I had a bag with my log books and everyday materials, as well as my bow with two quivers of arrows, two crossed swords, and a battle halberd. After changing and putting on a hunting suit, I got out of the carriage and looked at the two of them.
"Change of plans. You two should come home now. I'm going another way. Doug, go in the carriage and give me your horse," he said without hesitation. I never distrusted my intuition; My senses have never lied to me.
After an argument and some insistence, they decided to comply. I mounted the horse, with some load on my back, and turned to the two of them.
"We'll see you in four years," he smiles at them before retreating down the path they had come, riding as fast as he could.
They looked at each other, not quite understanding what was happening.
Soon after, they decided to set up camp.
But I couldn't afford to rest.
I grabbed the horse by the halter, and as soon as I pulled away from the main trail, I jumped into a dense bush by the wayside. My body hid among leaves and branches, my heart racing, as I fixed my gaze on the road.
Two long minutes passed, and then I heard the sound of squeaking wheels and hooves on the beaten ground. The carriage appeared slowly, escorted and imposing, heading towards the Golden Galleon—the same fate they and I had.
On the side of the carriage, a coat of arms shone: a purple butterfly, the symbol of a noble family.
It was not just one carriage, but several—all advancing in convoy. Some carried supplies, others important nobles, escorted by up to five combat masters.
Suddenly, one of the carriages stopped. The door opened, and a young nobleman came down, with a confident smile and steady gaze.
"Are you two also going to the Golden Galleon?" he asked, addressing Rammal and Doug.
Rammal responded quickly, with a plausible excuse:
"No, we were just doing a local inspection. This carriage has been produced now, and we were testing it."
The young man gave a suspicious look, but did not insist.
"I see. See you later," he said, getting back into the carriage and resuming the journey.
They were a few days ahead of us, so we couldn't detect the stampede that came out right behind.
"That's weird," I heard Doug whisper, turning pale.
Something in the air has changed.
The feeling of danger tightened his chest.
Without rest, I watched them turn around.
Gradually, I pulled my body out of the bush, mounted the horse, and made my way back.
—•—
I rode for several hours until I stopped in front of an old stone path, abandoned and blocked by a fallen tree trunk. I made the horse jump over him, and the ringing in my ears—which had been bothering me for a while—began to become steadier. It felt like there was an entire hive vibrating inside my head, but interestingly, it wasn't as uncomfortable as before.
After crossing a fork, I noticed several maple trees flanking the path. They were small, with pointed and red leaves. The further I went, the more present they became, tinting the entire forest an unsettling crimson hue.
It was already noon when I finally saw her: the mansion. It stood beside a colossal maple, whose thick, tall branches cast broad shadows on the ground. But the construction... it was in ruins. More than three-quarters had been consumed by the flames, reduced to ashes. What remained were only fragments — disconnected sessions of what had once been luxurious rooms.
At first glance, I didn't notice anything strange. But as I approached, I felt my body turn pale. On the thick trunks of nearby trees, skeletons dressed in old, dirty clothes hung, tied by the neck. There were many... hung as if they were part of a grotesque decoration. A kind of macabre work of art — silent and cruel.
My horse suddenly stopped in front of the tree. He stopped as if he had hit an invisible wall. No matter how much I pulled the reins—he didn't move. It was frozen... of fear.
I went down without saying anything, feeling the air around me change. I organized my things quickly, as if some instinct screamed inside me to be prepared. I turned around the animal and started walking, trying to understand what was there. With each step, a different shiver went up my spine, like electric discharges. It was as if the fire of my soul — that flame that I have always carried — began to burn brighter.
There was something there. Something that was not seen, but that was impossible to ignore.
I walked for a few more meters, until I stopped in front of the tree. And then I saw it.
A childlike skeleton.
He was attached to his torso, with his feet suspended in the air. He wore a dark brown jumpsuit over a white dress shirt, dirty and faded by time. And right in the middle of your head... an axe. Spiked. As if he had divided it in life.
I stood there, staring at it. Minutes passed, maybe more. My heartbeat raced, and everything inside me seemed to reject what I saw. I tried to rationalize, but I couldn't. I could only face it.
"Was he your guide?" I heard a voice behind me.
I turned slowly. A woman approached with her horse. She wore a swordsman's suit that was tight to her body and carried a posture that made it clear: she was a master of combat.
"Can you hear me?" she waved in front of me, trying to get my attention.
"Yes, I can," I replied with a brief smile, before turning again to the skeleton in front of me. "He was my guide"
"Fraud must be intercepted now," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Frauds?" I asked, still stunned by everything that was happening.
"Yes, every year the Church tries to sneak people into us," she said. "That's why we developed a unique method of communication. Those who are not called, end up ambushed in the middle of the road... by the Church herself"
"But why?" I asked, confused.
"Because, if they are not spies, they are people willing to help the dark magicians. And that, in the Empire of Dawn, is seen as treason" She paused, staring at me seriously. "Those who arrive at the Golden Galleon... they never come back"
"I see," I said, trying to calm myself as I stared at the skeleton curiously.
"Thank you, little guy," I admitted, not knowing exactly how to say thank you, but I knew I wouldn't forget that anytime soon.
The girl was silent and walked to the tree, paying her condolences. I wondered how Zaatar was so sure that this was exactly the right skeleton.
"It seems I'm not the only special one around here" said a young and lively voice, coming from the path.
A boy came towards us. He wore a white suit, had long blond hair tied in a braid and two pairs of light blue eyes, which seemed to be the very definition of purity.