Chapter 197- Bad news (Patreon)

Bad News

The horses trotted along the shrouded road while towing the wagon behind it. The trunks of trees rose out of the white snow around them like stationary sentient beings. If not for the occasional scout on horseback flitting among the woods from time to time, Chu would never ignore the uneasy feeling.

Sitting on top the vibrating wagon dampened by the layer of snow crunching beneath the wheels, he squinted past the withered fingers of tree branches which obscured the sky. The yellow orb positioned itself at the highest point in the blue sky.

"The plan is to cover as much distance without tiring the horses in case of an attack. The soldiers on the support wagons will double the firewood stock while in the woods. By tomorrow, after a hard ride, we should arrive at the village east of Karst."

"If the cavalry decided to rest for a few days in Karst will we accompany them?"

Ming asked while holding the reins. He turned a face nursing a bruised cheek with a doozy of a black eye to Chu. Last night, Miki doled out a beating for his boasting.

"No, our goal is returning home but I don't think the Captain will dilly-dally in the village. He is in a rush to report the current situation unfolding along the road. Next time why don't you keep your mouth shut? You look as if you're being bullied."

Chu replied while checking his crossbow.

Since the battle on the bridge, his thoughts sobered him on clashing with what an ancient scroll termed a 'common demon beast'. He concluded that alone on the roads, a small Bitzer pack could land a severe blow to him on the grasslands. Encountering a horde similar to the one on the bridge would decimate his party.

One question puzzled him and gnawed at his mind.

'Why would a large horde of Bitzers waste time in setting up ambushes in the unpopulated woods?'

Bitzers embodied the characteristics of a demon beast. Chu witnessed it for himself on the bridge when the beasts feverishly assaulted them with unrelenting determination. The drooling eye of those adversaries stared at him as if he represented the entrée on the table of a hungry man.

The remains of bones and armor found in the woods indicated the Bitzers occupied the woods for some time. A single or a couple of Bitzers might waste their time here but a horde? If the goal of demon beast lay focused on feeding on human brains then this horde should be out sweeping the defenseless farms and villages.

His limited clashes with the Bitzer informed him that they were nowhere near the level of patience and cunning as a wolf demon.

Then there was the howl signaling the retreat. Chu felt he was missing something important.

After an uneventful but tense night, the camp broke before dawn and marched on. Late in the evening, the wooden walls of a village greeted them. The garrison captain literally ran out stumbling to meet them.

"The Military! Thank the heavens, is the road to Limerock open? Did you meet with our patrols? Why so few, are you the scouts of the larger vanguard?"

"Calm yourself. Have some men allocate food and rest for the men and horses. Fetch me a tankard of ale, and also a piping hot bowl of meat soup. We'll exchange reports in the barracks."

Replied the cavalry captain.

Chu left Ming to tend to the horses. Since they arrived with the cavalry, the wolves entered the village under the guise of Military property. It didn't take long for him to return with a worried expression from the meeting. The garrison captain mentioned the road to Karst remained safe with messengers and local scouts arriving and departing every day. He summoned his companions into the cage.

"The garrison captain reported that the Bitzers have overrun the villages to the northwest and west of Karst. Similar to the events in Limerock, they received the message about the horde too late."

Chu sighed while looking over the map resting on the box in the middle of them. The flickering yellow flame of the lamp highlighted the shadowy looking writings. A slim elegant finger marred by calluses, wavered slightly as it pointed on the map. The voice of the owner fumbled her words across trembling lips.

"That's our village..."

"Yes, and also the one to the north of ours."

Chu replied while taking notice of the stiffening bodies around him. Returning from the barracks earlier, he weighed the thoughts of keeping this information secret from them. The deadly adventures over the years proved that life in this world differed greatly from his own but deep in his heart he always had a pang of guilt. With his knowledge, these loyal children companions shouldn't need to constantly face emotional and physical hardships.

There were many ways to gain strength in this world but personal strength ruled above all.

"It's better to know it now than to find out through gossip or by ourselves. Let's use this time to sort out our emotions and prepare for the bad news."

"What?! Why our village? Why didn't the soldiers evacuate? What about our home?"

Miki sobbed while finally breaking down after a prolonged silence. The thoughts of a triumphant return and preparations to defend against the demon beasts shattered. Dyna buried her weeping face inside Lucy's arms while Ming sighed next to him.

Ironic how these children could kill a stranger without hesitation yet weep on losing a friend of their own. Chu gazed at the map and then answered.

