Chapter 5
The trio crouched underneath the crumpled opening to inspect the unconscious girl who lay within the meteor-like rock, its gentle hum audible from inside. Hayzel traced the boulder's edge, its glow pulsing with colors no mana could claim, like a wound in the sky. The girl was about 5 foot 5 inches tall with short blonde hair, though her bangs nearly covered her eyes. She wore some kind of white hooded sweater, a blue skirt with black tights, and white, oddly shaped shoes. Her glasses rested on her chest as she lay there, unharmed by the impact. Her hand twitched, gripping a sleek, rectangular object embedded in her pocket.
"What are those garments?" Tengune wondered, eyeing the sweater's strange fabric. "No leather or linen—looks too soft for armor."
"Too flimsy for travel," Hayzel added, frowning. "No race crafts gear like that. Where's she from?"
"Doesn't matter," Omaar scoffed. "Her skirt's useless in a fight—probably some pampered noble's daughter."
"So… Do you know what she is, Hayzel?" Tengune asked. "She looks like an elf."
"Yeah, but look at her ears," Hayzel observed. "They're short and round, not long and pointed."
"Maybe it's some kind of deformity," Tengune proposed, "like my heads."
"If it was, I feel it would be more common," Hayzel pondered. "Elvish deformities usually don't change the ear's shape this drastically."
"Whatever she is, it looks like trouble," Omaar sneered. "We best be on our way."
"We can't just leave her here," Tengune argued.
"Yes, we can," Omaar affirmed. "It's easy, just leave, see? We even have a new path to go down," pointing at the underground passageway opened by the blast.
"What if she needs help? What if she's vulnerable?" Tengune stated, trying to nudge her to get a reaction.
"Then I'm sure one of the many hospitable wildlife would be happy to accommodate her," Omaar smirked.
"While I'd normally help, she came in on a falling comet," Hayzel agreed. "She could be dangerous, and we're in no position to fight."
"Are you serious?" Tengune laughed. "Look at her, she's harmless."
They all took a moment to gaze at her, and Omaar stared at Tengune with a side eye. "I always knew you had a thing for elves," he snickered.
"What!?" Tengune blushed, fur standing up. "It's not that… it's… well…"
"Tengune, are you serious?" Hayzel sighed, gazing at Tengune disappointed. "Well, I hear puberty for caniforms is pretty rough."
"If you get me killed 'cause you're love struck," Omaar threatened, "I hope it'll be worth me haunting you from the grave."
"Everybody, quiet!" Tengune howled as the two giggled. "I know we should be cautious, but we could gain a lot from helping."
"Like what?" Omaar inquired.
"She's a girl who came from a falling comet," Tengune explained. "She could have incredibly useful knowledge."
"I'm in!" Hayzel agreed, instantly swayed as Omaar shrugged and began walking to the tunnel.
Tengune sighed with relief. "She doesn't look like she'll wake anytime soon," he observed. "We'll have to carry her."
"We?" Hayzel chuckled. "She's much too large for my meager frame, and since this was your idea…"
"Yeah, yeah," Tengune sighed as he pulled her off the hard rock, the hum finally fading, and hoisted her on his back, then began walking with Hayzel as she held his staff and tome. They stood outside the tunnel, its cold passageway dark and unlit. A low groan echoed from the tunnel, drawing Omaar's wary glance. "Something's down there," he muttered. Hayzel takes a lantern from her back but it falls apart completely as she takes it out.
"It was damaged in the blast," Hayzel mourns.
"You wanna hold her for me so I can light the way?" Tengune suggests smiling.
"No, my hands are full" Omaar smiles back, nudging his sack of loot "I'll take my chances in the dark."
"Well lets go" Hayzel mutters trying to sound optimistic as the three enter the tunnel shrouded in darkness once more.
The trio walked down the dark tunnel, only the echo of footsteps and the clinking of Omaar's sack breaking the silence. They moved steadily, feeling their way through the blackness. "It's pitch black," Hayzel complained. "I can't see a thing down here."
"We just keep going forward," Tengune affirmed. "It seems we're going down."
"This tunnel was man-made, it seems," Omaar noted, "but why no torches?"
"Likely the Aetherions hid it," Hayzel deduced, "or whatever lies at its end."
"Do you think the gnolls escaped through here?" Tengune asked.
"Unlikely," Hayzel replied. "The keep was built over this passage. The comet revealed it."
"I smell treasure," Omaar said, his voice sharp with greed.
