Chapter 3: A Trail to Times Past

  “The meeting between ignorance and knowledge, between brutality and culture… It begins in the dignity with which we treat our dead,”

  -Field Priest Verkan.

  The village began returning to normality just as the guests got everything ready to leave. Servants cleaned their mounts’ waste and checked on carts’ wheels for the impending trip. The Lords from the five other clans and their entourage began leaving the town. After the new Clan Lord was chosen there was simply no longer a reason to stay.

  -“Coming here was a colossal waste of time,” Lord Euron of Clan Aureon said, sighing loudly while staring at the horizon. -“We could have just agreed on it and it would not have made a difference, right Verkan?” he said, turning to him. -“Did anybody even doubt Nero would win?”

  -“Well, I guess it was to be expected,” Verkan replied. -“Still, I just didn’t want to wait for a Great Clan Council when summoning all of you here is far easier,”

  -“And we all came here only because it was YOU who summoned us,” Lord Euron said. -“Anyone else would have been ignored,”

  -“And I’m thankful for that,” Verkan said.

  -“At least we saw familiar faces, and some new ones,” Lord Euron said. -“It was nice seeing you all. By the way, where is your lovely aide?”

  -“She’s been feeling down recently,” Verkan replied. -“I apologize on her behalf,”

  -“No need to, Verkan,” Lord Euron said. -“I understand. Trials can be a challenging task for a girl her age,”

  -“It's the path she has chosen,” Verkan said decidedly. -“I have no doubt she will rise to the challenge. Besides, I’m getting too old for these travels,”

  -“I suppose she will be the one burying me one day then,” Lord Euron joked. -“Anyway, you can always stop by on your return to Dawnfall,”

  -“And we will,” Verkan countered.

  -“I will hold you to it then,” Lord Euron said, offering his hand which Verkan promptly shook. -“Until next time, Verkan,”

  -“Until next time, old friend,” Verkan said, smiling. -“Godspeed,”

  Nina sat on a wooden fence outside town and watched the carts depart. Verkan went to speak with the Elders and Lord Nero but she had opted to stay behind. Talking with strangers wasn’t something she looked forward to, preferring to escape into her books.

  But even though she would need to get used to it sooner or later as part of her duties, she tried to push it to the latter part of the scale for as long as she could. Nina knew it was a childish way of thinking but she barely understood the clansmen, if at all.

  She still tried to fully grasp what happened in the Trial. Nina just watched someone die for the first time in her life, and it shocked the hell out of her. The chilling, windy morning and dark, cloudy sky felt oddly appropriate.

  Even though she didn’t even know the wardens, their deaths hit her hard. She understood their traditions and that it was their duty, but perhaps they didn’t have to die.

  No wonder why Lady Nana was so upset! Well, maybe it was for the best? They would be a thorn in Lord Nero’s side so I guess it was for the sake of the Clan and the greater good, right?! But Knights would never resort to that! She thought, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by loud steps approaching. She turned, already expecting to find Verkan.

  -“Sitting on your own again,” Verkan commented.

  -“Sorry Verkan,” Nina said dejectedly.

  -“Is everything alright?” he asked, concerned.

  -“I'll be fine,” she said. -“I'm just... need a minute,”

  -“First time, isn’t it?” Verkan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  Nina shut her eyes, shed a few tears, and nodded decidedly. Verkan gently embraced her with a single arm, prompting Nina to bury her face on his chest. There was nothing he despised more than seeing her cry.

  -“It hits hard the first time,” he broke the silence. -“It's only natural to be upset. You’ll get used to it… given time,”

  -“Dying... it’s only natural. Some die of old age, others by some illness… and others by the sword. These people don't see death as something dark and horrible but as a fact of life. For them, it's how you live that's important. They had an honorable death,” he explained.

  -“If you say so, Verkan,” Nina replied.

  -“I say so, we serve the God of Death after all,”

  It was at times like this when Verkan shared most of his wisdom. Nina always took his lectures at heart. To her, he was a caring ‘uncle’. He could come as a bit annoying at times with that unending repertoire of jokes, a far cry from her stupidly serious family.

  But Verkan always meant well. He had practically raised her and her cousins, and by now he had spent more time with her than her actual father ever had.

