As I swayed on my feet, I saw a balding, bearded man with a sturdy physique step from between the line of soldiers. He cradled a massive sword in his arms, but from the sheer size of his hands, I doubted it was because he couldn't lift it any other way.

"Who are you?" the man asked, curiosity lacing his gritty voice.

I'd thought up an answer to that before and looked at him while fighting back a weary sigh. "I'm the one they call the Fearless four-armed Prime," I said, shocked by how exhausted and cracked my voice came out.

The surrounding guards gasped, and some of the swords were lowered, which suited me just fine. Whispers and mutters sounded, and I picked up the word Cinderage. Being associated with that monster made my hair stand on end, but I guessed it made sense. The leader just blinked, seeming unimpressed by both my title and the possible connection to the evil blazing deity.

"A Prime? We can check that easily enough. Disarm him," the man said.

I sighed as three soldiers moved closer, their eyes on my ax. I shrugged and dropped it, then looked at the nearest guard.

"Make sure you bring that back," I said. "It's somewhat special."

The soldier swallowed, looked around as if for help, then nodded. "Will do, Prime," he muttered.

I cast him a grateful, weary smile, then turned to the leader. "Now, can we get out of here? I'm tired, hungry, and wounded."

The leader gazed at me, his steel-gray eyes cold and calculating. Then, after a moment, he turned his gaze to Libidi.

"What is wrong with her?"

"She's a new Prime," I lied without a hitch. "That spell just now caused a great deal of stress on her."

This time the leader's face turned slack as he gazed at Libidi. The hushed murmur grew in intensity, and I heard someone mutter something about even more Primes coming to save them.

More? I thought, and my worry grew slightly. With my luck, I had found where Preyatar was hiding some of his Primes.

"Follow me," the leader finally said before turning around and slowly stepping away.

The soldiers split apart, leaving a path for me. I could barely keep my eyes open as I stumbled after the broad and armored back of the leader, taking the occasional bleary glance around.

Behind the curious guards, I saw that the buildings were squarish at the bottom with rounded roofs. The windows and door frames were the same, and I was amazed to see wooden doors and window shutters. There were small holes in the doors and windows, shaped like flowers, and as I stumbled after the lead soldier, I saw eyes glimpse through them.

At some point during my struggled march, my status window began pinging. First infrequent, but as we made our way through the city, more and more. I had a good idea what they were signaling but couldn't bring up the energy to look.

Ten minutes later, the lead guard was still stomping forward, and I wondered how he would react if I sat down and went to sleep. A change in the thudding of his foot made me lift my heavy head. Ahead of us was a building illuminated by dozens of lit lanterns. Higher up, narrow, beautiful curved, and arched towers reached between a massive blue-tiled roof. A rounded staircase led up to a gate with two stone statues flanking it.

Please tell me we don't have to walk up? I thought as I warily eyed the staircase.

I groaned when the soldier ahead of me began climbing.

It took whatever I had left of energy to struggle up after him, and when I reached the top, I was swaying. As my legs cramped up, I began to fall backward, and my first thought was I was going to wake up with a headache. Then a hand pushed me slightly, keeping me from falling, and I looked aside to see a chisel-jawed female soldier frown at me worriedly.

"Thanks," I croaked.

She just nodded and motioned me to continue before wiping her hand on her leg armor. I saw a smear of blood appear and wanted to laugh. Too bad I didn't have the energy. I did as she said, moving forward without the energy to lift my head and just staring at the gray, gritty stone tiles. A few steps later, we entered the building, and they turned into a beautiful pattern of beige, yellow and orange stones, cut in cloud-like patterns.

The patterns swirled before my eyes, and I almost felt like I was sleepwalking as I stumbled forward. A short shout woke me, and I looked up, trying to figure out what the question had been.

Ahead of me was a ten-foot-high elevation with two thrones. A man with a green beard and lush black, greenish hair sat atop an impressive metal inlaid stone chair, staring at me. Behind his throne stood a small, black-haired man in a long grey robe. He was looking at me with eyes that glowed silvery for a moment. A pair of knights or paladins stood to the side of the platform, each wielding a massive square shield and a short sword. The king-like man frowned at me before scraping his throat.

