One might imagine that when being magically teleported somewhere, you'd suddenly fall out of the sky in an unknown place—or known if you were lucky. But only part of that held true.

There was no plunging from the sky or even a spinning sensation. One second, they were in Rubedo; the next, some unfamiliar place. They were definitely not lucky.

Atncore blinked and found himself in the middle of a meadow. He stumbled but quickly recovered, readying his weapon and scanning for threats.

Was this real or an illusion? Atncore ran his hand over a blade of grass. It felt authentic, but he was no expert. Still, he could feel something which suggested reality, not illusion.

A steep incline bordered one side of a V-shaped field, marking the beginning of a vast mountain range. The lush grasses of the meadow quickly gave way to rock of various shades, mostly grey, but many hues of it.

Butting up to the mountains and extending along the western border of the meadows was what appeared to be a tropical rainforest. Atncore had learned about them briefly during a course in protector training. The tightly packed trees and dense brush suggested a jungle biome.

Zsig materialized moments after Atncore in the same spot he had been. What if he hadn't moved out of the way?

"What a dangerous potion."

"That's what you have to say? What happened?"

"Well, Zsig, did you drink the potion?"

"I had to follow you."

The look the Protector gave him was only slightly tinged with guilt.

The Protectorate required each B.E.E.P. to be monitored by a keeper. Nonetheless, the hierarchy made the duo uncomfortable—some made their 'charge' call them Keeper, but Zsig did not.

"You drank the potion. I think you can figure out what happened."

"I'm gonna need more than that, Atncore."

"Maybe we are in some sort of advanced simulation, one of those virtual realities of old? I heard they were quite evolved before the Corruption. It feels so real."

Atncore plucked a flower, brought it to his nose, and sniffed deeply. He tossed the flower away as pollen flew up his nose.

"Ah-Choo"

Yep, the simulation affected the entire nervous system.

When Atcore could finally breathe without sneezing, he gave Zsig a severe look.

"Really? Drinking the glowing potion after watching me disappear seemed like a good idea to you, Zsig?"

Zsig doubled down in the face of this criticism.

"I have a duty."

Atncore ignored that, returning to his survey of the area, which led his gaze to Theo. The alchemist they were looking for before they ended up here.

She blew a loose strand of bright amber hair out of her face, but it fluttered back down to tickle her nose. Sitting crisscross on the ground, she leaned over a book balanced on one knee, scribbling furiously and murmuring to herself like a woman possessed.

Atncore cleared his throat loudly. But she didn't react.

"Miss Silke?"

…

"Miss Theodora Silke!”

"Huh? Oh! Atn, Zsiggy! Fancy meeting you guys here."

"Don't call us that."

"I actually don't mind it. Has a nice ring. It's just unprofessional."

Atn whispered to Zsig.

"Miss Silke, we were investigating a disturbance in Rubedo just minutes ago, but now we are here—

Atn motioned around him, flummoxed.

"—Miss Silke, could you enlighten us on where we are?"

"Call me Theo. And not a clue."

Her statement was emphasized with a shrug.

…

Atn tried maintaining professionalism, but Theo's casual attitude made it difficult.

"Would you elaborate on that, Miss Silke? Errr, excuse me, Theo?"

"I came here shortly before you two. Approximately eighteen minutes—alchemists are excellent time keepers, you know—I'm guessing that's how long it took you to find the potion? In that time before you arrived, I observed both of the bordering biomes and walked to the top of that hill to see what adjoins the meadow to the south. I couldn't see the end, so I returned here to map the area."

Theo held up the book she'd been writing in. She waved it slightly. Indicating that was precisely what she was trying to do before being interrupted.

"But what does that have t—"

She pushed on with her analysis, cutting Zsig off.

"Furthermore, I have studied maps of Triahkel. And though most are pre-Corruption, and they are getting progressively inaccurate as the Wilds change, the biomes of an area generally stay the same. They warp and become more than they were but do not alter their natures entirely. And nowhere have I seen a mountain range and a jungle—that is a jungle, right? I've only read descriptions—bordering a large expanse of meadows like this."

