Far beyond galaxies painted the twilight sky. In the sea of sand, I was relieved to see Taro [Disband]. His suffering had ended and his name was removed from my [Party Members] menu.

You’ll win the Arena again, I thought. His arcane powers were stronger than any I’ve seen, unless his combatant leveled in [Strength] and rushed him, he’d make it out with ease. My other companions, however, I had no clue whether they’d emerge victorious or suffer defeat in their trials. Selara hadn't been transported back to the dungeon like Taro did when he died in the woods. My expectations were low for her as I had not seen her fight, but I hoped that she was able to win her duel and walk freely out of the Arena gates. Maybe I’ll see her again in Hubloc, I thought.

We were still over a week away from the grand city, but with Gadaan’s guidance, and his four-horse team, we were able to travel the deserts with haste. Throughout the journey he was either sleeping, wincing in pain, or growling at me for giving him that health potion. I noticed that his wounds were a healthy bright pink under his patchy fur. Although his words would hurt my heart, I was thankful he had the breath of this world to still do so.

“You’re lucky I saved you!” I exclaimed from the driver’s seat. “I would’ve had to call the dungeon ‘Gadaan’s Grave’ if I hadn’t!” A small chuckle emerged from my mouth that was quickly buried by the rushing sands that whipped past us. I had borrowed the goggles and scarf from the fur-beast, but even then I was still blinded by the desert. The red sands sloped up and down. The horses were able to bear it but I had no control over where they went.

Gadaan noticed my hand bound in the reins and crawled to the passenger seat. “Hand them over, plainskin!” he yelled.

The tethers were pulled from the grasp and the immediate relief of not being tugged forward were felt in my wrists.

“Have you ever driven before you came to this world?” Gadaan asked with a sly sneer.

“Sure I have!” I said sarcastically. “I’ve driven my mom’s car a couple times!”

The beast scoffed, “Is that some type of creature?”

“It’s a wagon that can move on its own.”

“Damn sorcerers putting horses out of their duties,” he mumbled.

* * *

The pale moon of Gwelar rose high in the night sky while a sliver of Kyular fell below the horizon. Its color was a mixture of red and a dull green, like copper oxidizing in the sea of stars. I had lit a fire for the beast and I, while we rested under the endless void.

Gadaan didn’t snarl at me for the past few days, but I could tell his mood became dour the more miles we left behind us. He rationed his few sips of booze and spent his time recounting the jewels and silver coins in his bag over and over.

“Come on, beast. Put your mind somewhere else. Offer me some lore about Carrion that I don’t already know.”

Gadaan fixated on the silver coin in his paw. He rolled it over his knuckles while the fire shifted and popped embers into the air. “This silver has been circulating for centuries… maybe when the planet was first molded. The tales tell that Kraxmon, god of crafting, smiths, and the billowing forges, created them long ago.”

“Why not use something else? Like gold or rubies?” I asked.

“It’s common enough that anyone can earn and spend it. If we all had jewels and gold then there'd be no way for the wealthy to flaunt their riches.” The beast flicked the coin into the air and caught it with a flat palm. “As well as the fact that everyone on Carrion takes it. Whether you’re from the continent Cosara, Lynvar, Gwelay, Shaidra, or the icy wastes at the end of the world.”

“Makes things easy,” I said.

“Keeps us in control,” Gadaan snapped. He flicked the coin into the fire and grabbed his crutch. The beast limped to the back of the wagon while I watched the coin melt into the deep recesses of the campfire. Like a liquid mirror, the silver reflected the blue flames at the bottom of the fire before pooling into the sands beneath.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

If Gadaan’s melancholy was bad enough for him to waste coins after suffering through a hive of mimics, I knew his depression had taken hold of him. A deep sigh exited my mouth as I went over to the covered wagon. I heard the crunch of sand under my boots, the stinging wind in my hair, and the soft whimpers of a bipedal beast made of fur.

I stopped where I stood and put my head down. The somber cries for Briar and the rest of the party muttered from Gadaan’s snout and carried across the dunes. The direwolf pelt covered me while I sat in the frosting sand and reflected on my journey so far.

