The journey southeast went smoothly as the grasslands provided near-infinite visibility and pleasant weather. Kesi and Simadger spent a whole day resting in empty fields of grass to help both of them mentally recover from the events of the previous week. Despite the day zipping by in a blink of an eye, they felt rested enough to continue their cross-country trek.

As they continued their travels, they stumbled into a traveling orcish merchant. He was heading out to Clan Silver Tusk's territory to trade with them. He pointed the pair towards the capital city, helping them reset their bearings and path forward.

Traveling through the smaller towns was a relief for the pair as the orcs were surprisingly friendly towards them. Unlike the Silver Tusks, who had underlying trust issues, the seemingly more civilized orcs behaved like normal-ish people. Roads in and around the rural towns were well-traveled but not paved with stones. Flattened and hardened dirt worked well enough.

Every town they visited, they asked around about getting to the capital. Without a map available, they relied heavily on the traveling merchants, as most locals barely knew anything beyond the next town over. With each passing day, however, the pair of dune ants learned something new about the capital, Gardrid.

Positioned on the southeastern coastline, a large tributary that dumps into the ocean splits the walled city in half. Unlike the farming towns and rural settlements, an Orcish king instead of clan chieftains ran the capital. The city itself dates back to before the Age of Monsters, although nearly all houses, workshops, and piers were built in the last millennium. Most of the farming and crafting towns send their crops and wares to the capital. Merchant companies in the capital then sell these products either overseas or internally within the city itself. Rumors suggested that almost eighty thousand residents, including a considerable number of foreigners, live inside the city's stonework walls. However, they advised against swimming in the river unless they want to die of dysentery or get crushed by a sailing ship.

The great axe that Simadger carried garnered her some attention in the rural towns. The Silver Tusk Clan gained a reputation for handling smaller threats that the capital and its army couldn't. This meant that, as friends of Jolagh Silver Tusk, they got quite a few traveling gifts, including a wooden mask depicting the Orcish god of Insanity and entertainment, Magarath. Despite the weird feelings that Simadger got from holding the mask, she still took it with her as a sign of good faith and wrapped it in several layers of cloth before stuffing it into the traveling pack.

At the end of the second week of traveling by horseback, the city of Gardrid was finally within walking distance. Its white stone walls glistened in the daylight and for the first time in a while, Simadger could smell the salt breeze off the ocean. The plains had provided something of a comfortable climate for them to travel through, compared to the jungle which grew more northward. However, to Simadger, nothing was nearly as comforting as the warm and salty ocean breeze.

The Month of Harvest had turned into the Month of Feast, and when they reached the city, it was almost time for winter. Simadger had been away from home for a little under four months, but it felt like a year. So much happened so quickly, yet she had so little to show. Oakengrove sent her on a mission to gather knowledge and make friends where possible. The only knowledge she'd gathered was on the fungal parasite that killed the only dune ant colony she knew of. Even two weeks later, the whole situation with the colony still weighed heavily on her mind.

With Jolagh's great axe slung over her shoulder and Kesi acting as a pack-ant, the pair traveled to the city's northwest gate. As they got closer and closer, Simadger realized just how tall the walls stood. Twenty feet tall, and made of brick and mortar, the walls provided an illusion of invulnerability to not just the city itself but also its residents who peacefully lived within its walls.

The city gates were wide open, with the only guards visible being on top of the wall. Dozens of people walked through the gateway, venturing in and out of the city itself. Most of them were common folk, some with wagons, likely taking their day's shopping spree home with them. The city was loud with the constant noise of chatter and footsteps. Several people were running a large stable just outside the city walls, hitching dozens of horses, oxen, and mules within its chest-high fencing. Simadger opted to leave their traveling horse there under the care of the stable master.

Taking the first few steps inside, Simadger and Kesi both stopped to admire the unexpected intricacies in Orcish architecture. The tops of most of the buildings had either flat or minimally sloped roofing made of clay tiles. An even stranger aspect was the mostly white stone the city used for construction. The city used the same white stone brick to construct nearly every exterior wall on every house and shop.

Unlike the single-floor villas outside the walls, the houses inside the walls were two or three stories tall. Catching glances through the glass pane windows on the ground floor, the upper levels were the sleeping quarters, whereas the main floor was the common gathering space. Simadger quickly pieced the city life together as multi-family houses.

