– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 38 –

Terry jolted awake. His heart palpitated and he broke out in a sweat. He examined his surroundings.

“Bed?”

His memory of the last day was hazy at best. He had no recollection of entering this room. Terry was glad to discover that he was still wearing his armor. He hurriedly checked his equipment – dagger, ring, throwing needles, storage items – all there. Terry heaved a sigh of relief.

Two knocks rang on the door. “Terry? Devon said you’re awake. Can I come in? I brought something to eat.”

Terry remembered that the voice belonged to the woman called Lizzy.

“Yes, come in.”

The door opened and Lizzy carried a tray of food as well as a waterskin. The tray reminded Terry that they were currently in a village – an empty village. The Deathguard was investigating the cause for the disappearance of the inhabitants.

“How are you feeling?” asked Lizzy concernedly. “You slept for more than a day.”

I’ve got a headache.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“I don’t think you are, but I hope you will be. Eat your fill and take your time. Once you’re ready, come out and sit at the table. Devon will notice and we’ll join you. The Captain wants to talk to you.”

Terry nodded.

***

“Morning, Terry!” greeted Devon cheerfully. “Or afternoon, I guess.” He sat down at the table.

“Glad to see you looking a bit better,” said Megumi. She took the seat opposite Terry.

“Thank you for keeping watch,” said Terry.

“Who are Lori and Jorg?” interjected Devon.

Terry winced. “How do—?”

“You talked and screamed in your sleep,” explained Megumi. “There were other names, too.”

Terry gulped and focussed on his breathing. “Lori and Jorg are my whaka.”

“Raised by dwarves?” asked Megumi with a raised eyebrow.

Terry nodded.

“That bag of yours bears the insignia of Arcana Academy.” Megumi pointed. “Your mana signature seems abnormal enough for you to really be an Academy student, too. Additionally, a lot of your items light up like a bonfire in mana sight – mana crafted, but not cloaked. That’s unusual around here. You asked Lizzy about Arcana before.”

Megumi stared into Terry’s eyes. “Are you from Arcana, Terry?”

“Yes.” Terry looked in befuddlement at Devon. “I asked about Arcana. You said you never heard of it.”

“I hadn’t,” replied Devon.

“Yes you did,” interjected Lizzy.

“Are you sure?” Devon tilted his head.

“He probably heard it, but did not listen,” said Megumi. “How did you end up in the Tiv Empire?”

“What?” Terry’s eyes widened. “I’m in Tiv?”

“So you really didn’t know?” Megumi searched Terry’s eyes. “Yes, you are in Tiv. According to the map at least. We’re currently in the Wasted Zone. Not many people dare to settle here. You might just as well call it the Wastes.”

Megumi tapped her fingers on the table. “Devon said he met you at a dungeon. What were you doing there?”

“I…” Terry lowered his gaze to the table and then moved it to Devon. “I was trying to get out of the dungeon when I saw Devon’s mana signature.”

“And you ran towards him instead of away?” asked Lizzy with wide eyes. “Arcanians know no fear, I guess. Normally, mages start screaming or fainting when they see his freakish mana signature.”

Devon gazed out the window.

“Devon mentioned that you have a Guardian card,” said Megumi. “Would you mind showing it to me?”

“Not at all.” Terry retrieved his Guardian card from his dimensional bag.

“The idea of Devon showing around a kid from Arcana is hilarious,” remarked Lizzy. “Truly the blind leading the blind.”

“My eyes are fine,” said Devon flatly.

“Yes, they are. It’s your sense I’m talking about,” retorted Lizzy. “The only thing worse than your mana sense is your common sense.”

“You’ve been saying that for years, but you never explain what this common energy is supposed to be.”

“Exactly.”

“Here.” Terry handed the card to the Captain.

Megumi received the card and examined it. “Arcana registry. Regular hunts. Corrupted hunts. Mana cursed work. Dungeon work. Bounty hunts. Finished intermediate curriculum.” Megumi recalled her consciousness out of the card. “Do you mind if I create a link with my own card?”

“Mine too,” said Devon. “Terry is nice.”

“I’m carrying your card anyway, Devon,” said Megumi. Then, she pursed her lips. “On the other hand, more links are better to keep track of each other out here. Lizzy?”

Lizzy handed over her card to link up as well.

“Uhm sure,” muttered Terry. “But I don’t know if the card still works. All the other links appear off.”

Megumi linked up the cards. “All the other links are with people in Arcana?”

“Yes?”

“The card is fine. There is a signaling range and you are way out of it. You couldn’t possibly be any further away from Arcana while staying in the empires. Also, there is the barrier surrounding the Arcana Empire. Its mana disturbance is no less than a dungeon’s.”

Megumi handed the card back to Terry. “You would need an amplification tower to get through the distance and interference. They have one at most Guardian outposts.”

