Swinging her blades, Aria danced with grace under the morning sky. The group of vigilant escort knights were also entranced by her smooth movements, especially coming from a young girl. After warming up, she wiped off her sweat and returned to her tent where Catherine just woke up.
"Good morning, Aria. You are truly diligent with your morning practices."
"Yeah, I have been doing it for years and missing out on it feels rather off. Come on, your mother makes us some breakfast."
The smell of cooked grains filled the air as Catherine's mother, Astrea, scooped out a ladle of boiled wheat with herbs and dried meat into several small bowls. She handed each filled bowls to her travelling companions including the knights who were escorting them. As they consumed their meals, their sluggish body began to warm up, combating the chilly weather.
"A warm meal is the best in this sort of weather." Catherine savoured her food to the end. "Mom's food is really good that it captured father's heart. Thanks as always."
"Hahaha. It is a mother's duty to feed my family, so that you will be able to face any challenges." Astrea collected and washed the empty bowls in a pot of water that Aria made with her magic. Several blacksmith apprentices and knights aided in the clean up.
"Everyone, we need to pack things up and continue with our journey. We will be an open target for several beasts roaming the area, especially when this fog is obscuring our vision." Lucio and his apprentices began packing up their belongings and tents; folding and loading everything onto their carriages. "And thank you ma'am for feeding my group with your meal."
"Oh please, you do not have to worry about that. In fact, I have to thank you for allowing us to tag along your carriages."
"It is not that big of a burden for us. I am however, worry about your health. Are you sure about cooking every meal for us?"
"I am very sure. I may not be at the peak of my health, but I am more than capable of handling the cooking."
"Well, if you say so, but please, allow me and my crew to help you out with the other things."
"That will be helpful." Astrea beamed a sweet smile to Lucio, making him feel as if he was at home with his loving mother.
The entire group continued their journey through the vast wilderness dominated by tall grasses and the occasional gatherings of trees. The escort knights were keeping their attentions on the surroundings and one of them spotted something moving among the grasses. Fearing that they would be ambushed by bandits, he signaled his companions, and true to their discipline, readied their weapons.
Suddenly, a huge creature emerged from the vegetations and charged at the moving caravans. Aria and the knights leapt out to confront the attacker. As the creature continued, the knights held up their shield and repelled the charge before simultaneously plunging their swords into the enemy. The beast felled immediately without struggle. Aria witnessed the coordination and immediate response of the knights with awe, but fixed her attention to the creature.
"Miss, you do not have to be too cautious. They are Sultier's knights; renown for their prowess that send shivers upon their enemies." Lucio sat back without any worry. Aria, however, continued to observe the carcass.
"I supposed this is a Common Ground Hog." A knight blurted out to his companions. "But, why does it has such a large tusk? And this one seems larger than those I have ever seen."
"Maybe this is a new species. Anyways let us just take it with us and dismantle it in the next town. We can get some pretty sweet money and I bet we can get a large quantity of meat from just this one." Another knight began to drag the carcass onto their carriage and this triggered the others to assist.
"You should drain the blood first." Catherine suggested to the knights. "Leaving a bloody trail will attract other monsters."
"Worry not young lady, we are close to the next town. Those monsters will not casually approach any human settlements, especially one that big." The knight reassured her.
Catherine just shook in disbelief, giving up as she returned to her seat. Aria too returned to sit beside Catherine and whispered to her. "That is not a Common Ground Hog, but a type of fanged beast called Bullfango."
"Is it a dangerous monster?"
"About as much as a Jaggi or Jaggia. They are ferocious and will charge at just about anything with their tusks."
"Ah, you mean that purplish monsters. Then I guess it should not be much of a problem to the inhabitants around here since many low ranking adventurers can take it down."
"It may be true for the humans, but it can destroy the balance of the local ecosystem. It loves to eat mushrooms and compete with the locals who depend on them. Besides, I am afraid that a bigger individual is out there roaming around the area."
"You mean, like the leader of the herd; similar to that purple things."
"Yes." Aria scanned around their surrounding, trying to sense any hostile presence. "As of right now, I do not sense its presence, but it seems there are several of these Bullfango roaming around the area. I hope they do not pose too much of a problem around here."
