"Before there was anything there were dragons. They ruled over oblivion, a gaping void where nothing exists but everything lives."
The war had raged for decades. And in it's wake all that had been left was a broken expanse of a fire burnt wasteland...
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The horse shifted beneath me as her hooves slipped on the loose rocks scattered upon the road. Adonnija told me before we had left that we were going to one of the cities that had stood before the war. But surely it would have been razed after we were defeated? I had mentioned this as we set off, but he merely smiled at me, and started riding ahead.
We rode for three days, only stopping to make camp for the night. We ate while we traveled. The saddle chaffed at my legs, and my hands slowly blistered under the reins. All throughout the day, the hot sun beat mercilessly down on us and the cool nights that crossed the sky were the only reprise we got from her fire.
The waves crashed at the foot of the cliff, the sea roaring, deafening me. I heard birds cawing, and the swoop of their wings. Staring out at the vastness of the ocean before me, I felt so small, so insignificant. The salty air stung my eyes, making them water, the wind carrying my tears away.
The sea stared back at me, its foam tipped waves rising and falling beneath the blue, the choppy water growing more and more violent as the north wind blew, beating the waves back onto the shore. The water twinkled as the rising sun shona along the surface, staining the waves burning reds and oranges. Fiery clouds spilled across the sky, racing to the otherside.
I sat beneath the willow trees atop the cliff, their long, drooping branches swaying in the wind, caressing my shoulders. The shadows around me were dappled with light. Looking out over the scene, the sea winked at me, the blue-green water shifting around her.
How could the water stretch to the horizon? To beyond it? How could anything cross it? How could anything cross water that stretched the whole world? Adonjia had told me we were going to cross on a boat, though I had never heard of this thing before. Surely it had to have such powers to traverse this place?
I heard the rustling of the long strands of grass at my back and saw Risha come and sit down beside me. She stared at the sea as I had, then turned to me. My eyes were still fixed on the serene waters below me, the wind having now died down.
"How can something so beautiful be so dangerous?" I whispered, her voice hushed. A moment of silence. All I could hear was the soft breeze rattling through the grass, the leaves on the willows rustling and the waves gently lapping at the cliff face.
"I don't know Kelsie, but we need to go now, the ship is ready to depart."
I stared out towards the vast expanse of water for a few more seconds, then tore my gaze away. I smiled at her, holding out my hand. She took it. Without glancing back at the sea, we started the track back down to the shore.
"Are you Adonnija?" His voice was deep and gravelly. He strode towards us and Adonnija nodded in confirmation. He reached into his purse and pressed some large coins into the man's hand. He closed his fist, pushing the coins deep into his pocket and took the reins of Adonnija's horse. Adonnija motioned for us to come closer. We did, although I kept one eye on the boat. It still seemed like it was alive. I handed the reins to the man, and my horse nickered softly, hooves scraping at the ground nervously as I backed away towards the ship.
I felt Adonnija place his hand on my back. "She'll be fine, Kelsie. Now ,come, we have to get on the ship before it departs." We walked towards the ship together, and I grew more nervous the closer we got.
I heard water lapping to the wood beneath my feet and looked down:we were nearing the edge of the dock. In front of me were steps leading to a platform that slightly extended past the side of the boat. Risha pushed past us, running up the steps and hopping off the side into the boat. I looked at where she had stood a second ago and sighed. Trying to still my shaking hands, I began to climb the steps. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, not letting myself look down at the water. I reached the top and looked over the side of the boat. Risha smiled up at me, smirking.
"Hey!"
She stook out her tongue, then fell flat on her face as a wave pummeled the boat. I laughed as she picked herself up. She started laughing too and walked over to me, extending a hand. I lowered myself down until I was straining on the edge. I took her and, pushing off, and landed on the planks at the bottom of the boat. The floor rocked beneath me and I immediately fell on my ass.
Risha stuck her tongue out again, then helped me to my feet.
"Scaredy cat!"
I poked her in the side, laughing. "Meanie!" I heard a cough come from above me. Adonnija was standing above us, an expression of amusements on his face. We stepped out of the way, and I remembered to grab the side of the boat before he jumped down, the floor rocking beneath me again.
A few minutes later, people were shouting orders, casting off the ropes that held the ship to the docks. The sails were hoisted up the masts, billowing in the wind, and then we were off. We were going to sail across the ocean.
The wind buffeted my face, pounding in my ears. My eyes watered as the salty air stung my eyes. The crashing of the waves butting against the sides of the ship mixed with the sound of the oars being dragged through the water. Rain struk my face as the wind grew stronger. The feeling was truly surreal as I saw the hull cleaved through the waves in its path. Suddenly the ship rocked violently, and that fear of drowning in the bottomless abyss of the sea came back so strongly that the terror made the world spin. I grabbed the side of the bench I was sitting on, squeezing so tightly that my knuckles turned white, and tried to remember to breathe. Varil worked his way into my lap, sheltering from the rain, although most of the time it just turned to steam around him.
After what felt like days upon the sea, the captain said that we had neared land. We released the birds, two rooks, that we had brought with us, into the air. If they returned to the boat, there was no land near.
They didn't return.
Soon after, we came upon the gaping mouth of a cavern jutting out of the sea. The waves crashed wildly upon the spiked rocks protruding from the ground and sides. As we sailed through, I saw that the mast nearly scraped the roof of the cave, and that the ship saved towards those perilous rocks too often. The deeper in we got, the more the sounds of the oars dragging through the water echoed around us, the sound of our low murmuring voices bounced back to us.
Then the ship jerked to a stop as it hit the black sandy shore.
Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, school has been kinda getting ontop of stuff. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter, and what do you think our party could find on this new continent? As always feel free to comment and leave a vote if you liked it :)
