Chapter 295- Travelers on the road

Travelers on the road

The night sky stretched out before them towards a horizon lost in the distance. A full moon hung overhead as it kept the company of the limitless stars. A chirp of an insect or disturbed bird drifted above the low rumble of the wooden wheels. A riderless horse tethered to the wagon followed behind while out in front, a lone rider guided them along the desolate road.

"Why did you only take three horses, Chu? We could have hitched two horses to the wagon to travel faster. I prefer riding on a horse in the rain rather than sitting inside a cramped wagon."

Ming asked his younger companion sitting next to him.

"The farm is already short on horses because of the expansion. Don't forget we don't want to stand out. Three horses belonging to young peddlers on the road is already stretching our cover. I don't want to become a target because we appear wealthy."

Chu replied. He snuggled into the modified seat Halter crafted according to his instructions. Along with the suspension on the wagon, Bon had done the same to the seats. Currently, Chu sat on a well-cushioned car seat, complete with armrest. Both seats also had a lever to allow them to swivel if the need occurred with readily accessible storage at the side which housed a crossbow and a generous amount of bolts.

"That cover might hold on an empty road. But what about when we camp with other travels on the road? It won't take long for travelers to find out we are the only two men here. And I don't know how you see yourself, but any stranger scrutinizing our wagon would never think we are normal."

"With your mouth, I'm sure you can spew some believable reason as to why we have so many women. Don't the larger clans and certain churches permit men to have more than a few wives? We're young upstairs selling on the road with our wife and kids. As for the wagon, that's the reason I say we camp outside the town and city. We possess enough horses to ride in to buy and also carry Yin and Hope sightseeing."

The smaller boy yawned. Squinting his eyes under the glow of the moon, he scanned the darkness to the left. Somewhere out there, Dyna scouted with the two girls. On the flat caravan roof, Miki lay sleeping for the late-night guard shift, while inside the enclosed wagon, Ishara sat in meditation. His crude but welcomed suspension wheeled caravan slowed as the rider clipped towards them on the uneven road.

"It's late, I say by the moon, probably close to midnight."

"Signal Dyna to return. It's about time Hope and Yin prepare for bed. I can't have them running wild like Dyna. Heaven knows one untamed girl is enough. When she arrives, take Fenrir with you and find a campsite away and hidden from the road. We'll wait here for you."

Chu said on hearing her words. From their very first outing into the forest from the rickety shack in the slum to now, he spent enough time with this companion to read her words.

Lucy guided her horse to a small incline and skillfully lit the torch in her bag with the flint from her pouch. She then held it up high and waved it in a prepared manner without agitating the domesticated beast. Within five minutes came an answering call as three hulking shapes emerged from the darkness at the front of the wagon.

The riders clutching the thick leather collars of the wolves possessed the experience to ensure they announced their arrival and then appeared one after the next. Even for horses accustomed to their smell and familiarity, the auras of their mounts created a sense of unease.

The boy on the wagon, however, had long shed any thoughts of fear towards these apparitions. He jumped down from his seat and approached the two young children while ignoring the shoulder-height wolves.

"Dyna, take guard duty until Lucy returns. Little Hope, I think you and Yin have had enough for one night. Go get yourselves cleaned for bed before Lucy returns. Don't disturb Ishara or Miki."

Chu said as he helped the two girls down from their respective rides one after the next. Removing the collars from the soft and warm fur, he noticed the disgruntled yellow eyes from the burly canines. Undoubtedly, his summons halted their late-night fun under the moon.

"Don't give me that look. Do you think I don't know you've all been frolicking around instead of working? I'm sure you have probably displayed how awesome you are to those little masters. The next time you make that dour looking face at me, I'll let him ride you."

Chu thumbed to Ming on the driver's seat which caused the two wolves to change their sullen face to one of militant obedience. Waving away the fawning noses of the intelligent creatures trying to lick him, he walked away. Dyna hopped off the largest wolf to assist the two girls in warming a small pail of water. Lucy whistled for a wolf to follow her while the other two circled away into the darkness.

