Chapter 119

119 Into the Viora

Three gentlemen were in a hurry to go away from the capital as soon as possible, they got their horses and decided using horses would be much faster. Five horses galloped into the night sky of the Valorian kingdom. Darla as a huntsman was already trained to ride in every shape of animals, she even leads the group halfway into the road. Brom was admiring her from behind, the way she ride on the horse and very efficiently dodging every obstacle.

The sun was almost up when they reach the next town, they took a short break to grab something to eat and give the horses time to rest. Darla and Brom were looking at the other three who were still frantically asking around the town for a possible sighting of a girl with purple hair.

“They really care for Anne so much.” Muttered Darla, she was looking at Henry who doesn’t even make time to eat something.

Brom, who knew about the bewitched spell has a hard time to explained the situation to Darla. He went quiet and decided to keep the secret from Darla. The only thing that came to his mind is to give her another reason for their display of devotion towards Anne.

“She must be leaving them a very nice impression on Viora village, imagined four men leaving everything just to make sure that you’re safe and sound.” Said Brom to Darla.

“Yes, but isn’t it weird that they falling head over heels for her in a short amount of time?” Darla was curious and determine to get some answers until Brom gave her the statement that makes her speechless.

“Well, I am head over heels for you in a short amount of time,” Brom said the words with much confidence making Darla blush in every shade of red.

Justice took a seat at the table beside Darla and Brom, he huffed and asked for a drink and meal from the innkeeper, Vale and Henry came not long after. Their faces were gloomy and dark, there was no sighting of Anne everywhere in the town.

“Look, maybe they weren’t stopping here, this is a small town, probably going to stop at Ventopi.” Brom was trying to console the three of them.

.....

“I just couldn’t imagine why she need to go as soon as possible, like... she doesn’t even leave a note for us.” Said Justice, he ignored Brom completely, and there was only one in his mind, which is the heroine herself.

“Why? Why did she ignore us and go away?” Now, it is Vale who becomes morose and desperate.

Brom could feel that their desperation and anxiety not only came from their own self, but it must also be the effect of the bewitched spell. The spell is getting stronger by the day, and Brom doesn’t like to see how they become useless when the object of their affection was going away from them.

When Darla excuses herself to go to order some food to take away, Brom immediately took the time to confront the three of them.

“Look! You must drink the cure right now, the three of you are a mess!” Said Brom to Justice, Vale, and Henry.

“I... I can’t, I need to prioritize her, I don’t want the cure to cloud my judgment.” Vale gave his excuses to Brom, which is actually just some bogus one.

“No! Captain! The spell clouded your judgment, you’re not thinking clearly!” This is the first time Brom was so frustrated by his captain.

“Brom, what’s the matter? Why are you yelling?”

Darla came from behind him, looking so curious.

“Nothing, so you get the food?” Trying to make Darla look the other way, Brom asks her about the food that they need to save.

“I got the food, we could go right now, or do the three of you still need to get some rest?” Darla takes glances at Justice, trying to see if the crown prince was calmed down from his stressful ordeal.

The three of them stand up immediately and get back into their horses back, Justice looks into Darla and Brom, “We go now.”

They decided to go non-stop and only take a little break once in a while. Brom doesn’t want them to be wasting their energy and stamina, but what can he do, the three gentlemen were so adamant about their decision, they want to arrive at Viora village as soon as possible.

Brom was worried, this journey will take a toll on himself and the others, his captain and the other two were out of their mind already. They refused to rest and only thought about Anne all the time, he hopes Ventopi town have seen the girl and the three of them could finally take a breather. Brom, however, was amazed by Darla’s full stamina, she doesn’t even complain the whole journey, and when they took a small break, she make sure the horses were in perfect shape and with plenty of grass to eat.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Brom said to Darla when she finally join him to take a bite at some bread and drink some moomilk.

Darla smiled at him, she stuffed the bread into her mouth and gulped the moomilk in one go. Many men will be disturbed by how crude Darla is as a girl, but not in the eyes of Brom, he looks at her with a fascinated face, he was admiring her unconventional way of eating with a fascination on his face.

Looking at the two love birds from the other side, Vale was thinking deeply, is it a good thing for Anne to be with them? They are prone to have a dangerous journey, and also their involvement with the witch of the mountain made them tangled with her. Although, there’s always something that embedded inside his mind, why Anne? Why the witch of the mountain makes her the object of their affection?

Within half an hour, they go back to their journey and finally reached Ventopi town before midnight, they were so tired by now, Brom almost fainted by the time the gate of Ventopi town appears in front of them.

“Are you alright?” Darla was worried when she looks at Brom.

Brom smiled meekly at Darla, “I am alright, just need to get some rest.”

Vale came towards the two of them and handed them two glass bottles of potions, “Drink this tonic, it will make you refresh once more.”

They knew who was the one that make the tonic, Brom knew how talented Anne is, even though she wasn’t born here. Her aura was different and her lack of magica already an indication that she is made from a different structure completely.

“Vale! Henry! They saw her!”

A shout came from the direction of the crown prince, he was talking to the guard at the front gate, and it seems they noticed the girl with purple hair coming inside the Ventopi town and going out immediately from the other gate.

“When did they see her?” Asked Vale to Justice, he and Henry went to him as soon as they heard Justice yell about the guard having a glimpse of Anne.

“Almost half a day ago, sir.” Said the guard, “I saw her take a peek from the carriage, her purple hair was unusual of course, and when your majesty asked for a girl with purple hair color, I knew immediately it was her.”

Henry looks at Justice and Vale, “She goes to Viora village, just like she was intended.”

The two guards then surprisingly shouted at Henry, “Captain! Sir! Please do not go to Viora village right now.”

The three of them look at the two guards with astonishment, Vale even needs to tell them to calm down for a bit.

“Alright, what happened? The two of you seem to experience some horror.” Vale said to the two guards with a calm demeanor.

“I am sorry sir, I mean captain, but Viora village was on the brink of destruction right now.” The guard told them with a slight sadness in his tone.

They were devastated by now, this is not a piece of good news, Justice grab one of the soldiers and demanded more answers.

“Tell me, what exactly happened? Why do you say that Viora village was destroyed?!” Justice practically yelled at them.

The guards were nervous, they were stuttering when they tried to answer Justice, “No... No, Your Majesty, we meant that it was on the brink of being destroyed, there was... There was an earthquake two days ago, the source tells us it was coming from Viora village.”

Not wasting any moment, the three of them jumped into their horses and galloped their horses towards the Viora village. Brom looked at them and worry came into his face, the two guards yelling in frustration towards the three gentlemen who were already gone from their view.

“What happened?! Why were they in a hurry?!” Darla grab into Brom’s shoulder and demanded an answer.

Brom was in shock as well, he turn his head to Darla and said, “I don’t know what happened, but I know for sure, it wasn’t good news.”