Alan leaned as far as possible over the swampy cliff in hopes to glimpse the woman screaming in the distance.

Boom!

A wild rumbling made Alan scramble to keep himself from tipping over into the black-tar swamp. And when a tree flew violently across it, he crawled back even more.

“Help!” the woman’s voice echoed deep from the other end – but Alan still couldn’t make out anything from the fringes of the dark grey fog.

“Flint and Lucius couldn’t stay for one more damn minute?” Alan complained to his dagger.

Far down the path beside the swamp, a silhouette broke through the fog.

“There.” Alan perked up. “Do you see her?”

A petite woman with oversized robes ran for her life. Her eyes squinted shut while hugging a slab of stone in both arms. Magic missiles trailed her every step, kicking up grass and dust.

“Durger.” Alan got to his feet. “We have to help her.”

“That’s the signature of a Yero-losh, Sir Alan. We must do as she does and flee!”

“How could you be so cowardly?” Alan grew angry. “That woman’s going to die if we don’t do something.” He fingered the gold coin with the Borai’s face on it.

“I’m only looking for us to survive the day. That’s two monsters pulled from dangerous lands in a short time. It’s as if they’re drawn to you.”

Alan huffed, finding enough courage to rush into the face of danger yet again. He had to help.

He sprinted away from the cliff, through the tall bleeding grass dripping corrosive liquid over his cloth clothing. The droplets hissed, burning him slightly, until he broke free into open air, facing the dirt road he traveled to get here. Instead of a right back to Parose, he turned left – toward the woman.

His body was still bruised from dealing with Farante – legs pulsing with pain after every step – but thankfully energy restored from Flint’s healing essence.

The closer they approached one another, the more beautiful she became – flowy caramel hair peeking from her hood, soft features, light eyes, and a rosy nose made him weak in the knees. Then he remembered how Farante came along innocently and nearly murdered him.

“Durger!” Alan shouted over the missiles kicking up dirt along the path. “Is she a Black Saro user or something terrible, like Farante?”

“She appears to be a Stone Chaser. I do not sense any danger, except for the Yero-losh chasing her.”

“I still don’t see anything!” Alan yelled.

“Rrrraa!” Something gigantic behind her became visible for a fraction of a second, before it faded into translucent stealth. Alan made out oddly curved horns on its head, greenish-yellow eyes, and two fanged mouths on one face.

“Holy shit.” Alan skidded to a stop. He again looked to Yogi’s golden coin. “I need to summon the Borai, Durger.”

“Do it, then! Just flip the coin high and duck!”

“Right.” Alan took a deep breath, then reeled back his arm. “Here goes nothing.” He flicked the gold coin with his thumb. It shined bright like a sun, before exploding high in the air – causing Alan to shield his face.

Thump. Thump.

Two massive legs appeared from thin air, drawing Alan’s gaze – to Yogi the giant armored bear holding strong against whatever was incoming. The Borai’s appearance was different from when Farante owned his soul. His skin appeared shinier and less ghostly. There was no Black Saro attached – Alan realized.

“Yogi! Protect that woman!” Alan shouted, feeling insane amounts of numbing tingles throughout his body.

“It will be done, noble Alan.” Yogi’s armor became resplendently cerulean.

Fshew! Fshew!

Two magic missiles spiraled forward – changing targets from the woman to the Borai.

Alan felt his arms tingle at the incoming projectiles. He thought of defending his mother against a drunk in the grocery store when he was younger. The memory activated Saro once more. It syphoned from body to blade, through his pendant, and then back through his arms like a well-oiled machine. He was in control.

Yogi’s claws glowed yellow for an instant as he swiped the two missiles, knocking them into the swamp.

“Yes!” Alan cheered, then felt immediately woozy.

“Alan. You are controlling something much past your Saro endurance. You need to find cover and let the Borai do what it does best!” Durger shouted.

“Ahh!” The woman rushed through the Borai’s legs and crashed right into Alan’s arms. They tumbled to the ground at the same time the two beasts clashed – the Yero-losh blinking out of stealth for another instant.

