(7) The black cloud of death.
Today, Pata and I are taking our cart and join Tuner for the Gazina city. It is not irony that Tuner will report on Zuya's four skill awakening today to the Gazina city with me accompanying this journey. No matter how much I want to stop this from happening. I can not do anything. But then again, this will be my first visit to Gazina city or any city at all.
This journey might have taken more time if not for the urgent nature of Zuya's awakening. The Tuner will go to the other two villages, Ventela village, and Amara village, with one day, stay to buy-off anything villagers have to sell to the adventure guild.
Still, we will pass through these villages. A journey with the Tuner is guaranteed to be safe. Since suppose any harm came to him. In that case, the adventure guild's name will be at stake and mobilize all the power of the adventure guild in the region to punish the culprits.
Initially, I was excited to see all the things which will come on the way, but soon got bored and started to sleep on the cart. All you could see was a grassy cartway in the middle of the forest on both sides. It will make you question whether the Kingdom even cared about this remote village and whether this village made people live or exile the people.
At the start, when we left the village behind, from time to time, I could hear wild predatory animals roars, making me fear for life. Tuner told me that usually, no predator came out and would avoid our group unless desperate.
I asked, "why were Pata and I were attacked when it is not to warry on this road."
"Well, who told you to go to the city without joining a good size group or me when going to the city to buy a gift for a girl. You were asking to be robbed. I know love is blind, but after that incident, I was sure that it makes people blind too.hihihihi."
I could not help but blush to remember about yesterday.
"Now, this young man is blushing. Stop dreaming about the girl. She is out of your league now. This time I am heading to the city, not even stopping at any village this time is to inform them of her four skill awakening. She is going to be a noblewoman, whether you like it or not. But it would be better for you not to do anything foolish, think of your hard-working parents."
"As Rena and I are known to be not blessed with divine skill by God. People do not have high hope for you. Unless you prove them wrong, we will not have much respect in any respect in their eye, except select few."
They were trying their best to introduce me to this world's grim reality and help me overcome the said trauma I will get from it. What both do not know was the nature of the Zuya-my relationship. "It is okay. I know how things work thanks to all things both of you taught me recently. Also, I do not remember anything about the past relationship I had with her. So, don't worry."
Soon ower first stop came in the form of Ventala village. The village chief of the village was waiting for us or more like for Tuner as this is his regular monthly visit as adventurer staff for purchasing the things and taking a report on any new-old request related to the guild. After knowing that Tuner would not stay in the village as usual due to some argent work, the village chief asked men around him to let all villagers finish soon if they have any business with Tuner.
We again started to move on our way to Gazina. This stop also allowed our bulls some rest after dragging cart for hours after seeing how villagers of the other two villages have to wait for one month to do any guild business. Our village has adventure guild officer Tuner, and Church of light's Haku, made me realize that we have some special attention given by this Kingdom.
"Tuner, what is so special about our village that we have you and Haku assigned by adventure guild and church, but not other villages?"
"It is a unique question you have asked. It has many answers, but, right now, the answer is nothing special apart from the point that it is farthest from the nearest city and deepest in the forest."
"what are other answers no longer relevant? "
"Long time ago, this continent was a war ground for Demons, humans, and demi-humans. Forests were always dominated by demons, like goblins, orc, trolls, etc. and demi-humans like elves, catkins, dogkins, and other beastkins. So, churches, kings, and heroes will make cities and towns to ensure human presence in the captured regions.
At that time, all the frontier cities, towns, and villages were given some extra facilities to make sure that people felt more comfortable moving there. Your village is one such case. After the human race won the war, such frontier places lost their charm and became obsolete with time as the mainstream public forgot them, and they fade away from the world.
Initially, Merata was a frontier town but now is reduced to only a backward forest village. It is still surviving thanks to the King's grandfather's announcement, who initiated a campaign to people and adventures to claim forest land to expand the Kingdom. But his untimely demise coupled with the accident of people getting killed in the forest. It never gave any fruitful result and is forgotten. His son even ordered to salvage all the campaign resources, saying it waste of kingdom assets in a daying man delusion. Nearly all such facilities were retracted except for a few, like your village. These places are used for a new purpose now. It is to give punishment posting to the officials of the Kingdom."
