"How did you know they weren't beastkin?" Keith asked as they examined the skeletons they had come across a few minutes prior while looking for talisman fragments and the beastkin's team. "You don't know much about anatomy or anything like that."

"I can tell it's obvious they aren't with the beastkin," Nathan told Keith. "There are eight of them."

"There are?" Keith counted the skeletons. "Oh, there are."

"Why do you say they aren't?" Nathan asked. "And don't give me 'because there are eight of them, it was obvious you hadn't even noticed that."

"Their bone structures are different," Keith answered. "For example, the typical human has two hundred six bones in their body, including twelve pairs of ribs, though some individuals have eleven or thirteen pairs instead. The beastkin's bone structure was mostly humanoid, including the count for stuff not involving the tail."

"Did you take Anatomy and Physiology?"

"Yes."

"Why was it called that instead 'Physiology and Anatomy'?"

"Why would they call it that?"

"A and P is the short form," Nathan answered. "Aandp. Why not Panda instead?"

Keith groaned, shaking his head in exasperation at Nathan's thought process on that.

"Anyway," he said. "Our beastkin friend had twelve pairs of ribs, just like us. While these guys have the same sort of humanoid structure, they have fifteen pairs of ribs, which are slightly thinner than ours and the beastkin's. They're also taller, and while their ears are higher up, they aren't as high as the beastkin's. Their tails are different as well, they're thicker at the base, while the beastkin's was almost uniform through."

"Could be another type of beastkin."

"The beastkin didn't have any claws despite likely being some form of cat beastkin," Keith shook his head. "Whatever these were, they had claws. I would say… possibly something lizard-like? Look at their eye sockets as well, they're a little less round and more oval than ours. Same when compared to the beastkin's. They also have six fingers on each hand and seven toes on each foot."

"I think you know more than just from the confused panda."

"I read a book or two on human anatomy," Keith rolled his eyes. "Anyway, as we both agree, these are not with the beastkin, and are likely a separate creature altogether. Not likely to be beastkin, even if still possessing some sort of humanoid form. I take it you want to bury them as well?"

"Yes," Nathan responded, causing Keith to sigh. "Don't give me that. It's respectful to our fallen comrades. They died attempting to complete this Dungeon."

"We still don't know why," Keith said. "They're having us accomplish these tasks. This Dungeon… it was obvious once a civilization, that's the only explanation for the talismans' faded magic. Otherwise, they would've had to have created them, broken them, then let their magics fade over time before sealing it for the Dungeon."

"To restore their old civilizations and purge invasive species," Nathan answered, and Keith blinked a few times. "That's my current theory. The Seed of Life I planted in the Dungeon of the Sandcastle Kingdom had virtually no life outside of the beasts, which likely lived off the sun and sand. The only real life I saw was the garden to plant the Seed of Life in. There have been two other Seed of Life Dungeons that I was able to find records on. According to both, life there was minimal or nonexistent except in the garden in which to place the Seed of Life in that Dungeon. According to Icthvar, the Seed of Life we had was filled with enough life energy it was unreadable.

"He's not able to discern the magics within it beyond that," Nathan continued. "But we discussed the theory that as it's a Seed of Life, it grows into some sort of life-giving plant, and that the Seed of Life Dungeon quest series are them using players to put in the Seeds of Life to start restoring life to those worlds."

"Dying worlds," Keith nodded as he thought that over. "Or worlds where something happened that caused most life to wipe out. That makes sense. Can you sense how much longer it will be before Ichtvar wakes?"

"No," Nathan answered as he pulled a blanket out of his Item Box. "Let's get to work."

Keith nodded, and they began using blankets to pull the skeletons, one at a time, to the rocky place where they had brought the beastkin. It was away from the paths, past a strip of dirt that claimed not even weeds as residents.

"Where do you think all the boars are?" Keith asked.

"It's possible we killed them all," Nathan answered. "And that what few beasts are left here are hiding. There's been at least two groups before us who attempted this, possibly more whose remains we didn't find. If the game freezes this place in time-"

"Skeletons?"

"I dunno," Nathan shrugged. "I try not to overthink stuff like that. Maybe they don't freeze it right away? Or have to take so long between unfreezing and refreezing? Either way, it's possible stuff like the boars don't have time to reproduce much. That, or the resources to. I haven't found any plants or anything that would work."

Keith shrugged, and they returned to working. Once all nine corpses were there, they began digging holes near the rocks, then buried the skeletons side-by-side. After that, the pair of them searched for the last three fragments of the second talisman, a feat which took them only a day and much less effort and caution than the main talisman.

"Having the lights on," Keith said as they walked towards the Altar of Light. "Made that much easier. No need to worry about phantoms or shades, no need to move slowly and carefully."

"Indeed," Nathan nodded.

The pair of them reached the altar, where Nathan's elemental was watching over Keith's, whose speed had begun to pick back up, a sign he was nearly finished recovering. They sat down, and Nathan checked on his ankle, poking at the pink skin.

