"So be it." The wyrm straightened his neck and took on a regal air. "Now listen to the words of Dhurak, He Who Grinds the Hills, Last of the Forest Wyrms." Lifting his upper body into the air, he held his hands out wide. "I swear to you, by the memory of the world and the bones of my ancestors, that I will align myself with your will. I will obey your commands without complaint or deception, and I will protect you, your children, and your childrens' children from all who would oppose your line." The wyrm's eyes began shining with an inner light. "If I should betray this oath, may my soul fade into the Black Waters, where it will never know rest, for all of eternity." His glowing eyes locked onto mine. "This vow I make to you, Alex, the Iron Sentinel, Hero of the Pit."

  As the final word left his lips, his eyes flashed, and steam billowed from his nose and mouth. At the same time, my forearm burned like hellfire itself had been pressed to my skin. "Damn..." I grabbed my forearm and pressed. Just then, a powerful sensation washed over me. The burning spread, descending from my skin and into my body. As it sank into me, I felt it burn into my spirit itself.

  For a time, all I knew was pain.

  Then, all at once, the pain subsided. In its place, I felt... whatever it was linking him to me. It felt similar to Ark and the others, but far more intense. So intense that I couldn't help but gasp out loud. With a groan, I grabbed my bracer and tore at the straps. When the metal fell to the ground, I found that the brand on my arm was burning with a pale golden light.

  Rrrrrr...

  Hearing Dhurak's rumbling, I gazed upward to find his forehead glowing with the same light that was shining on my arm. As I watched, lines appeared in the scales between his eyes, growing thicker and more detailed with every passing moment. Slowly, the symbol of the shield, the same as the one that was burned into my forearm, had carved itself into his scales.

  When the light began to fade, Dhurak rumbled, "It is done."

  "I'm honored, Dhurak." I did my best to sound unfazed, but I knew I wasn't fooling anyone.

  The wyrm inclined his head.

  "Amazing..." Tristan whispered, then kissed my cheek. "You're truly amazing, my love."

  Grinning, I pulled the line she and Vral always used on me. "I am pretty great, aren't I?"

  She kissed my cheek a second time. "You certainly are."

  Vral stepped forward and pointed at the mark on the wyrm's head. "Isn't that the same as what you did to Ark and the others?"

  "Yeah, I think so," I answered. I had no idea how that magic worked, but from the visible evidence, as well as the tugging I felt deep in my spirit, I knew that a connection was there. Wondering if the system had anything to say about it, I tried pulling up the System in my mind, but there was nothing new on the page.

  Lowering his head, Dhurak's eyes fell onto the brand on my arm. "I was not aware you knew the ancient ways. Have you claimed the old magic as your own?"

  "Old magic?" I thought the power came from the Dark Lord. Was it something else? "What does that mean?"

  Dhurak lowered himself down so that we were nearly eye level. "The magic of oathbinding is as old as the world. However, few know the methods to wield it in this age." His emerald eyes studied me. "Whether or not you know its name, you use it all the same. I am impressed, mortal."

  "I see..." Old magic, huh? Then why did it come from the Dark Lord?

  An idea struck me.

  Maybe, rather than granting me some new power, the Dark Lord dragged something out of history and offered it up as another bribe, knowing I wouldn't know the difference?

  It seemed plausible.

  It also made me wonder if He could even create anything new at all? Or were all of his "gifts" just hand-me-downs? "Thank you, Dhurak."

  "It is nothing." Resting his chin on the ground in front of me, he said, "It is now clear to me that our threads have been woven together. By whom? I know not. Perhaps it has been done by the Radiant One herself." He yawned. "I will think on it as I dream."

  "Dream?" I asked.

  "I must sleep away the harm done to my body." He shifted, settling into the sand and stone. "Few have harmed me as you and your allies have."

  "Uh, sorry about that." He attacked first, but still. We didn't have to break his horn off and all that.

  "It is nothing time cannot heal. Fear not." He breathed deep. "I enjoyed the experience. I have seldom been able to fight as I did today. I have learned much."

  "I'm glad. I feel the same way, Dhurak."

  Nodding, he said, "All the same, the vow has been made. My existence is now bound to yours. I pray that you will use it well."

  "I will do my best, Dhurak."

