Chapter One
“15 years ago, a previously undiscovered chain of islands was found in the far end of the Torain Ocean, away from the warring nations in their greed for more resources. The moment the islands’ discovery was published, both Nihilim and Andoral raced to claim the land for themselves. They sent multiple scouting regiments to find an appropriate location to set up an outpost, but most never returned, being lost to the islands’ jungle...” I find myself explaining the islands’ worth to an old merchant, attempting to strike a deal on one of my “treasured” maps, an old, tattered, and bloodied map that I stumbled upon when I was creating a map around a waterfall surrounded by Yedeki trees. The map itself is nothing special, but almost anything can be sold at a decent price if it has a story on it.
“The map that I have here is from one of the lost scouting regiments; while it may be tattered from years of being thrown around in the jungle, I assure you, its worth is more than a measly 500 gyne. In fact, this could be considered history! It could be used to find a camp of the old soldiers in their struggle against Nihilim.” Anxiously, I look around the crowded market, seeing all the merchants who had rejected my previous offers tending to their stands. Selling excavator tools to wannabe relic hunters hoping to catch a big break and find some valuable and rare artifact.
“Look kid, I’m sorry but I don’t see the big deal in such an old map like this, besides, maps are starting to drop in value; now everyone is purchasing them relics from those treasure-hunters. But, I’ll cut you some slack kid, I’ll give you 750 gyne for the map.” The old merchant says, sits back in his chair, relaxing after having to hear my treasure map spiel. 750 gyne is the best offer that I’ve been given for this map. Thinking back to my desolate pantry, I have no other option but to accept.
“Alright, deal. I’ll sell you the map for 750 gyne.” I reply, shaking his hand with a smirk on my face.
“Kid, what’s your name? I need it for the records.” The old merchant slams his transaction records onto the stand’s countertop.
“Balthazar Addol.” I say, grabbing the 750 gyne and making my way down the market street, gripping the coin pouch tightly, being sure not to give anybody the slightest window of opportunity to steal it. The streets of Morndal are filled to the brim with relic hunters, making their way from the port to the market, seeking to sell any tool relics to the merchants. I turn around the corner and start heading towards my apartment, just a couple blocks away from the market, making it more convenient for me to sell my maps.
Slamming the front door of the cramped apartment I call my home, I walk towards my office.  As I step through the door, I notice Ashley sitting on my desk, fiddling with a compass.
“Ashley, what are you doing here? I thought you’d be gone until tomorrow.” She jumps out of surprise, then gets up and walks towards me.
“I had to come back early, I forgot to ask you for that one map.” She says, standing just a couple feet in front of me, still fiddling with my compass.
“That one map? I’m going to need a better explanation than that.”
“The one with the dashed line indicating the ‘No Trespassing’ area.” She replies, focusing on me and putting down my compass.
“The one from the deceased soldiers?”
“Yes! That one!”
“I just sold it, but the transcription is somewhere along my notes.” I respond, walking towards one of my many stacks of papers.
“Transcription? I thought that copying maps was illegal.”
“Well, so is trespassing.” I retort, pulling out the transcription of the map from the middle of a paper stack.
“I know you’re against me trespassing in the islands, but think about it, that land is owned by the Director, it has to have some good relics in there!” Ashley says, as she forcefully grabs the map out of my hands, nearly ripping the copied map.
“And what are you going to do if you get caught?”
“I’ll find some way to run or hide.” She responds, walking out of the door to my office.
“Fine, but I’m going with you this time, I need to finish a map of an area near there”
“Yes! Thank you! Now then, I’m going to go to the docks and get us a ship for tomorrow!” Ashley says as she starts to unlock the front door.
“Hold on just a moment, tomorrow?” I ask, trying to follow her before she runs out the door.
Ashley sprints out of the apartment, as I head back to my office to get ready for our little expedition tomorrow.
