You want to give us a ride? Argrave questioned Durran.

I do, Durran nodded, spinning his wyvern scale helmet about in his hands. Up close, the armor was quite impressivea coat of gray lamellar wyvern scales stretching down to the knees, held together with studs of what looked to be brass. His glaive was made of wyvern bone. It was done in the style of the southron elves. All-in-all, impressively armed.

Argrave crossed his arms. Why?

You probably saved me from Titus, Durran answered at once. I owe you a debt.

Id expect you to default on the first payment of any debt you got, Argrave shook his head. And its not probably. I did save you from Titus.

Durran laughed. You act like you know so much about me. Its a bit perplexing.

Argrave stared at Durran. The man was obviously in better spiritshe couldnt help but spare a glance at Garm.

I know an uncomfortable amount about you, Argrave nodded. Your favorite color is gray particularly when supported with burgundy.

Maybe thats why Im coming, Durran suggested.

Because your favorite color

No, because you know so much about me, Durran interrupted.

There is something I dont know, Argrave confessed. Your father. You said he was dying?

Well he improved in time to dish out some spiteful, life-ruining nonsense, but yeah, Durran nodded.

Argrave looked to Anneliese, and she nodded, confirming he was being honest. Argrave turned away. Did he just catch an illness randomly? Its certainly possible but it could be foul play, too. Argrave juggled the idea, but then realized, Does it really matter, now?

How in the world do you know so much about me while being ignorant of common knowledge within the tribe? Durran stepped forth back into Argraves sight.

For reasons you couldnt comprehend or codify, Argrave snapped back to attention. Listen the place were going is very out-of-the-way.

Thats fine. Itll be nice to have a last long voyage with my girl, Durran looked to where his wyvern was. Some of the southron elf children played with the creature cautiously. She isnt mine. Shes the tribes. Shell go back to the tribe when I set her loose. Shes still young, and she needs to have children. Not many females left living after the battle.

Finders, keepers, maybe? Argrave suggested.

Durran was confused for a second, but he placed the meaning after a time and laughed lightly. Shes a social one. She wont last long away from the others.

Argrave sighed. Maybe you can get another, then, bring it too. Ill take it.

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Thatd be a sight, watching you try and fly, Durran turned his head back. But you still never answered me.

Argrave looked over to Garm. Ought to have him talk to people more, he noted. Happy to accept free transportation. Ill need to get things together, secure them on the back of your wyvern then we can get going.

#####

Durrans wyvern hovered above endless blackness. They were only a few hours past sunrise, and the suns had not yet come over some distant mountains, keeping the black desert illuminated only by the pale blue light of dawn.

Even if the place had been better illuminated, the only thing theyd be able to see better would be the eternal black dunes of sand. Not a bit of civilization could be seen in any direction, even from their significant height. To be lost in this place was a death sentence, it seemednothing lived here. Even the Brandbacks, titanic predators, did not lure prey in this place.

You sure you arent taking me somewhere secluded to do me in? Durran shouted over the winds.

Given how many people hate you now, I dont think seclusion would be necessary, Argrave returned.

The great wyvern continued to glide onwards, Argrave confidently directing Durran where he knew to go. He used the mountains and the compass as his guide. Beside him, he saw Anneliese struggling with her hairone of her braids had come loose, and strands of hair battered about everywhere. Argrave leaned in, shielding her from the wind, giving her time sufficient to correct the issue.

Thanks, she said. Perhaps I should cut it. Given how much we travel, it only causes problems.

That would be a tragedy, Argrave stated. It looks too good to cut. Though, your choice, naturally.

Anneliese tilted her head but said nothing in response. Argrave turned his attention back towards the dunes of sand.

Now that they approached Argraves final goal, he finally felt the nervousness set in. He had been obsessively checking everything to be sure that nothing was amissthe Wraiths Heart was fine, the Amaranthine Heart still functioned, the Unsullied Knife still retained its power, and the Crimson Wellspring had not a single crack.

Still, becoming Black Blooded as Argrave had a thousand times more weight than it had in Heroes of Berendar. Failure and success both promised to be monumentally emotional things. If Argrave failed, now to say the least, the prospect made falling off this wyvern seem not so bad.

But Argrave was not worried about failure. The Alchemist might be temperamental but he would be as eager to perform this surgery as Argrave would be to receive it. Such was his nature. Argrave was more worried about whether or not his companions would get through this unscathed.

Argrave spotted a shift in the constant sand dunes and tapped Durrans shoulder. There! he pointed. Where the color changes.

The lighter shades of black? Durran questioned, and Argrave nodded. No, those are just quicksand pits. Must be somewhere else.

Thats the spot, Durran, Argrave insisted.

Durran turned his head back, staring Argrave down, but then eventually swallowed and nodded. As they neared the pits of quicksand, the wyvern started to slowly descended, spurred downwards by its rider. They circled around, and Durran eventually landed atop a dune of sand a fair distance away. The landing scattered sand everywhere.

Whew, Argrave breathed out, then stepped off the wyverns. His legs, weak from the ride, collapsed beneath him, and he slid down the dune a bit in a sitting position. His Brumesingers abandoned him immediately, jumping to safety. Once Argrave came to a stop, he overlooked a vast plain of deadly quicksand.

Well, somewhat deadly quicksand. As long as one wasnt stupid, they could easily get out, even if they landed in the center of one of the pits. It wasnt meant to catch humansit was meant for animals. Indeed, meant. Theyd been constructed here, not formed naturally.

