After reaching the town bordering Cliadel, the Princess Celestyn and Sir Fendwyr, took no time and rushed to the guarded gates of the Elves. At the entrance stood four elf guards and a captain. Two of the guards stopped them even with the Raven.
"What is the meaning of this? We have the Royal Raven." The guard took Fendwyrs wrist and we're about to argue with the captain of the guards walked up.
"I'm sorry for their ignorance, Princess Celestyn." He said quietly as he relieved the guards. The Guards perked up hearing the name then knelt. "It's been a long time. I wish we could get reacquainted."
She looked down for a moment. "Yeah… Your parents sent this Raven… I don't suppose you know why do you?"
Prince Filarion shook his head then stepped aside as he held his arm out for the Raven. The Raven lands on his arm "I'm afraid not. I haven't heard from them since I joined the Bastion Guard. I'll send them the message that you're on your way, however I can't join you."
Fendwyr bowed his head. "Will you send a carriage? We've walked so far and the princess needs her rest."
Filarion nods after sending the Raven toward the capital. "Of course. We have a spare one inside. I'll send a few guards to escort you two to the Capital. Please get your rest you two and I'm sorry you have had to deal with this." The Prince was sincere with his words as he lead them through the gates. Complaints could be heard from far behind but were quickly silenced.
Filarion lead them far inside the wall to a carriage, greeted by Elks rather than horse. "Kara will be happy to see you've grown…"
He opens the door for Celestyn as she goes to ask him a question. "How is she…?" But his eyes shift to the ground.
"This unless she has acquired… It seems to prevent her from growing." The Prince felt slightly ashamed of himself before looking back up. "I wish I could be by her side right now…"
Celestyn gently places her hand on his shoulder. "You know she would be proud of the man her older brother has become." She smiled softly but she could see the pain in his eyes. "I'll tell her you've been thinking about her."
Filarion nods and helps her into the carriage before sending the two off.
As the princess and her royal guard travel through the lands of the Elven Kingdom, Jayce, Terek, and Timber finally stumble into their first wall that prevents them from traversing the scorching desert.
Terek stood under the ruins of an ancient city with Timber, attempting to stay cool and hydrated while Jayce stayed up top. They came to learn that as long as they stayed near the ruins they were safe.
Jayce stood out watching in the sun. His shirt wrapped around his waist while he was crouched against the old sandstone building. The ground would shake every so often but he couldn't place which direction it would go. As time flew by, minutes turned to seconds when Jayce finally noticed something from starting off into the hot desert. Mounds of sand, shifting with the tremors and faint traces of spikes poking up only to disappear. He carefully slid his way down through the ruined building to meet up sit Terek and Timber.
"Argi wasn't wrong…" He sat down across from them. The sand in the ruined building was cool to the touch like the sands near the cliff side.
"Deathworms I take it?" Terek looked over to him to be answered with a nod. "Damn… We need to get through this desert before we can even get near the port. Who's the dumbass that built a port that far South?" The buildings sand covered floor began to shake beneath their feet every couple minutes.
"We need an opening to get past them…" The ruins begin to shake again, rocks and dust falling from the ceiling around them. A few minutes later, the shaking stops completely.
Jayce and Terek look at eachother with a brow raised each. Terek stands up and slowly walks toward the door of the ruined building. He finally climbs out of the building and stands up, multiple shadows casting over him as he now looks up toward the sky. Before him, three Deathworms sat halfway out of the desert dunes, staring him down. Their bodies that of snakes ending with a draconic head. Their heads split with four yellow eyes and deep black diamond shaped pupils. Each has their own unique horns separate from the others.
"The smell of the Wolf emanates from these ruins." The Deathworm on the far left spoke to the others. Their mouths were shut and yet they could be heard.
"It smells like there's two here. Shall we eat them?" The middle one asked the others before the last one on the right snapped at it. It's fangs were the size of three grown men and dripping of saliva.
"We may be starving, but that woman asked us to guide his Blood…" The Deathworm growls at the middle one. "There is still a full grown Kagan in the Den…"
"You guys can talk?" Terek asked as Jayce climbed out beside him.
The three Deathworms glanced at eachother then back to the two humans. "You can hear us?"
Jayce looks at the Deathworms then reaches up and rubs his eyes. "Why is it this world just keeps getting weirder for us…?"
"What do you mean that woman asked you to guide us?" Terek was now staring at the three massive Deathworms with a stern look.
"A woman came to these ruins and beat… I mean, politely asked us to guide you through the desert." The right one spoke as if he was about to get hurt. "If we waste anymore time, one of us might eat you…"
"Right… We need to get to the Souther Port…" Jayce watched as the right one lowered its head.
Its whole left side faced the two as the two left eyes looked at them creepily. "We can guide you out of our territory since we are the only ones whom that woman spoke to…"
Timber had woken up from her nap and squeezed out behind Terek, bumping into his back only to jump at the sight of the massive eyes staring her down.