Weeks turned to months as the pair followed the seemingly endless beacons. Where Cypher once doubted Gyles' words that they walked on a dried ocean bed, the sheer size of the area granted credence to the theory.

The pair encountered many dangers on their journey, the planet itself seemingly against their trip. Sleep being interrupted by sudden fissure’s opening nearby, erupting volcanoes forcing them to take the long path. Dust storms that lasted for weeks, earthquakes forming and destroying hills before their eyes. Gale force winds that flung men miles were among the many things that attempted to put the pair in an early grave. Yet this next step was the first that made Cypher falter.

The next beacon lay not far beyond where the pair stood, merely a few minutes of walking. Yet, before the men. A massive trench gouged out the earth, its width stretching beyond sight. While the other edge wasn’t too far beyond where they stood, they quickly ruled out jumping it.

As Cypher stared down into its depths, he saw nothing but an endless darkness. A veritable abyss, his mind raced as he considered solutions. But was forced by his time constraints onto a single plan. His hands, which hadn’t sweat in a month, soon became clammy as he nervously gripped them.

“What's wrong boy? Ever done rock climbing before?”

Cypher shook his head, his jaw clenched as he gazed down into the trench. His heartbeat grew louder in his ears as he stared.

Gyles suddenly clapped him on the back, scaring the other man half to death as he suddenly scattered back from the edge.

“What the heck was that for!”

“The more you think about it, the worse it’ll be. So don’t worry about it lad.”

“That’s easy to say, but hard to do and you know it! I didn’t think I would have to climb into the abyss, this really is suicide…”

“Hey, didn’t YOU say that you’d rather do the impossible than give up and die?”

Cypher scowled in annoyance, his gaze turning back to marker across the trench.

“Maybe, maybe it isn’t that deep. But because it’s dark it looks that way.”

“Yeah, yeah. Good thinking boy. In that case, it’s just a short climb away.”

Cypher closed his eyes, and after a few minutes of slowly breathing and clearing his mind, he shook his head and turned to Gyles. “Alright, I'm ready.”

Gyles, having grown impatient, was already lowering himself into the gash. A pair of large metal hooks with what looked like leather wrist straps were left behind for the other man.

Cypher immediately became panicked again, but forced himself forward. He carefully adjusted the straps so as to not lose the hooks. And with them in hand, descended into the trench.

The wind howled through the hole like the cry of a banshee, it’s song joined with the constant *clink* of metal against stone as the two men descended into the endless darkness. Cypher however only heard his own ragged breathing and rapid heartbeat, while he was secure and careful in his descent, the entire process made his mind race. “What if the trench suddenly shuts, what if I slip, what if Gyles slips, what if I injure myself, what if something is waiting for us at the bottom.”

When the pair had originally come to the obstacle, his concerns had been voiced over and over again. Gyles had spent nearly twenty minutes trying to convince him his fears were unfounded. Eventually he stated, “Then we die.”

After nearly an hour of descending the pair reached the bottom, the sand a soft and kind respite after the heart attack inducing climb. Cypher nearly in tears, fell to his knees and had to resist the urge to kiss the ground.

Gyles watched with amusement before gently tapping his shoulder. “That was the easy part.”

“Just.. Just gimme a sec… That was horrible.”

“I wouldn’t stay like that for too long if I was you.”

“Wh-” As Cypher looked up at Gyles, his eyes locked on the humanoid skull staring back at him. As he slowly began looking around him, he noticed more and more skeletons in the dim light. Some complete, some with broken limbs.

Where before he was filled with fear of the climb down, now he filled with fear about the climb back up. Every blink bringing the skeletons' hollow eyes back to the forefront of his mind.

“Ok, ok, ok… Ok okokokok.” He said as he forced himself up from the sand and stared up towards the sky.

The sky seemed somehow more beautiful from where he stood, it’s endless wonder focused down by the fissure that he now stood in. The small section of sky he could see captured his mind with a new hope and focus.

His vigor now refound, Cypher surged forward without waiting for Gyles. His hooks drove deeply into the resolute stone as he climbed. This exuberance’s cost soon reared its ugly head as his hands grip lessened, his arms and legs soon becoming shaky as he forced himself ever onward.

