Once breakfast is over, we split into two work parties. One group is in charge of getting all the supplies up the hill. The second group is clearing obstructions and filling holes for the wagons that will be moved up the hill. I am using the trolling motor on the boat to move all the goods and gear across the water. The farmers were glad to hear that I would be leaving the tractor behind.

Most of the day was used in prep work for moving the wagons up the hill. Thanks to all the work done on the front end of the task, the two wagons went across the water and up the hill without a hitch. The same could not be said for the carriage. Shortly after it got into deep water, it tipped sideways and filled with water. The steepness of the slope mixed with the softness of the mud made righting it nearly impossible. Hours later, with darkness approaching, narrow wheels embedded in the soft soil of the slope, the mud-covered and mud-filled coach was abandoned half submerged in the water. Wet, cold, and filthy, we make the final trip up the slope.

The kittens' growth is amazing. While they still have the body structure of kittens, their weight and size suggest a much larger species. Their intellectual growth is also far beyond anything I would have thought possible. They have discovered humor. Me being cold and covered in drying mud has them in stitches. I wonder if the dream time I am spending with them is what is propelling them quickly down this developmental path. I wonder if I should convince the mages to do an aura read on the kittens. Maybe it is better if I don't. since it is considerably less of a challenge ethically to carve up a cat to get a better look at its bones than it is a human. I am not sure the level of interest they showed in the patterns they saw on my bone was entirely healthy.

Cleanup continues into the night. Water from the uphill source river is used to wash dirty bodies and dirty clothes. There are three fires tonight surrounded by wet clothes hanging on poles steaming in the firelight. While the day passed with only a few side effects from the calibration of my hearing enhancement, I have noticed little change in my hearing abilities. Perhaps this enhancement is a dud. Since I have pulled guard duty for the past two nights, I get to sleep through the night this time. At least that is how it was supposed to go.

The kittens and I are sitting in a field of integrated circuits flowers, gently waving in the wind. Blue silicon flowers continuing to sprout further and further into the distance. At which point, Rascal shakes my shoulder and says, "Get up. There are wolves around the camp."

“What? Where?” Sleep is fading away.

The soldier on guard duty is shaking me awake. "Get moving. If we can hurt them badly before they can gather the whole pack then they will just leave us alone."

“Has there been any howling?”

"No, but there is less than twenty of them. This few can't be the whole pack."

The glare lamps illuminate the occasional wolf passing through the dark woods. Since the pack animals have corralled into the center of camp, the wolves can't split them away to prey on them alone. The wolves are starting to bark and growl in agitation. Glare lamps have a reflective surface on one side. All light is directed away from camp. The glare makes it very difficult to see into the camp. I spot pair of eyes reflecting in the darkness and squeeze off a shot.

Not even a yelp. The remaining wolves can be heard over the ringing in my ears, racing away from camp. The animals are half panicked, and the cats are giving me quite unpleasant glares.

"I know it's way too loud. Take a look just a short walk that way, and you will find a dead wolf."

"If there is a dead wolf, you are forgiven. Still, can you at least give us some notice before you use that thing." Seksal just stares at me for a moment. "What are you waiting for? Go collect your kill."

I sling the AK across my back and head off into the dark. The wolf is huge. I wish that I had brought the wagon and mini bike instead of the now-abandoned tractor. My strength is significantly greater than before, but dragging this monster wolf is taking everything I have. Hm, I take care of the wolf problem, and all they can do is joke about me now being lost in the dark. Oh! I can hear them bad mouthing me back at the camp. Guess the hearing enhancement is doing something after all. That explains why the rifle noise was so bad this time.

Once I clear the brush and become illuminated by the glare lights, help comes. The same voices that were joking about me stumbling around in the dark have changed their tune.

“He took down the alpha with one shot.”

“How could have even seen it?”

“Lucky shot.”

"Through the top of the skull? Not just luck. Must have caught the eye flash."

“Aim and fire from just the eye flash. How quick is he?”

