The group including Councillor Tobias, rocked back and forth within the carriage. A thick tension and silence was shared between them. Not many of them had anything to say. Well, not Rubi at least. She couldn't stop fidgeting. Her mouth opened and closed, itching to bombard Tobias with question after question. Calcious and Cordelia saw this and cracked a small smile. Time continued to pass, as the self driving magical carriage continued down the rocky road.
"You said that this was a personal matter. What do you mean by that?" She couldn't take it anymore. She was incredibly curious and wanted to know all the answers. The old woman took a good, hard look at the girl before sighing. With her head remained down, she started to explain.
"I would not have bothered with the request if it wasn't for my personal ties. The request initially came to the hall half a year ago." She paused. Rubi's eyes widened at the revelation. She held her tongue, allowing the old woman to continue. "In those six months, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I knew I wouldn't be able to intervene in the matter on my own, as I am a low tier council member, and not powerful enough to banish the Axe Hats from Stone wall village." She paused again, and took a sip from her thermos. "I did the next best thing. I decided to head to all the top five guilds, and beg for them to take the job, and I'd pay them the reward instead. They weren't against taking the job. They would have sent their weaker guild members on it. However, when I provided the details of the request, I was turned down each time." The old woman gathered the fabric of her robe in her fist in frustration. "Come to find out they all had business ties with the Axe Hats, and the magic tool factory being there was in their best interest as well." She let a bitter taste leave her mouth.
"Is Stone Wall Village your hometown?" Councillor Tobias nodded her head. Rubi nodded. The young woman proceeded to get lost in her thoughts. Were the Axe Hats strong? Was she ready to face an actual opponent that wasn't a monster? Another pressing issue was her skills in magic. She had learnt a few basic spells, and her super strength and speed had improved immensely. However, her knowledge was still limited when it came to her class related magic skills. All the books she tried to read from the library were unreadable or information was missing. Whether she was being kept in the dark on purpose or not, was still a mystery.
The carriage jolting to stop, broke her out of her thoughts. The day and a half worth of travelling was finally over.
"Before you leave this carriage. Be warned that the air here is almost unbreathable. That is why I have prepared these masks for us." She brought five black gas masks from her robe's sleeves. They all took their masks and placed them on. "You will also need to change your appearance, Rubi." This confused the girl. Why did she need to do that? "Is there anyway for you to cover the horns?" Rubi nodded. She simply tapped her horns and they started to glow, disappearing afterwards. "If they knew who you were, they'd go crazy with their demands." Tobias vaguely explains.
The group continues on with their journey. They came to a stop in front of a large concrete wall that surrounded the entire village. Tobias's head moved around, trying to find the most discreet entrance. Her eyes finally landed on the door sized hall made metres away from the main entrance. The old woman led the group down toward the entrance. The silhouette of a tiny person could be seen on the other side of the entrance. The group readied themselves in case of an attack, but promptly relaxed when Tobias told them too. A grinning Alec came out of the entrance, a massive hammer resting his arm and shoulder.
"Granny Tobias!" He exclaims, running forward. The old woman smiled herself, showcasing many silver teeth. Alec then peered behind to take a good look at the others. He looked them up and down, then walked over to them. "I would like to thank you for helping my village." He spoke, placing the hammer down, and using the long handle as support. "Now follow along, my home is this way." The young boy led them down the entrance, leaving Tobias behind.
"Aren't you coming along, councillor?" Zoey asked. The old woman shook her head.
"I would rather not be spotted. It wouldn't be a good thing." The group understood and went ahead. Once they reached the inside of the walls, they finally understood what Tobias meant about the air. The village was surrounded by a thick layer of ashy fog. The factory loomed over the cottages from its far distance. The entire area looked like a wasteland. Rubi looked at the boy navigating them. How was he breathing just fine? Alec led them all the way to the chapel. Sister Marie was once again outside, handing out small bottles filled with a purple liquid to the young children.
This was what life here was like, huh.
