaxin turned and saw the man still lying on the ground. A pool of blood had formed around his chest in the dirt.

"He wasn't the first, and he'll surely not be the last to be taken by the merfolk," came the woman's voice from beneath the helmet. "But I am surprised to see that you're still alive." The armored warrior turned and walked towards Chaxin.

Chaxin stared at the metal helmet of the woman who'd just saved him a second time. "You're the one from last night?" he asked. It was then that he recognized the features of her armor, and the specifics of her voice. "That wasn't just a terrible nightmare? This is all real? Whatever this is? Please! Tell me what's going on!"

Deloris reached up and pulled her helmet's visor up. Chaxin could see her softer features and her deep red hair.

"This isn't the time to be discussing that," she said. She looked over to the fallen Tagrin. "But here's a tip. The dead don't need their valuables. And the crystal around his neck has some value to it. Did he have a weapon?"

At first, Chaxin didn't move. "He had a sword," he managed to speak, before he took in a slow breath and went to the immobile form of Tagrin. He stared down upon the man. The man he'd just been sharing words with not more than a couple minutes ago. He looked at his neck and saw the chain of the necklace, and the white crystal resting in the mud.

"Take his boots as well. We'll see if we can find you a less bloody tunic," said Deloris. "You'll need the gear, and he ain't going to be needing them anymore."

Chaxin looked back to the armored woman. "You want me to loot a dead man?"

Deloris sighed. "You've got a lot to learn. So start learning. Take what you can get. In this world, it ain't much, and you're going to need every bit of it. I doubt there's much energy in that soul crystal, but it'll be better than nothing."

Chaxin stared at the fallen man for several long seconds. He looked at the man's boots, then the crystal.

"Hurry up," said Deloris.

With a sigh, Chaxin proceeded to remove the man's boots. He knelt in the mud and pulled them off. He put them on, finding that they fit well-enough. Then, he unhooked the necklace and pocketed it. He wasn't sure what a soul crystal was, but if Deloris said it was valuable and wasn't taking it for herself, then maybe it could do him some good. He didn't have any money, and maybe after this terrible nightmare was all over, he could barter it for lodging, or food?

Chaxin rushed over to where the monster had thrown the sword. He grabbed it off the ground and went back to Deloris. "What now?" he asked. "Are we safe?"

"Not even close," she said. "This fog is preventing us from taking account of things in town. The merfolk have withdrawn, but not all of them realized that. So there's still plenty in town to deal with."

"So the town won the fight?" asked Chaxin. "The monsters were driven back?"

Deloris shook her head. She reached up and pulled her visor back over her face. "Not even close."

Chapter 4: Better Odds

Chaxin's footsteps were slow and careful; his feet were still growing accustomed to the boots he'd taken from the dead man, Tagrin.

The soft clanking sound of Deloris's armor was ever-present in front of him, despite her slow movements. She held a sword a bit larger than his own, and apparently made of a different metal. He noticed that there was silvery writing on the blade, but he was too far and at a bad angle to be able to read it.

She carried a metal shield on her left hand. It had a reddish rim, with some of that runic writing inlaid on the side facing her.

"Where are we going?" Chaxin spoke up. "Where is everyone?"

Deloris spoke in a low voice, which was almost muffled by the helmet she wore. "We're heading towards the town hall. If anything is still defended, it'll be that place."

"Why are those creatures attacking?" asked Chaxin. "Is it my fault?"

Deloris chuckled. "Oh no, certainly not. I suspect it had something to do with the ship that was beached. Perhaps the merfolk had been planning this attack for a while. It's hard to say. Merfolk warriors don't boast the highest intelligence, but some of their shamans and chieftains can prove to be downright clever."

As they walked, they passed by more of the deceased townsfolk. Some were disemboweled, like Tagrin. Others were missing arms, or even entire chunks of flesh from their bodies. One particularly gruesome body was missing its head, and looked as if something had been gnawing on its torso.

Despite his objections, Deloris had insisted he take the white tunic of a man who seemed to have died in such a way that the tunic was in relatively good condition. Removing it from the man's corpse filled Chaxin with a terrible sense of dread. Hopefully, he could get the man's dying face out of his mind.

There were discarded weapons, jewelry, and other wearables, usually in close proximity to the corpses, along with the clothes they still had on, which weren't in the best of shape, depending on how each of the townsfolk met their end.

"Pick that up," said Deloris. She pointed at a metallic clasp.

Chaxin bent over and grabbed the clasp. He inspected it, but then heard Deloris's armor clanging as she kept moving. He turned and followed quickly after her, as she didn't seem to be losing step.

"Is there any writing on the inside of it?" she asked. "Like the writing on your chest?"

"Um," Chaxin murmured at first, as he held the wrist-clasp in his left hand, peering on the inside. "I don't see anything. It looks like it's just metal."

"Feel free to put it on if you want some protection on your wrist, but it won't help you much," said Deloris. "Not sure how high-quality it is, but it might not be worth taking if it weighs you down."

"Why do you have me looting the dead?" Chaxin spoke up, dropping the clasp beside him. "What of these people's families? Are we bandits? Thieves?"

Deloris sighed. "Keep your voice down. I don't want to end up dealing with more merfolk than we have to. I could fight off a few, depending. But I can't guarantee your life if I can't engage them all at once," she all but growled.

Chaxin frowned, his voice becoming little more than a hushed whisper. "Please, explain this," he said, urging her again.

"Fine," she murmured. "Everything you see around you can be placed into two categories. Crafted items, and enchanted items. Those clothes you're wearing, most of the buildings around you, that sword in your hand; all of that is crafted, in some fashion or another. It could be made of various types of materials, but it's all just crafted stuff."

"Alright," Chaxin said, unsure how that really explained anything, but he decided to wait for more before complaining.

"The writing on your chest, the writing on my shield and sword, that's what we call rune magic. Sometimes referred to as scrawl, or other various names. It's the only magic we humans know how to use. Without it, we're only as good as our stats and the crafted gear we can make. Rune magic allows us to enchant gear with magic properties, to improve it."

"What are stats?" asked Chaxin. "And what sort of properties? The words on my chest talk about time slowing the poison. But it also says something about mana."

Deloris grumbled. "Stats are… um. They're points. You gain points through experience, from killing monsters or crafting. Or um… ugh, how do I explain this without a grimoire?"

Chaxin's lips parted, about to speak since he was utterly confused by this explanation.

"The rune magic on my sword lets me increase the strength of the sword. To create rune magic, you need one of those crystals that you looted earlier. But there are various types of crystals. Some can hold more energy than others, and some only accept the soul energy of certain monsters. Using one of those crystals, I had someone enchant my weapon. Now, instead of my sword being as strong as the metal it's made out of, it's able to hit with more force, even from a regular swing."

"Um… ok," Chaxin said, still unsure about it all.

"Ok, how about this. If I had a regular sword and swung it at a tree, let's imagine that it would take me about ten swings to cut the tree down. But, if I enchant my sword with rune magic that increases the sword's strength, I might be able to fell the same tree with only five or six swings. Does that make sense?"

Chaxin visualized what she was saying and nodded. "I think I understand now. So…" he trailed off, thinking about it some more. "Can you do anything else beyond increasing its strength?"

"Yeah, all kinds of things, depending on the material of the sword, the rune magic, and the crystal used in the enchantment. It… can be pretty complex, to be honest. But seriously, let's keep quiet for now. We don't know how many more merfolk are around. This fog could be hiding dozens of them for all we know."

"There wasn't any fog last night," said Chaxin.

Deloris grumbled. "What did I just say about talking?"

"Sorry," Chaxin murmured.

The two of them continued to walk through town. Chaxin hoped that Deloris knew where they were going, even with the heavy fog. He remembered that she'd sent the other two she was with to the town hall. He hadn't been able to look around at the time, so he wasn't sure how far away it might be.

Deloris slowed down and Chaxin almost ran into her.

"Keep quiet," Deloris whispered. "Noise up ahead. Keep slow."

With that, Deloris crept forward, keeping the sounds of her armor to a minimum. Chaxin's brow furrowed as he listened to everything around them, but he couldn't hear anything unusual. After about ten feet or so, he heard sounds similar to the thuds of the merfolk's feet. The more they crept, the more his pulse pounded in his ears. He tightened his grip on the sword. If what Deloris said was true, then he wished it was enchanted like hers.

"Ahh!" a man cried out, before a soft thump sounded ahead of them.

"Shit, move!" said Deloris, who broke into a run.

Chaxin ran after Deloris, trying to look around her as best he could, but he also didn't want to be out in the open, in case a merfolk attacked. Before he knew it, two large dark shapes appeared in the fog up ahead.

Deloris rushed for them, holding her shield in front of her as she swung her sword at the closer of the two silhouettes.

Chaxin didn't want to get any closer than he needed to. He kept back six feet or so, his eyes wide. He gripped the pommel of his sword with both hands and took a step forward.

His foot connected with something, and his gaze fell to the ground.

Lying at his feet was a man in similar clothing to Tagrin. An axe was in his hand, but his fingers were slowly releasing it. His arms and back were littered with bloody gouges. Chaxin could see a dark green substance within the center of the cuts.

"Heal… me," the man groaned, and his hand reached out and clutched at Chaxin's ankle.

Chaxin pulled his foot back, almost stumbling. "I'm sorry! I don't… I can't!" he said.

"Can't stop the poison," the man murmured. "Nothing left." The man's eyes slowly closed, bit by bit. His body relaxed.

Chaxin dropped to his knees and reached out for him. "Sir? I'm sure we can find the doctor and—"

Around the man's neck was another white crystal, held in place by a silver entrapment. The man's body stopped moving entirely, and a moment later, the crystal pulsed several times with a dull glow before slowly fading.

"Chaxin!" Deloris called. "Cover me!"

Chaxin looked up. His senses returned to him. The sounds of Deloris slashing at the merfolk and blocking their claws with her shield echoed around the street.

There was a third dark shape in the mist and Deloris was backing towards him.

He rose from the ground and rushed to her side. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, desperate for guidance.

"I was wrong," said Deloris, her voice haggard as she backed away. "I can't take all three. I'm barely keeping up with the two. Keep the third one off me as long as you can. Don't let it hit you."

"Alright," said Chaxin, watching as the third merfolk came into view from his side, a short distance from the two that Deloris had engaged.

Even as he steeled himself for the fight, the fear of the monsters and what they were capable of ebbed into his mind. Deloris stood firm, as he took another step back, and then another. His heart raced. He wanted to run. First Tagrin, then all the nameless bodies in the streets. Then that man who begged him to heal him. He'd only survived thanks to Deloris. Was anyone in the town still left? What if they were terribly outnumbered, even worse than they were now?

The two merfolk on Deloris's side lumbered towards her and struck at the same time. She deflected the double attack with her shield, but was pushed back several feet. She righted herself and countered with her sword, knocking one of their clawed hands back, while smacking the other away with her shield. She sliced with her weapon, effectively re-engaging both of them on her own.

Which left the third merfolk to center its focus on him. Without warning, its thick legs propelled it forward. As it ran for him, it drew its arm back, ready to attack.

Chaxin tensed. He knew his only hope of survival was to dodge. It was too late to run, even if he wanted to. The monster closed in quickly, almost upon him.

Schlick! Schlick!

The fish-like creature groaned and gurgled incoherently, its arm lowered as it stumbled forward and face-planted into the dirt.

Chaxin was shaking where he stood, the monster collapsed before him. Two arrows stuck out from the back of its round head.

The beast's arms slowly moved, as if it was trying to right itself.

Chaxin pulled his sword back and chopped at the creature's skull.

Crunch.

He pulled the sword back and swung again.

Crunch.

And again.

Crunch.

Filled with feral rage, he didn't relent. The monster was vulnerable. The more he attacked, the more the creature flinched and lost its grip on the ground.

Finally, his sword broke through its skull and the fish-like abomination twitched for the last time.

His lungs filled with deep gulps of air as he held his sword, ready to strike again. But the monster was no longer a threat. Chaxin swallowed, trying to contain his rage and panic as his hands shook.

Just then, two dark figures appeared in the fog, both running towards him. They looked like some sort of black apparitions, as their forms floated through the mist. His eyes went wide as he stood resolute, ready to fight this new enemy. He could still hear Deloris fighting off the two other merfolk. If he didn't confront these new assailants, they would overwhelm her.

As the two ghastly figures closed in, he realized that they weren't apparitions. They were people wearing black cloaks.

"You're still alive?" came a man's voice as he reached up and pulled his hood back.

It was then that Chaxin realized it was Vol, and Tiris was beside him. Vol hadn't let a second pass by after his question before he turned and lifted his bow.

Tiris did the same, and one after the other, the two nocked their arrows and let them loose in Deloris's direction.

"Yeah," Chaxin muttered, despite the fact that their attention had now diverted. He watched as each of the archers sunk an arrow into the skulls of the two merfolk. The hits caused both creatures to stumble, which opened them up to the ferocious attacks from Deloris's blade. She cut into them again and again, and just as the two monsters regained their footing and blocked with their claws, another set of arrows sunk into their heads. With just a couple more slashes of Deloris's sword, the two merfolk fell simultaneously. They smacked into the mud, their bodies motionless.

"What the hell happened to you two?" asked Deloris, as she looked to the two archers. She pulled her visor up and looked both of them over. "You and the others were supposed to retreat if the gate was lost."

"We lost the gate pretty quickly," said Tiris, who then pulled her hood down as well. "We weren't prepared to engage that many merfolk, even with the advantage of range and the wall. But we didn't see any shamans or chiefs in the initial attack. Just a lot of their warriors and a few alphas."

"Once we'd killed a dozen at range, the mist rolled in," Vol sighed, reaching up and rubbing his head. "We were firing blind until they started smashing the gate. Then, we fired in front of the gate, hoping to hit something. But they broke through and poured in. We were stuck on the wall for most of the night. The town seems to be in pretty bad condition from what we've seen."

"Yeah, it is," said Deloris. "Glad to see you two still around though. Most of us that are worth a damn have been scattered. A lot of the townsfolk have been killed off. Where are the others that were on the wall with you?"

"Some of them fell during the night," said Vol. "We just recently managed to make our way into town. The others broke away to check on their own friends and to help clear the town of merfolk before returning to the town hall. We just came from the clinic. Hard as hell to find our way around, though." He then looked over to Chaxin and managed a half smile. "You'd said that you'd left Chaxin at the clinic, so I expected to find him and the doc, but there was no one there. I did find my cloak, which was nice," he said as he reached up and tugged on the edge of it by his neck.

Deloris looked between the two archers, and then to Chaxin. "We need to keep moving. The town hall isn't far. Everyone would've headed there once the gate was lost. But as we've seen, not everyone realized that the merfolk pushed into the city as fast as they did. This fog really fucked us over."

"I bet one of their shamans conjured it from the tree line," said Tiris.

"Doesn't matter now," said Deloris. She gestured for Chaxin and the other two to follow. "Town hall first. We'll see if any of the council members are around. Then… we'll see if they have a plan. Usual formation. Chaxin, watch our backs. Make sure nothing sneaks up on us, but don't fall behind."

"Got it," said Chaxin, as he followed close behind the armored woman. She closed her visor again and headed forward at a brisk pace. The two archers were a single step behind Deloris on either side of her, their arrows drawn.

Some of his questions were gradually being answered, but as time went on, he found that he only came up with new ones. Perhaps if they got to the town hall, they'd find some rest and safety. Maybe someone could fill him in on what exactly was happening in this world.

Chapter 5: Town Hall

The group of four fought through several more merfolk, but they were fortunate enough to only have to combat one at a time. With the help of Vol and Tiris's arrows, Deloris was able to deal with the merfolk with relative ease.

"Here we are," said Deloris, as a large structure appeared as a dark silhouette in the fog.

The closer they got, the better Chaxin was able to make out the details of the town hall. It had a slanted roof and a sizeable chimney on the side. He'd seen various houses nearby, but this building was easily six times the size of any of them, and roughly three times the size of the clinic he'd been in.

The building itself was made mostly of wood, but had a stone foundation. Torches around the building helped illuminate the area despite the fog.

A figure appeared at the base of the steps leading up to the first floor of the town hall. He was nearly six feet and had deep brown hair, which was slicked back over his head. The sides were shaven, and a thin beard had formed along his jawline. Upon his bronze-toned form, he wore armor similar to the two archers. A pair of black cloth pants, and a gray tunic beneath a leather vest. His arms were on display, and while he looked to be strong, he didn't seem bulky.

"Figured you'd be too tough for a few merfolk to kill," said Deloris, as she pulled her helmet off and let it fall back with a strap secured around her neck.

The man held an intricate spear in his right hand. The tip was covered in a thin sheen of blood, but along the shaft were various metal portions and contraptions, which added more bulk to the weapon itself. Chaxin couldn't figure out the importance of it, unless it had something to do with enchanting and adding greater damage to the spear.

"I have no intention of being sent to Purgatory anytime soon," said the man, who stood resolute at the base of the steps. "I'm sure as hell not gonna let some merfolk send me there."

"How many are inside?" asked Vol, as the four of them slowly gathered near the tanned, spear-wielding warrior.

"Not sure," the man replied, taking a glance back to the town hall, before looking at the four of them. "Couple dozen, maybe forty?"

"And why are you the only one out here?" asked Deloris.

"Not everyone is in good shape," he said. "No one's seen Huril, and no one has much in the way of healing implements. So I'm letting the other capable fighters regain their health and stamina." His eyes then centered on Chaxin. "Who's the new face?"

Deloris stepped to the side. "This is Chaxin. We found him on the beach," she said.

"The beach? There were survivors from the ship?" the man asked.

Deloris shook her head. "There were no survivors from the ship, as far as we could tell. He came from the mausoleum."

"Well, I'm Kaiz," the man said. He then switched his spear to the other hand and extended his right. "Not sure what to think of your arrival. Doesn't make a lot of sense."

Chaxin reached out and shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said. "And… does that have something to do with what Tiris was telling me, about mausoleums and power?"

Kaiz glanced to Tiris, then back to Chaxin with a nod. "Yeah. I'm sure it doesn't make much sense to you, but basically… it's an impossibility that you appeared in the shore mausoleum."

"Wouldn't suppose you'd explain that to me? I haven't really gotten a lot of answers yet," said Chaxin.

Kaiz's eyebrows lifted. "Ah… well. Maybe you should head inside? This isn't the best place for holding conversations, since I'm supposed to be guarding the door." His attention then went to Deloris. "Gimbal was killed during the initial attack once the gate fell. Sandor and Jeneth are inside."

"Gimbal fell?" asked Vol.

Kaiz nodded. "He put up a hell of a fight, but there were just too many in the initial push. We lost a lot of the fighters. Including the Rip brothers."

"You're shitting me!" yelled Vol. "Both of them?"

Kaiz nodded again. "Perhaps Purgatory won't be so bad on them, if they manage to keep up their trend of sticking together."

"We're really down some of our best fighters then, aren't we?" asked Tiris solemnly.

"Well I ain't some pushover, you know," said Kaiz with a chuckle, but his tone quickly shifted to match Tiris's. "But yeah, it's bad. We lost some good ones. Not easily replaced. But get yourselves in there. The council… well, the two of them that're left, will be pleased to know that four more people are still around. I think they're working on a course of action. But…" Kaiz took a moment to stare at Deloris. His brow furrowed and he took a step closer. "You got some new wrinkles," he murmured, before looking into her eyes and easing back to the spot he'd been standing. "Guess these merfolk really took their toll, huh?"

Chaxin looked to Deloris and noticed that her features had tensed. "A little more than I would've liked," she said. Then, she was moving again, heading for the steps. "Let's get inside."

Chaxin took one last glance at Kaiz and nodded to him. He followed after the other three, but stopped when he heard Kaiz speak up. "Chaxin, I know you ain't got much right now, but try and find a better weapon. I've seen too many new arrivals die with cheap swords in their hands."

Chaxin paused and turned around to Kaiz, but the man was already turned around. "Thanks, I'll see what I can do," he said, before turning back and chasing after Deloris and the archers.

The armored woman reached the top of the steps and raised her gauntlet to the double wooden doors of the town hall. She tapped three times with her knuckles and then pulled the door open. It lurched with a heavy creak from the hinges. She made her way inside, followed by Vol and Tiris. Chaxin was last, but he wasn't in any particular hurry. He felt some measure of safety, knowing that there were plenty of other people inside. The deaths that Kaiz mentioned had weighed on his optimism, but it seemed as though the worst had passed.

Once inside, Chaxin took in the full extent of the town hall. There were a dozen or so tables around the room. On the far side from the door were several steps that led up to a raised section with a large table and podium.

People in all sorts of clothes and armor were seated at the tables, or standing near the walls. The scent of cooked meats and baked breads wafted around as people ate at the tables. Some were talking or checking their armor and weapons. He noticed several people glance his way, but mostly they were looking at Deloris and the two archers. They weren't paying him much concern.

A wide aisle allowed people to move from the door towards the podium, without getting in the way of the tables.

The door creaked shut behind them, and Chaxin glanced back to see a man with a broadsword closing it. The man's head was clean shaven, and he had a patch over one eye. The man nodded to Chaxin, and he nodded back.

He continued after Tiris, who’d gained a little distance on him. Deloris seemed focused on approaching a man who sat at a table up on the raised section of the hall.

The man wore a dark green robe, with a rope tied around his waist.

Deloris ascended the several steps that led to the table with the robed man. In doing so, the armor she was wearing clanged louder and drew the man's attention. He had graying hair around his temples and a bald spot at the back of his head. "Deloris!" he said, rising from the table, where a map was laid out, depicting a large swath of territory. Chaxin didn't recognize anything on the map, but he didn't inspect it for long.

"It's good to see that you're still around, old man," Deloris said with a smile curling her lips.

"I'm just very lucky, it seems," the older man said with a returned smile. He then looked to Vol and Tiris. "Good to see that you two have made it as well. I'd feared that no one else was returning from the wall."

"We're tenacious," said Tiris, who then nudged Vol with her elbow.

"And who's this new face?" the old man asked, his attention now on Chaxin.

Chaxin stepped forward and offered his hand. "I'm Chaxin." He glanced over to Deloris, and then said, "I just got here. I appeared in the mausoleum by the shore."

The man's eyebrows lifted. "You don't say? Well… that is very peculiar. But before I get ahead of myself, my name is Sandor. I'm one of the three council members. Or, I suppose I should say one of the two, as it is only I and Jeneth who still remain." Sandor then gestured over to the far side of the map table, where a woman stood with two men in an apparently deep discussion that seemed to be about the map.

The woman was easily the more prominent figure, with a scar running down from near her right ear, all the way to her chin. It was wide, but it looked to be an old wound. She had somewhat darker skin, and black hair tied back in a short knot. She wore a pair of brown leather pants, and a green cloth tunic that laced down the center.

Sandor looked back to Deloris. "Why don't you three speak with Jeneth? She's heading up the plan for what's left of our populace. The more she knows, the better. I'll enlighten our newest arrival and get him up to speed so that he can help us in these trying times."

"Of course," said Deloris. She reached out with her gauntlet and squeezed Sandor's shoulder. "We'll speak later," she said, before turning and walking around the table, Tiris and Vol at her back.

"Here, come with me," said Sandor. "You surely have many questions, and even on a good day, of which there are few, it can be difficult on new arrivals."

Chaxin turned and followed as Sandor headed around the table and over towards the back of the hall where several bookshelves and an altar sat. Upon the altar was a closed tome which appeared to be very old, with intricate designs inlaid upon the cover. It was easily ten times the size of any of the other books that rested on the shelves. The shelves themselves didn't seem to possess many books. Perhaps twenty at most.

Sandor stopped near the altar and turned to face Chaxin.

"So, tell me what you know of our world so far, and I'll try to fill in the gaps while we still have time," he said.

Chaxin swallowed and collected his thoughts before speaking. "I arrived in that mausoleum on the shore. I came out, I was attacked by one of those fish people. Deloris, Tiris, and Vol saved me, but I was poisoned. Deloris took me to a man named Huril, who healed me up… but I don't fully understand how." It was then that Chaxin reached up and pulled the tunic down to show the runic writing on his chest. "Somehow I got this, which is apparently stopping the poison?"

"Oh my," Sandor murmured. He leaned in just a little and narrowed his eyes. "Time magic? Huril doesn't know time magic. Was someone else assisting him?"

"Um… well…" Chaxin pulled at his memories, trying his best to remember the hazy experience he went through while he was under the fever of the poison. "There was a woman, I think," he said. "Someone stopped by, and I think they gave something to him? I'm really not sure. I couldn't see too well at the time, and I only heard voices."

"A woman who can use runic time magic?" Sandor murmured and lifted his hand to rub at his bare chin.

"What's so special about time magic?" Chaxin asked.

Sandor inhaled slowly, then sighed. "Well, time magic is something that takes many years to perfect, unless you know the exact formula. Most people who know time magic don't share their formulas, because it then diminishes the value of their own capabilities. To put simply, time magic is incredibly rare and incredibly powerful, and those who know and understand its formulas closely guard them. To further explain that, I suppose I should next tell you how rune magic works… unless you understand that already?"

"Deloris told me how enchanting works," said Chaxin.

"Ah, good," said Sandor. "Enchanting is the application of rune magic. You can enchant weapons, armor, buildings. It's also how the mausoleums work. Mausoleums are enchanted with rune magic to accept wandering souls, such as yourself."

"Wandering souls?" asked Chaxin.

Sandor nodded. "We exist on a sphere called Wake. Wake is but one of many spheres, or worlds, as you might call them. There are… perhaps countless others. As I'm sure you know, when someone arrives by appearing in a mausoleum, they are naked and without memory. Most of us appeared here in much the same way. Some people appear in other spheres, but the rune magic on a carefully constructed mausoleum allows for your… soul to be drawn to it."

"My… soul," said Chaxin. "But… How… Where…"

Sandor held his hand up to silence him. "We don't know where souls originally come from," he said. "Only that we arrive for the first time, and appear naked and without memory, usually around the same age that you are now. Roughly twenty years of age, as far as we can tell. But we don't know how our souls come into existence."

"We have to come from somewhere, don't we?" asked Chaxin.

"That is a topic of great subject and debate," said Sandor. "Greater minds have pondered the possibilities and various theories. There is little fact to support any of it."

"So, what's Purgatory?" asked Chaxin. "Is that another sphere? I've heard it mentioned several times, but only when someone's talking about a person that's died."

Sandor looked away and thought for a moment. "Purgatory is indeed another sphere. But Wake is a relatively small sphere, and Purgatory is on a massive and almost incomprehensible scale. It would be like comparing the size of your finger to the size of this building, but even then, I think the comparison falls short."

"I see," said Chaxin.

"But Purgatory is a place that all souls end up when they have been killed in spheres like ours. Somehow, when a person dies, their soul is ejected from our world and drawn to Purgatory. It is a terrible place that very few are able to overcome."

Chaxin found his eyes were wide as he stared at Sandor. "So when people die, they appear in Purgatory, like I appeared in the mausoleum? But… you can escape this place, this Purgatory?"

"That's essentially correct," said Sandor. "But I've never been to Purgatory. I think there are one or two around town who’ve been there and returned, but most are doomed to Purgatory for the rest of their days, or worse."

"Or worse?" asked Chaxin.

"There are rumors of a sphere that takes captive the souls that are drawn so low in Purgatory, that they can never escape," said Sandor. "When you die, you lose some of the levels and the experience you've gained. Some of that energy is absorbed by nearby soul crystals. Just as adventurers hunt monsters for their soul energy, we too expel that same energy, which can be absorbed. And if you go to Purgatory and lose all that energy… well, as I said, there are rumors of something worse, but I can say nothing more, as I don't know for sure."

"Wait a second," said Chaxin. "What's experience and levels? I understand that somehow you and the other people here have become stronger by fighting monsters and… doing other things, but I still don't understand how?"

Sandor smiled. He reached over and patted the large old tome on the altar. "That's where this comes in," he says. "This is what we call a grimoire."

Chapter 6: Grimoire

"A grimoire?" asked Chaxin.

"Without a grimoire, humans would be at a severe disadvantage in this world," said Sandor. "Grimoires and rune magic allow us to be as formidable as the monsters all around us."

"A book gives you an advantage?" Chaxin asked, perplexed.

Sandor took a step back and lifted his hand to gesture to the tome resting on the altar. "The grimoire allows us to see the experiences we've gained in a tangible form. It allows us to better plan our goals for becoming stronger. Please, open the grimoire and see for yourself."

Chaxin looked at Sandor, then down to the grimoire. He walked over and stood before the altar. There were markings on the leather-bound cover, written much like rune magic, but with no readable words. He pulled the cover open and let it rest on the other half of the altar.

"We find it best to open the grimoire in the middle," said Sandor. "It may look like a book, but it functions rather differently."

"Alright," said Chaxin, as he pulled a portion of the weathered and yellow pages until the grimoire lay fully open. Chaxin had noticed something strange when he pulled the pages to the side, and even now, he was confused about what he was seeing as he stared down at the rough pages.

"There's no words," he said, and glanced back to Sandor.

"Place your hands on both pages, then remove them," said Sandor.

Chaxin did as he was told. He placed both his palms, one to each page. He let them rest for several seconds.

"Now lift your hands," said Sandor.

Chaxin pulled his hands back, and as his skin left the pages, the imprint of his fingers was left behind, along with every line marking his palms. The marks were in a deep black ink, but there had previously been no ink upon the pages.

"What's going—" Chaxin started, but stopped speaking when he watched the hand-prints fade, only for dark ink to well up in the form of words which appeared on both pages.

On the left page, read:

-

Chaxin

Human

Level: 2

Health: 72%

Mana: 0%

Stamina: 80%

-

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 0

Mind: 0

Toughness: 1

Resistances: None

-

Chaxin looked up to Sandor. "What is this, what does it mean?"

Sandor looked to the grimoire and slowly walked behind the altar. He pointed at each word and explained them one at a time.

"This is your name.

“This is your race. You are human, which is good to know. Sometimes there are creatures that take the guise of humans. But you need not concern yourself with that right now.

“This is your level, and it looks like you've gained some experience since you've been here. You've already reached level two.

“Health, is a representation of… well, your health. If you're wounded, this will be lower. If you were on death's door, it would be below ten percent. It looks as though you might've taken some damage earlier, so it reads as seventy-two percent, so you're fine, but you should eat some food to regain what you've lost. It's very easy for new arrivals to lose health in large increments from seemingly harmless attacks.

“This is your mana pool. Essentially, it's the magic potential in your body… but seeing as the rune magic on your chest is using all of your mana, you have none. If that rune magic wasn't there, you'd at least have a little mana to use, which is normally what it takes to activate an enchantment. Which we don't need to get into right now.

“Next is your stamina. Stamina is a force on your body that allows you to deal with the rigors of the day. The longer you go without sleep, the harder it becomes to do things that would seem normal, like running or lifting things. If this ever reaches zero, you would faint.

“Next, we have the various additive forces that allow you to become better than what you are. You have one point of strength, which isn't to say that you're not strong, only that you're just slightly stronger than what your current muscle tone is equal to. A frail looking man with a lot of strength could potentially break down a door, so this is a very important property.

“Dexterity allows you to move with expertise, to sneak around, and to effectively aim and used any form of ranged weaponry. It also helps you determine weak spots on enemies.

“Mind deals with your magic potential, and the ability to do more damage with enchantments that are magical in nature, such as a fireball.

“Toughness increases the actual fortitude of your body itself. Strength allows you to hit something hard, but toughness allows something to hit you, without it doing much damage.

“Finally, at the bottom, this would show you if you have any resistances to any ailments or powers. Sometimes you'll have resistances to cold, fire, poison, or other various things."

Chaxin looked between the grimoire and Sandor as he explained what was on the left page. It was an information overload, to say the least. "I get what you're saying, I think," he said. "To be honest, I may have to ask you again about some of this stuff, but it does make some sense. So, these are essentially… bonus properties that affect me? I can increase these properties to become stronger?"

"That's exactly correct," said Sandor. "Now, if your brain hasn't melted from all that knowledge, please look at the next page."

Listed on this page were various life properties like the ones he'd seen on the left page, but next to each of them was a percentage. It showed strength with twenty one percent, and toughness with five percent. Mind and dexterity were at zero percent.

"This is where you'll see your progress towards the various life properties available to you," said Sandor. "These percentages are essentially how close you are to reaching the next point in that property. Once it hits a hundred percent, it will then reset to zero, and then you'll have a two, instead of a one. In order to increase your strength, you need to do things that involve strength, such as hitting with a melee weapon, or… well, using your hands. Construction, punching, carrying things around, these are all activities that will increase your strength. But some activities will increase your properties faster than others. It's also important to note that if you forego doing something for too long, you can lose experience in that category."

"Huh, I see," Chaxin murmured. "And what about dexterity? I'd have to use a bow, like Vol and Tiris? I imagine they have a lot of dexterity."

"I'm sure they do. Far more than I, that's for certain. I myself am most prominently a mind property user. I read a lot of books, I dabble in magic, and for that reason, my mind stat is a bit higher than other people's. As is my resistance to certain magical effects."

"So I can only increase these life properties here?" asked Chaxin, looking back to the page. "There doesn't seem to be many options. Is there a way to increase my resistance to poison?"

Sandor cleared his throat. "That's something that could become available to you, if you practiced a method that raised your resistance to poisons. Certain potions and foods can have that effect. Sometimes, you can only see properties if you've done something to affect them. The ones you see here are the most basic properties that affect everyone. There is much that we don't see that will become visible if you increase it. Some people spend their entire lives trying to find new properties. We could spend the better part of a day talking about all the intricacies of the grimoire, but… I think this will suffice for now."

"Sorry," said Chaxin. "It's very overwhelming, but I also want to know everything I can." He looked between the two pages some more. He figured that he may have to deal with more enemies in the future, but it looked as though strength and dexterity helped based on the weapon being used. He still had the sword he'd looted, but Kaiz had instructed him to find something better. Perhaps a ranged weapon? Or maybe he just needed a better melee one?

Now that he knew more about life properties and how they affected him, Chaxin couldn't help but smile. He had a point in toughness and another in strength, which made him think that maybe he'd actually survive a little longer in this world.

He was level two. It didn't seem like a lot, but it definitely felt better than zero.

"Now," said Sandor, pointing to the right page. "If you flip the next page, you'll find—"

The large wooden doors of the town hall suddenly creaked open, the sound echoing. Many heads turned to see who’d arrived, just as people had done when Deloris had entered with Chaxin and the two archers.

The event broke Sandor's concentration and he looked to the door.

A man in light metal armor moved quickly up the aisle between the tables. His armor wasn't nearly as restrictive and noisy as Deloris's, but it still made a soft clinking sound as the metal rings of the chainmail brushed together. The man had short-cut red hair and a lengthy beard.

"Bavol made it back?" Sandor murmured beneath his breath, as he turned and headed back towards the map table without further explanation.

At this point, many people in the room were watching the man as he made his way up the steps to the map table, where Jeneth and Deloris were still conversing.

By the time the man named Bavol reached the table, Chaxin and Sandor were already there.

"Bavol," said Jeneth, the other council member. She walked around the table with her gaze centered on the man. "We thought you were dead."

Bavol shook his head. "Happy to disappoint, ma'am, but I very much live, along with my men. I have grave news."

"If your news is of the merfolk attack, you are sorely late," said Sandor.

Bavol shook his head. Sweat beaded down his temples, and his chest lifted and fell beneath the small metal plate protecting it. "My men and I encountered several of the merfolk on our return. They were of little importance, but I take it there was a much larger attack?"

Sandor nodded. "We’re still tallying our losses and gathering what supplies remain."

"The gate still stands open and undefended," said Bavol. "I can only assume that things are indeed, dire. But that's not why I'm here."

"You were on patrol in the mire," said Jeneth, her unusually deep voice less than enthusiastic. She crossed her arms. "What have you found?"

"Giants," he spoke. "We were on our way to Grittin, as was our patrol route. We encountered a runner from Grittin. She warned that giants had appeared in the mire and were on the march. With this news, we turned around to head back to Kamber, but on our way, we spotted a lone giant heading in this direction. Last we saw it, it was still in the mire, but definitely headed here."

"A lone giant?" asked Sandor, reaching up and rubbing his chin. "It may change course."

"Giants have impeccably good far-sight," said Bavol. "With their height, they can probably even see the smoke rising from our fires."

"Even with the fog?" asked Vol, who was still standing beside Deloris.

"On our way here, we saw that the fog wasn't all-encompassing," said Bavol. "It's a little higher than the town hall itself, but as wide as the area around the town, and out into the fields. The giant could've easily spotted the smoke rising from the town's fires, and with the fog, if it gets here, we'll have a terrible time trying to fight it. I'm not thrilled with our chances. It’ll destroy the town before we can bring it down, if it gets here."

"What are our options?" asked Jeneth. "The town is in no condition to repel an attack from a giant, even a lone one. We've lost many to the merfolk, and we're not even fully in control of the town again. There could be dozens of merfolk still within the walls."

"I would have engaged it myself, but it's larger than normal," said Bavol. "Me and my two men were ill-suited for fighting a giant by ourselves. Let me leave my men here to help you with the merfolk, and I'll lead a team to intercept the giant before it gets here. There's still time, but every minute we waste, it draws closer."

"Vol and I will join you, we've fought giants before," said Tiris, who took that moment to step forward. "You need ranged fighters to deal with monsters that large."

"Aye, I do," said Bavol. "But two archers and myself might still be cutting it short. If you let me take Kaiz and maybe another, I think we can make this work."

"Kaiz is defending the town hall from any lingering merfolk," said Jeneth.

"I can take his place, I'm not wounded or fatigued," said Deloris. "Put Kaiz on a horse, and he'll be a safe bet against a giant."

"Fine, do it," said Jeneth. She then pointed to Chaxin. "Take the new face with you. Put a crossbow in his hands, but that's all I'm going to let you take from town defense. We're barely staying together as it is."

Bavol looked to Chaxin.

Chaxin's eyes went wide as the scarred woman readily volunteered him for the mission. "Wait, me?" he asked as he looked around, then glanced to Bavol.

"New face? What's your name?" asked Bavol, whose attention was centered on him now, as was everyone else's.

"It's Chaxin," he said. "But I've never used a crossbow before! Or fought a giant!"

Bavol walked over and smacked his gloved hand down to squeeze Chaxin's shoulder. He looked him dead in the eye and half-smirked. "First time for everything."

Chapter 7: Giant

The wind raked Chaxin's face as he looked around with half-closed eyes. The horse rocked as its feet smacked against the soft dirt. They'd just left the fields surrounding Kamber and had entered the thin forest that separated the wide open plains from the Quith Mire. Apparently, places were often named after the first human to die in them. The mire had been named after a woman who had died long ago.

"Quit moving around back there!" came Kaiz's voice.

"Sorry!" Chaxin said, as his fingers gripped tighter on the leather strip at the back of Kaiz's vest.

"Ain't much to look at yet," Kaiz growled. "Just sit tight! You'll have plenty of moving to do when we reach the mire!"

Chaxin hid his face behind Kaiz's back. Chaxin wasn't sure why he was chosen for this mission. Wasn't there someone else more suited for this? Perhaps that was why Jeneth had chosen him, because he wasn't anywhere near as capable as anyone else that was still alive in Kamber. Why send someone who could actually shoot on such a foolhardy mission? But if that was the case, why send someone like Kaiz? He seemed skilled and confident.

Chaxin peeked over to the intricate spear that Kaiz wielded. The man had since cleaned the blood from the blade, but Chaxin found himself staring at the strange mechanisms attached to the pole of the weapon. There was a cylinder, and some sort of lever.

He felt the crossbow jostle against his hip. It was attached to a hook that had fastened on his belt. On the other side of his hip was a leather pouch which opened at the top, filled with numerous metal bolts. Beyond these two implements, he was given nothing else to deal with the situation he was being pushed into. At least he had a single point in toughness, according to the grimoire. That had to count for something, right?

Two other horses rode to the right of them. To the immediate right was Bavol. On his hip was a crossbow much like the one Chaxin was carrying. In fact, the one Chaxin was using was Bavol's property. The man had lectured Chaxin greatly in regards to not losing the weapon, else severe reparations would need to be made.

He still had several soul crystals that he'd found on the way to the town hall. Altogether, he'd looted four crystals. It felt wrong to loot the dead, but Deloris had assured him that if he hadn't looted them, someone else would've. It was the only way for the dead to help the living, unless they were able to return from Purgatory.

Chaxin glanced over, past the horse Bavol was riding. Upon entering the sparsely forested woodland, they'd left the outer edge of the fog. It was still morning, working towards mid-day. Heavy dark clouds filled the sky, but there was no rain, just a dreary overcast blanketing the entire region as far as the eye could see.

The two archers, Vol and Tiris, rode together on the third horse. Vol had the reins, while Tiris sat behind him. She had her bow out and one hand on Vol's cloak.

Apparently, the horses that they and Deloris had ridden earlier were killed in the attack. The merfolk had assaulted the stables, the library, and various storehouses. According to Jeneth, they didn't have many beasts of burden left, which seemed important to her plans, which Chaxin wasn't privy to.

This left them with only the three horses that Bavol and his men had ridden. Chaxin wasn't thrilled to be riding a horse at all, but he was thankful that he didn't have to figure out how to ride one of them by himself.

"Not long!" Bavol called from the right. "Get ready!"

Chaxin leaned up so that he could see ahead of them. There weren't many trees left, and as they thinned out, a dark shape was visible in the distance. It was like a solitary tree, standing in the mire. The mire itself stretched far into the distance, and Chaxin couldn't make out any other landscape beyond it.

"There it is! We still have time!" Bavol yelled. "Surround and attack! The swamps aren't that deep, but still be careful!"

Chaxin grabbed the crossbow, made of dark reddish wood and various pieces of metal, from his hip. There was a trigger on the bottom, and a compartment on the top. A bar went through the mid-section of the weapon, and was pulled to ready it.

Chaxin's eyebrows lifted. He took another look at the shape in the distance. The three horses broke from the tree line and galloped through the marshy terrain. It was only then that Chaxin was able to make out the increasing details of the shape. It stood tall, easily higher than the trees, which were thin, but taller than the houses and the wall of Kamber. But it was hard to tell, with nothing around to directly compare it to.

"Is it just me, or is it a big one?" Vol shouted from the right. "Maybe one of the chieftains?"

"But why would a chieftain be wandering alone?" Kaiz yelled back.

"There's no other giants around, and that's good for us!" said Bavol.

The three horses closed in on the monster. Chaxin couldn't believe how tall it was, and it only seemed to get taller the closer they got to it. Its legs lifted slowly, and it wore something akin to metal plates upon its large feet, fastened by ropes, almost like sandals. It wore a dark robe about its body, which seemed to be comprised of numerous animal hides all stitched together. Over its head was a hood, which concealed its face in shadow.

"This thing is massive!" said Chaxin. "How are we going to kill it with arrows and bolts?" His voice was only loud enough for Kaiz to hear him.

"What did you think 'giant' meant?" said Kaiz. "Just focus your attacks on its head. If you think you can't hit its face or neck, aim for the upper left side of its chest, as its heart is in the same place as ours. If we can manage enough hits on its eyes, neck, and heart, we should be able to bring it down."

"Alright!" said Chaxin. He released his hold on Kaiz's vest strap. He readied the cumbersome crossbow, keeping himself leaned forward so he wouldn't fall back too far as the horse dashed. He dipped a hand into the pouch and pulled out a handful of bolts. He slotted them into the top chamber and pulled back on the right side of the bar to prime the first bolt.

"Take your time, but don't take forever," said Kaiz. "If we run out of ammunition, this fight is going to take a quick turn for the worst."

"I'll do my best!" Chaxin said, holding the readied crossbow securely, his boots placed in stirrups. As long as things didn't get too bumpy, he'd be able to stay securely on the horse. If he got knocked off… well, he didn't want to think about what might happen then.

Vol and Tiris's horse quickened its pace and took the lead. As it did, Tiris readied her bow and aimed at the giant.

Chaxin watched as her first arrow took off. It was hard to see precisely where it hit, as it went under the giant's hood. But with that first arrow, the monster's pace altered. Its head turned towards them, and its outspread fingers, easily the size of thick tree trunks, formed a tight fist.

Kaiz's horse darted in front of the giant as its attention was drawn to Vol's horse. Tiris fired off another arrow, and then another.

Chaxin readied his crossbow and aimed it at the giant’s head. He closed his left eye and gripped the weapon tightly. With his attention squarely upon the giant, he noticed that there were arrows and bolts sticking out of its leather robes. There even seemed to be dark patches in some places. Chaxin paid it little mind as he took his time and aimed. Then, with a squeeze of his finger, he pulled the trigger.

The crossbow gave a subtle kick as it fired, but not enough to disorient him. The metal bolt was darker than the arrows Tiris was firing and light managed to glint off it, allowing him to watch as it stuck into the giant's upper chest, near its collar. He doubted that his first shot was able to do much damage, but he was glad that he'd at least hit it.

He pulled the bar on the side and primed it again. He took aim, and fired once more. The bolt disappeared under the giant's hood, but he couldn't tell if he actually hit the giant, or hit the inside of the thick leathers.

The giant slowly descended and knelt upon one knee. At first, Chaxin thought they might've critically wounded the monster, but then the giant's arm lifted into the air and swung out in a wide arc towards Vol and Tiris.

Vol had turned the horse to run away from the giant, when the monster had stooped down. The thick fingers just barely missed Vol's retreating horse by several feet.

A deep growl billowed out from the giant’s lungs. It rose back to its feet, as Chaxin loosed several more bolts, and Tiris fired arrows at an even greater range. Bavol had taken his horse back behind the giant and was firing bolts in between taking the reins.

The giant seemed unfazed by the three-sided attacks from the riders. It had stopped walking and its arms slowly ascended.

Chaxin kept up his assault. He highly doubted he was anywhere as good a shot as the others, but with each bolt that sunk into the giant, he felt that just maybe they'd be able to pull this off.

The giant's hands loomed in front of the darkened hood. Its fingers curled as if it was holding some unseen thing to its face. They didn't tighten the entire way, and allowed a several-foot wide gap of a circle between its two connected hands.

"What's it doing?" asked Chaxin, who slowly lowered the crossbow.

Kaiz glanced to the monster as he directed the horse in a wide circle around it. He saw what it was doing, and his eyes went wide. "Shit! Hold on!"

Chaxin lowered his gaze from the giant for only a moment. He gripped the leather strap on Kaiz's vest, and tightened his grip on the crossbow. "Do you know what it's—"

Chaxin's voice was cut off as a brilliant white beam shot from beneath the monster's hood. The beam went through the gaps its hands were making and seemed to be made of intense white light. The ray cut into the marsh, kicking up dirt and water, vaporizing both as it streaked across the mire, and made contact close to where Vol and Tiris's horse was running. The monster moved its torso and head, and the beam cut a swath of burnt ground in front of their horse.

The horse reared back and launched Tiris away and to the ground. Vol tried to keep his grip on the reins and the horse, but the beast panicked and tumbled as the white beam cut close and cooked the ground beneath its front hooves.

Vol smacked hard against the ground as the horse tumbled onto its side. The beam dissipated, just as quickly as it had appeared. The horse whined and flopped, its two remaining rear legs unable to gain purchase on the ground. Its feral cries filled the surrounding mire.

The monster's hands unfurled and reached up to its hood. Slowly, it pulled the leather back and revealed its weathered and flat face. It looked much like a man, but instead of two eyes, only a single large eye rested in the center of its forehead.

"They were wrong!" said Kaiz, speaking loud enough to be heard as he whipped at the reins to steer the horse around the monster's side. "It's not a giant! It's a cyclops!"

"What's that mean?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz turned his head and looked to the fallen archers. The two of them seemed to be moving, but their horse was as good as dead without its front legs.

He tilted his head to look back at Chaxin as best he could. "This might not be a fight we can win. Giants are one thing, but a cyclops is on a whole different level!"

"But you've fought them before, haven't you?" Chaxin asked.

"Giants, sure!" said Kaiz. "But none of us has ever fought a cyclops! I don't know anyone who has. No one that's lived, that is. Cyclops are able to focus their mana and expel it from their eye. A giant can at most throw things at you, or attack with melee weapons. Cyclops… well, you just saw what it was capable of! Its lack of depth perception is the only reason the two of them are still alive."

"We have to help them, they're easy targets without a horse!" said Chaxin.

"Get back to shooting!" said Kaiz. "I'll steer us around briefly from the sides. Hit its eye if you can. From what I've heard, it needs to gather its mana before it can attack again. At least I hope."

"You hope?" Chaxin yelled.

"I haven't fought one before!" Kaiz growled back. "Now shut up and shoot at it!"

Kaiz whipped the reins and slowly turned their galloping horse towards the cyclops. He pulled his spear to the side and held it firmly as he narrowed his eyes at the monster. "Don't worry, kid. We're not going to abandon them. But our best hope now is to hit it with everything we got. But our chances of making it through this aren't as high as before."

Chaxin readied the crossbow. His chest pumped as the horse galloped. He aimed at the cyclops, which was slowly heading towards the archers. Tiris and Vol had gotten to their feet and were running in opposite directions, away from the cyclops. From time to time, they would stop and fire off an arrow at the monster. In response, the cyclops brought one arm up to block any incoming arrows from the two of them. Luckily, it was the arm opposite of the side that Chaxin and Kaiz were charging from.

Chaxin closed his left eye and focused. With a pull of the trigger, he fired another bolt at the cyclops.

The bolt flew right past its neck.

Chaxin swallowed, and a bead of sweat ran down his brow. Hopefully this fight wasn't solely resting on his ability to aim.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Kaiz yelled back to Chaxin as they rushed toward the cyclops from the monster's left. He raised his spear and held the blade toward the creature. The monster had yet to pay them much mind, as it strode toward the grounded archers—who continued to desperately fire while retreating.

Kaiz pulled his arm through the reins and gripped the spear with both hands. One hand steadied the spear, as the other went to the small lever at the bottom. With a squeeze of his fingers, there was a sudden click and subsequent BANG!

Chaxin's eyes lit up at the sudden bright flash of light that came from the front of the cylinder attached to Kaiz's spear. A burning projectile streaked up and smacked into the cyclops' cheek with a sudden burst, as embers flew and dissipated.

The cyclops flinched and halted its advance. Its raised hand clutched at its burning cheek, while the projectile continued to smolder into its flesh.

The monster let out a horrendous roaring groan. Its left foot took a single step back. Its eye was half-lidded as it winced in obvious agony.

"Hit its eye!" Kaiz yelled, as he lowered the spear and retook a firm hold of the reins.

Chaxin readied the crossbow and let another bolt fly. It was joined by two dark arrows from further away.

Chaxin's bolt sunk into the thick flesh of the monster's hand, while one of the arrows sailed past and struck the lowered brow.

The cyclops was already groaning from the impact of Kaiz's weapon, but its heavy voice bellowed anew. The sound shook Chaxin to his core. He'd never heard anything so loud. His hands shook, along with everything else. It was almost as if the very ground was quaking beneath them.

Chaxin tried to cover his ears as best he could. It was difficult to steady himself on the horse while also retaining hold of the crossbow.

The cyclops's voice cut out, and without warning, the heavy brow lifted, displaying a deep crimson streak across the pale eye. The pupil flared in a flash of light. The beam reappeared and tore a fissure through the landscape between the two archers. The beam only lasted for a second, but in that time, it effectively separated Vol and Tiris, while also making the terrain more treacherous for Kaiz's horse to navigate.

The beam tore right through the fallen horse, silencing its feral screams forever. A meager blessing.

"I thought it couldn't fire again so soon!" Chaxin called to Kaiz.

"I'm not some cyclops expert!" Kaiz grunted back as he turned the horse to the right, passing close by the monster's left foot.

"That hit might've obscured its vision," said Kaiz. "Where the hell is Bav—" He spotted the other man's horse. "There he is!"

From behind the cyclops, Bavol pulled the reins and halted his horse. He took careful aim and repeatedly fired bolt after bolt into the back of the monster's neck, where the creature's spine should be.

"Come on, your hide can't be that thick!" he groaned. He kept slotting in new bolts. From time to time, he glanced over to Kaiz and Chaxin, who were still mounted and rushing around from the left, but he didn't have a good line of sight on the two archers. He'd seen the first beam and watched them go down, but he wasn't sure if that second beam had taken them out or not. For all he knew, only the three of them were left.

The cyclops managed a single step forward as it stooped into a kneeling position. Its hand swung, smashing into the dirt near where Vol and Tiris had fallen.

"It's going to kill them! We need to get in front of it!" Chaxin yelled, as Kaiz took their horse further behind the monster and closer to Bavol.

"It might be nowhere close to dead! And it's protecting its eye with its other hand now!" Kaiz countered.

"We have to do something!" said Chaxin.

"I know!" said Kaiz as he slowed his horse to join Bavol, who was still firing at the lowered cyclops.

"It's no good," Bavol growled. "Its hide is thicker than a giant's."

Kaiz released his hold on the reins and pulled something out of a pouch in his vest. He dropped it into the cylinder of his spear and then pulled back a tiny lever that made a soft click.

"We need to draw its attention from the archers. They're farther away than what it can reach currently. It's gone into defensive mode. We need to strike from both sides. It can't entirely protect its eye from all angles."

"It's far more dangerous to fight it from the front," said Bavol.

"Well we're not going to bring it down any other way," said Kaiz. "Hit it from the left, we'll sweep around from the right. If you can, try and grab Tiris or Vol."

Bavol grunted. "Alright, let's do it."

With a whip of his hand, Kaiz clutched the reins and sent his horse galloping away.

Bavol shook his head and set off in the other direction.

"You really think we can take it down?" Chaxin yelled. He checked his bolt pouch to see how many he had left. This fight couldn't continue for much longer. At least, not at range.

"We're going to try!" Kaiz replied as their horse darted around the cyclops.

Chaxin watched the monster. He couldn't believe he'd woken to a world where such things existed. How could anyone survive in a place like this for long?

He readied his crossbow once again. They were cresting around in front of the cyclops. It reached out and clawed into the ground, a half dozen feet away from what looked to be Vol crawling away on the ground. Tiris was running away, but stuck close to her side of the wide fissure, which continued to smolder and burn from the beam’s intense heat. Chaxin couldn't tell if she was fleeing or attempting to make her way all around the fissure to reach Vol.

The cyclops pulled itself slowly along the ground, its feet slushed through the mire as it neared Vol.

"Vol's not getting up! He must be injured!" said Chaxin.

"Then we've only got one shot at this, else he's a dead man!" said Kaiz. "Take aim!" He pulled the spear back up and lined it up towards the large monster.

Their horse rode close to the cyclops's right side. They didn't have time to take a long curve outside of its reach. Within seconds, they'd entered line of sight on the cyclops's eye.

"On the count of three!" said Kaiz. "One! Two! Three!"

With that, he pulled the lever on the spear.

Chaxin pulled the trigger on his crossbow at the same instant. His bolt shot off, while Kaiz's spear blasted another burning orange pellet at the monster's face.

In the ensuing seconds, Chaxin watched as their dual attacks hit the cyclops's face, and made its eye close. But there was no time to determine if they'd hit it directly or not, as a ball of fire passed over their heads.

Chaxin's attention was drawn to the ball of flame, easily the size of their horse. It rushed above them and exploded against the cyclops's right arm. The explosion buffeted Chaxin and Kaiz with intense heat, due to their proximity. The horse came to an abrupt halt and reared up, and Chaxin was thrown from its back, the cloudy sky filling his vision. There was a billow of smoke, rising from the corner of his gaze. Then, he hit the ground and everything went dark.

Chapter 8: Deal

Chaxin's eyes crept open. His arm was cold and wet. He blinked the haze from his eyes as he looked up at that gray sky.

"We almost died, the lot of us! You wouldn't have stood a chance if it weren't for us!" came the angry voice of a man nearby, a voice Chaxin didn't recognize.

"There's no way we're letting you walk away with it! We risked everything for that kill, and you just came in and tried to steal it!" another voice spoke up, but this one Chaxin recognized as Bavol's.

Chaxin leaned up, his head spinning. He pulled his right hand out of some muck and wiped it on his pants. He took in his surroundings. He was just to the right of Kaiz. The spear-wielding man held his weapon at the ready, pointed away from him. Bavol was to the left, his own crossbow drawn.

Chaxin looked over and saw three figures, all wearing cloaks, but their hoods were down. One had a bald head and held a staff of some sort, with rune magic written all over it. Another man stood beside him, wearing armor similar to Deloris. A helmet protected his head but the visor was up. He wielded a sword and shield. Then, there was a red-haired woman, who wielded a crossbow as well, pointed right at Bavol.

"We lost one of our comrades to that beast!" said the red-haired woman. Her hair was no longer than her shoulders, and her hands never left the weapon she wielded. "We were routed when it used its beam to cut our path from it. We had to traverse a longer stretch of mire to get to it, and that's when we found you all engaging our quarry!"

"Your quarry?" Kaiz grunted. "That monster was headed for our town. You had more than enough time to engage and defeat it. Which I find hard to believe if it was just the three of you, or even four with your fallen comrade!"

"We're stronger than we look," the bald man spoke, as his grip tightened on his staff. He had been the voice that had spoken first when Chaxin woke. "The cyclops was on its last legs when it detoured and ran from us. All you did was intercept an already dying cyclops and steal the kill! But we'll be damned if we let you take what's rightfully ours!"

Chaxin looked back and forth between Bavol, Kaiz, and the new arrivals. It was then that he noticed that the mound of dirt nearby wasn't a mound at all, but the leather-covered corpse of the fallen cyclops. A thin metal chain lay upon the ground, a good fifteen feet away from the monster's neck. At the end of the chain was a metal entrapment, which was broken. A few feet beyond was a fallen soul crystal. It was roughly the size of a man's skull. Whereas the ones he'd looted earlier were much smaller and narrow, this skull-sized one was rounded with jagged edges.

It was around that fallen soul crystal that they were all gathered.

Chaxin slowly rose from the ground, and the woman with the crossbow turned her weapon on him.

"He woke up, now they have one more fighter!" the woman said, as she looked to the bald man. "I told you we should've taken them on when it was just the three of them!"

Chaxin watched the three new arrivals for several long seconds, before he realized that he’d lost the crossbow Bavol had given him. He looked down and spotted the short sword still in its sheath on his belt. In doing so, he also spotted Tiris and Vol, just to the right of them. Vol was lying across one of their two horses, and Tiris stood beside it with her bow drawn and aimed at the three cloaked figures.

