No sound or signal came in response from those refugees, stripped of everything, perhaps even of hope. Sigismund turned his head around, but nothing leaked from the tired and slightly absent faces. His own knights returned his gaze as if in a daze, as if everything that had happened in the last year had not touched them and they were there as if driven by a blind and grim fate that had stolen even their inner selves. Sigismund suddenly lost the impulse that had ignited him a moment ago, and for a second his head spun and almost collapsed to the ground, but a will higher than his own sustained him, and suddenly showed him his destiny. He may no longer be a captain of men, but he would not let himself be defeated by discouragement. He would follow Robuald even if he was alone, now that he had lost the ability to inflame the spirits of his soldiers. He would never allow emptiness to take hold of him and he would not become a hollow shell, a servant of despicable will. Also his subordinates would choose without any coercion, seeking inside themselves the courage to continue, otherwise they would never be able to sustain any other battle. Engrossed in such thoughts, he did not realize that Astor, standing at his side, had raised his heavy mace in the air, imitated by all present. When Sigismund came to himself and looked around, he found himself surrounded by a sharp forest of points, lances and pikes.
No one said a word, yet the expressions painted on their fierce faces spoke clearly. No one was backing down and, suddenly, Sigismund felt the same feeling that had enveloped him at dawn that same morning, and it seemed to him that the cerulean line on the horizon, far away towards the East, radiated a promise and shone like he had never noticed before.
Many tears came to his eyes and, in that moment, the heavy oppression that had never left him since the fall of the capital and the sight of the King's mutilated body vanished magically.
He made his way through the welcoming crowd of reunited men, and, reaching Robuald, they stared at each other for a moment and then embraced.
“Brother and savior,” exclaimed Sigismund, “war brought us together, the struggle will see us side by side and victory will not separate us. Together, our peoples will found a Kingdom whose light will spread so radiantly that people will come to admire it from afar, and they will be amazed. Lead us. Lead us, then, towards rebirth!”
They had been heading East for many days, towards the end of the Knights' Kingdom's domain. The lengthening of that journey, more peaceful than they had expected, gave the denizens of the Realm of Time the opportunity to find themselves in the silence of the forests and the plains, framed and marked by the gait of the horses and the rhythmic pace of the foot soldiers. The uninhabited expanses they crossed appeared green and lush, with many silvery streams whose resounding and refreshing waters often compelled the weary and oppressed travellers to stop and refresh their bodies and spirits. They also watered the animals, which required much care after the tremendous efforts that had often threatened to weaken them.
The Knights of the East had taken care to erase every sign of struggle from their previous passage with fire, and only here and there some desolate, blackened clearing warned them of the latent but real danger. However, no one considered those dead pools, but they rather yielded to the attraction emanating from the vast forests of majestic, ancient, radiant, and rustling trees. The trees that rose to surround open and sunny clearings that encouraged introspection or carefreeness, according to each one's character.
They soon joined the soldiers that Robuald had left behind, who felt deeply relieved at the sight of their captain, and glad to have nothing to report. And so the march continued joyful and expeditious.
During the overnight stays, some laughter echoed again, first cracking and then finally breaking the heavy cloak of pain that had hung over the company for so long. No one desired to investigate the future or dwell on the past, and, like wandering orphans, they greedily grasped the beauty and the tranquillity that surrounded them unexpectedly.
One morning a cold wind began to blow from the East and with the first, clear light, they saw a slender blue strip stretched out on the horizon that offered sharp spikes on which the sun seemed to linger before taking off for its daily race. The crest stood out in its full length, marking the border of the Realm of Time as clear and defined, impressed and unequivocal.
Seeing the end of their pilgrimage they were forcefully reminded of reality: once they crossed those mountains, they would be introduced to their new homeland, a seductive and coveted asylum, of which they knew nothing. Anxiety began to spread among the men.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
The thin turquoise ribbon grew as they approached it, acquiring sharp profiles accentuated by the grayish hue of the bare stone. At the end of the second day, they arrived at the foot of a gigantic mountain that stuck out from the side of the chain in front of them. It extended before the travellers like a colossal giant that had occupied the entire width of the road with his legs stretched out, and so the road seemed to end inside the lowest slopes, as if buried under a landslide. The guides circumvented the obstacle, undertaking the climb and proceeding on the right, where the mountain's side drew a recess. There they pointed out a very narrow fissure that opened into a path leading upwards, towards the mount's enclosure.
