There were many paths that led down the mountain and out of the woods, but many had long since dwindled from underuse, and many led nowhere or to bad ends. They were lucky. Hennessey was a savant when it came to traversing the area, and Ty took the opportunity to learn more of the elf, as well as descendancy.

Erudite. Vereor. Animus. Anima. Obitus. Titans that had once ruled the earth.

Everybody knew that. It was drilled into your head the moment you were born. Pray for all the good that has happened today. Pray before you eat. Pray by the fives, hail Titans. Ty never did – his family never did. But he knew of the Titans just as any other person you'd find on the streets. Gods that had once walked the earth, people would say, monotoned as if reading off a list. Immortals that started the era before time were recorded. Deities that were worshipped.

And descendants? Descendants were the 'children' of the Titans, in a sense. Descendants weren't immortal. They don't live longer, and they die just like any other person. But they're different for the powers they wield, the fraction of a power drawn from the Titans. 'A binding covenant between loyal names and divinity.' He remembered reading off a Holy Writ he'd found somewhere a while back. It had stuck to him for some reason despite him not making much sense of it at the time. Now he understood. A contract for the disciples, the early worshippers.

Hennessey's families were descendants of Anima, descendants of life. She didn't seem to enjoy speaking about them; her face screwed into a scowl at the beginning of the subject. It took some prodding that finally got her talking, and even then it was broken mutters, a sentence or two about her grandmother that had once brought a man back to life. He stopped asking after that, curbing his curiosity. It was enough to bring about a new meaning to the title 'resurrector', and not for the first time that day, Ty wondered what kind of background the girl had for her to come by these parts of the land.

He was grateful when Hennessey steered clear of inquiring about him. Much like the elf, Ty did not want to talk about himself, moreso about what happened in Havenridge. It wasn't exactly a lack of trust, though Ty couldn't deny the wariness that still sat between him and Hennessey. There were a few times he caught inquisitive side glances from the girl, glances that wondered how he'd ended up in the river halfway to death's door, but the questions were respectfully held back always, and he'd pretend he never saw her interest in the first place. For now, it was something he was not ready to broach; his mind still reeling chaotically about his own powers. Powers he had no knowledge of in his fifteen years of life.

They covered other descendants the two of them knew of. The earth benders from the dwarves and the human summoners were ones he had already known. He wasn't surprised to learn that Hennessey had a broader knowledge on the topic.

'Seers are the elven descendants of Erudite, clerics are Animus' and illusionists Vereor's,' she said, her fingers counting as she listed on. 'I don't know a lot about descendants outside of the elves, only of the passed oracles from the reapers, the orc infernis and warriors, and human healers.'

'I didn't know healers are descendants,' said Ty.

'They're a vigilant bunch. And as Anima's followers, healers are also rare,' Hennessey said, then added quickly, 'that's from what I heard.'

Ty thought of the doctor in his early thirties that had set up shop in the lower district a few months back. He didn't know the man; medicine was too expensive so he never went in, but he'd always steal a look whenever he passed by. It never struck him that the doctor was a descendant. He didn't seem like one. But then again, neither did Ty.

'Are there any descendants under Obitus?' he asked after a moment of thought. The elf had not brought up the Titan amongst her listings.

'He's the Titan of death,' she said, glancing over. 'Elves do not worship him. However, those summoners you mentioned could possibly be of Obitus. After all, he is the lord of the underworld.'

And demons come from the underworld. Ty nodded, understanding. It made sense. He crammed away the mirth that came with knowing something about his enemies and focused on his own descendancy. All that's left were Erudite, Vereor and Animus.

Hennessey was staring at the sky, estimating. 'We have roughly four hours before sundown.'

'How far are we?' he asked. They were moving slower than the elf had hoped because of his injuries; the weight on his throbbing shoulders heavier with each passing hour. Hennessey didn't seem bothered by it, saying they could simply camp another night if need be.

Ty himself wasn't particularly looking forward to that, for there was still the prospect of scouting for Alexi's anonymous tip upon arrival. Mercifully, Hennessey had said that Riverstead was a town that sat right by the river, if not on it. That narrowed down his search trail, at least there needn't be crossing of mountains or seas.

