Grimstrom, Fakasta, and Stilbraker waited for us at the entrance to their barracks along the tunnel.

“All ready?” Grimstrom asked with a wide smile.

He seemed pleased with the development. I couldn’t be one hundred percent sure why, but I still had the niggling doubt of Darkness deciding to kill me and take the seed himself via one of his followers.

Still, I had little choice but to follow through on this. So I forced a smile on my face, said my goodbyes to Fakasta and Stilbraker, and followed off after Grimstrom into the Nideland once more at the head of my thirty-six companions.

“Do we know where we are heading first after Nuinaer?” I asked my three bonded companions who walked with me.

“There is a large pack of Wultr to the west of my old territory. They are the closest pack I know to the Palathi Peaks which is where we should find Wind of the Wild. They may have information on how to reach him. It’s on our way to the city of Rushing, too. At the time when my pack had to leave the area, their pack was only just beginning to suffer the approach of Destruction’s forces. Our pleas for their assistance and refuge fell on deaf ears.”

“Huh, tough. And now they’re probably swamped by demons and you’re offering a lifeline to them? That’s good of you,” I replied thoughtfully.

“I understand why they chose not to help. We were a rival pack, and there was no way they could comprehend the scale of what was occurring. Perhaps half a year ago, I wouldn’t have carried such sympathy for them, but I think we have all grown since creating Far Reach. I imagine we will grow further before the end of this, too.”

“For the better, I hope,” I mumbled.

“There are Krysan in the area too,” Grigor said. “It may be that we can send a number of people down to Far Reach.”

“The more the merrier,” I agreed. “This might be mainly about collecting the strongest Kalabri has to offer, but it’ll feel good sending others who might need help south, too. And obviously, they’ll help us in the fullness of time.”

Grigor nodded sagely and fell silent.

“So, you mentioned the city of Rushing. What’s there?”

“It is the Dokalfar city where Halak resides,” Danivra answered. “A hundred or so miles north of Helvien. It is where we would have fled if we hadn’t been so overwhelmed and chased south. I just hope some of my people remain alive there and Halak has been able to defend the place.”

“Me too,” I replied, in a somber mood, one which was echoed across all of our companions. The initial buzz of doing something proactive was now swamped by the reality of the situation we were heading into.

“What about Fensalfar?”

“There are some further west and north of Rushing, my lord,” Rella said from behind. “I do not know if they will be affected by the war, and if they are not, they will never leave their homes. I think you can understand why that would be now. That said, if we find the opportunity, I would like to speak with them to explain all that has befallen our tribe, and that, should they lose their homes as we have, then there is a place for them in the south.”

“Sure. If we can, we will.” I nodded. “We’ll tell every last soul we can. Well, not the assholes, but everyone else.”

Turning my attention to Grimstrom marching up ahead, I shouted over, “Are there plenty of exits from the Nideland?”

“There are enough,” he replied cryptically. “Though, there are tunnels and exits of Dwarven, Grobbler, Gnome, and Tethilar making as well as natural caverns and chasms down here. So many that it makes you wonder how the surface of Kalabri remains aloft,” he chuckled to himself.

“Hold on, what’s a Tethilar, and did you say Grobblers?”

“The Tethilar are giant worms. There aren’t many and they’re relatively harmless as they move very slowly. Mostly along tunnels they have already eaten away. As for Grobblers, yeah, there’re probably fifty or so Grobbler settlements both in the Nideland and on the surface of Kalabri.”

“But aren’t they followers of Destruction?”

Grimstrom snorted. “You think the races of the earth can only follow one god apart from humans?”

“Honestly, I hadn’t really considered it. But now you point it out, no, I don’t. So are the Grobblers okay neighbors?”

“As long as they don’t encroach on our mines, sure they are fine. A bit dopey till they tier-up, though. The limit on their max Intelligence in the first tier isn’t very high. Not like Dwarves,” he said proudly.

