There was no way we could make it back to the safety of Danver before nightfall, especially with our new burdens slung over our backs, so we found a safe place in a well-hidden nook among the rolling wilds.

  The spell Tara and the Dalari were under was powerful, but there were signs they were coming out of it, mainly in the form of random twitches and unpleasant groans. We hoped that by morning, they would be as right as rain. I tried my best to keep an eye on them, especially Tara. I had to find a way to speak with her before Prajio to ensure my false identity was protected.

  We had intentionally taken a wide path back to Danver instead of beelining straight to obscure our trail. Prajio was convinced we were in the clear, and I trusted his judgment, but I was still worried about Shask finding us in the night.

  After some protests from me and reassurances from Prajio that it was safe, he made a small fire to cut through the chill in the air. He kept it small, but in the dark of the night, it was like a beacon shining for all to see.

  He saw the worry on my face and smiled. He pointed to the base of a nearby rock. "Watch its shadow."

  The inky black shadow around the base of the boulder oozed away from the boulder. When it was some distance away, it rose from the ground, stretching out into a thin sheen of shadow until its edges met with other shadows cast by the light of the campfire. A thin shade of darkness built itself into a dome around us, sheltering us from sight.

  "Amazing," I whispered.

  "We need not sleep in fear tonight," he said before miraculously producing two blankets for the women from his inventory.

  I, of course, made no comment about their magical appearance like a good NPC.

  Prajio and I carefully wrapped our unconscious guests in the blankets and moved them closer to the fire.

  The shadows around us were semi-translucent from the inside, and even through the sheet of darkness, the half-moon shone brightly, and the stars dotted the night sky like sparkling gemstones. Our small fire was warm and comforting and Tara was safe. In this brief moment, I felt at peace.

  "Thank you for what you did today," I said. "I was glad to see my trust in you wasn't misplaced. You're a good person, Prajio."

  "In your eyes, yes. My peers may think otherwise now." There was a thin smile on his face.

  "Hey, who needs peers when you have a friend like me? Have you worked side-by-side with a human before, or am I your first?"

  "Once or twice," Prajio said. "However, I've always preferred to work alone. That was until I met you. An uplifted human on an epic quest to find his lost wife; it's too good of a story to resist."

  "It's not so good for me."

  Light from the flames flickered across his face as I watched it grow solemn. "I apologize, Ethan. I can't imagine the pain you feel. I should not have made light of it."

  I gave him a reassuring smile. "Think nothing of it. But what about you? Do you have a wife? A partner?"

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  Prajio produced a bottle of something from his inventory and waved it at me.

  I smiled. "Now, where did you get that?"

  "Purloined it on the way out of Shask's camp."

  I laughed at what I assumed was a lie. "What are we waiting for? Let's have a drink. Then we can talk women."

  Using his claw, Prajio pried out the cork, took a swig, smiled, and handed me the bottle. I sniffed it, and thankfully, it was regular wine and not the Kurskin brand. I took a long, satisfying drink and passed it back.

  "Get to talking," I said. "Do you have someone waiting for you back where you came from?"

  Prajio looked up to the sky. "Sadly, the dead don't wait." He gave me a sad smirk. "She is the reason I am here. After I lost her, I was purposeless. When I had an opportunity to leave my sad home and seek adventure across the world, I knew I had to go, for if I didn't, I would forever wallow in the misery of a life without her."

  "I'm sorry, Prajio. I can see why you're so inclined to help me find my wife. If we succeed, I hope it can bring you peace."

  He shook his head sadly. "Peace is not something my kind easily finds."

  I passed the bottle back to him. He looked like he needed another drink.

  "John?"

  The name was spoken so quietly that I almost didn't hear it. But I did. And so did Prajio.

  It was Tara. She was supposed to be unconscious, but she was awake, and she had just called me John.

  My breath came quickly as I turned my eyes back toward my reptilian friend.

  "Did she just call you, John?" Prajio asked calmly.

  I didn't know what to say. What could I say?

  Like lightning, his hand reached out to grasp mine, and his eyes went wide with a mix of shock and anger. He had just inspected me.

  He pushed himself away and stood, drawing his weapon. I stood as well, but my sword rested on the ground a few feet away.

  "You lied to me." He said the words slowly, with a touch of sadness and disbelief. One sword remained in its sheath, but he held the other one pointed down in his right hand. "Why would you lie?"

  I held my hands up, thinking of a cover story. "I caught wind that some Kurskins were after me. I had to use a fake name. I'm sorry, I didn't have any other choice."

  "What are you?" Prajio asked menacingly.

  I shook my head, deciding that playing dumb was my only option. "I'm just me. I don't even know why they are after me."

  "Your name," he spat. "John McClane. Who gave you this name?"

  I shrugged and tried to look confused. "My parents."

  "Impossible," Prajio said. He lifted his blade to me. "Speak the truth, or I will kill you now."

  "Val, any advice?"

  'Yes, if you are about to die, try to do it near Tara. She has a minor magical affinity and could serve me well until I find a more suitable host.'

  I growled, both at Val and Prajio.

  "What do you want from me?" I said. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Tara sit up higher, and the Dalari shifted. "We were becoming friends, and you'll throw it all away over a name you don't like? Why? Why does my name trouble you?"

  Prajio moved forward, bringing the blade closer to me. "Because there is no one in this world named John McClane. I know this for a fact."

  "Yet here I am, so you're obviously wrong."

  "You do not understand," Prajio yelled. "You cannot exist." He scowled. "What else have you lied about? Do you even have a wife? Did you trick me into attacking my own kind? Is that your purpose, to sow discord among the Players?"

  It was my turn to yell. The jig was up. "I had a wife until the Kurskins stole her from me. I had thought you were different, but I see I was wrong. You're just like the rest."

  His tail whipped out and caught me behind the knee, sending me to my back. Prajio moved forward and placed the tip of his sword against my throat.

  "Why shouldn't I kill you right now?" he hissed.

  "Because you're not a murderer. I've seen the good inside of you. There's no reason for this. This is murder, Prajio, and there's no going back from it."

  "It is not murder to kill a pest." He pressed the tip of his curved blade hard against my already-pained throat, drawing blood. "Any last words, John McClane?"

  No doubt, Prajio was expecting me to beg. Instead, I smiled at him because I could see something he could not. The female Dalari had woken up and had slipped behind him.

  I locked my eyes on Prajio's. "Yippee ki-yay, mother fucker."

  The recognition of those words hit Prajio as hard as any fist ever could. He stepped back in shock just as a rock collided with his temple.

  Prajio collapsed to the ground in a heap, and the bald, nearly nude Dalari stepped over his unconscious body.

  She bent down and stuck out a hand. "Come with me if you want to live."