We were preparing to leave for the White Mountains before it was light, trying to avoid unnecessary farewells to the villagers.
Tired from nighttime conversations and having barely slept, we all felt the weight of the road ahead.
I felt a sense of unease in my chest: what if the victory over the forest bandits doesn't remain a secret, and Gregor finds out about our trail?
Our squad is well-armed and we wouldn't just give up. But I didn't want to waste time sorting things out with the arrogant and narrow-minded captain. That's not why I visited Orkvalia once again and brought my friends here.
I couldn't shake the thought that at any moment, somewhere in these quiet houses, eyes and ears could be hiding, ready to inform the captain of our location. Sitting in the tavern, we told everyone that we were going to the White Mountains. Knowing the direction of our movement, Gregor and his henchmen could set up an ambush at any point along the way.
The companions were as silent and disorganized as ever. They rose heavily from their seats, slowly gathering their things, saddling their lammuls with effort. Their energy had left them, leaving behind an oppressive fatigue. Even Ena, usually agile and full of enthusiasm, moved lazily and reluctantly, yawning and blinking her heavy eyelids.
The squires looked unusually sluggish, their movements slowed down as if they were wandering in a dream.
Only Basil, as if not noticing the silence and the general mood, exchanged humorous phrases with two young peasant women from the village. The lightness of his smile looked strange against the background of the morning confusion, but it seemed that this very spark of life made the others pretend that they were cheerful and collected.
If we had a map, the road to the White Mountains would run due north, but the path was more winding than it might seem. Forbant, with its walls and guards, lay straight ahead, and we had to go around it, as well as the village with the yellow roofs.
Pit, after a long discussion with Bruno, suggested that we first go west, towards Astiaria, to throw off any possible traces. This gave us a chance to avoid the "lions of Asir", the patrols sent by Gregor. Then, having skirted the Great Road - the trade route that crossed Orqualia from west to east - we could turn north.
This was a route that would allow us to hide from attention, but at the same time not to cross the border with Astiaria, whose lands were also full of dangers and excessive curiosity. The plan required precision, and each of us knew: that the risk of error could be costly.
We did not realize how right we decided to leave the village without unnecessary traces and as soon as possible. A few hours after our hasty escape, a detachment led by Gregor arrived in Strizhi. His men, the "lions of Asir", reinforced by the warriors of Radix, searched, leaving no house unattended. Witnesses indicated to Gregor that we were heading towards the White Mountains.
"We are coming from Astiaria," Gregor squinted, thinking over tactics. - "The Dark Forest and the Impassable Swamp easily shorten not only the road but also life. They say that people disappear in the forest, and even old paths have sunk into the swamp. Radix, take a squad and move towards the Hill of Ashes, like shadows hidden from view. I will go straight to the village. Be careful, so that Arian does not guess we are already on his tail."
Meanwhile, our group moved through the deserted area, parallel to the road leading to Astiaria. Pete said that once the city was far behind us, we could visit the settlements where the inhabitants lived, immersed in their problems, and did not care about the travelers passing by. These peasants did not know and could not know about the city's events - not about the tournament, our arrest, or the escape. For them, our detachment was no different from others, and in these villages, we could calmly replenish supplies, without fear of another arrest.
Pete seemed to calm us down, letting us know that in this vast country, far from power, there lived people who were alien to the city rumors and, perhaps, did not even know who ruled there.
Despite the seeming safety, we continued to move along roundabout routes, hiding when we heard people's voices.
I knew that beyond Orkvalia we would not be pursued, but the unknown, wild terrain could present us with its surprises.
"The Lions of Asir" feel confident only in their own country, and I was sure that in Astiaria my friends and I would not be criminals. Our tracks disappear here, far from the city, and everything we experienced in Forbant will remain only in our memory."
The lammuli, loaded with provisions and equipment, walked like clockwork, without stopping for a minute, managing to grab one or two tall blades of grass or low-hanging branches with their lips as they went. Having tied one animal to another, we formed one unbroken chain.
The flagship "pacer" was treading a path in the virgin grass, and the others were following behind.
