Chapter 33
(So shiny!)
You have died.
Initializing. . .
New body found. Beginning transfer. . .
Transfer complete
Jarow read the now-familiar message which floated in the darkness of his unopened eyes before fully awakening. He knew this message appeared every time he died, but for some reason, he never remembered reading the message after he reawakened. His mind somehow rejected or forgot the message while it restarted. His awakenings would be startling and confusing until his current memories more slowly returned. Although even that had changed in the last few lives, so Jarow began pondering why it was that he was now able to start remembering things right from the beginning of the process.
This time coming back to life also felt different. He was conscious, remembered what had happened to him, yet hadn't even opened his eyes. His mind seemed more coherent, less frightened. He could also feel his body, feel the soft-ish mattress underneath him. He could feel the warmth in the calm, clean air now entering his lungs as he inhaled. He had a good idea where he was and even that he was a he this time, although he hadn’t even moved a finger.
Slowly, the text faded away, and Jarow felt like he should open his eyes. As he did so, a now very familiar wooden ceiling was there to greet him. The wooden ceiling he now woke up to wasn’t strictly unique, but there was a small pattern of three knots in a row within the wood, which he noticed right away as he woke. His brain labeled the three knots in the wood ‘Orion’s belt’ for some reason he didn’t quite understand, he didn’t know who or what Orion was or why he’d be wearing a belt, but the name fit somehow.
Jarow slowly sat up, his legs automatically swinging off the mattress to touch the floor. There was a sense of anticipation as he stretched his arms upward, feeling the unfamiliar weight of his new body. He knew, without needing to check, that he was now much taller than he had been last time, which made him rather happy. But that happiness came with a twinge of guilt for being relieved at his newfound height.
Turning to the mirror on the dresser, his eyes were already eager to view his new face. He was curious but less nervous about what he would see there. He already knew he was more humanoid than some of his past bodies, both by having legs and by not having fur. But then he met his own reflection in the mirror, and what he saw took his breath away.
The face staring back at him was more than just humanoid; it was angelic, with chiseled features that spoke of the face of an ancient deity sculpted in marble. High cheekbones and a strong jawline accentuated his large, soft eyes. His unruly platinum blonde hair framed his face and fell curly around the top of his shoulders, adding to his ethereal appearance.
But it was his eyes that truly held him captive. Radiant with unknown power and seemingly holding secrets yet untold, they resembled deep pools of whitest milk. At their center, a silver disc floated, reflecting an insignia that shone in a sparkling sapphire. The symbol, a pentagon intersected by a star, pulsed with energy. Jarow lost the ability to tear his gaze away from his own new eyes, feeling the weight and significance of the symbol resonate deep within him.
Jarow hadn't felt the usual startlement upon waking, but now he was taken aback. Not only by the amazing sight of his new face but also by the detailed vision held within his eyes. They had zoomed in to capture every minute detail of his face and eyes, like looking at himself through a microscope.
It was a strange sensation that also felt somewhat familiar. His Elven eyes had a similar ability, they were able to zoom in and see many things in detail which Jarow had never noticed before, but the clarity and detail of his eyes now far surpassed the eyes he had back then. It was like looking at something through a spyglass compared to using a mountaintop telescope.
After a few moments of marveling at just how impressively his eyes could see, he withdrew the zoom-in feature and realized another amazing feature: his field of vision had also expanded. This granted him a broader perception as well, extending far beyond only what he could see in front of him. It was as if he now possessed an extra set of eyes on the sides of his head, allowing his periphery to see well past the sides of his own shoulders and completely behind him. It was somewhat disorienting to be able to see this much, and it took several moments to adjust to this new, extra-wide perspective.
Jarow scooted back on the bed, not trusting himself to stand yet, and continued to gaze at his reflection in the mirror, as well as the wall upon which he rested his back. He was still captivated by his new appearance. While the mirror couldn't fully capture the true essence of his new body, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away, lingering in awe for several more minutes while his mind adjusted to his new visual abilities.
Below his platinum blonde hair, imposing trap muscles bulged upward from his neck, spreading wide to form broad shoulders that seemed capable of bearing the weight of the world without strain. He wore no shirt, revealing a toned chest, muscular yet sleek, devoid of hair and gleaming as if freshly oiled. His taut skin had a pale, pinkish-white hue, obviously untouched by the sun's rays, further reinforcing his initial thought of being made of marble.