The horses continued to pull the carriages and as the sun began to dominate the sky, the tip of a city poked above the horizon. The city gradually came into full view, but a sudden commotion rang as knights gathered around the front gate while travelers scattered around in a panic.
"It seems there is an attack! Everyone, we will ride fast to assist!" The knight captain shouted his order. "You and you will remain to keep watch of the escorts. The rest of you, ready your weapons!"
"That is a gigantic Common Ground Hog! How does it get that big!?" A knight rode fast on his horse while unsheathing his blade. "We will route that thing away from the main road before taking it down!"
"I will help!" Aria leapt out and ran alongside the knights. Several knights riding horses were racing far in front in order to distract the beast.
"Me too!" Catherine as well, followed behind Aria and began looking around for a proper vantage point.
As they approached, the beast noticed the presence of the approaching knights and changed its target from the front gate towards the knights. The surroundings were littered with the small beasts that the escort group encountered earlier; several Bullfangos were also agitated and were ramming at random. Knights and adventurers could be seen trying to ward off the numerous beasts.
As the knights on horseback noticed that they had the attention of the largest beast, they scattered to avoid the charge attack. The large beast was bewildered, but continued to target the knights. The charging pattern of the monster was straightforward, allowing the knights to expertly maneuvered around and led it away from the front gate to the grassland north of the city. Seeing the leader moving towards the plain, the smaller Bullfangos followed.
"Aria, what is that big monster?! Is it the Great Bullfango?!"
"No, it is called Bulldrome. That is the eldest and most powerful of the herd and similar to Rathian, its weakness is lightning."
"Haha, good news then!" Catherine found a nearby rock formation and jumped up, ready to shoot her arrows while Aria and the other knights rushed towards the epicenter of the battlefield.
The knights arrived first and used their shields to bash against the Bulldrome's left flank. The beast, despite its massive 9 meters bulky body, were pushed back from the combined strength of the knights. Several Bullfango were charging at the incoming knights, but were easily neutralised by the calvary who used their spears to stab them. The discipline, coordination and power of the knights were displayed in plain sight.
Aria leapt and spun along the beast while simultaneously slashing its back. With every slash, the lightning generated electrified the beast, causing immense pain. The knights formed a phalanx formation and charged at the beast again to topple it. They continuously rammed against the left side of the monster and with the aid of Catherine's arrow, the Bulldrome finally toppled over as it struggled to regain its balance. Having its softer underbelly exposed, the knights stabbed mercilessly with their blades, trying to inflict maximum injuries upon the vulnerable beast. Aria as well, joined in and unleased her devastating slashes.
However, as quickly as the beast toppled, it kicked about and jumped to regain its posture just as quick. It let out a roar and was fuming as it swung its massive tusks around to ward off the attackers. The knights were able to avoid the attacks by jumping back or raising their shield to defend against the impact. Some were unfortunately thrown off, but were able to regain their footing before the Bulldrome charged at them.
The charge, originally in a straight line, was now curved, catching them off-guard as the beast turned around in a circle to attack their flank. Luckily, the knight captain, riding a horse, led 2 of his men to intercept the charge by using the speed of their horses and drove their spears deep into the beast's ribs. The Bulldrome deviated from its path and missed the knights who were on foot.
"Do not let your guard down you fools!" The captain roared angrily. "Once we are back, I will double your training routine!"
The knights who heard his angry voice shivered and focused. They formed a line in front of the beast who recovered and charged at the row of knights, trying to breakthrough; but as it approached the formation, the knights at the center parted and gave way to the beast, positioning themselves on each side of the charging Bulldrome. They held out their blades and used the beast own momentum to their advantage as it ran through the rows of blades that cut its flank. The knights usually used this desperate tactic to counter calvary units in times of emergency. With several cuts appearing on its sides, the Bulldrome flinched and stumbled, eventually stopping after a few rolls. The injured beast got back up and readied its stance to charge before it was ambushed by another calvary charge.
"We are sorry for taking so long to respond!" A knight who was leading the calvary shouted as he maneuvered his unit to assist the escort knights. "We are the knights in charge of this city! Thank you for your aid! Everybody, into formation!"
"Took them long enough." One of the escort knight muttered under her breath before focusing back on her mission with the rest of her companions. "We will be switching towards taking down the smaller hogs, but do not underestimate them!"
