The group walked for over a week before they exited the forest. The landscape before them was hilly and covered in yellowed grass with the occasional grove of trees scattered here and there. There was also no sign of any settlements or farmland and it was another two days before they saw any. This they avoided. They wanted to go as long as possible before being noticed. It was one more day before they found the first major road. The group followed the road but hide if they saw anyone coming. "Whoa," Insu said when they came in sight of a city. Andrew studied it. Until now they had yet to see any village larger than ten houses but the city in front of them appeared huge. This was mostly because of the large stone wall that surrounded it. Beyond that, he could see roofs peeking over the top but couldn't tell how many houses were inside. "No wonder the spider kin need me to help them get inside. That wall has got to be four Insus high." "Yeah, I doubt I could jump over that even in rabbit form." Insu looked like he wanted to try. "If you do, don't do it when we're around." Rah'asu shook her head. "Rest in peace." Andrew smiled. Shimeirin wants to see him try. I do too. He will probably hit the wall with his face and slide down. Just imagining it is funny. Andrew wished he had a video recorder. Hehehe. Yeah. As they approached the city gate they saw the guards. There were four of them, two on either side of the gates and two on towers that overlooked the gate and road below. The guards on the ground had swords at their waist and the guards in the towers had bows. They were wearing decently made armor with an iron breastplate, helmet, and leggings. Whatever wasn't covered by metal was covered in simple cloth armor. "This will be fun," He was getting nervous. "As soon as they see you and the bracelet they should let you in with no questions. Remember, we are your escorts. Insu," Rah'asu turned to Insu, "make sure to only talk when asked." Rah'asu reminded them for the fiftieth time. "Yes, yes." Insu looked nervous as well. "Lord Terran!" The guard on the left said. Andrew relaxed a little. He had been expecting them to speak a different language, "Good day." Andrew was too nervous to say anything else. "What brings you to Inei?" The guard seemed nervous. "I recently arrived from Terra and I wanted to visit some cities,” Andrew figured it was true enough. "I see. Should I inform the Lord of your arrival?" "No, I'm just here to visit. I am curious if there are any other Terrans here though." Andrew hoped he lucked out and at least one of his friends was here. The guard thought. "Each city near the forests always has at least one Terran in case the Wild Ones attack. I believe there are three in the Inei right now." "Oh, do you know their names?" "Sure. Eric, Jorg, and Sibilla." Guess we didn't get lucky. Andrew wasn't surprised but still disappointed. Should we go talk to them? Shimeirin gave Andrew the impression that she didn't want to. I think we should. Andrew understood Shimeirin's reluctance. "Do you mind telling me where I can find them?" "Yes. Follow the road until you find the big stone building next to the square." "Thank you." Andrew nodded in thanks. "Ah, oh, no problem." The guard looked surprised Andrew had thanked him. As soon as they entered the city, Andrew began to inspect everything. The houses here were small and round with roofs made of straw that almost touched the ground. The walls looked to be made of packed mud and straw. The road was still dirt but as it hadn't rained for a while was dry and heavily packed. He also saw several people, but most fled as soon as they saw him. As they neared the center the houses became better constructed. Most of the houses were still round but were made using bricks with wood roofing. Occasionally there was a two-storied house. Near the center, he saw the first square houses made of wood. They reminded him of something he would see in a medieval movie. Here the road had become paved with smooth stones. It filled the square with people. They crowded most of them around several stalls in the center that were filled with food or other necessities. All of them avoided Andrew. He didn't care as it made it much easier to walk to the large stone building to his left. Rah'asu looked like she appreciated the treatment. Andrew suspected it was partly because she didn't like crowds, but it was most likely because her and Insu's clothing stood out. The people here were wearing clothing of much higher quality than either. Even the poorest-looking peasants looked better dressed than Rah'asu's or Insu's animal skins. Thanks to easy passage through the crowd, the group soon found themselves in front of the stone building. The building was two-storied and looked like a mini castle with towers at each