Lyse looked out towards the horizon to his west. The lapping oceans of the Valen Sea that separates Umani and the clans, one of the largest oceans in the world, in fact. The gentle mist that clung to the waters obscured the sun that rose from it. Streams of light and warm colors blanketed this early morning, the waves calm and steady, rocking the boat in a gentle lullaby. He wouldn't have thought that just a week ago, he was in mortal danger, tearing his way through a mountain to fight a god in the end. How chaotic those moments had been, to be met with this serene setting. And although Lyse had taken the time to warm up a nice cup of tea, sitting on the crow's nest to enjoy as much of the view as he could, he just couldn't relax his mind.

The agitating thoughts that ran around his mind, shouting in every corridor to echo memories, didn't allow him to relax fully. He thought about what may occur very soon between sips. The spray of colors in the sky reminded him of the burst gouts of lava that threatened to singe him. The danger he had placed himself in and will continue to do so. It all felt unreal. Not what burdens him, no. Those nightmares were the most grounded of oppressors. What troubles him is how the world seemed so much more than it had before. Before he knew about gods, he never questioned the sun. He never questioned the air or water. He never questioned his home; he never questioned being a knight. But as he goes further on this journey of his, he found himself in a world that suddenly grew ten times larger than even his wildest imagination. He has an urge to climb to the heavens himself and process every scrap of a mess that the world may present. It was simultaneously demeaning and encouraging strangely. He was honestly quite intrigued by this world now. When he chose the cohort of exploration, it was out of mere convenience. He wished at first to join the front lines against the frostlanders along with Edlund. But now, he felt a little in kin with what Novia must-see and why she is where she is.

He sipped his tea. It was awful, but at least the taste woke him up. He didn't expect any good tea; most drinkable liquids were either wines from Moxie's quarters or ales and sour juices for the crew. He'd expect at least one mage to be onboard to provide purified water, but there was no luck on that department.

He heard the bells ringing to signify the next shift of crew members to take their stations, as they were approaching the port of Nychta. And soon after, he heard his name being called from below.

"Had your morning upset yet," called Moxie; next to her seemed an exhausted Edlund, rubbing his eyes as he tugged on his coat.

Lyse emptied the last of the cup, the tea releasing his drowsiness as he dropped down. The fall wasn't extremely high, and with aura, he could drift down as easily as a leaf. Blij was approaching them all from below deck with a map that they dug up from their collection. It's rare to have full maps of the Frostland kingdoms or environment, as any cartographer finds themselves hard-pressed to visit the dangerous tundra and white forests that dot the landscape with Hyperboreans prowling about. Though, scouts from armies provide a neat secondary with the map he provided being generously detailed up until the middling portion of the Frostlands.

"Morning Blij," Lyse waved his cup at him. "Find a nice route into Frostlands yet?"

Blij lifted his head and grinned his golden teeth at them. "Morning cubs. Nice to see you in spirits, yes. These old scouting maps are pretty bare in detailing the sizes of rivers. But some of the crew have pointed at a few that are large enough for our ship and carves inward."

"And those will be?" Moxie asked.

"Merdith and Sil'Roma rivers," he told them, turning the map around and pointing at the two. "Merdith is closer, though it takes us directly to the front line of conflict. While the other is a route frequently used by Frostland fishermen to access one of the main capitals of one of the kingdoms called Re'Este."

"So we are pressed against these two?" Edlund yawned, inspecting the map. "It's obvious we should take Merdith. It'll take us near the fighting, but at least we can sneak around north to avoid troops."

"But it is wintertime," Lyse said. "It is said that Hyperboreans get several times more powerful this time of year. They might send more troops to the border to press even harder on Nychterida."

"Possibly," Blij said, rolling the map up. "But it's between that and the capital city of one of the more dangerous and numerous of the clan's enemies, no?"

