The next three days are mostly uneventful. Uneventful being cutting and moving branches larger than most trees. The chainsaw blade is getting quite dull, but my skill in sharpening them involves taking it to the dealer or buying a new one. I have the round file that is used for sharpening one but have never actually used it. I suspect a jig would help. Without it, I know I will bloody a few fingers getting the knack of it. I have six gallons of gas left but only enough two-cycle oil for one more gallon.

I spent time after dinner getting the magic for dummies course with L'halis. I am now trying to force my mana into the big crystal that one of the goblins was using as a staff. I am supposed to form a link with the crystal this way. L'halis said, "This is difficult." I think it is like pouring milk into a glass. No, a solid block of glass. Is there something he is not telling me? Cheeter is chewing on the clipped leather strings used to fasten the crystal to the carved wood pole. I wonder where the leather came from? I hope it wasn't human...ish.

Tomorrow we will leave the forest. Tonight I have pulled guard duty with Krysal. The group has been operating on a military footing for quite a while, which maximizes security but minimizes privacy. So, while we have been quite friendly with each other, neither of us has been willing to take any social risks, especially in front of an audience.

Krysal took the lead, starting the conversation. "I talked with my uncle. More like he had a talk with me. He wants me to be careful of you."

"Seksai is your uncle then? I didn't think he had that kind of opinion about me. Don't worry, I think of you as a friend. I was wondering if I wanted to take it further or if that was even a possibility. I would never intentionally hurt you."

"You have it backward. Seksai is trying to protect you from getting hurt by me. He seems to think you are going to end up very important. Or, if things go badly, you will end up very dead."

"I don't think it is possible to be a little bit dead. I don't want to miss out on having a life because I turned out to be important. Are you even interested in me as male?"

"Of course, dummy. You may look funny but, you treat me like a friend. You sure are slow picking up the clues."

"I know the little duchess asked you to stay close to me. All the cats seem to think I am important. I don't want to scare you off since I want to keep you as a friend. So, I haven't been able to make any moves to let you know that I am interested in you also. I also have not had good luck with other girls."

"Stupid girls then. I think you would be a good provider. You are both strong and gentle. You are smart but still easy to talk with. When I am with you, I feel relaxed enough to be myself. Maybe in the future, I will find out if I feel safe in your arms. I am a cat. People look down on cats. Why are you interested in me?"

“I come from a different world. Your people and mine have no history together. I see you as a friend, someone who is fun to talk to, someone to help guide me through a strange land. You seem strong both in who you are, what you believe. You are full of life and have a playful spark in your eyes. More than enough reason to be interested in a pretty girl.”

“You think I am pretty?”

“We both know you are pretty.”

“I still like to hear it.”

"We are all glad that you two finally got together. You left, you right, eyes open, and ears sharp. You two are pulling a shift on guard duty, remember?" The soldier who was the butt of Krysal's joke of a few nights ago gets his revenge.

Later, in the dream space, the completion of many projects is suspended until the magic module's problems can be worked out. Since the perception module has reached saturation, the targeting function has been split off to free up internal resources within the module and allow increased access to the targeting module. It should also help with the feedback issues I experienced when the magic module tried to compete with the rifle in my other hand. Can I use a pistol in each hand now? The dreamscape seems to have settled on the open field motif. I can feel the green soil getting a little deeper every night. Different parts of the field serve different purposes. All the flowers are built/grown from the same pattern. Their functions become unique in the field. The roots and tendrils, shifting, and intertwining forms a living shifting mix of Von Newman and neural net computing. In the dreamscape, how this is coming together is a delight to both the kittens and me. Needless to say, once my awake mind wraps itself around what is going on inside me, I am scared to death. While I am gaining more control over the path I am on, the scope, scale, and complexity of what is being created seem to be spinning more and more out of control. At some point, will I find myself saying "No, I am no longer human."?

Krysal and I sit next to each other for breakfast, but instead of it being easier to talk to each other, it seems to have gotten harder. Perhaps I can use that as an icebreaker. "So, why are we having more trouble talking to each other now than we did before we opened up to each other?"

"Well, James, it turns out that one of the soldiers has the tongue of a faded beauty."

"That expression is not one from my world. What does it mean?"

"A faded beauty is no longer the center of attention. So to regain the attention of everyone, she becomes a hopeless gossip."

This is the source of our discomfort. While we are sitting next to each other, everyone else is purposely sitting as close to us as they can to ensure we can't even pretend to have a private conversation.

“How long do you think till this nonsense settles down.”

"The cats will end the joke soon after breakfast. Soldiers are simple creatures. It may be hours, even days before they figure out the joke has died." After Krysal said that there were more than a few evil smiles on the faces of the soldiers, her joke is a little too rich with truth.

Blazing a path through brush vines and tall grass is much easier than hauling carts over the massive roots of the forest floor. Before midday, we are back on the road and moving forward again.

