Was going a bit slower than us, and was very stuck to the right of the road. Fastblade accelerated and passed by the unoccupied side at its left, leaving it behind.
Then I saw another one a bit after. Way bigger, bringing a enormous wheeled box the size of a house in the back. He tried to do the same but another vehicle zoomed by the left in the opposite direction, so he had to wait to repeat that maneuver.
And then were behind another one, blue, a bit more squared and bigger than the first one...
...Oh, we are stopping now? Oh, wow! There are a lot others more, bigger, smaller, of other colors, just standing there next to this big house kinda in the middle of nowhere! Oh, and some of the vehicles Fastblade passed a while before also stopped here.
Why did he had to pass them if we were gonna end in the same place regardless? Well, mystery. He just said that "They were going too slow".
Not that sure of that, considering those white circular signs with red outside rings always showed a number smaller than what his strange indicator behind his driving wheel marked.
But, here we are. The place kinda looks like those old taverns of the tales I read about, but bigger in extension. And has all these other vehicles next to it. And... Hey! It has that big roof supported by those totems of yesterday at a side!
The ears of grain are no more and instead there is only a large dirt platform with some sparse bushes and grass stains around, with the large manor esque structure in the center, the large roof with totems at a side and somewhat far away, and all filled with metal carriages around on the platform.
There are some trees around too in the distance, and a bit away there are more hills and mountains. Behind us there was that hard-tar road and behind that a quite large hill with lots of strange bushes and vegetation.
We entered, and... Wow! Looks like those taverns too, where adventurers meet their parties and checked for quests and bounty! But... Well, at least it looks like those. Has the tables, chairs, main counter, bathrooms, ladder to a second floor and all.
And the people is so weird! There aren't only humans sitting on the benches of those tables but also some necromatas like me moving around with weird large plates with cutlery and food on top. At least some of them were. The others seemed either humans or half beasts. The one in the counter seems... Human. A big one, But, a human with dark skin? Kinda like Fastblade's skin surrounding his left eye... Whatever~
And there is a lot of variety in clients! Lots of humans, some Half-dragons, Half-banshees? YIIICCCC! AWAY FROM THEM! Ok ok. More... Half dogs, no, gnolls... Hmmggrrr... Oh, some faes! Hehe, so cute in hare forms! And... An elf? Wow, never thought to see all of these in person!
There is also this strange kinda old looking short black haired woman with an uniform and armor kinda similar to those "cuirassiers" I saw when we passed next to that "Gas Station". But... She seems busy eating something. Like... A long bread? Cut by the long middle with a sausage inside and some strange concoction on top.
Actually quite a lot of the people here are eating something similar, following the pattern of bread with something in between. Would have been practical to have that during working time when low on drive.
We walked to an unassuming table kinda secluded from the windows. Still quite cozy. Specially since Tan was hitting strong still wherever it illuminated, so the shadow was nice. And we sat there, one in front of the other.
Huh... Looking the building a bit, there are strange white rectangles with holes in the walls, and some have thick black or orange cords sticking from them, connecting to various artifacts around the place, with one of them being...
In thar corner... THAT "TV" THING! The one Fastblade told me about! And is on! Is in Lithician! I can understand it! What does it says, what does it says?
—"...Today saw organized rallies along Feldes City’s main avenues opposing the Cerxirí Project — a combined Magic-Earths open-pit extraction and nuclear energy development initiative."
—"The project, backed by the Mireneari Ducal Council and the Technetium Group in a unique Concordian–Ichorchate collaboration, is projected to generate up to twelve thousand direct jobs for local residents, while providing long-term energy stabilization for the eastern duchies of the Brightstone Kingdom."
—"Authorities confirmed that security conditions remained stable throughout the demonstrations, and reiterated their commitment to environmental containment standards, infrastructure safety, and labor prioritization for Mireneari citizens."
...Didn't understand a single thing of what that TV said.
Well, at least it also showed a march of sorts, of people not dissimilar to the ones in this place, holding signs? Some said ?No to Cerxirí?, ?The Water is ours?, and others had some symbols crossed in red or black. Heh, also saw a sign with a cute drawing of Nim — Our Goddess of Water — looking tired using a lever pump like the ones I had to use when with Senecé.
And in the place, I overheard a lot of voices interrupting each other. I could only make out fragments like:
"—Tarnishing the landscape—"
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"—Sacred ecosystems! You can’t just—"
"—I'd prefer my uncle be working on that instead of—"
"—I’d still take the job if tha—"
"—Nuclear? Imagine if Tácton moved a bit too much! The radiat—"
"—Velm herding’s getting harder every year—"
...Velm?
VELMS!
HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THOSE BIG, WOOLLY, FUNNY NOSED ANIMALS!
So calm and docile! So soft when you touched them, their little snout tickled you when it sniffed you, and smelled so bad! By Abelza! Hehe... Was like musky, sour manure! And their sound! Sometimes they growled, sometimes they squealed, and sometimes they did like a mixture of both! Was... How it was called... Bleating?
And... I remember tending to them. Under Senecé — and before that, too... When I was alive. With my parents. I remember riding them, watching carts and sleds sway behind them, or even mounting them! feeling how steady they were even on the worst of grounds...
I don’t really remember well how they tasted. I barely remember what I ate yesterday, anyways, if I ate something at all.
