The blue light vanished as quickly as it came, and Halden blinked his eyes to adjust to the change in light. He panicked as he tried to see where he was, still shaken from the chase that led them to this dark and small stone room. "That was too close!" he commented, his voice trembling slightly.
As his vision cleared, he saw Raeyla fall backward to the floor. "Rae, you ok!?" Erik called out, rushing forward to kneel beside her.
Halden stepped closer, watching as Erik checked on her. The cyan-haired thief had his hand on Raeyla's shoulder, shaking her gently.
The young Luminary had seen the arrow aimed for her and had been paralyzed with fear, knowing there was nothing he could do. He couldn't imagine how Raeyla felt, coming so close to death.
"Rae? Rae come on. We're safe now." Erik said, his voice steady yet urgent. Halden just stood by, unsure how to help.
After a few more shakes, the distant look in Raeyla's eyes faded. She blinked and looked up at Erik, her expression slowly softening. "I'm ok," she finally said.
"Good", Erik replied, standing up and offering her his hand. She instantly took it and stood, dusting herself off. Erik took one last look at her before moving toward the door, placing the blue stone in the indent of the door once again to open it.
Sunlight flooded the room. Halden squinted, his eyes adjusting once again to the change in light. He stepped outside, feeling the dry heat replace the cool breeze of the coast.
They were in a completely different location. The vibrant green grass and forests were replaced by a rocky path surrounded by mountains and desert shrubs. He had never seen such a landscape before.
The small village of Cobblestone was nestled in the mountains, but the soil was rich in nutrients and green, and the temperature was always cool. His adventure had already taken him to an entirely new environment just a few days after leaving.
Halden continued to look around, noting a cliff behind the stone building that led down to the ocean, much like the Emerald Coast. He wondered how far the Door of Departure had taken them.
As he heard the footsteps of his companions joining him, his mind shifted to reflect on their narrow escape from Heliodor. They were free. Even if they weren't sure where they were, or where to go next.
"So, uhh… where exactly are we? I don't recognise this place at all" Erik asked, uncertainty present in his voice.
"I've never seen this before, Raeyla?" Halden asked, looking at the female, whose eyes were flickering around the new landscape before shaking her head.
"No, we must be far from Heliodor," she stated.
"Good, let's get some more distance then. Let's follow the path and see if we can find a place to rest before it gets dark." Erik suggested quickly, the other two agreeing as there was no other option.
Weaving through the mountain ranges, they found themselves crossing over a ravine high above the ocean. Halden stopped to take in the sight. The red and brown mountains contrasting well between the bright blue sky and ocean. Waves crashed far down below against the jagged rocks, creating a dizzying effect on the teen.
After crossing the natural stone bridge, they entered yet another new environment. Halden hadn't realized it could get hotter, but after passing through the gap in the mountain, it felt like they were hit with a wall of heat. In a large valley, surrounded by more mountains, pools of sulfuric water were scattered around the ground.
Halden and Raeyla took a cautionary step toward one of the pools, taking note of how the edges of the pool were yellow in color, but were more green as it reached the center. The pool bubbled dangerously at the surface from the heat and it was this that caused Erik to suggest they keep their distance.
To the north of the pools, in the distance, stood a large and violent-looking volcano. Halden had only ever learned about them in school with Gemma. He knew that while they helped create new land in Erdrea, they were extremely dangerous.
"Well, now we know why it's so hot." Erik commented as the group looked up at the volcano, with clouds circling high above the mouth of the magma-filled crater.
"Is it really safe to camp around here? What if it erupts?" Halden asked, feeling nervous at the thought of suddenly being in such a dangerous area.
"I don't think it will erupt, but it's still probably not safe to camp here." Raeyla said, her eyes fixated on the distant volcano.
"Yeah, look there. A wooden bridge. There might even be a town nearby." Erik added, pointing to a brown wooden bridge visible over one of the pools, with a series of red arches trailing off into another opening in the mountain rock.
"A town? We should push forward to that then, before the sun sets." Raeyla quickly suggested, gaining little resistance from the two boys as they made their way toward the bridge.
The walk through the pools was hot, and Halden resisted the urge to pull off his vest as they pressed on. Erik, unwilling to approach unfamiliar creatures due to their unpredictable nature, led the group cautiously. The only monster Erik considered low risk was an orange slime that hopped away as soon as it saw them.
