The sounds of the Howling Forest spilled around me as I sat in just my new leather pants. It was slightly too large around the waist, and I'd remedied that with a leather band. A smooth wooden breastplate and two matching pauldrons lay on my lap, now attached to the leather harness I had bought.

Should have bought some clothing for underneath, I thought as I looked at the ragged shirt I'd worn beneath my old armor. It was as clean as I could get it, mostly dried but covered in bloodstains and holes. With a sigh, I put them on before strapping on my new leather and wood armor. The leather had two premade and two custom-made openings for my arms, and I knew I needed to get a better set. Right now, the expensive Basilwood breastplate looked very out of place.

"Are we staying here for tonight?" Dibidi asked.

He was standing on the left side of the clearing, looking into the forest for anything that might move. Libidi was standing beside the water, drying herself with her skirt. I tried hard to keep my eyes away from her slender, muscular,and foremost, naked shape. Casiron stood on the other side of the pond, sniffing the air like an incredibly large and dangerous hunting dog.

"No. We will move out as soon as we can. I need to talk to my deity."

Dibidi just nodded.

As I looked at him, I wondered if I should tell them that I wasn't talking about Ulderion. After a moment, I shook my head. We were too close to the forest, too close to the caravan, and there was no good reason for it. Not yet.

The leather pants chafed as I moved around to hook the bags back to Casiron, and when we were finally sitting, I promised myself to get some new soft cloth pants to fit below it as soon as I could. Casirow moved out of the forest, which took only a minute, and we were soon rushing away from the Howling Forest, this time hopefully for the last time.

"Right. What do you two know of the land we are heading to?" I asked the two Isirow. I'd planned to ask them before, but between cleaning and fixing my armor, there hadn't been enough time. It was better now than while we were there.

"The road will continue along the forest for a few miles before turning away from it, along the foot of one of the hills. At this pace, we should reach the next town in half a day, just before night."

Who was that? I asked Casiron and got an amused snort as a response together with a name.

"Thanks, Dibidi," I said. "Are there any large cities along the path?"

"Only villages the first few days. The larger cities are further away from the Howling Forest. This close, there is too much of a chance of a demon beast surge."

I nodded and continued asking what I could expect.

Many hours later, my leather pants felt like they had slowly rubbed my leg open, and I was alternating sitting with my legs to one side of Casiron. If I had thought the pants would chafe less if I ran, I'd have long since gotten off and tested my stamina some more.

The sun was sinking behind a hill far ahead of us, and the shadows were lengthening quickly. In a few minutes, the sun would be fully gone, and it would be dark. Although I could easily see in it, the dark was still a dangerous place, and I was tired.

"How much longer till the town?" I asked wearily. As we continued, we'd found the army's tracks, two days old, according to Didibi.

"We should see it after we crest the next hill," Libidi said coldly. She was sitting behind me, and I wondered how she and Dibidi could still be sitting so comfortably after such a long ride.

"Smoke," Casiron said, the one word I'd dreaded.

I'd told him to speak out loud while only the three of us were here. According to the two Isirow, a talking mount would draw a lot of attention. On my question if a dragon mount wouldn't, they had just shrugged.

We hurried further until we reached the top of the hill. Below us lay Lurinon, another fortified town, similar to Lertian. The first official town of the kingdom of Fastris. All that was left were smoking buildings and a destroyed gate.

"No beds for us," Libidi said.

I didn't bother to reply to the cold statement.

"Let's go and see if someone survived," I said, and Casiron moved forward.

We were watchful as we moved closer. We were much farther from the Howling Forest now, and I didn't expect any Riocin to show up, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything else here that could attack us.

Trampled fields surrounded the town, and some crops lay scattered about. It seemed the army had picked the place clean. As we rode into the village, I grit my teeth. Bodies were strung up and nailed to the walls of most buildings, and as with Lertian, no discrimination had been made between men, women, or children.

"They fight like the pale demons of Leralion," Dibidi said as he examined the bodies. I didn't notice any anger or sadness within either of them.

"This happens a lot on Leralion?" I asked as I tried to keep my eyes away from the fly-riddled corpses.

"Yes."

I blinked at the cold, simple statement, then looked around. I heard nothing, no shouts for help or moans. The road we were on quickly led to the small central square and the large building in the center. I wondered for a moment if I should try and find the last message, but I didn't know the gestures even if I found the painting.

"Alright. Search around and see if you can find any survivors," I said as I dismounted. My legs cramped up, and I stamped my feet, stretching them as well as I could.

The Isirow hadn't moved and just looked at me. Both had a minute frown on their faces. I raised an eyebrow as I looked at them.

"What if we find some?" Libidi asked.

"We try and help them," I said, wondering for a moment what she was getting at.

"And what if we find many?" Dibidi asked, his frown deepening.

