As Nakito approaches the city gates, he grows increasingly nervous. He can’t see the elf and it is nearly 5 am. Is he late? Does he not care about being reported and decided to leave without him?

  Cold sweat runs down his neck and his eyes dart around.

  What if he is going to stand here until sunrise? What will father, mother and his sisters say?

  The embarrassment would be more than what he could take. First, he failed to represent his family, and now he even failed to run away. His head hurt while he stumbled down the streets, looking around to see if anyone was recognizing him, but only few people were passing him, all minding their own business.

  Time flies by; he is now almost directly in front of the gate and the guards are already eyeing him suspiciously. Passing the gate at this time of day was unusual.

  It would not be easy for them, especially the elf, to get past them, Nakito thinks, considering their options.

  Suddenly the noble feels a hand on his shoulder. He flinches and turns around quickly.

  "Hello, young nobleman. I didn’t think you would come. I thought your mind had gotten the better of you. Let’s hope your courage won’t leave you once we leave." The elf glares at him.

  Nakito’s face turns red.

  "Well, first of all, you're hardly older than me. More likely my age or even younger. Besides, you're late! Did your parents not teach you any manners?"

  A twitch flashes through the elfs face, then he regains his composure and grins.

  "Whatever...my name is Kirion. Let’s get going. I want to get out of here before sunrise"

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  "Nakito."

  The two approach the guards.

  "Hey, isn't that the elf, the monster?

  "Yeah...I think that's him. We can't let him through"

  The guards mumble as they see them, concerned and determined not to let them pass.

  "Well, gentlemen, I'm sure we can work this out..." Nakito started, spreading his arms and walking towards them with a smile, as if welcoming a dear relative.

  But Kirion was faster with his solution and the heads of the two guards fell synchronously to the ground.

  "Come on." said the elf without a mimic and stepped over their corpses.

  Nakito followed him, disappointed that he couldn’t provide help with his rhetorical skills. To his own surprise, he felt no pity with the guards.

  In front of them there were vast plains, fields, a few huts and a forest on the horizon. The morning smelled fresh and cool wind blew through his hair.

  A chilling breeze blew through the gate, making a shiver run down Nakitos spine as the first sunrays bathed his face with a comforting warmth.

  Nakito gazed dreamily at the vast landscape, wondering where their path would lead them.

  "Hey, here, get a horse"

  Kirion handed Nakito the reins of a brown horse and took a black one.

  "It's a long way to the cracks in the spheres between the next world…"

  Nakito looked at him slightly confused. He knew that there must have been a way for the elf to get here, and that elfs originally didn’t come from this world. He even read about cracks between worlds and heard old scholars talk about other dimensions, yet he was mildly surprised to be confronted with that already.

  He would have to find out more about that later. Kirion had already beaten him once; he wouldn’t expose his lack of knowledge now as well.

  They mounted their horses and Kirion rode forward, Nakito following him, away from Lorrain, his homeland, and the city life he knew so well, into unknown dangers, but also freedom.