Road To Samderqand Part 1

Suomi, Amala, and Rufus moved south through the vast continent. Rufus pulled the sled as they trekked through the forest. Suomi was walking ahead and giving the cold shoulder to Rufus and Amala.

"We need to talk with her," Rufus finally broke the silence, "This silence, this tension—it's not helping any of us."

Suomi, her eyes red-rimmed but her expression hard didn't respond. She continued walking, her steps deliberate and heavy in the snow. 

"Forget about her..." Amala sighed.

They continued their trek in silence, the only sounds the crunch of snow beneath their feet and the occasional caw of a raven overhead.

Hours passed, and the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the snow. Rufus, his strength waning, finally called a halt. "We need to set up camp."

Rufus started a fire, the flames casting a warm glow across the snow. He took out his shoes and let his cold sweat-soaked socks dry and he rested. 

"Any blisters?" Amala asked. 

"Some, but I will survive," Rufus answered. 

Amala then started to massage Rufus's feet, who was a bit surprised. As she pushed her thumbs into the calves of Rufus, he felt the pain. 

"You need to take care of yourself. Right now, it might not feel like much, but later, it will be hard to walk and then it might be too late," Amala lectured. 

Rufus couldn't help but wince at the pain, knowing Amala was right. "Thank you," he murmured.

Amala looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. "We need you in your best condition, Rufus. So far all things in this world have been more than a match to me, but not to you. And we can't afford for you to be slowed down."

Rufus smiled faintly, appreciating Amala's care and concern. "I know, and I'm grateful for your help," he replied sincerely.

Amala gave him a stern look, "You have to promise to speak up when you're in pain, alright? We can't read your mind, and we need to know when you're struggling."

As they smiled at each other, Suomi stared, tuning her kantele. Watching them laughing, thinking how can they not care? She thought all the dead, and now they are just, laughing. 

But soon Amala felt something. Something had sensed them and now was moving toward them. 

"What's wrong?" Rufus asked. 

Amala shot a stone arrow into the bushes, but the arrow was deflected. They sensed a strong divine presence. A wild aura, of that of a divine beast. They sensed it, a snow screamer. 

They saw it. An immense creature with its bulky body covered in white lichen. It had many arms, made from stones, as it crawled like a centipede. Its head was also made from stone but in the shape of a skull. A wolf's skull. 

It crawled forward and Rufus summoned his wings and divine spheres. The monster's facial expressions were unable to tell, as the wolf skull head showed no emotion. As it looked like it was about to attack, trying to grab Rufus with its many stone hands, it stopped. 

They heard music. 

The music, enchanting and powerful, filled the air, resonating through the forest and causing the snow screamer to halt in its tracks. Suomi, with her kantele in hand, was playing a melody, her fingers gracefully dancing over the strings.

The music seemed to weave through the air, wrapping around the snow screamer and calming its wild aura. The creature's stone arms lowered, and it seemed to be lulled by the beautiful melody.

Rufus, his divine spheres and wings at the ready, was taken aback by the sudden change in the creature's demeanor. He looked over at Suomi, his eyes wide with surprise and gratitude.

Amala, too, was stunned by Suomi's ability to calm the beast. She lowered her weapon, her eyes fixed on Suomi as she played.

The music continued, the notes soft and soothing, and the snow screamer's aura became less wild, more tranquil. It seemed to be entranced by the music, its eyes fixated on Suomi.

After a few moments, the snow screamer began to retreat, its massive form moving away from them and disappearing back into the forest, digging down to the earth covered in snow. 

The tension in the air slowly dissipated as the music continued to resonate through the forest, fading away as Suomi's fingers came to a stop.

Rufus finally broke the silence, his voice filled with awe, "Suomi, that was... incredible. I've never seen anything like it."

Suomi, still clutching her kantele, looked up at them, her eyes still red but now filled with a different kind of intensity. " I did nothing. Socrecror can easily communicate with the natural divine beasts, as they are the most natural creatures in the universe."

Suomi left everyone in awe and didn't explain much. 

~~

The next morning the journey continued. Suomi had been quiet for the entire time. 

Slowly the air started to get warmer. Snow became rarer and so did trees, being replaced with grass. 

The change in the landscape was a clear indication that they were moving further south, and the cold, harsh conditions of the snowy forest were behind them. The group welcomed the warmer climate, but the change also brought a new set of challenges. The ground was softer, making it harder for Rufus to pull the sled.

As the day wore on, they decided to make camp earlier than usual, taking advantage of a small clearing surrounded by tall grass. Rufus was grateful for the break, feeling the strain of pulling the sled through the softer ground.

"Let's just get rid of the sled. The ground is getting muddy," Amala said. 

Rufus agreed as he rested. 

~~

As Amala went to scout the surroundings, Rufus went to Suomi and asked, "Do you see us as evil? Like we do not care for the lives of others. We just use them."

Suomi didn't ponder even a bit, but answered straight, "No, but the way you acted. In your eyes was nothing. Like you have seen this so many times. The villagers helped us, and to you and Amala it was just another day for you."

"But I have," Rufus replied, "Though I look like this I am an old man. And long ago, I fought in many wars and killed many men and women. Never because I liked it, but because I had to. And seeing what happened to those villagers. it did hurt, I just am not allowed to freeze and do nothing when something like that occurs."

Suomi stared at Rufus, her eyes searching his face for a moment before she responded, "I understand that. I do. But that doesn't mean it becomes any easier to bear, especially for those who haven't lived through as much as you have."

Rufus nodded, understanding her perspective. "I know, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I didn't care. We all have our ways of coping with trauma and loss. I've just learned to keep moving forward, no matter what. I once wallowed in my guilt, as you remember, and it did no one good."

Suomi remembers how Rufus was the first time he had seen him. A broken man with, a long beard and hair. Lost all hope, and completely secluded in the palace of the Fairfax kingdom. 

Their moment was abruptly stopped when Amala came running toward them. 

Amala looked frantic as she approached, out of breath from running. "We've got trouble," she declared urgently, her eyes scanning their surroundings as if expecting a threat to appear at any moment.

Rufus immediately stood up, his previous fatigue momentarily forgotten. "What is it? What's happening?" he asked quickly, ready to spring into action.

Hundreds of arrows started to fall, like rain. Rufus created a divine sphere and used it to destroy the arrows. 

"What is going on?!" Rufus asked. 

"Got spotted," Amala said.

"By who?"

"By some people who don't like us," Amala replied.