A Sword For Gold

Chapter 10 - The Infinite Arrow

"Over there, Blaze."

The giant phoenix that everyone had been riding upon then landed where Velenya Martel had pointed at, just outside the gates of the city of Goldhaven. Slowly, they dismounted one by one, Hansel being the first, trying their best to do so slowly and carefully, perhaps afraid to irritate the phoenix that Velenya had summoned with her own sorcery and firepower.

"What the fuck," cursed Baros, his hands trembling. "I don't ever want to do that again. I am deathly afraid of heights."

"Two years with Vaelia, Baros?" reacted Maraxus in utter disgust, "Two years with her, and you still haven't gotten over that silly fear of yours?"

"I'm sorry, okay," replied Baros sheepishly, scratching his head in embarrassment, "I just can't stop being afraid of heights. Even Vaelia gave up on getting me over that fear."

Cora shrugged in acceptance. "Well, if Vaelia can't, then no one can," she said, "Not even your beloved can save you from that."

As soon as everyone had alighted, Velenya then got off her phoenix and planted her right palm upon its head, and slowly, she began to absorb the phoenix back into herself, as it dissipated into particles of ash and ember and reentered Velenya's body through her palm which she had firmly clasped upon the phoenix's head.

"In case you're wondering," spoke Velenya as they began to walk through the gates and entered the city, "I managed to tame this Phoenix back when I had found it flying through Tep Desert during my younger days, perhaps when I was your age. Phoenixes are rare monsters, I tell you. I got lucky, running into this when I was your age, Cora. I immediately took the chance to try and tame it, and, well, the rest is history."

"Oh," sighed Hansel in relief, "I thought you created that Phoenix out of your own flames. I was scared for a moment. I thought you could really create life out of nowhere."

"There's only one thing that can do that, Maraxus," replied Velenya, "And it's an Unwieldable."

"You know about another forgotten Unwieldable, Velenya?" Cora immediately reacted, shooting her with a look of shock and disbelief."

"Yeah, The Heart of the Realm," answered Velenya, "But it's as good as forgotten. In the ancient ruins that I've studied throughout my travels, it is said that you need the other six to reach the seventh: The Heart."

"How did you find out about that?" asked Ralys, "In the ruins, were there any other clues about where the other Unwieldables are located? We could be able to find them before The Rising can, or even the king!"

"I could not understand the ruins and the hieroglyphs in the Cavern of the Ancients below Tep Desert," answered Velenya, "All I know is that you needed the other six Unwieldables to be able to access the chamber that leads to The Heart of the Realm."

"What do you mean that you can't understand ruins?" asked Cora.

"They were riddles or clues about where they are located," said Velenya, "I can't say for sure where the initial location of The Infinite Arrow was, but the riddle was quite accurate for the Star Sword."

"Why?" asked Ralys, "What did it say?"

"An earthly deathbed for a star that cannot be lifted," recalled Velenya.

"Do you remember the other riddles?" asked Baros.

"I'll tell you later," said Velenya, her tone suddenly shifting to urgency and alertness. "Look," she said, as she pointed ahead of them, and there was the king, upon his royal, armored horse, speaking with the governor of the city, just a few hundred meters ahead of them.