Chapter 25

I spoke with the others and they all agreed to help Grams. She pressed a list into my hand along with a pouch of coin, and let us borrow a small wagon and two stubborn goats to pull it. We left town in the evening, a few hours of light still clinging to the sky. Lilae rode in the wagon while the rest of us walked alongside it.

We made camp early that night. After a dinner of sandwiches Grams had packed for us, I played a few songs. Lilae watched with wide-eyed fascination, though she still ducked behind Mirri whenever I smiled her way.

We were up and moving again with the morning light. As we walked, Mirri began teaching me her language - Brel, which she said loosely meant between us. I learned yes - keth, no - nae, mother - vaer, and father - thren. We went over a handful of other phrases as well, but it was clear this was going to take time.

We stopped at midday, and Ashlara and I picked up our combat practice again. I still couldn’t land a clean hit, but I didn’t spend quite so much time on my back. I chose to believe that meant progress.

By late afternoon the hills fell away behind us. We were headed south, which meant Northgate lay in human lands. Ashlara confirmed it - the largest human city in the north. I tried to imagine it. The cities I knew were sprawling monsters of concrete and glass, home to millions. I doubted anything like that existed here, but I’d learned better than to assume too much.

That night Ashlara and I hunted while Mirri, Serah, and Lilae set up camp. Mirri gave Lilae a few simple chores, and the girl carried them out dutifully. It was strange to watch. Back home, kids her age were defiant, loud, and endlessly inventive in their misbehavior. Maybe it was just all still too new for her. I wondered what goblin teenagers were like, but tried not to think too far ahead. We had a few years before we had to worry about that.

After dinner, I played again. My fingers stumbled less, even over songs I hadn’t touched in decades. Mirri listened the way she always did, with fascination and excitement. Even Lilae stayed out from behind her this time, and Serah didn’t pretend to ignore it. Ashlara watched quietly. When I finished, I went through my focusing exercises before turning in.

We settled into an easy rhythm. Days passed without incident. No mad gods. No deranged sorcerers. No one trying to kill us for reasons both cosmic and petty. It was calm. Safe. Peaceful. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that.

By the middle of the sixth day, open plains gave way to cultivated fields, many of them half-harvested for the season. Squat houses dotted the land, scattered and solitary. The following day, the walls of Northgate rose on the horizon - and they dwarfed anything I’d seen since arriving in this world.

The city sat along the banks of a broad river running northwest to southeast. Boats drifted downstream from the city, while a few stubbornly worked their way back upstream, though I couldn’t tell how. Stone walls twenty feet high circled the city, broken at regular intervals by square towers that rose another twenty feet above them. Massive gates stood on three sides, each feeding into a wide road lined with wagons and travelers. Lines of people waited to enter.

Beyond the walls I could see rooftops, tall towers, and what had to be a castle. I guessed at least twenty thousand people lived there. Possibly more.

Up close, the walls were even more impressive. They were built from enormous blocks of stone, seamless - no mortar, no visible joins. The towers were the same, as if each had been carved from a single piece of rock.

At the gate, a handful of human guards in leather armor stopped us and asked our business. I told them we were here for supplies and would only be staying a few days. I didn’t like the way their eyes lingered on Ashlara, Mirri, and Lilae, but they waved us through without trouble.

Inside the walls, the streets narrowed and the buildings pressed close together. As cramped as it was, I revised my population estimate upward.

The inns closest to the gates were full, but we found space in an unassuming place further in, and were able to stable the goats and wagon. The others claimed a table and ordered food while I spoke with the portly innkeeper to get a sense of the city.

There was a central marketplace near the castle - easy to find if we followed the main road. Smaller markets were scattered throughout the city as well. The tallest tower belonged to a wizard’s university, which immediately caught my interest. South of it stood the Grand Archive, which sounded promisingly like a massive library. To the northeast was a house of healing, and along the river to the northwest were public baths.

I rejoined the others for an early dinner of stew and dumplings. It was good - just not Grams or Mirri good. As we ate, I passed along what I’d learned.

“You should definitely visit the wizard school,” Mirri said between bites. “Maybe they can help you learn magic. Sorry I haven’t been a very good teacher.” She looked genuinely upset.

“Hey,” I said quickly, “you’re a great teacher. Even if I can’t cast spells yet, I’ve learned a lot. It’s probably something simple I’m missing… or this magic resistance thing. They might know more about that.”

She nodded.

“Anyone want to come with me?” I asked.

“I will,” Mirri said immediately.

“Pass,” Ashlara replied.

“I would prefer not to,” Serah added.

Mirri asked Lilae something in Brel. The girl shook her head. “Can I leave Lilae with you two?” Mirri asked Ashlara and Serah.

Ashlara nodded. “Very well,” Serah said.

We rented two rooms, then split up—Mirri and I heading toward the university, the others staying behind to rest.

* * *

“What do you think?” Kryan asked the guard beside him.

Bevi watched them for a moment longer before answering. “I don’t know. The goblins look related.”

“Nah,” Kryan said, shaking his head. “The little one’s too fragile. She’s broken.” A thin smile tugged at his mouth. “I think she’s a perfect fit.”

“If you say so,” Bevi replied. He sighed and looked away. “Tell Case tonight. That has to be the last one. At least I hope it is. I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”