It was noon. The crisp sun beams blazing between the crack of the curtains my room at the Inn. My mouth was dry. I gave a slight moan. "Uhhmm...whiskey." My head was pounding. I coaxed myself out of bed and moved to the dresser where a mug and pitcher of water lay. I drank from the pitcher rather than filling a mug. I took large gulps splashing water down my chin and spotting my home spun shirt. I had an hour before I had to make it to the coach. They needed a gunner. Support if you get me. My room was dusty and I could see a puff of it rise through the sun beam as I flopped down on my bed to put my boots on. I got ready.

After a breakfast of some sort of egg, a strong cup of coffee and a some whiskey as a crutch I was ready for a the day. A fellow by the name of Orin Burbank was the owner and proprietor of the "Galloping Stage" coach line. They sent coaches north, south...you name it they went there. I wondered why he was still in business...seeing how most people used magic to get around or getting caught in that damn Nexus. The Nexus never took me anywhere I wanted to go...it just took me. He was a large man with stained fingers and a full beard. He wore a fine velvet suit with a ruffled collar. He recognized me right away. "Well, it's nice to see someone shows up for work on time." I nodded, my head still pounding. He grinned revealing a gold tooth. "The Walkers are going to be taking the "Lockturn" to Cadentia in an hour. I know your familiar with the way so I have you riding with Eric...he's the new driver. He's never been out that way so be sure to keep an eye on him." The day before I had a hard time getting away from Orin. The man talked forever. I must have gotten his entire family history and what he liked on his mutton all in about three hours. He'd been working at the "Galloping Stage" since he was a kid and worked his way up eventually taking over his fathers position. "Better get the stage ready...Eric's back there already." I nodded. "Yessir." I rubbed the back of my neck as I headed around the livery. Eric was preparing the horses. He smiled at me. The kid must not have been more then twenty-five. He had sandy hair and a mustache. His cloths were clean and he too also wore a red velvet waist coat. He beckoned me. "Your Caul...huh." He smiled and offered a hand. "Yup, and yor Eric I suppose." "Sure am." He examined my gunbelt. "I've seen those before...most people around here don't approve of them." I didn't say anything. "Say they're for cowards." I frowned. "Look kid...have you ever been to Cadentia?" He took a slight step back. "Well...no." I tossed my satchel on the right side of the coach seat. "Then shut up...I guess we got people wantin' to board here in about forty-five minutes." He didn't like it...but didn't argue with me. He harnessed the horses and we pulled the coach in front of the "Galloping Stage." Our fares where waiting out side. They where elves.

The coach was a smooth ride. It had some sort of suspension system I'd never seen before and we floated along as if on a horse drawn cloud. We had been on the straight road out of Rhydin now for about three hours and it had turned from cobbles to dirt. It had also become much more windy and rugged. The path was worn with wagon ruts and pot holes. Eric slowed the horses a bit. "I thought Cadentia was arid." Eric commented offhandedly and looked up at the lush green forest canopy that covered us like an umbrella. You could hear the birds and leaves rustle over the sound of the coach. The sun shone pink through the trees as it set. "We ain't there yet." I replied. I could note the apprehension and excitement in his voice. "It's away yet. It's aired. There one main street full of magic shops, drug stores, brothels and of course "The Last Chance Saloon." His eyes lit up. "I've heard of that place." He kept his eyes on the road, flipped a small switch on a panel that acted as an armrest between us and two headlights on either side of the "Lockturn" lit the road ahead. "Orin said there are a lot of bar fights there. He also said there is much gambling done." "That's what it's for...don't for get about the women." I nudged him with my elbow. He grinned. "I lived there for years...it was one of the only places I've found through the Nexus that actually made me feel at home. The way of life is the same...almost." We didn't talk much after that. It soon was dark aside from the road ahead and the Walkers who I heard talking and laughing from time to time. Soon we'd be out of the forest and across the river into Chamerston. Chamberston was the last large town on the route at the base of the mountains. There was a large stone wall that surrounded it with a gate on either side of the main street. Then there was the rough journey through the mountains and down in to Cadentia. The mountains were the my only worry.