Steep and rugged was the difficult pass they would have to take leaving the tranquil plateau they had covered, but it was clearly the only way to go. However, it was so narrow that the knights had to dismount to enter it one by one, entering in a slow line. While the first ones panted, climbing together with the horses led by the bridle, the last ones turned away uncertain whether to fear or regret the fruits of the old works they were leaving behind. The newly travelled territories were, indeed, almost unknown to them, but very similar to the homeland. How would the one they were entering now appear, instead?
The narrow passage turned at an angle and suddenly opened up onto a green hill, stripped of vegetation but brightened by a soft grass reflecting the sun's rays that were nearly at the end of their descent.
The bulk of the column that still made its way through the pass came to a stop abruptly, and although the order was not affected, many, overwhelmed by sudden alarm, wondered what had happened at the front.
The entire vanguard had come to a standstill, enraptured by what they saw before them: the mountain seemed to be splitting in two, and now a more accessible, albeit very winding, path descended into a tangled, dense forest many meters below. What caught the travellers' attention, however, was the distant view of an immense valley, apparently boundless, whose vague cerulean profiles of hills and peaks trembled in the distance. From that height, they looked like sand hills colored by the sky, but they realized that it must have been a mountain chain, perhaps even higher than the one they were on. It surrounded and supported the entire Eastern Country like a large, generous, robust, and sturdy belt. Inside of it, vast lakes and rivers shimmered, suggesting fields and woods inhabited by all kinds of animals. In that moment, in fact, countless flocks of birds were returning to their nests, and while their flight filled the sky, their singing filled the hearts.
Astor found himself gaping and shut his mouth with a sharp snap that elicited the amusement and satisfaction of Robuald, who, placing a hand on Sigismund’s shoulder, silently invited him to proceed. The descent seemed endless because every time a detachment passed through that gap, they stopped in admiration, and it took several moments before they recovered and could continue marching.
When the entire group, greatly encouraged, descended onto the plain, the sunset was already moving its shadowy steps, and as it usually happened every evening in the Lost Kingdom, the Twilight Star gave them a clear welcome, reassuring them upon the arrival of darkness. Sigismund, though enjoying the enchantment of the place and eager to venture inside as soon as possible, waited for the last soldier from the West to pass. He could not forget the existence of evil who constantly pressed his thoughts, and when the tall passage returned to stillness, he turned to look over the sharp spires he had just crossed, now covered by flaming clouds. He wondered if they would prove high, sharp, and merciless enough to repel the catastrophe gathering in the further world, which would soon engulf them. And those rocks that Robuald had commanded to use to block the passage, would they be able to withstand a fire that destroy every obstacle? Time was pressing and did not allow for more solid defenses. Then, it seemed to him that the red sun became murky, and even the light that touched the side of the mountain grew dark, as if to depict a horrid stream of flowing blood descending to bury them. Terrified, he quickly distracted from that vision and, shaking off the chills that had seized him, hastened to rejoin the others.
Not far away, they were greeted by the last group of border soldiers. Waiting for their return, they had camped near some ruins of what had been a low and simply built structure which was recently burned and destroyed. The foreigners easily assumed its function: it was a section of a guard corps built to monitor the border, and they guessed with equal ease the fate that had devastated it. They preferred not to ask any questions. The signs of conflict were all too evident, and this time the soldiers couldn't help but stare at the green mound on which the grass had already taken hold, completely covering it. A short distance away, a gloomy black circle stretched out, much wider than those encountered before, where the ashes of the fallen enemies had been scattered. Similar thoughts were conceived by Sigismund and Astor at this sad sight, while the entire company had stopped and spread out around the ruins, filling the large clearing that surrounded them and entering the thick forest.