18

The road meandered west. Twice, it curved close enough to the river that Lyra could see the sparkling water through the trees. On both occasions, they took the opportunity to refill their water flasks and take a short break. She suspected Kel was going easy on her, but even though she wanted to get to Heliotheopoli as quickly as possible, she didn't complain.

The terrain was mostly flat, so it wasn't a difficult walk, but it was hot. The dense forest was interspersed with clear-cut sections of fields every mile or two. The forest provided cooling shade that, paired with the occasional light breeze, made the walk almost pleasant. But walking through the fields was another story entirely. The sun beat down on them mercilessly, and she was certain every inch of exposed skin on her body was already sunburnt. Even the breeze didn't help. Without the cooling effect of the shadows under the trees, it felt as if someone was aiming a giant blowdryer at her. All she could do was be grateful it was a dry heat. That became her refrain each time the trees ended and they had to walk under the baking sun again.

She wasn't sure how far they went that first day. Their pace slowed as the sun went down and her steps began to drag. They had stopped briefly for lunch, but that had been hours ago and they hadn't stopped since. She had eaten some of the dried meat and cheese along with a chunk of her bread from home, but whatever energy her body had gained from the meal seemed to have vanished.

"We shall camp near the river tonight," Kel said out of the blue as she was looking up at the pink and orange sunset, trying to distract herself from the discomfort that seemed to burn along every inch of her body.

"Huh?"

"This next bend will bring us closer to the river. We will camp there. I would like to remain out of sight of the road, but not so far that we can't hear if someone is traveling on it."

"Why? I thought you said no one would bother us out here?"

"I said there was very little that would bother you. Very little is not nothing. My job is to keep you safe from anything that would." He paused. "We do not get much news in Kyokami, but what we did get from those traveling to the east was disheartening. There is a war happening across the ocean. I did not think it would affect us here in the Helioclades, but there have been reports of refugees and deserters crossing the Giant's Archipelago and fleeing inland. In my experience, the more desperate someone is, the less they care about sin and the opinions of the gods."

"What's the war about?" she asked as they reentered the forest. The road was starting to curve, and she spotted the last of the sun glinting off the river through the trees to their left.

"It is… complicated, without getting into history that you would have no frame of reference for," he said. "You have not seen a map of our world, have you?"

"I found a book of maps in the temple, but I didn't see a world map. It was all different regions, drawn on different pages. I found Heliotheopoli on a map of the coast, but I didn't recognize anything else."

"I will try to find a world map for you to see when we get to Ersgath. For now, the simple explanation is that it is a war of aggression from the people of the northern continent, who have only recently consolidated from disparate tribes to a single, united country. They make war on a country far to the west of Molda, called Asttso-Tun. I have never been there, but I've heard from sentinels who have. Any priest or priestess who wishes to devote themselves to the Great God must make a pilgrimage there. From what I have heard, it is a strange land, peaceful, yet with grave consequences for lawbreakers. They are said to have no homeless or poor within their borders, yet no kings or lords either."

"The northern people are just attacking them for no reason?" Lyra asked, slowing down as Kel turned off the road and began to pick his way down the gentle slope of the bank toward the river.

"I am sure they have their reasons; I simply do not know what they are. It is… not a good war. It has been years since it began, and it does not seem to show any sign of stopping. So far, Molda has managed to stay out of it, but I am worried if either of the armies turns their eye on the city, the Helioclades will get involved. Our ties to them go deep, despite the sea that separates us."

"Wait, Molda is a city, not a country?"

She might know the language, but she didn't magically know the name of every person, place, and idea, and it was getting hard to keep track of all of it.

"It is both the name of the city and the lands that surround it, which is all that is left of what used to be a large country. It is said to have once been the greatest country in the world, the country that civilized the east and made travel between the continents not just possible, but easy."

"What happened to it?" she asked.

He gave her a grim smile. "War. Molda won, but even in doing so, their country lost. It is often said that war only benefits the gods, and while a great many people have good reasons for fighting, I am certain that we mortals do not benefit even from the wars we win."

He came to a stop when they reached the riverbank. The bank was sandy, and the river was wider and slower here than it was by Kyokami. When Kel drew his sword, the sound of metal against leather loud against the peaceful burble of the river, she turned toward him and her eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"I will clear some of the undergrowth from between these trees for us. We need somewhere to hang our hammocks, and this is itchweed. You may not have come across it before. As a living plant, prolonged contact with it will cause a rash on most people. In its dry form, the effects are more severe, especially if inhaled. Neither of us would be in good spirits come morning if I don't clear it now."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"But won't it wreck your sword?"

She didn't know much about weapons, but she was pretty sure good swords were expensive, and people probably didn't usually use them like a weed-whacker.

"There is very little that will harm a relic such as my blade, and itchweed is not on that list," he said, sounding faintly amused. "I will set up camp. You may rest, priestess." He paused. "My apologies. Lyra."

