The cart trundled down the path, with Wendy's Fort getting smaller behind them. The driver was an old retired knight who might be in his sixties who clearly had some stories to tell.

Cato could care less. All he could do was lie atop Landar's crates and groan as it went over yet another stone.

The road condition was gradually getting worse as they moved out of grassland into what looked like a rocky swamp. Shallow puddles and potholes dotted the road and while the driver avoided the worst, the cart still jumped up and down like a demented monkey as the pair of Rekis pulled it along.

Cato had never thought too much about wheel suspensions but never was he more wishing that Inath had better metalworking. Why, they probably didn't have any such thing as a spring.

"A spring?" Landar just looked confused when he asked.

Cato fished out the pen that came with him from his bag. He tried to sit up and got another bump on his behind for the trouble. Meh, better to stay down. "Here," he clicked the pen nib in and out. Cato supposed it was lucky that the pen case was transparent. "See that metal thing near the front? That's a spring. "

Landar's eyes grew wide as she clicked the pen a few times. "The workmanship is incredible," she said, "whoever made this spring must be a master. And what's this material? Stained glass? It's not hard or cold like glass. And that mechanism to catch the shaft. This must have been made by the First! Where did you get this artifact from?!"

What. Cato frowned and rolled onto his stomach. Landar's eyes were glittering again as she examined the nib of the pen, writing a letter gingerly on her arm.

"The point. It's metal and... there's a tiny ball inside? Oh, I see, that's really clever. When you write, the ball rolls to pick up ink from the shaft. Only the First who could make something this fine," Landar said. She shared a glance with the driver, "what do you think Rusel?"

"Well, I've certainly seen nothing like it," he said, still keeping half an eye on the Rekis, "what can you do with something like this artifact though? A noble's toy at best. A shiny object for an unruly bandit to kill you for at worst. I'll take a paper and quill. "

"Cato, I would like to study-" she turned back to him and frowned, "what are you laughing at?"

Cato bit back his chuckles and shook his head, "that's what I call a pen. It's nothing special where I came from. "

"Nothing special?!" Landar exclaimed, "I would love to meet the master craftsman who makes these, why half the nobles of Inath would order his work and wait for years!"

Cato raised an eyebrow and couldn't resist another jab, "that pen cost me less than a loaf of bread. I lost pens by the dozens every year. "

The look on her face was more than worth it. "I recall the Fukas saying you come from a different land. A First city maybe?" Landar whispered.

Cato shook his head and stopped. Could he tell her that he came from a different world? But the pen was probably of a different style to the First, whoever they were. Probably a lost ancient civilization. The advanced ones always were, weren't they?

"I'm not from anywhere near," Cato said finally, "Earth is a very different place. "

"If you can make something this detailed, of course it is," Landar asked, tapping the pen curiously, "What is Earth like? If workmanship this fine is so cheap, your cities must look like works of art. "

"You would think so," Cato smiled wryly, "but I grew up in a planned town. It's just one big grid. I heard they leveled a hill and diverted a river just so the north side of town could be a right angle. "

"A planned town? Wait, leveled a hill?!"

Cato raised an eyebrow at Landar's surprise, "that's just what I heard. The university and the town were planned together and it really shows. There's no.. what did you call it? Art? Every street just cuts so straight you can see clear from one end of town to the other. And every street is the same as all the others. It's a running joke in the college that all the university buildings can be named with two numbers to count how many streets east and north it is. "

Landar mused for a while, "but what about the buildings themselves?"

"We built a lot of concrete and brick houses," Cato imagined the business district down near the port area, "the ones you'd be interested in are the skyscrapers. A cage of steel and glass. They're not what you would call artistic, our buildings don't have decorations or adornments like yours. But I think they do have a sort of elegance to them. "

"Skyscrapers, huh," Landar turned the word over in her mouth, "how tall are they?"

"That depends, I think most modern ones reach to fifty storeys while the tallest might just go over a hundred," Cato looked up into the sky, trying to remember how tall skyscrapers were. He didn't have to look to know they were astonished, and not a little skeptical. "I said they looked like cages because the outer walls aren't made of stone. The usual material is glass in a steel frame. I know you want to ask how they are built, but other than the use of steel as a frame for the building, I don't actually know how. "

He caught Landar looking disappointed, and the cart driver was still disbelieving. "Well, given how difficult steel is to make for you, I don't think anyone's going to build skyscrapers any time soon," Cato said, "Most things where I lived depend on cheap steel, because they're made of it or because the machines that make them are made of steel. Even the nib of that pen is steel. "

"Cheap steel," Landar's eyes were shining again, "machines... that make things. You must tell me more!"