A cat from the front of our group cries out. “Ambush”

At that, all of the cats melt into the surrounding brush and tall grass. If not for the occasional shaking of the random tuft of grass, I would not know where any of them were moving. My eyes of a month ago would never have been able to locate them. Swearing after their trap has been noticed, the ambushers make their appearance. Six bowmen stand drawing their bows, and fourteen footsoldiers began advancing through the grass.

"By the orders of Barron Seket, all those who trespass into his lands are to be detained and questioned at the garrison. Goods and weapons are to be surrendered at this time."

“We are traveling under the orders of Duke Sefin Penacray. You have no authority to challenge us.” The captain of our soldier contingent responds.

"It has been confirmed the Duke, Duchess, and heir apparent have perished. The city itself is in chaos, as are most all of the surrounding territories. As such, Baron Sekets commands are supreme within the confines of his territory."

His word hit the little duchess hard, and I catch her burying her head into her maid's shoulder. This news hits everyone else hard as well, so her response is not noted. On the other hand, my complete lack of response and perhaps my odd clothing are noticed.

I have caught the eye of the soldier in charge of the ambush group, but he continues to speak with the captain. "You will place your weapons into the back of your wagons. You will march in front of your wagons once we have tied your hands."

Everyone is a bit frozen. If the authority structure has collapsed, then the baron is the absolute ruler of his domain. The compulsion of the blessing must now be fought if they are going to resist. I have never fired on another person. I think that is about to change.

"Excuse me," I speak up. "From what I have heard, your baron is quite able to lie and exaggerate about circumstances to benefit himself. Were you able to verify these facts from a more reliable source?" With this, the fire of doubt begins to spread among the escort soldiers. Now they will be able to fight.

“Who are you to dare speak such words about our lord?” Now I have the full attention of not only their leader but most all of the ambush soldiers.

“My name is James Underhill.” My sir name means nothing but does cast doubt among those who have surrounded us. “I had so hoped that our new neighbors would be civilized. Reality is so disappointing.”

“You are from the land beyond the forest?”

“I am.”

“You will come to speak with the baron at once.”

With all eyes on me, Kayvan has faded from sight.

“Do any of you savages have the slightest idea what this is?” The AK-47 is now in front of me. I have chambered a round and flipped the safety off. “This is a complex machine. Your people have not even invented the tools to make the tools to make this. That is how far behind my people you are. And, now you are demanding that I come to a lowly baron?”

“Capture him now.”

All the bowmen have had their attention drawn by me, but since I am to be captured, firing on me is no good. That will likely change once they start to die. Now I need to make a mental shift into FPS mode. I sure hope I can hold this frame of mind.

Six shots and the six archers are down. The remaining ambushers are looking around, stunned, unable to understand the noise, fire, and death. Before the leader of the ambushers can rally his men, I put a round into his temple. My brave teammates are diving for cover. Three more ambushers drop before the sound of weapons hitting the dirt ends my killing spree. Ten terrified soldiers are staring at me like some kind of grim reaper. NOW Canisia's guards reappear to take charge. Thanks, guys. I wander off, so I don't have to look at what I have done.

The cats are in the process of reappearing. I am at the rear wagon, looking back at the forest. The soldiers are dealing with the aftermath of my shooting. I can sense Kayvan now at the edge of the wagon.

“You did the right thing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I killed people. It was too easy. Ten people dead just like that.”

“First time you had to kill people?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to be able to deal with what happened?”

“Yes. It’s just that I was too good at it. There was no hesitation. Target and destroy. I don’t think that is normal.”

"You're right. It's not normal. But, it's what was needed. If you had been any slower, some of our people would have been injured or killed. If we had chosen surrender, Canisia would have ended up as a pawn. Most of the women with us would have been raped. You would have been tortured. Several of the cats and myself would have died trying to save everyone."

“Back at the settlement of my people, there were some who seriously asked if I was still human. I am not so sure of my answer anymore.”

"Given my line of work, you are still a human, a good man who does what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. A person who can do nothing but stare at his navel while the world burns around him is useless. I have seen too many who dithered when action was needed. Be thankful you were able to act when it was required. Everyone else is."

“Thanks.”

"I tell you what. I will get the soldiers to back off. If you can't get some snuggle time with Krysal while she helps you deal with this, you need to find another woman."

"Just when I thought you were trying to help, you say something like that."

“We humans don’t stay young for very long. Take advantage of the opportunities you get.”

"You know, with her ears, she can probably hear you."

Kayvan cranes his neck around, searching the area. "I haven't seen her show back up yet."

“Six feet off in the tall grass on the other side of the wagon.”

"You can't tell me you know she is there."

At this point, Krysal stands up. "James, how? You are on the other side of a covered wagon."

Kayvan, who had returned to normal sight a short while ago, has vanished again and is on his way back to the lead wagon.

"What a brave man," I comment to Krysal. "That man is even sneakier than a cat."

Krysal stares back towards the lead wagon. “But, does he look as good while he is doing it?”

"Having noticed you both, I would much rather be noticing you."

"I like that answer. Seriously James, are you going to be fine? The look on your face when you finish shooting was not good."

