Only darkness enveloped Livia. Her eyes saw nothing but the dark. Her nose smelled nothing but her own scent. Her skin only felt her clothes against her body. Her ears perceived only her calm breath. But the old gunslinger was not afraid. This was her last ride, not her first. Soon, the desert of sensations began to fill with feelings she knew well: the smell of spent gunpowder, the calm cracking of a campfire, sights of mountains tall enough to reach the clouds, her damp hair on her scalp during fierce rains…

Then, her awareness focused into a single point, right in front of her. From this very point, darkness began to recede, giving way to light. Little by little, the ethereal glow spread towards Livia. One tendril after the other, the light began to engulf the elderly woman, although it seemed to express a feeling of desagrement, as if she was not the right person. No matter, it let Livia through.

All of a sudden, the light disappeared, letting its passenger stumble upon arrival. And what an arrival it was. She laid down in the middle of a wide circle covered in sand, much like an arena. Instead of a coliseum however, a high dome of stone encased the circle, lit by a single brasero suspended in the air. Livia sat up, catching her breath. The dimensional journey always remained taxing. She recovered her two walking sticks from her backpack, planted them in the ground and sprang to her feet. A single opening faced her, leading to a long and narrow corridor which seemed dug out of the rock.

“Well, time to go!” Livia exclaimed, her words echoing through the whole structure. She began to hike towards the tunnel then in it. With each step however, it appeared more evidently that no light had been placed, leaving her in the dark slowly but surely. She rummaged through her backpack, pulled out her flashlight and continued her stride, unbothered.

Soon, her feet brought her to the end of the tunnel, where the light of the sun could be seen. As she stepped outside, the embrace of the forest filled her with sensations. The green of the oak trees stretched as far as the eye could see, backed by an eerie sensation of calm, far from everything. Livia found herself in a little forest clearing. She was not alone, however, as a young man in white turned his head towards her with a look of unmitigated surprise.

“So you are really here! You, the companion of Light!” He exclaimed, unable to hide both his fervour and his excitement.

“Oh, hello there. Do you happen to know which direction is the capital of the Arlos kingdom?”

“Pardon my manners, Milady! I failed to introduce my purpose here. I was tasked with guiding you, should I encounter your presence. Is that agreeable, Milady?” The young man asked, his eyes bubbling.

“Why not? I have no objection to your company. Now, if you could lead me to the closest town with a stable, that would be perfect. I would like to reach the King as soon as possible.”

“I understand your concern, Milady. A horse should be ready when we arrive. I shall guide you to the King.”

“Perfect. Then let’s be on our way.”

“Already, Milady? Should we not wait for the Herald of Light?”

“He… He could not make the trip. I am sorry. I alone can assist your people.”

“I understand… Even the greatest heroes face the burden of time. You two are only humans.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Dismissed Livia. “Now, if only I could get to that horse…”

“Right away, Milady!”

Thus, they departed the clearing and went deep into the forest, following a dirt path. As they walked, the young man enthusiasm -she learned his name was Sharis- turned him more inquisitive.

“Milady, may I ask you a question?”

“You may.”

“Well, I learned everything about your adventures, but I was wondering… How did it feel?”

“You mean, to save the Kingdom? Good. Although it began to become somewhat repetitive towards the end.”

“I see…Were you not afraid of dangers? I’ve read you two once slayed a powerful troll terrorising a village, and yet, eyewitnesses all reported your calm in the face of such a beast.”

“It may appear heroic to you, but if you had the ‘powers’ we had, well… You would not be afraid in the slightest. For us, it was almost a chore, albeit a high-stakes one.”

“A chore?!”

“It may appear egocentric, but-”

Livia did not finish her sentence, for a bear was barrelling towards them in a mighty cry, to their right. Sharis immediately dove into cover, fearful for his life. The old gunslinger, on the other hand, did not bat an eye. She merely drew her revolver with practised ease, and took aim.