"Is Vol alright?" Chaxin asked, his eyes wide.

Tiris nodded. "He's fine, but unconscious, like you were."

Chaxin blinked and turned back to Kaiz. "What's going on? The cyclops is dead then?"

"Yeah, it's dead," said Kaiz. "These three rogues came in, fireballs blazing, and we managed to kill it soon after.

"I was the one who killed it!" said the man with the staff, who then took a step forward. "It's bad enough that its soul energy had to be distributed amongst you lot as well!"

Chaxin took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Then… what the hell is going on?" he asked. "What are you all fighting over? Isn't the battle over?" He glanced to Bavol, then back to the three arrivals. Their three horses were standing idle behind them. "What are we still doing here if the fight's over? Vol is hurt, we should get back to Kamber!"

"They want to take the cyclops's soul crystal for themselves," said Bavol. "It's worth quite a bit, and in the state Kamber is in, it could do a lot of good for us."

"We lost one of our own in our fight with the cyclops!" said the man in full armor. His shield was up, his sword low. "We earned that crystal! There's no question that we are more deserving of the spoils!"

Chaxin returned his attention to the dead cyclops's soul crystal. Then, he looked up to Kaiz.

"We're still here because of that?" asked Chaxin, pointing over to the crystal.

"Aye," said Kaiz.

"We can't possibly have time to be screwing around with this," said Chaxin, as he began walking towards the crystal.

"No closer!" said the woman with the crossbow, which was now trained on him.

"You do it, and you'll have a bolt in your throat!" said Bavol, who raised his crossbow higher and aimed it at the woman.

Chaxin's gaze remained on the crystal. He walked over to it, taking each step after the other.

"We're not going to let you take it!" said the man with the rune-scrawled staff. He held it up, pointed in Chaxin's direction.

Kaiz shifted his position, his spear held, with the cylinder aimed at the bald man. "That'll be the last action you ever take if you even think about casting!"

Chaxin reached the crystal. He stooped down and picked it up, holding it between his grime-covered hands. It was significantly lighter than he thought it'd be. It seemed practically… fragile. The ones in his pocket were all white, and roughly the size of his finger. But this one was a soft blue. He looked up to the three fighters, who all had their weapons pointed at him.

"Give us one of your horses, and I'll hand this over," said Chaxin.

"What are you doing?" Bavol gasped. "That crystal is worth more than all three of their horses!"

"What sort of game are you playing at?" the armored man asked. "You can't seriously be offering that for a horse?"

"We need a horse," said Chaxin. "We only have two, there's five of us. You have three horses, and there's only three of you. Give us just one of your horses, and you can have this. We have more important things to do than risk killing each other over this." He turned his head and looked to Kaiz. "Don't we?"

Kaiz's lips parted. He grit his teeth. "Aye, we do," he said begrudgingly.

"Do not hand that crystal over!" said Bavol.

Chaxin glanced to Bavol, then looked back over to the armored warrior. He held the crystal out. "A horse for this crystal. Or, we all fight and end up dying."

The red-haired woman looked to the armored man. She gestured with her head, back to their horses.

The armored man nodded and backpedaled over to their horses, keeping his shield at the ready, in case it was a ruse. He sheathed his sword and led one of their three horses over to Chaxin. He held the reins out. "The crystal for a horse, we accept," he said.

Chaxin held out the crystal, and placed it on the man's palm. Then, he accepted the offered reins. The man nodded, and Chaxin replied in kind.

The armored man pulled the crystal in close to his chest and turned around to return to the two horses. "Come on! Let's get back to camp," he said.

The bald man and the woman both cautiously headed back to their other horse. All three of them mounted, and within seconds, they were galloping away.

"That was fucking stupid!" said Bavol. "We could've taken some half-rate mage and the other two."

Chaxin turned around, still holding the horse's reins.

"Up close, I could see that man's armor was enchanted," Chaxin said, a hasty lie. "Who knows what they were capable of? Is your armor enchanted?"

Bavol's eyes narrowed, not saying a word.

Kaiz lowered his spear, and the corner of his lips curled up. "A one-sided trade, that's for sure," he said. "But there's no telling how strong the three of them were. That crystal wasn't worth one of our lives. I guess I got a bit frustrated at their arrival and our situation. But this was probably the best outcome."

"Then let's get back to Kamber," said Tiris, who mounted the horse that Vol was lying on. "Vol's in bad shape, and the town needs us back. All of us."

"Bavol, take my horse," said Kaiz.

Bavol shook his head and started walking. Kaiz stepped up to Chaxin and checked the horse over. "Guess you got yourself a horse. Not that you even know how to properly ride one," he chuckled.

Chaxin managed a half smile. "It just didn't make a lot of sense to kill each other over a crystal. Figured that the town might need it for patrols… or whatever, and it'll help us get back faster."

"Aye, that it will," said Kaiz. He quickly mounted the horse and lowered his hand down to Chaxin. "So let's get back to town."

Chaxin grabbed Kaiz's larger hand and got behind him on the horse. "I uh… dropped Bavol's crossbow," he suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, don't worry," Kaiz chuckled. "He noticed, and found it. He's got it with him on the other horse."

Chaxin glanced over and watched as Tiris and Bavol's horses began trotting back towards Kamber.

"I didn't want to die," Chaxin said quietly.

Kaiz turned his head back to Chaxin. "Hmm?"

"That's… mainly why I did what I did," said Chaxin. "I didn't want to die."

Kaiz turned forward and sat there for several long seconds, the horse unmoving. "That crystal had a lot of power in it. In the right hands, I'm sure it's worth ten horses," he said. "But truth be told… I didn't like the prospect of dying either." With that, he kicked his feet and sent their horse trotting back through the mire to return to Kamber.

Chapter 9: Assignment

During the ride back to Kamber, Chaxin felt as though he could finally take a breath. From waking up on the beach, to waking in the clinic and then fighting a cyclops almost immediately after, he felt as though he was always rushing around. He hoped this wasn't the norm.

Hopefully, once they got back to Kamber, he could learn how to properly ride a horse, and maybe glean some more information about the world around him. This was a strange world, that was certain. It was also a dangerous one, full of monsters that Chaxin could hardly fathom. If he was going to survive, he needed every edge he could get, as long as it didn't come at too great a cost.

It wasn't long before their three horses came into view of the town's walls. The fog had lifted. Whatever malevolent force had kept it stable seemed to have alleviated its will upon the foreboding mist.

They made their way to the now-useless front gate. Wooden splinters littered the ground. The gate itself had only been able to 'lock' due to a heavy wooden beam being slotted behind it. That beam now lay idle in the dirt, broken in two.

Standing in the threshold of the gate was a familiar armored figure. With her helmet off, Deloris was a welcomed sight.

Bavol and Tiris's horses headed straight on in, but Kaiz's slowed to a stop near the armored woman.

"So you're all not dead then?" asked Deloris, her sword resting upon her shoulder. "I figured you'd be able to hold your own against a giant. I see our new face has also survived."

"Yeah, he did good," said Kaiz, which brought a smile to Chaxin's dirty face. "Especially considering that it wasn't a giant, but a cyclops."

"Cyclops?" asked Deloris, lowering her sword. "Wait… did you run, or kill it?"

"It's dead," said Kaiz. "Sad to say it, but some other adventurers came out of nowhere and helped us bring it down. We might've managed without them, but they also implied that they'd weakened it before we engaged it. No way of knowing the truth of the matter, but… well, they ended up taking the cyclops's crystal, which our new face, Chaxin here, decided to trade for one of their horses."

Deloris's heavy eyebrows lifted, which only seemed to accentuate the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. "Well, I'm sure you did what you had to do," she said, glancing to Chaxin, then back to Kaiz. "Just glad you all made it back. Tiris rushed past… was Vol hurt?"

Kaiz nodded. "Yeah, he and Tiris got roughed up a bit. They'll be fine though, they always are. So is the town more secure, if they got you watching the gate now?"

Deloris turned and looked back into town. "More or less. They've got several teams scouring the town for merfolk remnants. I don't think there are any more left, now that the fog has lifted. I can only imagine their shaman dispersed the fog once they were all fully retreated, or dead. Who can say?"

Kaiz breathed in and let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I better get back up there. I'm sure someone already has a new job for me."

"Make sure you don't let them forget about tasking Chaxin," said Deloris. Her gaze met Chaxin's as she smirked. "You're gonna need whatever currency you can muster," she pointed out. "Best way to do that is to have the council send you on tasks, or quests, or… well, even patrol missions. If they give you something to do, they end up having to pay you for it, in some way or another. But at a time like this, we all sorta just let the details slide, for the good of the town. But you'll get it figured out. Now off with ya."

"Thanks," said Chaxin. "I'll see what I can find."

"Catch you later, Deloris," said Kaiz. "Don't let anything nasty into the town while we're slacking off." He grinned at her, and with that, he directed the horse into the town.

The horse trotted through the dirt streets, seemingly in no rush. This gave Chaxin the opportunity to check out his surroundings and see the town without fog, or through the fevered haze of poison running through his veins.

At that thought, he pulled his hand up and tugged his tunic down. The runic scrawl was still on his chest, as were the dark lines of the poison. He released his garment and looked ahead.

Within just a few short minutes, they arrived at the town hall, which seemed grander than when he'd viewed it with the mist surrounding it. It was situated perfectly at the center of Kamber, with all the main streets leading to it.

"Home again," said Kaiz. "Off you go."

Chaxin took a few moments to orient himself and dismount the horse. He stumbled once he got to the ground, but quickly found his footing. Kaiz hopped off next and attached the horse's reins to a post. There were already several other horses at the post, but Tiris's horse was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Vol and Tiris?" asked Chaxin.

"She probably took him to the clinic," said Kaiz. "Dunno if they ever found Huril, but the old man probably had some healing remedies around, which should fix Vol right up."

"I see," said Chaxin, as he lingered around. "So, what are we doing now? Deloris said something about checking with the council?"

"Let's get inside," said Kaiz. "I'm sure Bavol's already explaining things to the council. Before they think of something for you to do, why don't you consult the grimoire. See if a fight with a cyclops did anything for your properties. That monster should've taken about eight or ten of us to bring down. You got a bunch of hits on it and used that crossbow the entire time. I bet your dexterity… or well, hmm… a crossbow is a strength and dexterity weapon," he murmured. "Ah well, just go check out the grimoire. That's the exciting part of being an adventurer, seeing how strong you become, bit by bit, day by day."

It hadn't occurred to Chaxin that he'd been in a situation where his stats would be highly affected, but upon hearing Kaiz describe it like that, the excitement grew in him like a budding fire, waiting to burst out.

He ascended the steps and remembered how Deloris had knocked on the hall door when they were there earlier. He reached the door and went to rap upon it, as Deloris had.

Before he could even touch it, the door creaked open. Chaxin found himself standing there with his arm out for several seconds before he lowered it.

Standing inside the hall, walking between the tables, was a man in a semi-closed black cloak. Magenta feathers adorned the shoulders and a dark gray collar formed around his neck. His body was mostly obscured by the encompassing cloak, his brown boots almost silent as he walked. He had short brown hair and a solemn expression. He appeared older, if the lines on his face were any indication.

Behind him were two guards in full plate armor which glimmered from the torches nearby and looked as though it hadn't seen as much use as the armor Deloris wore. Their armor was chrome and bulkier than what Deloris had. If anything, it appeared stronger, and certainly more expensive.

Chaxin couldn't help but remember what Deloris had told him about enchantment. For all he knew, Deloris's armor could've been enchanted, whereas these two armored individuals might just have strong-looking armor. How could a person know if they were going up against someone with enchanted weapons or armor, if they couldn't inspect it beforehand? It would certainly put anyone at a disadvantage.

The man walked out of the hall with the two armored soldiers in tow. His head turned, and his gaze met Chaxin's. He stared for several long seconds, making Chaxin feel as though he was being measured, but they both remained silent.

The man and his entourage descended the steps, as they didn't seem interested in waiting.

Their armor clanged and jingled with each movement, as they passed Chaxin and reached the foot of the steps. They mounted three different horses, the only other horses Chaxin had seen.

Kaiz stepped up to Chaxin. "Wonder who the hell that was. Those guards were from Grittin, by the looks of the symbols on their pauldrons."

"Pauldrons?" Chaxin asked.

Kaiz turned and tilted his head in their direction. He lifted his hand and patted his own shoulder. "The armor there on their shoulders," he said. "The red circle on the black background?"

"Oh, yeah," said Chaxin, now noticing the symbol for the first time. He'd been so awestruck with their armor that he hadn't taken notice of the details. "Grittin… I've heard that before."

"Aye, it's the city to the north. It's actually the city that's supposed to protect this entire region. Kamber is just one town in the region, but due to the size of Grittin, it's supposed to send adventurers or soldiers to help quell monsters… you know, things like what just destroyed Kamber," Kaiz murmured with a grumble.

"Grittin sent them to help us?" asked Chaxin, still watching the three figures as they mounted and immediately rode off towards the gate.

"No, it doesn't feel like that's why they were here. That man wasn't dressed like any sort of guard captain, and even the guards from Grittin aren't wearing armor that nice. Those two are some sort of elite escorts, but I dunno who that guy was. I'll go chat up the council members and see what's going on. Go check the grimoire and then come find me."

"Alright," said Chaxin, finally tearing his gaze away from the three men, before turning and heading into the now-open town hall.

The hall was filled with more individuals than it had been before. The overall mood was nothing jovial, but people weren't silent either. People sat at the various tables, some eating cooked meats and breads. The aroma of the food easily wafted through the air, but Chaxin didn't see any actual place that the food was being cooked. It was likely that there was a room in the back, or off to the side.

As Chaxin made his way to the side of the room, and to the back where the grimoire was, he noticed that the council members, Jeneth and Sandor, were both seated at the far side of the table towards the back of the room. There were various people standing around, in all sorts of attire. Some wore pieces of armor, others just cloths and leathers. Chaxin recognized Bavol, as Kaiz headed straight for the assembly. He couldn't hear anything being talked about, but occasionally a loud voice would carry over.

Chaxin reached the grimoire. It had been closed, but otherwise was the same as he'd left it earlier. He turned his head and glanced around. It didn't seem as though there was any issue with him consulting the book. He doubted he needed anyone's permission. He reached out and opened it, setting his hands on the pages just as he'd done before. He pulled them off, and watched the ink shift and warp.

-

Chaxin

Human

Level: 5

Health: 63%

Mana: 0%

Stamina: 60%

-

Strength: 2

Dexterity: 2

Mind: 0

Toughness: 1

Resistances: None

-

His eyes scanned the readout, noticing that his level had increased to five and that he'd gained a point in strength, with two now in dexterity. He stared at it for a few long moments.

His health read sixty-three percent, but he felt relatively fine. Was he truly that injured?

He then pondered the increase to his stats. Kaiz had told him that the crossbow was a strength and dexterity weapon, and the fight had been a ranged battle. The hits he'd landed on the cyclops must've increased his soul's experience… or whatever. He was still a bit iffy on the details of how all this worked. But level five sounded better than two. Higher numbers were a good thing, as far as he was concerned.

As he thought about it, a smile crept over the corners of his lips. The battle with the cyclops had terrified him, sure. But the prospect of increasing his survivability through life properties was something very appealing. If he could go on another mission, or some sort of assignment, would he be able to gain some more levels and other stats? A single point of toughness didn't seem like all that much. He wanted more strength, he wanted more dexterity, he wanted… he just wanted more.

The page on the right showed the various percentages of how close he was to the next level in the various categories. He then remembered that Sandor had started to mention the next page, but had never said anything more about it.

Chaxin reached out to the corner and turned the page to see what else was there.

On the left page, in the same deep ink, read the word 'Kills.' Beneath it were the words 'One Merfolk Warrior.'

So the grimoire recorded the monsters he killed? But it only showed a single merfolk? He pondered this new information, and wondered if he needed to land the last hit on a monster in order for it to count as a kill.

He glanced over to Kaiz and the others, who still seemed very involved with their discussion. He looked back to the book. He turned the page back over and saw that the ink still displayed his stats. He flipped the page again, back to where it showed the merfolk kill. He looked at the right side page, but it was blank. Well, it was certainly interesting to know what he'd killed, but it wasn't all that exciting, in his opinion.

He closed the grimoire and turned, heading over to an empty spot at one of the tables.

He sat down on the bench and rested his hands on the tabletop, staring at them, scanning over his fingers and the dirt in between the lines of his skin. He took in a slow breath; his shoulders felt heavy, as if the world itself was a great weight upon him.

"Can I get you something to eat?" asked a younger man nearby.

Chaxin glanced up and saw the young red-headed boy standing there with an empty tray on his shoulder. He had on a simple pair of brown trousers and a white tunic. "Currently it's all free, no charge, due to the situation at hand," he said. "We got meats, bread, a bit of cheese… but not much. Got plenty of ale, or water if you'd prefer."

"I'll just have a little of… whatever you'd normally give someone?" asked Chaxin, uncertain of what he was saying. In his mind, he knew that meat was the flesh of animals, and that bread was the dry-looking loaves on people's plates, but for some reason, he wasn't sure what cheese was, and he had some faint idea that ale was different than water, but he wasn't sure why. Hopefully his memories would clear up soon.

"I'll get you something," said the boy, who promptly headed off to the back of the room, and out one of the side doors.

Chaxin took a look around the room, noticing everything he could. Most people had a sword on them. Some had bows, while others wielded crossbows similar to what Bavol had. There were axes, shields, a spear or two, but none like Kaiz's. There were a couple individuals who had armor covering their body, similar to Deloris, but their armor seemed more beaten and broken, and their faces more weathered.

As Chaxin took in everything around him, a plate descended in front of him and clinked on the table. A wooden tankard of some amber liquid clunked down beside it.

"Eat up, we all need our strength," said the red-haired boy, who then headed over to other patrons, setting down drinks and collecting plates.

On his own plate was a leg of some sort of meat, as well as a chunk of bread.

He reached out for the tankard first and brought it to his lips, as his thirst was more prominent than his hunger. The scent of the liquid burned his nostrils as it washed over his tongue. The liquid had a fruit flavor to it, apple, maybe. There was an odd stinging sensation as he gulped it down, but it wasn't unpleasant. With his other hand, he grabbed the drumstick and took small bites out of it before setting it back down and biting out chunks of the bread.

Over the next few minutes, he drank a tankard of ale, only for the young man to bring him another. He finished half the drumstick and all the bread, as he brought the tankard back up to his lips to gulp down more of the refreshing beverage. The more he drank, the more relaxed he felt.

He reached down for the drumstick, only to have a thick, dark hand descend to his plate and snatch it up.

Chaxin glanced up and spotted Kaiz standing there, drumstick in hand, taking a large bite out of the side of it. He chewed several times.

"I was eating that," Chaxin grumbled. "I'm sure they'd get you some if you asked."

"I'm sure you're right, but we don't have time for that," said Kaiz, as he took several more bites from the leg, before dropping the bone to clatter onto the plate.

"What do you mean?"

Kaiz wiped his hand on his pants, while holding his spear like a walking stick. "Talked to the council and… well, I've got us an assignment."

"You do?" asked Chaxin. "That's good, isn't it? That means I can get some money and some more experience, right?"

Kaiz stared at the town hall's main door, as if he was off in thought. "Yeah, that it does, but I gotta say the nature of it worries me."

"We just fought an enormous creature that could fire beams of white hot death from its eye. What could they possibly have us doing that's more dangerous than that?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz took in a deep breath and looked down at Chaxin. He walked over and set his spear against the table. He sat down across from Chaxin and clasped his hands together with his elbows resting on the table.

"There was a ship on the shore, right?" he asked.

Chaxin thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, it was engulfed in flames."

"Seems that ship was carrying something that was important to Lord Karnith. And there's some supplies and other things in the ship's hold. So we're heading out to see what we can salvage."

Chaxin's eyebrows lifted. "And that's more important than protecting the town and making sure it's safe? Who's Lord Karnith?"

Kaiz slowly shook his head. "The town is lost. There's no way to ensure everyone's safety in the current state of affairs. That man we passed on the way in is one of Lord Karnith's advisors. Lord Karnith is the man who rules Grittin. Not sure if I've said that before or not. Anyway, the advisor… um, what did they say his name was? Um, Daxo… Daxar, that's it! So yeah, that man Daxar came by to inquire about some shipment that was supposed to be in the ship's cargo. Well as you can guess, that cargo never made it here to Kamber. So they want it, and it's still out there. But we're in no shape to be doing cargo retrieval, and managing the town. So Daxar is returning to Grittin to gather some troops to help us evacuate everyone to Grittin. But while he's doing that, we need to secure the ship. For all we know, the merfolk could be pillaging it as we speak."

Chaxin found himself staring off, picturing the burning ship. It took several moments before he realized Kaiz had finished speaking. "So when do we go?"

Chapter 10: Ship

The familiar sound of trotting horses was the only noise in the otherwise silent shore village. In the light of day, it was easy to discern the rotting wood and dilapidated conditions of the village. Doors were mostly broken or nonexistent. Roofs were caved in, no longer keeping out the elements. Entire stairways and porches had become little more than piles of useless wood.

Chaxin found himself on the same horse as Kaiz. At the front of their small company was Deloris, riding one of the town's available horses. Behind her was another horse, with the two guards that Bavol had returned with when he reported the sighting of the 'giant.'

Their names were Jerem and Kalo. The two of them wore leather armor with pieces of metal plates, protecting various parts of their bodies. They weren't anywhere as noisy as Deloris, but still seemed to be adequately protected. They both wielded broadswords, which were sheathed, hanging from their belts. Jerem was darker skinned, with short black hair, while Kalo had trimmed blonde hair and a slight beard. Neither of them had spoken much.

There wasn't a lot of talking going on, so Chaxin decided to speak up. "I noticed how Tiris and Vol were accompanying Deloris when they found me. Jerem and Kalo were on patrol with Bavol. Are Bavol and Deloris in charge of them, or something?"

Kaiz shook his head and turned to the side, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "Deloris and Bavol are both well-seasoned adventurers. Or in this case, guards of Kamber. It's more about seniority and respect than actually being in charge."

"And what about you? Do you have anyone that usually tags along with you?" asked Chaxin.

"I've had some, from time to time," said Kaiz. "But it looks like I'm mostly stuck with you lately," he said with a chuckle.

Chaxin managed a half smile and kept quiet for a few minutes. He looked up into the dismal sky, full of dark gray clouds and an eerie light that never seemed to truly penetrate the cloud cover.

"Is the sky always so… dark?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz tilted his head. "Aye, it is," he answered. "It's almost always cloudy. Even on the rare day that it isn't, the sky above is nothing much to look at. Above the clouds, there are streaks of pale white and gray, which seem to radiate light upon Wake. But even on the lightest day, I've often felt the light to be poorly adequate, and dismal. So no, that never really changes."

"I see," Chaxin murmured.

The three horses passed through the shore village without incident. It didn't take long before Chaxin was able to make out the dark ship still beached on the coast. "There it is," he said. "It didn't all burn? It was on fire last time I saw it."

"There was some rain that passed through early this morning," said Kaiz. "Wasn't much, but it might've done the trick. Either that, or some other force aided in dousing the fires."

"What do you mean?" asked Chaxin as he kept his sights on the boat, until he remembered how he'd arrived in this world. His eyes scanned the shore and glanced over to the rocky area, where a dilapidated mausoleum sat. He could just barely make out the broken doorway and some of the walls. It appeared worse than he remembered it, just last night. Had it only been last night? It already felt like days since he came here, as if all the hours were stretched out.

"I mean, those merfolk might've had something to do with it. There's no way to know," said Kaiz. "That fog that was surrounding the town was probably the work of one of the merfolk's shamans. They're powerful spellcasters, and more clever than the warriors that invaded the town. Hopefully, the ship will be abandoned, but we're going to need to be careful nonetheless."

Chaxin took in a slow breath and kept alert for any movement on the shore and the ship. "Kaiz, I wanted to ask. What level are you? Do you have a lot of strength? I looked at the grimoire earlier, and I'm level five now. Is that good?"

Kaiz was silent for a few long seconds, but then he spoke. "Most people won't divulge their level, unless you've known them for a while," said Kaiz. "If you know a person's level, and their stats, it's like… that person has then gone and said 'hey, this is how strong I am, and if you find someone who's stronger, they could probably kill me!'"

"What?" said Chaxin. "I don't want to kill you, or have you killed. Why would I want that?"

Kaiz sighed. "Not you, precisely," he said. "Ugh, it's just… hmm, how do I explain this? It's just a common courtesy among people. It's like, if I asked you how much money you have, you wouldn't tell me how many silver and gold pieces were in your pocket, would you? You'd want to keep that a secret, else people might find out that you'd be worth robbing."

"But I don't have any money," said Chaxin. "All I have are a few soul crystals that Deloris told me to pick up."

"That's not what I meant," Kaiz grunted. "And you shouldn't tell me what you have!"

"Are you planning to rob me?"

"No, of course not," said Kaiz.

"Then why is it a problem?" asked Chaxin. "Aren't we well acquainted? You don't seem as though you'd rob me or try to harm me. We killed a cyclops together."

Kaiz shifted on the horse and turned his head to look back to Chaxin, who just sat there, staring back at him with those confused, yet inquisitive eyes.

"Forget it," said Kaiz. "Just… don't make a habit of sharing information that people don't need to know." He turned and faced forward again.

Chaxin's lips quirked to the side, his gaze diverting as he thought for a few moments. "Are you over level one hundred?" asked Chaxin.

"I'm not gonna answer that," said Kaiz.

Chaxin let out a slow breath. It was hard to determine his own strength, if he didn't know the strength of others. Perhaps in time, Kaiz would trust him enough to tell him.

Ahead of them, Deloris's horse came to a slow stop, and she promptly dismounted. Jerem and Kalo did the same, and Kaiz and Chaxin followed soon after.

"What's the plan, Deloris?" asked Kaiz from behind the two broadsword-wielding guards. They were a couple hundred feet from the ship now, but Deloris had apparently decided to stop before reaching it.

Deloris turned, her armor clanking as she did. She pulled her shield from her back and then unsheathed her sword. "We're going to head over on foot. Don't want the horses too close to the ship if something is there to spook them," she said. "Kalo, any chance you'd want to stay with the horses while we check out the ship? Need someone to head back if we end up dying in there. Can't have them sending more people to their deaths."

"I can stay with the horses if that's what you want, Deloris," said Kalo, who reached over and tapped his fist against Jerem's shoulder, before heading back to the three horses, passing by Kaiz and Chaxin.

"Wouldn't it be best to have the new face watch the horses?" asked Jerem.

"Chaxin doesn't know how to ride a horse," said Deloris with a smirk. "I don't trust that he'd be able to get the horse back to Kamber to warn them of our fate. But I do trust him enough to at least hold a sword in a dark, monster-infested ship."

Chaxin's heart sunk in his chest. "I'm liking this idea less and less," he murmured.

"It'll be fine, she's joking. Mostly. Probably," said Kaiz.

Deloris turned and swung her sword in the direction of the ship. "Let's go," she said, before swinging her sword back up and letting it rest on her shoulder, as she approached the ship.

Jerem and Kaiz were ahead of Chaxin now, as the four of them made their way through the sand, which crunched at every step.

Chaxin stared at the ship as it grew larger in his vision. The ocean washed against the shore, creating a soft and calming backdrop to the situation he found himself in. He'd seen this ship burning. He'd seen the merfolk creep onto the shore, just before taking the lives of many of the villagers. Now, it was the four of them.

They neared the side of the ship. The wood still had a curious glossy effect to it. Deloris, Kaiz, and Jerem were walking around to the side that was hidden from view.

"Should be a way up over here," said Deloris.

High on the side of the ship, engraved in metal, was the word 'Scalli.’ Chaxin figured that it had to be the name of the ship, or the person that owned it. He reached out and ran his fingers against the wood. It was soft and smooth and cool to the touch, but it didn't smell like wood, or trees. It had a pungent odor, like some form of foul-smelling oil that had been left to sit too long and had turned to sludge.

Chaxin followed the others around, until they stopped at a series of indents that went up the ship.

"We can climb here, then head down through the ship and check the decks," said Deloris.

"Let me go first," said Jerem. "Last thing I need is for this rotting and burnt wood to break under Deloris and have her tumbling down on top of us." He grumbled, though he didn't seem to harbor malice towards Deloris herself, just the idea of being crushed by her weighty armor.

"Then up you go," said Deloris, who stood off to the side. "I'll be the last one up. Chaxin, you're next, Kaiz will be right behind you."

"Alright," Chaxin confirmed as he watched Jerem ascend the side of the ship. It was roughly the same height as a three story building, at least to where the deck was. The masts made it quite a bit taller. He'd seen large flapping sails the night before, but they might've burned up entirely in the conflagration.

Jerem went slowly, ensuring his handholds and footholds were secure as he made his way up. Soon enough, he hoisted himself onto the deck through an opening on the outside railing. Some of the deck was cracked and broken.

Jerem disappeared for about a minute, before he stepped back into view and waved his arm in an upward gesture.

"Looks like it's safe enough for the moment," said Deloris. "It's likely that anything in the ship would probably already know we're here, but there's no reason to ensure it. So don't go making too much noise."

Chaxin reached down and tapped his fingers against the pommel of his sword. It was a nervous habit he'd developed, to ensure that his sword was always there. It wasn't as if he couldn't feel its weight on the belt, but it did his mind good to physically touch it with his fingers.

He moved to the rungs, just as Jerem had. He reached up and slowly ascended, rung by rung. The wood was glossy, but there were dents and divots that he pulled himself up on and then placed his boots into. About halfway up, he took a look down. He swallowed, and his heart leapt in his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and kept climbing. When he reached the top and pulled himself over, he found Jerem standing there, offering a hand down to him. He grasped the man's arm, as Jerem grasped his. After being pulled up, Jerem stepped into view of the others down below and gestured up again.

Jerem stood beside Chaxin, as the two surveyed the deck. "There's burn scarring all over," Jerem murmured. "Rain could've put it out, or some sort of magic. No way to easily tell. There's no smoke though, so nothing seems to be smoldering below deck, which is a good sign, but it also makes me think it wasn't natural weather that doused the flames."

"Merfolk shaman?" asked Chaxin.

Jerem nodded and placed his own hand on the pommel of his sword. "Yeah," he murmured. "The real question, is if it's down in the ship, or back in the water. A quarter of the ship is still out there in the depths, and they'd be able to create a hole up into it. We won't know till we get down there, as it's too risky to tread out into the water to find out for ourselves."

"What if the merfolk come out and surround the ship while we're up here?" asked Chaxin.

"They either retreated to their caves and dwellings in the sea, or they're already in the ship and waiting. No reason for them to wait around and try and trap us now."

"I see," said Chaxin, who turned and peeked back down to see Kaiz ascending the rungs.

Chaxin took several steps away and looked around the deck of the ship. They were currently at the front of the ship, and across the deck were two sets of stairs that led up to a raised section.

"I don't see the navigator's wheel up there," Jerem said, apparently having already inspected the deck a bit more. "This ship is probably going to sit here for a long while and rot. No one in Kamber has the knowhow or recipes to build a ship like this, and I doubt they'd be able to repair one."

"Recipe?" asked Chaxin. "For a ship?"

Jerem nodded. "Recipes are blueprints for constructing things. There's recipes for ships, foods, buildings, all kinds of things. Sometimes they're cheap, other times expensive."

"So if someone had a recipe, they'd be able to figure out how to fix the ship?" asked Chaxin.

"Yeah, something like that," said Jerem. "Unless a constructor knew enough to do it from scratch. Usually repairs don't require recipes, but they can certainly help."

The more Chaxin spoke with Jerem, the more he found that he didn't mind the man. Jerem put on a strong exterior, but he was just like anyone else, in Chaxin's opinion.

"What's the situation?" came Kaiz's gruff voice as he pulled himself over the edge of the deck and stood, his spear jostling against his back.

"No movement, nothing out of the ordinary," said Jerem. He then pointed towards a set of double doors between the two stairways at the other end of the ship. "The door seems intact, not sure if it's locked, though."

"Well, if it's locked, then there might be survivors," said Kaiz. "I'm not sure if merfolk use or know how to use keys."

"The cargo hatch is over there," said Jerem, pointing to a large wooden hatch that looked as though it could lift up. It was centered at the middle of the deck, but there was heavy dark scarring and fractured wood all around it. Parts of it were cracked around the hinges. "But it doesn't look like we're getting any use out of it."

"The crane seems intact, but we'll have to do something about that hatchway when the caravan arrives," said Kaiz.

Jerem turned around and glanced over the edge, watching for several moments as Deloris ascended towards them, moving at a quick pace.

"Huh, I figured with all that armor, she'd be slower," said Jerem with lifted eyebrows, as he watched the armored woman rise faster than any of them had.

Kaiz chuckled. "She's got more strength than any of us. Little armor and a few rungs won't slow her down."

Upon the mention of strength, Chaxin looked over to Kaiz. He wanted to inquire further, but remembered how Kaiz had been so tight-lipped about asking about other people's stats.

"I can see why Bavol speaks of her with that strange jealous tone he sometimes gets," said Jerem, who stepped away from the edge.

"Bavol's a good man," said Kaiz. "But this isn't some sort of contest, it's survival, and Deloris is a survivor."

A few seconds later, a gauntlet reached for the deck as Deloris hoisted herself up. Despite her apparent strength and the ability to lift herself up along with all her armor, she still made a tremendous amount of noise.

"You'd think I'd invest in some silencer enchantments, huh?" said Deloris as she moved to stand. She pulled her sword back out; her shield had been secured on her arm the entire time.

"Maybe someone in Grittin will have one of those enchantments," said Kaiz.

"You're going to Grittin?" asked Jerem.

"We're all going to Grittin," said Deloris, who took the lead. Her head tilted from side to side as she surveyed the deck.

"Wait, so it's true? We're abandoning Kamber?" asked Jerem.

"That seems to be the council's consensus," said Deloris. "They've already spoken to one of Lord Karnith's advisors. That's why we're on this assignment in the first place. No one told you?"

"I'm always the last to hear of things," said Jerem with a sigh. "Kalo learned the details of this mission and then said we were moving out. I guess I was daydreaming on the way here and didn't think to ask much beyond the details of securing cargo on a ship at the beach." Jerem shook his head. "So I guess we're all relocating to Grittin then? Hopefully I'll be able to find work."

"Don't you worry a bit," said Kaiz. "If you can't make it as a guard in Grittin's army, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity as an adventurer in the region. Towns keep dropping left and right and the monsters keep growing in number."

"Alright, enough talk. We can sit around and chat when we've secured the cargo," said Deloris, as she took the lead and approached the door at the other side of the deck.

"Sorry," Kaiz murmured as he followed after her. He gripped his spear and held it at his side.

Chaxin wanted to ask him about the strange spear. He hadn't seen any others like it, and it was capable of launching some sort of ranged attack. Was it magic? Enchanted? Or just well crafted?

Deloris reached for the right side of the double door and pulled one of the steel handles. The door creaked open on old hinges.

"Not locked," said Jerem.

"Which means anything could be down there," said Deloris. She pulled the other door out as well, to allow as much daylight down into the ship as she could. She took a moment to reach for something on her belt. She fiddled with it and then held it on her shield arm.

Chaxin stepped to the side to get a good look at it, as light emanated from it. It appeared to be a small glass cylinder with a lid with holes at the top. There was a reservoir at the base and a flame was lit inside.

"You and your fancy lamp," Kaiz chuckled.

"I'm tired of torches," said Deloris as she held the lantern up. Its radiance cast down the stairway and into the deck below. The shadows danced as the flame flickered. "I'd rather not set the whole ship alight if I can help it." With slow and heavy footsteps, she descended the stairs.

"Jerem, you go next," said Kaiz. "I might have to resort to range with my spear, with how tight it looks down there. Chaxin, you follow him. Here, take this." Kaiz pulled a stick from his belt and handed it to Chaxin.

He took it into his left hand and looked it over. It had rune writing up the side, the same as what was on his chest. But the words on the stick read ''Fire_Ignite_Top_[x]." The words were underlined and connected to a square with an x.

"Just press the x there with your thumb," said Kaiz.

Chaxin cautiously held the torch away from him as he pressed his thumb to the x.

Nothing happened.

"Did you press it?" asked Kaiz, as Jerem was already heading down after Deloris.

"Yeah, I pressed it," said Chaxin, as he pushed his thumb to the spot again, harder this time.

"I know you're low level, but everyone has enough mana to ignite the command square," Kaiz grumbled.

"Um, I don't have any mana, according to the runes that are keeping the poison inside me at bay," said Chaxin.

"Huh?" Kaiz gave Chaxin a skeptical look. "Eh, no matter. Here," he said as he reached over and pressed his index finger to the square.

The top of the stick ignited with a flare. Chaxin jumped, unprepared for Kaiz suddenly engaging the torch's magic.

"There you go, now go on down there," said Kaiz, shaking his head.

Chaxin diverted his gaze from the intense reddish flame of the torch. He held it out and low, as he pulled his sword from its sheath. He stepped slowly and carefully, heading down to the next deck where Deloris was already moving about and Jerem already had his sword unsheathed.

Once he was fully down the stairs, Kaiz followed.

"Over there will be the crew quarters," said Deloris, pointing to a narrow hallway lined with doors. "At the end should be the captain's quarters."

"We going to split up?" asked Jerem.

"I'd rather we didn't," said Deloris. "Kaiz and I aren't well suited for tight quarters combat. My armor gets in the way, and the crew quarters are small. Find the ship's manifest and just bring it back here, then we can continue down."

"Manifest?" asked Chaxin.

"It'll be a book," said Deloris. "It lists passengers, crew, and cargo. I want to know what we can expect down there, before we start searching." She turned and gestured to another stairwell that led one level down, deeper into the ship. "We'll wait here, go get the book and then we'll descend as a group."

"Alright," said Chaxin.

"Let's check the captain's quarters first," said Jerem, who stepped up to Chaxin. He reached out for the torch Chaxin was holding. "Lend me that light, so I can take point."

"Sure," said Chaxin as he handed off the torch. "I'll be right behind you."

Jerem nodded and turned, heading immediately down the hall with torch and sword in hand.

Chaxin followed after, watching as the torch illuminated the narrow hallway with intense crimson brightness. At times, Chaxin could swear it made it appear as though the walls themselves were bleeding, but it was just a trick on his weary eyes.

They passed sets of doors on each side. All of them were closed, and Jerem wasn't concerned with checking them.

"No reason for the manifest to be in any of the crew quarters," said Jerem in a quiet voice. "If it's not in the captain's quarters, we can check the others. Hopefully it's not damaged."

Chaxin glanced to the doors as they passed them. They'd passed by eight sets already, with four more sets ahead of them. The hall was longer than it had initially appeared. He looked over his shoulder, back at Deloris and Kaiz, who waited in the larger open area. They looked to be discussing something, but their voices were too quiet to hear.

"Let's see what we have," said Jerem as he maneuvered his sword in his hand so he could partially grab the doorknob to the door at the far end of the hall. His fingers wrapped around it and turned. His heart beat heavily in his chest. The knob clinked as it moved, but it wasn't locked. He pushed the door in gradually. The crimson glare of the torch ebbed into the room.

Chaxin held his sword at the ready. His own pulse was pounding in his ears. Why did he feel more nervous about this than when they'd faced off against that enormous cyclops? Was it because he knew what the threat was, as opposed to knowing nothing of their current circumstance?

"Spacious," Jerem murmured as he pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside. His attention flit around the room swiftly.

There was a bookshelf on the left. Muck-ridden windows were interspersed against the far wall. A sturdy wooden desk sat at the other end of the room. A ruffled black rug covered part of the floor.

The light glinted off something metallic on the floor, drawing Jerem's attention to it. He took a step forward, holding the torch out as he kept his sword on guard. The rug wasn't entirely just a rug. There was a body, covered in black pants and a black jacket.

"Is that the captain?" Chaxin whispered, having entered the room right behind Jerem.

The body had been hard to notice at first, given the way it was partially covered by the rug, as if the person had grappled with it.

"Is he alive?" asked Chaxin, as Jerem stepped closer.

"Doubtful," said Jerem as he knelt beside the fallen and sprawled figure. The person was lying on their stomach, their face hidden in the rug. Their long black hair glistened with the oils that had built up over time.

"Hello?" Jerem asked. He reached out and prodded the man's back with the pommel of his sword. "Sir?"

Chaxin sidestepped so he could watch, his attention on the supposed captain. After several long and silent seconds, he figured that the captain probably was dead. He glanced around the room for any hidden assailants. There was nothing of note behind the door, only a cabinet on the right side of the room, certainly not large enough to hide one of the hulking merfolk.

Jerem extended the torch out. "Here, take this back."

Chaxin stepped in and took the torch. Upon doing so, Jerem set his sword aside and grabbed the man's arm to pull him over onto his back.

"Over you go," Jerem grunted with the effort of moving him. The man had some muscle tone to his arms, and didn't appear to be on the frail side. Once he was turned over, they could both see the dark rings around his closed eyes. He was fair skinned, but perhaps a little pale, which made the crimson light of the torch all the more prominent on his sweaty skin.

Chaxin's gaze ran over the man's features and clothing. It didn't seem as though he was going to wake up. He kept the torch out, so that the entire room was cast in light. He moved around to the bookshelf, to see if the manifest was there. None of the books were marked. He sheathed his sword and grabbed a dark brown leather bound book, flipping it open. He scanned the words. It detailed a region called 'Jari.' With curiosity, Chaxin continued to read about what it had to say.

Jerem wasn't getting any response from the man. He then had the notion to check the man's actual life signs. He placed a hand on the man's chest, and then held his own breath as he waited.

There was no movement beneath his hand.

"He's definitely dead," said Jerem. "No heartbeat, no breath."

Chaxin looked up from the book and back to Jerem. "Are you certain?"

Jerem's hand pulled away and ruffled the man's shirt in the process.

Chaxin's brow furrowed. He stepped closer and held the torch above the man. "What's that on his chest? Those dark lines? Does he have runes on him?" he asked, thinking that perhaps the man was enchanted somehow, just as he was.

Jerem reached up and curled his fingers under the neckline of the man's shirt. He pulled it down with little effort.

Creeping up from further down the man's chest were thick black lines, just beneath his flesh. They trembled and pulsed beneath the light. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but the dark tendrils seemed to be ebbing out further, bit by bit.

"What's that? Is he poisoned?" asked Chaxin.

Jerem's eyes widened in an instant. "Oh no. He's diseased!"

The man's eyes shot open, revealing sunken black orbs within those dark sockets. There was no time to speak or react. The man's mouth opened as he grabbed Jerem's arms, pulling him down as he leaned up.

"Ah!" Jerem gasped, but it was too late. By the time he tried pushing the man off, those sickly yellow teeth were already digging into his shoulder with the force of a swinging blade.

Chapter 11: Cargo

Chaxin dropped the book and unsheathed his sword. He stared wide-eyed as Jerem grappled with the captain. His pained cries filled the room and pierced Chaxin's ears.

He drew his sword back as Jerem and the captain twisted and turned. He didn't want to hit Jerem, but the captain seemed unrelenting in his feral attack.

There was no time to consider his actions further. He focused on the captain and swung. His blade cut through the captain's jacket, into his back. The diseased man's grip lessened as Jerem managed to push him away.

Blood ran down the inside of Jerem's tunic. The thin leather vest hadn't protected him entirely from the captain's bite.

Chaxin pulled his blade back and swung down again, now that the captain wasn't attached to Jerem. The sword sliced through the air, catching the captain's skull. It lodged several inches deep and caused a simultaneous 'crack' to be heard.

The captain's sunken eyes were wide and feral. It reached and grasped at Jerem with its darkened fingertips, despite the blade lodged into part of its skull. The man's mouth was wide, his teeth stained with Jerem's blood.

In that instant, Chaxin thrust the blazing torch into the captain's mouth, stopping him from biting Jerem. Semi-rotted teeth gave way as the top of the torch smashed through them. With the burning end of the torch now residing in the captain's gullet, the fire scorched and burned him from the inside, blackening and charring the captain's skin. He flailed and swiped at Chaxin as Jerem scrambled away, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

With his sword still firm in the man's skull, and his other hand grasping the end of the torch, Chaxin kept the diseased man at bay, letting the fire wreak havoc inside him until the flesh of his neck melted away, and the diseased man's movements crept to a halt.

Chaxin released his hold on the torch as the captain slumped back to the floor, motionless. He pulled on his sword, and once freed, he drove it through one of the captain's eyes. It made a wet shlick as it went through, until it hit the inside of the man's skull.

After several more seconds of silence, Jerem spoke up with a ragged voice. "I think that might've got him."

Chaxin pulled his sword from the captain's eye socket. His hand was shaky as he stared at the gray and red ichor upon the blade. With wide eyes, he looked over to Jerem. "What… what the hell just happened?"

Jerem's chest rose and fell quickly, his hand resting upon the bite wound, which was still bleeding quite a bit. "He was diseased. It comes in many forms, but it can take over your will, if you're dead or dying. Makes you feral, monstrous." He winced and looked down at the wound, but it was at an angle so he couldn't see it directly. "Damn. Help me find something to wrap around this. Some strips of cloth or something. I've gotta stop the bleeding, else I'm gonna end up just like him."

"So he wasn't actually alive then?" Chaxin asked, as he wiped his blade on the captain's jacket. He set his blade down and pulled the still-burning torch from the captain's mouth. He held it out to Jerem. "Hold this while I check him," he said.

Jerem took the torch as Chaxin began searching through the dead man's pockets.

"Yeah, he was dead," said Jerem. "Whatever disease he was afflicted with had control of him."

"Was it from one of the merfolk, do you think?" Chaxin asked. "Because I was attacked by one of the warriors, an alpha, I think they called it, and I have this rune magic on my chest, which stops it, but it calls it poison. Is there a difference?" It was then that he pulled the buttons apart on the captain's tunic to reveal a stab wound, which had been hidden by both the jacket and tunic.

Chaxin turned to look at Jerem as he revealed the dark, encroaching mark on the captain's chest.

Jerem shook his head. "That looks like a single blade pierced near the captain's heart. Something, or someone, stabbed him. It wasn't merfolk claws, but it could've been a merfolk weapon. I've heard that some of the shamans use disease and other corruptive properties. But to answer your question, I'd say that while it looks similar, I'm pretty sure what you got from any of the warriors is different than what afflicted the captain here."

"Here, take the torch back," said Jerem as he leaned forward, moving closer. "I'll tear up his tunic for a bandage. Go check his desk." Jerem pulled his sword from its scabbard and used it to rend long stretches of the captain's tunic.

Chaxin sheathed his own sword and took the torch back before Jerem set about his work.

With torch in hand, Chaxin circled around the desk. He pulled on the drawers. The first one was locked. The other two were empty.

"I need a key to open this drawer," said Chaxin. He looked over to Jerem.

Jerem pulled on a necklace that the captain was wearing. It had gotten stuck around on his back, unless that was where he always kept it. He snapped the chain off and held up the prize. A small iron key. "This is probably it," he said, and tossed it to Chaxin, wincing with the effort.

The key landed on the desk, and Chaxin promptly snatched it up and used it on the lock for the drawer. After a turn and a click, Chaxin pulled on the drawer and saw two tomes inside. "There we go." One was smaller, about the size of his hand. It was far more ornate than the other and had runic-etchings on the cover. The other book was more ordinary, and larger.

"Two tomes," said Chaxin. He pulled them out one at a time. He opened the more ornate one, assuming it was what they were after. But the pages were blank. He flipped through it with one hand, still holding the torch with the other. "Useless," he murmured, before he let the book close back to its cover. He then opened the more normal-sized tome, and his eyes lit up immediately after seeing columns, lines, and quantities. "This looks like what we're after," he said as he looked back to Jerem for confirmation.

Jerem started to wrap the stretches of cloth around under his armpit and over the bite, just to the side of his neck. He wrapped it tightly, and then tied it in a firm knot. He pulled his tunic and leather vest back into place and stood up. His gaze went to the tomes. "Is that—" he breathed, before cutting himself off.

"The manifest? Yeah, I think it is," said Chaxin. He pushed the tome over towards Jerem. "It has all sorts of things listed. Crew, cargo, and—"

"No, that!" said Jerem, pointing at the smaller tome. "You don't even know what that is, do you?" he said as his lips curled, shaking his head.

"What? This?" asked Chaxin, as he opened the smaller tome up. "It's all blank."

"Did nobody tell you what a grimoire is?" asked Jerem.

"Grimoire? Wait, this is a grimoire?" Chaxin asked, giving Jerem a skeptical look. "But this thing is small enough to fit in my pocket. The grimoire in town is huge. I'd need both hands to carry that thing."

Jerem sighed. "That's what we call a pocket-grimoire. It works the same way as the large version, but you press your thumb to the page, and it activates it. It's a bit more expensive than the large version. Usually people who own shops or guilds, or just people with a lot of money, have them. The big ones aren't entirely hard to come by. Usually a town has a couple dozen, depending on the shops and vendors. Kamber only has the one, since we're a pretty small town and we're in some pretty bad times right now, with all the attacks."

With the pocket-grimoire opened, Chaxin pressed his thumb to one of the pages. Upon removing it, dark ink welled up and text appeared.

"Wow, this seems pretty useful," Chaxin murmured as his stats appeared. There wasn't much change. He was the same level, and the percentage bars on the right page had shifted slightly, if he remembered correctly. He then turned the page. His eyebrows lifted when he saw a new entry under 'kills.'

'One Human.'

He stared at the two words. "But he was diseased. This makes it sound like I murdered someone," he spoke and looked up to Jerem.

Jerem stepped in closer to the table and looked down at the page.

"Yeah," said Jerem. "The grimoire doesn't care if he was no longer himself. He might've been consumed by the disease and under its control, but he was still human. I remember I was in Grittin a while back. I wasn't there long, but I was interviewing for a guard position. They were paying well, and I really wanted some stable income instead of resorting to adventuring. The guard captain asked me about every kill on my grimoire page. I had some human ones as well. I'd killed three bandits when a caravan was attacked. But to the guard captain, all he knew was that I'd killed three people, and he had to take my word on it. I ended up getting the position; I guess he believed me. Which he should've, since it was true. But things didn't quite work out with me and guard duty in a large city, so I ended up out here in Kamber… and look where that's got me now."

Jerem shook his head and picked up the manifest. He paged through it. "Yeah, this looks like what we're after. Let's join the others. This room is creeping me the hell out," he said, as he took another glance at the bloody and diseased captain on the floor.

Chaxin closed the pocket-grimoire and stuffed it into his pocket. "Right," he agreed. He was curious about Jerem's past, now that they'd had some time to speak with each other, but there were definitely greater and more pressing concerns. Perhaps he could inquire further, once they’d secured the cargo hold.

Jerem winced as he shifted his torso. He placed a hand against the wound he was now covering up. He tugged at his tunic and vest with his free hand, while holding the manifest in the other.

With torch in one hand, and his fingers around the pommel of his sword, Chaxin followed Jerem out into the hall.

After a few seconds, Chaxin spoke up. "Should we check the other rooms for survivors?"

Jerem immediately stopped and turned his head. The burning crimson glow of the torch illuminated his face with the contrasting faint glow of Deloris's torch several dozen feet away at the entrance to the crew hall. Jerem shook his head and brought a finger to his lips. "Shh." Then, he kept walking.

Chaxin stood there for a moment and stared at one of the nearby doors. Could there be more diseased in the crew quarters, just waiting to be awoken? Shouldn't they at least check and attempt to clear them out?

He looked back to Jerem and slowly followed after him. Perhaps it was best to leave them alone, for now.

Kaiz and Deloris looked expectantly at Chaxin and Jerem, as the two came towards them.

"That it?" asked Kaiz, his eyes set upon the tome in Jerem's hand.

"It is," said Jerem, who promptly handed it off to Deloris.

"Let's see what we have here," said Deloris, who accepted the tome, her weapon sheathed. She cracked the book open and began to read.

"What was that commotion we heard?" asked Kaiz, looking between Jerem and Chaxin.

"There was a—" Chaxin began, but was quickly cut off by Jerem speaking up.

"A diseased man attacked us," said Jerem. "Took us by surprise. We dealt with him, no problems."

"Tricky bastards," Kaiz murmured. "Just the one?"

"Yeah, just the one," Jerem confirmed.

Jerem looked to Chaxin, who was holding the red-burning torch on the opposite side from him. He gave Chaxin a nod, but Chaxin wasn't sure why. All he could do was nod back, unsure if it meant anything. Jerem had made the situation sound… simple. Perhaps that was all that needed to be told?

"Lots of goods and supplies down there," said Deloris, who flipped a page of the manifest. "Some weapons. Crystals. Two sarcophagi. Six cages with unspecified exotic creatures. Food stuffs. Metals. Woods. Potions." Deloris scanned the rest of the entries and then closed the manifest. She handed it back to Jerem. "Hold on to this," she said. "I doubt any of that is going to be problematic. Doesn't sound like there's anything volatile down there. No alcohols or oils. We'll see if the exotic creatures are of any import."

"There'll be more room down there, so I'll lead," said Deloris. "Jerem, you're behind me, then Chaxin. Kaiz, bring up the rear."

"Aye," said Kaiz, who shifted to make way for Jerem and Chaxin, as he and Deloris had mostly been blocking the stairway.

Deloris pulled her sword out. Her shield was still ready on her arm via a pair of straps, which allowed some freedom for her hand. She closed the visor on her helmet, but then paused for a few seconds. She then lifted it back up. "Probably gonna need the visibility," she murmured to herself, before walking and heading down to the cargo hold.

Jerem was a few steps behind her, with Chaxin just behind him.

The stairway wasn't comprised of many steps, and only took a few seconds for them each to descend. The cargo hold was at least twice the height of the deck they'd been on. There were wooden crates of various sizes, along with stacks of wooden barrels. Some of the crates were fully enclosed, while others were missing their tops.

Deloris looked around, her sword at the ready. Her lamp was still hanging on her hip, and didn't cast its glow at the best of angles.

Chaxin's burning torch was held above his head to help illuminate as much as he could.

Shadows danced all around. Chaxin found himself staring at some of them, making sure they weren't actually merfolk in hiding.

With the placement of the cargo, there weren't many places a merfolk could actually hide, unless they were inside one of the larger crates, and even then, they'd need to crouch.

"Doesn't look like the merfolk came down here, and if they did, they didn't toss it and loot it," said Deloris.

Some of the crates had broken edges or cracked sides, but nothing looked pillaged.

As the group continued to walk, they saw a series of metal cages. There were six of them total, with three of them stacked on top of the others.

Deloris's gaze went to the cages only for a couple moments, before her attention flit around the hold. "Shit," she whispered, glancing around more, turning with her blade.

"What is it?" Jerem asked, coming around from several stacked containers, only to see what Deloris had spotted. "They're empty?"

"Whatever was in those cages, sure as hell isn't in them now," said Deloris.

The six metal cages sat idle, their doors wide open, empty.

"Maybe the creatures got out and off the ship?" said Jerem hopefully.

"The manifest didn't say much of anything about them," said Deloris. "They could've been birds that managed to fly away, or something far more terrible."

Chaxin came around, just behind Jerem. "The captain was stabbed by some sort of blade," he said. "What if the fire… these opened cages, and the captain's murder, was because of one of the crew and nothing to do with the merfolk?"

"Hmm," Deloris murmured. "Could be, but without someone to question, we can't get any real answers. It's possible that the merfolk were planning on attacking regardless, and had nothing to do with the ship. Or that the ship disturbed them enough to come and attack. No way of knowing. But it doesn't look as though there are any merfolk down here."

Chaxin looked around some more, and noticed something he couldn't explain. "What are those?" he asked, pointing to a pair of ornate metal containers. They were easily seven feet long and several feet high. They appeared to be made of gold, with runic symbols written all over. The top looked to be some sort of lid, with the outline of what could be classified as a humanoid figure.

"Those are the sarcophagi the manifest mentioned," said Deloris.

"Sarcophagi?" asked Chaxin.

"They're like caskets," said Kaiz from behind him. "Usually people are buried in wooden crates. Sometimes, people are buried in nicer crates, such as those over there. I've never seen any so fancy before. They look unnecessarily expensive. Not sure why you'd put rune magic on a sarcophagus, either."

Deloris approached the sarcophagi and looked them over. "Very strange," she murmured. "Lots of scrawl on them."

"What's any of it say?" asked Kaiz.

Deloris continued to study the ornate construction of the sarcophagi. "Preventive enchanting. Shielding enchanting. Protection from elements, corrosion."

"Anything dealing with time?" Chaxin asked.

Deloris shook her head. "Nothing dealing with time. But a lot of crystals were consumed in the enchantment of these two constructs."

"Can we open ‘em?" asked Jerem. "Just take a peek inside?"

Deloris stepped around to the side of one of the sarcophagi and inspected the locking mechanism. "This one looks damaged. Lots of scratches and dings. Someone was trying to get into it, but it doesn't look as though they had much success."

"Now I really wanna know what's inside them," Jerem remarked.

"Well, we came here to secure the cargo, and we have," said Deloris. "Let's get to the top deck and hail Kalo, tell him everything's secure, and one of us can return to Kamber."

"Isn't a group coming directly from Grittin?" asked Kaiz.

"Yes," confirmed Deloris. "But there's no reason to keep three horses here when they can be better used to help evacuate Kamber. We've got to watch over the cargo and make sure nothing creeps aboard. In the meantime, we can send someone back with the horses, and they can help with escorting people to Grittin. The caravan from Grittin won't get here till closer to morning."

"It'll be dark soon," said Jerem.

"Let's get up top and coordinate with Kalo," said Deloris. "Everyone keep an eye on your surroundings. Plenty of dark corners still on the ship. No telling what was in those cages, so eyes open."

Everyone nodded their agreement, and once again, Deloris led the group. They retraced their steps, heading back through the cargo hold and between the many crates. One by one, they ascended the stairway, not wasting any time on the crew deck, before heading right up to the top.

The sky was already darkening by the time they reached the upper deck. Clouds still hung high in the sky, obscuring sight to the thread-like gray presence beyond. But the light that reached the surface of Wake seemed to be waning.

It just so happened that Chaxin was following directly after Deloris. The two of them reached the edge of the deck, facing out towards the shore. The tide continued to creep and ebb against the sand, leaving remnants of foam in its wake. The dead village beyond the shore remained silent and eerie, a stark contrast to the paleness of the shore itself and the white sand.

