The Capitol City was at the dead center of a whirlpool of mountains. In times of war it meant that the city was impossible to attack by land, yet it could be cut off from supply lines from the eastern port towns. Fortunately the countries mountains did not only extend to around the capitol but swept out far and wide to secure the nations borders. Subi darted through the mountains for seven days and nights in search of answers, climbing to mountain tops and decending into the forests below. At each new dungeon he found a handful of guards, a captain, and one of the eagle squadron. Beyond the guard and into the caverns below, monsters awaited, guarding their dungeon's cluster of Abolat crystals.

As Subi placed his hand on one crystal ofter the next, the voice that stirred from within continued to pry at his conscious and unconscious mind, mocking him and offering him false refuge as his exhaustion grew.

Undeterred by failure after failure, he continued on to the next dungeon, willing to compete in a battle of wits versus each new crystal.

"Why don't you rest a while there is no danger here. You push yourself too far. Just sleep it off"

"Why do you keep thinking I'll fall for that?"

THWACK

"Damn it, not again. That voice always gets me to react. Why can't I just extract the crystal and its secrets? Damn it, I need to hold my composure even tighter next time... Clive doesn't deserve to be beat down by this stuff, its not fair. I will get it next time"

Subi leapt out of the dungeon and sauntered far away from the guards to a little nook in the mountainside where he laid down his head. His moments of rest were anything but peaceful, as his dreams were infected by the Abolat crystals. One might even have called them nightmares, as images shot through his mind like shattered glass.

“Ugh, my head” Subi grumbled as he lifted himself up. He sauntered over to a gap in the trees where a small stream cut through the rocks. He lapped with his tongue to drink some water.

“Why am I doing this again?” he chuffed.

“Oh yeah… This world's magic is connected to the dungeons somehow... If we are to remove the orb from his hand I have to understand the truth behind what caused it”.

He stopped for a moment and looked at his reflection in the water.

“Am I really living a life as a wolf? In another world?”

He sat back and lifted his nose to smell into the breeze.

“Time rushes by so fast. Back on earth I'm sure things have continued too, and not only that, there are many more worlds out there that the goddess spoke of. I wonder if all worlds share some kind of crisis and if they are connected somehow?”

A sharp twang shot through Subi's temple.

“Gah”

He transformed down into his human form and gripped his forehead as his greyish blue locks swayed in the gentle breeze.

“This world needs some pain killers”

He lowered his hand and pulled out his dagger from its holster. He dipped it into the stream and scrubbed it. The blood made a red cloud in the water and then drifted off with the flow of the stream.

“If these worlds are like streams, do they absorb the muck like this river? Like pollution in my old world, in small amounts nobody notices anything, but past a certain threshold, streams are too clogged to run. And if the gods are managing each of these worlds, what do they do when a world has a bit too much scunge built up? Focus on other worlds maybe? And let the one's filled with dirt fall to ruin?”.

The goddess sat up from her couch and looked closer at Subi through her magical screen, “Can he remember our conversation? No it isn’t that I definately wiped his memory as he asked, he just somehow knows?”

Subi sheathed the knife and put it all back in the bag.

“I have carried this heavy feeling for a few weeks now, a sense of knowing something is wrong with this world. I just know Clive is somehow connected to it… It isn't just random that the orb appeared in his hand. It has to be the buildup of scunge in this world”

The goddess opened her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. “How the hell does he know?”.

“New world or old, its all the same. Incompetent gods, shit flowing down stream, hitting us all eventually in time”

The goddess puffed up her cheeks “Incompetent! I’m not incompetent! How dare he!”

Subi smiled a little, “But at least that one goddess I met has some potential”

“Whaaat?!”

“She might be totally incompetent but at least I know she isn’t malevolent”

The goddess’ starry eyes turned to dread “Oh... Well, I guess it is true some of the gods are pretty messed up. But it is boring being part of creation, like having to explain everything a thousand times until you just give up and say this is what you get. Then there are so many problems that you just get numb to it after a while”

Subi then looked at his human reflection in the stream.