On the flagship rode Pete. Behind him, the second rode Nikos - a man with supervision, nicknamed Telescope. He could easily distinguish the smallest details at great distances. His "pacer" tried to bite Lammula Pete, but the "horse", waving its tail with a tassel, drove away the impudent fellow.
Nikos, putting his palm to his forehead, looked warily into the distance, carefully observing the peasants plowing the field, the hunters tracking game, and the girls and women gathering mushrooms and berries. He did not notice the thorny branches stuck to his clothes, the beads of sweat on his forehead, or how his friends were following him.
Third, after Nikos, rode I. Having trusted my animal and allowed it to move along the chain, I, lulled by the uniform movement, dozed off. The knowledge that somewhere behind the trees, out of sight, the dragon Vlastimir was guarding our small group gave me confidence. With such a guardian, one can do more than just doze.
However, I was not the only one dozing. Michel and Theodore, riding behind Ena, were also nodding off, and the latter was even snoring a little, swaying and sometimes shuddering.
Following my "horse" were the lammulas of Ena and Aglona. The boy and the girl were talking about something. I did not dare eavesdrop, but I realized that their conversation included Aglona's questions and Ena's answers. The girl did not like the conversation, but she could not make the teenager shut up.
Alex moved after Michel and Theodore. He, like Pete, was in constant tension. He was nervous, watching the cries of frightened birds, fleeing animals, and swaying bushes. Sometimes he turned his gaze to Basil, who was walking behind him, and asked:
"Ambush?"
Basil, our blond Woodcutter, did not answer. He was saddened by the fact that the two friends with whom he was paired had abandoned the long journey as soon as we crossed the border of the last, village field.
No matter how hard Basil tried, no matter what gifts he promised, the girls remained adamant. Left without affectionate friends and anticipating a difficult, dangerous road, amorous Basil was as sad as he could. He sighed, and often turned around, puzzling Bruno, who was walking behind him.
Our new guide volunteered to ride in the rearguard, guarding our rear. Perhaps he needed time to get used to his new role.
Sometimes, stopping his lammul and sitting up straight in the saddle, he pretended to look around.
But even without supervision, I saw that his attention was only drawn to Ena. Bruno liked the girl from the very first day when our small detachment went out onto the High Road and met Abdomen's caravan. Ena would have completely captured Bruno's heart if there had not been a competitor in the caravan - Abdomen's daughter, Telina.
In our detachment, Ena was the only representative of the fair sex, and Bruno had every chance to win, to win her heart.
I repeatedly noticed how she and our new guide exchanged glances, sometimes shyly turning away their faces, hiding their smiles. It seemed that something was emerging between them, although it was still difficult to say what would come of it.
After all, Bruno now had competitors, and not only in the form of me - after all, Ena could become attached to someone else who would be nearby in a moment of doubt. Each of the squires could perform a feat, show their bravery, or simply show care to Ena, which would confirm their readiness to give themselves to her completely. There was no need to look for an ideal - a simple, sincere act was enough to prove that this person was ready to go through life with her, despite all the obstacles. Although competitors loomed on the horizon, this did not cancel the possibility that one of them was capable of taking a step that would be decisive for Ena. The romance was about loving without expecting a reward.
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I longed to communicate with Oceania, to ask her questions that had long tormented me.
In the end, as in the six previous journeys, in this, the seventh journey, I hoped for her advice and support. But the longer I sank into a state of slumber, the more I felt the emptiness growing in my consciousness.
Somewhere in the depths of my mind, I knew: something was wrong. She did not respond to my thoughts, although I did not stop mentally calling to her, as always. Oceania was my mentor, the source of magical powers and knowledge, she always supported me and helped me see the way when I was lost.
But now... silence.
Maybe I stopped being interesting to her?
After all, with each journey, I spent my fantasy as if it was endless. I remembered how in the first, second, and third journeys I created lammuls, fantastic animals. And now, with my friends-squires, I could create only a few meadow fairies.
Oceania was silent. And with each moment this silence became stronger.
