The cold wind blew through the cracks in my armor and across my bare arms. Standing in front of the wall with the tear, I looked at the sky. It was still afternoon, but I had no idea if I had been in there for hours, days, weeks, or even longer.

The hound was gone, as were any tracks off it. No blood or claw marks on the stone. Had it been an illusion to get me to find Rathica? Feeling my mind clear and not tired at all, I shrugged. It didn't matter; there was nothing I could do. What was important, however, was that I'd find Sandra.

Keeping the sun to my left, I ran forward, quickly finding my way back to the green hills, mixed with rocky stretches and tall outcrops. On occasion, I passed trees like the one I'd seen while with Haltir and Egilla.

Hours later, I was still running, and I knew something had changed. I was a bit tired, but nothing compared to what I should be. Jumping atop a half a meter high stone outcrop, I looked at my status information again. None of the attributes had increased, nor were there any odd lines or skills added.

Deciding it must have something to do with Rathica, I jumped down and continued further across the green hill. The grass was becoming less yellow and darker green as I continued.

At the speeds I was going, I covered a lot more ground than I'd done before. When the sun set, I slowed. I was sweating now and felt weary, but not nearly as much as I should. Scanning the green hills around me, I saw a tall lone tree in the distance, but barely any stone outcrops nearby. Far in the distance of where I was heading, I saw more traditional, rocky hills, leading towards the taller, more mountains regions. The tree would have to do.

Halfway there, I realized it was further than I had thought and taller.

When I finally reached it, a massive dark trunk blocked most of my view. The lowest branches were so high I had to jump to get to them, but I couldn't rest on the ground. If more of those hounds came, or something worse? Grunting, I sprinted to the tree, took two steps up the trunk, and grabbed a branch with three of my hands. The other one was busy holding my ax.

Drawing myself up, I climbed up until I was deep within the dense crown. It was dark around me, the red haze of the sun barely reaching this deep, but I saw just fine. Did I gain increased stamina and night vision? Not bad for helping a deity.

After a short meal, I took the last of the woodblocks. Examining it, I knew right away what I wanted to try. More difficult than anything else, it was the only image in my mind.

Hours later, I looked at the thing in my hands in disgust. It was barely recognizable as a woman, let alone as Rathica. It took all my effort not to throw it away, and instead, I put it in my back.

Wedging myself between two branches, I closed my eyes, holding my ax close. Sleep came difficult, and when it did, I dreamed vivid, intense dreams that disappeared the moment I woke.

It was still dark, although the sky was turning grey, and I was tired. Something had woken me, but what? As I held my breath, listening carefully, a soft keening came from below the tree. When I looked down, I froze.

Three naked, red-scaled demons stalked between the tree, looking up. Their ribs jutted from their emaciated chests, and their elongated jaws constantly open. They looked like a more powerful cousin of the demons I'd fought with the mercenaries but then starved for a long time.

Looking at them, I felt no fear. Instead, I was annoyed that they had awoken me and worried they might attack a hapless traveler. I moved, the ax gripped tight in my two left fists. Before I even realized what I was doing, I jumped from seven meters high towards them.

Halfway down, my heart skipped a beat, but there was no going back now. Hoping I wouldn't shatter all the bones in my legs, I swung my ax a second before colliding with the left most of the three. The demon looked up at the last moment, and my ax split his skull between his eyes. Then I slammed into him, and he was crushed below me on the ground. We slid and rolled a meter before I managed to untangle myself from his dead body.

Although I felt as if a biker had run over me, nothing seemed broken.

"FOOOOOD!" A low scream came from in front, followed by running.

I jumped forward, swinging my ax four-handed from low across the ground in a wide arc up. The demon seemed almost sucked into it as the blades dug between his ribs. His weight pushed me back a bit, but my upper momentum was far more, and I swung the ax with the demon attached across my head, feeling it rip loose above my head. As the weight left, something hit my side, unbalancing me. Scrambling for a balance, I widen my stance holding the third demon at bay with my right arms. One around it's throat, the other pushing it's chest, I slammed the hilt of my ax in it's gaping jaw. Some of its long, yellow teeth snapped, while others were completely dislodged as it stumbled back. Stepping forward, I slammed the ax sideways. It tried to dodge, but my reach was long, and the blade slashed across it's chest, opening a deep gash.

Howling, it fell on it's back, rolled over, and scrambled to getaway. I jumped forward, slamming the ax into the side of it's neck. I felt a little resistance, then it was gone, and a small fountain of pink blood spurted up as the demon's head rolled away.

I turned around, searching for more, but there were only two unmoving forms.

Scanning my body, I found two slashes in the top layer of my leather tunic just above my ribs. A bit deeper, and they would have reached my skin.

Calmly turning around to scan for any other problems, my breathing regulated itself quickly.

A few minutes later, I sat in the tree again, staring at the sky. I couldn't believe I'd just jumped out of the tree to attack those three. I could have just stayed up here, couldn't I? No, my mind told me, and I knew it was right, although I didn't truly understand why. Another gift from Rathica? Then I realized something. I had understood the demon! The previous times, I had only heard them scream unintelligibly. Were these demons different, and could they speak what I spoke? No answer came to me, and I wondered if I should try praying to Rathica for an answer. Somehow the whole idea didn't sit well with me. I'd never done any praying, and I wondered if it would even matter. She had said believe and worship, but those weren't the same. At least, I hoped not.

