The Fifth Song: A Songs of War Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Sully of the Crown Peak

Days later, the trio had finally arrived at a busy village known as Oakendale. The roofs were spruce brown and the fields were stuffed to the brim with wheat. 

"Look, Senn," Thalleous pointed out. "We are approaching Oakendale."

"Oakendale? Where's that?" Senn wanted to know.

"We are in Conchord, the nearest kingdom to Sendaria," Nova answered, also familiar with the land due to her seasoned travels alongside Thalleous.

As Timber and Comet strode deeper into the village, Senn spotted something by the gates. A group of stone people with glowing veins of lava running through them were working in a mine. "What are they?"

"Those are Magnorites," Nova replied. 

"Do NOT make eye contact, Senn," Thalleous quickly added. Nova nodded once in agreement, remembering how she and Thalleous had a bad run-in with the Magnorites before. 

Once safely inside the gates, the two Ardoni travelers dismounted their horses and helped Senn off of Timber's back. 

"Stay close behind me, you two. Even capital cities can be rough," Thalleous warned, getting something out of his rucksack. "Also...you should wear this, Nova."

Thalleous held out a dark cloak with a hood. Nova bent a confused brow back at him. "What's this for?"

"To cover your...er..." Thalleous struggled to find the right words without offending her.

But Nova didn't need any further explaining. "Yeah, I got it," she huffed, pulling the cloak over her shoulders and drawing up the hood just enough so that it hid her orange eye.

The trio walked deeper into the village, which was bustling with activity. Nova had long since trained herself not to get caught up in the many distractions that surrounded them. However, much to her dismay, Senn was not as well trained. She nearly tripped over herself pulling him out of the path of a lumbering golem. "Watch where you're going, Senn!" she whispered to him under her breath. "You're going to lose your head!"

Senn flattened his horns to his head in embarrassment. It was hard not to look around.

"We are clear for travel to Crown Peak," Thalleous said, returning from a map stall. 

"Wait, we're traveling FURTHER?" Senn said with disbelief. "We must be at the end of the world by now!"

Nova was barely able to hold back a snort of laughter. "If this is what you call 'the end of the world', you've got a lot to learn, young one."

"Senn, we have barely crossed a fifth of Ardonia," Thalleous gently scolded. "We have not even left the North!"

The group went up into a tower where a powerful beacon pulsated. Nova had traveled by beacon before. From personal experience, she knew that riding them took ages to get used to. She hoped Senn would be alright for his first ride.

"What is this place?" Senn asked. "Thalleous, Nova, where are we going?"

"By the time we're on the other side, THEN you can say we're at the end of the world," Nova said. "Now, listen carefully, Senn. I need you to hold on tight to Thalleous and I, understood?"

"Why?"

"Things might get a little bright..." Thalleous admitted. "A-And loud...and...er..."

"Oh, you'll see," Nova interrupted to save her traveling partner of the elongated explanation. She already had to sit through it once and wasn't keen on doing so again. 

The trio stepped onto the beacon's pedestal. Senn stared in confusion at the beacon's beam for a moment. Suddenly, they were in a spiraling void of light and color. By the time they had landed, Senn's eyes were spinning.