“It mustn’t be easy being a god. Humans are frail. Like leaves in the wind. To be a god must mean that you no longer have the excuse of being carried by the wind. You just simply are what you are. How can that ever be perfect… I’d prefer a god that knows they are flawed, if I had a choice of one”

The goddess had a tear in her eye as she listened on, and she lightly smiled.

Subi transformed back into the wolf and shot off through the trees.

…

“Jim is that you?”

Garad smirked as one of his men distracted the inquisitor.

“I just wanted to say I really respect what you are doing, I think you are a damn hero to this city. Anyone willing to stand up to the corruption in the noble courts while still holding a noble appointment themself is someone I can get behind”

The well dressed thug for hire held out his hand.

Jim took his hand and shook it firmly “Well someone has to look out for the citizens of this city right”.

“I agree” the thug said, tightly clasping his hand, “Oh that is a nice jacket, I am looking to find something like it myself in hopes of getting a promotion at work. You know act the part and all that, could you tell me where you got it?”

“The tailor just off the market fork, near the fountain square”

“The one near the restaurants?”

“Yes you know it already?”

“I have heard of it, but I am too poor to go myself, but the fabric looks wonderful, would you indulge me for just a moment can I touch it”

“Ah, sure” he smiled.

The thugs fingers traced along the jacket “Very high thread count, its so soft”

“Well one has to be comfortable when meeting out justice”

“Indeed... One must always be comfortable... Well I will let you go, I know you have important things to do, thank you so much, and keep up the good fight,” the thug smiled and waved.

“Oh thank you, good luck with the promotion”

The thug walked off and nodded to Garad. Garad pulled out a communicator crystal and activated “The last piece of evidence is in place, you can move in”.

…

The crystal dragged and pulled at Subi with waves of magical energy before he could pull it free. Snapping out of its magical hold, Subi fell to one knee, his previously gummy arms were now defined with visible muscle and bone. His legs were long and slender as he lifted himself to his feet, so too with his arms and hands as they hung down at his side.

He stood almost as high as the shoulder of an ordinary man now. His grey blue locks of hair flowed in the gentle cavern breeze. His still rather youthful face pinched together at his brow as a wave of blood rushed to his head. He gripped his waist like he had just been punched in the gut, and stumbled back a step before smirking.

Somehow, someway, merging with the consciousness within the crystal had gone differently than all times previous. He was filled with a sense of abundant knowledge and confidence as he begun to surmise just what these crystals were and what they were truly for.

He grasped his finger a large slender shard of the crystal cluster and with one smooth motion pulled it free. It slid out cleanly while the remaining cluster blew into dust on the breeze.

Subi eye'd it closely looking at the swirl of colors that resided deep within the stone.

*Aha, finally, a sample*

*But more importantly, I know something I didn't before*

He opened the lip of his satchel and wrapped the crystal in some cloth before slipping it inside.

*I’ve been out here long enough, its time to get back*

CHI TITTER TITTER TITTER

Subi swung his head around to the cackling sound as it echoed from the distance.

“Damn it, I really need to go, now!”

Subi hurried as best he could to wrap his equipment around himself and sped his way towards the blue and green light filtering in from the main cavern.

His ears picked up as he waited by the cavern edge.

"They sound... Almost like they are planning something"

His eyes scanned across the passage he took into the side cave, and sure enough, he saw his own tracks.

"Damn it, they already know I'm here"

…

Sounds of thick knuckles beating into flesh echoed off the dark rock of the prison cell walls. One strike was followed by another in a flurry of punches, with the final blow hitting into the prisoners gut. Blood oozed from the beaten man’s lips, and his hair was a mess of sweat and smeared with the vomit of an earlier beating. A thick skinned guard with a short forehead came in for another punch but then stopped as a figure in the back raised his hand.

