Chris stirred awake, feeling lost and disoriented. A deluge of sensations crashed into him making him feel nauseated. An overwhelming sense of loss assailed him, and he felt his entire being reaching out for something — something vital to him.

Could it have been a dream, a nightmare, or a forgotten memory? If he could just touch it, even for a little while, all would be alright. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he was searching for. What could wilt his being so completely by its mere absence?

Opening his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of dusk sunlight rippling through the sky like a cornet. A cool breeze drifted by, accompanied with the sound of bird calls and water lapping like a lullaby in the distance. The soft crackling of fire mixed with the aroma of meat cooking wafted through the air and he found himself sitting up instinctively in response.

He sat up and looked around to find himself sitting in a modest campsite near a riverbed. A small fire was ablaze with the last dregs of their meat roasting above it. Across from him, Dante was stretched out languidly, smoking his bone pipe and doodling absently with one of his arrows.

His eyes were fixed on the river and he seemed lost in deep contemplation. Chris looked around but couldn't find Zareti anywhere. However, he saw his combat suit thrown carelessly on the ground.

Once he was sure all was well, he laid back, feeling thick grass cushion his mass like a bed of clouds. Gazing up at the crisp blue sky, he tried not to think about what Zareti was up to running around naked. Instead, he thought back to the odd sensation of loss he felt moments ago and tried to puzzle its origins. Yet, no matter how he tried it remained stubbornly out of reach.

What was even stranger was the complete absence of tension from his gut. The familiar dread looming at the edge of his awareness had dwindled into a tranquil serenity. He felt an almost religious well-being wash over him like a silent breath of air, drifting over him.

Chris didn't know what to make of his newfound good cheer but appreciated it nonetheless. His mother had been religious and occupied the position of bishop in their local church. On the other hand, his father was a man who believed entirely in the self. He ended up occupying a middle ground to try and please both.

Now that he was thinking about it, he realized he hadn't thought about his friends or family in weeks. He’d been so preoccupied with the strife for survival that he barely spared a moment's thought for them. Stranger still, he didn't feel the slightest pang of homesickness when thinking about them, and that scared him more than all.

What happened? He tried to probe his mental faculties the same way he would hold a glass up to the light in search of smudges. Could there be a crack here or a smudge there? But all he got in return was a stillness colder than death. As though the part of him that could feel and articulate things was rendered mute. He wasn't sure whether it was from despair for all he’d lost or grim acceptance of his new circumstances.

He hoped it was the latter. He didn't have time for despair at the moment. There was too much he had to do to allow himself to wallow in self-pity again.

Not wanting to think about it, he let the tranquility of the glade wash over him. After the misery of the wastelands, reaching the glade felt like arriving at the promised land. There was something about it that made him want to curl up

“How did you even find this place?” Chris asked, not taking his eyes away from the sky.

“The water,” Dante said simply. “I never smelled so much water in the air. There was no one here to defend it.”

Chris frowned at those words and sat up to look at the old man. Could he really smell water from so far away? Not only that, but he thought the water should be guarded. Just what kind of world did the old man come from?

He’d known that his companions didn't have the most sophisticated of educational backgrounds. After all, neither was able to read the rudimentary map drawn by the Azzari. Their skills made up for this deficit though so he never put much stock into it.

Zareti was a skilled fighter and Dante was a walking survival kit. If anything, Chris felt self-conscious for lacking in those areas compared to both men. Now though, he was starting to regret not learning about their backgrounds. If Dante was willing to kill someone over water, they were going to have serious problems. Especially if Zareti had similar hang-ups.

As though summoned by his thoughts, there was a loud splash of water followed by a nude Zareti walking out of the river with a big smile on his face.

“Now this is more like it,” he said, boisterously. “Aah, Chris. You’re up! You scared me half to death the way you passed out like that. I had to drag you here while watching out for Blightspawn.”

“What happened?” Chris asked

“How should I know? The old man said to give you some water and let you rest and you’ll be fine. Looks like that worked out well.”

“Worked out? I passed out the moment I stepped into this place and you think it worked out?“

“Uhh… don't take this the wrong way, Chris. But you looked like shit since the day we stepped into these mountains. I was expecting something like this to happen a while ago, but you held out longer than I expected. Good on you.”

“Why thanks, Zareti. I’ll consider taking your expert medical advice from now on.”

“Happy to help,” said Zareti, strapping on his combat suit while drenched. “This is a nice place you found us, old man. If it had a Blight Gate it would’ve solved all our problems.

“About that,” Chris said, frowning, “Did you say you found Blightspawn around here?”

“Not yet,” Zareti said with a sigh, sprawling on the ground and stretching out to bask in the sun. “We haven’t had a chance to check the place out since we were busy looking out for you.I’m sure we’ll find a Blight Gate somewhere around here.”

