Bartock ran up to the general and slammed his sword against his foe’s blade, causing their blades to become locked together.
“YOU CANNOT WIN A BATTLE OF STRENGTH,” said the general.
“What’s behind that helmet of yours, Soren?” asked Bartock, pity in his eyes. “I suppose there’s nothing anymore.”
“MY ALLEGIANCE IS WITH MY MASTER,” said General Soren.
The horse blasted through the gates, and Ing and Alma were free. Now that they had a horse, they would be able to reach Ganwin much quicker. Over the course of several night falls and several dawning of days they had made it all the way to Lableck before they finally stopped. They stopped in a different town than they had before because they didn’t want to have a run-in with the tavern keeper who had placed his allegiance with Slithzalien, the Dark Lord of Akram.
***
“I should check on the people in Dharma,” said Alma when they awoke the next day. “All the soldiers are surely still out fighting, and that means that the village cannot be safe.”
“What?” said Ing. “You’re just going to leave me to win this battle all alone?”
Alma looked upon him innocently for several seconds, sadness held in her face. “You knew we had to split up eventually, Ing. Go home. See your friends again. They’re waiting for you. As are my people. I’ve been away from home for too long. My place is in Dharma. I’m sorry.”
Although he felt reluctant to part with her, he knew that their destinies did not necessarily lie in the same place, even if Slithzalien had become a common enemy. It was more important that Ing return to his town, his home, and try to save it while he still could; if he still could. Ganwin was not Alma’s hometown, but it was Ing’s. It was his responsibility to liberate the people and keep them safe. That was his purpose: to be the hero of his people. Letting them down was never a choice for him.
“I must take the horse with me,” said Alma. “You’ll be able to make it to Ganwin from here on foot; it’s not far. Are you okay with that?”
“That’s fine,” said Ing. “May I see you again soon.”
The two companions burst out of the tavern door and parted ways. Ing made his way as fast as he could back to his hometown. I must not return the same way that I went when I left to find my uncle, he said to himself. That way may be watched by Slithzalien's spies or by King Oxen's people. He may know that I yet live. I will take a different way this time, for the return journey. This is the last stage of my adventure and I must see it through to the end. There will be blood on my blade before this all is over. Not the blood of an Illusionist or a beast or a snow lion this time: the blood of a king and a usurper, one who took the throne by force rather than by right.
The path that Ing traveled took him to some places familiar and others unknown. He traveled past familiar rivers and marshes as he made his way towards Kerwood forest that was situated northwest of Ganwin. The tall eaves of the forest could be seen in the morning light and in the deep bowels of the forest a smoky haze seemed to crawl over the world, and make the eyes droop and become heavy. I am become tired on a sudden, he thought.
Here and there rays from the sun filtered in through the trees. Birds could be heard calling in the air above and insects moved about where they would, making his skin crawl. A breeze blew in from the south and disturbed the trees. Without warning, Ing heard a sudden sound in the trees above that made him wary. I know that sound. I have heard it before, once or twice.
Then it happened. Ing screamed in sheer terror at its touch. He could feel the Spidree moving around atop his scalp. On a whim, his fear turned into anger. Whipping his head around, the Spidree flew off and was on the ground now where he could kill the miserable thing. His sword flew out of its sheathe and bark flew from a nearby willow as he accidentally cut the wood to his left.
Before the thing could get away he plunged his sword earthward and pinned it to the forest floor. I hope there are not more about, but you never know when you're in a forest. The Spidree seemed to be screaming in agony and he ended its pain by crushing it under his boot. The crunch it made was somewhat satisfying, but it also sounded gross. He used his sword to wipe the carcass and blood off his boot and it looked black once again.
With that matter attended to he pressed onward through the depths of the forest as the light above began to wane and if he screwed up his eyes he could see stars in the cloudless sky above. In no more than twelve yards he began to hear a familiar sound: the sound that water makes when running through the woods. In due time he came upon the source of the sound, a pond that stretched left and right out of vision, but forward was very narrow and could easily be crossed if he got a running start.
Ing jumped over the pond and put it behind him and soon the rest of the forest was behind him as well. On the horizon he could see a tall wall in the pale moonlight: a wall that once kept out danger, but now kept it closed within. It was one of the four walls that surrounded Ganwin.
