10 Chapter 10 – On the Road to Erideena (pt3)

Looking from the wagon Casia stared out in to the forest of the Wilds; the road they traveled down was wide, splitting the forest in two and creating the only break in the green canopy above letting the blue sky be seen.

Parts of the forest looked dark even in the bright daytime, varying shafts of light clearly visible against the dark green shadows that grew darker the deeper she looked.

This was the thickest she had seen the Wilds since her arrival; Elain explains that there are vast areas like this that are not traversable by the average traveler, and even Wilders themselves tend not to venture too deeply as even they could get lost.

The darkness gave her a chill and the feeling of being watched; her imagination conjuring the scenario of many of the wild beasts that had attacked the Midcross Inn now watching them, and waiting for a moment to attack.

It was Midday when the group stopped for a short break to stretch and relax from the unrelenting bumpy road; it was no time to relax though as Elain has Casia practice each of the basic sword fighting forms using the stick sword that had been made specifically for her to learn with.

Casia huffs a little, the uncomfortable ride had made her body stiff so she did not favour the thought of fighting against the rigidity of her own muscles to make her ache further; though she quickly finds that easing in to the repetitive motions loosened up her muscles and loosened her up.

Even in her dress Casia manages each drill with ease; Elain talking her through each one as she points out every mistake, and giving advice on how to correct it.

Oryn watches for a few moments after taking care of Meliks needs first and is soon pulled in to the exercises too by Elain, and together side-by-side they perform the drills in unison.

Casia feels a little embarrassed, her expression is filled with frustration as Siidra's earlier comment about wanting to 'mate' with Oryn echoes in her mind; there is need to prove that the Kemonokin was wrong in her assumption.

Of course this had been coming over more as if she didn't like being around him, or at the least angry with him.

"Do you want me to do this elsewhere?" he asked, as they both swing down.

"W-what?" Casia replies jumping a little, surprised at the sudden question. "Why?"

"You don't seem to want to be around me today."

"Oh... no... It's just... it's nothing." She blushes a little, trying to focus on swinging her wooden stick sword correctly.

"You don't have to worry about it; I make a lot of people uncomfortable, what with all the talking to myself and stuff."

"No it's not that!" she stops and turns to him, Casia didn't want him to falsely think it was because of his 'condition'. "It's just..." she turns back and resumes moving the 'sword' in proper form, hit once again by embarrassment at Siidra's insinuation.

"What?"

Casia really didn't want to say; it was stupid, and embarrassing, and pointless anyway.

"Just... something that was said..."Casia blushes a little more making sure she was not facing him. "It was stupid; I just don't want anyone to misunderstand."

"Misunderstand what?"

"Hey, you two, concentrate a little." Elain calls out, noticing that they were no longer moving, or giving much attention to their task.

They both quickly returnto performing the drills, but the talking resumes moments later.

"Look, Siidra... she insinuated that I..." her cheeks flush again. "That I have..."

"Have what?" he pressed.

"They think I... like you. I mean... you know... attracted to you." She finally managed to say before immediately trying to explain. "Which is of course absurd; a complete misunderstanding of me being nice towards you a-and that I used your lap as a pillow; there is no way I can be in any way attracted to you, not that I find you repugnant or anything, I just simply mean we are practically strangers, and we have nothing in common, nor do we even walk in the same circles; I am of high status, and you're... umm... I mean we met under unusual circumstances, and... If not for that we would never have likely met." She then glances to the side, and her cheeks go rosier. "Obviously, you feel the same way; you could not possibly be attracted to me so quickly, so you understand, right?"

Oryn stops and blinks as he listens to Casia uneasily try to explain everything, and shake off the awkwardness she was feeling.

"Umm...okay." was his reply after a few moments of silence.

Casia blinks at his brief reply; was that all he was going to say? After feeling so nervous and confessing such a topic he was just blowing the whole thing off!

She felt something well up inside her, her chest tightened, her cheeks began to burn and her brow furrowed as her grip on the stick tightened; he had agreed with her, yes but...

"OWW!" Oryn cries out as he feels a sharp whack to his arm, the stick sword whipping across him hard; He turns to Casia with a frown and notices immediately she looks annoyed as well before turning her head away and resuming her drill. "What was that for?"

"Nothing!" came a curt reply, as Casia focuses more intensely on her movements with the stick sword; she had no idea why she was suddenly angry at him for real this time, nor why she had had a sudden urge to strike him like that, but for some reason the noble girl knew he deserved it for agreeing with her.

Oryn could see she no longer wanted to talk to him, and gives an exasperated sigh, before shaking his head uncomfortably, and getting annoyed muttering "What's so funny?" under his breath, before he too resumes the exercises.

