The wagon rushed through the day - Gideon was hidden, and passed out for most of the trip. When he woke up, the day had gone - it was night once again. He wished reality to be nothing more than a dream but it wasn’t so - silently sobbing himself he saw the expanse behind. The mountain was gone, only a faint outline of the woodland was left in view - the trail of crushed grasses soon to be upright again, none would find their way to him.

Hunger took over, going through the stocks of rations that Pipim carried. Pieces of hard bread, dried meat, and canteens with water would be his meal, taking out a few small copper pieces he placed them within the same crate. Counting the number of coins he had, four silver and twenty-three copper left. Their weight felt more than their worth of pieces.

This is all I have left of her… What am I going to do alone… It rattled his thoughts as he ate alone in the silence. Leaving him to drift away into the emptiness and fall asleep again.

***

The Warren Plains showed an expanse of grasses and ferns, with a few distinct sights of cave entrances poking above the ground.

Gideon felt sick of the food that he was eating, his stomach grumbling every time he woke up, but today there was something else - another voice joined the lone Gnome.

“The Feast of Prin was magnanimous. As the gathering of Hunters was far and the prime offering was a Brazer Shriek.” The unknown voice sounded deep and boastful.

There was a small sigh from Pipim, “I wish I could be there for such a thing, but my duties brought me elsewhere. It's too terrible getting a Trader Plate.”

“Yes, as I see, pioneering is a great danger. Better to just work up influence and coin rather than support.”

There was a mellowed-out grumble from Pipim as Gideon could tell but zoned out - continuing to play through the moments of his life through his mind. The burden only increased, his emotions falling down a bleak pit before his aching heart.

It wasn’t until nightfall that they stopped, Gideon peeked for a couple of seconds, seeing two other carts on the outer ring, the horse sleeping along with great beasts in the center - huddled by the fire.

Twice as large as any horse, with thicker - rougher skin, their legs were strong and unwavering persistent. Having an elongated face with a large snout coming close to a beak, along with sections of flat mass of bone that protruded on the face of the head. Creatures such as these feed on the tough mineral deposits on plains of stone as they dig, chipping it away for nutrition - Torhos.

Humanoid silhouettes appeared by the fire, but the warm backlight masked their features, but their laughter was heard. When the fire died only then did Gideon carefully come out, the stars and moons illuminating the night - but there was someone. Across the way, on one of the larger wagons, they faced the outstretched plains, cloaked with a crossbow on their shoulder. Slowly he creeped out, away from the camp he dug a hole to relieve himself.

His gut felt a rumble from poor nutrition, he made out his blaring wind. Blood rushed to his head as he covered his tracks before quickly hiding under the wagon. Looking through the gaps of the wheels he looked for the person that stood lookout, but they were gone. A subtle creek from the wood above made him freeze. A murmur came through - he could not understand, but the pulse through his ears.

Gideon didn’t leave, as he kept on looking at the two other carts, listening to any subtle movements beyond… but there was nothing. A cool wind blew, Gideon trying to find comfort as he scrunched up behind the wheel - the hours passed, and daybreak was soon upon the horizon.

A fire ignited, the silhouettes gathered by the light but two contrasting figures stood off to the side.

Pipim? Gideon could only think of the man, as he seemed to have a conversation with a tall figure.

Their interaction was brief before he saw the Gnome coming towards him - holding the reins of his horses in tow. He shielded his body behind the wheel as best he could under the cover of a shadow as Pipim hooked his horses to his cart, and commanded them to be on their way. The wheels turned, his heart dropped, the sudden speed made him trip on himself. Out from under the cart - unable to catch up and risk detection, he relented at the end of this passage.

He kept low, crawling through the grass till he was upon another wagon - away from sight. The heavy tarp sealed the back but allowed himself to squeeze through from the bottom end into the pitch-black enclosure. Gently, he felt, moving along and over the boxes. Until he curled up to a silent corner where he let his stress go and closed his eyes.

