Chapter 284: Skywalkers (1/2)
The carriage that would carry them, not a wagon, was waiting for them outside of the city. They were only two with a few servants, Arthur and Bao. The goat-man seems to be deterred away from Arthur by Larza's instruction.
The carriage was gigantic and had no wheels, but gems that levitated it from the ground instead. It was pulled by giant unicorns that had the winds as their mercy, proud beings that even Bao was careful at handling.
Arthur was curious about this carriage, but he didn't dare ask Bao. After the last time that they interacted, there were bruises and defiance. Things grew tense between the two, resorting only to curt talks.
As he boarded the carriage, he felt as if he was sitting on a piece of cloud. He wondered how a world can achieve this level of skill in manufacturing without the aid of technology.
The unicorns neighed as they used their winds to run across the land. With no roads, it was a bumpy road but there were no reasons to take the burn of that. The carriage cut smoothly that Arthur didn't even feel they were moving, only evidenced by the changing scenery.
The wind helped to push them forth, negating any air resistance that they might have encountered. The levitation helped to avoid any friction with the ground. If they wanted to stop, the unicorns used the winds to decrease the speed of the carriage.
The land was nothing that Arthur has seen before, or maybe he hasn't seen enough, to begin with. As if a heavenly monster had bitten it and left its teeth, it was full of cliffs and high mountains. The valleys connected in a great jigsaw puzzle, providing a trail for travelers to follow.
”We're going to Freya, city of night and love.” Bao seemed to be ashamed of Arthur's ignorance, making sure to educate him in a harsh tone. ”Do not wander off thinking you can participate in the activities; you need to know your place.”
”What do you mean night and love?” Arthur was confused.
”The city itself is unique.” Bao glanced at him. ”Most of the establishments there operate at night, bards will be singing all of the time, and most of the people who seek mating will go there.”
'Seek mating.' Arthur was appalled by such a term of primitivity. 'I guess this city is a passionate one, something Jalin in Sourna where the sailors rest with their songs and stories.'
Larza had told him that it would be a three-day trip, so Arthur prepared himself to go sleepless for a few days. However, the smooth ride made him grow drowsy.
The servants took another carriage, which included some guards that took care of the monsters that obstructed their way. Arthur realized the monsters weren't different from the ones appearing in dungeons.
Until now, he had yet to see a single dungeon. He asked Larza about a space where monsters were crowded, separate from the world, but she didn't know what he meant. There wasn't even a word that resembled 'dungeon' in all of the words he learned so far. He would have to ask either Traitor or the young man, who spoke perfect Yalveran.
They camped a few hundred miles away from the city, their third night on the road. Arthur kept the herb beside him in a special leather bag, afloat and untouched.
”Eat it even if it was cold,” Bao said to his servants. ”We can't make a fire in the wilderness; it will attract attention.”
The reason they were going with only a few people was to avoid such a thing. Their trip should be a secret lest the other nations attack them.
The prime suspect for such a thing was Freda, but Arthur knew they wouldn't do anything. Even if Greatest Harmony was to empower the duke's house further, it would still pale in comparison to invading the kingdom as a whole.
There were other nations, it seems. Arthur managed to pick up on some things from Bao talking to his guards. One of them is the route they took, one that was usually avoided due to its complexity.
'If they didn't find use because of the route, they should be able to find us once we get closer.' Arthur looked upward into the sky, a feeling of dread filling his heart. 'It seems we couldn't hide from them for so long.'
The sky split in two as figures appeared from the sky. With wings covering their back and spanning twice their body height, the newcomers were anything but friendly.
”Skywalkers,” Bao scowled as he took out his rapier. ”I was waiting for you.” He seemed unfazed at the winged masked people. ”You've only come here to die.”