CHAPTER 41: FIRST CONTACT IN THE SOUL MAW

"So you mean a death god sent you here?" Fizzwigg asked as they stepped past what little remained of the Gates of Kareth’Zul.

The once-mighty gateway was now little more than two fractured stone pillars jutting up from the cracked earth like broken fangs. Runic carvings, half-erased by time and war, still faintly shimmered along their surfaces, and the shattered arch that once joined them lay scattered in chunks across the road like gravestones.

Wind whispered through the ruins, carrying ash and dust through the empty archway where thousands of souls once passed.

"So let me get this straight," Fizzwigg said as they made their way past the broken fangs of Kareth’Zul’s ruined gate. "A Death God sent you here... to fight other humans?"

He paused. "Is this some kind of twisted sport?"

"Yeah," Yennefer replied with a tired sigh. "You could put it that way."

Stephan didn’t say a word. He walked a few steps ahead, Anna Mary slung carefully across his back, Grief silently keeping pace at his side.

"Hah! Just like I thought," the gnome muttered. "Humans really aren’t that different from Orcs and Elves. All of you gutting each other for entertainment."

"The Death God isn’t human," Yennefer said.

"Still..." Fizzwigg shrugged. "You’re here, killing each other in our world."

He fell silent for a moment. Then, almost to himself, "So there’s another realm with humans... That alone is remarkable. I always assumed this was the only realm in existence, until you three showed up."

Stephan glanced back at Fizzwigg. "Say, gnome... how far is this Magodilin you’re bringing us to?"

"It’s situated only a few kilometers from here," Fizzwigg replied. "Underground."

"Underground?" Yennefer echoed.

"Precisely," the gnome said. "Gnomes live in hiding, away from Orcs and Elves. Our races have been at war for more than a thousand years."

A brief silence stretched between them as they walked.

"...Why?" Stephan finally asked. "Why are you at war?"

Fizzwigg gave a small, tired smile. "Land, mostly. The Elves fight for dominion, because they believe they are the superior race. And in truth... they are. The Orcs fight because they love to fight, plunder and conquest are in their blood. And we?" He tapped his chest lightly. "We Gnomes fight for our freedom. Being the weakest race comes with many disadvantages. Which is why we hide underground."

"So... Kareth’Zul," Yennefer said, glancing back at the ruined gate behind them. "Why is it abandoned? Why leave a whole city in ruins?"

Fizzwigg shrugged lightly. "You destroyed it."

Yennefer frowned. "Who did?"

"You humans." The gnome puffed his pipe, the ember glowing in the dim light. "According to the legend, Kareth’Zul was once an ancient multi-race city. A place where Elves, Orcs, Gnomes and Humans all coexisted."

Stephan slowed his pace. "Humans... lived here?"

Fizzwigg nodded once. "They say it was destroyed when the humans started tampering with forbidden soul-magic. Tried to control the other races. It went... very badly."

Stephan’s eyes narrowed. "And how do you know that legend is true?"

Fizzwigg tapped the side of his pipe with one small finger. "Because if you dig deep enough in that city, you’ll find buried human remains. And soul-tech. Old... dangerous things that still whisper in the dark."

Fizzwigg’s gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, as if he could see the place from where he stood. He paused, his expression growing somber.

"But the East... that’s a no-go territory."

Yennefer glanced at him. "Why is that?"

"Because that region isn’t ruled by any race," he said quietly. "It’s a cursed wasteland. We call it the Soul-Sand Desert."

He lowered his voice even further.

"They say the sand there isn’t made of earth or stone, but of ground-up souls. The dead wander aimlessly beneath the dunes, half-formed things that no longer remember who or what they were."

Yennefer’s eyes darkened. "Undead?"

"Worse." The gnome took a slow pull from his pipe. "Undying. Even the Elves refuse to step foot in that place. And the Orcs... well, even they know when to leave something alone."

Stephan said nothing, but the faint tightening of his jaw told Yennefer he was listening closely.

"It used to be part of the world," Fizzwigg went on, "until the humans, for whatever reason, unleashed something there. Something that even the old gods wouldn’t name. Ever since then... that entire region has been left to rot."

He gave a small shrug, as though trying to shake off the chill.

"So, yes. East of Kareth’Zul? You don’t go there. Nobody goes there."

Stephan’s eyes narrowed. So that’s what Noctis meant... a whole desert full of souls.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade as he stared toward the distant dunes. Even from here, he could almost hear something out there, a faint murmur carried by the wind, like thousands of voices trying to speak all at once.

