They set up a temporary camp not far from the water under the thick fronds of palms and trees to spend the evening. Tomorrow they will continue travelling until they reach the edge of the desert. Rest was well needed because according to the travellers' biography Clayton read before, terrible Dune Snakes are lurking underneath the sands. 

As thank you for their generosity, the old warlock Darius set up a magical ward around them to prevent predators from approaching while they rest. 

"Dune Snakes may not be your only problem here," Darius said looking at the darkened stretch of dry land. "The ward you have in your pocket may not be able to drive away monsters from here on."

Clayton looked at the old man surprised. 

"How did I know? I can smell it of course. Alchemy is my speciality and I am very sensitive when it comes to herbs. You probably bought this one from a peddler, say about a year more or less."

"It was about to lose its effect." Clayton agreed, taking out a small leather pouch and tossing it over Darius.

"Good quality," he nodded while inspecting it. "But it has exhausted all its spiritual properties. This is no different from ordinary spice now."

The reason for its quick consumption is either because of time or the amount of aura it disperses depending on the strength of the enemy. Once a spiritual plant loses its aura, it quickly dries up turning everything into powder. The one inside the pouch has completely deteriorated. 

"Teacher," Clayton spoke with honorifics, "Is there any other way?"

Darius rubbed his beard and shook his head, "I lack the necessary ingredients but I don't see how losing the monster ward is going to be a problem to you."

"What does Teacher mean?" He asked puzzled.

Darius pointed at his sword. "Your biggest advantage when choosing this path is not bringing a magic item with you but having the Faerie Wing as a weapon. You cannot always choose to avoid fighting, there will be one or more encounters that your family has to face no matter what." 

"Ahh!" 

A scream from Ayan surprised the two and quickly ran to where she was. The solar lantern fell on the ground when she saw the gleaming eyes lurking in the edge of the camp where that light does not touch. 

"Shh, it's alright." Clayton appeased, pulling her back to her feet. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head but pointed at the things in the dark. 

"Furies," Darius said grimly. "They are getting more and more daring. Return to the tent with the children and wait for your husband. Don't be afraid, these things will not be able to enter the barrier."  

Ayan's hand on Clayton was ice cold and shaking. "Wh-What can I do?"

He knew she wanted to help but looking at her complexion that was close to fainting, he suddenly felt pity. "Get more lights."

Ayan let go and ran back, using the tent as cover she went into the space house to find more light. 

"I'll help." Coco flew to her side.

The two of them went to the basement warehouse where the items she smuggled from another world piled up in an orderly stack. There were various things inside ranging from food, tools, clothing everything you can see in a mall.    

"Found it!" She shouted happily when she walked into the area where huge boxes of outdoor equipment are placed. 

Coco helped her turn them on before flashing out of space. Darius already started engaging the furies by throwing out light balls from his old faithful staff. As soon as they get hit, the furies would screech and writhe before turning into smoke. 

Demons are naturally afraid of the light but there are bolder ones who bravely crossed the periphery for a chance to attack. Clayton takes care of those by hacking them in time.

This wasn’t the first time he used the Faerie Wing sword on demons but the effect still surprises him every time. Not to mention the sharpness of the blade, the mysterious power flowing through it was unmatched.  

Swords forged even in finest ore would rust quickly when they touched unclean things that they had to be brought to the monastery for ablution. His old sword, for example, he couldn’t count how many times it had been cleansed. 

But the Faerie Wing showed no signs of corruption. There was no change in its performance and appearance.   

On the other side, Carmine and Raven were pulled in by Ayan, "Mother is going to put lights around the camp so I want you to be good and stay here in the tent, understand?"

"I can help," Carmine said.

Raven clenched his fist, "Me as well."  

 Looking at these two bean sprouts make her so worried she is about to lose some hair. 

"We promise not to get near the monsters," Raven added biting his tiny lip.  

"Please mommy…"

Ayan swallowed her protest and stuffed two brightly lit lanterns to them, "Alright, let's go."

With tacit cooperation, the three split into different directions placing the lights near the edge widening the illuminated area. The burst of light startled the furies pushing them several meters back.  

