“Look, Fifty Six, I—”

  “Guard Fifty Six,” the slime said.

  Arz rubbed at his forehead as he stepped into the circle. “Fine. Guard Fifty Six, do we really have to fight? I have no interest.”

  One of the unadorned slimes, Lord Yuther, scooted closer to the edge of the small arena. “Don’t let him trick you with his deceptive words, honorable Guard Fifty Six.”

  The tip of the guard’s spear crackled as electricity danced around it. With a tentacle slime arm, he tilted it down until it was pointing right at Arz. “For the glory of Jumtha! For the glory of Lord Yuther!”

  Despite the energy in his voice, Fifty Six moved agonizingly slow. A slow walk took Arz around the outside of the slime’s path, letting him easily avoid the electrical spear. Other slimes had moved significantly faster back on the space station. Or, at least, he thought they did.

  “He’s fast,” Fifty Six said.

  “I swear all of you were all moving faster when we were in the metal thing. Space station, right? Does that mean what it sounds like?” Arz looked up into the sky, still walking away from the electric spear.

  “Yes,” Wildil answered. “A whole city-sized building in space. It is how we live above Gargaxia because the planet itself is uninhabitable.”

  “It’s floating up there, right?” Arz stuck to the outside of the circle while Guard Fifty Six had stopped in the center. The spear wasn’t quite long enough to reach the edge, so they were in a stalemate.

  “Correct.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Perhaps we can discuss gravity and physics after you survive this,” Wildil said.

  Arz took a step closer until the spearhead was within an inch of his neck. He swatted it aside, easily knocking it out of the guard’s slime grip.

  “He’s strong,” Guard Fifty Six said as he backed away.

  “What’s the ring for? If I step out, will I lose?” Arz asked as he walked over and grabbed the spear. A grunt escaped his lips as he hoisted the spear all the way up. It was far heavier than he expected. Were the slimes simply built of muscle? Had he misunderstood them this whole time? A quick glance reminded him that they are nothing more than piles of slime. Or a singular pile? It didn’t matter.

  “Correct. Stay within the boundary of the arena or you will lose.”

  Arz inched his feet up to the edge of the line. “What happens if I lose?”

  “Our experiment will need to continue.”

  “Will it continue if I win?”

  “Yes.”

  Arz rolled his eyes and walked out of the circle. Guard Fifty Six immediately cheered, even though he had been easily disarmed just moments before.

  “You lost?” Wildil asked.

  Lord Yuther, the other unadorned slime, and Guard Fifty Six celebrated as if their whole planet had just been saved.

  “I told you, I’m not a fighter, nor do I have any interest in fighting. I’m really only here for one thing. Well, maybe two things. Primarily, I’m looking to get back home because I really am starving.”

  “What is the second thing?” Wildil asked.

  “Hm?” Arz combed his fingers through his hair. It was far more greasy than he had expected, especially after running around the dusty land of Doumenus for a few days. “I promised my daughter I would explore everything.”

  “Everything?” Wildil scooted a little closer. “What is a daughter?”

  “A child. You know what that is, right?”

  “Why do you risk your life if not for the thrill? Who is this daughter to you?”

  Arz stared past the slime, into the vast forest beyond. From what he saw on their approach, it looked as though it may encompass the entire planet. One massive forest that was undoubtedly connected. Rare ingredients certainly hid in the shadows of the forest floor. “All I’m doing, all I’ve been doing for her.”

  “What will exploring do? You are not a fighter, as you said yourself. Much of the galaxy is dangerous.”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet. I promised I would, and that’s enough for me.”

  Wildil slowly scooted closer. Even the scientist seemed to move faster than the guard had during the fight. “Battle Guard Fifty Six one more time and I will return your potion.”

  “Actually?”

  “I swear. But you cannot forfeit this one.”

  Arz stepped right back into the arena. He wasn’t a fighter, but that didn’t mean he was incapable. There were always tricks up his sleeves. Or, more accurately, his jacket.

  “Fight,” Lord Yuther said excitedly.

