The Seven Seals: Dragon Crusade
Chapter 8: The Third Seal

Kate was jerked awake by something. Or someone.

Her eyes shot open to see Thogmook shaking her shoulder. “Miss, get up! Get up!” he whispered loudly.

“Hm? W-what’s going on?” Kate asked tiredly before sitting up in her bed.

“Sshh! Keep your voice down! The guards, they’re here!” He quickly hobbled in the darkness over to Kirith to get him up.

Kate threw off the sheets and swung her legs over the bedside. She was already wearing the new set of clothing Thogmook had leant her in place of her other ruined clothes: a light brown leather corset with a green tunic beneath it. Before they had gone to bed, they agreed on wearing their shoes while they slept in case of an emergency. And in this situation, it was an emergency.

Kate stood up and straightened out her tunic when she suddenly heard a loud thud from above that sounded three times. “We know you’re in there, old man!” indistinct voices echoed in a muffled manner.

“Uncle...what’s going on?” Kirith asked, sitting up.

“The guards are here! Come on, get up!” Thog said. He bustled to the wall where something was leaning up against the wall in the darkness. Thog picked it up and walked over to Kate. Holding it out to her, the object became more vivid. A sword.

“Here, take this,” he said. “It will help.”

Kate’s eyes widened slightly and took the sheathed sword in both hands.

Thogmook placed a hand on Kate’s shoulder. “If this is our last meeting, then I must say it was wonderful knowing you, Kate,” he said. Thog leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Protect Kirith from what he could become.”

Another loud series of knocks echoed through the silence. “Open up or we kick down the door!”

Thogmook patted Kate’s shoulder before walking towards the doorway. “Go out through that small hatch over there! Your horses should be waiting,” he said and left the room.

Kate furrowed her brow. Protect Kirith from what? She shook her head. There was no time to think. Kate quickly strapped the sword to her waist.

Kirith picked up his satchel and put it over his shoulder. He looked at Kate. “Seems like we’re always on the run,” Kirith said.

“Yeah, you got that right,” Kate replied.

They escaped into the small hatch and through a man made tunnel only by the guiding light of the Althrist. The ceiling grew so low that they had to get on all fours and crawl their way through.

Up ahead, Kirith pushed open a wooden hatch and climbed out. Kate followed close behind and stood up. The tunic, along with her black tights, was covered in dirt. So much for a new outfit, she thought.

“Kate!” Kirith whispered loudly.

Kate looked up and over to the right where two horses were stationed. Saddles were already on their backs. Kate walked over to one of them tentatively. It had been a while since she took horseback riding lessons, but she still had a good idea as to how to handle such a being. She grabbed hold of the saddle and stuck her foot into the stirrup before swinging her free leg over onto the other side.

Kate pulled out the crystal and spoke the words. The segment of light appeared and pointed to the right. Kate glanced towards Kirith who stared back at the chapel. A look of worry was upon his face.

Kate sighed impatiently. “Kirith, I’m sure he’ll be alright. But we have to go now!”

Kirith nodded and looked away. “I know...”

Kicking their horses into the gallop, they rode off in the direction the Althrist stone pointed. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The night was still ever strong, but with one of the many moons sitting up in the sky and cascading its lunar light, the journey in the dark was made easy. Traversing through forests and fields, the Seals didn’t dare stop. A world was waiting for the Seal’s reuniting and fellowship of power. Though, a land such as Baldoria, who was blinded by Shangorn’s deceit, needed them more than ever.

As Kirith and Kate rode on with haste, the night was soon coming to an end. A dense fog fell over the land as the moon descended below the horizon. The forests began to awaken from their sating slumber as it was met with the first rays of sunlight.

Kate felt an over rush of fatigue throughout her body. They had ridden all night long, not even stopping to set up camp. All she could think about was taking a nap, just getting shuteye for one moment. And if that wasn’t enough, Kate’s legs and hips felt sore from having to sit in the same position. It didn’t help that they had slowed down their horses before the night ended.

Kate glanced over at Kirith to her right. Even he looked tired himself. She sighed deeply. “Kirith...don’t you think we should...like take a break?” Kate asked.

Kirith blinked several times. “We’re...almost there...I can feel it.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Give it a break, Kirith!” She pulled back on the reigns of the horse and snuffed out the crystal’s light. Kirith had no other choice but to stop too.

