Valtava: Dragon Sword

Chapter 22

"Welcome to Emeradia!" Janice exclaimed. Tony, Katerlina, and Jackie all peered out the window of the carriage, fascinated by the prairie view. Dozens of tents were scattered among the fields, and horses were sitting in the tall grass, munching on their lunch. There were soldiers walking about, greeting Janice as they passed by.

"It's my first time in Emeradia, and it's really quite beautiful here!" Tony said in awe.

The carriage stopped when they reached the largest tent, which was guarded by a pair of soldiers. They bowed their heads at Janice as she exited the carriage. The three youngsters followed her as she approached the tent and brushed it open.

"Turbo, I'm home!"

The group peered from the tent's entrance and saw a man inside, who was busy examining a cloth map. He was dressed in steel armour, with his hair pulled neatly into a bun. He turned around to face Janice, and a warm smile formed on his face.

"Janice, you're back! Did you have a safe trip?" he asked as Janice went up to him.

"Mmmm, I've brought several carts of medical supplies with me. Thankfully we didn't get into any danger. Oh, and look who I've brought with me!" Janice motioned for Tony, Katerlina, and Jackie to step inside. Turbo turned his attention to the visitors, who entered the tent and all bowed their heads at him.

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Uncle Turbo!" Tony greeted.

"You are...?" Turbo asked, his face bearing a welcoming but curious look.

"He's the son of Brayden and Amber! His name is Tony," Janice said in an excited tone.

Turbo looked at Janice, then back at Tony as he let the words sink in. "You...you're the son of our good friends Brayden and Amber?" Tony nodded, and Turbo grasped him by his shoulders and examined the young man carefully. "I never thought I'd live to see their son. You really bear a resemblance to them!"

"Uncle Turbo, I never thought I'd be lucky enough to see you either. Thankfully, I bumped into Aunt Janice on my way from the Northern Lands, and she was kind enough to give me a ride here," Tony said.

"Quick, have a seat and we can talk slowly. You must all be tired and hungry." Turbo turned to the soldiers standing nearby and instructed them to prepare a meal. The soldiers brought some extra tables and chairs into the room, and soon, they had a feast ready for them.

"Here, cheers to our family union!" Turbo said as he raised a cup of wine.

"Cheers!" the others repeated.

After taking the sip, Turbo turned to Jackie and Katerlina and said, "Oh, I haven't gotten your names yet. Are you two Tony's friends?"

"Yes, my name is Jackie, and this is Katerlina," Jackie introduced.

"Oh, you must be the senior disciple of Mount Hau! I've long heard about your skills in swordsmanship and your help in protecting your people from the Hollow Men. Your chivalry is really something to be admired."

Jackie chuckled. "You flatter me, General Turbo."

"And this young mistress is Katerlina?" Turbo asked, gesturing towards her.

She bowed her head gently and responded, "Yes, I came with Tony to help him with his mission of looking for the Dragon Sword."

"The Dragon Sword? Have you guys found it yet?" Turbo asked, his eyes suddenly lighting up with hope.

The three youngsters shook their head in dismay. Tony explained, "Unfortunately, I had obtained the Dragon Sword from Wallace, the previous Dragon Master. I was planning to return to Valtava with it, but I was in a shipwreck and lost hold of the sword. We've been looking for it since but haven't seen any trace of it."