Tales of Arlo

Lost and Disillusioned

Before we left for Ashfall, Count Takuya was waiting outside the city wall from atop a brilliantly white stallion adorn in finely crafted armor. His troopers were standing behind, posh and polished for their journey to find their future countess. Three of the troops stood with freshly saddled steeds, holding their reigns patiently. 

"If you're going to be going all the way out to Sorpyria, there is no way you'll make it on foot. Take these mounts with you and the journey easier on yourselves," Takuya ordered, "When you meet my father, tell him that the future of Vardurr will be chiseled by my hand in the same way he has sealed the fate of Ashfall."

Rather than wait to hear my reply, the Count of Vardurr's horse jolted off with a single click. Jorah and the rest of his troops went running after him, with the poor courtier screaming at the top of lungs to get his unruly master under control. 

I sprung onto my horse, as I had hundreds of times as a child. Oda helped Sivero reach his saddle before clumsily slopping himself over his horse. I brought my horse to a gentle trot beside Oda, leading the way to Ashfall. 

Sivero knew to lift his body with the bumpy trot of his horse, a lesson that Oda was learning the hard way. As the road turned to dirt and became more uneven, I could make out the slight gulping and frustrated mumbles coming from the behind Sivero and I. 

"Oda, you alright back there?" I called out without turning my head.

"Mmm-Hmm," Oda murmured. 

"That doesn't sound like you're alright," I voiced, turning my head back to see Oda with one arm between his legs and the other one wrapped around his horse's neck as his eyes looked like they were about to exploded. 

Oda was leaned diagonal on his horse, seeming trying to find some sense of relief. When our eyes met, I knew he needed a break. 

"Sivero, let's stop for a minute" I recommended, allowing Sivero to finally see the disaster of a ride Oda had been going on for the past thirty minutes or so. 

Sivero looked at Oda, haunted by a phantom pain that he had experienced once before. I didn't need to any type of magic to see that this was Oda's first horse experience. 

"Does the idea of posting mean anything to you?" I jested him, resulting is a soulless stare filled with nothing but bodily pain. 

"No." 

"You're going to need to use your legs to lower and rise with your horse as it trots, especially over rocky surfaces..." I explained softly, "You'll likely be sore for the next couple of days..."

"...Days?" Oda looked up in agony. 

Sivero nodded, going through his bag in hopes of finding a remedy. After some investigating, Sivero offered Oda a leaf. Without hesitation, Oda chewed on the leaf and swallowed it before rising up to a sitting position. 

We let Oda gather his bearings before moving again, allowing Oda to try out his newest discovery. As we went along the trail, I explained more of the basic of horse-riding to Oda. 

The path to Ashfall led us beside a pair of rushing rivers that flowed on both sides of the road. Small patches of short trees grew on slivers of land carved by the roaring waters. The river grew wider and louder as neared Ashfall, deafening us to the sounds of our horses' hooves clomping against the ground. 

Ashfall's grandiose silhouette could be seen for miles, monumental towers casting their shadow across the road. The city consisted of multiple bridges that stretched across the entire width of the river, with houses firmly planted up and down their wooden boulevards.