Ren hardly dares to look back. All he can do is to continue running. The zombies shamble after them; they’re not fast, but they advance in droves. Gridel slings a couple of bolts into their faces, taking down the ones immediately in front, carving them a path through the horde.

A sudden growl has Ren turning his head, screaming in abject terror when he comes face to face with a rotting face. The zombie’s jaw is slack, its unseeing eyes glaring straight at Ren. Ren whacks it with his rod, fire bursting from the ruby orb and setting the monster alight.

The zombie falls to the ground, the corpse bursting into a bout of flames. The illumination chases away some of the fog, clearing the road ahead. Ren and Gridel eventually make it to the edge of the village, past the fields and destroyed huts, but where shall they go from here?

A scream echoes to their right, and Ren snaps his gaze in that direction. It came from a forest, a dense collection of trees that seem to block out all light. That must be where Penny and Vane went to hunt.

“Let’s go,” Gridel says, and she and Ren make for the forest.

The zombies are not limited to the village’s inhabitants, it appears. Hands shoot up from the dirt, fingers clawing at the ashen soil, reaching for them. Ren barely manages to leap over a hand clamouring for him, before stomping on another that just rose from the dirt. He flinches at the sickening crack of bone.

Then, it happens seconds before Gridel and Ren step foot into the forest. The plodding of hooves above their heads, the shadows cast upon the ground…

“Duck!”

Gridel pulls Ren to the ground and Ren goes splat face-first against the soil. How many times has he breathed in and coughed out ash already? The Horseman’s blade misses his neck by inches, almost lobbing his head off. Bolts between her fingers, Gridel punches upwards, catching one of the horses off guard and sending it careening away from its companions.

The horse soon rights itself and glares at them with milky eyes and a snarl. Just as Ren and Gridel hop to their feet, a sudden howl snatches their attention.

A wolf lunges from the forest undergrowth, whimpering and fleeing with its tail between its legs. Not just a wolf, too. An entire flock of birds ascends to the skies, their wings flapping haphazardly and destroying the ashen canopies. The team of horses makes straight for the birds, cleaving their flock in half. Screeching birds tumble from their air, feathers flying every which way.

A hand on his shoulder has Ren jolting. He glances back, staring right into the face of a rotting corpse yet again. Ren screams, pushing the zombie away and crashing to the ground, yelping as a wolf brushes him by in an attempt to escape the harbinger of Death.

“Your Reverence!” Gridel stabs a zombie in the face, yanking her knife out and clambering for Ren. Ren tries to get to his feet, but knobbly fingers close around his ankles, and wrists, and—

Faces peek out from the dirt. Faces missing eyeballs, missing noses, missing lips. Teeth gnash and snap, as each of them angle their heads to get a bite out of Ren. Ren can’t even bash them with his rod…

“Get away from Ren-ren!”

A shrill shriek rings out, and a wave of water washes over the faces in the dirt. Taken by surprise, the zombies sink back under the soil, relinquishing their grip on Ren’s limbs. Ren quickly rises to his feet, glancing over to find Penny and Vane running up to them, the latter hauling the carcass of a wolf on his shoulder.

“It won’t be long before the Horseman finds us,” Vane says. “Let us retreat for now.”

But where can they run? They can’t very well go back to Cave Centurian. It’s too far; the Horseman would be upon them before they can even reach halfway. And the village is a no-go, the forest is currently being raided of all life…

“The only way to go is forward,” Penny says, as if reading Ren’s mind. “Onwards to Mount Hilbeck!”

“There was another cave that we can seek shelter from,” Gridel says, stomping at a pair of hands that just emerged from the ground. “Let’s make for that.”

Vane leads the way, somehow still fighting brilliantly even with the carcass thrown across his shoulder. Gridel takes up the rear, slashing at the zombies hobbling from the forest. From their current position, the mountain looks ever so far away, as if an eternity of sprinting will never bring them any closer.

The neighing of a horse has Ren glance around, eyes widening when all he sees is a mass of black, galloping equines. The Horseman raises his sword over his head, his other hand tight on leather reins.

“Look out!” Ren lunges at Penny and knocks her to the ground, the two of them sprawling on the grey dirt. The Horseman’s blade slams into the ground, where Penny had been standing, dragging the soil with it. Vane spins back and aims a slice at the Horseman’s steed, but it rears at the last second, Vane’s sword inches from its muzzle.

