Thus we ended up spending the night there in the cave at the foot of the stairs. It wasn't exactly comfortable but we managed to get in some good sleep anyway. I provided some warmth by heating up stones and one of the goblins cooked a proper meal this time around. Well, it was a very hearty soup with both meat and vegetables. And afterwards we had some very sweet dried fruit and a cup of fresh tea to wash them down as dessert. The extra blankets we brought served us well as well. We still clustered up closely around the stones I had heated to preserve warmth.

The goblins and forgeborn took over watch duty and both I and Gash'zur could sleep through the night. It was a small blessing I certainly knew to appreciate. I still felt a little stiff in the morning but it wasn't any real issue. Another cup of hot tea and some light exercise took care of that. Not long after we were moving again. The valley was still bathed in a weird twilight though. It was deep and steep enough that no rays of the morning sun could reach its bottom. It probably would only get better closer to noon.

The place wasn't really inviting in general either and not just due to the lack of sunlight. We were not in the actual desert yet but the shimmering dust already covered most surfaces and piled up in many places. It was incredibly fine and shimmered in all rainbow colors, almost like finely ground opal. It could have been pretty if the stuff wouldn't have persistently stuck to everything it touched. We probably would have had to wash it off with water but water was a scarce good here and we would have to ration it carefully.

The rest stop at the exit of the valley was a bit of a mixed blessing. That much quickly became obvious as we reached it. The structure, built into the side of the last hill in such a way as to mimic the hill's shape, was still intact. We almost missed it though, as the wind had blown in plenty of the omnipresent, glittering dust. It covered some of the narrow window slits and half the entrance. In hindsight staying in the cave proved to be the right decision. We most certainly wouldn't have been able to spend the night here.

As it was, it took us considerable effort and most of the day to clear the entrance, the window slits and some of the interior. It was no easy task either. It payed off though. The interior was divided into observation-, guard- and bedrooms. There was a common room as well. Only the observation rooms and the guard room had suffered from the shimmering opal dust. The rest were pretty much in pristine condition. Even better, the common room had a very deep well and its water was judged safe for consumption after a quick check.

That took care of one worry. The first few pails we pulled up were used to wash off the grime and sweat that had accumulated over the day as we worked to clear the place. Thanks to me heating up stones we didn't even have to wash with cold water either. This casual everyday magic was proving its value time and again. Kaele would still pull my ears for creating the spell matrix without extensive research but that was something I was willing to live with as things were right now. It was a risk well worth it. The spell was just so incredible useful!

As the day came to a close the scouts from Hearth Forge started to properly settle in. One of their number was preparing our evening meal as well. Judging by the smell it would be something hearty again. Quite possibly another stew as it was relatively easy to prepare. I didn't mind though. We had at least one good cook with us who knew what they were doing and so far I had not had reason to complain about anything they cooked up. Eventually I would need something else but stew though, even if just for a change of pace.

While everyone else was still busy Gash'zur and I met up at one of the narrow window slits facing north to look out into the Shimmering Desert as night fell. That took a little longer out in the open plain than here where the shadows of the nearest mountains soon fell upon us. I could only watch in awe as the desert glittered in different colors as the light changed. It didn't even stop as the first stars came out. In a way it was almost as if the desert below was trying to mimic the night sky above. I shook my head. “How can one of the deadliest places on this world be so pretty?”

The giantess snorted amused. “I'd be tempted to call it a trap, except I learned that it supposedly is just the remnant of some ancient cataclysm. No one knows what happened for sure but the desert is what was left over afterwards.”

I looked back out into the plain as it glittered in the light of the moon and the stars. I couldn't help but take notice of the baleful green glow that was just barely visible from where it originated beyond the horizon. “A deadly desert and whatever that is beyond the horizon.”

At that point Gib joined us. “Its a city. Or what is left of it anyway. Our records are pretty certain about that. It is arranged around an ancient ziggurat. According to those same records it should take us three to four days of forced march to get there, depending on the weather. That information is old but it should still be good unless these ruins have started wandering in the meantime.”

I chuckled. I wouldn't rule out that possibility entirely but to be hones I doubted the ruins had moved since then. Three to four days of forced march for the goblins? One hundred fifty leagues or a little more? I took a deep breath as I came to a conclusion. “Gash'zur and I might be able to make it in one day with the right magic to support us.”

The giantess just raised an eyebrow but Gib sucked in a breath of air. He probably already could tell where my train of thought was headed and he didn't exactly like it. “You would go alone? That, that … I'm not sure that is wise.”

He looked to the giantess for support but she just shrugged. “We would need a lot less supplies if I went at it like that.” then she turned to me. “Cat's Grace and Bear's Endurance? Are those the spells on your mind?”

I nodded. “Those two spells and Leviathan's Lungs for good measure. I wish I had at least an idea how Giant's Growth works. With even longer legs we probably could move even faster but I wouldn't even know how to get started on constructing that spell matrix. The rest will have to do.”

Gib looked resigned yet he was not quite willing to give up yet. “Even with spells like those boosting your speed you will need to spend at least one night to recover before joining battle with whatever you might find there. Else you would go in completely exhausted. That would be a recipe for disaster.”

He wasn't entirely wrong. “We will take food for one day and water for two. We will leave the rest here with you. Traveling light will somewhat ease the burden on us as well.” Before he could protest any more I kept explaining. “We won't need anymore. If we can't defeat whatever we find there in a quick fight we won't be defeating it at all. It is more important that we have someone here to guide us back afterwards.”

The giantess decided to chime in then. “We will be exhausted for sure. Maybe we will be wounded. And in all likelihood we, or rather Keza, will have unleashed some terrible force of nature before it all ends one way or another. Heading south in general is one thing in a state like that but finding back here is another entirely. We will need someone or something to guide us. A signal of one sort or another. A light? Or maybe smoke?”

The goblin looked utterly defeated but nodded anyway. “We might be able to gather enough plant material from a little further up the valley to make a smoke signal. But how do we know when to light it?”

Now it was my turn to snort in amusement. “You wait for whatever madness we unleash to die down. Then you wait a little longer. Maybe six hours? By then we should be on our way back and hopefully close enough to see your signal. Smoke during day time. Light at night.”

The goblins shoulders slumped a little. “And what if you don't win? What if we draw the wrong kind of attention?”

We fell silent for a moment. In the end it was Gash'zur who patted his back. “If the Devourer should somehow be able to break free of her chains, if that should come to be nothing else will matter anymore. Not for long anyway.”

Is wallowed hard but tried to not let any of my anxiety show on my face or in my posture. No pressure. Its just the fate of the world depending on us here. No pressure at all.