We started our long ride back along the dark dirt road that led away from the town gates. The night air was cool and quiet all around us. The horse moved its legs very quickly, running at a steady pace over the dry ground. Eufrien sat at the very front of the leather seat, keeping his hands firm on the long reins to guide the animal in the dark. Alea sat right behind his back, holding onto his frame to keep her balance while the animal moved up and down. I sat at the very back of the seat, wrapping my arms around to hold steady so I would not fall off onto the dirt path. The sound of the horse's hooves filled the empty air, making a regular thumping noise with every single step it took on the road. The dirt road was long and wide, stretching out through the dark fields under the night sky. We looked up and saw many small white stars shining far away in the deep blue space. The moon was bright, casting a soft white light over the grass and the trees that we passed along the way.
Beside our moving horse, Chalreth flew through the open air on her special creature. The spirit wyvern moved its large wings up and down without making any loud noise at all. The pink energy of the spirit wyvern was bright and glowed softly in the darkness of the night, lighting up a small section of the dirt path for our horse to see. Chalreth sat firmly on the back of the glowing creature, keeping her body balanced as she kept pace with our running horse. We traveled forward together as a group, leaving the small town farther and farther behind us with every passing minute. The horse did not slow down its fast movement because it was strong and full of energy. The wind blew against our faces as we rode through the open country, making a soft whistling sound in our ears. We passed by small hills and thick bushes that grew along the edges of the wide path.
Five minutes of our travel passed by as we kept our eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. The horse continued to run smoothly, its hooves striking the dry ground with the exact same regular rhythm. We did not see any other people or any other animals on the path, so the entire area remained completely quiet except for our own movements. Eufrien pulled the leather reins slightly to the left to guide the horse around a gentle turn in the dirt road. Alea adjusted her position on the saddle, and I kept my grip tight to stay secure on the back part of the seat. The pink light from Chalreth's spirit wyvern continued to shine next to us, casting long pink shadows on the green grass of the open fields. The grass moved slowly in the wind as we passed by.
Ten minutes of traveling were over as we crossed a small wooden bridge that sat over a quiet stream of water. The horse's hooves made a different, louder sound as they hit the flat wooden boards of the bridge. The water below looked dark and still under the light of the bright moon. Once we crossed the bridge, the horse stepped back onto the soft dirt of the main path and kept running forward at its fast speed. Chalreth flew right above the water stream without any trouble, her spirit wyvern moving effortlessly through the air to stay right next to our horse. The cold air felt a bit stronger now that the night was getting later, but we kept moving forward without stopping to rest at all. We wanted to reach our destination quickly.
Fifteen minutes of our journey had passed as we entered a section of the road where tall trees grew close together on both sides. The branches of the trees reached up high, blocking some of the light from the moon and the stars above. The path became a bit darker, but the pink energy from Chalreth's spirit wyvern helped us see the road clearly between the large trunks. The horse kept its footing perfectly on the dry dirt, stepping over small rocks and old roots without stumbling. We stayed fully focused on the movement, keeping our bodies balanced on the leather saddle as the animal carried us closer to our home base. We could feel the regular motion of the horse beneath us, shaking our frames gently with every bound.
Eighteen minutes of the long ride were done now. The trees started to become fewer, and the country opened up again under the dark sky. We could see the high hills that surrounded the valley where our destination was located. Eufrien kept a very firm grip on the reins, making sure the horse maintained its steady line as we neared the end of the journey. Alea leaned her head slightly to the side to look past his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the path ahead. I shifted my legs slightly to keep them from getting too stiff from the long ride on the back of the running animal. The spirit wyvern next to us remained perfectly steady, its glowing pink wings cutting through the cool night air with total ease.
Nineteen minutes of traveling had passed as we turned onto the final stretch of the dirt road. The path here was very smooth and well-maintained, showing that we were very close to the property. The horse seemed to know that we were almost there, as it kept its head high and continued to move its four legs with great strength. The lights from the main building began to appear as tiny yellow dots through the darkness of the evening. Chalreth adjusted her hands on her creature, lowering her flying height just a little bit to prepare for the arrival.
After 20 minutes of traveling we got back at the mansion. We saw the large structure of the building appearing ahead of us through the dark trees. The mansion was very big and had high stone walls with several dark windows on the front side. The horse slowed down its fast running pace as we turned off the main dirt road and entered the wide front courtyard of the property. The animal took a few slow steps across the flat stones of the yard, moving toward the center of the open space before coming to a complete stop. The long ride through the night was finally finished, and the horse stood still on its four strong legs, letting out a soft breath into the cool air. Chalreth guided her spirit wyvern down toward the ground right next to our position, letting the creature hover just a few inches above the flat stones of the courtyard.
