Pierre I noticed how there were no sounds of birds, insects, or things that would normally be heard in a wooded location. When I brought this up in conversation it was Merna that was able to give an answer. “In appearance, nothing really seems out of sorts. The physical and Chaos’ terrain are almost carbon copies of each other. At least this location that is!” Merna placed a finger up in the air, which told me this was going to be a long winded explanation. “When we entered the portal we entered Chaos’ domain. Here … There are no birds, insects, things like that. They are living things. Here! This is essentially … the dead! These trees are of the past … what was and what remains. Our minds tell us that we are still in the physical realm because we only see the trees and ground … in fact we are not. If it were not for the training that I have received … I would not be able to tell. Now! I can! Until today I had never noticed that there was a portal at the edge of the woods, which tells me that someone activates it … similar to what I do when I open and close a portal. It truly is amazing!” I leaned into Sadragon, “Next time could you explain it!” Merna laughed knowing I was only poking fun at her. “Even though she is not wrong, I could have simplified it by saying you wake through a portal into the Master’s territory and there are no such things here!” “That would be too boring! There are the five W’s to explain!” Merna seemed chipper. Beginning to chuckle, “Woman you read far too many books!” Sadragon stated. I was informed that the female role here was limited. If the female did not come from a family of wealth, her education was taking orders and doing as she was told. To have a female who was versed in literature and numbers raised her value, yet she was still expected to follow and do as she was told. Thinking about how Merna would respond to such a lifestyle, I was glad that Merna would not be coming here with me. Her temperament would definitely clash. And if I knew Merna as much as I think, she would not hold back with giving someone a tongue lashing. The next thing that was not forbidden but frowned on … a female learning to fight! It was not unheard of … females who travelled the realms in groups of nomads had the habit of being able to fight. It was not the same training that warriors or other trained individuals would receive, but it was enough to get out of a pinch if the event should arise. When Merna was tested, I was not the only one who was shocked by the skill that Merna displayed. The training that Cancer had given her was enough to take Sadragon down to the ground.Out of curiosity, we wanted to see how she would fare outside in the woods. To my delight, she was not only able to beat me but Sadragon as well. This gave me more of a peace of mind … knowing that she could at least handle herself without me being here. This will give her more than enough time for aid to get to her. Merna was about to say something when something caught her attention. For the briefest of seconds, I thought I saw Merna’s eyes start to glow. Sadragon whispered to me that the group had arrived. "Merna ... it is time!" I had to wait for Merna to register what was spoken since she seemed to be as stuck in her head as she studied the area. "What!?" She finally said as she registered movement around us. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized there was danger around us. "Do not worry mate, Merna is in no danger from this group of hunters." Sadragon reassured me, "I will make sure that she gets to the road with no issues!" They moved so fast that all I could see were light absorbent shadows, moving between the trees. “They are not ready for you to fully see you, they want you to finish the transition before being introduced!” Sadragon told me as he started to lead me in the direction we needed to go. Tapping my wrist to indicate it was time. Merna directed us to the meeting spot. I wanted to ask Merna about her odd behaviour but we soon came up to the edge of the woods. Without any of them seeing us, we observed from the shadows as if this were a regular thing for us to do. Sadragon moved up close to me, “There is a vail that stops them from seeing you. Until you walk out of the vail … they will not see nor hear you. Unless …” He glanced briefly at Merna, “they are gifted!” He explained things to me. Already parked beside my truck was a 2022 silver Hyundai Santa Fe. Remembering the pictures that Merna had shown me of the group I could tell which blockhead was Markous and Steve. The female was easy to tell was Emma because she was hanging off of Markous. A shiny black 2022 Nissan Sentra SR Midnight Edition pulled up behind my truck. The second I spotted Camile stepping out of her car, I started to shake my head. Glancing over at Merna she gave me the look to say, be nice or I will hit you. I was the first one to step out of the bushes, greeting Steve first then the rest of them. Standing off to the side Merna watched without saying a word. Once introductions were completed, Merna clapped her hands together. "If everyone is ready ..." Merna directed her thumb behind her, "let us go to the campsite!"Giving attitude, "Who are you and who gave you permission to go onto my land?" Stepping in front of Markous, "You might want to be careful how you speak to my wife!" I hissed at him. When Merna told me that his fate was to be food, I was repulsed by the thought of cannibalism. Now that I had the chance to hear him speak ... I am wondering if this type of shit is worth eating!