Chapter Seven: Escort

After being curious on what to do for a while Zane decided to look at the carriages and bought a ticket for one which was just about to leave. Zane settled himself inside the carriage, letting the smooth motion of the wheels lull him into a peaceful space. The coachman, a grizzled veteran of the road, seemed to have seen it all before, and was happy to leave Zane to his space.

As they set off, the coachman attempted to strike up a conversation, talking about the latest news from the kingdom, and the adventures he had been on. Zane half-listened, his mind drifting in and out of consciousness as he dreamed of the wonders that lay ahead.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the coachman shook him awake, telling him that they were approaching their destination. Zane sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and prepared all of this things.

He sees Arrya approaching him with a vehicle. As Arrya approached him more quickly than Zane thought, he could feel his heart quicken with excitement. "News from the guild center?" he asked. "Is it a new quest?"

Arrya nodded. "Indeed it is. An escort mission has become available for our guild members. The pay is 1500 gold each. Are you interested?"

Zane's eyes widened. That was a lot of gold, enough to last him for a couple of months, new equipment, and really anything else he needed. "Absolutely," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm ready for the challenge."

With that, the two set off for the guild center, their minds filled with anticipation for the adventure that lay ahead.

As Zane and Arrya made their way to the guild center, they discussed the details of the mission. It seemed that they were to escort a princess to a nearby city for trading businesses that she had been appointed by her father. Arrya though, had heard rumors that there may be a group of bandits planning an ambush on the caravan.

Zane was eager to take the challenge, but he remained cautious. He knew that they would have to be well prepared if they were to protect the princess and ensure her safe arrival at her destination.

As they arrived at the guild center, they found several other adventurers already gathered, their gear packed and ready for the journey. The guild master, a stern-faced woman, addressed the group.

"IListen up," she began. "This is a medium/high-risk mission, but the pay is excellent. I need only the bravest of souls to volunteer,I will only be taking eight people with me."

Zane spoke up immediately, his hand in the air. Arrya followed, and to their delight, the guild master selected them both, and six others to join the caravan.

With that, the group set off, their minds focused on the task at hand. They set off at a brisk pace, keeping a constant vigil for any signs of danger.

As they travelled deeper into the forest, Zane's senses became heightened. He could hear the rustle of branches in the wind, the shuffling of leaves on the ground, and the beat of his own heart. He knew they were getting closer to one of the ambush sites, and he needed to be on high alert.

Suddenly, they heard a cry from the princess. They had been ambushed. Bandits, wielding daggers and scimitars, were charging towards the caravan. Zane's sword slashed out, striking a bandit in the arm, causing him to drop his weapon. He felt the power of his magic coursing through his veins, and he channeled it into the blade, launching a wave of magic at the other bandits. As he watched them fall, he turned to the princess, "Don't worry, mi'lady, we're safe now."

The group of adventurers had successfully defended the princess from the bandits, but there was still a long road ahead. As they continued on their journey, the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the road. The group made camp for the night, setting up tents and lighting fires to keep warm. As the evening wore on, the stars seemed to shine even brighter in the night sky, illuminating the darkness.

Zane remained on guard throughout the night, his sword always within reach. He felt a sense of responsibility for the safety of the princess, and he would not rest or take it easy until they arrived at their destination. As he looked around the campfire, he could see Arrya's eyes flickering with the light of the flames, ever watchful.

As the evening wore on, Zane noticed that Arrya was sitting by the campfire, deep in thought. He approached her, wanting to check in and make sure everything was okay.

"Hey, Arrya," Zane said, sitting down beside her. "You've been really quiet all day. Is something wrong?"

Arrya looked up at him, a hint of a smile on her face. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about our mission. It's such an important one, and I want to make sure we do it right. I mean hell it has to do with a princess for Christ sake... what will happen to all of us if anything happens to her you know?"

"I know how you feel," Zane replied. "But I think we're ready. We've got the group, each other, we have power, and we've got the princess to protect. Besides, the gold we'll get from this mission will set us up for a few months of no work."

Arrya chuckled. "I know you're right. It's just that sometimes I can't help but feel a little nervous accepting escort jobs. You just never know how they'll end, or how they'll become in the middle of something."

Zane nodded, understanding her concern. "I get it. But we've got the upper hand here. We've got the skill, the training, and the determination to make a difference."

Arrya smiled, feeling comforted by Zane's words. "You're right. Thank you for reminding me of that. Let's get some rest and start the day refreshed tomorrow."

And with that, the two friends leaned back and watched the stars twinkling above, lost in their own thoughts, as they waited for the dawn to break.

As the sun rose, the group of adventurers packed up their tents and got ready for another day of travelling. The princess, still feeling a sense of unease from the previous day's ambush, asked her escorts if they could pick up the pace. She had urgent business to attend in the city, and every moment counted.

Zane and Arrya looked at each other, knowing what was at stake. They both nodded and gathered the rest of the caravan, urging them to move faster. The group of adventurers set off, now with a renewed sense of purpose.

As they continued their journey, the roads started to get tougher, with more hills and rocks to navigate. But the group was determined, and they worked well as a team, taking turns taking the lead and covering the princess.

As the day wore on, the group finally made it to the city gates. The city was bustling with activity, with merchants from all over the kingdom coming to trade their goods. The princess was met by her council, eager to finalize the appointments and get on with their business.

With everything in place, the group of adventurers parted ways with the princess and her council, satisfied with a job well done. They had kept her safe, and she had made it to her destination on time. With the gold in their pockets from the job Zane decided to go shopping in the city.

Zane made his way to a blacksmith which he saw on the way inside the city, who had a wide variety of armor available. After examining several options, he found a set of silver armor that caught his eye. With elegant flourishes and intricate design work, the armor was both beautiful and effective.

Zane felt a sense of excitement as he tried it on. The armor was extremely light, yet it felt like it would protect him from any attack. He also found that it was easy to move in, which was important for an adventurer like himself who needed to be agile and quick on his feet.

As he left the blacksmith's shop, Zane felt ready for anything that came his way. He was proud to have this new set of armor, and he felt ready to take on any challenge. He knew that the armor would serve him well on his next quest, and he couldn't wait to put it to the test.

Zane walked around the city for a while longer but didn't see anything else that was worth his time so he decided to rent a hotel for the night before traveling back to guild center in the morning.

As morning came in, a bright horizon emerged, birds were flying, pets began their day, and people got up and also began their day as the sun came up it was now noon. Zane got up from bed and decided now was the best time to leave. He packed up and began walking home past a forest, traveling over a river and running into some low level bandits which aren't even worth mentioning. The day grew darker and darker by the hour before Zane had realized it had became night out already. He decided to just keep walking and hope he'll make it by morning.

Zane walks off towards the direction of his guild and continued down the dirt path at night with stars shining through the light clouds around the area brightly. "Today has been one hell of a long day." Zane said to himself and continued down the pathway.