"Could it be a simulation of sorts? I heard some of the ol—"

"Our clothes, your gear, my bag. That sort of stuff wouldn't have translated into virtual reality correctly."

Darn. Atn had thought it was a good suggestion.

"So what are you suggesting then?"

Zsig gave her a wary expression.

"I don't think we're in Triahkel anymore."

Again, a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"There is only Triahkel."

Atn and Zsig spoke at the same time. But where Atn asked a question, Zsig's words were a statement—a fact.

At the edge of Triahkel was water. Nothing more. A raging, never-ending body of water. They called it Hamalin's Grave, named after one of the final and most successful attempts to travel the watery abyss.

The voyage was captained by Culrid Hamalin. During a particularly volatile storm, something emerged from the depths, sank the ship, and ended the expedition. It was the first and only time transmissions reported something alive in the waters.

Most were too scared to risk seafaring after that.

History documented numerous occasions when people tried to journey it, especially before the Corruption. The few who made it back never got far, and those who made it far never got back—Hamalin made it the furthest in recorded history, almost 4,000 kilometres from shore.

They had images and messages from mariners that sailed in different directions. Still, there was never an end, and the sea continuously raged. The water battered boats from the bottom and sides. And endless storms wreaked havoc from above, both elements mercilessly destroying the vessels that dared traverse it.

All that to say, nothing besides water lies beyond Triahkel. Nothing could survive that. Right?

"Yes, well, even if I believed a mass shift in geography was possible, which I don't, one other thing convinced me."

Theo pointed at the ground. Zsig and Atn's stare followed the finger, expecting something significant. But it was just the ground.

Atn snuck a glance at Zsig. What were they missing?

Dirt, grass, a flower or weed here and there. Nothing telling.

Atn looked back at Theo with a blank expression. But she just sighed and shook her head.

"Do you recognize that flower, Zsig, Atn?"

"No."

"Some plantlife looks similar to others I have seen, but with clear differences. A few are familiar. But many are entirely foreign."

Almost longingly, she looked west.

"I wonder what a jungle has?"

Atn wondered if she was slightly unhinged. Too many potion fumes must damage the brain.

———

They stared at her, then continued for a bit longer. There was a lot of staring going around.

Theo fought a twitch in the corner of her lips. She was a go-with-the-flow kind of person. All adventures being a new opportunity to learn about nature and how to manipulate it for her tonics and elixirs.

She had a hunch Zsig and Atn were more stick-in-the-mud types of guys. Most members of the Protectorate were.

"Maybe the Protectorate will pay you overtime for this."

It sounded unlikely, even to her, but Theo mustered her best toothy grin and put both thumbs up.

Her apprentice was always telling her positivity mattered. It seemed as good a time as any to give it a shot.

"Mhm. Give us a moment, Miss Silke."

Atn urged Zsig a few steps away and leaned in so they could talk privately.

"It's Theo."

She glared a moment but resolved to finish the map she started.

Pleased with the results, she stuffed the map in her satchel. It was a good thing she was wearing her bag when sampling the potion. Her outstanding luck was at it again, or was it the Super Awesome Chronic Tonic? She would never tell.

Theo walked around a small area, carefully collecting and storing plant samples.

"I'm just going to head out guys."

They ignored her. Or maybe they just didn't hear. Either way, she was tired of waiting on the protectors. The meadow was too exposed. The sun was already warming her, and for all the things she had in her bag, drinking water was not one of them—alchemical water was not safe to drink. Seriously, don't try it.

"Okay, see ya later."

She began to walk southeast.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The jungle could be full of unknown dangers. Theo had read all about them in The History of Triahkel's Tropical Habitat: Loss of Ecosystems During the Epoch of Decline—yeah, it was a mouthful. Humidity and sun fueled the rapid growth of the most poisonous flora and fauna.