He is afraid we will be overburdened, I realized. I thought for a moment what would happen if we continued trying to help people in all the towns. We could end up having to bring dozens of people along. Then I imagined leaving wounded people here, perhaps children? I looked around, staring at the horribly mutated guards and townspeople.

"We will help who we can, but I don't expect to find that many people," I finally said. "If we end up finding too many, we will help clear out the closest town and leave them there. Then we can send the others back along our path to that town."

Dibidi's eyebrows raised, and Libidi snorted. But they said nothing and spread out, disappearing through the small alleyways that led away from the main road.

I looked around before deciding to stay put. If there was someone alive, those two would find them, and I had something else to decide. We were a half-day from the forest, and it was time to call Rathica. Should I do so here?

Perhaps your deity can help come up with a better idea for any survivors we find, Casiron said.

Reading my mind again? I muttered, slightly angry.

No, but because I have access to your mindscape, I can feel it if you are upset and a bit of what it is about, Casiron replied. He had laid down, gazing at a wall with mutilated corpses. I don't like this, he said.

Neither do I, I replied.

No. I don't mean the dead here. It is the way they were killed. It is… demonic.

I was quiet as I looked around and couldn't do anything but agree with him. Still, something told me Casiron was alluding to something.

Care to elaborate?

I am not sure yet, Casiron replied. But there is something… familiar about the way the bodies are arranged. Woman, man… children, and again. Almost like a…. Pattern.

I frowned as I examined the bodies more closely, this time ignoring the gruesome nature of it all and taking note of how the bodies were arranged. Casiron was right. There was a pattern to this madness. It almost seemed as if whole families were… the idea of the army forcing people to point out their kind before being killed together almost made me vomit.

Yes. Let me think on it, Casiron said as he fell quiet.

I nodded, then took a deep breath and decided it was time for Rathica. I'd start by seeing if she was paying attention. If need be, I could always make another statue of her.

Rathica, do you hear me? I shouted a few times. There was no reply, which I'd more or less expected.

I was in the midst of carving Rathica's statue, an arms-length one this time, that I hoped to bring along when I heard soft crying. I looked up in shock, almost bungling one of the carving lines.

Libidi found someone, Casiron said. He sounded deeply sad.

Libidi walked out of an alley, a young girl holding her hand. She was probably only nine or ten, and she was sobbing softly, staring at the ground. She was covered in dirt, her once white cloak now filthy, with blood spatters covering everything.

Putting the statue down, I rose and waited for them to reach me.

"I found this one, hiding in a small cavity below the floorboards of an outhouse," Libidi said.

The girl looked up and froze when she saw Casiron. Libidi whispered something, and the girl slowly moved along with her. She hadn't even noticed me yet, her eyes fully on Casiron. I remembered my words from before and suddenly wondered what I would do if all we found were children.

A living nestling… Casiron said, his mental voice filled with deep pain and longing.

Before I could get up and wonder how to calm the small girl, a soft humming filled the death-filled open square. I looked back at Casiron in wonder. The dragon was humming a low, deep, and soothing song. It sounded like the children's songs my nana had sung for me if I'd hurt myself, but there was an abnormal quality to it. The longer I listened to it, the calmer I became.

Soft footsteps echoed across the square, and I turned around to find the girl was moving towards Casiron with wide eyes. She was pulling a frowning Libidi along with her. Although the girl's eyes were still tear-filled, she wasn't sobbing anymore. As she passed by where I sat, her gaze fluttered across me, falling on the small, unfinished carving of Rathica in my lap. Her eyes grew wide and wondrous for a moment. Then she turned back to Casiron and let go of Lbidi, who immediately took a step back, her frown deepening as she looked at the girl while rubbing her leg. There was a bloody handprint on it, small enough to show it was from the girl.

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The little girl looked up at Casiron, who was still much taller than her, even when lying down.

"What are you?" she asked in a high-pitched children's voice.

Casiron stopped humming for a moment to answer before continuing again.

“I am Casiron, a Dracoserp.”

The girl nodded, staring at him as if that answered all her questions. Without asking, she climbed across his front paws and sat down in the crook of his neck.

She will be fine. I'll make her sleep the healing sleep, Casiron said, and again his normally haughty voice was laced with deep pain.

I wanted to ask what he had just done because it felt like magic to me. The thing was, all magic in this world was done with gestures, and he'd done none. But that would have to wait, and I was happy that I didn't have to figure out how to calm a girl that would probably have PTSD for the rest of her life.

"Alright," I said, turning to Libidi. "Well done. See if there are any more. I'll finish this, and then we can get out of here."

Libidi was still gazing at Casiron. She nodded briskly, turned, and moved away again without a word.

I sighed and looked at the statue.

Perhaps Rathica could help with this, I thought as I continued carving the statue.

