A distant glow of a way lantern next to a road sign illuminated the hill top. Nidian stared at it intensely as he came to a halt. Ae was at the peak, waving him to follow. He climbed up the stone steps and looked over into the cauldron the small hamlet rested in, there was an archway and a sign. "Nomad's Haven."

  He was ready to rip his hair out. "This isn't Krygar!! This is Nomad's Haven! You lied to me you liar! I told you I didn't want to come here!"

  Ae didn't stop, or skip a beat, "No I didn't. We're going to Krygar, just making a stop in Nomad's Haven. I'm tired and want to sleep so we're stopping at the inn." She innocently replied.

  Nidian balled up his fists, taking a handful of hair in each one. "That's the one you wanted to drag me to in the first place!" He grunted.

  She threw her head over her shoulder and smirked, "Funny how things work out sometimes isn't it."

  Nidian was fuming like a bull ready to charge. "I know what you're doing! It's not cool!"

  Ae had to seal her lips and swallow the laugh that tried to break free. His reactions were so funny. It was wrong maybe to taunt the traumatized boy but he certainly didn't make it easy to hold back. "Calm down before your feathers fall out kid I'm still taking you there, honest. I just genuinely need rest. I haven't slept in three days, I'm starved, you need a new set of clothes and an actual meal. Just trust me ok? I'm not the bad guy here. I didn't eat your heart right? I saved you twice, offered you a place to rest. I think it's safe to trust me just a little."

  Nidian had to exhale the built up steam ready to blow. She was right. She really had been more generous than even some of his neighbors, and she was a total stranger. "You're right I'm sorry... Food and a nap does sound nice."

  "That's more like it." She smiled before gesturing him forward, "Come on now."

  Nidian watched as Ae quickly began traversing the muddy decline full of rocks and exposed roots. Only a few patches of grass made safe footholds in the sludge created by mountain runoff. He gingerly tread after her. Twice in the first half he slipped and muddied his clothes even further. Once at the bottom he laid eyes on a few trade shops, alchemy and travel gear, ration supplies, the popular stops in a travelers town. All surely closed at the hour they were arriving. But not far down the road was a larger building with candles burning on the inside. He walked down the road slowly, taking in the layout. Ae stayed behind and crossed her arms watching the boy curiously look about. He came to the center of town, which had a large tree with a flower bed surrounding it, a platform for town meetings in front of it made of stone. To the left was that lit building. The large copper encrusted sign proudly declaring-

  "Torrel's Tavern is what that says in case you can't read." Ae chuckled as she read it right next to the distracted man.

  "Agh! Do NOT do that! My heart cannot take more startling right now alright?!" Nidian protested as he held his hand to his chest trying to not yell.

  Ae looked at him with false pity, shaking her head before stepping ahead.

  "Not even going to say sorry?" He gestured toward her with a hand as if reaching out to take one when she responded.

  "You scare too easily, all it does is make me want to do it more." She whipped around and cockily stepped backwards, "I love the smell of fear, so better get used to it."

  "So is that a no?" He pressed.

  "You really need me to answer that?" His question was dropped at his feet without remorse as the woman walked toward the door of the establishment.

  He was dumbfounded, she was such an odd character, he couldn't make out anything about her. The kind deeds, sarcasm, taunting and bullying; it made it utterly impossible to read.

  "Well? Gonna come inside and let me hook you up with a drink? You know you need one." She called over before climbing the small set of stairs onto the porch.

  "And now she's nice again." Nidian muttered under his breath as he followed, Ae holding the door for him as he reached the porch. Upon entering he was met with the delectable smell of a variety of home cooked dishes, few patrons were awake and or inside the spacious dining area before them. High ceilings with decorated wooden rafters dotted with dangling lanterns, a central fire with plenty of seats around it. A small platform for anyone brave enough to play a lute in front of a ton of inebriated brutes. A ginger haired man with neat braids flowing back like converging streams wearing elegant brown furs stood washing a tankard over at a bar. His brilliant hazel eyes had set on them the moment they walked in the door. Nidian stuck beside Ae as she approached him.

  "Ahh the legend returns! The unmatched and undefeated Ae, you look-"

  "Not now Torrel." She cut him off before he got to the compliments on her looks.

  Nidian awkwardly smiled. So that was Torrel. Not what he had pictured for a Maverick town inn keeper. The man dressed like he ran with the upper ring nobles of Hoharo.

  He scoffed and set the tankard down before beginning to make some sort of cocktail with various expensive looking alcohols and ingredients.

  "I was gonna say you look a little rough around the edges, and I'd be blind if I didn't ask who this fella is."

