Skyborne Raider

“What is it? What! Mark!” Astrid yells. I can feel Mike's hands on my shoulders from behind.

“Talk! Dammit! Where does it hurt?” she continues.

“Sorry. It’s too sweet,” I chuckle and look at them, my eyes narrowed.

“Really, dude?” Mike scoffs.

“Sorry, I had to,” I reply, not sure if I feel more cringey or entertained. Astrid has a slight smile, and that’s enough for me.

She takes out the scroll and starts reading it to Mike. He listens eagerly, his eyes wandering as he absorbs the information. “You thought those berries were the Black ones, right? For hunting and night exploring?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure anymore. They’re randomly sweet, like blueberries. Doesn’t taste poisonous, and since they were on the table with that scroll... too much of a coincidence.” I try to downplay the fact that I mindlessly ate one without considering the consequences.

“Anyway, you mentioned the magic inventory,” I say proudly, spreading my arms wide.

*Fwoosh*

A massive throne materializes in front of me, landing with a heavy thud as all four ironbound legs hit the ground.

“Okay, gotta admit, this is hilarious and epic. Can I try it?” Mike asks, genuinely impressed.

“Don’t even ask.” I respond, and he hops right in.

“Cozy. Makes me feel good and relaxed.”

“One of the purposes was to test if we could fit even large objects into our inventories. I believe if you can lift it, you can store it,” I add.

“Astrid, wanna try?” Mike asks her. She nods gently with a smirk. He grabs her wrist as she’s too short to jump up onto the throne.

“I think the meat’s ready,” he says, pinching a bit and tasting it. “Yep, medium rare,” he chuckles, serving two plates and handing one to Astrid, who’s still sitting on top.

“No, no. It’s Mark's chair. I’ll get down.” She starts to slide forward.

“Come on, I can sit on it whenever I want. Enjoy your meal.”

He arranged a great dinner party—water from the stream, dried pastry resembling hardtack, and fatty meat.

I grab my plate and turn towards the firepit.

“Ouch. Damn it. Aargh.” I cover my eyes, crouching as dizziness overtakes me.

“What? Berry still too sweet?” They both chuckle, Astrid sitting on top and Mike leaning on the side close to her.

“No, this is for real. I can’t see,” I grunt, trying to open my eyes a bit more, wincing from the blinding pain.

A quick test shows what hurts the most. I sit on the ground, making a tunnel out of my hands and peering through it. My eyes gradually calm down. Despite being mostly covered, I can see everything sharply and with a blue tint through the small gap between my crossed legs. But even a hint of light makes my eyes water.

“Those berries work! But with a delay,” I tell them, my eyes still closed.

“Explain,” Mike says.

“I can see perfectly in the dark. Even better than normal in light.”

Mike stands up. “Here, eat.” He slides his plate into my hand and goes for another one.

“Thanks. I don’t know how long this will last, but we can’t go into the forest before nightfall. I’m completely useless now.”

“Doesn’t matter. By the time we’re done eating, it’ll be dusk anyway,” Mike reassures me.

“I don’t feel like going back there. That horrifying image is etched in my brain, but it’s slowly fading. I can stay here, keep the fire going, and take care of your chair,” Astrid suggests with a chuckle.

“I don’t know...” Mike hesitates.

“It would be a quick trip for you two. Markus will guide easily. And I can still call Pocco for company.”

Astrid is taking small bites, while Mike munches on two pieces of meat at once.

I chew slowly, taking deep breaths in between, and think. The meal is delicious. Unseasoned meat, rock-hard pastry, and water—it doesn’t sound like much, but true hunger can make anything taste better. I was worried about eating meat after witnessing all the gore. I’ve never been comfortable with that stuff. But now I feel more numb to it. Is that a good thing?

I wonder if Mike and Astrid feel the same, but I don’t start the topic.

We finish filling our bellies and relax for a while. I sit leaning against a nearby tree, facing away from any light. My eyes are closed, and I think I dozed off for a bit. Astrid almost reclines on the massive chair, chilling. That nutria meat was hearty and made us all sleepy.

