"Come on, don't be like that," Kalrina said. "You're going to need someone watching your back, or you can forget leaving the city on your own."

"I'd rather have a poisonous snake watch my back." Meera shot back. "That way, when it stings me to death, I'll only have myself to blame. Wait, you know, you're exactly like a poisonous viper, but worse. You'll strike when the opportunity best suits you."

"Wow, I really must not have been nice to you," the witch mused.

"It's not even about me, witch. I saw firsthand the handiwork of you and your boyfriend."

"Firstly, I admit, partnering with Edwyn did seem like a good idea back then, but he was half mad to begin with. He fed me ideas and kept saying he was on the verge of a breakthrough, and I believed him, and hey, if you say you delivered me the Crystal of Darthin, then he must've been true to his word."

"So, the end justifies the means."

"I never said that. I said Edwyn kept pushing to go farther and farther."

Meera clenched her fists. "And you allowed it?"

"Love, I only visited the cave once when it was set up. Ten years ago," Kalrina said. "After that, we just talked through the mirrors I left him. He never showed me his work or how he went about doing it. I honestly didn't even know he had started experimenting on humans until almost a year later."

"And that makes it all okay, I suppose. I've had it with your shit." Meera walked to the edge of the roof and was about to jump.

"They'll never stop hunting you," Kalrina said. "Those dragons we just narrowly escaped. They have your scent now, and a mother never forgets one who has killed her own. Turns out they're like us in that regard. Besides, I know the way out of here."

Meera pointed up. "I do, too."

Kalrina made a shovel of mirrors. "Then you best start digging and hope you can dig your way out before that spear-wielding hunk stops you."

She tossed Meera the shovel, but she deflected it into the nearby wall, where it shattered to pieces.

"Why do you want to get out of here in the first place? Aren't you hiding from your so-called sisters?" Meera asked.

"I am, but now that I know my memory was altered, the need to regain my memory is greater than my need to hide." Kalrina smiled.

"And how are you going to do that? Go back to your sisters?"

"I'd rather bend myself for the dragon, Ignis Sunbreath before I return to that cabal of crones. No, I know another way. A more dangerous, uncertain way, but it might bear fruit if my hunch is right." She twirled a strand of her hair, which wasn't filthy. "What do you know of Wiryar forest?"

"Only what you told me, that it lies between Drurith and Akhessai, and it's infested with dragons," Meera replied.

"Well, you're not far off," the witch said. "What a lot of people don't know is that there is a portion of the forest that even the dragons are afraid to venture close to."

Meera squinted her eyes. "You're really going to make me ask it." Kalrina made a motion of out with it, causing Meera to sigh loudly. "Why are the dragons afraid to go there?"

"It is said that a certain man lives in that forest who even scares the dragons. If the rumors are to be believed, this man is no mere human but a Cosmarian who somehow avoided the fate of his brethren."

"I heard from a very reliable source that all the Cosmarians were herded to Rothedon's forest," Meera said.

"Right, you are," The witch replied. "Mostly. See, there are a few Cosmarians who avoided such fate as they did not follow their vile king in the Eclipse. Who remained neutral or sided with the gods. The ones who vowed to stay out of mortal affairs as they stayed out of the great war called the Eclipse."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"And you believe this Cosmarian resides in the Wiryar forest and can help you restore your memory."

Kalrina nodded. "If he is as powerful as they say, which I believe he is." She rubbed her chin. "Say, what did you mean by you knew who was responsible for the dragon's anger?"

Meera had to answer this very carefully. She couldn't let it slip that it was Neel's fault, or the people might turn against him, and it wouldn't take long for a rumor like this to spread. After all, he had inadvertently caused the destruction of this city and the death of thousands of people.

"I'm hunting after a man called Nate—"

"That's an odd name," Kalrina interrupted.

"Actual name is Na…Nathenial. He came to hunt dragons in the Wiryar forest to power up some ancient relic, which is beside the point. What is important is that he knows where my…quarry is." She almost said brother before quickly realizing Kalrina didn't remember that Neel was her brother.

"Your quarry…ah, I remember now. You came to me looking for information on the Champion." Kalrina smiled. "Was the information I provided helpful?"

