After their little lunch break, they continued their journey to the mountains. Naìra was wide awake and she was able to walk on her own. Now Flavius wouldn’t have to carry his younger sister.
Galvin was standing and lean and strong enough for ten battles. Wonomi and Monico had enough energy they could walk the whole island of Shimabellia. Flarefur was flapping his wings like crazy because he was used to flying instead of walking.
Marina used her siren voice to keep the Griffin’s wings to stop flapping his wings. This slowed their progress a bit. Her voice was echoing into the air and throughout the distant horizon. Once again, if they were being followed, her voice was sending the unwanted stockers the wrong direction while the group would be walking in the right direction.
After Flarefur managed to stop his wings from flapping, they continued on their journey through the flat terrain.
As they walked on, they found themselves walking through more marshes. Water and hills were mixed were intertwined as they walked on the dry paths. Not a single tree was seen. The plants there were small dry weeds and dried grass. The air was less foul but a lot thinner. They spent several hours walking slowly. With very small air to breath, they had to walk slowly to conceive their walking energy. They would stop every one mile they traveled for five or ten minutes before continuing.
Naìra was carried by Flavius again. She was not used to traveling far away from home and she was never in the habit of traveling on foot. The Griffin offered to carry her for Flavius who couldn’t refuse. Naìra rode on the Griffin’s back and Flavius walked beside them.
With the sun hiding behind an endless view of clouds, none of them could tell what time it was. And with no sun showing them their shadows, no one was able to know what exact time it was. Wonomi, Monico, and Flavius were worried it was passed a small break time, but Vaeludar didn’t spare any time for breaks. He wanted to get to the valley of fires before they ran out of food.
With little fish and fruits left, they may make it for half a day. The food supply was low and both bags were barely empty. There was enough to last half a day or less if they kept eating nonstop.
As the day grew darker and more lifeless, the mountains grew bigger and wider. The distant fireplaces grew brighter more by the mile. Vaeludar look like they were about ten miles away from the far off fireplaces. He hoped they would be a village where they could use some rest and resupply their food supply. Only if they can it by the end of the day or by the next morning.
Once they succeeded in making it through the marshes, they walked through an endless view of dirt hills with no single plant life. Over and under and over another hill, this journey was taking them. Walking at different paces, fast and slow, was tiring out the group.
Vaeludar kept seeing the mountains rising even higher. The base of the mountains was blushing in green colors and different sections. The mountains had flourishing green plants with some black burnt parts. As they walked closer, the mountains were about eight thousand feet high.
The day was growing darker and darker. The clouds were losing their grey color and being turned into darkness. The landscape began to be swallowed by a shadow from some unknown evil. The mountains’ peaks were covered in sheer blackness.
When they passed another hill, they saw the fireplaces big as a house. With so much relief they have, they could feel the comforts of home as they passed the over last hill. Pass the hill, they saw buildings all built one two opposite sides. But before their eyes they saw something they did not expect to see: a village with so much dread.
A DREADFUL VILLAGE
T
wo-story houses were built with rocks and carved stones. One big road had spread out the two sides of the houses by sixty yards. Each house faced the other if they were reflected from a mirror. Among the stoned houses were ruined buildings that collapsed by many earthquakes. There was a strong stench of dead pigs and rotten farmlands.
On the far end of the village, there was a large crowd gathered around a dragon statue, which was built near a stone wall, in a peaceful position: all legs standing with grace, wings folded like a flamingo’s wings, a tail grazing down in an S shape, and a head in the shape of a bear, crocodile, and a bird.
The crowd around the statue was bowing to the dragon statue like a god. They seemed to be worshipping to the statue if there was a god in the dragon statue. They were chanting:
Oh, come and show us your light
For we are afraid of the night
For long we wanted to see the light
Now we pray, O Mighty Dragon
For many a year we lived with death and suffering
We hope you can give us the light by accepting this offering
To this we offer so we no longer have to suffer
To this girl we give to you to give us the light
Oh, come and show us the light
For we are afraid of the night
For long we wanted to see the light
Now we pray, O Mighty Dragon
The chanting brought the group over slowly. Vaeludar ordered his companions to walk slowly and carefully; he didn’t want to intrude in a place of worship.
I wonder what they
