There was a sound that Rodent couldn't place his finger on. It dropped as gracefully as a violin note and streaked side to side more elegantly than a symphony. The whale, which had launched in the air, croaked with an immense sound that vanished in an instant.

And Rodent, in the span of a blink, saw a wall-sized web of invisible strings, a silver glint coming from a few as the whale had launched into it. The whale disintegrated upon contact, not a drop of Deskar passing the web until the end of its fin was no more.

After that, the sea of Deskar calmed at the surface, leaving Rodent confused and sitting against the tree. Before him, though, something descended from the branches above. It was a spider, upside down and lowering from a web, coming to hover before the sitting man.

The Spider seemed almost made out of wood, but its form was more complex, intricate, and organic.

"Well, well… what do we have here?" the Spider spoke without its mouth matching the words that came out. Rather, it was like there was a discharge of sound around its form. "I did not know we had another esteemed guest in this forest of ours. There is not a presence to you, young man. I'm surprised the Deskar even thought to contend with you."

Rodent, seeing a talking spider, couldn't help but break into a chuckle and a smirk. His head shook as breath escaped as he had braced himself for death. And then, like that, he was knocked back into the absurd. "Let's… just say I have a habit of pissing everything off."

"Must be," the Spider responded, keeping several feet off the platform, still attached to its web. "They didn't even do that to the last fellow that was here—which was already an oddity to have an underpowered candidate here." One of the Spider's legs rubbed its face. "But for there to be another? Well… that is quite a surprise indeed."

Rodent gazed at the creature. "How come you saved me?"

"Just felt like it, to be honest with you." The Spider stopped rubbing itself as its legs returned to its attached web. "Would have intervened sooner… but I was curious as to what you would do in the face of death."

Rodent tapped his chest with a fist. "My early heart-attack thanks you for it."

"I could have always done nothing, of course."

Rodent knocked it off and nodded. "Thank you."

"But you are rather weak to be here." The Spider dropped onto the ground and checked around the tree Rodent was against, seeing that the chasing Deskar had backed off. "I don't suppose you're here for something other than the Sword?"

Rodent shook his head and looked over at the Spider. "Just that, I'm afraid."

"And you've already been run through about how it'll only kill you?"

"Multiple times."

"And that didn't do the trick of warding you off?"

"Nope."

"Ah—your life, I suppose." The Spider turned to the front of the platform, looking at the blade. "So… you still want to attempt it, then?"

Rodent looked over at the Spider at the massive weapon staked into the middle of the sea. "Something tells me… that's not fitting on my back."

"No, no… that's not it." The Spider turned and pointed its legs downward behind it. "The real Ancient Sword is down in the depths of this Forest. One who hears its song should know that."

Rodent sank to the side and tapped the side of his head. "Never had much of a musical ear."

"One of those types? I see." The Spider solidified itself in place. "Though I must ask you a question."

"Sure."

"I did not have to change my tongue to speak with you," the Spider said. "And this tongue died ages ago."

"That." Rodent waved it off and sank back against a tree. "Was a 'gift' when I came to this world. Wouldn't have been able to talk to anyone if it weren't for that."

The Spider tilted its head. "Not from here?"

"Another world."

"Ah, I see."

"You believe that?"

"The older you get, the more you see, and the greater you believe." The Spider came close to Rodent, tapping around him with its many feet, though he never flinched or moved away. He just tiredly watched it. "So I'll accept the possibility. However, what you have—it isn't a gift."

Rodent blinked. "W-What do you—"

"It's a Q."

"One of those?" Rodent blinked as he processed that, barely aware of the setting around him, the great, distant trees, and the casually flowing and bubbling surface of the raised sea of Deskar. His mind struggled with the notion. "I-I mean… it's possible. But… being able to speak all kinds of languages… that… isn't something that's intense to me."

The Spider became curious. "It's not?"

Rodent's head shook. "No. I-I mean… something like that… was a dream to someone close to me… so I had a bit of an interest in it… but… no…” He blinked and exhaled and felt rejection in his system. "And from what I understand about a Q… they have to be a defining factor about yourself."