The soldiers who had been bad-mouthing me a few seconds ago are now impressed.

With three cats and me helping, the carcass is quickly carried into camp.

As we pass by the soldiers, I look over at them. "By the way. I never get lost in the dark."

“Well damn. Eyes and ears like a cat.”

“Wonder if he can smell us too?”

To which I reply. “I think it to be my great fortune that I can not.”

Miyaki, who is helping with the wolf, pipes in, "Take it from someone who can smell them. You are indeed fortunate not to be able to."

The other two cats are snickering, and the soldiers have gone silent for now.

A little over an hour later and everyone is back to the night schedule. The remaining sleep seemed all too brief.

Wolf meat is considered to be great if you are starving to death. The hide was saved. The corps is sitting in a shallow hole. The wagons are now overly full, which means most of us are now on foot. If anything, this forest is even in worse shape than the forests of my world. We seem to be spending as much time clearing the forest road as we do moving forward. In addition, calling this surface a road is a stretch. A rutted path prone to mud holes and washouts is what it is.

“Any clues as to our location and when we will be out of the forest?” I ask.

Seksal heard my question and responds. “Yes and no. I recognize where we are. The problem is that there is an old growth of cabin trees between us and the exit from the forest.”

"By chance, are cabin trees large enough that it would be easier to unload everything and lift over them rather than trying to cut through them?"

"I think if the cabin trees fell, it would be simpler than what I expect we will find."

"What do you expect to find?" The soldier ahead of us has been listening in.

“I expect the weight of the limbs will have torn them to pieces. We will reach a near impassible wall of broken foliage.”

Soon Seksal's prophetic words began to take shape. Massive tree limbs need to be moved from the road. Tree trunks over twenty feet across can be seen extending up over forty feet in the air only to end in jagged torn forms. A short while later, the vast number of fallen limbs have meshed together to form an immovable mat of broken foliage. The canopy that once formed a light-blocking blanket is now piled on the forest floor. Other plant-like growths feed off the ambient magic energy blocking the few paths that offer any hope of proceeding through the forest.

With no hope of going through the debris on the road, one of the cats heads for one of the nearby tree trunks carrying a rope and a grappling hook. Just getting to the base of the tree is quite the ordeal. Climbing over, under, and through all the downed branches is quite the ordeal. The job is made much easier since the winter has stripped the leaves from the branches. It also makes it possible for those of us watching to track most of his progress. The increase in gravity plays havoc with his aim to get the grappling hook set into the top of the broken tree. Eventually, the hook and shortly thereafter, the cat are secure high above the broken forest.

While his initial attention is on the area around the road, he ends up spending most of his time studying the forest north of our position. Once he is down the tree and back with our group, he explains what he sees as the path of least resistance. A narrow path has been cleared about five hundred paces north of us. If we backtrack a short way, the forest floor shouldn't be too dense, and we would be able to connect to the new path. We will still need to widen the path to get the wagons through. This path will take a couple of days of hard work. Still far faster and simpler than trying to cut a fresh path. The question for me is, who cut this path? And, are they likely to return while we are still here?

The forest floor is wildly uneven and proves to be a greater challenge than the light brush leading to the cut path. We are all exhausted, and the sky is growing dark by the time we reach the path through the heavy branches. A quick cold dinner is consumed before watches are assigned, and I head for my sleeping spot. My period of the watch is peaceful, but before I am deep asleep, I am awakened by an all too familiar noise.

= Boss, boss, the tasty monsters are hear=

Even with my enhanced senses, the kittens are aware of what is happening before I am. The cackling noise of the monstrosities is coming from all directions. I am sitting and have a round chambered in my AK before the first one breaks through the brush and into the camp area. Unfortunately, I am screwing around with the shooting muffs, and the first shot is delivered late. I am knocked back by the impact of the body of the now-dead monster. I struggle to get back into a firing position. Anyone not awake a moment ago is now. My being out of sync with the first round is costing me. Right now, all I can do is keep up with the flow of the monstrosities as they flow into the camp like a wide river. I can hear clangs and screams of both comrades and monstrosities all around me. The flow of monstrosities has ended, but there are still a few to be dealt with. Two are coming in when the AK only goes click. The first one gets a gun butt in the face and a kick to the gut, not killed but definitely stunned. The problem is the one coming up on my left. I go for a hail marry move, and everything goes wrong.

