Within a few moments they were off, following the well-worn trail that lead off into a vast, monochromatic desert. As they rode, Bernar did notice the fluctuations that Ahkmed had mentioned, but with his guidance on how to use the compass, they cleared the first few without much issue.
"How long do you think it will be until we arrive?" Leona asked, warming her hands by the fire while the others pitched their tents. "It should be about two more days of this," Bernar said, tying down the last support beam for their own and looking to the distant horizon.
"I'm not sure I like sand, even less when I've found it in places I wasn't even sure I had," Gwili chimed in, dusting his hands. "I miss the tall trees and the rays of sunlight beaming through the canopy above my head, not the feeling of sand being pelted against my face at the speed of fuck," he said, promptly sitting down by their little fire.
"I didn't get the opportunity to travel much, so this is quite the adventure for me," Marte said, tousling her red hair as she tried to knock the sand out of it. "But I will say that I agree with you regarding the sand," she continued.
"I don't really mind it. I can always just tie this piece of cloth around my face, and it seems to help. Although, it must suck to have long hair in this place," Neko said smugly, earning him a swift slap upside the head from Marte and a laugh from everyone else who watched.
Wyrran, however, noticed Bernar hadn't really joined in the conversation. "What's got his prick in a knot?" he asked Gwili subtly, giving him a nudge of his elbow. Gwili quickly flicked his hand and fingers in specific gestures that told them everything they needed to know without saying a word.
I'll help him keep a lookout, then, Wyrran signed back.
The night went on with the others sharing stories from their travels across the Continent. Thorsen, naturally, shared the most from his own homeland, while Wyrran and Gwili recounted their own earlier days of mischief in Caegwen. Bernar, however, was only paying half attention to the others as he continuously shifted his gaze from them to the tops of the nearby dunes.
He never did shake the feeling of being watched.
After a grueling, three-day journey through the ever-changing terrain and harsh, freezing winds of the Harutian desert, they reached the last hill before the trade bridge. From where they were, it was obvious that it easily spanned across the Albet River and would eventually lead into the Harutian capital.
"There it is. That's the entrance to Escea," Gwili called back, having crested the hill to do a little scouting. Far beyond the bridge stood two titanic pillars with a large gap between them wide enough for hundreds of merchant wagons to fit between.
"Gods above and below, who could've built such a massive monument?" Gwili asked aloud. "It might be from the time of the calamity that Ahkmed mentioned," Bernar said, catching up to him quickly. "Even so, it makes no sense how they were able to build such a massive structure. It even dwarfs the palace of Myrdin," Gwili said, still in disbelief.
"True, but we have a different issue to think about right now," Bernar said, gesturing down towards the base of the bridge. From where they stood, it was obvious that the guards were wary of their presence.
The entrance to the bridge, being about as large as Coltend Castle's, held a small garrison in a pair of buildings lining the wall that spanned across the gap in the rocky formations. The Escean standard could be seen flowing through the air violently. It was the symbol of a four-point star being protected by twin, curved swords on a white canvas with green trim.
"You know her plan better than I do right now, but I would recommend sending some of your men along with Wyrran to remain as backup in case we need help getting out of the capital," he continued, lowering his tone just enough to be heard.
Gwili, understanding Bernar's intent, nodded his agreement and proceeded to ride over to his underling.
"Bernar, what is it?" Leona called out as she reached the top of the hill with Thorsen, Neko, and Marte. "They must know why we're here, given their levels of agitation. Don't expect a warm welcome," he said, gesturing down to the guardsmen. "I wasn't planning on one," Leona said with a wink, spurring her horse down the hill.
This is fine, Bernar thought, chasing after her.
"Greetings, guardsmen," Leona called out with a wave of her hand. "Who goes there?" one of them asked. "I am Leona of Maredia. I have come here with my personal guard to speak with Her Majesty, Queen Zari Ibn'Escea, in person," she said loudly enough for the entire garrison to hear. "My apologies, my lady. We didn't know you were coming," the guardsman replied, bowing immediately.
"Apology accepted. Now, we have ridden long and far to get here, as I'm sure you know. Would you be so kind as to open the gate so that we may pass?" she asked warmly. "I-I'm sorry, my lady, but I cannot do that without seeing some form of official summons or permit," the guardsman stammered.
"Coltendian visitors have never needed them in the past," Leona said in a half-questioning tone. "It's a recent development, my lady. We have been instructed not to allow anyone in without a permit, and even our own merchants have suffered greatly for it. After the death of the king, it was implemented immediately, nearly halting all trade in or out as a result," he said briefly, lowering his tone a little.
