Why such a sudden expression? I’m concerned.

  I’ve seen his one eye peeking on me while I searched my corpse for the second amulet. Did he steal it? Or does he know something that I do not? This thing was suspicious from the beginning, his suddenly well healed back and that weird poker face he hardly maintained while I received the amulet from Nautilus.

  Nathalie does not move a muscle while clearly noticing that I’m searching for something.

  With the temper of that Spanish speaking woman, she would interfere right away if she saw him taking it.

  “You know, the amulet from Nautilus, I thought it might get duplicated as other possessions.”

  I ask him carefully.

  “Maybe special items don’t duplicate, or whatever.” He answers right away.

  “Yeah.” I answer, my mouth open, looking around not blinking.

  “Err.. so she wants to join us?” I continue asking.

  “I’m not sure yet, but it seems that she has followed us for a while now.” Mike answers.

  “Is she from here or from earth? Ask her about the car.” I talk in her presence, she listens carefully.

  “Dude, I’m not sure if I’m translating anything good, we better teach her basic words as soon as possible or we end up in some serious misunderstandings.” Mike suggests.

  “Yeah, right.” I answer, looking around.

  “Listen, Harald and your girl are suggesting we move near the river and open a camp there, not that it's not too late already but we need your eye.” I add.

  “Nathalie, aqua. Aqua that way.” I gesticulate, barely seen. Pointing my finger in the distance, where we assume the river is.

  “Sim.” She answers, her teeth shine even in this dim environment.

  “That was yes?” I ask, looking at Mike.

  “Yeah.”

  I turn around while nodding, leaving my burial for tomorrow. It’s time to head towards the old man with a legless girl.

  “So what are you two up to?” I ask them.

  “While you collected your stuff and Mike was trying to communicate, we did the shots.”

  Answers Harald.

  “You mean the acid right? I will continue too, but not yet. We are the painkiller trio anyway.”

  I note with a cheerful tone.

  Astrid chuckles in his arms.

  “They will follow and Mike will catch up on us and use his eye. Towards the water right?” I reassure myself.

  “Towards the river.” The old man answers.

  While we walk carefully the old man starts with a curious tone.

  “So Mark, isn’t there anything you would like to tell us? Hint: Golden light.”

  “Okay, I guess it’s time.” I sigh. Astrid raises her head.

  “So, Pocco told me before, that I should die when I’m already dead.”

  “In that dusty realm? How?” Asks Harald. Astrid's eyes widen, as she listens about it.

  “Nothing is working there but my Focus does, so I somehow suffocate myself by shifting right muscles.” I answer.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Then?” He continues.

  “I was about to tell you this and ask for advice and a little help Harald. I need a rope ladder or just a rope with some hook on the end, like a grappling hook. That rope should be long, around ten or more met..”

  “Wait, wait, what?” He stutters.

  Astrid leans over from his arms.

  “There is a place, a place like I’ve never seen before. Four tall walls surrounding a hole in a marble, like a quarry. Well, to get a better perspective, it's like a massive apartment complex with a hollow middle, where you can see the sky. All four sides are covered in archways, randomly scattered around the walls and they are not easily accessible.”

  “Oh my..” Harald listens in disbelief.

  “So even to get out of the quarry I had to use Focus to jump pretty high and even that wasn’t enough, I had to use my hammer like a climbing pick.” I continue.

  “And you need a grappling hook for the next time, right?” He asks.

  “Erm, well, the problem is I could get to the second archway by making a hole in the ceiling and climbing up, but to get to the second archway I need to either use a rope or ladder or literally scale the wall.”

  “We can work something out, but to get a required rope or even a hook itself I suggest we pay a visit to that village.”

  He suggests.

  “Of course, of course. I’m not planning on dying anytime soon Harald. I promise.”

  “The last two deaths were more than not necessary.”

  “And how do you harness power and what it does? Can we get there too? Explain Mark.”

  Curious girl steps into a conversation.

  “I suppose in each of the arch..”

  “Halt!” We hear suddenly in front of us. Without notice, Mike slips in front of us and stops everyone with a hand gesture.

  “O que foi?” (What is it?) The new woman stops.

  “Ssshh.” He hushes her and crouches.

  I crouch right away too and so does Harald. Nathalie stands there strongly and releases the dagger loose. The champion rattles as she lets the dagger around the ground level.