"When do you not?" Tengune sighed. A loud groan stirred the air. The trio froze as it faded.
"What was that?" Tengune whispered.
"Nothing good," Hayzel said, sweating. A giant elliptical eye opened in the tunnel's side, locking onto them. The beast's scales scraped the walls, its serpentine bulk filling the passage, jagged spines glinting faintly. It groaned, the tunnel quaking.
"Run," Omaar hissed. They bolted as the tunnel began to collapse. A crash behind nearly unbalanced them. Though unseen, they felt it—hunted. Omaar and Tengune lagged, weighed by the sack and the girl.
"Omaar, drop the sack!" Tengune yelled.
"I'll drop it when you drop the girl!" Omaar snapped.
"They're not comparable!" Tengune roared.
"They are to me," Omaar retorted.
"Enough!" Hayzel panted. "Omaar, the Valkyrie—it might slow it." Omaar grabbed the Valkyrie, aimed, and fired. The bullet ricocheted, skimming past as he ducked.
"Brilliant plan," he snarled, pocketing it. "Any more?"
They sprinted on, the beast's groans closer. "Omaar, take her. I need flame," Tengune pleaded, feet dragging.
"Hand her over, and I'll cast her to the beast," Omaar said coldly. "We'd all survive."
"Think of others for once!" Hayzel cried.
"I am," Omaar countered. "Sacrifice her, and we live. That's logical."
"It's gaining," Tengune warned. "We'll die here, understand?" Omaar gritted his teeth, clutching his sack.
"They never understand," he muttered. "How are their minds so feeble? How do they not grasp it?"
"Omaar, now!" Hayzel screamed, her strides faltering.
"Am I missing something?" he thought. "Why do they care? Why don't they understand?"
Omaar roared, hurling the sack into the beast's jaws. "Hand over the burden!" he demanded. As Tengune passed the girl, she stirred, mumbling incoherently, her words lost amid crumbling rocks. Omaar caught her, grimacing. Tengune, without his tome in the dark, wove runes by memory. His hand blazed, blood dripping from his nose—one shot. He paused, steadying his breath, then blasted the beast. Its eye flinched at the light, wincing but pressing closer, slowed but undeterred.
"She's fodder," Omaar growled.
"No!" Tengune shouted, shoving Omaar against the wall, now the beast's breath hot on them.
"I see light!" Hayzel yelled, pointing. A blinding glow ahead illuminated them. They dove out as the beast's jaws clamped shut, wincing at the light and retreating. The trio lay panting in the light, the tunnel's darkness swallowing the beast's groans.
Omaar dropped the girl roughly, pacing, sweating. Tengune rushed over. "Omaar, be gentle," he sighed, lifting her.
"Silence, beast," Omaar spat, glaring, heart pounding. "I've had enough of you."
"For what?" Tengune pleaded. "We escaped."
"Yes, well done," Omaar sneered, clapping mockingly. "At the cost of my haul, my work, all for your pathetic need to play savior."
"You'd trade a life for coin?" Hayzel yelled, gripping her musket.
"Gladly," Omaar said. "This beastman would rather play hero or doom us all in the process."
"That sack was worthless compared to her," Tengune growled, teeth bared. "See reason, Omaar!"
"I see clearly," Omaar laughed. "I lifted you from the dirt, and this is my reward—obstruction."
"You see everything as a debt," Hayzel scorned. "The world isn't your ledger."
"It is," Omaar asserted. "You fools can't grasp it. Coin is everything—health, influence, power. And I'll need it all."
"You'd devour the world for greed?" Tengune snapped.
"As you'd ruin it with your vanity," Omaar shot back.
"This is madness. How can you blame him?" Hayzel roared.
"And you, dwarf, fueling his delusional fantasies," Omaar growled. "Know this, furrling: next time, between you and a single coin, I'll choose the coin." Omaar stormed off, leaving Tengune and Hayzel in silence.
The trio caught their breath, the glow soothing their nerves. They were in a vibrant garden, brightly lit by glow bud flowers hanging from above. The garden was sorted like a pizza, each type of plant in its own section, separated by marble flooring between sections. A glass dome housed the garden, obscuring the outside. They sat in the grass, tending to the girl, ensuring she was unharmed. As Tengune adjusted her, her glasses slipped, revealing a faint frown, as if dreaming.
"Does he usually throw a tantrum like that when things don't go his way?" Hayzel asked.
"Not really," Tengune sighed. "He's usually calm. I've not seen him that mad in a long time."