***

The days became long as his memory couldn’t distinguish between the brief lapse into the empty dream and the new day. But now, marked a time he couldn’t remember where he was tied by thick robes, nor the blindfold upon his eyes. No matter how he wiggled, he couldn’t release his restrictions.

Time passed until the cart came to a stop. The flap was opened - the sound of heavy metal and creaking wood echoed through his ears. A heavy hand grasped onto the rope knot before Gideon felt the air blowing through his hair - flying, hitting the hard ground.

His teeth clenched and suppressed grunts from the impact. He was turned on his back, the cloth came off, and a loaded crossbow pointed directly right in his sight.

“Do not speak, or you will be left as a corpse for the Eragors to feed.” The watcher of the night showed herself, during the setting sun.

The cloak was covered in part, exposing the studded leather, but the hood was uncovered. Her worn-out eyes looked at Gideon with unwavering contempt and suspicion. While he looked upon the human woman, he saw nothing more noticeable but her long hair bundled and a deep scar connecting her chin to ear.

“Riga stop!” The woman gave distance but kept at the ready, Gideon shifting his gaze to the source. A dwarf dawning heavy armor of sea blue - decorated in the form of an ornate shell.

“What do you expect Ceden? An arrow to the head is the only thing Riga could do.” Another character sounded, as two came around the cart.

Riga’s head spun, giving a slight scowl, completely stowed her weapon - the four congregated to discuss.

The voice that called - Walton, a human, was dressed in dark blue robes - showed up. He was shorter than Riga, small blemishes showed upon his face along with exaggerated expressions. The last, Zafvea - a Wyvor, covered mostly in a brown robe but seeing an almost scale-like hide on her draconian features, her hands gripping onto a string of black beads. She gently played with them as her sharp gaze looked at Gideon, sending a shiver to his spine as he looked upon a blade’s edge.

The conversation was rough, Ceden trying to control the main purpose - their Mission; to lead the merchant to a temporary location before setting off again. But they picked up a stray in the middle of nowhere, and none felt a good sense of dealing with the added baggage. Zavfae offered little input other than leaving to vote the options, Riga was hard strung to leave the child, while Walton didn’t like the unknown occurrence - thinking of, and wanting to slay the potential Marker.

“No, we will not kill. That is not our bonds.” Cedan replied curtly, adjusting his beard braids - woven together neatly, and clamped with tiny-sharp fish jaws.

“We know nothing! He could have a Tracker on him. Lost, depowered, even broken during our travels but it would still lead them to us. We cannot afford something like this again!” Walton vehemently protested, expressing his displeasure for the potential Marker that could lead the group into an ambush.

Riga and Zavfae tensed before Ceden was grinding his teeth in displeasure before going to the child.

Hosting him up to his knees with ease before slowly unraveling the knot. “Kid, to what we may say, we don’t want to kill anyone like this. We will hear you, only if you speak with honesty and purpose for stowing away in our employer’s caravan.”

Gideon replied with a stuttered nod before all four stood in front and judged the proceedings.

Riga began, “Why were you in the wagon?”

“I was with the other merchant… and he left before I could hope on again,” Gideon replied, though getting surprised, by their quickly enlightened gazes.

“Why did you stow away with the Merchant?” Cenden.

“I- uh…” He fumbled with his words, “Wanted to get away…”

“From—” Ceden continued…

Walton interjected, “You little rat, you admit to bringing others with us!” His voice nearly exploded, stepping forward and holding the terrified Gideon by the collar. “Our lives would be endangered from your actions! We—”

Ceden took hold of Walton’s wrist, and the voice of the party back. “Let go.”

Walton gave Ceden a hard look, Ceden squeezed tighter before he let go and went back - massaging the strain that incurred.

“Who were you running away from, and why?”

Gideon tried to compose himself as best he could gather, “They… were- I don’t really know… they came during the day to our home. They killed my mother, I heard them saying I was dead too so I escaped without them seeing. I ran as far as I could till I saw the merchant chart passing by.”

