Chapter 419 - Second Expedition

Long chapter today!

Hump’s thoughts lingered on his conversation with Aldric. To him, the barrier of the seventh rank had always been the ultimate obstacle—the final step in a wizard’s journey. He’d never seriously considered what lay beyond it. such an idea was mere speculation, a dream of grandeur and power rather than something a mortal could truly attain.

But what if it wasn’t just a dream? What if the Book of Infinite Pages held the answer to something greater? Owalyn’s chant had spoken of the Wandering Wizard as if he were a god—one so powerful the Pantheon itself had formed by stealing his powers.

It was a compelling tale, but only one account. The truth was uncertain. Hump had always kept in mind that the information from his spellbook, Owalyn, and even Aldric might not be accurate. The pieces of history he had gathered fit together in some places yet contradicted each other in others. There were too many gaps, too many unanswered questions.

The Book of Infinite Pages and Owalyn made the Pantheon sound like slavers—tyrants who had stolen divinity for themselves. But those were accounts from their opposition. One should never expect an enemy to tell the full truth. What Hump was growing more and more certain of was that the gods were not what they claimed to be. There had been a great war, and different gods had chosen different sides. Now, the warlocks sought to claim that power for themselves.

Kassius had framed their goal as freedom—to give all people the opportunity to rise without divine oppression. But warlocks were selfish. Even if their cause had once been noble, their very nature warped them. They feasted on souls to survive, and over time, their ideals had been lost to the hunger for power.

But where did that leave him?

Owalyn herself had indicated to Hump that the gods were once mortals. He saw no reason for her to lie. Which meant others could follow the same path. The seventh rank was not the end. Something lay beyond the Soul Domain.

Hump found himself wondering just how far the gods walked to reach their heights. How much farther did he have to go?

If the Pantheon were not true gods, but mortals who had ascended to great power, then they were not infallible. They did not see and hear all. That would explain why they were never there when they were needed—why so much evil still existed in the world.

And if they were not all-powerful, then they could be defeated.

The thought settled something inside him. It felt very wizardly. Wizards had always defied the gods, using their own glyphs and blessings to harness divine power for themselves. Perhaps, one day, wizards would surpass them.

Perhaps, once, they already had.

A small smile tugged at Hump’s lips as he spotted Mav waving at him from across the training square. He raised a hand in return, watching as the boy hurried back to join the others.

“Emilia says he’s doing well,” Celaine said, stepping up beside him.

“Good,” Hump said. “I knew he had what it takes. Now we just need to track down his sister.”

“Do you really think we can?” Celaine asked.

“You would know better than me, my huntress.”

Celaine paused for a second. “We can do it. If she’s alive, we can do it. You ready to go?”

“Yep.”

“Got the key?”

Hump patted his pocket, then frowned when he found it empty. “No…” he trailed off as Celaine held the key between two fingers, a smug smile on her face.

“You’re no huntress. You’re a thief!”

She shrugged. “You were lost in your head and just asking to be taken advantage of.”

Starick had delivered a note with instructions to find the place of safety promised by the Three Eyes, along with a key. From the outside it looked like an ordinary house. Hump sensed nothing unusual about it. through the windows, he could see the lights were off inside.

Hump slid the key into the lock, and warmth pulsed back, spreading through his fingers. He felt the enchantment woven into the key activate, unseen magic shifting within the door. A soft click echoed from within, and the door swung inward without resistance, revealing a pitch-dark hallway.

He hesitated. Something was off. The darkness looked… wrong. Nisha hunched her back and started to growl.

“Something’s weird,” Celaine murmured beside him.

It was just the three of them—Hump’s suggestion to go alone hadn’t been met well.

Hump glanced at her. “Can you tell what?”

“No. But my eyes can’t see through this darkness. I don’t see a veil either so there must be some strong magic over this.”

Hump exhaled slowly, nodding. “I supposed that’s what we should expect from a safehouse of the Three Eyes.”