But more noticeable than the scenery was one prominent fact.

Kalo and the three horses were nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 12: Nightfall

Chaxin was the first to speak. "Where's Kalo? And the horses?"

"They're gone," Deloris murmured. Her eyes scanned the shore. She leaned over the edge so she could see down against the side of the ship. "Hmm," she murmured. She quickly strode across to the other side of the ship and peeked over the deck on the other end. Chaxin was still looking all around from his vantage point when Deloris spoke up again. "They're not around the ship."

"Kalo wouldn't have left us!" said Jerem. But the shore was quite visible, and there was no good line of sight into the far-off village. There was nowhere in sight for Kalo and the horses to be hiding. They were simply nowhere to be seen.

"Well he must've gone somewhere," Kaiz growled.

"Could he have come up on the ship, maybe?" asked Chaxin, who then turned around to face the others, just as Deloris was walking back to join them.

"Doubtful," said Deloris. "We would've run into him. He'd have seen our lights. Something must've happened, but he had the horses, so maybe all he could do was ride back to Kamber. He might've taken the other two horses with him, or they scattered."

"So what're we going to do then, just sit on our asses and wait?" asked Jerem.

"That's exactly what we're going to do," confirmed Deloris. "We can't go searching for Kalo. Not if we want to keep the cargo secure. Even if you go running off to search for Kalo yourself, whatever caused him to retreat might still be out there. We need to keep an eye on things up here and prevent anyone from getting to the ship."

"But Kalo could be out there. He could be in trouble!" said Jerem. "What if he's injured?"

Deloris gave Jerem a stern look.

"I could head down there and check the tracks," said Kaiz. "See if there's any telltale signs of an assailant. The tracks should still be good, if there are any."

"No, I need you up here," said Deloris. "You're the only ranged combatant we have." She then murmured under her breath, "Wish Tiris and Vol were here."

"Well they're not," said Jerem, easily able to catch what Deloris had said. "It's just the four of us, and Kalo could be dying out there for all we know. Just let me head down there. I'll keep in eyesight. I'll check the tracks and be careful. If I don't see anything, I'll come right back, and you'll see me the entire time."

Chaxin looked to Deloris, who averted her attention to the darkened village. Even Chaxin could tell that in the minutes they'd spent on the deck, their surroundings were getting darker.

"Fine, make it quick," said Deloris. "But don't leave sight of the ship." Deloris looked to Kaiz. "Keep an eye on him."

"Aye," Kaiz murmured. He stepped up to the side of the deck, gaining the best view he could of the nearby area, where they'd last left Kalo.

"Here, trade me," said Jerem, as he held the manifest out to Chaxin.

"Um, alright," said Chaxin. It wasn't his torch to give, but it seemed as though they only had two light sources, and it was unlikely that Deloris was going to give up her lantern. He handed the still-burning torch to Jerem and accepted the manifest.

Jerem went straight for the rungs that led up to the deck. With torch in hand, he slowly descended the side of the ship.

Chaxin kept close to the railing. He decided to take another look at the ship's manifest while Jerem checked the shore for signs of Kalo.

"I don't like this one bit," Deloris murmured. "The last few days have just been complete shit. One turn after another."-

Chaxin looked up from the manifest to briefly glance at Deloris, before looking back down. He read over the details to see if there was anything important Deloris might've missed. Not that anything on the ship might've been the cause for Kalo's disappearance, but surely it was worthwhile to be thorough.

"Kamber used to be nice," said Kaiz. "Even five years ago, it was still a decent place to operate out of. Good people, somewhat safe environment, if you were careful."

"Yeah, and about five years ago, Lord Karnith took leadership of Grittin," said Deloris.

"Aw, come now, Lord Karnith isn't the reason the monsters have been getting restless," said Kaiz. "Monsters have always been this way. In my time here on Wake, I've seen the fall of three villages due to territorial monsters."

"Then we're failing as adventurers," said Deloris. "It's our job to thin the herd, to prevent buildups of monsters."

"We can only do as much as we can do," said Kaiz.

"Then maybe we need to start doing more," Deloris murmured. "Because last time I checked, things don't seem to be getting any better on Wake."

Kaiz sighed and shook his head. "We'll keep on, as we always have."

Chaxin continued to listen to their back and forth conversation about monsters and the state of human civilization on Wake. Soon, it became background noise as he flipped the pages of the manifest, reading each and every item. He made his way to the end of the manifest. It spoke about the crew, their names, and their rooms. There were ten crew members, along with the captain. There were no listed extra passengers. Then, after the list of crew, was a sort of 'notes' section, which read:

Day 1: Leaving Trillin with clear skies, shadowed by the Luwalt and the Macidna.

Day 2: Smooth sailing. Umont's birthday. Cracked open a bottle for the occasion.

Day 3: Hangovers don't get better with age. The clouds are rolling in. Looks like a storm.

Day 4: We lost sight of both the Luwalt and the Macidna during the storm. Not sure if they're lost at sea or at the bottom of it. A sense of dread hangs in the air and over the crew. I don't blame them. I saw the shadows and eyes in the depths as well. We'll arrive on the shores near Kamber tomorrow. Then we can be rid of this ominous cargo.

Chaxin flipped the page, but there were no more notes. He flipped more pages, but there was nothing.

He turned to Deloris, who had stopped conversing with Kaiz. "The manifest talks about them leaving a place called Trillin. It says there was… I'm guessing, two other ships? But the other ships were lost in a storm. It also references shadows and eyes in the depths and ominous cargo, but there's no entry for their arrival here."

"It's common for merchant ships to have escort vessels, or to travel in groups," said Kaiz. "There's a vast ocean out there, and pirates are known to roam the sea. But for a ship to end up burning on the shore, something terrible must've happened."

"I also noticed that there weren't any rowboats on the sides," said Deloris. "They should've remained anchored out at sea, and landed via rowboat with whatever cargo was coming to Kamber."

"There were a lot of crates down there," said Chaxin.

Kaiz sighed and shook his head. "Only some of that cargo was meant for Kamber," said Kaiz. "They would've dropped off some of it, maybe a fifth or less. Then they would've gone to the next stop, probably Jormas.”

"I see," Chaxin murmured. He wasn't knowledgeable about how ships conducted their trade business. This was all new to him. Sure, there were certain words he understood the meaning of, but there was just so many different things he didn't completely comprehend.

Deloris turned and faced Chaxin, her brow furrowed. "Chaxin, you and Jerem didn't check any of the rooms other than the captain's. Correct?"

Chaxin nodded. "That's right. Jerem figured we wouldn't need to."

"It might be best to be extra thorough, while we're here," said Deloris. "We're already down one of our party, and I don't like the idea of something sneaking up on us. It's narrow down there, but I'd rather expel any doubt that the ship is clear. Kaiz, keep watch on Jerem. We're going to go down and check those crew quarters."

"I'll be right here," said Kaiz.

"Leave the manifest here, and draw your sword," said Deloris, who turned and headed for the doorway. As she did, she glanced up to the crane, and down to the large cargo hatch. "Hmm," she murmured to herself before continuing on.

Chaxin set the manifest on the deck and went after Deloris. He pulled his sword and hoped Deloris's lamp would be enough light to go rummaging through rooms. At least it wouldn't be as eerie as the red light of the torch.

It only took seconds to descend back into the ship. Deloris walked with heavy footfalls over to the first door for the crew quarters.

"I'll open them up, make sure there's nothing inside, then you peruse around," she said.

Chaxin nodded. It seemed like a relatively safe plan, at least for him.

The light from Deloris's lamp flitted around. She reached out with her shield hand and wrapped her fingers around the first handle, opening it with a loud creak. Her sword was up and ready. Chaxin stood off to the side, watching her facial expressions.

Deloris noticeably relaxed. "Room one is clear," she said. "But glance under the cot to be sure." She stepped back to allow Chaxin room to enter.

Chaxin slowly moved in and knelt down onto one knee. He peeked under the cot on the other side of the room. There was nothing there. Chaxin let out a sigh of relief and stood up, taking in everything else in the room. It was a very confined space. An empty shelf and a cot on the far end, with another bunk above it to allow two occupants to sleep in the room. There were two chests, one on each wall. Chaxin went over to the one on the left and pulled on the lid. It didn't budge and seemed to be locked.

Chaxin glanced around for a key, while Deloris turned and went to the next room.

There wasn't much of anything in the room. No body, no stray items, no place to stick a key. He shook his head. Well, on to the next one.

Deloris pulled open the doors, one by one. She waited long enough for Chaxin to finish with the previous rooms before going on to the next, as she needed him to check under the cots—it was more difficult for her to get down on her knees in her armor. She didn't want to put herself at a disadvantage, if something were to be watching and waiting in one of the rooms. They'd made enough commotion by now to have easily alerted anything in the ship.

To Chaxin, Deloris seemed almost relaxed. But he was practically sweating, his heart pumping. He rummaged through the rooms, one after another. The chests were bolted down to the floor, and all of them were locked. Almost every room was just like the last. In the seventh room, he found a dirty sock on the floor beneath the cot. In the tenth room, he found a nail as large as his index finger. He pocketed it, for no other reason than hoping it might come in handy for all the effort they were going to.

"I've been wanting to ask," Chaxin spoke up, after things had become particularly quiet. They hadn't said much of anything since they'd started checking the rooms. "Why do you and Kaiz trust me? I mean, in the sense that you trust me to fight at your side? I only arrived yesterday, and everything is just so overwhelming. Is this how it always is for people?"

Deloris stopped, mid-reach for the next door. She turned to Chaxin and looked him in the eyes for several seconds. "Unless you're born here, everyone arrives the same way, but we all arrive at different times, and under different circumstances," she said. "Vol and Tiris arrived pretty close to each other, and they've stuck together through and through. Sometimes you arrive in a good place at a good time. Other times, you may arrive only to be killed within moments of taking your first breath. The Graymos doesn't care. It'll eat you up and spit you at Purgatory the first chance it gets. All we can do is… trust those around us. It's easy to trust and put your faith in a new arrival. You've yet to be corrupted by the life we must live. It's unlikely that you'll backstab me, since I'm one of the few things standing between you and death. Not to mention, we saved you. Kaiz is usually a good judge of character. He trusts my judgement, and I trust his. And I also happen to trust that you have a desire to stay alive, if nothing else, than to discover why you're here. Why any of us are here. You seem to be one of the curious types, which is good, but don't let it put you in danger."

Chaxin watched and listened. There was a tightness in his chest that he couldn't describe or explain. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I know I didn't arrive on the best of terms, and… well, I even almost died, but thank you, for everything."

Deloris smiled, just a little. "Of course."

"Can I ask," Chaxin spoke up quickly. "That thing you said, Graymos? What is it?"

Deloris nodded. "Yeah, I didn't understand the word when I first arrived either. Strange, isn't it? It's essentially… everything. Everything is part of the Graymos. The spheres. The gray strands of light up above us, which create our daylight. Still not sure what any of that is, but it's all the Graymos."

"I see," said Chaxin. "Well, thanks… again."

Deloris nodded. "Of course. Let's wrap this up and then we can do another sweep of the cargo hold. I'll feel a lot better once we do."

"Sure thing," said Chaxin, as he stood at the ready.

Deloris pulled the next door open.

Once again, it was empty, save for the usual furniture.

Chaxin checked inside, then proceeded with Deloris to the next room.

There were a total of twenty-four rooms, and beyond finding a dirty tunic and a few empty chests which hadn't been locked, there was nothing noteworthy in any of them.

Deloris stood at the end of the hall, with the captain's door just a few feet away.

"Did you check the captain's quarters entirely?" asked Deloris, looking over to the door.

"Yeah, it's clear. Just some books, which didn't seem to be of any importance. I found an um… pocket grimoire? Along with the manifest," said Chaxin, as he remembered the book in his pocket. He pulled it out and held it up.

Deloris turned back to him. She spotted the small grimoire and her eyebrows lifted. "Oh, wow, that's quite a find. I didn't expect to find anything useful in the crew quarters," she said. "But I'm glad they're cleared out and empty. That grimoire is a nice piece of loot though. You still have those soul crystals from this morning, right?"

Chaxin nodded. "I do, why?"

"The grimoire is capable of more than just showing you your stats. I'll show you what I mean once we finish re-checking the cargo hold."

"Alright," said Chaxin.

Deloris maneuvered around Chaxin in the hall, and headed back the way they'd come. Her armor clanged with every step. Once again, they entered the cargo hold. They only had two sets of eyes to inspect the hold with, but now they were extra cautious with what they were perceiving.

Deloris remained ahead of Chaxin, acting as a bulwark for any terrors that might still be lurking unseen. She stepped around some of the crates and held her lantern with her shield hand, using it to illuminate the dark recesses of the ship.

"Look around, but don't step too far away," she said.

"I won't," Chaxin confirmed. He wanted to help speed the search, but he knew that he was more vulnerable than she was. What if there was another diseased hiding somewhere? At least if they tried to bite Deloris, they'd get a mouth full of metal.

Before long, they progressed all the way to the back, where the two sarcophagi sat. Deloris checked behind them, revealing the last dark corners that anything could be hiding in.

"That's it," she said, before turning back to Chaxin with her lantern held up. She lowered it to her belt and fastened it once more. "Unless there's something in one of these crates, then there's nothing here that we should be worried about. We can rest and wait for the caravan."

"But what if there's something in the crates?" asked Chaxin.

"We can't go checking them all," said Deloris. "We might ruin some of the supplies or prevent their transport, if we go breaking open all the crates. Best to let that be, until the caravan arrives. They'll have the proper tools and manpower to check everything. There'll also be more fighters. We're just the temporary caretakers."

Bang!

The sound of the sharp crack coming from above, and through the thick wooden floors of the ship, was subdued from when Chaxin had heard something similar earlier that day. It took several seconds for him to realize what he was hearing.

"That's Kaiz's spear," said Deloris. "Move!"

Chaxin didn't need to be told twice, as he immediately turned and rushed through the crates. He outpaced Deloris by half a dozen feet, but her lamp was enough to allow him to navigate.

His boots smacked against the steps as he ascended them. Once he reached the crew deck, he turned and headed up the next flight of steps.

The light of day had waned significantly. It was harder to see into the distance, and the minute details of the deck were obscured unless Deloris's lantern was within lighting distance.

There on the end of the deck, was Kaiz, with his spear aimed over the edge of the railing.

"What's going on?" Deloris called, the moment she was up on the deck.

Chaxin rushed over, looking out to the shore below. The only thing of note was the dull embers of the shot Kaiz had fired. It smoldered in the ground, but with each passing second, its glow dulled further.

"He's gone!" Kaiz replied in a gruff voice. "He started heading toward the village. He yelled back, but it's so far, I couldn't hear him." Kaiz turned and looked back to Chaxin and Deloris. "I yelled for him to stop, but he kept going. That was a couple minutes ago, so I fired a shot to remind him to get his ass back in sight." Kaiz turned and looked back to the village. The burning shot from his spear was no longer emitting any sort of glow. "It's getting darker by the minute, and I can't even make out the glow of the torch he had with him. It should be easy to see, but there's nothing."

"I knew I should've kept him on the ship," Deloris hissed as she joined Chaxin and Kaiz at the front of the deck. The three of them stared towards the abandoned village. There was no movement. No light. No sounds.

"Do you think he found Kalo's tracks?" asked Chaxin. "He might've found something and… maybe he's inside one of the structures?"

"If he doesn't come back in the next couple minutes, I doubt he's coming back at all," said Deloris. "Something's out there. This doesn't feel right."

Chaxin turned, looking up at Deloris. Her gaze was still out toward the village.

They waited another sixty seconds. Then five minutes. Then ten.

The night crept on. Occasionally, the cloud cover alleviated and allowed the dim glow of the gray ether strands of the Graymos to ebb through. The ether strands provided all light on the world, and whatever force had dictated that their light be more substantial had now abated significantly.

Deloris detached her lantern and set it on the deck amidst the three of them.

There had been an eerie silence as they awaited Jerem's return. But his return was not forthcoming.

Finally, Kaiz spoke, "I guess that's it then. He knows better than to be out alone in the dark. He would've came back. He would've." Kaiz let the words linger on the air, his head shaking slowly.

"My concern," Deloris murmured, "is less about the fate of Jerem, and more about what befell him. Not that any death isn't tragic, but… we're now down to three and we have no idea what could be out there."

"You don't think the merfolk are responsible for this, do you?" said Chaxin in a calm, calculated voice. Chaxin had picked up on the fact that if the people around him knew what was wrong, and what was responsible, they usually blamed it. Neither Kaiz nor Deloris were blaming anything.

"That's right," said Deloris. "The merfolk would've looted anything of importance, and then withdrawn after the attack. Their personal losses are meaningless, as they are able to procreate rather quickly compared to humans. They have a matriarchal society, in some fashion, and the shamans are all female. Not much else is known about their culture, if you can call it that, but what we do know is their behavior. We know how they fight, and how they act. At least, people like Kaiz and I do. We've fought many merfolk in our time, along with many other monsters. Merfolk don't do anything remotely clever without the direction of their shaman, and the shaman does nothing without the full retinue of her clan or tribe, whatever they're supposed to be."

"So if it were merfolk, we'd definitely see them, is what you're saying?" asked Chaxin. He turned around and slowly slumped against the railing of the deck.

Deloris nodded. "I'd say that's at least one of the factors. Merfolk don't usually ambush. They've been known to patrol in small groups, but there's too many things that aren't making sense."

"Hope that caravan gets here soon," Kaiz grunted.

"Why?" asked Deloris. "You looking forward to the safety of Grittin? We both know you're more of a frontiersman."

Kaiz managed a chuckle. "Maybe with all the shit that's been going on, I should take a good step back and take things slower."

"Sitting around on your ass is only good for losing experience and getting fat," Deloris chided.

Kaiz sighed. He tapped his spear on the deck and looked up into the night sky. "Sometimes I wonder how we even managed as long as we have," he said.

Chaxin glanced over, ruminating upon a great many things, but he decided to act on one of his questions. "How does your spear work?"

Kaiz glanced over to the seated Chaxin. His lips curled. "This ol’ weapon is a thing of beauty, isn't it? I could tell you were eyeing it earlier."

"Now you've done it," Deloris murmured. She turned and stepped over to a crate that had managed to weather the fire without too much damage. She tested it with her hand and cautiously sat upon it, facing both Chaxin and Kaiz. "Kaiz and his damn spear."

"Deloris is a woman of simple tastes," said Kaiz. "A sword, a shield. Both adequate and time-tested weapons."

"Both of which are enchanted, mind you," Deloris spoke up.

"This spear, crafted by some of the greatest artisans of Wake," Kaiz continued, "is capable of firing a heated projectile through magical means.”

"So it's enchanted then?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz nodded. "It is. The mechanisms allow for a precision shot, and the projectiles have to be added, but the activation and firing is through enchantment, based on pulling the lever, or trigger handle, here," he said, pointing to the metal lever he'd pulled during the cyclops fight.

"So you would have both proficiency in dexterity, to use it at range, and strength, when using it in melee?" Chaxin asked.

"That's precisely right," said Kaiz. "It's a dual purpose weapon that allows for a long melee range, as well as an unsuspecting long-range attack."

"It seems very powerful compared to some of the other weapons I've seen," said Chaxin.

"Don't let a fancy weapon fool you," said Deloris. "A weapon is only as good as the materials used to make it, and an enchanted weapon changes that dynamic significantly. Not to mention, it's entirely dependent on the stats of the person wielding it."

"But to answer his question," Kaiz spoke back up, "yes, it is a powerful weapon. It does have its drawbacks, as many weapons do. But it suits me just fine."

"I see," said Chaxin. He didn't inquire further, and merely added such notions of weaponry to his already flooded mind. Silence fell again, as Chaxin looked back to Deloris, and then to Kaiz again. There demeanor was odd. "You two are very relaxed, despite the prospect that two men—who seemed at least somewhat acquainted with you—are perhaps dead."

Kaiz moved his lips side to side as his gaze fell to the deck. He appeared to be mulling over what Chaxin had just commented on.

"We're used to loss," said Deloris. "Much of the town that we'd called home is now destroyed. People we saw every day are now dead. This is how Wake is. This is how most spheres in the Graymos are. There is some solace in knowing that some of these souls will have a small chance of returning, if they survive Purgatory."

"From what I've heard, that seems to be a very difficult thing to do," said Chaxin.

Kaiz nodded. "It is. Imagine for a moment, that Wake… ah, well, damn, you really have no idea how big this sphere is, since you've only been a short distance." He reached up and scratched at the side of his head.

"Purgatory is an incomprehensible place," said Deloris. "Like Wake, there are places that souls can arrive. There are also methods of leaving, if you can find them."

"Have either of you been to Purgatory?" asked Chaxin, once again looking back and forth between them.

For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.

"You have us here for the rest of the night," said Deloris. "Surely there are other things you'd like to know about?"

Chaxin wasn't sure if there was some taboo towards Purgatory that he wasn't aware of. But with how Deloris and Kaiz talked about it, perhaps it was best to let it flee his thoughts.

"And nothing is known of the place we came from?" asked Chaxin. "As in, where I might've been before I came here? Life doesn't start at the mausoleum, does it?"

"That's a particularly strange topic to discuss at length," said Kaiz. "Mainly because we all know certain words, right? You know what a baby is, don't you?"

Chaxin nodded. "Sure, it's a young human being, that two people… um, make," he said.

"Exactly," said Kaiz. "So envision two people, a man and a woman, who arrive on the same day. They both appear in the mausoleum, just as you did. These two people get together and let's say they have a baby. That baby wouldn't have arrived the way its parents did, right?"

"Well, of course," said Chaxin, as if it was a silly question.

"And you know what a parent is, right?" asked Kaiz.

Chaxin nodded. "A mother or a father."

"So how do you know the word parent, mother, and father, if you weren't created from one? You pretty much 'appeared' in the Graymos through a mausoleum. Two parents didn't make you. So how do you know those words?"

Chaxin's lips parted to speak, but no words were forthcoming. He blinked and considered it some more, then finally said, "I'm not sure. I just do."

"Exactly," said Kaiz. "It's strange, and no one knows how to explain it. We know words for things, but you have no memory of anything before you got here. It's one of life's many strange mysteries."

"Hmm," Chaxin murmured. His fingers brushed over his pants. "There are other spheres, out there in the Graymos?" he asked, pointing up at the sky.

Kaiz looked back up. "Aye, a bunch of ‘em."

"But when the clouds aren't there, all I see is darkness and those strands of gray light, which are sometimes brighter at certain times of the day than others."

"You can't see the other spheres from down here, but they're out there somewhere," said Kaiz.

"And have either of you been to other spheres?" asked Chaxin, hoping it wasn't a touchy subject.

"I've been to another," said Deloris. "It was a long time ago, and it was quite unlike Wake. Wake is full of life. Plants, trees, even monsters. But I was on another sphere where the air hurt to breathe. There was sand and rock. It hurt to keep your eyes open for too long, unless you were underground. It was… a terrible place."

"I suppose, all things considered, I'm glad I appeared here, where there were people to help me," said Chaxin. "I imagine there are some places and people that aren't as friendly as you've been."

"That there are," said Kaiz. "That there are."

There were still questions bouncing around in Chaxin's head, but nothing he figured that they'd be able to answer. There was just so much to think about, and he found himself increasingly tired, now that the day was coming to an end. Somehow, he'd made it. He wasn't sure what tomorrow held, but at least he'd stayed alive one more day.

"Do you mind if I get a little sleep? Or should I stay up?" asked Chaxin.

"If you can sleep, by all means, do so," said Deloris. "Kaiz and I will stay awake. Maybe not at the same time, but we'll be fine. Go ahead, get some rest. With any luck, the caravan from Grittin will be here in a few hours. At worst, it should be here by morning. We'll wake you if anything happens."

"Alright," said Chaxin. He shifted and pulled his sword from the scabbard, so he could lay it nearby. This was both for comfort and quick access if something did happen. He lay on the deck and stared up at the cloudy night sky. His breathing slowed, and his eyes crept closed.

As he tried to sleep, Kaiz and Deloris would whisper quietly to each other. At first, Chaxin listened in, wondering if they'd speak on anything noteworthy, but it was mostly jokes between the two of them, or their thoughts on what they'd do in Grittin.

Before long, unconsciousness claimed Chaxin.

Chapter 13: Daylight

Chaxin's eyes opened. Numerous tiny droplets smacked against his face. Night had given way to day, but the sky looked darker than it had the day before. More droplets pattered against his cheeks, making him close his eyes as he slowly leaned up. The rain fell around the deck, creating a gentle background noise around him. He righted himself into a seated position and rubbed at his eyes. He patted his tunic, noticing that it wasn't damp yet. It hadn't been raining long, and its recent start might've been the cause for his awakening.

He peered around at his surroundings. His sword was still at his side, and nothing had changed around the deck.

Nothing, save for the absence of Kaiz and Deloris.

His gaze swept over the deck. Where were they?

He didn't see their weapons, or any sign of them. The door that led to the lower decks was still closed.

Panic set in as he scrambled to his feet.

He caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked over the side of the ship. Gathered around the ship were over a dozen wagons. Horses were set up in the front to pull them along, and each one had a cloth canopy. They were of varying sizes, and people were hopping out of them.

Kaiz and Deloris were walking around from the side of the ship, approaching the gathered wagons.

It was then that Chaxin realized that they'd gone down to greet the caravan, and they must've let him sleep. He was appreciative, but he could've done without the momentary panic of thinking that he'd been alone. Especially after what had happened last night.

Chaxin opened his mouth to call out to them, but before he could speak a word, he spotted a familiar figure.

The man wore a black cloak, much more extravagant than the kind Tiris and Vol had. Even from the distance, Chaxin could still make out the magenta feathers adorning the shoulders. What was his name? Danar… Dar… something. Kaiz had told him, but he couldn't recall.

The man approached Kaiz and Deloris. They all stopped close by and began to converse. Chaxin noticed that there were several guards nearby, wearing the same armor that the two escorts had worn when he saw the man back at Kamber. There were at least four well-armored guards, and armed guards with various weapons, but not full armor. There were regular-clothed people as well, who were being directed over to the side of the ship.

At that, Chaxin realized he wanted to head down before anyone started coming up. He picked up and sheathed his sword, then grabbed the manifest, which was still on the deck.

He made his way over to the other side off the deck, and descended along the side, using the divots in the wood.

By the time he reached the bottom and planted his feet in the sand, the first few people from the caravan had made their way around. He nodded to them as he passed by, and sought out Kaiz and Deloris, who were still talking to the man with magenta feathers on his cloak.

He approached slowly and began to hear their conversation.

"I'd advise sending a patrol go through the village, just to be sure nothing is lurking around," said Deloris.

By now, a man in leather armor had joined. He had an almost fully shaved head, and a few scars on the left side. He had dull gray eyes, but held a neutral smile upon his lips in between speaking. He wore a patch on his arm with the black background and the red circle, which Chaxin remembered had something to do with Grittin.

"I'll set up some patrols then," the man said. "You said you lost two of your own, while you were on guard?"

"That's right, it's just the three of us now," said Kaiz, who then spotted Chaxin out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, perfect, you're awake."

Chaxin nodded. "Yeah, had a bit of a scare when no one was around up there."

Kaiz smirked, but didn't respond.

The rainfall had increased and was gradually drenching the area, making the sand mushier and less crunchy.

Deloris turned her head and spotted the tome in Chaxin's hand. "Here, I'll take that," she said, and held out her hand.

Chaxin handed over the manifest, which Deloris promptly offered to the man with the magenta feathers. He took it and opened it up. He didn't seem concerned that the pages were getting wet, but despite this, Deloris held her shield up to protect the manifest.

"This here is Daxar," said Kaiz. "And this is Captain Politz."

Daxar didn't so much as lift his gaze when Kaiz introduced him. Politz took a step forward and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said. "Chaxin, was it?"

Chaxin shook the man's hand and nodded. "Correct. You're one of the lead guards of Grittin, then?"

Politz nodded. "That's right. One of several, actually. But I lead the unarmored guards here that are part of this caravan. The really shiny guards are Daxar's personal guard. They never really listen to anything I say," he said with a soft chuckle.

Chaxin smiled at Politz's comment. "Is Grittin far?"

Politz shrugged. "Far enough, I suppose. From here, we have to travel up towards Kamber, then through a bit of forest, then into the mire, and then there's some open fields, and then you're at Grittin. It's a bit of a ride, but not a terribly long one, I suppose."

"You all made it here fairly quickly," said Deloris, who was still shielding Daxar's reading. "Did it take long to prep the carts?"

"Not particularly," said Politz. "We had a number of carts available for use. Me and my men were on standby. We grabbed some laborers and then headed right over."

"Time was of the essence," Daxar spoke in a slow voice, as if he wasn't actually paying attention. "But we arrived as soon as we were able. This cargo is of great import to Lord Karnith, and we needed to secure it. Especially in light of the recent fall of Kamber." He closed the manifest and handed it off to Captain Politz. "The laborers will get the crane working, and we'll load as much as we can on the carts."

"What's so important about the cargo in there?" asked Kaiz.

Chaxin had wanted to ask that very question, but Daxar's demeanor had given him pause. He didn't seem to be the friendliest sort of person.

Daxar sighed and looked to the ship. "There are two sarcophagi, which Lord Karnith went to great lengths to procure. And while the rest of the cargo is of little import to us, we might as well take it as well, since no one will be able to claim it for themselves. Better we seize it to better the people of Grittin, than to let monsters get a hold of it."

Daxar looked to Deloris, then over to Kaiz. "Feel free to continue aiding us in this endeavor. The people of Kamber are already being evacuated to Grittin as we speak. Many carts and guards were diverted to Kamber, while we continued here. As is customary, all services will be compensated with coin once we return. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Daxar glanced to Chaxin, but only for the briefest of moments. He turned around and went back over to one of the carts, which had two fully-armored guards standing in front of it.

Once he was out of earshot, Politz spoke up. "That man isn't much for pleasantries or words, unless you're some high-ranking official of some sort," he said, shaking his head. He looked back to the three people in front of him. "So, sorry for his lack of hospitality. I'm also sorry to hear about the men you lost. Never an easy thing, losing friends and comrades." He went quiet for a moment and glanced around their surroundings. "I've got plenty of people to accomplish patrols and perimeter defense, so if you want to just wander around and make it look like you're guarding and keeping an eye out, or even just sit and take a breather, I'd be happy to call it guard service for the three of you." His lips curled into more of a smile.

"Sounds good," said Deloris. "Let us know if you need anything more of us."

Politz nodded. "I will." With that, he turned and headed off towards a grouping of lightly armored guards, who he promptly conversed with. It didn't take more than a couple seconds for several of the gathered guards to break away and head towards the abandoned town.

"Well, I guess we can relax a little," said Kaiz.

As the rain continued to fall, it pattered against Deloris's plate armor. Her eyes scanned the new arrivals, occasionally glancing over to where Daxar had gone.

Kaiz watched as the more common clothed individuals went to directing carts over closer to the boat.

The sound of metal hitting wood could be heard coming from up on the ship, as laborers began working on getting the cargo hatch open, while several others endeavored to work the still-functional crane.

"I'm going to take a walk around," said Deloris, who then turned and headed off towards a small gathering of people from the caravan.

"Well, not much to do now," said Kaiz. He held his spear with both hands and seemed to lean on it as he scanned the area. "The laborers will do all the heavy lifting, the guards seem to have everything under control. I'm obviously still concerned about whatever happened to Jerem and Kalo, but I feel we can count a horde of merfolk out of the question. Which leaves us with some type of assailant or monster that we're not prepared for."

"Assailant?" asked Chaxin. He turned to Kaiz. His hand had found its way back to the pommel of his sword. "You say that as if you think other people might be against us for some reason."

"Look, Chaxin," Kaiz sighed. "When you've been in this world long enough, you start to see how it works. You pick up on things. You understand how things are. You haven't been here nearly long enough to learn the nuances of the world. Give it five years, and you'll start to pick up on things. In the meantime, you should trust the judgement of people like myself, Deloris, and even people like that Captain Politz. But despite the fact that we're all in this universe together, all just trying to survive, some people… humans, that is, tend to lean towards harming others in order to benefit themselves. It's why we have thieves. People who steal, to better themselves at the cost of others. Some people are fine with even killing another person, to get what they want. Sometimes you have disputes between towns or kingdoms. Disputes can occur for a number of reasons. Local resources, or hunting grounds, or even something like… I dunno, an insult."

Chaxin looked away, dwelling on the things Kaiz was telling him. "Just as you'd told me not to share my stats and level," he murmured. He then looked back to Kaiz. "But wouldn't everyone benefit from working together?"

Kaiz managed a half smile. "You'll quickly lose that optimism and naive way of thinking," he said. "But you're not wrong. It would be better. But everyone has their own ideas on what would benefit themselves, and others. As far as the reasoning behind why Kalo, the horses, and Jerem went missing… Well, I'm not sure. Maybe someone's been tailing us and picking us off when we're alone. Jerem and Kalo were capable fighters, but they weren't exactly on par with Deloris and I. So, make sure you stick to one of us. If someone's picking off easy targets, then you'd be a prime target."

"It's not like I have much worth stealing," Chaxin murmured, remembering how they’d conversed about a similar topic before.

Kaiz reached out and squeezed Chaxin's shoulder. "Come on, let's just take it easy and watch them unload the ship." Kaiz released his handhold and turned to head closer to where several carts had gathered on the side of the ship. Their canopies had been drawn back to allow crates to be delivered into the wagon bed.

Chaxin followed after Kaiz. After their discussion about possible assailants, Chaxin found himself looking around even more. Could those three people they encountered after fighting the cyclops have come after them? Maybe they were sore about losing their horse, and ended up stealing all three of theirs? But if that was the case, why stick around and kill Jerem? Was that the kind of people they were?

The more Chaxin considered it, the more it didn't make sense to him. But then again, perhaps there were aspects to the situation that he wasn't able to realize.

Kaiz leaned against one of the carts about fifty feet away from the wagons which were against the ship.

Chaxin moved beside him and looked up to the top deck, where a tall wooden pole was slowly turning. There was a long wooden beam that came out from a section mid-way up. Then, there were ropes that went down to a net, which was currently wrapped around a crate.

"Guess they broke open that banged-up cargo door," Kaiz murmured.

"So that device allows them to unload the ship?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz nodded. "Yep. I'm surprised it's functioning as well as it is. Didn't you say the whole deck was ablaze? Perhaps it wasn't burning for too long."

"Yeah, there were a bunch of fires all over the deck," said Chaxin. "I'm not sure how bad it was, and it all happened pretty fast."

Several minutes later, Captain Politz approached from the side and stopped by Kaiz and Chaxin, but his attention was on the crates being slowly lowered onto the wagons. "This shouldn't take too long," he said. "Then we can be on our way and you can relax in the safety of Grittin. Have you put any thought towards assignments?" He turned his head and looked to Kaiz. "The Grittin Guard is always hiring strong adventurers, if you're looking to take it a bit easier. However, with the fall of Kamber, and of course the other towns that have diminished in the past ten years, we've been running more patrols."

"I've never been one to sit around for too long," said Kaiz. "I did my duty to defend Kamber when it needed it, but if I'm not out hunting monsters and improving my stats, then I just don't feel comfortable with my life. You know?"

"Can't say that I blame you," said Politz. "I was the same way for a long time."

It was at that comment that Chaxin looked between the two. Kaiz seemed as though he could probably be just a little younger than Politz, but he wasn't sure. He also didn't think now was the time to go asking.

"But then I met a woman, had a kid, and found a slightly different purpose for myself," Politz continued. "I put some time into the grunt levels of the Grittin Guard, and with my stats, I was able to move into the rank of Captain, which allows me not to have to get my hands as dirty. I get a decent salary, and the wife doesn't have to worry about me as much. I do miss going out and hunting things, but I guess I don't miss the danger."

"I guess I haven't entirely tired of the thrill of it," said Kaiz with a chuckle. "Makes me feel like I'm doing my part to keep Wake safe."

Politz didn't respond, as his head turned to look back to the unloading of the ship.

The horses on the lead wagon slowly trotted to pull it away, and another wagon eased into position. Several smaller crates were lowered to the wagon's bed, and then the rope net was lifted back up to the deck, seemingly worked by people who were just out of sight from their current vantage point. Chaxin only vaguely remembered seeing contraptions that he wasn't sure the purpose of near the pole that was turning.

"That woman… um, Deloris, was it?" Politz spoke up again. "She had a certain look about her. She's been adventuring a long time, hasn't she? She reminds me of a man I knew once. He was only in Grittin for a day, but I'll never forget the sureness of his personality. There was a rumor that he was one of the Hundred Knights. I can't explain it, but seeing her made me think of him."

Kaiz chuckled again. "A guard captain, believing in fairy tales?" he asked.

Politz turned to Kaiz and smiled. "What's wrong with that? Isn't it nice to have harmless folklore to believe in?"

"What are the Hundred Knights?" Chaxin asked.

"You don't know the tale of the Hundred Knights?" asked Politz.

"Sorry," said Chaxin. "I'm—"

"He's a bit new to the area," said Kaiz.

Politz shrugged. "Well, the Hundred Knights are a group of a hundred… well, knights. It's said that they boast incredible strength. Their stats are greater than your average adventurer, because they go around and hunt the strongest monsters in the region. They scour the region for nests and powerful beasts, and then they move on."

"There's also a rumor that they never lose anyone," said Kaiz. "That they have the power of resurrection magic, and they closely guard it, only ever using it on a fallen comrade."

"Resurrection magic?" Chaxin asked, his eyes widening as he looked to Kaiz. "They can raise the dead back to life? How?"

"It's just a rumor," said Kaiz. "It's how they keep their ranks, I imagine. But you should realize, this story is very old. People twice my age have known of this story," said Kaiz. "And I've never seen proof of a Hundred Knight, and Deloris has never mentioned them. If she was one of them," Kaiz then looked to Politz, "and if that man you saw had been one of them, then where were the ninety-eight others?"

Politz grinned from ear to ear. "Where indeed? Perhaps they have a central location somewhere, or they keep their whereabouts hidden. I imagine they've acquired quite a few soul crystals with plenty of energy. Prime pickings for a master thief. But regardless of its authenticity, it's a nice story for new arrivals, and children. Makes them have hope and feel safe, even in this tragic world we live in."

"Some might say that tales such as that only give people false hope," came Deloris's voice from behind them.

The three of them turned their heads and spotted Deloris standing there, five feet behind them. None of them had heard her sneak up.

"People should strive to strengthen themselves and survive," she continued to say, as she stepped over to them, her armor making the loud clinks and clangs that Chaxin was used to hearing. "Believing that there's a group of powerful warriors that can rid the world of all evils will only make certain people become complacent." Her gauntlets rested on her hips.

Politz watched her for several long seconds before letting another smile curl his lips. "Well, no matter. Real or not, it doesn't change my outlook on the world," he said, before turning his attention back to the crane. "I just like fairy tales, I suppose."

"No harm in that," Kaiz mused.

Up on the top deck of the ship, one of the ornate sarcophagi was lifted into the air. It glimmered, despite the gloominess of the day.

"Wonder what the cost of something like that is," Politz murmured.

The sarcophagi was lifted into the air in a thick rope net. The crane turned, and then slowly lowered the cargo down into the empty bed of another wagon.

"Isn't that the whole reason you're all here?" asked Chaxin. "Daxar had said something about those two coffins."

"Yeah, the supplies from the ship will definitely be important. Especially with the influx of the survivors from Kamber," said Politz. "But Daxar was definitely interested in the two sarcophagi. From what I gather, Lord Karnith wants them. Dunno what for. Perhaps a gift to another kingdom, or to bury someone important. Hell, maybe he's planning for the future and wants himself and his wife to be buried in them."

"Seems… extravagant," said Chaxin. "Is Lord Karnith a well-off person?"

Politz chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that. He's the ruler of the largest kingdom in the region. Usually the rulers of a city, or kingdom, tend to be well-off. So he definitely has the resources to acquire such things."

Chaxin watched as the mesh net was lifted back into the air, after depositing the casket into the wagon. Rain continued to patter down. Now that Deloris was nearby, he could hear it pinging off her armor.

He looked to Deloris. "Were the council members of Kamber in better position than the rest of the townspeople? They didn't seem particularly lavish."

"Kamber wasn't exactly a rich town," said Deloris as she watched the laborers. "Some places are set up to be wealth generators, for taxes, or other things. Some kingdoms are run by tyrannical leaders that siphon off as much as they can from the populace, while others are set up in such a way that allows a fairer distribution. Not that Lord Karnith is the former, but he's definitely profiting from his role. I'm not too familiar with him, perhaps he deserves every piece of gold. Grittin has certainly prospered under his leadership, from what I remember when I was younger."

"It was his guidance that saw us through that war with the Jari region, across the sea," said Politz. "Some nasty business that, but the whole region had gone to pirates and thieves, and they were plundering any vessel that went into the waters." Politz looked to Chaxin. "This was some twenty years ago, mind you. But Lord Karnith helped amass ships and an army, to go put an end to what they were doing. We rooted them out, and the pirate presence in the seas has been severely reduced from what it once was."

"You were in the Jari War?" asked Kaiz, glancing over to Politz with lifted brows.

"That I was," Politz confirmed. "But this was, of course, twenty years ago. I was nothing but a foot grunt at the time. But Lord Karnith made good on his payments to even the lowliest of soldiers. Not to mention, we put an end to a true plight. They may not have been traditional monsters, but they were ravaging the region and stifling our survival."

Chaxin listened to the conversation with interest. It dealt partially with things he'd been discussing with Kaiz earlier. Humans hurting humans, just to better their own chances of survival, instead of working for mutual prosperity.

His eyes followed the crane, as it lifted the second sarcophagi into the air. It was just as gaudy as its twin. He wondered what sort of person would care about such an exorbitant coffin, just to set a dead body in. Was that normal? He knew that the dead were generally buried, in some fashion. Somehow he knew this to be true, despite having no recollection of ever seeing a person buried.

The crane turned and held the coffin over the edge of the ship.

Crack.

The arm of the crane suddenly cracked in the middle. The front bent, as the weight of the sarcophagi drove it down.

Shouts came from the men on the top of the ship as the coffin plummeted towards the cart below. Several people jumped out of the way as it smashed against the other sarcophagi that had already been placed in the wagon.

The bed of the cart broke under the sudden impact from the second coffin crashing into it. The force of the impact caused the falling casket to crack open and fall to the side to land in the sand, partially opened.

Without a word, Politz dashed towards the fallen cargo, just as several of the nearby laborers and guards were picking themselves up and brushing their clothes off.

Kaiz leaned off the wagon he was against, and Deloris took a step forward.

Chaxin was paralyzed by the sudden incident, but he didn't move. It didn't seem as though anyone had gotten hurt from the accident.

"Is everyone alright?" Politz called as he neared the scene.

"All good here, sir," came one of the guard's voices, then another followed suit. There were four guards in all who had been standing nearby, while three laborers in common clothes were overseeing the loading of the carts from the base of the ship.

"Close it!" came a voice from far away.

Chaxin's head turned at the sound. He spotted four full-plate armored soldiers, running ahead of Daxar, who was waving his arm as he ran. "Close it! Close it now!" The sound of his voice became clearer as he ran towards the wagons. The ornately armored guards were only a dozen steps ahead of him, but still a distance away.

Chaxin turned his attention to the scene of the accident. The laborers were surveying the sarcophagi, which was lying on its side, open several inches into the sand.

"What's Daxar in such a fever about?" Kaiz asked.

"Close the coffin!" Daxar yelled again.

It was only with that latest shout that his voice carried over to Politz, causing the guard captain to turn and look to the man and four guards running towards them.

"What?" Politz called back, apparently not having heard.

The lid of the sarcophagi opened further, moved by some unseen force.

A ghastly shadow crept out from the opening of the coffin, as if it was crawling out along the sand. Then, in an instant, it rose up, towering above the nearby laborers and guards.

The apparition possessed some of the traits of a humanoid figure. Arms, torso, a shrouded hood over its head. It didn't seem to wear clothing, yet its form was wreathed in shadow, as if it wore the darkness around it. No greater details could be made from the distance Chaxin was at, other than a strange metallic glint coming from its left arm. It wore some sort of fingerless gauntlet or glove, but didn't possess a similar one on its other arm.

"What the hell is that?" said Kaiz, gripping his spear.

"Shoot it!" Deloris yelled, as she was spurred into movement, rushing towards the monstrous, wraith-like entity.

"Yes, ma'am!" Without hesitation, Kaiz pulled his spear up and took aim at the creature.

Before he could even squeeze off a shot, it twisted and turned. It swiped its arm in the direction of several of the nearby laborers. Numerous shadowy streaks flew out from the creature's hand. The energy glistened like oil, but emitted a faint blue glow. The streaks pierced the laborers as if they were being struck with daggers. The three men grasped at their wounds as they fell over, their bodies going limp in a matter of seconds.

Bang!

A heated ball of metal flew from the muzzle of Kaiz's spear and shot toward the apparition.

The creature flinched; its other arm flew up in the briefest instant as the projectile reached it. A burst of sparks flew from the moment of impact, as the monster swatted the bullet out of the air and sent it off to smolder into the wood of the nearby ship.

"What the shit?" Kaiz spoke, his spear lowering as he stared with wide eyes. "How can it do that?"

Just like when the accident had occurred, Chaxin stood there, paralyzed. But instead of surprise, now, it was fear. "What… what is it?" he whispered, as if being told the creature's name or origin could possibly pull him from his stupor.

Politz pulled his sword as two of the nearby guards rushed the apparition. The shadowy monster stood at least two feet above them. Instead of legs, it seemed to glide along the ground itself, as if it wore some sort of robe obscuring anything beneath its torso.

The guards swung their swords, but the monster shifted easily out of the way. Another swing of its arm sent more black streaks towards the two guards. One had a shield, which he used to block the oncoming shadowy bolts, while the other crumpled to the ground, with one of the bolts lodged in his eye. Moments after the streaks of darkness smacked into the round wooden shield, the shield itself broke apart and fell from the man's arm.

While it was distracted by the two guards, Politz struck with his broadsword, only to have his blow deflected by those impossibly fast arms. He recoiled from the monster's parry, but quickly righted himself.

It was then that Deloris joined the melee. With a shout, she swung her sword with all her strength.

The monster went to block it, but as its arm connected with the sword, the sword kept moving, cutting into the creature's arm, causing shadowy wisps to escape the gash, just as blood might drip from a wound.

A terrible howl that no human mouth could possibly make came from the apparition. It rushed towards the second sarcophagi. Its ghostly fingers scraped at the locking mechanism.

Deloris was upon the monster again, striking with her enchanted sword, while Politz joined in the attack.

It pulled out of the way, avoiding Deloris's blade, while effortlessly deflecting Politz's again.

Deloris moved to block access to the second sarcophagi, just as the pristine-armored guards from Daxar's personal retinue joined the battle.

The shrouded head of the monster turned and contorted, as if taking in the combatants lined against it. It swung its arms, launching more dark bolts at the gathered warriors. Daxar's guards lifted their rectangular metal shields, easily blocking the attacks. Deloris did the same with her own with no issue. Politz was forced to deflect with his broadsword. His blade was hit with three of the bolts, and a second later, the metal shattered into dozens of pieces.

Without warning, the apparition turned and darted off. Even as it glided through the air, a small line several inches across was formed in the sand, as if some unseen force was distorting its path. The monster moved quicker than any normal man could run. There was no way to chase it at such speed. All anyone could do was watch as it slipped past the remaining wagons and disappeared into the abandoned village.

Chapter 14: Travel

Rain speckled the shore. All eyes were drawn to the abandoned village, where the apparition had fled.

Several bodies lay in the sand, motionless and bleeding.

"Should we give chase?" came the feminine but stern voice of one of Daxar's retinue guards.

"No!" Daxar called out suddenly. He turned to the scene of the tragedy. "Secure the other sarcophagi! Put rope or chain around it! I don't care, but make sure it can't possibly be opened! I want full-time guard on the sarcophagi."

Daxar's attention went to Politz. "I told you to notify me when they began pulling the coffins out!" he snapped.

"Apologies." Politz tensed as he swallowed. He gripped his sword tightly and slowly sheathed it. "I… got distracted."

Daxar's eyes narrowed at Politz. "The deaths of those men are on your head, Captain Politz," he warned.

"Surely the accident can't be blamed on him," Kaiz spoke up.

"It was not the coffin falling that killed those men," said Daxar. "And if my guard had been here to oversee the unloading of the sarcophagi, they could've engaged it sooner!"

"Then you knew what that creature was?" Deloris spoke up, taking a step toward Daxar. "And you didn't warn anyone of it? We needed to know there were monsters in the crates!"

Daxar's lips parted in a sneer, his pearly white teeth visible. "Some things are best kept secret," he said. "But yes, we have some idea of what they are. We call them spectres. As you saw, they are quite formidable."

"What else do you know of them?" asked Deloris in an urgent voice. "How much do you know of these spectres? How did you have such a creature captured, or even brought here?"

Daxar stared at Deloris, and then looked to the others in the area. "I know very little, but Lord Karnith can provide better answers than I. I merely do his bidding. When we return to Grittin, come speak with him yourself if you wish to know more. What I do know is that not many who fight a spectre live long enough to speak of it afterwards."

Daxar diverted his attention to the opened sarcophagi, and then to the other which had broken through the wagon bed. Thankfully, the other one was still closed. He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Fix this mess, Politz. I hope for your sake nothing happens to the other sarcophagi." With that, Daxar turned and headed back towards another wagon. "Lessa, with me. The three of you, stay on guard," he said, in direction to his personal guards.

Lessa, the armored guard who had spoken earlier, followed immediately after Daxar, while the three remaining full-plate soldiers, took up positions around the nearby area.

"I can't believe that thing was right beneath us the whole time," Chaxin murmured. "And there's probably another in the other coffin, isn't there?"

"I imagine so," said Kaiz, as Deloris slowly stepped back to join them. "Have you seen one of those things before, Deloris?"

Deloris shook her head. "No," she answered. "But nothing that looks like that has any place around humans. You could feel its malevolence. Its hatred. It tried to free the other, but luckily Daxar's guards arrived in time. I have a feeling it would've been a tough fight to win on my own, given how it was able to easily avoid and deflect non-enchanted weaponry."

"How exactly was it, that your weapon could hurt it, while Politz couldn't?" asked Chaxin, his eyes upon Deloris's blade.

"Because my sword has numerous enchantments on it," she said. "I'd rather not go into great detail, but it could be that even the material of the blade was able to harm it."

"Just a few of those dark bolts were able to break down a sword and shield," said Kaiz. "But you and Daxar's special guards didn't seem to have an issue."

At that comment, Deloris turned her shield and looked at the front of it. There were deep pierce marks where the bolts had impacted. "Well, my gear is overall better than average armaments."

"Sadly, I wish I'd been more prepared for this," said Politz, who slowly approached the three of them. "I'm sorry for getting you all mixed up in whatever the hell a spectre is. I've never seen such a thing, and to be fully truthful, Daxar hadn't said anything about monsters being in those coffins." He glanced back to the sarcophagi, as several new laborers had joined to help clean up the broken wagon and make way for a new one. Without the crane, it took some mechanical know how to leverage the two sarcophagi onto two other carts. "But if I could trouble you further," he continued, his gaze going to Deloris, "I could really use your help in guarding the rest of the cargo until we get it to Lord Karnith. I'm sure he'd be happy to reward all three of you for your assistance in this, despite my… fuck up."

"I'll remain nearby," said Deloris.

"I can only wonder how well my spear would be able to take some direct hits from those bolts," said Kaiz, looking to his prized weapon.

"I've had swords break, but never like that," Politz said. "I need to go see if there's a spare somewhere. Not that it'll matter much if that creature strikes back," he all but growled as he stepped away.

"Would that thing try and ambush us in the village?" asked Chaxin.

"I suspect it's not going to stick around," said Deloris. "It knows we can fight it, and somehow, something trapped it in that coffin. Or maybe that's where those things sleep? Who knows. But I definitely hurt it, and the other armored guards were able to defend against its attacks. I doubt that it'll try anything, but who the hell knows? We'll just need to be cautious."

"Speaking of swords," Kaiz spoke up. He looked down to Chaxin's weapon on his belt. "Maybe we can find you something better in Grittin. Not that you need something capable of fighting that damn spectre thing, but with whatever you managed to grab back in Kamber, and whatever reward we get for our services here, you should be able to gear yourself up a bit better. It's amazing you've survived this long, all things considered."

"Truly, it is," said Deloris. "Hmm, which reminds me," she muttered as she looked further down the shore to the rocks near the broken down mausoleum. "Kaiz, why don't you go and inspect the mausoleum with Chaxin? See if there's anything there that could've possibly given it enough energy to still work. If it's still functional, you should disable it. With Kamber gone, there's nothing nearby that could act as a safe refuge. Better to destroy it."

"Aye," said Kaiz. "Let's check it out." He turned and headed in the direction of the mausoleum.

"Hurry back though," said Deloris. "You should have plenty of time, but don't take too long. I'm sure in light of recent events, Daxar will have us heading back all the quicker."

"Won't be but a few minutes," said Kaiz as he kept walking.

Chaxin went after him.

The two of them headed down the shore, and upon getting closer to the water, Kaiz instructed Chaxin to roll up his trousers and remove his boots, which he also did himself.

They waded out into the water and stuck close to the rock-side. Chaxin noticed that the salty scent of the water was more prevalent this close, but it wasn't an undesirable odor. With all the merfolk passing through it, he actually imagined it might've smelled worse. But then, he didn't remember them smelling bad. He'd been a little too terrified of them at the time to bother catching their scent up close.

The mausoleum was just as he'd left it. But now, he could see just how much in disarray it was. He'd never seen a "pristine" version of such a structure, but it definitely had seen better days.

Kaiz tilted his head in and peeked around inside. "Yep, flooded inside too. Go back in there and feel around in the water, next to the dais. See if maybe a crystal is laying around somewhere or something."

"Alright," said Chaxin, as he maneuvered past Kaiz and went back into the place he'd first appeared in. He stepped carefully, now that he wasn't in any hurry. He didn't want something sharp to jab his foot. He approached the partially slanted dais and bent over, feeling around through the water. Beneath his feet, there was just smooth stone. He slowly made his way around, and eventually, he just started using his feet to brush around against the base of the dais.

Outside, Kaiz checked the exterior. "Doesn't seem to be any rune markings out here. A mausoleum can store power in any number of ways. Rune magic, soul crystals, anything that gives it energy."

"I'm not finding anything in here," said Chaxin, having finally completed his circuit around the dais. He then proceeded to brush his feet slowly back and forth between the dais and the walls.

"I think I might've found something," Kaiz spoke up.

Chaxin turned to the entrance and slowly waded over. Kaiz was outside, staring up at the left corner of the roof of the mausoleum. Once Chaxin was outside, he looked up as well. "You see that, right there?" asked Kaiz.

Chaxin noticed it before Kaiz pointed it out. There were streaks of oily black residue on the otherwise gray stone. It had dried partway down the edge of the roof.

"We can't see up on the roof. So let me boost you up there, and you can take a look," said Kaiz.

"Um, alright, yeah, sure," said Chaxin, as apprehension suddenly struck him. He took in a slow breath as Kaiz bent and positioned with his hands together.

"Just put your foot here, and grab the edge. Then pull yourself up. Easy."

"Right," said Chaxin, as he waded over. He reached out to put a hand to the outside wall of the mausoleum, and lifted a foot into the man's strong hands.

"On the count of three," he said. "One… two… three!" Kaiz lifted Chaxin up.

The young man grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled himself up to peek over it. Before he could start to hoist himself up, he spotted a strange lifeless mass. "I see something," he said.

"Good, now get up there and check it out," said Kaiz, still holding his foot up.

"Right, right," said Chaxin, as he was spurred into action. He pulled the rest of his weight up and crawled up onto the roof of the mausoleum. Once upon it, he stood up and looked down at the object. It looked to be some sort of sickly dark green tentacle. It was cut at the base, where it had leaked some of the dark ichor onto the edge of the roof, which had dripped down and dried.

"Some sort of tentacle thing," said Chaxin. "Should I touch it?"

"Is it moving?" asked Kaiz.

"No, it's just laying here. It doesn't look as though it was like, a single entity. Looks like it might've been part of something larger. It's a few feet long, about a foot wide. Dark green… looks mostly dry now, but the fleshy outside seems almost oily."

"I don't know what the fuck that could be," said Kaiz. "And it looks like it's just cut off?"

"Yeah. I'm not seeing anything else," said Chaxin.

"I've only got a couple loose theories," said Kaiz. "But… how about you stab it with your sword, and hold it over the edge? I don't wanna touch it, but if it's somehow responsible for activating the mausoleum, then we need to get it off of it.”

Chaxin pulled his sword and stabbed into the center of the otherworldly appendage. He then lifted it up and lowered it over the edge of the roof. It was heavier than he imagined it being.

Kaiz stabbed his spear into it at a different angle. "Alright, pull the sword out and drop back down."

Chaxin pulled the sword free and carefully dropped down into the water. Once down, he dragged his blade through the water and sand, trying to clean any ichor from it.

"Damn, look at this thing," Kaiz murmured, as he began to walk from the mausoleum further up the shore. Chaxin followed as he wiped his blade on his trousers to dry it off before sheathing it. After walking up along the stone-side, Kaiz lowered the tendril and pulled his spear from it. He crouched down and began to dig in the sand. "I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do, but we're just going to bury it here. That way it won't wash up into the mausoleum."

"Alright, sounds good," said Chaxin, who knelt nearby and helped dig out an adequate hole in the sand. Once it was large enough, Kaiz used his spear to push the tentacle piece into the hole. Then, with Chaxin's help, he covered it back up and packed the sand in around it.

Kaiz rose and shook his head. "Let's head back, grab your boots," he said, before heading over to where his own pair were sitting in the sand.

Chaxin went with him to retrieve their boots, and once they were on, and his trousers unrolled, he spoke up. "So, what do you think it was?"

Kaiz was silent for several long seconds, but finally, he spoke. "There are some monsters that are so powerful, that even their blood can contain power… or energy, whatever you wanna call it."

"And you think whatever that tentacle was a part of was such a creature?" asked Chaxin.