corner. The building itself was rather unremarkable. Its roof was made of wooden slats and the walls a rather boring gray stone. The wall surrounding it was built out of the same gray stone. Two guards stood on each side of the large gates that faced the square. "Lord Terran!" The guard on the left said. The guards made no further attempt to speak nor looked like they expected him to reply so Andrew walked past them saying nothing. This is going better than I expected. Shimeirin is still nervous. Yeah, if anyone will give us trouble they will be the ones in here. Andrew stopped just in front of the door leading inside and turned to his companions. "I would ask you two to stay outside but I don't think people will like you with those clothes you are wearing." "Yes..." Rah'asu inspected herself. "I hadn't even thought about clothes until I saw everybody. We should have snuck in at night and stolen some or sent you in ahead to get some for us." "I don't care," Insu said. "I like my clothes. I made them myself. Besides, it looks like no one will say anything when we're with you." "I still want to get you some." Andrew turned to the door. "After we're done here and get some money." "Money?" Insu looked confused. Andrew had used English again. "It's something you use to get things from other people." "Oh, get me some too. I saw some delicious-looking food over there." Insu looked back to the stalls in the center of the square. Shimeirin wants to get some too. Andrew smiled and opened the door. Me too. I think I even saw some cheese. Andrew looked around the inside of the building quickly before he entered. It was dimly lit by two windows on either side of the door and two torches on the opposite side. The room itself was large with several chairs, tables, and benches scattered about. Most were near the walls but several on the left side that were arranged in a circle around a table. The right wall had three doors while the left only had one. The far wall had a staircase that led upstairs. There were no decorations unless you called the guards lazing around the room drinking decorations. "Can I help you, Lord Terran?" A scantily clad woman approached them. She was fairly tall though short compared to the other Calorin he had seen. Her hair was short and brown and looked untidy. She had dull brown eyes and a flat nose with large, full lips. Her face was pretty but was also covered in bruises. Her body was well proportioned, thought also covered in bruises, and Andrew found his eyes drifting to her nearly exposed chest but forced them away so Shimeirin wouldn't get the wrong impression. "I would like to speak to the other Terrans." Andrew noticed all eyes were on him and did his best to not show his discomfort. "Lord Jorg and Lady Sibilla are at the prison, but I can show you where Lord Eric is." The woman said. "Thank you." Andrew studied the woman again. "What is your name?" "I am merely a slave. They do not give us names." The woman fidgeted. Andrew became angry. He heard there were slaves but it didn't make him feel any better. How horrible. Shimeirin is sick. They have been beating her! Probably worse too. Andrew tried not too hard to think about what happened to an attractive slave surrounded by soldiers and guards. Do you think? I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking it too, but I don't think there's much we can do with all these guards and soldiers. Andrew was thinking it might be worth letting the kin do bad things, at least to the slave owners and traders. The woman was looking at the floor, waiting for Andrew's orders. "Please show me where Eric is." "He is in the training yard behind the..." the slave woman used a word he wasn't familiar with. He guessed it was whatever they called this building. "From here it is easier to go around outside and around behind the building." Andrew nodded. "OK. Thank you. I should be able to find it on my own." The woman bowed and left. Andrew watched her for a moment but left when he saw her sit on the floor not too far from the door. "Looks like we're going around to the back of the building," Andrew told the others. Insu was peeking inside the building and didn't reply. His face showed he didn't like what he was seeing. Rah'asu was watching the square and nodded to Andrew. "I never imagined so many people in one place, and it's so noisy." Rah'asu looked fascinated yet uncomfortable. "I can imagine more than this," Insu said as he closed the door and turned to the group. "The winged kin city was almost as big as this place, although much better looking." Andrew laughed. "My home city wasn't considered big but even it puts this place to shame." "How big is your biggest city?" Rah'asu asked. Andrew thought. "Was it Tokyo or Mexico City? I believe they had eighteen to twenty