  -“Cheer up!” Verkan said, patting her on the back. -“I have some news that will get you in a better mood,”

  -“What is it?” Nina asked, looking up at him.

  -“Lord Nero has requested your presence,”

  -“ME?!” Nina countered, feeling her blood rushing to her face. -“W-why me?!” she asked, startled.

  -“Relax!” he said, trying his hardest not to laugh. -“He’s not going to hurt you, you know!”

  -“Then why has Lord Nero request-?” Nina began to ask when the realization hit her. -“He realizes I'm a priestess, right?!” she lashed out.

  -“I’ve heard he’s still a bachelor,” Verkan said with the straightest face he could make before bursting out in laughs.

  -“VERKAN!”

  -“I’m just messing with you! You’re so much fun to pick on!” he said, grinning. -“Seriously though, probably it’s just curiosity! You might have just caused a good impression last night,”

  -“But I didn't even do anything!”

  -“You climbed on top of the table in plain view of hundreds, and yet you ask?”

  -“Fine!” Nina replied, exasperated. -“Just give me a minute,”

  -“Just come and let's get this over with! I’m starving!” he said.

  They walked across the now deserted square to the town hall. Nina brushed her hair with her hands and put on her leather cap before swinging the door open. Inside they found the Elders sitting in a circle around Lord Nero.

  They briefed Lord Nero about the most urgent matters of the Clan when they noticed her presence. She gulped, and her heart skipped a beat just by seeing such important people, but feeling Verkan’s gentle hand over her shoulders eased her down a bit.

  Lord Nero noticed their presence and nodded. His body was still splattered in blood. He prompted them to get closer with just a motion of his hand. One of the Elders whispered in his ear. Lord Nero nodded in return, silently dismissing the Elders outside. He pointed to a pair of wooden chairs against the wall without uttering a word. Nina took both chairs handing one to Verkan, sitting timidly in front of Nero.

  An awkward silence took over the hall. She felt growingly anxious with each second. Lord Nero stared directly at her, just like the night before, and she fought the impulse to look away with all her might lest disrespect him. The shame hit her like a punch in the stomach after recalling it was she who was supposed to speak first. -“My Lord,” she said timidly.

  -“My Lady, you honor me with your presence,” Lord Nero replied.

  -“Congratulations on your victory, my Lord,” she said; now feeling slightly more eased. -“I’m glad you weren’t hurt,”

  -“Why thank you, my Lady. I appreciate your concern,” Lord Nero said.

  -“The way you fought…” Nina said, trying to come up with the right words for it. -“I’ve never seen anything like it! You must have to be the greatest warrior I've ever seen,”

  Lord Nero chuckled. -“You are good at flattery, my Lady, but that title would belong to the legendary Mage Slayer, not me,” he replied, grinning at her remark.

  -“The Mage Slayer?” she asked, intrigued.

  -“Anyone who saw him fight would be sure he is probably the best warrior in the world,” he said, leaning towards her. -“Have you not heard the stories?”

  -“Just vaguely, my Lord,” Nina said, softly. -“I thought it was just a legend,”

  -“I saw him with my own eyes,” Lord Nero recalled. -“I was about your age when he dueled the Red Mage at the Deathlands,”

  -“My family isn’t fond of war tales, my Lord, and my father never mentioned it either,” Nina replied.

  Lord Nero leaned closer, baffled. The formal atmosphere that had surrounded them instantly vanished. -“You are the Mage Slayer’s daughter, and yet he never mentioned it?” he asked to her shock. -“Your father is certainly a humble man!”

  What?

  Nina couldn’t say a word. She could hardly breathe. She turned to Verkan for answers. He only smiled in return. Why?! She felt hurt, cheated, and confused. How could my family hide that from me?! Why did my father never say anything about it?!

  -“I told Verkan I am looking forward to a fruitful relationship with the Church,” Lord Nero said, interrupting her thoughts. -“I hope we can help each other in the times to come,”

  Verkan patted her on the back, snapping her out of the shock. -“I-I would be pleased to be of help, my Lord,” Nina said on the verge of tears, though she did her best not to shed them.

