The second day was expected to be the worst part of this quest - A very long walk was ahead of us, after all. In the early morning we passed the Border Peaks, which went surprisingly smooth. Aleiana seemed to be freezing even more than last night, but the view from atop the range definitely paid off.

  ‘Hey, hey, I can even see the ruins of Nortwall from here!’ she shouted. Her eyes were filled with excitement. The more time we spend together, the more she reminds me of my sister.

  I wonder what she’s up to. I miss her.

  Walking up to her spot I take a look at the scenery below us. You really could see as far as the ruins of the former capital of the Last Alliance. Or, better said, whatever remained of it.

  ‘Have you been there back before the Mage wars?’

  ‘No, sadly not. I’ve heard how beautiful the city was, but never got the chance to visit it. I’ve only left our kingdom very recently, after the War of the Ancients.’

  War of the Ancients. The conflict between humans and the dark god Mirodius that ultimately resulted in humanity destroying their former deity. Historians refer to it as a war, but it was really more of a massacre - the casualties on both sides were horrifying, and the worst was yet to come.

  The God-King Gardros was not very happy to hear the news of one of his most powerful servants perishing, thus the decision to unleash the elemental lords upon the Mortal realm. After the conflict, the Guardians have disbanded and parted their ways, except for my parents. They have eventually reformed whatever has remained of the legendary group and not only did they imprison the elemental lords once again, but even took the war directly onto the God-King.

  Since their disappearance after the Dark Age ended with Gardros’ death, the Mortal realm has turned into complete chaos. Mages have started what would later be referred to as the second Mage war, an all-out clash between various mage clans for supremacy. Many places have been destroyed by these fights, including the then-capital of the defunct Last Alliance. The wars haven’t officially ended, but the vast majority of the fighting has ended and the surviving mages have mostly returned into their lives as adventurers.

  Aleiana’s answer brought about another question: ‘What made you leave your family behind and live as an adventurer?’

  The girl’s cheerful face turns more serious as she faces me: ‘My entire family died in the war. I have inherited the smithy after them and used it for a while, until a certain adventurer came to me with a special request on a sword. His demand required collecting a rare gemstone called the Stars’ Voice, which we ended up searching for together. I fell in love with adventuring, so after forging the blade I have sold everything our family’s left behind and since then I’ve been travelling around.’

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  ‘...Did you say the Stars’ Voice?’

  She nods in response: ‘Yes, a nice name, don’t you think?’

  Could it be just a coincidence? No way. A sword shining as bright as the skies filled with stars, named after the gemstone socketed into its hilt. A blade powerful enough to rival even the Godswords.

  ‘Is something wrong?’ her shining eyes give me a worried look.

  ‘Do you by any chance remember the client’s name?’

  ‘Of course, I couldn’t forget one of the most important people in my life! His name ss Kretiros. Kretiros Pendra-!’

  ‘Pendragon. And the blade was forged as a gift for Eilena Icefell.’

  She seemed surprised: ‘Yes, but how do you know all that?’

  A moment of hesitation. I’ve said too much, but I’m afraid it’s too late at this point to say something like just a coincidence. I was supposed to keep my identity a secret, what a blunder…

  ‘I am the son of Kretiros and Eilena.’

  For a moment, she just stares at me speechless.

  ‘I think we should get going, otherwise we’re not making it tonight,’ I say, looking down as I start descending down the mountains into the rocky wasteland known as the Wilderness.

  I’m starting to regret taking her, of all the people, with me.

  The following hours have been very silent, we traversed the hollow landscape without saying as much as a single word. This awkward silence has been very unpleasant, but it was my curiosity that had caused it, after all. I just hope this quest is over soon so we don’t have to see each other again and she can forget everything about me.

  A large cliff has stopped our walk. A massive gorge filled with dead vegetation and small ponds has entered our view. It seems as if there is no way over the large chasm.

  For a moment, we just stand there trying to figure out a way to traverse this enormous obstacle standing between us and our goal.

  Suddenly, I feel a very unpleasant aura just a bit behind us. ‘Watch out!’ I shout and push my companion aside. An arrow barely misses her ear.

  Turning around, I see a quartet of people standing there. One is armed with a bow, another holding a book. Two of them are heavily armoured, one wielding a greataxe and the other holding a shield. All their faces are hidden under hoods and helmets.

  The blood-red colour of their equipment could only mean one thing - dragon hunter clan.