Below the pectorals, which strangely lacked nipples, a rugged washboard of abdominal muscles trailed down to a golden belt holding up a small pleated skirt made of a thick, stark white material.
The sight of his chiseled body was impressive, but there was one last feature which stood out above all others: a pair of large, glaringly white wings that unfurled behind him. The feathers varied in size, with sturdy, almost sharp large feathers along the ends, but contrasted by soft, down-like smaller feathers internally that gently undulated with each invisible current of air.
Jarow hesitantly reached up and touched one of his wings. He could feel the feathers there were soft and smooth rather than being stiff and sharp. As he ran his fingers along them, he felt a ripple run through the wings and into his back. He could feel the wings, feel the nerves running down through them and into his own body. They were indeed an integral part of him, and responding to his touch.
He could also feel the muscles in his back that controlled the movement of the wings. They were new and different from what he was used to, yet they felt oddly familiar, as though he had used them in all of his past lives, even though this was definitely the first time he had wings.
His fingers traced the cartilage and sinew that formed the framework of the lightweight bones. He felt the patagium, the skin between the bones where the feathers grew, and the touch sent shivers up his spine.
Gently flexing these new muscles, Jarow felt his wings attempt to spread open. However, he was still sitting on the bed with the bottom feathers tucked under him, so he would need to stand up to fully extend them.
So he did. The disorientation of his new vision had mostly faded, his mind learning to deal with and compensate for the expanded area of vision. Jarow slowly stood and spread his wings as wide as he could.
The room he occupied was slightly too small for him to fully extend them, but he managed to get them most of the way open, the tips of the wings bending against each wall. He estimated that they were over fourteen feet wide in total.
Jarow gazed down each wing, his face a mix of amazement and pride. "I can't believe this. What am I?" he said aloud, even though there were no other people there to answer him.
The voice which exited his mouth was powerful; more powerful than any voice he had ever heard. It was deep, but in a way he couldn't quantify. It sounded as though there were multiple voices saying the exact same thing at the exact same time, overlapping, but sounding as one voice. Unlike the echo from multiple voices overlapping through, there was no echo, no voice slightly faster or slower, it was a single voice holding within it the voices of many.
The sound was both curious and awe-inspiring. Jarow said several other words just to hear them resonate through the room, the very walls seemed to vibrate with the power held within his voice, even when he spoke with a whisper.
Jarow could take the curiosity no longer and had to know what species he now was, but before pulling up his character sheet, he looked down. He had been barefoot in his last two bodies and was curious to see if it would be the same in this body. However, as his eyes moved over his small kilt-like skirt, barely covering his crotch and upper thighs, he saw his long, muscular legs reaching the ground. Small, laced sandals kept his feet from touching the actual floor.
He just barely fit at full height in the room, estimating his height to be close to eight feet tall, a huge increase from the four feet he had been in his last body. Satisfied, he focused on his interface to open up his character sheet, and two messages popped up first.
Your party has defeated: Z=K1-LLRT (0MAD0) Command Unit Alpha 3.
Congratulations, you have leveled. You are now level 17. You have five attribute points to distribute.
He was extremely glad to see that the others had been able to defeat the enemy that had killed him. “Killed her?” Sometimes this metempsychosis got really confusing. He closed the messages and opened his character sheet to find several changes there, along with a lot of new bonuses.
Jarow Holloman Catalystic Converger
Level [- 17 -]
Race [- Aasimar -][ Celestial Touched ]
XP [- 17,489 -]
HP [- 697 -]
MP [- 714 -]
SP [- 680 -]
Physical
Power 21 [ +1 ] Racial Bonus
Durability 20
Mobility 20 [ +5 ] Racial Bonus
Mental
Perception 22
Willpower 20
Judgment 20
Unquantifiable
Charisma 11
Luck 8
Powers
Molecular Fusion
Essence Transposition
Spatial Exchange
Temporal Inversion
Aural Armor
(Species Specific) Cleansing Aura
An Aasimar? This was something Jarow had never heard of before, but his brain made a strange connection. He knew Suhry was a Tiefling, and Aasimar seemed like the opposite. He thought of her—her dark skin and horns looked almost demonic or evil, whereas Jarow's new body resembled something more angelic. Was that the link between the two species that his mind was inferring?
