When the group finally docked at Kev, Flyte began writing his first letter to Thammeus, Jim, and Hilda. It was short and about as well written as the growing farmer could manage, but at least his hawk, Hahlow, would be able to carry it.

Flyte didn’t write about much, and mostly explained that he and his friends were safe were and doing well.

It was strange when they first landed at Kew. The difference between the grassy forest and the barren desert was stark, especially given their short, week-long trip.

There were no trees despite the nearby source of water. While Flyte had thought Lion’s Watch was hot, the desert was even hotter.

The city itself seemed strange too. There was lots of cloth strewn upon the buildings and multiple towers standing sparsely throughout Kev.

There was, however, only one tower that truly stood out. It was directly in the center of town and was much larger than its neighbors. Off the tower’s hung flags displaying both Chraith’s symbol and the image of an eye.

It felt reasonably likely that the tower held the city’s oracle and would thus be one of the group’s next stops.

Before that though, Ander and Eris felt like it would be important to check the markets for supplies, especially food and water.

And that was how Flyte learned why this specific city hung sheets along the buildings, In the desert heat the long strips of cloth helped to block the sun, making it so that anyone who had to leave the comfort of their home could still have a tolerable amount of cooling.

Flyte was very appreciative of this helping hand, as he didn’t enjoy scorching that much.

Despite the seemingly exotic environment, the food sold at Kev’s markets were somewhat parallel to the foods that Flyte was used to. If there was something remarkable about the merchandize around it would be the livestock. In Chraith’s deserts, there wasn’t enough grass to feed many cows, sheep, or similar go-to animals, so instead, hunters bought spindler-snappers, a type of burrowing creature.

The spindler-snappers had rock like skin and eight tentacles with a squid like body. They drilled though the sand, finding prey and food through vibrations. By buying these, hunters could bring deep rooted produce and small rabbit like animals to the market for a profit.

Acknowledging their great need for food over the next few weeks, Ander bought plenty of this rabbit meat and water. After that, he used the remaining funds to secure wagons and cave lizards to pull them.

With supplies and transportation taken care of, Flyte and Ander began to head over to the oracle’s tower.

“Stop right there,” a voice said behind the duo. “It is illegal for outsides to speak to the oracle.”

The man who addressed them was dressed nicely, although the look was somewhat ruined by the bandage covering his left eye.

But that wasn’t a problem. What was a problem was that he had openly lied right to Flyte and Ander’s face. Flyte had been so bored on the ship that he decided to read up on Kev’s laws.

Just as Flyte was about to point this out, Ander got aggravated.

“Do you think we look like the law obeying type?” he asked. “Now, ger out of our way, we’ve got an oracle to speak with.”

“I am the lord of Kev,” the florid man said. “And you shall do as I say!”

The putative lord drew a longsword as some of his followers leapt from the shadows to join him.

Flyte easily batted an attack headed for him away and slammed his sword’s pommel into the attacker’s head.

Having removed his nearest threat, Flyte said: “Wishlor” icily, freezing the feet of each foeman to the ground.

“Why do you resist so vehemently?” Ander asked. “There seems to be very little to gain and a lot to lose.”

“Shut up!” the city’s lord shouted, the bandage over his eye loosening. “I rule this town, you fool!”

“No, you don’t,” Flyte interjected. “Otherwise, it would truly be illegal to visit the oracle and you’d have more people to fight us off. In a big market city like this, a plethora of guards simply has to be hired, if not, it would be torn apart by thieves and marauders.”

“Why you…” the false lord’s face began to get red before Ander slapped him with his right hand, the one made of flesh.

The bandage on the man’s face fell as Ander’s hand contacted it, revealing a glowing scar beneath it. The scar was shaped like a target around the false lord’s left eye and shone a dull green.

“What is that?” Flyte asked, shocked.

“The oracle’s prophesy for me,” the man snarled. “She seemed to get feral, tackling me and scratching at my eye, telling me that in a few years that I would be shot with a bow in the same eye.”