'Half a day,' she sighed. 'At our pace, maybe a bit more.'

Ty sighed as well and readjusted the weight on his shoulders. The path frontwards was less treacherous and steep, but he would have to move fast if they wanted to reach Riverstead by nightfall, or at least by daybreak. They had only climbed out of the valley and left their campsite miles behind, with miles more to come ahead. Now, out of the dense and clustered forest, Ty could look over Gilleran laid out before them far below. And far, far away in the East, where things were barren and dank, he knew there laid his past. A burnt down structure, once with two bedrooms, a kitchen with a sink to clean one's teeth over, and a nice living area with a stone fireplace.

***

The lower district was the underbelly of Havenridge; polluted, dark, and overpopulated with junk metals and waste. It was the ash-can of the city. And yet, it was home.

It was where Ty met Alexi and Tobias, where he ate, slept and grew up. Where he was saved from dying. Perhaps that explained the burning irritation that festered inside of him, the fantasy of what life could've been had Ty come to this town instead. Something different, maybe something simple.

Riverstead reminded him of a child's train set. A colossal tree was planted in the center. Harsh vibrant colours painted over the settlement, along with idiosyncratic architectures that seemed to defy gravity and were irregular to the eye. Every building was different, every stone was contorted. It was somewhat like that of an old grandma's quilt, elaborated and undeniably ugly. Ty could not stop his stares as townsmen in just as gaudy attires came out to start their day. 

The two of them ended up having to make camp after all, powering through nightfall in the open wild before arriving in town the next morning.

'Stop gawking, you're drawing attention!' Hennessey hissed, her hands coming up to tug on the corners of her hood, checking if it was still up. 'You look like one of those cave-dwellers from the south. I thought you came from the city.'

Heat crept onto his cheeks and he scowled. 'Yeah, I came from the city where everything made sense!' Though he wouldn't put it past the higher district to glam itself up like this as well. 'This town sits by a river in the middle of nowhere, why the hell is it so bright?'

'What are you talking about?' Hennessey threw him a look. 'It's Riverstead. It's the town of technology. As far as I know, every human tech began its existence here. I would've expected you to already know this since you've lived in Gilleran your whole life, as opposed to me who's been around humans for less than two months.'

He flushed. She was right, of course, he did know of such a town. Though not by its name. It had been the talk of the district about five years ago, when traders came by with items no one had ever seen before. Ever since then Tobias had made it his mission to one day leave the city and get an apprenticeship here. It ate away at Ty knowing that Tobias wasn't with him now, and the guilt served as a reminder that the sooner he found Alexi's tip, the sooner he could plan his next steps on actually finding Alexi and Tobias.

Upon Hennessey's insistence, they beelined for the nearest tavern with the help of some passersby. She mentioned she needed to replenish some supplies, and Ty wasn't against the idea of a warm bed and food that tasted less gamey. Of course, Hennessey would have to pay, as he had not a single coin on him, but the elf didn't mind. Ty would have to find some way to pay her back later. There was also the prospect of gathering info. Taverns served a multitude of purposes especially in colonial towns. They were means of direction for travellers, as well as settings where people could eat, drink, be entertained, and spend the night. Information would be available with the right kind of bribery.

Ty stared up at the building with its bowed circular windows and gothic tracery. On one side, several large pipes ran from the top of the roof to the underground, groaning and hissing as hot air was pumped through the building. On top of the entrance door, a large fluorescent sign hung and mercury-vapour lamps encircled the words 'Dipsomaniacs'. Hitched to the front, by the building entrance, was a patchy mule that has seen better days. It didn't look like it belonged. 

'Not very creative,' Hennessey hummed, which drew a questioning look from him. She shrugged and explained. 'Dipsomaniacs is just another word for alcoholics.'

In spite of her acuity, the elf was hesitant to enter, so it was Ty who pushed open the door. He wrinkled his nose as a wave of condensed smoke and body odor washed over him.

