245 Conversation I (2/2)

”Aha! I knew fate would lead me to the golden maiden's heart,” said Mercer before Mason jabbed the handle of his longsword into the younger man's shoulder a little harder this time.

”We are all too grateful to receive your protection and guidance to the heroes of Riviera, O good seer,” said Mason with a short bow, and Mercer, prompted by two sharp jabs, followed suit.

”It is certainly the least I can do for you two,” said Li. ”The way Westward will be full of dangers. Dangers that you two will now have to face with your own strength. I wish you two the best of luck, but in the end, luck is all that I can give.”

”And luck is all that we need,” said Mason.

”Luck is what has gotten us this far,” said Mercer. ”No doubt it will continue to serve us further.”

”If you two weak,” said Tia matter-of-factly. ”Then I can protect! Tia always make sure weak has chance.”

Mason sat up, looking to Li with somewhat pleading eyes that had most definitely discarded any of the pride he had in thinking Tia was some weak child.

”No,” said Li. ”Tia, papa will not be with these two, so if you go with them, you will be away from papa. You won't like that will you?”

Tia nodded. ”Papa right,” she said.

”And I doubt these two fine warriors would want to rely on anyone other than themselves.”

Tia looked questioningly at the brothers. ”They strong?” she asked in utter disbelief.

Li looked to the two brothers. Surely, if their lives had aligned just a little differently, they would not have been on the streets, bereft of opportunity. They would not have been kicked out of their adventuring training. Who knew the potential they had. Or perhaps they had none.

Regardless, it was up to them to find out the answer.

”We'll know soon enough,” said Li as he pet Tia's head.

At that moment, Old Thane and the beastwomen came back. Li could tell because the light emanating from the roof of the Vukanovi's hollow flickered a little from the old man knocking at the pumpkin's head.

Li willed the Vukanovi to slide open its head, and it did so by parting its rind from the stem in a smooth, controlled motion very reminiscent of an automatic glass sliding door. The sky above was dark and full of twinkling stars.

Old Thane leaped into the storage space, and the beastwomen followed, with the Serpi being a little less dexterous and instead slithering slowly down the arc of the pumpkin's innards. When everyone was inside, Li willed the Vukanovi to close its head and begin moving again.

It moved with relative smoothness, though it was still possible to tell from a slight lurching that was comparable to being on horseback.

”Is that dinner?” asked Li.

”Aye lad, a northern classic!” Old Thane smiled as he slammed down the carcass of a freshly slain Frost Spider. It was almost as large as he was, and it sprawled out a hairy, chitinous mass with its eight legs curled up dead. A fist-sized indentation on the carapace of its head indicated what had killed it, though there were plenty of claw marks elsewhere on its body that no doubt contributed.

A large gash on its belly showed that it had been thoroughly gutted and cleaned, ready for preparation.