EnroItzal

Big thanks and shoutout to my newest Patrons, please welcome; Michael Mooney | Sage | Khii

The dawn of the next day was mellow, something Erin was grateful for. The normally blazing sun hid itself behind the clouds, heralding a storm. She usually saw it as an omen but at present, she yearned for it. From her first day in this world until today, not once had she experienced a change of weather. She missed the rain. As her time was always spent in the wilderness in her past life, the rain brought her a peculiar sense of comfort as it made bandits and beasts less likely to attack him. So to say, it was a moment of respite during rain. The heavier the rain, the more comfort she found.

While Erin liked the weather, that was only a belief particular to her. Her sentiment wasn’t shared by her erstwhile employer, Iris. The other merchants possessed similar worries. The brewing storm was nothing more than a menace to their business. The miry roads would not bode well for the caravans. This was the day of the merchant caravans’ departure and the day was off to a foreboding start.

The caravans were lined up in a single file, preparing to depart at any given moment. The length of the caravans as a whole drew a few sighs of admiration from Erin, Lyra, and Celia. The merchants had been so scattered with their set-up and stalls but right now, they were as orderly as if their prior erratic arrangement was an illusion. Surrounding this single file of caravans were the hired guards. Going by the different style of their garbs and armor, Erin assumed them to be all adventurers. Most of them gave off a feeling of being higher level than Lyra and Erin herself yet somehow, they weren’t intimidating to Erin. There were some guards who were dressed in entirely formal attire. Erin presumed those to be personal guards for the merchants. It was hard for Erin to resist appraising them for her own curiosity.

“What did I tell ya? We got here just in time after all,” Lyra said merrily.

Erin rolled her eyes as a response. They were a few minutes behind the intended time when they arrived. Their tardiness could be attributed to the fervent passionate night that they shared. The duration of this trip was a few days even at the fastest pace and they would rarely have any chances to be alone. Lyra wanted to get her fill of Erin before they departed. Things got all the more livelier when Maria joined in. Evidently, they overdone it and the two were close to being written off.

The two had only finished packing their luggage just this morning as they were too wrapped up in their embrace last night. There wasn’t much for them to pack; only clothes, weapons, and tools were their luggage. It was the same for Celia who only had three sets of clothes. As they were escorting merchants, they didn’t need to be overly prepared.

Nivia had departed earlier than the two but for her own quest. Iris had given Nivia the information of her enslaved kin in advance, and the Elf departed as soon as she could. She was already gone when Erin had woken up, leaving only Celia and a letter in her room.

“That damn Elf, couldn’t she at least wake us up before leaving?” Lyra had grumbled then. “Leaving just like that without a farewell...”

Erin widened her eyes in curiosity and surprise. “You miss her?”

“I most certainly don’t,” Lyra retorted in a weird accent.

Erin tittered behind her hand. Despite their mutual animosity towards one another, Erin could tell the two at least trust each other when push comes to shove.

“If only they could stop tearing at each other's throat on the normal occasions,” Erin hoped wishfully.

Arriving at the avenue, Erin took one last look around the town. She wasn’t keen on staying but the town had been good to her. She was sure she was going to miss it. As this was the first place she had come upon since her reincarnation, this town would forever have a place in her heart. She made a promise to Sam that she would come back for a visit. She also made a similar promise to Maria when they shared a farewell heat of passion last night, along with Lyra who had taken a liking to copulate with an additional partner in bed after the tanglement with Iris.

Erin had mixed feelings about Lyra’s newfound interest but she ultimately spoke nothing of it.

“I hope Cal and Selene are doing fine...” Erin assured herself. She had wanted to say her farewells to the budding couple as well but she didn’t manage to. Word around the town was that their last quest had left their mind in a state of afeared. The Guild had pardoned them for a few days of leave but if they wished to continue being adventurers, they had to take up a quest eventually. Erin could do nothing but pray for them.

A clap of thunder from the distance pulled Erin back to reality.

“Looks like the rain would be quite heavy,” remarked Crom, who had approached Erin to familiarize himself with her and Lyra as they would all be more than acquaintances but still less than friends. Naturally, the Wolf-kin siblings were accompanying Crom to this brief and small meeting as they were his personal guards.

“We should leave before the rain catches up,” said Siv, the Shewolf-kin with gray hair that reached only a little over her neck but still longer than Lyra’s. As Siv was also part of the security detail, she had taken the liberty to strike a conversation with Erin and Lyra in regards to their work. To strengthen the trust, Siv had revealed her level and skills to Erin. She was level twenty-one. She was skilled with pole arms and swords. Like the average Beast-kin, she didn’t have any Magic Arts.

Upon hearing how Siv was skilled in the ways of the blade and her level was even higher than Nivia, Erin had to suppress her urges to challenge the Shewolf-kin to a duel right then.

“Perhaps I can ask for a duel during one of the stops on the road,” such a thought crossed Erin’s mind.

Another lightning streaked across the sky in the far-off horizon.

“Wouldn’t it be best to delay the departure until the morrow at least?” Erin asked.