Throughout the busy streets, Simadger saw a dozen variations of orcs, some with tusks, some without some leaner, others fatter. Some orcs shared the same green hue that Silver Tusk did, whilst others were blue gray or even human-pale, like she'd seen from Rykensvik's adventurers. Among them, seemingly in functional coexistence were other species; humans, Fummau, Insectoids, and even a type of kin Simadger hadn't seen or heard of before.

The shimmering dark blue leathery skin belonged to someone Simadger could only describe as a shark-kin. She stood tall, well above Simadger's height. The shark-kin woman seemed to work for a baker in a workshop that occupied the ground floor of one house. She slung four very large flour bags over her shoulder she'd picked up from a delivery cart. The shark-kin wore a backless apron and baggy pants, which were enough to cover the necessities but allowed her body the free range of motion it may have needed for the job. The well-toned and defined muscles in her back entranced Simadger's curious gaze.

Kesi noticed Simadger's completely distracted gaze and snapped her fingers, "Simmy? You awake?"

Simadger only heard the snapping of fingers. She shook her head and turned towards Kesi. "Huh? What?"

Kesi smirked, having a good guess where Simadger's mind wandered. "Just making sure you weren't taking a midday power nap. We still got somewhere to be."

Simadger nodded. "Sorry about that. I think the journey has taken a hell of a toll on my focus."

Kesi leaned over. "Perhaps we owe ourselves another day of rest?" She spoke rhetorically with a suggestive flick of the antenna.

Simadger would roll her eyes if she could. Instead, she rolled her head much the same way, dismissing the mockery. "I will rest when I am dead. How about that?" She fired back. "Besides, we spent an entire day napping in the grass. You don't get much more restful than that."

"Now that's what I call bullshit," chimed in a third voice. Standing before both of them was the Shark-kin woman from before, standing a whole three feet above both of them. Her finned tail rested idly in a curved pose. "You're in the orcish capital, girls, outside of the Nirrilin hot springs, this is the best city to get some R and R."

Simadger's mandibles swung open and her antennae stood completely upright and stiff.

Kesi smiled, "Sorry, we're new here. My name's Kesi."

The Shark-kin turned to the loosely clothed dune ant. "Allissa," she said with a friendly smile. Then turned to eye the heavily armored dune ant, who seemed a little absent-minded at the moment. "And this is?"

"Simadger," Kesi slapped her hand hard against Simadger's back, which brought her back to reality a second time but also hurt her hand.

Simadger straightened up and held out a hand, saying, "Simadger."

"So I hear," Allissa replied. "I don't think I've ever seen dune ants in the city, so what brings you both so far away from your colony?"

"I'm not from a colony," Simadger said. "At least, not that I'm aware of. I'm a traveler from Fylkirfold."

Kesi's smile faded for a moment, but she cheered right back up. "I wanted to know what being free felt like."

Allissa side-eyed the armored dune ant. "The Norse territory? What's a desert dweller doing in the cold zones?"

Simadger felt a little insulted by the insinuation. "Excuse me, but I live there."

Allissa held up her webbed hands, surrendering the argument, "Ay, I'm not trying to start an argument, just curious. I've just never heard of dune ants going rogue and living abroad."

Simadger sighed and hung her head. "Regardless, I'm here on a mission."

The Shark-kin slumped her muscular shoulders and stepped aside. "I won't stop you. Just trying to be friendly."

"Nothing against you. We've just been on the road for almost three weeks. I have been traveling for almost four months." Simadger shrugged off the homesick feeling that had been brewing in the back of her mind.

Kesi hadn't processed the time away from her colony like Simadger seemed to do. She just enjoyed the time as it happened. When Simadger put it into perspective, even Kesi started missing her home. Wanting to keep the mood cheery, she bottled up the emotion for later and spoke up, "What's in the town that you'd suggest?"

The shark-kin pointed to the northeast. "Up that way is the city arena. They got daily brawls and contests. Honestly, it's a cool experience." She then pointed south. "The southern half of town has the more 'touristy'," she said, flexing her fingers to gesture air quotes. "Stores fronts. I think the aquarium is open again."

Simadger and Kesi both turned to look at each other. "What's that?" Simadger asked.

The shark-kin abruptly leaned onto her back foot, giving a certain look to Simadger. "Most travelers know of it. I can't explain it. Just go visit."

Simadger's mind finally caught up to her and recalled the whole reason she was here. The great axe had been wearing down the strength in the grip of her right hand. "Oh, right. Where can I find the Orcish King? Clan Silver Tusk said we could find him here."

