Valtava: Dragon Sword

Chapter 9

As the trio made their way down the dirt path, Tony said to the girl, "Oh, we still haven't gotten your name yet. I'm Tony, and this is my friend Stephen."

"My name is Ada," she replied.

"Ada...that's a cute name!" Stephen remarked. The two young men now had a chance to take a good look at the girl, who appeared to be around the age of eighteen. She wore a light pink chiffon dress with a purple ribbon at the front, and her long black hair was held up with a silk white bow tie. She was elegant yet playful, and she bore the beauty of a high-class lady.

They walked and talked for the rest of the day, sharing their backgrounds and getting to know each other. Ada was the daughter of a wealthy family involved in overseas trade, especially with Marrock City. As her father passed away several years ago, her mother became the chieftess of their trading business, while Ada's uncle was responsible for trade between other regions of Dragmone. She excitedly offered that she could help Tony return to Valtava by letting him on one of their ships to Marrock City.

"That would be the most wonderful thing ever! I am so fortunate to have met you," Tony exclaimed, feeling hopeful for the future.

Ada grinned and responded, "It's the only thing I can do to return your favour!"

After hours of walking, the three adventurers were hungry and thirsty. They had reached a desolate area with a few trees scattered within vast fields of weeds. As they approached the trees, they saw that there were bright green fruits hanging high up from their branches. Tony instantly thought of the fruits that he fed on for the past five years in the Cavern of Reminiscence and felt a wave of nostalgia flow through him.

He turned to Ada and Stephen and said, "You two must be hungry. I'll go pick some fruits for you!"

"Hey, are you kidding? Those branches are twenty feet high!" Stephen commented.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Without another word, Tony took a giant leap into the air and treaded his feet against the thick trunk of the tree, using his momentum to propel himself upward. He took another leap and landed atop a sturdy branch, then swiftly picked a fruit with his hand. Ada held her hands up to her chin, being a bit apprehensive as she watched but at the same time feeling her heart beat with admiration.

"Here, catch!" Tony threw the fruit down to Stephen. He picked several more and passed them down until they could no longer fit the fruits into their pockets. Tony jumped back onto the ground and met his companions who praised him for his abilities.

When it became nightfall, they made themselves comfortable on a bed of grass, easily falling asleep after a long day of traveling. They continued their journey for the next few days, chatting and eating their juicy sweet fruit every now and then. The weather was the hottest Tony had ever endured, which was pleasant at night but a difficult adjustment for him during the day. Ada would take out her handkerchief and dab away at his face, laughing at how vulnerable he was to the heat.

Soon, they reached another large field of wheat and a small farmhouse sitting serenely in the distance. They noticed that the vegetation was completely dried up, and there was not a single patch of green in sight. Curious, they decided to go up to the farmhouse and see if anyone inhabited it. They quickly approached the structure and began to hear voices coming from within.

"Grandfather, why won't you eat? Do you know how worried you are making us?" a woman's voice said, sounding obviously distressed.

The three of them went up to a window from the side wall and peered inside. They saw a middle-aged couple hunched over a bed, on top of which lay an elderly man who was visibly frail and in poor condition. The woman was holding a piece of bread to his mouth, but the elderly man did not move.