The both of them got off and tethered the horses to a tree. Kate grabbed a blanket from her steed’s saddle and wrapped herself in it before sitting down with her back to a tree. Kirith simply sat down against a tree parallel to her.

“Just a small nap, you need one too,” she said.

“Sure, whatever,” Kirith said and put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

Kate sighed and tucked the necklace under her tunic. She relaxed and laid down on the underbrush with the old cloak rapped around her. As soon as Kate closed her eyes, she already began to feel herself fade off into sleep.

Kirith was fading in and out of consciousness. He couldn’t help but think about who the next Seal might be, what they would be like. He heard sounds, movement. Probably just apart of some dream. Odd snarling sounds went with the movement. Then there was the whinny from one of the horses.

Kirith’s eyes shot open.

All around were small, stout creatures. They stood on two feet and had resembling features to a person only “over-exaggerated.” Large eyes, large noses, and large pointed ears with warts and hair sticking out in odd places. Their skin differentiated between a swampy green and a vile brown. They moved about quickly, sniffing and snorting. Several of the others were stacking on top of each other and trying to climb up to Kirith’s horse’s saddle. The horse stepped back and whined. Two of the others were looking at Kate with a perplexed look. One of them reached out and picked up a lock of hair before dropping it when Kate shifted into a different position. She was still fast asleep through all of this.

Blinking out of his stupor, Kirith shot up from his position. “Boggarts!” he cried.

Kate’s eyes shot wide open. She screamed and tried to scramble away.

The boggarts noticed their sudden awakening and screeched with fear. The small tower of them toppled right over.

Kirith reached for his sword at his hip. But it was gone. He looked around quickly and spotted a boggart running off with his sword. “Oh no you don’t!” Kirith growled and dashed for it. He tackled the boggart to the ground and wrestled with it. Grabbing his sword, Kirith yanked the sword up but the boggart held on. The creature quickly reached over and bit down on Kirith’s hand.

“Aack!” Kirith yelped in pain and dropped the sword. The sword hit the ground but was slightly drawn out of its sheath. As soon as the boggart picked it right back up, there was the sound of loud barking.

All the boggarts looked in the direction in which it came in fear. A large black Border collie burst through the bushes, barking madly.

The boggart dropped the sword, and with the rest of them, bustled off into the woods. Not one was left in sight.

“Zalrus, calm down, boy!” a voice came. Kirith looked in the direction in which the dog had run from.

A tall, slightly muscular teen walked through the bushes, holding a broad stick. A mop of messy red hair sat on his head. His eyes were a strikingly green color that resembled that of the leaves. Zalrus lay down on the turf and let his tongue hang out as he panted, letting out a soft whimper.

The young man looked at the two with a concerned look. “You guys alright?” he asked.

Kirith sighed and reached down to pick up his sword. “Yeah, thanks,” he said.

Kate walked towards them in shock. “What the heck were those things?!?”

“Boggarts,” Kirith replied. “They’re troublemakers.”

The young man looked at them both. “I heard some commotion from over in the village and came over to inspect,” he said. “I’m not surprised it was the boggarts that caused the trouble. We have a problem with them. Say...you two...don’t happen to be from around here, do you?”

Kirith and Kate gave each other a glance of tired disbelief that there had been a village nearby the whole time. Kirith looked up at the boy. “You’re right, we aren’t.”

The young man pushed back his red messy hair and smirked. “I could take ya’ll back to my village if you’d like,” he suggested.

Kate nodded. “Yes that would be great.”

“Oh, and by the way, the name’s Travis,” he said.

“Kate, you can just call me Kate.”

Kirith fixed the sword at his hip, pretending not to hear what the question was. He couldn’t give away his name.

“And yours?” Travis asked, looking at Kirith intently.

Kirith looked up at him and paused. “Drake,” he lied.

Travis nodded. “Nice to meet you both!”

Kirith and Kate packed their things and followed Travis through the woods. Zalrus walked up ahead in front of them with his ears standing straight up as he sniffed the earth.

Kirith looked on ahead, guiding his horse by the reigns. He felt a slight nudge to his arm and glanced to his left. Kate stared back at him, a look that told him something was up. Kirith walked a bit closer to her. “What?” he whispered.

“This Travis guy, I think he’s our Seal,” she said.

