The following day was met with a modest but heartfelt goodbye from the Zepar people and the freed children.
Tiki was outfitted with a small skiff-like wagon, Ratusk told me that once we were to leave the steppe Ashari would install the wheels.
"Roxiks are only able to run during the day, once night falls it's too cold for them to move." Ashari told me as she fed Tiki some vegetables, turns out these "Roxiks" are herbivores.
"Thankfully, we should be able to reach the outskirts of the steppe by nightfall and setup camp at the edge." She explained.
The small skiff had enough room for the four of us, and behind it was a cargo hold full of enough supplies to last us two to three days.
"Apologies for the low supplies, but you have to sacrifice weight for speed." Ratusk said, otherwise he would've given us a weeks supply.
With all of the pre-journey prep done, we were ready to begin.
"Thank you, Chieftan, for everything-- as well as for these clothes." I said as I shook Ratusk's hand.
I had been given a duster, pants, and shoes. They weren't of Zepar make, but rather a leftover from the Trade tent; it was a little tattered from age, but it beats being half-naked all the time.
He looked a little perplexed over the handshake, but smiled over it's novelty.
"Strange, I've never seen such a custom before." He chuckled.
"Long ago where I'm from, it was meant to check weapons hidden in someone's sleeve." I noted.
"But now, it's really only meant to show friendship."
"It must be peaceful where you're from, Ignis. I envy that." Ratusk said as he left to say his goodbye to Ashari.
"Goodbye my desert flower." Ratusk proudly said as he gave Ashari a bear hug.
"Goodbye Papa." She replied in his embrace.
"Come back with the Houses as friends." He said as he let her go, waving us goodbye.
"I will." Ashari said resolutely.
With all of the goodbyes given, we were now ready to board the skiff. Ashari suddenly made a dramatic leap into the air, and landed atop of Tiki's saddle. She was going to be the coachdriver.
With nothing else left to say, we began our journey out into the Zepar steppe-- the journey had now truly begun.
---
"We're making good progress, we should reach the edge of the steppe without a problem; maybe even by sunset." Ashari said from atop of Tiki.
Tiki, despite her size, carried us elegantly. It's powerful muscles and clawed feet glided through the rocky plateus and sandy dunes of the steppe with no issue.
Rayji and Tesera were watching the desert fly by with childlike wonder. Strange rock formations were jutting out from the sand and other lizard-like creatures skittered about forming the landscape.
"How is Ars Goetia like?" I asked them.
"It's pretty, we have a beautiful castle at the center." Tesera said with a sparkle in her eyes.
"We're the toughest out of all the Demons, especially our army!" Rayji boasted with boyish pride.
"And Big Sis, she's awesome-- she's like super important." They said simultaneously.
"Important how?" I asked, my interest piqued.
"Uhmm, she's just... very important? She has a lot of people helping her." Tesera tried to explain.
"Is she like a knight?" I asked.
"No, she's way cooler." Rayji cut in.
"She bosses people around!" He said.
"She helps people!" Tesera argued.
"It seems like she's something of a big cheese, huh." I said.
"A big what?" They both said.
"Haha, nevermind." I chuckled, my curiosity sated for now.
I wonder what kind of person she was to have both of her siblings praise her like this? She might even be like a minor noble or something...
Nah that can't be right, that's just me getting my hopes up from two doting kids fluffing up their big Sister.
But damn, it'd be nice to be on the good side of someone important like that... especially so if they knew more about my current "condition".
My mind wandered onto lofty thoughts of this mysterious "Big Sis" as the day flew on by.
---
"We're here!" Ashari said as she pointed directly ahead.
Illuminated by the soft glow of the sunset, I could see the breaking up of the steppe with the introduction of trees and grassy hills.
"It's starting to look like home!" Tesera cried happily as she saw the change of landscape.
"It's time to make camp," Ashari said as she slowed Tiki down, we were heading over to a sparse clearing where the trees formed a conclave.
As we arrived at the clearing, we found a small pond that interlinked itself in between some of the trees and trailed off into a creek adjacent to the hillside.
"Fresh water!" Rayji happily exclaimed as he jumped off the skiff and into the pond with reckless abandon.
"Hey wait for me!" Tesera giggled as she also joined her brother shortly after in the water; they had begun to splash around excitedly.
"This is perfect, I'll begin collecting kindling to start the pot for tonight," Ashari said as she got off of Tiki, corraling it and the wagon into the tree side.
"Anything I can do to help?" I asked, it felt rude for me to just sit around and do nothing.
"Just watch the children, I'm unfamiliar with these lands and who knows what could be hiding in the brush." She said as she began to collect sticks.
"Will do," I said as I began to act as a lifeguard for the kids.
Thankfully, however, the rest of the night was uneventful as Ashari soon returned with the kindling and kicked off the dinner for tonight.
---
It was late, the Fractured Moon was high up in the apex of the sky and the others were fast asleep. I, of course, can't sleep and have feigned sleeping for the last few hours up until this point; I had gotten restless.
Making sure to not wake the others, I snuck away from the camp and settled myself down by the pond's edge; I was curious about something.
As I peered over the pond's surface, illuminated by the moonlight, I finally got to see my reflection.
It was a short green-haired man with one yellow eye, and the other a grim red. Adorning his forehead were two small horns jutting from both ends of his skull; much like the siblings, but a little larger.
He was handsome, and even in his unfamiliarity, I felt a hint of connection to my old self; this is who I was now.
And much like the rest of my body, my face was also scarred; one such stitching ran a jagged line across my face right through the bridge of my nose.
I touched it, feeling the coarseness of the uneven skin as I ran my fingers across the scar; I still had no clue what I truly was.
"I think I should get some more sleep," I muttered as if half-expecting the man in the reflection to agree.
With that, I returned to my cot-- left with more questions than answers as I closed my eyes and thought of nothing for the rest of the night.