It’d been five nights of travel across the absurdity that was the border between the Chayim Meadows and the Wyrdwud, but we finally managed to break through. The nights only became longer. The sun was always a touch lower over the horizon than I recalled.

  The sky above remained flush with clouds. The sights of the Wyrdwud still stupefied me, having never been beyond the Meadows before now. At this point, I was simply begging the weather would clear up properly sometime soon. But that may have also been a fool’s wish.

  Considering the blizzards just began to clear up, our travels kept calm, but unfortunately, there was still little to hunt. What lied about were tiny scraps, or too cautious to let us have a chance.

  So, our next few days still saw us eating rations stewed in a pot.

  Luckily, being in the forest gave us a benefit above the border: firewood. While we weren’t travelling as far every day anymore, we could use the surrounding forest to provide for our warmth. It wasn’t perfect every night, but making it to the ravine wouldn’t take more than another four days.

  On the fourth day, we had reason to count ourselves lucky. As we walked, Elfa had caught us our meal for that day. The local fauna seemed to be returning, the storm having nearly entirely died down. The clouds were slowly beginning to part the further we went, and while we’d likely have to spend another night using our rations, I figured it was for the best to continue our journey.

  Our watch once more went by quietly, though as we awoke and got ready the next morning, Arin felt the need to speak up. “Considering the forest is becoming populated, and our path is leading us to the clearing, I think it prudent to stock up on food for at least a night or two.” I hadn’t considered that.

  Elfa nodded along with our Advisor, before commenting, “We can set up a small base here, and spend our time gathering for a day or two. Any qualms with that?”

  I scratched my cheek. “Not exactly too used to that side of stuff.”

  “It’s not too hard,” Arin replied. “You’ve got your sling, and you can also help set up some traps.”

  I wouldn’t have exactly called myself a crack shot or anything, but I did at least have something. In fact, I wasn’t quite sure what he had for this sort of job. “Do you carry weapons, Arin?”

  He shook his head. “Most I ever have is a dagger, and it’s more of a tool. I’m quite flimsy in combat.” He did look rather lanky, in spite of his posturing as a proper soldier and scientist.

  “Let’s get this moving as soon as possible, don’t want to burn what little time we have.” The hunter stood up from her own temporary rest and made herself busy.

  Arin looked to follow her, so I decided to keep close.

  My eyes constantly trailed back to the horizon, where the sun scarcely peeked over. Our sleep schedule had barely changed since we pushed through those awful nights in the blizzards. The days were simply so short, now, that we only had a few hours of sunlight.

  Elfa walked us both through the processes of setting up traps. Good places to leave them, the purpose behind doing so, and why certain traps function. She taught us how to create a slew of improvised snares and pits and other forms.

  We kept a small berth around our campsite. There was no reason to go too far out for now. As long as we could simply feed us three for the night, we would be fine.

  And for the next day, it was more boring, menial tasks. Checking the traps if they caught anything, resetting them if they failed to, properly taking care of the creatures that survive the initial strike, and so on. Elfa collected our spoils afterwards and would take them quickly to preserve them in some capacity.

  There came a moment, however, when one of my traps caught a sizable creature. An herbivore, most definitely, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. Striking white fur, barbed antlers. I immediately pointed it out to Elfa and Arin, who I hoped were nearby.

  I noticed the grazer, however, escaped the jaws of the trap I’d placed, and began to rush off. I tried to think as quickly as I could, and pulled out the rope I had on hand, took the side with the hook at the end, and tossed it to a branch in the distance, hoping it’d latch on.

  As soon as I felt resistance, I pulled as hard as I could, before trapping the creature under a massive weight of snow. I heard it struggling underneath and knew that I’d caught it properly this time.

  Elfa and Arin promptly made it to me, and I called out, “It’s over there!” We headed over, and saw it more clearly.

  While it looked certainly a sizable creature, larger than most rabbits or other similar things we’d catch around here, it was surprisingly shorter than I anticipated. Shorter than me, even if it were to stand tall.

  “Looks to be… a Hammattu,” said Arin, swiping through his Bestiary. “Barbed antlers, smaller stature for a Grazer, white fur, we’re lucky it didn’t decide to charge you.” He looked at me, clearly not taking a lighthearted jab at me.

  I noticed how dangerous it looked. Had it rammed into me, I was certainly going to be feeling it.

  Elfa looked at the creature, still somewhat struggling under the mound of snow it found itself under. “Seems we have found our food for the next while. And another pelt to bring home.” She pulled out a knife from inside of her coat, and turned her attention to the two of us. “I’ll take it from here, if you wish to go back to camp.”

  We both nodded.

  It wasn’t the first time I’d seen something like that, but I wasn’t keen on seeing it again if I could avoid it. After all, it wasn’t my job to do the gutting and skinning and whatnot.

  Arin and I sat ourselves back down at our campsite, our sunlight having firmly disappeared over the horizon.

  Elfa returned with a few new things strapped onto her. The pelt of the Hammattu, its antlers, and what I could only assume to be a sack with its fresh meat within it. She wasted no time in beginning to butcher it, and portion it out.

  She counted it all out. A full two day’s worth of meat from the Hammattu, with another day’s worth from the other wildlife we’d caught already. Three days of food already.

  “Good catch, Sivoy.” I hadn’t prepared myself for Elfa to speak those words.

  I didn’t ask for more elaboration. Another scenario where quick thinking got us rewarded. Committing to an action, sometimes before even properly knowing if it was correct.

  Arin then remarked, “I believe we’re good to keep moving. Lost a day to keep three days of our rations intact.”

  It was a good deal, to say the least.

  The three of us once more went through the night without issues. I took the last watch again, thanks to Arin’s good graces. I couldn’t tell if it was a reward for doing well today, or something else, but I hesitated to complain.

  We all awakened once again and followed our morning ritual. I noticed above that the clouds had begun to thin, and spoke to the rest, “Should have fair weather moving forward for a little.”

  The reappearance of the local wildlife wasn’t the only thing that could be used to determine our path forward. The winds had begun to calm significantly, and the clouds were moving rapidly, being pushed away from our position.

  And once we made it to the nearby cliff and ravine, we would finally be beyond the Celestial Line.

  We began our trek. Through the forests of the Wyrdwud, as the trees waxed and waned, and the sunlight slowly faded from view. Elfa lit a lantern before us to act as our beacon, and we once more huddled together to be sure we didn’t lose our position.

  The ground beneath us slowly turned from soil into stone. I felt an incline before us, and we all moved as carefully as we could. It was only a hill, but one slip would still hurt. We pressed on, slowly helping each other up as we moved, further and further.

  The trees continued to thin. Ice across each of the nooks and crannies. The wind still howled, but not nearly as prominently as during the blizzard.

  For a moment, all seemed dark as we reached our supposed destination. A vantage point above the rest of the Wyrdwud. Inevitably, the howling winds calmed.

  All felt still.

  Until something above caught my attention.

  A glint in the sky, piercing through the clouds.

  And without warning, as if an endless sea parted itself before my vision, that twinkle tore through the clouded horizon. Revealing the moons, lighting the land before us, and ripping the stars from their obscurity.

  The land of white reflected the moon with resplendence, turning the trees and ground beneath us iridescent in a silver glow. The trees stood tall, in watch for the world around us; nearby lakes reflected the skies above; in the distance, I could see mountain ranges far away from where we stood, basking in the Wyrdwud’s eternal glow.

  Their summits were impossibly tall.

  Those same twinkles in the skies caught my attention just as quickly as it had to the endless landscape of snow and ice before. As they did, I thought I witnessed a shooting star. But as I squinted closer, I swore I saw something above us flying about, and before long, another, far more notable sight grasped my attention.

