The piece of paper was wrong. Either that or he was lost. Cassian didn't like any of those options.
The map didn't have exact coordinates, not like it would matter. He couldn't even read the map.
He wasn't sure how close he was or even if he was on the right track.
He looked at it again, to see if there were any instructions. Maybe he'd missed them before.
He looked again, for the third time since he started.
Garrett didn't know the way. He didn't want to believe it. But he thought Eveldor was a city. He'd probably never once left it. So how would he even know the directions? Cassian didn't like his odds, but the voice in his head was getting more convincing. So he called out to a different voice.
"Oi"
"What is it boy"
"Where are we." he queried
"In a forest in the middle of nowhere."
Cassian gave a dry laugh.
"Very funny, seriously. I meant how close are we to Oakhaven. "
"Oakhaven?" She started laughing, her condescending laugh "you haven't even passed the X boy."
It was obvious he wasn't there yet that was obvious
The X was supposed to mark a town. And as far as he could see, there was no city. No colours or signs of life, aside from the green of the trees.
"Don't worry boy. When you get to the X, you'll know"
Cassian sighed.
"That was very helpful, motivating actually.
I think I'm walking faster now. Can you see my strides increasing?" He responded swaying in hands mockingly.
He couldn't turn back now. It wasn't even an option
There were men after him. People who may at this exact moment be on this road chasing after him. Besides, he was already too far away to even imagine going back. It would be doing himself more harm than good. So he kept going the only way he could, forward.
After two eternities, there was a gate.
And behind it, a massive mud brick wall enclosing a civilization.
He could see clumps of roofs.
He was finally at the X.
He picked up his pace, before he slowed down a bit. What if they weren't friendly? Would they even welcome him? His pace slowed until eventually it came to a halt.
He could see the gates clearer now, unlike Eveldor, they had guards stationed at their gates. Two men with spears. Sharp objects in the hands of angry looking men. What could possibly go wrong?
He found a corner by the trees, close enough to see the guards, but still just out of sight.
A man walked to the gates. He watched the process as they let him in. They didn't check him.
And then another. The same. They seemed not to care about checking people.
Either that or the people here had some form of identification he couldn't quite see from this distance.
He'd come too far now to give up because of some identification.
"Just be confident. In your stride, in every step." Materdea whispered in his head
"I love the effort, but I need you to shut up" he whispered.
He started towards the gate.
Not too fast, but not too slow either. The perfect middle.
He felt like he was walking oddly. Was that last step too much?
He looked suspicious. He had to with his bag slung over his shoulder.
He was near the guards now, so close that he could see the sunlight bounce off the metal tips of their spears.
Close enough that he could see the sweat as it trickled down their faces, as they stared at him with indifferent eyes as he walked by.
Were they going to stop him?
Did they have questions that they were asking the people before they let them in? Maybe he hadn't seen them too clearly. They had a way of knowing who actually lived here.
He would have to be ready to run at any time he thought to himself as he clenched the strap of the bag.
He didn't stop, not once. He just kept walking.
Just be confident, Dea gave okay advice sometimes
He walked through the gates, and slowed a bit. He had to be close to the gates in case they called.
But there was nothing.
So he kept walking, he was a distance from the gate now. Still no 'stop boy', no 'arrest that heathen'
Just quiet.
He'd made it, he actually did it.
He could breathe now.
The buildings here were cube like structures with circular windows and arched doors, all arranged in a grid like structure. It felt congested, yet there was just enough space to move around.
It had a similar air to Eveldor. With the people walking around, all adorned in different colourful clothes early in the morning.
And just like Eveldor, they seemed to have something against security.
He couldn't imagine just walking in like that in Norrath. Even leaving was impossible without the proper permissions. Maybe it was a tradition. Something they'd been doing for so long.
If all of a sudden the security was doubled and they started checking every pin that walked through the gates. He could imagine there would be panic
Or maybe because they believed no one would attack them. Silly. If he were an invader, they would have let him in, just like that.
"Okay, what now Dea?"
"Dea?"
"Shorter and faster"
She paused a bit, before responding
"Now we head past the X, keep going and you'll eventually reach Oakhaven."
"Treat this place as a checkpoint of sorts. Maybe get yourself some clothes, something to eat and who knows maybe, if you still have coins after, find yourself some place to sleep."
"Sleep?" Cassian asked
"If you want to keep going, then be my guest. But be warned, it's quite a distance."
Cassian sighed
"You'd best get used to this boy"
"This is your life now. The Archon is after you, and he won't stop. Ever. And neither should you. Not until you have the strength to fight back."
"So you say, but you just told me to find some place to sleep"
"You can keep going. Just know that if you die, I will not be reviving you"
"It was a joke you hag. Always so negative."