"If someone had used rune magic," said Kaiz, "the runes would've dissipated, once their energy was used up. So that's still technically a possibility. There's the chance that someone hooked up a soul crystal, to have its energy… I don't know, siphoned off? I guess that's possible, but soul crystals are only really used for writing scrawl, so I'd count that out. The only other possibility is that the blood from that creature somehow empowered the mausoleum enough for it to draw you to it, causing your arrival."

"So, you're saying that my very presence is from some monstrous creature's blood?" asked Chaxin.

Kaiz rolled his shoulders. "Who knows. I wouldn't dwell much on it. It's not like that really matters, does it? A mausoleum is a mausoleum. They draw people to them through being empowered, and people wake up inside them. That's all I know, and that's all that really matters. Doesn't matter what was powering it."

Chaxin listened, but he couldn't help but feel as though it did matter. He kept quiet for the time being.

They returned to Deloris, who was still guarding the wagons which had been loaded with the sarcophagi. The two coffins had been roped up many times over, and both were closed.

"So?" asked Deloris, as the two of them neared.

Kaiz went on to explain what they found.

Deloris watched the sea as she listened to the explanation. When Kaiz had finished, she spoke up. "I think you're right," she said, agreeing with Kaiz's assessment of how the tentacle might've empowered the mausoleum. "It's very plausible. I've never actually seen such a thing, but there are more than a few rumors about beings so powerful that their very blood can empower things, much as we use soul crystals to create scrawl. When I cut into that spectre, it didn't even have blood. It was as if its very essence ebbed out when I maimed it. So who knows what its blood, or essence, or whatever you want to call it, could be capable of."

"I just don't like the prospect that I'm here because of a monster," Chaxin finally spoke up, after having been silent for several minutes.

Deloris watched him and nodded. "I can understand how that may be disconcerting, but don't dwell on it. You look human, you act human. Hell, I saw those merfolk attack you just like they'd attack anyone else. You're just like me and Kaiz. Save for the fact that we've got a few years on you, and higher stats," she said, smiling just a bit.

Deloris's words lifted Chaxin's spirits. He smiled back and nodded in return. "I guess you're right. I'm sure this weird feeling will go away by tomorrow." He paused for a moment and glanced around, as the wagons started to gather at a central location on the shore. Several laborers were coming around from the side of the ship. "Are we leaving?" asked Chaxin.

"Looks like it," said Deloris. "Let's find out where we can hitch a ride."

The wagons all came to rest around each other, still on the shore. Laborers and guards were still milling about, while others were checking the horses and the canopies.

It wasn't long before Politz approached the three of them, holding a roll of cloth in his hands. "Here you go," he said, handing it to Deloris. "I'm sure you're all hungry, and it's going to be a bit of a ride back to Grittin, especially now that we're laden with cargo. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Um…" he trailed off and glanced around. "There, that cart," he said, as he lifted his hand and pointed. "That one will be riding just ahead of the two sarcophagi carts, which will have two of Daxar's men on each. So if anything happens, you'll be in close proximity to respond. Hopefully that won't be the case. I'll be in the cart just behind theirs, not that I'll be able to do much… but hell if I won't at least try," he said, managing a half smile before giving the three of them a brief nod. "I'll see you when we get to Grittin."

"See you there," said Deloris. "Thanks for the rations."

With that, Politz headed off.

Deloris slowly unwrapped the cloth and revealed three items. Green leaves were wrapped around bread, which appeared to have some sort of melted cheese in the center.

Kaiz grabbed one and immediately bit into it. He chewed it a little and shrugged. "A bit dry, but the cheese ain't bad," he said, as he then took another bite and turned to walk towards their cart.

Deloris handed Chaxin one of the loaves and took the last for herself. "Let's find our seats," she said, as she and Chaxin followed Kaiz. Her armor clanged with each step.

Kaiz was the first to reach the wagon. There was a woman seated up front, wearing a pair of brown trousers and a grey tunic. She wore a shawl over her shoulders and head, and was of fair complexion. She seemed to be watching the surrounding wagons, as if waiting for the order to move out. She spotted Kaiz first, as he neared the side of the wagon. "Go ahead and hop in in the back," she spoke in a soft voice. "There's a crate back there, but there should be enough room for you and your friends."

"Alright, thanks," Kaiz spoke, before heading around to the back.

The wagon had a wooden bed, and just as the woman had said, there was a crate taking up about half the cart space. Kaiz hoisted himself in and sat to one side. There was enough room to stretch his legs out, which he promptly did. Deloris was the next one in, and she sat on the other side and extended her plate-covered boots out beside Kaiz.

Chaxin was the last in. He settled in on the same side as Kaiz, with Deloris's boots separating them. He leaned on the end of the cart and looked out the opening. From there, he could see the ship and its broken crane.

He took a bite of the loaf and chewed it quietly. The green leaf didn't have any sort of crunch to it, and the bread was less fresh than what he'd had back at Kamber. The cheese wasn't bad, just as Kaiz had pointed out earlier.

Within minutes, the other carts started to move. They formed in two columns so that each cart had another beside it. The wagon that had been damaged by the incident had been salvaged for parts and placed into one of the other available carts. From what Chaxin had seen down in the cargo hold, he didn't imagine that all the cargo had been taken, and with the broken crane, it was unlikely that they'd be able to salvage much more, unless another full caravan returned to the shore.

Despite having woken not more than an hour before, Chaxin felt weary. The notion of a monster being the cause of his arrival continued to weigh on his mind. He finished his loaf of bread just as the caravan made its way through the abandoned village town. It was just as it had been when he and the others had taken their horses through it the day prior. There was no sign of Kalo or Jerem. What had happened to them? They were simply gone.

The caravan left the abandoned village and headed for the tree line.

"Guess the spectre didn't decide to ambush us in there," said Kaiz. "Hopefully the rest of the trip is as smooth. I could use a nap," he said as he shifted in place, and set his head against the nearby crate. His eyes closed after a few seconds.

"If you want to get some sleep, I'll be awake if anything happens," said Chaxin to Deloris. "I promise to wake you."

Deloris smiled back at him. "I can't help but feel as though I need to stay awake for at least another hour, but I may allow myself to drift off. Thanks for the consideration."

Chaxin smiled and then turned his head to look out the back of the wagon. The nearest carts were about twenty feet behind them, which gave him plenty of space to watch the trees pass by. It was relaxing to just stare off, left to his own thoughts.

Little was said as the caravan entered the plains. They continued on, heading past Kamber and into a thinner forest. Time passed and soon, they were in the mire. The mire stretched on for miles and was a bumpy ride, as the wheels of the cart kept finding mud and holes.

At one point, the caravan had to stop because one of the wagons got caught in the mud, but before long, they were back on their way without further incident.

Chaxin glanced over, seeing both Kaiz and Deloris with their eyes closed. He smiled at the thought that they trusted him enough to keep watch. Or maybe they were simply too tired and didn't care.

Hours stretched on, and boredom set in. Chaxin shifted around, but kept quiet as his two companions continued to sleep.

The rain hadn't yet abated. The light pattering of the drops constantly hit the canopy of the wagon, but didn't hinder the caravan drastically.

Eventually, the caravan entered another plain, and without warning, their wagon passed through a tall stone gate.

Chaxin became more alert as he realized that they'd reached Grittin. He hadn't even realized they were on their approach to it, since he could only see out the back of the cart.

"I think we're here," he said.

Deloris's eyes slowly opened and she glanced over, watching as the inside of the stone gate disappeared behind them. "It seems we are," she confirmed as she shifted and stretched her arms. She nudged Kaiz's side with her boot. "Wake up."

Kaiz groaned and leaned off the crate, his eyes creeping open. "Hmm?" he murmured. His cheek was imprinted with a section of the crate he'd been resting against.

"We're here," said Deloris.

"Hmm, ‘bout time," Kaiz murmured as he slowly inhaled and looked out the back of the wagon. "Could use a proper meal after all we've been through. Some ale would really hit the spot too."

"Well, let's see if we can get some answers from Lord Karnith," said Deloris. "Then we can head into town for some proper celebration, with well-earned coin. We can find an inn for the night, and then see what's going on with the rest of the residents from Kamber. And you can get Chaxin a worthwhile sword."

"I bet after Daxar tells him how you went head to head with that spectre, he's going to want you in his guard," Kaiz chuckled.

"Well, he can ask all he wants," Deloris mused, but said nothing more on the matter.

Structures began to enter Chaxin's view as the cart went along the road. Most of the buildings were similar in architecture to the ones he'd seen in Kamber, but these were packed closer together and stood taller.

The rain had mostly abated, but the clouds still hung heavy in the sky, keeping a gloomy overcast over the region.

Several carts pulled away from the main group and headed down another street. Chaxin watched and saw what looked to be a market, a bit further away. The sudden smell of cooked meats and baked goods reached his nose and he took in a deep breath.

"Mmm, doesn't that smell good?" asked Kaiz.

"Sure does," said Chaxin with a smile. "Didn't realize how hungry I was getting."

"It was a long ride," said Deloris. "My muscles are going to be pretty stiff once we get out."

The carts continued along the road, passing by more structures. Eventually, they passed through another gate and into the courtyard of a castle made of gray and black stone, which stood higher than anything else in the entire city. The area the castle was built upon was higher elevated than the rest of the city as well, which let Chaxin see many of the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Grittin was larger than he expected. Kamber was nothing compared to Grittin, in size and scope.

Now that the carts were safely in the castle grounds, they came to a stop. Chaxin, being the closest to the rear of the wagon, was the first to jump out to the stone-paved ground. He took several steps and saw the castle looming just behind him, and he found himself looking it over with wide eyes.

Kaiz and Deloris made their way out, as the other wagons all came to a stop nearby. Guards and laborers all disembarked, and the four platemail guards each stood near the two wagons that held the sarcophagi.

"I'm sure you three will want to get a proper meal in you," came Daxar's voice from behind Chaxin.

Chaxin turned and spotted the man walking towards them. "Lord Karnith will want to get underway with whatever he intends for the remaining sarcophagus, so I recommend coming with me now so you can speak with him, and then we can all continue with our day. If you still wish to speak with him, that is."

"Yes, I'd like that," said Deloris. She turned her head to Kaiz and Chaxin.

"Then come with me," said Daxar, who promptly headed up a series of stone steps that led to the castle doors.

"Wouldn't mind getting some answers before dinner," said Kaiz. "It'd be nice to know if there's more of those things out there, and what Karnith knows about them."

"I'm in agreement," said Deloris.

"I'll go wherever you two are going," said Chaxin.

"Let's not keep them waiting then," said Deloris, who turned and followed Daxar. "These well-off types tend to get impatient quickly," she said in a somewhat softer tone, to prevent Daxar from hearing.

Kaiz chuckled, and followed her. Chaxin quickly fell into step beside him.

Two guards, wearing the same ornate armor as Daxar's retinue, stood outside the wooden doors to the castle. They had the same shield on their left arm, and a sheathed sword on their belts. The only difference was that they held crossbows of a much higher quality than the one Chaxin had wielded in his fight with the cyclops. Perhaps instead of a sword, he would inquire later about a crossbow. He'd become familiar with the weapon, and perhaps a ranged fighting style would suit him with his lower stats. It seemed like a safe route to go. He just hoped that crossbows weren't outrageously expensive.

Upon that notion, he remembered Bavol's lecturing when he'd been loaned his extra crossbow. He then remembered how Kalo and Jerem were Bavol's subordinates. Someone was going to have to tell him of what happened. He didn't particularly look forward to it.

On Daxar's approach, the guards opened the two wooden doors. The hinges creaked with the effort, and Daxar entered.

Deloris followed, with Chaxin and Kaiz on her heels.

Within the main hall, six pairs of pillars stood, draped in black banners with the red circle embroidered upon them. At the base of each pillar stood a familiar full-plated guard. On the center of the floor, running from the doorway all the way to the other end of the hall, was a black carpet. At the opposite end of the room stood a elevated section with five steps. Upon it was an extravagant chair, and seated in the chair was a man in fine garments and armor.

Daxar held his hands out low on either side of him. "We return," he said in a somewhat joyous voice. "But there were some complications, I'm afraid."

Daxar passed by the last set of pillars and slowly made his way up the five steps.

Deloris slowed her walk and stopped between the last two pillars. Kaiz stepped to her left, and Chaxin stepped up to her right. He was still looking at everything there was to see. With his closer proximity, he could make out more of the seated man's features.

The man seated on the throne wore a black tabard with the red circle upon it, covering his dark obsidian armor. He had short reddish hair, and a fair complexion. His face seemed slightly weathered, and his features sharp. He rose from the throne and stepped forward to greet Daxar with an embrace.

The two men hugged for the briefest of moments before Daxar took a step back and turned partway.

"This is Lord Karnith," said Daxar. "And sire, these are three of the individuals from Kamber, who aided us in procuring your special cargo, from the ship."

Lord Karnith looked to each of them, his lips curled at the corners, and he nodded slowly. "Very good," he spoke in a deep voice. "Very good indeed. It has been a long road to get here." His attention diverted to Daxar. "And what of this complication?"

Daxar tensed, and slowly took in a breath. He stepped in closer to Lord Karnith and spoke quietly in his ear.

Chaxin watched, then looked over to Deloris, unsure of what they were supposed to do.

Lord Karnith lifted his arm and gestured for Daxar to step back. "You three witnessed the creature that came from one of the sarcophagi?"

Deloris took a step forward. "Yes, I engaged with it myself," she said. "We were hoping to learn more of these creatures, so that in the future, if we were to ever face one, we would be better prepared. It seemed quite formidable, and I've never seen its like before."

Lord Karnith slowly nodded several times. "I see." His gaze fell, then lifted. "But I'm afraid you already know far too much. Guards! Kill them!"

Even as the sound of chainmail jostling against metal armor filled the room, Chaxin couldn't believe what he’d heard. Kill them? What had they done? Why?

"Shit!" Kaiz muttered, as he turned with his spear.

"No!" Deloris yelled as she swiveled around and brought her shield up.

The twelve statuesque guards drew their crossbows and fired.

Chaxin was only starting to turn his head when a thick metal bolt sunk into his back and poked out from just beneath his ribs.

His breath caught in his chest as he seized up.

Another bolt shot into his arm. Another caught him in the leg.

The pain rushed through him, forcing him to gasp as he fell to his knees.

A fourth bolt struck the right side of his back and forced him forward. The black carpet welcomed him as he slumped against it.

Bang!

"Chaxin's down!" came Kaiz's strained voice.

Chaxin's eyes were wide as he stared off to the side. He'd seen the bright flash from Kaiz's spear-muzzle. He heard the familiar clanging of Deloris's armor, and the sharp schlick of her blade cutting through flesh and metal.

Chaxin's vision was blurring, and there was a metallic taste in his mouth that he couldn't explain.

Bootfalls filled the room, then another series of thunks as bolts were fired.

Deloris was still moving; Chaxin could only make out her blurry form in his peripheral vision. But Kaiz he could see more fully. Even as half a dozen bolts riddled Kaiz's chest, one after the other.

The large man stumbled back as his fingers dropped something into the barrel of his spear. He fell to his knees, but managed to turn the spear outward.

Bang!

Another bright flash.

By now, two of the nearby guards had closed in on him. Their swords were covered in runic markings, and without pause, those blades sunk into Kaiz's chest and back, before he could bring his spear to bear.

The two blades pulled out as one guard kicked Kaiz over.

"Kaiz!" Deloris yelled.

In the corner of his eye, Chaxin saw one of the guards fall motionless to the ground. Deloris entered his increasingly blurry view, but only for the briefest of moments as she jabbed her sword into the neck of the guard that had kicked Kaiz, and without losing step, she kept running, until Chaxin couldn't see her any more.

Kaiz lay there, bleeding from numerous wounds. His eyes were open, and his lips began to move.

Kaiz's voice strained to get every word out, as if each one pained him to even utter. "When… you wake—" His trembling lips continued to move, but no audible words came.

A sudden flash of light came from the direction Deloris had ran.

The death cry of an unfamiliar male voice echoed around the room. Then, another sound of a blade sinking into flesh. Then another cry.

Chaxin's vision faded further and further until there was only blackness and the sound of Deloris's clanging armor.

A moment later, even those senses faded, until nothing remained.

Chapter 15: Purgatory

Chaxin's eyes opened as he sucked in a breath of air. He could feel the familiar sensation of cold stone against his naked body as he stared up at a featureless ceiling. He was alive. But how?

Something seized his leg near his ankle and tore him from the cold slab of stone he'd been lying upon. His skin scraped against the smooth stone as he was dragged from the small dimly lit room.

With wide eyes, he tilted his head up and saw… something, dragging him.

The entity was taller than a man, with a larger, but lankier body and deep gray skin. Small spikes protruded randomly out of its torso. It strode forward, dragging him with its long thick fingers wrapped tight around his leg.

"Let me go!" Chaxin called. "Where am I?"

The creature wasn't forthcoming with an explanation, and soon enough, Chaxin found himself being dragged through a long hallway.

He grabbed uselessly at the floor, but there was nothing within reach.

The monster passed by a yellow burning torch, and then after another twenty feet, there was another.

Chaxin turned his head side to side, trying to get his bearings. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of a similar smooth stone, and torches seemed to be interspersed at various intervals.

He finally came to an intersection, where the creature pulled him around the corner and down another hall. It was then that Chaxin heard murmurs and groans.

Where was he? What was happening?

As the sounds got closer, Chaxin noticed a long row of metal bars, separated by slabs of stone. Cells? Some type of jail?

The monster stopped dragging him, and effortlessly lifted him into the air, as a person might lift a fallen branch. Chaxin heard clanging keys, and despite being upside down, he watched as the monster took a metal key and slotted it into a lock on one of the cells.

Chaxin was tossed inside, and immediately, the heavy barred door was shut behind him and promptly locked. The tall gray creature lumbered back down the hall, returning in the direction it had dragged him from, having never said a single word.

Chaxin's head ached from the sudden collision with the floor, and his back and arms were sore from being dragged. He leaned up slowly and looked around the prison cell. It was made of all stone walls, except for the front, which was metal bars and gate.

He heard several footsteps and turned his head suddenly. In the shadows, a figure moved toward him.

"Here, take this," said a male voice, before something fell onto Chaxin's lap.

He looked down and saw a dirty gray pair of trousers.

He glanced up, and as he stared at the figure, he found his vision growing accustomed to the dim light in the cell.

"Who're you?" Chaxin asked. "Where am I? I… I was just attacked… and, and I was…"

"Woah, calm down," the man said, as he stepped further around the side and leaned back against a wall. He was wearing the same sort of gray pants, but his feet and torso were bare. He crossed his arms against his chest and looked down at Chaxin. "You were killed. Now you're here. Just take a deep breath, and please, put those pants on."

Chaxin took a moment and swallowed. He shifted around on the floor and slipped the pants on, then slowly scooted back to lean against the opposite wall. He took in the other man's features. He didn't look to be a whole lot older than Chaxin was. He had short black hair and tanned skin, with a slight slant at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm Chaxin," he said. "Who are you? Please… tell me where I am? How'd I get here?"

"The name's Randal Rip," he said.

"Rip?" Chaxin murmured. It sounded strange, but something seemed to click in Chaxin's memory. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I dunno," said Randal. "Why does it sound familiar? Have you heard of the Rip brothers? Randal and Panner?"

"Rip brothers," Chaxin murmured. "I've heard of you."

"Guess Panner and I were more popular than I thought!" he chuckled. "So you're from Wake then?"

"I am, but how…" Chaxin trailed off, before his eyes widened. "You're dead," he whispered. "The Rip brothers were killed, in the merfolk attack."

"Sadly, that was indeed our fate," said Randal. "Panner and I took a few of the bastards with us, that's for sure, but we both fell. Now we're here."

"Here?" asked Chaxin.

Randal shook his head. "You're really slow on the uptake, friend. How can you not realize where you are? Hmm, I guess you look a bit young. New arrival to Wake, or something? Even so, surely you've heard of Purgatory."

Chaxin stared, motionless. He was frozen at that single word. "Purgatory. We're in Purgatory? We're dead then. I'm dead. I was… killed in the castle, and… how did I get here?"

"When you die," said Randal, "your soul escapes and is ejected through the Graymos. Purgatory has a lot of powerful mausoleum-like rooms, which capture wayward souls that have died. I imagine your corpse is still dripping blood and slowly rotting somewhere. You may not want to think about that, actually. But now you're here. Congratulations. You're in the second worst place you could ever possibly be in the Graymos. Purgatory."

"What do you mean, 'second worst?'" Chaxin asked in disbelief.

Randal breathed in slowly, then parted his lips to speak.

But before he could say anything, another voice came from across the hall, from one of the nearby cells. It was another male voice, not too dissimilar from Randal's.

"He's talking about the place you go when you don't have the life force to keep resurrecting in Purgatory."

Chaxin turned his head and watched as a figure approached the bars in the cell across from theirs. His skin was close to Randal's tone, and he was wearing the same sort of pants. He gripped the bars and looked over to Chaxin. He had longer black hair down to his shoulders, his frame a bit thinner than Randal’s.

He spoke up again. "He's talking about hell."

"Don't listen to my bro, Panner," said Randal. "Probably shouldn't dwell much on that either. In fact, it's best to just sit back and relax until they come and take you."

Chaxin's face changed from disbelief to fear. "Take me?"

"Now he's scared, good job," said Panner from across the way. "Shoulda kept it a surprise. Not like he can do much about it."

"Oh come on," said Randal, as he looked over to Panner. "Maybe he'll win his first match. He seems kinda scrappy."

"He looks younger than us," said Panner. "He better hope they pair him with a beggar."

"A beggar?" asked Chaxin. "What are you talking about?"

Randal waved his hand dismissively. "Ignore Panner. He may be my brother, but he's a real downer. A beggar is like… you know, someone who lives in town or in the city, and begs for scraps. People like that can be found in here, who've died from lack of food, or due to the cold, or whatever. They're usually people with really low stats. But we do happen to be in Purgatory, where all dead souls arrive. So there's obviously a lot of fighters in here. People who made the wrong move in a monster fight, or just took a little too much damage. Or really bad folk. Lots of people here."

"But why would I hope to be paired up with a beggar?" asked Chaxin. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, right," said Randal. "Um, well, you see… You know how back on Wake, you fought monsters so that you could gain experience and capture energy in a soul crystal?"

"Yeah?" Chaxin said.

"Same thing here," said Randal. "Except that the monsters hold the soul crystals, and they force us to fight each other until one of us is dead. Then, they capture the soul energy for their own purposes, and one of us ends up dying, only to be resurrected again, but with lower stats, since they essentially took those stats for themselves by absorbing it in a soul crystal."

Chaxin's gaze lowered to the floor, as he thought about what he'd just been told.

"You get it now?" asked Randal.

"So my stats are lower now?" asked Chaxin.

"Sure are, by a little bit," said Randal. "It's hard to determine how much, unless you check with a grimoire."

"And if I die again, my stats will be even lower?" asked Chaxin.

Randal nodded. "That's right. These monsters here in Purgatory farm us for our experience. We fight in their damned arenas and give up all the stats we earned while we were alive. Well, we're technically still 'alive' but… well, you get my meaning."

Chaxin swallowed and cleared his throat. "And when we run out of stats?"

Randal turned his head and looked to Panner, but Panner only shrugged back at him before turning and taking a seat back in his cell.

Randal looked back to Chaxin. "When your soul is out of stats, or levels, or however you wanna clarify it, it loses its… um… I dunno, like, its anchor. Without experience, your soul is too weak to even be reanimated in the mausoleums. You descend to a place far, far worse. A place no one has any hope of coming back from."

Chaxin slowly lifted his head. "Hell."

Randal nodded. "Hell."

Chapter 16: Fight

Groans and cries filled the corridor. The scent of sweat and dust was ever present in the air.

Chaxin's knees were bent, his arms resting upon them. He stared at the far wall of his cell, while Randal lay back in the corner.

Chaxin's mortality was the only thing on his mind.

"Please no! I can't fight again!" came a pitiful voice from out in the hall.

Chaxin tensed and turned his head to look past the bars of his cell.

One of the lumbering spiked creatures stomped past, dragging one of the human prisoners behind it. It was a man, perhaps twice Chaxin's age. The man scraped his nails against the stone floor, trying desperately to pull away from the beast. But it was no use. No matter how he kicked and clawed, the monster kept a tight grip on his leg and kept moving without pause.

The man's cries eventually faded, only to give way to the continued sobbing coming from other cells.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, glancing over to Randal.

"Couple days, I guess?" he said. "Perhaps less, perhaps longer. Not entirely sure. There's no sense of day or night in here."

"Do they feed you?" Chaxin asked.

Randal scoffed. "They may feed us to other monsters. But no… you don't last long enough for hunger to truly set in and claim you. And if it does, well, they have crystals to absorb the essence regardless. For some, starvation would be a blessing."

"If you're lucky," came Panner's voice from across the hall. "You'll get a quick death in the arena. Sometimes, that's all you can hope for."

Chaxin glanced over to Panner, then looked back at the wall across from him. "Thanks for the advice," he murmured.

"Wish we had something better to tell you," said Randal. "But there's no getting out of here. This is the end. Maybe if you were incredibly powerful, you could've overpowered one of those spiked guards. They seem as dumb as they are lanky, but they're also really strong. Panner tried fighting one of them off when they took him to his last fight. It didn't go well."

"I got one punch, and then it grabbed me," said Panner. "It didn't even flinch."

"I wonder if Deloris could take such a creature," Chaxin mused.

"You knew Deloris?" asked Randal, as his eyes opened and he sat up.

"How is she?" asked Panner. "Did they survive the merfolk attack?"

Chaxin nodded. "Yeah, she survived it. The attack decimated much of the populace of Kamber, but Kaiz, Deloris, Tiris, Vol… Bavol, they all made it through the fight, and helped evacuate and get people to Grittin."

Chaxin seized up as he remembered Kaiz.

"After the attack, we were sent to this ship off the coast. We lost Kalo and Jerem. Not really sure what happened to them, they were simply gone. But Kaiz and Deloris were with me. There was this shadowy creature, a spectre, I think they called it. Deloris fought it, and then we ended up in Grittin, where we went to speak with Lord Karnith. He ordered his guards to kill us. I fell in seconds, and then Kaiz. I think… I think Deloris might've still been alive when I lost consciousness."

"Then Kaiz could be down here as well," said Randal. "Damn. Can't believe a man like him would've been killed like that. So, Deloris is still alive then?"

Chaxin nodded. "I can't explain it, but she seemed able to fight off Lord Karnith's guards. Mind you, I was bleeding out at the time, so maybe things aren't as I remember them."

"Deloris is the strongest person I've ever known," said Panner, who'd since taken a seated position closer to the bars. "If she’d been killed, I bet she could've beaten one of these gray beasts."

"I hope she's not down here," said Chaxin. "Karnith killed us just because we saw that spectre. I still don't even know why. Why would he do that? I hope Deloris survived, so that maybe she can go back and kill him. At least then… well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll be in hell long before then."

Panner and Randal went quiet.

Thump, thump, thump.

Panner tensed and shifted away from the gate, and into the shadowy corners of his room.

"Please not us," Randal whispered, as he shifted back against the wall as much as he could.

The thumping got closer as the tall spiked brute stepped in front of their cells.

Chaxin stared at the wall across from him, keeping utterly silent. He didn't even breathe.

The thumping stopped.

The gate to Chaxin's cell creaked open.

A matte gray hand reached in, and long fingers wrapped around Chaxin's leg. He wanted to resist, he wanted to fight. But he'd seen just how powerful these creatures were. He didn't put up any resistance as his body was dragged out of the cell and back down the hall. His back stung from the constant abrasions. His heart raced as he began to sweat. This was it. This was going to be the end. He'd lost experience when he'd died, surely. He couldn't possibly have much left to be resurrected again.

It felt as though the creature was dragging him for hours. Every moment was agony. Everything looked the same. Stone walls, yellow burning torches. Hall after hall.

But then, the monster dragged him through a doorway, and a cacophony of sounds assaulted his ears. Cackles and hisses, laughs and cheers, but from mouths that were inhuman.

Chaxin found himself being dragged through sand upon passing through the threshold. Then, he was pulled and tossed several feet away. The spiked creature immediately turned around and returned the way it came. Metal bars fell from the top of the doorway and sunk into holes at the base of the floor, blocking off Chaxin's escape.

He pulled himself to stand and looked around.

Dark figures moved and shifted in heightened regions all around the circular arena. A dozen torches burned high up near the ceiling, casting their sickly yellow glow down upon Chaxin, but concealing the watchers, who were behind bars similar to the ones that had kept him confined to a dungeon cell.

He couldn't make out the finer details of the creatures. At times, he couldn't determine if he was seeing a single entity, or two. Some were far larger than others, and many appeared humanoid, but the only humanity to be found in this coliseum was in the sand pit that Chaxin found himself in.

"You look young," came a gruff voice, as another human man came through another doorway.

Chaxin turned and saw the human figure. He was broad shouldered and wore only a pair of trousers, just like Chaxin. He had a thick brown beard, and long locks of dark hair. He almost reminded Chaxin of Kaiz, due to his size.

"Who're you?" Chaxin asked, his voice almost catching in his throat.

"Binno. You?"

"I'm Chaxin."

"As I said, Chaxin, you look new. Do you really want to fight me?" asked Binno, as he took several steps forward, his bare feet leaving impressions in the sand with every step.

Chaxin breathed in and out, trying his best to get his bearings. There were strange scents that he couldn't explain, mixed with the familiar sweaty musk that had been prevalent in the dungeon cells.

"I don't want to fight, but I'm not ready to die either!" Chaxin called back, as he lifted his fists into the air. He had no idea what he was doing.

"You don't have to fight," said Binno as he slowed to a stop, about six feet away. "You're not long for this world, not someone as young as you. I can give you an easy way out. This doesn't have to be painful. Let me give you the only mercy this place will ever show you."

"What?" Chaxin asked. He was tense, and unsure what Binno was referring to.

"I can make it quick," the other man said. "A snap of your neck, and it's all over. We don't have to fight, you won't even feel it."

"But I don't want to die!" Chaxin called back, and upon that utterance, a dozen cheers echoed out from unseen creatures with guttural voices.

Binno turned his head and looked up at the shadowed stands. Then, he returned his attention to Chaxin. "You think you can fight me? You think you could possibly kill me, lad?"

"What other choice do I have?" Chaxin asked. His hands would have been quivering, if they weren't clenched into fists.

"Let me send you on your way," said Binno. He took another step forward, his arms low. "What do you know of hell anyway? I'm sure everyone speaks of it as some terrible place, but they also say that no one escapes it. So how can they possibly know it's so horrible?" Binno's lips curled on one side as he shook his head. "Where I'm from, hell isn't spoken of as a terrible place. We call it the endless sleep. Tell me, Chaxin. You've slept before, right?"

Chaxin's gaze flitted around the arena. He still hadn't lowered his arms. "Of course I've slept."

"So tell me. What sounds better to you? Having me pummel your face in until you're dead, and then going on to wherever it is you go next, whether it's this terrible hell, or an eternal slumber. Or, letting me end your life as painlessly as possible, in which… you'll still end up with either of those possible outcomes. Purgatory may be shit, but I guarantee that if you put up a fight, you're going to be begging me to kill you."

Chaxin took a slow step back. Part of him wanted to rush at the larger man and strike him. He had a chance, didn't he?

But then, the more rational part of his brain began to ebb further into his thoughts. Could he have taken Kaiz in a fist fight? Could he take anyone in a fist fight? He didn't have a weapon, and this man strode right into the arena. What hope did he have of possibly defeating such a man?

"I have no reason to lie to you, lad. Those abominations out there," Binno said, lifting his arm and gesturing to the hidden crowd behind the bars, "they're betting on this fight. They watch this for entertainment, even as they siphon our dying essence. So why not end this painlessly, and spit in their face while you're at it? Don't give them the satisfaction of entertainment."

Chaxin's arms slowly lowered. He didn't want this to be the end. He'd only just awoken yesterday. There had to be more to life than this. There had to be something.

He looked into Binno's eyes. "What do I have to do?"

He'd been stabbed by a monster within minutes of his existence on Wake.

He’d fought a monster taller than the trees, and barely made it out alive.

He’d watched a seemingly dead man rise up and attack Jerem.

He’d seen a phantom deflect swords with a twist of its wrist.

Then, he was killed by Lord Karnith, simply for trying to help those around him.

What was left for him to do? To enjoy? What purpose did living in this place serve?

"All ya gotta do is stand there," said Binno. "Keep your arms down, close your eyes."

Chaxin nodded slowly. His arms came to rest at his sides, and his fingers unclenched, but then clung to the sides of his pants. "Ok," he said.

"I'm going to come over there now. If you so much as move an inch, I may not be so merciful if I think you're trying to trick me."

"I understand. Please, just… do it."

Binno closed the distance on Chaxin and then slowly stepped around behind him. Chaxin swallowed and breathed in and out slowly.

"Do you have any last words? Anything you wish to say?" asked Binno.

Chaxin considered the strange question for only a moment before speaking, "If you make it out of here, don't trust Lord Karnith of Wake."

"Not sure I've ever heard of Wake," said Binno. "But thank you for the warning. I hope you find peace in your next life, Chaxin."

Chaxin closed his eyes.

He felt a firm hand on his chin and jaw. Another went to the back of his head.

For the briefest of moments, he felt motion, but then, everything disappeared.

Chapter 17: Delirium

Chaxin's eyes opened.

He sucked in a breath of air and saw a gray ceiling.

A strong hand seized his leg and dragged him along the smooth stone floor.

"What? No! How?" he gasped and flailed in dismay. "I'm still here!"

His words fell on unconcerned ears as the spiked abomination dragged him through the dungeon's halls. His body had been renewed, but new abrasions were forming with every inch he was dragged across the floor.

"I'm still here," he repeated to himself. "I'm still here… How? I was…" he trailed off. Perhaps he had just enough stats left to be brought back to Purgatory. But what did that mean? Would he be brought back again? He'd been so ready to die, and now he was just back in Purgatory, in torment.

The monster dragged him to a cell, opened the door, and tossed him in. Without word, the creature lumbered away.

Chaxin lay there, naked on the floor. He stared at the ceiling. His back hurt again. He just wanted the pain to end. "I'm still here," he whispered.

"Is that much of a surprise?" came a voice from behind him. A moment later, a pair of black pants landed on his face. "Cover yourself up. But also, tell me, around what level do you think you are?"

Chaxin turned and twisted. Once more, he put the pair of pants on as he looked over to his cellmate. The voice was distinctly not Randal's, but that of another man. Standing against the wall was a man of roughly average height. He had sable skin and short silvery hair which made him look older than he probably was.

"Who're you?" asked Chaxin.

"My name is Verun," he answered. "Now you. How many levels do you think you have left?"

Chaxin sat there, now with pants on. He shook his head. "I dunno," he murmured. "I was told never to reveal that… but shit. I guess none of that matters now, huh? I was level five the last time I checked. I might've been close to six when I died. And I just let the other man kill me in the arena."

"Hmm, six… one death, probably… three? A second death here, probably… one," Verun murmured to himself. "Hmm. A shame." He shook his head. "You're almost out of here, aren't you?" he chuckled.

Chaxin blinked up at the man, looking at him strangely. "If by out, you mean dead and bound for hell, then yeah."

Verun shrugged. "That's precisely what I mean. You've nothing left. One more death, and you get to discover the great mystery of whatever happens when you don't resurrect here. I'm a man who loves knowledge, I'll have you know. I love solving mysteries, but I will say that I'm not fond of discovering that one. Personally, I have no interest in that mystery. It can remain a mystery forever, as far as I care."

Chaxin's brows lifted as the man rambled. "Well, how strong are you?" he asked. "You seem pretty sure that you're not going to get dragged to the arenas and killed as many times as it takes."

Verun's lips curled in a mischievous grin. "Oh, they will come. They will most certainly drag me away. To be fair, my strength isn't particularly high. I never really stretched those muscles, so to speak. I'm more of a… man of the mind, if you will."

Chaxin nodded slowly. "How long have you been here?"

Verun shrugged once more. "Mmm, perhaps roughly I'd say… an hour? You're actually the first cellmate I've had. It's nice to speak to someone."

"There's no one else around?" asked Chaxin as he turned his head and looked to the cell across from them. There were three figures within. One against each wall, all laying down. None of them were moving.

"I'm not too sure that they're still alive over there, to be perfectly honest with you," said Verun. "Didn't really want to draw too much attention. So tell me, Chaxin, was it? Where are you from? I'm sure we have some time to converse before one of us is dragged to our death."

"I'm from Wake," he said. "But I only woke up there about two days ago. So far, everything's been pretty shitty. There was a merfolk attack and I was poisoned. Giant cyclops, a diseased man, something called a spectre, and then I was killed by Lord Karnith. That's my entire history."

Verun turned to Chaxin and rushed to kneel right beside him, his eyes wide as he looked down into Chaxin's. It was only now that Chaxin could see the emerald green of the man's eyes.

"You've seen a spectre?" he whispered. "And Lord Karnith? The same Lord Karnith of the Kajura continent? Or, I suppose more precisely, of Grittin?"

Chaxin’s jaw lowered. "Um, yeah," he whispered, weirded out by Verun's sudden closeness. "You're from Wake?"

"Oh yes, I very much am. So interesting that you are as well. Very interesting, in fact," he seemed to repeat himself as he tapped at his chin slowly with an index finger, before he squinted. "So tell me of this spectre. Large, almost humanoid? Ghastly appearance? Wearing shadows as if they were clothing? That is what you saw, is it not?"

"Yeah, that's what I saw," said Chaxin. "And Lord Karnith killed me and my friend because of it."

"What more do you know of these spectres?" asked Verun.

"I saw it, just as you described it. It threw bolts of dark energy from its hand, I think. It was able to kill several of the nearby people, and it completely broke down several shields and swords that it hit."

Verun nodded. "Hmm, interesting. And how did you come to see this creature?"

"Well, there was this ship," said Chaxin. "It was stranded on the shore near Kamber. That's a few hours from Grittin, if you're familiar with the city."

"Yes yes, I know of it, please go on. What about this ship?"

Chaxin inhaled and released the breath slowly. "There was a ship on the beach. It was burning when I awoke, and then there was a merfolk attack. At some point the fires were extinguished. About a day later, me and some others went to investigate it because a man named Daxar knew of some special cargo held within. It just so happened that the special cargo was two sarcophagi. The ship was apparently from Trillin, according to the manifest. It had some problems out at sea, and the only person aboard was the captain. He was diseased and attacked one of my companions. Eventually, Daxar and his people came. During the unloading of the cargo, one of the sarcophagi broke, and one of those spectres came out of it."

Verun's eyes were wide as Chaxin described the tale. "Fascinating, yes… a sarcophagi, of course. A perfect entrapment, if enchanted correctly and made of the proper materials. Very fascinating. And the other sarcophagi? You said there were two?"

Chaxin shrugged. "The other was still locked when we brought it to Grittin. I don't know what happened after that. I was killed."

Verun tapped a bit more rapidly at his chin, then slowly stood. "Tell me, was there any other notable feature you can remember from this spectre? Anything it might have possessed?"

Chaxin shook his head. "No, not really? I mean, it happened quickly. It was tall… left a streak in the sand, and it looked as though it could glide or float or something. It was really fast. It deflected attacks pretty easily and—" Chaxin stopped momentarily. "There was one thing."

"Yes? What was it?" asked Verun.

"A glove of some sort," said Chaxin. "It was fingerless, some sort of dark metal. That's all I know."

"Hmm." Verun turned his back to Chaxin, his arms crossed. "Hmm."

Chaxin watched Verun. "Does any of that mean something? I feel like I somehow know more than you, which seems pretty ridiculous."

"Oh, don't worry. You know next to nothing, compared to my vast knowledge of the Graymos," said Verun as he slowly turned around. "But the Graymos is… inconceivably limitless. As far as anyone is aware."

"Why are you so interested in the spectres?" Chaxin asked.

"Because they are indeed a mystery to me. But more than that, they are actually a large piece of a puzzle, of an even greater mystery."

Chaxin frowned and slowly scooted back against the wall. He shook his head. "None of that makes any sense, and you know, I don't think I care. It doesn't matter. None of it matters. I'm glad I could help sate your curiosity a little."

"Indeed," Verun murmured. "I'm surprised that a random encounter such as this proved to be so fruitful, despite your uselessness."

Chaxin looked up at Verun, as the man seemed to both compliment and insult him in the same statement.

The dull sound of shouting could be heard down the hall. It grew closer and closer.

"No! Stop! I can't be here! I was tricked!" came a man's voice.

Chaxin turned his head to watch the hall as the frantic voice got closer and closer, until the towering gray beast stood outside their cell. It held a flailing man by the leg. It turned its head and looked into the cell across from the one Chaxin was in, then, it looked to Chaxin's cell. It unceremoniously pulled a key from an attached chain on its belt and unlocked the cell door. The monster tossed the man in, then promptly locked the door behind him before continuing down the hall.

The man had long blonde hair and pale skin. He was thin, but by no means frail. He was also quite naked, just as Chaxin had been minutes before. Before Chaxin could even speak, the new arrival leapt up and grabbed the bars. "Someone, help! Please! Is anyone out there?"

"Um, I'm here," said Chaxin. "What's your name?"

The man turned to Chaxin. "What does it matter? You're stuck in here with me! There has to be someone out there that can save us!"

Chaxin's brows lifted, and Verun slowly stepped into view, seemingly having been hiding in the shadows. "Perhaps I can be of assistance, dear fellow. Now, this is utmostly important… what level are you? It could save our lives."

The man's eyes widened at Verun's words. "I'm level twenty-two, or at least I was when I died! How? How can that save us? You're going to save us?"

Verun nodded slowly. "Yes, Twenty-two, one death… perhaps… eighteen, or nineteen, perhaps… hmm, I suppose it'll have to be enough."

Verun stepped closer to the frantic man. "Yes, I, Verun, will save us." Without further word, he reached up to hold the new arrival's head between his darker hands. He smiled warmly and looked into the man's eyes. Then, he smashed the man's head against the bars.

"Agh!" the man cried out. His arms came up to grapple with Verun, but Verun didn't give a moment's pause. He gripped the man's head and sunk his thumbs into his eyes, causing the gore to seep out as he rammed the back of his skull against the bars again and again.

"What the hell!" Chaxin yelled as he quickly scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide. His arms came up as if he wanted to reach out and help the poor man, but he wasn't sure what to do. "Stop! You're killing him!"

"Of course I am!" said Verun, as the man's skull cracked against the solid bars. "And if you wish to survive, you'll not intervene!"

Chaxin stared with wide eyes as the new arrival groaned and flailed, seemingly unable to get a strong hold of Verun as he repeatedly slammed his head against the bars, over and over. It was only when the man's body went limp and crimson-stained gray matter from his skull began to leak out that Verun released his hold and let the man fall limp to the floor.

"Quickly cover your ears!" Verun said, as he knelt by the man and held his gore-stained palm up into the air.

Chaxin was frozen in place as he watched the horror unfold. Despite Verun's warning, he couldn't bring himself to obey that command.

Verun took in a deep breath and then released it. Then, he spoke, "Nameth'na ahn namushuno. Ahn penuthi ahn halosgray quih'lucinuhn. kari'vaskar ahn pahn'gin tramunusno. Tramunus crovithnu halosgray poifunus consik ous yahh'kahz."

The moment those mentally repulsive words ended, a deep pain entered Chaxin's head. He reached up as he winced. The words Verun had spoken seemed to echo in his mind.

In the same instant, Verun choked, coughed, and spit up blood that drooled down the corners of his lips before he wiped his mouth against his bare shoulder. A dark shimmer appeared over his hand, and then in the blink of an eye, a crystal rested on his crimson-painted palm.

Verun breathed in and out slowly. He turned his head and spit blood on the floor. He looked at Chaxin, whose hands were on his head, and not his ears.

"You shouldn't have listened," said Verun. "Such words were never meant to be spoken, let alone heard. But in this place, we have no choice but to resort to such accursed machinations."

Chaxin's headache slowly subsided, but despite this, it felt as if something remained in his mind. Not a pain or ache, but a mental scar that he was strangely aware of. "What did you do? How did you—" He stopped and shook his head. "What was that?"

Verun wiped his bloody hand on his pants, and then placed the crystal into it. It looked just like the crystals that Chaxin had looted from the dead back in Kamber. It was a pale transparent crystal, about the size of a finger.

"I did what needed to be done," said Verun, his voice worn and weary. "Now we have our means of escape." He looked to Chaxin, and with a smear of blood on his cheek, he smirked.

Chapter 18: Last Chance

Chaxin could only watch with uncertainty as Verun took the crystal and wrapped his fingers around it to secure it firmly, while his thumb pressed to one end. He placed the tip of the crystal to his arm, and began to slowly write.

As the crystal touched his skin, it glimmered at the contact point and left a residue, much like the scrawl that was on his chest.

Chaxin's brows lifted. Was his scrawl—

He looked down to his chest, having not even considered the idea until now. But the scrawl that had kept the poison at bay was gone. But also, so was the poison. He had an entirely new body now, and all its previous ailments and benefits had been washed away.

He returned his attention to Verun. "What are you writing?" he asked. "How do you possibly think we could escape this place? I've only seen a few of those spiked monsters, but surely there are more?"

"Those 'spiked monsters' are called imps," said Verun. His gaze remained on his arm as he continued to slowly trace the crystal against his bare skin, leaving behind the silvery remnant of the runic writing. "Do you know what a golem is?"

"No," said Chaxin.

"Ugh, you're going to be hopeless, I just know it," Verun sighed, shaking his head. "Golems are creatures born of dirt, clay, stone… whatever you have lying about. You can find golems on many different spheres, I'm sure. They are entities with very primitive intelligence. Now, an imp is the same sort of creature, but demonic in origin."

"Demonic?" asked Chaxin. "As in… demons?"

"You know what demons are, but you don't know what a golem is?" asked Verun, finally lifting his head and giving Chaxin a strange look. "You need to read some books, and, well, quite a few other things, I'm sure." He looked back to his arm, and continued to apply the scrawl.

Chaxin didn't say anything at first, but then realized that Verun hadn't entirely answered his question. "So how are we going to get out of here?"

"Have you noticed that the torches in this place aren't burning with actual flame?" asked Verun. "They're magical in nature, which means they're not actually hot, nor are they fire."

"What does that mean?" asked Chaxin.

"Well you see, Imps by their very nature, are—" Verun stopped a moment and took a slow glance back over to Chaxin. His eyes narrowed. "You know, I'm not sure why I would bother explaining anything to you. You barely comprehend half of what I've told you already. So we're going to skip some of the finer details." He looked back to his arm. "Imps 'should' be very susceptible to actual flame. They're very physically tough, as I'm sure many humans have discovered first hand, but with fire, yes, with fire, we can kill one."

"So you're going to attack the next imp that comes along?" asked Chaxin. "And then what? Do you know the way out? How do we even escape a place like this?"

"That part is quite a bit more complicated," said Verun. "But also, exceptionally easy!"

Thump, thump, thump.

Chaxin's eyes widened as he looked to the metal bars, hearing the slow, distant sound of an imp's footfalls. "One of them is coming. Are you ready?"

"No, I'm not ready!" Verun hissed, as his head shook, his own eyes widening. "I hate being rushed!"

"You better finish quick, or hope they don't come in here," said Chaxin. He then noticed that the dead man was still against the bars. He knelt down near the man's feet and slowly dragged him away into the darkness, hoping that the imp wouldn't notice.

"How perceptive are those imps?" asked Chaxin.

"Who knows?" said Verun. "Now shut up!"

Chaxin looked over as Verun continued to write. He couldn't quite make out the words, and therefore, he wasn't sure how close Verun was to actually finishing. His heart beat swiftly in his chest, and he could hear and feel his pulse throbbing in his ears.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound got ever closer as the imp closed the distance on their cell. It hadn't stopped yet, which meant that it hadn't decided to stop at another cell.

"Are there even people in the other cells?" asked Chaxin in a whisper. "The three people across from us haven't even moved. They really are dead, I think."

"Have you heard anyone else talking?" asked Verun. "No, you probably haven't, because it's just us! I wish it were just me, at least then you wouldn't be slowing me down with your constant prattle!"

Chaxin grit his teeth. He didn't mean to be hindering their chances of survival, but his anxiety was getting the better of him. He didn't know what to do, he felt useless! There had to be something he could do.

His eyes scanned the room. The two of them each had a pair of pants. There wasn't a third pair of pants, oddly. He then looked to the dead man, who was still oozing brain matter and blood onto the floor. Chaxin's eyes ran along the floor, following the streak of gore that had been left when he dragged the man away from the bars. He saw bits and chunks of gray material near and on the bars that had to be part of the man's brain.

"Fuck," Chaxin muttered, as he knelt down next to the man's head. He swallowed once and then took in a slow breath to compose himself. He lifted the man's head and then began smashing it against the stone floor.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

More of the man's brain matter spilled onto the floor, out of the caving-in section of his skull. Chaxin felt a sick feeling rising in his stomach as he pushed the man over and slowly, ever so slowly, reached out and began to scoop the material from the back of the man's cranium.

"Feeling peckish?" Verun chuckled.

Chaxin seized up. "Your turn to shut the hell up."

He collected two handfuls of the gray gore and slowly rose to his feet, tearing his gaze away from the man.

"Oooh, I see. Apparently you are capable of thought," said Verun, as he continued to draw out the runic words.

Seconds later, the tall, lanky imp lumbered in front of the cell. Its face was heavily drawn down, and seemed to be incapable of expression. Its dark black eyes never seemed to actually 'look' at anything. It pulled out a key and sunk it into the lock of their cell, then slowly pulled it open.

Verun was in the corner, his back turned to the imp.

Chaxin was breathing quickly, hiding the dark material behind him as he watched the imp.

Without words, the creature shifted into the cell and reached out for him with those elongated fingers.

Chaxin pulled his right arm from behind his back and threw the dead man's viscous brain matter at the imp's face. It flew through the air for less than a second and splatted against the monster's eyes, slathering its already gray face with the dark, ichorous gore.

The imp's hand clenched into a fist, seemingly taken aback by the sudden attack.

Without pause, Chaxin took the gore from his other hand and placed it into his right, and threw the second helping. This time, it slopped against the imp's forehead and slid away, leaving a trail of ichor as it fell to the floor.

"I'm out of ideas!" said Chaxin.

"Almost… done," Verun said, as his own anxiety rose.

The imp shifted further into the cell and brought its arm up to wipe away at its face, clearing its black eyes. It blinked away the muck and reached out to grab Chaxin, but this time, its hand went right for Chaxin's neck.

Chaxin pulled out of the way, but the imp's hand and arm seemed to twist at the last moment, seizing his neck.

He could feel that strong grip, tightening and tightening on his throat, cutting off his air as he tried to gasp and breathe. Inch by inch, he was pulled toward the towering creature.

Verun spun around and held his arm up and his palm out toward the monster's face. With his other hand, he pressed a finger to the scrawl on his arm, where an X was drawn into a square box. A line of writing went from a part of the runic sentence all the way to a small drawn circle on his palm. Upon contact with his finger on the X, a billowing flame shot forth from the drawn circle.

The imp flinched as its face was buffeted by the intense flames. Its hold on Chaxin released, as its arm swung at Verun, while its other lifted to protect its vulnerable face from the searing flames.

Verun dove to the side, having seen how easily the imp had seized Chaxin. The imp's arm smacked uselessly against the wall as Verun pulled his arm up and aimed it at the imp's chest. He pressed his finger to the X rune, and another bout of flame poured from his palm and engulfed the imp.

Verun's hand trembled. There was nothing to alleviate the intense nearby heat that was so close to his hand. "Ah!" he gasped, and pulled his finger from the X. He swiped his hand about, then blew on it repeatedly to try and cool it off as best he could.

The imp swung its arms wildly, smacking its fists against the walls and grasping at its own body in a futile attempt to rid itself of the flames. The creature stumbled and fell to the floor, still swinging and flailing about.

Verun quickly got to his feet, as Chaxin moved closer to the gate.

"Let's go!" said Chaxin as he grabbed the bars, urging Verun to flee.

"Not yet! We can't!" said Verun, who maneuvered around the burning body of the imp, trying to avoid its death throes. "It has to die, else there won't be enough!"

"Enough what?" Chaxin asked, his eyes wide as he looked between Verun and the imp.

"Just wait!" Verun growled.

The imp's arms fell limp to the floor, coming to rest beside the dead man. Its dark, fleshy body was wreathed in flame. Chaxin covered his nose and mouth as dark smoke began to fill the cell and billow out into the hall. "Someone's going to notice!" said Chaxin.

Verun stood there clutching the soul crystal he'd created. He stared at it, looking over to the imp every few seconds.

The crystal glowed and pulsed.

Verun's eyes lit up. "Now we leave!" he said and quickly spun around. He pushed past Chaxin and dashed down the hall.

Chaxin was right on his heels. "Do you know the way?" he asked in a hushed tone. Luckily they were barefoot, so their footfalls weren't as loud as they would've been with boots on.

"Yes, yes of course! Basic memory skills!" Verun said as he ran down the hall. They quickly reached a junction and Verun chose a direction, which Chaxin followed without question.

Chaxin's heart pounded, his body aching from exertion. Would someone find them in the halls? What would happen if another imp came along? If the dead imp was found, would something worse than an imp come looking for them?

"Help me! Please help! Get off me!" came a woman's shrieks from just around the left of the next junction.

Verun suddenly pushed up against the wall. Chaxin rushed by him, then realized what he was doing. He pushed up to the wall as well, and watched.

"Be very still, do nothing," Verun whispered.

About ten feet ahead was the intersection.

A gray imp entered their view. It appeared almost identical to the one they'd just killed. It strode slowly into view.

Chaxin's breath caught in his chest as the imp turned to the left, away from them.

"Please help, someone!" came the woman's voice, as a red-haired woman was dragged behind the imp.

Chaxin watched as the imp pulled her along. He stepped towards her, but Verun seized his arm, preventing him from going any further.

The naked woman grasped at the floor and sobbed as the imp took her down the corridor, away from them.

"Come, now!" Verun whispered as he slipped around Chaxin and closed in on the junction. He peeked around the corner, and then looked down the other hall.

Chaxin followed after. "We could've saved her!" said Chaxin. "And you could've gotten energy from that imp's death!" Despite the urgency of his voice, he still kept quiet enough so that he wouldn't be heard.

Verun turned around, his eyes wide. He reached out and seized Chaxin's shoulder and held the crystal up to his face. "My mana is nearly depleted, and more soul energy won't remedy that. This crystal only has the capacity to send at most two people. And only just barely! I'm taking an incredible risk even allowing you at my side. Something could still go wrong, and my chances would be better if I only left on my own. Be thankful for that!" Verun hissed as he pulled his hand off Chaxin's shoulder and turned around. He slipped down the left corridor.

Chaxin shook his head. Why couldn't anyone ever be saved? Why did it always feel as though they were doing the wrong thing? Why did people have to die, just so they could escape?

This life was nothing if not unfair.

He chased after Verun and watched as the man dipped into an open room with no door. Chaxin followed right behind him and found himself in a room similar to the one he'd appeared in.

"This is… like a mausoleum?" asked Chaxin, still keeping his voice low as he looked around. The room was mostly unremarkable, but there was a slab of stone that was raised about an inch off the ground and appeared to be different than the surrounding architecture.

"Yes," said Verun, as he went to the slab. Without delay, he began to write with the soul crystal. "Now be quiet. That imp will return to his post, and we need to be gone before then. I hate to tell you this, but that woman bought us our freedom out of here. Otherwise, we would've had to have dealt with that imp, which would've put us in greater jeopardy. We are much closer to other arrival rooms."

Verun traced the crystal against the stone. His hand was beginning to shake as he did. "Damnable nerves," he muttered.

"What should I do?" asked Chaxin, as the feeling of uselessness set in once again.

"Be very quiet," Verun whispered. "And be ready to jump on this stone slab when I tell you to. If that imp returns, then neither of us are making it out of here."

Chaxin loomed near the doorway, keeping an ear out for the familiar thumping of imp footfalls. The only sounds he could make out were those of the crystal scratching against the stone slab, leaving its metallic scrawl behind.

Chaxin was filled with countless questions about what was happening. What was Verun writing? Where would they end up? How was this even possible? How had he seemingly used magic by merely speaking? And why did it give him a headache? Who the hell even was Verun? How had he died to end up in a damnable place such as this?

He kept them all at bay, as his sense of survival overcame his curiosity. He wanted more than anything to return to a place that wasn't Purgatory.

Thump, thump, thump.

Chaxin's heart skipped a beat. "An imp is coming," he whispered.

Verun slowly drew a square with an X, then traced another line to another square with an X. He knelt on the slab and looked up at Chaxin. "Get down here and place a finger over this X, but don't touch it until I tell you."

Chaxin rushed over and only took a brief glance at some of the writing, but Verun's body was in the way of seeing all of it.

"Where will this take us?" he finally asked.

Verun let out a slow breath as the thumps got ever closer.

"I should tell you, that what we're about to do… may not work," said Verun. "It should, and if it does, it means that our souls will travel very, very slowly towards our destination."

Chaxin held his hand over the X meant for him. He turned his head to look to the doorway, then looked back to Verun. "So what? Shouldn't we get going?"

Verun let out a brief sigh. "Yes, we can discuss it on our arrival. Hopefully our souls don't separate too far on the transit. On the count of three, press your finger to the X."

Chaxin nodded. "Ready."

Verun glanced to the doorway; the footsteps couldn't be more than a few feet away.

Verun cleared his throat and then spoke softly, "One… two… three!"

A form appeared in the doorway, just in the corner of Chaxin's eye. But upon hearing 'three,' he pushed his finger to the runic X.

Then, everything went dark.

Chapter 19: Passage

Chaxin awoke to a hand smacking the side of his face.

"Wake up, no time for slumber. Wake up, Chaxin," came Verun's voice.

Chaxin's eyes slowly crept open, and he found himself looking up at Verun's face. He blinked and then glanced around in the dim light that barely seemed to come in from outside the mausoleum. The room was made of a brownish-red stone, and he seemed to be laying on a dais.

"Are we still in Purgatory?" he whispered.

"No," said Verun, who stood there wearing a pair of brown trousers, and a white tunic. "But I fear that we didn't end up somewhere much better."