The sun is almost gone when I finally open my eyes, gazing into the distance where we should be heading. Mike warms up his clothes and body, leaning against the bowl of fire instead of the regular firepit to avoid smelling like smoked food.

“Works well so far. Just for the test, how many trees can you count starting from this one?” I point at the closest tree.

“What do you mean, ‘how many’? I see only one.” Mike shakes his head.

“Well, I can see far enough that I believe our little river is over there.”

“Are you kidding me? Toss me one of those berries,” he asks.

“Mikey, this is unwise. Markus can’t even look at the fire; it’s blinding him. You need both pairs of eyes working in all conditions,” Astrid wisely advises.

“Speaking of that, I can’t even carry a torch,” I add.

“Maybe you’re right. Well then.” He takes a deep breath. “I really want to try to burn that Jonathan.” He adds, staring up at the path Pocco pointed out the day before. Astrid goes near the firepit and ignites one of the torches we used to bring the fire.

She hands it to Mike, carefully keeping it away from my face.

“It’s okay. When it’s far enough, it’s fine. My eyes have slightly adjusted,” I reassure her and take the second torch we used to bring fire. Unsheathing my hammer from the inventory, I wield it in my right hand and the torch in my left.

“What’s that for, a spare? Someone’s prepping for battle,” Mike teases.

“Aren’t we just setting some partly dismembered corpse on fire?” He raises an eyebrow.

“You never know. And since I’m super light-sensitive, I’m more afraid of getting stunned by even a glimpse of your torch. How long has the effect been on? I lost track of time.”

“Three to four hours, by my estimate,” Astrid thinks.

“Give us your water bottle, Astrid. We’ll refill it for you at the stream,” I add.

“Stay safe, boys,” she says, handing me her bottle.

I stow it in my inventory, and we head out.

After a few minutes of semi-sprinting, walking, and tending to the fire, we arrive at the venue. The torch has held up well, though Mike had to stop a few times to blow on it and keep it lit.

“Gosh. This is horrible.” A shiver runs down my spine, and I have to look at Mike. Genuine fear and uneasiness grip me. His presence is the only thing keeping me sane. Seeing clearly through the crooked forest filled with hanging, dysmorphic corpses—probably all alive in some vegetative zombie state—is overwhelming. Nothing has changed with Jonathan; his head is still on the ground, and his body swirls around the saber.

“You or me?” I ask.

“How bad is the blinding light?” he asks.

“I’d like to gain some experience points, but I also want to retrieve my second saber without losing it in the flames. The handle had a great wooden grip.”

“But that means I’d probably take the points,” I reason.

“You got me that second sword. It’s okay, and if it works... look,” he gestures at the whole forest filled with them.

I grab the torch and take a few quiet steps closer to the body. Kneeling, I use my hammer for support. Reaching out with the torch, I touch the cloth covering Jonathan’s body. It catches fire immediately. The creature, once a man, starts swirling, tossing, and spinning around the saber. It reacts to the heat. I feel like I should feel some remorse, but I don’t.

The health bar finally starts moving down, slowly but surely. A wide smile spreads across my face. As the fire spreads, Mike waits for the right moment. He pulls out his second saber and Astrid’s arrow. The fire consumes the body, which stops struggling. I have to look away as it shines brightly like a bonfire. Facing my back towards the fire, I use my hammer to bonk the creepy head and roll it into the flames.

What a fucking cursed croquet.

Mike watches it for a few moments and describes what’s happening. The dried carcass moves slower and slower until it’s done.

*Ding*

“Done, the health bar disappeared.”

“Yep. I heard it. Apparently, it was enough that I was the one to set it on fire. I wonder what would happen if we did it together?”

“I was thinking the same. We should try it tomorrow. The more we know about the mechanics, the better,” he answers.

We stay there for a while and watch as the flesh is almost completely charred and stops smoking.

“I’d love to test with another, but common sense tells me we should head back. And I think my night vision ability is fading.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier? It’s literally pitch dark, Mark. You know how crappy it is with a torch.”

“Do we return here tomorrow to level up on them?” I ask him, already knowing the answer.

“You bet we do,” he smirks.

“Now lead the way.”