The horse's hooves struck the barren ground with a peace that Ludan found overwhelming.

  The sun was beginning to set in the distance, its dying rays lingering beneath the peaks of Umbrafuego, which separated the flat desert from the lush valleys of Anen.

  His hunting companion seemed much calmer, both inside and out, as he rode his massive brown moose with enormous antlers.

  He knows how to manage appearances. No one would guess that I could overpower him effortlessly, but in a land of men, pretending that the elf accompanying you is weaker is a smart decision.

  As they continued trotting in silence, weary from a day of hunting, Ludan kept thinking about the void growing in his chest like a tumor over the past few months. All because of an elf. It was always a girl.

  He envied Sarric once again, the human leading the march, and the simple way he hardened his heart.

  "It's not that I'm bad. Well, actually, I am. But look around, brother," he had said a few days earlier, when they were still deep in the dry desert, where orc bands roamed. "We live in a world of vermin. You're either the predator or the prey."

  Ludan was a predator through and through, an elf hardened by centuries of life. But the void within him remained.

  As they advanced into the darkness, which soon engulfed the world, Ludan kept his eyes on the growing peaks of the mountain range, marking the end of that desolate, dust-covered world.

  What the hell is wrong with me? It's been over fifteen years since I last saw her. It can't be her causing this unhappiness. Is it some kind of witchcraft? Impossible, I have the antimagic orb; no one can cast spells that affect me from a distance…

  No, this had to be a bill the Eye of the World was sending him for his unchecked malice in the past. But it seemed absurd. Why would the world grant him such powers if not to use them, especially against vile creatures like orcs?

  "We should hurry, brother," Sarric finally said, waiting for the elf to catch up. "I know you're as exhausted as I am, but time is our best ally. We should take the forest path before sunrise, when the spies' eyes begin to watch the surroundings."

  "They'll be watching us from the shadows too. There's no point in rushing."

  "What's wrong with you? Has our dark elf become an old man who can't handle a full day's work?"

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "I know you, Ludan. We've been hunting monsters together for over five years. When you're not sharpening your sword or dagger, you're talking about how amazing you were in your pirate days or how brilliantly you fought in the War of the Three Fleets, even though your people suffered a crushing defeat. But lately, you've been quiet, and even in fights against orcs, I don't see that spark in your eyes, as if everything feels too easy," the vampire sighed. "As if you have no soul."

  The elf looked at the ground as his horse continued plodding through the dust, indifferent to his troubles. He hoped the darkness would hide his defeated body language from Sarric. But it was futile: vampires had night vision as sharp as dark elves, if not sharper.

  "It's nothing, brother. Really. Maybe I feel like I'm getting old, and I'm not sure I want to spend my days killing bands of orcs crawling in the desert."

  The human seemed about to say something but ultimately stayed silent and returned to his position at the front of the group.

  "Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm tired of killing innocent orcs. What's the point of gaining gold just for the sake of it, or killing for the sheer pleasure of it?"

  Like most elves across the world, Ludan despised orcs: to him, they were nothing more than two-legged pigs with disproportionate strength, a thirst for blood, and a love of plunder. They were vermin created by the universe to maintain balance. But he was aware that he had become what he despised most.

  Wherever he went, in his nearly five hundred years of life, Ludan killed orcs for pure pleasure, like a plague. They weren't the only race he faced, but they were undoubtedly the ones that gave him the most experience points per kill. He had also killed many humans, lizardfolk, tritons, and all kinds of beasts, even dragons, but nothing compared to killing orcs.

  Until a few days ago, he thought, gazing at the imposing wall of Umbrafuego before him, like a giant half-black, half-gray judging him for his sins. At this rate, they would soon return to the imperial road of Anen, which crossed the country from east to west. The only good thing about this unease was that he would finally leave that desolate steppe. "I killed an orc baby, and since then, this weight has been growing in my chest. Yes, it was a baby, but it was a damn orc whelp. Why the hell do I feel this way?"

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  As the vampire had predicted, they reached the interior of Anen and managed to hide from the sun on an alternate path, shaded by trees.

  They traveled all day, and just before nightfall, the two companions stopped in a quiet clearing where their mounts began grazing leisurely while they warmed some beef over a campfire, which they hadn't tasted in days.

  "Listen, I'm sorry if I annoyed you with my comments about your attitude last night… but I'm worried. I know elves are taciturn creatures, but in combat, we make a good team, and the truth is, our partnership has been profitable so far… I don't want to waste time looking for a new adventure companion."

  "It's fine, you old fool. I'm still young, and a passing depression won't take me out of the game. Only a magic arrow through my heart or a slash fast enough to cut off my head without me noticing could end our partnership."

