Jarlath is Overruled

"But according to Sir Thomas, nobody has taken that Road and lived to tell the tale," Fred pointed out. "I think you'll need more than your intuition to convince us that we should go that way."

Jarlath sighed to himself. Since he felt bound not to reveal the prophecy (and how seriously would Fred and Astra take a prophecy that had come via fish anyway?), and he did not want to be separated from the only friends he had in this world, it seemed that he had no choice. "Very well," he said. "The City of Ghosts and Shadows it is." He turned to Thomas. "How far is it to this Toren Keep? And then how far is it from there to our ultimate destination?"

"Toren Keep is only a few hours' journey - twelve miles or so. As for the journey along the Road, I'm not sure. I've heard some say it's a matter of hours, but others have said it takes several weeks. In this magical realm, it's not impossible that the distance changes from time to time. Or maybe even the rate at which time seems to pass could vary."

"Well, however long it takes, the sooner we start the sooner we will get there," Astra said. "Let's get going."

"It might be safer to wait here until you are all completely dry," Thomas said. "Even the water here has some intrinsic magic, and any traces of it on your bodies might allow the locals to detect you."

"We are going to need to eat the local food and drink the water," Fred pointed out. "Won't the locals be able to detect us as a result?"

"No, since while the food is inside you your body will block the magical emanation. However, as the nourishment is absorbed into our bodies, over time we ourselves could eventually become very slightly magical. It would be a very slow process, though, so we are in no immediate danger of becoming detectable, but it is another reason for wanting to keep our time here short."

1. Once everyone is dry, they begin walking towards Toren Keep.
2. The mist suddenly thickens into dense fog, meaning that if they should attempt to travel they risk getting lost.
3. They see something strange.

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