"Wait, I think I've found something new!" As Karin broke off his mental link with King Ymiron, he heard Bryan's voice beside him.
Examining the inscriptions on the four stone pillars, Bryan said, "According to these records, these giants once exiled their deformed children to the south... perhaps this could explain a very thorny question in archaeology: the origins of your human species... Nathanos, could these giants be your ancestors?"
"What are you talking about, Bryan?" Nathanos barely gave the idea any thought. "How do these giants look anything like us humans? Besides, have you figured out what to do about those statues outside?"
"Well..." Bryan immediately deflated.
The statues had indeed stopped outside, not daring to enter the king's hall! But they had not moved a single step away, either. Bryan was certain that if the three of them dared take even one step out of the hall, the statues would immediately surround them.
Only then did Karin realize that he had forgotten to ask King Ymiron to send the statues away.
Still, it hardly mattered. Karin simply took the Random Teleportation Scroll out of his pack.
"You two, come closer!" he said calmly.
"Mr. Karin, you have a way out?" Nathanos jumped up in excitement, while Bryan hurried over as well.
"This is a Random Teleportation Scroll. It can teleport us to a random location 2,000 yards away... although we can't choose the destination, I believe there shouldn't be anything dangerous to us that far away!"
"Um... what if it teleports us into the sky?" Bryan asked worriedly.
"Then I'll quickly cast three Slow Fall spells to keep us from falling to our deaths!"
"Um... what if it's underground?"
"Then there would have to happen to be a cave underground big enough to hold all three of us, and it would have to be sealed... and we'd have to teleport right into it..."
"Hey, dwarf!" Nathanos said impatiently. "If you don't want to come, you don't have to. Mr. Karin and I can just teleport away without you!"
"No, no, no... don't leave me behind!" Bryan said hastily, then called to his pet gorilla. "Grybe, come here!"
The three of them and the gorilla gathered together. Karin slowly tore open the scroll and began chanting the incantation written on it... a teleportation scroll like this took over a minute to cast!
A minute later, a flash of light swept over them, and the three vanished from Utgarde Keep.
"At least we're not in the sky!" the dwarf shouted. "Wait, this is... damn it, I can't swim!"
Bryan flailed in the water a few times before sinking... fortunately, his loyal gorilla Grybe dove down and brought his master back up in his mouth.
The three of them had been teleported straight into the middle of Cauldros Lake.
Karin cast three Levitate spells, allowing them to float on the surface.
"Ha ha!" Having escaped the depths, Bryan burst out laughing. "We've made a huge discovery this time! The origins of the human species! It might cause a sensation across the whole world and make the Explorer's League a household name throughout the continent!"
"Dwarf, you should worry about how we're going to float to shore first!" Nathanos mocked mercilessly.
"Hmph, you don't need to worry about that!"
Bryan pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew it toward the sky... its sound carried far into the distance.
A gryphon appeared in the sky.
"Gryphadin!" Bryan waved up at her. "I knew you'd find us."
The gryphon slowly landed on the water. Bryan stroked her head, then hopped onto her back.
"Mr. Karin, you've never ridden a gryphon before, have you?" Bryan said politely. "Gryphadin is a very gentle girl. Just climb aboard and sit comfortably."
Karin smiled and nodded, then climbed onto the gryphon's back and sat behind Bryan.
"Now it's your turn, you little brat!" Bryan rolled his eyes at Nathanos on the other side. "Would you rather float to shore, or beg me for a ride on my Gryphadin?"
"You... stinking dwarf!" Nathanos growled angrily.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Bryan laughed again. "All right, all right, climb aboard!"
The three of them sat together on Gryphadin's back. Then the gryphon spread her wings and took off, flying south toward Valgarde!
After leaving Utgarde Keep, Bryan planned to return to the explorers' camp and invited Karin to continue adventuring with them.
Karin, however, politely declined.
Over the past two months, from his training aboard The Advance to the battles with the pirates and then the adventure in Utgarde Keep, Karin had felt his mind and power grow considerably! Even the barrier between the First Ring and the Second Ring that had troubled him was beginning to loosen.
Over the following days, including those aboard The Advance after it left Valgarde, he meditated constantly!
He was searching for an opportunity to break through.
"What is the fundamental difference between the First Ring and the Second Ring? Control! First Ring and Second Ring mages don't differ much in terms of spell slots, but Second Ring mages are far better at controlling the finer details of their spells..." That was what the All-Knowing Eye had explained to him when he first reached the First Ring.
Now Karin felt that he had suddenly gained a new insight into his control over magic.
A month later!
Loaded with hides, grain, and ore from the Norther lands, The Advance arrived back at Sunsail Anchorage.
Captain Leguli looked at the nearby coast and let out a sigh of relief... this voyage was finally over!
On the way to Northrend, The Advance had run into one problem after another. Fortunately, the return journey had gone smoothly.
"Mr. Karin, thank you for all your help along the way!" At the thought, Captain Leguli took a few extra gold coins from his pocket and offered them to the elf mage behind him. "This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
Naturally, Karin would not accept them and hastily declined.
Captain Leguli did not insist. Instead, he thumped his chest and assured Karin that if he ever needed help, their caravan would be there whenever he called!
As for Nathanos, he was deeply reluctant to part with Karin. The young man even cried when they said goodbye.
Only after Karin promised him that they would certainly have another chance to meet did he finally let it go.
Leguli's Caravan departed, as they still had to deliver their goods to Stratholme... as for Karin, it was time for him to return as well!