  -“I am most pleased to hear that,” Lord Nero said. -“You two are welcome to stay as much as you like,”

  -“We appreciate your hospitality, Lord Nero, but sadly, we must depart shortly,” Verkan barged in. -“We have a long trip ahead and our schedule didn’t foresee Lord Burgan’s passing,”

  -“I understand,” Lord Nero said, standing up, his towering presence taking her off guard. -“Both of you are welcome to return any time. I have been Lord for barely an hour and I’m already overwhelmed by all kinds of problems. Lord Burgan left so much undone. Please excuse me, I must attend to my duties,” he said, walking outside.

  Nina turned to Verkan again, looking at him in the eyes. She tried her hardest to fight back tears but she was losing horribly. She didn’t say a word but her eyes implored for answers.

  -“Now you understand why I took you out of your family’s reach, don’t you?” Verkan asked.

  She didn’t reply. All she could do was keep her eyes shut. He then placed a hand on her shoulder, finally unleashing her tears. She wasn’t used to being touched but Verkan’s gentle hand had a comforting effect on her.

  -“Verkan, why do they lie to me?” she asked between sobs.

  -“Your family meant no ill will, Nina, but you were living under a rock,” he said, stroking her shoulder. -“Your mother and your aunt Edna went through the same. There is a great destiny waiting for you but you’ll never be able to see it locked in your islands. You are smart, curious, and talented! If you dare, you will achieve great things!”

  The way Verkan managed to lift her spirits could be considered magic. He always knew what and when to say to make her feel better. He patted her back before walking away. Nina jumped from her chair after him, taking a deep breath and wiping her tears with her sleeves, resolved to do her very best and not let him down.

  She walked outside and found him walking away. He turned to her, gesturing with a hand and mouth that she interpreted as ‘I’ll get something to eat’.

  This left her with the grim task of disposing of the fallen warden’s bodies. Nina gulped. The thought of just playing dumb and waiting for Verkan to do it crossed her mind but decided to take the initiative after recalling his previous words. She was bent on making him proud of her after all. It’s just a burial prayer! No big deal, girl!

  Nina timidly approached a fist of Clan warriors resting under the shade of a tree. They immediately stood at attention when they saw her walking to them. -“At your command, mo bhean-uasal!” one of the warriors yelled, startling the heck out of her. She wasn’t used to being treated with such sobriety but despite she was just a teenage girl, they instantly recognized the authority of her position.

  She took a deep breath to regain her composure. -“Excuse me,” Nina said softly. -“I need to move the warden’s bodies to their graves. Could you please help me?” she asked as nicely as she could.

  The warriors, however, took this as a command. -“You’ve heard the lady! Move!” their leader yelled at the top of his lungs, promptly mobilizing the rest.

  Of course! They are warriors, no knights!

  Nina shut her eyes tightly, until hearing the warriors walk away. She turned to the warden’s bodies which had been wrapped tightly in white sheets, dark crimson staining them. She looked just briefly but enough to glimpse the beheaded body, and its head detached from it through the sheet’s fabric. The mere sight made her stomach twist.

  A small crowd had gathered at the graves, only she, and a dozen workers that haven’t been allowed at the Trial. She promptly spotted Verkan between them, smiling at her in a sight that cheered her up. The warriors then gently lay down the bodies; one to each side of Lord Burgan’s grave as they would have wished.

  She then turned to the crowd.

  “Merciful Father, creator of all,

  Open your arms and receive these souls,

  Forgive the sins they have committed in life,

  And guide them back to paradise,

  On the endless fields of Prydain,

  Where their ancestors wait for them,

  Where they shall live forever,”

  “Selah!”

  The grave was filled as soon as Nina finished the prayer, and the crowd promptly dispersed. The warriors stood at attention for one last salute before leaving as well. There wasn’t a family mourning neither a widow’s wail; the wardens had given up everything to dedicate themselves to guard their Lord.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Such was the way of the Clans.

  Verkan then walked to her, holding a handful of leftovers from the night before, offering her a bit. She declined. Nina had eaten too much last night and had been desperately looking for a privy but couldn’t find any, and she was too embarrassed to ask. Verkan understood instantly, pointing at a long building behind the town hall. -“At the far side of the barracks,” he said.

  Nina raced to the latrine and locked herself inside it, grateful to be able to finally get some relief. Verkan chuckled. He took more bread slices for their trip and wrapped them in a clean cloth, storing it in his bag. There were lots of leftovers from last night’s banquet and it would be a shame if any of it went to waste.

