He laid one hand on the Uthraki’s arm, trying to obfuscate what he was doing. It was better to be safe than sorry. Muttering nonsense under his breath, he extended small tendrils of mana from his palm, drawing the runic pattern into the skin of the other man.

As he worked, his charge did not make a noise, simply gazing at the work in curiosity. A few minutes later, it was done, and Jonathan withdrew his hand. Hushar looked down at the runic array with a curious gaze, and flexed the arm that it was on, as if he could tell the difference with the movements of his muscles. He was evidently satisfied with the array, as he gave Jonathan a small bow of gratitude.

“Many thanks to you for this, Jonathan of the Harlowe tribe. I can sense that you told the truth. Now, onto the other world?”

Jonathan nodded, ignoring the glances from the few lurking villagers that still remained around them, and reached out, holding the token in his hand. As Hushar grasped it, they winked out of existence, appearing outside of the city walls, just as Jonathan had planned. It was unlikely at this point that his new, if very tentative, ally would betray him at this stage, but it was wiser to prepare for any eventuality.

As Hushar became acclimated to the Ash Heaps, Jonathan could see the demonic man’s beady eyes studying everything around him with an intelligence that belied his brutish form.

“What is that strange light in the sky? What manner of monster is that?” Hushar asked in thinly veiled awe.

Jonathan followed his gaze, and realized that the man was looking at the sun. The flaming orb of light was not the same as the sun that Jonathan was used to, as it was quite a bit dimmer, but it was still majestic, especially so to a man who had never seen its like before.

“That’s the sun. It’s a bit hard to explain, but it basically is a large ball of flaming gas that provides light for this world. Unlike Tartarus, there is little ambient light from lava or other similar sources.”

“It is quite cold here,” Hushar admitted. “How do you and your people live so far away from the warming embrace of the Primal One?”

“I doubt I could explain it in a satisfactory manner,” Jonathan said, not knowing what the Primal One was. It was likely some sort of Earth god, or idolatry figure of the Uthraki, but he was wary of offending Hushar. The man was essential to the survival of the city.

“No matter. Where are your bloodsworn?” Hushar replied, looking at the city.

“If you mean my followers, they are inside the city walls. I would prefer it if you remained out here however. You are quite an imposing specimen. Some of the weaker members of the city might view you as a threat.”

“Ha!” Hushar bellowed happily. “I would have it no other way.”

Jonathan nodded, calculating furiously within his head. Hushar was quite an enigmatic figure, as far as he could tell, and certainly different than he had been expecting. There was certainly a brutish patina, but also intelligence as well. Jonathan was still influenced by the stereotypes of the old world, and he almost instinctively equated size and strength with a commensurate lack of intelligence. However, in this world, nobody who had made it to Tier 2 was in any way stupid, even if they had not allocated a single point to Intelligence.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Hushar seemed content to study the world around him as Jonathan deliberated, and a few minutes later, Edgar and Eva came over the wall, both of them floating under the influence of the former’s mastery over the air. Both of them looked wary of Jonathan’s brutish companion, and he could sense the tensions rising as they alighted on the ground.

“Is he safe?” Edgar asked almost immediately, glaring at Hushar like he was trying to eviscerate the man with sheer force of will. Hushar met the gaze evenly, letting out a low growl from deep within his massive body. He did not seem amused.

“He has a name, runt,” Hushar replied. “I am Hushar, the son of Alkar. You would do well to remember that.”

Edgar snarled and summoned a swirling nexus of wind to his hand. Sensing that things might become violent soon, especially considering the light that was beginning to swirl around Eva’s spear, Jonathan decided to act. His aura burst out of him, swirling like a nebula of purple energy. It only was out for a second, but it was enough to cut through the aggression like a knife.

“Enough! If Granath could see this, he would be ecstatic! Why bother killing us when we can just do it ourselves?”

Slightly mollified, Edgar and Eva nodded. Jonathan noticed that Hushar only nodded after the others had done so.

“We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot,” Eva interjected, loosening her grip on her spear. “You have the appearance of a monster, and the power to destroy this city. It is natural that we are wary.”

Hushar seemed to brighten up at what he saw as flattery, and nodded. The tension dissipated somewhat, but it was still there, lurking beneath the surface of the situation. It would come back in a heartbeat if anything was done to engender such a response. Sighing in relief, Jonathan took charge of the meeting, wanting to head off any other possible fights that might take place.

“Hushar is very high level for this part of the world, and with the addition of my mana recycling array, he is at peak strength. Although Granath is leagues stronger, he does not possess this advantage, and neither do his soldiers. Because of this, Hushar is worth hundreds of fighters all on his own.”

“Just how strong are you?” Edgar asked, curiosity replacing his open suspicion.

“I am currently level 174,” Hushar replied. “My strength is, or at least I would like to believe, higher than average for that rank. My village has survived for many years against the encroaching monsters of Tartarus, and I am half of the reason.”

The man seemed not to realize how much he was bragging about his strength. Perhaps the Uthraki were simply more straightforward in such matters, omitting social niceties in favor of efficiency.

“That is… quite some power,” Edgar replied, searching for the right words. “I look forward to seeing what you can do against our enemies.”

“So do I. So do I,” Hushar responded.

With those words, the conversation was over, and Edgar made his way back towards the city. Eva lingered a bit longer, still seeming slightly apprehensive about Hushar, but after fifteen minutes of nothing happening, save for a vaguely pleasant conversation about life in Tartarus, she left as well.

“Well, as you can see, there is a reason for you to remain out here. Do you require lodging?” Jonathan asked his companion, having to tilt his head back to look him in the eyes.

“What little I need, I can create for myself. The fiery blood of the Primal One resides within me, and the earth is my brother. The magma, my sister.”