  "I believe that you will." The wyrm shifted his massive body until he seemed to find a more comfortable position, let out a long, slow breath, and closed his eyes.

  "Hey!" Vral marched up to me and dug her elbow into my thigh. "What was he just saying?" She put her hands on her hips. "It's not fair that only you can understand him. I want to know everything! Teach me dragon!"

  Cracking an eye, the wyrm's lips quirked upward, and he spoke. "And what, might I ask, do you wish to know, little one?"

  Everyone's heads whipped around.

  Dhurak had just spoken in Common. Heavily accented, broken, archaic-sounding Common, but Common all the same.

  Practically vibrating beside me, Vral took a single step toward him. Then another. After she took a third, she pointed a finger at him and shouted, "Can you actually understand me?!"

  The wyrm smirked. "Did you think Dhurak, He Who Grinds the Hills, to be a dullard?" The wyrm's other eye opened a hair. "It took only a little effort to learn the basics of this tongue you speak. Then, I merely needed to listen to your words to learn the basics of its lexicon."

  "Dark Father's breath..." Stepping right up to Dhurak's face, Vral sucked in enough air that her chest puffed out. Then, out tumbled a flurry of questions: "So your name's Dhurak, right? What's that mean? How old are you? Do you like goblins? Have you ever eaten one before? Try to eat me, and I'll cut you open!" She took a breath. "Can I please have a ride one day? You can do Alex first, but I want to be second. Do you have any treasure? What about a lair? Is it big?"

  His brows furrowed. "I—"

  "I knew it!" A bright smile split her face. "I'm Vral. Vral Tu'Vigh. Tu'Vigh means Ash Eater. That was my tribe. I'm the last one of my people, just like you!" She pointed back at me with her thumb without looking. "I'm the boss's hot goblin girlfriend. He's lucky to have me." She pointed at Tristan. "That black-haired beauty over there is Tristan. I'm lucky to have her." She gestured at Ro and Na-Ya next. "The big, pretty elf is Ro. His name is Saleh, which is short for Ro-Saleh, but we call him Ro because it sounds good. He's kind of like our big brother. And the gorgeous elf over there is Na-Ya. She's basically our big sister."

  Dhurak stifled a yawn.

  "Vral, leave him be. He needs to sl—"

  She whipped her head around and gave me a glare that actually almost stopped my heart. Without missing a beat, she whipped back around and continued. "Na-Ya's actually Tristan's cousin. She's really pretty, huh? She and Ro are an item. While I didn't know about them at first, now I think that..."

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  I didn't know how much fun Dhurak was having, but Vral seemed to be having the time of her life. Plus, she'd probably try to kill me if I tried to stop her again, so I decided to let it be.

  More than anything, I was happy with how things were going so far, so I turned away from the pair and walked toward the marsh. Once I was standing beside the slowly lapping water, I heard a rumbling behind me. Looking back, I found Dhurak had finally found an opening and was happily chatting away with Vral, who was hanging onto his every word.

  With a soft laugh, I turned back to the swamp and pulled my helmet off. Slipping it into my inventory, I got a whiff of my own stank and decided then and there I'd be taking a bath, haunted marsh be damned. So, I started pulling off my gear piece by piece.

  By the time I'd slipped my greaves off, I heard someone step up behind me.

  "Hey," Ro said stiffly.

  "Hey, Ro," I replied as I slipped one of my greaves off, put it into my inventory, and started on the other. "Who would have thought Vral'd become best friends with a dragon, huh?"

  Ro looked back at the wyrm and shook his head. "He's certainly a fast learner, and Vral seems completely taken by him." Pulling off his helmet, he shoved it under his arm like a football. Inclining his head a little, he said, "Alex..." His voice was heavy. "I'm sorry for doubting you. Your judgment was correct. I should have had more faith in you."

  Was that what he was being all weird about? That made me laugh. "Ro, don't think anything about it. Ii appreciated you standing up and saying what you had to say." We'd never really fought before. It was kind of nice knowing we'd reached the fighting part of our friendship. "I'm sure I sounded absolutely nuts. Hell, I probably still do. I have no idea what the temple's going to do when we bring a dragon home." Putting my best grin on, I met his golden eyes and continued, "But seriously, don't worry about it. I'm always flying by the seat of my pants, and you know it. I don't ever want you to be sorry for giving me advice. After all, you're smarter and wiser than I'll ever be." I reached out and pressed my knuckles to his breastplate. "I don't say it enough, but you're an inspiration to me, man. I look up to you. And I have so much left to learn, both in life and from you." Pushing him softly, I finished by saying, "So, don't worry about it. I always want you here, looking out for me, saying your truth, and keeping me in check when I need it. That's what family does, right?"