  An array of colors had materialized before my eyes, captivating me as they morphed across the heavens above. They reflected and refracted in ways I’d never seen before, dancing across the darkened sky like a beacon.

  I could count every single star if I had the time, it was all so clear. The twin moons felt as though they hung low in the sky right next to us, as if I could jump and touch them.

  It was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed further south. And it felt like it stretched on forever. No matter how high we’d been, I felt as though there was no way I could ever grasp it all. Each and every new sight caught me again and again until those comets in the sky flew overhead once more.

  One after the other, as if greeting us into the Wyrdwud, that endless aurora that I’d heard of shining like beacons. A storm of welcoming.

  I became hopelessly infatuated with the view we were now greeted with. And I couldn’t help but let my jaw fall limp, my mouth agape as I saw it in full view.

  When making the trek, my mind raced as to whether this was worthwhile. Whether I should’ve been happy where I stood, quietly accepting my fate.

  After witnessing the lands beyond the Celestial Line, my mind reconciled the hardships. The freezing winds, the exhausting hunting, the subpar rations, everything up to this point was worth it.

  I felt once more triumph surge within my chest. This was what I always wished for.

  Arin stood next to me. I finally found the ability to tear my eyes from the landscape, taking stock of his state. His shoulders relaxed, and while his visage didn’t display it, I could tell he was basking in it just as much as I was. I let myself stand still. If even he was going to take in the sights, so should I.

  The only one who didn’t was Elfa, who didn’t pressure us, nor discuss. All I heard was her setting up the fire behind us, and little else. As soon as Arin turned around to go and attempt to help, he retreated to his initial roost with a small smile on his face.

  My eyes struggled to pull away from the flashing lights above, and finally, I broke myself out of my silence, and inquired, “What… are those?” I pointed to the array of comets.

  Arin took a deep breath, no doubt to compose himself, before attempting to inform. “Pystelavat. Sometimes known, fittingly, as ‘Living Comets,’ who live all the way above even the summit of God Mountain during the Lunar Season.” I squinted as much as I could, but I couldn’t make out their figure perfectly. I didn’t even know something could get that high. Arin continued through my attempts to investigate, “No one knows how they stay afloat during the entire season, but the Draconids’ wings are impossibly thin, and almost glass-like, refracting the light of the moons and the aurora.”

  “How long does the Lunar season last again?” I didn’t want to mix my facts up, but their seasons were longer than the temperate ones.

  Elfa was the one to reply from behind us, “Five months. No one has ever seen one descend during that time.”

  It was no wonder how the Wyrdwud got its other name, ‘The Starwood,’ considering what I witnessed above me. I didn’t know if we’d only see the pitch black darkness for our entire stay. And yet, against all odds, we could count ourselves lucky to bask in its splendor.

  “Since the weather has cleared, we can travel without lanterns for a little,” said Elfa, noting that the wilderness before us was illuminated. It was the first time in a while I was able to see my hands without the help of a flame. “Just be on guard, and Sivoy, keep an eye out for the weather.”

  I nodded.

  From here on, the sights before us would be unchanging. Unflinching. Aside from poor weather, the sun wouldn’t rise above the horizon again.

  Our journey would only be marginally easier from here on out. In spite of how awestruck we were with the sights, and how still the air felt just a moment ago, I noticed the cold breeze soon returning. The winds still nipped at our cheeks, and the air still stung to breathe. For a second, I placed all of it aside, but once I recomposed myself, it all rushed back.

  I couldn’t let myself get distracted. I had to focus. Focus tomorrow…

  Because every time I tried to focus during that night, I felt my eyes once more wander to those comets, flying above the summits of the mountains. Whether they were truly shooting stars, or simply the massive creatures above, it was impossible to tell. But they enticed me all the same.

  I sat myself before the fire, but my gaze still couldn’t resist the horizon. To the heavens. I spoke idly, “I wonder what they’re doing up there…”

  Arin chuckled before replying, “Some have noted mating rituals taking place, but the most common theory is mainly for hibernation.” He pulled out his encyclopedia, flipping through it to find the specific page. “They only seem to beat their wings once every hour, and that was considered fast by most standards. So, by some method, they take little to no energy to stay up there, before inevitably descending back down during the Solar season.”

  “Are they aggressive?” I raised an eyebrow. I wasn’t usually curious about biology… but considering how much this one creature fascinated me, I had to know more.

  Arin nodded, which surprised me. “They’re predatory during the Solar season, incredibly so, and might be a touch larger than you’re thinking.”

  Even something as captivating as it could still be dangerous.

  In and of itself, that remained as a lesson. Even when it’s beautiful, sometimes especially when it is, I couldn’t let my guard down. The entirety of the Wyrdwud shared this feeling. In a moment’s notice, we could suddenly be swept off of our feet, thrown off course, never to see the light of day again. If we ever ran out of lantern oil, we’d be more than simply in the dark.

  The fantasy remained, but underneath it lied that twinge of danger that was impossible to ignore.

  I managed to wind myself down for the night, and my watch began. My eyes caught so much more of the land than before, as I failed to keep my eyes peeled for threats.

  I watched as dots stirred across the forest floor, animals seeking their food for the night. Those who chose not to hibernate through the harsh five months ahead. Some creatures I didn’t even begin to recognize.

  At one point, a group of Hammattu shot across a clearing, as something massive chased behind them. It didn’t seem fast enough at first, until it led one of them over to a lake, to which one of its hooves promptly fell through, it seemed. After only a brief struggle, the large creature took the Hammattu down, and I lost sight of it from there.

  I spied a pack of something across the ravine, sliding across the ground. For a moment, I thought they were snakes, as they slithered across the frozen rocks, but I soon saw differently. They appeared to be feathered, but had no talons to speak of. In spite of this, they were exceedingly nimble, gliding across my vision before disappearing elsewhere into the woods.

  Another moment passed, and I spotted something cutting fallen logs, picking them up with its jaw, and placing them around almost like a nest. It proceeded to curl itself inside of its new home, most certainly to spend the night.

  The forest stayed more alive than I could’ve imagined. When I first thought of a land drenched in eternal night, I had thought of this place being dead quiet. No movement, no sounds. Pitch black.

  However, not only did I witness life still moving across its surface, I could still occasionally hear it, too. The rustling of trees, the cries of birds, the howling and yelps of both struggles and victories.

  I continued this trend throughout the entirety of my shift. Attempting to watch over us, before inevitably turning back to look at the sights. I didn’t have the study to interpret it like Arin, nor the experience like Elfa. And so, instead of being able to turn away, I simply stared.

  Inevitably, my watch ended, and I traded places with Elfa, and found myself returning to rest. However, I struggled to find proper sleep. I awoke intermittently throughout the night, and watched the stars whenever I did. Drifting in and out of consciousness, not knowing how much time had passed since the last moment.

  Before I knew it, Arin was waking me up to continue our journey. As expected, nothing had changed. It was as constant as it was before I fell into slumber. Only a scarce hint of sunlight peeked, not enough to illuminate the world around us.

  Our ritual began anew. We all sat around the flame, our food cooked for us by Elfa, before we once more packed our bags. However, it felt prudent to review our situation. The sights before us were clearer.

  I pulled out my map again. Next stop was the waterfall, a day or so out. Then the abandoned outpost, the spire, and finally, our ruins. If all went well… “...We should only be five to six days out.”