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Argraves Brumesingers came to his side, their golden eyes glowing. Apparently, they had much to eat hereplenty of souls drifting about, ready for feasting. Anneliese stepped up to Argrave, her own fox held in her hands. It quickly jumped down from her arms and watched the pits ahead, eating souls in silence with its kin.

Desolate, Anneliese noted.

Depressing, Galamon confirmed.

Dastardly, Argrave finished the alliteration with an ill-fitting word, then sighed. Now Im thinking about Brium, that poet creep

This is the treacherous path you mentioned? Durran walked up, too, still holding his wyverns reins as he walked. Hope theres something Im missing.

Nope. Pick a hole, any hole actually, that hole, specifically, Argrave pointed one out. Ive taken this path too many times to forget it.

You want us to jump into quicksand? Durran frowned.

Us? Argrave repeated. I thought you wanted to give a ride, nothing more.

I still want answers, Durran shook his head. If I have to tag along until I get them, so be it.

Argrave frowned, suspicious of that answer. Durran was whimsical, but not to this degree. He had a purpose, certainly. He wondered what Garm had said to the manit had to be something related to that. Argrave wished to simply ask, but he feared he might make Garm feel distrusted when things seemed to be improving.

Still, Argrave knew he didnt have the luxury to relax his vigilanceespecially not when he was at the cusp of becoming Black Blooded. Argrave liked Durran. He wouldnt mind having him tag along, temporarily or permanently. He was talented, diligent but his loyalty was untested.

Ill have a word with Anneliese and Galamon, have them keep a closer eye on Durran, he decided with some measure of guilt. He felt paranoid. He wasnt about to let guilt ruin months of blood, sweat, and tears, though. He wanted to trust Garm, but their own experience had proven he was capable of deception. Durran was no saint, either.

Well, I dont exactly loathe your presence. If you wish to follow, follow. Argrave rose to his feet with a grunt. But maybe Im just a madman about to jump into quicksand. Ought to consider that.

Some say genius and insanity are two sides of the same coin, Garm commented. Fortunately, youre none too genius, and by the law of inverse... Id say were safe.

I see Garm has volunteered to enter first, Argrave said with a bitter smile as he walked back up to the wyvern.

As Argrave tussled with his backpack, unstrapping it from the wyverns back, Durran walked up to Argrave.

Hold on a minute, Durran said cautiously. Youre just going to jump in? I mean, the thing probably isnt deep enough to even take you. Youll just get stuck. What is it youre expecting to happen?

Theres a path below, Argrave explained.

A path, Durran repeated.

Yeah, Argrave nodded, then pulled his backpack free. He put it around his shoulders. Anneliese and Galamon moved to do the same, retrieving Garm and their own luggage.

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Alright, alright, Durran nodded. Alright, Ive got some rope. We can make a stake, stick it into the sand. Should be enough to pull us out, in case things go awry he mused, planning.

You can if you want, Argrave nodded. But if you take too long I wont be able to guide you. Place isnt exactly intuitive, though, I warn you.

Durran frowned. What do you mean, not intuitive?

Well Argrave began, then waved his hand. All these questions, he complained. You talk more than me.

Durran held his hands out, offended. She asks innumerable questionsyou dont seem to have a problem with that! he gestured to Anneliese.

Shes an exception, Argrave shook his head, then walked down towards the quicksand. When he reached the pit hed pointed to earlier, his step didnt even slow before he plunged his foot in, wading deeper. Already, he sunk. His two companions were just as unhesitating in entering after him. Even their pets, the light gray creatures resembling fennec foxes, clung to them as they sunk.

Gods above muttered Durran. He was stunned for a minute, then he started to laugh. Never thought Id see the day someone made me look reasonable.

He removed the reins from his wyvern and cast them to the ground. He removed the saddle, too, and threw it aside.

Live well, girl. Hope my people treat you better than they did me, he said as he put his head to its face. With a deep breath to gather courage, he turned. Argrave was already leg-deep into the pit.

Durran took slow, steady steps towards the pit. If it were a normal pit, he suspected theyd already have stopped sinking by nowinstead, they kept drifting lower.

You coming? Argrave called out, chest covered. Waters nice and warm.

You have no idea how much I want to pass, Durran shook his head, but eventually stepped out.

Argrave lifted his head up as the pit covered his neck. Jokes on you. This was all an elaborate murder-suicide, he left those words before he inhaled, filling his lungs.

Durran stared as Argraves face vanished. He started to laugh once more.

This guy Durran muttered as he watched his body sink ever lower. Eventually, the pressure around his feet lessened. He could move his feet freely, he found. Despite that assurance, he couldnt hold back the fear from the uncertainty. His wyvern moved closer to the quicksand pit, watching Durran disappear.

As his face vanished, Durran heard the roar of his wyvernmaybe it thought hed died. Durran was half-convinced he did. Eventually, though, he kept descending, and dropped down.

Durran landed on his feet. He was surrounded by darkness. A light soon filled the room. They seemed to be incased in a cube of obsidian. On each side of the room, there was a portal containing a mass of moving sandinstead of downwards, though, it flowed sideways.

Im really wondering what Garm told you that youd genuinely follow, Argrave spoke to Durran.

What is this place? Durran looked around, awed.

A path, Argrave repeated his earlier claim. What, thats not obvious? he said drolly with a smile on his face, then lowered his gaze to his compass. Alright follow me, people.

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