End of an Era (Project Chrysalis Book 2) by John Gold (always you kirsty moseley .TXT) 📗

same as the last time I saw them, which means they aren’t any stronger, so I’ll give you ten thousand gold for the two of them just because I respect you. Also, I want you to let us through the tunnel without charging a toll.”

I’m able to get the dogs back, a little part of home standing beside me once again.

On the other side of the mountains, the dwarves tell us that my parents headed to the south end of the continent along the road leading to Kargan. It’s cold there, and there’s nowhere farther they could have gone.

It’s tough following the road through the snow. On the other hand, it’s considered safe, with none of the usual monsters and no PKers whatsoever. There wouldn’t be any point.

The dogs have it the hardest, so I sew fur suits for them.

Three weeks later, we’re in Kargan, the capital of the southern human lands. There are only three cities in the entire south, all of them in the country of Ruma.

The next month is spent finding people in Kargan who remember a pair of travelers who were there two years ago. Two years in three cities is a long time, and I’m surprised anyone remembers them.

To get the information we need, we start by maxing out our reputation in the city. It’s then that one of the guards remembers a garrison soldier who worked back then but is now retired.

His house, almost entirely covered in snow, is on the mountain on the other side of the city. It’s a warm day, at least relatively speaking.

The old man only agrees to tell me about my parents after I clear all the snow off his house and do a few other chores for him.

“Yes, I remember them. They showed up at night. I was standing guard at the northern gate, and they were riding a horse together while holding a dog. A second dog was riding next to them, the same kind as yours. There aren’t any other dogs like that around here. They’re the only reason I remember them.

“Yes, these dogs were bred for warmer climates. Where did the couple go?”

“They were waiting for a ship. I think it was called the Unbeaten, and it goes back and forth between us and the floating cities.”

“What ship? And what floating cities?”

The old man wraps himself up tighter in his overcoat and drinks some chicken broth from a cup. Apparently, the stuff helps with colds.

“It’s a big trading ship that picks up goods in the floating cities and brings them to Ovidius. After stopping in three port cities on the continent, it drops by here when there isn’t any ice. It’s the middle of winter, so the Unbeaten won’t be coming for another four months.”

“What about those floating cities? Which one was the ship going to?”

“Nobody knows for sure. They’re something like floating slums, with twenty large trading ships lashed to each other to make up each city. The bridges between them keep everything linked, and they’re completely autonomous. They have their own land and water, their own rulers and laws. Really, they’re the last refuge for runaways, convicts, and other renegades. The people there live by mining rare ingredients from the bottom of the sea and the River of Life in the Sea of Monsters.”

“What’s the River of Life? And the Sea of Monsters?”

“The Sea of Monsters is what’s around Tanatos Island. It’s at the very center of the Ocean of Terror.”

I look over at Fem and see that she doesn’t know anything about it.

“Could you be a little more detailed?”

“The Ocean of Terror is a pretty calm place. You don’t get many monsters there, and the ones you do get are babies compared to what’s in the Sea of Monsters. The magic field is much stronger, and that’s where the worst beasts our world has seen are born. I’ve clapped eyes on some bigger than our city!”

“So, how can there be people living there?”

“The River of Life is on the very edge of the Sea of Monsters. The difference in the magic field is really strong, so there’s a current with luminescent plankton. It’s called the River of Life because of their healing properties and calming effect. But really, it isn’t what you’d normally think of as a river, more a stream of shining water circulating within the Ocean of Terror. That’s where the cities are. The monsters don’t go there, though they’ll certainly show up if you head any closer to Tanatos Island.”

“Strong ones?”

“Level 1000 and higher! Local bosses, raid bosses, natural gods. They say there are even some there from the large pantheon.”

“Some serious opponents. How many cities are there in the river?”

“Ten, maybe more.”

“Is it possible to find out which one the Unbeaten docked at?”

“You would have to ask the captain or check the ship’s log.”

Our conversation with the old soldier wrapped up there, and we headed back to the city. I need to find an auction. If I’m correct, my parents are on one of the floating cities, though I don’t want to wait for the ship. Getting there on my own two feet is simpler.

Two hundred thousand gold later, I’ve bought collars for the dogs that give them the ability to walk on water. When Fem finds out how much I spent, she yells at me for a long time, saying something about how they were a waste of money.

“Fem, I’m planning on running across the entire Ocean of Terror. The dogs may be able to swim that far, but they’ll slow us down and attract predators.”

“How do you expect me to run? I can’t walk on water.”

“I have a pair of great sandals for you.” I have to give her my favorite pair. I can use the seal.

“Wait, you stole these