Page 9 of Quest

Kael accepted his with his usual friendly grin, Sir Jiang tucked it in his satchel with a look like he had no intention of using it—as if he was above any sort of assistance that didn’t rely upon his own strengths—while Prince Darcel lifted the vial to carefully examine its contents. I tensed, awaiting his assessment.

He was silent a long moment before slowly lifting his gaze. “Good work, Ren.”

I released my bated breath in a whoosh of relief, feeling I had passed an unspoken challenge. Beyond better solidifying my place, his approval provided a deeper satisfaction I didn’t understand enough to be able to name, one that prickled my heart with a sensation I felt a strange urgency to dispel before it could take root.

The emotion needed no further encouragement to depart when Prince Darcel suddenly appeared beside me, his warm presence assaulting me as he leaned towards my ear. “Even with magic, are you going to be able to endure the journey?”

I evenly met his gaze. “I am stronger than you think.” Protecting my father aside, my conscience left me no choice but to continue; now that I had begun to notice the darkness still clinging to the land, I couldn’t unsee it.

As we resumed our trek, I uncorked my own vial and drank its contents. Its power immediately healed my weary body and provided strength for the next leg of our journey. I silently prayed that my magical aid would be enough for whatever lay ahead.

CHAPTER 5

Though its potency was lacking compared to the potions concocted by my father, my strengthening magic worked wonders—reinforcing my weakened body, increasing my endurance, and enabling me to endure the next several endless hours.

As I traveled, I looked for signs of the curse’s lingering mark upon the landscape. The farther we traversed, the more apparent it became that though many areas now thrived beneath the restored light, others still bore darkness’s silent scars. In some patches the vegetation was unexpectedly sparse; trees that should have been lush and vibrant were stunted and twisted, their branches clawing at the sky in silent agony, remnants of the blight that had once enveloped the kingdom. The cryptic words I had heard from the pool echoed ominously through my head as I saw the ugly evidence that the land still suffered from the curse’s influence.

While many plants found their niches, other species weren’t so fortunate. We passed through an area where the undergrowth should have been thick with ferns and wildflowers, only to find it eerily barren, the soil a discolored grey against the rich browns and greens typical of fertile ground, suggesting desecration had seeped deep into the earth itself. This blight seemed to spread unevenly—with patches of corrupted land interspersed with healthier stretches—painting a mosaic of recovery and lingering pain, as if the curse in its retreat had left behind tendrils, roots of darkness that continued to strangle parts of the land.

Whatever the quest before us, it would likely require more than simple counterspells or purifications to lift the curse entirely; we would need to find a way to unearth and sever these roots, an endeavor that likely demanded a deeper knowledge than I currently possessed…leading me to better understand why Prince Darcel preferred my father’s expertise to my inexperience.

As the sun sank lower and the first signs of twilight began to stain the sky in violet hues, my tonic’s effects began to wear off and my heavy pack once more pressed against my shoulders. At first I thought the increased weight was the result of the fading strengthening potion, but when I brushed the sheen of sweat lining my cheek I noticed that my skin had become supple and smooth, no sign of the prickled stubble created by my enchanted disguise.

My horrific gasp sounded loud enough to attract even the prince’s notice, pulling him out of his usual indifference. I hastily ducked my head as he glanced back at me, praying fervently that the fading light would shadow my shifting appearance.

“Is everything alright, Ren?” Kael’s cheerful voice felt out of place midst my storm of anxiety. I tried to stifle each shuddering breath as I nodded, afraid to speak lest my panic fail to mask my womanly voice.

The prince frowned but didn’t press the matter, yet I noticed he cast me more frequent glances as we continued to ascend the hill. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting elongated shadows across the rugged terrain. Though the dimming light offered some reprieve by softening the more distinctively feminine lines of my face, I kept my head lowered.

Grateful as I was for the concealment of darkness, I pushed down my rising discomfort as the light faded, attempting to keep my breathing steady. I had decided that room in my satchel was too precious to include the soothing charms I used at night to help me sleep, but now I regretted that as I not only had to sleep in the darkness, but to do so outdoors in the company of strangers.

Unfortunately the encroaching night couldn’t mask another challenge of maintaining my masculine guise as I labored beneath the growing weight of my pack. I strained to appear unaffected by its burden, but my smaller stature made the load feel disproportionately heavy.

The terrain became increasingly treacherous as night enveloped us, shrouding the path ahead in darkness and making each footfall uncertain. Loose stones and uneven ground threatened my balance, and I stumbled more than once, each misstep a sharp reminder of my inadequacy.

Fatigue gnawed at my muscles as the last of the strengthening potion finally wore off. My breaths came in short, sharp gasps and my pace faltered, each step more laborious than the last. I felt a growing sense of dread; it seemed only a matter of time before I would collapse beneath the weight of my supplies.

Just as I reached a particularly steep incline that in my overwhelm I had no idea how I would manage, I felt a sudden lightness as weight lifted from my weary shoulders. Surprised, I turned to find Prince Darcel beside me, his expression unreadable in the fading light. Without a word, he had taken my heavy pack, his posture easy beneath its weight as if it were no more than a child’s satchel.

“Careful,” he murmured, his eyes scanning the path ahead rather than settling on me. “The terrain here can be treacherous, especially to those unaccustomed to such burdens.”

I was momentarily lost for words, caught between relief and the pang of wounded pride, his unexpected assistance both a salvation and a silent acknowledgment of my struggles. I averted my gaze, hoping Prince Darcel’s pity would allow him to forgive the disrespectful gesture, but I couldn’t risk him examining my face too closely.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I reluctantly managed, my strained voice rough with fatigue.

From my peripheral vision he merely nodded in response, adjusting the pack on his shoulders before continuing up the path, his ease with the heavy load a stark contrast to my own labored efforts.

Guided by the faint light of our torches, we pressed farther into the darkness. A complicated mix of gratitude for the prince’s rare show of courtesy and determination to not need his help again whirled within me with every step, reinforcing my resolve to prove myself capable.

After what felt like an eternity we reached the summit and the prince finally stopped. “We will camp out here for the night.”

I barely suppressed my whoosh of relief. Kael accepted the news graciously and began cheerfully unpacking our supplies, but Sir Jiang’s annoyed groan pierced the settling night.

“We would be able to travel farther if every member of the party was up to the task.” His complaint was loud enough he undoubtedly meant for me to overhear. A sharp retort burned my lips, but I couldn’t risk an argument that would draw further attention to myself. My fingers anxiously poked the feminine lines of my face, a futile attempt for the disguise to hold until I could steal a moment away.

“My orders are to be obeyed without unnecessary commentary, Sir Jiang,” Prince Darcel said. His knight offered an apologetic bow, but I could still feel the heat of his prickling gaze; I didn’t dare turn around lest his pointed attention notice my faltered disguise.

With the preparations to setup camp underway, I seized my chance to mend the unraveling edges of my façade. The rigors of the day had left me with more than just physical fatigue; my ruse felt perilously thin, on the brink of sliding off with the cold sweat dampening my skin that mingled with the dust kicked up by our travel. As I wiped smudges off my face, I had a moment’s longing for a proper bath before resuming my masculine guise, but sternly reminded myself that I had not come on this journey for comfort but to save my father…and now the kingdom as well.

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