  “I’m not sure what I’m looking at, but the river is basically in front of us… and”

  “We can see the river Mike, it reflects the moonlight.” Before he finishes, Harlad interrupts.

  “Yes old man, but that river pours into a rather small canyon..”

  “So that’s the subtle waterfall noise.” Harald interrupts again.

  “Okay, quiet already!” Mike whispers angrily.

  “On the other end of the canyon I see a massive red outline; that means something huge and living is there.”

  “Oh boy.” The old man comments again.

  “Let me observe quietly for a moment and wait for me, then start prepping the camp. The thing is more than far from us, but you never know.” Mike comes up with a plan suddenly, caring and being a great addition.

  “Can’t we simply send Poco?” Astrid raises her eyebrow.

  “Why not both? Let’s see who is faster.” I tease Mike.

  “He’s right.” *Snap*

  Astrid joins my tease and snaps her fingers right away.

  Mike does not hesitate even for a second and starts to run quietly through the moist forest and in between the bamboos.

  “Oh meu Deus!” Nathalie whispers.

  “Pocco, there should be a beast, investigate what it is and if we are safe here for the night.”

  The girl whispers to the glowing cat while in Haralds arms.

  *Fwoosh*

  “There’s no way Mike is gonna outrun him.” Haralds scoffs.

  “Nathalie, we might stay there through the night.” I start explaining to her, showing her a sleeping gesture with my hands near my face.

  “Ok, mas o que era aquele gato?” (Okay, but what was that cat?) She nods multiple times.

  At least I think I learnt the first word. “Sim, yes.” I repeat slowly, opening my mouth wide.

  “Yes.” She repeats.

  I continue showing her a thumbs up gesture, ignoring the rest of the question as I have no idea what she just said.

  “So Markus, you will finish your story later, maybe even in the morning.”

  *Fwoosh*

  Before Astrid even finishes a flash from behind our back blinds Nathlalie for a second. Pocco is back and his time is running low.

  A dust cloud continues to flow in his path as he stops abruptly mid-air, the agile woman avoids the cloud with a spin.

  “Meow.”

  “Pocco!” Astrid whispers.

  “Monkey. Sleep.”

  “Que diabos!” (What the hell!) Nathalie is frightened as she hears the spirit animal speak.

  “It’s okay, it’s okay. Pocco. Meow, meow.” I stand in front of her calming her down while noticing she is almost as tall as me. She releases air from her nose as I meow. Am I funny to her?

  “Are we safe to stay here for a night Pocco?” Astrid asks as a last thing.

  “Meow.”

  *Poof*

  The cat disappears in another glowing dust cloud.

  “We’re safe guys.” Astrid announces and Harald hesitates no more; he starts to gather bamboo branches and removes his bulletproof vest.

  “Lá!” (Over there!) Nathalie interrupts us with a loud shout, pointing her finger behind us.

  “What is it?” I turn fast on the spot, Astrid turns her head only, sitting on the ground.

  “Flash dourado!” (Golden flash!)

  “I don’t understand Nat. You better learn some stuff fast.” I talk to her casually while shaking my head.

  She sighs.

  The moonlight is enough to illuminate the area and I don’t dare to start a fire, nor that I could, as the old man is the only one possessing a lighter.

  Astrid sits there still, Harald provides bamboo leaves for her and himself, I collect for me and so repeats the exotic woman. She skillfully crafts a quality makeshift tent with a bed inside, building it rather quickly, then helps the legless girl.

  I relocate close to Harald and decide to help him gather more supplies.

  *Whoosh*

  “Lost the race, but learnt a lot! Golden crown instead of a bracelet, white fur and partially armored. It’s a massive gorilla, massive like a train! Yet we are at a safe distance. I barely could make it back there as I almost lost the tracks.” Suddenly Mike surprises the group.

  “Miko!” Nathalie greets him aloud.

  “Yo, Harald, we better explain to her that these two are a couple right?” I suggest whispering to him while we are a bit away from the group.

  “Live and let live.” He responds, nodding.

  “Que feiti?aria é essa!” (What sorcery is this!) Nathalie yells out aloud.

  “Sshh.” Mike hushes her loudness.

  *Metal objects clanging on the ground*