81:- Journey (1)

Fast forward to about two weeks:=

Bladwin and Emma were trudging along a narrow, dusty path through the orange and desert looking hills of chemaut. They were near to the border of Illion the Red Land of Titan. The sun was relentless, beating down on them without mercy.

They both looked weary, their faces lined with exhaustion and sorrow. Emma, especially, seemed distant, her eyes glazed over with the trauma of Jake's death. She had barely spoken or eaten for a whole week, but now she was slowly trying to get back into a semblance of routine.

Emma walked ahead, her steps mechanical and her mind clearly elsewhere. Bladwin noticed her distant stare and tried to get her attention. "Emma!" he called out.

She didn't respond, her thoughts seemingly miles away. "Emma!!" he called again, louder this time, but she still didn't react. Frustration and concern laced his voice as he yelled, "Emma!!!"

Finally, Emma turned around, her face contorted with anger. She snapped, her voice trembling with emotion as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "It's all because of you. If only you wouldn't have landed in this place!" Her words were sharp, filled with the raw pain of loss and helplessness. She yelled, her voice breaking, and her body shaking as she gasped for breath, the tears flowing uncontrollably.

Bladwin watched helplessly as Emma's strength gave out. She swayed on her feet, her legs giving way beneath her. In an instant, he rushed forward, catching her before she could hit the ground.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I know that," he whispered, his voice filled with guilt and sorrow.Emma's body went limp as she fell unconscious. Bladwin carefully lifted her onto his back, securing her as best as he could.

He started walking again, his steps heavy with the weight of their shared grief. "If only I wasn't here," he muttered to himself, his mind filled with regrets.

Bladwin's thoughts wandered as he walked, Emma's weight on his back a constant reminder of the burden he felt. He replayed the events that had led them here, the moments that had shattered their world.

The image of Jake, bloodied and lifeless, haunted his every step. He couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility, the sense that he had brought this suffering upon them.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the landscape, Bladwin found a sheltered spot under a large orange tree with leaves that looked like they were about to fall, as if the season autumn had started. He gently laid Emma down, arranging their makeshift bedding to make her as comfortable as possible.

He checked her for any signs of fever or injury, relieved to find her physically unscathed but emotionally battered.

Bladwin sat beside her, staring into the fading light. Emma woke sluggishly, looked around, and then pressed her head against the bark of the tree that was supporting her.

She looked at Bladwin and spoke with her face hung down. "I'm sorry."Bladwin was abruptly disturbed from his thoughts and looked at her.

"Nah, no need for it. You were right."Emma looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm sorry for my anger. Jake never taught me to talk like that."

Bladwin sighed and glanced at her, seeing the pain in her eyes. Then he went back to staring at the stars, the weight of their journey pressing on him. "It's okay," he said softly. "You should sleep now because tomorrow we will be entering Illion The Red Land. So rest well for the night."

Emma nodded, wiping away her tears. She lay down on their makeshift bedding, trying to find some comfort in the harsh reality they were facing.

Bladwin stayed awake a while longer, his mind filled with thoughts of what lay ahead. The Red Land was known for its harsh terrain and dangerous inhabitants, and he knew they would need all their strength and wits to make it through.

Morning came too quickly, and the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees. Bladwin gently shook Emma awake. "Time to go," he said quietly.

They gathered their belongings and set off once more. The landscape gradually changed as they approached The Red Land. The soil turned a deep, rusty red, and the vegetation grew sparse and twisted.

The air felt heavier, filled with the scent of dry earth and distant danger.Bladwin kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings, knowing that bandits and wild animals were common in this area.

They walked in silence, the tension between them eased but the weight of their loss still present.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the leader sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed. "A couple of lost souls wandering into our territory."

Bladwin stepped protectively in front of Emma, his metal hand on the butt of his Gun inside his cloak. "We don't want any trouble," he said calmly, but his voice was firm.

The leader laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Trouble's already here, friend. Hand over everything you've got." His eyes slid over to Emma, a lustrous gleam in them. He licked his lips and sneered, "And that girl, maybe then I'll let you go. Don't worry, we'll take good care of your daughter."

The bandit's long face with a bent nose, tough black eyes, and a long tongue lolling out of his mouth made him look grotesque. The other bandits smiled at their leader's proclamation, their eyes filled with the same malicious intent. Behind them, two women and a old man were tied up, captives of these ruthless criminals.

