I dumped the crate on the floor as soon as I arrived back in the forest, hastily ripping back the lid and rejoicing when I found it full of the gear and food I’d placed inside.

I began handing out the arrows to the Fensalfar, then slammed the lid shut again. “There’s a treat inside here for you all before the battle. Only don’t be getting yourselves too excited. But you’ll appreciate it when the time comes.”

“Is it daggers?” Freeler shouted, completely unnecessarily.

“No, it’s definitely not daggers. Now, I suppose it's time we got moving again, huh? We’ve got one hell of a day or two ahead of us.”

There were varying degrees of enthusiasm relating to setting off once again, ranging from ready to curl up in a ball and die, to the insatiable eagerness of the Nystiobeks. Those dudes thrived on fighting, and I guessed if I was a Nystiobek I would too.

Grastad normally walked alongside those that he left the Far Reach with and the Nystiobek group that had joined us. Being somewhat obsessed with Galota and the other Nanooks, despite his lower level, he had seemed to insert himself into a position of importance among them. For the first leg of this evening's journey, however, he had decided to grace me with his company.

“The weak ones gonna be a problem,” he attempted to mutter quietly. Obviously, everyone within a twenty-feet radius could hear his deep, bass voice carrying through the night air.

“Well then, you’ll just have to work all the harder to protect them. Won’t you?” I replied. “Can’t have you being your usual lazy self.”

He grinned and backhanded my shoulder with his massive hand. “Funny Clive, funny. Should put them all in that box,” he said pointing at the box of haulage that I’d carried. “Then fly home. Could put us all in there.”

“Yeah. As far as I know, you go in hot and bendy and come out cold and stiff. At least, that's what Danivra tells me. And I’m inclined to believe anything that she tells me.”

Grastad nodded sagely but was cut short of responding by the appearance of Wind of the Wild. When he morphed into Ewan, I became curious. He hadn’t done that for a while now, and appreciative of the opportunity to speak with him in this form.

He slotted into the front of our column between me and Grastad with a serious expression. “We have a problem. Justice have increased their number of troops along the northern border of the Peaks and the Passes. They clearly know you’re on your way and are prepared. That said, I still believe we can distract them for you to gain the Pass.”

“That’s not ideal, is it?” I asked, imagining what would happen if we were unable to fight our way into the Pass and were pinned against the mountains. “What numbers are we looking at?”

“Approximately nine-thousand,” he replied. His expression bleak, leading me to believe that deep down he feared the same result.

“Do you have any idea where the extra troops came from?” Danivra interrupted from the left of Sania. She looked troubled by the news, but I could also sense a plan brewing from her. I stifled a smile. I invariably liked Danivra’s plans.

“The vast Majority have moved through portals from the southern perimeter of the mountain,” Ewan replied.

“So it stands to reason, that the southern side of the Palathi Peaks would be only lightly guarded now.” Danivra suggested, prompting my mind to start teasing at the opportunities that may bring.

“Yes, it seems they are eager to prevent you from reaching us, which is to be expected, considering how the past few days have played out.”

Danivra nodded. “But we aren’t trying to get into the Palathi Peaks? We want to get you out to travel south. Could you now break free southward with the reduced numbers?”

“We could,” Ewan answered, “but we will be vulnerable. Once they realize you are not approaching and that we are making an effort in the south, they will begin to portal their troops back though to face us.”

“How long would it take to circle around the mountains?” I asked.

“At your current speed,” Ewan said thoughtfully. “Two days' march to the southeast should bring you to the eastern edge of the range. A further day to bring you back around to where the troops occupy the southern border. Although you realize, by that point they will have re-bolstered their numbers. If we must fight them, surely it’s better to fight now, rather than in three days.”

“I agree with Wind of the Wild,” Grastad offered. “We should crush them. But I also say, we can carry people and move faster. We take slow people to the east of the mountain in a day, maybe.”

