By the time night draped the sky in darkness, my arms burned under the weight of the Rock Snakes. Time carried an equally large stack, his face drawn with discomfort. Dirt and sweat clung to us in a grimy layer, and every time a stray breeze pushed our own scent back toward us, my nose twitched in protest.

  “I can’t wait until we stop for the night,” I grumbled, wrinkling my nose. “I smell awful.”

  Time nodded, his expression mirroring my disgust. “Agreed. I seldom partake in activities that induce sweat, and the stench is one of the primary reasons.”

  Henry shook his head with an amused smile, his own stack of Rock Snakes tucked securely under one arm. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Dominicus, who’d kept mostly to the front of the group, eased back to glance at us with a raised eyebrow. “If neither of you enjoy physical exertion, why did you agree to become Chosens? That is a highly strenuous role, no matter which spirit you serve.”

  There was no hostility in his tone this time, just genuine curiosity, but Time still scowled. “I was not chosen for combat. My talents lie elsewhere.”

  I hummed in agreement, backing him up when Dominicus still looked unconvinced. “I trained as a medic—a healer—so fighting wasn’t exactly part of my plan.”

  Not that I regretted my choice. This wasn’t what I’d envisioned, but I’d live. Besides, if I wanted to be an effective healer, I needed the experience—and the levels—to survive.

  Henry tipped his head, shifting his attention to Time. “What exactly are your talents, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Time adjusted his grip on his stack, warily eyeing the way it leaned ever so slightly to the side. “I am fluent in nearly every language on Nexus and have a knack for uncovering information. I am a scholar.”

  Speaking of different languages… we still hadn’t gone over the journal we’d found in Silas’s office. With everything happening, it had slipped through the cracks, but if it contained any insight into the generals, we couldn’t afford to ignore it. I’d have to bring it up once we made camp.

  The pink-streaked sky suggested that wouldn’t be long now.

  Time’s stack of Rock Snakes wobbled precariously, threatening to spill, and I instinctively freed a hand to steady it. He shot me a brief look of thanks before speaking. “Perhaps we should camp soon? These should be salvaged for their scales, meat, fangs, and bones.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Henry nodded, glancing at the darkening sky. “Good idea.” He turned to the others and called, “We’re making camp for the night.”

  Eleanor turned to acknowledge him with a nod, Maya’s small hand still clasped firmly in hers, while Dominicus veered off the road onto the flatlands. Without a word, he moved into the grass, already searching for firewood.

  I hummed, watching him go. “Do we need to worry about Rock Snakes attacking at night?”

  Henry shook his head, setting down his pack. “No, but paying attention to where you camp is a good habit to get into. Rock Snakes can move through solid stone, but not dirt.”

  Noted.

  I dropped my load, waiting for Time to do the same before turning to him. “I’d say today was a success, wouldn’t you?”

  I’d checked my stats earlier—no level-ups, but a slight increase in Agility and Strength. Not a huge win, but progress was progress. And at least it hadn’t involved fighting more Lunar Wolves.

  Time hummed in agreement. “Indeed. We have a long way to go, but if we continue gradually increasing the difficulty of the monsters we face, we should progress at a reasonable pace. Given how well today went, I suggest we consider slightly stronger creatures next—perhaps Field Rats.”

  Henry paused in stacking the firewood Dominicus handed him and nodded. “Normally, I’d recommend a beginner-friendly dungeon, but with the situation in Dawnmoor unknown, we can’t afford to stop for that. Field Rats will have to do.”

  He glanced out at the eerily still night. “Unlike Rock Snakes, though, those don’t spawn during the day. You won’t be able to train while we’re traveling.” Jerking a thumb toward the tall grass, he added, “If you do train against them, be careful. Rats of all kinds can poison you—or curse you, if it’s a particularly nasty one.”

  I grimaced, following his gaze. A set of glowing eyes peered back from the grass. “Noted. Please get the fire started. If these things can poison and curse people, I’d really rather not fight them anywhere near Maya.”

  Maya let out a tiny eep and hid behind Henry, who instinctively tucked her into his side. “On it,” he said, turning his focus back to the fire.

  Still watching the eerie glow in the grass, I tightened my grip on my staff and leaned slightly toward Time. “What are the odds Verdant Renewal works on poison or curses?”

  His lips thinned. “High, considering you already used it on both yourself and Astra. Though usually status ailments require specialized spells entirely separate from traditional healing. Nature affinity healing does not follow this rule.”

  I sighed, lowering my chin just a fraction while keeping the presumed rat in my sights. “At least that’s one thing that works in my favor.”

  But now that I thought about it, that raised another concern. “Wait… can I even heal internal wounds? Verdant Renewal works by covering injuries in moss—what happens if it tries to do that inside someone?”

  I hadn’t considered that before. No one had needed that kind of healing yet, but it was only a matter of time. I needed to understand my own limitations before the inevitable happened.

  God, I really hoped it wouldn’t start growing moss inside people. That would be terrifying for both of us.