Author's Note:
Greetings! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I did bump up the money needed for Emma's tuition considerably, because that was one of things from the game that didn't make sense. Like, 500 gold? That's it? Anyways, the next big destination is Bogwood, but we have to travel through the mountains first.
Also, there is going to be a battle in Thais, maybe this chapter or next. I always thought it was weird that the Queen's army never did anything until the last fight of the game.
*In short, you can probably skip this chapter if you want only the canon story of the game.*
-Tangent
Emma awoke, clutching at the air. Was it just a dream? As she noticed where she was, her breathing began to slow. On the floor, the female elf began to stir. She was very beautiful.
I wonder if she's going out with the other elf.
"Emma? Are you okay?" Emma managed to smile.
"I'm alright. Just a bad dream."
"Oh, okay. Ready to go, then ?" The girl nodded as she got dressed, and Iya did the same. They met the others in the hall, with their packs on their back. Iya bore on of her own.
"We're going to talk to the princess briefly, and we'll be on our way. Do you have any belongings we need to collect?" Ean asked her, and she shook her head.
"Nothing." As they strode through town, Emma realized that she was traveling with some very important people. Heroes, even. She watched as Ean put a few coins into a box near the goddess statue, murmuring silent words. She gaped at the castle as they walked through, and even more when she bowed before the princess.
"There's no need for that." Ella said. "I'm delighted to meet you, Emma. I'm sorry that I didn't help you before, but I didn't know."
"It is not worry. I'm going to Thais anyways." The lady laughed.
"Yes, and I'm sure you'll become Uthar's best warrior!" Emma smiled at her, liking the small ruler in front of her. After exchanging goodbyes and instructions, Ean turned to her.
"One more thing, Ella. The soldiers in the forest won't be there for long. If they attack you, send us a message, and we'll do the same. We can come and help." The lady nodded.
"Of course. I have already been preparing." A steely glint entered her eyes. "We are at war." Everybody bowed to her, and they left the throne room, with Emma walking next to Rye. He was quiet, but she could tell that he was a very capable person when it came to fighting. They exited the city, heading back towards the forest.
"Um," said Emma. "Isn't there monsters? I know you can fight, but what if they attack me?"
"Oh, we aren't walking." Ean said, which confused her even more. They entered the lush forest, walking quietly through the undergrowth. Suddenly, Ean held up a hand, mouthing a word to Rye, who nodded and slipped off through the trees. Emma sat silently, slightly scared.
Rye returned after a few minutes.
"The soldiers are still there. They've been preparing some sort of big weapon made of logs." He whispered, and Ean frowned.
"Uthar will know what to do about that. Let's go, then." They set off through the trees, winding along the side of a stone cliff. Suddenly, the cliff opened up, and there was a cave. Inside was a weird looking crystal, and a box on the wall behind.
"What is this?" Emma said, open-mouthed. Ean was fiddling with the box, and suddenly the pink crystal turned a vivid shade of blue, emitting a low hum. She gasped, and even Iya and Rye seemed unnerved.
"Well, I guess it works. Everybody, take my hand." They formed a line, all connected by the hand, and Ean touched the crystal. With a blast of blue light, everything vanished, and Emma screamed.
Then, just as quickly, the world reappeared around her, and she fell to the ground with a thud. They were back in the cave, and Rye moved to the door, looking out.
"It worked!" He cheered, and Emma stared at him.
"B-B-but how? What was that?"
"We teleported right outside of Thais, in the Green Weed Plains. So now we don't have to walk!" Emma was too astonished to speak.
"How does it work?"
"I have no idea!" He pulled her to her feet and they joined the elves outside, setting off along the mountainous path. A few minutes later, the pass opened up, and Emma saw Thais for the first time.
"Wow…" she breathed, looking at the massive city. "It's…" Iya touched her shoulder.
"Let's go get you into school."
Around half an hour later, Ean and the others were kneeling in front of Uthar, who smiled.
"It went well, then?" Ean explained what they had heard, and the prince frowned.
"Eredar? That's not very close."
"Yeah, I know. Speaking of, we need a boat. Do you have one?" Ean asked, and Uthar grimaced.
"No. The soldiers sabotaged all of our boats before they left. You'll have to go to Seri to get one." He pointed east. "It's on the other side of the Graystone Mountains." Rye gave a sigh.
"Of course it is."
