20 Chapter 20 - Emancipation (2/2)

Eventually the abandoned path met up with a well-worn dirt road.Thomas didn't know exactly where they were but since he had been traveling with the sun behind his back it seemed like they needed to take a left.The road to the right was aimed towards where the sun rose so it must lead back to the destroyed village and it would be dangerous to both of them if they headed back that way.

”How long do you think it'll be until we find a city?”Thomas tried to start a conversation with Estella but she was distracted.Seeing that she wasn't answering he decided to give her a small shout.”Hey!”She snapped out of her daze so he asked her again.”How long do you think it will take us to reach the nearest city?”

”I don't know.This is my first time in this part of the country.Why even ask me?You're the one that was supposedly raised here.”Thomas wasn't sure but Estella seemed a bit different.Her behavior towards him was a bit dismissive which had him worried and maybe a bit annoyed.

”Do you have something on your mind?”Thomas didn't want a repeat of what happened last time--her bottling everything up before exploding all at once--so he decided to ask her what was bothering her.”You seem distracted.”

”I don't like this.”Estella stopped, causing Thomas to stop pulling the wagon as well, and started to show anger towards Thomas.”Every time something happens you boss me around.You never let me do what I want to do.You're always mean to me.”She sighed before continuing.”Why is it that you needed to release those puppies?Someone is probably looking for them right now.”

Thomas knew that as someone with memories from a more advanced society his perspective would be very different than those born and raised with this world's values.His upbringing was much too different from Estella's and he couldn't understand her reasoning.”They're not puppies.They're people like you and me.They're capable of talking and carrying on conversations the same as we're doing right now.Just because someone puts a collar on them it doesn't mean that they no longer have any feelings or thoughts of their own.”

Estella thought for a bit but then shook her head.”They're slaves and they even hit you.You didn't even want to have them as pets.What do you get for helping them?I don't understand you.One moment you're nice and trying to woo me but the next you're calling me an idiot to some slaves.”

”I...”Realizing that he went too far when insulting her, Thomas decided to apologise.”... sorry.I really shouldn't have said that.I didn't actually mean that you were an idiot.It was just meant to lighten the mood for the kids.”

”Enough.If you really feel sorry then you'll leave me alone for now.I don't feel like talking to you.”Thomas wasn't sure if he could salvage their relationship but for now he realized it was a bad time to be arguing with her.He nodded and kept walking forward in silence.

The road eventually split and they were given the option to either go north or northwest.There was a road sign that pointed in three directions.The way they came from was labeled Valkland and was the city directly south of the village that he was from which meant that he was right earlier when he decided to travel north.To the left or northwest it was labeled Fort Togo; Thomas didn't know anything about this place but knew that it wasn't where they needed to go.The last direction was labeled Adierton--a city named after the noble family that ruled over it and the closest city to the north of the village he was from.

The walk north was filled with an awkward silence.