A song kept ringing through my head. While we led this mass of people to the next town, and the sun scorned us.

"The heat was hot.

And the ground was dry.

But the air was full of sound.

I've been through the desert.

On a horse with no name

In the desert, you can remember your name.

'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain." A Horse With No Name—by America

I feel like the only thing I do is walk. I had to wonder how the fellowship were able to walk all their way to Mordor with their little feet. Maybe I’m all out of shape, but Hobbet eats like four breakfasts.

Well, I got one thing over them, those hairy-feet rats. I've never seen those guys walk around all covered in blood.

I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about; I’m just filling my mind with pointless bullshit.

My hands wanted something to do, so I started fiddling with my Jericho, checking out if everything was still working.

My survival depends upon this tool of death.

I returned my gun to its holster; a few seconds later, I felt a little tang on my arm. It was the kid hanging on to me as if I were the last lifeboat on the Titanic.

I allowed her to; I didn’t much care, and it seemed like she was enjoying herself.

We grew ever closer to the next town and had to ponder what this must have looked like to anyone with an outside view. Maybe they could mistake us for an invading army with the horde of people I had pulled out of that hell.

A good hour later, we finally made it into the town. When entering the town, we drew a crowd.

Looking at the army that came back from the meat grinder.

People who were once watchers started coming to the huddle, mass hugging, crying, and holding their loved ones, who must have believed that they were gone forever.

I asked the mage where we are even supposed to report something like this. For all the reminding people.

She said there’s this adventurers’ guild that takes up matters like this.

“I never did ask you if any of your party made it out.”

“Yeah, I was able to find them. They bear the scars from the event… and said they have given up on it.”

“Shame, I guess if you still want to adventure, The Devils are always open.”

The mage said she would think about it and decided to head off to the adventurers’ guild alone to report last night’s events.

Miyamoto, the kid (whenever I say this, she is still riding the dog), and I start looking for a library.

The town wasn’t as bad as the first; it didn’t reek like shit, the roads were made out of bricks, and the buildings looked intact.

I realized that sometime during the night, the blood that was on Miyamoto's clothes had disappeared.

“What happened to all the blood that got on you?”

“That Celeste girl used a spell to clean it off.”

“Why didn’t she do it to mine?”

“You never asked.”

After our conversation, we ended up in front of a large building and walked in. In a mere second after walking in, the kid and I were kicked out.

The person who kicked me and the kid out said you can’t be covered in gore, or whatever the kid was also covered in, and that we would need to clean ourselves if we wanted to come in.

I drummed up a new plan.

I told Miyamoto to research this land as much as possible and chucked my notebook at him. Telling him to write down anything relevant or interesting.

The man who kicked us out said there was a bathhouse down the road.

Miyamoto tossed me a few coins to cover the cost, and off we went.

I’ve never been to a bathhouse, or at least I don’t remember going to one. Even though I lived in Japan for twelve years. (Also was born there). I just never got the need to be nude with others.

Anyway, another thing that felt different from last time to this one is that this town felt more Japanese than European.

Well, I took the kid inside, and the building looked like a classic Japanese bathhouse. Wooden floors with a place to put shoes and a place for women's and men's baths.

I went to the window where a person sat behind it and bought two tickets for each side. I told the kid to go to the girls' side, wash up, and we would meet up after we finished.

But as I walked away, the kid still followed behind me.

I couldn’t care to repeat myself, so I allowed her to follow me

While I was cleaning the kid so she would be able to soak in the water, I found two long scars on her back, creating an X shape.

Christ.

I said that, knowing there is no god.

The scars are a few months old, and I realize that she had to spend about two to four months in that fucking cave.

She lived through horror every single day, horror that almost drove me mad. It damn near broke me after an hour—how the hell did she survive months?

I told her to put a towel on and soak in the warm water.

She nodded and left for the bathtub.

I had left my clothes out in a washer; it was pretty much a washer and dryer in one that got everything out.

Magic truly is useful.

I cleaned myself up and went into the tub.

While cleaning, I saw my old wounds and felt embarrassed… or shame, or something.

I’m not sure what, maybe it's both of them, or maybe it's the feeling that I should feel something, but I could no longer couldn’t draw anything from the shell I have become.

I walked over to the bath and went in.

The two of us spent a bit just soaking in the warm, refreshing water.

I’ve never liked being naked; it leaves me feeling too exposed.

Too personal.

My Bowie never left my side, even in the bath, for that reason.

After we finished, I gave the kid some milk, and I took a swig from my flask.

It tasted like Cola this time.

Is this thing fucking magic?

I don’t care?

It was midday when we left and headed back to the library.

The dog was also clean.

I think it cleaned itself.

When I met back up with Miyamoto, he tossed back my notebook, saying he’d done what I asked.

This country is currently at war with one of its neighbors.

These two countries have been at each other’s throats for as long as anyone can recall. The country was run by elves, one of the only countries that had no humans in command.

The form of government is a constitutional monarchy, and the class system is maintained, some say, with force.

The poor are screwed over, and the rich get any foothold the government can give them.

It seems like a good reason to rebel, but the king is popular with people, and so is the royal family.

The king has been trying to push more bills for the good of the people. He seemed like a good man, but I always say trust no one.

The next thing says three people have been transported to this world to save the country from the lord blah blah blah; we all know the story.

The thing that hit me the hardest was that the slave trade was still happening.

A rage filled within me.

“17 rounds.”

“What?”

“17 rounds and a Bowie knife… And if you will join me, Miyamoto, will you join me in destroying the slave trade in this country?”

“Well, King of Hell, we are the Devils, so destroy some evil.”

We shook hands, ready to begin the first major job of the devils.

“God gave Noah the rainbow sign / No more water, the fire next time.” —The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin