The Eighth Gate

The Forest

The sun was high above their heads when they finally stopped for a late lunch, somewhere beyond the fifth gate. Valeria stifled a yawn behind her hand, blinking the weariness from her eyes. A footman opened the carriage door, and she let out a quiet sound of protest as bright light suddenly flooded the compartment, driving out every last bit of darkness. The sunlight warmed her face when she stepped into the open doorway, following closely behind Karnas. She tilted her face up to the clear blue sky, closing her eyes and allowing the heat to sweep over her skin, savoring the quiet comfort despite the unfamiliar lands.

"Are you going to move out of the way, or do I have to shove you out the door?" Ajax grumbled impatiently from behind her.

She rolled her eyes but found herself lingering for just a moment. Her gaze caught on Karnas's outstretched hand, slowly trailing up to his face, where his expression remained carefully neutral. There was something distant about him, as if his thoughts were miles away. The subtle frown that tugged at his lips was the only indication that something seemed to be troubling him.

Before she could dwell on the matter any further, she felt–more than heard, Ajax rise from his seat in the carriage. Without another thought, she quickly grasped the hand Karnas had offered her, stepping down from the carriage before Ajax could make good on his threat.

Once her feet touched the grass below, she offered Karnas a small smile of thanks. He only gave her a shallow nod in return, quickly pulling away from her to adjust the sword strapped to his side, turning his full attention on fixing the leather straps.

Her smile faltered somewhat.

A second later, Ajax hopped out the carriage behind her, bypassing the steps entirely. He landed on his feet with a quiet thud, and immediately began to reach his arms out toward the sky, stretching his neck this way and that until he heard a satisfying crack.

They had come to a stop at the edge of a sprawling forest, and Valeria craned her head back, marveling at the sight of trees so tall they seemed to brush the sky itself. Their trunks were thick, gnarled, and ancient, completely unlike the sparse, withered shrubs that dotted the arid soil of Kuru. The dense canopy of leaves above filtered the sunlight into soft, golden threads, casting a swirling pattern of shadows across the forest floor. In the distance, the towering silhouette of the Calean mountains rose against the horizon, forming a natural barrier between Daivat and the neighboring kingdom of Arkan to the east.

Nearby, the soldiers her father had sent for protection were already setting up camp beneath the sweeping branches of a massive willow tree. Its draping limbs swayed in the gentle breeze, providing some solace from the sunny day–though Valeria noticed the fading summer here was different, softer, lacking the harsh bite of the desert back home. Rich crimson-bronze blankets were carefully spread across the ground, lined with plush silk pillows and cushions that circled a low wooden table. The table itself was already laden with a lavish array of food—thick cuts of roasted meat, plates of ripe fruit and aged cheeses, and goblets of sparkling wine that gleamed under the sunlight.

Heema had warned her to not expect a feast under any uncertain terms, but this spread could rival even the grandest of picnics hosted by Kuru's wealthiest merchants. Valeria suspected the elaborate display had been arranged more for Ajax's benefit, as it closely reflected the royal treatment he was so accustomed to.

Her gaze drifted back to the surrounding forest, the softness of the landscape pulling her attention. The grass beneath her feet was lush and cool, so unlike the half-dead greenery her father had spent a fortune trying to maintain on their estate. She could hear the gentle trickling of a brook somewhere just beyond the trees, the sound so soothing, so foreign. The air here seemed fresher, richer, as if every breath she took was filling her lungs with life itself.