“Get up! Go, go, go!” Penny stumbles to her feet, tugging Ren with her. The Horseman charges at them again, this time, aiming with a diagonal slash. Vane blocks this one, blade coming up to parry the Horseman’s with a sing of metal. Ren and Penny overtake him, slicing and smashing zombies to dust.

“Vane!”

Gridel’s piercing shriek is enough to stop Ren in his tracks. Ren spins on his heels, only to come face to face with a zombie. He bashes it across the cheek, and the zombie crashes into a horde of its brethren. It’s only then that Ren realizes just how far apart they are, a whole gang of zombies separating the two duos.

But even through the wave of the undead, Ren can see their companions’ predicament. The Horseman’s stallion stands over Vane, reared on its hind legs, the man about to pierce Vane’s chest with his sword of darkness.

“No!” Penny shouts, but they are much too far, and Gridel is too busy keeping the other horses at bay. Is there nothing they can do? If only Ren can strike from afar, if only he can—

Heat sears Ren’s arm as the orb upon his rod glints, seconds before a stream of fire bursts forth, ribbons of flame braided to form a dragon. It rushes the Horseman, the fiery serpent slamming into the horse’s flank. The horse whinnies, knocked to its side and throwing the Horseman off. Vane pushes himself to his feet, tossing a glance back to Ren and Penny.

Ren’s never quite seen such a look on his face before. Shock, with a hint of wonder?

A battle cry resounds from behind Vane, and Gridel jumps the fallen Horseman, stabbing his throat through with her knife. She twists and turns, not letting up even as the Horseman grabs her by her arms, trying to wrench her away from his grasp. However, the mortal wound proves too much for even the Horseman to take. He gives a most unholy cry, before exploding in a cloud of dust.

The rest of the horses, with frightened neighs, flee. The zombies, having lost their leader, collapse where they stand, limp bags of flesh and bone all that remain. Ren lets out a shaky breath. Hard to imagine that he had just survived an encounter with the Horseman.

“Vane!” Penny sheathes her dirk and sprints towards them. Ren jogs after her.

“Are you alright?” Penny asks, looking him up and down, checking for injuries. Other than a bloody gash on his arm and a dent in his gauntlet, Vane seems unharmed.

“I’m fine,” Vane says, hugging his wounded arm against his chest. “What about you?”

“We’re fine,” Ren says, “but…”

Penny clucks her tongue, gaze still on Vane’s arm. “That looks bad. We should get that looked at.”

“I have a couple of dried herbs and some bandages,” Gridel says. “Let us find somewhere safe to patch it up.”

The “somewhere safe” just so happens to be the mountain pass that should lead them nearer Mount Hilbeck. One step closer to the palace of the Horseman of Death. With Vane bleeding out, they have to hurry.

*

Just like Cave Centurian, this mountain pass is also illuminated by luminous moss as they venture farther. Black bodies of bats sleep hanging off the ceiling, wings folded and tucked cosily against their bodies. Gridel manages to find a branching rocky corridor that leads to a small chamber. In its middle is a pool of water, crystal clear and clean. Could it soothe Ren’s parched throat?

“Let’s rest here,” Gridel says. Vane all but slumps against the rock wall, breathing shallow and ragged. He managed the whole trek with that injury, and Ren can never be more amazed.

And yet, the crimson that springs forth from the wound is a stark reminder as to the perils of their journey. Gridel whips out some herbs—innocuous leaves that crinkle between her fingers—and some bandages, tying it around the gash to staunch the flow of blood.

“This should do for now,” Gridel says. “But you need to rest up.”

“Rest? This is no time to rest,” Vane snarls. “This is a mere scratch.”

“Well, I’m tired.” Penny meets his gaze evenly. “You gonna make a Luminary walk with these sore feet?”

Vane mumbles something under his breath but drops the issue. Penny leans back against the wall, satisfied with his silence. Ren settles at the pool, mesmerized by its sparkles. Fish swim within, shimmering scales that reflect the illumination of the crystals, giving the tiny chamber a magical glow.

“Hey.”

Ren glances over at the sound of his name. Penny and Gridel appear to be preparing the meat from the wolf that Vane managed to kill. Ren fixes them with a puzzled gaze.

“Can you, like, make a fire or something?” Penny asks. “Just a small flame? We’d very much like to eat cooked meat.”

