At the base of the southern slopes of the Kundar Mountains there was a dense pine forest where creatures both large and small lived. With ample rain year round, moderate temperatures, and an abundance of food, the forest was one of the most ecologically diverse areas of Alcana.

However, if the pine forest below was a haven for life, then the mountains above were a desolate hell. The cold windy climate and lack of topsoil made it almost impossible for vegetation to grow. Outside of a few birds and hardy grasses the Kundar Mountains were devoid of life.

Judging the best path up would be to follow a tributary Jayce quickly found himself forced to travel through narrow slot canyons and navigate around sheer cliff faces and waterfalls. The trip was far more time consuming than he had anticipated and at times he needed to use magic to avoid wasting days on end trying to find a way through.

There was no easy way to cross. By the time he reached the end of the tributary Jayce was so high up it was difficult to breathe. He had been prepared for the cold, but he was not prepared for the strong winds and the thinner air as he went further up. Forced to take breaks often he was relieved when he finally found a path down that allowed him to avoid the snowy zones ahead.

Sleep was difficult. Although he was able to make rock shelters with ease the cold of the mountains continuously seeped in. Eventually he found by using fire magic to heat large stones he could stuff them into his blankets to stay warm. However, sleeping with stones was not the same as the soft bed he was used to sleeping on.

And even though he knew the chance of being attacked by predators was small, Jayce remained on guard throughout the whole trip through the mountains. The howling wind not only sucked away his body heat but it also kept him on edge by creating sounds that caused him to think he was being followed or stalked.

Constantly cold, tired, and feeling depleted from his continual use of magic Jayce came to respect the legends of how impassable the mountains were. At times the only reason he was able to stay alive was because of his affinity with earth. Without the ability to create tunnels, build rock shelters, or create stairs he realized there would be no way to cross for him. Even with his use of magic he had almost fallen off cliff faces and nearly froze to death at night.

It was as if the mountains did not want him to leave. When he had finally begun his descent down new challenges arose. The cold wind had turned warmer, the air had turned drier, and the rocks had turned brittle and crumbled easily under his feet.

The brittle stone caused Jayce to slip and fall many times leaving scratches and bruises all over his body. It was a journey that had tested him to his physical and mental limits and one in which he would not have completed if it were not for his magical talents.

Crossing the Kundar Mountains was more difficult than he had anticipated. His confidence in himself had waned greatly and it wasn’t until he descended from the mountains that he began to feel at ease. His mother was right. The other side of the Kundar Mountains wasn’t toxic land that was dangerous even to set foot on.

No, the other side of the mountains was exactly how his mother described it. Gold and green grasslands for as far as the eye could see. It was a beautiful sight, one he wished he could share with his mother. The Anderan Plains or the mad plains as they were also known, Jayce had finally made it to the Northern Territories.

***

I don’t think I can describe these plains in any other way than calling them unbelievably vast. I’ve already been walking for 6 days but I haven’t seen anything. Could the Northern Territories really be this barren? It’s like no matter which way I look it’s just a sea of green and golden knee-high grass.

The days are hot and dry with hardly a cloud in the sky, but the nights are cold and damp in complete contrast, it’s odd to say the least. I must say though, the night sky is amazingly bright; the stars fill the sky as if a box of jewels has been dumped on it and the moon lights up the dewy grass creating a translucent glow on everything it touches. This glow is almost unnatural.

I have never seen a sky so brilliant. Could it be this dry weather? It’s easy to see the possibility of never escaping this grassland. Perhaps some people get lost in the beauty of this night sky and refuse to leave. Maybe that would be for the best, I can lose my way in the stars and just disappear.

It seems like the longer I’m here the more I question what I want to do. My whole life every decision has been made for me. There was always a plan, and I’ve never strayed from that plan. But what should I do now? Other than staying alive I’m not sure.

Sleeping is getting more and more difficult. Why do I see their faces every time I close my eyes? I’m tired of their questions. What do they want from me? What would they have me do? Do they want me to avenge them somehow? I’m just one person. Do they want me to rush to my death as well? The dead should remain dead. If they are not going to help then I wish they would leave me alone.

And I’m tired of these attacks. What are they? It’s like I need to keep my mind occupied at all times or my chest tightens and my arms grow numb. It becomes difficult to breathe, I start to sweat, and feel dizzy. I have no idea what it is, I’ve never heard of anything like this happening to people. Are these plains really toxic?

Or could this be guilt? But why should I feel guilty? I’m not the one who killed them. I don’t understand this, but maybe this is guilt. Is it because I know I could have done more? But wouldn’t that have just lead to my own death as well? What’s the point in that?

***

These days are just blending together. I think its day 9 or rather night nine. With the moon and the night sky being so bright it’s easy to traverse these relatively flat grasslands. Well, it’s not like I’m able to sleep anyways. At least I’m able to keep my mind busy like this.