"What bothered me the most was how easy it was. I flipped a switch in my head then what had to be done was simple. Take out the ranged attackers, remove the leadership, then keep making examples until they give up. When it was over, I didn't feel bad or good, just emotionally tired. Like why did I have to do this? Now that I start thinking about it, I am angry at the one who forced me to do this."

“Nothing you can do about that he is a baron.”

"So, all those men had to die. We were at risk of being killed for his greed. And, there is nothing that we can do about it? Will we be at risk again tomorrow? Will I be able to return to corner crossing someday? Will you ever be able to return to your home because he is a baron? Kayvan will need to get those men who surrendered talking."

“What do we need to know?”

“Patrol routes, what roads are blocked, where the baron is staying.”

“Why do we need to know where the baron is staying?”

"If he is between here and Penacray, we will need to find a way around."

Krysal comes around to the back of the wagon and squeezes my hand. "You did save us this time."

“I suppose I should get out from behind this wagon and rejoin the rest of our party.”

"No one will blame you for staying here for a while."

“I think my presence will help get information out of the ambushers.”

“You are the scariest person they have ever met after all.”

“Thanks. That really helps.”

“No, that didn’t come out right.”

On the way around from the back of the wagon, under the guise of losing my balance, I cup the back of her neck with my hand and gently bring our foreheads together, brushing our noses.

“Oh, uncle is all wrong. You are a danger to my heart. Next time I will be the danger to yours.”

“I hope that is a promise.”

It seems cats are just as good at blushing as normal people. A few seconds later, the color of her face returned to normal. We then head for where the prisoners are being tied up.

“Have you been asking questions yet?”

“They seem quite talkative when your name enters the conversation.”

“I guess it’s good to be useful.”

"The baron lost six out of every ten of his people. His wives, two of his sons, and one of his daughters are fine. He is the one who carved the path into the forest. He knew the duke's daughter was due to return, so he sent one of his sons, five of his best knights, and two scouts to capture her."

"Well, that ended in tragedy."

"Do you know what happened?" One of the bound men finally looks me in the eye.

"None of the details. I heard that it was necessary to bury six men who were dead in damaged plate armor. There was no mention of mounts."

"Was there any mention of the duke's daughter?"

"I know my people never detained her. So, I would assume she is still traveling on her way to Penacray unless something bad happened to her."

“What could have happened to her?”

"The fort my people are building was hit by a small army of little purple guys. We have been attacked by kyack-kyacks. Shortly after our worlds were merged, I was attacked by a large wolf pack. Take your pick. All the predators had their territories messed up. You lucked out on this side by having the cabin trees form a wall between you and the forest. Now that I have talked to you, you talk to me. How likely is it that we will be running into patrols on this road?"

Heads are lowered, and there is silence.

"Two warnings and two questions. I am not bound by any blessings or directives from your gods. We will be running scouts ahead from here on out and will not be ambushed again. How many of your fellow soldiers will survive a run-in with me? Why should I let any of you live?"

"What" "You can't kill us." "You captured us." "We're your prisoners." They are all upset that I would suggest killing them.

“Remember my warning. I am not bound to behave according to your standards. So, if you want to live, you will need to give me good reasons for letting you live. The price is going up. I want to know about your camp. Where it is how many are still there, where the riding beasts are and how long till someone comes to check on you.”

Still silence though there is now a great unease stirring among the prisoners.

"Two cat scouts are backtracking their way to your camp. Less fighting means fewer of your friends will end up dying." Kavan enters the conversation.

"Southwest of here is a wide hill which has had the crest dug out. It is impossible to approach undetected. If we are not back before nightfall, then a rider will be dispatched to request backup."

"And if we chose to travel south on this road how far will we be able to travel without running into any patrols?" I ask.

"The town of Ronakey is being forcibly evacuated to rebuild and repopulate the seat of the barony of Seket. Most of the soldiers will have left by now escorting groups of people. There will only be a few soldiers left watching over the final packing up and shipping of any heavy assets left behind. Perhaps a knight in charge."

“You seem to have left out who is still at your camp.” Kavan

“A knight, a mage, two soldiers, a squire, and a messenger page.”

"If I kill the page outside of the site of your camp, we will gain what, a day, maybe two?" I ask.

"Aww, Docker is a good kid. Do you have to kill him?"

"Give us a choice. How do we identify the hill your camp is hidden in, and what path will he take to get help?"

The soldiers' wills are broken. We soon have the information we need to send three cats off to intercept the page and bring him and the rider beast to the road a fair bit south of here.

With ten prisoners in tow, we begin to travel south down the road. Grass in this world seems to be more of a clumping variety. Taller, stiffer, and more winter hardy than the grass I am used to. Who knows how the plants and animals of my world will adapt over time to the presence of magic. Everything will become an invasive species to the apposing world.

Krysal and I are walking a ways ahead of the wagons. She is telling stories about growing up next door to her next older sister, with the youngest daughter of her older sister being twelve years older than her. Having longevity like the cats makes for having crazy, large, and vast extended families. I share stories of doing crazy things with a brother who is only one year older than me. I would like to let my guard down a little and pay closer attention to the girl I am walking with. But, with no idea when enemies may appear, that opportunity will not come to pass anytime soon.

