#leinos

“Yep. I’m tired, Ardos,” Faulkron said, moving to push past.

“Of what, son?”

“Well first of all, that! Stop saying that, you know I’m not your son,” Faulkron said with a growl.

“Well first of all, that! Stop saying that, you know I’m not your son,” Faulkron said with a growl.

“Maybe, but I raised you, didn’t I?”

“I don’t care! I’m sick of all this! I’m tired of being here, with you!” Faulkron snapped.

Ardos’ face fell further, and his shoulders sloped. “You don’t mean that, do ya?”

Faulkron groaned and leaned against the wall, throwing his free hand into the air. “Maybe I do! I don’t know! I don’t even know who I am, Ardos! This town is all I know, but it isn’t me! How am I supposed to live like this any more?”

“Oh, a simple life ain’t so bad-“

“Yes it is, da— Ardos,” Faulkron quickly corrected, turning away.

“You almost called me dad,” Ardos said, a tiny kindling of hope in his voice.

“We all slip up,” Faulkron said, the coldness of the words making him almost regret saying them. Almost.

“You’re sure you wanna leave?” asked Ardos, voice much softer than it had been before, and laced with pain.

“Yes.”

“You even know where you’re goin’?”

“No. That’s the point. I’m tired of the things I know, I want something new.”

“I won’t stop ya, son.”

“I know,” Faulkron said as he turned back to face the door again.

“Come back and visit?”

“Ha. We’ll see,” Faulkron muttered, pushing past Ardos and out the door.

“Be careful!” Ardos called after him.

“Hmph.”

“I love ya, son.”

Faulkron didn’t respond.

•••

Fuego

•••

The fog lay, as it always had, like a heavy blanket over the island.

Fuego lit the lamp at the front of his boat with his fire, coaxing it to life and sending the fog hissing back, the slender ship’s front pointed out to sea.

He turned back to shore. His family, friends, the King even, were all gathered on the beach, similar lanterns in hand. The whole island had gathered to see him off as he sailed into what could prove to be a fatal journey.

Fuego took a deep breath, then spoke.

“People of Zul’Zagan! I promise you all, this great journey I’m taking now? It will be nothing compared go the glory of my return! I swear by my life I will sail the sea and find the fire to burn away the Shroud, the gods have decreed it and so that is what I go to do. I will keep you all in my mind, my heart, and my soul. I know these gifts are a thanks for what I’ve done, but it feels wrong not to thank you all as well. This is and always will be my home, and you are my people. I carry you with me anywhere I may sail.”

The king stepped forward, voice regal and booming. “And I pray for smooth seas and a forgiving sky on your quest, Fuego. We will not forget you either, lightbringer.”

The king bowed his head in salute, and Fuego returned the gesture. Waving goodbye to his family, he whooped as he unfurled his sail and his ship leaped forward into the unknown.

•••

Shakari

•••

“Shakari A’Tusaara. You have violated the laws of the Duulza, your people. You have stolen from the Vhamani, those who are your elders and who wield magic you are not yet strong enough to control. You show yourself to have dangerous hubris. Your ambition could be the downfall of all of us, you know this.”

Shakari hung her head. She couldn’t bear to look at her family, watching from the crowd.

“I am aware.”

“So then you know why we must exile you.”

“I do,” they responded, fury and pain boiling inside their chest.

“Very well. Shakari, you hereby lose your place among the Duulza. You are no longer your mother’s child, and have no home in Duulza lands. You will be sent into the desert alone. If you should return and you have not been humbled, you will be met only with blades. If you should return and have made right your crimes, then you will be welcome once more.”

The elder, a rugged-looking dragonborn with sandblown blue scales, stepped forward, magic swirling around their claws.

“I place this Mark on you now. When it has gone, return to us. Remember, you are not above the world, but part of it. A dragon’s ferocity is wasted on destruction.”

A searing heat pressed into their chest, a white-hot symbol appearing on their scales as the elder placed their palm over Shakari’s chest.

“It is done.”

Still wincing from the brand, Shakari turned her back on her tribe for the last time, and walked into the desert.

•••

Jetra

•••

Jetra scowled at the man on the street corner.

“Marakos, the Hero! He died for you, all of you! He fought off a bandit scourge, and sacrificed his life! Honor his sacrifice. Be a hero! Join the army of Leinos! Remember him, and fight!”

She was sick of hearing the army talk about her father like this.

Setting her jaw, she slunk through the crowded streets toward the recruiter.

She snuck up behind him where he was standing on some crates, and before he could spew another lie she kicked the crates out from beneath him.

He crashed to the ground, sputtering, and Jetra took off back into the crowd.

When she was sure she wasn’t being followed, she made her way back to their house.

Her mom wasn’t home yet, so she let herself in. She packed her stuff quickly, and when she’d finished, she waited.

When her mom finally opened the door, Jetra had already made a meal.

They ate it in silence for the most part. They were both tired, and their minds were making all the necessary noise.

When the food was gone, Jetra finally spoke.

“I’m leaving tonight, mom.”

“I suspected,” her mother sighed.

“I can’t take this anymore, and-“ Jetra started.

“Hush, love. The less I know, the better, remember?”

Jetra sighed. “I know.”

“You’ve got everything?”

“Yes.”

“Come here,” she said, opening her arms and standing.

Jetra walked over and sank into her arms.

“I love you, daughter. Please, be careful.”

“I will, mom.”

With that, she stepped out into the nighttime streets of Anikora.

As she walked through the shadowy streets, she saw a small glowing bird appear on a nearby rooftop. It flapped its wings once, then took off. She smiled, and followed it out of the city.

•••

Alejandro

•••

His parents didn’t say why they were leaving, just that it was today. Alejandro wasn’t sure how to feel. He would miss the village a lot. He waved goodbye to all his friends, his old house, the beach, and the rest of the village, as his dad held him on the horse they were riding. His mother was on another horse next to them, with all the stuff they’d taken with them. It wasn’t a lot, because they couldn’t afford that much more space.

The rain had stopped by sundown, and the only sign it had happened at all was the hanging gray remnants of clouds that were streaked across the sky. When the sun had finished its journey and the sky had carried its children off to rain another day, the adventurers settled down to rest alongside the world.

As she sat on watch that night, Shakari smiled looking around at her companions. They looked peaceful, in those fading hours of the evening. Alejandro and Faulkron were laying tentatively against each other. Fuego was curled next to the fire like a halfling-sized cat, and Jetra was sprawled among the soft dirt and grass, a ghost of a grin on her sleeping face. But as Shakari watched the fading embers and smoke of their campfire mingle with the stars above, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her visions. If what she had seen was true, then this peace wouldn’t last long.

When the morning broke and the sun lit up the drops of dew like shining silver beads, that same strong wind was blowing from the north, whistling across Shakari’s scales as they led the group forward. They were getting closer now, and Shakari could smell the anticipation on the breeze, bringing them ever closer to the rainforest. The tree cover was getting thicker, and the hills higher. A few days more and they’d reach the edge of the forest, and there’d be no turning back then.

As they made camp that night, Shakari found herself staring once again through the branches above and out at a sky full of shining shimmering color.

The branches swayed overhead, and the stars blinked in and out of view with each gust. She sighed. It was always so much easier to see the sky at home. She supposed she’d add it to the list of things she missed about the desert.

As they were gazing upwards, they heard Faulkron walking over to them. He sat down next to Shakari, looking toward the sky as well.

“What’re you thinking about?” he asked after sitting in silence for a few moments.

Shakari looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“The stars.”

He nodded, still staring upward. “They’re beautiful here.”

“Yes, they are,” Shakari smiled. “Were they not beautiful in the Unterras?”

“Oh, no, they were, it’s just that the constellations are so different. It’s neat,” he said. “What were the stars like at your home?”

“Oh, they’re stunning. You feel like you can see straight into the heavens,” Shakari said, a wistful sigh escaping their lips.

Faulkron smiled at them. “Sounds nice.”

“It was.”

“You miss it?”

“Often.”

Faulkron hesitated, then cocked his head.“Then... why’d you leave?”

Shakari looked at him for a long moment before answering. “I had to,” Shakari said, turning back towards the sky.

He didn’t say anything further, just sat quietly. Eventually, she heard his steps retreat toward the campfire, and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the gaping hole in her chest.

•••

Jetra slowly blinked her eyes open, groaning as she sat up from the ground. None of the others were awake yet, so she stood up and stretched, beginning to rekindle the fire to make breakfast.

As she was stoking the flames, she stared off at the landscape around. She’d woken up quite early that day. She wasn’t sure if it was because she just slept wrong or because of anxiety, but either way it was beautiful. The eastern sky was a pale blue that said the sun was on its way, the dawn’s rose-gold light dancing along the gathered clouds.

She turned back northward, the path they’d come from. Thoughts of Leinos swirled in her head, but she ignored them best she could, trying to stay in the moment.

And as she gazed toward the horizon there, she was struck out of her reverie.

A small figure stood on a distant hill in billowing clothing, too far to make out anything. Jetra scrambled to standing in a futile attempt to see better. When she looked again, the figure was gone.

So much for ignoring anxiety. She was on edge all day, and she checked for the figure again and again, but saw nothing. She wanted to dismiss it as a branch or some other thing mistaken for a humanoid, but she couldn’t shake the notion that someone could be hunting her already. She had no doubts the Crown could mobilize that fast, but for them to have already found her...

It was no surprise, then, that she couldn’t sleep that night. Since she wasn’t sleeping anyway, she offered to take first watch and at least make use of the time.

Her eyes were focused on the northern horizon the whole watch, but again nothing showed itself. Just as she’d begun to give up, though, there was a sudden rustling from behind her.

Sword out and magic at the ready, she whirled around, but it was no attacker.

Lying on the ground where she’d been sleeping, Shakari convulsed. She was curled into a scaled ball, sunlight pouring from behind her eyelids as she hissed.

Jetra cursed, dropping her sword, and ran to her friend, shaking her vigorously.

“Shakari! Shakari! Gods- Shakari! Wake up!”

•••

The sand blew strong across the dunes, grating against Shakari’s scales. They stumbled through the clouds of dust, searching for the place they knew they always returned. As they took struggling steps forward, they felt a sickening crunch. Looking down, Shakari could see their foot had crushed a withered skull. She looked down around her, and realized there were bones everywhere. Humanoid, beast, an impossible number. Around where Shakari stood, the dried husks of trees blew and broke in the wind. There, right in front of them, a single drop of water evaporated from the shadow of a pool in the cracked ground.

Horrified, Shakari fell to their knees at the bottom of the empty pool, searching for any sign of water, or the Spirit. Above them, the sandstorm let up, and the sky cleared for a moment. Shakari looked to the sky, hope restored, but the light did not last long. Within seconds, the world around Shakari had turned to darkness, no sun nor stars nor moons to guide their way. Above, in the center of the sky, burned a ring of fire.

As Shakari grimaced, shielding her eyes from the sight, a faint voice cried against the gales of hot wind. “The eclipse... it is doom’s herald just as you are my herald. It comes for you now.”

Shakari wrenched their eyes fully shut as the sun returned in a blaze of light and heat. Opening their eyes again, they were back in the jungle. The jungle remained still and silent, and Shakari fell backward into the foliage, disoriented.

As she stood again, she swore she could see the glint of blades in the shadows, flitting like birds amongst the trees.

“Beware, Shakari,” whispered the fading voice, rippling in the silence of the jungle. “Beware...”

•••

Shakari suddenly shot awake, breathing heavy, grabbing Jetra’s arm with an iron grip as she was shaking her.

A faint light was still receding from Shakari’s eyes as her breathing steadied and she slowly released Jetra’s arm.