Lyse knew what he said was true. Re'Este was most likely the largest of the ten kingdoms of the Frostlands, hugging the coast all the way north. It was a major power in the region, as far as the empire was aware. However, due to the fractured nature of the monarchies of the Frostlands, even starting wars amongst themselves almost as much as they waged it against their southern neighbors, the Frostlands had minimized their threat significantly. If the entirety of the Frostlands could fall under one banner, they could be an even larger threat to the empire, even rivaling Shi'Ased in might.

"We take the one near empire borders," Lyse suggested. "We will still need the 150 men, but now the threat of running into conflict may be reduced. We might even get away with being mere mercenaries or a large guild under contract from Liontari."

Lyse pulled forth the documents the king gave him to give him an immediate meeting with the monarchs of Torlak and Hath. He gestured towards Moxie.

"Considering your unique line of work, how hard is it to form a similar note that states that we have expressed permission beyond the border?"

Moxie raised her brow at him. "Forging official documents again? Shouldn't you be afraid your losing that good boy luster?"

"My duty is to protect my kingdom, not make myself look good," Lyse told her. "For now, I'm willing to lose the good boy luster."

She took it, inspecting the handwriting, penning, and stamp the king used when forming it. She grinned slightly, handing it over to Blij, who too inspected it. It would seem that they were quite familiar with the notion of forged documents. "Documents like these are easier than you think. The handwriting is pretty standard and unremarkable, and the stamp is used all over on even low-level government officials. We might have some fake seals around, or I can get my carpenter to whittle one for you."

"Great," Edlund said. "But we'll definitely be very close to the fighting. Hopefully, we'll arrive when the ground has yet tasted blood."

"Let fate decide that," Lyse sighed. "In the meantime, we need to visit the local knight's quarters and get our gear in better order. My gambeson is in tatters, and I don't think a god would heed the armor."

Edlund sighed, visibly shivering. "Great, we get to interact with the bat-headed ones. All the tales of the strange things chill my bones, I have to admit."

"I'd gladly get creeped out over getting an arrow in the wrong spot," Lyse told him. "They should have spare armor, hopefully. With fur lining or something warm. Where's Makyra? Does she need anything from the port?"

Moxie shrugged. "She's been looking at some of the other maps we have down there. She hasn't moved an inch since we gave them to her. One may guess she's more convicted than you are on all this."

Lyse's brow furrowed at the thought. "I'll speak to her and ask myself. Alarm me when we hit the docks."

In truth, Lyse had rarely seen Makyra rise from her chamber since they departed from their mother to head north. She voiced no complaints on the topic, even seemed content with the matters that had unfolded. But Lyse knew better of her. But Lyse noticed a shift in her attitude once they escaped from that dungeon, now hopefully a crater in the Arkoudan forests. She was knocked unconscious when they were ambushed, trying to escape Lyse's sister, thus missing out on exactly what happened with Garath. She wasn't a godslayer but a guardian. A right hand, so to speak to the godslayer, Celia Opal. And her mistress tasked her with rescuing her son and daughter.

What is she thinking of now? He asked himself.

She was nearly a decade his senior, so he tends to lean on her ruling sometimes when it came to divine topics, especially now that his mother was gone. However, when he approached her, she seemed reluctant, speaking very briefly and such whenever they had discussions. He thought it best to talk to her a little more when she is this adamant in looking into their journey going forwards.

He went below deck. Her room was not very far from his own, equally as bare and small with only a cot and a few supplies littering the floor. A lantern sitting on the actual cot shimmered light onto the map she had on her lap. It was not much better than the one Blij showed them, but it gave a decent layout of the area where the goddess told him Garath, or Hephaestus, will be headed. It was a dormant caldera of a volcano, it appeared, and ancient ruins were discovered near it by explorers some time ago. These were old accounts, dating back to before the Frostlands started their war with the southern races, but it was all they had now. The river will put them about a week out from the actual forge that is supposedly located there, cutting through the white forests of the Frostlands and a few points of conflict, perhaps even a battlefield.

