The road stretched on.
Once the group left Kilgharrah Village and environs behind, they eventually found themselves trudging through overgrown country.
The road was barely visible, at best, and did not seem to have been heavily travelled for a very long time.
They did, however, come across a few travellers and even some sizable groups, camping or moving along the road with their livelihoods in tow.
All were headed to Kilgharrah Village, seeking to take up residence in the area, cultivate good land and trade.
It was from one of these groups that Cho Yanshi learned that the land they were in had once been feared, seeing no travellers whatsoever.
That was long ago, when it was still known as the Perilous Land. Now, they all seemed to have no real name for it.
Most just referred to it in a way that reflected the people's hopes for a bright future.
Rolling hills, thick with green, swayed beneath a gentle wind. Streams ran clear and bright, threading silver throughout.
Wildflowers bloomed in quiet defiance of the stories that still clung to this place. Those stories of poison, ash, and of a sky that once wept fire.
Now, birds sang and the earth breathed easy. Six figures- and one small shadow among them- walked steadily along the way.
"Oi, Lin."
There was no response. Lu Chen's brow twitched.
"Lin."
The boy, who had been walking just a half-step behind Jin Huang, was startled. "Huh? Yeah?"
Lu Chen studied him for a moment longer than necessary before looking away. "Nevermind. Just keep up."
"…I am, though," Lin muttered.
But he quickened his pace anyway. Behind them, Hei Shisan's lips curved ever so faintly.
The first day had passed easily.
The second passed with laughter.
The group stopped for the evening at the camp of a large merchant group, who claimed to have come by sea for fear of travelling through the forest.
They sat around the fire, delighting in food and stories.
Uncle Puck, the one in charge, had a great presence and an even greater belly, with the booming voice and laughter to match.
His merchant companions, as well as their security- a hired mercenary duo- all seemed to share his temperament.
"With nothing to use as bait, I told Phillis," Puck looked over at one of the female merchants, "I said, 'Phillis, how do we catch fish with no bait?' Phillis looks at me, and with no word of warning... kicks me overboard!"
"Aahhahaahahaa! The woman's evil, I tell you!"
Phillis was all smiles, her cheeks red on account of more than the strong drink.
"Don't let Puck pull the wool over your eyes. He deserved that kick." She shook her head with a chuckle.
"Why's that?" Jin Huang smilingly asked.
"Just a short while before that, he offered to use his worm as bait!" Phillis and the others broke out into laughter.
Jin Huang slapped his knee; even Qin Shuyue was laughing.
They spent the night with that group, and prepared to leave early in the morning.
"Keep heading in that direction," Uncle Puck gestured.
"You'll soon meet the ruins of the gate town. Past that, you'll have left these lands behind, and entered new territory."
He looked at them all withna trace of worry in his eyes.
"Friends, be wary of the forest. All manner of ne'er-do-wells use it for their banditry. Not to mention the magical beasts."
"We left our boat concealed, south-east of the forest, hidden in a cove. Make use of it, if you wish. I doubt we'll ever need it again." Uncle Puck lightly tapped Jin Huang's upper back.
"Thanks, Uncle. You guys be safe," He waved them off as the groups went their separate ways.
"A kind-hearted man," Hei Shisan sighed with emotion.
"If a bit of an exhibitionist," Cho Yanshi giggled, causing the rest to have small laughs of their own.
Shen Wuyou stared back at the departing merchant group, giving one of his dice a roll; the same one that he had once worn around his neck.
It showed a five, and he nodded, then turned to follow his group.
By the third day, a rhythm had formed.
Jin Huang led- if only in spirit- walking with an easy confidence that refused to diminish, even when he occasionally glanced at Cho Yanshi for confirmation of direction.
Lu Chen and Hei Shisan drifted at the flanks, their vigilance unspoken but constant.
Qin Shuyue walked near the center, a quiet warmth about her, while Cho Yanshi remained ever focused, eyes sharp.
Shen Wuyou lingered wherever he pleased, but never got too far from the group.
Lin stayed close, mostly to Jin Huang, sometimes to Qin Shuyue. He was never far from anyone except Lu Chen.
On the fourth day, they reached the ruins.
At first, it was just a broken wall, half-swallowed by ivy. Then an old stone road, cracked and uneven beneath creeping grass.
Then more. Foundations, collapsed buildings- all of them fragments of something that had once been grand.
Jin Huang slowed slightly, gaze drifting across the remnants. "So this was the gate town? It looks like a city."
