10 | History (I)

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2412, Iclis 15, Kindreth

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2412, Iclis 15, Kindreth

Xanthy spent the night leaving Dwanzeig as quietly as she could using one of the riding animals that resembled a dagrine but more colorful which Eldan called for her. In each step the animal took, Xanthy bounced against its flank. She gripped the reins and pushed forward.

Nyxis's words to her last night still pounded in her head. He told her he liked her all this time. What...what was she supposed to feel after that?

The road sloped downward. Xanthy flicked the reins and the dagrine surged downward. The wind whipped Xanthy's hair away from her forehead. If only she wasn't preoccupied at the moment, she would have ridden this animal up to whatever end waited for her at the island's edge.

Could she love someone at this point in her life? Probably not. She has a throne to look for and a hard choice to make. She just ended a relationship. Lastly, she wouldn't even be with any of her friends after she...

Xanthy's hold tightened on the reins. She urged her dagrine faster as they tore through the multi-colored undergrowth that comprised forests of Komery. This wasn't the time to think about any of those. Focus on one thing at a time.

For instance, Desara. She's going to Desara where this "beacon" was supposed to be.

Sunlight seeped through the canopies and turned the forest floor into a dappled landscape as Xanthy approached the border between Komery and Ansevir. She squinted in the distance and noted the line of trees that cleared into an expanse of white and blue. If what Eldan showed her on the map was to be trusted, that would be Aresving, or at least, the edge of it.

Xanthy later disembarked at the edge of Dwanzeig. That's about how far the dagrine could take her. She stroked its muzzle and dug an ajilte from her satchel. The animal neighed once before biting into the fruit. Then, it turned, the fruit still clasped between its teeth, and disappeared back from where they came from. Within a few moments, its multicolored coat had already blended with the mass of colors the flowers in the forest had.

A sigh escaped Xanthy's lips. She turned to the expanse of sand beyond her. She'd find a merchant cart to hitch a ride with at the center of this city. For now, though, she'd have to walk.

That had been Xanthy's life for the next few hours of the morning. She drew her cloak fuller into her shoulders. It was a cloak Eldan fished from his room and lent to her. Despite Eldan's height and broad shoulders, the cloak fit Xanthy exactly at the right width and height. Weird.

Hot wind blew from the ocean, taking along with it the faint roar of the ocean waves. The coast was a far venture from Aresving but Xanthy could already feel the salt mixing with the air and the sand stinging her eyes.

Her boots sank against the sand with every step she took. Thoughts roiled in her head, reminding her that every minute she spent in this city was another minute that June had to walk the line between Pidmena's realm and theirs.

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