I watched the screen in horror.

Aiden spontaneously blacked out at the top of the wall, and the dragon let him catch his breath. That was a mistake. Thousands, and I mean thousands, of birds rushed them. There was a kaleidoscope of colors and sizes, some the size of reaper drones and jets and small cars—others the size of hawks. They all swarmed the haggard dragon in a vast net that seemed impossible to avoid.

It was. My heart stopped when the beast swarmed them from all directions.

I thought about the birds picking the poor man alive, eating the dragon’s wings, and leaving the rest for the Bramble’s vines—but I was wrong.

A piercing screech blasted out of the Guide, and I cupped my ears. On the screen, hundreds of birds exploded from the frenzy like a claymore, and countless started dropping into the canopies as sentient vines at them whole.

The POV switched the crowd, showing most on their knees, many clutching their ears—some with blood dripping from their fingers.

Sonic attack… I thought.

The camera flipped back to Aiden—who was remarkably unharmed—giving a close-up of the earbuds in his ears. It was only for a second—then the battle resumed.

The large birds swarmed again and the dragon rocketed forward, dipping straight into the poisonous cloud, wearing a domain like a space suit.

2.

Halten flew through the poison, dreading the upcoming confrontation with his kin. His clan had sworn vows to protect the forest. Now, he was bringing a non-native humanoid to the forest—and that was forbidden.

His intentions were meaningless.

His impact was irrelevant.

He was breaking the vow he made, and would soon be facing his kind.

As he expected, they were all waiting for him. Unlike the five that Railain met, there were now fifteen—one of which was massive and blue and large as he was.

Why’re you here? Thorvel, his brother, hissed.

I am here to protect this human’s life.

Instead of upholding your vow? Instead of doing your duty?

I’m saving this human. That’s all. If you have a problem with it—fight me.

This’s a disgrace.

It is.

The two stared at each other for a tense few seconds—then they acted.

Halten erected a barrier, blocking wind and fire spells that were crashing into him. Then he pierced the sky, weaving between attacks at dizzying speeds, trying to ignore Aiden screaming on his back.

Two vraxles suddenly flew toward his flanks in a pincer. He out-maneuvered the weakest, flying forward and biting through its wing—sending it spiraling to the ground.

Two rammed into Halten, sending him rolling before he corrected himself. He turned and found Thorvel waiting. He looked him in the eye.

Two seconds passed. Then Halten erected a barrier and breathed deeply—his brother did the same. Right as Thorvel released an inferno across the sky, Halten feigned, dodging out of the blast and shooting straight for the end of the bramble.

Coward! Thorvel screamed.

Halten didn’t care. He wasn’t here to protect the forest or defend his honor. He was here to save a foolish boy’s life and leave. They could hate him for eternity thereafter.

3.

Aiden had never felt more terrified in his life. He was bolted to a wyvern he couldn’t ride, watching a dozen vraxles swarming him, blowing hot flames onto a barrier that blocked them like hose water blasted against a shield. Some got close, but Halten navigated through them with ease, making Aiden wonder how powerful the beast was before all of this happened.

Suddenly, they crossed this gnarled section of “forest” that looked similar to a tumbleweed studded with rose thorns, and there was a visible change in the atmosphere. No birds flew out at them. No beasts were waiting. The trees’ canopies didn’t come to life. They felt free—

—and then Haltern turned around as if he had a death wish.

Steel yourself, the wyvern said in his mind. This is the moment that will make everything!

Aiden couldn’t reply. He nearly blacked out from the gravitational pull as the Halten blasted forward with all his might, charging right through the dragons as they shot spells at them, piercing straight through the poison cloud. The world turned purple and dark, swirling gasses blasting all around him as fire shot at his back. Then they broke out of the cloud, and Aiden could see the gate.

They were so close—yet so far. Two wind blades suddenly shot from the back, slashing through Halten’s wings. The wyvern roared in pain, and Aiden’s heart wrenched.

I’m so useless! Aiden silently screamed. He suddenly felt like Mira did a week ago, always hiding behind Kline—feeling like a burden. No, he was a burden. He wasn’t doing anything. He wasn’t saying anything. He was just bolted onto Halten’s back as the wyvern saved his fucking life.

