The Order of Dragonfire

Chapter 7

Alex looked up towards the treetops as twigs snapped underfoot. The gentle sounds of wildlife were all around but there were no animals to be seen. According to Ava's notes nothing in this region of the forest should be dangerous, but she was cautious all the same. The previous day was still unnerving her and its effects, both mental and physical, seemed like they would be with her for a long time. She had slept poorly and wasn't well rested when she decided to set off, but was still able to heal the worst of her remaining injuries. All that remained was a dull ache when she stepped upon her newly mended leg. She looked down at the dragonstone ring on her finger; its battered form certainly wasn't pretty, but that wasn't important. Its discovery almost made the encounter worthwhile.

The new landscape was a welcome change from the desert. The barren sands spanned hundreds of miles from Serpensbane to the west, though only a few dozen eastwards so Alex had only passed through a small corner of the hostile land. She would be safe amongst the trees, at least compared to the desert and its barbaric inhabitants. A few hermits supposedly had settled within the forest but Alex expected they would give her no trouble so long as she stayed out of their way. Now that she had the ring there wasn't much threat they could pose to her anyway.

After walking through the humid heat all day she was relieved to reach the river before nightfall. The River of Life was supposedly the first water to flow through the northern expanse once the dragons had left and the scorched earth began to recover. She refilled her empty canteens, eagerly gulped one down and then filled it again. It was nice to know that she wouldn't have to be so careful with water anymore, at least not for the night. She was also glad that she'd be able to bathe; the desert and leather armour had been doing her cleanliness no favours.

Although the trees shaded her from the setting sun, it was still unbearably hot. If anything, the humidity of the forest felt even worse than the desert. This new world was a far cry from the snowy mountaintop she had once called home. The sleepless nights were starting to take their toll and Alex realised that she would have to do something about it. Although she didn't like feeling vulnerable, sleeping in plain clothing without the leather armour would probably help. She already knew she was unusual for sleeping in armour, even if it was only light, but these were unusual circumstances. Even so, unlike the desert the forest contained no poisonous or otherwise dangerous animals - that she knew of, anyway. There shouldn't be any bandits either, but she was well hidden and if they did manage to find her sleeping then her protection wouldn't be much use. As she slipped out of it and left the pile of leather with her pack, she made sure to keep the ring with her. That was probably her greatest protection of all, and she certainly wasn't planning on losing it.

Alex found herself looking out upon what had once been the mighty Mienolite empire. From this height she could see for hundreds of miles in each direction. In the distance she could even make out the Edge, and a few flickering lights near the summit of one particular mountain she thought was Serpensbane. Although it was a familiar sight, she had never been to this place. With little will of her own, as if she was merely a watcher, she turned towards the centre of the hall she stood in. The same old sorcerer had his hands placed firmly upon a large ivory coloured sphere, his brow furrowed in concentration. A quizzical look passed across his face as if something was wrong. He opened his eyes and looked towards Alex. With a look of concerned surprise, he quickly pulled back from the orb and the world dissolved into nothingness around her.

Alex awoke with a start to the familiar sounds of the forest. She hadn't had a dream like that since she had left Serpensbane. She had hoped that she was free of their influence, but apparently even the northern expanse wasn't beyond their reach. Had Capital Tower contacted her deliberately again? Why would they? She thought it must have been a mistake, especially considering the look of shock upon the High Lord's face. But how could they make such an error? It was an unsettling thought, and one she didn't want to dwell on. With the sun climbing in the sky she decided it was time to make her way onwards. Hopefully the trip would calm her nerves. She climbed to her feet and made her way towards her pack. Or rather, she went to where her pack had once been. She froze as she looked down upon the empty space. Her belongings - her food, her water, even her armour - had vanished without a trace.