Emmaline stumbled through the darkness. Her whole entire body ached with pain. So that they could reach their destination quicker and escape the Hume-Wolf Kingdom, they decided to travel at night. Emmaline could see better than the average human, but it was still difficult to trudge through the unpredictable terrain.
"Hurry up!" Axel grumbled.
"She's doing her best, Axel! At least you can fly," David growled. Emmaline was grateful for his defense, but he didn't need to say anything. It was best to save all of their strengths and stay silent.
"I'm going to go scout up ahead, anyway. You two stay here and rest." Axel flew up into the air and without another word, he was gone. Emmaline sighed with relief that she got a chance to rest her aching muscles. It was a long journey. They had crossed the Great River that had separated the Hume-Wolf Kingdom and the Bird Kingdom, but they still needed to reach whatever destination they were aiming for.
"Emmaline?" David murmured. "Yes?" she replied.
"Do you know where we're going?" David asked. That was an unexpected question from him, and Emmaline was so startled she fell silent for a few moments. When she thought about what to say, she said, "Maybe . . . maybe we're on a quest and we don't even know it?"
"A quest for what?" David squirmed impatiently.
"Well, what to you really, really want in this world?" Emmaline asked. David looked down and she could tell he was thinking about it. In a sooner time than she would have thought, he muttered, "For us to be free. For every DNAHume to be able to cross to eachothers' territories without having to sneak around. For us to be able to explore the world, and find every treasure in every corner! Why are we so unfriendly with each other? Why can't we all just be allies?!" His voice heightened considerably from the mutter that he had begun with, and Emmaline felt blown over with his desire for the world to be free. And she had to agree with him.
"Me too," she said. David nodded and looked around. "We should get going. I sense Axel is on his way back."
Sure enough, Emmaline heard Axel's noisy flaps, and soon he was right beside them. "Everythin' seems to be alright up ahead. Since we're in the Bird Kingdom now, there are few earth-dwellers. That's why everything is so dark and overgrown. But up ahead, in the sky, there are the floating cities . . ." Axel talked about his kingdom dreamily, as if he missed it.
"If you like it so much, why don't you stay here?" Emmaline asked. Axel shot a glare at her. "You don't understand," he muttered. Emmaline shrugged and looked ahead. If their quest was to set the continent free of bindings, then fine. They would do it. But how?
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A cool, damp breeze promised rain. Emmaline shivered, thinking about the cold winter up ahead. Soon, that rain would turn into snow. In the rags that Emmaline was in, she couldn't imagine how freezing it was going to be. As she glanced at her companions, they had the same worried look that she must have had.
"How do you suppose we are going to convince all of the DNAHumes to give up their secluded life in their own kingdoms and start to travel? And . . . be allowed to travel?" Emmaline asked.
"The more difficult thing is to stop the law. I don't know where or how, but we'll do it whenever the chance is grasped," David murmured.
"We could just talk to all of the kings and queens, you blind badgers!" Axel complained. He didn't seem too much into the quest, because he loved dangerous adventures. But that was Axel, right?
None the less, Emmaline gasped and David seemed pleased. Why hadn't they thought of it before? Axel was right -- they were stupid. Still, there was a risk involved, and how were they going to get a hold of all of the rulers? That would be like rounding up one-hundred elephants by yourself with no weapons or equipment. Sure, there were only - twelve kingdoms? - but it would be as difficult as one-hundred elephants. Fat, lazy, royal elephants.
Emmaline sighed. How were they going to do this? But she was determined, and she knew that her comrades were, too. So they would do it.
