Well, to make a long story short. Deckard lent me, or rather gave me, a shirt and pants. Of course, he didn’t spare himself a few lame remarks like he had nothing cheap enough to fit me or that if I hadn’t noticed, he didn’t have wings or a tail, an issue I didn’t have to deal with until recently too.
It has to be said that apart from the tail and wing openings, the clothes also lacked the automatic size adjustment feature. Although, the fact that the shirt was several sizes too big was not an issue. It wasn’t a hassle to roll up the long sleeves, nor did I mind having it folded over the wings on my lower back. What surprised me was the size of the pants. I didn’t think I was so skinny that Deckard’s would be loose around my waist. It made the length of the pants a trivial matter.
Tate once again proved to be helpful by offering me a piece of rope for a belt. Why did he have it? Well, for tying up slaves, what else? In my opinion, around my waist, the rope was put to better use. Plus, it solved both of my issues. I didn’t have to hold my pants to keep them from falling down or make a hole in them for Sage.
Neither of the men had shoes my size, though.
It was nice to have shoes. It really was and it would be nice to have them again. However, I managed to get by without them for more than a year. I even acquired the skill [Barefoot] during that time. That said, I never had it picked out among the General Skills, not even now. So walking on the forest floor wasn’t pleasant, but it was something I could endure...at least for some time.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I announced as I turned around after adjusting the rope around my waist one last time. Yeah, I found it awkward at first to dress up in front of them, but hiding behind bushes was just as effective as hiding behind glass with Deckard’s perception. He saw me as a girl, anyway. Tate? Well, there wasn’t that much to see on my back. Instead, though a little red in the face, I was glad I didn’t have to use wings and Sage to cover myself longer than I had to. It was a good solution, but not moving them for a long time was uncomfortable. It gave me cramps.
“Boy, grab the guardswoman and follow us,” Deckard said to the workhand, to which Tate nodded and hurriedly bent down to Aspen. When I expected him to pick her up like a princess, he threw her like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. Rough, but certainly more practical. I kind of thought it would wake her up, yet she didn’t move at all.
When I looked over at Deckard he was already several steps ahead, not waiting for Tate to deal with Aspen. Not even on me, actually. I caught up with him in a few quick strides, being very careful where I stepped. It wasn’t that hard to avoid all the dangers for my feet hidden on the ground even in the low light when I had the domain.
What I couldn’t tell with this skill or any other was the right direction. I had no idea which way Castiana was. Sure, the clearing was crossed by an old, seldom-used road, but to tell which direction we came from was beyond me. So I was glad that Deckard was here. He was quite likely the only one of those present and conscious who knew his way around, the right direction to the city.
Sure, there was Tate. He probably could have just pointed the direction, and it would have been the right one, but I wasn’t going to count on that.
Even with Deckard’s guidance, the edge of the forest turned out to be further than I thought. Granted, I was barefoot, and Tate was carrying Aspen, so our traveling speed wasn’t the fastest. Still, I was astonished that it took us almost two hours. It was a nice walk, though.
The first thing that came to my mind when we stepped outside wasn’t the fact that the sun was already peeking through the treetops behind our backs or how vast the outside world compared to the dense woods was. It amazed me how thin and fresh the air here seemed to be. Inside the woods, it was heavier, damp, and soaked with the smell of decaying leaves.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. The difference just struck me.
Although for some reason, this fresh thin air made me yawn. I yawned hard and couldn’t stop.
“You okay there, girl?” Deckard asked as I opened my mouth involuntarily for about the fifth time in a row, breathing in deeply and filling my lungs with air.
Unable to stifle another yawn, I just nodded and answered when I was done. “I am. I think it’s the fresh air.”
“Just hold on a little longer,” he said, knowing it wasn’t just the air but mostly the exhaustion that made me gaping. Instead of nodding, I opened my mouth again in another yawn, just as something caught his attention, and he looked to his left. There was nothing I could see but trees and grassland.
“He’s coming,” Deckard growled in warning. From his less than enthusiastic tone, I assumed he was talking about the Imperial Agent he mentioned earlier. Who else might be coming this way?