“Plasma ball.” First time I have tried any magic.

The targeting has locked onto the point-blank beaked face. It feels like my whole arm is being electrocuted. The palm of my left-hand feels like it is on fire. My head is pounding, and the targeting dot is wherever I am looking. I need a debug module. The only good part of the situation is that the monstrosity hit with the plasma ball is in even worse shape than I am. The crackle and blinding white flash have pulled the attention of one of the soldiers, who then finishes off the last of the monstrosities for me. I hope everyone else is doing better than I am because I am out of the fight. Oh, it's quiet now. I guess the fight is over. What I need right now is a nap.

Something nasty in my mouth. Ugg, I swallowed it. Hmm, my left-hand feels all warm and tingly. I hope that is good. Still nap time though. At some point, my two friends have settled in next to me. The flower field has some burned-out flowers in it. The kittens are running about play fighting at my feet while I dig out burnt flowers, crush them to dust, then reform and replant them. I have built a control panel that ties into the roots. With this, I should be able to keep feedback loops from burning out sections of the field. Something I should have installed a long time ago. The soil isn't deep enough yet for trees, so I guess I will have to wait before planting any. The kittens are telling me it's time to move. Ok.

"I think he is waking up m'lady."

"Good. Mia try to find L'halis and bring him here. He was most interested in what happened at the end of our battle with the Kyak-Kyaks. And, with what happened to James."

"I still can't believe that he took down twenty-one of them."

"There is no doubt that he did though. Hurry now. I will speak with him a bit first. I too, am curious what happened."

As I start to move about to prop myself up, I notice that my jacket and shirt are missing. I am inside the tent Canisia uses under a rather warm blanket. My left arm is stiff and sore, and my bandaged left hand is quite tender.

“How long have I been out.”

"Out? You mean sleeping. It is close to lunchtime now."

"I mean no disrespect but, I need a little alone time in the forest right now. I promise to be right back."

"What? Oh, of course."

My jacket and shirt are close by, and the left-hand sleeves are slightly singed at the end. I want to see how bad the damage is, but I don't want to remove the bandages too soon. Then there is the issue of infection. How clean was the cloth they used for the bandage? The level of understanding these people seem to have of the natural world is rather primitive. Something to talk about when I get back. Maybe they used magic, and my injuries are better off than I think. I hope so. When I get back, L'halis is waiting for me. Canisia is staying put. It seems she is serious about wanting to know what happened.

“How are you feeling?”

"Awake. Better, I hope." I am looking at my left hand when I say this.

"You don't have a blessing, so what we could do for you was limited. We covered the palm of your hand with a salve used by the cats. I was able to boost the natural energies in your arm and hand. That should help in healing the damage that was done. The question is, how did you get these injuries? Kyak-kyaks are strong fast and need no light to navigate, but they have no attack that could leave the injuries you sustained."

“When should we check on my hand?”

“Let’s wait until this evening. Do you know how your hand was burned?”

“Yes.”

“AND?”

“I tried to use magic.”

“You caused that flash and cooked that kyak-kyak’s head with magic? That wasn’t some strange weapon of yours?”

“Yes.”

"I don't know if I am more impressed with your level of success or your level of failure. Why would you even try such a thing?"

“I ran out of bullets.”

“Bullets, there is a word I have no understanding of.”

"Your bow uses arrows. My weapons use bullets."

“So you are out of bullets?”

"No. I just didn't have time to reload. There were too many kyak-kyaks, and they came too fast."

