Chorsay thumped up to the front lobby of Althowin's compound. Even when he was stepping lightly, his size and the increased weight from all the bricks hanging in bags from his armor made him like an approaching thunderstorm.

"Indulf is going to continue to try to secure your other weapons," Althowin said to Owin. "He believes he found the Darkblade that Katalin made, but he hasn't been able to get ahold of it."

"I will figure it out soon," Indulf said, sitting behind his desk.

"Thank you," Owin said.

Indulf nodded and continued working on something Owin couldn't see.

"I'll make Isotelus and the Incandescent Blade work. That lets me and Shade each use a weapon." Owin let his hand hover near the mouth of the black bag. "How do I get what I want out of it?"

"It will give you what you need. Like Basolia, it will connect with your mind and predict what you are searching for. It might take another day or two before it's attuned. Be patient. Use your hands if necessary." Althowin bumped Owin's metal hand with her own. "This should hold up better now, but if it fully breaks from you punching something, I'll find a new model to match your strength. I might need to get creative."

Zezog strolled into the room and grabbed Chorsay's shoulder with a firm grasp that would surely crush the bones of a regular person. "Show them your strength."

"I will." Chorsay turned and shook Zezog's hand. "I appreciate the assistance."

Zezog nodded.

Potilia ran into the room and hugged Chorsay. "I can't believe you're going back in the dungeons!"

"You're a hero now," he said, trying to hug her back. The size difference made it awkward. "I have to prove why I lead the Nimble Hogs."

"You don't have to prove anything," she said, burying her face.

"I don't, but Owin and Shade need the company." He patted her head. "You get stronger and soon, we'll go into a dungeon together. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Potilia smiled. She avoided Shade when he tried to poke her in the face, and gave Owin a quick, somewhat awkward hug. "See you soon!"

Shade poked her in the back of the head.

Potilia turned on him, raising a fist.

The skeleton stepped back, hands raised. "Sorry!"

"What are you doing?" Owin asked.

"Being annoying, apparently." Shade placed his hands on top of his skull.

"Can I leave him with you?" Owin asked.

Althowin glared. "I will fill his skull with bombs."

Shade took a huge step back.

They said their goodbyes as Sanem, Raif, and Miya all filtered through. Sanem and Chorsay talked for some time about his sudden decision, but he didn't falter in the slightest.

Katalin and Ernie gave a quick, thoughtful farewell to Chorsay before standing beside Owin.

"I think we'll all be going back in a dungeon soon too," Kat said. "Ern has a few things he's been making."

"I needed to expand on the claverstan weaponry I modified, and Sofia knew exactly how to alter it. For a wizard, she is exceptionally talented with alchemy. Her fusion really opened my eyes to other possibilities." Ernie stared into space and sighed.

"Yeah, he's been doing that a lot for the last hour or two." Katalin waved her hand in front of his face causing Ernie to flinch.

Sofia stood in the doorway leading deeper into the compound with her raccoon skin hat in her hand. Her gray hair hung to one side, partially obscuring her large ear. She chewed on a cigar and nodded solemnly to Owin.

"You're going to do great," Ernie said. He bumped Owin's shoulder with a fist. "You're going to do great things."

Katalin leaned an elbow on Shade's shoulder. "If you don't remember every detail to tell me later, I'll follow through with Althowin's threat. Got it, skeleton boy?"

"Oh, yes. I do got it." Shade narrowed his eye sockets. "Every detail. I will tell you every little thing Owin says, and I usually leave out all the stupid little comments he makes when I tell stories."

"What stupid comments?"

"So many," Shade said quietly. "Remember when you were inside that giant spider and decided to narrate the whole thing?"

"What? You were just standing like a statue with spiders all over you!"

"See?"

Katalin smiled and playfully pushed Shade. "Every detail, Shade. And if you get more of your own history, Ernie and I want to know. Whatever you want to share."

"Sure. Okay. Just curiosity? Not looking in history books to try to find me?"

"Curiosity and the love of a good story," Katalin said.

"Time to cut it short," Althowin said. "These two are leaving. The rest of you are meeting with me, and those damn jobs better be done!" She pushed through to Chorsay and shook his hand once.

Everyone else filtered out, saying their goodbyes and waving to Owin, Chorsay, and Shade.

"When Myrsvai and Suta get back, can you give them a message?" Owin asked.