In fact, I envied Deckard's perception. Whether it was a skill like my domain or something else, I had no idea, but the range was incredible. After all, it took me a few minutes to see the Agent. Although what I saw made me wonder if it was really him.
I wasn’t looking at just one man leading two horses, but more than a dozen people coming towards us. Shadowbreakers! That was my first thought, followed by a spike of panic. At that moment, I was glad I was standing next to the strongest man I’ve known. As they came closer, the realization dawned on me. It wasn’t Ward nor another mind mage. It was indeed an imperial agent, but together with the horses, he was pulling a bound Rutledge. What shocked me even more, was the group of slaves following those two. There were thirteen of them.
They all survived the beast’s rampage in the clearing, or should I say, they escaped in time, considering how the wagon turned out. Actually, as bad as that may sound, they should be grateful to the slave trader for taking them out of there, even as human shields.
“You,” Agent growled through gritted teeth as he reached us with a few quickened steps, pointing at Deckard. “I’m dying to put you behind bars.”
“For what?” he objected, unperturbed by this man’s aggressive rant. “That I went for a walk in the woods?”
[???: lvl ??]
Tss...I hissed in my mind as I looked at the man whose sole presence made me uneasy. The system showed me the same thing when I looked at Hal. Bloody hell, Korra. It was Morton, fake, not an imperial agent! I mentally cursed at myself for still taking them for one and the same. I just couldn’t help it. He left a strong impression on me, not a good one, though. And this agent didn’t make a good first impression either. Maybe that was their forte, something they learned in school, or where they came from.
However, he was actually quite good-looking. I couldn’t deny that.
Late thirties, maybe early forties, tall, sharp features, clean-shaven, longer auburn hair, it wouldn’t surprise me if he worked as a male model on Earth. I could also see how his looks might be useful to him in his work. With a different attitude, it must have been easy for him to win the hearts of ladies and girls. Not mine, though.
The Agent clenched his fists, his blood boiling. I was expecting more harsh and arrogant words from him, treason charges or something, maybe even an attack if he dared. None of that happened. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking. It almost looked like he was chanting some sort of calming mantra in his head. “May I assume Esu will not take any action against the Empire, Deckard?”
Wait! What? Did they know each other? But before I could ponder further why the Agent was addressing him so familiarly, Deckard looked at me. “I didn’t get the impression. What do you say, girl?”
“Eh...” I stammered, startled that he’d shifted Agent’s attention to me. “He...he didn’t say anything about Sahal.”
The Agent peered at me, sizing me up. “Korra Grey, I presume? Imperial Agent Sah.”
Sah? Not Hal? It made me recall the words of the innkeeper Byron ‘It’s either Hal or Sah. You’ll never know their real names.’ For all I knew, his real name could have very well been Dwayne Dibbley. Anyway, I was glad about that. It allowed me to differentiate the two.
There was no polite handshake or any other form of greeting offered, so I just nodded, confirming that I was indeed Korra Grey. At that, he squinted his eyes. “You were able to communicate with the beast?”
At that moment, I mentally cursed Deckard and my big mouth. As soon as I met the Agent, I was already telling him my secrets, letting myself be interrogated. On the other hand, as much as I hated it, the truth was, I was ready to have to talk about what happened in the woods. I just didn’t expect to have to do it the moment I stepped out of them.
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“Just tell him. You’ll earn some of his trust, girl,” Deckard said through the link of union rings.
Was that why he asked me to answer? To gain Sah’s trust? I didn’t like the sound of that. But I had to admit that Deckard was right. Sooner or later, the others would find out about my ability to communicate with beasts. So why not make something out of it. Stifling a yawn, I nodded. “Yes, I was able to talk to Esu.”
“Fascinating,” he muttered, frowning even more. “So you’re saying he’s not interested in retaliating against the Sahal Empire?”
Well, I didn’t know if he was interested in that. So I chose my words carefully, making sure I’m not telling a lie. After all, I had no idea if he could spot one like Morton. “In all that time, and not even after Deckard showed up, not once did Esu mention Sahal or show hostility towards the Empire.”
