Without a second thought, I call upon my sword, but the Shadowheart bravely grabs my blade. He breaks off a portion of the blue fire, making my jaw drop and reducing my sword to a pitiful size. The fire smolders away in the man’s hand as he keeps laughing, his free hand gripping a dark ax formed from his shadow.

But before he makes another move, a steel bolt pierces his skull, making the vile Shadowheart drop dead with a loud and thundering boom. Several women in the caravan scream in fright as people flee from the grisly sight. Their lanterns leave with them, leaving me in the impending night. 

However, that same Shadowheart starts laughing even more. I’m dumbfounded to see him back on his feet, still clutching that dark battle ax- the guard’s bolt is still lodged in his skull.

PONDERO!

As I swat away his dark blade, I lodge my short blade deep into the man’s abdomen, and he emits his last breath with a final chuckle. The dark in his body seeps out into the ground, leaving only his withered corpse and a permanent smile.

The guard inside the booth pants heavily after reloading his crossbow. He even daintily adjusts his helmet afterward.

“Damn Shadowhearts,” he mutters before looking at me with a much more content look. “No matter the circumstances, your return is a blessing.”

Without even taking his eyes off me, the guard pulls the lever. The gate creaks open, leading to a foggy bridge that stretches out into a seemingly endless void. 

“Thank you,” I say while saluting the man in respect. “I’ll remember this.”

“Make haste. My superiors will know about this by sunrise. You must reach the end by midnight to avoid being detected.”

Duncan has already pulled the carriage behind me, obviously excited beyond belief. I jump into the cabin as soon as Charlotte swings the door open, and we give the kind guard a wave. The gate slams shut just as soon as the wheels make it through, leaving us with nothing but more fog and the little lantern swinging at the front of the carriage.

“It’s too foggy out here,” Charlotte says while leaning out the window. “Can you see, love?”

“Could use a hand,” Duncan says with a wink.

Charlotte starts to mutter while clenching her fist softly. Her hand glows brighter and brighter, almost like her fingers are candle wicks.

PHARUMINA!

Straight from her palm, a blue orb launches into the sky before BOOM! It explodes and blankets the bridge with lovely blue light. Charlotte smiles and straightens her hair before dipping her head back inside the carriage.

Ameline looks up at the night sky, watching the dark clouds roll by. Meanwhile, my head is feeling light, and the side of the cabin feels comfortable enough to be my pillow.

“Are you really a king?” Ameline blurts, waking me up. 

“That’s what the Netherbane are known as. My ancestors built this nation, long before I was born.”

“So that’s why Duncan called me a princess.”

“Yes. Does that surprise you?”

“No, I guess not,” Ameline says. “I just never met a king before. I’ve heard about them in some stories Grandpa used to tell me. They wore crowns and lived in a big castle, and they led armies to fight off the bad guys.”

“That’s right,” I say with a smile.

“Are we gonna live in a castle one day?” Ameline says with a giddy heart. “Maybe there’s room in Theoton! We can build a great, big, beautiful palace right there in the city!”

“Maybe,” I say calmly. “But that’s for another time, when we don’t have so many other things to worry about. It’s a nice thing to dream about, though. See if you can dream about a castle while you get some sleep.”

Ameline softly rests her head on the seat, and she shuts her eyes carefully. Meanwhile, all I can think about is that Shadowheart who grabbed my flame like it was nothing. It happened so fast, and it caught me by such surprise that I was left motionless. 

“Once we get through here,” Duncan calls back. “It oughta be smooth riding all the way to the city. Hey, toss me that other bottle of wine, eh?”

However, the carriage jolts to a stop. The force is enough to wake Ameline up from her nap, and Charlotte nearly drops her book. When I peer outside again, I see a figure standing before us, hidden so well that only his face is shown. 

He’s massive, like a wall standing in the middle of this bridge. He appears old and weary, with a small patch of gray hair accompanying his head and a short gray beard on his chin. And he’s holding a large greatsword that points to the ground.

“Excuse us!” Duncan shouts. “Just trying to get through!”

But the fellow does not move an inch. He just has a deep scowl on his face.

“Sir?” Duncan says. “We don’t want any trouble, we’re just heading for the city of Theoton!”

“Turn back. You are not welcome there.”

“Why not?” I shout. “Are you another guard? We got through the gate!”

The man starts to walk forward, his clanking greatsword dragging behind him. Duncan, instinctively, reaches for his own sword at his hip. Then, suddenly, the man looks at me. He stops dead in his tracks, just staring me down.

“You. Flamekeeper. Tell your comrade to drive back to wherever you came from. This land is not for the likes of you.” 

The knight then raises his sword. Duncan nearly shudders from how massive the sword is, obviously bigger than he thought. 

“Look,” I shout. “We're just trying to get to Theoton, so please, leave us be!”

“Be gone! And take your flame with you!”

Then, almost sporadically, the knight raises his sword high and shouts a ferocious battle cry. Then comes a thunderclap. Then another. The booms are getting louder and louder, like war drums in the sky. The knight’s blade, and every inch of it, suddenly sparks with waves of blue light that causes the whole greatsword to glow blue. 

REMI UNTERIUM!

Like a sign from the heavens themselves, the blade launches a crackling bolt into the bridge. Waves of lightning race past us, and the bridge begins to crumble. Without structure, our carriage falls with the rubble. We all let out screams as I hold Ameline tight and count the moments before the impact.

SPLAAAASSSSH!

Six seconds.

“Triton… Crush this in your palm.” 

Within my hand, I feel a fragile stone. But my mind has gone blank and my vision is blurry. Within seconds after I crush the stone, I can see again. I awake to see a gently rolling river, with a few pieces of broken lumber sailing along the water. It’s already morning, and the sunrise is making the water sparkle.

When I look to my side, I find Ameline kneeling next to me. 

“Hey, Goldie…” I mutter, looking at her golden eyes.

Duncan looks down upon me, looking rather irritated. Charlotte has just finished scanning my body for damage.

“What… happened?”

“The bridge collapsed, that’s what happened!” Duncan snaps back at me. “Neither the carriage nor the horses survived the fall.”

“Thankfully, we managed to get to the shore before the river carried us any further,” Charlotte says. “You were unconscious for a while.”

“Where are we?” 

“I don’t know, but I sure don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to,” Duncan says. 

I notice we are on the outskirts of a massive forest filled with trees that carry leaves colored blood red. The shadows they cast hide whatever wildlife lurks within the forest.

“Let’s stick together and head into those woods, and if we keep going one direction, I’m sure we’ll get back on track,” Duncan says.

“Be on your guard,” Charlotte says while unsheathing her sword. “We don’t know what we might come across.”

And Ameline, looking for comfort, latches onto my side. She’s soaking wet and trembling like a fragile twig on a tree branch. I try to comfort her by patting her head, but she won’t stop shaking.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t like water…” Ameline says.

“It’ll be okay. I got you.”