2 Dasha 30471 - 13:61
BRAAAAPPP…! Prrrfff ~ Snorttt…
The sound of Borgull wings beating shattered the silence of the open ground bordering the forest. Not long after, a group of riders emerged from behind the trees. Before them, the remains of a campfire and traces of a campsite still looked very fresh and neatly arranged, as if deliberately left behind to be discovered.
The leader of the hunters smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming as though he had just found a worthy opponent.
"These tracks are far too perfect for frightened villagers. Whoever this is, he is playing with your tracking skills," he said coldly.
"Leader, we found five different trails leading in various directions ahead," reported one of the Borgull riders, his tone confused.
"That's impossible! How could they deceive us this easily, Leader Xasu's?" added the female hunter who had spoken earlier.
PLAKK!
A hard slap landed across her face.
"Never underestimate your opponent, and never doubt your own ability!" Xasu's snapped as he pulled his hand back. He stared sharply at the woman, who stood frozen while holding her cheek.
Xasu's dismounted, knelt down, and gently picked up a handful of soil. His eyes scanned wildly toward the tree line at the edge of the clearing.
A cunning smile formed across his cruel face.
"North… we go North!" Xasu's ordered firmly as he mounted his saddle again. The entire group immediately spurred their mounts forward, chasing their target with great ambition to bring back the head of a fugitive, or perhaps a highly valuable royal exile.
Far ahead, Hugo began to sense a dark presence creeping behind them. He immediately let out a sharp whistle, signaling Mera and Miya below. Understanding their father's code, the two girls urged their horses faster, entering the narrow valley passage ahead. Meanwhile, Hugo landed at the edge of a barren-looking forest.
FRAAAPP ~ BRUGH!
The Borgull's feet slammed into the dry ground. Hugo stepped down and raised both hands.
"Aqsu-Aqsu Lerqoum Aqraha Gorhum's," Hugo whispered softly toward the trees and mud at the border between the forest and the valley.
At once, nature seemed to breathe. The mud and trees twitched, moving like living creatures awakened from a long sleep.
After ensuring his "trap" was active, Hugo mounted the Borgull again and flew into the sky to follow his daughters.
***
Meanwhile, in the middle of the Dream Valley.
Soft whispers overlapping one another began to brush against Miya's hearing, slowly breaking her concentration. A faint shadow seemed to stroke the blonde girl's hair, pulling her awareness into a deep, overwhelming drowsiness.
"Miya…!" Mera shouted from ahead.
"Focus! Don't listen to their whispers, or you'll fall asleep here forever! Look!"
Mera pointed toward the corners of the valley. There, nearly every inch of ground was filled with human and animal skeletons curled into peaceful positions. They were the unfortunate souls trapped in eternal sleep within this valley.
Miya jolted. Fear instantly swept away the beautiful dream that had nearly drowned her. She quickly urged her horse forward, staying close behind Mera with a wary gaze.
"We have to stay together until we pass the Dream Valley. Father must be waiting. We have to get out before dark!" Mera shouted as she increased her speed.
***
2 Dasha 30471 - 17:32
The hunters arrived at the border between the forest and the valley. They drove their horses wildly, trying to shorten the distance to their prey.
BRRRRFFF ~ NEEEIIIGGHHH!
Suddenly, their horses reared violently. The animals neighed in panic, throwing several hunters to the ground.
Rrrrssshh… KREEEKKK!
Tree branches moved wildly like tentacles, snatching the hunters who were still on their saddles. They were dragged into the air, followed by the horrifying sound of bones crushing all at once.
KREEEAAAKK ~ KRRRSSS…!
Roots burst from beneath the earth, wrapping around the legs of fallen hunters and dragging them into the darkness below. Chaos erupted. Screams of pain and the sounds of breaking bones echoed everywhere.
One Borgull rider tried to help, but before he could act, quicksand had already trapped his legs. His Borgull flapped its wings in panic, choosing to fly away to save itself, leaving its master to be swallowed completely by the mud.
Seeing his forces being destroyed, Xasu's leapt from his horse. He drove his sword deep into the ground.
WUUUSHH!
A wave of pale blue light swept across the earth, instantly silencing the raging forest and valley. Everything returned to stillness.
"Be cautious… what we are hunting is not an ordinary fugitive. He is a magic user," Xasu's said as he mounted his horse again. His eyes now gleamed with desire as they moved faster and more recklessly, hunting someone who might carry an enormous bounty on his head.
***
2 Dasha 30471 - 20:58
The evening sky began to burn with color. Mera and Miya finally escaped the Dream Valley. Above them, Hugo flew ahead, guiding them through the steep and narrow paths of the Ardu Hills.
"Mera… why do we keep taking these dangerous routes?" Miya asked, trying to maintain her balance along the narrow path at the edge of a yawning cliff.
"Father chose this secret route so we can arrive faster," Mera answered, full of confidence in her father's decision.
"Yes, faster into the abyss, you mean? Look, there's a wide and safer path down there!" Miya complained, already reaching the limits of her exhaustion.
"If we take that route, it will take us three times longer to reach the resting point," Mera replied, trying to calm her younger sister's frustration.
***
Meanwhile behind them, the hunters decided to take one of the wide main paths in the center of the Dream Valley. The seductive voices and deadly drowsiness began to assault their awareness. Some hunters staggered before finally falling from their horses, asleep never to awaken again.
"Stay alert! Do not let the valley wind seduce your senses, or you will sleep until you become bones here!" Xasu's shouted a harsh warning.
The group continued riding, leaving their fallen companions behind to become eternal residents of the Dream Valley.
***
Ardu Hills, 25:28
At the edge of a waterfall surrounded by steep cliffs of the Ardu Hills, Mera and Miya began preparing their resting place inside the mouth of a shallow cave. Meanwhile, Hugo prepared supplies and caught several fish for dinner, giving part of his catch to his Borgull.
"Tomorrow we will wake at dawn to continue crossing the hills," Hugo said as he handed two pieces of wheat bread to his daughters.
"The next route is the Qardoom Ice Mountains. We will follow the Hent River toward the Shumnay region," Hugo explained while turning the fish roasting over the fire.
Mera and Miya nodded together. Even though the names of the regions their father mentioned sounded very unfamiliar, they fully understood that this journey had only just begun. There were still thousands of kilometers of dangerous terrain they would have to conquer before reaching the mysterious land called Shumnay.