Krysal and I are eye bait. We are the visible lead for the wagons. There is another cat fifty feet ahead of us in the tall grass. We reach the ravine that should be our stopping point to wait for nightfall and the return of the cats who are to intercept the page.

Two soldiers head to the high point where the road crests. They are up out of the ravine to keep watch. I have been convinced by Kayvan to loan my binoculars to the watchers.

It's a cold dinner for us. The captured soldiers get nothing but water.

It's very dark by the time the three cats return. They are leading a rider beast with a wiggly passenger, bound, gagged, and draped across the saddle.

We lead the soldiers and the page a half an hour down the ravine, assist them over a drop, then tie them securely to some small trees. Just to make sure they can't go anywhere quickly after they get loose we take their boots. Hopefully, the night won't get too cold. I wonder what season it is now. It would be nice if spring were coming up.

There will be no rest until we are out of baron Sekit's territory. The goal is to pass through the town of Ronakey in the dead of night. Then to be at the border around the time the sun rises. The territory to be covered is not all that far and would be an easy task in the daytime. But, in the middle of the night and trying to sneak through a town as well, we will have our work cut out for us.

The cats and I are leading the soldiers' horses, and Seksai is driving the lead wagon. When we arrive at Ronakey, the gates are unmanned and laying on the ground, hauled to the side of the road. The walls were nothing more than logs with one end buried in the dirt with the tops lashed together. Different sections seem to have fallen randomly into and out of the town proper. The town itself is a collection of ruins. A few stony walls frame the remains of what used to be significant buildings, while the majority of what used to be houses and businesses are now a mix of earth and splintered wood. We are entering from the north gate. There is noise and the flicker of firelight coming from the west. We are far enough from the source of light that not even shadows are visible. Other than that one point in the west, the town is silent, dark, and still.

The still starless sky has scattered clouds. I had expected that when the clouds hid the moon, we would be plunged into darkness, but that is not what happens. Watching the edge of the clouds, it seems like there is a slight glow to the sky itself. Perhaps an aurora-like phenomenon? Another thing we have all noticed is the number and size of the shooting stars. These are occasionally good for giving a burst of light. Not what we want while trying to sneak through the remains of a town.

A third of the way through the town, we come to the ruins of a particularly large ruined building. Many sections of this building have been cleared of rubble, and the shingle, which had likely announced the business, was now prominently displayed propped up high in a visible location. Awseeka showing no restraint, stumbles off into the building, making almost as much noise as the rest of the party combined. Kayvan, riding in the wagon behind the beast I am guiding, whispers to me, "Get her back, we can't take the risk of stopping here."

My night vision is excellent. I can reach her location quickly and quietly. She is reaching for a small carved stone obelisk when I grab her shoulder. "What are you doing? We have to keep moving."

“I am sure I have qualified for advancement.”

“So advance some other time we have to keep moving, as in now.”

"This won't take ten minutes."

"In ten minutes, we could be out the far gate. You are doubling the chances of us getting caught."

“I will catch up.”

"Idiot. You get caught, then everyone will be on our tail right away."

“I’ll be careful.”

At this point, one of the larger male cats named Tuzy has shown up next to me. In a desperate whisper, he asks, "What is the holdup?"

“This fool woman wants to spend ten minutes hugging this statue.”

“Humans and their blessings. Her lust to further her blessing will get us all killed.”

"So that's what's going on. I have an idea." I go to the far side of the obelisk and tip it back. "Tuzy, take the other side and help me haul it into the wagon."

Awseeka's eyes are about to roll out of her head. Tuzy, on the other hand, is doing his best to stifle a laugh as we waddle together with our load out to the waiting wagon and stuff the obelisk into the back.

"Genius." Tuzy pats my back, still holding back his laughter.

I start leading the beast on the forward wagon forcing the rest of the group to move. In shock bordering on outrage, the eyes of every normal human remained fixed on me. They can say what they want tomorrow since ten minutes later, we are out the other side of the town and moving steadily southward.

Four hours later, there is the sound of heavy rapid steps out of the north getting ever louder. Kavan sighs in frustration. "One more hour, and we would have been out of that jerks territory. Captain, we have enemies coming up from behind."

Seksai, who has his ears focused toward our rear, speaks up. "I don't think it will be that big a deal. I can only hear one rider."

I catch several whispered guesses between people. “Scout?” “Someone on the run.” “Must be a message runner.”

What I spot coming out of the gloom is different. On a tall thin dinosaur-like beast, a single heavily armored man is rapidly approaching. I call out, "Heavily armored man on a large, powerful beast coming, do I take a shot?"

"Take him down." Is the captain's immediate reply.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch hands covering ears all around me. The beast is steady on the road, but the rider is weaving back and forth on the beast. This makes taking a shot on him difficult. Boom. But, not impossible.