Althowin pointed at Indulf, who somehow already had a notepad ready.

"What's the message?" he asked.

"We're going to the Desert for our fusions and another shard. If we've been gone a while, wait until we get back. I want to see you before you go for another shard."

"Is this a romantic letter?" Shade asked.

"What?"

Indulf set the notepad down. "I will inform Myrsvai and Suta of your message and the approximate time you have been gone and my expected time of your arrival back to coordinate plans."

"Thanks." Owin frowned. "You have an expected time for me to be back?"

"I have estimates of dungeon travel times for every hero I know. You are the slowest of the heroes I consider powerful." Indulf grabbed a different notepad, flipped a page, nodded, and returned it to the desk.

"I am?"

"You wander," Althowin said. "Other heroes need food and sleep, but someone like Egnatia or even Vondaire will walk right through the dungeon to finish it before they need to truly sleep. The more shards you have, the less you need, but someone like Egnatia is still human and still needs those things. You're slow because you get distracted and you have a walking fucking comedian with the attention span of a fly. You know what, Shade? I don't actually hate you." She put her metal hand on the skeleton's shoulder. "This is a nice scarf."

"Thanks. I think it's part of my body."

Althowin pulled her hand away. "I know you try to keep people distracted so they don't ask about your past or what you really are. I respect it. And I respect that you truly do your best to keep Owin safe. The reports Indulf received in Atrevaar spoke highly of your battle prowess and your attempts to protect Owin."

Shade narrowed his eye sockets and just nodded.

"Prouvaria should be fine. I wouldn't expect anyone to move against you there. Not without scheming ahead of time, and we're giving them no time for that. Now, stop wasting time and get moving. I'll see you both when you've fused." Althowin opened the door and waved to the gathered heroes. "Who wants a free helmet? I want to make something."

The crowd outside obviously erupted in shouts. Indulf opened his window and leaned part way out, scanning the people gathered.

"We better hurry," Chorsay said. He stepped out, ducking past Althowin, and set off toward the portals.

Owin hurried after with Shade right behind.

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"Some small hero companies operate in Barcaen with even smaller branches out in other cities of Prouvaria," Chorsay said. "Althowin is right. They have no interest in us. With my bounty, and the two of you being who you are, I don't intend to linger."

The portal guards moved aside without payment. As far as Owin understood, they were technically under Althowin's control anyway since there wasn't a military for Vraxridge specifically. The Freedom Corps operated throughout the rest of Brukiya, but nobody wanted to piss off the 7 Shard Hero.

Chorsay gestured to the correct portal, and before Owin knew it, he was standing in Barcaen. As the sun continued to set, the city was full of lights. Strings of multicolored lights criss-crossed over the portal circle and the place felt more alive than any city he had seen. Maybe he had just grown too used to Vraxridge and its wary citizens. The only travelers passed straight through the portal circle or stayed to try to visit Althowin, never knowing when her whims might allow some heroes to acquire the best items in the world.

"I haven't been here in many years," Chorsay said. His towering presence was only accentuated by the bags of bricks and the vivid blue crossguard of his sheathed sword.

"But we're just going through quickly, right?" Owin asked.

"Hello!" Shade waved enthusiastically at some passing travelers. In the past, Owin would've expected people to shy away or run in fear at the loud, theatrical skeleton. There were enough people who had seen him and Shade, and enough who had watched the battle with Nikoletta that it seemed like people knew who he was.

"It's really him!" A woman waved back.

Owin grabbed Shade's arm and guided him out of the portal circle. "Don't get distracted."

"Name one time I've been distracted."

Chorsay gave Shade a look that surprisingly shut the skeleton up. "Barcaen has some of the best food in the world. On the way back, we can detour to try some."

"Will I have a tongue, tastebuds, or even so much as a stomach by that point?" Shade asked.

"There is a possibility. We don't know what might happen after Owin fuses." Chorsay put a huge hand on Shade's shoulder. "If we find more bones, perhaps you can regrow something else."

"My penis?" Shade asked with excitement.

Chorsay sighed and pushed the skeleton away.

"You know," Shade said as he stepped back close to the big man's side. "My bones have become less dusty and I've been given new abilities, but the only thing that appeared were the clothes. Are these meant to be my skin or are they just clothes? If I'm a skeleton forever, I might starve to death!"