“How can I get to the outpost?” Terry glanced at Devon in uncertainty. “I asked Devon about the nearest dimensional gate—”

“Okay, you are definitely from Arcana,” exclaimed Lizzy.

Terry furrowed his brow.

“No dimensional gates in Tiv,” explained Megumi. “They’re a vulnerability. Temporary gates may be opened on occasion, but no permanently anchored dimensional travel is allowed. Gates are nice to travel fast, but the wasted creatures and Thanatos soldiers can access them, too. If you’re not careful, you have enemy combatants pop up right in the middle of a city. That’s too much of a risk around here.”

“So what can I do? I need to go back to Arcana. I have to find out what happened to my companions. If they’re still trapped in the dungeon—”

“They’re not,” interrupted Devon. He was still looking out the window. “At least not in the dungeon where we met.”

“How can you be sure?”

“No folk signatures.”

“But you woke up in the upper floors of the dungeon. They could be further down.”

“Nope. No one there.”

“How would you know?!”

“No folk signatures.”

“That—”

“Captain, please break the cycle or I will get a headache,” pleaded Lizzy.

Megumi chortled. “Terry, if Devon says there were no signatures, then take his word for it. His life and death sense are impeccable. He is the best scout we have in the Deathguard.”

Devon turned his head and grinned from ear to ear.

“Scout?!” Terry blurted out. “I was present when Devon checked the bandit hideout. He did not seem very… subtle.”

Lizzy snorted and snickered.

Megumi tilted her head. “Well, yes, he does get discovered every time.”

Devon’s face returned to a blank expression.

“However, he always comes back with the information we requested.”

“Just don’t ask him for directions,” interjected Lizzy. “Or you’ll be running right into a demon fortress.”

Devon looked out the window again.

“Anyway, if Devon says there were no other folk in the dungeon, you can trust him on that. As for you getting to an outpost, I’m afraid that will be difficult. We could, however, send a message to the outpost from the nearest settlement. They have a dimensional mailbox there. Unfortunately, even the nearest settlement is quite a distance away. I’m sorry, but we have a mission here and we can’t escort you right now.”

Terry took a deep breath. “I understand.” He clenched his teeth.

“You could try to make your way to the settlement on your own, but frankly, I would advise against it. You… How to say it? You stand out a bit. Even if you could avoid the common threats—”

“Terry’s mana sense is good,” interjected Devon.

“Oh?” Megumi examined Terry. “Maybe Terry could even help us here.”

“Yes, he’s good. He could recognize the mana users among the bandits from four hundred Terrys away.”

“Devon, I told you to use meters instead of random things you see around you.”

“I remember you saying that, but I forgot how long a meter is and I lost the reference stick you gave me. Terry is sitting right there. You can convert Terry to meters.”

“What exactly are you doing here?” asked Terry.

“There have been reports of abandoned villages – missing citizens. Life in the Wasted Zone is dangerous, but these disappearances are unusual.”

“If I can help, I’m happy to. It’s just—” Terry stopped himself and shook his head. “No, nevermind. From what you have said, there would be no way to contact my family anyway.”

“Do you have any acquaintances in Tiv?” asked Lizzy.

“No— Wait, yes, maybe. My aunt is supposed to live in Tiv, but I’ve never met her.”

“Name or location?”

“Sigille. She’s a Guardian, too.”

Megumi’s eyes widened. She blinked in silence.

“What?!” exclaimed Lizzy. “Sigille as in the Divine Hammer Sigille?”

“I think that’s what Pa and Ma called her, yes. She is supposed to work with someone from the Guild.”

“That would be Matteo – yet another celebrity,” said Megumi.

“The Mad Kid,” said Lizzy. “Youngest person on record to have joined the Guild and taken on death hunts. He’s not as famous as the Divine Hammer, but he is recognized as one of the top figures among the younger Guild generation – right up there with Amelia the Spellcrusher and Dargones the Magebane.”

“They’ll need to come up with a new name at the Guild since he’s not a kid anymore,” said Megumi. “Matteo is something of an honorary Deathguard even though he is not a member of the Guardians. Takes on death hunts irrespective of the payout.

“Anyway, that should make things easier. Once we are in the settlement, we can send a letter to inform your aunt and her accepted son. They’ll probably come to fetch you personally. With their resources, they may even be able to request the help of a dimensional mage. That would cut down waiting time significantly.”

Terry nodded. A part of him was starting to get excited to meet his famous aunt. Lori and Jorg would be jealous. As soon as Terry thought about the two, his stomach plummeted. He still did not know for sure if they were okay.

“So what’s your decision?” prompted Megumi.

“I’ll join you until we reach the settlement.”

“Great,” exclaimed Devon happily. “More company.”

“By the way, what did you mean when you said I stand out?” inquired Terry.

