Swords of Gilded Crimson

Chapter 49 | Determination Paves the Way |

Roughly grown hedges, and motels streamed by on either side, and I could only think of how agonising the journey would have been if it was once again, by foot.

Horseback was satisfactory, but not quite when I wondered of the perks of winnowing that the circle of nobility all shared in Tenebrae. Magic flowed from a recessive gene, which meant inheriting sufficient magic to winnow was only likely when both parents shared the allele. Over the centuries, these became the nobles who had managed to preserve such genetics. On that accord, it was understandable why the Senate had implemented laws for marriage, and reproduction when nobility were concerned.

Where Luxandria had failed to do the same, the genealogy of proficient magic ran scarce, and rare. Though however rare, if we'd had one of them accompanying us in this mission, I don't suppose it would've been too bad.

*

A few hours into the next afternoon, I was reining the horse to a slow canter, as the first zigzag- shaped trees became visible. Situated to the right of the forest's threshold, was as expected, the Steel Wolf Tavern. The faint grumbles of drunkards that faced their day's hangover, could be heard through the large, oak doors. In heed of their presence, I'd hastily sought my refuge in the forest; far from any prying eyes that may be looking to discern the face of the Lady of Irondrift. This close to Mightmere, the locals would have undeniably received our descriptions quite a while ago.

*
Suffice it to say, the means of my navigation in the forest of Torrine hadn't been nearly as simple as what I'd planned beforehand. The vigorous beams of the heavy afternoon sun struck through whichever meagre gaps it could find in the canopy layered above. They scorched, and seared through to the parts of the forest that were unfortunate enough to have been delegated the area that had been natured to lay in path. The heat wouldn't dare stop its wrath there either; it swarmed in and around the forest, its tendrils working to have my leather tunic cling dearly onto my skin. I adjusted my collar several times, but to no real relief. Beads of sweat became streams, rendering my hair as limp as it was once on the Luxandrian battlefront.

It was in the darkened hours of that night- which had approached this time, with no warning, when I'd ultimately found the first lead to the detainment. Light whiffs of that darned faebane-like poison drifted towards me, but after the encounter I'd shared with it back in Nightsummit, I found in myself- to a degree, the aptitude to quell the burn that it threatened to let surge. So fortunately, it was nothing alike to my previous experience, and I was able to continue on somewhat furtively.

After tethering the reins of the horse to a certain, sturdy appearing tree, I set out towards the line of the earlier whiffs.

The gusts of the nocturnal winds grew less harsh, while the air grew thicker, and denser too. All together, it gave the impression that at last, buildings were once again underway. Following a period of ever furtive stepping, the low mutter of voices sounded from further down, and while being so engrossed in discerning what was being said, on top of the need to stay low, I collided face-first with an obscured, circular wall of stone hidden behind yet another arched tree's drooping vegetation.

Instinctively, I sucked in a sharp breath. This was it. This had to be it. Clutching the dagger best honed from my hidden baldric, I recalled to myself, all that I'd learned while at the side of Kymil, or Felisse. Stealth like theirs was more than imperative at that precise time, or else the events to unfold could easily become the adversed of what I'd intended.

I covered my scent completely, while perking up my ears and nose to sense any of the mortals that had stupidly, and ridiculously chosen this to be their line of work. It was ironic that this same situation just two days ago had led to a forbearance of the humans I'd encountered when in that underground chamber, and yet now I couldn't dream to ration any sort of pity, or even tolerance for those I was nearing.