10 The Journey

"Thank you for your patronage at the Salem's Pub and Inn, kind Sir, young Missus," said the owner gruffly giving both Mia and Rasz a big toothy smile. One can obviously see that the owner have a few missing teeth when he smiled like that. However, he really didn't care much about his image, not when he had just received three more gold coins from Rasz for the 'kindness' the owner gave them the entire week they had spent at the inn.

"Let's go, Mia." Rasz led Mia out after finishing his business with the owner of the pub.

As Mia and Rasz stepped out of the Salem's Pub, the owner cheerfully waved at their backs and said, "Hope to see you both again very soon!"

After they had taken several steps in the muddy street outside, Mia opened her mouth to speak to Rasz. "I'm sorry for having to waste your money like that — and also time. You're actually in a hurry aren't you?" said Mia apologetically.

"No. Please don't say that, Mia. It wasn't a waste, it was a need. Well, it's normal for the women to have to go through 'that' once a month, right?" said Rasz, while scratching his head feeling rather embarrassed in having to speak about something personal like that.

Somehow, thinking that the two had a 'close relationship' — only that the young man was being reserved toward the young woman — the inn's girl who had helped to changed Mia's clothing for the last few times, didn't bother to inform him about this matter.

When Rasz had later found out about Mia's 'condition', he decided to hold off their travel until Mia was 'better'. He explained to Mia that, in her present condition, she might end up attracting unwanted attention in the places they were going. Thus, unwilling to take such risk, Rasz preferred to have to spend more money at the inn and stayed for another few days.

Accordingly, since Mia had felt better the day after she had woke up, Rasz had wanted to continue with the journey right away. The plan was that for Mia to come along with him during his travel, after he finished all his work in the [Forst World], he'll then sent her to the [Lumière World] where the Dream Star Shop was.

Rasz didn't actually want to bring Mia along, but he had no choice since the two places that he wanted to head to was really far away from the Higgins Town. He couldn't just as well leave a defenseless woman alone in an unknown place, and as much as Mia felt like exploring this strange new [World], she wasn't crazy enough to go around alone without an escort somewhere she wasn't familiar with — so, she happily agreed with following Rasz.

Indeed 'happily', since Mia felt that will still be able to have an enjoyable time in the [Forst World] as she went along traveling with Rasz, in fact possibly even more so then sticking around in one town. Nonetheless, would she be able to hold on to excitement until the end after she had truly experienced everything during this journey with Rasz...?

Just then, the two finally reached in front of the horse's stable. However, to called this pitiful state of a building a stable was actually an overstatement. Despite having thought to build an inn for their customers, the Salem's Pub owner unfortunately never went as far as thinking for or generally didn't care much for their customers' animal counterparts. Though they were kind enough to ensure each horse were provided with their own space, these spaces were too small and cramped. Even the food and drink they fed the animals with were enough to cause a stray dog to sprawl on the ground vomiting them all out again.

"I'll go get the horse now. You just wait here, okay?" Sighing, Rasz went inside the stable in a rather weak manner. When Mia saw Rasz's sudden strange behavior, she couldn't help but ponder on what could've caused such strained expression to appear on that cheerful young man's face.

The exact cause of the sudden change in Rasz's demeanor was the black horse he was currently staring at right now. Strangely, despite Rasz not having the mood for it, he had forced himself to spread a wide smile on his face to fake an enjoyable atmosphere. However, unlike any good pet horse, unexpectedly Black turned his head away from its owner and neighed in distaste when it saw that annoying charming smile. It was as if Black was telling Rasz that not everyone will be easily swoon by his pretty smile.

Seeing, that this spoiled black horse of his was indeed sulking, Rasz once again let out a tired sigh. He had hoped that its awful mood had lessened when he fed Black with a bunch of fresh carrots in the last few days after he found out that they needed to stay longer in Higgins Town.

It was by luck that he had actually found someone that sold fresh vegetables in this deserted town — and interestingly enough, it was the butcher himself. As it turned out, the butcher shop didn't just sell meat, but other various daily needs as well — it actually acted as the grocery shop for the people in that small town. Rasz wouldn't be surprised if he ever found out that the tailor shop sold more than just clothes.

Rasz had bought Black from a kind noble from the Elnea Kingdom when he had first <Travel> to the [Forst World]. The black horse was born and bred to be a rich family's beautiful and gentle pet and has had no experience in living anywhere but in that rich kingdom.

However, as soon as it was bought by this strange young man in a green hooded cloak, it has had to trot across a foot high muddy trackway, galloped through creepy forests and now he had even been put it inside this thing those blasted humans dared called a stable. How was this ugly crowded place even close to something like the stables. It has even been fed with those icky things and had to drink that vomit-taste liquid.