The calvary unit took on the mantle and rushed towards Bulldrome in formation to encircle it. The beast, having recovered, stood back up, but was immediately confused with the many horses galloping around, making it difficult to pinpoint any single target for its charge. In the act of desperation, it picked a random direction and charged out in an attempt to break out of the encirclement. The knights who were on its line of attack rode away to avoid the charge while the others took immediate action and launched their attacks from the rear. The halberds sliced the Bulldrome, making it writhed in pain and before long, the calvary knights had encircled it once again.
Aria decided to assist the knights who were cleaning up the Bullfango, but was keeping an eye on the Bulldrome just in case. Catherine as well, was overseeing the whole battlefield and sniping whenever there was a chance.
The number of rampaging Bullfangos had dwindled considerably with several escaping north, and the Bulldrome decided to retreat as well. Due to being assaulted by the encircling tactics conducted by the knights. It began to limp with saliva dripping from its mouth. Seeing an opportunity, the calvary broke formation with the command from its leader and charged from all direction with their weapons in an attempt to deliver the final blow on the creature. As their attacks connected, the Bulldrome let out a final squeal before collapsing.
"The monster has been subjugated!" The calvary leader declared triumphantly. "We will proceed to take care of the smaller monsters! Do not let your guard down until every beasts have been subjugated and cleared from the area!"
The leftover Bullfangos were taken down soon after.
***
"We have to take the long way around from the northern gate of the city since the western gate was constantly attacked by that monster." The leader of the calvary unit, a tall man with bulging muscles named Morlow, explained to the leader of the escort knights. "To be honest, it is quite embarrassing that our response was delayed and we are grateful for your help, Tristan"
"We are only fulfilling our duty as knights of the Sultier house. Besides, you can drop the formal way of talking, are we not buddies who endured hell together when training under that crazy instructor." Tristan patted Morlow's back as they walked towards the west gate. By the time they arrived, the gate had been opened and the Bullfangos had been taken down. The escort carriages arrived soon after and they all entered the city together.
"We have received the letter about the escorted subjects. I know it is a little odd, but let me welcome all of you. I am the leader of the knight order in charge of this magnificent city, Marlow. Dear guests, welcome to Orgostow, the mining town of Sultier Earldom."
As they passed the city gate, they were greeted with rows of buildings bustling with activities. Several carts were pulled by people, horses and oxen along the wide road, carrying several rocks presumed to be ores mined from the various caves dug at the base of mountains that dotted the region around Orgostow. The city was blessed with natural resources where several precious ores and gems were discovered within the land, making it the center of mineral processing that contributed to the prosperity of Sultier domain. Aria was intrigued by the various ores she saw being transported and at the city center, several workers were seen smelting the ores or cutting gems.
"By the way, you should quickly asked the guild to dismantle and collect the carcasses of those creatures, especially that giant one out there."
"Yeah, we should." Morlow scratched his cheek as if embarrassed. "Honestly, it has been too long since I last saw you that I forgot about it and the suddenness of the situation make me feel relieved that it is over."
"Hahaha. You will be scolded heavily by teacher for that, but I see no problem since it is a small matter. We also encounter one specimen on our journey here and thus, I would like for it to be processed as well. Though I am curious what those creatures are. I have never seen them around here"
"Well, me neither."
"Miss Aria, do you know what those creatures are?" Tristan turned around and faced Aria.
"They are all the same creatures, with the larger one being their elder and apparently, the strongest of the herd. They are called Bullfango, but the leader is called Bulldrome." Aria replied nonchalantly. "By the way, are we going to depart today or are we going to spend a day here?"
"Ideally, we should depart as soon as possible. What do you say Morlow?"
"We are done with the preparation and are ready to move out as soon as possible. We will arrive at the next city by tomorrow afternoon even if we depart in the evening. But miss, how do you know about those foreign creatures?"
"Read about them somewhere."
"... I see. However, I have heard some news that other regions have spotted several anomalies including the appearance of unknown creatures. The world is changing in an unpredictable direction."
"That is worrisome." Aria recalled her several dreams and clenched her fists. "Captain Morlow, this is just me mumbling to myself, but I think it would be better if we used the carcasses to craft weapons or armours just like what the blacksmiths at Lapis city did. Notes describing those monsters shall be dropped at the adventurer's guild."