million people." Andrew was glad he had gotten Rah'asu to teach him the bigger numbers. Insu and Rah'asu stared at him. "Can you even fit that many people inside a city?" Rah'asu looked like she didn't believe him. "You can if the city covers a large area and have lots of tall buildings." Andrew began walking. "How tall?" Insu looked very interested. "I don't know how tall the tallest building is, but maybe as tall as a small mountain. See how this building has two floors? Stack two hundred or perhaps more floors together and my people can do it." The two looked up. "I don't see it. How could it stand?" Rah'asu looked back to Andrew. "Don't ask me. I don't design that stuff. They only build them in crowded places anyway so they're not that common." Andrew said as he rounded the corner to the side of the building. "I want to climb one." Insu was imagining something. "People do occasionally, though I think they get in trouble for it." Andrew thought climbing skyscrapers was stupid. "If I go to Terra with you I'm gonna do it." Insu grinned. "Keep it up and I'm gonna leave you here." Andrew grinned back. Shimeirin wants to watch him try. I could see him doing it with the right tools. Shimeirin wants to fly around a tall building. Shimeirin became slightly depressed. I heard they get pretty windy so it would be dangerous. Shimeirin is good at flying. Shimeirin would be fine. "Oh, what are you talking to Shimeirin about?" Insu's face was right next to Andrew's. "Tall buildings." The group made it to the yard behind the building. The back yard was fairly spacious and open. It was also trashed. Andrew studied the trash and saw broken wood, stone, and... "Is that what I think it is?" Andrew looked at the red chunks of meat and blood splattered everywhere. "Yes." Rah'asu looked at the different chunks of meat. "I think it is kin and some human if the smell means anything." Insu walked over to the nearest piece of meat and picked it up. "I can't tell." Andrew looked around more. It looked like they had bombed the place. The craters weren't deep, and each had a shattered or broken boulder inside. Some were covered in blood. There was only one person here. It was a man with shaggy blond hair. He was Terran and looked Scandinavian. He was taller than Andrew and his nearly naked body showed he was extremely tanned and well built. It appeared he had been punching the remaining intact boulder but had stopped and was watching Andrew. "You are Eric?" Andrew said as he approached the man. "I'm Andrew." "Lord Eric," Eric said as he studied Andrew. "A new arrival to Calorin I take it?" Andrew noticed the man's mouth didn't match the words he was saying and Andrew was hearing it in English! "Fairly, I've been here for about two months and mostly been traveling." Andrew was becoming self-conscious. The man was a model specimen and pretty good looking. "I recommend going back to Everon until you get some muscles. You'll get eaten alive by those shape-shifting vermin as you are." Eric looked like he was looking at the most pathetic creature he had seen. "I was planning on it. I got separated from my friends and want to meet back up with them." "Chances are they are still at the capital. Don't know why they let you leave so early." Eric looked at Andrew's neck. "Did they not even give you the choker?" He pointed to the one he was wearing. "Ah, no. I'm hoping to get one though." "Wow, how you been talking to anyone?" "I manage." Eric looked at Insu and Rah'asu for the first time. "You teach them how to speak?" "Ah, they taught me how to speak." "Hmm, good on you. Must be nice not havin' to watch mouths saying something different from they look." "You're the first person I've experienced that with," It distracted Andrew. "So, you needing anything?" "Ah, just wanted to ask if you heard anything about my friends just in case they aren't at the capital anymore. Their names are Isaac, Cameron, and Lisbeth. Also... if there is any way to get some money." Eric thought. "Can't say I have, though few of us Terrans come this way. If they went anywhere, it would be to one city farther south where there are more prey. Ever since we killed off the last of the wolves, beavers, and lizard vermin there has been little to do here in Inei. As for money, you could always sell off your slaves. How did you get them, anyway?" Andrew looked to Rah'asu. He wondered how she was feeling at the mention of her people. Her face was to the side and looking towards the ground and was expressionless. "They're not my slaves, I don't approve of that sort of thing." Eric studied Andrew, Rah'asu and finally Insu. "So you're knowingly walking around the city with a shapeshifter?" The blood drained from Andrew's face. "What makes you think they're 'shapeshifters?'" "When you've drained as many of