Vekrem stared at me curiously. “Zombie…” he mused, hand on his chin. “I’ve never heard that term before. Is it from your world?”

  “Something like that,” I replied. “It’s fake—fictional. But essentially it means animated dead.”

  Vekrem scratched his neck consideringly. “Well then, I suppose the radiant rot is exactly like a zombie. When one dies, it compels them to spread their disease. My kind, hybrids, are nearly immune to it, except for a concentrated dose, like you applied to Kech.”

  “Great…”

  “It is a dangerous foe, to be sure—the kilid, as we call them. But we have talked quite enough for the night. We should sleep and discuss our plans moving forward in the morning.”

  That night, I slept like shit. From the cackling fire that sounded like distant sounds of tree limbs breaking, to the buzzing, annoying insects that seemed to be drawn to my mouth and eyes; I hadn’t gotten more than an hour of true rest.

  Worse, Asema had volunteered to be a lookout for the night, stating that she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. She kept watch alone, standing at the only entrance and exit at the base of the stone tower… and she didn’t stop crying the entire night. With every gust that whistled on old stone, I couldn’t tell if it was actually the wind, or her desperate sobs meant for the night and the stars alone.

  I’d caused her pain with my carelessness—how could I have been so stupid as to tell her of another world where their lives, the lives of humans, weren’t bound to solitude? I felt like a jackass, and Dragon silently sent his approval towards my self-assessment.

  Vekrem pretended to sleep, still propped in the same place I’d found him when first arriving at the tower. His eyes were closed, but I noticed a meticulous tapping of his finger onto the stone beneath him; some type of nervous tick.

  The only one of us who seemed content was Saise. From the little I knew of her, she seemed to have the spirit of a warrior. I, for some reason, pictured her on a battlefield, leading a charge from on top of her hyena-like mount that she’d seemingly left behind. Stressful times tend to roll off the back of people like that.

  I closed my eyes and refused to think any longer, begging—no, pleading—for sleep to come.

  ***

  “Wake up, human!” Saise said, kicking me in the ribs.

  It was a light jab, but was still enough to cause me to exhale uncomfortably.

  Rolling over and pushing myself to a sitting position, I let out an audible groan, holding my then bruised ribs. After a moment, I felt that it wasn’t my ribs that bothered me most, but my back. It was as if I had slept on rocks.

  Chuckling to myself, I realized I had.

  Turning my head to address Saise, I asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a pain in the ass?”

  She gave me a humph as she walked away. Bending, she leaned over the fire, which had burned down to small red coals, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it over the top to extinguish it completely.

  Looking around, I saw neither head nor tail of Vekrem or Asema. I stood and couldn’t shake my worry.

  “Do you know where they are?” I asked.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “You’re a timid one for being as strong as you are,” Saise replied. Her face softened, and the stress lines on her fox-like face eased. “Relax, they are… relieving themselves.”

  She turned away, went to a traveler’s pack placed against the side of the adjacent wall, opened it up and rummaged through.

  I turned towards the exit. “Nice talking to you too.”

  I felt my face flush, and it was at that time I realized that I too had to take a piss. Walking out of the stone tower, I made a right turn, not really sure where I was in the dense forest. Soon, I found a suitable tree, untied, and relieved myself right there in the openness of nature.

  When done, I pulled my pants back up and turned to find Vekrem patiently waiting for me to finish. Surprisingly, he had not made a sound as he approached.

  “We need to talk,” he said. “All of us. Do you know where Asema went?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t ask me,” I replied. “I was out here looking for the both of you. I thought the two of you had gone out together.”

  Vekrem shook his head, indicating they hadn’t.

  “Think she… ran away?” I asked. “Went home? I mean, I wouldn’t blame her. Finding out about other worlds… it’s a lot to take in. I’m surprised how well Saise and you are taking it.”

  “Saise is a mystery,” Vekrem replied. “And as for me, I am just too preoccupied with current events to dwell on it. For certain, when this is through, the two of us will have much to speak of.”

  “Three of us,” Dragon rumbled.

  Smiling, Vekrem amended, “Apologies, wise Dragon. The three of us.”

  Dragon smoldered contentedly in my mind.

  Turning the conversation back, Vekrem continued, “We had better find Asema; we’ll need the entire day to reach Mossguard.”

  “Mossguard?” I replied, smiling. “That has a nice ring to it; sounds like something that should be right in place in DnD.”

  Vekrem scratched his fluffy hair curiously, which seemed to have an unnatural bounce to it. “If you say so,” he replied, making it apparent that he had no idea what I was talking about.

  We walked together back towards the stone tower, but when we arrived, it was empty. Neither Saise nor Asema were anywhere in sight.

  “Think they left us?” I asked.

  Vekrem scanned the area. “No, I don’t believe so.” Pointing, he continued, “Saise’s traveling pack is still here, and Asema… from the short portions I heard last night, I don’t think she’ll abandon this quest.” He sighed out, leaning against the stone wall. “I’ve been a fool. Before, I was only reacting to the circumstances that were laid out before me. It was an opportunity, and I sprang at it. Nothing more, nothing less. But there are real lives at stake here! Something I had not considered before last night. Truly, I have been a fool.”

  I put my hand on Vekrem’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it—I’m a fucking idiot! Hell, this is probably all my fault.”

  Vekrem glanced at me, even more worried than before.

  “I mean… I don’t know if that’s true exactly,” I replied. “I’m like a little kid given too much power. I think I need to master it before becoming too reckless.”

  Vekrem nodded. “Then we both have some growing up to do, friend. Come, let’s go look for them.”

  Leaving the stone tower once again, we walked in the river’s direction this time, but I had a burning question I wanted answered.

  “Hey, Vekrem, can I ask you a question?”

  Turning to me, Vekrem nodded wordlessly.

  “Why didn’t the Sentinels find us last night?” I asked. “It’s not like we were particularly sneaky, lighting a fire and all that. Seems like it would have been an easy task for them to find us.”

  “Perceptive,” Vekrem replied, gesturing towards his head. “And you are right… normally. I don’t expect you to know this, but we are no longer in rodrant territory. As with much of the Selea, the lycan controls this territory. Sure, they allow other hybrids to live and work the lands, but rest assured, they keep an iron claw to protect what they deem is theirs. Silverock would not risk starting a war just to catch some petty thieves and miscreants.”

  I breathed out. “That’s good to know.”

  Vekrem looked at me as if I were an idiot. “It really isn’t, but I suppose you’ll learn soon enough.”

  Before I could ask any further questions, we heard a sound in the distance, hidden behind the trees. The rushing of the water nearby cloaked the sound, but as we approached, stepping quietly, I put my hand to the hilt of my dagger. Asema spun from around a large red tree, so thick I’d need two more sets of arms to wrap around it. Standing in the clearing, her hair was a mess; her face soaked…

  And she was completely naked.