...it may fail forever
Alright boys and men, this right here is the first chapter of the future ten I will prepare before I start releasing again. I am doing this because there might be a chance that I won't have time to write for a few days due to work so it never hurts to have some extra.
I will use the system and release a chapter every other day at 20.00 CET, that's Central European Time for anyone not from, well, Central Europe. Scratch that, I tried but the release system uses some other timezone like 7 hours forward, not going to bother calculating in, mostly because it passes a day, so I will release it at 20.00 of the timer time or 12.00 CET.
As the shameless man that I am if let's say I get 100 pps within the week ill do a triple threat weekend once, I ain't voting for myself so good luck. Yeah, let's do that.
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''Gather around, we are leaving as soon and the barrels are all filled!''
The giants swarming around the carriages grunted and nodded my way, I wanted five of them at first, but as usual, I ended up with one more, so now I have an entourage of eight giants, two of which are my trusted guards.
Looking around I can see Vun, the giant ex-soldier, ex-builder, and now professional guard at work rolling the last of the barrels from the dock to the stairway leading down onto said dock, we couldn't exactly push the carts up the stairs with the filled barrels dragging them down, I'm pretty sure that would ruin the wheels, they are made of wood after all.
On the other hand, the tattooed form of my other guard I standing arms crossed next to the carts. Noticing my gaze he stands straighter and gives out orders to the already working giants.
''Hurry up, we don't have all day, if I see you slacking you ain't seeing any coin from me!''. Of course they won't, I'm the one paying.
It took only a few moments for some of the giants to push the filled water barrel onto the cart. All of them have been filled with salt water straight from the ocean, I hope the trap doesn't have clean, drinkable water as a requirement, that would just take forever to do.
''Grab the carts and pull younglings, let us go!''. Good guy Vun taking the lead here, I don't mind, not like it changes anything, maybe it even makes them faster after all Vun is an elder.
Our little procession has to go through the main streets in order to reach the gate and as I feared we attract quite a lot of attention. Nothing I can do about it, there's a group of giants rolling carts through the middle of the town, the image is disturbing enough not to mention the fact that giants are known not to like leaving the lower areas.
There are no incidents up to the main gate where a group of soldiers intercepts us, one of them steps out, I recognize him as the guard captain that tried to arrest me previously.
''Stop right there!'', He takes a step forward and points the butt of his spear at the carts. ''What do you have in there, do not even think of lying, you are not getting past without a thorough inspection and an appropriate taxation!''
''Taxation?''. I say with irritation in my voice. ''Go ahead and check, it's only water for the journey!''. You go ahead and try and tax me for carrying water and ill show you the other certain thing in life other than taxes, namely death.
''Water?''. As he says that he lifts the spear and tries to smash open the top of the barrel to see what's inside.
''Stop, you oaf!''. I shout right at him, only shout, of course, I didn't even try to get close to him, after all, he has a spear.
He indeed stops and turns to look at me. ''You and your foul language, how is a proper merchant allowed to use such words, with the guards no less''. And how is a literall numbnut allowed to be guard captain.
I don't answer and motion with my hand in his direction. ''Someone go and open it up, it's not sealed there's no need to break it open''. A giant I didn't remember the name of goes forward and lightly taps the top of the barrel on one side, is sinks down a bit into the wood before one of the sides lifts up while the other one goes under the water.
As the giant makes way, the guard captain walks next to the barrel and proceeds to use his left hand, the one not carrying the spear, to lifts some of the water from the barrel.
He hums a bit, then, to my surprise he sticks a finger in his mouth, a finger waring a very dirty leather glove, blackened from all the oil he comes in contact with while manning the gate.
''Salty'' he says, what an astute observation, yeah.
Af if my earlier surprise was not enough his next action leaves me quite flabbergasted, he lifted his arm into the air before plunging it all the way down in the barrel, obviously searching for something within.
This act in itself would not be that surprising if the whole area wasn't covered in snow and the temperature wasn't easily in the negatives, and, to end it with a bang, he wasn't wearing what looks to be woolen clothes.
After a moment he gets his arm out of the barrel, shakes it lightly then points at the other barrels. ''I assume they all have the same thing within, yes?'' I nod.
''Good, well just make sure then you shall be off, I don't know what you plan on doing with so much water in the middle of winter but I do not want to know''. I would not tell you anyway so you're doing just fine. I quite admire the man actually, he might not be a genius but he is cautious enough ill give him that, I guess that's why he's the gate guard captain, cause he's cautious.
Anyway, I nod at him and say out loud. ''Let us go then, someone close the barrel, the others back to your position, start pushing when the guards clear the way!''. As my word came out the people around started shuffling away while my giant workers did as I told them.
It does not take long for them all to safely leave the city gates, this is where the fun part starts.
As I am following behind them with Vun by my side guarding me, the captain stops me and says in a rougher than usual voice. ''Wait there merchant, I have a question for you.'' Deciding I should let my irritation go unnoticed as to not fully ruin my standing with him I turn and smile lightly, showing my pearly whites.
''Is there anything else I can help with captain?''. He does not seem impressed with my sudden politeness.
''I truly don't care what you are doing out there, but the last time you went out you took good men with you, they may not have been anything great, but they were citizens of this city, and I am responsible for their safety!''.
The smile fell right off my face as he said that, is it time for me to experience ancient prisons, maybe karma is finally catching up to me.
Seeing my now grim expressions he continues.''I will not hold you accountable for whatever happened, I know that they must have been lost in the forest.'' I nod and tilt my head down slightly, they were not exactly 'lost' after all.
''There are two reasons you're walking out of here as a free man, because the workers agreed to follow you of their own volition, and because this time you are bringing these...things, with you!''. As he says that he spits some phlegm out on the frozen street while looking at Vun who stares back at him.
Now, I would probably tell him not to antagonize someone twice his size, but then again it is not my place to say anything, after all, one of the reasons he isn't capturing me is because he thinks I am taking out the giants to die this time, good old senseless hate hitting home again I see.
''I understand sir, do not worry, I don't have any plans to bring any more of your decent citizens out any time soon''. They are much too useless.
''Good, now be on your way, I'm freezing out here''. Then don't stick your hands in nearly freezing water you demented fool.
Walking out the gate I see the giants waiting for me and Vun while holding the carts angled and ready to go.
''Nothing more to see here, Ubam and the new guy take the lead, make sure you clear a path for the carts.'' The new guy is what I decided to call the sixth giant that joined us today, five of them are pushing the carts and they don't really need help so he might as well become useful and move the snow out of their way.
''And remember, do not make a single sound out there, no speaking, no sneezing, no coughing, no nothing.'' They stare at me in a somewhat confused state.
''Listen to me and everything is going to be fine.'' I feel like I said this before. ''Now get going, the sooner we get back to the city the better''.
As the line of carriages starts pushing forth through the freshly packed snow I can't help but look far into the horizon, there are no clouds visible, the sky is a beautiful pale blue.
''At least it's a nice day today''