Chaxin slowly leaned up and took a look around the room. It was similar to that of the mausoleum he'd woken up in on the shore outside of Kamber, but the colors were different, and it seemed to be in decent condition. There was a slight dusty smell in the air, as well as a bit of that fresh air smell that he'd detected near the sea.

"Are we near the ocean?" Chaxin asked.

"Indeed we are," said Verun. He tossed a pair of brown pants and a white tunic, the same pair of clothes he was wearing, onto Chaxin's lap. "Put these on, and then come out here, but keep your voice down." Verun stepped away and walked just outside the doorway to the mausoleum.

Chaxin quickly turned to the side and pulled the pants on, and then the tunic. Would he ever be able to buy his own clothes, instead of wearing whatever was lying around? He hopped off the dais and walked over to Verun. "How long have you been awake?"

"Ten minutes, perhaps," said Verun, as Chaxin joined him outside the mausoleum.

Whereas the mausoleum on the shore had been outside and built against rocks, this mausoleum seemed to be constructed out of a cave, or part of the ground. Once outside the doorway to the mausoleum, there was a wooden wall with an opened door, about ten feet away. Daylight streamed through, giving some visibility.

Chaxin glanced back to the mausoleum and noticed that there was a strange symbol on the top of the doorway. It held no meaning for Chaxin, but he didn't remember seeing such a symbol on the shore mausoleum. "What's this?" he asked as he pointed to it.

Verun looked to where Chaxin was pointing. "That's a destination marker," he said. "It differentiates that mausoleum from others as a destination."

Chaxin gave Verun a quizzical look. "Please explain. I have a bunch of questions, and you're only making me think of more."

Verun nodded. "There's quite a lot that needs explaining, and perhaps it is best that we take our time, but first, come with me." Verun turned and headed toward the open wooden door.

Chaxin shook his head and followed after.

The two of them passed into a wooden structure. There were benches and shelves, and all sorts of glass and mechanical instruments and implementations. To the far side of the room was a stairway that led down. There were three windows, one on each wall, except for the wall with the door they'd just walked through. The windows were hazed to prevent details being discerned, but they still allowed as much light through as possible.

Chaxin looked around at everything as Verun went over to a stool near one of the benches and took a seat. "Please, sit somewhere," he said.

Chaxin nodded and found another stool near another bench. He brushed it off, as it seemed to be dusty. He then placed his attention on Verun. "So, out with it. Where are we? How exactly were you able to get us here?"

Verun nodded slowly, and his gaze fell to the dusty floor. "We are on the island city known as Trillin."

"I've heard of that," said Chaxin. "That's where the ship came from, the one with the sarcophagi."

"Many ships come to Trillin," said Verun. "It also happens to be the location of one of various workshops with which I am familiar."

"Workshops?" asked Chaxin.

"Yes," said Verun. "I'm loosely associated with a group of practitioners. They, or, I suppose you could say 'we,' call ourselves mitigators. We study anything we can find on magic, be it rune, or otherwise. We learn about every creature we possibly can, and we learn what such creatures are made of, and how that can be used to accomplish various tasks."

Chaxin squinted, trying to follow with what Verun was saying, as best he could. "Ok?"

"The rune magic I used to get us here was something similar to what I and the other mitigators use as a method of transport between specialized mausoleums. You saw the symbol of the one in there," Verun said, and gestured to the door. "That's how I was able to send us here. I figured that with my acquaintances here in Trillin, one of whom is the owner of this workshop, I would be able to find assistance. That brings us to our first problem."

"Go on," Chaxin prompted.

"As I said in Purgatory, the power in that crystal was only barely able to send us away from it. Usually when you die, your soul is sling-shotted across the Graymos, on the ethereal plane, or whatever you want to call it. And you end up, rather quickly, in a couple of days, on Purgatory. However, Purgatory is a place that draws everything to it, so we had to use every bit of energy in that crystal to send us away from it. Which happens very slowly."

Chaxin blinked. "Slower than a few days?" he asked, catching on to what Verun was referring to.

"I don't know how long precisely, but… time has flowed freely while we made our way from Purgatory. Until I speak to someone, I would surmise that it's been anywhere between one and five years."

"Five years?" Chaxin's eyes widened. "But I just woke up on Wake… it was only about two days ago. You're saying it's been five years since I woke up here?"

Verun nodded slowly. "I made a calculated gamble that a fellow mitigator would still be running this workshop to be able to welcome us. I wasn't positive that any of the other locations would still be in use. I still don't know how much time has passed precisely. I woke ten minutes ago and found clothes for us, but no sign of a journal, or anything."

"Then why don't we ask someone?" asked Chaxin. "How big is this city?"

"Oh, it's quite large, thousands upon thousands of people. It's the largest city on Wake."

Chaxin's brows lifted. "So let's go find out how long it's been. Were you on Wake when you died?" asked Chaxin. "You never told me how you died, or where."

Verun sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "My death is of no current concern, but yes, I was here on Wake. I imagine, within days of your own death."

Chaxin stood up from the stool. "Well, we have some clothes, and your friend doesn't seem to be home, so let's check the city."

"Stop," said Verun, looking over to Chaxin. Verun didn't move from the stool. "You're going to stay right here."

"What? Why?" asked Chaxin.

"Tell me, what do you hear?" Verun asked.

Chaxin gave him an odd look, and then stopped to listen. There were no sounds whatsoever. "Um, not much of anything."

"Exactly," said Verun. "We are located in a district in northern Trillin. There are streets and homes all around us. It's midday, at least. There's light out, and people should be going about their day. Animals should be making noise. People should be laughing and making all sorts of sounds. So why is it that we can't hear anything?"

Chaxin looked up to the ceiling, then over to the windows. "Maybe everyone went somewhere? Or they're attending an event?"

Verun sighed. "Unlikely."

"Well, what do you propose we do then?" asked Chaxin. "We have to leave this workshop eventually. We can't stay here forever. So why don't we leave and figure out where everyone is?"

"We need to take time to prepare," said Verun. "I've never heard silence like this in a place as large as Trillin. I doubt you've spent much time in large cities to realize how strange this is. So we're going to find what we can, prepare ourselves, and hope nightfall doesn't come too quickly."

Even Chaxin didn't have to question why nightfall was bad. The merfolk attack, the disappearance of Jerem. The dark allowed creatures to move unseen. If Verun was right, and something was wrong in Trillin, then it was only going to be worse at night.

"Alright," said Chaxin. "You said the owner of this place was one of your mitigator friends. Is there anything around here that can give us an advantage? Weapons, armor?"

Verun looked around the workshop. "Now that you're awake and aware of the situation we're in, you can help me search this place. I'll get back to looking around in here, and you should go check downstairs. Whatever you do, don't leave the house."

"Right, I got it," said Chaxin. He still wasn't entirely convinced that they were in some perilous danger. They seemed far better off now than they'd been back in Purgatory. At least here they didn't have to worry about some big gray imp dragging them away to be killed in an arena.

But then again, he had no idea of what was really outside the walls of this home.

He took one last glance at Verun before he made his way down the steps, taking them carefully. They creaked with each and every step.

Verun pulled open drawers and rummaged around.

Chaxin reached the bottom of the stairs and slowly looked around the new room he found himself in. There was a bed on the wall to his left, and a table in the middle of the room. There was a fireplace off to the side, and a door that probably led out to the street. There were several hazy windows which allowed light to stream in.

Chaxin went over to one of the windows and tilted his head around, trying to see if he could make anything out, but everything was far too blurry.

He stepped away and glanced around some more. There were some cabinets and drawers, probably where Verun had gotten the clothes he was wearing. He went over to what looked to be a dresser by the bed. He pulled the drawers one by one and searched through them. More pants, tunics, some socks. He decided to take a pair of socks. He pulled another drawer and it appeared to be more of the same.

He pulled open the last drawer and took everything out and tossed it on the bed, to make sure that he wasn't missing anything hidden away amongst all the clothes. But it appeared to be a dresser full of clothing.

He sat on the bed and put the socks on, then noticed a pair of brown boots on the floor. He tried them on, and found that they were not the snuggest fit, but they were wearable. He laced them up and then checked under the bed, but there was nothing.

A large chest sat at the end of the bed, and Chaxin made it his next target. He knelt in front of the wooden chest and opened it up without issue, as it had been left unlocked.

Inside, he found a box which was as wide as his arm was long. It was half a foot tall, and about half a foot long. Much to Chaxin's dismay, it was locked. He set it out beside him and began searching for a key. There were rolls of cloth, which he took time to unroll, but they were merely wrapped blankets. Perhaps it got colder at night, or on some days.

He found what amounted to a dozen candles, but no way to light them. He took all of the candles out and found parchment, along with several finger-length pieces of some black material which came to a point. Some writing instrument, it seemed.

There was a folded piece of cloth which set over the entire width of the chest. He reached in, and pulled it up. On the left side of the chest was a pouch. He picked it up and realized it wasn't so much a pouch, but a quiver. He looked inside and saw dozens of metal bolts within. His eyebrows lifted and he then looked back into the chest. He'd only pulled the cloth partway, and then decided to pull it out completely.

Upon doing so, he revealed a black metal crossbow, much smaller than the kind Bavol had let him borrow. It was even smaller than the model that had… been used to kill him, by the guards in Grittin.

He set the quiver down and carefully lifted the crossbow out of the chest. It was small enough to be wielded with one hand. It only had the capacity for a single bolt to be fired before needing reloading, which was a bit of a shortcoming compared to the one Bavol had. But it was sturdy and had some weight to it. There was silvery lining around its frame. He held it in his right hand and gripped the handle, and rested his finger on the trigger. Then, he noticed that on the back of the handle were three squares, with three Xs within them. The one on the left had the letter 'F' written above it, but not attached via linework to the X itself. The center X had a V shape above it, and the third X had a C drawn above it.

With curiosity, he pressed his thumb to the X with the 'F' above it.

Nothing happened.

He shook his head, and pressed his thumb to the X with the V shape above it.

The metal implement that held the silver-looking string pulled all the way back in an instant. The suddenness of it made Chaxin flinch. "Ah!" he gasped, then quickly shut his mouth as he quickly looked around. Everything was silent. He let out a breath and looked back at the crossbow. He reached down and pulled one of the bolts from the quiver, and slotted it into the crossbow. He aimed around the room, and then centered the silvery sights of the weapon on the door.

With a pull of the trigger, the string released and launched the bolt across the room. It smacked with a thud against the door. An instant later, Chaxin's lips curled in a wide grin.

"Definitely better than a sword," he said as he turned it in the air, admiring it.

A few seconds later, several rapid thumps came from the stairway. Chaxin glanced over and saw Verun rush halfway down the steps, and stop.

"What happened?" asked Verun. "Sounded like you might've collapsed."

"Uh, no," said Chaxin. He pointed to the crossbow in his hand, and then to the door. "I um, shot the door. Sorry, was testing this out. Pretty nice find, don't you think? I used a crossbow in the past, but this one's smaller and has a runic method of drawing the string back," he said as he tilted it down and looked at the back of the handle.

Verun squinted. "Well, it sounded as though something might've killed you, and you collapsed on the floor. Be more mindful of what you're doing, when we're supposed to be quiet," he said, keeping his voice low. He descended the rest of the steps and walked over to Chaxin. He inspected the crossbow and lifted a brow. "That's not a crossbow.”

"What?" Chaxin asked, giving him a strange look. "Of course it is. Even I know this."

"No, that's a mage-caster," said Verun with a shake of his head. "Obviously, it looks like a crossbow, but it's meant to use your mana. "Let me see it," he said, and held his hand out.

"Alright, but I want it back, I did find it, after all," said Chaxin as he handed it over.

"I have no interest in a mage-caster. I already found what I was looking for." With that, Verun lifted his right hand and held out an old tome. "Take a look," he said. "But please, please please please, do not actually touch any of the surfaces of the pages. Don't want you destroying yourself. Or worse, destroying me."

Chaxin handed the crossbow over, or more aptly, the mage-caster. He accepted the tome and placed his thumbs to the edges of the covers, and slowly opened it. It was made of old parchment. The cover was some sort of metal, which seemed awfully familiar, and similar to the metal of the weapon he'd just handed Verun. On the many stiff pages were all sorts of runic writing. Spell after spell. Some spoke of fire, some spoke of arcane elements, and a few spoke of lightning and freezing things. "It's a spell book," said Chaxin. "The metal cover, is it the same material as that crossb—er, the mage-caster?"

"Trillin has deep-rooted mines," said Verun. "They gather an ore which smelts into a dark metal. The same metal used on the cover of that book, and this weapon here. They also use it for armor, and all sorts of magical weaponry."

"Is it a strong metal, or something?" asked Chaxin.

"Not particularly, no. However, it's very enchantable. Take this mage-caster for instance," he said and held it in such a way to show off the lines that went to the three Xs on the handle. "It looks as though there are three different functions on this mage caster. Sometimes, they only have the draw-back function, but yours has fire and corrosion. It looks as though the weapon was made in such a way as to hide the actual scrawl on the inside, during its construction. That way, people might not know what they're up against until it's too late. Here, take this back. I want my book," he said, and traded the weapons back.

Chaxin accepted the mage-caster crossbow, and looked at both of the other Xs. "So, the 'F' is for fire? And the 'C' is for corrosion?"

"Precisely right," said Verun.

"I pressed the 'F' earlier, and it didn't do anything," said Chaxin.

"Did you have a bolt loaded at the time? It may only work if a bolt is readied, as to not waste your mana, if you were to accidentally press it when no bolt was loaded."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Chaxin murmured. "So, I was told that a crossbow was a strength and dexterity weapon. But this… is different?"

"Indeed," Verun said, as he held the spell tome at his hip. "When you use the scrawl magic, and then do subsequent damage to anything, you'll gradually build up your mind stat. By firing regular bolts, without any flame or corrosion, you'll increase your dexterity. Over time, you'll probably unlock some new stats that you're not aware of, since you're still probably level one, based on what you told me before. You said at most, you were, what? Level five?"

"Something like that," Chaxin admitted.

"You haven't even scratched the surface of specialty stats," said Verun. "And since you're back to level one, you're going to need to be careful. Especially since we don't know what's going on here in Trillin yet." Verun then glanced away. "Hmm," he murmured as his hand rubbed at his chin. "If we could find some soul crystals that actually have power in them, I could enchant you directly, or perhaps enchant some armor, if we could find you some."

"I guess you didn't find any in your search?" asked Chaxin. "Did you look through everything up there?"

"I did," said Verun. He then gestured to his feet. "Just an old pair of boots. Did you find anything other than that weapon?"

Chaxin pointed to the bed, with all the clothes on it. "There's some socks over there, if you want them. I found a quiver with more bolts, and a locked box. A bunch of cloth, some candles, parchment, nothing else of note."

"Oooh, socks. That would be helpful," said Verun, as he promptly went over to the bed and set down the book. He seated himself and sought out two matching socks, before pulling his boots off and putting them on. Then, he put his boots back on and stood up. "You said you found a locked box, of some sort?"

Chaxin nodded. "I did, but I didn't find any—"

"Key?" asked Verun, who pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up a small metal key. "I couldn't find a lock."

Chaxin set his mage-caster on the bed and knelt down to grab the lockbox. He picked it up and held it for Verun to unlock it. "Well, let's hope there's something good in there."

"Hmm. Could be trapped," Verun murmured as he looked at the key, and then at the box. "Could be that this is the wrong key, and upon using it, the box releases a poisonous gas, meant to subdue and kill would-be robbers."

Chaxin's eyebrows lifted. "Um, is there anything we can do to prevent—"

"But we haven't the time for such nonsense," said Verun, as he took a hold of the edge of the box and put the key right in, then turned it to the side.

Click.

The lid on the lockbox opened, and without hesitation, Verun pulled it up.

Chaxin's eyes were wide as he looked down into the box. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't breathing in some sort of horrible poisonous gas.

The second thing he noticed—

"Jackpot," Verun whispered.

"Are those…"

"They are! How fortuitous," said Verun.

Within the lockbox was a smooth, cushiony white material. Lying in the material were eight white finger-length soul crystals.

Chapter 20: Trillin

"What can we do with these?" asked Chaxin. "You just said you could enchant with them, power us up, right?"

"Well, I certainly could!" said Verun, before his smile shifted to a frown. "But that will require one vital step, which I hadn't planned for yet."

"What do you mean?" asked Chaxin.

"I haven't the slightest idea if these crystals have any power in them, and if they do, I have no idea about the quality of such power. Scrawl requires an intimate understanding of the material being enchanted, the power in the crystal which you are using to enchant, as well as the words being written. It's a three-factor process, which can be very complex. So what we need is a grimoire."

Chaxin took in a slow breath, then released it. "Do you know where one is?"

Verun silently stared at the crystals. "Perhaps," he said. "But more importantly, we need to come to a decision, and since you happen to be here with me, I suppose in some small part, you must be a part of that decision-making process."

"Well, I would hope so," said Chaxin.

Verun picked the crystals from the box, one by one. He put two in one of his pockets, and then two in the other. He then held out the other four. "Put these in your pockets, two in each. It's good to keep them separated. That way, if you were to, I don't know, fall, or be hit by something powerful, then only a couple of the crystals would break."

"Good thinking," said Chaxin, as he set the now-useless box down, and then took the crystals, placing two in each pocket. Then, he went over and grabbed the quiver, and slipped the strap over his head, so the quiver would come to rest against his back.

"Yes, thinking is generally what I'm best at, among other things," Verun murmured.

"Should we take any of these candles?" asked Chaxin.

"Only if we plan on staying in here for the night, but I'd prefer to carefully discover what's become of Trillin. We are suitably prepared. Which reminds me. Since you're a level one, you should realize that by using that mage-caster, you're spending your mana when you trigger those enchantments."

Chaxin nodded. "When I first arrived on Wake, I was poisoned, and some… someone helped me, and used time magic to slow the poison. But in doing so, they prevented me from ever being able to use mana. So, can you explain how mana works exactly? I never really cared to know before."

"You expect me to believe someone used time magic on you?" asked Verun incredulously.

"Yeah, I was hurt, close to dying, I think. There was this woman—"

"Someone used time magic, on a dying level… what? You were probably, level zero, or something?"

Chaxin sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, is that so incredible?"

"It is, actually," said Verun. "I'm sure you already know. I mean, someone has to have told you how rare time magic is, correct?"

"Yeah, it's been mentioned," said Chaxin.

"Let me put it this way," said Verun. "I know far more than the average arcane practitioner. I'm even considered above my peers of the mitigators. But if I was forced to write scrawl with time? Well… my only hope would be to somehow fumble my way through it, and not end up destroying whatever I was attempting to enchant. Any magic dealing with time is incredibly… I don't think I can stress this enough for you, Chaxin, incredibly unstable and powerful. When you enchant something, failure has consequence. It's why recipes are so important. Through trial and error, and a basic understanding of materials, soul energy, and the requirements of the enchantment, we are able to safely enchant things. Such as when I enchanted my arm so that I could eject every bit of mana I had into that flame. If I’d messed that up, I might've severely injured my arm or burnt my own flesh at the least. At worst, I could've lost the entire limb. But with time magic, the energy requirement is so much more substantial and precise that an error could wipe you entirely out of existence and potentially everything around you. A few feet, a few meters… a few miles."

Chaxin swallowed as Verun seemed to take an actual breath. It sounded as though Verun was chastising him, but at this point, he realized that this was just how Verun was.

"So believe me," said Verun. "When I say, that I, as a master of enchantment, have never even seen or known of a single properly-functioning recipe for time magic. Even if I saw time magic written, I wouldn't be able to duplicate it, as I'd have no idea of the soul energy requirement, which is a very important portion of the formula. Now, with that aside, you're telling me, that a person with this incredibly rare knowledge, decided… out of the goodness of their heart, to expend what I can only imagine to be a very large sum of soul energy to save you. A human who hadn't even been on Wake for a single day. And from all things… poison?"

"I get it," said Chaxin, finally able to get a word in after Verun's endless rant. "Time magic, really strong stuff. Whatever. All I know is exactly what I said happened. If you don't want to believe me, then I don't care. All I wanted you to do was to explain how mana works."

Verun blinked several times. Chaxin could practically see him still ruminating over time magic.

"Well, that's very simple, really," said Verun. "Depending on your attributes, you absorb the mana that exists all around you. It's partially what we see in the sky. It's something that replenishes over time, and you have to keep track of how much you've spent."

"How do I keep track?" asked Chaxin. "As you said, all the scrawl on the mage-caster is hidden."

"If we find a grimoire. You can actually place the weapon against a page on the grimoire, lift it away, and it'll tell you every word that's part of the enchantment on the item."

"Great, so it really sounds like we need to find a grimoire. I can check this weapon's enchantments, and you can check the crystals. That should be our goal here, right?"

"That all depends," said Verun.

"On what?" asked Chaxin with a sigh. "That's a clear plan, we both need the grimoire. What's the trouble?"

"As I have to keep reminding you, something is terribly wrong here in Trillin. Yes, there is surely a grimoire nearby. If my memory serves, there's one…" Verun trailed off a moment. "There are two possibilities," he corrected himself. "The quickest would be the city library, at the very center of Trillin. The other option would be the wharf master at the north dock."

"So let's get to the library then. That way we can figure out what's happened."

Verun sighed and shook his head. "Whatever is going on, I fear that going deeper into the city may not be the best prospect. The wharf is further away, but it may be the safer destination."

"You seem to have your mind made up about this," said Chaxin. "I'm not sure why you're even bothering consulting me on the matter. You're just going to try and convince me your way is best, like how you didn't want to save that woman, and how you killed a man to get us out of Purgatory."

Verun's eyes narrowed. "You woke in the Graymos only days ago. A child of ten years knows more about what it takes to survive here than you do. Don't think for a moment that your opinion holds any great value. At most, you're useful for bouncing my own thoughts off of, so that I can best determine the route we should take."

"Why even have me around then?" asked Chaxin. "You saved me from Purgatory as well. Why? You could've just left me there, but you took added risk and kept me around."

"Because even at your worst, you're still another pair of hands which could carry a weapon, or help open a door, or any number of things," said Verun, his voice gaining sharpness the more he spoke. "I certainly didn't keep you along for your intelligence, nor your wisdom. So keep that in mind. You're another body. Anyone would've done, but you're what I was stuck with. So I'm making the best of it."

Verun's earlier chastisement had been tolerable, and something that Chaxin had been easily able to deflect by merely thinking of something else. It wasn't Verun's blatant openness of what he thought about him, but the fact that it was all true. Every word of it.

Chaxin looked away as he came to terms with the reality of the situation. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. I'll go along with whatever you think is best."

"Well, alright then," said Verun. The edge to his voice had alleviated considerably.

Chaxin was silent for a time. He wondered what Kaiz and Deloris had truly thought of him. They were far friendlier to him than Verun was. Of course, there were several differing factors behind how he and Verun had met up, and how he and the people from Kamber had met. As much as it hurt him to realize it, Verun was right. Verun had done what he needed to, to even keep the two of them alive. It seemed like that was just how this world functioned.

Survival at the cost of others.

"As I was saying," Verun spoke up again, after allowing Chaxin a few moments to himself, "the wharf is our best chance. It will allow us to gain a bearing on what's going on, and if there is actually anyone still around. If there has been some tragedy, then we should see signs of it. If there's something harmful out there, we'll have to deal with it as we go. But just as important as checking out the wharf for the grimoire, we need to figure out what we're doing after we check the grimoire. If by chance, Trillin is better off than I assume it is, then we can stay here longer and gain our bearings further. But if there's a good reason that people don't still seem to be here, then we need to leave with all due haste. The only way of doing that is by ship."

"And I'm guessing that travel via the mausoleums is out of the question?" asked Chaxin.

Verun looked to the ceiling and seemed to shrug. "I'd considered it, and there are some alternate locations we could try going to. I'll have to check the power in the crystals regardless. But if we go that route, we take nothing with us. No weapons, crystals, clothes, enchantments, nothing."

"I figured there'd be a catch," Chaxin murmured.

"We need to check the grimoire, then see if there are still ships here. That should be our current course. Are… we in agreement, Chaxin?" Verun asked.

Chaxin nodded. "We are. I'm with you."

Chapter 21: Hunt

Once the two of them had packed up their newly acquired assets, they proceeded to the front door. Verun stood nearby and gestured to the door with his head. "Alright, out you go. We're going to head to the right, and just follow the street."

"If you know the way better than I do, why am I opening the door?" asked Chaxin.

"Because if something attacks you within seconds of the door being opened, I will have a higher chance of dealing with such a threat, as opposed to myself dying, and then you trying to fumble your way into figuring out what your options are."

Chaxin gave Verun a hard look. He wanted to refute the man's analysis of such a simple action. All he was doing was opening a door. What was the worst that could happen? Surely if something was close enough to attack them, they would have already been assailed by it.

"Fine. Let's just go," Chaxin murmured, as he turned the knob on the door. It was only then that he realized that the door's lock had never been latched. It had been unlocked the entire time they were inside. Chaxin remained still for several seconds as he contemplated the lock, but decided it didn't have much bearing on the current situation.

He pulled the door open and slowly stepped outside.

The sky was filled with clouds, further obscuring the meager light that made the current time 'day.' Despite this, there was still an adequate amount of illumination for them to see in an unlit room. Now that Chaxin was outside, he took the city in.

Grittin had been the largest city he'd seen, but he'd only seen it from a street view, and then up near Lord Karnith's castle.

Trillin's buildings rose up higher in places, while remaining shorter in others. It was a strange architectural hodgepodge of structures, ranging from stone and wood construction. Sheets of metal were used on several of the buildings. Windows came in all shapes and sizes. No structure looked completely identical to any of the ones near it. Street lamps littered the sides of buildings. Some were placed outside the windows of second floors, while others were on the ground level outside of doors. Occasionally there were posts out in the street which had hanging lamps. None of them were currently lit, as it was day time. And also probably because no one was around.

Chaxin took a few more steps outside the door and glanced to the left, and then to the right. He headed right, as per Verun's instruction.

A moment later, Verun stepped out to join him.

Chaxin held the mage-caster firmly in his right hand. Before leaving, he'd practiced reaching back to grab a bolt, and was fairly certain he could do so quickly, if they got into a fight.

The street itself was made of flat patchy stones with some sort of mortar in between. Their footfalls became the only sound in the vicinity.

"Walk a little slower, quieter," said Verun in a low voice.

Chaxin did as he was told and slowed his pace. He became more mindful of the noise he was making, and sought to alleviate it as best he could. Soon enough, Verun was walking beside him on his left.

"No detail is too small," Verun whispered. "The sooner we know what happened, the better off we'll be. If something looks as if it doesn't belong, say something."

"Not sure I'm going to be the best judge of what doesn't belong," said Chaxin, keeping with the quiet tone Verun had set.

"Something of such a scale as this should be noticeable," said Verun. "Raiders would leave a terrible mess. Monsters would leave corpses, or at least blood."

"What of an evacuation?" asked Chaxin. "Should we check inside any of these buildings for clues?"

"Doing so would bring further attention to our presence," said Verun. So far, the two of them had kept close to the right side of the street.

"But an evacuation is possible. If that's the case, then we won't find a ship at the docks." Verun pondered the notion a bit longer. "But if it was an evacuation, then they were trying to get away from something. Perhaps monsters, or a disease. And there wouldn't have been enough ships to have carried everyone away. Which means that people may still be here, but might be in hiding. We’ll just have to see what we find at the wharf master's office."

Chaxin's eyes scanned their surroundings. Everything looked pretty… normal. It was a large city, with structures and roads. He kept waiting for something to jump out at him, or to spot a monster looming somewhere, but the city was simply empty.

"Strange," Verun murmured.

Chaxin came to a stop. "What is?" he asked, unsure if they should keep going.

Verun stopped as well. His attention seemed to be drawn to something up ahead, in the middle of the street. He lifted his hand and pointed to a circular metal slab in the road. "That's a sewer cap," he said. He then turned and pointed to another one, one they'd passed about ten feet back. "And there's another."

"Is that important?" Chaxin asked.

"Hmm, I suppose not," Verun murmured. "It's just odd that there are two so close together. They're used as entry points to get down into the sewers beneath the town. You see, there's a sewer system that takes wastewater out to the sea. It's also how seawater gets pumped into the innermost sections of the city, to then be purified for drinking. It's just… I'm trying to spot anything unusual, as I told you to do, of course. And I just can't imagine why there'd be a sewer cap so close to another. Hmm, perhaps there were some new tunnels, and the two aren't connected? Surely that's it. It's nothing, let's keep moving," he said, working his own way out of what he seemed to think was unusual.

"Alright then," said Chaxin, as they resumed their walk.

"How long ago has it been since you were here?" asked Chaxin. "Aside from the time that we're unsure about?"

"It’s been a number of years," said Verun. "Perhaps six? Maybe seven. I've been here several times, but not most recently. I don't recall the specifics of the scenery but it appears as though it has grown some."

They soon reached the end of the street, which then branched to the left, right, and straight. The two of them stopped, and Verun took a glance down both side streets. "Hmm," he murmured, just as he'd been doing numerous times since they'd arrived. "Let's just continue on straight.”

Chaxin didn't put up any argument as they crossed over to the other side of the street and kept walking. Minutes passed, and Chaxin realized he didn't have any good sense of how close they were getting to the docks. All he could see were the tops of buildings.

A glint on the stones beneath their feet caught Chaxin's attention. He slowed and stopped in front of a fallen coin. He stooped down and snatched it up.

"Find something?" Verun asked, looking back to him.

Chaxin turned it over several times. "Just a silver coin, but more money than I had," he said with a meager half smile, pocketing the coin.

"Every little bit helps, I suppose," said Verun, and they continued their way.

"Speaking of money," Chaxin spoke up, "I've seen copper, silver, and gold coins. What are their respective values?"

"Ten copper equals a silver, and ten silver equal a gold," said Verun. "It's very simple. Usually, you use copper to pay for food and drink, while silvers are used for bartering for items. If what you're trying to buy is on the more expensive side, then gold is what comes into play. Some people are so wealthy that they only carry gold around with them, and just use it for everything."

Now that Chaxin had a silver in his pocket, the two of them continued their long trek through Trillin.

Chaxin looked up at the sky from time to time. The clouds never seemed to alleviate. At least it wasn't raining. The weather could be worse. And it was still daytime.

His attention lowered, and he spotted something he hadn't seen since the moment they'd left Verun's mitigator friend's home. He stopped and seized Verun's arm. He promptly pointed ahead and across the street.

Verun stopped and stared at what Chaxin was directing him to. It took a few moments, but he then spotted it as well.

"An open door," Chaxin murmured. "So far, every one I've seen has been closed."

Verun stood still, his eyes roaming the single-story structure. The door was partially open, about a foot and a half. It was dark inside, but there were several structures near it which helped block the daylight.

"Hmm," Verun murmured. "But I would say that the door isn't the most peculiar part of that home."

"What do you mean?" asked Chaxin.

"It doesn't have any windows," said Verun. "What sort of place on the street doesn't have windows? All homes have windows. All shops have windows too. Very strange."

"Should we check it out?" asked Chaxin.

"No, no, I don't think we should," said Verun. "Let's keep going. I get a bad sense about that place, and I always trust my senses."

"Alright," Chaxin murmured, as the two continued on their way. Chaxin slowly turned his head as they passed by. He kept a close eye on the building, waiting to see if anyone might come out of it, but no one did.

"Haven't seen any rats, mice, birds," Verun said after a few minutes. "No animals of any kind. Very odd."

"If you say so," said Chaxin. "How much further do you think it is?"

"A dozen more streets, at least," said Verun. "And these streets tend to be rather long."

Chaxin sighed and shook his head. So far, despite the eerie sense the city gave him, there hadn't been anything that was directly a threat.

After another few minutes of silence, Chaxin noticed something on the street they were on. "What are those white vegetables outside people's doors?"

"White vegetables?" Verun asked. He then glanced around. "Oh, those are fruits. They're combelons. They're a melon that's grown in the caves beneath Trillin. When they grow to a certain size, you set them outside your house to… ripen."

"Oh, I see," said Chaxin.

Verun came to an immediate stop. His eyes were now wide as he glanced at the various head-sized white melons which sat outside some of the homes.

"What's wrong?" asked Chaxin.

"Everything," Verun whispered. "Combelons are only set out when you're planning to eat them that night, or the next day. They ripen from the light of the Graymos. They remain gray until they absorb enough light, and then they turn white, like the ones we see around."

"And that worries you?" asked Chaxin. "Ripe fruit?"

"What worries me is that no one seems to be around, and all the combelons are white. They're eaten a day after they turn white, and if they’re outside for more than two days, they turn black and rot."

"So people were going to eat them and disappeared yesterday, or before we got here?" asked Chaxin.

"Chaxin, I don't think those are combelons at all," Verun whispered. "We should keep our distance."

"What does that even mean? You said yourself they were fruit," said Chaxin, confused.

"I know what I said, dammit!" Verun hissed. "But something is terribly, terribly wrong. Things are… they're off. It's like, this is Trillin, but there's all these things that are just wrong with it, that don't make any sense. First the sewer caps. Then that strange windowless building. Now, these combelons!"

Chaxin's brows furrowed. He took another look around and shook his head. "Well, what do you want to do? If they're not actually fruit, what are they? Do you want me to shoot one?"

Verun was still looking at the fruits. "They look like fruit," he whispered. "But how can they be? The town couldn't have been emptied a mere day before we arrived. There was dust… dust covering everything in that house. But what if Malmont had been gone prior to something happening in Trillin?"

"We can solve this puzzle if you just let me shoot one of the fruits," said Chaxin.

Verun turned to Chaxin, his eyes wide. "But what if it's not a fruit? It can't be a fruit!"

"Then by shooting it, we can find out what it really is," Chaxin urged.

"But what if we shouldn't learn such things?" asked Verun. "Sometimes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. And in this case, that goes for mysterious fruit. We shall… simply walk a safe distance around the fruit, yes?"

"Sure," said Chaxin, thinking that Verun was starting to lose his mind. "Let's just… walk around it. No big deal."

"Good, we should be able to just pass safely down the street, and continue on our—"

Chaxin lifted his arm and pressed his thumb to the middle X on the mage-caster. The string drew back as he lined up the shot and pulled the trigger.

Verun was about to take a step forward, but stopped when he saw the sudden bolt fly past him.

The sharp metal rod sunk into the outer flesh of one of the fruits further up the street. The inside of the melon didn't slow it down much, as it went right through and clinked off the stone wall behind the fruit.

The puncture hole in the melon began to gradually leak out a pale white juice.

Verun stared with fierce intensity and wide eyes, his lips slightly parted.

"It's just a fruit," said Chaxin. "Can you stop acting so crazy now?"

Verun didn't move for several seconds. He watched the melon leak its juices onto the cobblestone street. Then, he slowly inhaled and exhaled. "Yes, yes let's keep moving. Obviously, I let my paranoia get the better of me," he said, as his demeanor seemed to soften. "I'm not sure how I could've been so foolish. Still, things are strange around here, but… yes, I do apologize for my mild… insecurity of some melons." He shook his head and blinked several times. "Let's go," he said, and began walking once more.

Chaxin walked by his side. For good measure, he took one last glance back at the combelon he'd shot, but nothing about it was amiss. Some of its fluids had seeped down around it, but for all intents and purposes, he'd shot a fruit. Perhaps he needed to watch what Verun was saying a little more carefully. The man certainly knew far more than he did when it came to the spheres, but he couldn't help but question the man's mental state at this point.

Chaxin let a few minutes pass before speaking up. He wasn't sure if Verun was still thinking about the oddness of some of the things they'd seen so far in Trillin, but he couldn't let the man veer off on a crazy tangent again. So he decided to ask him a hopefully innocuous question. "How close to nightfall do you think we are?"

Verun looked to the sky, then down to the street. "Who can say?" he answered. "Some days are longer than others, as are the nights."

"Really?" asked Chaxin, as if that notion appeared strange and foreign to him. "Are all days different lengths?"

"Some days may be made up of twenty hours, some may be made up of fifty. I've seen a night last for thirty hours before," Verun replied.

"How do you manage to tell time over long durations? If we've been gone for several years’ worth of time, how is that determined?"

"By the growth of some plants," said Verun. "Certain plants, given the proper nutrients, will take a certain amount of time to grow. Despite the strangeness of day and night, Wake still has seasons. A year is four seasons, regardless of the days. On other spheres, I hear that things can get far more complicated. But on a sphere such as Wake, we manage with what the world provides."

"Interesting," Chaxin murmured. By now, between the two of them, they hadn't been the quietest of souls, especially with Verun's barely-restrained outburst. If there was something around, Chaxin was certain that they might've garnered its attention, if it were anywhere close by. But he hadn't seen anything yet.

"I bet Trillin would be quite the place, if people were here," said Chaxin. "I only spent a little time in Grittin before my death. Kamber wasn't very lively, and I spent the majority of my time there between the clinic and the town hall."

"Yes, cities can have a number of interesting facets," said Verun. "The library, the market district. Even the—"

A figure ran out into the middle of the street about a hundred feet away. He frantically turned both ways. He was about to rush the same way Chaxin and Verun were heading, but upon catching sight of the two of them, he stopped and stared.

Even from the distance, Chaxin could make out the man's rough face and wide eyes. He gripped a small round wooden shield in his left hand, which protected most of his forearm, while also carrying a short sword with a line of runic writing with his right hand. He wore mostly cloth. A black pair of pants and a gray tunic, but overtop of it, he had on what looked to be leather armor, made up of mostly different shades of brown. It definitely didn't look like common attire.

With purpose, the man headed toward Chaxin and Verun. The two of them had stopped and were standing, staring at the harried man with black hair to his shoulders and a fair complexion.

His eyes flit between the two of them, but he kept looking over his shoulder, back the way he came. He didn't appear to be rushing to attack the two of them; if anything, it looked as though he was catching his breath. When he reached them, he spoke up in a quiet tone, but it was evident that he was fatigued. "Who are you two? You got a ship nearby?"

Chaxin glanced to Verun, then to the man.

As Chaxin sought to figure out what all he should tell the man, Verun spoke up first. "We traveled by mausoleum, actually. What's befallen this city? We've been away for quite some time."

The man blinked and gave Verun a strange look. "Travel by mausoleum? The hell does that mean?" he grunted. "You've just arrived then?"

"That is indeed what has happened," said Verun. "We know nothing of what is going on. Could you please enlighten us?"

The man shook his head. "Is it just the two of you? Ya shouldn't even be here," he said, before glancing over his shoulder again. "It isn't safe. I need to get back to my captain. But what are you even doing here?"

"As I said, we've been gone a long time," said Verun. "Captain, you say? So you have a ship?"

The man nodded. "Aye, we have a ship. Thought that was the only way you could get here. But you go spouting nonsense of traveling by mausoleum. You must be one of them mage types, eh?"

"That's correct," said Verun. "Could we speak with your captain? We'd very much like to charter passage away from here, as it seems something is terribly wrong in Trillin."

"Aye, more than something," said the man. "Everything's wrong here, but that's why we're here. I don't know if the captain will be taking on extra crew. Especially ones we found here, but you're welcome to come back with me. I need to report in, and I've been separated from my group."

"Your group?" asked Chaxin.

The man diverted his attention to Chaxin. "Aye, my mates. We split up into teams for the hunt, to locate the creature and flush it out. But she's crafty, that one."

"She?" asked Verun.

He nodded. "Aye, I believe it's a she. At least, part of her anyway. We should get moving. Follow me." Without waiting for an agreement, the man turned around and walked swiftly up the street, the way the two of them had already been going.

Chaxin and Verun exchanged a look. Chaxin shrugged and gestured to the man, as if they should follow. Verun nodded in silent agreement.

The two of them quickly followed the man, but stayed behind him, letting him lead the way. He kept turning his head, checking the rooftops, the corners, the side streets, everything.

"What's your name?" asked Chaxin. "I'm Chaxin, this is Verun."

"The name's Samisun," he replied. "Are you two capable fighters?"

"We are," Verun spoke up. "What is it you're hunting, exactly? Is it after you, right now?"

Chaxin had no desire to correct Verun on the fact that he himself was probably not the most capable of fighters.

"We call it a hunt," said Samisun. "But it feels like we're the ones being hunted. She moves in shadow. She's incredibly fast, with abnormal strength. I only caught a glimpse of her as she dragged one of my mates away. We think she has poison claws. She's much faster than we are at running. She can scale a building in seconds."

"And this… is a person?" asked Verun. "Or a monster?"

Samisun glanced back. "Both."

Chapter 22: Keldara

The way Samisun was acting made Chaxin think back to Verun's overreaction with the fruits. But if what Samisun said was true, then perhaps there really was something to be concerned about. But so far, all he'd said was that it was some woman, who was also a monster? What did that even mean?

As Samisun led the way, Chaxin kept his voice to a whisper as he spoke to Verun. "Shouldn't he be more concerned about having just met us? He seems awfully trusting, don't you think? And don't we still need to find a grimoire? Are we sure we want to be following him? What if he's really being chased by a creature, and just using us as a shield?"

The cobblestone street appeared the same as it had since the moment they left the lodgings of Verun's associate. But luckily for Verun's sanity, there didn't seem to be any white fruit nearby.

Verun looked back to Chaxin, then turned his head forward, nodding slightly. "He's not concerned about us because whatever he and his people were hunting seems to be of far greater importance. As far as the grimoire is concerned, his captain could very well have one on their ship, and we'll be passing by the wharf anyway. We could always meet the captain, secure passage, and then stop by the wharf before they leave. And yes, I very much think that he's using us as a shield so he can safely return to the rest of his crew. But this works in our favor."

"A little further. It's just up ahead, past the warehouses," said Samisun, seemingly having no idea the two were discussing him. He'd paid less and less attention to Chaxin and Verun and more on their surroundings. His shield and sword were always at the ready, as if something might jump out at him at any moment.

"Hopefully their captain will be amicable towards answering our questions, as well as allowing us to charter safe passage away from here," said Verun. "But if Samisun and the rest of the crew are here in Trillin, hunting things, then that passage may not be as safe as I would prefer."

"I don't think we have any options," said Chaxin. "They may be the only ship near the island."

"If there's one ship that thinks it can profit off hunting or plundering, then there are bound to be others," said Verun. "No one remains ahead of everyone else for long. People catch on. Nothing stays secret. It all depends on their captain."

"Well, I'm sure that's not always the case," said Chaxin. "From what I've heard, not many people know about spoken magic, which you had no issue doing back in Purgatory. That seems to be pretty secret to me."

Verun tossed Chaxin a glance. "Do not speak of that, especially not in the company of others."

"Why? More secrets you wish to keep to yourself? Are you not fond of sharing?" Chaxin asked.

Verun sighed and shook his head. "It's more a matter of protecting them from the things I know, than keeping them all to myself. Trust me on this."

"I guess I'll have to," Chaxin replied.

As the three of them crossed another intersection, the structures around them seemed to differ in architecture and size. Whereas the buildings had been small and modular, mostly meant for housing and storefronts, now they were far more sizeable and vast, and not as makeshift. Most of the large warehouses had a solid stone foundation, and secure walls going up many stories. There were ramps, and the warehouses seemed to be sectional.

"What are these used for?" asked Chaxin.

"Mostly storing goods, to be later bartered and traded here in Trillin, or out in other towns and cities," said Verun. "Almost all trade goes through Trillin, here on Wake."

Samisun turned his head. "Not anymore it doesn't," he said, seeming to have picked up on Verun's comment, now that Verun wasn't keeping as quiet.

Verun's lips parted again to speak, but Samisun directed his attention forward, and didn't seem willing to discuss such topics while they were moving. The man was still on edge, but had relaxed considerably the closer they got to the docks.

Bang!

The three of them came to a sudden halt.

Chaxin's eyes widened, hearing the familiar sound of a gunshot ring out. It was just like the iconic sound that followed Kaiz's gun-spear. Was Kaiz somehow still alive?

"This way! Hurry!" Samisun called, as he took off running down the street. "My crew might've engaged the creature!"

Chaxin and Verun ran after the man, keeping close but remaining behind him. Chaxin wanted to find out if Kaiz was still alive. How could he be? He'd seen him fall. Had Deloris managed to save him and make her way out?

Samisun turned the corner on the warehouse to their right. There was a large opening, easily a story high and as wide as the house they'd been in earlier.

Without hesitation, Samisun rushed into the warehouse.

Chaxin looked to Verun, unsure if they should follow, but Verun didn't waver, nor notice Chaxin's glance. He kept running.

Upon entering the structure, a pungent odor assailed Chaxin's nose. The scent of rotting meat and spoiled vegetables was prevalent all around him, in the more localized area of the warehouse itself.

The warehouse was stacked with crates. In some parts, they were stacked all the way to the ceiling, which was easily two stories high. On the right side of the structure was a ramp, which led to the next floor. Square wooden pillars were situated at measured intervals, holding up the floor above.

Light streamed in from the main opening, but the further they got into the warehouse, the more the light diminished. The crates were stacked in sections, allowing space in rows and columns around them.

A light flickered up ahead. Chaxin was still running behind Samisun, but eased to the side to better look around him. Two figures were standing about a hundred feet away. One had an axe, aimed up at the ceiling. The other had a sword, with a cumbersome looking hilt. Both were standing still, their attention on the ceiling, or possibly the tops of the stacked crates.

"Where is it?" asked Samisun, closing in on the two members of his crew. "Where's the rest of your team?"

Chaxin's arms pumped as they neared the man and woman. Both had longer black hair and fair skin. The woman, who wielded the sword, also held a metal lantern down at her side. The man who wielded the long-handled axe was in a strong stance, still watching the ceiling.

Samisun was the first to reach them. Upon noticing where their attention was, he rushed ahead of them a few feet and held his shield up, keeping his sword low. He glanced around hurriedly. "Where is it? I don't see it. Is it still here?"

Verun kept back a few feet and promptly opened his tome. He flipped through the pages rapidly. "What sort of creature are we fighting?" he asked. "What's it weak to?"

Chaxin gripped the mage-caster and pressed his thumb to the middle X, which drew the string back. He slotted a bolt in, and then grabbed another from the quiver, to prepare to fire immediately after, once he had a shot at whatever was in there with them.

As the five of them stood there, waiting for something to appear, Chaxin was the first to notice that the only sound was Verun flipping old pages in the tome. "What's it weak to?" he asked again, glancing up at the two crew members. "Fire? Frost?"

Chaxin looked over to the woman. He wanted to know if he needed to add fire to the bolt he was about to shoot. It was then that he saw her face. Her lips were parted. Her dark hair came down, framing her face. Her eyes were open and wide. They flit around, before focusing on Chaxin. Besides her eyes, she wasn't moving a muscle.

Chaxin's brow furrowed. He took a step closer to her as he lowered his weapon. She wore a black leather jacket and a pair of brown leather pants. Beneath her jacket was a cream-colored tunic, but parts of it had begun to turn a dark red.

"Something's wrong," said Chaxin, as his eyes scanned the woman. "She's not moving, except for her eyes."

Verun looked up from his tome. He spotted the woman and noticed the same. Then, he looked over to the male crewmember, as Chaxin stepped in closer to the woman and moved slowly around her.

"This man's the same," said Verun. "He's… paralyzed?"

"What?" Samisun turned his head, seeing both his crew members motionless. "Can you help them?" he asked as he back stepped towards them, but kept his shield raised.

Chaxin then noticed why the woman's tunic was turning a deep red. In the back of her jacket were multiple bone-like barbs, much like thick blades of grass. "There's something in her back. Some sort of… I don't know what these are? Shards of bone?"

"Please tell me it's not petrification," Verun muttered as he looked the man over, noticing the same spines lodged into his back through the vest he wore. "He's got them too. Some sort of paralysis venom?" he murmured as he reached out and pressed his fingers to the man's arm, and then his stomach. The skin was still pliable. "Looks like it's not petrification. If we can get them out of here, they should be fine, unless the venom does more than paralyze."

Samisun had been watching their surroundings the entire time, but so far, had seen nothing. "Keep your guard up, the creature must still be here!" he said, and then turned his head to look back to Verun. "Others would have heard the gunshot. Grab one of their weapons, and—"

A dark shape dropped behind Samisun, as if it was hanging, suspended in the air. Four sets of bone-like chitinous limbs stretched out, and in a moment, all eight pierced into Samisun's chest and tore through his body to stick out his back. His eyes went wide, he seized up, and then his body went slack, as if his life force had been instantly snuffed out.

Verun stumbled back. He flipped to a page in his tome and took one glance at it, before pressing his finger to an X at the bottom of the page. Upon doing so, orange gaseous threads coalesced on his palm, swirling until they became an orb. Without hesitation, he thrust his palm out towards the malicious form looming behind Samisun.

The orb of fire flew off Verun's palm and streaked toward the creature.

The monstrosity was mostly hidden behind Samisun, but it was using a lengthy portion of its body to hang from the high ceiling, which made it very long, almost as if it was a serpent of some sort.

The creature shifted its body, swinging out of the way of the fireball, which exploded against a nearby crate and sent burning embers in all directions.

The flash of light illuminated the area even further, as the creature drew itself down from the high rafters of the ceiling. Its body pooled into a pile of coils. All but one pair of its spider-like legs pulled free of Samisun's lifeless body. He was lifted like a sack and hurled at Verun.

Verun wasn't the most dexterous of individuals, but he realized what was going to happen as he saw Samisun's body rise into the air. He dove back behind a crate, just as the man's body came tumbling at him, smacking and flopping against the floor, leaving a streak of red behind it.

Chaxin was just a few seconds behind Verun's sudden attack. Samisun's body had just hit the ground, as Chaxin lifted his arm and ignited the metal bolt in the mage-caster with the press of a finger. Then, with a pull of the trigger, the flaming bolt shot off at the now-exposed abomination.

The fiery bolt smacked into the creature's shoulder, causing it to scream out in sudden pain. It was in that instant that Chaxin truly saw the monster they were up against.

She had the upper body of a human woman. Black hair, just past her shoulders. Her skin was a deep sienna. But coming out of her lower back were four sets of dark, multi-jointed, spidery legs. Just past her navel, her skin gave way to scales, and instead of legs, she had an incredibly long snake-like tail.

Her hand came up, but instead of fingers, her digits were like elongated and segmented claws, something between bone and flesh, with deathly sharp tips.

Those digits wrapped around the still burning bolt and pulled it from her shoulder. She threw it away with a hiss, then turned her head and set those golden eyes upon Chaxin.

Chaxin backed away slowly. He primed another bolt as his heart pounded in his chest. What the hell was this thing? Why did it seem far more terrifying than the giant cyclops?

The woman's lips curled. Her tail slowly receded, becoming shorter and shorter until it was roughly a quarter of the length it had been. She extended her arms and flung her wrists in the direction of the two crew members. For a moment, there was a strange glint of light between the creature and the paralyzed man and woman. Then, using her spider legs, the strange monstrous woman leapt up into the rafters.

The last thing Chaxin saw was her tail rushing up towards the ceiling.

The bright light of the fireballs and even his flaming bolt created a haze in his vision, making it even more difficult to see into the shadows of the rafters.

Movement in the corner of his eyes caused him to look back down.

The man with the axe slowly began to move. His body shifted gradually, as if some unseen force was reorienting his arms and legs a few inches at a time.

"Are you alright?" he asked the man, whose eyes had an utter look of terror to them. "What is that thing?"

The man was unresponsive, but he reoriented his axe in Chaxin's direction.

Now that he was much closer, Chaxin could see that the axe had a barrel, much like the one Kaiz had on his spear. In fact, the axe looked as though it functioned very similarly to Kaiz's gun spear. Which meant that the shot they heard had come from either this man, or the woman, and that Kaiz was surely not around.

It was those thoughts of Kaiz that made Chaxin slow to realize that the barrel of that long-handled axe was shifting towards him. The man's hand rose several inches at a time, until his fingers wrapped around the trigger lever.

"What are you doing?" Chaxin asked, his eyes wide as he realized that the man was aiming at him. "We're here to help!"

The sound of a torrent of wind suddenly sprung up from nearby. A stream of snow and ice ejected like a beam from Verun's hand. The wintery torrent smashed into the axe-wielder, causing his chest to flash-freeze. A thin sheet of ice formed on his chest and shoulders, as a pale white frost appeared over him.

"I think she's controlling them!" said Verun, his hand still extended after having launched the freezing ray. "Grab the woman's weapon, the creature doesn't seem to be very quick with controlling them!"

At Verun's direction, Chaxin rushed forward, just as the woman was beginning to lurch to the side to face him. Chaxin grabbed the woman's saber and pulled it from her grasp, just before her fingers clutched tight on a weapon that she was no longer holding.

With the saber in hand, Chaxin noticed that the cumbersome hilt was actually a smaller version of the gun mechanism that the axe had possessed. There was a trigger coming down from the hilt, but it still allowed for the hilt to be grabbed to completely function as a saber. From what Chaxin remembered, there still needed to be a projectile added to the barrel, but perhaps the monster wasn't aware of that functionality, or perhaps a bullet was already primed? With a glance, he noticed a pouch on the woman's hip, which surely contained a number of the projectiles, but now his hands were full.

"We are in over our heads," Verun whispered. "I'm not sure this is a fight the two of us can win. I've never seen a creature such as this before."

Sharp laughter sounded from the rafters. It echoed around and seemed to travel quickly, as if the source was constantly moving in a circle around them. Then, an almost enchanting voice rippled out, easily heard despite the distance.

"Come to hunt me?" came the monstrous woman's voice. "Or is it you that are the hunted?"

Chaxin's eyes widened as the woman spoke to them from the shadows. He turned to Verun. "Monsters can speak?"

Verun nodded. "Some can, yes. Many have different languages unknown to us, but she looks human. Part of her, anyway." Verun stepped closer to Chaxin, his eyes flitting around to try and discern the creature's position. "Chaxin," he whispered in a low breath.

"Yeah?" Chaxin asked, his attention having returned to the ceiling.

Verun gradually turned so he could face the way they'd come. "Run!"

Chapter 23: Nessa

Verun took off running.

With Chaxin already on edge, he turned right after him and dashed towards the entrance.

"We can't outrun it!" said Chaxin. "Did you see how fast she was?" Chaxin turned his head and looked behind them. His heart pumped as his gaze flit around the ceiling. He couldn't see her.

"We can't stay here!" Verun yelled in return, but kept his focus forward.

Chaxin gripped both the mage-caster and the gun-saber tightly. He wasn't sure how great a weapon the saber was, but he wasn't just going to leave it behind. He still wasn't entirely sure how 'alive' the two crew members had been when they arrived. Had the monster been controlling them the entire time, even their eyes? There was just too much that they didn't know about this creature, and now they were in the midst of some hunt for it.

A dark shape fell from the ceiling in front of Verun. A long thick tail lashed out and smacked him into a nearby crate, which cracked the box's wooden frame and left him to fall to the floor.

"Verun!" Chaxin called, and quickly stepped back from the creature that had fallen before him. The monstrous woman's spider-limbs stretched out like wings. Her face was in shadow due to the light coming in from behind her.

"It's been fun watching you squirm, but I have other matters to attend to," the woman hissed. "You'll make for a decent snack. Then, I'll hunt your companions." Her head tilted and her barely discernable lips seemed to curl and part, giving way to the pearly white fangs lining her mouth.

Chaxin raised the saber and squeezed the trigger lever. He had no idea if it had even been loaded.

Bang!

The hot orange round blasted from the top of the hilt and streaked out at the woman's chest.

She was incredibly quick. Her body moved like liquid, pulling to the side and avoiding the heated shot, which missed its mark, only to smack uselessly into a crate.

But the moment he'd fired the shot, his right hand lifted. He readied another bolt, despite the awkwardness of holding the saber as well. He thumbed the appropriate X runes, and this time, readied the bolt for the corrosive setting.

Before he could truly line up the shot, he released the bolt, knowing that he had to be quick, because this creature was far beyond his capabilities. He needed every edge he could get.

The mage-caster released the corrosive bolt with a soft 'thunk.' It wasn't wreathed in flame like the flame setting had done for the other bolt, and in fact, looked completely normal.

The dark metal helped hide the projectile as it shot towards the woman. She saw it at the last moment and managed to avoid it, but not entirely.

The corrosive bolt hit the mid-section of one of her arachnid-like legs. The bolt liquefied in an instant. The liquidized bolt melted right through the chitinous leg.

"Ah!" the woman screamed as her leg was torn off. She winced and bared her fangs with a hiss. "Wretch!"

With her outstretched remaining legs, she rushed at Chaxin. Each of those crimson-tipped appendages were aimed at him as she slithered with absurd speed.

He was a short distance away, and after firing the corrosive shot, he'd grabbed another bolt, but his time was running out. He thumbed the X rune to draw the string back, but it didn't work. He pressed it again and again, but it was unresponsive. With the non-functioning mage-caster, Chaxin went into a panic. He dropped the caster and drew the saber into his right hand, readying himself for the woman coming at him. He'd managed to wound her, but there was no way he could stand up against such a formidable foe.

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang!

The woman was mere feet away from Chaxin, her sharp limbs nearly upon him, but the loud sound of what could only be gunfire made her pause and swing her head.

Numerous bolas flew through the air. The projectiles, consisting of a strong cord and two round weights on the ends, came rushing at the creature. She had no time to dodge as the flurry assailed her. They wrapped around her arms and chest, and her spidery appendages. The force of the armaments drew her down to the ground.

Just behind the bolas came a heavy corded net which fell across the woman, razor edges interlaced all throughout. Her initial struggles caused the blades to mar her chitinous legs and cut into the scales of her tail and flesh of her body. She let out a terrible cry, which chilled Chaxin to the bone as he managed to take several steps back.

"Lightning!" came the single word from a woman's mouth, from across the warehouse.

Chaxin looked up, and spotted at least a dozen figures headed his way. One of the figures stopped and held up some sort of metallic rod that glinted in the meager light coming in from the warehouse entrance. There was a series of blue-white flashes at the pyramid-shaped head of the rod, before the person directed it at the fallen monster.

In the blink of an eye, a streak of lightning arced out from the rod and struck the metal net and bolas. The monster cried out, before her voice was silenced. She went immobile, her body slack.

The first person to reach the fallen creature was a woman in similar leather armor and clothing to the other three people Chaxin had met so far while they were in Trillin. She had mocha skin and wrinkles around her eyes, and deep black hair which was tied back. She had sharp features, and a few scars on her neck and exposed arms.

She kicked the creature's tail with a brown boot. Her narrowed eyes watched the monster-woman's body.

