Solitude

Now northbound on my new horse (stolen), along with the sacks of valuable gifts I had received (stolen) before leaving town. I am on the road to be the most successful merchant this world will ever see! Losing sight of my goals too fast, you say? It's just a means to the end! Get items for the cheapest price imaginable (steal them) and sell them for a normal price, heck yeah!

The horse galloped onwards with me on its back. The capital was about 2 months away from Scalmourne. Going there right away would not only be difficult but also hasty. What I needed first was to attain power. Power as money, influence, and slaves— manpower. Ahem, ahem!

I crossed through the half-baked paths made by country as I moved towards the business hub of Zakall. I had a lot of stuff to sell and even more to buy. Where better to do that than the city, which is all but owned by merchants?

With merchants from all over the world coming to this place, Kifestein had easily become the most populated and one of the most important cities in all of Zakall. many traders also made it popular with a terrifying breed of people I hope to not meet anytime soon, the Questers...

**

The horse trudged through the ragged path with its clicking rhythmically. I tapped its side and turned its harness as we continued onwards. The horse maintained a steady pace, not to tire it out. Whenever it came across any ruts, the jewelry and weapons hanging from its side would jingle pleasantly.

The clouds changed gears, and the sky cleared out. The soft sunlight carved through the veil of trees. I pulled the horse to a stop and removed a bag from its saddle. After feeding the horse some hay that I had stacked, I ate some packed food myself. Off the road, I leaned next to my horse as the melodious rustling of leaves was carried to my ears with the treading wind. Now and then, animals from deep within the grassy paths would howl out and the others would follow suit.

After a while of being back on the road, I could hear the tapping of more horses. A caravan approached from ahead. They noticed me and slowed their pace. When we came close enough, the leader of the caravan got off from his carriage and approached me with an affable smile.

"Fine day we're having, yes?" The man looked to be in his mid-forties. He stretched out his hand.

I got off the horse and shook his hand. "Fine, indeed. You are moving towards Scalmourne?" I asked.

"Further back, sonny." the merchant let go of my hand and smiled. "Don't see many people taking this route. How d'you hear of it, boy?"

"My parents showed me to it. I am trying to apprentice as a merchant."

"Kifestein, yeah?" The man slapped my shoulders with a grin. "Road ahead's pretty clear. You are young and alone, don't talk to anyone suspicious boy, you'll do well to remember that."

"Sure, sir. Thank you very much."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll be on our way then. Hey! Let's go!" the merchant turned around and went back to his caravan.

He just stopped me to warn me of strangers? What a nice guy! I waved at the passing caravan before getting on my horse. Once they were out of sight, I opened my fists and inspected the gold chain in my hands. "High-quality stuff, thanks for the gift, merchantman."

The horse moved onwards again. The people the merchant asked me to look out for were those in my line of business. A route like this one was not very popular and attracted a lot of thieves and criminals. I came across a few before and walked past each of them with splendid ignorance. Neither of us acknowledged the other's existence.

Night came around and I tied the horse to a tree. I would give it a name, but McKenzie Horseshoe is going to be sold when we reach Kifestein. I scuttled about and set up camp for the night. From one bag, I pulled out some cans attached to a long wire. They were tied to a tree, working as an intruder alarm system. With the chirping of the cicadas as my lullaby, I drifted to sleep.

**

My journey continued in a similar manner. I would enjoy the embrace of mother nature, maybe meet some merchants that gave me more gifts, and ignore the rest that passed me. The path connected to a few villages on its way, where I sold the stuff that I didn't need.

I went on a couple of Trial Runs whenever a chance presented itself. I hoped to learn more of the watch's features but got no results. No methods to increase the duration of the trial or decrease the cooldown showed themselves. Even the keyhole at the bottom remained an enigma.

I confirmed that the information retention is real, though. If someone bought bread from me for 30 Ziga, they wouldn't switch it to 100 Ziga, or a Zaga. 30 inside the trial run will always be 30 outside.

Before I had even realized it, 2 weeks had passed. It would just be another 3-4 days till I reach Kifestein. As a thief, any excursion I went on was tension-filled. There was always a powerful fear lurking behind my back. There was nothing like that this time. It was fun. I was filled with a sense of peace. I had found enjoyment in my solitude...

...And of course, slight anxiety of having been found out and being chased.