14. Worlds Apart

In the aftermath of the battle, Farrah removes the slave collars from Rufus and Gary while Jason, exhausted and in pain from mana overuse, struggles to stay conscious. The group reveals they were captured by an ambush arranged by a supposed local contact, vowing to deal with him after current priorities.

Farrah conjures a stone chest from the ground to retrieve fresh clothes and potions for the team. Jason equips a magically provided shirt and discovers an “outfits” function in his inventory, but his mana toxin prevents potion use. The group decides their immediate goal is returning to the Vane Estate to rescue Anisa, fearing cultists may use her as leverage.

They exit through a long, carved tunnel into a harsh desert on a mountain’s lower slope, finding a wagon with its draft animals cut loose. A brief exchange reveals local work-beasts called heidels—two-headed, scaled, horned creatures—underscoring Jason’s unfamiliarity with this world.

As they begin the trek, the team explains the Vane Estate’s climate magic, contrasting with the desert outside. Jason describes waking in the hedge maze after apparently being summoned and admits he is an outworlder from a world without magic and with only one moon.

With Jason still weakened and unable to take potions, Gary supports him as they set off toward the estate, intent on recovering Anisa and then confronting the traitorous contact behind their ambush.