Hump drew Fleetfoot to a stop, the horse shuffling impatiently in place, not too keen on the crowds. They’d been moving at a crawl for almost an hour. Now that they were nearing Fort Nordric, the road was choked full of floundering people and a myriad of carts, wagons, horses, and everything else a fortress might need. Off the side of the road, a few big men tried their best to get a wagon out of a ditch without much luck. The wheel was bent out of shape and Hump didn’t see it moving, no matter how much the merchant owner shouted at them.

He rode on past with his own convoy, a few stopping to lend a hand and managing to finally budge the thing. Nisha stuck her head out of the wagon ahead of them, eager to look at everyone and everything. For perhaps the hundredth time, Hump told her to go back inside. Their own convoy might have gotten used to her, but a bunch of strangers on the street seeing a dragon for the first time just didn’t seem like a great idea.

It wasn’t long before they crested the hill ahead. Hump had heard tales of Fort Nordric, but even after all he’d seen in recent years, the sight of it stole his breath away. Along with the rest of the convoy, he stood atop a small hill that overlooked the great fortress, taking in the sights and rumblings of a place bustling with life.

The descriptions had undersold the grandeur and scale. It was no simple fort, but a city packed so tightly full of houses that Hump could hardly see the roads within. It sprawled across both sides of the Golden River, each section of the city fully encircled by imposing walls. Many arched bridges spanned the river’s width, connecting the two sides. Where the south appeared dense with people, the north was clearly military focused. Extra layers of walls had been erected and further fortified with towers. Beyond them, there was nothing but the Fallen Lands.

There, it was a wasteland. Not a tree could be seen beyond the walls—no doubt they’d been felled to remove as much cover as they could for whatever monsters might approach. To the west were mountains, the terrain was rocky and difficult.

As Hump’s gaze drifted over the walls, the glistening dome of the Temple of Sanctum commanded his view. Coated in gold, it seemed to float above the rest of the city, a gold monolith of the gods that watched over all in its shadow. Around the dome, the rest of the temple was a perfect square, with other smaller domes surrounding it, creating a layered effect. Like glittering needles, thin spires rose high into the air from each of the four corners. It was a marvel of architectural ingenuity and one of the few buildings that remained from before the War of the Firmament.

Seagulls cried over the harbours. Despite the dangerous times, the harbours were packed with ships, no doubt bringing supplies to aid the war effort. The city was once a great trading port, connecting the north and south of Alveron. Now, it was a shield against the dungeons that had already claimed so much of the kingdom. To the east was the Twin Serpent Sea, providing the last connection between Alveron and the people of the Northlands, though it was a treacherous voyage.

“And so we return,” Marcela said, leading onward, down the road and toward the gates. “It seems much the same, doesn’t it Len?”

“People, buildings, and most importantly, proper beds,” he answered. “Anything to get off these miserable roads.”

Marcela chuckled.

“I don’t know how you put up with it, Hump,” Len said. “My arse hasn’t stopped hurting.”

Hump fidgeted in his saddle. “It’s all in the trouser padding. You’ve got to stuff them with anything you can find. Makes all the difference.”

“Really?”

Hump laughed and shook his head, getting a few chuckles from the soldiers nearby.

“It’s rich to hear that coming from you,” Celaine said. “You’ve not stopped whining about wanting a bath for two weeks.”

“That’s completely different!” Hump protested.

“How?”

“Ah, Celaine. I’m so glad you asked.” She rolled her eyes but he continued. “You see, a bath speaks of civilisation and refinement. Complaining about a sore arse—now that’s just barbaric.”

“I think I’ve figured it out,” Len said. “Hump’s just full of shit, isn’t he?”

Celaine gave a slow nod and massaged her forehead. “Yep. I thought I’d learned to drown it out, but sometimes I slip up for just a second and this happens.”

Hump glared at her. “Speaking of a pain in the arse—”

She slapped him on the arm.

“Oi! Nisha! Get her! Protect me!”

The little dragon stuck her head out of the wagon curtain and her mouth fell open in excitement as she looked hopelessly between the two of them. Hump sighed as people started to laugh.

We’re really going to have to work on your intimidating presence, he told her.

Food? He sensed her hunger. It was a little past lunch now, but they’d decided to press on. That was before they’d realised just how long the queue would be though.