"Who are you?" he asked, and I realized that was what he had asked before.

"A very tired Prime," I croaked. "Wounded and about to drop to the ground," I added as he raised his eyebrows.

His frown deepened, and he glanced at the robed man beside him, whose eyes hadn't left me.

"He speaks the truth," the man said in a smooth, silky voice.

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, how about I find a place to rest? Unless you want me to sleep right here?" I said.

Deep inside, I knew it wasn't smart to antagonize the leader of a besieged city that I had entered in the dead of night while bringing a host of enemies to his gate. But the combination of a migraine, weariness, hunger, and a body so riddled with wounds that I barely knew if there was a square inch of unharmed flesh, made me cranky. Very cranky.

"And do you have a name?" the king, or whatever it was, asked.

"You can call me Brew. Others call me Fearless four-armed Prime," I said, trying to keep my legs from buckling and swaying. "Or rot-bane," I snapped when I saw his mouth open as if to ask more questions.

The man's mouth snapped shut, and his eyes narrowed.

"He tells the truth," the oily-voiced truthteller said.

The king, or whatever he was, didn't seem to care. His face was warped with anger, and he seemed about to speak -likely to tell the guards to throw in the jail- when loud stomping footsteps came from behind me, and his gaze snapped up.

"I would suggest you don't antagonize him," a deep, rumbling, and very familiar voice said. "As beaten up as he looks, he could probably bring this entire building down on your head!"

Someone strode beside me, and I looked up to see Bastian, a slight scowl on his lips and with glittering eyes, staring at the thrones.

"Cityholder Lamuire, I know this prime, and he is my friend," Bastian rumbled as he glared at the Cityholder. "Now, he needs to be debriefed by Captain Gaudalin. After that, some healing, cleaning, food, and sleep, I'm sure you can entertain him at a later time!"

Bastian snapped an impressive salute before turning around with an arm below mine and guiding me away. I managed to catch the Cityholder, his face like he had swallowed poo, glare after us.

"Prime Bastian," Lauimre snapped from behind us. "Tell the Blade Queen that I wish to see this Prime no later than tomorrow morning!'

"Yes, Cityholder," Bastian said, such obvious annoyance in his voice that I worried we'd both be thrown in jail.

As he almost carried me away, Bastian's face slowly changed from a cold hard stare into a grin as he looked down at me. "I didn't think you would make it here this fast," he whispered. "But I'm glad you made it!"

I gaped at him, and slowly the grin on his face turned ugly.

"You are not here because of my request, right?" he muttered as we moved into a poorly illuminated corridor.

"How about you let me heal and clean up first," I said as I saw the lights at the end of the hallway begin to spin around oddly. "And perhaps some sleep," I muttered as I finally felt my legs buckle. Somehow, having Bastian beside me removed the last fear and anxiety keeping me on my feet.

"Hey, are you-"

I didn't hear the rest of what Bastian said as my mind slipped into a sleep-induced coma.

--

I dreamt of Earth, a confusing dream. I flew with a drone-cab through downtown, heading towards a restaurant and a date- presumably with Eliandra. Blurry buildings passed by, some I vaguely knew shouldn't be there, but that was fine as I also knew I was dreaming. Somehow the restaurant we arrived at looked like my old apartment, and when the door opened, a furry-faced, golden-eyed, and broad-shouldered man opened the door. He was wearing a well-fitting suit and nodded curtly. The next thing I knew, I was brought towards a table. Eliandra sat there, but in her new body, and she was wearing a full plate mail with a shield on her back and wounds covering her face.

Everything turned blurry, images of eating and then some small talk. After an undefinable period of time the music picked up, and a stage appeared that hadn't been there before. Or had it? A rustle came from the black draperies, and a second later, a scantily clad Lidibi strolled on stage and looked at me, opening her mouth-

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"Wake up!'

