A Dawn of Stars and Shadows

Parte 5: Ruins

"I'll head east on my own. What could possibly go wrong?" Elara asked herself sarcastically, shading her eyes with her hand to see better in the direction she was heading. She had been walking for three days, and it felt like she was crossing an endless plain. Since leaving Dunhollow, she had done nothing but walk entirely alone. At first, she had followed a dirt path formed by the occasional carts and merchants visiting the village, but after turning south, she decided to stray off the beaten track and travel cross-country.

She was confident that, with the help of her guide orb—what she had started calling it—she couldn't get lost. But knowing where to go from a bird's-eye view wasn't the same as navigating it on two human legs. The Lirianth Forest had been a difficult place to traverse, with its roots, fallen branches, and shrubs, but at least there, she had shade and could return to her house or the well to sit and cool off. This was a nightmare. A green, infinite nightmare.

To her left, the Eternal Mountains loomed, marking her path without ever disappearing. That vast range was the tallest and longest in all Elmyria, stretching across the entire northern coast of the kingdom and slightly westward, bordering the Lirianth Forest. At least their presence gave her a small sense of security. "As long as you see the mountains on your left, you'll know you're not straying off course. Come on, legs, just a bit more," she muttered to herself, panting as she climbed a small hill.

Truthfully, her legs were at their limit. Endless walking had taken its toll, though she was grateful her ribs weren't giving her trouble. Her water had run out too, and with no stream, well, or village in sight, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going. She paused, ready to summon the orb.

During her journey, whenever she set up her tent to rest and eat, she had practiced using the orb. At first, it required intense concentration, but over time, she began to grasp, almost unconsciously, how to summon and dismiss it. She had told herself it was like whistling, except instead of using her lips, she did it with her hand. It was hard to explain. By the second day, she was practicing while walking.

She unhooked her leather water flask and tried to squeeze out the last drops. Growling in frustration as nothing came out, she cursed her bad luck and hung the flask back on her belt, still parched. Stretching her hand out, she resolved to summon the orb. Even if it meant veering off course, she needed to find a water source. Food was also an issue—she was out—but for now, hunger wasn't her biggest problem. Her mood, and her growling stomach, weren't as cooperative.

Just as she prepared to "whistle" the first note, she heard a shout nearby.

"Eeyyy!" The voice sounded distant and young, almost childlike. "Stop it!" it warned.

Elara turned, unable to hide her irritation at being interrupted, but there was no one she could scold—no one human, at least. A male lambit was barreling toward her at full speed. It ran in a straight line, showing no intention of stopping despite her being in its path.

"Hey! Help me stop it, please!" the young voice called again. She spotted the source—a boy waving his arms wildly as he sprinted after the animal from far behind.

Elara didn't have much time to think. The lambit's curled horns were aimed right at her, and although in other circumstances she wouldn't have been able to resist sighing over how adorable its big ears, pink nose, and fluffy white fur were, this time she focused on not getting trampled by the impulsive quadruped.

The boy kept yelling for her to stop it, but stepping directly in its path didn't seem like a smart option. Instead, she waited for the right moment and sidestepped. She extended her arm to grab hold of one of its horns and—

Elara went flying. Her feet left the ground so quickly that she barely registered what had happened. One moment, she was standing firmly with her legs bent, and the next, she was flapping like a flag in the wind. Only her tight grip on the lambit's horn prevented her from being thrown in some random direction. Quickly regaining her composure, she reached out with her free hand and grabbed onto its thick, curly white fur. This allowed her to pull herself closer to its body and wrap her legs around its back.