Max was the one on watch when the explosions sounded. A small rumble slightly shook the walls around them, causing dust and sediment to cascade from the ceiling. After confirming that Vel and Emi were the only others around, Max nudged Vel awake.

“More explosions on the surface. Mallor must have detonated the other sacrifices.”

“Could you tell how many?” Vel said, rubbing the sand from her eyes.

“Five? Six? I’m not sure.”

Vel nodded and leaned up against the wall. She briefly looked behind, deeper into the hallway that leads to the Tomb. A frown overcame her.

“What do you think he wants down there?” Max asked.

“Artifacts, treasures, lost knowledge...Bones… Who can say. It could even be a quest. The Divine are constantly playing games with each other. Maybe we’re on the defending team.”

“That's sick.” Max cursed.

“Did you have animal fighting on your planet? Dogs, chickens?”

“We do… But for the most part they are banned.”

“Well, you still see my point though. We are animals to them. We are entertainment. Our lives are nothing more than a bye thought.”

“I’m sensing some hostility…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Vel quickly said.

“Fine, we can talk about other things… Any ideas?”

Vel thought for a moment before closing her eyes. It wasn’t always apparent, but Vel was old. Times like this, where she thought through her words showed her seniority. Vel always knew what to say, who to talk to, or how to act. Most of the time, Vel would act hard or strict, but deep-down Max knew better. Vel chose her demeanor specifically not to become attached. He didn’t know all of her past, but he did know that Vel was the sentimental type. She didn’t want to be hurt again.

“What was Earth like, where you were from?” She finally asked.

“Did Lester never talk about Earth?”

“No, he did, but he had a way to… exaggerate.”

Max chuckled. “I was born and raised in a place called Florida…”

Max went on to discuss his life. He talked about his childhood, his life through school, his career, his family, his friends. World politics seemed to interest Vel, surprising Max. He thought that she was mainly focused on the connectivity of Earth, rather than the political standings, however. Small things that Max took for granted were big deals for Vel. For example, Velcro. After making a few jokes about the name, Max explained what it did. Vel loved the idea of tightening and losing things without string.

“There are so many things your world has that could make life on Nava easier.”

“I know! I have so many ideas of things I could recreate and things I could innovate with magic. I was going to start with Runecrafting, but ideas keep popping in my head!”

Vel thought for a moment. “You know… the Mage Guild provides grants for promising researchers or inventors.”

“Really? That was one of the issues I was already thinking about. Money”

“One of the requirements of graduating their [Crafter] and [Artificer] certification programs is to create something and have it reviewed by the Guild. I could get you in, if you want.”

“Are you sure? I don’t know much about magic, and that seems a little magic heavy.” Max said hesitantly.

“Hmm… Maybe take a few classes first.”

Max laughed.

“Slowly…” Vel reminded.

Mana inched from Max’s palm and enveloped around a small rock. The rock began to subtly shake. More accurately, the space around the rock began to shake. With a sudden flicker, the rock moved slightly to the right. Space shivered again, and the rock jumped a few inches into the air. It landed with a small bounce.

“WOO!” Max cheered.

Emi jumped from the sudden scream.

“Well done.” Vel complemented. “What did you try differently this time?”

“Will imbuing!” He gestured with his hand. “I imbued the space around the rock to carry it!”

Vel squinted but didn’t say anything. Emi slowly walked over and sniffed the rock; she gave it her seal of approval. The last couple of hours, Max had been working on teleporting an object. Max was working under the theory that the spell was possible, but until now it hadn’t worked. Max thought that since he could teleport himself, teleporting an object would be similar. The basis of his theory was correct, but the execution was rather different.

When he casts Blink, the system takes over and moves him where he wants to go. He had originally created the spell on instinct, meaning he never actually learned how the space around him was manipulated.

Congratulations you have learned the spell Teleport Object (Rare):

Variable.

Move an object through space to a specific location.

