CRYSTALLUM LOST DREAMS | Fantasy Novel |

Chapter 17 - Part 2

Camiel, who had meanwhile leaned his back against the room's wall, took out a peach from the baggage and shared the others with the three boys. 'If there's one thing I miss about the Empire, it's Meliro's fruit. Even after many days, it remains ripe and retains all its taste.' He took a bite and looked up at Fez, who made terrified expressions at regular intervals. 'What do you think of Kallup?'

'He seems like a good man,' the boy replied, holding the shiny bolt in his hand.

'I saw you were very interested in him. It's not common to meet a Zalesian living in Amanastre.'

Fez scratched his forehead. 'What really happened to Zalesia? My father never wanted to talk about it.'

Camiel took another bite and threw the pit out the window."

"You need to know that nine years ago, the Sultan pursued his court's opponents. He hunted them throughout the desert. Many were forced to flee the country, including Kallup's family. These are not facts you can find in school books. The Sultan was brutal with the rebels."

"What did they do?" Fez sat down next to Cora.

"When people die of hunger and can barely drink water, problems arise," Hyon replied.

"Why didn't they overthrow him if they all agreed?" Elidana asked.

"They tried, but it was futile. In addition to having a well-trained army, the Light Merchants of Zaal ask for support from the Kharzanians, with the Sultan's backing. That way, they maintain an apparent stability, and those who oppose them are arrested or disappear," Hyon answered. Cora got up and went to the window. He felt numb. For a moment, the rebels' problems, Ethan Standford, Lud... everything became distant. He observed his hands and squinted. A really annoying buzzing began to grow in his ears.

Inside the Dremis abyss, time seemed to stand still. In the two days that followed, they emerged from the maze of rocks and entered a dense forest. Yllin's vehicle accelerated, as if the shadow of the trees, which offered pleasant shelter, were the worst of dangers. Whatever the reason, Yllin seemed unable to stay still. He looked around, grunted with a higher-pitched voice, and, to Cora's surprise, at one point began leaving behind large pieces of meat. The boy followed what could have been a good meal, moving away and getting dirty with the earth and dust. But it was at that moment that he understood the vehicle owner's motivations. A feline taller than a horse leaped onto the offered meat and devoured it in a few bites.

Cora pulled Fez towards him and pointed to the striped beast. "Look..." he murmured.

The young friend swallowed and shook his head. "We won't stop around here, will we?"

Cora shrugged, but he too hoped they wouldn't have to spend the night in that stretch of forest.

When the vegetation became sparser, they looked out over a pleasant meadow, and it was there that Yllin's vehicle came to an abrupt stop. With gestures, the homunculus invited the passengers to get out, and when they were all outside, he threw their luggage out. He made a deep bow to the master and seemed to almost tear out his hair with the force with which he pulled it. Finally, he returned to the driver's seat and raced away without giving the others a glance.

"Very polite!" Marmorel exclaimed. "Very polite indeed!"

Hyon advanced and pointed to a point towards the mountain. A long serpent of rock that disappeared into the horizon. "Let's get closer, the entrance is this way!"

Cora remained at the end of the line with Fez. They continued to observe around and point out the numerous camps that extended to the foot of the mountain, places occupied by abandoned stumps and decomposing animal carcasses.