“Fascinating,” I said as Najam wrapped up his explanation of dungeons. “Sounds fun.”

Najam chuckled a little. “I suppose, depending on what you enjoy. But they are equally dangerous; the monsters within them are quite powerful, and relentless.”

“All the better,” I answered, giving the boy a grin. “But, that’s for later. Moving on,” I continued, “what are these runes and Artes everybody keeps talking about?” I asked, finally asking one of the oldest questions I’d had about the universe. “The Grand Order people never really explained.”

“Well, I have some cursory knowledge of what exactly they are,” Najam answered, “but I believe Tara would be the best person to ask.”

Tara nodded sagely. “About time you stopped pretending like you had all the answers, boy,” she said to Najam, before turning to us with a glimmer in her eye. “Now then, as for what Artes and runes are…I’ll be honest, I don’t really know.”

A pin-drop silence followed. Najam’s people seemed just as surprised as Ren and I, if not more so. The embarrassment on Najam’s face was almost comical, but mercifully, Tara didn’t let the silence persist for too long. With a mischievous cackle, she threw her head back and laughed hard at the reactions of her people.

“I’m just kidding,” she said finally, as her laughter subsided. “Well, not entirely. I know enough to sate your curiosity,” she said to us, her eyes still smiling, “but if anyone ever claims to fully understand the essence of what Artes and runes are, they are lying to you.”

With that warning made, Tara planted herself atop a table and began her lecture in earnest. “Now, at their most basic level, Artes are ways of interacting with and manipulating the ambient Flux of the universe. There exists a set of symbols that have the power to control that Flux – researchers and historians debate the origins of the language, but the most prevalent theory is that it is the ancient Draconic tongue. But their origins aren’t relevant to most. What is important is what they can do. Now, you’re aware that Flux can be converted into any element, yes?”

Ren and I nodded, our attention entirely raptured by her speech.

Tara smiled at our enthusiasm. “Well, most mages’ bodies are limited to one affinity, meaning that they can only convert Flux into one element. But with the language of runes, we can surpass that limitation. Runes, when put together in the correct order, can accomplish almost anything the mind can dream of – even feats beyond simple elemental spells. Artes are simply prewritten sets of runes that accomplish specific tasks. In a way, it’s like any other language. Runes are the letters and words, and Artes are the sentences made up of those runes.”

Ren and I were silent for a moment after she stopped talking, digesting the information she’d shared. “What about translation runes on the Grand Order ships?” I asked finally. “I can sorta understand how they work with elemental stuff, but how can Flux be involved in translating one language into another?”

Tara smiled mysteriously. “And that is why I say that no one mage can ever claim to fully understand runes. At least, not one under the realm of the Immortals. Runes are powerful things, far more than you and I could ever understand. Fortunately for us, we don’t need to understand them to use them.”

“And how do we get our hands on these Artes?” Ren asked.

Tara smiled and tapped the side of her head. “Those chips Najam was generous enough to give you? They’ll give you all the information you need.”

Both Ren and I were confused by her answer. “Really? How? And speaking of which, what are those chips anyway?” I asked.

“Those are Nexus Chips,” Najam responded, jumping back into the conversation. “Nexus Chips are the lifeline of every mage in the universe, more or less. They are connected to the Nexus Tower at the center of the universe – and, as you can guess, that’s where they get their name. As with everything else, the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of them are beyond most people, but the functions they provide are essential to life in this universe. They keep track of one of the universe’s most common currencies: Nexus Coins. These coins are earned in dungeons, and while they can be traded for other goods, their main function is to buy Artes from the Tower itself.”

There was a beat of silence as Najam stopped speaking. It seemed today would be a day of much learning, and the deluge of information already had my brain bursting at the seams.

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But it seemed they weren’t done yet. “Your chips won’t really work right now,” Lionel added on, “because you need them to be authenticated by the Adventurers Guild. But once you get that done, you’ll be able to access all of its functions.”

“And you’ll need that,” Gyda continued, “if you wanna make a career out of adventuring – which, I’d guess, is what youse is planning on doing.”

Tara nodded then. “As you should. It’d be far too great of a waste of your potential if you two chose anything else. Being able to survive these lands for so long on your own is more than testament to your talent for the career.”

