Chapter 12: Chapter 11.1
The next morning we had met up at the rendezvous spot. A caravan was there, in the front there was two older merchants with two horses in the front. The merchants looked to be about in their mid thirties. Their quality of their clothing showed they didn't have it rough or easy. One of them stood out from the other. Unlike his peer, he had a beard and looked disgruntled. His clothing were darker colored and he wore a cap. For his age, he looked pretty muscular. He reminded me of a bigger sized dwarf. Dwarves were packed with muscles but they were stubby. They were also about half the height of male humans.
Lyndia peeked out from the caravan and waved her hand. We were quite early, but they had beaten us.
"Hey there! Let's get going on our adventure!" Lyndia was quite loud, I would hate to be next to her when she yelled.
"If only you moved faster…" Mark looked down at his toe. Earlier he had got up in such a rush. He was so excited that he couldn't fall asleep either. It was annoying enough that I had to tell him to stop thinking about it in the darkness. Even through all of that tiny amount of sleep, he still had the energy to jump around.
"Yeah yeah my bad boy, it takes a while to put on my gear to DO MY JOB" Irritated by his comment I lightly smack him behind his head.
"Ow, but you're my bodyguard"
"Maybe if you paid me the full amount and was responsible I'll think about giving you the special. Kiss your wounds and wipe your ass maybe."
Upon reaching to the caravan, the merchant nodded at us. The caravan had a front seat where the coachman would be. It also had enough room to seat two others up in front. The actual caravan had flaps of animal skin draped over the cargo compartment. The only way in and out was through the back. The structure of the caravan was of polished wood.
Mark and I both got in to see all three of them already inside there. This really didn't seem like an escort mission to me. Just seeing the three of them so giddy made me feel it was a joke. Cramming all the security element in the back, this way offered the least amount of security as we were blind to the outside. It was also the easiest way for everyone to get killed. If I was a bandit, I would wait at the entrance to the flap and pick them one by one as they got out. Surely this isn't the plan and I should give these rookie copper adventurers the benefit of the doubt that they were just waiting for us in there.
"Before we start leaving, what's the plan?"
"We start moving?" Cullis gave me a confused look like I had something absurd growing out of my head. Resisting the urge to facepalm myself. Instead I lifted my palm towards them all, I really shouldn't be helping them but they were already getting on my nerves.
"No. I say we should have at least have one person in the front holding security up there with the coachman and have the other merchant stay in the cargo space. So if we do get attacked, that one person can hold them off giving us enough time to get out safely and assist. With one merchant alternating, we'll be able to move faster."
As they were about to reject the idea, the merchant's face lit up.
"I like it! Traveling in the night is hard but with that way we can get to town quicker and the only thing that would need rest is the horse."
The merchants really wanted to reach town quicker and sell off their goods. Agreeing with the idea made no room for the other three to argue. It was settled.
"Alright Mark you got it." Lahn smiled.
"wah-what?"
"Well it was your guardian who suggested it so I think you should show us how it's done. Afterall we might screw it up."
"Uh.. but I'm a healer, I'm not sure If I can hold off enemies." Mark's point was logical but confidence in himself seemed non existent.
"Yeah but you have a guardian so you'll be fine."
A shrewd fox, knowing that I would stick with Mark she truly is resourceful. She's definitely going to be a thorn.
"Ok." Mark agreed to her. I caught myself sighing, I should butt in but with this being Mark's show I'll just go along with it, he'll never learn to stick up for himself if I constantly do it.
As we departed, The ride was loud but the chatter of the trio flirting around was even louder than hitting bumps and the hooves hitting the ground. Sick of hearing them, I try to tune them out by only focusing on the scenery but it just doesn't work as I wish it did.
Three hours came by painfully slow. Bored out of my mind, hearing the trios talk about their past together of how they hunted a couple of goblins and their lowly achievements imparted a deep headache in my skull.
"Hey boy."
"Yes?" Mark had been unprepared for talk, since the start we had been silent.
"Where are you from?"
"..." He was completely silent, a sullen face appeared.
"Well, if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. I'm just tired of hearing them three, might as well distract myself with something else."
