Tim knew something was amiss before he opened his eyes. It was bright. Uncomfortably so. His sore body screamed in protest as he leapt to his feet. The sun was high in the sky. They had overslept! He looked down and saw Eric still snoring fitfully next to him and gave his friend a swift kick in the ribs.

“What is it?” Eric asked groggily. “Breakfast?”

“No, you idiot,” Tim exclaimed as he rushed out from behind the boulder they were hiding behind. “We’ve overslept!”

“Maybe Old Horatio is just letting us sleep in,” Eric muttered. “Erwyn’s horn could wake the dead.”

“They’ve gone!” Tim wailed. The thunder of waves crashing around them must have drowned out the horn. “We’ll be lucky to escape with a flogging!”

Eric was on his feet and the colour drained from his face as he stood next to Tim. He looked up at the sky and groaned. “It’s almost noon! How could this have happened?”

He turned to Tim and grabbed his diminutive friend by the collar. “Hey, why don’t we make a run for it?”

Tim blinked. “Where could we go? Old Horatio lives in Potter’s Hollow, remember?”

“We could live a quiet life on a farm somewhere else,” Eric shrugged. “Esterfel looked nice.”

“Let’s chase after them,” Tim sighed. “If we catch up before nightfall, perhaps we’ll get away with just a telling off.”

“Do you even know where went?” Eric shot back.

“They went to Estos,” Tim replied confidently.

“And do you know the way to Estos?” Eric demanded.

Tim’s shoulders slumped. “No, I don’t.”

“What are you two doing there?” an armed man on horseback demanded.

The boys jumped. Neither of them had noticed his approach. Some soldiers they were, Tim thought to himself. He looked at the man who was looking at them with a crooked grin on his face. He was probably a soldier from the fort.

“You idiots overslept, didn’t you?” the man laughed. “Well, you’re in for it. The army left hours ago.”

“Could you lend us some horses?” Eric asked hopefully.

The man laughed even louder. “You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought. I tell you what, I’ll give you two a choice.”

“A choice?” Tim asked blankly.

“You can surrender yourselves to the Lord Commander of the fort and let him decide what to do with you,” the man began. “Or, I’ll let you try and catch up with the army and you can take your chances there.”

“We’ll take the second option,” Tim said quickly.

“Smart lad,” the man laughed. “Lord Harold would probably have hanged you for desertion and have your bodies hanging from gibbets over the wall until there were only bones left.”

The man nudged his horse away. “Go on, get going, I’ll tell the guards down at the gate to look the other way.”

“You’re being awfully nice,” Eric blurted.

The man shrugged. “We’re at war, and if you turn yourselves in, the whole garrison is going to get a boring old lecture from the Lord Commander.”

“Oh we will,” Eric promised as he ran off to pack his things. “Keep your ears open for the exploits of Eric Cooper and Timothy Weaver.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” the man smirked. “I will wait at the gates for fifteen minutes. If you’re not there by then, I’ll hunt you down and have you dragged before Lord Harold myself.”

“Look,” Eric gasped, “That must be the Divine Path.”

Tim stopped in his tracks as he spotted the impossibly straight black line that bisected the rolling grasslands that were spread out before them. The black stone road stretched out in both directions as far as the eye could see and was almost a hundred feet wide. It had been half a day since they had crossed the Narrows and the sun was beginning to set. The guards at the gate had given them directions on how to find the Divine Path and told them that if they followed it east, it would lead them all the way to the gates of Estos.

“It’s hard to believe such a thing exists,” Tim breathed. The Divine Path was well described in the Order’s scriptures, but it was one thing to read about it, and quite another to see it with his own eyes. “Do you think it really goes all the way to Velos?’

“That’s what the books say,” Eric replied absently, equally in awe at the sight before him.

“Come on,” Tim urged. “If we walk through the night, we should catch up to them before dawn.”

When they reached the road, they saw that the Divine Path was made from the same stone as the Black Tower of Loton and in pristine condition. There wasn’t so much as a crack in the road, and each stone slab fit in seamlessly with the next.

“It’s too perfect,” Tim murmured.

“Why do you think it’s called the Divine Path?” Eric smirked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The sun was low in the sky by the time the boys reached the Divine Path, and both stood on the road’s edge, not sure if they were allowed to tread the path of the Gods. The scriptures said that the Divine Path had been built by the Three and was the path they took after the final battle over the Great Evil back to the Holy City of Velos. After the final battle, the Divine Three led their victorious armies down the Divine Path back to Velos. Once there, with their mission on the mortal realm complete, the Divine Three then ascended back to the plane of the Gods to watch over humanity.

“I suppose it leads to Darkfall Bay in the west,” Eric whispered.

“We can go take the pilgrimage on the return trip,” Tim replied. Now that proof of the Divine Path being real was before him, he was keen to see the other holy sites with his own eyes. He knew in his heart that once he returned to Potter’s Hollow, he was unlikely to get the chance to see the world again.

“Should we… can we step on it?” Eric ventured. “Or do we walk alongside it?”

“I’m sure walking down it is fine,” Tim replied. “Father Dennis said people use the Divine Path all the time.”

Tim sighed when his friend wavered. “Besides, we’re trying to catch up, remember?”

When Eric still didn’t move, Tim grabbed him firmly by the arm and dragged him onto the smooth black road.

“Come on,” Tim urged as he began walking down the path. “Time’s a wasting.”

“Give me a moment to take this all in,” Eric said, looking down at the road. “The Three themselves walked this very path.”

Tim rolled his eyes and set off down the path. It was meant to be well travelled and the main high road of the kingdoms it passed through, however, now, it was deserted. That was to be expected. There was a war on, after all. However, that they were the only souls as far as the eye could see only leant to the surreal feeling Tim had walking down the incredibly straight, black as night road.

