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Lakefire. What was the problem going to be this time, Zeff wondered? ‘How “not good” are we talking here?’

‘Well, considering the fact that I haven’t sensed anything at all--other than you--the entire time we’ve been here, it could be that my senses are being blocked. And to accomplish that feat would require someone or something quite powerful.’

‘Wonderful.’

‘But who knows? They could be friendly. Or perhaps my senses simply don’t work in this realm to begin with.’

‘But if you can still sense me, then shouldn’t that mean they’re working just fine?’

‘In theory. Hence why I haven’t been too bothered about it until now. But our connection as reaper and servant might guarantee my ability to sense you regardless of what strange spaces we might find ourselves in. It is difficult to be sure.’

It didn’t take much longer to reach their estimated destination. With no other clues or senses to rely on, they still had to resort to a visual search.

Before they discovered anything, however, a shout from afar found them first.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing here?! This is private property!”

It took Zeff a second to comprehend the words, because they were Valgan, and while he was mostly fluent in it, he still required some processing time in his head. He turned and saw a figure running over to him from the other end of the road.

He braced himself for hostilities, but after a few moments, he was surprised to discover that he actually recognized who it was.

And judging from the expression on the other man’s face, the feeling was mutual. “Wait a minute,” the fellow said, still in Valgan. “Is that you, Water Dragon?”

Zeff couldn’t conceal his own surprise. He was worse at speaking in Valgan, so he stuck with Mohssian, feeling quite confident that this man would be more than merely fluent in it. “It is. And is that you, Black Artisan?”

Daro Bright the Black Artisan, one of the three most powerful servants within the RPMP, flashed between irritation and amusement. “Yes, it is,” he said, now also in Mohssian. “How in the black hells did you get here?”

‘We have no idea,’ said Axiolis. ‘We simply woke up and found ourselves in this place. Is this... your domain, perhaps?’

“Yes, it’s a--” Daro cut himself off and looked over the two of them again, moving only his eyes and not his head, perhaps debating how much he should explain.