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The journey continues after an hour more; silence dropping over the group like a blanket.

The two Kemonokin are in their usual meditative state, but sat upfront, their backs to Oryn, while Casia sits at the back; she was still upset with Oryn, but she also felt guilty, knowing that hitting him like she did was out of line, even if it didn't harm him in any way.

The silent journey had at least given her time to calm down enough to think and ponder her reaction.

(It was his fault; he didn't even defend his position, how could he just accept the facts so readily? I mean it's not like I wanted him to, but he just accepted them; like he doesn't even care that I do not find him attractive! Has he no pride?! I have had several nobles show an interest in me since I came of age, but Oryn shrugs me off like some common girl! HOW DARE HE! Well, I don't care! He's just a dumb, mean, common, dumb, idiot! UGH! Why is this bothering me so much!!)

"OWW!" Casia groans as she hits the boards beneath her with a fist.

"Are you okay, Casia?" Elain interrupts, using the informal tone only kept for personal conversations with the young noble.

"Fine, just... Oryn is an idiot!" she pouts, shaking her hurt hand.

"Oh? Did he say something? Something that made you hit him earlier?"

Casia blushes, feeling another wave of guilt come over her. "Ugh... please don't mention that... I didn't mean to hit him it just... happened." She glances away, still pouting.

"Are you going to tell me why?"

Casia gives out a long sigh, and after a moment of Elain staring at her, she resigns to quickly explain.

"... 'okay', all he said was 'okay', like it was obvious already and that it was nonsense. He didn't even try to say that he was at least happy that there was the possibility that I could be interested. He just shrugs me off like I was some irritating fool who..."

Casia stops her quiet outburst when she notices Elain is smirking at her, trying hard holding back a snigger; this made the girl pout even more, and blush an even darker red.

"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be getting worked up over this. Hopefully this is just about ego and you'll be over it in a day or so."

"E-ego?! What do you mean?!" Casia sounds insulted by that.

"Yes. You're more used to having young men admire you; it's all you've ever known, so I can understand that it may hit your ego a little when an average young man pays little attention to you; as long as that is all it is." Elains last statement sounding more like a subtle question.

"Could it be something else?" Casia asks, not fond of the idea that this was an egotistical reaction.

"I certainly hope not. It would not end well if it was... more. For now, try not to hold it against him; you shouldn't want him to be advocating for you to have an interest in him."

"Why n..." Casia stopped, as she realised what she was about to ask; it was not something she should be arguing, nor considering.

After a sigh, she continues with a different reaction. "I guess you're right, of course. But still, it annoys me as much as if I had been insulted."

They had been speaking quietly the whole time, so she hoped Oryn hadn't overheard them; knowing already he was used to blocking out voices, she felt it was safe to assume he was not paying attention to them; she would have been embarrassed if he knew why she was upset with him.

As she looks over towards him, she relaxes a little, but then suddenly tenses; a sudden feeling hits her, the feeling akin to opening a window in a warm room, over for cold air to rush in and rush over her; the atmosphere grows heavier.

Though Casia felt it as if it was natural, no one else seemed to feel it or at least react in a way she could tell if at all; but the uneasy feeling it gave her sent warning signals through Casias head.

"STOP!" she suddenly cries out, jumping to her feet, losing her balance almost immediately and nearly falling off when Oryn pulls back on the reins to stop his Adirus from moving any further.

"What is it?" Elain asks, having helped steady her.

"Magic... I feel... there is a strong magical presence near here and..." as Casia spoke she was turning around on the spot looking around the area, trying to find the direction, but it was too subtle, and all around her it was like trying to find the origin of an echo in a light-less hall; she knew it was there, but not its location.

"Casia, calm down, and stop for a moment." Elain closes her eyes, and focuses her mind, using her own attuned connection to mana to seek out what Casia was feeling.

Reaching for magic, spreading it out like a pulse, weaving through trees, following the road behind and forward, trying to connect to any other source of energy, pushing out further until, ahead of them she finally hooked it; a strong energy, a spell localised in a small area.

"A portal!" She states seriously opening her eyes "You must have felt it opening." Elain was a little impressed at Casia's casual sensitivity to high level magic effects; something else she may have to have her train on; it is a rare gift that one had to be born with, to sense magic without the usual focus any other mana user would require.

"I'm guessing that means danger?" Oryn queries her.

"That witch most likely knows we are heading towards Erideena, and this is the only road there; she may have opened up a portal to set up road blocks, or ambushes." Elain contemplates openly.

"What do we do then?" Casia asks out of concerned.

