It didn’t take long for the food to be brought over. A line of servers carried the food and organized it on the table, each of them moving in a synchronized manner.
My eyes scanned the servers, but I couldn’t find who I was looking for.
I stopped one of the servers from leaving.
"Where is the server who took my order?"
The server frown then looked at in confusion.
"What server young master.... I was the one who took your order."
The woman said. I maintained my expression and waved the server away. She bowed and almost ran away from our table.
I must have looked like a fool. Was I hallucinating?
Laughter suddenly shot out from Seraph and Kianah. They didn’t even hide their amusent at my predicant. Jeneviv and Nixie were trying very hard to maintain a straight face but I couldn’t miss it.
"Well well well.. I thought you were the clever one."
Seraph teased and poked softly at my ribs. I chuckled.
"You really got distracted by beauty."
Kianah added as she and Seraph sang the sa song. I clicked my tongue trying not to laugh.
"This is a first. I didn’t sense any hostility from her.. It’s impressive that I got tricked that easily. "
I took Jeneviv’s newly poured root and took a huge gulp. The bitter taste of fernted Barley slid down my throat burning its disgusting taste into .
"It’s okay master everyone gets tricked once in a while you don’t really have to drown yourself in alcohol. "
Jeneviv’s reassuring voice ca as she took the remaining root from my hand. I looked around at everyone and noticed the look of pity.
They all thought I was sad about the trickery.
"I’m not sad or depressed. I find it amusing."
I said vaguely and took a bite of my food. The others who were clearly waiting for an outburst of emotion to tease all looked at in disappointnt and began to eat.
The food was delicious, well-cooked despite the environnt we were in.
"That would be one gold."
The server ca back with her crew to collect the plates and tell the price. She knelt a few steps from with her arms extended.
I dipped my hand into my pocket to get the remaining gold coins I had removed from my space ring before placing my order.
My pocket was empty.
I got robbed too.
I suppressed a chuckle and took out another coin and gave it to the woman. I shook off the feeling and turned back to the girls.
I was happy none of them noticed or I would have beco the source of their jokes.
"I’ll go ready the horses young master, we should be leaving too."
Donovan who had been quietly sitting at the end of the table said while dusting the front of his clothes.
"Check if the barbarians have returned, they seem to be taking a long ti."
I said to Donovan and waved him off. He nodded and left the table.
I turned to glance at Abeloin. He had been quiet during our journey. I knew he wasn’t taking it well with how pale his face had been but right now he seed to be regaining colour.
"What do you think the barbarian kingdom will look like?"
Kianah asked the other girls. I listened in to their conversation as they went on and on but my concentration was stolen by the people outside.
They were walking much faster than normal and I could see the panic in their eyes.
Sothing wasn’t right.
"We should leave."
I suddenly said while standing up. The others looked at in confusion but still followed after as we walked outside.
"What’s wrong?"
Seraph asked . I looked around for Donovan only to find him standing with the barbarians talking. His brows were furrowed and I could sense the tension in the air.
"Donovan!"
I called to him getting his attention. He whispered sothing to his companions and waltzed over.
"Whats happening?"
I asked directly. I didn’t like the panic and the mixture of excitent in the air. Sothing was very wrong.
"They say there is sothing in the forest that most are not sure but they’re anticipating a small beast tide. It happens occasionally and the beasts seem to be running away from sothing, that’s why the town is very disorganised. They just had one last a month."
My brows furrowed.
"Why haven’t we ever heard of this? They haven’t entered the kingdom at all."
Donovan glanced behind him then back at .
"That’s the problem. The mont they pass by here, they disperse and blend into these parts of the forest before disappearing. "
"How many tis has this happened?"
"They had four in three years but this one is more frequent than the others. The last one was a month ago and they’re still in the middle of repairing. "
I nodded my mind going through his words rapidly.
"Tell Baros we’re leaving."
I said to Donovan and walked to our parked carriage. Seraph got in but I didn’t, i turned to luna who was still following behind . Her worry evident.
"Is this why you’re tense?"
I asked her. She nodded her eyes skirting around. The tension in the air had beco more evident. Residents were running around closing their shops and so were heading for the town gates, mostly adventurers.
"No, the air reeks of rot and death."
I nodded. I had noticed that but this is a lawless land where people die every day. The air slled disgusting but so was the whole forest.
The perfu scent of trees was what kept the air clean in this graveyard of a forest.
This is a burial ground for those who had fallen in the many wars between people and beasts.
"We should leave then, whether we might encounter the tide or not."
Luna nodded and walked to her carriage.
"Young master you called. "
Baros said the mont he got to .
"We should leave. I hope you’ve already finished restocking and your preparation. "
I said while scrutinising him. He also seed paler than usual but I ignored that.
"But the tide is coming young master, we might et it head on."
"We’ll still et it here, this is their passage. "
"But the people here... my brethrens.."
He started but I raised my hand and cut him off.
"How much am I paying you to act as a guide?"
I asked coldly.
"Three hundred gold.. why would you ask this young master?"
He said nervously.
"Then do your work, I require guidance and I will not tolerate disobedience again. This is my last warning ," My hand wrapped around his neck and tightened before he could react," I’m not a charitable man. I could kill you and get past this forest on my own. Do not test my patience. "
His eyes widened with every squeeze. He was too weak to even fight and could only plead with his eyes. My mood was plumting faster and faster for so reason.
He fell to the ground coughing and choking as he tried to regain his breath. His crew ran over and took him away without looking at .
Cowards.
I glanced towards the trader’s spot one last ti and entered the carriage.
"Did you really have to be that harsh. "
Seraph asked the mont we were seated. I nodded. The carriage started moving imdiately.
"He was taking as so naive spoilt young master going for a tour."
I answered shortly. Despite him being utterly friendly from the start, I could see the condescending gaze he would shoot from ti to ti. This was sothing commoners did to all nobles especially those my age.
I didn’t really mind, as long as he stayed in his lane and did his job but it seems he had gotten too comfortable to reject my commands.
"You are too tense lucian. "
Seraph said. I didn’t respond. My mind was elsewhere.
What was causing such a reaction in such a large forest? I was hoping trolls wouldn’t be spoken of since they were walking trouble.
"Lucian...Lucian.."
I felt a cold sensation on my cheek before it ward up fast. I leaned into the soft touch that gave a small sense of comfort.
I turned to look at Seraph.
"You’ve been lost in your thoughts lately, is sothing the matter. This isn’t normal for you. You’ve been blanking out occasionally. This is the third ti since we left ho."
Seraph asked. I leaned into her touch even further the sound of her heartbeat in her pulse was calming .... it felt hypnotising.
I felt the need to bite into her arm. It was as though sothing deep inside was craving her blood but my rationale was the only thing that kept going.
I knew if I fell into that loothole i will never be able to crawl out.
"Nothing, I think I’m just hungry."
I dismissed it. It might just be my body’s instincts or sothing was terribly wrong but I couldn’t check myself now.
I planned to do that after arriving at the barbarian kingdom.
"I have extra blood do you want it?"
Seraph asked. I shook my head. I could just ask for blood from Luna. I looked outside at the forest that wasn’t as quiet as it had been when we first entered.
The deeper we went into the forest the more beasts we encountered maybe even the tide.
I sighed heavily and leaned back and took out my normal dical books. It was the best way to pass ti.
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