The idea was intriguing, but Jarow didn't need to ponder it right now. He could ask Suhry about it later when they met up. Which was what Jarow was wondering how he was going to accomplish. He dismissed his character sheet, but his normal UI bars, status icons, and buttons still floated in his vision, including the bar holding Xinpo's abilities.
It took him a few moments to realize and understand what that meant. Passe-partout, the ability Xinpo used to create the portals, was still lit up, as if it was available for use.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Could I use Passe-partout from here to get back to there?" he thought to himself. He looked around just to make sure he hadn't missed anything and mentally attempted to contact Xinpo, just in case he was here and Jarow hadn't noticed him. There was no response.
"Okay, what do I have to lose?" Jarow thought to himself and mentally pushed the button. As he did, a new window appeared in his UI. The window held inside it a round, glowing icon with a bulky arrow pointing upward inside it. Underneath the icon, words appeared: "Please Wait."
Along with the new icon, Jarow heard music begin to play in his mind. It was a strange mix of gentle and somewhat repetitive music. It had a familiar quality, as if he should know the song being played, but at the same time, he couldn't recall knowing any songs, or even hearing any music, since his memory began.
He looked around for the source of the music, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, the icon with the arrow inside it was changing. The intensity of light at the top of the icon had lessened, as if the light held within it were draining. Jarow remembered that Xinpo had said something about needing to be at the right place and time to connect the two worlds, and figured that the icon's draining of light must indicate some kind of timer.
He waited impatiently as the icon continued to drain. He checked his clock and noticed he had been gone from his party for almost an entire day. The seconds ticked away as the light of the icon slowly diminished. Finally as the glow from the icon extinguished, a high pitched bell rang in Jarow’s mind and a small black dot appeared in midair floating in front of Jarow.
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Mediv had tucked Xinpo into his belt shortly after they had defeated the transforming monster giraffe thing. Uncertain if or how Jarow would return, they covered her body loosely with rocks out of respect and looked for ways to pass the time until her hopeful return.
During their wait, they explored the metal monster they had destroyed and discovered the large crystal which had been at its center and that had powered it. Suhry gathered up the remaining pieces, explaining, "These can most likely be used as spell components." With little else of value found, they ensured the area was clear of enemies before moving on to their next task.
Using the rubble, they constructed an artificial cave where they could rest and recover from the battle. Inside the artificial cave, they ate and slept in shifts, continually awaiting Jarow's reappearance, though uncertain of the method by which it would occur, having only Xinpo’s guarantee that it would happen.
It was late morning, and they had just decided to continue exploring the area, with or without Jarow, when Mediv felt a tug from his belt.
"What's happening, Xinpo?" he asked the sword.
"If you would kindly assist me, Mediv, it's time for Jarow's return," Xinpo replied, speaking directly to Mediv's mind.
Xinpo directed Mediv to thrust the sword's tip forward, as Jarow had done the previous day. There was no wood here, but Xinpo reassured Mediv that actual substance wasn't necessary. As the Cathan did so, the tip of the black and white sword vanished, and a small hole of darkness appeared in its place.
The darkness expanded and created a portal, the same nebulaic portal they had stepped through yesterday to arrive here. Excited and curious, they watched as Jarow began to materialize on this end. First, a long, muscular leg formed, particles swirling and coalescing until a huge winged man stood before them in its entirety.
As the figure emerged from the portal, all of them marveled at the imposing presence before them. Towering over seven feet tall, he possessed a chiseled body exuding strength and inspiration. They felt compelled to stand straighter, awestruck by his appearance—except for Suhry, who backed away and hissed.
In the gloom under the ash-filled skies, the figure seemed to glow. His skin, pale and glistening as if oiled, radiated an ethereal quality. Brilliant white wings fanned out and rustled, clearing the air of ash as they flapped.
The contaminants were pushed away, replaced by a cooling breeze that swirled around them. Their breathing eased, and a sweet fragrance of freshly cut grass and vanilla filled the air, enveloping them in wonder as they gawked at Jarow's new form.
"Hello, everyone," the figure greeted in a familiar yet alien voice. The very ground seemed to vibrate as he spoke, and each of the party members, Suhry excluded, felt an overwhelming need to kneel in obedience.
"It's me, Jarow," the figure declared, as if sensing their thoughts. "I know I look different, but I'm still the same person."
