Chapter 7

After the battle was over, Finn wrapped Luna’s head and leg with thick bandages. I grabbed Herbert and noticed that his branches and leaves were drooping. I couldn't tell if he was tired, depressed, or both. Yet he still managed to point us in the right direction, and we left the mountain through another opening he found inside the skeleton’s cavern. It hadn’t been there before, and I guessed it had opened after the hill was struck by the sword, the vibrations causing massive damage to its structure. I took the lead, with Finn carrying Luna on his back and Zeke bringing up the rear, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

After walking for a while, we found ourselves underneath the blaring sun again, this time at ground level. I looked back and saw the sword I had summoned. It was even bigger than I had assumed, with its handle jutting out from the mountain peak, gleaming in the sunlight. I shrugged and kept walking.

For a while, we walked in absolute silence. The sun beat down relentlessly, like a hammer on our backs as we trudged through the thick forest. At least someone was enjoying it. It seemed like Herbert had started to regain his strength as his branches slowly started getting more upright.

“So,” I said, breaking the heavy silence, “we’re walking back to the Order’s headquarters? That’s our brilliant plan?”

Finn adjusted Luna’s weight and glanced at me. “We’ll get there by tomorrow if we keep up this pace. Besides, the forest isn’t as dangerous during the day.”

"Oh, well, that's reassuring," I replied, rolling my eyes. "What about the whole teleportation thing? You know, the one that dumped us a mile away from our destination last time?”

Finn shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way. It’s a one-way teleportation device.”

“Brilliant,” I scoffed.

I looked at Zeke, who had been full of bravado before the battle and now was uncharacteristically quiet. His cocky demeanor had transformed, replaced by a slump of guilt-ridden shoulders. I slowed my pace enough to fall in step beside him.

“What’s eating at you, kid?” I asked.

He shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? Really? Because from here, it looks like that ‘nothing’ of yours has a guilt complex the size of that sword.”

Zeke sighed heavily. “I screwed up. Luna got hurt because I rushed into the fight without thinking straight.”

“Yeah, you did,” I replied bluntly. His head snapped up, surprise flashing in his eyes. “But wallowing in self-pity won’t help anyone. This was your first real battle. Learn from it. Next time, think before you act. I’m counting on you.”

As I said this, I let my hand on his shoulder in what I hoped was a comforting gesture.

Zeke nodded slowly, his expression softening. “You’re right. I’ll do better.”

He started to move toward the front of the pack, but before he did, he looked back at me and said, "Thank you, Hero."

I stifled a groan when he said that and felt a cringe creeping up my spine.

I'd just repeated something I'd heard in an anime once, but it seemed to cheer him up. I kept quiet about my real motivation, though: I was in no mood to fight. With Finn carrying Luna, and Herbert not completely back to his real self, I needed Zeke to relax. For my peace, I was willing to act like a cliché even if it went against my entire personality.

The journey dragged on, the rhythmic crunch of our boots against the dirt road, the only sound for miles, interrupted only ever so often by a shrill bird call from the canopy around us. The view around us was picturesque, but I was too deep in my thoughts to enjoy it. I was considering my next move. I knew I had promised to try and help the Order defeat the Void, but I hadn’t realized how much walking that would entail.

I remembered Lyra saying that the battle with the Void had been going on for centuries. Maybe if the idiots had fixed their teleportation problem, the whole thing would’ve been over by now. I decided that if it had lasted this long, it could afford to wait a little longer. I needed a short break after the chaos of my first few days in this strange place. Once I’d made up my mind, I looked around and realized that night had already fallen.

We set up camp in a small clearing, and Finn lit a fire. All of us gathered around its flickering warmth, eating dried beef jerky. Luna was asleep, and her complexion seemed far better than before. Zeke volunteered to stand guard, and Herbert lay next to Luna, wrapping his branches around her.

“What’s he doing?”

"He's transferring his energy to her. It would have been dangerous for him directly after the fight, but he's energized now. The process should speed up Luna's recovery," Finn answered.

He assured us that Luna was out of danger and would be completely fine in a few days.

I nodded and tried to fall asleep, but Finn seemed determined to talk, keeping me wide awake.

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“Sam,” he began, his tone serious, “I think it’s about time you embraced your role here. You have a chance to make a real difference. Don’t you want to fight for something bigger than yourself?”

I leaned back against a rock, considering his words. “I’ll help when I can, but let’s not get carried away. I’m not here to be your poster boy for heroism. Find someone else to wave your flag.”

Finn frowned. “You’ve never stood up for something you believed in, something that mattered?”

“I’ve tried,” I said. “Once in college, I joined a protest against the cafeteria food prices. But when I realized it meant standing, shouting, and waving signs for hours, I left and got a Snickers from the vending machine instead. Same outcome, less effort. My days of activism ended before they even started.”

He shook his head, trying to signal his disapproval, but I could see a grin growing on his face. “This isn’t a joke, Sam.”

“I know,” I said, my voice softer. “But being a hero is exhausting, and I’ve only been here a week. Cut me some slack. You Order guys are too demanding.”