"Yes."

"Good." She clapped her hands together and smiled. I'm just so happy that I could prove helpful to you. Now, would you like to return the favor and help me while you also help yourself? Believe me, you're not leaving the city walls without someone like me watching your back."

"I don't need someone like you watching my back," Meera said. "Remember what I said about snakes."

"I admit I haven't been an entirely nice person, but there is one thing you can trust. I am very selfish, and my success in leaving this city plummets if I betray you before leaving the city walls."

"And after?"

"That depends on your performance as we escape this hellhole. So, what do you say, dearie?"

Meera set her jaw. Internally, she fumed at the thought of having to do anything with this witch, but externally, she thought she kept it under control mostly. All she did was glare at the witch. Then, her internal fury spilled outwards. Using Mirror Wing, she launched one of her chakrams at Kalrina. Her eyes widened, and she raised a Mirror Shield but was too slow. By the time her shield went up, Meera's chakram was at her neck. It stopped less than an inch from severing her life.

"Always remember this is how close you are to death at all times," Meera recalled her chakram. "And drop this annoying act. Don't call me, dearie."

"And you want me to call you…by your name." She feigned shock before smiling. "Annoying is part of my charm."

"How hasn't anyone killed you yet."

"Simple. I make love with them. Could you imagine anyone refusing this?" She motioned to herself while striking a model-like pose.

Meera nearly threw up in her mouth. "I can't imagine anyone saying yes to that."

"Oh, this. It's just an illusion to blend in with this destitute lot. Wouldn't want anyone to think that I'm more fortunate than them, even though I am."

Meera groaned. "Shut up and let's go." She turned to jump off the roof.

Kalrina coughed. "Seeing as I know the way out, shouldn't I be the one in the lead?"

"Fine."

"It's this way." Kalrina walked in the same direction Meera was going and formed a mirror disc. "Well, come on, dearie."

Meera clenched her fists and jumped on her disc. Kalrina floated the disc up towards the dirt ceiling. It got to the point where Meera thought she would smash them into the roof, but she took a sharp turn, making Meera stumble. Somehow, she managed not to fall off the disc. They skirted across the ceiling and followed the curve down towards the river.

Meera thought they were going to take a dip in the river, but Kalrina deposited them beside the massive crate by the river.

"These are the sewers. This will lead us to the surface," Kalrina explained. "Verna must've taken this route to go to the surface."

"Why did you go after her?" Meera asked.

Kalrina opened her mouth to speak but paused for a moment. "I-I had a debt to pay, let's say. When I landed here, one of the dragons nearly ate me whole. It was Verna's mother who sheltered me, and together, we made it down here somehow, but the poor woman was burned, and you saw her fate."

"Wow, I didn't think you had a heart," Meera replied.

Kalrina smirked. "It surfaces on rare occasions. As for the sewers, well, let's say, despite the lack of new human refuse, it's still a shitty place. Be on your guard, and if you see any bubbles in the water, run."

Meera remembered something. "Earlier, you were willing to get eaten by the dragon rather than risk the sewers. Why?"

"The dragons brought their veneous cousins, the Drakasaros, and released them to hunt us down when we started taking shelter down here. One lick of their tongue and you'll suffer a fate worse than death."

"I know," Meera said.

She remembered the description from the Crystal of Drakasaros Venom, which she still had in her Dragon Hoard Belt. One lick from the Drakasaros or Drake would harden your muscles to stone, paralyzing you all over and wreaking your body with excruciating pain.

Meera followed Kalrina into the sewers, and the first thing that hit her was the smell. It took everything Meera had not to throw up. She clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Here." Kalrina handed her a piece of cloth. "We don't need you adding to the filth."

Meera nodded her thanks, and they waded into the scummy water. Another wave of nausea built up in her belly, and she almost lost it. The only thing that saved her was the thought she wasn't actually touching the water.

Unless there were chinks within her armor…

She nearly barfed and inadvertently hit the witch's back.

"Be very still," Kalrina whispered.

Meera looked up, and before them was a massive, fat lizard who stood nearly as tall as the sewer's ceiling.

[Drakasaros – Level 464]