Not sorry.

Reaching the pair of enormous stones, I clearly see that a clearing in the tree-line rings this living edifice. The soil is bare, with no grass maintaining the stability of the earth, it instead is more akin to a mass of mud. The living walls, comprised on those intertwining tree trunks, appear to still be alive, despite the lack of any leaves or branches. The trunks even appear to have merged together at their intersections; forming a singular, solid piece of living fortification, which wraps around the large township beyond. The wall itself rises high; higher than double that of the surrounding trees, the bark of which is a distinctly dark, brown hue, compared to the white bark of the woods behind us.

The stone gates are grey, with spots of black and white dotting it; from the lessons varied Cilla had been providing about the world, I come to the conclusion that the two mountainous boulders are comprised of granite. We approach these towering twins, unsure of how to gain entry beyond them. As we speak amongst each other, I notice Gabriella standing away from us; a golden glow faint beneath the green hair covering her ears.

"Maybe try yelling for guards?" Suggests Ashes. "That's how it worked at home."

Zana, glides overs, her face (and blush) obscured by that hat of hers. "Me and Monster could go higher up; see if there's a gate somewhere else."

"That won't be needed." A flash of golden light and a flurry of white feathers occurs; Ariel yelling. "Tremor! How's it been buddy!"

The duo stones slowly begin to move, small pebble fractures sliding off of them. They pull their way backwards, raising up high, and moving forward and aside, falling into the mud. Connected to these towering stones was yet more rock, forming arms that connected to a yet larger torso. A literal living mountain; a golem. Were it to stand straight, it would easily clear the walls themselves, being a towering sixty feet or more. Even still, it's arms; mostly comprised of those two stones, were so dispraportionate to it's frame, it seems unlikely that it should even be able to move. Up, high above it's broad torso of stone, there lay a familiar marking, acting as it's face.

"Prrreeettttttyyy Boooyyy!" It's monumental, and slow voice calls.

"Yeah, it's me!" Says Ariel, flashing his pearly whites. "These are some of my friends, and my sister I used to tell you about! Can we come in!?"

"Yeeesss..." Calls the Golem; doing a sluggish shaking of its head in both agreement, and excitement.

The miniscule Rocky, who had been resting on the lap of his floating master, raises his arms up towards the larger golem; like a child wanting a piggyback ride. "Rocky will grow big, and strong..."

Walking under the living mountain's titanic legs, Trixie flings herself over to Ariel, landing in his hair; leaning over his forehead to speak at his eyes. "Oi, Mortsie's Boyo; how'd you get this biggie to trundle over?"

Wincing at the sight of the eye-gouging potential of the Fae on his head, he weakly says. "Well, uh... he's Citrina's first golem. She left him to this town after we defeated Rykard Ruya, cause... well; she was born here."

Bludbag; or as I had otherwise heard it be called in some of Cilla's geography lessons; the War-Town. Dirt and gravel streets pathed their way from building to building, spanning a wide, circular area that existed behind the walls. The buildings varied, from thatch roofed cabins closer to the walls; with field of crop, to brick structures further away, and at the center, a full city's worth of buildings, made that high-quality melted stone. The clanging and clashing of steel could be heard throughout the whole of Bludbag, akin to the sounds of the ocean in Tomo; an endless, droning sound that never ended.

Tremor slowly returned to his post, his heard turning a full hundred-eighty degrees, and sliding down his body; resting at his rear, where he could see us clearly.

"Hiii..." He says; as giddy as a child, with the booming voice of a god.

Ariel rushes over, Trixie falling off his head; hugging the mass of stone. "It's so good to see you again, Tremor..."

"Yooouuu toooooo..." A small mass of stone works its way down the enormous body, allowing for small arms it form; embracing the God of Martyrs. "Seeeeee meee aaagaaaiiin, laaattteeerrr?"

"Of course, big guy." Says Ariel, tears of joy finding their way down his cheek.

"So, you've been here?" I ask the Diety, as he returns to our group; wiping his face quickly.

"Nope. Citrina didn't even really talk about her home either... or at all. She wasn't a talker." Says the Diety, returning inside the Alm as he does.

Making our way past the more rural areas, and at the first brick building, see a sign indicating a tavern; most likely, our place of residence for the time being.

"We're quite low on gold..." Says Cilla. "We will have to pick up some work before we head to the White Line; and there's no Runacathy here yet, so I can't get any of my usual pay during our stay."

"Guard-work requires a year of living in a town, usually..." Says Ashes. "So, if we want to use our more stabby talents for coin, it's going to be bounty-hunting or Dungeoneering."

"I could mend clothes on the side, the materials are often cheap." Suggests Scott, before sighing in distress. "Now to find a brothel..."

"Brothel!? S-say no more, p-pal!" A drunken, wheezy voice comes from the tavern; a man with slicked-back greasy hair popping out of the door; his clothes dirty, and teeth... surprisingly pearly.

He hands Scott a piece of paper. "C-come on d-down too Shuck's Shag Shack! We've got elves, we've got gnomes, and we've got both s-sexes available, for those Same-Hearts out there."