  Elfa checked over our remaining supplies, disregarding what we had foraged up till now. “We should try and avoid using our lanterns until we reach the ruins.” Unsurprising considering we’ve had at least one lit since the snowstorm, and three lit during it. “Ten days’ of rations left,” it didn’t feel like it’d been over an entire week, wasting away our rations all the while. “And we were able to restock on firewood, so we’re running on about two weeks’ worth of it.” Being so close to the forest meant that Elfa could spend her watch helping us restock, rather than being out in barren wastelands.

  We had enough to make the trip there, but the problem after was going to be the return trip. Old Yugon was all the way on the eastern coast within the mountain range. Getting there was easily going to take more than a week.

  It was to be a grueling journey, and if we couldn’t make it, we’d likely have to cut our losses and go back to the outpost, instead.

  But if we could keep our food stocks high from hunting over the next leg of the journey, we’d have more than enough to make the trip. Just had to keep doing what we’d been doing.

  “We may have to take more breaks,” finally remarked Arin, who’d been primarily silent. I knew he didn’t mean in the context of resting. “If our food and firewood is running low, we should dedicate time at the next stop or two to restoring our provisions.”

  Elfa agreed, and I nodded, too. Just like the prior time, it seemed sensible. However, I needed to keep in mind that we wouldn’t always get lucky like we did with the Hammattu from before.

  It fed us for two days on its own, but our other spoils were only enough for that night. It wasn’t enough that we made our stocks back, we needed to try and attain more. That was the unfortunate rule.

  But since we were comfortable for the time being, and there was little to gain by hunting around this ravine, it was time we began moving again.

  The journey through the next leg of the woods was significantly less melancholic and dreary. Our visibility remained obscured because of the trees above, but there was enough to at least make out left from right. The trees were a brilliant green, still healthy in spite of the harsh climate.

  I even eyed some unique plantlife, thriving during the Lunar season of the Wyrdwud. While covered in snow, ice, and rime, they lived still.

  Another day passed us by. We walked across the fields of snow, watching the sights before us change. Now, we could see the frozen lakes, the rivers, everything. Even the critters waltzing through the snow around us.

  While a quiet enough walk, there were more situations where Elfa and Arin had to tell us to be quiet. More fauna meant more danger, and it led to us being more cautious on the road ahead. While we still made fair time, the situation became much more complex.

  However, in spite of our holdups, we all heard the distinct sounds of rushing water coming down from a nearby cliffside. A large waterfall, our next destination.

  The moment we made it near, I assumed we’d simply stay nearby. However, Elfa shook her head, and pointed to the running river.

  Sure enough, there was a myriad of wildlife hanging out nearby. This place was a hotbed, and if we set up in the wrong spot, it’d definitely mean trouble. Still nearby to the waterfall, she led us to an alcove.

  We huddled inside. A respite by comparison to outside, but nevertheless, it was clear the danger that remained beyond. Various animals wandered about, and it was ripe for something looking for a meal, or thinking we’re a threat.

  It was far more comforting than outside, at least. Arin and I set up the fire this time around, while Elfa worked outside to camouflage the entrance a tad. It was better than nothing, also placing a few aromatics to ward off unsuspecting predators.

  As much as foraging was important, it was just as important to keep them off of where we wanted to sleep for the night. Inevitably, the three of us were gathered around the fire, warming ourselves up for the night ahead.

  Our survivalist eventually spoke, “We’re going to spend a day here like we did before the ravine.” She tossed in a bit of firewood. “Sivoy, you can collect some firewood, while Arin and I see about upkeep for our food.”

  Menial work again… It was just going to be collecting branches, brush, and maybe a few more major logs. We had a few tools to split wood, not that it was the most complicated thing in the world, but as much as I wanted to complain, I sucked it up. They were better at that side of the job.

  Once more, sleep came, and once more, we awakened. We ate, reviewed, and prepared. We each had our jobs, and I was to simply go and gather firewood.

  Elfa left a chopping axe back at the camp for me to return to. Granted, it’s not as though I’d be looking for logs.

  We all set out on our respective duties for the day. I was told by the other two to avoid contact with the nearby wildlife, and I accepted their advice. It’d be best for me not to get caught while I was out doing things on my own.

  I kept my search to a small radius around the camp. In the worst case scenario, I had somewhere to return to, and hopefully, somewhere larger threats wouldn’t quickly follow me. Elfa and Arin gave me that advice, too. In the event I’m chased back, it’d be best to grab some fire.

  I began collecting from the nearby forest. Mostly, I collected sticks and other forms of tinder, anything I could get my hands on. A lot of it was, understandably, unusable. Finding dry tinder required being away from the waterfall, and finding areas safe from snow.

  I ended up focusing on bark, primarily, alongside whatever else I could find. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how much it’d all last, but I decided to let them focus on it. I brought along a few smaller logs, too, and was going to try my hand at chopping, until I realized a fatal flaw.

  I wasn’t precisely strong enough to lift the axe on my own. As soon as I felt it in my hands, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to aim it, let alone swing it. I set it down begrudgingly.

  And so, I simply resolved myself to continue moving outside, when I suddenly heard a shot ring out. I saw a lot of the other creatures beginning to rush off, but while at first I was ready to just let the two of them deal with it, I had yet to hear her fire until now.

  I quickly rushed to where I heard the gunfire, crunching through the snow. I pulled my sling out of my pack and placed a lead bearing inside. Had to be ready for anything.

  As soon as I’d made it close, I noticed Arin and Elfa fending off what looked to be a trio of strange creatures. They each stood about a head smaller than our survivalist, which meant they positively towered over them. Worst of all, the beasts surrounded them.

  Jagged teeth, scaled, large fins, but could walk on land? Not like any Marinid I’d ever seen.

  I watched as one seemed prepared to rush toward Elfa just as she was preparing for another shot, but I tried to act as quickly as I could. My sling whipped, and the lead gland SNAPPED forward and struck at its head. I saw a dent form in its outer hide, and a cascading crack across its scales. It almost looked like ice webbing out across its back.

  It flinched for long enough for Elfa and Arin to escape the predicament they found themselves in, Elfa trying to move a distance away for a vantage point, and Arin staying behind.

  “Good toss!” Arin called out. “Aim for their forelegs, they’re softer!” This was all for me, Elfa likely already either knowing, or Arin already let her know.

  I loaded another gland into my trusty sling, but we were still on the backfoot. No one to take forward meant we had to go about this a bit differently.

  I heard another shot from the rifle ring across the forest, echoing between each of the trees. It landed true, piercing through the tougher hide of the strange creatures, but all three were still standing. And unfortunately, they were still coming. Each one leapt forward with surprising alacrity.

  We had to find some way to maintain distance. We receded a bit further away from the river, but to no avail. They were still rushing at us. Within a matter of only a few seconds, they’d be upon us.

  Arin took a moment to study their behavior while Elfa took another crack. Another loud ‘BANG’ but no dice. It looked like it barely grazed across the scales, shaving off something from its hide.

  As ready as I was to toss another gland, I knew they weren’t close enough. By the time they were, things would be far different. I didn’t know how far they could leap, so I took my eyes off of our foes and tried to think of a different option.

  The snow wouldn’t hold one of these down like it did the Hammattu from before. We needed something larger. A log, a boulder, really anything would work.

  “Shit… Any loose trees or boulders?!” I threw out the question to the two I knew had better eyes.

  Arin scanned the field quickly, before pointing out, “There! Could probably pull that tree down!” It looked dangerously close to tipping over, and if we were lucky, it’d catch all three. While I wasn’t good enough to be wielding an axe, with a bit of leverage and help…

  “Gonna need a hand!” I tossed one end of the rope to the tree, wrapping it around and feeling the hook ‘clink’ in place. Arin rushed behind me and grasped it, too. Elfa kept her gaze forward, and the two of us tugged.