I chuckled at his posturing. “Hey, man, I meant to say, too. Congratulations on your evolution. Dweomer now, huh? Has it made much difference to your life?”

“Aye, lad, it has. For a start, I’m much harder to kill. Then there’s the Pulverize Punch I told you about.” He grinned.

I felt there was a lot he probably wasn’t telling me about being a Dweomer, which I couldn’t blame him for. I merely smiled back. “I hope to see it in action one day, smashing the shit out of an army of demons or something.”

“Aye, just not our demons, right?” he said seriously, but I could see the glint of mischief in his eye.

“Our demons? Darkness has demon followers too?”

“Ha! No. Just messin’, lad. Demons like carnage. Darkness is methodical and calm. They only follow Destruction, War, and Desolation.”

“Good to know,” I replied thoughtfully. “I always felt like we were at the center of all of the trouble in Falritas, but every time I heard about the other gods, I realized we were just a drop in the ocean here. So, who are the most dangerous gods, then?”

“Darkness and Light. They’re the oldest and the strongest, though they have the least interest in conquest. After that, Destruction, Justice, War, and Peace. Devotion, Death, Desolation, and Life are relatively weak from a military standing.”

“It seems mad that the God of Peace is among one of the strongest, militarily speaking,” I mused.

“Ah, they’re a right bunch of bastards. You think Justice followers are bad. Wait till you meet one of the Paladins of Peace.”

“When you put it like that, I’m not sure I want to.”

“Ha!” was all he said as he trundled along happily.

It wasn’t long before we reached the center of Nuinaer where Grimstrom led us directly to the Glaeg and we settled down for an uneventful evening.

It wasn’t until the following morning that we went to meet with King Oblitifist, Gildria coming to our room after breakfast to inform us that our presence was requested.

The king sat on his throne but stood and delivered a loud clap of his hands as I entered with Sania, Danivra, and Grigor. Briefly eyeing Danivra with something akin to suspicion, he turned away from her to put his full focus on me.

“Clive! Let’s have a look at you, then. You shitting gold bars yet, lad?”

“What?” I asked, momentarily confused by his change in gears. Then his meaning clicked into place. “Ah because of the Creation thing. I don’t think gold bars would be top of my list,” I laughed uncomfortably.

“Maybe you should reconsider. And if you do, don’t forget your old friend King Oblitifist and Nuinaer here.”

“I never would, and I promise that the first gold bar I shit is yours.”

He approached me as I spoke and grabbed hold of my shoulders, looking deeply into my abdomen rather than at my face. It was more than a little unsettling, but I remained still and waited for the inspection to be over.

“Ha! Marvelous. I can feel it in you. It’s only small, but there’s no doubt it’s there, a little spark of the divine. I knew it was true when Darkness said so, but to feel it and see it with my own eyes…” He met my eyes. “You need to get strong, lad. Get a grip on all this shit that’s going on. It’s bad for business.”

I didn’t really understand what he was talking about, but watched him carefully as he let go of my shoulders and took a step back.

“Queen Danivra, too. I heard you were about. I must say it’s a surprise seeing you here in the middle of my hall. That reminds me, we have another Dokalfar from Helvien here. An assassin by the name of Angelica. Are you familiar with the name? Killed my brother? Tried to kill me with poison?”

Danivra’s face remained expressionless as she answered, which was at odds with her internal emotions, which were a maelstrom. “There were once many Dokalfar in Helvien and across the land of Kalabri. Sadly, so few of my people remain so it would be very difficult to answer that. Is the Dokalfar in question still alive? Every Dokalfar life is precious, now more than ever.”

Oblitifist laughed. “Oh, she’s still alive. She’ll remain that way until we extract who sent her,” he said with a hint of menace.

Again, I felt a swirl of emotion from Danivra, and I had a horrible feeling that Angelica was something to do with her.

“That is a true shame, but I understand your stance on this,” Danivra replied. Her inner emotions, that had been so turbulent with multiple negative emotions, had finally settled into one of anger and pure hatred of Oblitifist.