After some more testing, Max found that the mana cost scaled linearly. He wasn’t sure of the distance measurement, but the cost seemed to remain constant with the distance the item traveled. He tried several different items of varying size and weight and found that only weight adds to the mana cost. The initial cost would be higher, but the linear cost would remain.

Max was thinking about teleporting himself without help from the system, but quickly disregarded the idea when his testing rock became lodged in the floor. He tried several times to remove the rock, but he couldn’t wrap his mana around it completely.

My mana has to completely surround an object, or the spell will fail. Max thought. I guess I will wait to teleport myself.

Max really hated the limiting distance of Blink. He wanted to be able to teleport any distance at will, mana allowing. The idea of jumping from Esmel to Lesterwood, or Lesterwood to the other side of the world was one of his goals. One that would evolve into jumping from Nava to Earth, eventually.

“Do… you think I can teleport something to the inn from here?” Max coyly asked.

“Maybe… How much does it cost to teleport that rock from here to the other side of the hallway?”

The rock blipped down the hall.

“Uhhhh, six.”

Vel’s eyes widened. “Six? Not one hundred and six?”

“Six. Max stated. “The cost goes up a lot with heavier items.”

He demonstrated by teleporting the sword he acquired his first day on Nava.

“Fifty-one.” He spoke.

“If you teleport something light, then it may be possible.”

“I was thinking of a note. Like an update for the others.”

“Mmm, that's smart.” Vel grind.

Max removed an inkwell and quill. “What should it say?”

Jepree for all intents and purposes was an orphan. His mother died when he was young, and his father died in the most recent explosions. He was currently being cared for by his mother’s sister, after his home was crushed by a smoldering tree trunk and he was found alone by his aunt. They wandered their way through the city until they found another group of refugees.

His aunt wanted to take Jepree back to her house, but decided it was too dangerous to be walking the streets at night. The group of refugees were given refuge in a particular inn. Jepree didn’t care much for the other adults in the building. They yelled a lot, which annoyed Jepree because he wanted to go to sleep.

He did like the Drake, Bishop, however. He made the angry Elves quiet down really fast, something he thought his father wouldn’t have been able to do. He wondered if all Drakes are as cool and strong as Bishop. He also liked the dark-skinned Human, Reep. She was quiet, like him, and she gave him a few candies after she noticed him.

Jepree was the first to wake in the morning. He had slept reasonably well, all things considered, but he normally woke up this early to assist his dad with setting up the shop. The only other person awake was the innkeeper, Belopi. She was stepping over the sleeping refugees as she made her way across the common room. She gave him a warm smile, something he did not reciprocate. He didn’t think he could smile.

It wouldn't be hours before the others woke up, he knew. So, he sat. And waited. And waited. After a while, he found himself counting rings on the logs that the inn was made out of. After recounting the rings for the third time, Jepree got up. He moved around the common room, careful not to wake any of the sleeping Elves.

A small table in the corner, one that he had to stand on his tippy toes to see the top, held wonders. A dozen or so glass globes sat, playing scenes of heroic fights or amazing magics. Jepree was instantly captivated. He had never seen something so unique. He watched each and every one in their entirety. After a second viewing of his favorites, he moved back to the table by his sleeping aunt. A serving tray slammed down next to him, causing him to jump.

“Oh, sorry about that.” The innkeeper said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw you watching the globes over there and thought I might bring you some more. I think you’ll like these.”

Jepree looked over the fresh globes, his attention instantly waning from the boring innkeeper. Belopi chuckled, leaving the kid to finish her daily chores.

Slowly, others began to wake up, no one paid him any attention, however. They hardly even glanced in his general direction. Instead, they yelled and argued for food. But during their arguing, they missed something important.

A single piece of paper suddenly appeared and slowly fluttered down in the center of the common room. Jepree honestly thought himself crazy from a moment, but as he replayed the memory in his mind, he was sure of it. The paper was not there a moment before it caught his eye. Jepree moved towards the mysterious paper very slowly.