  The dirt moved, the snow stirred, but nothing yet. We recentered ourselves after only a brief second, and pulled again, as hard as we could. The tearing of soil underneath, almost uprooted, but those creatures were almost to us. We circled around to get a better angle, but we had to get it on the next pull.

  Elfa kept her aim forward, but called to both of us, “Wrap it around your fists and pull!”

  We each listened intently as we heard another ‘BANG’ sound out. Another bullet whizzed by, this time nailing one in one of its forelegs. By Arin’s admission, it was definitely softer than the other parts, flying right through, and landing behind the creature. It tripped over itself, trying to continue to move.

  The Marinids gave us only a moment more to bring this tree down, and we once again pulled and pulled until we were exhausted. Just as we felt we couldn’t, we ripped the tree’s weak roots from the soil beneath it, and it came crashing into the snow.

  Both found themselves smashed underneath it, though their bodies seemed hardier than I expected. Arin even confirmed it, stating, “They’ve got tough frames, it’s not enough!”

  Elfa retook her perch. As they struggled to get out from under the weight of the now detached log, she took another shot. Another clean hit on a foreleg, getting it to reconsider its position immediately. Where one was still trudging forward, the other was pulling back away.

  The third noticed the situation, blocked by the log, and injured badly, and seemed to back off. Those injuries were more than enough. All that remained was the last one, who promptly tore itself from under the log.

  It rushed directly for Arin and I, and neither of us were quite ready. I tossed another gland at it from my sling, whistling to it, and striking it in its head again. It flinched for just long enough, but didn’t stop its advance.

  I wasn’t accurate enough to hit its foreleg. I didn’t want to go for a shot and miss. Luckily, we still had another on our side. A bullet pierced straight into its back, causing it to stop its advance, taking a step back and reassessing the situation.

  It still wasn’t down, and it looked like it was ready for another charge forward. We had enough space to reposition, but we still needed to act quickly. We were just looking to get it to retreat, and little else.

  I expected another shot to come soon, but it became clear that it wasn’t coming, as Elfa fished out another clip and quickly tried to jam the next few rounds into her rifle. I soon noticed the rope, now sitting at my feet. It remained wrapped around the tree from before, and with enough support, it could hold a beast like this back.

  “We can set a trap, get this side around something solid!” I demanded Arin.

  He looked confused for a second, but quickly picked up the other side of the rope. He pulled it from the bundle around my pack. “Is it going to hold?!” he cried back, noticing a solid enough boulder, and quickly tied it as best as he could, before cutting it.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “It’s the best we’ve got, I dunno!” I shrugged. I circled to the side to be sure the rope stayed in the path of our foe. It circled parallel, and thankfully, it made it far easier for him.

  The Marinid looked directly at me as soon as Arin finished up. I was the first in view, and it began to snap its maw threateningly. It soon advanced upon me, and I had no choice but to stand in its way. The rope before us tightened, and while not invisible, it’d be sure to catch a creature like this in its way.

  The rope stopped the Marinid in its tracks, stretching and pushing against the beast. The hook frayed for a moment, the ties struggling, the tree even inching forward. But it nonetheless struggled, at first trying to push through, and then quickly chomping through.

  But its victory was short-lived. Elfa yelled, “Sivoy, duck!” to which I listened immediately, placing my hands over my head, and dropping to the dirt. Another echoing shot rang through the air, and this time, the Marinid was successfully struck right on one of its forelegs. Like all the others, the shot pierced perfectly as it staggered backwards. And after seeming to consider its situation, it limped its way back to the river, and inevitably disappeared from our sight.

  “Those things were awful…” I remarked, pulling myself from the soil and dusting off the snow from my jacket. I looked at the rope, now ripped in half, though still relatively intact. It was unfortunate, but we had to figure out something, and it was the best plan I had at the moment.

  Arin replied, “Zubyqin, a semi-terrestrial Marinid.” He came over with what remained on his side of the rope and handed it back to me before continuing. “If I recall correctly, they get a layer of mucus that hardens slightly across most of their body when they leave the water. It’s not commonly around their forelegs because they use them for terrestrial movement.”

  No wonder it was so hard to break through. Most things disdain getting something thrown at them from a sling, let alone getting shot. With only a thin layer of ice, the force can’t punch through as easily.

  He continued to list off more facts about our prior foes, like how they frequently appear during the Lunar season, and how retreating can be just as good of an option when dealing with them, but I eventually tuned out. I turned over to Elfa, and asked, “Why didn’t we just kill them? Weren’t they tryin’ to eat us?”

  I already had the hierarchy burned into me, but sometimes, it still didn’t make sense. Especially in a situation like this, where we needed food, it would’ve served us well for a while. Elfa was swift to reply, “We wouldn’t be able to use it all, and it’s better to not leave behind too many carcasses.”

  Arin stopped his ramblings as soon as I inquired and began a new one to add to Elfa’s statement. “Things aren’t likely to stick around if there’s a bigger predator nearby, so it’s best to not do more than we have to.”

  I never really considered that, either. But considering they ran off, and we weren’t authorized regardless, it was unimportant. Foraging wasn’t unheard of, but the moment it’s something bigger than that, it can be hard to justify it in the eyes of the Guild.

  Our sharpshooter turned her attention over to me, and shot back a question my way as I tried to salvage my rope from the fallen log. “How much firewood?”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “Only about a night… I didn’t think I could chop the wood by myself.” Felt like salt rubbed in the wound. There was little to do about it now, though.

  She, surprisingly, still didn’t judge me. She simply nodded, and began to move back to camp, carrying what looked to be a pack of carved meat. “We only have enough for tonight for food, so we’ll try again tomorrow.” We quickly followed her walk back as she continued, “Bring back the logs regardless, I can chop them when we come back.”

  Arin added on, “You sure you can’t swing an axe?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Listen, it was hard enough to lift the damn thing, don’t expect me to be good at it!” I tried to play it off as a joke, even if it were undeniably true. I’d no idea how to split wood, and not being able to keep the axe straight was sure to be a hindrance.

  He waved me off with a sarcastic roll of his eyes as we trudged our way back to our alcove. We once more went through the motions, Elfa placing her spoils with us, and us checking what we had on us.

  I reevaluated how much rope we had left. Split into three, I took the pieces we had left, and tied them together to get a better sense of what we lost. On a rough estimate, I guessed we had about seventy meters now. A sizable chunk of twine, rendered unusable.

  Thankfully, the hook was still intact. Even if we had an extra on hand, I didn’t want to have to pull out a backup if we could afford not to. I refastened it to the end it was on originally, before wrapping it back up.

  Tomorrow, Elfa and Arin discussed setting up traps around the river again, though the two eventually concluded that those Zubyqin and similar aquatic creatures may show up. They chose to limit their hunt to the forests around our alcove and the cliffside near the waterfall. I, in the same vein, decided to stick where I’d already been. No need to change things up if it was already working well enough.

  Once more, we spent our night in the alcove, once more I remained on watch, seeing the creatures before us wander about their lives. I even caught the eye of another Zubyqin leaping from the river to catch an unsuspecting victim.

  I witnessed another creature strike a bird from the sky by flicking a chunk of snow to knock it from its flight into the water. Two prey animals found themselves locked in conflict over each other’s territory. Before, inevitably, all became quiet again.

  Just as quickly as conflict came, conflict resolved, and the tranquility of the world returned with new lives lost, and others yet to live. Where one ends, another begins.

