“It’s not even a day and you already got yourself busy,” teased Karkas when he saw Sakiri waving at Raine the next morning. “And a Chitra, of all people. I don’t know you’re a player, Raine.”

“For the record, I didn’t spend the night with her. Narati can vouch for me. Right, kiddo?”

Narati simply nodded, prompting Karkas to sigh and shook his crocodilian head.

Sakiri waited near the inn’s front desk for Raine and his friends at least an hour before the three finished checking their stuffs and equipment, most of which they kept in the bungalow’s storage, with some non-essential ones kept in the carriage. The Chitra was surprised to see that Raine’s companions were as unique as the cat-eared man himself.

After they approached her, Raine said, “Morning, Kiri. Slept well?”

“As well as I ever will for the past two days,” she replied. “I assumed you have friends in your travel, but I never thought you’d be accompanied by a Crocodilian and a Fa’ar. You’re far more interesting than I thought.”

“It goes with the looks.”

Both Narati and Karkas groaned upon hearing such a cheesy remark.

“Anyway, the Croc’s Karkas and the Fa’ar’s Narati. Guys, meet Sakiri.”

“Hi,” said Narati, who was slightly intimidated by Sakiri’s sharp feline teeth.

“I thought I’m far from home,” said Karkas. “But a Chitra this far from the grasslands is almost unheard of. You must have a very good reason coming up here, Sakiri.”

“Kiri, please. Did Raine tell you about me?”

“I don’t think so. Why don’t you tell us about it, Raine?”

Karkas’s sarcastic remark made Raine believe that the Croc thought he had the time of his life, while in fact, he was just tired, so he went to have a bath and went to sleep soon after. In his defense, Karkas was already asleep by the time he went on, with only Narati still awake repairing some of his (non-volatile) equipment.

“A-anyways,” said Raine. “I’ll buy us a map of the area. Be back soon.”

Raine did not expect to be flustered so early in the morning. Karkas did not need to put him on the stage like that. Although, Raine must admit. Sakiri was pretty. Then, of course, she was a Felinar. In his experience, Felinars were among the most attractive beast people according to humans, followed by Vulpins, and Loups. He wondered if it was because of their feral counterparts being considered close companions to humans or there was a bonus of attractiveness when it came to humanoid cats, foxes, and wolves.

He only hoped Sakiri did not get too uncomfortable because of it. He wondered how she’d fare around Fa’ars, though.

Sakiri, on the other hand, did not mind Fa’ars at all. He would be alright if Sakiri did not want to talk to him or even look at him. Instead, Sakiri, who was taller than Raine and closer to Karkas’s height, kneeled so her eyes were level with the rat person.

“So,” said Sakiri. “How are you two holding up in this region?”

“It’s…well,” started Narati. “It smells different. And not as hot.”

“The plants are not like the ones that I’m used to,” said Karkas. “But it is a nice change of scenery.”

“This is also my first time up here. I guess Raine’s the best guide the three of us had.”

“Be careful with Raine, though, Chitra,” said Karkas. “He may not look like it, but he certainly has his charms.”

“Not look like it?” Sakiri chuckled. “Well, Crocodilian. You certainly underestimated the charms of humans, especially the ones with cat ears.”

“I can appreciate the beauty of men and women, but I can hardly see Raine as attractive.”

“Not into mammals, then.”

“Nope. If they’re Lizans, though, I might consider. Unfortunately, I’m a priest.”

“I thought you’re not practicing anymore,” commented Narati.

“Doesn’t mean I should abandon it,” retorted Karkas. “Which is why I am giving you a fair warning, Sakiri.”

“Noted,” said Sakiri.

Raine returned with the map, so the three went to a nearby table where the cat-eared human unfurled the map of the Valley he just bought.

Other than the fact that most of it was nothing but lines and symbols, the map was quite detailed. Landmarks and major cities dotted the detailed map, giving them a chance to appreciate the region. Even Raine, who grew up in the region, could appreciate the map as he was familiar with some of the towns and the landmarks in and around Cavilen. As a local, he could also give his friends more insights into the region, provided they hadn’t changed much for the past 5 years.