Paper, compasses, pencils and pens– all the essentials to a newbie cartographer. However, I’m not some inexperienced amateur. I pack flares, a small knife, rations and even my portable water distiller, which cost me an absolute fortune, but has saved my life enough times to make the cost worth it. I hear my stomach grumble and I head over to our kitchen to fix both of us something to eat. As I start cutting lettuce for a sandwich, Ashley bursts through the door, sweat beading down her face. She walks over to the dining table and takes a seat.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, opening the refrigerator and pulling out some mayonnaise.
“Mostly just tired, I had to run pretty fast. Could you get me a drink?”
“Yeah, sure,” I say, reaching for a glass of water, “Why did you have to run that fast?”
“Well, first it was to get to the docks in time; you know that Joan doesn’t take orders after 6:00.” I look at the clock, sure enough, it’s around 6:03 now.
“Alright, well why did you run back then?” She stands up and walks over to our refrigerator and begins to scavenge with great purpose.
“To stop you from taking the last slice of ham.” She pulls out the final slice of ham from the refrigerator, steals my incomplete sandwich, then starts eating the newly created ham sandwich.
“Hey, what the hell?!”
“Sorry, but I’m really hungry... tell you what, after our expedition tomorrow, I’ll get both of us Kababs from the street vendors.”
“Fine, I guess I’ll just make myself a salad.” I say as I open the refrigerator, eyeing it down for the lettuce.
After we both eat, we decide that it would be best to get to bed early, as to be ready when we head out to the island in the morning. We both say goodnight to each other, and I collapse onto my bed, exhausted and anxious.
I wake up, alarmed by Ashley’s voice, yelling at me repeatedly like the annoying kitapeep birds on the island. I walk outside my bedroom, only to see Ashley waiting for me at the bottom of the steps.
“Hurry up already! We need to go!” I run to my office, grab my bag, and start running out the door alongside Ashley.
“How long do we have until Joan leaves?”
“We’ve got around four minutes to get to the docks...”
“Oh boy, now we’re both going to be sweating like crazy... and this was my favorite shirt.”
“Less talking, more running!” We continue running, following the usual route that we’ve taken for the past three years. It’s always been the same, always running to the docks, attempting to catch our boat in time. After turning another corner, we finally make it to the docks, and I commence my search for Joan.
“Hehe, as usual you two are sweating bullets.”
“Joan! Thank goodness you’re still here” We say, followed by a sigh of relief.
“Oh, come on now guys, you know I wouldn’t leave without you.”
“I know! But, we don’t like to keep you waiting!”
“It’s fine, hop on board and we’ll head on over to the island.” We throw our bags onto the ship and take our seats. After untying the rope holding the ship to the docks, Joan walks over to the steering wheel and starts the boat’s engine, then slowly makes his way out of the port. The morning fog hangs low over the ocean, the light from the top of the boat penetrating the ocean’s misty blanket, guiding us on our way to the island.
Äpril Island soon looms over us, the Yedeki trees looking like distant towers through the heavy morning fog. Next to them lies a beautiful waterfall, glistening through the fog with its crystal blue water. Meanwhile on the boat, I see Ashley cleaning her prized relic, a crystalline sword, shining in the sunlight.
“Ashley, why did you take that with you? Aren’t you worried about someone else spotting it and trying to steal it?”
“Nope, especially since we might need it.”
“Might need it? Don’t tell me...”
“Oh, come on now, you know I’m not going to stab any of the guards, not without good reason of course. It’s mostly in case something like a pack of wolves or, even worse, a pack of bears show up.”
“...Bears don’t travel in packs.”
“Sure, maybe in forests on the mainland, but this is completely different! Different species, different adaptations...”
“I highly doubt that bears would start forming packs anywhere”
“Tsk tsk, you never know, some strange things happen on the island, I mean, I find relics that can harness the power of the sun! And you’re trying to tell me that bears making packs is not possible?”
“Well, there’s a difference there! We don’t know the origin of the relics, but if anything, I’d say those relics are manmade.”
“Whatever you say. Anyways, it looks like we’ve hit the shore.” We grab our bags and get off the boat onto a makeshift dock, leading to the red shores of Äpril Island.
“Joan! You’ll be here around 6:00 to pick us up, right?”
“When have I not?”
