“This is so much worse than I thought.”

Archimedes wasn’t doing very well. Two days into the journey was already more than he’d put up with in his lifetime back home. First was the sand. Walking on sand for prolonged periods of time sucked. Every step the ground shifted under his feet and after literal hours of walking his legs and ankles were sore. Another problem was the cold at night. The near freezing air cut straight through his bones and half the time Archimedes was shivering hard enough to have his teeth chatter. Then there was the heat. Gethra had set up her tent and told him to use it, but it was such a disconnect to try and sleep during the day, no matter how tired he was to begin with. He had to have woken up multiple times the first night, leaving him exhausted the following night.

All the while, Gethra was no worse for wear. If anything, she seemed perfectly at home in the harsh conditions. The tall woman wasn’t overly talkative, but as the hours drug on they took to light conversation to keep from going stir crazy.

Archimedes had learned a bit during this time, but something kept coming up that he hadn’t addressed yet.

“You keep referring to me as a Wanderer. I get the feeling that’s not just a throwaway term.” The two were passing through a ravine and had stopped to lean against a solid surface and rest their feet. Gethra looked at him and nodded.

“Yes, you are a Wanderer.” Archimedes nodded. Then silence.

“You know… A world traveler?”

Silence.

“You’re not from Dunesia, you’re from another place?”

Archimedes started to nod, then shook his head. “Yes but not in the way I’m sure you’re thinking. Are other worlds a common thing here?”

“I know you said you knew noting, but there is no way you don’t know this. I knew this since I was a squaller learning how to fight off rats from the tribe’s food huts.”

Archimedes shrugged and spread his hands. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m from… nowhere you’ve heard of, and I mean that in the best possible way.”

Gethra chuckled and shook her head. “All right then, keep your secrets.” All at once, her head snapped and she looked down the ravine. Gethra’s eyes narrowed and she stood from the craggy wall. “Get to a safe place Wanderer, we’ve got company.” The tone in her voice was enough to keep him from asking questions. Archimedes grabbed his bag and quickly darted to a crack in the wall behind Gethra.

The orc woman stood in the center of the ravine, squaring up as in the distance the walls shook. Rocks broke out and from them came a huge creature as big as an elephant but twice as long. Its hide was covered in large spiky quills, with what looked like two fins coming out of the shoulders. Its head was rough and reptilian, large scales that narrowed to points starting at the snout and moving down its serpent like neck. The tail was finned at the end like a shark, but it looked rougher and jagged. Gethra had told him of this creature before in the previous days, but seeing one in person was downright terrifying. A wild Sandshark. The beast ran on all four clawed feet at the orc woman, who merely smirked and reached for the weapon on her back.

With a mighty crash, the beast was sent flying back as Gethra smacked it in the face with a massive greatsword made of bone. It was almost as tall as the woman herself, with large fangs protruding from the edge of the blade in a wicked fashion. The grip was wrapped in a red leather cord, with a trail that swayed behind the warrior. Gethra let out a roar and charged at the monster, the greatsword trailing behind her at her side.

The sandshark let out another howl and ran at her, only to be slashed in the face again and knocked to the side. Gethra wheeled the blade in the air, letting the momentum spin it until it slung over her shoulder. With the timing of a seasoned hunter as the sandshark recovered from the recoil and moved to engage her again, the warrior hauled the greatsword down, snapping the weapon faster than what should have been possible and burying the blade into the creatures neck. The sandshark let out a pained cry but Gethra didn't pull back.

Instead, she lifted her foot and slammed it into the blunt back of her greatsword, forcing it deeper into the creatures neck until it stopped moving. The body flopped over and went limp. Gethra grunted and yanked the bone sword from the flesh of the beast, blood dripping from the jagged edges. Archimedes just looked on, mouth and eyes wide open. The whole ordeal had taken less than a minute. Gethra tugged at a stray hair while looking down at the dead beast, then glanced at Archimedes. “I think we should lay camp here for the night. It’d be a shame to let this kill go to waste.” Archimedes nodded and let his body sag a bit.