“Are you okay? What in the nine hells happened?” Jetra scanned Shakari for any remnants of whatever curse took hold of her, but there was nothing.

Shakari groaned, sounding exhausted despite having just been sleeping. “I’m fine. Just a vision.”

Jetra stared at her with equal parts shock, amazement, and confusion.

“I- Not to be an ass, but that didn’t look like ‘just a vision’,” she said.

Shakari sat up, shaking her head. “It was more intense than normal, but not anything that will harm me,” they reassured Jetra with a sigh.

“Alright, well, you should get back to slee—“

“Jetra.”

Jetra stopped speaking as she saw Shakari stiffen, following their eyes across the camp to where Faulkron was sleeping.

There, their friend lay convulsing, sunlight pouring from behind his eyelids.

•••

Leaves and branches flew past as Faulkron ran through the jungle, dodging blurry indistinct projectiles as he made a mad dash toward an unknown destination.

What am I doing? I don’t run, he thought to himself, but he couldn’t stop, no matter how hard he tried.

He ran for a long time. Too long. So long that by the time his shadowy pursuers had fallen away, whatever they were, he had forgotten when he had started, or even what time it was. His surroundings were starting to blur away too, the jungle foliage distorting just enough to look real from a distance, and for Faulkron to get very very lost.

As he stumbled in some random direction, he heard a whisper come out of the brush, and as he turned to fight off whatever danger had come upon him, he saw an old man walk out of the forest.

Faulkron could not see his face, only ancient weathered skin, long elven ears, and a once-ornate walking stick and cloak.

“You have finally found us,” the old man said quietly.

“Who the hells are you?” Faulkron asked, not lowering his sword.

He got no response. Instead, the old man began to walk back into the forest, beckoning for him.

“Hey! You didn’t answer me!” Faulkron yelled at his back. “What the fuck...”

The old man kept walking, as if he knew something Faulkron didn’t. Faulkron groaned, then started off after him.

Twisting paths through the jungle opened and closed for them in a haphazard maze, until they reached their final destination. A grand obelisk, carved from ancient wood and marked with age-old inscriptions. The old man turned back to Faulkron at last.

“Journey here.”

“How? I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.”

“You will know. You will see the signs.”

•••

Faulkron awoke with a jolt to a clawed hand on his shoulder. Blinking slowly, he let his breathing slow as he remembered where he was.

Jetra peeked out from over Shakari’s shoulder as they both stared down at him. “What the fuck is going on, you two?”

“Why should I know? I just woke up! What’s happening?” Faulkron said, bewildered, turning to Shakari.

Shakari said nothing. She was staring at Faulkron, a curious look on her face, her expression unnervingly still.

Then, quick as her face had fallen still, she broke the hush that had fallen over the trio.

“What did you see?”

Faulkron raised an eyebrow. He’d seen a lot, but what was he supposed to say?

“It was just a dream, I don’t know, it was—“

“Different?” they cut him off, still eerily calm.

Faulkron raised an eyebrow. “What does it matter?”

“That was no dream you had, Faulkron. That was a vision.”

Faulkron stared at them, looking for any sign that they were pranking him and finding none. He chuckled nervously. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m afraid I am,” Shakari said, staring right back.

“But, don’t only people like priests and clerics get visions like that? Why would I get a vision?”

Shakari shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve had visions before, but not at the same time as someone else.”

“Great, that doesn’t clear anything up. I just want to know what’s going on,” he said, agitation beginning to build as he got more questions than answers.

“If you want to know the meaning behind it, remember what you saw. There’s meaning hidden in it, if it was anything like mine. I can help you decipher it, if you’d like.”

Faulkron hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Okay, thanks, I think. Do... do you get visions often?”

“No,” Shakari said, “But as we get closer to the Unandi I have seen... more than normal.”

Faulkron narrowed his eyes. “Good or bad?”

“Neither,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Some have warnings, some guidance. Some only have vague clues and metaphors. What I make of the things I am shown, and what fate awaits me, has yet to be determined.”

“That’s not much of a comfort.”

“The future rarely is.”

Faulkron grunted in agreement.

“So... what did you see?” Shakari asked again.

“An old elf, I didn’t know who he was. I was running from something, I don’t know what, but then I started getting lost. That’s when he found me. He came out of the jungle and he told me to find him at this weird obelisk. I asked him how and he just said I would know, all cryptic and shit, and then I woke up.”

Shakari frowned. “That is a strange vision. I think the meaning is clear, though. Find this elf, whoever he is, and speak to him.”

“Yeah, I thought you’d say that. I just don’t understand the rest of it. Especially the ‘how’ part of finding him.”

“I don’t either. I’m sure it will make sense in hindsight, but until then, I suggest we continue making our own way. If the man in your vision is to be trusted, we will find him somehow.”

“That’s good, I think.”

Shakari chuckled, but there was no smile in it. “Let’s hope so,” they said. “If you have any more visions, tell me. Such omens don’t do well when they’re ignored.”

“Will do,” Faulkron replied. He laid back down, shaking off his uneasiness and making yet another attempt at sleep.

•••

Shakari walked back over to Jetra, who had returned to sitting on watch as the other two spoke.

“Jetra, I’ll take the next watch.”

Jetra looked up at her from her position, cocking an eyebrow.

“You sure? You got woken up pretty roughly-“

“I won’t be able to sleep. I need some time to think anyway.”

Shakari could see Jetra scanning her face, and tried to push down any look of worry or turmoil she might have worn.

Jetra seemed to not notice, and she finally spoke. “Alright. I heard you talking about the visions and stuff over there, are you alright?”

“Yes, just need some time to process.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll, uh... leave you to it. Wake me if you need something.”

“I will.”

Before Jetra laid down, she turned back to Shakari. “If you don’t mind my asking... what did you see?”

“I’m not sure how to describe it. In the simplest of terms, it was... bad.”

Jetra nodded, then promptly crawled over to her spot by the fire and passed out.

As Shakari waited for dawn that night, the scenes of her dream played over and over again in her mind.

The dried oasis, full of bones.

The eclipse. A false night, a ring of fire.

The shadows, the hidden gleam of blades.

The jungle, the silence, and the warning:

“Beware.”

•••

Over the next two days, the sun hid behind the clouds, only sharing its light in scattered moments when the blanket of gray pulled apart.

As they traveled through ever-tougher terrain, Faulkron occasionally shared a significant look with Shakari, and though neither said a thing, there was a silent understanding. Both were still on edge, searching the wilderness around them not only for danger, but also for any indication of omens or signs hidden among the hills and trees. Though Shakari found none, she couldn’t help but feel that her vision would be relevant sooner rather than later.

Shakari noticed that Jetra, too, seemed wary as they approached the Unandi. Every so often, she would look back over her shoulder, brows furrowed, and mutter something to herself before catching up with the rest of the group.

“You seem agitated. Are you alright?” Shakari asked, approaching Jetra as they broke camp on the second morning of cloudy skies.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I just... I thought I saw something.”

Shakari didn’t like the sound of that. Jetra’s voice had an edge to it that didn’t match It’s usual strength. “Saw what?”

“A couple days ago, I thought I saw someone, on a ridge some ways behind us. But when I looked again they were gone. I’m not even sure if it was just a trick of the eyes, but considering everything...”

“You think someone might be following us.” Shakari finished.

Jetra nodded, casting her eyes back to the north. Shakari scanned behind them as well, hoping her dragonborn senses might be able to spot something Jetra couldn’t, but the only movement there was the wind in the trees, the slow crawl of the clouds across the sky, and the swaying of the grass.

“I don’t see anything, but I’ll keep an eye out,” Shakari said after a minute of looking.

“Thanks,” Jetra said. Then she picked up her lyre and her gear, and they began the next day’s journey.

As they traveled among the hills that morning, however, it became clear they were not the first to do so. Faulkron was first to spot the signs of humanoid passage through the terrain; a footprint here, disturbed branches or brush there. He quickly pointed them out to Shakari, voice tense.

The group fell silent, and they began to creep through the long shadows of the morning, following the loosely connected trail. Shakari could sense the unease among her companions. The fact that a trail should be found just after Jetra mentioned being followed was a correlation she wasn’t excited to explore, and the trail was hidden enough that it was clear that whoever made it knew what they were doing.

“Be careful,” Faulkron whispered, crouching in the underbrush as he followed the trail. “The tracks are pretty fresh, they could be anywh-“

Suddenly he stopped. Just as Shakari looked over to see what was wrong, they felt cold metal press against the scales on their throat.

Faulkron slowly stood up straight, a similar blade against his neck, short and curved into a deadly edge. Behind the wielder of the sword stood an extremely tall figure, who stepped out from the trees as the rest of the companions froze.

The goliath wore light garments, with furred gauntlets and simple hide armors. His dark gray skin was covered in brightly colored tattoos, and he held a masterfully crafted spear. Shakari recognized the clothing. Azerian.

“Who are you?” asked the goliath. “Why are you tracking us?” He glared at Faulkron.

Faulkron only glared back, even as the blade pressed into his throat.

Shakari spoke up quickly before the situation could go sideways, calling the man’s attention away from Faulkron. “Friend, we mean you no harm,” she said, then hissed at the goliath behind her as the blade scraped lightly against her scales.

The leader turned toward Shakari, forgetting Faulkron for the moment. He gestured to the goliath behind them to lower the blade.

“Let them speak.” He paused, looking them over. “Are you a’azeri? Your clothing does not look like that of Leinos.”

Shakari nodded, rubbing her throat. “Yes, I am Azerian. Like I said, we mean you no harm. We were unaware of who we were tracking, and we had some unfortunate encounters earlier in our journey, so we were being cautious.”

“Hm. You seem to be honest enough, but I too must be cautious, and you have yet to explain why you and your friends here have come so far into the wilderness. Our lands do not often get friendly visitors from the north,” he said, his voice grim and stony.

“We seek to enter the Unandi, and I’m guiding them there. We’re heading south, out of your territory, and we had no intention of trespass. Now would you please release my friends?”

The leader gave a small nod, and the rest of the group was released by the other warriors.

“Forgive my quick suspicion,” he said as he turned to all of them. “I have heard rumors of our sister tribes in the Engawe deserts under attack by Leinai warriors, and did not want our people to befall similar fates. My name is Jaloda.”

Shakari froze. “Wait. What did you say?”

Jaloda raised an eyebrow. “Have you not heard? There has been conflict at the Engawe border. It seems the Leinai king may be attempting to reignite the war.”

A hush fell over the area, and Shakari felt a sickening feeling settle in her stomach.

“That can’t be right, why would they...” she trailed off, looking back at Jetra and Alejandro. They looked just as shocked and full of dread as she felt.

“It’s only whispers, but worrying ones nonetheless. If anything, it’s a few skirmishes. They may not become anything, but...” he trailed off, but Shakari understood. There was a history. It was better to be cautious. “But, since you and your friends are not assassins or mercenaries or otherwise, and do not seem to wish us harm, you may pass peacefully,” Jaloda said.

Shakari let go of a relieved breath. “Thank you, Jaloda. I am Shakari, by the way.” It was customary to trade names if one had been given, but in her shock she’d forgotten. “We’ll just get going,” she said, gesturing to her friends to follow as she walked away from the Goliaths, who hadn’t moved. As they left, she turned back to Jaloda. “May your people continue to be safe and strong.”

“And may your journey be well and swift,” he said with a small nod.

Shakari returned the nod, and they set off again into the woods, the tension of the encounter slowly uncoiling as the distance grew.

“What the heck just happened?” Fuego asked Shakari once they were a good space away.

Shakari sighed. “A lot of things. Mainly, we were mistaken for sellswords who were preparing to attack Jaloda and his people.”

“Well, we are sellswords, but why would we be after them?”

