Chapter 247 - Part of the Job

It was late in the afternoon on the following day when the carriage came across a line of horse drawn carts heading the other direction.

Contrary to the closed, boxy designs of personal carriage common in the city, these wooden carts were open and wide. They were designed to carry goods, but these were filled with passengers. The worn out clothes and tired gazes from the passengers told tales of a long journey. 

Char Char looked down from her perch on the top of the cart. She sat next to Firuzeh, occupying a spot on the side of the roof behind Kai, who was driving the cart. She had changed into uniform slacks and wore a buttoned long sleeved shirt with the Red Lion crest sewn onto the shoulder. On her head she wore a brimmed cap with a black mask concealing the top half of her face. The other two exalted wore similar uniforms, making her fit right in.

She frowned as she looked at the people riding in the carts. Elders, men, women and children, her gut instinct told her there were four or five separate households all making their way to the north. In addition, a number of rougher looking men walked or rode next to the carts carrying swords and bows. Their gazes were wary but relaxed as they assessed Char Char’s group and deemed them not a threat.

“They’re related to those riders we passed not too long ago. Remember, I told you they looked like advance scouts.” Firuzeh spoke into her ear, also eyeing the group, “From the style of the dress this group seems to be from the south, closer to the border. Look, some of them are still wearing leather wristbands and beaded accessories.”

“Where are they going?” Char Char asked, “They look exhausted.”

“They’re looking for a place to settle, away from the border.” Firuzeh said in a low voice, “From what we’ve heard, the aftermath of Deka’s failed resurrection hasn’t just affected the forests around Noga, but is causing wide-spread turmoil in the Fuha Wastelands.

“We’ve heard rumours of Life-attuned sacred sites becoming overrun by terrible beasts and plant life. Crops mutating into inedible blood-filled fruit. The people of Fuha were already struggling before, but now it seems more and more have been forced to migrate to survive.

“We’re coming up alongside them. Look sharp, like I showed you. Relaxed hold on your sheath. Acknowledge their escorts with eye contact but don’t hold it. Confidence without aggression.”

Char Char did as she was told, resting her left hand gently on Hakuya’s sheathed sword next to her. 

This deep into the country, far from major city centers like Noga or Boundary, their carriage drew many curious eyes. A carriage with a few hired guards was a fairly standard setup for a well-to-do traveler within the country, but it was still uncommon.

Char Char counted twelve armed men, outnumbering their entire group by more than three times. Her mind recollected stories that Firuzeh had told of her experiences, warning of the increasing dangers of travel in Kumin in past months. Sneak attacks and ambushes could end a journey in a blink of an eye. There were even bandit groups that maintained the appearance of traveling families, attacking vulnerable or weak looking targets when the opportunity arose. 

Thus, the most important role that the uniforms played was deterrence. A calm alertness, confidence begetting hidden strength.

Char Char maintained her posture as the two groups passed by each other on the dirt path. She looked into the vulnerable, exhausted eyes of a little girl and found it strange that she had to resist smiling back or waving. The rough men stared at her as they passed, noting her slim form, her feminine jawline, her amber eyes beneath the black mask. She met their gaze then passed on, following Firuzeh’s instructions.

“Good.” Firuzeh said, after they’d passed.

“Were they bad guys?” Char Char asked, resisting the urge to look back.

“Who knows.” Firuzeh said with a casual shrug, “The distinction between an honest person and a criminal is one of desperation and opportunity.”

Char Char frowned, feeling Firuzeh’s words form a pit in her stomach. She looked up to Firuzeh, but sometimes her mentor’s world view felt a bit… mercenary.

They traveled along the road for another hour, enjoying a slightly overcast sky that spared them from the blazing sun’s heat. The dirt roads gradually grew wider and firm, merging with other roads from the surrounding farms and villages as they got closer to their destination.

They ended up joining paths with a few other carts and travelers, forming a small procession heading into the town at the end of a long day. These people were clearly locals, in far better condition and mood than the Fuha caravan from earlier. They chatted animatedly amongst each other, sharing gossip stories.

Char Char maintained her stoic, relaxed posture on top of the carriage, following Firuzeh’s lead of smiling at people and engaging in polite but brief chit chat.

As the path grew more crowded a cart filled with corn bushels pulled up beside them. After a while, a little girl of around twelve years of age that was sitting in the cart caught Char Char’s attention. The girl, wearing a simple dress with a bright blue flower in her hair, kept looking at Char Char with big, curious eyes. 

“What’s your name?” Char Char smiled brightly at her, but the little girl just kept staring without a response, her body rocking side to side with the rumbling of the cart. 

