The Reformation Wars: Beginning of the End

Chapter 6

No more harm befell Dustin and Jude for the rest of the day's travels, or at least not in the way of winged devils and the like. Strange noises all around kept them on edge much of the time, but nothing ever came of it. The only harm remaining was the harsh sun, beaming down with an intensity Dustin had never imagined possible. His skin hadn't melted yet, but it felt ready to ignite instead.

Nonetheless, after a day's travel that dragged on for several eternities, Dustin and Jude came to a stop at the brink of a steep rock face. In the waning light of he setting sun, they peered down on a miracle—an entire settlement built around a rare body of water that wasn't a mirage or mere wishful thinking. Ridiculous as Dustin had thought the idea of Nathan Korynn living out in the wildlands was, now he had to contend with the fact an entire tribe of dark-skinned men and women had made homes there. Not only that, but the homes appeared rather permanent, many being made of stone and other quite immovable materials. These were no nomads.

Dustin glanced over at Jude and widened his eyes. "Somehow, this is the most unbelievable sight my eyes have beheld in this cursed place."

"It certainly does call much into question." Jude pointed down with a frown. "Are those children down there?"

With a glance down, Dustin found Jude's suspicion confirmed. A trio of young children toddled across a gap between two buildings, their heads and bodies enwrapped in cloths to protect them from the fading sun's rays.

"You're right!" Dustin exclaimed, "Who in their right mind would come to settle in such a place, let alone bear children here?"

"Well, we still have no guarantee any of these people have their wits about them. None, aside from Sir Korynn, of course."

"Of course. Speaking of whom, we may as well make our way down before we lose light."

Jude acknowledged with a dip of his head. "Very well. Let's be wary, though. After all, the last time Sir Korynn was seen alive to our knowledge, was quite a while before you were even born. We can't dismiss the possibility he no longer walks this earth, especially given this environment."

"There's the pessimist again." Dustin remarked as he began making his way to a steep slope several paces off that led down into the encampment, "You do make a good point. But if those winged devils were unable to defeat us, surely ordinary men could hardly do any better."

"Hubris oftentimes precedes defeat, Dustin."

"You could have simply said 'pride goeth before the fall'."

"Then you would have mocked me for antiquated dictation." Jude said with a laugh, "There is no winning with you."

"I'm too mighty to be defeated." Dustin jested, "You should know that by now."

"Unfortunately, I do."

Before long, the two completed their descent, and they found themselves in the midst of the settlement. A few dozen stone structures huddled around the basin of water in the middle, with an elliptical cobblestone road encircling everything and branching into narrower lanes to facilitate travel. Currently in the shadow of a rocky enclave, Dustin spotted the greenest part of the little town, a lush oasis of trees and miscellaneous crops growing around a smaller pool of water only connected to the main basin by a slender passage.

The settlement's inhabitants stared intently at Dustin and Jude as they stepped foot onto the main road. After all, they couldn't possibly bear a more striking dissimilarity in comparison with them. Their pale skin, dry and reddened from hours of overexposure to the sun, greatly contrasted the natives' complexion, dark as coffee and furthermore, mostly concealed by wrappings of white cloth. And whereas the youths possessed merely average height to pair with their athletic physiques, the swarthy desert-dwellers stood taller, with sinewy limbs and slender bodies.