“Maybe,” Chris said, looking around him warily. “How long was I out?”

“Two, maybe three hours. You woke up just in time to eat the last of our meat. Do you know what we’re going to do about that, by the way?”

“What about all these birds?” Chris asked, looking up at the shallow trees spread haphazardly around the glade. “There should be enough up there to feed us for a few days.”

“We tried that. It was like eating water.”

“Dammit! We’ll have to scout the surroundings as soon as we’re done with lunch. I don't want to go to sleep without knowing where my next meal is coming from.”

“We thought the same. You know, we wouldn't be in this mess if we stayed in the forest like I said we should. There were plenty of Blightspawn back there.”

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“Yeah, being dead would solve a lot of our problems if you want to think about it like that,” Chris said, then turned to see Dante still staring absently at the river. “Are you alright, Dante?”

“I wouldn't bother talking to him if I were you,” said Zareti. “He's been sitting there staring at water since we got here. I wouldn’t worry about it. Old people do that sort of thing now and then.”

“What—”

“Who are you and why have you come here!?” came a shout, startling them into action.

Chris sprang to his feet, feeling white-hot pain shoot up his leg like molten lava. Zareti whirled to stare around the camp wildly, fists raised. Dante already had his bow and an arrow knocked, aiming it at their flanks.

Chris looked in the direction he was aiming at and saw the last thing he expected. Two women were ambling towards them, riding mounts that were the size of buffaloes.

One of them was Azzari. She was long-climbed with a lithe frame and moved like a coiled gazelle ready to spring. Her bronze hair flowed down her shoulder and she wore boiled leather armor strapped with dozens of throwing knives.

The second woman had a slight frame and was the first white native he’d come across. She had a round face with short-cropped brown hair and was looking at them with interest. Unlike the Azzari, she wore plain brown breaches and a white overshirt that made her look like she was out for a walk.

His heart dropped when he saw their eyes and his whole body went rigid. The Azzari had vivid orange pupils that glistened in the sunlight, while the brunette’s were violet like a deep pool of water. That was all he needed to see to know they were Tainted, and that made him very, very nervous.

For a moment, he just stood there, not knowing what to do. He‘d seen what the Tainted were capable of and these two looked like nothing he’d seen before. Better to play it safe until he had more information on what was going on.

“Did you not hear me?” The Azzari repeated, her glare intensifying. “Who are you and why are you here?”

“Uhm, hello,” Chris said lamely, before clearing his throat and starting over. “I mean, hello. We just stumbled in here moments ago and mean you no harm.”

“Who gave you the Calanthia and Shendukh?”

“The Cala what now?” Chris asked before he could stop himself.

“She means the clothes and spears you’re carrying,” said the brunette.

“I don't see why we have to tell you anything,” said Zareti. “We don't know you and don't owe you anything.”

“Are you sure about that?” said the Azzari, her eyes blazing to Topaz. “I can find ways to change your mind if you want to make things difficult.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Chris quickly cut in with an amiable smile before hissing. “Cut that shit out before you get us killed!”

“There’s no need to scare them, Asie,” said the brunette, swinging a leg and slipping off her saddle in one practiced motion. The horse stayed in place while she made her way towards their camp and Chris noticed how much shorter she was when on foot. “Don't mind her,” she went on, waving absently in the Azzari’s direction. “We don't get many visitors and your fire spooked us. My name is Lucellia Breyer, by the way, but you may call me Lucy. My friend over there is Asanda. Who might you three be?”

“Uhm, I’m Chris. The big one is Zareti, and this is Dante. How can we help you?”

“Zareti, Chris, and Dante,” Lucy said thoughtfully, plopping down on a fallen log without care. “I’ve never heard those names in Elysia before. You aren’t from here, are you?”

“Why do you want to know?” Zareti asked, and Chris was suddenly on full alert.

“Calm down,” said Lucy, making a calming gesture. “I couldn’t care less about your origins. I only want to know how you knew to come here, that’s all. Did someone tell you perhaps?”

“Told us!?” Zareti exclaimed incredulously. “You think we would’ve come to this wretched place if someone told us about it?”

“Just answer the question,” said Asanda, having also dismounted to come and join them.

“Asanda, stop it! You’re not helping matters,” said Lucy reproachfully, before turning a brilliant smile on them. “Again, I apologize for her behavior. It’s just that, it’s very important we know how you got here.”

“Why?” Chris asked.

Lucy didn’t answer, only waited patiently with that brilliant smile plastered on her face. Seeing that she wouldn’t be forthcoming, Chris weighed his options. On one hand, he wasn't afraid to admit both women scared him. On the other hand, this could be an opportunity for them.