They entered the streets of Fort Nordric, joining the labyrinth of tall buildings, roadside stalls, and people. The city was a strange collaboration between normal life and the military. Marcela spoke with the guards at a checkpoint, and they were allowed through easily, a minor officer taking it upon himself to guide them to wherever they needed to go.

Ordinary homes and people went about their business, while soldiers marched through the streets and manned checkpoints throughout the city. The history of the city spilled out everywhere, from the opulent decorations on the buildings, to intricate mosaics that adorned temples and estates, and the bricks that were cracked and grey with age.

Yet as the northward walls came into view, Hump saw the damage from the previous assaults everywhere. It was in tatters. He counted half a dozen breaches at a glance, where piles of rubble acted as ramps into the city. Even now, people crawled across them like ants as they worked to repair them. Wooden supports and beams were everywhere. Pulley systems rose piles of stone into the air, while earth wizards and Chosen worked together to repair the damage, their essence shining across the wall in an array of bronze light. Within the walls, the ruins of houses and fortifications remained as scars of past battles, as if a titan had trampled through the streets and left raging fire in its wake.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

As they walked, Hump felt the eyes of guards and soldiers on them. Tired, hard eyes that looked at him just as he would have if he’d seen someone in fancy wizard robes, on a fancy horse, riding into their city at war. To them, he was another pompous noble prick with no experience.

There were mumbles amongst the other soldiers as the bitterness of tired soldiers was directed their way. They hadn’t seen what they had, and for a while, that would create a rift between them.

Soon, they crossed the river to the north side of the fortress, finally coming to an empty courtyard surrounded by dormitory style accommodations. Their guide informed them it was a temporary solution until proper accommodation was prepared.

“You fancy coming to meet my father?” Marcela asked. “He’d be pleased to see you both again.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’d like to see about finding our party,” Hump said.

“I asked our guide before. You’ll need to speak to the Duty Officers we passed on our way in. They’ll have all the information you need. Here.” She took out a piece of paper from her saddlebag and wrote a short letter, signing it with her name. “If you have trouble, show them this.”

“Brilliant,” Hump said.

“I guess we’ll see you in a bit,” Celaine said.

“I’ll have plenty to do here before the day’s end,” Marcela said. “If you need help with accommodation, come find me, otherwise it would be best if we catch up tomorrow. I’ll find out what’s going on from my father and update you on plans going forward. I also expect General Korteg will want to meet you before the expedition, so keep an eye out for an invitation.”

“Will do.”

Nishari jumped out of the wagon behind Hump, looking around at the city with wide eyes.

“Best you keep Nisha close,” Marcela said. “Might be worth pretending you’re a druid or something.”

“You think that will smooth over the fact that I have a dragon with me?” Hump asked, unconvinced.

Marcela laughed. “No, probably not. I suppose on that note, I should write you a second note. Any trouble, call for me.”

They said their goodbyes to the soldiers along with Randall’s party. No doubt they’d be seeing the latter again soon enough.

***

The afternoon was getting on when Hump found the Duty Office and joined the queue inside, leaving their horses tied to a post outside. The crowd gave him and Nishari a wide berth. Between the high-quality equipment and dragon, it seemed people didn’t want to risk getting too close.

“Bloody queues everywhere,” Hump said. “I hate places like this.”

“We only just got here,” Celaine whispered. “And keep your voice down. Everyone’s looking at us already.”

Hump let out a breath. Nisha sniffed at something on the floor. “Don’t lick th... Damn it, Nisha.”

She gave him an innocent look and Celaine snorted.

Ten minutes later and they’d made it to the front. Hump had Nisha sit at his feet, out of sight and out of mind, as they spoke to one of a dozen uniformed officers manning a long row of tables. It was stacked full of papers, and the woman looked anything but pleased to be talking with them.

“What’s it to be?” she asked.

“We’re looking for someone,” Hump said. “Robert Blackthorne.”

“Blackthorne. Blackthorne. I think I recognise it. Give me a mo.” She stepped away from the desk and into a room full of cabinets and papers, returning with a file. “Sir Robert? As in the Frost Knight?”

“The Frost Knight?” Hump repeated. “Sounds like him.”

She gave Hump a quizzical look, clearly noticing the state of his gear. “You new recruits?”