My eyes shot open as something prodded my shoulder, and I saw Libidi's cold eyes examine me. Then she stepped back.

"Get up. There's food, a shower, and clean clothes here. You need all of those. Some dangerous-looking woman is prowling in the hallway to see you," she said. "And I don't know how much longer Bastian can keep her out."

I blinked, the odd dream rapidly dissipating as I looked around the large and cluttered room. I was on a massive bed, easily big enough for three ordinary people, covered by nothing but an old white sheet. Scabs and white bandages covered almost every inch of my body, and as I struggled to sit up, I felt more tighten around my chest and back.

Libidi stood near the door wearing a gray and black tunic that seemed meant for a soldier. Her face and hands had minor wounds on them, but besides that, she seemed fine. Unfortunately, the tunic didn't fit very well, too tight around the waist and baggie around the hips and chest, as if it was made for an unreasonably curvy woman.

"Dammit, Bastian! I've even given you the clothes you asked for! How long can that guy remain asleep? By The Stone, he is a Prime!"

I blinked as I looked at the door behind which a woman's shouts came. I didn't hear the reply, but after a second, there was a loud, angry outburst.

"Fine! I'll not use The Stone's name lightly in the future. Now let me into that bloody room! I'll wake him myself! We need to know what those Ellison pieces of shit have out there!'

I couldn't back the wide grin and slowly got up to look around. There was a large dinner table to the side with food on it and a large, double shower on the other side. A chair was covered in an assortment of clothing, and next to it lay what were likely the remains of my own destroyed leather gear. To my surprise, my belt and ax lay neatly cleaned to the side. A massive, wide-open chest stood opposite it, and I saw a clutter of clothes, paper, and items inside.

Food or shower, I thought as I stretched. Scabs yanked loose, and I felt an infernal itch between my shoulder blades that signed it for me. Pulling the white sheet with me, I moved towards the shower.

Ten minutes of relishing the hot water later, I stepped out, using the same sheet to dry myself while trying hard to ignore Libidi's eyes that seemed to be roaming my body.

Starting to understand what Elisandra was going on about, I thought as I realized I was too annoyed to even become flustered.

"The shower has been going for half an hour now!" an angry shout exaggerated from outside. "Get out of my way, or, or-" the voice stopped, and suddenly my eyes widened as I heard a startled shout from Bastian.

The door at the back of the room was shoved open, and a woman jumped inside before slamming the door shut behind her. Something heavy slammed into it, and she was pushed back, together with the door, the latch, and one of the hinges that scattered across the floor. The door hung crookedly in the frame.

Bastian stormed inside an enraged look on his face and a long thin slice on his cheek.

"You attacked me," he roared as his fists opened and closed beside his side while he stopped a step away from her.

The sight was hilarious. Bastian was easily eight-foot-tall, while the woman was perhaps five, making it look like a father ready to chastise an unruly daughter.

"It's your fault!" the woman snapped as she straightened up and placed a beautifully curved blade into a scabbard by her side.

Without another look at Bastian, she swirled around, and two beautiful, long-laced gray eyes scanned the room before focusing on me.

"You!" she snapped as she stomped forward.

Holding my white sheet around my waist, I gazed at this tiny hurricane rush towards me, not sure what to do. Three steps before she would reach me, Libidi's back blurred in front of me, moving so fast it was almost as if she had teleported into between us.

"What? Who are you? That other Prime?" the woman snapped as she stopped, a hand on her hilt. "When did you wake up?"

There was no response, and suddenly I smelled the still warm food on the table beside me.

You know what? Fuck you all, I thought as I turned to the table and sat down. To hell with getting dressed. I could do that later. More important was the origin of this delicious smell. I lifted a piece of cloth from a basket and whistled as I saw a large chunk of steaming bread.

"Answer me," the woman snapped. "Tell me everything you saw while moving through that camp! Each little detail, no matter how small!"

"Bastian, you want some food?" I said, ignoring the woman who was now glaring at Libidi.

A sniff was followed by a dull laugh. "Just had some, but I can always stuff some more inside. Any meat there?" Bastian asked as he moved around the room, marking a large circle around the two women.