"Is she dead?" asked Chaxin, taking a step forward. In the corner of his eye, he could see Verun pulling himself up from the crate he'd been smashed against.

"She's not going to let us kill her that easy, not Keldara," the mocha-skinned woman spoke as she then looked up to Chaxin. She glanced to the saber in his hand and then up to his face. "Who are you, and why are you holding one of my crew's weapons?" Her eyes narrowed again, just as they had when she'd been looking at the monster.

Chaxin tensed and dropped the weapon to the floor, not wanting to incite a conflict. He'd seen how easy that could be, with what happened after the cyclops fight. "Apologies," he said. "One of your friends was being controlled by that creature, and I had to seize the weapon, or be shot."

The woman slowly walked around the side of the monster, known as Keldara. The people in her group were already hooking poles into the net. Without waiting, they began to drag the monster towards the entrance to the warehouse. One of the new arrivals went up to the scarred woman. He was a man, perhaps ten years older than Chaxin, with light skin and short dreadlocks drawn back against his head. "Captain, we have ping confirmation from the western group. They're returning to the ship, but the two south teams and east are still silent."

"Um," Chaxin spoke up, upon hearing the man speak to the captain. "Some of your people are over there," he said, and pointed back the way that he and Verun had ran from earlier. Three bodies were lying on the ground now, and flames were building from several of the crates where Verun's fireball attack had struck.

The captain spoke, raising her voice. "Someone check those bodies, grab what you can."

Two men darted off from the group.

Four individuals were dragging Keldara's body, and another two were guarding them, while two more waited nearby with the man that had just been speaking to the captain.

Chaxin took a few seconds to retrieve his dropped mage-caster, but didn't attempt to pick the saber back up.

The captain's attention returned to Chaxin. "What's your business here? Are you part of another crew?" she asked, then glanced over to Verun, who was slowly wandering over, holding his chest on the left side. "Is it just the two of you?"

"Just the two of us," Verun spoke up, before Chaxin could say anything. "Do you happen to have a healer? Or any remedies? I fear I might've broken something."

"That all depends on who the hell the two of you are, and where you're from. This isn't the place to be making friends," the captain said.

"He's Chaxin, I'm Verun. We escaped Purgatory by mere luck. We travelled via mausoleum. But I fear we're not quite where we left off. I was hoping to get some answers on how much time has passed, as well as what's befallen this city. And since it doesn't seem to be as friendly as I'd hoped, we're looking for passage elsewhere."

"I'm Captain Nessa of the Macidna," said Nessa.

Upon hearing the word 'Macidna,' Chaxin's brow furrowed. He'd heard that word before.

"And I'm not one to call a stranger a liar, but there's no working mausoleums here," said Nessa. "Or much of anywhere, for that matter. Only in Grittin, as far as Wake is concerned."

"What do you mean?" asked Verun, finding her words both confusing and troubling.

"Lord Karnith destroyed them years ago," said Nessa. She placed her hands on her hips and looked between the two of them.

Chaxin's brows lifted as he looked to Verun.

Verun returned his gaze. "Well… the one we traveled by was hidden away."

"Didn't know you could travel with a mausoleum," said Nessa. "Your story is unbelievable. You realize that, right?"

Verun sighed. "Look, we're not trying to deceive you. I'm a very knowledgeable arcanist. I'm part of a scholarly group known as the Mitigators. I've learned a great deal about scrawl and how to manipulate it to my purposes with efficiency. We managed to leave Purgatory, but we have surely been gone a long time. Now, you say that Lord Karnith destroyed all the mausoleums several years ago? Why would he do that?"

"Macidna!" Chaxin spoke up, his attention going to Nessa before she even had a chance to answer Verun. "You're the captain of one of the ships that was with the Scalli. But… in the Scalli's manifest, it said that there was a storm and that you were lost at sea."

Nessa lifted a brow at Chaxin. "You've read the Scalli's manifest?"

At that moment, the two men that had run off to check the three fallen crew members returned. Their arms were laden with the weapons they'd been carrying, along with other knick-knacks that must've been in their pockets. "Sorry Captain," one of them spoke up. "But all three are dead."

Nessa shook her head. "Damnable woman," she muttered. "We can't linger here. It could be dark any time, and I don't want to be anywhere near this island when the light fades." She looked to her crew, then to Chaxin and Verun. "You two, you're coming with us." Her sights rested on Chaxin as she gestured to the saber he'd dropped. "Take that with you. You've earned it, it seems. But we have much to discuss."

Chapter 24: The Macidna

Chaxin tore into half a roll of bread. It was coated with some sort of sweet glaze. He chewed and chewed, and swallowed as fast as he was able. He brought a metal cup to his lips and gulped down some of the ale he'd been provided. The ale wasn't as tasteful as what he'd had back in Kamber. In fact, it had a strange tang to it that made him wonder if it hadn't gone bad. But regardless, it was the first thing he'd had to drink in what felt like days. His time in Purgatory, and then the transition here, had really destroyed his sense of time.

Verun sat beside him and was much more managed with his eating style, as he cut into some sort of green vegetable.

Seated at the wooden table across from Verun was the short-dreadlocked man that had spoken to Nessa earlier. He was Nessa's second in command, and his name was Tamos.

Beside Tamos, across from Chaxin, was Nessa herself. Her arms crossed, and her eyes were upon Chaxin.

Nessa's ship, the Macidna, had already set sail. All in all, Nessa had lost nine of her crew, and gained a captured monster named Keldara.

Night had indeed encroached quickly upon them. Minutes after pushing off from port, the sky began to fade, minute by minute. Even now, night was upon them with a cloudy sky.

In the mess of Nessa's ship were four tables. Several members of her crew were eating at the others, while she sat with Chaxin, Verun, and her second in command.

"Ten years ago," Nessa spoke up, "we left port in Trillin, with the Luwalt and the Scalli. We acted as an escort ship, along with the Luwalt, for the Scalli."

Chaxin's ravenous behavior took a sudden turn as he heard the length of time that had passed.

Verun looked to Chaxin. "How long ago was that for you?"

Chaxin swallowed a bite of bread and eased back in his seat. "About two or three days ago? I guess. The ship on the shore of Kamber had been there for hours before I woke up and saw it."

"So you're a new face," said Tamos.

Chaxin nodded. "I certainly feel like I've been around a lot longer than I have. I can't believe ten years have passed. What happened to your ship? What happened to the Scalli? You know what happened to it, right?"

Nessa nodded. "We learned of its fate sometime later. A storm separated us. We got off course, and the sea was treacherous. We were attacked."

"Attacked?" Chaxin asked.

Nessa looked over to Tamos, and gestured with her head.

Tamos took in a breath, and spoke up again. "A storm came, and separated us from the Scalli. As Nessa said, this was ten years ago. Some of our crew has come and gone, and we lost a quarter of our number on that night. Nessa was in her quarters, but I was out on the deck. In the murky depths, we saw it. Moving like a shadow, with eyes as large as a man's body. We couldn't make out much else than that, but it damaged the ship. We began taking on water. We didn't even see how it hit us, only that the hull was cracked, as if it had been squeezed on both sides. Luckily, we had a woman who had the knowhow to enchant and mend the hull. But the damage was extensive. Some of our crew drowned in the lower decks. Others were knocked overboard from the waves crashing against us."

Chaxin swallowed. He then recounted in detail, the day and night that he, Kaiz, Deloris, and Jerem had all spent on the ship. How they found the captain, how they found the cargo, and what was in it. He then described the event that led to his death and his quick journey to Purgatory and back. Verun filled in some of the details of their Purgatory ordeal, but left out anything describing his own death.

"On that ship, those spectres," said Nessa. "That's what Lord Karnith has been after for many years. We'd captured one and held it prisoner in Jari. But we didn't know what it was capable of."

"Jari? Like, the continent?" asked Chaxin, trying to figure out what Nessa meant. "I was told about a Jari war, due to the people of Jari being mostly pirates, or something."

Nessa shook her head and sighed. "Our laws were lax, there's no question there," she said. "I'm sure pirates operated on our ports and shores, but it wasn't as if we were a nation of hooligans. Lord Karnith discovered that we'd captured a spectre. He tried sending agents to seize it for himself, but those plans were thwarted, as I've been told. Then, he rallied all the armies of the Kajura continent against us. Claiming us as pirates, and a threat to all peoples. We didn't stand much of a chance, I'm afraid. But those events transpired before you ever arrived."

"He went to war for one of those things?" asked Chaxin. "What happened? Did he get it?"

Nessa shook her head. "No, the creature was sealed in a sarcophagi and shipped away. I don't know what happened after that, but some years passed, and then I, and the Captain of the Luwalt, Captain Gregmore, were contracted to protect a merchant vessel to the shore of Kamber. We didn't know what the Scalli's cargo was. We simply thought it was something highly profitable, to warrant two escorts."

"And what of this Captain Gregmore?" asked Verun, who was listening intently to everything being told. "And I assume you survived this Jari war unscathed?"

"Captain Gregmore is at the bottom of the ocean," said Nessa. "Whatever attacked us sunk the Luwalt. As far as my time in the Jari war, I gained my share of scars from it, even as a young captain at the time. After Karnith failed to seize what he wanted, and Jari was in ruins, he withdrew with the spoils of our wealth. And I and my crew took work where we could get it."

"You said that there are no mausoleums," said Verun. "That Lord Karnith had destroyed them. Please explain that."

"As Chaxin just explained, Lord Karnith gained access to a spectre. I know very little about the creatures, other than their combat abilities." Nessa then cleared her throat. "About a year after the incident with the Scalli, word began to spread that Grittin was amassing weapons, wealth, and power. It wasn't long after that Lord Karnith struck out against all the other cities of the Kajura continent. He seized control of each town, planted his own governors, and left militia to ensure his will be done."

"And what was his will?" asked Chaxin.

Nessa looked to Chaxin. "The destruction of all mausoleums. The forced conscription of strong adventurers, and the transportation of wealth and goods, to Grittin."

"But how?" asked Verun. "From my understanding, Grittin was a powerful and wealthy city, but surely its armies couldn't have conquered all of Kajura alone?"

Nessa's expression grew more solemn. "I wasn't there," she said. "All I know are the stories. People say that in the middle of the night, there was a flash, and a bright oval light opened up in the center of town. From the light, soldiers poured through, all wearing the seal of Grittin. There was no great conflict, no war. Just the overnight seizure of towns, one after another. Karnith's men planted devices in the towns and stationed guards, and recruited even more. Town after town was targeted, before they could warn any others. The armies of Grittin seized everything on Kajura, and then, they set their sights to the other continents. Jari had already fallen, so it was saved for last. But Pothis and Lontor were claimed in just a week each. Then, they returned to Jari to wipe out any mausoleums and conscript anyone they could find."

Verun scratched at his chin after hearing Nessa's description of the events. "Instantaneous travel through some sort of portal? Does it have something to do with the spectres?" he said, mostly musing to himself.

"What are they doing with all those people?" asked Chaxin.

"Using them for further atrocities," said Tamos. "With those portals, Karnith is able to reach beyond Wake. He conquered this sphere, and then set his sights upon others."

Verun's eyes widened as he looked up to Tamos. "He's reaching other spheres?"

Tamos nodded. "Karnith conquered Wake in less than a month. In the following year, his army grew and he used it to attack other spheres. Sometimes monsters, sometimes human cities and settlements on other worlds. He plunders everything he can get his hands on."

"But why is everyone following along?" asked Chaxin. "Surely these people don't want to die and fight for him? I don't understand."

"They haven't got much choice," said Tamos. "Everyone that's of a capable fighting caliber is conscripted. What that means is that one of Grittin's enchanters places runes on various parts of your body. Legs, arms, neck, back, chest. At the press of an X, a guard captain can incinerate you if you don't follow orders."

Tamos then held his arm out and rested it on the table. He wore a leather gauntlet, but on the top of the gauntlet was a sort of 'binder' spiral, with sheets of metal that looked as though they could be pulled up to get to the next one beneath it.

There were scrawl lines running over the edges and onto the panel, each going to an X. There were symbols beside each one. "This is a similar device," said Tamos. "They're called bindlets. It's a gauntlet that has sheets of metal with scrawl on them. The enchantment is mostly on the underside, while the activation X is on the top. I use this bindlet to signal our teams on an away mission, like today. It's the only way we're able to communicate over vast distances instantaneously. But Grittin uses such devices as a form of subjugation. They can instantly incinerate any dissenting soldiers, or anyone who doesn't follow orders. And they can do it from anywhere. It's very powerful, very hard to come by magic. But with this inter-sphere war that Grittin is waging, they've been able to acquire the soul crystals necessary to scrawl up every soldier and members of the remaining towns."

"The towns that haven't been conscripted are visited intermittently by recruiters," said Nessa. "They have certain standards that the populace is supposed to meet. If not, they're killed. Grittin still doesn't have the space for every person they're trying to fit into their war machine, but as it grows, so too does their need for more soldiers."

"And I assume that the only working mausoleums are in Grittin itself?" asked Verun, who was no longer touching his food, but watching Nessa intently.

"That's correct," said Nessa. "He's constructed a single, powerful mausoleum. Any new arrivals go straight to Grittin, where he plucks them from the stone and dictates their future as a soldier. Which I suppose is easier than trying to goad the people that are already here. New arrivals have no memories and will generally go with the flow of what they're told. He's got a well-oiled machine of war, and it gets larger by the month."

"Has nothing stood against him?" asked Verun. "If he's attacking other spheres, surely something has fought back?

"Know much of the other spheres, do you?" asked Nessa. "Well, I only know what I've heard. I have no idea how his wars on other worlds are going. My interest is solely in staying alive. There's only a few ships in his employ, since he's able to manifest portals to move his armies. We keep out of his navy's reach and try and find safe harbor where we can. While also gaining any advantage we can find. This is an old ship, and improving it has been a daunting task when most port towns have been cleared out of knowledgeable crafters."

"That creature you were hunting," said Chaxin. "Keldara? Who is she? What is she?"

"Yes, I'm also interested in that," said Verun. "I've never seen anything like her, and I'm very knowledgeable of such things. You were hunting her, but you didn't kill her. What use is she to you?"

Nessa looked between the two of them. "I guess I have no reason to keep secrets. You've already seen her, and others in the world know of her existence." Nessa rested an arm on the table and quietly rapped her fingers against it. "Keldara is a very old creature. She has the power to manipulate and transform substances. I don't know how she does it, and I don't know the extent of her capabilities, but I sought to capture her so that she could enhance my ship."

"How do you know she's capable of what you want from her?" asked Verun.

"I've seen her handiwork," said Nessa. "She acts of her own accord. A selfish, voracious being. When I first learned of her existence, she didn't have those spider limbs. We hunted her off the coast of Jari. She can breathe underwater, and we have to wait for her to make a home for herself and have word spread of her existence to even learn where she is. She's incredibly hard to track. But it seems as though she made Trillin her home. A scavenger captain told us of her creations existing on Trillin, so we made our way here to capture her. She's grown even more powerful than when we last saw her, which put us at a severe disadvantage and cost me some of my crew."

"What do you mean, 'her creations?'" asked Verun.

"Terrible creatures," Tamos spoke up. "Monsters that can change their form and mimic the things around them. They lay in wait, watching how we interact with the world around us. They shift and change and take the form of innocuous things. Chests, vegetables, doors, hatches, barrels, crates. They're parasites. Something akin to a fungus and an insect. They're hard to describe in their natural form, but they can grow, based on what they eat. They're like an infestation of roaches, or rats. But once they're in a place, they lay in wait. Waiting, watching, growing, consuming. Once they've placed themselves in every corner, they strike. Sometimes they take a few people. Sometimes a hundred. They feast on our flesh and then hibernate for a time, until they need to feed again."

"Can they take the form of fruit?" Verun asked. His and Chaxin’s eyes were wide.

"That they can," said Tamos. "We call them mimics. And Keldara is known as the mimic queen."

Chaxin's gaze flit around the table. "The strange house," he whispered. "How big can these things get?"

"Big," said Tamos. "If something ever seems out of place, or not where you left it, it could be a mimic. We once had an extra barrel down in the hold. We were supposed to only have six, but there were seven. All of ‘em were empty and looked like normal barrels. We didn't think much of it at the time. Then one morning, our cook doesn't report for his shift. So me and another lad go looking for him, hoping he didn't drink too much and fall overboard. Well, we found him. Checked every crate and every barrel, just in case he crawled inside one. But this barrel we found him in, well… he didn't crawl inside it. It gobbled him up. It was sitting there in the middle of the cargo hold, away from the other barrels. We opened the cap, looked inside, and there he was. Dark black and gray strings of some fungus-like substance had worked their way to his arms, and were spreading all over him, bit by bit. One of his arms and both of his legs were gone. His face was covered, and he wasn't breathing. We even stabbed the barrel, thinking we could kill it that way, but it was wood. So we chopped the barrel with axes, and inside the wood was the fungus of the mimic. It's like one of those slime creatures, but so much worse. Silent, careful, smart. We set fire to the barrel and used the crane to hold it overboard. Then, when it had been burned up, we cut the rope and let it fall into the sea. That was just a single mimic."

"How do you stop them?" asked Verun.

"Fire, mostly," said Tamos. "Fire works really well. They're highly flammable. You can freeze ‘em, but they seem to just hibernate in the cold. They can exist in oil, water, most liquids. Acid will eat away at the actual mimic entity, but they can grow material, like wood, or even stone-like substances. They can grow whatever surrounding material they want, as long as they've consumed something, usually some kind of living creature, such as us."

"So this Keldara is able to do what these mimics do, but she doesn't look like a mimic, but… she can create them somehow?" asked Chaxin.

"That's right," said Nessa. "And that's why she's so vital to our purposes. I have her under extensive guard right now."

"She wasn't too thrilled about the fiery bolt I shot her with," said Chaxin. "And the corrosion bolt tore through one of her legs. How exactly are you keeping a creature that powerful subdued?"

"A number of paralytics," said Nessa. "Lightning can paralyze as well, for a time. Between frequent injections of paralyzing agents, and our mage, and half a dozen other guards, we have her under control. She's chained up, watched at all times. She can't move much at all. She has extensive healing capabilities, and I'm sure she could morph further, but we don't know how that works. We know she has to eat in order to create. We're not entirely sure how she's able to change her form though, or what's required."

"And she's responsible for Trillin?" asked Chaxin. "She killed the entire city?"

Verun shifted in his seat and looked over to Chaxin, then Nessa.

"No," said Nessa. "Keldara showed up years later. The city has been abandoned for… nine, almost ten years now. Everyone just vanished. It happened after we left to escort the Scalli, but before Lord Karnith's initial attacks around Kajura. No one seems to know what happened. The entire populace disappeared, and there's no answers that we've been able to find. We don't think it was Lord Karnith, and repeated excursions into Trillin haven't yielded any answers. Many scavengers have gone through the outskirts of Trillin and picked much of it clean. But the captains who command those missions say their people go missing if they go too deep into the city for too long. I was thankful that Keldara was on the outskirts. Else we might've lost even more."

"You're saying there's something else going on in Trillin, beyond what Keldara and her mimics were doing?" asked Chaxin.

"That's right," said Nessa. "Really wish I had answers in that regard. But I don't. No one does." It was then that Nessa looked to Verun. "So. I've got a monster on board that I need to convince to improve my ship, without killing us all. Our mage can use magic, but he doesn't know much about making new scrawl. But you do?"

"Yes, that's correct," said Verun. He'd spoken briefly on the matter earlier. "I'd be happy to improve your ship through enchantment, if you have soul crystals."

"We've got a collection of them," said Nessa. "We've also got a grimoire at our disposal. So you can check the crystals out for yourself, see what we have, and then get back to me with what you can improve. If you can do that, then we'll be happy to drop you off wherever you want to go. Not that you'd want to be anywhere on Wake right now. If you two really did come from Purgatory, you might've been better off if you'd gone somewhere else. Not that I'm not thankful for your part in capturing Keldara."

"I want to go to the shores off Kamber," said Chaxin.

Verun and Nessa both looked at him.

"That's awfully close to Grittin," said Nessa. "What the hell do you wanna go there for?"

"This all started there," said Chaxin. "Maybe there's something I can do. Perhaps there's others that are willing to put up a fight against Karnith. If there are people like that, then they're going to be close to Grittin. I might as well start at Kamber."

"Sounds a bit foolish," said Nessa.

"Take us to Kamber, and I'll offer any enchantments at my disposal, with your crystals, of course," said Verun.

Chaxin turned his attention to Verun, who was looking at Nessa.

"Fine. We'll get you there. Shouldn't be too dangerous for us to anchor near there. Grittin is a fortress, getting almost as large as Trillin. They've no reason to check the oceans around there. So we can drop you off, and… well, maybe Kamber will have some supplies, if we can sneak in and speak with anyone who's not under the watch of Grittin's agents."

Nessa pushed her seat back, and was followed by Tavos. She stood up and regarded Chaxin and Verun. "If that's everything you have to tell us, and all your questions have been answered, then finish your meals and have a look at our crystal supply. You have free roam of the ship. It'll take several days for us to get to the shores off Kamber. Tavos will fetch you both a key for a room. I think we have an empty one still. And… well, sadly, we may have more than that, after our losses from today." She let out a slow sigh and gave the two of them a brief nod, before turning and heading off.

Verun and Chaxin were left alone at the table.

Chaxin turned and looked at Verun. "I thought I was going to have to barter for passage myself. You want to go to Kamber with me?" he asked. "You didn't need to do that. Surely there's somewhere else you'd rather be?"

Verun turned his attention to Chaxin, then stared back across the room. "Wake is not how I left it. This world has been plundered. Trillin might've still held a wealth of items and knowledge, and there certainly seems to be something going on there that we don't know of. I'd love to learn more, but it seems foolhardy at best, without more information. However, these spectres are very interesting to me. The fact that Lord Karnith is able to use their power and manifest portals is even more fascinating to me. We shall go on this path together and see where it leads. For now, we are still companions."

Chaxin slowly smiled. "I appreciate it," he said. "So, you can really do something for their ship? Boost it, or whatever?"

Verun nodded. "Absolutely. We just have to see what they have available. Also, we have a few crystals between ourselves. With their grimoire, and safe passage to Kamber, we have everything we need. I suggest you do some training while we're on board. You won't be killing any monsters, but perhaps you could find someone to spar with, to gain whatever experience you can. Wake was bad enough if you were just starting out, but with Lord Karnith's minions running amok, and the sphere in shambles, I'm sure monsters have begun to run rampant. You're going to need to get stronger, and quick."

Chapter 25: Preparation

A terrible cry echoed through the decks. Chaxin's eyes shot open as he sat up on the cot in the crew quarters. The awful shriek cut out suddenly, and all was silent again.

Chaxin's chest lifted and fell rapidly. He blinked the haze from his eyes, and in the dim light of the Graymos shining down through the window, he could see that Verun had awoken as well.

"Do you think she got out?" Chaxin asked softly. The two of them were the only ones in the small room. Their cots were against the two side walls.

Verun sighed and closed his eyes as he laid back down. "Do you hear screams?"

Chaxin's eyes flit around the room as he listened closely for anything audible. "No."

"Then she didn't get free," said Verun. "Go back to sleep."

Chaxin slowly lowered back to the cot and closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come easy. He listened and waited for some sign that the monstrous woman below decks had gotten free. But he heard nothing. Only the waves against the ship and the creaking of old wood.

Chaxin awoke the next day to find himself alone in the quarters. After laying in bed for just a few minutes, he pulled himself out of it and put his pants and tunic on. He made his way to the mess, where he was given food similar to what he'd had the previous night.

While he ate, he spoke with several of the other crewmembers, who seemed jovial and welcoming.

Upon questioning whether someone would be able to take some time out of their day to help train him over the course of their journey, he was pointed towards the second in command, Tamos.

After eating, it didn't take long to track Tamos down.

Once they started talking, Chaxin learned that Tamos didn't have too many duties that needed tending to, when they weren't on a mission. Which meant that he was willing to give Chaxin a few pointers and help him out.

During their first training exercise, Tamos had Chaxin use his mage-caster on a target. The first thing Tamos taught him was that the dexterity stat was useful in being able to hit your mark. This was something Chaxin was already familiar with, but he didn't fully understand how it affected ranged abilities or fine handwork.

Chaxin soon discovered that dexterity lowered the possible area that he could hit when he fired. To begin with, his dexterity was low. Meaning that if he was shooting at a target a hundred feet away, and the round target was five feet across, his hits were going to land all over it.

Tamos, on the other hand, had dexterity over twenty and was able to land hits in the center two feet of the target. When he took more careful shots, he could get it in the center one-foot range.

The next thing Chaxin learned—with the help of the grimoire onboard—was that his mage-caster was called a mage-caster because unlike a crossbow, it specifically required a strong mind stat. The reasoning was twofold. By pressing the ‘drawback’ X rune, it took a tiny amount of mana from him. By pressing the flame rune, to encase the bolt with fire, it took a bit more mana. Finally, by pressing the corrosion rune, it took about half of Chaxin's potential mana. This explained why the mage-caster had stopped functioning when he fought with Keldara. Luckily, the mage-caster could still work if he manually pulled back the bow, but it simply took more time. By having a higher mind stat, the flames and the corrosion would be more potent and his mana capacity would also be higher. As would the rate that his body absorbed the mana around it from the Graymos.

Following that lesson, Tamos taught him that the saber he'd been allowed to keep was a weapon that functioned mostly from dexterity. He needed to make quick and lethal attacks, instead of brute strength blows. His strength wouldn't be highly affected by its use, but using it would improve his dexterity, which also improved his ability to wield the mage-caster.

The last part of the lesson involved increasing Chaxin's toughness. This was Chaxin's least favorite part, because it involved Tamos beating him up. Luckily, it wasn't too bad, since he had been given some leather armor that the crew was accustomed to wearing. Once his muscles had a chance to relax with a good night's sleep, he'd realize just how sore the toughness-centric part of the lesson made him.

As far as Verun's day was concerned, it was mostly spent learning about the soul crystals that they had on board. He was given parchment and charcoal to write with. He worked out some theories on some possible enhancements and where he'd place them on the ship. He worked closely with both Nessa and her lightning-caster, whose name was Kem.

So far, Nessa hadn't made any progress convincing their prisoner to improve the ship. Nessa's conversations with Keldara usually involved the creature describing how she would eat everyone on board, and that they all smelled so delicious, and that the ship would be perfect in getting her wherever she wished to go. Such talk was usually met with a lightning arc from Kem, followed by range-injected paralytics.

The state of the ship's hull was still in flux since Keldara wasn't cooperating, so Verun focused his attention on enhancements for the weaponry on board: balista, mage-cannons, net-cannons, and a long-range mortar.

Despite the small size of the ship in comparison to that of the merchant vessel that Chaxin had been on previously, Nessa's ship, the Macidna, was loaded for war. Or at least, survival.

Onboard, Chaxin learned of a woman who was both a leatherworker and a tinkerer. Her name was Nathi, and she was an almost frail looking woman, but had an intense gaze in her eyes. She had dirty blonde hair to her shoulders, and her arms and clothes were almost always covered in soot. Unlike most of the crew, she spent most of her time on perfecting armor, repairing armor, or messing around with mechanical constructs and contraptions. It was her and Kem's know-how that managed to construct the bindlet device that they used on missions to signal each other.

Now that Chaxin had a set of weapons he was comfortable with, he paid the leatherworking woman a visit. Through a trade involving one of the soul crystals he'd acquired, she crafted him a belt along with a scabbard for the saber. On the belt, she placed a metal hook for him to securely hang the mage-caster. She also made him a pouch and gave him an initial supplement of bullets for his saber.

As part of his training with Tamos, he'd learned that the magic required to fire the gun-mechanism on the saber cost a little more mana than it would to encase a bolt with fire, but the result was more damaging, even if it was louder. With the two weapons and the gear he had acquired, he was going to be able to deal with far more situations than what he had to work with when he was in Kamber.

The last thing Chaxin asked for was his own leather armor. Tamos was willing to let him borrow some to train with, but wasn't going to let him take it off the ship. It cost another of his soul crystals, but Nathi hooked him up with some dark leather armor that provided decent resistance to attacks, both melee and ranged. It wasn't going to stop many arrows or bolts, but it was far better than mere cloth. The main benefit, as Nathi described it, was that the dark leather material was made of a strong creature from Jari, and that it was easily enchanted with stronger magics.

All in all, Chaxin replaced his cloth pants with dark brown leather ones and traded his tunic for one that was between gray and black. His leather chest armor fit over it. He had the quiver from before, as well as the new belt that Nathi had made for him. The boots he'd found were good enough to keep as well.

Chaxin stood in front of a smudged mirror in Nathi's quarters. He turned from side to side and checked himself out, unable to keep from smiling.

Nathi was at one of her desks, staring at him with a lifted brow. "Alright, alright, you've looked long enough. Now git. I got work to do. Go get pummeled by Tamos some more. He says it's the most fun he's had in weeks."

Thus, Chaxin's training continued as the days at sea went on.

Between training with Tamos, working with Nathi to get his gear made, and conversing with the crew to learn everything he could so much that there wasn't time to ask when he'd been alive before, the days slipped by.

When the continent of Kajura—home to Kamber and Grittin—was finally spotted, Chaxin had reached level fifteen. According to Tamos, most new faces reached twenty in about a month. Usually, a new arrival would team with a group of more seasoned adventurers and take things safe, occasionally scoring hits or dealing with lesser monsters. Chaxin had been given a faster-paced crash course in the five days it took them to reach the shores just beyond Kamber. Chaxin had wanted to hit level twenty to better round off his stats, but Tamos insisted that hitting fifteen in five days of nonstop training was a feat all on its own.

As the Macidna drew closer to the shore and prepared to lay anchor off the coast, Chaxin checked his stats in the grimoire one last time.

-

Chaxin

Human

Level: 15

Health: 100%

Mana: 100%

Stamina: 90%

Delirium: 3%

-

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 7

Mind: 3

Toughness: 4

Resistances: None

-

After a cursory glance, everything looked good. He was level fifteen, which was a step up from when he'd been in Kamber before. According to Tamos, level twenty-five was where it became more difficult to gain experience, so most of the populace were somewhere between twenty-five and fifty, since if you didn't continue to build your skills and use them every day, your experience would regress.

Chaxin had been hoping to grow his dexterity to ten, or at least get toughness to five, but… something appeared off about the layout of his stats.

Upon taking a second look, he noticed that there was something new.

"Delirium?" he whispered. "At three percent?" He stared at the word, then looked over his shoulder. There was no one directly around to ask about it, and everyone was busy preparing for their departure.

His gaze returned to the word. He stared at it a few moments. How long had it been there? Had he missed seeing it since he'd been on the ship? That old man back in Kamber hadn't mentioned anything about it.

Admittedly, since he'd been alive again, he'd only looked quickly at the level and then the stats below.

Well, it was only at three percent. Whatever it was, it surely wasn't serious. He'd have to question someone about it later, when things quieted down.

Chapter 26: The Return

Once more, Chaxin found himself standing on the beach just beyond the abandoned village. He'd been the last one off the rowboat, and he'd felt apprehensive once they landed.

"So that's what became of the Scalli," Nessa murmured to herself as she looked at the dilapidated ship, which appeared even more rundown than when Chaxin had last glimpsed it. There were multiple cracks and holes in the side, as if people had broken through to plunder whatever might've been left of its contents. "We'll have to check it on our way back to see if there's anything worthwhile still in there. No rush right now."

Verun stretched his arms. On his belt, he had a contraption connected with chains, holding the tome of spells he'd looted from his friend's home back in Trillin.

Nessa scanned the abandoned village, nostrils flaring.

"What is that smell?" Tamos murmured as his face scrunched.

"Didn't smell like this before," said Chaxin. The strange odor was as if death and disease were all around them, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. "When was the last time any of you were here?" he wondered, as he hadn't realized until now that none of them might've even stepped foot on these shores.

"Was supposed to be here almost ten years ago," said Nessa. "But I've never come ashore."

"Neither have I," said Tamos.

"Same," said a man whose name was Grigor. He was covered head to toe in leather armor and cloth. His face was wrapped in a turban, and only his eyes could be seen. According to Tamos, the man suffered from a malady known as gray-touched, short for 'Graymos-touched.' His skin had darkened to a strange grayish pallor, and it only got worse if he was in the direct light coming down from the Graymos. Apparently, days like today, where the sky was covered in clouds, weren’t so bad. Only at nighttime did he ever take off his turban. If left unchecked, his flesh would fully succumb to a necrotizing effect and he would lose his sanity as the pain wracked his mind. Why such a man would be a crewmember on the Macidna, or even on their current expedition, Chaxin wasn't sure. He could only guess that the man missed being active. The disease that afflicted him hadn't been prevalent his whole life, and had only sprung up the last few years. Apparently, it was rare, but lately, more and more were becoming afflicted.

"I haven't been to this shore, but I've been to Grittin briefly," said Verun.

"Looks like you're the guide," said Nessa. "Wish we had some horses, but I'm sure it's not a long walk to Kamber, right? We'll see if they have any goods we can trade for. If you don't find anything worth staying for, we'd be happy to welcome you to the crew if you pull your weight." She cleared her throat and spit on the sand. "But for now, let's get off this awful beach."

Nessa, Tamos, and Grigor began walking for the abandoned village.

Chaxin turned his attention in the direction of the mausoleum he'd first appeared in. He couldn't see it too well due to the angle it had been constructed into the rocks. He wanted to check and see if it had been further demolished by Lord Karnith's actions, but he supposed it didn't matter. He and Kaiz had ensured that there was no power left in it.

He joined Verun's side and followed the others.

In the corner of Chaxin's eye, he spotted movement. He glanced to the side, and at first, he wasn't sure what he was seeing. Deep shadows moved in rapidly, as if clouds were rolling in swiftly to obscure the daylight of the Graymos.

But there was already full cloud cover overhead.

Chaxin tilted his head, and simultaneously, the rest of the group looked up as well, as they'd all noticed the rapidly encroaching shadows.

A massive form moved above the clouds. Easily the size of a village or city.

"What is that?" asked Grigor gruffly. "A storm?"

"A storm above the clouds? Moving that fast?" asked Tamos.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," said Verun.

The form above the clouds seemed to shift and writhe on the outskirts of its shape. The darkness reached their group of five, and they were cast in darkness, as if night was almost upon them. More and more of the dark encompassed the surrounding region, making it increasingly hard to see.

"Get to the village," said Nessa. "Run!"

Without complaint, Tamos and Grigor began running, with Chaxin and Verun on their heels. Nessa was at the center of the group as they dashed for the nearest buildings.

"Why are we running?" asked Chaxin. "Do you know what that is up there? Are we in danger?"

Nessa's arms pumped as her boots crunched in the sand. "If it's a storm, we should find shelter! If it's not a storm, then we definitely need to find shelter!"

"What about the ship?" asked Grigor.

"The ship is probably safer than we are right now!" said Nessa. "Just run! Get to the closest hovel with a roof!"

Despite their urgency, it took a couple minutes to reach the nearest and most intact structure, which still looked as though it might fall apart around them.

Tamos was the first to rush through the already open doorway. The door itself was nowhere to be found. Nessa and Grigor followed after, with Chaxin and Verun right behind.

Their chests pumped as they quickly took account of their surroundings in the even more dismal hovel in the abandoned village. The wood was mold-ridden, rotten, bug infested. The stench of decay was even more prevalent inside. But it provided a roof over their heads.

Tamos kept to the wall near the doorway and peered up and out, looking to the sky.

Grigor moved to one of the broken windows and looked up as well.

The shape above the clouds was covering the entire region in darkness, blocking out most of the light from the Graymos.

It was then that Tamos squinted, looking far into the distance. "I can see the edge of it. It's like it's, I don't know, writhing or moving in place. But it's not progressing further, as far as I can tell. It's as if it's stopped above the region."

"Stopped?" asked Nessa, looking to him.

"That's what it looks like," said Tamos. "Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me."

"Doesn't seem to be leaving," said Grigor. His hands rested on the matte wood of the window sill. "Damndest storm I've ever seen."

Chaxin looked between the members of the crew, then glanced to Verun.

Verun's eyes were wide and his hands grasped the sides of his head, his gaze trembling as he stared at the doorway.

"Verun?" Chaxin asked in a low tone.

Nessa crept to the other side of the doorway so she could watch the strange above-the-clouds form.

Chaxin stepped closer to Verun, who hadn't responded to his name. "Verun? Are you alright?"

"Which is it?" Verun whispered. "There are so many. Which has come?"

"Which what?" asked Chaxin, keeping his voice low. "What are you talking about? The thing above?"

Verun didn't appear to be listening to Chaxin. "Nameth'na?" Verun uttered the word ever so softly, as if he was afraid to even speak it. "Or something else? Why has it come? What does it want? What's its purpose?"

Chaxin grabbed Verun's shoulders and shook them. "Verun!" he said in a hushed but urgent tone.

The physical jostling broke Verun from his enigmatic stupor. He blinked rapidly and looked to Chaxin. "Chaxin?" he spoke, as if he didn't recognize him, or that he was confused to see him.

"Yeah, it's me," said Chaxin, giving the older man a strange look. "What the hell is up with you?"

Verun took in a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I seem to have… lost a bit of control over my faculties. I… I'm better, apologies."

Now Chaxin was the one with wide eyes, as he had no idea what had been happening to Verun. "Do you know what's above us? You were talking about it, weren't you?"

Verun glanced up to the ceiling, then down to Chaxin. "I do not," he said. "I don't think it's a storm. But I don't think we're in any danger."

Chaxin shook his head. "You were practically in a panic a moment ago!"

Verun held a hand up to give Chaxin pause. "I lost my grip, but I'm better. We are in no danger from what's above. Regardless of what it is, it has no concern for us. Of that much I'm certain."

"You're talking as if you know what's up there, and that it's something that has intelligence," said Chaxin.

"Verun looked into Chaxin's eyes. "Of a fashion," he answered.

"What are you two mumbling about?" asked Nessa, her attention now drawn to them, but their hushed voices made it difficult for her to discern what was being discussed.

"Nothing, nothing," said Verun, who stepped away and walked towards the doorway.

"Looks like it's getting lighter outside," said Grigor. "The outskirts of the shape seem to be getting smaller. Is it disappearing?"

"Maybe it's shrinking, and it really was a storm? A strange moving storm," said Tamos.

Verun cleared his throat. "Or it's returning up into the Graymos."

Nessa looked to Verun and lifted an eyebrow. "As in… back to the Graymos? Like, it's from there?"

"Perhaps," said Verun. "I can't be certain, as I can't see it through the clouds. That's all I can—"

"Agh!" came a gurgling cry from Grigor's side of the room.

Everyone turned in time to see two segmented chitinous legs impaling Grigor's torso. They bent at the ends, and as Grigor grabbed for his sword, he was hoisted up out of the window.

"Grigor!" Nessa shouted, pulling her augmented saber from its sheath. She rushed to the window and looked out. Her head whipped around, but she didn't see anything. Then, she tilted and looked up, just in time to see Grigor's feet disappearing into a window on the second floor. She turned to the others. "Second floor!"

"It looked like Keldara's spider legs!" said Chaxin.

"I know! But there's no way she got free!" said Nessa.

"There's no stairs!" Tamos yelled, looking all around, not seeing even a ladder.

"Check outside!" Nessa yelled.

"Lightning magic, lightning magic," Verun muttered as he grabbed his tome of spells and flipped through it rapidly, having seen how effective lightning had been on Keldara.

Tamos had just reached the doorway when a creak and groan of wood sounded from above them.

There was a muffled yell from above, and then the sound of cracking wood as the ceiling beneath the second floor collapsed.

The center of the ceiling caved in, smashing against the floor and covering it with dust and debris. Grigor's body fell through the rotting wood, followed by a chitinous creature that closely resembled some sort of arachnid. It was as tall as any of them and had a glistening black exoskeleton and four flaps for a maw, with a single fang at the end of each. The arachnid's limbs still pierced Grigor's body. The monster faced the others of the group and let out a shrill hiss. Even though it had no discernable eyes, it seemed to know where they were.

Three more arachnids fell from the upper floor and landed amongst them. Without warning, their front set of legs rose and jabbed at their nearest targets.

Nessa, being at the window, was assailed by one of the creatures. But she'd been quick to pull her saber and with a swing, deflected the incoming strikes, sending the stabbing appendages into the nearby wood. With a flick of her wrist and a tight grip, she lined up the barrel at the hilt of her saber and fired off a loud shot, right in the open maw of the attacking creature.

The monster shrieked and recoiled, flailing side to side with ichor pouring from a smoldering hole in its mouth.

One of the other arachnids assailed Tamos. Its limbs swiped at him rapidly. He managed to dodge back to avoid a few, but all the dust and debris in the air was making it hard to see and even breathe. One of the sharp legs cut his arm, causing it to bleed profusely. He grunted and hissed from the pain, but managed to grab his own saber and strike at the monster, only for it to rear back and avoid it.

The last spider went right for Verun. He hadn't had the time he needed to find an appropriate spell and looked up in horror as the large spider came at him with raised legs.

A flicker of burning flame shot through the air, and a fiery bolt smacked into the man-sized section just behind the spider's face.

The spider's attack was abated, causing it to twist and turn and swipe at its face to knock the burning bolt away.

In the next moment, the sound of another gunshot pierced the air, and a blazing bullet seared the spider's body. It shrieked and hissed, its sharp legs clacking and cracking the wood further. In its frenzy, it backed up and smacked into the arachnid attacking Tamos.

The momentary respite of the flailing arachnids allowed Tamos to gain his bearings and better ready his saber.

Chaxin loaded another bolt and dropped another bullet into the barrel of the chamber on the saber. With his recent training, he was better prepared to pull off more rune magic triggers on his mage-caster and saber, but he knew he still had to manage his mana carefully.

Nessa slashed and cut at her own quarry, trying desperately to put it on the defensive enough to get to Grigor's body, which lay immobile in the center of the room.

It was only in that moment that Chaxin and the others noticed that the fourth spider's body was close to Grigor, and its four fangs sunk into his neck with a pool of blood forming below.

"Dammit!" Verun uttered as he noticed the fallen and bleeding Grigor. In the seconds of melee, he'd found a suitable spell. After a quick press of a finger to the X on the page, tingles of visible white static appeared over Verun's hand. He thrust it out in the direction of the spider that was feeding off Grigor.

A bolt of white hot lightning arced out from Verun's fingertips and struck the monster.

The spider spasmed and detached from Grigor's lifeless body. The creature twitched and suddenly sunk to the floor, as if its legs could no longer hold its body up.

"Got it!" Verun gasped, just as the spider that had been attacking Tamos managed to pull away from the flailing one.

The arachnid pulled back and leapt at Tamos, knocking him to the floor and smacking his weapon from his hand.

Chaxin flicked his thumbs on the runes of the mage-caster and ignited another bolt. He launched it at the arachnid assailing Tamos and immediately followed up with another shot from the gun saber.

Despite Chaxin's determination, both shots missed their marks entirely and smashed into the far wall.

Verun readied the same lightning-based spell and with a thrust of his palm, another jolt of lightning arced out for the spider near Tamos. The arachnid's legs were jabbing down at the fallen second-in-command, but suddenly stopped when the bolt of lightning hit it. Just like its counterpart, it slumped to the floor, with part of its body weighing Tamos down.

"Ugh!" Tamos grunted, as the arachnid landed on his legs.

Chaxin's fingers slotted in another bolt and he looked up to aim.

The first arachnid he'd attacked had finally freed itself of the burning bolt, and was still moving frantically due to the searing bullet in its body. It smacked face-first into Chaxin and knocked him back, knocking the mage-caster from his hand.

Verun, being nearby, reached to tap the spell page again, but the same arachnid swung two of its legs out, smacked him aside, and cut into his chest through the meager leather armor he'd been wearing.

In that moment, Nessa was the only one still standing, deflecting attack after attack and scoring very few of her own on the spider she'd engaged.

The two spiders that had been struck by lightning began to slowly rise, trembling back to life as the stunning effect of the lightning wore off.

Chaxin gripped the saber tightly. The spider reoriented its attention on him and brought up its incredibly sharp legs, aimed right for him.

Fear and panic gripped him as the arachnid made ready to strike.

A streak of fire smacked into the spider's face. At first, it looked like a crimson arrow, but upon impact, the arrow lost its form and liquefied, splattering the burning liquid across the spider's maw.

Once more assailed with fire, the spider shrieked and flailed. Its legs dove at Chaxin, but another flaming streak smacked into the spider's body, followed by another before the arachnid could land its strikes upon Chaxin.

Seizing the moment, Chaxin jabbed with the saber, sinking the blade into the spider's body, feeling the tip crunch past the arachnid's hard exoskeleton and plunge into the soft flesh beneath.

Using his other hand, he drove the blade deeper as the spider screamed above him.

"Use fire!" came a woman's voice from behind Chaxin.

The once-paralyzed spiders rose and set their sights on Verun, who'd managed to right himself.

Another streak of fire rushed in, hitting the spider closest to him. Followed by another streak, and then another. The shadowed room lit up with each new flame.

Verun flipped several pages and pressed a finger to a page in the tome. His hand lifted and flames swirled into an orb on his hand. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed his palm out and sent the ball of fire at the spider that had attacked Grigor.

The arachnid burst into flame from the impact of the orb of fire.

The three flame-ridden spiders shrieked in unison, their screes filling the air and piercing everyone's ears.

One by one, the burning creatures slumped to the dusty floor. The fires encompassed their oily bodies and began to spread to the nearby dry wood.

"Get out of there!" the unfamiliar woman's voice called from outside.

With Verun's assistance, Chaxin got to his feet and grabbed his mage-caster. He retreated to the door and turned to see Tamos rushing to join Nessa in fighting off the last spider. With Tamos's help, the spider couldn't defend against both assailants. With stabs and cuts, the spider was forced back into the burning flames of its kin. The slick and furred underside of its body was licked by the flames and caught fire. Nessa pushed at Tamos, forcing him to retreat.

A streak of fire flew through the doorway and smacked the arachnid's mouth, causing it to flail wildly as Nessa, Tamos, Chaxin, and Verun all fled the burning hovel.

Once outside, the four of them were confronted by a figure wearing glossy black armor. At first, it looked as though it shined like metal, but after a few moments, it was easy to discern that it resembled the chitinous hides of the arachnids they'd just fought. The figure had black leather boots, pants, and a shirt and jacket. Sections of the glossy arachnid chitin covered most of her body, but didn't seem as though it would hinder her movements. On her hip was a belt with vials and flasks. On her back was a myriad of gourd-like plants. In her hands was a short black bow of deep dark wood, with an almost imperceptible thread for the bowstring.

Despite these strange features, perhaps the most curious of all was the almost black glassy mask that obscured her face. It was then that Chaxin noticed that none of her skin was showing. Was she like Grigor?

He could see her black hair cascading down her shoulders, but her neck was concealed by the collar of her shirt.

"Who are you?" Nessa was the first to ask.

"Perhaps a better question, is who are you?" the faceless woman asked in return. "That your ship way out there?"

"It is," said Nessa. "I'm its captain. My name is Nessa, this is my second in command, Tamos. That's Chaxin and Verun. And in there was Grigor. Now, who are you?"

"Cynthia," she spoke. "It's foolhardy to be in the abandoned village. Even more so to anchor your ship on these shores. What's your business here?"

"Those creatures," said Tamos. "It was feeding on Grigor. And their size… I've never seen Vracnid that large, or outside of caves."

Cynthia's head turned in Tamos's direction.

"Vracnid?" asked Chaxin.

"Vracnid are one of many sorts of spiders," said Cynthia. "Vracnid in particular feed on blood. They're drawn to killing fields, or wherever they can easily find a bloody meal. They seem to like this area, but I can't seem to find out why. There's a stench here, of foul blood. It's nauseating."

Cynthia's grip on her bow hadn't lessened. "Now, what's your business here?"

"Are you one of Lord Karnith's agents?" asked Chaxin.

Cynthia turned her head. "I am not. And it smells as though neither are any of you." She turned to face Nessa and Tamos. "You two smell of the sea… and Jari. Strange for you two to be here, isn't it?" She then shifted her attention to Verun and Chaxin. "The two of you smell of Trillin especially. You also smell new. Yet… seasoned. At least, you do," she said, tilting her head in Verun's direction. "I can also smell your delirium setting in. You may want to ensure you have that managed before it consumes you." Her head tilted toward Chaxin. "As for you, your delirium can still be managed. Surely a side effect of being around this man, Verun. But… none of you smell of Grittin. So why are any of you here?"

For a short time, nobody spoke.

"You got a good nose on you," said Nessa. "How'd that happen?" Her eyes were narrowed.

"Not for you to worry about right now," said Cynthia. "Answer the question. What's your business? You realize there are more Vracnid in the area? They can sense us, just as I can sense things about you."

Chaxin stepped forward. "I want to stop Lord Karnith. I know I don't amount to much, but surely someone else out there wants to stop him as well. I want to help."

"I'm just here to accompany him," said Verun, gesturing to Chaxin. "Seemed like fun."

Nessa sighed. "And we're here to see if Kamber has anything to trade. If anything is left of the town."

Cynthia stood silently for a few seconds. "Hmm. Well, if it's as you say, then we should hurry to Kamber."

"Then it still stands?" asked Chaxin. "Last I left it, it had been evacuated."

"Standing isn't exactly how I'd describe Kamber," said Cynthia, as she turned and began to walk quickly. "Come. If we linger too long, the other Vracnid will assail us."

"Following some masked woman through a dark village of spiders," Nessa sneered as she followed the woman, Tamos right beside her. "Might as well walk alone at night through Trillin."

Verun followed. "Quite a curious woman," he murmured under his breath. "I do hope she's open to further questions once we get to the town."

Chaxin was the last to follow. His eyes flitted from nearby structure to structure. He glanced up into the sky and realized that the dark ominous shape had fully abated, as if it had never been there in the first place. This world never stopped producing more questions.

Chapter 27: New Kamber

Cynthia led the four of them safely through the village. There wasn't so much as a click of chitin against wood, as far as any of them could tell. For all they knew, perhaps there weren't any spiders left in the abandoned village. But if that was the case, why did Cynthia continue to turn her head suddenly when they passed some of the nearby hovels?

Nessa kept a careful eye on their new 'friend.'

Chaxin and Tamos were looking around at the nearby structures, making sure nothing was ready to strike out at them.

Verun kept to himself, barely looking around, unless it was to subtly glance at Cynthia.

The path they took was familiar to Chaxin. It was the same way that Deloris and the two archers had gone when they saved him from the encroaching merfolk. It was the same path through town that he'd taken with Deloris, Kaiz, and the others, when they came back through to get to the ship.

Time had flowed strangely for Chaxin. It had only been a few days that he'd been 'awake' since appearing in the mausoleum. But he'd gone to Purgatory and back, and now almost ten years had passed. He wondered who might still be alive of the people he'd known before.

At multiple points, Verun attempted to speak to Cynthia, asking her questions about how she was able to discern the things she had. But she didn't so much as turn her head to him.

"What did she mean by that? About delirium? I saw it on my stats when I checked the grimoire before leaving," Chaxin said quietly, speaking to Verun, but it was likely that Nessa and Tamos could still hear him.

"Don't worry about that," said Verun. "It should go away in a matter of weeks. Perhaps. It's your own fault, really. I told you to cover your ears, but you didn't listen."

Chaxin's brow furrowed. "This was about listening to that thing you did?" He remembered how defensive Verun had been when he'd mentioned the spoken magic before.

"That's right," said Verun. "As I said, you have nothing to worry about."

"And what if I'm worried about you?" asked Chaxin.

"Don't be," Verun muttered. "I'm fine."

Nessa spoke with Tamos intermittently, mostly in regard to Grigor or the surrounding area.

Cynthia continued to lead them, but said nothing of importance on their journey.

It felt as though they walked for hours. Chaxin had only taken this route on horseback or at the back of a wagon. His feet and legs were sore. He didn't remember walking this far back in Trillin.

Eventually, they exited the forest and entered the vast fields surrounding the dilapidated walls of Kamber.

"So there it is," said Verun. "It'll be good to get some rest after all this dreadful walking."

"There'll be plenty of time to rest, eat, and converse once we're safe," said Cynthia, heading down the road to the wide open gates.

"They never repaired the gate? Even from afar, the walls don't seem to be in decent order either," said Chaxin. "Who's in charge of the town?"

"Her name is Minara," said Cynthia. "She's in charge. More or less. As much as anyone could be, I suppose."

"That doesn't sound so reassuring," said Nessa.

"Doesn't matter what it sounds like, that's how things are," said Cynthia.

"Is that who I'll be dealing with for trade?" Nessa questioned further. "Or are there merchants?"

"You can speak to Minara about that. Not sure if there's much trade that goes on, but she'll point you in the right direction, at least," said Cynthia.

"Is anyone by the name of Deloris, Vol, or Tiris around?" Chaxin asked. "I used to know them, albeit briefly."

"Never heard of a Vol or Tiris," Cynthia replied. "I've heard of Deloris. But she's no longer around."

"No longer around?" Chaxin asked. "As in somewhere else? Or—?"

"As in dead," Cynthia replied.

"How did it happen? Did Karnith get to her?" Chaxin asked, walking quicker to get closer to Cynthia as they spoke.

"I'm not the person to answer that," said Cynthia. "When we get inside, I'll introduce you to the person you should speak with. You're all asking a lot of questions, and to be perfectly honest here, I was in the shore village to thin some of the vracnid out. That's it. I wasn't out there to be some sort of welcoming party for you folks. So if you got any more questions, save them for Minara."

Despite having even more questions, Chaxin kept silent. As did Nessa. Even the often curious Verun kept to himself, which was out of character for him since he'd seemed so interested in Cynthia and her capabilities.

They went down a long, unkempt road. It looked as though it didn't get much foot travel. Weeds had grown and the path itself was harder to see than Chaxin remembered.

When they reached the gate, it was in even worse condition than what Chaxin had thought. It was starting to look much like the wood that made up the hovels in the village by the shore. How was Kamber able to protect itself without a gate? Even if Karnith wasn't marching on their doorstep, surely they had to defend against encroaching monsters, such as merfolk or giants?

It didn't take more than a few seconds of walking into the town itself before Chaxin felt that something was off.

"Everything looks worse than when I was here almost ten years ago," said Chaxin. He looked to Cynthia with a furrowed brow. "How can people even still live here in these conditions? The structures… the gate. I don't understand. What's going on here?"

Chaxin stopped walking entirely, and the others did the same.

Cynthia slowed to a stop and turned around to face him. "We're seriously almost there," she said. "Just a few more minutes. Kamber isn't what you remember, I'm sure. It can't be. Nowhere that wants to stay out from under the watchful eye of Karnith is easily noticed. The town and its people are hidden. What you see around you is the old shell that deters Karnith's agents from looking further."

"So where is everyone?" Chaxin asked.

"This is starting to feel awfully suspicious, I'll agree," Nessa spoke up.

"You were the ones who wanted to come here," said Cynthia. "Now come on. If you don't wish to follow, then don't. It doesn't matter to me." With that, Cynthia turned back the way she'd been going and continued walking.

After she'd taken a few steps, Verun spoke, "It doesn't feel like a trap, if you ask me. Not that I've been in situations like this before."

"We’ve got no choice but to follow her or turn back around and go to the ship empty handed," said Nessa. "I don't think she gains much for trying to trick us. I'm probably the more valuable target, if she is working for Karnith. I'm a once-Jari captain of a privateering vessel. I suppose Verun has some use, but Karnith already has a well-renowned enchanter at his side."

"Sorry," Chaxin muttered. "I guess… I don't know, I suppose after being killed before even existing for a whole week, I'm just a bit more suspicious about going with the flow of things. Everything had seemed so casual and normal, all until Karnith ordered his men to kill us for a reason I am only now starting to comprehend." He let out a breath, shook his head, and started walking again. The others followed suit.

"This place does look pretty run down," said Tamos. "Even in its prime, I can't imagine living in a small town like this."

"Some people have to make do," said Nessa.

The group followed Cynthia, who led them through the streets. Everything was roughly where Chaxin remembered it being, even though he hadn't been in Kamber for long.

Cynthia took them all the way to the town hall, but instead of going in through the front set of wooden doors, she veered around the side and led them to the back. Chaxin was all eyes, glancing around more now, since he hadn't been back here before.

"I've got to take newcomers through the front entrance," said Cynthia. "Once you get a lay of the place, you'll be able to come and go through other entrances. You'll see." They curved around back and Cynthia stopped by a cellar door. She opened the right side, and a stairwell could be seen heading down.

"On you go. Go down the hall to the door, there'll be a light on down there. You just can't see it from here, for obvious reasons of keeping the place secret."

Everyone looked to Cynthia, but she just stood there, holding the cellar door, unflinching and unmoving.

"What're you waiting for? Again, if you don't wanna go, you don't have to. Just decide in the next ten seconds or so, so I can continue on with my day."

"Well," said Chaxin. "I'm the reason we're here. I'll go first." He walked to the top of the stairwell and began to slowly descend the darkened stone steps.

"You say that as if you're going into some dungeon of perils," said Cynthia with a shake of her head. "You folks seriously are ridiculous. Paranoia is good though, I suppose. But it's an awful lot of bother if you ask me."

Verun followed Chaxin, with Nessa and then Tamos.

Chaxin took the steps carefully and noticed that there wasn't any odor to the tunnel he found himself in. The shore had reeked of the foul stench of death and decay, but there seemed to be nothing of note here. Perhaps that was a good sign? Perhaps he was just trying to make himself feel better.

He reached the base of the steps and proceeded down a dirt tunnel. At the end, about fifty feet away, was a dim light coming from the bottom of what was surely a door.

Chaxin's breaths came quicker now as he felt apprehensive despite Cynthia's comments. His right hand rested on the pommel of his saber. His left still held the mage-caster, with a bolt already primed.

He turned his head, able to somewhat make out the others behind him, along with Cynthia, who was descending the steps and closing the hatch behind her.

"Right behind you," said Verun.

Chaxin nodded and looked forward again. It didn't take long to reach the end of the tunnel. As he neared the door, he could hear voices on the other side. There were deep voices that carried through the door, along with laughter.

Chaxin placed his hand to the door and felt around for a moment before finding the handle. He turned it gradually and pushed it open.

