The Endine Era : The Journey Book 3

Elyra, the outsider from a future Endine, had left without achieving what she had originally set out to do. Her own Endine was dying, its Ancient Power slowly fading after years of decline. Hoping to find a way to save it, she had travelled into the past, only to discover that her actions had also affected the Ancient Power of the present Endine.

Although Elyra had been unable to save her own time, she had left behind something valuable: knowledge of a special light particle that could potentially restore the Ancient Power to its former state.

A year moon cycle had passed since her departure.

During that time, the Queen of Endine, alongside her two trusted advisers, Taran and Gard, had been preparing Warsa and Erica, the kingdom's two Royal Investigators, for a journey far beyond their home. Their destination was the northern mountains, where they hoped to find the mysterious light particle that could help restore the Ancient Power.

The mission had been kept secret from the feline people to avoid unnecessary concern. As far as the citizens of Endine were aware, life continued as it always had.

But the journey ahead was vital to the survival of their home.

For thousands of years, no feline had ventured beyond Endine's borders. The only known historical accounts of such journeys belonged to figures from the distant past, including Sapphire, who had first discovered the Ancient Power, and Sung, the founder of Endine.

Now, at the very edge of their homeland, Warsa and Erica stood ready to leave everything familiar behind.

"So, Erica, are you ready to step out of our home and into the unknown?" Warsa asked, dressed in his travelling clothes, his sword secured across his back.

He turned towards Erica with a grin, waiting for her response.

Their Entities floated eagerly in front of them, their glowing bodies pulsing with excitement as they hovered near the border. It almost seemed as though they were just as eager to leave Endine as Warsa and Erica were.

Warsa adjusted the sword resting across his shoulder before checking the small leather satchel hanging at his side. Inside were a few essential supplies, including matches for starting a fire, a bark bottle filled with water and a small bag of nuts for the journey.

"I'm actually having mixed feelings about leaving Endine, if I'm honest," Erica admitted, standing beside him. Although she was excited about the adventure ahead and the possibility of making history, deep down, she couldn't help feeling nervous about what awaited them.

"Oh, I can relate to that," Warsa replied, looking towards the border. "I feel exactly the same. I mean, we don't even know where we're going, apart from heading north. It's enough to drive anyone mad!"

He glanced towards the enormous barrier of thick vines, intertwined tree bark, bushes and flowers that marked the northern border of Endine.

"You're right," Erica agreed. "We've spent an entire moon year preparing for this, and we still don't know what the light particle actually looks like. I'm assuming it's something similar to the particles we have here in Endine, but perhaps something much more unusual. But how are we supposed to recognise something unusual when we don't even know what we're looking for?"

Erica shook her head, becoming increasingly animated as she spoke. The more she thought about the journey ahead, the more she realised just how little they knew about the outside world.

Warsa turned towards her, a smile spreading across his face before he let out a quiet chuckle.

"And what the heck are you laughing at?" Erica asked, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

Warsa raised his hands apologetically, still struggling to contain his amusement.

"I'm sorry! It's just that whenever you get nervous, you're so cute. You get this little twitch in your right eye, and it's absolutely adorable. I love it!"

Erica narrowed her eyes at him, her ears twitching in mild annoyance.

"Oh, really? Well, I'm glad my nervousness is so entertaining to you!"

Warsa chuckled once more before stepping a little closer, his expression becoming more serious.

"But honestly, I do understand how you're feeling. We've spent the last moon year training harder than ever, preparing ourselves for whatever might be out there. But the truth is, we have absolutely no idea what we're walking into."

He gestured towards the northern border.

"What the heck is actually out there? I don't know, and neither does anyone else in Endine. But we have to give this everything we've got. Not just for ourselves, but for Endine and all our people."

Erica looked at Warsa, her expression softening as she listened to his words. A smile slowly appeared on her face as she felt a renewed sense of determination.

"You're right. And I love it when you're so passionate about something you believe in. It's actually quite encouraging, you know!"