"How's the routing scout?" Lyse asked. It appears that she had not noticed him till then. "Found anything new? A pathway we can take or any of the sorts?"

She looked back down at the map and the notes she had taken on them. "Not a whole lot, I'm afraid. We have no active military reports on the landscape beyond the observations from scouts. We may have to pick up more accurate maps when we get to the frontlines. Hopefully, then we may get even more on this city."

"I appreciate your tenacity either way," Lyse sighed. "It's so that I don't fully regret sending my mother away. I am sorry for severing you from your duty to protect her."

She looked up at him. "I, too, trust that those knights will do all they can to protect them. Hopefully, they will make it into the hands of James before trouble finds them, however. For now, protecting you is more important."

"Not the quest itself?" he asked.

"That is not the promise I made," she said. "But I will gladly assist."

"Is that so?" Lyse raised an eyebrow. "Well, tell me, Makyra. What authority do I have over you?"

"You are a godslayer," she examined him. "Well, mostly a godslayer. I suppose you outrank me. For now, I answer to you."

"Do you now?" Lyse asked. "Cause lately, you've been avoiding me like I'm a zombie."

She sighed. "I've just been in contemplation, Lyse. I'm not some child throwing a tantrum."

"Hey, I'd rather focus on what's ahead as well, don't worry," Lyse added. "But how about this; what do you want us to look for while we are in Nychta. This supposed help from the gods is said to appear there as well."

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Something to sharpen my claws, perhaps, but I doubt the Thirians of Nychterida have the appropriate gear for wolves. Get me some quality meat, though. I don't really care what state it's in."

"Alright, keep your nose out for trouble. I seem to have bad luck with ports."

(X)

Nychta was probably the strangest town Lyse had visited. In his experience with Koraki and Tigri when journeying south, he had found little in contrast to what he could find at home. But Nychterida felt the most alien of places within the empire, and it wasn't just the atmosphere. When they arrived, the bright clear day was suddenly engulfed in thick fog hanging around their ship, fighting with lanterns placed on the bows and hinges. Sunlight was choked and stuffed away, replaced by a uniform glow of the sky that even dimmed the closer they got. Tales often detail aquatic creatures that hang around the ports to chastise the ships that came by. And though he did hear the occasional knocking or scraping, there was nothing nearby to signify anything dangerous was pouncing upon them. The unease was present in every face except Blij. His eyes stayed forward and focused, humming a tune that echoes off the still waters below. The tension, though, forced Lyse's hand to his blade at his side, sensing the threat that lurked beyond.

"This is quite the experience," Edlund chuckled hollowly. "Feels like we're in the cursed forest, waiting to become some chimera's dinner."

"The northern seas hold many ancient creatures," Moxie said, frustratingly closing her looking glass. "Damned, this fog will have us beached if we're not careful. Keep your eye on your starboard."

"I don't sense anything," Edlund said, blinking as his vision came back to reality. "Though, that's not saying much. Are you sure you can get us to port without crashing into the rocks?"

"Blij has a good eye on these things," Moxie told him.

"Aye," he shouted down. "You westerners haven't got the exquisite sight of Shi'Asedians. We can peer even the most troublesome of fogs. Though, I do suggest keeping an eye out for dangerous little beasts that may need a meal."

The boat lurched heavily. Not the sign of a crash, but more so that something for an instant halted them before letting them go. It further increased the murmurs from the crew, Tug grunting about dragon turtles snatching them away. The waters were still quiet, though Blij resumed his chants and hymns in Sedish. Lyse still didn't unsheathe his blade, keeping an eye out and occasionally using zoi to track any signs of life that may be nearby. There are rumors of some monsters being able to hide from detection. Monsters using aura isn't entirely unheard of, but it was terrifying to imagine. And Nychta is known for very tricky aberrant spirits and specters that haunt the sullen lands and sucked the life out of everything.

