Chương 19: Chapter 18 - The Crossroads

The next few days passed without incident. There were no monster attacks, and the demons from the Southwood incursion were nowhere to be seen. Eventually they reached the stretch where the river ran shallow enough to wade across, and Ren felt a quiet relief as they left the far bank behind, the rushing water now a natural barrier between them and the Great Forest. He was glad to put as much distance as he could between himself and that eerie place.

He still wasn't sure whether the grotesque, sludge-dripping figure he'd glimpsed had been real or some trick of the misty place, but either way, it did nothing to take away from how much he disliked the forest's general ambiance. For meals, they hunted rabbits and foraged what greens they could find. Ren knew well enough which plants were safe to eat and which weren't, a habit born from his shepherding days back in Xantris, when he'd often nibbled on whatever looked edible out in the fields.

This curiously transferred to Aetira as well, as most of the plants were exactly the same. None of it tasted anywhere near as good as the jackalope meat had, but the party made do with what they had. The wind remained relentless against Ren the whole while, the icy chill making itself known at every opportunity. His only saving grace was staying close to Lorelle's lantern, which gave off just enough warmth to take the worst of the bite out of the air.

At the very least, the days of travel had given [Accelerated Regeneration] plenty of time to work, and by now his injuries had healed over completely, not even scars were present on his shoulder and forearm. With Elowen and Varrin constantly bickering over which of them was actually leading, the party of four followed the river's edge until it began to curve away to the right. That was when Lorelle told them it was time to cut through the woods.

"Why are we moving away from the river?" Varrin asked as they climbed a steep hill.

"It's only been a couple hours since we woke up, I don't think the princess can handle this type of exertion this early."

"Shut up!" Elowen said angrily, pausing to help Lorelle up a rock.

"I told you, I'm not a princess! And what type of leader insults and makes fun of their party members anyway? This is why I am more cut out to be the leader!"

"Hey, come on now," the silver-haired boy responded with an innocent smile.

"I'm only looking out for you. A good leader knows everything about their party members, so naturally I have to take your background into account when I make my decisions."

"It's because of my background I have more merit to lead this party thank you," the regal elf quipped.

"Plus, you don't know the first thing about me."

"I know I'm a better swordsman than you," Varrin answered mockingly.

"We're moving away because the river eventually cuts through the Great Forest," Lorelle explained quickly, cutting the bickering off as Ren pulled himself up beside her.

"The Crossroads should be just beyond this hill, and It would be safer to use the main road as opposed to walking through the wilderness."' It would probably be warmer too,'Ren grumbled inwardly, tugging at his ruined tunic.' If this Crossroads is big enough for caravans to pass through anyway...' With one final grunt, Varrin heaved himself over the crest of the hill, then cupped a hand to his face and let out a low whistle.

"What a view..." Ren was the last to reach the top. Elowen let out a gasp of wonder the moment she crested the rise ahead of him while Lorelle remained silent, and once he finally joined them, he understood exactly why. The woods thinned quickly beyond the hill they stood upon, giving way to rolling fields of green. Directly ahead, seated in the very centre of those fields some kilometres away, was a massive city, the biggest Ren had ever laid eyes on in his entire life.

Great stone walls encircled a dense collection of buildings packed tightly within, and smoke curled lazily up into the sky from countless hearths and chimneys, nothing at all like the black pillars that had risen from devastated Southwood. Four wide roads stretched out from its gates, one running toward each of the cardinal directions.

To his right, the misty and eerie Great Forest sprawled true to its name, swallowing up a massive portion of his vision as it ran all the way to a vast mountain range he'd never been able to glimpse from the village or while he walked along the river. The snow-capped peaks of that range stretched wide across the horizon, jagged and immense, their upper slopes lost in the haze of the clouds that rested on top of them.

They wrapped around the whole of the valley, curving away on either side until they closed in far behind the massive city as well, hemming in the entire expanse like the walls of a natural fortress at a colossal scale. A gust of cold wind blew through the group as the bright morning sun illuminated everything while it hung unobstructed in the spotless blue sky. Ren couldn't help the way his adventurous spirit flared to life at the sight.

He wanted to lose himself in the sprawling city and uncover every secret it held, he wanted to climb those distant mountains and stand atop them, just to see what the world looked like from so high up. And though he'd never admit it aloud, some small, reckless part of him even wanted to venture back into the Great Forest and learn what truly lurked inside its mists.' But I can't lose sight of what I'm doing,'he told himself, shaking his head.' I need to save Yumè. She doesn't have anyone else but me.'

"Is that The Crossroads down there?" Varrin asked, pointing to the circular city down below. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"I wouldn't know," Lorelle admitted, grabbing onto Ren's sleeve as the wind picked up again.

"I can't see that far. But if it's a large settlement with walls and four large roads coming from it, that would be it."

"I was right then, as usual," the silver-haired boy remarked with a smile before he began to descend.

"Let us see if this place has anything in store for us." Barely an hour later, the Crossroads loomed before them. Tall watchtowers reinforced the stone walls at regular intervals, each one draped with bright orange and yellow banners that bore the sun nestled in flame, fluttering gently in the breeze. People moved and talked freely just outside the entrance to the city, laughing amongst themselves as they lined up to be let inside. They looked happy, which made Ren frown slightly.'

Do they even know Southwood was attacked?

'he wondered as his party approached the gate.' Aren't they worried about demons coming?' He noticed two soldiers patrolling toward them, halberds resting lazily against their shoulders. They wore the same grey armour and orange-and-yellow surcoats bearing the symbol of the Eternal Flame as the guards he'd spotted in the tavern back in Southwood.

