Chapter 51 - Passage
The next day, after the logistical preparations, Kaelen refrained from taking wooden swords, opting to carry several simple iron blades, some caltrops, metal spheres, assorted scrolls, clothing, and provisions. Since the journey would last about sixteen days through a route devoid of inns for most of the way, he needed to go to the adventurers' guild to fulfill the order stipulated by Count Varian to ensure the entourage's safety.
Kaelen almost wanted to cry upon discovering that hiring an elite group would cost at least between two hundred and three hundred gold coins. In the end, he ended up disbursing four hundred coins. The group was called Gentle Breeze, composed of five heteromorphic adventurers: the mage Caleb (of vulpine lineage), the cleric Elissa (with cervine features), the two-handed sword warrior Darek (a brave lupine), the heavy warrior Vorn (a corpulent warrior of porcine lineage, wearing full armor and a long shield), and the archer Shara (an agile feline archer).
At least there were no expenses with transportation; Valéria's father had lent the carriage precisely because his daughter would participate in the trip. However, just thinking about the suffering he would endure bouncing around on those roads, Kaelen swore to himself that, one day, he would create a proper suspension system to install in all the fief's vehicles. Two carriages were made available: one reserved for the men and the other for the women. Count Varian proved to be extremely zealous with his heiress — allowing her to travel with her fiancé, but demanding they sleep separately, mixing old customs and curious decisions in a peculiar way.
Kaelen organized all his belongings in a chest until he was notified by Thys that the carriage and Valéria had arrived. Everyone hurried to accommodate the luggage. Valéria came prepared with a magic bag, a providential space where they stored most of the supplies, as well as utensils and gear that would allow Kaelen to cook during the stops. After completing the final step at the guild and paying off the escort's contract, the caravan finally began the journey toward their first destination.
It was incredible how the inventor had already gotten used to short trips of two to three days. But, upon surpassing the fifth day on the road, Kaelen could no longer sleep properly. His buttocks felt like two baked boards, stiff, glowing hot, and intensely sore, coupled with a terrible motion sickness caused by the constant swaying. Amidst the torment, he remembered Katriny with a melancholic pang — imagining how much that traitor would be mocking his current situation.
On the seventh day, the monotony of the trip was broken by an unusual surprise: a group of fire bears appeared on the horizon. The native species exhibited two hind legs, four front legs, a striking yellow crest on their heads that resembled a mohawk, and the ability to expel flames, albeit with less intensity than a dragon. It was certainly a manifestation fueled by the intense use of mana, because, to spit fire in that manner, an unusual stock of magic pepper would be necessary. Setting aside the peculiar characteristics of the six bears that came charging, the entourage did not need to lift a finger; the elite escort eliminated the threat without major complications.
Sitting and bored with the post-combat lull, Kaelen distracted himself by observing the mercenaries. The feline archer Shara displayed remarkable agility and an impressive physical build; meanwhile, the cleric Elissa wore attire that hid almost everything. Kaelen caught himself wondering how it was possible for a feline archer woman to combine such speed and mobility with a bust of those proportions, a visual detail that defied any concentration and left anyone in doubt about where to focus their gaze — on the slain monster or on her.
— Ouch! — Kaelen turned abruptly upon feeling a sharp twinge in his shoulder, finding Valéria sinking her teeth into his skin.
— Why did you do that?! — he exclaimed, startled.
— Don't think I didn't see you ogling the archer — Valéria retorted, her eyes narrowed. — I'm keeping an eye on you to ensure you don't get involved with any other female...
— I'm completely innocent in this story! I was just looking at the size of the bear and the length of those arrows... arrows that, by the way, were bouncing far too much...
Hearing that, Valéria stood firmly in front of him, blushing with indignation: — Is this the decency expected of a noble? Coveting a mercenary with such brazenness in broad daylight?!
— But I wasn't looking with malice! I just... was calculating the proportions of the bear and the arrow, which were immense...
At that exact moment, Valéria delivered a fierce pinch to his ribs, causing genuine pain, and pulled him inside the carriage. In there, she spent the next thirty minutes lecturing tirelessly about how a youth of the nobility should behave.
Trying to ease the tension with a reckless joke, Kaelen blurted out: — Geez, but there are so many different women out there... Vampires, dragonoids — well, Akra is still a child, but what about the other races? It's always good to expand one's horizons and get to know new cultures, don't you think?
It was at that exact moment that Kaelen understood Count Varian's warning about never irritating his daughter. Defying the cramped space of the carriage with a terrifying dexterity, Valéria grabbed him by the collar, spun her body with force, and applied a genuine suplex, throwing him flat on his back against the vehicle's wooden floor. For Kaelen, the impact meant sudden death — he fainted the very next second.
Mental note: never provoke the wrath of that tigress.
Kaelen woke up about forty minutes later on the carriage seat; Valéria was no longer there, and Eradan looked at him with an expression that mixed pity and apprehension.
— Eradan... Is Valéria still furious? By the gods, my neck and back feel like they were run over by a wagon...
— M... Miss Valéria is still very angry with you, sir — stammered Eradan, stuttering and shrinking in fear. — She strictly ordered me to keep an eye on you to prevent any other... indiscretion. Otherwise, she said she would return to reeducate you...