"He's a greedy fool," Hayzel scoffed. "You're better off without him."
"I know he's cruel, difficult, and selfish," Tengune admitted, "but Omaar, he's… I'd be dead without him. Whenever I lose my way, he's there to drag me back."
"He shows you a path filled with pain," Hayzel argued.
"He also shows me reality," Tengune affirmed. "When we were attacked by that rabbiddo, if he hadn't put himself in harm's way, we'd have died that day."
"Tell me that tale," Hayzel asked. Tengune recounted how they were found and attacked by the rabbiddo in the woods, as well as what happened in the crypt, but he relented to speak of Wyrmwood, citing his inaction as born of doubts. "Interesting, to have been through so much already," Hayzel gasped. "I'm going to talk to him."
"Are you sure about that?" Tengune worried.
"I've handled worse than him," she said, walking off as Tengune started to pick up the girl. She found Omaar in one of the plant sections, staring at a plant with an odd, jagged mouth. "Back, dwarf," Omaar hissed, eyes fixed on the flower as she approached, stopping at a distance. She looked at the flower, its bud attempting to mask its soft, jagged teeth.
"That's a—"
"A soft trap flower," Omaar answered, voice cold.
"You know your flora," Hayzel complimented. "Why? You don't strike me as a gardener."
"What do you want, dwarf?" Omaar snapped. She took a deep breath.
"Why do you stick with Tengune?" she asked. "You two are opposites—Tengune, a good-hearted beastman, and you… just being the worst."
Omaar glared but said nothing.
"Tengune told me how you risked yourself against the rabbiddo," Hayzel continued. "Something tells me you rely on him more than you care to admit."
"Not rely," Omaar corrected, "but yes, he has his uses."
"Even so, that doesn't explain staking your life on it," she pointed out. "You were ready to cast a girl into the jaws of death a moment ago."
"I've no need for extra baggage," Omaar hissed.
"But you need Tengune," Hayzel smiled. "If not, why not cast him off with the girl?"
"What's your point, dwarf?" he growled, hand firmly on his dagger. Hayzel saw but pressed on.
"There's something curious," she stated. "You seem capable of escaping a rabbiddo with your skillset, yet you nearly died. Why?"
No words left Omaar's lips. "More silence," Hayzel smirked. "You know something I've noticed? You always seem to be looking at something. Lost in thought or something has your attention. Always thinking, always scheming. A foul wound plagues your mind."
"You don't know me, dwarf," Omaar hissed.
"No, I don't," she agreed, "but I think you took the blow on purpose—to show Tengune the world's cruelty, to force him out of his hollow state from necessity, to stray his mind from it."
"I don't get your point," Omaar said, voice tight.
"There's more to you than greed, Omaar. You won't admit it," Hayzel said, walking back to Tengune as he hoisted the girl on his back. They prepared to leave the garden, a stone arch framing a shadowed path ahead. Omaar's hand twitched toward his dagger, his jaw tight. "Tsk. A vain circus," he muttered, turning away, as he dragged his feet, following them out the exit.
Tengune's fur bristled as they stepped into a vast, broken city, its name lost to the winds. Hayzel scanned the towering structures, while Omaar lagged, his gaze sharp on rusted, wheeled hulks glinting with cracked glass eyes. Towers of sheer glass and stone pierced a fractured sky, giant stone stalactites looming like a cave's teeth, shrouding the city in an unnatural gray. The sky flickered faintly, as if torn by unseen forces. Many towers leaned or lay shattered, their innards spilling like a slain beast's guts. The hulks, some beside faded signs with strange runes, littered cracked boulevards, iron tracks snaking alongside, their purpose alien. Roads of unnaturally smooth, black stone split, weeds clawing through. Silence pressed down, broken by their cautious steps. Beneath their feet, iron grates covered dark tunnels, their depths unseen. By the Vistula's edge, where waters carved through, stood a red-brick fortress, its walls defiant amidst decay. A weathered mermaid statue leaned nearby, half-crumbled, beside a faded eagle emblem etched into stone. The air carried an ash tang, a haze dimming the stars. Omaar's hand rested on his dagger, wary.
Hayzel stopped, her gaze fixed on the crumbled towers, awe and disbelief silencing her. Tengune paused, his fur bristling with worry as she stood, jaw dropped, taking in the shattered relics of a lost world. Omaar, scanning for threats ahead, froze at the uneasy quiet. Suddenly, Hayzel erupted into a roaring cheer, her voice echoing off the fractured sky, rattling her companions. She crumpled to her knees, laughter mingling with sobs.