“I have made similar suggestions, Lady Erin,” Siv told her. “But they refused it. They have a schedule to follow and any delays would put a hole into their profits.”

“A hole in their profits?.”

“It is how they had put it.”

Erin couldn’t refute that. A trip during a storm was basically a wish to court troubles, Erin learned that quite well in her past life but with her experience and past prowess, a storm was a breeze to her.

“It’s just a storm, Lady Erin,” Crom said with a laugh as his rolls of fat jiggled whenever he made the slightest movements. “You severely underestimated this caravan. We are prepared for this, I’ll have you know.” Though his words were coated with arrogance, Crom was amicable with his tone.

“Fae like you should stop looking down on other races,” and came Wref, the other Wolf-kin, who hadn’t stopped giving Erin a disdainful glare. His dark skin and long gray hair only served to amplify his thuggish appearance but his tail and ears helped in mellowing his intimidating appearance.

“That was not my intention,” Erin responded without offering Wref her gaze. “I’m merely expressing my worries, which are well-justified.”

Wref was about to retort but a smack to the back of his by his own sister managed to silence him.

“Sorry about him, Lady Erin,” Crom apologized with a merchant smile. “I hope you won’t take offense to his foolery. Wref didn’t have a… shall we say, amicable history with the Faerie-kin.”

“I have taken no offense, Mister Crom,” Erin replied. “You can be assured about that unless he crossed the line.”

“I will take that to heart, Lady Erin,” Crom said with a bow. He then took a quick glance at his pocket watch. “Well miladies, we should be going. See you two on the road,” he bade and walked back to his caravan along with his guards.

“He’s surprisingly pleasant,” Lyra said.

Erin nodded in agreement.

“I say he likes you.”

Erin scowled. “You jest.”

“Why else would he come to you all the way from his caravan? You don’t really believe he’s just breeding business familiarity, do you?”

“And you aren’t bothered? I’m shocked.”

Lyra chuckled. “After the past few nights, I am thoroughly assured of your… strange fidelity.”

Erin rolled her eyes. “Oh for the love of— quit your blathering,” she grumbled. “And I can do without the “strange” at the front.”

As much as Erin hated to admit it, Lyra’s words were definitely a possibility. Erin had crossed paths with Crom a few days ago when she was strolling the festive streets with Lyra. She was genuinely surprised at how sincere and humble he was despite having someone like Hegan for a father, whose wealth was most likely only second to Iris’. He went out of lengths to make sure he was predisposed to any of her requests should she have any, or so he said. Even if it wasn’t what Lyra had surmised, Crom was without a doubt, extremely fond of Erin. However, the same couldn’t be said for his guard, Wref. The Wolf-kin held a glare whenever Erin was in his presence. He had even challenged her to a fight on their chance second encounter but the challenge was voided by his sister, Siv. Erin remembered how she had to still herself with much difficulty from letting her eyes wander astray, slowly to the Shewolf-kin’s exposed midriff. Her eyes were then drawn to Lyra, who sported a similar choice of apparels but Lyra fell short on the amount of skin she was exposing in comparison to Siv.

“Erin, you’re not thinking of something rude, are you?” Lyra eyed her with a narrow gaze.

“It’s just your imagination,” Erin immediately denied after exiting her reminiscent.

“Miladies,” an elderly woman dressed in maid attire called out to the three from the top of a small flight of steps, which led up to Iris’ caravan. “Pardon for my interruption but we will be departing now.”

Erin looked around with confusion. “Where’s our horses?” she asked.

“Miss Lyra and you are the personal guards of Lady Iris. The two of you will be by her side for most times. You will be sharing the same cart as Lady Iris,” the maid explained.

“We get to ride in that big cart?” Celia asked in an excited manner.

“I guess we are,” Lyra answered. She turned to Erin. “Shall we?”

Erin’s answer didn’t come immediately. There was one last person she had yet to say her farewell to but for some reasons, she didn’t feel like she needed to.

“Erin? Is there something...”

“It’s nothing,” Erin said. “Let’s just go.”

Lyra knew what was troubling Erin but she said nothing of it.

“Can this even be called a caravan?” Erin mused as she, Lyra and Celia entered the caravan. She had been in a amazed stupor ever since she laid eyes on Iris' caravan. It was as large as a hut but too ornate and lavish to be called as such. There was even a small part of the caravan being allotted as another room, separated by a huge cloth. The caravan could fit ten people and it would still have space to supplement more objects or people. The interior was even furnished like a luxurious inn’s room. There were even windows with glass panes and also opaque blinds.

The smaller merchants had their caravans pulled by horses but the merchants like Iris and Hegan had their caravans pulled by creatures that resembled oxen the most in Erin’s eyes. The oxen-like creatures’ size and tusks were the main difference that separated them from the normal oxen. They were called Tuskrogs and they fed only on grass but when threatened, they could become deadlier than most carnivores around their size, or at least that was what Erin’s appraisal result had told her. She was warned not to use her appraisal without any consent of the other part but she didn’t think animals were in the bracket.