  It came time for me to resign myself to sleep again, and upon my next awakening, I felt the stress from the prior day finally wash away into a dull pain. I’d certainly exerted myself. My hands were aching, and my arms were sore.

  Suppose that’s what I get for needing a risky plan for a risky situation.

  I nonetheless managed to force myself up and perform our daily ritual yet again. Eat, review, pack, and get moving. This time, I focused my attention on larger items to pull back to camp. Anything I could reliably lift was going to be a good haul, even if that may not amount to much in the grand scheme.

  Bark, sticks, and tinder were still mostly what I brought back. However, I noticed some larger logs. At first, I figured they’d be hard to lift. And sure enough, my intuition hadn’t failed me. However, I realized I had access to some excellent tools, and proceeded to tie the rope around some of the logs and pull them back to our camp. It was… still a grueling process, even if they weren’t exceedingly thick, but doable.

  Two logs were significantly better than none. In an attempt to conserve my energy in case something else went wrong, I chose to focus my efforts on the smaller stuff for the rest of my escapades. Being able to provide for one night again wasn’t going to be bad, if nothing else.

  Things went smoothly, and we met back up again. We took stock of our provisions once more, and it seemed they got luckier than last time. Another Hammattu wandered by, which meant another two days of food between the three of us fairly easily. That was without including what else they’d gotten, as they portioned it all out again.

  “Four days,” Elfa said. “Should be enough food to get moving, and with those logs—” she looked over to the haul I brought back. “—we should be ready.”

  Arin turned his attention to me and asked, “Have you checked the weather recently?”

  I realized I hadn’t been keeping up with it. “I can… check tonight.”

  “As long as we know what we’re running into tomorrow,” he replied.

  We once more ran through the motions, only this time, Elfa spent the vast majority of our immediate rest chopping the wood I’d brought back. It took a while, but inevitably, we had another four nights’ worth of firewood on our hands. Adding to our existing pile, we’d surely be fine on that front for a fair bit.

  Once the food got stowed away, and everything else had gotten taken care of, it was time for sleep once more. I took the first watch, after having lost another coinflip, but used the time to check our conditions.

  I took out all the equipment I had and did as good of a reading as I could grasp. However, the Lunar season made it difficult to parse everything at the moment. I only ended up with a forecast for the next day or so. All the other conditions were too complex to interpret.

  Thankfully, things looked clear, but I hoped the current season wouldn’t come back to bite us.

  Regardless, I woke Elfa up for her watch, before hopping back to sleep, and reawakening the next morning as normal. We performed our morning routine and agreed to keep moving.

  A fairly eventful two days, but we were still in the clear. Our next stop was the abandoned outpost. Another good place if we needed to spend extra time resting, but preferably, we wouldn’t have to.

  I set my compass again, we loaded up our new provisions, and made our way off once more.

  The landscape remained the same as it had the past many days. The twin moons hung in the sky, now in full view, or almost. Every once in a while, I still saw the Pystelavat in the sky guiding our path forward.

  The forests were nothing new by this point. The foliage had become commonplace, even if no less captivating. Where the novelty has worn off, I’d begun to investigate the environment deeper. On the way there, I’d ask questions about the topography and the creatures we saw.

  I wondered how the trees survived in these harsh climates, to which Arin was quick to respond that their internal temperatures are surprisingly high and process the ice into water for themselves. I inquired on a nearby mountain range, to which Elfa was quick to give a general outline, how some were havens for bandits, and others contained smaller settlements that she frequented.

  The Hammattu in distant view, picking berries with the barbs on their antlers, to more of those strange, slithering birds, among many other things that crossed our view.

  We climbed further north. Past the gnarled trees, past the cliff sides and rivers, past the various packs of fauna and groves of flora.

  Two days of travel, and we found ourselves seeing it on the horizon. The familiar brickwork, a watchtower, everything was intact as far as we could tell, save for it being a touch frozen over. The abandoned outpost we were looking for.

  Its walls were frozen over, icicles hanging down from its untended scaffolds. After having been in a perfectly lively one less than three weeks ago, it was odd to see it in this shape.

  Elfa swiftly stopped us, and spoke. “I’ll go first. Keep your eyes, and ears, open.”

  I looked at Arin, confused for a moment, before asking, “Is there something wrong…?”

  Elfa shrugged. “We don’t know yet, but places like these are havens for bandits and thieves. Best to be careful.”

  It would certainly make our lives a bit more difficult if we found a group of bandits here. I pulled my sling from my pack, and loaded it with a gland as Elfa led us into the outpost.

  The front gate had been left wide open, likely from the last time it was used. The wood had rotted, only held together by the ice in between its cracks. The stone surprisingly stood strong, even against me touching it briefly.

  We worked our way through the outpost to check all of its corners to try and scare off anything living around. But with each door we checked with caution and haste, there was nothing.

  No bandits, no animals save for a few critters, and truthfully, nothing to be afraid of.

  Once it became clear that we didn’t need to keep ourselves so tense, I breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought we were gonna get jumped in here…”

  “Don’t let your guard down yet, we still don’t know for sure,” Elfa replied, as I raised an eyebrow toward her.

  “We didn’t find anyone, this place is empty, no?” I inquired.

  She shook her head. “They could just be out for now, which means our watches are going to be even more important. I can’t tell for sure, but…” Her attention turned to the floors, and the tables, still vaguely intact. “...It never hurts to be a little cautious.”

  I couldn’t see what she saw. Whatever it was, I was content to let her sort through it while I took in having a safer roof overhead.

  We found the old canteen, and decided to set up our fire there. It’d easily keep us warm, and the chimney seemed mostly intact. While usually, the smoke would attract nearby passersby, the night sky made it unlikely. So, we got to benefit from the ingenuity of the architects with very few of the downsides.

  Arin did a second scan of the outpost to see if there had been anything left behind. Unfortunately, to be expected, he came up short. This place couldn’t have been that old, so I decided to speak up and ask, “When was this place abandoned, anyway?”

  Elfa answered, “A year ago, I think.” She seemed to be preparing to get the fire going properly, and cook us some of the food we’d caught from two days ago.

  I continued to ponder. “Why?” That’d been a question that I’d been itching to ask since even learning about the fact that these places get readily abandoned.

  Arin was the one to respond, “Oftentimes, it’s just too far out to maintain.” He flipped through a page in his book. “If you’re losing more than you’re gaining by trying to man it, then it’s not sustainable.”

  All of that logistics work seemed like a heavy task. From finding a solution to food, ensuring others could easily come and go, being sure it could be found, but also keeping it safe from thieves and animals? I certainly didn’t envy anyone who chose to be on the end of those boring tasks, and I definitely didn’t envy those who got forced into it.

  Still, it made me consider how much work went into a place like this. Stone walls, wooden floors, multiple stories, and a defensible position. It must’ve taken weeks, if not months, to get this place up and running. And a lot of Voyager hands.

  This, too, remained part of the job. As boring and menial as it may have been, someone had to do it.

  We once more got our stuff packed up for the day. Reviewed our provisions briefly, being certain we still had enough. Our firewood had been restored fairly nicely, and we had enough food to make it to the spire, and then into the ruins we needed to be.

  Only so long, now, until we could finally make the walk to Old Yugon. Unfortunately, our responsibilities still loomed over us.

  I looked at Arin, and pulled out another coin. He immediately called, “Tails,” and I flipped without hesitation. Another few spins in the air, a slap on the back of my hand, and once more, defeat.

  We agreed that our watches this time around would be a bit more robust. We had to treat it more like proper outpost work, so we’d spend our time mostly out on the walls if we could afford it. So, I knew this was going to be a difficult night.