"Are you saying that You and Haku are being banished here as punishment?"
"Now you see, Even the people you think are tiger are in reality are just caged animals."
"A long time ago, Village chief Manoj, Haku, me, and two of our now-dead friends Rahul and Kiran, were part of an adventurer team named burning dreams. We all have 2-3 awakened skills, which is very rare for a whole group. We were very famous in the Andra city of the south-west region of this Kingdom. One day a noble house issued a quest for adventure to Burning Dreams. It is common to request favorite teams for quests, but it costs a lot more than the usual rate.
We were asked to hunt a level-3 tiger in a forest nearby. It was a challenging quest, but we have hunted level-3 beasts in the past, so we accepted the quest."
Now we reached the last destination before Gazina city, Amara Village. No one was waiting for Tuner here.
"Why is nobody here waiting for you?"
"I usually come here tomorrow after one day stays in Ventela village. So, nobody is expecting us."
We walk to the village chiefs home on foot after fastening the bulls and giving them grass to eat. Similarly, Tuner finished his work in one hour, and we left the village. Now our next stoppage is Gazina city.
After some time, I could not help but ask, "What happened after Burning dreams toke the quest?"
"We moved to the forest and reached the given location. What awaited us there was no level-3 tiger, but instead a level-5 Earth dragon. After seeing this, immediately, we all know that there was no hope for us to survive now. Fighting against this monster was totally out of the question. I know for sure that this quest was made to kill us, not for us to complete.
You see, Rahul and Kiran were husband and wife. At this moment, they told us something in that dire situation, which I will never forget. Kiran looked at us said, 'I am sorry you all. I never thought that nobles would find us this far away from our village. I am sorry I should have told this earlier, but I have four awakened skills, not three. Rahul and I are from the same place and have been in love much before my awakening. So, when I awakened my skills, I even lied to my parents and married Rahul. One day we left our village, and when returned, all we show was burned down housed and dead bodies. Since then, we have been running for many years form these noble and living under many changed identities.
This quest is to kill us, not you guys, So please runway while we stop this earth dragon. All I ask is to take care of my daughter after us.'
We know that we could not do anything in the given situation, and each passing moment will make our chances of leaving alive less. So, we runway and never heard from them again. When we reached the city, we found that where Rahul and Kiran lived was massacred and burned, as Kiran told us about her village. We were so sad to know that we could not even fulfill the last wish of our friends. We cried and left the place.
After the incident, we did not have the strength to take risks to our life and retired. but to cover the incident and quench the nobles' anger in the Kingdom guild and church posted us here to die away slowly."
"How did the noble house know about the awakened skill number if she did not tell anyone? What happened to the daughter of the Kiran and Rahul? I noble house was killing people to anger; why did not they killed you guys?"
"You ask many questions, young man. It is a good thing to ask the right person but can kill you if asked to the wrong person or at the wrong place.
There are many mysterious skills that ordinary people do not know. One such skill was used to tell could tell that a commoner has more than three skill and indicate your approximate location.
If you are running from someone for a long time, you care to figure out a few tricks in due time, after many encounters with such high skill commoner hunter teams. They realized their attach pattern and would always live their child to a friend in the opposite direction of their residence in the city due to the fear of us doing something foolish in the situation's heat. Kiran gave Manoj a letter and asked him to open it when we are allowed new jobs in a new place or are about to leave the city. It turns out she has addressed the friend and asked her to give her child to the letter's bearer. So, when we were leaving the city, Manoj got the girl.
Since they failed to kill us in the forest, so, Nobles could not kill us after everyone was aware of the event. Further, If they kill us now, they will declare war with all the adventurers and church of light for no apparent reason, since we were not aware of the Kiran's four skill awakening. So, as I already said to quite the anger of noble houses, we were sent here."
This story has poured cold water on me. To think I was planning to somehow convene Zuya and her family with emotions. If true, it is not as simple as it appears. As soon as you have four or more skill awakening, you are no longer free outside, either you are a noble-royal or dead body.
Suddenly All the excitement of Gazina city visit left me, and the black cloud of death was looking everywhere.
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Smh