…
The next morning, the duo were already approaching Aridra, the new world city.
The stiff sand beneath their feet slowly roughened into dry grass. In the distance, a great mountain rose like a wall, its shadow spilling over the land. Aridra sat in that shadow, where the wind was a little cooler and vegetation dared to grow more freely. Here, the Sunder Plains were not just dunes and the occasional stubborn shrub, but scattered bushes, wiry trees and patches of yellowed grass.
The city's border was simple. A line of tents and wooden posts marked the edge, guards and watchmen lounging in the shade as much as they patrolled. It took no effort to pass through. Even those who didn't recognise Gold's face after years knew Gauri's. Eyes widened, backs straightened, and a few gave respectful nods as the boy walked by.
Further in, houses began to crowd the road. Most were small, some in disrepair, plaster cracked and timber exposed. But the streets were alive. Doors had been refashioned into counters, windows into display stalls. Cloth covers flapped in the breeze above tables loaded with trinkets, tools, jars of oil and dried meats. Voices overlapped - bartering, gossiping and calling out wares.
"It still stands as the greatest trading hub in the Sunder Plains," Gauri said, failing to hide the pride in his tone. "If there is one thing the Eclipse gave us, it's diversity. The abilities and skills people bring are incredible. There are races here from worlds we never even imagined. The exchange of cultures is…" He searched for the word in his head, smiling slightly as he glanced at Gold. "Amazing."
Gold gave him a sideways look. "What a talkative Restrani…" He found it strange. The Restrana are taught to guard their words like their flames.
But the boy was right. The Eclipse had torn them from their old worlds, and whatever happened in between was a blank. Everyone remembered their lives before; everyone remembered the day the sun went black. The gap between those two points was erased as if it never existed. With it came the undeniable truth: their world had not been the only one.
A short walk down the main street opened into a broader space - the central plaza. It was nothing grand in itself, just beaten earth and a few rough stone slabs. But the tents gave it colour, stitched canvases in every shade crowded around the perimeter. Merchants wandered between them, calling out deals, and clusters of people haggled, brows furrowed, hands gesturing.
Gold let his gaze wander, old memories brushing against the edges of his mind. Then something different caught his eye, a cluster of blue tents, larger than the rest, set together in a neat formation rather than the usual chaos.
"When did the Supremal Cognis get here?" Gold asked.
"They arrived shortly before I left," Gauri replied. "I'm not sure why they're here, or what they're doing though." he answered with a tone of wonder.
"It seems we need to walk faster," Gold said. "I have to discuss this with Aarav."
He quickened his stride.
…
After a longer walk through the city, the streets slowly widened and the buildings grew taller, cleaner. They came at last to a well-guarded estate. High walls enclosed a courtyard, and within, a mansion rose, sturdy, well-kept and composed of many stone bricks and slabs. Guards in layered cloth and leather stood at the gate, their postures straightening as they saw who was approaching, then shifting their gaze at Gold with shock.
"Gold! I can't believe it…" one of the Restrana at the front blurted, his face splitting into a grin. He waved to another guard inside, who turned and hurried off, clearly to deliver the news of Gauri and Gold's return.
Once they stepped through the gate and into the cool shade of the courtyard, a well-dressed older Restrani moved quickly toward them. His hair, like Gauri's, was ashy silver, though cut shorter, and dark bags framed his eyes.
"My boy!" Aarav swept Gauri into an embrace. "You almost left me a cinder from the stress you've caused." He pulled back, holding his son's face in both hands, searching for harm and finding none. Only then did he look past him, to Gold. "You've done me an unforgettable favour, my friend. Our entire household is in your debt."
After the reunion and a flurry of orders to servants, Gauri was ushered away to wash, eat and rest. The courtyard quieted.
"It is good to see you, Gold," Aarav said, turning back to him. "Though we've kept in touch through letters, seeing you in person is much better."
"Same to you, Aarav," Gold replied. "Thank you for your continued support in Underbog."
"Oh, come on," Aarav waved his hand. "You've helped me far more than I've helped you. Aridra owes you for how much trouble you've cleaned up for us." He smiled, but Gold's expression stayed neutral.
