I have no recollection of how long Barry dragged me along, only of slamming into the ground and feeling my back drag across uneven surfaces. When he finally stopped and lay me on the ground, my entire body was bruised. Barely awake, I grasped around until I touched something that felt like bark. I failed to cast Share Life Force four times before finally succeeding, and when I did, I sensed a massive influx of energy. It flooded my body, washing away pain and weariness. I felt the torn muscles knit and cuts close and wondered if this was what a drowning man would feel if he finally managed to draw a breath of air.

The energy continued to enter me for a long time, longer than any previous casting, and when it stopped, I was sitting with my back against the massive tree. My eyes closed, I listened to the leaves rustle in the wind and enjoyed the absence of pain. There were no sounds of fighting, and I could feel and hear Barry fidget beside me. If anything approached, he would warn me.

When I finally deemed to open my eyes, I saw I was in a small grove. Brown leaves lay strewn across an almost black ground, and tall trees cast their dark shadows everywhere. Beams of light came through the canopy, and if not for the absence of the sounds of wildlife, I would have thought I wasn't in Ulderion's realm anymore.

As I got up, I had a dizzy spell and grabbed onto the tree until it faded.

Guess I'm not fully healed yet, I thought, and slowly the severity of my situation became clear to me.

I was lost. I had no idea where I was, and I didn't see even a single thing that I remembered anywhere. The city was gone, and there weren't even any paths anywhere. Barry lay on the ground, calmly looking around, and I wondered how long it would be before he would vanish. Would I be able to draw him back into the wooden form?

Probably need to repair him first, I thought, as I examined the massive scorch marks, missing sections of wood, and cracks and tears that marred Barry's exterior.

That Richal was a monster, that much was obvious. I couldn't even imagine fighting Barry toe to toe. It also showed that I could still get more powerful. At least that's what I hoped. All of the people here were Primes, but I had managed to kill some of them easily. Those archers were obviously not as powerful as Richal or me, while Bastian was apparently more powerful than the other Stonite Primes. As I tried to come up with a logical reason for everything, an idea occurred to me. I summoned the map Ulderion had gifted me, and it appeared in my mind. The red cross where I had found the seed was still there.

The seed! I thought, shoving the map back. Worried, I moved around Barry's bulk to look in the container I had made for it. My bag was gone, and I groaned but took a deep breath when I saw the seed was still there. It was wedged stuck in the bottom, and it looked like I would need to force it out. For now, I left it there, as it saved me from finding a way to keep it secure.

No food, no knife, no water…I thought as I patted the seed. I needed to get out of here and find rations.

Focusing on the map, I saw that I was far away from the spot I had found the seed, and I looked at Barry in consternation.

"Where the hell did you bring me?"

All I got in response was a vague sensation of a hiding place and distance, and I groaned. How long had I been dragged around? I tried recalling, but all I knew was that it had felt like a long time.

Gauging by how hungry I was, I knew it had to have been at least half a day. That, or the healing had taken quite a toll. Actually, the more I paid attention to it, the hungrier I got, and my stomach clenched a bit as it rumbled.

"That's just great. You wouldn't happen to know another way out of this realm or a place to get food?" I asked Barry. I expected no response, but after a second, I felt the odd sensation of Barry sending me a location. It was hard to describe, and had I not already gotten Ulderion's mind map before, I wouldn't have known what to do with it. As it was, I replied with an image of the map, and with some more fiddling back and forth, I got another marker on the map.

As soon as I did, a notification ping came from my status window.

Staring at Barry, I felt pleasantly surprised. I'd not imagined I could get any information or useful knowledge from my Vengeful Spirits. I summoned my status window and grimaced.

> Derived Strength: 16

> Derived Dexterity: 15

> Derived Constitution: 10

> Derived Intelligence: 8

> Derived Common sense: 1

> Derived Charisma 1

Active attributes: (Easily changed)

> 26/33: Muscle mass

> 03/120: Fat

> 28/39: Coordination

> 23/30: Stamina

> 06/10: Learning rate

> 380/443: Knowledge

> 03/30: Beauty

> 4/60: Grooming

> 07/60: Well spoken

> Your near-death experience has left you temporarily weakened and famished

> Until you get enough rest and food, your effective stamina is halved

> You have unlocked a new skill

Location Sharing

While in a sub-realm, you can create a mental map of your surroundings and share locations on it with other residents.

Great, that's why I feel like shit.

Inspecting the skill, I guessed it was useful under the right circumstances, but as I was planning on leaving this realm and not entering another any time soon, it felt lackluster.

Still, summoning the map, I looked at the second location and nodded. It wasn't as far as the other and almost in the exact opposite direction. That should rule out running into any more of those Primes.

"Is it another exit to the real world?" I asked, staring into Barry's eyes. I got a wave of confirmation. I sat down, almost collapsing on the spot.

