Chương 119: - The Sun Rose on the Forth Day
Morning light peaked over the mountains, shattering the rays of sunlight over the pine trees that filled the forest, casting shadows that flickered and waved over Lia's face, her eyes scrunching together as she awoke.
She pulled off the covers to her sleeping back, reaching towards the sky, yawning deeply as her body began to wake up. Through blurry eyes she could see the outlined figure of someone stoking the coals to the fire, having gone out sometime early in the morning.
"Good morning."
Lia rubbed her eyes, taking in the fresh mountain air filled with the musky scent of the forest, the trees and the dirt around her. While it wasn't the most comfortable sleep she had experienced in her life, nothing in her option hit better than waking up early to a fresh mountain breeze.
"What time is it?"
Rian looked up from his place next to the fire, smelling the deep ashy smell of the dying fire in his lungs.
"Three hours past dawn. Did you sleep well?"
She yawned again, her entire body stretching with her as she stood up, feeling the blood rush to the tips of her fingers and toes.
"Best I've had in days. Better than when we slept in those warm beds at the Manor."
Rian scoffed, stabbing at the warm coals, pushing them around the ashes.
"You've got that right. I'm glad to be back in the woods again."
"You said it. Hm? Where's Lukali?"
"Oh, he took a walk. Something about finding the path back to the main road."
Lia looked out into the woods, winding to herself if it was possible for her to see the path he took without activating one of Kal's skills. Rian, who saw this and guessed her intentions, frowned, a thought crossing his mind.
"Say, Lia?"
"Yeah?"
"How many of those skills do you have?"
"Hm?"
Taking a seat next to Rian, Lia didn't hesitate to begin counting them off one by one, her trust in Rian having grown in the past several weeks.
"Lets see, there's Cain's obvious [Flames] - that one speaks for itself. [Drifting Winds] is the second."
"I've seen that one so I can guess what it does."
"I honestly still feel like I'm using it wrong."
Rian scoffed, picking up one of his knives in his sheath, showing it to Lia.
"If a different man took my dagger he would find it hard to use. He won't be used to it, and neither will you be unless you get enough practice."
"True. Well, that's two. I also have another one of Kal's skills, which I have no idea what to call."
"[Hunter's Eyes] would make a good name."
"Yeah, you're right. It sounds like something Kal would name it."
"What about your newest one? Florence? Is that what you called him?"
Lia shrugged, her eyes on the ashen fire, still warm to the touch that caught her interest.
"I don't have anything from him. He can use lighting magic and I think some barrier magic. But that seems to be it."
"Barrier magic would be good. Especially since it's like a portable shield you can draw out anytime. Enemy won't expect it."
She nodded her head, still confused as to how the fire was still warm after burning all night long.
"It could be useful, but Cain's made a rule where he won't give me skills unless I earn them."
"I can see the reasoning behind that. He doesn't want you to get used to them and rely too much on them, rather than your own strength."
"Like Cain said; 'Lean too much on your crutch and you will eventually forget to walk.' Though I don't see how that works when I'm already as strong as I'm going to get."
"You think so do you?"
Rian smiled, causing Lia to frown as if he knew something she didn't.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just…well, it is good advice, but I don't think this is your limit Lia. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be strong enough to take on dragons single handed."
Lia shook her head, taking a small piece of bread from her ration sack, chewing lightly on it to savor the stale taste.
"No way. I'll leave that stuff to Cain. If the man can tame a Viper, he certainly can take on a dragon."
"And if you, Lia, can do all that I've seen you do, defy reality and turn fiction into such, I think you'll find yourself stronger than you are today, tomorrow."
Lia rolled her eyes, the idea too far fetched in her mind to be true, or even become reality.
"Say, Rian. Did you start a fire this morning?"
"No. It was like this when I woke up half an hour ago. Maybe Lukali did it…"
Suddenly, the same thought passed between the two of them, both knowing full well that Lukali was often haunted at night by his demons. Unlike Rian, who still carried PTSD from his time in the mines, Lukali was much weaker against his demons than he was.
But that didn't mean they didn't scar them both.
"You think he was up last night?"
Lia shook her head, her brow edging into a frown.
"Hard to say. It was probably Cain who kept up the fire, but I don't doubt the possibility of it being Lukali."
"Should we talk with him?"
Again, Lia shook her head, standing with her blanket around her shoulders.
"No. Leave him be for now. Lukali has the idea that if he needs help, he's best figuring it out himself. Though I disagree, there's not much I can do against a man who walls himself off from us."
Rian watched Lia for a long while as she began to pack up her things, his mind already flashing between his past memories of Lia, to the present ones.
"You're sounding more like him everyday…"
Rian mumbled, careful to keep it quiet enough that Lia couldn't hear it, as he too began packing his things when Lukali came rustling through the bushes.
"Oh, your awake Lia?"
"Yeah, thought it would be best to head off soon if that's okay?"
Lukali shook his head, a smile unlike his frown from last night painting his face.
"That's fine. Just give me a second to pack the rest of my stuff."
As he passed by both rian and Lia, they gave each other a glance, words passing between them even though they weren't speaking.
Lia calmly shook her head at Rian's questioning gaze, telling him that it's best not to talk about it. And thus, the three of them set off once again towards the main road, Lukali leading the way on a small deer path he found that would cut a few minutes off their journey.
When they arrived at the main road, the three of them passed hardly any people as they continued on farther down the dirt path, leading straight toward Kokono. That was until a few people shouted from combining them, causing the party to look over their shoulders just in time to see a dark rider on horseback rush past them, clearly in a hurry.
Some people along the tail mumbled curses at the man for traveling so fast and for having spooked them, but Lia found herself more worried than angry.
"What do you think he was running from?"