“Speaking of which,” I began, trying to hide the flush of embarrassment on my face, “how far are we from normal civilization? Or at least, how far is the closest Adventurers Guild branch?”

The people gathered seemed a little uncomfortable with that question, which confused me. After a beat of silence, Najam finally answered. “Well, we’re actually quite deep into the wilderness here. In fact, we’re quite literally in uncharted territory at the moment. Part of our mission is to begin mapping out this edge of the forest, since it’s actually never been done before.”

“So…how far are we, exactly?” I asked.

Najam shrugged. “It’s about a five month journey walking,” he said lightly. “Well, for the two of you, it should be, anyway.”

Ren and I went silent at the new information, our faces dropping in unison.

Seeing our reaction, Najam smiled weakly. “On the bright side, that means you should be able to make it in time for Karmore’s entrance exam, which should be taking place in about eight months.”

“Karmore?” I asked, the confusion on my face mirroring Ren’s.

Najam nodded. “Yeah. That’s where you guys should be headed, in my opinion. It's an academy renowned across the continent for the quality of the mages it produces. They have different faculties, but they’re mainly geared towards adventurers. They have high standards, though, but I’m sure the two of you will be able to get in.”

“And it’ll be a great thing for you if you do,” Tara added. “I can’t even begin to imagine how disorienting being dropped into an entirely new universe must be. Going to an academy like that should make the transition less overwhelming for you – help ease you into society.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense,” I said. “Karmore, huh? Seems like a solid plan.” As I spoke, I tilted my head just slightly in Ren’s direction. Ren, immediately catching the slight movement in the sphere of his Sense, simply smiled and nodded, seemingly to himself, but I understood what he meant.

“So, do you have a map or something, for us to get there?” I asked.

Najam nodded. “Yeah, of course. Though the path isn’t that difficult.” He reconsidered then. “Well, it’s not a difficult path in that there aren’t many turns. But the path itself is quite dangerous. No less than what you’ve already been through, though, I suppose.”

Ren piped up then, steering the conversation in a different direction. “Before we make plans to leave,” he began, “about these Nexus Chips you gave us. Are they expensive?”

I was surprised at the question, unsure of why Ren would ask.

Najam seemed conflicted. “Well, Nexus Chips are usually pretty cheap – they are, after all, incredibly abundant.”

Ren gave a knowing smile at that response, as if his suspicions had been confirmed. Turning to Tara, he spoke again. “Now, really, how valuable were the chips he gave us?”

Tara laughed at his question, an approving look in her eye. “An observant one, aren’t you?” she said. “Najam wasn’t lying; the average Nexus Chip isn’t very expensive or valuable at all. But that’s only true of their basic versions. The ones Najam gave you are of top quality. They’re the only ones with translation runes inscribed in them, after all.”

“Tara,” Najam said in admonishment, seeming simultaneously annoyed and embarrassed that she’d spilled the truth, but Tara simply waved him off.

“Oh, he basically already knew, Najam,” she said to him. “I simply confirmed it for him.”

With a light smile, Ren spoke again. “Yeah, she’s right. I would have left it alone, though, but the idea of leaving without acknowledging it didn’t sit right with me. And I imagine Ruby would feel the same way.”

I nodded emphatically. “Of course. And forget just acknowledging it, I won’t leave until I pay you back for it somehow,” I declared. I was touched by Najam’s display of genuineness, and I liked to consider myself someone who repaid kindness manyfold.

Najam shook his head at my words. “Oh, it’s really no big deal. The chips are expensive, sure, but I’ve got plenty of them. I really couldn’t ask you guys to repay me for them.”

I shook my head at his refusal, my eyes adamant. “No, no, I will pay you back. There must be something we can do for you.”

Najam looked like he wanted to refuse me again, but as he met my steeled eyes, he quickly realized I wasn’t about to back down from my position. A conflicted look passed over his features as he contemplated what to do. Eventually, he turned to Tara, who wordlessly nodded to the boy. With her input, Najam seemed finally to arrive at a conclusion.

“Well…” he began, somewhat unwillingly, “I suppose there is something you could help us with...”