THIRD BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘈 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘺. 𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.
Two sides of the same coin are brought to the light...
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2412 Iclis 4, Velpa
They stuck to the border between Cardina and Lanteglos for the past few days since they left the shadowy forests of Carleon. Three days ago, Ezril had sent them to Lifver's tapered end that connected straight through a forest where the borders between the three territories lie.
"My blessings on your journey," Ezril had said before sending Xanthy and June on their way. There had been no changes with Xanthy's sentiment, though. She would dearly miss the comforts of the Temple.
Here she was again. On another journey. In another forest.
Cardina's Palace loomed to Xanthy's east, its spires a bit blurry in the distance. Unpleasant memories echoed in Xanthy's mind as she watched the flags crowning the spires wave at her through the gaps between tree trunks. Her fingers tightened on the reins of her paulsare, courtesy of the Temple, and June had to reach out from across his to wrap a hand around hers.
Xanthy sighed. At least, she finally got to see the Palace from behind. The murky water from the moat still sent that earthy smell despite the various flowers and trees around her.
The road was more or less non-existent and there were a few travelers with them on this road. It had been hours since they last met a fairy astride a colorful dagrine going the opposite way. Xanthy could understand that, somehow. The main trade route would be the one connected from the Magic Road and through Carcalet.
"It would be wise to avoid Lanteglos as much as we can help it," June had said before steering them further into the forest.
It was their third day on the journey with paulsare and if June's estimates were correct, they'd arrive at Yin Alora, Peltra's foremost city, by moonsrise. Xanthy craned her neck at the sky hindered by yet more trees and inhaled the fresh forest air. Squeaks, twitters, and other animal sounds played in Xanthy's ears as she watched some of them scamper through leaves and leap from branch to branch.
Xanthy kicked her paulsare's flank lightly, urging the animal to sidle alongside June's paulsare. "Hey," she inclined her head in June's direction. "I was just wondering about something."
June raised an eyebrow before taking a swig on a fairy potion vial. Xanthy knitted her eyebrows. Were half-bloods even allowed to drink fairy potions? Well, it looked like June's stomach wasn't going to be burned anytime soon so yeah, maybe half-bloods could. "Yes?" June prodded.
Xanthy shook her head and jerked her chin at the forest around them. "If Cardina is as close to the Imperial City," she glanced at a blurry mass of cobbled roads and tall buildings beyond the line of trees by June's side. "Why haven't the Humans invaded Lanteglos yet? Why haven't the humans done anything even just on this border?"
"Perhaps they don't want another war," June scratched at his eye before flicking the reins to his paulsare to encourage the beast to continue walking. "Why have something so devastating in such a peaceful time as this?"