“Apparently, there’s been skirmishes on the eastern border. They were worried our presence might be another one in the making, and they acted preemptively.”

Fuego went quiet for a moment, looking off through the branches towards the eastern sky.

“Everyone keeps talking about the war. The King, the attacks, all these things. And when Jaloda mentioned it, everyone but me and Faulkron looked like they’d seen a ghost,” Fuego said quietly.

Shakari turned towards him, caught off guard by the waver in his voice.

“What...” he trailed off, frowning. “What happened? Why is this place so wounded?”

Shakari sighed. Old stories resurfaced in her mind, as she recalled the warnings and tales of her people when they spoke of the war. “Their people betrayed ours. They tried to conquer us and failed. Though we reached peace again, much was lost on both sides. It was a long time ago... but not long enough,” she said. “The wounds are still fresh, to some.”

Fuego nodded slowly. “And obviously, if it happened again, that’s really bad.”

“Right,” Shakari said. “Which is why the rumors about the border are so troubling, for all of us.”

Fuego pulled his gaze away from the sunrise and towards Shakari. “Then... what do we do?”

Shakari sighed. “I’m not sure.” Her mind returned briefly to her visions, and what this could mean, but she pushed away those thoughts for now. “My instincts tell me to continue on our current path. After all, if no one escalates the situation it will likely blow over. It’s not as if war has broken out just yet. And if it does... well, we’ll face it then.”

“Together?” Fuego asked, still taking it all in.

“Together.”

•••

As they traveled that day, they left the soaring, drier hills behind, descending into a maze of smaller forested valleys. Trees, shrubs, and wildflowers of all sorts and colors grew in frequency as they neared the jungle. As the morning turned to midday, midday to evening, and evening to night, the clouds only thickened, and it seemed rain was close at hand.

The next day only proved them correct. The clouds had darkened and begun to sprinkle rain before they’d even been traveling an hour that morning, and it rained most of the day, ranging from downpour to drizzle as the skies shifted. When they finally made camp that night, the whole group was wet and tired, and eager to dry off by what fire they could muster.

The horizon was impossible to see clearly, but a blanket of green seemed to barely linger there through the haze of the rain, and there was a buzzing in the adventurers’ hearts as they realized they could see their destination ahead.

Once a firepit had been made, and the kindling lit with a gesture from Fuego, the group lay about, recovering from the day’s exertion and enjoying the comfort of rest and shelter from the rain.

“Mm-mmh. That’s good stuff. Anyone wanna play dice?” Fuego asked, mouth still half full of the hare they’d caught and cooked that night.

There was a chorus of agreements as they all gathered around, and for a few moments, they all forgot about their worries. Whether it was the rain, the rumors of war, looming threats and promises, or just thoughts of home, all were forgotten as they sat around the fire, smiling and laughing and letting themselves relax.

Some time into the night, a particularly unlucky throw of the dice caused an uproar around the campfire.

Shakari had just, by some unfortunate stroke of fate, gotten the worst combination possible on the dice in the game they were playing. As the others all groaned in sympathy, she made a strikingly shrill undulating noise somewhere near a growl but not quite there. After a moment of shock, Jetra gave a hearty bellowing laugh.

“That was the most wonderful yet insane sound I’ve ever heard!” she cried.

Shakari, after clearing her throat and recovering from her slip, scoffed. “Yeah, you think that’s something? You should hear a baby dragonborn when they’re upset. Terrifying little shriekers,” she said, shivering as the others laughed.

Jetra smiled along with the group, then her eyes went wide. “Wait, Wait! I’ve got an idea!” she said, starting to rummage through her pack with frantic haste. In a few seconds she had pulled free her journal.

“Can you do that sound again?” she asked Shakari, a crazed but eager look on her face.

The others had stopped laughing now, curiosities piqued by the glimmer in Jetra’s eye.

Shakari shrugged and went along with it, interested to see what idea had struck their friend.

They made the sound again, and as they did, Jetra grinned, tapping her finger gently on her journal as she found a rhythm. She asked Shakari to do it a few more times, all the while scribbling in the journal with a feverish intensity.

“Your trill — if that’s what you’d call it?—has just inspired me to write a new song,” she said, grinning. “You’re all about to hear a very prototype version, but listen to this and tell me it isn’t awesome.” As she pulled out her lyre, she nodded to Shakari, and as the sound was made, Jetra played alongside it. Though it was rough in places, the combination produced a fascinating cadence, somewhere between a bird’s call and the buzzing of insects made into musical form.

They all agreed it was fascinating, and for a while as they sat around the campfire, they listened and experimented with it as Jetra scribbled notes. In time, they all returned to their game, but when it was over, and they had all begun to drift off to sleep, Jetra returned to the journal, refining the harmonies well into the night.

•••

That following morning, Shakari woke up before the sun. Again, they found their thoughts racing, unable to find true rest despite the calm of the night before. Three visions in so little time, and the last one more ominous than most they’d received so far. It was a worrying sign, and they might’ve turned back if not for the fact that the visions themselves were urging them into the rainforest. The edge of the forest was near, and the fog was laying heavy over the valleys.

As they stared up into the barely-lit gray sky, they thought over the events of the visions once again... and found they were still utterly confused.

Shakari let out a long sigh. What were they even supposed to find in the jungle? Why did the place keep showing up in seemingly unrelated visions? Why was Faulkron having visions all of a sudden? What did any of it mean? Too many questions, not enough answers. Internally cursing the Spirit’s cryptic habits, Shakari picked themself up from the ground, deciding that they might as well do something useful and hunt down breakfast.

She got up, heading to the edge of the camp. From there, she stalked the pre-dawn shadows for unsuspecting critters, focusing in on the hunt and attempting to rid thoughts of visions from her mind. Even as she moved among the trees, she could feel the doubts lingering at the back of her mind. She was distracted enough that she missed her first target entirely, and was forced to search the woods for her wayward hunting spear.

After finally finding it, she resumed her hunt, inching farther and farther away from the camp as she became more absorbed in escaping her thoughts.

Then, through the trees, they saw an okapi, grazing on the plants of the valley. It was not unusual for them to wander a little away from the jungle, but this one had chosen the wrong day to go exploring. Shakari readied their hunting spear, but just before they could hurl it at their prey, the creature shifted, walking forward and positioning itself behind a large tree, still entirely unaware but apparently very lucky.

Shakari growled quietly, moving back into the underbrush to get a better angle on the beast. This went on for a while, as Shakari quietly followed the apparently very flighty animal in its paths through the foliage. Finally, she had pursued it to the edge of a stream, and it had paused for a long drink. Now was her moment. She readied her javelin once again, preparing to strike. But in that moment, she hesitated, nostrils flared and ear-slits open. Something was off.

As she scanned the area again, she felt an uneasiness creep along her spine and settle into her gut. That’s when she noticed it: the okapi wasn’t actually drinking from the stream. It was only lowering its head near it and mimicking the motion. On the air hung a faint smell, a pungent undercurrent against the clear air of the woods: the scent of decay.

But before she could react to what she saw, she felt magic flow through the clearing. Ahead of her, the okapi began to burn from the inside. Plumes of dark gray smoke billowed away from it, searing the flesh away to reveal something beneath.

Shakari cursed, hurling her spear before the transformation could continue, but the spear simply lodged itself in the burning side of the creature. Its face, flesh receding to reveal the creature’s skull, turned toward her, smoke pouring from the eye sockets. Then the not-animal collapsed to the ground. Shakari growled, drawing her blade and summoning every ounce of magic she had, preparing for whatever the monstrosity she’d been unknowingly hunting would do next.

Crawling out of the haze was a hellish creature. It looked like a small ape, but Shakari knew it wasn’t one. Folded and bent on its back were ruined wings, and its fur was the color of the smoke that was filling the clearing. Its eyes were a bright, cruel red, and it regarded Shakari with a vicious, intelligent malice. A low rumble built in Shakari’s throat, every muscle tensing as she stared back at the monster. Never taking its eyes off of her, it crept slowly but steadily closer, barbed tail swishing behind it.

Then it grinned, awful and inhuman, eyes flashing crimson. In a flash of movement, it leaped at her, claws extended toward her throat.

She roared in response, exhaling and sending a bolt of lightning blasting the creature backwards into the stream. On contact with the water, the creature howled in pain, instantly leaping out of the creek.

It hissed at her, but she gave it no time to act. She leapt across the stream after it, slashing down with her sword. Her blade cut into flesh, but in place of blood she drew only wisps of smoke from the monster. The creature cackled, then swiped its claw through the air, sending the smoke swirling back around both itself and Shakari.

With another roaring exhale, she blew the smoke away, but the creature was gone, disappeared into the shadows of the woods.

They waited a few moments, searching their surroundings for any sign of the monster, but found none. Then her heart sank. She’d left her friends unguarded. Shakari began to sprint back to camp, adrenaline and electricity coursing through their veins in their haste.

•••

Faulkron had heard Shakari leave, roused from his light sleep by muttering and the rustling of gear. He hadn’t slept heavily that night, racing thoughts keeping him out of the deeper ends of unconsciousness. The early hours of the morning were in and out of sleep, and he knew Shakari was up, likely with a similar problem to his own. When she grabbed her spear and went hunting, he’d asked no questions, but taken it as a good reason to finally get up.

He wondered how often Shakari had visions like the other night, and if there was some correlation between their visions and their reasons for joining them. When he had left home he hadn’t expected he’d end up traveling with a prophetic dragonborn, but here he was.

Oh, how strange the path to glory is proving to be, he thought to himself.

As he prepared the fire for breakfast, his quiet contemplation was interrupted by a shuffling in the branches outside their campsite. Shakari couldn’t be back that soon... could she?

“Shakari? That you?” Faulkron called out.

There was no response.

Faulkron slowly reached over to his sword, grip firm on the hilt as he watched the brush for whatever unwanted visitor hid in there.

“Who’s th-“ he started to say. But before he could finish, a small mongoose popped out of the bushes; the source of the rustling.

Faulkron chuckled, relieved. “Oh. It’s just an animal.” It began to walk towards the camp, and he held himself still, not wanting to spook it. Once it had moved a little closer, and seemed comfortable with his presence, he spoke. “Hey little guy. Whatcha doin’ here?”

The mongoose looked up at him, cocking its head. “Talking to you,” it said, a small raspy voice echoing from its tiny mouth.

Faulkron blinked a few times in shock. Was he still asleep? Hallucinating?

“Did you just talk to me?”

“Yes. I’ve come to talk to you.”

Faulkron looked around him, but no one else had woken up. “No way. I’m imagining you, I have to be.”

“You’re not! I’m just as real as the rocks and trees, I’m afraid. I’ve come to guide you.”

Faulkron blinked a few times, but the creature didn’t disappear. “Alright, fine. I guess a magic mongoose isn’t the craziest thing I’ve seen so far. Guide me to what, though?”

“Your destiny!”

“That’s vague and unhelpful,” Faulkron said, unamused. At this point, he was more than tired of all the cloudy answers.

“And your current guide isn’t? The dragonborn with all the mysterious visions of cryptic futures? Please,” the mongoose chuckled, perching on a pile of rocks.

Faulkron felt suddenly defensive, though he wasn’t sure why. “Watch it,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the talking critter. “They’re my— I mean, I trust them.”

The mongoose put its tiny paws in the air. “I meant no offense! I’m only saying that your future isn’t with them. Your future is yours to seize! I’m here to help you capture it. All you have to do is follow me.”

Faulkron looked around at the others. They were still asleep, undisturbed by the conversation. As his eyes fell on Alejandro, lying peacefully nearby, something seemed to move and settle in him, like a gentle hand combing through soil.

“No.”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” The mongoose hissed, leaning forward on the perch.