Rian frowned at the rider as he continued getting farther and farther from his vision.
"I don't think he was running from anything. He might be carrying an important message?"
"Since when do messengers dress in full body armor?"
Lukali chipped up, his own interest spiking.
"Maybe it was one of the Lord's knights? They do often travel on horseback between cities and towns. He might have something important with him?"
Lia ended the talk there, an unsettling feeling growing in her stomach, spreading to her heat, like a virus that attacked her system.
'I don't like this…'
***
Kokono was the same as they had left it. As they drew closer to the town, the mountains and forest disappeared behind them, replaced by vast and open plains of grasslands and farms. Several windmills and even the occasional giant older that seemed at odds with the environment around it, as Lia and her friends made their way deeper into the land.
On and on they followed the trail, the occasional passing farmer waving to them as they passed.
Finally, Lia could see the town before her, its large and wide expansive wooden buildings reminding her of the time she had trouble getting through the bustling crowds of people. Secretly prayed that she wouldn't get caught in another turbulence of people and carts.
Thankfully her prayers were answered as there were little people crowding the streets, despite the fact that it was late into the day, at a time when people and carts would be heading home from work.
"Should we get a room at an inn?"
Lukali pointed towards a cluster of buildings, one that had a large wooden sign hanging from the front of it, reading "Dawn's Inn and Goods."
"Sure. If you guys want to get settled, I have something else I need to do?"
Rian frowned, giving Lia a strange glance.
"The girl who hates large crowds and shopkeepers wants to go shopping?"
"Okay, look. I hate rude and obnoxious people, and I'm not the only one who hates them. But that doesn't mean I can't go shopping."
"No, it doesn't."
Rian shook his head, smiling as he gave Lukali a sideways glance.
"But you are known for having a short temper and thin patience."
"Do you want to test that patience?"
She said, grumbling at the shared joke the two of them clearly were having fun with.
"No, no. We'll go and get a few rooms for ourselves. Do what you have too."
They waved as they made their way over towards the inn, calling back to her.
"Find us when you're done. Who knows, maybe we'll do our own shopping?"
"Jerks."
Lia grumbled as she took out something within her pocket, a small necklace that she hadn't laid eyes on in a while.
The purple goblin's treasure.
Though she had told Randolph he could keep it or sell it, she had woken up the next morning when they were already miles away, discovering the man had smuggled it into her bag.
Lia shook her head, thinking that she could at least get something out of the necklace if she sold it. So, flagging down one of the passing merchants, she was directed towards a small shop located down a stone alley.
"'Simon's & Tent's Tools and Treasures.' Seems to be a fair looking shop. Maybe they'll quote me a fair price."
Pushing open the door, Lia was met with the smell of wood, iron and dust, something she honestly did not expect from a place that sold artifacts. But then again, most artifacts were old and musty, so it didn't shock her too much.
"Why hello there! Welcome to the shop!"
A small old man behind the counter waved her down, smiling a great big smile as he busied himself with a small log book.
"Take a look around and tell me if you need anything."
"Actually, I was wondering if I could sell something to you?"
"Hm?"
The man fixed his glasses as Lia laid the necklace on the counter, his hands passing over the wooden designs and engravings taking careful notice of each and individual rune.
"And I can assume this is a magical artifact. Dropped by a monster?"
"Yes. A goblin shaman I believe, though I'm not too sure."
The shopkeeper looked at her with a confused and questioning gaze.
"There were a lot of goblins."
"Ah, well, if it's something of goblins then it must be rare. Goblins don't normally drop artifacts except for the odd chance. You'd find things like this in the clutches of more powerful monsters."
He glanced at the necklace once more, careful to make it seem as though he wasn't too interested.
"How much do you want for it?"
"I don't have much need for it, so quote me."
"Hm…I'll give you twenty gold."
Lia shook her head. She knew the item was worth more than that, but in her mind she couldn't be bothered to haggle with a man, especially a shopkeeper. Which Lia was begging to realize she did not like dealing with at all.
'I feel a bit bad. Cain did give it to me but I have no use for it. If I'm going to get more skills, I have to prove my strength, not rely on the ones I already have.'
But that didn't mean she was just going to hand it off for twenty gold.
"No sale-"
"Excuse me!"
The door to the shop burst open, the wind brushing against Lia's hair, fluttering it around her head as she glanced at the person who interrupted them.
A tall, beautiful woman appeared in the doorway, her golden hair brushing against her face due to the wind just like Lia's.
"Sorry to bother you Mr. Tent. Do you have any artifacts today, ones that match the one I'm looking for."
The shopkeeper immediately ignored Lia and turned her focus toward the girl.
"Ah, Abigail. A pleasure to see you again. Ah, as a matter of fact, I do have something."
He passed his hand over the small necklace Lia had laid on the table, his eyes gleaming with greed as his gaze passed over the purple colored wood.
However, despite his obvious look of greed, Abigail saw the necklace first, and could see that Mr. Tent had not yet bought it off this woman.
"Is this it?"
She asked, pointing to the purple wood, her eyes widening as she did. Instantly she turned to Lia with a face converted in the same look of greed that Mr. Tent had, only hers was filled with ambition and excitement.
"You! How much do you want for it?!"
Lia flinched, the excitement from the woman before her clearly caught her off guard, as she looked between the necklace and Abigail.
It wasn't that Lia didn't like her, nor did she feel any greed over the necklace at all.
It was something else. The same unsettling feeling she always felt when things were not as they seemed.
Like a sixth sense she had that until now, had proven to be right in the long run.
It was this sixth sense that pounded against her blood and body, warning her of what she did not know. All it took was one look for Lia, even among the seconds that passed between them.
One look was all she needed to know the unknown.
This woman was a summoner.
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