  As I spoke, he relaxed and gave me a big smile of his own. "Yeah. That's exactly what family does, brother."

  "Thanks, brother." We got there.

  "I'm happy you boys are making up, but I'm still shaking in my boots over here," Na-Ya said behind me. "It's not every day you make nice with a wyrm. Especially not one as big and scary looking as Dhurak."

  I turned to find Na-Ya a few paces behind us. Her eyes were locked on the wyrm, and she had a look of pure disbelief on her face.

  "He's not so bad," I said.

  "That's still to be seen," she murmured. Turning to face us:, she continued, "But, like my handsome lover was just saying, I've decided to put my faith in you." She walked up and bumped me with her shoulder. "Because that's what family does. So just make sure to keep earning the privilege, yeah?"

  "I'll do my best," I said, laughing.

  "I know you will." She reached up and patted my cheek. "You're a great guy. That's why I keep letting you hang around my kid cousin, despite you causing her nothing but trouble."

  "Isn't that the truth?" Her hands were cool on my cheek. "Where is Tristan, anyway?" I looked around for her, but she wasn't anywhere nearby.

  "She's out in the marsh, bathing." She nodded to a large rock jutting out in the water to the west, maybe fifteen yards off the shoreline. "And she's looking pretty lonely out there all by herself."

  Noted.

  The image of her perfect, fair, lightly freckled skin glinting in the afternoon light filled my head. "I was just getting ready to do the same thing." I reached down and pulled on the buckles of my remaining greave. Then, I froze. "Do you think it's safe to bathe in a marsh called the 'Marsh of Silent Screams'?"

  "Probably not, but you smell terrible." She snorted. "It's worth the risk."

  She wasn't wrong. I smelled like shit. "Fair enough." It pissed me off how little those two ever stank. No matter how hard we trained or fought, they always smelled like berries and herbs and shit.

  Na-Ya smirked. "Envy is an ugly emotion, my édan."

  "Hold on. Do we have roots together now, too?"

  She nodded. "That's what it means to be édan."

  "Ah." What the shit! I'd have to watch how much I fantasized about my girls when she was around. "Good."

  Ro turned to the southwest. "As much as I'm enjoying the break, I'm still a bit worried about that cold wind that blew through here earlier. I'd like to go out and scout. Can you handle things here in camp?"

  I nodded to him. "That sounds good."

  "I felt it too," Na-Ya said. "I'm coming with you."

  "I'd like that," He said, smiling.

  She took his hand, and together, they headed to the southwest, to where the goblins had gone with Fluffy. Walking onto what was left of the road Dhurak had landed on, she looked over her shoulder and said, "We won't be gone too long. Make sure everyone gets some rest in the meantime. When we get back, you're taking first watch."

  "Fair enough." I gave her a thumbs up.

  Satisfied, she turned and started up the old cobblestone road that cut through the marsh with Ro.

  As I watched them go, Vral's laughter carried over the marsh. Turning back, I found her now sitting on Dhurak's head. Thin streams of steam wisped out of the wyrm's nostrils, and several of the bushes near them were twisting and moving like they were alive.

  I had no idea if that was good or bad, but that was a problem for future Alex. All I wanted was to rinse off. That, and get a glance at my hot quarter-elven girlfriend's wet, perfect body as she bathed. That would be real nice right now.

  It was the small things in life.

  With a grin, I pulled off my boots, unbuckled my belt, tore off my pants, peeled my filthy, sweat-soaked shirt off my skin, and laid everything out across a nearby rock to dry.

  Behind me, Vral whistled. "Work it, boy!"

  Giving her a little shake of my ass, which elicited another whistle, I stepped to the waterline, dipped a toe in—it was warm—then waded out in the water.

  When the water got shoulder-deep, the rocks and sand gave way to soft, mucky silt, which squished between my toes. Visions of all the icky stuff that could be in the muck filled my mind, so I kicked off the ground and started swimming toward the large rock where Tristan was bathing.

