"I can't pay you much for hides or claws. Everyone here hunts. If you want to make money, you need to bring something valuable and rare."

It was the sixth time that Ashwin had heard this kind of thing. The owners of the shops, as well as the merchants from the harbor, repeated the same things, though their words varied from polite language to a mixture of swear words and mockery.

The journey to civilization took almost a month. Unlike his prediction, the hardest ordeals he had to face during those endless days of walking east were neither dangerous predators nor earthquakes. They were something completely unimaginable, something that caught him off guard and what he refused to acknowledge for a fortnight - loneliness.

It wasn't a simple desire to return home or be around people. While on the ninth heaven at first, singing and humming, he made plans for what he would do first when he met humans. Should he thank the gods, cry out in delight, ask about his family, or eat his favorite dish? In fact, any meal cooked with fire would do. Entertained by these thoughts, Ashwin was faring pretty well.

But one by one, small accidents and feelings kept accumulating. Walking through the grasslands, he would dig up tulip bulbs, which Bea would use to make Zaris's favorite mashed dish. The memory of the ape's dish made him want to make a small fire and bake the bulbs. Even without salt or other spices, the food tasted absolutely heavenly when cooked over fire. However, he was worried that the fire could reveal his location to nymphs or other dangerous creatures, so the teen tried to avoid doing it again.

Living without fire, Ashwin tried to take only brief naps, worried that predators might attack him. When possible, he slept in trees. This extreme caution was totally unknown to him. In the settlement, he would sleep comfortably in a hut. During the expedition, one of the monkeys was always standing guard, and even after escaping from imprisonment, it was Scarface's duty to ensure their safety. Suddenly finding himself in a situation where he could only rely on himself turned out not to be as thrilling as Ashwin had first imagined.

'It's alright. I can fight. I trained with Scarface and got enough bruises to learn a few lessons,' thought Ashwin as he waited for the striped predator to pass without attracting its attention. 'At least no one is bothering me with silly talk,' the teen calmed himself, remembering Ngu-gu's endless stories and Zu's tasteless jokes. But the most miserable and sad time of the day was the time when he had his meal. Eating alone turned out to be worse than eating in the company of apes.

Finally, reaching the human settlement, the teen stood there and observed it for a long time. It was not as small as Odd One had made it sound. And not like the pictures of outsiders' shabby hideouts, which books illustrated. Surrounded by an earth wall and a palisade, with several dozen buildings and piers, it was a fully-fledged outpost. Ashwin counted at least eight vessels, ranging from a small boat to trading ships. Guards on the walls were constantly patrolling, and several more checked everyone approaching the gates.

Collecting enough trophies from hunting, Ashwin, to his surprise, easily got past the guards. Along with the permanent residents, most people inside the outpost were visitors from nearby areas and countries within the walls. Different in skin color and the way they dress and talk, this kind of cultural mix can be found only in the Tower's city and Central territory. At least, that's what Ashwin always thought until he came to this outpost.

The constant talking in the background sounded so loud to his ears, that he needed time to simply adjust to it. And receiving another refusal to trade from the merchant, he didn't even feel dejected or want to take a break. The simple ability to speak to another human stirred a strange feeling of joy inside him. The man he was speaking to right now frowned at the teenager. An unexpected smile after a refusal was not something the merchant was accustomed to.

"I don't know what's your deal, but if you don't have anything valuable to trade, then leave. I have other customers, you know."

Ashwin glanced at the small hut, which served as a storage room for the merchant. There were no people around. The man, by the look of his fair skin, shaven face, and necklace going under his shirt, probably containing a cross, was from Theo Anatolia. It would have been better to deal with someone from Ashwin's homeland, but there was little choice. And he needed money. The ships in the harbor were heading to countries inside the walls. Buying a ticket on one of them was essential.

Ashwin took a handful of metal nuts and bolts from the nymph "tower" prepared in advance.

"These are made of high-quality metal. Will they do?"

The merchant squinted his blue eyes and picked up a couple of items.

"I'll need to check them first."

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the man to come out of the hut with a small pouch. Ashwin was confident about the quality of his goods, but he was glad that the deal went smoothly without any problems. After taking the money, he headed directly to the harbor. Now he needed to find a place on a ship. Other matters could wait, considering the fact that it was unlikely that any merchant ships would depart right away.

