Riley spent the next few days at Hangman’s Gaol, using it as a chance to rest and recuperate after so long spent in the wilderness. But ultimately he knew he would have to set out again, such was the nature of a Warden. The incident the other night had made it clear that fortresses like this would come under attack too. And he would need to explore the world if he was to grow stronger, and thus better defend himself.

  In the early, misty morning, soon after Kenji had ventured off on his own path, Riley met with Stark in the stables. “Some Wardens would scoff at me for being charitable. But, ultimately, the point of the Strays is to provide aid where possible. The opposite would be letting people grow desperate and mean in isolation, making our situation even worse.”

  Riley nodded, donning his mask and clipping it into place. “And I appreciate whatever help I can get. And... I’ll try to repay you however you can.”

  Stark scoffed and shook his head. “Don’t worry about that,” he said plainly. He made his way down the stalls and stopped at a lean chestnut mare. It was not as large as Rudolph, but she seemed swift and capable of handling a good deal of weight. A bedroll and tent sat hitched to the rear of her saddle. “This one has been unclaimed for awhile. Used to belong to a woman called Tess, but she...” he trailed off and shook his head.

  He didn’t need to say any more. “Yeah,” Riley said, glancing away. “Well... I’ll take good care of her. But, what will happen if I use a Lodestone to teleport? Is she just gonna get left behind?”

  “Once she’s part of your Inventory, so to speak, she’ll go where you go. Just be careful. She can still die, same as any horse back home.”

  “Right. Guess we can’t all be immortal.”

  He took the reins as they were offered and stroked the side of the mare’s head. She leaned into the touch. “I’ve... never ridden a horse before. At least, not as anything other than a passenger. Beats walking everywhere, I guess.” He focused on the mare’s flowing crimson mane. “I’ll call you... Scarlet.”

  A ping sounded in his inventory.

  Scarlet’s Reins

  Spectral reins belonging to the horse known as ‘Scarlet.’ Gifted by Stark, the Furnace Knight.

  At times, the closest companion to a Warden is their steed. Keep them safe, and they shall keep you safe in kind.

  “Learn to get cosy in the saddle, that’s my advice,” said Stark.

  Riley nodded and steadily lifted himself onto the steed. He felt uneasy in the saddle at first, gripping the horn to orient himself, but once he found his balance he felt much more secure. He nudged Scarlet onward, leading her out into the open space beyond the stable.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Yeah, look at that. You’ve got the hang of her already.” Stark smirked running his fingers through his beard. “So, where were you gonna head from here?”

  Riley shrugged, giving a firm tug to keep Scarlet in place. “I’ve seen enough ice and snow to last me for several lifetimes. Figure I’ll move further inland, see what I can find for making myself stronger. Gotta do what I can to be ready for what’s to come.”

  “Mm. Speaking of...” Stark reached into his Inventory and pulled out two strange, smoky black crystals. He tossed them to Riley, who fumbled a bit as he caught them. He quickly checked them in his inventory once he caught them.

  Crystallised Essence

  A great quantity of living Essence, having coalesced and solidified into a solid mass. Can be broken open to absorb a vast quantity of Essence.

  Often found growing in haunted battlefields, and upon the sites of massacres. The echoes of the dead, left resonating unto eternity.

  “Ain’t much, but... you might need them for these,” Stark said.

  He tossed two bound scrolls to Riley, who quickly caught them and checked them. Spell scrolls, he realised, just like the one lifted from the depths of the mine.

  Swarm

  Plague wizardry pulled from the petrified city of Thulsa Ghul. Summons a spectral swarm of bloodflies to assault opponents, opening wounds and drawing blood.

  A teaching of the high priest, Khultan. When Thulsa Ghul fell under siege, he unleashed this plague upon the invading army. Many men were slain by the pestilent cloud. But, in the end, Thulsa Ghul still fell.

  Sense Life

  Wizardry originally created by the healers of the Ruby Lotus. Allows the user to detect the living Essence of beings within a modest distance.

  Originally, this magic was created as a means to find the injured and dying on battlefields. The Vergoll Empire, in turn, taught it to their kill squads so they could hunt injured enemies.

  “Whoa,” Riley said, letting out a stunned chuckle. “Badass.”

  “Didn’t have no interest in plague magic, personally. Good thing I held onto the scroll. The other one, well... consider using it whenever you have an off feeling about a place, or fear an ambush. But, fair warning, it won’t work against anything mechanical.”

  “Noted.” A good tool, if he was worried about ambushes.

  “Crack those crystals open. Should be enough for your Oracle to impart them onto you. Seeing as how you’re a wizard, Sense Life should work with your stats by default. Swarm might need higher Wisdom.” Stark shrugged. “But, hell, you know your stats better than anyone.”

  Riley nodded again. “I’ll check later on, when I find the time to make camp.”

  “If you’re heading out westward, you can travel with Kim a little longer. She’ll be going that way, at least for a spell, to handle a job.”

  Riley gave him a curious look. “What kind of job?”

  “Well... that lesser avatar didn’t come from thin air. I’ve asked a few members of the Strays to scout about, see if they can find any trace of major Chaos corruption.” He sighed and shook his head. “Don’t want to spook you but the fear is... the fear is that the Avatars are making inroads on the edges of the empire. Vergoll is next on their hit list. They’ve been destroying other kingdoms and nations, and now they’re committing more power to this region.”

  Riley froze. “And these Avatars... I’ve heard of them. How strong are they, compared to you?”

  “Compared to me?” Stark scoffed and folded his arms. “I’d be a dead man against any one of them. No doubt in my mind. For what’s coming our way, I advise every Warden to get as strong as possible. Things are going to get real bad in the coming months, when the imperial army starts to break against the strain.”

  “Any time I think things are starting to look up for me...”

  “It’s daunting, I know, but... the situation is worse than I thought. You need to prepare for what’s to come.”

  Riley nodded. He stirred in the saddle and gently stroked the side of Scarlet’s neck. “Thanks, Stark. Guess that’s just more motivation for me to get stronger.” He turned and looked beyond the walls, to the rolling hills of the land, and the capital of the Empire.

  The end of the world was marching their way. And their odds at stopping it already felt slim.