“You must see by now, your cause is hopeless”

Jim spat out blood and tried to speak, but nothing came out besides muffles.

“What was that?”

“I. Said. Fuck. You. Asshole.”

“Oh I see, well I am sure someone is seeing to your wife as we speak. I suppose it is the wrong person being fucked though isn't it. Oh well I can't change that now can I?”

The man came closer and leaned in, “Charlotte is her name am I right?”

“No! Leave them alone!” he shouted with a mixture of drool and blood flailing helplessly from his lips, “Please, just stop… I will do what you want”

“Oh that was easier than I expected”

“Please just let me see that they are okay and I will do it”

“I knew you would see reason, and do the right thing in the end. So you freely admit to your crimes then?”

“Yes, I will say I took bribes from his opposition in the city in order to undermine him, and the investigation into his corruption was a sham”

The man then turned to another in the hallway and nodded “Bring them, and the papers”.

He turned to the thick knuckled man “Take him down and move him to the table”

The guard grumbled and unlocked the shackles, then grabbed hold of Jim’s weakened body and slumped him in a seat by the table “Sit. Here. Now” the man grumped.

Jim’s every movement was agony, several of his ribs were no doubt broken and dug into his lungs making even shallow breaths difficult. His belly was swollen and tense from internal bleeding and organ damage, making his nausea almost unbearable. In spite of this he fought to pull himself together just enough to sit with enough dignity to face his family for the last time.

“What guarantee will I have of their safety?” Jim spluttered out.

"We don't do this sort of thing for the sport of it. We are practical. We will honor your wishes for your family"

The interegator opened the door to reveal Garad, “I suspect you know this man?”

Jim put two and two together in a flash.

“Garad? But you were the one who commissioned that the chancellor be investigated in the council hall”

“You and I both know that the masses won't be satisfied by a simple inquiry. In order to truly redirect their suspicion they need to see something shocking unveilled. And what story is more compelling than a spy of the Redan Empire staging a political attack from within the city walls at the Chancellor himself?”

“So that was what you planted on me, things that would make me look like a spy”

“Ingenius isn't it... by killing a spy from the Redan Empire not only can we free the Chancellor of any suspicion, it bolsters support for the war aswell”

“And you and your buddies stand to gain from the business... I see it now, you planned it all from the start”

“You know, you did a good job, you really stirred the pot… Made it look better than I could have hoped. For what it is worth I’m sorry it had to come to this”

“Bullshit, to you gutting a man is no different than gutting a fish”

“Yes, you are quite right, it was always going to go this way, its the way of the world I’m afraid”

Garad nodded to the guard down the haul, and in short order Charlotte was tossed into Garad's grip. Her wide eyes locked onto Jim as Garad unceremoniously slapped a scroll of parchment down on the table.

"Sign here" Garad said, slamming his finger down on the parchment.

Jim looked at Charlotte, took the pen and signed with a flicker of his wrist.

Garad picked up the parchment and nodded. His tight grip loosened on Charlottes arm as he slung her into the seat across from her beaten and bruised husband.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

Garad turned to her “Hardly... He has just confessed to espionage, treason, and conspiracy to weaken faith in the Chancellor, he will be put to death before days end. If you have anything to say to him, other than pleasantries, now is the time”

He turned to Jim with a scowl, “Don’t say anything stupid, or I can't guarantee anything, understand?”

Jim nodded.

“Is it true?”

Jim wanted with all his heart to say no but kept silent and turned his head, “It doesn’t matter now, just forget me, and raise Julia to be strong, and never let her follow my path, keep her away from politics”

“Don't say that, I'm sure they are just mistaken, I know you wouldn't have done anything like they are saying, maybe we can appeal to the courts?”

“I just signed a confession, I’m sorry, I love you”

Garad grabbed Charlotte by the arm and tossed her back to the guards in the hallway, as her face contorted in pain and anguish.

“Get him ready” Garad snapped to the interegator as he made his way out the door.