"I suppose that's good, though, because the only person I know who can sail you that far also lives in Seri. She is a fierce warrior, and she has her own ship. She is also a pirate named Ava One-Eye." Ean opened his mouth, then closed it.
"So, Seri, then. How far is it?"
"Quite far, but I have faith in you. If your teleportation keeps working, you should be able to come back quickly. I'll prepare supplies as well." He turned his attention to Emma. "And who are you?"
"Emma, my lord. I wish to join the School of War and Magic." Uthar smiled. "Well, I welcome you. Speak to the Master downstairs, and he'll get you set up. You have the tuition?" Emma froze, and Ean stepped in.
"She comes from an… unusual circumstance, Uthar. We'll pay it."
"Of course." Said Uthar. "I have no objections to this at all, then. You'll set off, then?"
"Aye, probably by noon. Although I should mention something. The soldiers are preparing weapons in the forest."
"I see. We'll be on high alert, just in case they attack. And I'll send a message to Ella, telling her to be wary." They turned and headed down the stairs, into the basement.
"Nervous?" Rye asked, and Emma nodded. He smiled slightly, and they entered the entrance room of the school.
"Business?" The man behind the counter said. Ean pointed to Emma.
"A new student, actually." The man raised his eyebrows.
"You sure? She's a little girl."
"I'm quite sure." Ean said tightly, controlled anger in his voice. The man paled slightly and left the room, returning with a man wearing very nice armor.
"And you are?"
"Emma Willow." She declared, and he smiled at her.
"You wish to join the school?"
"I do, sir. It's been a dream my whole life."
"Well then, I see no reason to turn you down." Ean placed a sack of money on the desk, which disappeared behind the counter. Emma looked at them with a tinge of sadness.
"Thank you, everyone. Will.. Will I see you again?"
"Of course!" Ean said, and Rye nodded. "We'll come back a couple times, I'm sure. And when your training is done, we'll see about doing something else. Okay?" She nodded. "This is your dream, Emma. Take care, and be safe." Iya hugged her, and the three vanished up the stairs. The commander turned back to her.
"Ready, initiate?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Follow me." With one final glance at the only friends she'd ever had, Emma followed the man deeper into the castle.
I will do this.
Back on the surface, in the outside world, the three adventurers were striding through the market, looking for any additional supplies they might need for their journey. Uthar had already provisioned them with food, but Ean wanted to be sure. Grabbing a few extra items, he purchased them with a smile from the merchant, who bowed to him.
"Sir Ean!" The shout echoed over the crowd, and he whirled to see two guards sprinting towards him. They stopped, panting, and the older one spoke:
"Prince Uthar requires your presence immediately. There's been a problem." Many people were staring at him, including Iya and Rye, and so the only thing he did was nod.
"Of course, sir. Let's go."
A few minute later, they were gathered around a table with Uthar at its head.
"The soldiers emerged from the forest not five minutes ago. They'll be here within the hour." Iya paled, and Rye let out a low curse.
"How many?"
"Anywhere from five to six hundred, I think. I have 462 active personnel at the moment. They must have combined forces with the soldiers from Candar. My men are assembling on the walls right now, but I…" He hesitated.
"You want us to fight." Iya said, and Uthar nodded.
"Yes. I know I have no right to ask it of you, but I fear for my city, and for everyone if we fall." They looked at each other.
"We'll fight." Ean said quietly, and Uthar smiled.
"Thank you. I'll let you decide where you'll be most effective. Just get your armor on and get up to the wall." He saluted them and they ran from the building, heading to the wall. The staircase was near the gates, and there was a flood of soldiers heading towards it, armed with bows and spears. Several of them bore sword that filled the air with magical energy, and Ean realized that they must be the elite knights, trained in the school. They comprised roughly half of the army, he reckoned. He grabbed one of them.
"Where is your commander?" The man pointed up the wall, and the three moved upwards to meet the man he had pointed to.
"Everybody got your armor on?" Ean said, looking at the others, who nodded. He turned to Iya.
"You better be safe once this all starts." She nodded once, her face pale. Driven by some off instinct, he touched her cheek with his palm lightly. "I mean it." She blushed slightly, but did not speak. Suddenly, a very large man rose up into view on the wall, giving orders to several men around him. They approached, and he looked at them.
"You must be the elves Uthar told the city about. You ever fought in a battle?" They shook their heads.