  The elf pulled a red tooth, as large as a dragonfly, from one of the pockets of his leather pants.

  "Besides, I think this time we'll have enough to upgrade our gear before heading back into the desert," he continued, examining the object in his hand—a high orc's tooth, the hardest to obtain, not only because no adventurer wanted to venture deep into the western steppe but also because of the difficulty of the feat. Red-skinned orcs were the fiercest.

  "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," the vampire replied indifferently, cutting his steak and chewing methodically. "While it's true we've gathered more loot than ever, the war in the south is dragging on longer than expected, and it's no surprise merchants don't have gold to buy our beautiful spoils."

  Ludan sighed. That was true. Orc teeth were practically the only profitable part to collect after killing them, aside from their gear and the intrinsic experience they provided. But they were expensive items, and there weren't always mages who needed them to enhance their equipment or spells.

  "In that case, we should enlist and head to Ixtul to join the invasion. I'm sure the empire will pay well for our… dangerous skills."

  "We'll probably have to. But back to the other matter… are you really okay? I think you're starting to dream about that girl again. You should forget her. Right now, she's probably cleaning the filth off some corsair lord's balls with her beautiful tongue, the same one she used to deceive and betray you," he took another bite of his well-cooked steak. "We're a day away from Xelax, where not only is the market, but that brothel where our dear… friends are always waiting. Let's have some fun."

  Indeed, just before noon the next day, they reached the intermediate town of Xelax, one of the last western cities, signaling their gradual return to civilization.

  The companions spent much of the afternoon handling their usual business: selling their loot for far less than last season, though enough to cover supplies and mana, stash some coin in the local bank, and leave their mounts safely at a stable.

  As they walked through the main square, however, they witnessed a small battle, something they never expected to see in the heart of an Anenite city.

  It's not a battle, it's a massacre, Ludan thought, watching a group of paladins delivering powerful slashes and armored charges against defenseless villagers.

  Sarric stopped the elf from interfering, gripping his shoulder firmly as soon as he sensed his intentions.

  "Please, Ludan. They're the emperor's troops. Whatever's happening here, it's none of our business."

  The elf restrained himself, though something told him he should help the defenseless. Despite this, he stayed among the crowd gathered around the square to watch the spectacle.

  One of the men who hadn't been killed, chained to a wooden post alongside other unfortunates, kept shouting.

  "You damned fool! You think you're something because the emperor gave you a sword and a few experience points. But that doesn't give you the right to take what little we earn with our sweat. Every day we rise to plow our fields from sunup to sundown, only for a bunch of armored thieves to rob us at the end of the season…"

  A swift slash silenced the man. The one who executed him seemed to be the leader, judging by his stallion and the ornaments on his armor.

  "See what happens to rebels, good people of Xelax," the burly man addressed the crowd. "Our emperor cares for the safety of all his subjects and only asks for a few gold coins in return. Do you really prefer to die out of greed?"

  A murmur ran through the crowd, but no one dared to respond.

  "Right now, our wise king seeks to conquer the southerners of Ixtul, which will soon provide us with enough resources to lower taxes… but for now, we need you, our people. Pay your taxes, and the crown will protect you."

  Sure, tell me about it.

  The scene only deepened Ludan's nausea, but like a seasoned beast tamer, his companion led him away to the brothel.

  "As I was saying, that's none of our business. The emperor collects what he must to expand his empire, and he allows mercenaries like us to make a living in a fun way, as long as we pay our dues, which are written in the accounting books. The last thing we want is an arrest warrant banishing us to the desert, unless you prefer dust over women."

  The place was just as the elf remembered from the last harvest. Human women, elves, and even lizard girls, who had nothing to envy in the others, strutted around in short skirts while bards sang and beautiful barmaids carried foamy beer mugs through the common room.

  "Well, if it isn't the wandering knight. Long time no see, handsome."

  Ludan felt a pang of fear in his stomach at the voice that so reminded him of hers… until he remembered who it really belonged to.

  It was a human woman with dark hair, who could rival any elf in beauty. Beautiful as a baby's laugh… and wicked as the night.

  "Hello, gorgeous."

  "I think we can greet each other like last time. If you'll allow me, sir vampire, I'll borrow your friend for a while."

  "Go ahead, dear. He needs it urgently."

  The woman led him to her room in the inn, a small, simple space with a mirror and a bed that had seen hundreds, no, thousands of men.

  Yet, the elf surrendered to the pleasures of the flesh for a while… and for that wonderful moment, he forgot the void within him. But he didn't forget her. In every face he kissed, in every face he saw, her face appeared like a spell.

  "I will find you, and you will be mine again, Xyrna. I swear it by the goddess."