Chapter 18 - An Unusual Merchant Escort

The day after the competition, I was ready to embark on the quest for an escort. I had filled out the paperwork and now headed to the departure point of the trip, to the east of the city. I was happy this morning for reasons that eluded me, after all, no need for reason to be happy. On the way, I spread good humor around me.

Hello, florist, isn't that a great day to work?

"If you say so," he laughed.

«And you pretty lady, your perfume fills my senses and delights me with joy»

The woman I had spoken to smiled and giggled as I joined her friends. I had never had much luck with the lady. My manners would be too chivalrous? I lost myself in my thoughts in my rush of joy.

Arriving in front of the wagon pulled by two stallions, I presented my paper to the coach and he informed me that we were leaving by 5:00, when noon will have passed. In this area, creatures and beasts went out later in the night and stayed on the roads longer. It gave me time to eat a piece and why not enjoy a cold beer. Far be it from me to be drunk during my work but my ideas and my sense of combat were sharper with a light dose of alcohol. I was careful not to get too used to it, however, because alcohol destabilized the mana balance in the body. I waited in the bar, chatting to anyone who wanted to hear me. That's how I gathered information about the path we were taking. The wagon stopped in a forgotten place where many magic crystals lay, it was a mine which had been invaded by monsters several moons ago. Today, it was said that the monsters had left but there was always a risk. Our final destination, the village of 'Chalare' had a guild associated with 'Verdoyante' which protected the area.

Ideal for storing some wealth and no doubt it was the purpose of my escort.

When I left the bar, I saw engineers installing a brand new device on a thin pillar. They probably came from the robotic city to create such a device combining technology and ancient knowledge. I saw the scene next to some passers-by. When they had finished, they operated the bypass cable that led to a magic crystal and soft music floated in the air! Incredible these engineers, they managed to lock musicians in such a small box! I took the time to ask the engineers for information that turned out to be very complicated, but I took the following notes: Sound is a wave that could be replicated using the resonance of mana. By storing in mana capsules waves identical to the music wanting to be heard. We could hear these music, broadcast with a basic amplifier. I had taken note for my research on mana but I was far from knowing all its facets.

Shortly afterwards, a mercenary and two nobles joined the wagon to escort.

"Well, my good men, we have a long way to go, we're leaving now," said one of the nobles, richly dressed in green and gold.

"Then let us go," replied a mercenary.

I proceeded to put my things on the wagon and sat beside the coachman.

We left confident, on the roads of the abandoned mine.

We walked some 20km without incident, the winding road remained in known paths.

We will stop in front of the wind mountain at 50km to rest, there should not be too many problems there»

I accepted the words of the coachman. As we approached the mountain, a fog set in, slowly. Like the end of a joyous spectacle, hiding the rays of the sun from our path. Soon, we could only discern about 20 meters in front of us. What was hiding this mountain?

"This fog, or pay no attention, is just a slight inconvenience and makes us invisible to monsters."

"An attack may come!" I replied quickly.

"I have good reason to believe that nothing will attack us"

"And what makes you say that?"

Before the coachman revealed any more, one of the nobles stopped him in his stride.

"Enough, just drive, please"

Immersed in questions about the nature of our load, I saw the mountain coming to us. At least I felt it. A deep arcane aura emanated from this place. We stopped as agreed and I set up the necessary to camp. The nobles had mattresses when I slept on the ground. The night had not cleared the fog that had thickened, I feared an attack of monsters and remained alert, listening to all his suspect. It was around two o'clock that I heard strange sounds. I went out of my tent and watched the horizon as far as the fog allowed me, there was nothing. I assembled the formula of the fireball to pierce this cloud of its light. At the light of the flame that was gushing from my hand, I saw movement towards the wagon. I approached. A black shape emerged from the wagon and disappeared into the air, leaving no traces on the ground. What had I just seen? Would that be what the coachman was talking about? I stayed on my guard for a while, contemplating the darkness that surrounded me. Nothing came to meet me. So I went back to rest but took the time to summon my spirit of fire and told him to stand guard.

When I woke up, nothing had changed, everything seemed perfectly normal.

"Who is in the wagon? I heard noises last night," I asked the noble.

Come on, you're paid for our protection, not to question us, don't pay attention and everything will go smoothly I'm sure."

The words he had used put me on alert so I remained on the defensive and undertook to put away the various items of the camp. We returned shortly after.

She seems to have been following us ever since we got here," pestered the coachman.

Only a few hundred meters had we gone that a pack of wild and wide wolves crossed our path. They looked out for us and quickly dissipated. Something had caused them not to attack.

"We got hot"

"Don't worry, I will have protected you without concern, I faced much worse," I said with a smile.

«Another 100km in this direction and we will be at the mine»

The coachman had not been alarmed by the wolves, he had remained calm for an imminent danger.

We crossed a small forest that skirted the mountain of wind where we found many wild animals, fleeing creatures and strangely, no sound of insect or bird. This heavy silence was punctuated by the wheels of the wagon that cracked the little stones.

This silence reminded me of the funeral in the village, in relative calm.

After crossing the forest, we only had 70 km to go. And everything was going well.