I looked up at the night sky. My breath raised up into the heavens. The moons had move quite a bit by now. It must be nearing three in the morning. As we walked leaving Junt Forest behind us, the grasses of the Gladdeon Plains smacked against us. They were tall and flowed with the slight breeze. Some had small kernels or flowers on top of them. The plain looked like a sea of silver as the grass reflected the moonlight. It was flat as far as the eyes could see expect for the few hills out into the distance. We continued to walk in silence as we trampled the grass underneath our feet. Fatigue was quickly catching back up to us, we had slowed considerably down and we had no time to stop. In the distance the sound of a rushing stream caught our attention. We quickly began to move towards it. The terrain quickly changed slopping down towards it. Following the creek would allow us to make it to our destination.
Ubel went ahead of me and stopped at the creek. He looked over the horizon for what seemed like forever. His board shoulders began to slump and he no longer carried his axe on them. He motioned me to follow him. He must have remembered the direction to the camp ahead of us and began to move. We continued down the creek bed. It had less boulders now that we were in the plains. I kicked a pebble and it skipped across the water. It was meet with a protestant sound of a toad. Must have made someone angry. Black downed deer drank from the stream. Their ears perked up as they noticed us walk down the other side. Some ran away in fear, while other remained still in curiosity. Ubel began to pick up his speed to a run. There was a dim light ahead and an embankment that had a bridge. It was a road. Excitement ran through my body and propelled my tired legs forward.
“We made it,” I thought to myself happily, “we made it.” Our sanctuary in the midst of trial. I began to pick up speed to match Ubel. My legs ached in protest.
We climed the summit and stood in the middle of the road. Dust fell from us as we came to a stop. We overlooked the creek that split two camps. On one side a dark flag with a silver emblem that reflected the moonlight waved in the breeze, and on the other side a flag that was white as snow with a golden crest guarded the camp. Men and women were out and about the camp moving stuff, talking amongst themselves, and completing various tasks. One of the camps patrolmen spotted us and shouted in delight. This caused more of the troops to come out of the tents and head our way. Ubel began to open the carrier. He took out the girl and held her in his left arm. He looked at me for a moment. His dark eyes gazed down onto me. His smile warmed my tired core. He embraced me, his free hand touching the small of my back. The heat from his body radiated out and soothed me as my head pressed against his chest. I wanted to stay like this forever, but the party was soon to be interrupted by the group that was about to meet us.
“Don’t get killed now, you hear!” I said looking up at him in protest as he pulled away from me. “I want to see you again.” I clutched my staff. I wanted to go back into that warm embrace. It made me feel safe and complete.
“Don’t count on it.” He smirked as he replied back. “You still owe me a drink woman.” He mockingly tapped my nose and he lifted his axe. As he walked back down the road embankment to his camp he turned around and winked at me. He was soon greeted with hardy laughs by his group. One of the troops took his axe and rushed it into a nearby tent. Another lead him and the child into another one. His camp grew loud as various members began to scurry about at the news of one of their own have returned.
I turned away from his camp and began to cross the bridge. The dirty cobblestone looked darker in the night. As soon as I made it off and turned down the embankment, I was meet by a barrage of excited men and women cladded with the Solis Kingdom’s crest. There was a feeling of relief to be back with my kingdoms people, but I longed for the embrace of the latter. I took the boy out of the carrier and held him in my left arm. I sat my staff down with the other camp member’s weapons and began to head to the main tent.
“Thank Yahweh, you made it back!” A very deep, raspy voice came out of a tent. His cat-like ears were standing to attention as his tail followed behind him wildly. “You had half the camp worried about you! You know you are late my lady.” The Turnteken meet me more than half way towards the tent. He took my backpack off my shoulders and began to carry it.
“Forgive me Julius, I didn’t mean to make you worry nor the camp either.” I sighed as he led me into the tent. He took the boy out of my arms and laid him down into a crib that was prepared for in advance.
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He then took my bag and sat it down beside a chair. There was a fire roaring in the middle of the tent with a big black pot steaming above it. A rich smell filled the room. It was a mixture of vegetables and meat. The atmosphere of the room was warm and comforting which caused my body to sink. I sat down with a slump into the chair as my legs gave out and he handed me a bowl and a spoon. He poured the hot stew into the bowl, steam rising from it. I saw potatoes, carrots, steak, legumes, and various other things as I looked down into the bowl. Without protest to the contents in the stew, I began to shovel it into my mouth. Julius walked back over with a piece of bread and a cup.
