The knight's destiny
Episode 14
The sound of horseshoes hit the streets, carrying a large carriage containing Duke's merchandise and transporting the slaves and bodyguards he had hired, Luragorn and Lithia.
The car is five meters long and three meters wide and three meters high, making it a large storage space for goods. In front of him were two elongated benches that turned their backs on each other. One bench is where the coachman moves his horse while the other faces the three-meter-high wooden room. Duke and Sima sat on the coachman's bench while Luragorn and Lithia sat on the other bench.
“Sorry yes, gives a bad impression. I almost forgot I was going to Fisherman Village. It's very dangerous if one of the beastmen intercepts, my merchandise may run out. Hehe,” said Duke started the conversation.
“It's okay. I'm not disturbed either. By the way, thanks for the locket,” reply Lithia.
“Hooh, do you like it? It's good that you're satisfied. Happy customer is my motoku.”
In the end, only Duke and Lithia were talking. Luragorn and Sima just kept quiet without any meaningful response, letting the two men familiarize themselves.
The first mission taken by Lithia was an escort mission, in the form of escorting a merchant who was going to Fisherman Village. The road they took was a road that was prone to bandit attacks, especially the beastman bandits.
The fastest route to Fisherman Village is a week's ride on a horse-drawn carriage. That was why the Duke left the next day after meeting with Lithia. In order to make the best use of time, the Duke chose to leave when the new sun rose in the eastern horizon.
The sky began to darken and the horse carriage was immediately stopped, giving the horses time to rest as well as stretch from the long journey.
Luragorn and Duke prepare a bonfire while Sima and Lithia search for a spring not far from where they stopped. One of Sima's skills is a water source tracker, making Sima a valuable asset to Duke, especially in traveling long distances.
Sima and Lithia found a small lake not far from their campsite. Sima immediately took off her clothes while Lithia was still a bit hesitant to come clean, especially with their situation that was not completely safe.
“Why are you taking a shower? I thought you were a slave. Don't you have to help Duke prepare for camp?” ask Lithia who is still wearing her clothes.
“Mr Duke ordered me to shower at least once a day. He said ... it is mandatory for a slave girl,” replied Sima who was rubbing her body on the lake.
“Government?”
“Ya .. command. He said he didn't want to have dirty slaves, so he ordered me to do this every day.”
“Dirty body ... is it?” muttered Lithia asked herself while sighing.
Lithia scanned her limbs for a glimpse then decided to join Sima. Lithia immediately took off her clothes and joined Sima.
“Sini .. I will rub your back,” Lithia said.
“Nona Lily no need to bother.”
***
Lura and Duke had made a bonfire and took out a cauldron to cook.
“So, Lura .. are you a slave too?” ask Duke.
“Where do you know?” luragorn was surprised.
“Of course I know. The eyes of a slave are very different from the eyes of ordinary people.”
“Different?”
“Ya, different. The eyes of each slave were the same average, that of the dead. Although a bit vague, I had a chance to see those eyes on you.”
“So clear?”
“Yes, none of my business. But I'm still curious. How can a slave like you be this great?”
Luragorn sighed then sat in front of the bonfire while the Duke continued to ask the same question over and over again.
“How?” the Duke asked repeatedly and intensively which finally made Luragorn give up.
“Alright, I'll tell you a little,” replied Luragorn.
The Duke took the same position as this burly man and listened to Luragorn's story.
“In the beginning .. I was just an ordinary little boy living like a typical kid. Until one day a bandit troupe attacked my residence, Frxzy Village,” Luragorn said as he occasionally threw dry twigs at the campfire.
“What happened to your village?” asked the Duke curiously.
“Destroyed, all the inhabitants I think have been slaughtered including my parents who were killed before my eyes.”
The duke was instantly speechless and bowed down feeling guilty for making Luragorn remember his past.
“Sorry Lura, I did not expect,” Duke said in a pity tone.
