The journey continued for hours through open land that extended past the borders of Yul'thera and then into forests where the trees grew taller.

The air grew cooler and the sounds of the jungle surrounded them with bird calls and rustling leaves and the occasional snap of branches in the distance.

Myrenne finally called for a stop near a small clearing where a stream ran through the rocks and provided fresh water.

She dismounted while the others climbed down from the cart to stretch their legs.

Laela walked over to the stream and knelt beside it, cupping water in her hands and splashing it on her face.

Arianna joined her and the two of them spoke quietly while Aeris stayed near the cart and watched everything with wide eyes as if trying to memorize every detail.

Aiden moved toward Myrenne who was refilling her waterskin. "How much farther to the borders of Dellheim?" he asked.

"Two more days if we keep this pace," Myrenne replied without looking up. "Three if we run into trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" He asked

Myrenne straightened up and met his gaze, then said "The forest between here and Dellheim isn't safe. There are creatures and things, corrupted by whatever happened to that continent. They sometimes wander into this territory."

Aiden nodded slowly. "Good to know."

They rested for a short while longer before continuing and as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Myrenne led them to another clearing where they could make camp for the night.

The group worked together to set up the tents and Aeris proved surprisingly useful despite her lack of experience outside the settlement.

Once the camp was ready, Aiden made several pieces of wood float toward their midst and then snapped his fingers to start a fire while Laela and Arianna unpacked some of the food supplies they'd been given.

Laela also extended some food to Aeris who accepted it gratefully.

The group ate in relative silence with only the crackling of the fire and the distant sounds of the forest filling the air.

Until Aiden broke the silence and gestured toward Aeris. "Since you're here you might as well continue with what you were saying yesterday," he said. "Though my first question out of curiosity is, since there are no men in your city, how do your women procreate?"

The guide sat at a far end corner, not too close to them but still within earshot.

Aeris set her food down and wiped her hands on her clothes before answering. "Once every five years the lady and the high priestess call upon the gods after a ritual," she explained.

"The Mother Goddess Gaia shapes us from clay, sculpts our forms and blesses the sculpture with life. Then the Father of Gods Adam orders reality to permit our existence, but before that happens some other gods contribute their blessings."

She paused and counted on her fingers. "Thera, Vyntis, Celion, and Myria"

Aiden and the others glanced at each other in surprise because it was the first time any of them had ever heard such a thing, that there were humans not born of a woman.

Aeris continued, and now with a bitterness creeping into her voice. "But after this our lives are practically bound to the gods. First, no Amazon is allowed to leave Yul'thera unless it's approved. And those who leave as warriors or in situations where they travel with the lady outside are not allowed to build companionship with men."

She paused briefly, then continue. "Also each one of us as Amazons is either already betrothed to a god at the time of our creation or will eventually be taken by one at some point. The gods are the only ones we're allowed to mingle with as men."

Her voice grew sharper. "Our lives are already set in stone and restricted. We're not free to choose anything for ourselves."

Aiden had no discernible reaction to that compared to Laela and Arianna who both looked disheartened, with their expressions reflecting sympathy and sadness.

Myrenne, who had been listening from the corner, grunted loudly at that point and made a sharp comment. "You ungrateful wretch," she said coldly.

She stood abruptly and stepped closer to the fire, her eyes blazing as she looked at Aeris. "The gods have made us a superior existence amongst humans and have blessed us with different gifts and yet you can't follow the simplest rules they ask of us."

She shook her head with disgust. "Once I complete my duty by taking the mage Aiden, to Dellheim I'll return. I'll pretend like none of this ever happened and I'll even help you sneak back inside if you willingly and gently come with me."

Then her tone grew more firm " But if you willingly decide to remain on this path of foolishness then you'll face the wrath of the gods."

With that she turned and walked away from the fire.

The air was awkward for a while and no one spoke.

Aeris stood slowly and left as well, moving toward the edge of the clearing where she sat down alone with her arms wrapped around her knees.

The conversation ended there and the group settled into their tents for the night. Laela and Arianna climbed into one tent together while Aeris took another by herself.

Myrenne stayed outside near the edge of camp, sitting with her back against a tree and her eyes scanning the darkness.

Aiden also stayed outside for a while longer, staring into the fire and letting his thoughts wander.

He felt that strange sensation again, the feeling of being watched, and he looked up at the sky with narrowed eyes.

Then he remembered the whole talk about being favored by a goddess. Now it wasn't feeling like a coincidence anymore. Something or someone was actually watching.

Syra's voice echoed softly in his mind. "Yes, you're right, Aiden. You're being watched."

"Perhaps by this goddess." Aiden voiced back in his mind.

Syra replied, "Maybe, but you best not assume that whatever's watching you is doing so out of some favor."

He didn't respond to the warning but sighed, then asked the system. "Will Malice Perception be able to warn me if a god has evil intent against me?"

The system responded immediately. [Not while the god is within Eden, the City of Gods, or any distance further away from the host.]

"Hm," he muttered, then sighed.

He stared into the fire for a few moments longer before standing and walking toward the tent with Laela and Arianna

Whatever was watching him would reveal itself eventually, and when it did he'd deal with it then.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.