David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation T.C. Crawford (icecream ebook reader txt) 📖

much to the dismay of the old innkeeper and some of the villagers who still held grudges against the Northerners, they sat around late into the night telling tales of the heroic men who had given their lives defending the valley of Ravenfell and catching up with the rest of the citizens who had fled south over a week prior.

Songs were sung of their fallen brethren’s courage and valor while minstrels played upbeat tunes to match the battle scenes, and somber songs to set the mood of the story when the heroes would fall.

It was a night of mixed emotions – joy for those who made it out alive and were reunited with their loved ones, and sorrow for those who were left with emptiness in their hearts and lives, having lost friends and family in the great battle against the demon horde.

When the festivities were over, they each got some rest, knowing the next day would bring more tiresome travel as they made their way down the mountain road to Brineport in search of David and the others.

The next morning, they woke early and packed up their belongings before heading south down the foothills of the mountain on their long march toward the city of Brineport.

When they finally reached the city, it was already late into the afternoon the following day. They were greeted by the newly freed citizens of Brineport, all happy to see the new arrivals and eager to sell them their wares. When the citizens discovered they were from the Northern Kingdom and were friends of David, Tyrius, and Erin, they were heralded as heroes and given a great welcoming and provided a whole section of the city where they could take up residence for as long as they pleased.

Rex and the others, including King Eldergate, General Ryan, and General Owen, as well as King Tybrin Hammerclaw and Gilric Ellisar, were all caught up on the recent events that night during the feast by none other than Natan himself. He told them how David and the others helped inspire a rebellion, freeing the city from decades of harsh rule by Bloodvayne, the Southern Wolf Guard, Jakob Zander, and his Guild of misfits.

When Rex and the others learned of David, Erin, and Tyrius’ departure the morning prior to their arrival, they were faced with the hard choice of going after them to assist in whatever way they could or staying behind to regroup their forces and plan for whatever the Defiant One might send their way.

After much debate, Rex and King Eldergate determined it was best for them to let David and the others go off on their own, and instead, focus on rebuilding their homes in Brineport in order to prepare for the coming battle that would inevitably come their way.

Prince Gilric Ellisar of the Woodland Elves and King Tybrin of the Dwarves both decided to part ways with the humans for the time being in order to head back home and prepare their own kingdoms for war. They each promised to gather once again in the coming days for their final march against the demon army and their Mystical ruler once David and the others had returned from the caverns.

The Elves and Dwarves, saying their goodbyes, headed north the following morning to their respective kingdoms. Rex and the others watched them slowly disappear beyond the rolling foothills of the mountains before returning to the care of their people.

The time would come where they would fight together again, they knew, and much sooner than any of them would have liked. They only hoped that when that day came, David would be by their side with his renewed power, prepared to take on the Defiant One and send him back to the depths from whence he came.

Chapter XXIX

It only took them three days to reach the northern shores beyond the Land of the Immortals. Taking the route by sea rather than land proved to be a real timesaver, cutting their journey of what would have been over a week into less than half of that time.

They pulled up as close as they could to the land without running the ship ashore, and Robert lowered them down in a small boat for David and the others to depart in. He lowered a second, larger boat for their horses and a couple of mules to carry their supplies along the rest of their journey into the mountains and beyond.

The sun was nearly halfway along its journey across the sky when they reached the shore. They waved goodbye as the sailors rowed their boats back to the main vessel, and then David, Tyrius, and Erin started off toward the mountains on foot, leading the horses and mules by rope. As they passed the outskirts of the forest to the south, the horses, catching scent of their homeland, broke free from their ropes and darted off towards the woods before disappearing from view into the thick trees beyond.

Erin and Tyrius were sad to see them go but knew that they had fulfilled their purpose and were thankful to have had their support during the long journey to Brineport a week earlier.

They spent the rest of the day hiking across the cold, rocky land leading up to the foothills of the distant, snowcapped mountains.

The winter months were fast approaching, and the wind was whipping past them across the mostly barren plains as they walked, making for a very miserable journey. The frost on the ground this far north was nearly permanent this time of year, causing what little grass there was beneath their feet to crunch with each grueling step.

Pointing to the mountain range in the distance, Tyrius indicated that was their destination, beyond which lay the Birthplace of the World. Tyrius knew that there was a cavern there that was filled with crystals, but he wasn’t certain it was the same Cavern from the book. Although he was convinced that it must be, guessing there weren’t too