Valtava: Dragon Sword

Chapter 21

The horses galloped across the bright pink sand dunes, kicking sand up behind them. The sun hung in the sky, but the air was cooler than it had been during the past several days of traveling. Fennie squinted her eyes as she looked at the landscape in front of her, trying to decipher whether she was hallucinating at the sight of faint green hills in the distance.

She pulled her horse's reigns, triggering it to slow to a stop. All the men behind her did the same thing, and they took a moment to marvel at the scenery ahead of them.

"Stephen! Look! We're almost at Emeradia!" Fennie exclaimed, pointing at the vast rolling hills.

"Really? That's...amazing..." Stephen said, his voice trailing off. His eyelids drooped to a close, and he leaned his body downwards as he felt his head become a massive weight. Suddenly, he fell down from his horse, rolling along the sand for a few feet until he lay flat.

"Stephen!" Fennie shrieked, jumping off her horse. She ran down next to him and shook him, but he remained unresponsive.

The other men all crouched down next to Stephen, trying to examine him. One of them felt his pulse and let out a distressful sigh. "It seems like he isn't going to hold on for much longer."

"What do you mean? He said he was going to make it to Emeradia! He can't just die now!" Fennie screamed. Her hands shook as she tried to think of what to do. Her eyes landed on the Dragon Sword still strapped to his back, and without hesitation, she pulled the sword away and strapped it onto herself.

The other men tried to stop her by grabbing onto the sword, saying, "Fennie, you mustn't carry the sword! It will suck your energy away!"

"Don't touch me!" she said as she pushed the men's arms away, trying to blink back the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"If you want to carry it, then please let one of us do it for you!"

Fennie looked at the men with a stern expression, then said, "If Stephen can risk his life to bring this sword to Emeradia, then why can't I? In worst case I'll die with him, but it will be worth it."

The men saw the determination in her eyes, and they nodded in pride knowing she had matured into a young woman with a sense of chivalry and righteousness.

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Night had fallen, and the woods were soon surrounded by the sound of buzzing crickets again. A cool wind brushed past Tony's cheeks, sending him to sleep as he leaned against the stone gravestone. Katerlina found some more logs to add to the campfire, and she huddled next to it, rubbing her arms as she tried to stop herself from shivering. She looked at Tony's sleeping figure and felt her heart sink as she recalled the previous night's events and the despair it had placed on him.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize Jackie's footsteps approaching from behind her. She only felt a blanket being placed onto her shoulders, and she looked back to see his face towering above her.

"It's turning to autumn now, be careful not to catch a cold," he said.

"Thank you. Where did you get this blanket?"

He sat down next to her and picked up a stick to move around the firewood. "There are a couple empty cabins around, I found a few belongings in there. Oh, guess what else I found?" He reached behind him and pulled out a glass jug, and she knew instantly what was inside.

"Who knows how old that wine is, you still dare to drink it?"

He laughed, "Any wine is good wine. In fact, the longer you let it sit, the more flavourful it gets." He opened the cloth cap covering it and took a big gulp. He passed on the wine to Katerlina and said, "You haven't drank anything all day, why don't you have a sip?"