“Not to think about. It's just the past anyway. After that I was arrested by slave sellers and I don't know how long I suffered, but the suffering was so much that I no longer cared about my own fate,” continued Luragorn.
Luragorn suddenly put on a thin smile and made Duke astonished. Telling a story of tragedy while smiling certainly makes anyone wonder.
“That's when he showed up, he set me free and made me his bodyguard. I think it was the happiest times of my life,” Luragorn said with a smile.
“Is that? Does Sima also have a past like that?” asked the Duke while looking at the starry dark sky.
“Where do you buy Sima?” ask Luragorn curiously.
“It's just an old story. She was pretty sweet for a girl her age, but her eyes emitted nothing but emptiness. After that I bought it and made it my servant,” replied the Duke.
“Sima and myself are among the lucky slaves to meet a good master.”
“Eh? Don't say that, you're embarrassing me. I'm not that good.”
“I say so, because most slaves were bought just to serve as a means of forced labor and nothing more. But I see the way you treat Sima–you don't think of it as a tool don't you?”
The Duke stood up from his seat and invited Luragorn to take the supplies to be cooked.
“Of course humans are not tools,” Duke replied as he pulled Luragorn to prepare dinner.
***
Lithia and Sima washed their bodies in the rather cold lake water. Rub the surface of their skin to remove any stains and dust that sticks.
“Sima, what is it on your back?” lithia asked looking at Sima's back.
A birthmark with the shape of a dragon on Sima's back, made Lithia curious about the meaning of the sign.
“Any huh?” ask Sima.
“No, not weird. It's just ..” Lithia replied while thinking.
“Because of this sign, the whole village calls me a monster and a bad omen.”
“Hah? Isn't that outrageous? Why can?”
“I don't know, but they say I only bring shit. Even my parents sold me in the slave market.”
“Hah?! What kind of parents are they?!”
“That's natural in my place. My village is very poor and often hit by drought. Everyone is mediocre, including my family,”
“But that's no reason to sell their child.”
“But still ...”
“After that .. I lived my life as a slave. A lot happened until master Duke bought me,” Sima said in a flat tone.
“Hooh, so.”
“But not like my previous master. Master Duke treated me well. He didn't tell me to do any heavy duty or ask me to be his sexual gratifier. He also gave the same food as the food he ate.”
“Gosh! Up to her?”
“Because that's ...,” Sima noticed the handcuffs in his hands, “I am the slave of Mr. Duke.”
Lithia was pensive for a moment and recalled the day she met Luragorn for the first time. Lithia smiled faintly then resumed Sima's conversation.
“So? Do you have feelings for your master?” asked Lithia with sparkling eyes.
“Taste?” sima replied with another question while her eyes did not show any expression.
“Yes, feelings. Do you have feelings ... love maybe?”
“What is love? Miss Lily ever had it?”
Lithia suddenly fell silent at the question from Sima. He did not know what to answer, although Lithia knew that he had feelings for Luragorn, but he could not answer that out loud in front of this dead girl.
***
The footsteps of the horse rang out in the distance and made Luragorn wary. This man drew his sword and prepared to fight while the Duke was still busy cooking.
“Mr Duke, they're coming,” said Luragorn commemorating Duke.
“Who?” asked the Duke swiftly
“Para–”
Several beastmen suddenly fell down from above and startled Luragorn and Duke. The duke immediately ran towards the forest to look for Sima, but his intention was delayed when he saw the beastmen trying to loot the duke's carriage.
The beastmen split the team into two halves. The first team distracts Luragorn while the second team loots Duke's carriage. Luragorn could not do much because the beastman he was fighting was a strong wolf beastman and had good team coordination.
The duke begins to hesitate to save his carriage or look for Sima. Sima's existence is certainly important, but his entire fortune is on that train.
“Go! Find Sima and Lily!” shout Luragorn.
“But, my trade ...”
