The faint impacts of water droplets dripping from the ceiling to the floor echoed within the cavern. A wasteland of mana crystals lay scattered around the entrance of the large tunnel, their owners disintegrated. The walls around the entrance of the tunnel were cracked, broken, and cratered. Blood stained the rock within. A thick stench of death lingered in the air. The battle was over, the outcome one sided. The Maedra had come in a powerful horde, but ran face first into a massacre. The mana in the air was thinner now, utilized as a tool for their evisceration, and the scars of the battle were all within the tunnel itself. Not a single Maedra had crossed the line into the cavern.

The battle was over.

Jake sat at the edge of the essence pool, staring out towards the Dragon’s Vein. He cradled Chul’s Mana Crystal in his lap, his hands brushing over its jagged surface. His companions sat behind him, silent as they waited for him. They looked at each other, worried about what to say. Yet none of them had the courage to open their mouths. The scene they’d just witnessed was similar to the one they had seen earlier, but it was far different this time around. There was no desperation in Jake’s spells. No hesitation in his casting or doubt in his strength- Jake had planted his feet and then dared the Maedra to try and best him. All of his feelings were shot up into that tunnel, and the Maedra didn’t stand a chance.

To them such a sight was just as terrifying as the Maedra. While they didn’t believe Jake would turn on them, it made them well aware of the difference in power. Still, they didn’t plan to abandon him. His pain was justified. Xul, especially, knew that pain.

“Jake…” Yae’s voice came out in a faint whisper, nearly cracking as she tried to say something.

Jake flinched at the sound of her voice and his shoulders trembled. He loosened his grip onto the mana crystal, and then let out a slow breath. One he had been holding for far too long. There were no more tears to be shed. No more sobs. No more screams. His throat hurt. It felt dry and scratchy, and his eyes burned from how dry they too had become. He wanted to sit for a little longer. He wanted to think, even though his mind was blank.

But above all, he wanted Chul to come back.

“Your village…” Jake mumbled, breaking the tense silence. The three looked at each other again. “...I’d like to see it.” Jake kept staring at the Dragon Vein as he spoke. He had come to this place originally to fix his mana, only to discover there was more to the Ravine than just cold, dark rocks.

There was a whole pool of mana essence down here. There were monsters called the Maedra. And there even was another species that lived and struggled against those monsters. Adventurers had come to his village speaking of a small paradise somewhere down in the ravine, of a place tucked away filled with green and gems- an underground utopia. He hadn’t believed those stories. But, the Maedra, Yae, Tul, and Xul, were all proof that there may have been some truth to those stories. Maybe Chul even knew about those places, but Jake had never bothered to ask.

The group was quiet for a few moments, until Tul sighed and stood up. He walked to Jake’s side and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Must cross. Then, home.” Tul’s serious expression softened and for the first time, Jake saw him smile.

Jake smiled back, and then set down Chul’s crystal at his feet. He placed his hands onto the floor, then cut out a rock platform they could float on. Using it, they slid out into the essence pool and began to cross. Jake looked over his shoulder one last time at the final resting place of his friend, staring at it until the wall blocked his view. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and whispered a few words. Then, he turned forward so he could guide them along.

The return trip back to the other side was uneventful. They crossed to the peninsula, jogged to the other end of the little outcropping, and then stepped onto another platform Jake made. They avoided the two far off and isolated groups of Maedra again and returned to the entrance of the far tunnel. Waiting for them, though, were the warriors they’d ditched. Zara and his remaining crew of three were sitting there, fiddling with their spears and playing with rocks when the platform approached. The Warrior was furious and looked ready for a fight, but Jake was in no mood for his testosterone.

As the platform approached the edge of the pool, Jake prepared to cast a couple fire ball spells and deal with the problem. He created a few small spikes out of the floor and was just about to conjure up the flames, when Tul stuck his spear out in front of Jake. The spear blocked Jake’s view a bit and caught his attention. Tul shook his head and stepped up to the edge of the platform.

“No. Our problem.” Tul tapped the end of his spear against the floor and stood firm. Xul grumbled, but he too stepped up to Tul’s side.

