Carmine (Completed)

Chapter 27

We pushed the horses in the dead of night. Our lives were now a mix of camping and sleeping in the day, for me that was not a good transition, yet I felt no pain. I mean, I literally felt none.

There was no pain in my head from the barely missed arrow or the attempted choking of my throat. Valor said the Exodine did its job well. Half of an orb of that pill I took not only cured pain, but prevented it.

It was amazing. Elam made stuff like this? I even told Valor such a thing would have exceptional use in warfare. He laughed and said no one used it for that reason anymore since they could construct bodies with such an ability built-in.

Exodine was an old remedy that had gone out of use in modern Elam.

Notwithstanding, we focused on moving forward. Tiam was a rather rocky abyss. Not many trees, for the land raveled in the dark images of swamps and dry earth.

A large number of towns were built close to those ponds and swamps.

Tiam had a rough sense of self-reliance. Some cities and even towns were isolated underground. Built by hand over thousands of years; It was a measure against the demons and witches of Elam.

We easily navigated our way around each town and city thanks to Valor's knowledge of this land, with better meals. He never apologized out of his mouth, but accepted his actions as such. Five's ability to sense life was also treasured. We avoided the brigands and outlaws that lived among the high arid forests.

The West, home to underground cities connected through sheer effort and pride. Those underground compounds held bountiful prosperity with gems and metals I never seen before. Some were worthless, some were valuable to Tiam's wealth.

We reached a ledge that overlooked a deep ravine. We steadily went higher with each day. Our horses were weary. They shifted and decried their tiredness to us.

I stared in gorgeous awe down the dangerous slope. At the bottom rested a vast prairie, for the sun to create this glowing luster that made me want to shout praise of its magnificence.

The cliff on the other side stuck out a tall protrusion that cast a dark shade on the south side of the swaying grass.

In between tall mountain peaks raised a large cityscape that built upward into the rock. The dark gray of the battlements twisted and turned in half-circles. I was sure the baileys within each battlement held lofty structures.

My mind was struck senseless as I looked on and I could not even see the end of the city. A fog hid a clear vision of what laid in the highs of the mountains. The mix of light gray stone clashed with the dark green hue the peaks reflected.

Those towers dwarfed the city with their length and breadth. The flags on those towers waved brightly and proudly in the strong wind. On those towers was a ballista as well. I wavered my eyes down and noted the large catapults. The battlements extended from the city into the side of either mountain; large machines of war stood on top of them.

This was a military power, the city of Martoniss, Tiam's capital city.

"This place is beautiful," Janilla said.

Valor nodded his head. "Indeed, very beautiful, ah, Five detect any lifeforms?"

"Horses, twenty of them, north of us. They are coming towards us, and the leader is hoping to get some stripes for the accomplishment of capturing us and showing us off to his superiors." Five said.

Valor turned his horse ripping Janilla from her lovely viewpoint. "Aye, that's our cue. Down the hillside, now!" He slapped the reins and the horse galloped forward. Five and I turned our horses and rode along the ridge's edge.