Thud.
The sound was heavy, metallic, and wet—like iron boots treading through a slaughterhouse floor. Thud. Thud. Thud. In the darkness, the footsteps began to multiply, overlapping into a rhythmic drone that vibrated through the earth.
Suddenly, the vision snapped.
Reine's eyes flew open. He was twisted into an awfully uncomfortable position inside a lousy, falling-apart tent that smelled of damp canvas and old socks. Outside, a loud, aggressive wind lashed against the fabric, echoing through the night sky like a physical threat.
"Sir... siiiir..." No reply. "SIIIIIIIIIIIR!!"
Argol was shaking Reine aggressively.
"No... not yet..." Reine groaned half-asleep, pulling a thin, lumpy pillow over his ears.
"Sigh. I guess I'll have to eat all this food by myself," Argol muttered.
Argol turned around to grab the pot, only to find Reine already standing, fully dressed, and sliding his stubborn sword into his waist belt. Argol blinked. He looked at the bed where Reine had just been a "sloth" seconds ago, then back at the "Specialist" who was now combat-ready. The bed was perfectly tidied and clean.
Argol's face twisted into pure terror. "H-hey! How did you even do that?! You were literally snoring a second ago!"
"What are you waiting for, Argol?" Reine said, his face suddenly lit up with a look of pure, unhinged joy at the thought of a hot meal. "The food won't wait for us. Let's go."
"DON'T TURN THIS AGAINST ME! EXPLAIN THE BED!" Argol shouted in disbelief.
"SHUT UP!" yelled the other soldiers in the surrounding tents simultaneously. Argol apologiged sincerely and in embarrassment as he followed Reine out into the gloomy night.
The air was heavy and thick with the fresh, metallic scent of rain. Reine looked up at the black, oppressive clouds and let out a tired sigh.
"Do we really have to do this? Look at the weather... it's so boring and edgy," Reine implied.
Argol gave him an over-exaggeratedly terrified look. Reine matched it with an over-exaggeratedly serious face. Unwillingly, Reine listened and followed as they began walking toward the unknown.
"How are we even going to get there? We don't even know the way," Reine asked.
"With this!" Argol lifted his right arm.
Reine looked at him dumbfounded, tilting his head.
"THIS!" Argol yelled, pointing to the Aether-Glass Navigator strapped to his hand. Reine nodded back with intense gravity. "This device is a magical mana-tech map. Even if you were stuck in the middle of a dense jungle, you just point at the location on this holographic map and it shows precise directions."
"I've never heard of anything like that in Herlem," Reine admitted. "Where did the commander even get it?"
"You didn't know?" Argol's chest puffed out with pride. "This was designed by the great Mioli Reinhart, the legendary Grandmaster Mage. It's an elite artifact. Since the Erlj Technocracy stopped supplying them, they're incredibly valuable."
This guy is surprisingly smart about these things, Reine thought, remembering when he called Argol slow.
They eventually reached their first resting location—a vast, plain flatland.
"This is where we're gonna rest for today," Argol said, starting the tent.
"Isn't this place a little too plain?" Reine asked, looking at the flat grass. But then, he felt it. He smelt it the aroma of Groy—a rich, curry-like scent that could never be mistaken. He turned to see Argol heating a pot.
"Did you really make this?"
"Yeah. My mom used to make this for me every time I accomplished something," Argol said with a smile that looked almost fake. "It's the best food for traveling by foot. And the pot is imbued with ice magic, so it won't spoil for ten days."
They sat cross-legged under the piercing moon, eating the warm Groy.
"Argol," Reine said quietly. "What's your goal? I asked before, but the Commander interrupted us.
"Oh, yeah. It's—"
Argol was cut off again, this time by a small, sunset-colored fox that trotted out of the grass.
"It looks like it smelt the food," Argol whispered with an admiring face. Reine offered a piece of meat, and the fox yipped, snuggling against him. Argol frowned, checking his monocle. "Sir, be careful. If that's a mana-beast, it could be dangerous."
But the fox just curled up and fell asleep beside Reine. Soon, the two boys drifted off as well.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
The dream returned. But this time, it didn't snap away.
The heavy, mechanical thud of metal on wet grass grew louder. Reine's eyes snapped open. He looked out the tent flap and his heart stopped.