That unknown term "Same-Heart" seems to irritate Scott; like an old scar being poked at. "Thanks, Chap. I'll be sure to drop by..."

The man wobbles away drunkenly wobbles away, leaving our Gentleman looking more dreary than before. "Damn you, Khalthosh... remind me more, and I'll rip your tentacles off with my teeth..."

"Woah. What's that about?" Asks Ashes. "You're usually the not-angry kind of Barbarian."

"I'll talk about it over a drink. No point in sobbing sober." He says; speaking once more in his refined tune, and walking into the tavern.

Cilla grumbles. "I just said we didn't have much coin... whatever."

We all gather into the establishment, finding a slightly dirty interior; a variety of other patrons dotted throughout, with a good portion of which being those usually of the Dark's breed. I see slivers of red cloth on each one; successes of the Runacathies, most likely here after graduating from Bounty; looking for work that fit's their skills. Skills, of course, related to the ending of other's lives. The barman, a Minotaur, calls to us; his scrap of red cloth is tied to one of his horns.

"Patrons, or diners?" He asks, his voice dull, and low, but his tone excitable; business must be good right now.

Moving over towards him, Cilla asks. "That depends, do you charge per person; or per room?"

"Room." He answers. "If you've got an Enchanted something-or-other to cram more people in a room; fine by me. Long as I get paid."

"How much for a room?" I ask.

He looks over our group, saying. "Three gold. Usually it's four, but my wife'd skin me if I didn't take one off for you, Red-Hood."

He bows his head to Cilla, who hands him the coins as she returns the gesture. He hands her a key, labeled "Twelve."

She tugs at me, whispering. "You'd think his wife would get him to clean the place better too... now I need a bath; add cherry-scented soap to your Domain."

"Done."

Our group heads up a set of stairs lining the back wall of the bar, going up to the rooms. Ours is the last room at the edge, and once inside, it seems barely fit for a single person; let alone eight people, one golem, and one God. I tear open my Domain, allowing everyone to enter, before locking the door behind us; that same silencing seal scratched roughly into it.

Even someplace this small has that?

The etching, which I had replicated in my Domain for... obvious reasons... was two arched lines; much like a smiling mouth, with a cross-stitch pattern worked over it. I wondered if the mark itself was what caused the silencing effect, or if there was more of an Enchanting component to it.

I'm pulled into my own Domain by my newly elongated hair; Cilla clearly impatient with my dilly dallying. "We have another geography lesson today, and then it's off to look for work. But first, lunch. You spent far to long in that egg..."

We assemble in the dining hall, with Ashes already working away in the kitchen with Zana as her assistant; clearly, everyone had worked up an appetite waiting for me to finish, well, not-dying.

Scott had poured himself some of the Domain's false beer from the bottomless keg I had mentally constructed next to the table. Ashes was the one to suggest it's addition; seeing as after leaving the Domain, the **** and hydration would be instantly removed from your system anyway. Essentially, it was just for... getting drunk.

"Ah... much better." Said the now rosy cheeked Tailor. "Now... what was I mad about?"

"Somethin' 'bout Same-Hearted fellas." Said Trixie, who had gotten herself a new addition I had added just this morning; a tiny version of the mugs we use, now full of that same brew.

Scott winces again, saying. "Ah... do you Earthling not know what those words are for? Plain-Hearted, Twin-Hearted, and Still-Hearted, and Same-Hearted?"

"I don't know what that means either." Says Sammy, as she began playing with my hair. "Silky..."

"It's your... preference." Explains our Tailor. "Plain-Hearted folk prefer the other sex. Twin-Hearted prefer both, Still-Hearted folk don't want a partner, and Same-Hearted prefer the same sex."

"Oh! So like, bein' gay." Says Trixie.

"Gay? Why would being Same-Hearted mean you're happy?" Asks Scott, confusion spreading across his furrowed face.

The pixie shrugs. "Don't eat the head off me, 'bout it! It's how our words ended up fallin' boyo. English makes bags out of common sense."

Confused, I ask. "Why did you get mad when that man said Same-Hearted?"

Rubbing his forehead, Scott pulls his glasses off; looking down. "Well... some cultures don't look at those with Same-Hearts as kindly as others, since they can't have children. Same goes for the Still-Hearted. In a world like this, where extinction could be a war away, you have to expect that sort of thing. And, well..."

"... I wasn't exactly loved, back in Hoctin, for being Same-Hearted. That, and this damn curse is only sated by sleeping with women; which is almost as bad as the dying part." He finishes, cleaning off his glassses, and putting them back on.

Hearing this, Sammy slides under the table to Scott, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry you feel bad, Double-Friend."

"Oh, thank you, Sammy." He replies, patting her on the head. "I'm glad to see none of you object to my... status."

"Well, duh, pal!" Says Ariel, calling out from the top of his staff. "You've got a super-****-curse of ****, and we're sticking with you; swinging a particular way isn't going to do much."

Gabriella nods in agreement. "This just means we can talk about boys together, silly."

Ariel materializes once more, looking as protective as one with a face like his can.

"Now you wait a second on that!"