It looks normal…

With a cautious reach, he picked it up. It had writing in black ink on one side, and a large circle with two dots and a curved line on the other. He only read the first four words.

Dear Bishop, Reep, or Clammy,

He now had a mission. Find one of the true recipients and deliver the letter. It was a quest. His quest. Jepree held onto the letter tightly. He couldn’t let any harm come to the sacred paper. He moved slowly around the common room, looking for Bishop or Reep. He didn’t know who Clammy was.

The common room was void of any Drakes, Jepree was sure. Next, he looked for the Human. He peered around tables and into off limit rooms. He wanted to go up the stairs, but he remembered that Belopi wanted none of the refugees up there. She gave some reasoning about there being no room, but Jepree knew the truth. He had seen it in the globes. Belopi was a very powerful mage and upstairs was her lab. How else could she create so many globes?

So Jepree sat. And waited. And waited. A fair skinned Human girl was the first to come down. He thought he recognized her from the night earlier but was unsure. She called up from mid-way down the steps.

“No, Reep! I’m doing better! I’ll help Belopi!”

“I’ll be down in a few minutes!” A voice responded to her from the second floor.

She said Reep! Jepree thought. That must make her Clammy!

Jepree hopped off his wooden chair and slowly made his way around the filled tables. By now, everyone was awake and slowly savoring a breakfast stew. He had already eaten his. By the time he reached the bottom of the staircase, the woman he thought to be Clammy noticed him. She eyed him rather suspiciously.

“A-are you Cl-Clammy?”

“I am.” She responded in a calm tone.

“Th-this came for you!” Jepree pushed the letter forward. It had become slightly crumbled, but otherwise pristine.

“This came for me?” She said while reaching out and taking the paper.

She gave it a quick glance though before her eyes went wide.

“The man who gave this to you! Or was it an old woman? Where did they go?”

“N-no one g-gave it to me!” The boy cried. “It just appeared in t-the air!”

“It just appea…” Clammy trailed off.

Jepree, who was looking at the floor, looked up trying to figure out why she had stopped talking. Her eyes were grey. She swayed slightly and her mouth slowly gaped open and closed.

“A-are you alright?” Jepree asked.

After a few seconds, she suddenly blinked. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she seemed okay, at least to Jepree. She looked down at the small boy. She understood now.

“Thank you Jepree. This is a very important document. My friend that sent this is a powerful [Space Mage]! He teleported it here for you to find and deliver! Good work! Come, I’ll get you your reward!” She took the small boy's hand and led him through the common room to his seat.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back!” She said with a smile.

Jepree sat in awe.

Reward? Me? Powerful [Space Mage]? His mind went wild with innocent ideas.

Clammy came back carrying a tray. It held two bowls each with a fruit pastry. Whipped cream was dolloped on top, more on one than the other. She put the bowl with more in front of him. She handed him a spoon.

“Quest completed young Jepree! Enjoy it before it cools.”

Jepree looked between her and his bowl. He hesitated for a moment before succumbing to his childish desires. He quickly scarfed down the buttery, flaky pastry to get to the warm gooey sweet insides. It was divine. Clammy sat across from him, a smile across her face.

When I’m not seeing the deaths of countless people, this class isn’t too bad. She thought.

“A-are you an adventurer?” The boy asked.

“Mhm! I’m also a Princess, but don’t tell anyone that.”

Jepree’s eyes sparkled with absolute delight. His mind spun with inspiration. Clammy took a few bites of her pastry before she noticed Reep walking down the stairs. Clammy waved her over.

“Reep, I would like you to meet Jepree.” Jepree gave a weak wave. “Jepree here just completed a quest from Max. You see, this letter was created by our esteemed [Space Mage] and sent using Space Magics to cross an infinite distance! Jepree was tasked with delivering it to one of us, and I can safely say, he succeeded!”

