The Tale of Gaven Morren: The First Night--Into the Dark (Part 3)

An hour passes as I try to put as much distance between myself, the room without a door, and the Pale Man named Naros. My side aches badly.

I have no idea where I'm going, aside from away. I've only been here a week, and never out this late before. The night changes everything.

The only landmark I know is The Tower, that spike of black basalt that looms over the city. You can see it from any point here...it's that tall.

I stop moving and try to breathe for a bit. I gingerly touch my side...it hurts, but northing's out of place. Not broken after all. Good.

Need a better view. I'm not getting anywhere like this. I spot another tower, crumbling and in disrepair, rising above brick walls.

It looks like it may have once been a watchtower, but now it's a wreck. Half of it has collapsed, but I spy an old platform near the top.

The inside of the watchtower smells of mildew and rat droppings, and there is some kind of slime on the walls. But I climb up anyway.

My side gets nothing out of this but pain, but once I'm on the platform, the view is stunning. The city is awash in starlight.

The Bastion area is flecked with lights, most of them magical. But the Pen is almost totally dark...I see only a few glows from open windows.

My eyes are drawn to the great Tower of Miir, at the center of the city. There's a chill, but it has nothing to do with wind or the hour.

Directly across from me is an archway that looks like an open maw, and two steady lanterns glowing like malevolent eyes.

The Tower sways in the wind, and almost seems to be *breathing*...It looks like it's watching me, waiting to swallow me whole...

Damn it, now I'm buying into the locals fear. This place is NOT out to get me. The Shadows are just darkness. I'll get out of this.

I look away, and try to map out a route through the Pen. I'm not waiting for the Pale Man to make good his threat. I'll quit Miir NOW.

With any luck, I can make the Pen Wall well before dawn, get through to the Cobwebs. City Watches normally avoid poor areas like the plague.

I climb back down and check my route. Nothing is going to stop me now. Then someone runs past me. A girl. A white dress. Damn it.

Is this the "she" Naros was blabbering about? Do I want to find out? What's it to me, anyway? Argh.

She is wandering alone at night, and that madman is after her. She at least needs to be warned. And perhaps she's worth something.

I follow after. Damn these twisting streets! I only have the light of the fireglass dagger to see by, and that isn't very bright. So I shout.

"Hey! Stop!" I see her duck down a side path...she's not stopping. I can't say I blame her, really, but damn me if it isn't inconvenient.

These streets are a maze. I wish I had more light, but my ears work fine. I can hear her footsteps ahead of me somewhere in the gloom.

Closer...closer...I think I spotted a flash of white dress over there...come on..."Hey! Stop Running! I'm not going to hurt you!" Yet.

She's sped up. Damn and blast! I can't keep this pace up forever, not with the stabs of pain from my wounded side. I'm barely keeping up.

The footsteps are getting further away. Shove this. I'm not even doing this for myself. The Pale Man can do his own chasing. I'm through.

I look around.

Where am I?

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