"..." After a long silence, Morlow escorted everybody to the eastern gate of Orgostow where the next group of escort knights were waiting. "Miss Aria, Catherine and Tristan shall follow me to the adventurer's guild to write a report. The rest of you are to stay here and if any of you need to answer the call of nature, make sure to have at least 1 guard escorting you."
"We are not going to run away and risked becoming a criminal." Lucio remarked indifferently and climbed into his carriage to lay down. "Do wake me up when all of you are done with your business, but do not make it too long."
Aria, Catherine and Tristan followed Morlow's lead to the guild where he asked the staff to escort them to the guild master's office. Morlow also informed the staff to prepare for the dismantling and transportation of the monsters they had subjugated outside of the city wall.
Inside the office, the guild master, a lady named Ester, welcomed them and offered them a seat while preparing tea. "First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for helping in getting rid of those beasts."
"It is our duty. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that our response was late." Morlow bowed respectfully. "We were helped by these 2 young adventurers and the escort knights that just happened to arrive at the best timing. On another note, I would like to officially ask the help of the guild to dismantle the beasts and harvest their parts to be made into functional equipment. We, of the knight order, will provide the necessary funds."
"Well, that is indeed what should be done. Afterall, the knights were the one who took care of those monsters. I will also ensure that all the administrative and inventory works be done to our upmost effort. Any adventurers who tried to steal or sneak out the collected materials will have their registration revoked and handed to the knight order for disciplinary action."
"Most appreciated. We would like some papers and writing tools to note down our reports on the subjugation of those beasts."
"Of course. I assume that you will also be writing for the mayor as well and so, take as much as you need from those stacks over there. I will leave the room to supervise the dismantling operation, so you can take your time. Brew some more tea for yourselves if you want to or ask some of the staff adept in fire magic for help." Ester stood up and leave the room with her coat.
"Leaving us alone in her office... She is still the same." Tristan remarked while sighing inwardly. "But that does show her level of trust on us."
"Hahaha, I have gotten used to it. Anyway, let us start writing."
The 4 people started to write in as much detail as they could remember. Aria also wrote information about the monsters and the possible equipment that could be made from their materials. They continued for almost 2 hours before everyone completed their reports with Aria taking the longest. Morlow took a look at the description of the Bullfango and the Bulldrome. "Fanged beast? 2 stars and 3 stars? I assume the stars represent their danger level?"
"Yes. There is huge leap in the difficulty to take them down with every stars. I do not know what other strange monsters will appear in the future, but I believe that it would be wise to prepare for any incoming threats. Communicating these sort of information, even to other nations across the continents or those located beyond the oceans can help us in the long run."
"Miss Aria, I know you are not very trusting, or rather, you only trusted Mona. But I hope you will open up to more people and trust them to keep your secret." Morlow got down on his knees and looked at Aria in the eyes. "I am sorry for what had happened to you and your late mother, but I wish to repay the kindness that your mother had shown me when I was abandoned on the streets. I swear to lend you my strength when you need my help."
"In that case, I want you to protect this land and its people. Communicate well with the adventurers guild. You may find new information about any new creatures that appear."
"... I will." Morlow stood back up and compiled all the reports, taking some to be submitted to the city mayor.
They left the room and informed the staffs to send their greeting to the guild master before leaving. Morlow led the team back to the gathering location before parting way and headed to the mayor's mansion. Tristan too, bid the people he and his team had been escorting farewell. He passed the scroll that contained the information of the subjects to the leader of the next escort knights group.
The escorted group left Orgoslow with the sun still above in the sky. They had simple lunch of bread and dried meat along the journey. As they moved along the road, the surroundings began to change into a more mountainous terrain and they continued until they reached a small village where they rested for the night.
The journey onwards was rather peaceful and enjoyable other than the plummeting of temperature as they were entering the valleys of several mountains that seemed to have spread over from the North. Some ice chunk could be seen floating along the river that they visited to refill their water and occasionally, to bathe; Catherine was complaining while shivering and proceeded to ask Aria to warm her with fire magic once they returned to the carriages. Catherine's mother, Astrea, was the most affected from the weather and wore several layers of clothing borrowed from the resilient knights.