If they played their cards right, they could get a lot from this interaction, provided they weren’t killed, that is. His impulsive decision to enter the mountain range proved how ignorance could be as big a threat as a hoard of Blightspawn. They were also out of food and needed information on the Taint.

“It was my fault,” Chris said after much deliberation. “I was the one who made us come in this direction.”

“Why?”

“Because we had no choice. The situation in the… uh, what was it again? Oh yeah, the Heartlands! The situation in the Heartlands was getting out of control. Blightspawn kept increasing in volume and they were growing stronger with each passing day. It was only a matter of time before we were discovered and overwhelmed. So I decided to cut our losses and flee South. I didn’t know we would be walking into a mountain range at the time.”

There followed a long silence as the women traded nervous glances. Asanda’s jaw tightened and her horse pranced nervously behind her, picking up on its rider's mood. Zareti and Dante hadn’t relaxed in the slightest and Chris worried they would do something stupid.

“He could be lying to us,” Asanda said eventually.

“Why would I?” Chris asked, his annoyance getting the better of him. “Do we look like we came prepared to spend weeks walking through damned mountains? I’ve been sweating for weeks in this suit and still haven’t had a chance to bathe. Does that sound like something someone would plan ahead of time?”

Asanda was about to say something but paused to look at them closely. Zareti nodded approvingly and glared at Asanda, while Dante watched both women with a quiet intensity.

“I think it’s fair to say they arrived unaided, don’t you think, Asie?” Lucy asked, hiding a laugh behind a cordial smile.

Asanda grunted before saying, “Tell us about these Blightspawn you mentioned. What are they?”

“You don’t have a Blight Gate around here?” Zareti asked, looking around the glade in disappointment.

“Just answer the question.”

“Or what?” Zareti asked, turning to trade glare for glare.

“How about this?” Lucy said, quickly cutting in. “You three can come and join us for dinner. It will be much better than plain meat cooked on a fire. From there, we can trade information more amicably. Don’t try to argue, Asie. You know as well as I do that Makazi will want to see them.”

“Can you give us a moment to talk it over?” Chris asked.

“Take your time,” said Asanda, then grabbed Lucy by the arm and began dragging her toward the nearby trees. “We also have a few things to discuss.”

“Don't worry, you guys” Lucy called back. “I’ll make sure she doesn't harm you until we’re back home.”

Chris watched them leave until he was sure they were out of hearing range, then whirled on Zareti, “What the hell was that about? You could have gotten us all killed talking to them like that.”

“What?” Zareti asked in confusion. ”You want me to let her walk all over me like some common dog? I don't know her. She doesn't get to talk to me like that.”

Dante nodded his agreement not having taken his eyes away from the women. Chris let out a long sigh, realizing this would be a lot harder than he thought.

“I don’t mind eating something else for a change,” Zareti went on. “No offense, old man. But there's only so much you can do with an open fire and dry meat.”

“Just let me do the talking when we’re having dinner with them.”

“I was careless,” Dante grumbled, something close to a scowl appearing on his wrinkled face. “The water distracted me. I shouldn't have let them see my fire.”

“It’s fine,” Chris said reassuringly. “If anything, this is an opportunity for us.”

“How so?” Zareti asked. “That woman looked ready to tear us apart with her hands?”

“Well, for one thing; they didn't look like they were starving, which means there’s definitely a Blight Gate somewhere around here. For another, both of them have the Taint. We could ask for more accurate information on how we can get it ourselves.”

“Aah, you’re right. Maybe we can get them to tell us why their eyes are different from the others.”

“It's worth a shot. Now, what are we going to tell them when they ask us where we come from? Also, where should we say we got all this Azzari gear?”

“Let’s just tell them the truth and see what comes of it,” Zareti said with a shrug. “They invited us to dinner. The least we can do is be honest with them.”

“I wasn't expecting that,” Chris said, eyeing Zareti suspiciously before turning to Dante. “What do you think?”

“It will be easier to get information if we’re honest,” said Dante.

“Pragmatic as always, I like it,” Chris said. “Truth it is then.”

“Hold on. How come you didn't tell us what you think?” Zareti asked.

“Does it matter?” Chris asked, stripping off his combat suit. “I’m fine with us telling them the truth if that’s what we agree to. Now keep an eye out while I go for a quick bath. I can’t go around smelling like a sewer at a dinner invitation.”

“Fine, but make it quick,” said Zareti, moving to stand guard. “That one doesn't look like the patient sort.”

Chris plunged into the river, feeling a dull ache as the cold river water enveloped him. He would have liked nothing more than to luxuriate in the chill sensation, but he had more pressing matters. It was time he found out everything he could about his new reality.