After dinner, we slept around the campfire. My first night in Etheryn was hard. I was tired, but I couldn’t sleep for longer than five minutes at a time. With new hurdles came adjustments, and right now, sleeping out in the barren wasteland was one adjustment that I hadn’t been ready for. The threat of wandering goblins, savage wolves, and other monstrous beasts of the night didn’t make me feel any safer. Every rustle in the bush, and every gust of wind felt like a threat looming around the corner. The echoes of the wilderness carried strange whispers and wild growls to my ears that sent shivers down my spine.

Between half-closed eyes, I watched Nolan who seemed to have no trouble sleeping under these conditions. His snores were proof enough of that. He was a rugged slab of a man conditioned by this cruel place and seemed as unfazed by its challenges as he was welcoming of its uncomfort. I envied him then.

I needed to evolve; the bigger and stronger I was, the more confident I could be like a rogue like Nolan.

By the time dawn broke, I was half asleep. As the first flicker of sunlight shone over the bleak expanse of Etheryn, I realized that I’d barely gotten any rest at all. I shuffled under my blanket and stretched, letting out a squeaky yawn. Nolan had given me his wolf pelt, the one he looted from the dire wolf. To be honest, I didn’t really need it, but it was a nice gesture. As a dragon, I regulated my own body temperature. Also as a dragon, I had crystal clear vision. How dorky would it have been if I kept my glasses on this trip? So I was able to see the sun and all of its glorious rays, as they began to slowly creep up from behind the far-off mountains. I squinted my eyes against the sharp brightness. Its intensity grew, turning the desolate plains into a shimmering, hazy red mirage. There was a certain beauty to it—a raw, primal kind of beauty that captivated me.

Hmm, wonder why it was so red, though….

“Strange sight, isn’t it?” Nolan said as he shuffled off his ass and grabbed a canteen. “The bloodmoon?”

‘Bloodmoon?’

“Once a month, the bloodmoon rises over Etheryn, tainting the land and everything on it with a deep crimson hue. Culture believes that it symbolizes our god letting loose his wrath, staining the world with blood spilled in battle.” He took a swig from the canteen, and then grunted. “The God of Death and War, Aradamus.”

I turned my eyes back to the horizon. It was a spectacle for sure. It bathed the landscape in an eerie yet stunning radiance. How could something so beautiful have a dark meaning to it?

“You best stay away from orcs until it passes.”

‘Orcs?’

“Their [Enrage] gets a multiplier. Those fuckers become downright frenzied during Bloodmoon. Not to mention the berserkers. You wouldn’t want to cross paths with one of those on a regular night, let alone during a bloodmoon. It’s not a pretty sight.”

Increased strength, increased fortitude, and increased endurance—why did Enrage sound so broken?

Despite the buffs, Nolan mentioned it was only short term. It lasted for less than a day, and the drawback was instant exhaustion that lasted for hours after the event. The actual sun crept up soon after. By that time Nolan, me, and our pet pup were already heading to the witch’s house. With a long journey ahead, I asked Nolan to break Etheryn down for me, starting with these gods. I was curious when he mentioned Aradamus, and he went on to list a few more: Zerdies, the God of Sin. Pethium, the God of Malady and Plague. Priamora, the God of Fertility and Creation. Eiernessi, the God of Peace and Forgiveness. And Alutus, the God of Wealth, Prosperity and Health.

He didn’t really seem too thrilled to delve further into the world of divinity. I could tell he held them with little regard, but one thing he mentioned about them did stand out—they all left a decade ago. Where? No one knew.

Some theorized that they abandoned their worlds. Others swore someone locked them away. What was even stranger was the disappearances of the titans, titans being the offspring of two gods. And the disappearances of demigods. Demi gods were the offspring of gods and lesser creatures like us, making them hybrids. Titans and demis feuded among themselves, between the pure and the imperfect, the hybrids being the latter. Nolan said they littered Etheryn with their wars and their sovereign debates, and that nothing was ever diplomatic with them.

“A bunch of pompous, self-centered pricks, was what they were,” Nolan grumbled, his grip on the reins tightening. “Always looking for an opportunity to flex their celestial power. It didn’t matter who got caught in their crosshairs.”

‘So, I’m assuming they were rulers of Etheryn and their distinct regions?’

“You could say that. Etheryn is split into six nations.”

‘Six nations and six gods? Is there a correlation?’

“No, it’s just a coincidence. At one time, the six nations represented the six races: humans, dragons, orcs, goblins, elves and drow, and beastkin. After many violent wars and much bloodshed, the nations have diversified. Now, you find a little of everything no matter where you go. Of course, you’ll find that the census in any nation would favor the original inhabitants. Fae country is predominantly fae, with a small population of drow, and even a smaller population of human and beastkin.”

‘Fae country doesn’t have orcs, dragons and goblins?’

“A scarce number of orcs and goblins. Dragons are rare wherever you go. They are a dying race, remember?” He smirked. “Orcs and goblins don’t have a place for the fae. They are all about their beauty standards and shit. You’d be lucky not to be turned into a sheep as an orc or goblin if you touch fae lines.”

Ohh, scary….

“Segregation is a big thing in some of these countries, but as long as you take care of your own, you should be fine.”

‘So which nation are you banned from?’

He chuckled. “I go where I want, do what I want.”

‘So, all of em. Got it.’

“You’ll learn soon enough that you could do the same. Except in your case, I’d stay away from those humans. You might find yourself with the rest of your species down under.”

I scrunched my face.

“At least for now. Bulk up, get stronger and wiser. And then, you can travel limitlessly.”