Ewan looked ready to protest, but I got in first. “And if you think their numbers are low enough to break through Ewan, then you can meet up with us and together we can be away from here.”

“You are missing the point, again. They can portal their troops back,” he growled in frustration.

“Not with me there helping you, dismissing their portals as they make them,” I said with a smile. “I’m pretty sure I can whittle down their numbers, too.”

He nodded grudgingly. “That might work, if they don’t realize what you’re up to in skirting around the mountains.”

“Perhaps you should still distract them by behaving as if you are about to attack to the north,” Danivra suggested.

“It would work better if you were to make a pretense of coming here,” Ewan replied.

“Again, I can do that,” I said, before being thumped in the arm.

“We can do that,” Sania added. “I can still fly and fight, you know.”

I was about to say it’s too dangerous, then clamped my mouth shut. That was a sure-fire way to piss my courageous Wultr Soul Mate off and I didn’t need that in my life.

“Exactly! With Sania and me popping off a few blasts and making a show for an hour, or so, we’ll trick the dozy bastards.”

“So be it,” Ewan said with only a hint of reluctance. He turned to Grastad. “It is sixty miles to the eastern edge of the mountains. The terrain is rough but relatively level for the majority of the distance. I believe you could make it in around six hours?”

Grastad nodded. “Then that’s what we will plan for.”

“I would suggest eight hours,” Danivra added. Many of those strong enough to run are still much weakened from their time in the fort.”

“Very well, eight hours,” agreed Ewan. “This should bring us around two hours from sunrise. Clive, can you make it to the sudden border by then, to assist with the portals?”

“I’ll be there, Ewan. You can fucking count on it. We’re getting you lot out of there.”

“We have our new plan,” he replied, still not seeming very happy about it.

“What’s wrong, Ewan?”

He sighed. “My desire is to greatly reduce their numbers. I tell myself this is because I don’t wish for them to develop into a too powerful a force as they follow us. Yet, I know deep down, it is because I want to make them pay for taking my home. I want them to bleed, and suffer, for every inch of land they’ve taken from me. I know it’s foolish. I am a prideful man.”

“I don’t think it’s foolish, Ewan. This isn’t over yet, either. Once we get those we need to protect to safety, and take a quick breather, we’ll have our payback. Of that I’m certain.”

Ewan nodded, though his expression didn’t change. “Thank you for that hope, at least. I’ll return now and prepare my people for our escape.”

As I brought our column to a halt. “Everyone! Stop,” I yelled. “We’ve had a change of plan. For those of you with animal forms. If don’t mind, that is. I want you to carry our weaker folk. Justice has strengthened their numbers around the area we’re headed, so we’re going to attempt to use that to our advantage and bypass the mountains completely.”

There was a murmur of general agreement, thankfully. I didn’t feel particularly good about ordering the beast kin among us to carry people, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter.

“How many are you going to be carrying?” Grastad bellowed and began laughing. He wasn’t wrong, either. I could probably carry at least three elves or maybe five goblins. I chuckled internally at the thought.

“Sadly, I can’t carry anyone,” I said, holding up a hand to stop any further abuse from Grastad. “I’ll be checking on the route you’re traveling, then I’ll be attacking the northern part of Justice's forces to mislead them into thinking that we’re still coming, before aiding Wind of the Wild and Olata to free their people from the south of the mountains.”

“We’ll let you off,” he replied, laughing further. I knew that he knew my plans, so in a strange Grastad kind of way, I suspected he was actually trying to help to inform the others.

As everyone moved around, getting mounted up, Danivra took the box from me.

“You won’t want to be flying around with that,” she smiled. “I will be moving in my Dokala form and will be able to carry some of our people too. I suspect that only the Dokalfar will be comfortable traveling with me. Fear of spiders. It’s the strangest affliction that so many other races seem to suffer,” she said with a small chuckle.

“Well, I love your Dokala form,” I replied. “Oh, and in the chest, the thing I was talking about earlier. I was thinking, once we’re free of the battle, or if you think you’re likely to be attacked, there’s Multi-fit potions inside.”