The thought made Lyse suddenly jump when a rush of wind rustled his hair, though he looked up only to see the visage of horses breaking through the mists; wind spirits. But, with the irritation of the spirits, his sight was pulled up to see a giant figure hurtling down upon them. Ten, twenty, a swarm of flapping, giant creatures were suddenly descending upon them. Before Lyse could voice his concern, the first crash onto the deck, scattering men away who raised sharpened cutlass and pistols in defense. Several more made landings upon the main deck, climbing around the masts and screeching at anyone who held a weapon. One of the crewmates raised a rifle to one of their snarling faces and was a second away from pulling the trigger till Lyse dashed over, grabbing the barrel and pulling it away from the creature. Moxie immediately yelled at the others to stand down. The creature was very similar to a bat, though the size of a person and wings near a fourth of the deck's width. However, the face seemed to express far more than bats normally do, small movements that were decidingly human. They had armor adorning their furry bodies, metal blades adorning each of their long ragged claws. Lyse bowed his head before the one before him, sheathing his sword as he did so.

"Forgive them, brothers of Nychterida," he raised his eyes to meet those beady black eyes scanning him. "We have come to make port. We didn't realize that it was under tight security."

Lyse waited a moment until a small, strangely thin voice came from the creature in reluctance. "This mysterious fog has been hanging around these shores, brother. It's a bad omen to sail under such conditions. Monsters take the opportunity to raid ships for young."

"We're not all that tuned into the superstitions, I'm afraid," Edlund said.

The bat gave a small chirp that sounded somehow disappointed. "We shall guide you to a suitable port away from the dangerous waters. Though, only citizens are allowed to come onto land."

"Of course," Lyse bowed his head once more, then pulled out the forged documents and the real one the king gave to him, both more than enough to prove statehood. His sword alone, embellished with the crest of Liontari, was enough to prove him a knight. The bat's figure began to shrink, the wings melting away into hands and demonic face turning into the appearance of a spindly young man with short black hair and a circlet of iron on his head. The armor morph along with his body, similar to Makyra's set. Some of the others did so as well, revealing a plethora of ashen men and women, black hair and eyes as dark as ink. Lyse could only spot one with green eyes. Dark-colored eyes were plentiful in this corner of the empire, especially among Thirians of bats. The one he handed the documents to gave an interesting hum.

"A guild expedition?" he asked. "With knights accompanying them. You have also been to Torlak and Hath, I see."

"Indeed we have, is that much of your business?"

The Thirian raised his hollow eyes, handing the papers back. "I suppose not. If you would like, we shall guide you further."

There is no need for that," Moxie said. "We got that covered."

The Thirian only nodded, turning and jumping over the railing before turning back into a back and flapping away into the stirring mists. His brethren did the same, disappearing away in a flock of black furred beats. They exit was just as abrupt as their introduction. Lyse quickly stuffed the documents away, giving an appreciative glance to Moxie for her work on the fake documents. At least now they have a cover being at this port, not only headed north. Though, he wishes to show off such things as little as possible. Nychterida has always felt odd to think about. They rarely participate in large-scale wars, not even considering sending out explorers to make land claims on the unclaimed territory. They have also stayed neutral in the civil war, staying in their corner till everything died down. Lyse never understood why, because Nychterida is one of the most terrifying of the seven clans, their armies dangerously efficient in battle and experts in the siege and fortified assaults'. That restraint only spoke of some ominous intent that may or not be there in the first place.

Edlund visibly shivered, taking his hands off his sword and running them through his hair.

"It's worst than the rumors," Edlund decided. "They don't act like people at all. Let's hurry and get this over with."

"I don't have much left in the way of the coin, I'm afraid, so armor is practically the only thing we are after. We don't want another Torlak incident, so stay close."

"You're telling me that?" Edlund asked. "Remember the one who had their hands chopped off?"

"Please don't remind me," Lyse murmured, rubbing his forearms. Then, he said louder. "Come on; we don't have much time to waste."