"Friend," Gold said. "I have to ask. Why are the Supremal Cognis in Aridra with their executives?"
Aarav paused, a chuckle escaping him. "You saw them already? I was going to tell you after you'd rested. But if I keep it short…" His tone shifted, turning more serious. "They've done it, Gold."
Gold's brow furrowed. "They found a way to influence the soul?"
Aarav nodded, still half in disbelief. "Yes. I can't quite wrap my head around it either. They even claim to have found a method of magic. The kind of thing you used to hear in stories before bed." He shook his head lightly. "But this time, they're not joking."
Gold said nothing for a moment, taking that in.
"Anyway," Aarav continued. "Now you know. There's more I need to explain, but it will take time, and you must be tired. I had the servants clear the room you used to use. And the sauna should be ready near sunfall - I remember how serious you are about maintaining your flame."
Gold nodded his head in thanks, and they parted ways for the moment. He retreated to his room.
Inside, he set his belongings neatly beside the bed. A door at the far side led into a small, private washing room. He stepped in and faced the mirror.
With a steady hand, he took a blade and began trimming his faint moustache, shaving away any stray hairs. He cut back the longer strands of his dark brown hair to keep them from falling into his eyes. The reflection stared back at him, a man with darkened skin, its surface smooth, and eyes that shimmered gold in the light.
"Why…" he thought. His eyes had been hazel before the Eclipse. He knew that much. He had also never met another nameless in the fifty years since.
He wanted to know why he was different and what those golden threads were.
…
After a few hours of rest, Gold dressed and made his way to the sauna. It was a large, dimly lit chamber, steam thick in the air. The heat hit him as soon as he opened the door, sinking into his skin, trying to pull sweat to the surface.
Along the walls, servants, guards, and other household staff sat in a long line, wrapped in towels, legs crossed, spines straight. Some had their eyes closed already. Gold joined them quietly, settling into an empty space.
They all did the same thing, palms resting on their knees, backs straight, deep controlled breaths. Gold let his mind become still, imagining the flow of air within him, the path his breath took as it fed the flame in his body.
He inhaled deeply through his nose. Heat rose in his chest, spilling out into his limbs until he could feel his skin radiating it. When he exhaled, the breath that left him was almost like a gust from an open kiln. Dozens of Restrana doing the same filled the room with a powerful, oppressive warmth.
"It's been a long time since I've refined my flame properly." he thought, feeling the old familiarity.
…
Hours later, the heat of the sauna had given way to the cool of evening. Outside the mansion, beneath the open sky, a great bonfire burned. Staff, guards, and family alike had gathered around it. Gold, Gauri, and Aarav sat among them.
Meat was tossed straight into the flames, pulled out charred and hissing. Large metal pots were carried from the kitchens, ladling out thick, oily stews into waiting bowls. Some people grabbed pieces of meat from the fire with calloused hands; others cupped their bowls and drank the soup directly.
There was no music. No shouting. Conversations flowed in low, easy tones with stories shared of news of births, of marriages, of small quarrels and reconciliations within the community. The fire crackled steadily at the centre of it all.
"Gold." Aarav's voice pulled his attention back. Gold turned, pausing his meal.
"I think it's time I explained what I meant earlier about the Cognis," Aarav said.
Gold nodded once, waiting.
"I've been told by the Cognis," Aarav began, "that through their research into magic, they've realised there are secrets in this world few have even grazed. That is why they've come back here, to Aridra."
"The Crater?" Gold asked immediately.
Aarav nodded. "I told them about the ocean geysers. Many expeditions report that they all cascade toward the endless pit at the middle of the Crater."
Gold understood. "So they're preparing an expedition to explore the ocean geysers. To find whatever it is they're looking for." he wondered what it was they're searching for.
"Exactly," Aarav confirmed. "But I'm using this opportunity for something else as well. I want to officially map out the underground caverns beneath."
He paused, choosing his next words. "They've put together a team for the expedition - one of their elites, two mercenaries, a geologist, my cartographer… and they're waiting on one more member." Aarav's eyes settled on Gold with a faint smile.