Clayton and Darius stopped attacking after securing their campsite. At least now they did not have to squeeze in such a small allotted space. Ayan held the twins and sat at the entrance of the tents feeling hairy when seeing the appearance of furies.

There were rabbits, voles, snakes, monkeys and even wolves. All of them far from the normal wild species they knew, the blood they bleed was dark and very fishy. They were more malevolent, fierce and deadly.  

"This is getting out of hand," Darius spoke with a sigh. "If this goes on, perhaps Crucible Mountain will become the next Plagueland, the first in the Ourea continent."

Clayton has heard of the Plagueland from one of his father's stories. A place of exile in the Occasus, the continent in the west. Most people sent there have become infected with madness, the living beings were either wraith or furies strangling what was little life left in that land. 

"No, it can't be." Ayan denied. 

Crucible Mountain is not only home for different species of animals but also the dwelling of many magical creatures. If this place fell into the hands of the Dark Continent then this world might be over. 

"As long as a Saint is born that will never happen," Coco assured. 

Ayan was fraught with worry, "They cannot even produce a decent Diviner, let alone a Saint!" 

Coco no longer spoke but his eyes sparkled with a meaningful light. 

"How are you?" Clayton was already beside her before she knew it.

"I'm alright. The children are fine as well."

"Good," he said while taking out a dagger from his boots. "Do you remember what you told me several days ago?"

Ayan nodded stiffly then looked at him as he took her hand and placed the dagger on her open palms.  

And like temptation from hell, he offered, "Would you like to try?"

Blood rushed into her head. A certain tingling in her spine began to spread all over her body. Just like the kind of excitement she gets whatever she's about to do something impulsive. She thought she had outgrown those days. 

It's been a long time.

Thump… thump… thump… 

Ayan closed her fingers to the handle and took her first step into facing the enemies. 

"Do not leave the light," he reminded before adding, "Aim for the head."

From the darkness, a ferocious striped rabbit sprang out. Its teeth were dark deprived of the cuteness it was known for. Ayan jerkily avoided it and slashed upwards.

"Breath properly, don't be too stiff." 

From time to time Clayton would give her pointers. The rabbit was tough; it kept on attacking despite wounding it a few times. When another came, she became frantic. Her hands did not stop slashing until she finally got a good grasp of it.

A vole sneaked from her left. She instinctively raised the blade cutting off its tiny belly. Then comes a horned wolf. 

Her eyes widened. This beast again! 

Ayan held the dagger tightly in front of her. The wolf kicked its foreleg to pounce at her, she did not take her eyes off it and aimed steadily to its neck. As the beast drew near, she moved a little to the right, grasped a fat stick from nowhere and slammed it hard on the wolf's body.

The benefits of Clayton's power training coupled with the lakewater finally showed its effect. 

The stick sunk into its body like beating cotton making the beast fall but because it was tenacious it endured and quickly jumped back to its feet with a snarl. Ayan smashed the stick to its head, this time with a lot more force making it kneel. The wolf whimpered. Then grasping the dagger handle with both hands Ayan plunged it to its head.

A snake came to take advantage of her inattention. 

Her breathing hitched. 

Ayan scrambled to take the stick back and waved it at the serpent at the same time she pulled out the blade from the wolf's head and cut the snake's head. 

Her heart was jumping up and down inside her ribcage. She thought she was going to stay petrified, fortunately, her body reacted faster than her sluggish brain. Looking at the whimpering wolf made her shudder. This thing is still alive! 

When it flashed its eyes at her and bared its fangs, Ayan gritted her teeth and pushed the blade to its neck. Deeper. From the hard layer of its skin. To its flesh. The beating pulse through its bones. She could feel all of it. The sensation was so real it frightened her. 

Warm blood sprayed on her face but she did not let go because she knew that if she let go, the wolf might move and attack her again so she held down nausea and kept pressing until she could no longer feel it move. 

Liberal amounts of dark blood and flesh stained her hands as the time dragged on. When old Darius turned to check her situation, he was taken aback by the tragedy.

The lady's method was crude. 

It lacked the neatness and swiftness of a skilled warrior however it still did the final trick. 

Though the corpses were only little they were mangled.

It looked cruel.   

Even Clayton felt sorry for these things that fell into her hands. 

