Empire of Kingdoms Awakening

Chapter 27

Dirt floated in the air surrounding them. The glow of the sunlight from the horizon kissed their skin. Samuel's heart pounded in his chest. He had just lost another person, a woman that time. Three in total.

While grateful the Cerberus had not shown himself, the ghouls were almost as bad. Every corner they turned, the group was met with them. Decapitation would be easier if they could get close without consequence.

Axes were a choice Samuel was thankful someone suggested, along with opportunities. If encountered with the Cerberus, they needed to be as prepared as possible. While outnumbered by them, it was nevertheless dangerous for its size and speed.

Airenesse begged Samuel to stay, but he insisted that all would be fine. His wounds had mostly healed, and the infections gone. All that remained was a jagged scar across his torso. He had to be strong. The others were watching, waiting for him to falter.

Rocks scrapped at his skin as he slid down the side of the ridge. Samuel's mind wondered why so many roamed. Previously he had seen none.

With a thud, his body hit the bottom of the shortfall. Rising to dust himself, he turned in awe. His eyes transfixed on the golden kingdom. Hollowbane.

Smoke gone, the towers and homes were glorious. Sulfur's scent lingered. The crypt looked anew, with guards stationed outside of its doors.

"Samuel," one lord interrupted his thoughts. When Samuel looked at him, the man's face scowled. "We need to get what we came for and leave. We shouldn't be here."

A strange sensation rested in Samuel. He couldn't pinpoint the cause, but he felt the power. The magic surged through grounds and people. While it ran through all of Caster, it resonated in Hollowbane.

Once they were all on the kingdom's soil they surrounded Samuel. The gatherer he had recruited approached. "We need to get the herb. Do you all remember what it looks like from the book?"

They nodded before disbursing. Fearing to go very far in, they stayed close to the mountain. All but Samuel. Before stepping too far away, another called out that they found it.

Samuel's legs froze beneath him. The ambitious lord was not expecting it to be that easy. He watched as the gatherer confirmed it was it. The plant seemed more brown than red as the drawings portrayed. Its leaves drooped out of his companion's hands.

The lack of difficulty sparked determination in the lot of them. After searching for what felt like a lifetime, they began to lose hope.

Samuel did his best to plead with them to continue the search. "We are sure to find more if we head deeper into the land. We need more."

"It may not be safe, Lord Samuel. We don't know if we are welcome here." Another told him. They were right. One risked being spotted, and it was yet unclear if they hid Hollowbane to keep away outsiders.

Samuel walked forward, hoping for a sign. A woman stopped him by grabbing his arm, pulling him back. He huffed as he rolled his eyes. "We have what we came for, and we are leaving with or without you. We cannot risk any more of our lives. We will make do with what we have."

The idea of having to make due agitated him. He had been living comfortably with his current lifestyle. The risk of not having enough was not a notion he welcomed with open arms.

As the sun reached its last phase of setting, they climbed their way up the mountain. The one leading raised his hand for all to halt. Horror rested on his face as his lips tightened. He saw the Cerberus gawking at the group.

Slowly, they lowered themselves back to safety. It was becoming too dark for them to see well enough to fight and win.

Someone mentioned camping for the night. The Cerberus could not leave the mountains or else it would have come for them.

After laying out their supplies, Samuel counted the stars to help him sleep. He didn't want to lie in his tent, despite them being unable to start a fire without drawing attention.

The silence was begging him to speak to the others, but he couldn't risk being overheard. Just because the Cerberus couldn't reach them did not mean the remaining creatures could not.

A shadowed figure shot through the sky above him with a scream that sounded like scraping glass. They stared in shock of the sight as to the northeast of the kingdom, but remained silent.

One by one the light from the city burned out, and Samuel stuck in his head of how the creatures' sound seemed familiar. It wasn't until his eyes became too heavy to hold open that he realized. His dream. The dragon that had destroyed his home, destroyed him.