  He popped the cork on another bottle after flipping it cockily, shifting his attention to Nidian as he topped off the drink, sliding it to Ae who caught it without even looking toward it. Torrel dusted his brutish hands off on a towel before walking to the nervous boy, carrying a second mug in one hand, sticking his other out.

  "Torrel, Torrel Meiren, and who might you be lad?" He chirped.

  Nidian reached up slowly, his hand caked with blood and soot, "Nidian...Tallow." He shyly answered. The man's smile cracked even wider before savagely grasping and shaking. His whole arm felt like it was being dislocated as the overly enthusiastic man jerked it about. A dazed Nidian not having time to prepare for the aggressive introduction.

  He let go after giving Nidian just enough time to register the pain he was in, noticing the dried grime transferred to his own hand.

  "What happened to you? You try to take Ae on or something?" He bellowed and a few gazes fell on the disgruntled boy.

  Ae set her cup down and wiped her lips, "Torrel, we need to talk in the back a moment if that's alright. And you might want to fix a drink for yourself afterwards."

  Torrel saw the empty gaze Nidian gave to his question, his hand gingerly comforting the just about mangled one. The tensity of Ae's tone meant it was no laughing matter. He cleared his throat and wiped his hand again on the towel before putting his hand on Nidian's shoulder, ushering him toward a room behind the counter.

  "Right this way kiddo, it's going to be alright, sorry to try at humor at such a poor time, forgive me."

  Nidian silently went with the two into what seemed to be Torrel's quarters, a ledger for accounting and multiple wardrobes and nice pieces of furniture filling the room and a large bed on the far end. Ae leaned against the wall, arms folded, and legs crossed. Nidian sat in a chair not far from her as Torrel closed the door and ushered him into it.

  "Have a seat boy." He softly said before standing to the side of the furniture.

  "Alright Ae, what's going on..?" He asked, head tilted as he mulled over the possible causes for their arrival in his mind. "He's got the city look about em. Did the Dusk Wolves attack another Kordhan merchant in this neck of the woods?"

  "Hoharo is gone." Nidian croaked, trying to keep it all together as the question was posed. Torrel silently replied with a skewed look, "I beg your pardon?"

  He shifted forward in the chair and stared at the ground. "You heard me. It's gone, burned to the ground. Dragons destroyed it."

  Torrel scoffed, this wasn't funny. "Ae I didn't take you for the kind to participate in pranks."

  Ae left the wall to back Nidian up but the boy stood up and looked directly at the innkeeper. "Do I look like part of a prank to you? I'm burned, covered in blood and Navi knows what else. The city is gone, I might be the only one left... I'm just trying to get to Cebria or Krygar, I don't care what city, anywhere but here!"

  He had to choke down another burst of laughter. The kid couldn't be serious, and if he was he was insane. Still he couldn't help but entertain the situation.

  "So dragons huh? You sure Ae didn't smack you over the head at somepoint?"

  "I don't know if it's just normal for Maverick's to find people's misery funny, but I watched people burn, a man was eaten alive as one swooped from the red skies ablaze from our entire city being reduced to smoulders! I lost the only I had!" He looked at Ae to see if she was just going to sit there. The look he got was far worse. Every muscle on her body had gone stiff, her eyes were boring holes into his. She looked disturbed by his story telling. Her weight had shifted forward during it. A drastic change in demeanor from her overconfident norm.

  It couldn't have been any less real. And I have my guess as to what they were. Throughout history beasts of fire and death seemingly arose from nowhere. And the aftermath was the disappearance of nations, the fall of empires. And now I'm starting to think history has decided to repeat itself again. Why Naviirah would forsake us I'll never understand." Nidian glowered at the man, gritting his teeth.

  Torrel had to roll his shoulders and tuck his arms against himself tighter as the wave of discomfort overcame his condescending attitude. "Kid, that's some fun fairy tale stuff, but you can't expect me to take some city boy ranting about the end of the world at face value. Does Ae know you're all worked up over this nonsens-"

  "Enough Torrel. He's right." Ae snapped. The room went silent before the two men could get into it. Both looking at the woman baffled. She slowly stepped forward over to them, the candlelight illuminating her face better. She towered over Torrel and Nidian, putting herself between them.

  "I beg your pardon Ae? You too? You better have a damn good explanation for playing into this. I can't have two loons I gotta care for."

  Ae's brows sank to their lowest point. "Call him or I a loon again and I will slap you so damn hard you'll be sipping soup for a month. This hostility isn't like you and I don't appreciate it. Do I make myself clear."

