The journey to Casmont was estimated to take two weeks at best, and that was assuming that the road ahead was in good condition. Of course, it was not meant to be.

With each day that passed, the afternoon brought with it a torrential downpour that not only drenched the forest but also muddied the road to the point of making it unusable.

Because of this, Adam assumed that it would take them at least a month to reach Casmont. Two times longer than initially expected. It was far from ideal, but the Rukdam Duo had to make do with what they were given.

At least Ruk was more than willing to help Mr. Mule trudge through the mud. Adam, meanwhile, was constantly thinking about possible solutions to help them along and make their journey somewhat easier.

In the end, Adam settled for a solution that required a considerable amount of his psychic powers but was nonetheless effective. They didn't need to worry about the wagon getting stuck in the mud when it could just float in the air.

And that was what happened. Adam lifted the wagon with his telekinesis, finding it easier than expected despite the weight, and carried it along like a balloon as he rode on the back of Mr. Mule.

Mr. Mule was more than forgiving. In fact, he liked the change. Carrying Adam on his back was much easier than pulling the wagon. Ruk found the solution very amusing since seeing a floating wagon following in their wake was quite the sight to behold.

As the rains proved persistent and the road became ever muddier, Adam found himself carrying the wagon throughout most of the day. As he did, he realized that it was inconsequential. The constant use of his telekinesis did not strain his mind to the point of becoming unbearable and nor did it become tedious.

Adam berated himself mentally for not considering and doing this from the beginning. They wouldn't have needed the help of Mr. Mule. That said, Mr. Mule was still good company, so complaining about the matter further would only serve to disrespect their four-legged companion.

Thus, they made slow but steady progress.

Their routine was simple. Boring, but simple. They would travel for four hours at a time during the morning, rest for two during lunch, then travel for another four more in the afternoon. Whenever evening came, they would set up camp along a natural clearing. Whenever they lacked the necessary space, Ruk would make their own clearing with his ax.

Was it efficient? None of them were sure, but it worked. At least they weren't being preyed upon by the local wildlife or being stalked by bandits.

Speaking of the wildlife, Adam sensed them constantly by the thousands. From the smallest critters, to the longest of snakes, and the biggest of beasts, and that was to be expected. After all, a forest was the best place for life to prosper. That said, their thoughts were blocked by Adam's mind. Despite this, he gave Mr. Mule a rare exception. A thing that was mostly reserved for pets. And he only ever had one. A Labrador dog named Caspian. He was a good boy.

The forest, though wet and damp and brimming with annoying insects, was a good place for Adam's mind. In his opinion, forests were the greatest reputation of what life was. Green, thriving, and prosperous.

That said, mosquitoes were in great abundance and were the most annoying to deal with. Fortunately for Adam, he had a layer of psychic energy over his skin and covering his entire body, making him immune to mosquito bites. Their buzzing, however, could not be stopped.

The mosquitoes didn't seem to bother Ruk. Upon further observation, Adam noticed that the mosquitoes were not attracted to the orc at all. He figured that maybe it was a biology thing, something he was bound to never to understand not unless an expert in the field of mosquitoes explained it to him.

Mr. Mule, however, bore the brunt of the mosquito assault every late afternoon and throughout the early hours of the evening. It got so bad that Adam began worrying about the possibility of the mule contracting a mosquito-borne disaster.

In an attempt to combat this, Adam would try to increase the density of the smoke billowing from their campfires, sometimes even pushing the smoke into the surrounding forest with his telekinesis. It was effective to a degree.

The first two weeks went by without much incident. That said, a bear wandered too close to their campsite one night and thought Mr. Mule was a nice dinner opportunity.

Ruk proceeded to scare the several hundred pound grizzly bear with a mighty orc roar, causing it to scamper back into the trees, never to be seen again.

Eventually, after two weeks and a half of making their way across the Wetwood Forest, they eventually reached the other side. Walking through the forest edge, the trees grew less dense and sprawling, allowing more sunlight to shine through the ever-widening cracks in the forest canopy.

Knowing that the road ahead was slightly better and less muddy, there was no need for Adam to continue carrying the wagon with his telekinesis. Mr. Mule returned to his job and the Rukdam Duo made haste towards their first stopover, a small town built around a wide river that flowed from north to south.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Modest in size compared to Port Silvershore according to the map Adam was using, the town of Drigsburg was still a well-fortified town, occupying both the western and eastern banks of the river. Ruwa's Lane was the name of the river, bestowed as such in honor of the late explorer that discovered it and mapped it.

After making clear of the forest edge, the Rukdam Duo reached a plain overrun by tall grass and shrubs. Soon, as the dirt path ahead turned to stone, a town came into view over the horizon, surrounded by farmfields and grazing grounds. A dense wave of human thoughts swept through Adam's mind, but it was milder compared to the weight of the people from Port Silvershore.

