[https://i.imgur.com/VGCFMQy.png]

Refenial got back to the room the trio were staying in. Both Nia and Nox had already returned, and a candle had been lit, its flickering light giving the tiny room a cosier feel.

Nox had a sour look on his face, and when he turned to look at Refenial, he noticed the young ghoul was sporting a black eye. Nox smiled at Refenial, but he could tell the smile was forced.

"Welcome back, Reffy," Nia said with a more genuine smile, but she glanced worriedly at Nox.

"What happened? Did you find Buin?" Refenial asked him, worried.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Nox said glumly.

"What happened to Nox?" Nia asked, concerned.

"I don't know, he doesn't want to say."

"Anyway, we got you a birthday present!" Nia said, pointing to a box on Refenial's bed. "Well, Nox paid for it, but I picked it out and got it. I hope you like it. I wasn't sure what to get you."

Refenial stood by his bed, Nox and Nia at either side and opened the box. Inside was the fanciest cake he'd ever seen. It was layered with white frosting and red fruits across its top.

Refenial noticed Nox giving Nia an odd look.

"Can you ask Nia how she afforded this? It looks much too expensive for the money I gave her."

Refenial repeated the question to Nia, who shrugged nervously. "Apparently, the baker made it for someone who cancelled, and so she was selling it cheap."

When Nox heard the translation, he didn't look any less surprised. "That cheap?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, it's not important. Let's focus on enjoying this treat."

The trio sat eating cake, laughing and talking late into the night. For the first time since, well, ever, Refenial felt relaxed and safe in good company, the dangers of the world a distant problem for the him of tomorrow.

[https://i.imgur.com/oMrGBK6.png]

The next morning Refenial woke to the sound of the door closing. He looked over groggily to see it was Nox coming back from somewhere, his black eye already gone.

"Your eye's better?" Refenial asked, confused.

"Advantage of being a ghoul. I just popped out to see what options there were for travelling to the capital."

Nia rolled over onto her back on the nearby bed and began to snore. Nox and Refenial shared a glance and then chuckled at her snoring.

"We're in luck. There's a trade caravan heading down to the capital, a big one, it's not going directly there, but it'll only take a few weeks. The best part is, they've got passenger coaches for anyone wanting to travel with them, You pay up, and they look after you till you get there, feed you, set up tents for you, everything."

"Won't that be expensive?" Refenial asked dubiously.

"Yes, but you said last night that Nia was going to teach you her magic. If you're not working, you can spend the time practising your magic and music. You'll learn a lot faster that way. Also, you don't need to worry about the expense since the academy pays their titled students tons of money, so you'll make it back in weeks, if not months."

It all sounded perfect, but he decided to wake Nia to get her opinion before they decided for sure. He gently poked her in the shoulder, and she woke up, looking around in sleepy confusion for a few seconds before realizing Nox and Refenial were staring at her. She sat up, giving them an uncertain look.

"You were snoring." Refenial teased.

Nia crossed her arms. "I do not snore."

"It was so loud that Nox wa-" Refenial didn't finish his sentence before Nia through her pillow at him, and it bounced harmlessly off his face.

Nox struggled to keep a straight face, "The caravan is leaving in a couple hours. If we're going, we don't have time to mess about."

Refenial explained to Nia what Nox had said about the caravan.

Nia looked uncertain as she sat on the bed, hugging her legs, "I'm not sure, Nox was nice, but those last lot of caravaneers didn't seem to like me much. Is travelling with another caravan a good idea?"

Once Refenial had translated, nox nodded, and his face became more serious. "I know the man running the passenger wagon, Matrill. I've worked in the same trade caravan as him before. He's got the heart of a true merchant. He'd sell seats on his coach to monsters. If their money was good, they kept their feet off the seats, and they didn't cause trouble. He won't care that Nia is a foreigner and will take anyone harassing his customers personally." Nox chuckled slightly, "He's also a retired veteran. I once saw him lose his temper with another merchant. Matrill yelled so loud at the man, I think they must have known we were coming three towns over."

Once Nia heard what Nox had to say, she perked up. "Ok, let's get ready and go."

The trio demolished the last of the cake quickly before Nox said his goodbyes to the old man, who handed him a package of what Refenial assumed was human meat.

[https://i.imgur.com/oMrGBK6.png]

They left Rushing through Waterhill, running late as they stepped out of the town's gate. At the bottom of the hill, there was a small horde of wagons. About 50 was Refenial's guess though he wasn't about to count them. All around them, merchants and their assistants worked, wandered and talked as they readied to leave.

Nox confidently led them down into the throng of people and across until they stood in front of a large horse-drawn coach with high wooden sides. It had shutters that hung open, letting in the morning air.

As Refenial stood on his tiptoes, he could just make out a couple of comfortable cloth-padded benches inside. A figure was already sitting on them, though Refenial couldn't make them out clearly at this angle.