He blinked an angry tear away. “So, I got her locked up. Somehow, she sustains herself, but one day, that wench will be dead.”

Harnessing his rage, the false lord tried to stab Ander with a concealed knife; however, his efforts were in vain as an arrow flew into his left eye.

In the distance, Garrick had a thumb raised up with a bow in the other hand.

Flyte looked off to the side as he walked into the oracle’s tower. He had discovered that he was fairly disturbed by the sight of death.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The entrance was covered in cobwebs and the stone was cracked. There was no lighting; all the lanterns had gone out years ago. The building seemed dead.

But there was a faint noise, like a beast’s claws on stone.

Flyte and Ander slowly ascended the spiral staircase to the main room of the tower, which had been walled off in stone,

“Ander?” Flyte asked.

“Yeah,” he started. “I’ve got this.”

The stone peeled away from the arched doorway like wood when carved off a block.

And in the center of the room sat a girl who looked only a few years older than Flyte, though far gaunter.

“Wat-” she croaked. After coughing a few times, she tried again. “Water. Can I have water?”

“Of course,” Flyte said, looking around. “Ander, do you have water?”

“Why would I have water?” Ander asked. “There’s a well outside, let’s just go and get some from it.”

“Okay,” Flyte turned to smile to the oracle. “Just wait here, we’ll get you some nice, cold water.”

She smiled back, her lips cracked.

Ander and Flyte rushed over to the well, but as they were filling a pitcher, Flyte's mind began to itch.

“Left!”

Viscerally, Flyte swung his sword left, barely blocking a huge phantasmal claw from slashing through Ander.

The oracle, or at least something that looked like her, was crouched down. Green mist began to pour from her nose, mouth, and eyes.

“Let’s have some fun,” a voice chuckled. It wasn’t her voice, rather it was a man’s.

“Shades!” Flyte cursed. “Ander! We forgot the false lord’s story, and this girl doesn’t want water!”

The thing seemed to appear next to Flyte right before it punched him, rag dolling him into a wall.

When Flyte got up, he noticed that Ander was managing to block the phantom’s flurry of blows just like Yuri and Eris had done in the spar.

‘I need to help.’

“Sari.”

“Sari.”

“Sari.”

“Elgro.”

Flyte rushed forward, but he was still not nearly as fast as his opponent.

“Ander!”

“Elgro,” Flyte cast to make his friend’s bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles grow stronger.

“Sari,” Flyte cast, multiplying Ander’s speed manyfold.

“So, this is how it feels,” Ander remarked.

He started blocking blows easier until the oracle changed its attacks up entirely.

Bones flew across the courtyard like arrows, but they certainly weren’t the oracle’s. No blood covered them, only traced of green mist.

Flyte sped up his Winter Shield, which started catching those bones with ease, but when it jumped in front of him, the phantom used its cover as a moment to strike.

While his wound was just a scratch on the face, the pain seemed impossible for Flyte to quell. With only one injury, Flyte was reduced to fetal position, which not even shattering both legs had done to him.

“Glow,” Flyte screamed, tears streaming freely down his face. “Please help me.”

“Sure thing, boss,” she whistled. “Ooh, that looks bad.”

Flyte whimpered a little.

“Right!” Glow whistled. She entered in through Flyte’s chest and began to seal his bloodied face.

“Flyte,” she started. “This is some rough poison. What happened?”

Flyte pointed to the oracle as best he could.

“You’re not done with your fight yet?” Glow feigned shock.

“Yeah,” Flyte slowly got up and looked at his opponent. It had a half-shattered mask on its face, though he was sure Ander hadn’t hit it.

Poison was slowly expunged from Flyte’s wounds as he called upon his other spirit friends.

“Rowlo,” Flyte said. “Can you slow down any attack that gets too close?”

“Can do,” Rowlo mumbled.

“Star, do you think you can use your hardlight to block anything that passes Rowlo?”

“Definitely,” Star hummed.

Flyte’s face felt wholly fixed. “Glow, do you know Honorious’s rune?”

“That I do,” Glow whistled happily, showing him the rune by changing form.