We stayed in our places for a brief second to catch our breath after the long ride. Then, we prepared to get down from the transportation so we could go toward the entrance of the big house. We hopped out the horse together to clear the leather seat. Eufrien was the first person to move his body. He let go of the long leather reins, swung his leg over the front part of the saddle, and stepped down onto the ground. His boots made a sharp clicking sound as they hit the flat stones of the courtyard. Right after him, Alea shifted her weight and slid down from the middle section of the seat, landing safely on her feet right next to his position. I moved my body last, sliding off the back part of the leather saddle and hopping out the horse to join my friends on the ground. My boots touched the solid stones, and I stood up straight, feeling the relief in my muscles after sitting for twenty minutes on the moving animal.
While we were standing next to the horse, Chalreth prepared to get down from her special creature as well. She moved her legs and stepped off the back of the glowing being, landing lightly on the flat stones of the courtyard. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the spirit wyvern Chalreth has went inside her. The large creature made of pink energy began to change its shape right before our eyes. The pink light became much smaller and started to shrink into a tight ball of energy in the middle of the air. The glowing spirit wyvern Chalreth has went inside her body completely, disappearing directly into her chest without making a single sound. The bright pink light vanished from the courtyard, leaving only the white light of the moon to shine on the stones. Chalreth stood straight and adjusted her posture, looking completely normal now that the spirit was gone from the open space.
We gathered together in a small group near the stopped horse. Eufrien held the leather ropes for a moment to make sure the animal would stay in its place in the yard. Once the horse was calm, we turned our bodies toward the main entrance of the large building. We walked across the flat stones of the wide courtyard, moving toward the front steps of the structure. Our boots made a regular sound on the ground as we walked together. We climbed up the small steps and reached the large front door of the house. I reached out my hand, grasped the large metal handle firmly, and pulled the door open toward us. The heavy wood moved smoothly on its hinges, revealing the brightly lit entrance hall of the building to our eyes.
We stepped through the open doorway one after the other and we went inside. The air inside the entrance hall was very warm and felt comfortable compared to the cool night air of the courtyard. The floor inside was made of beautiful polished stones that reflected the light from the lamps on the walls. We walked into the center of the hallway, letting the heavy door close softly behind our backs to keep the cold wind outside. As we took our first steps into the bright space, we looked straight ahead toward the inner part of the entrance hall.
King Nishighi and king elfhonse were already waiting near the door. They were standing completely still in the middle of the wide hallway, watching us enter the building after our long trip to the town. They did not sit on any chairs or move around the space at all. They stood side by side, looking directly at our group with serious expressions on their faces. King Nishighi stood on the left side with his arms held tightly at his waist, while king elfhonse stood on the right side with his body straight and his eyes fixed on us. They had been waiting near the door for a long time to hear the news about our search for the current hero. We stopped our feet a few paces away from their position, standing quietly in the bright hall to show our respect to the two rulers who were waiting for our return today now.
We stood face to face with the two kings in the bright entryway. The room was completely silent as everyone remained in their positions on the polished stone floor. Eufrien stepped forward slightly, taking his place at the front of our small group to represent us before the rulers. Alea and Chalreth stood right next to my sides, keeping their bodies calm and orderly as we prepared to speak about what happened in the town. King Elfhonse looked at Chalreth, noticing her presence as the new person we had brought back with us from our long ride on the road. King Nishighi kept his arms steady, his eyes moving slowly across each of our faces to see if we were unhurt after the traveling. The warm lamps on the walls continued to throw a bright light over the whole scene, making every detail of the entrance hall clear as we stood there waiting to begin the conversation about the current hero and the mission.
We kept our positions steady, waiting for the rulers to make the first move or speak to us. The silence inside the hall lasted for several moments while the kings looked at Chalreth. Eufrien stood calmly at the front, showing no signs of tiredness from the fast journey we had just finished. I took a deep breath of the warm indoor air, feeling glad to be back inside the structure after spending twenty minutes moving through the cold night country. The journey had been fast, but we had completed the task of finding the person the kings wanted us to bring back to the mansion. Now we were all together in the hall, ready to hear what the next steps would be for our group.