Cora leaned on the railing, eyes fixed on the horizon. His shoulder was throbbing, but it was nothing compared to the previous days. He winced and massaged it. The sea was calm and the ship was caught by a thin thread of wind that moved its sails. The sailor on the crow's nest shouted, and the whole boat sprang to life in the blink of an eye. Cora remained for a moment watching the maneuvers of the crew before noticing a flock of seagulls. He smiled; they would soon be disembarking.

As they approached the Dremisian territories, the young man saw the numerous sailboats scatteredalong the entire coast. "Finally," he murmured. He couldn't stand the cramped space below deck anymore. But he thought that someone was worse off than him. Even Camiel seemed to want to end the journey as soon as possible. He had a halo of blood around his pupils and noticeable black bags under his eyes. Whatever it was, it was not good. The warrior spent more time in his cabin resting than facing the journey with Hyon or his people. Occasionally, he even ate his meals in private.

Cora went down to check on him and inform the rest of the friends. But when he stepped on the first step, the Hozman was already ready for disembarkation. Camiel gave him a bag.

"Take this," he said. "A change of clothes that should last until we reach Laeth."

"Thanks," said Cora. He looked up at him. "How are you?"

"Fine... why do you ask?"

"Nothing," said Cora. He turned abruptly towards the outside. "I just thought you were a little down."

Camiel nudged him. "Let's go," he chuckled. "The day has yet to come when I'll need compassion."

The crew members also disembarked with the boys and the two companions. Some of them loaded a cart with a couple of barrels and disappeared towards the market near the quay.

Iak approached the group. Camiel looked back at him. "In the name of my role and for the purpose of my mission, you and your men are bound to silence," he said. Iak flinched. "I myself will inform your lord and the Emperor of the events that have taken place in these days upon my return."

The warrior of the Dawn nodded. "It will be done as you request."

Camiel nodded. "Thank you."

"We will be leaving for Meliro shortly, but we will send a boat that will wait at the port until she has completed your mission," Iak said. "Heir of Farendal, may the sun guide your steps," he added, bowing.

"And may the night not darken your path," Camiel replied, his gaze following the sheath of the sacred weapon of the Empire that the other man now carried with him.

Hyon clapped his hands and looked at them. "Welcome to Dremis."

"Do we have to stay here for long?" Marmorel asked. But Camiel had already started walking towards the city, and Hyon sighed before following his disciple.

A cloak of black smoke polluted the air of the Ragoon port, almost as if a shed were on fire. But the smell was not that of burning wood, it was nothing like that. And Cora saw it shortly after, a gigantic pile on the beach about a hundred steps away from them. There were eight other Hozmans ships at anchor and at least a dozen belonging to Amanastre and Zalesia. Dozens of unflagged boats fought for a place to dock near the beach. Just past the port, the entire area was a succession of large warehouses crowded with people; businessmen and captains busy buying and reselling goods from the ports of the continent. Not a single guard or dwelling in sight. But who would want to live in such a chaotic place?

Hyon looked around as if searching for something and then raised his finger towards a group of people who were much shorter than usual. They were struggling to load bags into what looked like houses on wheels, battered carriages made up of multiple floors, each pulled by at least four horses. For Cora, they were nothing more than improvised vehicles that looked ready to collapse at any moment.

"What a strange way to travel!" Marmorel said to Elidana, who shrugged.

A little woman jumped off the carriage to retrieve a couple of toddlers who had slipped from her grasp.

"Um... are they going to accompany us? It doesn't look very safe," Fez said. The walls were scratched, and the wood was so worn out that you could see inside.

"Well, whether you like it or not, they're the only ones capable of moving adeptly through that deadly labyrinth. Even I would get lost in the rock and dust paths of the gorges," the master said. "The Yllin are part of a nomadic tribe that roams Dremis and lives off compensation for transportation. They're strange people, but you can be sure that you'll find yourself in front of Laeth's entrance in no time," he concluded.

"I would prefer to travel with Camiel's friends," Marmorel said, looking at the Hozmans who were disembarking with other crates, but Hyon shook his head.

"They wouldn't be accepted in Laeth," Camiel said. "It's rare for foreigners to enter the city, and these days, in fact, controls at the entrance are very strict."

"These days?" Cora asked. "Why?"

"There's the Rite of the Pact, but you'll understand better once you see it," he replied. "Are you sure they'll let us in? We're foreigners too," Aran said.

"You are five boys, they won't be a problem, or maybe they will. I don't know... perhaps they might say something about Cora, but I don't think they will notice the little talent he hides. It's better to try than to wait here doing nothing. Finding Yllin so accommodating was a stroke of luck," Hyon concluded in one breath.