"Not like this, but we have fought a lot of things recently."
"I suppose it'll have to do. My men will hold the walls as they try to breach the city. Kid, if you're good with that bow, that would be a good time to use it. They'll also try to break the gate down with a battering ram."
"Iya can take care of that. I'll protect her from any arrows or things like that." Ean said, and the commander nodded.
"Good. If they break through, prepare to fight like hell."
"And hold until we die." Uthar's voice came from behind them, and they turned to see him wearing full armor and brandishing a sword. "I've sent Ella a letter. If we don't finish them, she will." He turned to each of the adventurers. "One final thing, and this is an order. If things go wrong, you are to flee. You are too important to lose in this battle, young ones. You understand me?" They all nodded, and the man seemed to relax.
"Good. Now, let's see what they have to say when they get here." He pointed to the nearby tree line, where a line of warriors was beginning to form.
Emma paced the floor of the barracks over and over. The enemies would be here soon, and then…
"No, I can't think like that. They'll be fine." Even so, the three kindest people she had ever constantly moved through her thoughts. She shook her head slightly, and one of the other recruits looked at her.
"Scared?" She shook her head. The guards had told them to wait here until instructed otherwise, and she knew she could not disobey.
They will die. Her eyes widened, and she clutched at her head, conflicted beyond measure. She knew they could fight, but what if they were overwhelmed by numbers? The images of Iya's, Ean's and Rye's lifeless bodies flashed past her eyes, and she jerked backwards. The battle had to have started by now.
You couldn't help anyways.
That's not true. Not anymore. For them, I would do anything to repay what they have done for me. Making up her mind, she moved towards the door, but a larger boy stepped in front of her.
"Where are you going?" She looked at him, assessing him. If the recruits all attacked her, she would never be able to get out of the barracks.
"Bathroom." She said, and he shook his head.
"No, you're not. We were told to-" She started walking around him, and he shoved her backwards, hard. She stumbled slightly, and she looked up to see his face flushed with anger. "Don't you walk away from me!"
"Get out of my way." She said quietly, and he smirked.
"Or?" He clenched his fists, and time seemed to slow. Emma could see exactly where to strike, and when. He drew his fist back as she stepped forward again, and she acted.
With a quick step forward, she grabbed his collar, throwing him off balance and yanking him forward. Although she was a good head shorter than him, she lifted him easily, with a strength she didn't know he had. He paled visibly, and everyone stepped back from the green-haired woman.
"Get in my way again, I'll do worse." She dropped him to the floor and strode to the door. Nobody moved, and she stepped out into the corridor. As the door closed behind her, she began sprinting for the stairs, desperate to help the only friends she had ever had.
The battle was a nightmare. The soldiers had demanded their surrender, and when Uthar had refused, they swarmed the walls and gate, hurling themselves with mindless abandon at the defenders. Bows soon proved useless, and the soldiers on both sides were soon reduced to hacking their enemies to pieces.
With a roar of wind, Iya hurled a man off the walls, where he had slain two other warriors. He screamed as his own comrades, desperate for blood, impaled him with their upright weapons. She had no time to think, only to act again and again as soldiers came for her. Around her, men fought and men died, blood staining the stones. She could see Uthar above the gate, fighting off man after man, surrounded by two elite knights. But even the best fighters could not hold off four men at once.
Casting a fireball down onto the ground, Iya turned to see a man rushing at her with a sword. She tried to dodge, but slipped sideways on the bloody wall, and the sword arced down with savage glee.
With a flash of grey, an arrow found the man's chest, and he toppled backwards. Several soldiers ran forward, protecting her from further harm, and the female elf turned to Rye standing behind her.
"Where's Ean?" He bellowed over the din.
"I don't know! We got separated, but I think he went towards the gate!" Iya shouted back, roasting an enemy soldier and ducking under an arrow. Rye fired three arrows in quick succession and nodded.
"I'll find him. You just stay alive!"
"Rye! Wait!" But the man was already sprinting off along the wall, weaving between combatants." Iya felt hopeless. If Ean had gotten into trouble…
Don't think about that. Rye can handle him. Forcing her mind from the subject, Iya switched between song spheres and hurled an icy shard into the nearest enemy, breathing hard. Her magic was already taking a severe toll on her energy, but she could not retreat and leave the soldiers to die. Suddenly, there was a roar from the left, and she whipped around to see that the ram had made it to the gate, and was preparing to force through it. Uthar and his men rained arrows upon them, but the men guarding it held shields upright, blocking the majority of the projectiles.
