Inside was a statue, and opposite it was a table with food. Offerings. An altar. Another glance at the inside to make sure no one was there. Ayden entered what he now guessed was a temple. But a shrine to what? This deity was unknown to him, his delicate appearance not letting him know if it was a man or a woman. This was without counting the long robe whose folds had been sculpted with care.

        The statue held a sword in its right hand, and the left one was in front of its chest, palm open and fingers outstretched. And no matter how much Ayden looked at it, he could not find any answer. Had he been transported to a nearby region? But he had never heard of this place. Was it possible that it was land still unknown? But how could it be? And if so, how to explain the position of the stars and the moon? The other territories would have found this place, they would have passed on the information, and everyone would have learned of such a kingdom after some time.

        The warriors of the North, of which Grodyr was a part, were incredible sailors, well versed in the vagaries of saltwater. If they had discovered something, his friend would have told him. Or maybe the power Ayden sensed here, this surrounding energy, allowed these people to camouflage themselves.

        Ayden ruminated for a moment with a sombre expression before turning his attention to the offerings left for the deity. Although Ayden was not religious, giving a prayer to the Mother at each new moon, he showed respect to the gods and knew his place. But these might be his only sustenance for a long time.

        He sighed, and after a moment’s reflection, he knelt to give thanks to this entity before removing what was on the table without even trying to figure out what it was. People had built this temple in a place far from everything and took the trouble to come all the way here to deposit offerings: no one was going to put inedible food at the risk of attracting the wrath of this god or goddess, Ayden was sure of. Tying his shirt on those soft white buns and tiny whitish grains, he stood up, shirtless, and gave the deity one last glance before turning to retrieve the rest of his things.

        The quietness of the area had allowed him to hear water nearby, and as he searched the zone, he discovered a modest spring flowing from between the rocks. He needed little more to clean himself up and drink before he sat down to taste his findings. At first, with prudence, Ayden had eaten no less than five soft loaves of buns and a good handful of those white grains after the first bite. Everything was cold, with little flavour, and the texture was strange, but the warrior dared not complain, his belly finally full. Invigorated, he put away the rest of the food with the egg after cleaning it and recovered his shirt to get back on the road.

        And as he set off down the path carved by passaging men, he took one last look at the shrine and bowed to it before leaving.

~*~

        The road was long, the moon moving across the sky with him at every step. But after what Ayden estimated to be a full hour, he stopped to take in the scenery. No matter how unfamiliar everything was to him, the sight was breathtaking. Below him was a city, the lights glittering in the night like fireflies. A river ran along the east side, and from one point to the other, he could not see any city, turning what must once have been a simple hamlet into a thriving little trading town.

        Mountains surrounded it, and here and there, he could make out farmland in the moonlight. The distance did not allow him to see what was being farmed, but something told him he would not have recognised what it was even if he could see. He had never seen such a landscape, and Ayden allowed himself another moment to admire the place before resuming his journey.

        If he compared the moon’s position to his own world, he could estimate the time at one or two o’clock in the night. Yet, despite the late hour, the city seemed full of life. Even the streets of His Majesty’s city were not so crowded after night, and people, fearing for their purse or their integrity, hurried home.

        Ayden slipped into the shadow of a building with a light step and looked down the alley again, not quite able to make out the faces. From the sounds coming from the window above him, he was right behind a brothel. Ayden couldn't help but smile when the young woman's moans overrode the man's excited grunts, and he almost laughed when she urged his client to continue in an overly honeyed voice.

        Turning his head, he looked for a moment at the sheets and clothes hung out to dry. The tunics were long and the sleeves wide, in a style that was still unknown to him. But so was everything else in this place. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to his face, concern rising in his heart before he firmly brushed it away.

        He grabbed a sheet, stole an outfit, and stepped away from the building so he could change and hide the remnants of his armour in the makeshift bundle. The garment was too short, reaching his knees, and the arms barely covered his elbows. It was still better than nothing, and after rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and fastening the tunic with a cloth belt, he continued to explore the surroundings. He never went near the central street, but the laughter and shouts he heard, as well as the various smells, were enough for him.

        The buildings were all made of wood and, like the temple he had seen, all had four-sided tile roofs with arched corners. After a moment’s hesitation, Ayden climbed to the top of an unoccupied building. A first jump and then another allowed him to reach the first level of a roof. He quickly attained the highest point before he could look down on the central avenue. And he turned deadly pale.

        Oh, really. He was fed up.