  But I was a person of my word, and bucked up for the trial ahead.

  Just like at the ravine, the entire horizon opened up. From atop the watchtower, nothing was secret. I noticed trees being displaced by beasts seeking prey again, Hummattu gathering into herds before making their way off, the mountains in the distance, and more.

  Being so high up, though, I constantly needed to go back and forth from the canteen to the tower to keep myself warm. It wasn’t a pretty watch, but it was good enough.

  Just as I felt content to watch the horizon and while away my time yet again, however, something got me to perk up.

  The crunching of snow, and the rustling of leaves normally didn’t alarm me very much, but for some reason, this time it did.

  I rushed over to the other side of the outpost, and peeked my head over the railing of the walls. I didn’t see anything, and I decided I must’ve just heard another critter before I noticed it again. Light crunching, sticks snapping, and so on.

  I didn’t catch sight of anything, or anyone, but I knew they were getting closer to the outpost, and it sounded deliberate. Either bandits, or something far worse…

  I rushed back downstairs from the watchtower, trying to keep as quiet and calm as I could, hoping whatever was down there hadn’t spotted me. However, the old floorboards creaked underfoot, and I heard someone from below.

  I couldn’t make out what they said, but the moment it became clear there were people down there and not just animals coming through, I knew we were in trouble.

  I tried to sneak my way over to the railing again to get a good look at the commotion. My attempts were more successful, and I caught a glimpse of who our potential adversaries were. Three individuals, seemingly waltzing upon our current hideout.

  Had they spotted me? I couldn’t be sure. Nor could I discern their dress or their build. I was completely in the dark. So, I chose to chance it, instead.

  I took the rope, and secured the hook to the railing, before trying to climb down into the courtyard. If they were planning on entering, they’d have to do it through the main gate. I managed to grab a few barrels that’d been lying around, and set them over to the side. I wanted to create a trap to ensnare the first one that walked in.

  I removed the rope that I hooked onto the railing, loosening the hook as quietly as I could manage. I heard it clink around a tad, but nothing too bad, I hoped…

  Seventy meters of twine should’ve been more than enough. I eyed a piece of scaffolding for a quick pulley, something I’d seen many times in outposts and the cities, though even more importantly, from Elfa. I grasped a fair chunk of our rope, and tied it around the bundle of barrels, before tossing it over the support beams above. They looked… fair enough. I hoped they’d hold.

  Once I secured it all, I moved the rope to a hidden location, where I could keep it taught. I cut it, based on what was unneeded, and continued the plan. With the second section of the rope, I hid it under the snow, trying as hard as I could not to leave too obvious of an indent. I then lifted the barrels from one end with as much strength as I could muster, before tying it to a secure post. After, I attached the other end with the trap, and hoped it’d be ready.

  The tense rope to set off the trap was hidden in the building, while the trap itself had been buried under snow. Only a keen eye would pick up on it, and if that ended up the case, there wasn’t much I could do regardless.

  I peeked out from a cracked door from the bottom floor of the watchtower, and listened to the gate open slowly. My hand rested over the knot, prepped to untie it at any moment. The three waltzed into the outpost, unknowing, but alert. They each carried weapons, one with a crossbow who led the other two, and the others carried an axe and a hammer. I couldn’t tell if their attire acted only for warmth, or if it doubled as their armor, but I didn’t concern myself with those details.

  As soon as the first one’s leg stepped over the snare, I untied it immediately, its jaws snapping onto their leg, and beginning to drag them away. A perfect plan!

  Except for one fatal error.

  They didn’t get left hanging, the rope’s lengths being too out of step with each other. The one I used to hang the barrels hadn’t been long enough, so while they were trapped on the floor and unable to move for a moment, they clearly prepared to cut themselves free.

  And the other two were more than ready for a fight, and became alert. One yelled, “Who’s there?!” They began to shift towards their trapped companion.

  There remained a side effect of my plan, for better and worse. The barrels crashing to the floor, alongside the sudden shouting, caused enough of a stir to awaken my own allies. Elfa and Arin swiftly moved from the old canteen, and out into the courtyard. Arin only peeked out, while Elfa already had her rifle drawn.

  Arin demanded, “Sit still, and this doesn’t have to escalate!” I found myself surprised at just how commandeering he could be. His attire certainly gave off the right impression.

  Though what seemed to really make them reconsider had been Elfa’s rifle, trained on each of them. Both of those factors combined led to a quick change in their behavior. As defensive as they seemed, they complied.

  If they were bandits, we’d caught them off guard. If they were anything else, they’d be far more amicable.

  I finally caught a better look at each of them, though. Large, fur coats, and large belt packs suggested a prepared party. However, they didn’t seem like Voyagers. Oftentimes, that ended up the first thing people said. Though, miscommunications were always bound to happen.

  Hence why Arin proceeded to open dialogue with, “We’re from the Voyagers’ Guild, on an expedition. What’s your business?” He interrogated immediately, prodding and testing their trustworthiness.

  The one with the axe finally replied, “We’re just scavengers! From a nearby village!” One pulled their hood down to reveal a set of notable features.

  Two, large, triangular ears sat on the sides of their heads, with fur lining them.

  A surprisingly common occurrence, humans sometimes possessed different features. Some are attributed to fauna counterparts, while others appeared more specific. A boon in some respects, and a bane in others.

  Regardless of that fact, Elfa quickly retorted, “Just here to loot?” She didn’t seem to fully buy it, yet.

  But the one on the floor swiftly responded, “For the most part, yes…” He remained honest and upfront. “We thought no one lived here, anymore.” He left his hands in the air, in spite of a dagger laying in his palm.

  Arin considered their words for a second, before demanding again, “I’d ask that you drop your weapons, and then we can talk. It’s just a safety precaution.”

  Just like with the conversation from before, the three complied, relieving themselves of their weapons before Arin came and confiscated them.

  Elfa lowered her gun, slinging it back over her shoulder. In the worst case scenario, she could grab it again in a hurry. I began to slink out of the base of the wall, though helping the man untie the rope around his leg. We clearly weren’t intending to be hostile, and I assumed they weren’t, either.

  They followed us into the canteen and sat across from us. After a brief respite, Arin finally attempted to open dialogue again. “Truthfully you were just here to loot around?”

  “Mm, yes,” one replied. She pulled out something from her pack, which appeared to be a tangled mess of wires and metal. “We were searching for more like this, and needed to see if this place had any.”

  “Not unheard of,” Arin replied, looking over. “Were you going to take a rest here, too?”

  Another nodded, the one I’d initially dragged to the ground. “Considering the walls would keep us safe from the wildlife… we figured we would take a load off, yes.”

  The two of them looked between each other, and then to me. I didn’t know how to handle this situation, all of it being completely new to me. I rarely interacted with people from other settlements, after all.

  Arin shrugged, and began to doll back out their weapons, but continued on to specify, “Are you willing to help us with watches?” He’d already placed a few of their armaments onto the table in front of them, but awaited an answer for a brief second.

  The last that hadn’t spoken yet finally broke their silence, “More than willing! W-we swear, we didn’t mean to cause trouble…” She rubbed her hands together nervously.

  The rest of their tools were returned, before Arin found himself back at his sleeping bag. “I’m going to head back to sleep, be sure to settle watches between all of you.” He quickly turned over.

  Elfa seemed to be the same. It’d only been about two hours into my watch, which normally would last four. The three of them looked between each other, before one spoke to me. “I could go ahead and start my watch if you want to sleep,” she said.

  I shook my head. “I’m already up, I might as well continue, though it wouldn’t hurt for one of you to start, now.” They discussed amongst each other, as I took what time I could to refill the fireplace. It’d begun to dim over the course of our situation.

