Starry Dunes

Lands of no return:

I layed on the sandy terrain while I gazed at the night sky.

It was filled with twinkling stars seemingly drawn by a child and they twirled and swirled which made a simple yet magnificent painting.

I raised my left arm and swiped downward and thevsky broke apart but was quickly recovered by th remaining 'sky'.

'Just fog.'

It's all fog, in the lands of no return they can influence your surroundings.

Just like how I am in a desert right now but maybe after an hour of travel I may end up in a jungle.

The insides of the lands of no return shifts every moment except for a select few such as the starry dunes, ancient remains, shadow swamps, sol ruins etc.

When you enter through Astreaea you will arrive at starry dunes and through the country of Morsager you will enter the ancient remains.

Through Solatellus you will enter the sol ruins and through Enkirus you will enter the shadow swamps.

Each area is unique to their own kingdoms.

I slowly raised from my resting place and looked towards my wandering soul sitting a bit further away from me.

Although the fog is so thick it looks almost solid, it goes around me and it cannot penetrate the small layer around me that repels the fog.

So I can see 2 meters around me clearly.

Although the reason for this protective layer hasn't been found as long as it's useful anything goes.

But..

The layer is inconsistent, the lands can influence its size and if it happens at a crucial moment I will die.

I slowly stood up and and walked towards him.

Sensing my presence behind him he stood and started walking.

'He knows what's on my mind huh?'

That's convenient.

The fog twirled and danced around me and God did I wish I knew how to paint.

'Although the starry dunes are a safe area I don't know where I'll end up after passing this area.'

It was a gamble but it's worth the time if you succeed.

'Isnt that how all the gambles work?'

The soul just kept on walking, his body sometimes phasing through stones and medium sized boulders while I had to go around it or just walk over because it's just a small stone.

'Now that I think about it he needs a name.'

I'm not someone who's good with names but I can't try.

'He is pretty slow though and I'm pretty sure he's late to everything he is invited to.'

"Your name from now on is Sero."

I blurted which caused him to stop, turned around and nod at me.

Then he continued what he was doing albeit a bit faster.

Too fast.

I had to order him to slow down.

The walk through the desert wasn't uneventful though.

********

Starry dunes:

I stared at the ruins of what might've been a humble house infront of me.

Only 3/4 of its walls remained of it revealing the interior of the house.

The floor was the same as the ground, full of sand.

The walls looked so brittle that it seemed it would collapse with a single touch.

And inside it only a single bed was present, God knows how old it was.

I approached it.

'Soft.'

I ran my hand through it and although I had my gauntlets on I knew it was sold by the way it sank when I touched it.

'Nothing else.'

Only a bed.

'Or.'

I raised the bed with my arms, gritting my teeth due to the sudden pain caused by my soul injury.

And behold there stood a single wooden chest under it.

I am someone who would look thrice before heading towards a direction.

That wasn't a good phrase but you get the idea.

The wooden chest was wide as my firearms and quiet small actually.

'Jackpot.'

I picked it up and placed the bed down

I sat down while Sero was just waiting for me outside.

'Gently.'

I controlled my strength and slowly cracked open the chest.

And inside it lied, a old leather book and a black fountain pen.

The fountain pen was however a bit strange.

Streaks of golden light formed from its back and ended at its tip.

It had wavy pattern and perfectly complemented the black colour.

'An ancient book and an enchanted pen!?'

I really hit the jackpot.

Ancient books are found in the lands of no return, it spoke of a history long forgotten and cultures that seemingly formed from a fairy tale.

Enchantments on the other hand could be done by a master blacksmith or could also be found in dungeons and ruins.

I stored both of them in my bag and gently placed the chest back on the bed.

"Let's go."

I said with a happy tone and Sero started to guide and I followed behind.

"I wonder how the people here reacted to the fog."

The fog's origins are unclear but speculations have been made that it started from the centre.

'And it is spreading.'

Each year the border between the kingdoms and the lands of no return decreases as the fog spreads further.

'Maybe we'll end up like them too.'

Imagine you were going on about your normal day and a fog so thick you can't even see your own hands devours your town.

Being forgotten by history, erased from existence and fated to be a tiny speckle in this world.

I don't want that.

I don't want to live a long life.

I just want to be remembered.

I want it because it brings me great pride and satisfaction seeing people revere me.

I envy those people who are remembered.

What can I do to be like them?

Be forever immortalised in the heart of mortals,

Forever praised in glory and non erasable by time.

'But can I do that?'

What can bring people to know me?

It should be something that seemed impossible before I did it.

'What is something that is deemed impossible?'

I had this thought since young and I never got an answer to this till that day.

I still remember those vivid memories of that drunkard spouting nonsense about how a man named Voctor conquered the lands of no return.

I remember how his ugly mug turned serious each time he spoke of his name.

I remember how the tavern slowly went quiet as his story progressed and as he delved into certain detail.

I still remember the look of fear and suspicion that was present on the gazes of all the experienced adventurers who were there.

I want people to have those expressions when they speak about me.

I should be equal to god inside their minds.

And since that day I decided my goal.

My sole reason for existence and what would make sure nobody forgets it.

I will explore and conquer the lands of no return.

And it shall be recorded in history.

'I know I dream big so what?'

Being humble is normal but being humble in your dreams?

That's pathetic.

It means you don't trust yourself.

You view yourself as a loser.

But there's a difference between dreaming and making it happen.

And so with that my journey through the starry dunes comes to an end.