"It's done healing," he told Keith, who rolled his eyes. "My tan will be returned by tomorrow."

"Wait," Keith gave him a stunned look. "Your tan returns? Isn't fresh skin untanned?"

"Uh," Nathan gave him a confused look. "Don't you have a new layer of skin every month or something? Isn't that tanned as well, even if you aren't outside for a few months? Maybe not as dark, but still tanned?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Healing the skin is the same as producing new skin to make up for the old skin dying," Nathan said. "Why would the tan not return? Breezy, smack him."

The wind elemental struck Keith in the cheek with a whip of wind, then returned to reverently watching over the heavenly storm elemental. Keith rubbed his cheek, then assembled the five fragments of the second talisman together and began to pour his mana into it. He succeeded after nearly fifteen minutes of work, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted, as a notification appeared in their vision.

Talisman repaired. You may either take it with you to the next island or leave it on this one, preferably at the Altar of Light for easy access for whomever completes its Dungeon. It is one of the seven talismans for the central island.

"Looks like our theory was right," Keith told Nathan. "Are we taking it with us?"

"Yes," Nathan answered. "Even if we don't complete all of the islands, at least it will benefit whoever comes after we leave to find it and however many others in one place."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Keith nodded, then told Nathan he was taking a nap. The warrior nodded, then built up a fire and began cooking egg noodles and homemade alfredo sauce he had in a jar. When he finished, he woke Keith up and the pair ate, then got some sleep.

Once they were both rested, they awoke to Nathan's elemental being chased around by Keith's, who was using boar tusks as horns, and if the pair guessed correctly, was attempting to convince the wind elemental to do the same for some sort of game.

"I think Splashy's recovered."

Keith gave Nathan and amused look, then called his familiar back to them. The heavenly storm elemental reluctantly returned and the wind elemental soared over to Nathan, who picked up the naviglobe. Within it were eight dots, seven of which were formed of shadows, the eighth of which was formed of light.

The dot of light pointed at the Altar of Light which they stood beside, while the other seven pointed in various directions. They were on the westernmost island, based on the directions of the dots of shadows. The one pointing to the southernmost island and the one pointing to the northernmost island stood out from the other five, which were clustered near each other, even if one of them had a small distance from the others.

"The only ones," Nathan said. "I'd like to do are either the southernmost or the northernmost."

"Same," Keith said. "We can work around in a circle. It might become more difficult the further inward we go."

"North?"

"North."

The pair followed the dot of light, wondering what type of boat they would have. When they reached the sandy shore, they walked along it for nearly half an hour before coming across a wooden pier, a small rowboat tied to it.

"Wonderful," Nathan muttered.

The two of them climbed into the rowboat, and Keith untied it as Nathan picked up the oars and began rowing in the direction of the chosen island, following the dot of shadows. As they pulled away from the island they illuminated, the darkness settled back in, pushed at bay only by the light of Keith's familiar.

Nearly two hours later, a notice appeared in their vision.

Dungeon Entered: Lair of the Sirens Challenge Type: Scavenger Hunt Difficulty: Advanced Kill the seven sirens and the siren queen. You may take as long as needed.

"Sirens are real?" Nathan asked.

"Apparently," Keith responded. "Can you hear them? If they're like the myths-"

"I can only hear the water, us, and the rowing," Nathan snorted. "I doubt the sirens's song would travel that far into the darkness."

"Do think it's on the island?" Keith asked. "Or are we passing through on our way to it?"

"Unless the message," Nathan said. "Left out that we can also enter Dungeons between islands, then it's on the island."

"Then we're close," Keith nodded. "By the way, I did some enchanting work while you were unconscious."

"You were working on it when I was awake," Nathan said.

"I used some of your blood," Keith held out a storage card with an ammo box inside. "These bullets were enchanted with the light element while using your blood as part of the medium. It was a theory I had."

"Blood bullet?" Nathan asked.

"Holy," Keith corrected. "Ichtvar mentioned that demigods can use holy light, with training. The gods themselves are the source of the holy element. I theorized that perhaps demigods have some of that holy power as part of their makeup, which would explain why they can use holy light as well. I tested to see if your blood would work as a means of enchanting holy power into things, and it succeeded. The ammo in this box is all I was able to make with the blood available, but they're all enchanted with the power of holy light. They will affect shades."

Nathan examined the card for several moments, then pulled out the box and a spare magazine, which he then loaded with the holy light bullets. After putting everything away, the magazine placed into a gun that he equips to have ready in case of a sudden shade attack, Nathan frowned a little.

"If my blood," he said. "Allows for holy enchantments, does that mean I can grant holy power as well? Even if temporarily?"

Keith thought over it, having not thought about that angle. The gods were able to bless people, but he didn't know what that involved or if demigods could do it as well. The whole concept of gods and demigods existing was new to him, and there wasn't any research or information to go off of.