Stepping inside, the shift was immediate. The moment his boot crossed the threshold, the air thrummed with recognition. Lights flickered to life—small, glowing orbs attached to the ceiling, casting a warm golden glow over the entryway. Dark wood floors gleamed, and the scent of a floral incense filled the air.

Hump turned and squatted down, staring back at Nisha through the door as she eyed the doorway with suspicion. He could sense her panic. To her, he’d disappeared.

“Come on through,” Hump told her.

The little dragon put a hesitant step forward, eyes flicking from left to right as they studied the darkness. Seeing her barely fit through the door, Hump realised just how not so little she was anymore. The moment she was through, she bolted at him, tongue lolling out. She tried to jump up at him, only to correct herself now that she knew it would knock him over. After a few happy headbutts, she raced ahead into the rest of the house.

Celaine followed, laughing. They toured the house together. Beyond the entryway, a modest but well-furnished sitting room awaited—plush chairs, arranged around a sturdy wooden table, a few bookshelves lining the wall. A heart was on one side, the fire already started, filling the room with its faint crackle. As they wandered the rest of the house, Hump sensed the subtle magic laced throughout it, woven into the walls and ceilings.

The letter had explained that the magic here was designed to prevent a person’s aura or magic from leaking out and protected against uninvited guests. From the faint charge of essence in the air wherever Hump went, he believed it work. He certainly wouldn’t want to test such runes.

“This place is nice.” Celaine wandered back into the living room, setting her bag and coat on the table before heading into the kitchen. “Really nice! Look at this, Hump. There’s a cold box, cupboard thing.”

She’d opened a cupboard, revealing a large space steaming with cooled air.

“Get your spellbook out,” Celaine said. “You need to find out how to make this.”

“I’m not sure I can,” Hump said, trying to locate the runes but finding nothing. “I’d have to take it apart to even look at the runes, and I don’t think the Three Eyes would be too happy with me breaking their house.”

Celaine sighed, then took out a jar of water inside and searched for a glass, pouring herself some. “Thirsty?”

Hump nodded, smiling as she handed him another. Then he narrowed his eyes. “You look like you’re settling in.”

She nodded. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on you.”

“Oh yeah?” Hump said as his cheeks flushed. “Volunteering for the job?”

Celaine smirked, patting his arm before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Don’t get too excited,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m taking the bedroom on the left. You and Nisha can have the other.”

“I wouldn’t mind, you know?” Hump said.

“Wouldn’t mind what?” Celaine asked.

“Sharing…”

She stared at him, her mouth dropping open slight. Hump stared back, trying to resist the urge to laugh as her face turned bright red.

“Umm. I think…” she stumbled on her words.

“I was kidding,” Hump said with a satisfied grin. “That’s what you get for making fun of me. Of course I’ll take the other room.” Hump's heart hammered as he caught her hand and planted a kiss on it. “Join me in the living room in a bit?”

She giggled as she pulled away, her face red as she went back to the living room and picked up her bag, then headed toward the staircase. “Come on Nisha. You can help me put my stuff away.”

Nisha bolted after her, scrambling up the stairs like an oversized dog.

Hump took another swig of water, his mouth feeling dry. Now this was a development he hadn’t quite expected, but he wasn’t about to complain. He walked over to the mirror in the hallway and brushed the hair from his brow, the scrunched his nose at the sight.

Definitely time to check out the bath.

***

New orders arrived that night—their mission, to return to the scene of the battle against the gorger and try to locate its lair. It was a task expected to take multiple expeditions, but one that was deemed worthwhile.

Hump and Celaine met with the rest of the party in the wizard temple beneath Elenvine. They were waiting near the staging area when they arrived. Emilia stretched her arms overhead, grinning as she spotted their approach. Dylan was beside her, a satchel slung over one shoulder, his staff tucked under his arm. He looked far more rested than when Hump had last seen him.

“Where’s Bud?” Hump asked.

