I drop back to ride with Henley. The procession comes into view behind us, cast in shadow from the tree canopy. At least the shade shields us from the scorching summer sun. I’m missing the AC in my hunk of junk car. I didn’t appreciate her as much as I should have. Give me back that rust bucket. I’d take her over a horse any day of the week!

I have no idea how long our travels will last either. The journey to Kresin is less spoken of than the actual battles and discovery of the sword. Time frames are going to kill me, they were hardly very specific.

“How long will it take to get to Kresin?” I ask Henley.

“About a week to get to the shore, perhaps a day to reach the island.”

“Is that including rests in the evenings?”

She nods. “We will make camp when His Majesty allows.”

Knowing that machine, we won’t rest at all! I’m already in need of one and we’ve probably only been riding for about an hour.

The journey does allow for me to take in the world that I only ever imagined though. The differences in landscape are minor at first; without cars, skyscrapers, modern technology in general, nature is given a chance to flourish. The trees are tall and old. Animals are sprinkled through the forest. There are some odd flowers I’ve never seen before, vibrant in color, or animals that are a tad different. A bird that reflects the sunlight so it’s cast in a rainbow, or a deer spotted through the trees with fur that changes color to better camouflage it.

Next, the landscape changes. In the distance there are signs of buildings long forgotten, towering stone encased in ivy and statues of giant beasts. The Gods, I’m guessing, carved into cliff sides or drawn into the very earth beneath our feet. Once Gods battled on the open plains of the world, or so the book said, creating giant crevices and oddly shaped terrain, the land forming bridges over high drops to raging rapids below.

Even with the view, time passes like a sloth.

I’m ragged from hours of riding and now an unforgiving sun. We’ve passed a few more towns along the way. The roads taken have always avoided us directly passing through. Most towns haven’t been as large as Satume. I wonder if we’ll go through them on the return as a sort of celebratory gesture? Doubtful, but I secretly hope we do.

What makes me most angry though is that we don’t even stop to eat! Someone passes rations around. Bread and cheese, which are so tasteless that I wonder how everyone looks so pleased to be eating it. Ah, I’ve been too spoiled in the modern world.

Then Rehan returns, speaking briefly with Daithi. He snickers about something while Daithi shakes his head, but I see the softest of grins on his lips. Rehan rejoins my side with a calm smile, as if he hasn’t been riding ahead of us for hours.

“Have a pleasant trip?” I whisper.

“Exhilarating,” he answers sarcastically. Then his eyes narrow on the blood stain over my knee. “What happened?”

“I must have spooked Spot earlier because she went running off. Luckily, this is the worst of it.”

Rehan glances over to Henley to double check my story. She nods.

“This is only the first day.” He pats his chest, over his heart with an exaggerated sigh. “You shouldn’t worry me like this. My heart may give out.”

I roll my eyes. “We’ve just met and I’m already annoyed with your dramatics.”

He gasps then gives me what I will start to call his signature wink. We fall back into silence until the sun is about to set. Pink and purple hues saturate the evening sky. A coolness finally settles, relieving us of the heat of day. Daithi finally veers off from the path into a field where an old stone watch tower once sat. Now the top has fallen over to crumble in the field, but there are two stories left so someone can still watch.

“We rest here tonight,” Daithi commands, disappearing within the procession to speak with whomever. I’m not really paying attention as I practically throw myself off Spot to enjoy solid ground.

Rehan laughs from somewhere behind me. “Not much of a horse person?”

“Not much of a riding all freaking day person.”

“Freak-ing?”

I spin around to face his bemused expression, just now realizing that modern, or rather, otherworldly lingo does not work here. Rather than explain it though, I distract him by asking, “Did you spot this place while out on your ride?”

He nods. “Nice open space off the path. We can see someone coming our way.” He gestures to the open field that I’m sure even the real Kaeda would struggle sneaking through. “Only a fool would come at His Majesty head on in the open.”

Suppose so. Daithi could light this place up with a snap.

With that, the soldiers set up camp for the night.