Alan landed on his back with grass in his mouth plus a welt on his arm from being smashed by her stone slab. The woman straddling him jolted upright to witness the minions fight.

“By the winds of Trush!” She looked back at Alan. “You did this?” her voice was like heavenly silk wrapping Alan’s ears.

“I did this,” he agreed, feeling heat flush his face.

There was a moment – so brief but so powerful – where her hand lingered over his as she quietly cheered on Alan’s minion. He wasn’t even sure if she noticed, but the feeling spurred so many thoughts. Most notably of Trish, the woman he left behind who didn’t even want him. His ex wasn’t the be-all-end-all. There are others, even here. Maybe…

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He stopped the daydream as soon as she used the stone to push herself upright and spun to watch Yogi slash at the Yero. Frustrated from swinging at air, the Borai summoned a wave from the black-tar swamp to crash over them.

“No more hiding, minion!” Yogi roared.

The tar dripped off the Yero-losh’s invisible body, giving it shape.

“What is someone with a Borai doing in a weak area like this?”

Alan got to his feet with newfound confidence. Me? Mistaken for someone powerful?

The woman spun the stone slab like she was about to whack Alan over the head with it. “Hey!”

“No. No! I’m not hostile,” he said.

“I do not trust you,” she said.

“Well, I could’ve just let you die,” Alan got annoyed.

“Yes, but you could also want my extensive knowledge of worlds.” She hissed for him to get back.

Boom!

Yogi took six missiles to the chest, sending him flying onto his back and rolling near the woman.

“Ahh!” She jumped on Alan’s back, leaving him to eat another mouthful of swampy dirt.

“Sir Alan, you best count your blessings and flee. You’ve done your deed… You saved the woman,” Durger pleaded.

“What the hell was that? Your belly is talking nonsense. Are you a Black Saro demon?”

“It’s my dagger. Shh,” Alan said.

“Ah. A gibberish weapon. Why would you have a godly Borai and an impish knife? You make no sense, warrior.” She jumped off his back again. “You are not trustworthy. I do not like.”

“Well go, then!” Alan said, trying to switch to Durger. “Hey. Can Yogi beat that thing?”

“Not while he is tethered to you, Sir Alan. I mean no disrespect, of course, but when you stole the Borai from Farante, you cut his strength into a tenth of what it was.”

“Great.”

Yogi groaned, punched the ground, and sprung to his claws again. He roared at the Yero.

“Excuse me.” The woman poked Alan’s shoulder. “Tell your Borai to throw the Yero-losh into the swamp.”

Alan spun on her with a furrowed brow. “I thought you didn’t trust me?”

“I don’t.” She grasped her stone protectively. “But I think we both want to live, yes?”

“I can just run that way and be fine… hopefully.” Alan pointed.

The woman gasped. “What kind of demon leaves his minions to die?”

“Yogi would… die?” Alan grew tense from the growing quakes at his feet.

Boom!

The Yero-losh whacked Yogi so hard, he was flung in the other direction away from the swamp.

“Of course, you foolish thing!” The woman shook Alan by the shoulder with one hand. “Get that monster in the swamp!”

Alan was hesitant to follow orders from a stranger again, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He felt terrible for summoning Yogi now – at one-tenth strength, on a sure path to death.

“Yogi!” Alan shouted.

“Urrgh.” Yogi groaned. “I am a little busy, noble Alan.”

“Spear it into the swamp!” Alan shouted.

“I have no spear! My Collector has hit his head. Ojin save us.” Yogi sighed, getting back to his feet, and suffering another magic missile to the chest.

“Ram him with your shoulder!” Alan yelled before being whisked by the woman back into the bleeding grass.

Boom!

A missile exploded where they were just standing, making Alan’s breath catch in his chest.

That was close. He peered at the woman ducking in the bloody tall blades.

“You—saved me,” Alan said.

“So your Borai doesn’t wither to dust. That Yero-losh will chase me to the ends of Ojin for what I’ve done.”

Alan didn’t want to know.

“Ah, this whole place is poisoned.” She snapped her tongue. “A damn mess. Here, hold this.” She shoved the stone into Alan’s arms.

