The mad chirping of birds, foreign to my ears, suddenly woke me. Sunlight permeated the fabric of the tent and I groggily opened my eyes, spotting a blurry figure a few feet away from me.

Maeve: “Mornin’, book boy. Did you sleep well?” 

Maeve offered her greeting without looking up from what she was doing. As my eyes adjusted, I had to squint to determine if it was actually her in the tent with me. She had removed her many facial piercings last night and was currently reapplying the striking makeup I had seen her wearing yesterday. The scene took all the words from my mouth. She mercifully started talking, helping me feel much less awkward about seeing her halfway through her morning routine.

Maeve: “A little something I picked up in the cult. The sacrifices were not so hot, but this is one ritual I can get behind. Helps me feel like the badass they think I am.” 

She gestured approximately to the other tents while keeping her focus on the dark kohl lining her eyes. My next words came out on their own.

Seth: “I like it.” 

I had never seen anyone like her, and though my pool was admittedly limited I had a feeling that would be true no matter how far I travelled. My unbidden comment elicited a pause in her work as she turned to look at me with a complex expression.

Maeve: “Yeah?”

Something about baring her unfinished face to me felt strangely intimate, and I had to look away as embarrassment caused my cheeks to flush. A predatory smile reached her unpainted lips, but she suddenly seemed to think better of it and turned back to her task. 

Maeve: “Breakfast is a free-for-all. I recommend the apples, we may as well finish them before they turn. If you want anything fancier, ask Wolfgang or Zyturak, they might have something in the works.” 

I took that as her polite way of telling me to get lost, so after a “See you soon,” I stepped out of the tent. I had a lot of questions about her time in the cult, but that was a heavy topic this early in the morning, not to mention this early in our friendship (well, more like acquaintanceship, actually), so I decided not to test my luck just yet.

Out by the fire pit, Zyturak and Wolfgang were indeed up to something, and it smelled divine. Wolfgang noticed me first. 

Wolfgang: “Ah, Seth! It seems you survived the night.” 

A devilish grin crossed his face, and even Zyturak cracked a smile. Guess there was an inside joke there. 

Zyturak: “Come, join us. We’re trying to spice things up with these same, tired ingredients.” 

They had used some water to revitalize the jerky, then boiled a few apples into a sweet-smelling liquid which Zyturak poured over the meat. I imagined Xenna must have popped out of her tent just long enough to help them reach the required temperatures. My expression must have betrayed my interest because Wolfgang laughed heartily and handed me a dish.

Wolfgang: “Want to be the first to try it?” 

Xenna shouted from her tent. 

Xenna: “He’s asking you to be the guinea pig!” 

Apparently she was less shy when she couldn’t see us. Regardless, I relished the thought.

Seth: “I’d be honoured!” 

I tried unsuccessfully to temper my enthusiasm for new cuisine - I was starting to develop a weakness here. I bit into the experiment and found myself stunned by how much of a difference preparation could make to the same meat and fruit I had enjoyed the night before.

“I’m not exactly a connoisseur, but I approve!” 

Xenna had joined us by now and was clamouring for hers. The four of us ate the glazed jerky in comfortable silence, sharing a simple joy. Maeve emerged from her tent, fully made up, and with mock jealousy on her face.

Maeve: “Hey, are you guys bonding out here? I’m starting to feel left out!”

Zyturak shared a significant look with Wolfgang, who shrugged and less than subtly jerked his head towards me. While I tried to make sense of their game of charades, Maeve grabbed the last dish.

Maeve: “Damn, this actually looks good! You guys really knocked it out of the park, considering what you were working with.” 

Zyturak: “Thank you... We’re actually about finished here, so we’ll start packing up.” 

Zyturak then gathered the others, shooing them away. He started taking down the tents with Xenna’s help while Wolfgang gathered up our supplies.

I tried not to stare at Maeve as she ate absentmindedly, clearly lost in thought. At last she turned to me.

Maeve: “We’ll resupply at Aria. It’s the city on the border between Providence and Xindelle, not more than half a day’s journey from here. We’ll have to spend the night there, then things won’t be too unpleasant until we reach the sands. Where in Xindelle are these legendary ruins supposed to be, anyway?”

