One morning Amukelo's group finally left the gates of Ashvale. The sun hadn't fully risen, casting a golden tint across the treetops and rooftops behind them.
Amukelo stretched his arms as they moved down the sloping dirt path. "I really hope no one tries anything," he muttered, breaking the early quiet. "Because honestly? I just wanna see the capital. I want that peaceful, boring journey everyone always talks about."
Pao giggled behind him. "Right? I can't wait either. I wanna walk through those giant marble gates, stand in the King's palace… Maybe wear something really nice. Some kind of dress, and not just those adventurer robes."
Amukelo chuckled. "Sure. That'd be awesome. Maybe something with less bloodstains."
There was a brief lull, the sound of their boots crunching against the gravel taking over.
Then Pao spoke again, glancing sideways at him with a small frown. "But really… I don't get why everyone gets all weird when we talk. Like every time I say something to you, Bral or Bao gives me a look like I've said something weird or something. It's annoying."
Amukelo looked at her, eyebrows raised. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
She narrowed her eyes. "What?"
He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing. It's just… you're cute when you're annoyed."
Pao's face froze for a second, then turned away quickly. "You idiot," she mumbled, loud enough to hear.
A short distance behind, the diplomat turned his head slightly and muttered to Ulhem, "Are you certain these two are capable of protecting us?"
Ulhem rubbed the back of his neck, forcing a weak smile. "Ahh… I hope so…"
Roughly twenty minutes later, the gates opened again.
A group of fifteen soldiers marched out in formation. They walked in silence, like any normal patrol would.
But among the group, aside from the normal soldiers were, Bral, Idin, Bao, Jinrai, and Tharion.
As they cleared the view of the gate and got deeper into the woods, the group slowly began to shift.
Jinrai pulled his helmet off, letting out a long breath. "Alright, time to split."
Tharion, beside him, nodded and waved at the other soldiers, who would continue forward along their typical route.
Jinrai, Tharion, Bral, Idin, and Bao broke off into the woods quietly. They stayed parallel to the path, keeping eyes on the route through breaks in the trees.
Idin whispered, "We need to close in just a little more. Pao said around a few hundred meters at, right?"
"More or less," Bral replied, adjusting the belt around his waist.
Back on the road, Amukelo glanced up toward the sun. "So… how long till we reach the next settlement?"
Ulhem was walking slightly ahead, his cloak flapping gently as he turned his head back. "Normally, it'd take two days to reach Venzor. We don't travel at night, it's too dangerous. But by sunset, we should get through the worst of this wilderness. We'll make camp once it's safe enough."
He adjusted the strap of his pack. "From Venzor, it's downhill. That's where the real roads begin. If we keep pace, we'll reach the capital in five days, maybe four if we push hard."
"Sounds good," Amukelo said. "I'd like to actually see a bath with a water stream. I've heard they are in a capital."
Ulhem laughed. "Oh, you'll find plenty of those in the capital. Warm stone floors. Perfumed water. Water flows on your command."
For a while, the journey had been calm, with little more than idle chatter and the rhythmic clopping of hooves breaking the silence.
Amukelo walked slightly ahead of the wagon. Pao was seated toward the back, legs crossed and staff resting across her lap, while the diplomat and the surveyor sat inside, quietly discussing travel logistics. Ulhem led the horses pulling the cart, occasionally scanning the woods.
Then they heard a rustling sound from the cliff above.
Pao's eyes flicked upward just as something large launched down from the rise.
"Look out!" she shouted, throwing her hand forward.
A pulse of magic burst from her staff, slamming into the creature mid-air. It didn't stop it, but it diverted its fall just enough. Instead of crashing down on the wagon and splintering its axle, it smashed into the ground beside it with a shriek of frustration.
The thing was wolf-sized — a monstrous arachnid with barbed legs, glowing translucent fangs, and a thick exoskeleton marbled in black and gray. It righted itself quickly and spat a stream of green venom toward them.
Pao cast an eart wall spell, and the ground erupted before the wagon in a jagged wall of stone, catching the spit before it could reach them. The venom hissed as it sizzled against the wall and evaporated in a cloud of foul-smelling steam.
The spider-creature clicked its legs against the muddy road, backing up and preparing to leap again.
But Amukelo was already moving.
In a moment, he was across the distance. He ducked low, spun to the side of the beast, and slashed at its legs. The creature shrieked, one limb snapping in half, and staggered.
It reared back, snapping wildly at the air, but Amukelo didn't let up. He pivoted past its strikes, avoiding its fangs, then stepped in close and drove his blade straight across its head.
The creature's body convulsed, legs twitching wildly, then went limp.
Amukelo stood over it, breathing a little heavier, wiping venom off the edge of his sword on the grass. As he returned to the cart, he gave a small shiver. "Prr… I hate these types of monsters. Reminds me of places I don't wanna think about."
From the back of the wagon, the diplomat peeked over with raised brows. "Well… perhaps we are safe with them after all."
Ulhem sighed. "Looks like it. That thing would've ripped us apart."
Not far behind, cloaked by the trees and just beyond a ridge, Jinrai's group crouched in silence. From their vantage, they had a clear view of the path.
Jinrai narrowed his eyes, watching the remains of the arachnid twitch before going still. "They handled it," he murmured.
Tharion, crouching beside him, leaned closer. "Is that the enemy?"
"No," Jinrai replied. "Just a monster. Nothing unusual. They dealt with it clean."
"We will move soon," he added. "Give it a few more minutes. We don't want to risk getting too close. Keep the distance."
They remained still, blending into the trees, while Amukelo's group moved on.
The wagon pressed forward, though slower now. The trail ahead was tighter, with more undergrowth. The thick canopy blocked most of the sunlight, casting eerie shadows on the dirt path.
It didn't take long before they were attacked again.
A low hiss came from the bushes. Then another monster lunged from the side, a smaller spider-like creature this time, but faster. It darted toward the horse at the front of the cart.
Amukelo didn't let it reach. He slashed it mid-leap with his sword, severing it in half. It squealed and rolled off the trail.
But then three more came.
Pao cast a magic shield, and a shimmer of blue light flared around the wagon, and the creatures slammed into it, hissing in frustration as their claws scraped harmlessly against the shield.
"Amu!" Pao called.
He was already moving again, slashing through another that had managed to leap onto the side of the wagon. Its legs curled up as it fell lifeless to the dirt.
When the last one fled, vanishing back into the underbrush, they paused — breathing heavier now, glancing around.
Ulhem rubbed his arm. "That's more than usual."
Amukelo wiped his blade again, then turned to him. "Is this what traveling looks like for you every time?"
Ulhem shook his head. "No. Normally it's one attack. Maybe none if you're unlucky."
He looked up at the sun, then frowned. "We're at least two hours behind now. If we don't pick up the pace, we'll still be in this forest by nightfall."
He gave them a grim look. "And believe me… you don't want to be here when the sun sets. Hopefully, we don't get attacked anymore."
Pao glanced at Amukelo, then stepped back up onto the wagon. "Let's move."