With that deduction, she deemed southeast the best direction. It allowed her to follow the extensive meadow filled with plant life—many likely edible.

She went slightly eastward. Heading towards the shade the mountains offered from the morning sun, she looked for glacier runoff as she followed the mountain south.

———

When Zsig looked over his shoulder, Theo was gone.

"Where did she go now?"

The two looked around until Atncore spotted her walking away from them.

Zsig rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, thinking.

"She does seem to know where she's going..."

"Maybe we should follow then?"

———

It should be noted that Theo did not, in fact, have any clue where she was going, but herd mentality compelled Zsig and Atn to follow. That was their choice—like drinking the potion.

"Theo, Protector Zsig and I would like to accompany you. Would you be kind enough to tell us where we're headed?"

Atn called out as they caught up.

"Atn, Zsiggy! I just told you I don't know where we are. How would I know where we're going?"

She let that sink in briefly.

"I'm not making it up when I say I don't think we're in Triahkel. So buckle up team, because we are on an adventure."

With that, she turned and resumed her march toward the looming mountains' protective cover.

"We are not a team."

Zsig grumbled but continued to follow.

The guys murmured quietly to each other as they trailed behind her.

Theo waited patiently. She walked in silence while they decided on questions to ask or accusations to make.

A deep inhale of breath broke her reverie.

"At the very least you seem to have a route in mind. Why is that?"

"Walking out in the open meadows, in an unknown place, with the sun beating down on us would be foolish. You should both know this."

She looked at them with suspicion.

Zsig scowled back defiantly.

Atn avoided eye contact, and his cheeks grew a tad red. He was acting like a rookie. They both were. Theo thought they had been protectors for a while. Maybe that was wrong.

It was Atn who finally broke the uncomfortable moment.

"Please, continue."

"Okay then. Crossing through or even next to the jungle on the west could be deadly. To the east, some of the mountains will block the morning sun, assuming this sun follows the same path we are used to in Triahkel."

"Hrmm. Good assessments."

Zsig gave a begrudging nod.

"There is no noticable charge in the air, so maybe the biomech monsters haven't infested this place…"

She trailed off in thought, slowing to nearly a stop. But a hand waving in her face brought her back to reality.

"I'm looking for water and civilization. Moving South along the foothills. You guys are free to join."

"I think it would be best to stay together, for now at least. Don't you agree, Zsig?"

"What? Oh, yes."

Zsig was trying to cope but seemed to be failing.

"What was in that potion? It caused this right? I am sure you were sampling it before you ended up here."

"That would be correct. Excellent sleuthing skills, Zsig. But I would't say it caused this so much as facilitated it."

"What does that even mean? What was that potion?"

Theo pivoted on her heels and gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Dunno."

On she went. Relaxing a bit as she entered the mountain's shadow.

She scanned the landscape as she adjusted her direction south, skirting the length of the meadows.

The grass was a beautiful spectrum of greens. Celadon mixed with blades of chartreuse, emerald, and deep forest green shades. Plants, both familiar and otherwise, were blooming across the meadow. She spotted one plant in the distance with bubble-shaped petals running up the stem, the petals running from a light orange at the top with the freshest buds and gradually darkening the further down the blooms ran. Each bubble had long tendril-like stamen coming out of its centre. But these were moving around in all directions, unaffected by the breeze, as if the plant was waving its arms.

Theo desperately wanted to take a sample of the waving plant, but they needed to cover as much ground as possible before night. Luckily, the plant looked plentiful, dancing throughout the grasslands.

If the soft green bed and heat starting to engulf it made you want to lie down and nap, the mountains instilled a strong sense of foreboding.

The change from meadows to mountains was abrupt. The foothills quickly gave way to jagged rock that even the best climbers would struggle with in most places. There was no transition; suddenly, the grass was gone, and all that remained was grey stone until you noticed further up where the rock developed a reddish tint.

Theo fished out her field book and noted this mineral-rich peak on her map. The red tint was a dead giveaway.