  Nidian watched as Torrel went pale, something told him Ae had never spoken to him like that before. The burly man nodded and sat down in the chair Nidian had vacated. He ran a hand through his hair. "You're right Ae I apologize, I owe you one as well lad. Just have had my share of stories from folk lately. It's been getting on my nerves. Seems the whole world is going mad. Dragon sightings, talk of crazed loons babbling about cults. End of the world. I've just reached my limit. Dawnbrooke had dozens flocking here for refuge saying they saw giant monsters in the sky."

  Ae scoffed, "I'm sure Balak was fond of that."

  Torrel cracked a small smile, "Aye that he was not. We just all assumed they were going crazy."

  Ae gently gestured to the bedside next to her as she looked at Nidian's somber posture. "Sit Nidian" She softly instructed. He did as she asked and held his hands in his lap.

  "They weren't, and neither is Nidian. I saw it with my own eyes. You know how twenty years ago Daemora lost all trade and courier response from Brutennia?"

  The man gazed skeptically, "Yeah? I remember the news when I was a wee lad. It all just suddenly stopped. No declaration of war or tensions. The Kordhan just said there was no longer commerce being sent out. And they never said another word."

  "That's cause it all was consumed and overtaken by dragons. They wiped out Brutennia. It's gone." Ae asserted.

  The innkeeper leaned forward and put his hands together, tilting his head, "Pardon my skepticism but where did you find this out exactly? These same fabled records Nidian has spoken of?"

  Ae went stone-faced. Torrel and Nidian impatiently waited as the ominous shadow of anticipation weighed on them. "I was there Torrel. I was there and I escaped. Why do you think I was found washed up on a beach. They destroyed everything man had built. Cities razed, man slain and devoured like lesser animals. And now their reign of terror has befallen Daemora."

  "Why didn't you think to tell me you knew about the end of the world beginning twenty years ago again exactly?" Torrel accosted.

  "Because I didn't know for twenty years Torrel, just until four years ago I had no memory of anything. After Ferren helped me it all came back. Frankly I chose to not believe it. And even if I had, and I had told you? You'd be accusing me of being insane just like you did Nidian." Sorry I decided to play it safe."

  "So what are we supposed to do then? Just wait to die?" Torrel asked defeated. His brain was scrambled, swirling with a thousand thoughts and juggling with acceptance and denial. None of it seemed real, but he knew his friend better. There was no reason in the world for her to make it up. He noticed Nidian stir on the bedside, working up the courage to speak again.

  "The Kordahn would know. They have Navi's will at their finger tips. That's why I need to make it to Cebria."

  The ginger shook his head, "Unfortunately not going to happen, we've had dozens of stranded folk come through lately. Word is all the cities have closed their gates entirely.

  Nidian shook his head confused, "Yeah I know, Maverick's can't get into the cities anymore, I'm not one of you though."

  Torrel sighed, not wanting to bare the bad news. "I meant they aren't letting your folk back in. Couriers, caravans, all Kordish. None of them got back in. They've come through here begging for aid. But judging by your face you don't know anything about that do you."

  Nidian felt everything shatter in his mind. His once rock solid plan now revealed to be a stone colored pane of glass and it was now in pieces. That didn't make any sense, why would they close their doors on their own people.

  "Did the news reach? Does the high court know about Hoharo?" Nidian seemed to sprout with optimism.

  Torrel shook his head. "Unlikely, you're the first to come this way from the North, and it's not an easy journey. All I've heard is emboldened attacks on people near the cities. High Seer Amrick might have decreed a state of emergency. Worried about another Maverick invasion into his perfect cities." Torrel grumbled with disdain for the man.

  Ae had tuned out for a minute, grasping with the reality that the dragons had finally arrived. She felt a heavyweight sensation in her mind and for the first time in years; unprepared. She broke the conversation between the boys with an obnoxious yawn. They turned attention to her with their silent stares of deep concern.

  "I'm exhausted, and I know after today you are too kid. We should get some rest soon. We can talk more about this tomorrow. Torrel would you mind prepping a small meal for us? Nidian could use some proper food."

  The man produced a cheesy grin and clapped his hands together flipping his mood on a dime seeing the chance to liven up the room. "Sounds good to me. Maybe Nidian can finally enjoy the drink I made him and I'll make you another round yeah?" He stood up and walked to the door, looking Nidian up and down, "Lanky, but about my size. Ae pop my wardrobe open and get this man some clean clothes. Dinner will be in fifteen." With haste Torrel departed, closing the door behind him. Ae turned to Nidian smiling at his goofy face. He seemed so shocked Torrel had just offered up a pair of clothes.

  Ae looked over at him as his shocked expression was tossed her way, she had to crack an amused smirk. "Welcome to Nomad's Haven Nidian."

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