No! Iya sprinted towards the gate, ducking between battles. The ram slammed into the gates once, then twice. She heard a cracking sound, and knew the end was close. Uthar saw her coming and gestured to one of his men with a shield, who moved to cover her as she leapt up onto the battlements, protecting her from any archers.
The wood is too thick to burn through, and wind won't work either. What am I going to do?! The elf felt a burning sensation in her chest, and anger flowed through her, reigniting her magic. I won't let her take any more people away from their homes! I won't! As she shouted the final words in her mind, she slammed her staff down upon the ground, and a massive wave of water rose from her position. Below, the soldiers cried out in fear, but it was too late. The water slammed down upon them, smashing them and ram to the ground, breaking bones and continuing on in a mighty wave, knocking more men down left and right
"Well done!" Uthar roared, and his men opened fire on the survivors, who broke and ran away from the ram, leaving it upon the ground. Iya sank to the ground, exhausted, and the knight in front of her stepped up to shield her completely.
"Healer!" Uthar bellowed, and she shook her head.
"N… No! Ean…" She said, and Uthar grabbed her arm.
"We'll find him! But you need to retreat!" She stood, shaking him off.
"I must continue! I can't leave him!" Uthar looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.
"Stay here, then, by my knights. I'll-" He was cut off by another loud shout, and they turned to see soldiers flooding over the wall to the north, led by several men in the green and grey of Shaenlir.
"Oh, damn. The Queen's elites!" Uthar shouted orders to several of the knights around him, and they charged forward with a roar, meeting their counterparts in open battle. But more men were coming up the wall now, and Iya knew that if they entered the own, the battle would be over.
As a group of 6 men came over the wall, a deafening screech echoed through the city, and a large white shape came flying out of nowhere, bowling into the men.
"What in the name of the Goddess is that?" A man screamed, and the chicken began slaughtering the men trying to climb up the wall, pecking holes straight through their armor with a razor-sharp beak. The elite guards were distracted, and Uthar's men took advantage of it by cutting three of them down. After several seconds, the wall had been mostly cleared of enemies, and soldiers of Thais stepped forward.
"Ean!" Iya cried, but he could not hear her over the battle. He bounded forward, transformed into a massive black hound, and leapt down into the midst of the enemy soldiers, slaughtering them with abandon. Several cried out and tried to retreat, but there was no escaping him. Then the battle resumed, and Iya lost sight of him amid the soldiers.
"Ean! Oh, I am going to kill him!"
Down on the ground, Ean was wondering if he had gone mad. He had taken down the enemies on the wall, but there was so many more still coming up the ladders. As he descended onto a man's shoulders, breaking his neck with an ugly crack, he let out a defiant roar and swung his paw, shattering one of the ladders to bits. The others followed in quick succession, and the men on the wall cheered.
Pay attention to your surroundings! Ean twisted and barely avoided a blade that swept for his head, and he saw that there was an officer near the back of the lines of men. Many had fallen, but there were still so many left…
"The Queen wants him dead! Kill him!" The man shouted, and a group of forty men charged towards the beast, swords raised.
Are we going to survive this, you think?
I had the same question, honestly. What happens to us if we don't find a new recipient of the curse?
Well, I have no intention of finding out before I break this curse. The words shocked the spirits so much that Ean momentarily faltered, and a sword grazed his flank.
What?
You heard me, didn't you? I'm going to find the rest of your cursed brethren, kill them, and free you from your bondage. Or is there a problem with that? Ean knew he was promising a lot, but he also knew that he would need more assistance if he wanted to overcome the obstacles in his beast spirit chuckled.
You've got guts, kid. I suppose I could help you out, then. You with us?
Most definitely.
Then let's go! At the final words, Ean let out an earsplitting roar, and the soldiers were upon him. Blood spattered everywhere as he tore through them, filled with a strange rage at being bottled up for so long. He felt momentary flashes of pain, and he knew he couldn't maintain the form for long. He recalled the conversation he he'd had before the battle, with the spirit of the chicken:
"So the drawback is that time is very limited?"
"Yes. You only have minutes to act. Overusing it can have severe consequences, and you will eventually go mad."
