Getting Let off Des’s back had been his top priority. The merchant gave Dio a sick taste in his mouth, and his yellow skin cried of deceit. Dio had already had a bad feeling the last time he had seen the man and had stayed out of his way.

  That will not be possible this time…

  In the same way he had started to see more around people than what met the eye ever since he had saved Brela from the rotting willow, Dio could sense more now. A desire for grandeur and lies, a tongue like a snake, and a similar kind of rot to the one Brela still suffered from, yet also different.

  Deeper. Something drowning an innocence that had once shone.

  What he could also perceive was the merchant’s fondness for telling stories, which had given Dio the perfect opportunity to lead him away. Additionally, despite everything, Dio was genuinely interested in what Let had to share, as the world beyond Daw fascinated him. Inviting Let for a drink and a meal therefore seemed like a good idea for several reasons.

  “What was your name again, young man?” the tall merchant asked as they approached the large log cabin that inevitably drew the eye the moment one set foot in Daw.

  Wes had insisted on its size, and on colder or rainy days it had become a wonderful place to spend the evening, to talk, or for travelers to rest and make connections.

  “My name is Dio. We have not really had a chance to talk yet. You were here a few days ago, but I never had the time to truly listen to your stories. Too much work to do. My friends, however, had a lot of good things to say about you. You know, I am always up for a good tale and have heard more than a few strange ones from travelers or merchants, ranging from dull chatter to thrilling accounts. But traveling with a Sage? That sounds quite exciting.”

  The mention of the Sage reminded Dio once again of his idea to find such a person to seek improvement for Brela. However, the thought of asking Let, of all people, about it did not appeal to him at all.

  “Then you are in luck, Dio! I can tell you everything about it! But first I need something in my stomach to get into the right mood, you understand? It is truly generous of you to get me a meal and a few drinks. Thank you for vouching for me. But be warned, I do like to drink a lot. When it is the right kind, it almost feels like a pleasant meditation. You know, to clear the mind and lift the spirits.”

  Dio smiled faintly and waved Wes over so he could recommend a selection of good food and drink. While Let considered his options, Dio studied him closely. He usually found it interesting to meet merchants, even though they rarely brought anything of real use. Daw already possessed most things it needed and produced nearly everything one could imagine. Trade was therefore more a matter of courtesy, and it was usually the travelers who benefited from new ideas, tools, or indulgences.

  Stories, however, were one of the few things Dio considered a truly worthwhile exchange, especially if he could glean hints about where other Sages might still be found and sent for. They also fed his ever-growing blindness, which had become harder to hold back since Brela’s rescue. That alone was reason enough to listen to as many tales as he could, and there had indeed been some interesting ones.

  For instance, he had been told that long ago a woman named Elga had lived nearby, and Dio even remembered her from the events surrounding his arrival. Unfortunately, she had not been seen for a long time, and some travelers had told him that she had awakened when he asked about her. It was rumored that she had brought the Sun. That was incorrect, of course, though Dio did not see it as his duty to correct such statements.

  Let finally chose his food and drink, then rested his deeply yellow, gaunt arms on the wooden table. They jutted from his coat sleeves like insect legs, and he returned Dio’s intense gaze. Once again, it felt as though there was something else with him, as Dio noted uneasily, a…

  No. There are more important things.

  “So a Sage, then, Let. How did that come about?” he asked at last, cutting off his thoughts.

  “That was luck. He visited the village I come from, or rather the place that has been my home since my arrival. You surely know him. He welcomed all newcomers once. Eri. I suppose in the end he might not even have been a Sage. He traveled with the Lucids, at least in the past, when he was still among us,” Let recounted.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “He is not anymore?” Dio asked, feeling worry rise within him.

  “No. He was torn apart. The people of my village sensed something bad in him and put him to judgment, together with those who traveled with him. I believe they were on their way to the Radiant Monastery. Two young women were with him, Demoa and Ray. They were awakened as well. It was terrible. But still, I would be happy to tell you more details. It was quite a… sight to behold. A warning.”

  Dio had to force himself not to flinch. Inside him, Ray’s star shone unchanged.

  “I would like to know what exactly drove the people to such an act. In your village?” he asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

  You dirty liar… But why?