The Shark-kin nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, if you head down this road, you'll hit a Y-shaped fork in the road, take a left and you'll see a set of white-top roofs behind another wall. That's the King's palace. It's a whole collection of buildings, but it'll stick out compared to the rest of the city."

Simadger shifted her weight on her feet and swapped the ax to her other hand. "Appreciate it, Allissa."

Following the directions Allissa had given, the pair of dune ants approached the Y-shaped fork in the wide road. To the left was the standout collection of governmental buildings. To the right was more of the same that they'd already seen. Kesi put a firm hand to Simadger's chest. "Before we go on, we, and I mean you," she said with extra emphasis, "need to rest. Four months? We have time."

Simadger shook her head. "Kesi, we've discussed this. I don't because Oakengrove doesn't. I can rest when this job is done."

"Simmy, you'll work yourself to death if you do," Kesi protested. She got up close to Simadger. "Dune ants shouldn't be able to, but I can see bags under your eyes. You're tired, I'm tired. You can't do Oakengrove's mission half-asleep."

Simadger let out a sigh of defeat. She'd been staving off exhaustion with micro-naps and sheer willpower. The sense of urgency in her mind finally let go for a moment. "Alright," she held up her hand and lowered her head, "You win. Let's find ourselves a place to rest."

That night, Simadger felt the comfort of a proper bed for the first time in a long time. She rested her armor on an armor rack in the room. The rented room only had one bed in it, but for what she paid to rent it for the night, it was a steal. The double-wide bed offered ample space for both of them to spread out comfortably. For the first time, Kesi saw a naked Simadger and laughed at the sight. "I was wondering if you were actually a dune ant or just a human in a costume."

Simadger groaned and rested her hands on her hips. Her unclothed body was in full view as she gestured to it all. "Well, here's your proof that I am."

Kesi chuckled and rolled over. She reached out to dim her oil lamp. "I've been thinking..." Kesi's voice trailed off, waiting for Simadger to pry.

Simadger climbed into bed, pulling the soft silk over her body. The gentle springiness of the mattress washed away all the stress on her body. It felt as if something other than herself was keeping aloft. The soft silk of the layers of blankets on her hardened carapace was an unusual but welcomed sensation. She rubbed the material between her fingers, barely able to accept the fact that this was real and tangible. She'd almost forgotten that Kesi was there. "What are you thinking about?"

Kesi's relaxed smile disappeared. "Once you're done here, what's next for us? For me, even."

Simadger pushed herself upright in the bed, positioning the pillow against the headrest, and leaned against it. "What do you mean?"

"You have a war to go back to," Kesi started. "That's not a life for me."

Simadger scratched the back of her head, giving the future a once-over in thought. "Why now though?"

Kesi sighed. "Because if I don't think about it now, I'll hesitate. I'll miss my chance at freedom. At least," she stared at the wall, trying to avoid Simadger's worried gaze. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Do you want to stay here, then?" Simadger asked.

"I don't know," Kesi's voice snapped. Then it softened into something softer, weaker. "I miss my colony."

Simadger pulled down an antenna to clean it. "I won't stop you. Like I said, when I took you with me, I offered you freedom. Every decision from here on out is yours and yours alone to make." She leaned over and placed a hand on Kesi's shoulder, "I miss my family, too. I'm a few hundred years disconnected from them. If there's any consolation, the family you make will always be more valuable than the family you were born into."

The silence became palpable. Simadger slinked back to her side of the bed, keeping the blankets close to her chest. The oil lamp on her side of the bed was still burning bright and, to help pass the time, she watched the flame drink and dance in its confined space. She heard Kesi roll over and she turned to look at her.

Kesi looked up, sorrow visible in the slacked position of her mandibles and antennae. "If you woke up in the morning and I was gone, would you be mad?"

Simadger slowly shook her head side-to-side. "No. I would reminisce, but ultimately, this is your life now. I can't force you to stay with me."

She quietly nodded and sank deeper under the covers, digging her mandibles into the soft silk. Something was still obviously bothering her, but Simadger chose to wait.

The rest of the night was quiet as the city noise had faded away not too long after the moon rose. The moon's light dimly illuminated the city streets, with the only candlelight visible being through the windows of nearby houses. In anticipation of a long night of sleep, they extinguished the oil lanterns in their room. However, sleep did not come to Simadger. Restlessness overtook her, and she got out of bed and stood at the window, looking outward toward the moon.

She clutched a necklace in her hand, a custom-made pewter pendant shaped in an artistic representation of the sun and its rays of light. It was wavy and not symmetric. She felt her magic grow weaker with each passing minute of nighttime. "I serve the Oakengrove, I serve the Oakengrove," she said over, and over, and over again.