Sah pondered while never taking his eyes off me and then pointed to the man I was standing next to, just to ask the others. “Can any of you confirm her words, except for you?”
I paused, and while a drop of cold sweat trickled down my spine, I wondered who else besides Deckard could prove I was telling the truth. Neither the slaves nor Rutledge were there when Esu appeared.
“She’s telling the truth, sir,” a familiar voice reached my ears, almost making me laugh.
Sah’s gaze shifted, but before he could say anything, the slave trader standing behind him butted in. “Tate? How the fuck are you still alive?”
“Someone you know, slaver?” the Agent asked.
Rutledge shot workhand an angry look. “One of my guys. That bitch on his shoulder was working for me, too.”
“Where’s Vik, Tate?” Trader asked before Agent Sah could respond yet again. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about the bruiser who broke my body in Labyrinth Square. Was he alive? I had no idea, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
“Sorry boss, but I don’t know,” Tate apologized. “I got chased by one of those giant bears...boss, Aspen’s alive.”
I actually saw a vein pop out on the slave trader’s forehead. “If it wasn’t for that bitch, none of this would have happened!”
“Okay, that’s enough!” shouted Sah, raising his voice too, silencing Rutledge and letting the trader know he was no longer in charge.
The Agent then took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “What a shitshow,” he sighed and looked at me. “I take your word for it, Grey. If the beast or its offsprings move from the woods, you two will be held responsible.”
Well, if that’s what Esu decides, I’d side with him. A thought I’ve chosen not to share. So I just nodded, letting the Imperial Agent know I understood.
“Good,” he said, taking another deep breath. With a visibly more composed and professional demeanor, he looked at Deckard. “Sebastian Ward...buyer?”
In the hands of the man I was standing next to appeared two empty shells of return crystals I didn't even know he picked up in the clearing and threw them to the Agent. “They were gone before I got there.”
Even as Sah was looking at the empty shells, immediately realizing what it meant, he noticed I was taking a breath to tell him more. He stopped me with a raised hand. “Not the right place, Grey.”
“Too many ears listening,” Deckard explained, pointing out to me that with us were a number of slaves, Rutledge and Tate. I couldn’t even forget Aspen, although she was unconscious right now. “Guys like him don’t like that.”
Gotcha. One can keep a secret, but not two, let alone more than a dozen. I was really glad Deckard was here. His presence made me feel more at ease, safer, and he wasn’t even using an aura like Rayden.
“Okay, Grey you’re riding with me. You take the rest of them to Castiana,” the Agent spoke after giving it a thought.
That didn’t sit well with Deckard nor with me. He smirked loudly and put his hand on my shoulder to stop me before I growled at the agent. “I don’t think so, buddy.”
“You have two horses. If you want to get her to the city as soon as possible, I’ll take her there,” Deckard said. I’ve never seen him so serious. “You can join us, but about the others, I don’t give a shit. You caught them, your problem...or we can take the slow scenic route with everyone together. Either way, the girl won’t leave my sight.”
I...I was honestly taken aback. “Thanks, Deckard,” I squeaked through the connection. He just gripped my shoulder tighter.
Sah tried not to back down, staring back at Deckard. I could almost hear the gears in the Agent’s head turning, obviously weighing the pros and cons of standing up to him. Of course, a higher level did not necessarily mean a win. There was a chance that Sah might have pulled some trick that would have caught Deckard off guard. But I didn’t believe he could kill him in one strike.
“We’ll ride all together,” he finally said, essentially conceding defeat.
“Oh, this one’s more reasonable than the ones I’ve met so far,” Deckard’s remark echoed in my mind.
“Really?” I wondered. The Agent seemed pretty arrogant to me.
He laughed, “My file is much thicker than yours, girl.”
Was he some kind of trouble-maker?
“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Deckard asked me out of nowhere. I paused, realizing I never gave a thought to how I was actually going to get to Castiana. I had a driver’s license, for a car, not a damn fucking horse!
“No,” I shook my head, admitting this shortcoming of mine. Certainly, in a world without technology, things like cars, horseback riding was a useful skill. I mean, not a skill like a skill, although it could have been a skill too, when I thought about it.