The overwhelming change of Jarow from a small halfling girl to this Herculean mountain of muscle and feathers, with an aura which seemed to demand obeisance, was more than any of them could easily reconcile. Looks of fear and confusion began creeping across their faces.
To reinforce Jarow's assertion of his new form and reassure the others that this person standing before them was truly who he said he was, Xinpo communicated his welcome directly into their minds. “Welcome back, suzerain. You appear much more imposing in this form.”
Suhry remained crouched, poised for either flight or combat, but Xinpo's words began to penetrate her instinctual defenses. As a Tiefling, a creature of mixed demon blood, she harbored an ingrained aversion towards Aasimars, they being touched by celestial essence. Aasimars were her species' archenemies and she felt the demonic blood coursing through her fighting the aura this new form of Jarow radiated.
Her initial reaction had been reflexive, driven by the deep-seated fear and animosity ingrained in her bloodline. Yet, she recognized that the being before her was the same individual who had danced with her wife just two nights prior. The same person who had fought alongside them yesterday and aided in the defeat of the Z=K1-LLRT (0MAD0) creation.
Summoning her inner resolve, Suhry trepidatiously rose from her defensive stance. Jarow met her gaze, and an alien agony washed over her. "Don't look at me," she hissed, averting her eyes in discomfort and physically acting as though she had been struck.
Isilandra felt the distress in her wife's voice and stepped in between the two, wrapping the Tiefling in her arms. As she did so, she sensed a measure of relief wash over her spouse as her body shielded her wife slightly. Turning her attention to Jarow, Isilandra spoke calmly.
"Suhry is a Tiefling," she explained. "This body you are in has celestial blood in it which stands in polar opposition to her demonic blood. Your presence triggers fear and anxiety in her, and even looking upon you causes her physical pain."
Jarow glanced at Suhry with genuine concern. He noted her uncharacteristic demeanor. Suhry had always held herself upright, strong, and exuded confidence and power, yet now she appeared weak and in pain.
"I'm sorry," Jarow offered, his voice tinged with regret. "I had no idea, and I'm not sure what I can do to..." he trailed off.
"It's not your fault," Isilandra reassured him. "It's simply the nature of our existence. Tieflings and Aasimar are natural adversaries. Your presence is inherently toxic to Suhry."
Reflecting on Isilandra's words, Jarow realized the truth in what she said. While he felt no discomfort while in Suhry's presence, her unease was palpable. She stood with her eyes averted, shoulders hunched, and fists clenched tightly around her staff as though she required the staff to stay upright.
Mediv slowly stepped up to Jarow and touched his arm. He gently squeezed the muscles, verifying they were actually real, then he looked up into Jarow's face, a question on his lips. "This is really you now, Jarow?" he asked. "I was starting to get used to the pretty little halfling you were before."
Jarow could sense a deep sense of loss in Mediv's voice. While from Jarow's perspective Mediv was still the same, still the person he liked and had just recently spent the night with; he also realized that to Mediv Jarow went from a female who he was attracted to, to a huge male which he most likely felt more awe towards than attraction.
Jarow wasn't sure what he could do to remedy the Cathan's situation; it wasn't as though he could revert to his last body. There really wasn't anything he could offer him other than making him feel as comfortable in his new presence as possible. He smiled and moved his arm up to clasp with Mediv's arm, with a reassuring squeeze, taking the furry paw in his own. "It's still me, just wrapped in a different package," he said.
Mediv looked down at their clasped hands and smiled meekly before nodding and withdrawing his hand. "I'm glad you're back with us," he said and stepped back as Grolluk came up to examine Jarow's new body.
Grolluk walked up and poked at Jarow's abs. "Are those real?"
Jarow laughed and flexed his upper torso, each muscle rippling impressively. Grolluk's jaw dropped as he watched, his eyes wide. "Wow," he said, his voice telling Jarow just how impressed he was.
Grolluk lifted up his own armor and looked underneath to his own large, round stomach and tried to flex. Rather than the washboard abs Jarow's new body had, a flabby layer of extra fat and skin jiggled as the Orc visibly tightened the muscles underneath.
"I need to start working out," Grolluk said to himself as he sauntered off, still flexing and unflexing his stomach muscles.
It took them a few minutes to get used to Jarow's new form, especially for Suhry. Jarow tried his best to avoid looking at her, and Isilandra constantly stood between them. There wasn't anything they could do to alleviate Suhry's discomfort.