  She came back soon after, and Verkan didn’t waste the chance to tease her, gently squishing a chunk of bread on her face. She let out a sigh but finally accepted the gift, taking a bite. It tasted just as good as last night.

  Their destination was a small town called Repose just a few miles away. The trip would only take a few hours. The villagers had decided not to cook for the day since there were so many leftovers from last night. They packed a pair of lunchboxes and filled their water skins, and waving the villagers farewell before finally hitting the road. They left the village at noon; luckily they should arrive before sunset.

  The weather was perfect for a stroll. A cool, gentle breeze blew over the fields, and the clouds had dispersed enough to allow just some sunrays to reach them and warm them up. The Gods had shown their mercy and decided to keep the dark grey clouds that had threatened to drop their rain the past few days at bay, at least for now.

  But usually, the highland weather was unforgiving. Perpetual rains battered the fields; strong winds blew away across green fields, and a thick, ethereal white mist could come down from the mountain range at any moment. It was a blessing the weather had mellowed just in time for the funeral and the trials.

  Nina watched the beautiful landscape in awe. Even though the endless dark blue sea, imposing white cliffs, and heavenly blue skies from her home islands were more appealing to her, the endless green fields, and forests dressed in a thin white mantle, and the perpetually dark, cloudy sky certainly had its charm.

  There were unending herds of cattle and bison peacefully feeding on the grasslands. She could even spot a pair of behemoths in the distance. She recalled reading about them. The books described them as colossal yet gentle beasts with magnificent fur that fed on grass, and that despite their size were mostly inoffensive.

  A frightened one could level entire buildings in their path but such cases were rare. They used to be preyed upon by dragons in times past but since dragons went extinct centuries ago, their population began to grow steadily.

  Nina felt a sudden spark of curiosity about dragons, recalling the theft of Nana’s food. She turned to Verkan. He seemed to know much about them. -“You said earlier that a dragon was responsible for stealing the food,” Nina said. -“What do you know, Verkan?”

  -“Well,” he said, pondering briefly and stroking his beard. -“There are many suspects, all of them equally improbable,”

  -“Why?” Nina asked.

  -“There’s the Highland raptor that was native of Midland,” Verkan said. -“It was a small but deadly predator. It was ubiquitous once but nobody has seen one alive in centuries,”

  -“How small?” she asked again.

  -“Small relative to other dragons,” Verkan replied. -Six feet long with its tail and a body half of that. It had long deadly claws and its body was covered in feathers. There’s one mounted in Clan Harmak’s hall,”

  -“How did it survive this long?” she asked again. -“Didn’t you say nobody has seen one in centuries?”

  -“Your guess is as good as mine,” he replied. -“But on a second thought, its feet don’t match the tracks,”

  -“What do you mean?”

  -“Dragons are very light, just like birds,” Verkan said. -“They have small feet and leave distinctive tracks. The tracks we found were different and quite large,”

  -“A Nordland dragon maybe?”

  -“Nordland dragons are larger, sure, but a fish and a few chicken pieces wouldn’t satisfy it,” he pointed out.

  -“And some eggs too,” Nina said.

  -“And some eggs too,” Verkan echoed. -“That’s hardly a snack for a Nordland dragon. They’re also far more aggressive. A starving one would likely prey on cattle instead of sneaking around, and it wouldn’t have gone so unnoticed either,”

  -“Right,” Nina countered, dejectedly. She had thought Verkan would give her the answers she was looking for but she just ended up with more questions. -“Then what do you think?”

  -“Who knows?” Verkan replied. -“But one thing is sure, it was an incredibly smart one. It waited until everyone was distracted to steal right under our noses,”

  -“A smart dragon,” She pondered briefly. -“A new kind maybe?”

  -“Maybe,” Verkan said, chuckling. -“I just hope they name it after me,”

  Nina chuckled. What could’ve been the culprit then? She thought briefly about it, imagining a small, lonely creature, probably the last of its kind. She turned to Verkan looking through his bag, and producing a handful of bread slices he had saved for their journey. -“I've been wondering if I’ve chosen the right path,” he said quietly, looking at the sky.

  -“You mean your path in life?” she asked curiously.

  -“No, I mean this path we are walking on right now,” he replied. -“There was a wider one I recall,”

  -“Oh, sorry,” she said, embarrassed.

