Chapter 41
One month later……..
'Did I make a wrong turn?' Draco thought, thoroughly inspecting his map.
The map wasn't extremely detailed and was missing a lot of parts, so he relied mostly on the landmarks on the map to guide them through the journey.
It had been a month since they left their forest home, where they had been isolated for the past four years.
Over the past month of their journey to Orario, they had passed through several settlements, some marked on the map and some weren’t.
Seeing how somewhat accurate the map had been so far, Draco didn't think that it was necessary to buy a new one in the last settlement they had passed.
Additionally the maps he had seen in the town were even less accurate in comparison to the one he currently had.
"Draco nii, shouldn't we get moving? It will be getting dark in a few hours," Vasileios said while adjusting his new cloak.
They had bought several thick black cloaks in the town they had just passed.
Several other things were bought, but they were mostly things that Clair, Dimitra, Eleni, and Vasiliki had somehow convinced him that they needed.
Draco wasn't very keen on spending much of their Valis before settling in Orario, but his sisters and Clair were quite vocal with their discomforts along the way.
He simply obliged with their requests because he felt like he owed it to them.
He just viewed it as a form of luxury after living in the forest for 4 years.
"Are we lost?" Clair asked, seeing as how Draco kept checking the map.
"Ahem, maybe," Draco hesitantly admitted.
He was the only one who could read maps, so they had trusted him to lead the way.
"Sigh, what do we do now?" Dimitra asked, crawling from inside the carriage up to him on the reins before resting her head over his shoulders to view the map.
"Hmm, isn't Orario to the west of our current location? If we continue heading that way, shouldn’t we reach it?" Dimitra said while pointing at the map.
"Sigh, I wish that was the case my genius little sister. Sadly, we have to follow something called roads to get to our destination," Draco replied, patting her head as she pouted on his shoulders.
"If I fly around a bit, I can find out where we currently are. Michalis, you take the reins, I will be back in a bit," Draco said, unfurling his wings before taking off into the air, with the map in hand.
2 hours later …….
Fwoosh!!
Draco returned, landing onto the carriage.
He had flown around the surrounding area until he found several landmarks that matched those on his map.
"Did you find out where we are?" Eleni asked.
"Yes, we're currently around here," Draco replied, pointing at the location on the map.
There were barely any places with actual names on the map.
"So, we have to head this way then cross through this desert, lastly these biomes before reaching Orario," Draco explained.
"That looks very far. Will we make it there within a month?" Eleni asked, her brow furrowing with concern.
"I don't know. Two months was a rough estimate I made, but if we don't get lost, I think we can make it," Draco replied, his tone heavy with uncertainty.
'There is also the option of taking the sea route, which looks way shorter, but only the gods know what lies in the sea,' Draco thought, his mind weighing the pros and cons of each path.
"The sea route?" Clair chimed in, leaning forward in her seat.
"That could be a much faster way to reach Orario. What do you think, Draco?" she said.
‘Did she read my mind’ Draco wondered.
He then paused, considering the idea carefully.
"The sea route would indeed be quicker, but it's also much more dangerous. We'd be at the mercy of the waves and whatever creatures lurk in the depths. And we have no experience with seafaring." he replied.
Dimitra shuddered, her eyes widening.
"The sea? Draco nii, I don't think I could stomach the rocking of the waves. What if we get seasick?" she asked.
Draco nodded sympathetically.
"That's a valid concern, Dimitra. By taking that route, we'd have to find a suitable ship and crew willing to take us. Additionally we will have to deal with sea monsters" he replied.
Vasileios spoke up, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation.
"Uhm, shouldn't we be safe on the sea route since we have the black dragon’s scale with us?" he remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.
“Ah” the group collectively gasped in realization, the significance of Vasileios' suggestion dawning upon them.
Draco let out a quiet sigh, acknowledging his own oversight.
‘I feel quite foolish for not considering that. But will the black dragons scale alone be enough to deter the sea monsters that escaped from the dungeon?’ he wondered, his expression pensive.
He also couldn't help but smile, grateful for Vasileios' level-headed approach.
"That was a wise suggestion, Vasileios," he praised, his tone sincere and appreciative.
Vasileios' cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment, his gaze averted.
"It's nothing big, I'm sure you would have eventually thought of it," he said, his words laced with a touch of sheepishness.
Draco approached Vasileios and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Don't sell yourself short, and be more confident," he encouraged, his voice warm and reassuring.
“No fair” Michalis and Nikolaos, unable to resist the temptation, jumped in to join in the hair-ruffling, much to Vasileios' apparent discomfort.
Vasiliki let out an exasperated sigh, muttering under her breath, "Sigh, why are boys so... ?".
Clearing his throat, Draco redirected the group's attention.
"Ahem, anyway, let's keep an eye out for the next port city and see what information we can gather about the sea route. The sun will be setting in a few hours, and we need to find a safe place to make camp for the night," he suggested, his tone pragmatic and focused.
The group murmured their agreement, with Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios trailing behind, still playfully engaging with one another.
As they continued their journey, the landscape unfolded before them - a tapestry of rolling hills, sparsely scattered vegetation blanketed in snow, and the occasional rugged outcropping of rock.
Draco couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the familiar forest they had left behind.
Vasiliki's voice, tinged with boredom , broke the silence.
"Draco nii, how much farther do you think we have to go?" she asked, her expression weary.
Draco consulted the map, tracing their estimated path with his finger.
"If my calculations are correct, we should be close to a village. Assuming it still exists," he replied, his brow furrowing slightly with uncertainty.
Clair, perched atop the carriage, leaned forward, her gaze focused in the distance.
"Is that a village?" she muttered, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"Hmm, what did you find? A settlement?" Draco inquired, his interest piqued.
"I'm not sure. It seems more like a fortress, with walls and scout towers. I can see people on the walls," Clair explained, her expression puzzled.
Draco's brow furrowed deeper as he pulled out the map once more, scrutinizing their intended path.
"That's odd. There should be a village, not a fortress, along this route" he mused, his mind racing to reconcile the discrepancy.
If they wanted to reach the nearest port city quickly, they had to pass through a village along their current route.
Clair's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Draco, I think they've spotted us. The gate is opening, and it appears they're sending out some men on horses to approach us," she said, her tone cautious as she descended from the carriage's perch.
Draco paused, his gaze hardening as he contemplated his next move.
“Relax, let's see what they have to say first. But arm yourselves, just in case," he instructed, bringing the carriage to a halt and stepping out onto the snow-covered ground with his bare feet, the frigid wind whipping through his hair.
Draco walked a distance ahead of the carriage, folded his arms, his posture projecting an air of confidence, as he waited for the approaching horsemen.