Catching her breath, Ayan's tight nerves slowly eased. Like a toy car that lost its battery, her movements stagnated, and the scene came clear. 

"It's over." Clayton touched her hand clasping the dagger and tapped gently urging her to relax. The tremor was still there and he can feel the distinct tensing of her muscles. 

Her chest felt stuffy for some reason but she knew she had to persist. To be strong. 

"I'm not afraid." She said in a small voice.

"I can see that," he replied pretending not to notice the tears pooling in her eyes. From her face, he turned to look at her spoils and sighed secretly in his heart. 

Was he too hasty?

He was immersed in his thoughts when he suddenly heard her heave. Ayan's face turned green. The smell of blood and something else penetrated her nostrils. But before she could vomit, black smoke rose from the corpse leaving no evidence on the ground. 

Her hands were the only thing that was stained now.

"Ayan, you must quickly bathe with lake water. The furies carry dark elements that can make you sick. You might accidentally pass it on the children." Coco reminded her.  

Clayton helped her up, "That wasn't so bad, you did well."

She was suddenly embarrassed about being coaxed. She asked to be trained but if this goes on and she doesn't make improvements soon, she will only drag Clayton down.  

"I'm going to clean up." Ayan excused herself and beat a hasty retreat away from him.

The fight was short-lived because the furies found out that their meal is hidden within a barrier. It was frustrating to continue to lose companions so they turned away to find another source of food. Clayton and the old warlock watch them leave. After making sure it was safe, they went back to sit around the fire no longer worried about the demons in the dark. 

"Where did your lady go?" asked Darius.

"She went to see the children."

"Hmm, she's one tough woman." he chuckled merrily. 

 

Ayan did not feel the effects of her first fight until she had cleaned up and laid on the sleeping bag. 

She couldn't sleep! Was she too tense? Probably. 

To remedy her insomnia she went into the fairy ring to check her little dimension. As soon as she entered, the sweet fragrance of fruits and flowers washed away the remaining stench at the tip of her nose and eased her mind. 

Here, the air is fresh. There was no blood and demons. 

She walked on the white pebbled pathway towards the fields. It was gratifying to see the small dimension looking like a tiny pastoral county. There is a two-story house made of wood and bricks, an elegant garden on the right fitted with a fountain and an orchard to the left. 

There was no evening here, only constant sunlight.

Ayan looked for Coco and saw him lying under the tree peacefully. He must be taking a nap so she decided against disturbing him. She went back to the house to organize a few things. 

She always does that whenever she becomes restless and irritable.

Everything in her apartment was sent here so every time she comes in, she can still feel a connection to her world. She did not know if Coco was deliberate but the layout was similar to her house, except for the structure outside. 

She wondered when she could bring anyone in here. She tried a few times but the fairy ring did not react. It would be a lot convenient if she could put in the boys inside, she was sure they would like it here.

She smiled wryly. Who would have thought that she would be enamoured by the twin's charms? In everything she does, she would unconsciously think about them first. 

Ayan had no inhibitions when it comes to those two. She adored them wholeheartedly, she admits that. 

The space house has three bedrooms upstairs like her apartment, each with their bathroom and the largest was naturally owned by her while the other two are reserved for guests. Ayan went in to arrange the bedrooms neatly from their pillows to their covers. 

In the kitchen, she organized the commonly used necessities on the shelves and cupboards. Mysteriously, there was electricity for the appliances and the tap had clean water flowing. The food remains fresh and doesn't spoil even when left in the dining table. 

Finally, after walking around aimlessly, she could feel sleep beckoning her. Ayan returned outside to rest. As soon as the twins felt her body warmth they rolled towards her unconsciously and snuggled comfortably. 

The smell of baby soap and vanilla shampoo eased her mind and it didn't' take long before she fell asleep. 

Clayton was supposed to be resting at this moment, opened his eyes and looked at the direction of the tent. The lady seems to be agitated. Tonight's attack must have stimulated her a lot. But Old Darius was right, they cannot always avoid these troubles.

Little by little, he will help them adapt. It is for their own good because the world will eventually become more chaotic.  

The family plus one warlock they picked up resumed crossing the Hot Dunes first thing in the morning but the travel was no longer as smooth. Large Dune Snakes with acute senses slither on the sand as soon as they felt prey approaching. 