“Find your pace boy, if you go too fast you’ll wear yourself out!”

The words fell on deaf ears, Cypher's entire soul focused on driving himself upward. And while his body shook, he felt himself nearing the top of the abyss. His hook, now used with sloopy action, bounced.

Unable to comprehend his mistake he moved forward, only for air to suddenly surge past him. And in an instant, Cypher lay unconscious at the bottom of the pit again.

Gyles went quiet, staring down at the other man. He waited. Minutes bleeding by and the burning in his arms growing stronger without a single movement from Cypher. Shaking his head, Gyles turned back to his climb.

Cypher awoke to a throbbing pain in his head, the sand having broken his fall. The sky was still dark above him, the many stars lighting his splayed out body. Every part of him hurt, yet nothing felt broken.

Forcing himself to stand, he moved to the stone wall and stared up at the sky. His body still shook, exhausted from being pushed so hard. He knew he would die here. The climb was impossible for him now, even lifting his arms was too much.

Yet as he stared up at the sky, his mind went quiet. His fingers gripped tightly around the hooks, and tears streamed down his face. He would die here, but only after he tried one more time.

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With wavering determination he began the climb once again. His face focused on the wall in front of him, he forced his body upward. His will was the only thing he had left as he climbed ever higher.

Gyles sat quietly at the fire, a familiar numbness filling his body as he gazed at the flickering flames. His rough hands slowly turned his wooden pipe about as his mind wandered. Occasionally he glanced to his side, yet no one appeared.

“I wonder if he’ll try again next life…”

The old man's shoulders sagged as the sun began peaking over the horizon. His decision was made, he packed his pipe with practiced efficiency. Smoke floated off in the air in soft puffs, his eyes staring blindly off into the horizon. “Master is going to be disappointed. I wasted so much time.”

The smoke played tricks on his eyes, with the morning rays of light flashing across his face he saw others. Blinking cleared his vision, yet his mind gave him the view of those who had come before.

He hung his head, unable to look at their faces. The hundreds covering the dunes that rose before him. Shaking his head softly, he had long given up forgetting them.

“They were reborn, it’s not your fault.”

Were he able to cry he would, yet in this moment he felt more hollow than anything. His gaze cast at his feet, movement caught his attention amongst the crowd. His head moved up, the people stared back at him, unmoving and silent in their judgement.

“Just my imagination.” He mumbled as he rubbed his pained eyes.

When his eyes cleared a single man still stood. His heart caught in his throat as he stared at his latest failure. Cypher, his body pale and broken, stood staring at him. The glassy eyes locked with his, the fingers still gripping tightly around the hooks. Blood ran from the wound on his head, matting his hair and creating lines of dyed red in his white clothing. The skin on his hands appeared shredded and bloody from the ruthless climb.

Gyles wondered if this was his fate, the culmination of his sins. To be struck down finally by the avenging soul of one that he guided. His mind wandered to that of his master, a silent final apology coming from his lips.

The macabre specter stepped forward, only to suddenly collapse to the sand.

Gyles blinking in confusion, stared at the being. The realization suddenly rushing him as the specter remained on the ground.

The old man ran from his seat, his pipe falling from his hands as he ran across the sand. His hands reached the collapsed man before the rest of him, and with shaking limbs he felt the weak pulse.

While his eyes produced no tears, the rest of his body shook as he cried in relief. His arms softly cradling the wounded man.

“You stupid bastard, refusing to take the easy way…”

A soft crackling noise, a comfortable blanket, a light breeze and a blistering headache. Cypher blinked his eyes open, the ceiling of a white tent greeting his gaze. Bringing his hand to his forehead, he closed his eyes again in a hope that the splitting sensation in his skull would go away. “If this is what being reborn is like, no wonder Eurus warned me not to die.” he mumbled to himself.

Laying there, he considered trying to go back to sleep for a few minutes when the tent’s door flap opened. A familiar figure entered the cramped tent, a pleasant smile on his face and a canteen in his hand.

“Oh good, you're finally awake.”

