"That is good news. How does it work?"

"I don't really know. It certainly is the bracelet, as it teleports to me when I wake up, and I'm not sure how it decides where my home is, but yeah."

"Ah, how do you get one? I am feeling all lonely being the only here that never comes back in one way or another."

"Become a political enemy of your country's government and then get exiled."

"Oh, that sounds like a not-fun but interesting story."

"They hand out immortality bracelets like that?"

"I think it's unintended. These bracelets were originally designed by a race long extinct, of giant-kings, twice as tall as me, maybe more." Taharqi is tall, at least for an iron age human. "There was a war, and they took humans as slaves, and gave them these bracelets to ensure obedience." He looks out, now, at the distance, even though it's dark enough that there's not much to see but the dancing shadows of the ruins and trees closest around them. "And to ensure they would never flee. This whole area, which we call the Exiled Lands now, is surrounded by a magical barrier. These bracelets will kill anyone wearing them who attempts to cross. And as far as I know, most people who die just end up dead.

"I didn't. I was careful, more careful than most exiles here. I had planned for this eventuality, I had heard of the Exiled Lands and although there are no accurate maps there were things I knew. So when I did get exiled I knew where to go, and what to do. I survived, for longer than many people do here, at least if they don't join one of the many factions around here. And even when they do, I don't think they live very good lives.

"And then one day I died, despite my care—perhaps I was not as careful as I am pretending, right now, I grew bored, I raided a village of hyena cultists, and they sacrificed me to their god. And I woke up in my house."

"Well, that sounds like a gruesome to go, but I'm happy that you survived ...not surviving."

"Trust me, I would have been extremely put off to die there," he says, smiling. "I still have far too many things to do."

Henry smiles back. "Anything we could help with?"

"Maybe, but let's think about that on the morrow. You have just arrived at a strange new place and been attacked by violent fauna, I am sure you must be very tired."

"Oh, that's fair."

"It was a suddenly eventful day, I give you that."

"This base does not have better accommodations or more private quarters, unfortunately, so we will have to sleep here. If there are no objections, though, I myself find the furs rather comfortable." He crawls over to another corner and grabs a sealed waterskin and a clay jug. "Water and red berry wine," he explains, offering them the containers.

Thomas accepts, taking a sip out of the wine to taste it, then passing it over to the other two.

"Thank you. I have definitely slept worse places with two or more guys."

Henry accepts the containers and... makes two tiny conical cups out of black onyx for himself and Gabe to drink from.

"That sorcery of yours looks extremely useful."

"Thank you. It is, it lets me grow these crystals out of myself, absorb things, and duplicate absorbed things. And with enough practice a person can make their own kind of empowered crystal with a personal power."

"And what is the cost?"

"Ah, it hurts and it spends energy like a physical activity. Takes some time to learn how to do it right for the more complicated things."

"That... is less than I would have expected."

"Magic can be very different between worlds."

"What's the local magic like?"

"There are... many kinds, I suppose. Most types of sorcery involve calling on gods or demons for it, offering them sacrifices. Of knowledge, or blood, or life. For something as useful and versatile as that, I would have expected... I don't know, sacrificing someone and imbibing their blood to absorb their life energy, or something."

He shrugs.

"Charming."