“I’ll be happy to let you know the results of our findings once the questioning is complete. We’ve only had her here for a little over a day, so the real deep questions haven’t yet begun.”

“Please do,” Danivra replied woodenly.

“Anything for an ally of our friend, Clive.” Oblitifist smiled wide.

Danivra smiled back and I felt myself cringe at what she would say in return.

“Oh, I’m far more than an ally, your highness. I am a follower.”

The king raised an eyebrow at that and looked at me. “Is that so? I did hear something about the bonding of people.”

I nodded mutely, wondering what the hell I was involved in here.

“Quite the catch, young Clive. I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“Queen Danivra has been nothing but supportive so far,” I replied. “Just like the Dwarves of Nuinaer, I am lucky to have such good friends,” I replied, trying not to cast doubtful looks at the pair of them.

The king nodded. “Good. That’s good to hear. Now! You want food? Drink? Guests should always leave on a full stomach.”

“We’ve had a good breakfast, your Highness,” I replied. “If I was going straight for an afternoon nap, I’d be tempted, but from what I gather, we have a lot of walking to do.”

“Fair enough! Full bellies make slow legs, it’s true. Well go then, gather your neutrals, grow your strength. I look forward to your return.”

It was an odd parting of ways, and it provoked a number of new questions in my mind. The main one being Danivra’s part to play in the assassination of the king's brother.

I numbly followed Grimstrom out of the castle to where our group waited. There was another armored Dwarf waiting with them.

Grimstrom clapped me on the back. “Well, this is where we say goodbye for now, Clive. This is Halbraker. He and his squad are gonna be your escort through to Agorak where you’ll they’ll swap out for a squad from the capital.”

“Hopefully, it won't be long until I’m able to return,” I replied, shaking Grimstrom’s hand, then turned to face our new guide.

Halbraker: Level 76, Paladin of Darkness, Dweml (Dwarf II).

“Are we ready to go then?” he asked as we made eye contact.

“Hold your passions, Hal, I’m saying goodbye,” Grimstrom replied. “It’s probably going to take longer now.”

“You would as well, wouldn’t you? Yer a bloody tyrant, Grimstrom. May Darkness give Oblitifist another thousand years of life so that I never have te see yer become king.”

“I wouldn’t want to see that either, Hal. Now, introduce yourself properly rather than complaining. You’re gonna be with Clive and his people for some time.”

Halbraker grinned at me and slapped his fist across his chest. “Pleasure to meet yer, lord. Are yer ready to get away from this old wind bag and get to stomping north yet?”

“Sure we are. Sooner we go, the sooner we get back, right?”

“Aye, ain’t that the truth.”

I said a final goodbye to Grimstrom, and we followed Halbraker through the city to a tunnel on the opposite side of where we’d arrived in Nuinaer. It was a huge tunnel some thirty feet in diameter, with many shops and homes lining the walls.

“Why so big?” I said, gazing on the epic tunnel with awe.

“Main route to Agorak,” Halbraker replied. “We’ll be traveling it for a few days before we branch off to the west.”

As he talked, we approached around thirty armored and waiting Dwarves. One of them caught my eye immediately, a Dwarf in robes with the identifier above his head reading:

Kalin the Merger: Level 62, Warlock of Darkness, Dweml (Dwarf II).

“Okay, what’s up with the warlock?” I thought to my soul-bound friends.

“I’m unsure, though if I were to hazard a guess, it would be to keep track of us whilst we are on the surface. If I understand the followers of Darkness' attitude to this war, it is to not become involved until Justice and Destruction are fully engaged. Which means they are unlikely to come to the surface with us,” Danivra replied.

“You might be right,” Sania said. “That does make a certain amount of sense.”

“What ritual he will use to track us is anyone’s guess,” Danivra replied.

I had a sudden epiphany. “These hoodies,” I said. “They’re made by Darkness, and while we wear them, only Darkness and his followers can track us.”