“And a little extra rest would be good too…” The warrior laughed and stabbed her blade into the ground. A good hour or so later a campfire was made, slabs of sandshark were being cooked, and the two were settling in. Gethra had collected a few large scales and fangs from the carcass, saying that she’d be able to get some money once they got to the city. She even gave one of the smaller ones to Archimedes, who gladly took the trophy. The rest of the beast was sliced up and roasting over the campfire. It tasted like catfish but had the texture of a pork chop, which was a weird experience all on its own.

Once camp was set up, Archimedes sighed and leaned against a rock, the heat from the fire keeping him warm in the desert air.

"You know, you're nothing like I thought you would be."

Archimedes blinked and looked up from his sandshark-kabob, swallowing the bite. "How do you mean?" Gethra gestured with the still meat-covered bone she

was eating off of. "You're nothing like what you come across as."

Archimedes frowned and tilted his head. "I... don't follow."

"Your aura, guy" she said, as if that made total sense. "You give off this presence of a super powerful being, but you act like a lost puppy."

"Whoa whoa, time out." Archimedes set his food down and looked at Gethra. "What do you mean Powerful Aura? I... don't?""

"You're joking with me, right?" Silence. "By the blood, you're not joking. You seriously had no idea?" Archimedes scratched at his head, his face confused. "This is the first I heard of it. I don't... feel anything?" he looked at his hands. Maybe that was why everyone had given him such a cold shoulder. It was certainly weird, but it might explain it.

"Wow, you don't see that every day. I thought you were some nasty guy who didn't want to get his hands dirty. But you're really just a big pup who doesn't realize he has fangs."

The young man shook his head and shrugged. "I guess? I... Don't really know how to process this. Wait, why'd you approach me then?" He said, looking up at her. "Did I not have an aura then?"

"No, you did." Gethra responded, taking a bite from her meat stick. "Then why?" "Because I was bored and looking for work. And you seemed like the biggest baddest employer in the inn at the time."

It wasn't long the next evening before the duo spotted the city on the horizon. A walled settlement with a tall tower in the center. At the top of the tower was a flaming beacon that acted as a guide amid the dunes. "There she is." Gethra said, pointing to the flame in the distance. "Selosako, known for its strong whiskeys and spicy cuisine. Not the most exciting place in Dunesia, but it's better than that outpost miles from nowhere... Although I guess this place is still miles from nowhere."

Adobe brick walls rose from the sands, buffeted smooth from the desert winds. A large arched gateway marked the entrance to the town, with a wooden watchtower to the side of the path. The inside of Selosako's walls showed a thriving town. People with open tents sat to the side of the road, turning half of the road into a farmers market of sorts.

"So, about my payment." Archimedes blinked, then it clicked and he pulled his bag forward, digging around and pulling out the coins. "Here you are... I guess this is it huh?" Gethra took the coins from him and tucked them away. "Well, it's what you paid me for. Unless you have something else in mind?"

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"No just... well. I really enjoyed your company, Gethra." Archimedes smiled, and Gethra returned it. "You too. You're a good kid, Archimedes. What will you do now?" He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, looking around the city around them. "That is a very good question. I'm just as lost as I was before, but at least now, I kinda have an idea where to go. You said a caravan could take me to the Capitol?"

"That's right. And most caravans leave from larger cities like this, you just need to track one down." The orc rolled her shoulders and turned. "Well, see ya 'round pup." Gethra took a few steps then looked back at him. "You should stand up straight more. You got a good strong look in your eyes, assert yourself a little." And with that, he was on his own once again. Archimedes let out a sigh as he watched her go, probably to sell the sand-shark parts and find a bar. However, he took what she said to heart. He had been running scared since the moment he showed up here, and for good reason. But the dream wasn't going to wake up, and there was no point in hoping it would. This was no different than if he was to suddenly visit another country. Stuff could go wrong, and he'd have to deal with those consequences. Only this time it was less learning the language and more surviving a world where magic existed, monsters were real, and he was just a nerd with a magic d20.

