Find a nest, and roost.

"I still don't understand how she turned into a rock..."

"It's just something her kind can do; a gift from one of Ardor's predecessors, I remember correctly. Now hurry up..."

After our strange lunch with a familiar face, we had continued on our way out of Bounty. We had just come over the incline of the road not but a few minutes prior. The flatter, older section of the city seemed to be rather run-down. Strangely enough, the homes and shops were made of metal; rusted, and worn out. The people out in the streets were wearing far more drab, ragged cloth.

Maybe that library Thrusk spoke of is near here?

"Come, lets make for the gate, before there's trouble." Says Cilla.

Gabriella, however, begins walking over to a nearby sickly man. "Oh, sir. Here, allow me to heal you."

"I'm fine" He says; coughing into his elbow. "Its allergies; nothing more."

"But..."

"No buts, I don't want your help."

The Priestess returns to us, her face twisting as though she had eaten something sour. This scene then played out several more times as we crossed the craggy, old roads. Someone would be limping, coughing, or even bleeding; yet none would allow Gabbie to heal them. The resulting grimace on the poor healer's face tore at my heartstrings.

"Whats wrong with these people?" I whisper to the others.

"No idea. Keep your head down." Cilla whispers back; eyes darting between the crowd.

"They seem... scared." Says Zana.

Scared of what... the attackers of Cartliege?

Without any further complications, we make it to an massive gateway. The men and women standing guard wore steel breast plates, with blue padded cloth covering the rest of their body. Rather than the helmets I would usually expect; such as what I saw Ashes wearing in Saltmoore, they wore round blue caps, with bands metal surrounding them.

When we approach the gate, a female guard with walks forth. "What is your business?"

"Our business is our own." Says Cilla. "We are looking for a means of transport, and have the proper paperwork to prove our identities."

The guard shuffles about, looking around to see if she's being watched. "I'll require more than that to let you pass, Red Hood."

Cilla's exposed eye flickers red, but she does her best to remain calm. "I will not be paying a single coin simply to leave a city. Allow us passage, or I'll be having a word with your commanding officer."

The guard begins to look high-and-mighty; above it all. "I am the commanding officer."

A commanding officer doing basic guard duty? At a gate? That seems awfully suspicious.

Scott moves to the front of our group, checking his watch. "No, you're not. The bands on your hats show rank. You're a fresh recruit; one band. Now, 'Greenie,' would you kindly allow us passage; and show us to the nearest place to purchase the services of a stagecoach?"

"I... damn it... don't tell anyone about this, and it's a deal." Says the guard.

The tailor smiles for once. "Agreed."

We are led out through a smaller doorway into the massive halls themselves; with not a peep from the would-be extortionist. The inner workings of this defensive edifice were impressive to say the least. Each turn in the halls had readymade barricades to create **** points during invasions; with those **** points always having at least two fallback positions should they be overrun.

Once out of the wall, fresh air graced my sense, and a great span of grasslands lay before us. In the distance, I see another, much smaller defensive wall; along with a wide array of farms out in the fields. Near to the wall we just exited was a large corral, with horses galavanting about. Connected to the corral was a large building, with several styles of carriage, and stagecoach remained at rest; with no horses tethered.

The guard returns into the wall; the thick metal door audibly locking behind her.

Ashes runs back to the door, wailing on it. "Hey! What if they can't take us today!?"

The door doesn't budge, nor do the locks undo themselves.

Well, I hope they don't say 'no' when we're buying a ride to the next town...

"Ugh..." Our Artisan sits on a nearby pile of rocks, having failed to convince a door to open itself.

Zana skips over to her fallen friend. "Here, l-let me try!

"Zana, wait!"

"Open!"

The door remains close, unmoving, and silent. "Aw... then what did my Utterance do..."

"Agh!" Ashes leaps up, drawing her spineblade to face the rumbling stones.

Oh gods damn it!

The rest of us follow suit, watching the stones with murderous intent. The rocks themselves begin to levitate into the air, swirling and shaping into a new form. This process creates an enormous cloud of dust, which obstructs the details of what is happening. What little I can see is that the stone is creating something very, very, big. The dust begins to settle. A giant made of stone, standing eight feet tall, and with no discernable face; begins to stumble about, like a baby taking its first steps.

It's mouthless being speaks; it's voice deep, and slow. "Me... who... am? Am... rock. Am..."

"Me... am... Rocky."