them as I have, you felt the difference between the shifters and the Stretches. The Shifters have more... life." Eric looked at Insu and smiled. "That one has lots. He has to be a Shifter." Oh no... Andrew was fearing the worst. Do you think he will... Shimeirin was terrified. "Are you going to kill me?" Insu said with an indifferent look on his face. Eric stared at Insu for a while. "I should. I should, but I'm more curious to see how long you take to get caught. Best get them some better clothes or it won't take long." Eric smiled. "Thank you?" Andrew didn't trust Eric. Eric looked like he was thinking. "Maybe I will give you a little money. You don't seem like the type that will just go into a shop and take what you want." Andrew didn't want to take his money. He didn't want to owe this man a favor. "I appreciate it but maybe some work we can do instead?" "Work?" Eric laughed. "Our work as Terrans are to execute prisoners and to protect the kingdom from the Shifters." Eric put his face close to Andrew's. "Have you even absorbed any life yet? Don't lie, I can tell how strong other Terrans are the same way I can tell a Shifter from a Stretch." "No. I haven't." Andrew hoped he was doing the right thing. "I thought not." Eric thought for a moment, "Strange, it's usually the first thing they do with new arrivals. Tell me. If you lie your Shifter friend's life will be punishment, and I'll make you be the one to do it." Andrew took a step back. "Why do you want to know?" "Why not? I'm curious and want to know." Eric was looking irritated. "That doesn't mean you need to threaten my friend's life!" Andrew covered his mouth when he realized he yelled at Eric. "I'm doing you a favor by not killing him right now." Eric's voice was icy. "Now, your friend or your secret?" Andrew looked to the ground. "It's because I appeared in the middle of the forest by myself." Eric stared at Andrew. "Really..." "It's true! Just look at me and my companions! Does it look like we've been enjoying city life?" Eric looked at the three of them closely. "It would also explain why you don't have a choker and have a Shifter friend." Eric turned to Insu. "Why didn't your kind kill him? You must hate us Terrans." Insu smiled. "Us rabbit kin don't kill people unless they attack us first. Andrew is very nice," with a grumble, "even if he teases me a lot." Eric turned to Rah'asu. "And you. You are Shifter too or did you meet him after he left the forest?" Rah'asu thought. "He saved me from death using his Terran powers. I brought him here as thanks." Eric looked surprised. "Wait, we can heal others?" He looked at his bracelet. "Huh, guess I never tried." "I could teach you." Andrew hoped to have Eric owe him a favor or get money without owing him a favor. "Why? Seems like a waste of energy to me." Eric shrugged. "Really? Healing people is a waste?" It disgusted Andrew. "It's the best use of these powers I can think of." "Andrew," Eric shook his head and looked at Andrew like he was a child that didn't understand something basic, "everyone dies someday. Well, most people. We are nearly gods with the strength the bracelets give us. The people of Calorin should be honored to give us their strength." Eric considered something for a moment. "Ah, I guess you wouldn't know this since you've been stuck in the forest the whole time, but reincarnation is a real thing on Calorin. Those we kill will come back, just a little sooner than they would have." Andrew looked to Rah'asu, who shrugged. Is it true? Andrew asked Shimeirin. She hadn't brought it up before so she might not know. Shimeirin was taught something different, but that the other Kin and humans were different. Andrew wondered if Eric had been lied to or that there was more going on. "I still don't think that is a good excuse even if it is true." "Well, it's not like we kill just anyone." Eric looked like he was getting bored. "The prisoners we kill are sentenced to death and would be killed even if we didn't and the Shifters are a danger to the kingdom with their constant raids on the cities near the forest." Andrew glanced at Rah'asu. "I'm not sure about the death penalty, but I understand defending yourselves if attacked. Going to random villages and using that as an excuse isn't something I agree with though." Eric looked thoroughly bored. "I'm bored. Please go away and I'll pretend I didn't see you." Andrew looked at Rah'asu and Insu. "OK." Andrew began to turn away but noticed Eric was thinking in a way that looked like he was listening to someone. Is he talking to his bracelet? Shimeirin thinks so. Eric focused his attention on Andrew. "I just had a good idea! I'll give you a month to get stronger. After one month I'll come find you and we will have ourselves a fight. If I win, I'll take your friends as my slaves