  It brought up an interesting point, though. What were they carrying?

  I looked over, just as they finished discussions, and noticed the man had decided to take the first watch. Thus, I chose to open the dialogue, “I assume you’ve got supplies?”

  He looked over, before nodding. “Uh, yes, we have food and some tinder.” He opened his pack, and I noticed charcoal, tried and true.

  “Do you, uh… mind if you share some tonight?” I inquired, trying not to seem too desperate. Our supplies were running low enough as is.

  Thankfully, he nodded, and replied, “We were expecting to, anyways, no need to be stingy.”

  But the thought entered my mind as I showed my gratitude. “Thanks, and um…” I couldn’t help but twirl a finger through my hair. “Sorry for stringing you up back there?”

  He brought a few pieces of his charcoal, and added it to the flame carefully, before chuckling. “To be fair, I think we would’ve done something fairly similar. I’m glad you all are… peaceful folk.”

  “Same to you.” I prepared to simply end the conversation there, but as he walked out and motioned for me to follow outside, I had to remind myself my watch had another two hours on it. At the very least, I’d have someone to keep me company this time.

  As we both sauntered outside and onto the nearby watchtower, he returned a query of his own. “You said you all were from the, uh… Voyagers’ Guild?”

  “Huh? You don’t—” I had to stop myself. They weren’t from one of the cities. Just a settlement somewhere closeby. “—Yeah. You heard the name before?”

  His hand twisted back and forth on his wrist as he spoke, “Ehhh… Once or twice. I’ve never heard of what you do, but some of the village have worked with you all.” He leaned over the railing, elbows resting upon it. “What kind of expedition?”

  “Ironically, not too dissimilar from what you’re after.” The circuits and wires and metal… If anything, we wanted nearly the exact same thing. “Someone needed us to go retrieve something, so here we are.”

  He nodded along. “Suppose there’s use for that old tech even in those cities, hah.” A dry laugh, almost akin to a scoff, but his face didn’t share that mannerism at a glance. “Are we to… fight over who gets to keep what’s here?” He sounded worried, and I quickly shook my head.

  “Nonono, nothing like that,” I nervously blurted, even struggling to contain a brief worried grin. We’d just given them back their weapons, and I knew in a straight fight, I couldn’t take the man in front of me. The crossbow resting on his back, already strung and ready for a bolt kept a nice deterrent. “Our spot’s a bit further north, only three or so days, now.”

  “Thank goodness…” Even he seemed relieved… Probably not because of me, but because fighting against the boomsticks of Old Yugon could become a surefire loss very quickly. “I assume ruins like these?”

  I shrugged. “Something like this? Bit older, though, Zenith Era proper.” I assumed our likely destination, anyways. Zenith Era ruins weren’t uncommon, after all, especially the further north, and the further south one goes. Or further below the earth…

  “You said, ahh, north?” He turned his gaze away from the distance before us two, and placed it on me.

  I looked back, leaning onto the railing with my back. “You know it?” It might’ve been a pleasant surprise.

  And hearing his next words certainly confirmed it. “Potentially? We’ve seen a large place around there, lots of those tall buildings… Sound right?”

  I gave more than one nod of confirmation, before continuing to add more details. “Yeah, I think the people who commissioned us said it had a snowstorm a week or two ago, now? Maybe more.”

  He rubbed his chin. “Well, I can safely say that place is a bit of a worry.” He looked me up and down. “It’s a nice little hideout for all kinds of beasts, and I heard a big one moved in recently…”

  Definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “Is there anything more specific you can tell?” Any more we could garner from this chance encounter would be a great boon.

  Unfortunately, however, he shook his head. “I heard there was uh… something holed up there? I’m not sure on anything more specific.”

  That’d explain why the Electronics Division folks had to run. I quickly replied, “It’s no trouble, just had to know.” I’d gotten all I could figure to know, and decided to while away our time with little else other than the winds and silence between us. I figured we had nothing else to talk about.

  However, he chose to continue our little chat past its transaction. “This, ah… Voyagers’ Guild—” He turned his attention fully towards me, now, no longer simply leaning against the rail. “—What is it like?”

  “Uhh…” I once more nervously twirled a strand of my hair in my finger. He put me on the spot, and I tried to work up an answer. “It’s like, uhh… freelance work? There’s a whole pitch about reconnection and stuff, but people who work for it just do all sorts of odd jobs.” That remained the most concrete way I could explain it all.

  He, thankfully, seemed to understand the baseline. “And so this freelance work can be… anything?”

  I returned the so-so gesture he gave from the canteen, before responding, “Sort of. Pest control, missing persons, protection, scavenging…” It almost felt harder to figure out something that the guild didn’t do.

  This time, he did scoff, not out of dismissiveness, but just from amusement. “Sounds like a lot to ask, doesn’t it?” I shrugged as I let him continue to ask questions if he had them. “Why do people join?”

  “Money, adventure, purpose, so on and so forth.” Just like with the jobs the guild did, it’d take hours to list off every single reason someone joined. “People get fulfillment from it, one way or another.”

  “And what about you?” The question caught me off-guard, but he elaborated, “If there are so many reasons… what makes you stick around?”

  I sighed. I could hardly be sad about it, in fact, I’m sure if I just said I didn’t want to talk about it, he’d leave it be. The unfortunate truth is that I did want to. And so, I opened my mouth, and let it flow. “Back when I was younger, my family lived in a little village south of here, in the meadows. Er…” I’d gotten so used to the cities’ terms that it’d become hard to communicate certain things. “...The grassland down south. Waaay south.”

  He acknowledged my words, and even briefly interjected, “I’ve heard of it, yes. Big, open fields, and very warm, too.”

  I confirmed his companions’ reports, before moving on. “Well, come one unlucky day and a snowstorm comes riding in. Off the side of the road, a group of people from this little-known guild come looking for us, having noticed our little spot on the horizon.” It remained a strange memory. The freezing cold, our lives feeling hopeless. “Rounded our whole little village up and helped us over to Miriamsburg out southeast of us. And I guess, really…” I turned myself around to stare into the distance, now. My eyes finally tore themselves away from him, and I looked to the stars, the moons, the brilliant colors still permeating the sky. “...I guess I hope to be strong enough to do that for someone else someday.”

  “Hm.” I turned, and saw a grin on his face.

  I quickly retorted, “What’s that mean?” Pouring my life’s story just for that… How cruel could this man truly be?

  But he shook his head. “I think that’s as fine a reason as any to brave these lands. No matter how harsh or soft, being strong enough to save someone else isn’t a bad thing.” His gaze now glued itself beyond, as did mine once again. But not before I heard him chortle, “And I’m sure the pay’s pretty nice, too, aye?”

  I sighed, my cheeks flushed red, and I twirled my fingers through my hair once again. “Yeah, yeah… the pay’s pretty nice.”

  I wouldn’t have seen half the world I have today, wouldn’t have even begun to see the aurora in the distance, the living comets in the sky, the full twin moons nor the Wyrdwud’s eternal night had I not jumped headlong into the guild. I wouldn’t have met the people I’ve been trusting my life to for the past week and a half or so, and I wouldn’t have met a man who truly seemed interested in my story.

  Perhaps I wouldn’t have outpost duty. But maybe that remained a small price to pay.

  The rest of the last two or so hours found us making small talk in between our quiet moments. Occasionally discussing the sights of the Starwood, the lands beyond, the other things we’ve seen. Inevitably, he even inquired about how to get to the nearest place to potentially sign up.