  “Can I try?” Guard Fifty Six asked.

  “Full speed ahead,” Wildil said.

  The slime dove at Arz, forcing him to dive to the side. A crackling spearhead missed by less than an inch, and the ground greeted Arz like it was made of solid stone. The wind left his lungs so fast that it felt like being outside the Gargaxia space station again.

  Arz rolled over and forced himself to his feet. As he moved, he pulled a petrified reed from his jacket and left it on the ground. The electric spear swung at him, but Guard Fifty Six had gotten too close, clotheslining Arz with the shaft of the spear rather than skewering him with the end.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  He landed on his back this time, which he wasn’t grateful for. His shoulder throbbed, but now so did his neck, back, and head. Still, despite the pain and hunger, Arz kept his mind moving. He dropped more reeds, pulling the rest from his pockets as he stood up to face the slime again. Without looking, he tossed the rest to the side and pulled out the vial of Darkfire Oil.

  “What is that?” Guard Fifty Six asked. While slimes didn’t have visible faces, they obviously had a front. The guard turned to face Arz, fully shifting itself until they were face to face, or whatever the slime equivalent was.

  Arz flicked the cork out with his thumb and drained the bottle, igniting the stone reeds into bright, brilliant flames. The Darkfire oil continued burning with black flames underneath the bright orange fire that consumed the petrified reeds.

  Guard Fifty Six immediately backed away as the flames grew hotter and burned brighter. Arz crouched and watched the fire. With how hot the fires burned, all the reeds should have been nothing but ash, but still they burned brightly, with only the tops and edges charring under the heat. While the Darkfire oil alone didn’t burn very hot, the flames it created burned as they normally would.

  This shouldn’t have been such a surprise to Arz, but as always, it was impossible to know without testing. If he had anything engraved on a gravestone, it would be something along those lines, although he hoped it would be something much flashier.

  “I knew it,” Wildil said. There was a triumphant confidence to his tone.

  “No abilities,” Arz said, still crouching by the burning reeds. They were like coal that grew naturally. Something like that would be incredibly valuable to Bralincote. “This was simple science. Very simple, actually.”

  Arz hopped to his feet. “How are slimes with fire?”

  “Weak,” Guard Fifty Six blurted.

  “Oh?” Arz kicked one of the reeds toward the slime, who scurried away. The reed rolled and spun the flames as it continued to burn. Darkfire oil clung to the top and continued burning, as it always seemed to do. Nothing Arz had seen yet would put out the dark flames.

  In seconds, the slime had retreated across the line, leaving the circle. Arz was victorious, which felt insanely lucky. His chest and shoulder throbbed with new aches that would last weeks, at least.

  “What was that?” Lord Yuther asked.

  “Reeds from Doumenus with Darkfire oil. Also from Doumenus, I guess. There are scientific secrets all over. You just have to find them.”

  “No secrets?” Yuther asked.

  Arz smirked. “No secrets, friend. I have no need to lie to you. Wildil already promised me my ticket home back if I fought one more time, and here I am, victorious as always.”

  The return potion floated through Wildil until it reached the edge of his body. It continued extending on a thin, tentacle-like arm until Arz snatched the purple vial away. It was sticky with slime, but that hardly mattered. With Guard Fifty Six’s spear nearby, he could return to Bralincote whenever he wanted.

  “I believe I misunderstood you,” Wildil said. “I think there could be something I could learn from you.”

  “Perhaps another time. I haven’t been home for a long time, and I am starving.” Arz couldn’t help but imagine all the foods he could eat. The dried jerky and travel foods he had were so bland compared to the beautiful, incredible foods he could find just outside the fortress of his study.

  “You are leaving?” Wildil asked.

  “Well . . .” Arz pulled out his notebook and scribbled some notes down, making sure he wouldn’t forget anything that had happened. “I could use some of those ingredients you had in that translation potion.”

  “Those are found only on Jumtha, you know.”

  Arz tapped his pen against his notebook. “If I were to get some food and water, you know, to survive, would you be willing to bring me to Jumtha?”