I replied with a grimace.

Seth: “Far to the west, unfortunately. I don’t have the most current information, but even now I bet there isn’t much that way past the capital of Dajjal.”

Maeve: “You’re right about that - not enough water that way. Guess that means there’s a decent chance this ‘key’ is still out there.” 

She sighed. 

Meave: “We’ll need camels, and we’re definitely going to need the right clothes for an extended stay in the sands…” 

Her big lip pout was uncharacteristically cute. 

Maeve: “Xenna will be a huge help out there. I wouldn’t even consider this expedition if I didn’t think she could keep us cool under the sun. Wolfgang will scrounge us up some food too, and miraculously find water like he always does. And he’ll say, ‘Ptarmigan is much harsher than this little sandbox’, or something corny like that. But I don’t want to rely too much on those guys, it’s unfair to them. We’re going to have to prepare for this expecting the worst.”

 I agreed with her wholeheartedly, and it was becoming clear to me why this ex-cultist was in charge of our ragtag little group.

//Time Skip//

After packing up, we were on the road again. Wolfgang effortlessly shouldered our supplies, with only a few light backpacks to go around for the rest of us. I realized how lucky we were to have him, but I voiced my sudden concern aloud. 

Seth: “Do you guys always go from nation to nation on foot?”

Wolfgang: “If only! Feeling the earth between one's toes is the truest joy a traveller may know.”

Meave: “I expect you’ll feel differently once we reach the sands.” 

Xenna then strode up beside me.

Xenna: “To actually answer your question, we usually travel by carriage. But we learned your archives were in the mountain pass, so we hiked this time.” 

Ah, that came as a huge relief. My fellow scholar turned to me excitedly.

Xenna: “So what does this Key look like?”

Seth: “To be honest, I don’t exactly know. There are a few interpretations, but I can guarantee it’ll be a Cenotaph device that’s loaded with residual energy.”

Maeve looked back at us from over her shoulder.

Meave: “Does that narrow it down?”

Xenna: “It really doesn’t!”

I shot her a look of betrayal.

Seth: “Regardless, I’m confident I’ll know it when I see it.”

Wolfgang: “I dislike that we’re putting our trust in these machines. A lot of good they did the Cenotaph when they were still alive.” 

Wolfgang had a point, I suppose.

Seth: “If they don’t do the job, we’re a resourceful bunch. We’ll definitely figure something out.” 

With my hopeful remark, we put our energy into the journey. I was still somewhat overwhelmed by every sight, smell, and sound, enjoying the variety immensely. As expected, Wolfgang was the de facto leader in the wilderness, pointing out off-trail shortcuts that seemed to save us immense amounts of time. Despite her focus on her appearance, Maeve proved to be full of endurance, leading the group alongside Wolfgang. Zyturak took the middle, jogging ahead to the front when his input was needed but often keeping pace with Xenna and I, making small talk and improving our spirits. After a few hours I realized even Xenna was outpacing me, and I called for a rest.

Seth: “I’m... so sorry…”

Though I tried to exercise in the archives to keep myself from atrophying, I apparently hadn’t done near enough for the rigors of long-distance travel. The terrain was uneven, though that was improving as the woodlands gave way to savannah. I had a new love-hate relationship with hills, depending which side I was on. 

Xenna seemed sympathetic to my plight, but she seemed even more relieved that she was no longer the weakest link. Maeve approached me, tutting dramatically as she put a hand on my shoulder.

Maeve: “There, there book boy, not to worry. We know you’re not used to this yet.” 

She gestured to Wolfgang, who was tirelessly scouting ahead.

Maeve: “Do you want me to ask him to carry you for a while?” 

I had no doubt he could do it, too.

Seth: “I’ll keep what remains of my dignity, thank you.” 

She let out a good natured laugh. 

Maeve: “Suit yourself! We move again in ten minutes.” 

With that she went ahead to check on our scout. I took a small sip of water and closed my eyes, trying to reason with the unfamiliar throbbing in my legs. Eventually the soreness subsided some, and after adjusting my backpack I stood on steadier feet. I caught up to Maeve at the front of the group and gave a cheeky salute.

Seth: “Ready when you are, fearless leader.” 

