Chapter IV
When they finally stopped it was late in the afternoon and David was glad to take a break. The air was crisp and cool with a light breeze rustling its way through the thick leaves and branches. The moon was now visible through the canopy as it rose in the sky, getting ready to take over from the sun as it started to set.
Erin grabbed a small bundle of fruit from a nearby bush that looked a lot like blackberries, handing some to David before tossing the rest in her mouth.
“So, what is this place anyway? Where are we heading to?” said David, eagerly devouring the sweet berries. They were delicious!
Erin gave him a strange look. “You really don’t know where we are?” she asked incredulously.
“I told you. I’m from a small town…” he said, deflecting.
“You never said what town…” she said, examining David’s clothes that were clearly unkept, filthy, and hand-me-downs.
“Oh…yeah, well, it’s pretty small, you probably never heard of it, anyway. It’s mostly just my orphanage and my school, you know, the bare necessities?” He could tell she wasn’t convinced, but she decided not to press him for the truth just yet.
“We’re in the Outer Woods that surround the Mystic Mountain. But we are headed to the Capital.” she said.
When she realized he still didn’t know what she meant, she decided to explain further.
“The Capital, you know…Eldergate?”
To which David just smiled and nodded, “Oh yeah, Eldergate. I know that town”
Erin looked even more puzzled, “Town? Eldergate is one of Hurea’s most diverse cities ever constructed since the fall of the Last Age! It is enormous! You must have really hit your head hard” she said, shaking her head. “Come on, we’re nearly there.”
She stood up and started walking down the path. David quickly followed suit, cursing himself silently for being so stupid.
After some time walking in silence, Erin stopped abruptly and turned to David.
“We are about to reach the main road to the city, and you mustn’t be seen. With the orb having gone missing the Royal Guard is going to be on high alert and on the lookout for any suspicious looking foreigners. And believe me, you look suspicious. If they spot you, they will certainly take you in for questioning, especially when they see your hand.
"I will not be able to do anything to stop them if they catch you, so it is imperative that they do not! I must get you to the Elder Council to see if you are the one spoken of in the prophecy. They will know what to do from there.”
“The one from the prophecy? But I’m just a nobody. What is this Elder Council anyway? Why are we going to see them?” asked David frantically.
“The Elder Council are the highest-ranking officials in our kingdom, apart from the King of course. They work for the King as his chief counsellors, using their gifts of foresight to help inform him of important events in prophesy relating to his kingdom. They are well versed in the art of magic too, so they are very powerful allies for the King to have, acting as deterrents against foreign powers to keep them in check.
"If we tell them what has happened, they will be the ones to know what we need to do next. It doesn’t matter who you were anymore, David, now you wield the orb and that makes you very special and important. We don’t have much time, the sun it going to set soon, and the outer gates will be closing. If we don’t make it in time, we will be locked out until morning.”
She grabbed a pack that was tucked under her robe and pulled out a dark brown bundle of cloth. She unraveled it and David saw that it looked to be some sort of leather cloak. It was hooded and when held up it nearly touched the ground at David’s feet.
“Put this on, this will help you blend in” she said.
David quickly pulled the cloak over his head and marveled at how well it actually fit him, considering it was made for Erin who was not as tall as he was. He assumed it had to be larger since it was made to go over her existing robes.
They started walking towards what looked to be a clearing up ahead. David followed closely behind Erin, silently wondering how wearing a cloak would keep him from being spotted by the soldiers.
As they neared the clearing, scattered beams of orange light began piercing more and more through the branches above as the forest began to thin. He could hear the sound of distant conversations and the clapping of hooves on pavement grow louder as they approached.
When they reached the opening, the multi-colored sunlight from the setting sun drenched them in a shower of golden beams. He nearly stopped in his tracks blinded by the sudden intensity of the light – David realized they must be traveling West, toward the setting sun.
When his eyes finally adjusted, David stood in awe at the sight before him. Only moments before he was nearly alone in the forest, now, he was on a wide sprawling road loaded with human and animal traffic. Hundreds of people were leading animals pulling carts filled with goods of all kinds: food, clothing, metal works. He couldn’t believe his eyes! David had never seen so many people in his whole life, and he surely didn’t expect such an active road to be running through a forest in the middle of nowhere!
As his eyes followed the road, David could see that it led to a great clearing in the woods and crossed through rolling farmlands before reaching two large metal gates at the head of a massive walled city. Its stone walls towered high above the ground and had crenellations where armored soldiers patrolled endlessly back and forth across the top, while archers
