When Zetto got back to the group, Tae immediately ran up to him.
"What were you thinking, Zetto?!" she shouted, sounding really upset.
"Huh? What do you mean? You saw earlier how I handled a bigger army."
"Yes, but that was while staying hidden! That's different! And besides, you took way too long – I was losing my mind! You can't just face a twenty-man army alone! They might not be stronger, but they could be cleverer. If we lose you, that's it, do you hear me?! Aunt Meime shouldn't have left you alone."
"Alright, alright, I get it. But as you can see, I'm still standing here in one piece."
"That's not the point!" she yelled, her tail bristling.
"Oh, the first argument, how cute," Meime muttered under her breath with a smile. Between her and Maghra sat the rescued Vari. Maghra had lent her one of her dresses, which was a little too big for the Vari, especially at the top.
"What's your name?" Maghra asked, wagging her tail.
"Lobi," she said, looking down. "Thank you… I…" Lobi began to cry, and Maghra hugged her warmly.
"I know what you went through. I've been through it myself," she said gently.
"Thank you. I'm glad I'm safe now," Lobi replied, glancing at Zetto, who was still arguing with Tae. "Is the man who defeated Kahima's men and wanted to save me… the head of your pack?" she asked shyly.
Meime laughed out loud.
"You could say that, but as you can see", she gestured toward Tae and Zetto, "even the strongest leader will have a woman he can't resist."
At the same moment, Tae said:
"If you're going to take it so lightly, then there's nothing more to discuss!" and walked off.
The Messenger sighed, realizing he probably had to let it go this time.
"That's not it, Tae, wait…" Zetto reached out his hand and ran to catch up with her. He began apologizing. Tae, arms crossed, cheeks puffed, and head turned away, pretended not to listen.
"Is she one of his wives?" Lobi asked.
"Just a candidate," Meime replied with a genuine smile.
Maghra remained silent, staring sadly at the grass.
I wish I could at least be another candidate for his wife! she thought enviously.
Alice approached them after some small-talk with Yarick.
"First argument between our lovebirds, huh?" she added, with a slightly amused smile. "It's cute in its own way. Tae was really worried about him. She kept asking me if I'd seen him, even though her eyesight and hearing are better than mine," she said, finishing with a light laugh. Alice glanced at the rest of the Tiriga, who were either curiously watching Tae and Zetto argue or minding their own business.
"Hey, you two sweethearts–" Meime shouted to them. "There'll be plenty of time to make each other feel too good later", she joked, being in a good mood. "Right now, Zetto should tell us what he found out."
"Auntie Meime, can you not say it like that?!" Tae shouted, clearly annoyed. "It sounds weird."
Zetto gave her a kiss on the cheek. The surprised tigress immediately blushed.
"We'll figure it out later. For now, let me do what Meime suggested."
"Y-You're right," Tae mumbled, embarrassed.
Zetto and Tae walked over to the others by the campfire.
"It took some time, but I finally squeezed some useful info out of the bandit leader. First, Kahima's estate and the main slave market are in Sain. The other two towns are just support settlements."
"Not just that," Lobi added. "Demer and Karai are crawling with mercs spread out over dozens of kilometers. I managed to overhear some of Kahima's conversations. He said he'd have to cut costs and let some people go."
"Why does he need such a strong defensive line?" Alice asked, surprised. Yarick handed her a map.
"That's obvious," Maghra said sadly. "It's to punish the beast-people who tried to escape. Kahima, like others like him, has one rule: obedience or death."
"It's a bit smaller now," Lobi continued, "but I don't know by how much."
"Then we need to leave a safety margin," Meime said, motioning for Alice to spread out the map. "It's best to head about twenty kilometers west from Sain. If we run into anyone, it'll probably just be small, scattered groups at the edges of his lands. Kahima cares more about his slaves than his territory."
"That's true," Lobi said, her lips trembling.
"From there," Meime went on, "the road leads straight to Vinrea, Atoria's neighbor. Unfortunately, the route passes through the Mountains of Frost, where, as the name suggests, it's freezing cold. Going straight through will save another two days, but first we need furs, and second, no one goes there because of rumors about wild beasts from extinct or almost extinct species. Even though the mountains technically belong to Atoria, in practice, they're nobody's land."
"Let's go with Meime's plan," Zetto decided. "But first, I'm gonna tear Kahima's estate apart and crush every slave gang in Sain," he added, determination and a rising anger in his voice.
"In that case, we should plan the next stop after the mountain trek, at Northern Keburg."
"Oh! Northern Keburg! Zetto, that could also be a chance to make some money," Alice said enthusiastically.
The Messenger sighed.
"You're right."
"Wait, you have connections in Keburg?" Meime asked, surprised.
"You could say that. Without going into details, I owe my fortune to a noblewoman who lives there."
"Mhm," Meime said, giving him a suspicious look.
"It's not what you think, damn it! Do you always reduce everything to that?!" Zetto snapped at her smirk and teasing look. Meime just shrugged.
"I'm just checking if Tae wants to continue our line with the right person," she added, laughing.
"Auntie!" Tae exclaimed.
"Okay, okay. Back to serious stuff. From Northern Keburg, it's two and a half days to the Golden Strait. Once we cross it, we'll reach the far northeastern deserts."
"Then it's settled. We're changing the route," Zetto said.
"Thank you for wanting to save us," Lobi said sincerely, clearly moved. "I don't know why you're doing this, kind sir Zetto, but… you're our protector. My friends and I prayed every night for someone to finally get us out of this hell. You're our guardian angel."
"Don't be too sweet, but thanks," Zetto said, a bit embarrassed, unsure how to react. "I'm just glad I can help."
"I never thought I'd meet someone so good-hearted, who wouldn't look at me like I'm an animal and could actually save me," Lobi said, starting to cry again. She hugged Maghra, who helped her calm down.
Sometimes I feel like I'm the opposite of those virtues, Zetto thought bitterly. I'm starting not to understand myself at all.
"Since everything's decided, I'm going to take a nap," Meime said. "Good night."
"Good night. Sleep well, everyone. I'll take the lone watch tonight," Zetto said.
Tae, now calm, grabbed his hand.
"Aren't you taking on too much?" she asked, genuinely worried.
"I'll be fine," he smiled. "With my magic, a sleepless night is no problem."
*
The next day, in the afternoon…
Xarith appeared near Heren. He looked down at the grass, noticing the traces of the camp, then turned his gaze toward the forest.
"Not bad, former hero," he muttered to himself, a smug grin on his face. "So many angry souls, gone before their time… I'll put them to good use. Perfect material for sergeants, haha. Let's call this the start of our partnership, Messenger."
With a wide, demonic grin, he stretched his hands forward. In his mind, he heard his father's voice, repeating four words over and over:
Tell… them… to rise… in goodness…
"Wake up, scum," he shouted clearly.
The forest near Heren filled with the screams of the living dead.