She didn’t react, and I screamed internally with embarrassment for a moment before following her gaze to the horizon. Smoke rose from a blazing inferno in the distance. 

Seth: “What-”

Maeve: “Elemental. Big one. Looks like Xenna’s up.” 

A few moments later Xenna caught up with us, and in an instant she seemed to understand the situation. In a complex movement she conjured her aether orb, much larger than the one she’d lit the campfire with. This seemed to get the attention of the living flame because within seconds the thing formed a thin line across the sky towards us. Zyturak appeared by my side without a word and led me a few good paces away from the front line. 

The elemental dropped from the sky and formed itself into something like a humanoid shape, standing even taller than Wolfgang, and immediately unleashed a gout of flame at us. Xenna’s orb shifted blue, and all at once a near invisible wave of cold enveloped the elemental who hissed in rage, answering with a searing blast of its own fiery mass. I fell backwards at the sight, a primal sensation I had never felt before clawing at the back of my mind. Xenna had surrounded herself in a solid barrier of frigid ice which nevertheless melted under the sheer heat of the blast, drenching her in steaming water. She let out a scream for hardly a second before Zyturak reached his hand toward her, then with a pained expression pointed to Maeve. Maeve in turn suddenly grit her teeth and hurried to Xenna’s side, putting a hand on her shoulder encouragingly. 

Realizing the real danger they were in, I tried to ignore my fear and focused on the scene in case there was anything I could do. Hardly a moment after the first blast of fire, the elemental lunged towards the pair. I scrambled to my feet and tried to run to them, but was held back by a strong pair of arms I recognized as Wolfgang’s. Not closing my eyes for a second, I watched as Maeve pushed Xenna out of the way and became engulfed in flames, finally letting out an anguished cry that was warped by the heat. My heart stopped at the sound, and I struggled uselessly against the powerful arms, praying against all logic for her safety.

A strange, prevailing darkness enveloped the burning cultist, visible through the wave of fire. The flames relented and somehow Maeve yet stood, with only minor burns and a singed robe to show for the assault she endured. I felt immense relief, giving thanks to the mad gods of Bedlam who were undoubtedly to thank for this miracle. With my concern for Maeve put aside somewhat, I noticed Xenna had been sneakily syphoning the elemental’s energy into her orb. 

Seth: “Wolfgang, I have a plan. Please, let me go.” 

After a moment’s hesitation he complied, and I took off running. Even though I had said that, my plan wasn’t necessarily a good one. 

With Maeve at the center of its attention and Xenna to its left, I circled right. As I ran I recalled everything I knew about elementals. Those with the aspect of fire were both the most destructive and voracious of them all. When I got into position I imitated Xenna’s previous hand gestures and arcane mutterings, wishing fervently to attract the creature with the aether it so desperately sought. I didn’t conjure an orb like Xenna despite my best efforts, which was embarrassing, but nevertheless the creature's attention seemed caught between Maeve and myself, buying Xenna a little more time. Blue flame made up its seething eyes which burned into me, and it reared back to attack. Xenna and Maeve shouted to get its attention, which spared me a fiery fate, but as a result the elemental finally seemed to realize that the mage was unravelling its very essence and it turned on her. Maeve and I called out in unison.

Seth and Maeve: “XENNA!!” 

We shared a glance, and all I could do was hope she had some sort of plan to get Xenna out of harm’s way. That same darkness engulfed Maeve’s body once more, and she cried out in voices not her own. 

Nightmarish, unfocused eyes and gaping, fanged maws pushed their way to the surface of Maeve’s skin through her myriad burns. While we all struggled to understand what we were seeing, the mouths’ gibbering chants built up into a discordant melody which crawled right into my very mind and caused my body to seize up. Everyone seemed to have been affected in the same way - the elemental included. The madly darting eyes then all gazed upon it at once, their irises shifting a rainbow of hues. The flames constituting the creature’s body mimicked those colours before suddenly dispersing into an unliving fire, which Xenna’s aether orb quickly absorbed before winking out of existence. 

The voices had stopped and the eyes had closed. A long moment passed as we all looked at each other, at least as confused as we were relieved. It was Maeve who finally broke the silence.

Maeve: “Uhh... Sure hope that's not permanent.” 