Crashing to the ground from a full gallop on the right side of the beast, with a clatter that rivaled my gunshot, the heap of armor rolls to a stop. The once shiny armor, now smeared with damp gritty ash, begins to move as we get close.

"Brigands. How dare you... What am I doing on the ground?" He slurred.

“How is he alive?” I ask.

"Top quality knights armor is amazing stuff," Seksai replies.

L’halis continues my point. “To have endured suck a fall. It looked like he landed on his head.”

Miyaki then states the obvious. “I don’t think he is doing very well”

"The only problem this bastard is having is that he is still alive and dead drunk." The captain's attitude suggests that he knows who this knight is.

"Oh? captain crybaby is here? I thought you got demoted to be the official babysitter for a surplus ducal daughter. Unless..... So, I just need to thin the weeds to claim the flower and give her to Seket so that she can be deflowered. Heh heh heh hu?" He is grasping at the air over his left shoulder. "Did anyone see where my sword went?"

I mutely point off in a slightly different direction from where I saw the sword fall

He heads off in exactly the opposite direction. "Didn't think I'd fall for that, did you?" Even stumbling drunk, he still makes sure to keep facing us. "Shit, not hear. No way I'm going to find it now." He pulls a dagger from his belt. "Just going to take a little longer and involve a lot more pain. Not mine, of course."

Boom

My second shot strikes his forehead. He staggers back and drops the knife. "That's why I fell off. Just bang in the head something shakes you around. I dropped the dagger? You are going to die first. Don't think I can't kill you all with just my fist."

I have noticed what he has not. After the second shot to the head, there is a distinct dent where the last round hit.

Boom

He was braced this time, so his head never budged. The metal in the forehead of his helm, however, tore. A two-square-inch section broke loose slamming into his skull. The hot round dropped past his eye to wedge between his cheek and the padding covering his head.

"Hot, hot, hot." In a panic, he throws the face place up and reaches in with his gauntlet to remove the bullet only to freeze when his drunken mind realizes the situation he is now in. "Bet you think you have me cornered now, don't you?" The faceplate now protects his now exposed forehead. His face is protected by his gauntlet. But, like this, he is blind. With a three-stooges-like shuffling of both hands over his face, he finishes off with the face shield back in place and both hands ready to fight. Now set, he charges toward me.

He must have some special skill that keeps him from stumbling while drunk. This skill won't save him. Boom

This time the round hits his now bare forehead through the hole in his helm. This shot is not adequate to kill him. His skill for not stumbling while drunk fails him. I must leap out of the way to avoid being crushed under his fall.

I don't know If I have cracked his skull, but I know that I have seriously rung his chimes. It seems his drunken belief that he was immortal has failed him. Sitting now facing me, he is surrounded by armed men. The two mages have glowing red balls sitting inches above their focus crystals. Now with blood in his eyes, one hand covering his forehead he asks, "How, how do you keep hitting the exact same spot every time even when I am moving?"

"I never miss what I am aiming at." Boom. And, with that, the fight is over.

He is not dead but has lost consciousness. When he sat up, his girdle plates were raised high by his knees, leaving a most dishonorable target fully exposed.

The captain now by my side asks, “May I take the final blow?”

"Be my guest. It sounds like you two have some bad history behind you."

"Half the time, I don't understand what you are saying even though I understand every word. That was yes, right?"

“You kill him. I have done enough.”

"Thank you." With that, the captain pulls out a dagger of his own. There is a bluish glow on the blade when he yanks the helmet up and cuts the artery. "His weapons are yours to claim. You defeated a top-ranked knight one on one. Considering who he was, there are only a few in the kingdom who could have done so. While your final blow may not have been honorable, it was well deserved."

"I don't care about any status gains from something that will cause me trouble in the future. Will claiming his weapons bring me trouble?"

“It could.”

“How about just the dagger?”

“That should be safe.”

“How about the beast he was riding?”

“You can’t afford to feed it.”

“Yea. I suppose so.”

Half an hour later, the sky started to lighten, and we saw a line of colored poles off in the distance. Even with the delays, we passed the line of poles before the sun was in the sky. It was another two hours before we pulled the wagons off the road and behind a clump of trees. Again the trees have taken quite a beating, so even though it is winter, the branch piles completely hit the wagons from the road.

The cats and I are exempt from watch since we had to walk the entire night. Six hours later, we have eaten, napped, and I am ready for the big experiment.

"Awseeka," I call out. "You wanted to touch this so badly you were willing to risk everyone's lives to do so. You, therefore, should have the honor."

"After what you have pulled, no way am I touching that."

"What HE pulled?" Kayvan is not letting this one slide. "What he did was insane. But, what he did removed you from the hunters' hall quickly and silently. He is right. If anyone needs to explain to the gods why this has happened, it is you."

"Someone is going to be talking to a god in front of me? This, I have to see." I do want to witness this, from at least ten feet away. I suppose having a well-grounded lightning rod close by would also be good.

While no tears are present in her eyes, she looks like she could start crying at any second. With a grimace on her face, she places both hands on the top of the obelisk.