Stop your whining! Halten yelled. I can’t think with your negativity. Bring that rage back! Think about—

Birds exploded out of the trees where they were resting, coming at them for round two.

Brexton! Or whoever the fuck’s wronged you!

Just that name alone made Aiden tremble in rage. He gripped the reins needlessly and looked at the swarm of birds.

That’s more like it. Now hold on!

Halten took a deep breath and breathed fire through the plume of birds, ripping through the mass, sending some falling like rocks from a cliff’s wall.

More swarmed in from all sides, and wind blades from dragons shot from the back. Yet Halten didn’t give up. He snatched birds in his jaws, screeched, released barriers that threw beasts back, navigated past wind blades, and shot into the sky. He took damage, but he pressed on, putting the gate in sight.

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They crossed it.

4.

I couldn’t believe it. Aiden made it. He actually made it! I was so thrilled until his dragon crossed the wall—and then everything changed.

The dragon’s scales lit up with arrays and runes that glowed white and bright and hot, even against the sun. It killed the beast’s energy in a moment, sending it plunging to the ground like a meteorite. I screamed as it hit the ground—no one protected them—leaving a crater in the dirt.

Paramedics retrieved Aiden’s body through the dirt cloud, bringing him out on a stretcher as medical professionals arrived, slathering him with a balm that had no visual effects. The camera gave a close up of his face—he was breathing. He was actually breathing. And knowing the magic and alchemy in this world, I was sure that he would survive.

The crowd went wild—

—until the screen switched.

The dragon wasn’t doing so well. Its body trembled as it tried to push itself up, only to collapse, over and over again, ad infinitum.

Still—it was alive, too. And after the entrance that Aiden was given, I was certain that they would save him. They won. They actually won!

I had never felt so relieved. Somehow it made it all worth it, even knowing that I wouldn’t get my stuff that day. I celebrated for an hour as the event continued its preparations, glancing at it while cooking food I spiced with ingredients from the forest.

We were finally eating well again and it felt damn good to be alive.

Kline smacked his jaws as he ate, then groomed himself happily until I grabbed him. He squirmed and yowled and scratched, but we both knew that I couldn’t sneak up on him—even with my cat lady reflexes. So he grumbled and gave in as I held him against my bosom.

The Guide’s stream suddenly switched to Aiden and his dragon, both going through medical treatment but breathing, gearing for a full recovery.

I wondered what they were like, hoping to see someone face-to-face after weeks out here alone. I wondered what it would be like to speak.

It was all a delusion, if I was being honest with myself. I knew what would happen—which is the reason I didn’t pay attention to Railain. I just enjoyed the prideful, domain-wide victory while I could because I knew—

—Railain didn’t have a chance.

Lithco had no confidence anyone could. Now, the forest was on fire with activity, and the dragons were thirsting for revenge.

But I had to give her credit—she was brave. Railain had a look of confidence as she put on her helmet and mounted her dragon, sitting in front of half of my equipment drop.

She looked regal and I wanted to meet her.

That was my thought as the crowd stilled, the area fell silent, and the countdown went down. Then, the horn sounded and she shot up to the other end of the wall.

Things still went as anticipated. There were thousands of injured, humiliated birds after the dragon’s sonic attack, and the moment she entered the Bramble—all of them struck. It was like a school of colorful, flying fish—swarming Railain from all directions.

She immediately tried to flee, but they cut her off. So she ran, weaving between attacks, flying deeper into the Bramble by sheer necessity, cutting through tendrils in a crazed bloodbath. She and her dragon suffered great injuries very quickly, so they shot through the poison cloud to escape—and that’s when she gave up.

Halfway through, she activated an array, launching my supplies into a random spot in the forest as she turned around. The next moment, she rocketed out of the cloud, blowing fire at birds as they plowed through like a bulldozer.

It was a brutal hellscape of fire and wind and roars in the skies above the forest, and I was certain she would die—

—but she made it, too.