Kirith looked her in the eye. “Him?”

Kate nodded. “The stone, it was glowing pretty brightly.”

“So what brings two kids out here?” Travis asked from up ahead.

“Ah— well, it’s just an errand...um...we need a place to stop is all,” Kirith replied.

“An errand?” Travis said. “Are you guys some kind of messengers or couriers? ’Cause I’ve been dying to see what my distant cousin has to say. He’s an adventurer, you know! Unlike me…”

Kirith rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Ah— no…just an errand for my uncle, he’s getting old and er— not capable of getting some things.”

“Oh…” Travis’ spirits seemed to lower. “Well…we don’t get many visitors, so seeing new faces for once actually brings light on our dull days in the village.”

They passed the tree line and stopped. Beyond them seemed to go on forever with trees dotting the landscape here and there. A gentle breeze brushed passed them with the past scent of fading morning dew. The land dipped before them and below was a small village with farmland. Two figures were at work on the land.

Travis sighed exasperatedly. “And this is, Hillford,” he said, though it was obvious in his tone that he wasn’t at all happy about the place. Travis began to walk down the hill with the others tagging along.

“You don’t sound very excited about it,” Kate noted.

Travis snorted. “Yeah, well, when you’ve been stuck here for practically your whole life, the excitement is cut short when you realize that there’s no way in the Abyss that you’re going to get anything better.”

“Could be worse,” Kirith added.

They reached the bottom of the hill and walked by the farmland. A burly man hacked away at the earth with a hoe. He looked up at them from his work and stood straight. Even from far away he was intimidating. “Who ya’ got there, Travis?!” the man called.

“Some travelers, Dad!” Travis called back. “They need a place to stay!”

“Oh my lord, do we have to consult that guy about taking his son?!” Kate whispered to Kirith.

“I hope not, he doesn’t seem promising,” Kirith whispered back.

“So this is a fifty-fifty chance then?”

“Maybe if he says no, he’ll have some mercy since you’re here—”

“Something up?” Travis asked them.

“Aha, nothing!” Kate answered quickly.

The broad man set his hoe down and walked over to them. He leaned on the fence that thankfully separated him from the group. Now up close, this man towered over them all, even Travis. The muscles along his arms bulged and looked ready for strangling. His square jaw shifted above the mass of muscle that was his neck. The man had his eyes trained on Kirith and Kate, studying them dubiously. “You are?” he finally asked.

“I-I’m Kate, and this is my friend...Drake!” Kate said and forced a smile.

The man stared at them long and hard, like he knew all of their darkest secrets.

Kirith felt his palms grow clammy at each second that passed. What was with that look? He just hoped the silence would end and the staring would stop.

Travis fidgeted awkwardly. He opened his mouth to say something when the man spoke, “Galder, Galder Harthworn at your service.”

Kirith and Kate nodded slightly. No one said anything for several seconds. Kate stomped her foot on Kirith’s foot.

Kirith sucked in a breath and struggled not to show pain. “RIGHT!” he said a bit loudly. “We ah— mister Galder— could we talk to you about something? Like in private— or just wherever— um...”

Galder cocked an eyebrow. “In private?” he asked. Galder looked to Travis. “Go take their horses to the stables, would you?”

Travis nodded and took the reigns from Kirith and Kate before leading them off.

Galder motioned with his head. “Follow me down the fence,” he said.

Walking along the fence, they reached a small gate to which Galder passed through. He waved with his hand for them to follow as he walked to a house. Kirith and Kate submissively followed. People from down the small dirt road watched them curiously, though quietly. Walking up some steps, Galder opened the door for them. They stepped through only to have the door close behind them. The cabin was small but quaint. A crackling fire lay under a hearth with a bubbling pot above it. A woman was bent over it, stirring a soupy mixture with a wooden spoon. Her hair was pulled back in a messy red bun with visible signs of aging. She looked over at them and her eyes grew wide. “Who do we have here?” the woman asked.

“Fasene, these are just a couple few travelers,” Galder said. He turned to them and looked down at them. “Is this good enough for you?”

“Er— yes, it is,” Kirith said and let out a sigh. Looks like he was the one to do all the talking. Kirith looked up at Galder. “How do I place this...have you ever heard of the Six Seals?”

Galder’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes.”

