Chapter 289: Let's go to the meeting place
The streets of Arvalen were still unusually quiet when Kael and the group left Raven's tavern. The sun had barely risen, painting the sky with hues of orange and violet, and the city breathed slowly, as if awakening from a long slumber. The creak of distant carts, the lazy call of a baker announcing fresh bread, and the clatter of boots on cobblestones were the only sounds accompanying the procession.
Kael led the way, his black cloak flapping in the cool morning breeze. The backpack slung tightly across his back and the sword strapped to his belt created a figure that blended discretion and firmness. Behind him, Sylphie walked with light steps, her natural posture carrying the grace of elves, but hidden beneath a hood that fell low over her eyes. Amelia followed closely behind, her expression relaxed, scanning the streets like a tourist, though her eyes never wavered from the details around her. Irelia, however, walked with her head held high, her short sword strapped to her back, her expression carrying an unease that betrayed her difficulty in maintaining a low profile.
Kael broke the silence first, without looking back:
"Last chance. If anyone wants to give up, now is the time." His deep voice echoed through the empty street, leaving no room for irony.
Irelia snorted. "After all this preparation? Not even dead."
Sylphie adjusted her hood, with a soft smile. "I've already accepted the responsibility, Kael. I won't back down."
Amelia shrugged, stretching her arms lazily. "I just want to see where this takes us. It doesn't sound boring, so I'm in."
Kael didn't answer immediately. He just kept walking, satisfied with the answers, even if he wouldn't admit it. His silence was already a kind of approval.
As they passed through the city's east gate, the guards watched them with disinterest. Nothing about this group immediately caught their attention—just more travelers setting out in search of some obscure destination. The world was full of them.
Once outside the walls, the path opened before them: a worn stone road, flanked by green fields stretching as far as the eye could see. The wind blew, carrying the scent of wet earth and wildflowers. A flock of crows streaked across the sky, cutting through the dawn with their black wings.
"Finally free of that cheap wine smell," Amelia commented, taking a deep breath and smiling. "Raven should change her barrels."
Sylphie chuckled. "I think bad wine is what keeps the tavern full."
Irelia looked at them both with disdain. "You two don't know how to appreciate anything. That place has character."
Kael just sighed, uninvolved. He was more focused on assessing the horizon than on trivial arguments. His amber eyes scanned every curve in the road, every distant hill. His mind was always a few steps ahead, already imagining ambushes, possible attack points, and alternate routes.
After a few minutes, Sylphie approached him. Her soft voice mingled with the sound of the wind:
"Kael... have you ever been outside the Empire? I mean, on missions like this?"
He kept his eyes on the road, but answered without hesitation:
"Yes. More times than I care to remember."
"And... are they always like this?" She hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "With so many layers of secrecy, so many risks?"
Kael stared at her for a moment. Her violet eyes reflected genuine curiosity, but also a hint of concern. He looked away and replied calmly:
"The higher the blood of those you protect, the more dangers lie in wait. Don't expect this one to be any different." His eyes returned to the road. "In fact, expect it to be worse."
Sylphie said nothing more. She pulled her hood tighter around her face and took a few steps back, rejoining the other two.
The morning wore on slowly. The group continued along low hills, crossing small streams and ancient stone bridges covered in moss. The blue sky cleared more with each passing hour, driving away the initial haze. The road wasn't completely empty—occasionally, a wagon laden with hay passed by, or a lone traveler gave a quick wave. But nothing too remarkable.
Around noon, they stopped in a clearing by the roadside. Kael removed his backpack, set it down, and grabbed a waterskin. He sat silently, watching the three of them make themselves comfortable. Sylphie spread a blanket on the grass, Amelia lay on her back, staring at the sky, and Irelia stood, as if resting were a weakness.
"Relax a little," Kael told her, not looking directly. "We still have many hours of walking."
"I'm relaxed," Irelia retorted, but the stiffness in her posture belied her words.
Amelia chuckled softly. "You're the worst liar I've ever met."
Irelia gave him a sharp look, but didn't respond. Instead, she sat on the ground, keeping her sword within reach.
Kael took advantage of the momentary silence and opened the map he carried. His eyes scanned the lines and symbols, measuring distances and mentally plotting the next steps.
Sylphie approached, kneeling beside him. "Is the meeting point far?"
