Although he followed Haylee's surefooted steps, Siegfried moved more on adrenalin than on his feet. The bulky warrior weighted more than double of the lithe cat-girl. Any loose stone plate would break under him, patches of cracked rock slid down beneath his boots. There was no path down the mountain— just a seemingly endless constellation of declines, narrow passages and small, natural trails. It was already starting to dawn when they reached the bottom of the canyon, as Haylee called it.

Looking at the sheer rock walls that were now visible in the first light, Siegfried felt his spirits drop anew. "Please don't tell me we have to climb up there now," he grumbled.

Haylee snickered. "Don't be so glum now. You're still keeping up nicely— a little ascend wouldn't stop a big guy like you, would it?" She chuckled at the exasperated glare she received and decided to have mercy. "I'm just kidding you— there's a small cave system leading through the cliffs. We are nearly free of the mountain!"

"You're one evil woman, you know that?" Sieg growled, eliciting another giggle from the bratty shapeshifter. Deciding to save his breath for walking, he followed Haylee in silence. The entrance wasn't far, but when she told him that the cave system was small, Sieg didn't anticipate that she literally meant the tunnel's size. Just after a few steps in, all light had vanished, and he had to rely solely on his guide to not walk into hard rock.

A few times, the tunnel got so narrow he could barely squeeze through. In complete darkness, he fought with his newly discovered claustrophobia. In those moments, he really hated every single bit of the outside world he had seen so far. All the greater felt the alleviation when there was finally a ray of light reaching his eyes again.

When they stepped out of the tunnel and Sieg's vision adjusted, he was left breathless. Before them lay a sheer endless field of grass and flowers that swayed serenely in the calm wind. A quiet river parted the colourful plain, and in the distance loomed the edge of a forest with enormous, towering trees. There were all shades of green and yellow Sieg ever saw and more— almost feeling unnatural to him after a life spent within the walls of Nemeah.

Haylee observed his reaction with a gleeful smile. "Not what you envisioned the outside to be, is it?"

"I knew that there would be a lot of plants and animals," Siegfried breathed, eyes wide. "Those we have in the city had to come from somewhere after all. But this… this is beautiful."

"Yeah, I wish we could stay," Haylee sighed. "But it's also the worst place to be if the enforcers come after us. We are aiming for the northern border of the forest, following the river to cover our tracks."

"Well, the sun's smiling upon us— nothing like a relaxing swim in the river while being chased," Sieg replied sarcastically.

"That’s the kind of enthusiasm I want to see!" Haylee chimed in, retaking the lead with an exaggerated spring in her step. Siegfried rolled his eyes but ultimately followed with a smile of his own.

Ultor was furious. The air around him seemed to flicker, like the shimmer one can see on a hot day above dark patches of rock or cobblestone. Fortunately, the woman in front of him was one of the few who didn't have to fear his temper. Losing her would be more of a hassle than restraining himself.

"Jenna," his deep voice rumbled, his braided moustache trembling. "You're taking your squad and go after him. Bring him back here— alive!"

Jenna didn't understand why Ultor sent a death squad after a single changeling. Especially a young one. But she knew better than to openly question his decision. "Yes, First Enforcer Ultor. What about the old guardsman— his mentor?" she asked instead.

"Half the fucking Guard knows that man," Ultor spat. "I won't have this story spread throughout the district by killing him — hell, none of this shit should have happened in the first place! The Red Brigade is an absolute force in the minds of the people, and now we have not only one but fifteen dead enforcers on our hands!" the First Enforcer roared. He took a deep breath, visibly calming himself down. "No, I have another way to discretely deal with the issues inside our city. You make sure you get that 'Siegfried' and don't dare coming back without him. We have ruled this city for centuries because the citizens know for a fact that nobody ever acted against the Red Brigade unpunished. This will not change under my watch!"

"Of course, First Enforcer Ultor. I will capture him without fail."

"I know you will. That's why I send you. Now leave."

Jenna saluted and left to gather her squad. It was time to hunt.

††††††

In the canopy of the giant trees, near the border of the grand forest Ilidum, an excited boy raced along the thick branches that bridged the various homes of his village.

"Mom!" he shouted enthusiastically. "Mom!" he called again as he stormed through the fur-curtain that served as the door to their hut.

"I can hear you, darling, don't shout so loud— mommy gets a headache," his mother answered, propping herself up to rest on her elbows. That was the most she could do in her condition.

"I'm sorry," the boy apologised hastily but a bit softer now. "You won't believe what Samuel found, mom!" He waved his long, fur-covered arms through the air in excitement. "The Healer is here, mom! The Healer came, and he will come here!"

The boy's mother looked at him with a wary expression on her face. "Honey, The Healer is nothing more than a myth as far as we know. The man Samuel found could be any kind of charlatan, using the name to get into our village. You must not believe a stranger's words so easily, you know that!" she chided her son weakly, her coarse voice dampening the effect.

