The Beauty Of Vall

The journey towards the academy was relatively smooth for the first two days, Derrick and his group of three have had a nice journey towards the academy, but Shadow had always been vigilant, they left the dark territory two days ago, this was their fourth day on the journey.

Derrick was mostly meditating, he wanted to meet up with Rosetta and head to the academy together, but seeing that both of them would be leaving at different times and due to the distance it wasn't advisable.

On the fifth day towards their journey, there was a road block, seeing that there was just four of men mounting a road block, Shadow had a bad feeling about it.

"Stop right there, this is a road block" a man who had dirty and messy hair, a sword on his waist and a scar in face at the corner of his mouth said.

"Road block? I thought there was only a toll fee at the gate up ahead" Shadow replied looking at the three men.

"That's the toll fee of the kingdom of Vall, this is the road block of the four pythons" the man with a scar mouth said, the other three of them smiled showing their remaining brown teeth, brandishing their knives and axes.

"Oh how much is the fee?" Shadow said looking at the four of them.

'We stuck it rich, looking at the carriage is not a noble, but merchant carriage, let's call a price that would make me retire for a year' the man with a scar mouth thought before saying "our fee is 5 gold coins" he said stomping his foot on the floor and spitting out acting like a gangster.

"That's high way robbery 5 gold coins for what" Shadow sneered at the words the man just spat out, it didn't take one to think too much that they were bandits.

"Alright, for saying such a thing it has increased to 6 gold coins" the scar mouth said he seemed to be the leader of the gang.

"Pay up, or lose your lives" one of the members of the four pythons said bringing out his knife and swinging it back and forth to threaten Shadow.

Shadow smiled "I would give you all sixty seconds to scram before I kill you all" Shadow looked at the four of them before saying.

"Do you have a death wish, boys rough him up and let's steal everything they own including their pants" the scar mouth said sneering.

"Shadow don't kill them they might have a bounty on them" Derrick said from inside the carriage.

"Yes young master" Shadow said before apparently holding the hilt of his sword, there were laughs amongst the bandits, until Shadow raised his aura, their faces changed "Fleeee he is a high level warrior" scar mouth said running in a different direction, the four of them ran to different directions in order to escape, but were knocked out cold before taking more than three steps.

"Tie them to the carriage" Shadow said to the coachman who nodded and did so.

They eventually came across a city gate, and many people were lining up, seeing the bandits being tied to the carriage and the scary look on Shadow's face, the people parted ways for the carriage to pass.

Looking at the scenery, Derrick saw different type of pheasants who usually wouldn't get close to him in the dark territory up close, he saw how they were looking at the carriage with awe and some looked with fear.

"The toll gate fee is 5 coppers for a person and 20 coppers for carriages" a grumpy voice said towards the coachman, it seems the voice was from a guard, there were three guards in the gate who were inspecting the carriage, Shadow handed over the bandits to the guards, the guards nodded at him but they discussed a bit before Shadow paid them and they were allowed into the city.

"Shadow where are we?" Derrick called for Shadow and asked, he knew they were in someone else's territory, so he need to know who and where they were.

"Young master, we are in Baron Valluck territory, the Vall kingdom, our supplies are running low, we need to restock and young master need to sleep soundly, we would be here for three days then continue our journey" Shadow told Derrick as they were entering the kingdom of Vall.

"Alright were would we be staying, during these three days?" Derrick continue asking, he wasn't really bothered, this territory was also a territory belonging to a barony.

"We would be staying in an inn, it isn't an official meeting, so there is no need for us to trouble the Baron about us passing through" Shadow replied Derrick who didn't seem to hear he had already closed the carriage window.

Shadow bowed before going back to sit with the coach man, before narrowing his eyes and surveiling everywhere.

"Excuse me, which inn is considered the best inn in all of Vall kingdom" Shadow asked a passerby who seemed to be on his way rushing to somewhere, he apparently stopped before looking at Shadow and replying "It seems you are a stranger here, the best inn in all of Vall is the golden turtle, the inn is the best with a bath inside, and that's where all the nobles who passed by Vall usually stay" the passerby said rushing his words "I am late stranger today is the day which the beauty of Vall decides to come out and grace us with her beauty" the passerby after saying that raced off to wherever he was going to.

"Where is the golden turtle?" Shadow shouted but he got a silent reply, due to the fact that the passerby has raced off.

"What the hell was that?" Shadow said before going back and relaying what was said to him to Derrick, "The beauty of Vall" Derrick muttered.