Chapter 18

Baby's POV

The surroundings once we left the carriage were amazing. Apparently we had left the city and traveled along the road until we got to a gigantic bridge controlled by people on both sides of the bridge. Lines of people waited in front and behind us in order to cross this bridge. I used my aura to see my surroundings. I could smell all sorts of delicious smells coming from the food carts lined up along both sides of the road and my mouth couldn't help but water.

The carriage occupants must have noticed me salivating and helped me with cold mash mixed with fruit and water.

"I'm sorry that we are unable to stop for the afternoon meals, but we have to reach the capital before you turn 2 years old and we only have 9 months to get all the way to the capital city. I can't believe that your father's replacement came so late! He was supposed to arrive a month ago and didn't get here until last evening." Mother fumed.

We waited in line for several hours before finally getting to cross. I made sure to spread my aura downwards since I really wanted to 'see' the bridge. It was so large that even when I sent my aura down as far as it could currently go, I still couldn't reach the ocean and when I spread it out to the sides of the bridge, I couldn't feel the far side of the bridge. The smell of water and fish and sand was much stronger as we made our way over the enormous bridge.

I was informed that the people who were manning the bridge were all earth elementalists who could collapse the bridge in the event of a declaration of war or some other such event that needed the bridge dismantled quickly. Normally, my dad being one of the Empire's protectors, we would get escorted to the front of the line ahead of all others, but my parents were cautious and didn't want to get any unwanted attention, especially with so many vulnerable people in our group.

We would always stop at night; sometimes at an inn where we would get a bath and hot food and sometimes off to the side of the road where it was a sponge bath and mash and water. I couldn't complain and wouldn't have even if I could. I could tell that the travelling was taking a toll on everyone; my parents and siblings as well as the guards and servants.

I was super excited when one day when Jasper took me over to show me the animals pulling the carriages. They smelled kind of like horses with the mixture of hay, poop, dirt and sweat mixed together. They didn't have fur though. It was almost like smooth skin with indents and ridges. The neck was short and it's head broad. I don't know about the tail since I didn't want to touch that close to the back-end of anything and when I pushed out my aura, I still couldn't 'see' one.

It was pretty routine as we traveled; stopping only for the night and the occasional stop to replenish the provisions. Otherwise we just kept going. As mom, Jasper, Sapphire, and I were in the carriage together, teaching was taking place and I learned a lot about the world around me through it.

There were 12 kingdoms with 12 kings who were all answerable to the emperor. The emperor sent out 12 protectors, one to each kingdom to ensure peace. They were not to dictate how the king did something unless it went against the principles written down and agreed to by the first emperor and kings. Examples that were given were provoked war and genocide. Each kingdom was separated by the same kind of bridge that we went over to go from the Terrinas kingdom to the Draven kingdom. We would then have to travel through the Rissavera kingdom before getting to the Imperial city. Each time we crossed the border between kingdoms it took us almost an entire day waiting in line.

I was also informed that every baby when born is not given a name until they complete the ceremony at 2 years of age. Any temple in the kingdoms and the imperial capital can do the ceremony, but legend states that the closer to the imperial capital the ceremony takes place, the stronger the elemental gift. This is apparently the reason why my parents are trying so hard to get to the imperial capital before my 2nd birthday.

We had a few encounters with bandit groups as we made our way through the Draven countryside, but most of them tested the strength of the guards and quickly decided they were too tough and not worth the risk and so retreated without any real injuries to our people.

Then we made it to Rissivera. Everyone was extremely tired by then and mistakes were beginning to be made by both the soldiers and the servants. The mind numbing fatigue and the constant feeling of being grimy was wearing everyone down. I was once again practicing expanding and flattening my aura when I could feel a number of people on both sides of the road, but away from sight.

I tapped my mom's shoulder to wake her up and get her attention. The ambush group seemed quite strong from what I could feel.