No more harm befell Dustin and Jude for the rest of the day's travels, or at least not in the way of winged devils and the like. Strange noises all around kept them on edge much of the time, but nothing ever came of it. The only harm remaining was the harsh sun, beaming down with an intensity Dustin had never imagined possible. His skin hadn't melted yet, but it felt ready to ignite instead.

Nonetheless, after a day's travel that dragged on for several eternities, Dustin and Jude came to a stop at the brink of a steep rock face. In the waning light of he setting sun, they peered down on a miracle—an entire settlement built around a rare body of water that wasn't a mirage or mere wishful thinking. Ridiculous as Dustin had thought the idea of Nathan Korynn living out in the wildlands was, now he had to contend with the fact an entire tribe of dark-skinned men and women had made homes there. Not only that, but the homes appeared rather permanent, many being made of stone and other quite immovable materials. These were no nomads.

Dustin glanced over at Jude and widened his eyes. "Somehow, this is the most unbelievable sight my eyes have beheld in this cursed place."

"It certainly does call much into question." Jude pointed down with a frown. "Are those children down there?"

With a glance down, Dustin found Jude's suspicion confirmed. A trio of young children toddled across a gap between two buildings, their heads and bodies enwrapped in cloths to protect them from the fading sun's rays.

"You're right!" Dustin exclaimed, "Who in their right mind would come to settle in such a place, let alone bear children here?"

"Well, we still have no guarantee any of these people have their wits about them. None, aside from Sir Korynn, of course."

"Of course. Speaking of whom, we may as well make our way down before we lose light."

Jude acknowledged with a dip of his head. "Very well. Let's be wary, though. After all, the last time Sir Korynn was seen alive to our knowledge, was quite a while before you were even born. We can't dismiss the possibility he no longer walks this earth, especially given this environment."

"There's the pessimist again." Dustin remarked as he began making his way to a steep slope several paces off that led down into the encampment, "You do make a good point. But if those winged devils were unable to defeat us, surely ordinary men could hardly do any better."

"Hubris oftentimes precedes defeat, Dustin."

"You could have simply said 'pride goeth before the fall'."

"Then you would have mocked me for antiquated dictation." Jude said with a laugh, "There is no winning with you."

"I'm too mighty to be defeated." Dustin jested, "You should know that by now."

"Unfortunately, I do."

Before long, the two completed their descent, and they found themselves in the midst of the settlement. A few dozen stone structures huddled around the basin of water in the middle, with an elliptical cobblestone road encircling everything and branching into narrower lanes to facilitate travel. Currently in the shadow of a rocky enclave, Dustin spotted the greenest part of the little town, a lush oasis of trees and miscellaneous crops growing around a smaller pool of water only connected to the main basin by a slender passage.

The settlement's inhabitants stared intently at Dustin and Jude as they stepped foot onto the main road. After all, they couldn't possibly bear a more striking dissimilarity in comparison with them. Their pale skin, dry and reddened from hours of overexposure to the sun, greatly contrasted the natives' complexion, dark as coffee and furthermore, mostly concealed by wrappings of white cloth. And whereas the youths possessed merely average height to pair with their athletic physiques, the swarthy desert-dwellers stood taller, with sinewy limbs and slender bodies.

After some hesitation, one of the men sprinted over and began chattering at Dustin in Jude in some language neither understood. It sounded somewhat like Forbachean, but the accent was much harsher, almost like Innutukian.

Dustin held up his hands and offered his best smile. "Forgive me, sir, but we only speak Alcontean."

The man tilted his head and muttered something else in the strange language before beckoning another over. They chattered amongst themselves before the second turned to Dustin.

"You two are from Alconte?" he asked, speaking perfect Alcontean in a Monteraynian accent just like Dustin and Jude.

"Not from Alconte, no. We are from Monterayne."

"We've come seeking a man, Nathan Korynn." Jude added helpfully.

The man paused, and his eyes leapt to Dustin's from the slit in his head covering. "Who are you?"

"I am Prince Dustin Rickland of the Kingdom of Monterayne, and this is my companion, Jude Holt. My father sent me here."

"You were banished, I presume?"

"Not at all." Dustin said with a frown, "I have come to seek training in swordsmanship from Sir Korynn."

The man's eyes squinted. "You do look like a son of Manfred and Kate..."

Dustin exchanged a glance with Jude. "I beg your pardon?"