Owin wanted to protest, to remind Shade that he hadn't eaten in the entire time they had been partners. Not actually eaten, at least. The skeleton had tried to eat a lot of things and failed every time.

Chorsay seemed to be in a similar mindset as neither of them tried to stop Shade from launching into a monologue about the difficulties of hunger and his insatiable yearning for food.

Barcaen was shorter than cities like Vraxridge and Atrevaar. The buildings didn't reach into the sky. Everything was lower causing the city to spread out. No one area was packed with people and businesses. Things were spread into different neighborhoods, as Chorsay explained, which made the city easier to live in for the locals but somewhat more confusing for visitors.

Everyone had said nobody in Prouvaria should care about them, which wasn't entirely true. Many people shouted to Owin and Shade or ran up and asked questions or said their praises before Chorsay shooed them away. Nobody was trying to fight them or murder them, but a good chunk of the people waved or said something, usually something encouraging.

"I know I stand out, but why do they do that?" Owin asked as they entered a less populated street. They were on the edge of the city heading into the desert, and there were only hotels and bars as far as Owin could see. Drunk people slumped against the wall of a bar with a seedy entrance in an alley. Chorsay pulled Owin away as he slowed, staring at some of the stumbling heroes.

At the edge of the city the air was cool with a slight breeze that bit at any exposed skin. The road led straight out of the city and into the desert where it degraded and eventually faded to compacted sands and rocks.

As flat as Barcaen had been, the land directly outside was rolling hills and big boulders that looked like they had been there forever. It took a keen eye and some effort for Owin to see the trail that continued through the landscape, following the curve of hills with all the dips and climbs.

After a few hours of walking at a calm, easy pace, Chorsay stopped. He dragged a boulder to the edge of the path and reclined, half standing, half sitting against the massive rock. "I could use a snack. I don't suppose you two need much of anything?"

"Love," Shade said.

Chorsay held out his arms. Shade immediately leapt over and embraced the old man.

"Alright," Chorsay said after a moment. He took off his pack and grabbed a jar. It held a brownish liquid that didn't look particularly appetizing, but after he took the lid off, some steam drifted off and Owin caught a whiff of something salty and savory. Chorsay held it out after noticing Owin's attention.

"I don't need it. You should eat it."

"Give it a taste. You're curious." Chorsay kept it extended.

"Fine." Owin took the jar and sipped. It was a thick broth with thin strips of meat and some vegetables floating within. Its flavor was identical to the smell.

"Oh, me too," Shade said.

Chorsay pulled the jar back. "Sorry, Shade."

"Ah. Fine. Someday."

"Yes, someday." Chorsay smiled warmly then drank the stew over the next few minutes.

Owin just sat on the ground. After not wearing his chitin armor for a while again, it felt odd to be fully wrapped up in the protective gear. It had gotten destroyed a lot through the Fortress, so it would have regenerated to be stronger than before since it was evolving armor. He didn't know how much stronger it would really get, especially when it was compared to 2 Shard mobs. Over time, he hoped it would catch up. The emerging claws and legs had become part of both his offense and defense, and he didn't want to get used to the feel of a new set of armor.

"Do you know much about the lehboa?" Chorsay asked after they had continued.

"Oh!" Owin reached into his bag and thought really hard about the Incandescent Blade. Apparently, he didn't need to think quite that hard because the sword was immediately pushed into his palm.

He pulled it from the bag, which was a weird sensation. The bag even made a bit of a noise, though Owin couldn't quite identify it.

The Incandescent Blade of Captain Magnan

Unique Master Magical Item

Captain Lyra Magnan once sieged the lehboa city of Amnopis. At night, when Prouvaria grew cold, the lehboa could see the Incandescent Blade shining as a constant reminder of their enemy just beyond the walls. Captain Magnan waited until the lehboa were starving, then scaled the walls and slaughtered every living creature inside Amnopis.

The Incandescent Blade uses the wielder's mana to ignite. The superheated blade can cut through any normal substance.

Note: Fire will go out upon loss of mana

Note: Fire will go out upon contact with too much water

He turned off his index and passed the sword to Chorsay, who opened his own. "Fascinating. I didn't realize that's what this sword was." He handed it back. "I am unfamiliar with Lyra Magnan, though we can know she was truly significant to have a weapon named after her. The way the description is worded brings some neutrality. I enjoy the lehboa, and I think you will as well. They are interesting little creatures. I recommend keeping this sword away when we're near the any lehboa."

