Three of the monsters chose to come with Grae.

The hobgoblin, Sarcer, the old slave Larktongue, and the blue-skinned kobold, who was named Greenleaf.

Kobolds were color-blind, it turned out. But their eyes were sharper than Grae's, and it was Greenleaf who brought him a prize he'd almost missed: the belt the steel-skinned man had worn. It was another spell-shaping contraption, but simple enough to be concealed within a belt-buckle, the Stars and the glass ampoule of Mana hidden within a compartment.

Larktongue was the last to offer his services. His body shook and his steps were faltering, but he pushed through the small crowd, bending his head. "I… have to go back…"

Grae nodded, not speaking.

"I left family behind. A daughter. A brother."

Grae put his massive hand atop the little kobold's head, thumb curling behind a horn. The creature almost flinched back, but then, slowly, relaxed into the touch. Its body slackened. Grae suspected it would have cried, if reptiles could.

"It is alright. We will find them." He lifted the kobold onto the wagon.

Their plan was to patch the breach in the wagon's bars- only lightly, so they could break through at a moment's notice- and travel under the cover of a successful slaving mission. Oriole had told them the land ahead was dotted with farmsteads and lookouts. Wild monsters were a source of both danger and profit; there would be eyes searching for them everywhere.

Much better to make it seem like they were already caught.

Even better, they could travel by day and forage by night. And the wagon would be easy to cover to keep the light out while the day-star burned in the skies above.

Grae was interested to learn that the other beasts didn't share his extreme adversity to the sun, but they'd heard of it before. Monsters who spent too long in their dungeonhomes soaked in the nature of the place; the sun was poison to such greyfurs.

The others simply preferred the dark and struggled to see clearly in the day. And the kobolds complained of ‘sunscale’ and other maladies.

They complained quite a lot, about many things. Their task along this journey was to forage and guide, to teach Grae of the city, and eventually, to help him sneak inside.

Oriole’s part in all this was to drive. It was a simple task, but Grae expected him to attempt some squirrely business.

That was why Sarcer the hobgoblin would ride alongside him, wearing an iron collar to look like a slave but carrying a hidden dagger. Any attempt to signal the watchtowers and he'd call out to Grae within the cart.

If there was one final matter it was the smell. Grae was fond of refuse and filth. They were homely scents.

But this space stunk of despair.

Gathering up mushrooms, rotted bones, and mulched leaves, he shoveled them into the depths to make a fragrant bed for himself. Somewhere he could rest without smelling blood and sickness from the wagon's past. With the narrow ceiling and tight sides, Grae was forced to all fours, but now it was a cozy space rather than a prison- he would be able to relax as his wounds healed and watch the countryside roll by.

Larktongue was working nearby to prepare the paste that would hold the bars in place. He ground up certain sticky insects and mixed in sawdust in a bowl of bark, testing and tasting to get the mixture right.

Greenleaf and Sarcer were fetching the horses, luring the skittish things back…

And the sun was almost rising before they were ready to go. Grae could feel its presence behind the trees, dawnlight puddling on the horizon in a cuticle of red and orange colors.

Despite everything…

Grae felt childishly excited for this journey; it was the first journey he would make in all his long life. It would take him deep into enemy lands, yes, but also towards where spell-shapers and books were still made; he would finally see the world in all its brightness with his own eyes.

Climbing inside, he grunted for the wagon to begin moving. Larktongue and Greenscale slipped in alongside him, taking up a corner beside his furry flank. The wagon's wheels dipped into the mud with their weight.

But then Oriole cracked the reins and the horses kicked off. The world began to rumble and jolt as the wagon rolled across a bed of tree roots. Grae watched as the mushrooms and the family of bat-folk retreated slowly into the distance.

They were underway.

And his soul felt free, as if the act of travel was shaking loose some long-embedded thorn of sadness in his heart. The world was wide…

Grae was sure it could be beautiful as well.

As sunlight filled the world, a voice rang in his head.

Grae Mangefur

You have shown yourself to be of merit, and given amusement to the gods. Shadowmoth, child of Order, smiles upon you.

To earn his constellations, you must follow in his footsteps.

Walk among your enemy for seven days, unseen by all. (0/7)

Steal a great secret and gift it to the world. (0/1)

Destroy or hide knowledge unfit for the world’s eyes. (0/1)

Grae Mangefur

You have shown yourself to be of merit, and given amusement to the gods. Chainbreaker, child of Order, smiles upon you.

To earn his constellations, you must follow in his footsteps.

Kill five enemies with your bare hands in a single battle. (2/5)

Free twenty enslaved souls. (4/20)

Walk 10,000 miles (3/10,000)