. It was at least thirty minutes before I caught my first fleeting whiff of the park that Ceria had detected. Not long after that, we entered a gallery with three exits. Ceria pointed at one and said, “The scent is that direction.” While digging out my locator stone, I shook my head. “We aren’t looking for a park. We’re …

. We went ahead and took a short lunch before continuing, so Bruna could have more time to recover. Throughout that time, I kept nervously checking her condition. The bracelet seemed to be doing its job, thankfully. Finally, I felt confident to allow us to continue. It was well-timed, since as we gathered our things and prepared to head deeper …

I held down panic that I’m certain came from the Robert side, because steel-nerved Tiana would never panic, and rolled Bruna onto her back. In order to see better, I lit my circlet of light. Her arm had indeed mostly stopped bleeding, but my fairy sight showed miasma raging out of control in her body. “I really need to do …

  Mines are an existence that no civilization can do without. Britain had prehistoric flint mines long before they built Stonehenge, and in Egypt there are copper mines dating back to before the pyramids. The work was dangerous, but had to be done, in order for civilization to exist. It’s no different on Huade, but here, the miners always run …

I woke to a familiar feeling. Maybe I should call it a texture. Now that I had experienced it a few times, it had become familiar. I can only describe it as a state of awareness that feels like neither reality nor dreams. The room was lit much better than the one small magic lantern near Arken’s cot could explain. …

Uncle Arken, as it turned out, did not know. When I got back, the atmosphere was still heavy. I caught Lute’s eyes several times; he was openly glaring at me. Melione was overtly trying to ignore me. Once I had finished a light lunch,– bread left over from breakfast, plus some skewer meat I had bought on the way back …

“Ah, I can’t believe we wasted a day on that…” (Cat girl) “I know, right? What a useless bunch. They didn’t even last half a day.” (Human girl) “I think we spent more time on the wagon going up there and back.” (Cat girl) “Aaaah~! I wish those hunks we woke up with woulda let us party up with them.” …

. It was awkward at the hideout, made worse by the immature voice within myself that urged me to blame it on her, for not wearing the amulet. But of course I knew that didn’t mean a thing. It was my responsibility to avoid overdoing it. I had been taught so since childhood. For my own sanity’s sake, I decided …

Far in the past lived a race that knew neither age nor sickness. They paid no heed to the ancient Silver Empire that once ruled three continents, and took no notice of its laws. As with all the races, they had their worthy and their wicked, but in the eyes of the Imperial mages and nobility, their existence itself was …

I watched Arken enchant a bracelet for Melione while my guts ached. It was difficult on him, doing something like this with all his injuries, but his beautiful elven face did not betray a hint of pain. Since I would likely have to deal with strangers on my own when I went out to rescue the three missing members, he …