The next few days would pass much like the first week, though quite a bit more lax. By now, riding was proving to be a bit easier for Darien, though it still only made him more sore. He wondered if he was going to have any skin left on his legs by the time they reached their destination. The monotonous surroundings only added to the misery. Tall grass, followed by tall grass, the occasional wild gazelle or deer, and then more grass. Sometimes it shortened in spots, imitating waves as if to make the false illusion of hills, but all the same, it simply did not end. The two travelers spoke seldom at this rate, driving Darien insane with boredom. Jhin seemed used to the silence, but Darien simply refused to give the other any more of an edge against him. If it continued on like this, he thought the rate of boredom might just be enough to kill him, but he hid this thought, realizing that Jhin actually seemed to be enjoying this quiet journey. Finally, after six long days- and he thought it had been going well- the scenery began to change. The tall grass grew shorter, the blades starting to show signs of a drier climate. Eventually they were nothing but brown and stiff, hardly but a few inches out of the dry earth. Darien also noticed that the temperature was dropping little by little, as if there were less to hold onto the warmth. “So. How much further do we have?” Darien asked. The changes in scenery sparked a bit of hope that they might be close to their destination. After all, they had been traveling for quite a while now. The questioned did not seem to amuse Jinn, who seemed reluctant to answer at the cost of reaction, “You are joking…” he said more to himself then his companion. This had Darien confused. Typically, he would not suspect such a comment from Jhin, but more so, he couldn’t guess as to what had the man in such an off mood. “About what?” A slight smirk appeared Jhin’s face, “As of now, we have managed to cover about one-fifth of the distance.” Unbelieving, Darien blinked, blurting out, “What?!” After all this time, and the pain his legs were going through, they were only that far? His heart sunk to the pits of his stomach as he buried his face into the mane of his horse. This was a trip that seemed most unlikely to end. Perhaps he should have stayed behind to have been mowed down by the forces of death. “Our goal is to reach the country of Sedes, which lies on the other side of the Freelands from Valtare.” This only brought a muffled moan out of Darien. He had never really been one for maps or traders’ stories, but what he had heard and seen through out his childhood was finally piecing itself together to show him a more visual picture. It was said that the Freelands were huge, near unending. Aside from savages and bandits, its infinitude was a deterrent for most merchants and traders, who always detoured around to the west through the lands of Altea. Jhin was looking over at him now, surveying him, “Perhaps you really are not fit for traveling after all.” Did you think? Darien’s short temper immediately began to rise with that statement, taking it to heart as an insult. He sat straight up, “I am more than fit for traveling!” he retorted, glaring back at the other male with a ferocity in his eyes. Jhin did his best to hide a slight laugh,” We’ll see if you are able to back that claim up.” Now seeming accomplished, he pressured Beau to move at a bit faster pace before Darien could come up with any more angry remarks. Though the hewn stone ruins remained for the most part intact, obvious signs that nature had reclaimed its territory showed. Numerous vines climbed the elegantly carved pillars and coated the walls like thick green blankets. A few of them, which were of a lighter, golden hue, also bore flower buds with petals shut tight, save for where silver streams of light managed to trickle through breaks in the structure. Moon blossoms, or silver blooms as others called them- the light to dark blue tints of the petals only unveiled their beauty in the moonlight. Tall, thin blades of green grass mixed with the occasional weed squeezed through cracks in the once brilliant marble tile. In one room that might have once served as something akin to a study, a tree had pushed its way through the floor and grown to a considerable height, up through the ceiling. This, as well the rest of the varied surrounding vegetation had provided food and shelter to many a creature, making the ruins a sanctuary for the likes of birds, squirrels, a variety of other mammals and reptiles, and no doubt a multitude of skittering insects and spiders. A pair of icy blue orbs surveyed all of these things, taking in every bit of detail they could with a calm sense of curiosity. Soft steps through the ancient halls bore minimal disturbance as the figure progressed, the wildlife not seeming to mind much, though they kept a careful watch on the new presence. It was with a slow and steady pace that he strode, every two steps followed by a light tap as the end of the ebon staff he carried hit the ground. The short figure, mostly covered in a large traveling cloak of dull grey that seemed almost too big, had been in these ruins for most of a good day now, searching for that key something that would begin to unfold the hidden story behind this place. Through yet another doorway he stepped, yet another room deeper into the unknown. It would be in here that his footsteps would stop. And for a second, his heart would too. A single large beam of moonlight poured through a large crack in the high ceiling, casting a feint glow upon the majority of the huge, vaulted room. The area within was spacious enough that it could easily hold a small cabin or two. However, what caught his attention was not the size of the room, but what stood almost directly at its center, dominating the room. It was almost startling at first, but easily reconsidered as majestic and awe-inspiring. A statue of gargantuan proportions portrayed the figure of the most feared beast of legends- the flying, fire-breathing serpent known as the dragon. Reared back onto its hind legs, its wings were folded out like great canvas arches, one clawed paw reaching upward towards the sky. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing rows of many sharp teeth, and he could swear that its flared eyes gave a defiant stare to some unseen foe. Still somewhat amazed, he drew closer, resisting and instinctive urge to reach out and touch it. The size was almost intimidating, making him feel diminutive within its presence. As he began to circle it, he noticed that great detail had been poured into the statue’s creation, every individual scale easily picked out, no one like the other. It was so precise and exact, that he felt as if the beast could leap to life and rip him apart at any moment. He found it almost impossible to look away. That was, until a shimmer caught the corner of his eye, causing him to notice for the first time a smaller statue, not even half the other’s size. Also of draconic nature, it seemed it was being shielded by the larger dragon’s wing. More slender and delicate in build than its counterpart, its face portrayed a frightened look, mixed with a hint of sadness. What had caught his attention- and now filled him with a renewed sense of wonder- was that portions of this stone statue were not that, but a metallic silver instead. Approaching slowly, he glided his hand carefully over one of the silvered areas. It was not stone, nor was it metal. A substance that felt more akin to a gem, and yet altogether different at the same time. A mixture of feelings swelled into his heart as he came to realize just what exactly he had happened to come upon. A silver scaled dragon. And how beautiful it shone in the moon’s light. For the first time the figure spoke, though there not be another soul to hear. A whisper of a young voice, that held the knowledge and wisdom of an elder- “Galanodel. Moon’s Whisper. Lunaura- Guardian of the Moon…. Now I understand.”
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:42:33 +0000
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