"But they don't know that." Archimedes mused to himself as he paid for a room for the day at a local inn. He was already amazed at how he was adapting to his surroundings. "What would be the next step in all of this? Secure security." Getting another bodyguard would probably be a waste of money, so the next option would be finding a caravan.

It was rather surprising to see how many people gave him great customer service now that he was aware of that aura thingy Gethra told him about. He just sort of 'flexed' his intent and people seemed far more aware of his presence and how unsettling it was. Archimedes didn't abuse it though; he wasn't that kind of person. For the most part, he played the part of a kindly Wanderer, really keeping aware of how he came across to people.

The next caravan heading out of town and towards the Capitol was due in a few days. Which gave him some time to kick around town. There was one place that he wanted to go to in particular, and that was some sort of magic shop. As luck would have it, he met a traveling enchanter who also would be joining caravan in the coming days.

"So are you looking to buy or trade?" the boisterous and colorfully dressed man asked. Archimedes was sitting cross-legged on a black and white rug the merchant had placed in his large tent as a temporary storefront. The young man looked over the few items that were on display with great interest, although he couldn't discern what their purpose is could be.

"I'm just browsing for right now, but I'd love for you to show me what these did."

"Well this little beauty right here," the merchant said, picking up what looked like a smooth flat and round rock wrapped in some sort of leather " is Enchanted with the rune for fire making. Observe."

The man pressed his thumb to the back of the Rock, and on the other side, a candle sized lick of fire appeared. "No more need for pesky flint and steel and no need for wasting precious resources on casting magic. And then we have what I like to call the 'Ever Warm Tankard'."

The Merchant picked up a seemingly normal looking mug, but there were tiny runes along the base that glowed a soft orange. "With a simple activation, you can choose to heat up any drink you have in this tankard in mere seconds!"

That sounded downright useful. Archimedes looked at a very intricately crafted glove that had fingers that look like talons. "What about that?"

The man gave him a wry smile, tapping the side of his nose with a knowing look. “I can see that you can recognize quality when you see it. This is a gauntlet of pyrokinetic force." he slipped on the gauntlet, and all of the grooves suddenly glowed a fiery red. "I'm not going to lie; this one is my most expensive piece. But it allows you to sling a simple flame spell without having to learn the Magic by itself. It's by no means as powerful as a properly learned spell, but for the layperson it's certainly flashier than the sword."

The man took off the gauntlet, set it down and looked at Archimedes. The Archimedes was looking at the fire starter. He had picked it up and try to turn it on. And nothing happened. In fact, after trying each of the items for a few minutes, the young Wanderer found that he could not activate any of the magic items.

The merchant was, course, a little put off. Seeing as now, his potential customer couldn't even use the items as described. However, he did seem more thoughtful after noticing Archimedes’ confused and devastated look.

"I must say, I can't say I've ever met a person who could not activate Magic. I take it you won't be continuing with your purchase?"

Archimedes didn't answer. In his pocket, he gripped the d20, about to say that he could indeed use magical items. Instead, he let out a sigh. There would be no point in spending gold on things that he ultimately could not use. After thanking the merchant for his time, the young man wandered in the direction of the nearest tavern.

And there he stayed for the next couple of days. He ate, drink, and he pouted. Of course, when he defied all of reality and was transported to a world where magic actually existed... He would be the one person on the planet who couldn't use Magic. It was depressing; however, it was on the third day of excessive drinking that he mostly snapped out of it. Archimedes had never been much of a drinker in the first place, and after several mugs of poor tasting ale, he didn't see himself as becoming a drunkard anytime soon.

The young man sighed and pressed the cold mug of water against his forehead. While this place was full of new sights and interesting things to learn, between magic being out of reach and being in an unfamiliar place... he was just starting to miss home.

