Towards the citadel 12(2)

In the carriage area, Mark made sure everything was ready for departure and checked the horses, trying to keep his mind occupied. But he couldn't help thinking about what had happened. The image of Narak crawling away desperately and the crazy laughter still echoed in his mind. 

Shaking his head, he thought of more important things. The journey to 12 would be strenuous, and he had to make sure he was at his best. 

Vincent arrived running with sacks full of provisions, interrupting Mark's thoughts. 

"I took everything I could find. It should last for a week, as you asked." -He said, casting a worried glance at Mark. 

"Good. Load everything onto the carriage, we must leave immediately." -Mark replied without looking him in the eye. 

The two left the villa without problems and headed towards the orphanage where Agata and the children were waiting for them. 

"You were quick, and he would be... a friend?" -Agata asked worriedly. She had never had a good opinion of Narak's guards. 

"Friend? More like a slav- Cough!" 

"Yes, a dear f-r-i-e-n-d." 

With an elbow, Mark silenced him and made sure to specify their relationship. 

Agata looked at the two strangely and then sighed. 

"Alright, but will the journey be safe?" 

"I don't deny there will be dangers, but I promise nothing will happen to you." -Mark said seriously. 

Agata smiled at him and tried to start loading the carriage, but Mark stopped her immediately to prevent her from straining and loaded it himself instead. 

Stare.

"Hm, What?" -Vincent, who was left alone, felt the curious gaze of the children, making him uncomfortable. 

"Mister, you have strange mustaches." 

"Yes, they are strange." 

"Hehehe, they are so funny!" 

All the children started laughing at his handlebar mustache. 

"Funny? You don't know what you're talking about." -He said disdainfully, curling his mustache even more with his fingers. 

"The children are right, they are stupid." -Mark commented, placing the last barrel on the carriage and helping Agata up. 

"You clearly have no sense of style, my daughter... never mind." -Vincent's voice grew weak and he said nothing more. 

Mark noticed the change in Vincent's tone but decided not to delve into it. It was not the time to explore personal issues; they had a dangerous journey to face. 

"We need to move." -Mark said decisively, climbing onto the carriage. 

"Vincent, you will drive the carriage while I keep watch." 

"I don't even know where to go." 

Mark said nothing and handed him a kind of map with the general direction to follow. 

"I'll guide you the whole time, but it's better if you know the direction to follow." 

Vincent nodded, still a bit shaken, but obeyed without question. He took the reins and urged the horses forward. When they reached the gates, the guards wanted to conduct checks, but Vincent's presence was useful to eliminate any doubts, allowing them to start their journey. 

"Brother Mark, where are we going?" -Asked one of the children, with big eyes full of curiosity and a bit of fear as he had never left the walls. 

"We are going to a safe place." -Mark replied with a reassuring smile. 

"It will be a long journey, so be good and don't lean out of the carriage." -Mark warned them. 

The children seemed satisfied with that answer and started chatting and laughing among themselves as the carriage kept moving. 

"They're noisy." -Vincent commented dryly. 

"A pleasant noise, though." -Mark said, continuing to survey the area. 

"..." 

The first day of the journey would be calm. They wouldn't have to enter the canyon, so the chance of encountering monsters was almost nil. 

All that awaited them that day was the sound of the carriage wheels and the noises of nature around them. Mark kept his eyes fixed on the road, ready to react to the slightest sign of danger, and occasionally turned to check that everything was in order behind him. 

Vincent, who initially seemed uncomfortable, began to relax a bit. He found himself talking to Agata, trying to get to know her and the children better. He discovered that Agata was much stronger than she seemed, having managed the orphanage practically alone for years. 

"It seems exhausting." -Vincent commented. 

"It has been." -Agata admitted, looking at the children with eyes full of love and concern. 

"But they are my family. I will do whatever it takes to protect them." 

Agata also began to warm up to Vincent when she saw that he wasn't a bad person. 

"You're right, family should never be abandoned." -Vincent said sadly. 

When the sun began to set, the warm twilight light painted the landscape in a golden orange. Mark knew that traveling at night was foolish, so it was better to use that time to let the horses and everyone else rest. 

"Let's stop near that rock and rest for the night. As soon as the dawn lights come, we'll set off again." -Mark said, pointing to a large rock that would provide natural shelter. 

Agata nodded and started helping the children off the carriage. Vincent helped set up the sacks of provisions and prepare a small camp. 

"Mark, have you thought about how we'll organize the watch shifts?" Vincent asked, looking around attentively. 

"You'll take the first two-hour shift, then I'll handle the rest until morning." -Mark replied, arranging the horses near the rock. 

"Are you sure? You'll hardly sleep." -Vincent asked, confused. 

"It's enough." 

Thanks to the Guide's breathing technique, Mark could replace sleep with it for a long period. In that state, he was more sensitive to external presences; thus, he could train even while standing guard. 

Vincent nodded, accepting the explanation, and immediately went on guard, observing the surroundings carefully. Mark, on the other hand, sat by the fire, focusing on his breathing technique. Unlike usual, he didn't focus on the energy outside but on the energy within him. As the Guide had told him, he could also feel clusters in his core; so, he dealt with absorbing those first. 

The hours passed slowly but without incident. When Vincent's shift ended, Mark replaced him, continuing his training while diverting part of his concentration outward, remaining vigilant and attentive. The night was quiet, but Mark never let his guard down. Every rustle and creak of the rocks was a possible danger that he couldn't afford to ignore. 

When the first light of dawn began to tint the sky, Mark woke Agata and the children, preparing them to have a quick breakfast and explaining the next part of the journey. 

"Yesterday's journey was calm, but it won't be the same today and for the rest of the trip. Today, we will be forced to descend into the canyon. Once there, we'll face at least two days in an area inhabited by level 1 monsters, then three days with level 2 monsters, and finally... one day with level 3 monsters." 

"Are you insane?! This is a suicide!" -Vincent exclaimed, visibly shaken, but when he saw he had scared the children, he immediately lowered his tone. 

"Levels 2 and 3..." -Agata was also visibly shaken, but she still tried to calm the children who noticed their agitation. 

"I promised to keep you safe, and I will. If there were another path, I would take it immediately, but there aren't. I'm strong enough to manage level 2 monsters and the level 3 monsters shouldn't be a big problem." -Mark explained calmly. 

Agata was visibly surprised to learn that Mark could handle level 2 monsters, but Vincent wanted more explanations. 

"I understand level 1 and 2 monsters." -Vincent said, knowing that Mark had killed Narak. 

"But level 3 monsters? Damn, I've never even seen one in my entire life." -He said, agitated. 

He had seen firsthand what level 2 monsters were capable of, and the idea of monsters with even greater strength worried him seriously. 

"At the moment, most monsters are in a weakened state due to the monster wave. While it has increased their density, it has also caused them to start attacking each other to conquer new territory. The monsters we'll encounter are earth golems. They are tough and strong but not fast enough to catch us. So, when we reach their territory, we'll need to discard as much weight as possible." 

Agata and Vincent remained in their thoughts for a while, processing everything, when Vincent tried to ask something. 

"Is there really no other alternative?" 

"Going back." 

"Damn it... let's go, and I seriously hope this is the right decision." 

Agata also nodded. She had decided to trust him to the end, and she would do so. 

After the meeting, they finished preparing and resumed their journey. After a few hours, they reached a slope near the canyon that made the descent easier. Once down, the brightness decreased significantly due to the towering rock walls flanking them on both sides, creating an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The shadows of the rocks stretched menacingly as if they wanted to swallow every step they took. 

Now, they just had to move forward.