A man walked up to them. He looked in his late forties, maybe early fifties. His face was a mess of scars, as if mauled by a wild animal. The worst of his scars were centred around one eye. He wore a simple grey cloth bandana of that eye, but by the way the skin sunk down around it, Refenial could tell the socket was empty. He was dressed in the simple but professional grey and black clothes of a coachman.

The man wore an expression of professional politeness as he addressed Nox. "You're back. I thought you might have decided to not come with us."

He looked over at Refenial and Nia. "So these are the two you're travelling with?"

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"Yep, all the way to the capital."

"Well, any paying customer is a welcome sight. It's been slow this winter."

Nox gestured for Refenial to pay the man. Refenial got out his pouch, reluctantly parting with most of the money left in it.

"Thanks, I'm Matrill, and you are?" The man asked Refenial.

"Refenial, and this is Nia," He said, gesturing to Nia.

"Welcome aboard. If you need anything, ask me or my lad." Matrill pointed to a teenage boy who was tending to a horse at a neighbouring cart.

"We'll provide food, pitch the tents and take care of the day-to-day, we can also get better prices from the others in the trade caravan, so if you need anything, we'll be quite happy to be middlemen."

The man spoke as if he'd said all this a hundred times before. "The rules are simple, treat me, my lad, other passengers and other people in the caravan with respect. Keep your feet off of the benches, and don't do anything that will endanger the caravan's safety."

Matrill glanced at Nia, then back at Nox. "You said she doesn't speak Frullian, so make sure she understands the rules."

Nox nodded in understanding.

Matrill gave a satisfied smile, "Well, welcome aboard. There are two other passengers apparently joining us, though they're cutting it even finer than you three. You might want to make yourself comfortable in the coach while we wait to set off."

Matrill opened up the passenger coach's door and placed a wooden step that hung from the coach's side onto the ground in front of it.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." He said and walked off.

Refenial explained what the man had said while Nox entered the wagon. Nia followed, and Refenial was the last to enter.

[https://i.imgur.com/oMrGBK6.png]

It was actually roomier than he'd imagined from the outside. Even though the benches faced each other, there was enough legroom to not worry about accidental contact with the person sitting opposite.

Nox had already sat at the far end, and Nia had sat on the other end of the same bench.

A man was sitting on the opposite bench. He was dressed in workman's clothes, his face hidden by a combination of a hat that lay across his face and a bushy beard that grew out from under it. He was snoring gently as he sat there.

Refenial sat between Nia and Nox and opposite the sleeping man.

He smiled and turned to Nia, "He snores almo-." Nia cut him off. "If you finish that sentence, I won't teach you how to enchant."

Refenial closed his mouth with an audible chomp.

Nox leaned over to whisper to Refenial "I hope that the worst we'll have to deal with is some light snoring. From what Matrill told me in the past, some passengers can be a real pain."

Refenial heard Matrill talking to someone outside and turned his body to look out of the coach's window.

A slender young man dressed in a grey robe with a wide circular broach worn over his heart, dark-haired and grinning widely, was enthusiastically shaking Matrill's hand so hard that Refenial half expected it to fall off.

The man handed Matrill some money and headed for the wagon.

Matrill momentarily looked to the sky with his one good eye as if wishing for something before Refenial lost the man in the bustle as he turned to see the new fellow traveller enter the wagon.

"Hi!" the slender young man said in a voice made uncomfortably loud by enthusiasm.

Refenial gave him an uncertain half-wave, and Nia just looked at him.

The young man sat between the coach's door and the snoring man leaning forwards in his seat. "I'm Helus Ivorn, and you all are?"

"Nox," Nox said in an uncharacteristically frosty tone.

"Refenial."

The man looked at Nia, who had yet to speak.

"She's Nia she doesn't speak Frullian." Refenial supplied.

The man somehow managed to look even more excited at that news. "Oh wow, that's amazing. I've heard that most of the savage nations don't even have Systemic Order missionaries in them. It's a shame that she can't speak our civilized tongue. I'd love to introduce her to the truth of the System."

Refenial felt Nox tense in the seat next to him.

"What did he say?" Nia asked, realizing she was the centre of conversation but not what was being said.

"It wasn't that long ago. The Systemic Order didn't have missionaries in this country. At least those that weren't killed for it." Nox said in an aggressive growl.

Refenial began translating for Nia.

Helus held up his hands. "Forgive me, forgive me. I mean no disrespect. I know Frull had a long tradition of disliking the Order, and some still view us with hostility.

I am going as far as the capital. If you are travelling for much longer, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk. Maybe I'll even win you around."

As Refenial finished translating, Nia glared at the man.

"I doubt that." nox said.