Bladwin's fury ignited at the leader's lecherous suggestion. His voice turned icy as he spoke, "And here I thought, I'd give you a swift death." With a swift, practiced motion, Bladwin pulled out his gun and fired two precise headshots, taking down two of the underlings instantly. He aimed for the leader, but the man dodged, narrowly avoiding the bullet.

"Emma, get down!" Bladwin shouted as he pushed her towards the cover of a massive rock. The bandits scrambled, pulling out Thompsons, but it took them a moment to ready their weapons. The leader's scream pierced the chaos, "KILL HIM!!!!!"

Bladwin assessed the situation quickly. There were about 19 bandits in total, now reduced to 17. He sprinted to the left, where three bandits stood near the edge of the clearing. Bullets flew past him, only hitting his afterimage. With deadly precision, he put a bullet in one's head and used the hidden metal blade in his arm to decapitate another.

Using the body of the decapitated bandit as a shield, Bladwin advanced, taking out two more bandits with well-aimed shots. As the lifeless body absorbed the incoming bullets,

Bladwin discarded it and charged at a bandit reloading his gun. The man's eyes widened in terror. "It's better to change to a knife than to reload," Bladwin advised coldly before severing the man's head with a swift slash.

The remaining bandits, now down to 13, were in disarray. Those with guns were frantically trying to reload, while the others, armed with melee weapons, hesitated.

Bladwin quickly dispatched the gun-wielding bandits, leaving seven terrified men. His cold eyes bore into them, promising death.With agility and lethal precision, Bladwin jumped and eliminated the remaining bandits, leaving only their leader. The man had already turned tail, running away from the massacre.

"Where are you going?" Bladwin muttered coldly. Bladwin aimed carefully and shot him in the legs, bringing him down with a scream of pain.

Bladwin approached the fallen leader, grabbing him by his hair and dragging him back towards the clearing. The man whimpered and struggled and yelled " You Monster", but Bladwin's grip was unyielding.

He threw the leader to the ground, staring down at him with contempt. The leader's earlier arrogance was replaced by sheer terror as he faced the man who had single-handedly decimated his crew."Please... don't kill me," the leader begged, his voice shaking.

"Please... don't kill me," the leader begged, his voice shaking. Bladwin didn't listen to any of his pleas.

With cold determination, he grabbed the leader's jaw with his metal hand and shattered it within his grip. The sickening crunch of bone breaking was drowned by the leader's gurgled screams.

Bladwin then seized the knife the bandit leader had picked up during the struggle.Without a second thought, Bladwin drove the blade from the leader's neck down to his chest, slicing through skin and muscle.

Blood gushed from the gaping wound, splattering Bladwin's face and cloak. He felt the warm spray against his skin, a grim reminder of the brutality of survival.

The leader's eyes rolled back, and his body went limp as life drained out of him.Bladwin discarded the lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground with a thud.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He loosened his blood soaked cloak and let it fall to the ground revealing a clean black blueish armor underneath. The cloak had taken the brunt of the blood sparing his clothes from the mess. He turned to Emma who was behind the rock looking at him with fear evident in her eyes.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Bladwin cleaned his face with a cloth, wiping away the blood that had splattered during the fight. His hands were steady, but his mind raced with the intensity of what had just transpired.

Once he felt composed, he turned his attention to the captives who had survived the ordeal.Bladwin approached the middle-aged man, who was bound and gagged, fear and hope mingling in his eyes.

Bladwin knelt down and gently pulled out the cloth that was stuffed in the man's mouth. The man gasped, taking deep breaths of the cool evening air. Bladwin then began to untie the ropes that bound his hands and feet.

"Thank you," the man croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse and dehydration. "I thought we were done for."Bladwin nodded, his expression serious. "Are you hurt?"

The man shook his head. "Just bruises. But the women, they might need help." He gestured towards the two women who were also tied up nearby, their eyes wide with fear and uncertainty.

Bladwin moved swiftly to free the women, carefully untying them and helping them to their feet. "Are you both okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.One of the women nodded, tears streaming down her face. "We're shaken, but we'll be alright. Thank you for saving us."The other woman, though silent, clung to her companion, clearly traumatized by the experience.

Bladwin just looked at them with a straight face. Emma, who had been watching from behind the rock, slowly approached them. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red from crying.

