The trek to Vastiin took us a while thanks to the fact that the city is hidden via illusionary magic.

I looked at the never-ending desert that surrounded us. I don't know, maybe a city could be hidden in this place.

"So the last few Imperial Inquisitors are housed in Vastiin, huh?" I mused. "I remember you talking about that: that you're one of the remaining inquisitors."

Soren nodded as the space before us seemed to shimmer, then change altogether. In place of the endless desert were walls made of sandstone.

"Indeed, the last inquisitors are housed within Vastiin. They keep the illusions up, and the city provides shelter for us. Considering Thaleous is scouring the entire realm looking for us, the illusions have to be quite powerful to hide this city from his spies."

"Ah," I replied as we walked past the main gate and into the city.

Looking at Soren's garb, I was surprised at just how exquisite it was: He wore dark red robes that were of a brilliant quality. The paldrons of the robe appeared to be snarling lions: the icon of the Imperial inquisitors. His garb closely resembled that of a battle mage: a magic user that lives and breathes for war, but his armor was way more badass. Most of his robes and a pair of gauntlets on Soren's wrists were embellished in gold, as were his greaves. Dark steel, dark red, and dark gold detailing made Soren look intimidating. His staff was even more impressive: It appeared to be made of eldritch wood, one of the rarest types of wood you can ever hope to find. An azure crystal ball was set on the top of the staff radiated power, and particles of blue fire orbited around the staff.

I whistled softly. Geez, just trying to sense his power was borderline impossible.

"Sounds like a nice deal you have with the city," I mused as we walked along what could be considered the main street of this city. This place was...huge.

Peeling my focus away from the booming civilization around me, I looked at Soren, "How many inquisitors are left?"

"Counting me, five."

My jaw dropped, "Really?"

"Yeah," Soren continued, voice growing soft and weary: "Most inquisitors were killed during the event you call the Dread Decades. The time period when Thaleous invaded your realm and attempted to enslave all of its inhabitants. Initially, the Inquisitors held the hoards at bay, pushing them back from the main portal to Alysia and ensuring that their numbers stayed low. Unfortunately, we played right into Thaleous' hand, and we were promptly exterminated in our own capital. A few of us were able to get away, but the Inquisitors were all but erased. With us out of the way, Thaleous' hoards gained momentum and we lost ground. I had only been an inquisitor for a year before I was brought into the fray. I was sixteen then. Hell, Ravana only fell about...three decades ago. Even with the demon queen out of the picture, I haven't stopped fighting since then, and I don't plan on stopping until Thaleous is dead."

My mind felt a little scrambled. Holy shit...I shouldn't be surprised, but that at least explains one aspect of the Dread Decades, and why they were so deadly.

"It's speculated that the Dread Decades lasted about fifty years-a half of a century," I began, "How long do you think it really lasted?"

Soren laughed bitterly, "For all I know, it lasted an entire century-It certainly felt like it. It's hard to tell when it began: Who threw the first punch, what the first casualty was, or what city was the first to fall. The firsts don't matter: it's what's left that matters."

I nodded, the gravity of this situation settling down on me like a cold weight on my shoulders. The more I learned, the more I realized was at stake.

Soren shook his head, "No matter, that's all in the past now. We need to get supplies, then head home."

Stanford's face fell as he hurriedly scanned the diverse crowd in a vain attempt to find Evelyn: his savior.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," He breathed, "Where the hell are you Evie?"

"You'll find her eventually, Stanford," I began quietly, placing my hand on his shoulder, "Give it time, pal."

"Heh, time," He mumbled, "I have everything but time right now. Why must there be so many fucking people in this god damn city?"

Soren chuckled, "This is a safe haven, Stanford. People flock here in droves nowadays. Whether it be because their village was overrun by demons or because their harvest was poor, Vastiin is the last large city in this realm that hasn't fallen before Thaleous. Thankfully, this place is large enough to contain the hundreds of people that show up on a daily basis."

I looked around at the city as we pushed our way through the large crowds that were walking up and down the main street. I saw all manner of species as I continued to follow Soren: Some I remembered, some I had no clue what they were. I saw a few Kaitrits, some lupans, and even a group of firewalkers as they conversed by a small fire.

I whistled, "Holy shit..."

"Yeah," Luna began, "This place is something else entirely."

"I find this city far too loud," Simon complained, "I much rather prefer the quietness of the fortress to this hubbub of noise and smell."

Soren rolled his eyes, "You don't even have ears, Simon. Or a nose, for that matter."

"So? Your point being?" He demanded.

Soren sighed, "I give up."

Luna hugged my left arm while my free hand was on the hilt of my sword. My eyes constantly swept back and forth to make sure no one-or nothing would sneak up on us.

Soren noticed my obvious paranoia and smiled, "Don't worry Helix, you're safe here."

I nodded, but still kept my hand on my sword. (Yeah, I'm really paranoid. I'm amazed I didn't shit myself the moment we arrived in Mareth.)

Luna let go of my arm and grabbed her staff. She held it tightly in both of her hands.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah. I'm just freaked out by all of...this," She replied, waving meekly at the city around us, "That's all. I'm not very used to the noise, or the people, or the noise..."

I chuckled, "Aye, you and me both."

One of her hands let go of her staff, and grabbed my hand instead.

I grinned, "Can't decide what to hold onto?"

She merely shook her head.

I chuckled softly, then noticed Soren heading into a store.

We followed him inside and blinked as our eyes got used to the diminished light quality inside the building.

"Ah! Soren!" A middle-age woman, presumably then shopkeeper, began happily, "My favorite customer! You need the usual?"

"Aye," He replied, setting a large pouch of coin onto a counter the shopkeeper stood behind. "I'm starting to run out of supplies, and I have more people in my fort now."

He motioned toward me, Luna, and Stanford, and we all looked at him irritably.

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Well, more inhabitants in your camp will do that to you. Are you sure you don't want to live in Vastiin again? I'm sure you'll be accepted with open arms considering you're an inquisitor. Hell, I'm sure they have a bed just waiting for you."

Soren shook his head, "While that sounds tempting, I have a job to do. Living here won't help me in the slightest."

The shopkeeper nodded, "I knew that'd be your response. Alright, I'll round up your supplies for you, and you can be on your way."

Soren told Tanis and Simon that they would be carrying the goods while Luna, Stanford, and I would cover them. After they hefted up the large sacks of supplies, we left the store and pushed our way back to the entrance of the city.

Passing through the main gate, I shuddered as I felt...something interact with my aura. I had no idea who or what tried to make contact with me, but I could've sworn that it was sizing my aura up-almost as if it were trying to get an idea of who I was. I don't know, I'll talk to Soren about this later.