“Gyles… Here, I thought I was dead.”

“You almost were, not really sure how you got outta that ravine.”

“You didn’t pull me out?”

“No, no way I could have done that hauling both of us.”

“Then how did I get out?”

“Well, the only option I can think of is you climbed out yourself.

“Woah… I guess I'm pretty amazing huh.”

“Yeah, yeah, you sure are.”

The two smiled fondly for a moment before Cypher suddenly sat up in a panic.

“Wait! What about the beacons! How long have I been out?”

“Don’t you worry non, I’ve been dragging along your path. And it’s been about two days now.”

Cypher fell back in relief, his eyes gazing up at the tent. “Thanks Gyles.. Sorry about all this.”

“Oh don’t worry, you’d do the same for me.”

Cypher sat back up, a wry grin on his face. “Yeah, but I'd probably get us both killed along the way.”

“Probably. Either way, you should take this.” Gyles said, holding out the canteen to Cypher. The canteen was a strangely simple metal container wrapped in bolts of brown fabric.

Taking it from him, Cypher looked at it strangely. “What for?”

“It’s got a mixture my master invented, should numb your pain and allow you to get back on your journey.”

“Oh wow, what's in it?” He said flipping open the top and taking a drink. The moment the liquid touched his lips his entire mouth suddenly felt slightly numb. The shock of which made him hold out the concoction.

“Careful there! It’s strong stuff, only take two sips a day or it’ll numb you senseless.”

Cypher stared suspiciously at the canteen before slowly following his instructions.

“My master's instructions called for a number of grasses that grow in nearby valleys, the main of which being a white herb that he hasn’t named yet.”

His pain now fading steadily, Cypher gestured for Gyles to leave the tent. And after a few minutes the pair found themselves sitting next to a small yet comfortable fire.

To Cypher's surprise, the land seemed less flat than it had been for the past few months. A series of large plateaus stretching out before him, the monotony of the desert broken by these mountains of stone. He wondered if he would even be able to find the next obelisk with them blocking his view.

“Hey, Cypher. Who’s this ‘Eurus’ fellow you mentioned?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, him. He’s the guy I owe the debt to.”

“Ah, sounds like a real asshole then.”

Cypher smiled with amusement. “Yeah, a real prick. I mean all I did was enter his house illegally.”

“Doesn’t really sound worthy of a death sentence.”

“Exactly! And now I'm all the way out here. How much longer is it anyway?”

“No one knows, might be just around the corner for all we know.”

“Heh, sure it is. Hey, Gyles?”

“Yes?”

“Who do you work for?”

“Who do I work for?”

“Yeah, who’s your master? That person you keep mentioning.”

“...”

“Gyles?”

“Yes?”

“Can you tell me?”

“...”

Cypher sighed in irritation as he looked up at the sky. This hadn’t been the first time Gyles stone walled him on the question. Over the months they had traveled he had tried numerous times. Yet each time he got to this point, he got nothing.

“You know, boy. The tribes that travel these lands, they still worship a god.”

“Yes, you already told me.”

“Yeah, they call him ‘Ha'trul'ae’ in their tongue. Or as best I’ve been able to translate ‘Avatar of The Storm’. At the center of every hurricane he walks, wiping out all that passes and creating the future with every step.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

Gyles stared off into the horizon, his eyes watching as the sun's rays began crowning the horizon. “After today, I will be leaving you on your journey.”

“Huh!?”

“I received reports from my master the other day, the tribes of the area are restless. They worry that something is brewing and have requested I find out what.”

“But, I'm still injured! What if I need help?”

“You are strong, I'm sure you will find your way.”

Cypher hung his head, his disappointment immense. “I see, will I see you again?”

“Should I finish in good time, then I will do my best to meet you again.”

“How? I will have moved so far along.”

“Worry not, these desserts are like my hand. I know them well, also. These beacons are hard to miss.”

“Well, if you say so then I believe you.”

The two men sat quietly, neither wanting to be the one to break the moment as the fire crackled away. Soon the sun forced their hand, and an already tired Cypher returned to his tent to rest for the next stage of his journey.