A slight contortion appeared on their faces, but Walton wasn’t amused by the statement.

“Lies!” Walton voiced, as the attention swerved to him. “Do you believe this Ceden, this is but a ploy. A sad story, a meaningful reason, and then a bloody battle. I will not be a piece in this game, this fake mother, fake life. This —”

Walton’s exposition was cut short as a wad of grass, dirt, and bits of rock smacked him in the face. Their sights whipped back to see the child to his feet, the loss, anger, and frustration showed as he was willing to face the unknown consequences.

A reflex, a cold rage slowly seeped out of him - Walton began to cast. Sparks of lightning danced in his hands as he exposed a set of woven bracers - a pale blue gem on the inside of his forearm brightened.

A bolt of Aetheric Lightning - gathered with such force being able to char any mundane person. As the thundering explosion of blue light broke the day, the heat gave rise to the smoke and ash from the ground. A figure stood strong in the sizzling steam, his shield, and war hammer at the ready - a technique of the far coast covered all of him in Aetheric Water. The sea blue-like energy was flaring, and a whirlpool on his shield took the impact of the bolt - The Third Art of the Locxs.

They stood their ground, energies surged and pressed against one another.

“Enough!” Zavfae commanded, the beads illuminated black as it shed grey flakes - a wall of dark earth rose in between them.

Both retracted their Aether, and Zavfae released the grip on the earth as it slowly melded back down. Walton had enough and went to prepare the camp, Ceden let out a long breath as he stowed away his weapons.

“Never do that again.” Ceden condemned Gideon - in awe and fear, stunned by the Aether pressed down, and the nauseating feeling that took hold of his body.

“I… I’m sorry…” Gideon broke out of his trance as nausea washed away.

“Come, help with the dinner.” Ceden motioned as the rest followed his lead.

Gideon trudged along with their steps, a pot hung over the fire as Riga prepared the stew. Gideon was assigned to watch and stir the stew, while he waited for the four to talk in private to their employer.

The night descended the only light by the fire, moons, and tapestry of stars. Zavfae brought the Torhos, to take their rest. The others gathered chairs and utensils to partake in the stew, but there was one more person there.

Tall - having a light but fairly ornate garb, the skin of gentle green and black hair coming together in a topknot. He looked to Gideon, his rough face displeased as the corner of his top lip rose above his small set of tusks - a Half-Orc.

The merchant quickly got his food and retreated to the back of one of the wagons.

Gideon was left in wonder for a moment before he took his seat and space around the campfire.

“Who was that?” Gideon inquired as he ate his stew.

“That was our employer.” Ceden spoke, “We’ve been tasked to escort him to a distant place beyond the freelands.”

“The freelands?”

“It is a general word to speak of lands outside the immediate control of major governance - we are now, technically, in a freeland.”

“Oh… I see…” The silence lingered for a while.

“You know, I don’t believe we got your name?” Zavfae spoke up.

“Oh…I’m Gideon.”

“Well Gideon, we know you escaped death. But could you say something more?” Zavfae inquired.

A shiver went down his spine, Cecilia’s last words went through his thoughts, to keep silent.

Gideon spoke, but with a careful tongue that he would give to Cecilia to ward off suspicion of his troubles. “I was from a far-off home, I lived with a few others but they didn’t like me all that much. Until one night a group of people woke up the village. They hunted us and killed my mother in a grand display…” Solem tears went along his cold face - he kept his sight on his bowl. “She told me to run… to live on with my life… and to not look back… I wandered for a bit until I heard the wheels of the Merchant, stowed away, and found myself here.”

“So he says,” Walton.

“Walton.” Riga had just about enough, “If you have nothing to add other than to cause us strife - shut it.” Getting a scowl in return before he went about eating again.

“Do you recall where you come from?” Zavfae.