"We did it, Mayto," she whispered, pulling a pendant from her shirt and pressing it to her lips with a trembling kiss. "We found it. I just wish you were here."
"Hayzel, what's wrong?" Tengune asked, puzzled, stepping closer. "Are you alright?"
"Thanks to you," she cried, rushing to envelop him in a fierce hug. "Thank you for everything."
"I, uh…" Tengune stammered, chuckling, glancing at Omaar, who watched with a baffled frown. "Alright, there, there."
"Madness has claimed her," Omaar muttered, his eyes narrowing at the ruins. "It's just another heap of broken stones."
"And you, you vile blackguard!" Hayzel grinned, darting toward him. Omaar, caught off guard, was too slow to dodge her tight embrace. Tengune howled with laughter.
"Get off, dwarf!" Omaar barked, shoving weakly, but Hayzel held firm, her face brimming with life. Her gaze met his, and something in her eyes—raw, unguarded—made him shift uncomfortably, his fingers twitching. She released him, and he snapped his head away, muttering, "Whatever."
"Hayzel, what's the big deal?" Tengune asked, smiling warmly.
"This is a special place," Hayzel said, wiping tears. "An ancient civilization, lost for centuries. I've been searching for it my whole life."
"Those old fairy tales?" Omaar scoffed, but his voice wavered. His eyes flicked to her pendant, a calculating glint passing briefly before he looked up, marveling at the towers' grandeur. "You mean… it's real?"
"Yes!" Hayzel affirmed. "I had a sister, Mayto. She poured her heart into researching these mythical places, dreaming of seeing one."
Tengune's gaze wandered to the false sky, awed. "That's why you came here," he deduced. "Your sister's research led you to this place."
"As sharp as ever, my friend," Hayzel said, her eyes gleaming. That word warmed Tengune's heart.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Tengune grinned. "Do what you came to do."
Hayzel's head whipped back and forth, her excited rambles breaking the silence as she darted off, leaving Omaar and Tengune behind. The girl, slung over Tengune's back, stirred, a faint smile flickering as she muttered softly. Tengune watched Hayzel with a gentle smile.
"See, Omaar," Tengune said, nudging him. "Helping others feels good."
"Chasing feelings doesn't fill my purse," Omaar growled, but he hesitated, glancing at the girl's stirring form. "Though… keeping you lot alive might save me trouble later."
"Are you sulking like a child?" Tengune teased, chuckling.
"I'll sulk as long as I please," Omaar snapped, crossing his arms. "I shouldn't have caught that husk."
"But you did," Tengune said, nodding at the girl. "And it wasn't a mistake."
Omaar's eyes lingered on Hayzel's distant figure, then the girl. "A fluke I won't repeat," he said, but his tone lacked its usual bite.
"You need to look beyond yourself," Tengune urged. "Burning every bridge leaves you alone at the top."
"That's the goal" Omaar retorted, but he paused, his fingers brushing his dagger. "Fine. I won't drag your corpse to the guild. For now."
"Fair enough," Tengune said, relenting.
"But mark my words, beast," Omaar added, a smirk creeping in, "I'll make you pay for that stunt."
"You always do," Tengune sighed, starting toward Hayzel. "Admit it, this place is magnificent."
Omaar's gaze lingered on a faded eagle-etched stone near a wheeled hulk, then lifted to the towers. "Yeah," he muttered, his voice softer. A ragged sash, bearing Aetherion's scorched crest, lay unnoticed near a hulk. The trio roamed the relics of the ancient civilization, their steps echoing under the fractured sky. They paused at a rusted, wheeled hulk, its cracked glass eyes glinting faintly, inspecting it closely.
"What's this supposed to be?" Omaar asked, prodding the hulk's frame.
"I'm not sure," Tengune mused, scratching his fur. "It has wheels—maybe a carriage?"
"It has seats," Omaar noted, peering inside. "Four, exactly. That bigger one over there has more."
"Look, that one's different," Tengune said, pointing to a boxy hulk resting on iron tracks. A tattered Aetherion cap snagged on its edge fluttered faintly. "The Aetherions poked through here too."
Hayzel skipped over, her eyes alight. "This place is remarkable," she panted. "It proves my sister's theory."
"What's that?" Tengune asked, curious.