The wooden bridge they crossed over the heated pools was old but sturdy enough to hold their weight. On the other side, Halden noticed a series of strange red wooden archways in the distance, leading into one of the mountains. Each archway consisted of two large upright wooden poles connected at the top by two horizontal cross pieces.
At the base of the first archway was a small wooden sign. Raeyla stopped at the sign and read it aloud.
"Weary Traveller,
Does the road not tire you?
Do your bones not ache?
Well, do not despair-
Let the sauna cure your ills!
Sweaty oasis!"
"A sauna? Well, it's a place we can rest for the night." Erik commented, walking up to the archways and making his way up the dirt path.
"Anything to get off this road." Raeyla added as she followed. Halden silently agreed, feeling too tired to comment. Though he felt a great sense of relief once the sight of town finally appeared.
The entrance to the town was protected by a giant wooden wall, with two tall wooden watchtowers on either side of the opening and braziers lighting up the path. Once inside, Halden saw that, much like his hometown of Cobblestone, the citizens of this town took advantage of the varying elevations of the landscape. There were four buildings on the ground where they were, but he could see the roofs of a couple others above the stairs to the left, and another, larger building higher up behind those.
To the right, the boy noticed another set of stairs leading to a large building, and beyond that, several more buildings. In the middle of the town, he saw steam rising from behind the buildings and wondered if it came from more of those sulfuric pools.
"Civilisation at last!" Erik exclaimed joyfully, lifting his arms to interlace his fingers behind his head. Raeyla came up from behind him and looked around.
"It looks so different from the villages and cities in Heliodor. I wonder where we are." She questioned.
Halden looked to their right and saw a man making eye contact with him before walking over. The boy thought the man must have heard their conversation.
He was a portly man, short in height, wearing an orange and red tunic that reached his knees, with short brown hair and a mustache.
"Steam rises in Hotto," the man began in a strangely calm tone, looking at each member of the trio. "Mountains cradle ancient town," He continued, "Welcome, weary souls." He finished, bowing to the group in greeting before rising again.
"What?" Raeyla questioned suddenly, seeming confused with the strange greeting. Halden felt similarly bewildered.
"Three travellers come," the man spoke again, "Their timing as auspicious" he reached a hand up into the sky, and continued "as the day's new dawn!"
He then turned toward the right side of the town, and pointed up at a distant rooftop, "My bathhouse awaits!" He shouted in joy, "Savour it's steamy embrace," he continued and walked away from them slightly, "As frogs do spring rain!"
"Uh, a bathhouse?" Erik asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone.
The man picked up the tone of their companions' words and rushed back to them, "Rejoice, honoured guests!" He walked toward Raeyla, "For to mark this happy day," he continued to speak, and reached for Raeyla's hand, who pulled back at the sudden movement. "You may sweat for free!"
"Erik, I'm confused." Raeyla commented, inching closer to his side and away from the man. Erik let her come closer and tried to politely turn the man down, "Um, we're kind of too busy to be… sweating, thanks. Appreciate the offer, though."
"Too busy to bathe?" the man questioned, his smile lessening slightly "Too busy to wash away" he spoke and looked at Erik with a knowing glint in his eye, "the scent of the road?"
Erik, realizing what the man was hinting at, widened his eyes. He removed his hands from his head and leaned down to smell. Halden caught Raeyla doing the same before making a small face, prompting him to mimic their motion.
Scent of the road was an understatement.
"Maybe he has a point." The brunette male lightly suggested to his companions.
"Ok, maybe I'm not at my freshest" Erik admitted to the man. "Fine. I'll visit your bathhouse if it means that much to you. Coming?" He asked the other two.
Raeyla shrugged her shoulders, "Might as well clean up while we have the chance," She responded.
Halden thought for a moment and remembered the red archways he had seen in the distance, "I'll be there in a minute. I want to have a look around."
"The winds bring two guests!" The man said, looking at Raeyla and Erik, "Joyfully I shall guide them" he continued. Halden waited for the last part, having grown accustomed to how the man spoke, "To where bliss awaits!"
The Luminary watched his companions for a moment longer as they walked slowly behind the man toward a set of stairs leading them to the upper right of the village. He saw the two begin to speak with each other, smiles on their faces, and thought of how close they were. How natural all of their interactions were together; it was something that only came with spending years together.
It reminded him of himself and Gemma.
He wondered where she was and if she was ok. They'd grown up together, and as there weren't many other kids their age in the village, they were rarely seen apart.
