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Veilbound
Chapter 17: A Bitter Journey

Chapter 17: A Bitter Journey

The Mire was unforgiving. Its oppressive atmosphere, the thick, suffocating air, the endless sea of muck and sludge, all seemed to push against them with every step. The path ahead was treacherous, winding through the dense swamp, where every wrong turn could lead to an ambush from a creature lurking in the shadows. But for all its danger, it was the least of their worries as they pressed on toward the distant city of Rivenfall.

At the moment, they weren’t thinking about the Mire’s perilous nature. They were thinking about their stomachs.

James had never been one for caution when it came to food—after all, the Forsyths were known for their resourcefulness—but he had learned the hard way that not all fruits were as harmless as they appeared. They had picked a few strange-looking berries earlier in the day, their colors vibrant against the dull backdrop of the Mire, and for a while, they tasted sweet and refreshing.

But now, as they made their way through the muck, James was regretting that decision with every step.

The cramps had started suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain in his gut that had made him clutch his stomach and stumble. The nausea followed quickly, and before he knew it, he was doubled over, his face contorted in discomfort. He barely had time to stagger away from the group before he found himself in the worst position imaginable: a bout of uncontrollable diarrhea in the middle of a swamp.

"Damn it..." James muttered under his breath, feeling utterly miserable.

"Hold on, I’ll be right there!" Derrin’s voice called out behind him. James didn’t need to look to know that the boy had eaten the same fruit. The way Derrin had gone from fine to stumbling after him told the entire story.

James wiped his brow, feeling the cold sweat of misery start to soak into his clothes. "Don’t bother," he grumbled, pulling himself together enough to get to his feet again. "Just go back to the others."

But Derrin wasn’t having any of it. The boy—who, despite his age, often seemed to have a quiet authority about him—approached, looking serious. "We’re both in the same situation now. Let’s get this over with together."

A few minutes later, Derrin was squatting beside him, grimacing but determined. He seemed to have accepted that they were in this mess together, and for once, James was grateful for the boy’s unexpected camaraderie. It wasn’t much, but at least he wasn’t alone.

Meanwhile, a little ways ahead, the rest of the group had stopped, waiting for the two to catch up. Vance, their older and more experienced member, sat with his arms crossed, a thoughtful look on his face as he gazed off into the distance.

“Well, this is fun,” Rook commented with a small, wry smile, glancing over at the spot where James and Derrin had disappeared.

Leena raised an eyebrow, though her expression was less amused. “This kind of thing isn’t funny. They’re both going to need time to recover.”

Rook shrugged, unfazed by the matter. “They’ll be fine. Just a little stomach trouble. It’ll pass. Let them learn their lesson.”

It was clear, though, that the group was starting to feel the weight of their journey. The Mire was oppressive, and even though they were heading toward civilization, they all knew that reaching Rivenfall would be just the beginning. They’d have to prepare for the next stage of their journey, and with that came decisions that none of them were quite ready to make.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Do you think we’ll make it to Rivenfall by tomorrow?” Leena asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she wiped her brow.

“We better,” Vance said with a grunt. “I’m tired of the Mire. Not sure how much longer I can stand the stink of this place.”

Derrin and James rejoined the group after a time, both looking a little green but still on their feet. Derrin had an air of stoic resilience about him, but James looked thoroughly defeated, his shoulders hunched in a way that spoke to more than just the discomfort of illness.

"You two good?" Rook asked, leaning against a nearby tree with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah,” James muttered, not quite meeting his eyes. "Just... don’t eat those damn fruits next time. They might look harmless, but they’re not."

Derrin nodded in agreement. "Learned that lesson the hard way."

As they pressed forward, the conversation turned, as it always did, to their future. The Mire was a temporary prison, but their journey ahead wasn’t so clear.

"I’ve been thinking," Vance said after a while, his gaze fixed ahead, "about what we’re all going to do when we finally make it out of this mess. We can’t stay in Rivenfall forever."

"What do you mean?" Leena asked, her tone cautious. "We’ll rest and regroup, sure. But after that?"

Vance exhaled, a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m getting old,” he muttered, though it didn’t sound like a complaint, just an observation. “I don’t have much time left to chase after all of this. I want to find someone. Settle down.”

A silence fell over the group, the weight of Vance’s words settling into the space between them. Vance was, by far, the oldest among them—at least in terms of experience. He had lived a life that none of the younger members could fully comprehend, and the desire to leave it all behind for something more permanent was a natural, if bittersweet, desire.

"Are you thinking of leaving?" Derrin asked, his voice low but sharp.

Vance gave a half-smile, but there was no mistaking the sadness in his eyes. "I have to. I’ve been wandering for too long, and it’s time I found something I can hold onto. Something that isn’t constantly on the move, always running."

Rook nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Everyone has their own path. But what about us?" He waved a hand toward the rest of the group. "We’ve got a future to think about too."

James glanced at Derrin, his mind still clouded but growing clearer by the minute. He had been struggling with what it meant to be part of a family legacy. But Vance’s words made something else clear: even in a world as broken and dangerous as this one, people had a choice. They had to choose what they wanted their lives to be.

Derrin caught his eye, and for a moment, their shared history seemed to speak volumes between them. Derrin had always seemed like the younger brother in their dynamic, but there was an undeniable maturity to him, a clarity in his eyes that made James realize something: Derrin was older than he had originally thought.

"How old are you, Derrin?" James asked out of nowhere, his voice almost curious.

The boy blinked, then smirked. "Fifteen. Older than you, for sure. Not that it matters much."

James raised an eyebrow. "You think so? You’re barely more than a kid, but you’ve got more of a sense of responsibility than anyone here."

"Age doesn’t always mean maturity," Derrin shot back with a smile. "But I’m willing to stick with you, James. Wherever you go, whatever you do. We’ve been through this together, and I’m not turning back now."

James couldn’t help but feel a flicker of gratitude. Derrin had been like that from the start —loyal, steadfast. He didn’t hesitate, even when things got tough. And even though James still had doubts about his own future, the idea of traveling with Derrin felt like the right choice. They could face whatever came next together.

“Well, I’m glad you’re with me," James said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

The group continued onward, the tension of the conversation slowly fading as they adjusted to the new reality of their journey. But one thing was clear: the future was uncertain. Vance would leave eventually, and with his departure, everything would change. But that was life—it never stayed the same.

And as James walked alongside Derrin, he couldn’t help but think that, despite everything, they might just make it through this together.