"My sister believed Eldurado is a repaired ancient ruin," Hayzel explained. "Their city blends ancient mastery with their own designs."
"That's a bold claim," Omaar said, raising a brow.
"That's what I thought," Hayzel laughed, gesturing to the tracked hulk. "This wheeled box? It's like a GoldSpeed—moving at incredible speeds without monster labor. Eldurado must have learned it here."
"This thing moves?" Tengune stammered, awed.
"Yes, though Eldurado's are sleeker, built for speed," Hayzel corrected. "Let's keep going."
They moved on, passing sleek black boxes lying dormant, their purpose alien. Scattered parchment with faded runes—Aetherion documents—crumbled underfoot. In a vast open space, run-down conveyor belts stretched beside strange metal hands, frozen in time. Omaar lingered, his fingers brushing a rusted metal, his eyes glinting. "This could churn out riches faster than any guild." as he pictured what this complex would have been in its prime
They paused at the half-crumbled mermaid statue, studying the eagle emblem beneath. Hayzel darted past a half-buried bust of a man with a curled wig, its stone face worn.
Omaar kicked a rusted metal rod from the debris, its shape oddly familiar. "This… it's like a Valkyrie," he said, frowning.
Hayzel's eyes widened. "The Aetherions must've crafted their Valkeries from relics like this, just as Eldurado built their GoldSpeed." She glanced at Tengune. "They explored these ruins, scavenging their secrets."
Tengune nodded, gazing at the stalactites above. "They sought power here, but how long did they know about this?"
They entered the red-brick castle, its halls whispering of a history older than their world, proving to Hayzel this civilization had its own ancient times.
"How many ancient civilizations are there?" Tengune asked.
"While an exact number isn't known, sightings have been reported throughout the world," Hayzel replied.
"Why aren't more people studying this?" Omaar asked, scavenging as he flipped an ornate chair. "Plenty would foam at using all this."
"The guild controls such knowledge," Hayzel stated. "The technology is wondrous but dangerous. It could do great harm in the wrong hands."
They stopped at the castle's balcony, overlooking the city, its grace frozen in time. A sluggish river wound through the ruins, its name lost.
"One moment," Hayzel said, halting. She reached into her bag, pulling out a wrapped, crescent-shaped urn. "In dwarven culture, when one dies, they're returned to the forge and cremated." She clutched the urn tightly. "Their ashes are released in their most sacred place." Unwrapping it, she revealed an ornate horn filled with ashes. Hands shaking, she held it outward, tears welling. "Your job is done, Mayto. Go home now." The ashes rose softly, scattering in the wind, Mayto at one with her labor's fruit. Omaar watched, then nudged Tengune, pointing back the way they came. Tengune nodded, and they left Hayzel alone. She crumpled to her knees, sobbing for a time.
Tengune waited patiently while Omaar paced, tapping his foot.
"Relax, Omaar," Tengune sighed.
"We're wasting time when we could've reached the village by now," Omaar sneered.
Hayzel emerged from the red-brick castle, her face radiant with happiness. "Alright, I think we're done here," she smiled. "Where's the exit?"
"Just over there," Tengune said, pointing to a dark stone tunnel at the city's edge, cut off by the cave wall.
"Another tunnel," Hayzel moaned.
"I doubt there's a giant monster in this one," Omaar smirked. "If there is, do we agree to throw the girl this time?"
"No," Hayzel and Tengune snapped, heading toward the tunnel.
"Fine," Omaar grinned. "You're all going then." Omaar paused, his eyes gazing up at a tattered flag of red and white. "Perhaps that was their banner," he mused, then joined the others.
They reached the tunnel, its end barely visible, and pressed through the darkness, emerging on a hill sheltered by swaying trees under a night sky of shooting stars and a looming full moon. Safe at last, they made camp, lighting a fire as they tended their wounds. Tengune stared at the flames, smiling faintly. That fatal spark, a tool of pure reflection, gave them light. He pulled out an Aetherion journal, reading as he sat beside the girl, who slept soundly but moved more now on the grass. Omaar sharpened his new venomvine dagger, admiring its craftsmanship. Hayzel returned, hair drenched, wearing a buttoned shirt and trousers, sitting on the log beside Omaar. Omaar, perplexed, edged away.
"Wellinggrid's about three hours from here," she said, drying her damp hair with a towel.
"Then why camp?" Omaar grumbled, tossing a black wick into the fire.
"Everyone's tired, Omaar," Hayzel yawned. "We've done a lot today."