Nolan went on to tell me when the titans, demi-gods, lords, whatever you wanna call em’, all vanished about 10 years ago, the regions were left with no one to rule. Kingdoms sought to continue the legacies of their forebears, striving to maintain a semblance of order amidst the chaos. It was a stressful and confusing time for sure; kingdoms splintered, while alliances formed and dissolved at the drop of a hat. The world of Etheryn became a dangerous chessboard with territorial lines constantly shifting and power struggles igniting like wildfire.

Maintaining order was a monster of a chore. Noble houses, who were directly under the gods and demi-gods, assumed authority over their respective regions. Some did better than others, with some doing worse. There was a certain level of chaos, no doubt about it.

‘Must’ve been tough to go from such divine rule to nobles,’ I mumbled, trying to imagine how hard of a transition that must have been.

“We’re talking about divine bloodlines erased in a grand scale. People stopped believing they’d come back. Faith was lost, and morale was low. But in hindsight, it was the best thing that could have happened to Etheryn.”

‘How so?’

“Equality,” he said. “With those egotistical maniacs off the board, everything was balanced. There was no superiority complex that took religion and government to an extreme level of bullshit. The beauty of life was in its unpredictability, its chaos.”

Hmm, where have I heard that line before? Did my father say it?

“Chaos breeds strength. It makes you adaptable, resilient. It forces you to evolve. When gods ruled, people were stagnant, stuck in their places, and following the same old patterns again and again. Now, you see growth; you see change. The demi-gods were all about order, but it was always ‘order’ as seen through their eyes, their dogmatic principles.”

‘A kind of tyranny?’ I suggested.

“Absolutely. They ruled with an iron fist. The laws they created were not designed for the benefit of the people. They only furthered their own interests, their own power. But of course, their devoted followers, these puppets were so deep in their shit that they didn’t care. Half of them were so mindless that they refused to believe it.”

‘And what about the noble houses? Are they any different?’

He gave a half-shrug. “The lords that they have governing the regions… they have their own baggage. No one is perfect. But at least, now there’s a sense of fairness. The noble houses are not divine. They are mortal and flawed, just like the rest of us. They can’t claim a god-given right to anything. Not only that, they are too busy squabbling amongst themselves to impose a unified tyranny. They’re too threatened by each other’s power to try and squash the rest of us.”

‘So, it’s like a balance of power?’

“Yeah, something like that,” Nolan responded with a nod. “Everyone’s looking out for their own interests. No one has the time or the energy to crush everyone else under their boot. Not on a large scale, anyway.”

‘Sounds almost… democratic?’

Nolan laughed. “Now, that’s pushing it. Etheryn is far from being a democracy. But at least, it’s no dictatorship either. It’s more of an... organized chaos. And that’s what makes it bearable. That’s what makes it work.”

‘That doesn’t sound like a very stable system.’

“Stability is overrated, short fry,” Nolan admitted. “The world is chaotic by nature. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. What matters is adaptability. It’s survival of the fittest everywhere, and Etheryn is no different.”

‘I imagine there are outliers?’

“Of course. Most issues stemming from the segregation cycle you’ll find in some regions.”

‘So how does that work for someone like me?’ I asked curiously. ‘Dragons are hated among humans. How does everyone else feel about them?’

Nolan stroked his beard in thought. “Well, it largely depends on where you go. The fae couldn’t give two hoots about dragons. They’re too preoccupied with their own beauty and politics. The goblins... now that’s a different story altogether. They have a long history with dragons, not all of it good. Goblins value their precious gems and metals above all else, and dragons do have a reputation for hoarding those things… So, not the best relations there.”

‘And the orcs and beastkin?’ I asked.

“Both don’t really care either. As long as you don’t start trouncing and claiming turf. In fact, some beastkin are dragon riders. Like I said, it depends on the region, and the district. Level up and evolve fast enough, and you’ll find yourself accepted by most.”

Well, leveling up is definitely on the top of my priorities list. I commanded my codex to [Inspect] Nolan, expecting him to jump a level after fighting those wolves. But when I realized he hadn’t, I had to ask, ‘Why didn’t you level up? Have you already done so recently?’

“Leveling up isn’t easy in Etheryn. You should know that. You’re only at level 2.”

‘I’m at level 6.’

“What?” He [Inspect] me. I could tell by that look on his face that he was reading me again. “A few hours in Etheryn, and you’re already at level 6?” He snorted. “I’ll invite you to my party. That way, I can see your codex.”

Well, about that….

I wasn’t ready to let anyone see it. Not yet. Judging by Nolan’s reaction, my leveling rate was uncommon, as with a bunch of other wild things about me. I was afraid that he’d discover something that’d give him red flags, like I dunno, my infernal bloodline?

So, respectfully, I had to decline, and say, ‘I’m not comfortable with that level of commitment yet.’

He raised his eyebrow at me. “I’m not asking you for your hand, I’m asking to be in your party.”

I squinted. ‘Well, I’m not interested in either. Besides, you’re much too old for me. You’re old enough to be my dad.’

He gave me a cheeky look.

“You don’t trust me yet, I get it. Common side-effect. But there’s one thing you seem to be forgetting which is the fact that you’re not my target. Now, if there was a hit on your head….”

I gasped.

He laughed. “You know, there’s an item that allows you to scope, right?” He smirked. “Pull the curtains on someone’s codex. Durability is top notch, too.”

I gazed at him worried. ‘Do you have that item?’

He turned his eye away from me with a smirk and began packing up. “It’s a long way from here to the witch’s house.”

‘Nolan, do you have it?!’ I insisted.

“We better start hitting the trail.”

I sighed. Now the bastard was just messing with me.