The Reformation Wars: Beginning of the End

Chapter 5

Dustin's travels across the Monteraynian, Arorian, and Innutukian countrysides, though enjoyable, could hardly be characterized as exciting. He and his party traveled in fair weather each day, and whenever possible, Cheeks ensured their meals consisted of fresh delights from the little towns they passed through along the way. Around lunchtime their first day in Aroria, Jude even shot a few rabbits with his bow and arrow, and the party enjoyed their juicy meat for lunch.

Passing through a stretch of Innutukian territory for half a day proved the most nerve-racking part of the journey. More than once, the party only narrowly concealed themselves from Innutukian patrols by sneaking through a grove of trees or waiting quietly at the bottom of a hill for the horsemen to pass.

But at last, as darkness began to fall, they came to the edges of Innutuk's territory in the area. The ground under the horses' hooves gradually became less a carpet of healthy grass, and more a hard crust of dusty soil with sparse stalks of dry vegetation sprouting up here and there. The wildlands were drawing near. Before long, Dustin glanced up and spotted a wall of dusty hills marking the border.

So the party rode right up to the hills and settled down for the night, making arrangements to split resources before going to bed. In the morning, Dustin and Jude would ascend the hills and make the rest of the journey with just their two horses, leaving Chin and Cheeks to take the carriage back and half the foodstuffs. Almost all the remaining water, they delved out between Dustin and Jude's skins, given they would be the ones traveling through desert for an entire day at least.

Early the next morning, Dustin and Jude made their way into the wildlands. As Dustin surveyed the vast stretch of sand and rocks around them, he grasped Consequence's reins in apprehension. Even if he craved adventure, he didn't crave death. And death was all he had ever heard from this wretched place.

There was a reason the wildlands had been unclaimed by any nation. From all reports he had ever heard, it was a hellish wasteland where only fools dared tread. The wildlands had ravines lined with the skeletons of unfortunate souls who had lost their way. Terrible sandstorms that ripped flesh from bone. Demonic hissings that tore through the deathly quiet of the night, stealing sleep from any who attempted getting a moment's rest. Some in Monterayne even believed somewhere in the wildlands could be found a doorway to hell itself.

Dustin gulped and exchanged a glance with Jude, who appeared equally nervous. But after exchanging a nod, the two young men nudged their horses to travel southwest, where they would shortly see the peak of a massive stone formation on the horizon, according to Dustin's map.

The sun hadn't fully risen yet, so the heat hadn't become too unbearable, but Dustin recalled another man's claim that the heat of the wildlands was sufficient to melt skin and cause it to drip off the flesh like water. Shuddering, he desperately hoped that were only an exaggeration.

"I still marvel that the great Nathan Korynn would choose to live in such a place as this." Jude muttered.

"He must truly wish for nobody to find him." Dustin replied, "After all, who in their right mind would venture into here?"

"Absolutely no one. I suppose that makes us unsound of mind."

"You speak as if this is some new knowledge."

Jude laughed lightly. "Though I do have to say, my father and his companions crossed this place once and lost nobody but one horse in the process."

"True, but they only survived because the Lord caused water to spring up from the ground for them. I have faith, but planning on miracles is foolhardy, in my view."