Located near the uncharted westward lands of the new world, Drigsburg was built to stand on its own. With both its halves protected by strong walls and surrounded by fertile fields with the blessings of a wide and ever-flowing river in its center, the town was more than capable of fending for itself and providing for travelers.

That said, Adam and Ruk were here to resupply and stay the night, already having used half of their food supply in the two weeks and half they had spent trudging through the Wetwood Forest. It was not a journey that Adam particularly liked or disliked, but it took its toll, nonetheless.

Their supply usage was according to expectations and their arrival at Drigsburg meant that they were only one to two weeks away from reaching the village of Casmont.

Their mission, however, was yet to begin. Not unless they had reached the village of Casmont and met the sole survivor there, Adam could not consider the quest to be in motion.

Still, the young man hoped their reception in this new town would be better than the farewell they received back in Port Silvershore.

With that hope in mind, the Rukdam Duo approached the gates of the eastern wall. They passed between the fields and grazing grounds, attracting some curious and frowning onlookers. There were also other travelers too, riding on horses, carriages, wagons, or carts. Once more and rather dishearteningly, their attention was on Ruk, and they were apprehensive at best. Hateful at worst.

Adam ignored their thoughts and feelings for the moment, not wanting to sour his mood before they even reached the entrance to the town.

Drawing near the walls and the reinforced wooden gates, they came to a stop just short of entering the town. This time, only three guards were there to meet them, and they didn't seem or feel like the same problematic sort.

"Afternoon, travelers. Please state your names and business." One of the guards said as he walked to the front of the other two.

"I'm Adam Sun," Adam said, "And he's Ruk from the Sandhammer Clan." He pointed at the massive and grinning orc standing beside Mr. Mule and the cart. "We're the Rukdam Duo. An adventurer party under the Pheonix Blades. We're on a quest and headed to the village of Casmonth, but we intend to resupply here and stay the night before continuing on our journey.

Adam felt like he had explained their purpose clearly and hoped that the guards would offer no trouble or complaint.

"Casmont? You mean the village that was destroyed several months ago by a goblin attack?" The guard asked, sounding incredulous.

Adam nodded in silence.

The guards looked at each other in confusion and Adam sensed their thoughts and emotions. They felt uneasy, fearful even. Something about them visiting Casmont made the guards tense.

Breaking the silence that came about, the leading guard proceeded to ask for their travel papers. Adam obliged and showed them everything that looked to be a legal document rolled into a scroll, including the quest document scroll itself.

The guard was caught off-guard by this and was quick to return the rest of the scrolls after a very brief check. Adam just wanted to get it over with. He craved a tasty, warm, and proper meal after eating nothing but roasted or fried meat and dried fruit.

To be fair, thanks to the magic crystals, their food supplies were kept fresh and allowed him to cook some good meals. His cravings were more in line with the fact that he wanted to get some proper rest too.

Camping outside and sleeping in cramped tents using nothing better than a stiff bedroll and tiny cushion did his body no favors. He was sore all over, but still far from complaining about it too much.

"Alright, you're clear," The lead guard said as he waved his hand in the air. After a few seconds, the gates slowly parted open, revealing the path through. "Welcome to the town of Drigsburg, Adventurers. May you rest easy for the journey ahead."

The greeting was a bit odd or maybe Adam was just unused to it, but he wasn't about to cast suspicion on someone offering harmless kind words.

Drigsburg was not as large and packed as Port Silvershore, but the design and architecture were mostly the same. The streets were paved with stone or brick, sometimes bridged by cobblestone and gravel. The buildings were built from stone and supported by a solid frame of wood. Most of the buildings looked to be two floors high, with a few reaching up to four floors.

Before they could rest and eat, they had to restock on supplies. Food was their top priority, and fortunately for them it was the most common thing for sale in the markets. The shopkeepers here were also more willing to conduct business, not bothering to focus too much on Ruk and instead placing all their attention on Adam who they found to be more than willing to spend a hefty amount.

That kind of spending often attracted those who would take advantage of the young man's seemingly naive understanding of prices, but Adam was far from unaware. He had the prices from Port Silvershore as reference and his telepathy as a safeguard. If any of the shopkeepers even thought of anything close to deceit, the young psychic simply ignored them outright.

Eventually, their supplies were replenished, and the wagon was full once more. The same could not be said about their money, which was now less than half of what they started with. This didn't concern Adam all that much. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be too much of a problem later down the road, but it remained to be seen.

It didn't take long for Adam and Ruk to find a tavern and inn. The place was located in the center of Drigsburg, standing along the river that flowed through the center of the town.

Adam and Ruk were welcomed by the tavern, with Mr. Mule and the wagon given to the care of their staff.

After a hearty meal that cost more than expected, the Rukdam Duo rested easy inside their separate rented rooms.

They would continue their journey the next day and eventually reach the village of Casmont. For now, however, they slept comfortably on warm, cozy beds after a full and delicious meal.