“Hey, wait for me,” Eric gasped, and Tim hid a smile as he heard his friend’s hurried footsteps approach from behind.

Once the wonder of the road wore off, Tim turned his attention to their surroundings. Farms were visible in the distance, and the fields of ripe wheat that shimmered a dazzling hue of gold under the setting sun told Tim that they were planted with wheat that was ripe for harvesting. Farm buildings dotted the farmlands that rolled out before them, but their windows were dark in the fading light.

“That’s strange,” Tim remarked.

“Yes, this road is supposed to be ancient, but it’s in pristine condition,” Eric said absently. “There isn’t so much as a crack or chip in the stone.”

“No, it’s not the road,” Tim said, looking down and finding that Eric’s observations were indeed accurate. “Look at the farms, the fields are ready for harvest and there isn’t a soul to be seen.”

“Well, there’s a war on,” Eric pointed out. “This place could become a battleground at any moment.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Tim allowed. “But it’s just strange to see. All that effort to plant those fields wasted.”

“Then maybe they shouldn’t have attacked us,” Eric shrugged.

“I somehow doubt the farmers who planted those fields had any say in their decision to attack,” Tim remarked.

“Well maybe you can put an understanding arm over their shoulder when they’re trying to kill you in the upcoming battle,” Eric snorted.

The pair continued walking in silence and the light continued to dwindle. Eric looked around and frowned. “Should we carry on?”

“We should have no problems following this road in the dark if that’s what you’re concerned about,” Tim replied.

“What if they made camp off the Divine Path?” Eric fretted. “We could march right past them and not even notice.”

“They’d at least have fires we could see,” Tim pointed out. “But if you’re that worried, why don’t you keep your eyes and ears peeled? We could bump into them at any moment.”

“Say, do you think there are roving bands of Hulvan soldiers out here, looking to pick off stray Carthuns like us?” Eric ventured.

Tim was about to retort when he thought he heard a new sound through the chirping of night insects. He came to a stop and strained his ears.

“You didn’t think about that, did you?” Eric said smugly. “And you fancy yourself the brains of our little duo.”

“Quiet,” Tim said sharply as he turned his head to the left in the direction of the sound.

“Oh don’t worry, I won’t abandon you,” Eric grinned.

“Shut up,” Tim hissed. “Something’s coming.”

“What is it?” Eric whispered, having heard the sound too.

“It sounds like horses,” Tim replied.

Eric looked up and strained his eyes against the darkness. “I can’t see anything. Do you think they’re friendly?”

Tim broke out in cold sweat. They could be Carthun scouts, and if they were, then they could lead them back to their army where they would have to face the music. However, if they were Hulvans patrolling for stray Carthuns…

“We should hide,” Tim said after a moment’s thought. “We’ll hide in the grass and see who they are when they get closer.”

“What if they turn back before we can identify them? Eric ventured.

Tim frowned. “Let’s worry about that if it happens.”

Having made their decision, they moved swiftly and silently into the long grass that grew along the Divine Path. As they crouched in the grass, Tim sensed a presence not far from them. His heart began to race, and he decided he should risk it.

“Who’s there?” he whispered into the darkness.

When he received no reply, Tim began crawling on his hands and knees through the grass towards the presence.

“What are you doing?” Eric whispered urgently.

“There’s someone else here,” Tim replied.

“It’s me, you idiots,” came a familiar gravelly voice from out of the darkness. “Now shut up or you’re going to get us all caught.”

The boys moved quickly towards the voice and found Huntsman lying flat on his belly in the grass.

“What are you doing here?” Eric gasped, wide-eyed.

“I should ask you the same thing,” Huntsman snapped. “But that can wait. Hulvan scouts are on my scent.”

Tim held his breath as he sensed the horsemen approach. There were three in all, and soon, they were almost on top of the three Carthuns lying in the grass.

“Show yourselves,” one of them ordered in Velosian. “We know you’re there, Carthun spy. Come quietly and we will spare your life.”

Tim glanced at Huntsman, who shook his head and gestured for them to stay hidden. The horsemen then began moving through the grass and stabbed at the ground every so often with their spears.

“You won’t escape,” one of them warned. “Come out now and you will live to see the end of the war.”

Tim could hear one coming uncomfortably close to him. Somehow, he could sense the man raising his spear and knew where it would land. Deciding to trust his newfound instincts, Tim adjusted his position as quietly as he could. The spear landed just where he thought it would and he grabbed onto it with all his might.

“Help me, Eric!” Tim gasped as he wrestled with the man for his spear.

Eric wasted no time leaping to his feet. He grabbed the man’s spear and together, he and Tim tore it out of the man’s grip.

“I’ve found them!” the man cried as he drew his sword.

Eric turned the spear around quickly and thrust it into the man’s chest as Tim leapt to his feet. The tip of the spear struck the man’s steel armour and glanced off, but the strike had sufficient strength behind it to knock the man flat on his back. He was kept on his horse by his stirrups, but his neck was now within easy reach. Without taking time to think, Tim drew his dagger and slit the man’s throat.

“Well done boys,” Huntsman cried as he hauled the dead man off his horse.

Huntsman then climbed onto the horse and charged off down the Divine Path, leaving the boys gaping in shock as he thundered off into the night.

“There they are!” Tim heard someone shout.

He turned and saw the remaining two horsemen charging towards them with their spears lowered. Tim racked his brain. They could neither run nor hide now. All that was left was to fight. Tim drew his longsword and his hands trembled as he held it out in front of him.

“What a berk!” Eric cried.