"The communication network has failed us. Remember, the village might have been destroyed but we don't know the status of the villagers. We also don't know if the horde tangled with our home. Maybe the farm was overrun or maybe it still stands. If we continue to Karst, most likely we will be venturing into the west on our own."

Chu locked eyes with all of them before continuing

"Let's drink some warm tea and calm down first. We will continue later. If you decide to remain in Karst and wait for the Military to clear the roads or want to rejoin the others in Limerock, we will do so..."

***

The journey to Karst proved uneventful as the Military completed its task. After pounding the shoulders of the two boys, acknowledging the girls and requisitioning meat from the barracks for the three wolves, the Captain and Vice-Captain bid them goodbye on arrival.

Chu left the two men in the garrison commanders office reporting to officials from the Military, Tower, and Guilds. Vice-captain Nodd had already dispatched a falcon to Limerock requesting aid and summarising the encounter on the road. Chu conveniently slipped away before the leader from the Tower Mage branch appeared. He walked to the field near the south gate, meant to temporarily house caravans from traveling merchants.

Walking past the open area sparsely filled with wagons and carriages, he then entered the enclosed tent alongside the cage. In the snow-covered field, he spotted it easily due to the three hulking figures guarding it. A redhead sat inside, peering over a small cauldron while immersed in concentration in a corner. A small campfire blazed in the center with a blond-haired girl meditating in a cross-legged position.

He tiptoed his way to the black-haired girl sitting on the rug over the spread animal hides over the ground. Ignoring her glints of satisfaction from inspecting the sharpened bolts on the purchased whetstone, he whispered.

"Did Ming return yet?"

"No, he said his hands are still shaking from melding together the halfstones Dyna wanted. Since the first day we departed the village, she had him create fifteen lifestones. He has been complaining about how ignorant we are of the stress in creating lifestones. Lucy sent him out to gather information."

Chu nodded. Miki and the others were not aware that the halfstones possessed certain dangers during the binding process. The pair of halfstones contained natural serrated grooves which required locking together. If the process of bringing together the stones and interlocking them occurred too slowly, they caught fire and disintegrated.

With the cumbersome gloves and blinding sparks of the insulated box, it required someone with steady nerves to complete the process. Since the battle with the Bitzers, Chu rotated with Ming in creating the lifestones. They had probably wasted about six lifestones between them.

"I'm going to change and then meditate for the day. I have a good chance in igniting two stars today, without the help of a potion."

"I already ignited two this morning but I did use a potion yesterday. Have you confirmed it yet?"

The raven-haired girl asked over the grinding noise of another bolt.

"Yes, it seems to be the case but we cannot do so at the moment. Since the stones are too few, we should concentrate on the larger stars. Now that we are safe inside Karst, try practicing forming a flame. We only have tomorrow to resupply and then we leave."

Chu replied while reaching for a wooden cup and ladle. On the night they left the village, he used the potion to ignite a star. The star he chose, however, was one already lit in his star field. The results came with the unexpected benefit where his small star visibly increased in size. It was not some mind-boggling amount but as the owner, he felt the increase. He also had confirmation of the results when his mana ocean below the star field swelled a little in size.

Ming returned in the late evening bearing bad news.

"The taverns are empty and close early every night. Most of the shops remain closed but not because of winter. It looks like everyone in the village plans to hoard their supplies. I don't blame them since the garrison received another load of terrible news."

He sighed during the meal around the campfire where they all gathered.

"The village north of Karst has been overrun. A scouting party returned today after the messenger didn't return. The skirmish probably took place about five to six days ago since the village is about three days hard ride away. The Military scout said it's the same as the other villages. The only bodies they discovered lay on the roof or on the towers."

Chu shook his head on hearing the news. Three to four hundred lives snuffed out. He made a silent prayer before reaching for the map.

"They struck the village north of ours then moved on to ours. Instead of attacking Karst or moving south, they attacked the village to the north of Karst. These attacks happen within weeks of each other. I heard from the garrison commander that he had sent reinforcements to the villages in the south after he received the message from Frost City. By the time he received the report and sent out riders, our village had been completely wiped out."

He continued.

"We are miles away from the north, separated by all these villages, yet the Bitzers managed to split and terrorize this far south. Communication, the communication network between villages and even the towns is appalling. Horseback riding between villages alone, requires a week for two-way communication. The falcons are centralized in the cities, making direct communication between towns none-existent. Peddlars and merchants serve as messengers."

"Chu, there is something else but its best if I tell you later..."

"Ok, well then, have you all decided what you want to do? Do you still want to return home?"

Two days later, at the crack of dawn, a wagon pulled by four horses exited the west gate. Lucy rode on horseback while three wolves scattered before them.