Ravens circled above in the sweltering heat of the sun, and flies swarmed around the wounds and cuts on Jim’s body and face. A large crowd gathered and were muttering between themselves. Everything was a blur to Jim as the noose was slung over his head and fastened to his neck.

The splatter of rotten vegetables showered the stage as the hangman stood back. The people below were filled with venom and anger as they spat hatred at the once respected inquisitor.

“Die you damn traitor!”

“Good riddance! Redan scum!”

“Damn Redan plotters! We should have known!”

A herald dressed in volumous red silks continued his speech, “For the crimes of espionage, treason, and conspiracy, you shall be hanged until death, have you any last words?”.

“Yeah...” he croaked out, “May the next world be a better one”

The herald turned to the executioner and gave him a nod. The hooded man gripped tight on the lever and gave it a sharp yank, dropping the floor out from under Jim's feet.

THWACK!

The rope’s slack tightened with a snap. Jim rhythed and squirmed for a few seconds before falling limp.

The fat minister's cheeks swelled red with joy as he turned to the Chancellor.

“Well that is the end of that, there were a few bumps but everything went relatively smoothly. It looks like the crowd bought it”.

The Chancellor's gaze was stoic as he looked over the square. The minister gulped audibly as he looked upon the Chancellors sharp angled features, the man wasn't one for pointless conversations or reveals of emotion, so he was almost impossible to read. The Chancellor turned and left the balcony, as though he had just recieved the mail. The minister heaving a sigh of relief turned to Garad and gave him a slap on the back.

“Good work, now we can focus on the real threat. Rouse up more support for the war, I will give you access to the lobbiests”

Garad turned to the minister with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes, “I'll get right on it”.

…

Rem stared at Clive as he brainlessly went through the motions of their study session. He nodded and smiled, and did everything asked of him, but behind it all something was missing, as though parts of his old personality were replaced by silence.

“And so the glyph here is called Ven, it is used to describe how all things fall and settle into equilibrium, like if we scatter a set of three marbles, they will all settle to the floor”

Clive was silent but smiled warmly.

“And this glyph here is Ma, it is used to describe a buildup of pressure. Like a bunch of balloons pushing into a tight space together that want to spring back out. It is responsible for sound and the surging of water”

“Mhm”, Clive mumbled.

“And this glyph here, once it is combined with Ven and Ma, creates a wave you see in the ocean. It is called Iz, and it represents the need for water to cling together, but when there is enough energy it will burst apart. If you combine all three into Ven Ma Iz, it is said you can begin to comprehend the motion of water, and comprehension of a force is the first form of magic”

Clive nodded.

“There are 5 stages of magic; the first is to comprehend, the second to predict, the third to interrupt, the fourth to guide its motion, and the fifth is to control and produce magic that embodies the effect”

“Uhuh”

Rem, put her grimoire down and looked at Clive, “Whats up? Your mind is somewhere else”

“Oh sorry Rem, I was just remembering something. An old memory”

“I'm not going to lie, I just thought you were spacing out, which is fine and all. But a memory, really, would you share it with me?”

“Okay, but it is kind of a sad memory”

“It is okay, I just want to know whats on your mind so I can help you better”

“I was just a kid, maybe six seasons old, and I was down by the river with my sister. She was always really brave, never knew the meaning of danger. It was the morning after a storm in the mountains, so the river was surging with white water. She just kept insisting I come over"

"I've always been cautious, I think ahead to what can happen, and when I heard the rushing water from a few paces away it was enough to strike fear into me. My sis was all like, 'damn it, don't be a scaredy cat', and pressured me to get even closer"

"Eventually I worked up the courage to go over to the water, but as soon as I did my sister left saying she was bored. So there I was, just staring at the raging river, with shakey knees but safe on the shore... Or so I thought. The bank gave way underneath my feet and I smacked down into the water. It all happened so fast, and in a flash I was mid river trying to keep afloat"

