The echoes of men shifted towards the large galley, catching Karn's attention. As they parted, he spotted a middle-aged woman staring at him, her face covered in the remnants of grief, yet her expression was inscrutable. Her unwavering eyes didn’t blink as she observed him. A wave of unease washed over Karn, impressed by the way she carried herself amidst the chaos, holding two children among the folds of her skirts, yet still displaying unwavering determination.
Karn strode confidently towards the woman, his friends sidling behind him. Beside her stood a tall man clad in armour with a brown sash over one shoulder, presumably the General based on the echoes of chatter among the bustling crowd. Karn was about to speak, but the woman beat him to it.
"Are you him?" she asked, her eyes scanning all three of them, trying to figure out who these outlandish individuals were.
Karn tilted his head, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "What do you mean, 'him'?"
She pointed towards the myriad of people in the crowd, desperately trying to board the ships. "Word has spread fast that a man carrying a red book," she paused, her gaze shifting to the Book of the Known, "was the one to end the King's reign."
Karn nodded cautiously, regarding the woman. Her words confirmed that their actions had not gone unnoticed.
She sighed and nodded, then turned to her husband, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well, I would like to hear how that indeed was possible, but for now," she glanced towards the ship, "let's make our own way."
"Yeah," Karn agreed, understanding her intention.
Maze, who had silently observed the scene, positioned himself at the forefront of the conversation. His words flowed smoothly, lined with a gilded tongue. "Lady Amber, my friend."
She turned to him, her expression softening. "You've done well, Romazen." Her eyes shifted to his forehead, noticing the remnants of dried blood that had been carelessly wiped away. "Have you seen a healer?"
Maze brushed off her concern, shifting his focus to Karn and his companions. "I'm fine. So, these three are coming to Brancourt."
Lady Amber nodded. "I presumed as much," she said, her eyes shifting towards the limited number of ships.
"So, I gather they will need a place to stay within the city?"
Lady Amber's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. "What's your play old man?"
Maze grinned, his confidence radiating. "The city is probably in complete chaos right now."
Lady Amber glanced at her husband, recognition flashing in their eyes. They both turned towards Karn with hidden expectations.
"Do you know how long," Lady Amber began, her excitement barely contained before she paused to collect herself, "we have been fighting? Rising through the ranks of politics and nobility for decades. The Amber sector, has always been dedicated to ending this white-eyed farce."
Karn bobbed his head, recalling their previous conversation. "The slavery tonic?"
She nodded, and her husband continued, his tone tinged with amusement. "We, along with a few other families, have been striving for the release of slaves or banning of the drug. In one afternoon, you have accomplished more than what our family has done for generations."
Suddenly, the buildings closest to them rumbled, stealing their attention.
Maze intervened gently, pushing Lady Amber and the General towards the ships. "Hush now. We need to follow the rest of these people on board."
"You three, come with us," Lady Amber urged, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Karn glanced at his friends, and they exchanged grins filled with excitement. "Ready for a trip?" he asked.
Ellie grinned, radiating enthusiasm.
"The smaller ship?" the General asked his wife as another group seemed to commandeer it.
With a pained sigh, Lady Amber looked at the vessel, realizing that the entire crew was no longer breathing. "Let them take it," she said, sorrow in her heart. "Let the vessel not go to waste in this cursed place."
Just as they moved towards the large galley, Hope and Ralina weaved through the crowd and positioned themselves behind Karn.
Lady Amber’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Two more?”
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Karn shrugged.
"Karn?" Ellie spoke, uncertainty in her voice. "Are you not going too... ah, never mind."
Karn turned to the two girls, offering them a kind smile. "You two don't have to come, you know," he said, trying to lighten the mood with a playful tone.
The two women glanced at each other, then back at him with incredulous looks. Karn sighed, a little flustered that his joke didn't quite land.
"Not going back? What about Farlen and Lyra?" Karn asked, concerned for their safety.
Ralina met his gaze, determination in her eyes. "We will come."
Hope nodded, her gaze shifting to the Book of the Known. “It's not finished yet."
Karn studied the determination on both of their faces and let out a defeated sigh. "True enough." They still needed to find a way forward, and the book was far from a simple problem. Karn's original task had been to destroy the thing, but now, with everything he had learned and experienced, he couldn't shake off the suspicion that there was something far more challenging lying ahead. As he reflected on the events that led them here, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that there was a deeper purpose to his journey.
The Book of the Known, with its vast knowledge and hidden secrets, held the key to unravelling the mysteries that plagued the land. Karn had witnessed firsthand the power it possessed, but he also knew that it came with great responsibility. The book was not a simple tool of destruction; it held the potential to shape the very fabric of existence.