I can't go back the other way. If I meet the others, I'll be dead, I thought, staring at the unfamiliar location on the map. Can't be worse than the other- I forcefully cut off my own thought process. There was no need to jinx myself.

After resting for a few more minutes, I scrambled up and climbed atop Barry.

"Right, let's go see that other mysterious entrance," I muttered. Barry moved forward, slow and steady this time, and I patted his back.

"It'd be nice if you could actually talk and explain how you know these things."

I got no reply, besides a soft weariness that almost felt like a mental sigh.

The thinly spaced trees continued for almost an hour. Then, I saw more light in the distance, and slowly the gaps between the trees grew bigger, the canopy no longer an interconnected web of branches and leaves. Another half-hour later, we were moving across a vast open plain. Short, dull blades of glass covered every inch, all the exact same length, as if cut by a gardener.

As far as I could see, there wasn't anything but grass ahead, but according to the map, we were only minutes from our destination. Perhaps a hundred meters from the dot, something shimmered in the grass. I squinted, trying to make out what was there when Barry's paws sunk in the grass, and we were suddenly moving down a slope. Muddy walls, wet and glistening, rose around me, and my surroundings slowly dimmed. I gaped ahead at what looked like a tunnel leading towards a gold light.

Barry didn't seem worried, so I tried to calm my rapidly beating heart.

The tunnel exited into a massive cavern, overgrown with an abundance of vines, glowing golden mushrooms, and massive blue flowers. A golden portal stood at the end of the cavern, swirling gently. Everything had a slightly magical feel to it, far more than I had seen so far.

Then, the flowers moved.

Barry stopped, a low growl coming from deep in his chest, and both of us stared at the flowers that were slowly unfolding.

From within the flowers appeared pitch black, half-insectoid, half-human shapes, with four enormous blue butterfly wings on their back. They quietly stared at us with milky white eyes set in a mouthless face. The contrast with their bodies, combined with their eerie silent stare, made me shiver.

Seconds passed, and nothing happened.

Perhaps they aren't aggressive, I tried to convince myself. Taking a few quick breaths, I nudged Barry forward. The horror butterflies stayed put, only their heads slowly moving as they followed our every move.

Halfway through the cavern, my nerves were so on edge that I had to resist the desire to grind my teeth.

The portal was three hundred meters further along the winding mud path we walked on when the horror butterflies finally moved. As one, they extended their wings, and a slit in the lower part of their faces opened, showing blood-red gums with small, yellow teeth.

They seemed to scream, but I heard nothing. The small amulet resting on my chest began heating up, resonating with something. Feeling something drip from my nose, I wiped it away quickly. My hand came back, smeared in blood, and I felt something drip from my ears.

"RUN!" I screamed, my words muted as if wearing a headset.

Barry, appearing unfazed by the attack, shot forward like a cannonball, and it took all my effort to hold on. Thudding across the path, I gazed at the horror butterflies. Weaponless, powerless, I cursed my lack of a fireball or similar skill. If I saw Rathica, I needed to ask her to send me to the library again.

We were less than a hundred meters from the portal when I felt the amulet on my chest pulverized, and my vision turned pink. I felt a constant dripping on my chest and shoulders and felt short of breath. Something moved beside the portal, a blurry thing that had looked like just another vine. Blinking rapidly, I saw a massive tentacle rise above the portal, ready to strike.

"Get me through," I croaked.

Barry jumped forward. In mid-air, he flipped over, gripping me between his paws as he slammed into the ground on his back, and slid towards the portal. The tendril slammed down, and I felt the impact through Barry. It sounded like lightning striking a tree, and then we shot through the portal. As we passed through, I could feel Barry's spirit being scraped out of the wooden statue, and when I landed on the ground, the statue that smacked on the ground beside me was lifeless.

It was dark and still all around us, and my night vision seemed damaged by whatever attack had just hit me. I couldn't feel the blood flowing from my ears and nose anymore, and that was probably a bad thing. Still, the fear and worry I had felt before had left me the moment I passed through the barrier. In actuality, I felt better than before. Except for the fact that I might be dying, my mind was clear and free of the turmoil that had been there while in Ulderion's realm.

When I tried to speak, my tongue was thick and hard to control, and it took a few attempts before I managed to croak a single word out.

"Rathica."

For a moment, nothing happened, then a burst of light broke through the darkness. It faded, leaving behind black spots on my vision, but through them, I saw Rathica's tall form.

"Est!"

Rathica's voice was muted, but I could hear the worry in it. I felt hands on my face and shoulder, and then a wave of cooling energy flowed through my body. The pain receded, and I felt sleepy.

"Don't you dare!" Rathica snapped, and I felt like a small jolt shocked my ear.

Perking up, I noticed that the red haze had left, while her words were crisp and clear again.

