Legacy of Herobrine ✓

Chapter 09

Sapphire led Faolan and Bridget deeper into the forest, which suddenly open up to a stretch of plain grass that was at least 100 blocks in length and cut into the forest like a crack. Amia was waiting, holding the reins of a deep chocolate-colored mule. Faolan, again, marveled at the sight. He and Celeste had a donkey back at the restaurant named Jackie, but he had never seen a crossbreed before.

Sapphire started to load a few things into the chests attached to its back. She and Amia talked quietly between each other, but stopped when Bridget and Faolan got closer.

"Amia here will be riding her mule. We can walk. I'll show you the village." Sapphire explained.

"Sounds great!" Faolan replied. "When'll be get there?"

"In... maybe an hour?" Amia said and looked to Sapphire for confirmation. She nodded.

Faolan smiled at the thought of a place to call home.

The four (well, five, if you include the mule) traveled in silence. The only sound to be heard was the grass rustling, the mule's occasional braying, and Amia humming a soft tune under her breath. That sounds familiar, he thought to himself. Maybe my parents sang it to Celeste and I when we were kids...

Another pang went through him at the thought of his deceased family members. Enough of that, he chided. You need to be strong. It's what they would have wanted.

Eventually, there was a shadow on the horizon. Sapphire's dog--he had completely forgotten that it was there--barked and eagerly ran off towards it. Shielding his face from the harsh sun, Faolan could vaguely make out the shapes of houses. "Is this it?" He asked.

"Yep," Sapphire responded.

As they neared, Faolan started to hear a noise like growing thunder. Then he realized that there was a cavalry rushing at them from the front. Beside him, Bridget stiffened, but Sapphire simply stepped in front of everyone and raised her hand in a formal gesture. The patrol was made of three villagers on horseback. One of them was in the lead, and flanked by others in formal army clothes--although they looked different from traditional anti-Descendant villages.

He was considerably tall, with wavy dark brown hair and ocean-blue eyes. His posture was straight and determined, like that of a king's, although his eyes sparkled with the mischief of a jester.

"Sapphire! Is that you?" The leader called.

"Yes! I've brought Faolan, and another," she yelled back.

Finally, they got close enough to dismount their horses. The leader slid off his black steed and gave Sapphire a hug. "Good to see you safe, sis."

"You too." She turned to Faolan. "This is Gale, my brother. He's the Mayor."

Gale shook Faolan's hand and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah..."

"I'll escort you guys back to camp. Can we put the mule in the stalls?" Gale asked.

Amia fidgeted a little. "Um, sure. Just let me get the stuff out of his packs..."

Gale nodded and then looked over at Faolan. His gaze shifted to Bridget, and it turned wary. "What's she doing here?"

"I let her come. She was traveling with Faolan." A look of trepidation passed over Gale's face like a cloud, but disappeared as soon as it came.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, as long as you're okay with it. Come on, now. Let's get back to the village. We're burning daylight."