"Who are they waiting for?" Gold asked, though the answer was already forming.
"You."
Aarav seemed to enjoy the flicker of surprise that crossed Gold's otherwise steady face. "You've been interested in them for some time. And I've confirmed they're interested in you as well. You may not realise it, but you're considered one of the powerhouses among the Restrana now. And a very capable man in the Sunder Plains."
Gold thought on that quietly for a moment, gaze dropping to the bowl in his hands. "I've been meaning to approach them," he admitted. "Ever since you said they'd learned to interact with souls."
"Shall I confirm with them that you're finally coming, then?" Aarav asked.
Gold looked up. The decision was already made. He gave a small nod.
…
Early in the morning, Gold returned to the cluster of blue tents that housed the Cognis. After asking a nearby group of researchers, he was directed to a particular tent, the one where their so-called elite was staying.
"Excuse me," he called from outside.
"Enter," came the reply.
He pushed the flap aside and stepped in.
The room was lit softly by a scatter of candles. Some burned with regular orange flame, others flickered purple or blue, filling the tent with a faint mineral scent. A hammock hung between two central poles of the tent, swaying slightly in the warm air. Carpets layered the ground in overlapping patterns. From the supporting beams, plants spilled from hanging pots - broad leaves, thin curling vines, and a few flowers Gold recognised, like saltblooms from the Salt Flats, their pale petals edged in crystal. A Restrana favourite.
The woman at the desk barely glanced up as he entered. Quills, paper stacks and open folders crowded her workspace. She finished the line she was writing, then folded the sheet into neat thirds, slid it into an envelope and dripped wax onto the flap. The seal she pressed into it bore the Cognis symbol: an eye with lines twisting outward like a vortex.
"I have been waiting for a couple of days now, Mr. Gold," she said at last. Her voice was calm.
She pushed back her chair and rose. Her skin was unusually fair, her hair long, curly and black, falling around pointed ears that angled slightly higher. She wore a fitted black sleeveless shirt, banded tight around her torso, bronze leggings held up by a leather belt threaded with hooks, rings and loops for tools.Around her waist, just above the belt, an obsidian-black tentacle coiled, pulsing with life. Another wrapped her calf. A third wound around her torso and rested over one shoulder, having climbed across her back. All of them seemed to sprout from her lower spine.
What held Gold's attention, though, were her eyes. "You have her silver eyes," he said.
At that, the tentacle at her waist tightened, leather creaking under the pressure. "Is that why you spared her?" she asked, tone unchanged. "Infatuated by her eyes?"
She gave him no time to answer, reaching for a pair of gloves and a set of copper-rimmed goggles from the desk and moving past him toward the tent's entrance. She carried the scent of copper and metal as she brushed by.
"Although she was after my life, I had no reason to kill her once she failed," Gold replied, ignoring the barb in her words. He turned and followed as she lifted a long coat from a hook on the supporting beam.
"It does not matter," she said as they stepped out into the morning. "My mother was titled succubus. Execution would have been her fate sooner or later."
Gold walked at her shoulder. "Then I'm curious how execution never became your fate."
"The Supremal Cognis bought my life," she answered simply. "For that, I am grateful."
He glanced at her with the faintest hint of pity, then looked away.
After a few steps of silence, she spoke again after a sigh. "Enough idle chatter. Let's move on to business." She straightened slightly. "My name is Eyviria, head of pylonic research within Cognis."
Gold raised an eyebrow. "A head of a department here in Aridra? I've also never even heard of pylonic research," he said. It surprised him that someone of her rank had come in person.
Eyviria caught the attention of an errand runner passing by and handed him the sealed letter, murmuring a name and brief instruction. Then she looked back at Gold. "I manage the very department you've been so interested in, Mr. Gold. Pylons are the next era of magic."
She turned away again. A moment later, Gold felt something like a static charge brush over his skin, a sharp tingle running from neck to fingertips. Instinct made his hand snap to the hilt of his sword.
"Oh? You're quite sensitive," Eyviria commented, glancing over her shoulder. "You truly are as rare a specimen as I believed."