and will keep them until you can beat me." Andrew scowled. "No thanks." Eric grinned. "One month. I'll even go easy on you since I have a head start." "No." Andrew crossed his arms and looked Eric in the eyes. Eric picked up a large rock. "Andrew, you don't realize the potential you have. I'm only encouraging you." Eric crushed the rocks with his hand. "Once you can crush rocks like this or see your wounds heal in moments, you will thank me." "I would if it didn't mean sucking someone's life out of their body." Andrew turned around and began walking towards the front yard. "One month!" Eric called out behind him. "What are we going to do?" Rah'asu said as soon as they were in the front yard of the building. "Find my friends." Andrew hoped he could find them and be gone before he had to worry about Eric again. "Yeah!" Insu nodded and smiled. "Who cares about that guy? We'll find your friends and have them beat him up for you!" Andrew shook his head. "I was more thinking about finding them and the Servant guy and going back to Earth." "I like that plan better." Rah'asu scowled, "but I really want to see that Terran back there get beat up." "I know what you mean." Andrew looked in the direction Eric probably was. Insu sniffed the air. "For now, I want to try some food over there. That Eric guy said they would give it to you if you asked." "I will not do that. It would make me feel like I was bullying someone into giving me their food." Andrew needed to find a way to make some money. "We only have a few more days left of food, Andrew." Rah'asu patted her bag. "I don't like following his advice but we might have to." "If only we had something to sell or trade." Andrew thought about what possessions they carried. Shimeirin's toys? Shimeirin didn't like the idea. Are you sure? Andrew opened his bag and took out one of Shimeirin's toys. It was a carving of a crow that was expertly painted to look much like the real thing. He wasn't sure why she liked it. No, but if they can help... "What about these!" Insu held some goat skins in the air like he had just found a great treasure. "That could work." Andrew nodded. He wasn't surprised Insu still had some. "We just have to find someone that can buy them." "Where were you even hiding those?" Rah'asu looked puzzled. "I thought I got rid of those." "In my clothes. Where else would I put something like this?" Insu shrugged. "No wonder why you still smell horrible." Rah'asu smiled lightly. "But it looks like you saving those was helpful." "See! I told you we should keep them! No... Rasu doesn't like the smell. We have to get rid of those Insu..." Insu did his best imitation of Rah'asu. "If you only cleaned them properly, and yourself, they wouldn't stink so much!" Rah'asu began walking towards the square. "Now let's go find someone dumb enough to buy them." Andrew looked at Insu, shrugged and smiled, "You aren't hiding anything else are you?" He began to follow Rah'asu. "Maaaaybeeee." Insu shoved the skins inside his hide shirt. Only a bulge showed they were there as they blending in so well with his clothes. Andrew exited the yard and entered the square. The guards posted by the gate glanced at him that said they had heard the whole thing. "Pardon me," Andrew asked the guard to the left. "Would you know anyone that would buy some animal skins?" The guards glanced at each other but the one he had spoken to said, "The ... or the .... The ... is closer, just over there." he pointed to the side of the square opposite where they had come in. Andrew saw some smoke coming from a building slightly obscured by a closer building. "Thanks." Andrew nodded to the guard. Insu and Rah'asu had stopped not far away so Andrew jogged to catch up to them. "I don't know the words for what he told us to look for but I will look anyway." "I heard what he said too," Rah'asu said. "I don't know the first but the second is someone who makes clothes." Someone who makes clothes? A tailor? It made sense. Andrew wondered what the other one was. "Should we go to the tailor? We might trade for clothes that don't stand out so much." "I say we go to the closer one first." Rah'asu looked in the direction the guard had pointed. "If we don't like it we can ask for the tailor." "I'm fine with the clothes I have." Insu stroked his hide shirt. "It reeks." Rah'asu wrinkled her nose. "You're not coming near me until you at least clean yourself and those clothes." Shimeirin agrees with Rah'asu. "Shimeirin and I agree with Rah'asu," Andrew said as he began walking. "It's part of my charm." Insu tried to get close to Rah'asu. Ignoring Insu, Rah'asu looked at Andrew, "After we sell the skins and get some clothes or supplies I think we should find a quiet place by the entrance we came in and make a plan on how to let the spider kin in." Andrew