"On any other day that would have worked, but the water was too choppy so I kept sinking and had to fight to keep my head up. Until finally it dragged me under, and the light faded away. I was alone, lost in the cold. The water wrapping itself around me like a thousand arms all pulling me in different directions"

"All I could do to try to hold on, was to pull myself into a ball, and take the hits as the water smashed me into the rocks. Most of them were smooth, until something sharp reached out in the darkness and stabbed into my side. Which made my arms shoot out in panic, and I hit another sharp thing, and I grabbed it. It was a patch of tree branches, and as I climbed up them, the white water fell away, until I could at last again glimpse the sky"

"I think I am remembering it because, sometimes its the broken things that save you when everything goes wrong. And sometimes, those things are the only thing stopping you from being swept away”

Rem was silent, and didn’t know what to say.

Clive chuckled, “Ven Ma Iz… To understand the motion of water right?”

He smiled widely and with sincerity.

"I'm sorry, I took us far off track of the lesson"

"No, no, its good. It gives me an insight into how you feel right now, after what happened to you"

She blushed with happiness as she realised he might just have been silent because on the inside he was fighting, fighting to find his way back.

"Oh and what do you see? A guy feeling sorry for himself?"

"No" she said before a pause, "I see a person willing to stay in a place where they are afraid, in the hope that they can find something at some point in the journey. Patience maybe? Patience when many people would get angry or give up. I think it is your way of fighting for yourself"

"You wanna know what I really think of this thing in my hand?"

"Hrmm"

"I think its connected to forces bigger than me, like the storm that made the river wild. And its pulling me somewhere..."

"Where do you think it is pulling you?"

"I don't know... Somewhere, where its forces are stronger?"

…

Before Subi had any time to think, two of the chitterlings shot off in different directions. Subi's eyes darted side to side as he considered what to do.

*The one running deeper into the cave is probably going to alert others. While the one running to the entrance is...*

*Shutting off my escape!*

*I have to go. NOW!*

One chitterling remained in place and turned towards the cave entrance Subi was hiding behind.

“Awa chiiii, Awa chiiii, Mina chi chi, ra ra ra! Tumba!”

It beat its chest with its dart pipe and spun a small wooden dagger with oyster shells stuck to one side of the blade to grip its handle.

Its voice was loud, almost like a war cry. It drew its dart pipe up to its lips and squated in a ready position.

*Crap, paralysing darts, it is aiming at the center of the caves opening. It must be trying to flush me out. And if that is the case it knows it could fail. Which means, it has a backup plan!*

Subi felt his chest grow tight. The situation had grown dangerous. He began to scramble for and look for the smartest course of action.

*Okay, listing what I know of the situation. They know something is in the cave, and chitterlings are very aware that people exist, so it would be wise to assume that from my human tracks where he is standing that he expects that I am here. He sent two other chitterlings away to get greater numbers and to shut off my escape. From this I can assume its real reason for posting up is to delay my exit and keep me contained here. That leaves me with only one choice. Do what he isn’t expecting a human to do”

Subi jogged back deeper into the cave, turned and then sprinted back towards the cave opening. He transformed into his wolf form. His hind legs pounding against the rock surface and he growled loudly. His ears pinned back and he shot to full speed as the light of the main cavern engulfed him.

The chitterling squatted a bit lower and readied his lips tight against the pipe. Just as subi hit the light, the chitterling clenched tight onto the pipe and sent a dart flying right between Subi's eyes.

Subi whipped his back feet forward, transformed into his human form, and slid feet first across the ground like a baseball player sliding into home base.

The chitterlings eyes shot wide open, and it reached for a second dart, quickly loaded it into the pipe and blew a second shot. Subi sprung up with his back hand onto his feet and dived forwards like superman. The second dart narrowly missed just under his belly. The chitterling leapt back and grabbed for another dart.