There were five soldiers, then four, then three. With one last cry, Ean slashed through the last of them with a single strike before morphing back into a human, totally exhausted. He knelt on the ground, bleeding from several small wounds on his arms and legs. But the battle was practically over now…
"You!" He looked up to see the officer striding towards him, hand on his sword. "You might have cost us the battle, but I will have my revenge!" He heard shouts from the wall, but he knew nobody could reach him in time. The officer raised his sword, and he closed his eyes, smiling.
The sword came down and met another with a clang of metal that echoed through the air, and Ean opened his eyes to see a green-haired girl standing face-to-face with the man, a sword of her own in her hand. The man snarled at her:
"You think you can best me, girl? Get out of my way!" He bore down on the sword, but Emma held firm, and pushed the blade away from her with a quick movement. The man howled with rage, bringing his sword down again and again, but Emma deflected it with quick, light movements, as though she had been born with a sword in her hands. Finally, she caught the last blow from the man, knocked it aside, and slashed her sword across his chest with a fierce cry. He fell, and there was silence. The other enemies nearby looked at her, and she glared at them. One, then two, dropped their swords, backing away from her, and now the men on the wall were flooding out through the gate, taking prisoners and killing those who resisted.
Ean slumped to one side, tired beyond belief. Emma turned to him, panic on her face.
"Ean!" She threw her sword to the side and grabbed his arm, looking at his face. She heard footsteps, and Rye sprinted into view, throwing himself down next to Ean. When he saw him move, he smiled wearily.
"Idiot. Iya's going to have your head."
"Probably." Ean agreed. "If it's all the same, I'm going to rest now. I-" His lolled on his shoulders, and he passed out quietly. Rye grabbed him, stopping him from falling over, and Emma looked around at the battlefield. There were dead and dying everywhere, hands outstretched in death, or pleading for life. She felt something twist inside of her, and she felt ill.
"Don't think about it, Emma. Come on." Rye said, touching her arm. "Let's get you to the healers. You were very brave. I wouldn't have been able to shoot in time." She stumbled after him, not knowing where she was going.
"Healer!" A voice bellowed, and Uthar came into view, several knights and Iya in tow. The elven girl stumbled forward, a look of desperation on her face.
"He's fine, he's just tired. You hurt?" Rye asked her gently, and she shook her head, a tear tracing down her cheek.
"Bring him this way. He can rest in the castle for tonight, I suppose. And you…" Uthar turned towards Emma, and she was shocked to see a slight smile on his face. "I didn't know you could fight. That was well done." She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, and her face turned pale. Her knees buckled, and one of the knights grabbed her.
"She's been through a lot. Take care of her, please." Rye said, and Uthar nodded. It was the last thing she saw before everything went black.
"Wake up." The elf jerked awake, thrashing against some invisible force that held him down. It relented, and he rose to his feet.
"I'm… back here?" In the darkness, two pairs of red eyes gleamed in a sinister manner.
"You were nearly consumed by the curse. Even now, you have a choice to make."
"What choice?"
"Either give in or return to the living world." He was slightly confused, but then he remembered the battle. The slaughter he had created.
"Why would I stay?"
"If you return, you will face the wrath of the curse again. Having used it so much has only increased your dependency on it further."
"He's right." A second, female voice chimed in.
"I see." The image of a female elf with blue hair blossomed in front of him. "I…"
"Think about it first. Don't you want to be free? Free from choices and burdens?"
"I… I don't-"
"Enough." The female voice cut in. "You said-"
"I said nothing!" But Ean had had enough of it.
"I cannot stay here. I will keep my promises to you and her. I told you I would free you from the curse, or did you not believe me?" The voice was silent for a moment, and the female interjected:
"It isn't a matter of belief. Many people have tried it. What makes you think you can do it?" The elf considered the question.
"Those people who tried before- They all had burdens to bear, did they not? And they found they were insufficient to carry them?" He felt a feeling of confirmation emanate from the female spirit. "Well, I bet they traveled alone, as beasts do. But I have people to hold me up, and I won't let them down. So believe not in me, but in us. We will help you." He extended a hand to the red eyes, and they blinked rapidly.
"Why?" He knew what they meant.
"Because I do not like being imprisoned. And I bet you don't either. I need no other reason."
"I see. Then, we can agree to work together? Amari?" The female spirit responded with amusement.
"You're giving him our names, Vincent?"
"I see no reason no to." Vincent responded. Ean looked at both of them with a slight smile.
