While the brave adventurer was in front, leading their march, the tribal guiding them shouted for them to stop. Herr Grindenbask, having felt the danger in the air through his numerous years of experience, jumped down on the ground. This expedition was most dangerous, and our hero was well able to differentiate between courage and stupidity. Because the jungle of Hymere was not known as the most dangerous place in the world for no reason, and even our courageous adventurer, without guide, would have been in a bad situation.

The jungle had become suddenly silent, the extremities of his long moustache trembled.

“Shinu” Whispered the guide.

Banshee, translated Herr Grindenbask.

He heard the veil of silence snap through the breaking of twigs, not so far away. It was impossible to guess how tall whatever was moving in front of them was, its sound was lost in echoes, and its sight blocked by thousand-year-old trees.

Herr Grindenbask had heard the stories. If they encountered the monster, he would be unable to move. Their fate would wholly befall on their guide, as the tribal man was the only one that had inherited the genes to resist to the beast’s power.

But Herr Grindenbask is a true hero, and heroes are lucky. The Banshee didn’t see them, and the adventurers were able to escape.

The adventures of Herr Grindenbask, Volume 3 : In the depths of the Hymere.

Nay looked at the fields rush past her. The night was clear, the stars shone brightly in the sky. She was holding on the train carriage, wind blowing on her face as looked beyond it. She had nothing to stand on, hanging there with the sole strength of her right arm. She felt it was worth it. She wasn’t waiting in a box smelling of metal and sawdust while she could climb on top and gaze in marvel at the region of Leïn in all its glory. They whizzed past the fields and grasslands; the rails were enclosed by a wooden fence. She could barely see it through the blur of speed, while the horizon seemed to move in slow-motion.

Little by little, the shining city was growing closer, and its lights were overtaking the ones of the stars. Soon, Nay could only see the latter.

The city and the palace were breath-taking.

As they arrived closer to buildings, Nay fell back down to hide. She could feel the vehicle decelerate, and she steadied herself, ready to escape.

It took ten minutes before the train finally stopped completely.

Nay didn’t wait to see where she was, she climbed with one arm, jumped outside the wooden carriage, and softened her landing with a bend of the knees. Her focus was on the surrounding Rreicos, but her eyes marvelled beyond her control.

She was in the largest building she had ever seen, some sort of hangar lit up by cascades of molten metal, echoing gigantic machines, shouted orders, and loud laughter. She had barely left the wooden box, but already cranes were putting metal beams back inside.

There was too many people, too much action, Nay was unable to focus. It made escaping the building unseen quite difficult. She walked ten yards, and already she felt the eyes of a worker on her back.

He was focused on his task carrying a reinforced cloth bag seemingly twice his weight, and only reacted to her presence with confusion.

It wouldn’t last, and Nay hurriedly tried to find the exit. It took almost ten minutes, and numerous workers had spotted her. Fortunately, she always managed to get away before they decided to drop what they were doing. She couldn’t hide herself like in the village, there were simply too many people around. She could feel hundreds if she focused. She spotted a big sheet metal door, and went towards it, sensing it was her the way out. Fresh air was coming out of it and she could hear people walking on cobblestone from there.

“What are you doing here?”

A man dressed like the other workers, but with a baton on his belt, stood just next to the exit. Nay had completely missed him.

The young Legio tried to act the least dangerous possible.

“Sorry, I got lost.” She answered honestly, as she used her coat to hide her sword and armour. She swore internally, but still gave him her best smile.

The man looked her over, stopping at her chest longer than other places. By hiding herself the way she had, Nay had inadvertently shown off to the guard.

“There is nothing you can steal here, whore.” The man misunderstood. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you here, so I won’t bring you to the station, but don’t let me catch you again, got it?”

Nay sighed silently in relief.

“Thank you. I just got lost, really.”

The man growled. “I don’t want to know. I’m not seeing you here again.”

“Yes, of course, sorry.” Nay made herself as little as possible, trying to look scared.

It seemed to appease him.

She grimaced as she felt his Rreico. As she passed next to him, his hand fell on her butt. She knew it was the correct decision not to dodge, but she almost had.

“What are you looking at?” Said the guard with a disgusting sneer.

Nay didn’t answer. Knocking him out would certainly announce to her pursuers she had taken the train, so she could not. She forced a smile and left.

“Yeah, that’s better.”

She had a murderous thought, that it would not reveal anything to anyone if his body was never found, but after a long and deep breath, she refocused on what was really mattered.

Nay was looking around, walking on the cobblestone roads. They were lit up by weird light posts not using candles, and she could feel the same energy as the train’s in them. She could not be certain though, as her perception of the Rreico was simply overpowered by the sheer amount of people around. Despite the night having fallen for a few hours now, there was still dozens on the industrial street. Mainly workers, a few courtesans, there were plenty more inside the buildings. Bars were still open, but Nay felt quite a morose Rreico coming out of them. They were not as loud as they should, either. A few caravans pulled by Yae’s passed on the road, merchants, for the most part.