Gemma was a kind girl, a bit of a klutz, but always patient with his antics, especially when they were younger. He'd since grown out of that phase, but she frequently had to witness one of his pranks on the elder villagers when they were kids.
"Please be ok," he whispered to himself as he took one last look at the thieving duo before deciding it was time to distract his thoughts. He looked around the village again, taking note of the people walking around, and noticed a large brutish man looking over to him. He decided to wave.
The man had large muscles, with only suspenders covering his chest. The straps attached to a pair of jeans looked normal in comparison to the bright yellow mask with bull horns that covered his face. The mask was strange to Halden and intimidated him a bit.
"Beneath Mount Huji. Like snowstorms on summer days. Visitors are rare." The man said in a kind voice before turning to face back toward the gate they walked through.
He hadn't expected that.
As Halden observed the other people in the village, he noticed that they all seemed to speak in the same poetic manner. Between the two sets of stairs stood two women who spoke solemnly together.
"High Priestess Miko. Her son, our finest swordsman. Ryu, strong as the bear" the older, red-headed woman said to a younger girl with a yellow tunic, "Brave as the lion. He slew the mighty dragon. But he too was slain.."
Halden had to take a moment to process what he'd just heard. There was a dragon in the town, and someone died defeating it?
It reminded him of their encounter with the dragon below Heliodor, making him feel crestfallen. He was supposed to be Yggdrasil's chosen warrior, destined to defeat the Dark One.
But he couldn't defeat the dragon below Heliodor, and he doubted he could have defeated the one here. Who could ever think he'd be able to defeat the Dark One? Halden tried to remember Raeyla's encouraging words but was finding it difficult.
He walked up the stairs that led to the left side of the village, continuing to think. A lot was resting on his shoulders, and while he wished this had all been a big mistake, he had to at least try for the people of Cobblestone, for grandpa.
The anxious Luminary looked at his surroundings as he reached the top of the stairs. There were a few more of the buildings with strange curved roofs. Directly in front of him, he saw the red archways he'd seen before and made his way up the stairs to see what was above. As he slowly ascended the stairs, he continued to think about his situation.
He'd have to get stronger in order to defeat this Dark One, but he'd need to speak with Yggdrasil first, as Raeyla suggested.
As he reached the top of the second set of stairs, he settled on a plan. He would look for a way to get to the World Tree and train while he searched. Having a plan in mind lessened his anxiety, if only a little, as he approached a large building.
The inside was different from what he'd seen in the buildings back in Heliodor. It almost resembled a shrine, with dark brown wooden floors, red pillars along the walls, and a set of red and black stairs along the far wall.
At the base of the stairs sat a woman, who was sitting on her feet. She felt important, being surrounded by others who appeared to be soothing her.
She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a purple and gold dress with a red sash around her waist. She had long black hair and amber eyes.
The group noticed his approach and watched him carefully. He lifted his hand in the air and spoke, "Sorry if I'm intruding, I've just arrived in town and was curious what these buildings were. I'm Halden."
"My name is Miko," the woman said, "Leader of this town's people. Maiden of this shrine" she referenced the building around her and spoke in a flat tone. Almost as if she wanted to be anywhere but there.
"Our home is humble. A place of hot springs and steel. Little happens here." She stated.
Her words struck a chord within Halden's heart. Her name was Miko. The woman outside had mentioned that the person who died was Mikos's son. He quickly realized he had just accidentally stumbled upon a very sensitive situation.
Before he could apologize, or even attempt to leave, a woman who had been comforting Miko turned to the boy.
"Tears fall for lost son, Sacred shrine needs peace and time— Please, traveler, leave," she pleaded with him, and Halden instantly backed away.
"Of course. I'm sorry," was all he replied before exiting the shrine. His curiosity had cost someone their comfort in a difficult time. He'd have to remember to be more careful in the future.
Having been shaken at his accidental intrusion, he decided it was probably best to stop exploring and find his friends. He walked back down the stairs to the lower part of the village before turning to his left, following the direction Erik and Raeyla had gone.
He climbed the stairs, only to notice the door to a nearby building slamming shut. Two people stood outside -a gruff-looking older man with copper hair, wearing an orange tunic over a brown shirt and matching pants, his arms crossed as he looked down at a small child. The girl, sitting indignantly on the wooden path, wore a bright red dress with a bow at the front. Her twin braids of blonde hair hung off her shoulders, and a floppy red pointed hat rested on her head.