That could come later. It might be sensible for Raine to go back to his home city directly but, as an adventurer, he would like to explore a bit more of the Valley. Cavilen would accept Narati, Karkas, and Sakiri, but it was too peaceful. Good thing that, despite the Valley’s relatively more serene environment, it was far from being peaceful. Like the desert wasteland, there was enough trouble in the Valley to keep knights and freelancers employed. There were bandits, monsters, and rogue mages with knowledge of dangerous magic. Taking on their bounties were enough to help fund their desire to buy land to settle down.

Besides, going directly to Cavilen would take them more days on the road than to Kraigen, which was only half a day away from where they started. They were also on the same direction, so they could go on towards Cavilen if they couldn’t find what they needed in Kraigen after getting Sakiri to where she needed to be.

So, with this knowledge in mind, the quartet started walking in Kraigen’s direction, first on the dirt road leading out of the village. Soon, they found a big, empty stretch of road. Unfortunately, this was when everyone, but Raine found that there was not much different between the Emerald Valley and the Desert Wasteland.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The empty stretch of road was what remained of the paved road from a pre-war civilization. It continued into the desert to the west and deeper into the Valley to the east. Rusted remains of machines, cars, and heavy equipment littered the road. Soon, they found more junk further down the road, along with more ruins from a bygone era. The ruins were not as well-preserved as the ones in the desert due to the vegetation and moisture; a thousand years were plenty of time to reduce most of the material used before the war. As a result, the buildings were unrecognizable. Narati couldn’t even find workable scraps as he rummaged through the ruins; the best he could find were critter nests. He found a nest of rats that looked at him curiously. The Fa’ar wondered if he could talk to them as they scampered away, considering that he was a rat person himself.

The road was kept relatively clean, clearly due to its present use as a main road. As they traversed along the paved road, they met many travelers. Clearly, the road still had its uses despite its relative disrepair. There was an obvious restoration on the most frequently used part of the road. This in turn created an incentive to establish businesses catering to the workers. In time, these roadside businesses could become settlements themselves, though they doubted it.

The paved road, and the heat of the sun, did not help the barefooted travelers. Narati was the first to complain about the heat when he decided to sit on the carriage after enduring the burning on his rodent paws. Karkas and Sakiri, however, did not seem to complain.

“How can you two endure the heat?” asked Narati upon realizing that his fellow barefooted companions were unfazed.

“A bit of magic to cool my paws,” said Sakiri.

“Got my scales,” said Karkas.

“Oh. Right. And here I am, the only one with zero magic and nothing but skin over my paws.”

“Relax, Narati. We can use some magic to cool your feet off,” said Sakiri.

“I’d rather not to. I’m allergic to magic. Don’t ask why. Blame the Maker.”

Sakiri realized what Narati meant, so she simply said, “Oh. Right.” She did not pursue the line of question further.

“At least you get to sit on that carriage and relax,” said Raine. “Karkas can handle an extra weight. Doing okay there, Kar?”

“Why don’t you come here and switch places with me? Maybe you’ll know what it means to be ‘okay’,” said Karkas with a sarcastic tone.

“Nah, I’ll stick with walking. Just don’t push yourself, alright? We are not doing an urgent mission, so relax.”

Karkas let out a deep, rumbling growl while he paced himself. Raine wasn’t sure if that growl indicated irritation or an acknowledgement. His grunt sounded like a growl, after all.

“So, then, Kiri,” asked Raine, while they kept walking. “I assume Jabouti’s rather far from the Valley. Even if it’s for a friend, why do you even bother coming up here at all?”

“I have my own reasons,” replied Sakiri. “Though I just want to visit my friend.”

“Your friend’s quite a traveler if she lives here and met you in your own homeland.”

“She is a rather unusual sight in the grasslands, that’s for sure. Granted, Jabouti’s a vast land. She might’ve come from further south, or somewhere else that isn’t this green. From the way she acted, she might as well come from the rivers, or even the desert.”

“So, she’s tough. Is that what you think?”

“No one here seems to be as headstrong. When I got here, I fully expected them to turn me away because I looked too different to what they were used to. Instead, they greeted me. Are they really that open towards strangers?”

“Only out here where travelers frequent the roads, I’m afraid. The deeper you go, the less you’ll find open-minded people like them. People here got it good, for the most part. That doesn’t mean we’re completely out of our depths, though.”

“How so?”