When it was bright enough that I decided most night creatures would have gone back to their caves or whatever, I left the tree. This time I climbed, and I felt sore around the ribs as I did.

Grabbing some of the rations I had, I ate a handful before starting out again.

The morning and early afternoon were spent running across grassy hills, rugged stone areas, and even climbing across a small cavern. Then, when the sun was just past it's highest point, I crested another hill and stopped.

A massive grey castle covered the side of the hill in front of me. It had towering spires, with triangular buildings at the top, and blue-tiled roofs. Everything was made from stone blocks with thin green lines running through it, and moss covered most of the massive spiked walls. A town had grown around it, thousands of buildings, mostly grey stone and brown brick. A second wall surrounded the town, not as high as the one around the castle but twice as thick. Dots moved across it.

Banners hung from the tallest spires, blue waves with a sword stabbing a heart in the middle.

"That must be Flowhearts banner then…" I muttered before continuing onward.

Sandy roads from multiple sides joined a stone-paved main road that led up to a gate. There wasn't anybody traveling it, and the gates were closed. Great. How was I going to get in without Haltir and Egilla here?

When I stepped on the first of the massive stones that made up the road to the walled city, a jolt passed through me. I stopped one foot on the stone, one on the flattened grass. What was that? Looking around, I didn't see anything dangerous, so I put my second foot on the road. No jolt this time, and I shrugged.

The closer to the wall I got, the more I had to crane to see up. The guards had seen me, but there weren't any bows pointed at me yet, so I guess they got more visitors. When I was ten meters from the gate, a small door like the one in Sart's gate opened. Three armed guards stepped out, one Grablon and two normal-seeming humans. They stared at me, and I stopped just out of arm's reach.

"Who are you, and what is your business in Dursic?" The Grablon asked, his voice uninterested.

Wondering for a moment if I should call him Guro, I decided against it. He might be older, but I didn't know him. I had thought about what to do with names and Grablons, though, and nodded back at him.

"The two-arms call me Est," I said, looking him straight in the eye for a moment.

The disinterest faded a bit, and he nodded. "They call me Felix," he replied.

"You Grablons and your names," one of the humans grumbled. He had a rugged beard with a bit of grey in it, and he was tugging it. "What brings you to Dursic?"

"I am here to find a friend. She is called Eliandra, sometimes of the Shield…" I let my words hang when I saw the guards snap to attention.

"What did you say your name was again?" The bearded human hissed, stepping forward and staring at me.

"Est," I said, wondering what was going on.

"It's him. It's gotta be! Remember what she said?" The bearded one exclaimed as he stared at the third guard, a bald female with one small earbud in the shape of a bird.

"Yes, but didn't she say he would probably be small and mage-like?" she said, her eyebrows raised as she looked me over.

"This ain't no small and mage-like type! Look at those arms and that ax!"

"Ever seen a Grablon with an ax?" The bearded one asked the Grablon guard. The other shook his head, staring at my ax in surprise.

Seeing the amused, interested, and relaxed mood the guards were in, I knew Sandra had done what she always did. She had become a well-regarded member of this city, and as always, people liked her. I had a pretty good idea of what was going on now.

"Eliandra told you I might show up? That's good. Could you let her know I am here?"

"What? And have you wait in front of the gate?" The bearded guard said, mock fear on his face." No way! I still have to train with her tomorrow!"

Smiling, I pointed at the gate.

"Then we better not keep her waiting."

The guards laughed and led me inside. A small gatehouse was just beside the gate, and the Grablon and the bald woman moved inside with a quick greeting. The bearded man motioned me to follow him.

"I'll bring you to the castle gate," he said, grinning as he moved across the dirty, cobblestone yard.

Scanning around, I saw that the town resembled Sart. The same buildings, materials, and disgusting dirt everywhere. Seeing the half a meter wide channel in the middle of the road, a thick, pungent liquid running through it, I almost gagged. If humans were going to live in this world, we would need to introduce sewage pronto. Muted chatter came from inside the houses, and the occasional bout of laughter and shouting echoed through the narrow streets.

We moved through the city, and again I noticed how few shops and stores there were. Most of the buildings were small no-story residences with sloped, blue tile roofs. Only at the center of the town, when we stepped onto a bustling oval square before the inner gate, did I see workshops and storefronts. People were moving around, most of them two armed humans, but I did see at least half a dozen Grablons and elves.

Hammering and pounding came from the left side. There, a smithy and a Wood and leatherworker stood close together, the crafting area's open. A dozen or so people were busy inside each of the crafting areas. A fountain stood in the middle, a beautiful, long-haired woman atop it. A sword in one hand, her second was raised, and a blue orb hovered above it.

On the right side were a dozen smaller buildings, shops, and storefronts. Small banners hung above the door, and I quickly glanced over them. One had a ladle and pot, another a poor reflection of scissors—one with a bed with a resting figure and something that resembled a chicken leg and a ham. So, sundries, a clothworker, an inn, and a place to eat or perhaps a butcher?

We crossed the bustling square until we stood in front of the inner gate. It was open, but two knights in matching half-plate stood in front of it. They both had a long sword, one on her back, the other on her waist. They were staring at us.

"From here, you are on your own. Only the clerics and paladins are allowed inside outside of the two training sessions." Beardie told me before clapping my shoulder.

"Good luck, Est!" Then he moved away, heading back the way we came.