We approached the Chamberston bridge around Midnight and had to stop at the gate for clearance. The air had cooled so you could just barely see your breath in the damp humid air. A tall orc with a patch on his eye stopped us. He carried a crossbow, wore a fine suit of chainmail and a steel helmet. One of the two teeth that protruded from his bottom jaw was broken. He stopped us by raising one green open palm in the air. Eric tugged back on the reins the coach. "Halt!" The orc's voice rang clear in the cold mist above the bridge. I dismounted. "State your business." He growled. "We are the coach company 'Galloping Stage' from Rhydin this is the stagecoach 'Lockturn.'" I produced the papers and registration from the armrest compartment and handed them to the orc. He opened the documents and examined them with one beady eye. He grunted and walked around to the side of the coach. I followed. "How many passengers?" "Four." "Where is your destination?" His voice was deep. "Cadentia." His voice was silent a moment. He examined me from head to toe. "How long do you plan on staying in Chamberston?" "Till morning. We need to water the horses and our guests will be staying at the..." My mind searched for the booking at the inn. "The Corner Room." Eric's voice answered. "The Corner Room." I repeated. The man-at-arms grunted again and returned the papers. "Very well. You may proceed." "Thank you." The guard went back to his watch station and opened the gates on the other side of the bridge. I got back on the coach and we entered the town.

With the Walkers taken care of and the coach up for the night it was time for a drink. Eric was more then willing to head out on the town for a few hours on my suggestion. We walked side by side across the street and down the main drag. "Where are all these girls from. They are all my age and beautiful!" Eric exclaimed. He twisted his mustache and straightened his collar. "This is a college town. Chamberston University had been here for at least a century or more." I explained. "I used to come here every once in a while to get away from the 'Last Chance' from time to time. It's refreshing. The women here are kids. They ain't so damned dirty or tainted. On the other hand most of the guys that go to school here end up in Cadentia for the opposite reason. I can't reckon I blame em for being 23." "You're right." Eric agreed.

The sign above the door said "The Darkhorse Tavern" as we entered. There was a narrow cement stair case that descended into the basement. Almost every tavern or pub was below in a basement. The ground floors were all full of clothing shops, souvenir shops, pizza parlors and dinners. The smell of stale beer and cigarettes was seeping from the walls. At the base of the stair sat a large ogre. He wore a leather tunic with "Chamberston University" branded into the front of it in bold black. He was obviously the bouncer. He didn't say a word only held up two fingers. I dug into the inside pocket of my jacket and dug out four silver coins then placed them in his large outstretched palm. He nodded us in. The Darkhorse was a college basement bar all right. They had a live folk band playing. There was a bar that stretched down one end of the wall and followed it around to the other like the letter U. It was busy and I weaved my way through the crowd to an opening at the bar. I ordered two whiskeys and beer and set up at the bar with Eric. "This is great!" Eric raised his shot glass in the air. "I've never been to a University town before!" We both jerked the shot back and knocked the bottoms on the bar top. Eric made a whiskey face and loosened his collar with his index finger. "Whooo hoo." "It's good stuff." He leaned in more and cupped his ear. "What?" "It's good stuff." I repeated. He nodded and started on his mug of beer. "Hey," He asked me. "What's this about you being worried about the mountain?" "It's nothing really...we should be just fine. Sometimes...well...." I stuttered a bit fitting my sentence together carefully. "There are a bunch of different dangers. First of all..." I gulped on my beer and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. He listened intently. "There are all sorts of snakes...horses hate snakes...there's a cave of bandit's somewhere up there that have been known to hold up coaches...and there's 'Kevlar's Pass' which is a real narrow spot at the top of 'Skytop'...but I haven't been up that way in about five years myself and even longer since I've been to Cadentia...You where still a boy I wot." "Well, that doesn't sound that bad." His attention had gone to a blond girl who was dancing in front of the band. I chuckled to myself and ordered another shot of whiskey. Eric was turning out to be allright. I wondered to myself why the kid was driving a coach instead of living in Chamberston. I reckoned he was thinking the same thing. "I'll be right back." He held his finger up. He approached the dancing girl and said something...I couldn't hear what he said but whatever it was it worked because she gave him a big smile and he began dancing with her. I chuckled to myself again and took another shot of whiskey then ordering more. The bartender, a tall blond college girl, poured another. "Easy there, Cowboy." She warned. "Oh. I'll be careful, Sister." I could feel myself feeling better. It was going to be a fun night. Too bad we had to be back on the road tomorrow.