But more surprisingly, the Tuskrogs were all around level forty to level fifty. Their ages were in the hundreds. Suffice to say, Erin stood no chance against them in a fair fight. It was a difficult feeling, to be outmatched by a beast that grazed grass to fill their belly.

“I don’t think we’ll have any monsters approaching us with these Tuskrogs,” Lyra whispered to Erin. Even though Lyra couldn’t have known of their level but she could tell these Tuskrogs weren’t just the usual domesticated mounts.

Erin nodded. “I don’t think my swords could even leave a small scratch on their hide,” she thought to herself. She was tempted to try it.

“I have been waiting, you two,” Iris’ words reeled Erin back to the present. She beckoned the three to their seats. “Please, have a seat.”

In the center of the cart’s interior, sat Iris who was surrounded by elegant furnitures that were simply there for the purpose of displaying her wealth. Much like the tent Iris lived in, the seats were also cushions instead of chairs. Her robes were as always, revealing, but only if one viewed it from the sight. At the very least, she was sitting in a pattern that didn’t reveal her bottom undergarments, a consideration for Celia.

But the more astonishing fact was the presence of Joshua, who was sitting just beside Iris. The young man with an affable smile greeted Erin and the others with warm words and praises to their appearances. Lyra smiled awkwardly in response but Erin held back a grimace. And Erin didn’t fail to notice the presence of another individual in the room. She couldn’t tell where the individual was despite the compact space, but from the way the individual only trembled a little whenever Erin looked at Joshua’s way, she surmised the individual to be Joshua’s personal guard.

Erin took a whiff at the sight of the room. She couldn’t pick up the scent of Joshua’s personal guard but that wasn’t the reason she took a whiff. The lack of the sourly odor between them told Erin enough of the two’s relationship.  “At least she’s not as loose as I thought,” Erin muttered in her heart. But most surprising of all, she picked up a faint scent of Aedan on Joshua, not enough to imply them in a certain way, but enough to imply Joshua was acquainted with Aedan.

“As guards, shouldn’t we be on the outside,” Erin asked as soon as she had taken her seat.

Iris tittered and clapped her hands. The caravan then started moving.

“Whoa...” Lyra gasped in shock. “There’s no—”

“Tremor?” Iris tittered again as she finished Lyra’s sentence. “From me, you can expect only the best, second best at the very least.”

Erin narrowed her gaze. “You haven’t answered my question, Lady Iris.”

“You are my personal guard, Lady Erin,” Iris answered. She snapped her fingers and the elderly maid from before came from the other “room” and served them some tea. The maid retreated back to the other room as soon as she had done her job.

“Those out there are simply guards for the caravans as a whole,” Iris continued. “You two on other hand, are at my beckon. You answer to me, and me only. If the other merchants asked something of you, you are obligated to reject them.”

“Even if we are your personal guards, it’s no reason for this kind of reception. We are your guards, not your guests.”

“Lady Iris has a… special relationship with Aedan,” Joshua explained in Iris’ stead. “And seeing how the two of you are friends with Aedan, which means you have gained his trust. Anyone who gained Aedan’s trust, gained Iris’ trust.”

Erin gazed at Joshua with scrutiny. “Mister Joshua, was it?”

“Please, just Joshua is fine.”

“Very well, Joshua. You are acquainted with Aedan? I didn’t know that.”

“What gave it away?” he asked with a smile.

“Scent,” Erin gave a brief answer.

“Ah, I see. Well, to answer your question, I am.”

Erin didn’t know why but something about Joshua seemed off, her instincts as a Fox-kin kept telling her so.

“Now, I assumed you are curious as to why Joshua is here?” Iris said with a smile. Unlike Joshua’s warm smile, hers was chilled with schemes.

Erin and Lyra exchanged a quick glance upon noticing the change in the air. Celia was just sitting in Lyra’s lap, playing with her rough hands, indulging in her own world.

Erin was no clairvoyant nor a Seer but she had an inkling for the answer.

Iris’ grin widened when she took notice of Erin’s guess. “I see you have already guessed it.”

“It’s about Aedan, isn’t it?”

Lyra widened her eyes.

Iris turned her gaze to Lyra. “Yes, Miss Lyra. We know about his secret too.”

“Since we already know of his secret, what else is there to talk about?”

Iris giggled. “My relationship with him for one.”

Erin immediately clenched her fist with an audible crack.

“I’m just joking about that, Lady Erin. What I want to tell you is the reason for his secrecy.”

“Isn’t this something that Aedan should be the one telling me himself instead of you?”

“Take it from someone who has known him for a long time. He would never tell you everything. You either hear it from someone else or you find out about it yourself. He thinks that the more one knows about him, the more danger one will be in. Under other circumstances, I will agree with him but… considering you already know his secrets, and also considering who you are and what you are, the absence of knowledge will only put you in further danger.”

“What knowledge is it exactly?” Erin asked.

“The knowledge about the ones who are hunting him.”

“And who are they?”

“...Remnants of the deceased Demon Lord, Zarkoth.”