"All we've done is waste time," Omaar sneered.
"You just think that 'cause you lost your loot," Hayzel taunted.
"Exactly," Omaar frowned. A pause settled as Hayzel dried her hair, checking its dampness, while Omaar sharpened his blade, glancing aside with deep breaths. Hayzel snickered at his mild frown, but he ignored her.
"Why do you crave gold so much?" she asked.
"Why does a net bug hoard its bounty?" Omaar countered. "I don't need a reason."
"Net bugs have an innate fixation," she explained. "That's why they hoard."
"Nerd," Omaar jabbed.
"Thank you," Hayzel smiled. "True, you don't need a reason, but there is one, isn't there?"
"I do what I want. I want coin, so I get coin," Omaar said, re-tying his belt's leather for the dagger.
"That's a long-winded way of saying it's none of my business," Hayzel laughed.
"You ask a lot of questions," Omaar hissed. "Mind if I hazard one?"
"By all means," Hayzel smirked, folding her towel.
"How did your sister die?" Omaar smirked. Hayzel's expression dropped, her glare sharp. "Oh, too personal?" he said, feigning shock before grinning, turning to his belt.
"Alright," Hayzel huffed, taking a deep breath. Omaar froze, confused, his eyes flickering as if filing her reaction away. "I grew up in Fargroom's dwarven empire with my sister, a scholar unmatched. She joined the Home of Knowledge for her research. But during a time of strife between Fargroom, Daluhan, and the orcs, she returned. The orcs raided our village. She ran to save me, only to find it in ruins and be struck down in that cold snow."
"For a scholar, your sister was a fool," Omaar smirked, "running into a warzone like a blind gnat, meeting steel. What else could she expect?"
"I understand Tengune better now," Hayzel muttered. "He doesn't excuse your crudeness—he's just used to it."
"Well, maybe you can compensate me for my lost loot," Omaar nudged.
"Goodnight, Omaar," she said, hopping off the log, slipping into her sleeping bag, and shutting her eyes. Omaar scoffed, walking to Tengune as Hayzel's mind stormed.
"We leave at first light," Omaar said. "The baggage hasn't awoken yet."
"Faint mutters, but nothing clear," Tengune mused, eyes on the journal. "This is—"
Omaar tapped Tengune's shoulder, pointing to the girl stirring aggressively. She muttered fiercely, "I'll gun 'em all down, every last one of those perverts."
"I'll take the flank," Omaar whispered, clutching his dagger.
"We don't need a weapon," Tengune hissed, approaching.
"Better with one than without," Omaar smirked, as they knelt, watching the girl's eyes flutter open.
She's awake, revealing clear, bright blue eyes. Her vision was blurry as she felt around her chest for her glasses but didn't find them. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she processed the two figures looming above her. Her hands were free. With a swift swing, Omaar dodged, but Tengune was smacked in the face as she clumsily stumbled to her feet, quickly gaining distance from the pair.
"I don't know who y'all are," she shouted, trembling, "but I ain't gonna be kidnapped so easily!"
"Kidnapped?" Tengune stuttered, rubbing his cheek. "No, we carried you here since you were unconscious."
"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "Help! These people are tryin' to kidnap me!"
"Hey, quiet, we're still in the wilds," Tengune hushed. "There's monsters about."
"Oh yeah, Bigfoot's right 'round the corner, I bet," she growled. "Alright, if y'all ain't a bunch of creeps, gimme my glasses. I can't see a thing right now."
Tengune reached down and grabbed her glasses, noting Omaar's expression darken, unimpressed. "Give it a second," he urged, tossing her glasses over. "Your glasses are at your feet." She fumbled around, picking them up and putting them on. Her vision cleared, and she saw them: a wolf-like beastman with three heads and golden fur, and an elf with puffy, cloudy hair. She looked at Tengune, raising a brow. "You meant to be some kinda furry?" she asked sheepishly, smiling. Tengune, confused, glanced at Omaar, who folded his arms, sighing.
"What's that?" Tengune asked. "I'm a beastman."
"Oh, I get it now," she laughed awkwardly, baffling them further. "Y'all're just some real passionate cosplayers."
Omaar's face dropped, and he hung his head low. "My loot," he muttered, slugging off.
"Umm, well, sorry 'bout the commotion," she apologized, red with embarrassment. "I'll make my way home now." She turned but stopped, taking in the trees and the night sky, not a building in sight, and turned back toward Tengune. "Umm, where exactly am I?"