Lizzy snorted and laughed.

Megumi smiled and shook her head. “You really are from Arcana. Ignoring your mana signature – which is absolutely ridiculous for someone at Academy age. Further ignoring the enchanted Arcana Academy bag…”

Megumi started to point. “Your boots have imprints. Your bracers have imprints. Your fingerless gloves have imprints. You carry an inscribed dagger with a matching scabbard. There are four imprinted throwing needles. Two of them seem to be made of septimum. You have an inscribed ring on your left hand. You have not only one, but two storage bracelets. When I asked you for the Guardian card, you have used yet another storage item – one that is presumably even more valuable.”

Megumi paused for emphasis. “Even ignoring the contents of your storage items, you are already a walking fortune.”

“Uhm.” Terry was at a loss for words. He was wondering what the Captain would say about his crafter’s pendant.

“Some basic rules for living in Tiv. Avoid displaying your storage items. Only wear equipment you actually need or whatever helps you survive. And for mana’s sake, get your items cloaked.”

Terry nodded and immediately returned the five-point inscribed ring to his dimensional bag. He also made sure that the dimensional bag was set to closed.

“How much—” Terry was wondering how expensive it would be to cloak his items when he recalled something and immediately put his hand into the dimensional bag... to discover that he was completely broke. His mana coins had vanished.

“What’s the trouble?” asked Lizzy when she saw Terry’s grimace.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to cloak my items,” replied Terry. “My savings have evaporated.”

“Heh.” Megumi chuckled. “Arcana and its fancy mana coins. Although, I suppose that function is by intentional design.”

“You can have my salary thing,” said Devon. “I still owe you for the robes.”

“Devon, what did I tell you about giving your salary away?” Megumi frowned.

“Not to do that. You also told me to pay for things. I borrowed robes from Terry and now they have holes in them. Also, I’m not really giving it away. I don’t have it in the first place. You keep the salary. You only let me have it once.”

“Yes, and you spent it all in one day,” grumbled Megumi.

“The slum children got a tummy ache from all the sweets.” Lizzy laughed. “I believe the dog was also putting on weight that day.”

“I also bought items from Poppy,” said Devon in reminiscence. “Those were fun.”

“We’ll pay for the robes and don’t worry, Terry,” said Megumi. “If you’re helping out in the mission, you’ll get a salary. I will also have them record the mission in your card. The cloaking issue is not urgent. You’ll be traveling with us until your aunt picks you up.”

“I don’t think anyone in Tiv is foolish enough to try and rob someone when the Divine Hammer is around,” said Lizzy.

“Probably not, but I’m more worried about the imperial censors. From what I’ve heard, the tensions are running high at the moment.” Megumi glanced at Terry. “Anyway, it’s not like the Divine Hammer is unfamiliar with the territory.”

“The scavengers have turned back again,” announced Devon. “They are distancing themselves from the village. Around a hundred Terrys away and the distance is increasing. They seem to be running.”

“See?” Lizzy asked towards Terry. “That’s the normal reaction to Devon.”

“Good that we have arrived in time.” Megumi heaved a sigh. “It’s difficult to investigate after the scavengers have rummaged around for valuables.”

***

“Found anything?” asked Megumi.

“Hidden basement,” replied Lizzy. “Terry’s mana sense really is extraordinary. He discovered an enchanted quiver at a place that looked like solid stone. Then, we discovered a mechanism to open the basement.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t found anything that would explain the disappearances. The basement seemed like your average hiding spot for an unlicensed mana user – books and notes, but nothing sinister. Best guess is that it was an aspect archer trying to make the jump to proper spellwork.”

“Any aspected arrows in the quiver?” asked Megumi.

“Some,” replied Lizzy. “Normal fire aspect. Nothing sinister. The enchantment only makes the quiver fireproof. No crafter’s signature. Dark market product.”

“Up to you Terry,” said Megumi. “You can keep it or leave it. If you leave it, then the scavengers will take it. They’ll pick this place completely clean.”

“I’m not much of an archer,” said Terry.

“You can try to sell it in the settlement.”

“Look at you Captain,” exclaimed Lizzy. “Inviting an innocent kid from Arcana to deal in dark market goods,” teased Lizzy.

“Everything out here is dark market goods,” grumbled Megumi. “If I see a licensed merchant for magical goods in the Wasted Zone, I’ll change my tune.”

Megumi looked Terry up and down. “And it’s not as if Terry’s legal status could possibly be made any worse in that regard.” She counted pointedly with her fingers. “Illegal entry. Illegal import of magical items. Unlicensed mana usage. A quiver or more won’t make a difference there and the vals from a sale could be put to good use.”

Terry’s face paled when Megumi listed his crimes.

Megumi eyed Terry and added: “Don’t worry about it. Law-abiding citizens are as rare as licensed merchants out here. I’ll vouch for you in the name of the Deathguard. You’ll be fine. Back to the investigation. Devon?”