“You could say that. We came here with Marcela Daston’s reinforcements.”

“You won’t be reporting to Sir Robert. Don’t matter who you are. New recruits go to the west wing to get trained on fort rules and regulations.”

Hump reached into his robes and pulled out the silver Adventurer’s Guild medallion, letting it spin on its chain. “Reckon he’ll find a place for us if you could just point us in the right direction.”

Her eyes locked on the medallion. Then flicked down as Nisha stepped out of cover. The woman’s eyes widened. “Ah, that changes things. Apologies, sir. You follow this street up until you reach Northgate. Stay on this side and follow the street to the left. You’ll find a cluster of barracks there—you’re looking for unit six.”

“Unit six. Got it. And they call him the Frost Knight, do they?”

She gave him a suspicious look. “That they do. Held the breach of Crescent Avenue singlehandedly, icing over the gap and forcing back the demons. Why? You know him?”

“You could say that.” A smile spread across Hump’s face. Sounded like Bud had made a bit of a name for himself too, but more importantly, his friend was alive. That was just brilliant.

***

They found the barracks soon enough. It was a rundown, grey group of buildings that looked like it had been far too close to the siege when it struck. The building closest to the walls looked like it had half collapsed and was then fixed up with some basic earth magic, leaving a perfectly smooth section of stone completely unlike the rest of the area.

There was a crowd of soldiers and adventurers in the courtyard outside the barracks, spread out over benches and grasses, chatting, or eating lunch. To one side there was a training area where weathered men and women trained drills. Hump didn’t recognise any of them.

“What you looking at?” a young man called gruffly. He had an apathetic expression as he eyed the two of them. He hefted his spear in a hand and aimed it at Nisha. “And what’s this little beast?”

Celaine stepped toward him. “I’d put that down if I were you,” she growled.

“Don’t care what you’d do, pretty lady. You’ve come to the wrong place if you think that attitude will get you anywhere."

When he didn’t back down immediately, she released a touch of Predator’s Intent. The man’s face went as white as snow. He dropped his spear to the ground with a clatter and stumbled back a step before he’d even realised it.

Seeing the commotion, an older man came over. Salt and pepper hair, and an eye that said he knew what he was doing. “What’s going on here?”

“We’re looking for Robert Blackthorne,” Hump said. “He here?”

“This is the right place for him, yeah. What do you want?”

“We’re party members,” Hump said. “I’m looking for him.”

“That right, is it? Not sure I’ve seen either of you about. You just get here?”

“Fresh off the wagons,” Hump said. He flashed his silver medallion. “If you could just point us to him, we’ll figure out the rest.”

“Yeah. His troop stays in there.” The man pointed toward the rearmost building. “Pretty sure he left this morning though, so you might be waiting a while.”

“Thanks.”

The two men watched them go as they made their way through the courtyard. Hump felt every eye in the place on them.

That’s probably a feeling we’ll need to get used to, he thought. Nothing he could do about it. Nisha couldn’t hide away in a wagon forever. They entered a building. Inside was an empty hallway with a stairway leading upward. To the right was a door with noise coming from inside. They entered, finding a lounging area with a couple of dozen people inside, all of them out of their armour but with weapons nearby.

All eyes turned on them. A few called out, asking who they were and what they wanted. Hump glanced around, caught off guard by the gathering. That’s when a big man stood up near the back. He had rusty-red hair and pale skin, and unlike everyone else there, wore only the simplest of cloth clothing.

“Hey there,” Hump said, grinning.

Dylan grabbed hold of him, crushing him into a bear hug. “You’re alive!” he laughed, releasing him and gripping him by the shoulders. “Good to see you, Hump!”

Hump laughed back. “Just about scraping by, yeah.”

He turned to Celaine, dragging her into a hug too before she could stop him. “Celaine! You’re looking lovely. And Nisha. By all the gods above, you might just be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

She rushed him, almost barrelling him over as she rubbed up against him, her tail wagging so hard Hump thought she might fall over.

He laughed and waved them both over. “Come over and have a seat. I’ll introduce you to people. Bud and Emilia are at the command tent right now, but they’ll be back soon. They are going to be over the moon to see you both!” Dylan clapped his hands excitedly. “It’s going to be a good day after all!”

Hump followed, heart racing, a grin on his face that just wouldn’t fade.