“I was asleep for most of the past few days, but I come from Srert.” A made-up place, as the others looked at each other for any sense of what the child was referencing - nothing.

“Then, what about your future? What will you do?”

“I… don’t know, I mostly helped around… is there something I can do wherever you guys are going?”

There was a slight unease in their expressions as the question was posed, and a deep leer from Walton.

Ceden took back control, “Can you read, write, cook, clean? What more do you know?”

“Well, I can do all those things. I can stretch clothes up and weave a bit. Would that help?” Gideon looked at the dwarf with a glimmer of hope within his eyes.

The tension in his shoulders was released a bit. “Well, it wouldn’t help. But your skills would be found everywhere, and chances are it will be hard if that is all.”

“Then…?” Gideon trailed off and fiddled with his food.

“Do you have any coin?”

“Almost… 4 and a half silver.”

Walton laughed, “That isn’t going to get you squat in the city. Maybe a month and a half lodging at a decent inn.”

Gideon's eyes widened in confusion and shock, “But- but… that’s a lot…”

Walton looked perplexed, “What are you on? That is probably the average rate for most places.”

“Then… What should I do?” An unsettling feeling of his unknown future crept, as he appeared to plead for some guidance.

No one spoke as they looked to the outward emotion, but their time for this day was over.

“We'll settle this tomorrow.” Ceden broke the silence, as he got a sleeping sack for Gideon. “Get some rest, we wake up just before dawn and set out immediately.”

Gideon wanted to say something more but the party was already in motion and he didn’t have any say.

While the fire was put out, Gideon got settled in for the night - he looked to the stars for comfort.

What am I going to do… Is there anything more to live my life… What do I want from my life… Mother… These thoughts prorated his mind, and though a looming pressure built he fell asleep under the comfort of the clear sky.

***

“What do you think?” Ceden was changing shifts with Riga in the middle of the night.

“He doesn’t look or sound like a child from the streets or the underground.”

“A slave seal?”

“No, Zavfae or Walton would have sensed something like that. Not that you could find a place that would take on such a risk here.”

“Marker?”

“Unless he threw the device when he was on the trip, but things don’t turn out well if they are caught with that sort of ploy.”

“Anything else you could think of?”

“Not off the top, but his story is at least true to our immediate timing. As the supplies where he was found haven’t been touched.”

“Mmmmm… So a lucky boy escaped from wandering bandits, and found that Merchant on his way out of the freelands? Seems too good to be true for someone as weak as him.”

Riga sighed but took a deep breath as she looked onward, “Haven’t we all been living a lucky life until now, and some have been luckier than any of us could dream as others would be gone like Ealril… So just maybe we are this child’s good fortune… at least until he arrives at Fretic City.”

Ceden sighed and shook his head, “Couldn’t have said this to Walton earlier. As well as trusting the child.”

Riga turned in confusion, “Trust? Oh no, keep an eye on him. But I think at least we shouldn’t worry about him doing anything to us… save for Walton.”

Riga smiled as Ceden gave a solemn laugh as they passed the watch for the night.

***

Gideon was groggy as he got up to sit next to Zavfae in the following wagon, as she was holding the reins to the beasts. Walton was watching in the rear - having the seams open, Ceden with the employer in the first cart, and Riga taking a nap on top for the early morning.

“Get enough sleep?” Zavfae asked.

Gideon was still droopy, “The ground is hard.”

She chuckled that sounded like a low bellow, which spurted on his awareness.

“We shall come to our stop, and your drop, in about a week from now.”

“Huh?”

“Our destination? Weren’t you curious?”

“Umm, yeah but It didn’t feel good to ask with all of the things happening just with me here.”

“Maybe so, but I think you should be fine for now. So long as you don’t aggravate Walton too much.” She got a few pieces of dried meat from her bag and shared them with Gideon.

“I feel that person has the shortest temper I have ever met.” Taking a bit of breakfast.

“He can be a handful at times, but he always has our backs and is a worthy member of our group.”

