Lost Fantasy-The Flowers of Stelis (Arc 2) [Hiatus]

Chapter 59

Back at the inn, the others had already packed their belongings and were ready to leave. They stood in the cold before the wooden door to the inn with their only source of illumination and heat being the torch that burned before the entrance of the inn. As their figures slowly enlarged while the horse-drawn wagon made its way down the street closer and closer to the inn, Loganel's heart pounded in his chest. Around him, the darkness had made it difficult to see the road. The only thing that was visible to him was the lights that shined in the windows of the buildings on both sides of the road, but even that light appeared red, similar to the blood moon overhead. It would appear that a snow storm had started, causing the world to become even darker than before. Because of this snow storm, Loganel could merely see a few meters around a light source. 

This darkness led to him suffering from anxiety. He kept his ears open, hoping to listen through the storm and hear any sudden movements that roamed under the cloak of darkness. Loganel was worried that the Vampires might attack his party by accident, so he wanted to make sure. However, because of the howling wind, he could not hear much. Even the annoying sound of the horse shoes making contact with the stone road seemed to have been drown out by the wind and the sound of his rapidly beating heart.

"I thought we're gonna die out here," Kaz commented as he helped carry the girls's luggage onto the wagon one by one. He approached the wagon with one arm up over his eyes in order to shield them from the storm and used the other to carry the luggage.

"Sorry," Tetsuya responded. "It was dark so we went slower than usual."

Loganel looked up at the sky, seeing how the sky was completely dark now and even that few slivers of sunlight that had shined in the distant sky were now blocked out by the clouds. However, Loganel knew there's still a few more minutes until the light completely dies and the world succumbs to the embrace of the night and falls into a slumber in her arms. But... what awaits the city of Rostindel once the night embraces them isn't a peaceful slumber. Rather, it will be a nightmare.

"We need to go," Loganel muttered as his knees trembled while sitting down. "We need to go. We need to go." 

He brought his left thumb to his mouth and bit down on it, trying his best to calm himself, but it was of no avail. No matter what he did, he could not stop the trembling of his knees as well as his rapidly pounding heart. In addition, if it weren't for the strong wind, there would've been numerous beads of cold sweat clinging onto his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Marilin whispered to him, allowing her eyes to gaze into the dilated pupils of Loganel's.

"N-nothing," Loganel forced out. "We just need to get going before the storm becomes worse."

"Shouldn't we be waiting the storm out?" Sheriel asked Tetsuya. "It's pretty dangerous to head out during the night and in the snow."

"No!" Kaz barked. "I have a bad feeling about staying. We need to go."

"B-but..."

Sheriel's words were drowned out by the sound of the wagon wheels rolling on the uneven stone road of Rostindel as the horse that pulled the wagon began moving at a trot. Tetsuya was the one piloting the wagon as he held onto the reins with both of his hands. Before him, the only thing he could see was the stone bricks of the road a few meters in front of the wagon that was illuminated by the little lantern attached to the front of the wagon. 

Behind Tetsuya, the others gazed out at the boy who braved the elements himself while the others remain concealed from the snow due to the cloth hood of the wagon. However, even then, they weren't entirely safe as the wind caused the cloth to flutter and threaten to blow it off completely.