A deadly quiet ran through the room. Then the woman tried to step around Libidi while glaring at me. Libidi stepped into her path again, and a silly sidestepping match commenced, punctuated with curses and outbursts, all of which I largely ignored.

I began plucking off the coverings of the plates and baskets until I found a stone container in which lay what looked like chicken wings.

"Found some," I said.

Bastian laughed as he sat down and grabbed a plate. A moment later, we were chewing through what was probably a meal for ten. Well, I was. My stomach felt like it was a bottomless pit, and every time I shoved more food on my plate, I was sure it would be the last time. Instead, I kept finishing plate after plate as Bastian chewed on some meat and looked on, his eyebrows rising higher and higher with each plate.

At some point, I decided to continue until I was full, only wondering where the food was going. A quick touch on my stomach showed no massive bulge, which I almost expected.

When I finally grabbed one of the last pieces of meat, Bastian shook his head and shoved his plate towards me, which I promptly pulled towards me.

"I've never seen anybody eat like that," he said as he shook his head.

"Me neither," I said, leaning back and putting two arms behind my head and the others angled behind the chair, feeling some false air bubble up.

A second later, I let rip a massive burp that rumbled a bit longer than I thought was necessary, at which moment the room fell quiet.

Bastian looked, blinked, then began laughing. At first, it started reasonably, but with one more look at me, he seemed to lose himself, at which point tears poured out of his eyes as his laughter turned slightly insane. Still, I heard the intense pain in it.

I grimaced sadly and shook my head as I saw the tension leave his shoulders. The last time we had been in a rush constantly, and I hadn't had the time to speak to him quietly yet. Now, no matter what, I needed to get him a drink later and ask about his daughter. Something told me he was eating up inside.

The small woman was just standing there, a look of utter disbelief on her face.

"You two… bloody Primes," she muttered. "Don't you realize in what position we are?" she snapped. "There is a bloody army of Hellhounds, demons, and the Stone knows what in front of this city, and we have no information on what is happening inland! Three armies are currently murdering their way through our whole country, and you two... you two.."

By now, my smile had faded as I gazed at her, but she didn't notice. She snarled a mouthfull of pretty white teeth bare. Then she swirled away and began pacing through the room, stomping the ground as she cursed in a way I'd not heard since… well, perhaps forever?

I sighed and shared a look with Bastian, who by now had calmed down. He gave me a half-smile before waving towards the clothes on the chair.

"Better get dressed," he rumbled.

I nodded and moved to the clothes, keeping my back towards them as I slipped into the tunic. Staring at the pants, I knew I was either going to have to try and put them on below the sheet or drop the sheet.

Fuck this shit, I thought as I dropped the sheet, grabbed the thin white undergarments, and jammed my legs in. I didn't look to see if someone was checking me out. Instead, I just continued until I had everything but my boots on. Then I gripped my ax, flung it in the air, and gripped it with two fists, giving it a good squeeze.

Turning around, I saw the short woman squint at me while Libidi was just unabashedly checking me out before giving me a nod that seemed to say she approved.

Yeah, whatever, I thought as I turned to Bastian.

"So, who is she?" I asked.

Bastian smirked as he got up.

"I'm Captain Gaudalin Dasmin," the woman said as she stepped forward, hands on her hips. "And you're Est, Prime of Rathica." A sly, knowing smile played around her lips.

I slowly lowered my ax as I quietly stared at her, waiting until her smile faded. Then I turned an inquiring gaze at Bastian, who shrugged.

"I didn't tell her," he said. "I've got no idea how she found out, but after I sent a message to you, she came to find me and began bugging me with questions."

I frowned. "I didn't get a message."

Bastian shrugged and got up to stand beside me. "It's not guaranteed to work, but usually there are some Croalich survivor networks everywhere. Unless you haven't been back to any city yet?"

What is it with these Croalich people everywhere? I thought while shaking my head. "Not since we last saw each other."

"Well, that would be why," he said. "I'll cancel the request later today."