Jake didn’t really trust that they could do anything, especially with how Zara looked down on them originally. However, he wasn’t about to get between two individuals and their own scuffle. If he needed to, Jake could always help out later and deal with Zara if things went wrong. This was their problem, and it likely had been an issue for quite some time if Tul was willing to step up to fight. Zara’s attitude must have bothered Tul quite a bit, and Yae didn’t feel comfortable with the Warrior group nearby. Whether that was just because she was a woman or otherwise, Jake wasn’t sure.

Zara shouted in their language, but Tul said nothing in response to the warrior’s aggressive whining. When the rock platform connected with the mainland, the group disembarked and the platform fell away. Zara immediately drew his weapon and stepped up towards Jake. Tul got in the way again, his face contorting with annoyance. When Zara tried to push him clear, Tul leveled his spear at the Warrior’s throat.

Zara paused- hesitated, and glowered down at the smaller individual. Zara growled at him, spat out some words, but Tul didn’t budge. Zara’s eyes narrowed and while at first he looked pissed, that angry expression changed to a broad smile.

“Wu’k, Ulatah’ra.” Zara said with a chuckle. His warriors began to laugh as well, one of them even clapped and whistled. Tul gripped his spear as he withdrew it from Zara’s neck. Xul shook his head as he stepped out of the way.

“What just happened?” Jake asked, glancing over at Yae as one of the other Warriors pulled out a white stone from his pocket.

“Duel.” She said softly.

A Duel?

Jake clenched his teeth and watched as the warrior with the white stone drew a large circle into the floor, tracing off just enough space for the two fighters to stand in. There was hardly any room to move, and both Zara and Tul were well within range of one another’s weapons. Along with the circle, the Warrior drew a small white line in the middle of the circle directly between the two fighters.

“The line?” Jake pointed at the small separator. It was a curious detail. The two fighters obviously would start across from one another, so there was no need for the line.

“Can’t cross,” Xul said. “Cross only to end.”

To end. Was this a fight… to the death? Jake’s stomach tightened and he took a step forward towards the ring. Xul grabbed him by the shoulder, tight.

“No. Watch.” Xul held Jake back, coercing the boy to sit. Jake frowned and did as he was told. He felt uneasy about this and would have rather just blown off Zara’s head. He had just discovered that he had lost Chul. He really didn’t want to lose someone else this quickly. But, if this was some kind of cultural thing, then he needed to trust in his companion.

The Warrior with the white stone stepped up to the side of the circle, taking the position between the two fighters. He raised his hand and waited until both Tul and Zara were ready. Then, before Jake could interject- the Warrior dropped his arm.

Zara stepped up to the white line and swung his axe-like weapon heavily down towards Tul’s head. The thick, muscled arm cracked through the air, the wind whipping as he put all of his force behind the swing. Tul saw it coming, though. He ducked and shifted beneath the arm. His spear thrust forward, targeting Zara’s abdomen.

Zara used his elbow to knock the spear out of the way and he reached forward to try and grab at Tul. Tul sliced across, avoiding the grab while also cutting open Zara’s left forearm. Zara hissed and pulled back to gather himself. Tul didn’t hesitate. He gripped his spear with two hands and fired off a rapid volley of stabs, thrusting the sharpened tip of his weapon at Zara’s face and upper body. Zara was quick to weave through the thrusts, but a few landed. Yet, the stabs were shallow and only caused light bleeding. Zara seemed almost unphased.

Another heavy swing from the axe came and Tul was forced to step back to avoid it. The very tip of the weapon cut across his chest, scattering purple into the air. Tul clenched his jaw and stepped forward, filling the gap with his spear once more. Zara was ready for the counter and grabbed Tul’s spear. Zara twisted his axe-wielding arm and performed a backhanded slash. Tul immediately dropped to his knee to duck under the swing once more. Zara reacted quickly, twisted his arm again, and brought the axe down vertically.

Tul yanked his spear back and swung it strongly overhead, stabbing the end into Zara’s wrist as he pushed the incoming arm to his left. The spear stabbed straight through the tendon and flesh, and the sudden pain caused Zara to open his hand. The Warrior let out a roar of pain as the axe clattered to the floor. Tul released his spear, grabbed the axe, and swung it in a wide arc into Zara’s thigh. The dull edge couldn’t sever the limb, but it cut deep into the thick thigh of the larger fighter.