“Just making sure.” I wave to Joan, as he starts disappearing once more into the fog. I walk alongside Ashley as we make our way to a nearby tree stump, to pull out my map and assess our situation.
“So, where exactly do we go to make it to the ‘No Trespassing’ area on the map?” Ashley says, attempting to get a peek at the map.
“Northwest from here, approximately 2,000 meters away.” I say, pointing to a thick part of the jungle near the shoreline.
“2,000 meters?! We have to walk all that?”
“Do you have any better ideas?”
“Alright, I’d better get going then.” She turns around and starts jogging into the jungle.
“Ashley, wait, don’t leave me behind!”
“Huh? I thought you said that you were going to go survey another area.”
“Yeah, but it’s close to your destination, so we might as well stick together. Besides, your bag has all of the food.”
“...It does?” She asks, starting to lower her bag onto the ground.
“Don’t eat all the food!”
“Fine, fine, I was just joking. Let’s get going then.” We both start heading into the deepest part of the forest, Ashley cutting down some of the patches of tall grass, occasionally lifting a leaf so that it would hit me in the face after passing under it. The jungle is full of different species of insects and birds, ready to fly or run away, utilizing the forests environment to disorient their pursuer. However, there is a type of insect that never knows when to stop pestering other animals, being parasites to all who inhabit the same area– mosquitoes. Doesn’t matter which species or where it is located, they bite, they suck blood, and they leave their victim itching the same spot for days on end. The cave mosquitoes that live on the island are much worse than the ones on the mainland. Instead of just irritating the skin and leaving their victim itchy, these mosquitoes inject potent neurotoxins into the bloodstream, shutting down limbs and, if injected in the leg, ensuring an easy meal for the mosquito.
“Hey, did you see that cave mosquito I just killed?” Ashley asked, making sure to not miss a beat with hitting me with branches
“No, why do you ask?” I reply, moving the branches out of my way and following Ashley at a safe distance, to ensure that she can’t hit me anymore.
“It was pretty big, no doubt that there are people in the immediate area...”
“Or, it just sucked a lot of blood from a crystal-tusked boar.”
“Man, shut up, I want to at least think that we’re getting closer to our destination.”
After hearing Ashley’s complaining for what seemed to be over an hour, we finally arrive at a small clearing, the one that I had drawn on the map that Ashley was now holding.
“So, this is the place?” Ashley asks, shoving the map in my face.
“Yeah, take one of my spare compasses, you’ll need it to navigate your way through the jungle.” I reply, swapping it out for one of my compasses laying in my bag.
“It should just be a straight shot this way though.”
“Just take it, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Alright, wish me luck. I’ll be sure not to be spotted.” Ashley advances towards the “No Trespassing” Area. I pull out my parchment and start looking for a vantage point.

Chapter Two: Ashley
Balthazar’s map says that the start of the “No Trespassing” area should be right after these two fallen trees, so I’d better start being more cautious about my movements from here on. I sheathe my sword to ensure that it doesn’t start glowing in the sunlight and give away my position or start burning any foliage that I may be crawling next to. There’s a trail behind the arched trees, leading into a deep valley with ancient looking structures at the bottom. I start making my way down the trail, keeping a cautious eye for anything that may look like a guard. After making it halfway down the valley, I hear voices coming my direction. I quickly get behind a bush and stay silent. As they pass, I can see that they’re carrying the standard excavator tools, not weaponry. Suddenly, they stop, and face each other.
“I’m surprised that the foreman even gave us a break. I mean, the Director himself is funding this excavation.” One of them says as he looks back towards where they had come.
“You know, I think I actually heard something about why the workload has been lessened recently.” The other says as he starts digging his foot into the ground.
“Oh, really, and what is that? Did the Director finally figure out that these ruins are completely empty?”
“Hehe, actually, quite the opposite. I hear that they found something in the ruins.”
“Wow, I can’t believe we actually found something... does this mean that we finally get that bonus we were promised?”
“As if. Remember, that bonus only goes to the team that finds something in the pyramid.”
“Goddamnit... well, do you know which team found it?”
