Chapter 80: Vylonia Rider
The moonlight filtered through the ancient canopy, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor as two riders guided their horses along the winding path. Both women wore the distinctive marks of Vylonian warriors—heads shaved smooth as polished stone, lightweight armor crafted from treated bark that moved like second skin, and ceremonial patterns etched in blue dye across their scalps.
"Three days of riding, and we’re still at least two more from Thornvale," muttered Seril, the younger of the two. Her fingers absently traced the intricate sound-wave patterns tattooed on her forearms—the mark of a sound manipulator. "I still wonder why the Queen insisted we should deliver this message to Thornvale."
Captain Nari shot her a cold glance over her shoulder, the moonlight highlighting the nature symbols etched across her bare scalp. "It’s not our place to question Queen Elizabeth’s commands."
"But wouldn’t a dream-message have been faster? The Queen’s dream-walking is legendary," Seril persisted, adjusting her position on her mount, a sleek chestnut mare bred for speed rather than strength.
"Some messages cannot be entrusted to dream-paths," Nari replied. The captain’s voice was firm but not unkind. "Dreams can be intercepted, interpreted wrongly. Physical messengers ensure the message reaches its intended recipient exactly as it was meant to be delivered."
Seril sighed, her breath creating a small cloud in the cool night air. "Still, I’ve never heard of this Veilwalker before. And now we’re racing across the continent for him?"
"Not for him," Nari corrected, guiding her gray stallion around a fallen log with practiced ease. "For all of Vylonia. Whatever Queen Elizabeth saw in her dream-walking must have been dire indeed for her to send us on this urgent mission."
The two rode in silence for several minutes, the rhythmic sound of hooves against packed earth and the occasional night bird’s call the only interruptions to the quiet. The forest around them grew denser as they traveled, the silver-barked trees unique to this region crowding closer together. Moss hung from branches like tattered curtains, occasionally brushing against the warriors’ shoulders as they passed.
"Have you ever been to Thornvale?" Seril asked, breaking the silence.
Nari nodded, her expression softening slightly at the memory. "Once, when I was not much older than you. I accompanied Queen Elizabeth’s sister on a diplomatic mission." The captain’s lips quirked into what might have been a smile. "The elves there handle their nature elements differently than we do. Less... intuitive. More structured."
"And their Queen? This Elena we’re supposed to meet?"