The cart driver on the other hand just shrugged, "you tell a convincing story, boy. I almost believed it. Have you considered being a bard?"

Cato laughed, "a bard? Nah. I have no sense for music. I can tell you more, but first," he turned to the crate containing the travelling supplies, "let's have some lunch. "

Landar's eyes lost a bit of their sparkle. Cato could almost feel sorry, but they would have more than enough time to talk about...

"Hey, all the bread is spiced?!"

Cato nibbled on the heel of the loaf, trying not to wince at the spiciness. Landar just smiled at him in amusement, as clearcut a case of sadism as Cato had ever seen. That alchemist knew that he didn't like spicy food but must have deliberately asked for that just to watch Cato squirm. His grumbling stomach didn't give him any rest either. After just one afternoon of attempted fasting, Cato didn't think he could avoid eating for the four days to Corbin.

He took another bite and looked around at the land to distract himself from the burning in his mouth.

The land they had been travelling over had gradually gotten worse and worse. If it was a swamp before, now it seemed like endless fields of mud and rocks. The number of potholes had increased and the silt-laden puddles covering them painted the land a dirty brown. Worse still, unlike swamps, there was no life at all. Not a single tree or blade of grass was visible, nor those irritating flying insects that was this world's version of flies.

"Did something happen to this place?" Cato asked, looking at a passing rock. It had a thin film of algae, the only green thing he had seen in hours. "Why is everything so dead?"

"It's called the Dead Marshes," the cart driver said.

"I hope we don't run into the reason," Landar said ominously.

Hmm? That was quite the foreshadowing, Cato frowned out at the bleak field of mud. What sort of monster could do something like this? Or was this something else? The sun was already beginning to set after the Little Night and the brown pools were tinged a dirty yellow. Cato sighed. Well, the deliveries were rarely seemed to be late, so the trip must not be so dangerous.

Well, except the bread of course. Those things could almost qualify as chemical weapons if his mouth had any say in the matter.

He dug a bit deeper into the pile of hard bread, trying to find one that had less spice on it.

He brushed against the fur hidden just under the top layers of bread. Oh, there was piyo in here? Well, Cato did think the crate was a bit big for just five days of food, the cart driver must have been wanting to trade some of the Fuka produce.

The pile shifted under his hand.

Cato froze and glanced at Landar suspiciously. Live piyos? She was talking to the driver about the mud on the cart's wheels. Nope, she probably didn't know about this. Gingerly, he lifted up a few of the larger loaves. Underneath... revealed that the fur was actually a large bushy tail. A rather familiar tail at that.

"Nha!" the shout made Landar and the driver turn around.

"My, what a surprise to meet you here!" Cato put a bite of sarcasm in his voice as he held up the tail of the sleeping Fuka girl.

He let go of the tail as Danine uncurled from underneath the bread. She even had the temerity to yawn sleepily.

"What are you doing?" Cato asked again. And how did she get into that crate? It wasn't small but even so... he recalled Tori's look when she loaded the cart and had a sinking feeling about who the accomplice was.

"I'm following you!" Danine said cheerily once Cato lifted her out and sat her on the cart.

Bonk. He rapped her head sharply. "There's no way your parents agreed to this," he said, "do they know?"

Danine shook her head.

"And how did you even sneak into that crate?!" Landar asked.

"Your friend helped," Danine explained.

"Ha... how did you even find the time to wheedle her into doing that. I can't imagine stuffy Tori being easy to convince. "

"I just asked her, normally," Danine tilted her head curiously, her tail mirroring the motion.

Could Tori actually be weak towards little girls? Not that Danine was really 'little'.

No no, can't get distracted. There was still the main problem to deal with.

"Why did you do this?" Cato asked.

"It's not fair! You get to go off on adventures!" Danine tried to explain further when she caught Cato's frown, "And there's Ryulo too. He's dashing and cool. All I can do is just sit at home, papa's still not letting me out of the village. "

"This is not an adventure," Cato said sternly. This girl had some very strange delusions. "I'm getting kicked out of the Fort, you know?"

Danine pleaded, "I know that! But even so, you're still going to go to other places. And people will listen to you. And you will do amazing things like that bowgun!"

"It's still not something you should just leave your parents over. Won't your mother be worried if you're gone?" Cato pointed out.