“I heard that it was Jacob’s team.” He answers as he looks in my direction, as I slowly tuck myself closer to avoid being seen.
“Lucky son of a bitch...” The other said, as I hear a loud alarm go off, getting the attention of the excavator who had spotted me.
“Already?! It feels like we just got on break!” They both start running towards the sound of the alarm, and I take that as the invitation to follow them. Soon enough, I’m at the bottom of the valley, looking at a small mausoleum with everybody lining up in front of their tents.
“Alright everybody, rollcall.” The foreman says, picking up his clipboard and pen. He goes through multiple names until he calls Jacob, catching my attention.
“Jacob, I want you to show us where you found the relic. Do that, and not only do you and your team get a bonus, but your team also gets to go home early.” The foreman says, gesturing to a small team of excavators.
“Sir yes, sir!” Jacob grabs his equipment and starts heading into the excavation site with the foreman and excavators in tow. Shortly after they enter, the other teams of excavators start heading into their tents, giving me the opportunity to slip into the excavation site. As I walk through the mausoleum’s entrance, I notice a very narrow passageway leading deeper into an underground portion of the mausoleum. The underground crypt continues to narrow, and I can hear the foreman and his excavators make their way deeper into the passageway. The underground portion is decrepit. With portions of the floor being demolished, it’s surprising that the architecture is still holding up to this day.
As I continue further into the mausoleum, I see a faint shining further down the passage, and the foreman’s voice is much closer now. This is the end of the passageway. It has to be; it must be where that special relic is. I slowly peek into the dim room, and I immediately spot the foreman and his crew, standing along one of the walls, formulating the report that they are to give to the Director. In the middle of the room, stands a spherical crystalline relic, being displayed atop a pedestal. I slowly make my way towards the relic, making sure not to be seen. As I walk up to the relic, I feel something horrible. The scent of blood pierces my nose, and without thinking, almost as if my body is moving by itself, I snatch the relic, stuff it into my bag, and start running out of the mausoleum. Almost immediately after running out of the room, I hear the foreman and his team yell after me. The pounding of their steps reverberating in my ears.
I run out of the mausoleum, and the excavators who had previously been in their tents notice me and call for the guards’ help. I start running back up the valley, with more guards chasing after me. I keep running, past the two fallen trees, and make it back to where Balthazar and I had split up.
“Balthazar! Balthazar, we need to go!” I yell out, looking in every direction to find him. He said he’d be nearby, and yet, I can’t seem to find him. I continue to call out for him, hoping that he’ll pop out of the thicket like a prairie dog and show me a good spot to hide from the guards. Suddenly, someone emerges from the bushes.
“Balthazar? Does this Balthazar have a last name?” The guard says, unsheathing a small dagger.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I retort, gritting my teeth and unsheathing my crystalline sword. I promised Balthazar that I wouldn’t use it to kill anybody, and I don’t intend to. If I can just injure him enough and make an opening for myself to get away, I can escape without killing him. I lift my sword, allowing the sun to shine on it. The small dagger he’s using is normal metal. If I can land one well-placed attack, I should be able to destroy it. He starts sprinting towards me, dagger in hand. He attempts to strike me in my shoulder, but I quickly move my sword to block the attack. He staggers, then jumps backwards with a shocked look. I assume my battle stance, sword in hand, and I start slowly advancing towards the guard. He starts dashing towards me again, this time aiming for my head. I quickly step to the side, and swing at his blade. With a loud hiss, my sword heats upon contact with the blade, and cuts his small dagger into two, with each end of the dagger orange-hot. The guard jumps away from me and takes off his gloves.
“What are you doing? I just got rid of your weapon and you’re taking off your gloves?” I say, confused as hell as to why he’s still intent on fighting
“Sheathe your weapon. We end this with a fist-fight.” He says, raising one of his fists and taunting me with the other.
“Really? Well, if you insist.” I sheathe my sword, raise my fists, and start running at him.