Gideon’s curiosity perked him awake, “What are you guys anyway?”

Zavfae gave a perplexed look, “What else? We are Adventurers.”

Gideon looked on with bright eyes and admiration, however, Zavfae felt an uneasiness about the notable wonder the child felt.

“Then, do you go off to explore? Have you slain great beasts or, or taken up a fight against impossible monsters?”

She made the most bewildered face, “What is all that nonsense?”

“But I thought that’s what adventures do, explore the world, find treasures, encounter great creatures along the way, and get stronger through that?”

Zavfae shook her head in resignation, “Perhaps if you find some of the more insane ones, but we are not those people.”

“Then, what do Adventure do?”

“That is a very broad question if you want to get into it, but I would say almost everything.”

“Everything… then what does your party do?”

“We are Journeyman - mostly handling a wide variety of Missions from the Guild, usually ones that take us to many places and keep us free from being tied down anywhere for too long.”

“So you explore and travel?”

“We travel. We don’t explore.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“If you are thinking of it as seeing something new for yourself, sure, but the Guild follows a different view.” She adjusted the reins to a more relaxed posture, “Nevrim has a long history of conquest and law. At this time much of the territories are more or less safe from the wilds and have stood as a beacon for congregations of many. For us to be free is to move within these places and see the world through their influence, but not command.”

Gideon was slightly perplexed and perhaps a little letdown, “So is there any exploration left, then?”

Zavfae gave a weary chuckle, “The world is much bigger than anyone could know and territories only claim a part of this land. There is much more to see, and much to reclaim.”

“Reclaim?”

“Do not be so hopeful in life to remain peaceful. If there is just one thing I learned from my tribe and the time I spent traveling, is that there is no place that could remain safe. The wilds are not the only thing that could bring about ruin. Dangers lurk everywhere you dig deep enough.”

An uneasy feeling settled in his gut, “Should I know what that is?”

Zavfae shook her head, “No. The less you know the better, no one should be involved in such things. But if it does find you - run away, hide if you cannot, and hope that it passes. ”

Dangers unseen… lurking, waiting…, heavy thoughts plagued his mind.

They did not speak for a while, as Gideon tried his best to smother the rekindled anxiety and fear.

The madness was only relieved when Gideon didn’t know what else to say but asked Zavfae for more of her experiences over the next few days.

She remembered as though it was yesterday, their now Iron ranked party formed - composed of those currently present, and all in the Profession of Journeyman.

For more than a decade they traveled, journeying from one edge to another - at least it seemed that way to Zavfae. Taking on a variety of tasks along the way, the spontaneous encounters with hoards of Muck Rats, Cenatrils, and a runaway Golem stood in the limelight of their experience. All were dangerous at the time, ingrained in their memory for too many close calls. But they moved steadily and were rewarded with several commendations from the Guild.

Zavfae skipped around a bit but brought it to their current task. And made him aware of how unsettling it was - their escort difficulty was Graded Bronze-Low, for threat potential and difficulty of travel. As it only added to their already unstable emotions - she spoke no further on this but noted that a series of poor events brought them here.

It wasn’t until they set the fire and ate their food that Gideon asked about the Guild ‘request’, getting a relenting reply.

“Can they force you to take something on like that?” Gideon asked by the fire as they ate stew once again.

“Well… no but- there were a few… incidents,” Ceden replied at the unease reply.

Gideon showed a frown, “You sound like you're being forced either way.”

Ceden coughed a few times, “I am not proud of this Mission. We- and our employer had been forced as you said. Coming around to the freelands and through this hollow plain.”

“Is it that bad that you are here?”

Walton, “We shouldn’t be here at all. If not for those Mountain Dwarfs pulling all of that crap I would have shattered their armor.”

Ceden grunted and silently reprimanded Walton, but he and the others didn’t care. Gideon wasn’t following, they didn’t elaborate more shifting to speaking openly about their journey thus far.