“I’m staying.” Faulkron said, finality resounding in his voice as he made eye contact with the creature.

“Fine. I’ll take you myself then,” the mongoose said, a sudden venom to its raspy voice. Smoke began to curl from the creature’s fur, a noxious cloud shrouding the rocks where it had been sitting.

“What the hells...” Faulkron muttered, grabbing his sword.

He quickly unsheathed it, but not fast enough to parry the barbed tail of the creature that leaped from the smoke. The barb sank into his shoulder, and it burned like twenty wounds. He cried out in pain, but the creature just latched onto him, hissing and clawing toward his chest and face.

Before the creature could attack him again, he locked his hand around its throat with a grunt. It squealed, trying to jab at him once more, but he held it away from his chest and threw it to the ground as hard as he could, shoulder still on fire. It slammed into the dirt with a thud, and while it was stunned, he took his chance, pinning its tail with his foot.

It struggled against him, clawing at the dirt and trying in vain to scramble away.

“No! How?!” It screeched and snarled at him, baring long fangs. “This isn’t supposed to happen! A thousand curses, you-“

Faulkron cut off its desperate wriggling by plunging his blade straight through its chest. As it squealed out its death throes, the tail twitched, and he twisted the blade for good measure. Smoke kept curling out of the creature, and before long most of its body had burned and boiled away until all that was left was blood-red ash and chunks of horrid flesh.

“What the fuck was that thing?” said a very grumpy-sounding Alejandro, walking over to look at the immolating carcass, clearly still groggy and definitely not happy about having been woken up.

“I have no clue,” Faulkron responded, still staring at the thing. He had thought at first that it might’ve been the sign he was supposed to be looking for from the man in his vision. Now that notion had been scattered, and Faulkron was unsure what to do as he stared down at the creature. What was left of it answered no questions; ragged wings, coarse fur, ape’s form, and vicious claws wasn’t exactly a common combination.

He’d never fought something like this before. Would there be more of them? What did it mean? And why did his shoulder hurt so damn bad- oh.

“Holy shit, you’re hurt,” Alejandro said, an almost frantic whisper overtaking his usual timbre. He moved Faulkron around to get a better look and gasped in horror. “Oh my gods, what is that stuff?”

Faulkron craned his neck to look at his shoulder, where he could see that the blood that seeped from the wound was quite literally boiling, pungent steam hissing off of it. Faulkron started to shrug, but the wound speared him with pain when he tried, and he quickly relaxed his shoulder again.  “I dunno, probably some sort of poison-”

“Who’s poisoned? What’s happening?” Jetra said, sitting up. “Also, what’s that smell? Did Fuego eat too much again?”

“What? Huh? What’s going on, I’m awake, who needed me?” Fuego mumbled, popping up from his sleeping spot at the mention of his name.

“Both of you shut up and pay attention,” Alejandro hissed. “Faulkron got stabbed by some sort of scorpion-mammal monster thing, and it’s bad. Jetra, help? Fuego, keep an eye out for more.”

Fuego grabbed his sword, standing up on a rock to search the foliage around the camp even as he shook off a yawn. Jetra quickly got up and walked over to Faulkron as she grabbed her medicinal herb pouch, her face suddenly intense as she studied the wound. “Oh, gods. This isn’t a normal wound. This is... whoa. Yikes. Okay, okay,” she said, giving Faulkron a meaningful glance, “follow my instructions. I need you to hold still and think of something that means peace.”

Faulkron started to protest and question, but Jetra cut him off. “Just do it, man. I need something to focus the healing through. Memories and emotions are both easy and powerful focuses, but you gotta work with me.”

Faulkron sighed and nodded, closing his eyes and trying to find some sort of peace. Almost on instinct, he thought back to the moment before the thing attacked him, when he made the decision to stay: that settling, grounding, heavy calm that was still as nebulous as before.

When he opened his eyes again, the burning was gone. The wound was being bandaged and was still bleeding pretty badly, but the roiling venom was nowhere to be found.

Jetra gave him a small smile and gently patted him on the good shoulder. “See, wasn’t so bad, was it? Glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” she smiled. “I got your back.”

Faulkron felt that feeling creep up again, and as he looked around at his companions, he realized he had never been more sure of a decision before, and found himself smiling softly.

“Hey guys? Hate to interrupt but, uh... where’s Shakari?” Fuego asked from his perch, worry laced thick in his voice.

Faulkron’s spirit fell, his mind racing to concoct a thousand different dread answers to that question. He was about to respond when something came barreling through the growth.

“Look out!” Shakari yelled, brandishing her blade. “There’s-- ah.” She paused as she took in the site of the scuffle. “They already tried to ambush you?”

“Yeah,” Faulkron said, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, a little surprised at just how relieved he was to see Shakari okay. “Speaking of those things, since I guess you already know, what are they?”

Shakari’s battle stance faltered, and she deflated a little. “I wish I could tell you. The only thing I know is they aren’t natural,” they said, panting slightly.

Faulkron grunted in agreement, and the others began hastily breaking camp. He wondered if the old man from his vision could tell him what the creatures were.

“Do you think more will come, Shakari?”

Shakari sighed, tearing her eyes away from the shadows of the wood behind them to meet his. 

“I don’t know, but it’s likely. Creatures like that don’t just attack for no reason.”

“So something bigger is happening here?”

“It would seem so.”

“Ugh, great. Well, they weren’t so tough this time, let’s hope it stays that way,” he said, taking one last look at the spot where the thing had died. “And we should stick together. No more solo hunts.”

“Agreed,” Shakari said, a look of deep contemplation set into their features. “Thankfully, we are heading into Azeria. We may be able to figure out what these things are there.”

Faulkron nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking. We need to find the man from my vision. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the vision had things chasing me, and then for us to be ambushed like this…” he trailed off, letting Shakari infer the rest of what he meant.

Their eyes flashed with grave understanding, and with a nod they all set off toward the jungle.

•••

They arrived at the rainforest around midday, cresting the final hilly remnants of the valley and staring through the low fog out over a sea of dense verdant green. As they pushed into the edges of the forest, the grasping walls of the jungle began to stretch into the hills, until the last visions of the rocky valley were lost to the brush and branches of the Unandi. 

Even as they delved into the forest itself, they kept their eyes scanning the terrain behind them. Yet still they saw only the calm of the valley and the silence of the foggy trees. And in the back of their minds, they knew that calm was much more sinister than it appeared. Something was hiding there, following them; something truly wicked, waiting with claws outstretched for them to let their guard down just once.

So, in both Leinos and Azeria, hospitality is a really important tradition, and it’s part of why the peace treaty worked so well when the Wandering Kings and the rest of the Leinai first fled to the Azerian continent.

•••

For the Leinai, the host usually is supposed to fully and generously provide for any guest, but especially lone travelers. The person taking sanctuary in your home always eats first and best, and has a lot of privileges. All of this based on the fact that you don’t know how tough the road has been, so it’s always better to comfort more rather than less.

Further, a host usually does not ask questions of a guest unless the guest asks questions first. There’s a expected balance there. (This also is a handy cultural loophole that fugitives love exploiting.) The only exception to this is that a guest should always know the name or a name of the person/family/house/etc that sheltered them. In ancient times, this was to honor their contribution in whatever saga was recorded about the journey, but that mainly applied to traveling royalty and heroes, then diffused to the point where everyone does it now.

Usually, unless the person is very personally close with the hosts or the visit was planned, stays only ever last until the next day, when the guest is expected to continue their journey.

Traveling is pretty common among the Leinai, obviously, but obviously more agrarian communities and others that are usually more stationary out of necessity will tend to be hosts more often than travelers. In the past, wealthier folk like local monarchs made habits of routinely going on long journeys to visit far corners of their lands, slay monsters, parade around, and generally increase their reputation. This lead to the formation of a whole network of traveling regents called the Wandering Kings, which I mentioned earlier.

•••

Now, Azeria has similar cultural values in this specific department, but some really different rules & origins for it all.

Basically, Azerian society is broken up into two halves: the population of the cities and villages, and the nomadic populations. Despite this dichotomy, they are integrated together into one nation through shared cultural practices/beliefs/etc, one of the most important being their hospitality rules.

First of all, for hosts: it’s imperative that you be generous and welcoming, as with hosting in most cultures. You should share anything your guest may not have of their own if you do have it. Further, if a nomadic group is visiting your village or city, everyone is expected to help welcome them for their stay. Stays from strangers are often much more extended in Azeria as well, as sometimes you will have multiple groups staying somewhere for whole seasons at a time.

This idea of welcoming is even built into Azerian homes, as the first room in any house is specifically designed for welcoming guests, sharing meals, and socializing. Speaking of sharing things, it’s also customary to trade names between host and guest. By sharing your name, it’s essentially a promise to speak truthfully and respect your host/guest (because your name can get cursed now if you don’t).

But in Azeria, the rules of being a guest are even more important. Because they were such avid explorers (before the tragedy that cut them off from the sea), they had a code of respect that they enacted anytime they visited a new land or people, and it was based on their own rules of intercultural guest relationships back home. For example, you always ask for consent before you do something in another’s home (within reason, of course). There’s a thousand of these traditions that include things like seating placements and just... a bunch of stuff. Most of which just boil down to “respect the other party’s home and the fact that it is theirs, and accept their terms when in it.” One thing other thing they do often do is bring or create symbols of peace. On a personal scale, this could mean a small carving that the hosts would then place somewhere in their meeting-room. On a cultural/national scale, perhaps they might bring gifts of gold or ships or etc.

So, as evidenced by the nomad bit, it’s safe to say travel is really common in Azeria. Even among village/city dwelling Azerians, there’s set times during the year specifically for visiting whatever tribe or tribes your heritage is from, so pilgrimages are made often. This holiday/time of the years goes for royalty as well, which leads to an important aspect of guesting/hosting specifically between settled vs nomadic Azerians: as a nomad, everyone is equal. You’re defined by your experience, skill, age, that sort of thing, but the fact that you’re the king means little when you’re all just living off the land. This sort of “just another tribesman until proven worthy of other recognition” attitude is common when city folk guest among their nomadic fellows. It’s not hostile in any way, just very neutral (and therefore humbling). And even then, specific traditions still vary from tribe to tribe and even sometimes city to city.

That night, when the streets were still again, Jetra gathered her companions to explain all that had happened, as well as her own story. She had dragged them all into this, it was only fair.

Shakari had come to her room the night before, intent on making sure she was okay, knowing that the events of the last few days had been emotional. She hadn’t given any straight answers that night, but she had appreciated the comfort, and she did want to tell them.

The others were curious too, she could tell. It wasn’t so much whether or not to tell them, so much as how to tell them that was proving to be her problem. It wasn’t one she usually had, considering words were her specialty, but she was pretty sure gathering her friends around a table and just dropping her life story wasn’t quite the way to do it.

When they had all made their way back to the tavern and gathered in her room, she realized there was really nothing to prepare for. She just had to tell them. She wasn’t even sure why she was so nervous. She supposed it was because she didn’t want them to judge her for it all, or even worse, decide she was too much trouble to travel with. She really liked all of them, and she didn't want to lose this. It had been too long since she’d adventured with friends, and she wasn’t keen on stopping now.

With a sigh she sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, her friends mirroring her.

“Right. So, explanation.”

Alejandro leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to, you know. I think I speak for all of us when I say it was clear that what happened was deeply personal to you. We’d understand if you wish to keep it to yourself.”

She smiled back at him, caught slightly off guard by his sudden sincere concern. She’d noticed he seemed to do that often, and it was comforting, if still a little off-putting.

“Thanks, Al.” He raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but she continued. “I think I’d like to tell you all though. It’s... important.”