If I can reach that place... if I can absorb even a fraction of what’s buried there... I might actually stand a chance. Against the players, against the creatures... against everything.

"Come to think of it," Yennefer muttered as they walked, "Noctis did mention something about... dangerous, corrupted souls in this realm."

The area outside Kareth’Zul looked nothing like the city’s ruined stone. It was barren and empty, a vast stretch of cracked earth and twisted, skeletal trees that looked as though they’d been burned from the inside out. No grass. No birds. Even the wind moved differently here, as if it didn’t want to linger for too long.

They had gone no more than five kilometres when Stephan suddenly slowed his steps.

From below a nearby ridge came faint sounds, voices. Human voices.

****

"This place is messed up," a voice muttered. "No water. No food. Now we’re eating a damn Orc. Feels like we’ve turned into cannibals."

"Oh, quit whining, Jack," another voice snapped. "If that Orc had gotten us first, he’d be holding a feast with his whole tribe right now. Either eat, or die of hunger, your choice. The other players won’t wait around for you."

"I’m still gonna throw up," a third one groaned.

"Shh," Jack said suddenly. "Morty... you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Morty asked.

"I mean sense that."

Morty and the other guy went quiet for a second.

"...That’s soul energy," Morty said.

"Yeah. Thought so," Jack replied. He glanced up the ridge.

"Looks like we’ve got company."

"How many?" the third guy asked. "I’m counting three... but one of them keeps fading."

"Think we can take them?"

Jack smirked. "Absolutely... that’s what we are exactly here for right, Rin?"

****

"It seems they’ve already sensed our presence," Stephan said calmly.

Jizziwig’s head snapped toward him. "W-What other humans?" he asked, panic starting to creep into his voice. "Didn’t you say every other human in this realm is your enemy?"

"Yes," Stephan replied without hesitation. "That’s correct."

Fizzwigg’s grip tightened around his pipe. "So... if they’re close, that means they might attack us?"

"Possibly. Yes."

Fizzwigg let out a nervous hiss. "Great. Just great. I barely escaped from those Orcs, and now more trouble shows up? Can’t we at least run?"

"No," Stephan said, his tone flat and unmoved. "Can’t do that."

Fizzwigg stared at him. "You’re going to fight them? Seriously?"

"That’s the reason we came here in the first place," Yennefer cut in, her voice steady. "We don’t run."

"There are three of them," Stephan said quietly, watching their movements.

"Then it’s three versus three," Yennefer replied, hand already resting on her rapier.

Stephan shook his head. "No. It’ll be three versus two."

Yennefer’s eyes widened. "What the hell do you mean three versus two, Stephan?"

Stephan gave a faint smile. "Grief won’t be fighting. Her job is to stay back and protect Anna and the dwarf..."

Fizzwigg cleared his throat sharply. "Gnome."

Stephan ignored him. "You can sense their soul energy, can’t you?"

Yennefer narrowed her eyes, but nodded.

"Then tell me," he went on, "what rank do you think they are?"

"E-rank, at best."

Stephan’s smirk widened. "Exactly. You take one. I’ll handle the other two."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And if I see even the slightest sign of you losing....Grief steps in."

Yennefer slapped his hand away. "I don’t need your damn soul servant’s help, Stephan. I can handle it."

Stephan didn’t reply. He just stared at her for a long moment.

Yennefer shifted her gaze to the side, a faint hint of color rising to her cheeks.

"You... you don’t have to look at me like that, you know..."

"Look at you how?" Stephan asked.

Yennefer didn’t answer. She kept her eyes turned away, fighting the little smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

"Hmph." The gnome grumbled disapprovingly.

Stephan’s expression didn’t change. "Grief. Take Anna Mary," he ordered. "Guard her and Freezewig with your life."

"It will be done, my Lord," Grief replied, bowing her head. "Nothing will lay a hand on them."

Stephan offered her his sword. "Take it."

Grief hesitated. "But my Lord... you’ll be unarmed. Don’t you intend to use it?"

"I won’t need it." Stephan’s smile grew darker. "This time, I’ll tear them apart with my hands."

At that moment, the first humans they had encountered in the Soul-Maw stepped into view - Jack, Rin, and Morty. All three with weapons drawn and hungry grins on their faces.

Jack spat and tilted his head. "Well, well... looks like today’s gonna be an easy hunt, boys."