She was no miner, but you never knew what type of information would be handy.

———

Grass and rock. The grass was green, and the stones were grey. That's all there was. Well, if he squinted, Zsig could make out bits of the jungle amongst the ominous wall of green so deep in colour it appeared black.

The expanse of meadow between the jungle and mountain grew as they went south. Atn—Theo was on to something with that nickname—could probably make out the jungle clearly and spot any threats from that direction, which made Zsig a bit jealous of his partner's mechanically enhanced vision.

"What are you writing in that notebook of yours?"

He didn't trust that Theo was clueless. She was too calm, too curious, instead of panicked. What kind of person would drink something they didn't know the effects of? The answer was an alchemist, but he didn't know that.

What Zsig forgot was that Theo wasn't your average city dweller. She lived outside the shield of Last Stand. Braved fearsome beasts—or hid behind her voltage bubble (don't judge).

She tossed the book over her shoulder at him, but Atn caught it with his enhanced reflexes. Damn him.

"Thanks."

Zsig grabbed the journal and opened it to the marked page.

The map was…rough, to say the least. Cardinal directions were labelled, and Theo even included a little scale to estimate distance.

The page was split into a triangle, two lines from each bottom corner angled to meet near the top center, with one line coming out of the apex.

The area to the right of the main triangle was filled with mini triangles representing mountains and a light red smudge in one spot. Zsig glanced up towards the mountain range and saw the red mixed in with the grey, particularly noticeable on one peak.

Did she crush a flower petal to mark this? He checked that his companions weren't looking, then lifted the page and gave it a quick whiff. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he was suspicious of all things Theo. The book only smelled of paper and leather binding, though.

Little flower doodles covered the area inside the triangle, marking the meadow. And on the outer left side of the map, it just read jungle.

"Why doesn't the jungle have a symbol?"

"Easier than trying to draw that."

She waved her hand vaguely at the jungle to the west.

"Yep, that checks out."

He sped up to return Theo's notebook before falling into stride with Atn, who was watching their back.

Sweat drenched all of them, the morning shade long gone once the sun crested the mountain. They had been walking for hours now, with not a moment of relief from the blazing ball of misery in the sky.

Across the meadow, the heat refracted the sunlight, creating shimmering patches of air that rippled just above the grass.

The fact that you could see the hot air did not make anyone feel better. And the absence of water only made it worse.

Zsig noticed Atn surveying the sky every so often. He looked up himself but never saw anything. Yet, Atn would shield his eyes from the sun and look all around him, then continue walking. He had to know after the eleventh, or was it the twelfth time?

"What do keep looking at?"

"You haven't noticed? The sky is empty."

"Yes…"

"No birds, no clouds, not even a bug as far as I have seen."

Zsig looked around with this new perspective, realizing he was an idiot and needed to review his training. Then he remembered the Protectorate didn't really cover these situations in training.

"Good observation, Atn! I need to note it."

Theo whipped out her field book again and started writing.

"I can't believe I didn't notice that. This heat must be messing with me."

"It's alright, Zsig. I was made for this."

The tone in Atn's voice gave Zsig pause. What about this was he made for? Noticing empty skies? He side-eyed Atn.

"What do you think of this whole situation, Atn?"

"I agree with Theo."

"On what?"

"They should pay us overtime."

"Damnit Atn! I'm not joking around."

"Neither am I."

The straw that broke the camel's back was a muffled laugh ahead of them.

Zsig stomped off to walk on his own, away from the herd. He felt decidedly childish, but his nerves were frayed. He'd try conversation again later.

———

The sun was moving so slowly. Theo kept her long-sleeved button-up on even though it was sweltering. The overshirt was soaked through, but it protected her from sunburns, so she put up with it.

They were following the mountain range, the biome's border only a few hundred metres to their left. Theo couldn't bring herself to walk through the desolate rockscape when the meadow was right next door and ripe with plant specimens to collect.

"Keep an eye out for shelter in the mountainside."