  Let grinned and leaned forward.

  “A truly dreadful story. Lucidity. What do you know about it?”

  Once again, Dio struggled not to react. The fact that Let suddenly spoke in a higher pitch for a moment did not make it any easier, even though the merchant did not seem to notice himself.

  “Not much. It is not something that concerns us here,” Dio replied, waving it off.

  Let grinned again. This time it sent a shiver down Dio’s spine. Something about that grin, about this man, was simply wrong. Still, perhaps he knew something. His account of Ray and Eri sounded far-fetched, yet he must have encountered them. How much of what he was saying was actually true?

  “That surprises me, Dio, considering your friend Des seems to possess that gift. If that is not Lucidity, then what is it?”

  “I have no idea, Let, but he was tested. The Sages did not take him with them.”

  “Ah, but what makes you think the Sages tell the truth? What if they only take those they can control, or hope to? Who says they can even interpret the visions in Vac’s crystals correctly?”

  The food arrived, and Wes set it down between them. Steam rose from the roast, warping the air slightly and making Let look even more unsettling.

  “A fair point. I had never considered that. Still, Des is but a farmer. What you are talking about seems vaster. What do you think is really going on?” Dio threw the question back.

  It was probably wiser to humor him, and part of Dio wanted to know more, to hear many more of these stories in which truths were surely hidden, even though they were drenched in lies. At the same time, he feared that Let might take too much interest in Des, that Des could become part of a future tale that was anything but pleasant, twisted in the same way as the things Let had told him about Ray’s supposed fate.

  “What do I know, Dio? I can only repeat what others say: that Lucidity is dangerous. That the Sun has drawn in a shadow, or many of them, slowly spreading through the realm. Reeled in by the Sun, the guiding Light of the Lucids. They say these shadows found their way through astral travel.”

  Dio swallowed and leaned forward as well, hoping it did not seem too exaggerated. His thoughts were racing.

  Has the Sun… has Ray drawn in what had afflicted Brela? After all, the brightest light casts the darkest shadows, or so they say. Oh, you are good with your words, you vile creature…

  “It draws in shadows?” Dio asked.

  “Yes, it does. And the Lucids seem to be affected the most. They are beacons themselves, signals to find the way, just like the Sun. Pulled from another realm. It is almost macabre that Light should bring us such calamity.”

  He took a long, appreciative sip of the beer Wes had brought him.

  “Be that as it may, in my home village people grew afraid, afraid of the shadows. They wanted to prevent them from entering and therefore dealt with the Sages and the Lucid ones preemptively. You know how…” he whispered, his voice high pitched once more, and Dio’s eyes widened in expectation.

  “Did they not fight back?”

  “No, they simply surrendered to their fate. Perhaps they knew they were guilty. Perhaps they had even drawn the shadows in deliberately. Who can say?”

  Dio fell silent and looked into his own mug, filled with lightly spiced grape juice.

  “That sounds dangerous,” he said at last.

  “Exactly. Very dangerous. A deeply unpleasant situation. People stopped trusting the Lucid ones. Personally, I want nothing to do with such judgments, naturally, but the others… they had tasted blood. Radiant blood. I wanted no part of it and decided to travel on my own. Still…” Let took another deep pull from his beer.

  “Still what?” Dio pressed.

  He no longer had to pretend interest. The merchant’s words now stirred an even more unsettling sense of foreboding within him. Even if only a tenth of what Let said was true, the consequences could be dangerous for them.

  “During my travels, I kept hearing about them. The people from my village. I think they first wanted to march on the Radiant Monastery, but they grew afraid. Too much Light. So they sought out others. Since the Sun appeared, more and more people have been becoming Lucids, you see? The hate, rage, and fear of my people still linger, driving them onward through the realm, fueling increasingly darker deeds. And do you know what is interesting?”

  “No. What?”

  “That those new Lucids do not rely solely on Light. The things they create are different somehow. What is certain, however, is that they too draw in the shadows. I have seen settlements that were horrifically ravaged, utterly dreadful. One must surely be just as wary of them as of the Sages, mustn’t one? After all, they bring the Nightmares over. And that is what the people from my village are: wary… and worse”