Nay passed next to quite a few guard patrols, or police patrols, as they were called here. She hadn’t tried to avoid them, acting as all the other passers-by. They had looked her over, then went on without bothering her. The city was giving a weird feeling to the young Legio. It was heavily populated, but everything was clean and beautiful, moreover, Nay had an impression of safety as she explored the roads at night. She had seen women travelling alone or without escorts, and at this hour of the day, it was unusual to say the least. She knew she wasn’t in a noble or bourgeois district, which could have explained that feeling.

Often, leïn had been described to her as the most extraordinary feat of the Imperatrix. To be honest, Nay had never truly believed it, interpreting it as quite weak propaganda. Right now, though, she had to admit she wasn’t so sure anymore.

She strolled through the streets haphazardly, and after taking a few random turns, she finally found what she was looking for.

In front of what seemed to be an inn, stood a wooden billboard. The young Legio smiled, and approached the sign.

Two maps were stuck there with nails, as were pages of the daily newspaper and the menu and prices of the inn in front. One of the maps showed the district she was currently in, and another was a larger scale one showing the city in its entirety.

She was currently in the south-western side of the city, an industrial district named Sweat. She easily oriented herself, and found the meeting point she had with Trinne. It was in the city centre, almost five miles east. All around of there was most of the merchant and residential districts, so this was going to be Nay’s next stop. It wouldn’t be for today though, as Nay’s arm was still hurting, and she felt deadly tired of the day’s events. She examined the inn’s menu, and event though she almost choked at the outrageous prices, she decided to rest there for the night. She had no desire to walk miles through an unknown and gigantic city at night.

The atmosphere inside was the same as the taverns she had passed before, gloomy. The place in itself was well maintained, Nay could see the kitchen behind the counter, and it was clean and organized. It was not late enough to explain why there were so little people drinking or eating inside. It should have been packed. Here though, four workers were drinking beer at a table in the back of the room, and parents with their two children were eating a luxurious meal in a monk-like silence, that was it.

“Can I help you?” The innkeeper, a women in her thirties, pale skin riddled with freckles and dark hair and eyes, talked to Nay from behind the counter.

“Yes, good evening, I’d like a room for the night, a meal tonight and a breakfast tomorrow.”

The woman turned around to talk to what had to be her husband in charge of the kitchen, then came back to the young Legio.

“Prices are written here, and you need to sign this bail. You’re not from Leïn, are you? Can you read and sign, or do you need help?” The question had been asked with no mockery, Nay immediately approved of the woman’s professionalism.

“No thank you, I can handle it.” Nay took out the appropriate amount of gold and gave it to the woman. After checking it, the innkeeper nodded, and gave her keys and a printed piece of paper.

“My son will show you your room after your meal. You can call him with this bell here.”

The young Legio decided to take a risk.

“Excuse me, before you leave.”

“Yes?”

“I’m looking for someone, they are strangers like me, and I don’t believe they’ll be in your guards’ lists, is there…”

The professional expression of the innkeeper faltered. “Are you from Gite?” She asked too loudly.

The room grew silent, the workers turning around to look at her.

Nay swore internally, but decided to carry on, nonetheless.

“I’m looking for my mom and my sister. They should be in Leïn, maybe you heard of my mother, she’s a cook, her name is Ra’fa.”

The innkeeper shook her head left and right. She had a uncomfortable and compassionate smile. “Sorry, the city is big. But the Church oversees the refugee effort. Those coming from Makaka and Gite. One of the priests in charge will certainly be able to help you. I…you’ll find them. Get some rest and I’ll tell you how to get to the Cathedral tomorrow.”

“Oh...Uhm, thanks.”

Nay went to sit at a table in the corner of the room and waited for her meal.

A dark thought grew inside her head: the refugees were coming from Gite, but also Makaka. She had precipitated, or was she responsible, of the fall of two cities. Her ruminations were interrupted by the workers. It seemed they had gotten more active, talking more vehemently and glancing at her. Nay was beginning to think asking about her family to the innkeeper had been a mistake. She wasn’t feeling any malevolence coming from the men though.

One of the workers, in his forties and showing a large beer belly, rose and walked towards her. She tensed, but didn’t reach for her sword, once again she felt nothing bad emanating from his Rreico.

“Good evening to you, young girl. My friends and I, we’d like to offer you a drink.”

Nay grimaced. She hadn’t expected a basic flirt. “I’m not interested, sorr…”

“Oh, no no. Not like that, I expressed myself badly. We just want to pay you a drink. Nothing else. We don’t want to bother you like that.”

Nay was finally aware of his Rreico and what it really meant. It was hard for her to perceive the rhythm of life in these conditions, but she was still surprised how she had missed the man’s objective, she was too dependant on her sixth sense. He was feeling sorry for her, and just wanted to help.

“Well uhm… a glass of warm Yaeda milk would make me happy.” She said.

The man smiled at her. “I’ll ask Patrick to bring you that. Stay strong, eh.”

He went back to his friends, leaving Nay alone and a bit lost.

A few minutes passed, and a man dressed in a large white apron, the innkeeper’s husband, brought her her meal and a glass of warm Yaeda milk.