Chapter 62 (1/2)

“We’re about a day away from the capital, my lady.”

“Haaa, still so far?” a girl asked as she exhaled. She had blond, shoulder-length hair and wore a white dress. She was in a caravan with three other people, two men wearing armor sat in the driver’s seat while a boy her age sat next to her. His hair was the same color as hers and he wore a grey suit.

“We’re already going as fast as we can,” the boy next to her said. “Have some patience.”

The girl pouted. “If grandpa would just let us ride the rocs, we would've been there already,” she said as she leaned back and stretched her feet forward.

“But you’re afraid of heights…,” the boy said.

“Shut up!” the girl said and kicked him with her heel.

“Ow!” The boy grimaced and grabbed his leg. “You better behave yourself when we get to the capital or I’m telling grandpa. He’ll be so mad at you if you get us kicked out because you offended the wrong person.”

One of the guards cleared his throat. “Young masters, there appears to be something going on in front of us. I suspect some bandits are harassing a poor fellow. Should we go around them or pass straight through?”

The boy rubbed his chin. “Let’s go aro-“

“Straight through!” the girl said and pointed ahead. “I’m not spending another half day on these wooden chairs because of some stupid bandits.” The boy sighed and shook his head, but didn't say anything.

The caravan continued forward until it reached a group of people, five men with machetes stood in front of a masked monk. The caravan slowed down, but carried onwards as the bandits made no move to hinder its progress. “They’re not going to stop us?” the girl asked as she leaned over the boy to look out the window. “I wanted to get some exercise before the competition.”

One of the bandits waved his arm, motioning for the caravan to hurry on forward.

“Wait, why don’t they have to pay the toll too?” the monk asked. The monk wore a smiling raccoon mask that had narrow slits for eyeholes. “Isn’t the toll required of everyone?”

“They’re bandits stupid! There’s no toll on these roads,” the girl stuck her head out the window and shouted at the group that was now behind the caravan.

“Lillian! Don’t stick your head out like that,” the boy said as he dragged her back into the caravan. “What if they shot at you?”

Lillian stuck her tongue out at the boy.

“Should we stop to help him?” one of the guards asked. “Monks are good people. Th-“

Cracking sounds filled the air behind the caravan. Screaming filled the surrounding area as birds scattered from their perches in the trees. The screams were soon cut off by crunching noises. The guards looked at each other, while dismounting and unsheathed their swords as Lillian shoved the boy aside to look out the window. She shuddered and fell back in her seat with a pale face.

“M-monster,” Lillian whispered through chattering teeth. The boy picked himself off the floor and looked out the window. A raccoon face smiled back at him with blood spatters along its cheeks. The boy screamed and fell backwards onto Lillian.

“Hi! Thanks for telling me that they were bandits,” the monk said to the trembling pair. “They’re dead now. You can stop screaming.”

Lillian stiffened and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but only a squeaking noise came out.

“You killed them?” one of the guards asked as he stood on guard with his sword. He eyed the bloody metal staff in the monk’s hand.

“Yeah,” the monk nodded. “They tried to stab me after she yelled.”

The guard grunted. “I see,” he said as he retreated back towards the driver’s seat with his sword still out. “We’ll be going first then, if that’s okay with you.”

“Okay,” the monk said and strapped the metal staff to his back. He walked back to the bandit corpses and started rummaging through their clothes.