Mediv handed over Xinpo, and they all watched as the black and white sword elongated to better fit Jarow's new form, the blade thickening and the grip widening to accommodate his larger hands and muscles.
"I didn't know you could do that," Jarow mentally said as Xinpo reconfigured to fit comfortably in his large hand.
"I didn't either, suzerain," Xinpo said. "It must have come with the transformation."
"You guys didn't by any chance stay close to my last body, did you?" Jarow asked.
"It's right over there actually," Mediv informed him and pointed to a small mound of rock and debris.
Jarow solemnly walked towards the mound pointed out to him by Mediv, leaving a surprising trail of clean earth as he moved. A circle around him, easily thirty yards in circumference, became noticeably cleaner. Ash and dust were flung away as if caught in a powerful cyclone, pushed away by Jarow's aura. The party watched in awe. They'd noticed the air was noticeably better upon his arrival, but with everything happening between Jarow and Suhry, the change in atmosphere had slipped their minds.
Now, they saw that his presence pushed away the pollution, not just on the ground, but in the air itself! As he walked, the circle of clean air followed him, a fresh air bubble big enough for everyone to easily stay within. They quickly moved to stay within its protective environment.
"That's incredible," Isilandra spoke, seeing the darker air abruptly stopping as it interacted with the top of the bubble now covering her and the others. "It's like your aura creates an invisible shield against the pollution surrounding us!"
"It certainly does look as though his new form has some unexpected benefits," Mediv remarked, his gaze lingering on Jarow's back as he continued his path towards his old body.
Even Suhry could appreciate the advantage of Jarow's new ability. The air inside the cyclonic dome remained clean, allowing them all to breathe without having to cover their faces with the flowery bandanas Mediv had supplied.
Jarow smiled at the thoughts, marveling on his own at his body's aura's power, but not reacting outwardly. He had a purpose for wanting to interact with his old body, so he moved to the small mound of rubble and knelt down beside it.
To the others, it appeared as if Jarow were saying a silent prayer to his former body. Then, as they watched, the rocks fell in on each other, and a myriad of rainbow-colored sparkles drifted up from the pile, momentarily shimmering like miniature constellations before dissolving in the air.
Would you like to loot your old body?
The familiar message appeared as Jarow knelt down to inspect the mound of rubble. Choosing yes, he watched as the body beneath the rocks disappeared, transforming into rainbow sparkles.
Opening his inventory to verify, he found yet another soul coin now located in a previously empty slot, this one bearing the Halfling face of his previous body on one side and the now familiar pentagon and star on the other. With a thought, he moved its location, sending it to the top of the screen next to the others he had collected.
He took a moment to watch the spinning coins, remembering the bodies he now had stored here as coins in his inventory, and sadly missing the ones he was unable to collect. Finally, Jarow stood back up and turned around to see the astonished faces of his party members staring at him with open jaws and wide eyes. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What's wrong, guys?"
“Did, did you just…” Mediv started.
“Turn your old body into stardust?” Isilandra finished.
Jarow glanced over his shoulder, then back to the party members. “Maybe?” he said, shrugging. “It gave me the option to loot, so I did.”
“What do you mean by loot? What is looting?” Suhry asked, curiosity overcoming her discomfort for a moment.
“It’s like…,” Jarow paused, trying to find the right words to explain the concept of looting. He kind of knew what it meant from his memories of gaming, back in his original human life, but conveying that to people unfamiliar with video games, especially since he didn’t fully remember the concept himself proved to be a daunting task.
“So, it only happens when I can find my last body. A message pops up asking me if I want to loot it. If I choose yes, the body disappears, and I get a soul coin. I’m not sure what they are for yet, though; and it’s only my old bodies that I get the option to loot anymore. I’m not sure why.”
There was a moment of silence as they contemplated Jarow's explanation. “So, you’re saying that you can get items from your own old body?” Suhry asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” Jarow said, opening his inventory screen. Curious, he attempted to remove the soul coin. He had never actually tried to take one out before, however as he did now, nothing happened.
The tear in reality that usually formed when he retrieved something from his inventory didn’t appear either. Jarow moved his hand into position to receive the item from his inventory, then when the void didn’t appear, waved it around, as if feeling for where the opening should be.