She looked at the freed captives with a mixture of empathy and sorrow. Bladwin again looked at the group the middle aged man had black long hair with his ocean blue eyes. And the woman bboth looked like sisters with blonde hair and same ocean blue eyes like the man. Bladwin addressed the group, his voice firm but kind. "We need to move from here. It's not safe. Can you walk?"

The middle-aged man nodded, taking charge of the situation. "We can manage. Where are you headed?"

Bladwin processed his question and answered, "Illion."The man smiled, relief evident on his face. "Fortunately, we are also going back to Illion. Can we come with you?"

Bladwin contemplated for a moment, scrutinizing the man and his companions. They appeared to be decent people, their clothes of a higher quality than the typical wanderer's. Perhaps they were higher middle class or even nobility.

After weighing the risks, he nodded. "Yes, sure."The man smiled gratefully. Bladwin gestured for them to move out. The man, however, spoke up, "Just wait, let me get my things from these robbers."

Bladwin watched as the man rummaged through the bandits' belongings, retrieving a bag that presumably contained his possessions. As he did so, Bladwin muttered to himself, "Thank God I don't have a habit of scavenging like Ichiro has."

The man returned, clutching a bag in his hand. Bladwin nodded in acknowledgment and gestured for them to move away from the spot.

They walked in silence for a while, the events of the past hours weighing heavily on them all.Bladwin led the way, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

Emma walked beside him, still shaken but showing remarkable resilience. The middle-aged man and the two women followed closely, their faces reflecting a mixture of relief and apprehension.

As they walked, the man introduced himself with a friendly demeanor. "I'm Arlen Kashan, by the way. These are my twin sisters, Arya and Anya."

Bladwin nodded at their introduction, contemplating for a moment before he decided to introduce himself. "I'm Crank Zent, and this is my daughter Anna."

Bladwin extended his hand for a handshake, which Arlen accepted warmly. Emma, observing the exchange, was momentarily surprised by Bladwin's sudden alias but quickly understood his cautious intentions.

She knew he didn't completely trust this group yet.Emma followed Bladwin's lead. "Hi, I'm Anna August."This time, it was Bladwin who was caught off guard, though he kept his surprise hidden.

Internally, he wondered if she was connected to someone named August or if she had simply chosen a random name. He decided he'd ask her later.

Arlen, seemingly unaware of the internal musings of his new companions, nodded at their introductions. "So, shall we start moving?"

Bladwin, snapping out of his thoughts, responded, "Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's move."

As they started moving, Bladwin took the opportunity to ask, "So, how far is it to the city of Illion?"

Arlen replied, "Is this your first time visiting? It's about two to three days' journey from here."

Bladwin nodded, "Yeah, it's our first time."

Arlen acknowledged this with a nod as well. The group continued their journey, with the quiet hum of the environment providing a backdrop to their cautious yet steady progress.

Fast forward four days, Bladwin and Emma finally reached Illion. During their journey, Emma had begun to open up a bit to the cheerful twin, Anya, finding solace in their conversations. The city of Illion greeted them with bustling streets and towering buildings, a stark contrast to the wilderness they had traversed. The City had the most use of Color Red with normal houses to towers in red. They seemed to use red brick.

Upon arrival, Bladwin and Emma discovered that Arlen and his crew were nobles with control over the city. Their initial suspicion was confirmed: they had been kidnapped with the intention of being used as ransom.

Despite this revelation, Arlen took a liking to Bladwin and attempted to recruit him into his guards. Bladwin, however, respectfully declined, determined to continue their own mission.

Bladwin and Emma spent two additional days in Illion, planning their next move.

Before their departure, Arlen, perhaps out of respect or a sense of guilt, gifted them a substantial sum of money and a black Hummer SUV to expedite their journey. Bladwin mentioned that they were heading to Suca, and Arlen, understanding the dangers of the Gjallahorn patrols, gave him a family pendulum.

This pendulum would serve as a symbol of nobility, potentially aiding them in navigating through hostile territories.

Anya, having formed a bond with Emma, presented her with a small knife. Emma accepted the gift with a bright smile and sincere thanks, her eyes shining with gratitude.

As they prepared to leave, Bladwin and Emma bid their farewells to Arlen and his sisters. With the engine of their new grey Hummer humming, they drove out of Illion, heading towards their next destination. The city faded into the distance behind them, and the open road lay ahead.

.

.

.

.

.

...

patreon.com/RoyanTheGreat