"I don't know," Keith admitted. "But my familiar… he's not just the same type as Mordred's, like I said. He is the same one who contracted to Mordred. His dreams of that time is how I know the made-up stories about Mordred were wrong."

"You said the original mentioned only that he and Arthur fell at Camlaan," Nathan nodded.

"Yes," Keith nodded. "He and Merlin were half-brothers, both were the sons of Guinevere."

"How much older than Arthur was she?" Nathan asked.

"She was younger, I think?" Keith asked. "You're thinking of the classic Merlin. He was actually the son of Arthur and Guinevere, according to my familiar's memories, born several years after Mordred."

"Since he was contracted to what was apparently the brother of a demigod," Nathan said. "You think he knows?"

"Yes," Keith said, then looked at the wind elemental. "Would you kindly?"

Nathan gave Keith a curious look as his elemental familiar flew up, communicating with its senior before touching it.

"Do you know if there's a way for demigods to grant a blessing to someone?" Keith asked. "Or can only gods do that? We're wondering if there's a way for Nathan to grant me the ability to use holy light, even if only temporarily."

"There is," Nathan's eyes widened as the gentle, yet ancient voice entered his head, and gave Keith a curious look.

"I thought elementals could only communicate with those they're contracted to?"

"Normally," Keith nodded. "But if they're touching an elemental contracted to someone else, they can speak with the other elemnetal's contractor. Is it a method that Nathan can easily perform for me? Or does it require training or something?"

"He can perform it," the familiar responded. "A male god grants the 'blessing' by releasing their seed of life into the lesser being. It can be through procreation methods, oral methods, or anal methods. For female gods, it would be by having the nectar of their breasts drunk. The blessing lasts for anywhere from five to ten years of the mortal's native world, depending on how powerful their magic is. A mortal can retain the blessing permanently by taking in the seed of life or nectar of a god or of several gods at least ten times in ten years of the mortal's native world."

"Erm," Keith gave Nathan a nervous glance. The warrior was focused on rowing with an irritated expression on his face, his jaw tense and his rowing suddenly stiff and forceful. "The same goes for demigods?"

He prayed to the gods that was not the case, and that if it did happen to be, his familiar would behave and not suggest or imply that Nathan do the same to him. The enchanter knew the warrior would probably explode if that happened.

"Somewhat," the familiar responded. "For a demigod to bestow the blessing, it would last only two or three days of the mortal's native world, depending on how powerful the mortal's magic is. To make it permanent would require performing it around one hundred times in half a year of the mortal's native world."

"Yeah," Keith said. "Much as I'd probably like that, A-much as I'd like that, that's not going to happen. Nathan's made it quite clear that we won't ever be anything past friends. Is there any other way?"

"We're not friends," Nathan glared at Keith, his voice as tense as his body seemed. As Keith expected, it seemed Nathan was annoyed by the process and had no plans to perform it, and the enchanter was not going to ask. "We're business partners, and only because you're useful in helping me achieve my goals."

Keith mentally sighed, knowing that Nathan still had the mindset where he only allowed people near him if they were useful to him. That only that which was useful to him was allowed. But the way Nathan talked with him, it went beyond business partners and Keith being useful. They were friends.

"Keep telling yourself that," Keith's familiar voiced their thoughts, and Keith noticed how much more dangerous Nathan's expression turned. "But you obviously think of him as a friend, or you would not be considering making him your son's godfather."

Keith gave Nathan a stunned look at the news. He hadn't even considered who Nathan would be appointing to that, assuming it would be something the senior ignored.

"Samantha pointed out," Nathan growled low in his throat, a sign that Keith recognized as one that might soon lead to something violent. "That having a godparent in case of something happened to her, me, and our parents was a good idea. As you are my business partner, you will have a substantial amount of money once our products begin selling. It was a logical decision. I trust you and you have proven yourself useful."

"Then make him even more useful and grant him the blessing, even as short as it may be," the familiar said. "All it would take is-"

Nathan pulled out a gun and began firing at the elemental, which manipulated its body to avoid being struck as it soared around the boat. As Nathan fired the last bullet, he blinked several times, then mechanically ejected and replaced the magazine with a fresh one before firing in that direction again. He replaced the magazine several times as Keith wondered why Nathan was staring off into the darkness, shooting dozens of bullets at nothing. The enchanter also marveled at the fact that the darkness suppressed sound so much, the shots of the gun weren't as loud as he'd been expecting.

1 (one) of 7 (seven) sirens have been slain 6 (six) more to go.

"I think the sirens are in that direction," Nathan said as he aimed his gun at the heavenly storm elemental and fired off the last three shots. "I also think they're stupid if they remain upright long enough for me to shoot them fifty times. I had to pull magazines out of cards."

Nathan replaced the magazine with a fresh one, then refilled the ejected ones and either fixed them to his belt or placed them back into cards.

"Please don't ever tease Nathan like that again," Keith told his familiar, who touched Nathan's elemental.

"He likes making you uncomfortable, why can't I return the favor?"