I wanted to blame myself for the failure of my party, but I wasn’t the leader. I acted only as a support for Gadaan’s expedition. But if I had more experience. If I had more [Strength]. If I had more [Health]. More [Stamina]. If I could cast spells that could ignite my foes or heal my allies, then everyone would still be here. We would be skipping through the blistering sands to Hubloc while silver fell from our pockets.

I wished for more from Carrion, but I still yearned for my escape. I can be free of this world. But what am I to do? I pondered. I pulled the pelt over my head to block the freezing winds and tried to sleep for the night. My aspirations for freedom and greatness would be for naught while I still shivered under the stars.

The sounds of horses sniffing near my face woke me from my fatigued slumber. My head pounded unusually while I climbed onto the wagon. Gadaan was already eating his morning rations and downing a foul bottle of brown ichor.

“Glad you’re starting early,” I grumbled with squinting eyes.

“You see much water anywhere!?” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, in your damn bag.” I looked through his pack for a waterskin but my head kept beating. I dug my hand blindly through the pile of silver pieces, gems, mimic teeth, and pulled on what I thought was the cap for the container. But what revealed in my hand was a ring, solid in silver with a wood inlay that wrapped around the entire band. My eyes fixated on the treasure. It was at this moment that my headache ceased.

I slipped it over my finger. For some reason, it felt like the ring had always been attached to me. My memories deceived themselves as if I was caught in a perpetual state of déjà vu. I was born with the ring on. I was summoned here with the ring on. Every memory of my hand had the ring on. My heart thumped and a worrisome anxiety washed over me. My hand shook erratically when I peered at the silver wrapped around me.

I don’t usually wear rings, do I? But I’ve owned this one for a while. Why did I stop wearing the ring before? Did I lose it? I took off the ring for a moment but the jerking movements of the wagon scared me that I’d lose it, so I put it on my finger again. The anxiety quenched but I was still worried about the safety of the treasure.

My hand shook until nightfall. The stars and moons were hidden behind wisping clouds while Gadaan and I rested once more in the sand. Our campfire, created from rotten planks and loose crates with my [Firemaking] skill, had a weird tinge to it. I knew not if it was the material, the location, or the hands that created it.

Gadaan noticed my recent affliction and asked me starkly with piercing eyes. “What ills you, boy?”

“N-nothing,” I said. “I’m just tired of the desert. And drinking nothing but sips from your stash of booze doesn’t help!”

“Uh-huh. Well don’t fret. We should be at the gates by overmorrow,” the beast yawned.

“What are we doing after we arrive?”

“We?” he asked in a slighting tone. “You’re going to stay in Hubloc with the rest of your hybrid friends while I try to recoup my losses that you tossed from my wagon!”

“If I didn’t, we’d be rotting in the dunes for two more weeks!” I yelled. “Don’t you want to stick around and see if any of the party is alive? Briar could be roaming the city as we speak!”

Gadaan bared his fangs and a low growl resonated from his throat. “Don’t tell of that pup’s name, plainskin. I saw them slain before me.”

“But they have another chance at life! They can still be alive! What do you not understand!?”

“And what if they don’t!? You hybrids tell of resurrection after death if you become victorious in a duel, but what happens when you aren’t!? Do I pray to the gods for Briar to live again after my failings!? Your kind has vanished before. I must not attach myself to your cursed bloodline any more than I already have.” Tears soaked into his fur before he returned to the covered wagon.

A huff of arid earth exhaled from my mouth while I peered longingly into the dark horizon with an unfocused gaze. The sands shifted like waves against the dunes in the passing starlight. I plunged my hand into the dust beneath me, gripping the grains of ancient land and sifting it through my fingers.

While I lay, a faint light emerged from the sands where my hand was. It was blue like the arcane magelight of Briar and similar to the color of the [System] notification that appeared in front of me.

[Ring of Spellcasting: Attuned!]

[Mana Increased!]