It did not take long for them to reach Cardogg, but on the way there, things were not as smooth.

The fight at Kerrick drew unwanted attention from all corners, forcing them to fight their way to Cardogg, losing even more people as a result. Rhynsa, Arnulfe, and Mizarka tried to help, but they soon found that the injuries they sustained from fighting the snake demons and the relentless attacks from their enemies made them incapacitated just after several attacks, forcing them to relent and rest on the cars while trying their best to support the group as defense.

“(Shit!)” said Rhynsa as he shot one of the hellhounds attacking one of the drivers. “(Just how many of them are there?!)”

The relentless attacks started to die down after three hours, during which most of the defenders were heavily injured or dead. However, it was an uneventful journey to Cardogg from there. Unfortunately, the attacks and the deaths started to affect the morale of the group, causing some of the convoys to break off and tried their luck elsewhere, stating that they could not guarantee their safety if they stayed. As the hours went on, tension stayed high and everyone were unable to relax, even when the night was replaced by day.

However, after several more hours of no attacks, the convoy could finally relax. They could not stop and rest, but they could rest on the carriage or car and let another take over. It had been a long and grueling journey, and it did not help that everywhere they went, there were nothing but destruction. In the rare instances where the towns were unscathed, Barney tried to convince them to follow them, with mixed results. Some, who were already aware of the imminent attack, decided to follow the group. Some followed just for the sake of it. However, most refused to go, citing that it was safer in the towns than risking their lives to get to an open town that may or may not be good enough as a base.

Nevertheless, the group continued on, this time avoiding big roads and went through smaller roads that were barely on the map. Then finally, after several more intense hours, they made it.

As they hoped, Cardogg was not as abandoned as they thought and the town was intact, with no indication of any traps or even any ambushes. The town was partially abandoned, as expected, but at least it was still populated by able people. They saw the convoy approaching and immediately set out to help them go in, guarding and helping the people, both injured and not.

However, the moment they saw hellhounds, specifically those with visible horns, they stood back and aimed their weapons, only for Barney, Pete, and some of his comrades standing in front of the hellhounds.

“Whoa, wait, lads!” exclaimed Barney. “They’re with us! We owed our lives to them!”

“We can take any chances! We lost a lot of good men fighting them!” said one of them. “How dare you consider them your friends!”

“Well, how dare you doubt us? You will have to come through us if you want their heads, so come! Make us move!”

Before the situation deteriorated, however, another human and a Lycan stood in front of the guards and said, “Stop it, all of you! You are acting irrationally!”

“But those are hellhounds!”

“What? Just because they have horns, and they look like dogs?” said the heavily-accented Lycan. “You just haven’t met friendly ones, that’s all. Believe me, they’re not as menacing as the cats of Main, or even their dragons!”

“Dragons?” said one of the humans on the convoy. “You mean, that big load of baloney is—”

The Lycan, offended by those words, turned to him and said, “I give ya a big load of baloney, lad! Get on my ship and see for yourself if you dare!”

The human was intimidated and became silent, to which the Lycan said, “Sorry, lad. Get some rest. Me crew’s gonna take care of ya.”

This prompted the human to do as the Lycan told him to, along with the others who were so elated that the nightmare was over. The Lycan, however, sighed and said, “Takes more than just pictures to convince everyone, eh? No dragon, no proof. Well, good thing they know I have a ship.”

“Aye,” said Barney. “It does.”

“Hmm? You’re southern?” asked the Lycan.

“Anslettian since birth. You?”

“Nah. Deenabel.”

“Deenabel?! You’re far from home, mate.”

“Can say the same for you too.” The Lycan offered his hand. “Jamie Frazier.”

“Barnabas Stenborough.” As Barney shook the Lycan’s hand, he remembered something. “Jamie Frazier? Are you telling me you’re the captain of the Blackjack?!”

“That I am.”

“But I thought you are on an island! What’s it called?”

“Raptor Island, yes. But we come to the mainland to offer safe passage. You’re aware of it, aren’t you?”

“Aye. There is no place safe in Tragoria. No, there is no place safe in the whole bloody continent at this point.”

“I prefer to consider the north to be safe at this point. Anyway, I know things are rough, but get some tea and rest. Cardogg is protected, but I can’t guarantee for how long.”

Jamie waited as the surface dwellers walked into the town, leaving the hellhounds who shortly joined them after Jamie told them that they were as welcome as the humans and the Lycans. Jamie, however, noticed that some of them, specifically, three of them, looked different from the rest of the hellhounds, prompting him to ask one of his people to take over while he walked alongside the carriage, curious with the three.

He noticed that two of them were bats, which wasn’t something very unusual for the Lycan captain. Rhynsa also noticed that his reaction seemed neutral and curious, but not surprised or amused.

“Don’t see something you like?” asked Rhynsa, half-jokingly. “Well, can’t be charming when you’re all beaten up.”

“Are you hitting on me?” asked Jamie. “Well, I’d be down, but I hafta pass.”

This time, it was Rhynsa who was amused. “Haven’t met someone who thought I was flirting with them that isn’t a hellhound or a Fuzandre, but eh, it’s not like it matters.”