Dibidi came back empty-handed before I finished but didn't interrupt me, and when I finally finished, Libidi had joined him at the edge of the square.

By now, it was dark, and Casiron had stopped humming. The town was eerily quiet but smelled of blood and filth. I looked at the small statue, then at the town around me, and sighed. This was not a place I'd ever thought I'd create something like this. With a small slice, I completed the carving.

Rathica, I need to speak with you, I shouted mentally.

The small statue wriggled in my hands, and a soft golden glow appeared around it that lit up the small area of the square like a lantern.

Est!

The statue began growing as I felt a soothing, familiar presence surround me. I quickly put it down on a relatively dry spot and stepped back. The statue grew as parts of it changed. Armor started gleaming, hair flowing around the soft flesh, and two piercing black eyes stared into mine above a wide smile. A wary sensation came from Casiron, and I felt him retreat slightly as if he was ready to jump into my mindscape.

"I almost thought you'd forgotten about me," Rathica said, drawing my full attention. Her smile turned to a grin as I felt something gently prodding the barrier around my mindscape. "You've improved again!"

Before I could answer, she sniffed, blinked, then spun around. Ropes shot from the ground where Libidi and Dibidi stood. They both tried to jump back, but the ropes were much faster, and before they could do anything, they were bundled up and being dragged towards us.

"What are you doing?" I asked in surprise. "Those are-"

"Demonic filth from Leralion!" Rathica interrupted me. "What are you doing here!"

The towering deity stomped forward, putting her hand on the side of one of their faces.

"Open your mind to me, or I will break through that flimsy barrier!"

Wait, barrier? I'd been about to interfere, but at Rathica's words, I stopped and looked at the two Isirow in surprise. The only way I knew how one could keep out a deity was with a mindscape. Did they have one? No, that wasn't possible. Casiron had known their names and said he knew the name of anyone that didn't have a mindscape.

"We are not here to harm your Prime," Libidi said. I recognized her from the smudge of blood on her pants.

"I wouldn't know, now would I?" Rathica said, and I felt a wave of annoyance from her. She definitely didn't like not being able to look into other people's minds. I was glad she hadn't acted like this with me.

"We can't do as you ask," Dibidi said, raising its hands in defense. "If we remove the barrier, Ux Disir Lar will find us!" Fear was etched on both their faces.

Who? I asked Rathica in confusion. Besides being unfamiliar, the way they pronounced the name sounded alien, unlike the language I had been using on Kernstalion.

I have no idea, she replied without turning to me. I felt the imminent threat of violence spread from her.

"They could have harmed me but didn't," I said, stepping forward. "Both saved my life at the risk of their own." With a bit of will, I opened my mindscape to Rathica, not something I liked to do, but at least it was my own choice this time. I felt her carefully sift through the last few weeks since I'd last seen her.

"WHAT!" A startled shout came from her as she turned to me, ignoring the wrapped-up Isirow.

I felt her examine the moments that I'd been with Wyerg in minute detail. It took her only a moment, and slowly I felt curiosity, wonder, and surprise disappear to be replaced by a strong sense of urgency.

This is fantastic, IF it is true, Rathica said, her eyes gleaming. Wyerg is right. Nimron and the others are far too powerful right now, and I'm having great difficulty keeping them out of my realm while also searching for more souls from Earth. If we can make a Pantheon, I can finally help Steadfast again.

I frowned.

What is wrong with Steadfast?

Armies from Gramanite are besieging it. Nimron has declared me, my primes, and all my followers abominations, and we are to be exterminated. It is good that you didn't tell anyone who you were, although… a wave of hilarity came from her, as well as a sense of approval that made me suddenly feel really good about myself. Ulderion is going to be fairly angry if he finds out you used his name and sent Linery towards him.

I shrugged. There wasn't much I could do about that.

Will the people at Steadfast hold out? I asked, worrying about those humans we managed to snatch from the hands of the, in my eyes, evil deities.

So far, they are alright. Your people seem to learn quickly, and there were a few military commanders amongst them. Add to this that the armies of Gramanite are scattered, and Steadfast is in the middle of the most dangerous part of the mountains, and everything is alright.

And foo-, I was about to ask.

Enough, Est. You can do nothing from here, and worrying about this won't make anything better. So, focus on getting there first.

Annoyed, I looked at the sky for a moment, holding back. Rathica was right. What was I going to do from over here?

So, are you going to form that Pantheon now? I finally asked.

Rathica was quiet, and the clear connection with her became muddled and muted as she suppressed it.

Probably, but there are more things to a Pantheon than just what that angry old fool told you.

I don't doubt it, I replied. Do you know anything about the war that is raging here?

Rathica sighed, shaking her head. I can't be here long enough for that. All I can sense is that Nimron has a hand in it. The more chaos there is, the more mortals will flock to him, or so he thinks.

I was about to ask some questions, but Rathica shook her head.

