💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

38 - Landel

The defender that was guarding the Eastern Gate watched them warily.

To be fair, they were an odd group.

Timot, Breck, and Kullver were in their defenders uniforms. Timot was on the ground by the gate, scanning the surroundings for signs of the Shadow Knight and Adam. Given that the sun had risen and daylight bathed the city, it should have been easier than it had been that evening.

Nick was shaking with worry, pacing around like a caged animal. Nobody blamed him for that, though. Adam was his son, his only son. And they were in a strange world with shadow casters and elels. Landel could see why he was so antsy, so anxious. Landel was feeling similar.

Rounding off the bunch was himself, Landel, the Prince of Sesstria. He was there to save Adam. He was there to make sure that nothing happened to him. But, most of all, he was there because he liked Adam. He was there because he loved Adam.

All in all, it was an eclectic group.

Timot stood up and wiped the dirt off his hands. He peered into the distance, out passed the farmer's fields and the hilly terrain. "I was right, they went this way." He turned back to the group. "Let's get moving."

"How far do you think they were able to get?" asked Nick, as they slid passed the wary defender and out of the Eastern Gate. The sun seemed to shine brighter and hotter in the lands outside of the city. Beads of sweat began to roll down Landel's head.

"Hard to say," Timot said, looking back from his position at the front of the group. "If we assume that he managed to leave the city quickly after the initial kidnapping, and if they were moving at a reasonable pace, they will have a few hours on us."

Breck tapped Nick on the shoulder reassuringly. "Nothing we can't make up."

Nick didn't seem so sure, but he gave Breck a slight smile.

They followed the dirt path that weaved through the fields outside of the city. Little huts dotted the landscape, lazy puffs of smoke coming from their chimney's. Men in overalls and hats, tools in their hand, worked the fields around them, tilling and plowing and planting and growing. Landel couldn't even begin to understand it, but he definitely appreciated it. It was how they managed to stay alive after all.

Timot's head darted around, eyes aimed towards the ground. He was watching the trail, Landel knew. But he also had no idea what the man was watching. Landel didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But that was why Timot was the tracker and not him.

After an hour or so, the sun beating down on them like an angry bird, they moved passed the fields outside of the city and began to cross over the rolling hills that continued into the distance.

At one point, as the hills seemed to go on for an eternity, and the sun punished them even more, Nick stepped up to Landel.

"This... Shadow Knight. How dangerous did he seem to you?"

Landel wasn't sure how to answer that. He considered lying. He considered telling Nick that the man was a terrible caster and posed no threat at all. But lying would have done nothing but put them all in danger when they actually faced the man.

"He's a shadow caster," Landel began, wiping his brow and slicking his hair back. "A pretty powerful one. He's not indestructible but he is a threat."

"What can shadow casters do?" Nick said, looking around.

Landel grimaced. "This one seems rather fond of creating a sword of shadows. He refines it so it's sharp and swings it to kill." Landel shuddered at the memory of the weapon. How many times had he almost died beneath that blade already? And how many more times would that shining edge be swinging for his head?