En-Route

In the cave …

It was really dark inside, I could barely trace my shadow, so I settled at the corner near the entrance while I waited for the avalanche to pass. It was freezing cold, the kind of cold that made stiff the muscles and bones with burning chills. The avalanche seemed to have been accompanied by a blizzard.

The recent turn off events had been truly overwhelming, I’d say it felt like a dream, a dream I now only wished to wake up from.

Sitting at the corner, arms crossed under my chest, I stared at the creature besides me. A beautiful steed it was, majestic, mighty and not to mention brave, considering it didn’t throw me off its back after realizing its master had unmounted was courageous of it. I would say the steed was a lot like its master if I knew him well, or if I even knew him at all. The whole situation was confusing and getting more complicated.

It looked nearly as disturbed as I was.

“hey buddy” “what are you thinking of right now, huh?”

“you miss him, don’t you?” I asked the troubled horse, even if I knew I wouldn’t get a reply, it was a way to keep me at bay with the thought - maybe I still have my sanity, because though I don’t think I look much of it, I was at the brike of losing it!

Even though I could make it out of the storm, I wandered if I could make it out of “Here” alive! And back to my regular life and comfort home in Gaujong.

The storm was almost over now. “where can I go from here?”

Almost immediately, something popped in my head. “Asthyreah!”, that was where he mentioned before we got separated, yes! That’s where I should go, maybe I can find the answers I seek there, wherever “there” is and knows, he could also be there.

Okay, my plan of action was in line, next, I will most probably need to find a map to Asthyreah, which will come after I survive this freezing cold and figure out a way to get out of these strange mountain lands. This one will be a tough puzzle to solve! And the part of it which scares me is that I don’t know where to start.

Calm down Tara! You’ll figure it out, all you have to do now is to wait for the area to settle a little, after that storm.

As I waited, my eyes grew heavy and tiresome with worry and exhaustion. I will need them in good condition for the journey ahead, so I rested them for a bit, and shortly after, I fell asleep not minding the freezing cold.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Something felt warm on the bare skin of my exposed hands and face that the covers I had on couldn’t have done. Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to have them met by one I recognize, the same ridiculously good- looking man from earlier. I lifted my head to be sure. “it was him”, “it had to be”. He didn’t quite have any expression on his face, he was neither happy nor sad, anxious or worried. His fixed gaze now rested on my flushed checks, that reddened with anxiety and excitement to see him alive and well.

“how did you escape those barbaric men” I suddenly asked, astonished.

I recalled they looked like they were ready to devour any and everything that came their way – and this is no exaggeration. And as much I hoped and wanted him to be alive, I also knew it would be difficult, even impossible.

“not escape, annihilate!” he answered.

“annihilate?” I repeated after him, staring at him in awe

“you mean to say… you killed them!?” still holding his gaze, “all of them?” I should have been satisfied with his reply, I mean, he is alive as I hoped, I just couldn’t have imagined, expect that he …

He rose to his feet and made a stride towards his horse and as he gently stroked its side, he answered,

“Exactly”

“but why?” I think I wanted to ask how, but seeing his seemingly emotionless face, I almost felt sorry for them and a little for me too. He didn’t even try to deny it, what was he, some kind of terminator?

“why? did you want to keep one of them as a pet Tara?” he asked, surprisingly with a smirk on his face. That was probably meant to be a joke, glad to know he had a sarcastic side, but what hit me was the mention of my name. how could he possibly know that, I don’t remember introducing myself to him.

“you called me Tara” “how do you know my name?” I exclaimed!

“your identity is no secret of mine to keep anymore, nor is it one to tell”

“And just how do you know about me?” I demanded to know.

Shrugging a little, he answered, “I know what I must know”. Glancing through hooded eyes at my puzzled expression, he added in a cold tone, “don’t worry, you’ll understand soon enough all the answers you seek”. There! he did it again, shove me off before I could ask any more questions.

It would have been normal to think he said that out mere concern to comfort me, but man was clearly far from being ordinary.

“who are you!” I broke the silence between us that had started to encompass the cave.

He paused for a second before giving a reply

“I’m Stephon, deveaneir of Ozzfrith and your personal escort to Asthyreah”

“deveaneir?” “Ozz…fr-ith?” I asked inquisitively.

“As I said earlier, you will find the answers you desire to know, in due time. Patience!” he said in a calm yet conqueror’s voice that had a spark of intimidation to it. He took a hold of the saddle that lay across which I had taken down earlier and placed it back on the steed.

“we need to leave now” he ordered.

Without objecting, or uttering another word, I quietly followed him to mount the steed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

We rode in the dusk through the mountains and crystal forest for hours without taking stops, yet, it didn’t seem to get any brighter or darker. Was I imagining things?

“does it ever dawn down here?” I was curious to know. “we’ve been on the road for hours but I don’t see any change at all or I’m I just I just imagining it all” I asked, not hearing his reply, I added, “don’t get me wrong, I know it’s a blessing the moon here always seem to be in full bloom, it just that …

“that you are right” he completely my statement which wasn’t what I expected.

“you are not imagining it. Afsgar’s lands has longer hours for days and even longer for nights because it rotates around the moon in 68 moonstead – weeks in your calendar” he added calmly.

“wow! Really?” “68 weeks… which means it takes at least 17 times more to rotate its satellite than the Earth’s moon?”

“precisely”

“This Afsgar, is that what you call this- all of these lands, like a country?” I asked

“No, it is similar to what you call universe in your world”

“Universe!” I repeated, exclaimed

“so, that makes Asthyreah like a country instead?”

“In a way, it does, but not quite.” “not to confuse things, Asthyreah is in the heart of Afsgar, her war lords are the Fortress for peace between worlds which makes her a paramount to Afsgar’s future.” “which means, Asthyreah is not just a like- a country”

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