— Look here, Eradan — commented Kaelen, letting out a weak laugh while massaging his ribs. — If one day you intend to get a fiancée, first learn the art of strategic retreat and Olympic running. Women like that reduce any man's life expectancy.
— Sir, you really shouldn't joke about that... If Miss Valéria hears you, I fear it won't end well — murmured the elf, swallowing hard.
— Good point. I don't intend to have the rest of my skeleton fractured today — agreed Kaelen, holding back his laughter.
On the fourteenth day, the caravan was intercepted by an ambush. Fourteen heteromorphic bandits of various lineages appeared, blocking the road. For the worn-out and still bored Kaelen, however, the skirmish barely passed for a minor inconvenience: he limited himself to firing ranged support, leaving two enemy archers unconscious, while the Gentle Breeze escort neutralized the rest of the gang.
On the sixteenth day, they finally sighted the gates of the city of lamias and serpent-men. At first glance, the complex looked like a conventional citadel, garrisoned by robust walls and attentive sentinels; however, that was merely the exterior facade. The true heart of the settlement extended deep inside the mountain. It was a colossal underground architecture, reminiscent of the legends about the dwarven domains. Before entering the inner tunnels, the entourage made a stop at a tavern in the outer zone to eat.
There, Valéria took the opportunity to instruct her fiancé about the complex social structure of that people: the lamia kingdom was strictly matriarchal.
— Whatever the partner's lineage, the female offspring always inherits the lamia form — she explained with authority. — However, for male heirs to be born, the serpent-men, the union must obligatorily occur with a serpent-man of the clan.
— And what about royalty? — inquired Kaelen.
— The hierarchy is dictated by physical characteristics. Among the serpent-men, proximity to the throne is measured by the markings of a cobra hood: the more vibrant the black and yellow patterns and the more formidable the brute strength, the greater the nobility. Meanwhile, among the females, the royal lineage is stamped on the femininity of their upper forms and the golden fins that adorn their tails.
Without measuring the reach of his words, Kaelen let his thought out loud: — I still can't imagine how they manage to bear children. Do they lay eggs like common snakes?
Upon hearing such nonsense, Valéria stood up abruptly and delivered a relentless punch right to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and almost making him regurgitate his meal. — Don't you even dare entertain funny ideas or think of dragging one of those creatures around with you, understood?! — she hissed.
— Calm down, Valéria... It was just a purely scientific thought... At this rate, you're going to kill me with your love well before the wedding — groaned Kaelen, hunched over and holding his own abdomen.
Miri let out a muffled giggle, while Eradan stared fixedly the other way, too terrified to move a muscle.
— Let's finish our meal — murmured Kaelen, catching his breath. — We need to meet with whoever runs this city. Valéria, do you know who to talk to? What did your father instruct us to do upon arriving?
— Yes, he gave me the exact guidelines — the young woman confirmed. — We must present ourselves at House Serpentis and formalize our arrival.
After lunch, the entourage returned to the carriages and crossed the monumental gates that gave access to the inner section, encrusted in the belly of the mountain. The microclimate inside was surprising due to the dense humidity and stifling heat, although the heteromorphs did not seem to suffer from it. The architecture had changed drastically, with wider streets and dwellings with much more spacious entrances.
It did not take long for them to arrive in front of the imposing facade of the main mansion. Valéria took the lead, presenting the House of Tigers' signet to the guards, and they were soon invited to enter. The redoubt surprised Kaelen; it looked nothing like a fort or castle, resembling much more the spacious mansion of a vastly wealthy noble.
They were received by Zael, a butler of impeccable manners, who informed them that the lady of the house was not in at the moment and asked them to return the next day, around three in the afternoon.
Kaelen intervened, taking the floor: — Could you recommend a good place for us to stay until then?
The butler nodded and indicated an inn to the south of the city, the Golden Scale Inn. He handed a small, polished pendant into Valéria's hands. — Since you are guests of the baroness, present this emblem and you will receive the best rooms.
Satisfied, they left the mansion and boarded the carriage. Since the Gentle Breeze mercenaries were off duty and would only escort them outside the city limits, the entourage was on their own.
As soon as the wheels started turning south, Kaelen noticed they were being followed. Inside the cabin, Valéria crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, maintaining the vigilant posture of a jealous fiancée. The most comical thing was that Akra, sitting beside her, observed the tigress's hard expression and imitated the gesture to perfection: she crossed her little arms, puffed out her cheeks, and began to glare at Kaelen with the exact same reproachful look, drawing an exhausted sigh from the inventor, who felt doubly judged.
Ignoring the double female judgment, Kaelen whispered an order to the coachman: — Go through a more deserted path.
The coachman obeyed, diverting the route toward a more secluded area near the south exit. It was there that Kaelen's premonition was triggered.
— Hold on! We're being attacked! — he warned in a firm voice.
In the next instant, a serpent-man leapt from the roof of a low building directly onto the team of horses, forcing them to a sudden halt. At the same time, two hooded lamias landed silently at the rear of the vehicle, both with drawn bows and arrows pointed.
Kaelen did not panic. He knew they had been tracked since the mansion. That was no ordinary mugging; he strongly suspected it was a test.
He opened the carriage door slowly and stepped down, stopping before the two archers with a half-smile on his face. — What a warm welcome — Kaelen ironized. — Does the baroness's hospitality always include a surprise ambush in the package, or are we special guests?