Light streamed out into the tunnel, causing his vision to blur and his eyes to narrow. He stepped cautiously into the room and was able to more clearly hear the conversations going on, even if they all jumbled together in the noise. The room itself looked a bit like something between what the town hall had been, along with a tavern. People were seated at tables, drinking, eating. There were easily several dozen people within.

Chaxin took each step slowly, trying to get a sense of the place as he entered.

A few heads turned and noticed him, but they didn't look away.

Gradually, conversations slowed to a stop as more people took notice of him and the others behind him.

By the time they'd all entered the room, no one was speaking, and everyone's attention was on them.

A woman's voice cut through the silence. It was strangely familiar, but Chaxin couldn't place it.

"Cynthia, are you vouching for this lot?" asked the woman. She was seated at a table that was directly in the center of the room. The woman, who had pale white hair and angular features, was facing and looking right at them. "Bad time to be bringing in new folk."

Cynthia spoke up from behind them. "Nope! Can't vouch for ‘em. Just found them in the village. I don't think they're Grittin, but… who knows?"

"Seize their weapons!" the mysterious woman up front yelled.

Without warning, a dozen of the nearest residents stood up and drew their blades, some wielding crossbows.

"What's going on?" Nessa shouted as she pulled her saber, followed a moment later by Tamos.

Chaxin drew his saber, but held it to point the barrel at the nearest person to him, while his other hand brought the mage-caster up.

"Not again," Chaxin whispered under his breath, his eyes wide, flitting from target to target.

"What are we doing?" Verun muttered to Chaxin. "Are we about to be killed?"

"I don't know," Chaxin whispered. "Is your book out?"

"No, but as you well know, I don't need it, necessarily," said Verun.

"It might've been wrong to come here," Chaxin whispered back. "We need to get out of here."

"This one's really going to hurt," Verun muttered. He swallowed and took in a slow breath, as everyone around him had their weapons drawn, some of which were pointed at him. Then, he began to speak again.

"Nameth'na ahn namush—"

Verun's voice caught suddenly in this throat. He coughed and began to choke.

"What the hell are you doing? Speaking that shit here!" Cynthia called from just a foot behind them.

Chaxin, hearing Verun's sudden coughing, turned quickly to see Cynthia with her right hand outstretched, her fingertips merely inches behind Verun's body.

Her head turned, and her glinting mask faced him. She reached out at him with her left hand, but Chaxin was already pulling back.

There was a sudden and strange sense of his innards being pulled and tugged, as if tendrils were forming inside of him and seizing him from within, but as he placed a foot of distance between himself and Cynthia, the feeling subsided. He brought the chamber of the gun saber to her head. "Let him go!"

"Tch!" Cynthia muttered beneath her mask. Her hand clenched into a fist as she brought it back down to her side. Her other hand was still outstretched to Verun, keeping him from speaking or moving.

"Why?" Chaxin asked, his head turning to the white-haired woman who was slowly creeping closer to them. She wore a black cloak, and what appeared to be half leather and half plate armor, mostly of dark blue and black.

"Why what? We can't trust you," said the woman. "We need you to answer questions, for our own safety."

"I remember!" Chaxin exclaimed. "For me, it's only been days. But I remember your voice! You were there when I first arrived. I was so close to death, poison running through my veins. You said… you said that I deserved as much of a chance as anyone. And I took that chance!" Chaxin's grip on his mage-caster tightened. He'd aimed in a random direction, but now the white-haired woman was in his sights.

"I fought monsters that I could barely fathom! But what's worse is that I thought I was doing what everyone did in this damned world. And what did I get in return? Death in Karnith's throne room. All because I saw what was in his precious sarcophagi. So I ask you, now that I can see your face, why did you bother saving me when I was just going to end up dying for no damned reason anyway? Why am I even here now? Why are any of us here? I made a choice to come here for answers. And I refuse to be backstabbed again by my own kind, when there are far greater monsters out there."

The white-haired woman's arms crossed against the dark blue metal plate beneath the front of her cloak. She stared at Chaxin from about ten feet away. Seconds passed in silence. Chaxin's pulse throbbed in his ears. He couldn't go back to Purgatory. He wouldn't. He was going to fight tooth and nail to prevent it. If his own kind was going to try and kill him again, then he was sure as hell going to take them with him.

"Lower your weapons, everyone," said the white-haired woman. "No reason for this. Plenty of fighting to be had later against the real enemy."

Several of the patrons looked at each other, but it was Cynthia who lowered her arm first. Upon doing so, Verun took in a deep breath of air and coughed a few more times. "Damnation… what… power is that?" he coughed out.

Cynthia stepped in closer and grabbed Verun's shoulder. "You ever speak one of their names again, and I'll be sure to rush so much blood to your head, you'll be in Purgatory before you even know what hit you." She released his shoulder and walked past him to linger at the white-haired woman's side.

One by one, people began lowering their weapons and sheathing their swords at the white-haired woman's instruction.

Nessa and Tamos didn't budge until the crossbows that had been pointing their way had been lowered. Then, Nessa hesitantly sheathed her saber. Tamos followed suit.

Chaxin's weapons lowered once everyone else had put theirs away. His sights were still on the woman across from him.

"I'm Minara," the white-haired woman spoke. "And you're Chaxin. It's been an age, hasn't it? What? Ten years since everything went to shit? But I guess you weren't here for that, were you? No, you were spared the turmoil of Wake, apparently for a time in Purgatory. But you escaped, which I find commendable."

"That's actually because of me. He had very little to do with that," Verun spoke up. "But he was helpful in our return to the world of the living."

Minara looked to Verun and lifted a brow at him. "You probably shouldn't talk so much. And Cynthia's right, if you utter such words around here again, you will be killed. Don't care who you are."

"Understood," Verun said, with a nod. He reached up and rubbed his throat.

"You remembered my name after all this time?" Chaxin asked. "I was only alive for a few days back then."

Minara shrugged. "You were part of very important events back then. The boy who woke on the shores outside Kamber. Who survived the merfolk attack, who was inscribed with time magic to keep him alive. Well, I suppose I was the cause of that last one. But you were part of the group that returned with Deloris. You and Kaiz, if I remember correctly. The two of you were killed, and Deloris barely made it out alive, at much cost to herself. Deloris was the only one who knew of Karnith's betrayal. She was the only one who could warn others of what was to come, based on what she'd seen. She didn't know what the power of the spectres could do in Karnith's hands, but I did. It's a shame Deloris is no longer here, but perhaps you're willing to pick up the slack. She kept you safe a number of times, if I recall her stories correctly."

"That she did, and I only wish I could somehow repay that favor to her," said Chaxin. "But for now, I'll settle for revenge on Karnith."

Minara smirked. "In time," she said. She lowered her hands to her hips. "But I still need to question you four. We're not going to take your weapons as we should, but since Chaxin and I have some mutual history, I'll at least show some clemency in this regard. But if any of you do anything to warrant that you may be spies, we won't hesitate to kill you. But for now, all we need is for you to undergo a little questioning with a bit of magical aid."

Chapter 28: Questions

After the tense ordeal of their arrival, things managed to quiet down significantly. Chaxin and the others were now seated at a large table, the four of them directly across from Minara, Cynthia, and several other patrons.

Minara cleared her throat and set a tome on the table in front of them. "Now, before we can fully welcome you, we need to make sure that none of you are spies. You may trust each other implicitly, but sometimes spies don't even realize they're spies. That's what this is for."

"Looks like a grimoire," said Verun, who sat to Chaxin's left.

"It is, just with some added features," said Minara.

"A modified grimoire? Very interesting," Verun mused.

"Says the man who knows magics that should never be heard," Cynthia muttered beneath her mask.

"Settle down, doctor," Minara said.

"Doctor?" Nessa asked. She was seated to the right of Chaxin, with Tamos on the other side of her.

"Yes, I am in fact a doctor," said Cynthia. "I'm fluent in healing remedies, of a sort."

"Hmm," Nessa murmured, her gaze on the masked woman.

"Back to the task at hand," Minara spoke up. She opened the blank grimoire and then looked to Chaxin. "Go ahead."

Chaxin reached out and placed his hands on the grimoire, then removed them. Ink welled up and formed the status pages.

"We don't need to know your individual abilities or anything like that," said Minara. She reached out and flipped a page, which showed Chaxin the kills section. She then flipped the page again, which revealed a page he'd never seen before. On both pages were large squares with tiny gridwork lines running through them. Upon closer inspection, Chaxin realized the gridwork was made up of a multitude of small x letters.

"Now place your hand on the right page," said Minara.

Chaxin obeyed and set his hand on the page, letting it rest there.

Minara brought her hand up and set it on the left page.

"First question," said Minara. "What's your name?"

"It's Chaxin," he responded, unsure what was going on.

"Good," said Minara. "Are you in league with Lord Karnith, Daxar, or any of his agents?"

"No," said Chaxin.

"Perfect," said Minara. "Are you under the effect of any spells or abilities from the creatures known as spectres?"

"No."

"Great," Minara said with a sigh. "Let's see, that clears the main facets. Might as well go a little deeper though. "Do you have any intention to harm myself, or any others here in Kamber."

"Is Lord Karnith here in Kamber right now?" Chaxin asked in return.

"No he isn't," said Minara.

"Then no, I have no intention of harming anyone here."

"Great," said Minara. "Let's see… just to make sure this is working correctly, I need you to lie to me now. So I'll ask again, what's your name?"

"Uh," Chaxin murmured at first. He glanced over beside him, then looked back to Minara. "My name is… Verun."

A second after the word 'Verun' left his lips, a brief and abnormal tingle rushed up through Chaxin's fingertips and into his arm, making him immediately pull his hand back; his arm shuddered for a brief moment as the feeling dissipated. "What was that?"

Minara's fingers quivered as well, but she kept her hand on the tome, apparently having expected the occurrence. "That is what happens when you lie. I'll feel it as well, so there's no way you can lie without me knowing."

"I have just another question, and then we can move on," said Minara. "Please place your hand back."

"Alright," Chaxin said, as he lowered his hand to the book and took a slow breath. "Go ahead."

"You were killed about ten years ago, give or take. How long were you in Purgatory for?"

"Um," Chaxin thought for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure. It was hard to keep track of time. I'd say somewhere between one to two days?"

Minara waited, but there was no jolt. "Interesting," she whispered. "And how long ago did you return?"

Chaxin glanced over to Nessa, then back to Minara. "Almost a week ago?"

Minara was silent. No jolt came.

"And you said that it was Verun who aided in your escape?" she asked.

Chaxin nodded. "Yes, that's correct. He did most of the work, in that regard."

"Wonderful," said Minara. "That's all for now."

Chaxin removed his hand and rubbed his palm and fingers. Even though the sensation had only lasted about a second, he still felt strange after the fact.

Minara brought the grimoire over to Nessa. She asked her similar questions to begin with. But after the questions relating to being a spy, Nessa was asked about her time in Jari, and her time as a captain.

Chaxin learned that Nessa had been a naval captain for the Jari nation. Like many captains, she was mostly left without a home when Karnith attacked Jari, before Chaxin had ever arrived in Wake.

Nessa became a freelance privateer, mostly operating as an escort and hired crew out of Trillin.

Minara questioned Nessa about what she knew of Trillin, but Nessa knew nothing more than anyone else on the matter, and no new information was brought to light.

"Sadly, we don't have much in the way of trade. We're a bunch of rebels hiding away just barely outside the watchful eye of Karnith and his lackeys," said Minara. "But a ship is a hard thing to come by. I would be interested in keeping you around for the short term. We may need a mode of escape in the coming days."

"Well, for a fee, I'm happy to be held on retainer and I'll keep near the shore," said Nessa.

"Wonderful," said Minara with a smile. "Now, for your second in command here, Tamos, was it?"

Minara then questioned Tamos. His life was closely aligned with Nessa's. He’d been her second in command for as long as she'd held command. Wherever Nessa went, so did he. The grimoire didn't zap him when he was asked the spy question, and like Chaxin and Nessa, he appeared to be in the clear.

"Thank you," said Minara, once she was finished with her questions.

She brought the grimoire across the table and set it to rest near Verun, looking over to him now. "Your turn," she said.

Verun swallowed and let out a slow breath. "I will have you know that I'm willing and able to answer all the questions about being a spy and all of that but I would caution questioning much beyond that. My private life and my past are… complex."

"Then let's begin with the simple stuff first," said Minara, who then began to question him as she'd done the others.

Just as he'd said, Verun passed all the questions about being a spy and wishing harm on others in Kamber. There was nothing that would paint him as a spy or an agent of Karnith.

When those questions were finished, Minara sat silent for a few long moments before venturing to ask, "How did you learn that name you spoke earlier? Please refrain from speaking those words with your answer."

Verun shook his head. "I would rather not say."

There was no jolt.

Verun's brow furrowed, and his gaze fell to the grimoire.

"It won't shock you if you don't actually answer the question," said Minara. "How about this, then… Does your knowledge pose a threat to those around you?"

"Most certainly not, " said Verun. "I have—"

Verun's hand shot up from the book. "Ah!" he gasped and shook his hand. When the feeling subsided, he looked at Minara. "I wasn't lying! I have everything well handled! It is of no concern to you, or anyone else for that matter."

"Please place your hand back on the grimoire," said Minara.

Even Chaxin's brow was furrowed as he looked at Verun.

Verun looked to Chaxin, then over to Minara. "Fine, fine," he muttered and smacked his palm back onto the grimoire.

"Do you know what caused the disappearance of the citizens of Trillin, ten years ago?" Minara asked.

"I was killed before that happened," said Verun.

Several seconds passed. "Answer the question," Minara prodded.

"I don't know what happened to the citizens of Trillin," Verun answered.

Minara waited. There was no jolt.

"Let me rephrase, just in case," said Minara. "Were you aware of anything that was likely to happen, that could have been the cause of the disaster that befell Trillin, ten years ago?"

"No," said Verun.

Verun's arm stiffened and his fingers quivered. As did Minara's.

Minara's eyes narrowed. "You know something," she said. "Does what you know have something to do with the entities that mustn't be named?"

"Please stop asking these questions. I can't help you in this regard," Verun answered, his hand lifted from the grimoire. "Please, you will gain no benefit from what's in my head. You'll only make it harder for me if I must barter in the future. You know I'm not a spy, you know I haven't come here to harm any of you."

"But there's more to you than that," said Minara.

"Much more," Cynthia spoke up.

"What's going on?" asked Chaxin. "Why are you asking him these things? What are these entities you're talking about?"

"She wants to know about the nameless," said Verun.

"Karnith isn't the only danger on this world, or even the Graymos," said Cynthia with a hiss.

Minara glanced over to Cynthia, then to Chaxin. "Chaxin, do you know what the Graymos is?"

"It seems to be the word for everything, like…everything around us?" Chaxin answered.

"Correct," said Minara. "The dimension around us, the space between worlds, and the space encompassing those worlds, this is the Graymos. Our dimension. The Graymos is home to countless worlds which we call spheres. We as humans appeared here roughly five hundred years ago. But there are things far, far older than us that have been a part of the Graymos longer than we can even comprehend."

Chaxin listened intently, then glanced over to Verun, whose eyes were cast down upon the table.

"The spectres are a race of powerful beings," said Minara. "Somehow, Lord Karnith has taken their power and used it to create portals so that he can cast his armies anywhere around Wake, or even across the Graymos to other spheres. Because of these actions, he has inadvertently garnered the attention of at least one of the nameless ones. Perhaps more. The nameless ones are creatures of impossible power. To even look upon them is to know madness. And to say their names is to slowly welcome that delirium into your mind and corrupt you from within. Verun has learned things that no human was ever meant to know. We call them the nameless because we're not sure what else to refer to them as without alerting them to our presence. When Verun speaks the name of one of the nameless and beseeches them, he is creating a direct link between his mind and that of the creature he's speaking to. This power is incredibly volatile. It shouldn't be used even in dire circumstances."

"Without Verun, I wouldn't be here," said Chaxin. "I don't understand how that can be a bad thing. He did what he had to in order to save himself from Purgatory. And luckily, he took me with him."

"Be that as it may, I can only continue to caution the use of speech magic," said Minara. "It's easy to use it on a whim. It's incredibly powerful, far more than what you can achieve through scrawl. But I have seen firsthand what toll it takes on the mind and body. Scrawl draws its power from leftover soul energy. Speech magic draws its power solely from the nameless entities that are beseeched. And for that, it is impossibly dangerous to the user and everyone around them."

"I understand how it works," said Verun. "No need to scare the boy. It's not as though I use it lightly. I only considered it earlier because we were in fear for our lives. A room full of hooligans against the four of us. What would you have done?" Verun asked, looking to Minara.

Minara kept quiet, even glancing away. "Regardless, it's important for others to know what they're in for when they're around you. So let me ask you this," Minara said, as she slowly closed the grimoire and leaned back in her seat. "You know something about what happened to Trillin. But you're unwilling to tell us anything, correct?"

"Correct," said Verun.

"But you don't know what happened to the people of Trillin, based on the fact that the grimoire didn't detect a lie."

"Correct," said Verun.

"So, I suppose all I can ask is this. Do you think the people of Trillin, wherever they may be, can be saved?"

Verun looked away, then shook his head. "They are either in Purgatory, or they could be in hell by now. But the other option is perhaps more grim."

"Other option?" asked Minara.

"The other option is that they weren't killed," said Verun.

"But if they aren't dead, then they have to be somewhere among the spheres, so they can be saved, can't they?"

Verun shook his head again. "If they are still among the spheres, based on what I was privy to before my death, then no. They can't be saved, because it is unlikely that they are still—" He caught himself and bit his lower lip.

Cynthia's fists slammed against the table, shaking it as she rose from her seat. "What aren't you telling us? What do you know?"

Minara grabbed Cynthia's arm. "Calm down," she said urgently.

"I want to tell you what you want to know," Verun spoke up quickly, his gaze once again on the table, unable to look up to Cynthia, even to her mask. "But I cannot. To do so would cause greater harm than good. For both myself and for those that would hear it. All I can do is ask that you trust me, although you've only just met me."

"Just tell me this," said Cynthia. "Was it a nameless? Did one of them befall Trillin?"

Verun closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, then exhaled. "This conversation cannot continue further. I'm sorry."

"Damnable man," Cynthia hissed and turned around, heading off to one of the open doorways and disappearing beyond it.

A brief silence befell the table before Minara spoke up again. "Many people's lives were changed ten years ago," said Minara. Her hands came up and clasped together as she rested her chin against them and stared at the grimoire. "For some, it was from Lord Karnith's actions. For others, it was the mysterious events that befell Trillin. There is some speculation that the two events are connected, but so far, no theories have been made. The disaster and disappearance of Trillin's populace preceded Karnith obtaining the power of the spectres." She sighed and leaned back in her chair again. She looked across the four new arrivals. "I take it you all saw the shadow of the nameless earlier?"

"You mean the thing in the sky?" asked Chaxin.

Minara nodded. "It has come several times," she said. "It has never breached the clouds, and so we've never laid eyes upon it. It may not be a nameless, but very few entities can move through the Graymos and are of such a massive size. We have no idea what it wants, if it even wants anything. It's almost impossible to understand the desires or thoughts of the nameless. They're essentially gods. Or at least, what passes for gods here in the Graymos."

"Indeed," Verun whispered, his eyes having opened, but his gaze was still on the table.

Chaxin wasn't sure what to think of these 'nameless' creatures. He'd seen the spectres, and he knew what Lord Karnith was capable of. That was all he could set his sights on. "I came here to find anyone who might be looking to take the fight to Karnith and put a stop to him," said Chaxin. "From what Nessa told me, Grittin sounds as though it is no longer a city but a massive fortress. I'm sure there's no army that could march on a place like that, but what if it was a much smaller group? A group that could sneak in somehow and kill him, along with Daxar?"

Minara's lips slowly curled. "It's that very reason that we were so paranoid of your arrival. Because you see, we've already prepared for such a strike. We've been preparing for the better part of a year, gathering soul crystals, leveling up, and finding members who could possibly undertake this mission. We're the only hope of bringing Karnith down. And we're striking tomorrow."

Chapter 29: Drink

Chaxin and Verun had been left to themselves at the table. Verun had shifted around to the other side so he could properly face Chaxin. It didn't take long for the older man to speak up. "Looks like you got what you wanted."

Chaxin's fingers fidgeted, his thumbs brushing over each other again and again, slowly.

"Yeah," he murmured.

"We don't know anything about her plan yet," said Verun. "I just wonder if it can be done. These individuals, Daxar and Karnith. They're certainly very powerful. Based on what Nessa told us of their ability to control their armies, it should go without saying that they must also have many powerful underlings beneath them. Having plundered other spheres, I imagine they've acquired quite a few items that have help their war efforts. Who knows what they've gained access to."

"I never suspected that it'd be easy," said Chaxin, who slowly looked up to Verun.

Across the room, Nessa and Tamos sat opposite each other at another table, where they spoke to one of the subordinates who’d been with Minara.

"Not everyone is joining this fight," Chaxin continued. "Nessa and Tamos aren't coming. You can stay here as well, out of harm's way. If we don't return, then you can set sail with Nessa and be rid of this place, and me."

Verun sighed and crossed his arms against his chest. He shook his head. "I can only imagine that my… admittances earlier have put doubt in your mind as to my loyalties and potentially even my character and… maybe even my sanity."

"I saw quite clearly what you did in Purgatory," said Chaxin. "But what choice did you have? We would've been killed. So I agree with the actions you took, despite my misgivings at the time. However, I saw how you acted in Trillin… but after what Nessa told us about those mimics, I think that even your somewhat crazed state was warranted then. I saw how you acted when that nameless appeared above the clouds, I just didn't know why you acted as you did. But I have some idea now. There's far more to you than what I even suspected. So yeah, there's definitely some… doubt, but I don't see you as an enemy. Despite what any of this… delirium means."

"I appreciate the sentiment," said Verun. "Truly, I wish none of you any harm. There is much that isn't understood of the Graymos, and it seems as though Minara, and to some extent Cynthia, both know what I’ve delved in."

"And you still can't say anything about what you know, as far as Trillin is concerned?" Chaxin asked. "Do you think they won't believe you? Do you think they will misinterpret what you know?"

Verun shook his head again. "Partly, but not exactly. As I've stated several times, I do not wish to go down this line of inquiry. I can't go into detail why. Just know that I can't, and I won't."

"Fair enough," said Chaxin. "So, what's it going to be for you? Stay here, or come with us to Grittin? Minara said she could use anyone she could trust. And she said you mostly passed her questioning. But she obviously holds misgivings towards you. As does Cynthia, perhaps to a greater extent. As do many people, I imagine."

Verun smiled just a little and looked up at Chaxin. "I’ve lived a solitary life. The few individuals that I've had continued contact with have all been part of the mitigators. I have no way of knowing if any of them still live. I'm sure that some have managed to evade Grittin's agents, but I fear that many have been incorporated into the Grittin army. If we go to Grittin, we may very well be up against numerous powerful individuals, some of whom I may be familiar with. But I suppose that's true for many of the people around us as well. You see, we view Grittin's army as forced conscripts, but what if those people are happy with how things are now? You haven't been here long. You've existed for a mere handful of days, when most have been around for years upon years. Much of the populace of Wake, and I'm sure, of many spheres, have endured the rigors of survival against monsters. But what if you were surrounded by a powerful army? You wouldn't have to fight monsters alone, or with just a couple other adventurers. You'd be with the most outfitted soldiers imaginable. So I fear that to some extent, any toppling of this empire that Karnith has created might be more difficult than we can imagine. But I suppose I got ahead of myself there. You asked my decision." Verun took a moment to breathe before speaking again. "I will come with you. There is a potential treasure trove of knowledge in Grittin. Multiple worlds worth of plunder, surely. I wouldn't mind getting a glimpse of it. I'm also curious to know the specifics behind how Karnith is able to cross the distance between worlds."

"Karnith built his empire on murdering other humans," said Chaxin. "He's killed or has led to the deaths of many. Even if he's gained an edge on fighting monsters, what happens when he comes across a group of people on another world that have something he wants? He's just going to kill them. He's going to force his army upon them and there will be more and more killing, until only the humans under his rule are left alive. He has to be stopped."

"Then for better or worse, we shall both endeavor towards that," said Verun, managing a half smile.

Chaxin's lips parted to speak, but before he could utter a word, six tankards of ale clunked down on the table in front of them.

"You two look like ya need a drink," came a woman's voice.

Chaxin and Verun both found themselves wide-eyed, looking up at the new arrival.

"Never seen either of you around here. I imagine you passed our initiation, else you wouldn't still be here," she said. She shifted to the side and sat beside Verun, but allowed a few inches of space between them. She then began sorting the flagons of ale until each of them had two in front of them. "Now drink up! Might be the last chance you get."

"Um, alright," Chaxin said, as he reached out for a mug, looking over to the new arrival who'd just helped herself to a seat with them. "Do we need to pay for these?" he asked, as he reached down and slid his hand into his pocket. He wasn't sure how valuable the ale was, or how currency really worked.

"Naw naw, just drink up!" the woman said.

"Oh, thank you," said Chaxin, as his fingers felt around in his pocket. The silver coin from Trillin wasn't there. Had he left it in the other pair of pants on the ship? Perhaps he dropped it in the scuffle in the abandoned village.

He pulled his hand from his pocket and looked up at the woman. She had tied-back red hair and freckles dotting her face. He couldn't help but feel as though she looked a lot like Deloris. Perhaps because he hadn't seen many women with deep red hair. Her voice wasn't as deep as Deloris's was, but she was muscled, much as he envisioned Deloris to be, despite the fact that he never saw Deloris out of her armor. The woman seated across from him had on a pair of brown pants and a long black tunic. Her fingers were calloused, as if she was used to manual labor.

"I'm Chaxin," he offered. "And this is Verun. We just arrived, and it looks like we're joining the… um," he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"The rebellion?" the woman asked. "The resistance? The hooligans looking to overthrow Karnith? We dreary few?"

"Yes, you all," Chaxin confirmed.

"I'm sure we're glad to have you with us. Whoever…" The woman blinked several times, as if something had suddenly occurred to her. "What you say your name was again?"

"It's Chaxin," he said again. "Why do you ask?"

"Chaxin… Chaxin," the woman muttered. "I know I've heard that before."

"What's your name?" Chaxin asked, unsure how to proceed with the woman muttering his name a few times.

"It's Senna," the woman responded, before reaching out and grabbing one of the tankards of ale in front of her. She brought it to her lips and took a few gulps.

"Pleasure to meet you, and thanks for the drinks," Verun stated as he reached for the closest tankard of ale and tentatively brought it up to his lips. It wasn't as bitey as he'd imagined it to be, but it certainly wasn't his preference.

"Of course!" Senna said as she lowered her mug and nudged Verun's shoulder with her own. But her attention seemed to be on Chaxin. "And if you two make it back, we can have more drinks! I do hope some of ya make it back after tomorrow. You two are going, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are," said Chaxin. "Are you not?"

Senna frowned and shook her head. "Nah, not me," she said and smirked. "I'm a bit of a crafter. Not really the fighting type. My mum was a fighter. Best fighter you'd ever seen, but I guess I always wanted to stay back and build things. You know? Can't go off fighting battles when you don't have gear and a place to stay, right? So that's what I do. I build, I craft, I repair."

"There was a woman on Nessa's ship that crafted. She made much of the gear I have on, as far as the leather components are concerned," said Chaxin as Senna glanced him over.

"I was noticing that when I came over," said Senna. "I do a bit of everything when it comes to crafting. Metal, leather, cloth, even construction. I built a good deal of the rooms here beneath the town hall. Say, have you been here before?" she asked, looking at Chaxin. "Have we met?"

"No, we haven't. Not to my knowledge, anyway," said Chaxin. "I haven't been, uh, alive? For long. A matter of days, really. And I don't recall ever meeting you." It was only then that he reached out with both hands to pick up one of the tankards of ale.

"No matter," said Senna with a shrug.

Chaxin tasted the drink. It was much weaker than what he remembered having in Kamber before. It was as if it had been watered down, or at least had far less potency to it. As he brought the tankard down, he looked to Senna again. "By chance, are you related to a woman by the name of Deloris? When I look at you, I can't help but be reminded of her."

"She was me mum," said Senna. At that admittance, her gaze fell to her own drink.

"Really?" asked Chaxin. "You're Deloris's… daughter? But how does that work?"

Senna glanced up and lifted a brow at Chaxin. "You're asking how babies are made?"

Chaxin blinked and shook his head. "No no, I mean I thought everyone arrived by the mausoleums? Some people were born here, then?"

Senna nodded. "That's right. I was born here on Wake. You knew my mum, then?"

"Briefly," said Chaxin. "She and two others saved me when I first arrived, during a merfolk attack here in Kamber. I was killed when we went to Grittin and met with Karnith."

"Chaxin!" Senna blurted out, and snapped her fingers. "That's who you are!"

Chaxin stared at Senna, unsure how to respond. They'd just discussed his name! "Yes?" he murmured, confused.

"I remember now," said Senna. "Yes, she spoke of you a few times. That was sort of the beginning of it all, wasn't it?" she said with a shake of her head. She brought the mug of ale up to her lips but then stopped. "Wait, aren't you dead?"

Chaxin looked to Verun. "We… managed to escape. Purgatory, that is."

"Oh wow, impressive," said Senna. "If you're young, you have a chance of getting out, I hear," said Senna. "She managed it once… you know. But I don't think she's coming back this time. When you reach a certain age, things begin to take a toll on your soul and body. Strong as she was, she pushed herself too hard. That damn armor. I wish I'd never made it! But I guess the armor's not to blame. I shoulda known when she asked me to make it back then."

"What do you mean?" Chaxin asked.

"Well…" Senna said, her gaze on her drink. "Mum asked me to make her some special armor. Armor that could be enchanted the way she wanted it to be. This was a long time ago, you see. I'd gotten my skills up high, and I was confident I could make it. So I did. I was damn proud of that gear. But unbeknownst to me, she wanted it solely for an enchantment. She knew this guy… he enchanted it for her. And… things changed. She fought more. We grew further apart. She fought and fought, and the armor took its toll on her."

"How is that?" asked Verun.

"Within the armor, she could trigger an enchantment that allowed her incredible strength, as long as she kept it active. With it activated, she was nearly invincible, I'm sure. But the cost was high. It sapped years from her life. Every time she used it, she would do so at the cost of her life. She had to use it heavily to get out of Grittin that day. She used it too much, and her body began to grow frail. Even with high stats, your body can only endure so much." Senna sighed. "And despite our fractured relationship, because… you know, I didn't want her using the enchantment, she didn't seem to care. She just wanted to help people. But in the end, she left me with her death scroll. And I guess I learned more about my mother from that than I ever really knew. Part of what she did makes sense, but… I don't think I've fully been able to forgive her." With that, she brought the mug back to her lips and gulped down more of the beverage. It was obvious that Senna had already had some ale, even before sitting with them, but she seemed far from being drunk.

Chaxin wasn't sure how to react. What should he say? He didn't feel as though he was the best person to try and console Senna. So instead he asked, "What's a death scroll?"

Senna looked up to Chaxin again and raised a brow. "Oh, right, you're still new… sorta?" she asked. "It's um…"

"It's sort of like a will, and an inheritance, of sorts," Verun said. "A person can selectively store their knowledge on a piece of parchment. It requires a pricey soul crystal, a grimoire, and parchment. It can be made various ways, but it allows a person to pass on what they've learned to someone else. Usually just before their death. It's also why bandits prioritize raided settlements or the dead, in hopes of finding death scrolls. Sometimes these scrolls are the person's last wishes. Such as how they would prefer their body be buried, or who their gear should go to. Sometimes, it's the instant transfer of knowledge of spell formulas, or blueprints for gear or weapons."

"I see," Chaxin said quietly.

"So yeah, she left hers to me," said Senna. "I'd never even seen a death scroll before. I certainly never expected to receive one. Having learned its contents, I can't help but feel as though it was both a blessing and a curse."

Senna shook her head and drank more ale.

Chaxin held his mug as he looked over to the table that Nessa and Tamos were at. He thought to himself for a few long moments, then looked to Senna. "What can you tell me of Minara?" he asked.

"Minara?" Senna asked, just after swallowing another gulp of ale. "She's uh… the one who kinda set this all up. She's pretty much our leader. I was in another town when my mum came and told me what had happened in Grittin. Apparently Minara and my mum were acquainted, and she told Minara what had happened as well. Minara's a bit of a wanderer, I guess? I really don't know much about her. She's been around for a while. In Kajura, that is. She knows a lot of stuff. About scrawl, I mean. She's familiar with time magic, which is pretty crazy. She knows more about scrawl than anyone else I've ever met. I'm sure there are other people out there that have specialized in other fields of scrawl, but she knows a bunch about most of it, and more about time magic than anyone. Other than that, I don't know much about her."

"What about Cynthia?" Verun spoke up. He lowered his mug slowly. "She's quite an interesting individual."

"Cynthia? Our resident vampire?" Senna laughed softly. "Yeah, she's alright. I wouldn't say that we're good friends or anything. She's a bit of a loner as well."

"Vampire?" Chaxin asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"She doesn't' actually feed on blood, does she?" Verun spoke up.

"Blood?" Chaxin questioned, as the two of them looked at Senna for answers.

"Calm down, calm down," Senna sighed. "She's not like those crazed and cursed bloodthirsters you hear about."

"I've not heard of any of this," said Chaxin.

"Oh, right," Senna shook her head. "Well, there's these people who are afflicted with a disease… or a curse, whatever you wanna call it, that makes them hunger for blood. Well, Cynthia is sorta like one of those people, but she wasn't afflicted like they were. She was bit by a vracnid. They're these bloodsucking spider monsters."

"Yes, we encountered a few on the way here, actually," said Chaxin. "Are you saying she's part spider?"

"No no, nothing quite so horrendous as that," said Senna. "She looks pretty normal, but she's sensitive to light. She can hear really well, and her sense of smell is impeccable."

"Is that why she wears that mask?" asked Verun. "Because of the sensitivity to light?"

"The mask? No, she wears that because she's blind, and doesn't want… oh, well damn. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything." Senna sighed and shook her head. "I start rambling and babbling about everything when I start drinking. Just, you know, don't tell anyone else I told you, alright?" she said, keeping her voice low.

"She doesn't want others to know she's blind?" asked Chaxin.

"Right," said Senna. "People might use it against her, if they knew. It doesn't mean that she's incapable in any way. She somehow manages to 'see' by some extra sense she has. She told me about it once. Has something to do with seeing auras and… blood. I dunno."

"She was able to stop me without even touching me," said Verun.

"Yeah, it was like she held out her hand, and just paralyzed Verun, or something. How is she able to do that?"

"She can control blood in a very short range around her," said Senna. "She can make it take any form. Sometimes a dagger, or a shield. She has containers on her back and on her belt that have blood in them. It's pretty macabre, I'll say. But it's also very effective. She's one of the deadliest people I've ever met. I think my mum would've liked her."

"Why is she called a doctor, then?" asked Verun.

"’Cause she heals people too," said Senna. "Before she was bitten and turned into whatever you wanna call her, she was a healer. She knows a lot about remedies and healing. So now, she can do this thing where she infuses the blood in some of those vials, and… I swear I'm not making this up, but she'll turn the blood into an arrow and shoot you with it from afar. The blood will absorb into your skin and heal some of your wounds."

"Fascinating," Verun whispered, his eyes wide. "She can do all of that, with just, what, her will? Her mind? No magic?"

"Nothing magical about it, as far as I know," said Senna. "She just does it. It's really creepy, but also pretty awesome."

"With people like her and Minara leading the charge, maybe we'll have a chance tomorrow," said Chaxin.

" I wish you both the best of luck. Good fortune, and all of that," said Senna. "Did Minara tell you what the plan is?"

Upon that last comment, Chaxin looked more intently to Senna. "No, not yet. She said we'd find out tomorrow."

"Ah, yeah. Best to probably keep that a secret then," said Senna. "I shouldn't go blabbing about the battle plan too soon. I mean, there's not much too it, really. We've done all the prep work, you just have to be ready to fight."

"There's really nothing you could tell us?" asked Verun. "I understand the need for secrecy and all, but… anything?"

Senna took a few more gulps of ale and let the mug clank down on the table. She grabbed the next tankard and looked between Chaxin and Verun. "Well, let's just say you won't be fighting the whole Grittin army. If all goes according to plan, you won't have to fight more than the innermost elite guard, and Karnith and Daxar. Among whoever else might be around," she said, trailing off a bit. "But that's it, no more. No more. Now drink! I feel like I'm drinking alone here."

Chapter 30: Strike

For Chaxin, sleep hadn't come easy and it didn't last long. Before he knew it, he was being stirred awake.

"Get up, get up!" came a deep male voice from nearby.

Chaxin's eyes crept open. "Huh, what?" he murmured, slowly leaning up on the thin cloth-covered cot he'd slept on. His vision was hazy from just waking, and the torch the man was carrying was terribly bright.

"Time table has moved up," the man said. "Storm's coming in. We're moving now."

"But… wait, right now?" Chaxin asked, as his thoughts were collecting.

Verun leaned up on his cot on the other side of the room. "What's going on?" Verun murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"We're moving out," the man said. "Gather your equipment, get to the tavern hall. You've got ten minutes.

Chaxin watched as the bulky, pale-skinned man turned and exited the room. There were enough cots for four to sleep comfortably, but only Chaxin and Verun were assigned to that room. Despite the need for secrecy, and the fact that so many people were hiding beneath what was once Kamber, there seemed to be no shortage of actual living spaces. Senna had certainly been busy in her time there, digging and crafting all the rooms, but it was likely that she'd had help in that endeavor.

"I thought we'd have at least part of the day," Chaxin murmured as he turned on his cot and felt around for his socks on the floor.

"What'd he say, something about a storm?" Verun asked, as he did the same.

There was light streaming partially in from the hallway, as their 'waker' had left the door open.

Groans and murmurs of other waking residents could be heard coming from nearby rooms. Chaxin and Verun weren't the only ones who thought they'd have more time to sleep that day.

A loud voice echoed down the hall, "Free food for the strike force! Get to the tavern, first come, first serve! We've got meat!"

After a few seconds, rapid footfalls could be heard rushing down the hall.

"We still don't even know what the plan is," Chaxin said, as he finished pulling his socks on. He then pushed his feet into his boots. He'd slept in his pants, but his belt and gear was beneath the cot.

Verun took in a deep breath. "Hmm, I think that's… sausage? Maybe even bacon," he said, as he pulled his boots on and knelt by his cot to grab his things from under it. "But yes, hopefully something will be explained soon. I'm concerned about trekking however far it is to Grittin with a storm on its way. How far is it again? It's not very close, is it?"

"Half of daylight? Six hours, maybe? I'm not entirely certain," said Chaxin.

"We shall know soon enough, I suppose," said Verun as he collected his things and waited by the door.

Chaxin took longer to get ready as he placed his belt on and checked his gear. He hooked the mage-caster on his belt and made sure everything was fastened. When he was finished, he joined Verun, and the two of them headed down the hall to the tavern.

The floor itself was cloth overtop a thin layer of dirt and then stone. There were sconces interspersed throughout the expansive halls.

The smell of cooked meats drew the pair further down the hall, passing by other opened doors where people were preparing by checking gear or sharpening swords.

As Chaxin passed through the threshold to the tavern, he could see that the tables were already half-filled with occupants. Most were eating and carrying on casual conversation. Just about everyone looked as if they could use another four hours of sleep.

Curiously enough, something new had been brought to the tavern. On the wall behind Minara, there was a glittering gray stone frame covered in scrawl. It looked as though it was a doorway, but it didn't lead anywhere, as there was just wall behind it.

At that back table, Minara sat with Cynthia and the bulky, pale-skinned man. There were several other individuals as well, but Chaxin set his attention on getting a plate of food. There was an opening on the far wall with a counter and foods laid out. He went over, grabbed a plate, and collected a chunk of bread, a few links of some sort of sausage, and a pile of cooked mushrooms. He took one of the metal forks and grabbed a tankard of water. At least it didn't smell like the meager ale he'd had last night, so he imagined it was water. He then proceeded to one of the mostly empty tables and Verun joined him.

Breakfast was a quick affair. A dark-skinned man with short curly hair sat with them. After introductions, they learned that his name was Hurim. He had a scabbard on his belt and mostly leather armor with a metal plate on the front of his chest. After the bulky pale man told everyone that they had five minutes to finish their food, Hurim told them that the man's name was Boru, and that he was one of Minara's commanders. If they had such a thing as commanders.

More people filed out of the hallway and quickly grabbed whatever remnants of food they could. In no time at all, the tavern had filled out. There were easily sixty to eighty people around.

When the five minutes were up, Minara stood and walked to the front of the table she was at and faced the rest of the tavern. Even before she said anything, people nearby seemed to quiet down. When she spoke, everyone else immediately stopped speaking.

"This is it," she said. "We've been preparing for this, and unfortunately, we're going it a bit early. A storm is sweeping over the area as we speak. Looks pretty big, but it could be gone before we know it. The rain will help drown out our assault. If we're lucky, it'll all be over before the storm even alleviates. Now, most of you don't know the plan. For security reasons, we've been tight lipped about it. So what's going to happen now is this. Some of you might've noticed the locked room down at the end of the hall. Inside that room was a gate. With Senna's craftsmanship and my knowledge of scrawl, we've put together a gateway that will allow us to appear deep inside Grittin, right in the fortress." With the mention of the gate, Minara gestured with her thumb to the stone frame behind her.

A few quiet murmurs went around the room.

"After learning how Karnith was moving his troops, I started theorizing on how we could do something similar. I imagine he has a far easier time of it than we're about to. The gate I made has been calibrated carefully to get us to a specific courtyard within the fortress. It's hard-locked and can't be altered. That's what we've been using most of the soul crystals for, that many of you have helped collect. It hasn't been easy, and it's taken us years to gather the supplies to do it. But everyone's hard work has paid off, and today, hopefully within the next few hours, we're going to eliminate Karnith, Daxar, and whoever intends to uphold his tyranny. We'll dismantle the scrawl bindlets that he uses to control his armies and free them from their oppression. Don't get me wrong, this won't be easy. Each and every one of those soldiers will be against us until we take Karnith and Daxar down. Once we do that, the rest of the hierarchy will fall. Even if this goes according to plan, we can only do so much to ensure stability in Grittin. It's a massive city. This coup, will be hard-fought, and even victory could pose numerous unforeseen problems. But together, we'll get through it, and free our brothers and sisters that have been enslaved under Karnith's tyrannical rule."

At the end of her speech, tankards smacked against tables, and fists thumped while feet stomped. The room reverberated with a plethora of wordless cheers.

Minara held a hand up to quiet the room, which swiftly went silent.

"We'll be separating into groups. Each of my commanders will take a team. We've already worked out the specifics. For now, stay seated. We'll be gathering you in your groups and bringing you to the gate. Good luck to you all. First group is assigned to Boru. They'll be going in and making sure the way is clear, and sending a ping back to let us know that we can proceed with the assault. When your name is called, get your ass over here," she said, pointing over to the wall next to the gate. "I've calculated that we have ten minutes of power to keep the portal open. After that, the doorway is closed and we're on our own. Follow your commander. If you get separated, find one of the other commanders, or lay low until you come into contact with one of your comrades."

Minara looked to Boru and gestured with her head. "Boru, call your squad," she said, as she then made her way around the table and to the side of the gate.

Boru stood and began calling out names in rapid succession. Without hesitation, each person stood and hurried over to the side of the wall in a line. Boru smirked, displaying several missing teeth. He went to the head of the line and nodded to Minara. "Ready," he said.

Ten people were lined up behind Boru, all watching Minara.

She reached out and placed her hand to a large square with an X within it. Upon touching it, a pale gray light flashed into existence within the confines of the stone frame.

On Boru's arm was one of the bindlets, the same type of device that Tamos and Nessa had told Chaxin about. Apparently, the same type of device that helped keep Grittin's army in check.

Boru tapped at the top of the bindlet.

On Minara's arm was a similar device. At the top right, a dull white light appeared and flashed three times, the same number of times that Boru had tapped.

"Good to go," said Minara. "Light the way."

Without further word, Boru walked right up and into the gray screen of light. The light didn't ripple or flicker, but instantaneously, Boru was gone.

Several seconds passed, and then, Minara's bindlet lit up with a series of three white lights.

"Count to three, and then go through the portal," Minara instructed. "Once you're through, keep moving to make way for the next person! Else it might hurt!"

The first person in line was a middle-aged woman with two axes hanging on either side of her hip. She was wide-eyed but smiling. Even though she was the first in line, she seemed to wait the three required seconds before rushing into the portal.

The next person waited… and then went.

Then the next, and the next.

"Next group, form up!" said Minara. "You all, keep heading in!" she said to the ones already in line.

Cynthia stood up. "Alright you sneaky folk, time to hunt!" she said as she then proceeded to call off a series of names. Each person shot out of their seat and rushed to form a line behind Cynthia.

Chaxin watched in amazement as people filed into line and formed up. There were four other commanders waiting at the table Minara had been at. In no time at all, Boru's entire group went through the portal.

Cynthia rushed through the portal, and in three-second intervals, her underlings followed.

"Don't forget to keep moving when you're through the portal!" said Minara.

Her gaze kept flickering to the bindlet on her arm.

"I wonder who we've been stuck with," Verun murmured.

"Don't know," said Chaxin. "We might be at the end. Everyone else probably knows what's going on, moreso than us."

"Well, I suppose that makes it safer for us," said Verun, still keeping his voice low. "Which, I'm quite partial to, actually."

Cynthia's group made it through the portal, and the next commander was already lined up. A younger man with a fierce look in his eyes, he didn't look to be much older than Chaxin, but his arms and face were littered with strange scars. He had bronze skin and a jet black mane of hair running back from his head.

More people were called out as the tavern emptied into the portal, one by one.

Minara's bindlet hadn't so much as flickered, and she appeared to be noticeably relaxing as time went on, but once her last commander was through the portal, she stepped forward.

"The rest of you, get your asses up. You're with me," she said.

Chaxin and Verun stood, realizing then that they were going to be with Minara during the assault.

"I'm starting to think that we may not be all that safe if Minara is our group leader," Verun sighed. "I can't help but feel as though we're going into the belly of the beast directly under her command."

"Who knows," said Chaxin, trying to keep his voice low enough for only Verun to hear. "But we're about to find out."

Minara gestured for the first person in line to head into the portal. "I'll be the last one in, go."

Verun reached the line before Chaxin, which put Chaxin at the end, as no one else was still seated at the tables. Not even Senna had joined in to watch the excursion. Nessa and Tamos were nowhere in sight. Perhaps they already returned to the ship, since there wouldn't have been much to trade for.

In three second intervals, the people ahead of Verun went through the portal. Chaxin wondered if their time was almost up, and if the portal was at risk of shutting down, but Minara had said nothing to warrant such.

Soon, it was just the three of them, with Verun about to go through the portal.

"Keep your mouth shut out there," Minara warned, her piercing gaze residing on Verun.

Verun nodded, but said nothing. Then, he stepped up into the portal, and was gone.

Chaxin was left with Minara. He walked over and stopped in front of the portal. It seemed… peaceful? Serene?

"Some of us have been waiting a long time for this," Minara said. "But for you, time has barely moved."

Chaxin looked over to her. "That's right."

"You're probably the weakest among us," she said. "Do your best to stay alive. We're going to need everyone when this is over."

Chaxin nodded. "I will."

"Good," Minara whispered. "Now get going. I'll be right behind you."

Chaxin swallowed and let out a breath. He looked back to the portal and stepped forward. He slowed as he neared the portal, but then, with just a few small steps, he disappeared into it.

Chapter 31: Grittin

Chaxin's eyes opened as he came out the other side of the portal. In the tavern, there had been almost no sound, as he and Minara had been the last two in the room.

A cacophony of noises assailed his ears. Rain pattered off the rooftops and ground around him. Heavy droplets dotted his head and clothes. A breeze rushed through the street he was in. A strange stench filled his nostrils. He'd been in Grittin before. It hadn't smelled like this.

There was an unusual heavy odor, something between decay and smoke. He couldn't place it, but he realized he'd smelled the strange decaying musk before, when he was on the shore outside the abandoned town.

Only a couple seconds passed as his senses registered the strange odors, and his eyes darted around.

He was in the middle of an open cobblestone street. The ground was muddy. Wood and stone hovels—packed one upon the other—rose all around him, easily five stories high. It reminded him of the architecture and style of Trillin, where homes had to be packed in and built high to accommodate the populace. The upper tiers looked newer than the bottom three stories.

It was then that something occurred to him. He was alone in the street.

Shouts suddenly echoed against the buildings nearby. He realized that what he'd been hearing in the distance was being partially drowned out with the ping of raindrops.

He couldn't make out words or particular voices, only constant yells and shouting in the distance coming from multiple sources.

He turned around, expecting to see the rest of the fighters from Kamber. Weren't they supposed to appear in the fortress? This didn't look like the fortress by any means.

As he turned, he looked into the sky. Deep black clouds had rolled in. Streaks of light flashed high in the sky, accompanied by sudden booms that reverberated in his chest and pounded in his ears.

Behind him was an empty street that curved about a hundred feet away, preventing him from seeing any further.

His gaze lifted above the rooftops, and for a moment, he didn't understand what he was seeing. A tall, glistening, black pillar rose into the sky from several streets away. It was as thick as a dozen homes smashed together. It looked oily and alive.

As Chaxin's gaze followed the ominous column into the sky, a sudden flash of light lit up the terribly stormy sky and gave way to the fact that this wasn't the only such pillar. In that instant of illumination, he'd noticed three other obelisks stretching up into the atmosphere, disappearing into the storm clouds.

He whipped his head around to see if there were others, but the lightning wasn't frequent enough to show him.

"What's going on?" he muttered under his breath, hands shaking. He gripped the pommel of his saber and backstepped in the street, keeping his eyes on the sky and that oily pillar.

But even as he watched it, an ache filled his head. A dull throb pulsed in his mind, and for an instant, he couldn't help but remember the pain he'd felt in his head when Verun had spoken those strange words in Purgatory.

His eyes widened. Pieces of his thoughts were starting to connect. Verun's speech magic which connected him with a nameless entity. The reeking odor surrounding the shore, just before one of the nameless passed over the region. Was this… were these otherworldly pillars… a nameless?

Even as such thoughts entered his mind, a nearby scream cut through the air and caused him to turn the way he'd been looking when he arrived. There had been no portal to exit from. His body had simply appeared, as if it was launched through space to arrive at this destination.

The rain came down sporadically, not as evenly as it had when it had rained on the day of his death. Street lamps dotted his surroundings, allowing for some visibility on the ground. He took hesitant steps forward and drew his saber. He cautiously walked down the bending street that veered to the left.

Another scream and inaudible shouts of terror.

He stepped forward, then moved quicker, heading around the street, while glancing to the rooftops to try and determine anything in the distance. He needed to find the fortress. He remembered it being tall, above everything else. Hopefully the lightning would illuminate it if he kept an eye out.

Movement came from a hundred feet ahead. He drew his mage-caster and shifted closer to the nearby buildings on his left. There didn't seem to be any lights on within the buildings themselves, only those on the street.

A man and a woman appeared in view. Their were clothes soaked through, darker than they'd normally be. Their arms pumped as they rushed around the bend and down the street. Chaxin kept his weapons low, his wide eyes on them the entire time as they ran past, seemingly not even noticing him on the side of the street. Their faces were the epitome of terror and panic.

Chaxin wanted to call to them, but even as this notion entered his mind, they were already rushing further and further away. Perhaps it was best that he keep to himself. The dark pillars surely had the city in a panic. If he was fortunate, he might be able to get to the fortress without having to fight any of the guard. His expectations for what it would be like in the city were almost nonexistent. He hadn't been in Grittin for very long before, but the city had changed. Was the populace more carefully managed now? Were they allowed to roam the streets? The two that ran past didn't look to be from the tavern. They didn't look like soldiers either. They hadn't even been carrying any weapons.

As his gaze averted from the two individuals, movement from the way they'd been running caught his attention.

Another figure entered his vision. A man with short black hair and semi darkened skin. He ran and closed in about fifty feet from Chaxin.

Chaxin stopped moving, and the man kept running, seemingly not noticing him yet.

The man lost his footing and slipped. He fell face-first and smacked into the street.

Chaxin winced as he watched the man go down. His eyes narrowed. He wanted to help him up, but perhaps it was best to leave him alone?

The man's hands reached out and clawed at the dirty cobblestones. "Ahh… ghh!" the man groaned as he pulled himself along. "Hel… phh"

Chaxin's brow furrowed as he watched the man. It was then that he spotted something strange. An odd movement at the end of the man's pant leg. Where the man had fallen, his boots now lay behind him several feet away. Sprouting out from his pant legs were two glistening gray tendrils that writhed against the stones of the street.

Chaxin's grip on his saber tightened as he found himself staring at the man.

"Ha… lph," the man muttered, spitting up some sort of black ichor onto the ground.

In his peripheral vision, Chaxin saw more movement. He turned his head, and at first, he thought his eyes had to be playing tricks on him. He blinked rapidly to clear what surely had to be cloudy vision, even though the rain hadn't been thick enough to hinder his sight.

Several new figures lumbered into view from up the street. At first, he wasn't sure if he was seeing one entity, or several. He took a step back as the lamp light reflected off their glistening, slick appendages. There were scraps of cloth, remnants of tunics and pants. But there was no semblance of humanity among the twisted limbs that slithered forward and lashed about.

From the mass of tendrils, a writhing form broke away. Its toothy maw was distended and grotesque. It turned to Chaxin, facing him with no apparent eyes.

As the rest of the mass continued down the street towards the fallen man, this entity slithered closer towards Chaxin, moving almost silently until one of its tendrils smacked against the cobblestones.

With wide eyes, Chaxin whipped the mage-caster up. His thumb was about to press to the activation rune to draw the string back, but he realized he hadn't even grabbed a bolt yet. And if he shot this creature, would it even do much damage? He could partially make out that the maw had to be some sort of head, but if he went and used all his mana to fight this, and potentially the larger mass of tendrils approaching the man, would he have enough mana for getting into the fortress? He swallowed and lowered the mage-caster and brought the saber up. He watched how the tendrils lashed and squirmed. The creature inched closer and closer towards him. He began to make out a faint breathy hiss coming from the toothy maw.

He wasn't sure what these creatures were, but from the looks of it, they might've once been human. He couldn't stay here. He had to keep moving.

The creature moved towards him at little more than a walking pace. He took a quick glance at the man clawing his way down the street. In that instant, the man's mouth opened. He retched and gasped as a terrible cracking sound emanated from his body, only for one of those gray tentacles to expel from between his teeth and tear the sides of his mouth open.

The sheer sight of it made Chaxin seize up in place as bile rose in his throat.

One by one, more tendrils ripped out of the man's body. It wasn't long before Chaxin couldn't see any human skin at all, for all the sickly gray-green flesh of the tendrils.

Chaxin whipped his head back around and spotted the mass of tentacles closing in on him. Who knew how many more of these things were around the city? He had to test himself against them while he had the chance. The path toward the fortress could be littered with such monstrosities.

The creature before him wasn't moving too quickly. Its tendrils beat randomly but surely he could avoid them. The only true question now was how easy were they to kill?

His time was running out. His heart was pumping. Without further thought, he dashed forward. As he closed in on the monster, its tendrils reached and swung at him, but he didn't give them a chance to touch him as he cut them down with his saber.

The blade sliced through the nearest tendril and sheared it clean off. Thick black and gray ichor spilled out onto the street. The creature hissed and gurgled and its head craned and lunged out, its maw widening to terrible proportions.

Chaxin turned his wrist and reversed the direction of the blade. He swung and cut into the creature's neck, but not all the way. Its teeth gnashed inches from his face, and his blade was stuck.

Without second guessing his actions, he slid his fingers out and squeezed the trigger on the hilt.

Bang!

There was a sudden burst of light as the burning bullet tore into the creature's neck and sunk further into its body, causing a sharp sizzling sound to emanate from the beast's core as a wisp of smoke trailed out.

The monster seized up, and in that moment's respite, Chaxin ripped his saber free. Its gaping maw lashed out, but before those teeth could connect, his saber finished what it started and sliced clean through its neck.

The creature's mouth flopped and spasmed onto the street as the rest of its body recoiled, twitching and writhing, but seemingly not dying.

Chaxin backed away rapidly, his chest rising and falling as he took in his surroundings.

The larger mass of tendrils had reached the transformed man. Now, it was impossible to tell which of the limbs were once the man, and which had previously been the larger entity. It was as if it had incorporated him into itself.

And that monstrosity was now slithering towards him.

Even though he hadn't managed to kill his first quarry, he took several precious moments to re-arm his gun saber and slot a bolt securely into the mage-caster.

He couldn't continue to resort to mana-intensive ranged attacks.

His gaze flit between the large mass and his previous quarry. The smaller entity didn't continue its approach and was writhing and flailing its limbs around in place. It wasn't dead by any means, but at least it seemed somewhat immobile, or at least unwilling or unable to pursue him.

Thinking that fighting the larger entity was a futile endeavor, he decided to run.

He dashed around the smaller creature, which posed no problem. He turned his head and saw the larger monster still pursuing him, but it wasn't quick by any means.

He turned his attention ahead and kept running through the street. By now, his clothes were soaked through with rain. His pulse throbbed in his ears. Now that he wasn't directly confronted by the monsters, he could make out more shouts and screams from nearby streets. He spotted a broken down door and could hear screams coming from within, but he kept running. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't waste time here, not when others were counting on him.

Despite this, a pang of guilt remained with him. He was passing by people in need. What if he could save them? What if rushing to the aid of others from the strike group wasn't necessary? Minara had said it herself. He was the weakest among them. Was he even needed? What could he do that others wouldn't be better suited for?

He shook the notions from his mind as he ran down the street. Occasionally he passed by an unmanned cart. Sometimes there were crates or debris. The foul odor in the air was more prevalent in some places than others. It was nauseating, but so far he'd managed to keep his stomach down. Part of him wished he hadn't eaten as much as he had.

The sky lit up from time to time; when it did, he looked around to get his bearings. Finally, he spotted it. It had been difficult to see because one of the large pillars had smashed through part of the fortress and he'd missed it at first glance.

He reached a four-way intersection and headed to the left so that he could get closer to the fortress. It wasn't terribly far away, but he had some running to do.