A look of concern flashed across her face and Danine pouted, "it's not fair to bring up mama like that. "

Stolen novel; please report.

Cato sighed, this wasn't a game like she seemed to think. Even if Corbin was less dangerous than a frontier fort regularly attacked by monsters, it still wasn't a place for a young girl without parents.

He considered the path back. Was it too far to turn back now? Would Rusel even agree to do that? It was probably a bad idea to send her back by herself. Danine caught his direction and tears began to well up in her eyes, she obviously thought he was going to do that.

"Tell me," Landar asked gently, "what is it you are trying do?"

Danine frowned, clearly having trouble putting it into words. "I- I want to be like you!" she said finally, pointing at Cato, "I want to have people listen to me. "

"People listen to Michi," Cato said, "I don't think you want to be someone so close-minded like him. "

Danine shook her head, "it's not... like that. I don't want people to listen just because they have to. They want to ask you to do things. And you can do it. That's why the village council listens to you. Why you can be someone important. I don't want to be just a Fuka girl who can't do anything. "

Cato blinked at the girl who was almost crying in frustration. He had an idea of what she was asking even if she hadn't been completely clear. Despite the fact that she was the first Fuka in the village to learn how to use magic, that wasn't what she was looking for, Cato understood that much at least.

What she wanted was more than just a name or position. She wanted to... matter. To prove her worth. Danine probably didn't quite understand what her dissatisfaction was but clearly she thought she could achieve it by following Cato around the entire country.

But this was really a different world and he only had these ideas because he grew up with science and logic on Earth. Could Danine even learn it? What if his unique position from a more advanced society made her dream impossible to achieve? Cato didn't know what would happen if she found that out but it wouldn't be anything good.

No. Wait. She had thought of that luring method using the Elkas, didn't she? Even if Cato had figured out the tremor sensed ground vibrations, Danine was the one who put Cato's attempt at a makeshift bait together with the Elkas. Danine had already solved a problem once and in a way Cato didn't think of because he wasn't used to the idea of human flight other than airplanes. And Landar was brilliant at alchemy and Ryulo had his own special talents on the battlefield and... other areas.

Thinking that only he could have bright ideas was sheer arrogance. Cato nodded to himself. Yes, there was no reason to think that Danine couldn't do it. Though he had no idea if he could teach it. Whatever 'it' was. Still...

"I think I understand," Cato said finally. "I still don't agree that leaving your mother was the right thing to do. It was very selfish of you not to ask her first," he looked at Danine's teary eyes and softened his tone, "but it's also too dangerous to turn you back on your own. When we get to Corbin, the first thing we will do is send a letter to your parents. "

Her eyes widened for a moment but he held up a hand, "I don't know if it's a good idea for you to follow me. I may not be able to take care of you like your parents would. I have half a mind to ask the next supply cart to take you back to the Fort. " Her tail descended again in disappointment but he wasn't done.

He could see himself in the future already, he would be looking back to this moment and thinking 'this is where it all went wrong'. But he didn't know if it would go badly and... and it felt wrong to try to restrict her decisions, even if she was a kid. Who was he to crush her ambition, even if it was half-baked and nebulous? Or worse still, make her feel put upon enough to rebel and strike out on her own and- Enough. Cato took a breath.

"If you're sure, once you know what I'm going to try to do, then you can decide whether you really want this," Cato said, "So if you really want to follow me, you have four more days to Corbin to convince me. "

The wide-eyed surprise on her face was all the warning he got before she hugged him, tail wagging in excitement. Her muffled words of thanks through his shirt were more felt than heard.

Cato looked at Landar who just smiled wryly back at him. "So you've got a new pet," she said with a grin.

Oh, be that way, would she? "Fukas are not pets," he snapped back in mock anger, "you're not turning into Michi now, are you?"

Landar laughed and shook her head, "yeah, I would have loved to see the look on Michi's face when you told him the Fukas were stockpiling ammunition. "

The driver had stopped the cart for the day. Travelling across the broken land was hard enough on the Rekis by day but avoiding potholes would be impossible at night. Not to mention the chill air and light wind that promised a cold and uncomfortable night.

Danine had snuggled down into one corner of the cart with a spare coat and her tail wrapped around her neck, how she even managed to sleep despite sleeping in the crate for most of the day was beyond Cato. The driver, Rusel, was checking up on the Rekis and feeding them.

In contrast, Landar was looking out across the muddy land with a worried expression. Cato couldn't spot anything out there, a flat expanse full of difficult terrain and lit by the dim red moonlight of Selna. Nothing could approach without them noticing, and what monster would venture across such inhospitable terrain?