They had to spend most of their nights camping under the frigid environment since the villages dotting the area were few and far in between. Aria spent most of her time jotting down notes on scrolls provided by Lucio about crafting equipment while on the carriage. Lucio was reading some of the finished scrolls; asking Aria on some pointers about monster types and their materials. Catherine went out hunting and foraging with some of the escort knights to enrich their meal with nutrients to combat the cold.
Once they exited the dreaded valleys, they were greeted with the largest lake in Sultier earldom: Effunden Lake or what the locals would call as the Pouring Spring. The lake was divided into 2 parts with a massive waterfall separating the smaller upstream and the gigantic downstream area. Many rivers coming from the northern mountains ended in this lake.
The travelling group emerged from the northwest of the upper lake area and had to descend by going around to the eastern part of the lake where the downward slope was gentler. As the sun was going to disappear into the horizon, the group hastened their travel since they did not wish to spend another night camping in the wild. They crossed several rivers on wooden bridges before heading south where they spotted several locals foraging in the forest to their left.
A large city was built on the southeast of the lower lake that sustained itself with the blessings of the lake. Many citizens of the city known as Pisciyth earned their living by mostly fishing and foraging. The escort group entered through the northern gate when the sky had barely turned dark and enjoyed their dinner of freshly grilled fishes before retiring for the night.
The same transfer process occurred with the knight order of Pisciyth where another group of escort knights would be formed to continue the journey.
"By tomorrow, we will reach the border of this territory." Lucio remarked as he finished eating his portion of fish stew while sitting on his carriage. "Once we reach the checkpoint, me and my team are going down south to where the capital is. How about the rest of you?"
"Both me and my mother will be following you south to the capital as well." Catherine collected Lucio's bowl and washed the collected bowls using her water magic before storing them. "I hope we will not be too much of a burden."
"You are welcome to accompany us anytime. Besides, Astrea's cooking is good and you can hunt well, so I do not mind at all. What about you miss Aria?"
"I am still deciding, but I may want to head north." Aria cautiously moved her eyes towards the escort knights who were watching over them. "I want to explore the mountainous rural area first before visiting the bustling capital city."
"At this time, the north is still covered with snow and battered with storm. Are you sure you will be alright?" Astrea was concerned and looked at Aria, pleading her to reconsider.
"Thank you for the concern, but I have always wanted to explore the northern region and experience the culture there. I heard that it is like a different world." Aria smiled sweetly at Astrea while holding her hands, but her eyes continued to watch the knights. "What is important, is for us to follow our desire and keep ourself healthy. I will survive no matter what, so let us meet again in the future."
"Mother, Aria is more resilient than any other adventurers I have met. You should have seen how she fought against that flying beast in the Cloudy Jungle. It was a sight to behold, so I am sure she will overcome any obstacle that nature provides."
"Cathy, you should never underestimate nature. Many young adventurers died because of arrogance. I prayed everyday for your safety, so that I will not lose another loved one." Astrea looked at Catherine with a sadden expression as if remembering the death of her husband and oldest daughter before turning back to Aria. "Miss, I know that you are strong and very capable for your age, but please be careful out there. You may have a lot of other concerns that I do not understand, but there is no shame in running away and relying on others who are willing to share your hardship. Life goes on despite the scars that you have to carry."
"...Thank you." With a single gratitude, Aria finally looked at Astrea in the eyes. The group got on the carriages and moved southeast after exiting the southern gate of Pisciyth. Throughout the journey, Aria continued chatting with her companions; trying to appear cheerful and excited on the upcoming adventure.
The escort group finally arrived at the checkpoint where a small gated city with towers marked the border of Sultier Earldom. Their identities were verified and recorded before the escorted individuals were allowed to pass through the gate. Inside, knights, adventurers and merchants dominated the population percentage with the latter 2 groups only staying temporarily for their journey across different domains.
Aria and her group were escorted across the city towards the eastern gate where they were finally freed from the knights watch. Catherine, Astrea, Lucio and his group proceeded to begin their preparation to move south on the carriages while Aria packed enough supplies to move north. They waved goodbye to each other as the carriages traveled further away from Aria who was trying to smile as sweetly as she could before turning around to face her journey.
"... I am quite a bad liar, am I?" Aria donned on her gears and trekked her way up the slope to the northern domains.