Kael ran his finger over the map, pausing at a discreet marker. "Two days from here, if nothing unexpected happens." He folded the paper again and put it away. "But never count on a smooth ride. Always expect the worst."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Were you always this optimistic?"
Kael stared at her briefly, expressionless. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Amelia smiled, satisfied with the answer, even if it was curt.
The respite didn't last long. Soon they were back on the road, their rhythmic footsteps echoing across the worn ground. The afternoon sun burned down on them, and the wind no longer brought the morning's cool. But Kael continued tirelessly, his gaze fixed straight ahead, as if the horizon held answers.
In the middle of the afternoon, they passed a small village. Simple wooden houses, well-tended vegetable gardens, and children running barefoot through the fields. The group attracted a few curious glances, mainly due to the visible weapons, but no one approached. Travelers often passed through there, and the villagers knew better than to ask questions.
Still, Kael kept his hand close to his sword, alert for any strange movement. He only relaxed when the village fell behind and the fields once again surrounded them.
As they walked, Irelia approached him. Her voice sounded softer, almost like a confession:
"I still don't understand why you're so concerned about hiding who we are. Wouldn't it be better if people knew? Maybe they'd respect us more."
Kael stopped, turning to face her seriously. "Respect?" He let out a short, humorless laugh. "What you call respect, Irelia, is fear. And fear breeds betrayal. The more they know, the faster they'll sell us out."
Irelia clenched her fists, but didn't retort. She knew he was right, even if she hated to admit it.
Dusk arrived with a sky painted red and gold. The group set up camp near a grove of trees, where a discreet fire illuminated their faces. The smell of warmed stale bread and dried meat mingled with the cool night air.
Sylphie pulled back her hood, revealing her silver hair that reflected the firelight. "You know... no matter how hard we try to hide, it always seems like we carry something bigger than ourselves."
Amelia nibbled on the bread, staring into the fire. "Maybe that's what makes us different. And maybe that's what puts us in danger, too." Kael remained silent for a moment, watching the flames dance. Finally, he said,
"What makes us different doesn't matter. What matters is survival. And for that... no one must know who we truly are."
The group fell silent. The crackle of burning logs was the only sound that accompanied them until sleep overtook them.
...
The next morning brought with it the weight of expectation. The grass glistened with icy dew, sparkling like tiny crystals in the first rays of the sun. The air still held the chill of dawn, forcing them to keep their cloaks closed against the biting wind. The narrow road wound between fields that were beginning to thin, giving way to hills covered in sparse woods.
Kael led the way, his steps firm, his eyes constantly moving. He seemed part of the landscape: attentive, collected, but with a latent tension in every muscle. There was something in his silence that made the air around him heavier.
Amelia, walking a few steps behind, was the first to break the stillness.
"You're more serious than usual, Kael..." She arched an eyebrow, sizing him up and down. "Are you expecting trouble?"
He didn't slow down, nor did he turn his face. He simply replied dryly, almost automatically:
"Always."
Irelia, already sharpening her wit early on, grumbled.
"You talk as if the road is crawling with assassins ready to leap from behind the trees."
This time, Kael stopped. He turned slowly and fixed her with amber eyes, intense as embers. The silence lasted a second longer than was comfortable.
"What if it is?" he asked, with a calm so icy it made the question seem more like a sentence.
Irelia opened her mouth to retort, but her voice died in her throat. She swallowed hard, looking away as if the forest had suddenly become extremely interesting.
Sylphie, more sensitive to the weight of it, pulled her hood down even further, hiding some of her silver hair that shone in the morning light. Her violet eyes scanned the surroundings nervously.
"So this is it..." she murmured softly. "This is where things start to get real."
Kael resumed walking, adjusting his cloak around his shoulders. Her voice cut through the silence like steel slipping from a sheath:
"Get ready. The rendezvous point is near. From here on... any wrong move could cost us our lives."
The sound of her boots against the dirt road seemed to mark the rhythm of the growing tension. Amelia sighed, crossing her arms as she walked.
"Great. We've barely begun and already the mood is like a funeral."
Irelia grumbled back sharply:
"Better get used to it. That's our leader's 'optimism.'"
Sylphie didn't laugh at the provocation. Her eyes remained alert, following Kael with quiet confidence.