Chapter 285- On the road

On the road

Chu stood motionless in the ankle-deep stream. With his back bent, he scanned below the clear bubbling water to the spaces between the stones and rocks. Tensing his shoulders, his body resembled a coiled spring ready for release. After what seemed like hours, a tiny claw protruded out from one of the spaces nearby.

Inching out, the bright red crustacean nervously exited its hiding spot.

With a splash, the hand of the waiting predator lashed out into the water. The crayfish-like creature flitted towards the rocky safety of its crevice but to no avail. The hand was not only faster but its aim seemed to hone towards its target with pinpoint accuracy.

"Arrgh! Damn this little bugger bit me."

"How come I don't see the mouth? The claw clamping down on your thumb, though, looks like it hurts like hell."

"Stop commenting like Ming and help me. Take it over to the rocks and clean it as I showed you."

Chu said to the little redhead who stood curiously tilting her head while eying the crayfish rotating and snapping its free claw.

"Ok, ok, but I'm telling you, Chu. These little shelled critters don't seem like they have much meat. I don't know why you insisted we catch them when we spotted them in this stony brook."

"Later, when I stirfry them, don't let me see you asking for more. Who knew I would find this delicacy out in the open grassland."

"Maybe it's because this river is not as muddy as the ones we usually see? Maybe it doesn't dry up like the others closer to our farm."

"Sometimes I wonder, Dyna, about your sense of distance. You do know the closest river in the grasslands near us is about a day away to the south, right? It looks like I'll have to limit your freedom again."

"No, no, I was just mentioning it. Look, I'm off to clean this crayfish thingy."

Dyna changed the subject while scampering downstream towards a large flat rock.

Chu shook his head as he slowly shuffled up the shin-high river. Ever so often he paused to seek out any signs of the peeking crustaceans. For seven days he and Dyna roamed the grasslands chatting and training before returning at night to their campsite. The two of them possessed a natural unfettered streak for freedom and so headed out wherever the wind swept them.

The grasslands offered breathtaking scenery, rocky outcroppings, singing streams, and edible roots. At night, they meditated under the open stars and slept comfortably under the protective gazes from their yellow-eyed companions. Barring the inconveniences of the road and the odd rain, Chu knew this was a life he could never have dreamed of living on earth. He spent another hour in the sparkling water when Dyna called out.

"I think we have enough now. Jim always said we should never overhunt so as to avoid a calamity from the heavens. Besides, I have a rabbit to roast."

"Good advice, remember to mark this river. It's isolated and far from the road. We can always return when we travel in these parts."

Chu gave the horses a thorough bath in the river, before taking one himself. Ignoring the redhead rolling around in the water while wrestling with a huge wolf, he scoured the nearby hills. He searched for onion type roots and other edible bulbs as taught by Jim and Mr, Thomas.

Under the growls and the increased splashing as another wolf joined the fray, he gathered their dinner under the evening sun.

Later after sunset, the crisp sounds of frying preceded a mouth-watering aroma. Dyna sat staring intently at the iron skillet while turning the roasting hare opposite him. When he removed the lid from the skillet soon after, her eyebrows twitched on both the smell and the attractive red color released from over the fire.

Seeing the bliss on his face when he tasted for flavor, the green-eyed girl finally succumbed.

"Chu, maybe you should let me taste it first. We don't know if eating those shell-things might cause a problem."

"No need. I saw a heron-like bird feasting on one today. I recall Jim mentioning starving trappers ate them in the forest but I never encountered any. Too bad the people here apparently didn't know how to prepare them, otherwise these guys would become endangered."

"Then let us taste it a little so we can tell Sakura about it. You know how she likes listening to our adventurers."

"Why don't you just say you want to try it? And how many times have I told you to stop calling yourself we?"

Chu laughed while scooping out some in a tin plate for her. The two of them just began when one of the wolves whined and then wagged its tail. Seeing it rush off in the darkness, Dyna reluctantly parted with her plate as she stared out in the direction.

The one taste she sampled whetted her appetite. She secretly added crayfish to her list of hunting favorites.

"It looks like Lykos and the others have returned."

"Seems that way."

Chu replied while standing next to her. A few minutes later, the two of them spotted a lighted torch slowly approaching on the horizon. Sometimes it disappeared from view but when it returned, it always appeared closer. Soon the torch separated into four others as the wagons grew closer. When they arrived from over the grassland, Chu made out the driver of the fourth wagon.

"Since everything was okay at home, Miki decided to bring Ishara along for a ride. We needed a fourth driver anyway."

Ming explained after jumping down from his wagon. He stretched his back before continuing.

"You won't believe how harsh a driver Lucy is, Chu. She made us travel even for half the nights on this return journey. When I complained, both she and Miki said they had prepared a map on the journey back to the barn. You need to set the rules, Chu and let them know I'm the Boss whenever you're not around."

Under the glare from the mentioned girls, he shifted away to the campfire.