"Well, I'm Ean. Nice to meet you, both of you."
"Bah. Get out of here, kid, before I change my mind." The red eyes swirled and disappeared into the darkness, and Ean returned to full consciousness.
He blinked once, twice. Honestly, he couldn't remember ever feeling as tried as this, but he rolled onto his side with a slight groan. Rye was sitting there, looking at him with a look of concern.
"You okay?"
"I… Yeah, I think so." To his surprise, the initial wave of weariness seemed to be wearing off, and he could sit up easily. "I take it we won." Rye grinned.
"Aye. We took about 80 of them prisoner after Emma killed the leader. You slept all day yesterday, and so it's morning now." Ean bolted upright, remembering exactly what had happened. "She's alright, so relax." Rye told him what had occurred as he slept. Ean winced slightly as he stood, up, stretching.
"I've never seen Iya so angry before." Rye commented. "Good luck with that."
"I'll need it." Ean said dryly, striding to the door. He opened it to reveal the one person he was not prepared for, their blue hair slightly messy and unkempt. "Oh…" Iya looked at him, and he actually took a step back from her as she glared at him from her position in the hall.
"What is wrong with you, Ean Okho?" She had never used his full name before, and he found that he was scared.
"I…"
"You do realize that you can be killed, right?"
"I am aware, yes." Ean said.
"Then what on earth possessed you to jump down into an army of people bent on killing you?" Her face was turning red, and she was breathing heavily.
"They were going to take the wall! I couldn't-"
"You could have waited for me." Iya said quietly, and the anger seemed to drain out of her slowly. "I don't know why you went alone." Ean took a step forward, looking down into the female elf's eyes.
"Iya, I can't run away from every battle because I could get hurt. How would you feel if I prevented you from fighting all the time?" She looked down at her feet.
"That's not the same thing, Ean."
"But it is! What should I have done? Let them take the city?" Iya was silent, and Ean thought he understood.
"I worry too, you know." She looked up at him. "Every time you wield that staff, I get scared that something will happen to you. But I know I can't just keep you away from danger, so I let you fight. I'm your protector, so let me do what I have to do. Okay?"
"Okay…" Iya said, her cheeks still red. "But if you scare me like that again, I swear…"
"Point taken." Ean said. "I promise to check with you before getting myself hurt. But it did work." He told the others what had happened in his mind, and the progress he had made with communing with the beast spirits.
"At least there's that." Iya muttered, and Ean smiled slightly.
"I think I had to show them that I was serious about helping them, and that makes them want to help me."
"I see." Rye was cut off by the appearance of Uthar, who was happy that Ean was back on his feet. After exchanging greetings, he looked at them all seriously.
"Thank you. For saving my city."
"We didn't-" Ean began, but Uthar waved a hand.
"Rye saved many of my men with his arrows. Iya repelled the attack from the gate. And you killed somewhere close to forty men that were climbing the walls. You saved us, all of you." He bowed his head in gratitude, and they all bowed to him in return. "You will depart now?"
"Yes, I think we've stayed long enough. With the soldiers out of the forest, maybe you can open the main road again." Uthar nodded.
"Maybe we'll put the prisoners to work, but they are mere men. Perhaps they can be convinced to share information about Shaenlir with us." Ean pulled his pack onto his shoulders from where it had been leaning against the doors.
"Maybe so. We'll return soon, Uthar." They shook hands again, and the adventurers strode from the castle. On the way, several of the guards saluted them, smiling broadly.
"I guess they know us now." Rye said with a faint smile as a child gawked openly at him.
"What happened to Emma?" Ean asked. "You said she was fine, but…"
"Oh, she was in shock after the battle. She had never killed anybody before." Rye said with a sad expression. "I checked up on her before you awoke, but she's not… you know…" He made a small hand gesture. "Uthar said he'd take care of her."
"I trust him, then. Perhaps we can check on her next time?" Iya offered, and Ean nodded. Several people waved to them as they walked, and the guards at the gate threw them a crisp salute as they strode out into the plains of Thais.
"Where to next?" Rye asked, and Ean pointed west, to a set of mountains that stretched high into the sky. From top to bottom, they were composed of nothing but grey, flat stone.
"Graystone Pass, the only accessible route through the Dismal Mountains."
"Oh boy." Rye said with a hint of sarcasm. "More mountains."