The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 309: Sand and Clay

Chapter 309: Sand and Clay

Hex followed the High Queen in silence, brooding about her intentions.

She knew the Witch, perhaps not personally, but enough to know about her dark hair and eyes. He could tell based on her lingering gaze when she mentioned his mother.

He supposed a high-ranking person like her would know the Witch, especially since both were Wrixians. That seemed normal. What bothered him was her intention towards him.

Hex hoped it would be something simple, like ostracizing him. Or perhaps exposing his relationship with the Witch to everyone so he suffered prejudice and hate throughout Wrixia.

Harsh as these options sounded, he believed he could bear them. What he didn’t hope she would do were things like use him in some convoluted plot, or, the opposite, use him as the face of some dark group, preaching the greatness of the Witch.

His worries might appear extreme, but considering his history, the second part seemed more plausible than the first part.

’I hope things go to shit only after I have unraveled the truth hidden in history. And also, hopefully, after completing at least one more step of the Method.’

"We are here."

The High Queen’s voice pulled him out of his worries. They stood in a clearing. The almost-perfect circular layout of the open spot in the middle of the bushes and high grasses suggested it to be man-made.

His senses picked up an even higher concentration of natural elements in the air, which shocked him a little. He expected an increase in elements but not so much. They barely covered a thousand steps from the outer region to here, and the increase was already significant. Imagining the sheer density of the elements at the core of Wrixia, made his head spin.

’If there is indeed a war upon us, I want to see their strategy in defeating Wrixia on their turf. Wrixians would heal as long as they weren’t one-shotted. ’Perhaps,’ he mused, ’that’s why Wrixia stands till this day?’

"Are these the barracks?"

Hex heard Sterling whisper, who seemed to be staring at something above them. Hex followed his gaze.

Right above them, he saw a number of buildings dangling from a massive branch. The branch was one of the many thick branches snaking in the air. They ended just at the edge of the coast. Hex and the others had seen that. But where did they start? In theory, it should be at the main trunk of the tree. But they couldn’t see the trunk. The branches stretched for kilometers into the interior of Wrixia.

A rough estimate would put the diameter of the branch at three meters, maybe four tops. Such dimensions for a single branch were shocking enough. But then Hex remembered that most branches tapered off toward their end, meaning this branch was bigger toward the core region. Perhaps even double the size.

The barracks dangled from it, without swaying. Perhaps the high grass around the barracks disrupted the flow of wind. Or maybe the weight of the buildings helped them stabilize. Maybe both.

He realized the downside of so many natural elements permeating the air. He had trouble discovering traces of life, as in people or other creatures, mixed with the air itself. Another aspect that made Wrixia a pain in the ass for anyone looking to conquer it.

"Yes, they are our barracks," the High Queen nodded. She had sent some sort of signal because Hex saw a few people appear on top of the branch and throw rope ladders down.

"Follow me to the top. We will continue our journey following the branch."

As she spoke, her golden translucent wings appeared behind her back, indicating she would fly up rather than climb. Which, to Hex, made sense. If he had such wings, he would fly too.

"Why not walk on the land?" Sterling asked just as the High Queen was about to flap her wings. He seemed uncomfortable with following her up the ladder.

"Because there is no land between us and the Salty Leaf City," she replied, seemingly unbothered by the interruption.

"No land?" Sterling asked, feeling confused – a sentiment everyone, even Hex, shared. The High Queen looked amused at their doubtful faces and explained.

"Wrixia isn’t a continent but also not an island. Wrixia is our Guardian," she said, as her gaze became even more gentle and reverent as she mentioned the name. Seeing their confused looks, she added, "This tree. The first life in the world."

"But there is land here," Sterling said, stomping the ground beneath their feet. He did it to emphasize their confusion but also to check whether they missed something. But no. They hadn’t missed anything. The ground felt sturdy and dense, much like any ground he sensed while standing on it.

"I didn’t say there is no land at all," the High Queen said. "But this land, like every other piece of land of Wrixia, took years to form."

She gently stomped the ground and continued. "You see, this land wasn’t always here. Our benevolent Guardian didn’t take root in this. No, it took root in what you could call the seabed. Through the years, as it sprang its branches, and climbed toward the sky, water filled around it. More time passed, sand and clay washed over and some remained stuck between the lowest branches. After Ages, the sand and clay mixed, compacted, and then hardened. As far as I know, around forty percent of the area below the leaves is covered with land."

She gave a summary of the creation of Wrixia. They were short on time after all. She glossed over a lot of details but even the short, shallow version awed Hex, and by the looks of their ajar mouths, the others also.

"That’s unbelievable," Sterling blurted, not so much in disbelief as in shock.

"Oh? Unbelievable?" The High Queen asked with a soft smile on her lips. "What if I told you this is how we Wrixians believe all the land was created? That the continents and the broken islands around it were nothing but sand, clay, and whatnot at first, clinging to the roots and branches of our mighty Guardian. And once they became too big, they broke off, drifting toward the north?"

’What? Is it true?’ Hex stared slack-jawed at the woman clad in gold with translucent wings fluttering behind her back. She watched them, not bothering to hide her amusement in their loss for words.

Hex was certain that everyone, even the half-dead old man in the center of the group, struggled with believing her while also thinking that she could be right. Everyone here knew or had heard, about Wrixia. How it was the oldest nation. How its history went as far back as the time Gods wandered the world. How it once had been the center of the world. They, much like Hex, had been filled with doubt about all these claims, finding them all extreme. But this bit of information, trivial in a sense, blew their minds.

"If you are done, let’s continue. In time, your numerous questions will be answered," she said.

Hex noticed her gaze linger on him. Again. He had a feeling she said that last bit for his benefit. Was she hinting at something? Whatever it was, he would appreciate it much more if she just said it straight out.

Her story stunned the group so much they didn’t protest or waste time anymore. They followed her up the ladder.

As they climbed, Hex started to hear the sound of snores, singing, and playful banter coming out of the different buildings. They didn’t bother or dare to stick their head out to see them.

Hex was the last one to climb. He had let Gronke and Sterling lead while he closed the ranks together with the captain. The middle-aged man never spoke to him. He seemed always lost in his mind for some reason. Or drinking. Unlike Gronke, the captain liked strong-smelling brews, yet his body never reeked.

Once he reached the branch, he surveyed the surroundings and the ground below. The branch was around eighty meters in the air, giving a good view of the surroundings. He could see the hidden Defenders and the ones in the air.

Thanks to his enhanced vision, he even noticed Queen Bae hovering at the edge of the outer perimeter. She was looking in their direction, looking irritated and angry.

’She sure can hold a grudge,’ Hex sighed. Then again, the Warlords seemed specialized in getting on people’s nerves.

"Let’s move," the High Queen urged. "We have to cover a lot of ground, and the dark conceals some predators I can’t even sense. So, let’s make haste."