Alec, the tiny stone silhouette on Charles' shoulder, laughed and whispered into Charles' ear, causing him also to burst out laughing.
"What?" Karn asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Nothing," Charles chuckled, his attempt to hide the truth failing while glancing at the two girls who were following Karn. "We weren't talking about you." His tone was clearly unconvincing.
Ellie, who had picked up on the joke, shot a mischievous glance towards the two female shadows behind Karn, then grinned. She gave a knowing look to the two girls and winked, then walked beside Karn and playfully smacked him on the behind.
Hope and Ralina's eyes widened, their expressions turning to narrowed slits as Charles and Alec's laughter exploded.
"Hey!" Karn protested, a mix of surprise and amusement in his voice.
"What?" Ellie said innocently, striding purposefully towards the ship.
Karn sighed and rolled his eyes, realizing he had fallen victim to Ellie's notorious teasing.
Trust Ellie to lay it on thick.
Karn knew just how much Ellie loved to test Karn about hi love life, just like a sister.
A little way behind them, Ellie's watery mirror image skipped to keep pace, mimicking the real Ellie's actions by playfully slapping Karn's behind once again.
"What? Again?" Karn exclaimed, unable to contain his laughter.
Charles, Alec, and even Maze burst out laughing, finding the innocent actions of the Elementlet absurd.
As they all slowly embarked on the towering galley, they found comfortable spots on the deck and settled in, their eyes focused on the view of the town being reclaimed by vigorous plant life. Both ships began to drift away from the town, leaving behind a chapter of their lives and setting sail across the gleaming ocean currents.
⚔
Karn stood leaning on the guardrail of the galley as it drifted out of the harbour. He concentrated as he surveyed the town as it faded into the distance. Now even trees had sprouted everywhere. Buildings shifted uneasily; their foundations been torn apart by the constant spreading of roots below.
As he watched the attacking regrowth in the distance, he hoped that every living soul had made it out of there safely because the magical plants looked unstoppable.
His eyes squinted in the distance, spotting the dark shapes of the Kraven birds circling the city from above, keeping an eye on the progress of the magical forest. They had found the reclamation of their lands more than a welcome gift but were still uncertain concerning the potential malevolence of the trees, unsure if they were just restless or dangerous.
So, like the rest of them, they kept their distance, choosing only to watch from afar.
Karn sighed. The sight was incredible, but he turned away. He pushed aside the troubling thoughts that surfaced about the place, not wanting to dwell on its recent history that evoked dark thoughts within him.
Let the past stay behind me, he thought, then looked forward.
In the distance further ahead sped the smaller vessel. The craft was sailing far ahead for an unknown destination far beyond them. Aboard stood the strange trio of warriors who had quickly become good friends with the hot headed Roven. He had joined them on their voyage, deciding that the corruption of the monarchy and the nobility that fuel his madness within this land was enough of a reason to leave.
Karn was surprised to find that he had changed his mind about the guy. He wasn’t just a jerk. After travelling with him, Karn became used to his grading personality, realising that his prickly nature was because of his past trauma. This Karn supposed was why after five hundred years of living in this place, under a cloud of corruption cast by the city he was more than a little happy to leave with the pit fighters.
“You okay?” asked Charles, interrupting his thoughts.
Karn nodded as he watched the speedy vessel cut through the waves ahead, slowly shrinking in the distance. “Yeah, I’m all good.”
Karn shifted his footing and held the railing as the galley slowly slanted sideways, steadily veering east. Charles grinned at Ellie as they both mirrored Karn’s movement, their eyes fixated on their friend. Karn smiled and took in a deep breath of the warm ocean breeze as the vessel bobbed with the waves.
“It’s been a bumpy ride,” Karn said.
“No kidding,” Ellie said studying his face, trying not to expose the look of concern that sometime appeared when she thought Karn wasn’t looking.
“Well, anyway, it’s great to be finally safe and together. And we are going sightseeing,” Charles said with a grin.
Ellie let out an amused breath. “I don’t think we are going for a leisurely holiday Hun.”
Charles shrugged. “Hey, you know how much I love castles. History is my thing.”
“Yeah, we know,” Karn said with a chuckle. Truth be told Karn was also excited at seeing the city, wondering if the real-life castle city of Brancourt was anything like the one he had seen in the book.
“Do you think they will like Scarf and Alec?” she asked nodding towards the lower deck.
Below them, Scarf sat beside a tiny stone elementlet. They seemed to be in the middle of a child's game with Lady Amber’s two children. The children squealed as they played, running around as Scarf shot out jets of water in all directions only for the jets to dissipate in the air, turning into fine mists that instantly evaporated.
Karn nodded. “I’m sure they will.”