Chapter 18

Oboro remained silent, his gaze fixed on Aizawa who looked like he was gonna throw up. He took a few steps towards Aizawa and laid his hand on his shoulder.

"We'll talk when we get back to my place."

He assured him, backing up towards the clearing of trees, before turning back towards the group and beckoning them with his hand.

We all fell silent before pressing on, Oboro carried his lantern as he walked through the field until we saw a horse in the observable distance.

Upon reaching the horse it snorted softly as Oboro stepped on, scooting in front to make room for the 3 of us.

We all then stepped onto the horse carefully, because I am a pretty short person I had a little assistance.

Eventually we all got onto the horse and Oboro kicked it lightly in the back of its leg, causing it to propel forward and through the field.

I looked to my right and watched the stalks of wheat brush in the wind as the horse ran on, and the moon seemingly followed us in the dark sky, glowing with a gentle hue. 

"Where are we going?"

Shinso asked, leaning to the side of Aizawa to look at Oboro with a gaze of puzzlement.

"Back to my hometown, or kingdom."

He replied, just staring ahead as a few lights leaked over the grainy hilltops and beyond the sheet of evergreen trees.

"Kingdom...what year is it?"

Aizawa asked Oboro, his voice now a little more worried.

"It's the year of 1396, why?"

Aizawa froze, his eyes widened as he began to sweat, I heard this brief information too and my heart began to race.

"Did we travel back in time, or is this an alternate reality?"

I continued to press on with my self asked questions as the horse approached the large gate that surrounded the kingdom.

Oboro took out a small copper coin from his pocket, before putting it inside a small box on the right hand side of the gate, a few moments later the gates started to open with a loud clang and clammer.

After the gates were fully stretched out, the horse slowly pressed on and stopped near a stable. Oboro immediately hopped off and landed on top of a small pile of hay, and looked back at us and made us to the same.

"Crish, crish, crish."

We all fell into the hay and stood up a little dazed from the horse ride.

"So this is your place?"

Shinso asked, looking around at the bustling streets of people going about their business.

"No, this is the stable. My apartment is a few blocks down."

He said as he started to walk forward to an intersection, and looking both ways before a horse and carriage would flatten him or at minimum his foot would get trampled by a wheel or 2.

"Come on."

We all crossed the street, I looked around nervously, our clothes were not like everyone else's here.

"Our clothes are different than everyone else's, what if they think we're invaders or something?"

I whispered to Oboro, who simply turned to me with a chuckle.

"They won't for long, I have plenty of clothing back at my home."

"Good."

Suddenly we reached a more urban part of town, with clamoring street vendors and windows filled with fancy suits, dresses and some pottery here and there.

My nose was immediately filled with the smell of steaming beef as a vendor lifted it from a stove with a large fire set ablaze.

Oboro noticed this and playfully nudged my arm.

"Hungry?"

He asked, smirking a little in a sheepish way.

"Kinda..."

His eyes only widened a little at my answer, he silently walked over to the street vendor and rummaged through his pockets before pulling out a pile of 20 gold coins.

"I'll take that beef."

He told the vendor, leaning in closer with a small and polite smile. The vendor smiled as he took the coins and tossed them into the large metal bucket below his stand. 

He then handed the large piece of meat to Oboro who took it, letting in a big gust of the aroma.

"Here you go."

Oboro said with a smile as he handed me the meat, I took it with an awkward smile and a small "thank you".

I sank my teeth into the meat and my eyes lit up, it was perfectly crispy, and tender to the point where my mouth was technically leaking with the juices. 

I continued to eat the meat as we started to walk again through the streets.

"Mind if I try that?"

Shinso asked while tapping me on the shoulder. I turned towards him and gave a small smile, silently handing him the piece of meat. 

Shinso took it with a large weird smile and bit into it, his usually dull eyes lit up as he tasted the tender beef, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Damn, this is good!"

He exclaimed, his mouth still full of the tender meat. He continued to chew and take bites of the meat until it was degraded down to the large bone that was held in the middle.

"Here you go."

Shinso gulped cheekily as he handed me back the meat, which was really now just a large bone covered in grease.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed it?"

I answered, a little annoyed that he ate the food so quickly, but happy he enjoyed it.

"Damn, you're already done, huh?"

Oboro chuckled, looking back at the bone before I tossed it into a garbage can nearby.

"Yeah, I didn't know the food back then was that good."

I remarked to Shinso, who smiled back at me faintly.

"Anyways..."

Oboro broke the silence between us, before announcing.

"We're almost to my apartment."

He looked up at the metal sign, it read Glocksingston Avanue.

"Just a few blocks from here is my apartment, so it won't be too long."

He smiled softly as he stopped at another end of a sidewalk and looked both ways, than Aizaw finally spoke.

"Are you sure they'll be enough room for us?"

Oboro nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure that Lancy wouldn't mind a few more guests, but if he increases the rent I'll have a little talk with him."

He smiled as he tipped his head towards a group of richer nobles playing a game of cards at a table. The man returned the same polite gesture.

"You know those people?"

I asked Oboro, questioning his possible status.

"Well, I don't know them, but it's polite to tip your hat to the more fortunate, it's custom."

He answered, putting his flat hat back onto his head before he continued to proceed down the street.

My blood suddenly started to freeze, like a feeling of invisible gazes looking in my direction, I was being watched.

I frantically looked in all directions but just saw that no one was staring at me nor our group, I even looked above to see if any prying eyes gazed from the rooftops, but no eyes actually were on me, eyes that I knew of.