It also looks like it is getting drier the further I walk. I hope it doesn’t continue this way. These dust storms are a real pain to walk through. Having to build a shelter and just waiting them out, honestly, I think I would rather be back in the thick grass than this patchy hay.

I’m not used to being by myself; it is quite lonely out here. I keep trying to yell but nothing is coming out. It’s like there’s something there, tugging at me, trying to burst out from within, but it’s blocked somehow. Like I buried it too deep and now no matter how hard it tries it can never escape. I’ve never felt this way before. It’s scary.

And am I even able to grasp time anymore? It feels like I've been walking forever, but at the same time, it's as if no time has passed at all. Why is that? I’m trapped inside my head with nothing but my thoughts and the rest of the world is flying by at a speed I’m unable to judge. Did I make a mistake coming here? It’s like I'm losing my mind.

I can't take it anymore, I need to relieve this anger, this fear, and this frustration. Maybe if I can just release some of it on this damn ground I’ll feel better. I’ll just shoot boulders off into the distance until I feel better. This endless flat ground, I’ll make a landmark no one will be able to miss.

***

How stupid. As if punishing the ground could somehow fix everything. All I've done is left a crater surrounded by large boulders. I don’t feel any better. This is a great way to attack an oncoming infantry though. Ah, if only this didn't happen. I'd probably have many opportunities to distinguish myself in the Empires army. I definitely would have gained my own titles and land.

Looking up at the moon is almost looking at the sun. It’s so bright it’s almost like its daytime and it’s like it’s here to shine a light for me alone. As if I’m the only person in the world so there’s no need for it to shine anywhere else, could I be the only one here in the Northern Territories? How does the moon feel? Does it ever feel like it’s all alone as well?

I think if I can leave this place things will get better. I really hope so. I can feel myself sinking further and further down into a pit that I’ll never be able to escape. Is this what happens to people who leave the Empire? Does this place really drive them mad because of some toxicity?

The ground seems a bit traveled here. Is it a path? Or a game trail maybe? No wait, is it a road? It’s not quite like the roads I'm used to in the Empire, but without a doubt, this is a road. Could this be a road to Freeport? At this point, does it really matter? Roads mean civilization and as long as I follow this I should end up in a town or village at the very least.

I only know that Freeport is to the north, and this road seems to be going roughly in that direction. Maybe it's just the hope of finding a way to leave, but for the first time since I've come here, I feel like I can sleep. Yes, I think I think I'll try laying here for a while.

***

I can’t believe it’s already been another 4 days on this road. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more relieved, but to set my eyes on what I’m pretty sure is Freeport, finally I can get out of this grassy nightmare. It's still a fair distance away but it looks massive. Maybe it is on the scale of the capital. But really 10 days? Did others really make it here in 10 days? Did I wander around and waste that much time in this grassland?

I can’t believe that wagon. It had been so long all I wanted to do was to speak with them. I didn’t expect them to speed up the closer I got. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised though. The back of the wagon seemed to be filled with young women. Did they think I was dangerous? That's possible, after all, I am a lone traveler and a wagon full of young women would probably look like an easy target.

But those women all seemed to be dressed in rags, their hair looked pretty matted as well, and their dejected faces were covered in dirt. Were they peasants or farmers maybe? No, probably not. They’re most likely slaves of some sort. Well, it’s not like there weren’t slaves in the Empire, though normally it was looked down upon and few people owned slaves.

Most slaves in the Empire were criminals or soldiers of opposing armies so they were mostly men who were used for physical labor. I guess there were some exceptions though, but there were laws that to an extent gave them some rights. How well were they really enforced though? I’m not really sure. Selling women into the sex trade was forbidden, but everyone knew the brothels were filled with mostly sex slaves.

I probably shouldn’t expect there to be laws that offer protections for slaves here. From what my mother said there are no real kingdoms in the Northern Territories. Laws most likely vary by region and city, so things such as slavery are probably very common.

And it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make it to the city by nightfall. It would have been nice if I was able to get a ride on that wagon. It’s probably best if I camp out tonight and enter the city early in the morning. I only hope that when I wake up the city will still be there. How terrible would it be if this is just a dream?

Sleeping on the road like before is probably not safe though. If other wagons come through here I don’t know what kind of people I may come across. I can probably defend myself but I don’t know what the laws are like here and I’d rather not draw any attention to myself right now.

Maybe it’s for the best to walk a short distance from the road before making a place to rest. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of funny in a way, this whole time I’ve been hoping to meet up with another person, but now I’m making sure to hide from them.

What a difficult journey it has been up to this point. Sneaking through the Empire, hoping to not be found by anyone, hiking through the treacherous Kundar Mountains that I severely underestimated, and then wandering these empty grasslands that can make anyone go mad. All told it has taken me almost 3 months to get here.

Constantly on edge and alone with only my thoughts, this has probably been the longest 3 months of my life. I'm physically exhausted, but even more so I feel mentally exhausted. For now, I'll just try to get some rest. I really need to rest. Hopefully tomorrow I can begin fresh and put this nightmare behind me.