The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 290: Reaching the coast

Chapter 290: Reaching the coast

"Lasttown is up ahead."

"Finally."

"Can we stay the night and return tomorrow? I am too tired."

"Sure. I am tired too. Let’s give these wanted posters and then relax a little. This the last town on our list."

Cella sat behind the bush of large grass as she listened to the two men galloping by on their horses. Their attire suggested that they were couriers.

She didn’t intercept them. It would expose their presence and she didn’t wish that to happen. They didn’t even enter any town on their way here. Her team looked tired and starved. Their defeated and blank stares pained her. Not so long ago, all these men and women stood above the rest. The Hawks soared through the skies. Yet, here they were, slumped on the ground, sneaking on their way up north.

They waited for nightfall to continue their journey. She didn’t berate anyone. If she was honest, she wished to join them and just give up. But she couldn’t. As the one in the lead, her feelings didn’t matter.

Unlike the others, she remained focused on her environment. Her defeated group didn’t need much supervision. The girl at her left did. Somehow, she managed to annoy her the most during their arduous journey. She would wander off behind butterflies. Or remain behind, smelling flowers, or even close to drawing in the cold water of one of the creaks. And look there, she was rolling in the middle of the weed. Again.

"Elena," Cella hissed. "Please don’t move the weed so much. Anyone with a little bit of skill can detect it."

Elena stopped and sat up with a pout. One of her redeeming qualities was that she listened. It required everything being told to her but she listened. Given the circumstances, Cella took that as a positive.

They stayed in the grass. Cella readied herself to defend when she heard someone approach but it was Bert. He sneaked into town to fetch them some food and refill their waterbags.

Cella didn’t understand how he did it. Laden with food and drink, he always managed to sneak undetected into towns and villages. He didn’t steal though. He took whatever he needed and left the appropriate amount of coins behind. Sometimes even more than the cost of the goods.

The arrival of food and water brought some life to her team. They filled their stomach and wetted their throats. At nightfall, they started to move.

It took them an entire night before they saw the soft glow of light ahead. After weeks of hardships, they managed to reach their destination. In the morning light, Grindeston started to rise.

...

"How long till we reach it?"

Hex looked at Quid who trudged forward with a scowl on his face. A similar expression could be seen on the faces of almost everyone. Gronke and Hex were perhaps the only ones who never whined about the distance, the sand, the scorching sun, or the drops of water they had left.

The joy of escaping and killing an Overlord lasted one day. The two weeks since then seemed like a distant past. Their rations dwindled too fast for their liking. It reduced so much that they were forced to survive one single bite of bread and a few drops of water.

Their journey to the coast led them into territories controlled by several Dunelords and even one Overlord. With old man Perl still unconscious, they didn’t dare to take risks. They trekked through the sand without entering a castle. Even settlements of nomadic tribes were omitted.

Killing one of the Seven might have elicited the ire of the people of Edune. The reason didn’t matter. They lost an Overlord. Something like that hadn’t occurred in a few centuries. And the last time, it had been a battle between two Overlords. This time, a bunch of outsiders killed their symbol of power.

The journey had taken its toll on the team. Hex walked in silence. A little hunger and a bit of thirst weren’t enough to stump him. Sleeping on an empty stomach and suffering parched throats were common among Scavengers.

He used the time of the journey to focus on the core in his possession. The Sand Burial Monarch’s insights and energy could help him gain his next element circle. The remnant Will of an Enlightened Knight wasn’t easy to bypass. It would take time.

What he managed to uncover was the type of element inside the core. No matter what element it contained, the core was a treasure. But if clashed against his existing ones, it would not have much value. Not for him. To his glee, he discovered the element inside the core was the Earth element.

The Scroll referred to the Earth element as the neutral element. It could work with every other element. And it provided the best enhancements in terms of strength and defense. If he managed to gain an Earthen circle, his next element could be anything. It wouldn’t matter.

It all sounded wonderful but as long as he didn’t manage to break through the Will inside, he wouldn’t gain much. And he feared the limit of time. The core wouldn’t expire. No, he feared Perl regaining his wits. If the old man demanded the crystal, he would have to oblige.

Unlike the others, he prayed that the old man remained out cold for some time, so he could crack through the barrier.

The Will was strong. But Hex sensed he could break through with enough tries. He wasn’t one to accept defeat. The number of tries didn’t matter. So far, every try resulted in a backlash. His brain hurt as if someone used an axe through it. Still, he persisted.

Despite mulling over his options, Hex kept his senses active. By noon, he picked a soft gushing sound coming up ahead. Without a word, he broke into a jog. His action stumped a few but Sterling caught on. He joined too. Seeing them, the others started to realize it too. They all started to run.

The sound turned louder with each step they took. So, they took more steps. Faster. And faster.

Then suddenly, they saw it.

Hex stood on top of the dune, feeling the moist breeze brush against his face. A vast expanse of water lay ahead. There was no end to it. Hex had never seen something like this.

He took a sharp breath, smelling the salty air, and smiled. They reached the coast.

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