The pinched face slowly relaxed into a face of focused concentration. Several minutes passed, then after my guard was fully relaxed, her eyes bolt open and are covered with a golden glow.

"Whoa!" I back up to a fifteen-foot observation distance.

"You are the one." That is not the voice of Awseeka. "You saw what no one else could see. You did what no one else could do. You are an aberration, a unique existence. If only we had not needed to expend all our reserves to save your two worlds. Canisia, this kingdom is descending into chaos. You are recognized as having descended from royal blood by both gods and men. First, save the Duchy of Penacray from collapse. Then if the kingdom can be reunited, use your influence to re-establish order in the capital. You, aberration, when you reach Penacray, come to the temple, I must know more about you." The glow vanishes from Awseeka's eyes. "I was used as a vessel of the gods."

"Time to step away from the stone, Awseeka." Kayvan is trying to guide Awseeka away from the stone.

“I was used as a vessel of the gods.”

"Yes, yes, and once you are used to the idea, you will become insufferable." Kayvan shakes his head as he says this. "Canisia, I think you need to step to the grading stone."

“Ok.”

Unlike Awseeka, Canisia had no hesitation in placing her hands on the Obelisk. A golden glow covered her body for a brief period. Following this was an extended period of concentration before she finally released her hands from the stone. With a sad, wistful face, she walked over to me and placed a strong lasting kiss on my lips.

I am surprised, Krysal’s face is dark and rigid. I have a simple question. “Why?”

“You belong to her now. That is all I can ever have.”

“A sitting duchess and a foreigner who can never receive a blessing can never be a couple.” I guessed. She is ten years younger than me and was never in my sights to begin with. But, that illusion must have been important to her.

"No, a first princess heir apparent and a man who is only half-human can never be a couple. If all I was, was a leftover child of the duke, I would have won you over, and we could have been together. If all you were was a foreign dignitary, things could be worked out. But, I am now the princess, and you are something even more distant than a cat. That is how much your body and mind have already changed. And, the changes you are going through are far from over. Krysal, you have been a friend to me. Don't be angry. He is yours if you can hang on to him. Just don't count on outliving him.

We can travel on to Penacray without interruption now. My blessing will guarantee obedience from anyone we might meet. Krysal, please ride with me. I will need a friend to talk to."

That was quite a load of bombs. Canisia is now the princess, soon to be the queen. Her god is very aware of me. That means my worst-case scenario could come to pass. None of my trying to downplay my abilities lasted a second once her god took the stage. From the looks of shock and concern on the surrounding faces, I am not the only one to interpret her statement as grim news. On a more personal note, just what did her god know about me?

Once the chatter following Canisia’s announcement died down others wished to use the upgrade stone.

It was over an hour later when everyone who wanted to use the obelisk had finished. L'halis was last to step up to the stone. When his hands touch the stone a different attitude settles around him. He gave me a knowing smile and a slight nod of the head once he was done. I remembered that we had covered the basics of digital logic. So, which god did he talk with? The obelisk is loaded back onto the wagon. And, we finally get back underway.

While the quality of the road has improved, the extreme violence it has undergone has created a very bumpy ride. Many of the stones which make up the road surface have been upended. The ash silt has filled the gaps locking the uneven road surface in place. The lack of shocks and leaf springs is sorely felt. The conversations are few and quiet. Everyone understands what was implied by Canisia receiving the blessing she did.

I am having my teeth rattled loose next to Kayvan in the lead wagon.

“The princess, do you think she is going to be ok?” I ask.

"It will take a while, but she will be. What choice does she have? Besides, I am sure she received skills with her blessing that will help her."

"Help with losing her home and her family?"

"Some of that. A queen must be able to set herself aside from the issues she needs to deal with."

“Her head will need to accept what has happened. Her heart will need time to heal from the loss.” I continue, “Choosing to separate herself from what is causing her pain when there is no escaping it can’t end well.”

"Too bad you're a foreign-born monster. It sounds like you're just the kind of man Canisia needs."

“Isn’t calling me a monster a little strong?”

"Our god got a good look at you through the eyes of everyone who touched the upgrade stone. From what was passed on to me, I understood that you had passed beyond the agreement and could not be claimed by the human gods."

“I am glad not to be claimed, I think. What agreement? and how have I passed beyond it.”

"If you were not so changed, you could ask to belong to one of the gods. But that is not what you are asking. Back to the beginnings for you. An ancient race of people was brought to this world that the world might have thinking beings upon it. Many of the gods had different visions as to the form and nature these ancient people should assume. After a time, the people were divided up among the gods. Each god modified the people to their vision. To prevent one race from overtaking the others, the gods struck a deal that would limit the gifts and growth of the different races. The main tools that the gods use to shape the races are noosha, cooisma, and miasma. Though, the good gods do not use miasma. You are in the process of reaching past the limits the gods placed on their chosen races. Your base physical abilities have reached beyond those granted to pure humans or elves. Your base abilities may even exceed those of wolves. Your raw strength and agility rival that of the cats. Your intellectual gifts are unequaled in any of the races. I can only wonder how quickly you would be able to pick up sword skills. You should be unable to use magic. With time and practice, I expect you will be able to use simple offensive magic. You can receive no blessing. Your base abilities are beyond human limits. What god can claim you? Given your abilities, I guess you hardly need a god. You defeated single-handed one of the strongest knights in the kingdom."

