Cries of battle drifted fitfully through the wind, mingled with the clash of weapons and the screams of the dying.
A Blood Oath Band guard sent to scout soon returned. Bowing from his saddle, he reported, "Your Highness, two miles ahead, about a hundred men are fighting. It looks like a band of guards being attacked by brigands."
Jon Connington urged his horse half a pace forward, drawing alongside Aegon, and said quietly, "The Disputed Lands have always been like this."
"It isn't just mercenaries hired by the city-states fighting here. Deserters, wandering brigands, outlaws... they all forage in this land without a master. Some unfortunate caravan or messenger probably stumbled into them."
Aegon listened, but his gaze passed over the scorched earth toward the source of the noise.
Of course, he had not reined in his horse for this commonplace bloodshed.
It was the system notification that had suddenly lit up in his mind, along with the map that opened automatically.
[Check-in location detected: Disputed Lands, Crown Tree. Proceed to check in?]
The golden point marking his destination on the map aligned perfectly with the direction of the battle cries.
Aegon frowned slightly. Was this deliberate?
Wasn't this already the Crown Tree? Or was the system pointing to the place where the Crown Tree had actually taken root?
Seeing Aegon remain silent, Jon continued, "If you'd rather avoid trouble, there's an old road to the southeast we can take around it. It'll add half a day's travel, but we can avoid..."
"Why avoid it?"
Aegon interrupted him, his voice level.
Before his words had faded, he flicked the reins. His warhorse gave a long whinny and shot forward like an arrow.
"Follow him!" Jon froze for a moment, then recovered and barked the order. Twenty Blood Oath