That thought brought him out of his inner musings. Did he miss home? He didn't exactly have anything to go back to. No family, few friends he actually kept up with. The few he had were hundreds of miles away, or with their own families. His job wasn't exactly stellar; you could only get so much inspiration from working retail. Why was he feeling so melancholy?

"Hey there stranger." Archimedes jumped and looked over at the figure who'd just sat next to him. The familiar green skin and wild black hair in a ponytail caused the young man to smile. "Gethra, hey. What are you doing here?"

The orc woman shrugged and smiled. "Well after cashing in those Sand-shark bits and earning a few extra coins, I got to thinking. You're really bad at this whole survival thing. The desert will eat you up in a heartbeat."

"Oh gee, thanks."

"And me, being the responsible adult that I am, could not live with myself if I let you just wander into the wilderness on your own."

"I did find a caravan."

"With that being said, I'm coming with you. Congratulations, you have your bodyguard back."

Archimedes grinned and raised his mug to her. "Well I won’t turn down the company. Will it be the same fare as before?” Gethra smiled, a bit softer than she had been, and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’ve got enough coin to not have to worry about things for a fair bit. You’re headed to Capitol? Count me in. I’ve never been to the big city, nor have I been to another realm outside of Dunesia. And I get the feeling you’re going to get yourself into a lot of trouble, so I’ll have to be there to get you out of it.”

Archimedes smiled as Gethra ruffled his hair and finished off her drink. No… he wasn’t homesick. The lack of familiarity had distilled that feeling into its base emotion. With Gethra back though, and showing a willingness to travel with him, he didn’t feel lonely anymore.

The caravan had eagerly accepted Gethra to do double work as a bodyguard, so finding a place for her wasn’t a problem. The cost of a wagon and a steed to pull it was well within their budget, and they wouldn’t have to be sharing a cart with someone else. In reality, the caravan wasn’t that big. A dozen covered carts pulled by four legged chickens the size of a horse. As the group pulled out under the desert moon Archie sat in the passenger seat of the wagon, looking out over the dunes. In the distance, he could see a large wall of sand blowing in the air, the caravan heading straight for it.

Gethra must have noticed his nervous look because she patted him heavily on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. The chikatrice know the tracks between the towns.” She saw, nodding to the grey-feathered beast pulling their cart. “They’re not too bright, but once trained they run the path as reliably as the sun rising.” This did make Archimedes feel a bit better. After a few hours they were about to enter the wall of sandstorm, the winds around them subtle and eerily quiet. Gethra instructed him to put on safety goggles and cinch up his hood, and as he did, Archimedes heard something. A high-pitched wail in the far distance, behind them.

“Probably another sand monster I don’t know about yet.” He mused to himself as the wagon entered the storm.

Oddly enough, not much happened in the following days. The two days in the sandstorm was akin to being in a perpetual calm before the storm. There was energy in the air, but no loud noises or high winds. To be honest, Archimedes had no idea how or why the sands were flying in the air. Once the caravan left the massive storm, it was back to sleep during the day, and traveling at night. This continued for about a week, one fourth of the way through their journey. During this travel time, Archimedes set to decipher the runes on the d20. He had a frame of reference, and it was all about trial and error to figure out the numbers.

Night had fallen and the caravan was in the process of getting set up to travel again. Archimedes had taken to caring for the chikatrice he had named Betsy. The magic less human was trying his best to be useful and not just lounge about, even though he probably could have and gotten away with it. Once they were on the road once again, Archimedes settled into his usual spot at the front of the wagon.

The sudden explosion of fire striking the road near the caravan sent Archimedes flying off the front of the wagon. The sounds of alarm started to go off as the young man hit the sands on the side of the trail. His ears were ringing, and his vision was blurry for a moment. He looked back to the wagon, seeing half of it in flames, and a large shape that he assumed was Gethra running towards him.

Then his eyes caught sight of something above the wagon. In the sky. As his eyes came into focus the moving shape became clear, giving him a look at what had attacked them. Some sort of winged creature with a tail, hovering and pointing at...

"Archimedes Crypt! I have found you!"

What?