*You weren’t expecting me to come right for you, were you? But I can't let you take pot shots at me! You have to die*

Subi's full wolf size towered over the tiny grey goblin, just before his jaws snapped in a flash of white biting the chitterling in half. With a quick toss of the head he threw the top half of its body into the grass, turned sharply towards the entrance and broke into full speed. The chitterling shot through the grass as though the life of its tribe counted on it. Popping out of the grass from time to time to look over its shoulder.

*Damn, how did he get so far ahead. I'm not sure if I can catch him in time*

The chitterling threw its blowpipe like one might skip a stone across a pond and it kicked out a stick that was holding some crudely fashioned rope. The way it flicked up, told Subi that it was being lifted by a counterweight coming down. He had two choices, try to make it through the gap or smash into the chitterling.

*Fuck fuck fuck*

Subi skidded to a halt in front of the cave entrance.

*If its a pit trap its going to squewer me, damn it*

Making a quick twist of his feet he smashed his weight into the chitterling causing its head to explode against the cave wall but not before a the creature kicked out a peg.

A rope shot free, and left a spiked net to tumble down over the entrance, weighed down with heavy stones.

BAAROO

From a distance he could hear a horn being blown as the chitterling hive exploded in howls and warcrys.

Subi quickly transformed down and pulled his dagger. He quickly sawed at one of the ropes holding the spike net in place, before moving to another. The chitterlings swung from large ropes and shot towards the entrance at incredible speed. With a quick twitch of his ear, Subi could hear that some had already made it half way.

*Come on!*

The rope cut loose and he pulled up a section of the spiked net, but it wasn’t large enough to fit through, it was attached to another boulder behind.

*Fuck!*

He reached under and wildly hacked at the rope, tugging and pulling with all of his might.

As if by pure will power the rope cut loose and he could pull the net up.

He scrambled underneath the barbed net. Blood drew from his back as he scraped under its spikes.

The chitterlings surrounded the other side of the net, and drew their dart pipes. Mirio scrambled to his feet as quick as he could but was hit with a hail of darts. He screamed out at the top of his lungs.

“Help me!”, “Chitterlings!”, “Chitterlings!”, “Help!”.

Subi's arm stretched out towards the guard camp just outside the cave before freezing in place.

"Oy, did you here that" a guard grumbled as he readjusted his helmet.

The remainder of the guards sat around a table in camp eating a meal, but in hearing a small boy's voice call out from the dungeon they looked to the pallisades. A fat guard scrunched his face as a bit of chicken dropped off its bone in his grasp. The camp's eagle trooper turned in an instant and shot past the other guards. He leaped over the palisade and pulled down his night vision glasses in one action. Spinning off three arrows from his quiver he nocked them all.

FWIP FWIP FWIP

Arrows shot over Subi's dart riddled back, as he laid their bleeding and paralysed. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to see three chitterlings stuck with arrows as they attempted to climb under the net.

The eagle drew three more arrows, but kept them in between his fingers like an animal’s claw. He stabbed the three arrows into a chitterling's neck, grabbed Subi and dived off to the side dragging them both out of the way of a second hail of paralysing darts.

FWIT FWIT FWIT FWIT FWIT

The other guards hurried to drop the drawbridge a large slam sounding just outside the dungeon entrance. They bouldered into the cavern with shields raised. Darts scattered to the ground in all directions as the Eagle dragged Subi out behind their cover.

In lockstep with each other the guards retreated from the cave and once clear pulled up the drawbridge.

"How many of those did he have in him?"

"Too many for a kid"

"How'd he get down there?"

"Shut up will you and help me hold him down!"

"He's foaming at the mouth, I don't think he's going to make it"

"Yes he is! Grab me that"

"Here"

"I hope this works"

“Hold him down tight!” the Eagle said to the other guards as they pinned him face first onto the table.

He jammed a stick into Subi’s mouth and pulled out a vial from his waistbelt. Swiping the darts out of Subi's back with a swat of his arm, he then poured the contents of the vial into the back of a giant needle.