Sitting up, I looked up at her, noticing that she had a new scar on her cheek—a small thin line from the corner of her eye to the side of her nose.

"What happened?" I said, raising my finger to touch the scar. Rathica let me, and a mock grin played around her lips.

"It's what I get for resisting the will of those three old fools," she said. Her grin widened, and a glitter appeared in her eyes. "But at least now I can talk freely, without them capable of hearing every word!"

Confused, I shook my head. "I guess a lot happened while I was in Ulderion's realm?"

Rathica's eyes widened a little, and I felt a foreign entity flow through my mind like a spring wind.

"He's still alive!" she said, and the grin turned into a full-blown smile that took my breath away.

"That is the best news I've heard since you found me!"

"Technically, you didn't hear it," I muttered. "So, who did you fight with again?" I quickly asked when I saw her smile turn wicked and her eyes glitter.

Rathica got up and began pacing around. Her figure was alight with a sort of hazy golden light that lit up the insides of what I now realized had to be some sort of ruined cellar.

"Preyatar, Cinderage, and Lischen. Although that nasty old hunter was the only one who was any trouble," she said as she raised her hand to her face. "He actually managed to wound me slightly."

"I hope they look worse?" I said, pushing myself up and patting off the sand and dust.

A crystal clear laugh came, and Rathica grinned evilly. "Cinderage will have to have his followers change his statues. A blindfold across his left eye might do."

"Sounds good. If he's anything like his followers, he had it coming," I said, mirroring her smile.

Rathica nodded before moving to the remains of Barry. She kneeled and ripped the seed free, nodding slightly.

"Only one, but taking into account what you went through, it's already a miracle you got it."

Rathica glanced at my chest, and I suddenly remembered the head-amulet I had gotten. Fumbling beneath my armor, I pulled up the cord I had hung it from only to find a small sliver of wood remaining.

"It was meant to guard you against a conventional Guardian's final ability. They tend to explode when they get defeated. I hadn't anticipated you coming across Shrielings. Those would have died had Ulderion vanished."

I shrugged, ripping the cord and dropping it to the ground. "It's fine. I survived." As I spoke, I realized how calm I was. It was especially clear compared to moments before in the cave. Confused, I wondered if it was because Rathica was with me.

"It's because our connection was temporarily severed," Rathica said as she inspected the seed. "While we are connected, the things I see as a weakness will be dulled. Fear and hate, for instance, won't have much of a hold on you."

She turned and grinned at me. "You have yourself to thank for that. It's how you formed me."

Her explanations made me wonder about a lot of things. Understanding that she would probably leave again soon, I decided to ask what I could.

"Two questions- then I have to go and plant this, then force it to grow to adulthood as fast as I can," Rathica said, answering my not yet asked question.

I frowned, annoyed at the limit. After a moment's hesitation, I decided to ask the question that kept haunting me.

"Is Eliandra acting so distant because she is following Flowheart?"

Rathica smirked, her eyes glittering as she looked me up and down. "What's the matter, Est. Are you missing something?"

I blushed. I don't know why, but the way she said it made a whole slew of images pop into my mind, and not all involving Eliandra. I lowered my gaze, almost afraid to look up.

Rathica laughed again, and she grinned. "It's fine. I've been a deity to millions of followers before. Some had…interesting things they thought about."

I looked up, my face still feeling like a burning tomato, but I saw no anger in her eyes, and slowly the shame subsided.

After a second, Rathica's smile faded, a contemplative look taking its place. "To answer your question, yes, it's because of Flowheart. She believes strongly that those in service of her, her paladins, are meant to focus fully on their duty. Things like relations, love, or desire are muted to the point of being almost gone. The fact that Eliandra even feels anything when she sees you is a testament to the strength of her feelings."

A wave of joy rushed through me, shoving away the lingering shame and discomfort. As fast as it came, just as quickly did it drain away as I realized something.

"She won't change back, will she?" My voice shook a bit as I spoke.

"Don't worry so much! I think, when you see her again, you will be pleasantly surprised," Rathica said, her eyes gleaming.

I cocked my head, confused and curious.

"Not telling! And that was your last question!"

I gawked as Rathica's shape slowly dissipated as if it was fog. Her voice lingered a little longer.

"Go and do what you promised that old grumpy bearded tree hugger. If we want to save more of your people, we will need more seeds. Besides, Ulderion's help would be perfect in balancing the currently skewed power more in our favor!"

"And how am I supposed to get back to the Harrowing Hills? Where the hell am I even?" I said, groaning in annoyance.

"You'll see soon enough! You might want to make a new ax and some more weapons before you go up, though!" Rathica's voice echoed around before disappearing.

Great... and what wood should I use for that? I grunted. My eyes slowly drifted to Barry's now still form and its glittering claws.