“I know that I’m lacking experience... si— milord ,” Mayer’s face turned red.
“We don’t know what we’re going to encounter in Alsaard.”
“I understand, sir. But, if I never take any action, I’ll never become a warrior. I have been practicing my sword skills all this time. I’m much better now.”
He looked at me as if his life depended on it. I placed my hand on his shoulder and nodded. Something told me it was possible that I would regret my decision.
“You won’t even notice me, I swear. I mean, I can be really useful,” he hurried to add.
I caught Alina’s smile and it filled my heart with pleasant warmth.
When all in the group were finally ready, I extended my hand, forming a fist in the air. I started to shift and all around me, warriors transformed. Almost immediately, multiple voices filled my head and I forced myself to empty my mind, concentrating on Alina. I lowered myself to the ground so she could ride on my back.
We flew in formation for hours, first through the mountains, then over the numerous settlements that were now completely empty. The western part of Talman consisted of endless areas of low, barren trees, and the sand that freely traveled from building to building. Here and there I could see crawlers even though we were far from the major cities. In pursuit of fresh blood, they did not suffer fatigue or exhaustion. Their clothes dragged behind them like brittle strips of old paper. Slowly, the elements destroyed their bodies, returning them back to earth where they belonged.
I could tell just by the scent of stale water and composting organic matter that we were flying over the swampland. That meant we were getting close to the lands of the white clan. Traveling west was always difficult because there were hardly any buildings or dry patches to land on. We had to stay in the air until we reached a settlement.
It was the middle of the night when we landed in front of the wooden walls of a small town well past the borders of Darragh. Damp air and cold, weak rain met us on the ground.
Alina slid down my back, and for a moment, pressed against me. She looked absolutely exhausted, and I immediately felt the urgeto scoop her up into my arms so she could rest her head against my shoulder.
“Name yourselves.” The voice of an old man came from a small opening in the wall.
Mayer stepped toward the wall and announced the clan.
“The lord killer. His father hasn’t even mourned the death of his son yet, and you’re already here. Jackals,” the same voice responded.
I clenched my hands into fists and was about to approach the window when Sage strolled toward the wall and leaned against it.
“Good sir. Don’t you see how many tired and hungry brutes are on this side of the gate? It would be in your best interests to allow all of us to spend our coins in your taverns. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee that your beautiful town will survive till morning.” Sage spoke in a soft tone, but behind his words was an unmistakable threat.
The man on the other side hesitated, then we heard feet shuffling as the heavy lock was moved up.
As we crossed into the town, we saw several civilians in long cloaks that protected them from the rain. I took Alina’s hand and we followed the narrow street that was paved with small polished rocks that reflected the light of numerous torches.
“Where is the best tavern?” I asked one of the males.
He only pointed further into the settlement.
“Mayer?” I called and the young man was right there beside me.
“Find out which tavern is still open and has enough room to take all of us in.” I commanded and he immediately ran ahead.
“Milady, would you like some water?” Sage asked Alina.
“No, thank you.”
“How about a small snack? I took the liberty to pack some muffins you could enjoy,” he continued.
“That was very kind of you,” Alina said and I could not help a smirk.
Sage had completely lost his mind over Alina. And it was even more amusing because he never hid his dislike toward me.
The light rain had turned more moderate, sprinkling down on the empty streets when we finally found a place all of us could stay in. I immediately suspected that it was not the best place available, rather that it was available.
When we entered the plain, dimly lit tavern, one of the older women started muttering something under her breath and for a moment, Alina stilled, watching her.
“What did you say?” Alina asked.