Chapter Three: Balthazar
“Balthazar! Balthazar, we need to go!” I hear Ashley in the distance, and immediately start packing all of my cartography tools. I pull out my map and start retracing my steps, back towards where we had split up. I was able to make good progress on my maps, despite now being interrupted by Ashley getting into trouble. The Director’s land goes on further than we had previously thought; I had followed the fence that they had obstructed all the way to the shore of the island, recording my surrounding as I had made my way through. Shortly after running towards Ashley’s position at the clearing, I hear a loud hissing sound coming from the direction of the clearing. I find some bushes next to the clearing to survey the situation. The man starts taking off his gloves, and they both assume a fighting stance. I sprint out of the bush towards the man, and the moment he notices me, I throw a punch at his lower jaw.
“Balthazar?!” Ashley yells out, surprised by my sudden entrance. Before I can ask what is going on, Ashley hands me a spherical relic.
“W-What the?! Ashley, what’s going on? I heard you yell out my name and—”
“Shut up, we need to go now, I was caught.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell.”
“Shut it! We need to get out of here now! Is the boat here?”
“What? No, I told him to come back around 6:00 PM, remember?”
“Shoot, okay. Do you know anywhere that we could hide until then?”
“I think I might know a place. But, our clothes will have to get a bit wet.”
“That doesn’t matter, just take me there now.” Ashley says, pushing me in the completely wrong direction.
“Hey! Stop! You’re not even pushing me in the right direction!” I say, running past her and towards the safe place. I look behind me to see Ashley following close behind, hand on the hilt of her sword.
“So, what happened? And, why did you give me the relic?” I ask, pulling out the relic.
“I went into a deep valley, found a mausoleum, found that relic, got caught, ran away, got into a fight, and now we’re here.”
“Should we activate the relic then?”
“I don’t hear anybody behind us, we should be fine to just activate it.” Ashley says, walking towards me and reaching for my hand with the spherical relic.
“So, how do we activate it?” I ask as Ashley raises my hand towards the sky and into the sunlight.
“All we need to do is... put it... in the... sunlight?” Ashley says, repeatedly pushing my hand towards the sunlight.
“What’s wrong?”
“I... don’t know. They usually activate by now. But, then again, I’ve never seen a spherical one. Most of the relics are in the shape of a tool or weapon, but this one is just a sphere.”
“So, it isn’t worth anything?”
“No, it has to be worth something, I heard that the foreman was giving a bonus to any of the excavators who had found something special. One of them found something, and that’s when I followed them”
“Maybe it was a mistake?”
“I doubt it. Anyways, we’re wasting time. Keep going to that hiding spot you were talking about.”
“Actually, we’re nearly there.” I put away the relic, motion towards a nearby stream, and continue running next to it, going upstream. After a couple of minutes of running, I make it to my destination. The beautiful waterfall that I always visit when I’m stressed.
“Uh, Balthazar, I needed a safe place, not a calming place” Ashley says, walking next to me.
“Oh, good, so you haven’t seen it yet. That means neither will they.” I start walking towards the waterfall
“See what?”
“Make sure your bag is completely closed. I don’t want any of my maps to get ruined.” I say before I proceed to walk through the waterfall and into a small cave, with the glowmoss hanging from the ceiling, emitting a soft sky-blue light into the rest of the cave, partially illuminating Ashley’s sword.
“Wow, okay, this will work as a hiding spot.” Ashley says, walking through the waterfall after me.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah, when did you find this?” She says, looking around the cave.
“I found it on my first expedition, kept it a secret since.” I say, putting my hands on my hip and standing proudly.
“I do have a question though...” Ashley unsheathes her sword.
“Oh, is it that you’re wondering how anybody could find a place like this?” I reply, still feeling proud of my first successful cartography expedition.
“...No, I just wanted to know why my sword is being activated even though there isn’t any sunlight here.”
“Wait, you didn’t know?”
“Didn’t know what?” Ashley lifts her sword, watching as it slowly lights up in the cave.
“The glowmoss on the walls of the cave, they have the same effect on the relics that sunlight does, except not as strong.” I gesture to the glowmoss, ripping off a small portion of it.
“C-Can I take it with me?” Ashley says as she attempts to grab the glowmoss from my hands.