Meera continued to gawk as they descended to city level. It was truly a spectacle, and she wondered how they created it. She suspected Leonel had some hand in it. There must be more people around with his class or similar ones.

Another question popped into her mind, and she asked it without thinking about it much. "Was this always here, under the city?"

"Yes," Leonel replied. "But not to this extent. We had to expand on this greatly to fit all the survivors. Though not by much. We didn't want to come down here, but, in the end, we had no choice when the dragons overwhelmed us."

"Why didn't you want to come down here?"

"It was not a place for decent folks," he replied, looking straight ahead.

"He means to say it was a prison," Kalrina clarified. "This was where they tossed all their low lives, murderers, and thieves. Funny thing, they all survived while the decent folks got massacred."

Before Meera could confirm why the dragons attacked Drurith, their earthen disc touched down on the ground. The smell of wet earth was everywhere, like the smell that permeated the air after a light rain. Meera loved the scent. It reminded her of happier days before everything went to shit.

"It will be best if you watch your back at all times, Meera," Leonel said. "We've mostly corralled all of the prisoners of this place into a newly formed prison, but there are still quite a few who have managed to stay hidden. There have been cases of attacks, especially on unsuspecting women."

"Relax, Leonel, honey," Kalrina winked at the warrior. "She killed a dragonling all by herself. I would say the low lives need to watch out for her."

"You do realize you're not quite as dazzling as you think," Meera told the witch. "All this flirting just comes off as…creepy."

"Thank you, Miss Meera," Leonel said.

"Um…" Verna squeaked. "Can I go to my mother? She badly needs this medicine."

"Yes," Leonel's firm voice softened a little. "I came to the surface to look for you once they informed me that you had sneaked off topside."

"Aw, and here I thought you came for dear old me," Kalrina said.

"Did you not hear my earlier comment about sounding creepy?" Meera asked.

Kalrina ignored her and put an arm around Verna. "Let's heal your mother, dearie, and do something about your arm."

Meera had no Health potions left, or she would give them to the brave girl. Leonel led the way through the streets of the city. The buildings were made of stones, rocks, and dried mud. It was somewhat cool down here. She figured that with all these people, it would make it stuffy, but it didn't.

The whole place was silent, with sounds of light snoring coming from most houses. There weren't many out and about, but some dozing in the streets. They had curled up into a fetal position as they had no blankets to cover themselves with. Their clothing was minimal at best, and most of it was filthy, singed, and generally ripped in most places.

Verna hurried along, trying to run ahead of Leonel, but he always stopped her, gently reminding her that this place was not as safe as the one they had left behind. They crossed a bridge over the gently flowing river. Some women were collecting water from the river, most probably for their chores.

They arrived at Verna's home, which was nothing more than an earthen hut that looked like it had only a single room.

Verna burst through the door. "Mom!" she cried. "Mom! I got your medicine."

Kalrina chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "Ah, the love of children." Then her eyes took on a tinge of sadness as she looked off into the distance, but it was short-lived as she noticed Meera. Then she opened her mouth to say something, but a scream came from inside the hut.

They all shared worried glances before rushing through the front door. The hut was only as big as it looked from the outside. It had one room with a window. A woman who seemed deathly pale lay on the bed by the window. Verna held her hand tightly.

"Don't cry, dear," Verna's mother said. "If the doctor says it's too late. Then too late it is."

Kalrina moved past Meera. She and Leonel shoved into the room. She went straight for the doctor—a spindly man who was leaning forward so much that Meera thought he would fall out of his chair.

"I'm afraid I'm well past the healing of medicine. But—" Verna's mother broke down into a violent cough. She eventually slowed to a stop. She swallowed and tried again. "Thank you so much for…being my…daughter."

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Her head fell.

Verna gasped and fell to her knees. "Mom…" she shook her. "Mom, don't be like that." She shook her again. "Please. Mom…No, no, no…" Then she shrieked as she hugged her mother. Her wails and sobs brought tears to Meera's eyes.

Kalrina placed a hand on Verna's shoulder and gently pried her off her mother. She hugged the girl tightly as Verna let it all out. She was wailing and begging the gods to return her.

"Doctor, I brought the medicine. I even have most of my Health potion. Please give it to her. Please…do something."

"Child, I…"

"Why won't you do anything?" Verna flew from Kalrina's embrace and ran to Meera. "Miss, I saw you kill a dragon. You can do anything. I know it. Please, bring back my mother."

"I wish I could," Meera replied softly.

Verna turned to Leonel. "Even the dragons are afraid of you. Sir, please. I'll do anything. I'll be your slave. Please bring back my mother. She's just been gone a few moments."

Leonel went down on a knee. "I'm sorry, Verna. Death is not something we humans can reverse. Her soul is being carried by the goddess Verilia to the halls of her husband." He caressed her cheek gently. "I want you to repeat after me, which is very important, so your mother can gain eternal rest in heaven. Will you do that for me?"