Shakari leaned back, regarding her intensely. “Then speak,” she said with a nod.

Jetra nodded back and took a deep breath.

“My father’s name was Marakos. He was an adventurer in his own right, and a good one too. A lot of people believed he was blessed by the gods, and they were somewhat right. He, uh, he always told me that his greatest blessing was me, though. He was just... like that. All the time. My dad was a really good man. He was always helping people.”

Jetra looked down at her hands, fidgeting with them as she talked. She faltered, looking up again at the others to see all of them listening intently. When she paused, Shakari gave another small nod of encouragement.

She continued, trying to block the river of visions coming back to her as she talked.

“It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I realized how he always knew where and when those people needed help. He was part of a group of... informants, other adventurers, people who wanted to help others. The Company of the Blue Moon, they called themselves. I followed in his footsteps,” she said, waving her hand and dispelling the illusion that hid the crescent tattoo on her collarbone.

Recognition settled onto Alejandro’s face, but the look there was warm, one of familiarity and respect. She let out a small sigh of relief knowing that he was a friend to the Company, being the only other person from Leinos in their group.

“But, the Crown has... different... opinions on the Company, as some of you know. Traitors and terrorists, they call us. My father was a hero, and the crown wanted him for their own purposes. He refused, but they kept coming. They honored him many times over, but he always declined. ‘I am the people’s hero, and that I will stay,’ he’d always tell them. There were times where the Crown’s interests and his aligned, but he wouldn’t work for them. I think they must have suspected our family’s involvement with the Company, because they never stopped trying to get past my dad’s defenses. They tried to involve themselves in every adventure he went on, up until the very last, looking for evidence of his treason. And that’s how Dymea found him,” she said, clenching her jaw as she recounted it all.

“He was meeting a group of brigands that had been raiding around the Heartlands, and she sabotaged the mission. When he showed up ready to negotiate, they were already preparing to kill him. He fought them, because he had to, and he managed to defeat them... and that’s when Dymea killed him. In the aftermath, when he was weakened and off-guard. I know because I asked one of the bandits who was there.” She sighed, closing her eyes briefly, as the memories and the emotions flooded back.

“The worst part is, I had to figure out how my own father died entirely by myself. The crown hid everything from me and my mom. Even my dad’s friends, like the captain of the guard here, Horakes. He often has access to sensitive information, but even he didn't know what had happened. I don’t even know if the body they burned was actually my dad’s. They’ve kept up the lie that he died valiantly obliterating a fictional bandit king for 9 damned years, and they’ve been very clear what they think of me and the Company, what with trying to either enlist me or arrest me at every turn. They don’t like me following in the footsteps of my father while they use his death like a sick propaganda puppet. The only shred of who he really was that’s left... it lies in me and the Company. 3 years ago, I finally figured out the truth, and I've been hunting his killer since.”

A long silence permeated the air as the others absorbed what she’d said.

“I... I know what it’s like to lose people close to you. I’m glad you have avenged him, at least in part,” Alejandro said softly.

She wiped away the tears that had begun to gently trace down her cheeks, and found Alejandro’s face full of sympathy.

“Thank you. I, uh... I’m not done yet. A lot of things have gotta change before I can say he’s been truly honored.”

Fuego had a frown on his face, his brows furrowed. “Well, I for one support you. We’ve all got our purposes in life, you know? You say yours is helping people, making the world a better place, honoring your dad and creating change for the better? I’ll get behind that any day.”

The others nodded in agreement, and Faulkron clapped a hand on her shoulder, violet eyes bright and fiery, with a determined look on his face. He didn’t say anything, but she understood.

She smiled at them all. “I appreciate that, more than you know. For now though, let’s just rest. We’ve earned it. Not only that, we gotta decide where we’re headed next come tomorrow.”

With quick agreements and a chorus of soft goodnights, they all left her room for their own, and she was left in silence.

In that moment of stillness, she stared out the window at the night sky, lost in thought for a long time. Eventually, more out of habit than anything else, she reached for her medallion around her neck.

It wasn’t there.

A brief moment of panic later, she remembered she’d taken it off and hidden it beneath the bed. With a sigh of relief, she walked over and reached under the bed.

However, again, she found nothing. She furrowed her brow in frustration.

I could’ve sworn I left it here, did I forget it somewhere? She groaned internally. Asking around for it is a surefire way to get arrested, though...

Her train of thoughts stopped in its tracks, as she spotted something on the ground by the bed. A bit of cloth, the same color as the guards’ uniforms. 

Fuck.

•••

Shakari was in the desert again. They sprinted as fast as their exhausted body could carry them, running for a seemingly endless time towards the hazy image of an oasis. They were breathing heavy and panicky, throat dry and scales too warm for even their liking. In a familiar pattern of desperation, they ran towards the water, drinking sloppily from the pool there, their thirst practically unbearable as the water splashed across their scales, seeming to evaporate almost the instant it left the pool.

As she drank, a familiarly strange voice boomed out over the sands, soft and melodic yet commanding and powerful. 

“Herald.”

At the sound of the spirit’s voice, Shakari looked up. The familiar visage of the angel floating above the oasis pool was vaguely humanoid in shape, but shimmering like sunlight on the sea, without any definite form. The spirit’s many wings spread across the whole oasis, and their robes billowed all around them.

Shakari bowed her head. “Spirit.”

“My warning still stands. Dark days grow closer,” the spirit said, gesturing into the pool.

As Shakari looked into the crystalline water, it rippled and changed. In the water, images flashed. The savannas burning. Marching of armies. The darkening of the sun, and hundreds of thousands of souls marching across the stars and on to the afterlife.

Shakari pulled away from the visions, only to find themself in a shadowy jungle. The tangled branches and innumerable vines were utterly still. Nothing moved, no birds called out, nothing. The voice of the spirit faded to nearly a whisper. 

“Go south to the Unandi, my herald. Bring the others. Danger surrounds, and dark tides are rising. This is how you change the future.”

Shakari snapped her eyes open, shooting upright in the bed of her room at the tavern.

It had been a long time since her last vision from the spirit, and the fact that one should come now, as they were planning the direction of their next journey, could not be a coincidence.

If the spirit willed them south, then south they would go. Shakari had had enough of running from the visions. They wouldn’t turn away now.

•••

The next morning, the group stood together on a rocky outcropping above Koretion, overlooking the hilly expanse beyond the town, wind ruffling their clothing as the sun crawled up the western skyline.

Alejandro smiled, eyes distant and thrill clear on his face. “So, where to next, my friends?”

“The wind... it seems to beckon southward,” Shakari said, raising one hand to test the direction of the breeze.

“That it does,” Jetra grinned. “We should follow it.”

Alejandro raised an eyebrow at Jetra. “The great rainforest is to the south. Azerian territory. Do you not want to stay here, continue your work?”

Jetra lost her grin and sighed. “Actually, I think I’m gonna need to lay low for a while. After all, it wasn't insignificant what happened here, and the Company was involved. What better place to hide than a place the King could never conquer? And hey, I can touch up on my Azerian.”

Alejandro nodded. “Fair enough.” He turned back towards the sunrise. “You know, I’ve never been south very far. I hear it’s stunning there.”

Shakari smiled. “It is. I should know.”

Fuego reached up to clap Jetra and Alejandro on the back of their arms, smiling as he stuck his head between them. “I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but I’ll never say no to the rainforest. That’s my favorite place to be. South feels right to me!”

They all looked to Faulkron as he thought over their options. There was no reason not to, and he had no business going anywhere else. Besides, he wasn’t very keen on heading further into Leinos. If Jetra’s tale and what had happened here were anything to go on, it wasn’t shaping up to be the calm and peaceful kingdom he’d heard about from the sailors. If anything, it seemed the place was rife with conflict and people vying for control. Not really somewhere he wanted to be, unless he was getting paid.

“I’ve got no problems with it. Where exactly are we going, though?”

“The Forest of Secrets. If we’re lucky, we might discover some,” Jetra replied with a chuckle.

“Uh, why is it called that?” Faulkron asked, unsure he wanted to go somewhere named so ominously.

“I second that question, actually,” Fuego spoke up, looking both intrigued and slightly alarmed.

“It’s called the Forest of Secrets because during the war with Azeria about 100 years ago, they never figured out how to get through it. It’s been the border ever since. King Akeron’s armies won nothing and found nothing in the forests,” Jetra explained.

“Ah. And you’re hoping they won’t find you,” Faulkron replied, the pieces clicking into place.

“Exactly.”

He paused again for a moment.

“Well, what’s in it for us? Won’t we get lost? Why go there?”

Shakari regarded him with intent. “For one thing, I am Azerian. I know how to navigate the forest, and I’ve done it before. When you know where you are going it is much easier to find things like those secrets you speak of. For another, Leinos is not the only place in need of heroes.”

On the word ‘heroes’, she gave Faulkron a pointed look.

Faulkron stared back at them, jaw set as he finally made up his mind. “I came to see the world, so I’m gonna see it. And if you all want to go, so will I.”

With a decision made, and their path set before them, they made their final preparations. Then they set out through the hills.

•••

The sky was clear as they marched ahead, and the wind blew strong across the landscape. Deep in Shakari’s bones, something fell into place, and there was a sort of thrill that hummed through her at the notion of finally going home.

As they led the way through the hills, they could feel the ever-present breeze, whispers of the previous night’s visions dancing on the air and leading them onward.

There was no road to follow once they were far enough from Koretion, besides the natural paths of the valleys and the worn roads of the animals. They went further into the wild every step they took, and it might’ve been scary if not for the encouragement of every part of Shakari to go forward.

There was a strange peace to be found in not knowing where you were going, it seemed, as Shakari looked around at her companions. The further they got from Koretion, they all seemed to breathe easier.

The sun rose and fell across the sky, swirls of color following it like great streamers, and in time night embraced the earth again.

The next day, Shakari rose with the sun, tail swishing through the grass with anticipation as they stood atop the hill they’d rested beneath. As they looked out across the shimmering landscape of the early morning, there was a break in the clouds, and the sun laid down across the hills and valleys, illuminating the vast wilderness ahead. As Shakari took in a deep breath, they could almost see a path, laid out ahead of them in golden light. She smiled, and she knew where to go.

•••

The day was peaceful, a welcome change after the events in Koretion. Faulkron found himself walking alongside Alejandro in an easy cadence, not always quiet but not always talking either. It was simple, and the day was hot but bearable. To Faulkron, the hills weren’t all that different from where he’d been raised, and he fell into the familiar rhythm he’d developed as he’d wandered away from home.

As the sun dipped past the helmets of the hills again, the group settled down in a copse of trees, and Faulkron let the rhythm fall away. Jetra played a song, Fuego told a story of some teenage shenanigan, and they all ate the deer Faulkron and Shakari had hunted down that evening.

It was nice, and Faulkron finally slowed down to appreciate it.

In time, the others had gone to bed, and only Faulkron and Alejandro remained awake, eyes cast up into the branches as they watched the critters of the night run their courses beneath the stars.

Before he could really think about what he was doing, lost in the beauty of the night, Faulkron slipped his hand into Alejandro’s. There was a moment of hesitation and surprise, but before long his hand squeezed back, and they rested together, each comforted by the presence of the other.

In time, after their watch ended, sleep overtook them as well. Hand in hand, they fell into peaceful dreams.

•••

The next morning, the group set out again, with eyes trained on the ever-shifting horizon. As they traveled on, the wind picked up again, swirling around them all as if beckoning them forward.

The hills were getting steeper and steeper as they traveled, their crests reaching further and further into the sky with each mile they walked. Fuego had never imagined he’d travel a world so impossibly large as this, and he welcomed the beauty of it all.