“Perfect,” Flyte said. “If you heal me of any injuries I take, we’ll be good to go.”

Glow smiled, then went on standby as Flyte traced Honorious’s rune in the mist.

“This isn’t Will,” the fallen soldier exhaled blankly.

“Yeah,” Flyte said, thinking. “What if you, uh, think of this as practice?”

“I’m willing to help regardless,” Honorious exhaled. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Flyte,” Glow whistled. “Honorious is a very strong spirit.”

“In that case,” Flyte started to say while smiling. “Do you think you can carry me through the air, Honorious?”

“I can try,” he exhaled.

Ander kept blocking attacks, both with his sword and arm, but Flyte could see that he was starting to slip.

Flyte leapt into the air, Honorious propelling him, and fired spear after spear of light at the phantom, who seemed to enjoy the fight. The problem for Flyte was that he couldn’t afford the collateral damage that he could against Eternium; however, his foe didn’t care about the damages caused.

And that really showed when fired began to ignite on buildings all around the fight. The monster had access to magic.

Flyte descended toward his opponent, who in turn danced out of his attack’s reach as well as one sent out by Ander.

Roaring laughter echoed around the plaza, mocking the pair of fighters.

The woman stopped in front of Flyte. “Do you even want to continue?” the voice asked. “I doubt that either of you could even lay a finger on me. Why not take a fortune instead.”

She winked at Flyte, and although he was disgusted, Flyte held out his hand for her to grab.

And her hand, not the beast’s, met his, and he clamped down on it tightly, reaching over and grabbing Ander’s shoulder.

“Nelar,” Flyte said.

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The 3rd plane was as bright as always, but this time Flyte was met with an enemy to fight.

“Spirits,” Flyte began before his foe could get oriented. “Can I use magic here?”

“No,” Glow whistled, afraid. “What have you done?”

Then Flyte saw it. Instead of the oracle, there was a tall lanky demon standing across from him. Its skin was green and its form changed frequently.

“Hello child,” The voice was the same male voice. “How dead do you want to be for this?”

“Not,” Flyte said as he slowly backed away.

“Flyte, you’re being too slow,” Glow whistled harshly. “That’s Guror, the dread lord of plagues. Run now!”

“Can you hold him off?” Flyte asked his friend.

“That doesn’t matter,” she whistled. “Get away.”

“Right,” Flyte said. “Ander, come on.”

“You’re leaving them?” Ander asked.

“Yes,” Flyte started. “But that’s their only chance.”

Guror seemed to catch on and ran up quickly to kill Flyte; however, Ander slowed the attack with his left arm, the stone shattering into pieces in the process.

“Nelar!”

And Guror’s claws passed through nothing.

----------------------------------------

‘Quick!’ Flyte’s mind screamed at him as the green mist began to choke him, forcing tears to well up in his eyes. He funneled as much light magic as he could into the oracle’s body, just like at Dark Haven.

He could see Guror leave the girl’s body, but the progress was too slow.

“Star!” he yelled.

There was no response. Flyte winced.

Ander crawled up beside Flyte. “How can I help,” he asked, clearly in extreme pain.

“Put your hand on her head and spend your magic without affecting the outside world. Also try to make your magic more light-like, give it levity or something similar.”

“Levity, got it.”

Together they both strained, visibly tearing the link between the oracle and Guror. Flyte went past his safe limit, and he could tell that Ander did too.

But it worked. The two watched as the last of the green mist disappeared and their lungs began to breathe fresher air.

Flyte slipped and his body was laid down under its own volition. “Guys,” he started. “Are you there?”

A while passed and there was still no response. Tears fell from Flyte’s face freely. If not for him they would have been safe, but instead he led danger to their home.

He had no consolation in Ander, who had already fainted. He didn’t want any. Flyte felt sad, but he also felt like he deserved to be sad.

“Flyte,” Glow whistled, her voice raspy. “We’re still here. It’ll take more than just one demon to take us out.”

Flyte chuckled, then let himself fall unconscious too.