Alas, the young boy couldn't calm down yet. "No— I saw it! I saw him healing Samuel's stiff leg, and he is walking totally normally now, mom!"

That got the sick woman's attention. Samuel had a stiff leg ever since he barely survived a hunting trip in the forest. A tusker, a giant boar-like animal, crushed his femur before the others brought it down. He survived, but the leg stayed stiff, even after the bone grew together— a permanent injury. "And Samuel is bringing him here? Is he sure that man won't bring harm to us?" She dared not hope yet. But she couldn't help her own excitement rising either.

"They will bring him here, mom! He can't climb the trees, but Samuel said they will bring him up! I have to go and bring him here. I'll be back right away, mom!" he rambled and rushed out again without waiting for a response.

††† Ryden †††

Ryden watched the thick canopy above with mixed feelings. Samuel, the apelike man he had healed just an hour ago, was taking him up the tree with the help of two other men from the tribe. To make sure Ryden couldn't fall down, Samuel insisted on carrying him instead of letting him ride piggyback. A long, muscular arm held Ryden tight to Samuel's furred chest like a child would cradle its precious doll. Not the most dignified way of travelling, but Ryden agreed to help them out, and he couldn't climb the wooden giant on his own.

Having only one arm free for climbing, Samuel let himself being hauled up by the other men whenever a passage was too risky to rely on his remaining three limbs. Ryden was sure the guy could easily make it with only his legs if needed but was grateful that the older hunter didn't take any risks.

They finally reached the upper branches, and a broad plateau opened up before Ryden's eyes. It was wide enough for the dozen small huts that rested on it with plenty of space to walk through. The enormous tree branched out from there, connecting to smaller, natural plateaus. The bark was skillfully carved away around the living space and the top of the branches. The bright wooden surface beneath was treated with a substance to protect it from rain, letting it shine under the sun.

Ryden could hear the rhythmic beat of palms striking the leather surface of a small drum from one of the branches. It was a beautiful, happy atmosphere and a welcome diversion from the deadly environment on the ground.

The villagers on the central plateau immediately stopped their current activities, curious about the stranger Samuel brought. As expected, they were all of the same race. The stature of their torso, hips and legs seemed human, apart from the fact that they were covered in brown-reddish fur. Their faces were almost entirely human with a few exceptions, like a man sporting an elongated jaw or a woman with a slightly wider forehead and sunken in eye-sockets. What really set them apart from Ryden were the long, muscular arms that reached below their knees and the hand-like feet, enabling them to effortlessly climb the green giants of the forest. Their thighs were also abnormally muscular, but that could simply be a product of their lifestyle, having to use them daily for reaching their own homes.

However, their reactions to a stranger in their midst were what really convinced Ryden that he made the right choice. There was an abundance of curiosity and cheerfulness— a lack of wariness that seemed almost alien to the travelling healer. Never once had he met such a carefree bunch in The Wilds. That refreshing experience alone was worth the trouble.

"Mister! Mister Healer!" Ryden heard the shrill voice of the young boy he met before, shouting at the top of his lungs. The young Nivetian, as the tribe called themselves, was rushing in on all fours, nearly knocking over the table of a woodcarver on his way.

"Healer? Does he mean The Healer?"

"Did he go mad now?"

"Wasn't that just a rumour?"

The murmurs coming up from all sides were nothing new to Ryden.

"Calm down, friends," Samuel's deep, gentle voice resounded over the plateau. "The boy's right, this man is called Ryden, and he is indeed The Healer we all have heard about. He even healed my useless leg, as you can see." He bent down into a squat and effortlessly stood up again— not a trace of his injury left. As a new wave of muttering arose, he raised his voice again. "I'm sure Ryden will stay a while, so you can all get to know him later. But before that, he wants to take a look at Milly. That's what he came here for, after all. Please be patient and let him through."

"Yes, mister, please come with me!" the boy shouted, taking Rydens hand into a painfully firm grip, nearly tripping the human as he dragged him along.

"Easy, easy, young man, I'm coming." Ryden took back his hand— the damage already healed.

The branch leading to the boy's hut was wide enough to safely run, and Ryden tried to keep up. "In here, Mister Healer! Mom is in there!" He held up the fur curtain and brought Ryden inside.

It was only a single but spacious room. A wooden table, a fireplace and two beds were all the furniture they needed. The walls were full of bits and bobs of all kind — shiny stones, oddly shaped branches, teeth or bones from small animals and the like. On one of the beds lay a young and very thin-looking woman. Muffled up in thick furs, despite the moist heat in the air, she was still shivering.

"Uh, good day, sir," she said weakly. But there was also a weariness to her tone that didn't escape Ryden. "I- I hope my son didn't upset you or—"

"There's no need to worry, miss Milly," Ryden said with a calm and soothing voice. "I do not intend to harm you or any of the People of Nivet." He walked over calmly and knelt before the weak woman. "I need to remove the furs and examine your condition before I can start healing you. You have nothing to fear, I promise you that."

