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This was the first time I’d left The City of Souls since I’d arrived in the realm. Too bad it wasn’t under better circumstances.
We didn’t arrive at a desert or forest as I’d envisioned, but a seemingly endless meadow with towering trees… or what I assumed were trees. Even though it was dark now, I could see a forest of what looked like overgrown mushrooms, some with vines hanging from under them.
“It’s been a while since I visited Urgron City,” Rehema said, adjusting the bow on her back.
Her suit looked like mine, only hers was deep blue. Knowing Rehema was skilled with a bow, Hekate made one for her—as well as a quiver of arrows—that was the same color as her suit.
“I’ve never seen trees like these before,” I said. “They look like mushrooms.”
“They are. Each city in this realm is unique,” Lucian said as we started walking. Rumir took the lead, while Lucian kept to my left and Rehema walked on my right.
The sky looked the same as in The City of Souls, although I could still see more than just the stars. In the distance, I heard throaty shrieks that made me pause for a second.
Rehema tapped my shoulder. “That’s from a bird the size of your hand,” she laughed. “It’s harmless but sounds like something that would eat your face.”
“I got chills just now,” I said, laughing with her, and I tried to spot other animals in the darkness. "How far are we from the city exactly? Do any of you know?"
"A few miles," Lucian answered as we walked under one of the overgrown mushrooms. My eyes widened at the sight of several bright yellow eyes opening in the darkness under the mushroom's hood, watching us as we walked by. “We’ll get there in a few hours if we walk through the night.”
“Are you sure we should do that?” I asked. “What kind of animals are in this region? Are any of them a threat?”
“Many of them,” Rumir said from ahead of us. “That’s why it’s best if we keep moving.”
I picked up the pace. "You know, the afterlife isn't anywhere near as calm and peaceful as I expected it to be."
“That would be boring, even for the afterlife,” Rumir laughed. Rehema nodded in agreement. “But now, it’s going too far.”
One of the mushrooms, a big one, moved to our left, and I glimpsed a creature the same height as me peeking out from behind it with red eyes. I swallowed hard, immediately knowing it was infected. Rumir, Rehema, and Lucian looked in the creature's direction, no doubt picking up its scent.
Rumir slowed, and Lucian stepped closer to my side while Rehema removed her bow. The creature, whatever it was, moved further behind the tree and didn’t attack. It kept watching, however, until we could no longer see it.
“It didn’t attack us,” Rehema whispered, looking back. "That's odd, isn't it? I thought the infected attacked anything that moved."
"Perhaps it was because you were here, Natalie," Rumir suggested. “It was looking right at you.”
"I noticed," I replied, my voice low. No one spoke after that.
I could have kicked myself. For a second, I’d been so caught up in the wonder of visiting another region, I’d let my guard down. We weren’t going on vacation. At any moment, we could be attacked.
“What do you think Hydum will be like?” Rehema whispered after minutes of walking in silence.
“No idea,” I told her. “But let’s hope he can actually help.”
* * *
Natalie
Our first glimpse of Urgron City came at the crack of dawn.
Unlike The City of Souls, which had The Wanderer’s Forest as an additional living option, Urgron City was one large area—at least on the surface.
I had no idea what we’d find below.
Although the barrier contorted my view of the buildings, I could see that the city had been built among the mushroom trees. The closer we got, the more I could see beyond the barrier. None of the buildings were more than two stories high.
“Is that smoke?” Rehema asked.
I nodded. “Looks like it,” I answered. “Hekate had said that several riots broke out last night after what happened. I’d forgotten to ask how many souls the Dextura killed before he was contained, but I can imagine how everyone reacted to it.”
