Chapter 26: Departure

  Corin and the rest awoke early

  and prepared to leave.

  “Any information on the Zifors?” Corin asked Oba.

  “No. The area around Baltro's rampage is much too damaged for us to be able to determine what happened. We don't know what happened with the other two who left the main group,” Oba replied.

  Corin felt uneasy about the news.

  “But if they had survived, we would have seen them by now,” Oba added.

  “I doubt it,” Nanaua replied. “Once the trap was sprung, they must have known their arrival was expected. Once they realized this, I'm sure they took extra precautions to move around the forest.”

  “Despite that, only two of them should not be as dangerous,” Corin replied.

  “They should be foes we could defeat, but never think of them as anything but dangerous,” Nanaua said.

  “Now, now, we are sure to have many more dangers ahead, but let us leave before we die of old age,” Simeon interjected.

  Corin nodded. He turned to Oba.

  “Thank you and the thicket for all your help. And I’m…sorry--”

  “No need, young one. Remember, you and your friends are part of our thicket now,” Oba interrupted him. “Continue down this current.”

  Corin nodded. He and the others picked their belongings and departed down the path to Yranto.

  The group traveled through the forest without so much as an inkling of trouble after leaving the forest elves. They were grateful for the respite but felt on edge. As they traveled through the forest, they covered their tracks and cleaned any campsite they used.

  After five days of travel through the forest, they found a road. They knew they were close to Yranto and continued west.

  “This is it, my boy. I can feel it,” Simeon said.

  Despite their weariness and fatigue, Corin saw something new within Simeon. He was teeming with excitement. Corin felt a different kind of way.

  “Worried about Yranto?” Simeon said.

  “Of course I am,” Corin replied. “Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve been followed by Tonatiuh’s Zifors. I don’t see how Yranto will be any different.”

  “That’s because we have never been to any other place like Yranto," Simeon replied.

  “What do you mean?” Corin asked.

  “All other places we’ve visited have been small communities of furtives, but Yranto is nothing like that. It is a one-of-a-kind place. Furtives have banded together to create a safe place for themselves. They will not be welcoming to agents of a titan lord. An attack by Zifors in that city would be met with instant resistance," Simeon replied with a sly grin.

  “And you know this how?”

  Simeon only laughed.

  “Because I can feel it.”

  “Maybe what you're feeling is too much of that Iarro root,” Corin replied.

  Simeon laughed heartily.

  Corin smiled in response. He wanted to share in Simeon’s confidence, but he could not bring himself to do so.

  After several hours on the road, the group stopped for a rest. As they sat down and ate, a wagon appeared on the horizon. It was being pulled by a horse and had a furtive riding it. As the wagon neared, Corin realized the furtive was an ape-man.

  “Oh, a group of travelers!” The furtive looked at them. If he was surprised by the makeup of the group he did not seem to show it.

  “Do you mind if this humble merchant joins you?”

  “Well I’ll be!” Simeon said with a large smile. “Of course you may join us!”

  Nanaua she eyed the traveler suspiciously and said nothing. She was poised and ready to strike.

  “Nanaua, don’t attract too much attention!” Zhi whispered to her. Nanaua loosened up a tad.

  The ape-man stopped his wagon near the group, grabbed some items from the wagon, and got down.

  “The name is Lucas!” he introduced himself as he sat down near the group. “You may have heard of my store in the Glot District in Yranto, Lucas’s Earthenware!”

  Lucas was a fairly young-looking ape-man. Unlike Simeon, his hair and eyes were dark, but his features were fairly similar. The main difference between the two was the physical fitness of either. Lucas was quite portly, and he seemed like the kind of furtive who was not used to much physical toil. He sported a large smile as he grabbed some food.

  Corin looked to Livia. She shrugged. They did not know what to say.

  “We are all traveling to Yranto for the first time," Simeon replied.

  “Newcomers to the city!” Lucas replied excitedly. “Where are you all from?”