She pointed to the invasive additions to her anatomy. But almost on cue, the mouths and eyes seemed to retreat back into her body, taking her burns with them. The only sign that she had been attacked at all was the state of her robes.

Bewildered, I looked to our other companions. Wolfgang was practically growling, Xenna had nearly gone catatonic, and Zyturak stood with his arms crossed and eyes closed, unable to look directly at Maeve. I guess even those who followed her had their limits when it came to the chaos of Bedlam. I was as shocked by it as anyone, but something about them rounding on her like this felt wrong to me. I tried to break the tension.

Seth: “So… I’m guessing none of what just happened is normal?” 

Maeve: “Yeah, hell no.” 

Her voice broke, and I could tell she was struggling with the way the rest of the group was looking at her.

Xenna: “G-giant, aggressive elementals are s-supposed to be extremely rare... almost impossible without a mage present to channel huge amounts of aether into them...” 

Xenna’s pale eyes were now looking for answers in the lingering traces of nearby aether.

Maeve: “And I should probably be a well done steak by now. I’m a little more used to pain than others, sure, but I didn’t think the Denizens of Bedlam granted immortality.” 

Seth: “So even you found it miraculous…” 

Maeve: “Well, yeah. I’ve been, shall we say, gifted changes to my body before, and they always seemed to form wherever I’ve been injured in the past. Like that bloody tendril from yesterday. But it’s never been anything quite like that...” 

Maeve looked embarrassed, even angry at herself, but in the end she had saved us, almost paying the ultimate price in the process.

Seth: “I’m just glad you’re alive!”

I blurted it out. I was shook to my core by what I had seen, but my concern for the life of my companion won out. I wanted to hug her, I was so thankful, but I knew we all still had a lot to sort through so I refrained. After a confused moment, she laughed at my outburst.

Maeve: “Hell, me too!” 

We all took the next half hour to try and process what had happened. Xenna explained that the aether fluctuations we had discussed earlier were likely to blame for the rogue elemental. Wolfgang had spotted it while scouting and had cycled around to warn Maeve, as he was better suited to handle physical threats than mystical ones. Everyone had previously agreed to allow Zyturak to use his empathic abilities to split the pain any of them experienced with the rest of the group, but because Maeve had an unusually high pain tolerance she often took the brunt of it. Xenna was able to unravel the magic that held the elemental together, but required longer than usual to do so because of its size. In the end, we still couldn’t explain exactly what Maeve’s ‘gifts’ had done to the elemental, and everyone was still unsure how they felt about it.

Xenna: “Thanks for buying me some time, Seth.”

Maeve: “Yeah, you almost looked cool there for a minute. I don’t know if you actually did anything with those moves, but even the attempt was kinda brave.” 

Seth: “Oh, really?” 

My cheeks heated at the teasing praise. It was a risky subject considering the earlier tension, but two could play at that game. 

Seth: “Well I don’t know how to tell you this now that they're gone, but I think those extra eyes and mouths were really working for you." 

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror. Then Maeve laughed, shoving me playfully.

Maeve: "Shut up, you ass!" 

Watching us joke around, the others softened their expressions.

Zyturak: “You really did save us back there, Maeve. We owe you.” 

Hearing those words, Maeve froze in place, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. With obvious effort she blinked them away, and as she went over to him the others echoed his sentiments, patting her on the back. The relief on her face was palpable, and she couldn’t help but smile wide. Then she looked at me, and I barely made out the words she spoke under her breath.

Maeve: "Thank you." 

I guess my thoughts reached the others. No matter how weird things get, we should at least have each other’s backs.

Xenna: “I doubt we’ll run into anything like that again, at least until we approach the Ardenscar.”

Maeve: “Well, at least now the desert sun is going to feel like a cool breeze by comparison.”

Xenna laughed ruefully, massaging her steam burns.

Xenna: “For you, maybe!” 

Wolfgang approached her and took an appraising look at them. 

Wolfgang: "I should be able to find what I need to put together a balm for this by the time we reach the city.” 

She nodded her gratitude, carrying her injury with surprising grace for a humble scholar. Having mostly recovered from our harrowing encounter, we then continued the trek to Xindelle’s border.