He turned away again and attended to the child. I briefed him on the happenings of the recent events. I told him about the battles in the caverns and the gruesome aftermath of the summoning. He stopped wrapping the boy in a new blanket when I told him about the summoning ritual. I scrapped the bottom of the bowl. Julius took it from me and gave me another cup. It was cold to the touch. The liquid inside was a faint amethyst color. I sighed and held my nose close with my free hand. I downed it somewhat to fast and coughed a bit, it was a natural potion. There was hints of mint mixed in and it cooled my throat as it traveled down. I checked the critical areas in my status. Health: 150/300, Magic: 250/700, and Stamina: 50/100. The potion restored half of the needed stats to keep me from going mind zero. I’d have to sleep of the rest. I pondered on different things for a bit. I wonder if I finally went up a level. My attention snapped as Julius sat down in the floor in front of me.
“It sounds like you went through Hell my lady.” He said as looked up to me from the ground. His legs where crossed and his black tail wiggled on occasion. It was considerably darker against the fire lit walls of the tent. His tail was almost like a shadow that could blend into the surrounding night with ease. His two gold shackles jiggled as he stretched his arms. “We haven’t got word yet from the other allied camps. Mondlicht is the only camp we’ve received detailed information from.” Worry began to settle over me. We had multiple parties subjugating the cult, and all of them are able adventurers. I can only hope that they succeeded their missions after we were forced to split.
“Oh, I also found this when I was hiding in a room.” I said as I snapped around to the other side of the chair. I bent over and dug into my backpack that was sat down beside me. I pulled out a rather large and thick book. It was bound by a material that I was not familiar with. The letters engraved on the cover glistened in the light. “It is in a language that I have never seen before. To be honest I don’t even think it is a language that is present on our planet.”
“How do you know it is not of this world?” He asked as I handed the book over to him.
He opened it and began to turn the old pages over. The writing was structured as it went down the pages. Various maps and pictures also adorned the sides. He stopped turning the pages and rested his hand in the middle of it. He seemed interested in it, but quickly stopped showing signs that he was. I wanted to tell him it was fine that he showed interest in reading, and he didn’t have to be embarrassed. It wasn’t like the old days anymore.
“Do you think Bethel would be able to make sense of this?” He asked. He removed his hand and closed the book. He got up and sat the book down with others on a table in the corner of the room. He went back to the crib to check on the boy.
“She might be able to, although I have no clue as well. The book might be difficult for her to translate. If this is a language that isn’t naturally from our world; I have no idea if she would have any materials to aide her.” I replied back a little worried. She may be the brightest priestess I know. Though writings from a dead and unknown language may be out of her mastery if she has nothing to help her translate. It was worth the shot though. I would have to make a trip to the Elamen kingdoms to pay her a visit.
“There is something eating at you as well.” He said looking up at me. His blue eyes where peering at me. They were a cold color. They cut like steal on ice. I sighed. “You had another vision didn’t you my lady?” He had hit the point with accuracy.
“I did, it came at a big inconvenience.” I answered back. It wore me down thinking about it. “I just hope that Yahweh will show us some mercy when that hour comes. I think we have bid our time a little too long and we are about to reap the harvest that we’ve sown.” He looked down to the ground. He was trying to processes the gravity of all that I gave him.
After sitting there in silence, Julius left the tent. He took the pot with him and left me and the child alone. I got up from the seat and walked over to the crib. He was still asleep. His palm was balled up near his face and he was sucking on his thumb. I smiled down at him and covered him up a little bit more. Even though the fire was dominate in the room, the cold from the outside plains still crept into the tent. I turned back around and stared at the fire. The changing colors and warmth began to wear at me. It was calming to listen to the crackling sounds of the burning woods. It would pop from time to time. The flames danced around the hearth while the embers flew up and out the top of the tent. I sprawled out on the floor of the tent beside the crib. The heat began to numb my aching body and beckoned me to relax. I closed my eyes and the room was flooded with darkness. Everything began to feel as if it had stopped.