The Fanged Throne

Chapter 12

The pain in her side and thigh had slowly started to ebb and throb the longer they walked. Thankfully they hadn't run into any more rock trolls and the path had been relatively empty for the rest of the afternoon. Now the sun had started to set, covering everything in brilliant orange, warming their bodies.

"We should look for a place to sleep tonight."

Elora agreed with Banu, she sure as hell did not want to be wandering around at night, the events from earlier still replayed in her head. They walked for a while, looking for anywhere to stay for the night. The sun had now fully set, and the night sank heavily on their shoulders, a strange stillness filled the air. She glanced at Banu to see if he felt the same, his jaw clenched, and hand wrapped around the hilt of his blade. Both their hearts pounded loudly in their chests, so loud she swore that the trolls would hear them.

A cold breeze blew against her face, raising the hair on the back of her neck. She turned and stared ahead into the darkness, her eyes strained to see through the night. The breeze stilled and silence followed. She had the awful sensation of being watched, slowly she stepped closer to the darkness. As she got closer a small rock skittered across the ground towards her and stopped at her boots. When he heard that small sound, Banu had swung around and threw a small ball of fire from his palm into the darkness. They watched wordlessly as the flame sailed through the air and landed with a woosh onto the hard ground. There was nothing there.

He let out a relieved sigh. "Come on, I think I see something ahead."

She stood still for a second as he walked off,  staring into the darkness. Something didn't feel right. Not eager to be left alone, she jogged to catch up with Banu and together they made their way towards the outcrop of rocks he had pointed towards.

Later that night they sat by the fire made by Banu, the small alcove in the rocks offered protection from the night. Elora lay on her back, her coat acted as a makeshift bed from the cold ground. The heat from the flames had warmed her cheeks and lulled her sleepy eyes. She could hear Banu sharpening his weapons quietly, the sound soothed her. As she closed her heavy eyes, she thought over how far they had come. It felt like just yesterday she had escaped from the prison and fought with Virion. Yet here she was, fighting trolls and travelling to the Southern Realm, a place she had always imagined, never did she ever think it would be a place she would visit. Granted, they first had to survive the Terberis Cliffs. A task she was beginning to understand as near impossible.

Elora awoke the next morning, her side and thigh not quite as painful as the previous days. Banu stood above the fire and snuffed out the remaining smoky embers with his boot.

"How long do you think it'll be till we reach the Southern Realm?" She asked him as she pulled her boots onto her feet.

"Honestly I'm not sure, hopefully not much longer."

"Don't you think it's odd that we've been travelling on flat ground. We should actually be climbing uphill or even downhill...It just doesn't make sense."

Banu snorted and shook his head. "Nothing makes sense here." He pulled out a green apple from his satchel and tossed it at her. "Eat up."

They began their journey with the first tendrils of sunlight that poked through the thick mist. A steady breeze had started pickup as morning turned to midday. The wind had gotten stronger the further they walked, whistling against the bare rocks. Her hair kept whipping against her cheeks, fighting their way out of the braid down her back. She struggled to keep her hood up over her head, trying to block out the sharp sting of the wind. Banu was hunched against the force of the wind which had grown even stronger.