had been trying not to think about that task. "OK." They arrived at the building the guard had pointed at a few minutes later. "It's a smithy." Andrew said 'smithy' in English. "A what?" Insu looked at Andrew, curious. "A place they make weapons and tools out of metal," Andrew said as he studied the building. What he thought were two buildings, the one at the edge of the square blocking and the other being blocked, were the same building. The side by the square was in much better shape and nicer looking. It was made of wood with plaster on the walls. It had two windows on the side that faced the square with a brick fence separating it. The side facing the street had a single window next to a door. The wall facing opposite the square had another window and a covered hallway that led to the second section which contained the smithy itself. The smithy part of the building was wide open and Andrew could see the various tools placed inside that one would expect in an old-fashioned smithy albeit a little more primitive. A man was standing outside a furnace and looked to be in the middle of smelting, another was off to the side at a workbench and appeared to be putting something together. "Hello?" Andrew said, and he approached the smithy. "Yes?" The man at the table said. As soon as he looked up from his work, his face visibly whitened and he jumped up, dropping a tool. "Lord Terran!" The man at the smelter nearly dropped a crucible as his head spun around to see what was going on. The first man ran to Andrew. He was extremely well built, more than anyone else he had seen on Calorin, his round face was covered in soot and narrow, long nose looked like someone had broken it. His head was clean-shaven, and he had a cloth band around his head to catch sweat. His muscled body was well tanned and sweaty. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Andrew could see many burn scars and wounds covering his chest. Wow. Shimeirin said as Andrew looked over the man. So that's your type? Andrew teased. Her emotions told him she was less infatuated and more surprised. Shimeirin became flustered. No. No. No. Shimeirin... I'm just teasing you. I can tell by your feelings what you really think. Shimeirin became slightly embarrassed and angry. "What can I do for you, Lord Terran." The man looked nervous. Andrew smiled at the man. "Call me Andrew." The man nodded, a little too vigorously, "Yes, Lord Andrew." Andrew smiled again, "Andrew without the lord is fine." The man nodded, "So... Andrew... what can I help you with?" Andrew looked to Insu and held his hand out. Insu nodded, smiled, and pulled more goat skins out than he had before. "Here." Andrew took them from Insu and immediately regretted it. Ewwwwwww. Shimeirin mirrored Andrew's thoughts. It smells like rotten meat and poop. Andrew wanted to gag. "I want to sell these goat skins. Sorry about the smell." Andrew wanted to plug his nose but there were enough goat skins that he had to use both his hands to hold them. The smith looked at the skins, "Don't worry, I'm used to the smell of skins." As soon as he took them, his face turned green. "What did you do to them?" Andrew turned back to Insu. "It's been getting cold at night so I've been putting them everywhere under my clothes. Nothing too bad." Insu scratched his butt crack and smiled knowingly. "I can use these." The smithy said after he hurriedly put them on a nearby table. "I'm fine paying a little less because of the smell." If Andrew had realized how bad they smelled he would have washed them before they came. "Don't worry about it, Lor... Andrew. We wash them anyway." The smith eyed the skins. "Uh... so how much for them?" Andrew was worried he would be scammed or overpaid. He had no idea how much skins were worth here and with how terrified the people were he was more likely to get overpaid. "Ah, normally we pay a silver for a skin this size and... condition... no these are very fine skins..." The man was looking more nervous by the second. "So a silver each?" Andrew hoped it would be enough for what they needed. "Y-yes." The man went back to the skins, though he hesitated before he touched them and began counting. "Five skins." "So five silver. Sounds good." Andrew hoped. The man rushed inside and opened a tissue box sized chest. He rummaged through it before returning to Andrew and placing five silver coins in Andrew's hand. "Is there anything else you need?" The man's face showed he hoped there wasn't. "Ah, my companions and I have just got back from a trip through the forest that took a few months. If you could point us toward the..." Andrew tried to remember the word for tailor, "a place we can buy new clothes we would appreciate it." The smith gave them directions. It wasn't far and Andrew's group set off to spend some silver.