With a sigh, the man reached behind his head and began unraveling the cloth covering around his face. When he'd finished, Dustin laid eyes on a grave man who appeared midway through his life's journey, with graying curls crowning his head and a distinguished ring of facial hair around his full lips. His eyes were serious, but appeared compassionate also, like a man whose aging was in his body only and not his spirit.

"I am Nathan Korynn." he said, a subtle smirk tugging at his lips, "Pleased to meet you."

Dustin's mouth went agape. "It's...it is an honor to meet you face to face! All my life, I have heard stories of your valor, and now..."

Nathan chuckled. "I'm nothing but an ordinary man, but I'm flattered. Now, it's getting dark, so we should head to my home."

Dustin and Jude readily assented and turned to follow Nathan's lead. All the while, Dustin's mind bubbled with questions to ask the man of legend who had fought at his father's side for years.

"So, how's his majesty, Manfred doing?" Nathan asked humorously, "Long-faced as ever?"

"Certainly. But he's well. All is well with Monterayne."

"That can't be said for all too many nations these days."

Dustin grimaced. "Quite true. Oh, and speaking of my father..." he said, reaching into one of Consequence's saddlebags, "he sent you a letter."

"Excellent; thank you." Nathan tucked the folded parchment into a pocket of fabric. "I must know, are there no Raskans left in Monterayne? Why else would Manfred send you way out here?"

"No, there are plenty Raskans in the knights' ranks. This is merely a matter of trust on my father's part."

"Ah, I see. He was never too generous with that."

"Some things never change, I suppose." Dustin remarked, "I believe it's time for you to be generous with some answers for me."

"Ask away." Nathan said, turning a corner onto another cobblestone street.

"Well, why exactly did you leave Monterayne? And why did you opt to settle in the wildlands, of all places? Who are these people?"

Nathan chuckled. "Slow down, son. I may be generous with answers, but my mind's not as sharp as it used to be. At any rate, these are my people, the Pikalanites. I left Monterayne to settle back down with them and marry."

"Interesting...rumor has it the mysterious disappearance of a certain assassin, Kelly Archer, can be attributed to you, since you both vanished without a trace at the same time. Is this true?"

"Guilty as charged. Kelly is my wife."

"Oh! But...why would you marry a coldblooded killer? I mean no offense, but—"

"People change, Dustin." Nathan said, his tone somewhat irked, "I mean no offense either, but your mother never understood that."

Dustin glanced over at Jude. "Well, that does make sense of some things."

Nathan stopped at the door to a tan dome of stone, presumably his home. He pointed at a cubical block beside the doorway and kicked his boots into it, causing sand and dust to scatter from the soles. Dustin and Jude complied and then stepped onto the mat outside the door. They tied the horses up outside, and Nathan assured them he'd come back to give them proper lodging once he'd settled the men in.

After Nathan swung the door open and ducked his head through the doorway, Dustin made entry, and he took in the sight with wonder. The roof domed over their heads, with a beautiful lantern in a silver enclosure hanging down to distribute a homey glow through the circular chamber. A railed walkway hugged the walls of the entry room, and from over that railing, Dustin could peer down to see a handsome study below, with shelves of books and ample seating all around.

He and Jude followed Nathan around the walkway to the back of the entry chamber, and then they entered a passage in the back, carved into the stone walls and sloping downward into a lower level of the home. Throughout the dwelling, strategically placed lanterns and candles kept a consistent warm glow wherever one went, and due to the slits in the walls of the entry chamber, any slight breeze outside swept inside in such a way to cause a cooling effect on the skin.

Nathan stopped when they entered the lower level, allowing Dustin to familiarize himself with the surroundings. A charming living area spread out before them, with a plushy couch for three people and a few armchairs surrounding a large table of amber-colored wood. A half-finished game of Danlashian chess stood in the center of the table, with discarded pawns sprawled out all around. And on a shelf lower down on the table were stacked several other games and other miscellaneous pieces for the purposes of entertainment.

"Alright, Kelly, I'm home!" Nathan called out as he began undoing the outer layers of his cloth wrappings, "We've got two guests."

A series of taps on the wooden floor preceded the appearance of a striking woman with blonde hair and very pale skin, so light she either hadn't lived long in the wildlands, or she never ventured outside. Her light blue eyes positively exploded with color, and her shapely face became accentuated with a sweet smile. She hobbled over on a sturdy cane, leaning much weight on her left side, where one leg appeared thinner than the other by a noticeable margin.

"Light-skinned guests?" the woman questioned Nathan with a playful smile, "How'd they get here?"

