The road south of the city wound through rolling hills.
The weather was pleasant.
The sky was clear.
Nothing exploded.
Nothing caught fire.
No monsters attacked.
It was suspicious.
“Something is wrong.” Arthur said.
Thomas looked up from the apple he was eating.
“What?” “It’s been peaceful all day.” Morgan gasped.
“You’re right.” Jakel immediately pointed at both of them.
“Do not jinx us.” Arthur opened his mouth.
Too late.
A distant scream echoed across the hills.
Everyone stopped.
Thomas slowly lowered his apple.
Morgan buried her face in her hands.
“Every time.” Leona groaned.
“I hate all of you.” The Shrine The scream had come from a small roadside shrine.
Ancient stone stood atop one of the nearby hills.
Travelers gathered outside.
Several appeared injured.
Others seemed frightened.
Arthur immediately ran toward them.
Naturally.
Jakel followed.
Naturally.
The others followed because they knew Arthur wasn’t stopping.
Also naturally.
When they arrived.
The situation was thankfully less dangerous than expected.
No monsters.
No bandits.
Just a collapsed section of the shrine.
Several travelers had been trapped beneath fallen stone.
Most had already been rescued.
One elderly man remained pinned.
The crowd appeared uncertain.
Nobody wanted to risk causing another collapse.
Arthur immediately moved forward.
Naturally.
“Arthur.” Jakel warned.
“I know.” Arthur carefully examined the stone.
The structure looked unstable.
Very unstable.
Then a calm voice spoke behind him.
“Lift the left side first.” Everyone turned.
A young woman stood near the shrine.
Silver hair.
Gentle blue eyes.
Simple priestess robes.
Nothing about her appearance seemed unusual.
Except for the feeling she gave off.
Peaceful.
Warm.
Comforting.
As though simply standing near her made the world feel safer.
Leona immediately became suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Arthur blinked.
“You know how to move it?” The priestess smiled.
“A little.” Arthur nodded.
“Okay.” Leona nearly screamed.
“THAT’S IT?” Arthur obviously couldn’t hear her thoughts.
Which somehow made everything worse.
Eidra Following the priestess’s instructions.
Arthur and Jakel carefully lifted the stone.
The trapped man was pulled free.
Injured.
But alive.
The crowd erupted into relieved cheers.
The elderly man thanked them repeatedly.
Arthur looked embarrassed.
The priestess looked pleased.
The crisis quickly passed.
Most travelers resumed their journeys.
Leaving only Arthur’s group.
And the priestess.
Thomas eventually approached.
“You helped a lot.” The woman smiled.
“I’m glad.” Morgan tilted her head.
“You travel alone?” “A lot.” “That seems dangerous.” The priestess laughed softly.
“I manage.” Arthur smiled.
“I’m Arthur.” The woman nodded.
“Eidra.” Leona froze.
Inside Aethelion.
Completely froze.
“…No.” A pause.
“…No.” Another pause.
“…Absolutely not.” Arthur blinked.
“What?” “Nothing.” The sword spirit sounded horrified.
Deeply horrified.
Arthur became concerned.
Whenever Leona sounded that worried.
Something was usually wrong.
The Campfire That evening.
The group shared a campfire with Eidra.
At first the conversation remained simple.
Travel.
Food.
Stories.
The usual things.
Yet Arthur quickly noticed something strange.
Eidra listened more than she spoke.
Whenever someone shared a story.
She listened.
Whenever someone explained something.
She listened.
Whenever Arthur talked about his dream.
She listened most of all.
Not judging.
Not mocking.
Simply listening.
As though the idea fascinated her.
Eventually Thomas noticed too.
“You’ve been awfully quiet.” Eidra smiled.
“I like hearing people talk.” Morgan nodded.
“That’s fair.” Leona immediately disagreed.
“No it isn’t.” Nobody heard her.
The Dream As the fire burned low.
Arthur stared into the flames.
Then spoke.
“Do you think it’s impossible?” Eidra blinked.
“What?” “My dream.” The campfire grew quiet.
Arthur looked toward her.
Most people laughed.
Some mocked him.
Others called him naïve.
Yet somehow.
He genuinely wanted her answer.
Eidra studied him for a moment.
Then smiled.
A small smile.
Gentle.
Warm.
“No.” Arthur blinked.
“No?” “No.” The answer came without hesitation.
Without doubt.
Without ridicule.
Eidra looked toward the stars.
“The impossible happens more often than people think.” Silence followed.
Arthur smiled.
A genuine smile.
For some reason.
That answer meant more than he expected.
Inside Aethelion.
Leona buried her face in her hands.
“Oh this is bad.” Very bad.
Arthur liked her.
Eidra liked him.
And Leona was beginning to suspect things.
Terrifying things.
Things she absolutely did not want to think about.
A New Traveler Morning arrived.
The road awaited.
Arthur gathered his belongings.
The others did the same.
Then Arthur looked toward Eidra.
And asked the question everyone expected.
“Want to travel with us?” Jakel sighed.
Thomas laughed.
Morgan smiled.
Evangelos closed his book.
Leona groaned.
The pattern continued.
Eidra blinked.
Then smiled.
“If you’ll have me.” Arthur grinned.
And just like that.
The road became a little more crowded.
Arthur.
Jakel.
Thomas.
Morgan.
Evangelos.
Eidra.
Six travelers.
Six futures intertwined.
And somewhere far beyond mortal understanding.
Destiny quietly smiled.
End of Chapter 13