Midas' honesty surprised Rigel. Midas trusted him, so Rigel decided to trust him as well. "You're handsome, with wavy, short blonde hair and gray eyes. If you're not a noble, then what are you?"
Ignoring Midas, Rigel answered his question. "The king of the country we fled from... was my father."
Midas didn't seem too surprised. "As I expected. If you weren't a noble, how else would you have so much gold?" he said.
Gathering up the gold, Midas placed it back into the small pouch and handed it to Rigel. "Don't flash your gold everywhere, or we'll be in trouble." His words carried concern. Rigel nodded in agreement. "Now, let's use the Nirith. First, how do we activate this Nirith key and use it?" he asked.
Midas sighed and looked down. Holding out the key to Rigel, he said, "If you want to use this power, you must either offer a sacrifice or become one yourself. We can't just pick random people and sacrifice them to Nirith. The chosen one, or the one who offers themselves, must do so willingly. Otherwise, Nirith will never come to this realm again."
Rigel studied the key in Midas' hand thoughtfully. "Damn it... I'll do it." He reached out and took the key from Midas hand. As Midas watched him curiously, Rigel ran his fingers over the intricate patterns on the key. "Now, how do I activate it?"
"As I said, this is a key. To open dimensional gates, we must force a passage with it. However, since Nirith hasn't appeared in these lands for a long time, a sacrifice is required. Nirith's power is strong enough to bend time itself, but summoning that power requires will and sacrifice. If you want to be the sacrifice, Nirith may ask anything of you. It may take you to the past and force you to confront your darker self, throw you into unknown lands, or demand that you take a life—or give up your own. If you refuse, Nirith will never come to this world. If you truly believe in yourself, then let's do it. But listen, Rigel, this is not an ordinary decision. If we go down this path, there's no turning back. If you're not truly certain, we'll find someone else. But I don't want to lose you."
Rigel thought deeply. If he died while trying to summon Nirith, he wouldn't be able to take revenge for his family. He locked eyes with Midas, scrutinizing him. "How do you know so much about Nirith?"
Midas looked into Rigel's eyes. "I wasn't originally from the country your father ruled. I came there with my mother when I was fifteen. In my homeland, I was a worker. I used to clean the rooms of soldiers and commanders. One day, the highest-ranking commander of the army called me into his room and told me to clean it.
The room was dimly lit, and as soon as I entered, I was hit by the scent of aged wood and old books. The commander's desk was a testament to years of service, covered in deep scratches—likely from countless swords and daggers being driven into it. The walls were adorned with war maps, some so old they had nearly faded. But what caught my attention the most was the ancient bookshelf standing in the corner of the room. The dusty books seemed to be waiting for me to open them.
Normally, a soldier would have cleaned the commander's room. However, that day was his last as a commander. Instead of a routine cleaning, a thorough one was needed. He didn't trust me. He said I was too young and wouldn't clean properly, so he brought in another worker to assist me.
'You're very young,' he said, narrowing his eyes. 'Are you sure you can handle this job?'
I nodded, but he wasn't convinced. He paused for a moment before calling in another servant. 'Help him clean the room and keep an eye on him,' he ordered.
Since the room reeked of dust, the commander stepped outside. I took the chance to speed up my work. However, while cleaning the dusty books, one caught my attention. It had golden inscriptions on the cover that read, 'The Lost Power: Nirith.' My hands froze, and my heart pounded. Instinctively, I knew this wasn't just any book. But I didn't yet understand how dangerous it was.
The pages seemed to be calling me. The commander could return at any moment and catch me, but my curiosity outweighed my fear. I glanced at the other servant—his back was turned as he cleaned the desk. I flipped open the first page, revealing a key with intricate designs. I quickly scanned the contents before slipping the book into my supplies, trembling as I continued cleaning. When the commander returned, I pretended nothing had happened. But inside, I had changed. I read that book day and night and learned that Nirith's power transcends time itself. However, some pages seemed to change on their own, while others were filled with incomprehensible symbols. That's it, Rigel. That book was left behind when I fled your country during the war. I didn't have time to retrieve it. If my home still stands, it's probably still inside."
After Midas long explanation, Rigel decided not to question him further. The sun was beginning to set, and the air grew colder. "Alright, then how do we find one of these dimensional gates?"
"Simple. We need a map. Without it, I can't locate the gates. Once I get my hands on a map, I can pinpoint the nearest one of the four dimensional gates in this world. For now, let's rest. As soon as we have the map, we'll set off."
After Midas' words, Rigel prepared the bed to sleep. Midas, on the other hand, lay down on the floor, but Rigel insisted, "The bed is big enough for both of us. Let's put a pillow between us if you're uncomfortable." Midas climbed onto the bed, and after a while, they both fell asleep.
***
When they woke up in the morning, Rigel had fallen to the floor. Midas had completely taken over the bed. Rigel shook Midas awake. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the cold was seeping into Rigel's bones.
"Aren't our clothes too dirty? Let's use the tavern's spare clothes before we leave," Midas suggested.
