He emerged from the swirling sandstorm, clutching a worn and weathered map as he crossed the barren plains. He…
He emerged from the swirling sandstorm, clutching a worn and weathered map as he crossed the barren plains.
He coughed weakly. The long illness had left him trembling, barely able to hold the fragile map. Yet joy stirred in his bones, making his legs shake with hope.
Soon. Once he passes beyond the desert, the end will be near.
He will make it. He will reach Tang lands.
A faint smile touched his wind-scarred face. In his still-bright, youthful eyes, that smile gleamed like a small boat setting sail, sending ripples of hope across a still lake.