“And are you aware of their great power?”

“Yes...”

Suddenly, the door burst open, Travis stood there panting as Zalrus snuck inside through his legs. “What did I miss?!” he breathed.

“Travis!” Galder growled.

“It’s alright for him to listen,” Kirith said. “This concerns him, too.”

Travis raised his brow and stepped in before closing the door behind him.

Galder sighed and looked back at Kirith. “Continue.”

Kirith swallowed. “Well, we happen to be two of these six, sir. There is an ancient darkness that is coming upon the land, and in order for us to stop this darkness we need to gather together the rest of the Seals. It’s...a dire request in a time of need.”

Kate pulled off the glove on her right hand and showed the seal to Galder before putting it back on. There was a pause. Galder stared down at Kirith.

“We...have reason to believe that your son, Travis, is one of these Six Seals. And...we would like for him to come on this journey with us. We require his strength in battle.” Kirith gulped and hoped for the best.

“Please, sir,” Kate pleaded quietly.

Galder looked at the both of them as a vile look began to grow.

A grin slowly formed on Travis’ face. He looked at Galder expectantly. “Dad—”

“NO!” Galder yelled. He exhaled deeply and massaged his temples. Letting his hand fall, he looked at Kirith and Kate. “No...”

Kirith’s mouth twisted. He had a bad feeling he was going to say that. Kirith had to keep pressing on. “His presence is vital...it could make a difference— he could save so many lives—”

“Did you not hear me, boy?!?” Galder asked irritably. “He’s not going anywhere, not with you. Not with anyone. He needs to stay for his family.”

Travis looked at his father in disdain. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. “You—…you’ve never changed,” he said darkly. Travis opened the door and left, slamming it behind him.

Galder sighed heavily.

“I know that it is dangerous and that his family needs him, but there will be no family left if this darkness covers the world!” Kirith exclaimed.

“You think I don’t know?!” Galder snapped. “You two have some kind of “wishful thinking.” You think you’re going to stop this darkness— this evil sorcerer Shangorn? The Seals may have done it once before, but those days are over! There’s no hope for this world.” He pointed a finger at Kirith. “And why should I let my son go with you?! I know who you really are, what you did to your brother— you selfish coward!”

Kirith stared back up at the man, completely stricken. He didn’t know what to say. What was he supposed to say? Kirith looked down and began to speak, “It wasn’t—”

“Get out of my house,” Galder hissed, an obvious tone in his voice that meant he wasn’t going to hold back his anger much longer.

And just like that, they were already stepping outside. Kirith sighed deeply and stared down at the ground.

“That didn’t go as planned,” Kate stated grimly.

“No...it didn’t,” Kirith said.

“Now what?” Kate asked, looking around.

“I’m not even sure myself.” Kirith began idly walking away from the house.

“Maybe we could convince Travis to just come with us, sneak away,” Kate suggested, following him.

“Maybe. But I doubt we would get far. His dad looks like the type to know things.”

“I guess that could be true,” Kate said. She groaned irritably. “Well we need him to come with us! Wait this out maybe?”

“I don’t think Shangorn will wait for us. We’ll have to come up with something.”

Night was beginning to fall once again, covering the land in shadows. The birds all around began to grow quiet and return to their nesting spots for the night. Crickets began their evening chorus. The villagers were also beginning to finish up their work and heading back into their homes. But there was still one who had yet to return to his home.

Travis sat atop the hill overlooking his village. He stared down upon the houses, the barn, the crops, and the small wall of stone separating the village from the forests. He was going to be stuck there for an eternity more. And who was there to make sure he didn’t run away? His father. Why wasn’t he even letting him go with them? He could be a hero, save lives, become a legend, and something more than a farmer boy. Sure the journey would be tough but I’m fully capable of handling myself, Travis thought. And I would have friends with me along the way! He clenched his fists until his knuckles grew white.

It was stupid. It was completely stupid. His father was heartless and hopeless. And it wasn’t like his mother would have the heart to say anything. In fact, there was a probability that she would agree with her stone-headed husband.

“Why can’t you just let go?!” Travis thought aloud. “I hate this!” He laid back in the grass heavily and shut his eyes. Travis didn’t want to leave that spot. With the thought of not being able to join his kind hanging in his mind, he felt sick and angry.

Something rustled in the bushes from behind.