Rasz ignored the black horse behavior and went ahead to pull on its rein, wanting to get Black out of its stall. At Rasz's forceful actions, Black stayed put on his feet with all its might and pulled on its rein, refusing to follow him, even as it continued its protest neighing.

"Alright, okay. Please, calm down, Black. I'm sorry for making you have a hard time, okay?" coaxed Rasz, trying to sooth Black's anger. However, the black horse continued to be stubborn. No matter how much, Rasz pulled on its rein, Black refused to budge from its cramp stall.

"Rasz?" Just then, Rasz suddenly heard Mia called out to him from the stable's entrance.

Mia who has been waiting outside for Rasz felt that he was taking too long to take his horse out, so she was rather worried thinking that something might have happened. However, when she peeked inside the stable, Mia realized that Rasz was just simply having a hard time getting his black horse to come out.

"This stable... No wonder the horse is sulking," thought Mia silently in her mind, while laughing softly at the scene she just saw.

"Sorry, Mia. You've waited too long, haven't you? This- Black doesn't want to come out," explained Rasz feeling exasperated.

At Rasz's helpless expression, Mia went inside the stable with the intention to help him out. "May I?" Mia asked for Rasz's permission to handle the black horse.

Rasz nodded in agreement. He extended out the rein towards her, but Mia shook her head, refusing to take the rein, instead, she went straight to Black.

She reached out her hand at the horse but didn't touch it, as to not startle the gentle creature. As expected, Black backed away as far as it could in that small stall, as it became distress knowing that a stranger wanted to touch it. Still, when Black realized that the young woman has no intention of touching it without permission, it cooled down a bit. Even more so than that, after a while, it willingly moved towards Mia's still out-stretched hand and let her touched him.

Seeing that the horse was warming up towards her, Mia began to repeatedly stroked the black horse gently and lovingly in places that she knew will bring comfort to Black as she tried to reduce the stress it has had to endure. "Poor dear Blackie's having to stay in this awful place. No wonder you're in a bad mood." As if Black understood Mia's words, it neighed and nodded its head. Such adorable motions brought love to Mia's heart and she instinctively went ahead and planted a small kiss on the black horse.

Black stomped and neighed happily in return. Rasz almost rolled his eyes in annoyance at the black horse shameless behavior. However, when he saw Mia's happy face, Rasz felt like planting a kiss of his own on that black horse. As if it knew Rasz's train of thoughts, Black glared at the young man forcing him to take a few steps back at the sudden fury the horse suddenly showed him. There was no way that it'll ever play nice with the person who had pulled him into this harsh life.

Not noticing the event that had transpired between the two, on Mia's side when she saw that Black had begun to calm down, she tried pulling on the rein. This time, Black willingly walked out of the stall following Mia's pull which was directing it out of the stable.

"There," said Mia in satisfaction, once all three of them were out of that small stable.

"Indeed, there..." said Rasz. "You're good with horses."

"And you're bad with them," said Mia, laughing softly.

"Oh, I'm not bad with them. It's just Black-" Rasz's words were cut off by another one of Black's glare, as it dared him to continue that sentence.

Rasz wisely kept quiet.

Mia once again laughed, a bit louder this time, when she saw the way the black horse and its owner was interacting which each other.

When they heard the young woman's laughter, both horse and young man looked at each other in the eyes in silent compromise. 'For the Lady!' their silent gesture seemed to convey — for the young lady they will try to be nice to each other.

Without wasting any more time, Rasz mounted the black horse, which had suddenly felt like becoming obedient.

Extending down his gloved hand, rasz gestured to Mia to take it. "Shall we go now, Miss Mia?"

"Yes," answered Mia firmly, as she grasped hold of Rasz's hand.

Once Mia was properly mounted on Black, Rasz pulled on the rein and they galloped off out of the Higgins Town.

The destination that they were heading to was the Beast Forest.

*******

Beast Forest

This forest was named after the fact that many wild animals had come to find it comforting to take residence there. However, this had not the reason why no humans had been brave enough to set foot in there, even though they know that the most exotic of all animals — which will fetch high prices up to several thousands of golds if sold in the market — lived in that forest.

There were many stories sprung up about the Beast Forest. The famous one was about a certain creature which guarded several precious gemstones. These gemstones were said to be the [Forst World] greatest treasure. Each gemstone was said to be priceless. No amount of gold could truly express these gemstones worth.

Unfortunately, anyone who was stupid enough to try and steal these gemstones from the creature will be killed mercilessly. No body will be able to be recovered, at least not one that was worth recovering. Those intruders bodies, if found at all, were so horribly smashed — both bone and meat — that whatever manner of creature or object that was used must have been something really heavy and destructive.

At this very moment, in the Beast Forest, a loud berserk cry suddenly rang out scaring all the wild animals that lived there. They all wondered who was it now that had been brave enough to cause that particular creature to be that angry.