It was the easiest thing Oak had ever done.

He threw himself at the three ghouls standing inside the store and sent a blast of flame to precede himself. It struck a surprised ghoul in the chest and bowled the pale monster over. The sorry creature smashed through a broken display case, chest aflame. Its screeches of pain were lost in the pandemonium that followed.

One of the two ghouls still standing tried to meet Oak's wild charge. It jumped towards him, claws first, looking to slice him to shreds. Oak did not bother to block or dodge. He thrust past the ghoul's extended arms with the short sword in his left hand, and buried the blade in the monster's chest. Claws feebly raked his arm and shoulder, but he ignored them, just as he ignored the ghoul's death rattles.

Demonic constitution would take care of the damage, and it was better to end the fight as fast as he could.

By the sound of it, the unlucky ghoul's lungs were filling up with blood. Oak flicked his blade to the side as he ran, and the ghoul slid off of it. It floundered on the floor like a fish on dry land. The last ghoul took a step back in fear. The fate of its comrades had apparently planted a seed of doubt in the dumb monster's mind.

Oak did not slow down. He hopped over a fallen shelf and swung his cleaver at the ghoul's head. The monster lifted its arms in a desperate attempt to block, but it was a futile effort. Oak chopped through the ghoul's right arm and split its skull in two. The corpse fell, spreading brain matter all over the wooden floor.

One ghoul lay dead at Oak's feet. Another croaked its last breaths behind him, blood flowing out of its open mouth. The third ghoul struggled back on its feet next to the store's front facing wall, right in front of the closed shutters. It was clear the telekinetic force projected through the flames had broken some ribs, and there was a massive burn on the ghoul's chest.

Another one should do the trick, Oak thought, and willed a stream of fire into being. He aimed it at the ghoul's head. The monster didn't even have time to scream before the flames covered its head and caved in its skull.

The force of the telekinesis flung the ghoul straight through the shutters, onto the street.

+ 3 Souls

+ 1 Fuel

Giant claws raked against the roof tiles above, and the building groaned. Oak didn't have the best track record with games where luck was involved, but he was willing to bet the chimera on the roof of the store had just turned around to stare at the burning corpse of the ghoul.

Icy ripples traveled through the Waking Dream, somewhere on Oak's right. The wraith of the Librarian had most likely destroyed another poltergeist. Oak was well aware of the fact that they desperately needed to move, but he had to do one thing before they could leave.

If one ghoul captures the beast's attention, two more can only help matters.

He picked up the corpses one by one and threw them out of the window. Two dead ghouls crashed onto the cobblestones. Oak moved back to the doorway leading to the storage room and settled down to wait.

Come on, mutt. I know you want to get a taste of roasted ghoul. Go for it.

The chimera did not disappoint. The beast jumped down to the street, and the force of its landing shook the earth. Oak heard it sniff the corpses. Slowly and silently, he walked back to the storage room, where he had left Ur-Namma and Geezer. The hellhound wagged his tail when he saw Oak, but fortunately, the dog had the good sense to keep quiet.

No one could accuse Geezer of having bad survival instincts.

It was time to skedaddle while the chimera was suitably distracted. Like a mouse escaping from the attentions of a distracted cat, Oak fled down the alleyway, with Ur-Namma on his shoulder and Geezer right at his heels.

No, not a mouse. We are more like a mischief of mice. There are three of us, after all.

***

Their escape from the chimera's fangs had been a mixed success.

Oak poked his head around the street corner and looked across the expansive square. In the center of that square, was a courthouse. It was a large, brutal looking stone building that resembled a box. Large double doors flanked by thick marble columns led inside the house of justice.

The entire place had a serious air about it. If someone had told Oak they used to defenestrate anyone who dared to smile inside its hallowed halls, he would have believed it.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

According to Ur-Namma, the fold in space was inside that courthouse. Unfortunately, Empress Aoibheann's pet chimera now sat on the courthouse roof. They had successfully gotten away from the beast, but the relentless mutt had not stopped hunting them. It seemed to suspect they were still in the area, and it had climbed to the roof of the tallest building in the district to get a good vantage point.

Currently, the wolf-chimera's back was turned towards Oak and his companions, but who knew when the beast would turn around?

Oak retreated behind the corner. "What do you think?" he whispered. "Crossing this square without the beast noticing us is going to be tricky."

Ur-Namma frowned. The elf had ended his dive shortly after Oak had distracted the chimera with the ghoul corpses. Apparently, there had been a lull in poltergeists converging on their position. Ur-Namma had taken the opportunity, minimized his presence in the Waking Dream, and returned to his body.

