Kingdom Fall (Ethereal #1)

- Chapter 15 -

The General's Intuition

Archie

The past few days passed on as if they were journeying through the depths of hell. Archie.and Sapphire had to climb down waterfalls, swing across rivers, escape shadowy bounty hunters, run away from rabid predators, steal from traveling hunting parties and most worst of all, eat whatever they could find.

Seven days in the wilderness broadened Archie's view on how he saw day to day living. He might have been scorned by most of his family, but he lived rather comfortably never the less. After the excruciating life on the run, he felt as if he could face almost anything now.

Escaping the near death experience of almost being chewed alive by a wild war-cat also gave him  new out look towards life and death.

This is what occupied his mind while he watched a skinned weed-hen roast above the makeshift fire he built. Meanwhile, Sapphire sat on a log polishing the short sword she stole from a group of hunters a while back. Her shoulder length hair was disheveled and had a few leaves and twigs on top. Her tunic was torn from her sleeve and her left ankle was bandaged from being bitten by a mound-rat.

'I think it's cooked,' said Sapphire, looking up.

Archie picked up the weed-hen which was impaled by a makeshift arrow and quickly poked its skin. It was juicy and crisp, and the smell was heavenly.

'I guess so,' said Archie. He took out a dagger, cut up the hen into half while trying not to burn his hands and offered it to Sapphire who took the meat, still rather distracted by the designs on the pommel of the sword.

It had been seven days and the children still did not meet with any signs of civilization. Archie could pretty well remember the map of the continent. When he saw the expanse of forest that covered the border between Artaria and Shokra, he didn't expect the forest to be so big. It's either that, or they had been going on in circles.

'We are not going in circles, but we aren't using the shortest way either,' Sapphire once said. It seems she truly was Artarian and crossed the border along with a convoy if Shokrean soldiers, but the journey only lasted two days.

'We are probably in Artaria,' Archei muttered.

Sapphire nodded silently. They were probably within the kingdom of Artaria, but it was still not safe from the Queen's lackeys, not unless they have entered a few Artarian walls and fortresses.

But the two children were tired. They could.only think of resting before getting up at the crack of dawn to trek through the forest once again. Archie leaned his back against the roots of the large fenril tree they were camping under. In between the branches and the leaves, a star speckled sky shone bright up high with the two golden crescent moons.

Nightlings crawled over the branches, giving off a soft green glow. Even though the forest was treacherous, it sure was beautiful. Under the wishpers of the nightlife and with his makeshift bow in hand, the boy peacefully fell asleep.

*******

Crack.

Archie woke up with a start. Instinct kicked in as his arms unconsciously notched an arrow onto the bowstring of his roughly made bow.

'Saph,' Archie hissed.

Sapphire woke up, fully alert and Drew out her sword. It was then did the girl.notice how quiet the forest was. There wasn't even a whimper from the nightlings. Slowly, she stomped on the cinders of the fire to kill the light.

Then, they waited. Archie's sensitive ears picked up.the sound of rustling leaves, heavy footsteps, soft wishpers and drawing weapons. He knew that the intruders were poeple. But they were not the shadows that stalked them night and day. Those shadows were silent and quick and hard to pick up.