Acquiring Information

Standing right in front of the barrier, Tria disguised as a man, along with Crei and Chukah, ready themselves for this new challenge. Tria even had Crei disguise himself as an ordinary commoner.

"My little wifey is now a man, how am I suppose to kiss you now?"

Tria rolled her eyes at him.

"You can kiss me all you want when we get back home," she said.

"You said it, not me," he quickly answered before Tria could correct herself.

"Pft!" Chukah laughed at the couple's cuteness, he realized that they have gotten a lot closer from the time he had first seen them together.

Realizing that they were arguing about their intimacy in public, Tria and Crei both stopped fighting as they blushed embarrassingly.

Tria lightly kicked Crei's legs and putting her man's airs on she moved towards the barrier. Followed by a limping Crei and a laughing Chukah.

"Little brother, wait for me," said Chukah.

"Wifey...no...um wait for us," Crei followed awkwardly.

Passing through the barrier, the first thing that the trio experience was a rotten hot smell invading their senses. Secondly, it was their feet planting through sand, and the heat rushing up their faces.

"It's the desert," said Tria, looking upon the vast horizon filled with sand.

"Oi! Oi! Camels here for your travels! Oi! Oi! Camels here for your travels!"

"A snack for the road, ain't no food ahead, ey!"

"Going by the river, reserve your raft early with us!"

Merchants were lining up near the barrier, offering their goods to passing travelers.

"Gentlemen, there is a storm coming, do buy yourselves some scarved to cover yourselves," offering an old lady with rotten teeth getting close to Tria's group.

Although Tria had rejected her, her eyes did not miss out on the magic inscribed on those scarves. Actually, everything being sold was inscribed with magic, and it was most likely a set up for an ambush later.

"Let's go, there is a group of bandits ahead, they should have a map of this place of them eh?"

Tria took lead and started walking straight into the bandits' ambush.

She did not come to the unknown land to play, given how hot and dry the climate was, the more she did not want to stay.

Far ahead, behind a pile of sands, laid flat over half a dozens of men waiting for their upcoming victims.

"I smell some fresh meat coming our way, it's been a while since we've had payday brothers," said one as he shined his gold teeth out.

"Yeah, yeah, I can also smell a feast coming, that little boy must still be young, we can sell him for a good price," said another while eyeing Tria.

"A great price, young children are treasures on this land, let me lure them our way," the gold teeth guy answered.

Tria who was walking ahead with Crei and Chukah behind her, saw a scrawny looking man walking towards her. She continued at the same pace and stopped right before him.

"Hey boy, are you lost?" asked the man.

"Hmm, my uncles and I are lost, will you help us sir?" said Tria, mimicking a young boy's voice.

"Of course, my family lives just nearby, come on, oh do you want to wait for them?" he asked while looking at the 'exhausted uncles'.

"They'll follow along, so it's okay," Tria answered.

"Good boy, oh here's some water, this land is a desert all around, staying hydrating is key," he said and handed out a water flask to Tria.

Tria took it, looked at the flask then looked up at the man suspiciously.

"Hmm, drink up," he encouraged.

Tria looked back at her uncles who were almost caught up, then drank a gulp of the water.

The man then took the flask back, bringing her towards his companions. By the time Tria had made it, she had already lost consciousness.

"Nice Job! hahaha" the man with the gold teeth clapped and laughed.

"Shh! The other two are still on the way," the scrawny man said.

"Huh? Where?"

They both looked back the empty path where the two men were just walking on.

"Crap! They're onto us!"

"Get the boy!"

However, Tria was no longer unconscious or on the ground.

"Looking for me?" Tria asked while coming from the side, "Mister, you said you were going to help me," she looked at the man who gave the drink.

"H-hmm, just come over here, I'll help you!" he waved at Tria, but what he got was then forcefully pushed on the ground, swallowing a mouthful of sand.

"I'm here!" answered Tria while seated on his chest.

The other bandits realizing that they were about to be attacked were running toward Tria to capture him but failed to see Chukah who had swept them all off their feet.