Sword of Flames [Book I] - {#Wattys2017}

Chapter 15 - The Ambush by the Sea

Chapter 15 - The Ambush by the Sea

With the help of preserved foods, durable shoes, and the avoidance of danger, Levana and Zikarith made it through the first two weeks of travel. The weather had been quite unruly; a rainstorm moistened the nature around them, making the trip that much less favorable. But this current day had been opposite of the usual; the clouds were small but visible, the sun was shining, and the warmth was welcoming just like on the first day of the voyage. But the relationship of the two had gotten more tense; neither chatted with the other for the last three days. Rather, they acknowledged the other's existence and watched their acquaintance to be sure they did not lose them.

After the incredible stretch of silence, Zikarith's voice rang as unknown in both of their ears. "Where are we going?" The discourage in his eyes was heartbreaking. "We've just been walking. Do you not know anything else about the swords? Which one are we even finding first?" His words of questioning quickly acquired the tone of scolding. "Is this a lie? Did you even discuss this with the king?"

"This is not a lie!" Levana yelled, annoyed by the nagging. The girl calmed down a bit. "Yes, I did talk to the king. He didn't tell me much, but it's mostly my fault for not asking more questions." She cupped her hands on her face. "I don't know what to do at this point. I'm sorry."

More than ever before Levana felt disconnected from her feet. Every step, every movement they made she questioned whether it was the right one. There was so much guessing at that point the whole journey seemed like a game of chance instead of a real expedition to save a population of people. The two reached another batch of woods, in which they turned to the left in order to avoid walking through a forest once again. The grass became greener the farther they walked in this direction.

The moment Zikarith began speaking again Levana flinched, scared that she was going to be chided for her lack of preparation once again. "But it doesn't make sense." The boy stared at the girl's face as they swerved around a plant that appeared similar to a palm tree.

"What doesn't?" Levana asked.

"This," he answered, using his thin hands to create circles in front of them. "The whole thing." Getting distracted in the midst of Levana's curiosity, Zikarith reached into his bag to retrieve a bundle of berries he picked earlier, plopping them into his mouth as if he wasn't just reporting his uncertainty. He put a berry to her face, asking her if she wanted one in a nonverbal manner. Levana glared at him.

"Finish what you were saying!" she demanded. Regardless of her irritation she took the berry and ate it.

"What was I saying?"

"You were talking about how something didn't make sense!"

"Oh!" he exclaimed, and Levana put he fingertips on her forehead in disbelief of the boy's tiny attention span. His face grew serious, an indication of his continuation.

"I don't blame you for not asking more about the swords. The king should have explained everything you needed to know about retrieving them, yet he let you go off with minimal information. It just really odd."

"Well what do you think, he doesn't want me to find them?" Levana calmly argued. "He even said himself that he did not know much about them." She was surprised at how fiercely she was justifying the actions of the king. At that time she felt like the most vulnerable puppet.

"But then he doesn't give you books to read? He doesn't request more information to be found? I'm sure there are many books in The Above, even fairy tales, that you could have looked through."

Levana tried to debunk his counter but there was no way in doing so. Zikarith was right. She thought back to her time in the castle; all she did was eat and practice for battle. Not much was spoken about Denelvo or his army at all; it was as if she should have known all of the information already. But why? Levana's head began to hurt from the possibilities that were formed in her mind.