"That's no way to treat a lady! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" She shouted at the man, her voice sharp and fiery.
"Your words grate my ears. A good child should be silent, and stay out of bars," the man replied, his tone dismissive as he stood firm, unmoved by her frustration.
"I told you, I need to speak to the owner! It's important! He might know where my little sister is!" she argued back, unwilling to back down.
"A child in a bar, is like a fish in a tree. You must search elsewhere," the man retorted, clearly unconcerned.
"Fine! If you're going to be a complete pig-head about it, I'll go and ask the guards by the gate instead!" she huffed, signaling the end of their argument as she stood up, defeated but still defiant.
As she turned toward Halden, walking with her eyes closed in annoyance, he caught a better glimpse of her - she wore a white dress layered under her red one and blue bracelets on both arms. When she opened her eyes, her gaze met his, and she paused. "Hm?" she muttered, looking him up and down with a quick, assessing glance. Her eyes lingered on his hands briefly before returning to his face, her expression quickly shifting to impatience. "Well? Are you going to tell me your name or not?"
He was taken aback by her abrupt and brash tone. This girl - young but fierce - had just come out of a heated argument with someone, and now she had challenged him as if he were part of her troubles. He felt cornered, unsure of how to handle her aggression, but ultimately decided it was better to answer her than escalate things. "It's Halden," he responded, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Hm. Could be worse, I suppose," she said dismissively, her tone leaving Halden feeling insulted. Her casual dismissal of him seemed to stoke his insecurities, making him feel small, even though she was the one who barely reached his waist. He was supposed to be the Luminary, but there was a child making him feel weak.
Irritated, Halden found his temper rising. "Who even are you?" he snapped back.
The girl opened her mouth to respond but suddenly flicked her gaze past him, distracted by something. After a moment of hesitation, she returned her attention to him. "Listen, you and I need to talk, but my little sister is missing, so I have to go and find her first. Wait here until I come back," she commanded, her voice assertive as if she expected no argument.
Before Halden could make sense of her words, she marched off, heading toward the stairs that led back down to the town's entrance. He stared after her, his head spinning from the entire encounter.
"What?" he muttered to himself, feeling more confused than ever. Who was this girl? Why was her sister missing? And why would she think that they needed to have some kind of conversation?
As she descended the stairs, she threw a glance over her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll understand. You know, I never thought I'd finally meet you in a place like this. It's funny how things work out." she said cryptically, her tone hinting at some knowledge that he did not possess.
Halden let out a deep sigh, feeling exhausted by it all. The idea of going to the sauna felt even more appealing after this encounter. He shook his head and continued on toward the bathhouse, hoping that maybe Erik and Raeyla could help make sense of it all.
He walked past the bar, his legs feeling heavier with every step. He could see what he thought were homes dotting the path ahead, but he kept his focus on the larger structure looming atop the hill, assuming it was the bathhouse.
On his way up the stairs, the young luminary passed two children playing a game and their bright voices interrupted his thoughts.
The red-headed boy threw his arms wide and mimicked claws while growling. "Hear the dragon's roar! Tremble as I leave my lair, to devour you all!"
"You stupid dragon! You are no match for my strength! I, Ryu, shall slay you!" declared the young girl, her stance confident, hands on her hips as she played the hero.
The name "Ryu" sent a twinge of pain through Halden's chest. He thought of Miko and the grief she carried for her son. In the children's game, Ryu was a hero; but to Miko, he was a fallen loved one. Halden wished he could have done something - anything - to help, but knew that there was nothing that he could have done.
Shaking his head to push the thoughts aside, Halden focused on the present and continued his climb. The wooden steps creaked beneath him as he approached the sauna. There was a sign confirming he'd found the place. Outside, a couple stood to the side of the entrance.
The woman, with short blonde hair and an outfit of layered green and red, had her hands on her cheeks, looking giddy with excitement. Halden slowed slightly, catching snippets of their conversation.
"Oh, my heart's all aflutter!" she gushed. "He was a proper looker, that one - and I just love the blue hair!"
Her companion frowned. "Why are you talking about another guy on our date?" he asked, incredulous.
"Oh calm down. He had a girl with him, and I'm just looking." She shrugged.