"We won't go far off road. Not with my wagon." Oryn spoke up. "We're also in a thick patch of the Wilds."

"I don't think waiting for them to leave would be doable either." Elain adds. "Someone will have to scout up ahead, get some numbers so we can decide our tactics."

"You want to fight our way through?!" Casia blurts out.

"We may not have a choice." Elain replies. "Going back would be safer, but then we may have to give up getting to Dreyas, and see your Uncle Medrin."

"We shall go scout." Siidra's voice suddenly interrupts, as the two demi-humans stand up before start jumping over the side of the wagon. "We are hunters; our skills make it the obvious choice."

"Thank you." Elain nods in agreement, Casia not saying anything as nerves rise within her. "We may have to fight our way through, but if there isn't too many, maybe we may be able to just use speed through and bypass them."

The Kemonokin both nod and quickly run in to the forest, disappearing from sight within moments, as if they had turned invisible.

Elain takes Casias hand, clutching it firmly to get her attention.

Casia tenses at looking upon Elains serious expression. "W-What is it?"

Elain takes a deep breath and reaches over to where she had stowed her sword for the journey, the dark leather belt wrapped around the red sheath. "You better get changed out of that dress, and put this on."

"Wait... you want me to fight with this!? After only a couple of hours of training?! Are you kidding me? I can just use my magic!"

"Of course you'll use your magic, this is just in case you need it; I hope you won't need to fight. You'll stay by my side, and if Oryn will allow me to take the reins, he can fight in my stead."

Casia's body felt like it was being compacted; every inch of her was tensing, trembling with growing panic as a phantom weight presses down all over her; she took the sheathed sword from the Knight, but reluctantly.

"I-I'm not ready for this, Elain."

Elain smiles. "Hopefully you won't have to fight; but if it happens, remember, I doubt they will seriously try to kill you, so you have an advantage. Just keep your head, remember what I taught you; keep moving; watch their movements; react- study- strike."

Casia nods, trying to search her feelings for that touch of determination that she had before, as well as that frightened bravery that coursed through her when she attacked the Witch, Fyropea.

Oryn had stepped in to the back of the wagon in that time, and helped Elain up and in to the driver's seat; once settled he reaches down for his sword which lay behind the seat, for a moment hovering over the larger bandaged sword, for a moment tempted to pick it up as well, before taking his smaller guard sword instead.

"What is that?" Elain asks, noticing his hesitant movement.

The large weapon was a curiousity to her, begging the question as to why it was wrapped up in such a way; not to mention few could hold a sword so large, yet Oryn handled it as it if weighed little more than his ordinary sword.

When she went to touch it, Oryn immediately slapped her hand away, a look of concern on his face. "Please... don't touch it." He warns her with worry.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Just... don't touch it. It is for your own safety... as well as everyone else's."

There was definite fear in his voice, as well as pain; this sword had a painful connection to him that she was clueless about; but at a guess Elain figures it had something to do with what happened to him and his team.

"Okay, but promise me that you'll keep Casia safe if anything happens."

Oryn nods, glancing back to the larger sword again, but leaving it in place.

Turning to Casia, who was still stood clutching the sheathed sword in her hand trembling, he looks to her with sympathy, a memory of his own fears giving him understanding of hers.

"Hey..." Oryn speaks placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. Don't concern yourself with the sword, you still have magic, so start concentrating on all the spells you want to prepare."

"W-what?" she asks, wondering what he meant.

"A magician who fights tend to focus on the spells they plan to use before the battle begins, keeping them fresh in their mind, and ready to use faster." Oryn explained.

"Really? You've fought alongside them before?"

Oryn nodded. "On my team we had a spell caster, not to mention everyone had at least a couple of spells up their sleeves; we were all taught to make sure we always have one fresh in our heads."

"Which one do you have ready?" Casia asks.

"I never really... mastered any spell like that before..." he pauses. "...never really had the need to afterwards either."

Casia was confused by the second part of that answer, but didn't feel like asking further right now. "O-Okay, I will start focusing on a couple of my better spells." she nods, then blushes as she looks at him for several moments in silence. "Umm... c-could you turn around for a moment please?"

Oryn looked to her confused, but then realised as she put the sword down and picks up the clothes she used for training.

"OH! right, yes, of course." He said, spinning on the spot, a little blush on his cheeks.

He heard the rustling of fabric as Oryn hears Casia slip out of her dress, and dressing in the old clothes that she had borrowed from him.

"O-Okay... I'm done." Casia says, and Oryn turns to see her redressed, and placing the sword around her waist, tightening the belt

"So... I guess I am ready..." she states, voice and body trembling a little.

Oryn nods; now all they had to do was wait.

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