Owin slipped it back through the opening of the bag, and he could swear the bag grunted with the effort. "Do you think they'd recognize it?"

"It depends on the knowledge Nehadya has given her people. The attacks from this Lyra Magnan might have been recent in their minds, or they might have never heard of her. It is impossible to say. With that being a unique weapon, we don't know how long it has been inside the dungeons. Uniques are created by alchemists or found on the upper levels. If a hero dies with one inside a dungeon, it vanishes and can be found anywhere within the seven at a later time. People have philosophized on the gods' treatment of uniques." Chorsay smiled at himself as they walked on. "There hasn't been a true consensus. Maybe I will use my question to learn the real answer and write my own book."

"Can any alchemist make uniques?" Owin asked.

The sun had fully set, leaving a cloudless night sky full of stars. The moon was full, providing enough light for them to easily navigate the rolling hills. Walking along the path was far from treacherous. The most dangerous things were rocks to trip over and the occasional cactus that had grown a bit too close.

"Not most. Ernie has made some, and every piece of equipment Althowin makes is a unique. They have to be a master or higher to be a unique, and I believe there are other requirements before an item can be qualified as such." Chorsay gave a small shrug. "I have listened and learned to the best of my ability, but an old soldier like me can only use their imagination to understand alchemists."

"I saw Katalin turn a jar of mushrooms into a crystallized poison grenade that made a cetanthro swarm attack each other." Owin laughed a little. "I was confused the whole time."

"While you were in the Fortress, I spent time with Miya during her lessons. Althowin is terrifying," he said with a smile. "You would not believe the exercises Miya was going through."

"Did she blow anything up?"

"Oh, yes. Immediately. Althowin loved it."

They talked through the night and followed the path. Chorsay took a brief nap with Owin and Shade standing guard. It gave Owin a chance to mess with his bag, which sometimes made noises like it was alive. Shade eyed it curiously, but didn't have any better idea what the noises were. It only seemed to happen when Owin took something out or put something in, which made him hesitant to even use it. Realistically, the bag was too useful to leave alone, even if it made him uncomfortable. Just thinking about a health potion made it so he only had to brush the opening to grab hold of a bottle.

By the time dawn was upon them, they had reached the Desert Dungeon. The rising sun silhouetted a wide, rectangular building. At the early hour, there were no heroes gathered outside the wide archway in the middle that held the void nexus leading inside.

As they neared and got the sun out of their eyes, Owin could see the massive sandstone bricks that formed the outside of the building. Intricate carvings surrounded the central archway.

The Fortress had also been a massive building made of cut stones, but it had been a tower without design or style. The Ocean had just been a void nexus on a sandbar. And from what he could remember of the Great Forest, it was basically just a massive tree.

That made the Desert the first dungeon he had seen where the entrance looked intentionally beautiful. Based on the nature of the dungeons and things like the boundary walls that couldn't be harmed or modified, Owin suspected the huge bricks that made up the Desert's structure also couldn't be carved by anyone but the gods.

"Do you need more sleep?" Owin asked.

"I'll take another hour nap before we go. With my shards active and my soldier abilities, I will be in top shape as we go." Chorsay found a spot where heroes had previously camped. He ate another snack before using his pack as a pillow. He was unconscious in seconds.

"Come up here," Owin said. He led Shade to the archway. Most of the carvings were far above them, following the entire curve of the arch. They looked at the lower ones on each side. There were symbols Owin didn't recognize. Shade said they were simply "symbols of the gods." There wasn't any elaboration, and Owin just had to accept that Shade probably didn't know much more either.

A variety of creatures and simple designs of buildings were also within the arching design. Owin didn't recognize any of the creatures, but he assumed they were the lehboa and whatever other mobs he would find inside. Someone like Potilia would probably be able to point at each one and name it perfectly, but he was far from an expert on any of the dungeons.

The sun was above the building, casting a long shadow in front of the entrance by the time Chorsay woke. The old man stretched, shifted some stuff in his bag, and marched right over. He took a look at the carvings, checked with both of them, then gestured.

"Skeletons first," Chorsay said.

"Oh." Shade took a big step toward the void nexus. "You flatter me."

Owin shoved the skeleton inside. "See you there." Owin hopped in right after, letting the world vanish all around him.

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