"Copy that, Captain."

"Don't encourage her, Atn."

Zsig obviously objected to Theo giving instructions if the disdain in his voice was any indicator.

Theo dismissed the moody Protector, continuing to scan for plants, er…shelter.

Out of nowhere, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. The eerie feeling made her pause and look around, trying to figure out what caused it. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but Theo couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was during these moments, right before catastrophe struck that she remembered what her father used to tell her to do if she was in trouble:

Run, avoid a fight, and for the love of all things pure, do not stop to investigate Theo!

Theo has always been curious, though.

Turns out she should have followed his advice. Stopping cost her.

A static picked up in the air, like a charge but more powerful. The once-empty sky now had a dark spot spreading like a disease. The dot was feathering outward, creating a smoky sheet of clouds, a mockery of the happy blue sky it now concealed. The epicentre heaved; like a sudden wave, the clouds transformed into thunderous monstrosities. One second, there was a spot and some wisps, and then, in the blink of an eye, the whole sky was engulfed in menacing grey clouds.

Something purple dashed across the sky, crackling through the clouds. And the clouds themselves, they moved against the wind. It was coming towards them instead of blowing towards the jungle with the direction of the current.

Theo did not like the way this looked. Did everything defy the wind here? The dancing plants moved of their own volition, and now the storm. Why was it that a storm was always the harbinger of doom?

"Guys, we gotta go!"

An ultraviolet spear shot from the sky. The air was electric, and the charge became visible in the air nearest the lightning strike like purple fireworks exploding and leaving glittering trails in its afterimage.

It was magnificent until one of the stray sparks landed on Theo's eyebrow—the toll for Theo not listening to her father's words of wisdom. She smacked her face a few times, and the eyebrow ceased burning. But most of it was now missing. Her palm sported a minor burn, too.

Jumping back into action, she took off toward the mountains, eyes quickly scanning the steep rock for cover.

"There!"

A cave entrance only a few metres up the mountain. The cliff face looked uneven enough to scale up the side.

"This way!"

The rain that started shortly after the murderous lightning bolt pelting from the skies drowned her voice. She pointed instead, hoping they understood.

Theo sped through the rain, not looking back to see if Atn and Zsig were following. She already made the mistake of looking behind her once. She wasn't ready to risk the other brow.

A bolt struck to her right, the amplified electricity forcing her muscles to seize involuntarily before her system resumed functioning.

Would Atn be a lightning rod? How much of him was mechanical? No time to ask now.

Another bolt hit in front of Theo, but she noticed its limited reach.

There was a bright circular flare of purple on the ground moments before the lightning struck. She could make it safely if she stayed outside the rings.

Theo lept just left of a purple lance. And a forward somersault took her past a warning circle only moments before the strike. The somersault may have been for added effect, but she'd never admit it.

The thunder's crack was deafening. The few hundred metres from meadows to mountain stretched into kilometres as the group ran from the storm giving chase. But the electric feeling running through her quickly dissipated as she crossed fully into the mountain biome.

The sun was setting in the sky, but the storm still tormented the meadow. Deadly lightning flashed down around Zsig and Atn as they ran after Theo.

She watched them close the remaining gap. They dodged lightning with a nimbleness that only came from training. Theo mentally rated their performance 6/10, though. Yes, they avoided being hit. Yes, they did their dodge and weave effectively. But there was absolutely no pizzazz. And pizzazz was essential!

The rain stopped at the edge of the biome, but the lightning tried arcing through the sky to catch its prey. It failed, but they still decided to risk the unknowns of the cave versus waiting for the storm this close, with the mountain blocking anywhere to retreat to if needed.

Scaling the rock was easy enough as there were plenty of handholds, and it wasn't that high up.

As Atn and Zsig entered the cave, Theo looked back at the storm and felt for her other eyebrow. Yep, still there.

She could see the lightning raging at the meadow's edge, but it was no longer audible. Upon reaching the cave entrance, the storm muted. Curious.