Guardians of Enthia I - Chapter XXIV
In which the members of the Sun Guard start their journey to Eyrica.
The air was crisp and cool as Yui, Alistair, Hrong, and a few other guards broke camp. While they finished packing, Yui couldn't help but notice how the dew glistened on the grass.
"Alright, everyone! Time to move out!" Alistair's booming voice echoed through the camp. "Eyrica awaits!"
As they began their journey, Hrong walked alongside Yui, his dwarven legs taking twice the steps to keep up. He grumbled under his breath about the pace, occasionally hoisting his axe over his shoulder with a grunt.
"Y'know, Yui," Alistair chimed in, "It's strange how we're Staavs, yet we don't have any riches or lands to our name. All because of our good old great-grandfather and his stubborn refusal of rewards."
Yui shook his head. “Probably because Relico had the foresight to know that he’d have great grandchildren like you who’d probably use all that wealth for bad reasons.”
While Alistair looked at his brother menacingly, Hrong spoke up. “Relico’s last name was Staav-Dinee, weren’t it?” the dwarf asked.
Yui looked at him and nodded. “He was born Staav, then married Raychel Dinee. The families were split after the revolution in order to prevent the creation of another Swueryan Empire.”
"Have you ever met a Dinee?" Hrong asked, curiosity evident despite his gruff demeanor.
Alistair shook his head. "No, never. We don't even know if they still exist."
As the day wore on, they covered much ground, the landscape changing from rolling hills to more rugged terrain. That evening, as they set up camp again, Yui found himself exhausted and looking forward to sleep.
Slumber came quickly for Yui, but it was far from peaceful. Instead, he found himself standing in a nightmarish hellscape, surrounded by flames that licked at the sky. In front of him was a throne, occupied by three men. The man in the center, seated on the throne itself, seemed to be the most powerful.
Suddenly, the man's eyes shot open, and he stared straight at Yui with an unnerving intensity. Panic flooded Yui's senses, his heart pounding like a drum.
Yui jolted awake, his breath coming in rapid gasps. He looked around frantically, only to find himself back in the camp, with everyone else still asleep. Relief washed over him, but the lingering dread from the dream clung to his thoughts like a persistent shadow.