  When I rounded the rock, I found her sitting on a wide, flat section of the rock with her back to me, her long black hair hanging loosely over her bare shoulders, basking the in Orblight. She seemed at peace as she ran her fingers through the water, creating soft ripples that echoed out into the marsh.

  Hearing me splash up to her, she looked over her shoulder and said, "Hi, you."

  "Hi, right back." I floated up to the rock and pulled myself up next to her. Settling in beside her, I looked the same way she'd been facing, to the north. Aside from some old ruins jutting out of the water and hundreds of stunted cypress trees rising from the murky depths, the water was mostly flat and seemed to go on forever.

  "I was hoping you'd come find me." She reached back, grabbed my hands, and pulled my arms around her waist. Turning me into a human backrest, she wove her fingers through mine and settled into me. "It's been a while since we've had some time to ourselves."

  That was unfortunately far too true. Even though we'd been staying at the temple together, between our duties at the temple, our nonstop training, and the endless quests, there hadn't been much time for anything else. "It really has." I kissed her neck.

  "I've missed you." She turned and brushed her lips against mine. "While I love Vral with all my heart, and I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything, sometimes..." She kissed me softly. "Sometimes, I want you all to myself." She nuzzled my nose. "You know what I mean?"

  "I do," I whispered against her lips.

  She kissed me again. Then, when she broke away, she settled back into me. "What a day."

  "Yeah. Who would have thought we'd make friends with a dragon?" Not me, that's who.

  "The goblins, too. I didn't expect this quest to go this way at all."

  "You and me both." I laughed.

  She sighed. "I'm still a little worried about that new ability of yours, but it seems like you're putting it to good use."

  "I'm trying to." I held my left arm up so we could both clearly see the brand emblazoned on it. "Dhurak said this is some kind of old magic."

  She shook her head. "I don't know anything about that. Do you?"

  "Not a thing." I shrugged. "I want to talk to Arden about it first, but I'm not so sure this ability came from the Dark Lord. At least, not originally."

  "What's that mean?"

  I followed the lines of the shield with my eyes. "I don't know. I'm hoping that means it isn't bad or good. Maybe it's all in how I use it."

  For a time, she traced her fingers on the brand. In time, she whispered, "If that's the case, then I know you'll use it well." She punctuated her words with a kiss to my cheek.

  In response to her words, a vision entered my mind. It was the same one that the Dark Lord always showed me often in my dreams. In it, I fall to corruption. Despite that, I become the king of Istaera. A tyrant king, sitting on my black throne. Beside me, a woman whose face I can never see sits in the throne at my side, and Vral is a broken toy at my feet. But Tristan... Tristan's never there. Sometimes she's imprisoned, sometimes dead. Often, I've executed her. But she's never once been there.

  "Are you okay?" She pulled my arms around her.

  "Yeah, I am." Inwardly, I vowed to find a way to keep following the right path. I would never, ever choose to live in a world without her. The thing was, I also knew how easy it was to fall off track. All of the doorways down in the Depths filled with scenes born from bad choices I could have made showed exactly how easy it could be. I needed to stay strong. "Thank you, by the way. For supporting me back there. With Dhurak."

  Her eyes softened. "I always will."

  "I don't deserve you," I said with a laugh.

  "Alex, you deserve whatever it is you believe you deserve." Her sapphire eyes burned with conviction, love, and sincerity as she spoke. Then, when she finished, the sincerity was replaced with mischief. "But, just so you know and for the record, between me, Vral, and this mystery woman heading our way, you are a very lucky man."

  "The luckiest," I laughed.

  "At least you know it." She smiled. "That's good."

  "Hey, I might be dense, but I'm pretty good at being humble." I puffed my chest out. "I'm actually the most humble."

  "Clearly." She booped my nose. "That's one thing I love about you. Men with massive egos are the worst."

  "I'll make sure to keep that mind as I keep getting even more awesome." Leaning close, I bit her lip and pulled her into another kiss.

  When we pulled away, a comfortable silence fall over us. For a long time, we just sat there, watching the light change as the day began to fade into evening. As it did, the mist grew thicker, and the air grew colder. And still, we sat there, content in each other's arms.

  It was perfect.