Spring, 1423

Road’s End. The Town that was once Stanton.

Not much remained of the place; a few mounds denoting foundations and mottes, some stone ruins, and broken and burnt timber and rusted metal were the sole reminders that this was once a small city. In the center, near a collapsed stone well, was a stone monument slowly sinking back into the earth, a large war memorial erected in memory of those from the town who fell in the Great War. Dozens of names, faded with age, were inscribed onto the limestone. At the Southern end, the six standing buildings near the shanty that Jayna had visited several months ago was now abandoned as well, its final residents likely fleeing at the report of an arriving army, and one that was with the dragon that had destroyed this town decades before.

The Arcadian forces moved through quickly, not interested in digging up the haunted memories of a ghost town, certainly not with the ghost right there in their army. Murray quickly deployed the bulk of the rebels in a series of hills along the old redoubts from the Freeland Brother Revolt. Artillery was deployed, lines were placed, and soon the rearward support elements following in their wagons began setting up camp, all on the former border with the Hinterlands.

That quickly left Meratezagth and Jayna mostly alone in the ghost town. The dragon had lingered, with the Arcadian commander by his side, walking through the ghost town in silence, tired, somewhat guiltily looking at old landmarks. The site of the Old Stone Church. The ruins of what was once the Dancing Wolf, then the Drunken Hind. The plaza where Logan and him had first made the Truce, and where it finally ended in flaming ruins 45 years later. The war memorial to his old human friends and enemies, As he looked to the North, Mera suddenly was hit by a realization, and after a pause began walking in that direction.

“Come, Jayna follow me.” The dragon muttered, without bothering to look back.

The Arcadian leader looked at her dragon friend heading, off, then looked at the bulk of her army heading Southwest, then back at the dragon. She yelled at the rest of the rebel leadership riding towards the hills.

“Take command, Chagraff, Mera wants to show me something.”

Then Rusan turned and nodded. “Very well.” He called back. “You know our fallback position, and I’ll sound the horn if something goes terribly wrong, but I doubt we’ll encounter the enemy for at least another three days.”

“That’s good. Thanks, and sorry but this seems like it’s some game Mera wants me to play.”

“That dragon doesn’t really play.” Came the call back. “This is your ancestral home Jayna, and I imagine Mera’s gonna be digging up some ghosts. I don’t envy you.”

***

Human and dragon walked North, a good half day’s distance. Jayna wondered why the two of them didn’t just fly to wherever Mera was interested in going, but the dragon looked solemn and distracted with his thoughts and did not appear interested in talking so the Arcadian remained quiet as well.

Soon enough the grasslands turned to woodland, then deep forest. In places, the ruins of stone fences and ramshackle huts gradually decaying to the moss and mold showed evidence of long-gone human habitation, but soon these ruins disappeared as well. A large sluggish river appeared. Mera bent down and allowed Jayna atop him, then waded across the waterway, leaned down to allow the Arcadian back off, and then continued walking, all without comment. After a brief pause, his companion followed, walking briskly to keep up. The path gradually began to ascend, turning into rolling hills. At one of the rises, Jayna suddenly saw a familiar snow-capped peak and realized that Mera’s home from Mount Rubinox was barely visible in the distance.

This was a place the dragon could have visited every single day.

Somehow, the Arcadian believed that despite its proximity, this was the first time Meratezatgh had returned to Stanton in fifty years.

Finally the woods cleared up, and Jayna found herself staring down the edge of a sheer cliff of broken marble, the tumbling waters of a large river flowing below. The dragon had a look of deep sadness as he sat down along the edge.

“The Kern River. This was where I Kharriana knew I was hers, though I foolishly did not know it yet.”

Mera stared quietly at the river. “I miss her.” He finally spoke, barely above a whisper. “I miss her dearly.”

Jayna didn’t know what to say. Finally she just put her hand on Mera’s shoulder.

Together they looked silently at the river flow on unceasingly past them.

---

Bruce Springsteen - Reason to Believe

From  Kshanti!

Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45528507/