Blue mist danced across the surface of the mage table. The holographic miniatures danced in the reflection of the Duke’s eyes as they moved through an encampment at the edge of the Southern Kingdom’s domain. With a cast of the Duke’s hand the mist scattered and reformed. The desert winds blew through the camp, as soldiers dragged a fresh wagonload of weapons into caves carved into the rock. The Duke pushed his hand back further, and a short elderly mage cast away the magical mists, only to reform them again to show the surrounding lands. The mage was keen eyed to his every move making sure to follow his hand signals and represent the hard won information as intuitive as possible.

“So they are preparing to make a move on the Idian Kingdom to their west”

“Hrmm, the land of the desert elves” the short elderly mage replied.

“When Idia falls they will gain access to their ports just south of us”

“Yes, and they possess a great stockpile of moonsilver”

“And that means fast ships that are resistant to magic”

“How should we proceed, my lord?”

“We’ll have to set up rakes along the shorelines we can’t man, and use patrols for now to guide ships around”

“Understood”

The staff of a mage gently tapped against the desk.

“Ah, Archmage Valian, did you sort it?” the Duke replied.

The silver haired mage stared at the Duke until he was able to make eye contact.

“My lord, may we speak privately”

“Ha! You know as well as I, privacy is an illusion. But sure, let us step aside and talk one on one”

The two met in a nearby room just off from the spymaster’s table.

Valian scowled before speaking “My lord, I would request from you a black mark on an unregistered mage in town”

“This mage is the one that caused the commotion earlier?”

“Yes”

“So before I give you the go ahead on that, how about you tell me why?”

“Wild magic isn’t something to be treated lightly, even when the magic is tier one, it can do untold damage”

“There is a wild mage in the city then? Why not just expose them and give them a choice, to train under you or leave the city”

“This mage wielded power beyond anything I have seen in a wild mage before, the spell tore at the very fabric of the weave. It may have even been at the level of Stratum Unica”

“Powerful enough to destroy the city? Then I can see why you are requesting a black mark on this man. It is a man, yes? After that woman years back I’m always wary of assuming”

“The wielder was confirmed to be the boy from the vale”

“What?”

Valian stood eye to eye with the Duke without any sign of flinching.

“You wish to kill a child? Full well knowing they are not a spy? Are you right in the head?”

“The child poses a threat to the nation, whether he realises it or not. As you worry about the war brewing in the south, do you not dare imagine dangers brewing within the kingdom”

“I’m not worried about the kid, just bring him in and train him”

“My lord, with that level of untapped power, I am not sure I can”

“Come on, you can’t be serious”

“Some beasts are too dangerous to tame”

“That kid isn’t a beast, he’s just trying to do what little good he can”

“You are being too lax my lord, the beast I speak of is not the nature of the man, but the power he wields. He is like a sword suspended above the city, held aloft by only a single strand of hair. Can you rest knowing that at any moment that boy might be the cause of the deaths of millions including your own?”

“Valian, you are a wise man, and you have always given me good council, but you know better than anyone this job never permits me rest. Just put a shadow on him and if something like that happens again, warp him out of city limits”

Valian’s upper lip twitched in irritation, “As you wish”

“Hey, just one last thing, man to man. Why has this got you so riled up? A little bit of lightning and some fires isn’t all that much to fear”

“It isn’t the spell itself, it is the question of what could cause it. The only answers I can think of… Well they scare me to my core. I know not even how the boy managed to dispel such magic”

“Fear is a good thing, it keeps you alert, acting rashly because of it however isn’t. Remember that”

“I will,” the mage replied before leaving.

…

“One room for the night” Mirio called out to the innkeeper as he slid him two gold coins.

“Right, third on the right” the innkeeper replied while handing him the key.

Mirio and Ezee shuffled their way through the hallway in the back and made their way into a room only a few paces across and a little more deep.

“Better than one of those cots in the hole at least” Mirio mumbled to Ezee.

“Plus its good to get a room just outside the city, more room for you to roam out here”

Mirio leaned over to the small circular window and pushed out the wooden shutter. The fresh night air seeped in through the portal window, along with the clicking of marshbugs.

“Alright, lights out” Mirio said as he made his way under the covers and clicked off his lantern stone.