"You're in the central continent, not too far from the Malevian empire," Tengune explained.
"I ain't ever heard of a place like that before," she mumbled, scratching her head. "Please don't tell me I'm in Europe."
"I've never heard of that place before," Tengune laughed. "I know." He pulled out his map and laid it on the grass. "Come, I'll show you." She slowly made her way, cautiously eyeing Omaar as he watched. His disinterested frown stirred a nostalgic pang in her. She crouched beside Tengune as he pointed at the central continent on the map. "We are here," he affirmed. "Now, just point where you're from." But Jessie stared at the map, completely puzzled, trying to make sense of it. "I ain't supposin' America's on here, is it?" she asked.
"Sorry, but I have no clue," Tengune apologized. Suddenly, Hayzel walked over, rubbing her eyes. "What's all the commotion?" she yawned.
Jessie turned around and met Hayzel's gaze. "And a midget," she gasped.
Hayzel, confused, brushed off the statement. "Well, I've definitely never been called that before," she smiled. "So, I suppose you're awake."
"Hayzel, maybe you know," Tengune cut in. "She says she's from a place called America."
"Yeah, y'know, like Texas," Jessie affirmed.
Hayzel thought for a moment while everyone waited in anticipation, Jessie clasping her hands together as if praying.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, sorry," Hayzel apologized, slightly embarrassed.
Jessie's face dropped but sprang back up. "Wait," she halted, patting her pockets and pulling a small, sleek metallic object. She fiddled with it for a moment as everyone watched, puzzled. "Shit, I only got one percent," she cursed. "Y'all wouldn't happen to have an iPhone charger, would ya?" The trio looked at her, confused again, as she sighed and began holding the object above her. They saw it emitting light. "Ain't no signal out here, goddamnit!" Suddenly, the light went out, and her face dropped. She paced back and forth, panicking. "I know what this is," she muttered. "It's like one of them TV shows my brother used to watch." Her eyes snapped to Tengune, causing him to jump a little. "Hey, can I try somethin'?" she asked.
"Umm, sure," Tengune accepted. She slowly walked over, reaching out her arms. Tengune stood, concerned, and Omaar readied his dagger. She grabbed Tengune's face and began to pull upward. "Ow, hey, that hurts!" he yelled, holding his fur as she released him. She froze, breath quickening, eyes darting around. "Oh no," she mumbled, clutching her head as she panicked. "Oh, I'm fucked, I'm so fucked." She crumbled to her knees, crying. "I ain't got no one but a bunch of strangers. They're all so much more'n me, and I can't do this!"
Tengune walked forward, smiling, and reached out his hand. "I don't know what's going on," he said gently, "but I know you're lost. We can help you find your way back."
"So you mean to take on another burden," Omaar sneered, his eyes narrowing as Jessie hung her head, shivering nervously, her mannerisms telling. "We have no need for dead weight."
Tengune watched as Jessie's shoulders slumped further. "She's not dead weight. She can be helpful, too," he argued.
"Alright," Omaar snickered, looking down. "Can you fight?"
"Why would I need to fight?" Jessie questioned, her voice shaky. Omaar smirked at Tengune, who glared.
"The world is filled with perils," Hayzel explained. "You'll need to know how to defend yourself."
"Well, I know a bit of judo," Jessie said sheepishly.
"So, she can't defend herself," Omaar growled, "and she apparently knows nothin'. This was a waste."
"Then we can teach her, help her come to grips with it all," Tengune argued.
"You can help," Omaar corrected, turning to leave. "Don't make your baggage mine."
"Pay him no mind," Tengune smiled, reaching out his hand again. "Don't worry, we'll get you home."
Jessie froze, meeting Tengune's eyes, seeing deep hope, and took his hand, standing. "I'm Tengune," he introduced. "The dwarf over here is Hayzel, the blackguard over there is Omaar." Omaar scoffed as he slipped into the grass. "What is your name?"
she hesitated, biting her tongue as she pressed her lips together but looked at Hayzel who greeted her with a reassuring smile, "Jessie," she mumbled.
"Well, Jessie, I must say I've never seen anyone like you before," Hayzel smiled. "What manner of creature are you?"
"I'm human?" Jessie answered, confused. Tengune looked at Hayzel, who pondered, baffled.
"Don't look at me," Hayzel barked. "I have no clue what that is." Tengune chuckled but saw Jessie was stunned, lost in thought.