Milly nodded slowly and let Ryden pull down the furs. The stench of festering was growing immediately and filling out the small hut.

Ryden heard Milli's son retch from behind. "Would you wait outside for me, young man? I will come out once your mom is healed up and resting."

When he was sure that the boy had left, he turned to his patient again. "I can heal you, miss Milly," he assured her. " Do you have a cloth and water I can use?"

Milly nodded again, "the big bowl below the table is half full of clear water, and there are fresh linen cloths in a chest outside."

Ryden prepared everything he needed and then carefully laid one hand upon Milly's chest and the other on her belly. He looked into her eyes and calmly explained, "when I start healing you, your body will push out all the sickness through your skin and the open wounds. It will burn a bit but should not hurt more than the pain you are already in. The scent will get worse until everything is out and the wounds are closed again. Then I can wash down what's left, okay?"

"I'm okay, sir. If you can really put an end to this, I can endure a lot for it," Milly answered, still weak sounding but with a determined look in her eyes.

"You can call me Ryden," the healer said with a smile. Milly closed her eyes, and Ryden took it as a sign that she was ready. He felt the familiar tingling coming from his core slowly spreading through his shoulders and into his arms. When the tingling reached his fingertips, Ryden carefully pushed the power further, coercing it to leave his body and spread into the surface he was touching. Milly winced a bit at the strange sensation but didn't open her eyes. Ryden slowly let more and more of his own essence, as his mentor had called it, trickle into Milly's body.

He could still feel the energy that left him. Feel it spreading into his patient's belly and chest, travelling through her organs, blood vessels, bones and every cell that made up her body. When it was finally enough, he used that 'extension' of himself to push out the infection nesting in Milly's body. Though he did so slowly, Milly still grunted and shivered when it started to burn through all the small abscesses. She sweated heavily all over but held her lips closed. She didn't want to let her son hear any of it.

The whole process took nearly an hour, but ultimately the infection was cleared out, and Ryden quickly changed his essence again to form around the open wounds. Compelling her blood to close the small openings was done in a matter of seconds, and her breathing slowed down. The Nivetian woman breathed a deep sigh of relief when the pain — that was her companion for so long — faded away. Entirely spent from the hour-long treatment, Milly fell into a deep slumber while Ryden washed the remaining pus from her body.

When he left the hut, he quickly put a finger to his lips, signalising the boy to stay quiet. "Your mom needs to rest now, no loud noises, okay?"

"Of course," the kid whispered. "Will she be healed now?" he asked, fidgeting with his hands behind his back.

"She is completely healed from the sickness, but her body needs to get back strength. We can discuss everything with Samuel or whoever will help take care of her in the coming days. For now, she must sleep," Ryden answered and made his way back to the central plateau.

When they arrived, Samuel approached him with a hopeful expression on his face. "She will live?"

"She is already healed from the infection," Ryden replied. "But her body is very weak. She needs rest and food. We will start walking with her after a few days and—"

"Samuel!" a tall, young Nivetian interrupted them, calling from afar. "Samuel, someone is coming from the city! They move along the river, so they will end up close to us if they stay on that route."

"How many?" Samuel asked quickly. "Could they be a danger to us?"

"No, I don’t think so— only two, and at a distance, they look like humans, although one of them is very big. But I am sure I saw several red lights flashing in the distance. And they approach fast."

"Enforcers," Samuel spat, his muscles straining.

"From the City of Nemeah?" Ryden asked with fervour, which gained him a stern glare from the tall Nivetian.

"Why would you be interested in such a vile place, Ryden?" Samuel inquired, his thick brows compressed into a bushy line. "Whatever comes down that mountain is always bringing, or being, trouble."

"The main reason for me still travelling The Wilds is the sudden disappearance of my old master and friend, Cain," Ryden answered quickly. "He would have been easy to spot, always wears hooded, brown robes and a plain wooden mask with nothing but two holes for his eyes on it."

"Hmm," Samuel grunted. "Never heard of someone with such a mask. And I would know if any of us had seen him. We take careful notice of any strangers in our territory."

"I had expected as much," Ryden admitted. "But I know that he has acquaintances in the city. I hope that he didn't go there, but if he has, then those two strangers might be my only chance to speak to someone who has been there in the past years."

Samuel breathed a sigh of disapproval as his gaze swept over the friends and family he had to protect. "Sorry, Ryden, I'm really grateful for all you have done, but enforcers are chasing those poor bastards. If we shelter them, the red demons will slaughter us all for it."

Ryden crossed his arms, staring blankly at the ground as he tried to develop a strategy. But the Nivetian was right. If the enforcers suspected them of sheltering refugees, it would be a bloodbath.