The room creaked gently in the night breeze. Ezee curled himself up tightly in the corner nearest the window, his ears flicking every now and then to sounds outside. Mirio’s eyes darted side to side under his eyelids as he was caught within his dreams, forced to process the events of the day.

The shadow of a dragon stared deep into Mirio’s eyes.

“You refuse my power… Why...”

“Get back!” Mirio said as his waking body twitched under the covers.

“You fear me… Who do you think granted you your enlightenment?”

“I never wanted it, I don’t need it, I’d rather find my own way”

“You do not have the luxury of that choice, you carry with you his catalyst. Either you wield power, or wither away and die”

“Why were you with me in Akur’s castle?”

“I am the last who remembers his name. If I do not fight him, his power will become absolute. You serve as a pawn in a greater game. You should relish this truth”

“Then why were you in chains below the meadows?”

“Akur commands power over those who forget him, I am not so feeble minded. He believes humiliation is enough to blind me, but I am more cunning than he knows”

“Why is a dragon fighting against him? Why does his power come from the ignorance of others?”

“All power comes from the ignorance of others does it not?”

“What about understanding others? Isn’t that an even greater power?”

“Unlikely… Darkness is power, ignorance its blade”

“You didn’t answer why you fight him?”

“Is it not enough that if I did not, he would wield power over all things of this world? If I gave up the battle against him, who would be left… You? Could you fight… No, I think not. But if you work with me, you could turn the tide”

“As your pawn?”

“Yes”

“I won’t be your pawn”

“This is what you believe, for now, but it is something only time can tell”

Mirio struggled under the covers as the dream twisted into a wash of emotions. He tumbled through a stream of consciousness until the calls of starlings echoed in the soft morning air.

The bed creaked as Mirio sat up and placed his feet on the ground. Ezee’s ears twitched for a moment before he opened one eye to peer up at Mirio. He wagged his tail and took time to yawn before shuffling his way up from his spot on the floor. He moved over to Mirio’s leg and leaned against it, nuzzling into his hand.

“Morning bud, I had such a weird dream. Dragons, lords of what is hidden, and a fight that is even beyond the gods to see. I’m in over my head.”

Mirio leaned forwards and cupped his face in his hands.

“This is all so fucked...”

… A few nights later…

The moonlight hung low over the water of the grand canal as Silvia forged on ahead over the parched red soil. In the distance flickered lights peering out of the windows of a handful of houses.

“Do you think they have a boat?” Yuta said between breaths, turning his gaze to the lush greenery across the other side of the canal.

“They live by the water don’t they, so I think so”

The wrap of Silvia’s knuckles sounded into the riverside house as she tapped on the door.

“I told yeh, already, I’ll fix it tomorrow” a voice called out.

“Uh, sorry but we are adventurers passing through”

“You what? Why are you…” the man said before opening the door.

Standing at the doorway was a balding man no older than forty years, with clothes run ragged from salt water and hard labor. He squinted at them both and raised a curious eyebrow.

“What brings you along this road?”

“We came from the vale before it was overrun, and we came up here after we couldn’t settle in the city” Silvia responded.

“The vale was overrun? First I’ve heard of it, but I don’t hear much living around here”

“Could we come in, I assure you we don’t bring any trouble” Silvia continued.

“Hrmm, I suppose fresh company isn’t unwelcome. Aye step in then” he replied as stepping out of the doorway.

The man flipped open a trunk by his thatch bed and pulled out a flask of red liquor then nodded to them to take a seat at a small table by the windowside.

“Here, take a sip of this” he said as motioning it towards Silvia’s lips.

“Oh, thankyou” she said before taking a sip, “I notice you live by the water, are you fishermen?”

“In a manner of speaking, excepting we don’t hook for fish”

Yuta turned to the man with a quizzical expression, “Really? What do you catch then?”

“Slickbacks mostly”

“Slickbacks?” Silvia said.

“Yeah, overgrown smooth skinned rat creatures that burrow warrens under water”

“So you live on rats?” Yuta said with a grunt.

“Slickbacks… And yeah we live on them, isn’t much else around here”

“What about across the canal?” Yuta responded.

