It was a long journey through the day, but they arrived alive. Both humans were entirely exhausted while the orks only seemed slightly bothered by the journey.

  The orkish chief greeted the orks and humans on their arrival. Gesturing them into the camp, a feast was prepared.

  “Well, they spared no expense, huh?” Ren smiled and looked at Cella.

  “I suppose not.” She returned his smile

  The feast was another giant boar, alongside foraged berries, roots, and vegetables. Several varieties of dark leafy greens were picked and set alongside the meal.

  The chief approached the humans and spoke. “Now, we have seen you are worth warriors. Soon, we will see your spirit. For now, take enjoyment out of the small things in life. Eat, rest, and in the morning, be anew.”

  “Thank you.” Ren nodded and smiled at the chief. His weak legs begged him to sit down and eat already.

  Without hesitation the two dug into the thick of it. Piles of food quickly stacked up on their wooden platters that seemed carved by hand. Their smiles were wide and plain to see, hard work rewarded with a feast, it was time to finally feel home.

  They sat in the grass near their small tent. It quickly became apparent that their ascendant bodies could handle far more food than what they had thought. It sparked their second plate, then a third, and then a fourth. It was only after they engorged themselves like this that they felt genuinely full.

  Ascendancy had its benefits, that was for sure. They no longer had to sleep so often, nor did they have to eat so often. Only when blood and flesh had been lost in great quantities did their bodies require true replenishment.

  Regardless of what they had become, it felt amazing to satiate their normal bodily functions, when in the past it was something only needed in particular circumstances.

  The way of the orks gave them a newfound appreciation for their lives and their place in the world. Regardless of the great power they had amassed, they had not truly become something new. They had only become more detached from the ways of the world. They had begun to feel above it.

  When one becomes detached from their material world, they lose the connection with the moment in time that they exist within. Both of the humans now understood their place, and how at this moment, they were safe and full.

  The night slowly came upon them as the sun set over the mountains from whence they came. The mountains were not subtle, they were beautiful. They cast a long shadow across the land for quite a distance. It did not help what felt light needlessly long nights. As the mountain was tall, it gave them a far shorter time of dusk. Those on the other side of the mountains were bathed in light for hours past those in the wild beyond.

  The moon rose, and so light came. It revealed the world in a far more subtle way. With their eyes far beyond that of normal mortals, Ren and Cella still saw as if in full daylight. For Ren’s part, his eyes preferred the weaker light. In ordinary times, he had to keep his eyes half-lidded, as the light was too bright for his eyes of the void.

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  Now, under the moon, Cella saw his eyes in truth. Rarely did she see the full breadth of the darkness within them.

  Ren looked back into her eyes, they burned with the brightness of the lingering life affinity that circulated through her body. She had ceased using the mana, but it had a lingering effect.

  The two smiled and laughed. They were total opposites, though both born in the depths of darkness. She, of nature and of life. He, of the void and of fire.

  The orks began to retire into their tents, soon falling into deep sleep where they would drift through dreams of feasts, dancing, fighting, and life.

  The two humans still sat under the moon and bathed in the pale light. They spoke of small things. The softness of the grass beneath, and the cascading beauty of the moonlight. They spoke of the stars, their patterns and shapes.

  “What are they?” Cella asked.

  “What are what?” Ren looked where she pointed, “Do you mean, the stars?”

  “Yes, I never saw them in the Underdark. My entire life, I never imagined that the world above could have so much… everything….”

  “Stars, they are the same as the sun. They are of fire, so hot they would destroy everything if the world moved closer.”

  “They’re on fire?”

  “Yes, the stars are a great ball of flame, well not quite just fire. It’s hard to explain. My own world knows so much, it makes it hard to explain things like that.”

  “Your world, is it peaceful?”

  “My memory is mostly gone, but I remember that war is something that happens. Something that happened a lot. My revolver, and my knife. They were my grandfather’s. He fought in a war where millions died, Eradicated and killed.”

  “Millions? How… Your world must truly have evil within it. I cannot even imagine that happening here.”

  “Sorry, it’s hard to remember most things. I have a general sense of my world, and the things within it. When I try to remember specifics or even my grandfather’s face, everything goes away. I know it was his gun, I know it was his knife. I just cannot remember why I have it. Was he dead? I don’t know.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t imagine what it would be like to forget your life.”

  “In the end, I think I wanted to forget it, to forget everything. I got that wish, but now all I want is to remember sometimes.”

  “You can live a long life here, with me.”

  “We both know that’s not likely to happen. This world will likely die because of me Cella.”

  “You don’t know that for certain. We’re here to learn something lost to the world, something long gone from humans. What if what we learn from the orks will help you win against the Eldritch God?”

  “That’s possible, but can I even learn from the orks? Everything so far, everything I’ve done, it has pushed me away from what they are, what you are.”

  “There’s still a possibility. We can do this together. I believe in us, do you?” A hint of sadness entered her voice as she turned her eyes from the stars to look into his eyes. The darkness within them held no sparks of light, she looked into a night sky lacking any stars to brighten it. For it was the darkness within Ren.

  “I believe we can try. I won’t lie to you and say I believe this will all have a happy ending. That’s not how this will end. I do believe though, that you will become something amazing. Reborn by the essence of change, forged in the darkness of the Underdark and taught by the orks. I do know you’ll be something amazing this world has never seen before.”

  “And so will you Ren. Believe in yourself, even if it is just for me. Believe in yourself, alright?”

  “I will try.”

  A long moment of silence came as their gazes broke and they looked back into the starry night. As the quiet of night came, and the food within them disgusted, a deep exhaustion washed over them. Without going into their small tent, the two laid back in the tall grasses of the clearing the camp sat within.

  The haze of food and exhaustion sent them both into a deep sleep and their dreams took over.

  Ren dreamt of a life where he conquered the lingering darkness within. Later, he dreamed of the madness taking him, driving him to slaughter all and birth the king of despair, devourer of hope and dreams.

  Cella slept and dreamt of the countless lives of the forest, calling them to her aid. She imagined how to call the grasses, the trees, and even the animals to her to battle. She dreamt of mastering the power of the orks, her body naturally armored beyond the skill of any craftsman, and her blows carrying more might than the greatest weapon of war.