“Hari, let me see the compass,” the unnamed man said.

There wasn’t a response from Hari, but he saw one of them step back. He heard the rustling of clothes.

The unnamed man spoke once more, “Where are we going?”

“Lacerta.”

“No, we’re not.” If he could see their faces, he imagined the unnamed man would be frowning. “Let me see that damned compass.”

One of them, who he now assumed to be Hari, took another step back. The unnamed man rushed forward and grabbed Hari, spinning them to face the wall across from him. He could see the back of the unnamed man, and Hari was short and slight enough to be hidden behind the man’s bulk. They would only have to turn around to see him.

“Jak, the compass is mine!”

“Be quiet!” Jak shouted into Hari’s face, “How dare you trick me?”

Clothes rustled as Jak tried to pry the compass away from Hari, but the smaller man held on tight. However, his grip was momentarily shattered when Jak’s hand reared back and slapped Hari across the face. Hari’s fingers slackened long enough for Jak to wrench the compass from him, who then punched Hari. Hari fell to the ground, holding the side of his cheek.

He watched as Jak brought the compass to his face, concentrating hard on the object’s surface. He couldn’t see what Jak saw, but whatever it was made the man angry. Jak’s brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched. Hari’s compass dropped to the side, swinging from Jak’s wrist. From what he could see, the compass was similar to his own. Except there wasn’t writing on the back, and the compass’s arrow spun wildly, shuttering to a stop before starting again as it revolved around its axis.

“Where were you taking me?” Jak hissed to the fallen man.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Who sent you?” It shouldn’t have surprised him, yet he was taken off guard when the tips of the Jak’s fingers flamed a dark black.

“Death doesn’t scare me,” Hari said, a smirk curling at his lips.

“It shouldn’t. That’s why I’m not going to kill you.”

Hari’s smirk fell away, fear taking its place. “You don’t have it in you to torture me. I’ve travelled with you long enough to know that.”

“You would be right. However, I have no problem dropping you in the hands of someone who enjoys that work.”

Jak’s arm extended to its full length, a right angle with his torso. Using his black-tipped fingers, he drew a perfect circle in the air. At the same time, a circle was drawn under Hari. The man, seeming to realize his position, scrambled to leave the circle. Unfortunately for him, he slammed into a barrier. He clawed at it, yet his nails didn’t make a scratch.

Jak asked, “Where were we going, and who sent you?”

“I can’t tell you!”

Jak made slashing motions in the air, the lines appearing in the circle. “Yes, you can.”

“He’ll find me,” Hari cried, “And when he does, anything you’ve done to me will pale in comparison to what he’ll do.”

“I’ll give you one more chance. Answer my questions.” Jak wrote something in the middle of the circle and lines that looked like gibberish to Erik.

Hari looked defeated. “I won’t.”

Jak smiled and snapped his fingers, “That’s too bad.”

Hari disappeared with a loud pop. He gasped, which was heard in the sudden quiet that followed Hari’s disappearance. Jak spun to face him; his hand poised in front of him. However, when Jak got a good look at him, the hand lowered. He knew what the man saw: sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. He wasn’t a threat.

Jak walked toward him, an intrigued expression on his face. “A new wanderer?”

“How could you tell?” he rasped.

“Your clothes. And the fact I can’t imagine an experienced traveler would venture into the middle of nowhere with not a single canteen in sight.”

His clothes were different from Jak’s. His business attire was nothing like the wrist- and ankle-length tan fabric that Jak wore. The material looked light, probably to combat the sweltering heat. The man’s head was uncovered, but a long piece of cloth hung around Jak’s neck.

“I see.”

Jak laughed, “Don’t take it personally. I had a few death cycles before I got the hang of life here too. It helped that I made some friends.”

“Offering?” Though few, the words he spoke irritated the fragile skin of his lips. They split open further, blood dripping down his face and into his mouth.

Pity entered the man’s eyes, and Jak shook his head. “I’m afraid that I have to say no. It’ll do me no good to have a friend like you.”

He understood, but that didn’t stop the twinge of hurt. “Water?”

“I’m afraid I can’t spare that either. Though, I suppose I can offer you some mercy.” Black flames returned to the tips of the man’s fingers, and Jak crouched in front of him.

“You’re going to kill me?”

Jak smiled, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing permanent.”

Before he could respond, Jak plunged his flaming hand into his chest. A scream was caught in his throat, and convulsions wracked his body. Jak shushed him, pushing his hand deeper. He was torn between unimaginable pain and absolutely nothing. In the end, absolutely nothing won.

He opened his eyes for the hundredth time, not dead. The same sky and immovable sun greeted him. Covering his face with his hands, he took deep breaths. He didn’t know what to say. Within a span of days or weeks, he had died twice, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where he was, and he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to get home. A burning began in the back of his eyes as he fought the urge to cry. It could be worse. The damage thirst had done to his body looked to be reversed, his lips and throat normal. Having skin that felt smooth instead of like reptile leather was another definite plus.

“Are you okay?” a voice asked, surprisingly sincere.

He shot up from where he laid, whipping his head to the voice’s direction. A woman that looked about his age was crouched near him, his compass dangling between the fingers of one hand. A gun was in the other. The metal gleamed in the harsh light. And while he could see an inscription on its side, he wasn’t close enough to read it. The woman flicked the gun upward, so it was pointed at him.

She said, “I wouldn’t want to kill you when you’re feeling down.”

He stared at her silently, not knowing what to do or say. He wasn’t sure if he should take her threat seriously considering what Jak had told him. Hari didn’t seem to be scared of death either. However, he had no way to find out how long he had been gone. Was it the same as a good’s night rest, or has months of his consciousness been taken away from him?

He finally croaked, “Why should I be afraid?”

Her thumb clicked a switch on the back of the gun, and she smiled, “Because I have your compass, and without it, you’re nothing.”