"Did you mean it, Chu? Will you let her loan me one? It would be best if I can ride on the wolf when I enter Limerock. Hehe, the guards I know there will probably die of envy when they see me returning like that. No, wait, some of them already know the wolves belong to that crazy redhead. I changed my mind, I want to ride on a wolf when we enter Frost City."

The older teen stroked his trademark uneven stubby beard as he thought out loud.

"Yes, yes, didn't Doug say Frost City had lots of nobles and adventurers walking around with wild beasts for pets? Wait until they see me, the gossips in the taverns will run like watered-down ale."

Chu simply shook his head while taking out a few pieces of firewood from the basket hanging on the side of the wagon.

"You do know what our mission is in Frost City right? Sometimes I wonder where your head is..."

***

"Uncle, the returning scouts reported they saw the spires of Frost City in the distant horizon at dawn. The Commander estimated we should arrive within three weeks to the Military Camp outside the south gate."

Young Master Gofart mumbled as his teeth ripped into the flesh of the roasted pheasant. Ever since the Military regiment began to move, he spent most of his time traveling beside his uncle and the family caravan. His actions provided a win-win situation for his immediate Captain and also for himself. Under the escort of the Military, his uncle wasted no time in setting the caravan guards to work in hunting and foraging the surrounding grasslands.

Each day, young master Gofart did not dine on the dried rations of the Military but freshly cooked food plucked from the wild. His merchant uncle nodded from atop the rolling caravan.

"The duration from the last town is not bad. The desolate surroundings make traveling on this road a poor choice. The villages north of Karst have been wiped out and the road displays its lack of use. I've been tending to my sore rump for the last few weeks without any signs of it healing."

The elder Gofart winced as the wheel hit a raised stone on the road. The jolt and followed bump caused him to hiss as the corns littering around his ass assimilated the shock from the layers of padded cloth. Unlike the used and relatively even roads down south, this frontier one screamed of disrepair.

"I will press the Patriarch to assist in increasing your standing in the Military, nephew. I dare say if you held more power, we would not have to make our way towards the Dusk and Dawn Forts before turning east to Frost City but we could have cut straight across the open grasslands towards it."

"Many thanks, Uncle. With the current relations I have with Commander Fredijack, I think an increase in ranking may be possible. All I lack at present is a tattoo."

"Ah, yes. That is the one thing which requires luck along with money. Few mercenaries and adventurers are willing to risk their poor lives to aid others in attaining a sure path to fame and fortune. No matter, you may earn it yet in the upcoming months. If from what you say happens, and other demon beasts might follow the trail and path of those useless ones into the Pass, then the upcoming months might prove beneficial indeed."

Merchant Gofart dropped his voice while speaking.

"The House of your friend Prickus is tottering on a precipice at the moment. Incidentally, most of our guards in my caravan and the ones stationed on our property outside the city belong to them. How about offering him a token of help? With your ranks in the Military, can you lead a force into the Pass?"

"Yes, I probably can lead a team under the guise of scouting the valleys and trails among the mountains."

"Excellent. How about I offer your friend a few coins to have all his mercenaries serving us as guards, accompany you? This way you can surely find and wipe out a few demon beasts head-on, or decimate and steal the victory from others. Bring him over to my camp tonight, he will not refuse my generous offer of gold coins."

Merchant Gofart said while narrowing his eyes. His nephew seemed to still hold that sliver of weakness called companionship. He, however, discarded such thoughts long ago. Brotherhood only existed when one couldn't gain dominance over the next party. A falling house served as only food for the Jagas willing to pounce.

As the representative from a wealthy and soon to be even more wealthy, merchant clan, he could offer one hundred gold per mercenary to venture into the Pass as escorts for his nephew. Heavens, he could even offer ten times that amount on a successful tattoo. The gold would be paid promptly on their return. On this point, he could press the desperate Prickus house for agreement.

Merchant Gofart smiled.

Hunting demon beasts required payment in human lives, otherwise, Sersens would not have been so scarce. And not all mercenaries need to exit the Pass. The loss of entire parties in the treacherous valleys was deemed as common knowledge and occurrence.

"Yes, nephew, maybe even I might find myself becoming a Sersen, haha!"

****