Jake was falling into velvet darkness. The point of light of the Grandmaster’s office was shrinking in the distance. Too scared to scream, terror made his breathing ragged. He looked down. Is it even down? It felt like he had been falling for hours. We’re falling the full height of the tower! A glowing, pulsating light was rushing toward them. Jake instinctively braced with his arms for impact. But the light, now an intricate yellow circle, was slowing down. When it reached Jake, it felt like all his bones had been shattered by a giant hammer. Then he felt the jarring impact of the stone floor smashing into him. He bit his tongue and tasted blood. The wind was knocked out of him. Gareth was already up and helping him to his feet. “A fall break device, that’s pretty much its limit, still we can walk. Let’s move, boy.” The mentor led his apprentice down a dark corridor.

  Gareth was a ghostly blur in Jake’s vision. The mentor said, “Just follow the right wall. There are no obstacles. Hurry.” The thief was used to crawling in dark places, but even he was unsettled by the rapid pace through whispering blackness. After a while, he started to see light and shapes of colours, but when he tried to look at them directly, they disappeared. My mind is playing tricks on me. How long have we been walking? His hearing was getting so sensitive that he heard the darkness whisper. Jake wanted to ask questions. He finally shook his head. What’s the point? Let’s keep going. This corridor will eventually end.

  A faint light glowed far away. Jake feared it was another illusion. But it grew steadily. Suddenly, he bumped into Gareth. “Sorry… I didn't see you.” His mentor chuckled, “Hang on, it’s a bit rusty, but I’ll get it.” Jake's eyes, hungry for light, used the thin ray of hope to show him a trembling Gareth, all muscles bulging. His hands locked onto a wheel that wouldn’t budge. A sharp crack whipped the silence and echoed behind them, fleeing toward the darkness.

  Gareth pushed the metallic door. It wailed as it was forced open. The warrior stepped outside, brushed his hands on his pants, and said, “Well, that’s that.” A frantic Jake pushed him to the side. His eyes were wide, taking in the sun, he turned around, trying to look at all the trees at the same time. The world spun. He lost his balance and fell on his back. He grabbed some humus in his hands, closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the dirt falling out of his fingers.

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  A shadow hid the sun. Gareth looked at him with an eyebrow raised, “You done playing, boy? We have a long way to go.” Grinning like a fool, Jake accepted the helping hand and jumped to his feet. He patted Gareth on the back. “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Then he frowned. “But where are we going?” His mentor gave him a lazy grin. “Follow me, it will be quite the adventure.”

  Jake didn’t follow. He led. After all, he knew these parts well. They stepped on the main road, and Jake continued forward toward the next town. He heard a low chuckle behind him. The apprentice stopped and looked at Gareth. The lazy grin shone in the dim light of the undergrowth. “Not this town, I’m known there.” As usual, his master was a mine of information. Jake showed proper gratefulness by putting his palm up and giving him wide, aggravated eyes. The warrior shook with laughter, “Very ferocious. Come, I know a shortcut.” The young man shook his head and followed his infuriating companion off the road.

  They walked for hours. Jake was no fool. He noticed Gareth’s strained face and their dwindling speed. During the more and more frequent breaks, he had his eyes locked on Gareth, trying his best to show that his mentor’s tough act did not fool him. “You can barely walk,” he finally stated. The warrior smiled, “Just a bit out of breath, it must be nice to have young lungs like yours.” Jake didn’t laugh and asked, “What are we going to do about the eye?” The warrior hid his limp and answered, “We’ll figure it out as we go. We need to cover more ground.” But Jake had doubts they would be able to hold this pace for long.

  From time to time, Jake saw the road. It was not a well-maintained road, but it looked way better than the random path they took in the forest. Between trees, he saw an inn. Old and decrepit-looking. Black windows stared at them. “Gareth, we should stop here. You could rest in a real bed and eat some warm food.” His mentor patted him on the back, “Thank you for your concerns, boy. But stopping her would invite all kinds of troubles.” He looked ahead and added, “I know a place, just a bit further.” As they resumed walking, the warrior's knees wobbled, and he had to grab a tree to avoid falling. Jake's voice was almost begging, “We need to stop soon, Gareth. I can’t carry you if you fall.” Jaw clenched, Gareth pushed forward.

  Jake was ready as Gareth fell. He lunged forward and managed to break the worst of the fall. Then he laid his mentor gently down. Dropping his backpack, he started taking out some gear. “I guess this is our camping spot.”

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