The next few days Chuck put together what supplies he thought he would need for the trip and stocked his house’s food pantry. Raz and Maz would take care of the house while he was gone. He promised to get them some souvenirs. It seemed like Raz was secretly glad he wouldn’t have to make the trip. He wasn’t really sure how long the trip would take. Chuck asked around about how to get to the capital. He found out the capital was named Port Axtural and Axtural was also the name of the kingdom he found himself in. All he had to do was go out the north gate of the city and keep following the road until he saw the sea. The trip was usually four days by wagon, but Chuck thought he could make it in less time. The alchemy guild master had forwarded an introduction for him to his counterpart in the capital. Chuck wasn’t sure what method was used, but it was probably another magical communication device. Chuck also stopped by the governor’s mansion and left notice that he would be leaving on a trip to the capital.
Chuck had moved his truck to his house so he could pack easier. Once everything was ready, he decided to leave early in the morning the next day. He got up at sunrise, said goodbye to Raz and Maz, and started his journey. The North Gate looked just like the South Gate. The guards must have been told he was coming, because they let him through with no questions asked. Luckily, the north road looked the same as the east road that he took his test drive on. With a smooth road, he should make good time. There was no other traffic so early in the morning so he quickly got up to speed. There was obviously no speed limits in the new world and no police that would pull him over. Still, he kept his speed down to a reasonable level. Chuck wasn’t familiar with the road and it was no paved highway after all.
On this side of the city, the land was flat and populated with small farms and lots of fields. A few drainage canals flowed between the fields with trees here and there. Chuck drove thru the morning, meeting a couple wagons, and stopped to eat lunch when he got hungry. The fields turned into grasslands which continued until night. Chuck was tired and didn’t want to drive in the dark, so he found a good spot to pull over. He stretched his legs and ate the supper Maz had made him. It was a nice night, so he unrolled his sleeping bag and slept in the truck bed. From what he had heard, he shouldn’t have to worry about monsters attacking him along this road. He was warned about the occasional bandits though.
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The next day he got started early again. He met a few more wagons before he stopped again to eat. They all had a look of shock on their faces when they saw the truck. Chuck just smiled and waved as he passed. There was now trees along the sides of the road, which was a nice change of scenery. The forest wasn’t nearly as thick and vast as the Howling Wood. It was about the middle of the afternoon when he saw something on the road in the distance. He hadn’t seen a wagon in a while, which was a little odd considering how frequently they had been up until now. As he got closer, he could see a tree had fallen down across the road. He knew something was wrong when he could see what looked like a wagon in the trees.
Chuck slammed on his brakes well before the fallen tree. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, but they could easily hide among the trees. The fallen tree was big enough that the pickup wouldn’t make it over, so he would have to move it. Unfortunately the truck didn’t have a winch. He did have a tow strap and length of chain that should work, but it smelled like a trap. Chuck made sure his guns were within reach and took a few deep breaths. There was no other road to the capital and he wasn’t going to turn around just yet. He revved the engine and honked the horn a few times. Then he yelled out the window. “I know you’re there so you might as well come out.”