Another! So be it, my quest for wisdom will not come easily, nor should it.

Abhaya's strength grows. There are times when I rush into a battle only to find piles of gore dotted with her arrows. Damned though we may be, surely some release can be found in this carnival.

This great marshland extends farther than I could have predicted. We have slain so much vermin here. Even some the gnarled trees themselves have succumb to dark spirits; they walk the land in search of blood.

Indeed, we did find a way through in the end, to an even denser jungle; but we must rest. Famished and half-poisoned we resigned ourselves to sleep in our hut.

Having slumbered enough, we set out assuredly to suffer greatly in the horrid landscape ahead. It was Abhaya that demanded it so; she grows weary when the idleness of being torments her. I've begun to suspect there are memories that haunt her, tales of her sisters who came to bitter ends.

Along the way, I had a sudden shift in thought. My consciousness became as a river, all became awash in perception. The leaves on the trees seemed to glisten with song. The worms beneath my feet echoed in my mind; each raindrop a world unto its own.

Why do things happen as they do? Why in this inconsequential alcove should I feel this epiphany? The very quanta of time has set me free. A cosmic dance spread out before us, Abhaya by my side; we are destined for the greatest of deeds, and as such, the greatest of sufferings.

With backs to each other for protection, and our wills forged of one ideal; We will now overcome those who stand against us with greater conviction.

Oh how I long to enter this trove; there will be such great suffering here!

We fought souls of ages past and descended into the depths. My sword knew where to strike and Abhaya's arrows flew with new grace. A new serenity has found us.

Treasure spills out before us in the final chamber. We rarely speak to one another, but I felt her gaze before she offered it.

These warped goods were nothing...

We left them to lie in this forbidden hole, for all eternity, if that was time's will. As our steps took us to our humble quarters, I felt peace, if only for a moment. Perhaps it was Abhaya's presence; perhaps it was that she accepted mine.

Good stuff !

In the following days we traversed the jungles innermost thickets. We chanced upon these poor souls too late. They could not have traveled here from the settlement; there must be an outpost of sorts nearby.

This blade will serve me well. I prefer well-forged metal to the translucent mineral that I've been using. While it seemed to slay without much ado, I always felt that its nature was precarious.