  -“You don’t have to look for complexity in the simplest things, dear,”

  -“I thought you were talking about something else entirely,”

  -“But now that you mention it…” Verkan said, clearing his throat. -We can talk about deeper stuff if you like,”

  -“For the thousand time, Verkan…” Nina said, exasperated. -“I'm sure to be Priestess! I wouldn't be here if I wasn't,”

  -“I know, I know, it's just...” he replied. -“You’re awfully young,”

  -“Being a Priestess is just the first step!” Nina said decidedly. -“I don't plan to keep doing this my entire life you know! I would like to study at the Imperial University and become a teacher, just like you,”

  -“I'm no teacher Nina. I need a degree for that,” Verkan said.

  -“And yet you are the best teacher,” Nina replied, smiling.

  -“I just share a little of what I've learned, that’s all,”

  -“Well, I would love to teach in the Imperial University one day!” Nina said excitedly.

  -“That's a wonderful career choice Nina but you don't have to be a priestess for that,”

  -“I know, but you know my family, Verkan, they wouldn't have let me otherwise,”

  -“I know,” Verkan said, patting her head and messing with her hair. -“But you’re one stubborn girl, just like your mother,”

  -“Oh, sorry,” she said dejectedly, looking away.

  -“Don't be!” Verkan promptly corrected himself. -“I meant that as a compliment!”

  -“Verkan...” Nina said cautiously. -“Do you mind... if I ask about my mother?”

  -“Not at all, feel free to,”

  -“I’ve always heard how she was from other people but my family never gave me a straight answer the few times I asked about her,” she said, her eyes moist begging for a response.

  Verkan looked away briefly, stroking his beard and staring at the horizon. -“I understand your family,” he said quietly. -“Your mother was... controversial, to say the least,”

  -“Why?”

  -“Well, Ellia had some pretty radical beliefs, even for me,” Verkan said, looking at her. -“We didn’t agree for the most part but I have always respected her for it. Times had changed; back in the day it was more difficult to hold your own beliefs,”

  -“She was a strong and passionate woman with a brilliant mind and a giving heart,” he continued. -“Incredibly smart, resourceful, talented, and beautiful,”

  -“No wonder why dad loved her so much. Mom was your student too, right?” Nina asked again.

  -“Just until she earned the rank of High Priestess,” Verkan said. -“Then I became her student,”

  -“Why did you never earn a higher rank?” Nina asked, intrigued. -“Knowing you, you could’ve earned it easily if you tried,”

  -“And end my days locked up in a monastery?” Verkan countered earnestly. -“No thanks, I love this job,”

  -“I love helping these people, Nina,” he added, now more quietly. -“I belong to them, and I'll keep doing it until my final days,”

  -“Come on Verkan! You still have plenty of time until you free us of your stubbornness,” Nina replied smiling, echoing him in his conversation with Nana last night.

  -“If you say so,” Verkan said with a smile.

  -“Anyway, I never imagined you’d be from here. You look nothing like the clansmen!” Nina said, changing the subject.

  -“That’s because I’m half Nord, just like you,”

  -“Really?” Nina said, looking skeptical. -“I thought you hailed from the Empire,”

  -“Do I look like an Imperial?” he said, pointing at himself.

  -“I-I wouldn’t know,” Nina said nervously. -“I just thought it, well… you know… since you’re… b-better looking than most,”

  Verkan chuckled, grinning mischievously. -“Well, Imperials only look better in those ‘gallant knights’ books you love so much,”

  Nina’s heart stopped. Her eyes widened in absolute horror, and her face turned bright red. How does he know about THAT?! Verkan just exploded in laughter at her reaction. -“I-I-I d-do-don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!” she blurbed, looking away.

  -“Just so you know, I've been everywhere, child,” he said, leaning to her as she tried to avoid his gaze. -“I'm a highlander, my heart belongs here,” he continued, now with a more sober tone. -“There is something… magical about this place. It’s difficult to put it in words but you can't ignore its power,”

  She turned to him again. Verkan looked at the horizon just as the sun began to set behind the mountains. -“Well, no wonder why they respect you so much, Verkan,” Nina said. -“You understand these people so well,”

  -“Oh, they respect me, sure. But your mother?” he replied, raising a finger, anticipating her response. -“They adored her,”

  -“Really?!” Nina replied excitedly, eager to hear everything about it. -“Why I've never heard anything about it?”