Zara howled in pain and staggered backward, stopping at the edge of the circle. Tul collected his spear from the ground and retook his fighting stance. Zara snarled through clenched teeth, baring his fangs as he ripped the axe from his leg. Purple blood leaked freely from the open wound. Jake could see the pink meat freshly exposed to the air.

Even though he was winning, Tul remained calm and composed. He breathed slowly, maintained his patience, and stared at the center of Zara’s broad chest. There was no need to get wrapped up into Zara’s expression or any of the smack talk that came from his mouth. Tul focused on his movements, on the subtle giveaways of an impending attack. Zara couldn’t put his weight onto his wounded leg and staggered back to the centerline- back into Tul’s range.

Tul thrust his spear forward and took a powerful step as he struck. Zara leaned to dodge, but the tip of the spear sliced through Zara’s shoulder. Another stab struck Zara’s neck. Another cut his bicep, then the other, then Tul stabbed into Zara’s chest. Quick and methodical, Tul whittled away at Zara’s strength. The large Warrior tried to set up a few axe swings, but Tul moved to impede them. Before Zara could swing, he would be pushed off balance by an incoming thrust. Without both of his legs to support his frame, Zara could hardly move to get out of the way of every attack.

And with his main hand worthless- Zara needed to use his off-hand to fight. The imbalance made him an easy target, but Tul knew the Warrior wouldn’t go down easily. He maintained his distance and focus. Disciplined, Tul continued to poke and cut until Zara was coated in his own blood.

During a pause in Tul’s attacks, Zara took an opportunity to swing. Exactly the moment Tul was waiting for. Tul baited out the swing and stepped into it, moving behind the arm as it came across the centerline. Tul twisted the butt of his spear and stabbed it into the back of Zara’s arm, pushing the arm forward and throwing off the warrior’s balance. Zara twisted with the push and his hips turned unnaturally. The Warrior rolled over himself and fell to the floor.

Tul didn’t hesitate.

The spear was pulled back and then thrust forward. Zara’s skull was pierced through the eye socket, and the warrior’s body went limp on the cold floor. Purple blood leaked from the wound, staining Zara’s final, desperate expression. A mixture of the blood, brain matter, and another clear liquid pooled beneath Zara’s skull as Tul pulled his spear free. It actually took two tugs, and Tul had to use his foot to pin Zara’s head to the ground before he could get his spear back.

“Yawa!” The warrior at the edge of the white circle raised his hand, signaling the end of the fight. The Warriors stared in disbelief. Their leader had been defeated, beaten by someone considered a runt back in their village.

Tul bowed his head, and then picked up Zara’s axe. He then stripped Zara of his equipment as his spoils. What he couldn’t clean off and wear, he tied into a jumbled mess and then dangled it off his spear. To finish, he cut off Zara’s thumb and then chucked it into the essence pool. In order to carry the fallen warrior’s axe properly, Tul had to strap it across his back. It was medium-sized and could be used with either one or two hands depending on the user’s strength. That made it too big to wear on the hip for someone half the size of Zara. Though, Tul likely wouldn’t ever use it. Judging by how well he did in the fight, his spear skills would do him fine.

One of the other two Warriors shouted something, but the one who’d refereed the fight snarled to silence him. Tul shook his head and returned to where Jake and the other two were watching from. Xul greeted him first, smiling and bringing his friend into a hug. Yae yelled at the two to separate them and quickly went to work on healing Tul’s wounds.

When she was done, Jake stood up and held out his fist. Tul stared at it curiously, then looked at Jake. For a moment, Jake too was confused. Then he remembered where he was, and where he wasn’t.

“Oh, like this.” Jake reached down and grabbed Tul’s wrist. Tul made a fist, and Jake bumped his own into it. “It’s what friends do.” He said, smiling.

Tul stared at his hand for a moment, only to grin. He pulled Jake into a hug.

“Friends,” Tul mumbled. Jake nodded, embracing Tul tight. Yae and Xul, jealous of the scene, jumped in.

* * *

The remaining three Warriors rolled Zara’s body up into a large gray cloth and held a quick vigil for their fallen leader. Yae participated in the vigil, acting as the priestess who blessed the dead. She rubbed her thumb into Zara’s blood and then marked the cloth with three diagonal lines. The Warriors bowed their heads and crossed their arms over their chests. After a long prayer, Yae stepped aside as the Warriors lifted Zara’s body, and then dropped it into the essence pool. They kneeled at the edge as the body fell away into the black.

