Hell's Bane (COMPLETED)

Chapter Ten: To Ready the Sword and Shield

            "We arrive at the Siorthurn," Pavir muttered as the grass around them quickly turned into sand. "Our last stretch before we claim our prize, and our last few days that we spend together."

"You know that you can just join us all the way," Davis said, walking beside the leaders. "There's always an option for that."

Pavir shook his head. "Something of such weight is not our responsibility to bear. The Gaulinslott will decide, not us."

"Pity." Davis looked at the sun blazing in the sky and then checked his map. "The Siorthurn Desert spans many miles. It will be a while before we finally reach the Dustwillow Mountains."

"We know," Pavir said, nodding. "But thank you for reminding us."

Though the Blind Wanderer sounded peaceful, Davis couldn't help but suspect there was sarcasm behind that calm, understanding tone. Some people are better at hiding their true motives than others.

"It's funny," Drea muttered, walking over to Hugo, "that despite how there are dozens of people in this group, none of them can just decide to magically bring us all the way to the Dustwillow."

Hugo nodded, thinking about what might've happened if there was one who could do such a thing. "Caralin says it's a rare ability."

Drea said something back that Hugo couldn't hear, and they went on without any conversation for several moments before Hugo finally asked, blinking as he noticed only now the object in Drea's hands: "What's that?"

Drea looked from the emerald necklace she held scooped in her palms and turned pink. "Why does it matter? It's a necklace, that's all."

Hugo seemed unconvinced. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would wear those kinds of things. Or fiddle with them, either."

Drea put the necklace back on her and crossed her arms. "Why do you care?"

Hugo shrugged. "Because we're on the same boat, I guess. How many people who don't work for the Scavenger know what we know? If we have to survive, we need to know each other better."

Drea hmphed. "I would disagree."

Hugo shrugged and walked away.

"My family farm was burned down," Drea suddenly said, with seemingly no sadness in his voice. "And my father went missing, and this was all I have left from him." The explorer gave a hollow laugh. "The necklace isn't even real emerald. I checked – tried to sell it once, but ended up running away from the shop. I think the storekeeper might've interpreted the false emerald as a deliberate scam. Me and my family eventually stopped at a river and lived on berries there. That was when Davis found me."

Hugo froze for a moment, and then asked, continuing his walk: "You too?"

"What?"

Hugo quickly retold his own story of his mother's death, and then finished: "Davis certainly has a way with outcasts, doesn't he? I mean, look at the group we're traveling with."

Drea opened her mouth to say something, but her voice was quickly drowned by the sounds of gasps and shouts of surprise.

"What now?" The explorer looked at the direction everyone else was staring, and then gaped too. Many feet ahead of them to their right, was a massive trail of footprints, likely from twice as many people as they had.

Davis walked over to Hugo, and then muttered: "Give me your compass, will you?"

Hugo handed it over. The leader checked it only for a second before looking forwards and continuing to mutter: "I knew it. Right in the direction of the Mountains."