Reep raised an eyebrow at her teammate. Clammy gave her a wink.

“I see.” Reep said. “And did you already give him his reward?”

Clammy gestured to the empty bowl. “Of course.”

“May I see this letter?”

Clammy handed it over. Reep squinted at the words, flipping the page over and squinting even more at the crude drawing on the back.

“Max wrote this?”

“Yes.” Clammy answered. “I saw it.”

“You sa-” Reep went silent. “Oh. Are you okay?”

“After last night, I had a lot of time to think. I realized some things about what I will be seeing. The past few weeks I’ve seen things every time I sleep. Most of them were good. Like really good. Then this happened, and I got to meet and understand who Jepree is. I’m not saying I’m okay, we both know that is going to take time, but I am not completely full of dread. Not like before Bishop gave me the bracelet.”

“That's… Good?” Reep asked uncertainty.

“That is very good.”

Reep was going to ask more questions, but an uninvited presence invaded their table.

“Jepree! There you are!” A hand reached down and pulled Jepree from the table.

An older Elf stood tall and proud. She didn’t wear tattered clothes like the others, but they were dirty signifying that she had spent some time around the destruction outside. Her silver-platinum hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she had the telltale signs of wealth on her hands. There were no cuts, calluses, bruises, or hang nails. Instead, she had properly trimmed nails and scented smooth skin.

“Come along, Jepree! We are heading home.” She began to move to the door. “Some of the others are heading the way we are going. We will walk with them.”

Jepree tried to fight back, but knew it was pointless. He had fun on his grand quest, despite the circumstances. He had met an amazing person; one he wouldn’t forget for the rest of his life.

“Goodbye young adventurer.” Clammy whispered.

“You saw something about his future.” Reep said.

“Yes, I did.” She smiled, saying nothing more.

“Max wrote this?” Bishop asked after reading through the letter.

“Yes.” Clammy repeated for the third time.

“And he teleported it here?”

“Yes.” Clammy repeated for the fifth time.

“Interesting.”

“What does it say, Bishy?” Belopi asked.

Everyone cringed at the nickname.

Bishop cleared his throat. “Dear Bishop, Reep, or Clammy, Hello! I hope you can read this, my quill skills are still pretty bad, but I hope you all are alive. I heard the explosion from inside Honeygreen. Vel thinks that it was Mallor’s plan to have the [Arbors] create the dome. The wards in the special hallway were broken when Honeygreen activated his spell, and Mallor is thought to have some special spade? IDK. But anyways, Vel, Emi and I are very bored just sitting here. I have been getting some spell training in, hence the letter. Anyways, I hope the letter makes it to you and that you all are okay and stuff. P.S. Look at the back of the paper.”

Bishop flipped the letter over. A large smiley face was crudely drawn.

“What does… I don’t even know that these letters are. IDK? P.S.?” Bishop said.

“I’m not sure, but that does sound like Max.” Belopi said.

“It was Max. I saw it.” Clammy said.

Bishop shook his head.

Mana snapped from the undead back into Mallor. The Revenant slowly began to move. Mallor smiled and moved to the next one. Threads of mana bloomed from Mallor up above ground. Every few seconds a connection would get severed, essentially cutting a thread. Mallor didn’t care though. He had better things to worry about, such as the three Revenants he was currently activating. He called them the Big Three, named after the Divine trio. They were his best work over the last few decades he spent in hiding.

Their combat and defenses matched no other Revenant Mallor had ever constructed. He scoured the planet searching for only the best materials. He had bones of Elementals, Legendary Beasts, and even a few from a Demigod.

The third awoke and Mallor instantly felt the effects. His mana was significantly lowered while the Big Three were active. A side effect from their massive power. Mallor didn’t care though. He felt unstoppable with the Three as bodyguards.

There was only one more thing to do. He gently thumped the Divine Spade. A sadistic smile drew across his face as he teleported.