A faint memory drifted through her mind's eye of a time long past. She recalled a sandstone temple with a massive rotunda. A skylight window sat in the middle of its roof was a hole to let in the sunlight and direct it to a reflective sphere of mirrors. She could see a faint silhouette of a dune ant deep in prayer and hear the shattered echoes of sobbing.

A wisp of smoke in the vision took the vague form of a much larger-built person. His heavy hand rested peacefully on the ant's head. She felt the same weight on her head and reached up for it, but as she did; the vision vanished and her hand felt nothing. Simadger's knees gave out to exhaustion, and she slumped down against the wall, tears falling from her face. "Answer me, Solar." She pleaded between strangled gurgles of breath. With what force she could muster, she threw her necklace across the room and buried her head in her arms.

For a moment, her memories taunted her again. She heard voices so familiar that it stabbed her heart like an iron spike. She missed being home. Four very long months weighed heavily on her. Mother's face appeared in the periphery of her vision. The sight of the brutalized carapace with fungal stalks standing tall, still horrified her. It had consumed her and her entire colony so quickly. "Oakengrove, give me strength. Give me peace of mind."

Some hours later, Simadger snapped awake again. She was still on the floor beneath the window. A glance outside revealed the moon's movement. It was still early in the morning, barely an hour past midnight. She groggily pulled herself to her feet. Kesi was still fast asleep in the bed. Simadger struggled to move, but managed to climb back into the bed.

She stared at Kesi. The waking nightmare from earlier now felt like a faded memory. She reached out and pulled the other dune ant in for a hug. She then realized Kesi too was awake as she felt her arms squeeze around her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Kesi yawned. "I've been awake for a few minutes. Can't sleep?"

Simadger slowly nodded in agreement. She gave Kesi a tight squeeze and then released the hug, sliding back to her side of the bed. "I guess I underestimated how exhausted I was. Thank you for convincing me to rest."

Kesi smiled and reached out to take Simadger's hand. "Thank you for showing me the outside world." She intertwined their fingers together and squeezed her hand tightly, reassuringly.

The next morning came in a blink of an eye. Simadger sat upright, yawned, and stretched out her joints. The sun was up and glaring through the window. The city noise returned but rumbled in the background. For the first time in a long time, Simadger felt properly rested. The stress of the past month was gone, and her mind could focus again. "Morning Kesi."

But there was no response.

Simadger turned to her right and noticed Kesi's spot in the bed was empty. A handwritten note sat on the bedside table with her Solar necklace neatly resting on it. The words written on it were in Dunish.

Simadger,

I took to heart what you said about being free, about making decisions. I know that this change won't be easy, seeing as how we've been traveling together for a month or more. I woke up at dawn, toured the city and hitched a ride on a sailing ship for Anora, far away from the red cap fungus and the war. I'm sorry that I can't be there to support you with it, but I'll be praying to Solar for you.

I saw the necklace by the door when I got up. I'm sorry for what this feels like, Simmy. Rest well and I'll send letters to you through Rykensvik. Probably to the couriers in Anslo.

Kesi

Simadger crushed the note in her hands and pulled it close to her chest. "Solar guide you, Kesi. Live a good life. For both of us."

The Orcish palace and its walls stood with an ornate aesthetic rather than a functional one. Decorative cherry wood trims outlined every feature. The front gates to the palace were open, but no one was walking through them. Simadger left most of her equipment, armor included, back in her room. She decided to try a more diplomatic route, following Khar's actions and suggestions after his time as a delegate.

She'd brought with her a set of rather light clothes that were both travel-friendly and fancy enough in appearance to pass as formal wear. To contrast her dark brown body, she wore a sleeveless shirt, cotton pants, and an over-dress bottom to complete the look, all in the same dusty yellow color. Atop her sleeveless shirt, she wore a half-sleeved partial jacket of a darker orange to break up the mono-color look.

The dress bottom had a secondary purpose, hiding a pair of kukari blades beneath it. She hoped she'd not have use for them as she didn't want to use the great axe that was gifted to her. Stepping into the courtyard, Simadger noticed some nature-casters using their magic to tend to the seemingly more environmentally delicate plant life. Planters of vibrant flowers decorated the interior walls and gardens. She stood there, partially in awe of the well-manicured beauty but also to see if anyone would challenge her presence.

