CHAPTER 9

The cartwheels echoed into the empty trail ahead of them. Parish was nothing more than a speck of dancing firelight at their backs. Champ decided to lie down on his back with his hands resting beneath his head. The sky teemed with stars and the two moons danced their ever graceful waltz among them. The dense forest line began about 100 yards from the main road but the wind still carried the strong smell of pine to them. The night was peaceful and welcoming all things considered. Champ was almost lulled to sleep from the gentle rocking of the cart on the soft road. As he caught himself dozing off he sat upright and looked to Simon holding the reigns

“So sir, where are we headed?” Champ asked

Simon jumped at hearing Champ's voice and almost tumbled out of his seat.

“OH, MY- ahem, sorry Champ! I was kinda lost in a daydream there” Simon chuckled and sounded slightly embarrassed

“Well, first things first is we gotta get you out and far from Parish, and then, well wherever the brand calls us I suppose. You've heard its call at least once before.” Simon turned his head with a raised eyebrow and smirked.

“You mean the whistle? That was the brand? Not just the wind?” Champ replied eagerly

“Oh, it's a whistle for you? That's neat boy! It's different for everyone, but seeing as how we're traveling together and will be for some time, it may similarly call to both of us.”

“What does it want with us sir-uhhh I mean Simon.”

“Well, ain't that the question worth all the king's riches my boy. I have no idea and I'm sure no one else does either. All I do know is when it calls, we must answer and it's never led me astray so far. You'll see it in time. You should rest a bit. You've had quite the day young sir. I'll be here if you get worried or have more thoughts or questions. But try to rest for now. Long days and pleasant nights and all that.” Simon turned back to face the road and gave Champ a gentle wave with the back of his hand.

Champ's head swam with questions and curiosity. But he also felt his eyelids growing heavy and tears welling up at the thoughts of his situation. Not even a full day and he was already homesick. His head felt heavy now and he was warm under the sheepskin blanket. Sleep slowly dragged him away from the land of the waking. Before he was entirely asleep, caught in that moment between, he asked Simon another question-

“What does the brand sound like to you Simon?” Champ said groggy. His eyes had already shut and he slumped deeper into his blanket

Simon looked over his shoulder back at Champ smiled and replied

“Laughter”

Champ's eyes shot open, he glanced around in a panic, but only darkness greeted him. Pitch black suffocated his senses. He couldn't see more than five feet in front of himself. Champ flipped over from his back onto his knees and felt around trying to find Simon or the cart. All he felt was cold stone. A musty and dank smell greeted his nose with pained familiarity. His breath quickened, and panic set in. He was still in the cave. He hurried to his feet and stumbled as he did. His body felt both light and sluggish at the same time. As if a feather was floating through molasses. In his ears, he heard the whistle again, faint and constant. Champ whipped his head back and forth and desperately tried to reach and find a purchase on a nearby wall.

In the distance, he noticed a faint glow of light and that same beautiful choir and orchestra that accompanied it. This time however there was another noise, something much closer and present, something much more sinister, rapidly growing louder and louder. Heavy panting and strained growls echoed menacingly from the other end of the cave. Champ was frozen in fear as he looked towards the darkness where this new noise was approaching. With his back to the light, Champ peered into the endless expanse of nothingness. All noise suddenly ceased at once. Champ couldn't even hear his heartbeat, even though it felt like it was nearly beating out of his chest. A cold sweat bore down on Champ's skin and soaked through his clothes. As he stared motionless, into the endless all-encompassing expanse of nothing, the darkness peered back. Four sets of sickly green brackish eyes were fixated menacingly on Champ and were rushing towards him. Champ, finally able to overcome the shock, turned to face the light once more and sprinted with all his ability towards it. Each step felt like he stepped into three feet of mud. His breath was heavy and sporadic now from sloshing through this marsh.

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“Please shine for me once more please I beg you! Champ pleaded, eyes fixed on the distant light.”- His distant hopes.

The sound of the expanse grew louder and louder, closer and closer until he felt the breath of the beast behind him. He smelled the fresh scent of a hunt. Blood. Pungent and nauseating. He spun to see his pursuer in his last moments of life, to see the face of his demise. He felt he was owed this much before his untimely end.

As he desperately turned, his vision went white, eyes blurry from light. The morning sun greeted him and so did Simon who shook him awake.

“It's breakfast time, young sir, the dreams aren't pleasant, but hopefully my cooking is,” Simon said with an all-too-understanding smile on his face. “You’re safe.”

Champ was covered in sweat, and his heart was racing.

“Gods above please I do not want to keep reliving that.” Champ's expression was distant and contemplating. He turned to Simon “Do you get these dreams too?”

Simon nodded and sighed then turned to the fire.

Simon, some point after Champ had fallen asleep, pulled off the main road and set up camp next to the tree line. Champ looked up, vision still slightly blurry from his sleep. Above him was a cloth tent affixed to the cart walls and two other sturdy rods a few feet out creating a type of gazebo. Near the center of the gazebo space was a fire pit lined with rocks and housing a warm healthy flame. The heat of the fire was instantly appreciated on this misty morning. The roof of the tarp cloth above them funneled upwards to a ventilation hole where the smoke billowed out. On the fire itself was a metal kettle and what looked to be some kind of sliced meat cooking in a cast iron skillet. Champ stretched his arms and headed to be closer to the fire and next to Simon. Simon handed him a wooden bowl with bits of meat and oats in it.

“Eat up young sir, you’ll need your strength and your wits about you. I’m glad to see you slept but it didn’t seem that it was a good sleep.”

“Thank you, Simon, it's just dreams, it's okay,” Champ replied in between mouthfuls of breakfast.

“Aye yes just dreams young sir, but sometimes the dreams are conduits for the brand. Messages. Tell me your dreams, young sir.” Simon replied gently.

Champ explained to Simon the events of the dream in detail, not embellishing anything to the best of his ability. A look of concern and contemplation took Simon's face. Wrinkles from time in the sun stretched on his forehead.

“Thank you for telling me, It's a good thing you did too, it's a warning. The hounds are on us. I figured they would know soon, but not this soon.” Simon furrowed his brow in concentration and contemplation. “Welp, no use sitting around let's pack up and move on ahead towards our destination.”

Champ peered up at the now-standing Simon, “And where exactly is our destination, Simon? Do you think my family is alright? Are we going to have to fight?-”

Simon moved his various supplies into a pile off to the side of their campsite. “Bai’elra, it's in the outerlands. More specifically, it's a mountain city around there. It's a few days' journeys from where the inter and outer borders meet. Now young sir if you could please take a step by me while I clean up.”

Champ walked towards Simon who was about 5 ft away from the somewhat tidy pile of camping equipment. Simon raised his arms outwards, both of his hands grabbing invisible yet solid handholds in front of him. He turned his arms as if opening a bank vault door. A loud clunk and tearing noise invaded the peaceful woodland morning's atmosphere and the pile was sucked into this tear, this rip in space. Effortlessly it took in the heavy odd-shaped pile and with another clunk and slam, the tear closed as Simon moved his arms in the opposite direction as if closing the vault door.

“Right let's hop on and eat some more as we travel,” Said Simon said as if nothing abnormal occurred. “I'll try and explain as we go but, it'll be easier once we're in Bai’elra”

Champ's jaw dropped in awe. He stared at Simon a moment as he headed back to the cart.

“Well, come on now. the hounds y’know?” Simon said earnestly from atop the cart, reigns in hands.

Champ ran over to the cart and climbed in next to Simon. Simon cracked the reins and they were back on the main road.