"Do you think we need to keep watch?" Cato asked her.

"Shh," Landar said, still fixated on the horizon.

Cato followed her gaze but still spotted nothing. Was she even seeing anything? He tried waving a hand in front of her to no response. Hmm, maybe she was concentrating on her magic sense?

Cato closed his eyes and tried to focus as well but still felt nothing. There wasn't even the nebulous wisps of magic like he had felt from the zombies.

"Build a fire," Landar snapped him out of his focus with a command. Danine blinked up at her sleepily.

Rusel looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "I don't feel anything. "

Landar shook her head, "it's coming. I'm sure. " She gestured around at the wasteland.

Cato peered into the dark night. A thin haze of mist hung in the air and chilly winds unbroken by foliage or hills sent tendrils sweeping over the ground.

"But-" the cart driver protested again when Landar sent up a flare of magic. The blindingly bright ball wavered in her rising alarm, casting sharp shadows across the cart. The circle of blue coloured brilliance pushed back the night.

Cato had the distinct impression of something disappearing into the edge of the darkness.

Danine crawled over and sat beside Cato worriedly. Even the cart driver was starting to look shaken.

"Another five minutes and we would all have been dead," Landar scolded, but her voice was full of anxiety, "I didn't think it would happen so early in the night but... you believe me now?"

She pointed out the layer thin mist out near the edge of the circle of light. The edge seemed to be far too sharp... no, the mist was swallowing it, absorbing it like a coat of night-coloured paint.

Now the reason for bringing so much firewood on the cart became clear. Cato and Rusel hurriedly stacked the wood blocks and the older man lit it with a spark of magic. Even Danine helped a bit, picking up smaller chips and tossing them into the growing fire.

When the wood had caught and the fire was stable despite the wind, Landar let her magic go. The harsh blue light faded into a gentler but weaker orange of fire.

Cato turned to the darkness and stared out at it. The dark mist had advanced once Landar's light was gone but it had again stopped at the edge of the fire's light. It was very obvious now, a green-tinged cloud that seemed to pile up and flow around them leaving only the white streams of water mist to approach them.

A tickle caught his attention. The clouds were faintly magical, but even less concentrated than the zombies' aura. Even so, the magic was building up around them, getting stronger and denser.

"What is that?" Danine asked fearfully.

"Miasma," Rusel spat into the fire, "it is called the Death Marsh for a reason. "

"You see that green mist?" Landar asked, "that's Miasma. It likes the night, the wet and cold. It's not an enemy you can fight like the zombies or even run away from. " She pointed upwards at the sky.

To his horror, Cato could see the stars getting fainter. The mist had been going over them without him noticing. Even the night on the other side of the fire was creeping inwards.

"We always bring enough firewood to last three nights when crossing the Death Marsh," Rusel explained, "light and heat repels it. You never see miasma in the day or times when Selna is too bright. Likewise, it avoids fires or bright light. "

"What happens if you get caught?" Cato asked. Danine trembled behind him, clinging to his shirt.

"You die," Landar said simply, "We have found unwary travellers caught by the miasma before. Sometimes even groups of travellers who ran out of firewood. They die without a scratch, without a struggle. There's nothing to indicate how, no trace of poison or miasma in their bodies. They say the miasma curses you but that's just superstition. "

"Say that again when you've seen a cursed victim," Rusel shook his head, "their bodies stay fresh for weeks, not even the rot will touch them. I hear the miasma drains your life so completely that not even the rot can grow. What else but a curse could do that?"

Cato could hear an audible gulp from behind his back. Despite Rusel's talk, Cato suspected Tulore's curse-breaker wasn't going to help against the miasma. He turned to stare out into the wall of green darkness.

What could create such a thing? Was the miasma even a thing? And how did it kill? There were so many questions Cato could ask, but he didn't feel like experimenting on it right now. There was no way Cato was going to risk touching that green mist.

Slowly, the miasma surrounded them, slowly, silently eating into the circle of safety. The magical power outside their tiny little fire continued to build and the night continued to get darker until it seemed like they were a single speck of warmth adrift in their own world. Landar fed in another wood block and the darkness receded a small step as the fire crackled higher. A tiny step that was lost all too quickly. They were going to have to take turns watching and feeding the fire as long as this lasted.

The Rekis snorted nervously and huddled down across the fire from him. It looked like not even they were going to get any sleep tonight.