"L'halis, he used magic without a blessing from the gods." This seems to be what Canisia wants to talk about.

“That is a good point. Just how did you use magic?”

"Wrong. I badly burned my hand, and my arm felt like it was struck by lightning. My head hurt, and I lost consciousness. I don't know how magic is supposed to be done, but I know that I didn't do it right."

“Perhaps a few lessons in basic magic are in order. I would recommend that you do not attempt any further magic until you have a better understanding of it.”

“I hadn’t planned on using it in the first place.”

"But how are you able to use it at all?" Canisia is stuck on this point. "Magic is supposed to be a gift of the gods given to special people through their blessing."

"I sorry, Miss Canisia, but I really don't know. For some reason, I am now able to do things that don't make any sense. I am fully fluent in a language I never heard before in less than a week. If I aim a weapon at something, I hit it. I am stronger, faster, able to hear and see better than ever. Am I even the same kind of person as you? I came from a different world. And, I have been changed by your world. A better question might be, why am I so bad at using magic?"

"Do you think that you and I are different kinds of people like elves, cats, wolves, and my people are different?"

“I have no idea. We did come from different worlds, so even though we look alike on the outside, we might not be alike on the inside.”

"L'halis, could James's people be the ancient race?"

"That is a very interesting question. Once we get back, we should go to one of the temples and ask for a consultation with the gods."

“Will you be able to ask this question if the temples have collapsed?”

"Why do you keep asking such terrible questions? Why do you keep acting like the capital has been destroyed? Why do you keep pressing me to believe that I am going to find death and destruction? It is my family and my home you are talking about."

"I think you should prepare for the possibility that I am right. Because if I am, you might be wedded and bedded on the chance that a local lord can find themselves promoted to the top after you get your blessing. Or you could die at the hands of whoever is next in line for the position to secure their chance at being the local duke."

“What? L’halis, nothing like that could happen to me, right?”

“Well, it might be best to send someone out to get information before we announce who you are to any of the local lords.”

“Do you think James could be right? Could Penacray be in ruins now?”

"From the cat town of Shimpray to hear, the only buildings we have seen that still stood were either short single-story wooden houses or made of metal. Even those buildings were heavily damaged. It is possible that the damage to Penacray was severe."

“Nooo. I don’t want to hear that.” The little duchess is now in tears

“L’hallis, is the reason that no one would listen when I brought this up to protect her?” I ask.

"That and no one wants to face the possibility that their own families may also be dead."

“Is your family going to be ok?”

"Like the cats, most elfin villages are composed of simple wooden structures. There will be injuries, but with the warnings from the gods, most would have been outside when everything collapsed."

"In our world, a common fantasy is that elves build their villages in the trees."

"Put a child in a tree sooner or later they will fall from the tree. A village in the trees will soon run out of children."

I would like to chuckle at this, but miss Canisia is struggling right now. Neither L'halis nor myself is offering her comfort since we are not of a station to offer comfort to a young noblewoman.

She takes a couple of deep breaths and starts talking again. “You were honest with me. You tried to help protect me by forcing me to see what the truth might be. What do you think I should do now?”

"You seem like someone who looks after and is kind to those who serve you. That is good since loyalty is what you need right now. You will need to be careful on your journey to find out what happened in Penacray. First, call everyone together. Share that you want to make plans in case the worst has happened. Listen very closely to Kayvan. I think he is a spy who works for your father. If he offers excellent advice, then follow it. If he seems vague or evasive, then we may need to think about how to lose him."

"You know he is a spy? How? You are right, but I am sure of his loyalty. I will talk to everyone tonight. Are you sure that all of the people of your world aren't like you?"

“I am sure there are some like me. There will even be some who have even greater abilities. We will be few and far between. The kinds of places where people like me worked and lived are not the kind of places where survival would be likely.”

“So you do know why you are different.”

“Partly, yes. There may be other paths that will lead to other interesting results. Only time will tell.”

