Bridging the Ancient ✓

Chapter 28

I've never seen anything as beautiful as a stretch of flower meadows as far as the eye can see. These meadows are the staple to Esaria, most of their land is farms and meadows for livestock and wild animals to graze. One of our destinations, Ducoria, is completely surrounded by those grasslands and maintained by the scandalous farmers that care more about their booze than they do their crops.

We're bearing southwest of the capital, dodging Fosux and the platoons of guards headed out to that area to hunt for rebellion. To reach Flitsea, we have to cut through the flower meadows that the king recently vacated, leaving behind blood and guts for birds to pick through. Once we're through, we'll travel along the side of Illbre Lake. Past the lake of glimmering water and looming pine trees, there's nothing left for us to find but the fishing town off the coast, Flitsea.

Renit and I have been traveling for merely a couple days, our horses doing most of the work. My skin is burnt from the exposure to the summer sun, my hair is dry and cracked, and I can barely keep my eyes open.

The prince is the same, except he has the strength not to complain every few minutes compared to myself. I try to keep it in but with every passing hour, I find I'm more and more impatient. But the flower meadows are a beautiful sight.

We've been riding through them since early this morning, when the sun crested over the hills and the abundant flowers jumbled in with the tall grasses perked up their petals and shimmered, almost appearing to smile at the rising heat of day.

For as far as the eye can see, we're surrounded by those flowers and tall grasses. I'm reminded of the cliffsides outside of Arego, the only thing missing is the mist kissing my face and the smell of salted water from the ocean below. This is still beautiful. When I least expect it, breezes will pull the scent of those flowers towards me, brushing past my hair, and swirling around our horses.

The prince, who seems to find joy in nothing, smiles at the reds, blues, purples, and oranges throughout the scattered trees and distant farmlands. The farm the king killed those rebels at is nowhere near here, we won't run into anyone fleeing, but to know destruction took place not too far is enough to unsettle my stomach.

Instead of handing our fate to the rebels this time around, we're well stocked with weapons. The lack of a titanium band helps as well, my only entertainment to pass this time on the empty dirt trail is to shift the rocks and dirt. Renit has told me repeatedly to keep my power fresh and after what happened when my power wasn't fresh, I wouldn't miss a chance to take down someone else that threatens to hurt him. There's a chance we come across a different group of rebels this time, one not let by Bren and if their leader shows us no mercy—we'll have to fight out way out. With my power, that will be easy.

The grasslands to my right open up to rock and thicker clumps of trees. Past those trees with the sun setting, I let out a gasp of surprise as the lake comes into view. I thought those grasslands were beautiful but with the twinkling sun glimmering off the surface of the lake water, I've found something even more magnificent about this kingdom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the slight turn of Renit's lips into a gentle smile as he too, takes in the beauty of the lake. I squint into the distance, never finding the end of that dark water tattooed with tender waves. Water laps against the shore and the trail twists to follow the water's edge, surrounded by pine and juniper trees.

I want so badly to jump into the freezing abyss of the lake and wipe off the grime from the past two days. I'm covered in it, my clothes smell like it, and I've been waiting to wash the pair I have and change into the spare for another couple days before I have to wash off the stink again.

Renit has to do the same, his clothes are dirtier than mine and his hair is greased and unkempt after running his hands through it over and over again. A nervous habit, I suppose.