As the sun set behind the hills, casting an orange glow across the landscape, the group made camp near a cluster of trees.
The soft rustle of the wind through the branches and the distant hum of nature created a peaceful atmosphere, though it didn't stop Dune from glancing at the darkening sky with a sense of unease.
He wasn't used to resting so openly, especially after the trials. The idea of not constantly being on the move felt foreign, but Cadogan's steady presence eased the tension.
Ned, on the other hand, was practically vibrating with excitement, looking forward to a meal that didn't involve stinky fish they'd been eating in the trial. He shifted eagerly, watching as Cadogan returned from his hunt, dragging a large, brown creature behind him.
"Here's dinner," Cadogan said, dropping the animal onto the ground with a thud. It had two long, spiraling horns protruding from its head and a thick, shaggy brown coat. The creature's body was bulky, and its hooves were wide and sturdy.
"What is that?" Ned asked, his eyes lighting up. He was already setting up his space, preparing for the meal.
"That's a Puger," Cadogan said casually, inspecting the animal's size. "A good catch. They're tough, but the meat's worth it."
Ned leaned in, eyeing the animal. "It looks… different. But I'm starving."
"Don't worry, it'll taste good," Cadogan assured him. He took out his knife and began to skin the animal, preparing it for cooking. The fire crackled as he worked, the heat drawing the shadows of the trees around them.
Dune, already sitting near the fire, watched Cadogan's movements. It felt strange, yet comforting, to rest and eat like this.
"Finally, something good to eat," Ned grinned, clearly relieved.
Cadogan took a moment to sit with them, watching the fire flicker. The sky darkened further, the stars starting to emerge above. He broke the silence with an unexpected bit of news.
"Tomorrow," he began, looking at the boys as they ate, "we'll visit a village nearby."
Dune paused mid-bite, a confused look crossing his face. "Wait, what? I thought every city ruled by Aramir had those… restrictions? Walls keeping everyone in, and most people can't enter?"
Cadogan nodded slowly, then took a sip of water from his flask. "That's true for most places. The cities and settlements controlled by Aramir are all bound by the walls and the rules he's put in place. But there are a few places that don't follow them. Villages and cities that have been around long before Aramir's time. They've never obeyed his, or any other king's laws, not even when he took control."
Ned raised his eyebrows. "You mean there are places still standing that the King can't touch?"
"Not exactly," Cadogan replied. "It's not that he can't, but it's not worth it to him. There's a long history of defiance in these places, and the only way Aramir could force them to comply would be through war. And the King… he doesn't want to start a war in his own continent. Too risky. Too much at stake."
Dune nodded, still processing. "So… there are villages out there, and cities, that still don't follow Aramir's rule?"
"Yes," Cadogan said with a grim nod. "They're spread out, hidden in various corners of Sanatria. Some of them even predate Aramir's rule entirely. They've always been there, and they've always resisted control. Aramir's focus is mostly on the cities that matter to him, the ones with the most resources. These outliers? They get by, but they don't have the King's watchful eye on them."
"The village we'll visit tomorrow is one of those. They've kept their distance from Aramir, and they've managed to survive just fine."
"That's pretty wild," Dune muttered, his mind working over the implications. A place where people lived outside the King's reach? It was a strange thought, something different from everything he'd known.
Ned chewed thoughtfully, looking over at Cadogan. "I wonder how they've managed it all these years. Must be pretty tough."
Cadogan smiled slightly. "Tough? Yes. But they're resourceful. They've found ways to live off the land and defend themselves when needed. It's a different world there, one that doesn't live under the constant pressure of Aramir's rule. For now, anyway."
They all sat in silence for a moment, taking in the night, the crackling fire, and the vast unknown ahead. Tomorrow, they would head to a place where the King's shadow didn't fall,
The morning light filtered through the trees as the group continued their journey. The cool air of the early hours wrapped around them, and the soft crunch of their footsteps on the path was the only sound accompanying their movement.
Cadogan led the way, his pace steady, while the others followed closely behind. The forest was slowly giving way to more open ground, and the shadows of the trees began to thin.
As they walked, a large stone structure came into view, two towering statues of boys holding books, their faces worn by time but still holding an air of quiet dignity.
They stood at the edge of the forest, almost like sentinels, watching over the land. The stone figures were intricately carved, their posture frozen in time, eyes gazing ahead as though waiting for something or someone.
Dune stopped in his tracks, curiosity tugging at him. He couldn't help but walk closer to the statues, studying them with a frown. The two boys, side by side, both of them fully covered in sun and Moon ornaments, they seemed to radiate an energy that felt… different.