There was an awkward silence in the caravan broken by another man stepping in. He was short with greasy brown hair and a look of mild disgust fixed on his face like he'd just stepped in something foul.

He looked around at everyone finding the free seat at the far end of the passenger coach and awkwardly shuffled past everyone in silence to reach the seat before sitting there. He sat there silently looking at the floor other than an occasional glance at his fellow passengers.

Matrill came to the coach's open door tapping on its frame to get everyone's attention as he stooped to reattach the step.

"That's everyone, just in time too. The caravan is leaving." He said before firmly closing the door.

The sound of the axle squeaking, the hoof fall of the horse and the trade caravan moving brought contrast to the awkward silence within the coach.

"This is going to be a long trip," Nox whispered under his breath, quietly enough that only Refenial could hear.

Refenial nodded. He pulled out the music book Ela had given him and began to read.

"Where did you get that," Nia glanced down, surprised. "And I'm sure you didn't have a dagger yesterday."

"I met a musician who gave me some tips on how to practice with my whistle. He also gave me the book."

"And the dagger too?" She paused for a moment. "I guess there are some generous people in this country."

Refenial paused, not wanting to answer about the dagger, but Nia continued speaking.

"Just don't practice the whistle in the wagon, or there might be a murder." She said seriously but with a hint of a smile.

Refenial nodded. "The plan was to read through this."

Nia seemed satisfied with that, and Refenial was left to read in peace.

[https://i.imgur.com/oMrGBK6.png]

After about an hour of reading in the gently rocking coach, Refenial put the book down, feeling a little queasy. He looked across at the still-sleeping man and then accidentally made eye contact with Helus Ivorn.

The man gave him a friendly smile. "Studying hard?"

"Yeah," Refenial said neutrally, realizing he was being sucked into a conversation he didn't want to have.

He started to raise the book back up, but Helus spoke again.

"I remember when I was your age, I'd always be trying to get out of studying." He chuckled. "My tutors must have despaired of me. Do you have a tutor, or are you in one of the systemic order schools?"

"Uh, neither," Refenial said before saying something he instantly regretted. "Honestly, I don't know much about the Systemic Order."

For the first time since meeting him, Refenial saw Helus frown, but it was soon replaced with another smile. "Well, I'm sure I can answer any questions you might have." Helus tapped the circle broach on his chest. "I'm an initiate. I'm on my way to the capital to finish my training. And answering your questions will be good practice. So what do you want to know?"

"Err..." Refenial said, uncertain how to fix his mistake.

"Well, do you know what the Systemic Order is?"

"Don't you worship systemic magic?"

Helus frowned slightly. "No, but yes. We worship the divine being known as System. System provides all those who connect with it systematic magic through which its guidance flows.

Those touched by the System, titled, are given a tiny piece of the divine and the potential to act as agents for System's will."

"What does System want?" Refenial asked, putting down his book. If he was stuck in this conversation, he might as well learn something from it.

"System wants us, each and all, to follow our roles, both those it gives and those that are given by those around us. A slave should bow before and obey his master, a child should honour and respect their parent, and a wife should show obedience to her husband. Titled are no different, a Titled should in all ways and times seek to become their title while still acting within their station in life."

"I thought slavery was illegal in Frull?" Refenial asked, confused.

"You were quite right in thinking that. Sadly when this kingdom was founded, its ruler was a Titled that had strayed far from the path, a petty tyrant who, in her sin, rejected System's guidance.

She drove us out of the land and, like your friend mentioned, outlawed our religion for a long time. Of course, Frull isn't the only country, and the Order worked from the other kingdoms, and eventually, we were able to return. Sadly many of her traditions remain, though we are working hard to convince the king to overturn them and make a better society for all."

"It doesn't sound like it'd be a better society for the slaves," Nox said, joining the conversation.

"Ahh, a common misconception, but that is simply not true", Helus beamed at Nox. "You surely must have met people in your life, troubled people, people whose life is a constant entanglement of tragedy and misfortune, most brought on by their own poor decisions. Those who don't have the capacity to make their life better need help and guidance. They're like ships adrift without anyone at the helm. They are a disaster waiting to happen. But they might better themselves and society with a firm hand at the tiller."

"I've heard how slaves are treated in those countries you mentioned, the flesh markets of Rin and Tull. The arena in Isk. The slaves of house Imara." Nox spat the words angrily.

"yes, sometimes people stray from the guidance of the System. The Systemic Order does what it can to stop those that would abuse their power. Even in those times and places, the life of the average slave is much better than the hopeless plight that many face as they fall into miserable lives of alcoholism, abuse, and desperately struggling to feed and clothe themselves."

Helus and Nox argued back and forth as the wagon trundled along. Neither wanted to let the argument drop or give ground as morning turned to afternoon turned to evening.

[https://i.imgur.com/3vZaHAB.png]