Gracisin Quest - Specutaltive Fiction Authors (best large ereader .TXT) 📗

"Her blessing and a token for good luck.” I grinned over my shoulder before I hurried to lose myself in the crowd.

***

The next morning we met at the town’s gate to begin the journey.

The group looked ready; each had their packs loaded well before the sun crest the sky, but there was one thing we had to do first.

We had to organize, and that meant letting Dillon know that he was not the leader of the expedition, I was. As I approach my team I could hear he was already giving orders to Tom and Tanisha.

 "I'm going to be depending on the two of you most as forward scouts."

"We can do with one less leader on this expedition Dillon.” I walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. “If you want something done, then it goes through me.” He gave me his patented frown that sent most men running for cover, but I wasn’t most men. “Then I will decide who is best suited to do it, understood?"

He turned to me with a hard penetrating stare while the others settled back with amusement. For whatever reason they always found our friendly disputes for leadership highly entertaining; even Alluna cracked a smile.

He glared at me for a long moment then he smiled and said, "OK, Tiamoc, it's your quest, but whoever heard of a tracker being the leader."

We were both strong-welled men, the first in a fight and the usually the last on standing. We met during a dangerous job. The Ion diamond was on display at the capital. I had decided to steal the gem, but unbeknown to me so had Dillon. Neither of us got the jewel that night. We were arrested and spent a good amount of time in the capital’s jail pondering where we went wrong.  It took use a little over a week to devise a plan that would garner the gem and make use both rich. We escaped stole the jewel and never visited the capital again.

I smiled back at Dillon. "Who ever heard of anyone finding Grecisin?"

Tom said, "The tales say it is on the other side of the badlands beyond the eastern mountains."

I almost reached into my pack to check D'nte's map, but disguised the motion by folding down the leather cover and tightening the steel buckles. “We head east then.”

***

 It was just like taking a leisurely stroll the first day, as we started our journey eastward following the old river road.

It followed the course of the Great River through ten provinces ruled by the Galen Council. Although just a series of animal trails, it divides into two main sections, the council governed highways and the byways ruled by the Flemyng rogues.

Everyone knew that the Flemyng rogues were not to be messed with, if you valued your life. However, we didn’t want to run the risk of being seen by the eyes of the council's spies who would alert them of our quest. So we took the byways through the Fleming territory, and continued up the river as it meandered through the woods and toward the mountains. This way I was following D’nte’s suggestion by sticking to the river while giving us a change with the Flemyng rogues.

Despite the peace and beauty of the woods, all of my companions glanced around nervously. Tom seemed particularly uneasy, muttering obscene curses at the raucous Click-beak rooks on the overhanging boughs.

***

The Sun's descent was an open display of orange and yellows that made the steam coming off the river drifting through the woods like a dream-vision.  Everyone was weary from the long day full of tension and little else, so we decided, this evening to camp at a bend in the river. It was time to see what dreams Alluna might have of the next day or two, so we all made sure she would have an undisturbed night by placing guards at the four cardinal points.

Publication Date: 11-09-2013

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