Ebby Flint and the Sword of Sorrows (Book 1 in the Artis Trilogy)

Topher Jarole, the Physician

Chapter Fifteen - Topher Jarole, the Physician

Quill walks a few meters in front of me, and I decide it's not worth it to catch up with him. How could he make this decision without me? I mean, I most likely would have agreed with going to meet Topher Jarole if Quill had consulted with me about it. But instead he decided to make this decision himself? I know that this is the right choice. We have to find out where the Sword is being hidden, and this is the only possible solution. Right?

"Could you please try to keep up? I want to be back before nightfall," Quill grunts from in front of me.

"I am walking as fast as I can. Sorry you couldn't bring along your 'Knight' friends. I'm sure they would be much better company. Of course, they would have to go along with everything you say, right? Can't argue with the Prince of Artis unless you wanna get your head chopped off," I say, trying to inject as much hatred into my voice as I can muster.

"I wouldn't chop off my Knights' heads," Quill says.

"Not what I was trying to get at."

We fall into an uncomfortable silence. I notice Quill slows his pace slightly, and although I'm still upset with him, I'm thankful. Part of me thinks I'll die from exhaustion before I even get the chance to retrieve the Sword. Quill and I left the Banished Village shortly after we finished our conversation with Taira Teele. She recommended that only Quill and I met with Topher Jarole as he is a very suspicious man. Especially with anyone who belonged to or is working for the Royal family. In fact, she wanted me to go alone since, if I'm to use her own words, 'The man-child will only cause trouble." However, Quill refused to let me go alone, especially since he was the one who agreed to go in the first place.

We are walking through the Banished Lands forest. Quill is following the directions given to us by Taira Teele. They were complicated enough that my brain stopped focusing on her words. They sounded something like, Follow the path of red roses until you reach a fork in the path. You must turn right on this path, for if you turn left, you will combust into a flaming ball of fire. You will know you are there once you reach the star stones. These stones are unlike any other stone; they have magic and are not to be messed with. That may have been slightly exaggerated, but the point is that the directions were absolutely ridiculous. Hopefully Quill was paying attention to her.

"Look, I formally apologize for not consulting with you before I agreed to what she had asked us. But tell me this, Ebby, would you have made a different choice?" Quill breaks the silence.

I would have. I know I would have. What else could I have done?

I speak up, "That's not the reason I'm annoyed. It's just... How could you decide this without asking me first? I thought I was supposed to be the one leading this quest and saving you guys. Yet, my opinion isn't even considered or even heard when making decisions."

"I know. I'm sorry," Quill apologizes, and it sounds real.

"Wow. That almost sounded as genuine as the time you proposed to me," I joke, lightening the mood.

A smile breaks out across Quill's face. It's small, but it's there. Even though, Quill had slowed his pace a few minutes before, I find that I now have to jog every couple of steps in order to catch up with him. We continue to move in silence; however, it's not an angry silence like it was before.

Strange plants wrap around my feet with each step. It doesn't help that the leather shoes I was given don't really offer much grip along the jagged ground. I can already feel blisters forming on top of my other blisters. I think Artis would really benefit if they invested in some sneakers. With each step I take along the non-existent pathway, the grass licks at my feet. There are so many unfamiliar plants here yet somehow they all look slightly familiar. The trees look like any tree you would see in a forest except something is off about them.