  “How does that benefit us?” Wildil asked.

  Arz held up the shimmering purple vial. “Even if you don’t intend to travel with portals, understanding them may be the difference between life and death. I know it sounds dramatic, but—”

  “It sounds what?” Lord Yuther asked.

  “Dramatic? You don’t have drama? Theater? Petty arguments? Honestly, that word can mean a lot.”

  All the slimes sat silently.

  “Alright, great. How does it sound? I teach you what I know, you teach me what you know.”

  “You will have to harvest the materials yourself. His Majesty wouldn’t allow us to support you,” Wildil said.

  “Why not?”

  “You are not Jumthin.”

  Arz shrugged. “Fine by me. As long as I can travel as a guest, not your prisoner.”

  “He seems dangerous,” Yuther said. It didn’t even sound like the slime was trying to whisper. Although when he thought about it, Arz wasn’t sure slimes were even capable of whispering.

  “He would have poured the fire on top of Guard Fifty Six if he was dangerous,” Wildil said.

  “Speaking of,” Arz interrupted. “Any ideas on how we put this fire out?”

  The reeds still burned brightly, but they were nearing the end of their lives. Underneath the orange flames, the Darkfire oil continued burning just the same as when Arz found it in the cave.

  “You did it. You need to figure it out,” Wildil said.

  “I will be furious if you burn our forest down,” Yuther said.

  Arz looked around at the dense forest canopy. “Isn’t the entire planet a forest?”

  “Well, yes,” Yuther said.

  “So, you think I am capable of burning down an entire planet?”

  “Perhaps eventually.”

  Arz thought about that with a smirk on his face. Capable of burning down a planet? Maybe someday.

  He crouched beside the reeds and waited for them to burn to ash. They crumpled into small piles on top of the Darkfire oil. Arz carefully scooped the ash into a vial, pushing it down with the cork as it had become almost like mud.

  “Is it still burning?” Wildil asked.

  “Yes. It never stops. Even now when it’s mixed with the ash. I guess this might actually be a better way to manage it.”

  Arz collected the last few bits in other empty vials until all that remained was the ash from the reeds. Lord Yuther and Wildil talked briefly before Yuther led the guard away, heading back toward the wooden building. Arz did his best to give them privacy while he spread the ashes out to hopefully help fertilize the forest.

  “Do you have any interest in staying on Xylaphus?” Wildil asked once Yuther was gone.

  “Honestly, I didn’t have any interest in being here in the first place.”

  “We traveled a long distance to get here.”

  Arz picked off a piece of bark nearby and shoved it in his pocket. “A few samples and I have all I need. Apart from some food, actually. Any animals here to eat? Some meat, you know?”

  “I do know what meat is.”

  Arz narrowed his eyes. “Why does that sound like you’re talking about me?”

  “I think you may be imagining things.”

  “Hm.” If slimes had senses of humor, Arz had yet to figure it out. He kept waiting for some sarcasm or a clear joke, but it was impossible to tell if Wildil was anything other than serious. “Is it possible for one of the guards to hunt something for me?”

  “We can not assist you, as I said.”

  “Okay, but what if I’m still your prisoner? You don’t want me to wither and die, right?”

  The scientist slime sat silently.

  “Wildil?”

  “Yes? You want me to die?”

  “I will see if a guard is available to hunt something.”

  Arz nodded. He reached up and grabbed a small leaf from the nearby tree and stuffed it in a different pocket. “I’m going to collect some samples while they do that.”

  Wildil waited silently nearby.

  “Wildil,” Arz said as he crouched beside a small flower. “Don’t you have to find a guard to see if they’ll go hunt?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you still here?” Arz carefully plucked the flower, ensuring the leaves stayed attached to the stem. He managed to pull up the roots, which were thick, twisting things that kept dirt clung close.

  “You said you were still our prisoner. I can’t leave you unattended.”

  “Where am I going to go? I need electricity to open my portal.”

  Wildil seemed to consider that before turning around. He followed Yuther’s trail back to the clearing.