  Perhaps in a strange twist of fate, I may have inspired someone else to do the same as I did. Only one little action, rippling far into the future.

  I gave him instructions to the outpost we came from, or Old Yugon out to the east, and he seemed fairly happy.

  And eventually, it came time for the two of us to head off of watch, and for me to find rest. I woke Elfa up for her to take her watch, while she and the man from earlier discussed further watch plans.

  And thus, I curled up near the fireplace, and took my leave into the world of slumber.

  …

  My sleep soon ended. I felt myself being lightly jostled awake yet again, which I hoped meant it wasn’t an emergency. Sure enough, it seemed as it always had been, although this time, I caught a brief glimpse of the other three beginning to scavenge through the canteen.

  Elfa found herself cooking another meal for us, while Arin checked our provisions, though clearly seeming to add more into the mix. A few extra scraps of food, and a bit of extra firewood.

  On top of the three next days, our food stocks now firmly placed itself near to what we had at the beginning. An excellent chance encounter, and one that thankfully didn’t have to end anymore cruelly. Our firewood had also been refreshed a tad thanks to their efforts.

  In total, we had two weeks of our rations again, and a week and a half’s worth of firewood, so long as extenuating circumstances don’t call for us to burn through it again. Our lantern fuel also received a much needed pick-me-up, giving us more than enough to travel confidently.

  We all packed our things, ate our food, and headed our separate ways with the village folk. Our path began anew, with our final landmark before the ruins.

  The spire, somewhere on a high hillside. In theory, we’d be able to catch a glimpse of the faraway ruins if they were as large as our commissioners said they would be. No more than two days left of travel.

  And so, we set off into the wilds again, after taking one last glimpse of the clear sky. Hidden under the leaves, it wasn’t invisible, but it did become difficult to appreciate it. So, I drank as much as I could before leaving.

  Considering our food stocks had been restored, we picked up our pace. We were so close to our destination, and desired to spend as little time inside as we could afford. Elfa wasted no time foraging, keeping our path clear and straight. We covered far more distance in one day than expected.

  Once more, we found a makeshift place to set up our camp, under an overhang created by logs, ice, and rocks. We sat beside the fire, as we had done, watched the creatures pass us by, and kept stock of our situation as necessary. As we had been doing.

  Once more, we awakened, once more we ate, once more we set off. Within the quiet woods, across the sides of rushing rivers, over frozen lakes, through various clearings, around myriad animals in an attempt to not provoke them. It’d gotten to the point that even it felt like routine.

  I got into the habit of asking about creatures we passed by to Arin, just to make small talk. For his part, he seemed happy to inform. Those strange, snake-like birds slithering around were apparently called Isarunatiik, able to slide across the ice and snow and even swim. Strangely, they carry young on their backs as they glide across the Wyrdwud.

  I also asked more about the Hammattu, as I continued to see them isolated. They forage as a group and reconvene later to share their spoils, using the barbs on their antlers to grasp at various fruits and plants to bring back.

  Truthfully, it was intended to just be small talk… but I ended up realizing how much those little facts meant. How each little piece rippled to the next. Those small parts made a much greater whole.

  Even simply the moons sitting above us contributed to this land. Should they be too dim to see, this place would change drastically, not just for us, but for all living upon it. Just like in the other regions, the ever-shifting conditions meant nothing stayed stagnant, and everything contributed to one greater whole.

  My idle musings inevitably cut themselves short, as beyond us lied our destination. A spire, shooting into the sky above. Not nearly as tall as the nearby mountains, but sat upon a tall hill to climb up.

  We trudged once more, step by treacherous step. We took things slow, being sure nothing would be left to chance. Grasped at each other’s hands, helped each other up, used ropes to secure our path forward.

  And just like in the ravine, the whole land opened up before us, and the horizon no longer felt like a distant dream…

  …And upon that horizon laid our destination.

  Standing as a stark reminder to a prior time laid what felt like a mountain of crooked buildings. Some remained standing tall, while others crashed over each other, before inevitably freezing, remaining in their chaos. The endless rows of windows, the twisting concrete corridors within.

  Their impressive make, brought low by, comparatively, one moment. How long did it take to build? To create such massive cities? Months? Or years? Or perhaps longer?

  I’d only ever witnessed these sorts of ruins from a distance. The massive ones always remained a rarity, seldom seen above the surface. Within my heart, I struggled to feel anything other than uneasiness. The ruins we stayed at prior were not only obscured by the snowstorm, but so much smaller than those before us…

  “...There it is, huh?” I said, not awe-inspired, and instead filled with melancholy. Unlike the beauty of the Wyrdwud, these did not stand as testaments of survival. These were graveyards.

  It was Arin who replied, “Seems so, which means we’ve got our work cut out for us.” He’d already begun to get ourselves set up for our camp.

  Elfa began to assist, and I crouched to help out. Less than a day out, and we’d be entering into that labyrinthine structure. There was no telling what lurked behind every corner, but unfortunately, it stood as the only way for us to get a hold of that missing haul.

  Worst of all, the notion that something supposedly lurked there. Something I suddenly felt prudent to mention. “I heard from… one of those guys that something holed up in there.”

  Elfa and Arin both looked toward me, and promptly, our Advisor and biologist replied. “Anything more than that?”

  I shook my head. “Said they didn’t frequent, but they’ve heard stories.” As much as it remained a good tip, not knowing was its own problem.

  Arin rubbed his chin. “Could be something far worse than we anticipated, then…” He now stared into the distance, trying to get a read. “But with that mess of buildings, even if I’d brought a spyglass we’d be hard-pressed to find anything of value.”

  Elfa added, “Not to mention, we don’t know what that ‘device’ is.” She sighed, finally getting our firepit secured. “We’re going to have to keep on our guard. And it also means we’re running if I say so, alright?”

  “Yes, ma’am…” As much as a part of me wanted to rebuke that statement, she stood in the right. If things went wrong, it’d hardly be worthwhile to risk our lives over something that could be found anywhere else. “So, what are our ‘retreat at all costs’ rules, then?”

  Arin replied, “Arcana-fauna would be an excellent start. If it can use magic, it’s best not to mess with that.” Elfa agreed, and I found it hard to rebuke that, too.

  Arcana-fauna, creatures who’d evolved to gain the use of Magecraft. I didn’t know left from right when it came to runes or symbols, only ever witnessed a proper mage once. Considering they often shot through the tiers a lot quicker than others, it remained as no surprise.

  “What causes Arcana-fauna, anyway?” The question entered my mind, and I looked to our resident professor.

  He scratched at the side of his head for a brief moment before answering with, “To be blunt, there’s no one cause.” Already a great start. “It often ends up a cascade of things, either ending back at something’s innate physiology, or minor adaptations to survive, creating offshoots of the same creatures.”

  Elfa cut into our conversation after he’d finished his brief explanation to also add, “Poor weather. If we get stuck here for too long, we risk startling whatever’s taken its roost, here.” Another good one. It reminded me to check the weather again, trying to get a better forecast for our time ahead.

  “Any others?” I inquired again, just wanting to be sure we left nothing unsaid. When neither of them responded, I’d already managed to get a fair reading. While the forest below had yet to go quiet, clouds in the distance and wind from the south gave me all I needed to know. “We’ve got two days to find our haul, then.”

  They both knew what that meant.

  A snowstorm was on its way, and considering what Elfa just said, getting caught in the midst of that would be no trivial matter.

  We once more slept, and then reawakened. Another day of travel upon us, finishing our brief meals and reviewing our stocks, before beginning our path once more.

  Our final stop laid before us.

  And for some odd reason, I couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about it.