“We have our own problems, too. Bandits and raiders are rare, but if there are, they would be more organized, skilled, and well-equipped. It’s rare because there are a lot more knights to deal with them. They could only stand their ground because they are mostly rejects.”

“Rejects?”

“Discharged from the military for any dishonorable reasons. They have their training, and most of the time, they believe they are right, and they have the means to uphold their beliefs. It’s frustrating since they have a purpose, even if it’s not the one everyone agreed on. Kinda like a cult, but not that fanatical.”

“I don’t think you can call them raiders. They sound more like dissidents to me.”

“That’s why you need a guide. The Valley’s tolerance towards foreigners and even Dark Races work like a double-edged sword. On one hand, you won’t get into trouble that often. On the other hand, you’d unwittingly become a criminal. Ignorance can cost you everything.”

“You sound like we’re too gullible for our own sake.”

“If they haven’t trapped you first, the monsters will. If not, strife between kingdoms are at the highest, so I suggest we stay out of those conflict zones. If those things are not concerning enough…well, you might survive.”

“I know a thing or two on tension between kingdoms,” commented Sakiri. “Your problems are not exclusive to your land, Raine.”

“I never said it is. This world is problematic ever since the war screwed everyone over. I don’t know why a thousand years aren’t enough for us to change for the better. It’s like everyone can’t accept, or even forgive.”

Aware that the conversation had turned grim, Raine quickly changed the subject. Instead of talking about the grim reality of the living, green land, the human talked about the beautiful things she might encounter while traveling around the lands, while Narati and Karkas listened in while doing their own stuffs (Karkas pulling the carriage and Narati tinkering and supplying himself with improvised weapons).

They took some rest before continuing towards Kraigen. The sun was beginning to set when they finally found the settlement. Unfortunately for them (though Raine, after his story about the instability of the Valley, expected it), the settlement was not as they expected.

Rather than a quiet, friendly settlement, Kraigen was in ruins. Fire blazed within several buildings, while some had already collapsed. No one bothered to put out the fire. Even if they did, they were no longer alive to do so. Corpses of all ages were strewn all over the town, many of which were killed by an ambush. They were clearly not prepared for what’s coming.

However, there was more. When Karkas summoned his staff, he immediately sensed something foul. There was discomfort as he left the carriage while Narati reached for his weapon. As they went into town, the foul sensation became even stronger, causing Karkas to hold out his staff trying to stop his friends from proceeding.

“There’s Aether in the air,” said Karkas. “Don’t breathe in the air too much. Narati, get off the cart and stay out of the town. Now.”

Before Narati could comply, he noticed someone walking towards them. The human looked like he had been through a lot as he walked towards them with a slumped head and half dragging his body.

“There’s someone there,” pointed Narati out. Raine was the one who heeded Narati and looked at the human. He soon realized that something wasn’t right almost immediately. The human did not walk like a normal person and his body was bluish pale, almost dead-like.

Raine’s eyes were wide as he realized what they got themselves into. The Aether in the air and the corpses, which had started to shift, could only mean one thing.

“Narati, get out of the town!” exclaimed Raine with urgency apparent in his voice. “Now, goddamn it!”

Narati, spurred by the urgency and panic in Raine’s voice, scampered away, believing his friend. His sudden change of attitude was not something to be taken lightly.

By this point, the corpses, most of which sustained traumatic fatal injuries, started to rose up slowly. They soon turned towards them and slowly walked, causing the trio to slowly back out.

“Necromancy?” commented Sakiri, drawing her daggers.

“Not just any necromancy,” said Karkas. “The Aether makes the spell even more dangerous. We can’t stay here.”

“Good thing you realized it first,” said Raine. “Any more of this, and Nara might end up joining them, too.”

“We, too, if we stay here for too long. Worse, I have a feeling that this is out of control.”

“Out of control? You mean, the caster’s—”

“Might already be dead.”

Raine sighed in frustration. “This is why I hate Nuremnia with passion. Aether-infused dark magic just to win a stupid war? It’s like they’re mocking us from their graves!”

Raine’s frustration was shared by both Karkas and Sakiri, who never thought they’d face the aftermath of uncontrolled magic use. They even cursed the fact that whoever cast the spell clearly did not wish everyone to survive.

When Aether’s involved, everything would undoubtedly go to hell.