“Working over the details of the day with Marcela and Randall,” Emilia said. There was a smirk on her lips. “You two are late.”

“We had to take Nisha back to your estate,” Celaine said, giving her an unamused look.

“Good news, by the way,” Dylan said, reaching into his satchel and pulling out the envelope. He handed it to Hump. “This finally arrived this morning. It’s from Master Vivienne.”

“Oh, brilliant!” Hump gave the letter a skim, grinning at the mention of Prancer. Their horses had arrived safely in Sheercliff City with the first trading party from Drakalyn. It seemed the trade agreement they had helped broker between the Dastons and Celaine’s people was proving beneficial.

“Of course my steed is thriving,” Hump said proudly. “Prancer has gone on such a grand adventure! How many horses can claim to have traversed the Fallen Lands alongside dragons?”

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “I imagine that’s more of a nightmare for horses than a point of pride.”

Hump shook his head. “You just don’t understand, Dylan. He’ll have stories to tell. The other horses will respect him.”

Dylan sighed. "Right. I forgot how important social standing is among horses.”

Laughing, Hump gave a wizardly nod. “One day, Prancer’s name shall be known across the kingdom, and then you will truly understand.”

“I’ll be sure to relay your enthusiasm to my master," Dylan said dryly. “I’m writing to her anyway—I need to report my findings from the Remnant Realm. If there’s any way to create a plant that can harness the essence of that world, we might be able to restore it to what it once was. Imagine what that could mean.”

“You’d be a king,” Emilia said. “An entire world, yours to shape.”

Celaine snorted. “As if your people would ever let him keep it.”

“I’m serious, you two,” Dylan said. “It could take me years, but one day, I’m going to do it.”

“I believe you,” Hump said, smiling at the druid. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him so motivated for anything. “I would certainly like to see that world. While you’re writing Vivi, ask her about the artifact we recovered from Fishers Lake. If we could find a way to activate wizard temples without an artifact, it could prove useful.”

“Good idea,” Dylan agreed.

Celaine nodded toward the rest of the expedition teams assembling near the rift array. “We should find Bud. Looks like Anara’s about to call everyone in.”

Hump folded the letter and handed it back to Dylan. Another day, another expedition.

Their task for what might be the next few expeditions was to map out the area around the fissures they discovered by the battle with the gorger. It was the only point of interest found in the Remnant Realm that wasn’t manmade. Command wanted to know what it was, whether it was useful, and if the warlocks might share their interest. Along the way, they were to do their best to locate the gorger’s lair, but with only Marcela’s squad, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. In the meantime, another party would investigate the Wizard Temple to the east, while the rest of the expedition continued to map out this realm.

They moved as a squad today. Marcela and Randall’s parties sticking with them. About an hour had passed when Nisha flew down in front of him, filled with excitement as she dropped something at his feet.

“That’s a rock,” Hump said.

Nisha shoved her rock forward, huffing at Hump expectantly. He tilted his head, eyeing the subject. It wasn’t a particularly interesting rock. Staring over the barren plains of the Remnant Realm, they all looked much the same.

“Why did she bring me a rock, Celaine?”

Celaine shrugged. “Maybe she’s bored.”

“Try throwing it,” Dylan said.

“She’s not a dog,” Celaine said.

“She’s acting like one,” Dylan said. “She looks like she wants to play.”

“Do you want to play?” Hump asked her.

She continued to stare at him.

Hump picked up the rock and Nisha watched him with excitement, her bond happy. Hump threw it, and immediately he felt that change. She watched the rock fly with confusion. It hit the ground a good distance away, shattering to pieces, and Hump felt her heart drop. She looked at him with big eyes, deep confusion.

Hump rushed over to her. “Oh, I’m sorry girl. You wanted to keep that rock didn’t you? I didn’t realise.” Hump looked helplessly at Celaine, who shook her head and folded her arms.

“That’s what you get for listening to Dylan. I told you she’s not a dog.”