Ren’s stomach growls at the prospect of it. He closes his fingers around his rod. To be honest, he isn’t quite sure how he managed to summon his magic the last few times he used it.

Maybe if he just thinks it, fire will pop into being? That’s how it works in fiction, right?

Ren closes his eyes—making a conscious effort not to fall asleep right there and then—and taps into his imagination. A small fire, crackling and spreading its warmth. As warm as the sun, keeping them from freezing in the chill of this cave…

“Whoa!”

Ren snaps from his thoughts at Penny’s cry. His eyes go wide when he notices the flame he’s conjured in front of him, burning resiliently on the coarse dirt. How’s that even possible?

Then, all of a sudden, the flame disappears as suddenly as it came. Penny frowns.

“Maybe you need to concentrate more,” Penny says. “Go, Ren-ren. Put those brains to good use!”

Ren grumbles unintelligibly. Easy for her to say.

The second time, he loses focus again, the fire spluttering and dissipating the moment Gridel heaves the meat over the fire. Thankfully, the third time’s the charm. A magnificent fire is born from the soil, just big enough to cook over, but not too big that it would gut them.

Very soon, the aroma of meat fills the air, wafting into Ren’s nostrils. His brow twitches, and his mouth waters. He isn’t sure how long more he can keep his focus.

“Alright, done!” Penny says. When Ren opens his eyes, the fire dissolves, as if nothing had been there to begin with.

There is more than enough meat for everyone, and even with minimal preparation, it is delicious. Ren chews slowly, savouring every bite. Penny lets her satisfaction be known through delighted moans and the upturn of her lips, even as she eats. Gridel and Vane make no peep even through their chomps.

It is only after dinner that Ren’s adrenaline levels wane, that exhaustion truly overcomes him. Not just physically tired, but mentally too. His eyelids are as heavy as lead, and his muscles scream for relief. Is this a side effect of the magic?

Speaking of magic…it’s only now, when Ren watches the fish mindlessly, that the reality of the situation crashes down on him. He just survived a horde of zombies, survived nearly getting killed by the Horseman, and he just used magic. Him! Using magic! The brilliance of the flames, the way it morphed into a fearsome dragon that struck down the Horseman, will be forever burned into his mind’s eye.

Ren glances over at his rod. It reverted to something unimpressionable, just a wooden cane that carries an orb upon it. An orb that looks almost colourless now, having lost its deep red hue. It was this rod from where the beast lunged, where the stream of fire erupted.

Perhaps Ifrit is not as weak as Gridel made it out to be.

“Hey, you okay?”

Ren looks up at Penny, who scooted over to him, her sheathed dirk scraping along the rough floor. She draws her knees up to her chest.

“You look tired.”

Ren hums. “So do you.”

“I mean, we did run a lot today,” Penny says. She removes her boots and dips her toes into the water. The fish wriggle away, hiding themselves between the crystals and out of sight. “And we almost…we almost died.”

“Yeah.” Ren turns to Penny. “It’s a lot, huh.”

Silence envelopes them. It’s been so long since Ren’s had a taste of this. Just pure silence, away from the howl of wind or the rush of battle.

“Penny, do you still have the ring with you?” Ren asks.

“The what?”

“The onyx ring.”

Penny fixes him with a confused expression, before realization dawns on her and she rummages through the folds of her robes. She digs out the golden band, the black stone set snugly in its gallery. Ren holds out his hand, and Penny drops it into his waiting palm.

Ren turns to Vane and Gridel, both of whom appear to be having a serious chat. He calls out to them, waving the ring. “Hey, uh…”

Vane turns around, and Gridel hops to her feet, striding over to them and bowing. “How may we be of assistance, Your Reverence?”

“Okay, first of all,” Penny says, before Ren can utter a word. “Can you stop that?”

“Stop…what?” Gridel sounds genuinely confused.

“Stop calling us that. I mean, it’s a bit of a mouthful to shout if we’re in danger, right? And besides, it’s weird.”

“But…” Vane starts, but Penny silences him with a glare.

“Look, we’re teammates. More importantly, we’re equals here,” she says.

“Your Reverence…”

“Have we done anything special?” Penny shoots back, before Vane even has a chance to speak. “Like, sure, we came from another world, but if you ask me, you guys are better fighters, you know this place better. We’re not particularly extraordinary.”

Vane and Gridel exchange glances. Gridel sighs. “I…suppose we can’t defy the Luminaries’ wishes.”