“Oh we do go across from time to time, to pick herbs and such, get timber and even run up for supplies and trade. But the slickbacks prefer this side for their warrens, so this is where we stay”

“You have boats to cross then!” Silvia replied

“Sure do”

“And you mentioned, what was it a town, or an outpost? Where is that?” Yuta pressed.

“Further north on the other side of the river there is a town they call Potluck, on account of the fact that living there it is just pot luck whether you end up living or dying by your thirties. Far better living over here with the slickbacks than that shithole. But its alright for trading now and then”

“Oh, for a second I thought Potluck sounded good, but of course its no good” Yuta replied with a distant look on his face..

“And further north? Are there any other towns?”

“Sure, if you go far enough. Up maybe a few weeks travel and you’ll reach Burwick”

“And what is Burwick like?” Yuta asked with a lift of his chin.

“Never been, so couldn’t tell you. Surely there is a reason the folk in Potluck don’t just travel up, so I haven’t ever been curious. It isn’t a fancy life out here, but it’s something all our own at least”

Silvia took another sip of the red liquor and then slid it over to Yuta.

“So what is this?” he asked as taking a sip.

“Fermented slickback juice”

“What part of a slickback are we talking here?”

“The red sacks on their behind, lots of good juice up in there”

“Say what?” Yuta said as he pushed the flask back over to Silvia.

Silvia thought about her reaction for a moment and nodded, “Well for what it is, it doesn’t taste half bad”

“You want some more?” the man offered

“No, no, I’m good for now, thanks though”

Yuta leaned forwards in his chair towards the man, “Can you get us across the canal? We are working our way north, and well, we’d like to try out luck travelling in a place that isn’t a wasteland”

“Sure, I can take you, but since I’m offering something, what will you offer in return?”

“Well I have some gold,” Yuta said as reaching his fingers into his pouch.

“Gold isn’t much use out here”

“Well do you have anything in mind then?”

…

At first light, the sun began to peek its way over the forested mountains in the east. Still too early for a colored sky, everything stood awash with gentle grey light. Small waves lapped against the sheer walls of the canal a good twenty paces down as Silvia looked down to the water.

“Oh this is horseshit” Yuta called out as being lowered by a rope to the water’s edge.

Yuta looked up the steep walls of the canal a moment before trying to readjust the position of the rope tied to his waist, “Why am I the one doing this?” he shouted back up.

“Slickbacks need bait,” the balding man responded.

“Bait? What the hell is he talking about?”

A massive shadow rushed under the surface of the water.

*What the holy fuck was that?*

“Hey! Hey! Pull me up! I think there is something big down here”

“Its just a slickback” the man replied.

“Where, I can’t see it?” Silvia asked.

“You said slickbacks were like rats, this thing was huge, stop fucking around and just pull me up”

“Ha, his voice is shaking… What are you, scared!” Silvia shouted down.

“Fuck you, just pull me up, I’m not joking. There is something in the water and it isn’t a rat”

The enormous shadow dragged through the water like a storm cloud, causing the surface of the water to bow. Yuta kicked against the wall and gripped his hands on the rope in panic, clenching every muscle in his body before attempting to pull himself up.

Three silver fins sliced through the surface of the water, and shot straight towards Yuta.

“Stop fucking around get me the fuck out of here!” he said as madly trying to scramble up the rope. But with his twig-like arms on a rotund body, there wasn’t any chance he could shimmy himself up the rope.

*Fuck*

“Fuck crossing the canal, the deals off!” he said in one final attempt to escape his fate.

VWOOSH

The beast dived out from the depths with its jaws almost wide enough to swallow a person whole. Its skin glistened like silver in the early morning light, as its eel-like tail drove it out of the water.

GOB

The creature’s wide mouth suctioned onto Yuta’s upper half, pinning one arm between his body while the other flailed inside the creature’s mouth.

The balding man pulled out a pair of sickles from his waistband and dived off the canal wall with the grace of a dancer. He spiralled and twisted in the air before flipping at the last moment. Each sickle cut deep into the fins of the creature causing his body to whip around onto its back. The slickback kicked and thumped with its hind legs and webbed front paws as it released its grip on Yuta’s plump waistline. His head popped free as the slickback fell into the water with the man attached to its back fins.