"That knight we faced in baron Sekets territory. If I hadn't had a high-powered rifle or he has been sober, that fight would have gone very differently. My abilities were not his match."

"He was trained from birth to be a knight. He has spent ten years polishing his skills. You have been growing in your abilities for what, maybe around twenty days? You never miss what you aim at. You are as strong and agile as a cat. You learned a language in a matter of days. Your eyes and ears are as good as a cat. Hell, your eyes are better. You can even use magic, almost. All in less than a month. Have you stopped growing? I have heard you ask if you are still human. The answer is no. You are turning into something more powerful. Any idea when the changes will stop?"

I hear echoes of Dan's exasperation in his voice. I suppose he makes valid points. Just as there are limits to how much circuitry you can print onto a piece of silicon, so there will be limits to my growth. I have no idea how far away those limits are. I do have one comeback, however. "Magic may be beyond my reach."

“Why do you say that?”

I reach back, rummage around the back or the cart a little and pull out the staff with the large crystal on it.

"This is beyond my ability. No matter how hard I try, I am unable to place any mana into it. It just flows around till I get dizzy."

“Why do you have it lashed to the end of that ugly stick?”

“It was what the goblins were using. It looks like a good crystal.”

"It looks like a great crystal. What I am asking is why do you still have it tied to the end of that stick. How can you hold it in your hands like that?"

“So, I am supposed to have it in my hands when I try to push mana into it..........”

“Of course. Isn’t it obvious?”

“No. It is not. It’s not funny. You have no idea how long I have been trying.....”

Because the mood of the rest of the group is subdued Kayvan is doing his best to suppress his laughter. I harbor no illusion that he is doing it for my sake. I have been far too merciless when challenging his beliefs to expect any mercy in this situation.

In silence, I pull my pocket knife and cut the crystal free. Ignoring the chuckles on my left, I begin again trying to force my mana into the crystal. The impossible task has been reduced to a difficult task. Once we stop again, I will resume the task of making the crystal mine.

The roads here have been traveled by others. That means that compression ridges have been flattened, elevation shifts have been worked on, and small gullies have been filled. Progress is so much quicker and easier now that we no longer need to blaze the trail. We have passed a couple of crossroads. The signposts have shown me my next task, learning to read the letters of this other world.

The stretched-out blob that passes for the sun is getting low in the sky. There are scattered clouds, but I should, at last, be able to get a good view of the setting sun.

A ways ahead there appears to be a collection of wagons just off on the side of the road, stopped for the night. Once we get closer, however, the true nature of the gathering becomes clear. The combination of rain and the frequent shaking of the earth have significantly eroded the edges of a chasm that cuts diagonally across the road. From our side, I can see the opposite side, which shows a steep hill of loose stony soil ending in a sheer stone face. It is reasonable to assume that our side mirrors what I am looking at. The wagons and men on the other side must be a work party. This gash in the earth goes as far as I can see in both directions. And I can see much farther than most. The men on the other side have not been idle. A wide V has been cut into the earth forming a much gentler slope down to bedrock. At the bottom of the V pair of steps have been cut to begin the foundation for a bridge.

"Hey, rope up first. Falling to your death, after all we have been through, would be a waste." The captain is restraining one of his men, who is in a rush to talk to someone on the other side. Soon one man is roped up and down the hill while two other soldiers are holding his leash.

Four cats and I were keeping an ear tuned to the conversation simultaneously face-palm. The three workers who were taking their dinner at the edge of the ravine are racing up the new road surface to the main camp.

The captain looks over to Seksai and asks, “What did he say?”

"To boost his standing and perhaps to garner greater cooperation from the workers, he boasted that he was escorting Canisia blessed as first princess and heir apparent to the kingdom."

"Well, crap. Not like this is something to hide, but this news will race like a wildfire ahead of us and create a flood of delays."

Shortly after the captain says this, I can see a rider on the far side heading off to the south.

Seksai looks over to the captain. "Captain, I believe it is time to send a responsible individual down the slope to discuss our situation and our needs."

“I’m not very good with heights.”

“Then you are in luck. You only need to deal with depths.”

"Very funny, Seksai, very funny."

Minutes later, a nervous Captain is conversing with the knight in charge of the bridge-building crew now gathered on the other side. Between the two of them, pleasantries are exchanged, and plans are made. Nothing will actually get done until tomorrow. In the meantime, the rest of us are setting up camp for the night. The sun starts to set during dinner, so I haul out my binoculars and wait for the blob to sink behind the horizon. In the twilight, I scan the zone of fading light with my eyes on max focus through the binoculars. I see a haze of orange with small dots of light sprinkled throughout. So, there is now an asteroid belt between us and the sun.