"We're leaving without knowing if they'll let us in or not?" Aran insisted. Cora nodded, a blind journey to an unknown land was the last thing they needed.

"Heh heh, don't worry. You're always so nervous, things will work out on their own, you'll see," Hyon smiled at him, but Aran maintained a hard gaze and growled, "It's not a game, damn it! We have the Kharzanians on our tail, and Cora could do that thing at any moment. Wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

"Hey," Camiel said. "Calm down."

"They killed our parents!" squeaked Marmorel.

Fez shuddered. "We're not sure of that!"

"Let's put an end to this story, let's get to Laeth, then we'll discuss," thundered Elidana. "Let's all calm down now."

Aran lowered his head. "I can't do it," he murmured, frustrated. "I really can't do it."

But Hyon and Camiel had already turned and were headed towards one of the homunculus. The head of the family wore a necklace of shells held by a rope, whose rancid smell reached Cora's nostrils. However, what struck him was the discussion Hyon was having with the homunculus: a series of grunts without any apparent meaning. With each phrase, Yllin pulled his hair, dirty and tied in long ponytails, with varying degrees of force.

The master expressed himself through gestures and put more than one gold coin in the small man's hand. Whatever they said to each other, the homunculus nodded satisfied. The boys exchanged a doubtful look, but in the end, they walked towards the two-story house. The Yllin took the luggage without a glance and threw it inside, slamming the door behind the passengers as soon as they entered.

"What a grump! Hyon, why doesn't he speak?" Elidana asked.

"I'm sorry, but unfortunately, they only understand each other. They're like that, so let's just leave them alone and rest while waiting to get to the entrance of Laeth," he pointed to the narrow and cramped space. "Look, he was so kind that he gave us the entire second floor!" Hyon went up the stairs. The room was so small that they could only fit in by squeezing, and Camiel arranged two dusty pillows made of straw. "We'll take turns resting," he said.

Cora sighed, but immediately regretted inhaling all that air. If the smell was penetrating just outside that house, it became unbearable inside. Someone must have left some fish to rot, or rather, they had also rubbed it on the furniture and floor. He watched Marmorel and Elidana turn green in the face, with an expression halfway between nausea and amazement.

The house started jerking and moved away from the sea and the port. Marmorel jumped and grimaced. "Will it be like this all the time?" she asked.

Hyon replied with another one of his smiles.

"Fez muttered, 'I think so...'

She shook her head. 'Why do I even ask? I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.'

In the afternoon, they took the path through the gorge. The winding roads climbed and descended through red and twisted rocks, with the cumbersome transportation wood scraping against the natural walls and losing pieces at every turn.

'We'll make it out alive, right?' Fez asked, his face worried as he looked out the window.

'We're in it up to our necks now, we just have to hope we don't end up in one of those ravines,' Aran replied with a furrowed brow.

Something moved under the bed. Fez, Cora, and Elidana stood up, while Marmorel pressed herself against the wall. A shadow darted out like a shard and began bouncing from one point to another in the small room.

Aran jumped back and hit his chin against Camiel's head. 'What is it?' he shouted as the shadow slipped under his pants.

'Don't worry,' Camiel reassured him.

Meanwhile, Hyon leaned over and clapped his hands a couple of times. 'Come here, little one.'

Aran remained motionless. A fluffy white ball with two eyes as big as hazelnuts peered out from between his feet.

'It's a "Poncee",' the master explained, but the more he reached out, the more the candid tuft clung to the young Allet's ankle.

'Does it bite?' the boy asked.

'Only if you're an apple or a tomato,' Hyon replied, amused. Now that it was revealed, it looked like a rabbit without ears or legs. Or if it had them, they were hidden under the thick fur. Two tufts as long as a finger emerged from what must have been its tail.

The animal climbed up Aran's leg and hid in the lower part of his shirt. 'It's so sweet!' Marmorel exclaimed. Elidana tried to get closer, but the newcomer seemed unwilling to show itself.

'They're forest rodents. It's a bit far from home and probably came in here looking for food,' Hyon said. 'Unfortunately, they're so stupid that they seek refuge in animals that they believe can provide them with some defense. It's not uncommon to find them lined up on sleeping predators, waiting to be eaten when they wake up.'

'Poor thing,' Marmorel sighed. 'Let's find something for it to eat.'

Aran smiled. That was the first time since the start of their escape that Cora had seen him act so carefree. They really needed to occupy their time to avoid going insane. Both Marmorel and Aran went downstairs.