Travis froze and sat up, looking back into the dark woods. The rustling had stopped. He shook his head and turned his attention back ahead.

The wind began to pick up all around. It tossed his hair and through the fibers of his clothing. Voices began to grow in it, softly speaking. But they became louder and more distinct.

Travis…

Travis!

It continued to call out to him softly.

Travis rolled his eyes and got up, picking his stick up. He faced the woods defiantly. “I know it’s you, you blasted boggarts!” Travis said.

Then there was the sound of barking. Zalrus emerged from the bushes and looked up at Travis. His tongue hung out lopsidedly as he let out a whimper.

Travis furrowed his brow. “Zalrus?” He began to reach out to his companion.

Zalrus turned right back around and bolted into the woods.

Travis’ eyes widened in shock. “H-hey! Zalrus come back!” he yelled and threw down his stick before chasing after him. Upon entering the woods, Travis was met with twigs and branches. He could just barely see Zalrus moving in between the trees and bushes, barking every now and then. But it wasn’t a vicious bark, no, more of want for attention. What could he possibly want?

Travis called out to him several more times but to no avail. He had been chasing Zalrus for at least two minutes now, and the shadows of the forest were beginning to creep on him and blind his path. Travis felt his legs begin to burn. He leapt over a log and stumbled into a clearing as leaves crunched under his feet.

Zalrus darted towards a cave at the end of the clearing before disappearing inside. Travis came to a halt and bent forward, clutching his knees and taking a breath.

“Z-Zalrus!” he called weakly. Travis stood back up and walked over to the cave. The depression leading down was steep but still able to manage. But there was light reflecting off the floor, light much like a torch. What could be down there?

Travis looked around his shoulder before leaning forward and going inside. He traced along the wall and looked on ahead. In front of him was a corner that turned left. The light was much stronger now, bouncing off the dark cave wall and giving off a glow.

Boggarts? Travis thought. He slowly crept towards the corner and looked around. Beyond was a spacious area where the ceiling ascended high. In the middle sat an axe with a long pole. The blade sat in a pedestal, keeping the weapon itself upright. Where the two blades met at the pole was a lion emblazoned on it. The axe itself seemed to let off a powerful, fiery glow.

Off to the side sat Zalrus next to an old chest. He whimpered before lying down and resting his head on his paws.

Travis stared at the axe in awe. He had never laid eyes upon such greatness. This had to be his father’s weapon, the axe he mentioned but never showed Travis.

Extinguishing his thoughts, he felt an abnormal warmth in his hand and wrist. Travis looked at his hand and nearly froze. The seal that was once faint now glowed much like the axe. What...what is this? What’s going on? he thought. But in the back of Travis’ mind, he couldn’t help but feel that there was another presence aside from his and Zalrus’.

Travis...

Travis whipped his head around. There was no one there, no one in sight. Who could’ve said that?

Travis. The voice came again.

Travis looked towards the axe. As crazy as it sounded, it was as if the voice was echoing from the axe. “Wh...who are you?” he asked.

Do not fear... it said. Take me in hand, that I might be raised up like the days of old in battle. Wield me once again, Sealbearer, and your enemies shall know fear when they look into your eyes.

Travis stood still for several seconds, his eyes trained on the axe. Pick it up? But wouldn’t he burn his hand? But some driving force was screaming for him to grasp the weapon. Taking a step closer, he felt the comforting warmth of the axe grow. Travis hesitantly reached out, his fingers just barely touching it. He took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the handle with both hands. Using his strength, Travis pulled the axe out of the pedestal and raised it high. An overbearing power flooded him, coursing through his veins. An extraordinary feeling of pride and excitement enveloped him in pure force. He felt as if he could conquer every nation of the world.

Wield me with courage and no foe shall ever leave a mark upon you. Join your brothers and sisters and seek out the darkness...

The voice began to fade away, as was the light of the axe diminished, leaving only a sliver of moonlight from a hole above. Travis lowered the axe and traced his finger along the lion emblem. Brothers and sisters...the Seals! he thought. I’ll sneak out before anyone wakes up and tell those two! But then he remembered. Travis had yet to return to the village, and his father was probably throwing a fit. He cursed under his breath.

Zalrus whimpered loudly and scratched at the chest next to him.