Oak had seen the wisdom in that and called back the wraith of the Librarian. When it came to the Unreal Sea, being hard to find was often better than being hard to kill.

"The fold inside the courthouse feels promising to me. I think we need to risk it, and find a way across the Square of the Secretariat," Ur-Namma replied. "The other fold up on the slope of the sphere might not even be usable."

"Sounds good to me. I'm willing to entertain all plans that don't involve climbing." Oak shrugged. "I would rather avoid dragging you and Geezer up the slope, if we can help it."

Geezer shuddered next to them, and Oak winced in sympathy. The hellhound had not enjoyed their climb up the slope of the city to free Ur-Namma. Truth be told, Oak was pretty sure Geezer would run away if he tried to put a harness on the dog again. Considering he had slipped twice along the climb, and they had almost plummeted to their deaths, Oak could not blame him.

"Frankly, I would also like to avoid that fate," Ur-Namma whispered. "Dangling under you and staring at the ground far below is not my idea of a good time."

"Oh, a chink in your armor, may haps? Does our venerated general also fear heights?" Oak asked.

U-Namma's smile showed off his rows of needle-like teeth. "Never fear, young savage. I am not frightened by heights," the elf said. "Your clumsiness is another matter entirely. Only your maladroit movements can leave my heart in the icy grip of terror."

"Fuck you."

"In your dreams," Ur-Namma said.

That brought Oak up short. What a disgusting mental image. He spluttered and failed to come up with a suitably firm response.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Shut up, knife-ear. I'm trying to exorcise this abomination of a thought you just planted in my head," Oak replied. "Can we get back on track? We still need to cross that square, and I haven't heard any good ideas."

"I imagine those are a rare find inside that thick skull of yours," Ur-Namma whispered. "It is wise of you to seek my counsel."

"Ur-Namma. I will slap you."

"Fine, fine. I will control myself, for now," the elf said, and steepled his long fingers underneath his chin. "Our options are, sadly, quite limited."

Oak rubbed the back of his head in agitation. He had turned the problem over this way and that, and gotten nowhere. How could they safely lure the chimera away from the courthouse? They didn't have time for anything too complicated, because the fold in space could destabilize and disappear at any moment. He was about to respond to Ur-Namma when something else caught his attention.

Geezer had walked past them both, right onto the street. The hellhound stood there in the open and stared towards the square.

By the fucking Chariot. Is this how we die? After all this trouble?

Oak poked his head around the corner. He would rather see his death coming than live in ignorance. "Geezer, get your ass back here or I swear–," Oak said, before he choked on his words.

The roof of the courthouse stood empty. The wolf-chimera was nowhere to be seen. Not even a whisker remained, no matter how much Oak squinted. The beast had vanished into thin air, like it had never been there in the first place.

"Ur-Namma?" Oak asked.

"Yes?"

"The chimera is gone. Should we just take our chances and make a run for it?" Oak asked. He tugged the straps of his rucksack, making sure they were tight.

Ur-Namma brought his hands above his head and stretched his wiry frame. "I believe we should. After all, fortune favors the bold. Do lead the way, northerner," the elf replied.

"Right. Follow me," Oak said, and took off.

He turned around the corner and ran towards the intimidating visage of the courthouse and its open double doors. Ur-Namma jogged behind him, and Geezer took up the rear. He kept the pace reasonable, so the elf did not fall behind. Reaching the fold without Ur-Namma would be pointless, since Oak could not see it, let alone tell if the fold was safe to use.

The buildings circling the square had, according to Ur-Namma, once housed a small part of the capital's vast bureaucracy. They loomed large, like living nightmares, shrouded in mist. Every shadow they cast looked like a claw, ready to reach out and drag him back to the gloom of Ma'aseh Merkavah.

He felt like the eyes of the city's Secretariat watched him from beyond the grave. Ready and waiting to catalog the manner of his passing.

They were so close to salvation now that Oak could almost feel the sun on his skin. Just past the halfway-point. Every step took him closer and closer to the open sky, towards escape from this wretched city.

A roar sounded behind him. Fuck me. It was familiar.

Oak threw a glance behind his shoulder, even though he knew what he would see. Aoibheann's pet had returned. The clever bastard had circled around the square and ended up behind them. The beast ran out of the same side street he and his companions had been hiding in a moment ago, and charged after the three of them. Drool dripped from its many mouths.

Icy terror flowed through Oak.

We are not going to make it.

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