“Huh? I guess I can’t take those out. I was gonna show you, but I guess it won’t let me remove them from my inventory,” Jarow explained, his hand still hovering in the air as if searching for the opening to his personal storage.
They stared at Jarow as if he had lost his mind. Even Grolluk, not known for his intellect, began to wonder if Jarow had returned a little less sharp than before. Sure, he now had a great body and a really useful aura power, but he seemed a little more scatterbrained as well.
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Now that they could all breathe better, thanks to Jarow's aura, they decided to set off. Though this was technically Jarow's quest, Isilandra took the lead (as usual) and set the direction. Having coordinated the scouting of the area the night before, she now had a better understanding of the lay of land.
Their destination remained the large chimney spires they could see in the distance. They hadn't covered much ground in the previous days, so the towering height of the chimneys still appeared like small needles sticking up from the edge of the horizon.
After traversing the top of the ridges in the area so as to keep above the rocky valleys where they wouldn't be able to see any possible enemies, it wasn't long before the hills of detritus dropped away, revealing a daunting desert of desolation stretching out before them.
The landscape appeared dark, sandy, and barren. Miles upon miles of nothingness stretched out as far as they could see, flat and devoid of any vegetation. The ground looked cracked and dry, with small twisters of ash spinning in the distance. The entire scene was gray and lifeless, with no movement other than the wind whispering a desolate song through the cracked earth.
The group stood at the top of the ridge, gazing out at the vast desert before them. A moment of silence enveloped them as they absorbed the sight.
"Do we have to cross that?" Grolluk's voice broke the quiet, drawing their attention.
All eyes turned to Jarow, awaiting his response. He hesitated, his gaze shifting between his companions. "I don't know," he admitted, raising his hands. "It's not like I can sense what I'm supposed to find here. You guys basically got the same message I did."
As they pondered their next move, a voice resonated in their minds. "May I suggest you use the tunnels to proceed?" Xinpo's voice echoed.
Their attention shifted to Jarow's side, where the sword was sheathed. "Tunnels?" Jarow echoed.
"I sensed an opening near the base of this hill. I can still somewhat feel an underground emptiness below. I believe it is a tunnel, and hopefully it is part of a network. That would also explain why we haven’t seen any other enemies during our travels," Xinpo explained to the party.
Jarow turned to his companions. "What do you think?" he asked.
They exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. "It's worth a try," Isilandra said.
"Agreed," Mediv chimed in.
"I'm in," Grolluk added.
"Let's do it," Jarow echoed their opinion and decided their path.
Following Xinpo's guidance, they descended to the base of the rocky mound they stood upon. There, Xinpo pointed out a depression in the rock that had been hidden from their view as they ascended the hill.
Behind a protruding outcrop with a large boulder blocking its entrance, they discovered the tunnel Xinpo mentioned.
Grolluk normally took the lead as the party’s tank, but with Jarow's new size and body, he offered to take the forward so he could make sure he would fit inside the tunnels they were going to be traversing, and stepped in first.
Only moments after entering the darkness, the party realized that Jarow’s body emitted a faint glow on its own. The slightly pinkish luminessence allowed them to navigate the darkened tunnel without the need for additional light. (Yet another boon of Jarow’s new body)
In this new formation, Jarow led the way, followed by Isilandra, who could cast light from her staff if needed. Mediv followed closely behind her, with Suhry trailing behind him so as to keep the farthest from Jarow and help alleviate her discomfort in his presence. Then Grolluk brought up the rear, relying on the small amount of light emitted by Jarow to guide his way, but being an Orc, his eyesight was more than capable of seeing in the low-light.
As they walked, they conversed in hushed voices, wary of attracting any unwanted attention. Well aware of the potential dangers lurking in the darkness, and they were determined not to take any unnecessary risks.
Jarow set a guarded pace, deliberately restraining his movement. His long legs could have easily carried him much faster, but he knew the others would struggle to keep up if he moved in that fashion. The caves thus far had been amply large, but there was also the distinct possibility they would grow smaller as they moved on.
In this manner, they descended further into the tunnels beneath the desert, relying solely on their sense of direction to guide them. They were hopeful it would lead them in the right direction, and that they would soon be able to find the object Jarow needed from this world so that they could return to their normal lives - although Jarow was unsure what 'normal' life for him would even be.
Uncertain of what lay ahead, they pressed on courageously, trusting the being who now not only guided Jarow's path, but held their destinies in his hands as well.