"Tonight, check your injuries." Canisia has regained control of herself and continues. "I hope you can work tomorrow. Your 'chainsaw' is needed, but no one else wants to touch it. Or, more accurately stated, the two who want to try should never be allowed to touch it."

I spent the rest of the day cleaning the weapons and playing with the kittens. Most everyone else is cutting, hauling, or playing guard for clearing the path. I can't even help much with the cooking with my hand all wrapped up like a mitten. I was pleased when the bandages came off after dinner.

"Wow, he even heals like a cat."

“How is the sensation of touch?” L’halis asks.

I stretch my hand, run my thumb across my fingertips then drag my fingertips across my palm.

"It feels tight, stiff, and a little uncomfortable. If anything, my sense of touch is a little too good." I start brushing off the damp green and brown crumbs that are sticking to my left hand. "I hope I can learn what the stuff you put on my hand is. My people are going to be needing information like that."

Seksai smiles. “I am sure we will find information trading to be useful for both sides.”

“I hope we will be trading goods, information, seeds for planting, given time domestic animals as well. How far from Crossroads is Shimpray?”

"If times were normal, we would still have six days of travel from the edge of the forest to Penacray. So once the roads are clear, Shimpray should be about half the travel time and would not involve crossing a lake or climbing quite such a steep or tall hill."

"Still a steep, tall hill though?"

"Yes, but less."

At this point, Canisia speaks up. "Seksai, the kingdom will be negotiating with the other world survivors."

"Of course, m'lady. Given the locations and the challenges for travel, Shimpray is going to be in need of a closer trading partner. Our trading relationship with Barron Seket has been poor at best. I hope you understand why I am very hopeful that Crossroads can become a trading partner for us."

"Yes, Barron Seket is a problem. And, if James is even close to right about the condition of Penacray, Barron Seket could end up being a threat to me."

"M'lady Canesia, how can you even consider that James could know the condition of our city better than we do? He has never even laid eyes on it." The captain of her squad of soldiers doesn't seem to want to consider the possibility of me being right.

"Look around you. What kind of force would it take to shatter such mighty trees? Could our greatest mages shatter these trees? The greater the size, the greater the violence was received by the shaking when the worlds became merged. Our city is filled with large stone buildings. If our magi would be unable to deliver this kind of power, then how could they protect our buildings from it."

She is making the same kind of arguments I made, but now everyone is soaking it up. Fortunately, no one is looking at my facial expression at the moment. At least from here, plans can be made that will keep us from being such a target for trouble.

We make plans so that I will be the center of attention. A trade caravan caught by the flood of monsters loosed by the collision of worlds. A squad of soldiers sent to investigate a dragon sighting. They group together for added safety. They find Crossroads and pick up a man gifted in language to represent the other world community that is nearby. We will need to modify some insignia, and some acting will be required. Now I become a much lower profile target than Canisia and take the focus off her as well. As long as this group goes unrecognized, it might work.

After the dinner meeting, I have become the center of attention for the soldiers. I had to explain the AK, running out of ammo without time to reload, what the flash was, everything. At some point, they compared notes and realized every shot was a head shot and that got them going again. They were going to spread out to help defend my part of camp but were spooked off. One of them said, "Only a fool wanders into the path of a reaper." It turns out I killed over a third of the kyak-kyaks. The soldiers were also surprised how much noosha I took in after I passed out surrounded by the corpses.

My sleep schedule is all messed up. I volunteer for the first three shifts of guard duty. With this, I am both sleepy and bored. Sleep puts me back into the blue flower field. The kittens and I talk and play. The field is growing larger, and the soil is getting deeper. The operating system is nearing completion, as is the control panel. The complexity of the control panel is also growing. In the dream, none of it seems important. When I wake up, I am disturbed at the level of complexity. I know that all of this comes from my own memories and experience, it just seems out of control. I have never been involved with a project of this scope. I have never had my very essence overlaid with a massive digital construct. It is all kittens and flowers in the dream but leaves me sweating bullets when I'm awake.