The Land of Dreams and Shadows

Chapter 5

 The sun was just beginning to rise, its soft, golden light spilling over the horizon like a slow, delicate wave. The sky, once a deep, inky blue, gradually began to lighten, transitioning into a masterpiece of color. Streaks of fiery orange, soft pink, and deep crimson stretched across the heavens, blending in a way that seemed almost surreal. Under different circumstances, I would have paused to take in the breathtaking display, to appreciate how the colors complimented one another so perfectly, creating a canvas that only nature could paint. The beauty of it all felt almost overwhelming, a stark contrast to the world below.

This world, filled with ugliness, where creatures wear their horrors on the surface and minds harbor the darkest of thoughts, felt so far removed from the purity of that sky. The cruelty and harshness of life could sometimes make it easy to forget that there is still beauty left to be found and that not everything is tainted by the shadows of human nature. But the sky—endlessly vast, free from the filth of this world—stood as a reminder that not everything is ugly. There are still things worth pausing for, still moments worth embracing, fragments of beauty woven into the fabric of existence that can stop you in your tracks, even if only for a fleeting second. The sky, in all its splendor, whispers that not all is lost.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at the sky all day, or are we going to find that dumbass ring you are so hellbent on finding?" Brisa asks pulling me out of my trance of the sky.

"Pretty snippy for someone with no magic and still has her hands tied up," I yank on her ropes and she comes to a stop. She glares at me.

"As I was saying, we sold your things to a man who owes a tavern a couple miles east of that market where we found you. With someone of your skills, it shouldn't be difficult to find the man and demand the money back." She says and we continue walking in the direction of the market.

"Explain something to me. Why do two powerful witches need to rob someone?" I ask.

"Not your concern. All you need to know is where this tavern is, and who we sold it to. Everything else doesn't matter." This doesn't make any sense.

"I don't know much about witches, but from what I saw from both of you, it doesn't seem like anyone could push you guys around. I mean, witches used to be the rulers of this continent. So again, my question is, why are you robbing people? Why are you giving money to some puny human?" To this day I still don't know what could have caused the witches to lose control of Eldoria, to humans no less. How can humans overpower them?

"We were paying up for something he did for us. That's all you need to know." That may be all I need to know, but it wasn't all I wanted to know. I have always been terrified of witches. The stories told to me growing up made them seem as if they were the worst creatures in the world. Their terrifying powers could demolish entire territory in one fell swoop. What do the humans have on them?

—

We trudged through the dense forest, the ground beneath us uneven and littered with gnarled roots and fallen leaves. The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and moss, and the sun was beginning to sink behind the distant hills, casting long shadows that danced across the path ahead. We had been walking for hours, our pace quick and unrelenting, but fatigue was starting to claw at my legs, making each step feel heavier than the last. The tension between us simmered just below the surface, and I could feel it growing with every mile.

Finally, I decided I'd had enough. "We're stopping," I said, my voice firm but strained, my hand tightening on the rope tied around her wrists.

She spun around, her eyes flashing with defiance. "We can't stop! The village is just another couple of miles away," she snapped, her voice rising with frustration. "We'll get to the tavern, grab your father's ring back, and then return to Indra. No breaks!" She was insistent, her determination radiating from her like a shield, as if sheer willpower could keep us both going despite the obvious exhaustion weighing on us.