The Long Way

We depart the next morning. For the first day we walk alongside the army, but since they have to make camp earlier, we will continue on in the evening without them.

I can see the advantages of a large group of people. Some clear the way for us, which is direly needed because of the incredible plant growth under miasma, some take care of small ambushes. Right now, the army is under my protection from the harmful fog, but when we leave, they will have to fend for themselves. Last night, with the help of Poru, the army’s light mages and Erya’s blessing, we tried to enchant an artifact to serve as protection in my stead, but it’s anyone's guess how well it’ll hold up. The light mages assure me they can hold back the miasma for a week without me… Well, I just have to trust them.

“You should really learn how to ride,” Karina says and pokes my back. “Pretty much everyone can.”

We’ve been sharing a horse for the last few hours, me sitting in front of her like a passenger princess.

“There were no horses around where I lived. Just cars.”

“Cars? What are cars?”

I think for a moment. “It’s like carriages propelled without being drawn by a horse.”

“With magic?”

“Something like that.”

“Huh. Weird.”

Well, if you don’t know how engines work, they might as well be magic. To think of it, so many things in my old world worked like that. Smartphones, TVs, planes. You could use them without knowing their inner workings.

“I’m sure I will learn in time.”

Next to us, Poru and Nono share another horse. There aren’t many extras to go around. Safrim is up ahead with the commanders, no doubt hashing out route plans.

“The further we go, the higher the plants grow. I know these lands have been abandoned for a while, but this seems out of place for this climate. Char sits in a much drier region, but this feels like going into a jungle,” Poru says.

“You’ve been to a jungle?” I ask.

“The dark elven lands are hidden away in caves in the middle of a jungle. It’s always twilight at the bottom of the large trees, so even if we venture out of the caves, we’re not exposed to the light.”

“But you don’t mind the sun?”

Poru laughs.

“None of us are vulnerable to the sun, it’s just the way we are raised and prefer to live. We can see so well in the dark, the sunlight is actually much too bright for our eyes if we’re not used to it. There are no bright lights underground—just things like softly glowing mushrooms, or magic flames with a very low brightness. Imagine the shock of my parents when I developed light magic and basically lit up our whole cave so suddenly, most of us were blinded for hours.”

It sounds like a fun story, but I can’t imagine it was as lighthearted. He has left his home, after all.

“Do you miss the caverns?” Nono asks.

“The place? No. The people… yes. Despite everything.”

“If we can manage to push forward, maybe you can visit them again,” I say. “When Safrim explained the lay of the continent to me, I remember seeing your homeland in the far east—past Char.”

“That’s right. But it’s weeks of travel, and that’s without having to fight along the way,” Poru says.

“Wait. Then how did you get to Atol in the first place, if the way is so dangerous and you were all alone?” I ask.

“By the grace of our Lady Erya, my path was blessed. I prayed to her every night and walked under her protection during the day. The land is abundant, so I was never wanting for food or water. It took me half a year to reach Atol, as I had to dodge major demon camps in my travels. When I finally arrived, High Priestess Shilvy took me in despite my origins, as my travels were obviously a sign of my strong faith.”

I have never heard Poru talk so much. Even though he recounts an impossible journey, he sounds calm and collected. I can’t believe he was as confident during the travels, but he made it, after all. If the Light’s Champion enjoys such protection from his goddess, maybe the heroes are similarly protected and we will meet this Suzu Kato after all.

“You’ve been blessed in ways you never wanted,” Nono says.

Poru smiles. “I didn’t want it, that’s true. But now I’ve come to accept my role and my place in this world. If I had stayed at home, I would’ve hidden away in the darkness, not facing the threat.”

Silence falls over us, only the sounds of the horseshoes on the road and the murmur of the troops audible in the distance. I am once again reminded of the difference between our worlds. Disregarding the magic, the gods and all that, I can’t help but feel blessed to have lived in a world with relative peace—at least in my country. The danger, the life-changing decisions and the determination that these people have… I could never match it.

The silence threatens to become oppressive, so I try to change the topic.

“What’s the Fire God’s name?”

“Oh. There are still a few gaps in your knowledge,” Karina quips and pokes my ribs. “His name is Pym. From the few depictions of him that I’ve seen during my life, I think he must be exceptionally handsome.”

If he’s anything like Erya, he’s probably blessed with equally good looks. I think she might be slightly insane, but she does look gorgeous while doing it.

“His character is somewhat different to Lady Erya,” Poru continues. “While the light is mainly used to defend and purge, Pym dedicates his powers to speed and destruction.”

“Maybe you realised that a lot of people can use, if only a little, fire magic? Kari and I are just two examples. Even if not talented for magic, lots can produce at least a spark.”

I’ve come to look forward to Nono’s explanations. With her age and affiliation, I’m sure she knows more than everyone here combined. And I’ve accepted the fact that I believe what she’s saying, despite everything. She continues by producing a small flame in her hand.

“Pym believes he is the height of creation and the perfect being. Therefore he spreads his power far and wide, even to the ones with little to no aptitude, bestowing what he calls his gift. Ever impulsive.”

The others, too, hang on Nono’s words. Wait. Is that new information, even for them?

“We can appreciate his swift action today. Without this impulsive nature, Char’s army would’ve likely not capitalised on the opportunity to strike back,” I say.

“That is true. I wonder if you’ll be able to meet Pym like you met our Lady Erya,” Karina remarks.

If this Pym is more self-enarmoured than even Erya, I’m not sure if I want to…