"The unsure shall rise to rule, though unprepared and with dangers abounding." - The Prophecies of Light

The day was thankfully clear, without any of the wind that had practically pushed Mingyu and Wonwoo out of the mountains on their flight from the Marcher Lord's Keep. It had been nearly five days since they had made their escape, and while the first three had been spent on a wild ride, fleeing through the passes with fear of demons and mortal pursuit, the last two had been more relaxed.

Mingyu finally felt as if he were healing, the bruises on his face fading down to an ugly yellow, his ankle merely tender if he moved it the wrong way. His arm was still injured but he had hope that once they reached their destination, he would find someone to heal it. After all, they were headed for the famed City of Light, governed by immortals and built by magic. Surely there would not only be healing to be found there, but also understanding for the High Mage's journal.

He had taken it out yesterday, thankful once again that he had chosen a mellow horse for himself, and tried to read during their ride. His injured arm made it difficult, tied up against is chest as it was, but he managed, the reins held loosely in the fingers of his bad arm while he balanced the open book on the pommel of his saddle. 

"Anything?" Wonwoo asked, his voice tinged with tiredness though his eyes darted around at the forest they rode through. He had been increasingly jumpy in the last several days, the lack of demons making him both relieved and yet nervous with anticipation. He'd also taken to riding with only one hand on the reins, his watchfulness over their surroundings unconsciously making him worry less over his riding. Mingyu had to fight down a smile as he realized that the thief had come a long way from the man who had barely been able to get on the horse several weeks ago.

"A whole lot of confusion," he admitted, closing the journal awkwardly with his one good hand and stuffing it into his saddlebags. His stomach grumbled as he did so, reminding him that they had had very little to eat in the last few days except a few stale rolls of bread and dried meat that Wonwoo had stolen from the kitchens before they left. He pushed the thought of food away, something he'd grown accustomed to when on the campaign trail with the mercenary companies. "The prophecies seem to be a bunch of mutterings that were written down, one sentence hardly corresponding with the next. it's frustrating, honestly."

Wonwoo's smile quirked to the smile and he gave a light-hearted shake of his head. "I guess I should be glad that I can't read them, then," he teased, to which Mingyu shot him a baleful look. Which melted away when Wonwoo only laughed in return. 

"Anyway," Mingyu continued, shooting the thief an amused look. "Hyesung's notes are helpful, and luckily, he decided that we need to head to the Reaches. There's a well there or something and a lot of the prophecies speak about a well, so... yeah."

"Hmm." Wonwoo's expression turned considering, and he pursed his lips as he nodded slowly. "Isn't Seungcheol from the Reaches?"

"Is he?" Mingyu asked, this being the first he'd heard of the blond guardsman's homeland. That was interesting, actually. The Western Reaches was one of the most independent districts of the continent, mainly due to the fact that the majority of wealth in the country came from the Western mines. Smaller towns like Mingyu's hometown of Felshira were ruled by a council, who in turn answered to the representatives of the nearest Tower who answered to the High Council in Redien. In comparison, cities like Telgar, where the mercenary companies resided, were ruled by a Tower, which was only one step away from the High Council. 

The Western Reaches, though, was one of the few districts that was not ruled by either a council or a Tower, instead being governed by a family. In the times before the founding of the Tower, each of the districts had had a King, and the few that were now governed by families were simply descendants of the Kings who had accepted the Tower's regency over them and had been allowed to continue their rule, under the name of Lord instead of King.

So in essence, the Western Reaches were a long dead Kingdom. That thought pulled something from the prophecies to the forefront of Mingyu's mind. He pulled the book out of his saddlebags once more, nearly fumbling it to the ground in his haste, and began to flip through the pages. Wonwoo was looking at him with a questioning expression, but until he had an answer, Mingyu was loathe to tell him his thoughts.

And