Adtraic Verity: Journey For The Truth
Chapter 8

Beyond the farthest edge of evening rests an amber horizon following the ball of light.

After nearly being slaughtered by that wicked being within the waterfall, The Wanderers, Brich, and Sadiki all tried to relax.

The carriage tossed pebbles and crushed twigs, rolling across the pathway as quickly as possible before they started getting chased by any more Cesspids.

Sadiki yelled.

“We’re almost there! Just a few moments away before you two depart. Asahi, Aletha… please don’t get in any more danger. That was only a peek at what’s to offer in this world.”

Asahi raised an eyebrow, questioning how this cat boy knew SO much about everything.

“How do you know this much? Where are you from?”

Sadiki rolled his eyes and turned to Brich. He crossed his arms, and with a wavering expression of dishonesty, the boy lowered his ears and mumbled.

“Umm… it’s because–

“He’s lying.” Aletha immediately interrupted.

She could still detect Sadiki’s dishonesty, even without hearing him say anything close to a lie.

“Huh?!”

Both Asahi and Sadiki turned to her and bounced in shock.

Given the narrow and swift response time, Aletha knew well what the boy was hiding. A tremor came from Sadiki’s dry lips as he felt the carriage come to a complete halt.

“Seriously? How do you know that?”

Before anything else was said, Brich raced to the door, wrapped his fingers around the doorknob, and turned it open, revealing a seemingly cloudless horizon with rolling green hills and scarlet flowers.

He bent over and pulled the stairs, extending them toward the ground, and escorting The Wanderers outside it, whispering.

“Pladtioa City shouldn’t be as far now.”

Asahi scratched his head and noticed that even though the view of the city was more transparent than before, it still seemed it was pretty far for a drop-off.

Just before Brich closed the door, Sadiki rushed out of the carriage and yelled.

“Wait!”

The siblings glanced behind them and saw the cat boy approaching them with a glassy expression of worry floating on his face.

“Brich forgot to tell you something!”

Aletha’s eyebrows lowered to him, showing a look of irritation on her. As Brich carefully sheathed his blade back into his holder, he turned to the wanderers and said.

“It was a pleasure meeting both of you. You two seem trustworthy to me, so since you are new and just arrived here, take this.”

He pulled a small fabric pouch and placed it in Aletha’s hands, speaking as the cool air rushed inside the carriage.

“This pouch will assist you in purchasing needed goods like food, water, shelter, weapons, and tools. Make sure to use it wisely….”

Both Asahi and Aletha’s eyes widened in shock. They never thought they could be given such a generous gift.

Asahi nodded while Aletha screamed out with a smile.

“We will. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

* * * * * * * *

While approaching the city, Asahi and Aletha saw four tall masculine silhouettes marching on an elevated green hill.

The four had tall spears, bows, and heavy dark armor. The wanderers couldn’t see much because it was evening, and they didn’t have a light source. However, the people in armor do.

Immediately, Asahi and Aletha got alarmed and dived behind a large boulder at the bottom of the hill. They heard the guards chatter above them.

“This is so boring. Why did we even choose to get this job?”

Aletha was curious, so she leaned her head away from the boulder and peeked. The guards had a magical staff with similar properties to a flashlight.

As the guards patrolled the area, Aletha moved away from the boulder and whispered to Asahi.

“What are they doing here?”

Asahi responded with a snarky tone.

“Probably looking for trespassers.”

While the beam of light slowly turned toward them, the wanderers leaned their backs against the rock and prayed that they wouldn’t get caught.

“Hey, is anyone here?” A guard yelled.

After a few moments of silence, the guard muttered.

“Must’ve been the wind.”

The wanderers breathed a sigh of relief and knew that they were safe. They turned toward the ground and tried to cover themselves as much as possible.

As the lights continued to fly around the area, Aletha whispered to Asahi.

“How are we going to get around?”

Suddenly, a soft, muffled, high-pitched whisper sounded from beneath them.

“I can get you around them.~”

At first, the wanderers tried to react, but then they remembered that guards were there. They covered their mouths and slouched down toward the mysterious individual.

While they tried to search for the voice, Asahi confusingly asked Aletha.

“What was that?!”

Aletha lifted her leg off the ground and saw a girl-shaped figure that wore a mask and dark robe; beneath Aletha’s feet. The mask covered her whole face in the shape of a flower.

The material seemed to be made of steel.

Asahi and Aletha were paralyzed in total shock and tried not to scream.

“Who are you?!” Asahi whispered confusingly.

The masked girl swiftly covered Asahi’s mouth and harshly whispered.

“Shhh! Do you want to get to Pladtioa city or not?”

Both of the wanderers silently nodded their heads and gave a thumbs up. The girl silently clapped her hands and then replied.

“Good. Then, follow my orders.”

She pointed her hands to a trail with fireflies fluttering around.

“See that trail with fireflies? When I snap my fingers, you two run over there. Don’t turn your head back. I will deal with the guards myself. Make sure you continue to run too.”

The wanderers nodded their heads and replied with a faint whisper.

“Okay…”

The masked girl gave a solid thumbs up and patted their heads. Asahi was irritated about this. However, Aletha seemed to enjoy it. As the light passed by them, the masked girl whispered.

“Good. Now, wait for my signal. I will simply make an ‘O’ shape with my hand. It will be your time to move when I make that shape.”

The guards continued to chatter above the green hill.

“Hey, did you hear about the announcement? The Queen of Pladtioa will host not only a Royal Meeting but a ceremony.”

A larger-looking second guard responded as he pointed his flashlight down.

“Oh, yeah… I’ve heard rumors that she’s going to announce the new king. It will be surprising since there hasn’t been a king in Pladtioa for thousands of years.”

“I know…”

As the guards were distracted, Asahi and Aletha prepared and turned toward the masked girl. As the wind blew their hair upward, the girl formed the ‘O’ shape with her glove and nodded her head.

The wanderers then sprint toward the firefly trail with all their might. They turned their head back to the girl as they approached the path and saw her vanish.

A guard pointed its flash staff toward Asahi and Aletha and hollered.

“Huh? Trespassers!”

The other two guards turned toward the wanderers and ran down the hill. Aletha and Asahi then jolt as fast as they can along the trail.

They kicked rocks and sticks out of their path.

Just as the guards could reach them, the masked girl appeared from thin air, and she instantly struck all four guards with sharp, glowing green claws.

Asahi and Aletha resisted turning around and heard the guards scream in agony. The masked girl tore their armor off them and pulled a dagger from her pocket. She swung it fast and pierced the weapon through the guards’ faces.

Another guard approached the girl from behind, then instantly, he was torn into shreds. Bright flashes of green light sparked over the girl and the guards.

“Stop in the name of The Queen!”

Just as they could see the girl, she swiftly struck the guards with her two hands and made them vanish into dust.

She stomped her foot on the last vanishing guard and scratched him again before he vanished. She slowly lifted her head and saw the wanderers turning back.

The girl growled and screamed at them.

“Didn’t I say to NOT look behind? The situation is settled; it doesn’t matter. Just get to the city before more guards appear!”

Both of the wanderers replied.

“Got it!”

Quickly, they sprinted with all their energy across the grass field and entered a gate toward Pladtioa City.

As she saw them enter the city, she slaughtered the last guard, sighed, and whispered to herself.

“Sigh, adventurers….”