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The piers were full of people. Most of them were busy loading cargo, food, and water supplies. Unlike in the merchant's areas where his outfit didn't stand out among other outsiders, here, the sailors from the countries within the walls were wearing normal clothes. Ashwin's combination of a yellow dhoti and a sleeveless jacket made from hide caused people to steal curious glances at him. He tried to ignore them as much as possible, concentrating on his task. But it turned out to be not an easy one.

Most of the men carrying heavy sacks on their backs refused to talk to Ashwin. They were busy and simply brushed off his attempts to question them, as if an annoying fly was buzzing around. "I have no time" and "I'm not in charge" were the kindest words he heard from them.

'This is going nowhere.' Pondering what to do, Ashwin flinched when someone patted him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw a young woman from Kean. Her long black hair was braided on both sides, and her black eyes, despite their grim color, were full of cunning joy. She wore a white shirt and brown trousers similar to those worn by other sailors. But unlike them, a saber was attached to her belt, and on her right shoulder sat a honey squirrel. Its ears were pierced with silver earrings just like the woman's.

Ashwin stared at this strange pet and its equally strange owner. Before he could ask anything, she spoke first. "Are you looking for a ride? It's a busy time. Everyone is loading their ships to the brim with goods, which gives them more profit than carrying passengers. You should try again in a month or two."

"Month?" exhaled Ashwin, a single word. His hopes of getting home as soon as possible were shattered like glass. "Is there no other way? I can pay for the ticket."

"Hmm..." the young woman rolled her eyes, pondering Ashwin's proposal. The honey squirrel on her shoulder tugged at the braided hair with its tiny fingers, attracting the attention of its owner. It succeeded - with a honed movement, the Kean woman took a blueberry from a pouch on her belt and gave it to the happy squirrel. All this time, the teen had been staring at her, sighing impatiently. Finally, she returned to the conversation. "I'm not sure. It should be a good payment. Otherwise, the losses will outweigh."

She started to walk past Ashwin, marking it as the end of the conversation. He rushed over and opened the pouch with the money he had received from the merchant. Practically shoving the coins into the young woman's hands, Ashwin pleaded "I need to get on the ship as soon as possible. I don't have much, but if you could give me a ride to Vardana's haven..."

"Fine, fine," agreed the Kean woman, taking the money. "See the ship at the end of the pier? It's "Fenghuang". We will depart this evening. Right now, everyone is busy, so come back later. And don't be late."

"I won't!" exclaimed Ashwin, instantly cheering up. "Thank you, madam!"

"What madam?" the woman's face winced. "I'm barely twenty."

"Huh? I thought you were older, you look at least."

"You cheeky brat," the woman pinched Ashwin's ear. He groaned and covered his ear with a palm. "Who are you calling old?"

Hiding the money in her pocket, the woman walked towards the ship she had previously mentioned. Rubbing her ear, which had turned red, Ashwin followed her for a moment with his gaze, muttering the about not being a brat. But she was already not paying attention to him. Having some free time, the teen returned back to the merchant district, traded his hunting trophies, and had a long, pleasant dinner. Eating the cooked meals, which were bland in taste compared to Vardana's dishes, Ashwin nevertheless greatly enjoyed dinner. He savored each bite and sip, and left the simple bistro, with barrels and crates serving as chairs, when he was full and feeling lazy.

Slowly walking back to the harbor, Ashwin froze when he reached the pier. There was no ship with the name that the woman had said. He looked around each pier, thinking first that he had gotten the wrong one, but without any luck. There was another possibility that he misheard the name of the vessel. The teen started to ask around. Most sailors refused to speak, but he was lucky when a man from Varman answered. However, the answer he received was not what he had expected.

"You are looking for "Fenghuang"? That ship has already left."

"What?! But it's not evening yet and I paid for my ticket!"

The man looked at Ashwin with a grimace. He shook his head, and the dark brown eyes didn't hide pity mixed with disappointment.

"Did you really trust Kean people? How could you just pay someone without checking it first?" reproached he the teen. Ashwin lowered his head, completely lost and confused. This sight softened the man.

"Look, kid, you need to mature. But I feel sorry for you, so I'll take you to Vardana's capital. I was going there anyway," the man raised his hand, stopping Ashwin from expressing gratitude too early. "Not for free. If you help with loading and unloading the cargo and helping on the ship, then we're leaving today. What do you say?"

"I'll say thank you and ask when I start, captain?" eagerly answered Ashwin. Varman man smiled widely and nodded towards the group of wooden crates on the pier. "Right now. See those crates? Start with them."