  They all exchanged looks.

  “It’s a small town out east. I doubt you have heard of it,” Simeon said.

  “I travel a lot. I’m sure I have heard of it!” Lucas replied excitedly.

  “Ankur,” Corin replied.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Ankur?” Lucas repeated back, thinking. “You must be coming from very far, because I have never heard of such a place!”

  “You said you were coming from Yranto. How far away is it?” Simeon asked, trying to steer the topic away.

  “If you follow this road for two more days, at some point you will reach a large stone obelisk, impossible to miss. Once you see it, head into the forest heading west. You'll go over a large hill, and once you get over it, there you will see Yranto,” Lucas replied.

  Corin could see Simeon’s face. He could not contain his excitement.

  “The city is surrounded by walls. They are visible from the top of the hill,” Lucas advised.

  “The city is surrounded by walls?” Corin asked.

  “Yranto keeps track of all visitors and is home to many escaped furtives, which brings about Zifors,” Lucas said.

  That sent a shiver down Corin’s spine.

  “It’s impossible to know anyone’s past when they come into Yranto, but we try our best to not let any agents of the titans in. The gate guards do a good job of screening anyone who comes in, they know a lot about Zifors and their like, so they know what to look for. We still have issues every now and then, but I think we do a good job despite that,” Lucas said as he looked around the group. As he was finished speaking he grabbed a large loaf of bread and began taking bites from it.

  Neither Corin nor any of the others could think of anything to say in response. Simeon broke the silence.

  “Lucas, how long have you been in Yranto?” Simeon smiled easily.

  “Oh my, I have lived there almost all my life,” Lucas replied in between bites of his bread. “My parents both escaped from a giant's domain before I was even born. It was actually the fact that they were about to have a child that pushed them to escape. I'm forever grateful to them. Having heard stories from other escaped furtives, I could not imagine what it would be like to live under those conditions.”

  “It isn't easy. I can tell you that from experience," Simeon replied quickly.

  Simeon's reply raised concern within Lucas, who stopped chewing his food.

  “But I escaped many years ago. So, no concerns about any Zifors hunting for me,” Simeon added with a laugh.

  “Oh that’s great news!” Lucas said with a smile.

  The group continued conversing with Lucas for a while before he bade his goodbyes. The portly ape-man seemed sad to leave the group.

  “When you make it to Yranto, remember to visit Lucas’s Earthenware!” he said as he rode off into the distance.

  Soon the group finished with their rest and continued on their travels. The farther they traveled, the more signs of civilization they saw, including a handful of furtives coming in and out of the nearby forest. They would also see huts every now and then.

  Knowing they neared the city gave the group renewed energy. Soon they could rest inside a proper establishment, and given what they learned from Lucas, they felt as if they did not have to worry about Zifors. Corin was now beginning to share in Simeon’s optimism.

  They continued along the road until they decided to break for the night. The thought that Yranto was so near made them all excited, and they were not able to get much rest.

  The next morning, despite their restless night, they were up and ready to continue traveling as soon as the sun rose. The group moved at a furious pace, eager to find the obelisk that Lucas mentioned. Near midday they saw it in the distance.

  “That must be it!” Simeon shouted.

  As instructed, they ventured westward beyond the obelisk. Beyond them was a large hill.

  “I am looking forward to not walking again for a long time,” Zhi said as she stared at the hill.

  Undeterred, the group pressed forward. It took them quite a while but the group reached the top of the hill and finally saw it. As Lucas had mentioned, they could see stone walls that encircled an entire city. The city was surrounded by a river, and a long bridge led to the entrance of the city. The city’s expanse was larger than anything Corin had ever seen made by furtives.

  As they all observed the city, Zhi plopped down, gasping for air.

  “If nobody in there knows about Belaran, then I’m never leaving,” Zhi said as she caught her breath.

  Simeon sat down as well. He sat cross legged with his full attention on the expansive city in front of him.