His arms pumped. He gripped his weapons tight. It was strange. He wasn't seeing many people. So far, he hadn't even seen anyone from his strike force. Perhaps they'd somehow been spread out across the city. And if people in Grittin were turning into those strange monsters, then—

He stumbled to an abrupt halt as he came around a bend. Before him was a congregation of multiple tentacled horrors. Three large masses, with half a dozen smaller creatures moving around in between. One broke down a nearby door and disappeared into one of the nearby homes. The lamp light nearby caused the sickly skin of the creatures to glisten.

The terrible stench was even stronger now. He brought his arm up to cover his nose as best he could, at least to alleviate some of the foulness.

Two of the smaller monsters shifted and writhed, then began heading directly towards him.

He looked for possible avenues through the multitude of creatures, but there was no easy way through. They were effectively blocking the way unless he wanted to risk getting within reach of their lashing tendrils, some of which extended out five or six feet from the monsters.

He took in a haggard breath. Perhaps he could cut down several of the small ones and draw the attention of the bigger ones, to get them to move enough to clear a path. It wasn't the best plan, but he had no idea if turning back and trying to find a clearer path would be any safer. The townspeople were becoming these monsters. They were bound to be everywhere.

He didn't have time to waste. He rushed for the closest entity and cut into it with his saber. He focused on its front tendrils, shearing them off one by one. Its black ichor leaked in copious amounts onto the street. It chomped at him with its elongated maw, but he decided to weaken it by tearing it apart, without going for the thicker neck area.

After cutting away five of its larger tentacles, he backed away and looked for the other smaller creature.

His eyes went wide as a tendril lashed out at him. He brought his saber up just in time to cut through the swiping limb. He backed away, not having realized that it had closed the distance on him. He quickly cut into it, again and again. He backed up, making sure the other hadn't gotten too close.

He found that the creatures moved slower and didn't attack as much when their limbs were cut off. His first target was crawling to the side, but not attacking. Now that he was disengaged from the second, it was doing the same.

He looked between the two of them, then caught the movement of a third. Another smaller entity was approaching him, coming from the mass up ahead. Upon seeing this, he also noticed two others on the sides of the street, both moving for him as well.

His head whipped around. He was being surrounded.

How were they communicating? Their sounds were incoherent, little more than hisses and growls. They didn't have eyes to see. Could they smell him?

He was running out of space to maneuver. He went on the offensive and cut away at the two nearby monsters that he'd already attacked. They shifted and moved, constantly remaining between him and any escape route.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the other three closing in. He backed from the other two and rushed towards the three. He cut into them with his saber, managing to only fight one at a time, keeping his legs moving as others closed in. All he could do was cut away limb after writhing limb, hoping to slow them down so he could escape. He brought his mage-caster up and activated the rune to enflame the bolt. He shot one of them to his immediate right. The bolt sunk into the creature's neck. The flames licked its skin, and it flailed and screeched.

Seeing this as his only opportunity, he readied another bolt as the other four closed in around him. He ignited the metal projectile with a flick of his thumb and then fired at another horror on his right. The monsters didn't seem capable of dodging, and like its kin, it ignited and screamed as it burned.

Chaxin rushed to the right, having bought himself the precious narrow escape route he needed. He passed within a foot of the two burning monsters and made it safely past them. He looked up the street.

The three large horrors had shifted their positions. They, along with several newly arrived smaller entities, were perfectly blocking the entire street. He couldn't proceed.

He turned to run back the way he'd come, but before he could even take a step, his eyes widened.

One large horror, along with four, five… six smaller ones, were slithering their way toward him from the way he'd originally come.

Where had they come from? The nearby structures? Were they hiding? Just how many were nearby? He didn't have the mana reserves to keep shooting flaming bolts. He hadn't even managed to kill one with his saber alone.

In the realization that there was no possibility for escape, he froze. The horrors crept closer. Their tentacles licked the ground. The two continued to burn, while the nearest ones kept slithering.

His hands shook, but he gripped his weapons. He had to fight. These monsters had to have a weakness!

One of the horrors had just passed the two that were burning. Chaxin rushed for it and attacked fanatically. He cut with his saber, again and again. They couldn't move if he took each of its limbs from it! His eyes were wide, the flames glinted in them. Ichor from the dismembered monster was covering his pants and tunic, his arms and hands. No matter how many tendrils he removed, it continued to writhe and squirm. How… how could he kill it? He struck again and again, no longer cutting off limbs but now hacking into the area the tendrils all came from.

Something slick and meaty smashed against his chest from the side.

He was knocked back several feet and lost his grip on his weapons, which clattered along the cobblestones.

He landed harshly, hitting his head on the street. He winced from the sharp pain, his ears ringing. He pulled himself up. One of the less cut-up monsters had snuck up from the side and had managed to knock him back with one of its tendrils. It, along with its kin, were closing on him rapidly. There was no space to run and maneuver. He was losing ground by the second. He crawled over to his saber and snatched it up and quickly stood. The monsters were almost upon him. It was hard to make out their individual forms now, as a wall of tendrils surrounded him.

A glint of red shot through his vision.

Part of the tentacle wall spasmed and slumped to the ground, immobile.

Another streak of crimson.

Another creature twitched and slumped. Another streak, and then another.

The wall of horror was stopped, section by section.

Chaxin's eyes were wide, seeing the monstrosities go lifeless before him. He turned and looked to the left. There was nothing but monsters in the street.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky.

There on one of the nearby rooftops, stood a cloaked figure, with a glossy mask and a bow.

Her arms moved like water. There was no energy wasted in her motions. He could faintly make out how the blood coalesced into the form of an arrow at her fingertips, and was then drawn back on the bowstring to be shot at the streets below.

The nearest creatures all lay dead around him. Her angle shifted and she began firing further up the street.

Chaxin turned and watched as the large entities shifted and moved, no longer stationary barriers. Blood arrows sunk into their bodies, but they continued to move. Chaxin counted seven crimson streaks go into the large monster on the far right, before its mass of tendrils slumped around it.

Chaxin looked to the nearby rooftop, but Cynthia was gone. He blinked several times, then noticed a black-cloaked figure climbing down the front side of the nearby homes. She landed close in the street and rushed over to him.

"Cynthia, what's going—" he spoke, but before he could finish, her hand reached out to him, just as it had when she'd choked and silenced Verun back at the tavern. His eyes went wide, and for a moment, there was a terrible sensation of strain in his veins. His arms, his legs, his chest.

But then, it was gone.

"Sorry," Cynthia muttered from under her mask, but as she said this, he could feel something even stranger. It was like he was becoming… lighter. Then, he saw it. With her hand less than a foot away from his body, he watched as streaks of black rushed and coalesced into a balled mass at the palm of her hand. "Getting harder to focus on this shit."

"What the hell is that?" he asked, looking down at himself, realizing that the dampness in his clothes from the rain was gone.

"It's not rain, it's blood from the nameless," Cynthia said. She then pushed her hand to the side and sent the mass of black ichor to splat against the street away from them. "Stay under the roofs, don't let too much get on you. Else you'll end up as one of those monsters." She then drew her bow and started to shoot at the creatures that were further up the street.

Chaxin glanced up and realized he'd been knocked under part of the roof, and that he was currently safe from the 'rain.'

Chaxin returned his attention to Cynthia. "The nameless changed these people? Through rain?" he called back. "How do I kill them? What's going on, Cynthia?"

"No time to explain. Our comrades are scattered across the city and need my help as well. Just take this street ahead. If you run into any more, aim for their hearts!"

"Their hearts?" Chaxin said. "How do I know where their hearts are? They're all different!"

"Their head stalk comes directly from where their heart is. Stab at their core, where the head comes from," Cynthia replied quickly. "They're more intelligent than they look, and they'll try to surround you again if you give them the chance. Get to the fortress, group with anyone you find, find Karnith and Daxar, finish the mission. Now go!"

Chaxin was about to turn and run, but managed to notice his fallen mage-caster just in time. It was safely under the roof as well. He snatched it up, then looked over to where Cynthia had been. She was no longer standing nearby. He whipped his head around and spotted her climbing the same side of the nearby building. The rain was still coming down, but as he focused on her, he noticed that the falling blood was being redirected away from her, as if she was somehow shielding herself from it.

He shook his head. There was no time to linger. He turned and ran. He kept close to the right side of the street and leaped around the dead horror's tendrils. Even as he passed by it, he could see the closest monster in the corner of his eye, following him. He had to keep moving. He couldn't give them the opportunity to trap him again.

He rushed up the side of the street. Cynthia said he just had to keep going forward. Simple enough, right? He really wanted her help. He wished she could accompany him to the fortress, but she had a point. Their whole strike force was scattered, and surely he wasn't the only one that could use her help, especially if others weren't aware that the rain was able to turn them into monsters.

Every person she saved was another person that could rush to the fortress. If she’d gone directly to the fortress to complete the mission, he'd be dead. This way, she could potentially save dozens of them while still managing to complete the mission. But what were Karnith and Daxar doing? Was the arrival of the nameless enough of a distraction to hide their assault? Had anyone from their team made it to the fortress? Minara had received a safe signal from the first commander. Had he made it to where he needed to be? If so, why hadn't he signaled that there was a problem?

Chaxin didn't have any answers. All he could do was run and keep his eyes on the street, watching for any potential threats.

But as he ran, one possibility kept nagging at the back of his mind.

What if Minara knew that this would happen?

Chapter 32: Confrontation

Chaxin ran as fast as he could. For all he knew, the monsters were converging on him with each passing moment. He couldn't give them the time they needed to group and surround him again.

He’d only seen the occasional multi-tentacled horror on his way to the fortress. There didn't appear to be any large congregations of them. She'd told him how to kill them, but stabbing their center left him at a bit of a disadvantage. Stabbing that deep would leave him exposed to a flailing tendril. If he missed, it could mean some heavy damage. He was already fatigued from the attack he'd sustained earlier, not to mention he'd depleted some of his mana. At least he still had enough for some more shots. If he could've built his stats up higher, then maybe his mana reserves would've been greater. But he'd only been alive for a matter of days.

The black ichor continued to fall and pool in the streets. Tiny streams began to form, running along the edges of the cobblestone. He was heading uphill.

With another bolt of lightning and boom of thunder, he saw the tall walls of the fortress. They were significantly more fortified than what he remembered. But the enormous pillar that had crashed into the side of the fortress didn't seem as though the walls had given it pause.

The street began to even out as he ran. He slowed to a stop on the outskirts of the homes, and looked over to the wide open gate to the fortress. His eyes narrowed. Fiery sconces were lit on either side of the gate, and a series of lamp posts stretched out towards the gate itself. Some of the lamps had been knocked down, their fires burning on the ground.

There were dozens of bodies near the gate. Some were clad in black and red plate armor which he'd never seen before. There were other bodies, less armored, mostly in leathers and cloths. He couldn't make out any further details. Were they from the strike force? It had easily been half an hour that he’d been in Grittin. There had surely been enough time to allow many of the fighters to get to the fortress, depending on where they’d appeared in Grittin. But he only counted about five black and red armored bodies, while roughly a dozen others lay dead around them. Maybe there was a resistance brewing in Grittin? Perhaps others came to their aid when they began to fight Karnith's soldiers?

He wasn't going to gain any answers from where he was. He looked around and noticed that he'd passed by an open door. He grit his teeth, pondering if he should risk it. He took in a slow breath and steeled himself. He backtracked, remaining beneath the cover of the outstretched roofs. He slowly neared the open door. It looked just like any other hovel in the street, but it was the closest open one, which meant that either a monster had broken in, or perhaps someone had fled. Well, perhaps there were dozens of more explanations, but those were the only two that came to mind.

All he needed was something to cover himself with so he could safely cross to the fortress. He wasn't sure what sort of tolerance a human body had for nameless blood, but he wasn't going to risk it.

The light from the street lamps ebbed several feet in from the doorway, but not well enough to see far inside. He peeked around the corner, his eyes wide, trying to see in the dark as best he could. The nameless's blood rain pattered on the street and on the rooftops. It was difficult to tell if there were any sounds coming from within the home, such as a person breathing, or a tentacled horror sliding about. He wished he had a torch with him.

Just inside the door, off to the right, he saw it. A dresser with drawers. Surely there was some garment he could snag. He set the mage-caster on the hook on his belt and slowly crept into the home. He eased over to the drawer and pulled it out. His heart was pounding, his breaths quick. He couldn't see into the drawer and switched his saber to his left hand. He grabbed around within the drawer, but it was empty. Dammit. He shook his head. It didn't matter. It would have to do. He pulled on the drawer and drew it from the dresser. It was easily wide enough to cover his head and body. It wouldn't completely shield his clothes, but he wouldn't absorb too much blood. If his luck held out, he'd be able to meet up with Cynthia later, so she could extract any of the blood that got on him.

With the drawer in hand, he turned and left the hovel, not wanting to find out if any horrors lurked within.

He shifted his saber to his right hand and held the drawer over his head like some protective shield. He was certain that he looked ridiculous, but what did that matter in this situation? With haste, he raced down the side of the street and darted across the open space to the fortress gate.

As he neared it, he passed by several corpses. He didn't recognize any faces, but some of them could've been from the strike force.

It was only a matter of twenty seconds or so before he passed under the open gates of the fortress. Now protected by the mostly intact roof, he dropped the dresser drawer and slowly stepped into the courtyard area. It hadn't been covered before. When he was last here, it had been open to the sky. But now, there was a roof far above his head, and lanterns burned all around, illuminating the courtyard as well as the stairway that went up to the throne room. The very same room he'd been killed in.

Within the courtyard were more bodies. They wore gleaming dark plate armor with the crimson ring on the chestplate. These were Grittin soldiers, but there were also numerous non-Grittin bodies. From the outside street, he'd only seen the dozen or so corpses around the gate, but within the courtyard, the place they were originally supposed to arrive… it looked like a bloody massacre.

There was no nameless blood here, but there was plenty of blood of men and women. Humans, fighting for their freedom, for Minara, and for Karnith's war machine.

Several faces he recognized. A woman with blonde hair. He'd seen her line up against the wall when Boru formed his group. There was a short stocky man with black hair and a scar down his cheek. He'd noticed him in the group just ahead of his own. His brows lifted, his eyes wide. There, not ten feet away, was Hurim, the very man he'd eaten breakfast with not more than an hour ago. His sword was inches from his fingers, his mouth agape. A deep gouge continued to seep blood around him from his chest. His right arm was nowhere to be seen.

Chaxin surveyed the area. There were bodies everywhere.

Crunch—schlick.

The sharp sound drew Chaxin's attention ahead. He peered around the lamp posts and stepped cautiously to the side. The courtyard was well-lit, but there was debris from the roof, along with several broken wagons. The sound he'd heard had come from the other side of one of the wagons, closer to the steps that led to the throne room doors.

Crunch—schlick.

Chaxin drew his mage-caster and pulled his saber from the scabbard. He side-stepped quietly, keeping his eyes on the wagon. The sounds didn't seem like those of the tentacled monstrosities. As he got closer, he caught movement just behind the wagon.

A figure stood tall, encased in the same black metal suits he'd seen on several of the corpses. Some of the dead soldiers had been missing their helms, giving detail to the man or woman beneath. But the figure behind the wagon wore a black metal helmet that curved upwards on the sides, making it seem like the helmet had horns. The nearby fire light of the lanterns flickered and glimmered off the sides of the dark glossy armor. On the right pauldron, Chaxin could see the red circle. The symbol of Grittin.

But more notable than that was the weapon the soldier wielded.

A long spear with a mechanism, a cylinder, and a lever.

A weapon he hadn't seen since his death.

"Kaiz?" Chaxin spoke, barely more audible than a whisper, but the sound of the rain was far away and there were no other noises around him.

The figure pulled the spear sharply into the air, then stopped for several moments before turning around slowly and facing Chaxin.

He'd heard him? Chaxin wondered. He swallowed and took a step forward. "Kaiz?" he called out, but even as he did so, he got a better angle on the figure lying on the ground near the soldier.

Chaxin froze. There was another armored figure at the man's feet. The man's helmet was off, showing his trimmed hair beneath, and a bit of a beard. His eyes were open, but he wasn't moving. In the center of his chest were several punctures, about the size of the spear-tip.

"Are you Kaiz?" Chaxin asked, looking back to the man. "It's me, Chaxin. Did you make it out of Purgatory too?"

The armored figure lowered the spear, but only to grasp it with both hands. "Who's Kaiz?" came his muffled voice from beneath the helmet. "The name's Takkis."

Chaxin swallowed, still tense. He gripped his weapons, but didn't raise them.

"Are you one of Grittin's soldiers?" Chaxin asked, then looked back to the dead soldier on the ground. It was then that he saw one of the bindlets on the fallen soldier's arm.

"Not anymore," Takkis answered in a deep voice. "You part of this raiding party?"

Chaxin wasn't sure how to answer. Should he give that information away so freely?

Takkis took a step forward, and then another. The armor he wore made a metallic rustling and clanking sound with each step. "Doesn't matter, really," he said. "Was just curious. That's a pretty decent looking crossbow you got there."

Despite the mention of his weapons, Chaxin didn't remove his eyes from the armored soldier. His thumb hovered just above the drawback activator on the mage-caster.

Takkis came to a slow stop. He lifted the spear and casually aimed it right at Chaxin, while his hand went to the trigger mechanism.

Chaxin's eyes went wide as the soldier took such a position. But he didn't act, not right away.

The soldier's metal gauntlet clanged against the trigger mechanism.

In those few precious seconds, Chaxin imagined that the soldier was guessing that he didn't know what the spear was capable of. His eyes watched as those metal-covered fingers squeezed the trigger lever.

Chaxin pulled to the side and broke into a dash.

Bang!

The gun-spear's chamber ignited and shot a hot orange projectile in Chaxin's direction. Or at least, where he'd been.

Takkis turned the spear only after he'd fired. He reached down and fumbled with a pouch on his hip.

Chaxin spotted the pouch. The soldier must've had the weapon for a while to also have an ammo pouch.

He stopped and drew the mage-caster up. With a thumb-press, he drew the string back, and with another, he set the bolt to corrosive. He took careful aim as Takkis grabbed a bullet from the pouch, surely imagining that his armor would protect him from ranged attacks.

Chaxin pulled the trigger and shot the corrosive bolt.

It smacked into the chestplate of Takkis's armor. The impact made him flinch and drop the bullet he'd picked from the pouch on his belt.

His helmet turned back to Chaxin.

Bang!

An orange-hot bullet streaked through the air.

The corrosive bolt struck the left side of Takkis's armor. The heated bullet from Chaxin's gun-saber tore through that very same section and struck Takkis in the chest.

Chaxin had been hoping for a heart-shot, but he couldn't take the chance that he might've missed. After pulling the trigger on his gun-saber, he rushed the armored soldier, who'd flinched from the impact of the bullet, but still held the spear.

Foot by foot, Chaxin closed in on him.

As Chaxin neared the soldier, Takkis shouted and swung the spear in a sharp arc and jabbed at Chaxin.

The movement was too slow. Chaxin ducked to the side and in a follow up motion, stabbed with his saber, right into the compromised section of Takkis's armor.

His blade drove in, cutting through flesh with a sudden schlick sound. As Chaxin sunk the sword in, there was a momentary resistance, before his saber dug deeper into Takkis's chest.

The soldier stumbled and lost his footing, tumbling back and smacking hard with a loud clatter of metal, landing right on top of the soldier he'd been stabbing earlier.

With his saber lodged deep in the man's chest, Chaxin couldn't retain hold of it. It slipped from his fingers and traveled back as the man fell.

With wide eyes, Chaxin brought the mage-caster up and aimed for the area his saber was sticking out of. He thumbed the drawback rune and then waited.

Takkis lay there, unmoving.

A second went by. Then another. Ten seconds.

As armored as he was, Chaxin couldn't tell if he was breathing or moving at all beneath his armor. He kept his mage-caster trained on him and slowly crept closer. He swallowed, his chest rising and falling as his tension remained high. He walked slowly, making sure to stay out of the man's reach, until he'd fully circled around to his helmet. He lowered to a crouch, his weapon still trained on Takkis's chest. He reached out slowly, inch by inch. He grabbed the helmet by one of the curved horn sides and pulled it back.

What he saw was a young man, with features similar to his own. He might've been five years older than himself.

He had shoulder-length black hair and wide open green eyes, just like Chaxin did.

Chaxin dropped the helmet and slowly rose. He couldn't pull his gaze from the man's face.

Takkis. Who was he? Had he killed his commander? The man with the bindlet? Was he trying to free himself from his oppressors? If so, then why attack him? He would've happily left the man alone, to run off and live his life.

But why? Why fight? Why die?

Chaxin was filled with futile questions for the man he'd just killed.

He shook his head and took in a deep breath, coming to his senses. He stepped in and grabbed his saber. He pulled it from the man's ribcage and slotted it into his scabbard.

His attention shifted to the spear, now lying on the ground.

Was it Kaiz's spear? Had Takkis taken it from Grittin's armory? Surely they would've looted Kaiz's body after his death. Had they felt the weapon was worth keeping around?

Chaxin walked to the fallen spear and picked it up. He immediately stepped back from the fallen soldier and inspected the spear. He pulled a bullet from his own pouch and slotted it into the chamber. He had no idea if this was truly Kaiz's spear, but he doubted there were many such weapons around, since gun-weapon variants were native to Jari and nowhere else in Wake.

He set his mage-caster on his belt and held the spear with both hands. If he ran into any tentacled horrors, this was going to do a lot better than his saber, if he was going to try and stab their hearts.

He took one last look at Takkis, then turned away. With purpose, he headed for the steps that led up to the open door of the throne room.

Chapter 33: Step Forward

The doors to the throne room were open, but not broken. There was debris all around. Splinters of wood fell from the roof and stones from the nearby walls.

Chaxin had expected most of the dead bodies to have been in the courtyard, as that had been their intended arrival point. He hadn't inspected each corpse, but so far, he hadn't spotted Boru, the man who’d led the charge. Was he somewhere around? Had he managed to break past the guards?

After reaching the top of the steps, he passed through the throne room doors. Fires were lit on the sides of the tall stone pillars that lined the room up towards the throne. There were no guards at the base of the pillars. For that, he was thankful.

However, there were numerous bodies, both guard and otherwise, strewn about the room. Streaks of blood painted the stone columns, the walls, the floor.

What was he doing? There were so many dead. His eyes scanned the faces he could see. Most of the guards were still wearing their helmets.

But there was one closer towards the throne that wasn't.

He walked down a muddied gray carpet, heading toward the throne and the helmetless soldier. So far, except for Takkis, none of the bodies had so much as twitched. Was anyone still alive?

As he got ever closer, all he could think about was that this place had been where he'd died. Had his blood stained the floor? Where was his body buried? Or had it been burned? Or had something worse happened to his corpse? He shook those thoughts away as he neared the fallen soldier in gleaming black armor. The metal didn't look worn or weathered, but there were several precise punctures on the left side of the front plate, right where her heart would be. It appeared that he wasn't the only person who'd targeted the heart. But he'd been able to utilize the corrosive effect of his mage-caster, which he'd been told was exceptionally powerful in weakening armor, to allow other weapons to strike through the vulnerable section.

Someone else must've had a weapon that was similar, but then again, Takkis had been using Kaiz's spear to puncture the dead soldier outside. Were the suits of armor these guards were wearing not that strong?

Even as he had this thought, his face went to the dead soldier's face. It was a woman. She had a scar running down from near her ear, all the way to her chin. Her skin was darker than what he remembered it being when he'd seen her back in Kamber some ten years ago. At least for her.

He stepped in closer and looked down at the former council member of Kamber. Jeneth? Janeth? He couldn't remember. Apparently, she'd been caught up in Grittin's war. But as a refugee from Kamber, how many of those people really had a choice?

Chaxin's thoughts returned to Tiris, Vol, Bavol. What had happened to them? Were they among the dead bodies around him?

Chaxin glanced around, slowly walking further along the dirty carpet. He looked to the throne. It had been inlaid with new gold and silver. It didn't look all that comfortable, actually. But it had become grander, that was certain.

As Chaxin inspected the throne, he noticed a key difference in the room that he hadn't seen when he was there previously. Behind the throne, about fifty feet back and against the far wall, was an open doorway. It was wide, with two large wooden doors. He could see into the open room beyond. There were heavy beams and more debris littering the floor within. He also spotted several more bodies.

On both sides of the throne room were several doors. Some of them were open, leading to halls and other secondary rooms.

Where should he go? There was no one to ask, no one to give him direction. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He moved, heading beyond the throne and towards the wide doors at the back.

It didn't take him long to reach the doorway. There was easily enough space for ten people to stand side by side in the entrance itself. He slowly passed through. The doors looked to be in fine condition, but the long and open room beyond was almost in complete disarray.

Wood groaned from up above, as if it was under some great weight. Chaxin glanced up, noticing parts of the rafters had fallen. Then, he remembered what he'd seen from the outside. The nameless pillar that had struck through the fortress came down close to where he was now. It had to be just a room or two over, but he wasn't entirely sure.

He walked into the long room, noticing a stone structure that looked familiar at the far end. It was bigger, and made of gray stone that had runic lines running through it. At this distance, he couldn't tell if there was actual writing or not. But its shape was unmistakable.

It was a gate.

The same sort of device that Chaxin had stepped through to get to Grittin.

With one foot in front of the other, Chaxin kept walking towards it. It was roughly fifty to a hundred feet away from the door's entrance, and he was almost halfway towards it. He passed by sizeable wooden beams and broken sections of the roof and rafters. Stones from the right wall had crumbled inward. He passed by two Grittin soldiers. Then, he spotted him.

Chaxin came to a sudden stop, seeing Boru sitting against the left wall with his head bent at a horrid angle. A few feet away was another Grittin soldier in full armor.

He turned and took several steps towards Boru.

"Chaxin? Is that you?" came a familiar woman's voice.

Chaxin froze mid-step. He looked around. "Minara?" he asked, scanning the nearby bodies.

"Over here, quickly… there isn't much time," came Minara’s voice.

Chaxin looked in the direction that the voice had come from. At first, he didn't realize where it had originated, but then he noticed a large fallen beam and a figure beneath it.

He rushed over, his mage-caster smacking against his leg, as his scabbard jostled.

Minara was covered in debris. Her hair was ashy from all the dust. Chaxin couldn't even see her lower body due to the square beam upon it. Only her torso was visible, with her bloody hands on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Chaxin asked, as he arrived before her.

She tilted her head, looking up at him. Blood seeped down the corners of her lips. "Afraid not. Not this time," she spoke, her voice becoming hoarser.

"Can we get you out?" Chaxin asked, looking at the beam. He dropped his spear to the ground and stepped over and placed his hands on it. With a sturdy shove, he only managed to slide his own boots back. The beam didn't shift in the slightest.

"It'd take too many people to free me," said Minara. "I fucked up."

Chaxin turned and dropped to a knee beside Minara, so she wouldn't have to crane her head to look to him. "Tell me what I can do," he said. "Is there, I don't know, a potion? A scroll? Some sort of spell? I don't know. I need guidance."

Minara shook her head. Her left hand slid over to her right, and that was when Chaxin saw something that made him tense.

"Is that?" he whispered, staring at the metallic glove on Minara's right hand. The fingerless black threaded glove was the same as the one he'd seen on the spectre. Those images were ingrained in his head, especially since they'd only happened less than a week ago. At least for him.

"It's a gate glove," said Minara as she slowly slid it off her hand, stopping a moment as she coughed against her exposed arm, leaving traces of blood on her skin. "Take it."

Chaxin reached out and picked it up.

"Chaxin, there's… too much to explain. And I'm bleeding out. Unless someone gets here—" Minara cut herself off, coughing again. "No, there's no one that can save me. I need to accept that."

Chaxin stared at Minara with a furrowed brow. "I saw Cynthia, she might head here once she rounds up more of the strike force. She can—"

"She's not that strong," said Minara, interrupting him. "Her mastery of healing and blood manipulation. None of that can save me. The nameless above is corrupting Grittin, minute by minute."

"What of Karnith and Daxar?" asked Chaxin. "What about the mission?"

Minara shook her head. "I miscalculated," she spoke, her voice softer. "He took his army through the gate. I don't know where they went, but he must've constructed a city for him and his army somewhere else. I only managed to obtain that glove because he left it with the commander of the remaining troops. I have worked so hard, for so long, to obtain it. It's been all I've thought about, and now… Karnith couldn't care less about such a device. I have no idea what all he's managed to collect, but he's an even greater threat now than I’d imagined. The evacuation… the nameless. Everything has fallen apart. I'm sorry, Chaxin. You have to go."

"Go?" Chaxin asked, still trying to grasp everything Minara was saying. "Go where?"

"Through the gate," Minara answered, as she slowly reached down to her chest. She winced and pulled a scroll from a pocket on her tunic. "Take this," she said. "Activate it now, before you go through the gate."

Chaxin's mouth hung open. He was still holding the glove she'd given him. He reached out and took the scroll as well. "I… I don't know what to—"

"It's a death scroll," she said. "Unroll it, place your finger to the X. Take the glove, put it on. Go to the gate, place your hand against it."

Chaxin's body was shaking. This wasn't how this was supposed to work. What was she having him do? He understood her instructions, but to what end? He slipped the glove on, and it fit snugly on his hand. It had a strange texture. It appeared to somehow be both metal and thread. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. There was a small flat blackish jewel at the palm, perfectly inlaid into the center of the glove. Then, he unrolled the scroll. It was littered with rune magic.

"Activate it, quickly," Minara instructed.

Chaxin swallowed and pressed his thumb to the X at the bottom of the page. The silvery lettering on the parchment flashed a golden color, before all the letters faded entirely.

"What happened?" Chaxin gasped. "It all went away!"

"The knowledge is bound to you now," said Minara. "You'll have to consult a grimoire, but when you do, it’ll show you every bit of time magic I've ever learned, among other things. You have to go through the gate and bring help. It may take you a day, or a week to return. But Chaxin, whatever you do, you must return. You must take the knowledge I've given you, and that glove, and return. You'll understand why, soon."

Chaxin's eyes were wide. "But… why give this to me? Isn't there someone—"

"Shut up!" Minara hissed, wincing from the exertion. "Just shut up. Now, go to the gate, and do as I said."

Chaxin shook his head. He wanted to help Minara. But she seemed resigned to her fate.

He grabbed the fallen spear and slowly stood.

"Go to the gate," she said again.

Chaxin turned and rushed to the gate, about thirty feet away. It was so much larger than the one in the tavern beneath Kamber. If five people stood shoulder to shoulder, they could have easily stood within it.

He turned his head back to Minara, then looked to the stone device before him. He reached out with the gloved hand and placed his palm to its surface.

The moment the flat stone of the glove touched the gate, everything went black.

He gasped and realized that he hadn't blacked out. He was simply… blind.

"What do you see?" came Minara's strained voice.

"Nothing, just darkness," said Chaxin. He pulled his hand away, and his vision rushed back. He blinked rapidly and looked back to Minara. "There was nothing, only darkness."

"Touch it again," said Minara. "Think of the Graymos. Think of other gates. Then, think about a gate further away than all the others."

Chaxin took a breath and placed his hand back to the stone. His vision went black, but just as Minara had said, he thought of the Graymos. When he did, small white dots filled his vision. Various symbols appeared over each dot.

"I'm seeing… dots, with symbols above them," he said. He turned his head and realized he could look around at them. He wanted to see more of them, and at such a thought, the dots became smaller, but more numerous.

"Think about the farthest gate," Minara spoke before coughing for several seconds. Then, she continued to speak. "It'll be farther than all the others. Alone."

Chaxin visualized a solitary gate, far away. Slowly, the dots became increasingly small. There were more dots than he could ever count, and the dots were still appearing. But those dots kept getting further from his vision, until he saw a single white dot with a symbol above it. The symbol looked like the letter U with a larger upside-down U right above it, closing it in.

"I think I see it," said Chaxin.

"Connect with it," Minara coughed.

In that instant, upon wanting to bridge the gap between that dot and where he was now, a sudden bright white light appeared like a screen in the gate before him. His vision shifted. He could still see the white dot with the two U letters, but he could also see a white screen in the shape of a square.

"Before you go through," said Minara. "Think about releasing all restraints on the gate. Think about lifting all restrictions and settings. Think of refreshing it."

Chaxin took in a slow breath. As he considered the things Minara had told him, and sought to apply them to the gate, a myriad of different words appeared before him. At first, they were in strange symbols, but then, they became readable. They flowed so quickly, he couldn't truly read what they were saying. White words were streaming by, row after row.

The word 'protocol' appeared on numerous occasions, as did 'unlocked' and 'unrestricted.'

Then, the words all disappeared, but the white screen remained. He pulled his hand back. "I think I did it," he said.

His vision returned, and he was able to see the gate without the dark haze of whatever was happening to his vision. He stared at the white screen. It looked just like it had when Minara had activated the gate back in Kamber. His gaze ran to the top of the gate. Inlaid in the top, much like scrawl, was a symbol. From top to bottom, the symbol looked like an upside down V above a flat line, which was above a regular V. Was that the signifier for this gate?

He turned his head. "What should I say when I get there?" he asked, looking at Minara.

Minara's head lay upon the stone floor. Her eyes were open, her hands unmoving.

"Minara?" Chaxin called.

There was no response.

"Minara!" Chaxin shouted as his chest tightened. He turned to face her, but stopped before he could take a step away from the gate. He grit his teeth and looked to the gate. Reinforcements. Help. He couldn't do anything for Minara, but maybe… maybe he could help others if he brought reinforcements from wherever he was linked to.

He walked to the white screen, standing mere inches from it.

He didn't know where Verun was. He wasn't sure if he was alive.

Cynthia was probably still alive. He hoped. But had she managed to save anyone else? Was there anyone else to save, in Grittin?

The faces of the bodies of the strike force flashed before him. Boru. Hurim. There were so many.

But there was also Nessa, and Senna, and others still in Kamber. There were certainly others that were hiding in Grittin, and places in Wake. He had to keep moving. He had to. For those that were still fighting for survival. He took in a deep breath, and stepped through the white screen.

Chapter 34: Remember

In an instant, Chaxin appeared in a room. He blinked the haze from his eyes as they adjusted to the difference in light. Where he'd just been had been lit by burning torches and sconces. But now he was surrounded by intense white light, emanating from panels on the ceiling. He squinted, slowly looking around.

The air was what he could only describe as 'cleaner' than what it had been in Grittin. He breathed in slowly, thankful that there was actually air to breathe. If this was indeed another sphere, then it was likely that there might not always be breathable atmosphere.

He stepped forward onto metal flooring. It was chrome and sleek. His boots made hollow footfalls as they landed upon it. He turned his head and saw the gate behind him. The white screen was there for several seconds longer, then dissipated, showing the metal wall behind it.

He turned back around, and on the far end of the room, he saw two doors. One to the left of the wall, and another to the right. His gaze rose, and he noticed that the upper half of the wall was a dark glass. Not quite black, but dark in a way that he couldn't see through it.

Upon looking at it, he couldn't help but get the sense that he'd seen it before. This room. This air. It felt familiar, as if he'd been in this place. But he couldn't bring any of those memories to the fore of his thoughts.

He checked himself over with a glance, making sure that he still had his mage-caster and saber. He held his spear low and slowly stepped across the room, which was easily a hundred feet across and at least half as wide.

He made it halfway across the room when both doors flung open.

One after another, four soldiers rushed into the room. At least, they appeared to be soldiers. They wore black and gray boots, pants, and vests, and helmets that covered their heads, but not their faces. They looked human.

They raised weapons he wasn't familiar with, black devices with barrels like those of the Jari ranged weapons. Were they a form of ranged weapon?

The four soldiers raised those devices at him and stopped.

"Halt!" one of them barked out.

Chaxin hadn't even moved an inch since the doors burst open. He continued to grip the spear, but he didn't raise it. Minara had said that these people were friends and potential reinforcements. He didn't want to alarm them. He swallowed and took in a slow breath, then released it. "My name is Chaxin, I've come seeking aid. We need your help. Who's in charge?"

None of them moved for several long seconds.

Chaxin's brow furrowed. "I'm not a threat," he said. "Minara sent me."

Another second passed and then another.

The soldier on the far left lowered his weapon, then grabbed something on his hip.

Chaxin could only watch as a smaller device was raised and aimed at him.

"What are you doing?" Chaxin gasped as he tensed. He raised the gun spear in a futile attempt to shield himself from any oncoming attack.

As Chaxin watched the soldier with the smaller device, his vision suddenly blurred, as if the space between him and the soldier became distorted somehow. His head swam, and his fingers lost their grip on his weapon. He felt himself falling forward, then, darkness.

Before he could even open his eyes, Chaxin realized he was sitting on a hard chair.

When his eyes opened, the intense lights felt even brighter than what he'd dealt with in the large room with the gate. The fog in his vision cleared and he saw that he was seated at a table, with three individuals across from him.

"There you are, ‘bout time," said the man seated on the right. He had dark skin and short black hair which was starting to gray at the roots. He was wearing various emblems and ornaments on his shoulders, as well as his chest. "How're you feeling?"

"Um," Chaxin murmured, swallowed dryly. "Dizzy."

"Sorry for all of that," said the decorated man. "Your presence here is quite a surprise. Do you realize that?"

Chaxin slowly shook his head. "I, uh, I guess not? I came here to find help." His head was clearing more by the moment. The headache assailing him was gradually alleviating, but not as quickly as he would've liked. It was then that he realized he was missing his gear. His weapons, the ammo pouch and quiver, and the glove he'd gotten from Minara.

"You came through the gate," said the man seated in the middle.

Chaxin's gaze shifted to the fair-skinned man with wrinkled cheeks and short gray hair. He didn't have any of the ornaments that the other man wore, but his clothes were just as sleek, even if they were different. Their clothing wasn't as rugged and loose as what Chaxin was wearing.

"Yes I did," Chaxin responded. "Minara sent me."

"Yes, you said that when you arrived," said the man in the middle. "And you claimed to be Chaxin Daijon? What proof do you have that you are who you say you are?"

"Daijon?" Chaxin asked, his brow furrowed. He shifted in his chair, sitting up straight. "What's that?"

The three individuals exchanged looks.

It was then that Chaxin took notice of the third figure, a woman with deep black hair drawn back into a bun. Her clothes were neat, but whereas the two men wore blacks, grays, and blues, she was dressed in a white coat overtop some sort of green shirt. She was younger than the two men, but Chaxin could just make out the faint wrinkles forming in the corners of her eyes as she looked at him.

"Daijon," said the man in the middle. "It's a surname. A last name. Your last name, apparently. If you are indeed Chaxin. There has only ever been one man by the name of Chaxin to go through the gate, at least. And you look like a younger version of him. Which makes some sense, I suppose."

"None of this makes any sense!" Chaxin spoke up, only becoming more confused by the moment. "I have no idea who any of you are, or what you're even saying. I came here looking for help. A nameless has assailed Grittin, Minara is dead, and people are dying. Karnith abandoned the city and went elsewhere. But there are still people who need saving in the city and I need your help. Do you have soldiers you can send to aid us?"

The two men gave each other a sideways glance. Then, the man in the middle spoke up. "My name is Director Garns. This here is General Damond," he said, gesturing to the dark-skinned man beside him. "And this is Professor Talia."

"Just Sarah, if you don't mind," said the woman.

Garns gave Sarah a glance, then looked back to Chaxin. "How about you tell us what you know? Start from the beginning."

Chaxin's brow seemed almost permanently furrowed at this point. "This is ridiculous," he said. "Minara said nothing about all this. But fine, I understand that you don't know me, and that I probably need to earn your trust. But can we please make this quick?"

"Of course," said Director Garns. "Please, enlighten us on the situation."

"Well," said Chaxin, “I've only been alive for about seven days, as best as I can figure."

He told them about how he woke up on the shore. About Kamber, about the merfolk and the cyclops. He told them of the people he met, and then of his run-in with a spectre.

"A spectre?" General Damond spoke up. "Can you describe this entity you saw?"

Chaxin went into detail—as best he could, describing the creature.

"Sounds like a Dijori," General Damond spoke, looking to Garns.

"It sounds exactly like a Dijori," Sarah spoke up.

"You know of the spectres then?" Chaxin asked.

"Do you know anything more about the Dijori?" asked Sarah.

Chaxin shook his head. "I don't. That was the only time I encountered one."

"Please continue with your story," said Director Garns.

There wasn't a whole lot to tell until he got to the part of his death. He told them further of Daxar and Karnith, and how he and Kaiz were killed and sent to Purgatory.

"You were killed?" asked General Damond.

Chaxin nodded. "I was. I ended up in Purgatory after."

"How is that possible?" asked Sarah. "You're saying your life ended and you appeared somewhere else?"

Chaxin was perplexed as he looked between the three people before him. "I'm sorry, I'm even more confused that you don't know about Purgatory. I thought everyone did."

Chaxin told them what he knew of Purgatory and described his time there. He left out the minor detail of allowing himself to die at the hands of the arena combatant, and simply told them that he'd been killed in the fight, only to awaken again in another part of Purgatory. At this point, the three individuals across from him all had raised brows.

He went on to tell them of Verun and their escape from Purgatory.

"Wait, speech magic?" asked General Damon. "How does that work? We have no information of that."

Chaxin shrugged. "I'm not too familiar with it myself, other than it's apparently very dangerous. Verun would know more, but he's back in Grittin, which… I would like to return to, hopefully with my gear and your help."

"Yes, yes, we can get to that shortly, please tell us what else you know," said the director.

Chaxin paused for a moment, trying to recall the events afterward. He described Trillin. And with knowledge now of what he and Verun might've seen, he told them of the potential mimic threat. He told them of Keldara, and of Nessa and her ship, and their arrival back to the Kajura continent, where they fought Vracnid and met with Cynthia.

"Peculiar," Sarah murmured, when Chaxin described what Cynthia was capable of. "This Keldara… I don't even know how that's possible either. We only have limited knowledge of the possibilities of humans being able to use scrawl. But speech magic, and these other individuals, I don't even know where to begin to—"

"We can muse upon the ramifications of such things later," said Garns. "What else do you know?

Chaxin looked to Sarah. The woman's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Garns, but Garns's attention was still on him.

"Not much left," said Chaxin, as he then told them of Minara in Kamber and what she had prepared for. Then, all that was left was to describe the events that transpired after he arrived in Grittin. The presence of the nameless as well as the transformed humans, and then finding Minara, who had obtained the Dijori glove.

"A nameless," Sarah murmured. "We'd only heard partial references to such creatures."

"But from the sounds of it, there could be more than a single such entity," said the General.

"So this glove that you were given," said Director Garns. "That's how you were able to activate the gate to get here?"

Chaxin nodded. "That's right."

"How many other gloves exist?" asked General Damond. "You said it was obtained from the Dijori?"

"I don't know. I only saw one of those gloves on the spec—I mean, on the Dijori that escaped. I imagine in the second sarcophagi there was another Dijori, which also had a glove. Which is the one Karnith and then I ended up with. But for all I know, Karnith has others, or even the knowhow to operate gates without it."

"Is there anything else you've left out?" asked Garns as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms against his chest.

"That's everything I know," said Chaxin. "Now please, can you help us? Where's my gear?"

The director turned to the general. He gestured with his head in the direction of the door.

The two men shifted and slid their chairs back. They got up, and without another word, the two of them left.

"What's going on?" Chaxin asked Sarah, desperate for answers.

Sarah sat there, her hands clasped together on the table. "I'm sorry, Chaxin," she said. "But they have no intention of helping you."

"What do you mean? I was told to come here for help! You're just going to abandon us? People are being transformed into monsters!"

Sarah held her hand up, as if to calm Chaxin, but he didn't feel calm in the least.

"Please," she said softly. "You have no idea what the situation is. There's a lot to explain." Sarah glanced to her right without turning her head. "Do you know where you are?"

Chaxin shook his head. "No."

Sarah let out a slow breath. She glanced to the door, then looked back to him. "You're on Earth."

"Is that the name of this sphere?" asked Chaxin.

"It's not a… well, I suppose you could say that," said Sarah. "When you came through the gate, you crossed dimensions, not just worlds."

"Dimensions?" asked Chaxin. "Am I still in the Graymos?"

Sarah shook her head. "What we call the Graymos is another dimension. I'm sure it's hard to understand, and I don't have time to explain the entirety of it, but things function differently in the Graymos. For one, there's a sort of… gamification effect. You can grow stronger by doing things. You can collect the essence of other beings and use that as magical potential. There are a number of other differences, but where you're at right now, none of that happens. When we die here, our lives just end. There’s no leveling, or experience."

"There's no monsters?" asked Chaxin.

"Actually, there's still monsters," said Sarah. "That's how this whole thing started. Some five hundred years ago." Sarah reached down and pulled a small, flat device from her pocket. It had a black rim and was transparent in the center. She tapped at it and looked at it for a few moments, before looking back at Chaxin. "I'll try to bring you up to speed."

"Alright," said Chaxin, hungry for answers.

"Over five hundred years ago, Earth—our planet—was assailed by a species we knew nothing about. We called them demons. They were hellish creatures that killed and abducted humans all over the planet. They were powerful, ruthless, merciless. Much of the population was lost in the ensuing years. But luckily, we managed to hold out. There are several facilities all over the planet where we've bunkered down. We try to continue life as best we can, working little by little to take back portions of the planet. But the demons are still here, in force." She paused for a second, taking another glance to her right.

When she did, Chaxin slowly turned his head, noticing a black device with a piece of glass at the end. It wasn't very large, about the size of his hand. It was attached on the ceiling, directed down at them. He had no idea what its purpose might be. It didn't look to be a weapon. But then again, how would he know?

Sarah then continued, "About ten years after the demons came to Earth, another species approached us. The Dijori. The spectre you described was surely one of them. They offered us a means of continued survival. And in light of overpopulation in the facilities that humanity had retreated to, and dwindling supplies, it was easy to get volunteers. What happened next was an exodus, of sorts. By the thousands, and eventually millions, people went through the gate. The plan was to get enough people through the gate and onto spheres in the Graymos, so that we could repopulate somewhere safe and build our strength using the unique properties of the Graymos."

"You mean levels and stats?" asked Chaxin.

Sarah nodded. "Precisely. According to the Dijori, demons originate from a sphere, or at least, multiple spheres in the Graymos. The idea was to fight the demons in the Graymos and force them to retreat from Earth, or at least cut off their reinforcements."

Chaxin considered the implications of this. "You sent people through the gate to fight these demons?"

"Well, keep in mind that all of this was decided hundreds of years ago," said Sarah. "Humanity was dying. Losing territory, lives, and resources. For many people, going through the gate wasn't even a choice. They did it willingly and without hesitation."

"So what happened?" asked Chaxin. "Am I one of those people?"

Sarah exhaled and nodded. "In a fashion, yes," she said. "The Dijori tricked us. At least, that's what the history archives say. Instead of the Dijori helping us build settlements, they only made it appear as though they were helping us. The Dijori told us that going through the gate wasn't permanent. Obviously, our leaders at the time were skeptical to trust the Dijori. So there was a 'test' settlement. People were sent through, and people came back to tell our leaders what was going on. Everything was fine. More people were sent through, and communications continued. Unfortunately, people couldn't take anything with them. This meant that our technology couldn’t aid the people in the Graymos. New arrivals appeared naked in mausoleums that the Dijori had constructed. Similar to how you woke up. Well, it just so happened that the Dijori were altering the memories and minds of individuals. Humanity continued to send thousands and thousands of people through the gate, all under the assumption that this was the path to victory. But they were deceived. The Dijori were wiping people's memories and scattering them all throughout the Graymos to many different worlds. The archives are… imprecise, on what our leaders were thinking at the time. There's a lot of speculation as to whether the Dijori were able to manipulate our leaders, or if our leaders willingly exiled large portions of the population just to free up resources."

"Leaders betraying those beneath them? I feel as though I'm familiar with this tale," said Chaxin, unamused.

"Indeed," said Sarah. "Essentially, the Dijori betrayed us, as did our own leaders. In fact, there are still questionable choices being made to this very day. Even though we know people's memories are getting wiped, and that humanity over in the Graymos has no idea why they're even there, people are still being sent through the gate. At this point, it's people that are volunteering, being exiled, or have committed crimes, even small ones."

Chaxin's gaze lowered to the table. Sarah had unloaded quite a bit of information on him, and he was having trouble absorbing it all.

"And which was I?" Chaxin asked, looking up at Sarah. "Is there some record of me going through the gate? Everyone who wakes up initially in a mausoleum is from Earth?"

Sarah nodded. "That's correct," she said. "As for you, you were exiled."

"Exiled?" Chaxin asked. "What do you mean? Did I commit a crime?" At that question, Chaxin tensed. Had he done something terrible, without having any memory of it?

"Oh no, nothing criminal," said Sarah. "You butted heads with our current leaders. That's actually quite a long story, and—" She pressed a finger to the flat transparent device she'd set down. It lit up, and then she looked back to him.

"And?” Chaxin asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sorry," said Sarah, scooting closer in her seat. "There's so much to explain. Our leaders… humanity. It's not what you envision. We're so fragmented. Personal agendas, corruption. The demons plaguing our world. And all the inhabitants of the Graymos. We're in such disarray that if something doesn't change, humanity will cease to exist."

"Who was Minara?" asked Chaxin. "She had a plan. She worked her entire life to reach this place, to reach Earth. Are you saying that was wasted?"

Sarah shook her head. "You were unconscious for an hour before you woke up. I listened to the recording of the gate room for when you arrived. I heard you say that name, so I looked it up. There was a woman, Minara Evin. She was an agent under one of our intel divisions. She, along with at least nine others, were sent to the Graymos to make sure everything was fine, and that we weren't being lied to. I suppose she discovered the Dijori's intentions, but was never able to make it back. She was part of the initial group, over five hundred years ago. I don't know how it is that she was still alive. You said that five years passed for you when you were between Purgatory and Wake, but… for a woman to have survived for centuries like that, I'm at a loss for such understanding."

"She was very proficient with time magic, knowledge that I now possess," said Chaxin. "If I can return to the Graymos, I can use that knowledge. I now know of where we come from, and why! I have to go back! I can use the glove, I can gather those who will fight. I may not be powerful on my own, but I can do what needs to be done."

Sarah stared into his eyes, and slowly, the corners of her lips curled. "I know," she said. "And I believe you'd be capable of it too. Garns, the leader of our city, and General Damond, the head of the city's military, are going to report to the council. They can't allow that glove to leave here. The council won't allow it. They'll want it for whatever purposes they have in mind, and I'm sure that no good will come of it."

"Please," Chaxin asked. "You have to help me."

Sarah slowly scooted her chair back and stood. "I'm sorry," she said, still holding his gaze. "There's so much more I wish I could do."

Chaxin watched as she went to the door, opened it, and left.

He was alone.

He eased back into his chair, eyes wide. What was he going to do? Were they going to keep him there indefinitely? He had a duty to the people of Wake. He couldn't just let them die. If what Sarah said was true, then there were countless other humans in the Graymos, spread across other worlds. How long until they were assailed by demons, or a nameless? Or even the monsters that seemed prevalent in all corners of the Graymos?

The humans of Earth weren't going to help him. Minara was wrong.

Another minute passed. Chaxin began to fidget in his seat. He looked over to the door. It was probably locked, but perhaps he could try to get out of the room? He had to do something. If he was lucky, he'd be able to—

A strange sound emanated from the hall outside. It was so sudden and loud that it caused him to jump in his seat.

The sound seemed artificial, a blaring alarm that wasn't made by a mouth, as best he could discern. It came from outside in the hall, but was easily heard from where he was.

His heart rate increased, as did his breathing. He rose from his seat. Perhaps he could check to see if the door was unlocked. If the blaring sound was some sort of distress signal or alarm, then perhaps if there were guards outside his room, they would no longer be there? There were too many unknowns to come to a clear decision.

He walked for the door, but before he could reach it, it swung open.

A figure dressed similarly to the soldiers he'd seen earlier rushed into the room. He had the same type of weapon, but there were minor differences to it. At the end of the weapon was a longer barrel. He was equipped with different colored attire than what the other soldiers had been wearing.

"Chaxin Daijon?" came a man's voice from beneath a tough looking gray and blue face-mask. There was a glossy glass-like portion covering the man's eyes.

"Yes?" Chaxin said, unsure what was going on.

"I'm Sergeant Orn. Please, come with us."

Several shouts came from out in the hall. The familiar 'halt!' was yelled from further away, then a sharp plink, plink.

Then, all that could be heard was the blaring siren.

"Where?" Chaxin asked. He noticed that the soldier, Sergeant Orn, wasn't grabbing him and trying to pull him away forcibly.

"To the gate. Back to the Graymos. Here," he said, and lowered his weapon further. He swung his arm around and tossed Chaxin a long black satchel. Most notably, he saw a long spear sticking out of it.

"My gear," Chaxin whispered as he awkwardly caught the satchel, feeling its weight in his arms and the telltale features of what seemed to be his mage-caster along with the rest of his stuff.

Sergeant Orn reached into his vest and pulled out the Dijori glove. "And this," he said. "Please, sir, we have to hurry."

"Alright, lead the way," said Chaxin, as he pulled the satchel over his shoulder and then slipped the glove on.

"Yes sir," said Orn, before barking, "coming out!" He turned and raised his weapon. He went back into the hall, and Chaxin followed right behind.

In the hall, Chaxin spotted three other soldiers, all dressed and equipped similarly to Sergeant Orn. They were all wearing masks as well, but one of them had longer black hair.

"To the gate," said Orn.

"Yes sir," came the woman's voice, who then turned to the side and went down the hall, her boots clunking against the sleek metal floor.

"Follow Private Ellis, Chaxin!" came Orn's voice.

Chaxin went after the female soldier with long black hair and glanced around when he could. There were bodies on the ground dressed like soldiers. There were notable differences—the soldiers on the ground were only wearing helmets covering their heads, and not full masks like the ones that his 'rescuers' were wearing.

"Is it far?" asked Chaxin, as he raced after the fast woman.

"Not far, sir!" she called back.

Chaxin glanced behind him, seeing Orn with two other soldiers taking up the rear.

He had so many questions, but perhaps that could wait till they were safe.

"When we get to the gate, you need to activate it and take us to the Graymos. We don't know how the glove works, so we're counting on your expertise, sir!" came Orn's voice.

"I got it," said Chaxin, turning a corner to chase after the woman.

He wasn't sure how long they were running for. At one point, a soldier stepped out from another hall, only for Private Ellis to aim her weapon at him. There was that sharp plink sound in rapid succession. Then, without even seeing anything come from Ellis's weapon, the other soldier slumped to the side, leaving a trail of red on the wall behind him.

What sort of weapons were these? Chaxin could only wonder as Ellis continued to race down hall after hall.

Then, as they turned a corner and headed down another hall, he spotted two doors on the left wall.

Ellis came to a stop at the first door. Chaxin slowed behind her. She held up a hand, then three fingers, then two, then one.

Orn came around simultaneously just as Ellis opened the door.

He rushed into the room, weapon high.

Several seconds passed before Chaxin heard Orn call "Clear!"

"Get in, get to the gate," said Ellis as she went into the room, Chaxin on her heels.

Chaxin's heart was racing. He was tense, and he wasn't sure what to expect. These people had just saved him to take him back to the Graymos. What was going on? Sure, this was technically what he wanted, but there were only the four of them. Not to mention the fact that they seemed to be against the current people in charge, and their soldiers.

Orn had turned around and was backstepping to the gate. "Activate the gate!" he called, as Chaxin and Ellis passed by.

"Got the door!" came a man's voice from further behind Chaxin.

"Rinks! Body cover Chaxin with Ellis!" Orn ordered.

Chaxin reached the gate several seconds later. Without hesitation, he placed his glove to the gate. His vision blacked out. He had to focus and concentrate and tune out everything around him. He took a deep breath and slowed his breathing. He heard the footfalls of Ellis nearby, behind him now. Then another person's, surely the 'Rinks' Orn had mentioned. Then he could hear Orn's footfalls closing in as well. He shook those sounds from his mind and focused on the Graymos.

White dots appeared in his vision.

Then, he started to think of Grittin, and the gate beyond the throne room. He focused on the symbol he'd seen on Grittin's gate. The upside down V, above a flat line, above a V.

He thought about connecting the two gates. In the blink of an eye, the white screen appeared in the confines of the gate.

He was about to pull his hand away when he realized there was one more step.

Unlock. Unrestrict. Refresh.

The same series of random gibberish words and letters ran through his vision as he removed any restrictions that had been placed on the gate. After speaking with Sarah, he wondered if such restrictions had been the cause for losing memories, as well as age reversion. At least he wouldn't have to deal with any of that now.

"Is it ready?" asked Orn.

"Yes," said Chaxin, as he pulled his haand away. "It's open to Grittin." He turned his head and looked to Sergeant Orn. "We can go. But who are you and these soldiers?"

Orn looked to the soldier guarding the door, then back to Chaxin.

"We received a message a short while ago," he said in a lower voice. "We were told you were being held, and where your gear was. We didn't have much time to prepare, I'm afraid, but this was our only opportunity, sir."

"You keep calling me sir," Chaxin remarked.

Orn nodded. "You may have forgotten who you were, but I, and your men, will never forget. Not as long as we live. Now get through the gate, they're going—"

"Contacts!" called the soldier by the gate.

Chaxin heard a rapid succession of plinks, and looked over just in time to see an explosion engulf the doorway, along with the soldier that had been standing there.

"Get in!" Orn called, grabbing Chaxin's tunic.

Ellis and Rinks rushed through the gate. Sergeant Orn shoved Chaxin into the white screen.

Orn turned and looked at the smoldering doorway. He glanced to the other doorway, which was surely where they would breach from. He reached up to a square black device on his chest and pressed a button on the side.

"Admiral Daijon is through the gate. Proceeding to the Graymos. Good luck on your end, Sergeant Orn out."

With weapon raised, Orn back stepped through the white screen.

After several seconds, the screen vanished.

Book 2 to be released late 2017.

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Special Thanks

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Thank you for reading Grimoire Bound

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About the Author

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Jeff Sproul is a writer living in a small cabin in Alabama. It’s quiet, peaceful, but there’s a lot of bugs. When he’s not squishing bugs and spiders, he enjoys a frozen pizza on the weekends and a daily two cups of coffee for his sanity.

Jeff Sproul has been writing stories for over ten years. Some of his favorite scifi and fantasy works are Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, Starship Troopers, Warhammer 40k and various anime (which would be far too long to list.)