"Looks like many cities," Cho Yanshi corrected. "Like this entire region was once densely settled."
"It was," Lin affirmed with a shy nod.
Lin's eyes moved across the ruins with unusual intensity, something deeper than mere curiousity.
He reached out briefly, fingers brushing against a worn stone.
Then-
"Lin."
He flinched, his hand snapping back. "…Yeah?"
Jin Huang blinked at him. "You zoned out. I said we'll be stopping for a bit soon."
"Oh. Right." Lin nodded quickly, stepping back.
Shen Wuyou watched him, and rolled his singular die.
Two.
A faint smile returned to his face.
That night, they made camp among the ruins. Even though they had been moving through the ruined cities for a number of hours, they were yet to leave them behind.
A small fire crackled, the air was calm and peaceful.
Lin sat slightly apart at first, knees drawn up, staring into the fire. The light flickered across his face, catching something unreadable in his eyes.
Qin Shuyue eventually sat beside him, offering a piece of bread.
"Cho Yanshi's finest," she said gently.
"…Thanks." He said as he took it.
Then, quieter, he said, "You all find me suspicious... don't you?"
"Maybe those two," Qin Shuyue gestured to Hei Shisan and Lu Chen, who had seemingly been getting closer. "But Jin Huang doesn't, and that's all I care about."
"My ears are ringing," Jin Huang appeared out of nowhere, sitting and tearing into Lin's portion of bread without concern. "Talking about me?"
Lin hesitated, but Qin Shuyue nodded and laughed, "We were just talking about that gluttony of yours."
"Glutt-" Jin Huang paused, his protest dying as he realized what he was doing, then he returned the bread. "Ahem! My bad, Lin."
Qin Shuyue grinned; Lin told him to keep the bread.
Happily, Jin Huang ate. "So, Lin. Mind telling Shuyue and I what's at the Valley of Kings that you need to see so badly?"
Lin almost choked on his bread. Cho Yanshi heard his coughing and brought him a bamboo cup of warm tea. "Careful, Lin."
"Thank you," Lin said as he took it, then looked over at Jin Huang as Cho Yanshi settled near them.
Lin put down the cup and fiddled with his bread as he spoke. "I... The Once and Future Sword is supposed be there. I like swords. I'd love to see a legendary one like that."
Cho Yanshi smiled. "Have you been wanting to see it for a long time?"
Lin nodded his head immediately. "All my life. Ever since I heard the stories."
"What's so special about it?" Jin Huang asked as he reached over for Lin's bread, which the youngster seemed to not even notice.
"The Once and Future Sword was wielded by the Last King of Albion, forged in the breath of the Elder Dragon, Kilgharrah, long before it went mad. The sword is indestructible and its power is absolute."
"Also, it has a will of its own. That is why only those chosen by it can wield it." Lin's eyes practically sparkled.
"Lin."
Again, there was a fraction of a delay.
"Oh… Yeah?"
This time, it was Hei Shisan who spoke.
"You heard all that in stories? From the old man?"
Lin's grip tightened slightly around his cup. "…Yes."
Shen Wuyou gazed at something in his palm, shaking his head surreptitiously.
Hei Shisan said nothing more. He didn't need to.
It was Lu Chen who asked the next question.
"Why were you all alone? Where are your parents?"
Lin froze, his grip stiff on the cup.
"Alright, alright," Jin Huang gazed over at the two that had chosen to interrogate Lin.
"Let's not be rude," Cho Yanshi frowned.
Lu Chen and Hei Shisan exchanged a look with Shen Wuyou, and they returned to their own talks.
The night passed with a bit of idle chatter, but Lin's tone remained hushed.
Eventually, they left the overgrown ruins behind and finally stepped out onto the wild terrain. There were no signs of settlements or ancient buildings, just endless foliage and untouched land.
Straight ahead, the group could see a gathering of trees so grand that calling it a forest felt inadequate. Some of those trees stretched so far upward that they looked more like towers.
Above, as they walked and gazed, they saw something burst through the trees and emerge into open air.
The flap of its wings alerted those who had missed its arrival, and they saw a giant beast with feathered wings, and the body of a lion, screaming like an eagle as it flew.
"What in all the Hells is that," Lu Chen marvelled.
"That's..." Lin gasped.
At the same time, the massive beast changed direction, it's enormous wings propelling it straight toward the group.
"A gryphon!"