Chapter 23 - Haan-Dar Gate

Barely a day ago.

Izrik walked slowly back to the Midmoon Stables in a calm and determined state. He wondered about the mission that he just received. The only information that he was given to work on was a name and a location. It was a name that he has never heard of before and it was a place that he has never been to. His mind rapidly worked out different scenarios and possible plans for how to accomplish his new mission, help his friends, and work on redeeming his family's honor.

Bastien. Bastien who frequents the vicinity of Haan-Dar.

He kept repeating the name in his head. What if there's more than one Bastien in Haan-Dar? How would he know which one is the target? The problem with kashin is that they often have only one name. Very few have named their family and even fewer carry the name of their family with their given name. During recent years, the majority of kashin have developed a keen hatred of the citizens who belong to clans. The relationship between kashin and citizens who belong to clans have started to deteriorate when clans have slowed down their recruitment from the kashin population and have opted to rely on growing their ranks from births within the clan. It was a trend that started a few generations ago when one of the clan leaders declared that the best bloodlines have already been captured within the existing major and minor clans. Thus, only marriages across the different clans could ensure that the clans would continue to grow and become stronger. After that, only the minor clans continued to accept membership from the kashin population. Not because they still hope to get good bloodlines from the existing kashin population but because they wanted to increase the number of their expendable members.

"I see that you have completed forging your weapon! And yet you look troubled," Claymore greeted Izrik as he entered the Midmoon Stables. Izrik went straight to the building where he left Inimbia making sure that no one would see him go there. Claymore was there feeding the horses that are housed within the building.

"It's nothing. I received a new mission," Izrik replied dismissively.

"Are you ready to go then?" Claymore asked.

"Yes. I am." Izrik replied immediately.

"Aren't you going to travel with Lynn?"

"Lynn? She's already with the main group."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I am sure. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I thought I heard one of the members of her clan talk about buying her favorite incense when I was in the market."

"Yeah, I'm the only one left here. That is probably for when she gets back."

"Of course! What was I thinking! How is she by the way?"

"She's good. Our group met to celebrate after we completed The Trials."

"She is still very beautiful, I am sure," Claymore said with a grin and a slight blush that he tried hard to hide.

"Of course. She became even more beautiful when she matured," Izrik replied. He was about to ask Claymore if Lynn was somehow related to House Midmoon when he remembered his conversation with his grandfather. He ultimately decided not to say anything about it. "How are we going to get to Haan-Dar faster?" Izrik asked. He decided to change the topic before Claymore could ask another question about Lynn. He thought that it would be awkward to talk about Lynn with Claymore especially since he recently discovered that she was his first cousin.

"My father worked on a design for a modified chariot. The regular chariot cannot handle the speed of mustagors. They break when pulled by mustagors," Claymore explained. Izrik listened quietly as he followed Claymore. When they reached the end of the stable, Claymore pulled away several bundles of hay and then pulled the cloth cover from what seemed like a large metallic chariot.

"What makes it different from other chariots other than it is made of metal?" Izrik asked as he visually inspected the chariot.

"He made modifications to how the wheel is attached to the main body of the chariot. He also added flexible metal plates that would absorb most of the shock from the wheels," Claymore explained. He slowly pulled the chariot from its hiding place and positioned it on top of a wooden platform that kept it upright. "If our test run is successful, father plans to add a contraption that would allow the passenger to operate a weapon like a crossbow from the rear," he added.

"I assume our trip to Haan-Dar is a test run for this new chariot?" Izrik asked. He kept inspecting the chariot visually checking each corner and every rivet.

"Yes! Isn't it exciting? You'd be riding the most advanced chariot in the kingdom to Haan-Dar!" Claymore boasted as he loaded bags of supplies into a sealed compartment in front of the chariot. The chariot is wider and longer. The front is inclined to minimize air drag while it runs at high speeds. There is a compartment built under this inclined area where the rider can store items. "You'd be welcomed in Haan-Dar like a conquering hero as they marvel at the most advanced vehicle in the kingdom!"

"That would be nice, but I need to arrive in Haan-Dar like a regular bodyguard. We have to maintain my disguise for our mission."

"We can simply say I saw you along the way and gave you a lift! A courtesy one warrior extends to another!" Claymore said with a grin. "That is common enough in Zeiken-Shi and no one would suspect."

"I suppose that would work."

The two continued with the preparations. Claymore handed Izrik a can of oil that he applied to the joints of the flexible metal plates as well as on the wheels of the chariot. Claymore fastened four mustagors to the chariot that surprised Izrik. The regular wooden chariots use only one regular horse. If one mustagor can destroy a regular chariot, Izrik wondered if this new design can handle four mustagors at the same time.

Once the preparation was complete, Izrik hesitantly rode the chariot as Claymore waited. He wore a hooded cloak that matched his bodyguard uniform that he tightened as he rode the chariot.

"Hold on," Claymore said as the mustagors pulled the chariot slowly out.