“I see,” Danivra said without giving too much away. “That is something worth being aware of in the future.”

“Do we need to talk about what Oblitifist told us about Angelica?” I asked her.

She fell silent for a while. “Perhaps, if you wish, but now is not the time.”

“Okay, but you’ve got me worried.”

I felt mild humor come back through her bond. “What is done is done. I will tell you all so you may understand. But I can’t change what has passed.”

Once the meet and greet with the Dwarven squad was over, Halbraker led us off along the wide road. It was remarkably busy with wide wagons traveling in both directions, but there was still plenty of room for us to walk safely.

Apart from an initial conversation with my friends and our Dwarven escort, I soon found myself spending a lot of time within my own mind, mainly meditating on my new meridians and practicing gently pushing out energy from the new ones. I wanted to try making a Spicy Ball using the power of all three in each arm at once. I wondered how much more power it would give my blasts, but I suspected I would also be able to create the Neuma projectile far faster.

After a few hours of walking, I sidled up to Hal. “Hey, man, when do we stop for a break?”

He looked at me like I’d sprouted another head. “You need a break?”

“I mean, personally no, and I think everyone here is strong enough and has enough stamina to keep going all day. But I just assumed we would still have a break as a matter of tradition.” As the words left my mouth, it was hard not to realize how stupid I sounded.

“Well, if you really want, we can do that. But it’ll mean getting into Risad even later. It might only be a small town, but they do the best ale and eel pie in the Nideland. I’d be pretty upset if I wasn’t able to get one because we rolled in after last orders.”

“Yeah, sure. That sounds fine to me,” I said and dropped back alongside Sania.

She nudged me in the ribs. “It'll be nice to be stopping in a town rather than sleeping against the tunnel walls, which I thought we'd be doing for some reason.”

“The Dwarves would never stop in discomfort if it was unnecessary,” Danivra answered. “There are small towns all around the Nideland, for both mining operations and for the purpose of traveling.”

“I’m not complaining. How long do you think before we reach the area where we’ll leave the Nideland?” I asked Danivra. Despite my fresh concerns on her involvement with Angelica, it was great to have her with us. She was just so much more knowledgeable than any of us about anything.

“I would say four days to reach our first stop off.”

“And that’s for the Wultr, yeah?”

“We don’t know what we will face,” she replied seriously. “If there are still Wultr in the area, it may be that we must search for them. There could be masses of enemies and we must fight. We may even have to re-enter the Nideland through different entrances depending on what happens.”

“How would we find other entrances?” I asked, growing a little concerned.

“I’m allowed to send ten of my men up with yer,” Halbraker said loudly from the front.

Danivra seemed surprised and spoke before I could. “Truly? I was under the impression you would remain in hiding as you have so far.”

“In general, that is the case. But we have orders to make the most of the opportunity to do a little scouting. Kalin can send messages back to Nuinaer, so we will tell them how the battle on the surface goes.”

“Ah, so you’re just coming up for intel, then?” I asked.

“Oh, we’ll help out if you face any trouble, too. I didn’t bring all these guards just to guide you. We’re here to offer protection both above and below.”

“I won't complain about more people to fight with us. It wasn’t so long ago when it was just one pasting after the next.”

“What’s a pasting?” Halbraker asked.

“Getting my arse kicked all the time. When I came here, I was super weak.”

“Well, you seem to be doing all right now, lad.”

“We’ll see. What did you mean by below?” I replied. “I thought the Nideland was entirely Darkness’s territory. We’re not likely to run into trouble down here, are we?”

“It is. And none of Darkness’ followers would harm us. However, we still do get incursions from Destruction’s forces. They portal in on occasion to cause disruption.”

“I hadn’t realized that was happening.”

“It doesn’t happen a lot. Most of our tunnels are warded, but there're places deeper down where they can get access. Still nothing to worry about, and certainly not for a few days. Everywhere close by is well secured.”

“Good to hear,” I replied, surprised by the revelation.