  -“Well, it's not your fault,” Verkan said. -“You lived in a bottle up until recently,”

  -“The Clans hate to admit it but during the war, your mother was crucial for victory,” he explained. -“The imperials would have won if it wasn't for her,”

  -“Really?!” she countered, shocked. -“I always thought that it was my father who beat the Imperials,”

  -“Well, your father did most of the fighting after all,” Verkan said. -“But it was your mother who counseled him in strategic matters. Ellia recognized the need for a strong leader to rally the Clans, so she let your father step up and have the glory, remaining quietly at his side,”

  -“The Clan Lords like to think that they defeated the Empire with blood and steel alone, but it was your mother’s brilliant mind and her knowledge of Imperial tactics what actually won the war,”

  -“You fought in the war, Verkan?” she asked curiously.

  -“We all did in one way or another,” Verkan said. -“Lord Nero was just a boy back then. He could barely lift his sword! And even Nana cooked for the warriors!”

  -“I was wounded in the very first battle, while tending the wounded, mind you. It was your mother who saved my life, you know. She charged into the battlefield, looked for me, and dragged me to safety,”

  -“Really?!”

  -“I tell you!” Verkan said with a smile, rolling up a sleeve, revealing a long, nasty-looking scar running down his forearm. -“The Imperials gained the advantage during the early stages and won decisive victories one after the other. The Clans were led by Warlord Ingram. You might have heard about him,”

  -“Yes! Ingram the Conqueror!” Nina said excitedly. -“I've heard he was a great warrior!”

  -“Indeed he was, no doubt about that,” he replied. -“But he made many fatal misjudgments,”

  -“How?”

  -“Well, you see, Ingram fought in the same way any other Clan warrior would: like fighting in a Trial,” he said. -“He thought they could face the Imperials honorably. But the Empire has soldiers, not warriors, and that's the problem.

  -“They took advantage of the Clans’ code of honor to lure Ingram and his army into a trap. The Clans fought admirably. They make for excellent warriors, but they alone didn't stand a chance against the might of the Empire. Your father succeeded him after he was killed in battle,”

  -“Yes! I've heard that story many times!” she countered. -“He had to pass many Trials!”

  -“Indeed!” Verkan said. -“After that, he unified what was left of the Clans and led them against the Empire, with a little help from your mother, of course,”

  -“Tell me of your part in the war!” she pleaded.

  -“I didn't do much other than tending the wounded and getting wounded myself!” Verkan said, chuckling. -“That I wasn't killed it's nothing short of a miracle,”

  -“The Gods had other plans for you,” Nina said confidently.

  -“Maybe,” Verkan said, grinning. -“Like keeping you from tangling with your tongue,”

  -“T-t-that was just one time!” Nina replied, her face suddenly turning bright red.

  He just couldn’t help it anymore and cracked into powerful laughter, only making Nina all the more mad. She clenched her hands into tiny fists, only making Verkan laugh even harder. -“VERKAN!!”

  -“Sorry!” he said, wiping giddy tears with his gloves. -“I just couldn't help it. Your face is priceless!”

  Hmph! She pouted, indignant. -“I bet you didn't make fun of Mom like you’re making fun of me!”

  -“On the contrary!” Verkan countered. -“We just loved making fun of each other! That was the best part of traveling with her! She was so much fun to be with!”

  Nina pondered briefly about his words, envisioning her mother in this exact scenario. -“Yeah,” she said as the hint of a smile formed on her lips. -“I bet dad loved that too,”

  Verkan noticed her mood taking a nosedive and quickly changed the subject. -“But seriously, you never heard that your father was the Mage Slayer?”

  -“He talked about Mom all the time but I only heard him talk about the war once,” she said. -“He told me about the Trials, and even about my brother but he never said anything about the Red Mage, or even about the duel,”

  -“Well, it’s easy to understand why,” Verkan said. -“Anyone who wasn't there would probably think it’s only a legend. Even today, it’s still difficult to believe, even for us who witnessed it,”

  -“Why?”

  -“Because what we saw was something straight out of a myth!” he explained. -“The Red Mage’s power was terrifying! He alone decimated an entire army with his magic!”

  -“Really?!” Nina countered. -“Such magic exists?”