Ty had been to a tavern in the lower district once, when he was nine and was looking for Alexi. It had been a bad day; they were fined because their stall was an inch past its assigned spot, something Ty didn't believe despite the guard's insistence. Alexi had to close up shop that day. It was Tobias' nagging when he didn't come home past midnight that had Ty out searching. He remembered being tired and hungry, and had slammed the tavern doors open with a mood that rivalled Alexi's that morning. Everyone in the tavern had stopped what they were doing to stare at the little kid pounding towards the big man by the bar. Their entrance into Dipsomaniacs was just as uncanny of an experience.

It wasn't like the place was crowded, considering it was morning, but there was a respectable number of patrons. Several wooden tables in a corner were occupied, and one man hunched over by the bar where the bartender manned. Many stopped dead, eyeballing them upon entry with only the music playing mindlessly in the background.

Ty resisted the urge to look over himself. It's been a full week since he had last washed up, not to mention the demons he had come in contact with. And then, there's the dried blood. Ty was painfully aware of how filthy he was, and it took everything in him not to retreat back through the doors.

He kept his head down and avoided eye contact, taking a seat on one of the barstools two seat away from another patron cradling his tankard. Hennessey didn't join him, asking if there were any rooms available for the night. The bartender, a tall, thin man with small circular glasses and a balding comb-over, stared at her with narrowed eyes until she slid a few coins over. Bony fingers seized them after a moment's thought, and finally, he answered, 'Top floor, second room to the right.'

Hennessey dropped another two coins into his hand. 'Also, two hot meals for my friend and I, please.'

The bartender nodded just the slightest before turning to a door that Ty presumed led to the kitchen. Hennessey didn't wait around, taking the bedroll and the water filter from him.

'I'm going to leave my stuff upstairs. I'll be down in a minute.'

She was gone before he could reply, and moments later the bartender returned with two bowls of oatmeal drizzled in honey. He carelessly plunked them down, sloshing milk off the sides and onto the table. 'Your food. I suggest you and your friend leave once you're finished. We don't take kindly to children 'round here.'

Ty kept his gaze straight, though he felt a rise of annoyance when the bartender sneered back. 'Didn't think you'd turn away good money. A mug of ale while you're at it, good sir.'

Already, he reprimanded himself for falling for the man's taunts. Ty regretted the order, for he had never drunken anything sides' from water and the occasional sugared juice, but it was too late now, and he could do nothing but follow through with the act he had regretfully set up.

The bartender sniggered, eyebrows screwed and lips curled ugly, but he filled a mug with ale from the tap nevertheless, mumbling to himself as he did so. 'Kids barging into my bar nowadays. Next thing I know I'll be nursing babies whiskeys...' That done, he slammed the mug down in front of Ty with an indifferent 'here' and turned to leave his area of dining. Ty called out, his voice raised just above the music. If there was any time to ask, it would be now.

'Wait!'

The bartender turned back around, and for a split second, Ty thought he caught a glint of something disturbing in the man's eyes. But really, he couldn't tell. The bar was not brightly lit, and the bartender's face wasn't particularly conducive to any expression other than impatience and irritation.

'I need to ask if you know anything or anyone around that goes by the name Calum?' he pressed on, heedless of the quiet that had taken in the background. The bartender leaned closer, his expression now a picture of something cold and sinister. His fists clenched fist against the counter.

'That name is not welcomed here,' he said through gritted teeth. 'Now I'll say it one more time, and there won't be no more after, boy. You're in the wrong bar.'

The man had only just finished when a clamorous noise boomed from above. A few seconds later, Hennessey was skirting down the stairs with her things in tow, a look on her face that had dread twisting in Ty's gut.

'We need to leave now!'

'What the hell happened?' But she didn't have time to answer.

Following close behind was a large bald-headed man that hugged the sides of the hallway; face red with anger and something else that dripped crimson down his chin.

'Bitch!' His full-throated bellow split through the bar, drawing the attention of everyone around like moths to a flame. 'This is human territory! Not a land for the freaks. Come 'ere and fight me like one!'