  “I wonder what kind of warriors live there,” Nanaua stated as she looked down upon the city.

  Livia seemed to observe every corner of the city that was visible from their vantage point.

  Corin sat down next to Simeon.

  The two of them were silent as they observed the city. No words were needed now. What they shared could only be understood by those who have inscribed it with the toil and sacrifice shared in achieving a great task.

  ***

  Corin and the rest approached the city gates by the long stone bridge. Along the bridge, they could hear the rushing water underneath them, but there was also something else, the hustle and bustle of a thriving market at the city gates. Various merchants peddling their wares to those coming to and from Yranto. The cart that Corin passed by had various fruits and vegetables on display. Corin recognized some of them, like potatoes and apples, but some of them he had never seen. One of them was long thin and orange with long stalks. Another was large and round, and also orange. The cart ahead of that one sold a variety of weapons. They ranged from rusted knives with dented blades, to shiny spears and blades, very similar to the blade Corin had grabbed from the dragon temple.

  Seems like Livia and I were not the only one grabbing items from those places.

  One of the many merchants spotted Nanaua’s pike and quickly made her various offers.

  “I will give you two swords for that pike you have there!” the man yelled at her.

  “This weapon belongs to me. No other hands shall wield it,” Nanaua coldly replied as she kept walking.

  The merchant was not dissuaded.

  “How about the two swords and a crossbow? That is much more than you will get for that pike anywhere else!”

  “You do not understand. This weapon is mine until the day that I die!” Nanaua said, starting to get heated.

  “Come now,” Simeon urged her. “If you listen to all of them, we will be here all day.”

  Corin and the rest continued down the busy bridge to the entrance to the city gates. There was a large contingent of guards stationed at the gate. A majority of them wore metal armor that clearly distinguished them from the rest of the people around the area. They were constantly on the lookout for the occurrences around them.

  As they approached the guard nearest to them, a dragoor spoke to Nanaua first

  ,

  “You, did all of you escape from a titan’s custody?”

  He like the rest of the guards, had thick metal armor on. It reminded Corin of the kind he had seen on Nanaua when he had first met her, except for the fact that his face was not covered. He was large, like most dragoors, even larger than Nanaua, but his scales were blue, and his face seemed weathered with age. He had an authoritative tone, and spoke with a deep voice.

  “What if we did?” Nanaua replied.

  “A dragoor. Must have escaped from a dragon. Is that the case?” the guard asked Nanaua with his heavy tone.

  “Why does it matter?” Nanaua asked.

  “We need to know if there might be any Zifors following you.”

  “Yes, we are on the run from a dragon,” Simeon chimed in.

  “Any suspected Zifor activity following you?” the guard asked him.

  “Oh, if any Zifors were after us, I am sure they would have already brought us back to Telletioh.”

  The guard observed Simeon and the rest.

  “Telletioh, you say?” the dragoor asked as he looked at Simeon.

  “That's correct!” Simeon replied with a large smile.

  The dragoor turned his attention toward Nanaua.

  Does he not believe us? Did we say something wrong?

  In the blink of an eye, he pulled out his sword and swung at Nanaua, who parried the incoming blow, swatted the guard's sword away with the end of her pike, and had her pike pressed against his neck. It would only take one swift movement and the guard would be dead.

  The commotion was not lost on the other guards. They all drew their weapons and aimed them straight at Corin and the rest.

  Zhi was the first one to react, but before she could conjure anything, Simeon grabbed her arm.

  “Don't,” he muttered.

  They all stared around them. The guards, wielding everything from swords, bows, and crossbows had all their weapons trained on them.

  “Quite the skilled fighter you are,” the guard stated with a smirk.

  The guard did not seem fazed at all that Nanaua could end his life in a second.

  “You mean to make conversation with me now, when you attack me unprompted and threaten us?” Nanaua replied.