  -“It's real I tell you!” Verkan replied. -“I've got a nasty burn from a fireball he cast that still hurts to this day,”

  -“A fireball?! Really?! Where?!” she questioned rapidly.

  -“Behind, but I can't show you,”

  Ugh! Nina though, disgusted. Verkan just grinned, trying his best not to laugh.

  -“Anyway...” he said, carrying on. -“When the Clans’ forces faced the Imperial Army at the Deathlands, your father challenged the Red Mage to a duel that would decide the fate of the war. The Imperials accepted, confident in their victory,”

  -“But in our ranks all hope seemed lost, and no one believed he could beat such a foe! The Red Mage threw at him everything he got. He cast fire and brimstone! Thunder and lightning! But your father remained undeterred!” he said, waving his hands as if telling an epic tale.

  -“What few people know is that your father wasn't unprepared,” he explained. -“He’d been gifted an enchanted suit of armor just before the battle, and wielded a great axe made of the rarest and most secretive ore: Sky Steel! Which was said to be able to repel magic,”

  -“But whether or not that’s true isn’t important,” Verkan said. -“He accomplished the impossible that day, and after watching their champion slain at your father’s hands, the entire Imperial Army routed in terror to never return!”

  She smiled broadly. -“You surely know how to tell epic tales, Verkan,”

  -“What can I say? I've had plenty of time to practice,” Verkan said.

  -“It was nice to hear about mom and dad, thanks,”

  -“Don't mention it,”

  -“Strangely, my family never told me of that story, yet I've heard of other great warriors,” Nina said, now with high spirits. -“I bet I know more legendary heroes than you, Verkan,”

  -“Challenge accepted,” he said playfully.

  -“Do you know Onur the Mighty?” she asked.

  -“Oh, a great hero of old!” Verkan replied. -“Actually, I didn’t know him because he passed away hundreds of years ago, but I’ve heard of him,”

  -“Right,” she said. -“Um… And Krauss the Undying?”

  -“Not so undying though,” he said, chuckling. -“Killed in his sleep by a scorned woman,”

  -“Correct!” Nina said. -“Fasir the Giant Bane?”

  -“Many people believe ‘he’ was actually a woman,” Verkan said. -“That would explain his peculiar... interest in men,”

  -“Yeah, but I've heard that's not frowned upon in the Empire,” she replied.

  -“So I’ve heard,”

  -“You may have heard of him because he was from your time,” Nina said. -“Rudo the Vanquisher?”

  Verkan’s smile vanished instantly. He frowned just briefly before a grin appeared again on his lips. -“He’s only a legend, and that’s for sure!”

  -“Really?!” Nina asked. -“But he’s so well known! Are you sure he is only a legend?”

  -“If he was real, where was he when the Empire invaded?” Verkan countered.

  -“I don’t know,” Nina said. -“Maybe dead?”

  -“Only the Gods know,”

  Well, you responded correctly up until now,” Nina said. -“The God Slayer?” she dared to ask.

  -“That is also from the realm of myths,” Verkan replied instantly. -“And forbidden literature, young lady,” he said with a slightly more stern tone.

  -“Yeah… sorry,” she said, lowering her head. She wasn’t supposed to even read those books. She sighed loudly. If only he knew.

  -“Valder the Mage Slayer,” she said her father’s name, now adding it to the list of Midland’s ‘legendary heroes’. -“Why didn’t you mention it either?”

  -“You never asked,” he said smiling. Duh.

  -“When he comes back, I'm going to scold Dad for hiding that one from me!”

  -“That would be a sight to behold!” Verkan said, chuckling. -“The greatest hero of Midland being scolded by a little girl!”

  -“Hey! I'm not so little anymore! I'm thirteen!” Nina said, hitting him in the arm. Verkan just laughed even harder. -“VERKAN!”

  The pair kept talking for the rest of the trip, enjoying each other company, and the wonderful visuals the highland landscape provided as well. It was strange, to say the least, how such a somber, colorless landscape could also be so incredibly breathtaking.

  The king star had almost completely set behind the mountains but there was still enough sunlight left to see their destination just a few miles ahead over the hills. It’s been a long trip, and she could already relax knowing they would reach their destination soon.

  Little did they know, however, that a pair of large, predatory eyes lurking in the woods stared directly at them.