He was taking it all in with a grin from the top of another tall hill, wind ruffling the long blades of grass as well as his own robes. An old and weathered tree stood behind him, its gnarled roots expanding all across the crown of the hill.

His friends passed the hill below, and he waved giddily at them from atop his perch.

They all waved back with varying levels of enthusiasm at his early morning antics. Fuego smiled in return, beginning to run back down the hill towards his companions.

And honestly, the root was hidden. There were long shadows, and rocks, and tall grass. They should’ve been proud he only tripped halfway down the hill.

He tumbled end over end through the grass as his foot was swiped from beneath him by a large but easily missed tree root.

Eventually he rolled to a stop in front of his friends, spitting grass out of his mouth.

Shakari only sighed, and Faulkron shook his head.

Jetra just chuckled, “You’re damn lucky not to have brain damage right now.”

“Well, that’s not entirely guaranteed yet. Come on,” Alejandro said, offering a hand to help Fuego up.

Fuego accepted it eagerly, popping up and brushing his robes off.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. That was pretty fun though,” he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Before any of the others could stop him, he took off toward the next tall hill, laughing all the way.

By the time dusk came around, Fuego had gathered a significant number of (easily avoidable) bruises and scrapes from chaotic trips down the hillsides. Likely only through his halfling luck alone did he narrowly miss all the dung piles he rolled past. Regardless, it had at least been entertaining, and the southern horizon was that much closer.

Shakari huffed lightly with amusement as they all made camp. “I guess the wild beasts aren’t interested in eating fools.”

“Aha! See? Just protecting the group,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

They all shared a laugh at that, then finally settled down to rest for the night.

•••

The next morning, the five companions awoke to the oncoming of great clouds. The sun was mostly obscured that day, with only the occasional golden columns shining through the breaks in the clouded sky.

As they traveled onward, Jetra was the quietest she’d ever been.

She was leaving home to hide in a time when her people needed her, and that weighed on her like a hundred anchors. Still, she knew she had to keep going forward. She’d be no good to the Company, or to her people, if she was captured.

It had only gotten worse in recent years. She’d heard whispering among the Company that near the capitol they’d taken to just executing the prisoners, rather than interrogating them. Some said King Akeron III was looking more and more like his grandfather every day. The king kept talking of glorious future, and power to the people, but Jetra hadn’t seen anything of the sort. She was terrified to find out who he was really talking about when he said “people”.

Rumors among the Company’s scouts and spies said that the King was bolstering the cities along the borders, in an all-too familiar pattern. Rumors are rumors, of course, but the fear was real.

If this trend continued, things were only going to get worse in Leinos.

Jetra sighed, kicking a pebble and watching it tumble away. If she let herself fall into these thoughts, she’d be no help to anyone, so she did what she did best. She pulled out her lyre and began strumming a tune as they walked.

She let herself get lost in the music, as she so often did, until she wasn’t even thinking about what she was doing, just letting it all flow out.

In time, her reverie was interrupted by Shakari’s hand on her shoulder.

“Jetra.”

“Huh? What?”

Shakari smiled, eyes squinting with amusement. “Ah, I know that look. My father is a storyteller too. I’m sorry to interrupt, but there appears to be a village up ahead.”

“Oh, it’s fine. And a village, you say? Can you see anything else, or..?”

“Not much past the hills but a smoke trail from their hearth fires. I will say, it looks like it might rain soon, and it will be good to have another place to rest before the trials of the rainforest.”

Jetra nodded back at them. “Yeah, good idea.”

With that, the group made their way towards the smoke, clouds thickening overhead.

As they approached, they could see a small village nestled in the hills, small houses of dried mud and wood gathered around the banks of a stream.

Outside the houses, Leinai farmers and ranchers were finishing the day’s work, and the livestock were settling in for rain.

Faulkron nodded his head at the cows lying among the grass. “You were right, Shakari. Rain’s coming.”

Shakari hummed an agreement, but kept looking forward as they reached the village center.

Before long, an older villager rolled up to them in a wooden wheelchair.

“Strangers, welcome! We do not get many travelers this way these days. What brings you to our humble village?”

Jetra stepped forward. “We are travelers, looking to go further south. We seek only a bit of rest and good company.”

The villager patted her outstretched hand with a smile. “And you will find it here, friends. Come now, let’s get you settled in. I’m sure it has been quite the journey from your homes. You must tell us your stories!”

By sunset the rain had come. However, even as the sky rumbled and thundered overhead, the companions were safe and dry, gathered around a warm hearth with the villagers, sharing warm food and drink.

After they had eaten their fill, the old man spoke up again. “So now that you have been guests to us, we only ask you share your tales! What are your names? Where do you come from?”

Jetra began first. “I am Jetra, daughter of Marakos and Oedaia. I come from the capitol, though I no longer make my home there.”

The man smiled. “Welcome, Jetra.”

“I am Faulkron, son of Ardos. I come from across the Ikarron ocean and far to the west, in the Unterras plains,” Faulkron said, bowing his head slightly with respect.

The old man smiled. “You come from very far away. I do not know the land you speak of, friend, but you are welcome here nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” Faulkron said, looking back up. “Mine is... not a journey many have made.”

The old villager smiled and nodded to him, then turned to the others.

Fuego spoke up next. “I am Fuego, son of Ahar and Sora. I come from Zul’Zagan, an island to the west of here, in the Sea of Dragons.”

The gathered villagers went suddenly quiet, and confusion flashed across the old man’s face.

“I... In the Sea of Dragons?”

“Yeah.”

“It is a work of the gods that you are even alive at all.”

Fuego chuckled. “Maybe. But my people have learned to navigate the mists well.”

“It would seem so. You too are welcome here, son of the Hidden Sea,” the old man said.

Shakari nodded to the old man from across the hearth fire. “I am Shakari, child of Tusaara and Harutan. I come from the Suraan deserts, far south of here.”

“Ah! It has been a long time since we have had Azerian travelers here. We welcome you gladly, friend.”

Shakari smiled back at the elder, then looked to Alejandro.

“I am Alejandro, son of Sofia and Alvaro. I hail from Barreca, but I have not seen home since I was a small boy.”

“Then I wish you a swift return, if that is what you seek. In the meantime, you will be welcome here. All of you. Come, let us share the fire.”

Atolos, as they learned the old man’s name was, treated them well that night. Old customs of hospitality found the companions safe and warm that night, even as the storm continued outside. Many stories were passed over the fire by townsfolk and travelers alike that night, until they’d had their fill and headed to rest.

Despite her best attempts, however, Jetra couldn’t bring herself to fall asleep.

She let out a long sigh, sitting up and running a hand through her hair, thoughts swirling in her head. She again tried to reach for her medallion, but was only met with another reminder.

“You know, you think much louder and you’ll wake up the others,” came a whisper from nearby.

She turned to see Alejandro staring at the ceiling.

“Can’t sleep either?” she whispered back.

“Not really. Same reason as you, I’m sure.”

“Thinking about home?”

“Yeah.”

Jetra sighed again. “It kinda sucks, huh?”

“Yeah... A lot is happening.”

“No kidding. You said you were from Barreca, huh?”

“Yeah, and you’re from Anikora.”

“And here we are, way out here, as far from there as possible,” Jetra chuckled.

Alejandro shrugged. “That’s the life of the wandering hero.”

Jetra looked down, rubbing her arm anxiously and feeling the braced there. There was a short pause.

“You think we’ll be heroes?”

Alejandro rolled over to look her in the eyes. “I do. We’re working towards something now, you know? Even if we have to lay low for a while.”

“I know, it’s just... things haven’t exactly gotten better recently, what with the King shaping up to be his grandfather’s successor.”

Alejandro drew in a sharp breath. “Yeah. That’s why my parents moved us to Theras when I was little, as far away from the capitol as they felt comfortable, hoping to avoid all of... that.”

Jetra nodded. “Well you know, it’s never too late to join the cause. I just hope we aren’t too late, you know?”

Alejandro sighed. “Me too.” 

After a long pause, he spoke up again. “Anyways, the revolution won’t be forced live or die tonight. We should get some sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Alejandro smiled at her.

“Have hope for the future.”

Jetra chuckled, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

“That’s the idea.”

“Goodnight,” Alejandro said, rolling back over.

“‘Night.”

Eventually, shrouded slightly by the remnants of the night’s rain, dawn began to spread across the sky. Rain still drizzled down like glimmering tears in the new morning sun to greet the companions as they gathered themselves that morning.

After another hearty meal, Atolos and the other villagers saw the group off as they treaded onward into the hills. It wasn’t long after they left that the dirt path that served as a road in the small village was overtaken by the wilds once more.

When the drizzle had finished, they stopped to eat their midday meal, and Jetra took a quick leave from the rest of the group.

Beneath a few trees, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She summoned up her magic, recalling her conversation with Alejandro the night before, and imagined home. She exhaled, feeling comfort wash over her for the briefest of moments, before a wandering wind scattered it, and a weight settled onto her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, a small bird made of magical light hopped over to perch on her outstretched arm. She grinned when she saw her summoning had worked.

“Hey there, little one,” she said, petting its head gently. The bird ruffled its feathers happily.

She grabbed some dried meat from her pack, offering it to the spirit. “Do you think you could deliver a message for me?”

The bird chirped happily and gobbled up the jerky.

Jetra smiled. “Great. Listen carefully. I need you to find Edysias, and tell them I said this: ‘I’m heading southward. I’m safe for now, don’t come after me. I succeeded, but was compromised. I’ll be back. Our time is running short.’ Got it?”

The bird chirped again and nodded, then flapped off, streaking into the clouds in a burst of light and celestial feathers.

Jetra watched it go, whispered a small messenger’s blessing, then returned to the group.

•••

Hidden in a small grotto outside of the village, a young man in white robes huddled, speaking in hushed tones into the shadows.

“Tell the Prophet that the boy has come home. We must find the temple quickly, he is led by an Azerian, a Duulza warrior. They will know the way.”

Out of the shadow, a small creature stepped forward. It was a pale-furred monkey-like monster with ragged feathery wings, clawed hands, and a scorpion’s barb on its tail. At the end of the robed man’s request, it grinned a malicious smile.

“Right away.”

The beast disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing behind but the faint smell of rot. The figure drew up his hood and started to trek into the hills after the travelers.

The time had come.

“You in?”

Jetra, Faulkron, Fuego, and Shakari were standing around a table, under the shade of a large tree, Jetra’s map laid out on top of it with their destination marked. The bard was looking at Fuego and Shakari, awaiting their answer.

Shakari had already made up her mind. “I will go with you.”

Fuego looked at Shakari briefly, then back at the other two. “Same. Fuck those slavers, let’s do this.”

Shakari was glad to hear Fuego would be joining them, she quite enjoyed his company. Plus, she felt more comfortable in general traveling with people who didn’t like slavers. The ones she’d fought in the deserts of her home were always ruthless and violent, and they would fester like poison anywhere they went. She would be more than happy to stop such people from hurting anyone else.

As her mind wandered to her past experiences, her eyes caught one of the other mercenaries, Alejandro, leaning against a wall not far away. Shakari had seen him talking to Faulkron the previous day, and she assumed they knew each other. He was staring somewhere past the group, deep in thought. Shakari raised a scaled brow, watching him for a moment as he appeared to make up his mind about something, and strode forward, his eyes shifting to meet theirs.

“Buenos días, friends. I couldn’t help but overhear a little, have you found a contract?”

Faulkron’s eyes flicked over to Alejandro, surprise crossing his features at first, followed by a smile that was quickly smothered.

“Oh! Yes, we have. Ahem. Yeah, we’re headed to Koretion to deal with a group of slavers that are causing problems near there. Why?”

