Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 35: Songs, light and tears (1)

13 Seedmonth 1007 AF

Arial's horse galloped like the rushing wind, leaving his friends behind in a cloud of dust as he sometimes looks at his left and right.

Faster and faster they went, Arial's white hair whipping his neck, his wide blue eyes scanning their surroundings.

Arial is proud of his horse as it is fast as the wind. No wonder people called it demon horse. It is unruly and untamed before it met Arial.

As Arial hold the reins, it was like his horse and him are one, dashing through the wind.

They had already passed Dagur Hill and were heading towards a cluster of villages, though he knew they wouldn't reach them by nightfall.

Slowing his demon horse, he allowed his friends to catch up and together they weaved between the trees, looking for a place to camp in the darkening forest.

The four of them dismounted and Arial set about collecting wood to build a fire. The others help him by preparing other things.

By nightfall, they were all huddled around a dimly lit fire.

"It's so cold tonight," said Lisa, shivering, rubbing her hand together as the wind blows by and the fire flickers and sway right and left

"It's not even winter, how is it so cold?" said Kyle, who pulled a blanket around himself tightly.

The heat from the campfire seemed to be sucked into the icy air before it could reach their trembling hands.

Helia is also shivering as Kyle took one of the blankets and cover her and Helia smiles in gratitude.

"Add more wood," said Arial. Lisa quickly obeyed, as she tossed a few more wood into the fire as slowly the flames rose and the air became warmer.

"We need to cook something, something good enough to dispel the cold" said Lisa, before quickly adding, "I nominate Arial."

"Me too," said Kyle grinning. "He makes amazing pumpkin soup." He said that as he stores the blanket. The fire is slowly warming them all up

"You said my pumpkin soup made you ill," Arial retorted. He didn't want to cook and want out of the cooking duty for tonight.

"I was only joking!" Kyle said

"How about you, Helia?" Arial asked pointedly.

"Oh, I don't know how to cook."

Arial sighed.

Kyle and Lisa looked shocked, but he wasn't surprised. She was of noble birth; she would have had all her meals prepared for her.

The siblings stared at Arial with puppy-dog eyes, and he relented.

"Fine then, since you all seem incapable."

"It's decided then" they both decided grinning at each other like they got what they wanted

When they bicker they are their own worst enemies, but when they cooperate he is the one that always becomes the victim.

"I'll help you," said Helia, taking pity on him and rising to her feet.

"Alright, you can help peel the potatoes."

"I'll nurse the fire," said Lisa.

"And I'll patrol the surroundings," said Kyle, exchanging a grin with his sister.

Arial saw this and fight back the urge to laugh. They seem really happy not doing any noteworthy work around here.

Arial handed Helia a bag of potatoes, which she attempted to peel so awkwardly it became frustrating to watch.

Arial took the knife from her and showed her how to do it properly.

"It it's fine, thanks Arial. I think I can do it now," she said in a small voice.

Of course in the dark of night and with only the flames around it Arial could not have seen her expression. She was blushing red.

"Ooh, what are you cooking?" Kyle appeared behind them, peering over their shoulders. He looked at Helia potatoes and began teasing her.

"Carry on patrolling, Kyle. We're still cooking," said Arial firmly.

After a short while their meal was finished. Arial look at Helia work and complimented her.

'For being a first timer in cooking, you are not that bad' Arial said. She nodded and seems a little quiet than before.

Arial turned to call the siblings to dinner, but the scent had drifted through the air and they were already right behind them.

Kyle doesn't seem like he went patrolling at all, and Lisa look oddly refreshed. Arial could only shake his head at these two siblings

"Dinner?" Kyle and Lisa said in unison. Arial nodded

"Egg potatoes," Arial replied, filling their dishes. They were wide eyed as they look at their dishes and could not wait to taste it as the scent carry over to their noses and the smell is heavenly.

Once they were all fed, the friends lay together beneath the stars. The night sky was clear, and the wind was refreshing.

"It's like the stars are winking at me," Helia sighed. She is laying beside Arial. On her other side, Kyle nodded.

Arial look at the stars and the sky and he was reminded of the stories he read before.

"In the old days, in the time of the First Generation, it was said that the stars have their own stories," said Arial.

"Stories of what?" asked Lisa. She was curios. Arial gazed at the twinkling stars above them and smiles as he said

"Tales of great heroes that fight dragons and demons. Stories of evil monsters, of cruel men and cunning women. Ancient heroes fighting ancient wars, their noble lives and tragic deaths stretched across the stars, glimmers of their battles, of their hope and love and struggles."

They lie in silence and again watch the stars, and trying to see a glimpse of that story. Each of them imagine what kind of stories each stars have.

Helia looked at Arial beside her and her gaze is gentle. She remembered this story. Her father once read it to her before she went to sleep.

It is an old story. A very old story.

"Huh, I never knew that," said Kyle quietly.

Arial continued in reminiscent

"How much stories, how many battles were fought, won or lost there in the sky above?" He said and was about to say the other part of the Poem when Helia reply

"A thousand and a thousand more and a thousand more" Arial looked at her, chuckles and then there is a smile on each of their faces

The four of them lay in gentle silence, searching for the stories amongst the stars. The night's breeze teased their hair and danced with the campfire. The diamond-studded sky sparkled.

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Part one of the chapter. I decided to post a chapter a day since that would help with public recognition of this novel.

Anyway, hope you like it and leave some comments