Yuta hung there helplessly as the shadows under the water continued to move and swirl.

VWOOSH VWOOSH VWOOSH

Determined not to be swallowed, Yuta kicked hard off the wall and sent himself tumbling off to the side of the leaping creatures before he slammed back against the wall. Thinking quickly on his feet, Yuta decided to attempt to spring sideways of the wall out of the way of their attacks.

VWOOSH VWOOSH VWOOSH

Yuta sprung and dodged as each of the slickbacks kicked and wobbled at the height of their arcs, fighting his way just out of reach.

Silvia looked down with a mixture of awe and amusement unmoved by Yuta’s desperate panic.

VWOOSH VWOOSH VWOOSH

PLONK

Yuta was squeezed tight on all sides as the beast’s jaws wrapped around his body and wiggled its body to make room for his feet to pop inside its mouth.

Yuta gurgled as the creature’s mouth began to fill with water from all sides. It’s enormous gills billowed, allowing flickers of light to make their way through. Yuta couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of deja vu as the light of his consciousness began to fade.

*Oh well, this world is stupid anyway*

…

“Hey, hey, wake up”

SMACK

A wave of pain shot through the side of Yuta’s face as Silvia’s hand cast itself hard against his cold skin. Still too groggy to scream or react he settled for a grumble.

“Ugh, what the hell happened”

“It was amazing! He caught a whole bunch of them! He rode the one he caught right into their warren, and then finished them off. Before I knew it they all started popping up to the surface where the other folk around her dragged them up”

“Oh, okay, that is good I guess. Wait but why aren’t I dead?”

“Gronk here dived in after you and pulled you out”

“Huh?” Yuta replied in a daze.

He turned to face the handful of people gathered around him at the top of the wall, and landed his eyes on a large muscle bound man with a completely egg bald head. Gronk winked and threw him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Yuta nodded in a daze before locking his eyes on the bastard that used him as bait.

“Ey! You! You almost got me killed, you asshole! What the hell was that?”

“Don’t be upset, it worked didn’t it” the man said as he nodded over Yuta’s shoulder. Yuta turned to see half a dozen of the strange silvery rat creatures with eel tails basking in the early morning sun.

Yuta stood up in a rage and pulled a dagger from Silvia’s waste. He rushed towards the man as he gleamed with pride and pressed the side of the blade to his throat.

“Whoa whoa!” Gronk called out.

“What the hell?” Silvia screeched.

“You piece of shit, don’t you dare use me like that, I’m not a piece of chum to throw to these stupid mutant rat fish”

The blade began to cut a mark into the man’s neck, before Gronk’s tight grip wrapped around Yuta’s wrist and tugged him back.

“No,” Gronk said with a shake of his hand, shaking Yuta with it.

Yuta smacked his hand free and pushed himself away from Gronk.

“Pfft, whatever, just don’t use me in your sick ass games. I’m down with this, either take us across the river or we’ll make our own way north”

Silvia stepped forwards, “They already agreed to get us across, you weren’t ever in any danger, they do this all the time. The creatures are practically harmless”

“Harmless my ass! They tried to eat me, and then drowned me. Do you know how fucked up that is, oh right you don’t because you were stood up here just watching”

Yuta smacked away Silvia’s hand as she came forward to comfort him.

“Toughen up, what do you think adventurer even means, this is the kind of thing we are meant to do” Silvia replied with some snark.

Gronk stepped between Silvia and Yuta and held them back from leaping at each other in anger.

“No, I was mad too the first time. It okay”

“Yeah, at least this guy gets it” Yuta said with the flick of his hand, ”Fuck, how can I trust you now when all that will pop into my head is you standing there laughing as I almost die. This is just stupid”.

“Oh get a sense of humor already”

“Hey, I’m sorry if I caused friction between you guys” the balding man who tricked Yuta into being bait said. “I’ll be honest, no one likes being bait, because that is just how it goes, but I’ll be true to my word and I’ll take you to the other side, and show you the direction to Potluck”

Yuta calmed down, half admitting defeat, and half to accept the offer.

“Okay, fine, take us across then”

“Of course” the man said with a grin.