Not now, Est. Although we are some distance from the Howling Forest, and Wyerg seems to be creating a distraction, I can't stay here.

What can I do with the mortals I find in the wake of the battle, I said, ignoring her. A slight surprise came from her, and then she burst out in bright laughter.

I do prefer this over my previous incarnation, if only because my Primes aren't groveling all the time! Fine! You want my advice?

Before I could answer, I felt something shoved into my mind, and a ping came from my status.

Although old, that map shows what I know of the surroundings. On them, you will find a mark to a hidden entrance into Boglodon. Those are the ruins of an ancient subterranean empire, and it's not too far from here, just a week deeper into the hills. Although I expect dangerous things might have found shelter in it, the ancient runes of the dwarves protect it.

So there were dwarves, I thought as I quickly summoned my map. A whole swath of the surrounding terrain had been filled in with intricate detail, although there were no towns on it. A skull helmet sat much further northwest of us.

Won't Nimron or the armies find us there? I asked.

Besides me, nobody should remember it. Nimron never bothered with the dwarves or the other elder races, Rathica said with a grin. And without a guiding marker, no mortal, not even a Prime, can find the entrance.

I grinned as I remembered an old book from Earth. It seemed wherever there were dwarves, they loved being below the ground.

You would have liked them, Rathica said, and for a moment, sadness came through our connection. Then it cut off, and she looked at me sternly.

Find that place, clear it, and bring the survivors there. When you do, create another statue of me, and I will make another temple there. The runes will shield my presence from the others, and now that I think about it, we might be able to make a second city there eventually. The caverns beneath those hills reach deep into the earth.

I thought about what she said and was about to ask about the runes when Rathica turned her back on me and looked at the Dracoserp.

"I've not seen a mind like yours in a very, very long time, old lizard," she said as she moved closer. "I thought you had all long since returned to the Primal Chaos."

"Not all of us," Casiron said slowly. "Some hold tight to the chance that we might one day return."

"And how do you think that will happen? The only kin you have left has been tainted by the demons," Rathica said.

Casiron gave no reply, and she shook her head. "No matter. Be careful not to bring Est into any more danger. He is careless enough and doesn't need your kind's notorious knack for trouble."

"I will be careful, deity. I won't risk my first chance in hundreds of years to interact with the world," Casiron replied.

Rathica looked around the village, then turned to the two Isirow.

"I can't read your mind, but you did save Est, so I'll give you one chance. Give me a reason to leave you in Est's presence with the risks it brings?"

Libidi sighed and turned her gaze to her brother. For a moment, they exchanged something in the way I'd seen them do before, then he nodded.

"If you let us be, we will protect Est until we reach those ruins you spoke about. We know of runes, and they may guard us against the old demon's gaze. If it does, we will open our minds so you can inspect us. Until then, we are... willing to follow you."

Rathica nodded, a content smile on her face. "Good." She stepped forward and put a hand on both of their heads. It glowed for a moment, and then she raised her eyebrow.

"I Di'Tes'Bidi will follow you of my own free will," Dibidi said.

"I Li'Aus'Bidi will follow you of my own free will," Libidi echoed at the same time.

I stared in wonder at the odd ritual, something completely different from when Haltir and Laurel became followers of Rathica.

That is because they aren't true followers, Rathica said. It is more of a pact that I can enforce if needed.

I sighed as I realized that she was reading my mind again. Perhaps I shouldn't have let her into my mindscape this quickly.

Don't worry so much, Est, Rathica said as she stepped back from the two Isirow. I know you don't like it when I invade your privacy, as you call it, but it is far more efficient like this.

I didn't reply but instead focused on the two Isirow. The ropes had fallen to the ground, turning to dust.

"Are you two alright?" I asked.

"We are fine. Didn't you say your deity was a tree-thing called Ulderion?" Libidi said coolly.

I shrugged. "It's better to keep that between the three of us."

"We won't tell anyone," Dibidi interjected as he stepped beside Libidi. "I think it might be wise to leave here. This isn't a good place to spend the night."

"They are right," Rathica said as she turned towards me. "I know you wanted to bring this statue so you could quickly communicate, but that isn't safe. With how long I've been here, Nimron will be on the way, so I'll use this vessel to have some fun with him. Leave and head to the old dwarven empire of Boglodon."

Rathica turned to the gate of the building and began walking away.

Be careful around those two, Est. Their kind was tainted by Primal Demons long ago, and I sense… something on them. Something familiar. If I hadn't seen them save you in your memories, I'd never let them live.

I swallowed at the coldness of Rathica's words, then felt a wave of comfort from her. I looked around the square, then at the two Isirow, then to Rathica as she exited the town and disappeared around the corner. A moment later, she was gone, and all I heard was the sound of thunderous footsteps running away to the east.

Things can never be easy, can they? I asked.