The sixteen year old smirked slightly as he realized they must be talking about Erik and Raeyla. He quickened his pace to avoid intruding further, but feeling a bit sorry for the man as the conversation faded behind him.
Steam greeted him as he entered the sauna, and the warmth of the air urged him to relax. At the front counter stood the man from the village gate, his eyes brightening with recognition as Halden approached.
"So we meet again! Your friends are in the sauna, Savouring the steam." He cheered. "Does it sound tempting? Will you don some lighter clothes, and join your comrades?" He asked in his strange and calming tone.
"Yes, please." He replied, grateful for the free sauna.
"A wise decision!" The man handed Halden a neatly folded set of sauna clothes. "Let your soul be purified, like fresh spring water."
Halden nodded, appreciating the calming words, and made his way to the men's section to wash up. Once he changed, he stepped into the steamy room, finding it empty except for Erik lounging on the first row of benches. His friend had his eyes closed at first, but opened them as Halden approached.
"Finally!" Erik called out. "I was starting to wonder where you'd got to. Come join me - this turned out to be a pretty good idea."
"Sorry." Halden sat down beside him, the heat immediately helping to loosen the tightness in his chest. "Has it been this quiet the whole time?"
"Yeah, isn't it great?" Erik grinned, stretching out lazily. "We've got the place to ourselves. Might as well enjoy it while we can. We've earned a little break, don't you think?"
Halden let himself sink into the warmth. "It is pretty nice. After everything that's happened these past few days, I could use a moment to breathe."
Erik nodded, exhaling deeply as if to emphasize his point. "Just don't get too comfy. We can't relax for long. Sooner or later, those creeps will catch up with us."
Halden tensed slightly at the reminder. "Do you really think they'll find us that quickly? We aren't even in Heliodor anymore," the brunette questioned, his voice carrying the edge of his anxiety. The idea of Heliodor's soldiers still chasing them made his stomach tighten. He'd hoped that leaving the kingdom's borders would be enough to shake their pursuers.
Erik calmly shrugged. "Hendrik seemed pretty determined to catch you. We're not in the region anymore, sure, but I wouldn't count on them giving up the hunt. Not anytime soon anyway."
The Luminary sighed. Erik's honesty cut through the fragile comfort he felt in the warm steam of the sauna. He wanted to believe they could rest and go about their journey without the shadow of pursuit looming over them. Unfortunately, Erik's grounded nature wouldn't allow for the illusion. Still, he wished he could cling to that lie a little longer.
Sensing the tension in the air, Erik shifted the conversation. "So, you've been scoping out the town, huh? See anything interesting?"
Halden welcomed the change in conversation. "I visited the shrine. Seems there was a dragon here until recently, but the high priestess' son died defeating it. Everyone was talking about it."
Erik raised an eyebrow. "A dragon? Like the one we saw in Heliodor? Her son must have been pretty strong to take down something like that."
He nodded in return. "I didn't get much more than that. It's still too recent I think. And then, there was this girl I ran into. She was fighting with the barkeep, trying to find her younger sister."
Erik leaned back. "Ah her. Yeah, she was sniffing around here when Rae and I showed up. She's way too young to be hanging round in bars though - no wonder they booted her out."
"She seemed worried about her sister. I hope she's alright." Halden's voice softened as the room fell into a brief silence, the heat of the steam pressing in around them.
"I don't envy her, having a kid sister to run around after." Erik commented, his voice low and thoughtful. "Little sisters have a habit of causing headaches."
Halden glanced at Erik, curious about his sudden insight. He didn't know much about Erik's past. Raeyla was more open, but Erik kept things closer.
"Do you-" He began to ask, having gathered the courage to ask if the thief had a sister. But before he could finish, a voice drifted through the steamy air, strange and eerie.
"Where are you?" it called, soft and chilling.
Halden froze, his heart skipping a beat. "Uh… did you just say something?" Erik asked, his usual confidence faltering as his eyes darted toward the younger boy.
He shook his head, feeling the tension building in his chest. "No…"
"Where are you? Where did you go?" The voice came again, now clearer and closer. It seemed to echo from the entrance of the men's baths, carrying a strange, unsettling tone.
Halden's eyes were drawn to the entrance, where a dark figure stood motionless, a shadow against the steam. The hair on Halden's arms stood on end.
"Raeyla?" Halden called out in an uncertain tone, his voice trembling as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. "Is that you?"
Erik shook his head, his sharp instincts on high alert. "That's not Rae."