  The guard said, “I lived under Telletioh’s wrathful watch for over fifty years and do not ever recall encountering any of you, especially no ape-man.” The dragoor looked at Simeon now.

  None of them replied.

  “Perhaps no Zifors hunt your every step because you yourself are Zifors?” the guard asked.

  “Really? You think we could be Zifors?” Corin asked, bewildered.

  “Looks can be deceiving,” the guard replied. “And all I know is that you have misrepresented yourselves. Many within these city walls have much to fear from Zifors. What else am I to assume? Unless you give us an honest answer, we can only assume the worst.”

  Now they had attracted more than the attention of the other guards. The previously loud bridge had quieted as more and more looked upon the group.

  “You are correct,” Corin began. “We are not escaped from Telletioh's domain. We came from the sea to the east. Our home is on an island called Trinixo. We greatly angered the leviathan Arandu and had to flee our homes. Please believe us. This is the truth. We only lie due to instinct,” Corin said to the guard.

  “Is that so? Trinixo?” the guard replied.

  “Wilhelm!”

  “Captain Trung!” a guard from atop the gates shouted back.

  “Is Arandu the leviathan that guards the seas around your former home, Trinixo?” Trung asked.

  “Yes sir!” Wilhelm replied.

  Corin tried to look at Wilhelm, but it was too far to see details of the human.

  “And he destroyed a town there around ten years ago, correct? What was it, Bardia?” Trung asked in a carefree manner.

  “It was Bothia! My home!” Corin shouted angrily. Without even realizing it, he took several steps toward Trung.

  Several of the guards quickly moved and stood in Corin's way, weapons at the ready.

  Corin glared at Trung.

  “That furtive is correct sir!” Wilhelm shouted from the top of the gate.

  “Stand down!” Trung shouted.

  The guards hesitated.

  “I gave an order!” Trung shouted again. “All of you, stand down!”

  All weapons aimed at the group were put away. Those who impeded Corin's path to Trung moved out of the way. Nanaua was the only one left holding a weapon, still aimed right at Trung’s neck.

  “Do I still threaten you?” Trung asked Nanaua with his deep voice. He seemed unfazed by Nanaua’s weapon threatening his life.

  She withdrew her weapon. Trung went and retrieved the weapon she had knocked out of his hands.

  “I understand your reticence,” Trung began as he spoke once more to the group, “but I must be sure that none who come to our city threaten its safety. You may think your circumstances are unique, but there are many like you in this city.”

  As soon as Trung said that, the group all exchanged looks. There was one thing they could all agree on. There was no other group out there that shared similar circumstances with them.

  “We thank you for being so understanding,” Simeon began. “I'm sorry for lying, but as you can see, it is hard for us to adapt to a different type of thinking. It gladdens us to know there are others out there who understand our plight.”

  Trung looked at Simeon with a leery look.

  “Of course, the instinct to do anything you must to survive is not easily overcome.”

  He waved, and the gate behind him began to open.

  “Are we free to enter?” Corin asked.

  “Yes, but first your names.” Trung replied and listened to their responses.

  “Hmm, Nanaua, if you ever think of staying in the city, we could use someone with your talent. A former Lord's Protectorate will always be a valuable asset.”

  “Hmph, I don't know where you get the idea about any former standing I might have had,” Nanaua replied.

  “I'm many things, a fool on occasion, but I know a Lord's Protectorate when I see one in action. I've seen many come across here wielding weapons. Most I've seen are dull and have likely never seen combat, but yours is different. The weapon you carry is very uncommon, and you wield it with such skill as to make it seem an art form. But I do not bring up your former life as a threat, my offer is an honest one.” Trung said. “This city is always under threat, from skilled warriors such as yourself. You would be an invaluable ally.”

  “I am flattered, but my place is elsewhere,” Nanaua said as she looked toward Zhi.

  “I see,” Trung replied. “Well, this city will still be here if you change your mind.”

  Nanaua led the way as they walked into the city.