The Second Blade (part two)

As large and sprawling as Free Trader City was, within a few minutes of taking the Southwest road, the settlement completely vanished from sight. The trail narrowed and winded its way through a heavily forested area that saw the trees come up to the edge of the road. There were several parts on the trail that you had to duck under the low hanging branches. Nix's thoughts as they rode through these areas was that any predator could be waiting to pounce on unsuspecting travelers.

True to Nix's prediction, the humidity increased and made travel worse for the Turtle Titan. Neither Nix nor the two Qi siblings seemed bothered by it. The hybrid demons enjoyed the trip. Sometimes they would ride double and chat with each other; frequently, they would jump in front of Nix or Gil and ride with them. Their presence made the long trip bearable.

Sasi sat sideways across Gil's saddle, one hand placed on his shoulder for balance as she talked with him. "Nope, never."