Florian Laveaux's Arc

Chapter 9 of 10

The road narrowed as they rode deeper south. Trees pressed close on both sides, their branches forming a canopy overhead. Florian heard the horses' hooves strike packed earth in steady rhythm. BelloSaros raised his hand and the group slowed to a stop. A fallen tree curved across the path ahead, its trunk forming a natural arch. Vines and moss covered the wood. Beyond it, Florian saw a dilapidated hut with faded grass walls and a sagging roof. Daveth dismounted and drew his sword. Griffin started to follow, but BelloSaros stopped him with a gesture. The prince pointed at Florian and Daveth, then at the hut. The two of them would approach. Florian climbed down from his horse and pulled his machete free. His heart hammered in his chest. They walked under the arch and stopped at a nest woven from twisted branches. Four pale eggs sat nestled in its center. A woman emerged from the hut. Her lower body was scaled and serpentine, green and coiled beneath her. Her upper body was human, bare except for the snake-like patterns on her skin. She studied them with eyes that didn't blink. Florian forced himself to speak. He asked why the Citya were attacking travelers. The woman tilted her head. Her people weren't violent by nature, she said. Something had driven them from their nesting grounds in the south. Men in armor had burned the marshes and killed their young. The Citya were striking back in desperation, not malice. Florian felt understanding settle over him like a weight. He asked what would stop the attacks. The woman coiled closer to her nest. If the soldiers withdrew from the southern marshes, her people would leave the roads alone. Florian looked at Daveth. The knight nodded slowly. This was information BelloSaros needed to hear. Florian told the woman they would carry her message to the prince. She watched them back away toward the horses. As they rode north again, Florian realized knighthood meant more than fighting enemies. Sometimes it meant understanding why they fought at all.