"So, what did you want?" I asked, curious why someone like Bastian would need my help with anything.

"I need you to get me something from the library."

I blinked, then shook my head. "All of the-"

"Entrances have been closed. I know, I know. But it's important, and I'm having trouble contacting the Stone. I was wondering…" his voice tapered off as I shook my head. "You can't contact her either?" Bastian asked.

"Not just that," I said as I thought where to even begin. Then I remembered that Gaudalin was still here and looked to find her casually inspecting us. When she saw me look at her, she shrugged.

"Well, if you can't help him, help me. I need all the information of that camp you two crossed through that you can give me."

Right, that is probably not unwise, I thought as I recalled the demons and specifics we had seen. I didn't know what to tell her besides that, though, and after a second, I turned to Libidi.

"You know this better than I do. Can you go with her and answer any questions?"

Libidi looked at me emotionlessly, her eyes sparkling dangerously for a moment, then she nodded.

"No, no. I want both of you to tell me! One of you might have forgotten something important," Gaudalin said.

"I don't forget things," Libidi said coldly, staring at Gaudalin with her frosty eyes. Then she turned to me, and I saw a quick glimmer in her eyes before she nodded. "I'll go with her and find you after we finish."

I nodded and turned to Gaudalin with a raised eyebrow. She sighed, then shook her head.

"Fine. But I expect you to come and talk to me as soon as you are done! I didn't get that old fool off your back just out of the goodness of my heart!" she said. Then she twirled around and walked towards the door, sashaying slightly, which seemed both unnecessary and ridiculous at the same time.

Libidi followed her, closing the door.

"Right," I said as I moved back to the chair, looked at it, and then began pacing through the room, stretching my arms and gauging how wounded I still was. "How about you tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Bastian sighed and leaned back in the chair that creaked dangerously under his massive weight. "I don't know what 'the hell' is, but that is going to take a while."

"Fire away," I said, ignoring his surprised look.

He nodded and got up. "Fine, but let's not do it here. The chances of being interrupted by someone are too big, and I've about had it with these self-entitled fools."

I grinned, got up, and quickly put my boots and wooden chest plate on before following him to the door. "Not interested in talking with Gaudalin anymore?"

Bastian shook his head as he cast me a worried glance. "Gaudalin isn't the problem. Also, don't let her act fool you. She is as sharp as her sword and probably the most dangerous non-prime I've ever met."

I was about to make a crude joke when he shook his head and put a finger to his lips. At the same time, his eyes flicked to a spot at the back of the room. Holding my tongue, I followed him out of the room.

Somehow, this is not going as I'd envisioned it, I thought as I followed Bastian through the corridors.

Bastian led us through the castle, and I quickly realized we weren't taking the regular routes. Simple dressed people were running around with plates, flagons of drink, and other things, and at one point, we moved through a massive kitchen. Six cooks were laying the finishing touches to an enormous breakfast, but all we got were some covert glances as we passed. When we finally exited the castle, it was through a nondescript side entrance between a stall filled with cindermares and onto a sandy courtyard. The sun was hidden behind a steel grey sky but seemed high enough to almost indicate noon.

An eight-foot-tall stone wall stood before us, and to the left was a part of the main entrance through which I'd entered the night before. Bastian moved the other way along the wall that ended up a small gate with a single guard. The man looked old enough to be retired with a receding gray hairline and a thick stubble beard across a wrinkled, spotted face. Still, his creepy blood-red eyes sparkled as they flashed from Bastian to me before stepping aside.

"Jaip," Bastian muttered as he pulled open the gate giving the guard a node.

"Bring me something to eat when you come back?" Jaip asked, his voice as old and cracked as the teeth he showed with a wide smile.

"Sure," Bastian said. "Same as before?"

"Course!" the old man said, snippy. "What else?"

Bastian grinned, but as I followed him through and he closed the gate, I saw his grin fade rapidly.

There's a lot of things going on here, I thought as I followed him, away from the part of the city we had come in through. And I don't know if I want to get mixed into all of it.