"Ignore him, Chu. Some leader he is. He never once took the time to sketch a map and place markings when we traveled to the barn. When returning, he only complained about how easy it was to become lost in the grasslands. He was fidgeting because he had no sense of direction."

"Ha, well it seems like you had a good trip. Come on, have a rest first and then we will get down to business. We have a merchant to rob."

Chu said. As usual, these companions of his did not let him down. Their speedy return testified as to how capable they operated. He had only nodded to Ishara in greetings when he heard Ming's voice.

"By the Heavens, Chu. This meal tastes divine. What is this crunchy morsel?"

"Hey, that's MY plate, you greedy idiot...!"

***

Stevvan Gofart beamed while running a pudgy hand across his oily scalp. The few strands of his receding hair stuck but did not have the density to cover his shiny head. A wizened trader in a corner stall from the desert kingdom had parted with a small clay urn of this oily liquid. The ancient had testified as to the miraculous effects by showing him how his once bald head had turned into a lush field of flowing white over the span of one year.

Merchant Gofart, however, had been in this game for far too long to be swindled by a decrepit old coot. Using his superior skills, he haggled and argued down the price from one hundred gold to a mere ten gold pieces. Since then, during each application of the precious salve, his hair seemed to gloss under the open sun.

A rider approached his wagon from the front, wearing the leather armor of the Military.

"Senior, we should arrive at the Military camp in a short time. Most likely, the camp will set off tomorrow and ride towards the Military Garrison near the south of Frost City."

"Good, good. Pass the word to your Captain that I have a wagon of ale purchased from Karst. My little nephew will be more than pleased to share a cask tonight."

Merchant Gofart laughed. Unlike the rest of the convoy who needed to travel to Limerock and then to Frost City if required, he embarked on a direct route. The unexpected demon raid had allowed only him to make use of the Military response. His nephew had been promoted to the rank of vice-captain and used his connections to have him join the Military on their ride home to Frost City.

His lips formed a smug smile on recalling the envy from the other merchants of the convoy. Not only would they have to travel a much longer distance but they still had to hire additional guards in the event demon beasts yet lurked on the roads. Merchant Gofart bumped along on his wagon along this unused, mostly desolate road.

"This road would have cut the journey to Frost City by nearly half a month. Too bad only villagers and small peddlers use it."

He said to the driver sitting next to him. The heavy-built man twitched his nose before forcing a stiff smile. He had a good employment relationship with this merchant boss for years, but the rancid smell roasting on the balding head literally suffocated him. Luckily the smoke from the nearby torch dispersed the scent.

Worse yet, his boss seemed convinced the large swathes of open scalp sprouted fresh hair. The driver welcomed the change in the topic because he really did not know how to reply to the man when his hair looked to be thinning by the week.

"Ever since the Mong bandits ran rampant, this road has fallen out of use. The villages along this north-south road cannot resupply large caravans and they don't have a copper to spend. Bandits, wild beasts, and demon beasts, no sane merchant would risk this route to travel unless he trades in only coppers."

"Hmm, you've spent so long by my side that my skills are rubbing off on you. I guess it is better for merchants to travel to Limerock since they can earn a profit in the large city. Out on the edge of the wild, you never know when you may become prey to those beasts from the north... look, see what I mean?"

Merchant Gofart straightened himself while pointing to a small clearing visible under the torches of a few scouts. Mangled iron pots and rusted swords scattered around a couple of broken wagons. Little pieces of white fragments dotted the area while a large chewed bone hung from a warped wooden tray. The flickering light added to the eerie sight.

"The scouts already investigated this campsite. It seems that the travelers never expected the demon beast. Out in the open wilderness, even if granted an opportunity, they had nowhere to flee."

The soldier said.

Merchant Gofart shuddered at the sight. Truly, if caught unawares, there was no escape. Bandits could be reasoned with but beasts sought only flesh. He passed his hand over his thinning hair on thanking the heavens. Any sooner and those bones might have been him on the road.

He decided to donate a couple of coppers to a church when he returned home to Frost City. This four-year plan and journey had taken him along the breath of the Empire and into the heart of the desert kingdom. One could only imagine the perils he had avoided during this travel.

Inhaling a deep breath, he raised his head. At the front of his caravan rode a small troop from the Military. He counted himself fortunate to meet this squad in Karst. Because of his nephew, they allowed him to join them on their journey north to muster with the main company.

Each squad consisted of a captain who possessed the abilities of a Sersen. With the main troop consisting of over twenty captains, he could not ask for anything more. Nowhere in the Empire could a merchant be escorted by that many Sersen. Stevven Gofart glanced one last time at the derelict remains before the darkness swallowed it up.

Recalling the purpose of this journey, he chuckled a dry laugh while shifting his mind to better thoughts.

"After four years, I am finally returning to House Gofart. Father shrewdly sank nearly all the clan's wealth into this endeavor. Soon, the riches of House Gofart will cause even the ancient houses to bleed with envy, hahaha!"

****