“Do you not care about them? At least on Sima?”
The duke was increasingly hesitant between advancing or retreating. The train containing his business investment is being looted, but on the other hand he wants to pick up Sima as soon as possible. In the end, the Duke decides to find Sima instead of his own train. The duke ran as hard as he could into the forest, but he only met with Lithia.
“Where is Sima?!” asked the Duke in a panic.
“Not back yet? I thought he was already there,” replied Lithia.
The duke rushed back to Luragorn's place and found Luragorn had won against two wolf beastmen at once, though his body seemed to be in a mess and bloody.
“Did you find Sima? Where's Lily?” ask Luragorn.
“No. Lily said, Sima has returned,” replied the Duke.
“Hey, where's our train?” lithia asked the two men in front of her.
“Celaka! Just turned a little and they have taken the train,” said Luragorn in an angry tone.
“Don't ...,” said Lithia assumed.
***
The Duke's carriage sped away with a wolf beastman as his coachman. One beastman went into the storage area and found Sima holding an iron rod.
“This train belongs to Mr. Duke,” Sima said with a blank look.
“Slave? Weak ground, move aside!” snapped at the wolf beastman.
Sima paid no heed to the warning and attacked the beastman standing in front of him. The beastman beat Sima all out and kicked this slave girl towards the corner, making Sima unable to move let alone stand.
“Be quiet there,” said the beastman while looting all the items that looked expensive.
“No, it belongs to Mr. Duke,” Sima said with his blurred and swaying gaze.
The beastman immediately jumped out and left Sima alone on the carriage. The carriage suddenly swayed and made Sima somewhat dizzy with her footing. She felt her footing slanted, but this slave girl thought that it was the effect of her dizzy head.
“SIMA! You're inside?!” the Duke shouted from outside the carriage.
Sima hurriedly looked out and found Luragorn and Duke who were temporarily riding on a large lizard. The big green lizard that crept fast beside the carriage was carrying Luragorn and Duke on its back. Luragorn controlled the direction of the lizard while Duke shouted towards Sima.
“SIMA! Jump out! The train has lost a horse!”
The Duke's carriage had run itself without any horses pulling it. Cruising towards a deep ravine, Duke's car is now down the slope and will fall in a moment.
“Sima! Jump!”
“But, car lord Duke ..” reply Sima.
“Lura! Do something!” firmly Duke.
“Can't, who will control this lizard?” ask Luragorn.
“Ck! Approach me by car, I'll pick him up.”
Luragorn directs the big lizards on their mounts to the back of the carriage. The Duke thoughtlessly jumped into the carriage and crashed into Sima, making this girl lie under the Duke's body.
*PLAK!
Duke slapped Sima hard then hugged her tightly while stepping towards the back of the carriage. Sima fell silent without any words and not even something was thought of in his head right now. All Sima felt now was a feeling of guilt for not successfully seizing the Duke carriage.
The duke observed the back of the carriage, watching the rough surface of the ground and several large rocks every few meters. The Duke still held Sima up in his arms while gulping at the sight he saw. The duke jumped out and hugged Sima while protecting the back of this slave girl's head.
Duke hit the ground and rolled due to the acceleration of the carriage. A coarse and rocky layer of soil greeted the Duke's untrained body, giving him more pain each time he rolled over. Not long after Duke spun around like a sliding water barrel, Luragorn held the bodies of these two people with the bodies of the huge lizard as a barrier to their speed.
Duke's carriage glided freely towards the bottom of the dark ravine. The Duke managed to save Sima with a slight wound on the Duke's own head. Although in the end, the Duke had to give up his carriage containing his livelihood, but he managed to save Sima.
***
A warm bonfire accompanied Lithia. This woman gazed towards one of the wolf beastmen bound on the tree trunk.
“Luckily, you guys brought a lizard that can be used as a mount,” muttered Lithia, “Sadly they don't know anything.”