Shakari saw something in Alejandro’s eyes harden at the mention of the slavers, and his smiled faltered slightly. Something in his eyes she recognized, an immediate hostility, probably not unlike her own reaction. But there was something else there too, something deeper, a pain she could not decipher.

“I see.”

Fuego spoke up, grinning. “Yeah, we’re gonna fuck ‘em up. They don’t stand a chance.”

Alejandro chuckled slightly. “If it is not too late, I would like to come with you. I would take a great joy in getting rid of those assholes as well, if you’d have me?”

Jetra smiled, and Faulkron looked to the others briefly before turning back to Alejandro. “We’d gladly take another blade.”

Alejandro smiled at Faulkron. “Great. When are we leaving?”

Faulkron gestured around to the group. “As soon as we can. We’re already ready, most of us travel light.”

Alejandro smiled. “So do I. I do have to do one thing first, but I will meet you when I am ready.”

“Okay then, cool. I’ll be at the southern gate, once we’re all there we’ll go,” Jetra said as she grabbed her map.

“Fantástico. I will not be long.”

•••

Overall, Alejandro was pretty happy with how it all went. Was his decision impulsive? Yes. But he would be lying if he said it didn’t excite him. Now to finalize it, and be free of this city.

He strode his way toward Elikon’s quarters, dodging through the other stirring mercenaries as he went. He pushed aside the patterned curtain and walked in, attempting to hide the thrill he was feeling. “Elikon!”

Within a few seconds, the massive woman ducked through the doorway from her personal chambers. She smiled seeing him, and finished off a cup of water, placing it on her desk as she stood across from him. “Alejandro! Good morning, how are you?”

“I am doing fine, commander.”

“Good to hear. What did you need?”

Alejandro took a deep breath before he spoke. “I am leaving.”

“Leaving? Like on a contract, or leaving the company?”

“Leaving the company. With all due respect, I am in need of a change of pace.”

“Ah, that’s what it is. I understand. Ya know, you’re young, you got a lot of time to figure yourself out. Just make sure to take care of yourself, ain’t nobody been a hero without doin’ that.”

“Of course. I will.”

“Then may your road be gentle and the winds blow in your favor, Alejandro. Good luck, and goodbye.”

“Thank you, Elikon. You as well.” Handing over his medallion that signified his membership in the Icaon mercenaries, he walked out of the building and headed to pack his things, and then started for the south gate. It was time for something new.

•••

Faulkron didn’t realize he and Alejandro would be going to the same place after the little group meeting, so he waited for him to leave again before going into Elikon’s quarters.

As he pushed aside the curtain, still slightly sore from the fight the day before, he saw Elikon standing over her desk, closing a small wooden box full of medallions like the ones the mercenaries wore. She turned back around at the sound of his entry, grinning at the sight of him. “Ah, Faulkron. Did you sleep well after yesterday?”

“I did.”

“Good, good. What brings you visiting then? Did ya change your mind about joining up? There’s a new vacancy.”

“Unfortunately, no. I just wanted some... advice, I guess.”

“Oh, really now? What sort of advice do you need?”

Faulkron thought for a moment. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was here, but Elikon seemed to be a knowledgeable woman, and he was still very new here. It had seemed like a good idea to talk to her before he just ran off into a new land.

“Just general things. About mercenary work, or any dangerous monsters or people I should avoid here? I don’t know... what do you tell new recruits?”

Elikon paused for a moment, scanning his face. Faulkron started to wonder if he should leave, if this was a bad idea, but before he could turn around to leave she spoke. When she did, it was a lot quieter and less energetic than she had before.

“There are many, many monsters in this world. Some of them are just shitty people, some of them are terrifying behemoths that can rip you limb from limb. This profession is a dangerous one. No one just does this for fun. We’ve all got our issues, I see it in every person that comes through here. In the others who you spoke to, even in you. All I have to say, as I always have, is take care of yourself. No amount of skill can save you when you’re staring down death if you don’t take care of yourself. I’ve seen what happens. People don’t come back.”

Faulkron nodded, caught off-guard by the sudden intensity. He started to back away, still processing what she’d said. “Right. Okay. Um, thank you for the... advice.”

“Good luck wherever you’re going, Faulkron.”

“Thanks.”

As he walked out, he pondered Elikon’s words. In the end, he figured she was probably right. If he died from something stupid, what would be the point in all this? He knew it was dangerous to be a mercenary, he was ready for that. Taking care of himself wasn’t that hard, really. He didn’t need much. Food, water, sleep. Even then sleep wasn’t a big deal. He could skip on it if necessary. He could deal with all of those things. Other than that, all he needed to do was keep traveling and fighting and training, and he’d make a name for himself. He was sure of it. Now, he supposed, all there was left to do was to begin.

He made his way over to the southern gate, stopping by the market for extra food on the way. He had to admit, he already liked the fruits and new dishes in Leinos far more than what they’d had in the small town he’d grown up in.

When he arrived, he could see the others had already gathered, except Alejandro. Before very long, Alejandro came walking towards them as well, and they all gathered themselves a moment, before setting off on the dusty road.

According to Jetra, it was about 7 days’ travel south to Koretion.

As the sun traced its path across the sky that first afternoon, it found the five companions lost in thoughts of the path ahead. Before too long, however, a conversation was struck up, and the long hours became that much more bearable.

With the sun beginning to set, the 5 stopped for the day, setting up a small camp off the side of the road, within a copse of small trees. As they all settled down, the two moons and distant worlds became visible in the clear night sky, shedding a dim light across their resting forms.

Once the other three had gone to sleep, leaving Faulkron and Alejandro on watch, Faulkron began to brush his hands through the long grass. As he looked around, he could see the vibrantly colored flowers and grasses let their hues show even in only the soft light of the night. He’d always been able to see through even the thickest shadows, a benefit of being a dark elf, and so he always found the night far more striking in its beauty than the day. As he looked around, many of the plants and flowers were unfamiliar to him, but he would be lying if he said feeling land again wasn’t comforting after long months at sea.

As the night went on, a question began to form in the back of his mind. It was silent, and he let himself think for a while. However, not having an answer, he decided he’d rather talk about something than nothing, and so he quietly shifted himself over to Alejandro. Alejandro was staring down in the direction of the road and out to the horizon, absentmindedly stroking his chin as he stoked the gently glowing embers of their fire.

“Hey, Alejandro.”

“Hola, ¿qué tal?”

“I was only wondering... what made you come with us? You didn’t have to, you know.”

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d ask. It... let’s just say I find you interesting and I hate slavers. It was convenient.”

Faulkron studied his features in the dim light. He couldn’t tell what to think of being called “interesting” whatever that was supposed to mean, but he liked it, and he certainly wasn’t complaining that Alejandro had come along.

“Well, I’m glad you decided to join us.”

“So am I, Faulkron.”

There was a twinkle in Alejandro’s green eyes that caught Faulkron’s gaze. This was something more to him, that was for sure. Their eyes stayed locked, perhaps a little longer than they should have, but with his question answered, as well as some new questions to boot, Faulkron thanked Alejandro and turned his eyes back onto the surrounding landscape.

With the dawn of the second day, the group continued their journey along the road . As they got further from Corias, the road began to wind and branch, until it was barely a path through the high grasses and brush. Jetra was confident in her navigation, though, and so they followed her onward.

The third day came and went, heavy and hot with sun. It was unfortunately timed, as the road passed through miles of plains that day, and few trees were there to offer their shade.

Faulkron was fine with a bit of heat, the summers in the dry hills and steppes of the Unterras weren’t exactly mild. What he did resent was the brightness of the sun. He found that as he traveled more and more, he was left with headaches when the days had been too bright. It wasn’t enough to keep him down, but it was certainly annoying. He suspected he might have to suffer such a headache today.

Among all of them, even Fuego, Shakari seemed the most comfortable as they traveled that morning. Their gaze seemed unaffected by the blistering sun, and they strode through the heat as if it were a cool breeze.

Seeing the struggle of the others, she seemed to realize her oversight, and explained, “Oh. Oh no. My apologies, my people have lived in a sweltering desert for thousands of years. These—“ she pointed to obsidian-black scales that lined her eyes “—help me see regardless of sun. And my scales release heat far easier than your skin. We have many ways of keeping cool, including for outsiders. I can help you all, if you wish.”

Four sweaty faces eagerly nodded back at them. With Shakari’s help, the rest of the day was far more manageable.

Hours passed, the orange sun dipped down past the horizon, and another day came to a close.

The fourth day of travel on the path was a little more comfortable, and the sky was painted with colorful clouds that broke up the sunlight as it shone down on the five travelers. The trees began to increase slightly in frequency, occasionally crowning the hills the group crossed with their roots and canopies.

In between navigating with her map and leading the group, Jetra occasionally looked to the sky, humming a tune as she looked to the heavens.

Faulkron, walking beside her, became curious after hearing the same notes a few times. “What song is that?”

Jetra was startled out of her reverie. “Oh! It’s just something my parents taught me. I always think of it when the sky’s like this.”

“That’s cool. What’s it about?”

Jetra laughed, smiling fondly. “It’s an old song about an angel who became enamored with our world. She fell in love with the beauty of the sky especially, and eventually gave up her home in the celestial realms to live here. It’s a favorite of mine.”

“Oh. Interesting. I’ve never heard of something like that before.”

“Yeah, it’s quite the story. Do you want to hear it?”

“Sure.”

Smiling with barely constrained excitement, Jetra handed off the map to Faulkron, grabbing her lyre. As they all walked, Jetra began to play a soft melody, and then she began to sing. The words rolled off of her lips with practiced ease, and her eyes closed as she sang, her voice echoing around them. She sang with a deep passion and energy, and the other four fell silent as they listened, enraptured by the performance, almost like magic.

That night, as they all stared at the stars, they felt a comfort in their hearts. Faulkron swore he could still hear the gentle sounds of soft music lulling them to rest. They all slept soundly that night, as if they were lying on the softest of blankets.

The sun’s light cast through the clouds and tree branches the next morning, and fell across the rocks and hills like liquid gold.

As the companions continued their journey that day, the ups and downs of the hills got steeper, and the rocks and trees got bigger and more frequent again. The road got even rougher, but Jetra assured the others this meant they were getting closer, and so they continued forward. With the onset of evening, the clouds that had streaked across the sky collected, and the smell of rain pervaded the air.

As the summer storm rolled in that evening, most of the companions hurried to find cover. For a while though, Shakari simply stood in the rain, taking deep breaths and letting the water run down her scales. Before too long though, she too huddled around Fuego’s magically fueled flames. In time, the pattering of the rain soothed them all to sleep.

What little could be seen of the dawn on the sixth day shone down in rays of light across the dew-coated landscape. Alejandro and Faulkron woke up lying against one another by what remained of the fire. There was a brief moment of awkward realization before they scrambled away from each other.

Faulkron cleared his throat and started grabbing for his things. “Ah. Well. Better get ready for the day, you know? Gotta be, um, prepared.”

“Sí, sí, of course.”

Faulkron stayed extra focused on where they were going that day. Suddenly, studying the rocks was preferable to focusing on the man walking a few paces back.

They kept up their trek, and by afternoon the clouds had cleared from the previous night. As the sun began to set, it illuminated a lone cart coming up the path toward the group. A merchant was heading in their direction as night began to fall.

She raised waved as she approached their fire, calling out to the group “Hello there, adventurers! Mind if I share your fire?”

As she stepped into the light, she pulled her horse & cart along behind her. She was short and dark skinned, her hair shaved close to her head. She had long pointed ears draped with thin chains, and shimmering irises, belying elvish ancestry.

There was a shared look among the group, but before anything could be said, Fuego waved his hand to the fire, causing it to burn slightly brighter. “Of course!” he beamed. “We’d be glad to have you.”