But I remembered the smell of their meat when cooked. Senecé ate them like twice a week, I recall.
And now it spewed from the tables around me, from the greasy plates, and its juicy steaks...
And Fastblade seemed to have noticed.
"—Sheeesh! Close your mouth, you cute jumble! You are drooling all over, looking at the plates of the other people! You know what? Why don't you order something?—"
Huh? Where did these pamphlets appeared? Oh, I guess I was a bit distracted and someone put them on our table, one for each.
Hmmm, how weird. Feels like that "plastic" thing but harder. Has a brownish paper with...
Chalcanthite Rest & Food Stop
"You will not forget our flavor!"
Bibreads (includes side cheefsticks, drink of choice, Reddangs, Lebbetis and 2 sauces)
Velm loin: €23.34
Gumeat: €19.98
Lamifat: €25.56
Steegg: €16.99
Sausage: €14.49
Yumverns (Up to 3 sauces)
Commoner: €9.99
Extra large: €12.99
Scar Special: €16.99
...
I am quite lost. It continues onwards. Has lots of other words and numbers and symbols I can't understand.
At least it showed some images, kinda similar to the food that the people around me were eating, while in a black background.
I asked Fastblade about the food of weird names.
"—Oh, that "lamifat" and other things? Damn, you make me recall about myself when I first found out about those. Most of them are Concordian food. Bibreads is just bread cut in half and filled with stuff in between. Yumverns are... The same thing, but with sauces on top... Ask for one and you'll see! About the other 3? They are just Concordian artificial version of eggs, bean cheese* and velm chop.
"—...artificial?" I replied, in confusion. Concordians crafting food?
"—Yeah... Long story, but-" (He got close to whisper to me this) "-you remember the war escalation thing we talked about? Well... The Ichorchate miiiight or might not have killed all crops and animals of the Republic during that war. So, they were kinda forced to eat rats, bugs and grass until that goddamn winter killed those too."
I responded, whispering too: "—So... the Gods tried to starve them. All of them. And... They then, like... but... Concordia doesn't have mages able to conjure food! Or mages at all! How did they made their food without the Veil's help?"
Fastblade responded, this time getting in a normal position and voice: "—I don't really know. I think they used deep tar** and some big as gods buildings or something, but, details beats me~. Only thing clear is that they didn't use the Canvas."
— "Deep tar?"
— "Yeah. the same stuff used to make the road we were a moment ago~"
EW! I am NOT ordering those if they are made of road material! Well, I guess I could ask for a Velm Loin Bibread. Without the "cheefsticks" or cheesy copy of Velm chop! Oh, you are gonna eat those, Fasty? Ok, I guess I could be fine with that arrang...
"—Hey. What are the drinks of choice this paper piece speaks about?"
Fastblade just flipped it. Has more stuff written in the back.
Drinks and Beverages
Limagar Infusion: €4.49
Citron Infusion: €3.34
Scar Infusion: €5.29
Juice from season fruit: €5.99
Fizzion: €3.99
Nuke'm up: €3.99
Freshfire: €5.99
Alcohols:
Dolcefizque: €12.99
Warmne: €27.99
(...)
And there are even more stuff I don't get about. Well, Fastblaaadee, can you pleeeaseee help me with knowing WHAT ARE THESE THINGS! AND DON'T LAUGH! hggmrrh I am so gonna bite you!
...Sodas? Bubbly water? That... That sounds interesting but... WEIRD! I am not gonna drink those things! Uh, and with this heat! Better ask for a juice!
And how does it work? Do, do you pick the food and then appears, or you go to the counter to ask for it or... Oh, you raise your hand and...
...Wow! Another necromata like me! A bit bigger! Hello! Oh! Yeah, the velm loin bibread with cheefsticks and the fruit juice for me!
Well, now what? Just wait? I guess so. What do you mean, Fastb... Oh, you need to go the bathroom! Alright! I will wait you here and take care of the order when it arrives!
So, now to wait.
...
Huh, why are some people looking at me now.
...No, they... They always were looking at me. At us, actually.
!!!?
I just heard his name in the...
IN THAT TV THING?
—"...de of Caliderai, a decorated veteran presumed lost in the final throes of the War of the Scar but miraculously returned through divine providence, stopped at this Wallforge fueling outpost for routine supplies. Unbeknownst to him, a gang of opportunistic thugs—suspected to have ties to Concordian black-market smuggling rin..."
What? Is... IS YESTERDAY? WH-WHEN WE FOUGHT AGAINST THOSE GUYS?
Is kinda like I remember it, but, like, from the perspective of the... Shop itself? It had eyes and is projecting its memories? HOW?
Oh and is continuing. And the people are watching, and looking and... Fastblade? FASTBLADE, Faastyy please come back quick!
—"...in the back—a shrouded necrotic form. Unbeknownst to the criminals, this was no mere corpse but a wayward ward, reported missing earlier that day by esteemed Necromancer Senecé Alcabais. Senecé, a pillar of our caste's custodial traditions, had filed an urgent alert for her escaped charge, known only as '20'—one of the many necromatas under her maternal guidance. In a twist of fate, this undea..."
...And now that woman in that cuirassier uniform is looking at me.
???: "Miss, I need you to accompany me".
FASTBLADE, PLEASE HURRY UP!