Finn didn't reply but kept staring at me with a cryptic expression. His smile never wavered, but his eyes showed disappointment. I didn't know what to make of it, so I laid my head down on the forest floor, trying to catch a few moments of peace before dawn.

As the fire crackled, my gaze drifted upward towards the vast, star-studded sky. The constellations here were unfamiliar, alien patterns that made me feel even more out of place. Somewhere out there, my world still existed, oblivious and uncaring for what I’d been dragged into.

I looked at Finn. He was from the same world as me but seemed to have carved out a place for himself in this place. I found myself wondering again about his dark past that Magister Lyra had hinted at. But it was none of my business, and I dozed off dreaming of a nice beef steak.

The following day, we continued our journey. The forest seemed quieter, almost serene, and for a moment I dared to hope that the world had finally decided to give me a break. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

A figure stepped out from behind a tree, cloaked in black and waving a staff. “Halt, travelers! You stand before the might of the Cult of the Void!” he declared, his voice trembling slightly.

His appearance was strikingly disheveled, his robes way too large as if borrowed from someone else, and the staff's tip was chipped and uneven as if it had been bought from a second-hand shop. Actually, upon a closer look, it suspiciously resembled a repurposed broom handle to me. The man’s hood slipped slightly, revealing a pale, gaunt face with dark circles under his eyes and framed by a bushy red beard. He seemed young, around my age, and the surroundings didn’t help his attempt at menace: sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows that made his stance look more awkward than intimidating.

I sighed in exhaustion and held back Zeke, who had already summoned a fireball in his palms and was all set to launch it. I didn’t want the idiot burning down the forest around us.

The cultist raised his staff high and brought it down hard on the ground. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

We stood there for an awkward moment, staring silently at each other.

I raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

The cultist faltered, his staff lowering a fraction. “It’s… it’s my first day. I forgot what I’m supposed to say next,” he admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, well, in that case," I said, stepping forward and wrapping my arm around him comfortingly. How about a do-over? Go back behind that tree, come out again, and try to sound more intimidating."

The cultist blinked, clearly unsure if I was serious. But after a moment, he nodded and retreated behind the tree. He emerged again, attempting to strike a more menacing pose as we all looked on in mock amusement.

This time, before he could get another word out, I kicked him squarely in the groin. He crumpled to the ground with a high-pitched groan.

“Ouch,” I heard Finn exclaim.

“Was that necessary?” Zeke asked, looking mildly horrified. He was ready to burn the guy to a crisp, but a kick to the groin was too far for him.

“Probably not,” I admitted, “but it was efficient.”

I looked down at the writhing cultist and said to him, “Take my advice and just quit. You’re not cut out for this line of work.”

The rest of the journey passed without incident, and by evening, we followed Herbert's directions. For the second time in three days, I saw myself looking up at the massive tree that hid the Order’s headquarters.

Magister Lyra was waiting for us at the foot of the tree. Next to her stood the red-haired woman from the council, and both of them had stupidly giant grins on their faces. I stifled a groan, anticipating what was in store for me.

“Welcome back. I knew it; you truly were the Chosen One. Come, we must quickly decide your next move and—” she began, but I cut her off.

“Save the speech,” I said, holding up a hand. “Just send me to Spuria. I need a break.”

Lyra stopped; her grin suddenly replaced with a frown. “You promised to be our hero.”

“No,” I corrected her, feeling irritation creep up into my tone. I promised to help. That's a big difference. I never said I would lead your heroic effort. Why don’t you fix your teleportation problems and get back to me? But right now, I need time to myself. Everything in this world has been trying to kill me since I got here. And just so we’re clear, I’m not asking. I’m telling you.”

She hesitated, looked at the red-haired woman, then at Finn, and then back at me. Eventually, she nodded.

"Very well, Champion of the Celestial Veil." She turned to address the other council member, "Please take the trainees to the infirmary.”

The red-haired woman clapped her hands, and the tree began to move, revealing the entrance to the Order's headquarters. She led Finn, Luna, Zeke, and Herbert away, and Finn gave me one last wink as he carried Luna.

“See you soon. Try not to cause too much trouble.”

I couldn’t help but hope that it wouldn’t be the case.

After we were alone, Lyra waved and led me to the entrance.

After another short walk through the shifting corridor, we were at the teleportation chamber again. The room was humming with energy as the mages prepared the spell, still running around as frantically as the last time I had been here. I saw two of them bump into each other and fall to the ground, and the papers they both held flew around the room. The two got up and immediately started quarreling, grabbing each other by the collar. The rest of the mages ran in to separate them, but it devolved into an all-out brawl.

"Your people don't inspire confidence," I told Lyra, who stood thin-lipped next to me.

After a while, the fight broke apart, and the mages returned to work.

When they were done, one of the two mages who had started the fight signaled to me, and I stepped onto the glowing teleportation circle, bracing myself for whatever misfire awaited me this time. As the light started growing around me, I heard Lyra call out my name.

She threw a small bag at me as I looked at her. I grabbed it out of the air and heard a soft clink as I did so.

“Some gold for your journey. And remember, Sam, destiny will find you no matter where you go."

I rolled my eyes but pocketed the pouch. “Thanks for the ominous warning.”

And then, with a flash, I was gone.