Minily, Laiko, and Aggilla ran through the winding canyon for weeks only ever moving at night when the rocks were cool and only stopping when the heat became unbearable. Scorching heat and sizzling rock would burn any patches exposed to the elements. Sweat would form and fall down their bodies in beads instantly. Dry, dusty rocks heated by a furious ball of fire hanging in the sky.

  Over the weeks, they had become masters at knowing where the shade was and when they needed to create their own. Some days were hotter than others, some provided more protection than the others in the forms of overcast clouds, and some were just weird.

  Lizardmen riding giant lizards using lizard-skin armor ambushed them when the sun was at its peak. Minily made so many jokes about them and there was a long discussion whether that would be considered cannibalism or not. That devolved into discussing why there isn’t some little creature that moves around in human-like skin. It finally ended with a laugh when Laiko made the joke that Synexus could make one if she was looking for a pet.

  Another day, a giant quilled beast came rolling like a boulder down the middle of the canyon and they had to panic climb the walls not to be skewered by the metal spikes that made up the quills. Aggilla couldn’t help but yell out the actual name of the creature which happened to be Laiki. Minily almost fell from her handholds on the wall from laughing too hard. The jokes about how Laiko could have been some spikey ball instead of a human if one letter of his name was different lasted for almost a week. Aggilla joined in the torment when she exposed that she did, in fact, think Laiko was named after the great beast.

  The Nexus saved their lives again as it became their only source of fresh water in the blistering rock heap. Thousands of postings for fresh water were always up on there and it made sense. There was money to be made from adventurers needing emergency supplies. If you had access to fresh water, why not turn some of it into Progress Credits?

  With each passing day sprinting through the canyon, Minily could feel the lost getting closer. The trail was even getting stronger. Whatever was going on, they would find out soon.

  Minily was looking forward to leaving the canyon. She hated the dry heat and the dust constantly filling her lungs. She was born on the great open oceans of Motholo and never in her life had she been somewhere so dry. When she saw the landscape in front of them wasn’t the same red and beige, her heart started to beat faster.

  “Oh, thank the sweet rolls! We finally found the next biome on this planet.”

  “Uh. That might not be a good thing.” Aggilla was still a little shy even though she would take small strides out of her shell to join in on their fun.

  The trio screeched to a halt at the exact line where the landscape switched over. A putrid, sulfuric scent clung to the air.

  “Aggilla, report!”

  “Yes, madam! I…”

  “Madam?! I thought we were over this! It’s Minily!”

  Laiko chuckled.

  “Oy! No one asked you, spike ball!”

  Aggilla ignored them and went on with her report.

  “As a child, I was told stories of this swamp. It’s ancient and exudes an aura of terror. From books and stories, I know that the whole swamp is alive and akin to a singular living being. Don’t get stuck in the mud and be wary of what lies beneath the water they say. People go in this swamp and don’t ever come out. Some say they have been swallowed. Others say it’s all a hoax to scare children.”

  “Smells foul. Even the air inside is rotten. Let us wait for daybreak to enter and we will all wear masks. Don’t drink the water, don’t lose sight of each other, and avoid the mud if that’s possible.”

  “What did you say this swamp is called, Aggilla?” Laiko had knelt down to investigate the oozing black mud at the edge of the swamp.

  “I didn’t. It has many names, but the one that most agree on is Seeping Wound.”

  “Delightful. Out of the oven, into an infected wound. Everything on this planet is trying to kill us.”

  Laiko couldn’t help but agree with Minily.

  Setting up camp took ten minutes and twenty minutes after that all three were in a deep sleep. One of Minily’s shields was active over the three tents. Daybreak was only two hours away. Rest was always elusive.

  When the sun streamed through the shield and created a sort of light through water effect the trio tore down their tents, cooked some lizard meat over a fire, and got their daily sweet rolls. Minily was the only one with extra credits after having to buy water for weeks. Laiko did gain another hundred when he leveled up and Aggilla hadn’t turned any of her pieces into credits yet. Still, the sweet rolls were essential. It kept their spirits high and it was one moment in the day when they could forget how violent everything was.

  All good things had to end, however, and breakfast was included. Soon they were standing at the edge of the swamp again peering into the depths. Thick, rotted trees didn’t allow them to see that far into the lethal area. Minily grabbed Laiko’s hand, and Laiko grabbed Aggilla’s. She blushed but didn’t pull away. It would be essential that they stayed together. The swamp fumes made everything look murky.

  Putting one foot down into the swamp made Minily realize why people thought their lost loved ones were swallowed. Her feet sank down with the vegetation into the black oozing mud. Water from the moist substance soon covered her foot in the shallow puddle she had made.

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  “We will need to move fast. Our feet are going to get wet. Let’s go.”

  The chain of three adventurers shot off from the boundary of the two biomes and found themselves barely touching the ground before taking another step forward. Twisted roots and gnarled vines made it increasingly harder to keep up their pace. Desiccated trees, thick vegetation, and entangled vines became denser with every step into the swamp. A murky veil made traversing over and through the obstacles even more difficult. Laiko nearly tripped several times and only stayed up by Minily pulling him forward. Aggilla seemed fine even though she had a look of pure concentration on her face.

  Minily led them through the numerous obstacles with precision making sure they avoided the waist deep water or the vast clearings of pure mud. Her mind and feet worked in overdrive to keep them safe while staying on the heels of the lost. Each passing moment brought them closer to the ever brighter beacon her skill afforded her. There was one problem, however. As it grew bigger, it also was clear they were underground.