She gave a tearful nod. He took her small hand and placed it on her mother's forehead.

"May Virielia take you to the light," Leonel said in his masculine yet soft voice.

"M-May Virelia t-take you to the light," Verna repeated. Her chin quivering so much that Meera thought she would break down any moment.

"May Lorendor show you the path."

Verna repeated the words with a quivering voice.

"May Mirithia walk you home."

Verna almost broke down, but Kalrina placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod.

"M-May Mirithia w-walk you home..." Verna fell to her knees and sobbed. Meera could do nothing for the poor girl save cry with her. She wasn't much better when her mother passed. It was a wound that she thought had healed but, as it turned out, not quite so. Instead of seeing Verna's mother, Meera saw her own. The scene was fresh as day in her mind. Her mother lying in the hospital bed, with all the machines hooked up to her. By the end, she was on so much medication that she couldn't even form proper words. She saw little Neel clutching onto their father's leg as he wept. Meera grasped her mother's hand tightly. Her whole body had gone slack. Even the final smile she had given them all was fading slowly off her lips.

Meera couldn't stay in the room any longer. She left, wiping her tears, only to find the street filled with people. They didn't ask anything. They knew what had happened. A lot of these people had burn marks, missing limbs, or various gruesome injuries.

Meera quietly stalked away. She didn't know any directions or where she was headed. She couldn't bear to hear Verna's cries any longer. They reminded her of all she had lost or was about to lose if she didn't find Neel. She didn't care about herself, but she would die before she let anything happen to Neel.

When she was finally some distance away, she flew to the top of a house, sat on its roof, hugged her legs, and rocked back and forth. She didn't know how long she sat there. Eventually, she saw an unpleasant figure coming towards her from the rear, floating on a mirror.

"How did you know where I was?" Meera asked before Kalrina even stepped off her floating mirror.

Kalrina paused. "I have my ways."

Meera noted the mirrors around the city that reflected the light. "Let me guess, these mirrors are your installations to keep an eye on everyone."

"Sharp," the witch replied. "I wouldn't have pegged you for smart, given how easily you ran off into an obvious trap like the Cave of Wraiths." She waved a hand. "But that's ancient history. Tell me, how did you see me with your back turned like that?"

"You're not the only one who sees through mirrors," Meera replied.

Kalrina gave an impressed smile. "Hmm, we almost have the same powers. One could almost say we're sisters."

Meera glared at her. "Say that one more time, and I'll rip your tongue out."

"Oh, it's just so easy to aggravate you." Kalrina grinned. "I haven't had this much fun since…well, since those two degenerates took my memory."

Meera ignored her. "How's Verna doing?"

Her impression saddened. It was surprising to see that even this monster had a soft spot. "The doctor had to put her to sleep. She was refusing to get healed without her mother." She paused. "The doctor told me that Mentha, her mother's wound, had been infected long before Verna had left. I would've tried to stop the girl if I knew she would go to such measures to save her mother."

"What? But Verna was okay aside from those burns."

Kalrina shook her head. "She wouldn't have. Dragon burns don't heal on their own. They fester quickly. Once the infection sets, there is no saving you. How do you think Mentha got to the deathbed." She took another pause, a long one. "A mother will do anything to save their child."

"What happened? What caused all this?" Meera waved a hand around.

The witch sighed and took a seat. "Wish I knew, love. I was busy running from tavern to tavern, trying to keep ahead of the Daughters of Aksha. They're the hunters of the Sorceresses of Akhessai, among other things. Anyway, I heard a rumor that the dragons of Wiryar forest had attacked this place. So, I found myself the first Gateway Mirror to this doomed city and landed here about a week before you did."

"But why this close to the Sorceresses?" Then, the answer came to Meera before Kalrina even said anything.

Kalrina smirked. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Last we met, you told me that the head of your order killed the archdragon called Akhessai. All the dragons here are her children, and they want revenge for their mother's death."

"That's it. A sorceress of Akhessai wouldn't be caught dead in this place." Kalrina smirked.

"And if one were?"

"Well, let's just say all you would find is ashes." She sighed. "Though, something must've aggravated the dragons a lot that they came out here in such force. I mean, either they didn't like the taste of a human that they found wandering in their forest, or someone went hunting for dragon meat."

Meera sighed. So, it must be Neel.

"What?" Kalrina asked.

"I know why the dragons are here," Meera declared, standing. "I need to find a way to get out of here."

"I know the way out of this place, but it'll cost you."

"I'm not giving you one of my chakrams again."

"As much as I would like that, but no, you don't have to do something like that." Kalrina stood and gave Meera a wide smile. "You'll have to take me with you."

"Absolutely not!"