The fire was an eerie shade of green that Kaja was sure it was not one made of natural means. It failed to give Kaja the comfort a warm fire after a long soak in freezing rainwater should, and the man warming himself by the fire was no better. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the man's walking cane, unsure if it was something that would become a threat to her. Still, she found that she would rather take her chances inside the cave with the odd man than in the depths of the forest while the rain continued to fall.

She gave him a nod and sat crossed-leg directly across from him. Despite its odd appearance, the fire did warm her skin and work to dry her clothes. She placed her sword on her lap, one hand dancing over its hilt. The crackling of the fire broke through the silence that filled the cave, and Kaja took the momentary serenity as a chance to think of all that had led to that moment.

She had been walking around the streets of the capital, carrying with her a pack of materials that Din had asked her to buy from a nearby metal shop. Talk rose amongst the townsfolk about the Nightmare having awoken and that some of the kingdom's finest soldiers and most foolish of vagabonds had began jumping into one of the many portals that had opened in order to challenge the gods for their titles. Kaja had paid them no mind. Her mother had never been one to pray to the gods and Din was a man of science, not religion. As such, Kaja had never thought much of the gods or the people's fascination with the odd ritual of attempting to kill them. She had too much to worry about; Din had written up a blueprint for a new invention and Kaja could not have been more excited.

She paused in her musings and eyed the mouth of the cave. Rain was still falling hard in the forest outside, and it was only then that Kaja noticed that the woods was not familiar to her. She had taken plenty of walks in the surrounding forests of Arkanshire in search of materials and inspiration, and the area she'd woken up in was not a place she'd been in before.

Could it be-? No. It was a foolish thought. She had been walking around Arkanshire, not anywhere near a portal... Though, now that she'd thought about it, she remembered hearing shouts around her while she was walking, a tad too distracted by thoughts of their new endeavor. She remembered a brilliant light, and then crushing darkness. Then, she'd awoken in the middle of the forest, wet and confused... And lacking the bag of materials she'd been carrying before. She made a mental note to search for it once the rain died down.

"Did I..." she muttered, lips pursing in thought, "Did I accidentally go into a portal?"

She looked up at the man, frowning. "Where are we?" She gripped her sword, eyes narrowing in threat should the man not provide her with an answer.