“Great,” Penny says. “So, uh…if you forgot, I’m Penny, and he’s Ren.”

“Penny and…Ren,” Vane says, scrunching his face up. It’s as if it physically pains him to pronounce those two names.

“It will certainly take some getting used to, but I’m sure we can manage,” Gridel says.

“Great.” Penny clasps her fingers together. She places a hand on Ren’s closed fist. “Ren’s got something to tell you. Or ask. I don’t know.”

Ren clears his throat and holds out the onyx ring. “Uh, well…this is the ring we found at home. The one that transported us here.”

Ren hands it to Gridel, who squints at the ring.

“Have you seen it before?” Penny asks. “And, well, the transportation worked after we recited the prayer, so…we’re wondering if it might have something to do with any…Sun God in this world.”

“The Sun God…That would be Ignis,” Gridel says. “The spirit, and God, of fire and sun.”

“But you said He died, didn’t you?” Ren asks. “So, how could the prayer work?”

“A prayer holds the hopes of all who revered the God,” Vane says. “As long as people believe in Ignis, the prayer will work.”

“And people believed in Ignis,” Gridel says, “because Ignis promised to deliver the Luminaries to us.”

“So, here we are,” Penny says. She receives the ring from Gridel. “We’re here because…”

“You uttered the Sun’s Blessing prayer,” Gridel says. “You are the Luminaries that Ignis Himself believed will cleanse the world of the apocalypse.”

“Then how do we get the sun back?” Ren asks. “Surely there must be a way, right?”

“It is as Mother Gaia said,” Vane says. “Only once Pandora’s Citadel crumbles and falls for good will the world return to its former glory. By ‘former’ glory, I believe that Ignis may very well be revived and will bring the sun back to the world.”

So, in order to get home, they really must save the world. Suddenly, the path back to Great Britain just grew ever so long, like a winding road through a dark, dark night, with no lanterns to light their way.

They’ve probably been gone from home for more than a day. Are their parents looking for them? Are they worried sick? It would be a while since they can go home, though.

“In that case, all we gotta do is to pick up the pace,” Penny says with a pump of her fist to the air. She interrupts Vane before he can speak. Again. “But we mustn’t push ourselves. If you die, then we’re going to have a harder time with three people, yeah?”

Vane leans back against the rock wall. Ren has never quite seen him look so defeated. To be fair, Penny can be pretty exhausting.

And yet, despite her seemingly inexhaustive energy, Penny is the first to fall asleep, curled up against the cavern wall. Ren settles beside her, letting her rest her head upon his shoulder. Ren shuts his eyes, already feeling the maw of fatigue swallowing him whole.

For now, he shall rest, and contend with the journey to Mount Hilbeck when he wakes up.

*

When Ren wakes up, he’s once more greeted by the light of the cavern. He blinks the bleariness away, focussing on the pool of water in front of him. Penny remains fast asleep against his arm—which is already becoming numb. Gridel is curled snugly into a foetal position on the other end of the cavern, her trusty crossbow by her side.

The only other person who is awake is Vane, who appears to be picking at his cuticles. He notices Ren’s movement, glancing over at Ren for a mere second before turning away.

“How’s your arm?” Ren asks.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“It looked like a deep cut.”

Vane grunts. “It’ll heal in time.”

Maybe he should lay off the swordplay for now. Penny is getting pretty good, despite her measly single day of practice. Gridel is not bad herself with her crossbow and throwing knives. With more time and experience, Ren can probably conjure up brilliant flames and blast foes away.

“I must admit, your stunt was impressive.”

Ren raises a brow. “My stunt?”

“When you struck the Horseman’s steed,” Vane says. “Any later and I would have met my end.”

Ren swallows uncomfortably. He would have, indeed.

“Perhaps I had underestimated you, Your Re—I mean, Ren.” Vane averts his gaze, almost embarrassed.

“I just did what I had to,” Ren says. “You were in danger, and…and I just wanted to save your life, I guess.”

“And you did. For that, I express my deepest gratitude.”

Ren’s heart soars at the praise. He does a little victory jig in his head, quashing down the flutter in his stomach.

“You should get some more rest,” Vane says. “The road is only going to be more treacherous from here on out.”

Ren yawns. He’s more tired than he thought he was. Perhaps, he should take Vane up on that, and really, really regain his energy for the battles ahead…