This asteroid belt must be the source of all the shooting stars we see at night. I hope there isn't a dinosaur killer out there with our name on it. Not that I can do anything about it. Still, I can't imagine that the gods would have let something like that slip by. I can see them all pointing fingers at each other, saying things like, "I thought you were in charge of that one."

On our side, we have always believed in gods from our perspective. As our perspective has changed, so have our gods. Conversely, those whose gods are unchanging tend to have perspectives that can not change. Something of a challenge in an ever-changing world. Given how much change has occurred recently, quite the challenge indeed.

Krysal, who is next to me, wants to look at what I am making the ah-ha noises about. I hand the binoculars to her and lean in close. To guide her focus to just above where the sun just set, of course. She then leaned into me to help stabilize her viewing.

"Can you see a slight yellow-orange haze?"

“It is faint but there.”

"Are you also able to see tiny specks of light in the haze?"

“There seem to be little pricks of light that come and go.”

“There is a cloud of rocks and dust between us and the sun now. That is why the sun does not appear as a distinct ball.”

"So the heavens, the moon, and the earth have all been changed."

“Yes.”

“Why would the gods do that?”

'Maybe the worlds coming together was not something the gods could prevent but only manage. Our worlds came together. Our moons are changed. I would guess our suns have merged as well. That would make the resulting sun larger and at least for a few thousand years much more violent. The rocks and dust around the sun may be there to shield us from that violence."

"The people from your world can understand all this?"

"We understand a lot but always seemed to be left with just as many questions as we started with."

This conversation has left me with a pretty cat girl leaned against my chest and my arms gently around her. A situation we are both pleased with. The kittens have capitalized on the situation and are now fishing out the last pieces of meat from the dregs of our dinner. While I have noticed, I have chosen not to act. Krysal has now spotted the criminals and has taken a less apathetic view.

“I wasn’t done with that yet.”

“You are now.”

“But.”

“You know where those little feet have been.”

“Still.”

“Would you have traded this first time to snuggle for two more bites of food?”

"No, but I'm greedy. I want it all." With this, she rolls her shoulders, pushing harder into my chest. "Good thing they are so cute."

"Yes, cats are cute."

"Oh! You use the same word for both my people and them. You don't think? You do. Of course, you do. Why didn't I see it before."

"Forest wolves inspired your wolf race," I explain. "Look at the adult forms of the cats that are hanging around our magi. I think the inspiration for your race is stealing your dinner."

“You better be snuggling me for a better reason than me being a cat.”

"I will admit a positive bias toward you for being a cat. However, snuggling my little friends doesn't make my heart race like snuggling you does."

“That’s good. You still owe me a kiss. Canisia is a step ahead of me.”

“That was a stolen kiss. I never saw it coming. But, I promise to pay it back to you many times over.”

"So, how was it?"

“Both sweet and tragic.”

“She was smitten by you.”

"More so than I understood. With our social class and age difference, I never thought there could be anything between us."

"You don't understand how she saw you, how I saw you. We had lost eight of our members, four beasts, and one wagon. Travel was slow, and we were running out of food. We had crossed into another world. Then in front of us was a huge obstacle and two foreign men with fantastic machines. The huge obstacle became small. In one day, you were communicating with us. On the second, you were talking clearly. You took down wild game at a distance. You shared your food. Your own people treated you like a hero at the fort they were building. You spoke with Canisia like an older brother, not like someone seeking position or favors. You didn't posture or use flowery or boastful speech to try to impress her. You just spoke to her like a friend. You were honest with her even when it was clearly not to your advantage. You single-handedly killed seven times more monsters than the best of her soldiers. You were a mysterious hero out of a storybook to her. To a girl who would likely be married off to some older noble who wanted children of royal blood, you were something romantic, mysterious, and wonderful. You don't even look too bad."

"You were making me sound pretty good right up until the end. You are right, though. I never saw myself through her eyes. I would have never guessed she saw me like that."

“My eyes aren’t that much different than hers.”

I hold her a little tighter with that. The position we are in isn't that comfortable, so we separate after that and collect our dinnerware. It seems we have earned our privacy and separate watch shifts at night.

Before bed, I once again take the focus crystal in hand and get to work. Several hours later, something seems to drop into place. I am not sure if the crystal has tuned itself to me or I have tuned myself to the crystal. Seeing that the crystal is a rigid object, I suspect the latter is true.

Initially, in my dreams, the kittens are concerned that they will be reduced in rank with a new cat being added. Once they understand that she is a possible expansion of their territory who will play with them and give them scritches, pets, and brief tummy rubs, they are all good. After all, she smells better than I do. Something we all three agree on.

Once targeting is removed from my perception module, the local area perception has gained a new power. I have it flagged for quick shut down by the debug function in my operating system, just in case. I come out of the dreamscape with a series of field experiments I need to conduct. Since my last foray into magic ended in disaster, I will be experimenting to see how electricity, magnetism, and magic interact. My personal operating system is now considered stable, and work on the colonization module has resumed.