“We’re here!” One of the cart drivers announced as they rounded the top of the next hill. Both Char Char and the girl’s attention was pulled away to the front.

The sun was starting to set as the tall grey stone walls of the town came into view. A joyful cheer came from the townspeople, and the energy of the group picked up as they reached the final legs of their journey. 

Bright blue and grey flags fluttered above the battlements of the walls which rose and dipped with the gentle rolling hills that the town was built on. From the top of the hill, Char Char could see past the ten meter high walls to the clay shingled rooftops beyond.

It was a tightly packed city, but unlike Noga, which sprawled out of its original ring, it was completely contained within the walls. The fields immediately outside the town were filled with flower beds. A cathedral with sweeping arches and a tall spire formed the centrepiece for the town, glowing orange in the setting sun’s light.

The massive iron gate was raised, allowing free passage for the carts and people entering and leaving the town. Char Char could see another road on the far west side of the city that was also serving the city, with people looking like ants in the distance.

As she basked in the peaceful summer air, she came to a realization. Her spiritual intuition, which made her hyper aware of the people around her, only bolstered this impression.

The people here are so happy.

Char Char couldn’t help but smile, wanting to join in the cheering herself.

“Plunes.” Firuzeh interrupted her thoughts, “Are you familiar with the town?”

“Mm.” Char Char shook her head, “I think I came when I was small but I don’t remember much.”

“You said you spent the past few years in Huan, right? I suppose you didn’t have time to come south.” Firuzeh nodded, “It’s good habit to learn about your destinations before you reach them.”

“I know a bit-“ Char Char looked up to the sky as she tried to recall her history lessons, “Plunes was a large city in the Five Kings era, around twenty thousand people. It was ruled by a corrupt minister called Xi Ping. Lord Noga arrived with his army and kicked Xi Ping out and liberated the city, and then Xi Ping made an army and sieged Plunes for four months until Lord Noga’s allies came to help...”

Char Char trailed off as she tried to remember more from her history lessons, but caught the amused grin on Firuzeh’s face, “Did I remember wrong?”

“I’m not so sure about ancient history, but I suppose I should clarify.” Firuzeh smiled, “As security escorts, we’re more concerned with information that might affect our client’s safety.”

“Ah.” Char Char shut her lips, feeling embarrassed.

“The city is surrounded by a wall, but the gates are perpetually open, and passage in and out is only lightly restricted after sundown. The town has a local police force which keeps the peace - our company is quite familiar with them and on good terms. There is also a royal military troupe stationed here which takes care of matters outside the city.

“In terms of crime, this city is quite peaceful. There aren’t any rough areas like the northwest neighborhoods in Noga city. As for the surrounding lands, with the influx of travelers from the south the military has been stretched thin. It’s certainly more dangerous than prior years.”

Char Char nodded, “So once we’re inside the city walls we can relax?”

Firuzeh paused with a chiding smirk, making Char Char feel like she had made another blunder. The experienced woman shook her head, “As guards we can’t relax. It only takes one slip up, one oversight, for your client’s head to be rolling on the ground.

“You’re wearing our uniform, you can’t just act like us, you need to take this seriously.”

“I can do that.” Char Char nodded, repeating the words. “You’re right, I need to take this seriously.”

“We’re watching out for you.” Firuzeh nodded, “And you’ve yet to see action. Recruits are always too relaxed until they gain experience.”

Char Char frowned, sensing that Firuzeh didn’t quite believe her own words, or rather that she didn’t truly expect Char Char to follow through.

The chatter and ruckus around them grew louder as they pulled up to the town gates. Their speed slowed to a crawl as they joined a line of vehicles entering the city. The tall city walls loomed above.

That morning, Char Char had put on the uniform with pride, feeling that she was part of the elite company. After all, she was ‘on payroll’, and her accomplishments in Noga had gained her a lot of respect and praise.

But once she’d worn the uniform she realized that Firuzeh and Kai both didn’t actually treat her seriously. They told her how to behave, and gave her tips and advice, but Char Char knew that they didn’t consider her part of the team. It was a subtle bias, perhaps it was even subconscious on their part- But because of her pathway’s sensitivity to the moods of others, she didn’t even have the luxury of being blissfully oblivious. Char Char knew that she wasn’t truly one of them and it irritated her. 

I’ll just have to show them how serious I am. Char Char made a quiet resolution to herself. From this point on, I’m on the job.

She paused at that thought, turning to Firuzeh, “Does this mean our client is Corbin?”

“That’s right.” Firuzeh nodded.

Char Char couldn’t help but scrunch her nose in displeasure, which caused Firuzeh to laugh.

“Yes, sometimes I feel that way too.” Firuzeh sighed with a genuine smile, “But that’s all part of the job.”