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"Do not lecture me, boy," said Lozaro. "Make your request. I will see it done. Then you will realize how precious my time is to be giving it to you so graciously."

Well, it seemed like he'd already managed to get on the Professor's bad side, if only slightly.

Knowing that, Karkash didn't feel like holding back. "...In that case, make me a weapon that can kill a god."

Lozaro stared at him. His expression had already been irritated to begin with, and it only grew even more so as the silence drew out between them.

Even Lucky seemed to be lost for words as his wide eyes darted back and forth between Karkash and Lozaro.

"Rgh!" Lozaro threw Abdul's arm off of his shoulder and stormed out of the tent without another word.

Karkash merely watched him go.

Abdul stepped up next to him. "Think that was wise? You might've just made a powerful enemy out of someone who could've otherwise been your friend."

Karaksh spared him a glance. "You think you have friends?"

Abdul blinked at him, then raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're one of these fellows who thinks everyone is his enemy."

Karkash walked out of the tent.

Abdul was not content to leave it there, however, and followed. "Answer me, kid."

Karkash had no intention of doing so. He had a mission to prep for--and so did many others, considering how much the camp had livened up since he'd entered that tent.

But then it all disappeared before his eyes.

Karkash found himself standing in a glistening space, filled with shining rocks in all directions. The path forward was gone, as were all others that he could see--even above his head.

He was completely enclosed, he realized, in this glimmering room. No obvious source of light could be seen, and yet the rocks shone just the same.

And while he was surprised, he also remained calm. Unmoved. He did not need to turn around in order to know that Abdul was still there. He could sense him. He hadn't stopped locking onto the man's presence since the moment Abdul had snuck up on him earlier.

"It's rude to walk away in the middle of a conversation, you know." Abdul's footsteps crunched against the rocks on the ground. What language was he speaking now? It didn't sound like Vaelish anymore--nor even Valgan, which Karkash had recently become more proficient in--and yet he still understood it with perfect clarity.