"Hmm." The Spider stepped around him, peering at Rodent with its many eyes, examining what could not be seen on the surface. Once it was done, it started to chuckle as if figuring out a mystery. "Ah. I see now. It all makes sense."

Rodent looked at the Spider. "What did you find out?"

"Something that you'll have to find out for yourself in time."

Rodent deadpanned. "You're not a lot of fun, y'know that?"

The Spider cackled. "Trust me: it's in your best interest."

The Spider turned back to the end of the platform and, attaching itself to the web it had left, ascended it to the branches above. This caused Rodent to stand and step forward, confused about what would happen next but trusting in this strange creature.

And then from above, the voice of the Spider spoke.

"I am Bal'qe Funull, one of the Guardians of this forest, and Watcher of the Sword." Rodent listened to Bal'qe's voice as, before him, a web lowered—thick as a rope. "My place is in this forest and the sword that you see before you is my totem. I, along with the Trees, allow you to try."

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That web continued to lower, touching the Deskar, which swallowed it, though the web remained straight and kept going downward. Rodent watched this with idle confusion as he looked back to the branches above, which were as dark as a night's sky.

"You, a holder of a Q, a carrier of Brar, must endure the final challenge before you can attempt the Sword."

Rodent blinked, grabbing the web beyond the platform and holding it to himself.

"You must have what it takes to reach the bottom of the Sea."

Rodent, holding the web close to himself, peered over the edge at the sea of Deskar below, at the great, thick sludge that could overtake a city—its every building, park, and highest structure. It was a flood… something worse than water.

He gripped the web tightly as he stared into the sea he tried to avoid falling into, that meant certain death if he were to fall in. The whale, which had been utterly massive, was nothing compared to that which it had come from. Closing his eyes and taking a breath, Rodent grabbed into the web with two hands and crossed his legs around it as well.

His hands glowed upon touching the web, which also glowed a soft silver, a pathway opening below in the Deskar—a hole just big enough for him. Like that, Rodent started to slide downward at a controlled pace, reaching the surface of the Deskar below.

"Do not lose yourself."

Rodent dipped through the hole, coming into the sea, while above him, the hole then closed, leaving the forest without his presence. The Spider watched from above, having wrapped its web around a branch, a branch that, despite being tainted by Deskar… then burned through it… just a little bit… as the web itself became infused by the Brar… the glow shooting downward to catch up with Rodent.

The Spider looked at the Great Tree itself.

"You do not have much Brar," said the Spider to the Tree. "Why… sacrifice a branch for a man who does not hear the Sword's song?"

The Tree rumbled. “…YOU… ARE TOO… IN LOVE… WITH… THE LEGEND… THE SWORD CREATED…"

The Spider perked up on the branch. "A legend that was made for a reason."

“…WHEN… ARON… WENT THROUGH… HIS CHALLENGES… WAS HE… CALLED TO… OR CHOSEN…”

"That was a different time." The Spider, though, did lower itself. "And Aron was strong—unmatched."

“…BECAUSE… THE TIMES… REQUIRED… HIM TO BE… AND HE… ENDURED… AN UNIQUE… EXPERIENCE…”

The Spider became curious. "What are you trying to say?"

“…DO YOU… REMEMBER… WHAT ARON… WAS CALLED… BEFORE HE… WAS HAILED… AS THE… ANCIENT HERO…”

The Spider was quiet for a second. "…The Unexpected Hero."

“…NOT MUCH… TIME… REMAINS…” The Tree started to become quieter. “I… HAVE A… FEELING… ABOUT… THAT ONE…”

The Spider blinked its many eyes. "You think he's the one we're waiting for?"

“…NO…” Silence only for a moment. “…BUT HE… WILL LEAD THE WORLD… TOWARD… ITS NEXT… HERO…”

The Spider looked upward. "Only so many moves are allowed in an age." It kept looking for a time… before it looked aside. "Why do you, out of all the options, he was chosen?"

“…BECAUSE… WHAT HAS BEEN DONE… HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE…" The Tree's rumbles soon barely rocked the air. “…TO… STAND A… CHANCE… WE… ONCE AGAIN… NEED… THE… UNEXPECTED…”

The Spider looked down the web, how it remained and had yet to be eaten, meaning Rodent was still heading downward. It hummed as it rested on the branch, sinking onto its stomach. It watched the Deskar. "It's hard to hope—especially when you already know how this all ends."

