Feln was staring at a large mural covered the side of the building. It was a painting of a time long past, of the time before the Fracture. Someone had done it in likeness to a portrait found in one of the Fissures. Fissures were locations beyond veils of energy that were created with the Fracture. Many said it was just parts of the world that had split off during the Fracture; that they were anything from parts of the old world locked in stasis, or amalgamations of the old world and the new. This one in particular, was a painting of a vast city, built upon a great expanse of water, with bridges and crossings going out as far as you could see. Great metal tubes with wings in the skies, and machines of steel and glass that moved at what would have been incredible back then. It was similar to what the world looked like now, but now, steel had been replaced with alloy and towering skyscrapers with shorter, more compact buildings, the energy they used long replaced by mana. It interested him greatly. 'I wonder what it would have been like back then? It looks so… different.'
It had been three months since Feln was lectured, he still got up to a little trouble. Taking the odd piece of meat from the streets stalls, scaring children by walking through the centre of town, or just throwing mud on the city statues. That sort of thing.
But, he had decided that for the rest of his time, he would do something productive! He wanted to learn! To find out what the Fracture is, and why it caused all these things that people talked about.
Snapping out of his reverie, he moved on from the large mural and continued on his trek, finally making his way to the city gate. Even after three months, no city guards had come to arrest him for breaking in to the fat man's home, and he wasn't naive enough to think it was because they think he learnt his lesson. Something else was at play.
But, he didn't have time to worry about that. What he had to worry about now, was whether or not they would be looking for him. He couldn't hide forever, so he was betting on himself...
____
"Go through."
Harrolt, the gatekeeper, was just doing his job. Checking and passing everyone leaving the city. He didn't have to thoroughly check them, they were leaving, not entering. But, he needed to do it as a formality; the city was run by the military after all. So he continued to check face after face, checking his magic slate for any known criminals in this region of Lalon. But there was a problem… he was bored... his job was so monotonous and repetitive that he had become like a golem. Just following his orders and doing his job, no additional thought. That was until he noticed a peculiar cloaked figure in the crowd.
They looked to be slightly taller than everyone around them, a white furred face slightly peeking out from beneath their cloak. 'Not everyday you see a beastman out and about…' Usually, he would see dwarves and maybe a handful of elvish traders, but, not beastmen. They were not particularly well liked by the other races as they tended to come off as brutish and blunt. So, opting to avoid entering the big cities, they just send representatives and emissaries to do business. Not every beastmen was like this; some loved the big cities. Just not in the east.
As the beastman drew nearer, he raised his hand slightly. "Halt! State your name and your purpose of outing." Standard procedure.
"I am Feln, from the children's home in the church. I am just going out to explore the meadows and plains."
Harolt was stunned. 'Children's home? He's a child? Gods forgive whoever birthed him.'
His eyes went down to the magical artefact he held in his hand, a stone slate with various etchings and inscribings on it. His eyes went up and down the device, searching for anything that could be anything. His finger stopped on the face of the stone, his eyes going up to the supposed child in front of him, before going back down to the tablet.
"You're all clear. Proceed."
_____
Feln internally breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn't certain he would be able to get through the gate without issue, but he made sure to hold his composure. He wasn't sure he would make it towards the end, yet he still made it through.
But, he was still confused, 'Why didn't the fat man report me? He didn't seem to be overly fond of me, so it wasn't out of kindness. They couldn't have called it even... But, the guards would have known me... I don't like this."
Something was obviously very wrong, and he could feel it. It was a dangerous feeling. A disastrous feeling. 'All the more reason to get stronger. I got lucky. The next time, I might be killed...'
"Where is all the Tainted? Gods be good, you couldn't find a monster in this forest even if you searched for a year."
Feln had been stomping around the plains for a long time now, the Sun had almost peaked in the sky now, and he hadn't found a single weak monster to fight.
He was tired. He was hungry. He was grumpy.
'Where are those damned things?'
He stepped across streams and logs, keeping a sharp eye out for any monsters he could fight. But, it was for naught.
Taking a deep breath, he took time to watch the grass rustle in the breeze, the far of trees swaying rhythmically to it.
"What a sight." He sighed.
'It's time, isn't it?' As he began to lean forward, getting as close to the ground as he could. He tensed his body, his muscles coiling with power. And as he felt that he could no longer hold his stance, he launched forward, his body moving at great speed across the plains.
He leaped over more streams and more logs, trying his best to keep his balance and make the most distance possible in the shortest amount of time. One foot in front of the other, he was moving at an impressive pace, small critters squawking and screeching as they tried to get away from him as fast as possible.
"This is great!" He was on top of the world, ready to conquer anything and anyone!
Until... He wasn't. He lost his slipped on something and went flying forward, he ended up rolling another handful of metres before he finally came to a stop; his head splitting the large rock that had halted his momentum.
He lay there dazed for a moment, his head bleeding, before quickly. His resilience had improved.
Standing up, he rubbed his head, and looked back whatever had tripped him. It was strange. Flattened grass covered in a weird substance that he couldn't recognise, with a small circular hole in the middle.
Curious, he stood up and limped a couple steps before finding his feet. "What the hell?
He knelt and reached down. Grabbing the lip of the hole, he strained his muscles, and after a few seconds of struggle, he managed to pull up the ground around the hole. What was left was a large hole, large enough to fit Feln in his entirety.
It reeked of something repulsive.
Feln smiled, "Found you."