Rigel and Midas changed into fresh clothes. Rigel wore a gray sweater and draped the cloak his mother had given him over his shoulders. Midas opted for a black sweater, a gray scarf around his neck, and a vest that wasn't particularly thick. These weren't new clothes—actually, their own clothes were newer—but theirs were damaged and reeked.
"Let's go."
They made their way downstairs. The tavern was crowded, and everyone looked exhausted. Rigel felt like he recognized these people… They were the passengers from the ship.
Not wanting to be seen, Rigel quickly exited the tavern, with Midas following close behind. "Why did you leave so fast? We could've grabbed some food before heading out."
"We can get food on the way. For now, let's just find that map you wanted," Rigel replied.
Braving the cold, they walked toward the harbor.
There was only one ship and one small boat at the dock. Midas assumed the ship's captain would be aboard and climbed onto the deck. "You go check out the boat. If there's someone there, offer them money to buy it. If no one's there—or if no one comes before I get back—we'll just steal the ship."
Rigel stepped onto the small boat and scanned his surroundings. It seemed deserted. He examined the anchor and tried to pull it up, but it wouldn't budge.
Deciding to explore the boat a bit more, Rigel wondered if it was truly abandoned or if its owner had just stepped away for a while.
Suddenly, he heard a sound from below deck—a faint clicking between the wooden planks, as if someone was moving around beneath him.
Rigel instinctively drew his dagger and carefully approached the small cabin. The inside was dark, but as his eyes adjusted, he spotted an old blanket spread on the floor, a half-empty water flask, and a few sacks.
Just as he turned around, a shadow lunged at him!
Rigel jumped back, but his attacker was quicker. A sharp blow landed on his shoulder, making him stagger. His assailant was a young woman with short, messy black hair and tired yet determined eyes. She wore tattered sailor's clothes. In one hand, she held a knife; in the other, an empty sack.
"This is my boat!" she growled. "What do you think you're doing?"
Rigel gripped his dagger tightly but didn't attack immediately.
"Relax. We just need to get out of here," he said, slowly lowering his weapon. "We were looking for a boat. If this wasn't yours, we thought we could use it."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "It's mine. And it's not going anywhere."
Rigel smirked slightly. "Then let's make a deal. Let us use your boat, and we'll pay you in gold."
She hesitated, clearly distrustful, but the mention of gold made her pause. Just as she was about to reply, Midas' voice rang out from outside.
"Rigel! I found the map on the ship. What about you?"
Rigel turned to look at Midas. The woman still hadn't lowered her knife.
When Midas saw her, he raised his hands slightly. "Listen, we just need to get somewhere not too far from here. If you let us use your boat, we'll pay you in gold. What do you say?"
"I'm not handing my boat over to people like you," she replied sharply.
Rigel slowly straightened up. She noticed but didn't move to stop him. He walked over to Midas. "Then come with us. The trip is short, and when we arrive, I'll give you three gold coins."
The woman hesitated. Her eyes flicked between Rigel and Midas, assessing them. They seemed serious. She had refused the gold at first, but resisting further seemed pointless. With a deep sigh, she finally lowered her knife.
"Three gold coins," she muttered. "And I want your word that you won't cause trouble."
Midas smirked slightly. "I can't guarantee that, but all we want is to leave this place."
She exhaled sharply. "Fine. But on my boat, we follow my rules. Agreed?"
Rigel glanced at Midas before nodding. "Agreed. What's your name?"
"Lunara" she replied, tucking her knife into her belt and leaning against the mast. "Alright, boys, before we set off, we need to make some preparations. And you're going to help."
Midas rolled his eyes. "You didn't mention we'd have to work for this."
Lunara raised an eyebrow. "If you were expecting a free ride, you're mistaken."
Rigel shot Midas a look. "Don't argue. Let's just get it done."
Midas groaned but got to work. Under Lunara orders, they checked the sails, tightened the ropes, and inspected the water barrels. The boat was old but sturdy. After several hours of preparation, Lunara climbed the mast and scanned the sky.
"The weather looks calm. We're good to go."
Rigel, Midas, and Lunara took their places at the stern, readying the oars. The wind wasn't strong enough to fill the sails yet, so they had to row out first.
As they drifted away from the shore, Lunara repeated her conditions. "This is my boat, so you do as I say. And if someone's after you, don't drag me into your mess."
Midas lay back, resting his arm behind his head. "You worry too much. No one's after us."
Lunara narrowed her eyes. "I hope you're right."
As Rigel listened to their conversation, he glanced back at the town fading into the distance. A strange unease settled in his chest.
The wind finally picked up, filling the sails. Lunara took the helm and adjusted their course. "Now, tell me," she said seriously, "where are we headed?"
Midas smirked, placing the map on the wooden table and spreading it out. "We're here, on this unnamed island. We'll sail east, passing between these two continents, and reach the Paglanit continent. There, we'll find a dimensional gateway. That's our destination."