A powerful detonation made itself heard throughout the whole forest.

Livia had shot the bear in the head, and the beast, no more in control, pitifully rolled on the grass under its own momentum. Calm regained its hold onto the forest, albeit a little quieter this time. Sharis began to stand up, seeing that he was still alive and not reduced to a bloody pulp. Shock prevented him from uttering a single word, leaving an opening to Livia.

“See? I told you. After a while, it doesn’t affect you anymore. For you, this bear represented the most terrorising event of your life. For me, it’s just another line to my kills list.”

“You… You have a kills list?” The young man asked, shaken. Dirt and grass now covered his white garment.

“Of course not. With age, I lost count…”

Sharis did not know what to respond. Therefore, he elected to simply move on, seeing as he was so well protected. As for Livia, she put her revolver back in its holster and followed him, as he alone knew the way to the village. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, as one did not know what to say and the other simply wandered about the task to come. For what purpose could the king have summoned her? She could only speculate. Fortunately, they approached the end of the forest, as they began to see a lonely hamlet surrounded by fields of wheat and alfalfa.

“I suppose my horse is over there?” asked Livia.

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“Yes, it is, Milady. I do not know its exact characteristics, but I am sure you will have a good one. I know the owner personally.”

“Would have been a real shame to have a Rossinante as the mount of your supposed saviour, don’t you think?”

“Rossi-who?”

“Nevermind. Let’s just get out of here.”

Soon, they reached the hamlet. Of course, Livia’s modern clothes clashed with their more traditional garments. Deep inside, they all knew who she was. Yet, they only whispered even at a good distance, in awe. After traversing the hamlet from one outskirt to another, they stumbled upon the stable her horse was in.

“Tell me, how far are we from the capital?”

“Not too far, Milady. Only two days on horseback.”

“Do you know why I am summoned by the way? I forgot to ask you.”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Sorry for this oversight, Milady. I’d say it must be the goblins.”

“The goblins?”

Sharis could not finish, for a burly man erupted from the stable, holding by its reins a beautiful white stallion.

“Milady!” He exclaimed, as he bowed disgracefully. “This is your horse. The very best from my humble establishment!”

“Thank you, good sir. I shall make good use of him.Tell me, do you happen to have a mount for Sharis?”

“Well, erm… Surely, yes! However, I must warn you! I don’t have any horses as good as this one.”

“We’ll change horses at the next stop we make, then.”

“Yes! Of course, of course.” The groom approved with reluctance, returning to his stable. Thus, the two acolytes of circumstance were left alone

“He seems rather unenthusiastic. I thought you knew this man.” Wandered Livia.

“I failed to mention his greed exceeds his devotion to the cause, Milady.”

“I see. This shouldn’t become a problem, should it?”

“Not in the slightest! I’ll have a new horse when we reach a bigger and more pious town, Milady. Besides, it is very possible the royal guards will take over once we reach a more populated settlement. The King has sent very precise orders so you could reach the capital as fast as possible.”

“I see. How convenient.”

The groom exited the stable once more, this time accompanied by a much frailer mount. Livia suspected him of giving one of his worse assets by avarice, although in the end, it mattered little. Time was of the essence, and she knew better than to bicker for such a trifle.

“Here is Sharis’ mount, Milady!” He exclaimed with yet another disgraceful bow.

“Very well, sir. We’ll take it. Thank you for your service.”

“It is my pleasure, Milady!”

Before the man could engage in yet another theatrics, Livia mounted her own stallion, quickly followed by Sharis. The young man addressed the groom.

“The crown shall remember your good deeds, sir! May the Light guide your path!”

And with that, they both exited the hamlet, leaving no occasion for the burly man to respond. The white stallion accelerated with ease, followed with difficulty by Sharis’ mount. Noticing the strain on the poor animal, Livia somewhat decelerated, so her companion could lead the way. They had departed in the late morning -it seemed both dimensions had a significant time difference-, thus arriving in the afternoon in a mid-sized city called Nokida.

