Ironfall.

The sun was up and the mist even thicker. Fire was the only source to keep them safe. The wildlings hated fire. The clouds overhead showed signs of another depressing snowfall. The garrons were more attracted to fire so holding torches they made from collecting and tying sticks together from the forest floor was not the major concern. They had other matters to worry over. The light from the burning fire torches spread over the forest floor. The disheveled roots that sprung from the ground cowered back into the floor due to the heat. Their luck was short-lived after crossing two-thirds of miles of the forest. The mist grew thicker in the center of the forest. Their torches were gradually dying out either from the heavy vapors I'm the air or the fire had eaten most of the dry wood. The woods here were wettest. The ground became swampy. It would've been better to have more Garrons since they could have a clearer vision in storms and fog. One of his men and a garron fell as it tripped off a small root sticking out of the soft floor from the forest floor. They had to pause briefly to look out for a safer route. His subordinate had a deadly fall making him unconscious. Erebus and Jafar had to lift him on their garron

and tie him with the reins that were fastened around the creature. The garron was being sucked into the quicksand, and regardless of how strong the creature was, it found no hope even when six strong men tried to pull it back to the surface. It was swallowed whole with its helpless cries. Jafar gritted his teeth. He looked at the wild demons that were now panicking more than before. Some started to scream.

"Master the trees are reacting to their screaming!" Jafar cautioned Erebus as the roots reacted to their movements.

The soldiers cursed and cried using everything to cut the roots that twisted around the wildling demons. The garrons furiously whined and caused their riders to fall into the trap of flesh-eating trees.

They couldn't save the wildling demons and prioritized the safety of men. A few Billings clung onto the garrons attempting to escape but the seasoned subordinates caught up with them.

They did not make a stop until they ensured a safe distance from the rioting trees with their raging roots. However, the trees with a height of more than fifty meters posed an equal threat to creatures in the air.

"How many men lost?"

"Eight good men with three seasoned soldiers and a horde of wildlings. We lost five garrons that were used for two men each and loadings." one of his men reported.

He winced at the loss. This mission was one of those with a worse impact on him.

"Master, what do we do of these that tried to flee?" Jafar would not have let these escapees off for trying to kill the soldiers just to flee on a garron.

"Tie them up with each garron. Kill them if they try to flee," he ordered and they obeyed.

-"I will have to send a search squad once I reach the fortress." he looked up.

The mist cleared a little along with the clouds allowing the faint streaks of sunshine to barely allow to the forest bed. The snow continued to fall even with the sun out. Stygian was not spared of snowfall even in spring.

They had just resumed their journey and it took more than half the day to cross another third of the forest. The mist began to clear up.

They now knew way up the mountain where his fortress stood hard and cold for more than a millennium. He picked up the speed slowly so his men who were injured could follow him. His garron snorted as its eyes shone brighter like the sun. By the time the sun began to set down, they had traveled enough to reach the other end of the forest. The men were relieved to step out of the deadly place without wasting a moment.

Within a few hundred heartbeats they were at the foot of the mountain. It was the rear side of the fortress. A small town came into sight that was located between the forest and the mountain. There were small fields owned by farmers. They grew plants that were fed on the blood of livestock. The ripe red and purple and crimson-colored fruit born by them looked delicious. A few fields also grew crops consumed by both demons and humans. The yaks and mountain goats or small animals were eaten raw in this place. Human meat was a rarity or never found in many parts. The garrons did not know what to feed them. These creatures were twice the size of an average steed.

"We'll take a break once we reach the town. So keep riding."

They slowly resumed the procession. It was past noon. The evening sky appeared. But the clouds lurking around did not spare them a moment to appreciate the vivid colors of the sky.

"This town's well in charge of the smithy work and producing livestock." Jafar complimented.

"Most of the meat is sent from here as taxes."

"This is my hometown." one of his subordinates informed.

"My relatives live in this part of Stygian. They have a local reptile farm." the other spoke up.

"Uros. You live here too don't ya?" he asked a man called in black and grey with greyish black hair in a low ponytail and a bronze skin tone like Erebus.

"I moved here two fortnights. My bride is sickly so it is better to move to a remote location."

"Uros is getting married?" they looked at him with their mouths wide open. Erebus kept his pace and did not react to it. Since news would fly by his ears even in the fortress.

He nodded. They began to tease him and curse him altogether. The wildling demons now couldn't bear the tiring journey on foot. They spoke in ancient demonic Teutonic language. Erebus could not figure it out due to his lack of knowledge of languages. He was only familiar with common demonic modern language.

"By the way our commander recently got married." The talkative one began.

"Kiel," Jafar cut him.

"I heard that too." Uros included.

"Right half of us were I'm an expedition down south."

"So it's true that master really got married? "

"He is famous for his 'reputation' so how...?"

They began murmuring.

"No way! She's a beauty from the heavens?" one said out loud.

"I heard it from the servants of the inner fortress. The day that she's gorgeous."

Erebus who had been hearing them clear enough stopped and turned his head with a deadly glare.

-"Cut the crap if you want to keep those slithering tongues." is what his glare meant.

No more was said and they became tight-lipped breaking cold sweat.

-"My my he becomes easily agitated when it comes to the lady."Jafar grinned.

He raised a hand to his subordinates to let them know that they were safe for now.

They let out a sigh of relief. Not only were their job at risk but their lives as well.

The winds became tougher as the sun went down. His men hadn't slept for a day. His unconscious subordinate was in his peaceful sleep by the time they arrived at the borders of the desolate town.

Kiel and Uros got off their garrons and greeted a local smith. They were on good terms with each other.

"The Lord has come to reside here for tonight," Kiel told them. The locals slowly gathered around them. The visitors to the town were a very rare sight. The population was barely five hundred residents.

"Greetings from this humble subject my Lord."The smith bowed.

He was a hulk of a man with pale green eyes and dark skin. He had a single horn sticking out of his temple. He wore a simple garb of brown woolen tunic and a pair of trousers and yak skin boots. The tunic looked as if it would tear any moment if he moved aggressively due to his mass.

He had come to this town several times before in disguise. This man was a fairly honest man than many others he came across.

He saw that the town had been facing worse conditions than before. He frowned upon looking at the weary looks of his people.

And Uros had said that it was a fairly decent town better than the others.

He greeted the people patiently and saw young children holding onto their mother's grey swollen skirt, wearing thin clothes that barely saved them from the cold.

-"They are of similar age to that child." he recalled young Nemesis who was roughly around three years and six months old.

The cold brought distraught everywhere it came. Mostly affecting impoverished lands. Uros had insisted he stayed with him because his wife was away at her parent's village located fifty leagues from Ironfall. Erebus had refused to stay at their homes. He rented a room in an old inn with one silver along with his other subordinates. The building needed maintenance. But it was kept clean. The covers on the strawbed were washed but there were still faint stain marks.

A simple meal of raw yak meat, blood sausages, and potato soup. Eat ate meat and left the potato soup. It was far from the luxurious meals that nobles had in daily life. To him, it was a normal meal despite being the lord.

He saw two men talking two tables away. They looked different. One was burly and the other fat. Both seemed to discuss something in private. They wore ragged hooded cloaks that mostly covered their faces. Their voices even in whispers were gruff. They glanced at his men from time to time. They looked suspicious to him. Jafar had his eyes on them. Moments later they left the inn with a last glance at him and his men.

"Jafar." he called out.

"Understood."