Annie survives her injuries again and you both continue your journey on the road to Zurch.

Annie has nearly bled out so you use your healing touch before pulling what you discover is a barbed arrow from her, as she regains consciousness she finds herself once again as weak as a kitten.

"Bastard, I hate you" are her first words as she opens her eyes.

"What did I do?" You ask in your most innocent voice.

"You nearly got me killed, again!" She snaps back with as much venom as she can manage.

"I saved you, again" you reply.

"You left me to be ripped apart by a bear and some topless psychos you asshole" she replies weakly.

Annie may have a point but tired of her mood swings and whining you feel unsympathetic to her plight so reply "I thought you could keep up and it was my cock that they wanted after you seduced me and taunted them with your orgasm. Is it any wonder they wanted some of my seed?"

She smiles as your spells continue to restore her HP, "don't flatter yourself" she looks around "so what happened? Who shot me?"

You quickly fill her in on the battle and your promise to the spriggan which makes her smile "I'd like to see what they do to these losers."

"Another time, we need to press on to Zurch to find out how Sarah and Lynn are getting on" you reply.

"Pffffww, they're losers as well, I don't know why you kept them when I'm more than enough woman for any man to handle" she answers bitterly.

"A normal man perhaps, but I am no normal man."

She smirks "maybe I should find a normal man when I get to Zurch."

"Perhaps you should, perhaps you should find ten and then after you have experienced normal men then you will grow to understand the full might of my Power or perhaps I should just watch those ten fuck you **** for my amusement and then discard you".

Annie looks fearful, "you would do that? Why?"

"Because you pledge yourself to me yet refuse to listen, stay and serve greatness or leave and live in obscurity, your prattling and incompetence are starting to bore me, I care not whether you stay or go" with that you pick up the Spriggan's bracelet of thorns then turn to walk along the road to Zurch without looking back at her.

Hearing your harsh words Annie slumps to the ground sobbing but you ignore her tantrum, you laugh softly to yourself when just as you are nearly out of sight you hear her running after you.
You continue walking at a steady pace and it takes her awhile to catch up with you, she breathlessly says "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

You keep walking at a steady pace in silence.

"Let me continue to serve you, let me serve greatness."

You keep walking in silence.

"I'll do anything you ask" she pleads.

You stop, "very well. When we reach Zurch I will give you one chance to prove yourself, and I mean only one. Now, let us continue our journey in silence."

To your surprise she manages to walk in silence until you eventually meet a dirty old peddler on the road. You barter with him for some food and a hooded cloak which you wear to hide your distinctive features, Annie shows him her tits and gives him a handjob as payment without giving too much protest.

You continue on walking along the road to Zurch for another hour or so climbing higher and higher to the mountain town, the forest at the side of the road begins to thin and the path gets steeper, you judge it's another half a day to your destination yet the weather is pleasant and the silence is only occasionally interrupted by Annie complaining that she can't get rid of the cum stains from the old peddler. In the distance you see a dust cloud which slowly reveals the outlines of riders, a couple at first but then more and more shapes appear on the horizon. Uncertain of the situation and hopelessly outnumbered you and Annie leave the road to hide as far back in the forest as possible while you wait for the riders to pass.

From your vantage point you are able to watch the path and after waiting long enough to begin to imagine that it was some kind of mirage the first shapes of the riders appear as flitting shadows you see on the road between the trees. The first seem to be lightly armed outriders, then peasants on older horses, after they pass you can hear some heavier cavalry but not as much as you would imagine if Zurch was riding to war.

You wait a few minutes after the last horse has passed and creep towards the road, you begin to hear a deep ominous rumbling sound in the distance from the direction of Zurch. Edging towards the road you begin to see heavy merchant wagons flanked by armed guards, these are followed by families with horse and carts loaded with their every possession. Behind them and into the distance you view a sea of humanity marching, walking, limping or stumbling down the mountain. The people are of all ages, everywhere there are families huddled together for protection, the only thing they have in common is the look of shock, fear and despair on their faces.

You step towards the road and try to stop someone to ask what has happened but everyone just pushes past you. Those who turn look at you have a faraway look and don't seem to fully understand what you're asking, some just sob when you ask, others push you away angrily, some spit on the ground cursing the gods, still others open their mouths but cannot bring themselves to speak.

You find it humbling that a being other than you could cause such suffering and it puts the distracting pettiness of your bickering with Annie into new light, it may be pointless, it may be suicide but you are determined to continue on to Zurch to find out what has happened, hopefully finding Sara and Lynn still in one piece when you get there.