The seven-day journey to the north was a new adventure for Ren and Lyra. It was the first time Ren had been so far away from the city. The world was big and beautiful. For Lyra, it was the first time a long trip felt safe and comfortable.
At night, Ren would use his "magic pouch" to pull out good food and warm blankets. Their camps were very cozy. During the day, Lyra taught Ren and Elara (who was still resting from her time as a prisoner) how to survive in the wild. She showed them how to read a map and find their way using the sun and stars. Ren would sometimes summon Buzz to fly high in the sky. Buzz was like a scout, making sure the road ahead was safe.
On the fifth day, they met some trouble. A group of twelve bandits came out of the forest. They had rusty swords and mean faces. Their leader was a big man with a ugly scar on his face. He saw Lyra's new, shiny armor.
"Look what we have here," the bandit leader said with a greedy smile. "A pretty knight and her fancy boy. Give us all your gear, and we will let you live."
Ren and Lyra looked at each other. They were not scared. They were just a little annoyed.
"Do you want to take the left six, or should I?" Ren asked Lyra, like they were talking about dinner.
"I will take the right," Lyra said. She lifted her giant A-Rank shield. "Try not to make a mess."
The bandits were very angry. They charged. The fight was over in less than a minute. Lyra was like a wall of steel. The bandits' swords could not hurt her at all. She used her shield to knock them down, one by one.
Ren was even faster. He moved like a shadow. He did not even use his sword to cut. He just tapped the bandits on their heads or wrists. He took their swords and put them in a neat pile. In a few seconds, all the bandits were on the ground, groaning in pain. No one was badly hurt, but their pride was gone.
Ren took all the money from the bandits. "This is a fee for the lesson I just taught you," he said with a smile. "The lesson is: do not be a bully."
As they got closer to the north, the land changed. It became dark and sad. They passed a small village where the people looked very scared. An old man in the village gave them a warning.
"Do not go north!" the old man said. "The Gorge of the Silent King is more dangerous now. The dead are walking out of the canyon. They are coming closer to our villages every night!" He also told them a sad story. "A party of noble elves went into the gorge a month ago. None of them came back. Now, people say you can hear the ghosts of the elven women crying. They call them the Weeping Maidens."
This news made Ren even more excited. A bigger danger meant more EXP and better loot.
On the seventh day, they finally arrived. The Gorge of the Silent King was a scary and amazing sight. It was a giant cut in the earth. It was so deep, they could not see the bottom. A cold, dead feeling came from the canyon. The sky above it was always grey. There were no birds or animals. There was only silence.
Lyra looked very serious. She was ready for a real battle.
Ren looked at the dark, spooky place. He was not scared. He was happy. To him, it looked like a giant playground. A big, excited grin was on his face.
"Well," he said, his voice loud in the quiet place. "This place looks delightfully gloomy. Shall we go wake the king?"