“I suppose we can rest here for a bit?” Asked Livia, tired.

“Are you unwell, Milady?”

“I’m just suffering from a weird case of dimensional-lag. I just need some sleep.”

“Dimensional what?”

“Nevermind, just get me to an inn.” She grumbled.

“Already, Milady? I do not mean to be intrusive, but should we not get to the capital as soon as possible?”

“We’ll go to bed early, and we’ll leave before dawn. Happy?” Retorted the old gunslinger with a glare.

Sharis swallowed his saliva, uncertain of what to say. The perspective of rising so early daunted him, although failing his duty did so even more. In the end, he simply nodded to his companion, then headed for the closest establishment he could remember.

After putting their horses in the inn’s stable, they ordered two rooms for the night. Fortunately, the innkeeper had no difficulty believing their tale, as Livia’s clothes and manners turned her into a local attraction, garnering some much needed credibility.

Thus, they drank a simple soup for dinner, alongside a thick, tasty slice of bread. The meal proved nourishing, if not light, and they soon fell into a deep slumber. Livia awakened just as she promised, and dutifully woke up her acolyte. After gathering their gear, they reached the stable.

“Did you get a new horse, or will you ride once more on that nag of yours?”

“Ahem, Milady, I have found a new mount, thank you for your concern. However, I must ask, when shall we eat?”

“Eat?”

“Why, yes, Milady, even if dawn has not broken yet, it would be most unwise to ride on an empty stomach!”

“Well, I guess Arlos needs unwise heroes, then.”

“Milady, surely, you’re jesting? How could we not eat before riding?”

“Don’t fret. I’m sure we’ll be able to sustain ourselves along the way. Besides, we need to make haste.”

“Very well, Milady…” Answered Sharis, disheartened.

As the first sun rays timidly began to lit the sky, the two acolytes made their exit out of Nokida, following a paved road. Such a level of refinery greatly enhanced Livia’s mood, happy to leave behind her dusty tracks and hollow hamlets. After an hour and a half of riding, they stopped at a small village which was waking up, in order to fill their stomachs and rest their legs for a few moments. Then, their breakfast engulfed, they once again resumed their ride towards the capital: Xalokim. They persevered until night came, as they reached another town, with another inn, and another stable.

“We covered some impressive ground today, Milady, don’t you think?”

“Yes, my back can attest to that… Say, we should arrive in half a day, right?”

“We should indeed, Milady. I’ll send a message to the King before going to bed, so we can enjoy a proper welcome.”

“Yeah, sure, this will speed things up… By the way, thank you for your help, Sharis. You really made the whole process faster and smoother.”

“Why, it is a pleasure, Milady! It’s not every day I get the chance to see History being made.”

“About that… How come you were alone, even if you waited for me?”

“It’s very simple, Milady! We didn’t know where to look! Thus, our forces were dispersed over the four corners of our kingdom in order to recover you! And I just happen to have obtained the short straw. Or is it the long straw? I don’t remember the expression with certainty. See, when you’re really lucky-”

“I understand.” Livia said, cutting his rambling. “Thank you once again for your help. I’ll go to bed.”

“Certainly, Milady! Have a good rest!” Replied Sharis with enthusiasm as the old gunslinger already headed for her room, trusting the young man -quite foolishly- to arrange a small and efficient welcoming committee without any extravagance or unneeded celebration.

Thus, they woke up after dawn, for there was no need to hurry this time, taking a copious breakfast, including boiled eggs, toasts with honey and tea. After such a filling meal, they left the inn and rode once again towards the capital, towards the east. Livia noticed that the road became more crowded as they neared their objective. Hopefully, this only was the result of busy trade routes and not some unforeseen event.

Much to Livia’s dismay, she realised a very foreseeable event had occurred as they reached Xalokim outskirts: the King had not organised an extravagant welcoming committee, not in the slightest. She sighed. At least, she was used to this.