I didn’t feel the same relief I did with Aiden, but I was glad when mages cast out a net to prevent Railain and the bloodied dragon from crashing into the ground. The dragon howled as mages cut the straps on her harness and hauled her to the medical tents.

I stopped watching. The damage on both was grave, and I was satisfied when I saw an image of Railain breathing easily. Then I shut off, knots releasing from my shoulders as I sat with my back against a tree, thinking about the situation.

Well, looks like I’m not gettin’ gear any time soon, I thought. Aiden and his dragon flashed into my mind. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of kinship with him, knowing that he was also from Earth—also in this fucked up situation. So knowing that I might get to talk to someone and that I’d get my equipment if it happened gave me some consolation.

The Areswood Defense Alliance called the end of the trial not too long after, claiming that the second delivery would be streamed once Aiden could fly.

People cheered. There was a celebration. POVs showed both the riders alive and well, gaining medical treatment as Aiden’s dragon was locked in chains.

I wasn’t celebrating. I was just sitting there, thinking about how wild the day was. About the Bramble and my location and the riders and families and fiends. Through it all, I tried not to think of my equipment that was dropped over two miles into the Bramble.

You don’t need it, Mira, I thought. It’s just extra. I came to the forest to be an uncivilized mountain lady, and I didn’t plan on depending on outside aid now. I also prepared myself for the drop to fail. So, while I was disappointed, I didn’t dwell on it. The real problem was that I wanted to keep my temporary shelter long enough for me to situate myself, but I didn’t know if I could challenge the Bramble in ten weeks.

“Hey Lithco,” I said. “What qualifies as… preparing… to retrieve my stuff?”

“An intention to challenge the Bramble later,” Lithco said, stepping out from behind me and sitting down. “So long as you intend to, you can do whatever you want. Thread. Learn magic. Make potions. You know… what you’re already doing. Is that what you’re gonna do?”

I chuckled mockingly, shaking my head. “Of course not. I’ll get it… you can bet your sweet ass I’m gonna get it. But there’s no way in hell I’ll challenge… that… in three months. I’ll probably wait until the Harvest, then walk right past the wyverns first.”

Lithco smiled. “It’s interesting that you’re planning to do it at all. Are you already fiending for adrenaline again?”

“Fiending…” I chuckled murderously. “There’s teleportation magic and epic alchemy equipment out there. You really think I wouldn’t go after it?”

Lithco raised his hands playfully. “Just surprised. You’ve changed a lot in just a couple weeks.”

I felt a static wave of energy ripple through my skin.

“Got any ideas on how you’re gonna challenge it?” he mused.

“Yeah. I’m gonna load up on water, alchemical potions, magic, crank my Moxle Dilation, check out Kline’s new skills—cause I know he has some...”

Kline sauntered off as if he didn’t hear anything.

“And since there’s all sorts of sentient plants, I’ll learn this soul manipulation magic and… whatever. Nothing’s changed. I’m just going to keep getting stronger until a trip like this’s irrelevant.”

That was my goal—to get strong enough that there was no challenge in my way. I wanted to live in these woods and study plants, live on the land, eat well, and travel—and I didn’t want man or beast or storm to slow me down.

I was lacking equipment but I could make up for it with magic. That was a unique situation that I would latch onto. So, while I hoped that Aiden would successfully bring me gear—I wouldn’t depend on it.

I wouldn’t complain about it.

I refused to feel bitter that I didn’t get luxury.

If anything, I was grateful for the setback because it gave me a goal—and having something to work toward helped to stabilize my thoughts—even if it was a suicidal mission into the great beyond.

After the conversation, I returned to the temporary shelter and removed everything, including the bed, fire array, and cooking grill, something that I, surprisingly, wasn’t punished for, and brought them to the alchemy station.

This was my new home. My starting place before I got permanent shelter.

My Alamo.

I had less than six weeks till the reaper would, hopefully, die, allowing me to reap the reward from personally killing a third-evolution beast as part of my evolution reward when I evolved. Then, I had around two months until the Black Harvest. During that period, I needed to stock up on alchemical potions, evolve, learn soulmancy, and prepare to deal with the traders—and my trip into the Bramble.

I couldn’t slow down for a moment.

It was time to get to work.