Stella Nova's Journey

Chapter 12- Borders

We started journeying on The Way about a week or so ago. The double mountains loom ahead of us, growing ever closer. As we ride I hear a snapping like noise. I glance up and see a rectangular, golden flag waving in the breeze. over the top of a hill. As we get closer I start being able to make out the dragon emblazoned on it's face. "Hey Cygnus."

"Yeah."

"I think we found those war camps I dreamed about."

"It would definitely seem that way." The road curves around the side of a hill. We clop our way around the hill.

"Halt! Who goes there!" Before me stands a man, mounted atop a tall, tan horse. The oils that coat his hide armor gleam in the sun. The golden plume of his helmet ripples in the breeze.Cygnus trots forwards. "We are travelers. On our way from the Archon Temple to Central Temple."

"May I see your identification."

"I'm sorry, our what?"

"Your identification. the papers that say you are who you say you are."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we have those."

I trot up slightly in front of Cygnus. "Will this work?" I hold up the pendant I got from Father Fosman.

The soldier rides up closer and inspects it. He holds it in his hand, turning it this way then that, the chain stretching from the cross to my neck. "Well it certainly seems genuine. I'll have to take you to the General. This way!"

He leads us down the road a little ways, then up the steep side of a hill with a tent sitting atop it. As we crest the hill, I see a massive camp sprawling out in the shallow bowl below. The bowl is a sea of gold, brown, and white mingled together. The hill crests surrounding the bowl each have at least one, white tent, roughly the size of my house, resting atop it.

The soldier marches us down to the largest tent. I feel eyes on the back of my head as we wade through the mass of soldiers in hide armor. Soon we arrive at what seems to be the center of the camp. A massive tent, easily two stories tall, towers above us. "Wait here." The soldier hops off his horse and walks into the tent.

After a few minutes the soldier comes out of the tent. He holds the flap open and motions for us to enter. "The General will see you now."

Cygnus and I walk through the flaps into the tent. The floor of the tent is covered in pelts of various animals. A woman, that seems to be about my age, sits in a large chair lined with pelts. Her hide armor gleams in the candle light. A helmet sits on a small table beside her, its large golden plumes stand straight, as though they defy the natural laws. "Sergeant Saurus, these are the travelers you mentioned?"

"Yes General."

"Well they certainly don't seem to be spies. You there, Girl!"

I glance around the tent, at first thinking that she's calling for someone else. Then upon seeing that the four of us are the only people in the tent I step forward. "D-do you mean me?"

"Of course I mean you! Do you see any other girls in here."

"N-no ma'am."

"Show me the pendent the that you showed the Sergeant." I step up to her and hold out the Dragons' Cross. She yanks it out of my hand and pulls it closer to her face, pulling me by the neck along with it. She turns it in her hands, seemingly inspecting every small scratch or dent within it. As she twists it in her fingers faint golden scales glimmer in the light. "It certainly looks genuine. How did you get it? You don't look like a nun."

"The Father at our temple gave it to me before telling us to go to Central temple."

"I see. Sergeant!"