Genesis

Chapter 46: March

I was free to travel on my own as long as I was back by sundown. It was odd to suddenly have so much freedom with the use of my power, yet have more restrictions than even before. Vissis had encouraged Aeron to allow me that freedom, seeing as I had no understanding of the planet that I was on beyond what Aura and Cyren had explained while on Adjutor. Nevertheless, hearing and seeing were two very different things.

I had traveled far to the east on my own, gazing down on the city of Manonva that somehow floated on Pilon Lake, the massive reservoir of water in the center of D'karia. There were two small cities near the lake that possessed harbors for transport: Caliber Harbor, on the northeastern edge of the lake, near the Scorched Plains, where the city called Odeima rested. The other was Tali'non, another small city southwest of the Albon Wood, and the northern side of the forked Tor'por River.

The lake had two main rivers that flowed from it that traveled across D'karia. The largest was the Acura Torrent, which fed the nearby lowlands by its tributaries and then forked south and west. To the south, it turned into the Leon River and vanished into the Kach'Leon Forest. To the west, it turned into an unnamed offshoot of the Acura Torrent and fed the Erberon lake until it, too, vanished into the mountains like the Leon did the wood.

I had spent the past two and a half weeks taking in all the details that I could, and asking as many questions as possible. My only restrictions were that I could not land in the swamp unless there was civilization nearby, nor fly beyond the western coast, where Vissis said the Isle of Epron' rested far from. She banned the island because an old Kunga named Keira even refused to go there. Thirdly and fourthly, far to the northeast and southeast was the Ei'mor Canyon and a trove named the Khaldok Hive. Each of those places I was forbidden from entering.

I was allowed entry into the cities as long as I moved without suspicion. Seeing as I had no knowledge of how to act, I never entered one.

Over the course of the weeks of travel, I was allowed into the war meetings that the Kunga, Aura, Cyren, Aeron, and other high-ranking officers had. We discussed a plan of action now that more leaders were in play. Vissis called for the army to split before the bridge across the Tor'por river.

One half of the army would travel northwest to the Ced'van outpost and make their way to the city of Emry and take it back. The second would head northeast, around Pilon Lake, to the city of Odeima. Those details were explained and set in stone fairly easily, but it took until we crossed the bridge to decide on whether or not the city of Fel should be considered.

In the end, Eyra, Aura, Nadari and I would fly to the Kolbjard Mountains and take Fel on our own. Vissis felt it best that one of Royal blood be present at each of the cities, in order to best validate the claim.

Cyren, and the other half of the army, had parted ways with us days ago. They would reach Emry around the same time that Aeron reached Odeima. I, and the others, would stay with Aeron until we reached the edge of the Scorched Plains, where we would then fly to Fel. We would still get there before Cyren or Aeron reached either of the other cities, which would give us a little time to scout out the area.

Aeron called for a simultaneous attack on each of the cities, which would minimize the already unlikely possibility of reinforcements. After the city's capture, we would meet up at the edge of Corusca. My party would meet up with Aeron before they reached it, but we would all get there first. Cyren would likely have another day of travel before reaching Corusca. We would gauge what would need to be done then.

It would only be a few more days before my group would split off and I would fly us to Fel. It made me nervous. I had never fought against real people before. Was I capable of doing what needed to be done for this cause? Or would I just become a burden?

The days passed quickly. The closer we got to Odeima, the more tensions grew. The whole army was worried. Watches became more frequent to keep everyone viable during the coming days, allowing enough time for rest for everyone. The nights were the worst. The sounds of the creatures of the night caused panic in more than a few of the less veteran soldiers.

It was sad to watch. Many of them had gone through the battle I had been told about at Davora, but, for some reason, this seemed to affect them more. They had seen war once and it went smoothly. They clearly didn't expect that to happen again.

"In the morning, I will send you off," Aeron said beside me.

He and I had spent more than a little time together over the past weeks. For eleven, he was brilliant and more mature than Cyren and Aura had described. He showed no fear, not for the sake of his men, but because he was so sure of the path he was taking. He was certain of what choices he needed to make to move forward, and he would stop at nothing to achieve it.

I think that is why we got along. There was a side of him that I longed to have, and being around him showed me how I could reach that goal. I had promised Aura that I would see this through to its end. If an eleven-year-old Prince could contend against an entire planet to save his people and win, so could I.

And I would, when the time came.