“Truly!” she said, surprising me with the wonder in her voice.

“Er, yeah. They should help, right?”

“How many do you have?”

“Ten-thousand as far as I know. Didn’t count them myself.”

“This will help these people, dramatically. Dare I ask where you got them from?”

“Ah, Grimstrom. He gave them to me as a friend. Said he’d get in trouble if he was found out.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “Do you believe him?”

“I want to,” I shrugged.

“As fair an answer as you could give, under the circumstances. They are an incredible boon, whatever the intent may be.”

I nodded. “Yup. We need all the help we can get, as long as the price is worth it.”

“Indeed. Go, scout our route and good luck with your mission. I wish there were more I could do to assist. Perhaps once you have developed your powers, the ability to fly may be a possibility. Until then, I will do what I can.”

“You’re beyond incredible as you are, Danivra,” Sania said. “But yes, I think that is a power investment Clive needs to make, if and when he can.”

The two women clasped hands. “Do not take too many risks while you are gone. The people here need you the most.”

“Thanks, Danivra. You’re right, and Clive always needs the reminder,” Sania grinned.

Sania and I took to the sky not long after, heading south eastward along the route our people would take. I activated Singularity Sight immediately and the world burst into color. Off in the distance, towering Palathi Peaks, jutting from the ground of an otherwise flat plain, emanated dull, gray energy. Contrasting against the muted brown vibrations of the soil.

Between those two colors, the flickering light of Justices camp and the occasional flicker of silver energy they channeled from Justice. However, the path ahead and below our flight path was clear. I didn’t expect to see much, certainly no soldiers of Justice as they waited in their camps for us to come to them. I did, however, fear a surprise visit from Destruction from the east. I kept my eyes peeled for the telltale sign of the red energy that denoted the link to their god. That thought caused me to muse that the one type of power I wouldn’t be able to see in the current light was my old friends of Darkness. It wasn’t relevant now, but I filed the thought away for later. I was almost certain it would come in.

It took us around an hour to reach the edge of the mountain range that we were heading for. We came to a stop, hovering over the foothills that flowed away from the rugged range and scoured the area in search of life. Once we were both content that the land was devoid of life, we set back off in the general direction of our friends.

Around five minutes into our return journey, I thought I saw a flicker of brown energy, more vibrant and pulsing than that of its surrounding area. I couldn’t make out who had caused the energy in the dark, but the patch on the ground seemed to move as I rested my eyes on it, then coming to a stop within an area of scrubland. The faint, green energy of the hardy plant life providing cover.

I pointed down to Sania. “There’s something there,” I said across our bond. “Not worth the risk to our people, to not to check it out.”

She nodded in reply, and we scooted down to hover a few feet from the ground. Once down there, I saw the energy again.

“Who’s there?” I demanded, but received no answer

“Look, I can bloody see you hiding in the bushes. There’s every chance we’d be friends. I don’t follow any of the gods, and with my ability to see power, I know you’re not one of the followers of a god. Provided you’re not a bunch of dickheads, or grobblers, we’ll probably have a lot in common,” I explained to the bushes and brambles. Yet, still we received no answer.

Sania huffed impatiently, “We’re heading south with thousands of other Neutrals to a place of safety. If you are in need of a new place to live, away from the fighting here, you can join us.”

When Sania didn’t receive an answer, she turned to me. “I’m sorry, Clive, I don’t know what you think you saw, but I’m not sensing any signs of life in there, at all.”

“I definitely saw something, but I get you. I hope it’s not a bloody ghost,” I laughed but suddenly felt creeped out at the thought of it.

Some impulses are hard to shake, even when you have an immortal soul and arm.

“Okay whoever you are, even if you’re a ghost, we’re leaving now. But when you all die, don’t blame me. I tried my best.”

“Demon, not help!” said an insanely deep rumbling voice that seemed to come from the ground itself.