Her tail straightened behind her, and her ears twitched as she looked towards the vined wall.

"I think we can do this, Warsa. Whatever we find out there, we'll face it together."

"Absolutely!" Warsa replied confidently. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together."

Just then, their two Entities floated towards their faces, flashing vigorously as they made a strange, almost indignant noise.

Warsa blinked in surprise, looking from one Entity to the other.

"Okay, okay! All four of us will deal with it together! I'm sorry, you two. I got a little carried away and forgot you were there!"

The Entities flashed once more, seemingly satisfied with his response, before floating back beside them.

Erica burst out laughing.

"Well, I think you've just been told off!"

"Oh, very funny!" Warsa replied, shaking his head with a grin. "Come on, you two. Let's get going before they start complaining again!"

The four companions stood before the enormous vined wall that marked the northern border of Endine. For a moment, Warsa and Erica looked at one another, both knowing that once they stepped beyond it, they would be entering a world unlike anything they had ever known.

Warsa glanced towards the wall as the familiar blue and white particles of the Ancient Power began to gather around the thick vines. Slowly, the vines started to shift and move, drawing apart as the Ancient Power created a narrow opening large enough for the four companions to pass through.

As the opening widened, Warsa and Erica caught their first"Come on, Erica. Let's see what the world has been hiding from us!"

With their Entities floating alongside them, the two Royal Investigators stepped through the opening and into the wilderness.

As soon as all four had passed through, the vines slowly began to move once more, intertwining and closing the opening behind them. Within moments, the enormous vined wall had returned to its original state, separating the wilderness from the familiar world of Endine.

Warsa and Erica turned briefly towards the border before looking ahead at the vast forest that lay before them.

They stood looking out into the wilderness. The light particles still shimmered along the edges of the border, but further ahead, they gradually faded into the dense forest. Neither Warsa nor Erica knew whether the Ancient Power existed beyond Endine, whether other felines had even heard of it, or if they lived in a completely different way.

Warsa began walking, his Entity floating close beside him. Erica, however, remained still, gazing out into the unfamiliar surroundings.

Noticing her hesitation, Warsa stopped and turned towards her. His Entity drifted back towards Erica, its glow subtly changing colour as it sensed her apprehension.

"Are you okay?" Warsa asked, stepping closer.

"Yes, I think so," Erica replied, looking towards him. "It's just... this is a big moment, isn't it? Just think, Warsa. We have no idea how long it'll be before we see Endine again. Are you really okay with that?”

Warsa glanced towards the forest before looking back at her.

"You're having second thoughts now?" he asked, not unkindly, but with a hint of surprise. "After everything we've been through, this is hardly the time to start doubting ourselves."

Erica sighed and turned to look back at the vined wall, taking one last look at the home she had always known.

"No, it's not that. We've just never been outside Endine before. No feline has, not even the Queen. We have absolutely no idea what we're going to find out there, or what might happen to us. What if we fail, Warsa? What if everything we've set out to do comes to nothing?"

Warsa stepped towards her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, I understand, Erica. Believe me, I do. There's a lot we don't know, and there's no guarantee that we'll find what we're looking for. But we can't just sit back and do nothing, not when the Ancient Power and our home are at risk."

He paused, looking into her eyes.

"Even if we fail, at least we'll know we tried everything we could. And who knows? Perhaps the Outsider was right about more than we realise. But whatever happens, we'll face it together. Erica, I couldn't do this without you."

Erica looked at him, a small smile forming across her face. Her Entity gradually returned to its usual glow, floating gently beside her.

"Thanks, Warsa. I think I just needed to hear that."

She glanced towards the wilderness once more before turning back to him.

"Come on, then. We've got a home to save."

Warsa smiled and nodded. Together, they turned away from the border and began walking into the unknown, their two Entities following closely beside them.

Behind them, the vined wall stood silently, separating the only home they had ever known from the vast wilderness that lay ahead.

For the first time in their lives, Warsa and Erica were truly beyond Endine.