"Who are these?" Dune asked, turning to Cadogan, his voice low.
Cadogan slowed his pace, following Dune's gaze toward the statues. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before answering. "Oh, these?" Cadogan began, his tone casual.
"These are Helios and Selos, brothers from hundred years ago. They were known for their incredible strength. Legendary figures in Sanatria. But… their story is a sad one."
Dune took a step closer, his brow furrowing as he listened.
"Everyone thought they were going to become the next great names of this world, people who could change everything. But one day, out of nowhere, both of them disappeared. Vanished without a trace. No one really knows what happened to them after that," Cadogan explained, a hint of regret in his voice as he looked up at the statues.
Dune's eyes widened in sudden recognition, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something about the names sounded so familiar. Helios… That name echoed in his mind, a memory breaking through the fog. He felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Brothers? Helios…" Dune murmured to himself, a flicker of realization dawning on him. His hand instinctively reached out to touch the stone, as if trying to connect with whatever the statues represented.
That name… I remember it. From the Trial…
Dune's breath caught in his throat as the memory flashed before his eyes, the massive Goliath he, Nely, and Leon had fought. The creature was terrifying, unlike anything he had ever encountered, but its presence was unsettlingly familiar. The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. Could it be?
He stepped back from the statue, a wave of disbelief crashing over him.
"If they disappeared hundred years ago…" Dune whispered to himself, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them. "How could I have met them in the trial?"
His thoughts spiraled. Wait… what if…
Dune's eyes widened further, his mind racing with a new theory. What if Helios and Selos had once been summoned in the gods' trial, destined to be blessed, but something went wrong? They could've died while trying to take inheritance from the castle… and then somehow, they turned into beasts.
The realization hit Dune like a storm. The connections were too strange to ignore. This… this is insane.
The idea of meeting these legendary figures, whose names were whispered in the tales of Sanatria, was already enough to shake Dune. Were all the creatures they fought somehow connected to humans who were previously in the trials? Had the gods truly turned them into something else?
His heart raced with the questions, but the answers seemed to slip further away, like shadows dancing just out of reach. Still, the possibility haunted him. The mystery of these brothers, of Helios and Selos, was much deeper than he had ever imagined. The forest, the statues, the trial… it was all beginning to feel like one giant puzzle with pieces that didn't quite fit yet.
But Dune knew one thing for sure, he would have to find the answers.
As Cadogan placed his hands on the stone statues, the air around them seemed to shift. A sudden pulse of green Neba energy surged through the statues, their surfaces glowing brightly.
Dune and the others watched in awe as, between the two statues, a shimmering, see through portal materialized, its edges flickering like the light of distant stars. The portal hummed with an otherworldly energy, casting an eerie green glow that illuminated the forest around them.
Dune and the others stood frozen for a moment, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"What is this?" Atlas whispered, his voice barely audible as he took a step back.
Cadogan smiled, clearly unphased by the strange event. "A shortcut," he said casually, his gaze fixed on the portal. "Come on, let's go."
With a confident step, Cadogan walked into the green portal, vanishing from their sight in an instant. Dune, Ned, and Atlas exchanged quick glances before following, their curiosity getting the best of them.
The moment they stepped through, the world seemed to change. They were no longer in the forest, but now floating high above an incredible village.
Dune's eyes widened as he took in the sight below them.
The village was unlike anything he had ever seen. The entire place seemed to be built within the forest, the houses perched on towering trees, their wooden platforms swaying slightly in the breeze.
Some houses hung suspended beneath the thick canopy, their roofs blending with the leaves above. The most impressive sight, however, was the massive skull of a creature that lay at the heart of the village.
The skull was enormous, its three horns jutting out dramatically, curling upwards like twisted towers. But what truly caught Dune's attention was that the interior of the skull had been hollowed out and transformed into homes.
Windows and doorways had been carved into the bone, and structures sprawled throughout the skull's massive hollowed-out space. It was as if the skull itself had become part of the village, an ancient, silent guardian of the people who lived within it.
"Is that… monster a skull?" Ned asked, his voice filled with awe.
"Yes, it was a monster killed by hero of the village, Purple Neba!" Cadogan confirmed, a slight grin on his face.
"welcome to Varrinor Skullshade."
The group descended slowly, drawn toward the village below, the large skull looming ever closer. It was as if the very bones of the earth had been woven into the village's fabric, making it seem both strange and familiar at the same time.
Dune's heart raced with excitement, eager to discover what lay hidden within this incredible place.