I felt not just anxiety growing inside me, but resentment, jealousy, and fear - all of this, like a storm, swooped down on me.
It was like a girl I loved dearly had abandoned me.
Indifference... the most terrible of all vices. It kills everything: hope, faith, aspiration. We all, at some point, become indifferent, even to those we truly love.
Each time, Oceania gave me answers, pointing me in the right direction. Thanks to her hints, I knew what to do, I knew how to solve the problem. Why was she silent now? Had I become just a background for her, an everyday occurrence, something familiar, like any inhabitant of Orkvalia?
Oceania, which had always been a light for me, was now left in the shadows. If she no longer wanted to support me, what should I do without her?
These thoughts haunted me, and I, absorbed by them, stopped dozing. Sleep flew away like smoke. When I woke up, I couldn't continue my journey without hearing her voice.
I looked around at the travelers. They were going their own way, each absorbed in his thoughts, and I felt that I was alone, inside and out.
The detachment of ten horsemen moved slowly, but the lammulas confidently took their toll, covering twice the distance compared to the oxen. The nature of these animals allowed us to keep a good pace without tiring them out too much.
But, tired from sitting in the saddle for a long time, we stopped our lammulas from time to time, allowing them to catch their breath and have time to discuss something among ourselves.
During one of these stops, Michel rode up to Bruno and, throwing up the reins, lazily asked:
"Listen, Bruno, how long do you think the whole journey will take? How long will it take us to get to the White Mountains?"
Instead of Bruno, Pete answered, grinning and waving his hand at the horizons:
"The idea is, of course, a good one, but what can you say? I can't measure the distance. I only know that the White Mountains are still a long way off. We'll have to shake a lot. For now, we're still moving west, towards Astiaria. It's not a straight road."
Michel nodded thoughtfully and, puzzled by this answer, tried to mentally estimate the speed of the lammul and the distance it could cover. He raised his hand to his forehead, protecting his eyes from the sun, and looked up, as if it could give him an exact answer.
"Well, if only we had a watch... Our smartphones have long since died," he added regretfully, "the only thing left to navigate is the sun."
The others looked at each other, grinning, realizing that Michel had found something to do - to build theories and hypotheses as if the accuracy of the calculations depended on at least something in this difficult journey.
Michel was engrossed in his calculations and measurements. He kept to himself, making marks on rocks or branches, counting the miles he had traveled, and meticulously recording the results in a notebook. Finally, adding up his calculations, he came to the conclusion that the journey to the White Mountains and back would take at least nine months. With these thoughts in mind, he spoke to me, seizing the moment when we were alone.
"It will be a long journey," he sighed, knowing that his calculations were correct.
I chuckled:
"How will your company cope without a director? And what will your wife and daughter say?"
Michel frowned, his gaze growing heavy:
"I have thought about it. My wife and daughter might forgive me if I return with gold in my pockets. This will allow us to restore the enterprise," he muttered, although doubt and anxiety were visible in his eyes.
I remained silent, realizing that Michel did not know about the secret of the "time loop". Looking at him, I felt like I was being torn apart inside. I sincerely felt sorry for my friend and squire, but should I tell him this now? How would he react, would he believe it?
What if it brought him even more worry?
To distract myself from my sad thoughts, I asked:
"Are you sure?"
"For a week or two. If the road is smooth."
"Who can guarantee that we won't encounter difficulties?"
I nodded to Michel and spoke slowly, with excitement:
"We can refuse and go back. It's not too late. We have the key, and we'll open the Portal whenever we want, but we won't end up in the same place where we started in Orkvalia. Will you tell the rest of the fellow travelers your calculations?"
I continued, expecting Michel to want to share his conclusions with the others.
"We can't refuse," he replied. "Everyone is full of expectations. The day when we get the gold and go back will be the best. It's not worth talking about the length of the journey yet."
To be honest, this proposal surprised me:
"What if my friends get offended? Or want to throw us out for such a secret?"
"I'll take responsibility," Michel reassured me. "It's better for me to find out what the others think about the long journey."