"Was that-"
"Yes," she cut in. "The influence of the soul. The thing you've been asking Aarav about."
Gold's curiosity flared up, but he kept his questions for now. He was here to work, he'd have them answered eventually anyways.
"Where are we going?" he asked instead.
"To meet your fellow team members," Eyviria replied. "I bought out a couple of rooms at an inn to gather everyone. I sent someone to tell them to wait there as soon as I heard you were coming."
Gold was about to respond when a familiar shout hit his ears.
"Haha! Gold, I knew you'd come back eventually!"
He turned just in time to see a tall, dark figure closing the distance with excited strides. The man didn't hesitate; he reached out, grabbed the back of Gold's head, and they leaned in, their foreheads knocking together with a solid thunk.
"Brother Fritt," Gold greeted, a pulse of warmth running through him as he felt the other man's heartbeat through the contact. "I'm glad to feel your flame still burning strong."
"Back at you, Brother Gold," Fritt grinned, red eyes bright. "An enduring flame that not even a storm could put out." he chuckled.
They released each other. Gold's hand stayed on Fritt's shoulder for a moment.
Fritt stood at the same height as Gold. His skin was black like charcoal, rough in texture, except for the front of his face, which held patches of ashy white broken by streaks of black that ran down his head like claw marks, continuing onto his neck. His hair was tied back into a short bun with a red string, each strand smooth grey. The sclera of his eyes were pitch black, pupils a burning red, and even the skin around his eyes was darkened. His nails had the shape of short claws on both hands and bare feet.
Despite the monstrous appearance, his build was excellent - lean but powerful, muscles moving under his skin with a flexible, contained strength. He wore no shirt, only a loose, tattered grey jacket thrown over his shoulders, dark grey pants held up by a rough, fibrous string of a belt. The edges of his clothes were singed in places, as if he'd walked through fire more than once.
"I see you're acquainted," Eyviria said dryly.
"Yeah!" Fritt replied, cheerful as ever. "Me and Gold go all the way back to the Eclipse. Cinikin and Restrana got real close after I introduced Gold to my Kiln."
Soon after, more figures approached from down the street.
"At least your company will be lively, it seems," came a woman's voice, low and a little rough.
Gold looked over. She was almost as tall as he was, skin a deep brown, black hair cut to her shoulders. A mark sat in the centre of her forehead, a sign he recognised. A Fruscal, a rare race. She wore layered leather armour studded with metal plates, and a great zweihander rested in a sheath across her back. Her frame was broad and muscular, her presence carrying a quiet dominance.
Two others followed close behind, both Restrani. One wore a simple black shirt and bronze shorts, a leather belt around his waist and another harness slanting from shoulder to hip, heavy with gadgets, satchels and a Cognis insignia. The other wore a white shirt and plain grey trousers, with a hip pouch and a large packed backpack slung over his shoulders.
"This is Mr. Gold," Eyviria said, addressing the small group. "The last to arrive, and the one we've been waiting on to begin. He'll be our final member for a safe journey."
Gold was already tired of the "Mr." "I'm not used to formalities," he said. "Just call me Gold. That's fine."
Eyviria gave a small nod and moved on. "This is Ferra Torami," she said, gesturing to the Fruscal. "Our third security asset."
Ferra extended a hand. Her grip firm when Gold shook it.
"This one here, Kavi," Eyviria pointed to the Restrani in the black shirt, "is my colleague and a fellow geologist. He'll help me identify what we're looking for."
Kavi gave Gold a slight bow of the head. Gold returned it.
"And Mr. Ajit," she continued, indicating the Restrani with the backpack, "has been sent by Aarav Kalim, to map the ocean geysers beneath the Salt Flats."
Ajit offered a friendly smile and a nod.
Eyviria gave them a moment to speak if they wished. No one did.
"Good," she said. "Then let's get moving. I had a courier deliver food and supplies to a spot near the city gate. We'll pick them up on the way. I assume you came ready to travel, yes, Gold?"
"All ready," he replied.
Eyviria held his gaze for a second longer than necessary, as if weighing something she could see that others could not. Then she turned.
They set out.