She watched him clear the vine-like plants for a second, feeling a little bad for not helping, but she didn't have a big sword to hack at them with and if the plants caused rashes, she didn't want to touch them with her bare skin. Deciding to let him get on with it, she untied her sleeping bag and blanket from her backpack, then carried the bag further down the river until she was confident that there was enough undergrowth between her and Kel that he wouldn't be able to see anything. Then, finally, she stripped down to her underwear and waded into the river. The cool water felt marvelously refreshing against her dusty, sweaty skin. Remembering the block of hard soap, she fetched it from her bag and scrubbed the grime of the day off. She didn't have a mirror, but her face was tender and she suspected she had suffered her worst sunburn since she was a kid. It was just going to keep getting worse, but there was nothing she could do about it. The sun here seemed brighter than the sun back home. She just had to hope is wasn't beaming her with deadly radiation or something.

She put on a fresh pair of trousers and a clean shirt, then washed her other clothing in the river and wrung them out before carrying everything back up to where Kel was just finishing setting up the second hammock. He had also made a pile of sticks, presumably for a fire, and had produced a hook and some fishing line from his bag.

He was clearly a well-seasoned traveler. She felt woefully underprepared, but she was too exhausted to feel anything but resigned about the fact.

Kel caught a single, large fish that night, and after roasting it over a fire, they split it between them and Lyra shared the rest of her bread from home. They didn't talk much; he seemed content with the quiet and she was just ready to be done with the day. After unfolding her scratchy blanket and draping it over herself, she lay in her hammock and looked up at the stars.

And what a sky it was. The moon, not quite full anymore, hung dark and gray above the treetops, just visible in the gap in the forest where the river cut through. The stars that surrounded the moon seemed more numerous and brighter than the stars she'd seen at home, and there was a pale pink smear of color off to the left. A nebula, she thought, closer and more visible than any in the sky back home.

She was in different universe. One with paladins and gods and faraway stars and pink space clouds.

She was tired. Every inch of her body hurt, and her face felt like it was on fire. She was very far from home and she was looking at a lot of trouble when she got back, but at least there was one thing she could say about this world.

It was beautiful.

Lyra was so stiff when she woke up that she wasn't sure she would be able to make it back up the slope to the road. Kel made her sit on a log while he packed everything back up, reminded her to refill her water flask, and then mercilessly drove her up the bank, occasionally sharing words of dubious encouragement.

"It is not much further, priestess."

"The hill is not steep, priestess."

"Your aches will ease if you just keep moving, priestess."

She was too unhappy to even remind him to call her Lyra. But much as she hated it, he was right; she was already feeling better by the time they reached the road, and after a few minutes of walking, her muscles loosened enough that the dull ache faded into the background.

She asked fewer questions the second day, not because she didn't have as many, but because she simply didn't have the energy for it. It was hard enough just to keep her head down and plod along behind Kel. She no longer blamed him for assuming her presence would slow down their trip to the city. Her determination hadn't faded, but she also no longer thought she could push onward no matter what.

One day of walking had just about killed her. How could she do this for more than two weeks straight?

The only thing that kept her going was the fact that there wasn't another option. She didn't even sit down when they stopped for lunch, afraid that she wouldn't have the willpower to get up again. They walked for another hour after that before Kel spoke, breaking the silence for the first time since their meal.

"We should arrive at the next village soon. Lokokami is slightly smaller than Kyokami. They are known locally for their peaches."

She wished they were known for their hot baths, but she wouldn't complain too much about a peach right now either.

The village wasn't in sight yet when a person came into view further down the road. She could tell Kel spotted them too, because he paused and adjusted his sword, as if he wanted to reassure himself that it would be easy to draw. As they drew closer, it became clear that the person was a woman, perhaps around the same age as Marid or a little younger. Kel raised a hand to wave at her, but paused again before he completed the gesture.

"Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Lyra asked, coming to a stop a few feet behind him.

"She's upset. Stay behind me until we figure out what's going on."

Lyra didn't see how this woman could be a threat when she was unarmed and Kel had plate armor and a sword and the strength to carry both for miles without complaining once, but she also had no energy to argue so she stayed put. As the woman came closer, she saw dark circles under eyes that were puffy and red, as if she had been crying. Her hair, unbrushed, was pulled back in a messy braid, and the scents of woodsmoke and stale sweat clung to her.

"Priestess," the woman said, ignoring Kel completely as she focused on Lyra. She dropped to her knees and leaned forward, supporting herself with her hands as she stared at the ground. "Thank the gods. It's a miracle you're here. Little Ulik said he saw you coming down the road but I didn't dare believe him. You're my last hope. Please, help me; save my son."

Lyra took a step back reflexively, even though the woman didn't come close to touching her. She glanced at Kel, whose brows were pinched together. He was concerned, and the palm of his hand was resting on the pommel of his sword.

"Keep your distance, woman," he said, his tone full of warning. "What business do you have with the priestess?"

"It's my son, Galin! He's in the cave and he won't come out on his own, or the god won't let him," she babbled. "Please, I need your help!"

"The priestess is on a journey to the Temple of the Great God in Heliotheopoli. She does not have time for this."

Lyra felt a surge of gratitude for Kel, though it was tempered by a guilt as she looked at the woman, who was still kneeling in the red dirt of the road with her head bowed.

"Please," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Please, priestess. Delay yourself for only a day. I lost my daughter a month ago. I can't lose my son as well."

"I don't know what I could do that you can't," Lyra mumbled, uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, but I really don't think I can help you."

"I beg of you, priestess. I will pay you. My neighbors will pay. Anything you wish, no price is too high. I need my boy back. If you don't help us, he's going to die."