There were also scorpions as high as a hill patrolling the endless tract of the desert. 

Thankfully, Darius knew how to manoeuvre out of their way. Except from unavoidable encounters, a few monsters run into them. They only fought when it was necessary, saving more energy.  

One incredible thing that made the family drop their jaws was when Darius tamed one black scorpion and used it as a mount.

"If you want to reach the edge of Hot Dunes, you can only use this method. Otherwise, even with great strength, the swarm of scorpions will swallow you." 

The five of them climbed at the wide back of the docile beast and sat near its head. The smooth shell behind was cool to the touch and the concave shape kept them from sliding off as it rose and moved forward. Ayan thought she had seen oversized wolves, but this exaggerated beast gave her another shock.

What did these things eat when growing up? Fertilizer?

"We can spend the night here safely, tomorrow we will arrive at the edge," Darius said finding a nice spot to settle.

Ayan put an animal skin rug for everyone to sit on because the shell was cold and hard like metal. Above them dangled the scorpion's majestic tail and helped block most of the frigid evening wind.  

Their dinner was settled by premade cooked food. Unfortunately, the conditions are limited and there was no oasis to wash for the time being so they can only aggrievedly endure the dirt and sweat they got from fighting earlier. 

The night was still early, despite being tired none of them fell asleep. The twins were too excited riding a scorpion they went from here and there. Before they knew it, the tykes already named the terrible looking beast Candy.

Ayan's eyebrow twitched. Won't this thing get mad and throw them off?

"I think it's a nice name." Carmine declared proudly.

Ayan: No child, you're just always hungry.

Darius just laughed indulging them. The boys ran to his side, an indication of a change of target and unsurprisingly, they began pestering him.

"Carmine, Raven, grandpa Darius is tired. Please do not be naughty."

The old man waved her off. The warm smile on his face let them know he is happy to be pestered. 

Ayan looked at Clayton and was answered with a shrug. 

The night turned cool, under the woollen blanket, the twins snuggled to Darius listening to his story. The old warlock began to narrate a brief tale with his gentle voice. 

"I believe I have mentioned the Cornucopia."

Clayton's attention was piqued, so was Ayan.

"Everyone is aware that Cornucopia is a magical artifact representing inexhaustible treasures that were once owned by the Fairy King. It was said that the artifact was gifted to the kind friend who once saved his favourite mount when it was hunted by the black-hearted humans. This friend was a very poor farmer and his family is being oppressed by the lord of the land leaving them no bite to eat despite the abundant harvest in the territory."

He paused waiting for them to savour the story bit by bit.

"Luck came to him when he saved a wounded deer in the depths of the forest. He never thought that it was the familiar of the Fairy King of the legends!"

At this moment, Carmine and Raven are both engrossed with their mouths hanging open. Clayton listened attentively while Ayan tried to pat away the goosebumps in her body.

Darius continued, "As a sign of gratitude to his kindheartedness, the Fairy King presented him the Cornucopia. Anything he wanted to place inside will become endless as long as he willed it."

"Really?" Carmine exclaimed, amazed. 

"Really." the old man nodded. "But then, the greedy lord heard of this treasure and wanted it for himself so he ordered to massacre--" he stopped, avoiding the nasty word to stain the children's ears. "Ahem, destroy. Yes, destroy the farmer's family and label the remaining ones as thieves."

Carmine was mad, "Bah, he is bad!"

"And then?" Raven urged. "Did the bad man take the treasure of the Fairy King?"

"Oh no little one, he did not succeed in seizing the artifact. The Cornucopia vanished without a trace."

"Humph, good!" The twins echoed.       

"How about the farmer's family? What happened to them?" Ayan asked after a while. 

Old Darius cackled, "No one knows. Some say it was merely a tale so there is no definite ending whether they survived or perished. Others often insist that one of the farmer's family members escaped with the Cornucopia and went far away."

There were many versions of the ending, they can also speculate on their own. As for the real story? Only those involved knew the truth. 

But one thing is for sure, the Cornucopia is real. 

After crossing the Hot Dunes safely, their group has officially entered the periphery of Thornwood Forest. That means that the Asturia Empire is close at hand.