When it was over, they approached Jake and Yae translated an apology from them. While Zara was rough and arrogant, he had become that way because of his strength. He was foolish, but a strong fighter. He defended the village with pride and diligence. It was why they had followed him so closely and treasured him, even though they too knew he was a bit of a bully. But, he had been bested by Tul in a fair fight, and they acknowledged the loss. There was no bad blood between them and Jake, nor would they seek vengeance.

It was an unnecessary apology, but Jake accepted it nonetheless. The Warriors were not Zara. While they may have been his underlings and they certainly went along with his antics, Jake did not blame them for Zara’s mistakes. They likely all had their reasons for going along with him. Now that he was dead, they could forget about those reasons and become better individuals without worry.

After finishing the funeral and making a few preparations for the return trip, the group left the cavern behind and headed into the tunnel. They followed the river and Tul led the way through the dark. Sprites illuminated their path and Yae coaxed a few of the little creatures to follow their group. No Maedra awaited them in the shadows nor did they stumble into any more of the random hordes. The walk was quiet and eventless, something Jake was thankful for.

They walked quite a ways up the tunnel before it suddenly forked. The river of essence split in half and flowed away in two directions. A small bridge made out of rock was laid across the river and allowed the group to cross. There were no handles or ropes, so Jake had to be careful as he balanced across it. It wasn’t even nailed down. It was as if someone had carved a slab just large enough to cover the gap, and then dropped it over. It worked, but only one person could cross at a time. Too much weight would have likely caused it to break.

From there, they continued their walk until the tunnel split again. This time there were three tunnels, and the river only continued down the middle one. They stayed to the right and left the essence river behind. The Sprites continued to follow them a short way but eventually, they turned around and headed back for the essence flow. As if expecting that to happen, Yae stepped up to the wall and plucked something from it. It was a small blue cylinder. She fed a small amount of mana into it which caused the top of the object to begin to glow a faint blue. It illuminated the space around them, but it wasn’t strong enough to cover the entire group. Just enough to light the path.

Yae took the lead now that she held the light source and guided the group down into the dark. The floor tilted and Jake could tell they were descending, and weaving back and forth. The tunnel curved left, right, and curved all the way around until they were walking in the opposite direction- but still down. When the floor leveled out again, it spit them out into a room with a bunch of tunnels. At least six in various directions. In the middle of the room, a large statue of a creature was carved out of stone. Several of the cylinders similar to what Yae held were placed around the top of the room, and they all glowed a faint blue.

Each tunnel had a couple of cylinders at its entrance, all light sources one could use to help them in the dark. Yae placed the one she held into a cluster beside the entrance to the tunnel they’d just come from. It was an interesting system, and very convenient.

“Do each of these tunnels lead to a village?” Jake asked, looking into the black maws of a few of the tunnels. Xul laughed. Tul quickly whacked his companion with his spear.

“No. Some to death. Some to nothing. Only two to village.” Tul elaborated while Xul got his act together. Yae shook her head and moved to a tunnel just off to her left. She grabbed a light source and then stepped down into the dark, not waiting for the two fools to correct themselves. The group followed, leaving the statue behind.

“Who was that statue?” For them to create such a large memorial of someone, he figured they were important. Xul choked again as if trying to hold back his laughter again. Did he really find Jake’s lack of knowledge that funny?

“King of Beasts. Naudalus.” One of the warriors spoke up. Jake didn’t understand. He knew what the warrior said, but the statue itself was the point of confusion.

“Beasts? You made a shrine for a Maedra King?” Why would they make a statue in the honor of a group of beings that wanted to eat them?

“No. Beast made,” the warrior answered.

The… Maedra made a statue? Jake hummed, confused and a bit put off by the detail. He wanted to grill them more, but he didn’t have faith in the language barrier. If he wanted to learn more about this place, then he would need to learn their language. Or at least be able to read it. Then he could find more information on them in the Library.

The tunnel led them deeper and deeper into the Ravine until finally, Jake saw a faint glow in the distance. It was actually further off than he thought, the darkness distorting his depth perception. They still walked quite a ways before that light got any brighter. When they got closer, Yae stopped. Tul and Xul stepped up ahead of her and tapped the ends of their spears into the floor.