"On horses, ridiculous as that sounds." Nathan quipped before turning to Dustin and Jude. "This is my wife, Kelly. And Kelly, these men are Prince Dustin Rickland of Monterayne and Jude Holt. Any relation to Sir Tom, by the way?"

Jude nodded vigorously. "Yes, Thomas Holt was my father."

"You never got to meet him, did you?" Nathan asked with sympathy in his eyes, and after getting a nod, he sighed, "Well, I assure you, he was as great a man as you've undoubtably heard. Possibly the greatest Monteraynian who ever lived."

"I'm pleased to meet you both." Kelly said, having finally stepped close enough to shake hands, "You're both sons of great men; you have much to live up to."

Dustin smirked. "And you're married to a great man. Despite your reputation back in Monterayne, I think that says a lot about you."

Kelly laughed and glanced lovingly at Nathan. "I'd argue that says more about him, but thank you. What brings you out here?"

"Manfred sent him to be taught by me, imagine that." Nathan said with a hearty laugh.

"Oh, Manfred...King Manfred, excuse me."

"Are you here to learn too, Jude?"

Jude shook his head vigorously and pulled an arrow halfway out of his quiver with a raised eyebrow. "I only came along to keep Dustin out of trouble."

Nathan's eyes glinted with mischief. "If he's anything like his mother, I can see that being a wise precaution."

"He resembles his father in looks only." Jude said with an amused glance at Dustin. Dustin merely rolled his eyes.

"Well, at any rate, I need to help Kelly put the finishing touches on dinner, and sorry in advance if it's a little bland. We weren't expecting a prince to show up." Nathan smirked. "Anyway, I'll take you to the workshop so you can meet the last member of our little trio."

Dustin smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

He and Jude followed Nathan out of the living room and down a hallway lined with closed doors. At the end of the corridor, he led the two through a pair of thick curtains and into a large, echoey chamber full of...well...everything imaginable. The room was the definition of "miscellaneous". In one corner was a mound of what must have been thousands of arrows, with a quartet of fallen targets nearby, and several paces from there, a few hollowed-out logs leaned against the wall, one of which appeared to have a stopper fashioned onto one end and subsequently been filled with some fluid.

At a colossal table in the middle of the room stood a young man Dustin's age, who currently carved a piece of wood with a curved knife. Dustin immediately guessed he was Nathan and Kelly's son, for his appearance was a perfect blend of their traits. He had the full lips, curly hair, and brown eyes from his father, but his mother's facial structure, and though his skin was dark, it appeared several shades lighter than Nathan's and carried less red undertones.

"Kyle, come meet our new guests." Nathan called out, finally catching the young man's attention. "Keep them occupied while I assist your mother with dinner."

He squinted slightly at the sight of them and set his project down as Nathan's footsteps shuffled out of the room. After dashing around the table and approaching, he nodded and held out his hand. "I'm Kyle Korynn, nice to meet you."

"Prince Dustin Rickland of the Kingdom of Monterayne." Dustin introduced himself, "And this is my partner in crime, Jude Holt."

"He does all the crime." Jude added quickly with a smirk, "I merely cover his tracks."

Kyle's teeth showed as he grinned, eyes darting between them. "That sounds like a perfect symbiosis. I love it. Oh wait, I should have bowed, my apol—"

Dustin held up a hand and shook his head. "This isn't Monterayne, my friend."

"Oh, good. You're not one of those stuck-up worms of men who do nothing, but rule everything."

"Not in the slightest."

Jude chuckled and laid a hand on each man's shoulder. "The thought occurs to me that we three are sons of three of the greatest men Monterayne has known in recent times, and here we are, all together."

Kyle smirked. "It's almost like we're destined to make some history of our own."

"Careful what you wish for, son of Korynn." Dustin remarked lightheartedly, "Because I have plans to make some history Innutuk won't like."

**** 

A/N: Well would you look at that? We've arrived safe and sound in the Korynn residence, and got a chance to meet the trio. For most of us, I'd assume, this is a bit of a reunion with Nathan and Kelly, so hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I have to admit I got pretty emotional at some points while putting this together. 

(Now, if you don't vote and comment, there's no telling if anyone will be able to put you together, so better safe than sorry. 😂) 

Anyways, I know we just arrived, but any thoughts on any or all of the Korynns so far? 

And are we excited to see what our budding trio of Rickland, Holt, and Korynn is gonna accomplish? 😏

Hope you have an awesome week ahead! Things are getting busier on my page again, with two works to update at once, and needing to try writing faster behind the scenes to keep up, so wish me luck. I'll see you in next week's update!