Over the next day, Crimson learned a lot about Tiana. She was the resident hero of three nearby villages. She had four hundred and eighty two kills to her name. She didn't know her parents but she had a sister in the city. She liked ale, hated cheese, and was indifferent about most other things.

The other thing he learned was that she liked to talk. A lot. Every minute was filled with her ceaseless chatter, observations and anecdotes rolling out of her mouth one after the other.

As usual, he didn't say much in return. He didn't need to. He was here to hunt down Spectral. That was it.

The only time he did talk about himself was to clarify his pronouns. Apparently that was an important thing to do in this world. What a strange place.

So far he didn't have a great impression of it. The technology was woefully archaic, the people were horrifically friendly, and, worst of all: there was so much walking.

They were currently making their way through a mountain pass. Tiana had suggested continuing his search in Wexteria, the largest city on the continent. It wasn't too far away, she said, and usually a good place to look for people. He didn't have any other leads so he decided to take her word for it.

"So how do you get your hair to stick up like that?” Tiana asked, kicking the ogre head in front of her like a soccer ball.

“It’s just like that,” Crimson muttered. He held his cape to his chest, not wanting it to drag along the dusty path. “And remind me again why you’re bringing that thing?”

Tiana picked up the head and held it beside her face. It was a gruesome thing: arteries dangling out the neck, yellow eyes mushy and lifeless, maroon tongue lolling around.

“Crimson, this is not a thing. This was a powerful ogre, leader of its pack, scourge of Hamletville." She pinched its cheeks with one hand, like a parent would do to a child. "And he's going to earn me 10 gold when I turn him in at Wexteria!"

"So every time you want to claim a bounty, you have to climb a freaking mountain?!"

"What?" Tiana laughed. "No of course not. We're not going to the top! We're going across it. There's not much climbing, unless you count that super steep ascent. But that's done now! After this, it's only another half-day's walk!"

Crimson goggled at her. Another half-day? In his world, he was a celebrated junior hero, one of the best. That's why they sent him to deal with Spectral. 

But this girl…

When he first met her, he wrote her off as a ditzy hick. Nothing but sputter, chat, sputter. But then she showed some fire, some smarts. That made him reconsider. He still didn't know what she could do, but she seemed like a good enough guide. And, from the looks of the way she handled that ogre head, she wasn't weak either. Besides, he could protect her if they ran into too much trouble.

"So does that half day include a night of rest?" Crimson asked nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal either way. "Or were you planning on walking all night?"

"Nah it's not good to be out at night. I have a place where we can stop. It's cozy- you'll like it!".