“What did that do?” She asked.

“It’ll ensure you don’t tell anybody about your agreement. Nothing else. It’ll fade in a month, so don’t worry about it too much,” Avril said.

“Fair enough. So, now that I can’t tell anybody, what’s this important thing you were talking about?”

“A key,” Ethan said, looking up from his sword.

“A key? To what?” Linna asked.

“Not so loud!” Jasper hissed. “And yes, a key. It opens a treasure vault within the Ashen Lands.”

“I know all about going to great distances for treasure, but this seems a bit excessive,” Linna said. “The Ashen Lands are a death trap. I know entire crews of pirates that sailed to that damn desert following legends. None of them have come back.”

“When you put it that way it makes it sound bad. But it’s not just any treasure. It’s the Everflame,” Jasper said, whispering the last word.

“Surely there are other treasures a Vision could get with much less effort. What’s so special about this…” Linna trailed off as Jasper violently hushed her.

“Don’t mention it if you don’t have to. You never know who’s listening,” Jasper said. “And of course there are, but this one is special.”

“Never heard of it,” Linna said.

Jasper huffed in annoyance.

“Of course you haven’t. Nobody’s heard of the thing in years. And to most normal humans, the thing is worthless. It’s just a candle,” Jasper said.

“And for Visions?” Linna asked, catching onto what the gremlin was implying.

“A source of energy. And a damn powerful one at that. It would make even a weak-willed Vision near insurmountable,” Jasper said, his eyes staring blankly through Linna as if he were watching something behind her.

“So you’re just trying to get more powerful. Is that all you ever think about?” Linna asked crossly.

“No. The candle isn’t for me,” Jasper said, sighing.

“It’s for me,” Ethan said seriously. “Jasper is attempting to save my life.”

He pulled his heavy cloak back and lifted his shirt, revealing his toned chest. A dark outline formed a large square around where his heart would have been. With a hiss, the outlined area of his chest swung outwards.

Linna drew in a sharp breath of surprise and couldn’t stop herself from flinching backwards. Ethan didn’t have a heart. Metallic tubes and wires hung suspended in his chest. At their center where his heart should have been, a ball of flickering purple energy floated in the air, humming quietly.

“When we talked on the mountain, I mentioned I was injured in a fight some time ago. The damage was severe, but Jasper managed to give me a temporary extension on life. Unfortunately, he can only do so much. The Everflame is a power source that can replace the one currently dying out within me. It’s my best shot to live,” Ethan said.

He slid the plate back, where it disappeared seamlessly into his body. Ethan let his shirt fall and pulled his cloak around himself again.

“I assume you’ve already gotten the…key then?” Linna asked quietly.

Jasper and Ethan exchanged a worried glance. Then Jasper gave Linna an almost imperceptible nod.

“So why are you still here? Don’t you have what you need?”

“The caravan is going in the right direction, and Bartholomew would be a problem if we didn’t do what we agreed to,” Jasper said.

“Not to mention we have both taken you on as a student. I will not be leaving until you are worthy of using my sword style,” Ethan said, smiling at Linna.

“I appreciate that,” Linna said. “The last time we worked together proved to be quite profitable. Would you be interested in another partnership?”

“What are you getting at?” Jasper asked.

“You two keep teaching me how to be a Vision. As I said, I still owe Ethan a life debt from the mountain, and it’ll sit on my shoulders forever if he dies before getting the candle thing. I’ll help you get it.”

“You have no idea what you’re signing up for,” Jasper warned.

“She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions,” Avril interrupted.

“We can discuss this later, when it comes time to leave the caravan,” Jasper said after a long look at Avril. “For now, we’ll just focus on Linna’s training.”

“Fantastic. Now that we’re all happy, care to explain your new weapon?” Ethan asked.

Linna’s gaze shifted down to the bundle of cloth in one of her hands. She grinned and unwrapped the bola so everyone could get a better look.

“I thought it would work a lot better than it did,” Linna said.

“Most people don’t have extra arms to defend themselves with,” Ethan said, gesturing down at the extra pair of arms hidden behind his cloak. “This was highly creative. Well done.”

Linna grinned at the compliment. She wrapped the new cloth weapon up into a little bundle and tossed it through the tarp at the back of her wagon.

“I think we’re done for today,” Linna said. “I’ve got a lot to think about and you two have a guest to entertain.”

“Guest is too generous a word. More like a stowaway,” Jasper grumbled.

Despite that, he climbed out of the wagon along with Ethan and Avril. Linna waved at them and pulled the tarp flap closed.

“You want her to come with us, don’t you?” Jasper asked Avril as they headed back toward their own wagon.

Avril just gave Jasper a knowing smile. The gremlin sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll get you back for not warning me that I was about to get stabbed by a flying sword,” Jasper muttered.

“I did warn you, technically,” Avril replied.

Ethan let out a small chuckle as they reached their wagon. He glanced at Avril and tilted his head slightly.

“You’re not going to leave, are you?” He asked.

“Not yet,” Avril replied.

“In that case, you can take Jasper’s bed. You sure aren’t getting mine!” Ethan said, darting into the wagon with a laugh.