Page 26 of Ruins of Magic
“Yes, but this area was cursed. It probably hasn’t changed in a millennia. We may be the first people to ever walk these lands. I don’t know,” Arion said.
“Or these guys were and something very bad happened to them trying to reach the castle at the center of Keptra,” Garron said, wiping his mouth and trying not to look at the ground.
“Well, I have to press on,” Arion said stubbornly. “You should take Valaria and head back.” He hated her being there and knowing how upset she was. He could feel her shaking in his arms and his shirt was not just soaked from sweat, but from her tears as well.
“No,” Garron said sternly. “We agreed to see this through. We’re in it together, no matter what. Let’s move on. There’s still something up ahead or at least the terrain changes or something. Let’s check it out.”
Arion nodded and keeping Valaria in his arms and her face shielded, they slowly pressed forward.
“What’s that?” he asked Garron a few minutes later, it looked like a wood sign. Garron dusted it off. The wood was cracked and splintered, and the writing was faint from exposure, but they could still make it out. It read: Here lie the last line of defense against Ryze. They died valiantly for a better tomorrow.
“All those soldiers,” Arion said reverently. “It really makes you stop and think of the stories in a whole new light, doesn’t it?”
The others nodded.
As they solemnly moved past the sign, they all knew this was a moment they would never forget. They were silent for a long time as the bumps subsided into flat, smooth land once again.
Hours later the sun began to dip, but without a single cloud in the sky, it still felt like they were walking through a living hell and the destination that drew them forward only grew in size. Perhaps Garron had been right and it was nothing more than a mirage their exhausted bodies and minds used to keep them on their feet.
At last Valaria collapsed to the ground. “I just need a moment.” The ground wasn’t as ashy here, just scorched and dead, void of any life whatsoever. It burned her legs through her trousers, but she didn’t have the strength to pic herself back up.
“It’s only been one day,” Garron pointed out. “How are we going to survive this place?”
“I don’t know, but we will. Somehow, I’m going to complete this mission and get the both of you back home safe and sound,” Arion vowed.
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a few of the berries that had been left for them. He had never seen anything like them before, but if the dwarves had left them, he was confident they were safe to eat.
“Here, eat this,” he said, shoving a rather large plump one into Valaria’s mouth.
She bit into it and a burst of juice coated her throat. She had never tasted anything even close to it but noticed immediately how it quenched her thirst with only one berry. “I think they’re rehydration berries. I’ve never seen them, but I know the court physician secretly grows them in his garden. I’ve heard him talk about them before. They are worth a small fortune so he hordes them for those who can afford to pay top dollar. During the last bout of influenza, he made a small fortune and tried to retire. There was a big argument between him and my father and the tax he would otherwise be held to. Begrudgingly he has maintained his position of service. This thing is amazing. You guys have to try one. It’s like drinking a gallon of water in one bite.” She stood up. “I can move on now.”
Garron and Arion looked at each other and shrugged. Arion handed him one they each ate feeling immediately refreshed.
“How many of these do we have?” Garron asked.
“I don’t know. There were seven in my bag. I have four remaining now.”
“When we stop for the night, we’ll take inventory. We should have a couple hours more of daylight, so let’s get moving while we have the energy to do so,” Valaria said suddenly taking the lead.
“If we find shade anywhere, we should consider stopping there and sleeping during the day and walking at night where it should be cooler,” Garron said.
“But we don’t know what’s out here,” Valaria insisted. “It could be dangerous to walk around blindly in the dark.”
“But this heat is killing us quickly,” Garron countered.
“So far there are no signs of shade, so we’ll continue that argument if we find some,” Arion said, effectively halting the argument.
They did not find any signs of shade before nightfall and reluctantly set up camp on the ground. Despite the extreme heat of the day, they learned quickly that the nights were equally as cold. With nothing to make a fire, the three of them huddled together using the six blankets gifted to them from the dwarves.
Chapter11
The trio arose with the sun after a restless night’s sleep. The temperature rised quickly. With a quick breakfast of smoked meat and deciding to reserve their berries for later in the day, they set back off towards the large dark mass they had been following.
“We’re close now. Look,” Valaria said.
“It’s just an illusion,” Garron said grumpily. “We thought that yesterday several times. Remember?”
“No, I think she’s right,” Arion said. “Look.” He pointed to ground where it appeared to change again only a few yards away. The dark mass looked to nearly surround them now.