From the Beliwon Kingdom to the north of Laklin, they had to enter the freelands and head south to the opening of the Warren Plains. Nestled between the Yris and Wilken Woodlands, with a sparse opening in the north. It was deemed one of the more troubling parts of their journey, the network of tunnels just underneath was home to many creatures. Eragors were one of the few, but they didn’t have time to know the others. They had an unsettling attention to the grass, and one of the main reasons that this journey was protested. The very ground they traveled could give way, and the caves just off their path could lead to creatures that would scour the night.

Gideon was frightened by the end but they assured him, as their sights over the journey brought hope to their hearts that nothing bad will happen. And that the future of this path would be peaceful until they begin to progress through the Wilken Woodland.

He asked how could they be so sure, they didn’t say much - only calling to their experience and assurance by a Mystical Item.

The last words to end the night were the thoughts of where Pipim went. They do not say for certain, but Riga noted he was headed from where they came. Though she thought the trek would be peerless for him, he alluded that he had enough to reach the borders.

***

“Two more days,” Zavfae told Gideon as they rode together, pointing to the expanse of tree line ahead. “We will ride along this edge for half a day, and we should see a dirt road into the woodland.”

“Then does that mean we are out of the freeland?”

“Not just yet, that road was created by Adventures that would come this way to the freelands.”

“Why?”

“Fretic City might be an Adventure City, but it was placed at the shortest stretch of woodland. Connecting the freelands and the Laklin Kingdom to allow better travel,” Zavfae explained, Gideon’s imagination went wild.

Fretic City; founded more than five centuries ago, has stood as a bastion for auspicious Adventures. Hosting perhaps one of the more common chances for one’s growth within the Kingdom of Laklin, but these dreams shrouded the nightmares. Few would know the heavy injuries, the lost who never return, and the countless dead. Here are the hopeful, desperate, talented, mad, abandoned… Those with any future worth noting, having hoped to see greater heights - a society built by those who sacrificed a mundane life and a looming battle of self-improvement breed many closed hearts.

The party had some knowledge of this but they did not tell, nor dwell on it - having no other option. As Gideon unknowing found himself with only one choice to experience - survival.

Off along the tree line, they went until they came upon the dirt road, following through they entered the Wilken Woodland by noon.

Thick grass encroached onto the road, as the trees stood tall over the wagons. There was silence but with the sounds of wheels and heavy breaths of the Torhos.

“Could I be an Adventurer?” Gideon posed the question to Zavfae, feeling the pressure of time.

Zavfae was expecting the question sooner or later, “How old are you?”

“Uh... About sixteen?”

“Race?”

“Human.”

“Then no, not in Fretic. You would need to be in a safer city to disavow that rule, but there- for a human- you would need to be eighteen…” Taking a second more to think, “Well. The normal way that is.”

“Would they know?”

Zavfae gave a troubled gaze. “They will. And do not overlook the consequences if they find you trying to deceive the requirements.”

Gideon felt the weight of her eyes and emotion through them to understand a warning of care. “What are the other ways?”

“Be under the orphaned care of the Guild itself, have an apprenticeship through a qualified member, or get an exception from the branch through a special instance.”

Gideon looked at Zavfae with pleading eyes, “Please…?”

Zavfae shook her head, “Gideon we may have gotten closer but not that close. We all have our duties and none of us can handle such a thing.”

Gideon slumped his body back on the chair, “At least I tried.”

Zavfae smiled, “That is all we can do.”

I have to try… No! I will try as hard as I can. Gideon bolstered his emotion, and prepared his mind and heart for the future to come.

Though an echo tickled his ears, a distant sound of bellowing grunts and broken branches slowly became clear - the view into the shadows of trees did not.

The Torhos stopped all progress and turned in one direction, they huffed and began to stomp on the ground to cause a small quake. The group immediately banned formation - their weapons ready. Ceden ahead, Riga to follow, while Zavfae and Walton were in the backline - the coming rampage coming closer.