“Wonderful!” said the woman, her ears rotating downward with elation as she smiled.

They spent the rest of the evening getting friendly with the merchant, who revealed her name to be Aranya. While Fuego and Shakari admired the jewelry she sold, Jetra, Alejandro, and Faulkron entertained her by the fire.

Eventually, as the night wore on, the adventurers began to head to sleep. When only Fuego and Faulkron remained awake for their watch, Aranya’s demeanor changed. She looked to the dark woods and hills with suspicion and fear. Fuego and Faulkron exchanged a look. Fuego walked over to Aranya, standing in front of her as she sat against her cart wrapped in a blanket, concern on his face.

“Hey. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes. I’m just... worrying. I mean, you’re adventurers, right? I’m sure you know about the bandits.”

Fuego’s mouth split into a grin. “We do! We’re here to get rid of them.”

“Oh, oh that’s great! Thank the gods. I’m sure you already know, but... they are not good people. Dangerous. Vicious. Greedy. I left Koretion because I was worried they would come for me. That’s half of why I wanted to camp with you all, it seemed safer than sleeping alone. They prowl these hills all the time, especially at night. And, ah, my thanks for your protection, of course.”

“Well, ya know. Least we could do.”

“Thank you.”

As the merchant laid down to sleep, Fuego made his way back over to Faulkron.

“Damn, these people are bad. We gotta get rid of ‘em.”

“Yeah Fuego, that’s why we’re here.”

“I know, I know. She just... she’s terrified. These slavers are no joke.”

With the final shreds of sunlight long gone, the night wore on, and the fire died out, leaving them in darkness to await what the next day would bring.

When the group had awoke and Aranya had headed on northward, Faulkron and Fuego shared what the merchant had told them.

Alejandro, after hearing of Aranya’s fear, set his jaw and gripped the hilt of one of his blades. “We’ll just have to keep a keen eye,” he said, his eyes scanning the surrounding scenery.

“Agreed,” Jetra nodded once to the group, strapping her sword on her back. “Be ready to kick ass.”

Weapons sharp and at the ready, the five companions pushed on through the rocky hills. As the hills got steeper and more crags of rock began to block their path, the trees began to thicken. All Faulkron could think was that it really was a perfect place for bandits to operate, with all the places to hide and set up ambushes.

Later that afternoon, as the group followed the road, it began to lead down between two rocky hillside outcroppings, craving through the terrain like a miniature canyon. Jetra and Faulkron looked at each other briefly, the meaning of their expressions clear. Now this was the perfect place for an ambush. Before Fuego could march forward without care, Faulkron put a hand in front of him. “Wait! Not yet. Rushing in there looks like a great way to get killed if we’re not careful.”

Faulkron scanned the trees and rocks, looking for any signs of movement. Jetra seemed to be doing the same, and it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath. As Faulkron kneeled closer to the ground, he thought back to his time wandering the wilder lands around his home in his spare time, or tracking down missing livestock. Searching the brush and rock, he found what he was looking for. With a bit of cautious satisfaction, he pointed it out to the rest of the group. “Multiple somethings have come this way, and recently. Hard to tell, but they’re big enough to be bandits.”

“Well, if they’d seen us already, I think they would have reacted, so we might still have the element of surprise,” Alejandro whispered, drawing one of his swords.

“True. So what’s the plan then?” Faulkron asked, looking to Jetra as he drew his own blade.

“I can sneak around and help take them out before they see us,” Fuego offered, grinning as he drew his scimitar and his fingertips began to glow with heat.

Jetra scanned the area another time before responding, “Good idea. Careful with the fire though, I’d rather not be burned alive before we even get there.”

Fuego, suddenly solemn, paused. “You have my word.”

Faulkron raised an eyebrow, but now wasn’t the time.

Taking a deep breath, Jetra turned to the rest of them. “I can be a distraction. I’ll pretend to be a cheery singing traveler. My music is my also my magic, but they won’t realize the difference ‘til it’s too late. Fuego can go along the hillsides, and once he gives me the signal, I’ll head in. What about you three?”

Faulkron thought for a moment. “I’ll go around the other side from Fuego and wait to surprise them. Ambush them before they can ambush us.”

Shakari hummed a low growl, “I will accompany you, Jetra.”

“And I will join you,” Alejandro said, looking at Faulkron.

“Great. Let’s do this.”

•••

As Fuego crept forward, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He had to be very careful with his aim. The last thing he wanted to do was start a forest fire and let his new friends down.

Before long, he spotted the first bandit hiding in the brush. They were waiting with daggers in hand, ready to leap down onto any unsuspecting travelers. Well, surprise surprise, the travelers were suspecting, and this bandit had no idea.

As Fuego moved closer, he could make out more of the details of the bandit. They wore a helmet with a gray crest on top, and they even had a length of chain around their torsos. Fuego nearly scoffed. Seemed like a bit much for a bunch of bandits to him.

He quietly climbed up into the treetops, blade out and glowing hot as he charged it with warmth. He was once again glad for his size, as he wasn’t sure what he’d do with himself if he was as big and unwieldy as the others. As he crept over the bandit’s head, he turned back to where the others were waiting. He lit a small fire in his hand as he perched on the branch, willing it dimmer so it was barely more than a candlelight. He hoped it was enough for them to see.

He watched with a smile as within seconds two figures began walking down the path. Fuego watched the bandit’s head turn, and took his chance. He dropped from the trees, landing in front of the bandit.

“Boo.”

The surprised expression on their face never turned into a shout, as Fuego’s blade slashed across their throat. Before the bandit could try anything, they collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, music began to echo through the trees.

As Jetra and Shakari walked along the path in false obliviousness, Fuego could see about 8 more bandits peek out from hiding spots along the road, weapons ready.

He felt a thrill rush through him at the realization that they had no idea what was about to happen, and let loose a woop as he leaped up, swung from a branch, and launched himself over the road next to the nearest bandit, blasts of fiery magic screaming from his hand into their chest as he soared, sending the now smoldering bandit tumbling backwards, unmoving.

At the sudden noise, all the bandits turned in Fuego’s direction. This proved to be a mistake, as before they could do anything, two more figures rushed them from the foliage. A swing from Faulkron’s sword sent one tumbling down onto the road, blood scattering on the rocks. There were two quick flashes of Alejandro’s blades as he danced through the trees, and one more bandit collapsed, blood pouring from their neck and stomach.

On the road below, Jetra’s music changed. She began to hum, and the tone amplified, and became deeper until it was barely audible. Fuego could feel the vibrations in his bones, and then beneath his feet, as the ground began to tremble. The rocky side of the road began to rumble, and a mini landslide tumbled down into the path, crushing the bandit who’d been lying there and sending 3 more of the bandits after them. The bandits who had just fallen started to get up, but as they looked up, their gazes were met by blue draconic eyes. Shakari looked down on the bandits as they started trying to run away, and the smell of storms filled the air. Lightning crackled along her teeth, scales, and horns, before blasting out of her mouth with a roar, blasting two of the terrified bandits onto the ground, lightly smoking. Fuego only grinned as his hair fell back down after the static, having seen the Shakari’s draconic nature in action before.

The one bandit who had avoided Shakari’s dragon-breath scrambled for the rocks in a desperate attempt to get back to the cover of the forest, climbing desperately up the newly made rockslide. Before they could get anywhere, though, Fuego threw a bolt of fire that knocked them back off the rocks, their leather armor burnt and charred as they cried out and then fell silent.

Faulkron ran towards the final two bandits, bringing his sword around toward the closest one. The sound of clashing metal rang out as the bandit, scared shitless as they were, managed to block his strike. Unfortunately, that left them vulnerable to Alejandro’s blades. The first sword pierced the armor of the bandit’s back, and the bandit looked at Faulkron with a shocked expression, before their throat was slit from behind, and their body tossed to the ground. Alejandro flicked blood off of his blade and winked at Faulkron, before turning to face the final bandit.

The bandit looked around at their fallen fellows, pissed themself, and promptly turned tail and fled. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t get very far.

Shakari leaped up onto the outcropping, climbing over the rockslide. They began chanting under their breath as arcane lightning charged along their blade and magical symbols began to swirl in the air around them. As they swung, an arc of lightning lashed out, and a boom of thunder like the crack of a whip sounded, sending the bandit flying into the underbrush. The symbols that had swirled in the air around Shakari faded, and the forest quieted once again.

•••

Faulkron suddenly felt far smaller than he had a few minutes ago. As he had watched the others unleash their magic, he realized the power he’d just witnessed. He didn’t fully know what to make of it yet, but these were good allies to have, judging by what just happened. He hadn’t seen this much magic happen at once, and certainly not in combat. It was... new.

Quieting his mind, he followed as the group navigated through the cascaded rocks, down to the path once more. As the group started to move the bodies off of the road and search the area for further clues, Faulkron stopped to look at Alejandro.

Alejandro had been silent since the battle, his face contemplative and his eyes intense. When Faulkron turned to him now, he was searching one of the bandits’ bodies in an almost frantic fashion. Faulkron watched for a few seconds as Alejandro searched, before Alejandro found whatever it was and quickly grabbed it from the corpse. Faulkron watched as Alejandro’s face fell, then steeled. Before Faulkron could get any closer, Alejandro stood up, his grip tight on his blade and holding the thing in his other hand. Either not noticing or not acknowledging Faulkron, he dragged the body further into the foliage, dropped it roughly, and walked off.

Gathered once more in the road, the group paused for a moment, looking at each other.

“That was great, guys. What a fight! We got them good,” grinned Fuego, breaking the silence.

“That we did,” Alejandro agreed.

“Well, we can celebrate the first step to getting rid of these guys tonight when we camp. I brought booze,” offered Jetra, a wide smile on her face.

Faulkron laughed despite himself. “Good idea. Let’s, you know, actually make camp first, though. There might be more nearby, so we should probably leave.”

Shakari nodded, gesturing to an area above the road. “I found some tracks up there. Might be from these ones or others. This place is probably an ambush hotspot. Regardless, it’s a bad place to be stuck in.”

“Exactly. Let’s get going, shall we?”

For the rest of the afternoon, they moved gently along the road, keeping a careful eye for any further ambushes. By the time night fell, Jetra assured them all that Koretion was only about half a day’s travel away. She was also significantly buzzed by the time night fell, having busted out the wine an hour or so beforehand. As they sat around their fire that night, flasks of wine in hand, Jetra grinned and stood suddenly.

“A toast... to kicking ass!” She shouted, raising her flask into the air.

Fuego smiled as well, standing and raising his cup, sloshing a bit out in his eagerness. “To kicking ass!”

Faulkron raised his cup as well as they all joined in.

As he lay his head down to sleep that night, he felt strange. The warmth of the fire was washing over him, and he felt his guard crumble just a little. It was scary. He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, with these people, but he suddenly trusted them that much more. It was an odd and unexpected connection.

While he laid there, waiting for sleep to come, he heard a movement and a shuffling. Opening his eyes slightly, he watched as Alejandro stood up from his watch with Shakari, walking past Faulkron and to the edge of the firelight. He stood there for a bit appearing to be thinking or mumbling to himself, Faulkron couldn’t be sure. A few minutes later, Alejandro took a small bag from his pouch, taking what looked like... coins? It was something similar at least, and as Alejandro looked down at the objects in his hand, Faulkron almost couldn’t see it, but his eyes caught the hint of light against the dark, a few tears rolling down Alejandro’s cheeks. Alejandro wiped them away quickly before turning around, his face stoic, but eyes filled with fear and anger. In the glimpse Faulkron had before he closed his eyes again, he saw a toughness, but not that of a warrior. It reminded Faulkron far more of a cornered animal.

Sleep took even longer to reach him that night, his mind once again full of questions.