Immediately, he felt immense power attached to it. “Uhh—”

She shut her eyes and weaved green translucent ribbons to curl out of her robes, up toward the grass.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“The grass is sick. That’s why the swamp is all muck. Someone has been poisoning this place for a long time. Now shh.”

“Farante,” Alan whispered to himself, making the woman cease her ritual.

“You know the dark Bladesmen of Jaeger?” Her eyes widened, shifting her green ribbons toward him. “Are you a comrade?”

Boom!

The ground shook, giving Alan the split second he needed to drop the stone and grab both her wrists. “He tried to kill me, but my friends got the better of him. Yogi… was his Borai.”

Her face scrunched. “I do not trust you. The coin pouch of a Merchant,” she hissed, nodding to the bag on his belt.

“I am a Merchant. A good one. Now help me save my bear! I promised him something and I won’t let him die without receiving his honor.” Alan squeezed tight. “And you don’t want to die either, isn’t that right?

“Fine!” She huffed and swung her arms free from Alan’s grasp, returning to healing the grass.

“How is that going to help us right now!”

“Curing this land is the key to the Yero-losh’s peril,” she said knowingly, eyes closed. “I haven’t practiced my healing routines in a long time, Merchant, so please, give me quiet.”

Boom!

Alan ducked when a giant splash sounded in the direction of the swamp. Roars followed.

“Oh shit.” Alan peeked through the grass. Both minions fell in. He parted the bleeding blades to see Yogi in a losing struggle. The Yero-losh gained mass as it marinated in the black tar.

“No, Alan! She tricked us! The tar weakens our minion, who is now devoid of Black, and strengthens her attacker. It was a rouse. Stab her!” Durger shouted.

“Does that thing ever shut up with its nonsense!” The woman opened her eyes to the blade held toward her. “Mmph. I should’ve known.”

“No, I should’ve known,” Alan replied, arm stiff. “That minion is about to kill mine… because you empowered it.”

She shook her head and went back to healing the grass. “I have no time for imbeciles.”

Alan arced an eyebrow, losing his intimidating stance. He followed her deep into the trenches, noticing the grass appeared livelier and less vomit-y. But that didn’t help anything. Yogi was dying.

Since he didn’t have the heart to stab a woman in cold blood, Alan rushed back to the cliff in hopes to help Yogi.

The Borai bled purple from all different parts of his fur, leaving slick patches as he fought to defend himself from the dual-mouthed minion. The Yero-losh spawned crab legs from its back next, firing more magic missiles that swarmed Yogi from every direction.

“Rru!” Yogi groaned in pain. “Noble Alan. I am s—”

A punch to Yogi’s gut knocked the wind out of Alan. He was connected to the bear – painstakingly so.

“Durger. What can I do?” He fell to his knees. “I have no Saro left. I’m depleted.”

“You can pray, Alan.” Durger seemed to frown in Alan’s grasp.

The Yero-losh broke its stealth entirely to reveal colorful scales like a fish, with a reptilian head made of nightmares. The horns rotated on its face, crunching through bony fangs as it continued its onslaught on the Borai.

“There.” The woman wiped her hands as if she completed a laboring task, emerging from the now freshly green grass.

Ribbons of her Saro fluttered around the marshy ground like butterflies, making Alan wonder what the hell the point of cleansing the land was. Eventually, the Saro flutters dove toward the swamp, dispersing the black tar to the far sides and leaving hot spring water in its wake.

“Ah! I see now. I was wrong about her,” Durger admitted. “She is reverse engineering the poison. Pure spring water will drain the Yero-losh and empower your Borai. Yes. Because you are not evil like the minions of the dark fog. Genius. Quite so.”

Alan gaped as the dark swamp was now resplendent like a mirage in a desert.

On his last leg, Yogi jutted his claw up, catching the Yero-losh’s talon and swinging the beast off its feet.

“Yes!” Alan cheered, finding hope. “See, Durger?” He pretended he knew all along. “I told you killing wasn’t the way.”

“Yes, Sir Alan. I suppose you are right.”

“And… boop.” The woman whacked Alan in the side of the head with her stone slab, making his vision immediately go black.