Chapter 68 – Whispers of a Fallen City

The owl’s flight was swift and steady, cutting through the cold night air. Hours passed, as the trio took turns in leading the owl and the world below was shrouded in darkness. At last, they approached their first landmark: the trade city of Reyadath.

Selena, who was leading the owl, leaned forward, pointing down. “There…,” she said, her tone tinged with certainty. “The city of Reyadath.”

Shawn and Makara peered over the owl’s side. Below them stretched the vast expanse of the city, surrounded by tall, fortified walls. The streets were long and winding, lined with shops and stone houses that loomed in silence. But something was wrong.

Even in the dead of night, a city like this should have been alive with light and activity. Yet Reyadath was dark, lifeless. No torches illuminated its streets, no guards patrolled its walls, and not a single soul moved within or beyond its borders.

Selena tapped the owl gently, signalling it to descend. The creature adjusted its flight path, circling the city from above as the trio scanned for signs of life.

As they flew lower, the grim state of the city became clearer. The shops that lined the streets were in ruins, their wares rotting and forgotten. Flies swarmed over decayed food, their incessant buzzing adding to the eerie silence. Many of the houses bore the scars of destruction—walls crumbled, roofs caved in, and scorch marks from fire etched into the stone. Sword slashes marred the walls, and jagged holes hinted at violent clashes.

The entire city was a wasteland, a shadow of the thriving trade hub it once was.

Shawn frowned deeply, his chest tightening at the sight. “Selena,” he said, his voice heavy with disbelief, “you said this was a trade city, but this is just the opposite, and there’s no one here. Just… destruction.”

Selena opened her mouth to respond, but it was Makara who spoke first, taking a casual sip of sake from his flask. “It was one of the major trade cities in the eastern region,” he said, his voice carrying a resigned edge. “But if it’s abandoned now… You already know the answer, don’t you?”

Shawn’s frustration bubbled over. “I thought the war affected only small villages,” he said, his voice tinged with anger and sorrow. “But for a grand city like this to end up like this… How much pain and suffering does this war have to cause before it’s enough?”

Before either of them could respond, Shawn leapt from the owl’s back, landing in the streets of the city and dashed into the shadows.

“SHAWN!” Selena cried, her voice sharp with alarm. She leaned forward as if to follow, but Makara placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

“Let him be,” Makara said calmly, his eyes following Shawn as he dashed through the desolation.

Selena turned to him, her brows furrowed. “But—”

“He’s seen this before,” Makara interrupted, his tone uncharacteristically sombre. “Not long ago, he came across a village that faced the same fate. This must be bringing it all back.”

Selena understood, and reluctantly, Selena and Makara stayed on the owl’s back as it circled the city, looking for Shawn. Below, Shawn moved through the abandoned streets, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

Shawn moved through the abandoned streets, his feet crunching softly against debris-strewn cobblestones. Each step seemed to echo louder in the oppressive silence, amplifying the desolation that surrounded him. He looked around desperately, hoping against hope to find something, anything, that spoke of life, of resilience, but all he saw was despair.

The signs of devastation were everywhere. Broken walls, burnt-out buildings, and shattered windows formed a bleak tableau of destruction. Rats scurried across the streets in a frantic search for scraps, running away at the sight of Shawn. Flies buzzed in thick, nauseating clouds over rotting food and pools of dried blood.

Shawn’s gaze turned towards one of the ruins and moved in closer. There, amidst the rubble, he saw a hand protruding from under a collapsed beam. He bent down, pulling the charred wood aside, only to reveal the body of a woman clutching a small child. Their faces were frozen in terror, their skin ashen and streaked with soot.

He stumbled back, only to find more bodies scattered nearby. Some were huddled together as if seeking shelter from an unstoppable force; others lay sprawled in unnatural positions, their weapons clutched tightly in death’s grip. Shawn’s breathing quickened as he recognised the remnants of a fierce struggle—the slash marks on the walls, the blood splatters that painted grim stories of lives lost in vain.