“Wuar.” Tul called out, his voice echoing a little ways into the tunnel.

Then, as if shedding the black shroud of the walls, four figures melted off the rocks and emerged from the darkness. They were heavily equipped. They wore brown metal chest plates, had full-face helmets, and wielded both hammers and axes on their waists. One in the back was lightly dressed but carried a long rock staff with a massive jewel at its tip. Three fighters, one caster. A decent formation, one that would be difficult to deal.

“Guards,” Yae informed Jake.

…That made sense.

Jake thought they were in for another fight of some kind. However, if there was a village here, then the Maedra would no doubt be attracted to it. Having guards to protect the entrances was to be expected.

The guards began their checks of the group and the individuals began to pull out some kind of green card. The guards paused when they saw Jake. Yae spoke up to one of them, which evolved into a back and forth argument. After some coercing, she was able to settle whatever dispute they had. The guards checked the Warriors, then cleared the path and opened the way through. Yae kept close to Jake’s side as they passed by. Jake could feel the heavy stares of the guards as they stared down at him, and their stares sent shivers down his spine.

He was also enlightened to the fact that the four guards weren’t the only ones waiting in the shadows. At least six more were comfortably hidden in the dark, all ready to protect the village should the Maedra get too curious. Quite the security force but Jake didn’t blame them. He actually found it justified. The Maedra were crafty, relentless, and a group of them wasn’t to be trifled with. If a large horde came down the end of that tunnel, heading for the village, the task of fending them off would take more than just one or two guards.

As they neared the end of the tunnel, Jake began to get a peek at what he was about to experience. He could hear flowing water, could smell the mixed scents of life. He could hear the dull rumbling of voices. There was even the faint cracking of fighting- likely sparring or practice. The actual sight was even better than he could have imagined.

The tunnel spit them out on a cliffside, overlooking the village below. The open space was massive, large enough to fit at least three or four of Jake’s village inside of it. There were dozens of buildings formed from rock along the floor, walkways dangling and crisscrossing above the lower area, and there were several levels of houses and buildings carved into the walls. The hanging walkways connected these raised spaces and also provided ways for people to walk between the levels. Four waterfalls dropped from above. Two were actual waterfalls, and two were made up of Dragon Vein essence. The two streams fell to the lower level and flowed alongside the buildings in carefully cut-out rivers.

All along the walls, gems glistened with mana and provided plenty of light to illuminate the space. Green moss grew on the rocks near the waterfalls and plenty of greenery stretched along the rocks. On the side of the essence flow, Sprites loitered and fluttered around. Down in the village itself, numerous light sources lit up the living area where hundreds of people walked and lived. It was beautiful.

“Welcome to Ewana.” Yae’s face beamed with excitement as Jake stared in awe down at the village. In such a dark, desolate place, he had never expected to find something like this. This was truly amazing. A true testament to the stubbornness of life. Even with Maedra all over, the constant threat of being attacked and wiped out- these people had found a way to settle and survive.

“Wow…” Jake mumbled. It was so pretty, and he was excited to experience what the village had to offer.

He felt his chest get tight and he couldn’t help but smile. Even though he was hurting, even though he wanted Chul to see this with him, he was happy. He was so happy. His friend had given him this opportunity, this chance to experience something he never thought he ever would. His father had always warned him about the harshness of adventure, but it was Chul who had shared with him just how beautiful the world could be. While Jake was scared and fearful, Chul had made sure to give him that nudge to not quit. And Jake truly began to wonder…

What else did Chul know about this world? The old Arachkin had survived for quite a long time and the desert was no place for his kind. Judging from his wisdom, Chul had plenty of experience living. He always had an answer to Jake’s questions and seemed to always have an experience to share or a story to tell. How far had Chul explored the Ravine? Did he know of this village, of these people? Is that why he fended off the Maedra all the time? Jake hugged Chul’s mana crystal to his chest tightly and let out a soft sigh.

“Thank you, Chul.” Jake whispered.

“Come. Hungry.” Yae tugged on Jake’s sleeve and he looked over to see that the others were leaving him behind. The Warriors had left first, the three of them walking quietly to the village. Xul and Tul were in their own world as they descended down the rocky path. Jake nodded and followed after them. He matched Yae’s pace, letting her guide him along as he admired the new place.