“We’ll find you a better rock,” Hump said. He searched, picking up another rock from nearby on the ground. “How’s this?”

Nisha turned her nose up at it and Hump frowned. “It’s the same rock!”

Her displeasure was clear as she turned away, sadness in their bond.

“Wait, look.” Hump held a hand over the earth, drawing it up to his hand and compressing it. Bronze essence shone brightly, and he crushed it further, until a black obsidian stone was inside. “Here. Look at this.” He held it out to her. “It matches your scales.”

Nisha’s purple eyes reflected on the stone’s surface as she eyed it. Tentatively, she closed her mouth around it and took it. Her tail wagged and Hump sensed happiness from her, then she raced on ahead.

“Your dragon is weird,” Randall said.

Hump let out a long sigh. “Yep.”

Emilia laughed, and then the others joined her. Hump smiled at her cheer. She’d been out of sorts since her mother woke up. It was good to see her back to normal a bit.

Hours passed before they returned to the scene of the battle against the gorger. If Hump had been wandering past, he might not have guessed a battle had even taken place. Any trace of essence was gone, no doubt consumed by the shades left behind. The ground looked completely different. They had left behind a landscape of jagged ridges, warped stone, and ringed walls. It was all gone now, with only piles of sand remaining in place.

“Is this really the place?” Marcela asked.

“The gorger’s magic must have crumbled,” Hump said. “Just like everything else in this world, it couldn’t hold itself together. Keep a look out for me. I’ll clear it.”

Hump approached the piles of sand and drew upon his essence, careful to contain his magic to the piles of sand. With some luck, it wouldn’t be enough to draw the attention of any shades. He shifted the sands, sending them flying through the air as if carried by the wind.

There wasn’t much to look at.

“Look here,” Celaine said, sifting through a layer of black dust on the ground. “I think this is what remains of the shades.”

“Do you have to touch it?” Emilia asked, wrinkling her nose.

Celaine laughed. “It’s just dust.”

As the sand cleared, Hump found what was left of the gorger near the centre. Its massive body had crumbled, reduced to little more than dust and brittle husk, like an ancient piece of pottery. The once-pulsing heartstone in its chest was cracked and empty, its essence faded so that all that remained was dirty glass. Deep gorges marred the rock where the beast had struggled for its final moments.

“Well, it’s definitely dead,” Skander said.

Marcela stepped past the body and approached the edge of the fissure, peering down into the darkness below. Hump joined her. The jagged chasm yawned wide, stretching far beyond the light. There was no end to the fissures. They continued on for as far as Hump could see, spreading over the rocky plateau like cracks in a window, like the very world was ripping to pieces.

“What could cause a place like this?” Marcela’s voice was filled with awe.

“If we go down there, we might find out.”

“Only issue is, down there, in the darkness, there’s a whole lot of shades.”

“This place is massive. There could be more gorgers, or the warlocks could be using this as their base of operations.”

“Why are we doing this when the warlocks could be out there?” Randall said. “We’re wasting time.”

“They could be here too,” Hump said. “Or something else could be. There must be a reason the shades are here. I’m willing to bet it has something to do with whatever caused this.”

He retrieved a vial of glowwater from his pouch, holding it over the edge before letting it drop. The alchemical mixture shimmered faintly as it tumbled into the depths, its glow dimming as it fell. Hump counted the seconds. When it splashed against the bottom, its liquid spilling out over the stone, he had reached ten.

“A long way down,” Dylan muttered.

“Will that not stir up the shades?” Randall asked.

“That was an alchemical mixture,” Hump said. “No essence. Don’t worry, we’ve come prepared.”

Marcela’s gaze swept across the fractured landscape, her expression thoughtful. “Right, well we have our orders. My party will take the centre. Randall, you circle around the east side. Hump, take the west. We’re not descending today. First, we map the region with the artifact and see what we can find, then report back to Anara.”

Hump exhaled slowly. This was going to be a long search. But it was what it was. Hump just had to cross his fingers it would be worth it in the end.