The four adventurers and Shae finally came into sight of the town. They were all dusty and covered in sweat from their days travel, and the heat had not let up once. To the point Shae had to ask.

“Nick?” Mel asked.

“Well,” Scholar Nick scratched at his chin thinking. “What we know about the planet, and really it is very little. You must first understand most people cannot just up and travel the world. It would take a person of great power to explore it all, as there are some very real dangers involved. What we can surmise however is that this continent is roughly thirty thousand kilometers from its north tip to its south tip. Then the trouble begins. Beyond our continents southern border is an area not just anyone can go. The lands are much hotter than they are here. This belt of heat is said about ten thousand kilometers north to south. Then below this heat zone is another area of the same distance north to south as ours. All together the world is roughly seventy thousand kilometers around. We have this information from a devout cleric who once asked this as a boon from his god.”

Holding up his hand as Shae opened her mouth to speak, he went on. “Now I cannot even fathom why someone would choose that as a boon. Maybe he was recompensed by the mage’s guild. Or he was a clergy of knowledge and just had to know. This information was gained before the orc wars and was not even completely accurate. He was told approximately by his God and was told that if he wanted to know exactly how large the world was, he should go and learn the figures himself. The man was never heard from again. His initial findings were left behind for the clergy of Knowledge at least. It is not a surprise, as the middle territory of heat are lands to the draconian races. While the demi-human Draconian would tolerate you to some degree. Dragons and their sub species would eat you on sight.”

“Are there only heat type dragons?” Shae asked.

“Of course, what else would be able to live in that inferno. Cold magic even has a greatly reduced effect.” He replied like he was talking to a toddler.

“Anyway, that’s all I know. You want more info you’ll have to go to the capital and get it yerself.” Nick waved his hand ending the topic.

“…” Shae was left wanting here but did not want to push her new companion too far. She was not that close knit into the group yet and did not want to risk bridge burning.

‘Well at least I have a clue as to why the days are longer. If the world rotates at the same speed as earth, it’s almost one third size larger.’ Shae pondered in quiet for a while with her limited knowledge about such topics, and what it would be like to travel and find the answers for herself. Would she also never be heard from again? Or could she find a way? The hardest part would be the measuring. Or would that be survival?

‘What am I even thinking? I’m no scientist. I would rather just enjoy traveling to see the wonders of the world.’ All the different cultures and cities. She couldn’t do that back home due to travel restrictions in certain countries, not to mention the cost. Here she might be able to subvert that cost with magic. And this world was also less populated than earth, meaning there would be a lot less cities to see. Maybe towns too, villages didn’t really hold any desire for her after seeing how plain Canson’s retirement village was.

She would miss Pendra’s kindness. Maybe Kyle a little, though the man had not made a large impression on her, but he was kind and did help her out in her first days in this world.

There was still almost a full days walk to the town of Hombek. Named after its founder, who had taken it in fort form from the Orcs during the orc wars. In the last hundred or so years it had transformed into a much larger town with the centralized walled in fort area. It was all rebuilt into a manor and centralized government buildings and nicer homes for said officials. A few shops also doted the inner circle. Outside the walled government portion of the city was the expansion of housing for the needed local laborers and crafters and their families. This area also held the more abundant and common stores, inns, and warehouses. The majority of the guard also resided and were posted here. Around this outer section there was another wall of grey stone, with a built-in slightly lowered walkway for guards to patrol the wall and keep watch in all directions.

Inside this walled section there was still room to grow in the southern area. They had done well in designing the towns outer construction, keeping it well organized and planned out for future growth. The graveyard was outside the north-western walls. Watched over by a small church, who’s job it was to keep the dead where they belonged.

Which answered one of Shae’s ponderances about undead.

Villages mostly cremated their dead to avoid issues.

These were a few of the topics Shae conversed with the four about. Shae had garnered a lot of information over the last few days. The four not even giving it a second thought in teaching her as they assumed she was from the wilder north lands. She learned a bit about the Theocracy, and the Empire to the south. She did not learn anything about the north. How could she ask?

She also learned that these four were responsible for killing the troll. Even asking her if she had seen anyone else in the forest, as they learned Shae had come from that area. She expressed she had not seen neither troll nor another person. Mel did stare at her shoe prints once, but thankfully did not broach the subject, allowing Shae to keep her secret. Or she wasn’t completely sure.

They would make it to the Hombek by nightfall. The group already had a reservation at an inn. If there were no extra rooms available, they would add a bed to Mel’s room for her. Which Shae expressed her gratefulness for.

Shae found she got along with Mel easily she was talkative and almost motherly.

Her brother was more of an introvert. Not speaking much unless spoken directly to or had to make a decision.

Mic was very much the same. Though instead of introvert, he spent more of his time meditating about his god, who was the aspect of healing. While Mic could use healing magic, he could not do so liberally. Bodies where not easily repaired by magic, so it took a lot to fix major injuries in a short amount of time to save a life. So, he saved his power for more dire circumstances, instead of wasting it all on minor cuts etc.

Nick was harder to pin down. It was like he had two personas, and until recently he had an uncurable affliction. Which would likely cause a shift in personality all itself. He was more talkative than Kip or his brother and was the most knowledgeable about the goings on. He just wasn’t an open book. Shae had to go slow getting information from him, she would often get a signal from Mic or Kip to give him space. Mel would just pull her aside for more one on one talks.

It seemed Mel was enjoying her company the most, which was reciprocated. Guess being the only female with three men couldn’t be that easy. Even if one was your brother.

Shae did detect an undertone between Mel and Kip, something unspoken. But it was not her place to pry. She was sure Mel would open up more as their friendship progressed.

At first Shae wondered if her age would affect how well her and Mel got along. But she had little to worry about as you were considered and adult here at the age of fifteen.

Shae was heading into spinster age she thought amusingly.

Then the gates were in sight, in the next hour she would be inside her first port of real civilization. She couldn’t wait to experience what this new world had to offer her.

============================================

“Yea, I’ll have a couple of my guys watch her. I’ll have more for ya soon.” A short thin rat faced man said to a cloaked Ford. They had met in a busy bar, so they could blend into the crowd and their conversation would be drowned out as well.

“Good. Don’t allow yourself to be spotted. We don’t want to ruin our relationship with her before it even gets off the ground.”

“Not tah worry. I got just the right two fer the job.”

Ford put a small bag onto the table, “For the drinks, and your trouble.” He said to the small man.

Ford like this man, he was oddly honorable for his race. Most rat-kin were hard to deal with and all together too shady to trust with his more important jobs. Or maybe it was because Ford paid him well, and the man smartly did not want to bite the hand that fed him. Making him smarter than the rest of his kin in Ford’s eyes. Ford was a bit racist when it came to rat-kin. Most were. Which probably kept the cause-and-effect circle alive. One side seeing them as not worthy, which in turn caused the rat-kin to be resentful at their mistreatment and forced lowered living standards.

That was however here nor there. Ford had more important matters to think about. And it was not like he could change anything about it. He just knew this man was worth his trust. That was good enough today.