Once they completed the preparations, the two left the Midmoon Stables from the rear, away from people who would see them. Claymore wanted to test the chariot's capabilities first before he would ride it in front of people. This way, if the chariot broke while they were testing it, no one would see them. Claymore drove the chariot into a few tight arcs to test the maneuverability of the chariot. Master Orsuell also installed a pivoting joint between the chariot and the braces where the mustagors were fastened to allow for more maneuverability and flexibility. When Claymore was satisfied with the drills, he set a course towards Haan-Dar that was outside the usual roads but was clear of debris and gradually sped up.

Izrik gripped the rails of the chariot tightly with his left hand and made sure his weapons were secure on his back with his right hand.

A few minutes more and Claymore urged the mustagors to increase their speed further. The chariot started to shake with the increased speed but the flexible metals that supported the wheels seemed to hold and absorbed most of the shock from the increased speed.

After almost half an hour at the same speed, Claymore turned to Izrik and laughed. Izrik wondered what Claymore was thinking and was surprised when Claymore shouted at the mustagors and the four mustagors accelerated to their full speed. The chariot shook as it accelerated but it held together under the speed. Izrik held on to the rails even tighter. After the initial shock of running at top speed, the chariot stabilized and Izrik felt more at ease. He allowed himself to think about his mission once more as Claymore navigated the chariot towards their destination.

Their trip was uneventful. They decided to camp before it got dark when they saw a small river along the way. They camped near the small river where the mustagors can rest and cool themselves. Izrik lit a campfire as Claymore unfastened the mustagors and brought them to the river to drink. Claymore brought out his long mace and placed it on his back. Izrik rarely saw Claymore's mace and always marveled at it. Despite its size and weight, Claymore wields it with a single hand. Claymore has the same muscular physique and height that the rest of the members of House Midmoon was famous for. Their ancestors originally came from the Untamed West and were among the first travelers to the Old Orient. They immediately fell in love with the people and decided to stay. A few generations ago, the Tsuno-Aruma Clan saw the natural skill of House Midmoon when it comes to horses as well as their tall and muscular builds. They were invited into Tsuno-Aruma Clan as an entirely new house. It didn't take long until they became one of the major houses because of their skill in arms, natural strength, and affinity for horses. It seemed that any horse breed naturally likes members of House Midmoon and their members naturally love horses as well. A perfect match that made the Kingdom of Zeiken-Shi even more powerful martially because they were able to establish an army of heavy cavalry that rivaled even the Imperial Heavy Cavalry. The heavy cavalry of House Midmoon used the bigger mustagor breed and had bigger riders that used larger weapons that maximize the advantage of riding on horseback. It was also common for members of House Midmoon to specialize in two types of weapons.

"She's holding together!" Claymore declared proudly after a thorough inspection of the chariot. "We should reach Haan-Dar before noon tomorrow," he added. Izrik nodded and handed him a pouch of dried fruits.

The two extinguished their campfire before it became completely dark and took turns guarding the camp. The night was uneventful. They started another campfire as the twin suns started to rise from the direction of Heung. After a brief breakfast, the two left for Haan-Dar, towards the wall of volcanoes and jagged mountains that separated the Goruumshimi and the lands of Zeiken-Shi. The two turned south after a few hours of traveling towards the wall of volcanoes. The magnificent walled city of Haan-Dar came into view shortly after.

"What are those?" Izrik asked as the two approached Haan-Dar and saw several armed men inspecting the dead bodies of large two-headed dogs. The armed men were obviously members of Haan-Dar's local military, an army that the leaders of Haan-Dar established and trained for defending the city against the monsters of Goruumshimi.

"I think they had another attack. I heard that the attacks have become more frequent during the past few moons," Claymore explained. He slowed down as they approached the group of soldiers that inspected the dead bodies. He felt relieved to see that the only dead bodies belonged to the two-headed dogs. He immediately recognized Guunnar's javelin that was still stuck in the shoulder of one of the large dead two-headed dogs.

The two approached the group of armed men and was about to hail them when the sound of metal grinding the ground attracted their attention. Four metallic vehicles exited the main gates of the city and sped towards the location of the dead two-headed dogs and the group of armed soldiers that inspected them. The metal vehicles looked like large metal snails with their large metal rear wheels. There is a circular steam reservoir at the back of the vehicle that followed the shape of the two rear wheels. The steam-powered vehicle had one soldier each but had room for two more. The rear seats were elevated where the two passengers can operate a crossbow or a ballista or even one of each. Both the crossbow and ballista can be connected to the steam engine at the back of the vehicle. A steam-powered crossbow or ballista can fire faster and farther than a regular crossbow or ballista because they do not need the tension produced by the strings to fire. Instead, the ammunition is fired by steam power.

"Well, so much for being the most advanced chariot in the kingdom," Izrik mumbled.

"I will have to stay here for a few days to examine their steam-powered vehicle."

"Chariot."

"It can't be a chariot because it's not drawn by horses."

"Steam chariot, then."

"Brackenblazes!"