Journey

Scene: The Knight Camp

Meanwhile, at the knight camp, the knights were going about their business, passing time. Hekal sat on a bench outside, staring at the stars with a troubled expression.

"You should rest, your shift is already over," Romano, the vice commander, said as he approached Hekal.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just thinking about something," Hekal replied.

"May I interrupt?" Romano asked, sitting beside Hekal. He began to share his story.

"So, I have a little brother. An adoptive little brother who is two years younger than me. We've only known each other for several years, but I worry about him a lot."

"And why so? I don't think that's enough reason to make a knight like you worry that much," Romano observed, sensing there was more to Hekal's concern.

Hekal continued, "The main problem is, our father just gave him a task to get some materials from Daramul Village."

"Man, that's far. It takes a whole day just to reach that place by horse from here if I recall," Romano noted.

"Exactly. What in the world is our father thinking, sending someone like him to such a distant village? After all, he just experienced hell back then," Hekal said, his voice tense.

"What do you mean?" Romano inquired.

"I saw a lot of bruises and scars on his body. It looks like he was tortured alive by the enemy and has several traumas," Hekal explained.

The vice commander finally understood Hekal's concern. To ease his worries, Romano offered some advice. "You know, since I know your father, he may be terrible at some points."

"Well, you are right," Hekal admitted.

Meanwhile, at Mr. Zashchitnik's home, the man was struggling to sleep in his soft bed. He spoke to himself in frustration, "I swear somebody wants me dead right now, and I can feel it right into my veins!"

Back at the knight camp, Hekal and Romano continued their conversation.

"But when it comes to responsibilities, he is the worst person I know," Hekal said.

"You bet," Romano agreed.

At Mr. Zashchitnik's house, he was now trying to force himself to sleep, pressing a pillow onto his face. He muttered in frustration, "LET ME SLEEP, ARG!"

Returning to the camp, Hekal and Romano's conversation drew to a close.

"But, deep down in his cold heart, he's still a good man. So please, don't lose hope in him. He has already suffered enough," Romano advised.

"Yeah, sir. I won't," Hekal promised.

At Mr. Zashchitnik's house, he finally managed to fall asleep without further incident. "ZZZZzzzzzzz," he snored.

Hekal laughed a little, his conversation with Romano providing some relief. He got off the bench and started moving inside the post to rest.

"Don't forget, when dawn comes, I want you to join me in sending this letter to his family," Romano instructed.

"Yes, sir. I look forward to it," Hekal replied.

"Me too," Romano said.

Scene: Dawn at the Caravan

Time skipped to dawn. Harith was sleeping on the grass beside his horse. Natan tried to wake him up.

"Oi, wake up," Natan said, shaking Harith gently.

"Hmm, four more minutes," Harith mumbled, struggling to wake up. He had been alert all night, not wanting to fall asleep easily on his first mission. Despite Natan's efforts, Harith remained asleep.

Finally, his horse took matters into its own hands, sitting on Harith's body to wake him up. Even animals knew their assignments.

"ERRK, I'm up, I'm up!" Harith exclaimed, finally rising from his slumber. The horse got off him and stood ready to move.

"We're going to be back on track in a few minutes. Go get something for your stomach," Natan announced.

Harith rushed to eat some food from the leftovers he got from the village, sitting beside his horse alone. He noticed Mr. Hobs eating at his spot but didn't dare to approach him after witnessing the tavern incident. He decided to ignore him.

The scenery was beautiful, eating near a lake at dawn. The dew was perfectly visible, and the atmosphere was cool. The sky was a mix of colors, signaling the start of a new day.

"Man, if I knew camping was this relaxing, I should do this more often in the future," Harith thought.

After a quick break, everyone got back on their horses and continued their journey to their upcoming destination.

Scene: The Capital

Meanwhile, somewhere in a temple in the capital, a little girl with messy brown hair held a piece of glass in her hand. She put the glass to her neck, intending to commit suicide. As she began to cut her throat, a little light emerged from the wound, healing it instantly. The girl was speechless and started to burst into tears without reason.

Scene: Deep in the Forest

The caravan moved steadily through the forest, unaware of the danger lurking within. Harith, in the middle formation, glanced around nervously, recalling Hobs' ominous warning about the Weeping Wolf.

"Stay alert," Natan advised. "We don't know what we might encounter."

Harith gripped his weapon tightly, his heart pounding. The forest seemed eerily quiet, the only sounds being the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures.

As they progressed deeper into the forest, the shadows grew thicker, and the air felt heavy with anticipation. The adventurers, though confident in their skills, couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling howl pierced the night, freezing everyone in their tracks. Harith's heart raced as he exchanged worried glances with Natan.

"Everyone, stay close and be ready for anything," Natan commanded, his voice steady but tense.