“You’d be surprised how badly some people react to it,” said Jamie with a chuckle. “Me? Well, I’ve met colorful people from both continents. Some’re outcasts, and I took them as me crew. They appreciated it.”

Rhynsa chuckled. “Heh. Good for you, wolf. Seem to me you’ve seen more than just bats and demon dogs.”

“I wasn’t joking when I said I met dragons,” said Jamie. “And I certainly can tell you the story of one certain Azureath.”

“Maybe later.” Rhynsa struggled to stand up, still bandaged from all the battle damage he sustained alongside Mizarka and Arnulfe. “You don’t mind me borrowing a phone, do you?”

“There are several in the post office,” said Jamie while pointing towards the specific building.

“Great, thanks. Also…keep an eye on the hellhounds.”

“You don’t trust them?”

“I trust them, but just in case. I’m not the kind of Fuzandre who’s easy to make friends with.”

“That I can tell,” said Jamie. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye on them. Do what you have to do. Anyway, hope we’ll meet again, Fuzandre. It sounds like you have a lot of things to do.”

“Heh. Yeah.”

Jamie then left the three. The Fuzandre hoped to meet the Lycan again. He seemed to be quite an interesting fellow.

In fact, Rhynsa might consider going to Main using his ship. Unfortunately, he still had work to do.

***

“(I suppose you got more than you bargained for, huh, Rhynsa?)”

“(More than I should),” said Rhynsa with a sigh. “(Too bad I can’t find your Jackal prince, Anarim, or even bring meaningful allies. I can’t even trust them).”

“(Well, it is normal not to trust any hellhounds at this point),” said Anarim through the phone. “(Or even be optimistic about ending the whole conflict quickly. But at least you found a place you can call a base, right?)”

“(I am not so sure about it, but at least we still got an advance base in Tragoria and a place to escape when things go rough. I heard Main’s a good place to visit right now).”

“(Main? Is that the other Continent they’re talking about in the papers?)”

“(Along with all the dragons and the cat people and other non-human races that aren’t canine-related. Let’s put chiropteran in there, too).”

“(You got that right).”

“(You don’t sound too disappointed. Got a better offer, then?)”

“(We managed to enlist the help of the Demon Hunters. It wasn’t easy convincing them, but at least we got something more than just not being able to completely trust allies on the surface).”

“(Heh. Blondie’s quite a talker, ain’t he?)”

“(Albert, Eshdar, and Lilac. Quite a trio, they are. Can say the same about your trio, too).”

“(Yeah. Mizarka and Arnulfe aren’t that bad).”

There was a pause before Anarim said, “(I think it’s time for you to go home, Rhynsa. Unless…you have something better to do?)”

Rhynsa also paused, contemplating on the words. He never considered staying at one place at an extended time. He had been traversing the Underworld and the surface world alone and avoiding problems if he could unless they were demon-related. Now, however, he started to think that it was time for him to stop moving and find a place to start a new life. Rhynsa started to consider this. It wasn’t that bad, either.

He turned to look at Mizarka and Arnulfe, both listening to one of the hellhounds explaining what the post office was and how to operate the telegraph machine, with Arnulfe trying to operate the telegraph machine while reading the dot-and-dash manual posted on the wall. He looked frustrated that he couldn’t match the hellhound’s speed, prompting Mizarka to laugh. Rhynsa couldn’t help but smile, either. He never thought he could trust anyone after so long.

With a renewed sense of hope, he said, “(I suppose it’s not going to be that bad. There are ships going up to An’ah from here. It might be three more days before I am back in Summinat, provided nothing happens between here and there. You never know).”

“(Good to hear that, Rhynsa),” said Anarim. “(Oh, and I got a message from Sammael?)”

“(The barghest? I thought he hates me).”

“(I told him you’re coming home. He is not as pleased. But I can see that he’s improving, especially after what happened to Lilac. For your information, she isn’t dead, just…transformed. Still, it is impressive that the Schelkz had a way to subdue the demon. Too bad that information’s taken to their graves).”

“(Let’s not go there, Anarim. That is nothing but slavery).”

“(I know, I know. Well, now that things have started to become interesting, we might start to retaliate against the hellish incursion. It is a shame that we can’t save Tragoria, but the best we can do now is find a common ground in the rest of the regions. I want you to help us to the best of your abilities, Rhynsa).”

“(Heh. I’m not gonna stop until those bastards back where they belong. You have my words).”

“(And I know I can. Good-bye, Rhynsa. Let’s meet again…hopefully with your newfound friends).”

“(They’re not my friends),” said Rhynsa. “(Consider them…trusted allies).”

Anarim chuckled before closing the line. Rhynsa sighed and said, “(Friends, huh? I guess I’m just acting hard to get).”

The Fuzandre knew his mission did not have a substantial progress or even anything that could help the resistance to push back the hellish incursion, but at least he gained something more important than completing missions.

He gained himself. And along with that, he gained friends. It had been 20 years since the last time he was himself. It was a long time coming.

Accepting that things would never be the same again, he walked to Mizarka and Arnulfe, both greeting him. He smiled back.

It was a genuine, chiropteran smile.