Setting down the axe, Travis walked over to the chest and kneeled down. “What is it, boy?” he asked, petting the collie’s head. Travis looked back to the chest and squinted. It really made him wonder; who set this all up? Or had his father kept these belongings out here? That would be ludicrous, considering that there was a boggart problem. “Some things are just best left unexplained,” Travis murmured. He unlatched the chest and pushed it open. A grin slowly spread across Travis’ face.

Kate lay on her back in the hayloft, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep was almost impossible; with some of the noises that went on inside the barn how could anyone get sleep? Something would stir or move against her leg and Kate would practically latch onto Kirith. She had fallen in and out of consciousness throughout the night. Was it always going to be this way? What time was it? Thoughts continued to run through Kate’s mind. Maybe if I hadn’t left my phone in the car, she thought, but it probably would’ve been broken by the time I got out of the river.

A loud creaking sound invaded her thoughts. Kate froze and trained her ear on the sound. There was shuffling, someone walking from below. Then it stopped almost below them. Kate held her breath for a moment. Who was down there?

“Kate? Drake?” the figure whispered loudly.

Kate bent her brow and sat up. She looked over the side of the hayloft. “Travis?” Kate whispered back. It was definitely his voice, but she couldn’t distinguish him in the darkness.

“Hey!” he called back quietly. “Get up, we’re getting out of here!”

“What about your dad? What if he knows?”

“He doesn’t! Everything’s under control, trust me!”

Kate sighed heavily. At least they would get out of this pigsty. Kate turned and shook Kirith’s shoulder. “Kirith, Kirith wake up!” she said in a low voice.

Kirith groaned a little before opening his tired eyes. “W-what’s...wrong? What is it?” he asked.

“Keep your voice down,” Kate said. “Travis is here. We’re leaving.”

“But his dad—”

“I know, just— get up!”

After getting themselves situated, Kirith and Kate climbed down the hayloft ladder. Travis waited for them down at the bottom, though he wasn’t wearing the same clothes as before. He looked like a typical adventurer with a strap around his shoulder and a large axe on his back. Dressed in a leather tunic and trousers, along with a bandana that was tied around his head, he fashioned a handsome and heroic look.

“Now are you sure your dad isn’t going to know?” Kate asked.

“I’m very sure,” Travis said with a grin. “You two act like you’re scared of him.”

Kirith and Kate exchanged a sideways glance and sighed.

“SO— where are our horses?” Kirith asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, they’re out back, I have them ready,” Travis said and motioned for them to follow him down the isle of stalls.

“Just to clarify, my real name is Kirith,” Kirith said.

“Ah...alright,” Travis said.

“Hey, Travis? This has been on my mind but...do you know why exactly your dad doesn’t want you to come with us?” Kate asked.

Travis was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure myself,” he said. “Maybe he’s afraid I’ll get myself killed, or maybe just a grudge.” Travis reached the two doors leading out of the barn and pushed one of them open. “Or maybe he just doesn’t want me to hang around kids my age.”

Kirith and Kate stopped in their tracks.

“Whoa, whoa wait- our age?!” Kirith stammered.

Travis looked back at them slightly confused. “Yeah.”

Kate looked to Kirith before looking back at Travis in disbelief. “That would be fourteen years of age,” she stated.

“Uh…yeah, and I’m just a year older.”

Kate’s eyes widened. “I cannot believe this!” she exclaimed.

Travis struggled to hold back laughter. He walked outside of the barn, now almost giggling.

Kate walked out of the barn along with Kirith. “How is this funny?!? We thought you were like— eighteen or twenty or something!”

“It’s what you get for being a quarter giant!” Travis laughed.

“Okay, sure, he’s a quarter giant now can we get out of here?!?” Kirith asked impatiently.

Deciding that it actually was quite sure that they got on the road, they walked to a small post next to the barn where three saddled horses waited. Another long journey was ahead, one with much more challenging feats, Kate could feel it. The three of them saddled up and directed their steeds away from the barn.

Drawing out the crystal, Kate spoke the words of guidance as Kirith briefly explained what the Althrist stone was to Travis. The light segment appeared and directed just in front of them.

Travis looked at the Althrist stone. “That’s...that’s pointing north of here,” he said. “Right?”

“North of Baldoria…” The emotion drained from Kirith’s face. “Grendalia...” he muttered.

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