The cartilidge of Subi's rips crunched as the needle piered through his ribs and into his heart.

Subi’s convulsions faded as everything went black.

The guards shouted to each other in a panic

“They are crawling up the palisade!”

“Fuck, one is out!”

The eagle turned Subi over to reveal the badge of an eagle squadron pin on his bag.

“Is that why he was in there? Testing his mettle or something? If others have spoken for him, I gotta get him out of here”

He picked Subi up and tossed him over his shoulder. Running over to the horses tied up by the captain's tent. He tossed Subi up onto the horse and leapt into the saddle.

“Ya!” he yelled as he kicked into the horse’s sides.

The horse strode into a gallop and the site of the camp became smaller in the distance. Chitterlings swarmed out from the pit and shot darts into the guards, pouncing on them with their razor sharp spoon like teeth.

“YaaaarrrRRRGH!”

Screams echoed out behind them in the distance, as the chitterlings nawed off the faces of the guards left behind.

…

“Ah, so you are finally awake”

“Huh, what…” Subi said as he woke from a confused stupor. His mouth tasted like crap and he had a lot of pain in his back and chest.

“Damn chitterlings” the eagle said as he grit his teeth.

“Oh that is right, they were chasing me”

“You are lucky to be alive kid, luckier than those we left behind that is for sure”

“Wait? You left them? Why didn’t they run?”

“No time. Us eagles are at these camps not to make sure everyone gets out alive. We are to make the judgement call on if a camp is about to be overrun, and in that scenario it is imperative we report back to get reinforcements from the capitol. Orders are orders kid”

“Why did you save me then?”

“Maybe I'll answer that, but you have to tell me something kid, what is a young recruit like you doing in a dungeon?”

Subi looked off to the side.

“Trying to prove your mettle I bet. I did the same when I was back in training, was older than you though”

“You saved me cuz you thought, I was… Oh I see, yeah I was”

“I knew it, couldn’t leave you to die, though you seriously fucked up back there. We only just got intel on chitterlings being in the dungeon, we were in the process of building some specially designed traps to stop them. And by we I really mean I was. Modifications on the bridge too, to stop what ended up happening. But they just came out too quick. I’ve seen enough of those damn creatures to know to bug out when they get the drop on you though. You picked a hell of a dungeon to prove your mettle kid. Not saying their deaths are on you kid, cuz its on a lot of people beside you, and mostly on those little bastards, but you gotta think a bit before you act”

“Didn’t have time to think about thinking… Sorry”

“Nah its alright kid, happens more often than you’d think. Doesn’t mean its right though, but hey most of us eagles are gung ho, thinkin isn’t our job, its decisions made in a split second. You lived, so thats a win, just make sure you learned something from it. Or else those guys mighta died for nothin you know”

Subi sat up in the saddle and watched as the capitol city walls came into view over the ridge.

“Alright we are here. Will you be alright if I drop you off here? Time is of the essence now and its faster with one on the horse”

“Oh, uh, yeah, ok I can walk, thanks”

The horse came to a stop and Subi stepped off. The eagle nodded and then sped off.

Subi felt groggy and sore, and his back was bleeding, but he had survived and better yet felt he had the answers he needed. It was now just a matter of getting back. He stopped and put his bag down. He pulled out the potions he got as part of a kit and poured the healing potion over his back carefully. He then took a canteen of water and washed off the excess blood.

He was limping on his right foot as he walked towards the city, and knew that his wolf form would fare little better due to its tremendous weight. He would have to organise a horse or carriage to get back. A cloud of dust kicked up from where the gates were. Moments later a stream of two dozen cavalry shot past Subi, along with them, the Eagle that had saved his life.

Subi limped in through the gates and made his way through the streets to find a large crowd gathering in the city square. They were throwing things at something up ahead and cursing. Subi weaved between the crowd to get a view and then saw the gallows.

“Ah, crap, you dark age bastards”

Jim’s feet swung in the wind.