"I'm sure you have many questions, Hayzel," Tengune sighed. "But we're all tired right now. Let's get some rest." They nodded as Hayzel slipped into her sleeping bag, and Tengune and Jessie settled. She closed her eyes, shivering, trying to sleep. "Just weighin' people down," she muttered, "even in your dreams."
Jessie joined the party.
The morning peeked out from the horizon, and the trio woke, but Jessie sat sleeping, squirming restlessly. Tengune walked over and nudged her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, panting as they darted in every direction. She calmed as she gazed at Tengune's concerned smile and shakily got to her feet. It wasn't a dream. She put on her glasses and watched as everyone disassembled the campsite, standing fiddling with a blade of grass.
"Hey," she squeaked, "is there anything I can help with?"
"No," Omaar hissed, "you'd only get in the way." She looked back down at the blade of grass in her hand, lips held tight as she frowned. "Yup, reckon so," she muttered. Tengune shot a glare at Omaar before glancing around. "Hey, see those picks in the ground?" Tengune smiled. "Those are warding picks; they keep monsters away from the area. Can you pick them all up?"
"Uh, okay," she stuttered, giving a determined nod as she scurried around picking them all up. Omaar yawned loudly, and Hayzel threw a rock that bounced off the back of his head with a thud, Omaar cursing as he rubbed his scalp. As they got ready to leave, Jessie brought the warding picks over to Tengune, noticing strange glowing blue runes before handing them over. Tengune slotted them into his pouch but heard movement in the bushes. The three gripped their weapons as Tengune ran in front of Jessie, urging her to get back. From the bushes came a Sluggermander, waltzing up to the four: a large, soft-skinned lizard with spots on its back, a giant mouth, and big black eyes. It stopped in front of them, seemingly unbothered. "What the hell is that thing? It's huge!" Jessie gasped.
"It's a Sluggermander," Hayzel explained. "It must have noticed us after we took down the warding picks."
"He's kinda adorable," Jessie smiled. "Is he friendly?"
"While they are relatively docile, I wouldn't recommend getting close to one," Hayzel warned.
"Don't worry, I'm great with animals," she assured, walking up to the monster and kneeling in front of it. "Hey there, litt—" In one fast gulp, it enveloped half of Jessie's body in its mouth, her other end hanging out as silence ensued. Jessie began frantically screaming while Hayzel and Tengune tried to pull her out by her legs. Omaar watched in disgust before sighing, walked up to the monster, and kicked its side, causing it to release her and retreat into the bushes as quickly as it could.
"And she thinks she can talk to monsters," Omaar snickered, walking off. "This is going great."
Jessie sighed as she hung her head, covered in saliva, but Hayzel handed her a towel, smiling. "Well, at least they're basically harmless," she mused, helping Jessie up.
"Let's go," Tengune urged. "We're traveling to a village; it shouldn't be far." Jessie cracked a nervous smile as she lugged herself forward. The four walked down the tranquil tree line as the vapor birds sang, perched on the trees, their mother releasing a faint blue vapor that wrapped around the treetops, glittering. They passed by families of waver elk that flapped their ears at one another, communicating. Jessie marveled at the beauty of it all as Hayzel walked over.
"You said you were from America," she questioned. "Tell me about that place."
"Oh, the United States," she said, rubbing the towel against her as her eyes beginning to darken. "It's the land of the free. It's umm… you know… a place with freedom uh… we got football, bourbon and hotdogs… we also got guns, plenty of guns." She paused for a moment as Hayzel looked on, registering Jessie's worried expression. "It's got problems, but with the greatest military in the world at your side, y'ain't got nothin' to worry 'bout. That's America."
"Though I can't understand most of what you said, it sounds like a great place," Hayzel giggled. "What is the architecture like?"
"You mean the buildings?" Jessie smiled. "Most of 'em are skyscrapers, y'know, tall buildings. Ain't nothin' special, really."
Hayzel's eyes widened at the description, then she lost herself in thought. She opened her mouth to speak but bit her tongue and remained silent.
"I reckon you don't want this back," Jessie mused as she attempted to hand over a towel covered in saliva.
"You can throw that away," Hayzel snickered as they both shared a quiet giggle.
"Finally," Omaar sighed as they exited the trees and entered the grassy fields. They stood at the top of the hill, snaking around to the west in an arc, looking like a grassy crater. To the east, a cluster of mountains stood. In the center of the grassy crater was a river that snaked toward those looming mountains and a tightly packed village: Wellinggrid village.