"If Southwood's Flameguard were half as vigilant as this," Lorelle said softly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"Maybe what happened could have been avoided" Ren knew that was wishful thinking, how could two people have made a difference against that many demons? Just as the pair of soldiers passed him, one of the Flameguards—a broad-shouldered man wearing a kettle helm—slowed his patrol and frowned, his gaze dropping to Ren. Or rather, to the sorry excuse for clothes he was currently wearing.

His shirt was still torn and riddled with holes, and it had only grown worse with every branch and bush that had snagged at it along the way to The Crossroads. Worse still, it had gone stiff in places, stained dark with old, dried blood.

"By the Flame lad!" the Flameguard exclaimed gruffly, stepping closer.

"Are you alright?"

"Uhh..." Ren said with a blink.

"You're covered in blood," the guard continued bluntly, "and your clothes are barely holding together." Ren laughed lightly.

"Ah, that. I'm fine, I just didn't have a spare set on me." The Flameguard squinted at him while Ren stood there perfectly intact, there were no wounds or bruises to speak of, thanks to [Accelerated Regeneration], not a trace was left behind.

"…Where are you coming from?" the guard asked, unconvinced. The question was aimed at the entire group this time. Ren hesitated for half a heartbeat, almost turning to his companions before Lorelle came to to his rescue, stepping forward smoothly and offering an answer.

"We're from Southwood," she said with a bright smile.

"My master is... was... a Firekeeper of the Eternal Flame, and I've been sent on an important mission to deliver some urgent news to the Head Firekeeper of the Crossroads."

"Was?" the second Flameguard, one with a bald head, asked suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow. Lorelle shook her head adamantly.

"I can't tell you anything until the Head Firekeeper of The Crossroads give me permission!"

"Alright, fair 'nuff," the first one said before gesturing loosely at Elowen, Varrin and Ren.

"And who are these?"

"These are my trusted companions and guards," she explained, turning back to the party to give them a warm smile. Ren stared at her masked face, momentarily stunned.' You are way too good at this.'' Maybe I need to take a page out of her books?' Varrin confirmed it by nodded once, and Elowen followed suit by inclining her head politely, her pale hair shimmering faintly in the sunlight. The Flameguard in the kettle helm seemed to accept it and nodded a couple of times.

"Alright then, just make sure to head directly to the Church. Don't want the sight of ya bloodied shirt to cause havoc!" He threw his head back in laughter before continuing along the path, his bald partner following filling in close beside him.

"May the Flame guide you," the guards called back to them simultaneously, and once they were out of earshot, Lorelle exhaled quietly. Varrin glanced at her, looking quite impressed.

"You're a good liar."

"Thank you," Lorelle replied with a sheepish grin.

"But I wasn't lying about anything. The Head Firekeeper would want to know what happened in Southwood, and she can look after us as well, maybe even give us supplies for our journey to Solaris!"

"That's great!" Ren said happily. Any amount of help would increase his speed in getting back to Yumè.

"Can we really trust this Head Firekeeper?" Varrin asked, crossing his arms.

"Of course we can!" Lorelle responded, more than a little shocked that the silver-haired boy would even suggest such a thing.

"You can trust all Firekeepers of the Eternal Flame. Actually that goes for any member of the Church, any of the three Pillars!" Varrin gave the young Firekeeper an incredulous look but didn't press the issue, which Ren was glad for, since it was now their turn to be let into The Crossroads. Manning the booth at the gate was a beastfolk clerk who looked up at them as they approached, a young woman with short-cut black hair, a pair of cat ears perched atop her head, and a long tail swaying lazily behind her.

"Reason for entrance?" she asked flatly, eyes drifting toward Lorelle before locking onto Varrin. As soon as she did that her face flushed fully red, her ears flattened and her tail swished slightly.

"Ah—I mean—um—" she cleared her throat, avoiding his silver gaze entirely.

"N-Names?" Ren rolled his eyes and turned away, already peering into the city beyond the gate. It was very busy. Stalls lined both sides of the road, their owners shouting out prices over one another. Crates of fruit and glistening fish sat beside racks of hanging cloth and glinting trinkets, and the air was thick with the mingled smells of roasting meat, fresh bread, and animals.

Carts rolled steadily down the centre of the street, pulled by sturdy horses whose hooves clopped against the worn stone, while crowds flowed around them like a living tide, haggling, laughing, and jostling shoulder to shoulder as they went.' Yumè would love this,' Ren thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey," a rough voice suddenly called out. He turned to face the voice and saw an older Flameguard at the gate was staring directly at him.

"What happened to you, boy?"

"I fell over," Ren answered with a shrugged. The guard snorted.

"Right," he shook his head and muttered something about the youth of this age under his breath. A moment later, the beastfolk clerk waved them through, her face still flushed red as the four of them entered the Crossroads together. As soon as they passed through the gate, the group came to a stop, the sound of the bustle pressing in around them from every side. Being inside the city felt entirely different from watching it while waiting in the line to enter.

It was overwhelming in a way that set Ren's senses buzzing.

"Let's go directly to the Church," Varrin said.

"No point in wasting time."

"Let's explore," Ren countered without hesitation.

"I agree with Ren." Lorelle said, her face lighting up.

"There's no rush, and we've got the rest of the day to use!" The two of them started forward down the main street, weaving eagerly into the flow of the crowd, Ren's eyes darting from stall to stall and Lorelle keeping close at his side.

"Hey, wait!" Varrin called out after them, his words falling on deaf ears.

"We can't even buy anything, so why do you two want to run around aimlessly?!" Elowen smiled smugly at the silver-haired boy as she strolled past him.

"Some leader you are, letting your party members ignore your orders like this, hm?"

"Tch." he clicked his tongue in annoyance and set off after his companions, heading deeper into The Crossroads.