The land was cleared as much as the town could manage, but it was dark and the two managed to get to the treeline without getting shot. The Trickster instantly felt better, breathing in the scents of the forest rather than salt and stone.

"If we keep on walking, we should manage to reach the next town in two days," Magnus said.

"I am but a mere mortal-ish woman, and do need to sleep sometime," the Trickster countered.

"You can sleep when we get there," Magnus said.

"Ugh," was the Trickster's response, but she kept walking.

The leaves on the trees grew noticeably larger the further they walked. Larger, and wetter, as the Trickster complained at length about the third time one slapped her in the face.

"You don't get to complain about this," Magnus said shortly, and the Trickster sighed dramatically.

"Oh, you want to explain why it isn't your fault? You would like to explain yourself? I'm just dying to hear why you did it."

"I'd love to," the Trickster said with dignity," But Cassie has most of that knowledge at the moment."

"How convenient."

"Not really."

The two bickered on and off for two days, until they finally reached the next town.

"So where is it?" the Trickster asked, looking around when Magnus stopped.

"Just ahead," Magnus said, pointing to some bushes. The Trickster peered into them, and found a wooden sign half-buried in vines.

"Marksun Town?"

"It used to say Market Sundays, but I guess they've shortened the name," Magnus said.

"How long has it been since you've been through?"

"I don't know, a hundred years I guess."

Marksun Town, when the two got to the outskirts, was set out very differently to last one they had encountered--they did not just tolerate growth, they embraced it. Instead of gravel or stone, the paths were made of wooden planks embedded in turf. The houses were all wooden, too, and some of the older, taller ones had sprouting leaves at their roofs. Flowers were everywhere, in the turf, in gutters, poking out the sides of walls.

"They're close enough to Bounty that they have to chop down the trees constantly in order to maintain room for themselves, so it makes sense to put it all to use," Magnus said when the Trickster opened her mouth to ask a question.

"Isn't it a bit flammable?" the Trickster asked.

"Not particularly. The wood is nearly all green, if not when they place it, then a couple of months after. Wood doesn't stay dead, here."

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There weren't a lot of people about on the approach to the centre of the city. The people they did see looked unkempt, but healthier than the people of the last town, and seemed happy enough. They walked down a street for about five minutes, and the street noticeably changed: green pathways looked more tended, and houses were lacquered and were less obviously growing. They suddenly came out into a giant, busy market square. The Trickster was assaulted with a cacophony of sound, as she gazed upon the riot of colour and movement.

"Don't get lost," Magnus said, as he moved into the crowd.

"Lost? Why'd you think I would get--wait, where did you go?" The Trickster jumped up and down a few times, trying to see Magnus over the heads of the crowd, then gave up. "Well, sh--"

After cursing for a bit, the Trickster waited hopefully for Magnus to come back while she formulated a plan. The best landmark in any village was the Temple, the Trickster reasoned, and so if Magnus didn't find her in the next minute, it made sense to head to the main one in the town. She looked around. Nearby was a large barter exchange, that gave out coin for goods, and presumably set the general price of goods; a delicious-smelling rotisserie stand, and an apprentice blacksmith selling cutlery.

"Can I help you?" a young woman asked from behind her. The Trickster jumped.

"Oh, yes, please," she said, with a pang of guilt. "Can you direct me to the nearest temple?"

"Of course, right this way," the woman said.

"Oh, you don't need to go out of your way--"

"Nonsense," the woman said, and the Trickster reluctantly followed. The woman led her out of the market square and down some side streets, and the Trickster was just thinking that it was odd that the temple was in such an out-of-the-way place, when the woman turned around.

"Your money or your life," she said, brandishing a dagger.

"Oh," the Trickster said. "Okay, but can you point me in the direction of the Temple afterwards?"

It was a day later that Magnus found the Trickster, sitting in the lost children section of the Temple. Among the toys were dolls depicting the current gods, which the Trickster was playing with.

"I'm going to yell at you for no reason," the Trickster said in a squeaky voice, moving a doll that had long yellow hair and blue buttons for eyes.

"If you do you will poison Axel's birthday cake," said the red-bearded doll.

"I don't care, I'm going to do it anyway!" the yellow-haired doll said.

"What are you, a child?" Magnus said. The Trickster looked up, dropped the dolls, and stood up, brushing herself down.

"You should try it sometime, it is very therapeutic," she said.

"Also you had burnt down Ire's house, he had every right to feel angry at you."

"It was an accident!"

"That I had warned you about."

"And I warned Ire about the birthday cake!"

"In any case, why are you here?" Magnus asked, looking around.

"I got lost."

"And--right, you don't know where I'll be. But why didn't you divine where I was?"

"Why didn't I use magic? I've been cursed!"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "All right. If you promise to be good, I'll un-curse you."

"Now?"

"You promise?"

"Sure," the Trickster said, and felt the oath take.

"All right," Magnus said. The Trickster cautiously looked at the doll in front of her. It waved; She felt no pain.

"Well," the Trickster said cheerfully.

"Let's go before you burn this place down," Magnus said. The Trickster growled something, but abandoned the dolls and followed Magnus out.