“Don’t sense any survivors, nor do I sense any aspect beings spawned from death. There is an undead horde roaming in the area. Northeast.”

“The big one?” asked Megumi.

“No. The big one is still further away. North-northeast. It’s moving further north again. I believe it’s clashing with another demon army.”

“How many demons?”

“One. The other life signatures seem like elementals.”

Megumi frowned. “Pity. I’m still hoping for something to wear down the big horde before it finds its way further into the Wasted Zone. Let’s hope the demon is a fire user.” She clicked her tongue. “Anything else in the vicinity that could have been here within the past two weeks?”

“Don’t list squirrels or other non-magical beings,” added Lizzy. “Only beings that would pose a threat.”

“Some mana corrupted in the desert between us and the small undead horde.”

“Unlikely,” judged Megumi.

“Some darkness elementals in the east.”

Megumi shook her head again. “There are no signs of a fight anywhere.”

“Some of the houses look rather chaotic,” reminded Lizzy. “Things laying on the ground. Drawers left open. As if someone was looking for something.”

“Yes, but no fresh blood or damaged doors.”

“Mind mage?” suggested Lizzy. “Could have made people leave on their own accord.”

Megumi contemplated the idea. “Half-right, I believe. A mind mage would have little to search for here. Also, why would a mind mage have the people pack things like their underwear? Even the poorest waster should have more clothes than we found.”

Megumi shook her head. “It really looks as if the people simply chose to leave. They left in a hurry, but not under any threat. Otherwise, there should have been at least one person resisting and putting up a fight. Some villagers packed orderly. Others left behind more chaos. Why aren’t there any tracks? It hasn’t rained here. The wind isn’t strong. If everyone left on foot, there should still be tracks.”

“Dimensional mage?” proposed Terry.

“Arcana,” mumbled Lizzy.

“There are not many dimensional mages in Tiv to begin with,” explained Megumi. “Of those there are, most are only capable of unanchored travel. I don’t believe villagers would trust a random dimensional mage to transport them somewhere when they can’t see the destination. At least not without a good reason.”

Megumi clicked her tongue. “There are only three known mages in the Tiv Empire that are capable of setting up long-distance dimensional gates: the Mage Supreme in Tiv palace, her disciple, and Silver-Eyes Jee from the Guild. The Mage Supreme and her disciple serve the royal family. Not even the Assembly can order them around. I can’t vouch for Jee, but I also can’t think of any reason for him to act here. The cultist channelers or demons generally don’t do well with space magic. It’s possible that another dimensional mage has crossed into Tiv Territory, but that would be hard to prove.”

“Thanatos?” suggested Lizzy.

“Possible. However, while I can imagine some wasters resenting the Tiv Empire for allowing the Wastes to overrun their homes, I can’t imagine that everyone would play along with Thanatos. Furthermore, I can’t imagine what Thanatos’s angle would be.”

“Spread discontent and fear among the wasters?”

“Drop in the bucket.” Megumi smiled wryly.

“Could someone perform a temporal inspection?” asked Terry.

Lizzy and Megumi were both stunned into silence.

“Okay, now you’re just pulling our legs,” accused Lizzy.

“Anyway, I doubt we’ll be finding anything more here,” said Megumi. “Let’s check out the small undead horde. Devon?”

“North to the Black Sand Desert. Unless you want to take a detour, we will have to cross paths with some mana corrupted. The horde is behind the tunnel with the crawly things. There are also a number of folk signatures approaching the tunnel from the southeast.”

“Southeast?” Megumi furrowed her brow. “How far east? Is there any danger that they attract the horde further into the Wasted Zone? Any risk for other villages?”

“Can’t tell. So far the horde does not seem to pay them any mind.”

“Alright, please inform us if you notice any change.” Megumi moved her gaze from Devon to Terry. “How well do you do against undead, Terry?”

“I’ve fought ghouls before.”

“In Arcana?” Lizzy looked incredulous.

“No, in the dungeon.”

“Undead dungeon creatures?” asked Megumi.

“No, I don’t think so. They did not have mana cores. They were just in the dungeon for some reason. A lot of them.”

“What’s your primary weapon? I assume you don’t always rely on the dagger.”

“I mostly use short spears.”

And boulders. Don’t forget the boulders.

Megumi frowned. “Piercing weapons are not the most efficient way to deal with undead.”

“Aside from barrier spears, I also have a spear aspected with coldfire. That one worked well against the ghouls.”

“Did he just say barrier spears?” blurted Lizzy. “And coldfire? Yeah, the Captain was right. Your legal status can’t become much worse as far as magic violations go.”

“Hm alright, we’ll have you spar with Devon later so that I can get an idea of your abilities,” said Megumi.

***