The Tree thundered out its final rumble.

“YOU… CANNOT… CHANGE FATE… BY BELIEVING… AS YOU… ALWAYS HAVE…”

"Hm." The Spider watched the web and, pressing its legs to it, had a sliver of light glow from its ends. More light passed through the web… while the wood of the Spider's form thinned. “I suppose… it is… more interesting… if you… become… betting… man.”

The Tree rumbled, but there was no speech, so the Spider took it to be laughter… and became extremely tired.

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Rodent was in a strange place, like he was in outer space. He saw nothing but black liquid around him, no ceiling and no ground—just a tube in between. There were voices around him, whispers moving like mist across a lake's surface.

He heard it—all of it—the screams and cries, the shouts and whimpers, the loud voices that suddenly became quiet, the strong becoming weak. Countless ages of nightmares echoed around him, attaching to each other and multiplying.

Rodent closed his eyes and held onto his web, fighting the urge to let go of it—to let the Deskar take his corpse and do as it liked with it. The space around him was becoming smaller and tighter, the Deskar coming closer, a million little tendrils reaching out to grab him.

Soon enough, though, what he saw—and imagined—with closed eyes was worse than when they were opened. When his lids did part, he found his face close to his hands, seeing the ring there. Special text was inscribed around its sphere.

He blinked at it.

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"Can't a computer just translate all that stuff for you?"

"Maybe," Angela said, at her desk in a normal chair, her wheelchair next to it. Rodent laid back on her bed, tossing a ball. They were teenagers now. "But how would you feel about something coming up to you with a phone that translates everything?"

Rodent tossed and caught the pink ball, shrugging. "I dunno. I'd probably be whatever about it."

"Exactly," Angela replied without looking over her shoulder. Instead, she was intent on her book, which had several notebooks laid around it. "But if a foreigner walks up to you and speaks your language, you're going to appreciate the fact that they actually took the time to learn your tongue."

"I'm all for learning your tongue."

Angela pelted a mechanical pencil at him. "Be serious for a moment."

"Fine."

"It'd be the same for you if you actually got sucked into one of those fantasy worlds you dreamed about as a kid." Angela focused back on her desk, lifting another pencil. "How do you expect to talk to them, comfort them, or even be their hero… if you can't communicate with them? If you can't show that you understand and empathize?"

Rodent blinked. "I wasn't expecting that kind of comparison."

"We all want the same things, silly." Angela turned in her chair and smiled at Rodent, who sat up a little on the bed. "We all just wanna go on an adventure. We want to interact with different people and have something different from… all of this."

Rodent exhaled, thinking about it and looking at the ceiling. "I guess… you're right." He then glanced back at her. "But if I want to go to another world and have a good time… what is it you want to do?"

"To communicate and connect with other people, dummy." Angela smiled sweetly at him. "I want to be able to travel the world and stay in different places, to stay with the locals and fully understand them, to provide something that maybe they don't have."

Rodent struck a big smile. "Almost sounds like someone wants to be a hero."

Angela smiled a little at that. "Maybe just a little would be nice." Her face playfully scrunched. "And hey. Since when did you want to stop being a hero?"

Rodent smirked at her. "Ever since I found someone better suited at being it."

"Really? You think I would make a better hero than you? Do you even remember what we were like when we were kids?"

"You were just a bully when you were younger," Rodent answered as he sat up on the bed. "But in terms of actually being able to do stuff? You always had better potential than me—I just had to find a way to make you stop being a jerk."

Angela crossed her arms, turned her head, and gave a big: "HMMPH!"

Rodent, however, chuckled.

And Angela then did the same.

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Back in the vertical shaft composed of sentient sludge, Rodent came to and looked at his ring, smiling at it after being removed from the horror and terror around him. Even though they were cruel and awful, all it took was one pleasant memory to return goodwill to his soul again.

He lowered, the web glowing bright, so bright… that he failed to see that his ring was also glowing.

And below…

…Rodent saw ground.