With a shrug of the shoulders, she made her way to the palace proper. It wasn't that big of a structure, stretching only to the second floor and slightly wider than the neighbors. The cherry wood doors had big metallic rings for handles, and it took some effort to pull one of them open.

The interior stank of flavorful incense as a thin haze of powdery smoke wafted out. On the far side of the palace was the Orcish King, who was lounging about on a double-wide plush couch, chewing away on a whole cooked salmon. At either side of him were two guards fully plated, whom she assumed were also orcs, but couldn't see even a single inch of skin. They stood motionless, like statues.

A handful of servants, thinner framed orcs, male and female alike who appeared to be no older than twenty, walked about with doll-like puppeteer'd movements with plates and other various things. They all wore a sleeveless dress with slits in the lower dress portion.

The king himself, an orcish man late into his fifties, pushed himself upright and swallowed his bite of meal loudly, waving his hand to dismiss the servants. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his cupped hands. "Who are you?"

She spoke up, "I've come as an emissary of Oakengrove."

"That's a name I'm not familiar with." The orcish king leaned further forward, studying the dune ant intently. "What does a dune ant want with the king of the Orcish Coterie?"

"I've come seeking information and allies," Simadger began. "The Father of the Forest extends an olive branch in friendship and a plea of aid in his time of turmoil."

"And to what extent is this plea of aid, emissary?" The King asked dismissively.

"He asks for help in dealing with the erratic nature of the Basar Clans." Simadger, despite her lack of experience in playing the diplomatic role, tried her best to keep a formal-like tone in her voice.

The Orcish King leaned back into his throne with an intrigued gin. "Is that so? What has he done to upset the Nordic raiders?"

"From what he has gathered, their planned assault comes from a perceived threat to their dominance of the region, sparked by their former druid," Simadger explained.

The orcish king let out a bellowing laugh. "Fucking morons don't know when to pick a fight, do they? I'll be level with you, emissary. Those Basars have been harassing my ships for years with their petty war against the Solists. I've been itching for a good reason to give them a black eye." He sat upright, now apparently invested in what Simadger was telling him. "This Oakengrove. What country is he lording over?"

"No country. He is the resurrected god of nature and not tied to any existing national entity," she said bluntly.

The orcish king's jovial expression withered. "Gods don't resurrect, young one."

"This one did. I am proof of his return," Simadger said sternly.

"Let's say that what you tell me is the truth. What reason do I have to trust this Oakengrove? What benefit do I get from supporting him in a very costly war against the Norsemen?"

"I doubt gratitude is of much use as a currency. I offer this." She then laid the great axe on the floor between them. "I come with the support of the Silver Tusk Clan and their Chieftain, Jolagh, who can vouch for my support in his war against the red-cap fungus."

The orcish king fell silent for a moment, pondering the item. "I suppose my son told you I'd provide support unquestioningly?"

Simadger paused, then spoke up, confused by the relationship. "Jolagh is your son?"

"My second son claimed the life of nobility was not for him." The orcish king vented the frustration in his tone of voice. His eyes bobbed up and down and across the horizon as he thought about it for a bit. Then, with a begrudging groan, said, "I suppose I owe him a favor. Very well then, emissary. I, as king of the Orcish Coterie, shall pledge support in Oakengrove's favor against the Basar Clans. However."

Simadger's antennae flicked at the conditional statement he was about to make.

"When all is said and done, I would like his help with something. It's not of any great importance to discuss now, but a favor down the road that I would appreciate."

With at least positive relations affirmed, Simadger and the orcish king then spent the rest of the day going over details about the events of the past summer and confirming locations. As the sun dipped beneath the watery horizon, Simadger looked out towards its wavy orange tint almost longingly.

A chilly wind blew off the ocean and through the city streets, chilling the humid air around her. Winter was coming and for a moment, the realization of passing time hit. She'd been gone for months, far away from home and her friends. Kesi's departure only renewed the wound of being alone. She saw on the waves, ships of all varieties of construction, waving flags of even more variations of colors and shapes. A faint smile appeared through her rigid, insectoid face.

The next morning, Simadger packed up her stuff and canceled her remaining stay with the inn. The returned cash then went into booking a trip to Rykensvik. Standing on the deck of the ship, the entire trip was long and grueling, but the two days she spent in the city went so fast that she almost couldn't believe it happened.

The sailing vessel she'd booked a trip on was a large passenger liner, designed to ferry many people between continents. Simadger was one of a thousand people on board. It was a two-and-a-half-month trip back home. Seventy days at sea and Simadger did not know just how long that trip was going to feel.