In another corner, a man leaned lifelessly against a half-destroyed cart, its surface blackened by fire but otherwise intact, his eyes wide open and unseeing. His face bore deep gashes, and the dried blood on his tunic spoke of a brutal end. Shawn noticed the faint signs of small scavengers—rats and birds—having feasted on what remained.

The horror didn’t end there. As Shawn passed a toppled house, he saw a small hand jutting out from beneath the broken rubble. The boy’s fingers still clutched a wooden toy, though the rest of his body lay buried beneath the stones. Shawn clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as his vision blurred with tears.

By the time he reached the city centre, he was trembling. The dried-out fountain stood at its heart, its once-pristine stonework cracked and crumbling. Water no longer flowed through its channels, leaving behind a dry, algae-coated basin. Shawn stared into it, his reflection wavering in the moonlight, distorted by the cracks.

Above him, the owl circled once before landing gracefully beside the fountain. Makara and Selena dismounted, their footsteps light as they approached. From the air, they had witnessed every trace of despair while searching for Shawn.

Makara broke the silence first, his voice low but firm. “If you let yourself get consumed by things like this,” he said, gesturing to the destruction around them, “then everything we’ve done to stop the war will be for nothing. I know the pain is overwhelming, but we don’t have the luxury of stopping. The war is already upon us. We can’t waste time dwelling on what’s behind us.”

Selena stepped closer, her tone softer but no less resolute. “Makara’s right, Shawn.”

Makara placed a hand on Shawn’s shoulder, his grip steady. “Don’t carry this alone. We’re here to share the burden. Remember that.”

Shawn nodded slowly, his shoulders heavy as he turned to face them. The moonlight caught the tear-streaks on his face, but he quickly wiped them away. “You’re right,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I can’t let this weigh me down.”

Selena, sensing the need to lighten the atmosphere, asked a question she already knew would likely yield bad news. “Do you sense the fragments here?”

Shawn closed his eyes, taking a moment to reach out with his senses. He exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “No. They’re still farther north.”

Makara clapped his hands together, shattering the heavy mood. “Then north it is. But first…” He glanced around with a sly grin. “Let’s find something to eat. A journey cannot continue on an empty stomach.”

Selena and Shawn both stared at him, dumbfounded. “Now?!” Selena exclaimed.

Makara raised his flask and smirked. “Looks like your stomachs agree with me,” he said smugly, just as both of theirs growled in unison. He continued, “Also, we need to let the owl rest if we’re going any further north.”

Reluctantly, they both nodded, and they began searching the area while Shawn knelt by the fountain and whispered a quiet prayer for the lost souls of Reyadath. After some time, they managed to scavenge enough unspoiled food to make a small meal.

Later, the trio gathered on a rooftop that overlooked the city. The stars above provided faint light as they ate in silence, the sombre air occasionally punctuated by Makara’s quiet mutterings about the quality of the sake he had discovered among the ruins.

Once their meal was finished, they climbed back onto the owl and resumed their journey. As they soared into the night, the ruined city of Reyadath gradually disappeared into the distance, swallowed by the horizon.

The night stretched on as the owl flew northward, its passengers taking turns leading and keeping watch. When it was Shawn’s turn to guide, the moon hung low in the sky, its pale light starting to wane, as if reluctant to leave before dawn.

Ahead, the second landmark Selena had described—the jagged plains—came into view. The last glow of the moon illuminated the valley in stark relief: uneven, rocky patches sprawled across the ground, jagged ledges jutted at odd angles, and dry roots and sparse tufts of grass dotted the terrain.

As they descended slightly, Shawn’s sharp eyes caught something below. “Footprints,” he said, his tone cautious. “A lot of them. Heading south.”

Selena squinted, scanning the ground. “I don’t see anything.”

Makara leaned forward, his voice calm but serious. “Close by is the King Azure’s army base. His forces might have passed through here on their way to the Plains of Rohena.”

Selena’s expression was curious. “So why are they headed towards the Plains of Rohena?”

Makara nodded grimly, “The war is going to take place in the Plains of Rohena. That’s why?”

Selena replied, “The Plains of Rohena are a day’s travel from here, even if we fly back—and we still don’t know exactly where we’re headed.”

Shawn tapped the owl gently. “Then let’s pick up the pace.”