In five minutes of conversation, Michel surprised me twice. Not everyone can go into the frightening unknown, not knowing whether they will return. Staying in Orkvalia drove my friend crazy and deprived him of some of his sanity.
Frankly, I never thought that such a decisive act was within his power. And yet he was ready, not thinking for a second about the way back.
Putting these thoughts aside, I involuntarily recalled Nix's recent revelation about Pete and Elaine.
I would easily give my share of the gold to find out what their conversation was about.
Over the years, Elaine always kept her distance from people, as if they were something dangerous, and suspicious to her. She, who never trusted people, suddenly found something worthy of conversation in Pete.
But what could it be? Why is he silent? Pete, with whom I fought side by side, suddenly became a secret accomplice of our old enemy. What happened in those moments when I was not around?
These thoughts burned in my head, and the more I thought about them, the stronger the feeling grew that each of us was hiding our truth.
As far as I knew, the witch Elaine was a powerful woman, skilled in the use of black magic, and her only goal was: to seize power, be it within Orkvalia or on a larger scale.
However, at the moment she could not achieve what she wanted. She strove for dominance, for absolute power. And for this, she eliminated all obstacles, those who could compete with her.
This is what mag Nyx told me.
The mages were her first victims. Anyone who could threaten Elaine's ambitions became the target of her wrath. Few mages dared to engage in open combat with her - her power was terrible. Secretive and sophisticated, she knew how to disappear and act from the shadows, becoming an unpredictable enemy for everyone.
Nyx, as I learned, preferred to avoid confrontation with Elaine. Although he was a mage, he sought to maintain peace in Orkvalia, preferring to stand aside from her plans of conquest.
However, the strange feeling in his words made me think that he did not fully understand what Elaine could truly want from this land.
Perhaps Orkvalia was just one step on the way to a much more ambitious goal.
Prince Asir, the ruler of Orqualia, was not in vain afraid of conspiracies. He created a powerful army around himself, consisting not only of warriors but also of people whom no one knew exactly who they were. During the interrogation that took place in the palace, I noticed several people who, in all their appearance, reminded me of mages. They were supposed to repel the attack of the Dark Forces, as the prince had foreseen.
But I knew that no one could predict a blow from the insidious witch.
Elaine was famous for her cunning and deceit. She could hide anywhere, adapt to any circumstances, and strike at the most unexpected moment. No one knew where she hid her nest, how many people she subjugated, and who her allies were.
Perhaps this woman's revenge was exactly what Nix was talking about.
What if she met my guide Pete and he told her about our plans to catch her? Then I really should be afraid of her revenge.
But why did she choose my friend as an ally? Why did Pete, with whom I had been through so much, take her side?
This question tormented me.
I never thought that Pete would betray me. We had walked together more than a few hundred miles, fought dozens of enemies, saving each other from certain death. Neither Pete nor I had any weaknesses.
This is something I knew for sure.
But in fact, my friend had one vulnerable spot. And her name was Ena, his daughter!
I didn't know how the sorceress knew where to strike to bring a man like Pete to his knees.
He was taller than me, slimmer, and more sinewy. He could bend and unbend a horseshoe, which I, without any special abilities, would never have been able to do. In combat, Pete wielded a sword as well as any fighter I knew. If he had competed with me in Forbant, Gregor would have lost in the first minute of the fight.
Pete could not be bought. He was not afraid for himself or me.
But Elaine, threatening to take the girl's life, forced him to cooperate with her.
Pete promised the sorceress to bring me to her lair so that she could learn from me the secret properties of the Righteous.
Or, on a long journey together, Pete was supposed to find out how the sword acquires its unusual properties.
Such a difficult task for a simple and inexperienced warrior. Unfortunately, I did not know this and did not even guess about the insidious plan to take away the sword that could destroy the dragon.
Only the Righteous One could pierce the thick skin of the dragon and cut it into many small pieces. Only my sword was feared by Vlastimir, knowing about its piercing power.
It was the dragon that was the insurmountable enemy of the witch Elaine. Only the dragon hindered her ascension...