"What are you doing?", she looked at his retreating back.

Ryzo stopped abruptly and turned to look at her. He was confused. "I am walking, my lady"

"Why?", she asked. They had been walking for a while, and the fatigue was getting to her. She wondered why she had to leave Willows, and who Ryzo really was.

He walked back to her and sat on the ground. She also sat."my lady, surely you cannot fly"

She rolled her eyes."I thought you were going to zap us to Od . I didn't think we were going to walk to another...world"

He was amused."my lady, Willows is behind us. There will now be nights and we must not tarry too long. I can only hold you for so long"

She instinctively edged away from him.

"When we get to the River, we will meet those who frequent your Earth. You'll learn much. For now, I'm afraid i will be of no help to your worrying mind"

"You speak better now", she commented, and wondered why he was still in a smaller frame. Was he being considerate of her size?, she thought.

He pulled back his hood and scratched the top of his head."my lady, we've both been speaking Raldrestern ever since we left."

"That's not tr-", she heard herself and gasped."how is that possible? I..oh wow"

Ryzo wasn't fazed. It was fascinating to see the lady marvel at the simplest things. He wondered if he would be able to find his friend at the River to help her.

"My lady , we should resume walking, before you find the need to sleep"

"Where would I sleep?"

"I will keep you", he answered. She would fall asleep and lay as dead for rest, August had told him. He was prepared to keep her in case life tried to flow out of her body. He was made for such a task.

Her face changed color. Did he even hear himself? she wondered. Maybe it was just their way of talking, she thought, oblivious of the fact that they were already inside a Gate.

Ryzo was worried the Gate would diverge by nightfall, but he didn't show. He needed to get her out as soon as possible. It was a shame he couldn't carry her. Nobody could touch the Kingmaker's line. It was a rule and a fact.

Hazel wondered why Gable made himself scarce but kept it to herself. The road they were on ran straight through a forest like a highway. The trees changed seasonally every few minutes, while the blue sky shimmered with the stars. There was a bright light at the end of the road, and it seemed to grow dimmer by the minute.

"My lady", Ryzo stood and looked around."forgive me, but you must get up quickly and prepare"

She dusted herself and wondered what had gotten into him. Everything seemed fine to her.

He held out part of his cloak for her to hold on to."you must trust me"

"What is it?"

"The Gate is closing. We need to run"


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