There has to be more to it than that, Bernar thought, shifting his weight in his saddle.
"Why weren't we notified of this? Rather, why wasn't anyone notified of this? Is there anyone I can talk to who could make some sense of this here?" she asked, trying not to show her annoyance. No sooner did the words leave her mouth that a man stepped out from behind one of the doors to the garrison.
His well-kept, tar-black beard and piercing black eyes made him look as formidable as the scimitar tied at his waist with brown and beige sashes. The red sash, tied around his red arm, denoted him as a Captain of the Garrison.
"By Yarathea, I know you're just doing your job, Eshmun, but you really shouldn't have stopped the Queen of Coltend herself. Your Majesty, I apologize for the delay," the captain said with a bow, dragging his subordinate down with him. "I will do what I can to make sure that Eshmun here is properly punished for his ignorance," the captain said, still holding the bow.
"Nonsense. I never introduced myself as being the queen, and so he has no reason to be punished. Like you said, he was just doing his job," Leona said in a warm tone. "Please, rise," she said with a gesture. The pair below raised their heads cautiously. "Thank you, Your Majesty," the captain said with a relieving sigh. "For a moment, I thought you were going to have our heads cut off," he continued, rubbing the base of this throat.
"That's a bit much for an honest mistake caused by a lack of information on Eshmun's part. What is your name, Captain?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "I am Captain Mahar of the Harutian Army, Your Majesty," Mahar said, putting a hand across his chest and lowering his head.
"Well, Mahar, I must thank you for stepping in when you did. Otherwise, this entire journey of ours might have been for nothing," Leona said. "It is the least I could do, Your Majesty, and I pray to Yarathea that your talks with our Queen bring a swift resolution," Mahar said, gesturing for the gates to be opened.
The large gate, primarily made of perpendicular steel bars to prevent damage from the desert winds, began to rise as the chains creaked when the tension set the links in place. "Oh, one last thing, Your Majesty," he said, stepping in closer to be heard over the sound of the gate.
I'd better listen to this, Bernar thought, leaning in a little.
"There is darkness like thick tar spreading through the land. I know it is likely too much to ask, but I hope that I can help your visit bring much-needed hope to these lands, Your Majesty," Mahar said, taking a step back with his hand back on his chest. Understanding the risk he just took, Leona simply nodded in response.
"No harm is to come to them from any of us. Send word to the other garrisons that they are our welcomed guests here and that I will be their escort to Escea," the captain shouted, giving Bernar a knowing nod which he promptly returned.
He's smarter than he looks, Bernar thought with a wry grin.
Mahar's horse was already prepared, as was customary for the Army's upper echelons. "I hope you don't mind my self-inclusion into your party, Your Majesty, but this is more of a safety precaution than anything else," he said. "Not at all," Leona said warmly.
As they rode beneath the embedded gate, Neko and Marte marveled at the detailed craftsmanship inlaid into the stone and steel structure. "It must have taken the craftsmen generations to put that much work into these designs. How old is this gate, anyway?" Marte asked, straining her neck.
"It's well over a thousand years old, but how old exactly, no one really knows. Much of our knowledge from around that time has been lost to us, as it has much of the Continent as a whole," Mahar said, glancing upward himself before shielding his eyes from the sunlight momentarily.
Beyond the gate lay the Albet River, glistening beneath the massive bridge that spanned across its width with seemingly little effort. It was nearly as wide as it was long, and the weathered path along it was clearly visible.
The stark contrast between the river and the desert sand nearly brought a tear to Gwili's eye. "I never thought the desert would be so… beautiful," he said humbly. "I second that, but we still need to be on guard," Bernar said in a hushed tone. "Were you on the lookout for something on your way here?" Mahar asked.
I need to be careful with how I answer this, Bernar thought.
"Before I answer that, what did you mean by darkness earlier?" he asked briefly. "That's a fair question, Sir…?" Mahar trailed off. "Bernar Fayren, but you can just call me Bernar without a need for formalities. I fucking hate them, anyway," he replied with a wry grin. "Very well, Bernar. The darkness I spoke of is an always-watchful, ever-present feeling of danger, regardless of who you are," Mahar began.
"What do you mean? Are you saying that someone or something is causing it?" Bernar asked, receiving a heartless chuckle from Mahar. "It seems we've both answered each other's questions, then," Mahar said with a nod.
So I was right. There is someone watching us, which means we're not going to have an easy time here. Damn it, I hope Leona knows what she's doing. Gorm said to trust her, and I do, but how far does her plan really go? Bernar thought, glancing over his shoulder momentarily.