“Thought so. Can you stay awake till Castiana?” he asked, and it was an excellent question because when he mentioned it, I had to yawn again. Plus, when we drove here, the rocking of the wagon lulled me to sleep. Riding a horse could have had the same effect on me. I had no idea.
So I shrugged.
Deckard nodded. “Then you’re sitting in front of me.”
As he took a horse from the Agent, I walked over to the animal and stroked its neck. “Hi, I am sorry you have to carry two of us.”
To my surprise, the horse neighed in response, telling me not to worry about it. A really nice answer that made me pause, though. I was half beast, I didn’t expect to be able to talk to animals too. I’d rather think they’d be afraid of me.
Nevertheless, I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Did you just talk to the horse?” Agent Sah asked, my brief conversation not escaping him.
“Well, yeah, kind of...” I admitted, a little freaked out that he noticed. “The first time, believe me. I was surprised, too.”
“I wasn’t...” he wanted to say he wasn’t surprised, but then he shook his head and let it go.
Deckard laughed in my mind. “Nicely done, girl.”
I could almost see him giving me a high five, but I was glad he wasn’t laughing out loud. My intention wasn’t to piss Agent Sah off.
As it turned out, Deckard hadn’t thought of everything when he decided I was going to sit in front of him. He intended to keep me from falling off the animal when I fell asleep, but sitting in front of it meant I had to curl Sage up somewhere and put the wings so they wouldn’t get in his way. Plus, it was quite awkward to be sitting so...pressed on him.
As for the rest of the group, they were on foot. Well, except for the Imperial Agent, who was on the other horse. He and Aspen. Sah told Tate to put her behind him, where the workhand tied her up to the animal to keep her from falling. The Agent even kept such a pace so as not to push the others too hard.
He really seemed...quite reasonable.
“What happened to her, the guardswoman?” Sah asked after about half an hour of riding in silence. Probably his attempt to break the ice a little. “I would have expected her to have woken up a long time ago. Mana overused? Mana burnout?”
To my astonishment, Deckard didn’t ignore his try at a talk. “She was this messed up, in fact worse than that, when I found her. I’d say...life burnout.”
“Damn, did she want to kill herself?” Agent whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. I didn’t quite know what the two of them were talking about, but I felt compelled to cut in. “Yes, she was okay with it.”
“Bullshit,” Rutledge growled behind us, “Kill herself? The bitch was going to kill us all.”
“Yeah, that was the plan,” I replied back, not stopping myself from smiling.
The Agent looked at me. “You too, Grey?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to...end up in the same kind of place... like I have been before.” I said, choosing my words carefully.
“Understandable,” Sah replied and nodded his head. Whether he appreciated the fact that I hadn’t said anything important out loud, he didn’t let on. “But pissing off Esu? Fucking insanity.”
At that, I just shrugged. In retrospect, yes. It was insane. Not so much, given the way things turned out. Actually, meeting him was the best thing that could have happened to me.
The journey was long, and there were not many such talks. None of us found them enjoyable. But we talked a little bit. I was curious how he found the slave trader and the slaves. He told me it was mostly by slave traders shouting when they emerged from the woods. Rutledge was really pissed off and took his anger out on the slaves.
Every now and then, the Agent would ask an irrelevant question as his desire for information won out, questions like whether Tate’s words could be trusted. Apparently, he still doubted that I was capable of talking to Esu even though he saw me talking to a horse. Needless to say, just this morning, I would have doubted such a claim, too.
At his question, Rutledge frowned. “That idiot is so honest, if he said he saw a dragon, I’d believe him.”
“That’s...some assessment,” Agent Sah said, then looked at Tate. “Got anything to say about that, workhand?”
“My mom taught me to be honest, sir,” he replied sincerely. The look on the Agent’s face, having trouble coming to terms with the fact that the young man was telling the truth, almost made me laugh. Sah must have been used to people trying to hide their secrets from him. Someone like Tate was an anomaly, and it was throwing him off.
I found it hilarious.
Though, as funny as it seemed to me, it only delayed the inevitable. A little later, riding while leaning back on Deckard, put me to sleep.