Ivo had one belief.

Hate all men equally. But that belief seemed to have tilted since his little travels with Jakob, and they were not even half way there.

Now joined by Rolan, who was pretty quiet for most of the trip and only spoke when he wanted to give them directions or stop for the night.

“I told you we needed horses” Jakob called out for the Umpteenth time.

“And What did Rolan say?” Ivo asked

“I don't know you ask him” Jakob replied.

“He said we can't have a horse, they are loud, and the king is still looking for us.”

“What? You want to fight?” Jakob asked.

“I just beat you, so you want another one?”

“Rolan give me your sword” Jakob instructed, but Rolan didn't reply and continued his walk.

He has tracked them down from the castle, knowing fully well how stubborn Jakob was—he had been his guard since birth.

Rolan knew Jakob would never back down when he had already set his mind, he had spent a lot of time convincing the king, but it was fruitless. He knew Jakob intended to leave the castle tonight, and he was going to go with him, but he didn't expect the good-looking; blue-eyed youth to come.

He stopped to size up Ivo again, he was the most slender and taller in the group. Rolan knew if he didn't have giant strength, Ivo would have been the strongest too but since Jakob had found out that Ivo was not good with a sword, he had made it a mission to only fight him with one.

“We will cross the black river soon, then we can get horses” Rolan said to defuse the duo from having another crash out.

“That's more like it” Jakob replied, sheathing back his sword.

Ivo had already thought of a couple of ways he was going to disarm Jakob and beat him to a pulp…again. He had seen all Jakob sword movements and from constant touch using his skill, LEARN! He had studied his movement and how to block them.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“How far is the river exactly?” Ivo asked as he adjusted his bag, the bag was rather lighter than when they started. He had packed for two people; now he had a buffalo that sang like a strangled cat and a depressed emo who had giant blood to care for until they could find the next tarven that wouldn't give their asses up to the king's search party immediately.

How is Melisa and the others doing? He wondered, Yesterday was supposed to be his wedding—great now he had two search parties looking for him. In the original novel, Ivo did marry catylen but had no children, he probably didn't touch her and took his life the next year.

But this wasn't the original story, just pieces of it now. He didn't even know what would happen next, just a few predictions as he could move events forward, delay them or just make sure they didn't happen completely. Although he had never really tried the last part yet.

He trapped his palm in a Morse code, his name, his age, and everything he could remember, he had to keep his brain in constant motion or his body would reject him. It wasn't a good experience, he felt pain like he was being pulled out.

The world—especially his body, knew he didn't belong here, and it was trying to reject him as often as it could.

“Ivo" Jakob called out again as Ivo blinked his eyes and stared at him.

“What!?”

“You were gone for a second, Rolan said we have to go through the mountains.”

“Why?” Ivo asked.

“Didn't you hear anything we have been saying?”

“The pass beside the mountain is a no-go, it would be blocked now as I'm missing. We can't go through the other side as it would be longer and even more dangerous, that leaves us no choice but to go through the mountains itself.”

Ivo swallowed hard, if he was afraid, he didn't want to show it. The words in black ink as he read the novel ran through his mind again. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE BLACK MOUNTAIN!

“Do we really have to go through the mountains?” Ivo asked, stepping back.

“Wait, are you scared?” Jakob asked with a smile gradually growing on his face.

“Well, yes, I'm freaking scared of the mountains; it is a black mass of giantess with no idea what is inside. Of course, the right thing is to be scared.”

“It will save us a couple of days—”

“If we can find our way through, Yes!”

“We are running low on food and water, both kingdoms are looking for us, and we are on the verge of killing each other, we really don't have a choice.”

“I still hate this idea”

“Well, we are not asking you to like it. We are asking you to use that big brain to get us in and out” Jakob said, drawing close to Ivo.

“I don't know a way in or out,” Ivo replied.

“Well, that's a first.”

“I know a way in but not a way out” Rolan replied for the first time since he suggested the travel path of certain death.

“Well, that's a second.”

“You seem to know the way to death a lot” Ivo commented as he stared at the mountains one more time before swallowing hard.

“

I really hate this plan” he called out.