  Sunlight was completely blocked out in the swamp. An eternal night with the stench of sulfur so dense it could choke someone. Seeping Wound was an accurate name. Leeches the size of an average adult slinked along through the mud, the water, and even above in the canopy the trees made. Their teeth could pierce through armor and none of the trio wanted to know what happened when they got a taste. Along with the leeches, bipedal crocodiles with jaws etched with enough muscle to bite through a tree walked around freely on their webbed feet. Bats fluttered through the trees kicking up more of the smell with their little wings. They had even seen some kind of amalgam of roots, vines, and branches making a meal out of one of the leeches. Completely tore it a part before stuffing its pieces down what looked like a black hole.

  Minily set them down on a relatively flat fallen tree. Its trunk was massive and kept them off the wet ground.

  “I’m not sure how long we’ve been travelling through this toxic wasteland, but we are quite deep. This entire environment is hostile.”

  “I agree. We shouldn’t stay still for too long. Those leeches look like ambush predators.”

  “The leeches? I’m more worried about the bats. Those fangs looked vicious and the thought of being in a swarm of them makes me have chills.” Aggilla looked toward the treetops and whispered her thoughts.

  “We can take the monsters living here. I’m more worried about not being able to stay dry. My feet are soaked and we’ve barely touched down before moving on. And this humidity is awful. Look at how frizzy my hair is!”

  “Be serious, Minily! Your hair is not a priority right now. My feet are soaked as well. We could try moving through the trees, maybe?”

  Aggilla rustled through her bag before throwing a jar of a clear yellowish substance to Minily.

  “Hair honey. It’ll protected it from the humid air.” She said. “If we move through the trees, won’t we antagonize the bats?”

  Minily didn’t even answer. Her hands were already moving the substance through her hair.

  “Minily! Focus!”

  “Alright, alright. Such a stick in the mud.” She paused at the joke and sighed when there was no laughter. “You guys were more fun in the oven. We can deal with the bats. Moving through the trees might be easier and will keep our feet dry. Besides, we are getting close, but there is a problem.”

  Both Laiko and Aggilla stared at her waiting for her to continue.

  “What’s the problem, Minily? Seriously, how hard would that be to say. Fine. The problem is that the people are underground. We will need to find some sort of entrance which could prove difficult. Moving through the trees may give us a better vantage point.”

  They sat silent for three hours to rest and dry their feet before jumping into the nearest tree. The rotted branches could barely hold their weight, but they continued moving quickly through the trees only stopping to take out a bat before they could alert the others. A leech tried to attack them, but it was much too slow, and they were three trees away before it was able to strike. Laiko used his daggers to teleport further ahead to take care of any problems before the two caught up. He was becoming an efficient killer and was barely slowed down from fights. Constant hostility was the forge warriors dreamed of.

  When they were directly over the lost, Minily stopped them and she scanned the ground. There were no obvious openings or ways down. She didn’t see any sign of activity either. That made them change course to the tallest tree they could find and climb to the top. As they got higher, the branches became weaker. Aggilla almost fell twice before Minily continued alone with her advanced stats. Laiko stayed with Aggilla and from their branch they could see a little sunlight. It looked like the sun was setting.

  “You’ve never talked about your family. Are they back in the city?”

  “No. My parents died when I was young. City officials often plunder the orphanages for promising children.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. It was so long ago, and I was too little to actually know them. Like you’ve said before, it’s the life of class chosen, right?”

  “It is, but it shouldn’t be. Your parents had a duty to you. You grew up without anyone because of their choices.”

  Aggilla shrugged. “Anyone can die at any time. At least I know they died attempting to help someone. Take you and Minily, for example. You don’t owe this world anything, yet you’re putting your lives on the line to rescue our people. If you died here, wouldn’t you be just like my parents? Your friends you always talk about, and your family would miss you dearly.”

  “The difference is that no one is depending on us or at least that’s how I justify it. My friends. My parents. They will live their lives like normal. Me dying wouldn’t change their lives.”

  “Well now that’s a silly thing to say. A death always changes someone’s life. You said you already lost your sister; your parents might not be able to live after losing another child.”

  Laiko recoiled at the possibility. “Maybe you’re right. Let’s just go back to the city.”

  Aggilla laughed. “Not what I’m saying. We all live and hope our lives mean something. Risking it to save others means something. That’s why when Alora asked for a volunteer, I raised my hand instantly. If the life of a poor orphan can mean something, that would fulfill my wildest dream.”

  “Your life already means something. Aggilla, I’ll never forget you. No matter what happens. Even when we go back home. I’ll tell stories of the brave courier who conquered a sweltering canyon. Who fought lizardmen and bats. Who put her safety to the side to follow a mad woman and her unfortunate friend in order to save two hundred people who were lost.”

  Aggilla was tearing up. She couldn’t speak like something was caught in her throat. It was at that moment that Minily spoke.

  “Are you two done yapping yet? I think I found where we need to go.”

  “How long have you been there?!”

  “I was waiting for the climatic kiss where you two figured out you were destined to be with each other. Apparently, I’ve been reading too many of those fictions from the Nexus though. That was a letdown.”

  Aggilla looked away from the two of them. Laiko blushed.

  “Minily! Why do you always have to make things weird?!”

  Minily shrugged. “It’s my gift. Now, can I tell you about what I found?”

  “Please.”

  “I couldn’t see much from up there. Damn trees grow too close together. However, there is a dome of that murky gas to our west. I’d bet my reputation as a pirate that we will find what we are looking for over there.”

  “Then let’s go end this.”

  Aggilla and Minily nodded before the three started descending the tree and heading towards the barrier of toxic swamp gas.