"No it's fine. I was an orphan. I stayed at a church when a priest happened to pick me up on the streets."
A church would never let an orphan leave until the age of fourteen. Why he would sneak out, I don't know and it would be best for it to stay like that. I didn't want to pry any further.
"They're talking about stories in the back, what are some of your stories?"
"I killed an entire village single handedly."
"Yeah I was there. Please don't remind me of it..."
"I took part in multiple of wars and I remember every scar I have."
"Oh! Can I see em?"
"I'll show you another time, that'll be a bed time story. Life as a warrior isn't easy you know."
"Have you encounter more dangerous than you?"
"Yeah, there was one but he didn't have a name. Being the enemy of him, you're pretty much dead. Even I wouldn't be able to win against that person."
"How are you alive?" Mark gave me a baffled look.
"I was on the same side as him idiot."
"Oh, so who would win, him or a diamond adventurer?"
"I don't know, I've never seen a diamond adventurer."
"Oh.."
After that, the conversation did not progress any further. Mark had struggled to stay awake and had fallen asleep in front. With the time passing by, midnight came. Even though this was his job to protect the carriage, I couldn't bring myself to disturb his peaceful like face when he was asleep.
"I have a son back in Goldview. Being around you two reminded me of him. I wished I could speak more to him but it'll always end up turning into a dead conversation... " The merchant looked up into the beautiful night sky then looked at me.
"One thing as I grow older, I realize I should've spent more time with my boy when he was younger. Now he's older and doesn't want to spend a single time with his papa. You need to treasure your son too"
"No he's not my son, I've just been his bodyguard for a little more than a week now."
"What?! Sorry about that, I could've swore one of them said you were his guardian. Then that means there's actually only four adventurers. This is troubling… We were told there would be five"
"Yeah well the trios lied to you." I had shrugged. I was just along on the ride for a different reason.
"Oh well, you seemed more reliable than them all anyways. Name's Ron." The man grinned.
"Kaiser." I had nodded in response.
Scuffle sounds could be heard in the back. Soft erotic moans were leaking out, the silent night had amplified their voices.
"These young-ins are pretty bold nowadays." Ron had tilted his cap over his eyes to hide his face.
The thought of having to sleep there disgusted me out, the fishy smell would be repulsing so I stayed outside for the remainder of the night accompanying the merchant Ron, listening him reminisce about him and his son. Bragging about how his son was an astounding blacksmith and how he would look out for potential woman in his travels for his virgin son. It surprisingly made time go by fast.
When daylight came, we stopped near a pond, giving the horses rest. The area was vastly open and had fresh green grass across of it. The only tree that was in sight was the one near the pond. We had decided to let the horses sleep when first light came. This gave us better view for security. While everyone else went about and played in the nearby pond, I had went to sleep and so did Ron. Sleeping in the plain grass felt relaxing especially since it didn't have the smell of fish and I didn't have to worry about laying in semen. This wasn't vacation but they surely treated it like one.
I woke up to someone gently rocking me back and forth. It had startled me, I had almost instinctively socked him in the face. Mark's face to be exact.
"How long have you been trying to wake me up"
"For five minutes now…"
"Boy, just vigorously shake my feet."
"I'll do that next time. We're… going to the front seat again"
"Why? Why not just have them do it" I shouldn't be asking and obeying but I could see it in his body language that he really didn't want to get in the front again. They were really irritating me since the beginning so it was good for me to let off steam anyways. Mark froze up trying to come up with an answer to my question.
"You know what just follow me"
He trailed behind me as I opened the flaps to the back.
"I know we were up front all day yesterday. Get one of your asses out here and do your job instead of fucking the team. You got three of you, so divvy it up amongst yourselves until the next day." I made sure my voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. The merchants had stayed quiet, acting like they were busy doing something. Minding their business, they wanted no part in this quarrel.
I'm surprised at how these rookies even lived long enough.
"I'll do it" Lyndia rose her hand to volunteer and exited. Lahn's face was full of aggression towards me. Mark and I entered the caravan. I actually preferred them being mad at me because at least then they had shut up. The ride was silent and awkward and no one wanted to talk, even Mark didn't want to talk.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone